D.L. MacLaughlan Dumes

Today's bird in the spotlight, a house finch, seems mesmerized by the camera lens.

Today's bird in the spotlight, a house finch, seems mesmerized by the camera lens.

Cabinet card, Jensen's Studio, Flensburg 1902. Henry Andrew and Mary Feldschau were stepchildren of my great-great-aunt Karen Marie Johansen Petersen. The frame includes real flower images -- roses, zinnias, chrysanthemums, daisies. Henry rides a rocking horse, a novel way to get a child to pose.

Cabinet card, Jensen's Studio, Flensburg 1902. Henry Andrew and Mary Feldschau were stepchildren of my great-great-aunt Karen Marie Johansen Petersen. The frame includes real flower images -- roses, zinnias, chrysanthemums, daisies. Henry rides a rocking horse, a novel way to get a child to pose.

Mine is Lee. I hate both my names, which my parents selected simply because they liked them, not for historical or honorific reasons to reflect ancestry, which I think should have been their criteria. But they didn’t ask me. :-)

I may be wrong but circumstantial signs point to our Loren/Lawrence Petersen being "Slippery Duke" in the 1920s in Kenosha: https://sakionline.net/family-folio/blog.html

I may be wrong but circumstantial signs point to our Loren/Lawrence Petersen being "Slippery Duke" in the 1920s in Kenosha: sakionline.net/family-folio...

I do too!

House finch

Dark eyed junco

We have a new Bird Buddy feeder on the front porch, this one with a better camera and an extended perch to encourage more bird visitors. The details for this house finch (left) and dark-eyed junco (slate grey version) are remarkable.

A curious tufted titmouse visited this morning and posed prettily for the camera.

A curious tufted titmouse visited this morning and posed prettily for the camera.

Surprises abound in genealogy. Here's our most colorful Petersen ancestor: Lawrence (Loren) "Slippery Duke" Petersen from Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was in the news a lot from 1919 through 1924, mostly for grand larceny, seduction, and consorting with married women. Not what I expected to find!

Surprises abound in genealogy. Here's our most colorful Petersen ancestor: Lawrence (Loren) "Slippery Duke" Petersen from Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was in the news a lot from 1919 through 1924, mostly for grand larceny, seduction, and consorting with married women. Not what I expected to find!

After a long week of heavy genealogical research, surviving a tornado and the arrest of a former British prince, we owe ourselves a bit of celebration. Besides, there are vegetables in it so it's really a salad.

After a long week of heavy genealogical research, surviving a tornado and the arrest of a former British prince, we owe ourselves a bit of celebration. Besides, there are vegetables in it so it's really a salad.

A pretty wedding cabinet card: John Schuchmann, a distant cousin, married Rosa Anna Sippel in Carlyle, Illinois in 1895. He was 26, she was 18. They had four children before Rosa died at 27 years old. A newspaper clipping described the funeral cortege as the longest that had ever been seen in town.

A pretty wedding cabinet card: John Schuchmann, a distant cousin, married Rosa Anna Sippel in Carlyle, Illinois in 1895. He was 26, she was 18. They had four children before Rosa died at 27 years old. A newspaper clipping described the funeral cortege as the longest that had ever been seen in town.

Rosa Anna Sippel, daughter of Adam and Amalia Sippel of St. Louis, Missouri, married our cousin John Schuchmann of Carlyle, Illinois in 1895. She was eighteen and this is likely an engagement photo. The heart-shaped collar ornament is a lovely touch, perhaps an engagement present from her fiancé.

Rosa Anna Sippel, daughter of Adam and Amalia Sippel of St. Louis, Missouri, married our cousin John Schuchmann of Carlyle, Illinois in 1895. She was eighteen and this is likely an engagement photo. The heart-shaped collar ornament is a lovely touch, perhaps an engagement present from her fiancé.

Here's a relative who was born at sea! Daniel Schuchmann's family emigrated from Groß Bieberau, Hesse-Darmstadt in 1834. He was a shipboard birth. The 1850 U.S. federal census of Illinois confirms that his birthplace was "Atlantic Ocean." We share a common ancestor, Peter Schuchmann, born in 1604.

Here's a relative who was born at sea! Daniel Schuchmann's family emigrated from Groß Bieberau, Hesse-Darmstadt in 1834. He was a shipboard birth. The 1850 U.S. federal census of Illinois confirms that his birthplace was "Atlantic Ocean." We share a common ancestor, Peter Schuchmann, born in 1604.

It’s a toss-up between “The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob” and “End of August at the Hotel Ozone.”

Had a strong DNA match with a Petersen. Thought he was from my Nebraska clan because he matched them too, but instead he's related to my Andrew & Karen Marie (Johansen) Petersen (photo 1889) of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Karen Marie's sister married Andrew's brother Peter in Nebraska, so explains it.

Had a strong DNA match with a Petersen. Thought he was from my Nebraska clan because he matched them too, but instead he's related to my Andrew & Karen Marie (Johansen) Petersen (photo 1889) of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Karen Marie's sister married Andrew's brother Peter in Nebraska, so explains it.

My parents and their nieces visiting from Omaha about 1952: Nessie, Jean, and Barbara Miller, looks like the L.A. County Arboretum. They had a lovely tour of Southern California. I inherited the elaborate enamel necklace that my mom is wearing.

