Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Christmas 1971

Christmas can be the absolute best time or the most stressful. Before I had children, I did not appreciate how carefree my Christmases were. And then, after the children came, the time to get presents bought and wrapped seemed to compete with just our everyday schedules. Time was a commodity that some days was scarce. Now, with a house free of children, we are back to a more carefree Christmas attitude. We can place ornaments on the tree wherever we want. If we don’t want the Holiday music on, we don’t play it, and if I want to watch every version of A Christmas Carol, I do! Here we have the Anderson – Conover – Katz family, who are experiencing each of these Christmas feelings.

Lets start with Hazel. She sits by the tree and holds Yo Yo June’s toy poodle. According to Cris Yoyo was Hazel’s favorite. Sitting in front of Hazel is Todd, patiently waiting to open presents. Aunt Nancy Conover and oldest son Chad are behind Todd. Chad looks to be as much of a handful as the dogs. Gary is standing behind Nancy, but none of the Anderson boys can remember the name of the dog that Gary is holding. So if someone knows it, I’d be happy to include them.

Next to Nancy and Gary is Howard and June. June is holding Jigger, their other dog. Howard told Cris that he was named after the small device you could use to hold the gas pump lever down to keep gas flowing into the gas tank. This was called a jigger, and Jigger the puppy could fit in his pocket just like the gas device. Sitting next to June is Kirk, who looks ready to open presents, although maybe not as patiently as Todd. Sitting on his mom’s lap is Cris – I figure he’s about two and a half in this photo. And Sherigay looks like she’s ready for Christmas to begin. King the German Shepard is sitting next to Dick. All the dogs look ready to get out of the way of the opening of presents.

As I went through this photo and looked at each face, I thought about all the good times at June and Howards house on Christmas Eve. I’ve heard it said if I knew that this would be the last time we’d be together, I’d have stayed longer and appreciated it more. May those who are no longer with us have a Heavenly Merry Christmas, and may we have a holiday season filled with cherished old memories and wonderful new ones.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Fire!

I think this was the first photo I ever saw of Sherigay. Cris casually said here’s a picture of my mom and handed me the polaroid. All I could see where what looked like burn marks. i said what happened to this photo. “Oh there was a fire at the house we lived in when I was a baby” all very nonchalant. I’m sure becuase he was an infant and doesn’t remember the actual fire that it was just something that happened to his family. But I wanted to know more.

According to older brother Kirk, it was cold out. He doesn’t remember what month it was exactly, but that it was very cold and probably in February or March of 1970. Dick had put a light in the dog house that the family dog, Snoopy, a Dachshund, was sheltering in. Kirk believes that the dog either kicked over the lamp or kicked the blankets up onto the lamp which caused them to catch on fire. Unfortunately, Snoopy did not make it thru the fire which started at about 2-3 in the morning.

Kirk said it was scary. He was in Kindergarten at the time, so we figure he was 5 years old. He remembers that either the firemen or Dick ran into the house to get Cris as he was in the back of the house. They were living in a little shotgun style house in the 300 block of Estelle. Kirk couldn’t remember where the family stayed after the fire, it could have been with June and Howard or Mimi and Ramsey. Or perhaps both of them. Mimi and Ramsey were living in a house on Clifton and June and Howard lived on Belmont.

While we can never predict a fire, there are things we can do to prevent them. Never leave cooking food unattended. Create a fire escape plan and tell everyone that lives in your house the escape route and where you will meet as a family. Make sure you have smoke alarms and test them to ensure they are working correctly. Keep all flammable materials away from heat. Inspect your electrical cords and appliance ensuring the cords are in good repair. If you have a fireplace install protetive screens and vents on the chimneys and stovepipes.

These are just a few ways we can have a safe house and hopefully be fire free. As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” I hope that we will all be fire-free as we go into the holidays and 2025.

PS – I haven’t even commented on the photo today. I love that Sherigay and Cris look to be happy. The photo was probably taken at Christmas in 1969 at June and Howard Anderson’s house. Sherigay looks festive in green and Cris looks ready for Christmas Eve in a sleeper.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Childlike Wonder

Today I bring to you this lovely photo of Huck (Albin), Nell and Hazel Lundberg. And such a cute photo it is. I believe that i would have been taken around 1897, the year of Hazel’s birth. Huck, Nell and Hazel and the middle children of William and Emma (Peterson) Lundberg. They had three older siblings, a brother named Charles, and two sisters, Bessie and Esther. Their baby brother Chester was born in 1899, so not yet in the picture at this time.

