A Smörgåsbord of Stories
When David and Kayla got married on November 19, 2022, I started a November Nuptials tradition with my blog writing. That first year, I wrote about Lottie and Milton Rector. Last year, I wrote about Carrie and Ed Hesse. This year, I highlight the marriage … read more
For my very first blog post, I wrote about the Russian documents that propelled me into my interest (obsession) with family history. One of these papers was the marriage certificate for Gottfried Arndt and Paulina Kot. Petrowski Region For the conscription (to the army) … read more
In 1910, Bertha Arndt immigrated to America with her mother Pauline Koth Arndt (1859-1930). They were part of the last group to join father/husband Gottfried “Fred” Arndt (1858-1920) in Cass Lake, Minnesota. What do we know of Bertha’s birth? May 1964, Bertha (Arndt) … read more
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