Surname Saturday (1): Goetsch (Prussia > Michigan) Saturday, June 19, 2010

Note: 5/26/2016 See more recent post for some updates.

The formal spelling of this Germanic surname is "Go(umlaut)tsch". It is a name that is tough to trace since it is often misspelled or mis-transcribed.

The surname Goetsch first appears on the paternal branch of my family tree with Wilhelm R Goetsch, my 2nd great-grandfather. Wilhelm, a carpenter by trade, was born in "Prussia" in July 1842.

He married Albertine Radde in the old country circa 1868. Together, they sailed on the Columbus, presumably from Bremen, to New York arriving on 1 Sept 1868. From New York, they made their way to Detroit, Michigan.

They joined the Detroit Trinity Lutheran Church and all 13 of their children's births from 1869 - 1895 are found in the church book (on LDS film). Many open questions remain ....

Such as "From what village/region did they come?"
"In what year did Wilhelm die?"
"Where are other Goetsch descendants in the US?"
"How do other researchers work with the state of Michigan to obtain vital records, such as death certificates from the early 1900s?"

Snapshot of Goetsch ancestors

1. Karl Goetsch (b. Prussia 1810s?, d. ?)
i. Wilhelm R. Goetsch (b. Prussia 1842, d. Detroit, MI by 1930)(may have 6 siblings)
+ Albertine Radde (b. Prussia 1849, d. Detroit, MI by 1930)(may have 6 siblings)
a. Ernst Carl Rudolph
b. Rudolph Carl Hermann
c. Wilhelm Carl Christian
d. Eduard Gustav Carl
e. Franz Ferdinand Robert
f. Albertine Wilhelmine Auguste
g. Paul Ferdinand Julius
h. Robert Carl Albert
i. Carl Friedrich Wilhelm
j. Otto
k. Arthur
l. Laura
m. John

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ASPCA says: Animals Suffer from Allergies Saturday, April 10, 2010

This week the ASPCA published an article to raise awareness of the fact that animals suffer from allergies just like people do. I found it timely, partly because its Spring, and partly because we are having a Santa Ana condition here in SoCal this week. Each time the Wind blows, one of my cats' eyes gets watery. When I first adopted her, I was worried that she had an eye infection or other issue. Now I know that her condition correlates with the bad air quality. I try to keep the doors and windows shut until there is a change in weather. To read the ASPCA article ....click here.

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ASPCA Challenges Shelters to Save More Animals

This week, the ASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, launched a challenge to all shelters to save 300 more animals than last year during the period from August 1 to October 31, 2010. The award is ...$125,000 and a chance to exchange valuable information among shelters on how to increase effectiveness! If you are working with a shelter, please make sure to get signed up! More info can be found at ASPCA Challenge.

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Jamboree Conference Volunteer Thursday, April 8, 2010

Here's your chance to learn about genealogy research and give back at the same time.

Volunteer at the SCGS Jamboree June 10-13 in Burbank, California

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A Maternal Mystery Sunday, March 21, 2010

Due to March being Women's History Month and my participation in the Burbank-based French-Canadian Heritage Society of California's (FCHSC) meeting today at the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) Library ... one particular 2nd great grandmother is on my mind. She is proving to be elusive.

Her first name is Flore or Flora as confirmed by both family lore and US Census entries (i.e., 1900, 1910, 1920). She was born in August of 1854 or 1855 somewhere in French Canada but came to the US circa 1870. She then married Antoine Gamache in 1871 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin. The couple later moved to Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan and that is where Flore died in 1923.

Some time ago, I requested a copy of her marriage certificate from the Wisconsin Historical Society with the hopes of learning the names of her parents. Unfortunately, when the copy of the marriage record arrived - her father's name (Jean Courtois) was listed, but her mother's name was not. In addition, the name of the bride on the copy looked more like "Clare Wartoiz".

It was with these facts that I approached the expert French-Canadian researchers for assistance.

I learned about the comprehensive French-Canadian collection on-hand at the SCGS Library - from the Loiselle Marriage Index microfiche to dictionaries of dit names to historical sketches of Quebec's famous families in the mid-1600s. I also learned that the FCHSC maintains a database of about 35,000 French-Canadian related ancestral names, relationships, vitals, and King's daughters and Carignan Soldiers annotations.

With many sources to pursue, I look forward to my next visit to the SCGS library. With the aid of the French-Canadian Research Team, I am confident that the mystery of Flore will one day be solved.

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