Most of us know... that freedom is NEVER FREE. Nor can it ever be... because it demands vigilance, courage, and sacrifice. All of the freedoms we enjoy have been purchased with the blood and lives of a million men... and the struggle to obtain and protect them has dramatically altered the lives of untold numbers of men, women, and children. Freedom is never free. It is costly to claim... and it is costly to maintain. Immature people treat freedom as license to live for themselves, but freedom is never license to do whatever we choose to do. On the contrary, freedom insists that we live gratefully and responsibly... and that we do whatever we have to do to keep our freedom.
My family tree, like yours, includes many surnames, including Sylvester, Simmons, Hunt, Hart, Agnew, Rush, Howard, Bill, Blau (Blue), Clark(e), Scarborough, Dent, Gorsuch, Greene, and of course, Shedenhelm. Many of them served bravely in the wars we've fought- from the Revolutionary War to the War in Afghanistan- and in time, I hope to publish a complete list. However, since I am focusing on Shedenhelms at the moment, I will simply repost the following names with honor and gratitude. Taylor.
WAR OF 1812
Jakob Schettenhelm
WW1
Dale Shedenhelm
WW2
Gale A Shedenhelm (Army Air), William Shedenhelm (Army), Harley Shedenhelm (Navy), Luther Shedenhelm (Navy), Glen Shedenhelm Jr. (Army), Byron Shedenhelm (Army), Wm J Shedenhelm (Army), Dale Shedenhelm (Army), Russell Shedenhelm (Army), Paul Shedenhelm (Navy), Robert A Shedenhelm (Army), William R.C. Shedenhelm (Army), Ray F. Shedenhelm (Army), Donald Schittenhelm (Navy), Rudolf Schittenhelm (Army), Ralph Schiedenhlm, George W. Shetenhelm, Harry G. Shetenhelm, Clark P. Shetenhelm, Kenneth Lloyd Shedenhelm, Francis L. Shetenhelm, Francis O Shetenhelm
KOREAN "WAR"
Gerald Schuttenhelm
VIETNAM WAR
Teddy Shedenhelm, John Shedenhelm, Gary Shedenhelm, Charles Sheetenhelm, Charles Schuttenhelm, B. Schittenhelm
CIVIL WAR
Thomas Shedenhelm Ohio Company A, Regiment 164
John N Shedenhelm Iowa Company E Regiment 24
James Shetenhelm NY Company K Regiment 65
Arthur Sheetenhelm MD
Oliver D. Lease OH
I salute these brave men and thank them for their courage! If you know of any family member whom I have omitted, or listed incorrectly listed, please let me know, It is my plan to include a section on Veterans in my little book of Shedenhelm's. If you have any pictures of any of these brave men, please send me a copy.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
Generation 8- Women Get Names... and Philipp Gets a New Coat (of Arms)
The 30 Years War was a "dirty war" because of the senseless violence and destruction that took place, and, except for WW2, it was the most devastating war that Germany ever experienced! It involved nearly all of the major powers of the day, but it was waged on German soil... and 50% of the population along a corridor running from Pomerania in the Baltic to the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) was killed. Other areas fared a bit better, but the war was devastating. I mention this war again to keep it in context because our 8th generation of ancestors would have seen and experienced it first-hand. Also, if I may digress once more, one should note that, after 1500 years of use, the Julian calendar was replaced in 1582 by the Gregorian calendar, which was named after Pope Gregory. The Catholics in Germany embraced the new calendar immediately, and so they went to bed on October 4, 1582 and woke up the following morning on October 14, 1582. The Protestants in Germany, however, did not accept this calendar until March 1, 1700, This means that there were two sets of time for 108 years and this can be a bit confusing,
Now we turn our attention to Generation 8 of our family, remembering that especially in the Black Forest, there were many variants of our last name by 1650, including Schutenhallm, Schutenhellm, Schutenhelm, Schiltenhelm, Schiltinhelm, Schlittenhelm, Schitenhellm, and more.
