Historical documents have an incredible way of transporting us back in time, offering glimpses into daily life from bygone eras.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 100-Year-Old Check and 5 Lessons from Life in Small-Town America Read More »
My great grandfather Frederick Henry Rasa (1873-1937) has been on my mind a lot lately. He was a farmer, entrepreneur, stock-raiser, store owner, bank and telephone company founder, and first-generation
I have been fascinated with my immigrant ancestors for much of my life. Like many people I wonder about their motivations for leaving their homeland and taking that chance for a more prosperous and fulfilling life in a new land. Their journeys sometimes were challenging and even life-threatening, but most made it here in the second half of the nineteenth century. This is the first in a series of articles I am writing about my German kin.
My 2x great grandmother Caroline Koch was born near Pyrmont, in Morgan County, Missouri, April 2, 1853. While some sources have listed her birth in Germany, a preponderance of evidence
Caroline Koch Tieman Rehmer: A Story of Perseverance Read More »
On April 8, 1918, the Bank of Florence was founded by a group of local businessmen in Florence, Missouri, a town of approximately one hundred men and women. The organization was formed with H.A. Bremer as president, F. H. Rasa, vice-president, and P.W. Buehler as cashier. Frederick Henry Rasa, (1873-1937) was a farmer, stock dealer, businessman, civic leader, and my great grandfather. While it remained financially sound, the Florence Bank directors made the decision to permanently close the bank on November 9, 1934. At that time the bank held $45,125 resources.