52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 13 Prompt - First Cousin Once Removed.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 Week 13 

Prompt – First Cousin Once Removed 

 

John Richard Krikau; born 1 Mar 1935 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. 

He is Mary McLaughlin's (my maternal grandmother) nephew. 

He is my mother's (Vivian Peters) cousin. 

He is my first cousin once removed. 

John Richard Krikau Circa 1940.

This is the gentleman who mailed my Grandmother McLaughlin asking for some history of her family that became a treasured 2 page oral report.  In February of 2007, I emailed him asking him if he had any other Krikau history or stories to share.   He was one of three relatives who had paid a genealogical researcher that traced our Krikau family back to 1723.   John Krikau also kindly shared all of this information with me.  At the end of his email he included a short paragraph of himself.

 “I am now retired and live with my wife Barbara in Florida during the winter months.   I taught chemistry at the high school level for many years in Elgin.  I have three children, two of whom are married. I now have seven grandchildren.” 

Circa 1999 - John and Barbara Krikau With 6 Grandchildren.

This was the extent of my knowledge of my first cousin once removed.  In recent weeks I have been  updating and sourcing all my information for my grandmother's siblings, their children and grandchildren.  That brought me to John Richard Krikau.  Most of the events that I have for him were school yearbooks hints from Ancestry.  I originally chose to ignore them and not include them in my tree.  However as I looked closer at them, I realized that they told a story of his life that otherwise I wouldn't have ever known. 

In 1950, John was a freshman (grade 9) in Thornton Township High School.  In the same year he was in the “freshman Senate”.  I have to think it is the same as student council 

In 1951 John attended the same high school.  He was a member of the freshman – sophomore football team.  His team had 4 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie.  John Krikau was also in the swimming club called “Merman”!

In 1952 he was in his junior year of the same high school.  He belonged to a group called The Hallguards.   He was on a successful Junior Varsity Squad for track. 

In his senior year of high school, John attended the same school.  He belonged to the Senior Hallguard group.  John was treasurer of The Letterman's Club.  Also he was on the Senior Varsity football club. 

In 1954 he becomes a freshman at Illinois State Normal University in Normal Illinois. Once again he joined the squad football team. 

In 1955 he was in his sophomore year of University. 

1955 - John Richard Krikau

In 1958 he entered his junior year at Illinois State Normal University. 

1958 - John Richard Krikau

In 1959 he entered his Senior University Year.  States his major was “physical science”.

According to the 1960 Elgin, Illinois City Directory, John Krikau is married and is employed as a teacher at Elgin High School. 

I next pick up John Krikau in the 1981 School Yearbooks where he is listed as a Science Teacher in Larkin High School in Elgin Illinois. 

1981 - John Krikau, Science Teacher

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the 1985, 1986 and 1988 School Yearbooks he is listed as a Assistant Principal at Larkin High School. 

1988 - John Krikau - Assistant Principal

I feel that I know so much more about John Krikau due to his school yearbooks.  He was athletic showing up on football, track and swimming teams.   He participated in school councils and Hallguards.  He participated in a religious club- Lutheran Club.  John Krikau was a Democrat, at least in his last two years of University.  He achieved a university degree and taught chemistry to high school students.  Later on in his career he was an assistant principal at a high school level.  His university was 2 hours from home and his schools where he taught were within 50 miles of where he grew up. 

Today he is 86 years old and I believe he is still alive.

Wendy