Eifert (Ifert?) im Kanton Thurgau

[LindaBounce]

I only speak English.

My great-great-great grandfather was Henry (?) Ifert (Eifert, Eefert). He left Thurgau after 1841 for Texas.

My great-great grandmother was Maria Anne Ifert (?) born 14 Jan 1841 in Thurgau.

I am looking for more information.

[henryjoon]

Hi Linda

I quickly checked the Swiss Family Name Register (issue 2002) and the Swiss Phone Register.

Ifert seems to be a name from the canton (state) of Basel-Land and the village Rümlingen. The today phone register lists only 4 Ifert, it must be a very rare name (at least today).

You should be able to find Rümlingen in the Google Earth site.

The "Gemeindevewaltung" (town or Village office) located at Hä(ae)felfingerstrasse 6, CH-4444 Rü(ue)mlingen should be in the position to give you more information.

You could also check the "Church of the Latter Days Saints" (Mormons) and their catalogues and registers to find out which films to can order at the nearest Family Research Centre to study the church records yourself.

Best regards and good luck
Henry

[LindaBounce]

Thank you Henry!

The 1860, 1870 and 1880 census for Texas lists Thurgau County.

The father left Switzerland shortly after the death of his wife. I believe his name was Henry. Mary left, accompanied by her two sisters (no first names available) at about 12 years old. She should have arrived in Texas about 1852 or 53. I have not found any ship information. They most likely came in to Indianola, but may have arrived in Galveston or New Orleans.

Spellings here are often changed, and I have seen Eifert, Ifert, Eefert and Jefert. And E?fert. "Mary Ann Eefert Jecker, a native of Thurgau, Switzerland"... this information was listed in her obituary in the Victoria Advocate 25 Oct. 1932.

In Pete Jecker's information for their Marriage license, 10 Oct 1855, lists her name as Ifert.

Sometime over the next two weeks I am going to Victoria, where Mary died and will get a death certificate. Here in the US a death certificate lists the names of parents and place of birth. This will also help.

So far, on the internet, including the Mormon pages, I have come up with no matches for any of the spellings other than one 1880 census, information for which I already have.

I am hoping someone there is looking for their Texas family here.

[Wolf]

As Henry stated: Eifert is not listed in the Swiss Surname Register - but Ifert is - citizens of Rümlingen BL since before 1800. A line from there gained citizenship of the city of Basel in 1903 ... that is all on this name.

Now - you have to keep in mind that people not necessarily live (or lived) in their place of citizenship: your ancestor could have been citizen of Rümlingen - and still lived somewhere in canton Thurgau. In this case the Civil Registry Office of Sissach, which is responsible for Rümlingen could have interesting info: the problem is that these offices were set up in 1876, and although they have collected information retrospectively, people no longer living in Switzerland (either deceased or emigrated) often were not included in their registers. There is only one way to find out: ask them. As your info is rather sparse so far, however, I would recommend to get more info on your side of the Atlantic first (you mention death certificates yourself): the more info you supply - the easier it is to identify a person - the more motivated the office staff will be to look for him!

Now what have we got in Thurgau? The only pre-1800 families with names ending ...fert are Schaffert - to different from what you are looking for.

Another alternative might be Seifert - citizens in the neighbouring canton of St.Gallen.

[LindaBounce]

Thank you - I will check further after I get the death certificates.