Thursday, January 6, 2011

AHSGR

I joined an organization caled The American Historical Society of Germans fro Russia over 10 years ago. Through that organization and a relative named Isadore or Ike Appelhans from Topeka KS, I was able to acquire most of the information I now know about our family tree. They have a website if you are interested in looking. I am a member of the Golden Wheat Chapter in Wichita.
Isobel's parent's generation include her Dad Eric who was born in Colorado Springs Colorado and her Uncle Nick and Aunt Lenore who were born in North Dakota.
The next generation is mine and that will be next time.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

First Family Tree Post

Isobel Anne-Marie Appelhans is the newest generation of Appelhans. She is the Daughter of Eric Appelhans and Heather Buchanon. They live in Northern California. Isobel's nickname is Izzie. Later you will learn that nicknames are part of Germans from Russia heritage. Izzie was born in March 2003 in San Francisco, California. She is currently in 2nd grade and is a budding artist like her Dad. She comes from a long history that you will see over the next few months or so. We have traced the Appelhans line back to the 1600's in Western Germany, near Mainz and Worms in a little town called Bechtheim, which is about 1 mile from the Rhine river. As we go back in time, one generation at a time, we will trace our ancestry through Russia and back to Germany. An interesting tidbit is that Izzie's Aunt Lenore has moved to Germany and married a German man named Daniel Jennewein. At their wedding reception I pointed out to all attending, (including many of Daniel's family that traveled from Germany to Kansas for the wedding,) that the Appelhans' family has now completed it's round trip from Germany.