John and Barbara Ehretsmann came to the US from France. Through the Find-a-Grave website, I was able to locate photos of their headstones at Lantz-Shurr-Fehrman Cemetery in Indiana.
The information that Tina (the Find-a-Grave author) sites is public info from US census records and matches the info I have from family records as well. Here are the links to the two Find-a-Grave website entries: for John Ehretsmann; for Barbara Ehretsmann.
Immigrant Ehretsmanns' Grave Sites Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tombstone Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Woke up to the sound of the howling wind at my hotel window. Where was I? After sleeping in a different place each night for the past six nights ... it was getting hard to remember.
Oh yah, Tombstone.
We were staying at the Holiday Inn Express, Tombstone, located just North of the Tombstone main street.
It was located on a small bluff -- thus the wipping wind at night. There were beautiful views of the mountains out the breakfast window. (Click on any image to see it BIGGER)
The night before, we had visited the old Boothill Graveyard and the Tombstone Main Street.
This morning we went by the Courthouse for a visit, but it wasn't open yet.
Then we went over to the site for the SASS shooting event.
We met some guys from the local club who were setting stuff up. This shoot is know for it's close range targets, and they certainly were only a few feet away (not tens or a hundred feet away).
Road Trip: day four Monday, October 19, 2009
Odessa, TX to Tombstone, AZLeft Odessa at 801am. 56 degrees and sunny.
The air was filled with the smell of oil and to the North and South of the freeway we could see oil pumps and towers.
Pretty soon after that we could see mountains in the distance and the name of our highway became Texas Mountain Trail. (The region is highlighted on the map of Texas.)
Went through the Apache, then the Sierra Blanca Mountains.
"West of the highway are the Sierra Diablo Mountains. many are above a mile high; Victorio Peak (10) reaches 6,350 feet. Sears in red sandstone formations on the mountains’ flanks mark sites of man’s effort to extract silver and copper ore. Much of the Sierra Diablos is a state wildlife management area. Hidden in the Sierra Diablos is Victorio Canyon, site of one of the last great Indian Battles in Texas. Indian burial grounds and pictographs are found there, but the area is not accessible to the public."[link]
Arrived on the edge of El Paso around 11am. At one point, my cell phone switched over to the Mexican cellular service since I-10 runs right along the border. It was 81 degrees and sunny in El Paso.
How could we pass up the Stateline for lunch? Pulled in right at 11:30 when they were opening. Mmm, mmm, BBQ.
Crossed into New Mexico after lunch around 12:45 and headed toward Las Cruces. I was saddened to drive right by and not be able to stop and visit!
At the West end of LC on the 10, there's a giant metal sculpture of a roadrunner up on a small cliff overlooking the highway. According to the roadsideamerica.com website, it was made from recycled trash and installed around 2000.
We continued along the 10 W and pulled out in Deming to gas up and take a break.
Crossed the border and into Arizona time (aka sometimes PT and sometimes MT) into Arizona around 4pm.Few good clouds with rain coming down but couldn't see if the rain made it to the ground.
A while later, we passed through the Texas Canyon (in Arizona) about 20 miles east of Benson/Tucson.Finally, around 5pm, we turned off I-10 south onto Arizona 80 toward Tombstone. Route today: I-20 to I-10 to Arizona 80S for 581 miles. Get the scoop - read on!
Road trip: day three Sunday, October 18, 2009
Texarkana, Texas to Odessa, Texas
Took off from Texarkana at 815am today. It was sunny and 39 degrees. We observed high water levels in the rivers in this area due to rain. While the weather and roads were clear, we did pass through some curious spots of heavy fog. We weren’t sure of the source - Maybe from the lake nearby.
A few cattle ranches started to pop up as well as ranches for pretty spotted ponies (aka Palominos) and other horses. Not much traffic. The trees thinned out and started to look more like Scrub Oak and Juniper.
Passed next to and over the Rockwall Reservoir (I-30 traffic in the background of the lighthouse on the Reservoir shown in the photo) just outside Dallas. With the Sun sparkling on the water, it looked like a great day for Bass fishing and leisurely boating.
Went through the Dallas (skyline shown in the photo) mixing bowl and on to Ft. Worth to pick up Interstate 20. West of Ft. Worth was hill country with scrub oaks, mesquite, and prickly pear cactus. Long horns too.
The scenario was that of the Texas Hill Country in Autumn. Lovely rolling hills, with great vistas out over the oaks and surrounding landscape.
Don't need long sleeves and jackets any more. Saw first oil pumper.
West of Eastland, the wind kicked up. Saw several windmill farms with cotton plants growing in the surrounding fields as shown in the photo. The biggest being at Roscoe, TX largest in the nation and world. (NPR Story)
The first oil well in this area was drilled in 1920 is near where we passed on I-20 in the Permian Basin near Odessa (the home of George W. and Laura Bush at one time). The locations of Odessa and the Permian Basin are shown the on this map.
The Permian Basin "{} is so named because it has one of the world's thickest deposits of rocks from the Permian geologic period". [Wikipedia, Permian Basin (North America)]
Temperature was going up in the late afternoon and the vegetation shrinking and thinning out. Now 81 degrees.
Route today: I-30 and I-20 for 530 miles. Get the scoop - read on!
Road trip: day two Saturday, October 17, 2009
We left Dickson, Tennessee at 8:05 am. It was about 43 degrees and cloudy. Lots of trucks on Hwy 40 at this hour on a Saturday. Tall and thick forest lined both sides of the road just as it had in Virginia. We crossed the edge of Kentucky Lake early in the day. Looked to be the most narrow part here. Sun and blue sky in every direction - finally. Saw our first cotton fields. The trees were mostly green today as more and more were evergreen opposed to deciduous.
Stopped in Memphis at 1030am – first time visit for HEZ. 
Went first by the Lorraine Hotel (now the National Civil 
Rights Museum) 
where Martin Luther King was shot ... then downtown by FedEx stadium and then Mud Island River Park on the Mississippi River via a monorail from the main land. Pretty chilly outside (high 40s) and people were commenting on that. Visited not only a steamboat but a monitor as well! Here is a video of the Island.
Here is a photo and a video of the scale Mississippi River at the museum.
Got back on the road around 1:30pm. Saw two instances of 18 wheelers that had crashed by jumping through the grass median and getting perpendicular with the other side of the freeway. - Very scary.
Passed through the rice fields of East Arkansas. This is a new state for HEZ. Saw the capitol building of Arkansas in Little Rock at 3:30pm. 
Crossed the border between Arkansas and Texas at 6pm.
Route today: Interstate 40 to Interstate 30 for a total of 450 miles today.
Road trip: day one Friday, October 16, 2009
Charlottesville, Virginia to a TBD location in Tennessee
Up at 7 am. Packed the van and headed out at 8:30 am. Temperature 44 degrees, cloudy but no rain. Light traffic in the C'ville area; school is in session.
We were treated to lots of colorful fall trees, green fields, and rolling hills. The most colorful trees, with bright reds and orange leaves, looked to be on fire to me! We passed a few corn and tobacco fields and saw cows, horses, and alpacas. The usual fog was hanging around at Staunton. The grassy highway medians filled with blooming pink wild flowers.
Saw the signs that indicated we were on the Civil War Trail but didn't have time to stop at any of the sites.
Interstate 40 is called the “Music Highway” in Tennesse from Nashville, the unofficial birthplace of Country Music, to Memphis, birthplace of the Blues.
Hwy 40 turned into a parking lot at the western edge of Nashville due to an accident. We turned south on the 440 then caught the 70S to get around the jam. This alternate route took us through some fantastic old neighborhoods in the West End area of Nashville.
As the sun light grew dim, the 40 seemed to narrow as we found ourselves surrounded by 18 wheeler trucks making for a kind of “trucks” rule the road scenario. As we moved away from the city, the traffic thinned out and we decided to call it a day at Dickson, TN. We had hoped to make it as far as Jackson, TN but that was another 100 miles West and it was already 7:30 pm.
Ate dinner at a local Tennessee cafeteria-style restaurant, Farmer's Family Restaurant, complete with live music. We snacked on fresh, delicious corn bread, sweet with corn kernels, each in the shape of a small pancake. (Somehow we missed the gator and frogs legs!)
Route today: 29 to 64 to 81 to 40 for a total of 630 miles.
Road trip: day zero Thursday, October 15, 2009
Los Angeles to Central VirginiaI’m preparing for a cross country road trip from Virginia to Arizona via four days of driving. The temperature range for our journey is predicated to be from the high 30s to the low 90s.
via Cleveland and Richmond
Our planned route will take us from Virginia to Tennessee, then Arkansas, then from Texarkana to El Paso, Texas, and finally southern New Mexico and Arizona. The total route is predicted to be approximately 2500 miles.
Flying on Continental for the first time in many years … Found out that Continental has a web site continental.com/info that shows real-time info on plane status (seats filled or not) as well as info on where the plane is coming from with arrival and departure times.
Have my web-enabled device with me – so I’m ready to hit the road! Get the scoop - read on!
2009 OC Race for the Cure • Sept. 27, 2009 • Newport Beach Friday, September 25, 2009
Still time to donate!
We are run/walking in OC at Fashion Island this year! Come out and join us!
Come celebrate 18 years of raising funds and awareness for the movement to end breast cancer forever. Join more than 30,000 participants coming together as a living testament to the power of individuals to impact the world.
