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Martus Gfell b.1813 in Germany

Martus Gfell b.1813 in Germany

Posted: 10 Dec 2003 4:15PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Gfell, Hettel, Thompson
Martus married Kunisunda Segar and they had Rosa(1836), Marvin(1837), Agatha(1842), Charles(1847), Gustav(1849), and Lucy. The family lived in Huron County, Ohio.

Re: Martus Gfell b.1813 in Germany

Posted: 16 Feb 2004 3:32PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 21 Mar 2004 1:26AM GMT
Surnames: Fell
My fathers name was William Gustav Fell, he was born around South Bend Indiana. in 1918. Not sure of grandfathers name but granmother was Martha. He had sister aunts named Gertrude and Beatrice, or Gert and Bert. He was an only child and his parents met and married here but both were from Germany.

Gfell (or Fell) from Germany

Claude Flory (View posts)
Posted: 16 Feb 2004 6:52PM GMT
Classification: Query
Martus Gfell, who is my 3xG-grandfather, came from Germany and some of his children were born in Germany. I also have a Lucas Gfell, born 1811 in Germany, who may be a brother to Martus. He had at least one child born in Germany. Now I have heard that some Gfells changed their name to Fell. It is quite possable that one of these children was your great-grandfather with a grandchild William Gustav Fell born in 1918. I don't have enough information do make the connection. Do you have any additional information?

Re: Gfell (or Fell) from Germany

Posted: 17 Feb 2004 9:40AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 21 Mar 2004 1:26AM GMT
I have just started looking , but I do know that a Lucas Fell was a relative.

Re: Martus Gfell b.1813 in Germany

Posted: 29 Feb 2004 10:43PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi, Claude and June:

I descend from this same family. Last fall, my two sisters and I visited Grissheim, in Baden (near Freiburg), the Gfell ancestral village. We met lots of our Gfell cousins. They were warm and welcoming, prosperous and gregarious.

Yes, some Gfells (including my great-grandfather, Hermann Gfell) changed the surname to Fell. A professional genealogist from Munich has done much of the work I was unable to do, and at last, I have a fairly thorough record of the Gfells.

My great-grandfather, Friderich Gfell, left Grissheim, Baden in 1854 with his wife and seven children and settled in Huron County, Ohio -- as did all of their family and friends from Grissheim. 100 people from their village sailed on the same ship, which left from Belgium.

If you'd like more information, I'd be happy to share with you what I have.

P. Jane Fell Greene

PS: Claude: Martus' wife's name was Kunigunda.

Re: Gfell (or Fell) from Germany

Posted: 21 Mar 2004 1:42AM GMT
Classification: Query
My Dad Parents are Gustav C. F. Fell and Martha E. Kuehn. Married in 1914, in IN

Re: Gfell (or Fell) from Germany

Posted: 3 Apr 2004 12:55AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Fell
I have found information on my fathers parents. There names were Gustav John Carl Fitzerald Fell and Martha Kuehn. He was born in Indiana and she came from Prussia.

Re: Martus Gfell b.1813 in Germany

Posted: 8 May 2004 6:19AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Gfell, Bauman
I would like to hear from you as I descended from Martus and Kunigunda only the passenger list have them spelled different. Claude had the children's name right with my records except for Marvin, which was Maria(Mary) from which I descended. I am planning a trip to Germany in the fall. Any suggestions. I am now interested in Mary's husband, Benjamin Bauman from Germany also.

Re: Martus Gfell b.1813 in Germany

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 12:15AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Gfell
Hello Jane,
My name is Annette Carroll and I am helping my friend with his family history. His ancestor was Lucus Gfell, born Oct., 1811 in Grissheim, Baden, Germany. Lucus was possibly the son of Johan Gfell and Juliana (Frey) Gfell. You mentioned that your ancestor. Friderich, came to the US in 1854 and settled in Huron Co., Ohio. My friend's ancestor could have very well been in the same group. He also settled in Huron Co., Ohio.
Do you have immigration information for your Friderich Gfell?
I'm having trouble finding a ship record for Lucus and Rosa Gfell.
Also do you have a Lucus Gfell in your family history?
I will look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks so much,
Annette Carroll

Re: Martus Gfell b.1813 in Germany

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 1:39AM GMT
Classification: Query
I'm in South America now, and will return the end of this month. I can answer more questions when I return. For now:

I am aware of a Lucas Gfell, eldest son of Friderich Gfell and Agatha Thoma. Please ignore the numbers - they are for my own ahnentahfel.

