A Smörgåsbord of Stories
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
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
Over the last several weeks, we’ve been looking at the parents of Konstantin Nörenberg. His father, Michael, was first married to Louise Ziemer. Konstantin’s mother, Louise Schröder, was married first to Gottfried Richert. Gottfried Richert To date, not much is known about Gottfried … read more
Michael Nörenberg (c. 1840-1895) and Louise Schröder (c. 1845-1909) were the parents of Konstantin Nörenberg. Michael/Michał was first married to Louise/Ludwika Ziemer. Perhaps Michael’s marriage to Louise Ziemer will lead to a greater understanding of his early life. Michael’s First Marriage The first place … read more
One year ago, my mother, Marilynn Gentzkow Norenberg (1933-2023) passed from this earthly realm to heaven. During her lifetime, mom helped so many people: students, neighbors, family, friends, and those she happened upon. When she was 82-years old, the Duluth News Tribune printed a story … read more
Michael Nörenberg (c. 1840-1895) and Louise Schröder (c. 1845-1909) were the parents of Konstantin Nörenberg. In Polish records, their names may be spelling Michał and Ludwika. In Russian: Майкл and Луиза. What is known of their marriage? Marriage Michael Nörenberg and Louise Schröder’s marriage … read more
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
77 years ago, my grandfather returned home from the South Pacific. He was drafted into service during World War II. Throughout the war, about 10 million men were called to U.S. military duty. Even married men with families, like my grandpa, were inducted. Otto … read more
In 1986, I began my family history journey with a set of Russian documents. I took those documents to my first genealogy society meeting where a kind volunteer translated them into English. With these translations, I launched my love of genealogy and began my search … read more