Your Grandmother is a Pomeranian

Holly decided to subscribe to this service called Ancestry.com, and what a treat that has been! I’ve found a wealth of information in her family and mine both that is just blowing my mind. As for her family, it turns out that she (and Ivy) are related to a long-forgotten kingdom of Pomerania, which is the area in modern-day Germany and Poland, dates back more than 10,000 years. Holly’s 14th great grandmother was Sophie of Pomerania (in German: Sophia von Pommern) (1498–1568) was a Queen consort of Denmark and Norway as the spouse of King Frederick I of Denmark. She is known for her independent rule over her fiefs Lolland and Falster, the castles in Kiel and Plön, and several villages in Holsten during her tenure as queen and queen dowager.

The timeline:

• Sofie of Pomerania 1458-1504 (Wismar, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany)
• Anna Von Mecklenburg 1485-1525 (Nassau, Deggendorf, Bayern, Germany)
• Anna Van Solms Laubach 1524-1594 (Neuenstein,Jagstkreis,Württemberg,Germany)
• Dorthea VonHohenlohe 1557-1625 (France)
• Wolfert Webber 1570-1630 (Kings Mansion, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands, death: Holland, Reusel-de Mierden, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands)
• Martje Webber 1603-1677 (Flekkeroy,Sogne,V-Agdr,Norway, death New York, United States)
• Sara Magdalena Jans 1636-1686 (New Amsterdam, New, Netherlands, death New York, United States)
• Symon Schouten 1659-1730 (Holland, Reusel-de Mierden, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands)
• Ephraim Schouten 1758-1807 (Fishkill, Dutchess, New York, USA, death: Half Moon, New York)
• William Schouten 1784-1870 (New York, USA, death Half Moon, Saratoga, New York, USA)
• James Schouten 1819-1882 (Half Moon, Saratoga, New York, United States)
• Phoebe Schouten 1842- (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Addie C. Bixler 1972- (Illinois, USA)
• Alice Marie Bixler 1912-1995 (Centerville, Turner County, South Dakota, USA)
• Jane Louise Heller 1944- (Vermillion, Clay County, South Dakota, USA)
• Holly Janelle Sommer 1970- (Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, USA)

………………………….

More about Pomerania

• Here is more about Queen Sophie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_of_Pomerania
• I can’t do better than Wikipedia in describing Pomerania, so check out this description of this ancient land: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomerania
• As well as this history of the region: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Pomerania

  

• And check out Queen Sophie herself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_of_Pomerania
• Also, this interesting profile of a cousin and descendant of Queen Sophie and her influence on the breed of Pomeranian dogs: http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/129679/1/a_princess%E2%80%99_love_for_the_pedigree_dog_by_lee_connor
• And, yes, that is where the word ‘Pomeranian’ comes from for that particular breed of dog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeranian_(dog)