Those Who Made Me What I Am
You didn't think I was gonna take ALL the blame myself?
I guess you could say that I have typically american roots. Which means my family is from elsewhere.
The Muehlke name has been traced back to the 1400's near Marienberg. Suffice it to say, until I do further research, that it is a Germanic name that orginated around the time the Teutonic Knights had control of what is now Poland. Think "Prussia." If you're interested in what a good German sounding name was doing in Poland, check the Early Polish History link below.
The Farquharsons, an early Celtic clan, stem from the Braemar area of Scotland. The earliest mention in the Library of Congress is of "Iain the Snaggle Toothed" in the 900's. I'm so proud. I'm sure there are many illustrious types in my forebearers. I'll stick with Iain. Of course we have a family
castle, don't you?
The Thoroughman name dates back to the 12th century in the
East Anglia region of England. According to a guild record the name doesn't mean "thorough" but is derived from Thur, an ancient Saxon chief who lived in the county of Yorkshire around 1180. Thurman (and its derivations) indicated a "protector or servant" of Thur. I'm not sure exactly when they first arrived here but the name is found in the first Federal census of 1790.
The Hestler name goes back to the 1600's in the eastern part of Switzerland. I haven't found any family info for Hestler yet, but I'll keep on searching. Any Hestlers out there that can help me out?
Muehlke & Farquharson come from my Dad's family and Thoroughman & Hestler comes from, duhhh, my Mom's side.
My Dad was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1922. His father, Albert Frederick was a jeweler who crafted custom pieces. His mother, Leonora, was the supervisor of music for the Detroit Public School System. After a year at Michigan State University Dad enlisted in the Army and was promoted to the rank of Sgt. before entering West Point. He graduated in the Class of '45. He retired from the Army as a full Colonel in '73 with 32 years of service. Dad passed away in the spring of '96 and is buried at
Arlington National Cemetery.
My Mom was born in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC in 1926. Her father, Roy, was a career Army officer who grew up in Vancouver, Washington. Her mother, Mildred, was orginally from Moberly, Missouri. Upon leaving home Mildred worked for the War Department in Washington, DC where she met Roy.
My sister Susan rounds out the immediate family. She also has cornered ALL the artistic genes available. I can barely draw a straight line and she can do wonderful things in almost any medium. I'm jealous, envious and, mostly, proud.
And where did the chicken come from?
Susan lives in the western part of Scotland in Plockton, a small village on the mainland just across from the Isle of Skye. It's a beautiful place if you're there from May to October. Due to its proximity to the Arctic Circle, Plockton is a pretty bleak place during the rest of the year. She has a daughter, Jenny, from her first marriage and two sons, Iain & Gordon, from her current marriage to Donald MacKenzie.
Dad, Donald, Mom, Iain & Susan
Donald, Iain & Me
Mom, Susan, Me and the Spawns of Satan aka Gordon & Iain
How else would you pack an "Osa" for the trip here?
Bogie doing what he does best
Whoops! Almost forgot my cousin John.
John's a Laguna Beach kinda guy. A wood craftsmen & carpenter. Although we've only lived in the same place (Laguna Beach, CA) twice, we've always been close. I consider him to be the brother I never had. He probably refers to me as the distant relative we don't talk about outside the family.
And then there's my niece Jenny. She lives in San Francisco with her husband Paul.
Jenny does look a little older these days. This is my favorite picture of us taken in Tahoe in '71
I did have a "family" of sorts of my own in the late 80's. It was fun, it was important, it was interesting & it was relatively short lived. Oh well...life just sorta sneaks up and smacks ya upside de haid, don't it?
AOG
United States Military Academy-West Point
Early Polish History
Main
Bands
Interests
Germany
Research
Baker HS
Stuttgart AHS
Humor
Thoughts
© 2017 muehlke@mindless.com
Get your own Free Home Page