You Can Go Home Again

I have just returned from a 4 day weekend trip to my hometown of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Returning there after six year absence was an awesome experience. I could hardly imagine how the place would be since my parents no longer lived there, yet it was a marvelous trip of memories and reconnections.

There are so many stories to share. I hope to convey the essence of the journey over the next few days as I catch up on sleep and work. Now I know I can go home again.

Ancestry Tracked to 1744

Over the last weekend, I was able to track my paternal ancestry to 1744. With the help of the Volga Germans.net and their access to the census lists for Mariental, I was able to tie back my ancestry through eight generations to the founding members of the German-Russian village.

The vast amount of data compiled from the Mariental 1798 Colony Census, the 1850 Mariental Russia Census List and the 1895 Register die Gemeinde von Mariental, Russia provided the detailed information. Special thanks to Kevin Rupp for sharing such helpful information with me.

My next task is to track my maternal ancestors back to the founders of Reinwald. I will soon have the Reinwald census list from 1798.

Many may wonder what is so fascinating about old family names, dates and individuals I never met. It is difficult to put a finger on it, but history is such a fascinating topic for me. And, to find such personalized details after years is remarkable. When I began my research, receiving these details out of Russia was unthinkable. I only wish my father could see what I have discovered. Yet, I realize, he already knows it.