Thuemmel-Hass Ancestry News No. 2

Thuemmel-Hass Ancestry News No. 2 - August 2, 2025 William Thuemmel Dear Family, This newsletter can best be titled as “Communications Between Sally Smith and William Thuemmel in May 2022.” In my first newsletter (May 4, 2022) and, again in my reminder of July 13, 2025, I mentioned that “I don’t believe I have a photo of Uncle Charlie and Aunt Elanah’s (Loughin) wedding. Please send me a copy if you have one.” Then, just a day later (May 5, 2022), I received an email with a nice photo collage of their wedding from Sally Smith [daughter of Dorothy Hunter, granddaughter of Clara (Thuemmel) Hunter]. I received the 11” x 11” poster collage a few days later, thanked Sally, and took a photo of the bride and groom and their first two children, Charlie (Junior), Amy, and the wedding news item. No date of the wedding was in the news clipping, so I checked the Thuemmel Family Bible that was then in my possession. The wedding was in Boyne City, MI, on December 15, 1925. Karl Thuemmel is now the Thuemmel Family Bible custodian. I asked Sally if she would like me to return the picture poster to her for safekeeping. Also, the address on her parcel was Sally Eleanor Smith, 147 Chenoa Drive Unit E, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 29576. I asked her if that was her present address: On my email listing of family relatives, she was still at 2719 Morgan St., Saginaw, MI 48602. Sally indicated she was then a year-round resident at her new address and I may keep the photos. Sally then emailed a large group of photos (about 70) to me on May 6, 2022. She didn’t know if I was interested in any of these and, in addition, said she was “technically challenged---only way she knew how to share”. They were emailed in five separate emails because of size. All arrived in pretty good shape. Sally indicated that these photos were in an album compiled for Clara when at Maccabee Garden Nursing Home in Saginaw. Album was brought out for all visitors. Since 1980, they were loaned to various family members. Even made airplane trip with David Parker to Seattle. Numerous pictures were given to appropriate families that did not have a photo they would treasure. Discovered materials used in the 70’s actually were destroying them. In 2003, Sally transferred all of them to acid free album. “The best effort was made to identify all persons from notes my mother, Dorothy Hunter Smith, had made, and her memory”. Sally mentioned that she noticed few photos of my dad, mother, or kids and thought some of those pictures were given to Uncle Bill and Aunt Ila 40 some years ago. Looking back through them today, she was glad they identified the ones they could. She said it would be very challenging to put names to a lot of them today. Was sure glad all the pictures (70 of them) got to me safely. On May 12, 2022, Sally provided more information on her move to Murrells Inlet in August of 2018. She mentioned her brother and sister-in-law Tom and Reva were already in Murrells Inlet. Her niece Michelle, their daughter and son-in-law Randy and her great niece Amanda Hann had been in Murrells Inlet for many years She mentioned it is so good to be close to family again. Tom and Reva moved here from Ohio. The Hann’s also moved here from Ohio. Sally explained that “Several years Clara’s photo album was in the keeping of Denny and Pat Parker. Pat was really into family history. Pat died and Denny bought a motorhome that he lives full-time in. Denny passed the album onto Jennifer who digitally did the album and gave it back to me at my nephew Craig’s funeral March of 2020. Three days before the world shut down. I’m sure you must have Jennifer Zyklo’s email, she might be of some help.” I love the townhouse that I have and it is only 6 minutes to the rest of my family. It is great Amanda is now 16. I missed so much of the first 12 years of her life. She has a beautiful singing voice, marching band jazz band trumpet, and many school musical theater plays. Good hearing from you. I don’t miss Michigan winters at all.” Very sadly, this was the last time that I heard from Sally. On August 27, I was notified that Sally Smith had just passed away from COVID! I was shocked and a bit concerned that I was now responsible for making sure that Sally’s photos were shared with our extended families as I assume she probably had intended. Lots of travel, a trojan virus hacking of my computer (took time and money to recover my extensive files), and priorities on my bucket list have eaten up much of my last three years. I’m now devoting some time to my family history hobby now that Ellen and I are fairly well settled in our senior living apartment in Grand Rapids, MI. There are 58 members on my Thuemmel/Hass Ancestry News list. I am sure there are several of you who aren’t much interested in family history. However, perhaps one or more of your descendants are. If so, then please have them contact me directly and I’ll add them to my list. I will also delete removal requests.