The Genealogy Query Database
Genealogy Query Details
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The Genealogy Query Database |
Genealogy Query Details |
Full Details for Query #31692 |
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Commands:
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Date Posted: |
31-May-2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Surname(s): |
BEFORT : ENGEL : GOTTSCHALK : PFANNENSTIEL : STEINBOCK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Query Text: |
I found Steinbeck, Daniel to Agatha Lormier 3 Dec. 1809 Steinbeck, Wrs. to Zilphey Poe 9 Jan. 1832. Immigrants to Pennsylvania, 1600-1800 Johann Georg Steinbock 1727-1775 Steinbock, and Fredrick Augustine age 9, from Bremen, Arrived November 12, 1846. Steinbock, Wilehlmine, Age 14, from Bremen Arrived November 12, 1846. Steinbock, Ch Age 58 from Bremen, Arrived 5/14/1861 Steinbock, George Age 30, from Bremen, Arrived 8/23/1853. Table of contents Dedication and Legend of Symbols Foreword and Acknowledgements The History of the name “Gottschalk,” and the origin of the Family Coast of Arms The Geography and description of Remsede, Germany, the parental home, the church, and the village The beginning of the Gottschalk Genealogy Descendants of Heinrich Clemens August Gottschalk, Germany Descendants of Bernard Henry Gottschalk, Pittsburg, PA Descendants of John Henry Gottschalk, Pittsburg, PA. Descendants of William Ludwig Gottschalk—Pittsburgh, PA. Descendants of George Henry Gottschalk—Kansas Priests and Nuns in our history Index of Families DEDICATION To all our parents , grandparents, who inspired us with their courage and good example, and above all, who kept our religious heritage in highest esteem, we dedicate this volume, so as an humble return of our love and gratitude. LEGEND OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS 1) In This book, every name is followed by a date, which always signifies the date of birth. 2) 2) Within each of the 5 main branches, each child will be given its own special serial number, which will also be used to identify the child and sits spouse when they are listed as a family. All married persons can thus be traced back to the family which they were born. 3) 3) 00=this sign indicates “double rings” and is a symbol of marriage. 4) 4) ==this cross, following a name, indicated that they are deceased, and the date following, when available, and tell of the date of death. FOREWARD With the celebration of the Bi-Centennial year of our Country, many documents and date have come alive, to awaken in the minds of our American citizens how rich their heritage over the past two hundred years has been. It makes people more proud of their Country, and spurs them on to learning more about its history. In the same spirit, many family histories have appeared in print in recent years to motivate, to remind the present generation and those yet to come, just who their ancestors were, from where they originated and what kind of people their forefathers really were. It has been a matter of great curiosity for me over a span of years, to wish for a clearer picture of our own Gottschalk relationship. For many years my relives have suggested that somebody should make this research! It is difficult for me to understand how George Henry Gottschalk (188 to 1917), with his education and years of teaching, never thought to set to writing the history of his family, together with the migration of his three brothers and himself over to America. , beginning with the year 1867. The written documents and information an of those years in our relationship were, to say the least very meager. Over the last fifteen years, this feeling of curiosity that possessed me became a determined desire to find an answer. It became clearer to me, that if there was to be a Family Tree Record, I had better take the task in hand now. Being inexperienced in this type of work the beginnings were naturally difficult and disheartening, because I could not find sources of information about whether there were relatives of our Grandparents will living in Germany, and if so, what was their present address. Without this first step, I knew there would be no adequate “Family Story”. At least three or four persons going to Germany had promised me an honest search in the area of Osnabrueck, but