I love Huck’s outfit. His scarf and coat give his appearance a Nordic quality: that and his fair hair and blue eyes. You can just see his boots as they are faded as part of the photographic process. What a wonderful big brother to stand there next to his sisters. Nell appears to have two collars on her clothing. A big, wide one and then a crocheted one adorn her outfit. The look on her face says that she will reserve judgment of whoever might be taking the photo. And baby Hazel is wide-eyed, ready to keep up with her older siblings. The chair she’s seated on appears to be velvet with the tassels hanging at the bottom.

To me Huck, Nell and Hazel remind me of this quote about siblings. Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring, quite often the hard way. While we don’t often appreciate our siblings the way we should, it’s with them that our personalities flourish. Sibling relationships usually outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, and are stronger than quarrels that would destroy most friendships. Hazel had a close relationship with all her siblings and my hope is that you do too.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Duck, Dick and Nancy

Thanksgiving is a time most of us have turkey, but here we have Dick with a duck. It just makes me smile to see. Dick is sitting so nicely. I imagine he was trying to get the duck to allow him to pet it. And Nancy, like a good little sister, is right there with him. I love how you can see Audie’s face in his shadow on the building. At first, I overlooked it, but it’s turned into my favorite part about this photo.

There’s no date or writing to accompany this photo. I imagine it was taken at Audie and Hazel’s -piece romper coat with a lodge in Manhattan, Kansas. And from the looks of Nancy and Dick, I imagine that it was taken around 1946 or 1947. Dick is all bundled up with a warm coat and cap. Nancy is all prepared for cold weather in a one-piece romper coat and scarf on her head. I wish we knew if this was a pet duck Hazel and Audie had or if they were grooming it for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving originates from the Native American philosophy of giving without expecting anything in return. The Wampanoag people and the English colonists, known as Pilgrims, shared a harvest feast to celebrate the harvest. The feast included wild turkeys, ducks, geese, fish, corn, green vegetables, and dried fruits.  So we could have many things for Thanksgiving, but most of us will have turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner.

There are so many things I am thankful for this year, but at the very top of the list are all of you. Thank you for taking the time to engage with my blog posts on this website or social media. Your support and feedback are what inspire and motivate me to keep writing. Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with the warmth and happiness of the season

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Haute Couture Hazel

There are times when I feel that I was born too late. I would have LOVED to have been able to accessorize like they did in the early part of the 20th Century. From gloves to hats, shoes to purses, it would all match. And what’s more stylish than black? I’m unsure where or when this photo was taken, but Hazel is undoubtedly fashionable.

I don’t think I could pull off wearing a hat like that. But Hazel does so with a superior look, saying of course you can! It appears as if there is a brooch or a pin there on the coat. Matching the flower in her hat, Hazel has paired white gloves and a patent leather purse. She’s all ready to go just waiting on her ride. I find myself wishing I could see the rest of her outfit, but this will have to do.

Coco Channel said it best. Haute Couture is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure. I believe that Hazel lives up to this quote and gives us all an example to try to achieve.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson · 1 Comment

William A Dorsett

I wish I could bring you a photo of William Dorsett, but alas, I do not have one. What do have is information so lets get to writing.

Family records indicate that very little is known about William A Dorsett or his wife, Ollie F Brewer, until they married. They married in Georgia and moved to Texas. It is rumored that he was the black-sheep son of a plantation owner, but for some reason, they moved to Texas. One rumor is that Ollie’s family did not like Williams or that his own family had disowned him. They moved to Texas with two personal slaves from Ollie’s family. Ollie also brought trunks full of lovely clothes and jewelry. Later, she made many dresses into a millinery, which she sold.

William and Ollie had three children. James L, Ida Augusta and our ancestor Ada English. Ollie died when Ada was six months old. Later, William married Emma Pismire and that union produced three children, Pat H, Edward and Laura.

William was always a blacksmith, first in Chappell Hill and also after moving to Dime Box. He was also a Justice of the Peace and a postmaster. At one time, he was also a Methodist Circut Rider. When he decided this was not for him, he quit preaching and returned to being a blacksmith. He told his grandchildren he’d quit preaching because he was whipping the devil around a stump.

One of william’s favorite was stories was aout his height. He loved to tell the he’d never been measured except when the Yankees had captured him during the war and he’d measured 6′ 7″. His sons were all tall, large men of the same build but none were as tall as he. William always always words a stetson hat that was uncreased and he could not walk through a doorway without stooping.