You can run or walk the 5K route, or even sleep your way toward the cures. One of the best ways to impact the movement to end breast cancer forever is to fundraise for the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure as part of your participation in the Race for the Cure.
75% of funds raised stay in Orange County to fund screening, treatment and education programs – including mammograms. 25% goes directly to the Komen Award and Research Grant Program to fund global grants to discover the cures.
Mailed Donations Should Be Sent To:
Time Management
Attn: 2009 Orange County Race for the Cure
P.O. Box 131314
Carlsbad,CA 92013 Get the scoop - read on!
Flying in a Fancy Plane Thursday, September 17, 2009
On Tuesday, I was at the Oakland airport ... and as typical, I was looking out the window, waiting for my plane to arrive at the gate. I was in for a real treat!
Instead of the usual beige Southwest 737 plane .... a really special airplane came up - the Illinois One - a plane painted with a rendition of the eagle from the Illinois state flag to honor that state.
Southwest Airlines unveiled this plane in April of 2008 to celebrate its relationship with Chicago and the State of Illinois since its first flight from Chicago Midway in 1985.
From the Southwest press release on April 14, 2008, "The newest aircraft in the Southwest Airlines fleet is truly a work of labor and art, requiring 26 people at the Boeing Company working three shifts over the course of six days to paint. Over 93 gallons of paint and 10 different colors make up Illinois One. "
"Illinois One joins twelve other 737s in Southwest's fleet that carry a unique paint scheme: Arizona One, California One, Lone Star One (Texas), Nevada One, New Mexico One, Maryland One, three Shamu aircraft (SeaWorld), Silver One (celebrating Southwest's 25th anniversary), Triple Crown One (recognizing Southwest's top rankings for ontime performance, baggage handling, and Customer satisfaction), and Slam Dunk One (tribute to the {SW}-NBA partnership)."
Here's a link to a 2 minute video showing the assembly, painting, and unveiling of the craft: video
Interestingly, Southwest also took delivery of Boeing's 5,000th
Guinness World Records has acknowledged the 737 as the most-produced large commercial jet airplane in aviation history.
Ehretsmans from Alsace-Lorraine Monday, September 7, 2009
Yesterday I had the privilege to review some documentation handed down in the Ehretsman Family. While the document had no date nor identified author, it was written by someone who was close to Ehretsman Family, both the generation born in the 1830s and that born in the 1850s. The document was typed and in blue ink (like those old pre-copier mimeograph copies). Was the document written in the 1970s?
In this document, the author detailed the birth and death dates of each family member, as well as place of birth and location of burial in the US!.... This document claimed that Barbara Ehretsman and many of the Ehretsman children were born in Kolmar, Alsace-Lorraine.
Today, Colmar is spelled with a "C" and is part of Alsace and the Haut-Rhin department of France.
It is really great news to find out the family is from this village as it was founded in the 9th Century ... so there may be records that date back to the 1500s that are easily traceable!
I had the good luck to visit Colmar in 1989. It is the wine capital of Alsace; its beautiful half-timber houses can be found on the famous Alsatian wine route that I have traveled many times. Colmar is connected to the Rhine River by a canal.
Colmar is also the location of a "Colmar Treasure" ... a cache of Jewish jewelery and coins that was hidden in a wall during the time of the Black Death and found in 1863. Today that treasure is housed in the Cluny Museum in Paris (my all time favorite museum!!!)
Zieglers in PA versus Zieglers in WI Thursday, September 3, 2009
I read somewhere that men with German ancestry fall into one of the three majors Germanic groups/tribes labeled I1, R1, and R2 in the genealogical genetics world. (TBR) Which group do my ancestors fall into? One way to find out is to take a DNA test; which we did and have the results for now. I learned something interesting today while looking at our Ziegler surname page.....
My ancestors fall in the Haplogroup "I1" and they came to Wisconsin. We know there are also many Zieglers in Pennsylvania. From the limited number of samples to date, most of them fall in the Haplogroup "R1". From this, we can infer that there is no relationship between my ancestors and those who settled in Pennsylvania.
As more samples become available (aka more people take genealogical DNA tests)... this inference will have to be re-evaluated.
A Trip to the Aid Association for Lutherans in Appleton Monday, August 31, 2009
In 1902, four men decided to form a life insurance company to serve the Lutheran population. Today the result is a Fortune 500 company that has over three million members. One of the founders is our ancestor Gottlieb Ziegler. 
We visited the AAL (now called Thrivent) complex just off of N. Ballard and Apple Creek Roads to re-learn the history of the institution....
The main office building used to be in downtown Appleton. In 1977, AAL moved out to the country and built a new complex. In fact, some of the Ziegler descendants sold part of their land to help form the Thrivent compound.
The chapel from the downtown office, built in 1967 was moved in total out to the new building. In 2002, AAL merged with a similar service from Minnesota, Lutheran Brothers.
