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The Newsletter of the
Louks/Loucks Family Association
Volume 17 April 2010 Number 2
LLFA Board
Past PresidentDr. Ken E. Loucks1012 2nd Ave. N.RR 1 GMB Q29Sauble Beach, ON N0H [email protected]
PresidentRoss W. McCurdy 114 Mayflower TerraceSo. Yarmouth, MA [email protected]
Vice PresidentLondon Loukx, Jr.22 Dora StreetDracut, MA [email protected]
Treasurer, CanadaShirley J. Pearce2022 #111 Pacific WayKamloops, BC V1S [email protected]
Treasurer, United StatesRalph E. Louks2404 Plainview DriveFlushing, MI [email protected]
Board Members
Newsletter EditorLuren E. Dickinson3291 Lee RoadShaker Heights, OH [email protected]
Rev. Douglas L. Loucks21 McGhie StreetSt. Catharines, ON [email protected]
Joseph R. Louks2431 W. 600 N.W. Lafayette, IN [email protected]
Theresa Kowell4924 Homestead WayLadysmith, BC [email protected]
Artist: Murray Pipher—Markham, Ontario
HOW SOME OF OUR EARLY ANCESTORS CAME OVERLAND FROM THE UNITED STATES TO CANADA© Pennsylvania German Folklore Society of Ontario, 2008
Our Pennsylvania German ancestors began arriving in Ontario as early as 1786 in Conestoga wagons as pictured here. It took four sturdy Conestoga horses to draw these heavy freight wagons loaded with all of the implements, tools, furniture, seeds and food the families needed to start their new homestead. There was no room in the wagons for people so everyone walked including the teamster.
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The Louks/Loucks Family Association is a Canadian-American organization that was formed on July 31, 1993. It publishes this newsletter and hosts biennial meetings. Annual membership dues are as follow: One Year: $10 CDN $9 U.S. Two Years: $20 CDN $18 U.S. Lifetime: $100 CDN $90 U.S.
(continued from page 1)
The families left Pennsylvania on the six-week, 500-mile, journey at various times, often in late summer when the trails were dry and solid and grass was plentiful for the animals. Some wagons arrived as late as the third week in October (as pictured on p. 1).
The settlers knew that black walnut trees grew where the soil was rich and deep so they were anxious to find land where the black walnut trees grew tall and straight (like those in the background of the illustration). A people of strong faith, with hard work and perseverance, they carved their homesteads from the wilderness of The Twenty (Vineland/Jordan), Waterloo, and York. They created the beginnings of our communities and left their imprint on the economic and social life of Upper Canada.
THE PREZ SAYS
Greetings from Cape Cod where it appears spring has arrived. Of course, it’s not without its consequences as heavy rains have inundated parts of neighboring areas in the worst flooding in memory. And when things dry out many of these flood victims will again refinish their basements, new carpets and all. How soon we forget.
There seems to be little I can report on the Louks/Loucks Family Assn front, except that we hope to get a DNA sample from a male in the line of Matthias Louks of Vermont. He is
one of those we know is connected to Henry, but how is the question.
The 300 year anniversary of the coming of the Palatines to America is being celebrated on several fronts in the coming months, two of them being successive weekends in June, about which Luren will have more information elsewhere in the newsletter.
The one on the 4th weekend will be at York, PA where a very large reunion was held about 100 years ago. I don’t want to dampen your excitement, but that one would be for our Pennsylvania cousins rather than the Louks/Loucks of the Hudson River valley from which most of our membership stem. I intend to attend all three gatherings as a representative of the Association.
Meanwhile, keep up your family research, and assist our editor, Luren Dickinson, by submitting material for the newsletter.
Ross W. McCurdy
Wind turbines at Clear Creek, Ontario
LOUKS/LOUCKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION
As noted in our last issue, it was agreed that issues of the newsletter would be sent electronically beginning with that issue.
It was also reported that we would hold the 2011 LLFA Reunion in Clear Creek, Houghton
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Township, Ontario (or very close to that area) in July because many LLFA members, especially those enumerated in the latest book, have roots in Houghton Township.However, it was recently pointed out that the annual Norfolklore Genealogy Fair, which would interest most members, is to be held on September 24, 2011. A survey of members showed that none were against, and most were favorable, to moving the LLFA date to coincide with the genealogy fair.
Recent Norfolklore Genealogy Fair
Therefore, the 2011 LLFA Reunion will now be held on that weekend so that members will be able to attend the fair that Saturday. Admission to the fair also includes free admission to the Norfolk Historical Society at the Eva Brook Donly Museum & Archives.
Eva Brook Donly Museum, Simcoe, Ontario
More details about the 2011 event will appear in future issues of the newsletter.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO MARK 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF PALATINES
Palatines to America (PalAm), a national organization, will be holding its annual conference this year on June 17, 18, and 19 in Fishkill, NY to mark the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Palatines in 1710.
Entitled, “Celebrating Our German Heritage,1710-2010: 300 years of years of German History and Heritage in America,” the conference will feature the following:
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tour of Palatine sites along the Hudson River where our ancestors settled in the 1700s.
