Reinhard Ludwig Damm was born in Helmarshausen, Germany on November 13, 1901. He attended his primary school (Volksschule), then attended four years of the six year (Mittelschule) program. At '14' years old Reinhard began to work as a local woodsman until he turned '18". He then began his training to work in the steel industry. After '2' years with a local steel mill he moved to Dortmund, to continue working in the steel industry. At approximately the age of '22' he married Beate. He continued to work in Dortmund until November, 1929, at which time he became unemployed. This lasted for '6' years. During this '6' year period the German government financially supported those unemployed who worked as casual labour, which he did for the entire '6' years. In 1936, he went back to work in the steel industry, until his retirement. He died in Dortmund, Germany during the spring of 1971.

He was happiest when on outings with his family (wife & '2' sons), into the German country-side. Here, he tried to teach his sons to listen to and observe nature. He had a tremendous memory, was disciplined and stern (which was a requirement of those times in Germany), but was always thoughtfully fair.

Beate Margaret (Weigt) Damm was born in Posen, Germany on July 18, 1898. She studied to become a school teacher, but prior to the completion of her studies she was requested to take 'telegraph operator' training, then to embark on a career with the local railroad company as a telegraph operator. Following the end of WWI Beate, along with everyone in the region, was given the choice to join Poland or to keep her German status. She chose to remain German and along with her brother left Posen for Dortmund. During much of her time in Dortmund she worked as a domestic. While raising her '2' boys, she taught the boys the morse code while sitting at the dinner table. She was a wise and very strong, resourceful person who educated herself in natural local herb uses, which proved to be very useful knowledge during those particular times. One of her boys remembers her making sauerkraut every year, how she foraged for herbs and her inventive cooking recipes (still used to this day; August, 2020) . She died in Dortmund, Germany at '92' years old, 1990.