Do Our Ancestors Matter Today?
Do our ancestors matter today? And, if they really do, why? This was the question I asked myself after a conversation with my maternal grandmother, Ethel “Brandt” Gutshall. Ethel, whom I call “Oma” (German...
This Week's Article From the Beech Grove
Parlour Games
Who remembers a time when there was no television, no computers, and folks would get together on a Saturday evening to play games? Some people still do this and have an evening once in...
Thoughts on Michael Hagenbuch’s Inventory
It’s doubtful Michael Hagenbuch (b. 1746, d. 1809) could ever have imagined how much his descendants 200 years in the future would appreciate him neglecting to make a will. Nevertheless, it is as a...
Albert Ira Hagenbuch Family, LaSalle County, Illinois
In the third part of Enoch Hagenbuch’s history of the Hagenbuch family, we read about his younger brother Charles Hagenbuch (b. 1819) at the homestead in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Enoch and Charles’s...
Interpreting Documents: Michael Hagenbuch’s Inventory
One of the joys and sometimes the frustration of genealogy is interpreting historic documents. Wills, inventories, letters, and deeds present opportunities to better understand the past. Of course, this is only possible if we...
Brother and Sister Day
Preceding Mother’s Day is a little known celebration entitled Brother and Sister Day which is held on May 2nd. The following are photos from the past of Hagenbuch brothers and sisters. These photos were...
William S. Hagenbuch Family
William S. Hagenbuch (b. 1836, d. about 1906) was one the last Hagenbuchs to be raised at the Hagenbuch homestead in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. His great great grandson, Will Mangold, graciously contributed...
On Beech Trees and Dutchiness
For the past year and a half, since Andrew had the idea that our Hagenbuch genealogy should be shared on the Internet through weekly articles, a new awakening has occurred for me. I’ve shared...
Inventory of Michael Hagenbuch’s Estate
Michael Hagenbuch died in 1809 in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1746 and inherited the family homestead from his father, Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1711, d. 1785). Read more about this...
Easter Post Cards from the Past
The sending of Easter post cards became popular in the early 1900s, the main publishers being from Germany. Among some of the family pieces I possess are six Easter post cards from 1908 and...
