Example of Abstracts of Church Records

From Diespeck

These are what the abstracts of church book entries from Diespeck look like. Unfortunately, not all, or even most old church books were summarized like this. I got lucky. The middle entry is for the John Hasselbacher of Nebraska. Note the combination of different handwriting. Last names are written in a latin script that is easily recognized by Americans. The rest is Sunterlin, which was used at the turn of the 20th century and resembles older German handwriting. I typed in some English translations. Johann's parents, Anna Barbara and Johann Konrad, are my GGG Grandparents. Johann's father was a schneidermeister or tailor.

The lower entry for an earlier Johann is the son of my 6xG Grandparents. His father, Georg, was one of the very earliest if not the earliest Hasselbacher in Diespeck. He was a Bauersmann and Einwohner (farmer and inhabitant of Diespeck).

The top entry is for my Great Grandfather Johann whose photograph is seen elsewhere in these pages. I have his watch, some photos, a short home movie from the 50s and nothing else. His father, Johann Konrad Hasselbacher, was the brother of the Nebraska Johann. (They sure did recycle those names!)