Ancestor Brick Wall - Popp

My paternal great grandfather, Christopf (Christoph, Christopher) Popp emigrated to the United States in 1889.  According to his son, George Andrew Pope (Popp), he was unmarried at the time, but met and married Anna Mary (Maria) Bohmer (Boehmer, Bommer), who emigrated in 1891.  He was in New York City for a few years, where his sons John Georgechrist (1893) and Michael Sebastian (1895) were born (birth certificates located).  He and his family relocated to Rich Fountain, Missouri where his twins, George Andrew and Anna, were born in 1897.  Christopf later died in 1915.  The only documents I have been able to locate are birth certificates for John and Michael, and Christopf's death certificate.  George Andrew said that his father came from Biederbach, Germany, spent time in Pennsylvania and New York before settling in Missouri, and had 7 brothers and 5 sisters.  My family has been trying to locate records (birth, emigration, marriage) for many years. I appreciate any suggestions or leads on where or how I can proceed.  The Popp/Pope family has sadly dwindled in number over the years.  I would like to connect to any relatives.

[Allan Cole]

Rather than look for birth certificates have you tried church records from the locations that you know. They may indicate more information. Sorry this is not more helpful.

Thank you for your reply.  I know the location where the family lived in New York when their two sons were born in New York City.  Their remaining children born in Missouri were baptized Roman Catholic, so I contacted the Archdiocese of New York and they identified three potential parishes, which I've contacted and am awaiting their replies.  I'm hoping there will be baptism records that will offer information about godparents, etc., and it would be ideal if the parish is also the location of their marriage record.  

I'm not sure how much faith to put in my grandfather's statements about Pennsylvania, but I am researching the possibility that he entered the US through the port of Philadelphia, rather than New York.  Grandpa was fairly young when Christopf died, and shortly afterward his mother moved to the state of California to live with her daughter, so none of my aunts or uncle knew their grandfather or grandmother.  The 1910 US Census indicates he was naturalized, but I haven't been able to locate those records.

[Allan Cole]

I hope you are fortunate with the church records as they often indicate the native place in Germany which enables you to research in Germany. If they came though Philadelphia as did some indirect relations of my own you may consider the shipping line they came on. It is my understanding that many southern Germans emigrated through Antwerp.

[BobGreiner]

I believe that the following baptism record is a good candidate to be your grandfather's. According to your Ancestry tree he was born in February 1856. This record shows the same birth date - 14 February 1856. The family lived in Büchenbach - not Biederbach. His parents were Johann Popp and Magdalena Grellner. The Catholic Church record is on Matricula. I can translate these records if you would like.

https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/bamberg/buchenbach-pegnitz-st-vitus/M7%252F41/?pg=66

The parents' marriage record from 1855 is here.

https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/bamberg/buchenbach-pegnitz-st-vitus/M8%252F44/?pg=67

I got to that location from a passenger list that I found. It showed that Christoph Popp originated from the village of Körbeldorf. The Catholic parish for that village is Büchenbach. When I started looking through the records, I immediately saw many Popp surnames, which led me to believe this was the right place. Here is the passenger list from Ancestry. It's always nice when they include the place of origin.

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7488/records/10856117

I am in shock!  I do not have the words to thank you for this information.  I had reconciled myself to the fact that my Gr. Grandfather would remain a mystery.  I accept your offer to translate as I don't want to make any mistakes trying to do it myself.  

[BobGreiner]

Details of Christoph Popp's baptism and his parents' marriage sent via email.

Are you by any chance related to a Grellner family.  In Missouri, one spelling on documents is Greiner.

[BobGreiner]

As far as I know I am not related to any Grellner family.