Schleswig–Holstein Genealogy Links
Here is the starting point for the Lotz Family who came from Schleswig–Holstein to
Livermore, California in 1871.
Livermore Home
Pronounce Geesche: “G” as in go, “ee” as in eek, “sch”as “sh” in shay, and “e” as “ah” in Isaiah.
Henry tried farming in Livermore initially, but he was asthmatic and could not continue this trade. He took a job in town as a bar tender and died in 1899 from the effects of his asthma.
The original farm house, where Lena and Laura were born, was torn down to make way for I580.
The house in Livermore was owned by Magnus Hansen and rented by the Lotzes. When Magnus died he left it to Henry and Geesche’s spinster daughter, Laura. Dad inherited the house when Laura died and we lived there from 1945 to 1960.
My grandfather, Capt. John Daniel McLeod, married Lena Lucile Lotz (b. 1878) of Livermore, CA. Lena’s sister, Laura (b. 1876), and parents, Henry Lotz (b. 1845) and Geesche Mohn (b. 1845) are buried in Roselawn Cemetery, Livermore, CA. Henry and Geesche were natives of Schleswig–Holstein. They were baptized at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Seester. The Roselawn Cemetery transcriber misspelled Geesche’s name. We now know from the Seester parish register that “Uncle” Magnus was a first cousin to Henry Lotz. I know that Henry Lotz was a Mason since I have what is left of his membership parchment. Bugs have eaten most of it. It is a German document that my wife was able to read. The house we lived in was inherited by my father from Laura.
Their monument in Roselawn Cemetery is posted on the web at:
Livermore-Amador Genealogy Society
Lotz Plot
Lotz............Laura Aug 6 1876–May 12 1943
Hansen..........Magnus Feb 5 1850–Apr 24 1927
Lotz............Henry Jan 15 1845–Sep 23 1899
Lotz............Ceesche Jul 14 1845–Jul 28 1921 Native of Germany
Plot Stones.........Small headstones read: Uncle, Laura, Mother, Father
On this page can be found the burial records for Geesche, Laura, and Magnus.
Roselawn Cemetery, Sections 0–8 Burial Records
Magnus Hansen was Henry Lotz’s first cousin. We know this from the parish register from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Seester, Kreis Pinneberg, Schleswig–Holstein. He was the illegitimate son of Henry’s mother’s sister. Something about a soldier in the Schleswig–Holstein army. Magnus was a naturalised citizen and registered to vote as shown by his entry from the 1890 Great Register. Magnus’ naturalization papers say he was from Holstein. Henry, it seems, was not registered to vote in 1890. There is an entry for a Magnus Hansen in the 1910 census in Murray Township. He is listed as a hired man aged 57 with an immigration date of 1880. The birth date from the grave stone would indicate a three year gap. This is not to bad as the census is not always as accurate as we would like. Magnus’ naturalization papers make this person in the 1910 census unlikely to be our Magnus. The naturalization papers are dated 15 May 1874. That would give a probable year of immigration of 1869. I could not find a likely entry for Magnus on the Germans to America CD and his parents are not listed on his death certificate. Also, interestingly, the house was owned jointly by Geesche and Magnus who gave their interests to Laura. Where was Henry in all this?
California “Great Register” for 1890 (voter registration) pg 17, HANSEN, Magnus; Age 39; Bplace Germany; Residence Murray/Livermore Ward 2; Registration date 16 Oct 1890; Naturalized.
Here is the 1900 Census:
State: California
County: Alameda
Supervisors District No. 1
Enumeration District No. 334
Sheet No. 3
Township or other division of county: Murray Township
Name of incorporated city, town, or village, within the above named division: Livermore Town
Listed on line 25
Lotz, Lanrap; Head; white; female; birth July 1845; age 54; widow; mother of 2; 2 living children; Place of birth, Germany; Place of birth of father; Germany; place of birth of mother, Germany; year of immigration 1871; number of years in US, 29; occupation, nurse; months not employed, 0; can read, yes; can write, yes; can speak English, yes; Own or Rent, rent; Farm or House, house.
