Hendrix College’s motto is “Unto the Whole Person.” That motto can be seen in the classroom, but maybe even more so, outside of the classroom. As a part of that commitment, the college created the Odyssey Program. Students must complete at least three different Odyssey projects during their tenure at Hendrix in different categories (Artistic Creativity, Global Awareness, Professional & Leadership Development, Service to the World, Undergraduate Research, and Special Projects). With a good justification, the Odyssey can be anything the student wants. Students can get credit by volunteering at a local animal shelter for a year or taking an art class or even going to Germany and Ireland to explore and research the areas where one’s ancestors are from. 

That last one is what I am doing, “Who Do I Think I Am?.” It is a Special Project, the catch-all category, as it combines elements from Artistic Creativity, Global Awareness, and Undergraduate Research. Thanks to a very generous grant from the Odyssey Program, I have been researching my ancestry for the past month or so, got my DNA analysed, and I am about to cross the pond on over to Germany and Ireland. I will go to four different cities in two different countries on a quest to find more about where my family came from and to fill in the some gaps in my family tree. In this project, the four ancestors I am specifically looking at are: 

Nicholas Andrew Dreier (1861-1932), my great-great grandfather,  was born in Meldorf, Germany and died in Chicago, Illinois.

Bernardena “Dena” Kronlage (1851-1914), my great-great-great grandmother,  was born in Oldenburg, Germany and died in Hamilton, Ohio. 

Bernard “Barney” Niehoff (1845-1933), my great-great-great grandfather and Dena’s husband, was born in Hanover, Germany and died in Hamilton, Ohio. 

Thomas Dwyer (1830-1897), another great-great-great grandfather, was born in Kilkenny, Ireland and died in Piqua, Ohio. 

My ultimate goal is to hopefully find out why Nicholas, Dena, Barney, and Thomas left their home countries for the unknown in America. After my travels, I will compile my findings in an “academic scrapbook” of sorts and into a powerpoint, which I will later use in my presentation back at Hendrix in the Fall.