The cornerstones of the non-profit organization are that you must be Lutheran to join and they must sell life insurance. They give away millions of dollars per year to support charities, typically to the tune of $150M per year.
La Canada-Flintridge Fire - Eye Witness Report Saturday, August 29, 2009
The forecast for Marina Del Rey today is 89 degrees and smokey ... amazing, its never that hot at the beach and the smoke might be from the Rancho Palos Verdes Fire or the La Canada-Flintridge Fire.
I had to make a trip to Burbank today --- for a DNA seminar. As I drove up the 405 to the 101, I looked out to the East and North and couldn't believe what I saw..... [UPDATED Sept. 1 with photo]
There was a smoke plume as big as something from an atomic bomb or a volcano eruption! Really incredible. One of those experiences that remind you how small and helpless humans are in comparison to Mother Nature.
Fire days always make for a weird feeling in the air ... as I drove over the crest of the Sepulveda Pass, I could see that the San Fernando Valley was completely filled with smoke!
There were so many cars with flat tires or over heated on the side of the highway today ... Then at one point, a couple of big streams of water were falling from an overpass onto the 101 -- there were a few small signs posted "Flooded". Good day to have chosen to keep the top up on the convertible.
As I exited the 101 at Buena Vista, I could see that the air was much more smokey ... the thermometer in the car read 97 degrees. Wow, imagine being a fire fighter with all that gear on ... They are amazing!
When I got out of the car in Burbank, the air smelled pretty bad! So I hurried into the library. I hope the fire gets under some containment today.
Later when I maneuvered the car onto the 5 S, the Mercury hit 109! I had a view of the whole back part of the LA Basin ... and a good 1/3 of it seemed to be engulfed in smoke.
Genealogy Research Trip to Northeastern Wisconsin Summer 2009 Friday, August 28, 2009
In the second to last week of August, I had the luck to travel to Northeastern Wisconsin, specifically the Lower Fox River Valley, or the area from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay, to meet up with living relatives and view the general area in which ancestors from both my maternal and paternal sides settled in the mid to late 1800s. I tried to do as much research ahead of time on salient addresses. I really had no idea what I was in for.... dairy farms, paper mills, lake flies, and ancestors, oh my!
From LAX, I changed planes at ORD (with a walk from one end of the airport to the other), I hopped a small plane to ATW. There was a big storm front in Wisconsin and Michigan; when I arrived at ATW, I learned that my dad's flight had been canceled and he would arrive the next evening instead .... bummer. At least my Bostonian cousins had arrived safely!
Christian Frederich Ziegler and Anna Maria Koehler Ziegler Descendant Reunion Thursday, August 27, 2009
Had a fantastic time in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, at the Descendant Reunion. Not only did we meet up with contemporary relatives, we also toured the old homestead and neighborhood, churches and cemeteries around Center and Freedom. Met 17 blood relatives that are all descendants. We also toured Black Creek, Bay Settlement, and Green Bay -- lots was accomplished in this first of many visits! I'll be detailing what we did in a series of upcoming posts. This post is a special welcome to all of Christian's and Anna Maria's descendants to this blog!!
Get the scoop - read on!Earthquake -- Small One Monday, August 17, 2009
Had another earthquake this evening just West of the 5 and 14 interchange or Newhall Pass.
View Larger Map It was a 2.6. I didn't exactly feel it ... but had a weird sense that an earthquake just happened.
Just Wide Shoes - DC Chelsea Skate Shoes
I'm always desperate to find good quality and fun shoes that support my wide feet but don't make me look like I have one foot in the grave. I had been wanting to get some of those Rocket Dog shoes that they have at DSW but they are too narrow. Today I found some more fun shoes that come in Women's Wide!
They come in many colors! What's your favorite? I had trouble deciding between the crazy pink/white and the ocean. Usually I go for blue ... but today I didn't! I found them at Dick's Sporting Goods and they were on sale! Almost 1/2 the price listed here. I show the red/black shoes because I remember Dick's having some of the fancier colors - but I don't know if they come in wide or not.
If you have other ideas on good places to locate wide shoes, please let the readers and writers of "From a Sandy Beach ..." know.
Gettin' th' Blues On at Club 705 Sunday, August 16, 2009
It was the last Doug MacLeod appearance in the South Bay for 2009... it was supposed to be in someone's back yard - our good friend's annual Blues BBQ - but we found ourselves at Club 705 on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach instead. No matter; we hadn't been to Club 705 in quite awhile ... if ever, and found it to be quite comfy - almost like having a party in your own home. It was clean, had a nice ambiance, and made you feel like settling in to listen to the artist of the night. The cover was only $10 per person.
