I sometimes wonder if my family's background had some unknown impact on my interest in history. I grew up in a bilingual household with German immigrant parents. My father followed his aunt and uncle to America to find work. Family get-togethers were small because the rest of our family remained in Germany. My father worked two jobs to improve our lives and put my brother and me through school. He will always be the most respected man I have known and the ultimate role model.
My great uncle and aunt, Willi and Frieda, emigrated to the United States in 1930 and 1931 respectively. Willi would have regular correspondence with my father before and after World War II encouraging him to join them. In a recently translated letter of Willi's from 1933 he predicted that Hitler would start a war. My great uncle was very insightful.
My parents and older brother emigrated to the United States in 1951. I was born a year later.
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For nearly forty years, I was a classroom teacher at the elementary and middle school level. I taught most subjects in fifth and sixth grades as well as world history and American history at grades seven and eight.
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Eventually,I began sharing some of what I had learned by writing regular columns for the online magazine, Educationworld.com.
Now, with both of our daughters out on their own, my wife and I enjoy home projects, travel and the pleasure of Cooper's company.