52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2019 Week 4 Prompt - I'd Like To Meet.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

2019

Week 4

Prompt - I'd Like To Meet

I have scanned many photo albums over the years. I like to think that every picture tells a story. The story comes more easily if you know who is in the picture and when it was taken. Very few people labelled their photos. Why would we? We know who they are. True, but when they get passed down two or three or more generations, it becomes easy to lose track of who the people are in the photograph. I have a few scanned photo albums just labelled as Photographs of Unknown People and I have added which family they come from.

Mary McLaughlin, my maternal grandmother was my closest grandparent. As I unravel her life story I find that she has a different side to her than the quiet, demure, penultimate “church lady” that I knew. My Aunt Phyllis once told me that apparently my grandmother gave her parents a very hard time as a teenager. I find this hard to imagine. But who knows? 

4 Willson Sisters!

Back of Same Photograph

In my photo album of unknown people in Mary McLaughlin family, I came across this picture. I believe the back of the photograph is in the hand of Mary. “4 Willson (sic) Sisters. I worked with ? They were wonderful friends....in the years of 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919.”

I have heard that when Mary was in Winnipeg before she was married to her first husband she worked in a chocolate factory. Are they co-workers from the chocolate factory? The time period seems to indicate the probable time would coincide.

When I looked at the photograph for the first time I thought they were some kind of vaudeville act. Alas no. It does seem like the attire of the time. The head bands, the big bows, the floating smock tops, the longer skirts or dresses and the white button up boots seem to verify the dates on the back of the photograph. None the less they do look like fun friends to me. And who better to know what Mary was really like than these young ladies. I would have liked to meet them when they lived because I hope they would have told me stories of a grandmother I did not know. Was it these ladies that Mary chummed with while giving her parents a hard time? Was it these ladies that introduced Mary to her first husband? What exactly did they share to have been named “wonderful friends”? Friends hold the secrets that one dare not tell their own family. Oh how I wished I knew the Wilson sisters while they lived. Maybe then I would know the other side of Grandmother Mary McLaughlin!

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2019 Week 3 Prompt - Unusual Name

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

2019

Week 3

Prompt – Unusual Name

This past week I received a message in Ancestry from a women by the last name of Doering. We are trying to figure out how we are related. As of yet that is to be determined. The first appearance of a Doering in my family tree is my great great grandmother on my maternal side. 

In fact my grandmother McLaughlin mentioned a Dearing in her oral history. In this case when she says “your grandma”s”, she is speaking to her nephew, my first cousin once removed and thus it would be my great grandmother. 

I don't know if it is really that unusual of a name, but I did want to explore it a bit. This line has been traced back by an Ancestry member to Hans Sr. Doering born in 1559. And believe it or not he would be my 10^th great grandfather.

There are a few different spellings such as Doering, Dearing, Doring, Döring and Deering to name a few. According to Ancestry Learning Center, Doering is an ethnic name for someone from Thuringia, Germany. Elisabeth Barbara Doering, my great great grandmother was born in Warenburg, Samara, Russia in 1840. You would have to climb up my family tree to my 5th Great grandfather to find a Doering from my tree who was born in Germany.  Johann Döring, born 1748, moved from Darmstadt,Germany to the Volga Region of Russia around 1767. This Johann was born to Adam Döring and Apollonia Huschenbeth. Apollonia is my 6^th great grandmother. I have never heard of this given name. In fact I only have one person in my tree with this given name. 

The biblical meaning of Apollonia is “perdition or destruction”. Ouch!

There is a Saint Apollonia from Alexandria and Apollonia became a very popular name in the middle ages and is invoked against toothaches. It means she is the patron saint of teeth??

