Links to the Past

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

Hello, my name is John F. Whiting, b. December 16, l918. In April of 1940 I was chosen out of 200 men in the Lake Carriers hall in South Chicago for the job as ordinary seaman on the ore carrier “Cygnus”

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

I hope all you mothers, and single dad’s out there had a great Mother’s Day.

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

I have added a transcription of the book:

I added links to the Manitowoc Wisconsin built ship list, Milwaukee, Wisconsin built ships, Milwaukee related captains, shiplines.

I added a new resources to the resource section.

Thanks to M&E Treptow we have a new addition to the site.

There are two new pages on the Great Lakes maritime history site.

Brief History of the Great Lakes
linkstothepast.com/marine

Criteria for getting a Masters, Mate, Pilot or Engineers License:

http://linkstothepast.com/marine/officers.php

I have updated the marine site with a new look. I have renamed it the Great Lakes Maritime History site.

Let me know if you have any problems with any of the pages.

If you have anything you would like to add, please email me.