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 »
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 »
I’ve been ridiculously delinquent in writing about our last two days in Germany, but sometimes life throws a couple curve balls and you just have to react. Actually, I can handle the curve balls, it’s those inside pitches that tend to sting a little. I can’t speak for Korey, but I think Friday was the
Chasing Chickens in Oeftinghausen Read More »
[singlepic id=23 w=320 h=240 float=left]This past Sunday being Valentines Day, my wife and I ventured to Milwaukee where we were fortunate to see a great concert: Dawes opening up for Cory Chisel. Both of us came away feeling the state of American song writing is in good hands with either of these acts. But the other
Of Sound Mind in a Sound Body Read More »
[singlepic id=20 w=800 h=450 float=center] From left to right, starting from the front row (my grandparents): Bill Rathkamp, Alice “Pat” (Waege) Rathkamp, George Niesl, Emma (Walz) Niesl 2nd row (my great grandparents): Wm. Waege, Ida (Brockhaus) Waege, George Niesl, Katherine (Dachs) Niesl, Fred Walz, Sophia (Bischke) Walz 3rd row (my great great grandparents): Wm. Waege,
The Photo Tree and the Missing Branch 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 »
My friend Herr Wessels from Bassum, Germany has been a great source of information over the last couple months. He’s also taken the time to teach me a lot about the region, naming practices, and has given me a glimpse into the society my ancestors lived.[singlepic id=4 w=320 h=240 float=left] Originally, his thought was that
When the Levee Breaks Read More »
I just received an email from my friend Ernst-Dieter from Bassum. He just checked the Sudwalde church records and was unable to find Friedrich Rathkamp, b 1834. He searched a year before and a year after this date and still came up dry. Herr Wessels recently sent me some lists of Rathkamps from Diepholz which
Neubruchhausen…not Read More »
This is WAY cool! Today I was sending emails back and forth to my friend Ernst-Dieter in Bassum. Ernst-Dieter sent this picture of the house built by Johann Heinrich Rathkamp in Neubruchhausen in 1822. I’m still not sure what my connection is to Johann Heinrich. It’s possible he’s my GGG Grandfather, but I have to
I would think that every genealogist, especially the hobbyist with emotional ties to the subject, has a “Holy Grail”- that one person or family who eludes and consumes them. It’s only fitting then that my first post touches this subject. A little history first… I first became interested in genealogy at about 12 or 13
The “Holy Grail”…at least for now Read More »