“Family Archaeologist” explores a century of family letters, diaries, and artifacts, and how they illuminate history and our shared humanity. To get an overview of the blog, click: “Welcome to Family Archaeologist”
LATEST BLOG POSTS
Dear God, please let it come true!
We’re following the budding romance of my parents 70 years ago. (Click on Falling in Love and Betcha he won’t call to see the first diary entries) My mom, then Lillian Koroschetz, had a fabulous evening of dancing and chatting away with Fred Gartz on May 11, 1941, but was convinced that he wouldn’t follow up: “I’ll just betcha he won’t call!” [...]
“Betcha” — he won’t call! (And…Happy Birthday, Mom!)
Lillian Koroschetz (Gartz) 1918 ~ 6 months Before we learn more about my Mom’s incipient romance with Fred Gartz, let’s take a pause to say “Happy Birthday, Mom!” [Lil was born on 10-10-1917, so do the math for what her present age would be.] Here’s her cute baby picture, and below her Waller High [...]
Happy 100th Anniversary! 10/13/1911-10/13/2011
Josef and Elsabetha Gartz—Wedding day October 13, 1911 Friday the thirteenth, a century ago, was a lucky day for my grandparents, Josef Gartz and Elisabetha Ebner, when they became husband and wife. […]
What more do you want? 10/19
Sunday, Oct 19 (bday celebration) 150 words Had Gert, Myrtle Haling, Ruth, and Marge Johnson and Lucille Kaye as well as Ceil over to help celebrate my birthday. Had a most enjoyable day – one of the nicest birthdays I’ve had. Though I’d have to arrange to play some games, but the crowd was so congenial [...]
Falling in Love – 70 years ago
Lillian Koroschetz, December, 1941 1941 was a watershed year in America. War was raging in Europe. Prior to Pearl Harbor, America was embroiled in debate about entering the war. But something else was brewing seventy years ago that didn’t make headlines—yet rocked the world of the young man and woman who became my parents. [...]
Happy Birthday, Dad…and G-G-G-Grandpa
Fred Gartz, dob October 10, 1914 […]
Left Behind
Samuel Ebner Sr.; my great-grandfather, Lisi Ebner/Gartz’s father Lisi Ebner, my grandmother, made the gut-wrenching sacrifice of leaving behind her family to follow her heart to America, to marry my grandfather, Josef. Or so I thought. It turns out Lisi’s father, stepmother, Maria, and half siblings (Theresia and Johann (aka, Resi and Hans, born [...]
“Your Uncertain Fate”
Berta Jickeli, Lisi Ebner’s employer and mentor in Hermannstadt/Sibiu We think of our grandparents as venerable and wise, unlikely to be impulsive, reckless, or spontaneous as youth is wont to be. But what if we could see them as they were viewed by the generation older than they — if we could see them [...]
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