Matthias had two sons-Cyriacus and Hans Wilhelm, Cyriacus (which means "of God"), married Ursula Rothacker and they lived in Gruntal, where he farmed, and they had at least five children, including Johannes (b. 1649) and Johan Jakob (b. 1653). Hans Wilhelm, like his brother, also farmed in Gruntal, where he lived and died. He and his wife, Maria Ganser, had one son, Johan Wilhelm. Villages were especially devastated during the war and it is not clear to me how much damage was done to our ancestor's farms at this point in history. However, at an earlier point in time, tax records show that the progenitor of the Schwarzwald branch of the family, HannB and his renter, Jacob Ruoff, jointly owned farms of Stueckhen and Guettern, and it appears that they paid substantial church taxes on these properties.
Philipp Schuttenhelm had three sons: Phillip, Jakob, and Johannes Michael. Philipp was a farmer in the Wittlensweiler area of Wurttenmberg, but like many of our ancestors, he was active in local politics. He was a member of the Administration Board in his hometown and he was also a knight (which indicates that he was highly skilled in this area). He married Christine Haizmann and they had two sons: Matthias and Heinrich. It is worth noting that Philipp received a revised coat-of-arms from Duke Ludwig Friedrich of Wurttemberg. A coat-of-arms, while not rare, was hardly ordinary. It was an honor. It was a recognition and it tells me... that the family Schuttenhelm was well respected at this point in history. It had been much more than 100 years since Heinricus received the family's first coat-of-arms and it looks like our family was still making a name for itself. Philipp's brother, Jakob, farmed in the Wittlensweiler area, and he had two sons with his first wife, Maria Irene- Jacob (b. 1611) and Cyriax (b. 1618). Johannes Michael lived through most of the 17th century. He was born in Aach in 1600 and he died there on June 21, 1681. During his lifetime, he served the people of Aach as an Administration Board member, a Judge, and as Mayor. He and his wife, Anna Maria, had two sons of record, and they named them Johannes and Michael, respectively,
HannB (again, this is a double ss, not a B) had four sons- Heinrich, Cyriacus, Jakob, and yes, HannB. Heinrich, was a butcher (Metzger) and a Mayor in Schrozberg, although he died in Hallwangen in 1669. He and his wife, Anna Maria Steinlin, had a son whom they named Jacob. Heinrich's brother, Cyriacus, farmed around Gruntal and he had four sons: Johannes, Jacob, Adam, and Cyriacus, and their brother, Jakob, was a farmer and a miller in Aach. He married Walburga Muller on July 5, 1640, and they had at least six children, two of whom were: Georg and Philipp. Finally, HannB's son, HannB, was a Mayor in Horschweiler, Wurttemberg, where he died on January 18, 1676. He married Anna Gwinner, and they had the following children: Michael, Hans Jabob, Anna Maria (there were girls in the family), Anna (who died as an infant), Hans Martin, Agnes, Katharina Christine, Jakob, and Hans, who was born around 1672 in Pfalzgrafenweiler.
Wilhelm's son, Wilhelm HannB, was shot near Egenhausen at the age of 43. At the time, he was a member of the Administration Board in Untermusbach and he left a wife, Barbara, and a son, HannB. Wilhelm, by the way, is an old German word which stands for a "strong-willed. helmeted fighter," (see Descendants of Haincz (Heinrich) Schutenhelm).
Jakob had four sons as well: HannB der Beck, Jakob, Jung HannB, and Heinrich HannB. HannB der Beck, was a baker in Dornstetten, where he died in 1611, leaving a young wife, Maria Winderer, and a newly born (or yet to be born) son, Johannes (b. 1611). His brother, Jakob, was a town councilman (Ratsherr) and also Mayor in Wittlensweiler. He married Maria Pfau on July 28, 1638, and they had a son named, Jakob. Jung HannB, on the other hand, was a farmer who died in Vogelsberg. He and his wife, Helene Walther had five children: Johannes, Christine, Jakob, Adam, and Michael. Jung's brother, Heinrich HannB, was a butcher in Schrozberg. He had one son, Lorentz, who was born around 1640.
