How Deep are Your Roots?

As I have mentioned in a previous blog post, I am heading to the Rheinland-Pfalz area of Germany with Family Tree Tours this fall. As a tour company specializing in genealogy, their trips combine the best of both worlds - travel to beautiful locations and the opportunity to learn more about your family heritage. In looking at all the names in my family tree, including those of Jim's ancestors, I was only able to locate one family in this part of Germany. But it happens to be the Metz family, and I have a couple of cousins who have previously researched the family so at least I have a base to work with. My 2nd great-grandfather was only 43 when he died of a bee sting in Insheim in 1862. His wife Barbara was left with a rather large family to raise, including my great-grandfather who was only 4 months old when his father died. In 1866 Barbara boarded the ship Fulton with 6 of her children, heading for Cincinnati where at least one of her older children resided.  I provided Family Tree Tours with all the information I had about this family.

Barbara Karch Metz grave, Cincinnati, OH

I was excited to learn recently that the company has already heard back from volunteers willing to help research my Metz family in Insheim, Germany. Someone will meet me when I arrive in the town and will show me around the area and talk to me about what they have found. Insheim is only about 30 minutes away from the town of Speyer that will function as our base on the second half of our trip, so that will be an easy trip to make.

As I studied the map of the part of Germany where we will be staying and traveling, I decided to gauge the distance between Speyer and Busserach, Switzerland. It appeared to be about a 2-3 hours ride. Busserach is where my 2nd great-grandfather Joseph V. Kubler was born. Kubler is my maiden name, which we always believed to be German. As I began to research the name many years ago, I traveled to Connersville, Indiana where Joseph raised his family and is buried. I found a death notice in the newspaper that stated he came from Busserach. An additional article in a book about leading industries in Fayette County, Indiana corroborated that fact. My dad was so surprised to learn that he was Swiss! No one had ever mentioned it in the family.

Joseph V. Kubler grave, Connersville, IN

I forwarded my information to Family Tree Tours, and they said it would be doable to travel to Busserach though I will have to spend the night there due to the distance. They contacted someone in the town and heard back from them right away. Someone from Busserach is willing to show me around the area, and there are still families named Kubler who live there. Further, they forwarded a Kubler family tree dating back to 1700! Is it my tree? I don't know yet as the birth year for their Josef and the one I have for Joseph (father of Joseph V.) is off by quite a bit. But it definitely points me in the direction of what I need to do next in order to see if they are one and the same.

In all my years of doing genealogy, and house research as well, things have never come easy. To have the opportunity to see these two ancestral towns with experts from the area is something I never dreamed would happen. I believe I will have much to write about this fall!