Listed on line 26
Lotz, Laura; relation to head, daughter; white; female; date of birth, Aug 1876; age 23; single; place of birth, California; place of birth of father, Germany; place of birth of mother, Germany; occupation, house–keeper; months not employed, 0; read, yes; write, yes; English, yes;
listed on line 27
Lotz, Lena; relation to head, daughter; white; female; date of birth, Jan 1878; age, 22; place of birth, California; place of birth father, Germany; place of birth of mother, Germany; occupation, teacher; months not employed, 0; read, yes; write, yes; English, yes;
My explanation of the use of “Lanrap” instead of Geesche comes from close personal inspection of the microfilm of the original in the National Archives. The name is almost unreadable so Lanrap is only a guess. I would guess that the name is Laura Augusta! The 1880 census clearly identifies her as Augusta and inspection of the scrawl in the 1900 census does not rule out Laura Augusta. The index to the 1900 census lists her name as Laura so the indexer thought that was correct. Now for Geesche which is the name on her death certificate. That always was her nick name and probably the only name her daughters ever heard. Geesche is also included in a list of common names in Schleswig–Holstein and is the name given her at her baptism in Seester. That same death certificate identifies her father as Andreas Mohn and her mother as Margaret with no maiden name given.
I now have the Parish register information that lists Henry’s and Geesche’s parents. Also, I now have from the parish register confirmation of Frank and Jacob being Henry’s brothers and another brother named Johann (b. 27 Jul 1838) and a sister named Maria (b. 2 Jan 1847). Maria was apprently dead by 1872 when her father died as she is not in the list of children. This provides more grist for the mill. I need to hunt for Johann or John Lotz. Geeshe’s mother’s death notice from the Seester parish register says she had three children in America! Geesche is one of the three. From the Seester parish register I now know that the other two are Lena Mohn (b. 29 Mar 1850) and Andreas Mohn (b. 23 Sep 1853). I may yet find living cousins from this family in America.
The 1900 census is the source for year of immigration. Unfortunately Henry died in 1899 so we don’t have that source for his immigration date. Geesche’s immigration year was 1871. Henry’s obituary in the Livermore Echo says he came to California in 1858. I suspect that they married in San Francisco where the pictures were taken. The year of immigration of 1858 is a guess by the person supplying the information, but it casts doubt on the H. Lotz who immigrated at the same time as Frank Lotz as described below. I didn’t find an H. Lotz in 1858 who would have been about 12 or 13 years old, but I did find a 10 year old Henry Lotz in 1856. At this age he may be traveling with family, but likely not his parents as they died in Holstein.
I don’t have a marriage date but their first child was born in August 1876 so 1875 is a good guess. Also, Henry’s obituary in the Livermore Herald indicates he had resided in the Livermore area since 1875. Geesche’s obituary indicates she first lived in the Livermore area about 1877. In both cases these are guesses by those who gave the information for the obituaries.
Using family information, death certificates, death notices, tomb stone transcriptions, the California birth and death indices, the SSN death index, the census through 1920, and the parish register from Seester the following family group was compiled.
1 Henry Lotz b: 15 Jan 1845 Holstein, Germany d: 23 Sep 1899 Livermore, Alameda Co, CA Burial: Roselawn Cem, Livermore, Alameda Co, CA Father: Johann Lotz Mother: Margaretha ReimersNow here is where things get interesting. Also in the 1880 census is Frank Lotz, Henry’s brother, also from Holstein, two years older than Henry, and farming near Livermore just as Henry was at that time. Using the California birth and death indices and certificates, the SSN death index, the census through 1930, and newspaper funeral notices, I was able to deduce the following family group. My research is not complete for these people. I have the names of the Lorsbach children from the 1900 census and have looked through the 1930 census but have found no descendants for Thomas. Martha disappears since she probably married. I have been unable to find children for Elwood and Helene Eriksen in the California birth index. I have tried every possible spelling of Eriksen and Lotz. Also, a search for a death notice for Elwood in the SF Chronicle at the Library of Congress turned up nothing. A request to the San Francisco Library for a death notice for Helen turned up nothing as well. There are no Lorsbachs in the California birth or death indices until the 1970s except for Martha who died in 1910 and Adolf who died in 1928. Martha Lorsbach was alive when her father died in 1928 and apparently unmarried. Thomas Lorsbach is in the 1930 census living in San Francisco and working as an investigator for the city police. He is marked as married in the census but there is no indication of a spouse in the census.
