#32 - Sunday's Obituary #1: George Gillen, Sr.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-01)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of January 4-10 is "Beginnings."  I'm interpreting the prompt as this post is my Fresh Beginnings for Family History Blogging. 

I started blogging, in earnest last year.  I started off very well.  I did 19 posts between January and the middle of July.  While I didn't make a post every week, 19 out of 30 weeks was a good start.  Then the effects of the COVID-19 restrictions and teleworking began to take a toll on my motivation.  I only made two posts for the back half of the year.

So, this is my Fresh Beginnings in 2021!

Frank Hillenbrand...The Long Road to Citizenship

Frank Joseph Hillenbrand was born September 17, 1885 in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

In 1885, Ludwigshafen is located on the Rhine River.  To the east across the river was the city of Mannheim.  In 1865 the chemical company BASF made the move across the Rhine from Mannheim to Ludwigshafen.  As a result, Ludwigshafen went undergoing a period of rapid growth as other chemical companies began to make Ludwigshafen home.

Clifford Olsen in Germany during WWII

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2019-43)

Clifford Olsen, scanned from an original photo in the personal collection of Virginia Summers Olsen.
© Edward R. Olsen 10.21.2019

Lately I've been looking at information and photos of my grandfather, Clifford Olsen (1922-1966), during his WWII tour.  I recently came across this photo of him in a jeep that I've had for a few years and felt that it worked perfectly for the "Transportation" prompt for this week.

World War II saw the creation of one of America’s most beloved vehicles, the Jeep...the Jeep was once a military workhorse designed to move troops, help the wounded and more. The story of the Jeep begins in the late 1930s, when the United States military was searching for a vehicle that was light, rugged and could travel over rough terrain. By the early 1940s, the Jeep’s design was complete..."^{1  "}The tough, simple, Jeep® ... became the GI's best friend—second only to his rifle."³

PFC Clifford Olsen was a soldier in the 414th Infantry Regiment of the 104th Infantry Division. He was part of the medical detachment and was a medical technician. The 104th Infantry entered the European Theatre of WWII on Sept. 7, 1944 when they landed in Cherbourg, France.  They began a quick march across France and into Belgium and later Germany.