Wanderlust

This is Uncle Reinhart on the left and his nephew Walter. Isn't Uncle Reinhart handsome!

Wanderlust

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Farming in South Dakota on the homestead.

This is my grandfather Robert "Roy" Fermazin who 

went to South Dakota to work on the homestead with his Uncle Reinhart Fermazin. I am sure they worked hard and long hours and had a great time.

Wanderlust

                                                                Wanderlust

   AWOL! Adventurer. Good Character. Handsome.  Forger. Naturalized Citizen. Homesteader. Industrious. Motorman. These attributes describe my great-great-uncle Reinhart Fermazin.

   My dad fondly remembered his uncle Reinhart who came to visit dad, Lola, Grandma and Grandpa when he was in town. Reinhart used to bring his wives, Lillian who died in 1930 and later Anna.  Lillian was the quiet one. Very pretty, dressed in her Sunday best with a hat and gloves, she would sit in the corner of the living room not saying anything except that she was glad to be back home. Aunt Lillian would don an apron at meal-time and help Grandma set the table. Anna, came to the house a few times with Reinhart but dad said he did not care for her. She was short, about 5 feet tall, pretty with long blonde hair but “she didn’t help do anything, just sat there interrupting the stories Grandpa and Uncle were telling." Maybe this was because she never lived on the homestead or farmed. Anna was a Chicago girl of Slavic ancestry and had a thick non-German accent. According to dad, no one could understand her anyway. Dad said he wished Anna would stay home.

 What dad recalled most was sitting on the floor next to Reinhart listening to the yarns he told about his sharpshooter days in the Philippines and farming in Minnesota and South Dakota. From 1906 to 1913 before he was married, Grandpa went to South Dakota every fall to help harvest the crops. The first year, the homestead brought in a big crop but the following year there was nothing much harvested as the grasshoppers and potato bugs ate it all.

Dad possessed one old picture of Reinhart dressed in his baggy pants with suspenders working in the cornfields with a pony next to him. Reinhart was more like a brother than an uncle to Grandpa because they were so close in age. Grandpa was eleven years younger than Reinhart. Grandma said that Reinhart and Grandpa looked alike when they were younger. Both had blonde hair so white that they nicknamed Grandpa, Whitey. Both were 5’8” tall and had blue eyes and fair skin.

   Reinhart, who was born on January 28, 1875 in Godziwy, Schubin, Posen, Prussia immigrated to America as an infant with his mother Carolina Hartwig and his sister Bertha. They joined his father, Friedrich and sister Amelia in Aurora, Illinois, a small German community along the Fox River.

   It seems Reinhart’s life was uneventful as a child but more adventuresome as an adult. In 1898, Reinhart enlisted in the Spanish American War in Evanston, Wyoming, which was not too far from where he was living in Minnesota. Uncle Reinhart’s military service occurred in Fort San Felipe, Manila, Philippine Islands, for about one year as part of the First Wyoming Volunteer Infantry Battalion, Company H.  He was a rifleman sharpshooter during his tour of duty. During his time in Manila, he was absent from his post without permission of his commanding officer and served three times in the brig with ten days of hard labor and court martialed. In his final month of duty Uncle Reinhart was reported “in confinement” or in other words, in the brig.  On July 28, 1899 he was discharged at Manila.  Inexplicidly, given his court martials and infractions, he mustered out at the Presidio in San Francisco with “service honorable and faithful, character good.

    Prior to serving in the Spanish American War, Minnesota, was his home where he farmed with his brother Karl.  At age 18 when living in Minnesota, Reinhart was arrested for forging a payroll check but jumped bail and was never prosecuted. His brother, Karl paid the fines. He returned to Aurora, Illinois, still single where he lived in a boarding house and worked as a farm laborer.  There he obtained his citizenship.

   In 1903, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he married his first wife, Sharlot Wittelsbach. Married only a short time, Sharlot died of consumption a year later. Two years after Sharlot’s death Reinhart married Lillian  of Chicago. This marriage lasted until 1930, when Lillian died from complications of multiple sclerosis.

