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The Senzig family started in the village of
Sentzich. We don't know if Anselme de Sentzich gave his name to the
village in 1250 A.D., or if he took his name from the village that was
presented to him for outstanding service to the Duke of Luxembourg. In
either case, we think of him as "the first Senzig". The village was
located in southern Luxembourg until the border was moved to the North and
it became part of France. On two other occasions border changes redefined
our village as part of Germany. Now, of course, it has finally become part
of France - but to our family it is
Jerusalem. |
The Senzig family then populated a circle including
Alscase-Lorraine in France and the neighboring Saarland of Germany. We were most
noted for our mills, the biggest and most important Taffings Muhle, in our
family for 300 years - but now a restaurant/museum in Sarrlouis-Picard. This era
produced the family's second coat of arms, this one German.This harmonious era
was shattered by the Franco Prussian war of 1870 splitting the circle of our
family; and the beginning of the story of the our American branch!
| Nicholas Senzig, his wife Catherine and
their 4 surviving children began the long walk from Wolflingen to Antwerp.
Pausing long enough to add one more baby to the family, they boarded the
ship to America! |
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In the words of Roger Senzig of Metz, France
In The US, the family stayed a short time in Pennsylvania, then continued on to establish the family farm in Lyndon Station, Wisconsin that was the ancestorial home for over 100 years. When Catherine passed away, Jean Nicolas (Nick) moved north to Ashland and is the patriarch for the Senzigs in Michigan, California and most of those in Florida. Their other European born children settled in other areas of Wisconsin. The story is then told that Nicolas got word of some prospective German brides arriving. He selected his next wife by the callouses on her hands. The first American generation consisted of 4 children, with 3 surviving into adulthood. These children and their descendents, for the most part stayed closer to the farm. The Senzig families in Illinois and Indiana are mostly descended from Peter Senzig that came over by himself at age 17 about the same time that Nicolas came over. (1870) My grandfather's brother, Peter, was a cook in a logging camp and was away from home for long periods, but my research shows that there really were 2 Peter Senzigs!