In the beginning...Selma Kampe, 1939, who is she?

     Selma Kampe, 1939, who is she? Who am I? My mom, Mildred Schuler Kampe, told me, “I know nothing about my family. As a child I played with some children that were family, but I never knew how we were related.” Mom would continue by adding that when someone came to the front door, no matter the weather, the children went outside. Mom knew names such as Couch, Thayer, Armstrong, Woodin, Morey because the family would travel from Lockport, Illinois, to LaSalle County, Illinois, to visit “family.” As an adult, it was Wilma Woodin Morey that added connections. In the 1990s when I started genealogy, mom told me that there was no family information anywhere. She was surprised when I added connections to the family names from my research.

     As a child, I was curious, “Where did we come from?” I was told to sit in the corner and keep quiet, don’t ask questions, don’t pester the old people. Until, I met Joey Blackmon and he opened up a whole new world of research using public records such as census and newspapers. Now at 85 years old, I want to keep my research public and encourage others to share. I am in the process of donating all of my collection to a community college museum. My research will never be complete; I  am currently organizing the material as follows:

My six generations include me as generation1 are color coded and numbered. The plan works with both digital and paper folders. My paper folders are third cut, the center tab is for my direct line, the left tab is for my collateral line, the right tab is for surname research. The colors chosen are paternal blue and green, maternal red and yellow.

 Generation 1: Selma Kampe, 1939 - 01, blue, green, red, yellow

Generation 2: Henry Kampe, 1916-1983 / Mildred Schuler, 1919-2008 - 02 blue and red

Generation 3: William Kampe, 1883-1960 /  Selma Elsner, 1887-1928 -  03 blue

                       William Schuler, 1871-1964 / Nettie Couch, 1885-1965 - 03 red

Generation 4: John Kampe, 1847-1917 / Anna Dralle, 1859-1950 – 04 blue

                       Carl “Charles” Elsner, 1852-1941 / Karolina Koppelman, 1861-1933 – 04 green

                       John Schuler, 1841-1916 / Lena Baumgarten, 1842-1916 – 04 red

                       Eugene Couch, 1851-1925 / Laura Armstrong, 1857-1931 – 04 yellow

Generation 5: Fredrick Kampe, 1826-1908 / Charlotte Heumann, 1826-1895 – 05 blue

                       Frederick Dralle, 18131874 / Sophia Sieling, 1825-? – 05 blue

                       Hans “John” Elsner, 1814-1876 / Sophie Wrede, 1819-1910 – 05 green

                       Frederich Koppelman, 1825-1891 / Maria Prestin, 1835-1891, 05 green

                      John Schuler, 1815-1875 / Anna VonGunten, 1819-1887 – 05 red

                      Christian “Charles” Baumgarten, 1804-1868 / Henrietta Ronitz, 1812-1979 – 05 red

                      Elisha T Couch, 1820-18-96 / Jane Dunham, 1923-1906 ‘ 05 yellow

                      Nathan Armstrong, 1831-1895 / Jane Baker, 1939-1879 – 05 yellow

Generation 6: Kampe/Heumann unknown

                       Dralle unknown

                       Frederich Sieling, ?-? / Louise Hohler, ?-? – 06 blue

                       John Elsner,  1780-? / Augustine Adam, 1779-1841 – 06 green

                       Frederick Wrede, 1783-? / Maria Adam, 1789-? – 06 green

                       Ernst Koppelmann, 1791-1846 / Dorothea Strubing, 1798-1875 – 06 green

                       Fredrich Prestin, ?-? / Christine Schween, ?-?, 06 green

                       Johann Georg Schuler, 1792-1860 / Agnes Zimmermann, 1787-? – 06 red

                       Johannes VonGunten, 1798-? / Elisabetha Buhler, 1788-? 06 red

                       Johann Baumgarten, ?-? / ?, 06 red

                       Karl Ronitz, ?-? / ? – 06 red

                       Elisha Couch, abt 1776-1854 / Lucy Loveland, 1778- abt 1854 – 06 yellow

                       William F. Dunham, 1799- abt 1880 / Sarah Metcalf, 1803-1887 – 06 yellow

                       Mathew Armstrong, 1801-1870 / Elinor Nelson, 1808-? in CA – 06 yellow

                       Eldridge Reynolds Baker Sr., 1803-1878 / Lara Woodruff, 1800-1888 – 06 yellow

      Next question; how do I know that fact? Every fact needs a citation; where did it come from even if it is only someone’s tree. Daily I learn new things and/or ways. Now I have family and friends encourage me and hopefully I am encouraging others. My personal “in the beginning…”starts with Genesis 1 and genealogy in Genesis 5, 10, 11 and Matthew 1. My Aunt Eleanor Schuler Boldt taught me Matthew 6:33. She lived her life as a great example to me. As in the Bible, God is interested in genealogy/families; I am also to be interested in individuals.