Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Johannes Stähle

Male Abt 1659 - 1719  (~ 60 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Johannes Stähle 
    Born Abt 7 Mar 1659  Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 28 Dec 1719  Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 30 Dec 1719  Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I4879  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father Hanss Stähle,   b. Abt 1635, of Retschwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother Mrs. Hanss Stähle,   b. Abt 1637, of Soultz-sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married Abt 1658  of Soultz-sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F2204  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Eva Straub,   b. Abt 1667, of Keffenach, Bas-Rhin, France Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Jan 1699, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 32 years) 
    Married Abt 1689  , Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Margaretha Stähle,   b. 4 Nov 1690, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location
     2. Eva Stähle,   c. 12 Nov 1693, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Apr 1746, Goersdorf, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 52 years)
     3. Maria Barbara Stähle,   c. Jul 1697, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 8 Dec 1774, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 77 years)
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F144  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Anna Catharina,   b. Bef 1678, , Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married Abt 1699  , Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Magdalena Stähle,   b. 9 Apr 1700, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Dec 1704, Retschwiller, Bas-Rhin, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 4 years)
     2. Hans Georg Stähle,   b. 6 Aug 1702, Retschwiller, Bas-Rhin, France Find all individuals with events at this location
     3. Johann Caspar Stähle,   b. 14 Feb 1706, Retschwiller, Bas-Rhin, France Find all individuals with events at this location
     4. Stähle,   b. 15 Feb 1710, Soultz-sous-Forets, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. Hans Dietrich Stähle,   b. 15 Jul 1714, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 3 May 1785, Retschwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 70 years)
     6. Johann Jacob Stähle,   b. 11 May 1719, Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France Find all individuals with events at this location
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F2203  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, S. 1686-1728, image 61; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php

      2. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, B. 1684-1712, image 19; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php - witness in baptism of Johann Schora, 25 Aug 1686; listed as "Johannes Stöll of _____[left blank], the single salter here."

      3. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, B. 1684-1712, image 23; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php - witness in baptism of Anna Barbara Schaaf of Retschweiler, 26 Jan 1687; listed as "Hans Stell, the current salter here - Hans Stelli, sig[nature] H. S."

      4. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, B. 1684-1712, image 28; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php - witness in baptism of Maria Jung, 19 Jun 1687; listed as "Johannes Stell the single salter from here, signed Hans Stelli"

      5. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, B. 1684-1712, image 30; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php - witness in baptism of Hans Michael Werner, 27 Sep 1687; listed as "Johannes Stell the single salter here".

      5. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, B. 1684-1712, image 33; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php - witness in baptism of Johannes Weber, 16 Feb 1688; listed as "Johannes Stell the local salter, signed Johannes Stell"

      6. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, B. 1684-1712, image 35; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php - witness in baptism of Dorothea Scheer, 11 May 1688; listed as "Johannes Stell the local salter"

      7. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-sous-Forêts, B. 1684-1712, image 38; Archives departementales du Bas-Rhin, http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php - witness in baptism of Hans Goerg Mitg..., 14 Oct 1688; listed as "Johannes Stell, the current salter"

      8. Per Price and Associates, Inc., (c) Research Report, prepared for Noel Stoker and used by his permission. Report dated 31 July 2015. File name: Staehli2015May/1333. A transcript of the report:
      "PROJECT SUMMARY
      OBJECTIVE
      • Focus on finding the correct ancestry of Eva Staehli of Sulz.
      RESULTS
      • Identified the correct family of Johannes and Eva Stähle.
      • Identified the second wife and family of Johannes Stähle.
      • Developed two theories concerning the ancestry of Eva, wife of Johannes Stähle.
      • Traced two additional generations for the probable ancestry of Eva.
      RECOMMENDATIONS
      • Search death records of Soultz­-les­-Forêts for information on the Wilhelm and Straub families.
      • Continue searching earlier records of Schwabwiller for the Straub family.
      • Contact city archives in Soultz­-les­-Forêts to identify potential record sets that may help in identifying the origin of Johannes Stähle.
      • Search for additional descendants of Johannes Stähle for further clues that may show up in the baptismal sponsors.
      Introduction
      Previous research indicated that Eva Stähle was born in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts, Bas­ Rhin, France in 1693, the daughter of Johannes Stähle and his wife Eva. A preliminary search in the parish records of Soultz­-les­-Forêts revealed the presence of two Hans­Eva Stähle couples having children at the same time. Research began with a focus on these two couples in order to learn if children of the families could be separated, and the identity of the correct ancestral couple could be ascertained.
      Stähle family in Soultz­-sous­-Forêts
      Eva Stähle was born and baptized in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts in November 1693, the daughter of Johannes Stähle and his wife Eva.1 Fortunately, the baptismal and marriage records of Soultz-­sous-­Forêts have been indexed and were available for consultation.
      Unfortunately, it was discovered that there were two Hans and Eva Stähle/Stelle families having children in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts at the same time. Spelling for the two families varied for each record, making it difficult to ascertain the two separate families on that basis alone. A closer study of the two families proved successful in identifying which children belonged to each Hans Stähle/Stelle. The ancestor, Johannes Stähle, was consistently referred to by his occupation, a salter. Furthermore, by tracing the families through the early 1700s and looking through the indexed records, it was ascertained that the descendants of each Hans went by slightly different spellings of the surname. The ancestral line was later known as Stähle, while the descendants of the ‘other' Hans later went by Stell.
      Eva Stähle's father, Johannes Stähle, was a salter in the town of Soultz­sous­ Forêts. He first appears in town in 1686, where he, as a bachelor, witnessed the baptism of Johann Schora on 25 August.2 The entry mentioning of him was written, "Johannes Stöll, of ___ [left blank], the single salter here." This indicates that Johannes Stähle did not originate in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts, as the priest left a space to later write his town of birth. The priest did not go back and fill in the entry. Johannes Stähle appears as a baptismal sponsor an additional five times between 1686 and 1688.
      Johannes Stähle married Eva around 1688 or 1689, as indicated by Eva's 1699 death record.3 Unfortunately, the extant marriage records for Soultz-­sous-­Forêts have a gap between 1681 and 1737. The couple had three daughters: Margaretha (1690), the ancestress Eva (1693), and Maria Barbara (1697). Johannes Stähle's wife, Eva, died 24 January 1699.4 Johannes Stähle remarried shortly after his wife's death, as he and his second wife Catharina have their first daughter, Magdalena Stähle, on 9 April 1700 in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts.5 By 1702, the Stähle family had moved to nearby Retschwiller, where Johannes continued his trade as a salter, but between 1706 and 1714, the family moved back to Soultz-­sous-­Forêts. Johannes Stähle and his second wife had five children, including four sons, before his death on 28 December 1719.6 His age at death gave a calculated birth date of 7 March 1659; however, he was not born in Soultz­sous­ Forêts. Godparents for the children initially seemed to point to the Rempen family as perhaps related, as members of this family showed up in several children's baptisms. A closer look at other baptismal records in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts shows that the Rempen family was particularly popular as sponsors for numerous families, indicating a social connection rather than a familial one.
      The origins of Eva Stähle
      The death record of Eva Stähle and the one following hers are rather interesting documents that potentially provide clues into her parentage. Eva, wife of Johannes Stähle, died 26 January 1699 in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts.7 The document is difficult to read and in parts is illegible; this is the best translation of the entry:
      "the 26th January 1699, died Eva, a devout working quiet housewife: Hans Stelle, the local salter, his wife of ten years, after which she until the 9th day, when began pricks in her [illegible], after which she had endured extreme pain, finally, with faith in God her savior, and very beautiful patience, her soul having believed in Him, after the 24th, in the night, softly and with a [illegible] departed, and the day following was buried.
      Let such a soul rest, and give this body a happy resurrection. Her age 32 years."
      Following her entry is this entry, for the death of Barbara Straub, also difficult to read and in parts illegible, and translated thus:
      "Here, amazingly, after which was received word, and amazingly [illegible] her faith, died, only 5 days after the previously mentioned soul had died [illegible], died on the 31st of the same month and in the night, the same's mother: named Barbara, age in her life was a wife of [?Gadelsf.] after [illegible] was 5 days of illness; Hans Georg Straub, citizen and miller from Keffenach, County of Zweibrücken, [illegible] a surviving widow, otherwise originally from Wirtzberger Land [i.e. Württemberg], in holy rites was buried."
      From this translation, it seems that Barbara, the mother of Eva, was the widow of Hans Georg Straub of Keffenach at the time of her death. Keffenach at the time belonged to the parish of Birlenbach. A search of those records revealed some conflicting information. Hans Georg Straub of Keffenach and his wife Barbara were the parents of three children baptized in the parish: an unnamed daughter in 1674,8 a daughter Margaretha on 15 April 1683,9 and a son Jacob on 30 July 1684.10 The only Straub death record found in Birlenbach was for Hans Georg Straub, "the old miller," who died 25 May 1683 in Keffenach.11 This death for Hans Georg Straub, "the old miller" seems impossible to be the same person as the Hans Georg Straub who married Barbara and fathered a child born in July 1684. Additionally, by calling him "the old miller" this may indicate that there was a young miller, i.e. Hans Georg Straub who married Barbara. The death records of Birlenbach between 1683 and 1691 are missing; perhaps Hans Georg Straub, husband of Barbara, died in this time period.
      It is very strange that there are no entries of baptism for the Straub family prior to the 1674 entry, even though other children's entries show up from Keffenach in the 1660s and 1670s. Nor is there a marriage in the records for Hans Georg Straub and Barbara. If Eva is the daughter of Hans Georg Straub and his wife Barbara, her baptismal record should be in the records of Birlenbach, but may show up in other places. According to her death record, Eva was born approximately 1666 or 1667. There are two theories for the parentage of Eva, wife of Johannes Stähle:
      1. A search through the parish registers of Soultz-­sous-­Forêts shows only one Eva baptized between 1665 and 1667 - Eva Wilhelm, daughter of Hans Wilhelm and his wife Barbara, baptized on 25 November 1666. Hans Wilhelm was a salter in Retschwiller, where he and his wife had four children between 1666 and May 1673. Several things make this a strong possibility - Hans Wilhelm has the same occupation as Johannes Stähle, the family lived in Retschwiller where Johannes Stähle later lived, the age of birth of this Eva would put her as age 32 years, 2 months at the time of death of Eva, wife of Johannes Stähle. There are some problems with this theory, however. For this relationship to work, Barbara, mother of Eva, would have to subsequently marry Hans Georg Straub of Kessenach, which would make him Eva's stepfather rather than her father. Hans Wilhelm would have had to die sometime in 1673 or 1674, after which Barbara marries Hans Georg Straub early enough to have a child with him in 1674 - or Hans Georg Straub had two wives named Barbara, the first of which had the child in 1674. Furthermore, there are no Wilhelms as baptismal witnesses in Soultz-­sous-­Forêts between 1684 and 1689, indicating the family had died or moved by then.
      2. Hans Georg Straub and his wife Barbara had three children baptized in Kessenach, the first of which was an unnamed daughter between August and December 1674.12 Based on the death record of Hans Georg Straub in 1683, and a subsequent baptism of a Straub child in 1684, it seems likely that there were two Hans Georg Straubs, probably father and son, both millers in Kessenach, living in Kessenach at the same time. The miller Hans Georg Straub of Keffenach (uncertain of which of the two) appears first in the parish as a baptismal witness on 20 October 1667.13 Barbara, wife of Hans Georg Straub, miller of Keffenach, shows up first as a baptismal sponsor on 21 December 1668.14 She witnesses two more baptisms, but does not appear as a witness between 1672 and 1683.15 Baptismal records in Birlenbach are spotty in the 1660s, with only one appearing in 1664, but seem fairly complete after August 1667. It is possible that Eva was born in Keffenach in 1666 or early 1667, during the gap, and that the family had difficulty having children, with one child born in 1673 and two in short succession in 1683 and 1684. It is also possible that Barbara, the witness of the three baptisms in 1668­1672, was the wife of the earlier Hans Georg Straub. A search through the baptismal sponsors in Birlenbach through 1689 failed to show any Straubs, other than Hans Georg Straub the miller and Barbara, as witnesses. Nor was the marriage of Johannes Stähle and Eva found in the parish.
      Conclusion
      Through careful analysis of the records, the family of Eva Stähle was successfully identified in the parish of Soultz-­sous-­Forêts. A second marriage was identified for her father, Johannes. Descendants were found to be living in the town through the 1790s but were not researched. Due to missing records, there is some question about the identity of Eva Stähle's mother, Eva. Both theories were evaluated, and it seems likelier that Eva was born Eva Straub, the daughter of Hans Georg and Barbara Straub of the town of Keffenach.
      Recommendations
      • Search death records of Soultz­-les­-Forêts for information on the Wilhelm and Straub families.
      • Continue searching earlier records of Schwabwiller for the Straub family.
      • Contact city archives in Soultz­-les­-Forêts to identify potential record sets that may help in identifying the origin of Johannes Stähle.
      • Search for additional descendants of Johannes Stähle for further clues that may show up in the baptismal sponsors.
      Footnotes:
      1. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-­sous-­Forêts, B. 1684­1712, image 63; Archives departementales du Bas­ Rhin, http://etat­civil.bas­rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php <http://etat/>.
      2. Ibid., image 19.
      3 Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-­sous-­Forêts, S. 1686­1728, image 24; Archives departementales du Bas­ Rhin, http://etat­civil.bas­rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php <http://etat/>.
      4. Ibid.
      5. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-­sous-­Forêts, B. 1684­1712, image 102.
      6. Registres Paroissiaux de Soultz-­sous-­Forêts, S. 1687­1728, image 61.
      7. Ibid., image 24.
      8. Evangelische Kirche Birlenbach, Taufen 1667­1745, FHL Film 721154, item 1, page 83. No name given.
      9. Ibid., page 93.
      10. Ibid., page 97.
      11. Registres Paroissiaux de Birlenbach, MS. 1614­1706 image 55; Archives departementales du Bas­Rhin, http://etat­civil.bas­rhin.fr/adeloch/adeloch_flash/adeloch_flash.php <http://etat/>.
      12. Evangelische Kirche Birlenbach, Taufen 1667­1745, FHL Film 721154, item 1, page 83.
      13. Ibid., page 63.
      14. Ibid., page 66.
      15. Ibid., page 75, where she witnesses the baptism of Wendel Finck on 25 January 1672."
      The same report was accompanied by a research calendar of sources searched arranged by Call Number and Source Description:
      "1. FHL INTL Book 944.3835/S7 K29s; Soultz-sous-Forêts, printed parish registers - found several spellings of Stähle; two Hans and Eva Stähle families having children at the same time.
      2. www.etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr <http://www.etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr>; Bas-Rhin Archives online; Evangelische Kirche Soultz-sous-Forêts. Found the following documents: Baptism of Eva Stähle (1693) Death of Eva [Straub] Stähle (1699) Death of Johannes Stähle (1719)
      3. FHL Film 1761549 item 3; Evangelische Kirche Birlenbach, record indexes. Found entries for Straub family.
      4. www.etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr <http://www.etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr>; Bas-Rhin Archives online; Evangelische Kirche Birlenbach. Found: Death of Hans Georg Straub (1683)
      5. FHL Film 0721154; Evangelische Kirche Birlenbach, baptisms. No baptism for Eva Straub, but found other records; added to PAF.
      6. www.etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr <http://www.etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr>; Evangelische Kirche Oberbetschdorf - looked through 1665-1681. No people with surname Straub."

      9. Per Price and Associates, Inc., (c) Research Report, prepared for Noel Stoker and used by his permission. Report dated 6 Jan 2014. File name: MichaelStocker2013Nov. Price and Associates also prepared a PAF file for Noel, which I have; this PAF file has the death of Maria Margretha. A transcript of the report:
      OBJECTIVE
      • Verify birth and death of Michael Stocker, born and died 1727
      • Search for other potential ancestors with this name in or near Mitschdorf
      RESULTS
      • Verified the birth and death of Michael Stocker, born and died 1727.
      • Extracted all Stocker christenings, marriages, and deaths from the Preuschdorf Lutheran church records, 1715-1736. The original entries were carefully and individually read in order to assure accuracy since the birth index proved to be largely incomplete.
      • Found two Johann Michael Stockers, of which one would qualify to be the direct ancestor. This is Hanss Michel Stocker, born 15 April 1730, son of Hanss Michel, the older of Goersdorf, and wife Eva.
      • Discovered marriage of widower Hanss Michel Stocker of Goersdorf to Eva Staehli, daughter of the deceased Johannes Staehli of Sultz.
      • Created a PAF-file for the potential ancestral Stocker family as well as for those where no relationship has been established at this time
      RECOMMENDATIONS
      • Continue research after 1736 in compiling the complete family of Hanss Michel & Eva Stocker as well as determining if the potential ancestral Hanss Michel Stocker born in 1730 likely emigrated from Preuschdorf.
      Stocker, Noel: MichaelStocker2o13Noc
      • Pending above results, continue extension of the Stocker lines in earlier generations, identifying the most recent common ancestor for the ancestral Johann Michael (Hanss Michel) Stocker of Frederick, Maryland and the Johann Michael Stocker born 1701 who settled in Pennsylvania.
      • Pending above results, also seek ancestry of Eva Staehli, daughter of Johannes Staehli of Sultz.
      BACKGROUND INFORMATION
      The research task on the Michael Stocker line was twofold. The client's DNA has shown that his ancestor Johann Michael Stocker is related within one to four generations to Johann/Hans Michael Stocker who was born in 1701 in Mitschdorf, Germany, which is today in France. This information was provided by the client. The most recent common ancestor between these two individuals has not yet been identified. There was a Michael, son of Hans Michael Stocker and Anna Margretha, nee Stephan, born in 1727, but this child supposedly died three months after birth.
      The first task was, therefore, to verify the death entry of Michael Stocker, born in 1727. If this entry was verified, the years between 1715 and 1733 needed to be researched to find any other Michael or Johann/Hans Michael Stockers who could be the potential ancestor. Each finding of such a name needed to be verified in the death and marriage entries to see whether this/these individual(s) could be eliminated or remained as ancestral candidates. This part of the research was the second task to perform.
      The town of birth of the 1727 Michael Stocker was Mitschdorf, Alsace, Germany, since the end of WWII belonging to France. The Lutheran parish was located in the neighboring village Preuschdorf, which lays about one mile south-east of Mitschdorf. The parish records of Preuschdorf are available at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City back to 1660. These early records include a name index for births, marriages, and deaths. During the research process it was discovered that only about half of the persons are recorded in the birth index (the marriage and death indexes were not cross-checked). Therefore, it was necessary for the research to be completed in the actual records, examining each entry. This made the research slower than expected, but was a necessary step to ensure research quality and accuracy.
      It was decided to extract all individuals with the family name Stocker, afterwards arranging them into family units in better revealing the familial relationship and qualifying a potential ancestral line. While research was completed previously and family groups compiled, it appeared some individuals might have been missed.
      Unfortunately there was no electronic genealogy file provided, allowing quick screen views of families. Therefore, the new extractions were entered into the most recent version of Personal Ancestral File in order to evaluate, change, and submit names for temple work electronically. The new database reflects births/christenings, marriages, and deaths/burials 1715-1736 from the original Lutheran records of Preuschdorf
      REPORT
      As mentioned in the introduction, the first task was to verify the birth and death of Michael, born and died in 1727, son of Hans Michael Stocker and Anna Margretha, nee Stephan. This information was confirmed [LDS-microfilm 769168 item 5-6: Kirchenbuch Preuschdorf, Taufen 1715-1736, Tote 1715-1736]. Michael Stocker was born on 31 August 1727, baptized on 25 September 1727, died on 19 December 1727 and was buried on 31 December 1727. With this proof he was definitely disqualified as the potential ancestor.
      The baptismal entries of this time frame were researched for other individuals with this name. For an individual to qualify, the ancestor had to be born between 1718 and 1733, with emphasis on the 1729-1731 years for Johann/Hanss Michael Stocker.
      The research in the baptismal records produced two individuals that might qualify as potential ancestors. A third Johann Michael Stocker found, born in 1715, was disqualified since he died in 1717.
      Of the two candidates, one was named Johann Michael Stocker (born sometime between 27 September and 15 October 1723 - exact date could not be recognized) and the other was Hanss Michel Stocker, born 15 April 1730. Hanss is the short form for Johann and Johannes. Both of these individuals are siblings and have the same set of parents. The first individual was found previously, but the second was evidently never found as he was not listed in the family's printout. Even though the death entry of the older 1723 sibling was not found in the Preuschdorf death records, it can be assumed that he died because of the re-use of the same first names. The parents are Hanss Michael Stocker and Eva Staehli (her maiden name was found in her marriage record). This family was from the neighboring Goersdorf, which is about 3/4 of a mile west of Mitschdorf. Because of missing information about the younger generations it cannot be judged whether this younger sibling qualifies to be the ancestor. The time approved for this research was too short to go through all the death records until the 1760s, when he should be at last married. Also, since it is not known how the Stocker line continues within the younger generations, it is a difficult task to judge the chances of ancestry.
      For the potential ancestral family in question following individuals were found [LDS-microfilm 769168 item 5-6: Kirchenbuch Preuschdorf, Taufen 1715-1736].
      Birth Register. Source: Lutheran Church Records of Preuschdorf, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France:
      - [No birth or chr. date stated, between 27 Sep. and 15 Oct. 1723]: Johann Michael Stocker; father: Michael Stocker, the older, of Goersdorf; mother: Eva [no maiden name]. Page 80, entry #3. (Doc. 1)
      - B. 26 Jan. 1726, chr. 27 Jan. 1726, d. 1749: Maria Margaretha Stocker; father: Hanss Michael Stocker, the older, of Goersdorf; mother: Eva [no maiden name]. Page 114, entry #3.
      - B. Mar. 1728, chr. 11 Mar. 1728: Maria Elisabetha Stocker; father: Michael Stocker, the older, of Giersdorf; mother: Eva [no maiden name]. Page 139, entry #3.
      - B. 15 Apr. 1730, chr. 16 Apr. 1730: Hanss Michel Stocker [potential ancestor]; father: Hanss Michel Stocker, the older, of Goersdorf; mother: Eva [no maiden name]. Page 170, entry #1. (Doc. 02)
      - B. 29 Apr. 1733, chr. 30 Apr. 1733: Maria Eva Stocker; father: Hanss Michel Stocker, the older, of Giersdorf; mother: Eva [no maiden name]. Page 204, entry #4.
      The children very likely went by their middle names since all the first names are the same. There is the chance that more siblings were born after 1736, but the time approved did not allow any research past 1736 since the death and some marriages needed to be researched too. Thus far, a death record was not found, but it needs to be mentioned that no research in the death record was performed past 1736.
      The marriage record of the parents was sought and found [LDS-microfilm 769168 item 6: Kirchenbuch Preuschdorf, Heiraten 1715-1736]. This record provided the maiden name of Eva and her town of origin, information not known before.
      Marriage Register. Source: Lutheran Church Records of Preuschdorf, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France:
      - M. 4 Jan. 1721, The Widower Hanss Michel Stocker of Goersdorf with Eva Staehli; parents of the groom: [not stated]; parents of the bride: The deceased Johannes Staehli of Sultz. Page 9, entry #3.
      At this time it is not clear whether the town Sultz (town of origin of the Staehli family) is the same as Soultz-Sous-Forets (about four miles west of Goersdorf) or the Soultz near Strassburg, today both in France. Staehli is a typical Swiss family name. Future research will solve this mystery.
      Time did not allow additional research in original records. All those where no relationship to the direct ancestry could be proven at this time were grouped together into separate family units. All individuals were all entered into a new Personal Ancestral File.
      CONCLUSION
      In this research session it was the initial task to prove that Michael Stocker, son of Michael Stocker was born and died in 1727. The second task was to research the baptismal entries to find another Michael or Johann/Hans Michael Stocker that could qualify as a potential ancestor. Both tasks were accomplished with a positive result.
      RECOMMENDATIONS
      It would valuable to receive and enter all information on the immigrant ancestor after his arrival in America into the new PAF that has been created. This would facilitate a better evaluation of appropriate records to search in the Preuschdorf area and tracking emigration.
      At the same time the birth, death, and marriage entries (after 1736) need to be checked to eliminate or allow the ancestral candidate to remain for further consideration.
      It was a pleasure to research the ancestral lines of the client and we look forward to continuing according to the directions of the client."

      10. Price and Associates, Inc., (c) Research Report, prepared for Noel Stoker and used by his permission. Report dated 19 Apr 2014. File name: Stocker2014Mar/1333. A transcript of the report:
      "OBJECTIVES
      • Continue from the previous project by researching the Stocker ancestry.
      • Research the Staehli ancestry.
      RESULTS
      • Found the marriage for Friedrich Stocker and Anna Barbara [no maiden name known].
      • Identified four siblings of Friedrich Stocker.
      • Located the death entry of Christian Stocker, the oldest ancestor in this line at this point.
      • Found the baptismal entry of Eva Staehli.
      RECOMMENDATIONS
      • Determine whether pre-1639 records exist for Feldberg.
      • Conduct an area search around Wörth for the first marriage between the ancestor Anna Barbara [no maiden name known] and Hans Heinrich Bartl.
      • Continue research on the Staehli line for about 100 additional years back to 1595.
      [BACKGROUND]
      This research started where the previous project ended by following the Stocker line of Goersdorf, Alsace. This area was for a long time German territory, but since the end of World War II it has belonged to France. The ancestral Stockers spoke German, and the Lutheran parish books are recorded in German.
      Several extractions were made in 1993. The family group sheets created based on the extractions were provided by the client.
      Before the research started, a few questions from the client needed to be answered.
      Question 1: Does the marriage record of Hanss Michael Stocker to Anna Margaretha Stephan on 30 Jan 1725 at Preuschdorf specifically list his age or his father/parents as Hans Michael Stocker and Maria Remp? If not, how do we know the correct parents of the Hans Michael who married in 1725?
