A couple of years ago I wrote about Colonel Leland James Holland, a native of Scales Mound, Illinois, and where many of my relatives live(d). Col. Holland was one of the Americans taken hostage in Iran in 1979. A few days ago I was reading the New York Times and saw an article stating that after 36 years…
Quote of the day
Genealogy: In the end, it’s all relative.
Quote of the day
There’s a fine line between a packrat and a serious family historian.
George Studier’s Birth Record
I received George Studier’s German birth record from a researcher who voluntarily found it for me. She contacted me through Ancestry.com with the record, and I greatly appreciate her research. The birth record confirmed what I already suspected: Wilhelm Studier was not George’s biological father. While I can’t give a full transcription of the birth…
Quote of the day
Genealogy is all about chasing your own tale!
An Intriguing Thread
When researching, have you ever found someone in your family tree whose information seems a bit off? Something doesn’t quite fit? A thin thread of nothing, which must be explored? Happens all the time to me. George Studier, son of Wilhelm and Dorothea (née Bohnsack) Studier, has been a source of interest for me for awhile….
Time flies …
I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow a year and a half flew by since my last post. Throughout this time, I’ve been continuing my genealogy search, but wasn’t able to keep up with the commitment of sharing my research. I’ll be better in the future.
Letter from Rev. Hermann Emil Studier to Dorothea (Bohnsack) Studier
Dorothea (Bohnsack) Studier was the twin sister of my 2nd great-grandfather, Carl Hermann “Herman” Bohnsack. Rev. Hermann Emil Studier was born in Germany in 1859, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1869. His older brother, Wilhelm, was Dorothea’s husband. In 1939, Dorothea received a letter from her brother-in-law, Rev. Studier. While Dorothea and Rev. Studier were both…
High School Graduates from Scales Mound, Illinois, 1924-1945
The Scales Mound American Legion Auxillary Unit #1058 compiled a list of Scales Mound High School graduate names, and published them in “Scales Mound High School Through the Years 1896-1993”. Graduates from 1924-1945 are listed. Class of 1924 Lester Berryman Myrtle Eversoll Laity Marcella Horan Huizinga Kenneth Hughes Camilla Miller Mahoney Eugene Miller Jessie Paquette Rodham Carl Schoenhard Myrtle…
High School Graduates from Scales Mound, Illinois, 1896 – 1923
The Scales Mound American Legion Auxillary Unit #1058 compiled a list of Scales Mound High School graduate names, and published them in “Scales Mound High School Through the Years 1896-1993”. Graduates from 1896-1923 are listed. Class of 1896 George Allan William Allan Josie Edge Vipond Elsie Kneebone Fred Lyne Fred Monnier Edith Stephan Allan [No Class of 1897…
Miss Mary Beard
While researching the Lightcaps, I came across an article where Miss Mary Beard received $53.50 from members of Company A, 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Both my ggg-grandfather’s brother Isaac Bateman Lightcap (also know as The Bigamist) and nephew James Sanford Lightcap served in that unit and contributed. I don’t know why they sent money. Using…
Aaron Leightcap / Lightcap
My paternal 4th great-grandfather was John Lightcap (abt 1778 – aft 1864), husband of Mary Chamberlin. Identifying his parents has proven frustratingly difficult. There is no proof of parentage, only supposition. So I’m tackling the problem from another direction and researching other Lightcap families in the surrounding area near his place of birth. John was…
A Letter from Mrs. LaVerne Schoenhard
While going through my late grandmother’s genealogy files, I found an issue of the Scales Mound, Illinois, hometown newsletter, The Weekly Visitor, from October 20, 1955. Published in the newsletter with a most intriguing letter from Mrs. LaVerne Schoenhard. It seems Mrs. Schoenhard made the hard decision to place her grandmother, Mrs. Lena Kilian, in…
Babies Dying and It Doesn’t Make the Papers!
Research blocks stink! And I’ve hit one! What I thought would be easy research has turned into a decidedly frustrating endeavor. I’m looking for information on the death of my father’s infant brother, Gary. In April 1946, my grandmother gave birth to her fourth child and son, Gary, at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa….
Zazios Cooking Class
Last month I took a cooking class at Zazios, one of the local restaurants in Kalamazoo. Having never taken this type of class, I crossed my fingers and hoped for an enjoyable Saturday afternoon. The small class of nine participants included two couples, a man with his teenage son, a group of three women, and…
The Story of My Life by Rev. Herman Emil Studier (Part 4 of 4)
Part four of the transcription from the draft of Rev. Herman Emil Studier’s “The Story of My Life.” Transcription details Square brackets [ ] denote handwritten additions made in the draft. Draft of “The Story of My Life” by Rev. H.E. Studier is available. (PDF, 2.5MB) The Story of My Life (Part 4) by Rev….
The Story of My Life by Rev. Herman Emil Studier (Part 3 of 4)
Part three of the transcription from the draft of Rev. Herman Emil Studier’s “The Story of My Life.” Transcription details Square brackets [ ] denote handwritten additions made in the draft. Draft of “The Story of My Life” by Rev. H.E. Studier is available. (PDF, 2.5MB) The Story of My Life (Part 3) by Rev….
The Story of My Life by Rev. Herman Emil Studier (Part 2 of 4)
Part two of the transcription from the draft of Rev. Herman Emil Studier’s “The Story of My Life.” Transcription details Square brackets [ ] denote handwritten additions made in the draft. Draft of “The Story of My Life” by Rev. H.E. Studier is available. (PDF, 2.5MB) The Story of My Life (Part 2) by Rev….
The Story of My Life by Rev. Herman Emil Studier (Part 1 of 4)
While going through a box of materials about my maternal grandmother’s extended family, I came across seven pages of a draft of Rev. Herman Emil Studier’s autobiography. Rev. Studier was the brother-in-law of Dorothea (Bohnsack) Studier, twin sister of Carl Herman Bohnsack, my grandmother’s paternal grandfather. Over the next few posts, I’ll share what Rev….
Forgotten History 