German Roots Forum

[Joseph Kurosz]

Hello,
 
Can anyone direct me to a forum like Anbytarforum that deals with German genealogy?  
 
I am looking for immigration records, birth dates and birth places for Richard vom Lehn and his wife, Wilhelmine Seiperman, both from Germany. One of their children was Esther E. vom Lehn born on September 19, 1893 in Brooklyn, NY and married to Archer Adelbert Stephens on October, 19, 1913 in Brooklyn, NY. Esther moved to Waterville, Maine thereafter and died there on April 18, 1960.

[Andrea Flanagan]

Joseph,
I found this site:
http://forum.genealogy.net/forum/index.php?styleid=2
I didn't see an English language page, though.
AJ

[Bo Nordenfors (Nob)]

Joseph,
 
Ancestry/rootsweb have active message boards for Germany. English spoken, too, very often.

[Kurt Persson]

Jooseph, please try www.g-gruppen.net if you speak any language used around the Baltic Sea.
regards
Kurt Persson

[Laura Bonde]

Joseph,  
 
On Ancestry, there are 2 passenger lists with a Richard and Wilhelmina vom Lehn:  
 
Ship:  SS Kungsholm
Sailing from New York, NY on 30th Jan 1935
Arriving at the Port of New York, NY on  18 Feb 1935
Line 22  
Vom Lehn, Richard  
age 58
married male  
not born in the US  
Naturalized citizen at Supreme Court, New York through father's papers
Address: 464 E. 24th Street, Brooklyn, NY
Line 23
Vom Lehn, Wilhelmina
age 52  
married female  
Born in Brooklyn, NY on 29 November 1882
Address: 464 E. 24th Street, Brooklyn, NY
______
 
Ship:  SS Carinthia
Sailing from Nassau on 19th Feb 1936
Arriving at the Port of New York, NY 21 Feb 1936
Line 17
Vom Lehn, Richard  
Age: 59
married male
Naturalized through his father's papers of 1884
Address: 464 E. 24th Street, Brooklyn, NY
 
Line 18
Vom Lehn, Wilhelmina
age 30  
married female
born in Brooklyn, NY on 29th November 1886
Address: 464 E. 24th Street, Brooklyn, NY
 
On both passenger lists, the column for birth date was specified for native born citizens and left blank for immigrants and naturalized citizens suggesting that Wilhelmina was born in Brooklyn as indicated.  I did notice though that her place of birth is given as Germany on the 1900 census. Perhaps you could find Richard's father's naturalization papers.  Depending on when he filed, they might tell where in Germany Richard's family came from.  
 
1900 Census Brooklyn Ward 32, Kings County, New York
1565 New York Ave
 

 
Regards,  
Laura

[Laura Bonde]

From Kings County Court, New York, Index to Naturalizations:
 

 
Regards,  
Laura

[Laura Bonde]

I was hoping to find an obit for the father or mother. You may already have these.  
 
From the New York Times:
 
27 Feb 1934

 
15 Mar 1945

 
2 March 1909  
Married Vom Lehn-Bauer—Feb. 25 Minnie Bauer to Richard Vom Lehn
 
24 Jan 1919
Mrs. Louise vom Lehn, wife of Marin A. vom Lehn, a builder in Flatbush and a daughter of John H. Meyer, editor of  The Retail Grocers Advocate, died on Tuesday at her home 1069 East Eight Street Brooklyn, of Pneumonia  
 
25 November 1933
Vom Lehn- Minnie L. Vom Lehn, beloved sister of Clara M. Robie, Esther E. Stephens, Richard, Albert and Martin Vom Lehn, beloved aunt of Harvey, Richard and Edgar Vom Lehn.  Funeral services Sunday evening Nov 26, at XXX30 at her late residence 2,701 Glenwood Road, Brooklyn. Funeral Private
 
Wills for probate 18 May 1934
Vom Lehn, Minnie 23 Nov. Estate more than $10,000 real; more than $5,000 person. To Clara M. Robie, sister extecutrix, 95 Amersfort Pl.  
 
17 April 1937 Estate Appraised
Vom Lehn, Minne L 23 Nov 1933 Gross assets, $361,752; net $47,160. To sister, Clara M. Robie. Chief assets, real estate, $346,866; transfers, $5, 017.  Watson, Kristeller and Swift, attorneys, 68 William St., Manhattan

[Joseph Kurosz]

Laura,
 
Thank you for your help.  The ship passenger records you have found are for Richard Jr. who happened to marry a U.S.-born woman with the same first name as his mother, Wilhelmine.  But Richard Jr's obituary places his parent's immigration date to the U.S. between his birth in June 1877 in Germany and his brother Albert's birth in Brooklyn in December 1879.
 
Thanks, Joseph

[Anne von Corswant]

Can anyone confirm that military officers in Germany (or even germany speaking countries) were allowed to add von to their family name up to 1918? This is said in the Swedish Nationalencyklopeidien (NE), but someone told me this is not true. We have found a person that died 1943 with our noble family name, but if the above is true - then he might not be a relative to us.