Visit the early settlements of Newburgh, East Camp, Germantown, Livingston Manor and possibly the west side of the Hudson River where West Camp was located.
Refreshments at historic site.
8:00 p.m. Informal get together (site to be announced)
Friday, June 18, 2010
8:30 a.m. National Board meeting
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Registration
2:00–2:15 p.m. Opening Welcome Session
2:30– 5:15 p.m. Choice of two presentations
Joe Lieby: Kleindeutschland: Researching Your Ancestors in Manhattan’s Little Germany
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Leslie Albrecht Huber: 300 Years of German Immigration
6:00 p.m.
Evening Banquet and Dinner Presentation by Philip Otterness
Saturday, June 19, 2010
8:30 a.m. New York Chapter meeting
9:00-11:00 a.m. Registration
9:00– 11:15 a.m. Track One, Palatine focus, with presentations by:
Philip Otterness: The Story behind the Book. Research and Writing of Becoming German
Meldon Wolfgang: Understanding and Using Archival Collections in the 21st
Century. Focus on Palatine Sources.
Track Two, General German focus, with presentations by:
Elsie Saar: Reading Old German Script
Richard Haberstroh: Locating Towns in Germany.
11:30 a.m.Luncheon and National General Membership Meeting
1:00–3:00 p.m. Track One, Palatine focus, with presentations by:
Philip Otterness: A Pictorial History of the Palatines
Alice Clark: The Palatine DNA Project
Track Two, General German focuswith presentations by:
Mel Wolfgang: Some Tips on Becoming a “Digital Alhnenforscher”
Richard Haberstroh: German Vital Records
The deadline to register for the conference is May 17. For membership, program, and registration information, go to:
www.palam.org
300TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OFLAUX FAMILY COMING TO AMERICA
A special 300th anniversary celebration to honor the arrival of the first persons named Laux in America in the year 1710 will be held on June 25th, 26th, 27th of 2010 in York, Pennsylvania. Everyone with a variation of the name Laux (Loux, Louk, Louks, Louck, Loucks, Lauk, Lauks, Lauck, Laucks, etc.) is invited to attend and take part in a variety of activities that are being offered.
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A sister group of the LLFA is sponsoring the 300th Anniversary Reunion in York PA area because some Laux descendants migrated from New York to Pennsylvania as early as 13 years after their arrival in the New World. The well-documented 200th anniversary celebration was also held in York in 1910.
York is a good location because it is centrally located to Hershey, Gettysburg, and the Lancaster areas. If you plan to have your summer vacation in this area, the 300th Anniversary Reunion could the highlight event of your trip!
The 2 1/2 day 300th anniversary event and will also be an International Reunion with Canadian descendants in attendance and perhaps families from Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Argentina.
The theme of this historic weekend will be “What is Your Legacy?” There is a historical museum and research library in the area. The calendar of events follows:
Thursday, June 24, 2010
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.Arrival & Setup
Registration Helper Training, Display Setup, Registration Tables Setup, Welcome Packets Assembled, etc.
Friday, June 25, 2010
9:00 a.m.Registration & Pictures
Displays, Icebreaker Activities, Group Pictures, Opening Remarks
11:30 a.m.Lunch
1:00 p.m.Presentations, Entertainment
5:30 p.m.Dinner
Saturday, June 26, 2010
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Activities
Activities range from visiting the Historical Library, Museums, Cemeteries, Countryside tour, Lauxmont Farms, etc. (Registration form allows you to sign up for the activities that interest you).
5:30 p.m. Dinner
Final Presentations, Entertainment, Door Prizes, etc.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Worship Service: "What's Your SpiritualLegacy?"
12:30 p.m.Lunch
For further information on the event, area attractions, and registration, go to:
www.freewebs.com/300th
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Spectacular sunset at Germantown, NY
PALATINES TO AMERICA NY CHAPTER SPONSORING 300th ANNIVERSARY AT SITE OF ORIGINAL ENCAMPMENTS
The New York Chapter of Palatines to America will be holding 300th anniversary events on October 1, 2, and 3, 2010, in commemoration of the arrival of the Palatines in Germantown, NY where settlement camps were first set up in 1710.
Germantown, near where the East Camp was established, is located on the Hudson River 120 miles north of New York City. The West Camp was on the opposite side of the river.
The community is hosting numerous historical events, including some related to the Revolutionary War, during the course of 2010. For further information, go to:
www.germantownhistory.org
The early October schedule is as follows:
Friday, October 1, 2010
Presentation to students at GermantownCentral School: The Palatines from Southwest Germany, by Henry Z. Jones, Genealogist and Historian, and Rev. David Jay Webber, historian/Palatine descendant.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
9:30 a.m. Reservation desk opens
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (with lunch* break) Seminar* at the Reformed Church in Germantown on Aspects of Palatine History: The Palatines in Germantown.
Speakers: Henry Z. Jones, David Jay Webber, and Philip Otterness. Alice Clark, who is representing the Palatine DNA project, will be talking about the findings so far and future plans.
