The person of interest in this branch of my family is my great grandmother, Rosina Schmitt. Following the death of her husband, Karl Zang she emigrated from Germany to Walworth County, Wisconsin, with daughters Margaret Zang (b. 1858) and Rozina Josephi Zang (b. 1863).
My bridge back into Germany was an a un-sourced Zang/Schmitt Family Group Sheet obtained from my cousin William Zarnstorff, who obtained it from his aunt Katherine (Kit) Rosa Amborn. It is not known who originally created it or how his Aunt obtained it.
It was part of the documentation I provided to German researcher Marcel Elias who obtained the birth records and provided the translations shown below. His conclusion was that the information on this Family Group Sheet was incorrect (see below for more information on why he reached his conclusion).
Apollonia [Götz] Schmitt (Mother or Kaspar Schmitt – see below) died on 21 September, 1813:
On Sep 21, 1813 at 1am died in Arnstein Apollonia Schmitt, a wife of Jörg Schmitt, a saltpeter-maker from Arnstein, house Nr. 243, aged 60 years old. (view image)
Kaspar Schmitt and Anna Keller, the parents of Rosina Schmitt, were married on January 7, 1817 in Arnstein, Germany.
Marriage record of Kaspar Schmitt and Anna Keller
On Jan 7, 1817 were in Arnstein married Kaspar Schmitt, a catholic day-labourer from Arnstein, house Nr. 122, a son of Jörg Schmitt, producer of saltpeter (potassium nitrate for producing gunpowder) and Apollonia Götz, unmarried, born in 1779 (Arnstein is crossed out); and Anna Keller, a catholic miller’s daughter from Arnstein, a daughter of Kaspar Keller and Anna Maria Iff, unmarried, born on Sep 5, 1790 in Arnstein. Witnesses were Georg Leuser, ……, and Georg Deugel, miller from Öhle (most probably a name of a mill). (view image)
Marcel Elias found discrepancies between the records and the Family Group Sheet at this point. To quote him:
“When I found the marriage record between Kaspar and Anna Keller, Anna’s birth date was different – Sep 5, 1790, her parents given as Kaspar and Anna Maria. And indeed, I found her birth record in Arnstein records. So your Ahnentafel seems to be wrong in that whole line. It seems that the Keller line were millers from Heugrumbach in that time and didn’t come from Essleben, at least for Anna Keller.
“As for Kaspar Schmitt and his parents, they weren’t from Arnstein. I spent one more hour to establish that indeed 4 oldest children of Georg Schmitt and Apollonia Götz weren’t born in Arnstein and from records is not clear where they came from. The only clue could be places of burial for Georg Schmitt and Johann Kaspar Schmitt – they were buried near Sondheim. But since there were more Sondheims in the area within 100 km around Arnstein, more time would be needed.”
Rosina Schmitt, the 5th child of Kaspar Schmitt and Anna Keller, was born on March 18, 1825 in Arnstein, Germany. She was baptized in the Catholic church on March 19, 1825.
Birth record of Rosina Schmitt
On March 18, 1825 after 2 pm was in Arnstein born and on March 19 was in the church baptised Rosina, 5th child of Kaspar Schmitt, a catholic farmer, living in Arnstein, house Nr. 122, and his catholic wife Anna Keller, living at the same address. Godmother was Rosina Schederin, unmarried, from Arnstein. (view image)
Georg (Jörg) Schmitt died on 25 March, 1826:
On March 25, 1826 at 9pm died in Arnstein Georg Schmitt, saltpeter-maker, living in Arnstein, house Nr. 245, a widower, aged 75 years old. Cause of death pneumonia. He was buried on March 27 in …….. near Sondheim (most probably where they came from – ME). (view image)
Rosina Schmitt (b. 1825) married Karl Zang (b. 1824) in Arnstrin, Germany on 3 August 1852.
Marriage record of Karl Zang and Rosina Schmitt
On Aug 3, 1852 were in the church in Arnstein married Karl Zang, a catholic day-laborer from Arnstein, house Nr. 124, a son of Philipp Zang and Katharina Ackermann, unmarried, born on Dec 29, 1824 in Arnstein; and Rosina Schmitt, a catholic farmer’s daughter from Arnstein, a daughter of Kaspar Schmitt and Anna Keller, unmarried, born on March 18, 1825 in Arnstein. Witnesses were Karl Ackermann, a carpenter; and Michael Walter, a farmer, from Arnstein. (view image)
Karl Zang and Rosina Schmitt reportedly had three children:
- Philipp Josef Zang (b. 12 November 1854)
- Margaret Zang (b. 15 February 1858)
- Rozina Josephi Zang (b. 27 December 1863)
This is the certificate recording the smallpox vaccination given to Margaretha Zang… it confirms her date of birth as 15 February 1858 (thanks to a quick translation from Ute Brandenburg):
Kaspar Schmitt died on 20 December, 1864 :
On Dec 20, 1864 at 3pm died in Büchold Johann Kaspar Schmitt, a catholic farmer, widower, aged 85 and ¼ years old. Cause of death old age. He was buried on Dec 23, 1864 in Sondheim. (view image)
Karl Zang died 14 October 1871 in Arnstein
Margaret Zang (b. 1858) emigrated to the United States, probably sometime between 1880 and 1883 (see below).
Rosina Josephi Schmitt (b. 1825) and Rozina Josephi Zang (b. 1863) reportedly emigrated together, probably sometime between 1884 and 1888 (see below).
Philipp Josef Zang (b. 1854) married Anna Maria Hartmann (b. 1866) in Arnstein on 25 May 1896. They had one known child, Karl Josef Zang (b. 1898), and both died in Arnstein.
- “Arnstein is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany.” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnstein)
- View the Meyers Gazetter Entry for Arnstein.
- Church records for Arnstein are archived by the Archdiocese of Bamberg (view Bamberg on Google Maps)
View genealogical information about Georg Karl Zang on my RootsWeb family tree.
Research Questions:
- When did Margaret Zang (b. 1858) leave Germany?
- When did Rosina Josephi Schmitt (b. 1825) leave Germany?
- When did Rozina Josephi Zang (b. 1863) leave Germany?
- Where was Johann Kaspar Schmitt born? According to his marriage record, he was born in 1779: the place of birth was initially recorded as “Arnstein”, but that was subsequently crossed out.
- More information about Georg Schmitt may be available: He was involved in the production of potassium nitrate, possibly in Sondheim (located about 40 miles North of Arnstein).
- More information about Kaspar Keller may be available. He was reportedly a miller from Heugrumbach (located about 1 mile West of Arnstein).
Notes:
- The Kirchenbuch, 1858-1929: Evangelisch Lutherische St. Johannis Gemeinde (Slades Corner, Wisconsin) Contains history, members, baptisms, communicants 1867-1924, confirmations 1867-1929, meeting reports 1867-1899, marriages, deaths 1863-1929, collections 1869-1897, and misc. newspaper clippings. This is on FamilySearch Film 1404984 Items 1-2. This may document some events related to the Zang and the Zang/Curran families. A copy was ordered on 13 June 2017: it will be sent to the Dallas Public Library.