Research Highlights

[CLIENT] Heitz1609 BT1602105 26 December 2016

Research Highlights

GOALS

Spend half of research time on identifying the correct parish in Alsace-Lorraine and gathering family records there, according to recommendations from the last report. Find Heitz family members in the church records of Toledo, Ohio. Determine if any of the siblings went to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Find out if Maria died somewhere between New Orleans and Toledo. Find a death record for Anton Heitz and determine i

f he was Lena’s father. DidDocument his widow the livesapply of for Lena’s a pension? siblings more thoroughly. Determine if the client’s record of Nick Hotz serving in the military is for Lena’s brother. PROGRESS

Searched the records from Strasbourg, Alsace, and 21 other towns in the area so far. Many Heitz families were identified, but no one matching the ancestral family has yet been found. Unable to locate any additional records of Heitz family members in church records from Toledo, Ohio. Found no evidence of other family members moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Searched Toledo death and burial records, but did not find Anton Heitz or his wife, Maria, there. Since the New Orleans deaths were searched previously and there were literally thousands of towns where Maria could have died between New Orleans and Toledo, the search for her death ended there.

Josephine. ConfirmedLocated some that additional the Civil War records veteran, for the Anton lives Heitz of Lena’s siblings, including her sister, Located him in later records living in Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, as Anthony Heitz. from Ohio, was Lena’s brother. Identified the pension for the Civil War veteran, Nick Hotz, who served from Ohio. The applicant was his widow, Mary Hotz.

Sent for the pension file of Nicholas Hotz since it was the simplest means of learning more about his birth and any family connections. Once the pension file can be reviewed,

RECOMMENDATIONSit should tell us whether he and Lena’s brother, Nick, were one and the same.

1. Send for the Civil War pension file for Anthony Heitz (see Document 10). This file should discuss the identities of his wife and children and will allow us to learn more about them. 2. When the Civil War pension file for Nick Hotz arrives, assess this paperwork for family information to determine whether he was connected to the ancestral Heitz family. 3. Seek out records for the births, marriages, and deaths of the children of John Peter Edams/Idems and his wife, Josephine. One of these records may incl maiden name and prove her connection to the ancestral Heitz family. 4. Continue searching the towns around Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, Franceude Josephine’s for the Heitz family. This should include locating the births of Lena Heitz and her siblings (circa 1834-1850) and the marriage of their parents, Anton and Marie. a. Begin the search with these towns: Lingolsheim, Entzheim, Eschau, Plobsheim, Dorlisheim, Nordhouse, Erstein, Osthouse, Benfeld, Huttenheim, Sermersheim, Krautergersheim, Ittenheim, Schiltigheim, Offendorf, Schirrhein, Westhoffen, Landersheim, and Lampertheim. b. Once the correct town is located, obtain records for the births of each of the Heitz children (1833-1852), as well as obtaining marriage. the record of their parents’

Research Report

The purpose of this research session was two-fold. First, the client hoped to locate the Heitz family in records from the area near Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, France. Secondly, additional documentation was needed to learn about the siblings and parents of the ancestor, Lena Heitz, in records from the United States.

Since additional United States research might yield a more specific hometown in the Strasbourg area, it was determined that the records here would be searched first and that the research in France would be addressed later in the session. The time was to be divided equally between the United States and France, and the research was conducted accordingly.

Anthony Heitz (brother of Lena)

The client had recently been working to locate additional information about Lena Heitz and her siblings in records from the United States. Among the new information found was an enlistment register showing that Antoni Heitz [sic], who was born around 1836, had enlisted in the United States Army during the Civil War. His enlistment took place on 21 April 1858 in Toledo, Ohio. This information already suggested that he was probably the same Anton who was an older brother of Lena. However, it was further confirmed that he was definitely the same young man since his birth place was given as Strasbourg, France [sic].1

1 Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914, enlistment of Antoni Heitz, Civil War, 21 April 1858, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, http://fold3.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 1. 3

Excerpt from the 1858 Civil War Enlistment Register for Antoni Heitz. DOCUMENT 1.