William was a man with light brown hair and blue eyes with fair skin. He always wore a mustache and goatee. It is reported that Ollie had dark curly hair and brown eyes. She was probably 5’7″.

During the Civil War William was part of the 24th Regiment of the Texas Calvary. He was a Private and his job was a farrier. He took care of the horses seeing they were shod and their feet well cared for. The 24th Cavalry Regiment [also called 2nd Texas Lancers] was organized during the late spring of 1862.

Here’s some information about the 24th. There are links to the National Parks Service website detailing each battle. The 24th was soon sent to Arkansas. Here, the regiment was captured in January 1863. After being exchanged, it was consolidated with the 17th, 18th, and 25th Texas Cavalry Regiments and assigned to Deshler’s, J.A. Smith’s, and Granbury’s Brigade. This command fought with the Army of Tennessee from Chickamauga to Atlanta, endured Hood’s winter operations in Tennessee, and ended the war in North Carolina. The 24th was organized with about 900 men, and 54 casualties were reported among the 587 engaged at Arkansas Post. The 17th/18th/24th/25th reported 200 disabled at Chickamauga, totaling 690 men and 520 arms in December 1863. The 24th surrendered on April 26, 1865.

While I don’t have a photo, I hope I’ve given you a good description of William A Dorsett. May we always remember him and his service to the 24th Texas Calvary.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Confirmation

I’ve never not known the Holy Spirit. I remember looking at my children’s bible when I was a child. While I couldn’t read yet, the pictures drew me in. I loved the one of John baptizing Jesus. I wanted to know what it was like to get baptized. While it’s a blessing indeed to have lived with God’s promise my whole life, it wasn’t until I was older that I realized that’s what my confirmation did. In the Lutheran church, you spend two to three years working with a Pastor being taught the doctrine of the Lutheran church and why we believe getting confirmed prepares someone to live out their faith in the church. It also marks our passage from childhood to adulthood. Once confirmed, you are now considered an adult in the eyes of the church.

Here we have Dick and his family on his confirmation day at St. Pauls Lutheran Church. June looks so proud and stylish as always. I know she had a Lutheran background as I’ve found records of Hazel’s family attending the Swedish Lutheran Church in Manhattan. Nancy seems sad that it’s not her confirmation day and Howard too looks ready for Dick to be confirmed. I’m unsure of the date as there was no information on the photos. Depending on the synod of Lutheran Church would depend on what age you were when you got confirmed. To me, Dick looks like he’s about 13 here. I was confirmed in June the year I graduated from junior high. It’s a rite that Dick seems pleased to take on. He looks comfortable and relaxed, to confirm his faith in Jesus Christ.

I remember Dick saying that when he was confirmed, it was before St. Pauls moved to their current location in Waco. And that photo definitely doesn’t look like the current St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, so where was it? Luckily I have the part of Ancestry.com in which you can access newspapers. I figured if the church moved, surely it would have been in the Eagle. Sure enough, I found not only the location of where it was moving to, but where it had been. The church used to be on the corner of 8th Street and Market. I was able to locate a newspaper article from March 31, 1956, which reported that St. Pauls was undertaking a building project and moving. The groundbreaking occurred on January 8, 1956, and the new building was to be completed in November 1956.

Former St. Paul’s Lutheran Church – Wichita, KS

The former St. Pauls is now a homeless Shelter for Men

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Dio de Los Katz Muertos

I just love the Disney-Pixar movie COCO. Like most genealogists, my quest is a labor of love. I can get lost in the facts, the places, and the family names. So Coco spoke to my heart, hearing how we should not forget those ancestors who preceded us. Hearing how there’s a whole two to three-day celebration (depending on where you are) to honor our family made me so excited. And since 2018, I too celebrate Dio de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.

Day of the dead is a celebration that honors our deceased loved ones and welcomes their spirits back to Earth. This holiday is celebrated in Mexico, Central America and by many Mexican Americans and me here in the United States. Photos of our loved ones are placed on an ofrenda, or altar and honored with food and gifts. Marigold petals help direct the spirits to our ofrenda.

Since seeing Coco in 2018, I’ve wanted to have an offrenda and honor my ancestors too! I want to have somewhere I can showcase our ancestors and keep their memories alive. Since this year’s Dios de los Muertos is November 2 & 3, 2024, I thought now was the time for a tribute, Dios de los Muertos style.

