Brenner Genealogy

This week I added two apps to my Samsung Chromebook — significantly increasing its genealogical functionality.  As you probably know, the Chromebook is an Internet portal, not what we traditionally think of as a fully functional laptop computer.  It is browser dependent — that is, it runs the Chrome browser and its apps are extensions that run in the Chrome browser.  It works as well as my desktop, laptop, and tablets for running online searches. I can easily access FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, GMail, Google+, Evernote, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, SpringPad, Kindle, etc.  But, because you cannot install traditional programs (such as RootsMagic, Legacy, The MasterGenealogist, etc.), it has somewhat limited functionality for the on-the-road genealogist. At least that is what I thought before last weekend.  Two basic things were missing for me: 1) the ability to run RootsMagic (and Evidentia, GenDetective, Behold, etc.) and 2) a good office suite (LibreOffice is my preferred).  The addition of two apps has changed all that. My Chromebook is no longer just a way to do Internet searches; it is now a fully functional genealogy ‘road warrior.’

1) Running RootsMagic (or any other Windows genealogy program)

The sceenshot shows RootsMagic on my Chromebook. The app responsible is Chrome Remote Desktop which links my Chromebook to my desktop. I have used Splashtop (and other remote desktops) on tablets, but none have functioned as seamlessly as the Chrome Remote Desktop. My desktop has dual screens and runs 4 virtual desktops (giving me a total of 8 screens to play with). That functionality is nice when working on my desktop computer. It does seem, however, to create some havoc in other remote desktops I have used. Once connected to my desktop via the Chrome Remote Desktop app, I can easily access all four virtual desktops and either screen.

Once connected to my desktop, I was able to open RootsMagic, go to the file of Aaron B. Knepper (my 2g-grandfather), and view/edit the file (screenshot following). I was not able to tell that I was on a remote desktop. (I am sure that when I am away from home and on a slower internet connection, the speed will be somewhat diminished.)

I have run Windows applications on a Linux operating system both via Virtualbox and Crossover. Those have been satisfactory, but do not compare to running the same Windows applications via Chrome Remote Desktop. Chrome Remote Desktop runs in the Chrome browser in Windows (Vista, 7, 8), Mac (10.6 and above), and Linux. At the present, it does not run on Android devices, IPad, or IPhone.

2) Running LibreOffice (OpenOffice) and other open source programs

I have been using open source office suites exclusively for about 10 years – first OpenOffice; now LibreOffice. With my Chromebook I was limited to Google Docs or Zoho Docs for word processing or developing a speadsheet. (I have chosen not to use Office 365, wishing to avoid Microsoft Office – just a personal preference.) All that changed when I discovered the “rollApp” for Chrome browser. The rollApp website describes, as follows: “rollApp is an online application virtualization platform… [where] anyone can access rollApp server using regular web-browser and launch the converted applications inside a browser.  When executed via a browser, rollApp applications behave the same way as locally installed ones.”

Both LibreOffice and OpenOffice suites (Writer, Calc, Draw, Impress) are available, along with other open source applications. The only difference I could see between the two Writer applications was that LibreOffice allowed files to be saved in .docx format, OpenOffice did not. (I am increasingly using the .docx format – smaller size files, compatible across applications.) While rollApp does not have its own cloud storage system, it is fully integrated with both Dropbox and Box. Since I have accounts with both Box and Dropbox, I can easily open and save documents in either place. As I continue to do more and more of my genealogical research using word processor documents and spreadsheets, the Chromebook (along with my Razr HD adroid phone) is becoming my “go to” device for work away from home.

This coming week I head to Salt Lake City for three full days in the Family History Library researching German Church Records.  My Chromebook genealogy road warrior will be with me!

Yesterday was an added fun day. The previous evening my neighbor asked: “Can your genealogical software trace my family back to Germany?” I had to explain that I didn’t have any magical software that could do that, but I did have some awareness of how to use the internet to find more information about family connections. Unfortunately, in order to trace the family back to Germany I would need to know the town of origin. I did a brief interview with my neighbor to discover what he might remember about his family. He did have a sheet that listed the descendants of his father, William Henry Kropp (3 children, 6 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren. It had full names, birth dates, and (where applicable) death dates. (It did not include locations or the names of spouses – except for William Henry Kropp’s wife Kate.) William Henry was born 27 October 1897.

