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Christmas 1956

Sometimes, you can tell just by looking at a photo what it might have been used for. The minute I saw this, I thought this would have made a great Christmas card! Here we have the Jorden children ready to sing a carol for you. Joyce is at the organ, and her lovely singers are Lois, Rita, and Carl.

The date on the back of the photo is 1956. Joyce would have been 14 and in the 9th grade at Roosevelt Jr High. She had been playing the organ for about a year and a half by the time this photo was taken. Lois was 11, and we think was in 5th grade. Rita would have been six and a half and in first grade. Lucky Carl was too young for school.

While things have changed, how we wish people a Merry Christmas has not. Most people send mail through the US Post Office. Christmas was and will always be a time for family, food, and fellowship. Wishing you nothing but the best the season has to offer.

PS – I tried to zoom in to see the names of of the songs on the music, but the pixels distort, and it can’t be read….but I think it’s Joy to the World. You can tell there are four words, and they aren’t very big.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Dr Vogler, I Presume

Sometimes, photos tell another story than the one we think they are telling. At first glance, I thought what a cute picture, wtih two girls, a wife and husband. The back of the photo said Dr. and Mrs. Vogler, as well as daughters and Cleve Holtman’s cousin. Well, if they were Cleve’s cousin, that meant that they were Regina’s cousin too. Regina is my great-grandmother.

Also on the back of the photo was writing that said her parents were Fred Schuleter and …, Hulda was a cousin to Cleveland. So now, at least, I had a name. I first looked for Hulda Vogler in Beardstown, but none was listed. I did find a newspaper clipping that said the Voglers had come to Beardstown to visit. So, I decided I’d try Fred Schuleter. I found him and his wife Ellen there in Beardstown. Fred’s full name was John Henry Fredrick Schuleter. Fred and Ellen had six children: Hulda, Anna, Dora, Laura, William, and Cornelia.

I believe that Fred is the brother to our Anna Schuleter Holtman, mother to Cleve, Regina and 10 other children born to her and August. This would agree with what is stated on the back of the photo, that Hulda and Cleve were cousins. So now that I had found Hulda, I needed to look for Dr Vogler.

Dr Alfred Theodore Vogler was born, lived, and died in St. Louis, Missouri. His first wife, Lillian, died March 7, 1917. They had three children, Virginia, born 5-22-1906; Marcella, born May 9, 1910, and Ruth, Born January 1, 1914. Marcella died at the age of 2 in 1912. I found a WW I draft card for Alfred, in which he indicated that his next of kin was his wife Hulda. Alfred and Hulda married betweenin March of 1917 and turning in the draft card in September of 1918 his wife dying .

I believe that this photo could have been the first of a new family upon their marriage. At first, my eye is drawn to Alfred and Ruth. Isn’t she cute in her cotton dress? It looks like a pin is on her dress, but I can’t tell what it might be. I estimate that Ruth would have been about four years old.

Then there’s Alfred, who is very distinguished in his suit and stiff collar, which are common at the time. The typical men’s business suit shirt had a narrow banded collar in which a tall detachable shirt collar made of stiff celluloid, linen, or rubber was attached in the front and back of the neck with a shirt stud.  Detachable white collars allowed men to clean or discard dirty collars more often, extending the shirt’s life by a few years. You can see his striped shirt under his tie. I could not find out if Dr. Vogler specialized in a specific medicine specialty; he was just a physician.

Next comes Virginia, standing behind her father. Wearing a sailor collar blouse and a large hair bow with her hair in curls. It looks like she might have had a necklace on, but it’s pulled into the collar of her shirt, so I can’t tell what it might have had on it. Virginia would have been about 12 years old.

Finally, we have Hulda Schuleter Vogler. I first noticed that she was not looking where the rest of her family was. Perhaps something else was happening in the photography studio that had her attention. Her hair was worn in the style that was common in 1918. She is wearing a lightweight blouse with a wide collar, double buttons, and what looks like embroidery. You can see her wide belt at her waist, which is of a dark color, but I can’t tell if her skirt is the same color.

