Clara Christine Elsabe Freese (1859-1943) Clara Christine Elsabe Freese was born on 29 Jun 1859…

Floyd’s 11-year old cousin Donald James Phillips wrote a very newsy article. His account of…

Gals and Farm and Family Sally Aschbrenner is in back row, third from left. Elizabeth…

John Loverin (1762-1843) It has been written that the most interesting parts of a person’s life…

Hooray! After months and months of effort, the Phillips book has finally been published. Though…

The school picture of this little boy was included in a photo album put together…

Georg Adam Stadler (1804-1864) Georg Adam Stadler was born on 08 Dec 1804 in Mörtelstein,…

It is an exciting day when the mailman brings me a box containing books that…

Ragnild Bjornsdtr Skolt (1809-1900) Ragnild Bjornsdtr Skolt was born on 04 Jul 1809 in Skolt,…

Joshua Wolcott (1708-1753) Birth Joshua Wolcott was born on 15 Jun 1708 in Wethersfield, Hartford,…

Knut Olson Aldalen (1787-1851) Knut Olson Aldalen was born in 1787 at the Aldahl farm…

Carl F. Fehlhaber (1845-1922) Carl F. Fehlhaber was born on 11 Feb 1845 in Posen,…

Caroline Hilson (1863-1940) Today is the 153rd anniversary of the birth of Caroline Hilson. Birth…

I really don’t want to be older than I already am, but I sometimes wish…

Hope Borden (1747-<1810) Hope Borden was born on 28 Oct 1747 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode…

Gals and Kids and Relatives The sixth page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection…

Picnic and Party The tenth page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection of photos…

Peter Morris Cornell (1829-1892) The search for Peter Cornell started fairly early in my adulthood…

Mildred Holland (1779-1854) Today is the 238th anniversary of the birth of Mildred Holland. She was…

This is how much beer they normally pour. The Program for the 2016 Rochester Craft…

The weather was gorgeous and it seemed like a bad idea to waste a Saturday…

What to do with all that beer? A couple months ago, during an extended weekend…

Thomas C. O’Donnell (1810-1894) I think the O’Donnell family might be fascinating. But, because of…

My latest book, “The Aldahl Family,” is now available. Nearly all my time in 2020…

Frederick A Helmut Aschbrenner (1874-1968) Frederick A Helmut Aschbrenner was born on 03 Aug 1874…

We are related to the Estes of Estes Model Rockets Nearly every week, a mystery…

Josiah Fuller (1729/30-1797) It has been verified that Josiah Fuller is in our family tree,…

This is the fourth post in our series on women’s suffrage. In the first post…

Friedericke Stroede is largely a mystery. We know her name but little else. Even so,…

Archilles James Linville (1825->1900) Archilles James Linville was born in Mar 1825 in Virginia. He…

In the last post in this series, we saw a letter that Gertrude Lovin Boyce…

“Friendly staff. Nice beer selection. Filling food. And just down the road from home.” That…

Friedrich Samuel Aschbrenner (1810-1885) Friedrich Samuel Aschbrenner was born on 19 Oct 1810 in Posen,…

In response to a card from him, Grandma Amelia “Millie” Phillips wrote to Floyd. Addressing…

Gertrude spent time thinking about her faraway son, Floyd. He was missing the Sandwich Fair,…

In this seemingly obligatory letter, Guy Phillips wrote from Canada to his son Floyd who…

Rochester Craft Beer Expo – 2017 We are just a couple weeks away from the…

Asle Embrickson Torset was born in 1775 in Hemsedal, Buskerud, Norway (Nørde Torset) as the…

This week we remember Frieda Lemke who was born 135 years ago today. Henriette Clara…

Joseph Johnson (1676/77-1739) Birth Joseph Johnson was born 339 years ago today, on 09 Mar 1676/77¹,…

Martha Eldridge (1667-<1735) Martha Eldridge was born on 20 Apr 1667 in Driffield, Gloucestershire, England,…

Cars and Farm The 12th page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection of photos…

Nearly every week, a mystery is solved or some interesting twig (or nut) appears somewhere…

Sarah Everett (1644-1677) Sarah Everett was born on 12 Apr 1644 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts,…

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a planner by nature. I like to…

George Brownell (1711-1800) George Brownell was born on 21 Jun 1711 in Little Compton, Newport,…

State Historical Society of Iowa Nearly every week, a mystery is solved or some interesting…

DC and a Trip Home The 43rd page of Sally’s photo album featured pictures taken…

Hannah Tolman (1642-1729) Hannah Tolman was born on 27 Jul 1642 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts…

A good book and some meat for all three meals might have made things more…

Christian Bennett Christianson (1874-1961) Christian Bennett Christianson was born on 28 Sep 1874 in Udolpho…