   In the fall of 1908, Reinhart obtained a 160-acre homestead in Lemmon, Perkin County, South Dakota. The Homestead Act allowed "any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who shall have filed his declaration of intention to become such" the right to claim 160 acres of land, a quarter-section, for free. The claimant need only pay a small filing fee and live on and improve the land for five years. If he so chose, the homesteader could buy the land for $1.25 an acre after six months. Lemmon, South Dakota was a growing and prosperous town in Perkin, County. This was due to the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad being surveyed which would make the area desirable to export crops. The population in 1908, was1,350 people.

   He and Lillian moved onto the land March 30, 1909. By April, with the help of their neighbors, the Fermazin’s built a 12 x 16 foot sod house with a lumber floor and roof, three windows, one door and a cellar 5 ft by 6 ft under the house within the first month of living there. He drilled a "well 27 feet deep on the property and built a chicken coop and a sod barn with a pole roof covered with hay. He planted about 70 trees, Ash and Box elders on six acres, fenced it off with two wires and posts two rods apart. The value of the improvements was $ 300.00. During the first year, he broke soil and planted corn and potatoes, harvesting 15 bushels of corn and 25 bushels of potatoes. 
   It seems while a homesteader and tending the land the Federal Government, disputed Reinhaet's intentions. They accused him of illegally removing minerals from the land. On March 30, 1909, Reinhart testified in his affidavit that “I have not heretofore perfected or abandoned an entry under the homestead of the United States.” Witnesses verified that Reinhart was present on the land continuously farming and not removing gold or coal. In his sworn statement on June 10, 1910, William Wells affirmed he knew Reinhart since 1903. He swore:  “From my personal knowledge I have seen the Claimant and the land every day that he has been home. I should say on the average of once a week. I join Claimant on the east and our homes are only ten rods apart.”[ Another homesteader, Charles W. Carver testified on June 29, 1910, that, “I have seen the Claimant and the land on the average of twice a week, I live two miles from the Claimant and the land.” According to further testimony by the witnesses, Reinhart “went away in July 1909 to earn money to support his family and returned in September. During this time his wife remained on the claim. In January 1910 Reinhart left to purchase household goods and farm machinery, and returned in April 1910 with his wife being on the claim all the time.” The sworn statements were accepted and Reinhart was proved innocent of all charges.

   Life was rough on the homestead. Homes were made of sod, decorations sparse. Sod farmers improvised using: muslin and canvas to cover ceilings to catch bugs that fell onto the kitchen table and beds, oiled paper for windows to allow light in and keep the bugs out, and cheesecloth for screens. Catalogs, newspapers and occasional personal letters were used as wallpaper.  In the spring wild flowers, decorated the environment growing out of the thick sod roof and windows. Women worked hard and long hours, moving the beds outside in the daytime so that they could cook and set the table for meals. They canned and made candles. Hot coals had to be carried to the cellars to keep the foods from freezing in the winter. The women made many trips back and forth from the cellars to bring items in for meals. Settlers did not have time or materials to fence the garden so many gardens were destroyed by wild animals. Grasshoppers and potato bugs were very common and ruined many crops. Life was harsh, maybe too harsh for Lillian and Reinhart, as he sold or abandoned the homestead in 1919.

  By 1920, Reinhart and Lillian moved back to Chicago where he obtained work as a motorman for the Chicago Surface Railway Company (streetcars). Whitman’s Big Little Book: Believe It for Not (Chicago 1933) featured Reinhart as the only person to name all of the streets in Chicago from memory.

I suspect that Lillian never adjusted to frontier life since she was used to living in the city with many urban amenities including lighting and plumbing. This may have precipitated the return to Chicago.

    In 1931at the age of 56, after Lillian’s death and 24 years of marriage, the handsome Reinhart married a young single woman, 21 years old, named Anna. They lived in Chicago for the remainder of his life. Reinhart never had any children. He did indeed live an adventuresome life, AWOL in the armed services, suspected AWOL on his homestead and skirting the law on a few occasions. He was a fascinating guy! You can only help but love him. He is one person, among many ancestors, I would have liked to know.

     Reinhart Fermazin passed away on November 13,1939 at the age of 64 years old with his wife Anna at

his side.

