Welcome to Our Family Legacy
The Karels Family History Project is a labor of love. Our mission is to preserve, document, and celebrate our family's rich history, ensuring that future generations have access to our shared legacy.
The Karels family traces its roots to Luxembourg, where our first known ancestor, Théodore Karels (1740-1818), was born. Théodore Karels married Catherine Welter (1745-1815), and together they laid the foundation of the Karels family. From humble beginnings in Luxembourg, the family grew and spread across regions, preserving their heritage through generations.
What We Do
Our work includes:
- Digitizing photos, videos, and records
- Cataloging artifacts and heirlooms
- Building a private, collaborative repository of family history
- Restoring and preserving media formats such as VHS, 8mm film, miniDV, cassettes, floppy disks, and more
- Organizing artifacts in a dedicated facility located in the Twin Cities, Minnesota
Future Projects
In addition to preserving our family history, we are working towards the development of several new projects:
- Creating family history books, albums, and documentaries
- Developing collaborative tools for family members to add and edit information
- Digitizing and cataloging newspaper articles, photographs, and artifacts
- Providing access to secure cloud storage for archival media
- Establishing a non-profit organization to ensure the longevity of our work
Our Branch of the Karels Family
In approximately 1856 Johanes Peter “John” Karels and Anna Mary Wilwers left for America with their sons and daugters, settling in Carver County, Minnesota.
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Théodore Karels (1740-1818)
- Cathérine Welter (1745-1815)
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Mathias Karels (1775-1814)
- Magdalena Gaul (1774-1817)
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Johan Peter "John" Karels (1800-1856)
- Anna Marie Wilwers (1810-1888)
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Johan Ludwig "John" Karels (1833-1905)
- Anna Flamm (1838-1923)
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Bernard "Ben" Karels (1873-1967)
- Crescentia Grace Heigl (1879-1956)
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Eugene Bernard Karels (1915-2015)
- Margaret Mary Hutterer (1913-1997)
This branch of the Karels family continues to thrive, preserving our stories, artifacts, and collective history. Each generation has carried forward the responsibility of maintaining our heritage, from the early days in Luxembourg to the present.
Support Our Work
Donations are essential to keep this project alive. Your contributions will help fund rent, equipment, research, and preservation efforts.
We also welcome donations of artifacts, photographs, and media formats that can be added to our growing archive. Equipment such as scanners, film readers, and backup devices are always appreciated to assist with our preservation work.