Links To The Past » Lost and Found

Civil War Military Symposium

ellen — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:57:48 +0000

I am currently planning on attending a Civil War Symposium in Fort Wayne Indiana at the Allen County Library on Friday and Saturday Oct. 8 and 9, 2010.

If any of my fellow Milwaukee researchers would like to tag along, I would welcome the company.

http://thing1.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/Military%20Symposium_2010.pdf

The Allen County library has a large collection of genealogy materials from all states. I have heard it is definitely worth the trip out there if one can go.

It is approximately 5-6 hours to drive out there (depending on Chicago Traffic). I don’t know when I will be leaving yet. It will either be Thursday or very early Friday to give me time to do research at the library at least for a few hours. (first session starts Friday at 2:30) (It will also depends on the other passengers).

If you are interested let me know. You would be responsible for all your own costs (admission, hotel, food, etc.) I am willing to split a room if you are comfortable with that.

Let me know by sending me an email, placing a comment below or calling 262-783-1620.

Ellen-

Watch out for Pedestrians-Accidents Happen Way to Quickly!

ellen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:17:50 +0000

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I have been worrying about my nephew and haven’t really had the mind set to update the sites.

Last Tuesday my nephew was hit by a car while crossing the street in Whitewater. He is still in critical condition, now a week later. We are praying for him constantly. You can email me privately if you are interested in any details.

His parents put up a blog here so that all that love him can monitor his progress more easily:

http://sewcrafty-mikesprogress.blogspot.com/

Many people have asked if they can send flowers or if they can help in anyway. I believe whole heartedly, besides your prayers and positive thoughts, we all can help Mike best by supporting him in his recent decision. On August 13, Mike wrote the following letter to me:

Hello,

I hope this letter finds you well and that you’re enjoying your summer. As you may know, this past May I graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (UWW) with a Bachelor’s degree in Management Computer Systems (MCS). My time there was well spent, I learned so much about myself, the man I wish to become, and had a blast doing it! While I enjoyed my major, my future goal is to become a campus staff worker with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at UWW rather than “using my degree” in the typical sense.

The decision to join staff took me almost a year to make, but after much thought, prayer, and council of others, I truly feel called by God into the ministry of InterVarsity and therefore am pursuing it with every effort. Not having a relationship with Christ when I first attended college I understand first-hand the need for college Christian ministry. Staff and students in InterVarsity poured their love, training, and generosity into me during school and I want to pless others in the same way. The best way for me to do this is through joining InterVarsity staff.

As a campus staff worker I’ll be helping students grow in their relationship with Jesus, learn to love all people and teach them how to become future leaders in the church. Becoming a campus staff worker will allow me to use many of my natural skills. I’ll be relating with people, expressing my passion for God, and making a difference in people’s lives.

In order to make this goal a reality, I’ll need a team of support to keep me going. My support team will consist of people willing to pray for me, people willing to travel with me and help me with my personal cares, and financial support to meet my salary and ministry expense needs. It’s my hope and prayer that you would be interested in being part of my team and helping me meet some of those needs and challenges.

I will be contacting you within the next few months, along with many others, and would appreciate you to being thinking and praying about your interest in supporting my ministry with InterVarsity. If you have any questions I welcome your response through a phone call (he left his number) and his email (I won’t post that since he cannot respond right now), or sitting together face to face and discussing it. Thanks for reading and please look forward to our future contact.

Blessings,

signed Michael J. Chaloupka

If you feel the wish to help, it would be spectacular if when Mike wakes up and is further on his journey to recovery that he finds his salary needs for the upcoming year are met. Please help support Mike, by going to http://www.intervarsity.org/ and clicking on the donate link on the left. You can give by credit card, phone, mail or automatic withdrawal from your account. Any amount is good, even if it is just a dollar or two.

It will ask you if you want to give towards a certain person. Put in Chaloupka and it will come up with his name. Check the radio button and then continue.

