A Smörgåsbord of Stories
John Blees (1856-1916) was born in (what we now call) Germany. But where, exactly, was he born? Where did he live? For the last few weeks, I’ve walked through all of my attempts to find a document that points to the birth location of Johann … read more
John Blees (1856-1916) was born in (what we now call) Germany. He lived his adult life in the United States. Last week, we looked at the negative findings (all the places I expected to find evidence of John’s birth and parentage). There is one secondary … read more
Johann “John” Blees (1856-1916) traveled to Baltimore, Maryland from Bremen, German Empire in May of 1882. His immigration paperwork did not provide a lot of details. Persistent questions plague the descendants of Johann/John Blees: In which town was he born? Who were his parents? … read more
Johann Blees (1856-1916) immigrated to the United States in the early 1880s. What does his immigration record tell us about him? Where was he from? What was his birthdate? Did he have traveling companions? From Bremen to Baltimore Often a family historian can find … 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
In 1984, Patrick and I took a trip to Alaska with my septuagenarian grandparents, Mae (Lydick) & Otto Norenberg. Back in the 1970s, Grandpa started the long trek north, but had a medical emergency in Alberta. The trip was shortened when medical transport flew Grandpa … 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
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
Catharina Müller was baptized in the city of her ancestors: Temmels (German Empire). In 1921 she married Albert Blees in Mankato, Minnesota (U.S.A.). What do we know about her years between Germany and her marriage? Coming to America Catharina may have felt the push … read more