The beginning as we know it

Anton and Rosa Dornisch with young William

Anton was born in Basel, Germany. He married Rosa in 1906. The wedding ceremony took place in St. Michael's Church (founded April 1831) 2nd and Jefferson Sts in Phila. The church is located in the "Fishtown" section of Phila. (near 5th and Girard) Their first child was William James Dornisch (he took the name Charles as his confirmation name) Born 11/3/1908. The second child was Rosa, named after her Mother, and born in 1910. The mother Rosa passed away in 1915 when young William was 7 or 8 years old. The younger Rosa passed away in 1926 at the age of 15 or 16. Shortly after the mother died, the father remarried and apparently moved to the Vineland/Millville area of New Jersey. William lost contact with his father at that time and it is uncertain if he ever spoke with him again. Bill was raised by his Grandmother Schubert (Meier) He married Catherine (Cass) Cecelia Healy on 5/5/1928. Grandmom Schubert passed away in 1937. She lived to see the wedding of Bill and Cass Dornisch and also the birth of their first 3 sons, William C. Dornisch, Jr, John William Dornisch and Robert William Dornisch before her death. Bill and Cass were married in Most Precious Blood Church at 28th and Diamond Sts. in Phila. It was a beautiful May wedding and the young family was more than ready to begin their journey.

And thus begins the history of the Dornisch family. We are preparing for the reunion July 21 - 28, 2012 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. This blog will give you bits and pieces of each family unit as we make our way towards next July. We are certain you will have a great time at the reunion and during the time leading up to the weekend you will learn about our family history. We have lost members of the family already who never got to experience what is within our grasp. Let's not miss this opportunity. NEXT UP: The story of Bill and Cass Dornisch and their family.
Reminder: this Blog is brought to you by Robert, Paul and Joann. All info has been contributed by them and is subject to change. We hope you enjoy the next 14 months of preparation. Oh, by the way, we will explain all about housing, food and entertainment in later posts. So get ready. As James Taylor once said, "In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina" See you there.