My parents and their nieces visiting from Omaha about 1952: Nessie, Jean, and Barbara Miller, looks like the L.A. County Arboretum. They had a lovely tour of Southern California. I inherited the elaborate enamel necklace that my mom is wearing.

Valentine's day: Heinrich Philipp Dressel and Catharina Elisabetha Künzel married on 14 February 1782 in Darmstadt; they're my paternal-side 5x-great-grandparents. We have documents tracing the Dressel family back to 1660 but the Kunzel family (as Kientzle) is traced back to 1540 in Württemberg.

Valentine's day: Heinrich Philipp Dressel and Catharina Elisabetha Künzel married on 14 February 1782 in Darmstadt; they're my paternal-side 5x-great-grandparents. We have documents tracing the Dressel family back to 1660 but the Kunzel family (as Kientzle) is traced back to 1540 in Württemberg.

The snow is melting and the song sparrows are visiting. This one stopped by for a hearty breakfast.

The snow is melting and the song sparrows are visiting. This one stopped by for a hearty breakfast.

Cyclamen coum thinks it's springtime. If you were in the greenhouse you'd think so too.

Cyclamen coum thinks it's springtime. If you were in the greenhouse you'd think so too.

Some Müller connections with my Charleston families in this portrait: Helen Jenny Marie Müller, daughter of Louis Müller (my great-grandmother's brother) and Mary Amme, married Russell Speights in Atlanta in 1903. They pose here in 1907 with two daughters, Catherine Clyde and Helen Rebecca.

Some Müller connections with my Charleston SC families in this portrait: Helen Jenny Marie Müller, daughter of Louis Müller (my great-grandmother's brother) and Mary Amme, married Russell Speights in Atlanta in 1903. They pose here in 1907 with two daughters, Catherine Clyde and Helen Rebecca.

Wade Hampton Campbell, wife Maggie Müller Campbell, and an unknown man, possibly Wade's brother, Walhalla, Oconee County, South Carolina about 1905. Maggie was my great-grandmother's niece. Clearly the music gene that skipped subsequent generations was present in her. https://sakionline.net/family-folio/blog.html

Wade Hampton Campbell, wife Maggie Müller Campbell, and an unknown man, possibly Wade's brother, Walhalla, Oconee County, South Carolina about 1905. Maggie was my great-grandmother's niece. The music gene skipped subsequent generations but was present in her. . sakionline.net/family-folio...

Paul really hopes I'll stop taking pictures and will feed him a snack instead.

Paul really hopes I'll stop taking pictures and will feed him a snack instead.

Stegosaurus is my second-favorite. Triceratops is first.

Fascinating genealogical document from Woltersdorf, Pomerania c. 1914 in front of their house. Mother Mathilde Möde Breetzke, her sons Erich and Walter, daughters Elsie and Frieda, and as the inscription on the back says, a small "Pflegekind," foster child. Father Hermann was away in the war.

Fascinating genealogical document from Woltersdorf, Pomerania c. 1914 in front of their house. Mother Mathilde Möde Breetzke, her sons Erich and Walter, daughters Elsie and Frieda, and as the inscription on the back says, a small "Pflegekind," foster child. Father Hermann was away in the war.

George says, "Turned out nice again."

George says, "Turned out nice again."

Margaret (Marge) and Myrtle Petersen, twin daughters of Peter and Martha (Krohn) Petersen of Milwaukee. This looks like a confirmation portrait from about 1923. They were my father's cousins.

Margaret (Marge) and Myrtle Petersen, twin daughters of Peter and Martha (Krohn) Petersen of Milwaukee. This looks like a confirmation portrait from about 1923. They were my father's cousins.

Happy February 9th to all who celebrate.

Happy February 9th to all who celebrate.

That makes perfect sense, thanks!

James Clarence Jatho, son of George and Ruth Jatho, in his Navy uniform, Chicago about 1945. Jim was my grandmother Marie Jatho MacLaughlan's nephew. A pensive but slightly playful portrait.

James Clarence Jatho, son of George and Ruth Jatho, in his Navy uniform, Chicago about 1945. Jim was my grandmother Marie Jatho MacLaughlan's nephew. A pensive but slightly playful portrait.

The sailor suit makes the man...or boy in this case. Norwood "Jack" Jatho Junior, son of Norwood Jatho Sr. and Adelaide Gadpaille Jatho, was born in 1919 in New Orleans. His father was part of our Charleston Jatho clan. He's about eight years old here.

The sailor suit makes the man...or boy in this case. Norwood "Jack" Jatho Junior, son of Norwood Jatho Sr. and Adelaide Gadpaille Jatho, was born in 1919 in New Orleans. His father was part of our Charleston Jatho clan. He's about eight years old here.

New project: databasing old records. This is Charlotte Wilhelmine Micsh, daughter of Christian, died at age 25 in 1832 in the village of Niemietzke (today Podkomorzyce) in Pommern. If I'm reading it right she died of "Sitziger Nervenfieber" -- localized typhus? Any doctors want to interpret this?

New project: databasing old records. This is Charlotte Wilhelmine Misch, daughter of Christian, died at age 25 in 1832 in the village of Niemietzke (today Podkomorzyce) in Pommern. If I'm reading it right she died of "Sitziger Nervenfieber" -- localized typhus? Any doctors want to interpret this?