The Twelve Days of Andreas Hagenbuch’s Christmas
In the town where I live, 12 houses along one street coordinate their holiday decorations. If you guessed that the theme of their ornaments is “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” you are correct! In...
Author: Andrew Hagenbuch
DNA, Genealogy, and Our Search for Identity
A few weeks ago, I read a story about a man who suspected that he was not the father of his daughter. The little girl had brown eyes, when both parents had blue eyes....
Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking: Green Tomato and Apple Datsch
My wife, Sara, and I look forward to fall, not just for the cooler weather, but also for the plethora of foods that are harvested during the season. Squashes, apples, and sweet potatoes immediately...
Eight Years On
I felt somewhat dismayed as I sat down to write this year’s retrospective of Hagenbuch.org. In the previous 12 months, only 300 names have been added to Beechroots, our database of family records. Last...
Ghost Stories from Childhood
My eldest son, William, is fascinated with ghosts, and not just because of Halloween. His ghoulish obsession actually began last year when he played with some old Ghostbusters toys, and grew after his great...
Tax Collector, Andreas Hagenbuch, Appointed By Abraham Lincoln
If you are reading the title of this article and feeling a bit confused—good! That means you have realized Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715, d. 1785) could never have known, let alone been appointed as...
Missing Person: Thomas H. Hagenbuch, Salesman & Telegraph Operator
On Friday, August 15, 1902, The Allentown Morning Call ran the following front page headline: MISSING FROM THEIR HOMES Mysterious Disappearance of T. H. Hagenbuch of This City MANAGER OF THE WESTERN UNION Left...
Discovery: Bible Owned By Daniel Hagenbuch (b. 1803)
Recently, my father, Mark, and I received a message from Patrick Donmoyer notifying us of a German Bible from 1798 that was for sale on eBay. Patrick is the director of the Pennsylvania German...
1950s Summer Vacations at the Shore, Part 2
As with so many family experiences, vacations can create lasting memories that stick with us throughout a lifetime. In the first part of this series, Norma Kay (Penman) Hurter shared photographs from several trips...
1950s Summer Vacations at the Shore, Part 1
Summer vacations have long been popular with American families—and the Hagenbuchs are no exception. At the 75th Hagenbuch Reunion, I had the pleasure of chatting with Norma Kay (Penman) Hurter. Her grandfather is Andrew...
