Latest from the Blog
Missouri Bootheel Cotton Crop Memories
My maternal grandparents, Leonard Campbell and Ila Hamilton, were born in the bootheel of Missouri in the tiny town of Qulin in the 1930’s. The town was surrounded by farm fields with many that are planted with acres and acres of cotton. Annually, the United States produces more than $50 billion dollars in cotton revenue…
Two Fundraising Ideas for Cemetery Restoration
After locating our families overgrown Pioneer Cemetery in rural Missouri we began the task of renovating the grounds. There was work to do on the fence, ground cover to get rid of and headstones to reset. The renovation process was started and it quickly became apparent that we were not going to accomplish this task…
Delicious Mexican Cornbread
If you are looking for a typical cornbread recipe or something on the healthier side you are in the wrong place. Although it’s not as wholesome as some cornbread recipes it is the perfect recipe to share and enjoy with a crowd. This cornbread is so delicious and different that it catches people off guard…
A Glimpse of an 1890’s Rural American Wedding
ANd PRESENT LIST While researching my Missouri Blackwell Family line I discovered a newspaper article detailing the wedding of Lavinia ‘Anna’ Blackwell and Johnson Bailey of Missouri. They were married on September 30, 1896 and I fell head over heals in love with the newspaper article details. Their wedding announcement, in the Jefferson Democrat Newspaper,…
A Tulip Trip Itinerary to Holland, MI
A WEEKEND OF BEAUTY For our girls trip this year we decided to keep the flower theme going! Last year we went to Newport, RI for their annual flower show. It was spectacular. You can read about that trip here! This year we wanted to stick a little closer to the Midwest. Once I researched…
Friendship Banana Bread
When I am able to collect 4 – 5 overripe bananas they do not go to waste. I quickly throw this simple recipe together and an hour later I have 4 warm mini loaves of delicious banana bread. Since I purchase bananas throughout the year I make this recipe often. I call this recipe Friendship…
A Secret Wedding
I grew up knowing that I was born on my maternal grandparents wedding anniversary, July 2. My grandparents, Ila and Leonard, both grew up in Qulin, MO. This town is located in southern Missouri near the boot-heel of the state. According to Wiki, ‘A post office called Qulin has been in operation since 1881. Qulin has…
San Francisco + Yosemite + Half Moon Bay
9 Day Itinerary San Francisco Day 1: We flew from the Midwest to San Francisco in the early afternoon. This left us with the majority of the day for sightseeing. San Francisco is a feast for sight and taste! We did not leave before we had our fill of both even though we were only…
Cemetery Stone Information Sheet
Free Printable After our Initial Cemetery Clean-Up was complete we were ready to move onto Phase 2 of restoring and preserving our Blackwell Pioneer Cemetery. You can read my 7 Initial Steps to Cemetery Clean-Up post here! Now that the cemetery floor was reclaimed from the forest we had a good view of the cemetery…
Ancestral Wedding Photos
As our nineteenth wedding anniversary came and went this past summer I couldn’t help but reflect on the weddings that took place before me in our families. Each wedding was special, in a totally different time and space, and how each are also similar. I have a wall in our bedroom where I frame and…
Leave Room to Be Surprised
Back in the beginning of my research my main goal was to find out who my Grandpa’s dad was. It took me years to find out! You can read about that story here. The initial surname I was researching at the time was Moersch. It is a unique name and one that was pretty straight…
Newport, RI + Flower Show Weekend Itinerary
Want to take a trip to Newport, RI, see their magical June flower show, and fill the weekend with fun? Of course you do! Ever since I learned of the exquisite flower show that the Preservation Society of Newport hosts each year I had been dying to go. I stalked their social media each June…
Lawsuit Threads
When I first began researching my Gamache family line I was lucky to easily access lots of documents, information and histories. However, in a previous post, I mentioned how there was some road blocks I was unable to cross due to a past family lawsuits that put defensive guards up surrounding helping some Gamache ancestors…
St. Louis Prohibition
A Families Choice My husbands Grandmother Rose, who was born in 1920, told us many stories about her Italian American childhood and memories. One story was that her father, Anthony Finazzo, was jailed around the time of prohibition. She recounted that he was found guilty of selling alcohol and was sent to a jail near…
