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MY LINEAGE

         I've been the family historian for almost 25 years now.
I started doing research at the age of 12. I remember walking the Scipio Cemetery as a very young child, with my mother and siblings.That rather bizarr family tradition has made its way into my own family. My children were going to cemeteries with me for genealogical research when they were still young enough for carseats.

    Like any good researcher, I have tried to document everything I can. Some people take this very seriously, as do I. But, there comes a point when you go so far back that the genealogy is based upon sagas or oral histories. When you have names like THOR and OG, it gets a little ridiculous. I do research for personal pleasure and my love of history and the people in my past. I very much believe that all the people who came before us have had a hand in who we are now. I honor them with my research, it is not for personal recognition or gain. I would add that I do not have primary sources for each and every individual in our tree.
Though I have been asked to publish our family history, I cannot do so without these sources. I instead, compile books for my immediate family's enjoyment and information. I add every source I have, whenever possible. My son plans to pick up wherever I leave off.

    At this point, my furthest lines go back somewhere around 590 A.D. This is Halfdan Haraldson of Lethra, King of Sweden and Denmark, which is through the Stourton line of the family. The Stourton line eventually marries into the Cole family. My favorite line is probably the Plantagenets. Geoffrey I de Castinias (de Castinias was their real name, Plantagenet was a nick name) was born in 940. I have 39 generations past him on file but not placed on my pedigree charts as yet. That line ends with Edward the Great. I've read it written about Edward, "Who is of the LINE of Boaz and Ruth", and "who is of the TIME of Boaz and Ruth." Big difference there!
Anyway, I wrote earlier about King John Plantagenet. Bad dude!
My favorite was Arthur Plantagenet, the illigitimate son of King Edward the 4th. The King loved Arthur very much, but he could never be king. Arthur's nephew took the throne for the Tudor line; Henry VIII. It's a long story about Arthur, who was made Lord L'isle by marriage, and placed in charge of Calais. He ended up in the Tower of London. Henry loved Arthur very much, I'm sure he did his best to keep Arthur from suffering. After his trial, Arthur was declared NOT GUILTY. The prisoner books at the Tower say that he "died of joy" at hearing the verdict. Another account said he went out to celebrate that night and died. Mayhap, those who put him in prison were not so happy with the verdict....they might have taken the law into their own hands.
   Another ancestor was said to have died at the Tower by "falling out a window", fell, or pushed?????

   Though my maiden name is German, (Zimmerman) and my married name is German, (Harber), my lineage is primarily Scottish, Welsh, English, and French. Of those I have tracked, I believe the earliest settlers of my family in America, were actually the Keurlis family (Kerlin) who were part of "The Original 13" that settled Germantown, PA., from Krefeld in 1683. For more info. on the 13 families, click here >>>>>


My Zimmerman(n) line settled "near"
Germantown, PA in 1693. They were awaiting
the end of the world, out in the forest and hills
nearby, as was prophesied by Johann Jakob Zimmermann. He died, on the very day that the group was leaving Rotterdam to sail to America. (Read my story "Safe Passage") His wife, Maria, and his children came with the rest of the believers. When 1694 came and went without incident, Maria and the children moved into Germantown proper. They were German Lutherans in a settlement primarily of Mennonites. One such mennonite girl, Sibella Van Fossen, from Holland, caught the eye of Jacob Christopher Zimmermann. He was the only son of Johann Jakob to convert in order to marry. His brothers remained Lutheran, and also remained single.
Christopher and Sibella are my 8th great grandparents.

   Following genealogy pages will focus on my Celtic families, Highland clans, and the like.

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