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Waterloo County pioneers celebrated in new book s time marches on Ajmd one day blurs into the next, it can be difficult to gauge when real progress is being made in life. In many ways, change is mostly measured by techâ€" nological advances these days; things get faster or clearer or simpler and the world feels like its spinning into the ‘future." Every once in a while though, it‘s necessary to take your eyes off the road ahead and check the rearview to get a better sense of what brought you to your present location. Former Kâ€"W resident George Leo Kraemer, has done just that with his new book, "Faith and Foundaâ€" tions," which offers an hisâ€" torical account of the lifestyles of the Germanic pioneers of Waterloo and Bruce Counties between 1828 and 1867. Now living in Moncton, N.B., Kraemer spent 39 years sporadically residing in the Kâ€"W area before movâ€" ing to the Maritimes in 1998. Having spent 15 years conducting personal genealogical research, Kraeâ€" mer‘s initial desire was to trace the origins of his own familial lineage in this area. "Eventually I got bored with doing it because it was just names, dates, births, and deaths, over and over again," he said. "I traced about five difâ€" ferent branches of my famiâ€" ly back to the 1500s and 1600s, but, it soon got to the point that it was no longer exciting doing that any more. So, 1 decided that, if my work was worth anyâ€" thing, I would see if it was possible to write a story about what I had done." Having never written a book before. Kraemer was SAVING FOR A MORTGAGE INCLUDES MOVING BACK IN WITH MOM AND DAD, WE HAVE A BOOK FOR YOU. IF YOUR IDEA OF By VisH KHANNA For The Chronicle initially at a loss as to how to proceed with his innovative idea for an historical account. Author George Kraemer proudly displays his new book, "Faith and Foundations", which offers an historical account of the lifestyles of the Germanic pioneers of Waterioo and Bruce Counties between 1828 and 1867. "One of the primaâ€" ry motivaâ€" tors to finâ€" ish the book was Prof. Kenâ€" the pnma‘ "I didn‘t want it to e primaâ€" 5 ty motivaâ€" _ be particular to tors to finâ€" f tw . _ any one family book was because, basically, Pro{â€" Kenâ€" _ all the families McLaugh â€" lived in the lin at the University same place at”the of Waterâ€" same time. loo," Kraeâ€" mer said. â€"Geor‘gel:?aner "I sent 000 him an early draft and he was very excited to read what I had produced at that stage. Not being a writer or an author, at first I was reluctant to think that 1 could do this, but when I received encourâ€" agement from him to finish it, and with his editing abiliâ€" HENER WATE ND( author LIFESTYLE ties, the book came together just like magic." nt it to found that there was a lar to huge dearth of § detailed inforâ€" Zl?illy mation about !szcally, where _ and i1 how his ancesâ€" nilies tors lived, why the they decided > to emigrate in ' at"the the first place, e. how they got to North ," e America on their â€" ships, and what they did when they reached New York City or wherever else their point of arrival was. Astounded by all of the information he‘d discovered scattered in different places, Kraemer took it upon himâ€" self to piece a narrative together that represented a During his research, IN YOUR FbCKEE common immigrant expert ence. "I didn‘t want it to be particular to any one family because, basically, all the families lived in the same place at the same time," he explained. "They were all from either side of the Rhine River; either from Alsace, France or from Germany. So, fundamentally their stoâ€" rties were identical to each other." § While including diflerenl branches of his family, the crux of Kraemer‘s narrative focuses on Jeanâ€"Thiebault Spetz, an Alsatian soldier in Napoleon‘s 600,000â€"man Grand Army which attemptâ€" ed to conquer the Cossacks in Russia. Spetz was a farmer, a teamster, and a brewer who survived the Industrial Revâ€" Continued on page 15 TRATED® PA"HRI The Kâ€"W Crisis Pregnancy Centre will present a Silent (Auction) Night, Nov.15, at the Kitchener Menâ€" nonite Brethren Church, located at 19 Ottawa St.N. The silent auction will begin at 6 p.m., to be followed by a live auction at 7 p.m. _ There will also be refreshments, and the cost of a ticket will be $15. To purchase a ticket, call 886â€"4001. Wilfrid Laurier University‘s Canadian studies proâ€" gram is partnering with the Waterloo public library to present a slide presentation and talk by Canadian author Peter Unwin. Unwin is the author of the newlyâ€"published "The Wolf‘s Head: Writing Lake Superior", a journey through the history and culture of that northern region. â€"For centuries, Lake Superior has produced a powâ€" erful and mysterious effect on the popular imaginaâ€" tion. In "The Wolf‘s Head", Unwin weaves together the stories of the Ojibwe, Frenchâ€" and Englishâ€"speaking peoples who lived in the Lake Superior region, in a graceful, visionary cultural exploration. _ The presentation will take place Nov. 17, from 4â€"6 p.m. at the WPL main library, located at 35 Albert St. _ Admission is free and copies of "The Wolf‘s Head" and Unwin‘s other books will be available for sale. The presentation is the first in a series that the uniâ€" versity and library hope to collaborate on, in order to engage both the academic and general community in Canadian studies topics. Well Aware is holding a community forumâ€":entitled "Know Your Well!" to provide all the facts needed to property own and maintain a well. _ _ The forums will take place in St. Jacobs, at the Woolwich Community Health Centre, 10 Parkside Dr., Nov.18, from 7â€" 9:30 p.m. s â€" Guest speakers will include: Bill Davidson from Davidson Well Drilling Ltd., a member of the Waterloo Region public health unit, the Association of Profesâ€" sional Geoscientists of Ontario and the Grand River Conservation Authority. Topics will include: maintaining a well with safe water, sealing old wells properly in order to protect new ones, regular wellâ€"testing, septic systems and groundwater, protecting groundwater sources, and hiring licenced contractors. Well Aware is a project of the Green Communities Association in partnership with the Ontario Ground Water Association. Author Peter Unwin speaks at Waterloo library Crisis pregnancy centre holds silent auction + WINGHAM Learning how to own and maintain a well St. Willibrord WWW.I