Joseph Heinrich Ringkamp

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.