In addition to his birthplace description: hazel eyes, black hair, sallow complexion,, Antoni’s and entry. provided a physical ’ tall The final lines (not shown in the excerpt above) delineated that Antoni Heitz was discharged at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 14 October 1862. He had a disability that kept him from further military service, but the register did not specify what it was. Since this ancestor had been discharged from the military in Pennsylvania, the client speculated that he might have remained there. She found an Anton Heitz living in Philadelphia at later dates, but did not know if it was the same man.

To learn whether Anton(i) Heitz remained in Philadelphia after being discharged from the Army, later records were consulted in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding states. Three possible matches were found for the ancestor.

1. Anton Heitz, resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania 2. Anton Heitz, resident of Kruss County, Indiana 3. Anthony/Andy Heitz, resident of Ohio County, West Virginia

Each of these three men was examined further in efforts to determine which, if any of them, was the brother of the ancestor, Lena Heitz. A will and probate proceedings were found for the Anton Heitz from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He wrote his last will on 18 September 1903, and his estate was probated on 6 October 1908.2 Although these records

2 Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, Will Books, Vol 97, 1908-1909, will of Anton Heitz, 18 September 1903, Allegheny, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 2a-2b; and 4

mentioned his wife, Margaret, and his children, they did not brother. prove whether he was Lena’s

A memorial was identified in the Find A Grave database showing the gravestone for this man. It also included a copy of his original baptism record.3 He was born on 14 March 1829 in what is now the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. His parents were Martin Heitz and Gertrud Welssenburger. The details found in this memorial definitively proved that he was not the ancestral Anton Heitz.

The second Anton Heitz from the list above was found living in Vincennes, Kruss County, Indiana. He requested a passport in 1889 for himself and his wife, Salome; this record stated that he was born in Sallolsheim, Alsace, [France] on 22 March 1838.4 Furthermore, he arrived in the United States on 15 November 1854 aboard the S.S. Reglulator[?], sailing from Le Havre, France.

Although this man was from the right part of France/Germany, these immigration details did not match the arrival that had previously been identified for the ancestral Heitz family. It was necessary to find the 1854 arrival list in order to learn who else immigrated with the approximately 14-year-old Anton Heitz. The S.S. Regulater [sic] arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana, from Le Havre, France, on 19 February 1855, three months after the immigrant remembered.5 Included in this passenger list were George Heitz (45 years old) and what

Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, Will Packets, Vol 96-98, 1908, probate of Anton Heitz, 6 October 1908, Allegheny, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 3a-3f. 3 Find A Grave, Saint John Vianney Cemetery, Carrick, Pennsylvania (image and transcription), memorial for Anton Heitz, 14 March 1829-7 August 1908, memorial no. 104113837, http://findagrave.com, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 4. 4 U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925, Anton Heitz, 1889, Vincennes, Kruss, Indiana, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 5. 5 New Orleans, Passenger Lists, 1813-1963, arrival of Anton Heitz, 19 February 1855, S.S. Regulater, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 6. 5

appeared to be two sons, Nick (18) and Anton (16). Since the passenger list did not state relationships, this was only a hypothesis, but it did turn out to be accurate.

A memorial was also located for this man in the Find A Grave database.6 It showed that he was born on 27 March 1838, five days later than he reported on the passport application. This memorial also stated that he was the son of George and Christina Heitz. The combined information from these records proved that the Anton Heitz from Kruss County, Indiana, was not the brother of Lena Heitz.

7 Thefirst thirdfound man in a whodeath had register been identifiedfrom Ohio as County, a possible West match Virginia. for Lena’s brother, Anton, was

Ohio County, West Virginia, Deaths, 1902 Name: Anthony Heitz Age: 65 years [born about 1837] Statistics: white, widowed, male Birth Place: France Death Date: 19 May 1902 Death Place: Rear 1039 Main, Ward 2, Wheeling, Ohio, West Virginia Burial Place: Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Ohio County, West Virginia

This record

did not provide the names of Anthony’s wifeA further or his search parents. was Thus, conducted it could in not a yetcolle bection determined of West Virginiawhether probate this was records, Lena’s brother.but neither a will nor a probate proceeding was found that corresponded to this death.

