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WWI USA draft cards

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Steve Stone

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Nov 6, 2009, 5:52:14 PM11/6/09
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My great grandfather's USA draft card listed his country of origin as
Denmark even though he really was from Germany.
Was this a common way to get around an issue of the times?

Keith Nuttle

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Nov 6, 2009, 6:42:06 PM11/6/09
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In WWI there was division in the US about Germany. There was a point
when it was a toss up as to whether US would go to war with or against
German. The US had some negative words with Britain early in its life.

Once in the war and in some areas of the US there was strong feelings
against Germany and Germans. There are many of incidence where names
were altered and countries of origin were changed to hid a German
heritage.

W. Fred Rump

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Nov 6, 2009, 9:12:23 PM11/6/09
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Where was he from in Germany? Anywhere near Schleswig-Holstein?

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--
Fred Rump,
730 5th St. NW Naples, FL 34120
fred...@gmail.com 239-775-7838
http://www.rumpfamily1.phanfare.com/
'The best sermons are lived, not preached' - old cowboy saying.

Michael Kenefick

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Nov 7, 2009, 7:29:46 AM11/7/09
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Northern part of Germany were the boarders changed every time there was
a war?

Christopher Jahn

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Nov 7, 2009, 9:42:01 AM11/7/09
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Keith Nuttle <keith_...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in
news:hd2c7g$2is$1...@aioe.org:

My own family stopped using the German pronunciation at this
time; it's also when German Sheperds became Alsatians.

--
}:-) Christopher Jahn
{:-( http://soflatheatre.blogspot.com/

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they
are more
screwed up than you think.

Paul Berndt

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Nov 7, 2009, 9:13:58 AM11/7/09
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Hi Michael,

I don't know that this is the case, but if you want to read an interesting novel with some factual basis, try Poland by James Michener; it covers the countries surrounding Poland and how the winner of wars determined where the borders were drawn.� A personal example involves the village in Hungary where my mother in law lived.� In her lifetime, 87 years,�it has been Hungarian, Romanian, Czechoslovakian & currently is part of the Ukraine.�

Borders do change.

Steve Stone

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Nov 8, 2009, 12:38:24 PM11/8/09
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W. Fred Rump wrote:
> Where was he from in Germany? Anywhere near Schleswig-Holstein?
>

I'm not sure.
The family documents I have do not list this information.
USA 1900 Census lists origin as Germany.
Not much to go on.

head of household: Heinrich Anton Geisler (Germany)
wife: Elna Johansen (Sweden)
children: Otto (Germany), Robert (Brooklyn USA), Wilhelm (Brooklyn USA)

Thank you
Steven Fleckenstein

Don Kirkman

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Nov 8, 2009, 2:39:05 PM11/8/09
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It seems to me I heard somewhere that Steve Stone wrote in article
<hd6vmr$ren$1...@news.eternal-september.org>:

If you know or can estimate when he arrived, and in which port, there
are a number of Heinrich or Anton Geislers on Ancestry's 19th century
passenger lists; it probably would take some further digging to narrow
down the candidates but one may be yours.
--
Don
dons...@charter.net

Steve Stone

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Nov 8, 2009, 10:06:22 PM11/8/09
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Don Kirkman wrote:

>
> If you know or can estimate when he arrived, and in which port, there
> are a number of Heinrich or Anton Geislers on Ancestry's 19th century
> passenger lists; it probably would take some further digging to narrow
> down the candidates but one may be yours.

Immigration was around 1885 based on the 1900 and 1910 census.
Heinrich's occupation is bricklayer.

Thank you
Steve

Don Kirkman

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Nov 9, 2009, 4:11:32 PM11/9/09
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[Email only]

It seems to me I heard somewhere that Steve Stone wrote in article

<hd80vm$c79$1...@news.eternal-september.org>:

>Don Kirkman wrote:
.

I've skimmed quite a lot of Geislers among the passenger lists but
didn't find many that come near what you're looking for. I did find
an 1894 naturalization document for Henrich Anton Geisler (note the
spelling) in New York. Does that match any information you have or
need? If so, I can send you a copy of that certificate.

Do you have any other places or dates that would help me narrow down
the search?

Lately I've been involved in finding my own German immigrant
background, and that has helped me find my way around in the documents
a little better. I don't have all that much time, but I'll keep
looking around as time allows. I've gotten so much help from others
that I'm glad to share when I can.

Hank

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Dec 3, 2009, 12:58:11 AM12/3/09
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On Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:52:14 -0700, Steve Stone wrote
(in article <hd29b3$dcu$1...@news.eternal-september.org>):

> My great grandfather's USA draft card listed his country of origin as
> Denmark even though he really was from Germany.
> Was this a common way to get around an issue of the times?

My paternal grandfather was born in the US and his middle name was Dietrich
but he listed it as on the WW I draft card as "Dick".

World War I completely changed the world of German-Americans. Germans were
considered the enemy and anything German was suspect.

The prohibition/temperance movement in the US even used the association of
German and the enemy in their compaign against alcohol. Germans were bad,
they drank beer, ego beer and alcohol is evil.

Hank

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