Two Techniques to Break Down Brick Walls

Everyone wants to know how they can break down their genealogical brick walls. Who doesn't? No matter where you are in your research, you have brick walls. The more ancestors you know about, the more brick walls you have! Say you want to know who the parents of a great-grandparent is. How can you possibly track them down if you don't know where to start? Here, I'll provide a couple of examples of how to do track them down. In one example, I'll show where some of the information was sitting right in front of me but I didn't know it. It was only after a bit of luck with a marriage record being digitized that I learned the truth. In the other example, I'll show the steps I took to eventually find the truth.

Miller Family History Book Published

I've just released my book containing my Miller family research. It's called "Johan Christian Müller, and the Liebrich Sisters - Their Descendants and Ancestors". I've made it available in both hardcover and paperback. While working on getting this book ready, I've also made my Panther family history book, "Moriz Panther and Elizabeth Birk - Their Descendants and Ancestors", available in paperback.

Ancestors of Maria Magdalena and Anna Maria Liebrich

This is part three of the results of my research of the ancestors of my great-grandfather, Charles Miller. These are the ancestors of his mother, Maria Magdalena Liebrich and her sister Anna Maria Liebrich. After Maria Magdalena died, his father married her sister, Anna Maria.

First Generation

1. Maria Magdalena Liebrich, daughter of Ludwig Liebrich and Maria Catharina Maier, was born on 30 Apr 1830 in Ohmden, Esslingen, Württemberg and died on 6 Feb 1865 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg at age 34.

Maria Magdalena Liebrich baptismal record

Maria married Johannes Handal. Johannes died July 6, 1851.

Maria married Johan Christian Müller, son of Christian Gottlieb Müller and Anna Maria Schach, in 1852.

Johan Christian Müller and Maria Magdalena Liebrich marriage record

Children from this marriage were:

i. Carl Christian Miller was born on 7 Oct 1852 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg, died on 20 Oct 1923 in Fort Madison, Lee, Iowa at age 71, and was buried in Fort Madison, Lee, Iowa. Another name for Carl was Charles. Carl married Philomena Bixenman, daughter of Benedict Bixenman and Crescentia Wolfgang, on 14 Apr 1891 in Wien, Chariton, Missouri.

ii. Christiana Friederika Müller was born on 12 Nov 1854 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg.

iii. Christian Luis Müller was born on 26 May 1856 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg.

iv. Maria Louisa Müller was born on 28 Oct 1857.

v. Luisa Friederika Müller was born in Sep 1859 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg and died on 25 Dec 1872 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg at age 13.

vi. Dorothea Fredricka Müller was born on 2 Aug 1861 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Baden-Wurtemburg and died in 1939 in New York, New York, New York at age 78. Dorothea married Christian Kurz about 1900. Dorothea next married John Gusenburger in New York, , New York.

Ancestors of Johan Christian Müller

This is part two of the ancestors of my great-grandfather, Charles Miller. Here are the ancestors of his father, Johan Christian Müller.

1. Johan Christian Müller, son of Christian Gottlieb Müller and Anna Maria Schach, was born on 6 Dec 1828 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg and died on 21 Nov 1899 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg at age 70. Another name for Johan was Gottlieb.

Johan married Maria Magdalena Liebrich, daughter of Ludwig Liebrich and Maria Catharina Maier, in 1852.

Marriage record of Maria Magdalena Liebrich and Johan Christian Müller

Children from this marriage were:

i. Carl Christian Miller was born on 7 Oct 1852 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg, died on 20 Oct 1923 in Fort Madison, Lee, Iowa at age 71, and was buried in Fort Madison, Lee, Iowa. Another name for Carl was Charles. Carl married Philomena Bixenman, daughter of Benedict Bixenman and Crescentia Wolfgang, on 14 Apr 1891 in Wien, Chariton, Missouri.

ii. Christiana Friederika Müller was born on 12 Nov 1854 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg.

iii. Christian Luis Müller was born on 26 May 1856 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg.

iv. Maria Louisa Müller was born on 28 Oct 1857.

v. Luisa Friederika Müller was born in Sep 1859 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg and died on 25 Dec 1872 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Württemberg at age 13.

vi. Dorothea Fredricka Müller was born on 2 Aug 1861 in Nürtingen, Esslingen, Baden-Wurtemburg and died in 1939 in New York, New York, New York at age 78. Dorothea married Christian Kurz about 1900. Dorothea next married John Gusenburger in New York, , New York.

Johan next married Anna Maria Liebrich, daughter of Ludwig Liebrich and Maria Catharina Maier, in 1866.

Bixenman Church Records

This is my second post regarding information I found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. This information could also be found by going to your local Family History Center and ordering a microfilm in for you to look at locally.

Previously, when it came to my Bixenman ancestry, I just relied on Sister Catherine Seemann's research in the books she wrote and published back in 1999:
The Bixenman Family - Volume 1 and Bixenman Family Tree - Volume 2

Since I was at the Family History Library, I figured I'd take a look at the church records for two reasons. First, I always want to have copies of the original documentation for any of my ancestors that I can find. That way I know for certain I have the correct information. Second, I figured that in the 15 years since Sister Catherine did her research, more information might have become available and it's possible, however unlikely, that she may have missed a tidbit of information that might open us up for finding new information. I did get the original documentation and I'm happy to have it, and it appears Sister Catherine did a very thorough job of research. I think I see all of the information available from the German church records for this family. Here's what I found: