Amanuensis Monday: Michel STROESSER’s birth certificate

I can’t help but wonder what happened between 1900 and 1903 in the family of my great-grandfather Harry STROESSER’s brother Michel. Michel had married in 1898, and since then had children like clockwork: first a daughter Catherina in 1899, then a son Johann-Peter in 1900, but then there seems to have been a break until 1903. Was there a miscarriage? Had Michel been away from his wife for an extended period? The records—or at least the ones I have accessed—are silent on the point.

At any rate, they had another child in June of 1903. This one they named Michel, perhaps after his father, but more likely after his godfather. Without seeing his baptismal record we cannot be sure who that godfather was, but he may have been Michel KRIEBS, who appeared as the first witness on the child’s birth certificate.

This image has been trimmed from the original at FamilySearch.

Transcription (the italicized parts were handwritten on the record):

Im Jahre tausend neun hundert drei, den fünfzehnten

des Monats Juni um drei Uhr nach mittags ist vor Uns

Andreas Miller, Bürgermeister Beamten des Civilstandes

der Gemeinde Folscheid , im Kanton Redingen , Großher=

zogthum Luxemburg, erschienen Stroesser Michel

alt zwanzig neun Jahre , Schreiner,

wohnhaft zu Rambruch , welcher Uns ein Kind männlichen

Geschlechts vorgestellt hat, geboren zu Rambruch, vorgestern

um zehn Uhr vor mittags, im Hause Nr. -- Gasse,

erzeugt von ihm Comparenten und von seiner Ehefrau Stomp

Regina, ohne Stand, alt zwanzig fünf Jahre, wohn-

haft zu Rambruch,

und welchem er den Vornamen Michel

geben zu wollen erklärt hat.

Diese Erklärung und Vorstellung sind geschehen in Gegenwart des Kriebs

Michel , alt vierzig drei Jahre , Tagner,

wohnhaft zu Schwiedelbruch und des Gaspard

Nicolas , alt vierzig zwei Jahre , Schreiner,

wohnhaft zu Folscheid und haben die Comparenten diese

Urkunde, nachdem sie ihnen vorgelesen worden, mit Uns unterschrieben.

Line by line Translation:

In the Year one thousand nine hundred three, the fifteenth

of the Month of June at three o'clock after noon is before Us

Andreas Miller, Burgermeister Officials of the Civil State

of the Commune of Folschette , in the Canton Redange , Grand-

duchy of Luxembourg, appeared Stroesser Michel

aged twenty nine Years , Carpenter,

residing in Rambrouch , which to us a child of the male

Gender has presented, born in Rambrouch, the day before yesterday

at ten O’clock before noon, in House No. -- Street,

begat by the Appearing Party and by his Wife Stomp

Regina, without Occupation, aged twenty five Years, res-

iding in Rambrouch

and which he the First Name Michel

has declared to want to give.

This Statement and Presentation are done in the Presence of Kriebs

Michel , aged forty three Years , Day Laborer,

residing in Schwiedelbrouch and Gaspard

Nicolas , aged forty two Years , Carpenter,

residing in Folschette and the Appearing Parties have this

Deed, having been read to them, with us signed.

Source:

Folschette, Luxembourg, birth certificate no. 28 (1903), Michel Stroesser; digital image #302 of 699, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, “Naissances 1882-1923 Mariages 1831-1850,” FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 22 Nov 2014).