Wordless Wednesday - The Wedding of Eli and Florence Cayemberg

Eli Cayemberg and Florence Villers - April 24, 1886  

Thank you, Lisa Cochrane, for sending me this awesome picture!

Happy Birthday, Jeff

Happy Birthday to my dear cousin John Jeffrey Ryan, Jr.  You would have been 41 today and are still as missed today as you were when we lost you over 11 years ago.  I know you watch over us all, but I miss my cousin.

Sunday's Obituary - Roman Boegel

Eleanor (Delling) and Roman Boegel

Roman was the oldest of four known children born to John and Bertha Boegel nee Rosbeck.

Roman was my husband's great uncle.

"Roman Boegel

Roman W. Boegel, 78, of 445 E. Main St., Kewaskum, died Monday, March 31, 1980, at St. Agnes Hospital where he was a patient for three days.

He was born Sept. 16, 1901, in Milwaukee, a son of the late John and Bertha Rosbeck Boegel.  On May 20, 1930, he married Eleanor Delling at St. Michaels.

Mr. Boegel was a retired Town of Theresa, Dodge County, farmer before moving to Kewaskum 16-1/2 years ago.

Surviving are his wife; a son, Paul of rural Kewaskum; a grandchild; and a sister, Mrs. Romand (Leona) Kuehl of St. Kilian.  Two brothers preceded him in death.

Funeral services will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Miller's Funeral Home, Kewaskum, and at 8:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Kewaskum.  The Rev. John T. Budde will officiate, and interment will take place in Shrine of Rest Chapel Mausoleum, Ledgeview Memorial Park Cemetery.

Friends of Mr. Boegel may call after 3 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home."

We've Arrived in Hell

North Colorado Springs looking at the mountains

Believe it or not, I was able to see the smoke on the mountain from 85 miles outside Colorado Springs. I wondered at the first distant sight of the mountains if that could possibly be the smoke.  Then I tried to reason (looking at the Garmin which told me I was 85 miles away) that this couldn't be the smoke, but I kept my mind trained on the area as we got closer to the city and I realized eventually that, yes, you could see smoke from 85+ miles away.

The sun emerging from the smoke

We went out into Colorado Springs today looking for temporary lodging until a house could be found.  The smoke was always present on the mountains.  A constant reminder that there were people out there fighting the fires.  C130s would fly over the mountains dropping water and retardant onto the flames and 5% fire containment was reached this afternoon.  A small percentage to be sure, but much better than the 0% that we had been hearing for days.  Then the winds picked up this afternoon.  We're told that they reached 65+ mph in the mountains and the direction was blowing east toward the city.  By the time we left the hotel for dinner there was smoke all over I-25.

We drove north on I-25 toward Monument, Colorado for dinner.  It was rush hour and traffic was pretty heavy.  The smoke grew so thick that the street lights began to come on and ash fell lightly from the sky.  The horizon to the east (180 degrees opposite the fire) was darkened by the heavy smoke and the sun which had previously been entirely enveloped in the smoke emerged a deep red.

A helicopter battling the fires

We got out of dinner around 7:30pm and the smoke had improved, but you could now see flames on the mountainside and we were told by other bystanders outside the restaurant that homes had finally caught fire.  We took a drive in Monument looking for homes that might suit us and as the sun finally set over the mountains and all became dark, a faint glow remained in the distance reminding us that there was still a battle going on.

We are safe where we are staying, and where we are looking to move is likewise safe.  I pray for the people that are losing their homes and memories, and I pray for the emergency responders that are working around the clock trying to keep this city safe.

On the road again!

It's finally time to head back home to Colorado Springs!  I enjoyed my time in Wisconsin and Iowa visiting family, but we need to find a home/school/Boy Scout Troop/Cub Scout Pack.  The fires aren't really where we'll be looking and hopefully they won't spread too much.  Looking forward to spending more time on my blog as soon as I can get some time away from my wonderful children.  God bless our ancestors for living in such close quarters because I need SPACE!

Until next time have fun tending your roots!

