How do I find information on my deceased grandmother from Germany?

Question

My grandmother was from the Stuttgart area in Germany but then moved to the US after World War Two. She died very young and our family does not know much about her. The only thing we know is that she married my grandfather who was enlisted in the military at the time. Her last name was Lotte Roller. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Start with everything you can dig up about her life in the US first, as it's the most recent and attainable information. Familysearch.org is a good place to start. You'll likely gather more information within your US search that will be useful later when you expand your search internationally.

I have a german grandfather that has been my brickwall for years, so be patient and don't give up, sometimes answers take time in genealogy. Is your grandfather that married her deceased, too? If so, his military records or simply researching him as well might lead you to clues about your grandmother. In genealogy one clue leads to the next and to the next. Try to find out things like what her religion was in Germany....church records are very good resources.

If your not familiar with Germany, print out a map and familiarize yourself with Stuttgart. If she came to the US after WWII, ask yourself how Stuttgart might have been affected by the war, the big details of a certain time period can also lead you to specific info about your ancestor, or at least clue you in to where to find what your looking for.

Answer 2

Georgia Deaths, 1919-98

Birth, Marriage & Death  

Name: Lottie B Mcgowan

County of Death: Richmond

County of Residence: Richmond

Year of Death: 1974

Could you clarify who Lotte came to the US with and where she married Frank?

Thks

Answer 3

I often try to find my heritage overseas, and I have found the Rootsweb site (I believe it's a branch off of geneology.com), or the Church of Latter Day Saints site pretty helpful. Also, if you can find (Church) Diocese records from the Stuttgart area you may find more about her.

Hope this is useful.

Take Care.

XoXo Jade

Answer 4

I think the above answer has your grandmother's death date, which is where you must start.  Her death certificate will have the exact dates that you need. You also need to have the specifics relating to grandpa (that gives a time frame for her immigration).  Both will likely have social security numbers, leading to their ss files, which you can send for.

Her records in the US will probably have the exact place she was born, and name of her parents. From there, you can tag into German based research sources or email groups, and determine how to pin down records there.