Family GenealogyAfter much brain storming, Earl, remembered (besides the names of his mother and father, Blanche (Persons) and Frank Joseph Bednar) the names of his brothers and sisters and all the names of his Persons Aunts and Uncles. Virginia furnished addresses of two of Earl's sisters-in-laws and one sister and I started writing to Wisconsin and Minnesota. After a few months of individual letters I began a newsletter... The first one was very simple and sent to maybe 9 people... eventually I mailed to 50 people about 6 times a year. Since I was a stay at home Mom, we had to tightly budget everything but I did find the money to pay for photocoping and postage Now here's the important part... I wrote these newsletters over a three year plus period... things I thought were correct were NOT... I do intend to place corrected family group sheets online... with documentation. It will take time... after all it took nearly 2 years for me to place this online So consider this material as a study in doin' genealogy through personal knowledge.... documentation was not present at all during the first year... and I am eternally grateful that I got to meet so many of my husband's relatives either in person or through letters and phone calls.
Introduction to Newsletter idea Newsletter #2 October 1983, 3 pages Letters were coming in with addresses of relatives. I introduced the family to Hiram Persons and to a hand drawn pedigree chart... which I later added too. Newsletter #3 November/December 1983, 6 pages Letters from Ida Flowerdew and Hazel Sybrant, the Cordray Story and Family group sheet for Francis Joseph Bednar Missing Another Pedgree Chart and a family group sheet to send mail back (not very many did)
I spent nearly a year trying to find Grimton Nebraska before the mid-western people figured out that I really didn't know. Then everyone was happy to tell me where it was located.... Grimton, Knox county, Nebraska. Finally documentation.... Arlene Mansfield, a descendant of Barnhart Bower and a early computer user had been sending me tons of Bower stuff ... This newsletter included an address list... but some of these people are still living at the address given so I'm just goin' to list the names right here: Martin Bednar, Marysville WA; Bob Powers, Yellville, Ark; Vera Ayers, Edmonds WA; Bertha Bednar, Archbold OH; Ruth Schram, Early IA; Kenneth Phelps, Luray VA; George and Mary Reid, Fairfield IA; Elsie Bednar, Ponoka, Alberta, Canada; Clara Thorssen, Solon Springs WI; Dollie LeMasters, Orchard NE; Bob and Barbara Bednar, Maple Grove MN; Alrene M. Mansfield, Los Alamos NM; Marilyn Kalinowski, St. Paul MN; Frank and Sis Ehrnreiter, St. Paul MN; Audrey Simpson, Early IA; H. D. Bednar, Bothell WA; Florence Sladky, Granite City IL; Ida Flowerdew, Nampa ID; Ben Bednar, Ponoka, Alberta, canada; Betty Haynes, Bassett NE; Ruth Neilsen, Roseburg OR; Marvin Bednar, Solon Springs WI; Alta Blakely, Chicago IL; Bessie and Maxine Persons, Centralia WA; Verna LeBlanc, SolonSprings WI; Luella Flock, Galvin WA; Dale Phelps, Fairbanks AK; Lefty and Hazel Sybrant, Ogallala NE; Arlene Haskins, Solon Springs WI; Gladys Bednar, Webster WI; Ima Schinder, Bassett NE; Arlene Wilsey, Bellevue NE; Bill and Riki Bednar, Medford OR; Clara Grimm, Bassett NE; Jack and Dee Bednar, Racine WI; LeRoy Purviance, Lynch NE; Virgil Grim, Richland Center WI; Diana Kohl, Peachtree City GA; Thelma Grim, Janesville WI; Rainier and Elma Grimm, Rycroft, Alberta, Canada; Leola Johnson, Uba City CA; Vivian Ruther, Wichita KS; Telford Grim, Verdigris NE; George Coppernold, Richland Center WI; Gerald Smith, Marysville WA; Hazel sawdey, San Diego CA; Earl and Virginia bednar, Arcata CA; Martha Jones, Helmet CA; Viola Miller, O'Neill NE; Howard and Jan Grimm, Lynch NE; Arlene Clyde, Santa Maria CA; Mary Ann Gionfriddo, West Hartford CT; Maxine Sears, Oak Harbor WA; Carrie Salasek, Spring Grove IL featuring John Grim Different letters from different people about same thing Finding Phebe Louisa Persons maiden name... and not McKissen... (see I told you that errors were made...) More Nebraska material lots of pictures (I'm lookin' for the originals..) tons of Grim family stuff Introduction to Calkins Family Address list who I'm writing to, where, and how related (no addresses)