My neighbor indicated the places that the family had lived (all in the metro New York City area). He also knew the names of his father’s brother and sisters. He indicated that his father had relatives in Allentown, Pennsylvania; he remembered a family reunion in Allentown. When pressed, he thought he was in 8^th grade at the time. And that was it… that was all that my neighbor could recall about his family lineage, except that it went back to Germany. I agreed to do some internet searches and see what I could discover.

My first step was to survey the Kropp surname. I discovered that Kropp had a lot of variant spellings – initial “k” or “c;” the middle vowel could be “o” or “a” or “u;” ending with “pp” or “o;” and other variants as well. It had German, Dutch, and French lines.

Next, I did a Google search for: Kropp ~genealogy. There were a few interesting sites, but nothing that seem to offer any promise. So, now for the real research. I turned to FamilySearch to see if there had been any work on William Henry Kropp. There was a single entry for him in Family Tree. His birth was listed as 20 October 1897 in Manhattan, New York. No spouse was listed. Parents were George W. Kropp and Louise Hoorman Kropp. George was born in Pennsylvania; Louise, Germany. This was a probable match: William’s birth date was off by a week; his birth place was correct. This gave me potential names for William’s parents. George was born in Pennsylvania (perhaps in the Allentown area?). Nothing conclusive at this point, but some good clues for further research.

Searches in Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.com for William Henry Kropp and George W. Kropp brought the following results:

1. 1940 US Census record for the William & Kate Kropp family. William is a public school custodian. They live on Van Siclen Ave. in Brooklyn. (I did a Google maps search for the address and found a “street view.”)
2. 1930 US Census record for the William & Kate Kropp family. William is a superintendant for an apartment building on E. 37^th Street, Brooklyn. (Another “street view.”)
3. 1920 US Census record for the George W. and Louise S. Kropp family. Son William (age 23, an electrician at the Brooklyn Navy Yard) is listed along with a brother and two sisters (names match those given by my neighbor). George W. (age 52, a policeman) was born in Pennsylvania (as was his mother); his father was born in Germany. Louise S. was was born in Germany (as were both her parents). Louise had borne 5 children, 4 of who were still alive.
4. 1918 WWI Draft Registration Card for William Henry Kropp, listing George W. Kropp as nearest relative. Address given for both is the same as the address for the Kropp family in the 1920 US Census. William is medium height and build, with brown eyes and light hair.
5. 1915 New York State Census for George W. and Louise S. Kropp. The four children (including William, an apprentice electrician) are listed. There are also three borders.
6. 1910 US Census record for the George W. and Louise S. Kropp family. The four Kropp children are all listed with middle initials. One child, Edith E., is apparently the same as Edna in the later census enumerations. Her full name must have been “Edith Edna.”
7. 1905 New York State Census record for the Geo W. and Louisa S. Kropp family. Note that George’s wife is “Louisa,” not “Louise” as in later documents. Also, in addition to the 4 children, Augusta Kropp, an 18 year old sister of George is listed.
8. 1870 US Census record for the Wm and Maria Krop family, living in Packer Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. (Parker Township is about 40 miles from Allentown.) William Krop is age 37 and was born in Germany. Maria is 24 and was born in Pennsylvania. Son George Krop is 2 years old and was born in Pennsylvania. They are living in a hotel.