---

Surname Saturday: FERMAZIN

 Posting Ahnentafel of my dad, Robert Fermazin to Michael Lanen 

1 Robert Fermazin. Buried in Riverside, California. Born on 23 Apr 1916. Robert died in Buena Park, California, on 7 Nov 2005; he was 89.

On 7 Feb 1942 when Robert was 25, he married Grace Worthing in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA.

2 Robert Roy Fermazin. Born on 25 Nov 1886 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA. Buried on 14 Apr 1960 in Lincoln Memorial Park, Montgomery,  Illinois. Robert Roy died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, on 12 Apr 1960; he was 73.

abt 1913 when Robert Roy was 26, he married Mary Katherine Linden in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA.

3 Mary Katherine Linden. Born on 26 Aug 1887 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA. Buried in 1969 in Lincoln Memorial Park, Montgomery, Illinois. Mary Katherine died in Buena Park California, on 20 Aug 1969; she was 81.

4 Charles Karl Daniel Fermazin. Born in Nov 1859 in Province Posen, Schubin Prussia. Buried on 6 Jun 1913 in Riverside Cemetary, Aurora, Kane, Illinois. Charles Karl Daniel died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, on 3 Jun 1913; he was 53.

On 16 Aug 1885 when Charles Karl Daniel was 25, he married Wilhelmine Pl¸cker in St. Paul's Luteran Church, Aurora, Kane,  Illinois.

5 Wilhelmine Pluecker. Born on 6 Jun 1868 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA. Buried on 21 Apr 1952 in Riverside Cemetary, Aurora, Illionos. Wilhelmine died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, on 17 Apr 1952; she was 83.  Born on 6 Jun 1868 in Aurora, Illinois, USA. Wilhelmine died in Aurora, Illinois, USA, in 1952; she was 83. .

6 Mathias Linden. Born on 27 Mar 1854 in Waldbillig, Luxembourg. Buried in 1909 in St. Joseph's Cemetary. Mathias died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, on 3 Jan 1909; he was 54.

On 4 Jan 1882 when Mathias was 27, he married Catharina Pott in Aurora, Kane, Illinois St. Joseph Catholic church.

7 Catharina Pott. Born on 2 Mar 1853 in Lipperscheid, Luxemburg. Buried in 1917 in St. Joseph's Cemetary. Catharina died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, on 8 Feb 1917; she was 63.

8 Friedrich Fermazin. Born abt 1819 in Posen, Prussia. Friedrich died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, abt 1899; he was 80. Born in 1819 in Posen, Prussia. Friedrich died in Aurora, Illinois, USA, in 1899; he was 80.

On 9 Jan 1853 when Friedrich was 34, he married Justine Brauer in Labischin parish.

9 Justine Brauer. Born in 1828 in Arnoldowo, Labischin, Posen, Prussia. Born in Germany.

10 Bernhard Ludwig August Pl¸cker. Born on 6 Dec 1835 in Kohlgrund, Germany. Buried on 6 Aug 1912 in St. Paul's Lutheran cemetary, Aurora, Kane, Illinois. Bernhard Ludwig August died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, on 3 Aug 1912; he was 76.

On 27 Jan 1864 when Bernhard Ludwig August was 28, he married Auguste Friederike Christiane Herbold in Kohlgrund, Germany.

11 Auguste Friederike Christiane Herbold. Born on 10 May 1835 in Herbsen, Germany. Buried on 20 Jun 1910 in St. Paul's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Aurora, Kane, Illinois. Auguste Friederike Christiane died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois, USA, on 16 Jun 1910; she was 75.

12 Theodore Dietr Linden. Born on 8 Sep 1808 in Waldbillig, Luxembourg. Theodore Dietr died in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

On 9 Sep 1841 when Theodore Dietr was 33, he married Maria Margaretha Wagener in Waldbilig, Luxembourg.

13 Maria Margaretha Wagener. Born on 24 Jan 1816 in Berdorf. Maria Margaretha died in Berdorf, Luxembourg. Born on 24 Jan 1816 in Berdorf, Luxembourg.

14 Jean Pott. Born on 16 Jan 1819 in Gilsdorf, Luxembourg. Jean died in Flebour, Michelau, Luxembourg, on 28 Sep 1858; he was 39.