A Snapshot of 1923 Travel
St. Louis, MO to Chester, IL On my last post, Double First Cousins, I introduced you to Dale. A few years ago he passed along three letters that were written by a common grandmother and grandfather from June of 1923. These three letters are a perfect snapshot of the life and times of the era.…
Double First Cousins
My father M. Neil is a double first cousin to his double first cousin Dale! Does that confuse you? Essentially it means that they are each others first cousin twice! They share grandparents on both sides of the family tree. They are double related! Their fathers were brothers and their mothers were sisters who just…
Washington DC & Williamsburg Trip Itinerary
From St. Louis in 7 Days Day 1: We left St. Louis, MO and decided to drive straight through to our hotel near Washington DC. During our drive we stopped for a quick visit at George Washington’s Fort Necessity National Battlefield. This well planned bathroom break was the perfect excuse to take a quick walk…
Tinsmith in my Family Tree
As I was piecing together the lives of my paternal Great Great Grandparents Ameda and Lillian (Gau) Gamache I began to focus on Ameda. I started to go through his census records and learned that in his early 20’s he was a carpenter, just like his father. By the next census he was a self…
7 Tips for Initial Cemetery Clean-Up
Soon after I started researching my genealogy a Pioneer Cemetery in rural Missouri was discovered on my paternal line. The beginning of this adventure was blogged about here and here. Now that I found this cemetery, which is filled with my Blackwell family ancestors, I was determined to clean it up. Most tombstones were leaning,…
Hot German Potato Salad
KARTOFFELSALAT I grew up in a German heritage leaning home. My Grandfather, Malcolm, lived with me growing up. He made traditional German dishes periodically and when I was young I (regretfully) did not appreciate them. As I got older I began to love Germanic food and the heritage. In high school I took all four…
Google Reverse Image Search
AN AMAZING GENEALOGY RESEARCH TOOL I know most of us can’t get through the day without a quick google search. When it comes to research I use Google all the time. However, I never used Google in this way before and I am obsessed with the results. Google Reverse Image Search has historically been used…
War Ration Books
During WWII War Ration Books were issued to each American in 1942 after the United States officially entered WWII. They were created due to deficits in crucial war materials. Stamps available for rationing were altered according to a persons age. An example of this would be that children under the age of 15 did not…
Candy Apple Salad
This cool, crunchy, and not overly sweet Candy Apple Salad is the perfect accompaniment to a spring and summer table. The flavor combination is absolute perfection and tastes so similar to a candied apple that I questioned my senses the first time I tried it. There has never been a time that I took home…
Outlier Family Connections
Years ago I was digging into old family boxes that were filled with envelopes and haphazardly placed photos of seemingly outlier family connections. As I was sifting through them I found a grouping of photos labeled Elda Kuntz. I wasn’t familiar with this surname at the time. Later, after more research, I soon realized that…
West Ireland 9 Day Itinerary
I fell hard for Ireland. Love at first site and more at last glance. I still dream and talk of it and would welcome a return visit anytime. Wanna go? I can pack in no time. For a trip to West Ireland I recommend flying into Shannon Airport. This is a more quiet, centrally located…
The Life of Charlotte D’Amours de Louvière
From Quebec to St. Louis, MO with 700 sterling pounds In Quebec, Canada my 6th Great Grandmother, Charlotte, was born on 24 February 1752. She would arrive on the banks of the Mississippi River in newly established St. Louis, Missouri 15 years later. The life of Charlotte D’Amours de Louviere was quite the journey. How…
Women Invited into WWII Workforce
And the history of AVIATION in st. louis It seems fitting that I think of my grandmother, Jeannette Gamache Moersch, during women’s history month. Jeannette, alongside many other women, went to work making plane parts in St. Louis during WWII. Women rose up and fought their own fight during a time when our country needed…
The History of Roosevelt Island, NY