I was fairly confident that documents 1-7 related to William Henry Kropp’s family. Document 8 seemed to be a possibility, but I could not be sure. So, I gathered up my data and presented it to my neighbor. As I tracked through them one-by-one, from the latest back to the earliest, my neighbor began to recall more information that confirmed my searches. He also learned some new information about his family:

• He did not know that his father had worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but know that he had been an electrician. In fact, the picture of the Flatland Avenue side of 1930 apartment building elicited a memory of his father’s opening a small store to repair electrical appliances.
• When I showed my neighbor the picture of the entrance to the E. 37^th Street apartment where his father was the superintendant, he pointed to the location of his family’s apartment, “This is where I lived.”
• When I wondered whether George W. Kropp’s middle name might have been “William” and mused that my neighbor might have been named after him, my neighbor confirmed that observation.
• My neighbor (and his wife) remembered Aunt Edna (but did not know that she was also an Edith). [One other possibility is that the census enumerator may have made a mistake in listing her name.]
• When I indicated that I was not sure about the 1870 census, my neighbor said “William was a blacksmith and Maria (pronounced Ma-RYE-ah, not Ma-REE-ah) was my grandmother.” He then went on to tell me that he had lived with his grandparents for a while.
• The date for William Henry Kropp’s birth (as recorded on his WWI Draft Registration Card) differed from that which was on the information sheet about the “Descendants of William Henry Kropp.” My neighbor indicated that the sheet was put together from memory (mostly by his sister), so the October 20^th date from the WWI card was most likely the correct date.

My neighbor was going to share this information with his brother and sister. Perhaps that will elicit more memories and more clues about family origins in Germany. His brother’s grand-daughter (a Niederhausen) had visited the Niederhausen locale in Germany a few years back. My neighbor will check to see whether there was any attempt to visit the Kropp locale.

I told my neighbor that the easy work had been done – internet searches. The hard work come in looking for birth and death records in county court houses and newspapers, etc. While there is more that I can do (e.g., search for census and other records for great-grandfather William Krop), we would need to learn of his town of origin in Germany before we could do any tracing back in Germany. If we were to find that information, I would be glad to order microfilms from the Family History Library and do some further research for him.

I suggested that he talk with his brother and sister – he is 88 and they are 83 (twins). They could be a blessing to the next couple of generations if they were to write down their recollection so that they would not be lost. I also suggested that the “Descendants of William Henry Kropp” sheet could be expanded to include spouses; as well as correcting the birth date for William Henry Kropp.”

When we were done, my neighbor’s wife began to tell me about her family lines (Todt and Rochewski). I now have another assignment!

Map 1

Most of my German Brenner ancestors come from a small area surrounding the current city of Eppingen in Baden-Württemberg. (see Map 1)   Baden came into existence in the 12th Century and existed in a variety of forms until it was merged with Württemberg in 1948 (see Wikipedia).

2g-grandfather, Johannes (John) Brenner (who emigrated to United Stated in 1854) was born in the town of Adelshofen, Baden, in 1836.  His father, Georg Friderich Brenner, was listed as a citizen (Bürger) of Adelshofen at the time of his marriage (in Adelshofen) to Johanna Catarina Venninger (1822).  I have not been able to verify his birth place, but I believe it not to be Adelshofen.

Johanna Venninger’s father was born in Sulzfeld, Baden. He married Johanna’ mother (Elizabetha Fleck) in Adelshofen in 1789.  Johanna’s Grandfather Fleck was born in Ittlingen, Baden, but married three different Adelshofen women (1843, 1762, 1768).

Map 2

In addition to Sulzfeld and Ittlingen, other Brenner ancestors and collaterals came from Stettin, Kuernbach, and Neipperg.  Map 2 indicates the relationship of all these towns to one another.  (For the sake of this exercise, distances are measured on a straight line between the various communities and do not reflect the actual travel distance by roads)

As I review the information in my RootsMagic database, I find that I have 112 events (births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths) listed in Adelshofen.  These are events in the lives of Flecks, Venningers, and Brenners.  They are dated from 1716 to 1873.

Sulzfeld was the location for 53 such events; all for Venningers from 1729 to 1834.

Kuernbach was the location for 34 events (from 1550 to 1752).  Families involved were Nasts, Samstags, Trauttlinns, Jaiches, and Ludwigs.

Neipperg was the location for 29 ancestral events (from 1664-1770) involving the Fabers and the Uhls.

Ittlingen was the location for 26 ancestral events (from 1665-1795) involving the Flecks and the Conrads.

