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Welcome to our Family Tree

Please come in and meet my family make yourself at home and stay awhile. My name is Robert Theodore Trout, known to my friends and family as Bob to my mother it is Bobby I am a 6th Great-grandson of Hans Georg Traut 1695-1745, of Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was my 6th Great-grandfather. That's really going back there I never dreamed I would get that far. My family has been traced back even farther to Johann Heinrich Traut 1672-1733, of Germantown, PA. Although this is still unproven, it is believed he was the father to Hans Georg Traut. Henry Trout as he became known would be my 7th Great-Grandfather When I began researching I had no idea my father was a Jr. Now I am back to Johann Heinrich Traut and still able to continue my research in Germany but I did not get to finding Johann Heinrich Traut on my own there were other genealogy researchers who were able to guide me with my research. They have more experience than I do currently. I am learning strategy from them, I admire their ability and hope I will achieve the know-how in researching they have.
Having said that, I want to clear up credit for the research that was done on this site, there is no way that I could have done all this research. On my research page I thank a lot of people for their help and help they did, but I want to put this paragraph in here because I want the 2 people who are responsible for the research of the Traut, Trout and children and spouse's of them. In the genealogy I list sources that come from a book still in the editing phase and is the 1st edition Ancestors of Robert Theodore Trout descendent of Jacob Trout Sr. Earl Twp, Berks, PA. this is based on extensive research by William F. Trout Koehler, edited and supplemented by Craig H. Trout. Both are distant cousins of mine. I also use as a source Descending Lines of Jacob Trout Sr. of Earl Twp, Berks, PA. (Which is now complete and published) William F. Trout Koehler was responsible for 70 to 80% of this research and Craig H. Trout added his volumes of research and seperated out the Balthazar Trout of Colebrookdale Twp information and built those descending lines and compiled and edited it into the really great work it is. Now Ancestors of Jacob Trout Sr. and the Traut Brethren is based on the extensive research by Craig H. Trout And then I added my own research which is not that extensive on my Trout side but I have done extensive research on the rest of my extended family, and of course I am not finished.
Most of the Mohr / Moore research was given to me by Diana Quinones.

Before I go any further let me explain why I have named this site TROUTS OF LEHIGH COUNTY my grandfather Howard E. Trout Sr., 1881-1923 was born in Berks County as where almost all of his ancestors and family. They were mostly farmers. I believe he left Berks for a better job. I do not believe he wanted to be a farmer as were his ancestors. This led to a possible rift in the family. (I'll explain about the rift a little later) My grandfather met a girl named Ida L. Heffleger 1878-1950 she was born in Baumstown, Berks County near Reading. Her family moved to close by Birdsboro where her father was also a farmer. I do not know how they met or when they were married. This is still an on-going research. According to the 1920 census, they were living along with Howard Trout Jr. 1913-1981 (my father) and Francis 1916-1920 the youngest who would die that very same year in Rittersville, PA. Rittersville is where my father met my mother as described on the Memories Page. With the family having moved into Lehigh County, I decided to title my research Trouts of Lehigh County.

The Rift that I spoke of earlier, I believe started when Grandfather married Ida she was 3 years his senior and granddad wanted a better life for them than farming. Please understand there is nothing wrong with farming, but it is extremely hard work for extremely little money. In Lehigh County he got a job in the Steel Mill to better provide for his family, his brother William and his wife Clementine nee Brady also came up and he worked in the mill but they died in 1918 from Influenza.

Why do I think there was a rift? Well I never met or spoke with any of my great-grand kin folk on the Trout side, not even great-grandmother Sallie known as Sarah nee Kerper (Trout) born 1858 she died in 1947. Nor with any of my great grand Uncles or Aunts, when I asked my mother about it, she just smiled. I asked my mother did granddad and grandma not get along with her and my father Howard Jr. and she replied, "No they did not". Well this is conjecture on my part, and I could be very wrong. If there are any living relatives out there from either the Trout, Krueger, Kerper, Heffleger, Mohr or others and they have any information, please contact me.

I am researching my paternal line which include but are not limited to Traut, Trout, Heffleger/Hayflicker, Kerper/Kerber, Mohr/Moore, Redcay, Retgen, Reitenauer, Jacob and my maternal line Gessner, Walp, Richards, Overdorf. In my direct line there is only myself and my mother, my brother passed away and left 2 lovely daughters and their children and that is why I am doing this, it is my hope they will benefit from my research.

I have started the research into my brothers family, there are Frick, Gruver, Rodgers, Seip, Meyer, Fox, Freed, Kramer, Weider, Lambert, Schmoekel and Thompson. And I am sure there will be more as I contact some and get permission to enter their relatives. I hope to give you a brief history of my family and show you pictures of some of my ancestors. Unfortunately there are not that many pictures for me to include here. My family pictures have been lost or damaged in time. I can only hope that perhaps some of my relatives whom I have been unable to contact will see my site and volunteer more information and possibly some visuals as well. I welcome all inquiries. Thank You.

I would also like to ask every one out there viewing this site if you come across any information on any one on this site please contact me, I am especially interested in any info on JOSPHINE nee RICHARDS GESSNER ABT 1851, She was my Great Grandmother, my Great Grandfather Albert H. Gessner divorced her on Dec. 16, 1901 there is evidence that she left him about 1900 and then he got the divorce. He then Married Charlotte Kroninger. I am also looking for Albert's father Henry H. Gessner born in Germany about 1825.


UPDATE ON BERTHA GESSNER {Bertha remarries, in 1859 she marries a Frantz Schmidt in the 1870 census they have 3 children and her daughter by Henry, Mary Gessner is living with them.} Bertha dies on 17 Apr 1896 and is buried in Westend Cemetery Allentown, PA.

UPDATE ON MARIAN L. TROUT my mother SHE PASSED AWAY FEB. 23rd 2008 WAS BURIED 29 FEB. 2008 next to my father in Arlinton memorial park. She was 91 years 8 months 9days

If you are a member of my extended family and have any information or pictures you would like to include please contact me.