Week 4 (January 22-28): I'd Like to Meet

I'd Like to Meet

So this is not an easy one.  I knew 4 grandparents and 1 great-grandparent.  Maybe I wish I heard more of their stories from THEM.  It was a time when "children should be seen and not heard" and that's pretty much how things went when we were with our grandparents.

I think my paternal grandfather was not as scary as he made himself out to be.  He seemed to be amazing in the "rearview mirror"!  Stories I heard AFTER he was gone were interesting. Involved in the construction of the Geroge Washington Bridge (NY/NJ).  I know he loved boating as a young man and a retired man.  He was the first Commodore of the yacht club in Lakewood, NJ and apparently was quite the sailor.  I do have a few memories of him laughing HEARTILY, but mostly he was a grumpy, old German.  I guess I was old enough to actually have an adult conversation with him.

 I really know very little about my paternal grandmother - other than she was beautiful and kind and had an amazing smile - and I never met any of her siblings and never even heard stories about them.  It makes me sad that none of this was really ever shared.



There is one person I never met who interests me-  and there is ONE PHOTO that makes me wish I had met him. My paternal Grandmother's brother:  Joseph Alfred Lachaussee 1887–1958.  I know very little about him, but he LOOKS COOL.    He MAY be the one who wrote his autobiography.  I have to do some digging-  I think I have a copy SOMEWHERE!    BUT... this is the guy- 

Look at the smile-  he knows something we don't know!  

Yes, this is the person I would have liked to meet.

Week 3 (January 15-21): Unusual Name

Unusual name... This one is pretty easy for me.

We have several recurring names, but the weirdest has to be Oltman Oltmer.  Reviewing from present-day backward here they are:

Our father's brother is Oltman Christian Oltmer 1933 - 1991

Next is our great-grandfather Oltmann Christian Oltmer 1869 - 1949

Next: 3rd great-grandfather Oltmann Christian Oltmer  1782  - 1871

In that same generation, there was Oltmann Oltmer 1774–1776  He lived two years.  I'm guessing if he had lived things would have been different!  Our 3rd great-grandfather would have had a different name and who knows what all those Oltmann Christians would have been called!

In the generations between the Oltmanns there were Christians.  Are you confused yet?

Two really confusing marriages... Helene Oltmer (1776 - 1835) married Eilert Oltmanns and Gresche Oltmer (1694 - 1718) married Oltmann Brunken.  (Throws hands up in surrender)

There were plenty of Eilerts, Meinens, Ahlerts and Gerds -  but this was in Germany, so I guess it's not all that unusual.


I have no photos of any of these old old Oltmanns, but they probably all look the same!

Week 2 (Jan. 8-14): Challenge

The title is Challenge.

My first challenge is the background (ON THIS BLOG).  It hides some of my words when I view it as the blog-  so maybe I'll change it.

As of right now, I have no idea what to write on this week's affair.  I suppose I should give time to the other side of our ancestors -  The Schlemm Family.  Now, that is a challenge.

Growing up Mom did not have an easy time with her mother.   BUT - I guess she must be included in this blog as she is an ancestor.  For the last many years of Mom's life, she STOPPED communicating with her.  None of us were surprised to find out that Grandma Schlemm died one year AFTER Ma.

My memory of our "immediate" Schlemm family members is not a horrible one.  We spent time with them - holidays and whatnot-  Grandpa (Charles) Schlemm Jr. and Grandma (Irene) Schlemm -  and THAT'S WHAT WE CALLED THEM -  Grandpa and Grandma Schlemm-  I guess so as not to confuse them with the Oltmer Grands?!?

Pictured above: Grandma and Granpa Schlemm.  A slight hint of a smile?

Pictured above: GREAT Grandma Pipo (Irene's mother, Ma's Grandma) and Ma (Gloria) and Grandma Schlemm ... and this is one of her happier photos!

(The baby is Patty)
Great Grandma's story will have to wait for another post.  

