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I’ve often wondered why I have always been so interested in genealogy. Ever since I was a little girl I loved to stand in front of the mirror and stare deep into my eyes. I used to think that if I stared long enough without blinking I might see all of those other lives that came before me—they would peak out for one fraction of a moment and I would briefly capture them before they were gone. Perhaps in my childish ways I believed in that collective unconscious that Carl Jung spoke of—that we carry little echoes of an ancient past deep within our DNA and continually pass memories down through the generations. So, maybe this explains why we are often inextricably attracted to certain things. I have always been enchanted by the stories from the past, by history. I have always felt that there is something so noble in honoring and acknowledging our family history. One of my most recent family history discoveries may offer some insight into why I am so interested in the immigrant movements to America. It all begins with the story of my great grandfather, Hans Knuppel. Hans was born in Pasewalk, Germany—a region in the north-eastern corner of Germany which was once known as Prussia. He had a large family and most of the men (in the Prussian fashion) served in the military, mostly the German Navy. Hans was a sailor aboard the North German Lloyd line of ships. He traveled all over the face of this earth. I am quite sure he led quite a colorful life! Even his Naturalization Papers mention the tattoos on his forearms! His journeys took him mainly across the Trans-Atlantic lines and he was involved with bringing the most precious cargo of all—immigrants to America. I can’t help but wonder how many lives he touched, how many eyes he gazed into on those fateful and terrifying voyages to a new world. Finally, his seafaring days came to a halt. According to my Uncle Albert, his ship anchored one last time in Hoboken, NJ. The year was 1910. He never set sail again. What made him do it? Did he ever miss his family? I only know that I would not be here today if he had not walked off that ship that one day in Hoboken—if he had not come to America, if he had not fallen in love with the pretty young nurse from Texas, Miss Winnie Chambless, my great grandmother. I have many pictures of my grandfather and you are more than welcome to see my favorite picture for yourself. (Thank you Uncle Albert!) Please come into the Genealogy Room and look up onto one of the shelves on our beautiful antique German furniture. Hans is the handsome young sailor, tall and blond, smiling blue eyes—standing arm in arm beside another man noted only as “a friend of grandpa’s, a smuggler”. The photograph was actually taken on his ship—the ship on which he came to America. It seems the more I learn about my family history, the more I understand my own meanderings in life. Grandpa’s life story is forever intertwined with my own life’s story. As I help others with their own quest for their family history I feel that I am a part of this ongoing circle of life. I am so honored to be a part of someone’s wonderful discovery, a new world, a new relationship to the past and a reconnection to our human family. Please join us for our Genealogy Show and Tell tonight, Monday, August 13th at 6:00 in the Community Room. Learn something about your own past lives!
Michelle Ann Kratts Jon F. Popkey Genealogy Room |
Filed under: Genealogy Room
