A Smörgåsbord of Stories
Mother’s Day, May 14, 2023. I’m sitting next to my mother’s bed; she is dying. I love you, mom. Hospice and mom’s care team are guiding my family through mom’s final journey on this earth. It is a time to reflect on her strengths, remember … read more
Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cass Lake, Minnesota retains all of their original record books. The first volume/register provides a history of the church by listing members, baptisms, confirmands, marriages, communicants, deaths and pastoral sermon topics. Lutherans believe that there are two sacraments, rites that are … read more
Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cass Lake, Minnesota was formally organized in 1902 as part of Die [Deutsche] Evang.-Lutherische Synode von Minnesota und anderen Staaten – the [German] Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Minnesota and Other States. This synod would eventually become part of the Lutheran Church-Missouri … read more
Because I’ve been researching my family for over 30 years, I have most of the names and dates added to my charts. So, now I focus my attention on discovering more stories about my ancestors. Years ago, newspapers were the social media of choice. The … read more
When we say that something is written in stone, we mean that it cannot be changed, it is permanent and is absolute. Does this phrase possibly come from our knowledge of the Biblical Commandments or maybe the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi? Today, family historians consider … read more
On June 30, 1942, the Blees brothers (Al and Ed) registered for the draft. Al Blees got a draft deferment working on his dad’s Wisconsin farm. Ed knew that he would be drafted in the spring. So he quit his job at Montgomery Ward on … read more
Julius Neils was a successful Minnesota lumberman. With westward extension of the railroad, he set up an additional sawmill operation in Cass Lake. In 1899, Mr. Neils purchased town lots for a church, school and parsonage. The house of worship Mr. Neils built was Immanuel … read more
Konstantin Nörenberg (1889-1955) came to America in 1909. In order to find information about his birth, I took a clue from his original Confirmation certificate. Confirmation Konstantin Nörenberg born 11 December 1889 baptized [blank] Confirmed 25 April 1904 at _________ Church of Elisabethpol Dated … read more
Katherine Fleischhacker (1922-2018) kept a variety of diaries. One series of handwritten notebooks chronicle her prayer life. Other sets of papers detail her travels. This teeny notepad (2″ x 4.25″) holds six entries: My Life on the Triple Dates. 2/2/22 In bed. 2 wks … read more
For me, family history is a hobby; some may argue that it is an obsession. Many family stories are mundane, some are too good to be true. There is one particular vacation that is quite unique. Who paid for the trip? Why was this vacation … read more