Of all the names that occupy a space on my family tree, Ursula Liptrot is perhaps my favorite. She is my 6th great grandmother according to multiple family trees posted across the Internet. Her granddaughter’s granddaughter was Isadora Sims who married Campbell Jackson Trantham, my 2nd great grandfather. Nothing much is known about Ursula beyond the names of her immediate family and that she lived in Virginia where she married her husband and my ancestor, John Jordan.

The Liptrots are connected to royalty but no one seems to recall how. That’s not something I can use but I cleverly managed to slip it into the post nonetheless. Perhaps they were enemies of the state who escaped to the New World. Perhaps they were chambermaids. Perhaps I’ll never know.

As I do with all ancestral names, I turn to my DNA matches for supporting evidence: do any of my DNA cousins have Liptrots as direct ancestors? Yes. My father and aunt do as well. But here’s the deal: I have Liptrot matches who are NOT matches to my father. Anyone who matches me must match him unless… one of them, as it happens, is a known distant cousin to my mother. “Known” because we know how we’re related. This DNA match is also a descendant of a Liptrot – Ursula’s sister, Elizabeth. So we potentially share DNA from two sets of great grandies.

It’s all very confusing I realize but it’s set me on a course to find the 10th instance of a distant cousin on my mother’s side marrying a distant cousin of my father’s. A blizzard is headed my way. Guess I know how I’ll be spending my weekend as long as I have power.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 6th great grandmother
Common ancestors: Ursulas’ parents were reportedly Edmond and Rachel (Ladd) Liptrot, my 7th great grandparents. And don’t even get me started on the Ladds. Some industrious person has traced Rachel’s line back to 1420!!

 

The Lopez Expedition of 1851 was not an event I had ever heard of until I came across it referenced in Ann Veazey Davis’ family history. Thomas Brockus Veazey, my 4th cousin, 5x removed, was a member of this ill-fated expedition. Unsanctioned by the America government, the expedition was lead by General Narciso Lopez who was determined to free Cuba from Spanish rule.

Lopez, a native of Venezuela, needed an “army” to accomplish his life’s mission but he found no support from the U.S. government. Undeterred, he set out to raise a military force on his own. Promising glory on the battlefield, he successfully recruited 500 thrill-seeking “sons of the South” from wealthy families. Thomas Brockus Veazey was one of them. Lopez gave his recruits, who apparently funded the expedition, officer’s ranks which were meaningless.

Disaster and death awaited these young men in Cuba. Outnumbered by the Spanish military forces, the Americans were overrun. Most were killed on the battlefield. Some were forced into slavery while others, like Lopez and Thomas, were executed after the battle. Before he was shot, Thomas was allowed to write a letter to his family back in the United States. It was, I suspect, meant to send a warning to future thrill-seekers like Thomas to stay away from Cuba. Thomas’ nephew, Duncan Veazey, thankfully came into possession of the letter and preserved it for posterity.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 4th cousin, 5x removed
Common ancestors: John and Martha (Broccus) Veazey, my 8th great grandparents, are Thomas’ 3rd great grandparents

References:
Davis, A. V. (1995). Descendants of John Veazey. Zebulon, North Carolina: Veazey Family Association
The True History of Lopez’s Expedition. (1900 January 21). The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 28.

Note: the complete title of Ann’s book, as it appears on the title page, is: Descendants of John Veazey of “Cherry Grove” Cecil County, Maryland

I’ve found a new way to reflect on my (Duesenberg) ancestors: a mirror. The man who sold me this behemoth of a mirror lives in California and I live in Maryland. When I responded to his ad on Craigslist, he was bit surprised that I’d be willing to pay to have it shipped across the United States given that he was asking $30 for it. Clearly, he does not follow my blog; or, he would have understood just how much this mirror means to me. There was no way I was going to let this hang in someone else’s “man cave”.

The mirror depicts the Duesenberg Straight-8, or Model A, which was produced by the Duesenberg Automobile Company starting in 1921. The founders of the company are, of course, Fred and August Duesenberg, 1st cousins to my great grandfather, Henry Duesenberg.

For now the mirror sits in my stairwell until I find a wall worthy of its presence. In a month, I see myself reflecting back on why I haven’t found a new home for it yet.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relations: 1st cousins, 3x removed
Common ancestors:  Fred and August Duesenberg’s paternal grandparents, Johann and Katherine (Nacke) Duesenberg, are my 3rd great grandparents.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duesenberg_Model_A

All over Wisconsin, that is.

I realized looking back at my posts that I have sorely and unintentionally neglected my female relatives. And even though I said I’d be moving on from the Biesemeyers, this entry also hails from that branch of the family tree and deserves mention.

Anita Biesemeyer, my 3rd cousin, 2x removed, is an award-winning journalist. Her nom de plume is “Anita Black”. Try as I might, I was unable to find a biographical sketch that summarizes her life’s work. But I know from numerous newspaper clippings that she wrote extensively for the Milwaukee Sentinel and that her articles were picked up by other newspapers in Wisconsin and elsewhere. In February of 1967, her hometown newspaper in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, proudly reported that Sentinel staff writer Anita had won her second “Lulu” from the American Institute of Men’s and Boy’s Wear. As you might have guessed, Anita wrote about fashion. Her weekly columns, entitled “Memo to Men” and “Memo to Young Men”, gave advice about what trendy men and boys should be wearing. Later that same year, she also won the Caswell-Massey Fashion award for men’s fashion reporting. Clearly she knows quite a lot about men’s fashion.

Her writing was not limited to fashion reporting, however. Anita also wrote about women’s issues and social trends beyond fashion.

