The Schiemann family journey began in 1882 when they arrived to America and homesteaded in Minnesota. In the 1920s, they headed south to Portsmouth, Virginia where they heard they would find steady work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY).

Louis J. Schiemann, Sr. great-great-grandfather to Megan Hanni, Code 100PI Engineering Technician, was the first family member to apply and work at the shipyard. He worked in the Inside Machine Shop (Shop 31).

His son had an adventurous soul that took him on a different journey before he thought about working at the shipyard.

"When my daddy was just 16 years old, he wanted to see the world," said Loxie "Pug" Schiemann Blick, Schiemann’s daughter and great aunt to Hanni. "He left home, lied about his age and claimed he was 18 so he could join Merchant Marines. By the time he was 20 years old, he had gone around the world three times."

After returning to Virginia in the 1930s, he applied for a foundry chipper position at NNSY. He was surprised to be denied and sent a letter to the labor board at the shipyard requesting reconsideration and listed his qualifications. His determination and perseverance helped him be reconsidered and receive a job offer as a foundry chipper and caulker.

During his time at the shipyard, Schiemann often brought his daughters, Loxie and Billie to visit the fire station and the waterfront where there was something special for them to see. "One of my favorite childhood memories was visiting the shipyard during Christmas time. There was a giant silver metal Christmas tree by the water and an elaborate train with villages that surrounded it," said Blick. "It was beautiful and was as tall as the building; it was also made by all of the men who worked in the shipyard."

At the same time the Schiemanns were working at NNSY, Hanni’s father’s side of the family was making its own legacy in the shipyard. Her great-grandfather, William Hubbard Reid worked at Saint Juliens Creek in the ammunition depot. Her grandfather, Robert Leroy Reid worked at NNSY in Shop 41 as a Boilermaker, in Code 133 as an Inspector, and in Code 2300 Planning and Estimating. Hanni’s father, Robert William Reid followed his great-grandfather’s career path and applied for the apprentice program. He also worked in Shop 31 as an outside machinist for many years.

"It made sense for me to apply for the apprentice program because all of my family that worked at the shipyard said it was a great place to work," said Reid. "My daughter Megan carried on our family tradition when she got accepted into the apprenticeship program in Shop 38. She has far exceeded any family member in taking full advantage of what NNSY has to offer."

Opportunities in the shipyard continue to increase and for Hanni, she couldn’t be more excited about it. She is carrying the torch for the family legacy of working in the shipyard after first working somewhere else.

"I was transporting medical patients to and from hospitals and nursing homes when I applied for the apprentice program. I needed a better career, and since the shipyard has always been good for our family, I hoped I would get in like they did," said Hanni. "I was really excited when they called and told me that I had been accepted and that I was going to be working on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier!"

During the past nine years, Hanni has been an apprentice, an outside machinist, worked in work packaging, and is now a recent graduate of the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt College. Her continued motivation and desire to grow has helped her engage with more people, which is one of her favorite things about working at NNSY.

For Hanni, another amazing opportunity she has experienced while working in the shipyard is being able to work in the same place that her great-great-grandfather and other generations did before her.

She feels it is important to keep those memories alive and share them with upcoming generations to remind them of how the shipyard has helped their family for almost 100 years with benefits and opportunities. And, the lasting impression it will leave on them, as it did with their ancestors when they found themselves on the doorsteps of NNSY looking for a promising future.

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