A Smörgåsbord of Stories
For 35 years, I sought to discover Gentzkow family history. Because it is a very unusual name, it is simple to lookup. I used to say that every Gentzkow in any phone book was one of my cousins. With Internet searching, cousins were found in … read more
All Gentzkow cousins in America trace their lineage to a couple that lived in Minneiska, Minnesota from 1865 until the end of their lives. That couple was George Edward Gentzkow (182?-1904) and his wife Magdalena Sophia Schultz (1830-1897). The 1826 baptism of Julius August Emil, … read more
Cornelia “Conny” Schneider Diederichs is an avid family researcher in Germany. She loves the hobby so much that she hunts for clues for our Gentzkow family even though it is part of her husband’s lineage. On a cold, rainy day in March of 2016, Conny … read more
Every journey needs a first step. In family history, start by talking to all living ancestors and writing down what they say. Travel back in time through their old photos and listen to the stories that spill out. Tour cemeteries and former neighborhoods where memories … read more
Horace S. “H.S.” Lydick (1880-1956) claimed a homestead in 1911, commuted it and lost it in a Sheriff Sale. Finding an opportunity, he filed a second homestead claim for land in Beltrami County, Minnesota under the provisions of the 1862 Homestead Act. The Act granted … read more
Horace S. “H.S.” Lydick, his wife Susan (Roy) and their growing family settled on 159 acres in Beltrami County in May of 1911. At the Cass Lake Land Office, he filed a communtation claim to obtain the title to the property in 1913. Commuting a … read more
Horace Sawyer “H.S.” Lydick (1880-1956) lived a colorful life. Volumes could (and should) be written about his legendary, north-woods-lifestyle. For now, those stories need to wait. In this initial Lydick homestead post, we will look at how H.S. acquired his first property in Minnesota: 159 … read more
James E. “J.E.” Garnett hailed from an old, established Kentucky family. Yet, he wanted his own property. The Adair County (KY) News, his hometown newspaper, printed this little tidbit on August 13, 1902: However, J. E. Garnett knew exactly where he was going. Because … read more
Milton A. Rector (1855-1951) and his wife Charlotte “Lottie” Ann Senate (1861-1952) homesteaded in Readout, Harper County, OK. See the Land Entry Case File post here for details found in the paperwork. Under the provisions of the 1862 Homestead Act, Milton acquired 160 acres as the … read more
Milton A. Rector (1855-1951) pursued greater opportunity in the American West. October 19, 1901 he filed a homestead claim for land in Oklahoma Territory (O.T.) under the provisions of the 1862 Homestead Act. The Act granted surveyed public land to adult heads of families for … read more