User:SemlakGirl

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Hello Everyone,

The surnames I am researching and the places are listed beside them. My ancestors, as many other Germans, left Germany to go to Hungary as settlers at the invitation of the Hapsburgs. In Hungary they moved from village to village looking for a place where they might practice their religion (Lutherans and Calvinists) freely. Eventually my direct ancestors moved to Semlak (German), Semlac (Romanian), Szemlak (Hungarian) when it was still part of Hungary. At the end of WWI, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was divided and the village of Semlak became part of Romania. My parents left Szemlak, Hungary before World War I; after the war they returned to their hometown, now Semlac,Romania. How strange that must have been. My ancestors, because of their having come to Hungary via the Danube, as most of the settlers did, were called Donauschwaben. They maintained their ethnicity and called themselves German even after being in Hungary or Romania for centuries. Here then is my list:

ARNOLD Liebling; BARTOLF/BARDOLF/BARDOF Mezöberény, Tófö, Leibling, Semlak, Canada; BRAUN Mezöberény; EDELSPERGER Mezöberény, Semlak; FRE/FREY Mezöberény, Harta, Semlak; GRÜNWALD/GRUENWALD/GREENWALD Harta, Semlak; HERTZBERGER/HERZBERGER/HERTZPERGER Mezöberény, Semlak; HOFFMAN Gyula, Mezöberény; HOLCZIMMER Semlac, Canada, New York; SCHAEFER/JUHÁSZ Balmazujváros, Semlak; KELLE/PINCZES Balmazujvaros, Semlak, US; KLAMM Vadkert, Semlac, Germany; KLOTZBIER Segenthau, Semlak, New York; MAAS/MASZ/MAASZ Mezöberény, Semlak; ROSINGER/ROZSA Balmazujváros, Semlak; RÜCK Harta, Semlak; SAFNAUER Soltvadkert, Balmazujváros, Semlak, New York; SCHAFER Liebling, Semlak; SCHILLING Balmazujváros , Semlac, Germany; WAGNER Mezöberény, Liebling, Semlak; WOLF Mezöberény, Liebling, Semlak


I am 78 years old this month (May 2009) and the mother originally of three--son Bob, daughter Jeanne, and son Jim. Jeanne died in 1994 of chronic lung disease. To cope with my grief I wrote a book on caregiving of those with chronic illness. I wanted to help those who were going through what we had as primary caregivers of our daughter whose last year of living was in the hospital on respiratory machines. It was my hope to help caregivers find ways to give life to those they loved while they were dying. I believe that hope, dignity, and love are three things we all need--most especially those who are terminally ill.

We live in a suburb of Rochester, New York. I have other interests beside genealogy . . . traveling, working on my computer, going to the movies, dancing, entertaining friends, and doing things, as much as possible, with my family. My two sons gave me much joy and have give us five wonder grandchildren.

I am a retired business teacher. After retirement I was an adjunct professor at NTID a college at RIT for the deaf. Learning to sign was one of my retirement goals and what better way then to teach deaf students--it was wonderful! After six years at RIT, my husband and I worked part-time at a shelter for women and children in crisis. He was the business manager and I was the office manager. We worked opposite one another so that one of us would always be with our daughter or available to her call.

That abut covers who I am. A simple, non-celebrity who enjoys life despite all its pitfalls. My motto is: Stay young by continuing to grow. You do not grow old, You become old by not growing. Found it on a placemat at Howard Johnson's years ago!  :)