it always ended in failure. In May of 1973, I met a man in Victoria, Kansas, named Mr. Heinrich Witteman, whose wife was a nice to Fr. Jordon Hammel, Capuchin. This gentleman was from Mannheim, Germany, working in the Police Department. He listened to my story of frustrations, and then made me a solemann promise to make a thorough search in the Remsede, Germany, area, where our grandparents were born and raised. This was in May. His promise was” You will hear from me,” Nothing happened for eight months, and I thought it would end in the usual failure. Suddenly in January a letter arrived from Germany, telling me that Mr. Witteman had located a living relative in that area, named Elizabeth Gottschalk, age 74 years, together with her address. I wasted no time writing alerter to her, explaining my projected Family Tree. Very quickly, Elizabeth Gottschalk’s married daughter, Hedwig Holtmeier, answered my letter, assuring me that her grandparent and pours were truly brothers. The rest of the history is in the first portion of our genealogy, Mrs. Holtmeir very graciously got all possible records from the old parish church, and whose records date back three hundred years. Through her efforts we have all the information from the home of our grandparents that was possible to find. It remained bow only to gather the information of the relatives in Pittsburg, Pa., and the Kansas area, which make up the contents of these books. HE NAME “Gottschalk” HAS A VERY ANCENT AND INTERESTING ORIGIN. Because OF ITS CENTURIES OF USE AND ABUSE. It is not too surprising to find that ITS CORRECT SPELLING MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH. It contains two words: “Gott” and “Schalk.” The word Gott obviously means Gods. The problem arises with the second word “Schalk.” This is the crucial word, in old English writings, this word appeared with precisely the same spelling as in the family name, and it meant simply “servant.” Men, who worked in the service of royalty or people of greater means and wealth, were called “Schalks. This word was taken forever into the early German language with the same meaning of servant. In later years, the meaning of Schalk grew to take the meaning of a mischievous fellow. In very early centuries in Germany, the name Gottschalk appeared as a family name, meaning very simply “God’s servant.” Through the centuries, this name took on many variations in spelling, due to doubt, to the fact that names were carelessly written as they sounded, or the fact that many people simply could not spell their name correctly. The word “Gott” alone, sometimes appears as “Got.” “God,” “Gad,” “Cut,” or “Gat.” The second wor5d, “Schalk” appears in many more variations, for example,” “Schlat,” “Schall,” “Schalck,” or Shalk.” It you join these two words in all their possible variations; you can understand why the family name took on endless variety of spellings. It might be of interest to mention some people in early history bore this name. 1. Gottschalk of Orbits, who lived from 803 to 869, a Benedictine monk and theologian. He defected from the Catholic Church mainly because of his false teachings on the doctrine of Predestination. 2. 2. Gottschalk of Limburg, Germany. He lived from 1010 to 1098. He was a poet 3. HISTORY OF THE GOTTSCHALK NAME AND COAT OF ARMS THE REMSEDE AREA Remsede is a small village, which is situated in the northern section of Germany, at the end of the Teutoburg forest, surrounded on both sides at the base of a series of low foot hills. The big city of Osnabrueck is just 13 miles to the north, a city of about 150,000 inhabitants. Remsede was always a rather small rural village, and at the present time there are only about 800 inhabitants. It is a lush farm area which is set back from any heavy highway traffic. Up until a few years ago, Remsede was an independent town, but in recent years they joined three little villages under one mayor. The area is now called Laer-Remsede. The two little towns are about two miles apart. In earlier 1800, the address for Remsede inhabitants was written in this way: Kingdom of Hanover, Principality of Osbabrueck, and town of Remsede. Hence you see that Remsede used to belong to the Kingdom of Hanover, not the town of Hanover. This led some of our relatives to say that our ancestry was from Hanover, Germany, which