Re: Mathias Bettendorf-Will Co, Il
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In reply to:
Mathias Bettendorf-Will Co, Il
11/08/04
For future reference, I include this update of research about Mathias Bettendorf (1822-1902) of Will County, Illinois. The Homepage of Thomas A. Pick provides much information about births and marriages in the Eifel Region of Rhenish-Prussia. Have also considered the listings (Familienbuecher) from area church registers posted by the Vereine wgff/Trier. A Mathias Bettendorf was born May 1822 at Niederweis (Kreis Bitburg) and the record is from the Parish Church at Alsdorf. He was the son of Anne Marie Filz/Felz and Johann Bettendorf. This baptismal record is consistent with the 1900 U.S. census record for Mathias as his birth is listed as May 1822 (not 1821 as I stated earlier). The same Will County, Illinois census record lists 1852 as his year of immigration. A Matt Bettendorf (age 30) is found via indexes on Ancestr.com who arrives in New York from Liverpool, England 24 May 1852 on the ship Roscius. While recognizing that there is not proof that these records involve but one Mathias Bettendorf, extensive research has not turned up another born May 1822. A more detailed analysis of this theory about Mathias born in Niederweis is found in an article I authored appearing in "Where The Trails Cross" Spring 2009 (39:3) the Quarterly of the South Suburban G&H Society (Hazel Crest, Il). Would appreciate any additional information about the Mathias Bettendorf born 1822 at Niederweis.