6 Find A Grave, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Vincennes, Indiana (image and transcription), memorial for Anton Heitz, 27 March 1838-2 September 1920, memorial no. 113193536, http://findagrave.com, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 7. 7 West Virginia, Deaths Index, 1853-1973, death of Anton Heitz, 19 May 1902, Ohio County, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016; and West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Death Records, death of Anton Heitz, 19 May 1902, Ohio County, http://wvculture.org, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 8. 6

The next record found for Anthony Heitz of Wheeling, West Virginia, was a Civil War enlistment register. At first, his appearance in this collection seemed to prove that he was not the ancestral Anton Heitz. However, the details he provided were almost identical to those of Antoni Heitz of Toledo, Ohio.8

Excerpt from 1865 Civil War Enlistment Register for Anthony Heitz. DOCUMENT 9.

This record was created in 1865 and stated that Anthony Heitz was 26 years old. This was only a four-year , in 1858, but a two- or three-year agedifference difference from was thenot ancestor’suncommon record in records in Toledo, during Ohio that time period. The details that demonstrated that this was the same man included his occupation, birthplace, and physical description. Anthony Heitz indicated that his occupation was as a soldier and he was born in Strasbourg, France. His physical description was: hazel eyes, black hair, He had apparently gained one inch since his earlier sallowenlistment, complexion but in all and other ’ respects, tall. his physical description and birthplace were identical to the ancestor.

The second page of this enlistment register indicated that this was actually his third enlistment rather than his second. According to the notes section, Anthony Heitz deserted multiple times between 1866 and 1867. He was ultimately dishonorably discharged, but it appeared that this did not take place until 16 December 1891. This suggested that it took place around the time he might have qualified for a pension if he had served without desertion.

8 U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914, Anthony Heitz, Civil War, 15 August 1865, Wheeling, West Virginia, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 9. 7

An index card was for his pension application was dated 21 September 1891 and indicated that he was an invalid and that he still lived in West Virginia.9 The notes regarding his service showed that he served in the 2nd United States Infantry in Company I, which matched the details from his 1865 enlistment. Since his dishonorable discharge was three months after his pension application, it appeared to confirm that the decision was made due to the record of his service and his desertions.

Index Card for Pension Application of Anthony Heitz. DOCUMENT 10.

Now that the ancestor had finally been identified in a post-Civil War record, it was important to learn more about who he married and whether he had any children. Attempts were made to locate a marriage in that area for Anthony or Anton Heitz. Only one possible match was found there. In 1869, an Andrew Heitz married a Mary Kell in Ohio County, West Virginia. However, there was nothing so far to suggest that Anthony had used the name Andrew. No censuses could be found or Anthony Heitz in Ohio County. At this point, the best option for learning about his family was to send for his pension application. However, this portion of the research was solidified near the end of the research session, and there

9 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, card for Anthony Heitz, filed 21 September 1891, application no. 1057563, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 10. 8

was no time to ask the client about ordering this file in addition to the pension file that will be discussed next. Thus, it will be important at the beginning of the following research session to send for the pension file of Anthony Heitz.

Nicholas Hotz (brother of Lena)

that

Inthe a clientbrief reviewhad included of the updatesthe names to Ignatiusthe client’s and tree Nick since as the the same last session, person. itSince was itnoted was possible that the brother, Ignatius,y waswere found the same consistently person, usingtheir informationthe name Ignatius was reviewed from the further. time the Lena’s family arrived in the United States until the time of his death. This included his time in military service in the Civil War. It did not appear that this brother ever used the name Nicholas.

