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From: "Becky" <>
Subject: [G-P-L] Hello group -
Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2007 00:19:33 -0500


I gave a brief intro quite awhile ago. I am still rarely able to do genealogy but when I do, I am at that proverbial "brick wall". I have all the censuses from back almost when they began, to when my ancestors died. My problem is everyone came over during the era when the records were destroyed, married over here (at least the 2nd marriages) before this country or my state of MI began keeping records. So I am really at a loss. I have yet to be able to track even a naturalization paper of any order. The towns I've been to say they don't have the naturalization records at all though I am not convinced this is accurate. Most hindering is the fact that none of these people seem to have any idea who bore them. Even Bertha, who's mother Albertina came here, did not have her mother's info correct on her marriage certificate. She shows up as Teann Albert. A good transpostion of Albertina.

Here's what I've found in records in towns, on line, and by finding their gravesite in Boyne City, MI. My maternal Ggrandfather came from Canada (can't track him either) and married (2nd marriage for him) a Prussian woman Bertha Dallman in 1888 in Ludington, MI. Bertha Bishop and her husband Joseph Bishop bought and sold much property all over the northern and middle part of lower MI as he worked the lumber and woodworking areas. Some of it, I found in records, was sold back to an August Dallman. I believe Bertha came over as an Albrecht and our family has her mother as Albertina Albrecht. Albertina was the wife of August Dallman on the property records found in Ludington, MI, in the late 1800's so I suspect her husband either died in Prussia or on the journey here. We have no info on this marriage. On exactly one census I have found that Bertha listed her immigration date as 1884 from Prussia. Our family info has her from Berlin, which I can't confirm even looking at the German records I can access. I have never found her on a ship manifest with her mother Albertina, so I assume they must have come over individually. Have never found an immigration date for Albertina, though every census and Bertha's marriage records show her from Prussia also. Nor have I been able to find any further history on Albertina Albrecht's marriage to August Dallman, or any information at all on him as there are many August Dallman's. I haven't figured out a way to reduce that yet. The only info on him was from the property deeds.

As Chuck pointed out, Bertha can be found in a Muskegon census. Yes, she was there living next door to one of her daughter's after Joseph Bishop (LeVeque) died and after she had remarried a John Tyron. Apparently he had died by that time too. She is my Ggrandmother.

>From what I have been able to put together from family and tombstones is this: Albertina Albrecht Dallman b: 1840, died Feb or Mar (tomb wasn't very legible), 2 or 4, 1917. No known death certificate or place. Will try for another trip up north at some point to recheck records. Daughter Bertha (nee Albrecht/Dallman) Bishop b:1868, d: 6-26-1930. place of death also not known. These people had lots of money so these individuals could have died anywhere in MI state and been shipped to Boyne City. One of the property records also had Bertha buying and selling property "in her own right" as owner of a fur factory in Boyne City, while she lived in Ludington. Can't confirm that either as so far only men seem to be memorialized for their deeds.

I have no other info and have been searching for a long time for a way to confirm, clarify, or conform any of the data. Typically from what I've found birth dates for females can be correct to any year within about a 5 yr span. So I'm not sure even the bd's are valid. they certainly don't correspond to any ship logs I've found so far, so I don't know what ships they came on, into what port (although I am suspecting Canada at this point), or when. The only other fact I have is that my grandfather and my grandmother were Catholic, so I suspect the Prussians were Catholic. I also have a family photo of this group and even though my Ggrandfather came from Quebec and was supposedly French, he looks every bit as German as the rest of the family. This is not a slam of course. I also am very much German.

I would very much appreciate any direction or suggestion as to how to go about things from this point. My income and travel are severely limited due to disability so I can't run around to look. I have to have a very good idea where I'm headed first. This group seems to be extremely knowledgeable and I find your info fascinating. I would also be open to anyone telling me I am making incorrect assumptions, etc. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or help.

Becky in MI



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