Generation 8 was slightly more diverse than the ones that preceded it... if you count the advent of butchers and bakers as a sign of diversity. However, it continued to be dominated by village officials, mayors, and judges. This would be a great area for further research, but I am sure that mayors and city councilmen had more power than other citizens... and undoubtedly more benefits as well. It is likely that families held on to these privileged positions for as long as they could. I confess to being biased, but I applaud the leadership and accomplishments (albeit on small stages) that our ancestors demonstrated in a time when just hanging on was the goal of many.
Now we turn our attention to Generation 8 of our family, remembering that especially in the Black Forest, there were many variants of our last name by 1650, including Schutenhallm, Schutenhellm, Schutenhelm, Schiltenhelm, Schiltinhelm, Schlittenhelm, Schitenhellm, and more.
Matthias had two sons-Cyriacus and Hans Wilhelm, Cyriacus (which means "of God"), married Ursula Rothacker and they lived in Gruntal, where he farmed, and they had at least five children, including Johannes (b. 1649) and Johan Jakob (b. 1653). Hans Wilhelm, like his brother, also farmed in Gruntal, where he lived and died. He and his wife, Maria Ganser, had one son, Johan Wilhelm. Villages were especially devastated during the war and it is not clear to me how much damage was done to our ancestor's farms at this point in history. However, at an earlier point in time, tax records show that the progenitor of the Schwarzwald branch of the family, HannB and his renter, Jacob Ruoff, jointly owned farms of Stueckhen and Guettern, and it appears that they paid substantial church taxes on these properties.
Philipp Schuttenhelm had three sons: Phillip, Jakob, and Johannes Michael. Philipp was a farmer in the Wittlensweiler area of Wurttenmberg, but like many of our ancestors, he was active in local politics. He was a member of the Administration Board in his hometown and he was also a knight (which indicates that he was highly skilled in this area). He married Christine Haizmann and they had two sons: Matthias and Heinrich. It is worth noting that Philipp received a revised coat-of-arms from Duke Ludwig Friedrich of Wurttemberg. A coat-of-arms, while not rare, was hardly ordinary. It was an honor. It was a recognition and it tells me... that the family Schuttenhelm was well respected at this point in history. It had been much more than 100 years since Heinricus received the family's first coat-of-arms and it looks like our family was still making a name for itself. Philipp's brother, Jakob, farmed in the Wittlensweiler area, and he had two sons with his first wife, Maria Irene- Jacob (b. 1611) and Cyriax (b. 1618). Johannes Michael lived through most of the 17th century. He was born in Aach in 1600 and he died there on June 21, 1681. During his lifetime, he served the people of Aach as an Administration Board member, a Judge, and as Mayor. He and his wife, Anna Maria, had two sons of record, and they named them Johannes and Michael, respectively,
HannB (again, this is a double ss, not a B) had four sons- Heinrich, Cyriacus, Jakob, and yes, HannB. Heinrich, was a butcher (Metzger) and a Mayor in Schrozberg, although he died in Hallwangen in 1669. He and his wife, Anna Maria Steinlin, had a son whom they named Jacob. Heinrich's brother, Cyriacus, farmed around Gruntal and he had four sons: Johannes, Jacob, Adam, and Cyriacus, and their brother, Jakob, was a farmer and a miller in Aach. He married Walburga Muller on July 5, 1640, and they had at least six children, two of whom were: Georg and Philipp. Finally, HannB's son, HannB, was a Mayor in Horschweiler, Wurttemberg, where he died on January 18, 1676. He married Anna Gwinner, and they had the following children: Michael, Hans Jabob, Anna Maria (there were girls in the family), Anna (who died as an infant), Hans Martin, Agnes, Katharina Christine, Jakob, and Hans, who was born around 1672 in Pfalzgrafenweiler.