The client stated that Lena Heitz had personally reported had served in the Civil War as part of the Ohio Infantry. A Nicolasthat Hotz her brother,[sic] was Nick found, in the previous session who enlisted from Ohio on 25 September 1861. However, it was not certain whether this was the ancestral Nicholas Heitz. Furthermore, no other record could be found in Ohio for a Nicholas or Nick Heitz. Thus, it was important to find out whether this Nicolas Hotz was actuallydentity. Lena’s brother. The client hoped that finding his pension file would help prove this man’s i To establish his date of death and locate any pension file, the Toledo city directories were examined around 1890. Nicholas Hotz was found in 1889 living at 190 Hamilton Street, Toledo, Ohio. At that time his occupation was as an engineer.10 In the next city directory, dated 1890-

, an entry was found for Mary Hotz widow of Nicholas at Hamilton

10 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Toledo, Ohio, 1879, Nicholas Hotz, Engineer, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 11. 9

Street in Toledo.11 This confirmed that he died between 1889 and 1891, the same timeframe that veterans of the Civil War (or their widows) became eligible to apply for a pension.

Anfound. index His to widow, early Ohio Mary death Hotz, records also was was not searched found in forthis this collection. man’s death, They butwere no found record listed was in the 1890 Veterans Schedule (a special census of the United States).12 The entry showed that Mary was already a widow, but did not state the exact date that Nicholas died. According to this record, Nicholas Hotz was a Corporal in the 37th Ohio Infantry. He enlisted on 21 September 1861 and was discharged on 24 September 1864, having served three years and three days.

Index Card for Pension Application of Mary Hotz, widow of Nicholas. DOCUMENT 14.

proving

13 Itthat was Nicholas finally discovereddied late in that1888 Mary or in filed January for a 1889. widow’s pension on January , Mary’s application was ordered from 11 Toledo, Ohio Directories, 1889-1891, Mary Hotz (widow Nicholas), 440 Hamilton, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 12. 12 1890 Veterans Schedule, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, ED 237, page 4, dwelling 356, family 395, Nicholas Hotz, Corporal, 1861-1864, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 13. 13 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Nicholas and Mary Hotz, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 14. widow’s pension, January , application no. , http://ancestry.com, 10

the National Archives (NARA) using the details from the pension index card. This record should arrive within about four months. When it arrives, it will be forwarded to the client. It will be imperative to review the information provided therein to prove whether Nicholas Hotz was the brother of the ancestor, Lena Heitz.

Josephine (Heitz) Edems

sister, Josephine, was researched next. She was born around 1843 and immigrated

Lena’swith her parents and siblings in 1852. Although a marriage record had not been found for her, a Josephine Adams was found in the 1870 census in Toledo, Ohio, who appeared to be a match for her. In the time since the last session, the client had found several censuses for the Adams/Edams/Idems family. These records were examined further to find additional documentation and evidence for or against her connection to the ancestral Heitz family.

As calculated in the previous session, Josephine and her husband, Peter, were married before 1860. They were found together in the 1860 census in Washington (near Toledo) under the surname Edams.14 Peter was 30 years old, 12 years older than the 18-year-old Josephine. He was born in Luxembourg, and she was born in France. They did not have any children yet, and Peter was working as a brick maker at that time.

The 1870 census that was previously found for this family in Toledo showed Josephine Adams [sic] as the head of household.15 She was 30 in this census, which was two years older than expected. Her husband, Peter, was a laborer and was 37 years old instead of the anticipated 40, based on his age in the earlier census. This census showed that they were

14 1860 U.S. Census (population schedule), Washington, Lucas, Ohio, page 12, dwelling 83, family 78, Peter Edams household, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 15. 15 1870 U.S. Census (population schedule), Toledo Ward 7, Lucas, Ohio, page 8, dwelling 59, family 59, Josephine Adams household, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 16. 11

both born in France, which continued to support the conclusion that this was probably

Lena’s(2), who older were sister. all born Josephine in Ohio. and Peter had three children: Mina , Charles , and Kate

In 1880, the family was still living in Toledo, Ohio, but their situation had dramatically changed.16 Josephine Edams [sic] was 38 years old, back on track with her age as originally shown in the 1860 census. She and her parents were born in France. She was a widow at this point and was wo There were only two children at home: John P. (age ninerking) and as Catherine a washer (age and five), ironer both. born in Ohio. Their entries again confirmed that their father was born in Luxembourg and their mother was born in France.