My 9^th grand uncle in the same Doering family is Balthasar Baltzer Döring. He was born in 1645 in Thuringia Germany.  Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press ; “the main reason for the popularity of Balthasar in medieval Italy and Germany was that, according to legend, it was the name of one of the three Magi from the East who attended Christ’s birth. His supposed relics were venerated at first in Milan, but after 1164 in Cologne, where they had been taken by Rainald of Dassel. (Archbishop of Cologne)”

In the same Doering Family, my 1^st cousin 7 times removed is Bartholomäus Döring. It is not so much unusual as it is uncommon. Bartholomäus is the German form of Bartholomew. It is said that the name was common at the time because  Bartholomew was one of Jesus' 12 apostles.

My 7^th Great Grandfather is named Valentin Döring. He was born April 22, 1663 in Thuringia, Germany. Again the name is not unusual but seems to stand out as uncommon name for the time. Valentin means strong and healthy. Interestingly I found out it was the name of more than 50 saints and 3 Roman Emperors and a pope. The most famous saint is a third century Roman - Saint Valentine who was commemorated on February 14th. 

In the exploration of my Doering family I found a plethora of names such as Johann, Heinrich, Daniel, Anna, Catharina, Maria and Barbara. So many that they are easy to get confused from one Johann to its sibling Johann, to its grandson, Johann.  Thus these 4 unusual names - Apollonia, Balthasar, Bartholomäus and Valentin stand out as very unusual names.

Wendy 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2019 Week 2 Prompt - Challenge

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

2019

Week 2

Prompt – Challenge

My ancestors faced many challenges. Their faith propelled them forward from one country to another always searching for more land, more religious freedom, more self governance and in general a better life while at the same time leaving everything and everyone behind. Often these hopes got lost in the hardships of the physical moving, the ungodly traveling conditions and their barren new land. However our ancestors took on these challenges with faith and hard work. They dared to dream of something new and better in a land so far away from home.

I dare say that Bill and I are like our ancestors in this manner. Of course we are not in search of religious freedom or self governance. We are however always up to the challenge of something new. 

Bill and Wendy Hoffart on Wedding Day

Bill and I married on a beautiful sunny spring day in Saskatoon, May 3, 1975. We both were born and raised in Saskatoon. We both moved from our parents' homes to our first rented apartment. It was our first taste of independence and like all young people we loved it. I worked as a full time nurse at Saskatoon City Hospital and Bill completed his final year of Engineering. 

Bill's Engineering Convocation

The following spring right after Bill's convocation in 1976 we moved to Regina where he got his first engineering job with Sask-Tel. We moved away from all the family and friends we grew up with. However unlike our ancestors, our home was only a few hours away and the road between Regina and Saskatoon well traveled. It was very easy to stay connected with family. Our first place in Regina was a 2 bedroom apartment in the south end of the city. I resigned my position as a nurse to make the move. Honestly I was looking forward to a rest. I went from high school to Nursing school to a full time employment. Time off became boring very quickly. At this same time new nursing jobs were almost non existent in Regina. Nothing was available. Keep in mind that at this time, part-time employment was almost unheard of. Thus fewer jobs would be available. I found a nursing course that interested me. I applied and was accepted to a one year course in Operating Room Nurse that would start in September. As the summer dragged on in boredom I came upon a sign outside of my bank in the mall across the street from our apartment for a teller position. I applied. I got the job which started on the same day as my course was to start. There were several bankers in my family so it was not as random as one might think. If one is to look back on life, there are definite times that one sees as forks in the road of their life. I often wonder how my /  our life would have been different if I would have taken the course and remained a nurse.

I want to go back and tell you about my last months as a nurse before moving to Regina. The nurses' union was just a few years old. Rules for working conditions were not as entrenched as they are today. The previous summer I worked every weekend but one. My schedule was 7 to 8 days at a time. Split shifts were my nemesis, working for example 4 nights, 3 days back to back. I worked on a very trying medical ward. The good majority were cancer patients being admitted to the hospital to die. This was long before Palliative Care Units existed. My second last week in Saskatoon City Hospital was quite challenging. I worked 7 shifts and on each of those shifts a patient died and on one I had 3 die within an hour of each other. They were expected deaths. No codes. It was a hell of a way to leave. Thus it might not come as a surprise that I chose to start a job as a teller with no shift work and 5 day work weeks. I loved it. The challenge of not being challenged was what I wanted.

