Illustrated genealogy

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Illustrated genealogy

I'm the son of Yvonne and Gerard. Yvonne is the daughter of Ange. Ange was the son of Marie Therese. Gerard is the son of Louis and Marie.

I'm born in France. Here is a precipitation map of France. When it is darker, it rains more.

I'm born in Vosges where 2 meters of water and snow fell per year.

I grew up in Gerardmer:

From my window I could see a lake.

In Roussillon where Marie Therese and Ange were born 500 millimetres - four time less - fell per year.

Circa 1660 Louis ancestors moved from Franche Comte to Vosges for two reasons.

Franche Comte means Free County, the county without taxes. It was true up to the time when France annexed it. My ancestors were probably happy to become French but less convinced by taxes. They identified a business opportunity.

Then Vosges belonged to Germany and the 30 years war was ending. Arguably the bloodiest European war up to WWII, it killed between 20 and 50% of the German population. Mechanically the price of the land fell down and my ancestors were able to buy a farm.

Much later Louis, my grand father came to school.

He is the child with a cross. The picture was taken before 1900. Regardless their social class all children were going at the same school. The poorest wear smocks and wooden shoes. The one on the top right is disabled. The richest wears leather boots.

Louis was born in 1891, a very bad year. When he joined the army for military service in 1911 the government decided that citizens had to spend 3 years in the army. In August 1914, he was about to go back home. He had to wait up to 1919...

Louis married Marie.

It was raining. They took the picture below the door.

Marie Therese had 10 children. Ange was the eldest.

The family lived close to the Spanish border. The two main jobs were smuggler and custom officer.

After WWI Ange chose the right side and was sent... to the German border where he met my grand mother.

Then he moved to gendarmerie because gendarmes rode horses.

My mother is born... Wasn't she lovely?

She grew up and married my father.