How to Find People in the G.R.

By Allen Viehmeyer, Associate Director of Research

How do you find People in the 1923 Genealogical Record ….? Here is a guide to understanding the book’s organization.

Cover of the 1923 Genealogical Record

GR Index

Finding any individual in the 1923 GR is relatively easy to do. A 171-page index is located at the back of the book. This index is an alphabetical list of family names followed by the first names. The spelling of family and first names can vary, e. g., Jäckel, Yeakel, or Yeakle. Cousins Christoph Schultz and David Sholtze are good examples. In such cases the GR editor tried to select most frequently spelling of a person’s name and use only that spelling.

GR Table of Contents

The table of contents at the front of the book lists each emigrant who is the founder of a bloodline. But that requires knowing the progenitor’s name of the person you are looking for, so … not too helpful.

Schwenkfelder First and Family Names

Generations of Schwenkfelder families used the same first name repeatedly in naming children, e. g. [19-1] George Kriebel [E 20] and son [19-5] George Kriebel. Some names were anglicized, e.g. Christoph became Christopher. Like other German groups in Pennsylvania, the Schwenkfelders often used the mother’s maiden name as a middle name to help distinguish relatives with common names. Occasionally, this practice doubles names, e. g., [21-231] Andrew Kriebel and Regina Kriebel (different bloodlines) named their daughter Elmira Kriebel Kriebel.

The Family Entry Structure

The first line of the family entry is indented ¼ inch from the left margin. Normally it begins with the head of household who, in this case, is a progenitor [21] DAVID HÜBNER (HEEBNER) [E21]. Note that his name is in bolded upper-case letters. Next are the birth, death, (Age in years. months, and days is discontinued in the 1923 GR.) and marriage dates: b(orn) Aug. 27, 1696; d(ied) Dec. 27, 1784; m(arried) MARIA KRIEBEL [E 85]. Her name is also bolded upper-case. These bolded letters tell us that David and Maria are direct descendants in their bloodlines. Next, she is the dau(ghter) of Balthasar Kriebel. The family entry ends with a list of their children in order of birth. These basic vital data are followed by other information.

 The next GR installment will continue the discussion on how to read a family entry. For more background on the Schwenkfelders, see An Immigration Story.