Mapping Schoch and Maier together

Dear community of the Schochenmaiers, Schockenmaiers, Schocknmyers and Шохенмайеров, the story of Jacob Schochenmaier (1861) that our family took its origin from two families, namely the Schochs and the Maiers, who made business together, is still haunting my mind.

In this post, I decided to map the joint landscapes of the distribution of those two family names. My point is to localize the shared areas where the inhabitants named Schoch and Maier are to be found. With the help of German Surnames Atlas program (by courtesy of Prof. Konrad Kunze from the University of Freiburg, as the software is not publicly accessible), I could map the distribution of all (SHOCH and MAIER) spellings.

I have compiled three maps:

Nr. 1

Here, you see the distribution of all main spellings for the Maiers. Three centers are to be seen: the Meyers in the Northern Germany, the Meiers in Bavaria (South-East) and the Maiers mostly in the Southern Germany. This mapping proves that our SchochenMAIERs come from the Southern Germany. It's a very good for the beginning, as we met almost five different spellings. Under that perspective, we must conclude that the spelling SchochenMAIER should be historically right. 

Nr. 2

Here, you see the distribution of the Schochs. This map speaks for itself. Interestingly, we observe the dots where we found various Schochenmaiers in the archives:  to the West - near to French Alsace (early German part!), to the North- in the Northern Württemberg around Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg and Neckarsulm, plus the third center on the border with the Switzerland. 

I should add that the family name Schoch is very numerous among the Swiss people. Please, compare it with the distribution of last name Schoch in the Switzerland:

The SCHOCHs are concentrated mostly in the Northern part of the Switzerland. It's precisely at the same place where in Germany there is a big red dot in the South. Thus, it's one community and continuity of the Schochs. But we do not know if they are related to our Schochs who had married the Maiers.    

Let's localize two family names together. Here it is:  

There are lots of Maiers (blue), but less of Schochs (red). The overlapping is to be viewed in the same three centers like on the second map. The more two names are overlapped, the more it's possible that two families could marry each over.  You can see almost the quarter of red near France and even more than quarter to the North where Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg are situated. 

Those maps don't answer all our questions, but they confirm that we are on the right way! The Schochenmaiers do come from those areas because the could possibly marry each other there.  

It's getting more and more interesting! Let's going on)))

Photo on the Jacob Schochenmaier's farm (1916-1917)

Today I have had a great tea-meeting with Walter Wahler, whose mum was Elisabeth Schochenmaier (1926), daughter of Jacob Schochenmaier (1896-1937), "first cousin at one remove" of Michael (1859) and Jacob (1861) Schochenmaiers who had left for the New World. Under that I mean that Walter's grandfather Jacob was son of Gottlieb Schochenmaier (1862), cousin of Michael (1859) and Jacob (1861) Schochenmaiers who had left for the New World.

As I found out, Walter collected lots of materials about his grandfather's line, namely photos from the past. However, today I would like to start with an epic picture that his relative Eduard Schochenmaier got from the U.S. 20 years ago, that Eduard was contacted by Jerald (1939-1999) and Sharilyn Schochenmaiers. Jerald is son of Albert (1913-2007), son of Fredrick (1888-1950), son of Michael (1859-1937). As a special gesture, Jerald was so kind that he had sent a picture of 1916-17. I am so excited! Finally, I can see faces materialized out of the shadows))).

Let's have a closer look!

This picture was taken on Jacob Schochenmaier's farm in Boyd County, Nebraska, U.S.A. around 1916 or 1917.

Here it is in high resolution, it's clickable:

Left to right - back row: 

1. John Klein (1875-1936, husband of Katherine nee Schochenmaier; on Ancestry he's recorded as Johann Klien, I think the right version should be Johann Klein or Americanized John Klein);

2. Jacob Schochenmaier (1890-1971, son of Michael, b. 1859). Just for convenience of the actually living Schochenmaiers, he is grandfather for Barry Dean (1949), Lorie Jan (1957), Ross Lee (1954), Dallas (1959), Jodene (1957), Elisabeth (1950), Walter Glenn (1951), Ricky John (1953), Richard Alan (1957), Terry David (1962);

3. Lizzie Schochenmaier  (Elisabeth nee Wuest, 1893-1988, wife of Jacob Nr. 2);

4. Katie Klein (Katherine nee Schochenmaier, 1884-1966, wife of John Klein Nr. 1). By the way, on Ancestry I have found a picture of her when she is much old than here, I was really impressed, she had prominent Schochenmaier's nose and chin, like my great grandmother Annetta (1918-1998). I couldn't even imagine that genetics can be so persistent;

5. Christina Schochenmaier (1895-1920, daughter of Michael and Christina Schochenmaier). Do you know anything about her? Did she marry Gottlob Ulmer (1883-1963) or it was another Christina? 

6. Minnie Odenbach (Wilhelmine nee Schochenmaier, 1885-1963, wife of Christ Odenbach). By the way, she was the last who had been born in Russia from the American Schochenmaiers)));

7. Katie Schochenmaier (Katharina nee Wuest, 1890-1977, wife of Fred Schochenmaier Nr. 8). By the way, Katie and Lizzie Nr. 3 are sisters. 

8. Fred Schochenmaier (Fredrich / Friedrich, 1888-1950). He was the first who had been born in America!; Jerald was his grandchild. 

9. Christ Odenbach (Christian, 1886-1962, husband of Minnie Nr. 6);

In the middle: Grandparents Michael and Christina Schochenmaier (nee Winkler).  We know about them from precedent postings how they came to U.S. 

Front row: 

1. Martha Odenbach (1912-1999) - daughter of Christ Odenbach and Minnie Schochenmaier. She will marry Roy Charles Allison (1901-1982) and they will have 7 children in Rimbey (Alberta, Canada); She's about 3-4 in the picture);

2. Albert Schochenmaier (1913-2007) - son of Fred Schochenmaier and Katie Wuest. He's about 3-4 years old here. He will marry Amanda Vetter (1913-2008). As far as I researched, they will get 3 (?) children, one of them will be Jerald, who had sent this brilliant photo);

3. Martha Klein (1913-1980) - daughter of Johann Klein and Katie Schochenmaier. She will marry Ted Korb. No information about their children. 

4. Reinhold Odenbach (1911-1985) - son of Christ Odenbach and Minnie Schochenmaier. He's about 5 years old in the picture. He will marry first Gertrude Hawkswood then Gertrude Logen. I think he liked name Gertrude). 

5. Sarah Schochenmaier (1910-2008) - daughter of Fred Schochenmaier and Katie Wuest. She's about 6 years old in the picture. She first married Adolph Klein and together they had 4 girls and 1 boy.  After Adolph's death, she married Adolph Truatman.  After his death, she married James Brown. 

6. Ben Odenbach (Benjamin, 1908-1989) - son of Christ Odenbach and Minnie Schochenmaier. He's about 8 years old in the picture. He will marry Nellie Fairmond. 

Well, I have some questions. Jerald wrote that this picture was taken on the farm of Jacob, but on the photo we can see only Michael... Why ? Do you know it? 

Does anybody have a picture of this house how it looks today like? It would be great to compare. 

We are so lucky today. We may see these faces from the past. I am looking for the photos like that. If you have old photo albums, please check them, maybe there are some precious pictures in them...  Those persons can't talk anymore, let pictures do it... Thank you in advance for your help. 

Second oldest Schackenmeyrs

Today, after we found out where the oldest SchAchenmeyers had lived, is the turn of second oldest SchAchenmaiers in order to reconstruct the context and continuity, as we did it with the oldest SchOchenmayers and the second oldest SchOchenmajers.

Well, let me introduce the second oldest SchAchenmaiers: their last name was spelled as Schackenmeyrs. I am not sure, but I think the difference between "ch" and "ck" is not considerable, especially at the time when only clergymen could write and they recorded names during the baptismal services.

Here's the notice on it:

So, Catharina Dorothea had been born to Simon Edhmueller and Katharina Schackenmeyr (I've changed the spelling of names from their Latin versions /casus dativus -is for masculine and -ae for feminine/ into German ones). She was baptized on the 18th August 1722 in Wiebglingen, region of Baden. We may conclude that Katharina Schackenmeyr herself had been born in 1690s-1700s. NB: The names are not pronouncedly Jewish... 

