Just
glad to help, Jody.
It seems that searching for our ancestors makes one
want to help others like they did.. Today many have
lost the art or haven't wanted to keep it alive. I
know my ancestors struggled to keep alive through
all sorts of challenges and yet, I'm sure, when
someone needed a helping hand or a kind word, they
did what they could knowing that "the shoe could be
on the other foot" at any time. I like to think that
my ancestors passed on this desire to be kind in
their genes to their descendants and it's up to us
to find it and use it and make them proud of their
progeny. Don't you agree?
Beryl
The DVHH founded by Jody McKim as a project dedicated to
assisting researchers learn more about their ancestors and
their heritage. The idea began as a results of the
above email Jody
received from Beryl Henry, May 2002. It was a response to a query
Jody received while on the
Banat-L list regarding her surnames in Lenauheim.
This act would inspire the founding of the DVHH. Jody
recalls...
Beryl Henry offering to do lookups
in her Hans Hockl's book and the Stader Books. She
also sent me the link to
www.banaterheide.de and guided me through the site,
which is in German.
A few days later she sent me a hand-transcribed list of
information regarding my family, which must have taken her hours
to write out. I thanked her and received the above
message.
I read Beryl's
message over and over. Her words
soon became a source of inspiration to me. I
begun to think of what I could do to help fellow
researchers find their way and in English. I then put
together a project proposal which would become the DVHH.
Beryl
had no idea that her message would inspire the creation of
the Donauschwaben Villages
Helping Hands Project. Beginning in
mid-December 2002, with the help of a core team: Chris Kech,
Kim Geiger and myself, along with Mike O'Brien, who stepped
into the scene to donate web space for the project --we put
the DVHH online January 15, 2003. In the early
days, DVHH supporters Alex Leeb, John Busch and Diana
Lambing helped us remain steadfast; and as time passed
volunteer who has joined us has added to the our helping
hands.
I
dedicate my efforts to the DVHH and to all people
like Beryl, who give a "helping hand."
