Looking for any information regarding the family of Jacque/Jacob Michel and Margaretha Schweitzer. Both born in Melsheim, 1767 and 1798 respectively. They had at least 17 children including DeBold (Diebold, Thiebaut), born 1805 also in Melsheim. Would really like to have Jacque's parents names, also death dates and where they are buried.

Hello ... (would be nice to have a first name...)
I happen to have the lutheran families book (1654-1792)by Mr Jean Paul Kaminské and could not find any Jacob MICHEL born 1767 in it. I didn't find any Margaretha SCHWEITZER either. 1798 must be wrong : no girl born 1798 could have a child in 1805...
A book about Bas-Rhin villages dated 1826, says most inhabitants were lutherans and another dated 1865 says there are 8 catholics (probably just one family).
If your ancestors were lutherans then they must be born elsewhere; if they were among the very few catholics then unfortunately they are not in the book of families.
Best wishes.
Albert Klein

Hi,
I have lots of MICHELs in my tree. Most of them originate from DUNTZENHEIM, the oldest from Melsheim. One Jacob MICHEL was born in Duntzenheim on june29,1776. His parents were Jacob MICHEL and Maria WENDLING; His GP were Jacob MICHEL from Pfulgrisheim and Margaretha LUTT from Duntzenheim. So, it looks like your MICHELs come from other villages than Melsheim.
Happy hunting. hope tis helps.
Réjane

Dear Albert, My name is Ginny Reeves (nee Michel)...I did have a bad date for Margaretha's birth, it should have been 1777. My Michel ancestors were all Lutheran. The information about Jacob/Jacque and Margaretha was researched at the Salt Lake City LDS library by a cousin of mine. Jacob/Jacque and Margaretha are listed as the parents of Diebolt/Thiebaut Michel, born March 18, 1805 in Melsheim. He married Maria Barth on May 9, 1826 in Quatzenheim. Their son, Michael Michel was born October 17, 1828 in Quatzenheim (I have the birth certificate). Could all of them have been from Quatzenheim? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ginny

Dear Rejane...Thanks for your reply to my query. I seem to be up against a wall but am curious regarding your Duntzenheim Michels. I know for certain that my grgrgrandfather, Michael Michel, was born October 17, 1828 in Quatzenheim (I have the birth certificate). His parents are listed as Diebolt Michel (born March 18, 1805 in Quatzenheim) and Maria Barth. They were married in Quatzenheim on May 9, 1826. Do any of these names happen to occur among your ancestors? At this time, I'm really not certain where the heck these people came from.

Ginny

Hi Ginny,
Do you have Diebold's marriage certificate? The names of the parents of the couple are on it. My 1st MICHEL is Diebold ° 1674 in Melsheim but he married in Duntzenheim where his children married.
Good luck.
Réjane

Rejane...I don't have the marriage certificate, but my cousin did research in Salt Lake and reports to me that his parents are Jacob/Jacque Michel and Margaretha Schweizer. She gave Diebold's marriage date of 9 May 1826, so I assume she was able to get his parents names from the marriage certificate. She didn't have any further information other than Diebold was born in Melsheim and married in Quatzenheim. Diebold and his wife Maria Barth eventually came to the US in about 1852. Only 2 of their 17 children lived to adulthood. That's about all I know. It would seem there should be a connection with the Duntzenheim Michels somewhere.

Ginny

Hi Ginny,
I'm trying to get info from French genealogists. I contact you as soon as I know something interesting which might help you solve the enigma.
Réjane

Hello Ginny,

I forgot to mention that the families book I was talking about was of Melsheim.

MICHEL was quite a common name and I also have some MICHELS in Reitwiller, Pfulgriesheim and Melsheim.

In the Pfulgriesheim families book (1640-1792), there is 1 Jacob born on Oct 14 1773;
in the Reitwiller book (1591-1792) there's none that fits;
in the Melsheim book (1654-1792) there's none at all.

In the Quatzenheim book ( 1606-1792) there is only one MICHEL family with children in the very early 1600s.

In the Duntzenheim book (1650-1792) there is a Jacob MICHEL who might be the one if the year in your first email contained an inversion of figures : this one was born on Jun 29 1776...

You must have noted that all these books don't go any further than 1792, the French Revolution time when registration of births, weddings and deaths changed over here. Which makes it impossible to find Jacob MICHEL and Margaretha SCHWEITZER's wedding record anywhere else but at the Lower Rhine department archives in Strasbourg. The wedding probably took place between 1995 and 1804.

My grandmother was a BARTH whose ancestors from Switzerland settled in Quatzenheim in the late 1600s. I have most of the BARTH descent in my database but unfortunately not your Maria who got married on May 9 1826 in Q. She is most probably one of that line and if you had her parents' name I could send you her ancestors. As you know her husband's (Diebold MICHEL) parents you might have hers as well ?

As to Margaretha SCHWEITZER, there's one in the only SCHWEITZER family of Melsheim :
born on Jun 14 1777, daughter of Hans SCHWEITZER from Ingenheim and Anna SIMON.
She had two sisters : Maria b Oct 24 1779, + May 16 1780; and Maria b Jul 21 1785.
Her parents got married on Jan 23 1776; the wedding is registered in Melsheim as well as in Ingenheim (there's only a wedding index for Ingenheim).
Hans or Johann SCHWEITZER was son of Hans SCHWEITZER and Anna Barbara BLAES or BLÄS, x Feb 25 1738 in Ingenheim.
Anna SIMON was daughter of Nicklaus or Claus SIMON and Maria SIMON, x Feb 4 1746 in Melsheim.

Best wishes and greetings from Alsace.

Albert
email address : albert.klein at orange.fr (replace "at" by "@" and suppress th espaces)

Albert..
According to my records, Margaretha Schweitzer's parents are Hanns Schweitzer and Anna Simon.

I also have:
Maria Barth b. Feb. 18, 1805 to parents Michel Barth and Anna Scheer

Michel Barth, b. September 7, 1778 to parents Valentin Barth and Anna Rohfritsch

Anna Scheer, b. 1775 in Wolfsheim, to parents Lorenz Scheer and Anna Heitz

Since all the information I have is from a cousin's research in Salt Lake and is handwritten...it is very likely she may have inverted the 1776 date to be 1767. The age difference between Jacob and Margaretha would seem more probable if his true birth date was 1776 as she was born in 1777. I also have this Jacob's father listed as Jacob Michel, b. 1740's in Duntzenheim, but do not have his mother's name.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the information you are giving me. I wish I could do the same for you.

Ginny