Ieva Sedols (my great, great-grandmother) was born January 31, 1869 in Sieksate pagast according to the 1935 and 1941 Latvian censuses. Sieksate is north and west of Nikrace, just a little west of the area’s largest settlement -Skrunda. When I began looking for her baptism record, I searched the Skrunda parish church books since that is the closest large congregation I was aware of in the area, but turned up unsuccessful. Not sure where else to look, I put Ieva Sedols on the backburner for a while.
Until now! With a slightly better understanding on Latvian geography than before, I took a second look and noticed Valtaiki draudze (Neuhausen in German), checked and…
Success! Ieva Sedols, daughter of Janis Sedols and Madde, nee Strohmann of Jaunsemm farm in Berghof estate (Jaunzemji in Kalnmuiza {“Berg” “hof” = “hill” “house” = “kaln” “muiza”}). These church books are very faded and hard to read. Born January 31, 1869 and baptised February 9, 1869 at Valtaiki. Godparents are Ieva Strohmann (maiden), Lise ….ming? and Mikelis Sedols (youth).
Here she is:
Ieva married Jekabs Grinbergs alias Akerfelds in 1892 at Embute Lutheran church. This couple had 5 children: Ernests, Anna, Janis, Martins (born in Tomsk, Siberia) and Katte, before Jekabs died at age 34, leaving Ieva a young widow, living at Cepli farm in Lieldzelda with her 5 children.
(click to enlarge) Jekabs and Ieva's marriage record
Ieva remarried in 1908, to another widower named Janis Blazges. I don’t know if this couple had any children. Janis passed away sometime before 1935, and Ieva was a widow again, living with her son and daughter at Skrundenieki at the time of the 1935 and 1941 Latvian censuses.
(click to enlarge) Ieva's 2nd marriage to Janis Blazges in 1908, 4 years after Jekab's death
When her fellow family living at Skrundenieki were forced to leave their home to go to Germany, Ieva was not with them. My guess is she passed away in Nikrace sometime between mid 1941 and October of 1944.
http://chelli11.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/roadblock-akerfelds/
