Asking me to pick a favorite photo, brings out this question to me: in what category? For what topic? On my genealogical journey, this picture to me is one of the best. It is the results of patience, steadfastness, and perseverance.

It started in 2007 when I was searching for my paternal grandfather’s name in the Ellis Island Records. He was not there. I had been told by my aunt, his daughter, that he came in 1912. Searching through pages and pages of documents, I kept looking for the elusive Franciszek Slabik. After a three year search, one Sunday morning, I said, “Frank, I am going to find you today. This is your day.” He was from Poland, but it was a time that Poland was not recognized as a country. I looked with an open mind. Bingo…there he was.

In Polish, the letter L can has a slash through it. In transcribing the records, the transcriber had written STABIK. He listed his country as Austria with Polish as his language. The town I know that he was from was listed. Bingo…

In 2017, I chose to have his name along with my grandmother’s name (immigrated to America in 1906) inscribed on the Wall of Honor at Ellis Island. Their names appear on Panel 761. Along with my husband Dan, we made a pilgrimage there…to breathe the air they breathed, to see what they saw when they arrived.

Why it this a favorite? It is a tribute to my grandparents. It is in honor of the granddaughter who never gave up looking for them. It is a beginning of an American story.

Just who was she? Why was she hiding in the background? Had she not had a life before meeting up with him? The family did not have much to tell about her as they did her husband. Oh, he was the source of tales, sagas, and downright family lore. So, just who was she?

Born in 1833, Mary Etta Soule grew up in a small hamlet in New York. Surrounded by water and forests, she lived among family, aunts, uncles, and cousins. For her first fourteen years, this was her way of life. Then the early death of her father left the family wondering how they would survive.

Her mother Jane was a strong willed woman who had little fear of anything. She gathered her young sons and daughter to make a new life. Part of their journey westward took them down the Erie Canal. Mary Etta and her family group went by steamer across Lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan to Milwaukee. From there, they traveled by grain wagon to Watertown, Wisconsin. She was now eighteen and for awhile worked in a brickyard. She struck up a friendship with the manager, Andrew Storer. He needed a wife to care for the animals on his small farm so he proposed. Did they marry for love?

With her new husband Andrew, she discovered that she had married a man with wanderlust. He was originally from Maine with quite a background, too, in settling in different places. In time, they would settle in the Minnesota Territory, Iowa, and finally Kansas. Together they would raise nine children. Mary Etta became known for her steadfastness, loyalty, and familial devotion. She passed after a brief illness in 1887 at the age of 54.

Later, it was noted in the newspaper that Andrew had erected a memorial to Mary on his farm. Being one of Osborne County, Kansas’s earliest pioneer families, more is told and remembered about Andrew. Mary Etta remains a quiet figure without any family lore…sometimes, those persons are the foundation and backbone of those who are best remembered.

As one climbs the family tree, there are no branches or leaves for one’s lifelong friends. There are no recordings of their names. Friendships that blossomed through years of laughter and tears are not given that place of honor. How strange and unbelievable!

Who are our lifetime friends? They are buddies, pals with whom we spent our early childhoods , went to school together, shared rites of passage. In their company, one does not have to explain how they grew up, who one’s family is, when the milestones of life took place. They were witnesses to all that was.

In honor and memory of my lifelong friend, I would like to introduce Cathy Irene Covert. We met in 1960. She lived in our neighborhood just a few short blocks over. I could walk to her house in five minutes. I met her through her cousin. My first impression was that she was bossy. As the three of us listened to records, little did I imagine that our friendship would last forever.

We became inseparable. We were the younger versions of Thelma and Louise sans the Thunderbird. We were the original Laverne and Shirley. We dated two best friends. When one of us was present, the other was not far away. Laughter and teenage angst followed us. After high school, she married and I went on to college. I moved an hour away. We wrote back and forth.

Through the years, we visited back and forth. When my husband and I visited with her, she would invite her children and their children to share dinners together. We were family.

