George Aloysius (Al) Link was born on August 23, 1863 in New Vienna, Iowa. Al is Walt’s 2nd Great Uncle. His brother Isadore is Walt’s Great Grandfather.
Last week we looked at Alaska’s and Canada’s rules for survival kits in private aircraft. Both places legally require pilots to carry certain gear. But the rules are pretty general. So let’s go down the rabbit hole a bit and look at the details. This will take several posts to cover completely, but we’re going to start today with clothing. You can really help your odds if you dress for survival before you get on the plane.

Gerhard Wellman was born on August 16, 1857 in Besten by Ankum, Germany. Gerhard is Walt’s great grandfather.
Gerhard’s parents were Johann and Catharina Heil Wellman. He was the fifth child born to the union.
Did you know that private pilots flying in Alaska must carry a survival kit? It’s actually a state law. Canada requires one as well. Let’s take a look at what they require, compared to what you see in a typical survival kit.
Katherina Delker Spexarth was born on August 9, 1824 in Varensell, Germany. Her parents were Johannes and Maria Delker. Katherina is related to the Wellman side of Walt’s family. So today is her 200th birthday.
We had an amazing long weekend at Gen Con 2024. We ran games, played games and attended seminars and workshops. Trekking the halls and the dealer hall we walked for miles every day. We are exhausted but excited with how the weekend went.
William J Link and Elizabeth Wellman were married on August 2, 1916 at St. Mary’s Church in West Point, Iowa. WJ and Lizzie are Walt’s grandparents.
Kenneth Richard Henry Kempker was born on July 26, 1927 in St Paul, Iowa. His parents were John and Sadie Merschman Kempker. Kenneth is a distant relation of Walt’s through the Wellman side of the family.
After so recently relating the death of our kitchen range, it pains me (and my wallet) to inform you of a further loss. Our dear washing machine, Maytag 712, has passed. Born in Newton, IA in 1989, Maytag served two families faithfully until succumbing in June to a sudden transmission failure.