When one of my sisters first showed me this photograph, I knew it was a major discovery. We know the occasion (Mom and Dad’s engagement party) and the time frame (June 1958). The task ahead is to identify every one of the 26 people in the photo. After discovering the medium-format negative, I scanned the … Continue reading Photo Detective: June 1958 Engagement Party
This is one of the earliest photos showing brothers David D. Hanneman (left) and Donn G. Hanneman, taken circa 1936. I believe this portrait was taken in Mauston, Wisconsin, where the family moved in early 1936. My Dad (David) was 3 years old that year. The family had a good relationship with Bauer Studios, so … Continue reading Eye on the Past: Two Brothers in 1936
There are several great things about this image of my Dad and his two siblings, taken in 1956 at Nekoosa, Wisconsin. The colors from the Kodachrome slide film are vivid, from the blue sky to the slicked-back black hair. The clothes are natty and the hairstyles are so 1950s. Right to left are Donn Gene … Continue reading Eye on the Past: Kodachrome Trio 1956
For 80 years, there has been a member of the Hanneman family in the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic fraternal and charitable organization. The line of service runs from Carl F. Hanneman (1901-1982), who joined in 1934, to his son David D. Hanneman (1933-2007), who joined in 1953, to his son Joe Hanneman, who … Continue reading Three Generations of Knights of Columbus
Even in the late 1920s, it was a time-honored tradition for the neighborhood boys to dress up as their favorite cowboy hero. The priceless image above shows a group of youthful cowpokes hard at play on Wisconsin Avenue in Wisconsin Rapids. The smallest cowpoke in front is Donn G. Hanneman, and judging by his spiffy … Continue reading Neighborhood Cowboys of 1930 Wisconsin Rapids
Back in the days when horses were the main mode of transportation, many homes across America had carriage stones near the street to assist those stepping down from horse-drawn carriages. A fine example of the carriage stone stands in front of the old Hanneman home on Morris Street in Mauston, Wis. The carriage stone no doubt served its time … Continue reading 1890s Carriage Stone Serves as a Family Gathering Place
Small-town newspaper wedding announcements often provide all sorts of details that might otherwise be lost to history. While scanning a box of photographs I discovered a 1958 clipping about my parents wedding from The Reminder-Enterprise, a weekly newspaper in Cudahy, Wisconsin. The late David D. Hanneman (1933-2007) and the former Mary K. Mulqueen (1932-2018) were … Continue reading Newspaper Article Details Parents’ 1958 Wedding
There was a time when letters were the primary means of long-distance communication for families and friends. Even short updates were dashed off on a card or a sheet of special stationery. Long-distance telephone calls were expensive and typically reserved for special occasions or emergencies. For family historians, finding old letters can unearth all sorts … Continue reading A Glimpse at Life Through Letters Home, 1958-59
I heard the answering machine pick up a call in my office. Normally they are hangups or some robo-call, but I sensed this was different. I strained to hear what the woman was saying. It was clear it was something I needed to attend to, so I played back the message. The caller was the … Continue reading Just Saying Hello from Heaven (Updated!)
“…The time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the Faith. From now on the Crown of Righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the Just Judge, will award to me on that day…” — 2 Timothy 4: 6-8 Suddenly, the world will never, ever be the same. … Continue reading A Final Lesson Imparted, Then Heavenward
The Hanneman Archive 