The night's show was Doug on guitar/vocals/stories, Denny on base, and Jack on drums. As usual, all were entertaining. The first song of the night was "Brand New Day" an upbeat song letting folks know that if they are lucky enough to wake up again the next day "in the same bed in which they went to sleep", they should remember to make the most of it. Besides the blues-y chords and melodies, I love to hear the stories that go with each song (see the MP3 widget in the upper left sidebar to hear some snippets). I guess that's part of Doug's success and why he is called the "Storytelling Bluesman". We were lucky to come away with an autographed CD - "The Utrecht Sessions" -
and some good times with friends too. I found out that Doug has a DVD and a Blues 101 book too. Here's a link to Doug's tour schedule We'll catch up with him again when he returns to the area. We wish him and his crew safe travels and also a speedy recovery for our Blues BBQ host and hope to be outside again in 2010. More on Doug MacLeod here.
Helpful Definitions for "Cousins" and "Removed" Tuesday, August 11, 2009
In meeting many distant relatives over the past year ... there are a few terms that are still a bit confusing! I continue to use the relationship calculator in my family tree database software for confirmation. I have yet to meet anyone who was beyond a 4th cousin relationship ... maybe I'll get lucky in 2009! This may be partly because for most of my family tree branches, I only know the names of my 3rd great-grand parents right now and none beyond that.
The definition of cousins
Two people who share at least one common ancestor older than your parents. Because you only need to share one common ancestor, there is no official term "half cousin"
- Your 1st cousins share at least one grand parent with you
- Your 2nd cousins share at least one great-grand parent with you
- ..... 3rd cousins ............. one great-great-grand parent .....
- ..... 4th cousins ........... one GGG-grand parent
Two people who are cousins but are in different generations with respect to the common ancestor
- Your 1st cousin's child is your "1st cousin once removed"
- Your 1st cousin's grand child is your "1st cousin twice removed"
Reference:
http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/07/what-is-second-cousin-once-removed.html Get the scoop - read on!
Baked Donuts and Hash Sunday, August 9, 2009
We sampled a couple of trendy new breakfast places this weekend. The first was Beach Cities Baked Donuts in Redondo Beach and the second was the Hash restaurant at Hotel Erwin in Venice. Both were interesting and worth the visit.
Beach Cities Baked Donuts is located at the corner of PCH and Beryl in Redondo Beach, California. This store location was a gelato/espresso bar and Baskin Robins before that. Stepping inside, we were pleasantly surprised to find we had left LA and arrived in Japan. The store was neat and clean with inviting seating both inside and out. The baked donuts come in a variety of flavors. We sampled a cinnamon sugar and a honey. Both reminded us of the dense cakes we have eaten in Japan. The flavor of each was pleasant and very mild. As suggested by other reviewers, these cakes go down best with hot tea or coffee. I am a huge donut fan, so while I will undoubtedly visit Baked Donuts again, I won't give up my Krispy Kreme and Randy's visits! Related Articles Yelp
Is it ironic that there's a new restaurant called "Hash" in Venice? The menu states the definition of hash is finely chopped vegetables and meats. Hash is an indoor/outdoor restaurant at Windward and Pacific in Venice, California. Both breakfast and dinner are served here. We sat at the outdoor patio, adorned with silver tables, and a circular bench with orange, yellow and gray stripped pillows all about. We sampled the buckwheat pancakes and the corn beef hash. Both were great! Its hard to find good eggs these days and the bowl of fruit was not only large, the fruit was fresh too. We'll invite our friend who won't miss a Bloody Mary next time to try out the "make your own drink". Hash is located in the Hotel Erwin, a boutique hotel that's part of the Joie de Vivre group.
Hash website
A Different Sort of Bus Saturday, August 8, 2009
Every summer from ~Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Marina del Rey Water Bus runs. For $1 you can take a one-way trip around the harbor. The bus stops at a number of locations around the harbor, including Fisherman's Village and Burton Chase Park (more details here). 
Riding the taxi around the harbor, one gets exposed to a wide variety of sights, from enormous yachts that cost untold millions to kayakers enjoying the calm waters to an ecounter with some native Californians (right) who have done well adapting to the onset of man.
One encounters a large cross section of people on the bus, including tourists (and sometimes their bikes) from all over the globe and Marina del Rey locals (some who look to have been locals for a long time). In general the operations are laid back and casual, with the staff being very accommodating and the boats crews are a fun bunch. However, on nights when there are concerts in Burton Chase, one must be particularily patient, as the crowds can get quite large and sometimes behave rather rudely. All in all tho it's a great way to get out on the water and meet a number of interesting people.
Michigan Death Records 1897-1920 Thursday, August 6, 2009
A set of Michigan Death Records 1897-1920 is now on-line. I've been accessing them for the last couple of months .. and its wonderful to have them available. Not only do the records include the vital information, but each has an image of the associated death certificate as well.
