Smiles and Kind Thoughts:: The Meng & Shamhart Families

by James L. Meng

Overview

This book is written to reflect the lives and personalities of real people-not just the genealogical statistics of born on, married on dates, etc. They all confronted and conquered a variety of life's challenges in Germany and in their newly adopted home in America. This time-consuming effort by the author also provides an excellent example of what others can do to discover and record their family's history for future generations. As a nation of immigrants, we should not let their contributions be forgotten. Accordingly, A Smile and A Kind Thought would be appreciated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781664195257
Publisher:	Xlibris US
Publication date:	03/07/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	664
File size:	158 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

James L. Meng is a retired human resources professional and labor relations arbitrator who was born in the Mid-American steel town of Granite City, Illinois. His parents were born in Freeburg and Newton, Illinois, and were active civic leaders in their communities. ln his formative years, James encountered several occasions that reflected a very interesting youth. After graduating from college, he joined the Missouri Air National Guard where he was awarded the Airman's Medal for Valor. Afterward, he continued his education for a Master's degree. James was awarded a U. S. Patent and became a book author after retirement. He married his lovely wife, Beverly, and had two children and four grandchildren. While cleaning out his basement, he discovered several inherited boxes containing family pictures and historic documents. This data went back 391 years on his fathers' side and 874 years on his mother's side, both in Germany. Among the many discoveries, it was interesting to note that a relative in Germany found a Roman sandstone coffin containing two skeletons and third century glasses buried in his-backyard etc. This time frame also included considerable active family involvement in America with connections to George Washington, Ben Franklin, Patrick Henry and a relative appearing on a U. S. postage stamp. Family connections to treason, award- winning music being used in movies, a death inquest and much more were also revealed. All a total surprise and completely unknown to the author and his family. The many past and current contributions of these families to America's history is highlighted.