On the morning of November 22, 2016, I was at my computer reading emails. The lights flickered, but the electric never went off. Later that day, I received the call from her son that she had passed away unexpectedly that morning. She made those lights flicker…her drama queen spirit was telling me that she was leaving.

I miss my lifelong friend. How do you plot on a family tree the important dates and times of all your adventures, misadventures, memories? And so I honor you, my dearest friend, Cathy Irene Covert.

Skilled tradesman take years to hone their crafts. Often they use heavy tools to produce goods and provide services. But those two tradesman were of a delicate nature. They worked with needles and thread while crafting their goods. They started in different places but came to the same town. Their stories are quite different, but they receive equal footing in my family tree.

Born in England in 1844, Isabella Anna Couchman immigrated to America ten years later after the death of her father. Settling in Manhattan, New York City, she was trained in the art of dressmaking. (Details of her work and employment are unknown to me.) At the age of 22, she married William Henry Stevens, a Civil War veteran and fellow English emigrant. With their family of nine children, they eventually settled in Kill Creek Township, Osborne County, Kansas, in 1871…a long way from the big cities they had known. Since the mother of the family was responsible for their clothing, her dressingmaking and sewing skills were an asset. Isabella became my 2nd great grandmother.

Born in 1828 in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, Maria Magdalina Kraemer immigrated to Manhattan, New York City, in the early 1840s. (The details of her parentage and immigration are unknown to me.) She was trained in a convent school in the delicate art of fancy needlework and embroidery. She worked in Manhattan. At the age of 15, she married Amos Howell Boultinghouse who was stationed in the U.S. Army at Fort Columbus. He was ten years older than she. Once discharged, they lived in DuPage County, Illinois. During the Civil War, Amos reenlisted. They, too, eventually settled in Bloomington, Osborne County, Kansas, in 1871. Her needle skills were an asset to her family in making clothes. Maria became my 2nd great grandmother.

Isabella and Maria would meet when Isabella’s daughter Naomi Ruth married Maria’s son Lafayette Edward on 1 January 1894. So once upon a lifetime, two women from different countries in Europe with the same trade skills would meet and intertwine their lives on the plains of Kansas…and eventually mine.

Under the shady cottonwoods, carpenter Lafe Boultinghouse set out the tables he had assembled. It was his gift to the reunion that would take place in Bloomington, Osborne County, Kansas. His wife Mamie brought along eating utensils and plates that were used in her restaurant. Grandma B spread out the embroidered tablecloths that she had created by hand. Grandpa B toted the bread basket that contained loaves made from his wheat. Soon the families would assemble.

About noon, Grand and Grandma Storer arrived with their wagon loaded with chairs and food. Grandma had baked her family famous sugar cookies while Grand brought his family famous appetite. Grandma loved to entertain young people so she supplied games and prizes for them. Andrew Storer, their son, brought along his wife Isabella and two young daughters, Mae Mae and Mary Lee. Isabella had prepared hamper baskets filled with her fried chicken, potato salad, and several kinds of pie.

As the family sat down to eat, Grandpa B offered a prayer of thanks and blessings for all the assembled. Laughter and talking permeated their surroundings. Grandpa B told stories about his time in the Civil War…he was careful to tell just fascinating stories about fellow soldiers as he left out the real details of war. Grandma B told of her childhood in France and coming across the ocean while still a child. Lafe talked about his hunting and fishing exploits in Montana. The ladies all shared their plans for starting new quilts at the next Busy Bee Club meeting. Of course, the young people played games and entertained themselves. It was a heaven on earth day.

As evening approached, they gathered up their belongings and packed the wagons. Hugs and kisses floated across their spaces. They bid each other good-bye as they ventured home. It would be remembered as a heaven on earth day.

Note: this reunion is an imaginary one. The Boultinghouses and the Storers are my mother’s family. (She is the daughter Mae Mae.) In telling the story, I included talents that each one shared as their contribution to the reunion. Several of them were not alive at the same time. Perhaps in the Kingdom of Heaven, such a banquet has taken place among them.

