For over 40 years, I’ve spent my life working with metal; first as a machinist, then through engineering and technical sales. I always found it fascinating that my paternal line, the Rathkamps, were recorded as blacksmiths and Beibauers in the village of Oeftinghausen as far back as the 1600s. I assumed it was a local […]
From the Steppe to the Forge to the Shop: A 20,000-Year Journey in My DNA Read More »
One of the things I love about genealogy is being able to make a big discovery by piecing together tiny discoveries. As mentioned in a previous post, William and Olive Rathkamp are the only great grandparents of mine for which I have no pictures. Not a single picture that I know of has made its
Adding a Face to the Name (Well, Hello There Willie!) Read More »
For as long as I can remember, family get-togethers on the Rathkamp side of my family have been gut-busting experiences. Every time we get together, somebody reminds me of the time one of the dogs crapped on my brand new white tennis shoes. My dad, Bill, and my Uncle Dave are both really funny guys
Rathkamp Brothers Take on Samson, the Famous Lowland Gorilla Read More »
I found this gem last night searching through the Google News Archives. The “young lad” is my grandfather, my dad’s dad. The article is from June 15, 1915. While it states my grandfather’s age is 10, he was actually soon to turn 6. “While watching the circus parade at Thirty-second and Clybourn streets, Monday morning,
Circuses and Beer Wagons Read More »
My last post about Esther Rathkamp got me thinking about all the discrepancies and mysteries surrounding her parents William & Olive Rathkamp, my great grandparents. Genealogists are used to dealing with inconsistencies, usually attributed to misspellings of surnames. But Willy & Olive are off the charts. How and why did Olive move from Iron Mountain,
Willy & Olive, What’s Your Story? Read More »
Last week, my cousin Paul asked via FaceBook if I’ve dug up any “Dead Rathkamps” lately. The answer was a simple “no”. I’ve been so busy with other stuff that I haven’t really been working on any genealogy projects lately. One of my favorite nightly rituals is to log on to Google Reader and peruse
Esther Just Before Easter Read More »
Saturday was our last full day in Germany and was supposed to have been pretty laid back and uneventful. It turned out to be far from true. During our trip, we had been communicating via Facebook with Anja Rathkamp from Delmenhorst. Anja found me on Facebook about a year ago, and while we have yet
New Friends, New Family Read More »
Last night, my wife made her soon-to-be-famous Breakfast Cookies- a hearty cookie which includes whole wheat flour, rolled oats, milled flax seed, pecans, applesauce, and about 47 other ingredients which elude me. She’s scoured the internet and has combined some ingredients from this recipe with some ingredients from that recipe. This is the third or
What Do You Think the Poor People are Doing Tonight? Read More »
Over the last week or so, I’ve noticed somebody from Germany using the following search string to find my site: familie rathkamp, Öftinghausen. If you are a relative, please contact me at toddrathkamp@gmail.com We’d love to visit with you during our trip on August!
Öftinghausen, Please Phone Home! Read More »
[singlepic id=17 w=320 h=240 float=left]It’s hard to imagine the conditions our ancestors faced in Europe and even harder to imagine what finally happened in their lives to ultimately get them to commit to leaving their homes and families. I’m sure there had to be the promise of opportunity, but this was a much heavier decision
Did They Come Alone? Read More »
When people visit downtown Milwaukee, a lot of them comment on how many old buildings they see. Actually, what they see is a fraction of what once was. Milwaukee has managed to replace its history with parking structures, sports venues, and bland concrete buildings. I still love my home town, but the remaining buildings only
Fun With Google Maps, Part 1 Read More »
A few weeks ago I visited the Milwaukee Public Library and found they had a variety of “fire insurance” maps going back to the 1880’s. These maps were produced by the Sanborn Company in order to provide insurance underwriters detailed information relative to the construction and fire risks of buildings in designated areas.[singlepic id=2 w=320
Fritz & Dora Have Courtside Seats Read More »