Once Named Blackwell Island After My Ancestors Years ago we found out we had an abandoned pioneer family cemetery in rural Missouri. I wrote about my Missouri Blackwell ancestors here if you would like to read about them. As I traced our Blackwell line back through the generations I didn’t think it would lead to…
Jefferson Barracks Day Trip Itinerary
Jefferson Barracks Park and National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO Jefferson Barracks was the United States first Infantry School and opened in 1826. It closed in 1946 and is named after President Thomas Jefferson. It’s location high up on the Mississippi River was ideal. Many famous soldiers deployed through here, like Ulysses S. Grant, in…
Glazed Corned Beef
4 Ingredients & Delicious I’m just going to come right out and say it. This is the only Corned Beef recipe that I really like. I am guilty of pushing traditional Corned Beef around on my plate at gatherings. I am as polite as can be so please don’t judge me. This recipe is my…
St. Louis Zoo Animal Show History
as lived by Michael kostial sr. & michael kostial jr. My Husbands Grandfathers People have been trying to tame wild animals since the start of time. The modern history of animal training dates back to the 1830’s when circus shows began feeding, taming and training for entertainment. In the early 1800’s exotic animals became an…
My Hill Doctor Ancestor
Mary Elizabeth Birchfield my Great Great Grandmother In Midwest rural communities during the 1800’s and into 1900’s there was a shortage of educated physicians. To see a doctor within 100 miles one would have to travel by horse or foot. This could be a death sentence for some. These settlements and dispersed farm communities suffered…
Badlands, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons Itinerary
FROM ST. LOUIS, MO IN 10 Days During pandemic year 2020 we decided to plan our 2021 family vacation. We settled on a driving vacation out west that would get us a lot of bang for our buck. We soon decided to see a few national parks with Yellowstone National Park as our main destination.…
Simple Snow Ice Cream
Simple Snow Ice Cream is a fun and spontaneous dessert! We can never plan on having enough snowfall at any given moment here in Missouri making this old-fashioned recipe a special treat. It is not unusual to have a 70 degree day and snow in the same week! More times that not the weather forecast…
Decorating with Vintage Valentines Day Cards
Each holiday I decorate throughout my house leaving the dining room as the place I display vintage post cards and decor. I enjoy rummaging through antique stores for vintage holiday post cards and ornamentation to add to my collection. The way they made Valentine cards a hundred years ago are intricate, detailed, and beautiful. Valentine’s…
A Favorite Family Picture
Recently I became inspired to post a favorite picture that I have come across during my genealogy research. Jen, with Auntie Jen’s Family Trees, blogged about her favorite picture here. When I saw her post my mind immediately went to one historical family photo in particular that is a personal favorite of mine. I was…
An Envelope Discovery
My grandmother Jeannette was the oldest child in her family and had the majority of the family mementoes and pictures to hold onto. After she died, my grandfather moved in with us and he brought along all the boxes, pictures and envelopes containing all the family history. I was lucky to have generations of documents…
Delicious Beef and Vegetable Soup
After being spoiled by an extended fall, winter is now officially upon us here in Missouri. Gone now are the fall hikes as we’re hunkered down at home in the evenings. A bright spot to the cooler weather are hearty meals like Beef and Vegetable Soup. I am planning in addition to more family movie…
A WWII Front Line Medic, Amateur War Photojournalist & Grandfather
My grandpa Malcolm was my amazing and loved sidekick who moved in with us after my grandma died. I got five wonderful years with him before he passed away a few months before my 10th birthday. It rocked me in the worst of ways. Our whole neighborhood felt the loss as he was everyones local…
A Genealogist’s Pitfall
Time flies when you’re having fun, and genealogy is truly so much fun. Time goes quick when you’re on the case of a missing first wife, locating which Anthony Smith is your Anthony Smith from the 1.23K ship manifests, verifying info from a marriage record that could be the missing key to the latest mystery.…
Hot Wassail
One amazing thing my mom got out of her years as a member of our towns garden club with the recipe for Hot Wassail. The club members would take trips to visit each others gardens and on a cool day my mom was served this warm drink and fell in love. The hostess received this…
You are a genealogist. Yes, you.