What's available at the site:
Art, Sand and a Little French in Laguna Beach Monday, August 3, 2009
On a bright sunny Summer Sunday, we packed up the car and headed out South toward Laguna Beach. Our first destination was the Holiday Inn at Cleo and PCH just south of downtown. The hotel is at a great location, just a block from the beach and a half hour walk to the Festival of Arts campus at 650 Laguna Canyon Rd (hwy 133) and Laguna Bowl Rd. Our primary goal was to attend the Pageant of the Masters that evening - a show I had been trying to get tickets to see for many years .... Back in 9th or 10th grade, my World Civ teacher, Mrs. Burke, had us stage a living painting. It was clearly a memorable experience! When I moved to LA, and learned of the Pageant, I assumed she had been out to see it. (the Pageant has been staged since 1934).
With the warm day and ocean breeze calling us, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to put our feet in at a new beach. The beach wasn't wide - the scene reminded us of the beaches in Malibu, where houses are only about 20 feet from the water line and was it crowded! The light green water with gently breaking waves, was a great place for beach goers to both body surf and boogy board. Interestingly, it seemed that the Kelp and Turtle Grass grew right out of the sand at the water's edge in the tidal zone (just a few inches below the dry sand).
Forest Avenue is one of the main streets in downtown Laguna Beach. It is lined with art boutiques and a wide array of restaurants. We dined at the Brussels Bistro, located at number 222. The plate of grilled vegetables with balsamic vinegar was a fabulous meal on its own with the tomatoes, Italian squash, red, green, and yellow bell pepper and eggplant perfectly cooked. We sampled some Belgium beer - delicious as usual - and then on to entrees - mushroom and chicken in puff pastry and a combination of mushroom/chicken and ham crepes. Both highly recommended. Of course not to be missed was the coronet of French fries, hot and crispy. The atmosphere made us feel as if we in the midst of a mini-European getaway - without all the travel and time change hassle. We didn't have room for the Belgium chocolate lave cake and planned to return later that evening to indulge.
Entering through the turn style, the visitor is met by several acres of artists' stalls ... each neatly organized - a display of Italian oil landscapes here; striped glass-blown zebras there. We strolled along, listening to the live band, checking out the menus at the walk-up restaurants. Inside the theater, we found our seats, near the center of the last row in the main section. Perfect! With the aid of binoculars we zoomed in on the details of the actors' faces but also enjoyed the perspective from afar. "Would they move?", the audience silently asked themselves as the lights went up on each piece. "How was that effect created?" The mix of paintings, bronze and stone statues, and movie posters, highlighting "The Muses" throughout the ages, was entertaining -- along with the live symphonic music and interpretive narration. The first half, 45 minutes long, flew by as did the slightly shorter second half. Cushions and blankets were for rent; cameras were not allowed but a link to great backstage and on-stage photos is here (click on Pageant of the Masters). We lucked out -- it wasn't chilly at all due to the high humidity holding in the heat of the day.
Earthquake - Just a Short Jolt! Friday, July 31, 2009
We had an earthquake very near by on Thursday afternoon. Looks like it was at LAX (green arrow)....
View Larger Map
It was a 2.1; I felt it! Mango's head and ears popped up too.
Wisconsin Historical Society Sunday, July 26, 2009
More on the WHS -- what records are located in this database?
- Pre-1907 vital records, including birth, death, and marriage records
- Wisconsin Name Index entries, including biographical sketches, obituaries, and newspaper articles published before 2000
Records I have requested to date include:
- Kluge, Carl Julius and Christiane Dobler marriage certificate
- Kluge, Christoph death certificate
- Gamache, Antoine marriage certificate
- Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley plus addendum
Get the scoop - read on!
Easy Access to Ancestor Records in Wisconsin - Area Research Centers
A great resource, when I don't find records listed in the WHS - Wisconsin Genealogy Index, is the network of Area Research Centers housing the local and genealogical histories of Wisconsin. The particular ARC that I have used most to date is located at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay and is part of the Cofrin Library. Records in this database include: Land Records ca. 1823-1907 1829-1984 1823-1939 1821-1906 1820-1902 1859-1980 Manitowoc ca. 1823-1907 1848-1955 1849-1943 1864-1959 Abstract of Title Sparse Holdings Oconto ca. 1823-1907 1857-1952 1857-1923 1857-1923 No Holdings 1853-1970 Outagamie ca. 1823-1907 1852-1963 1852-1981 1853-1923 No Holdings 1855-1980 Monday ... By Advance Appointment Only
(Deeds & Mortgages) Brown
1835-1889
The ARC has citizenship records for the following counties:
Brown County 1829-1984 with an on-line index available.
