As many of you know, I am the daughter of Martin William Lammers III and Susan Annette Selg- and proud of it. My parents are wonderful and I am very blessed to be their daughter. But many of you know these stories about me growing up, my parents, etc. I wanted to use this as a way of sharing about my grandparents- going back a bit further and trying to understand more of where they came from as well as fond memories of our family history.
Here he is! This is my dad during an Indiana winter growing up. Oddly enough, this photo was taken in front of the house that my grandmother still lives in today.
My mom, Sue, is the daughter of Arnold Selg and Joyce Malmstrom. Growing up, I always loved going to visit both my grandparents. However, I knew that going to Minnesota to see these two meant that I would get to spend hours listening to stories from my grandpa's days on the railroad and listening to my grandma share about the days when she was younger. My Grandpa Arnie, as I always called him, used to work on the railroad and always told stories starting with, "back when I was on the train" and so on. He will forever be remembered in my mind as a wonderful storyteller, whose art for sharing something, whether big or small, is a trait I hope to continue to inherit as time goes on. For Grandma Joyce, I will always remember her telling how she used to ride her horse to school as a young girl in Kansas, almost went to see Elvis Live as well as many others. Grandma was always good to us- whenever we came to visit, she would stock her freezer with 'moose tracks' and we would always stay up late catching up with Grandma over a scoop or two. An interesting piece of my Grandma's history is that she used to work for Jewish Family Services following the end of World War II. As a part of her work, she helped these Jewish men and women apply for repatriation to the German government as a result of what transpired after the war. My mom even says now that she knew the days that work had been difficult for my Grandma because she came home and wouldn't want to discuss any portion of her day. While our family is not Jewish, my mom says today that she thinks my Grandma's work may have skipped a generation and now I am involved in it. I can proudly look up to Grandma, smile, and say 'thank you for imparting your heart for these people to me." I feel blessed to try and find some way to continue what she started in a somewhat roundabout way....
My Grandma Joyce with my Uncle Greg to her right and my mom sitting on her lap.
My Grandpa Arnie in the red shirt and my Grandma Joyce to his left. My Uncle Greg is below Grandpa Arnie and my mom is below Grandma Joyce. The man in the middle, I believe to be my great grandfather, is holding my Aunt Beth.
On the other side is my dad, Martin, the son of Martin William Lammers II and Sarah K. Schooley. My grandfather, Martin, I always remember as an avid reader. Whenever I was a kid, I have very distinct and fond memories of him being burrowed in a book on the sunporch behind my grandparents house. I like to think that's why I love to read so much- an appreciation for the story itself as something I got from him. In World War II, my grandfather served as a bombardier. He never shared his stories with us- at least that I remember, but I'm guessing a lot of what he bore witness to was rather difficult. His other half, my Grandma Lammers, as I've grown up calling her, is quite the woman. Even today, she loves to share stories of when she was growing up, especially during the Great Depression and World War II itself. During the depression, she says she was blessed that her father was still employed and their family had a steady income. In the following years, she was a student at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indianapolis, which interestingly, is an institution I considered attending. While there, she majored in history, but went on to get married to my grandfather soon after graduation. At certain times, I find it slightly comical that my love of history likely comes from her. Or at least I like to think so...
My Grandma Lammers with her father, Omar Schooley. I am told by my dad, who was very close to him, that he always wore a bow tie, had a cigar in hand and a story to tell. I guess that's where Martin William gets his affinity for bow ties.
My Grandmother Lammers. I am not exactly sure the year this was taken or even the city. She was born in Buffalo, NY and then moved to Indianapolis as a young girl.
I am proud to say I am the grandaughter of these four wonderful people! I cannot think of better people, who served as my storytellers, cheerleaders and inspiration- both growing up and now. While some of them are no longer physically present- I hope to bring honor to them through what I do, especially with my work this summer. It is a great joy to help these families I see everyday put the pieces of their past together. While I am not always directly involved with their cases, I am certainly moved by their stories.
And so I'm hoping that's what this does for you all- that you understand a small bit more of where I come from and what inspires me to continue to do what I am doing now- influenced by my past, and inspired by the present.
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