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.Seminar speakers available to discuss genealogy with seminar participants
Sunday, October 3, 2010
8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m .Anniversary Breakfast, hosted by the Christ Lutheran Church, Viewmont
10:00 a.m. Ecumenical Anniversary Worship Service at Christ Lutheran Church
3:00 p.m.Gala concert at the Reformed Church in Germantown. Commissioned work for voice and instruments by Harold Farberman, composer/conductor and longtime Germantown resident
18th century hymns sung by the Southern Columbia Community Choir, Donna Diehl, conductor .
Performances by other groups and soloists.
*Seminar charge is $25 or $35 with lunch.
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WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
A new television show, based upon a popular series in Britain, premiered on NBC last month. It is entitled, “Who Do You Think You Are?” and explores the family history of famous Americans.
An initial episode featured Sarah Jessica Parker, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Parker thought that all of her relatives were fairly recent arrivals from Europe until she started doing some research.
She was surprised to find early on that one of her 4th-great grandfathers participated in the California Gold Rush of 1849. Even more shocking was that a 10th-great grandmother was accused of being a witch during the hysteria surrounding Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600’s!
Other episodes have featured African-American and retired NFL player, Emmitt Smith who did DNA testing and journeyed to Africa in search of his roots; Lisa Kudrow who visited an ancestral Jewish village in Belarus; and Matthew Broderick, whose great-great-grandfather survived the battle of Gettysburg but was later killed near Atlanta during the Civil War.
“Who Do You Think You Are?” has been viewed by as many as 7 million Americans and 400,000 Canadians. It was also just announced that it will be renewed for the 2010-2011 season.
HAZEN/LOUCKS UPDATES
A number of our members are also connected to the Hazen family and may be interested in knowing of the passing of Doris (Brinn) Clark of Tillsonburg, Ontario on 2 April 2010. She died in her 86th year after a period of failing health. She had been the Treasurer of the Hazen Family Association for a number of years and also had Loucks ancestors in her pedigree.
In other news, the three siblings of Charles Simeon Mitchener have been traced and are found to have married and had issue. For more details, see page 17 of the Hazen 2nd edition. These new connections greatly expand the number of cousins.
PRE-1710 LAUX ORIGINS COMMITTEE: A PROGRESS REPORT
A subcommittee on Pre-1710 Laux Origins was established at the 2009 Louks/Loucks Family Association meeting in Morrisburg, ON. Made up of members, Paul Loucks, Terry Henderson, Orie Loucks, and Luren Dickinson, its general goal has been to try to document family origins by two or three generations beyond what is listed in The Palatine Families of New York: a study of the German immigrants who arrived in colonial New York in 1710 (published in 1985) and other works by Henry Z. Jones.
Terry Henderson is the committee member who has been the most active in helping to put together this research effort. He is the one who prepared the following report:
In our search for the home of Johann Nicolaus Laucks, we have gone back tolook at historical patterns of settlement in the Wallau area suggested by Hank Jones in his book Palatine Families of New York. Jones felt that Nicolaus was from the Wallau
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area but was unable to conclusively show that link. He indicated that additional work needed to be done to provide conclusive evidence. That is what we have been trying to do. I have personally hired a researcher to help go through the microfilm of the original baptisms, marriages and deaths of that area around the Wallau area of Germany.
Dark “doodle” of the 1659 Wallau scribe!
We started with Wallau microfilm and found several baptisms that some researchers have actually adopted as the true parents of Johann Nicolaus. For example, many researchers tend to accept that Johann Nicolaus Lauck was the son of either Johann Michael Lauck or Johann Phillip Lauck.
Johann Phillip's son Johann Nicolaus was baptized on 10 Aug 1689. However, if you continue to look through the records you find that Nicolaus, son of Johann Phillipdied on 30 Aug 1689. Niclaus, the son of Johann Michael, married Anna Maria Fein and had a child Johann Michael baptized in Wallau in 1715, 5 years after he supposedly left for New York!
After thoroughly searching the Wallau microfilm, we plotted a strategy to search the surrounding parishes and those that were mentioned prominently in the Wallau films.
The parishes Koppenheim, Niederseelbach, Erbenheim, Okriftel were all searched without finding any Lauck at all. The parish of Eppstein had one Lauck baptism, Abraham, who appeared to have links to theWallau Lauck.
The Igstadt parish had many Lauck/Laucks families in it but none could conclusively be considered to be the emigrant Johann Nicolaus Laucks. There were two Niclaus in Igstadt that seemed promising but like those in Wallau, turned out to be false leads.
I think the main thing we are finding is that Johann Nicolaus Lauck who traveled to New York was most likely the grandson of Nicolaus Lauck of Igstadt and Wallau area. Who his parents were is still the subject of our search.
As far as the Runkel connection, it seems that as we move north toward Runkel from Wallau area, there may be more and more individuals and families with the Laucks/ Laux surname. What made those people choose that surname in the beginning may link the separate DNA families that have shown up in recent testing.
The beat goes on and so does the search!
The Wallau churchbook for May 1659.