      Answer: The marriage record of Hanss Michael Stocker to Anna Margaretha Stephan lists the day of marriage, the names of groom and bride, and the parents of the bride and the father of the groom (being Hans Michael Stocker). It does not list the name of the mother.
      Question 2: How do we know the Hanss Michael Stocker who married Maria Remp in 1692 at Mitschdorf was born in Oct 1669 at Mitschdorf? Did the 1692 marriage entry provide Hanss Michael's parents or his place of residence?
      Answer: The 1692 marriage entry for Hanss Michael Stocker and Maria Remp states that the groom was the son of Jacob Stocker, [the father] residing in Goersdorf; and the father of the bride was listed as Jacob Remp, the mother as Maria Stephan, both of Mitschdorf. This record does not state whether the groom was born in Mitschdorf or Goersdorf or anywhere else. Since this was not a direct line, his information was not double verified during the previous project. The Preuschdorf parish entries were checked this time, which include Mitschdorf and Goersdorf. The birth entry for him was not found in these parish records. At this point, it is not sure where the birth in October 1669 came from. It definitely needs to be removed. His death entry states his age, but according to this he was born in 1667 (+/- 1 year). If all the Stocker families did move from Feldberg to Goersdorf and Mitschdorf, as suggested by the researcher who worked on these lines in 1993, the data found back then for him could be correct. The only conflicting information that would stay in that case is the given name of the mother. Her name was either Magretha or Magdalena. There is a chance that either the parish priest recorded it wrong or she had indeed two given names.
      STOCKER LINE
      The researcher who performed the research in 1993 came to the conclusion that the Stocker ancestry moved from the town Feldberg, Grand Duchy of Baden, to Goesdorf, Alsace, but did not deliver any solid proof for it. The distance between these two towns is between 110 and 120 miles in a straight line. For the late 1600s, this was quite a distance to move. On the other hand, between the 1650s (a few years after the end of the Thirty Years War) and the 1680s, many people moved wider distances because the black plague wiped out one-third of Europe; in some areas whole villages were left completely empty. Especially children that did not inherit the family farm took advantage of this and moved to other areas. Also the local nobility often made promises of a lower tax to new settlers.
      There were two possible ways to perform the next research steps. One would be to conduct an area search in parishes nearby to find the marriage entry of the direct ancestor, Johann Friedrich Stocker, and Anna Barbara [no maiden name known]. The other possibility would be to verify the Feldberg parish records and retrace the steps performed in 1993. It was decided to analyze the research report from 1993 and the family group sheets based on this. The researcher found a marriage for Friedrich Stocker and Anna Barbara listed as 4 May 1680, married in Goersdorf. This marriage was not recorded in the Preuschdorf parish records (Goersdorf belonged to Preuschdorf). [Kirchenbuch Preuschdorf, Heiraten 1661-1715; FHL INTL Film 769168 item 4.] In fact, no marriages at all were recorded there between 1674 and November 1683. None of the other entries in these previously mentioned family group sheets gave any other clue than the connection to the town Feldberg. Therefore, the Feldberg marriages were checked. Even though many Stockers married there, the desired marriage entry was not found. [Kirchenbuch Preuschdorf, Heiraten 1639-1793; FHL INTL Film 1189398 item 5.]
      If the wife, Anna Barbara, was not from Feldberg, the couple could have married somewhere near Goersdorf/Preuschdorf. Therefore, an area search was begun. The first place to check was the neighboring Lutheran parish of Lembach. The marriage entry was not found there. [Kirchenbuch Lembach, Heiraten 1651-1684; FHL INTL Film 717154, item 6; and Heiraten 1656-1689; FHL INTL Film 717154, item 7 (two different records with overlapping years).] Also the baptisms did not list a Johann Friedrich Stocker born in or about 1654 (calculated based on his death entry). [Kirchenbuch Lembach, Taufen 1649-1674; FHL INTL Film 717154, item 6.]
      The neighboring Langensulzbach Parish was ignored since their marriage records do not begin until 1689; baptisms begin in 1674.
      The third neighboring parish was in Wörth an der Sauer. Finally, the correct marriage was found. [Kirchenbuch Wörth (an der Sauer), Heiraten 1572-1635, 1641-1694; FHL INTL Film 1069776.] The date is the very same as found in 1993, just the town name was recorded wrong. The entry states Goersdorf on the left and could be an indicator to where the marriage might have been performed, but it could also be understood as an annotation to the place of residence of bride and groom. This was very likely where the mistake came in. Following is the record.
      Marriage Register. Source: Lutheran Church Records of Wörth, Bas-Rhin Alsace, France:
      - M. 4 May 1680: Friedrich Stocker, a carpenter, of Feldberg in der Oberman Grafschaft, married Anna Barbel of Görsdorf; parents of the groom: Deceased Christian Stocker of Feldberg; parents of the bride: [Parents not stated, but the following information was stated:] Widow of the deceased Hanss Friedrich Bartl, a former tailor in Goersdorf. Page 224, entry 4/1680. (Doc.1)
      The first marriage between Hanss Friedrich Bartl and Anna Barbel (=Barbara) was sought in this parish, but not found. This record would provide her maiden name. Very likely she was again from another parish and the couple married there. Only an area search might produce this record.
      The marriage entry above gives the town of origin as "Feldberg in der Oberman Grafschaft." A "Grafschaft" is a countship. In the 1600s and 1700s, Baden was a countship. It did not become a Grand Duchy until 1806. No reference was found in printed or online sources to the Oberman entry related to the Baden countship. There are at least five different Feldbergs in the former German Empire, but none of them relates to Oberman. The Feldberg in Baden is closest to Goersdorf in spite of its 110 to 120 miles linear distance. This is not absolute proof that the Stocker ancestry came from there, but the evidence pointing into this direction can't be denied.
      While analyzing the early parish records of Wörth, it was realized that this parish must have been responsible for the people who belonged since 1660 to the parish Preuschdorf. Since the calculated birth year for Anna Barbel/Anna Barbara was known from her death entry, the baptisms were searched in spite of the possibility that she might have been from another parish. She was born in or about 1645. The baptisms produced three Anna Barbaras born in 1644, but none in 1645 or 1646. Any or none of them could have been the ancestor.
      The children of (Johann) Friedrich Stocker and Anna Barbara were found during the last research project. Therefore, the research turned back to the Feldberg parish records. In 1993, the researcher found four children, with an additional one born 18 years before the rest. The four children previously found could be confirmed; the oldest one was not confirmed since his birth took place before Wörth Parish kept records. The direct ancestor (Johann/Hans) Friedrich Stocker was not among those found. If this is the correct ancestral line - and this is the only family where Christian Stocker was the father - then the direct ancestor must have been baptized in another parish or his baptism was not recorded. Following are the four children mentioned (note two sets of twins). [Kirchenbuch Feldberg, Taufen 1639-1793; FHL INTL Film 1189398, item 5.]
