Day 2 of my trip to Warren County, Missouri is coming to a close. This is an important place for me genealogically speaking as one quarter of my Kenfolk via my paternal grandmother passed through these parts. Having exhausted every resource available online, I had high hopes coming here in person I’d be able to overcome some of the research roadblocks that have stymied me.

And I have done just that. All in all, I’m doing better than I expected.

The fates of my 3rd great grandparents, Friedrich and Catherine Duewel, became clearer with the discovery of estate documents filed in 1879. The clerk in the Probate Records office wasn’t thrilled with my presence at first but warmed up to me after I showed her how to print from the microfilm viewer. (I pushed the big green button labelled “print” and it did.)

Melody Rugh, the City Clerk of Warrenton, gave me the name of a 4th great grandparent I didn’t know and wasn’t expecting to find. I’d vote for her in the next election if I could and not because of the name she revealed. She insisted I be given a receipt for the printout bearing his name. Frankly, it’s the best ten cents I’ve spent in a long time.

The clerk at the Recorder of Deeds office hopes she never sees me again. She stands 4 feet tall on a good day. The books that contain the deeds dating back to 1833 are big and bulky, probably weighing close to 20 lbs. each. That doesn’t sound too heavy until you have to position one on top of a copy machine. And then repeat the process 20 times. (The county should really spring for a stepstool!)

Day 1 ended with a trip to the Warrenton City Cemetery. My big brother, who just happened to be on this side of the state for work, joined me in the field so to speak as I hunted for the grave marker of another set of 3rd great grandparents. I am delighted that he found them first.

I have more stories to share and a mountain of data to pour through but it’ll have to wait. My father has turned out the light on his side of our shared motel room. I may be 45 years old but that signal remains the same: it’s time for bed!