2006 The German Connection

by Frank A. Disinger

Das Deutsch Cereindung (The German Connection) 2006

Prepared for the 106th Niagara County Reunion, Sunday, July 30th 2006

Many years ago I remember being taught that every story, essay or anything written should always have a real good beginning and ending. After 50 years or so of genealogy wanderings, I am convinced that on this subject both the beginning and the ending are not ready to be written. I'll explain in my conclusion to the chapter.

The earliest birth of anyone in our Dessinger family, that I have found, is that of Barthel, recorded upon his arrival into Philadelphia, PA. He arrived upon the ship Patience, John Browne captain, on September 16, 1748, out of Rotterdam, Holland via Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. All ships bound for America, in those days, were required, by edict of King George II, to sail from a British port to the new colonies. In the records of his arrival at the courthouse in Philadelphia, Barthel is listed at age 66 and also listed is Hendk, age 18. Males over 14 years were required to register and swear allegiance to the King. This could indicate that other females or son John Wilhelm, in his family, also arrived with them, but the records do not provide that information. Pennsylvania German Pioneers by Strassberger and Hinke verifies this information (volume 1 pages 383; 384 and 385 and lists 122A & 122C)

Upon his arrival at Philadelphia Court House at age 66 years, Barthel must have been born in 1681 or 1682. It was thought by some that Hendrich (Hendk) was his grandson. Records of the reformed Lutheran church at Steinwenden prove the fact that he was Barthel's son by his second wife Anna Bernhard.

In 1988 I received information from Kenneth L. Dissinger then in the Miami Beach, Florida area. His forebears, in Germany, originally spelled their name Diessinger and lived in Saarbrucken and Gersweiler, across the river Saar. They arrived in America on the Snow Squirrel in October 1761, John Benn, Master, after their first generation in America, most changed their name spelling to Dissinger, but many variations in spelling do exist. We have found no relationship between our Deissinger family and his. I do have a copy of the history of the Dissinger family 1660-1930 written for their tenth anniversary held at Ephrata (PA.) Park, Sunday September 20, 1931.

In church records at 6791 Steinwenden, a village 27 miles east of Saarbrucken, near Ramstein along route E 12, Kenneth found the birth, confirmation and marriage records of Barthel Deissinger's family and provided me with a copy of those records. These same records have been printed in "Vol. II of 1985 Western Palatinate" by Annette Kunselman Burgert on page 85.

I now include them again:

From the records of (6791) Steinwenden reformed church we find the following:

Barthel Deissinger and his wife Magdalena had the following family:

1. Johan Theobald - baptized Feb. 11, 1708 - died same day

2. Anna Eva - baptized Jan. 20, 1709 - died April 1, 1711

3. Maria Magdalena - baptized March 15, 1711 - died

4. Anna Eva - baptized Feb. 1713 - died 1724

5. Johan Theobald - baptized Jan. 13, 1715 - died Jan. 28, 1715

6. Johan Peter - baptized May 24, 1716 - died 1735

7. Johan Barthel - baptized Dec. 4, 1718 - died 1735

8. Catharina Barbara - baptized Oct. 26, 1721 - married 1742 to Nichol Urschell

9. (no name recorded) - baptized April 11, 1723

Magdalena Dessinger died Feb. 5, 1725 and Barthel married a second time to Anna Barbara Bernhard one June 19, 1725. She was the daughter of Peter Bernhard of (6760) Bisterscheld, about 15 miles northwest of Steinwenden.. Barthel & Anna Barbara had the following family.

10. Johan Otto - baptized April 28, 1726 - died 1729

11. Johan Jacob - baptized Oct. 26, 1727

12. Heinrich Erasmus baptized Jan. 12, 1730 - confirmed 1743, married Feb. 20, 1748 to Anna Gertrude Buschi, daughter of Hans Jacob Buschi (she was baptized Jan. 14, 1727)

13. Maria Margretha - baptized Aug. 3, 1733 - died 1734

14. John Wilhelm - baptized Aug, 22, 1734 - confirmed 1748

15. John Abraham - born and died 1737

16. George Peter - born 1741 - died 1742

In June of 1995 Dennis Dysinger and his wife, Marilyn, traveled to Germany and I provided them with the location of Steinwenden. They did visit the original church site where Kenneth L. Dissinger [apparently unrelated] discovered our family records of Barthel Deissinger. Dennis is a descendant of Nicholaus through George, Isaac and William Stanley. He now resides in Fairport, N.Y. and has attended several recent reunions. They attended church services there, met then Pastor Shaeffer and took pictures of the present church and park area where the ancient Roman Catholic and reformed Lutheran Church stood. The roman tower is all that now exists of the original church.

With their permission I include some of their pictures and my resulting layout of the area adjacent to the present church. The bronze tablets on the triangular memorial stone near the center of the park tell of the church history. The original church was probably built between 1150 and 1250 but first historically mentioned in 1377. By 1722 the church nave was leaning away from the tower. Construction of the present building was begun in 1822 and completed by 1834. The Barthel Deissinger dates run between February 11, 1708 thru January 14, 1748 in the church records, proving their church home was the original building.

This area south of the Old Roman way between Steinwenden and Weltersbach included a sizeable Roman Country Villa dating back to the second or third century AD. In 1981 during diggings in the park area the Roman column pieces and ancient well were uncovered making it a possibility that the church area could be part of that ancient settlement.

During travels to Germany in the late 60's and 70's, for General Motors, my wife and I visited Ramstein, the home of "Radio Free Europe", during and following WWII, and also Saarbrucken, Kaiserslautern, and Enkenbach. We were within about three miles of Steinwenden, but knew nothing of its importance to our family at the time. I do know that in addition to Dennis and Marilyn Dysinger, Frances and Hans Hitzemann also visited that village. They also have pictures taken during their visit.

Prior to the "Discovery" of Steinwenden and as noted in previous histories, Nicolaus Deissinger was listed as being born in Germany, we know now that his birth is recoded at present Host (PA) United Church of Christ. Schuyler Brossman, who wrote "Our Keystone Families", provided me with this information. With the Barthel Deissinger family records "Our German Connection" is established, but this cannot be the beginning of our story!

Naturally my conclusion must be that somewhere in Germany Bathel's parents can be documented. Possibly through our improved computer technology that will become a reality and of course the ever growing Deissinger "Tree" will continue to expand.

The beginning of any story is yet to be found and the ending is nowhere in sight. My hope is for good hunting on both sides of the Atlantic.

Respectively Submitted:

Frank A. Disinger, Historian

Credits:To Dennis and Marilyn Dysinger for the contribution of their pictures. To Tim Kleinhans for combining my sketch and the pictures, and to Donna and Scott Kleinhans for their continued assistance