Sunday, June 14, 2015

Small World - Hoeraufs

As we left the conference hall we stopped at a table selling chocolates and nuts.  The gentleman behind the table was from Sweet Home, Oregon and had been there since the '60's.  In response I asked if he knew of Ernest and Ann Wolters; he was mayor of Hebron, North Dakota, my childhood town when I was child.

"Ann and Ernie.  Oh yes.  If you're from Hebron, do you know the Walter Hoerauf?  He's my sister's husband."  I do and did.  We often attended the Hoerauf family reunions when my mother Erna was visiting.  Both Walter and his wife have since died as well as Walter's brothers Emil and Albert.  I replied that through marriages several generations back we are related.

The father of Walter and his siblings was Louis Hoerauf and his father was Michael Mishel Hoerauf.  One other son of Michael was Jacob who married Christina Saxowsky, my grandfather's sister.  With this conversation as a motivator, I looked deeper into the Hoerauf family and added some information to the Saxowsky Family Tree website.  This website is password protected but open to anyone who asks for the password.

Again the research brought me back to memories of events and people of my past, many whom I did not know at the time was related or connected even in some remote manner.  Neighbors and friends who were special have now become more special even in another way.