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| St Johannes at Egenhausen |
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| Pomerania in the Baltic |
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| Hallwangen |
Jakob had four sons as well: HannB der Beck, Jakob, Jung HannB, and Heinrich HannB. HannB der Beck, was a baker in Dornstetten, where he died in 1611, leaving a young wife, Maria Winderer, and a newly born (or yet to be born) son, Johannes (b. 1611). His brother, Jakob, was a town councilman (Ratsherr) and also Mayor in Wittlensweiler. He married Maria Pfau on July 28, 1638, and they had a son named, Jakob. Jung HannB, on the other hand, was a farmer who died in Vogelsberg. He and his wife, Helene Walther had five children: Johannes, Christine, Jakob, Adam, and Michael. Jung's brother, Heinrich HannB, was a butcher in Schrozberg. He had one son, Lorentz, who was born around 1640.
Generation 8 was slightly more diverse than the ones that preceded it... if you count the advent of butchers and bakers as a sign of diversity. However, it continued to be dominated by village officials, mayors, and judges. This would be a great area for further research, but I am sure that mayors and city councilmen had more power than other citizens... and undoubtedly more benefits as well. It is likely that families held on to these privileged positions for as long as they could. I confess to being biased, but I applaud the leadership and accomplishments (albeit on small stages) that our ancestors demonstrated in a time when just hanging on was the goal of many.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
GENERATION 7- Judges, Farmers... and Civil Servants
By now, I trust that you have seen that our ancestors did not seek much variety in the names they gave their children. Indeed, you will need a scorecard to keep track of the HannBs, Philipps, Heinrichs, and Jakobs that follow- not to mention the Anna Maria's and Katharines that fill our family tree. It was, or course, customary for the time, but it is confusing.
Matthias Schuttenhelm was born in Gruntal in 1553, and he died there as one of the longest living Schuttenhelms, around 1642. He was a farmer (Bauer) and he and his wife, Maria (we finally have the name of a woman), had two sons: Cyriacus (a name that we will see again) and Hans Wilhelm. Philipp Schuttenhelm also lived well into the 17th century, dying in Aach around 1652. He was a Judicial Mayor in Aach and another Knight in the family. Heinrich, however, was a miller by trade, but he also served on the Administration Board in Wittlensweiler. Michael was born around 1553 in Aach and died March 10, 1636 in Untersmusbach. He was a farmer and a miller, and a member of the Administrative Board in Untersmusbach as well. He and his wife, (unknown Krieger), reared two sons: Johann Michael and Philipp, who also became a Mayor and Judge in Aach, where he died on September 1, 1682.
HannB was born and died in Aach, where he served as Mayor from 1590-1632. He and his wife, Anna Maria had five sons: Heinrich, Cyriacus, Adam, Jakob, and HannB. Wilhelm, on the other hand, was one more Judge in the family. He was also a member of the Administration Board in Untermusbach. Unlike most of our ancestors in the 7th generation, Wilhelm may not have seen the 17th century. We know that he died after 1595, and we also know that he had a son whom he named, Wilhelm HannB. Jakob Schiltenhelm was a farmer in Vogelsberg and he died in 1638. He and his wife Appollonia Burklen had two sons, whom they named HannB der Beck Schiltenhelm and Jakob Schuttenhelm. The second HannB, HannB's son, was also a farmer, and he died in Vogelsberg, where he is listed on both the 1625 and 1630 tax lists. He had three sons: Jung HannB, Caspar, and Heinrich HannB.