Hulda and Alfred were married 30 years until his death on April 1, 1948, of pneumonia. He was 66 years old. Upon her death in 1964, her obituary lists her surviving daughters Virginia and Ruth.

While this was not the story I expected from this photo, I am happy that I had the tools to bring more of the Voglers to you. I’d like to know more about Hulda’s parent’s story and see if we can find Fred and Anna’s parents. But until then, I’m glad we have Hulda and her family to represent the Schuleters for us all.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Wenke Photo Album

I guess I thought today was a good day to plan out all the blog posts for 2025. This is something I usually do when planning blog posts. That I did it all today is poor planning on my part. So, after looking through hundreds of photos of three families, I thought I didn’t want to do the photo I had scheduled. I WAS going to bring to you William and Mary Beutel’s photo. Needing an alternate photo, I chose one that I thought was going to be someone we couldn’t identify. Imagine my surprise when I enlarged the photo to see the name John Wagner written across the top of the photo. I was very excited, but I was now wondering if I should have just researched Mary and WIlliam. So (sighing) both of these were worked into the schedule for next year. But what to bring you today?

Imagine my surprise when looking though the Wenke photos that I have scanned I found this. At first I overlooked it, but then came back to see what it’s all about. It’s about my favorite President, Abraham Lincoln.

From the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, which can be found at https://publish.illinois.edu/ihlc-blog/2021/09/22/the-lincoln-tomb-and-its-custodial-history/ I discovered what this was all about.

After Lincoln’s death his body was brought to Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. He and his son, Willie who had died three years earlier were placed in a receiving vault. Illinois Govenor Richard J Oglesby a monument association was founded to honor the memory of President Lincoln. Funds were raised across the country to support the cost of the memorial. I am sure that this is one way that funds were raised. While it gives the illusion of a photograph, it is indeed a print.

Construction on the memorial began on September 10, 1869 and took 6 years to build. Lincoln’s body was placed in the monument’s crypt on September 19, 1871, along with the bodies of his sons Tad, Eddie, and Willie Lincoln. The body of Mary Todd Lincoln joined those of her husband and sons after her death in July 1882, while Robert Todd Lincoln is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. That’s an interesting story as he was buried there against his wishes by his wife. He was a veteran of the Civil War and did not wish to be buried there.

This is what the monument looks like today.

Since its opening, the Lincoln tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, has received millions of visitors worldwide. It was designated a National Landmark in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Visitors still arrive at the Cemetery to see this famous monument and hear the programs offered. From June through October, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources presents “porch talks” at the tomb, informing attendees about the lesser-known facts about the monument. This year, from June through August, every Tuesday evening, reenactors of the 114th Illinois Volunteer Infantry performed drills to honor the memory of President Lincoln.

While not part of our family, the death of President Lincoln was brutal for many in our nation. I am sad that I never knew this existed for all the years I lived in Illinois. I hope on my next journey through Illinois to make plans to stop in Springfield and add my name to the list of visitors who have experienced this monument.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Cousin Jean, Indian Maiden

If i had to say what my favorite holiday was, I’d choose Thanksgiving. As a kid, it always seemed to take FOREVER for Thanksgiving to arrive and the holiday from school to occur. Thanksgiving is all about giving without expecting anything in return. In 1621, the Native American Wampanoag tribe helped the colonists with agriculture and hunting, celebrating with a harvest feast. They dined on wild turkeys, ducks, geese, fish, corn, green vegetables, and dried fruits.

Here we have a beautiful Indian Maiden, Cousin Jean Bourscheidt. I wondered why she might have dressed up, so I did my favorite thing and started some research. I believe she belonged to a drama and dance group that performed tableau’s. A tableau is a “living picture” or a static scene. Actors are usually silent, dressed in costume with props or scenery. Tableau’s began in the medieval period and was revived in the 19th century. This art form was very suitable for photography and later movies. Many groups would dance into a scene, hold a pose and then dance into another scene and holded pose until the performance was completed. It’s the perfect combination of theater and visual arts.

