Dora Oestmann details from myheritage.com

Thank you to Jodi Kennedy for finding this information on Dora. My understanding is that Dora and August were not married when August died but who knows....

Another letter from August Storm kindly translated

Kindly Translated by ScanianMoose (Reddit) via Katherine Oestmann 24 Dec 2015

Transcript:

English Translation:

Rastatt[1], 30th of April 1914

My dearly-beloved Dorchen[2]!

Forgive your Dearest One - if I may still call myself that way - that I haven’t written earlier. We’ve ridden out the inspection happily and well, we’re off duty this afternoon. Since Easter, the sun nicely shines bright and warm from the sky, no cloud[3] tarnishes the azure blue sky. Everything laughs and delights in the beautiful nature, only I do not, thinking of you and the small one and whether I will see you again the same way as I left you nags at me.

Darling![4] It was not possible for me [cont’d] to write earlier, every day, [I am] on duty from 7-11 and 2-5, and afterwards, I have to repair the dress uniform[5]. Then the torment I have to endure, I was all worn down recently, nothing could cheer me up; then, your dear letter came, I barely had time to read it. I would have liked to answer it, but didn’t have the time.

1st of May 1914

Dearly-beloved one! How are you and the small one? Hopefully, [you’re] quite fine, things are a bit better with me as well. Today, we have no nice weather, everything is grey from the rain that persisted all day long; hopefully, it will get better soon, even if we have to sweat more then, that won’t do any harm. [cont’d]

2nd of May 1914

Today morning, it was still a bit dim, but the sun has managed to get trough yet again. It clearly shines from the sky again and shines on good and evil, may fortune smile at you the same way the sun smiles at me, now and forever.

My sweetheart! Spare no expenses, do whatever you think is right, for you have my promise, my word of honour, and you can trust it, for I have never broken it.  Remain faithful to me[6], hold me dear, even though I am separated from you; if you do so, then everything will take a turn for the better once we’re reunited.

Dorchen! I ask you for one thing: if you don’t receive a line from me for a while, then don’t be angry with me, for there are times during which we don’t have time to write and during which we also do not have the power and thoughts.

I would love to leave the barracks in the dead of night and hasten into your faithful arms, but that is just not possible; therefore, I have to come to terms with the thought that you will write me often and extensively how you and the small one are doing, for I cannot live without news, it is simply impossible. My dearest thing on earth! I have to stop now, for it is getting late; it is almost stop 10 p.m. Say hello to the parents and siblings for me.[7]

Be greeted and kissed thousand upon thousand times from your eternally faithful August.

---

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastatt

[2] Diminutive form of „Dora“ - diminutives are usually used for terms of endearment or small things.

[3] Diminutive form of „Wolke“, cloud.

[4] A mostly Southern German diminutive form of Schatz (darling, treasure)

[5] My best guess; literally: inspection suit

[6] Ambiguous: May also mean „stay true to me“.

[7] August does not specify whether he means Dora’s or his own parents and siblings.

German Original

Rastatt, 30.4.14

Mein innigst geliebtes Dorchen!

Verzeihe Deinem Liebsten, wenn ich mich noch so nennen darf, daß ich nicht eher geschrieben habe. Unsere Besichtigung ist glücklich und Gut überstanden, haben heute Nachmittag dienstfrei. Die Sonne scheint schön seid Ostern hell und warm vom Himmel, kein Wölkchen trübt den Azurblauen Himmel, alles lacht und freud sich der schönen Natur, nur ich nicht, an mir nagt nur der Gedanke an Dich und den Kleinen ob ich Euch so wiedersehn werde wie euch verlassen.

Schatzerl! Es war mir wirklich nich eher möglich [cont’d] zu schreiben, jeden Tag von 7.-11 u von 2-5 Dienst nachher instand setzen vom Besichtigungsanzug. Dan noch die Qual die ich auszuhalten hatte, ich war zuletzt ganz aufgerieben, nichts konnte mich mehr aufmuntern, da kam Dein lieber Brief, ich hatte kaum Zeit ihn zu lesen. Ich wollte ihn gern beantworten kam aber nicht dazu.

1.5.1914

Innigst Geliebte! Wie geht es dir und dem Kleinen hoffentlich recht gut, bei mir ist auch schon etwas Besserung eingetreten. Heute haben wir kein schönes Wetter, alles Grau von Regen welcher den ganzen Tag angehalten hat, hoffentlich wird es bald wieder besser, wenn wir auch dan mehr schwitzen müssen das schadet nichts. [cont‘d]

2.5.1914.

Es ist heute morgen noch etwas trübe gewesen aber die Sonne hat sich doch wieder durch gerungen. Klar scheint sie wieder vom Himmel und scheint auf Gute u Böse, möge Dir das Glück lächeln, wie mich die Sonne anlächelt jetzt und immer.

Mein Herzblatt! Schäue keine Unkosten, tue was Du für gut befindest, denn Du hast mein Versprechen, mein Ehrenwort, und dem kannst du trauen, den mein Wort habe ich noch nie gebrochen. Bleibe mir Treu, habe mich lieb, auch wenn ich von dir getrennt bin, so wird sich alles zum guten wenden, wenn wir erst wieder vereint sind.

Dorchen! Um eins bitte ich Dich, wenn Du mal eine [cont’d] Zeitlang keine Zeile von mir erhältst, so Zürne mir nicht, denn es gibt für uns Zeiten wo wir keine Zeit haben zu schreiben und wo wir auch nicht mehr die Kraft und die Gedanken haben.