Stettin was the loction for 16 ancestral events (from 1667-1689) involving the Stolzenhabers

My database for Baden residents  includes 49 Venningers, 29 Nasts, 23 Flecks, 13 Uhls, 10 Brenners, 9 Conrads, 6 Fabers, 6 Stolzenhabers, 3 Samstags, 3 Ludwigs, 2 Trauttlinns, and 1 Jaich.

Interestingly enough, even though Eppingen was the central city in the area (a population of about 2750 in 1825) there is no indication that any of my ancestors came from Eppingen.  I have wondered whether some regional events, shopping, other commerce or trade brought people of the region to Eppingen, giving rise to the possibility of some connections being made between families from the surrounding communities.

Fortunately, church records from the Evangelische Kirchen of the area are available on microfilm (Family History Library and Family History Centers) for our perusal.  Those records are extremely helpful even though they require some practice at reading the old German handwriting.

My 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, was born in Adelshofen, Baden, on 10 February, 1836. He arrived in the United States on the William Tell, 19 October 1854. 6½ years later John’s newly adopted country was engaged in Civil War. On April 15^th, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 troops to respond to the attack on Fort Sumpter. John Brenner was one of those who responded.

Dana Bode, great grandson of John Brenner and my first cousin once removed, gathered data about John Brenner’s Civil War military service: 1) a photo copy of a discharge certificate for John Brenner’s service in the 19^th Ohio Volunteer Militia (OVM), dated 29 August 1861; 2) a photo copy of a certificate from the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office indicating John Brenner’s service in the 11^th Ohio Volunteer Militia (OVM), dated 8 July 1950; 3) a photo copy of a discharge certificate for John Brenner’s service in the 44^th Battalion of the Ohio National Guard (ONG), dated 1 May 1866; 4) a copy of a letter in John’s own hand, dated 10 November 1900; and 6) John Brenner’s pension records. These resources are now in my possession. To them I have added the 1890 Census (Veterans Schedule) for Mahoning County, Ohio. And a copy to John Brenner’s Pension Index Card. Let me first review the information contained in these sources:

1.  19^th OVM Discharge Certificate

John Brenner; Private; Company B, 19^th Regiment, OVM; enlisted: 27 April 1861; discharged: 29 August 1861, “Expiration of term of Enlistment;” age 25. The certificate is dated 29 August 1861. (Note: no data is given in spaces for date / state of birth, height, complexion, eyes, hair, occupation at time of enrollment.)

2.  44^th ONG Discharge Certificate

John Brenner; Private; D Company, 44^th Reg’t, ONG; age 28; residing in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio; enlistment date: 23 July 1863 for 5 years; honorably discharged, “having been mustered into U.S. Service in May, 1864, under the call for ‘one hundred days men,’ and honorably discharged therefrom.” The certificate is dated 1 May 1866.

3.  11^th OVM (Certificate indicating records held by the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office)

John Brenner; Corporal; Company C, 11^th Regiment, OVM; enlisted: 2 September 1862; “was mustered into the United States service as such for the period of 1 month;” “mustered out with the Company” 2 October 1862. “Born 4-15-1843. Died: 9-28-1909. Buried: Belmont Park Cem. Liberty Twp., Ohio Grave #1 Block # Elm-B. Lot #3-23.” The certificate is dated July 8, 1950.

4.  John Brenner’s Letter (10 November 1900)

Enlisted in 19^th OVI, April 1861; discharged 29 August 1861, a Private. Enlisted in ONG, 23 July 1863 for 5 years; discharged 1 May 1866, a Corporal. Enlisted in “regular volunteer service,” 2 May 1864; discharged 27 August, 1864, a 2^nd Corporal

.

5.  Pension Records and Pension Index Card

D Company, 155^th Ohio Infantry; B Company, 19^th Ohio Infantry. Invalid application #958168 filed by John Brenner on 20 November 1890; Widow’s application # 928351 filed by Catharine Brenner on 7 October 1909.

