Three Years On
Looking back, it is tough for me to believe that it has been three years since my father, Mark Hagenbuch, and I founded Hagenbuch.org. In that time, the site has grown to over 150...
This Week's Article From the Beech Grove
Carrying on Traditions
In the movie Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye is faced with changing times and sings about tradition—the importance of the Papa being the head of the household. His wife, Golde, sings of the Mama...
Exploring Henry Hagenbuch’s Family
Genealogy is more than just the study of one’s ancestors. It’s also a process that requires the questioning of previous research and longstanding assumptions. Some people consider this frustrating, since the work on one’s...
Letters From the Past: Part 1
A few weeks ago I was in our barn looking for something. The upstairs of the building is storage, and we have a lot of “stuff” stored there. Most of the boxes are marked...
Announcing Beechroots, An Online Genealogy Tool
It’s tough to believe, but over the last three years my father, Mark Hagenbuch, and I have written and shared over 160 articles on Hagenbuch.org. In that sense, the website has been successful at...
The Next Morning, A Conversation with Andreas Hagenbuch: Part 3
Months ago an imaginary visit and conversation with Andreas Hagenbuch was written about in two articles: Part 1 and Part 2. The visitor who interviewed Andreas one night in 1784 was John Smith, a...
Scraps of Paper: Recipe for Bean Chow-Chow
Over the years, this site has featured a number of articles detailing family artifacts and letters. Of particular interest to me are the scraps of paper containing the thoughts and scribbles of our ancestors....
Powwowing: A Pennsylvania Deitsch Tradition
Those who are not from a Deitsch background rarely understand the term powwowing as it is used among Pennsylvanians. When confronted with the term, most people will quip “Sure, I’ve seen American Indian dancers”,...
September, 1893 or Why Genealogy Can Be So Frustrating!
This morning (Monday, Aug. 14) I was awake and up by 4 AM. I had several emails to send out, some regular mail to go through for an elderly lady for whom I serve...
Joseph Hagenbuch, Liberty Township Farmer: Part 2
There are four areas of information that make up what we know about family members: personal details (names, dates, places), photos, ephemera (birth certificates, marriage licenses, letters, diaries, etc.), and family stories. One is...
