a summer in Ipperwash, Ontario

While we're still in summer, I scanned some album photos today and this is just one of the few that I scanned. The scene is Ipperwash, Ontario about 1968 or 69 during the summer. In this photo are my mother's sister Liesel, my cousin's wife Angela and my half-sister Barbara. My aunt has long since passed on in the mid-1990s but the others are still living. I love the colours in this image. The scene is on a sand dune with Lake Huron behind us which you can barely see in the photo. My aunt helped me set up this photo before I took it. The cottage where everyone was staying was behind me. I hope you have some pleasant memories from summer present or past! - V

brothers

My younger brother Norbert was the only true brother I've ever known. Here's a photo of the two of us, Norbert on the left and me on the right, on the balcony of our apartment in Knittlingen, Germany where we lived at the time before coming to Canada. I was three at the time and Norbert was two. That was 1957 before emigrating! Norbert passed on in 1974 and is missed! - V

family research

The other day I was doing some research on Brad's surname, its meaning and where the name originated. Without revealing the name (Brad hasn't given his permission as yet) all I can say is that the name is of Acadian French background and the meaning has something to do with valleys, or the people of the valleys. One possible source is Normandy and another is the old French province of Dauphine. Think of Grenoble and you've got the centre of that old province in southeastern France. When Brad permits me to post more details, I'll have a lot more to say.

My own surname is of German background. My ethnic heritage is not solely German but there is also Polish and Old Prussian in the mix. Both sides of my family, paternal and maternal, come from what was eastern Germany before 1945. My father was born in 1913 in a village east of the city of Allenstein, now Olsztyn in northeastern Poland. I have worked on my family tree and history for some years. A line on my paternal grandmother's side was traced back to the 1620s, which is remarkable given the number of wars that have occurred around Europe in the intervening years. My surname actually originates from the Salzburg region of Austria. An ancestor left Austria in the late 18th century and settled in a place northwest of Koenigsberg, now Kaliningrad in the Russian Oblast of Kaliningrad. The family spread southward from there. The aftermath of WWII sent most of my family westward and spread them across western Germany, those that survived the war. Its a long, sad story and war is never pleasant for any one regardless of which side is involved.

At one time when people didn't move around as much, certain surname where common in certain regions of Germany, so that one could tell whether the origin was the Rhineland, Bavaria or the Prussian lands (East and West Prussia) as an example. It was also possible to tell the type of work that ancestor did for a living, or the height, and so on.

I'll have more on family history and research in general at a later date. Brad might want to hear more, so who knows what more you might learn about the Acadians and the French in general. Keep coming back for more on this! Its off to bed now. Morning is coming soon enough! - V

Thoughts

Well, I've decided to post a few photos of myself (and family members perhaps). This photos was taken when I was about ten years old, about the time I started getting into photography, stamp collecting and other stuff. That is me on the far left, my mother beside me, her sister (aunt), my aunt's sister-in-law (cousin's wife) and my brother. All have passed on except my cousin's wife, and myself of course! I believe it was my cousin that took this photo. He had scanned a few photos and sent me them since it included myself and other family members. I'll have more as soon as I can scan what I have currently and that will come when I get my stuff out of storage.

Getting everything out and into my apartment will be happening very soon, December 20th to be exact. Using a new credit card and some cash in the form of a cheque/money order, I was able to pay the amount owing to allow for this development. After everything is here, I plan to sort through everything and have an auctioneer sell what I nolonger need (I have far too much as it is). The proceeds from the sale will go towards paying off the credit card. The auction will happen in January; that is the plan anyway!

So, I have heard from Brad in a manner of speaking (the email came from his email account, so I must assume it is him), so I hope he is well and able to post very soon. There are not a lot of details I can give you right now. I'll leave that up to Brad, so that you can hear of his adventures firsthand! Suffice to say, I still think of him as a friend and have nothing but love and respect for him! It's important for me to say that, as much for those of you who are reading this blog as well as Brad. Love each other and treat each other with kindness and respect. Everything in the world goes much better with this in mind!

Meantime, I am cleaning up my computer files to make for storage space plus allow the computer to run better and more smoothly. Its overcast and rainy anyway, and now its dark. Darkness comes so early this time of year, here at any rate since we're north of the 49th parallel. I hope you're all having a great weekend and doing what you love best! - Volker