VON LAUERSDORF - FROM Helen Rumpf. nee Wiening The following is most of the conversations between myself and Helen Wiening Rumpf of Arkansas. Information on the Von Lauersdorf's of Watertown : Subj: Lauersdorf in Berlin Date: 9/9/00 9:05:25 AM Central Daylight Time From: Swanyisland To: PpsychoSal I know my anscestors lived on Unter den Linden in East Berlin, but that is as far back as they went. In the US they lived in Wisconsin and were associated with a college there. Are we connected The name we have is von Lauersdorf Subj: Re: Lauersdorf in Berlin Date: 9/9/00 9:22:45 PM Central Daylight Time From: Swanyisland To: PpsychoSal Amalia Dorthey Maria von Lauersdorf was born March 2, 1857 in Watertown, WI. She is my great grandmother. Her father was Wilhelm von Lauersdorf born April 14, 1831 in Berlin , Germany and died in 1905 He maried Anna Weigel or Weigh born January 3, 1820? in Hessen Darmstadt and died ion April 14, 1870. Amalia married Johannes Adam Petri REV. born June 1, 1850 in Ober-Dieden Hessen Darmstadt Germany. They were married August 19, 1877. He died January 10, 1910 in North Leeds-Tollsville, Wisconsin (Addison County). I was born in Milwaukee, and visited Watertown many times as a child and heard of a college scholarship at a school there that was only for von Lauersdorf family memebers. Subj: Re: Lauersdorf in Berlin Date: 9/10/00 6:58:06 AM Central Daylight Time From: Swanyisland To: PpsychoSal CC: don@wiening.com, Mary_Wiening@ita.doc.gov CC: eric@wiening.com My wilhelm was commonly known as William, but my research did bring to light that it was correctly Wilhelm. Have you ever contacted the college in Watertown? I did not, but my parents talked about it a lot so I wonder if the Laurersdorfs help found the college and if there may be some hystorical information there. We just recently got a computer because I have four children doing research and the Libray system is so poor ir Arkansas that research papers were impossible. I have several cousins all over the United States now getting interested in geneology and I worked on it prekid which was many years ago. Hopefully now to begin getting back to it as they are a little more independent and we can use the computer. One can deal with ship records access I guess. I never tried. Send me anything you have, because I have more I believe than just this information available, if I get back into my records. The Petri family is extensive in Wisconsin too, mostly in the Wisconsin Synod church. The unusual spelling is usually the key to being related, though in Germany one birth recorddds we have is spelled Petry. I screwed you up. Maria LaCruz not Anna was William's wife. Her name also appears as Krause born 1830 in Alsace Lorraine in 1831 and died in 1910. That is all I know. I read the wrong line last night to confuse you. Sorry. Subj: (no subject) Date: 9/10/00 7:46:13 PM Central Daylight Time From: Swanyisland To: PpsychoSal I found my other information. Children of Wilhem are Amalia, my great grandmother, Hulda, William Jr., Magdelena, Aron, and ? John F. Mary enrolled in Northwestern College in 1869, William in 1872, Aron in 1878, and Hulda in 1880 . All enrolled as 9th graders. Another spelling of Lauersdorf is Lauarsdorf. Wihelm the father died Feb. 3, 1905 West Bend in 1905. Another spelling of Lauersdorf is Laurrsdorf. In the 1880 census of Lauersdorf families, there was a Ferdinand, age 35, Auggusta 33, Ferdinand 10, Ernest 8, Louise 5, and Aunda?sp 2/12 They lived in Dodge Co. in Hustiford and Ferdinand was from Prussia. Frantz was 37, same locationwas from Prussia. Freidericha 35, Anna 11, Frantz 9, Adolph 7. HJauna 4, and Ella 2. John F Watertown , Maria LebanonTownship Dodge Little Street ward 6 Do we connect anywhere? Begin IM - 9/10/00 08:20 PM PpsychoSal: :) We are cousins!!! PpsychoSal: Frantz was 37<~~my great great grandfather Swanyisland: These were names I collected, but I don't have connection PpsychoSal: Your wilhelm is my Frantz's brother. Their father was Ferdinand Lauersdorf born in 1797 or 1807 Swanyisland: Do you have any more details on the family? I haven't done much research on this side since moved to Arkansas PpsychoSal: I guess I could say I have tons. I have 2 binders full of notes and copies. Swanyisland: Please send what you can when you can. I am forwarding this on to my cousin, nephew, and brother who are also interested. PpsychoSal: Cool. I've been talking to another relative named John who lives in ohio. Do you know him? He is also from Williams family. He's also on AOL. Swanyisland: I have an nephew Jon in Rhode Island, no one in Ohio, but I have my maiden name Wiening being desired traced in Ohio by some one who is trying to connect to me . Any help could be appreciated there too. PpsychoSal: Could I please have your name? I would love to get the info you have and put it all together. Also, where did you get the college info - this is new information to me and I thought I scoured Dodge County, where Watertown is. Swanyisland: My name is Helen Rumpf. nee Wiening. My parents took us to Watertown visiting Bethesda and other places many times as a kid. They told me about the Northwestern College. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lauersdorfs were some of the founding members of this place from what I remember. My family had many pastors and such that were connected to colleges as well as churches all over. PpsychoSal: I know the Lauersdorfs settled in Lebanon, which is not too far from Watertown, but the Watertown connection is very new to me. This is going to be real interesting for me. Where did you live in Milwaukee? Swanyisland: My father was born in Milwaukee, but I actually was born in Port Washington and lived in Cedarburg-Grafton area as I grew up. I lived in Milwaukee for a few years as an adult. PpsychoSal: My grandfather shoe shop was around 48th and North, and My Father moved to Waukesha around 1960. Do their names ring a bell? my dad is Lyal and my grampa was Roland. Swanyisland: I lived in Waukesha in 1973-1974 while I attended the University there. My relatives had a business downtown I believe in Milwaukee known as the independent type setting company. I believe it is still in the family unless has recently gone out of business. PpsychoSal: My brother went to UWW in 73-74. He was a freshman. What a small world Subj: Von Lauersdorf Date: 9/18/00 7:35:26 PM Central Daylight Time From: Swanyisland To: PpsychoSal I visited my 87 year old aunt in Albuquerque this weekend and told her about our connection. She said they were von Lauersdorf because they were aristocracy or royalty and that was how they were designated. This may be an interesting family to learn about. The von was important. I never heard of them without the von mentioned, so our family evidently felt that was a noteworthy distinction. The following is from a letter Helen or her Aunt have in their possession: Subj: high school Date: 9/26/00 4:36:22 AM Central Daylight Time From: Swanyisland To: PpsychoSal Just thought that it may be interesting for you to note that our 16 year old is in her third year at our Lutheran High which is a three year old schoolnow and has about 120 students. You are working at a fledgling school and we are parents working on a fledgling school. We do not even have German yet, hopefully by next year. We do have an art teacher, part time. Our school is improving with all the efforts of everyone each year. I wondered if maybe your school and ours would like to schare experiences and maybe even "pen pals" or something as there seems to be much in common with your school and ours. Ours is the first Lutheran High School in the area. We are doing well in competitions and academically as well as I can see. 3