My maternal ancestry is connected to Johnsburg, McHenry and Spring Grove, all communities adjacent to one another in McHenry County, Illinois. Surnames include Schmitt, Goedert, Kennebeck, Jung (Young), Nimsgern, Pitzen, Pulvermacher, Wagner and several Schaefer surnames. My maternal great-great-great grandfather, Jacob Schmitt, was one of three founders of the above mentioned Johnsburg, McHenry County, Illinois in August 1841. Jacob Schmitt donated part of his farm land for the building of St John the Baptist Catholic Church. The churchyard cemetery is adjacent to the church, located on the north side of the church. A commemorative plaque in Jacob's honor was placed at the foot of his grave site, by our McHenry County Historical Society. My maternal great-great grandparents, Nikolaus Schaefer and Gertrude Schmitt (daughter of Jacob Schmitt), donated a portion of their land in 1894 for St Mary's Catholic Cemetery in McHenry, McHenry County, Illinois. My paternal lines of research are Schwartz, Mueller (Müller), Baetz, Kroebel, Eicke and Deckert, to name a few. I also spend time researching my childrens' paternal ancestors who settled in Richmond, McHenry County, Illinois and Walworth and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin. Surnames Foster (Richmond, McHenry County, Illinois), Moon, Gifford and Briggs (Walworth Co., Wisconsin) Boyce [Boise] (Kenosha Co., Wisconsin) as well as surnames Schwarz, Duska, Pahl, and Kavanagh, from Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

I strongly believe that memorials Should Be Maintained by family members when possible! Most of the memorials I have created are for my family. However, some memorials I have created are not for my family members, and of these memorials, I will transfer a memorial upon request, to a family member to Maintain, not to be confused with the term "Owned" which some volunteers have taken it upon themselves to use this term, as well as the term being used in the Find A Grave Guidelines, in reference to Transfers, the use of this term "Owned" makes me cringe! The memorial page itself has the terms Created By and Maintained By, nowhere do I see the term Owned By ! Another term that Some volunteers have the audacity to be using in regards to transfers is the term "Memorial Collectors ! Shame on you! When a person requests the transfer of a family member or members' memorial, it is out of love and respect, a wish to "connect" and a wish to simply Maintain their loved ones' memorial(s)! They should Never! be referred to as Memorial Collectors by Volunteers! or by Find A Grave!

~ A Poem for our Ancestors ~

Your tombstone stands among the rest

Neglected and alone

The name and date are chiseled out

On polished marble stone

It reaches out to all who care

It is too late to mourn

You did not know that I exist

You died and I was born

Yet each of us are cells of you

In flesh, in blood and bone

Our blood contracts and beats a pulse

Entirely not our own

Dear Ancestor, the place you filled

One hundred years ago

Spreads out among the ones you left

Who would have loved you so

I wonder if you lived and loved

I wonder if you knew

That someday I would find this spot

And come to visit you

~ Author Unknown ~