Note by Phyllis Brown: I love the small towns of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. They have wonderful history centers that rival anything in the big cities. And during the latter part of the 19th century or first few years of the 20th century, county histories were written – […]
Note by Phyllis Brown: Henry Hertz was my husband’s great-great-grandfather. Since Ritchey’s father was adopted at the age of two, it was only in the last several years that we discovered his family lines. We knew Rex’s mother was a Hertz and his father was a Jolly. The Iowa […]
Today is the 44th anniversary of the death of Vivian Eleanora Ritchey Brown – my husband’s mother. The former beauty queen of Fairmont, Nebraska, married Rex Brown, a member of the United States Army Air Force in World War II, whom she met at the training base in […]
Note by Phyllis Brown: Captain John attended Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church a few miles north of the Linton Cemetery. He gave some of his land when the church was built. My husband’s father was minister of Pleasant Grove in the 1960’s. He and his family traveled on to […]
Note by Phyllis Brown: This is a story handed down in the Ritchey family. The copy I have is written in a beautiful penmanship. Zillah is my husband’s great-great-grandmother. The sheepshower leaves that are mentioned in the story are probably sheep sorrel. Evidently they have a lemony taste […]
In the generally male dominated world of genealogy, it is much easier to find a long lost great-great-grandfather than it is to find an even more lost great-great-grandmother. Other than a marriage certificate, a woman’s maiden name is listed very rarely. Once married, it can seem that the bride […]
I’m sure every genealogist has heard some rather unbelievable family stories over the years. But before you are ready to throw them out, examine them once again to see if there could be some truth lurking behind the fantastic stories! A prime example on my dad’s side of […]
In my opinion, obituaries today are far to bland and boring. Yes, they give names and dates, and even though those are very important, they give nothing to the reader of the deceased’s life or character. Obituaries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are far more […]
For many years, many descendants have considered this the picture of “Captain John Linton”. Alas, recent research into the history of photography in America, and of the men’s dress for their photographs, has convinced me that the man in the picture could not have been Captain John. (The […]
Okay, so my kids think I’m crazy, others may possibly feel my choice of photos are a little disturbing – but when you’re a genealogist what can be more important than a picture of your ancestor’s gravestone – their final resting place. Well, perhaps a will, marriage certificate, […]