This summer, notable citizens continued to fall, not spring, from the Winter branch of my family tree. Edward Henry Winter, my 2nd cousin, 3x removed, was the 32nd Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. Elected in 1928 after a successful stint as Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, he would serve only one term before making a run for governor. That was not meant… More →

The name of my 4th great grandfather, Caspar Bruenstreip, was buried in the city cemetery records of Warrenton, Missouri alongside the name of his interred daughter, Mary Wessel. She died October 5, 1892 (coincidentally) and is buried next to her husband, William. Thankfully those cemetery records have now been digitized so the shovels I had taken with me to exhume information or bodies were… More →

Today marks the 96th anniversary of my paternal grandmother’s birth. Born Mildred Clara Pauline Dusenberg to parents Henry and Minnie (Biesemeyer) Dusenberg, she was the youngest of five children. Some of my most cherished memories of my grandmother involve her family’s gatherings in New Franklin, Missouri. The Dusenberg Family Reunions, which had been held for generations, were big events. Three or four folding tables… More →

Engineers, physicists, inventors. scientists, professors, educators. If I had a nickel for every time that I came across one in my family tree, it would not pay for the storage fees for this blog. But I might have a roll of nickels. Max Edwin Femmer, my 4th cousin, 1x removed, was a member of the engineering team at IBM that revolutionized data… More →

The untimely and tragic death of my paternal great grandmother, Lula Betty (Boren) Trantham, robbed six young children of their mother and a husband of his loving wife. After helping a neighboring and ailing family in need, Lula Betty contracted the illness herself and died on her 33rd birthday. Although Texas would become her final resting place, her heritage was firmly rooted in Mississippi, where she left behind… More →

The Baskets of Monroe Johnson most likely never appeared on any bestseller list. This unassuming 33-page booklet, which I found in the gift shop of the Warren County Historical Society, probably would have been overlooked by a lesser being but not I. In terms of baskets, my knowledge is limited to the Easter and laundry varieties. But as husbands of distant cousins go, I am quite the expert.… More →

The stars in the night sky are shimmering a bit brighter these days now that my grand aunt Opal (Trantham) Shelton has taken her rightful place among them. Born August 8, 1933 to Lutiness Alonzo and Mattie (Buys) Trantham, Opal was one of eleven children and my paternal grandfather’s half sister. Opportunity and distance prevented me from ever meeting her. But, it is clear… More →

My week-long stay in Warren County, Missouri has ended. I traveled there hoping to find information about my 3rd great grandparents, the Düwels or Duewels, who appeared in the census of 1870 but not 1880. Their daughter, Friederieke, was the mother of my paternal great grandfather, Henry Duesenberg. Using church records, deeds and estate documents, I’ve been able to piece together the final chapters of their lives after… More →