6.  1890 Census (Veterans Schedule) 

John Brenner. Private, Company B, 19^th OVM; enlisted 27 April 1861; discharged 29 August 1861; 4 months and 2 days service. 2^nd Corporal, Company D, 155^th ONG; enlisted 2 May 1864; discharged 27 August 1864; 3 months and 25 days service.

On first glance, it would seem that my 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, served in 4 separate units during the Civil War: in 1861, the 19^th OVI for 4 months and 2 days; in 1862, the 11^th OVM for 1 month; in 1864, the 155^th OVI for 3 months and 25 days; and in 1863-66, the 44^th ONG for 2 years, 9 months, and 8 days. (Note: the service dates for the 155^th OVI were during the term of service in the 44^th ONG.)

OR DID HE?

Some inconsistencies and/or conflicts arose as I looked more closely at the data:

• John Brenner’s letter does not indicate any 1862 service in the 11^th Ohio Volunteer Militia. It was this omission that prompted my further investigation into John Brenner’s Civil War service record.
• The data indicates that John Brenner was a Private in 1861, a Corporal in 1862, a Private in 1863, a 2nd Corporal in 1864, and finally discharged as a Corporal in 1866.  That he would be a Corporal in 1862, but a Private again in 1863, is certainly possible, but it raises questions.
• The information provided by the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office in 1950 indicated that John Brenner was Born in 1843 and died in 1909 (and was buried in Belmont Park Cemetery).   My 2g-grandfather did die on 9 September 1909 and, while initially buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery, his grave was eventually moved to Belmont Park Cemetery in the Elm section.

Further investigation revealed the following:

• “In early May, 1864, the 92nd Regiment of the Ohio National Guard and the 44th Battalion (Mahoning County) were consolidated to form the 155th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/155th_Ohio_Infantry).
• The “Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Vol. 1-12″  (online database at Ancestry.com) lists a John Brenner in the 19th OVI, the 11th OVM, and the 155th OVI.
• My 2g-grandfather’s service in the 155th OVI was confirmed by an affidavit (in his pension file) given by Leander D. Robinson.  Robinson testified as a witness to the injury John Brenner’s incurred while serving in the 155th OVI.  ”My knowledge of the above was derived being present with the Campany at the time, observing his symptoms and hearing his complaints.”
• John wife, Catharine, and his oldest son, Judson, are included in the papers of the Pension File.
• A review of the Ohio Death Index for 1909 has only one John Brenner listed as dying on 28 September 1909.  That surely was my 2g-grandfather.
• The 1870 Census records for West Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, shows a John Brenner (son of Michael and Gertrude Brenner), age 27, born in Pennsylvania.  His age is consistent with the 15 April 1843 birth date given on the 11th OVM Certificate from the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office.
• The 11th OVM was recruited in four southwestern Ohio counties (Hamilton, Montgomery, Miami, and Clinton) and one northeastern Ohio county (Columbiana). [Horton, Hoshua H. A History of the Eleventh Regiment (Ohio Volunteer Infantry). Dayton: W. J. Shuey, 1866. Online in Google Books]

The data regarding the service of my 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, in the 19th Regiment Ohio Voluntary Infantry, the 44th Regiment Ohio National Guard, and 155th Regiment Ohio Voluntary Infantry seems rather conclusive.  His participation in the 11th OVM is questionable.  It is more likely that the John Brenner who served in the 11th OVM is the same 27 year old John Brenner who was enumerated in 1870 as residing in Columbiana County, Ohio, with his parents (Michael and Gertrude Brenner).  Since my 2g-grandfather was originally buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Youngstown, Ohio, but his grave was later removed to Belmont Park Cemetery by his son, Judson, I would guess that the information concerning the removal of his grave to Belmont Park Cemetery was at some later point forwarded to the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office and added to the wrong John Brenner file.  This would explain the inconsistencies recorded on the 1950 certificate regarding the John Brenner who served in the 11th OVM.

My one last task pertaining to this investigation is to correspond with the Office of the Adjutant General of the State of Ohio and suggest that their information regarding two different John Brenners may have been mixed together.

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