 Let's analyze this data in time and space, as usually))) I hope you're not tired of it... 

Where is Wieblingen? 

Contemporary, Wieblingen is a part of Heidelberg city (since 1920). 

  

It's in the west of city, on the left bank of the River Neckar. 

Some pictures of its places:

And below you'll see the Old Catholic Church. In the archives is noticed, that Katharina Dorothea was baptized in the Sankt Bartolomaeus Catholic Church. Here it is:   

How far is it from Gingen (where the first SchAchenmeyers in 1630s-1740s were found: Isaac and Sara). It's about 140 km (85 miles). The way lies through Ludwigsburg, Stuttgart area, Heilbronn, Neckarsulm... all places that we already know: 

Reading about the history of that area, I stumbled upon a very interesting place-name:

Many of the Heidelberg villages have emerged from the Frankish times in the 6th time Century. They are first mentioned in the 8th Century in the Lorsch Codex – Neuenheim and Handschuhsheim in 765, Rohrbach in 766, Wieblingen and Kirchheim in 767 and Bergheim in 769. Those are villages of Heidelberg which, looking back to several centuries ago, are older than the city itself.

As you see, they cite Rohrbach!!! The problem is there are lots of Rohrbachs in Germany(((

What happened to Wiebling in the beginning of 18th century

I quote from Wikipaedia:

To strengthen his dynasty, Frederick arranged the marriage of his daughter Liselotte to Philip I, Duke of Orléans, brother of Louis XIV, king of France. In 1685, after the death of Charles Louis' son, Elector Charles II, Louis XIV laid claim to his sister-in-law's inheritance. The Germans rejected the claim, in part because of religious differences between local Protestants and the French Catholics, as the Protestant Reformation had divided the peoples of Europe. The War of the Grand Alliance ensued. In 1689, French troops took the town and castle, bringing nearly total destruction to the area in 1693. As a result of the destruction due to repeated French invasions related to the War of the Palatinate Succession coupled with severe winters, thousands of Protestant German Palatines emigrated from the lower Palatinate in the early 18th century. They fled to other European cities and especially to London (where the refugees were called "the poor Palatines"). In sympathy for the Protestants, in 1709–1710, Queen Anne's government arranged transport for nearly 6,000 Palatines to New York. Others were transported to Pennsylvania. They worked their passage and later settled in the English colonies.

 

Emigrants Leaving the Palatinate for America 

Source: Imhof, Andreas Lazarus von. Neu-eröffneter historischer Bildersaal, Vol. 9: Geschichten, welche sich unter Carolo VI, von dem Jahr 1723 auf das Jahr 1733 zugetragen. Nuremberg: Buggel, 1735. Courtesy of PD Dr. Helmut Schmahl, Mainz University.

In 1720, after assigning a major church for exclusively Catholic use, religious conflicts with the mostly Protestant inhabitants of Heidelberg caused the Roman Catholic Prince-Elector Charles III Philip to transfer his residence to nearby Mannheim. 

Being aware of those two waves of migration to England and to the future U.S., we could explain the presence of some Schochenmaiers either in the UK or in the USA prior to migration from Russia in 1880s.

Here you can read about the Palatinate Emigration: http://home.comcast.net/~harnessfamily/History/History11.htm

The last (but not the least) thing to be mentioned is the fact that in 1735 (15 years later!!!) Eva Thorodea Schachenmayer (with "ch" and "ay") got married to Simon Damm in the Sankt Bartolomaeus Church and in 1780s (60 years later!!!) in this Wieblingen we will meet the whole family of "Schachenmeyer" (with "ch" but "ey"). Bernard Schachenmeyer and Magdalena Angstmann got five children from 1788 to 1800 in Eppelheim village, near Wieblingen, and baptized them in the same Sankt Bartolomaeus Catholic Church. Is it a coincidence? I think it's very probable that it's the same line of the Schachenmaiers. But it's still not clear if they are related to the Schachenmaiers from Gingen...