This article, introduced by George Nielsen and written by Pat Larsen, first appeared in the July 2016 Newsletter of the Texas Wendish Heritage Society, Serbin, Texas.
One aspect of Wendish life that is generally ignored in Wendish studies is the daily activity of making a living. While most Wends took up farming, there were also some who became craftsmen. One of the craftsmen was Andrew Urban. A descendant of his, Patricia Swayze Larsen, has examined his life and his contribution to the community. Patricia spent her early childhood in Thorndale but then, as a student and later spouse of Brig. Gen. Philip N. Larsen, she lived in San Antonio and the Washington, D. C. area. She is an ardent family historian and is well versed in her Wendish heritage.
If you have an ancestor who impressed you with his approach to making a living, please write about that person and share your information with us. George Nielsen.
Hi there!
I was wondering if you ever figured out why Johan Traugott Jeschke also had his surname spelling as Teschke? I’ve been trying to solve this mystery for a couple of years now! I noticed that the journal entry spellings differ from your research. I’d love to know your thoughts!
Regards,
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
the reason that Jeske is sometimes spelled as Teske is that in writing German, the capital T is very similar to the capital J. The person doing the transcribing guessed incorrectly or was inexperienced or the handwriting of the writer was either atrocious or questionable.
Weldon Mersiovsky, 49weldon72@gmail.com