The Newsletter of the

Louks/Loucks Family Association

Volume 17 April 2010 Number 2

LLFA Board

Past President
Dr. Ken E. Loucks
1012 2nd Ave. N.
RR 1 GMB Q29
Sauble Beach, ON N0H 2G0
ken@availabletech.net

President
Ross W. McCurdy
114 Mayflower Terrace
So. Yarmouth, MA 02664
rwmccurdy@comcast.net

Vice President
London Loukx, Jr.
22 Dora Street
Dracut, MA 01826
loukxjr@netzero.net

Treasurer, Canada
Shirley J. Pearce
2022 #111 Pacific Way
Kamloops, BC V1S 1T1
hepear@shaw.ca

Treasurer, United States

Ralph E. Louks
2404 Plainview Drive
Flushing, MI 48433
rnlouks@sbcglobal.net

Board Members Artist: Murray Pipher—Markham, Ontario

Newsletter Editor
Luren E. Dickinson HOW SOME OF OUR EARLY ANCESTORS CAME
3291 Lee Road
Shaker Heights, OH 44120 OVERLAND FROM THE UNITED STATES TO CANADA
lurend@msn.com
© Pennsylvania German Folklore Society of Ontario, 2008
Rev. Douglas L. Loucks
21 McGhie Street
St. Catharines, ON L2R5A7
Our Pennsylvania German ancestors began arriving in Ontario as early
dougloucks@gmail.com as 1786 in Conestoga wagons as pictured here. It took four sturdy
Joseph R. Louks
Conestoga horses to draw these heavy freight wagons loaded with all
2431 W. 600 N. of the implements, tools, furniture, seeds and food the families
W. Lafayette, IN 47906
joelouks@yahoo.com
needed to start their new homestead. There was no room in the
wagons for people so everyone walked including the teamster.
Theresa Kowell
4924 Homestead Way
Ladysmith, BC V9G1H3 (continued on page 2)
alpinemeadows2@shaw.ca
The Louks/Loucks Family Association is a
Canadian-American organization that was
formed on July 31, 1993. It publishes this
newsletter and hosts biennial meetings.
Annual membership dues are as follow:
One Year: $10 CDN $9 U.S.
Two Years: $20 CDN $18 U.S.
Lifetime: $100 CDN $90 U.S.
(continued from page 1)
The families left Pennsylvania on the six-
week, 500-mile, journey at various times,
often in late summer when the trails were
dry and solid and grass was plentiful for the
animals. Some wagons arrived as late as the
third week in October (as pictured on p. 1).
The settlers knew that black walnut trees
grew where the soil was rich and deep so
they were anxious to find land where the
black walnut trees grew tall and straight (like
those in the background of the illustration).
A people of strong faith, with hard work and
perseverance, they carved their homesteads
from the wilderness of The Twenty
(Vineland/Jordan), Waterloo, and York.
They created the beginnings of our
communities and left their imprint on the
economic and social life of Upper Canada.
THE PREZ SAYS
Greetings from Cape Cod where it appears
spring has arrived. Of course, it’s not without
its consequences as heavy rains have
inundated parts of neighboring areas in the
worst flooding in memory. And when things
dry out many of these flood victims will
again refinish their basements, new carpets
and all. How soon we forget.
There seems to be little I can report on the
Louks/Loucks Family Assn front, except that
we hope to get a DNA sample from a male in
the line of Matthias Louks of Vermont. He is
2
one of those we know is connected to Henry,
but how is the question.
The 300 year anniversary of the coming of
the Palatines to America is being celebrated
on several fronts in the coming months, two
of them being successive weekends in June,
about which Luren will have more
information elsewhere in the newsletter.
The one on the 4th weekend will be at York,
PA where a very large reunion was held
about 100 years ago. I don’t want to dampen
your excitement, but that one would be for
our Pennsylvania cousins rather than the
Louks/Loucks of the Hudson River valley
from which most of our membership stem.
I intend to attend all three gatherings as a
representative of the Association.
Meanwhile, keep up your family research,
and assist our editor, Luren Dickinson, by
submitting material for the newsletter.
Ross W. McCurdy
Wind turbines at Clear Creek, Ontario
LOUKS/LOUCKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION
As noted in our last issue, it was agreed that
issues of the newsletter would be sent
electronically beginning with that issue.
It was also reported that we would hold the
2011 LLFA Reunion in Clear Creek, Houghton
Township, Ontario (or very close to that
area) in July because many LLFA members,
especially those enumerated in the latest
book, have roots in Houghton Township.
However, it was recently pointed out that the
annual Norfolklore Genealogy Fair, which
would interest most members, is to be held
on September 24, 2011. A survey of members
showed that none were against, and most
were favorable, to moving the LLFA date to
coincide with the genealogy fair.
Recent Norfolklore Genealogy Fair
Therefore, the 2011 LLFA Reunion will now
be held on that weekend so that members
will be able to attend the fair that Saturday.
Admission to the fair also includes free
admission to the Norfolk Historical Society
at the Eva Brook Donly Museum & Archives.
Eva Brook Donly Museum, Simcoe, Ontario
More details about the 2011 event will appear
in future issues of the newsletter.
3
NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO MARK
300TH ANNIVERSARY OF PALATINES
Palatines to America (PalAm), a national
organization, will be holding its annual
conference this year on June 17, 18, and 19 in
Fishkill, NY to mark the 300th anniversary of
the arrival of the Palatines in 1710.
Entitled, “Celebrating Our German Heritage,
1710-2010: 300 years of years of German
History and Heritage in America,” the
conference will feature the following:
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tour of Palatine sites along the Hudson River
where our ancestors settled in the 1700s.
Visit the early settlements of Newburgh,
East Camp, Germantown, Livingston
Manor and possibly the west side of the
Hudson River where West Camp was located.
Refreshments at historic site.
8:00 p.m.
Informal get together (site to be announced)
Friday, June 18, 2010
8:30 a.m.
National Board meeting
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Registration
2:00–2:15 p.m.
Opening Welcome Session
2:30– 5:15 p.m.
Choice of two presentations
Joe Lieby: Kleindeutschland: Researching
Your Ancestors in Manhattan’s Little
Germany
Leslie Albrecht Huber: 300 Years of German Alice Clark: The Palatine DNA Project
Immigration
Track Two, General German focus
6:00 p.m. with presentations by:

Evening Banquet and Dinner Presentation Mel Wolfgang: Some Tips on Becoming a
by Philip Otterness “Digital Alhnenforscher”

Saturday, June 19, 2010 Richard Haberstroh: German Vital Records

8:30 a.m. The deadline to register for the conference is

New York Chapter meeting May 17. For membership, program, and
registration information, go to:
9:00-11:00 a.m.
Registration www.palam.org

9:00– 11:15 a.m.

Track One, Palatine focus,
with presentations by:

Philip Otterness: The Story behind the Book.

Research and Writing of Becoming German

Meldon Wolfgang: Understanding and

Using Archival Collections in the 21st
Century. Focus on Palatine Sources.

Track Two, General German focus,

with presentations by:

Elsie Saar: Reading Old German Script

Richard Haberstroh: Locating Towns in

Germany. 300TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF
LAUX FAMILY COMING TO AMERICA
11:30 a.m.
Luncheon and National General A special 300th anniversary celebration to
Membership Meeting honor the arrival of the first persons named
Laux in America in the year 1710 will be held
1:00–3:00 p.m. on June 25th, 26th, 27th of 2010 in York,
Track One, Palatine focus, Pennsylvania. Everyone with a variation of
with presentations by: the name Laux (Loux, Louk, Louks, Louck,
Loucks, Lauk, Lauks, Lauck, Laucks, etc.) is
Philip Otterness: A Pictorial History of the invited to attend and take part in a variety of
Palatines activities that are being offered.

