help with deciphering and locating town

[wisniewski08]

Hello, I have a naturalization record from south dakota for my wifes fathers family. I am unable to locate the town that is listed as the place of birth for John (Johann) Carl Gommer. I am unsure if it is the correct town spelling or if it was written the way is sounded when spoken. Any help with locating this town or any hints or recommendations to move forward would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you kindly for your help,
Michael Wisniewski

[Anna Sara Weingart]

Hello
in Your document it's written "Labanc"

I could only find Labach (3x) and Laband

https://s.meyersgaz.org/search?search=Labach

[AlfredS]

Hi Michael,

the home town of J.C. Gommer reads as Labanc
What I found in the document is, that he was sovereign of emperor William II. i.e. we talk about Prussia.
A "c" as the last letter of a word is not common in German, so the real name of the town must be different.

Laban* as search key in Meyers Gazetteer matches with one single town: Laband (in Silesia, Prussia)

Maybe this helps...

Regards and

[chickenrun]

@AlfredS : the emperors name of William II. indicates nothing other than Gommer being a subject of the German Empire by 1909, when the document was signed. Prussia was just part of that empire, even though the leading part of it. William II. was King of Prussia as well as Emperor of the German Empire.

Gommer could even be born in Bavaria and subject to an emperor from the Hohenzollern Dynasty, what bothers Bavarians to this very day to be ruled from Berlin...

However, I wouldn't rule out a place in Alsace or near the Suisse border...

[Anna Sara Weingart]

... what bothers Bavarians to this very day to be ruled from Berlin...

For centuries (since 800 AD), Bavaria was part of the German Empire; until the Napoleon era. Then, Bavaria decided to switch sides and cooperate with the French dictator, and let him destroy the German Empire.
For this betrayal, Bavaria was rewarded by Napoleon, with huge areas, it never owned before, and with an independent kingdom, it never had before.
After Napoleons defeat in Waterloo, in the Vienna Conference 1815, Bavaria was allowed to keep most of the areas, it had stolen thru Napoleon's help.
Later, in 1866, Bavaria decided to fight against Prussia, and Bavaria lost the war. Despite it, Prussia did not claim territories against Bavaria.

[debert]

At myHeritage there is a tree with Johann Carl Gommer * 14.7.1864 in Schmarow, Pommerania. Married to Karoline Wilhelmine Auguste Gommer 5.9.1893. I can not see, where the source for the birthplace is - but maybe it is a hint.

[chickenrun]

Following the hint to the region of "Pommerania" there are 3 places to be found in a list, starting with the letter L, which sound similar to Labanc - with an English pronounciation: Labenz.
Unfortunately the place Schmarow or Schmarsow isn't near any of the 3... It's confusing.

I suggest you try to get in contact with the user on myHeritage, who might have further information on Johann Carl Gommer.

[eifeler]

Guten Tag,

was mich verwirrt, ist, dass der gute Herr Gommer selbst diesen Ort mit der Endung "c" eingetragen hat.
Er ist erst deutscher Muttersprachler und sollte somit die genaue Schreibweise seines Geburtsortes wissen, gleich wie er im Englischen ausgesprochen wird.
Diese Endung vermute ich eher im Polnischen, Tschechichen. Also in Ostpreußen oder Schlesien.

What confuses me is that good Mr Gommer himself entered this place with the ending ‘c’.
He is a native German speaker and should therefore know the exact spelling of his place of birth, no matter how it is pronounced in English.
I suspect this ending is more likely in Polish or Czech. So in East Prussia or Silesia.

Gruß
Der Eifeler

[debert]

Die Namensverbreitung des FN Gommer konzentriert sich eher auf Frankreich, Belgien, Niederlande und ein wenig im Saarland.

https://de.geneanet.org/familiennamen/GOMMER

Maybe that leads to some Ideas.

[debert]

Is there a marriage record for Carl with any information, or the shiplists? I couldn't find him, but a very close record for a Carl Genner arriving May 13 1881 in Baltimore with the vessel Hermann.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98X-X3KF?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQV9F-HNMW&action=view&cc=2173933

[Balthasar70]

Hello,

I have seen your tree at “ancestry.de”. You are missing another son Fred (Frederick Hermann) GOMMER *1911: https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=11246

His mother died when he was 2 months old. He was given to his mother's sister (Jennie BROCKMEIER, married BERKE) in Eustis, Nebraska.

Here is the marriage GOMMER and BROCKMEIER
oo 05.09.1893 in Nebraska https://www.ancestry.de/search/collections/61335/records/900220672
His parents: C. Gommer, Marie? Brand



Hallo,

ich habe Deinen Baum bei "ancestry.de" gesehen. Es fehlt Dir noch ein weiterer Sohn Fred (Frederick Hermann) GOMMER *1911: https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=11246

Seine Mutter starb als er 2 Monate alt war. Er wurde zu der Schwester seiner Mutter (Jennie BROCKMEIER, verheiratete BERKE) nach Eustis, Nebraska gegeben.

Hier ist die Heirat GOMMER und BROCKMEIER
oo 05.09.1893 in Nebraska https://www.ancestry.de/search/colle...ords/900220672
Seine Eltern: C. Gommer, Marie? Brand

[chickenrun]

What confuses me is that good Mr Gommer himself entered this place with the ending ‘c’.

He didn't write the entire form but just swore and signed in front of a clerk, as the text at the bottom says. The handwriting is also slightly different - the small "r" for instance.

I have already come across many spelling mistakes in documents like these, not only in the application papers but also in the final naturalization papers... One would think that people insist on having their papers right, especially important ones like these, but obviously many people were just glad to leave the past behind, starting a new life in the new world.

Btw, I don't insist on having found the right place.

[Ralf_123]

Just my thoughts, with no research, facts, or evidence:

J. C. Gommer did not fill out this form himself because at that time, Germans did not yet write with this script. Also, why would he call himself John and does a German know his height in feet and weight in lbs. In the German language there are only a few, if any, words with a c at the end, so we can assume a z.
I see it like user chickenrun and would think his birthplace is Labenz, betreten Hamburg and Lübeck. There could be 2 places for the wedding that are not so far away from there. Schmarsau near Salzwedel and Schmarsow near Wittstack a.d. Dosse. I know Schmarsow exists 3 times in Pomerania, but this one is the closest.
I would focus the search for the place of birth on Labenz.

[hmw]

But why should it be the Labenz in Lauenburg, as there are three places called Labenz in Pommerania?

[Ralf_123]

But why should it be the Labenz in Lauenburg, as there are three places called Labenz in Pommerania?

Sorry, had only found the one Labenz. Anyway, I think Labenz is at least the right approach for a search, which Labenz is to find out.