Thursday, December 11, 1941

Man In The Street Reaction: Andrew E. Storer, age 45 years old, farmer, Alton, Kansas

“I heard neighbors talking, partyline conversations, meeting friends at the general store…some heard President Roosevelt on the radio as he spoke out about ‘the day of infamy’. Boys will be called up to fight just as I was in 1918. Back then, it was called The Great War…The World To End All Wars. Did the taste of it really end wars? No, now war is in Europe and the Pacific. County boys will respond with loyalty to the freedom of the Stars and Stripes. May God protect them!

Girl In The Street Reaction: Merna Mae Storer, age 17 years old, high school senior, Alton, Kansas

“The school hallways are buzzing with the voices of the boys who are enlisting after graduation. They greet each other with ‘See you in Tokyo!’ As for me, I have been planning on leaving the farm and heading to the state capital in Topeka. As this point, I do not know how war will affect my plans. I might be needed at my parents’ farm. Graduation is six months off so… How can I help? What will I be called to do?”

On this December day, the county citizens’ opinions, thoughts, and prayers varied. They listened to radios at home or at their neighbors hungry for news and reports. They trusted their national and state leaders to guide them forward into the unknown abyss of another war. Little did they know that it would end four years later with many county boys giving their lives for freedom.

Note: Andrew E. Storer is my grandfather who served in World War I. Merna Mae Storer is my mother who after high school worked at the State Capitol Building in Topeka. In that city, she would meet her future husband, Edward J. Slabik, who came for Army training in Topeka.

September 24, 1900: Birthday Surprise on Mrs. James Nickel

It seemed that husband Jim was going to pull off the perfect surprise for his wife Mary Emily. It was her 50th birthday, and a big afternoon was planned. Jim was being secretive. He invited family and neighbors to come for a surprise supper for his wife of 29 years. Would he get away with it?

Through word of mouth, invitations went out. Guests were asked to bring a dish to share plus bring their own plates and eating utensils. Daughter Almina was baking a cake to bring. They were to assemble at noon. So when vehicles began to arrive, Mary Emily gasped in surprise at the company. “Jim Nickel, what have you done?” she questioned. “Nawthin'”, was his response.

All the little details of the day were reported by the small weekly Kansas county newspaper, The Osborne County Farmer. Such a little event merited eight paragraphs. As was typical of the social event reporting of the day, the article touted the couple as “good people and have raised a good family and made a good home.”

James Nickel and Mary Emily Weaver are my second great grandparents. I never heard anyone speak of them. I first met them in a county history book. In investigating their lives, I used that same county newspaper to flesh them out as real people. Amazingly, little social gathering details were reported in that newspaper. I was able to meet them and get to know them. They were pioneers who first came to Osborne County, Kansas, with their family in 1878. Jim was from Pennsylvania while Mary Emily was from Ohio. And so, a little surprise birthday party became an avenue of making their acquaintances.

The warm breezes across the farm fields whispered his name…”Abel, gone, gone”. It was the summer of 1864. Eliza Ann had to hold the family together because her beloved Abel was not coming back. As she looked across the Franklin County, Maine, fields, she could hardly hold back the tears of grief. Such sadness for one heart to hold!

He was 20 years old, and she was 17 when they married. In the 18 years of their marriage, they parented 8 children. The land they farmed could hardly support them as they relied on charity. So why did he enlist in the 2nd Maine Cavalry in January, 1864? Was the cause calling him to action?

Before he left, he has his likeness taken. Proud in his uniform. Proud of his military contribution to county. Proud of his heritage dating back to his ancestors of the Revolutionary War. Proud to be in the cavalry. He was going far from home to help protect a city he knew little about, but he had been called to serve.

Abel was stationed near New Orleans to protect the city. Beginning in April, 1864, he had complained of heart pain and asked to be placed in the field hospital. The Army surgeon diagnosed him with rheumatism and placed him back on duty. On May 26, when his regiment was leaving the city, Abel fell from his horse and died. He had endocarditis, a heart condition. He was buried in Louisiana.

Back in Maine, Eliza Ann received word of her Abel’s death…gone in Louisiana. She wasn’t sure where that was. Buried…she wasn’t sure where. Never to see him again…how would she survive?

