Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Request for Family History

When family gets together, questions about ancestral heritage bounce around. Hanging on to family history isn’t easy. By the time young people get old enough to take interest in their past, the old timers are getting too old to remember it. Memories get muddled, not only because of their age, the elders that remember things speak from a personal perspective. That’s why stories sometimes conflict.

Oma told many stories about growing up in Indonesia. It doesn’t matter how each of you children heard her stories, please comment on this posted website. That way we can all preserve our ancestral memories.  One member of Oma’s family has already provided some information along with names. Tante Vonny can also fill in some questions any of you may have.


Oma (Bertha Breuer) with Armand, Vonny and Wally

Indonesia, as you all know, had been settled by Dutch colonists who began to marry the native population. That’s why, Opa was Dutch and Indonesian. Oma was a mix of German, Dutch, and Indonesian. The German name, Breuer, stuck.  

Friday, May 10, 2013

Damien of Molokai


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http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2817

Hello Friends,
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Damien the Leper. He was born Jozef ("Jef") De Veuster in Belgium, and was later ordained priest in Honolulu, Oahu for missionary work there. He volunteered to aid the leper colony on Molokai, immediately building the church of St. Philomena. He also built homes for the lepers, dug graves for those who had died, and nursed the sick tending to their ulcerous wounds. His presence was a turning point in the lives of the demoralized colonists.
In the course of his sixteen years of labor Damien too contracted Hansen's disease (leprosy), dying a "martyr of charity" among his parishioners.  Father Damien was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday October 11, 2009. 
You can find his full story, along with photos, at the above link. You will also find his life story and photos on Wikipedia. 
For those who wish to help people who continue to suffer from Hansen's Disease, the following link offers opportunities.  
http://www.damientheleper.org/