 |
| Hamkin and Danley |
 |
| Hamkin and Danley |
See my original post for details about the photos from my dad's Army scrapbook and please let me know if you recognize anyone in these pictures.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Did my dad know your dad?
My dad loved to take pictures. He took lots of them while he was in the Army from 1949 to 1953. And as you can see from the photo on the left, he labeled them. On the front.
 |
| Daddy and Baggs in Grandma's front yard |
The only scrapbook Daddy ever assembled was the one that began with his Army pictures. A couple years before he died, he gave the bulging book to me.
When I saw those wonderful candid shots of Army buddies relaxing in their fatigues, smoking cigars, playing volleyball and generally having fun, I knew I had to share them. What if the other dads in the pictures shipped off to Korea and didn't return? These images could be among their last.
Enter Wordless Wednesday 2012. I'll be posting photos from my dad's collection once a week for the rest of the year. The pictures were taken between 1949 and 1953 when my dad served in the 17th Company STR in Fort Benning Georgia and Battery D 71st AAA Gun Battalion in Fort Belvoir Virginia.
Did my dad know your dad? If so, he may be in the scrapbook. Stay tuned!
When I saw those wonderful candid shots of Army buddies relaxing in their fatigues, smoking cigars, playing volleyball and generally having fun, I knew I had to share them. What if the other dads in the pictures shipped off to Korea and didn't return? These images could be among their last.
Enter Wordless Wednesday 2012. I'll be posting photos from my dad's collection once a week for the rest of the year. The pictures were taken between 1949 and 1953 when my dad served in the 17th Company STR in Fort Benning Georgia and Battery D 71st AAA Gun Battalion in Fort Belvoir Virginia.
Did my dad know your dad? If so, he may be in the scrapbook. Stay tuned!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
January Birthdays
Happy January birthday to my late grandmother Frances Lois MANGELS born 23 Jan 1911; my sister, my cousin Alexander, and my nephew Eric.
My grandmother's aunt Amanda Ida MANGELS was born 24 Jan 1893 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Amanda testified on my grandmother's behalf when she applied for a delayed birth certificate in May of 1929.
After his divorce from her mother, my grandmother's father Gustave MANGELS married Emilie HEINZELMANN who was born 09 Jan 1899 in Marschalkenzimmern, Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg.
Marie Catherine GURY born 11 Jan 1809 in Altroff, Meurthe, Lorraine, France. This photo is said to be of her. The family story is that Marie Catherine first became a nun and later a Mother Superior. I hope to prove or disprove that story this year.
Marie Catherine's niece Pauline GURY was born 22 Jan 1834 in Léning, Moselle, Lorraine, France.
Pauline immigrated to the United States as a child. Another immigrant Pierre Ferdinand SCHMITT (who was born 28 Jan 1843 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France) would later become her sister's brother-in-law.
Swedes with January birthdays in my family tree include Raymond Carl Johan TOLF (also known as Unkie) born 09 Jan 1891 in Batavia, Kane, Illinois. Unkie is the ancestor who piqued my interest in genealogy.
Unkie's cousin Pearl May TOLF was born 01 Jan 1883 in Dixon, Lee, Illinois and Peter August TOLF was born 01 Jan 1858 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden.
Peter is Unkie's father and my 2nd great-grandfather. He was a blacksmith and foreman for the Wind Engine and Pump Company in Batavia Illinois.
Many of the Tolf men were blacksmiths including Peter's uncle Anders Gustaf TOLF was born 08 Jan 1821 in Lindefors, Jönköping, Sweden.
My grandmother's aunt Amanda Ida MANGELS was born 24 Jan 1893 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Amanda testified on my grandmother's behalf when she applied for a delayed birth certificate in May of 1929.
After his divorce from her mother, my grandmother's father Gustave MANGELS married Emilie HEINZELMANN who was born 09 Jan 1899 in Marschalkenzimmern, Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg.
 |
| Marie Catherine Gury |
Marie Catherine GURY born 11 Jan 1809 in Altroff, Meurthe, Lorraine, France. This photo is said to be of her. The family story is that Marie Catherine first became a nun and later a Mother Superior. I hope to prove or disprove that story this year.
Marie Catherine's niece Pauline GURY was born 22 Jan 1834 in Léning, Moselle, Lorraine, France.
Pauline immigrated to the United States as a child. Another immigrant Pierre Ferdinand SCHMITT (who was born 28 Jan 1843 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France) would later become her sister's brother-in-law.
Swedes with January birthdays in my family tree include Raymond Carl Johan TOLF (also known as Unkie) born 09 Jan 1891 in Batavia, Kane, Illinois. Unkie is the ancestor who piqued my interest in genealogy.
Unkie's cousin Pearl May TOLF was born 01 Jan 1883 in Dixon, Lee, Illinois and Peter August TOLF was born 01 Jan 1858 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden.
Peter is Unkie's father and my 2nd great-grandfather. He was a blacksmith and foreman for the Wind Engine and Pump Company in Batavia Illinois.
Many of the Tolf men were blacksmiths including Peter's uncle Anders Gustaf TOLF was born 08 Jan 1821 in Lindefors, Jönköping, Sweden.
 |
| Foreman Peter TOLF - front and center |
Also hailing from Sweden and born in January; Carl Magnus CARLSON born 05 Jan 1871 in Börstil, Uppsala, Sweden.
