When Albert Nedden was born on 1 January 1873, in Prussia, German Empire, his father, Johann Gustav Nedden, was 53 and his mother, Henriette Ernestine Wilhelmine Emilie Nedden, was 45. He had at least 1 son and 3 daughters with Bertha Kauffmann. He lived in Manitowoc Rapids, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States in 1880 and Wisconsin, United States in 1961. He died on 9 March 1961, in Antigo, Langlade, Wisconsin, United States, at the age of 88, and was buried in Antigo, Langlade, Wisconsin, United States.

I can’t really say that I remember him well, but the things I do recall are all positive. He fathered at least one son and three daughters – one of whom became my grandmother. My grandma was deserted by her husband and left to support four children on her own. She returned to her family after this disaster and her parents played a large part in my own dad’s upbringing. I would imagine that Great Grandpa Nedden was a stern man, but reasonable. It was because of him that my dad became a responsible young man with a good set of morals. When those standards are set within a family, the tendency is for them to continue from one generation to the next. At the turn of the 19th century, our country was undergoing a great deal of change – much like it is today. The Industrial Revolution had a great influence on what was happening in the home, the workplace and even in the church.

My great grandfather was a conductor on the early passenger trains which carried the eastern entrepreneurs across country. I remember him displaying the gold pocket watch from his days on the railroad. He’d walk down to the train depot each day after he retired and convened with other veteran railroad workers, telling stories about those good old days. It had become part of his life all the way until his death. He no longer had the stamina to be a conductor, but he still had his memories and a voice.

He was a tall man – standing about 6′ high. His petite wife was no more than 5′ tall so they must’ve appeared to be an odd couple. He stayed fit well into his retirement years as he walked quite a bit during that time. Maybe it was a refuge from all those train rides he endured. I don’t know if he ever encountered any of those legendary outlaws of the time. Unfortunately, I know very little about him, but I could see the results of his parenting through the children he raised.

I thank God for giving me a firm foundation through the ancestors within my family. I hope and pray that my grandchildren and someday great grandchildren, will continue that tradition within their own families.