(aka Big Nick - Big Nick, as opposed to Lil' Nick, aka Nicholas Earle - Lil' Nick)
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
I'm a descendant of the Mishawaka (Indiana) Trippels. There seem to be other Trippel clans in California, Colorado and Ohio.
Originally, my Grandfather, Frederick Trippel, came to Mishawaka, Indiana from
Germany in 1892. In his first job, he worked as a brewmaster at the Kamm &
Schellinger brewery. This seems appropriate as I believe the family name
is derived from the name of a style of beer, namely the Belgian Trippel.
The New Belgium Brewing company in Fort Collins spells their version of a
Trippel this way.
Trippel Beer
Eventually Grandpa Trippel wound up running the machinery at what was, at the
time, Mishawaka's pre-eminent auto manufacturer, the Dodge factory.
Interestingly, there still seem to be Trippels in Germany, some of them in the
automotive industry as well. There used to be a Trippel MotorWorks in
Germany, operated by Hanns Trippel, which produced the world's most famous
amphibious car. I don't know as we are related to Hanns, but I've seen
pictures of him indicating a strong family resemblance. Hanns was also
noted for having invented the gullwing door, which he sold to Mercedes.
For more info about Trippel Amphicars, see the following link:
Trippel
Amphicars
Trippel's have long been associated with plumbing. My Uncle Vic founded Vic Trippel Plumbing and Heating many years ago, which is where my Father Joseph Bernard Trippel worked for most of his life. Among other claims to fame, dad helped put in the plumbing for what is now the Hummer factory in Mishawaka. Should General Motors ever produce a limited edition amphibious version of the Hummer with gullwing doors in this plant, I think it only fair that they call it the Trippel Hummer in honor of the long and distinguished role Trippel's have played in the automotive industry, especially in Mishawaka, and in the Hummer plant itself!
The rugged, amphibious Trippel Hummer would be the perfect car for my brother Don's family. His son, Lil' Nick (Lil' Nick) could use it to go fishing, and his daughter Aimee would find it much tougher to wreck than comparable SUVs. With the high ground clearance of a Hummer, Don would have a much easier time putting it up on blocks for storage in front of his house in Boonville, North Carolina, and his wife Deb could easily fit multiple kegs of Trippel Beer into the spacious rear cargo compartment whenever they are preparing for one of their famous pig roasts. (Speaking of pig roasts, Don's old friend John Harper, and his dad Jim, used to work in the Hummer factory. Jim Harper was the one who taught Don how to roast pigs! This is where Don developed his taste for carrots!)
As for me, perhaps my father's influence as a plumber is why I wound up doing
Internet Plumbing and Heating at the Hunter College Social Sciences Computing
Lab in Manhattan.
Trippel Internet Plumbing and
Heating