4
A sister group of the LLFA is sponsoring the Friday, June 25, 2010
300th Anniversary Reunion in York PA area
because some Laux descendants migrated 9:00 a.m.
from New York to Pennsylvania as early as 13 Registration & Pictures
years after their arrival in the New World.
The well-documented 200th anniversary Displays, Icebreaker Activities, Group
celebration was also held in York in 1910. Pictures, Opening Remarks

11:30 a.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m.
Presentations, Entertainment

5:30 p.m.
Dinner

Saturday, June 26, 2010

8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

York is a good location because it is centrally Activities
located to Hershey, Gettysburg, and the
Lancaster areas. If you plan to have your Activities range from visiting the Historical
summer vacation in this area, the 300th Library, Museums, Cemeteries, Countryside
Anniversary Reunion could the highlight tour, Lauxmont Farms, etc. (Registration
event of your trip! form allows you to sign up for the activities
that interest you).
The 2 1/2 day 300th anniversary event and
will also be an International Reunion with 5:30 p.m.
Canadian descendants in attendance and Dinner
perhaps families from Germany, France, the
Netherlands, and Argentina. Final Presentations, Entertainment, Door
Prizes, etc.
The theme of this historic weekend will be
“What is Your Legacy?” There is a historical Sunday, June 27, 2010
museum and research library in the area.
The calendar of events follows: Worship Service: "What's Your Spiritual
Legacy?"
Thursday, June 24, 2010
12:30 p.m.
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Lunch
Arrival & Setup
For further information on the event, area
Registration Helper Training, Display Setup, attractions, and registration, go to:
Registration Tables Setup, Welcome Packets
Assembled, etc. www.freewebs.com/300th

5

Spectacular sunset at Germantown, NY
PALATINES TO AMERICA NY CHAPTER
SPONSORING 300th ANNIVERSARY AT
SITE OF ORIGINAL ENCAMPMENTS
The New York Chapter of Palatines to
America will be holding 300th anniversary
events on October 1, 2, and 3, 2010, in
commemoration of the arrival of the
Palatines in Germantown, NY where
settlement camps were first set up in 1710.
Germantown, near where the East Camp was
established, is located on the Hudson River
120 miles north of New York City. The West
Camp was on the opposite side of the river.
The community is hosting numerous
historical events, including some related to
the Revolutionary War, during the course of
2010. For further information, go to:
www.germantownhistory.org
The early October schedule is as follows:
Friday, October 1, 2010
Presentation to students at Germantown
Central School: The Palatines from
Southwest Germany, by Henry Z. Jones,
Genealogist and Historian, and Rev. David
Jay Webber, historian/Palatine descendant.
6
Saturday, October 2, 2010
9:30 a.m.
Reservation desk opens
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
(with lunch* break)
Seminar* at the Reformed Church in
Germantown on Aspects of Palatine History:
The Palatines in Germantown.
Speakers: Henry Z. Jones, David Jay Webber,
and Philip Otterness. Alice Clark, who is
representing the Palatine DNA project, will
be talking about the findings so far and
future plans.
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Seminar speakers available to discuss
genealogy with seminar participants
Sunday, October 3, 2010
8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m .
Anniversary Breakfast, hosted by the Christ
Lutheran Church, Viewmont
10:00 a.m.
Ecumenical Anniversary Worship Service at
Christ Lutheran Church
3:00 p.m.
Gala concert at the Reformed Church in
Germantown. Commissioned work for voice
and instruments by Harold Farberman,
composer/conductor and longtime
Germantown resident
18th century hymns sung by the Southern
Columbia Community Choir, Donna Diehl,
conductor .
Performances by other groups and soloists.
*Seminar charge is $25 or $35 with lunch.

