Katherine took this photo above in February 2020 and the bottom picture is a postcard sent by August Storm in 1914.

The circle completed: Katherine visits August Storm's grave

The circle completed: Katherine visits August Storm's grave

This is quite significant because, to my (Tim Oestmann) knowledge: Kathereine  is the first Australian Oestmann to visit his grave. He was buried in 1914 during the First World War. So over a century later, one of his descendant *finally* got to visit his mortal remains and pay respects. All  of the Oestmann offspring in Australia, as I write this would have his DNA.  I, and a number of other relatives, have been trying to find out more about the family origins since 1988 and so this is very special.

 

Here's what Kathereine writes:
"On Saturday I was finally able to visit August's grave. It was a bit surreal to see his name on the gravestone - something physical, in the real world - because for so many years I'd only been reading it in certificates on my computer screen.I felt quite emotional thinking about how this is the closest I'd ever get to meeting him - the man who called Dora his "little mouse" and who was so in awe of the beauty of the Black Forest he had to write about it.It was a beautiful, quiet area in the French countryside and during my time in the cemetery I felt a strong sense of peace."

Here's a short video Katherine took.




Various photos from Plaine De Walsch (Moselle) France, 25 January 2020

As we have mentioned earlier; if you are related to August Storm we would like to know more as we have discovered a whole family we are descended from, which we know very little about.

What we do know, we have placed in this blog. Any further information can be emailed to Tim Oestmann: tim.oestmann@gmail.com, or leave a comment on the blog. Thanks from Australia!