was not too accurate. The nearest large city, Osbabrueck, is just 13 miles to the north. Most of their business, advanced schooling, and other needs, were taken care of in this large city. On the map of Germany, just look for Osnabrueck, and Remsede is just 13 miles due south. In modern West Germany, the country is divided into States, similar to our division in America. Remsede is in the state known as Lower Saxony. The pictures in this chapter show you: 1) The picture of the little village 2) A composite of four buildings in the town 3) A picture of their very famous, ancient church 4) An aerial view of the home, just outside Remsede, of our earliest known relatives. The white portion of the building was the original home, and a portion in dark, has been added in the course of time. "Today the home is no longer in existence. All members of the first family were born and raised in this home. One of the most unique buildings in Remsede is the little parish church, under the patronage of St. Augustine. In 1935 they celebrated the eleven hundred the year of it counting. What makes it so unique is that is became an official pilgrimage chapel. It is quite authentic, that this altar was built back in the year 734. Many people from as far as Cologne made pilgrimages to this highly indulged chapel. Pictures show its earliest form with the tall, spire, but in recent years a new tower has been built, giving it a different look. The pictures of the village will give you some idea of the lovely, quiet Remsede, in which our early grandparents lived their early lives. Being nestled in this valley-like forest, away from the thoroughfare, it is easy to see that they loved its quiet and peaceful retreat. The Beginning of the Gottschalk Genealogy Since the parish of St. Anthony's at Remsede was a Pilgrimage Chapel over the centuries, all of the church records for both Remsede and Laer, Germany, were kept in the St. Mary's Parish Church records for both Remsede and Laer, Germany, about two and a half miles from Remsede. In these books, which date back three hundred years, the following is written by its pastor: "The oldest entries at Laer, with the family name of "Gottschalk" date back to the year 1794." The very first parents found in that area were: Anton Gottschalk and A. Catherina Leinker There is no record of where they came from, or who their forbearers were. They simply appeared suddenly, with the baptism of their son, Bernhard Heinrich Gottschalk who is the ancestor of all the Gottschalk’s mentioned in this book. Whether or not they had other children is unknown. Bernhard Heinrich Gottschalk FATHER: Bernhard Heinrich Gottschalk Oct. 10, 1794 MOTHER: Sophia Massmann May 9, 1801 to Jul 21, 1826 First Marriage: September 28, 1824 CHILDREN: 1. Johann Heinrich Gottschalk Feb. 20, 1825 to Jul 27, 1837 Second Marriage: MOTHER: Anna Maria Hagedown Apr 5, 1802 Marriage: Nov 21, 1826 CHILDREN: 2. George Heinrich Gottschalk Sep 13, 1827 to Jan 8, 1830 3. Maria Catherine Gottschalk Feb 13, 1829 to Aug. 8, 1830 4. Maria Catharina Gottschalk Oct. 4, 1830 to May 12, 1833 5. Maria Elizabeth Gottschalk Dec. 24, 1832 to 1894 6. Franz Anton Gottschalk Oct. 2, 1834 to Dec. 27, 1834 to U.S.A. 7. Bernhard Heinrich Gottschalk Feb 7, 1836 to Apr 26, 1915 to U.S.A. 8. George Heinrich Gottschalk Feb. 18, 1838 to Nov 15, 1917 to U.S.A. 9. Johann Heinrich Gottschalk May 6, 1839 to Mar 9, 1907 10. Wilhelm Gottschalk Jun 16, 1841 to Dec. 22, 1842 11. Heinrich Clemens August Gottschalk Nov. 21, 1842 to Dec. 22, 1906 to U.S.A. 12. Wilhelm Ludwig Gottschalk May 9, 1844 to Jul 22, 1877 HEINRICH CLEMENS AUGUST GOTTSCHALK was the eleventh child born of the union to Bernard and Anna Maria (Hagedown) Gottschalk, of Remsede, Germany. Of the five boys who survived birth and were married, August Gottschalk was the only one to remain in Germany. He inherited the home where the family was born and raised. He most likely had military service in the German army, and when he retired from that, he took up the trade of farmer, village official and father. In the earlier years after the brothers separated, there was some communication between August and those in the United States. Unfortunately it did not continue, so that the only information remaining to us in the United States was the fact that there were relatives in