A Smörgåsbord of Stories
For the next few weeks, I’m going back to the beginning of my genealogy quest: my Germans-from-Russia family. My family spoke Deutsch, but they lived in areas controlled by the Prussian and Russian Empires. Michael Nörenberg (c. 1840-1895) was the father of Konstantin Nörenberg. Records … read more
Konstantin Nörenberg was born December 11, 1889 in Elisabethpol, Vladimir-Volhynia. Fortunately for us researchers, his baptism record survives on microfilm. See this blog post for details about Konstantin’s birth. Marriage From the church baptism record book of Elisabethpol, we know that Konstantin’s parents … read more
No new blog post this week because I’m on vacation. Here’s a snapshot from a previous road trip. (This is the same trip as the Watson Lake Signpost Forest.) Whistler’s Mountain, Jasper, Alberta Canada, 1984 Takeaway When a stranger offers to take your … read more
During World War II, 39% of the soldiers volunteered; the rest were drafted. Edward “Ed” Blees (1923-2019) enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943. During his service (over 2 years, 8 months), he received various qualifications, citations and awards. The National Personnel Records Center provided a … read more
A year ago, I wrote about Edward Blees (1923-2019) as a soldier in World War II. At the end of that blog post, I stated that I had requested Ed’s military file from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). National Personnel Records Center The … read more
My great Uncle Clint Lydick (1931-2022) recalled that his parents, Horace and Susan (Roy), hosted their first paying guests in 1932. That was the start of the Pike Hole Resort. The Beginning Three men from Illinois ventured to the north woods of Minnesota in … read more
Twenty years ago, family history research was different. I wrote a letters to libraries, placed phone calls to strangers, and read Sunday obituaries to find cousins. On Sunday, March 21, 2004 I read an obituary and decided to seize an opportunity. My father-in-law’s … read more
During my Oklahoma Road Trip, I headed west, farther out in the panhandle. In Beaver County, the local historical society is located on the County Fair Grounds at the south edge of town. Little did I know what this journey would reveal. Jones … read more
In 2016, I begged my son to take me on his road trip to Oklahoma where he was to enter the FAA Academy. After we arrived in Oklahoma City, I rented a car and drove west to see where my Grandma Gert was born. All … read more
A leap year is a calendar year that has an extra day. This day is added to keep the day/date calendar lined up with the astronomical year. Because the movements of the planets do not repeat in exactly whole days, a “leap day” is necessary … read more