Background information The links on the "Ancestors and Descendants" webpage lead to data stored in a genealogy software program known as PAF (Personal Ancestral File.) The version used is 4.0.4.18. This software is no longer sold or distributed by its creators, FamilySearch.org, the genealogy arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The program shows the relationships between people and displays basic data about each individual (birth, baptism, marriage, death, burial). Some notes on the PAF files:      •    Because it is a program of the LDS Church, the word "christen" is used instead of baptism.      •    Some names are printed in CAPITAL letters. That name is the one used most often by that person when it is not the person’s first name.      •    Notes provide the sources for the basic data (birth, baptism, marriage, death, burial), as well as additional information on an individual, such as census, military, and similar records.      •    Specific records referenced in the Notes are frequently identified with a number that looks like this: W-CVB-0001. These numbers refer to records that have been saved as computer files, such as scans or transcriptions of original records, obituaries, and similar records. The "W" means that this is a Wegener family record. The three letters refer to the type of record, in this case "CVB" refers to a Civil Birth record, and the number is an arbitrary number given to each individual record. The record W-CVB-0001 is the German civil birth record of G. J. Wegener and it can be seen here.    •    The sources for many events (births, confirmations, marriages, deaths) in New Orleans are the records of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Scans of the church's original records are now online. These records can be accessed here: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~neworleans/religions/st_paul_records/ About the ancestor files:    •  The ancestors of G. J. Wegener and his two wives are presented in three separate locations. The direct ancestors for all three are first shown in a "Pedigree Chart," which shows that person's direct ancestors, such as this page.    •  To see the data on this person and their family (wife and children), click on the individual on the Pedigree Chart. The descendants of that person and his spouse(s) are carried down anywhere from two to four generations. Later generations are occasionally duplicated since they occur in more than one family. (For example, a person is a descendant in his/her great-grandfather's family and in his/her great-grandmother's family.) Four ancestral lines for G. J. Wegener are carried beyond the first chart. Ancestral lines for Juliane von Wittke and Anna Klein do extend beyond one chart, but they have not been included at this time. About the descendant files:    •  The descendants of G. J. Wegener extend to his great-grandchildren. Spouses of the great-grandchildren have not been included, but may be in a future update. For privacy reasons, no birthdates have been given for anyone living.    •  Information on both ancestors and descendants is shown by generations and individuals for whom there are additional ancestors or descendants are highlighted as links. For example, all of G. J. Wegener's children are on this page. Those who married and had children are linked to additional data; those who died young or had no children are not linked. For the benefit of users who are familiar with genealogy software programs, all of the data gathered to date is made available in two additional forms: a PAF file with all individuals in the file (now over 1,000 people) and a GEDCOM 5.5 (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) file. (A GEDCOM file can be imported into most family tree programs. Download the GEDCOM file here, save it to a hard drive, and then import it into a family tree program.) Use of the data:  •  On some of these pages there may be a notice of copyright. This is merely to prevent the use of this material by a third party for commercial purposes.  •  It is requested that none of this data be placed elsewhere on the Web (such as at Rootsweb.com, Ancestry.com, or similar sites), as this data, especially the notes, will be updated on a regular basis. Disclaimers:  •  Every attempt has been made to make the information in these files as accurate as possible, however, given that it involves hundreds of individuals and thousands of genealogical events and pieces of data, there are bound to be errors.  •  Genealogy by its very nature is based on circumstantial evidence drawn from a variety of sources. For example, if a census record showed several people with the same surname living at the same address, certain relationships might be inferred. This is circumstantial evidence. Census and other records often disagree and a decision has to be made as to which “facts” to choose. Questions about such discrepancies are welcome.  •  Please send any suggestions regarding additions, omissions, or corrections to: norm.hellmers (at) gmail.com.
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