Descendants of Frank LotzHere is a second brother for my great grandfather, Henry Lotz. I found an index entry for Franz Lotz in the naturalization index at NARA. On the same day, Jacob Lotz also became a citizen and one of the witnesses was Franz Lotz. I couldn’t find an entry in Germans to America for Jacob but he is in the 1900 census with an immigration year of 1863, two years before Frank. Also, I didn’t find an entry in the naturalization index for Henry. Hiram Preston was apparently a saloon keeper in Niles (in the southwest of Alameda Co). Hiram supplied the information on Jacob’s death certificate. I do not believe there are any living descendants for this family.
Descendants of Jacob LotzFrank’s date of immigration was 1865. Henry and Frank were brothers so 1865 could be a likely year for Henry’s immigration. Growing up, I never heard of this family from my father. This doesn’t mean they are not related, but it does seem strange as Martha and Frank J Lotz would have been 1st cousins of my grandmother. Like Henry, the Frank Lotz family gave up farming. The 1900 census has them in San Francisco. I last found the first Frank Lotz in the 1920 census living in the Santa Clara Alms House in Milpitis, Santa Clara County. With children and grandchildren how did he end up there? Interesting, Milpitis is not far from Niles.
Diestel turned out to be an interesting digression. In the 1880 census there was a Lucy Diestel living in the Thomas and Bridget Costello household as a servant. The Costello’s farm was next to the Frank and Catherine Lotz farm. Charles Duerr had the farm on the other side of the Costello place. Lucy’s marriage to Charles Duerr and his death are documented in Wood’s history of Alameda County. In the 1900 census Lucy is a widow with two nephews living with her. One is the above Frank J Lotz and the other is Amandus Diestel. In the 1910 census for San Francisco one Carl Diestel, listed as a brother–in–law, is included in the Frank and Catherine Lotz household hense my surmise of Catherine’s maiden name.
My best guess is that Carl, Lucia, and Catherine Diestel were siblings. I haven’t found Amandus in the census since 1900, but I have found his death certificate. He was married, living in Tuolumne County, and a gold miner in 1937. The certificate says his father was Jack Diestel so this is another possible Diestel sibling. Jack was Amandus’ nickname so I suspect that his father was also Amandus. Carl was 64 in the 1910 census and a recent immigrant (1908) so I suspect he went to live with his sister near the end of his life or perhaps visiting as he does not appear in the California Death Index or the following census.
Now, how do I know that Geesche, at least, was from Seestermühe a village near Elmshorn. A distant cousin who lives in Hamburg told me this. My father knew this family and there was an “aunt” living till the 1960s who was familiar with all this family. Dad did not get much information, or at least did not write it down for us. But, at least I have found our cousin and from the Seester parish register we have the relationship pinned down. Geesche’s brother Johann is the great grandfather of our cousin in Hamburg. Johann is the one who stayed in Germany while his other three siblings went to America.
I have now checked the FTM CD with a transcription of Germans to America. This lists each individual alphabetically. The CD is not a substitute for the hardcopy, but an excellent index. I believed I had found both Frank and Henry Lotz but now doubt that these two from G to Am are the right ones. I am sure that I have found Geesche Mohn and Catherine Diestel. I have confirmed the following four entries in the passenger lists at NARA.
Notice that this H. Lotz traveled at the same time from the same port as “Fritz Lotz”. They didn’t get on the same vessel but they arrived less than two weeks apart. 1865 is the immigration year from the 1900 census for Frank Lotz the confirmed brother of Henry. Henry didn’t live long enough to get on the 1900 census, but as noted above I now have a date of arrival in California of 1858 so that puts this entry in doubt. Frank was born in 1843 according to the census and Henry in 1845 so the ages don’t quite match up except for the same two year difference. However, I have found many examples where the age given in G to Am are off by more than the two years in this entry so I wouldn’t throw this out on that account.
I found H. Lotz in the microfilmed manifest at the National Archives. Much of the manifest is unreadable, but it looks like H. Lotz was traveling alone and not with a family group.
I found Gesche Mohn on the manifest at the National Archives. This manifest is easy to read. It does not appear that Geesche was traveling with a family, but was alone on this voyage.