Germany. Fortunately, Father Timothy succeeded in making contact with them, and as a result we have the complete record of the first family in our genealogy. FAMILY OF HEINRICH CLEMENS AUGUST GOTTSCHALK FATHER: HEINRICH CLEMENS AUGUST GOTTSCHALK Nov. 21, 1842 to Dec. 22, 1906 Mother: Gertrude Knefler Jun 6, 1838 to Aug. 3, 1894 in Remsede, Germany MARRIED: September 5, 1867 in Remsede, Germany CHILDREN: Bernhard Gottschalk Dec 14, 1867 to Dec. 3, 1954 2. Anton Gottschalk Dec. 30, 1872 to Feb 15, 1927 3. George Gottschalk Dec. 28, 1876 to Feb 3, 1938 4. Heinrich Gottschalk Aug 12, 1881 to Nov 8, 1871 1. FAMILY OF BERNHARD GOTTSCHALK 2. FATHER: BERNHARD GOTTSCHALK Dec. 14, 1867 to Dec. 3, 1954 3. MOTHER: Katherina Dierker Jan. 1, 1867 to Dec. 6, 1933 Marriage date Unknown CHILDREN: 4. August Gottschalk Oct. 20, 1895 to May 24, 1966 5. Bernhard Gottschalk Oct. 10, 1897 to Apr. 25, 1928 6. 7. Gertrude Gottschalk? 1900? 1907 7. Anton Gottschalk Jan 17, 1902 to Nov 10, 1965 8. George Gottschalk? 1904 to Abt. 24, 1927 9. Gertrude Gottschalk Apr. 12, 1907 to June 4, 1955 5. FAMILY OF AUGUST GOTTSCHALK 6. FATHER: August Gottschalk Oct. 20, 1895 to May 24, 1966 7. MOTHER: Elizabeth Riepe Jan. 4, 1898 MARRIED: No v. 29, 1922 CHILDREN: 10. Hedwig Gottschalk Nov. 3, 1923 to May 7, 1957 11. Hilde Gottschalk Jan. 28, 1926 to Sept. 22, 1954 12. Else Gottschalk May 19, 1928 to Oct. 4, 1956 11. FAMILY OF HEINRICH HOLTMEYER FATHER: Heinrich Holtmeyer Apr. 11, 1922 to Aug. 9, 1969 in Galen, Germany MOTHER: Hedwig Gottschalk Nov. 3, 1923 MARRIED: May 7, 1957 in Glane, Germany CHILDREN: Angelika Holtmeyer Apr 6, 1958 Ulrike Holtmeyer Sept. 30, 1959 Rudolf Holtmeyer Jan. 3, 1962 2. FAMILY OF ANTON GOTTSCHALK FATHER: Anton Gottschalk Dec. 30, 1872 to Feb. 15, 1927 MOTHER: Anna Maria Pohlman Jul 24, 1879 to Nov. 6, 1960 Marriage date unknown CHILDREN: 17. August Gottschalk Feb. 13, 1906 to Aug. 20, 1972 18. In Wellendorf, Germany 19. 187. Maria Gottschalk (no dates) lives Hitler, Germany Klara Gottschalk (no dates) lives in G. M. Huette, Germany 20. Regina Gottschalk (no dates) lives in Dissent, Germany 21. Gertrude Gottschalk (no dates) lives in Remsede, Germany 3.fMILY OF GEORGE GOTTSHALK FATHER: George Gottschalk Dec. 28, 1876 to Feb. 1938 MOTHER: Gertrude Dammann Feb. 7, 1881 to June 22, 1954 In Harsewindkel, Germany CHILDREN: 22. Bernhardine Gottschalk Jun 19, 1921 Heinrich and Klara Gottschalk from Bad Rhotenfelde, Germany. Klara Gottschalk is the oldest and nearest living relative in Germany at the present time. She writes to Father Timothy very faithfully. 3. FAMILY OF HEINRCH GOTTSCHALK FATHER: Heinrich Gottschalk Aug. 12, 1881 MOTHER: Clara Louise Hemsath Apr 25, 1890 MARRIED: May 9, 1914 CHILDREN: 23. Josef Gottschalk Killed in WWII 24. Paula Gottschalk Jun. 26, 1921 in Bad Rothenfelde, Germany 23. FAMILY OF KURT BRUKE FATHER: Kurt Brunke Jul 24, 1925 MOTHER: Paula Gottschalk Jun 26, 1921 MARRIED: August 29, 1953 CHILDREN: 24. Mechthild Brunke Dec. 16, 1954 25. Petra Brunke Jul 12, 1960 BERNARD HEINRICH GOTTSCHALK was the oldest of the four boys who came to America August 17, 1867. Also it states that he was married in Breese, Illinois, and Nov. 28, 1867. We have a strong suspicion that he came alone, and that the other brothers followed later. Before leaving his home stead, his records tell of his freely enlisting in 1st K.D.R. (A German army regiment) of the Hanover Germany Government. This enlistment lasted from 1855 to 1856. Shortly thereafter, he set sails to America. Not too long after his marriage in Breese, Ill., he came to Pittsburg, Pa., where he finally made his permanent home, and raised a large family of 14 children. Unfortunately, so many of the children died in early age, or infancy. His must have been a distressing life, since only five of the large family became of marriageable age, and did marry. He did visit his brother George Henry in Schoenchen, Kansas once. They also corresponded very much by mail and their letter were very lengthy and of a very spiritual nature. FAMILY OF BERNARD HENRY GOTTSCHALK FATHER: Bernhard Henry Gottschalk Feb. 7, 1836 to April 26, 1915 in Remsede, Germany MOTHER: Anna Weber Oct. 30, 1843 to Oct. 16, 1906 in Burlage, Germany MARRIED: Nov. 26, 1867 in Bresse, Ill. CHILDREN: 1. Bernard Gottschalk Feb. 1, 1868 to Jul 29, 1870 2. Henry (Heinrich) Gottschalk Apr 1, 1869 to Dec. 27, 1881 3. Katherina (Mary Catherine) Gottschalk Feb 22, 1870 to May 19, 1871 4. Bernard William Gottschalk Sept 29, 1871 to Sept 12, 1872 5. Anna Bernadine Gottschalk Jun 24, 1873 to June 23, 1875 6. Bernard Henry Gottschalk Mar 15, 1875 to Sept 23, 1941 7. Mary Caroline Gottschalk Jan. 17, 1877 to June 17, 1888 8. Anna Marie Gottschalk Jul 14, 1879 to Oct. 1, 1880 9. Mary Regina Gottschalk Jul 14, 1879 to Feb 23, 1923 10. Francis William Gottschalk Mar 12, 1881 to Nov. 20, 1922 11. Casper Bernard Gottschalk Mar 12, 1881 to Dec. 9, 1883 12. Anna Elizabeth Gottschalk Jul 31, 1883 to Dec. 9, 1883 13. Michael Joseph Gottschalk Jun 21, 1885 to Nov. 22, 1947 14. Julius Gottschalk Jan. 24, 1889 to June 12, 1890 6. FAMILY OF BERNARD HENRY GOTTSCHALK FATHER: Bernard Henry Gottschalk Mar 15, 1875 to Sept. 23, 1941 MOTHER: Anna C. Keitgen Dec. 17, 1878 to Dec. 6, 1946 MARRIED: August 28, 1900, Pittsburg, Pa. CHILDREN: Angelbertum (Anna Elizabeth Gottschalk Mar 10, 1902 to May 28, 1924 Henry Bernard Gottschalk Jul 24, 1903 to Dec. 20, 1903 William Bernard Gottschalk Oct. 16, 1908 to Jul 28, 1909 There is somewhat of a mystery or doubt surrounding the Name of Mary Regina Gottschalk. In the family record, kept in the Family Bible of Bernard Henry Gottschalk, the name Mary Regina Gottschalk does appear, born on the same date as that of Mary Regina Gottschalk. Anna Maria, however, died on October 1, 180, and Mary Regina lived a long married life. The Grandchildren of Mary Regina insist that she belongs to the family of Bernard Henry Gottschalk, but we cannot find her baptismal certificate. We have accepted the word of the grandchildren, and concluded that Anna Maria and Mary Regina Gottschalk were twins. 8. FAMILY OF JACOB CARL BONGARTZ FATHER: Jacob C. Bongartz Oct. 15. 1873 to Jun 19, 1980 MOTHER: Mary Regina Gottschalk Jul 14, 1879 to Feb. 23, 1923 MARRIED: May 20, 1894 at St. Augustine’s Pittsburgh, Pa. CHILDREN: 17. ANNA Mary Adelaide Bongartz Dec. 24, 1895 to May 7, 1960 18. George Aloysius Bongarzt Nov.3, 1899 to Jan. 5, 1898 19. Bernard Jacob Bongartz Oct. 30, 1898 to May 15, 1899 20. Agnes Catherine Bongartz Nov. 3, 1899 to May 2, 1945 21. Anthony Emil Bongartz Sept. 25, 1901 to May 24, 1943 22. Jacob Henry Bongartz May 30, 1904 to Jul 4, 1952 23. Francis William Bongartz Aug 11, 1906 to Jul 15, 1972 24. Bernard Aloysius Bongartz Oct. 31, 1908 May 15, 1966 25. George Albion Bongartz Oct. 31, 1908 to April 8, 1960 26. Hyacinth Joseph Bongartz Dec. 4, 1911 to Jul 6, 1966 17. FAMILY OF CHARLES JOHN FRANCISCUS FATHER: Charles John Franciscus? MOTHER: Anna Mary Adelaide Bongardtz Dec. 24, 1895 to May 7, 1960 MARRIED: May 26, 1920 CHILDREN: 27. Mary Adelaide Franciscus Feb 24, 1921 28. Charles Jacob Franciscus Jun 15, 1922 29. Anna Agnes Franciscus Feb 26, 1924 30. Regis Anthony Franciscus Apr 28, 1926 26. FAMILY OF SAMUEL J. McAFEE FATHER: Samuel J. McAfee? MOTHER: May Adelaide Franciscus Feb 24, 1921 MARRIED: August 10, 1940 CHILDREN: 31. Charles William McAfee Dec. 7, 1941 32. Regis Samuel McAfee May 17, 1945 33. Michael James McAfee Sept 10, 1947 34. Kevin Joseph McAfee Feb 27, 1953 35. Mary Anne Adelaide McAfee May 17, 1955 31. FAMILY OF CHARLES WILLIAM McAFEE FATHER: Charles William McAfee Dec. 7, 1941 MOTHER: Mary Louise Dancison? MARRIED: MAY 24, 1963 CHILDREN: 36. Renee Louise McAfee Mar 16, 1966 37. Charles John McAfee Nov. 22, 1967 38. Kelly Anne McAfee Apr 15, 1971 32. FAMILY OF REGIS SAMUEL McAfee FATHER: Regis Samuel McAfee May 17, 1945 MOTHER: Norma V. King? MARRIED: June 25, 1967 33. FAMILY OF MICHAEL JAMES McAFEE FATHER: Michael James McAfee Sept 10, 1947 MOTHER: Kathleen Klaybor? MARRIED: Aug 19, 1967 CHILDREN: 39. Robert James McAfee May 30, 1968 40. Jeremy Thomas McAfee Sept 22, 1969 41. Melissa Anne McAfee Jul 1, 1973 First Generation 1. Philip Frederick1 Gottschalk was born in Hortonville, NY December 17, 1882. Philip died December 1966 in Hankins, Sullivan Co., NY, at 83 years of age. He married Edith St. John October 13, 1910. Edith was born in Fremont, Sullivan Co., NY March 13, 1888. Edith was the daughter of Berdine St. John and Helen Sarah Strain. Edith died July 1985 in Hankins, Sullivan Co., NY, at 97 years of age. Philip Frederick Gottschalk and Edith St. John had the following children: + 2 i. Philip S. 2 Gottschalk