      Birth Register. Source: Lutheran Church Records of Feldberg, Baden, Germany:
      - Chr. 6 Jan 1650: Hans Stocker (twin); father: Christn. Stocker of Hennenbach; mother: Margretha [no maiden name]. No page #, entry 139. (Doc. 2)
      - Chr. 6 Jan 1650, died 15 Apr 1725: Maria Stocker (twin); father: Christn. Stocker of Hennenbach; mother: Margretha [no maiden name]. No page #, entry 140. (Doc. 2)
      - Chr. 6th of Trinitatis 1655 [= 22 Jul. 1655]: Adam Stocker (twin); father: Christian Stocker, a carpenter in Hennenbach; mother: Margaretha [no maiden name]. No page #, entry 12. (Doc. 3)
      - Chr. 6th of Trinitatis 1655 [= 22 Jul. 1655]: Eva Stocker (twin); father: Christian Stocker, a carpenter in Hennenbach; mother: Margaretha [no maiden name]. No page #, entry 12. (Doc. 3)
      The marriage entry of the parents, Christian Stocker and Margaretha, was not found in Feldberg. There is a chance that they married before 1639, the year the parish records start. Only a search in neighboring parishes would produce this document - if the neighboring parishes have such old records.
      The researcher from 1993 also found the death entry of a Christian Stocker. It cannot be proven that this pertains to the direct ancestor, but the name and profession fit. Also this Christian Stocker died before 1680, which would be confirmed in the marriage entry of the son. If he was the correct ancestor, his wife Margaretha must have been his second wife, because she would not have had all her children in her mid- to late 40s and none in her 30s. Following is the death entry. [Kirchenbuch Feldberg, Tote 1639-1793; FHL INTL Film 1189398, item 5.]
      Death Register. Source: Lutheran Church Records of Feldberg, Baden, Germany:
      - D. 16 Apr. 1669: Christian Stokher [note different spelling], citizen and carpenter in Hennenbach; age 64 years; relationships [not stated]. No page #, entry 75. (Doc. 4)
      An area search around Feldberg was not done. A first look at the records available revealed that only one of the parishes in the wider vicinity had older records, but these records are only a name index of adults living in this parish. Another church closer to Feldberg was already established 1620, but their baptisms do not start until 1639 - the same year as Feldberg's. Therefore, the chance to continue the Stocker line is very low.
      STAEHLI LINE
      Before wrapping up this research project, a quick look was made into the Lutheran Sulz parish records. According to the marriage entry between Hanss Michael Stocker and Eva Staehli in 1721 (found in a previous research project), she was from Sultz. There is a "Sulz unterm Wald" nearby, today called Soultz-sous-Forêts. The baptismal entries of this parish records were analyzed, and her entry was found. Since her date of birth could be calculated based on her entry in the death record, this was a quick task. [Kirchenbuch Sulz unterm Wald, Taufen 1684-1747; FHL INTL Film 796891.] Following is the entry.
      Birth Register. Source: Lutheran Church Records of Sulz unterm Wald, Bas-Rhin Alsace, France:
      - Chr. 12 Nov. 1693: Eva Steley; father: Johannes Steley; mother: Eva [no maiden name]. Page 89 a+b, no entry #. (Doc. 05)
      The family name of the father is spelled Steley, but the signature under the record spells it Stehl. In another record where he and his wife are mentioned as godparents, his name is spelled Stelly.
      No further research was done on this Staehli/Steley/Stehl line. The next project should seek the siblings and the marriage record of the parents.
      The individuals who could be connected to the ancestral tree were entered into the client database. None of the other non-related family members were extracted at this time.
      Conclusion
      An area search produced the marriage of Friedrich Stocker and Anna Barbara [no maiden name known] and proved that the Stocker ancestry was indeed from Feldberg. Four siblings of Friedrich Stocker were found, but concrete proof that these were indeed his siblings could not be produced. A death entry of one of the ancestors (Christian Stoker) makes it possible to calculate the year of his birth, but this ancestor was born about a quarter century before record keeping began in this parish. The oldest parish nearby has only a few records back to 1620, but even that is several years after the calculated birth of Christian Stoker.
      For the Staehli line, the baptismal entry of Eva Staehli (in her record spelled Steley) was found. No time was left to extract the rest of the family.
      Recommendations
      A gazetteer should be checked to see whether records are available for Feldberg prior to 1639. An older parish nearby that was responsible for Feldberg prior to that year might contain the early Stocker ancestry, but the chance to find such older records is rather small. An area search around Wörth might produce the first marriage between the ancestor Anna Barbara [no maiden name known] and Hans Heinrich Bartl.
      Research in the Sulz Lutheran parish records for the Staehli line should continue. The Sulz parish records are available on microfilm at the Family History Library back to 1595 - a potential of almost 100 years of records.
      It was a pleasure to research your ancestry, and we look forward to continuing, according to your instructions."

      11. Price and Associates, Inc., (c) Research Report, prepared for Noel Stoker and used by his permission. Report dated 4 September 2017. File name: Staehli2017August / 1333. A transcript of the report:
      “OBJECTIVE
      • Verify and extent-the ancestry of Eva Staehli
      • Discuss the "Antoine Merkel" info
      • Look into the Gundershofen parish records for the Staehli ancestry
      RESULTS
      • The christening entry for Johannes Stiihle (born in 1659) could not be found. However, it is tentatively proposed he was the son of Hans Stahli of Rischweiler of Sulz underm Wald (Soultz-sous-Forets).
      • Research was made in the Gundershofen parish and this topic was discussed • Also discussed was the "Antoine Merkel" info.
      • Temple work has been submitted for all those with Staehli and related names found during this project.
      RECOMMENDATIONS
      • carefully extract ALL Stahle/Staehli/Stell/Stelle as well as Straub entries at Soutz-sous Forets to assure all possible direct-line as well as related families have been identified. In 2015, only the direct-line Staehli family was provided even though there was at least one other non-related Hans Stahle/Eva family during the same time period. This research should include death records as well as descendancy that might be revealed in baptismal sponsors. (This was recommended in Staehli20l 5May report).
      • Examine the earlier records of Schwabwiller for the Straub family as per recommendation in Staehli2015May report.
      • Search additional parishes. Because the proposed ancestry for Johannes Stahle is proposed rather than proven, further research amongst the parishes located between Gundershofen and Sulz unterm Wald could be completed. However, as with the parishes already considered during this project, many/most of the records likely do not start until after 1659.
