The Ancestors & Descendants of William Radichal

By William Castle

This book is about the ancestors and descendants of William Radichal who homesteaded Plumbago Canyon in Wyoming in 1887. The story begins in 1548 and continues until 2014. The Raduechel family orginated in Pomerania (Germany) and immigrated to Wisconsin USA in the 1800's. The name was changed to Radichal when they came west to Wyoming in the 1880's. Through the generations, the land has been improved and passed on to the next generation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312760233

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The Ancestors & Descendants of William Radichal

The Ancestors & Descendants

of William Radichal

Forward

I am writing this book dedicating it to previous generations who worked so hard to keep the land and improve it. It is a history book as well as an inspiration for present and future generations to love the land. I want to thank Sharleen, our two girls Kerin & Julie and 4 grandchildren Kadra, Jackson, Kyler & Weston for inspiring me and making me the best I can be. Thanks to my mom, Kathleen Moore for instilling the love of the land in me. Thanks to Joy Kiekhaefer Martin who has done many hours of research on the Raduechel/Radichal families. Also thanks to Nancy Trabing Mickelson who has done research on the Trabing family. We are cousins that have the same great great grandmother. I used a lot of their information and also the Laramie Papers archive was very helpful in telling the story. Katrin Ploeger of Hamburg, Germany was instrumental in the early family tree research with us being related through the Zastrow family. My mom also wrote a book called The Road Home which told a lot of the old time stories. Here is an excerpt from the poem.

The Road Home

By Kathleen Moore

The road home, by way of memory lane. We’ve all travelled it again and again.

We stopped and lingered at happy places, enjoying the smiles on our loved one’s faces.

…when we get weary and too tired to roam it gives us comfort to take the road home.

Copyright © 2014 by William C. Castle                                                                      All rights reserved

The Beginning

Once upon a time in a far away land in 1548, the Duke of Mecklenburg stood on the balcony of his castle overlooking the land. He turned to the Duchess his wife, smiled and exclaimed.

Wir sind sehr glücklich, die Hüter des Landes sein. Ich liebe diese Ansicht. Alles ist gut.

This land was once part of the Holy Roman Empire and was now part of West Pommerania, a province of the German empire. Through many struggles, droughts, and wars it was kept intact and passed down through the generations for the next 300 years.

Johannalbrechtmecklenburg.jpgcoat of arms duke mecklenburg3.jpg

John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg

Duke John Albert was considered a modern Renaissance prince and a patron of the arts and sciences, with an open mind for the scientific discoveries of his time. He committed himself to the Reformation and modernized the state. He possessed an extensive library, which eventually came into the possession of the University of Rostock. He was interested in scientific instruments and in astronomy and cartography.

The family tree researched by Katrin Plöger traced the Raduechel’s and Zastrow’s ancestry back to The Duke of Mecklenburg.

Life was not easy in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries for the farmers & laborers but families such as the Krügers, Weißs & Zastrows worked and acquired land passing it on through generations. The fairy tale ends and the family history of William Radichal begins.                              

Friederike Zastrow

It was 1819