This is the story of how this media became highly organized and developed.
Website design and videos by Eric since 2000 with many
major sophisticated digital photo repairs in 2014. Those who complain instead of collaborate or provide constructive feedback are omitted. Estimated solo work hours: 500.
A few months before mom passed away, she and I discussed how to better organize the large trunk full of family albums in disarray. I suggested we go through them all, resort and redo them. She agreed and started working on it while I was gone, but when I came back she had a lot of the photos in the trash, particularly hers from Germany. I pulled them back out of the trash to claim them. She had also haphazardly glued many of them on pages, so I had to work to separate them before the glue further set. When I asked her why she did it this way she said nobody is going to care about us when we are gone anyway.
In early 2009, I spent a week working on ancestor.com to update all the family data and photos. I spent much of that time doing research to expand the family. I also placed my parents and my deceased brother on findagrave.com. Someone already beat me to putting my mother on there, so I asked her to transfer that account over to me. She voluntarily did.
In June, 2009 when mom passed, I spent the first two weeks totally focused on providing the highest quality funeral services I could for her. This took me by surprise as I didn't know there could be so much involved which made every task extremely fast paced and demanding, ranging from writing a eulogy to deciding what to put in the casket for her. Then I created an 8 x 10 image to be converted into a porcelain plaque that I mounted on her headstone. Then dad went to Ohio for a month, during which time I reorganized mom's albums, etc. I was home alone with just my dog (thank you Tippy!) and it was less than a month since mom passed, so it was very difficult (solitary) for me. I vacuum sealed important and fragile historical documents and items. I explained to others what I was doing and asked many times for input and assistance, but nobody wanted anything to do with it and expressed no concern.
In early 2009, I spent a week working on ancestor.com to update all the family data and photos. I spent much of that time doing research to expand the family. I also placed my parents and my deceased brother on findagrave.com. Someone already beat me to putting my mother on there, so I asked her to transfer that account over to me. She voluntarily did.
In June, 2009 when mom passed, I spent the first two weeks totally focused on providing the highest quality funeral services I could for her. This took me by surprise as I didn't know there could be so much involved which made every task extremely fast paced and demanding, ranging from writing a eulogy to deciding what to put in the casket for her. Then I created an 8 x 10 image to be converted into a porcelain plaque that I mounted on her headstone. Then dad went to Ohio for a month, during which time I reorganized mom's albums, etc. I was home alone with just my dog (thank you Tippy!) and it was less than a month since mom passed, so it was very difficult (solitary) for me. I vacuum sealed important and fragile historical documents and items. I explained to others what I was doing and asked many times for input and assistance, but nobody wanted anything to do with it and expressed no concern.
In 2013-2014 for a whole year I took college courses in Photoshop and website design. I used those skills to significantly improve the website and make a large amount of desperately needed professional digital photo repairs and enhancements. Take a look at the original photos and compare to the ones here and you will see why it was worth the effort.
I have done the absolute best job I could do to create high quality media of my family mostly for the purpose of our future generations to know and appreciate who we really were. I also hope they learn from our experiences in many beneficial ways to have even better lives than we did. Of course it was also done in honor and respect of my family, particularly to reward my parents for all the hard work they did in raising us (the best they knew how) and preserving the sentimentals.
I have done the absolute best job I could do to create high quality media of my family mostly for the purpose of our future generations to know and appreciate who we really were. I also hope they learn from our experiences in many beneficial ways to have even better lives than we did. Of course it was also done in honor and respect of my family, particularly to reward my parents for all the hard work they did in raising us (the best they knew how) and preserving the sentimentals.
This digitization ensures the family heritage will endure forever and can never be lost and can't be destroyed by anyone.
Trolls against my work have been omitted and no photo repair work offered.
Master Albums Before Negligent Executor Ransack of 2012
Master albums have all original documents and photos albeit largely destroyed by the negligent executor.
Nothing is permitted to ever be sold; please keep in the family forever
Ancestry.com & FindAGrave.com
: Eric created over 30 accurate memorials in each site.
YouTube.com
family videos
Leo John Talaska:
Erika Lina Erler - Talaska:
Leo & Erika's Marriage / Anniversary Album
Eric Talaska:
Johnny William Talaska:
8½ X 11 Consolidated Info Plaques of each family member, etc.
Digitized and enhanced photos, documents, etc. from Eric's computer
Other:
Home movies unedited: 25 VHS tapes and DVDs (best scenes were already put in video autobiographies)
Erika Lina's:
German Christmas, wedding anniversary, funeral sympathy, etc. cards (Lee has)
Three fire station cookbooks and fire department manual (Lee has)
Seemannslieder music CD
Medical records
Inherited Met Life insurance policy documents - Future heir may be able to collect