Visitors and Queries

VISITORS AND QUERIES

BY KAREN HANSEN

Larry and Connie McDermott from Harlan, Iowa visited our genealogy room and we found McDermotts in the 1885 Census in Pleasant Township, Pottawattamie County.  They also received many MCDERMOTT and BRINDLEY obituaries.  We welcome them as new members and thank them for their donation.  Bob HEIN from Avoca worked with Barb Butcher on his family history, also on the same day.

Kristine and Jesse Moore of Cherokee, Iowa made a return visit to Walnut.  They got obituaries of many LAMERS, of Julia and George FISH, and of Vera BOOTH, some census records, and a photo of E. F. Fish, which we copied from a Harlan G.A.R. photo at the Harlan museum.  After reading about their query in the January Antique City Roots, Bob and Mariann Martens suggested that Kristine contact George Martens of Shelby.  George is the son of Bob’s brother Marvin MARTENS and Jeanine MCFERRAN.  Kristine had received LAMER information from Renee Pence through our suggestion.

We received a query from Dan & Linda Kennedy of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.  They said Winnie BROSCHER was born in Walnut, Iowa, married Daniel KENNEDY and lived in Mystic, Iowa.  We found that Mystic is in Walnut Township, Appanoose County and directed them to resources there.

 I received a phone call from Soenke Morbach in Elchingen, Germany.  He is seeking information on his relative Julius SIEVERS.  We contacted Allan Sievers of Walnut, but his ancestor Julius Sievers, who, although, also buried in Kansas, was a different Julius.

There was an article in the last ACR about Claus Holtz freezing to death in the blizzard of 1888.  He is WGS member Janelle Holtz’s great-grandfather; her family believes that his first name is Jergen.

We have finished copying the obituaries that we wanted from the notebooks that the Lewis Library shared with us.

We want to thank Don Fischer of Chico, California and a former Walnut resident, for sharing his memories and photos of “Red” Osler with us and for sending copies of the four booklets that he authored.  The library board would like to make copies, so they may be checked out.  He also gave us a copy of his book of musings.  He is a wonderful source of information on the town and its citizens.

 KH