Rimrock Writings will offer books, articles, and other writings that you will likely not find elsewhere! The following profile is of author/web site owner, Duane Helweg:
Duane was born in 1946 in San Angelo, Texas to a German father, Otto Helweg, and a Scotch-Irish mother, Wanda Montgomery. He survived polio and a tornado there while attending Lake View schools. Duane then went to Angelo State and Texas Tech universities before graduating from Arizona State University. He spent a career working for the State of Arizona buying freeways. Duane helped raise a daughter Kara and a son Carl and retired back to San Angelo in 1998 where he re-met and now lives with wife, Sharon (Shirley) Helweg, whom he had known in high school.
Starting in 1996, he’s written family histories for both paternal and maternal sides of his parent’s families. He’s also written other family history stories and just likes to write. His articles and stories have been printed in history or genealogical journals in Tennessee and Texas (The Chisholm Trail; Stalkin’ Kin; Hardin County Historian; STIRPES; Hopkins County Heritage), newspapers (New Ulm Enterprise; Savannah Courier; San Angelo Standard Times) and newsletters (Texas German Society Reporter; West Tennessee History Society). Articles in web sites include Hamilton County Tennessee Genealogical Society (http://www.hctgs.org/) and Hardin County Tennessee (on TNGENWEB).
Duane has written four books;Lone
Survivor At Shiloh; available at: Shiloh National Military Park bookstore
(Phone: 731-689-3475 - signed copies); also unsigned copies online at: www.Amazon.com Everything Lake View (Almost) from 1908 to 1949: A Pictorial History;
online at www.Amazon.com &
sold at Cactus Book Shop http://cactusbookshop.com/ (signed copies - award
winning) Renegade Texas Confederate & Union Surgeon Dr. William R. Robinson;
online at www.Amazon.com (print
or eBook) & sold at Cactus Book Shop http://cactusbookshop.com/ (signed
copies - award winning) A Way with Words - Inspired
from Above - Selected Writings of Duane Helweg; available on www.Amazon.com as a Kindle
eBook only Duane also has a book web site:www.RimrockWritings.com
One editor says he can take dry facts and dates and weave them into histories that make his ancestors “come alive.” He has received a third place award for a “Manuscript by a Non-Professional” given by the Texas State Genealogical Society for his article titled, “My Mother’s ‘GTT’ and Civil War Ancestors.” Many who have contacted him over the last twenty years, responding to his emotion-evoking writings have stated of Duane, that he has a “way with words.” He will be quick to tell you that, as inspiration comes, he is but a vessel used by and through a Higher Authority.
Duane has previously spoken at or done readings to church and historical groups. He also has spoken to Lions Clubs in Texas about his experiences as both a camper and counselor at their summer camp for disabled children. His son is a banker and daughter a teacher, and both received degrees and live in Tennessee, ironically near their ancestor’s locations. He has two grandchildren and five step-grandchildren.
His Tennessee history is on his mother’s family sides. Names like Wicker, Buchanan, Reed, Hooker, Anderson, Lipford, Montgomery, Russell and Witt, form ancestry in the counties of Hardin, McNairy, Hamilton and Rhea. His Texas history adds his paternal German sides, who other than Helweg, are Kersting, Hartmann, Weiss, Strauch, Alves [Alwes], Schön, Pfeiffer, Schlacks and Furstenau in the Texas counties of Austin, Comal, Tom Green and Williamson. In the latter county, add maternal sides Hawkins, Denson, Davis from Arkansas; the first from Georgia, the latter two Mississippi.
Duane was born in 1946 in San Angelo, Texas to a German father, Otto Helweg, and a Scotch-Irish mother, Wanda Montgomery. He survived polio and a tornado there while attending Lake View schools. Duane then went to Angelo State and Texas Tech universities before graduating from Arizona State University. He spent a career working for the State of Arizona buying freeways. Duane helped raise a daughter Kara and a son Carl and retired back to San Angelo in 1998 where he re-met and now lives with wife, Sharon (Shirley) Helweg, whom he had known in high school.