BINNEY---GOW---HANMER---MEISSNER---POMNITZ

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1.  Purpose of this Newsletter
  2.  Family Stories, Events and Biographies:
       »  "Background of Ida Marie Ernestina Pomnitz"
            - by Charles Edwin Pomnitz
  3.  A History of Pomnitz' Origins (Part III) - Ed Pomnitz, Sr.
  4.  "Passages": Births, Anniversaries, Deaths
  5.  Family Projects:
       »  Family T-Shirt Now Available!!
       »  Family Cook Book Being Considered
  6.  Pomnitz Family Fund Report - Ed Pomnitz, Sr.
  7.  Services Offered To Family Members
      »  Chat Room Access
      »  Internet Dial-Up Service
  8.  Newsletter Mechanics:   
       »  Format & Layout of the Newsletter
  9.  Contact Information:
       »  How to subscribe/unsubscribe
       »  Where to send articles & news
10.  Notizen Aus Dem Ziegenstall (Notes From the Goathouse)
11.  Next Newsletter Date
12.  Final Quote

1.  THE PURPOSE of this newsletter:  to note and share items of possible interest for the "greater Pomnitz Family".  The 174 family names mentioned in the Family Tree are listed at http://www.pomnitz.net/history/surnames_list.htm.   Please do send me suggestions or ideas for future newsletters:  they will be taken seriously.

2.  FAMILY STORIES, BIOGRAPHIES AND NOTES OF INTEREST:

THIS ISSUE:  BACKGROUND OF IDA MARIE ERNESTINA POMNITZ - This is a re-print of a most worthwhile article from the great efforts of Charles Edwin Pomnitz:

Now about the fascinating story of our Grandmother Ida Marie Ernestina.  Her mother was Johannah Engel, a beautiful woman and lady of the Court during Kaiser Wilhelm's reign.  She married Charles Telschaw, who the Kaiser sent to the Isle of Wight to do government surveying.  While he was absent on official business, two children were born, Charles and Ida Marie Ernestina.  The Kaiser is reported to be the father and Ida Marie was schooled with the young Kaiser in Latin, Spanish and Ancient History.

Telschaw had died on the Isle of Wight and the Kaiser had Johannah married to Frederick Lehman.  They had two children, Frederick and Rudolph.  The family migrated to America.  It is believed that Ida Marie migrated to America with the Lehmans and that they settled in the Cleveland area.

An enchanting part of the story is the Victoria (Vicky), The Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Victoria, married Friedrich Wilhelm III, the German Crown Prince.  He later became Emperor Wilhelm and Vicky became Empress Frederick, mother of Wilhelm II (1859-1941).  The German influence is well established.

That is the over-all picture, fact or fiction.  Perhaps one of our future genealogists will work to verify and fill in the gaps in our story.  The very exciting probability of Grandmother, Ida Marie Ernestina's royal heritage and the story of the Pomnitz Family of Baden bearing the royal title of "Keepers of the Black Forest", merits our utmost efforts in further research.

If I have added anything to our family lore, I am more than gratified.  Only an avid genealogist knows the excitement of discovering a little prior unknown fact about one's family.  The Mormon records will soon be on the Internet and this should make the task of research easier.

Story by Charles Edwin Pomnitz

3.  POMNITZ AUS DEUTSCHLAND (POMNITZ OF GERMANY) Part III of IV - At Obermöllern - A History - By Ed Pomnitz

PART II REVIEWED
In Part II we discovered the settlement of Pommen which grew by the time of emperor Lothar into a hamlet.  In Part III our journey in time continues as the horse groomers and cartwrights migrate from the hamlet of Pomnitz becoming farmers and village craftsmen in Obermöllern (Upper Möllern).

WARS, FEUDALISM AND DECLINE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
Another four hundred years will pass before we discover Jakob D. Ae Pomnitz, our first ancestor known by his full name.  In the passing of this time, wars and feudalism continued to weaken the empire.  The duchies were split into hundreds of smaller powers.  Some cities became free cities.  Many formed powerful groups such as the Hanseatic League.  This was a group of increasingly independent and powerful north German towns and commercial groups who defended their own trade concessions.  This decline of the Holy Roman Empire resulted in the Great Interregnum, from 1254 to 1273, when the electors could not agree on an emperor.  Then Pope Gregory X forced the electors to name Rudolph of Hapsburg emperor.  In 1356, Charles IV issued a proclamation, known as the Golden Bull, which gave the right to seven electors to elect the emperor.

A MIGRATION TO OBERMÖLLERN
In 1515 AD we find that the horse groomers and cartwrights have migrated from the hamlet of Pomnitz becoming farmers and village craftsmen in Obermöllern (Upper Möllern).  During the rule of Charles V, Martin Luther led the Reformation; the religious revolt against the Roman Catholic Church.  In about 1550 Jakob D. Ae Pomnitz was born in Obermöllern.  The Peace of Augsburg in 1555 gave each German prince the right to choose Catholicism or Lutheranism.  The religious struggle continued in the "Thirty Years' War", which devastated Germany.  The Peace of Westphalia made the empire a loose confederation of princes.