Here is a list of records I have requested to date:
Here is a list of records to be requested in the future:
Here are the forms to request records.Special Collections (7th Floor) - (920.465.2539)
Tuesday May 18 - June 12... 12:00pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday June 13-September 4--12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Wednesday-Thursday ... 9:00am - 1:00pm
Friday, Saturday, &Sunday ... CLOSED
Microfilm, Microfiche and Publications from LDS Friday, July 24, 2009
As you may know you can go to any Family History Center in your area, or the Southern California Genealogy Society library in Burbank, and request a publication, microfiche, or microfilm from the Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints library (LDS for short) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Your requested item is sent to you in a week or so for a nominal fee (~$6/2009) and is on loan to you for one month.
The library catalog is found here.
Here is a list of films I have or hope to order from LDS:
Ordered and Viewed:
To Be Ordered:
Blog Upgrades and Fixes Sunday, July 19, 2009
Couple of things modified today.
Christoph Kluge Knol Added Saturday, July 18, 2009
A new knol (unit of knowledge) was added .... to the Ancestors across Borders collection today for Christoph Kluge.
Get the scoop - read on!Who is Grandma Appleton?
This question came from looking at a picture handed down by my maternal grandmother. Its a photo capturing three generations of her family, her grandmother "Grandma Appleton", her father Charles Victor Fish , her mother Sarah Ann Appleton, and herself Verne, in about 1904.
What we didn't know was Grandma Appleton's first and maiden names, and other details of her life.
Through wonderful connections on the web, I was able to meet several other Appleton descendants, Jay Wilpolt, Scott, and Ambert. All expert genealogists. Jay has a wonderful website, Jay's Genealogy of the Fox Valley Cities area of Wisconsin, and RootsWeb database for Fox River Valley. Great job Jay! I've kept in touch with Scott and Ambert .. and have invited them to be a writers on this blog.
Through these contacts, I found out some amazing information!
Mapping Your Surname using the Current German Telephone Book Thursday, July 16, 2009
A fun thing to do is to use the mapping tool at verwandt.de. It finds your surname in the current German on-line telephone book and then shades each department according to how many occurrences there are. You can look at the absolute number of occurrences, or just the number of households (relative). Der Name 'Ziegler' kommt in diesen Landkreisen am häufigsten vor:
A search for Ziegler, yields:
I bolded the ones that are in Wuerttemberg
Basic Family Tree Notation
There are many different types of numbering systems for showing a family tree. I like to stick with the basics ...
Generation number, i.e., 1, 2, 3, ...
Birth, Death and Marriage dates, i.e., b., d., m.
Married to "+"
Children numbers, i.e., a, b, c, ... or i, ii, iii, ....
Using these definitions, look at the following example.
Start of the DNA Journey Wednesday, July 15, 2009
One area of genealogy that is gaining popularity is that of incorporating DNA information with your family tree. There is a lot of mis-information out there; tons of testing companies, etc.
Where to start? We went with National Geographic's Genographic Project. Not only do you get a gentle introduction to DNA testing and what you can learn from your results, you are adding your results to an international research project.
With the receipt of the first results, we did learn something surprising!
1891 Map of Wisconsin and Michigan Tuesday, July 14, 2009
(Click to see larger image)
The majority of my ancestors settled in these two states in the mid to late 1800s. Map from USGenWeb Map Archives for states Wisconsin and Michigan.
What German Village are Fred C. and Mary Ziegler From? Monday, July 13, 2009
We know they are from the Wuerttemberg state of Germany, but which small town or village?
View Larger Map
We know they arrived on 20 Oct 1857 in New York, at Castle Garden; we know they departed from LeHavre, France.
I have looked at the following pieces of evidence, perhaps found a potential town name ...but then not been able to locate it on a German map:
(List under construction)
Suggestions from the Progenealogist still to check: 1815-1870 Published lists of emigration permits at the Ludwigsburg and Sigmaringen State Archives; the emigration records in the Stuttgart State Archives; emigration announcements in local and statewide newspapers; military conscription records; and the Germanic Emigrants Register.
Does anyone have additional information that might shed light on their place of origin?
What's an Ancestor Knol? Sunday, July 12, 2009
A knol is a unit of knowledge, according to Google's new Knol project. I think of the project as a toolbox to allow anyone to create a "Wikipedia-like" page of knowledge.
I thought I might create a knol for each of our ancestors ....as a way to share the results of our research. Multiple people may edit a knol as well. So its perfect for collaboration.
See a sample knol for Fred C. Ziegler on the sidebar under the "Ancestor Links".
5 Oldest Ziegler Children - their Story in 1864 Saturday, July 11, 2009
In early 2008, I found a "Henry Ziegler", son of Fred and Mary Ziegler, in the 1860 US census, about 2 years old, born in Ohio, but he was not listed in the 1870 US census. What had happened to him? We had heard that 5 of Fred and Mary's children had died, possibly from diphtheria, but we were not sure when that was.