was born July 15, 1911. + 3 ii. Robert Bruce Gottschalk was born April 11, 1913. + 4 iii. James Joseph Gottschalk was born July 27, 1918. Second Generation 2. Philip S.2 Gottschalk (Philip Frederick1) was born in Hankins, Sullivan Co., NY July 15, 1911. He married Dorothy McGuire March 20, 1938. Dorothy was born in Calicoon, NY March 20, 1918. Philip S. Gottschalk and Dorothy McGuire had the following child: 5 i. Lou Ann3 Gottschalk. She married Sigfried Kelting. Sigfried was born in Germany. The History of the name “Gottschalk,” and the origin of the Family Coast of Arms The Geography and description of Remsede, Germany, the parental home, the church, and the village The beginning of the Gottschalk Genealogy Descendants of Heinrich Clemens August Gottschalk, Germany Descendants of Bernard Henry Gottschalk, Pittsburg, PA Descendants of John Henry Gottschalk, Pittsburg, PA. Descendants of William Ludwig Gottschalk—Pittsburgh, PA. Descendants of George Henry Gottschalk—Kansas Priests and Nuns in our history Index of Families DEDICATION To all our parents , grandparents, who inspired us with their courage and good example, and above all, who kept our religious heritage in highest esteem, we dedicate this volume, so as an humble return of our love and gratitude. LEGEND OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS 1) In This book, every name is followed by a date, which always signifies the date of birth. 2) 2) Within each of the 5 main branches, each child will be given its own special serial number, which will also be used to identify the child and sits spouse when they are listed as a family. All married persons can thus be traced back to the family which they were born. 3) 3) 00=this sign indicates “double rings” and is a symbol of marriage. 4) 4) ==this cross, following a name, indicated that they are deceased, and the date following, when available, and tells of the date of death. FOREWARD With the celebration of the Bi-Centennial year of our Country, many documents and date have come alive, to awaken in the minds of our American citizens how rich their heritage over the past two hundred years has been. It makes people more proud of their Country, and spurs them on to learning more about its history. In the same spirit, many family histories have appeared in print in recent years to motivate, to remind the present generation and those yet to come, just who their ancestors were, from where they originated and what kind of people their forefathers really were. It has been a matter of great curiosity for me over a span of years, to wish for a clearer picture of our own Gottschalk relationship. For many years my relives have suggested that somebody should make this research! It is difficult for me to understand how George Henry Gottschalk (188 to 1917), with his education and years of teaching, never thought to set to writing the history of his family, together with the migration of his three brothers and himself over to America. , beginning with the year 1867. The written documents and information and of those years in our relationship were, to say the least very meager. Over the last fifteen years, this feeling of curiosity that possessed me became a determined desire to find an answer. It became clearer to me, that if there was to be a Family Tree Record, I had better take the task in hand now. Being inexperienced in this type of work the beginnings were naturally difficult and disheartening, because I could not find sources of information about whether there were relatives of our Grandparents will living in Germany, and if so, what was their present address. Without this first step, I knew there would be no adequate “Family Story”. At least three or four persons going to Germany had promised me an honest search in the area of Osnabrueck, but it always ended in failure. In May of 1973, I met a man in Victoria, Kansas, named Mr. Heinrich Witteman, whose wife was a nice to Fr. Jordon Hammel, Capuchin. This gentleman was from Mannheim, Germany, working in the Police Department. He listened to my story of frustrations, and then made me a solemann promise to make a thorough search in the Remsede, Germany, area, where our grandparents were born and raised. This was in May. His promise was” You will hear from me,” Nothing happened for eight months, and I thought it