My research really started with me asking my Dad where we came from and that was back around 1965. He then went on a trip with my Mom to Germany and there he got some of the first family tree data. That was my start. But when I retired from Boeing in August of 1988, then I took the search up seriously. Primarily I got my data from the Mormon Family History Center near here in Auburn, WA. Then on trips to Germany I got more mostly from Peter Feiler, a cousin who then lived in Rastatt and whom we stayed with for a few days. That was a memorable trip with my brother Philip & sister Julie. Elisabeth Gebhardt, Peter's sister, also joined us while we visited many of our relatives all across Gemany.
-- David Kemle
The picture of Großmutter just seems to tell so much. (see the Pictures section) If I explode the view and look carefully at her face I see a very wise & strong woman. Großmutter is sitting on a lawn chair spinning yarn from sheep's wool. Then she takes the yarn and knits nice thick warm socks or slippers. She did this to pass the time and do something useful. She was always busy doing something. And I recall she always went to bed early, like 6 PM. Then she'd read from the bible and fall asleep. On Sunday Dad would take her to Arnold B.C. to the Mennonite Church there. She could understand their German and loved to sing the hymns. This picture was taken on our 68 acre farm in front of the house. She came to our farm in Sumas Prairie from the Rudolfsgnad Death camp in Yugoslavia after Tito let them go in 1948. She was nothing but skin and bones when she arrived. Dad told her to start slowly with the good food here lest it make her sick. After being starved for about 2 1/2 years, she could hardly resist having some raw pork bacon fat. She could not resist eating too much of it.
-- David Kemle