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
A new television show, based upon a popular
series in Britain, premiered on NBC last
month. It is entitled, “Who Do You Think
You Are?” and explores the family history of
famous Americans.
An initial episode featured Sarah Jessica
Parker, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms.
Parker thought that all of her relatives were
fairly recent arrivals from Europe until she
started doing some research.
She was surprised to find early on that one of
her 4th-great grandfathers participated in the
California Gold Rush of 1849. Even more
shocking was that a 10th-great grandmother
was accused of being a witch during the
hysteria surrounding Salem, Massachusetts
in the 1600’s!
Other episodes have featured African-
American and retired NFL player, Emmitt
Smith who did DNA testing and journeyed
to Africa in search of his roots; Lisa Kudrow
who visited an ancestral Jewish village in
Belarus; and Matthew Broderick, whose
great-great-grandfather survived the battle
of Gettysburg but was later killed near
Atlanta during the Civil War.
“Who Do You Think You Are?” has been
viewed by as many as 7 million Americans
and 400,000 Canadians. It was also just
announced that it will be renewed for the
2010-2011 season.
7
HAZEN/LOUCKS UPDATES
A number of our members are also
connected to the Hazen family and may be
interested in knowing of the passing of Doris
(Brinn) Clark of Tillsonburg, Ontario on 2
April 2010. She died in her 86th year after a
period of failing health. She had been the
Treasurer of the Hazen Family Association
for a number of years and also had Loucks
ancestors in her pedigree.
In other news, the three siblings of Charles
Simeon Mitchener have been traced and are
found to have married and had issue. For
more details, see page 17 of the Hazen 2nd
edition. These new connections greatly
expand the number of cousins.
PRE-1710 LAUX ORIGINS COMMITTEE:
A PROGRESS REPORT
A subcommittee on Pre-1710 Laux Origins
was established at the 2009 Louks/Loucks
Family Association meeting in Morrisburg,
ON. Made up of members, Paul Loucks,
Terry Henderson, Orie Loucks, and Luren
Dickinson, its general goal has been to try to
document family origins by two or three
generations beyond what is listed in The
Palatine Families of New York: a study of the
German immigrants who arrived in colonial
New York in 1710 (published in 1985) and
other works by Henry Z. Jones.
Terry Henderson is the committee member
who has been the most active in helping to
put together this research effort. He is the
one who prepared the following report:
In our search for the home of Johann
Nicolaus Laucks, we have gone back to
look at historical patterns of settlement in
the Wallau area suggested by Hank Jones in
his book Palatine Families of New York.
Jones felt that Nicolaus was from the Wallau
area but was unable to conclusively show
that link. He indicated that additional work
needed to be done to provide conclusive
evidence. That is what we have been trying
to do. I have personally hired a researcher to
help go through the microfilm of the original
baptisms, marriages and deaths of that area
around the Wallau area of Germany.
Dark “doodle” of the 1659 Wallau scribe!
We started with Wallau microfilm and found
several baptisms that some researchers have
actually adopted as the true parents of
Johann Nicolaus. For example, many
researchers tend to accept that Johann
Nicolaus Lauck was the son of either Johann
Michael Lauck or Johann Phillip Lauck.
Johann Phillip's son Johann Nicolaus was
baptized on 10 Aug 1689. However, if you
continue to look through the records you
find that Nicolaus, son of Johann Phillip
died on 30 Aug 1689. Niclaus, the son of
Johann Michael, married Anna Maria Fein
and had a child Johann Michael baptized in
Wallau in 1715, 5 years after he supposedly
left for New York!
After thoroughly searching the Wallau
microfilm, we plotted a strategy to search the
surrounding parishes and those that were
mentioned prominently in the Wallau films.
The parishes Koppenheim, Niederseelbach,
Erbenheim, Okriftel were all searched
without finding any Lauck at all. The parish
of Eppstein had one Lauck baptism,
Abraham, who appeared to have links to the
Wallau Lauck.
The Igstadt parish had many Lauck/Laucks
families in it but none could conclusively be
considered to be the emigrant Johann
Nicolaus Laucks. There were two Niclaus in
Igstadt that seemed promising but like those
in Wallau, turned out to be false leads.
I think the main thing we are finding is that
Johann Nicolaus Lauck who traveled to New
York was most likely the grandson of
Nicolaus Lauck of Igstadt and Wallau area.
Who his parents were is still the subject of
our search.
As far as the Runkel connection, it seems
that as we move north toward Runkel from
Wallau area, there may be more and more
individuals and families with the Laucks/
Laux surname. What made those people
choose that surname in the beginning may
link the separate DNA families that have
shown up in recent testing.
The beat goes on and so does the search!
The Wallau churchbook for May 1659.