31. My family authorities, extended -- Margaret and Marguerite

My family authorities became extended during the late 1990's, when I was joyfully introduced to relatives in the other two branches of the Treuthardt family in Texas.   The three branches -- the children of Will, Ida, and Arnold -- had been acquainted through the first-generation Texan cousins (same tier on the family tree as my father Julius).   Our Krieg side had lost contact with the Treuthardts around the 1940's-1950's (all the immigrant ancestors were long deceased by then).   Though this was unfortunate, it is the natural way of things as families grow, spread and lose contact with each other. 

Finding these new relatives was a splendid happening for me.  Not only did I find dear relatives, but also they helped to "complete" the Texas phase of this study of the Treuthardt family.   Not that this study could ever be completed!    But this history would not be finished without representation from all three branches.    To simplify this post, I am going to tell you about only two of these people.    Many blessings from God on this study derived from having found these ladies.     Having these two ladies on my side gave a personal aspect to the ancestors I was attempting to find.

On the Will Treuthardt side is Margaret, the great-grandchild of Friedrich Treuthardt.    From the Arnold Treuthardt side is Marguerite, Arnold's daughter and Friedrich's granddaughter.  

Margaret has been to Switzerland 7 times.    The last time she went to Switzerland she celebrated her 90th birthday while she was there.    She would not mind if I mention her present age -- 93.   Margaret and I became the best of friends, and she has given me much encouragement in these 16 years!   

In her childhood, Marguerite lived next door to her grandmother Anna Geiser Treuthardt -- who is my great-grandmother.     Only once did I get to meet Marguerite, but seeing her and apprehending even a small amount of the treasure of her memories, meant very much to me.   Marguerite also went to Switzerland several times. 

This is how I was reunited with these two ladies (and several others not mentioned here) who greatly enhanced this study.    

In the early years I was researching any and all family lines.    Whichever one was producing fruit, that was the one I pursued for the moment.    The Krieg line had been my original pursuit.   It was my Krieg distant cousin, Lillian, who was the key to finding the Treuthardts.    Lillian was the granddaughter of my grandfather Gottlieb Krieg's sister.    Lillian had inherited her grandmother's albums and materials and had shared the knowledge of them with me.    She and I were working together on the Kriegs -- mostly she was telling me what she knew, and I was recording what she said.    Both of us were trying to put it together.  

I had shared with her the Baptism photograph of 1897 (see my blog posts 15 and 16), as there were Krieg people in it.   She took the picture and showed it to her neighbor, who was also doing some Swiss genealogy.

Her neighbor, Ann Warner, recognized the Treuthardts immediately.   Ann was the granddaughter of Arnold, and great-granddaughter of Friedrich Treuthardt!    Ann was very excited and asked Lillian could she share it with her Treuthardt cousin -- (guess who!) Margaret!   

So from the Krieg side came information in an accidental way, about the Treuthardts.

My friendship with Margaret, and then at last getting a single precious visit with Marguerite, gave new life to the history.   The study took up a life of its own and swept us along after that.    

And that is how family history research works!!!  

Not the least of our discoveries was the fact that all three of us (and many others of the Treuthardts besides!!) had traveled to Switzerland, loved talking about it, and wanted to know more about the Swiss history.      

22. Separation of Treuthardt grandchildren

Indeed, it was during the 1930’s and 1940’s that Will’s, Ida’s and Arnold’s families became separated.   After Ida died in 1939, the various siblings and cousins through the Treuthardts lived in different cities and had their own families.   The cousins never forgot each other – my father thought of them, I know.   But after the cousins’ deaths (approximately the 1980's-1990's), as in all families, the distant relatives naturally drew apart and were unknown to each other.   In the next 50 years, there was only one connection (about 1960?) that I am aware of, until the late 1990’s when God brought us together again, through Margaret, her sisters LaVerne, Mary Lou and me.    That is a future blog which is percolating.   

You’ve noticed, this is not a chronological history.   We are going in all directions at once.   Beginning with Friedrich’s death and continuing with his birth of his grandchild Anna, and a photograph of the Swiss community – and finding out Friedrich was married twice -- we still aren’t finding out much about HIM.   

Like getting acquainted with a stranger, if we met a person and started asking about his early life and worked our way systematically through his life, it would not be as interesting.    We would be asleep before we got very far in his boring chronological revelations.  

Rather, this account is discovery-oriented.    Discoveries are uncoordinated.    We are putting together a puzzle and don’t know if all or most of the pieces are there.    A puzzle isn't recognizable until you get close to finishing.  
     
For my readership, the people you need to recognize are Friedrich, his wife Anna, his daughter Ida (the oldest child in that marriage), his son Arnold, and his oldest son Will, by Friedrich’s first marriage.   
 
Anna’s obituary mentioned the immigration of the family to the U.S. in 1883.   In the next few blogs we will track them on their travels from Switzerland to Texas 130 years ago.   I hope you are as excited as I am!    I am always ready to go back to Switzerland!