So many photos we got from Hazel “Mom” Katz don’t have names on them. Or have people ripped out of them. Especially those taken before she married Audie Katz. I have no idea who this photo was taken of, but i believe it was of one of Hazel’s sisters. I think it might be Bessie or Esther, both older sisters to Hazel.

Taken by a train, it appears to be winter. Our subject holds a fur muff to keep her hands warm and appears to be warm with a long skirt, jacket, sweater and hat. There appears to be much snow on the ground and our subject appears to be exasperated. Perhaps it’s with the snow or having to have her photo taken, but the photographer took it at the right time to capture her eye roll.

While I might not know her name, at least I can keep her memory alive here on my digital ofrenda, which is dedicated to keeping all the memories of our family members alive. May you have a Feliz Dia de los Muertos or Happy Day of the Dead! Que iva la memoria de nuestros seres queridos! Long live the memory of our loved ones!

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Thelma and Frank Franz

Here we have two cutie-patooties, brother and sister, Thelma and Frank Franz. Thelma was born on August 9, 1901, to John H and Emma G Frantz in Alamota, Lane County, Kansas. John and Emma had an older son, Vernon, who was three years older than Thelma, Francis, who was 5 years younger than her, and Ross, who was 4 years younger than Francis. The baby of the family was Irene Grace, who was 11 years younger than Francis and 19 years younger than Vernon.

Thelma married Richard Davis on 8-21-1923 in Utica, Kansas. She and Richard had one child, a daughter named Lois. By the 1930 census, Thelma and Richard had divorced. She and Lois lived with her mother until she remarried in 1947 to Hugh Rivenburg of Tribune, Kansas. Thelma and Hugh were together 32 years until his death in 1979. Thelma herself lived In Dighton until her death in November of 1986.

While Francis looks like he could have been female, he looks all boy to me. It was not uncommon for boys to have long hair. Born in 1906 our Frank grew up to marry Edith Angeline Davis on October 1, 1928. Frank and Edith farmed the Western Kansas land making a living for them and their two daughters, Shirley and Frances. Frank died on August 2, 1963, at the age of 57 years old. Shirley continued to live in the Dighton area until moving to Wichita to be near Shirley and Fran. She passed away on May 3, 2001.

I just love this photo of Thelma and Frank. While they both look like they wanted to be doing anything else, it’s a great photo of them both. I would imagine that this photograph was taken about 1908 or 1909. I love the bows in Thelma’s hair. Most of the time, in photos like this, you’ll see young girls’ hair in braids or tied back so that her hair is down, which thrills me. I’m unsure what she might have in her hands, perhaps a flower basket. It reminds me of the May Day baskets I made as a child. Her dress is simple, with bows, stockings, and shoes all matching.

Frank, too, appears to have some sort of clip or bow in his hair to keep it out of his face. He has a style that is more tunic or jacket than dress with knickers underneath. Stockings and dress shoes complete his ensemble.

Since I joined the Anderson-Belden clan in 1992, I did not know Thelma or Frank and don’t know any family stories about them. But I’m very thankful that we have this photo to remember them with.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Charles Weber – FreeMason

This is Charles Fredrick Weber, Uncle to our Charlotte Weber Trammell. Charles was born June 23, 1879, to John and Emma Weber in Jackson, Michigan. He was the 4th of 5 children born to John and Emma. Charles is the younger brother of Charlotte’s father Albert who was the 3rd child born to John and Emma.

The Masons began in the 16th century. During 20th century America, fraternal groups were prevalent, with over 40% of the male population belonging to at least one fraternal order. The Masons, the Oddfellows, The Elks, and The Moose are a few of these orders one may have found in 20th-century America. They brought together a broad range of classes under the fraternal banner. Many offered insurance and assistance. The orders also made many monuments across the country, many still around today. These groups operated under secret statutes, and I’m sure you were considered a member for life once you were in.

Charles lived in the same town his whole life. His occupation was as a bookkeeper or record keeper throughout his working career. Masons were drawn to those with Charles’ occupation. Professional enough not to be a laborer, but not of the upper class. He is forever embodied as a proud group member from the fez at the top of his head down to the embroidered satin jacket and wide pantaloons tucked into gaiters. His photograph was on a postcard that I’m sure was sent to Charlotte’s family some way. The only writing on the back of the card says Zuave, Uncle Charles.

I hope there may be a way to investigate these organizations, but since so much of what they did was “secret,” I don’t know. I’ve also never actively looked for information on fraternal orders, but I’ve added it to my list of research items and hope that one day I can bring you more information on what Uncle Charles might have done in his fraternal order