Granny and Grandpa's Home Movies Circa 1969

Good afternoon my dears. 

Today is the wedding anniversary of my Nana & Granddad (1954) and my Granny & Grandpa (1962). So to celebrate, I thought I'd show you one of my Granny and Grandpa's home movies circa 1969. 

Grandpa

William Harold Smith 

b. August 4th, 1924 d. 1999

married on December 12th 1962
to

Granny 

Veronika Ortrud Heier

b. December 27th, 1938 d. December, 2010

Thank you. To any of you who take the time to read my blog, or watch my vlogs. I enjoy seeing how other people live - and we all have one thing in common, we like to remember these little moments, because maybe, just maybe the little moments are what matter the most. 

Kiki Nakita

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German Food Like My Granny Used To Make

Good afternoon my dears,

This past weekend, we revisited a local German Restaurant called Waldhorn. We ordered off their appetizer menu, and shared the platters. The first appetizer was an array of sausages; hotdog, Polish, and bratwurst served with sauerkraut.

The second appetizer was German potato pancakes served with applesauce. My paternal Granny used to make homemade German potato pancakes, and she taught my mum, who used to make them when I was growing up.

So, I looked for a recipe on Pinterest, and found this old newspaper clipping from Thursday, March 6th, 1958. The pin added this note:

"No need to soak the potatoes. Grate with onion, stir, top with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of flour and let them sit 1-2 hours. Stir and then fry (be sure the oil is really hot)."

I'll have to try it sometime!

For dessert, we shared a slice of Black Forest Cake. Back in 2001, when I was fifteen, I went on my first trip to Germany, and one of the places we visited was the Black Forest.

While there, we stopped at this cabin-style restaurant where they served generous helpings of Black Forest cake, and gateau. During dessert, I  shared stories about my trip with my Hubby, hoping someday we'll go together.

Before I go, I wanted to share some blooms from our garden. Our holly bushes have red berries for the first time since we moved here, although, I don't know what we've done differently.

And lastly, our daffodils have also started to bloom in our forest. They're one of my favorite flowers, all sunshiny, and a promise that Spring is on its way.

Happy February,

~ Kiki Nakita ~

You can follow me on Instagram, Pinterest or Bloglovin'.

The Otto Family (6 Generations)

~ The Otto Family (6 generations) My paternal grandmother's line ~

The family name is thought to be a German form of Audo or Odo, originally a short form of various names beginning with the Germanic element aud meaning "wealth, fortune". This was the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, who was known as Otto the Great. This name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece who was originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck 1815-1898.

Our line of the Otto's goes back to the year 1743. 

 Introducing:

Valentin Otto

b. April 23rd, 1743 d. December 27th, 1809

 married for unknown years to

Christina Volkmann

 b. Unknown d. October 28th, 1825

(6th great-grandparents)

Places lived: Bernterode, Germany

Heinrich Otto

b. January 25th, 1773 d. Abt. 1849

 married for unknown years to 

Maria Catherina Hey

 b. April 7th, 1776 d. February 19th, 1848

(5th great-grandparents)

Places lived: Rotewarte bei Fuhrbach and Heuthen, Germany

Johann Otto

b. October 19th, 1807 d. September 6th, 1833

 married for unknown years to

Anna Maria Goebel

 b. January 14th, 1807 d. Unknown

(4th great-grandparents)

Places lived: Germany

Heinrich Otto

b. July 3rd, 1831 d. June 9th, 1899

 married for unknown years to

Johanna Elizabeth Schneider

 b. April 9th 1840 d. May 5th, 1912

(3rd great-grandparents)

Places lived: Germany

Bernhardt Otto

b. April 30th, 1882 d. January 22nd, 1964

 married for unknown years to

Magdalena Buhl

 b. August 1st, 1884 d. April 20th, 1973

(2nd great-grandparents)

Places lived: Grevesmühlen, Germany

 Bernhardt Otto

Magdalena Buhl

Magdalena was German Catholic, so after her sweetheart passed, she wore black for mourning.

Paul Heier

b. 1900 d. 1940? 

married for unknown years to 

Ortrud Otto

 b. May 1st 1909 d. January 1989

(great-grandparents)

Places lived: Niederschwedeldorf, Germany
Tanz, Silesia, Germany
Lippstadt, Germany

Ortrud Otto Heier

Ortrud Otto Heier with her son Manfred

My great-grandmother Ortrud is remembered fondly. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and friend. She married her sweetheart, Paul who was a well-respected manager. They had four children, Manfred, Veronika (my granny), Winifred, and Zigfred. All born on December 27th (in different years).