Jakob had (at least) four sons one of which was Abraham Pomnitz who also had (at least) four sons. D. Ae Pomnitz was born three years before the beginning of the "Thirty Years' War", he to had (at least) four sons.  His son Johannes Pomnitz was born in 1641 in the midst of the "Thirty Years' War".  From Johannes came Adam Pomnitz in about 1670 (Johannes also had two daughters).

As the ensuing Peace of Westphalia made the empire a loose confederation of princes we find that at least one "Pomnitz has survived.  It just may be that the Pomnitz migration to Obermöllern is directly responsible for the preservation of the Pomnitz name as we are told in Hermann Mitgau's writings that the Pomnitz "name survived with two other ones among 16 inhabitants" (in Obermöllern).  Perhaps of those remaining in Pomnitz, none had survived the Thirty Years' War (1618 - 1648).  Thus, leaving the hamlet of Pomnitz without a Pomnitz ever since?

Until we are able to trace our roots further back than our dear Jakob, we can only speculate that we may indeed be direct descendants of this fellow "who liked to remember heroic stories of the wars".  On the other hand, we may be descendants of others who migrated to and thus contributed to the minor expansion of the Settlement of Pommen into the small hamlet.  The one thing we can be certain of is that the name Pomnitz was brought to Obermöllern from the hamlet of Pomnitz and our linage traces to Jakob in Obermöllern.

NEXT ISSUE
In Part IV, our final chapter, we will follow the Pomnitz branch that migrated from Obermöllern to Donndorf, Germany.  We will conclude our journey as Adelbert "Pomnietsky arrives in the United States.

Story by Edwin Charles Pomnitz, Sr. January 2002.

Excerpts included from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia (c) 1994-1995, the Pomnitz and Senf Family Tree (Hermann Mitgau), The Pomnitz Family Database and The Pomnitz Family Web.

4.  PASSAGES:  EVENTS REPORTED SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER (births, graduations, marriages, deaths, careers):

Graduation: 8 June 2002: Joshua (Josh) Jaime Engel, son of Sharene Dawn Pomnitz.  Josh graduated from Valley Forge High School, Parma Heights, Ohio.  He is currently attending the Health Education Center of Parma Community General Hospital in his pursuit of a career as a Firefighter/Paramedic.  Great job Josh and good luck in all your endeavors!

5.  FAMILY PROJECTS:

FAMILY T-SHIRT NOW AVAILABLE!! -A Pomnitz Family T-Shirt is now available.  Full ordering information is at http://www.pomnitz.net/wc/t-shirts.htm  INSIDER TID-BITS: You just HAVE TO KNOW a couple things about the shirts: 1) - The designs printed on each shirt were graciously donated by Kathy Kelm-Cronin (daughter of June Meissner Kelm).  Kathy is founder and Director of NISDA (Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts).  You can get a peek at what she does by going to http://www.nisda.org. 2) - The Tag inside the neck of the drawing of the Coat of Arms says "Einfuhr Aus Deutschland" ("Imported from Germany").  That means YOU, not the shirt. 3) - The model demonstrating the T-shirt (with his sleek male physique) is none other than our esteemed Web Meister, Edwin Pomnitz, Sr. (Note the hair on his chin.)

A FAMILY COOK BOOK is still being considered, and we would like your reaction.   It could include favorite family recipes, starting with any legendary old Pomnitz family dinners down each generation to this time.  Rumors already exist of special breads, muffins, triple chocolate cakes, Chicken and dumplings.... and much, much more.  Let us know if this interests you, and whether we should pursue it...  If you like the idea, send-in recipes for inclusion! (Photos too, of the cook and of the dish...)

6.  THE POMNITZ FAMILY FUND REPORT - (A Note from Ed Pomnitz, Sr.):  The greatest significance of our Family Reunions, our Family Newsletters, our Family Tree Database, Family Website and ongoing Research that they help us to:  1) Understand our rich heritage...  2) Stay in touch with one another.

Thanks to our contributors this quarter, we have enough funding to stay online through the end of 2002.  Don't forget that ALL proceeds from our T-Shirt sales go towards the Family Fund!  You can contribute and we'll put a shirt ON your back!  We still have a way to go to pay for the initial run of shirts.  The initial advanced orders have been filled.  Our hearty thanks to both Kathy Kelm-Cronin whose Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts provided the terrific design, and to an anonymous family member who has graciously underwritten the Family T-Shirt project.

FAMILY FUND REPORT - From Ed Pomnitz, Sr.

