A good German name, the Wenkel clan came to Michigan, settling in Wisconsin and Illinois as far as I can tell. They tended to be farmers, with current Wenkel members who are very intelligent. Quite a few of the clan enlisted in the military.
November 10, 1913, Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
1913, age 13
Historical Insight -- Great Lakes Storm of 1913. How did this affect their farm?
The storm is historically known by several names including the “Big Blow”, the “Freshwater Fury,” and the “White Hurricane.”November 10, 1913, Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
1914, age 14
Death of brother William Carl Wenkel, 2 February 1914, Gibson, Bay, Michigan. Did the previous storm cause Willie's death?
April 7, 1917, San Francisco, California. Credit: San Francisco Chronicle/Newspapers.com
1917, age 17
Historical Insight -- America Enters World War I
from Ancestry.com
President Wilson’s speech to Congress was published across the United States. On April 6, 1917, he asked that “all officers, civil or military, of the United States that they exercise vigilance and zeal in the discharge of the duties incident to such a state of war.”
Historical Insight -- Registering for the Draft in World War I
from Ancestry.com
About 1917, New York. Credit: FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Each prospective soldier went through two complete medical examinations. The first by local physicians following their induction, the second at the mobilization camp before training. By the end of the war, these examinations included psychiatric evaluations.
No middle name listed here, his address is RR #2, Standish, Arenac, Michigan. Some people have his birth month as June, but here it is an abbreviated word for January. He is white, native-born. He is a Farmer working for his father August at the same address. I think this is his signature.
On the back side, we see that he is of medium build, medium height with blue eyes and brown hair. He registered for the draft on September 12, 1918.
If you want to see what was going on in the news in Arenac County, here is a great source -- Arenac County Dateline.
1919 Historical Insight -- Red Scare Palmer Raids
from Ancestry.com
Credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/UIG via Getty Images
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