We spent 13 years in Regina. We moved twice more within Regina. We moved to our first mortgaged little home which was Jill's first home.

Our First Regina Home 1977

We moved to a newer larger home in a neighborhood close to schools. This was Jackie first home. Our moves were done with thought to our family's future. The challenges were affording life with two small children and a huge mortgage. 

Our Second Regina House 1980

In spring of 1989 we were once again on the move. Bill was looking for something more in his career and we believed it could be found in Alberta. In September of 1988 I decided to go back to nursing and because of the length away I would need to take a refresher course. I enrolled in a one year course. It was a self study course and when the move was imminent, I worked hard to get it done and I completed it two days before our moving truck arrived to move us to Edmonton. 

Our Edmonton Home 1989

 Our new home was beautiful. It was in a good neighborhood with lots of kids and close schools. Bill worked with the Alberta Research Center. I once again was a nurse. Funny thing about Edmonton is that I remember very little because I worked a permanent part time night shift nursing job. I feel like I spent my life struggling to get to sleep or to wake up to be in sync with the real world.

In 1996, Bill's job was relocated to Airdrie just outside of Calgary. We always wanted to live in Calgary. The logistics were complicated. Bill started work in February of that year. We decided that I would stay behind in Edmonton with the girls to allow them to finish their school years. Thinking that it would be easier for Jackie to start new in High School in Calgary. Jill stayed behind to take her university at U of A.  Further we chose to build our dream home so it would be some time before it would be ready to move in. We packed up our house in August of that year. We had to live with Bill's sister and family for 3 weeks while our home was completed. Our home was beyond our expectations. It was our first brand new home and the choices were all ours.  

Our Brand New Calgary Home 1996

 Once again I resigned from my nursing position in Edmonton. It was at a time when nursing was being downsized so to speak. Positions were being eliminated and because of the union everyone was reassigned to positions based on seniority. In the last few years of nursing at Grey Nun's Hospital I was downsized out of my nursing position several times. I went from a medical ward to Orthopedics to Pediatrics to Emergency and finally Neonatal Intensive Care which by far was my favorite ward.

When I arrived in Calgary a very familiar story emerged. No one was hiring nurses due to government funding cuts. Oh well it gave me some time to settle into our new home. Eventually I found a job at northwest Calgary walk-in clinic. And a few years later it lead to a position at a very busy 7 doctor office where I finished my nursing career early in 2004. At the same time Bill and I were empty nesters for a few years. We rattled around in our huge home using the same few rooms. It seemed pointless and wasteful. Being ahead of the curve of the time we decided to downsize to a smaller condo. In 2005 we did the unthinkable and what at times seemed un-doable and moved to a Calgary downtown high rise condo apartment of only thousand or so square feet. It worked and we loved it. I know many relatives thought we were crazy but despite its challenges, it never felt so good to get rid of all that excess in our life. It was really freeing. 

Downsized to Calgary High Rise Condo 2005

In 2006 I made the decision to leave nursing once again but wanted to work. I applied to the flu clinics as a clerk. It freed me of the challenges of nursing and provided an easy way out of boredom. I worked part time in immunization clinics for the rest of my work career.

Bill's medical scare in 2015 became a catalyst to one more move. Life is too short and thus we retired at 60-ish and decided to move to Kelowna. We found a lovely condo slightly bigger than our high rise condo in Calgary. Kelowna is a beautiful city. The weather is great. The scenery unprecedented. I never felt hemmed in by the mountains but rather cradled lovingly. The lakes are so beautiful. The milder winters were lovely. The orchards were a constant source of awe for me with their spring time blossoms to the fall aroma of apple harvest.

