The Family Kolberg/Colberg, Part Three

"FROM BŰTOW, POMMERN TO BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN"

In 1979, after many years of research and the accumulation of much data on my Kolberg family, I made the decision to publish a book on my findings. While researching this family I had many cousins requesting such a book and the interest seemed high that it would be well received.

I had spent between 6 and 7 years expanding my research from the basic information that my grandmother had left for me. I had learned that my great-grandfather, August Kolberg, and four of his six brothers (Heinrich, Otto, Paul and Ferdinand) had all been born in Klein Tuchen, Kreis Bütow, Pommern and had immigrated to the United States between 1880-1910 and settled in Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan. As I did not live in Berrien County at that time, but rather lived across the state in the Detroit area, I depended on the help of some cousins of my grandmother from whom I had been able to learn some of the earlier history of the Kolberg family in Bütow, Pommern. In addition, during those 7 years of my research I had spent every vacation traveling to St. Joseph to spend days in the County Building searching for old records, many hours in the local cemeteries looking for gravestones and photographing them, hours visiting older cousins and talking to them about their memories and time spent in the local library studying the massive amount of genealogical research items that they held.

In addition, I copied every address of Kolberg names from the local phone books in Berrien County, obtained more names and addresses from cousins whom I knew personally and sent a letter and a basic family history form to each of these people in which I explained who I was and that I was researching our Kolberg family. I will say that probably 95% of the people I wrote to did respond and returned my forms that they had completed. My information grew and grew and I spent many hours, weeks, months typing all this information into my family history forms. Remember, this was the 1970's, before personal computers or family history software or the Internet. All my data was typed on an electric typewriter that was sitting on my kitchen table. The data grew and grew along with photos that relatives loaned me that I xeroxed for my collection. Again, the key word here is "xeroxed". Not scanned into a computer in which little tweaks could be made of the old photos. No, these were simply xeroxed on copy machines. It was a thrill to have these old photos and they looked like what they were which was OLD. But in any event, it was my family history and I was pleased to have the materials.

In 1979 I started thinking how to best prepare a family history book on my Kolberg family. At the time, with the options available, I decided to simply xerox all the family history sheets, add photos in the appropriate sequence, add in some basic family documents such as census records and death certificates and compile an index of all the names. I decided to divide the book into sections by each of the 7 Kolberg brothers, have an Acknowledgment and Prelude and end with the Index. I assembled the original as I wanted the finished product to be and numbered all the pages and then it was time for the assembly line production!

I will say that the xeroxing of the mammoth amount of material took more hours, days and weeks than I had anticipated. My employer at the time graciously allowed me to do the xeroxing (on my own time) using the company Xerox machine as long as I supplied my own paper. I decided to make 100 sets of this book as I had estimated that I had perhaps 70 relatives that had already requested such a book IF and WHEN I ever compiled one. I thought that once this book was out to these cousins that more would be interested. I was not disappointed.

Once I had all the 100 copies prepared, it was time for the collating. What a project. Picture piles of paper - 100 deep - spread across counters, tables, furniture, appliances in the basement and continual walking back and forth to collate what became 401 pages per book. I then had to punch holes in these volumes and had purchased the Acco hard stock covers with a clamp inside to use to hold the finished product.

BUT, wait - Before this project could be completed the indexing needed to be done. I now laugh when I think about this, what with the advent of computers and software programs which will index for you, but readers let me tell you that I indexed this mammoth book on 3 x 5 index cards all spread across the basement floor. Each name in the book was placed on an index card with the appropriate page number on it and then the cards were divided by the letters of the alphabet and 26 piles were made from which I had to alphabetize each pile by name. This then became a 10 page index - double column to end the book.

Here are some samples from the book as I completed it in early 1980.

(click on any document to enlarge)

Following the completion of my book I sent letters out to all the Kolberg cousins whose addresses I had. Not only did the expected 70 copies sell but more as well. I did donate one copy to the "LDS Library-Acquisitions Area" in Salt Lake City as well as a copy to the "Genealogical Association of Southwest Michigan". I had maintained a copy for myself but all 100 copies were sold and I ended up selling my own copy and for years I did not even have a copy to maintain for myself and my records.

Through the 25+ years following my publication of this book I was able to expand my research, "Cross the Ocean to Germany", take the family back another generation, update data that I had received via word of mouth or old letters with additional, and sometimes corrected, information based on records I received from the churches and archives in Germany and Poland and expand my knowledge of the two remaining brothers who had lived in Germany their entire lives - Friedrich-Wilhelm, Jr. and Johann. In addition, I made some very exciting connections with German cousins which will be detailed in future sections of this series. My information is now in my Family Tree Maker program, backed up on two separate external hard drives (a compulsive person I am!) and the search continues.

The cost for my book - 1980 price - $15 per copy. We could certainly not produce a quality family history book now for that price!!

Postscript: This year I was able to be the recipient of a copy of my 1980 book. Following the death of my dear cousin, Bernice Gaul Schoenfelder this past June, her children have shared with me a myriad of genealogical materials that Bernice had assembled herself and material that she had inherited from HER mother, Grace Kolberg Gaul, as well as materials from Grace's parents, Otto & Alvina (Truhn) Kolberg. Included with these materials was the copy of my 1980 book that Bernice had purchased from me at the time. I was honored that her children have entrusted me with these items and pleased that my reputation as the "Kolberg family historian" has allowed me to preserve these memorabilia.

Anyone reading this blog, or anyone reading Gerhard's website, who think they might have a connection to our Kolberg/Colberg family, please either respond to this blog or e-mail me at ancestrylove(at)gmail(dot)com. The e-mail address on Gerhard's website is no longer active and we don't want to miss the opportunity to connect with someone if they write him directly and their e-mail returns to them. Any mail that comes to me in German I will immediately forward to Gerhard for response.