The Cottons of Grundisburgh: Where Did They Go? and Why?

When a pandemic swept the world in 2020, Robert J. Rietz, a retired consulting actuary, found himself with files full of notes on his family history, his mother's stories of her European and Canadian ancestors, and plenty of time on his hands. With his usual activities temporarily curtailed, Bob set about organizing his notes into a book, bringing the past to life, creating a love letter for his family and anyone interested in their Cotton heritage. Bob graduated from Michigan State University in 1970, Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. A credentialed actuary, Bob writes a dedicated column for Contingencies, the magazine of the actuarial profession, and has authored multiple peer-reviewed research articles. He has won two communication awards, is a Past President of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries, has served three terms on the Board of the American Academy of Actuaries, and was the Chief Pension Actuary for a large national consulting firm. Bob was appointed by different Michigan governors to sit on the boards of two of that state's large public retirement systems. Bob and his wife share a passion for travel, having been to six continents, and are considering a trip to the seventh. They have five children and ten grandchildren and live in Asheville, North Carolina.