[Genealogy] Harm or Habbe Who Died, Incompleteness in a Marriage Affidavit, 2027 Trip to Salt Lake City
Michael John Neill
mjnrootdig at gmail.com
Sat Sep 12 12:15:48 CDT 2026
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Genealogy Update 12 Sept 2026
** Is it Harm or Habbe who Died in 1880?
** FamilySearch Library Trip 2027
** A Little Bit of Incompleteness in the Marriage Affidavit
** Recorded Webinars
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Is it Harm or Habbe who Died in 1880?
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The entry for Habbe Rolfs Habben in the funeral register of the Immanuel
Lutheran Church in Hancock County, Illinois’ Harmony Township indicated
that he was born on 26 August 1861 in Wiesens, Ostfriesland, Germany and
died on 17 March 1880 at 1 in the afternoon of “lung fever.” The eighteen
year old was buried on 19 March in the church cemetery.
The dates are consistent with a death certificate for Harm Hobbin that was
returned to the Hancock County Clerk on 25 March 1880.
Each document should be transcribed as it appears. Transcriptions should
not make alterations.
It is highly unlikely there were two separate eighteen year old men with
the last name of Habben who died at 1 in the afternoon on 17 March 1880.
The time of death being the same is key in determining that these are the
same men.
There is a warning though. One must take care in immigrant communities not
to assume that there could not be two individuals with names that may sound
similar but are in fact different. In the ethnic Ostfriesen immigrant
community, the last name of Habben is not that unusual. The first names of
Habbe and Harm are not that unusual either. There could easily have been
two eighteen year old men with very similar names living in this area that
was heavily settled by Ostfriesen immigrants and those men could easily
have not been related to each other.
The 1880 census only listed one family with the last name of Habben in
Harmony Township–the family of Rolf Habben who was the father of the young
man who died in 1880. There was another Habben family living in nearby
Prairie Township, which shares a corner to Harmony Township. I should make
certain that family did not have a son named Harm.
Why the probable error on the death certificate? While I’m not certain, it
seems reasonable that the doctor (who was not of German origin) simply
confused the names.
I should review the baptismal records of this family in Ostfriesland, their
ship manifest, and their 1870 census enumerations–just to be certain and
because a complete analysis of a family requires more than using just a few
records.
I also should not assume that these two Habben families have to be related
simply because they have the same somewhat uncommon last name. They are in
fact not related to each other. The family in Prairie Township is that of
Mimke and Antje (Jaspers) Habben–another set of Ostfriesen immigrants.
Ostfriesen surnames are patronymical in original and the fact that Rolf and
Mimke share a last name is due to the fact that they have a direct paternal
ancestor whose first name was Habbe.
Rolf and Mimke are both related to me–but that has nothing to due to them
having any relationship to each other and everything to do with the fact
that members of this Ostfriesen immigrant community married other members
of this community for some time after they immigrated.
Rolf Habben is my uncle by marriage–twice. His first wife was a sister to
my third great-grandmother Trientje Elits Post and his second wife was a
sister to my second great-grandfather, Johann Ufkes. Mimke Habben is
third-great-grandfather. Situations like this are one reason that I find
charts helpful in organizing relationships.
Situations like this are also where it is important to:
- gather as many records as possible–one could be wrong or not tell the
entire story
- don’t assume people have to be related
- chart out relationships to keep you on track
- learn about the naming practices of your ancestors–especially if they
were members of an ethnic group with which you are not familiar
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Our trip dates are 12 May through 19 May 2027.
Dates of our trip are:
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- *13 May.* Morning presentation in hotel 8:00 am until 8:50 am (topic
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at 6 p.m. Consultations with Michael in library during open hours.
- *18 May.* Morning presentation in hotel 8:00 am until 8:50 am (topic
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closes at 8 p.m. Consultations with Michael in library during open hours..
