Katherina
(Catherine)
Ruff

Michaëlis. In it's oldest known form the name is spelled MICHAËLIS. Henri (right), upon his arrival to America in 1847 changed it to MICHAELIS and his first name to Henry to better conform to the English language. I have heard three stories as to the origin of the surname. One, that it is the Latinized version of the name Michael. Another says that it is Latin for 'son of Michael". A third says that it is Latin for "St. Michael". I guess that means that the name is Latin? They are probably all true, but which one was the actual inspiration for our unknown forefather? We shall probably never know.

The Michaëlis line seems to have originated in Prussia, at least that is where the most people with the surname have their origins. Another clue pointing to this is the fact that the Prussian version is also pronounced the same as the Luxembourg version.

Believed to be
Henri Jean Michaëlis
(Henry John Michaelis, Sr.)

Beyond that, we only know of Dominik Michaëlis, whom we suspect to be Peter's father. On 24 June, 1708 the Chaplain Johann Molitor of Sassenheim certified that Dominik Michaëlis was a "Koster", school-master, and Scribe to Sassenheim, and as a pastor for three years had had a good effect. Solidifying this suspicion is the fact that Peter's family enjoyed a certain respect in the village community. The Michaëlis children were looked up to due to their clean and maintained handwriting, while most neighboring children could hardly read and write. Coincidence?

We do know that the Michaëlis family has always been heavily involved with the Catholic church, producing numerous priests and nuns. This was true even in older times, as Luxembourg was for a time the center of Constantine's Holy Roman Empire, and unlike the rest of Europe, escaped involvement in the Reformation. Catholicism stayed true and strong there, and so too in our Michaelis family, generation after generation.