Rublinghausen, Olpe, Westphalia, Germany
(Notes by Brian, October 2000)
The baptism record of Elizabeth Clemens gives her birthplace as Ruplinghausen. The record is from a church in Olpe, Westfalen. Another document in my possession spells the town "Rublinghausen."
Olpe is a location in a region called Sauerland in the Westphalia ("Westfalen") province of Germany. I am not sure whether it is a city or a county ("Kreiss").
Olpe has a website: www.olpe.de. The site is in German, and I have not yet attempted to translate it. One one page, www.olpe.de/stadtinfos/frame_strukturdaten.htm, there is a list on which the name Rüblinghausen appears. From this, I gather that Rüblinghausen is a village near or within Olpe.
A web page by Dierk Stoetzel at www.westphalia-emigration.de/Emigrant_lists/Kreis_Olpe/kreis_olpe.html lists some emigrants from Olpe to the USA. On the list are a number of people named Clemens from Rüblinghausen. The name on the list most similar to Ochel (the maiden name of Elizabeth's mother Mary Catherine) is Oeckel, from a town named Brachthausen.
Comments? Suggestions? Send a letter to Brian...