I love Class Photos. They give the viewer a glance of the times. My mother is in this one and I would think this is taken between 1947-1948. She would be 6 to 7 years old if this is the case. I believe the family was living in Bernburg, Germany at the time, however I might be incorrect. The hair styles are very similar. 2 children are smiling. My mother is the child in the middle in the third row with the white collar. Surely she would not get mad if she should see this?

Introducing my Great grandparents on my Grandfathers Side

Paul Stapf

This is Paul Stapf also. I guess in Germany, it is not the way to say Senior or Junior. I am unsure if there is any formality to this. I know that they lived in Bernburg. And that he did something at the soda factory maybe.I know my family lived with them after the war. I am thinking they moved there during the war.

Auguste Hedwig Stapf nee Nettling

My mother said that my Great Grandmother was mean. They only had one child that I am aware of, and that was my grandfather. I wish I knew their birthdays and death dates and also where they are buried. And if there are any other photographs. I have a couple pictures.Also being able to trace back more in terms of Geneology would be nice. The Nettling I did find was from the 1700's and was an artist. Coincidentally we have strong artistic abilities. My nephew is a tattoo artist and my aunt is very talented as well as my mother and myself. 

So my aunt remembers their address. Neinburger Strasse 11. Shame Google maps hasn't got Street view for Bernburg. My grandfather never saw them again after they left East Germany.  

March 21,1940 A Wedding in Berlin

Ingeborg and Paul Stapf

My Grandparents on their Wedding Day. Married March 21th,1940 in Berlin. My grandmother was 19 years old and my grandfather was 27. I remember her telling me that they had given Bibles to the newly wed in Germany. But instead they got a copy of Mein Kampf . I believe they married in the Courthouse at the time. Whatever is equivalent to a Courthouse in those times in Germany. But there again I don't have proof or do I????? I know my mother's birth is in a little official book along with my aunt's birth and their brothers birth and death dates. Was the marriage certificate in there and I missed it?

A pamphlet from the wedding party written by her Tante Else. My Oma's name is written there with my Opa's. There is a backside to this if I recall, but at the moment I don't know where I hid it at. Trying to find pictures, I realize that I should organize this stuff better. Too many scattered folders.

Some Background, as if you really wanted to know, but you might

And so it begins. Here is my mother and Daddy with me as a baby

When I was younger, we lived with my grandparents. One of my favorite things to do on a boring rainy Sunday afternoon when my grandmother had a free moment, was to sit down next to her looking at her pictures. She would tell me who everyone was and tidbits of history associated with them. I swore at the time I would never forget. After all she was the most special person in the world to me and how could I ever forget what she told me? Right? Hence 40
years later I realize I should have written it down. She passed away in 1982. A little over 8 months after my Opa died. I really thought I would have more time with her. When death comes, it doesn't usually come when it is convenient or when you are ready.


I have been trying to research my relatives for decades now. Ever since we got online service with the dial up modem in 1995, I have been searching . With my grandparents last name being Stapf, I thought for sure this would be easy. It is not a common last name , but yet I have not been able to pin point where the ancestors are in the digital world. Apparently there are no actual links to the persons that are on internet as far as Genealogy goes

 Onward to my grandmother.....I thought for sure I would be able to find something on her and her family. After all, her father was a Count. Their last name was Von Brand. But no links that I can find there either.

Problems in this thinking is that I only read and speak English. My German is minimal at best.  I know enough to sift through some articles or web sites. I now know that Brand translated to English is fire. Type in Brand and there are lots of pictures of fires.

That is only my mothers side of the family.

As far as my Fathers side. I have two. There is the one who fertilized the egg and then there is Mr. Wade aka Daddy. As far as Genealogy goes, I think I got somewhere with Daddy's, and his stories that he told kind of match up to what I found. I found a picture of some Field Marshall in England, who favors my father a lot. That was exciting!

As for the one who made my mother pregnant, he was one of the children of the families in El Salvador who sent his son to school in the US during the late 50's , early 60's. One of the 17 or 20 families who ran the country. I have a name, I have an old address and needless to say, no knowledge of the language there either. Figures I took French due to my grandfather insisting it was the language to learn. I didn't like it and gave it up after 2 years. I could find some things on the internet but there again nothing concrete. I even tried looking him up on Facebook and sent a message, but with no results on my end. I have no idea if he is still living or what on earth he looked liked. I have tried looking at several online yearbooks in the Washington DC area as far as colleges go, and always a brick wall.

It's as if no one really existed. I am sure as time goes on everything will be available to a point on the internet, but until then I have to sit and wait for it to happen. This is my contribution to making it happen.