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Life and Death Abbreviated
Grosspold Family Book This is a repost that was originally published on this blog on Dec. 7, 2010 My grandmother kept a photo of her hometown church tucked into the hymnbook she brought with her from...
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Blended Family Breakthrough
This post was originally published on December 13, 2010 Maria Schuster marries Samuel Ebner May 22, 1899recorded in the Church “Family Book” in Grosspold, Romania Samuel Ebner, my great-grandfather,...
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Hidden Message Behind Women’s Work
Jickeli Household Help. Lisi Ebner seated 2nd from left. Mrs. Jickeli, center in black. This post was originally published on December 19, 1910 This photo hung in my grandmother’s house for her entire...
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Channeling the Dead to Life
Missler Wallet with Josef’s Gärtz’s diary inside. Note: “Missler” was a ticket agent in Bremen, Germany, but for years people thought it was the name of this “ghostship.” Scroll down to the “Missler”...
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Terror atop the train!
This post was originally published on Christmas Eve, 2010, on the centennial of my grandfather’s departure for America, and his diary record of his harrowing journey. Josef Gärtz, 1909 or 1910, age 20...
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Threats to the Dream-Vienna to Bremen
This is a repost, originally published on 12/28/10. Josef wrote both in his diary and to Lisi about his terror atop the train from Pressburg (Bratislava) to Vienna, one corroborating the other, but...
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Out to Sea
12/30/1910—First page of letter from Josef to Lisi on F. Missler stationery This post was originally published on Dec. 31, 2010, 100 years to the date that Josef Gärtz boarded the ship for America....
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Atlantic Crossing in Winter
Friedrich der Grosse from NorwayHeritage.com This post was originally published on Jan. 5, 2011. Crossing the North Atlantic in the heart of winter was a grueling experience, as Josef reports in his...
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Landing the Dream
This post was originally published on Jan. 11, 2011, and the the references to the 100th anniversary are based on that date. Today is the 100th anniversary of Josef Gärtz, my paternal grandfather,...
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A Millennium of Germans in Transylvania
This post was originally published on my blog on February 1, 2011 Evangelische (Lutheran) Kirche Neppendorf (near Sibiu)Historically, the Gärtz family church TRAVEL TUESDAY Church as History On the...
View ArticleAn Immigrant’s Gift: a New Year in America
I'd always known my grandfather was often impatient, and apparently was so as a young man. He didn't want to wait for the long visa process, so he just took off for America before his exit papers were...
View ArticleHousing Injustice 100 years ago
The best defense is an offense, and that was as true in the past as it is today. A century ago, a deceitful notary took advantage of my grandfather’s absence to wrongfully sell his property. My...
View ArticleNew Year Nightmare
On New Year's Eve, 1910, a young immigrant boards a steamship from the Port of Bremen to head out into the unknown, across the Atlantic to America. Using his wits, Josef Gärtz overcame every obstacle...
View ArticleLanding the immigrant dream
On Jan. 11th, 1911, (1/1/11) a massive steamship, named "Friedrich der Grosse" (for Frederick the Great, a one-time Prussian ruler) pulled into New York Bay. My dad's father, Josef Gärtz, was on that...
View ArticleNotre Dame, Earth Day, and Resurrection
Notre Dame Cathedral fire on April 15, 2019 Notre Dame burned just days before my flight to Europe. April 19th, I’ll hop on a jet to cross the pond, flying to Germany to visit two special people. (More...
View ArticleMy gift that keeps on giving
My gift to Chicago's Newberry Library will keep giving to researchers and anyone interested in Chicago history for generations to come. The post My gift that keeps on giving appeared first on Linda...
View ArticleA Veterans Day Tribute!
Veterans Day Tribute: A mother’s letter to her soldier son - Originally in Chicago Tribune Special offer: For a limited time, you can purchase the audiobook of Redlined for the astonishing price of...
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