From the book, History of Outagamie County, part 8, we learn that there was a terrible diphtheria outbreak in May 1864 as well as several other outbreaks such as smallpox that same year. While there had been doctors in Outagamie County since about 1850, apparently, some were better trained than others (as discussed below)."In July, 1863, diphtheria raged fatally in the town of Ellington. Many children and even adults died in spite of physicians and good care.Excerpt from History of Outagamie County, part 8
It was noted in May, 1864, that there never was so much sickness in the river valley as at this time. The mortality among children was enormous. Diphtheria and various lung complaints were the diseases. The cause was not known unless it was due to the unexampled severity of the previous winter or the drought of the summer.
In May, 1864, several cases of smallpox appeared in the eastern part of Appleton, and the authorities immediately took steps to 
prevent its spread. The cases upon examination proved to be of a mild type, and the physicians became involved in a newspaper controversy over whether it was smallpox or chickenpox.
It having been disputed whether the sickness in Appleton was smallpox or not, Dr. M. F. Page was asked to make an examination and a report. He described fully the symptoms of measles, chickenpox, smallpox, scarletina, etc., in an official bulletin which was printed and circulated. This doctor criticized severely the physician who had pronounced several cases smallpox, and declared that one physician diagnosed a case at a distance and pronounced it smallpox when it was nothing but prairie itch.
Dr. J. Sutherland of Appleton in June, 1864, wrote an article entitled "Quackery" in the newspapers, in which he explained the difference between a duly licensed physician and a quack. He
insinuated that several of the latter were endeavoring to gain a foothold in this county. He said: "Let a man say that he came from some large city, let him rent a house in a respectable street, put on the door in large gold letters 'Physician and Surgeon,' furnish himself with a case of medicine bottles, buy a horse and buckboard, dress himself invariably in black, drive like Jehu up and down the streets telling everybody who will listen that he has an immense number of patients; let him tell of extraordinary cures he has made, making of the slightest colds and sore throats cases of typhoid and diphtheria; let him do all this and you may set it down that he knows nothing or less than nothing about the properties of medicine or the character of disease."
In July, 1864, Dr. M. Page again came out with a circular concerning facts and figures to enable people to distinguish 
between chickenpox, smallpox and other diseases. As a matter of fact there was a decided difference of opinion between the physicians themselves at Appleton concerning the nature of smallpox. Several declared that a person broken out with the disease could pass through the streets and come in contact with people without any danger of spreading the affection. Others denounced this statement in strong terms."
I have since learned the names, birth and death dates because there is a memorial to the children in Freedom/Center (not sure of official address), Outagamie, Wisconsin. The memorial and the three headstones are shown in the photos included in this post. Not only did all 5 children become ill, apparently Mary did as well, but was able to recover.
Here are the names and vital statistics for the 5 children.
1-Christian Frederich Ziegler
+Anna Marie Koehler
|--2-Christian Henry b. 1858, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH, USA,
--------------------------d. 20 Aug 1864, Center, Outagamie, WI, USA
|--2-Frederich August b. 1859, Center, Outagamie, WI, USA,
----------------------------d. 27 Aug 1864, Center, WI, USA
|--2-John Douglas b. 1862, Center, WI, USA,
-----------------------d. 23 Aug 1864, Center, WI, USA
|--2-Mary M. b. 1860, Center, WI, USA,
-----------------d. 19 Aug 1864, Center, WI, USA
|--2-Rosena Elizabeth b. Feb-Mar 1864, Center, WI, USA,
---------------------------d. 9 Oct 1864, Center, WI USA
Photos provided by Susan and Shirley
Ways to Give to the spcaLA
Ways to Give to the spcaLA
just a short post here
Wild West Texas - Our Favorite Restaurants
Cattleman's Steakhouse ... in Fabens, Texas, view of interesting Indian Cliffs in the background, zoo with rattlesnake cage in the foreground, delicious steak! Highly recommended - not to be missed. The drive out East was worth it alone. As soon as you get away from the mountains around El Paso, the land takes on an interesting, flat but high plateau feel -- excellent.
Couldn't miss our Texas BBQ fix, so we went to the State Line 
... the BBQ pepper turkey is so good. If I had to eat alot of meat, that would be my first choice.
Other favorites of note: the ol' "pink place" stand-by Taco Cabana (in 1978, opened its first restaurant at the corner of San Pedro and Hildebrand Avenues in San Antonio, Texas).
A chain new to us -- El Taco Tote, an "along the border restaurant" started in Juarez, Mexico. Felt like we were in Mexico when we were inside the restaurant (I mean that in a good way - as we love Mexico!)
You have to go to a drive-in when you're in the desert ... and my favorite in El Paso is Sonic, America's Drive-In. I love the cherry limeade and french toast sticks; we hit the 1/2 price happy hour every day!
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