Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Exciting Times

Hi All,
Blogs in brief: a blog is an online journal that is either self built or uses a company's predetermined template. Blogger has free templates and offers a variety of settings to make it easy for you the writer to use and the reader to navigate. I have this set to notify me in my email account when new comments are posted. So no worries about your comments not being seen. I left things really open on my end because I know that the way they keep enhancing search engines is going to bring people to me since getting to them has been so frustrating and tedious.
Blogger also allows you, the readr, the option of following the blog so that you will be notified by email when there are new comments.
Personally, I can't wait to talk to Barb. I believe we knew each other in a past life (current) from either my days at a rubber stamp store or through Tim. I used to sit for Tim and Sue's kids. I don't want to publish my phone # here. But I can be found on Facebook if you guys have accounts there. Facebook has a fairly adequate instant message system that would let us chat in real time.

Friday, December 4, 2009

We Have a Hit

Well, its been a crazy kind of busy since the last time I posted. And I have a bite here. It looks like there are tons of questions all around.

Dear Edith,
I will call your mom soon. Work has been nuts and I want to be able to talk to you guys with all my concentration. I wasn't really certain I'd ever get anything but a good base in the family tree. I am so happy that you found this and contacted me.
Sherry

Dear Family,
The Erna Gerbstadt I found was indeed Grampa's sister. She passed at 100 years old. The family found the blog and has contacted me. As I said to Edith, its been nuts so as soon as I get a solid block of time to call I will. And I'll publish the results here. With luck we can all get together soon.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Translation update

I am almost done translating the first half of this thing. I've got the words fairly accurately thanks to my Cassells that I unearthed from the depths of dad's living room. But I am uncertain of the proper application of the words. So I'm kinda stuck at the moment. But I will be posting the word for word soon.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

there ain't enough Excedrin on the planet

Okay, my zeal for the translating has completely degenerated into a headache the size of... well what's bigger than the Universe? So i decided to try to find more Gerbstadts by using some married names as bait. Guess how you know you are the only one interested in a topic. The answer:
Because your own blog is the number two find on a search engine.
Yeah... hilarious. Apparently the Heupels that Erna married into aren't looking for the rest of the nuts on the tree. I did find a few people with the surname: reporters, geneticists and a couple of bankers. Mostly links to a geneticists trying to uncover the link to hydrogen peroxide in the body.
Yeah... who knew our bodies made THAT! And that is why our hair goes grey. Apparently the older we get the less we cvan get rid of so it just discolors our hair. Like it does right out of the bottle.
I must be insane or tired to be that interested in these kinds of tangents. No, wait. I'm a geek. That would explain some of it. Not enough of it though.

Partial transcription. Abbreviations are a killer

68 IV 925/53 Abschrift
betr. die Verfugung von Todes wegen der Erleute, Kaufmann Armin Gerbstadt und Anna Gerbstadt geberene Meyer, Hannover, Nieschlagstrasse 13.

Eroffnet am 13 Juli 1953
Das Amtsgereicht Hannover, Abt [my guess(Arbschrift)] 68
ges. Kuhlman, Justizinspektor als Hechtspfleger

Nr. 266 der Urkundenrollen
Jahrung 1942

Geschen zu Hannover, Am 5 August 1942

Vor mir, dem Dr. Jur. Walter Geiss mit Amsaitz in Hannover erechiegen, mir von Person bereitz bekannt:
1.) der Kaufmann armin Gerbstadt
in Hannover-Linden, Nieschlagstrasse 13

2.) desen Khefrau Lina Gerbstadt geb. Meyer, erbenda.

Dieselben erauchten mich em die Beurkandung ihre gemeinschaftlichen Testamentes, indem sie baten, von Zeugen Abstand su nehen.

Die Erechienenen erklarten, mir, dem Notar dass Folgend mundlich als ihren gemeinschaftlichen lahten willen:

I wir setzen uns gegenseiti zu Erben ein dergestallt, dass der belebe de von ins Erben des seurat Versterbenden von uns wird.

II Nach dem Tode desLetztversterbenden von uns soll unser beiderseitziger Nachlass fallen an unser Kinder Frau Martha Holze geb. Gerbstadt in Hannover, Burgermeister Fink-strasse 7 und den Tischler z.Zt. Soldat Willi Gerbstadt in Hannover, Nieschlagstrasse 13, Feldpost numer L10271.

zu Erstzerben jedes unserer Kinder bestimmen wir deren Erben.

III Wir setzen folgende Verasschtnisses aus, mit denen unsere in II 2 genanten Kinder MArtha Holze beg. Gerbstadt und Willi Gerbstadt besw. deren Ersatzerben bescwert sind:
Unsere Kinder Drogist Alfred Gerbstadt und Frau Erna Heupel geb. Gerbstadt, beide in Detroit (U.S.A.), Pasadena 1926, sollen jeder ein Vermachtnis Erhalten, das einer Zahlug von 1/4 des Wertes des gesanten [ ]achlassen besteht. Diese vermachtniser sollen aber Vermachtnis[ ]mer nur dann erhalten, sofern und sobald eine Ausgablung der Vermachtnisee nach den zu gebender Zeit bestehenden gesatzlichen Besti mungden und vererdnungen zulussig ist.

Unter denselben veraussetsungen erhalt Erna Heupel geb. Gerbstadt ein Weitres Vermachtnis von 500.00 Reichmark.

zu ersatzvermachtnisnehmen bestimmen wir die Kinder der Vermachtnisnehmer.

Sollen die fur das wirksammenwirken der vermachtnisse eben angegebenen Vorasusetzungen nicht binnen 6 Jahre unsere in II genannten Kinder Martha H. geb. Gerb. und Willi Gerb. besw. deren Ersatzerben bescwert sind:
Unssere Kinder Drogist Alfred Gerbstadt und Frau Erna Heupel geb. Gerb., beide Detroit (U.S.A.), pasadena 1926, sollen jeder ein vermachtnis erhalten, das einer Zahlug von 1/4 des Wertes gesanten { }achlassen besteht. Diese Vermrechtisre sollen aber die Vermachtnis[ ]mer nur dann erhalten, sofern und sobald eine Ausgablung der vermachtnisee nach den zu gebenderZeit bestehenden gesatslichen Besti mungen und Verdnungen zulussig ist.

Unter deselben Veraussetsungen erhalt Erna Heupel geb. Gerbstadt ein weitres Vermachtnis von 500.00 Reichmark.



End page one

Also found...

A last Will and Testament for Armin and Anna (Lina) Gerbstadt. It turns out that Grampa had another sister, Martha. Erna married a guy named Heupel. And according to the will, Grampa and Aunt Erna lived in Pasadena in 1926. Stunner! The real stunner was the other sister. It makes me wonder how many sibs Grampa really had. And why we didn't know about them.
I am working on a better, detailed translation but that is the highlights. I sent James a more detailed list as he is going to be in Berlin. But I will put as much of the document up to this site; ya know, just in case any one knows someone who knows more German than I. Geez, I better make some German friends.

MIssing HAnnover tape FOUND!!!!

Hey guys: tape was uncovered in a box of gifts that were never sent and stashed under the stairs. Will send it along to whatever address you tell me.