Siener / Shelby History Copywrite 2009 - 2010
srsiener@comcast.net
Siener Family
After spending some time researching Siener in Maikammer and sending several emails this is what we have found. I think maybe we have hit the German Lottery. Dr. Aquila is also researching the Siener family in Germany and has shared this with us.
Below you will see a birth record of Emanuele Siener (Wendlin Siener's father) this record is written in Latin so it is very difficult to read. Apparently Dr. Aquila was able to translate.

From: Dr. med. R. Mathias Aquila
Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 12:20 PM
To: Gregory Siener
Subject: family research

Dear Gregory,

Unfortunately by now I can't add much more information to your families history. Research proves to be quite difficult as all biographical data was formerly fixed in church-books. These were -in catholic parishes - written in Latin (all Siener family members were catholic) and the priests handwriting sometimes is hard to read.
I noticed that priests often "translated" German Christian and family names into Latin: e.g.. Siener into Siner, Peter into Petrus and Johannes into Joanes.
Also difficult: Church books are kept in different local archives and sometimes have chronological gaps of several decades.

What I can assure by now:
The parents of Wendelin Siener are Emanuel Siener and Anna Maria Gerau.
Emanuel Siener was born on 11/22/1787 in Weyher/Pfalz. His wife derives from Maikammer and their marriage was held on 9/12/1810 in St.-Cosmas & Damian-Church in Maikammer.
Emanuel Siener was the legal son of Peter ("Petrus") Siener and his wife Eva Maria Lutz from Weyher.
Their marriage took place on 7/20/1787 in Weyher.
Peter Siener himself was born in Weyher about 1753. His parents were Georg Siener and one Margaretha from Weyher.

To be continued...
My own ancestors can by now be traced back to Jacob Siener, who was born around 1720 in Arzheim/Pfalz and was married to Margaretha Elisabetha Laux also from Arzheim.
I am quite sure that further research will show a mutual ancestor of both family branches. Having a look at the distribution of the family name Siener nowadays one can easily notice the extraordinary spreading in our region of south-west Germany. Here you'll find the villages Weyher, Maikammer, Birkweiler, Ranschbach an Arzheim close together ( max. 10mls). From there you'll find spread very few Sieners to the North and west of Germany (two of them represent close relatives of mine).
You see - there's still plenty to do.
I'll write again as soon as there's more to tell.

Kind regards, Gabi.

PS.: Find enclosed a copy of Emanuel Sieners birth record.