Stories of family, creativity, and diverse distractions.

Tag: west point

Posts about West Point, and its inhabitants.

Discharged in good order – Gerhard’s military service record

Last week, I showed Maria Catherina Krumpelmann’s birth certificate and the process used to translate it. That was not the only document that was translated for us. Today, we’ll take a look at Gerhard Wellman’s service record. The same process was used as in the other document.

An original German document about the service of Gerhard Wellman in the late 1870s.

Even in the 1880’s, you needed a copy of your birth certificate

In a previous post, I discussed the challenges one can encounter when translating a document. Translation becomes more difficult when the document is more than 100 years old.

Going on a class picnic – 1934 West Point Iowa

There was a message on our voicemail from a gentleman who went to school in West Point. It was delightful to talk with him. I wasn’t aware that there was a West Point Iowa Facebook Group, and I have enjoyed reading bits of the West Point Bee and seeing pictures posted on the group.

I thought that a glimpse of the school picnic from 1934, taken at the Fairgrounds would be fun pictures to share this week.

Who is Brigham Emkey, and Why Does Mom Talk About His Place?

When I was a kid Mom would always talk about the “Brigham Emkey” place. Or maybe it was “Brigham Empty”. Or “Bring ‘Em Empty”? She said it all as one word, like “BrighamEmpty”, and it was hard to tell. But the BrighamEmkey Place was where Mom lived as a little girl, and she told a lot of stories about it. But I could never figure out the name.

You Gotta Love Computers, or A Shirttail Relation

As you may know, Michelle and I somehow got appointed as the keepers of family history, lore, and photographs in my family. I’m pretty sure the vote took place when I wasn’t present…

Walter Wellman – World War II Soldier

Walter Wellman was born April 25, 1919 to George and Veronica (Moeller) Wellman. He was Georgie’s cousin.

Walter Wellman

Elizabeth Wellman Link: Happy Birthday!

Elizabeth Wellman was born April 2, 1890 to Gerhard and Maria Wellman in West Point, Iowa. 

She was born to German immigrants. Gerhard had come to America from Germany in 1884.  Maria Kruempelmann had arrived in 1885. 

George, Bernard, Gerhard, Elizabeth, Anthony, and Aloyius Wellman. This picture was taken in 1905.

Remembering Kempker’s Family Store: Then and Now

John and Catherine were married in Cincinnati Ohio in 1853. Sometime before 1859, they moved to Iowa and opened Kempker’s Family Store in West Point, Iowa.

Image show the Kempker Family store building in the late 1800s with wagons out front.
The store in the late 1800s

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