A Smörgåsbord of Stories
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
Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote: “How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!” When I think about winter, I remember the snow-filled wonder of younger days. I also embrace winter as a time for reflection. … read more
From 1939 to 1947, Otto Norenberg (1910-1997) and his business partner Simon “Si” Neises (1887-1987) had the contract to deliver U.S. mail along the Lake Route in/around Cass Lake, Minnesota. The 3 routes were: around the main part of Cass Lake, the west part of … read more
Last week, I was distracted by a squirrel in a 1943 newspaper clipping. At the end of the blog post, I shared a photo of grandpa Otto Norenberg (1911-1997) standing in one of the mail boats. What was this mail route? Which boats were used? … read more
The year I turned 40, I was diagnosed with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This was not a surprise to me, or to my family. Some of my people believe that I ramble on, and on, and on, talking about my family tree, old documents, … read more
Mary Mae Lydick Norenberg (1910-2003) was born in Cass Lake, Minnesota and lived her life in that vicinity. She was the daughter of Susan Marie Roy (1889-1957) and Horace Sawyer Lydick (1880-1956). Probably because her mother, Susan, was a devout Roman Catholic, Mary was named … read more
My grandmother, Mary Mae Lydick Norenberg (1910-2003) was a crafter and a creator. Working within her means, she created many decorative items for her home and for gifts. She sewed her own clothes, produced crafts to sell at her Ladies Bazaar and taught me the … read more
It’s my Birthday Week, so I’m telling a story about one of my own life-adventures (like I did last year). In 2008, Patrick and I traveled to Dartmoor, England for a hiking trip. While researching, I discovered the hobby of letterboxing which originated in Dartmoor … read more