Happy Anniversary!

While we were in New York City last week, I received word from my distant cousin* Rennie that Sunday, June 22, 2008 was to be a big day for the couple pictured above. Rennie's parents, Jack and Helen Bremner were married on June 22, 1943 and last weekend celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary! Rennie noted that they were married on Jack's final leave before he went overseas to war. Last week, the family arranged anniversary messages on the local radio stations and had How Great Thou Art dedicated to them on one.

*Rennie, Graeme and Trevor are distant cousins in more ways than one. By my calculation, we're 5th cousins, as my great-great grandfather Johann Karl Ludwig Maddaus was the brother of their great-great-grandmother Johanne Christiana Maddaus Winterhoff. Johann and Johanne were born in Hamburg, Germany but their progeny is spread across the globe. Johann moved to Riga, Latvia in the mid 19th century and his son Oscar W. Maddaus eventually settled in Brooklyn, NY, USA where he raised 6 children, including my grandfather Ingo Maddaus, Sr. Johanne's daughter Adolphine Dorothea Caroline Winterhoff migrated to Peru in South America where she married Robert Reid. Jack's parents Christina Adolphina Reid and George W. Bremner started their family in Peru but moved to New Zealand shortly before Jack was born. (If you're following this you're doing well!) Jack and Helen live outside of Dunedin, New Zealand---my distant cousins are 9,500 miles (over 15,000 kilometers) distant. (An additional note: Trevor lived in Anchorage, Alaska the last I knew.)

During my 5-month teaching assignment in New Zealand two years ago, I had the opportunity to see Jack, Helen, Rennie and Graeme and his family, relatives I didn't know I had until shortly before leaving America. We were connected by their first cousin Eileen Reid Marcil, who lives outside of Quebec City and managed to track down a variety of Maddaus ancestors through the wonders of the internet. My last weekend in New Zealand, we had a gathering at Graeme's house and found we shared a love of music and it was a grand time!

So, even though I'm four days late (It's tomorrow in New Zealand), I wish Jack and Helen a Very Happy Anniversary and many more! And thanks for treating me to that Southern Cross hospitality.