School Picture Day
An important day in the calendar of public school life was “picture day.” Having taught elementary school and serving as an elementary principal, all told for 35 years, that special day was filled with...
Category: Family
Family On The Move: 1500–1800
Like many American families, our Hagenbuch family story is one of movement. It began in Switzerland sometime before the 1500s, migrated to what is now Germany in the 1600s, and finally came to America...
‘Reney, Get Your Hiney Down Here!
School days, school days, Dear old Golden Rule days ‘Reading and ‘riting and ‘rithmetic, Taught to the tune of a hick’ry stick! —Will D. Cobb and Gus Edwards, 1907 Dotted across Pennsylvania are one-room...
Old Newspaper Advertisements
Old newspaper articles and clippings are a great source of information for family research. Sometimes these have been saved in scrapbooks preserved in the Hagenbuch Archives. Other times, they are discovered using online research...
Family Recipes: Raisin Cake
In 2016 during a visit to my great aunt, Gloria (Felix) Faus (b. 1931), I collected some of her family recipes. These included a few handwritten by my great grandmother, Minnie (Hilner) Faus (b....
Three Things: Blessings for the New Year
Before I even read Andrew’s Christmas article entitled “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” I was thinking along the same lines for my New Year’s article. With a little help from him, we continue to...
I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Lately, we’ve heard the advice to “stay home for the holidays” and help prevent the spread of Covid-19. While many bemoan being stuck in their houses this year, let’s remember that for some being...
Plagues, Wars, and Despair
Although we know more than ever about Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715) and his family in Berks County, his early life in Germany, before he came to America in 1737, is shrouded in mystery. Information...
Two Little Girls
It began with two photos. Two little girls dressed in the 1940s fashion—hooded coats, snow pants, and woolen leggings. The girls, Kathleen Hagenbuch and Joan Hagenbuch, were somehow related, and the photos were probably...
A Box Full of Goodies, Part 2
Readers may notice that Andrew and I attempt to write meaningful articles. It would be easy to scan a few photos or letters, describe them, and leave it at that. Instead, we strive to...