Father: 16. Fidelis Gfell b. Mar 1781, Grissheim, Baden Mother: 17. Maria Anna Schmidt b. Grissheim, Baden

Family name and history: The name Gfell is pronounced with the G nearly silent - like a very soft /k/ in English. This family lived for centuries in the village of Grissheim, Baden - just across the Rhine from France. The French version of the same name - pronounced nearly the sam e - is spelled GuÈvel. Historical documents suggest that the family's earlier o rigins were in what is now Switzerland.

Marriage 1: In 1838, to Agatha Thoma, b. abt. 1819; d. 1846, age 28.

Children of Friderich Gfell and Agatha Thoma:
1. Lucas Gfell b. 17 Oct 1839
2. Karolina Gfell b. 20 Jan 1841
3. Fridolin Gfell b. 9 Apr 1842
4. Reinhard Gfell b. 16 Aug 1843
5. Maria Anna Gfell b. 18 Feb 1845

Marriage 2: In 1846, to Magdalena Kratz, at St. Michael's Catholic church in Grissheim. They had four children, all born in Grissheim and christened at St. Michael's. Their youngest child, Benedikt, died in infancy in 1852.

Children of Friderich Gfell and Magdalena Kratz born in Baden [Germany]:
1. Juliana [Julia] Gfell, b. 10 Apr 1847; christened April 13.
2. Balbina [Phillipina] Gfell, b. 1 Jul 1848; christened 2 July 1848.
3. Hermann Gfell, christened 20 Dec 1849; ancestor, this line
4. Benedikt Gfell, christened 22 Feb 1851; died in infancy

Naturalization: Frederich Gfell Naturalization Record Date 3/28/1860 from Baden Vol XII, Page 159 US entry date 11/1853 Baden 11/1/1856 Date of Intent Character Witness - John Beam

1900 Census, Huron Co, Ohio: Living in the household of Fred Gfell; dates suggest these must have been his grandchildren, by one of his sons born in Baden.

1. Emma B. Gfell, b. 1873; age 26, Roller, Umbrella Factory [m. Otto Lang 1900]
2. Tenna Gfell, b. Mar 1876; age 24, no occupation listed 3. Joe F. Gfell, b. Apr 1879; age 21, Apprentice, Planning Mill [sic?]
4. Leonard F. Gfell, b. Apr 1882; age 17, Organ Finisher
5. Henry C. Gfell, b. Sept 1883; age 17, Boiler Maker
6. Jacob F. Gfell, b. Jan 1886, age 14, at school

Fred's second wife [with whom he immigrated] was Magdalena Kratz. In the Uni ted States, she used the name Mary. The census also reports Fred's number of c hildren as 16, and her number of live children as 15. This count included Fred 's children by his first wife, Agatha Thoma, as well as his children by Magdalen a/Mary.

Note: Emigration/Immigration in November of 1854, Friderich [Fred], Magdalena [Mary], and their eight children emigrated to the United States. They sailed from Antwerp, Belgium on the Sarah G. Hyde, part of a group of 100 citizens of their native village of Grissheim. They arrived in New York on 19 December 1854. The ship manifest incorrectly spells the names of the family members as Gfaphl. Friderich's name does not appear, but there is no question that his family were on this ship. Grissheim village records trace the journey of the entire group, from the time they left until their arrival. Seven "Gfaphl" families are noted on the manifest. For passengers in steerage, records were of ten inexact. They settled in Huron County, Ohio, where Fred's brothers, Hugo and Marcus, had preceded them. When this family came to America, they took Americanized names. Friderich became Fred; Magdalena became Mary; Juliana became Julia; Balbina became Phillipina. Later, Hermann simplified his surname to Fell. In later years, some Gfells dropped the initial G sound [nearly silent when spoken; sounds like a soft /k/ ], and their surname became Fell.

Friderich became a naturalized citizen, as did two of his brothers, Hugo Gfell and Marcus Gfell. Marcus, his family, and youngest of the Gfell brothers, Hugo, had arrived in November of 1850, sailing on the ship Denis from Havre to New York. They had already settled in Huron Co , Ohio when Fred and Mary arrived with their children in 1854.

Sources:
1. Grissheim, katholisch, Taufbuch
2. Grisheim, katholish, Ehebuch
3. Grisheim , katholisch, Ortsfamilienbuch
4. New York Passenger Manifest, December 1854, Sarah G. Hyde
5. Year: 1900; Census Place: Kenton Ward 1, Huron, Ohio; Roll: T 623 1288; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 30
6. Correspondence with Gfells in Huron Co, Ohio
7. Direct communication during two visits with cousin Hermann Losch [his mother's surname was Gfell] in Grissheim, Germany
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