      • Consider research in the Swiss records of Basel and Brienz for any ancestral Stable entries although this is not a likely place of origin for Johannes considering a more likely extension found during this project. Basel is not only a city but also a canton; the canton includes only the city Basel. For both locations, microfilmed parish records are available in Salt Lake City.
      Heading
      There were three tasks to fulfill within this research project. The first task was to verify and extend back the ancestry of Eva Staehli (wife of HanB Michael Stocker). The parents of Eva Staehli were Johannes Stahle and Eva, nee Straub. While the Straub line has been already researched farther, the Stable line was not. Johannes Stable was born about 7 March 1659 probably in or near Soultz-Sous-Forets (town name in German: Sulz unterm Wald), Alsace, today in France. The Lutheran parish records are available for research on microfilm.
      The second task was to review and discuss the "Antoine Merkel" info, which shows Staehle families residing in Retschwiller (in German: Retschweiler, in France) and Stell families in Bale (in Gelman: Basel, in Switzerland).
      The third task was to consider Gundershoffen as a possible town of origin for the Johannes Stale family.
      This report will discuss all three tasks, but it will be done in descending order. In this report the German town names will be used since the records that need to be searched are issued in German and the gazetteer used was also in German.
      Report
      Gundershoffen (in German: Gundershofen) is located in the same geographical area as Sulz untenn Wald. There are about 12 miles between these two towns. The migration of 12 miles in the mid-1600s is not impossible. In fact, starting in about 1650, many families moved into southern Germany, into areas that were depopulated through the 30-Years-War (1618-1648). Especially in the Palatinate, an area which is north-east of Alsace, in some villages not one soul was left living. Other villages in the wider area lost up to 75% of its inhabitants. So it would be easy to assume that the Stable family moved from even further away.
      For the Lutheran parish Gundershofen the church records available start in 1682. Those records are too recent for research for the Johannes Stahle christening entry. For the neighboring Mietesheim Lutheran parish the records start in 1655, or four years prior to the calculated birth of Johannes Stahle. For Bad Niederbrunnen the Lutheran records start in 1658, Engweiler in 1668. The parish with the oldest Lutheran records was in Oberbronn. They start in 1598. Across the county border there was also one parish with early records available. It is within 3 miles from Gundershofen and half way between Gundershofen and Sulz unterm Wald. The neighboring Morsbronn, Fröschweiler, and Langensulzbach parishes start much later. In summary, if the records in or near Sulz am Wald do not lead to success, the Gundershofen area would be the second choice for research. If not found there, the parishes between these two towns should be examined, including those listed above.
      The "Antoine Merkel" info includes two towns of possible origin for the Stahle family: Retschweiler in Alsace and Basel in Switzerland. Retschweiler is a very good candidate since it is located within the Lutheran parish Sulz unterm Wald. Those records start in 1595. The records of all but one of the neighboring parishes start many years after the birth of Johannes Stahle. The one exception is the parish Birlenbach, where the Lutheran records start in 1614.
      The other town mentioned in the "Antoine Merkel" info was Basel in Switzerland. Eva, the daughter of Johannes Stahle had her name recorded as Stahli. The ending -li is very common for families originating in Switzerland. Historians estimate that between 1650 and 1720 about 10,000 Swiss settlers came into the German territories. Here is the historical downside: (1) Those coming to Germany were mostly Calvinists, and not so much Lutherans. (2) Most Swiss settlers settled into the northern part of Baden (around Heidelberg and Kraichgau), the Palatinate, and Brandenburg. There are no numbers known for those that might have settled in Alsace. (3) Basel was the Canton that sent the 2nd least number of Swiss settlers into the German territories. The Cantons Zurich and Bern sent the most families. This means that it is theoretically possible that Johannes Stähle/Stähle could have come from the Basel area, but the chances are rather small. If he was born in Switzerland, he very likely came from another Canton and not from Basel.
      Now to the first task, the parish records in or near Sulz unterm Wald. There is a printed extract made from the Lutheran parish records (christenings and marriages only) for Sulz unterm Wald, covering the years from 1595 to 1793, and an extract from the civil records (birth and marriages only), from 1793 to 1862. (Book: Soultz-sous-Forets: registres paroissiaux protestants, baptemes, marages (1595-1793); etat civil, naissances, mariages (1793-1862), call #: 944.3853/S7 K29s.) These printed records include the town Retschweiler. These records were checked for any Stable (or similar) entries, especially in hope to find any towns of origin mentioned there. Only a few Staehli christenings surfaced (probably originally spelled Stähli, since the French do not have the Umlaut letter "ä"). The oldest entries were from 1793, the most recent in 1844. As far as those names don't have temple work done yet, it was now prepared. The christening/birth records in this publication had many gaps. Therefore it was decided to check the original christening records of the 1650s and 1660s. It was discovered that the christenings went up to 1655 and then a gap until 1664. Since the ancestor Johannes Stähle was born in or around 1659 (calculated based on his death entry), his christening entry cannot be found in these records. In the pre-1655 christenings, which were very hard to decipher, no Stähle (or similar spelling) entries could be found. Because the majority of those records was barely legible there is the chance that those entries could have been missed. In the post-1664 christenings four entries were found as follows. (Lutheran Church Sulz unterm Wald, christenings, 1639-1655, 1664-1673; LDS-microfilm 796,890.)
      Birth Register. Source: Lutheran Church Records of Sulz unterm Wald; (Born/Christened -- Child's Name -- Father's Name -- Mother's Name -- Page and entry #):
      b. 19 Sep 1669 -- Anna Barbara Stahli -- HanB Stahli of Ritschweiler -- [not stated] -- No page #, entry xxv
      chr. 18 Jun 1664 -- Anna Catharina Stahl -- Peter Stahl of Birlenbach -- Anna Catharina [no maiden name stated]
      chr. 9 Nov 1667 -- HanB Martin Stahl -- Peter Stahl of Birlenbach -- Anna Catharina [no maiden name stated]
      chr. 12 Feb 1671 -- Anna Maria Staahl -- Peter Stahl of Birlenbach -- Anna Catharina [no maiden name stated]
      If it could be assumed that one (or more) of these children listed is a sibling of Johannes Stahle, then it is very likely Anna Barbara, born in 1669. Indeed, the father, Hans Stahli, resided specifically at Ritschweiler. Th[is] was notably the precise residence of the ancestral Johannes Stähle in the early 1700's, indicating a likely familial connection. The previous 2015 report suggested that the ancestral Johannes Stähle was NOT from Soultz- Sous-Forets because of one unfilled entry stating "of ___.” However, it is possible the clerk later learned Johannes was actually born in the parish or was going to simply add a local residence.
