A Smörgåsbord of Stories
When pursuing the lives of my ancestors, I frequently find myself “down the rabbit hole.” Like Alice, I’m chasing a proverbial white rabbit. Today, this particular genealogical digging adventure led me to Oscar Pile. Karrie Blees – yet another Rabbit Hole Last week, I … read more
It’s snowing (again) in Minnesota. The beautiful flakes cover everything with a clean coat of crisp, sparkling delight. A handful of snow brings back memories of younger days, building impressive snowmen, sledding down steep hills or creating cavernous forts. Not everyone is enamored with snowfall … read more
During most of my life, my paternal grandparents, Mae Lydick (1910-2003) and Otto Norenberg (1911-1997), lived in the same house on the west shore of Cass Lake. Because of the attractiveness of their property, my family did not take sightseeing vacations; we went to Grandma … read more
Today, let’s remember and celebrate Kathryn “Kathy” Gentzkow Studer (1931-2021), daughter of Gert Rector and Frank Gentzkow. Happy birthday in heaven, dear Auntie! Kathy Studer, May 2008, Rector cousin meet-up in Minnesota During her lifetime she sent many, many birthday cards to family and … read more
My great grandmother, Bertha Arndt Norenberg (1893-1970) came to America in 1910 and married Konstantin “Charlie” Nörenberg seven months later. At Christmastime, great grandma always made cabbage rolls. These wonderful-smelling packets of wintertime warmth are a Norenberg tradition. My family calls them galishkys [gah-LISH-keys]. … read more
Merry Christmas! As an adult, what type of Christmas gifts do you fancy? Do you prefer an experiential gift? Perhaps an outing to a festively decorated historic home or a night out at at new restaurant. Do you enjoy serving others? My neighborhood has a … read more
Christmas memories and traditions are different for each of us. For me, my favorite part of Christmas is decorating the tree with my grandmother’s crocheted snowflakes. Mary Mae Lydick Norenberg My Grandma Mae was born May 1, 1910 to Susan Roy and Horace “H.S” … read more
When writing about family history, I LOVE to include photos. Old pictures help me visualize my ancestors’ stories and bring names/dates to life. Last week, I wrote about the Thanksgiving Day marriage of Milton and Lottie (Senate) Rector. One of the best things that I … read more
Happy Thanksgiving! Every day provides opportunities to be grateful. I am so thankful for resources and options, for experiences and miracles, for family and friends, and for stories of my amazing ancestors. Currently in my genealogy database, there are over 7000 family members. That … read more
When I started searching for my great, great grandmother, Caroline “Lena” Hesse, (1863-1914), I made a rookie mistake. I assumed that her parents were the adults listed on the 1870 census and on her marriage record. However, the first sentence of her Pioneer Mother biography … read more