If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance. George Bernard Shaw

Saturday, April 19, 2014

I Will Go With You is now available!

I Will Go With You: The Hechlers, Germany to Russia to America is now ready in both kindle and paperback. The only difference between the two is that there is no table of contents for the pictures and diagrams, nor is there a chart detailing the pedigree of Dominic Hechler in the kindle edition. The formatting for kindle made both of these difficult to put in the book.

Through my Createspace page you can purchase a paperback version for $14.99 plus shipping and handling.

Through my product page on Amazon's site you can order either the paperback or the kindle version. I would prefer, if possible, for you to order a paperback through Createspace simply because I get a greater percentage of the royalty. The price is still $14.99 on Amazon. The kindle version is $4.99.

As of this posting date, it may be 5 to 7 days before the paperback is available on Amazon's page. It should be available through Createspace as of this date. If not, let me know. The kindle is available now.




Monday, April 14, 2014

The proof for I Will Go With You: The Hechlers, Germany to Russia to America arrived over the weekend. I took a look at it and found several problem areas I had to address. It is now being reprinted and the proof is on its way.

Except for formatting issues, I am tickled pink with the result. The technology of printing is now producing books of a much superior quality than what was printed fifteen years ago when I published my first two genealogy books on the McQueens and the Crews families. I think all will be pleased with not only the product, but the family history as well.

Within two weeks the book should be available.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Dominic & Elizabeth  Hechler
about 1890
Tonight, I finished my book on the Hechlers titled I Will Go With You, The Hechlers: Germany to Russia to Texas. It is officially being reviewed by Amazon's Create Space publishers, so hopefully it will get the all clear and be available soon.

The book begins with Matthias Hechler in Germany and details his move to Speier, Russia in 1809.  He, along with other Germans, took advantage of Catherine the Great's generous terms encouraging colonists to emigrate to the Volga Region of Russia. His son and grandson stayed in Speier, but his great-grandson and my great-grandfather, Dominic Hechler, left in 1891 after having to serve a term of military duty in the Russian army. One of the privileges of Dominic's great-grandfather and the other German colonists was the exemption from military service. When it was repealed, many of the Germans began to leave Russia for the United States.

About 1888 Dominic married Elizabeth Dietz, from the nearby village of Katherinental. In December of 1890 they left Russia and came to America with their two children - Vincent, 2 years old, and Pete, about 6 months old. They traveled with the families of Wagner, Rhombs and Dietz. Dominic and Elizabeth's other children were born in Texas - August, Frances, Magdalena, John, D.J. and Katie.

We have a Hechler family reunion every other year in Crosby, as Dominic and Elizabeth had eight children, dozens of grandchildren, and we've lost count of the greats. The book grew out of several published circulars I wrote for the family reunion over the past few years.

You can order it at Amazon.


Hechler Family in Fort Bend County abt 1912

From left to right John, August, Pete, Frances, Maggie, Angelina (Martin - wife of Vincent), Mary (on Angelina's lap), Elizabeth (on her father's lap), Vincent, Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Dietz) Hechler, Katie (in front of Lizzie), Dominic, D.J. (on his father's lap)