Cousin Jean did not date these photos, so I am unsure when they were taken. But I would estimate them to have been taken during the 1920s based on where the images were in her scrapbook. And how she looks in the photos.

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

With Pop

I find myself wishing I knew then what I know now. This photo was taken in 1972 so I would have been six, Mark would have been five, and Pop (Frank Burd) would have been 81 years old. It was taken at his house in Peoria. I liked to visit him at his home. It was a neat house, and Pop was always doing things. He always had mints for us and would give us quarters or fifty-cent pieces. Those coins always went into my piggy bank, and I am treasuring them today.

This brings me back to what I wish I knew then and now. I would tell myself to talk to him. I would ask Frank about his childhood and his Uncle, the doctor. About his choice to move to Chicago and the issues he faced being of German heritage. About him and Anna. About his faith. About baseball. About dealing cards and why he smoked a cigar. And probably many more questions.

This month Pop would have celebrated his 133rd birthday! WOW! We were so lucky and blessed to have had him for as long as we did. I hope that I can share my memories of him with my children and great-grandchildren so our future generations will always remember our Pop.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson · 1 Comment

Died in war…

What does an Elephant have to do with a Veteran? I certainliy didn’t think the answer to this question was anything at all. I was scanning the photos out of Cousin Jean Bourscheidt’s scrapbook. It’s slow work and i needed to be careful. I had to remove the delicate photographs carefully, scan them and then return them carefully. Cousin Jean did a wonderful job documenting the photograps. She wrote in the scrapbook and also on the backs of the photos. Since i was scanning them to review later, I wasn’t really prepared for what popped up next.

As the photo uploaded to my computer, I read Lucas Chelikas, Died in the Last War. I don’t even think I saved the photo, I just got up and told Cris I was going to take a break and we were going to get some ice cream.

I haven’t been able to find any records for Lucas but I did find one for Victor. A newspaper article from 1933 in which, he and his brother Robert, had gone fishing and died in floodwaters. Three men tried to rescue them, but where unscuccessful.

Tomorrow, as we remember Veterans of today and yesterday, may you think of these two boys, elephants in their Kindergarten Circus and later as a fisherman and a solider. May they continue to be remembered not just by us but by their families. Gone but remembered.

Here’s some more circus performers in Cousin Jean’s Kindergarten Circus 1928

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Gertrude Beutel

So frustrated. I have a who, Gertrude Beutel, I have a where Peoria, Illinois and I have an approximated time of the late 1880’s to early 1890’s, yet I have very limited records to learn about Gertrude. I’m also not sure who wrote Aunt Gertrude Beutel on the photo as i can find no records of her becomming an “aunt”.

So who was Gertrude Beutel? She was the youngest girl born in 1891 to William and Mary Beutel. She had two older sisters, Elizabeth, born April 18, 1885 and Flora, born March of 1889. The Beutel women are a complete mystery to me.

I started with the census records.

  • 1900 – I found 9 year old Gertrude and her family living on Groveland Street in Tazwell, Illinois. Williams occupation on that census was listed as Farmer.
  • 1910 – I found the Beutels all living in Richwoods Township on Maywood Street. Gertrude’s occupation is listed as Stenographer, WIlliams was listed as gardner and had a farm .
  • 1920 – The family minus Elizabeth was on LInn Street in Peoria for this census. Williams occupation was listed as laborer. Flora’s occupation was that of nurse and Gertrude’s occupation was that of a stenographer at a machine factory.
  • 1930 – In the census records Gertrude is listed as the head of household her occupation remains that of stenographer at a tool factory. William is listed as retired and Flora resides there and is listed as a nurse. They resided on Linn street.
  • 1940 – I found Gertrude as head of the household with her mother Mary and sister Flora. She is 47 years old now and there is no occupation listed for her. No was listed as answer to the question did this person work the week of March 24-30? The answer was no. There is no occupation listed for any of the women.
  • 1950 – while Gertrude and Flora should at least be on the 1950 census, I cannot locate them. I have located that Flora died in 1957 at the age of 68, but I can’t find any information about Gertrude’s or Elizabeth’s deaths. Which is where the frustration comes in.

This year I have found several of either my ancestors, or my husbands family members and while I can find information about them on census’ and city directories, that doesn’t give knowledge about who Gertrude or her sisters were.

I do love this photograph of Gertrude though. Such a simple photo but it tels a lot. My eyes are first drawn to her hands. She’s got her right hand clenched tight and her left one seems to be holding on to the trim of the chair or perhaps a pillow. I wish we could see her feet, but her dress is just a smaller version of a day dress an adult would wear at this time. I love the embroidery on the bottom of the skirt and bodice of the dress. With the pin tucks it makes it look fancy but it’s really a simple embelishment. It looks like a vine but it’s just a single stich which makes it genius! And her eyes they are so fair and blue. I’m unsure as to how they might have had her proped up in the chair. If she might have been seated on something or if someone was under that drape and holding on to her.

While we know more about Gertrude than we knew about the subject of last week’s post, it’s almost just as frustrating as we don’t know who she was or even some simple things about her life, such as when she died or where she is buried. While I wish I had more to share about Gertrude, I’ll keep looking for information. Someday, I will find out more about her and how happy that day will be when I can tell you the rest of her story.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Dio de Los Wenke Muertos

I love the Disney-Pixar movie COCO. If you have never watched it, it’s about a boy named Miguel who lives in a family who doesn’t allow music to be played. And all Miguel wants to do is become a guitar player and singer as successful as his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. On the way to a music competition, MIguel gets swept into the land of the dead on Dio de los Muertos, or day of the dead. While there Miguel learns how important it is not to forget those family members who came before us. If person is forgotten then they disappear from the land of the dead and are gone forever. One of the way Miguel’s family keeps those ancestors memories alive is by placing them on an “ofrenda” as a way of tribute. This movie was made for me! it speaks to my soul.

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.

Marigold petals help direct the spirits to their family ofrenda. The spirits receive food and gifts that have been placed on the ofrenda in their honor.

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.

Here we have a family member from a photo album in which there were a lot of Wenke family members in it. This photo I felt needed to be used as we don’t know his name. There was nothing written on the back or front of this photo and we are left to assuming he is someone related to the Wenke’s.

The young man appears to be at the start of his adult life. In his Sunday best, all clean with his hair trimmed with bright eyes that look patient and ready for what awaits him. I love his jacket and waistcoat. The tiny plaid appears to be made out of wool and in the style of the 1880’s to early 1890’s. I just love his tie and pocket watch. Many photos in the photo album were taken by Max Erler at the Sunbeam Gallery in Peoria along with this one. I wish that we could get subject information from the photographer, but alas, that is not an option.

While I might not know his name at least i can keep his 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

Uncle Jack

Last month when we stoped in Peoria we went to Springdale Cemetery. We wanted to see what Wenke family members we could find and knew most of them were buried there. When we got to Uncle John Wenke’s headstone I started looking around. His parents George D Wenke and Marie Beutel Wenke, are buried between he and his brother Otto.

Behind them is John Wagner (half-brother of Marie Beutel Wenke), his father, Carl Wagner, and then his mother, Elizabeth Beutel Wagner. Elizabeth Beutel Wagner is also mother to siblings from her union to Adam Beutel, Marie Beutel Wenke, Annie Beutel Oesterle, and William Beutel.

Behind this row, I found John and Otto Wenke’s sisters, Aunt Rena Wenke Armfield and her husband, Roy Armfield, along with our Pop, Frank Burd, and Mom, Anna Wenke Burd. This is as far as I usually go, as I usually stand there and talk to Frank and Anna. For some reason I kept on walking behind Roy and to my surprise found another row of our family. This row had Annie B Eichhorn, her sister Lizzie Eichhorn, father Phillipp Eichhron, their mother Anna M Eichhorn, I think she went by Mary. And the lone ranger on the end was brother John P Eichhorn. I stopped there at John. and was just gobsmacked. I had not realized that they had all been buried in the same area. 17 family members all buried together.

