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From: Ken Neumann <>
Subject: [POSEN] Question on German word in death record
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 13:02:38 -0600
References: <001101c32581$96d116c0$8bb0fb43@mghelena><00a201c32695$998c57c0$0100007f@Notebook>

Gayle,

You wrote on 29 May 2003:

> | I am reading the Lutheran Church death records for Exin Parish in
> the 1840s.
> | I am used to seeing a woman's name given with the married name and
> then the term "geborenen" (born as) often shortened to "geb" and then
> her maiden name.
> |
> | But the records here give what I think is the woman's maiden name
> first, then a word I can't decipher, and then what I believe is her
> married name.
> | The word is about seven letters long I think and may be something
> like "semmalf" although I could be reading the letters entirely
> incorrectly they are so difficult to make out.

> Walter Kolb wrote:

> The second part of the word seems to be "...mals". Could it be
> deciphered as "ehemals", "vormals" (= formerly) or "nachmals" (=
> afterwards, subsequently)?

Gayle,
Walter's suggestion above is a possibility, but in looking at death
records at parishes in Wirsitz Kreis just to the north of Exin, I note
that the only times it occurs that an additional name is given besides
the usual "geb." plus the maiden name, is when the woman has been
widowed, and then the word is "verwitwet" or in your case perhaps
abbreviated to "verwit." plus a squiggle meaning several letters
abbreviated, which may appear something like an "f".
Perhaps you could scan it and let a few take a crack at it also.
Hope this is helpful.
Ken Neumann

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• [POSEN] Question on German word in death record by Ken Neumann <>