Part 902bk – Brunhammer Katz – Who was GG-Grandmother Marie (née Katz) Brunhammer’s Father?

Good Day,

And today I start and try to resolve a new mystery. Exactly who was GG-Grandmother Marie (née Katz) Brunhammer’s father? Was it Martin Katz? Or, Was it Louis Katz? Who was our GGG-Grandfather?

I have been able to gather a few documents that are typical papers necessary when researching for information regarding an ancestor.

First – I have GG-Grandmother Marie’s 1867 Marriage Registration to GG-Grandfather Jacques Brunhammer. In it, it is written

“Et Marie Katz, sans états, agé de vingt-cing ans, quatre mois, domiciliée à Thann née à Soultz (Haut-Rhin) le neuf Mai, Mil huit cent quarante-deux, célebataire, fille majeur de feu Louis Katz, tailleur de pierre, décédé à Soultz, le six Janvier mil huit cent quarante-sept, et de vivante Françoise Schaffhauser, sa veuve, sans états, agée de soixante-trois and, domiciliée à Thann…”

Translated – “And Marie Katz, without states, aged twenty-eight four months old, domiciled at Thann, born at Soultz (Haut-Rhin) on the nineteenth of May one thousand eight hundred and forty-two, a celestial daughter of the late Louis Katz, stone-cutter, died at Soultz, on the sixth of January one thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, and of the living Françoise Schaffhauser, his widow, aged sixty-three, and living at Thann ... "

GG-Grandmother Marie’s father is entered as “Louis Katz”. Then I have GG-Grandmother Marie’s 1842 Birth Registration from Soultz, Haut-Rhin in Alsace. This reads…

“Est comparu Louis Katz, âgé de trente sept ans, tailleur de pièrres, domicilié a Jungholtz, lequel nouse a presenté un enfant de sexe feminine, né le jour d’hier, à une heure de matin, de lui declarant, et som domicile et de Françoise Shaffhauser agée de trente sept ans, sans état, son épouse, et auquel il a déclaré donner le pénom de Marie…”

Translated - "There appeared Louis Katz, aged thirty-seven, a stone-cutter, a resident of Jungholtz, who introduced us to a female child born yesterday at one o'clock in the morning, and of Françoise Shaffhauser, aged thirty-seven years, without a state, his wife, and to whom he declared to give the name of Mary ... "

Once again, GG-Grandmother Marie’s father is named as “Louis Katz”.

Now comes the difference. In GG-Grandmother Mary Brunhammer’s, (aka Marie Katz’s) December 11, 1922, Certificate of Death from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania her father is listed as “Martin Katz”. Accordingly, this information was provided by the Informant Charles Custer of Glouster, New Jersey.

Was her Father Louis or was he, Martin?

I then was able to locate an “Acte De Décès” (Death Registration) dated 6 January 1847 for one Louis Katz.

This reads - “le six Janvier, mil huit cent quarante-sept, à trois heures du soir, de Décès de Louis Katz, tailleur de pierres âgé de quarante un an, né a Durlach (Bavière) domicilié en cette ville fils de Frédéric et de Catherine Klauber, épous de la survivante Françoise Schaffhauser, décédé aujourd’hui…”

And translated –

“On the sixth of January one thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, at three o'clock in the evening, of Death of Louis Katz, stonemason, forty-one years old, born in Durlach (Bavaria), residing in this city, son of Frederick and Catherine Klauber, husband of the survivor Françoise Schaffhauser, who died today ... "

There are several items that seem to move the “Yes” pendulum to the fact that GG-Grandmother Marie (née Katz) Brunhammer’s father GGG-Grandfather was named Louis. The number of items on the different documents seem to coincide and appear to repeat the same information over the years.

Well, the question is how did Charles Custer, the Informant to GG-Grandmother Mary Brunhammer’s death relate that her father was “Martin Katz”?

And who was Charles Custer?

I think I know. I think I know logically via some documentary and autosomal DNA proof. Stay tuned for my next write-up on the Brunhammer Katz family.

The family tree is the Brunhammer Doherty Family Tree. If you would like access to the tree you will need an invitation from me. You can sign up with Ancestry, and from what I understand, WITHOUT having to take a membership subscription. Feel free to contact me at jsmith58@gmail.com.

If you have and comment, question, thought, idea please feel free to contact me via email at A Genealogy Hunt.

Regards,

Jim