I was so excited to find the marriage record of my second great-grandparents Nicholas Conrad and Catharine Emminger in Ancestry’s Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records database. Progress has been slow in the Conrad line, and I was happy to discover that they were married 3 Oct 1853 at the Saint Michael’s and Zion Church in Philadelphia.

They were indexed as Nicolaus Konrad and Catharine Emminger and however much Ancestry is paying people to index old German records it is not enough. I don’t even know how the indexer recognized Emminger.

When I opened the image I realized there was more information than what had been indexed, seemingly interesting and important information, but I could not read it. For those unfamiliar, letters are very different in old German handwriting  and I have not yet mastered them.

Below are the pertinent sections for Nicholas and Catharine. Click on the images to see them full size. Click here to see the whole page for reference.

Nicolaus Conrad
from ?
in ?
(click to see full size)

Catharine Emminger
from ?
in Württemberg?
(click to see full size)

Below their names  appears to be perhaps the town/region where Nicholas and Catharine were from, which would be a huge help to me. In the census, it was reported that Nicholas was from Bavaria and Catharine was from Württemberg.

For Nicholas, I see “aus” or from (a bunch of indecipherable German) and “in” (not looking like Bavaria/Bayern to me.) The first letter of the word after “in” looks the same as  the first letter of the last name of the person below Nicholas and the indexer recorded that name as Rins.

For Catharine, the last line does look like it could be Württemberg.

I could be completely wrong in my interpretation of this being their hometowns, but whatever it is I think it would help my research. I found a German Script Tutorial  to complete and will continue to study this record  but I am hoping someone out there may offer some insight.

One hundred thirty-seven years ago this week, on 25 September 1875, Lena Conrad and John Bowers were wed at the St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. Lena Conrad was the eldest child of Nicholas Conrad and Catherine Emminger and my great grandaunt.

I found their marriage record in the Pennsylvania Church and Town Records collection on Ancestry.com. This is a collection from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and includes church, town, and funeral home records from Pennsylvania and surrounding states. I have also found some of my New Jersey ancestors in there.

Like the other St. James Church records I found for my Conrads, this record is in German. At the top of the full image, it says Verheirathet.  In the online german dictionaries, I have found verheiratet for married, without the ‘h’.  I don’t know if this was an older spelling or a mistake.  Notice also in the partial image below it says ‘mit’ before Lena’s name, which means ‘with’.

Lena Conrad and John Bowers Marriage, 1875. Click to see full page image.

John and Lena stayed at this church and I have also found baptismal records for some of their children in this collection.

CONRAD, Nicholas: Application for Social Security Number 1937

Transcribed from a photocopy obtained from the Social Security Administration.

U.S. Social Security Act

Application for Account Number

1. Nicholas Conrad

2. 2069 E. Clarence St

3. Phila. PA.

4. Employer: A. Mitchel + Son

5. Employer Address: Hancock + Allegheny Ave.

6. Age: 70

7. Date of Birth: Feb 22 1867

8. Place of Birth: Phila. PA.

9. Father: Nicholas Conrad

10. Mother: Unknown (Dead)

11. Sex: Male

12. Color: White
…

15. Date signed: May 26 1937

16. [signed] Nicholas Conrad

CONRAD, Nicholas: Death Certificate 1942

Transcribed from a photocopy obtained from the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Certficate of Death

1. Place of Death
County: Philadelphia
City: Phila.
Name of Hospital: Protestant Episcopal Hosp.

2. Usual Residence of Deceased
State: Pa.
County: Phila.
City: Philadelphia
Street No. 2069 E. Clarence St.

3. Full Name: Nicholas Conrad
4. Sex: M
5. Color or Race: W
6. Widowed
Wife: Sophia Conrad
7. Birth date of deceased: Feb. 22, 1867
8. Age: 75 yrs, 8 Months, 24 Days
9. Birthplace: Phila.
10. Usual Occupation: Warper
11. Industry or Business: Textile
12. Father Name: Nicholas Conrad
13. Father Birthplace: Unknown
14. Mother Name: Unknown
15. Mother Birthplace: Unknown
16. Informant’s own signature: [signed] Edward C. Conrad
Address: 2069 E. Clarence St. Phila. Pa.
17: Burial, Date: Nov. 20, 1942, Place: Northwood, Phila. Co.
18. Signature of funeral director: [signed] John N. Hackman
Address: 905-07 W. Lehigh ave. Hackman Bros., Inc.
19. Date received: Nov. 20, 1942
20: Date of Death: Nov. 16, 1942, 7:00 P.M.
…