On 16 Oct 1850 when Jean was 31, he married Susanne Biver in Bourscheid, Luxembourg.

15 Susanne Biver. Born in Michelau, Luxenburg.

16 Daniel Formaezyn. Born abt 1785.

abt 1806 when Daniel was 21, he married Marianna Sabezinska Soblinska.

17 Marianna Sabezinska Soblinska. Born abt 1785.

18 Mr. Brauer. Born in Arnoldowo, posen Prussia.

20 Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm Pl¸cker. Born on 28 Feb 1782 in Kohlgrund, Germany. Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm died in Kohlgrund, Germany, on 9 Oct 1859; he was 77.

Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm married Joahanna Margueretha Elisabeth Schafer.

21 Joahanna Margueretha Elisabeth Schafer. Born on 3 Apr 1810 in Kohlgrund, Germany. Joahanna Margueretha Elisabeth died in Kohlgrund, Germany, on 9 Oct 1859; she was 49.

22 Heinrich William Herbold. Born on 17 Jun 1801 in Herbsen, Germany. Heinrich William died in Herbsen, Germany, on 23 Sep 1864; he was 63.

Heinrich William married Unknown wife herbold.

23 Unknown wife herbold.

24 Pierre Linden. Born on 13 Sep 1774 in Waldbillig Luxembourg. Pierre died in Waldbillig, Luxembourg, on 2 Jan 1836; he was 61. Born in 1784 in Waldbillig Luxembourg.

On 13 Feb 1804 when Pierre was 29, he married Margaretha Kartheiser in Luxembourg.

25 Margaretha Kartheiser. Born on 9 Aug 1786 in Waldbillig, Luxembourg. Margaretha died in Waldbillig, Luxembourg, on 12 Apr 1867; she was 80. Born in 1784. Margaretha died in 1848; she was 61.

26 Peter Wagener. Born in 1779 in Berdorf,  Luxembourg. Peter died in Berdorf, Luxembourg, on 25 Jul 1860; he was 81.

On 16 Jan 1807 when Peter was 28, he married Antoinette Johanneta Lehnen in Berdorf, Luxembourg.

27 Antoinette Johanneta Lehnen. Born in 1780 in Berdorf,  Luxembourg. Antoinette Johanneta died in Berdorf, Luxembourg, on 4 Mar 1862; she was 82.

28 Jean Pott. Born on 17 Oct 1773 in Fouhren, Luxembourg. Jean died in Gilsdorf, Luxembourg, on 24 Apr 1825; he was 51.

On 30 Dec 1801 when Jean was 28, he married Appoline Schiltgen in Diekirch, Luxembourg.

29 Appoline Schiltgen.

30 Michel Biver. Born on 27 Jan 1795 in Goesdorf, Luxemburg. Michel died in Bourscheid-FlÈbour, Luxemburg, on 1 Jul 1850; he was 55.

Michel married Elisabeth Knaps.

31 Elisabeth Knaps. Born on 25 Apr 1802 in Lipperscheid, Luxemburg. Elisabeth died in Flebour, Michelau, Luxembourg, on 1 Jun 1880; she was 78.

32 Jacob Formaezyn. Born abt 1755.

40 Johann Wilhelm Pl¸cker. Born abt 1758 in Herbsen, Germany.

Johann Wilhelm married Marie Henriette Cloers.

41 Marie Henriette Cloers.

42 Johann Bernhard Schafer.

Johann Bernhard married Susana Elisabeth ?.

43 Susana Elisabeth ?

44 Johannes Wilhelm Herbold. Born on 13 Apr 1777 in Herbsen, Germany. Johannes Wilhelm died in Herbsen, Germany, on 14 Mar 1808; he was 30.

On 3 May 1801 when Johannes Wilhelm was 24, he married Wilhelmine Friederike Kleinschmit in Herbsen, Germany.

45 Wilhelmine Friederike Kleinschmit. Born on 8 Nov 1772 in Herbsen, Germany. Wilhelmine Friederike died in Herbsen, Germany, on 24 Jan 1828; she was 55.