Through time, Eliza Ann took in boarders to support the family. She applied for a widow’s pension which was granted in 1865 in the amount of $8/month. She never remarried and lived 43 years without him. Did she ever journey to his burial place so far from home?

Note: In looking over my tree, I first noted Abel’s Civil War likeness and his death date. I became curious as to his story. In researching him, I found these facts about him. He lies buried in Chalmette, Louisiana, National Cemetery. Did Eliza Ann ever get to visit his resting place?

FAST…Fearless, Adventuresome, Self Confident, Thirsty…Uncle Jack comes to my mind. Never knew him, never interviewed anyone who knew much about him. He remained a mystery until I found him softly mentioned in a weekly newspaper. The mentions were dribs and drabs until I put them all together to paint a picture.

Fearless…Jack was ready to take on any challenge directed his way. He left Osborne County, Kansas, at the age of 24. He learned the love of hunting and fishing from his father. There was nothing to keep him interested in his small town. He needed action. He had been to France during World War I, where he had been a supply wagoner. He had found that thrilling. He needed to move on.

Adventuresome…Jack left Kansas. He headed to Natrona County, Wyoming, where there were oil fields. He chose to be a roustabout, a laborer to get supplies and equipment for the oil drilling teams. During the offtimes, he worked on a ranch. He loved to handle horses. When the time was right, he could hunt and fish. He married and had a daughter. Jack was impatient and thoughtless so the marriage did not work out.

Self Confident…Jack knew he could handle any job that involved animals, rifles, nature. He left Wyoming and headed to Nebraska. There he became the manager of a wildlife preserve. He enjoyed being his own boss. He loved taking care of wild animals. He remarried and planned on settling in.

Thirsty…Jack longed for an even greater challenge. Through the years, he had become an expert on Remington Rifles. World War II demanded that the American Army have topnotch rifles. Jack was recruited by Remington to come aboard their design team in Denver, Colorado. Under the veil of governmental secrecy, he worked. During the middle of the war, Jack developed brain cancer. When he was hospitalized during his final days, his room was guarded. Officials were afraid that the painkillers given to him would make him delirious…he might reveal secrets.

Jack was my great uncle. His full name was Edward Ralph Boultinghouse (1896-1943). I became interested in his story when I was given his World War I dog tags. And so…

Born during the Civil War…died after World War II. When she entered the world, Abraham Lincoln was the president of a divided nation. When she left the world, Dwight Eisenhower was the president during the time of the Cold War. At the end, she would be the last one standing of her parents and siblings.

A child of the Illinois prairies, Helen Boultinghouse was born while her father had recently left for war. He would return when she was a toddler. Her babyhood was spent with her French mother on the family farm along with seven siblings. She knew the security of family bonding together for the sake of survival. What character traits would be gifted to her at this impressionable time of development?

At the tender age of nine years old, her parents felt a call to move the family to Kansas. Gathering up family and possessions, they went by wagon train to make their new home in Osborne County, Kansas. What experiences in being a child pioneer were felt most by her?

At the tender age of 18, Helen married 35 year old Willard Comer originally from Canada. They married in June, 1880, in Russell County, Kansas, where they remained for the rest of their lives. How did they met, and was this a love match or marriage of convenience?

During their marriage, Willard was a real estate agent…Helen’s background was farming so town life was new to her. Two daughters, Pearle and Brownie, completed their family. They lived ordinary lives until Willard became ill. He suffered for three years and was bedridden for the last year. Not only a wife and mother, Helen was a devoted caregiver. He passed in 1916. How did it feel to be a widow at age 54 in a small Kansas town?

For the next 34 years, Helen was alone except for her daughters who remained at home and never married. The world around her was constantly changing, not only nationally but also for her personally. Her parents and siblings were now gone…last one standing. What did she tell herself to make these losses lessen and the grief bearable?

Helen Boultinghouse was my great grandaunt. I never heard anyone speak of her. I could not find much written about her. Today I discovered her and brought a part of her story to light. So, Aunt Helen, what else would you like me to write to bring your memory alive?