Online Presentation - German Research for Neppl Family

 Yesterday I gave my first online presentation and it went well. It was on German Research and the attendance was great. For me it feels very awkward speaking into thin air, but I just kept going. Afterwards we had time for questions and comments and that was great. The main focus was on getting to know our ancestors and the culture they came from, their settlement in the United States.

This is a presentation that focuses on researching my Neppl ancestral line. I have been very blessed to receive many documents and records for this research. My favorite uncle Jim just turned 89. He is my mother's older brother. I am amazed at how young he is. Uncle Jim did DNA testing and provides a link to that heritage.

We might not come from the rich or famous, but we come from hard working, patriotic, family oriented, farmers who were grateful to be able to come to America. The Neppl family truly has a heritage to be proud of.

Tom Jones - Alsace Lorraine and Bavarian Connections

While preparing for the Genealogical Council of Oregon Advanced Workshop on August 1, 2014 with Tom Jones, that had a limit of twenty-five attendees, there was some required reading we were asked to do ahead. Some of this "pre-homework" was the same as what is in his book, Mastering Genealogical Proof, and the other was new material.

German Ancestors and More Serendipity Moments

Over two years ago my first post on the Neppl family presented what was known about them. One great grandmother, Maria Schaffer Neppl, in particular was eluding me. About eighteen months ago my post shared how a distant cousin named Lee had encountered the first blog post about our common Neppl ancestors. At the time he offered to send me a funeral card for Maria's husband Franz Neppl. It is truly a family treasure.

German Ancestors Serendipity Moments

For over forty years my genealogy contained my elusive ancestor, Mary Schaffer. She is my grandmother's grandmother. The family history has been known for years, as her husband's line was traced by two family members, Catholic Priests, who traveled to Germany to document the male line. Her husband Frank/Franz Neppl was born in Arnbruck, Germany in 1852. He and his seven siblings all immigrated to the United States between 1860 and 1880. Their parents died in Germany.

Surprising Serendipity Moments through the Portal

In honor of the blogiversary of GopherGenealogy@blogspot.com
I want to share two wonderful articles about two of my great grandmothers. Two weeks ago while working at the local Family Search (History) Center we were not busy, so I took some time to explore our premium websites.  The premium websites are accessible on the computers in Family Search Centers and then through the Portal provided through the familysearch.org website.

Genealogy Serendipity Moment - Neppl Family Treasure

Back on 2 September 2011, I wrote a blog post about the Neppl Family. At the time I was working on a power point presentation about German Research. In the process I spent some time working on this line of my family, which has been put off for a long time. About three weeks ago I was contacted by Lee, who is a distant cousin of ours. This has been a connection creating many serendipity moments. It is directly the result of sharing my story on this blog.

Genealogy Serendipity Moments - Neppl Family From Germany to America

The Neppl family is my focus this week as I am preparing a power point on German research and want to include them as a case study. My great grandmother was Louisa Clara Nepple, daughter of Franz Nepple and Mary Shaffer.
Franz (Frank) Nepple is noted to have come from Germany in 1875 and settled in Carroll County, Iowa. His seven siblings also came at variously noted times, but I never pursued looking for immigration information on any of them. Through census work I was able to validate some of the family information. The following published material is more focused on the Neppl descendents living in America from about 1867 to 1985.