Join the SCGS German Interest Group at their next meeting to be held from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Saturday, March 18, 2017, at the SCGS Family Research Library. Don't miss out!
Jana Bickel presents her Wetzel Family
I have been researching my genealogy since 1971 when my
aunts told me I was related to a famous Indian fighter Lewis Wetzel, the hero of
Zane Grey's "Spirit of the Border". Hours of research
proved that Lewis' brother, Jacob, was my direct ancestor. Later, in the 1980's
I traced my Bickel ancestry to Graben, Baden with help from Elizabeth
Sharp at the Immigrant Library. I sent a letter to all 7 Bickels in
Graben and got a response from two Bickels and the town historian, Berthold
Heil, who provided me with my direct ancestors based on church records.
The family story was that my ancestor, John Fredrick Bickel stowed away
on a boat to America with his brother, leaving Germany to avoid the draft and
ending up fighting in the Civil War. Mr. Heil explained that it was a
cousin not a brother who went with John Fredrick Bickel to America. J.F.
had already done military service in Baden. His service in the civil war was covered during my talk on Germans in Missouri. I doubt that J.F.
stowed away on the boat to America. It makes a nice story but I don't see
how it would be possible. I recently purchased a town history of Graben.
It is, of course, in German so my next project is to get at least some of
it translated. I hope someday to visit Graben.
The goal of the SCGS German Interest Group is to provide a wide range of resources both inside and outside the SCGS Library to help trace German families. Throughout 2017, our German Group will renew its "Routing Our Roots" as well as present short programs on German Exiles in Los Angeles County, History of German Towns, Human Interest Stories on folks of German Heritage, learning German Words and Old German Script, plus any last minute thoughts.
For more information, please contact Allene Aubertin.
SCGS German Interest Group
Third Saturday of the month
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Southern California Genealogical Society
& Family Research Library
417 Irving Drive
Burbank, California
Cross street Glenoaks
(818) 843-7247
www.scgsgenealogy.com
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