Plots at Springdale Cemetery

Springdale Cemetery has a really neat tool where you can go on and find a grave. This is pretty accurate, except next to Roy Armfield is Rena and Philipp Eichhorn is between Lizzie and Anna Eichhron. I have discovered that Anna Beutel Oesterle is also buried at Springdale with her husband Jacob, just not in this section

Once I got home and was looking at my blog schedule I realized that I had scheduled this photo for posting and was so happy. Now we get to talk about the Eichhorns and how we are related to them!

This is John Phillip Eichhorn. And I guess, by what was written on this photo, he also went by the name “Jack”. Jacks mother, Anna M. was sister to our Adam Beutel. I can find Anna M. in Census’ as ‘Mary”. Many times, people would not give their given names to the census takers. I can also find in her death records, it’s recorded as Anna M. Eichhorn. I am having a hard time finding Anna M’s or Adam’s arrival in the United States or in Philadelphia.

Anna M “Mary”, was married to a man named Phillip Eichhorn.  I found a military record for him for the Civil War.  I might be able to find out a maiden name from his pension paperwork, so I have will just have to locate it. Phillip and Mary had three children, Elizabeth, John and Annie.  That made Adam their uncle and Elizabeth their aunt.  Why they referred to them as “Aunt” and “Uncle” I can only assume was honorary and out of respect as they would have been more like cousins to our Anna, Rena, John and Otto.  

I just love this photograph. Taken at the Sunbeam Gallery owned by Max Erler, located at 1216 S Adams Street in Peoria, Illinois we have our subject John “Jack” Phillip Eichhorn. It’s like he just walked into the studio laid his jacket and hat on the chair and said I’m ready for my photo. I would anticipate that this was taken in the late 1870’s to early 1880’s. His Jacket was done in the style of the day with only the top button closed. I like how this makes it so that you can see his watch fob hanging from his waistcoat. And the stick pin in his tie makes him look very dapper.

John P Eichhorn was born to Anna M and Phillipp Eichhorn in 1859. He was the second child born to them and the only son. Elizabeth was born in 1857 and Annie was born in 1864. In the 1900 census John’s occupation is that of blacksmith. That’s the last records I can find about him until his death record on September 12, 1909.

They, like all the Wenke, Bourscheidts, Jordens, and Holtmans, seem to be an extremely close family. I hope that we too can strive to be as close and as united a family as the Eichhorns, Beutels and Wenkes. They are definelty #FAMILYGOALS

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Schroeder Boys

There are some names you grow up just knowing and for me the Schroeder name was it. Our William Carl Jorden Sr’s youngest sister Emma, married William Schroeder on Here we have Edwin born April 3, 1921, Herbert born June 28, 1922, Lloyd (Tiny) born June 6, 6, 1923 and Alfred (Skip) born September 19, 1924.

Aren’t they cute. I would estimate this photo taken in 1925 as Skip is sitting up and appears to be almost a year old. Tiny the second youngest, apeears to be ok with the going ons but also at the same time I’m just gonna hold on the the couch just in case. I am unsure who’s Edwin and who’s Herbert but those boys appear most at ease with having their photographs taken. All of them appear to be dressed in their Sunday best with stockings and shoes and suits with short pants. All the fashion of young boys in 1925.

In researching this Schroeders, I learned that all four served in World War II. While I’m sure their father, Uncle Billy, was proud of them, I’m sure he was also worried. Edwin was a corporal in the US Army Air Corp. Tiny served as a Technician 5th class in the US Army, a non-combat role such as a mechanic or radio operator. Herbert served in the Army in two enlistments, first in World War II and then for the Korean War. Skip was a Marine stationed in the Pacific theater as part of the 21st Regiment Company C. At Iwo Jima; he was killed as a result of combat along with 6,800 other American casualties. Skip is buried there in Beardstown alongside his father Billy, his mother Emma, and brother Tiny.

Thank you to the Schroeder boys for your service and last full measure of devotion to our nation during a time of war. May we remember you always.