The title of the book written by C. L. Poehlmann, my 4th cousin, 1x removed, is Truth. Thus, it seems fitting that I should start with a confession: I did not read the entire book. There’s nothing wrong with it. Eventually, I’ll go back and pick up where I left off. It’s a perfectly good story. From what I’ve read so far, the characters are believable and the plot… More →
Month: August 2015
Cousins marrying cousins, Lucky #7
It turns out the wedding of Mary McCracken and Nathan Chamness was not the 1st time the two families were joined through marriage. Mary’s aunt, Ruth McCracken, and Nathan’s uncle, Joseph Chamness, exchanged vows in 1793, earning them the 7th spot on my list of cousins marrying cousins! Here’s the updated list. From left to right, mom’s relative, then dad’s, with my relationship to each of them in brackets: Florence… More →
Mystery Kenfolk Case #2: Duesenbergs Down Under
The United States was not the only country that promised greener pastures to immigrants willing to risk the turbulent waters of the Atlantic to escape the turmoil of 19th century Germany. While my Duesenberg ancestor, Henry Simon Ludwig, headed west and eventually found his new home in Missouri, it appears another branch of the Duesenberg family tree headed south. Way south. I’ve come across the name “Otto Albert Duesenberg”… More →
Cousins marrying cousins, the threequel
I had no intention of posting yet another tale of my cousins marrying each other so soon, if at all. But this was too rich to pass up. Plus, it ties the knot, so to speak, between my first two postings on the same topic. I introduced 1st cousins and star-crossed lovers William McCracken and Abigail Holladay in my second posting. They are… More →
Flight Plans
The life of Albert Ulysses Rupel came to an abrupt end five shorts days after a rusty nail penetrated his foot. Because of this unfortunate event, today, Albert’s name is little more than a footnote in the annals of aviation history. In 1903, news of the Wright brother’s successful flight at Kitty Hawk reached rural Jay County, Indiana where Albert lived and worked. A year later, inspired by… More →
Trentham Timeout
If you’ve any interest in the old “homestead”, then Trentham Through Time is worth the read. “Local” historian Alan Myatt has written the definitive historical guide to Trentham, which is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. (My Trentham and Trantham ancestors presumably came to America from Staffordshire circa 1700.) In the book’s introduction, the author sums up the idyllic estate as follows: “Trentham has been home to… More →