Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

  APRIL 03, 2021 What good deeds can you lay claim to in your lifetime? Now, how many of those were publicized in the media? And finally, how many of your random acts of kindness were repaid with good karma?  Week 14: Great Unknown photographer, black and white digitally cropped photograph of Vera Eggenberger, 1920, Ottawa, Kansas. The original whole photograph includes her father J.C. Eggenberger, and siblings Alta, Louise, and Raymond. My grandaunt, Vera (Eggenberger) Wicke, proved her good-natured intentions at the young age of six. While living in Ottawa, Kansas in 1917, she was walking about town with her mother on a weekend afternoon in July, when a bright, shiny object grabbed her attention as they were crossing the street. She stopped and pointed it out to her mom – it was a gold watch! She picked it up and noticed that it was still working. They were only about a block away from the newspaper offices of The Herald , so they traipsed over there and informed them of the...

  FEBRUARY 15, 2021 Traditionally, genealogy research involves obsessive characters such as myself scouring through old written records found in churches, attics, archives, government holdings, libraries, trunks, courthouses, or really anywhere all sorts of paperwork can be found. And while these are all pertinent sources, they’re not the only ones to tell the stories of our ancestors! Week 7: Unusual Source A source can come in many shapes and sizes. In addition to written source records such as passenger ship manifests, marriage certificates, or apprenticeship contracts, there are plentiful numbers of unique items in and around the house which can also lend proof to an ancestor’s life moments. Some examples of these would be a quilted blanket embroidered with names, dates, or figures of the owner’s past, a monogrammed family pocket watch, a photo album, or even a soldier’s uniform patch. My favorite family heirloom also makes a wonderful source! I inherited this red goblet from m...