Family histories

Like many folk, we're interested in the genealogy of our respective families.  We're very fortunate that Mrs. Judith Wolkovitch researched the Ansell family (Paul's maternal family) quite extensively and has generously shared her work with us.  Note: The full Ansell tree is available from Mrs. Wolkovitch. To protect the privacy of living members it has been removed from this website.  This link takes you to just the direct line of my family to me (Paul).  This link is a more complete genealogy of my mother's family, Ansell, tracing my branch of the family to the present.

For information about Paul's mother's family, the Ansell family, follow this link.  The Ansell family has been traced back eight generations to a remarkable woman, Mrs. Sarah Lyon, who lived from 1702 to 1808 in Ipswitch, England.  At age 101, she sat for her portrait by the artist Constable.  You can see the portrait, and read her remarkable story, if you follow this link.

If you have information about any branch of the Birman family and would like to share it with us and with others, please go to the BIRMAN HISTORY page.

Paul's branch of the Birman family originated in Bukovina, now Chernivetska Oblast of the Ukraine,  Southern Bukovina is now part of Suceava county, Romania.

Rosemarie's father, Mr. Edwin Van D'Elden, led a varied and interesting life. He represented the American Tobacco Co. in China for some 10 years, living in Canton and keeping a houseboat on the Yangtze river.  Later, he was Secretary of the American Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt a/M, Germany. He held this position in the years leading up to the Second World War. This gave him a unique perspective from which to observe the Nazis and report on the unfolding Holocaust. Rosemarie has spoken publicly about this terrible time. Some of her material is reproduced here.

Edwin Van D' Elden  was also a correspondent to the Chicago Daily Tribune, Paris edition  and the New York Herald, Paris and wrote extensively on music, politics and
business for those papers.

In his official capacity, at the Chamber of Commerce, he was able to assist many Jewish friends to emigrate and for that was imprisoned by the Gestapo when the war broke out. (Actually a few days before the official declaration of war, just after the Pearl Harbor bombing.)  He and his family were later repatriated to the USA.  Rosemarie tells his story in these pages.

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