Dorothy, the Root Beer Lady

For the second summer in a row, I took advantage of living in Minnesota to conduct genealogy research locally. In 2021, Lucia and I drove to Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where we obtained the probate file for Mrs. Caroline S. King, aka "Lena"…
,

Nelson Jonnes Died a Decade Ago Today

My father, Nelson Jonnes (1926-2011), passed away on 7 November 2011.  He was 85 and would have been 95 today. On the occasion of Dad's 80th birthday bash in 2006, I created a certificate in PowerPoint detailing many of his life accomplishments. …
,

My Vermilyea Cousin in Fairbanks, Alaska

Lucia and I flew to Alaska last month! It was an amazing trip and we hope to return.  We encourage anyone who has not been to consider it.  It is as advertised - majestically beautiful and naturally wilder than any place in the lower 48. …

A Dream Come True

Once upon a time there was a Chinese girl named Shuping.((Shu is pronounced like "shoe" and Ping as in "ping-pong."))  She was born in Communist China and raised during the Cultural Revolution. At the height of Mao's tyranny, no Western…
,

R.I.P. Beverly Bonn Jonnes (1932-2019)

My Mother passed away peacefully yesterday after an 8-month battle with bile duct cancer.  She was 87.  She remained alert and witty until the last few hours. Her cancer is a rare one, but then, she was a rare woman. She was born Beverly…
,

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away …

Sir Hugh de Malebisse - Norman knight, participant in Battle of Hastings, 1066 A.D.  This is the man who launched my interest in genealogy! It happened in 4th grade.  We had an assignment to do a report on someone interesting in our family. …