-Todd

I’ve uploaded the new Gallery Software, it’s in RC right now.. so it’s not live.. but it’s great.. it supports better uploading… faster pages.. embedded video..

“Hello, I am writing to you regarding the Demonbreun Family Tree I found recently. I was stunned, to say the least, to have found this priceless history about my family. I am Andrew Demonbreun’s grandson. For the first time in my life, I was able to see all of my relatives on my fathers side of the family. I am so proud of these people and am so happy to know who they were. I wanted to thank you for the information you submitted and for the time you put into this. I cannot put to words what this means to me. Thankyou so very much. -Anthony Demonbreun”

The most famous Demonbreun is here: http://raymerfamilies.com/familytree/individual.php?pid=I432&ged=raymerfam.ged

Facebook has made me realize we don’t need the Raymerfamily page for as much as we used too.. with the ability to post what you want individually on facebook, it’s not going to be able to compete.. So.. here are my ideas on what we will do with it:

#1 when you visit the raymerfamilies.com page you will now be taken to a front page that will simply be an image, with the following on it “Blog”, “Photos”, “Videos”, “Help” and “Family Tree”. I am not going to do the forums again till we are ready. There will also be space for an announcement..

I’ll also make the following changes in software on the site.

The Photos and Video will be handled by the new Menalto Gallery 3 which is in Beta right now, but once it’s out it’ll be great. It would allow for easier in browser uploading, FLV video playback, and.. a smoother interface.

The Blog will remain in Wordpress, and the Help will be moved from Wikimedia to Wordpress. Any announcements will be posted to the blog.

The Family tree won’t change.. but may be swapped out if something better comes along OR i may present the data made with it in a more palatable way.. since it’s a bit complicated.

I did play around with the idea of putting up a social networking site .. but why? It would never be as full featured as facebook.. and just like the forum noone would ever use it.

His wife has been in and out of the hospital for a while now and was recently diagnosed with Cancer again, and to make matters worse Tim started having some severe heart problems and has had to be put on a pacemaker and is out of work. His Sister is asking for any donations and prayers you can give. Tim has from her understanding no insurance for himself.

If you’d like to donate anything please contact Tammy Kirkland @ her email tamkirk@comcast.net or contact me for her phone #

-Todd

So the Plans are like this: If you’ve gotten your invite coolio.. if you haven’t and you are coming.. please for the love of god call me or email me. 402-580-3672 todd@geekliketodd.com

The wedding will be @ The Del Ray Ball Room which is located here:
817 R Street Lincoln NE 68508
http://www.thedelray.com

There are 2 events:

3pm – Wedding. Please wear clothes you’d wear to a wedding (this will last about an hour)

7:30pm – Halloween Party – Just please don’t let your costume be nudest, we’d appreciate. The party could last until midnite and I’m understanding will have cartered hors d’œuvres (yeah I had to look up how to spell it.)

There is no alchohol. There will be music (live and dj)

If you need any info please call my phone.

I’ve made some discoveries that I never really quite understood. When I was young, I’d say 11 I found the “large bible” that my mom and dad had. In this bible was a family tree.. instantly I was fascinated.  It explained my weird long last name, my great great grandfather had immigrated from Germany.

I didn’t have any other info than what was on the pages of that bible, and when I started with this last year that was the first thing I copied.

Using sites like familysearch.org,  and distantcousin, I was able to build that tree to over 600 people, but I still haven’t been able to accurately find  Joseph Russell Wittenmeier Sr’s parents, or why he came to America.

I’ve not been able to account for the other (albeit small) amount of Wittenmeiers that dot Illinois, or California.

I did find out alot about the life they led.

In 1859 Joseph was born in Germany, and in 1882 I am told by dad’s bible, he immigrated, his port of entry isn’t documented.  By 1889 he was married at the age of 29 to Marrietta Henry.  Marrietta’s family I was able to locate moving about 3 times in the 30 years or so before she married Joe from Pennsylvania to Indiana to Ohio, then finally Nashville.

Joe Sr. and Marrietta had 3 kids, Joe Jr, William Wood, and Henry Albert.

They were all collected in a 1900 Census, Joe Sr and Marrietta could both read, and according to the census she had no still births or miscarriages which looking at the rest of the filled out handwritten census page was rare.

In 1902 Joe Sr died. I don’t have his cause of death or where he is buried, I’m currently inquiring with Mt. Olivet to see if he is buried there.  Marrietta never remarried and in 1925 she is in a “street directory” (which I imagine is the precursor to the phone book) as living on 1111 Crutcher with a now adult Joe Jr and Henry Albert.   Crutcher was renamed to Glenview, and that house was owned by one of Joe Jr’s sons until he died a few years ago.

Joe Jr is my great grandfather, my aunts remember him well, and I have a bed that was carved by hand by him. A picture of him is in my mother’s stairwell.  Joe Jr was not a farmer like his father, he was a Flue Welder.  He died in 1965 at the age of 68 which is way above the average.

William Wood, I’ve just learned, died very young, at 26, he is buried in Springhill Cemetery.   I found mention of a William Wittenmeier living in Michigan, and having a daughter, this is plausable, but no real evidence that it’s the same person.

Henry Alfred is the real mystery guy, he also died young, at 38, but I have a lead on him, and I’m working on that now. He and his wife, and a man I think may be his son are buried at Springhill Cemetery.

To think, all I had a year ago a few names, and a few dates.