Vacation Drinking What better time to drink than on vacation? On a recent trip to…

Elvira Mary Palmer was born on 06 Aug 1837 in New York as the first…

Friedrich Samuel Aschbrenner (1810-1885) Friedrich Samuel Aschbrenner was born on 19 Oct 1810 in Posen,…

Emilie Friedericke Luise Draeger (1850-1910) Emilie Friedericke Luise Draeger was born on 12 Oct 1850…

Thomas Borden (1682-1745) Thomas Borden was born on 13 Dec 1682 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode…

Ole Knutson Aldahl (1814-1890) Ole Knutson Aldahl was born in 1814 (probably), but we don’t…

When we last left Floyd, he was asleep on board a Norfolk & Western train…

Bertha H. Stemson (1877-1968) Bertha H. Stemson was born on 05 Mar 1877 in Newry,…

Winter in Marathon Park The 16th page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection of…

Words cannot express how thrilled I am to announce that my book, “The Estes Family,”…

Mary Stolp (1871-1915) Mary Stolp. Mary Stolp was born on 06 Apr 1871 in Sandwich,…

Margaret A. O’Donnell (1836-~1865) Margaret A. O’Donnell was born in 1836 in Kentucky as the…

Camp and Damsels in Distress The 23rd page of Sally’s photo album continues to show…

From her hospital room in Aurora, Florence Manning wrote to Floyd. Florence was the fiance…

Aschbrenners and Water The 26th page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection of photos…

Amelia A. Brace (1844-1926) Amelia A. Brace was born on 22 Mar 1844 in Akron,…

Floyd spent another day in the middle of the Atlantic. He ate, rested, and took…

Floyd’s youngest brother, Charles, then age 20, was working on the farm in Canada when…

Mary Loverin (1792-1884) With the help of a family bible, an application for an 1812…

Silence Hickock (1713-1795) Silence Hickock was born on 19 Sep 1713 in Waterbury, New Haven,…

This gal was a 1948 graduate. Her senior portrait was taken by Anderson in Austin,…

Robert Fitz Randolph (1712-~1803) Birth Robert Fitz Randolph was born on 19 Jul 1712 in…

Thomas Holmes (1744-1776) This birthday post was originally published in April 2016. Later, while working…

Alice Rosalie Fehlhaber (1880-1970) Alice Rosalie Fehlhaber was born on 10 September 1880 in the…

Peace talks were just beginning in Paris and people back home were thinking about Floyd…

Gertrude Lovin Boyce  (1865-1957) Gertrude has made it easy for us to know about her…

Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner (1904-1983) Happy Birthday Sally! Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner was born on 07 May…

Peter Holland McCall (1800-1867) Peter Holland McCall was born in 1800 in Glade Hill, Franklin,…

I was excited a week ago when I started thinking about the event. But now, the…

Eau Claire Dells and parade The 31st page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection…

Roseanna Fuller (1759-1844) Roseanna Fuller was born on 16 May 1759 in Amenia, Dutchess, New…

Nathaniel Collins (1641/42-1684) We haven’t been this far back in time for a while. It…

Jacob W. Phillips (1781-1847) Jacob W. Phillips was born on 27 Sep 1781 in Claverack,…

Things were probably getting pretty dull and routine on the SS America. Floyd didn’t have…

Thankful Badcock (1667/68 – 1718) Today is the 348th anniversary of the birth of Thankful…

Betty Hall (1768-1848) Betty Hall was born on 05 Jul 1768 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts,…

Our German ancestors are challenging. The language barrier, changing political boundaries, and lack of records,…

No athletic ability passed down to me I have never given much thought to athletics in…

In the first in what will become a regular series of birthday remembrances, I’m taking…

Not only did Floyd have to miss celebrating his birthday and Christmas with his family,…

As we have seen in earlier posts, women fought to gain full voting rights, missed…

Can you identify the guests at the wedding of Florence Dern and Ervin Anklam on…

After a short night of sleep in a real bed, Floyd woke up to his…

John M Meador (1734-1824) Birth John M. Meador was born on 14 Jul 1734 in…

Yesterday was the 7th annual lefse making day for my family. Lefse is a big…

Sunday at Camp Stuart might not have been very exciting. There was probably a great…

People and Indian School The 47th and final page of Sally’s photo album featured many…

With the holidays behind me, I’ve been slowly getting back to working on my McCall…

Betsey Holmes (1800-1860) Betsey Holmes was born on 01 Mar 1800 in Stonington, New London,…

Clara Christine Elsabe Freese (1859-1943) Clara Christine Elsabe Freese was born on 29 Jun 1859…

Floyd’s 11-year old cousin Donald James Phillips wrote a very newsy article. His account of…

Gals and Farm and Family Sally Aschbrenner is in back row, third from left. Elizabeth…