The good, the bad, and the beautiful of thinking forward. There are many people in my family tree whose entire lives are reduced to a few precious documents. Those papers are all I have as evidence that they lived a life. I study their names, their places of birth, and reasons for their death. To…
Spend the Day in Springfield, IL
We are fortunately located in an area with a lot of history within arms, or a cars, reach. I’m sure this contributed to our love for history, and we’ve tried to raise our kids accordingly. One consistent way we’ve done this is with our yearly trips to the Land of Lincoln, Springfield, IL. The first…
Angel Flake Sugar Cookies
Growing up my siblings and I each had our own special Christmas Cookie made just for us. My brother kept it simple and perfect with Chocolate Chip Cookies, my sister had Russian Tea Cakes and my cookie was Angel Flake Sugar Cookies. Each option is delicious (mine are the best)! These cookies are different and…
Russian Tea Cakes
One of the top 3 cookies in our house growing up, it’s just not Christmas without these Russian Tea Cakes! My brother had to have his Chocolate Chip Cookies, my sister has always loved her Angel Flake Sugar Cookies and the trinity is rounded out with these incredible cookies of heaven for me. I love…
Personal Heritage Document
Free printable My aunt and uncle were in town after the funeral of my maternal grandmother, Ila Campbell. My mom had limited time to clean out her house. They decided to strike while the iron was hot since my uncle was only in town one night. The night of her funeral was a time where…
Mansfield Traditions
Growing up, our family always took the same vacation every year to Branson, Missouri. My parents still go every June no fail. It’s the perfect blend of what they both love; fishing and shopping. That is, my Dad fishes and my mom shops! We did the usual spots at Silver Dollar City, Shepherd of the…
Pursuit of Burial Plots
As you recall, my heart was thumping at the find of Jean-Baptist De’Gamache, or Bapbett. If you want to catch up click here! Bapbett’s house was located where the North leg of the Arch is located. The Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial property. This is pure irony. Bapbett fortified the expansion…
Stuffed Mushrooms
Our holidays aren’t complete without Mom’s stuffed mushrooms. We aren’t much of a stuffing family. We are a family that calls it stuffing and never “dressing.” Maybe it’s Midwest thing? I think that has a lot to do with these stuffed mushrooms. No stuffing could match these! No kidding, she has to serve these on…
Founding Family and the Pursuit of Happiness
The Founding of St. Louis Growing up I was accustomed to hearing how my St. Louis French lineage had strong historical ties that ran deep into the city’s core. After digging into our family’s past, I discovered our founding prominent immigrant ancestor, Jean Baptiste De’Gamache. His buddies called him Bapbett. If that was ok for…
Green Bean Bundles
I cannot express how many times I’ve had to copy this recipe for the masses after an event where I served them. These sweet and savory bundles are as delicious as they are visually pleasing. Honestly, they are charming on a platter and are a complete show stopper. My mom got this recipe (that we…
Finding Our Missing Key
and how we got started in genealogy It was an open secret in my family that no one knew who my paternal grandfather’s father was. I remember asking questions about my lineage and coming up empty on that side, and wondering who it could have been. We have a missing key in our lineage. What…
The Making of a Family Heirloom
Baptisms and child dedications are a big part of my family’s history. I rely on and search for baptism dates regularly when doing genealogical research. Also our family actively participates in the practice. When I had my first child we didn’t have a family heirloom dress that was passed down. no one close to us had one…
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
This Creamy Macaroni and Cheese is as different a dish as you can get from our Grandma Jeannette’s. You can view that recipe here. The macaroni recipes are as different as the ladies themselves. When I make this soupy Macaroni and cheese, or even when I think about it, I am transported back into my…
First Snow of March
My Dad isn’t one to jump onto strange ideas. He doesn’t look for medical cures, apply new-age practices in his life or give any credence to most conspiracies. Don’t try to tell him there was no moon landing. Reincarnation? Never. Aliens? Not likely. Demons? It’s in the Bible, so yes. Ghosts? Well….. he actually does…
Vegetation and Tombstones
It was a glorious day when we finally found Jeremiah Blackwell’s resting place. You can read that story here . Our initial joy of discovering this cemetery was followed by a gnawing sense of responsibility. Our family cemetery, from pioneer times, had been reclaimed by the woods decades ago. We knew some family members had semi-restored…
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This is a good day for Baked Macaroni and Cheese! I have a few words that will get your heart pumping. These words could arguably be some of the most important words in the entire world. Do you think you know what they are? Ready? Baked Macaroni and Cheese! This is a love language if…
That’s Serendipitous!
When it comes to genealogy I have been lucky in the serendipity department. Many times over I have run into someone, found a special archive or had a hunch that led to breakthroughs in research. There have been some serendipitous things happen that show our ancestors must be helping along the way. I feel that…
Discovering Jeremiah
Not far back into our fathers family tree my sister and I discovered our Blackwell family line. We approached our dad with this information and it jogged some vague memories of a family pioneer cemetery burial plot that still remained intact. An online search yielded a few hits. The first would be the ever-informative http://www.findagrave.com…
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.