My great grandparents, Joseph Heinrich Ringkamp and Katherine Millert married on 17 July 1890 at St. Francis Church, Trenton, New Jersey. Born in Germany to Conrad Ringkamp and Anastasia Hismann, Henry was a hotel waiter. Cathrina [Katherine] Millert was born in New Jersey to Xaver Millert and Elisabeth Frankly, both born in Germany. Heinrich was 27 years old and Cathrina was 18 years old. Witnesses to this wedding were Xaver Ringkamp and Franziska Ringkamp.[1]
This single record provides so much information
about this couple including their addresses when they married. He lived on
Han[n]over Street in Trenton while she lived at 646 Lamberton Street. You will
note that this information builds on the records found for the Millert family.
(You can click on the links to refer to their blog post.)
Genealogical research requires multiple records
be located for each individual, if possible. For Henry Ringkamp, family notes, vital records, immigration
and census records provide details about his life.
Joseph Heinrich Ringkamp was born on 4 April
1861 in Germany.[2]
He arrived at Castle Garden in New York City on 30 April 1887 with his sister, Franziska aboard
the ship, Gellert. Their port of departure
was Hamburg, Germany.[3] The last of my ancestors to immigrate, he married in 1890 and appears
with his family in two census records prior to his death on 24 August 1912.[4]
Finding Henry’s family in the 1910 census was a
challenge. I discovered that their surname was illegible on the record and,
therefore, not transcribed in the database. In order to find them, I searched
for a Henry (no surname) in Trenton, born in
Germany and between 40-50 years old. I found him transcribed as Henry ???. The family lived at 625 Cass Street and I
recognized my grandmother’s name, Anastasia, and two of her sisters, whom I had known as a
child. Henry Ringkamp was a Saloon Keeper working on his own account and a naturalized citizen. I can add another record to my
search – naturalization records!
Family of Henry J.
Ringkamp[5]
1910
|
|
Henry J. Ringkamp, 49
|
|
Kate Ringkamp, 38
|
|
Henry E. Ringkamp, 18
|
|
Joseph Ringkamp, 16
|
|
Marie Ringkamp, 13
|
|
Catherine Ringkamp, 10
|
|
Elizabeth Ringkamp, 5
|
|
Anastasia Ringkamp, 2
|
[1]
Marriage Return, New Jersey, Trenton, photocopy, marriage of Heinrich Ringkamp and Cathrina Millert, date
of marriage 17 July 1890, return no. R75; family papers.
[2]
Birth of Joseph Heinrich Ringkamp, family notes typewritten in German, held by
author.
[3]
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, port of arrival New York, Henry Ringkamp,
date of arrival 30 April 1887; online database, (www.ancestry.com : 6 June
2007), citing NARA microfilm M237, roll 505.
[4]
Certificate and Record of Death, State of New Jersey, Bureau of Vital
Statistics, death of Henry Ringkamp, date of death 24 August 1912, Trenton;
photocopy from family files held by author.
[5]
1910 U.S. census, Mercer County, New Jersey, population schedule, Trenton, Ward
11, p. 59, ED 89, sheet 7A, dwelling 3, family 3, household of Henry J.
Ringkamp; online database (www.heritagequestonline.com : 25 July 2009), citing
NARA publication microfilm T624, roll 897.