Since the 1890 census was lost to a fire, it was fortuitous that the 1890 Toledo City Directory was available. A search of this collection revealed that Josephine Idems [sic] was the widow of John P. [Idems].17 This demonstrated that the child, John P., was named after his father, John Peter Edams/Idems.

After a careful search, Josephine Idens [sic] was found in the Lucas County Infirmary in the 1900 census.18 Since she was in a hospital at that time, very little information was provided. It stated that she was 56 years old (born around 1844) and that she was born in Germany. This was not a surprise since Alsace-Lorraine was part of Germany between 1871 and 1918 (the First German Empire).

16 1880 U.S. Census (population schedule), Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, ED 44, sheet 29, dwelling 263, family 288, Josephine Edams household, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 17. 17 Toledo, Ohio Directories, 1889-1891, Josephine Idems (widow of John P.), 814 Peck Street, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 18. 18 1900 U.S. Census (population schedule), Toledo Ward 15, Lucas, Ohio, ED 112, sheet 15B, Lucas County Infirmary, Josephine Idens, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 19. 12

Josephine Idems [sic] was found still living in the Lucas County Infirmary in 1910.19 This time the census was much more detailed. It stated that she was 69 years old, which placed her birth around 1841, again, in Germany. She indicated that she had five children, but only two of them were still living. She was a naturalized citizen, which meant that her husband had become naturalized before his death and that she became a United States citizen through him. Her immigration date was given as 1852.

This immigration date, her lifelong residence in Toledo, and the fact that her birthplace was sometimes France and sometimes Germany all strongly supported the hypothesis that

Josephinesupporting was the Lena’srelationship. older sister. However, it would still be ideal to find direct evidence

The death certificate for Josephine Idems [sic] was identified in Toledo on 16 January 1916.20 It confirmed that she was born around 1842 in Germany and stated that she was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Toledo, Ohio. Her cause of death was listed as bronchopneumonia and senility.

Her husband’s name was found in an online index of Ohio death records as well. Interestingly,last two children it claimed were born. that Tohe diedconfirm on this June death , date, which a copy was of beforethe original his and death Josephine’s register was obtained.22

19 1910 U.S. Census (population schedule), Toledo Ward 10, Lucas, Ohio, ED 130, Sheet 1B, Dwelling 1, Family 1, Lucas County Infirmary, inmate Josephine Idems, http://ancestry.com, subscription database, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 20. 20 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001, State of Ohio Bureau of Vital Statistics, death certificate for Josephine Idems, 16 January 1916, Lucas County, certificate no. 246, http://familysearch.org, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 21. 21 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 (index), death of Peter Idems, 19 June 1870, Lucas, http://familysearch.org, accessed December 2016. 22 Lucas County, Ohio, County Court Record of deaths (Lucas County, Ohio), 1868- 1908, death register for Peter Idems, 19 June 1875, Family History Library microfilm 909032. DOCUMENT 22. Probate Judge, 13

Death Register Entry for Peter Idems. DOCUMENT 22.

This entry was faded, and the entries on the page were not all in chronological order, which made it difficult to read the date. However, after carefully examining the year, it was determined that he actually died in 1875 rather than 1870. This fit perfectly with the ages of his youngest two children, who were five and nine in the 1880 census.

Since the client had already searched for death certificates of their children, this was not pursued further in this research session. Instead, the births of the children were sought. Only one was found; this was probably due to the variety of spellings attributed to this Idems, born on 12

23 family’sNovember surname. 1871. The child that was found was listed only as [male] the form, including the The parents’ names were both requestedIdems on mother’sname was maiden left blank. name. This However, entry was only clearly the father, a match Peter for their youngest, was listed. son, The John mother’s P. Idems , who was named after his father.

It would be advisable to spend additional time researching the births, marriages, and

deathswith additional of Peter andresearch Josephine’s goals to children address, to the find search a record moved with on her for maiden now. name. However,

23 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003, birth of [male] Idems, 12 November 1871, Lucas County, page 40, http://familysearch.org, accessed December 2016. DOCUMENT 23. 14

Henry Heitz (possible brother of Lena)

At this point, the only remaining sibling of Lena Heitz who had not been found (most likely) was her brother, Henry. A careful search of an Ohio death index online revealed that Henry Heitz died at the age of 35 years in 1879.24

Index Entry for the death of Henry J. Heitz.