48 Valentine Linden. Born abt 1737 in Waldbillig, Luxembourg. Valentine died in Waldbillig, Luxembourg, on 11 Dec 1809; he was 72.

On 12 Dec 1763 when Valentine was 26, he married Elisabeth Velter in Waldbillig, Luxembourg.

49 Elisabeth Velter. Born abt 1741 in Junglinster, Luxembourg.

50 Jean Nicolas Kartheiser. Born on 5 Oct 1760. Jean Nicolas died on 28 Mar 1837; he was 76.

abt 1784 when Jean Nicolas was 23, he married Maria Federspiel.

51 Maria Federspiel. Born in 1762. Maria died on 19 Feb 1810; she was 48.

52 Bernard (step father) Bichler.

Bernard (step father) married Anna Maria Krein.

53 Anna Maria Krein. Born in Berdorf, Luxembourg.

54 Peter Lehnen.

Peter married Marie Feylen.

55 Marie Feylen.

56 Jean Pierre Pott. Born on 29 Nov 1734 in Roth, RP, Germany.

On 26 Feb 1770 when Jean Pierre was 35, he married Marguerite Bauler in Fouhren-Kirche, Luxembourg.

57 Marguerite Bauler. Born abt 1748 in Fouhren, Luxembourg. Marguerite died in Fouhren, Luxembourg, on 11 Feb 1805; she was 57.

58 Nicolas Schiltgen.

Nicolas married Angele Welter.

59 Angele Welter. Born on 5 Nov 1773 in Gilsdorf, Luxembourg. Angele died in Gilsdorf, Luxembourg, on 25 Dec 1824; she was 51.

60 Joseph Biwer. Born on 27 Jun 1762 in Vianden, Luxemburg. Joseph died in Michelau, Luxembourg, on 3 Jan 1821; he was 58.

On 21 Dec 1786 when Joseph was 24, he married Catherine Lux in Feulen, Luxemburg.

61 Catherine Lux. Born abt 1765 in Eschdorf, Luxemburg. Catherine died in Heiderscheid, Luxemburg, on 2 Feb 1802; she was 37.

88 Johan Heinrich Herbold. Born in Herbsen, Germany.

On 15 Nov 1757 Johan Heinrich married Elisabeth Gemecker in Herbsen, Germany.

89 Elisabeth Gemecker.

90 Johannes Kleinschmit.

On 14 Feb 1770 Johannes married Susanne Elisabeth Bick in Herbsen, Germany.

91 Susanne Elisabeth Bick.

96 Henri Lannen. Born abt 1711 in Waldbillig, Luxembourg. Henri died in Waldbillig, Luxembourg, on 21 Jun 1771; he was 60.

bef 1738 when Henri was 27, he married Margaretha Nn.

97 Margaretha Nn. Born abt 1714 in Waldbillig, Luxembourg.

112 Jean Pott. Born in 1707 in Roth, RP, Germany. Jean died in Roth, RP, Germany, on 30 Apr 1784; he was 77.

On 21 Nov 1729 when Jean was 22, he married Marie Regine Betz in Roth, RP, Germany.

113 Marie Regine Betz. Born abt 1709. Marie Regine died in Roth, RP, Germany, on 21 Apr 1747; she was 38.

114 Paul Bauler.

120 Mathieu Biwer.

Mathieu married Anne Marie Ludes.

121 Anne Marie Ludes.

122 Michel Lucas.

Michel married Marie Barbe Schroeder.

123 Marie Barbe Schroeder.

192 Michel Lannen. Born abt 1680.

224 Joes Nikolaus Pott. Born abt 1684 in Roth, RP, Germany.

bef 1706 when Joes Nikolaus was 22, he married Anna Maria Nn.

225 Anna Maria Nn. Born abt 1685.

448 Jakob Pott. Born abt 1665 in ex Roth, RP, Germany.

bef 1680 when Jakob was 15, he married Nn.

449 Nn. Born abt 1668.

If you have any of these surnames I would be interested in hearing from you.

