Not that often, but every once in a while, I get the genealogy bug. A cousin of mine has done a lot of research, and Marianne has been kind enough to share with me. Sometime back, she enlightened me to a website of a place in Klagenfurt, Austria, that is owned by our ancestors.
Yesterday I went back onto that website and saw that more pictures had been added. They own a pension, or gasthaus in Austria. This home was originally owned by my ancestor, Hans Kleinsasser, who was born in 1689. It is still in the Kleinsasser family.
There was an email address on the website, so in my fractured German spelling, I made myself known and gave pertinent details of our possible relation and I got an email back several hours later telling me that we are related. Can you imagine? This goes back 320 years. He was willing to answer any questions I may have, so have started a list to ask this gentleman, my relative!
Now this town goes onto my "Bucket List." What is so very strange is that back in 1991, I was actually in the town where this man lives. I wish I had known then what I know now.
So, this goes onto my genealogy postings here and hopefully more information will be added soon. Anyone want to make a quick trip to Austria, to meet my relatives and visit cemeteries and churches? I do know that Europe has the tradition of unburying old graves to make way for new generations, or they bury them very, very deep to keep adding family members on top. There is a shortage of land over there and this seems like a positive solution to a centuries old dilemma.
How great is this! I think the entire family must share a communication gene. I'm amazed he responded so quickly to your inquiry.
ReplyDeleteYes, this genealogy 'virus' is terribly addicting I have found. I have made so many contacts with distant relatives through the years and they have all been helpful. Two of those people are my 'friends' on Facebook. I have not met either of them in person but we have shared a lot of family information so it seems as if I know both of them.
ReplyDeleteMost of my contacts are in this country since my father's paternal English ancestors all arrived in New England and Virginia in the 1600's. My German ancestors arrived in Pennsylvania in the late 1600s and early 1700s. However, I have contacts in Scotland and Norway that have been very helpful. Thank goodness they know how to communicate in English. You are fortunate that you know German.
I have been lax lately in doing family research. You have motivated me into thinking about it again. I thought it was fun to realize that Dale and I share some of the same Norwegian ancestors. rw
yes, Richard..you have reminded me that I need to do the Trout's Norwegian history also.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. After all, The Trout's ancestry makes up half of the ancestry for your daughters. It will not be quite as easy because most of the information will be in that old Norwegian which my great grandmother would have understood. Fortunately, Norwegians were almost as diligent as the Germans were in keeping records. rw
ReplyDeleteGenealogical research is just so fascinating! It is addictive! It is a detective, mystery story! Once your start it gets in your blood. I have been researching my family since 1996 and it has been so rewarding. I will never forget the time that I met my grand uncle's son and his children in St. Louis! Susan, your children and grandchildren will be forever grateful for all of your efforts and hard work!
ReplyDeleteMy Dear you will find my ancesters were the original rapers and pillagers led my Trout the Red!!!!
ReplyDeleteBased on how RIchard and I turned out - he suave and deboner and me gruff and tough, I wonder if we had commom ancestors!!! Poor Richard!!
Trout
My mother's sister has done this for their side of the family and we have learned some very interesting things. I love knowing about where I came from!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. My grandmother was from Austria, but I do not know what town. I am also not sure of her maiden name. I'll have to ask my mother again.
ReplyDeleteMe, suave and debonair? I doubt that--although I was told that I was recently--by someone who did not know me very well.
ReplyDeleteI guess I have a gift for fooling people. No, I am just a plain old farm boy from Hamilton County, Iowa.
Some people have told me, after knowing me for awhile, that they were intimidated by me at first. What a shock. I guess I need to think about how I project myself. I just try to be myself.