Family Folklore
The following stories may or may not be to your believing but they are part or our families history. If you have a tale you would like to see here or a different account of what happen please feel free to send it to me and I will gladly include them here. Please include any notes or further details you like. I have found these stories very interesting hope you do also.
This first story was told by Mark Anselment in Carmi, Ill.
The story goes that Regina, a daughter of Adolph had been corresponding with the American Relatives who lived in Hamilton County Illinois. Over time she expressed a desire to go to America on a permanent basis. her father and mother agreed that she could go and that when the time came for departure they would see her off at the boat dock. Well, the goodbye was so sorrowful with tears flowing that it was decided splitting up the family was no good at all. Rather than asking Regina to stay, Adolph proposed that the entire family move to America. They bought tickets for everyone and the rest is history. Christian Rommel was an uncle to Adolph. Christian lived in McLeansboro, Hamilton County, Illinois. His son William Christian Rommel met a girl form White County and eventually moved to that area in and around Norris City. At one time the family of Adolph lived within a mile of William. Later Adolph moved to Carmi. There was a German settlement in that area and the family no doubt felt more at home with the language problem. It appears that Christain and Adolph didn't have much to do with each other. However William and family maintained contact. Both families moved to Missouri and hob knobbed over the years.
There are tells of William Christain Rommel being born aboard ship in route to American. Hopefully I can get someone to tell that story soon.
This next story was told to me by Carl Rommel for Popular Bluff, Missouri.
He was told stories as a child of his Grandfather, Casper Victor Rommel, and how he came to America. He was told: Casper wanted to come to America but didn't have the money so he and his wife, at age 16 and 14, hid out in a flour barrel aboard a ship coming to America. (NOTE: I think this tale may have some validly but not sure about all of it. Casper's wife was an American so we know she didn't come on a ship. But it is possible that an earlier ancestor may have come to America this way and the story has been told and retold until the names and details are changed. But still interesting!!)
