By Eilene Lyon For this story, I have to begin at the ending. The whole shebang is much more complicated—but this is bad enough! Who Are Louisa's Parents? My 2nd great-grandmother, Louisa Mary Dills, died on February 29, 1928 in Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa. Her death certificate gives her name as Mary Louisa Dills,... Continue Reading →
Swiss Accounts
By Eilene Lyon A Visit to Ancestral Homes A couple of years before I did my DNA testing, The Putterer and I went on vacation to Switzerland, Strasbourg, and western Germany. We went to the German village, Heidelsheim, that my Springer family emigrated from in the 1800s. What I did not know at the time... Continue Reading →
RIP: Clara J. Bedford
Last summer I published a post about Clara's post-Civil War trip to Philadelphia, based on a letter she wrote to her aunt, Abigail (Bedford) Jenkins, in May 1865. What I did not relate to you at the time was that Clara had a rather brief life. Clara was born in 1845 in Springboro, Ohio, where... Continue Reading →
A Christmas Suet Pudding
Week 49: #52 Ancestors – Family Recipe By Eilene Lyon Holidays at Grandma Halse’s house included an old-time dessert: suet pudding. This is not a gooey type of pudding, but a very moist raisin cake served with a glazing sauce. It gets it’s rich, dark-brown color from a generous measure of molasses. Because we were... Continue Reading →
Connecting with Cousins
Week 32: #52Ancestors – Reunion By Eilene Lyon Because I was an “Army brat” we rarely gathered with family over the years. We had an occasional Thanksgiving or Christmas at Grandma Halse’s place in Corvallis, which included aunts, uncles, and cousins on my dad’s side. I met more relatives on Dad’s side when Grandma celebrated... Continue Reading →
Not Charmed
Week 30: #52 Ancestors – In the News By Eilene Lyon I have done very little research on my great-great-grandparents Louis and Louise (Arbogast) Schaaf. They married in Jerseyville, Illinois, in 1880 and moved to Clark County, South Dakota, in 1883.1 This prompt sent me to Newspapers.com where I turned up a surprising news item... Continue Reading →
Goes by Grandma G
Week 14: #52 Ancestors – Begins With a Vowel By Eilene Lyon My great-great grandmother, Olive (Springer) Gusso, was born into a large family of first-generation Americans in 1870. Both her parents were German-born immigrants, Charles Springer of Heidelsheim and Margaret Delle of Mainz. The Springer family moved from Wisconsin to South Dakota when Olive... Continue Reading →
Clara’s Post-War Trip
Week 24: #52 Ancestors – Last One Standing By Eilene Lyon Clara Bedford wrote a letter to her aunt, Abby (Bedford) Jenkins, on May 14, 1865 from Springboro, Ohio. Clara Jane Bedford is my 1st cousin 4x removed. She was one of two children, both daughters, of William S. Bedford and Elizabeth Dearth. Clara’s letter... Continue Reading →
An Only Child
Week 15: #52Ancestors – Solitude By Eilene Lyon I’ve previously mentioned The Putterer’s great-grandfather, Arlon F. Lyon, only in passing. Arlon was born in Chenango County, New York, in May 1860 and was a rarity for the era: an only child.1 His father, Cyrus R. Lyon, was 29 when Arlon came along. His mother, Lucy... Continue Reading →