My trip to Warren County, Missouri this week included a detour to New Franklin, Missouri. Twenty-five years or more have passed since I last stepped foot in this quaint little town that is the birthplace of my paternal grandmother.

Sadly, the Ben Franklin five and dime store has closed for good. The last time I was in New Franklin my grandmother insisted my grandfather stop here first so she could pick up a few things. I am pretty sure we were there to visit someone but they would have to wait. Or maybe we were there for a funeral. Since I remember her letting me select a candy bar at the checkout counter more than the person we were there to see, it’s possible it was someone who had died and they wouldn’t have minded waiting. (My grandfather minded, however, as I remember. He preferred to get where we were going without distractions and sometimes even potty breaks.)

New Franklin is also the home of my 3rd cousin, 1x removed and the purpose of my visit this week. Irene is an absolute delight. A grandmother and great grandmother, she’s quick to strike up a conversation about her favorite baseball team, the Cardinals. She’s an Utlaut relative of my mother’s who married my paternal grandmother’s 1st cousin, a Biesemeyer. Thus, her children are both my 4th cousins and my 2nd cousins, 1x removed.

Hanging in Irene’s garage was a picture I’d only heard rumors of but had never seen. My great grandmother had nine Biesemeyer brothers who formed their own baseball team. They represented New Franklin and competed against teams from surrounding communities. I snapped a photo of the picture before leaving. It was a worthwhile consolation prize for the candy bar from Ben Franklin that was not to be had this time around.

Kenfolk: Utlauts
Relation: 3rd cousin, 1x removed
Common ancestors: Irene’s 2nd great grandparents, Johann Heinrich and Anna (Kramer) Uthlaut, are my 3rd great grandparents