Kelowna Condo 2015

Life is certainly not challenging in Kelowna.

However... sometimes their is a lure that is inexplicable. This past Christmas while in Calgary Bill and I made a decision to move back to Calgary!  Calgary feels like home. I love Kelowna and look forward to visiting it often in the future.But to be honest, Kelowna never felt like home to us. We didn't golf. We didn't swim or enjoy the great lake outdoors. Bill hated the extreme heat. We befriended very few people.

So despite the lack of challenges we are once again on the move - our 9^th move in our married life. We tried Kelowna and we loved it, but the fine weather and beautiful scenery isn't enough to  keep us here.

My next biggest challenge will be to keep blogging while we try to get our condo ready for sale and look for a new home in Calgary and move. But I will try.

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2019 Week 1 Prompt - First

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

2019

Week 1

Prompt – First

First Great-Grandfather Andreas Krikau to Fifth Great- Grandfather Johann Georg Krikau

In fall of 2006 I took a free library course on genealogy. Up to that time I dabbled in family history learning more of what I didn't know. Which was more than I knew. At that time I was most interested in finding out more of my maternal grandmother. Maria Katherina McLaughlin nee Krikau. She was more commonly called Mary. Mary was born in Warenburg, Russia on June 8, 1903. She died in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on August 8, 1989. I had lost all chance of learning her story by the time I was interested in it. Further my mother had died a few years before her.

That only left my Uncle Wallace in Ontario as the only living Krikau from that Krikau line. I wrote a letter to him asking him for any family history he might know. He gave me an address of John and Barbara Krikau of Chicago who would be my first cousin once removed and Uncle Wally knew he was collecting Krikau family history.

He was the first relative that I contacted in the name of genealogy. For a first endeavor in my genealogy collaboration I struck gold. His response was swift and kind. John and his two cousins had paid for research to be done to develop the Krikau line back to early 1760's. That is totally amazing to me. That is almost 300 years ago. Cousin John gladly sent on his work for me to have and share. I was overwhelmed by his generosity.

From this work, the progenitor of the Krickau family was listed.

Progenitor for Krikau Family As Found in My Cousin's Research

The first Krickau that has been verified by documents in the Krickau family is my 5^th great-grandfather – Johan Goerg Krickau. He was born in 1718 or 1723 in Wolfenhausen, Limburg-Weilburg, Hessen, Germany.  He is considered the first because that is as far back as researchers have found documentation on a Krickau. However recently I have made contact through Ancestry with a Krickau from Germany who lives near Wolfenhausen and claims to have found parents for Johan Goerg Krikau. This needs to be verified.

This Johan Goerg Krickau (Krikau) was among the first settlers that left the war ravaged Germany seeking better land and opportunity in Russia at the invite of Catherine the Great and her Manifesto.

In the Volga German Website, Dr. Brent Mai who has written extensively on the subject of Volga Germans and translated to English many original documents from the colonies in Russia has written up the following.

Krickau Write Up By Dr. Brent Mai

Thus Johan Goerg Krickau was married twice. The first time is to a women as of now, not known. From this union, Johann Adam Krickau was born and he would be my 4 times great-grandfather.

As mention above Johann Goerg 's first wife died and he remarried widow Maria Katharina Gilau who had several children from her first marriage. I presume that one son was born to Maria and Johann Goerg because of the birth date of a Johann Krikau listed under Maria Katharina's children was born after their 1767 arrival to Russia.   The blended family is not new to men and women of the time. Marriage was a convenience for men left with small children and widows left without means to support themselves.

It is comforting and reassuring that Dr. Brent Mai and the researcher paid by my cousins came upon the same information regarding our first documented Krickau ancestors. 

Wendy

1) Goerg and Georg are the same person.

2) I know my grandmother as Krikau without the "c". Krickau is how it is found in German / Russian    documents.