Well, I am 33 years old and am a southern boy from Georgia. Actually, I was born in Washington DC when my father was still in the Army, but he was stationed to Ft. Stewart, Georgia, which is about 35 miles southwest of Savannah, and we have never left. After graduating from high school there in 1998, I enlisted in the Marine Corps as a saxophonist. After a year of training, which included boot camp, combat training, and 6 months at the Armed Forced School of Music in Virginia Beach, I spent 3 years back at Parris Island, SC with the Marine Band stationed there from 1999 to Sept. 2002. After leaving the Marines, I moved to Savannah and spent 5 years working for Best Buy as a sales and service supervisor and manager. My last 2 years were spent spinning up the Geek Squad when they first arrived at Best Buy and also working in the field, driving the little Beetle and doing house calls.
In 2007, I had an opportunity to try for a job with General Dynamics IT as a destkop service tech for the Simulation Center on Ft. Stewart. I have been there ever since and in 2009 I moved into working as a Systems Engineer for the simulation systems, as well as the main tech involved with the integration of our simulation systems with the Army's tactical systems for training purposes. I love the job and love working with computers, and since the job is Monday through Friday, I get to continue my passion for playing music as well. Last June, my fiance (who happens to be a Dunn, who's family originated in County Donegal, Ireland; yes she is a red head!) and I bought a house on Saint Simon's Island, GA and absolutely love it down here! We had been living the past 4 years in the historic district of downtown Savannah. It was great, but it wore out its fun after that amount of time.
My last name is German/Polish and the spelling now is different than it used to be. My mother's family is also German, from the Sudetanland region of the now Czech Republic, specifically Karlovy Vary. Unfortunately, I have not been able to trace back much of her family or the Yatzek family for that matter, for reasons I believe to be related to missing info caused possibly by WWII. Her family lost a few members not only through what Hitler did annexing that area, but also fleeing the Russians at the end of the war to get across the border into Germany. Thank goodness there were American troops where they crossed on the border that decided to let her family through. My paternal grandmother, Nellie J. Thompson, is the only line I have been able to trace back with any substantial information. She was the first generation born in the states, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Below is the family line I have been able to trace so far.
Nellie J. Thompson - b. 19 Apr. 1893 Hutchinson, Kansas d. Southfield, Michigan 13 May 1966
-- George A. Thompson - b. 8 Dec. 1862 Yedingham, Yorkshire, England d. Detroit, Michigan 15 Jan. 1919
-- -- Charles Thompson - b. 1830-1831 Haslerton, North Riding, Yorkshire, England d. 24 Aug. 1912 Ecorse, Michigan
-- -- -- William Thompson - b. 7 Jun. 1778 Burghwallis, Yorkshire, England d. 1856 (?) Yedingham, Yorkshire, England (?)
Now, here is where my research dries up. The only info I could find on William was that he is apparently the illegitimate son of an Ann Thompson from Burghwallis, on who I have absolutely no information I can find. She is my wall so to speak...lol.
Well, there is just about everything about me in as short of a story as I can make it! For the music lovers out there, below are links to my SoundCloud profile. I have recording on there from my blues band in Savannah, called Bottles N' Cans, two songs from a band formed by some friends that wanted me to play on their debut CD, and my current solo project going back into my real passion, Classic Jazz standards.
https://soundcloud.com/saxmanusmcOh, and some funny happenings that show just how small our world really is; a couple that we met in Savannah, who are now our closest friends, is really the one who got me to search the Thompson name out for Scottish origins. The irony of our relationship and the way we interact is that he is a member of Clan Bell directly and he had known from his clan's own history the Thom(p)son name. He was not aware of the Curse though or the hell that the Thompson and Bell clans caused during the reiver times. We found it pretty humorous that we would all find each other and become such great friends.
I want to thank you all for the warm welcome, and I look forward to sharing in the research of the family! Thanks again!
Sterling Ronald Yatzek