I’d like to think that the men of Wisconsin paid a bit more attention to how they dressed thanks to my distant cousin. I guess it’s the women of Wisconsin that should be thanking her. Okay, so now I’ll really move on from the Biesemeyers.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 3rd cousin, 2x removed
Common ancestors: Frederick and Anna (Eikermann) Biesemeyer, are my 4th great grandparents, and Anita’s 2nd great grandparents

References:
Miley, M. (1967 February 23). Society Spindle. Manitowoc Herald-Times. p. 4-M.
Miley, M. (1967 October 26). Society Spindle. Manitowoc Herald-Times. p. 6-M.

Before I leave the Biesemeyer/Biesemeier tree branch for a bit, there are two other cousins worth mentioning. I’d like to think that whatever genes propelled them to success in life are flowing through my veins as well. Unfortunately, methinks the “likes to watch TV” gene became dominant years ago. Nevertheless…

Harold Biesemeier, my 2nd cousin, 3x removed, achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. Serving in both World Wars, he graduated from law school AFTER he retired from the military. Practicing law must have been his calling in life. Prior to World War II, he negotiated the (U.S.) base lease agreement with Winston Churchill. Translation: a big deal. And, in aftermath of the attack of Pearl Harbor, he served as judge advocate in the military inquiry charged with uncovering negligence on the part of Pacific naval commanders.

Clark Fred Biesemeier, my 2nd cousin, 2x removed, achieved success in a very different way. Before we could put a man into outer space, we needed to put a balloon there first (apparently). In a 1970 news article, Clark, a 42-year-aviation-industry veteran, revealed that he had worked on 1.) the balloon that never made it into outer space or the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair (but tried), and 2.) Howard Hughes’ aeronautical behemoth that wasn’t supposed to fly but did,  the “Spruce Goose”. After the balloon but before the “Goose” he’d also worked briefly in the automobile industry. His pet project – installing an automobile engine (a V-8 no less) in an AIRPLANE. The company he worked for at the time was the first to do so successfully.

Okay, blog deja vue. In one of my earliest posts I introduced Albert Rupel, my 5th cousin 2x removed, who figured out in 1905 that a proper flying machine needed a proper source of power (i.e. an engine). Although a rusty nail cut Albert’s life and career short, it’s nice to know that another cousin couldn’t have agreed with him more.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 2nd cousins, 2x and 3x removed
Common ancestors: Frederick and Anna (Eikermann) Biesemeyer, are my 4th great grandparents, Harold’s 1st and Clark’s 2nd.

References:
He helped conquer outer space. (1970 July 22).Grand Prairie Daily News. p. 3.
Mary Carol McWhirt Obituary (daughter of Harold Biesemeier) online here: http://www.routsong.com/obituary/Mary-Carol-McWhirt/Kettering-OH/1174834

Lorenz Frederick Biesemeyer, my 1st cousin, 4x removed, was a man of many talents. A physician and surgeon, he received his medical training from the St. Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons. Before entering medical school, he had taught school in Lippstadt, near Warrenton, Missouri, for three years. In 1906, he published a self-help book of sorts entitled, The Monitor, a compendium of advice and friendly counsel to the honest layman. Chapters include “Poisons of the mind and their antidotes” and “The drink habit”. These two chapters can be read in either order. In 1908, he wrote the lyrics to “On to victory” which was published by the Shattinger Piano and Music Company of St. Louis. Described as a “Roosevelt song”, Carl Wilhelm Kern provided the music for his lyrics.

Not content with teaching, practicing medicine and writing books and song lyrics, Lorenz was also an inventor. He and his brother, Henry, hold a patent for a new and improved ballot box. (The image below was borrowed from Google. Click the image and it will open in a new window!)

Lorenz died November 7, 1936 in Chamois, Missouri. He was eighty years old. He left behind a wife of 50 years, three children, four siblings, and presumably, many patients (the living ones) and countless people who cast ballots.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 1st cousin, 4x removed
Common ancestors: Lorenz’s grandparents, Frederick and Anna (Eikermann) Biesemeyer, are my 4th great grandparents

References:
Catalogue of Copyright Entries; Part 1: Books, Dramatic Compositions; Maps and Charts; Index. (1907). Washington: Library of Congress.
Catalogue of Copyright Entries; Part 3: Musical Compositions. (1909). Washington: Library of Congress.
Dr. Lorenz F. Biesemeyer Obituary. (1936 November 20). The Warrenton Banner. Warrenton, Missouri. 
History of Osage County. (1889). Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Company.

Breakfast on Christmas morning has always been a family affair at our house. This year we took that concept to a new level, welcoming delectable pork sausages from Jennings Premium Meats to the table. Located in New Franklin, Missouri, this award-winning charcuterie was started in 1954 by Oscar “Pop” Jennings. His wife, Marvel Struchtemeyer Jennings, was my grandmother’s first cousin and my link to the sausages.

Now in its 61st year, Oscar’s grandson (and my 3rd cousin) Jason currently runs the establishment. He and his father, Keith, are highly respected in the field of meat processing, both having served as past presidents of the Missouri Association of Meat Processors. (This same organization welcomed Keith into its Hall of Fame.) But hogging the national spotlight is Jason, who earned the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) Accomplishment Award in 2000. He later served as the president of this national organization in 2006.

We had not set out to visit Jennings Premium Meats last week when we happened upon them on our way to visit another cousin. It was a happy accident indeed. And I see myself returning there next year to stock up on sausage links and Pop’s authentic bacon-flavored snack sticks. Perhaps then I’ll be more convincing as to why I should get the family discount!

Incidentally, many of their products can be ordered online at www.jenningspremiummeats.com

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 1st cousin, 2x removed
Common ancestors: Marvel’s grandparents, Henry Simon and Friederieke (Duewel) Duesenberg, are my 2nd great grandparents

Reference:
http://www.meatpoultry.com/Writers/Other%20Contributors/Premium%20profits.aspx?cck=1