Assumptions aren't research

Family History Unraveled

In 2015, I started to get serious about this genealogy journey. I posted on Facebook that I had joined Ancestry. A Facebook friend gave me some good advice: Don't assume anything, don't copy others' trees, and check sources. I felt a bit cocky. I wouldn't do that. I never assume anything, or so I believed.

When I started researching the Heines line, I knew nothing about my great-grandfather Theodore Heines or his wife Margaretha Kaiser. All of the research on this family showed her name was Margaretha Marior. I understand now why my relatives thought that was her surname, but that's for another post.

I focused on Margaretha's family, mainly her sibling Catherina Meyer, which led me to the small village of Mërzen in Lower Saxony, where Meyer was a common name. The Meyer descendants still own the Meyer farm.

My next step was to find out and contact the owner of that farm. I found a Mërzen Facebook group, and before long, I had the name and email of the present owner. When I contacted him, I was concerned that he might think I was after the farm. Maybe he wouldn't email me back. However, he did; it began a wonderful relationship with my third cousin.

Martin was interested in his ancestors, but they weren't his priority until our emails began. He sent me a spreadsheet of information on his Meyer family and farm ownership. It wasn’t complete, but it was a start. He was especially interested in Joseph Meyer, one of Catherina's sons, who was living in Cincinnati. After Joseph's parents' death, their estate sold the farm to relatives, and he received a settlement in his new country.

My new German friend was interested in finding the descendants, while I was interested in going up the tree for my ancestors. I started to doubt his records because he didn’t think Catherina and her husband, Johann Theodore (Dirk) Hülsmann, were married. I found their church marriage record.

Church marriage record for Catherina Meyer and Johann Dirk Hülsmann

We exchanged emails for over a year. I was filling up our side of the tree and finding where Catherina's children lived. It was exciting. I spent some time learning about Mërzen and loved it. At Christmas, the village has a tractor parade, with everyone showing up on tractors. Here is a picture of Mërzen this month.

Merzen January 2025 Merzen.info Facebook page

Martin sent me pictures of his Christmas tree farm and his wife, and we talked about other interests besides genealogy, including dipping into politics. I started dreaming of someday meeting them. I realized as I continued to look for the descendants that I had not found Catherina's death. I knew her birth from St Lambertus Church Records in Mërzen, but no death record. I mentioned it to Martin in one email, and he said it was on the spreadsheet. He listed her death as October 8, 1891. Why hadn't I looked at that before? I immediately went to the church records, and there it was.

Church Death Record for Catherina Meyer

Information on these records varies from church to church. Often, they list ages; others might list husbands. But sometimes you get lucky, and it will have much information, even parents' names. What a surprise! Her death notice included her husband, her parents, and more. I couldn't believe it – I had assumed Martin's Catharina Meyer was my ancestor, but this Catherina's parents were Leonard Bernard Meyer and Anna Maria Frohne. I know it was her because it was the correct husband, Colon (farmer) Hülsmann Meyer of Mërzen.

Next, I went to St Lambertus Church birth records. My Catharina was born on December 25, 1820. Her correct parents are listed, and she was born in Südmerzen, a small hamlet just outside of Mërzen. Martin's Catharina was born November 10, 1817, in Mërzen, three years older than my ancestor, and listed her parents. It also shows the date she died. So now I have both birth records, and they are two different people.

Catherina Meyer’s Birth Record

My Catherina Meyer’s Birth Record

I had to email Martin to tell him we weren't related. I was so disappointed. He was surprised and disappointed and thanked me for researching Catherina's family. He said we could still be friends. I told him I would continue to work on that part of the tree, especially looking for Joseph.

I have yet to find out what happened to my Catherina. I did find a Catherina Meyer in Südmerzen, who was the mother of several children with another Hulsmann. She could have married the other Catherina's husband's brother. Two of their children died in 1849, but I have no information on the other two. I found that Catherina had an illegitimate child that same year of those deaths. I know that is her because she lived where her mom lived in Bottum, another Hamlet in the area. One of the witnesses to this birth is her mom.

Regarding my search for Martin's Joseph Meyer in Cincinnati, there were over 20 men with that name who lived there at the time he lived there. I have eliminated several, but too many are left to make a correct conclusion.

I learned a hard lesson, but I did gain a friend. As I mentioned, my Catherina may have been married to the other Catherina's husband's brother. I'm still looking for her husband's birth and their marriage record. If these women married brothers, they were related by marriage. However, that's still not determined.

This incorrect assumption has me reviewing some of my other research. Assuming is not research. Also, with common names, it's confusing and easy to jump to conclusions. So when in doubt, don't add to the tree.