Research Plan: Where is Sophia's town of origin?

 

Sophia Possehl/Passel Gress is my 3rd great grandmother.  Here is my problem analysis and work plan, Elizabeth Shown Mills style, to find her town of origin in Germany.

Written by: Amanda E. Perrine (amandaeperrine@gmail.com)

Report to: Own Files

Date: 17 May 2012

Subject: Sophia Possehl/Passel's German town of origin

Question: What town in Germany was Sophia Possehl/Passel born in?

Known Facts

Information	Source
She immigrated from Germany, arriving in NYC 16 Nov 1859. 1. Joh. Passel, farmer, 56, male. 2. Dorothea Passel, wife, 46, female. 3. Friedricke Passel, daughter, 19, female. 4. Joh. Passel, son, 16, male. 5. Sophie Passel, daughter, 14, female. 6. Carl Passel, son, 7, male. 7. Line Passel, daughter, 3, female.	database, CastleGarden.org (http://www.castlegarden.org : accessed 16 Jun 2009), Sophie Passel; citing Port of New York records.
Birth: 29 Jan 1849 in Germany. Death: 27 May 1928 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. In US 72 years [1856]. Father: John Possehl, born Germany. Mother: unknown, born Germany. Informant: Louisa Schultz, daughter.	New York Department of Health, death certificate 3417 (1928), Sophia Gresz; New York State Department of Health, Albany.
Age: 23. Born: Prussia	1870 U.S. census, Erie County, New York, population schedule, Buffalo, p. 154, dwelling 1119, family 1088, Joe Grass household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 Aug 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M593, roll 935.
Age: 33. Born Mecklenburg. Parents born Mecklenburg.	1880 U.S. census, Erie County, New York, population schedule, Buffalo, enumeration district (ED) 168, p. 215, dwelling 225, family 236, Joseph Gress household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 May 2004); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 831.
Birth: Jan 1849 in Germany. Immigrated: 1865	1900 U.S. census, Erie, New York, population schedule, Buffalo, enumeration district (ED) 212, sheet 2A, p. 195 (stamped), dwelling 26, family 26, Sophia Gresz; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Aug 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 1032; listed as Jan 1846.
Age: 63. Born: Germany. Immigrated: 1870.	1910 U.S. census, Erie County, New York, population schedule, Buffalo, enumeration district (ED) 179, sheet 13B, dwelling 219, family 263, Sophia Gresz household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Aug 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 946.
Age: 73. Immigrated: 1858. Naturalized: 1881	1920 U.S. census, Erie County, New York, population schedule, Buffalo, enumeration district (ED) 201, sheet 15B, dwelling 254, family 346, George Eddy household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Aug 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 1107.

Kin and Associates to be included in search:

Father: Joh. (b. ~1803)

Mother: Dorothea (b. ~1813)
Siblings: Friedricke (b. ~1840) Joh. (b. ~1843), Carl (b. ~1852), Line (female) (b. ~1856)

Spelling Variants:

• Possehl
• Passel
• Persales
• Pobehl
• Pabel
• Passehl
• Pabehl

Research strategy

1. Search for Sophia and her family in the 1860 census. Hopefully this will tell where they settled in the US. Note: Sophia's husband's family had settled in Eden, Erie Co., NY.
2. Search for Sophia and family in the 1865 NY census
3. Check the Mecklenburg census records on Ancestry.com for possible matches of Sophia's parents.
4. Trace parents and each sibling as much as possible. Include vital records, census records and obituaries for each.
5. Search for church records in Buffalo and Eden, NY, as well as any other towns found to be associated with the Possehl's.
6. Do basic internet search for the family, including
1. Google
2. FamilySearch
3. Ancestry
4. RootsWeb
7. Ask Forest Lawn cemetery, Buffalo for their records for Sophia.
8. Search for naturalization record of Joh. Possehl/Passel