Manfred and Veronika (my granny)

Sadly, in the mid 1940's, their family home was invaded during the night, and they had to leave with whatever they could wear, or carry. It is much like the movie - The Sound of Music. The family was sent to a farm in Western Germany, and later settled in Lippstadt.

Winifred (my great-uncle) and Sven (my dad)

Cousins: Sven (my dad), Jutta (Manfred's daughter) , Diana (my aunt), Christiana (Winifred's daughter), Marion (Manfred's daughter) and Winifred's sons.

Winifred passed away in an automobile accident in the late 1950's, leaving behind his three children. Zigfred, also died young in a drowning accident. Despite the tragedy, Ortrud kept the family in good spirits, and helped her son Manfred, and his wife Ida run their own Market store.

Family owned and run: Ida (my great-aunt, married to Manfred) and Ortrud.

Ortrud passed away in 1989, just shy of her eightieth birthday, when I was almost three years old.  Her memory has lived on through stories told by my grandmother, my mother, and photos graciously shared to my by my dad's cousin.

The Story of the Heier Family [1] that Ortrud Otto married into.

Happy genealogy researching,

Kiki Nakita

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Bloglovin'

The Heier Family (3 Generations)

~ The Heier Family (3 generations) My paternal grandmother's line ~

The earliest origins of the Heier surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a person who was well-known as the heir to a title, fortune, or estate. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French eir, which is itself derived from the Latin heres, meaning "heir." 

- House of Names

Our line of the Heier's goes back to the year 1840. 

 Introducing:

Joseph Heier

b. May 1840 d. February 7th, 1925

 married for unknown years to

Anna Hanish

 b. March 4th, 1841 d. May 18th, 1903

(3rd great-grandparents)

Places lived: Groß Georgsdorf and Niederschwedeldorf,

in Germany.

The Heier family was from the town of Niederschwedeldorf, Germany. After 1945 Niederschwedeldorf, Germany the family home town for generations, became Szalejów Dolny, Poland .

Joseph Heier

b. July 30th, 1867 d. January 11th, 1933

 married for twenty-seven years on October 15th, 1900 at Alt-Wilmsdorf, Preußen, Germany. After 1945, became Stary Wielislaw, Poland to

Maria Hohaus

 b. November 1875 d. August 26th, 1927

(2nd great-grandparents)

Places lived: Niederschwedeldorf, Germany

Marriage Record

Paul Heier
b. 1900 d. 1940?

 married for unknown years to

Ortrud Otto

 b. May 1st 1909 d. January 1989

(great-grandparents)

Places lived: Niederschwedeldorf, Germany

Paul Heier

Happy 107th birthday to my great-grandmother

Ortrud Otto

Ortrud Otto Heier with her son Manfred

My great-grandmother Ortrud is remembered fondly. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and friend. She married her sweetheart, Paul who was a well-respected manager. They had four children, Manfred, Veronika (my granny), Winifred, and Zigfred. All born on December 27th (in different years).

Manfred and Veronika (my granny)

Sadly, in the mid 1940's, their family home was invaded during the night, and they had to leave with whatever they could wear, or carry. It is much like the movie - The Sound of Music. The family was sent to a farm in Western Germany, and later settled in Lippstadt.

Winifred (my great-uncle) and Sven (my dad)

Cousins: Sven (my dad), Jutta (Manfred's daughter) , Diana (my aunt), Christiana (Winifred's daughter), Marion (Manfred's daughter) and Winifred's sons.

Winifred passed away in an automobile accident in the late 1950's, leaving behind his three children. Zigfred, also died young in a drowning accident. Despite the tragedy, Ortrud kept the family in good spirits, and helped her son Manfred, and his wife Ida run their own Market store.

Family owned and run: Ida (my great-aunt, married to Manfred) and Ortrud.

Ortrud passed away in 1989, just shy of her eightieth birthday, when I was almost three years old.  Her memory has lived on through stories told by my grandmother, my mother, and photos graciously shared to my by my dad's cousin.

-Kiki Nakita-

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin' or YouTube