This index entry showed that Henry was born around 1844, which meant that he fit between Josephine and Ignatius in the Heitz family group. This entry did state that he was born in Toledo, but this could have simply been incorrectly reported depending on who supplied the information.

In addition to this indexed information, a book index of Toledo deaths was examined. It included entries for Louis Heitz, whose death had already been found in 1872, along with

Henrythe index and above an Elizabeth showed Heitz. that he It wasseemed a widower. very likely that Elizabeth was Henry’s wife since

24 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 (index), death of Henry J. Heitz, 27 December 1879, Lucas County, http://familysearch.org, accessed December 2016. 15

The death register was consulted,

25 obtained. Elizabeth died on 3 Novemberand copies 1877, of Henry’s about two and years Elizabeth’s before recordsHenry. Her were age was reported as 28 years 3 months 11 days. This fit perfectly with her being his wife.

in Toledo siblingsNow that had Henry’s moved death to the had Fort been Wayne, found Indiana area.it demonstratedThe only other that sibling none who of Lena’sleft Toledo was Anthony, who spent the rest of his life in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Marie Heitz (maiden name unknown)

after the family immigrated to the United States. In the previous

Lena’ssession, mother, New Orleans Marie, deathdied records were searched, but she was not found there. The Lucas County, Ohio, deaths were also searched, but with similarly negative results. The early Ohio death records were very sparse, and it is still possible that she died there but that her death went unrecorded.

There were hundreds of towns the family might have passed through between New Orleans and Toledo. It was not feasible to search the death records in each of them, and many of them did not have complete records that early. Thus, her death was not pursued further.

25 Lucas County, Ohio, County Court Record of deaths (Lucas County, Ohio), 1868- 1908, istory Library microfilm 909032.death register for Henry J. Heitz, 27 December 1879,Probate Family Judge, History Library microfilm 909032. DOCUMENT 24; and death register for Elisabeth Heitz, November , Family H Lucas County, Ohio, County Court Record of deaths (Lucas County, Ohio), 1868- 1908, 909032.death register for Elisabeth Heitz, 27 December 1879,Probate Family Judge, History Library microfilm 909032. DOCUMENT 25. death register for Elisabeth Heitz, November , Family History Library microfilm 16

Other Heitz Records in Ohio

father, Anton Heitz, in

Toledo,Attempts Ohio. were Book made indexes to locate of earlysome wills, written naturalizations, evidence of Lena’s and vital records (marriages and deaths) were reviewed, but he was not found in any of these collections. One naturalization was found for a Joseph he was correctly identifiedHeitz. as Since Anton this, it waswas importantthe name theto review client hadthis forrecord. Lena’s It turnedfather before out that this man was actually born in Switzerland and his naturalization took place in 1880. This date was too late to be a match for the ancestor, and the birthplace was wrong. This proved that he was not the ancestor.

A Civil War soldier burial index was also consulted. Three Heitz men were found there: Frederick, John, and Michael. The only one who was part of the ancestral Heitz family was John.26 His death had already been found in an online index as occurring in 1871. The actual record was obtained at this time.

1871 Death of John Heitz. DOCUMENT 26.

26 Grave registrations of soldiers buried in Ohio, death of John Heitz, 1871, Family History Library 182737. DOCUMENT 26. Ohio, Adjutant General’s Office, 17

This registration card showed that like some of his family members, John was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Toledo. His birth date and place were given here as 4 June 1833 in Ohio, but when he came to the United States with his family his age suggested that he was born around 1840. It was likely that he claimed to be a few years older than he really was in order to qualify for military service.

Heitz Family in Alsace-Lorraine

At this point, more than half of the research time had been spent on United States research. Therefore, it was necessary to move on to the research in Alsace-Lorraine. The additional records that had been found in this session that named the hometown all referenced Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, France.