      The other family in the above chart was from Birlenbach, which is actually another parish, Eva Straub, Johannes Stähle's wife, was born at Keffenach within the parish of Birlenbach. As such, it is possible that Johannes was the son of Peter Stahl. However, Johannes did not name a son Peter as would be expected.
      There was found another set of parish records for Sulz unterm Wald, labeled in French as "Registres paroissiaux", or in English: parish registers. No year was stated in the FamilySearch catalog. An examination of this record set showed that all those entries are from the 18th century and with that too young for being useful for the Stähle ancestry.
      Since it cannot be. 1:00% proven if the ancestral Stähle/Stähli family was from Sulz unterm Wald, the neighboring parishes were checked, at least as far as records were available for 1659 or earlier. The parish north of Sulz unterm Wald is called Birlenbach. This is the parish where three of the christenings listed above actually belonged to. For this parish three different sets of registers could be checked. The first set contains the regular christening entries. The entries are available from 1616 to 1635, one entry for 1664, and then again starting in 1667 until the 20th century. This also means that the
      ' Lutheran Church Sulz unterm Wald, Registres paroissiaux; LDS-microfilm 796,895 item 2-6 Lutheran Church Birlenbach, christenings, 1616-1635, 1664, 1667-1673; LDS-microfilm 721,154. Family Names 1618-1648 (30-Years-War); Family Name Index for christenings, marriages, and deaths, 1614-1787); LDS-microfilm 1,761,549 item 3
      desired year 1659 is not available for research. Checked were all entries between 1630 and 1635, the one in 1664, and the records for 1667 to 1673. No Stahl or Stähli (or any other spelling variation) could be found there.
      The second set of records is a listing of family names who were living within the parish borders during the 30-Years-War. No entry related to Stahl or Stähli (or similar) could be found there.
      The third set of records is a family name index for christenings, marriages, and deaths for the time between 1614 and 1787. Found were the three Stahl entries between 1664 and 1671 listed above, children of Peter Stahl, and several christenings born after 1706. No christening entries could be found between 1671 and 1706. The Birlenbach parish records also include the town Keffenach, which was the town of origin of the related Straub family, as mentioned in a previous report.
      The Lutheran Oberbetschdorf parish (Lutheran Church Oberbetschdorf, christenings, 1665-1675; LDS-microfilm 765,651), located south of Sulz unterm Wald, has records that start in 1665, or six years after the birth of Johannes Stähle. Nevertheless, the christening entries for 1665 to 1672 were checked if Stähle (or similar) families lived there. No such entries could be found.
      It is a similar situation with the Lutheran parish Rittershofen, which borders the Sulz unterm Wald parish in the south-east direction. (Lutheran Church Rittershofen christenings, 1664-1667, 1673-1731; LDS-microfilm 767,897) Again, the parish records start in 1664. The christenings between 1664 and 1667 were checked without finding any Stähle (or similar) family name. The records for the years 1668 to 1672 are missing.
      All other parishes nearby start their records much later than 1659.
      The town Gundershofen was cited as a possible candidate for the town of birth of Johannes Stahle. A book for Gundershofen exists containing the marriages, but the book as well as the original parish entries do not start until 1682. (Book: Gundershoffen: registres paroissiaux protestants, tables des mariages (1682-1789, 1791); call #: 944.3835/G8 K22k) The book was still checked for any appearance of the ancestral family name. Since the book is in French, the findings are spelled Staehli. Marriages were performed between 1702 and 1757 for Staehlis. Only one town of origin was mentioned there for an entry in 1702, the town Brintz in Switzerland. While today Brintz is a specific type of Swiss cheese, the town very likely refers to present-day Brienz (Canton Bern). In addition to the book, research in the original christening records of Gundershofen was done (Lutheran Church Gundershoffen, christenings, 1682-1735; LDS-microfilm 753,734 item 1), but no Stable entries were found in the first decade after 1682.
      In a previous report Lembach was mentioned as a possibility. There is a town lineage book for Lembach, which also includes Wingen and Climbach. (Book: Lembach, Wingen, Climbach, (Alsace 1500-1725 families); call #: 944.3835 D2p) The first entries are from the year 1500, the last entries are from 1725. No ancestral name could be found in those records.
      This was all the research performed during this project.
      Conclusion
      The parish records of Sulz unterm Wald (Soultz-Sous-Forets) and several surrounding parishes were checked without finding the christening entry of Johannes Stähle. Since christening records are missing for the years when this ancestor was born, there is the chance that he will be never found with the records available at this time. Nevertheless, based on the available entries beginning in 1664, it is tentatively proposed Johannes Stable was the son of Hans Stahli of Ritschweiler. This was also Johannes' precise residence in the early 1700's.
      Other places were searched, including the parish of Gundershofen, as well as the town Lembach. There was no time left to do a thorough search in the parishes located between Gundershofen and Sulz untenn Wald. In addition, research in the Swiss records of Basel and Brienz could be conducted in the future if the client desires to check those possibilities.
      All the names extracted were entered into a PAF-file and prepared for temple work, as far as this was not performed yet.
      RESEARCH CALENDAR
      Ancestor: Johannes Stale (born 1659). Place: Sulz unterm Wald and some other parishes in this geographical area of Alsace.
      Researcher Milan Pohontsch, AG; Date: 5 September 2017
      -Book, call #: 944.3853/S7 K29s: Soultz-sous-Forets: registres paroissiaux protestants, baptemes, mariages (1595-1793); etat civil, naissances, manages (1793-1862). Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.
      -LDS-microfilm 796,890 and 796,895 item 2-6: Lutheran parish Sulz unterm Wald, Alsace, France. Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.
      -LDS-microfilm 721,154 and 1,761,549 item 3: Lutheran parish Birlenbach, Alsace, France. Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.
      -LDS-microfilms 765,651: Lutheran parish Oberbetschdorf, Alsace, France. Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.
      -LDS-microfilm 767,897: Lutheran parish Rittershofen, Alsace, France. Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.
      -Book, call #: 944.38351G8 K22k: Gundershoffen: registres paroissiaux protestants, tables des mariages (1682-1789, 1791). Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.
      -LDS-microfilm 753,734 item 1: Lutheran parish Gundershofen, Alsace, France. Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.
      -Book, call #: 944.3835 D2p: Lemback, Wingen, Climbach, (Alsace 1500-1725 families). Searched for any Stähle entries, with focus on Johannes Stähle (born 1659). Ancestor not found.”

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Marriage is not found in the church records for Soultz-Sous-Forêts, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France.