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Balance from Last Quarter
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$   40.74
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Receipts
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$   45.00 - Mail-In Contributions
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$   85.74

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Disbursements
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$  38.85 - Web Hosting Pomnitz.com & Pomnitz.net  07/01/02 - 09/30/02
======
$  38.85

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Current Balance
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$  46.89
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If you desire to make a contribution to the Pomnitz Family Fund, you can mail your check or money order to:

• Myra Pomnitz
  7891 Marlbourough Ave.
  Parma, Ohio 44129

7.  SERVICES OFFERED TO FAMILY MEMBERS:  Please contact Ed Pomnitz for either one, at webmaster@pomnitz.net.

CHAT ROOM ACCESS: The family website now offers family members (only) their own 'chat-room', where you can (at no cost to you) chat with others anywhere in the world.  You can find it in the "In Touch" area, http://pomnitz.net/intouch/index.htm and just click on "Family Chatter".  This area requires a USER ID and PASSWORD.  Contact webmaster@pomnitz.net for your password.

INTERNET DIAL-UP SERVICE:  Family members are offered an economic way to get to the Internet as well as having e-mail AND their own Web Site, if desired.  Ed Pomnitz' computer consulting company (FXtra) which handles the technical side of "Pomnitz.net", is also able to offer Family Members a low-cost connection to the Internet, called "EZDial".  A special offer for low-cost EZDial is available in both the US and Canada, is economic ($15.95 USD per month) and reliable, with no pop-up ads, no-spam, privacy (does not sell your e-mail address), no set-up fee, free web space, unlimited access.  If you are interested and want to join-up, you need to go to http://www.fxtra.com/deal and enter this PIN number when prompted: "ae80701".  If you need more information before you do, contact Ed at webmaster@pomnitz.net via e-mail.  The added benefit to us all is that Ed's company will donate another $2 per month to the Pomnitz Family Fund, which helps to underwrite our website and our other family activities.

8.  NEWSLETTER MECHANICS:  TROUBLE VIEWING THE NEWSLETTER IN THIS FORMAT??:  Please notify editor@pomnitz.net to describe any problems you are having.  This Newsletter is composed and sent to you in "plain text" since some subscribers may not have computers capable of handling graphics in their e-mail.  For a 'graphic version' of the newsletter, go to the Newsletter section on our family website.  http://www.pomnitz.net/news/newsletter/index.htm.  You can print a copy if you wish.

9.  CONTACT INFORMATION:  To Subscribe, Unsubscribe to this Newsletter, or to correct names and addresses, please go to http://www.pomnitz.net/news/newsletter/index.htm or send a regular postal letter to the address below.

PLEASE DO SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK on your next visit to The Pomnitz Family Web:  http://www.pomnitz.net.

SEND E-MAIL REPLIES TO editor@pomnitz.com.  Replies by regular postal mail may be sent to Art Meissner, Editor, Pomnitz Family Newsletter, 15 Three Oaks Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572-2675, (845) 876-6407 OR TO OUR ASSOCIATE EDITOR!!, Nancy Meissner, at nlmeissner@aol.com.

10.  NOTIZEN AUS DEM ZIEGENSTALL (Notes From The Goathouse):  By Art Meissner, Editor.  Chuck Pomnitz and Ed Pomnitz continue their relentless search for the historical truth of our family origins.  I find it fascinating, as an Editor and thus a 'bystander', to monitor their progress and be awed by their dogged determination to get the honest-of-goodness facts.  In fact, they've come up what strikes them as some possible murder mysteries, as they following the lines of birth and death over the past couple centuries.  Add to all that the fact that both Ed and Chuck are true perfectionists: dedicated to the pursuit of the facts-as-they-are, thus trying to ensure the integrity of the data shown in our Family Tree.

One thing Chuck has come up with (that you'll hear more of in the future, I am sure) is a delightful barn-side graphic.  Material from Mormon records shows that the barn on the Pomnitz Farm in Donndorf holds the following image of the Cartwright craftsman: "1789 - 1810, separated by a cart wheel and the initials J. A. P." (believed to be Johann Andreas Pomnitz).

By the way, I do think you will like the Family T-Shirt.  Check it out.  I showed mine to my goats, the other day.  Their ears stood up straight, their noses flared wide to capture a whiff of cotton-with-ink print... and they were unanimous in desiring to have one for themselves.  However, I was cautious, knowing that they would delight in eating anything that has grown on this earth.

Once again: Please do note down and send in any of what you know of our family history.  It will be gratefully and tenderly received.

Sincere best to you & yours....

Art Meissner

11.  NEXT NEWSLETTER is tentatively scheduled for November 1, 2002.  It will contain a summary of then-current Family news as well as any articles submitted by family members.  Please help by submitting newsletter items no later than October 15, 2002.  You do not have to do a lot of writing:  Just list WHO in the Family did WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE.  ("How" and "Why" are optional.)  We will edit it for a future issue.  THANKS!