Index

Bauler 

Marguerite 57

Paul 114

Betz 

Marie Regine 113

Bichler 

Bernard (step father) 52

Bick 

Susanne Elisabeth 91

Biver 

Michel 30

Susanne 15

Biwer 

Joseph 60

Mathieu 120

Brauer 

Justine 9

Mr. 18

Cloers 

Marie Henriette 41

Federspiel 

Maria 51

Fermazin 

Charles Karl Daniel 4

Friedrich 8

Robert 1

Robert Roy 2

Feylen 

Marie 55

Formaezyn 

Daniel 16

Jacob 32

Gemecker 

Elisabeth 89

Herbold 

Auguste Friederike Christiane 11

Heinrich William 22

Johan Heinrich 88

Johannes Wilhelm 44

Unknown wife 23

Kartheiser 

Jean Nicolas 50

Margaretha 25

Kleinschmit 

Johannes 90

Wilhelmine Friederike 45

Knaps 

Elisabeth 31

Krein 

Anna Maria 53

Lannen 

Henri 96

Michel 192

Lehnen 

Antoinette Johanneta 27

Peter 54

Linden 

Mary Katherine 3

Mathias 6

Pierre 24

Theodore Dietr 12

Valentine 48

Lucas 

Michel 122

Ludes 

Anne Marie 121

Lux 

Catherine 61

Nn 

UNNAMED 449

Anna Maria 225

Margaretha 97

Pl¸cker 

Bernhard Ludwig August 10

Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm 20

Johann Wilhelm 40

Wilhelmine 5

Pott 

Catharina 7

Jakob 448

Jean 112

Jean 28

Jean 14

Jean Pierre 56

Joes Nikolaus 224

Schafer 

Joahanna Margueretha Elisabeth 21

Johann Bernhard 42

Schiltgen 

Appoline 29

Nicolas 58

Schroeder 

Marie Barbe 123

Soblinska 

Marianna Sabezinska 17

Velter 

Elisabeth 49

Wagener 

Maria Margaretha 13

Peter 26

Welter 

Angele 59

Genealogy Society of North Orange County California Meeting January 20, 2010

Our presentation was given by  Colonel Ed Mann speaking on:

       The American Civil War


   How did our Civil War affect your ancestors? To give us a new perspective and to encourage our search to better understand the war's impact on our families, a Confederate Officer explains why he fights, why secession is a legal right for the Southern states and why the North is using unconstitutional force to maintain a union.
Interested in history--especially military history--since childhood, Ed Mann has been a Civil War
 re-enactor for 20 years. He is the Confederate commander and re-enactor coordinator at the largest annual reenactment west of the Mississippi, and holds similar positions at other reenactments in Southern California. Ed's unit is the Richmond Howitzer Battalion,1st Virginia, Regiment, Co H. This unit was founded in 1859 by the grandson of Thomas Jefferson.
   Ed Mann gave us an enlightening history from the South's perception. He presented his talk in the first person from 1863 Confederacy.  He talked about the US constitution, secession, Articles of Confederation, War of 1812, Massachusetts as the first state to think of secession, occupations, industrialization of the North, agriculture of the South, enlistments and many other aspects of the War Between the States. I highly recommend Ed as a speaker to your Genealogy Society.
This was an excellent presentation and enlightened many of us and made us more knowledgeable of the Civil War.

Read about Ed's Re Enactment encampment at:
 http://www.howitzers.com

Learning to Write from the Expert

I attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy from January 11-15, 2010.  My track was Dr. John Colletta's course:  “ Producing a Quality Family History.” I enjoyed his course. He is charming and the course was wonderful. In the past, I have taken his classes at local all day Genealogy Seminars in Southern California and enjoyed his presentations immensely. I was thrilled to have the pleasure to take a class from him for a whole week. Dr. Colletta did not present his class last year so I jumped at the chance of being able to enroll this year and it met all of my expectations and then some.

  His style of teaching is unique. He has you write your story from a historical context. Colletta used excerpts from his book,  Only a Few Bones to demonstrate techniques for putting the story in the historical context.  Colletta recommends using the five senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell into your story and “hooking” the reader with a catchy title and gripping opening sentence.  His principles of good story writing include: "Using strong verbs, effective adjectives, keeping the ancestor at ‘center stage’,  and using vivid descriptions to conjure images in the reader’s mind".  One example he used was writing a story from a two sentence marriage announcement in a Vicksburg  newspaper from the 1860. He turned those lines into a complete true, historical context by using maps, weather, addresses, and names.