Funeral Card Friday - Praying for the Dead

Today, I'm not sharing one particular Funeral Card, but sharing/explaining something that many will see on Memorial and Funeral Cards, but may not understand. Indulgences.

Now, this isn't an "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Indulgences, But Were Afraid to Ask" post.  I'm not an expert on all the intricacies of indulgences nor do I feel that it is important to explain how the praying of an indulgence doesn't help every sin.  That's besides the point.  If you'd like to know more than what I'm presenting on indulgences you can check out more on "Catholic Answers".  What I want to do is explain why they are on these cards and why the living pray for the dead.

Catholics are taught that there is a Purgatory.  That when we die a soul goes to Purgatory until their sins are atoned for.  Purgatory is like jail for the soul.  If you are in Purgatory, you will eventually go to Heaven.  If you go to Hell, well, you go to Hell.  Sorry about your luck (but that really doesn't stop Catholics from praying for those either...forever hopeful).  We naturally like the thought of our loved ones getting to Heaven sooner, so we pray for them.  Does it help?  God only knows, but it couldn't hurt, right?

Card & indulgences in German

Catholics aren't the only ones to pray for the dead.  Other faiths have this practice as well, but Catholics may be the best known for it, because indulgences have been abused in the past as well as misunderstood by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  The bottom line on the abuse of indulgences, or the "selling" of indulgences is that we don't really know that God will accept them.  A corrupt clergyman "selling" an indulgence...well, I could sell you a bridge in New York too and that would be about as worthless.

Indulgences went out of practice in the 1960s, but I'm told that the Catholic Church was bringing them back to some extent.  So you may notice them on cards up to and including the 1960s and then not in more recent cards, but don't be surprised if they start appearing again!

So on the back of many of the cards, when you see a certain number of "days of indulgence" are granted for praying the card's prayer or for saying so many "Hail Marys" or "Our Fathers" we are talking about a period of time lessened for the person that died.

Why does/did the Catholic Church encourage the praying of indulgences?  "...To spur them to works of devotion, penance and charity...", and that doesn't sound like a bad thing to me.

A "quarantine" is equal to 40 days

*Some interesting information in the comments below from someone a lot more familiar with the intricacies of Catholicism than this old Catholic! Check it out!

Sunday's Obituary - J. B. Hermans

A few weeks ago I posted about a diamond anniversary for Mr and Mrs George Hermans, and that I would soon be working him into my family tree.  While visiting Wisconsin, I stopped by the Wisconsin Historical Society and pulled the obituary for George's father Jean Baptiste (yeah, that whole "Joseph" isn't quite right in the obit).  Trying to add to my research and maybe even discover some new information.

The New Era, 09NOV1892, pg 1 (Kewaunee County, WI)

Unfortunately as J.B. Hermans died in 1892 and newspapers were particularly lacking in many aspects to genealogist as far as obituaries went (unless your ancestor was famous...or infamous).  I'm glad to have them though, even with information being scant.  I now know the cemetery that he was buried in and as long as the rain keeps away, I plan to visit it on Monday.  Hopefully, I'll find him while I'm there!

The second obituary does make me laugh a bit.  Stating that J.B. was "about 45 years old" and leaves "about eight children".  I was beginning to wonder how they came by there information and what exactly they were sure of!

"Mr. Joseph B. Hermans, one of the most prominent farmers in Red River died last Sunday from a stroke of apoplexy.  He was well up to a few moments of his death, and died almost without warning.  He was 47 years old, and a highly respected man.  He was buried on Tuesday from the Catholic church at Walhain, Rev. Fr. Van Huyster officiating.  He was a native of Belgium, and leaves a wife and a large family of children."

Kewaunee Enterprise, 04NOV1892, pg 8

"-Died, of apoplexy, on Oct. 30, 1892, Mr. J. B. Hermans, of Tonet, town of Luxemburg:  His remains were interred in the Catholic church cemetery at Martinsville on Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, Re. Father Van Huyter officiating.  Deceased was about 45 years old and leaves a wife and about eight children, besides his aged mother, a brother and two sisters, to mourn his loss."