How do Posers fit in Hesch History?

A good part of the fun of family history blogging is that people contact us about who fits where or whats-the-connection.  It tickles me, for sure.  I always forward those emails to Larry so we can both relish being experts in at least one thing.


This week, Charlie Sand's grandaughter Kathryn forwarded an inquiry she got on Ancestry.com, asking about the POSER connection in our family.  Charlie was Grandma Lizzy (Sand) Hesch's younger brother, and their oldest brother, Joseph, married Antonia Elizabeth Poser.  They lived in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Cananda all their lives.


The inquiry has a really neat story attached. Keith, the gentleman who wrote, is not related, but....let him tell it:

"In the '70s, I lived in West Berlin, where my "Stammkneipe", the gasthaus/bar I frequented, was almost a small community...Christmas savings clubs, closed dances, etc.  Everyone was friends.  A fellow whom I remember as being a schoolteacher in his thirties, explained one day that he needed help to move some heavy furniture, and a few of us went to help.  He had inherited an apartment, with belongings, in the Kreuzberg district, and we ended up struggling down four flights of stairs with extremely heavy old oak furniture.  There was junk left lying in the apartment, and he gave me the cigar box with old pictures and postcards in it.  For the life of me, I can't remember the guy's name.  But I kept the box all these years.........The Posers lived at Kreuzberg Strasse 50, though there are other addresses in the Neukoeln district and in Tempelhof".

Wow--right away, this sounded like a Perfect Project for the family Super Sleuth Team ™.  I tried Anywho, online, and found 74 Posers in Minnesota, a few of whom live in Pierz.  I did a little calling, and hope to hear from their family genealogist on the weekend ☺.  We'll see if this Poser family came from Berlin.  The photos and postcards are c. WWI, and  could easily have belonged to a brother or first cousin who didn't emigrate, but stayed in Germany.

Keith said too "I would much prefer to give the items to descendants.  If I am unable to find the people I will probably donate the items to a museum in Germany dedicated to WWI memorabilia, as I think they would be most appreciated there".

Stay tuned--maybe we'll be instrumental in solving another COOL mystery!

Three days later: Nope, looks like it'll stay a mystery for Keith and for us:  Gary, the Poser family historian wrote:


Just to let you know, I heard back from my relatives in Germany and unfortunately there is no known relation to the Posers in Berlin .   Would have a been a fun connection!