From my 2012 Burning Questions list;
From my 2012 Burning Questions list;
- Hanna Sophia PETERSON born 09 Jan 1873 and her brother
- Carl Frithof PETERSON born 27 Jan 1877 in Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden
A number of my Manx ancestors were born in the month of January including:
- Abigail WALTON born 31 Jan 1836 in Lonan, Isle of Man
- John WALTON born 24 Jan 1841 in Lonan, Isle of Man
- Margaret WALTON born 19 Jan 1845 in Lonan, Isle of Man
- Mary WALTON born 24 Jan 1847 in Lonan, Isle of Man and
- Jane CHRISTIAN born 20 Jan 1812 in Lonan, Isle of Man who married a Walton
Conspicuously absent from my calendar is the birthDAY of my 2nd great-grandfather Peter THOMPSON. All I know as of this writing is that he was born Jan 1857 in Norway.
Are any of my ancestors in your family tree too?
Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com
Let's compare notes!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Where Are Otto's Granddaughters?
Although nearly 100 years have passed since Otto V Mueller took his own life, he may remain in the memory of more than just one living descendant. I hope to connect with a family member who may know of him on a more personal level.
Otto and his wife Alvina had one child:
Daughter Edith was nine years old when her parents divorced. Edith's mother Alvina moved back to Ohio...
to be near her widowed brother Arthur J. Schmitt:
Edith married John B. Caine and had three daughters:
According to the Ohio Division of Vital Statistics. Death Certificates and index, December 20, 1908-December 31, 1953. State Archives Series 3094. Ohio Historical Society, Ohio; John B Caine died at the age of 70 on the 2nd of Jun 1975. Edith died at 79 years of age on the 5th of Sep 1982.
One of Edith's daughters passed away in 1999. The two remaining are surely getting on in years. There's been no response from the contributor of a public tree on Ancestry that includes Edith.
I'm cautiously optimistic that this post will result in a connection with someone whose life was touched by Otto V Mueller. I would like to share the information I gathered and if possible, learn more about this man.
If you know of anyone related to Otto V Mueller, Alvina Schmitt Mueller, Edith Mueller Caine or any of their descendants; please contact me at:
find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com
Otto and his wife Alvina had one child:
 |
| 1910 Chicago Illinois Census - Otto Mueller and family |
 |
| Alvina and Edith Mueller on the bottom of the page |
 |
| Arthur is on the top of the next page |
Edith married John B. Caine and had three daughters:
 |
| The Caine family in 1930 Ohio census |
One of Edith's daughters passed away in 1999. The two remaining are surely getting on in years. There's been no response from the contributor of a public tree on Ancestry that includes Edith.
I'm cautiously optimistic that this post will result in a connection with someone whose life was touched by Otto V Mueller. I would like to share the information I gathered and if possible, learn more about this man.
If you know of anyone related to Otto V Mueller, Alvina Schmitt Mueller, Edith Mueller Caine or any of their descendants; please contact me at:
find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com
Saturday, December 31, 2011
2012 New Year's Resolutions
With family group sheet in hand, I nervously reviewed my 2011 resolutions. Not as bad as I thought - whew!
2012 offers new opportunities to make check marks on my genealogy to-do list. Look out family tree, I'm getting serious about climbing you this year! With weekly encouragement from my Success Team partner Jenny, I
1.) Attend at least one out-of-state genealogical conference or convention.
2.) Focus my research on 12 direct-line surnames; Clarin, Clarke, Gury, Landstrom, Littrell, Mangels, Mueller, Peterson, Schmitt, Thompson, Tolf, and Walton. Start by organizing the surname-related computer files, manila folders, family group sheets, and pages on my web site.
3.) Answer the following burning questions:
- Did Esther give birth to the Clarin/Mangels child I recently located? Was her divorce from Gustave really as public as family stories suggest?
- From what country did the Maryland Clarkes originate?
- Who is the child that accompanied Marie-Anne Gury and her children from France to Cincinnati?
- When (and at which port) did Augusta Landstrom arrive in America?
- From what country did the Virginia Littrells originate?
- What did the inquests into Herman Friedrich Carl Mangels and Frank Mangels' deaths reveal?
- In which Swiss town was Jacob Mueller born? Were Otto Mueller and his wife Alvina Schmitt really cousins?
- Where did Maria Fredericka Peterson's sisters settle after leaving Sweden?
- What were the circumstances around Elizabeth Schmitt's divorce from Anton Bidenharn and marriage three days later to Jacob Mueller?
- Where did Peter Thompson die and where is he buried? Was his daughter really institutionalized so her husband could obtain a divorce?
- At which American port did James Walton and his parents end their voyage from the Isle of Man?
5.) Honor the relationship between genealogy and scrapbooking: Scan and digitize old photos. Preserve hard copies of pictures. Archive online photos off-site. Organize, label and safely store slides and negatives. Share pictures with relatives. Assemble heirloom photo albums.
6.) Share (and create more) family history with my glorious grandchildren.
Every one of my goals interests and excites me. 2012 could be a great year for my family and me. I hope yours is even better. Happy New Year!