Passenger’s Name: H. Lotz Age: 17 Gender: Male Occupation: Farmer Last Residence: Germany Date of Arrival: Oct 2, 1865 Final Destination: United States Purpose for Travel: Staying in the USA Ship’s Name: Allemannia Captain’s Name: N. Trautmann Manifest ID Number: 00010563 Port of Embarkation: Marseilles Mode of Travel: Steerage Port of Debarkation: New York |
Passenger’s Name: Gesche Mohn Age: 19 Gender: Female Last Residence: Germany Date of Arrival: Jun 6, 1870 Final Destination: United States Ship’s Name: Weser Port of Embarkation: Bremen Port of Debarkation: New York |
This is the closest I could find for Frank Lotz. His age is stated as two years older than his 1843 birth year, but that isn’t bad as ages are not always reliable in G to Am. I found Fritz Lotz in the microfilmed copy of this manifest at the National Archives. He did not appear to be part of a group, but was traveling alone. The 1900 census says Catherine immigrated in 1873 but the G to Am and the NARA passenger list is dated 1867. Catherine probably gave her naturalization date as her immigration date or the recorder got them confused as 1873 is the year Frank was naturalized and on that basis Catherine would also be a citizen at the same time.
Passenger’s Name: Fritz Lotz Age: 19 Gender: Male Occupation: Laborer Last Residence: Germany Date of Arrival: Sep 20, 1865 Final Destination: United States Purpose for Travel: Staying in the USA Ship’s Name: Germania Captain’s Name: H. Ehlers Manifest ID Number: 00010548 Port of Embarkation: Marseilles Mode of Travel: Steerage Port of Debarkation: New York |
Passenger’s Name: Catharihe [sic] Diestel Age: 22 Gender: Female Last Residence: Germany Date of Arrival: Aug 28, 1867 Final Destination: New York Ship’s Name: Laura Port of Embarkation: Bremen Port of Debarkation: New York |
| Who is this traveling with Fritz (Frank) Lotz? I did not find Ph. Lotz in the microfilmed manifest at the National Archives, but since much of the manifest is unreadable this doesn’t mean he isn’t listed. I did find what appeared to be an A. Lotz aged 12 in the manifest, apparently traveling alone. | This is the closest I could find for Magnus. This one is not likely as he probably entered California around 1869 or before. |
Passenger’s Name: Ph. Lotz Age: 24 Gender: Male Occupation: Farmer Last Residence: Germany Date of Arrival: Sep 20, 1865 Final Destination: United States Purpose for Travel: Staying in the USA Ship’s Name: Germania Captain’s Name: H. Ehlers Manifest ID Number: 00010548 Port of Embarkation: Marseilles Mode of Travel: Steerage Port of Debarkation: New York |
Passenger’s Name: Magnus F. Hansen Age: 20 Gender: Male Occupation: Farmer Last Residence: Sonderburg in Germany Date of Arrival: Jun 27, 1873 Final Destination: United States Purpose for Travel: Staying in the USA Ship’s Name: Franklin Captain’s Name: Dehnicke Manifest ID Number: 00032978 Port of Embarkation: Larne Mode of Travel: Steerage |
I thought at first that these two were a couple of unlikely entries for Henry Lotz. But the 1856 entry looks very good now except for the “Bavaria” part. These two entries are from the hard copy German’s to America. The death notice from the Livermore Echo stating that Henry had been in California since 1858 makes an arrival in New York in 1856 look really good. Now I have to get back to NARA and look up the Rattler’s microfilmed passenger manifest to see who else was on the boat with Henry.
Passenger’s Name: Henry Lotz Age: 25 Occupation: Gardnergrower Last Residence: Germany Date of Arrival: Feb 16, 1867 Ship’s Name: Adolphine Port of Embarkation: Bremerhaven Port of Debarkation: Baltimore |
Passenger’s Name: Henry Lotz Age: 10 Gender: Male Occupation: Farmer Last Residence: Bavaria Date of Arrival: May 21, 1856 Final Destination: United States Purpose for Travel: Staying in the USA Ship’s Name: Rattler Captain’s Name: Richard Broun Manifest ID Number: 00008614 Port of Embarkation: Havre Mode of Travel: Steerage |
UK Multimap –– Elmshorn in center of map
Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. locator –– Look down list for Elmshorn and click on link
UK Multimap –– Seestermühe southwest of Elmshorn
Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. locator –– Look down list for Seestermühe and click on link
