Bits and Pieces
(Putting the jig-saw puzzle together)
We have learned bits and pieces about the Pomnitz family from many sources and I am writing this to try to put the pieces together as with a jig-saw puzzle to form a reasonable and acceptable picture.
Through the Mormon Library in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, we have evidence of the Pomnitz Family living in Germany in the 16th century and possibly earlier. The little village of Pomnitz is still there as evidenced by recent German maps.
The Pomnitz family descendents scattered through-out Germany in several family branches and these were referenced for me by the Mormon Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Places such as Donndorf, Colleda, Wiehe, Berlin and Baden are referred to in our findings and more recently Kiel, Germany has emerged as a strong candidate for further research.
Ed Pomnitz, of Ohio, recently sent me several pictures that he had scanned from Grandmother Pomnitz's bible. Many of the pictures were taken in Kiel, Germany in the 1860's. I believe the sophisticated gentleman in the one picture to be our Great-Great Grandfather, Johann (John) Friedrich Pomnitz. This seems to be validated by an affidavit filed on May 24th, 1915, by our Grandfather, Adelbert Richard Pomnitz, which stated that his Grandfather had executed his will in Kiel in February, 1867. His Grandfather was identified as Johann Friedrich Pomnitz. This is also attested to by Grandfather's Uncle, Gustav Heinrich Friedrich Pomnitz, in relation to an illegal change of the Pomnitz name. A copy of the affidavit is in our family records. Positive identification of the persons in the pictures may be forthcoming from the records of Ed Pomnitz.
My research revealed Adelbert and wife, Sarah Pomnietzky living in Washington City in 1850 (U.S. Census, July 7th, 1850). Great Grandfather had changed his name to Pomnietzky according to the aforementioned affidavit. He may have been in the large German emigration of 1846. Great Grandmother's maiden name was Sarah Caroline MacAlwee and she was from Baltimore, Maryland. From 1858 to 1860, they resided at 520 Light Street in Baltimore and Adelbert was a Draughtsman (Draftsman). They are next found living in Detroit in 1863 and Adelbert is listed as a Civil Engineer. The last reference to him is in the city directory of 1868/69 where he is a Constructing Engineer and Architect with home and business at 94 Woodward in Detroit. More recent information received indicates that he died in Cleveland under mysterious circumstances. Sarah lived with Gustav until her death on June 25th, 1891.
From the great efforts of Charles Edwin Pomnitz.
The Mormon Library, Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan - The Mormon Library, Salt Lake City, Utah - U.S. Census Records, Detroit City
Directory - Burton Collection, Detroit City Library.
