BACKGROUND
The name "Poenitz" is fairly unique. It is obviously of German origin. I'm convinced that everyone with that name is somehow connected to others who share that name. The name has no direct meaning in today's German, but it has been suggested that the name, as a surname, is derived from the small town in north Germany from the state of Schleswig-Holstein. When a group of folks moved away from there a LONG TIME ago, they adopted that as their last name when they arrived in Saxony. No one with the name of Poenitz, lives in the town with that name. But all Poenitz originally stem from an area of Saxony near a village of Niederstriegis. If you have more info on the name Poenitz, please let me know.
The name was originally spelled Pönitz (with umlauts), but since that letter doesn't exist in English, the ö is changed to oe (as with all German words that contain umlauts) and so the spelling Poenitz is also correct. In America, one line of the family changed it to Paenitz so that it could be more easily pronounced in English.
Growing up I looked at pictures of our relatives in Germany, sitting on my grandmother Rosa's lap. We were always a close family and have kept in contact with our distant cousins throughout the years. Starting with great grandpa Gottlob in Naundorf, I have tried to keep the history of this line of Poenitz accurate. I will be adding additional Poenitz lines and history as time goes on; but first the descendants (five children) of Gottlob and Christiane Poenitz. If you have more info or corrections, please email and let me know.
..... Johann Gottlob Pönitz (1829 - 1906)
..... b: 14 May 1829 in Rudelsdorf bei Niederstriegis, Kreis Döbeln, Sachsen, Germany
..... d: 04 Mar 1906 in Naundorf bei Böhrigen Sachsen, Germany
...... + Christiane Pauline Münch (1836 - 1885)
..... b: 14 May 1836 in Rudelsdorf bei Niederstriegis, Kreis Döbeln, Sachsen, Germany
..... m: 26 Oct 1862 in Knobelsdorf, Döbeln, Sachsen, Germany
..... d: 22 Jun 1885 in Naundorf bei Boehrigen, Sachsen, Germany
Children:
........... Anna Marie Pönitz (1863 - 1939)
........... b: 24 Jun 1863 in Niederstriegis, Sachsen, Germany
........... d: 23 Mar 1939 in Naundorf, Dobeln, Sachsen, Germany
........... + Traugott Leberecht Ludwig (1863 - 1945)
........... b: 05 Mar 1863 in Etzdorf, Mittweida, Sachsen, Germany
........... m: 02 Mar 1890 in Greifendorf, bei Hainichen, Sachsen, Germany
........... d: 08 Jan 1945 in Naundorf ueber Doebeln, Sachsen, Germany
........... Gottlob Oskar Pönitz (1864 - 1922)
........... b: 09 Jun 1864 in Niederstriegis, Sachsen, Germany
........... d: 18 Mar 1922 in Berbersdorf, Mittweida, Sachsen, Germany
........... + Ernstine Maria Elisabeth Eichhorn (1870 - 1919)
........... b: 11 Jul 1870 in Germany, m: in Germany
........... d: 25 May 1919 in Berbersdorf, Mittweida, Sachsen, Germany
........... + Theresia Anna Selbmann ( - 1947)
........... b: in Germany, m: 1921 in Germany
........... d: 28 Mar 1947 in Germany
........... Johann Hermann Pönitz (1867 - 1930)
........... b: 29 Jan 1867 in Niederstriegis, Sachsen, Germany
........... d: 12 Jan 1930 in Oberholz bei Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany
........... + Ida Lina Wolf (1880 - 1962)
........... b: 04 May 1880 in Berbersdorf, Mittweida, Sachsen, Germany
........... m: 28 May 1901 in Pappendorf, Sachsen, Germany
........... d: 27 Feb 1962 in Leipzig, Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany
........... Friedrich Paul Pönitz (1868 - 1950)
........... b: 06 Dec 1868 in Naundorf über Döbeln, Kreis Greifendorf, Sachsen, Germany
........... d: 09 Aug 1950 in Radebeul, Sachsen, Germany
........... + Martha Trommer (1869 - 1961)
........... b: 23 Jul 1869 in Chemnitz, Sachsen, Germany
........... m: 25 Nov in Germany
........... d: 26 Dec 1961 in Radebeul, Sachsen, Germany
........... Karl Bruno Pönitz (1872 - 1957)
........... b: 06 Jan 1872 in Naundorf, bei Böhrigen, Kreis Greifendorf, Saxony, Germany
........... d: 25 Jul 1957 in La Vernia, Guadalupe, Texas, USA
........... + Rosa Henrietta Vorpahl (1878 - 1969)
........... b: 21 Oct 1878 in La Vernia, Guadalupe, Texas, USA
........... m: 22 Nov 1898 in La Vernia, Guadalupe, Texas, USA by Rev. D. Kuchenbacher
........... d: 18 Jul 1969 in La Vernia, Guadalupe, Texas, USA
2nd wife of Johann Gottlob Poenitz
..... + Johanne Christiane Henriette Teichgräber Hempel (1842 - )
..... b: 13 Mar 1842 in Doebeln, Sachsen, Germany,
..... m: 20 Sep 1891 in Greifendorf, Sachsen, Germany,
..... d: in Germany
Hermann, Oskar, Marie, Paul
Bruno, Christiane, Gottlob
Here is a picture of a Poenitz Crest. It was found with Gerda Poenitz Waechtler's things in Koetzschenbroda. Whether it is an actual crest from the family, or something that was create during East German era, I don't know. But it makes for a good conversation piece.