would end in the usual failure. Suddenly in January a letter arrived from Germany, telling me that Mr. Witteman had located a living relative in that area, named Elizabeth Gottschalk, age 74 years, together with her address. I wasted no time writing alerter to her, explaining my projected Family Tree. Very quickly, Elizabeth Gottschalk’s married daughter, Hedwig Holtmeier, answered my letter, assuring me that her grandparent and pours were truly brothers. The rest of the history is in the first portion of our genealogy, Mrs. Holtmeir very graciously got all possible records from the old parish church, and whose records date back three hundred years. Through her efforts we have all the information from the home of our grandparents that was possible to find. It remained bow only to gather the information of the relatives in Pittsburg, Pa., and the Kansas area, which make up the contents of these books. THE NAME “Gottschalk” HAS A VERY ANCIENT AND INTERESTING ORIGIN. Because OF ITS CENTURIES OF USE AND ABUSE. It is not too surprising to find that ITS CORRECT SPELLING MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH. It contains two words: “Gott” and “Schalk.” The word Gott obviously means Gods. The problem arises with the second word “Schalk.” This is the crucial word, In old English writings, this word appeared with precisely the same spelling as in the family name, and it meant simply “servant.” Men, who worked in the service of royalty or people of greater means and wealth, were called “Schalks. This word was taken forever into the early German language with the same meaning of servant. In later years, the meaning of Schalk grew to take the meaning of a mischievous fellow. In very early centuries in Germany, the name Gottschalk appeared as a family name, meaning very simply “God’s servant.” Through the centuries, this name took on many variations in spelling, due to doubt, to the fact that names were carelessly written as they sounded, or the fact that many people simply could not spell their name correctly. The word “Gott” alone, sometimes appears as “Got.” “God,” “Gad,” “Cut,” or “Gat.” The second wor5d, “Schalk” appears in many more variations, for example,” “Schlat,” “Schall,” “Schalck,” or Shalk.” It you join these two words in all their possible variations; you can understand why the family name took on endless variety of spellings. It might be of interest to mention some people in early history bore this name. 1. Gottschalk of Orbits, who lived from 803 to 869, a Benedictine monk and theologian. He defected from the Catholic Church mainly because of his false teachings on the doctrine of Predestination. 2. 2. Gottschalk of Limburg, Germany. He lived from 1010 to 1098. He was a poet. 3. 3. HISTORY OF THE GOTTSCHALK NAME AND COAT OF ARMS THE REMSEDE AREA Remsede is a small village, which is situated in the northern section of Germany, at the end of the Teutoburg forest, surrounded on both sides at the base of a series of low foot hills. The big city of Osnabrueck is just 13 miles to the north, a city of about 150,000 inhabitants. Remsede was always a rather small rural village, and at the present time there are only about 800 inhabitants. It is a lush farm area which is set back from any heavy highway traffic. Up until a few years ago, Remsede was an independent town, but in recent years they joined three little villages under one mayor. The area is now called Laer-Remsede. The two little towns are about two miles apart. In earlier 1800, the address for Remsede inhabitants was written in this way: Kingdom of Hanover, Principality of Osbabrueck, and town of Remsede. Hence you see that Remsede used to belong to the Kingdom of Hanover, not the town of Hanover. This led some of our relatives to say that our ancestry was from Hanover, Germany, which was not too accurate. The nearest large city, Osbabrueck, is just 13 miles to the north. Most of their business, advanced schooling, and other needs, were taken care of in this large city. On the map of Germany, just look for Osnabrueck, and Remsede is just 13 miles due south. In modern West Germany, the country is divided into States, similar to our division in America. Remsede is in the state known as Lower Saxony. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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