Ich möchte am liebsten die Kaserne bei Nacht und Nebel verlassen und in Deine treuen Arme eilen, aber das geht nun mal nicht, so muß ich mich mit dem Gedanken abfinden, daß du mir oft und ausführlich schreibst wie es Dir und dem Kleinen geht, denn ohne Nachricht kann ich nicht leben, es ist mir einfach unmöchlich. Mein liebstes auf Erden! Ich muß schon schließen den die Zeit rückt immer weiter vor es ist gleich schließen 10 Uhr. Grüß auch Eltern u. Geschwister.

Sei tausend und abertausendmal gegrüßt und geküßt von Deinem Dir ewig Treu bleibenden August.

Translation of August Storm's birth certificate

"Hi Katherine,

of course I remember! I'm happy to help, this one's fairly short. Your assumption is correct, there's isn't much information beyond that though.

Nr. 3 Sterley, 2nd of February, 1891

In front of the signing registrar presented herself the midwife Mrs. Elisabeth Müthling, née Frank, resident of Sterley and of [blank] religion, and bore witness/testified that one Louise Storm, née Rodau, of lutheran religion, wife of the cobbler Johann Joachim August Storm, of lutheran religion, residing at her husband's apartment in Hollenbeck on the twentyninth of January of the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety one, at six o'clock in the afternoon , was delivered of a child of male gender, who was given the name August Carl Heinrich. Frau Müthling declares that she was present at the baptism of Mrs. Storm. [unclear wether it refers to the baptism of Mrs. Storm or to her child's baptism]

Read, authorized and signed Elisabeth Müthling

The registrar

C. d'Ottilie

The town they resided in is spelled Hollenbek nowadays, it's another small town in the same administrative region as Sterley.

(thank you to online person named 'shamefullout'  for the translation)

August Storm's birth certificate

My daughter Katherine managed to track down - what we believe is August Storm's birth certificate. It is difficult to read for me because it is in the 'old German' script but I'll post more when we find out more. Here it is:

Hollenbek

According to this - August Storm was born in HollenbeK
(thanks Kathereine O for pointing it out more clearly):

http://www.weltkriegsopfer.de/Friedhof-Denkmal-DENKMAL-Hollenbek_Friedhofdetails_0_10637.html

here's a google translation of the link above:

A very kind stranger took photos for us of August Storm's grave!

Here is a 'Google translate' from the German

"Katherine Oestmann,
as indicated in my last e-mail, we were a few days ago in France and made ​​our way back to the search for the grave of your ancestors August Storm.
As you can see, we also found it in Plaine de Walsch and made ​​some meaningful photos for you. A small part of the French necropolis is German cemetery where few burials of fallen German soldiers took place. In the background of the photos you can see a memorial stone / cube, on which most soldiers are noted only by name, so a mass grave. I hope that I could help to clarify your outstanding issues with the pictures.
I remain Yours sincerely in Australia
Yours sincerely, Hans-J. Simon"


The German:

"Liebe Frau Katherine Oestmann,
wie in meiner letzten E-Mail angedeutet, waren wir vor wenigen Tagen in Frankreich und haben uns auf den Rückweg auf die Suche nach dem Grab Ihres Vorfahren August Storm gemacht.
Wie Sie sehen, haben wir es in Plaine de Walsch auch gefunden und auch einige aussagekräftige Fotos für Sie gemacht. Ein kleiner Teil der französischen Nekropole ist deutscher Friedhof, wo nur wenige Bestattungen gefallener deutscher Soldaten stattgefunden hat. Im Hintergrund eines der Fotos sehen Sie einen Gedenkstein / Kubus, auf welchem die meisten Soldaten nur per Namen vermerkt sind, also ein Massengrab. Ich hoffe, dass ich mit den Bildern zur Klärung Ihrer offenen Fragen beitragen konnte.
Ich verbleibe mit freundlichen Grüßen nach Australien
Ihr Hans-J. Simon"



The photos:

Thank you
Hans-J. Simon - a stranger with a kind heart for taking these photos!

(Tim Oestmann)

Hollenbeck or Hollenbäch or Hollenbek

Part of the problem with finding more about our ancestor August Storm (and therefore his parents, brothers or whoever is possibly related to us) is that any records with his place of birth is actually unclear.

So far we have his place of birth as being Hollenbeck or Hollenbäch or Hollenbek -which are not the same place.

My personal hunch is on Hollenbek (as in with an EK ending).

As in here: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollenbek

Katherine Oestmann found a couple more records which I have stuck together in one block here:

You'll find the original conversation here on a Reddit site:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Genealogy/comments/31aue7/my_great_great_grandfather_served_and_died_in_wwi/

I'd like to thanks both "GermanGenealogist" and "maryfamilyresearch" for their replies to us.

We have more following up to do and I'll post more if we find any more.

I can oply read a few German words and Katherine a few more so it is not an easy task but hopefully one day soon we can get the 'locked door; open to who our 'Storm' ancestors are because at this stage it stops at my great grandfather August Storm and I don' know anything else. Though I am still grateful for what we have found so far. (Tim Oestmann: tim.oestmann@gmail.com)

Where August Storm lived (possibly)

According to the http://www.weltkriegsopfer.de/Krieg-Opfer-August-Karl-Heinrich-Storm_Soldaten_0_302219.html page - the last address of Mr Storm before he went off to war and was killed was:

 "Hamburg -Wilhelmsburg Street Cl. 5 a channel" - this would have been around the beginning of 1914
or literally: "Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg  Straße     Kl. Kanal 5 a"  Here is a screenshot of the location in 2015:

I'm posting this here in the hope that the more information out there - will heighten the chance of connecting/ finding out more who my Storm relatives are. Read the rest of the blog below if you want to find out more.

I can be emailed at: tim.oestmann@gmail.com