Ulrich Hoover: Visualizing Connections

There are several questions that have come up in researching Ulrich Hoover of Adams and York counties. In a previous post, I suggested that there were two Ulrich Hoovers married to women named Anna Maria in this general area. Were there? If so, how do I determine which one records pertain to? Was there a familial relationship between them? If so, what was it? Were they related to any other families in the area? How?

I could go on and on with questions. But the next step—answering them—is not so clear. I have data I’ve found through Ancestry, but what does it really mean? Since I think better visually, I decided to create a diagram to show the links that I’ve found between Ulrich Hoover(s) and other individuals/families.

Connections diagram (click to enlarge)

I separated the two Ulrichs somewhat arbitrarily. Since I’m using mostly baptismal records, I split the overlapping records by source—Rev. Jacob Lischy’s private pastoral records vs. the records from St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church. There is some overlap in the births in the two families. For instance, I believe Johan Daniel Huber^[1] was baptized the same year as Susanna Huber.^[2] Ulrich Huber [1] and wife Anna Maria were sponsoring children after Ulrich Huber [2] was having children with his second wife Susanna.

In the diagram, I found the Keller name popping up repeatedly. Jacob and Esther (Sprenckel) Keller were sponsors for Jacob Huber, son of Ulrich and Anna Maria (__) Huber [1].^[3] Ulrich Huber [2] was one of the executors of George Keller’s estate.^[4] Ulrich Huber’s [2] son-in-law, John Philip Keller, was the administrator of Matthias Brodeck’s estate. Matthias Brodbeck was married to Catharina Keller, daughter of George Keller, for whom Ulrich was an executor.^[5]

The Linckefelder (Lingenfelter) name also shows up. Jacob Lingenfelter was a neighbor of Ulrich Huber [2]^[6]  for some years and Ulrich’s third wife was his daughter, Maria Eva.^[7] Görg Linckefelder, a possible sibling of Jacob, was a baptismal sponsor for Anna Maria Huber, daughter of Ulrich Huber [1].^[8] Abraham Keller, possibly father of John Philip Keller, was the sponsor for Elisabetha Barbara Linckefelder, Jacob’s daughter.^[9] Johannes and Magdalena (__) Keller were sponsors for Johannes Linckefelder, Jacob’s son,^[10] and also Anna Magdalena Runck, daughter of Peter and Anna Catharina (___) Runck.^[11]

The multiple connections between the Kellers and Lingenfelders was curious and made me wonder about the relationship. In 1774, Jacob Lingefelter was named as guardian for Valentine, Margaret, Magdalena, and Anna Maria Runck, children of Peter and Catharina Runck.^[12] As guardians are usually relatives or people of standing in the community, this pointed to the possibility that Catharina was Jacob’s sister.

I believe that they most likely were siblings. An Anna Catharina Lingenfeldter, daughter of Michael and Maria Barbara Lingenfeldter, was born on 30 May and baptized 31 May 1722 in Rohrbach-Steinweiler, Pfalz, Germany.^[13] Michael and Maria Barbara Lingenfeldter also had a daughter Magdalena, born 30 Jan 1713,^[14]  a son named Johan Jacob, born 5 May 1725,^[15] and a son Georg, born 13 May 1730,^[16] among others, all baptized in Rohrbach-Steinweiler, Pfalz, Germany.

Searching the FamilySearch Germany indexes, I also found a marriage between Johannes Keller, son of Hans Michael Keller, and Magdalena Lingenfelder, daughter of Hans Michel Lingenfelder, on 20 Jan 1736 in Rohrbach-Steinweiler.^[17] In the German births index, I found the following children of Johannes and Maria Magdalena (Lingenfelder) Keller:

1. Maria Margaretha Keller, born 27 Oct 1737, bapt. 1 Nov 1737^[18]
2. Abraham Keller, born 3 Jul 1740, bapt. 3 Jul 1740^[19]
3. Johann Philipp Keller, born 9 Nov 1743, bapt. 11 Nov 1743^[20]
4. Johannes Keller, born 12 Dec 1746, bapt. 16 Dec 1746^[21]
5. Johann Michael Keller, born 1 Dec 1749, bapt. 3 Dec 1749^[22]

The sibling connection explains the multiple ties through the baptism records. Jacob, Görg, Magdalena, and Anna Catharina were all Lingenfelder siblings. John and Magdalena Keller’s son Abraham was the sponsor for his cousin Elisabetha Barbara Lingenfelder in 1760. Abraham’s brother Philip Keller was the sponsor for his son Johan Philip Keller in 1765.^[23] This also explains the continued connection between Philip Keller and his nephew (and most likely namesake), John Philip Keller, who married Magdalena Huber, daughter of Ulrich and Anna Maria (__) Huber.^[24]

Conclusions

While I didn’t really learn a great deal about the two Ulrich Hubers, the diagram I created provided insight and research direction for those connected to them. I learned a great deal about the family of Ulrich Huber’s [2] third wife, Maria Eva Lingenfelder. And I’m very curious about the connections between the various Kellers.

Hopefully, if I expand this type of exploration to the other people connected to the two Ulrichs, I may make additional connections that tell me something about these families, their origins, and/or relationship to other Huber families in the area.