(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: John Pape, age 88, 17 July 1939

This photograph of my great-grandfather John Pape was taken at a "lake front park at the foot of Church Street in Evanston," Illinois, which I believe is today's Dawes Park. He looks rather dapper for age 88, don't you think? And he lived for almost six more years.

At one time I thought I didn't have a lot of ancestral relatives on the Pape side in the United States. My grandfather Paul Pape had five children, his sister Martha had two, and his sister Rhea had one. I knew that one of John's brothers, Anton, had also come to the United States, but I have only found one child for him (Hugo, later an alderman in Evanston). Anton lived about a block down Sherman Avenue from John in Evanston from at least 1889 through 1892, but apparently passed away that year or in 1893.

I have since learned that John provided housing for his youngest brother, Lorenz, and at least six of his eight children when they immigrated to the United States in 1909 and 1913. But, that's another post for another time. There are a lot of Papes in this country, and apparently I am related to more of them than I thought.

© Amanda Pape - 2010

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Carl Massmann, 1847-1929

Carl Massmann was born May 22, 1847, in Hanover, Germany. He married Minna Freicke in Hanover on January 4, 1870. They had eight children, the first three being daughters who all died before age 5. He emigrated to New York City in October or November, 1884 on the Elbe out of Bremen. He became a citizen in Chicago on October 17, 1891. He was an upholsterer and lived in Chicago for 45 years. He died from uremia and chronic interstitial nephritis on February 7, 1929, a few days after my father, his great-grandson, was born, both in Evanston, Illinois.

Carl appears to be a bit younger in this picture than he is in this one, taken in September 1924 at his son's wedding. I'm guessing the photograph was taken at the same time as this one of his wife and daughters, placing it between 1895 and 1917.

Got the income taxes done, but still swamped with a lot of other work and happenings. Hoping I can get back to normal blogging next week.

© Amanda Pape - 2010

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Spring 1988 in Seattle

This is my son Eric, almost age 2, at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle in the spring of 1988, shaking down the (probably apple) fruit tree blossoms.

Taking a little break from genealogy research and blogging. Trying to get the income tax return done and plan the upcoming vacation in Hawaii, and dealing with various employee issues (including trying to get my own self-evaluation done) at work. Hope to be back at it next week.

© Amanda Pape - 2010

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Me and Mom, April 1957

Still in a sentimental birthday mood...

This photo of me and Mom (Geraldine Guokas Pape, age 28) was taken at my parents' home at 2059 West Touhy Avenue in Chicago, sometime shortly after my birth on April 4, 1957.

In the birthday card she sent me, Mom wrote of memories similar to Dad's. She also noted that the day we came home from the hospital, "I got something in my eye and it was painful. So an eye doctor came to the apartment to look at my eye." It turned out she had iritis, and she had to use eye drops to clear it up. Looks like it was gone by the time this photo was taken.


© Amanda Pape - 2010

Sentimental Sunday #2 - Birthday Memory from Dad

Today I received this lovely e-mail from my dad:

I can still remember the night you were born. Your mother and I went for a walk per doctor's suggestion. It was cold and blustery. Shortly after we got back to the apartment your mother started getting pains which she thought were gas pains. I called your Aunt Betty and she told your mother to get up and walk around for a couple of minutes. If the pains did not stop call the doctor. We went to the hospital and soon after you were born.

Next morning Aunt Betty called. I told her your mother had a nine pound and two and half ounce gas pain.

Hope you have a nice day. Love, Dad

Aunt Betty is Dad's sister, and she is a nurse. I was born at 2:31 AM on April 4, 1957, at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois. Mom's labor lasted about two and a half hours. The photo above of me and Dad (Frederick Pape, age 28) was taken later in the month at my parents' home at 2059 West Touhy Avenue in Chicago.

© Amanda Pape - 2010

Sentimental Sunday: Happy Easter - 1961

This is me on Easter 1961, which fell on April 2 that year. This was taken outside our family home at the time, at 7913 Cedel Drive in Houston, Texas. Two days later I turned four.

Yup, today is my birthday, only the second time since I was born that it has coincided with Easter (the last time was 1999). This won't happen again until 2021 when I'm 64.

Here's a table that shows when (western) Easter fell or will fall from 1583 through 4099, for those of you with birthdays between March 22 and April 25. It's part of a great website on Easter and calendars.

Back when I was little, my maternal grandfather, Charles Guokas Jr., used to pay for Easter dresses for me and my sister Karen. Karen's birthday is March 17, so it was kind of a combined Easter/birthday gift for both of us. Usually the dresses were alike, and were these lovely poufy things with the scratchy petticoats! When we got older, Mom, who is an excellent seamstress, often made our Easter dresses, and they were not the same.

Happy Easter, everyone!

© Amanda Pape - 2010