Uncle Barney, Bow Ties & the Open Road
Family Biography · Roma Mary Grace Historical Research Uncle Barney, Bow Ties & the Open Road The Life and Legend of Colonel Carl DeHaven Siegel, M.D. Born January 4, 1915 · Syracuse, Missouri. Died November 26, 1999 · Kansas City, Missouri Every once in a while, my cousins would refer to my Uncle Carl
Grace Valentine – Full of Surprises
Grace Valentine Kembel was born on Valentine’s Day in 1914. She married Ellis Ray Spencer on Valentine’s Day in 1933. She was the fourth of nine children; two boys and seven girls in all. She was always a bit of a conundrum to me. A little gruff and distant. Her husband, Ellis was such a
When Stars Align: Finding the Elusive Josephine M. Smith (1870-1937)
Have you ever had that moment when the stars align and something you’ve been puzzling over just… clicks? I had one of those moments a few months back. I was in a virtual meeting and someone was casually sharing a story about how their family ended up with a farm in southwest Missouri. It was
My Go-To Source for Maps
My Go-To Site for Historical Maps Have you ever wondered what your ancestor’s neighborhood actually looked like? Or tried to locate a family farm that no longer exists? Historical maps can be the key to unlocking these mysteries and filling in crucial gaps in your family history research. During a recent speaking engagement, I was
Using AI to Write the Rodenbach-Löhr family story
This is the first article in which I used AI to help with the content. I wrote a draft first, then asked Claude.AI for assistance. After decades of writing government reports, I sometimes find myself challenged by descriptive and creative writing! I wondered what suggestions it would make. While I did incorporate some of the
a 100-Year-Old Check and 5 Lessons from Life in Small-Town America
Historical documents have an incredible way of transporting us back in time, offering glimpses into daily life from bygone eras. A few years ago, I came across a remarkable artifact: a check from the Bank of Florence, dated September 25, 1925, written by Robert Eldenburg to general store owner and my grandfather, C.C. Siegel. This