Buddy Keller
is an old family friend of the Destrehan Romes from
high school days, and Irvin’s 4th (twice), 5th (twice), 6th
(twice), 7th and 8th cousin. Out of curiosity, after working on the Rome genealogy
for a while, I began to look at Buddy’s ancestry. Whereas Irvin ROME and Joseph Emile BLUM
both had Acadian grandmothers, and Juanita
FREDERICK had considerable Acadian ancestry, Buddy Keller has no Acadian or
obviously Canadian ancestors. His
forebears were all French and Germans who came directly from Europe, from the
early days of colonization into the nineteenth century (except perhaps Michel
MICHEL). Because of this I have grouped
Buddy’s ancestors into fewer broad categories.
The Early German Coast and New Orleans colonists
arrived from the 1720s through the 1740s or so; a few ancestors were among the
many French who arrived in the first half of the nineteenth century. I have grouped the 1750s
Alsatians separately because of Buddy’s descent from the KELLER family, and
his numerous ancestors who arrived with this group. Some of these and many of the ancestral families found only in Europe are profiled in
the very helpful German Coast Families
by Albert J. Robichaux Jr. There were a few 18th
century Louisiana and Mobile soldiers in his ancestry. The HELFER/ELFER family arrived in Louisiana
by way of Pennsylvania.
References - Nearly all my
“facts” are referenced to sources. To
avoid repetition and save space, I have used abbreviations for many of the sources
I consulted. The references document
contains most of the publication information that should allow you to find the
data I used in constructing my genealogies.
Where no references are given, the fact is my own speculation, or I have
lost track of the source.
In the files,
ancestors of Irvin Joseph ROME are marked with IR,
ancestors of Juanita Rita FREDERICK are marked with JF,
ancestors of Joseph Emile BLUM are marked JEB,
ancestors of Buddy Keller are marked BK.
European Ancestors: Altorfer, Edinger, Geisser, Glasser, Grill, Haberling, Heilmann, Hirtzel, Hoffstetter, Ignard, Kirschner, Langler, Mangot, Martschan, Muller, Scherer, Schneider
(Marx), Ulrich, Vesdray, Weidler
Europe and Pennsylvania: Christschiltzen, Helfer/Elfer
German Coast/New Orleans Colonists: Antony/Bernard, Belzung/Belsom, Berthelere, Bouvier, Callender, Clement,
Edelmayer, Exgranche/Scherence, Foltzloger, Hoffman, Keime, Marck/Marx, Michel, Rommel/Rome, Schenk, Schexnayder, Schoff (Adam), Steeger/Steiger (Adam), Trager/Tregre, Vicknair (Jacques), Vudet, Wesele, Wich
Louisiana and Mobile
Troops: Barbay, Gotolais, Martin (Jeanne), Perioux/Perillou
1750s Alsatian
Immigrants: Bischof, Burckel/Percle, Cambre (Mathias),
Cambre (Michel I), Heil, Helte, Jacob, Keller, Kerne, Laub, Meel, Montz, Raeser, Schafer/Scheffer, Schneppen/Schenep, Waguerly