A Smörgåsbord of Stories
John Elijah Senate (1826-1929) was the father of Charlottie Senate (1861-1952), Oklahoma territorial pioneer. In my last blog post, I examined his obituary and found several clues to John’s vital statistics. Birth First, let’s look for corroboration of his birth. The newspaper obituary … read more
John Elijah Senate (1836-1929) lived to be 93-years old. He was the father of Charlottie Senate Rector (1861-1952), Oklahoma territorial pioneer. On this day, almost one hundred years ago, John Senate passed from this life to the next. Obituary JOHN E. SENATE DIED … read more
Robert Garnett (1736-1830) was a native, colonial Virginian. How is he related to the Willis-Gordon-Garnett clan? What role did he play in our country’s independence? The Willis-Gordon-Garnett and Allied Families association honors the lives of Anne Garnett and Capt. Isaac Willis, who were first … read more
Last week, I showcased Ralph Rector (1898-1985), the World Championship Cow Chip Throw promoter, affectionately called Mr. Cow Chip. My Great Aunt Virginia told me about Ralph’s national television experiences. How do I find more? Southern Illinoisian, December 24, 1978 The Daily Oklahoman, … read more
In 1996, I traveled to Oakland, California to visit my Great Aunt M. Virginia Rector Cunningham (1919-2004). During that visit she told lots of stories. Many of her tales centered around her uncle (my 2x great uncle) Ralph Rector (1898-1985), son of Charlottie Senate and … read more
Summertime brings memories of my time spent in Cass Lake, Minnesota. Both sets of my grandparents lived “up north” in this small community. Otto and Mae [Lydick] Norenberg had a house on the west shore of Cass Lake, technically in Pike Bay Township. Frank and … read more
One of my American immigrant ancestors, George Edward Gentzkow (aka Julius August Emil von Gentzkow), was born of the noblewoman Julie von Gentzkow. She demanded that his baptism record be amended and his lineal decent be properly acknowledged by the church. By this documentation process, … read more
Twenty-seven years ago, I visited my Great-Uncle Don, my grandfather’s youngest brother. Besides reminiscing, I wanted to view his collection of family photos. Using a tripod, I made photographic copies of his photos. There was one that was very difficult photograph because it was encased … read more
The Boat Store in Minneiska, Minnesota did not sell boats; it was a grocery and a meat market located on the bank of the Mississippi River. J.C. Gentzkow and unidentified man, 1913 J.C., Rodney and Mary Gentzkow, undated Boat Store in the … read more
Gillison “Gee” Rector and May “Pettris” Garnett were the parents of Florence Gertrude “Gert” Rector Gentzkow. What is known about Gee and Pettris? Gert’s Father Gillison G. Rector was the 4th of 8 children born to Milton A. Rector (1855-1951) and Charlotte “Lottie” … read more