Dane County Area Genealogical Society is at the WI State Genealogical Society Conference. It is 2017 FGS Society Management Day here at the Chula Vista Resort in WI. Dells, Wisconsin

So a colleague at Wisconsin Historical Society just informed me I was credited at the end of Who Do You Think You Are? Season 8, Jessica Biel episode shown on Sunday, April 2. I did not know. Exciting though. End Credits, Wow.

Newspaper Research for Civil War period prison escape in 1864.

Tonight I found my Name at the end of credits at minute 42 and 36 secs. Thanks to Shed Media for finding me.

Thanks to Wisconsin Historical Society for being a wonderful place to do research.

• ​Federation of Genealogical       Societies Regional and the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society

 

Working Together to Make a Difference:

Genealogy Basics and Beyond

 

 

April 6-8, 2017

Wisconsin Dells

 

Update – if you watched tonight’s how “Who Do You Think You Are?” The Jessica Biel story is what I did do research last April 2016. On her maternal side, the Alton Prison break in 1864. The newspaper article I found was not part of production but I hope it did help in confirming there was a prison break from that prison and date period.  I did not know who the research was for so now I know. It was fun.

Last April (2016) I was contacted by the show “Who Do You Think You Are?” I did a records search. Ultimately I was informed they did not use what I collected in the final production of Season 8 but they let me know that this Sunday, April 2 at 9pm central time, the person whose ancestor I looked into will air. Check out https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are

As President of my local genealogy society I have been able to finalize Speakers for Membership Program Meetings.

DCAGS Membership Programs for rest of 2017.

April 8 Caroline Kauten of Memory Keeper’s – Stories our heirlooms tell: Stories, Care and Documentation
May 13 Jan Bosman-There’s a Lot of History in Your Old Recipe Box
June 10 Ute Brandenburg (Iowa Genealogist)– Finding Your German Origin
July 8 Summer Outing (to be determined)
August 12 Sherry Lloyd–Webinars and On Line Genealogy Websites
September 9 Emil Hoelter—WI Historical Society -War History Commission Records
October 14 Richard L Pifer, PhD, –Family History and Genealogy during the Great War
November 11 Thomas MacEntee– Webinar – Live Speaker (Title tbd)
December 9 Show and Tell Program

I received this email from the makers of Family Tree tonight.

“Time to Sync Your Family Tree Maker and Ancestry Trees

Important news for Family Tree Maker software users: Software MacKiev, the company that acquired Family Tree Maker from Ancestry.com early last year, will release Family Tree Maker 2017 on March 31. 

Previous versions of Family Tree Maker used something called TreeSync to sync your software with your tree on Ancestry.com. Family Tree Maker 2017 will use something else, called FamilySync, to sync your trees. As of March 29, Ancestry will no longer support TreeSync. 

If you use Family Tree Maker and don’t plan to upgrade to 2017, you should open the software and sync your trees before March 29. You still can use your old Family Tree Maker after that, but your trees will no longer sync. “

World War I: Discovering Facts About One Wisconsin Soldier

As I was growing up I had heard stories of an ancestor who served in World War I and was an uncle to my father. However, my own father never knew this uncle since he died before my father was born. My Great-Uncle Theodore Rettammel died in March 1919, while in the military but after the armistice on November 11, 1918, that ended World War I. The information I originally had about him was limited. As well as many from his generation were also deceased before I took an interest in genealogy, in the late 1970s. Theodore’s tombstone was always something I saw every Memorial Day when my Dad would put flowers on his grave. I also knew something about his dates of birth and death since they are listed on the tombstone in the family cemetery in Wisconsin. 

Over the years, I discovered a photo of a few of my great uncles on my paternal side that served in World War I. One of these was (as learned) of my Great Uncle Theodore. So, between seeing his tombstone and the only picture I have of him (below), he was in a way always in my family history but never with any facts of who and what happened to him as Doughboy in World War I.

  

Theodor A. Rettammel, Private

Born: Chicago, IL.

Died: Camp Sherman, Ohio, March 14, 1919

Cause of Death: Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Contributing Factor: Wounded and gassed in France on August 3, 1918. Gas inhalation chlorine.

Service Record
One of my interest was to locate the place and battle where my great-uncle was wounded and gassed. I visited the Wisconsin Veteran’s Museum in Madison, WI. recently to look for his service record and found that he enlisted in the 3rd Infantry Wisconsin National Guard on June 29, 1917 at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Later the U.S. War Department directed the National Guard to form the 32nd Division on July 15, 1917 and thus Theodore was transferred to Company 128th Infantry 32nd Division of American Expeditionary Force, on August 4, 1917. The 32nd Division was composed of troops from Wisconsin and Michigan. The division was trained in Waco, Texas at Camp McArthur. Eventually Theodore served overseas from May 23, 1918 to December 18, 1918 (nearly 7 months). Wounded in battle on August 2 or 3, 1918. Returned to the United States in December 1918 and died at Camp Sherman, Ohio on March 14, 1919, age 32.

The Division selected a red arrow piercing a line to show that the division went through every line the enemy threw up before them. The insignia did not get officially approved until November 11, 1918, the last day of the war.

Cover of Book: The 32nd Division in the World War, 1920

Wounded in What Battle?

Theodore was overseas and said to be wounded in battle on August 2 or 3, per two sources, one his death certificate from Ross County, Ohio reports the 2nd and service record says the 3rd. During this time the American Expeditionary Force was fighting in the Second Battle of the Marne and Chateau-Thierry. Specifically, on August 1st an attack by 63rd and 64th Infantry Brigades of the 32nd Division attacked and forced the enemy to abandon Bellevue Farm. On August 3rd, the division pushed forward to the Vesle River and the 32rd Division captured the town of Fismes, France, in northeast France. Theodore as a soldier in Company D, 128th Infantry was part of the 64th Brigade that fought on those days and area.

Final Points

I have learned the battle and area where he was wounded. I also know that he stayed overseas until December 18, 1918. This was 4 months after his being gassed and wounded. I also know he was hospitalized when he was back for 3 months until his death on March 14, 1919 while still in the Army. The time from August 4 to December 18th I still do not know how much he suffered because of the initial damage he experienced or how much more fighting he did. I can only guess that he continued to fight and eventually his wounds in early August made him too weak to continue.

Sources

1. The 32nd Division in the World War, Copyright 1920 by the Wisconsin War History Commission, Madison, WI (author’s family copy)

2. Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Archives

3. Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, database FamilySearch

Copyright Bob Rettammel 2017