Ma had two brothers-  both younger.  Charles Schlemm III and Bobby.  Bobby was the oops- I guess He was ELEVEN years younger than our mother.  But - another interesting tidbit... Grandma and Grandpa Schlemm had a baby long after Bobby-  Donald Schlemm was born in 1952 -  when MY SISTER was a year old.  And this STILL was not the end of strange ages of uncles... Ma had an uncle (Grandpa's youngest brother) who was only 7 years older than she was-  Uncle Harry-  died in WWII- He was on the SS Franklin and it was hit by enemy fire and he was lost at sea.  https://www.historynet.com/uss-franklin-struck-by-a-japanese-dive-bomber-during-world-war-ii.htm

There are letters-  to a 13-year-old girl from her very handsome Uncle Harry.  I have them.  They are gold!

Ma carried this picture with her until the day she died.  He was an important memory for her.

Grandpa (in my eyes) was nice.  He showed us girls attention - he was funny.  His only problem was he was devoted to Irene- and she was as warm as an iceberg.  I have no fond memories of her-  none laughing with her -  but remember asking Grandpa to play the Chipmunks Christmas song again... and again... and again.  Hell-  he named his boat THUMPER!  Thumper I, II and III.  I mean you HAVE to be a fun person if you name your boat after a Disney rabbit!  I have a picture of one of the Thumpers... I will update if I find it!



So-  I guess it was a challenge - I also think my WRITING is a challenge.  It winds around and around and I don't know if it tells the story I'm hoping to tell!

So these were a few more names and faces of my #52ancestors!

Week 1 (Jan. 1-7): First

Here are the first prompts!  FIRST!  but there's no ancestor here.  

I guess before you can write about #52Ancestors, you have to write about who the ancestors are related to...

So FIRST-  Would be me!

Nancy Lee Oltmer Wieme
Middle sister of 3 (and that in itself tells a lot!!)
One sister is techno-impaired, one is super-techno and again, I'm in the middle of that.
Pat (older sister) and I have a website http://thesisters3.com/?reqp=1&reqr= with many of our childhood stories-  which makes me laugh because our mom used to tell stories OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER-  so I guess we do that too!

So I don't love writing about me - but since I'm the first in this blog-  middle child, teacher, wife and mother of 3, joy finder, outdoor lover. LOOK UP!  There's so much to see!!  Nothing too deep, but that describes "me, the first".  I do tend to see the glass 1/2 full - if not completely full! 

Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have.

NEW TITLE!?!?

So.  This is the second try.  I have a few blogs and different personalities "own" each one...  Here's to TRYING AGAIN!!

I've decided to take on the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks "Challenge"... and what better place to do it than in my "old" 52 Wednesdays!

Interestingly enough-  I will get a prompt for the week on a Tuesday-  so maybe I won't even change the title... because I will probably create the post on a Wednesday.  I will have to think on this.

So... I've already missed two prompts-  I'm waiting to find out if I can get those and do a quick catch up.

Whether I can- or can't ... I'm looking forward to this little project!

Here's a great place to start-

These are the Oltmer "kids".  One generation up from "US"   Back Left-  Uncle Billy; Back Right Dad - Charles Oltmer; Front Left - Aunt Florence (Oltmer) Inslee; Center w/ the hat: Aunt Mary Elizabeth (Oltmer) Giordano; and the cutie at the bottom right-  Uncle Chrissy -  Officially Oltman Christian Oltmer.

To put a few things in order:  Uncle Billy had 4 kids: Cathy, Carol, Celeste and Billy Jr.;  There were 3 girls in our family: Pat, Nancy and Mary Beth; Aunt Florence had 4 kids:  Chris, Tom, Marianna and Claudine; Aunt Mary had 4 kids:  Mary Catherine, Frankie, Billy and Charles and Uncle Chrissy had 2 kids Christina and Christian.  Everyone in bold can be found on Facebook!!

Now... all of this is available on our Ancestry account-  but here it is again lol.

WOW.. This is just a beginning-  relationships to post and tales to tell-

I will wait for the official prompt and carry on from here!   FIFTYTWO WEEKS!!  FIFTYTWO WACKY relatives!

#52Ancestors

These are current pictures from St. Joe's Church in Demarest- a donation from Grandma and Grandpa Oltmer when the church was being built.  The original St. Joe's was where Mom and Dad were married - located at the end of Brookside Ave. in Demarest.  (They lived in Cresskill on Brookside Ave).