Gladys Bednar, Webster WI, Harvey Bednar Bob Bednar, Maple Grove MN, Harvey Bednar
Jack Bednar, Racine, WI, Harvey Bednar Bertha Bednar, Archbold OH, Gene Bednar
Nancy Knutson, Webster WI, Harvey Bednar Verna LeBlanc, Solon Springs, Lawrence Bednar
Luella Flock, Galvin WA, Laura Bednar Earl and Virginia Bednar, Medford OR, himself
Sis Ehrnreiter, St. Paul MN, Grace Bednar Ruth Schramm, Early IA, Mary Bednar
Arlene Mansfield, Los Alamos NM, John Bower Maxine Sears, Oak Harbor WA, Adam Swinehart
Hazel Sawdey, San Diego CA, Nando Grimm Robert Berry, Akron OH, John Grim
Mildred Barker, Portland OR, Philip Grim Ruth Neilsen, Roseburg OR, Stant Grim
Dale Phelps, Fairbanks AK, Luara Bednar Rainier and Erma Grimm, Rycroft, Alberta, Canada, Ren Grimm
Mary Reid, Fairfield IA, Earl Bednar Clara Thorseen, Solon Springs WI, herself
Audrey Simpson, Early IA, Mary Bednar Leroy Purviance, Lynch NE, Doc Hoover
Lillis Chafe, Allyn WA, Gabriel Swinehart Howard and Jan Grimm, Lynch NE, Nando Grimm
Arlene Clyde, Santa Maria CA, Dave Grim Dollie LeMasters, Orchard NE, Philena Grimm
Ima Schinder, Bassett NE, Stant Grimm Diana Kohl, Peachtree City GA, Jacob Grim
Bob Powers, Yellville AR, Mable Bednar Marilyn Kalinowski, St. Paul MN, Grace Bednar
Hubert Bednar, Bothell WA, himself Elsie Bednar, Ponoka, Alberta, Canada, Martin Bednar
Joan Myers, Jerome ID, Doc Hoover Ben Bednar, Ponoka, Alberta, Canada, Martin Bednar
Viola Miller, Lynch NE, Nando Grimm Wilma Clyde Smith, Washougal WA, Dave Grim
Clara Grimm, Bassett NE, Stant Grimm Pamela Bednar, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Martin Bednar
Doris Sweeney, Orange CA, John Grim Telford Grim, Verdigre NE
Gerald Smith, Marysville WA, Clara Persons Florence Sladky, Granite City IL, Pearl Persons
Alta Blakely, Chcago IL, Nellie Persons Mary Ann Gionfriddo, West Hartford CT, Hattie Persons
Betty Ivey, Nampa ID, Nellie Persons Anne Lundquist, Mt. Vernon WA, Frank Bednar
Lawrence Smith, Longpine NE, Clara Persons Bessie and Maxine Persons, Centralia WA, Hubert Persons
Ida Flowerdew, Nampa ID, Clara Persons Ellen Husperger, Nampa ID, Nellie Persons
Nellie Persons, Norfolk NE, Dewey's wife Lefty and Hazel Sybrant, Ogallala NE, Pearl Persons
Sally Bailey, Wallingford VT, Aaron Calkins
I'm not sure if there was another notice before we held our family reunion in Nebraska... Maybe the last issue was two... NOt sure... don't remember I really loved talkin' and writin' to my husband's family... I still have most of the letters... and many many memories. I visited several of them more then once and will happily go hundreds of miles out of my way to visit Jan and Howard Grimm in Lynch Nebraska... I owe the newsletter family an apology because after the reunion I stopped doin' research on the family in fact stopped doin' genealogy completely... stopped teaching classes... stopped working at the genealogy library... These actions were totally related to ME!!! and problems I had dealing with rejection... My In-laws made me angry because they choose not to attend the reunion... and as young as I was... I took my anger out on the families that I had come to appreciate very much. I am so sorry... please forgive me... cause getting your letters made my day... My anger lasted nearly 10 years... until I started doin' volunteer work for the USGenWeb Project... and then I began creating my genealogy library and scanning yearbooks and cheriousing my great memories Thank you for visiting these pages... Good Hunting |
