Examine the SURNAME list

DAVIDSON:LAMAN  This research relates to the maternal side of my family including the ancestors of William Guy Davidson and Elva Belle Laman of Allen County, Ohio.  Using the link below, you may access over 7000 surnames representing the direct and indirect lineage. The Alpha Index to Surnames link below is a good starting point for researching our surnames. .

Alpha Index of Surname pertaining to my mother's family - Margaret Davidson

Note to Davidson researchers:  Some researchers have incorrectly connected the William Davidson who died in Jefferson County, Ohio in 1808 to the family of John Davidson and Ann Martha Thompson from West Pennsborough, PA.  The West Pennsborough William Davidson remained in PA and was married to a woman named Sarah.  Some say Sarah McCoy.  Some of our research has been posted to the Internet by others who were unaware of this error.  We have only recently established that the connection was incorrect.

Davidson DNA Project - Dave is one of the administrators of the Project.  All Davidson researchers are welcome to  participate in this research effort.

  Laymon/Layman/Lemon DNA Project - Steve Layman

  Earl Layman's DNA Project site  (Has excellent information.)
 

KOESTER/KöSTER:NETH   This research relates to the paternal side of my family including the ancestors of Gustav Koester and Mary Neth, both immigrants from Germany who settled first in Erie, PA.   The link below displays our Koester research. We are most anxious to make contact with our Koester relations as we know very few of them personally.

  Alpha Index of Surnames pertaining to our father's family - Gustav Koester

Koester Family Genealogy Forum at GenForum

Return to Top

---

Photos pertaining to our ancestors

Home of Rev. Hans Herr - Lancaster County, PA

Family of Gustave Koester and Mary Neth

Doug Koester, Dave Koester, Jackie Koester Sagan

Photo taken on Doug Koester's property in Homer, Alaska

Four Generations - Waters - Laman - Davidson - Koester

Return to Top

---

The STEMEN surname - An expanded descendency examination

We are sponsoring an expanded descendency focus on one of our family surnames - STEMEN

The STEMEN surname is known to be spelled several ways including STEINMAN / STONEMAN / STEYMAN / STEMAN / STEHMAN. Thanks to many, many STEMEN 'cousins' who have kindly shared their Stemen data with us, included below is a link to a data base of over 6,400 descendents of Christian Stehmen and Hanna Barin (Bar / Bear). Included with this data is information on what many of us believe are the parents of Christian Stehmen, although this is an undocumented theory.

Go to the Alpha Index of Surnames

Link to web site sponsored by Vern Stehman.  All Stehmen researchers should examine the documents and other materials that Vern has accumulated as they are helpful in understanding the early Stehmen family and the various theories of the descendency.

Descendency Chart for Christian Stehmen and Hannah Barin

One Descendency Theory relating to the earliest Stehmen/Stemen ancestors

Grave Marker for Christian Stehmen - Salem Cemetery - Elida, Allen County, Ohio

Grave Marker for Hanna (Barin) Stehmen - Steward/Freeland Cemetery - Bremen, Fairfield County, Ohio

Note: Cemetery is located 1 mile east of of Bremen on Marietta Road and will be found on a wooded hillside behind a farm house. Contributed by Velva Bruce - a Stemen cousin from Elida, Ohio.  Velva is related to the Sherrick ancestors of Allen County, Ohio.

Photos of Stemen Ancestors.  Please feel free to contact me to submit photos that you would like me to post.

The following group of photos were contributed by Nancy Crawford Spallinger

Family of Andrew Jackson Stemen and Hannah Jane Hilyard family.
Stemen brothers Harold Dwight & Roy Clifford Stemen.
Andrew Jackson Stemen in a horse and buggy.
Lillie Hilyard

The following group of photos were contributed by Gary Stemen

Leroy Taylor Stemen Family  - Leroy Stemen is the son of Benjamin Franklin Stemen and Lucinda Conrad.  They had 17 children which are shown in this photo. 
Leroy Stemen and wife Emily Nihiser
Dan and Matilda (Nihiser) Stemen - parents: Benjamin F. and Lucinda (Conrad) Stemen, and Amos and Rachel (Sigman) Nihiser.
John Wesley Stemen - son of Leroy Taylor Stemen and Emily Nihiser.
John Wesley "Jake" Stemen Family - John Wesley Stemen and wife Adeline Galloway.
Adeline Galloway Stemen - wife of Jake Stemen
Isaac Theodore Stemen Family - wife Maggie Ethel Pierce
Peter Daniel Stemen - wife Myrtle Josephine Clendenin
John Laman - Son of Mary Magdelene Stemen and Joseph Laman
Martha Isadore Clark - wife of John Laman.  Was called Dole.

The following are Microsoft Word documents that may be downloaded.  The contain photographs, some of which are duplicates of those posted above.

Document 1 - Photos of  Dan and Matilda (Nihiser) Stemen; Clarence G. And Clara Stemen, Children of Dan and Matilda; Sam Stemen, son of Henry; John Stemen family, son of Leroy T.; Mae Leiter - daughter of Elnora May Stemen and Elmer Ellsworth Leiter; Neva Jenkins - daughter of Margaret Stemen and Isaac Jenkins; Perry and Clara Nihiser Rogers' twins (raised by Daniel Stemen and Sarah Krutsch); Zulo V. (Baker) Stemen, Wife of Clarence G. at about 16; Peter D. Stemen family, son of Leroy T.; "Jake" Stemen family, probably John, son of Leroy T.; "Ike" Stemen Family, Probably Isaac Stemen, son of Leroy T.; Dole Laman; John Laman; Leroy T. Stemen and Emily Nihiser.