Matthias Schuttenhelm was born in Gruntal in 1553, and he died there as one of the longest living Schuttenhelms, around 1642. He was a farmer (Bauer) and he and his wife, Maria (we finally have the name of a woman), had two sons: Cyriacus (a name that we will see again) and Hans Wilhelm. Philipp Schuttenhelm also lived well into the 17th century, dying in Aach around 1652. He was a Judicial Mayor in Aach and another Knight in the family. Heinrich, however, was a miller by trade, but he also served on the Administration Board in Wittlensweiler. Michael was born around 1553 in Aach and died March 10, 1636 in Untersmusbach. He was a farmer and a miller, and a member of the Administrative Board in Untersmusbach as well. He and his wife, (unknown Krieger), reared two sons: Johann Michael and Philipp, who also became a Mayor and Judge in Aach, where he died on September 1, 1682.
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| Untersnusbach |
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| Untersmusbach |
HannB was born and died in Aach, where he served as Mayor from 1590-1632. He and his wife, Anna Maria had five sons: Heinrich, Cyriacus, Adam, Jakob, and HannB. Wilhelm, on the other hand, was one more Judge in the family. He was also a member of the Administration Board in Untermusbach. Unlike most of our ancestors in the 7th generation, Wilhelm may not have seen the 17th century. We know that he died after 1595, and we also know that he had a son whom he named, Wilhelm HannB. Jakob Schiltenhelm was a farmer in Vogelsberg and he died in 1638. He and his wife Appollonia Burklen had two sons, whom they named HannB der Beck Schiltenhelm and Jakob Schuttenhelm. The second HannB, HannB's son, was also a farmer, and he died in Vogelsberg, where he is listed on both the 1625 and 1630 tax lists. He had three sons: Jung HannB, Caspar, and Heinrich HannB.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
THE 17TH CENTURY- A Time of Suffering
Context is an important determinate of the joys and struggles we experience, and with that in mind, it is important to note that the 17th Century was a time of many struggles and few joys for our ancestors. Political power struggles and allegiances, personal ambitions and grudges, religious tension and violence, territorial disputes within Germany, and ordinary things like crop failures and disease beset the people of Germany... but none were more devastating the the Thirty Years War, which raged from 1619 to 1648. Initially a feud between Protestants and Catholics, the conflict rapidly became a power struggle between the King of France, the Habsburg rulers, and many other nations who thought they had a stake in the outcome. The Thirty Years War was the last major conflict over religion on the continent, and when it ended, all of the major participants in the struggle were nearly bankrupt and the population of Europe had been reduced considerably. Indeed, the population in the Palatinate fell by more than 50%... and their problems just kept coming.
Louis XIV emerged from his war with the Dutch as the most powerful ruler in Europe, and he was driven to expand France's boundaries to their rightful place (which he considered to be the Rhine River). Thus, he ravaged southwest Germany in 1674, burning villages and destroying property as he went. His main interest was territorial expansion, but the fact that the Palatinate was predominantly Protestant made them an especially attractive target. Our ancestors were terrorized and victimized during the period, and after a brief period of peace... the French ravaged SW Germany again. In 1685, Louis XIV repealed the Edict of Nantes (which had given the Hugenots freedom to worship as they pleased), and thousands of these Protestants found safe haven in Germany and especially in SW Germany. This infuriated Louis and gave him an excuse to ravage the Palatinate again. The record shows that "villages without number were given to the flames" and that "many inhabitants were butchered." (Sanford Cobb, p 40)... and as if this wasn't trouble enough, the winter of 1709 was devastating. It is said that fire would not burn in the open air during this winter and that "birds fell dead in flight."