A sample newspaper article below depicting local events 

 For example, I’ve found my Aurora, Illinois Nancy Hansen mentioned in the Aurora Beacon News and also found my Linden Family in the Luxembourger Gazette.  These were people who were living lives that were not particularly noteworthy.

     In another class, Colletta discussed the importance of finding a theme in the events of our ancestors’ lives and shaping our narrative around this theme. We discussed typical story themes: "ambition, hardship, nonconformity, migration, sacrifice" and examined potential themes in the lives of Colletta’s ancestors.  Venues and suggestions were given for presenting family history stories: vignettes, mini narratives, the “big” family history book, as booklets for Christmas to our relatives.

    We were assigned a four paragraph in-class writing assignment.  It was a priviledge to complete the story on my ancestor, Reinhardt Fermazin and an honor to have John Colletta critique my story.

    This was truly a wonderful week long seminar and a priviledge learn from such an esteemed person as John Colletta PhD. I would highly recommend this week long seminar to all family history historians. I only  hope I can become a better writer/blogger.

  I plan to post my story, Wanderlust, in a few days on my blog. 

   

WANDERLUST

                                                               

   AWOL! Adventurer. Good Character. Handsome. Naturalized Citizen. Homesteader. Industrious. Motorman. These attributes describe my great-great-uncle Reinhart Fermazin.

   Reinhart was born on January 28, 1875 in Godziwy, Schubin, Posen, Prussia. He immigrated to America as an infant with his mother Carolina Hartwig and his sister Bertha. 

   Reinhart’s life was adventuresome as an adult. In 1898, Reinhart enlisted in the Spanish American War in Evanston, Wyoming. His military service occurred in Fort San Felipe, Manila, Philippine Islands.  During his time in Manila, he served three times in the brig with ten days of hard labor and court martialed. On July 28, 1899 he was discharged.  After his court martials and infractions, he mustered out at the Presidio in San Francisco with “service honorable and faithful, character good.”

   

   In 1903, he married his first wife, Sharlot Wittelsbach, who died of consumption a year later. Two years after her death, Reinhart married Lillian Ryland. In 1908, Reinhart obtained a 160-acre homestead in Lemon, Perkin County, South Dakota where he built a 12 x 16 foot sod house with a lumber floor and roof, three windows, one door and a cellar 5 ft by 6 ft under the house. He drilled a 27 foot deep well on the property and built a chicken coop and a sod barn with a pole roof. He planted 70 trees. During the first year, he planted corn and potatoes, harvesting 15 bushels of corn and 25 bushels of potatoes. 

  

  By 1920, he moved back to Chicago where he obtained work as a motorman for the Chicago Surface Railway Company. In 1931at the age of 56, after Lillian’s death and 24 years of marriage, Reinhart married a young single woman, 21 years old, named Anna. They lived in Chicago for the remainder of his life.

He did indeed live an adventuresome life, AWOL in the armed services, suspected AWOL on his homestead and skirting the law on a few occasions. He was a fascinating guy! You can only help but love him.

     

Genealogy/Family History Goals: 2010

Genealogy/Family History Goals for 2010

1.    1.   I would like to blog more: Goal is one blog per week on one topic of Genealogybloggers.

2.    2.   Participate in one article for the  Carnival of Genealogy.

3.    3.   Participate in one article for Smile for the Camera.

4.     4.  Spend 1 hour a week on researching my Ames and Palen families.  I have a block wall for my Ames and Palen lines. Oh how I wish I was related to Sarah Palin’s husband… as I might find my Palin’s.

5.   5.    Attend the Lifestyle Writing Class at Santiago College taught by Dawn Thurston and complete two stories.

6.    6.  Be an excellent Program Director for GSNOCC.

7.     7.  Clean up the clutter or the “genealogy cave” as blogger Randy Seaver of Gena-Musings put it.

8.     8.  Participate actively in the SLIG in Salt Lake City. That means write a story using the guidelines taught in my track. 

© 2009, copyright Nancy Peralta