05 February 2013

My Dunkes ancestry - breaking down the bricks

In this post, I outline the records (with transcripts) and analyze the data for the immigrant Dunkes family of Frank Dunkes and Maria Anna Wipf in 1800s Baltimore, Maryland. This may be of some interest to those learning about analyzing records, but is more for those who might be related.

This is one of the families that I hope to find ancestors for this year, although I am currently dependent upon the German repositories of the records to respond to my requests.

Margaret Dunkes - Baptism 1853
[left page] 64 | 28 Febr. | 1 March | P. Hiturander? | Margaritha | Franciscus Dunker | Nürnberg in Bavaria
[right page] Anna Müphelt | Memmelsdorf in Bavaria | Margaretha Sering? | legitimate

Frank Michael Dunkes - Baptism 1855
[left page] 112 | 8 April | P. Wissel | Franziscus Michaelis | Franziscus Dunkes | Wallersdorf, Bavaria |
[right page] Anna | Memmelsdorf, Bavaria | 5? April | Michaelis Sandner? |

Frank Dunkes - Baptism 1857
[left page] 43 | Aug. 23 | P. Jos. Muller | Franciscus | Franz Dunkes | Wallersdorf () Bava/ |
[right page] M. Anna nee Wipf | Memmelsdorf (Bamberg I) Bav. | Aug. 22 | Michael Landner |

Michael Dunkes - Church Marriage 1877
[left page groom] 67 | 15 Jan. | P. Eberhardt | 3 | Michael Dunkers | 22 | Franciscus Dunkers + Maria Schlot* |
[right page groom] Baltimore Md. | ? | [blank] | Bregitta Walbelich | [blank] | [blank] |

Franz Dunkes - Church Interment 1881
[left page] 18 | died Jun 29 bur. Jul. 1 | Franz Dunkes | Wallersdorf, Bav. | 71 an. 19d [born 10 June 1810]
[right page] [disease] | Omni Sacramenta | St. Alphonsus Cemet. | E 78

Frank Dunkes - Death Certificate 1881
most of the certificate is illegible on the microfilm
Place of Burial: St. Alphonsus Cem.
Date of Burial: July 1st 81
Undertaker: M. [Michael] Franz
Place of Business: 280 Canton
Note: Sometimes undertaker/funeral home records reveal additional insights.
The undertaker can be found on the city directory as a furniture dealer.
"The casket industry originated in the United States in the 1800s. The city funeral director, known as the undertaker, usually operated a furniture store in addition to selling caskets."
http://blog.southerngraves.net/2007/11/undertakers-coffins-furniture.html

"Mary" Dunkes - Death Certificate 1885
Date of Death: Feb 14th 1885
Full Name of Deceased: Mary Dunkes
Age: 63 Years, 2 Months, 10 Days [born 4 December 1821]
Widow
Occupation: Housekeeper
Birthplace: Foreign
Duration of Residence in the City of Baltimore: 35 years [immigrated 1850]
Place of Burial: St. Alphonsus
Date of Burial: Feb. 17th
Undertaker: [Leonhardt Kurz] ?
Place of Business: S. Bond St.
Note: Leonhardt Kurz appears as an undertaker at 277 s Bond in the Baltimore directory for 1884.

Maria Dunkes - Church Interment 1885
[left page] 11 | 14 Febr. | 17 Febr. | Maria Dunkes | Bamberg Beiern | 63y |
[right page] tremar | Omni Sacr. [all sacraments] R. P. Hilger | St. Alph. | Lot N. 73 ? E |

Frank Dunkes - Reinterment 1926
from St. Alphonsus to Most Holy Redeemer
3 reinterments
names listed as Frank, Anna, and Frank
dates and ages appear to be wrong, but they were moved

Questions:
What is Maria Anna Müphelt Wipf Schlot* Dunkes correct name?
Data by year
1853 child's baptism: "Anna Müphelt"
1855 child's baptism: "Anna"
1857 child's baptism: "M. Anna nee Wipf"
1860 US Census: "Maria"
1870 US Census: "Mary"
1877 child's marriage: "Maria Schlot*"
1880 US Census: "Mary"
1885 death cert.: "Mary"
1885 interment: "Maria"
1926 reinterment: "Anna"
Checking occurances of each surname on Google
Memmelsdorf Müphelt: none
Memmelsdorf Wipf: several
Memmelsdorf Schlot*: yes for Schlot, but that means chimney in German
I think that perhaps Maria Anna is actually Maria Anna Wipf.
In that record, "nee" indicates a maiden name.
If she was married before we can understand at least one of the other surnames.
Hypothesize that both Frank and Maria Anna were both married before.
George, who was born in about 1845 in Bavaria, could have been from a previous marriage for Frank
There was an 8 year gap between George and Margaret (who was born in Baltimore)
When a man is more than 10 years older than his wife, it is a plausible sign of a previous marriage
Maria Anna had her first known child with Frank in 1853: she was 32, old enough for a prior marriage
Frank and Maria Anna were from towns 100 km (1.5 hour drive apart)
They (because of this distance) probably didn't meet until Baltimore

All records except her interment give Memmelsdorf as her place of origin.
Bamberg is the larger area near Memmelsdorf
What is Frank Dunkes place of origin?
All records give Wallersdorf, Bavaria except Margaret's baptism which gives Nürnberg.
Nürnberg is the larger city near Wallersdorf

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for your kind and thoughtful comments.