All of these factors- the wars, heavy taxation needed to fund the wars, extraordinarily harsh winters, persistent religious tension..."pushed" our ancestors to America. There were factors that enticed them to immigrate as well- such as the desire for land, the quest for adventure, the cooperative spirit of Great Briton, and the attractive invitations offered by William Penn and others. But I am getting ahead of the story, and will turn to the 7th generation of Schuttenhelm's-Schittenhelms-Shedenhelms-et al,
Louis XIV emerged from his war with the Dutch as the most powerful ruler in Europe, and he was driven to expand France's boundaries to their rightful place (which he considered to be the Rhine River). Thus, he ravaged southwest Germany in 1674, burning villages and destroying property as he went. His main interest was territorial expansion, but the fact that the Palatinate was predominantly Protestant made them an especially attractive target. Our ancestors were terrorized and victimized during the period, and after a brief period of peace... the French ravaged SW Germany again. In 1685, Louis XIV repealed the Edict of Nantes (which had given the Hugenots freedom to worship as they pleased), and thousands of these Protestants found safe haven in Germany and especially in SW Germany. This infuriated Louis and gave him an excuse to ravage the Palatinate again. The record shows that "villages without number were given to the flames" and that "many inhabitants were butchered." (Sanford Cobb, p 40)... and as if this wasn't trouble enough, the winter of 1709 was devastating. It is said that fire would not burn in the open air during this winter and that "birds fell dead in flight."
All of these factors- the wars, heavy taxation needed to fund the wars, extraordinarily harsh winters, persistent religious tension..."pushed" our ancestors to America. There were factors that enticed them to immigrate as well- such as the desire for land, the quest for adventure, the cooperative spirit of Great Briton, and the attractive invitations offered by William Penn and others. But I am getting ahead of the story, and will turn to the 7th generation of Schuttenhelm's-Schittenhelms-Shedenhelms-et al,
Saturday, March 7, 2015
GENERATION 6- Heinrich, Wilhelm, and HannB
Heinrich Schuttenhelm was successful on many fronts. Like his grandfather, he was made a knight, and he also served as Mayor of Gruntal and Wittensweiler. He was a "miller" by trade, and he was clearly well respected in his communities. As noted, he founded the Gruntal branch of the family. He was born in Vogelsberg, around 1525, and he died in Gruntal, around 1583. Heinrich fathered four sons: Matthias, Philipp, Heinrich, and Martin, who was a member of the Administrative Board in Gruntal. Heinrich's financial and social status in not clear... but peasants were not knighted and city administrators often benefited from their work (sometimes illegally). It is important to note that there were differences between north and south Germany, but in the main, the social classes in the 16th century were these: 1) Princes, who levied taxes as they saw fit; 2) lesser nobility, including knights.. whose prestige, power and profit were waning; 3) the clergy, who along with knights and other lesser nobility, paid no taxes; 4) patricians- wealthy families who ruled town councils and levied taxes; 5) burghers, which consisted of well-to-do and middle-class men who served on town councils and challenged the authority of both patricians and clergy; 6) plebians, who were journeymen laborers who were not guild members and also ruined burghers; 7) peasants, who eked out a living and had very few rights and little judicial redress. Thus, it is clear that the Schuttenhelm's/Schittenhelm's were significant members of society at this time.
Wilhelm Schuttenhelm founded the Aach branch of the family. He was a farmer (bauer), who was born around 1528 and died in Aach in 1590. Like his brother, Wilhelm fathered four sons: Michael, Wendel (who became a judge in Aach and a justice in Untersmusbach)l HannB, born in 1564, (we have a lot of HannB's in the family) and Wilhelm, who was born in 1565.
HannB was also a bauer as well. He was born around 1530, and he fathered two sons: Jakob and (yet another) HannB.
Matthias, Heinrich, Phillip, Martin, Michael, Wendal, HannB, Wilhelm, Jakob, and Hann B constitute Generation 7 of the Schuttenhelm/ Schittenhelm family.
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| Wittensweiler |
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| Gruntal |
HannB was also a bauer as well. He was born around 1530, and he fathered two sons: Jakob and (yet another) HannB.
Matthias, Heinrich, Phillip, Martin, Michael, Wendal, HannB, Wilhelm, Jakob, and Hann B constitute Generation 7 of the Schuttenhelm/ Schittenhelm family.
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