- *19 May.* No morning presentation. Shuttle to library to arrive at
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Presentations are 40 minutes will include–specific days and times will be
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Trip includes:
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questions, get help before we leave, etc. *
- pre-trip planning session via Zoom–date to be determined.
- on-site consultations with Michael–*multiple ones if necessary–I’m
usually available for onsite consultations at least six/seven hours every
day the library is open*
- morning presentations–*topics decided based on participant interest*
- Travel, meals, lodging, research expenses, etc. are not covered
Other details:
Participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, meals, etc.
This is not a “part of the herd” trip where everyone does everything
together every day. We have a short presentation every morning when the
library opens at 9 (and occasionally some people choose not to attend one
or so of these if there’s a “burning research” issue they just can’t wait
to get at). Participants can have multiple research consultations during
the trip–our limitation is trying to make certain that everyone gets ample
opportunity to ask questions. Our trip atmosphere is laid back.
There will be two online meetings to discuss trip preparation. Day and time
of these to be determined. They will be recorded. Participants are
encouraged to communicate with Michael about their problem as soon as
practical.
Our group is kept small (no more than 25) to ensure everyone gets the
assistance they want and need. We don’t have a full day of “scheduled group
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optional group meals–not included in registration). People with a variety
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research, and others want the structure of being part of a group. We are
flexible.
Participants are encouraged to communicate their problems with me as much
before the trip as possible. Pre-planning helps.
Lodging:
We have a group rate at the Crystal Inn and Suites in Salt Lake with
pre-tax rates of $139.
Registration:
Total registration is $375. No cancellation fee for cancellations before 15
February 2027. Cancellations between 15 February 2027 and 1 March are
subject to a $75 cancellation fee. No cancellation fee if someone else
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A Little Bit of Incompleteness in the Marriage Affidavit
--------------------
It can be frustrating when documents are incomplete.
This marriage affidavit signed by Theodore Trautvetter in his application
for a marriage license is undated and does not contain the signature of the
Clerk of the County Court. It also does not contain the full name of
Trautvetter’s wife. A comparison with other affidavits in this record
series (Hancock County, Illinois, marriage licenses) indicated that the
“subscribed and sworn” section was usually filled out.
Only her first name and middle name are listed. While it’s technically not
“incomplete” in the true sense of the word, Trautvetter only signed “Theo”
for his first name (hinting at a diminutive) and didn’t quite spell his
last name “completely” either. The last name seems a simple error, he
signed his entire last name on other documents and was literate.
The affidavit was filed for record on 29 March 1872. That information is on
the reverse side of the affidavit. It seems reasonable that Trautvetter
made out the affidavit on the day it was recorded. The recording
information also lists Theodore’s wife-to-be as Johanna Hannah, again
leaving out her surname (which was Schildmann).
One can’t assume because the preprinted part of the year of the affidavit
was 186_ that the item was made out in the 1860s. It was not uncommon for
forms to be used until the forms ran out, even after the decade had long
past.
This record reminds us of at least three things:
- looking at records in context
- any record can be incomplete
- copy the entire record
--------------------
Webinars
--------------------
Ready-to-Go Webinars from Michael–download immediate:
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Creating Children’s Stories from Genealogy Events
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-childrens-stories-from-genealogy-information/>
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Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-families-from-pre-1850-census-records/>
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DeedMapper webinars
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/deedmapper-intro-and-more-deedmapper-webinars/>
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FamilySearch Catalog
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Farming Ancestor webinars–landowner and non-landowner versions
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/rooting-around-for-farmers-and-tenants-and-laborers/>
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Full-Text Search at FamilySearch
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/05/updated-familysearch-full-text-search-webinar/>
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Full-Text Search at FamilySearch with Common Names
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/>
-
How Errors Get in Records
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/how-errors-get-in-records-webinar/>
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Illinois Genealogy Research
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/03/10/genealogy-research-in-illinois-webinar/>
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Unburying Funeral Home Records
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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17
Henderson, IL 61439
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