Transcribing Documents

Finding gems in the process

After initially dismissing the idea suggested by a genealogist of transcribing documents written in English, a recent discovery completely changed my mind. It started with my great-grandfather Heines' will, which I had revisited one evening on a whim. Little did I know that this familiar document held a surprising revelation that sparked a whole new chapter of genealogical research.

How could I learn anything new? I have read his will many times. It proved that he was married twice and left much of his estate to his daughter Lizzie, who was living with him. But I decided that nothing would be lost if I took the time to transcribe it.

I printed out the handwritten will and keyed it into Word. As I approached the end of the document, it listed his executor's name, which I had skipped over in the past. I couldn't believe it. His executor was his nephew William Heyns. The spelling of his last name surprised me, but it had to be Theodore’s brother’s child. Since I had researched Theodore's siblings, I knew this had to be his brother Ludwig's son.

Back in my tree, I found William (born William Haÿens Baltjens) along with his siblings. The spelling of the surname he adopted when he came to America, Heyns, brought me back to my youth; when I met someone new, they often asked me how I spelled Heines. They’d ask, Is that H-E-Y? I'd look at them funny. Who would spell Heines with a Y? Now I know!  

Photo courtesy of Jacquie Moran

I am always looking for why families settle in a particular area. I know there are many reasons, but one is where the family settled. Now I knew that William Heyns resided in Evansville, Indiana, I wanted to find out when he immigrated. Did he come alone? I knew that both his mom and dad were deceased. Maybe he came with his stepmom or other family members. William's father, Ludwig Heyens Baltjens, died in 1863, so I searched after that date, guessing he might have waited until after his dad passed. That’s not always the case, but it was a starting point for me.

I started with 1864 passenger lists from Bremen. Looking under the name Baltjens, I couldn’t believe it! There he was with his stepmother, his two siblings, and his four stepsiblings. The whole family had immigrated to the US, arriving in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1866. By the time they immigrated, Theodore was well-established in the city. More than likely, my great-grandfather helped William’s family get established.

William Heyns became a prominent citizen in Evansville, Indiana. For 40 years, he owned Heyns Furniture Company on the city’s west side.

Evansville Courier and Press, Evansville, Indiana 23 June 1910, page 12

He assisted in building the Vendome Hotel in 1920 and was one of the original directors of the West Side Bank. He also was active in politics.

Evansville Courier and Press, Evansville Indiana 1 August 1902

It was great finding more of my ancestors just by transcribing something I overlooked. Now, I transcribe all documents because I never know what I might find.