To Michigan via New York My husband’s family has roots in Ionia County Michigan via New York. The Stevens, Peck, Gordon, and Sharp families all moved to Ionia County Michigan from Jefferson County, New York between 1855 and 1870. His direct ancestors stayed in Ionia County until about 1883 when they moved to Minnesota. Charles … Continue reading Ionia County Connections
August Dirk and the Fruits of Frozen Bait 75 Year Old Snags Pike on Frozen Bait from The Bismarck Tribune, unknown publication date August Dirk is 75 years old and has been fishing a long time. He also has some angling techniques that run a little different than the ordinary. For instance, minnows that he … Continue reading Tuesday Newsday
Trying to Get our Family on the Ship... "Mayflower e porzh-mor Aberplymm" gant William Halsall, 1882 What happens when you follow the female lines in your family history research? In my case, it leads to some exciting finds! When following the family of Hannah Sowle, wife of Smith Fancher, I found an interesting possible connection … Continue reading Mayflower Passage
A Wedding to Remember Our favorite Green Bay Packer memory is the game played Sunday, November 16, 1941, at the old city stadium. Mr and Mrs Robert Reif We were married the 15th in Oshkosh and, knowing we were (and are) great Packer fans and had only the weekend off from work, my folks wrote … Continue reading Tuesday Newsday
Conrad Schalk Conrad Schalk Conrad Schalk was born in Weizen, Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 18 February 1865. He was the son of Thomas Schalk and Salise Gunther. Conrad arrived in the US 5 November 1885 in New York aboard the ship "Amerique". In 1887 he was living in Milwaukee working as a carpenter. He married Maria … Continue reading Portraits
Rare old picture from Fjotland around 1850 If our information about this picture is correct, it is a rare opportunity for us to present such an old photograph. The little girl’s name is Asgerd, born 1851. She is sitting on her mother, Torborg Eielsdatter Engedal’s lap. Torborg Engedal born 1822 – died 1874. The father, … Continue reading Tuesday Newsday
Goodale/Goodall/Goodell Family We had always been aware that my husband had New England ancestry. His grandmother had been told stories of Patriot ancestors that fought during the Revolutionary War and she had passed those stories on to her children and grandchildren. That particular branch - the Ehle family - had come to the colonies in … Continue reading Ancestors in Salem, Massachusetts
Nels Olavus Thorson Nels Olavus Thorson ca. 1861 Nels Olavus Thorson was born at Eiesland Gaard, Eiken, Haeggebostad, Vest-Agder, Norway on 8 January 1842. He was the second child born to Thor Oddson Eiesland and his first wife, Asgerd Gassesdatter Veggeland. Asgerd died when Nels was just 5 years old, leaving him and his older … Continue reading Portraits
Finding family in New England wills and probate records I have been spending a lot of time in New England records over the past few months. Finding the family of Harriet Elizabeth Sharp Ehle (the 2x great grandmother of my husband) opened up a huge new door to research in New York and beyond. (You … Continue reading Proving Connections
Oscar Carl Widmann Oscar Carl Widmann was the second son of John A. Widmann and Anna Christina Eckhoff. He was born on 2 May 1893 on the family farm near the community known as Riverside. This community was located at the corner of the present day State Highway 97 and County Highway T north of … Continue reading Saturday Mourning
WitzEnd Family History 