A Smörgåsbord of Stories
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
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
Susanna (Klein), Joseph Fleischhacker and their 5 children emigrated from their home in the Burgenland in the fall of 1903. Last week, we discovered their reason for coming to America and examined the passenger list created when they departed Liverpool. When they arrived in Boston, … read more
Mary Mae “Mae” Lydick and Otto Norenberg stood outside the Telephone Office downtown Cass Lake on April 10, 1932. Look at the reflection in the window; you’ll see the Telephone Office sign. Inside this building is where Mae worked as a telephone operator. … read more
Franklin Hesse, son of Magdalena Frees and John Hesse, was born August 11, 1861 in Neenah, Wisconsin. In Frank’s obituary: “He grew to manhood and received a common school education in Neenah, except for a few years in Ohio.” A few years in Ohio … read more
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we uncovered and identified the parents of Franklin Hesse (Dakota Territorial Homesteader) as John and Magdalena Hesse. Let’s take a closer look at Franklin’s mother, Magdalena. Genealogy Question: What is Franklin Hesse’s mother’s given … read more