Birth record and parents name of my great grandfather
Hello I am researching my great grandfather Carl Alfred Apel who was born in Rorschach Switzerland May 20 1865. I have a marriage record and death record that confirm that information. Apel is NOT his biological name. He ended up living in Cincinnati Ohio as a child with Fred Apel and his wife Lisette Hettinger. Fred could not be his father because Fred left Germany after Carl was born. Lisette could be his mother or a relative. In the 1870 Census in Cincinnati (when he would have been 5yrs old) Carl is not living with Fred and Lisette. In the 1910 Census Carl says he came to the US in 1871. I am looking for a record of his birth. I do have the city where he was born and his birth date but no last name. Any creative thoughts for a direction would be appreciated. Thanks
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There is no child named Carl Alfred listed in either the catholic or reformed church records for that town. Can you post a copy of the marriage and death record that show that town and date of birth?
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Hi Danette
Yes I have checked those records too and didn't find his name. Glad to have another set of eyes check too! Rorschach is listed as his place of birth in his marriage record at the church in Cincinnati that he attended. I own the films of the church and will check as soon as I can find a microfilm reader. The church in Cincinnati was St Matthaeus German Evangelical which then became Philippus United Church of Christ. Carl Apel and Matilda Stiefel were married May 28 1890. Both the St Mattaeus and Philippus films cover that date. If I remember right (it's been over 20 years) I think it was on the Philippus film. If LDS has filmed those records and you have access to them and could check that would be a huge help since i will have to find a microfilm reader. Thanks for your help and interest.
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Hi Danette
More information to share. Carl's (later Charles) death certificate confirmed his date of birth and that he was born in Switzerland but did not give a town. Carl's daughter (my grandmother) was the informant on the certificate. She said his parents names were "unknown" but that they were both born in Switzerland. My grandmother was Carl's only living child and Carl and Matilda lived with my grandparents so you would think she, if anyone, would know their names. Maybe Carl didn't know? My grandmother also said Carl's father was a ship captain which would make sense since Rorschach is a seaport. The great mystery!
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Hi Danette
I found a microfilm reader and located the marriage record of my great grandfather that you wanted to see. I'm attaching it. It is item #38 Thanks
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That's great. It says he's from Roschach. Often towns were misspelled or not understood correctly and there always is a possibility that it could actually be a different town.
Have you tried looking for the marriage of Lisette Hettinger and Fred Apel? Did they marry in Ohio or in the US?
Also, there is an immigration for a Lisette Apel in 1864, but she is from Kulmbach, which is in Germany, not Switzerland. And unless they married before immigration, she would be listed as Lisette Hettinger, not Apel. This is a tough one.
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Hi Danette You are so right that this is a tough problem which is why I always welcome creative thoughts 😁 I have tried to find the marriage record in Cincinnati but so far no luck. They may not have been married there. I won't give up on that I have the immigration record for Fred Apel who arrived in the US in Aug of 1865 two months after Carl was born in Switzerland. I visited the town in Germany that Fred was from and saw the church records. I asked if Fred had ever been outside of this small town before leaving Germany and they said he had not I found Fred and Lisette married and living in Cincinnati in the 1870 US Census with no children (Carl would have been 5 at that time) so they were married between Aug of 1865 and June of 1870 They later had two biological children (1871 and 1873) before they both died in their mid 30's. All of the children then went to live with Fred's brother. I also did a DNA test through Ancestry. In consultation with them they said I am not genetically connected to the Apel name but I am connected to the Hettinger name My theory is that Lisette was not the mother of Carl but a female relative. I'm also looking at other Hettingers in the Cincinnati area to give me clues to other possible Swiss towns to check since my understanding is that in Switzerland all records stay in (or return to ) the town of origin. I do have Lisette's birth date which will be helpful at some point. Any other creative ideas for research/records in the Rorschach area? I know it is in the St Gallan Canton. If I remember correctly I don't think public records of births were kept in 1865. Am I correct on that? How about emmigration records of people leaving Switzerland? In one US Census Carl said he arrived in the US in 1869. In another Census he says he arrived in 1871. Clearly a young child at the time. Carl says he was naturalized but the indexs in Cincinnati indicate that the volume he is listed in burned in a court house fire. Do you know if a copy of those local records would have been sent to a larger regional archive at the time?
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Barbara, try searching for confirmations in Rorschach for both Carl and for Lisette. Also, Hettinger in Switzerland would be spelled Hedinger.
Also, in his marriage, Carl did not use the name Alfred. So be searching for a Carl, not Carl Alfred. That might have been added later.
Good luck! Let us know if you find something.
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According to Family Search Wiki, Civil (public) records were kept in St. Gallen beginning in 1867.
You are correct - Baptism, marriage and burial records were kept in the Heimat ( town of citizenship, which is inherited through the paternal line) even if the person had moved away. In which case, the record was recorded in the new residence town as well as the citizenship town because the Priest recording the event always sent a copy to the Heimat.
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Good tips. Thanks I'll try them
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Thanks Danette I'll look under Hedinger and hope that was her maiden name and that she had not been married before! Fingers crossed!
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"According to Family Search Wiki, Civil (public) records were kept in St. Gallen beginning in 1867."
I know I'm 3 years late ... but felt I still have to speak up.
1) We have to differentiate between present day's Civil Registry system: this is a national system and started in 1876 in all of Switzerland ... see https://community.familysearch.org/de/discussion/91988/council-minutes-chur-1889-transcription-translation-and-background-explanations (scroll down to the explanations). Examples of what to expect there may be found on https://www.geneal-forum.com/phpbb/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=31883.
2) Most cantons started cantonal "Citizens' Registers". The related legislation in St.Gallen is from 1834 - so the registers started usually 1835/36 - not 1867.
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