The Heitz family was Catholic, as demonstrated in the last session. However, knowledge of their religious affiliation was not essential for beginning the French research in the mid- 1800s. Civil Registration began there around 1792 and these civil records were kept by each town. Thus, the records could be searched one town at a time to ultimately locate the correct hometown.

A brief review of the records in Strasbourg was conducted in the previous session. Nothing definitive was found, but it was important to cross-check each Heitz birth record there with any of the known family names between 1833 and 1852 to provide a more complete picture of the situation there. A total of 13 entries were found that might belong to this family. The names included Charles, Jean, Josephine, Ignac, and Louis Heitz/Heitzmann. Each of these entries was examined, name was Anton or Joseph and and the parents’ namesarie were or Katherine, reviewed. the If the record father’s was the mother’s name was M

to be copied. Only one of these 13 records qualified the 1834 birth of Charles Heitz, son of

27 Antoine Heitz and Marie Anne Harler. —

1834 birth of Charles Heitz in Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine.

Initially, it appeared that this might be the ancestral Charles Heitz, but there were two problems. First, if this was him, some of his siblings should also have been found there. Additionally, his father, Antoine Heitz, was already 46 years old when this record was created. The ancestor, Anton Heitz, should have been only about 28 years old at this point. These two issues meant that the family would need to be sought in records from the surrounding towns.

Focusing primarily on the towns that were identified in the last session as having the highest Heitz population in the Alsace region, an additional 21 towns were searched one by one. These towns were as follows.

27 Strasbourg – Etat Civil –Naissances, 1834, birth of Charles Heitz, entry 650, http://archives.bas- rhin.fr, accessed December 2016. 19

Holtzheim Weitbruch Haguenau Geispolsheim Wasselonne Kirchheim Ottersthal Achenheim Oberschaeffolsheim Herrlisheim Eckbolsheim Willgottheim Gries Epfig Altenheim Illkirch-Graffenstaden Hoenheim Dachstein Bischheim Dahlenheim Molsheim

In each instance, the birth indexes for 1833-1842 and for 1843-1852 were searched for any entries matching the names of the known Heitz children, even if their ages did not match the findings from the United States. Each time one or more possible matches were found, the actual records were consulted, and each time it was proven that this could not be the ancestral family. The search only ended when research time ran out. The next towns that should be searched are those immediately surrounding Strasbourg. Some of these towns are listed below.

Lingolsheim Osthouse Offendorf Entzheim Benfeld Schirrhein Eschau Huttenheim Westhoffen Plobsheim Sermersheim Landersheim Dorlisheim Krautergersheim Lampertheim Nordhouse Ittenheim Erstein Schiltigheim

These 19 towns should be the starting point for continuing this area search in the next session. Once the Heitz children have been found, their ancestral lines can be extended

there, starting with their parents’ marriage.

Conclusion

This research session was successful overall. Although nothing further has been learned y has been confirmed in their lives aboutafter coming Lena’s toparents, the United Anton States. and Marie, the Heitz famil

A positive her, Anton. After his first Civil War enlistment, he reenlistedmatch two was more found times for and Lena’s ultimately brot settled in Wheeling, West Virginia. Additional documentation of the life of Josephine Adams/Edams/Idems has not yet proven her connection to the Heitz family, but all of the evidence strongly supports this connection. Likely matches have also been found for the two brothers, Nicholas and Henry. These records demonstrated that with the exceptions of Lena and her brother, Anton/Anthony that all of the other Heitz siblings remained in Toledo, Ohio, for the rest of their lives.

The area search around Strasbourg in France has been initiated with a total of 22 towns searched in this session. Many Heitz families were seen during this work, but the ancestors have not yet been found. Area searches can be quite time-consuming, but we are fortunate that these French town records have been so well preserved. Since the family so consistently claimed Strasbourg as their hometown, we are confident that this area search will ultimately meet with success.

Thankidentity you is coming for continuing more and to entrustmore into your focus family as we history discover research the details to us. ofThis their family’s lives. We look forward to continuing this work again very soon!