Document 2 - Leroy Stemen, son of Benjamin Franklin Stemen and Lucinda Conrad and their 17 children which are shown in this photo.  Names are included. 

Beth MacDonald, a STEMEN cousin and researcher has several photos of Stemen ancestors at this site. Beth has identified most of the people in the photos, but needs help from Stemen cousins in identifying others.

Betty Spaulding is asking for assistance in identifying who the people are in this photo. Pictured on the left is Nancy Jane Stemen Hilyard. Who are the others? If you can help Betty, please contact her.

Stemen Family Genealogy Forum at GenForum

 

Special Note to Stemen Cousins:

You are encouraged to share your Stemen related descendency data, photographs and other information that you may have that relates to this family. I will be glad to post in at this site for others to view.

Return to Top

---

A few photos to share with our family and friends:

Cora Sagan soccer game - May 9, 2010 - The Pegasus girls white U9 team won 10 to zero.  Cora scored a goal.

Family Cruise - August 2008
Click for photos

Doug and Katie's wedding - June 21, 2008
Click for photos

Caribbean with Ken and  Pat - March 2008
Click for photos

Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland by River Boat - April 2007

Walt Disney World with Jackie's family - August 2007

Crossing - Rome to New York - November 2006
Click for Photos

Caribbean Cruise - February 2006
Click for Photos

Kalie and Cora - Christmas card photo 2005

Megan's Wedding in Philadelphia - November 2005
Jackie Koester Sagan and Kristine Koester Devaux - Cousins
Jim and Dave Koester - father's of Kristine and Jackie
Jim and Deb at the Philly steak restaurant

Mediterranean Cruise - October 2005
Amsterdam to Rome
Amsterdam Lunch
Dover White Cliffs
Leeds Castle
Linda and Dave at Leeds
Guernsey, England Lunch
With the Captain on the Prinsendam
Formal Night
La Rochelle, France Crepe
La Corona, Spain with Swiss Friends
Bilbo, Spain - Guggenheim
Oporto, Portugal
Lisbon with German friends in shoe store
Cadiz, Spain
Spanish Morocco shoe shine
Ville France - ship in harbor
Monaco - Linda is shopping
Monte Carlo casino - Linda
News stand in Elba
Elba

Mediterranean Cruise - October 2004
Lisbon to Athens
Formal night - with the coat off!
Gibraltar
Santorini Island, Greece - the most beautiful spot in the world (just an opinion).
Dave in Santorini
Linda and Dave and the Acropolis in Athens

Disneyworld with the grandkids - August 2004
Cinderella 120 - Kalie and Cora
Budweiser Wagon (Sea World)
Cora and Dave on the merry-go-round
Jackie, Kalie and Cora

South America Cruise - March 2004
Rio to Santiago, Chile
Falkland Islands
Swim around Cape Horn
On the balcony of the cabin in Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego - Patagonia - Argentina
Santiago, Chile in the background

Panama Canal Cruise - January 2002

Fall 2004

Arial view of our house and property

Kalie reads to her kindergarten class

Kalie and Cora with Santa - 2004

Cora - Fall 2004

Our Panama Canal Cruise - January 2002

Kalie by the pool - Summer 2000

Kalie by the pool - Summer 2000 #2

"Pouty" Kalie on back porch - Summer 2000

Cora and Jackie on Jackie's Birthday - March 2001

Jackie, Cora and Kalie on Jackie's Birthday - March 2001

Doug Koester's house in Homer, Alaska - - The house that Doug built

Mark and the girls - summer 2002

Jim & Dave in our pool - 2001

Jackie and Cora on pony - 2002

Cora's birthday - two years old (going on 15)

Kalie and Cora in Florida - 2002

Face painting - 2002

Cora having fun - summer 2002

ccimage

 

 

Return to Top

---

US GenWeb Project

Dave coordinates two county pages for the USGenWeb Project. This is an ambitious, totally volunteer project that has among its objectives the creation of a county genealogy page for each county in the United States. The links below are for Allen and Hancock Counties, Ohio. Our ancestors were among the early settlers of Allen County.

Each county page has resources for posting Queries, listing your Surnames and provides a wealth of other information applicable to the county in particular, such as maps, historical background, and more.

Allen County, Ohio USGenWeb Project Page

Hancock County, Ohio USGenWeb Project Page

OHGenWeb Project

Connects you with the Ohio GenWeb Project main page. From here you can connect with almost every county in Ohio as well as access other relevant genealogical information.

USGenWeb Project

Connects you with the United States USGenWeb Project page. From here you can follow links to each state and county in the United States.

You are the visitor to our web site.

The Date is  The time is   Central Time.

Return to Top

---

©2009 David W. Koester All Rights Reserved

Initially created January 4, 1997
Last modified January 2009

David W. Koester / Barrington, Illinois / e-mail

Census Records | Vital Records | Family Trees & Communities | Immigration Records | Military Records Directories & Member Lists | Family & Local Histories | Newspapers & Periodicals | Court, Land & Probate | Finding Aids