Thanks for reading,

Mike’s Auntie Ellie

Hans Bergmayr

ellen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:47:10 +0000

In may 2007 I adopted the grave of PFC Hans Bergmayr from Wisconsin (reg.number 36826126)He is burried at the millatary cemetery in Margraten The netherlands. He served in the 49 INF BN 8 ARMD DIV and was killed on 26-02-1945 in the Netherlands. He took part in the ASTP programme. A friend of him, who was in the same company as Hans, told me that his home address was 2224 North 7th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My motivation for the following request is that people around here still consider it to be an honour to take care of the graves of the fallen U.S. soldiers, buried at the Margraten Cemetery. For me it is the least I can do to show my gratitude and respect for what so many young men from far over the ocean did for us more than 60 years ago. The adoption of a grave means: visiting the grave on a frequent basis, placing of flowers on special days or occasions (like e.g. Memorial Day or Christmas) and when relatives wish to do so, corresponding with the homeland. His friend told met that a sister (Josephine) of Hans is still living. She is married to Herman Foster and they live at 11225 82nd Ave at Seminole, Florida.I wrote her a letter, but to this date she did not reply. I don

Looking for John A. Curran

ellen — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:03:59 +0000

Dear Ladies and gentlemen, Having sailed on call as a deckhand as well as Porter/cook for 30 years I wanted to get a reunion for the crew. We can't locate John A. Curran. He was our Third Mate. The ship was the SS Silver Bay. The year we sailed was 1973. I made contact with the Wilson shipping company but they had no leads. We tried many mates and pilots sites but they lead us to dead ends.I contacted Toledo for their officers listing but they couldn't find John. Could you offer any suggestions? We would like to know if he's still around. It's not often that you have a good officer and crew that work together as a unit. Have a great day! Jim Nemecky

Lost Cemeteries of Milwaukee

ellen — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:45:56 +0000

Today I have been working on the lost cemeteries page.

Thanks to John Utzat, I added more information to Cemetery 030 Stewart Allis Cemetery.

I am working on an article on the Spring Street Catholic Cemetery, later named Grand Avenue cemetery.

I found an interesting article on a burial ground in Milwaukee as it appears below:

Source: The Milwaukee Sentinel, (Milwaukee, WI) Sunday, June 20, 1886; pg. 2; Issue 34; col C

Bones in Bricks A Large Brick Yard Located Where an Old Cemetery Used to Be

Bones in Bricks

A Large Brick Yard Located Where an Old Cemetery Used to be

“Many of the bricks in some fo the finest buildings in the city are partly composed of human bones,” said a well-known builder yesteray. “This may seem a little odd to you at first, but it is true, for I’ve known it for several years. One of the yards producing the largest number of bricks of any in the state-is located on an old burying-ground from which only a few of the bodies interred ther were removed before the manufacture of brick from the clay began. I have actually seen small pieces of bone pressed into these bricks.”

George Kurtz

ellen — Thu, 01 May 2008 02:20:36 +0000

The Daily Northwestern (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)

1932 May 7

Body Missing From Milwaukee Cemetery

Milwaukee (AP) Police aid was asked today in an effort to find the body of George Kurtz, pioneer Milwaukeean buried 24 years ago in Union cemetery. Relatives who visited the grave site found evidence of a recent burial. At their insistence the body of a woman was taken from the grave and buried elsewhere but there was no indication of what had become of Kurtz’ body.

Sgt Walter R. Battenberg Family

ellen — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:35:48 +0000

I recently received this inquiry.

Where did all the Rootsweb pages go?

ellen — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:23:14 +0000

For years, USGenWeb was graciously given free server space for their completely free state and county sites by an organization called Rootsweb.

Hollywood Star with a Milwaukee connection?

ellen — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:57:32 +0000

I have tried a few friends, the Milwaukee list and now here.

Perhaps someone just purchased a photograph of a movie star when she was performing here in Milwaukee. Perhaps she was born here in Milwaukee and went out to Hollywood to find her fame and fortune. Either way, this beautiful lady intrigues me.

Does anyone recognize this mystery woman? She looks familiar to me but I can’t place her. My friend picked up her photo at Goodwill a few days ago and now we are trying to identify her.

A larger version can be found in my gallery.

This is what my friend has to say about her:

“All I know is that the photo has “Seawell” embossed on it and the mat says “Paul Hesse Studios.” I learned at http://www.mptv.net that they were Hollywood photographers and took photos of many famous people.”

“The photo was framed with cardboard on the back. I can make out WATER ST and MILWAUKEE 2 WIS.”

I did a little more research and the word Seawell refers to Wallace Seawell (1916-2007), a celebrity photographer. His career started in the 1940s and lasted more than 60 years.

His obituary, which can be found here http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20070602/NEWS/706020383, goes on to say that he took photos of Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Lucille Ball, and Peggy Lee. He was a close friend to George Burns, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Johnny Mathis and Robert Cummings. He took photographs for Hollywood celebrity magazines such as Photoplay and Screen Gems.

So….does anyone have any clues?

Shipmaster Transcriptions

ellen — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:05:02 +0000

We have a volunteer to type up the pages of the Shipmaster list.