Mit familietræ

øNorman's father was an importer of Danish products to England (bacon and other products). Norman's father lived in Newcastle-on-Tyne, where Norman was born. Norman was the youngest child, and he took a name from all his older siblings to form his name: Fred Oskar Reinwick Theodor Unden Norman Assels.

My mother does not know where Norman's father and mother came from, but the Assels family name comes from Vester Assels or Øster Assels on the island of Mors in Denmark. There once was a Jens fra Assels, but he dropped the "fra" and that is how the family name started.

(Research):øThis is how Wallace and Inger met: Caroline (Inger's mother) and Norman Assels were in a grocery store in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Caroline used to like to visit American grocery stores, because they had all kinds of food--meat, bread, pastries, and so forth--all in one store, unlike the separate shops in Denmark in the 1940s and before. Also American groceries were amazing to her because they were overflowing with food compared to stores in Denmark during and just after World War II. Caroline and Norman were talking Danish with each other. A woman named Henny, who also spoke Danish, was in the next aisle and overheard them. Henny began speaking with Caroline and Norman, and she invited them over for coffee.

Now Henny was the mother of Silvia. Silvia had a boyfriend named Charlie. Charlie was Wallace's best friend. Charlie and Silvia set up a blind date between Wallace and Inger, and the four of them went out together. My mom and dad married a week later.