** ALL THE PAGES IN THE SHAWANO GENWEB PROJECT ARE COPYRIGHTED & PROTECTED UNDER U.S. COPYRIGHT LAWS.  

This copyright was effective the instant they were created. ***

It is not necessary to have a notice of copyright (i.e.: © 1997 Jane Doe) for material to be copyright protected in the U.S.  Once something tangible is produced, text, graphics, music, video, etc., it is automatically copyrighted.  This includes TEXT as well as DESIGN, LAYOUT & FORMAT.

If you have a question regarding it, please email me. 

Again it is BIRTHDAY TIME -- this marks 11 years with almost 350,000 hits -- we must still be doing something right!  I always get asked "What are you working on?" - personally, I am back to writing my book on the Laedtke - Blaese Family from Shawano County.  It's been WONDERFUL to catch up with cousins - both old and new.  I'm always apprehensive about contacting someone out of the blue and asking about family but, hey, it works!! I now have great "NEW" cousins to help with details as well as GREAT OLD COUSINS (and you know who you are!) that have been so generous with their memories and copies of the old photographs!  So, I HIGHLY recommend contacting extended family as mine have been marvelous!

The following are some of the new pages -- certainly not all the updates to the old pages that have been sent in... we just update the old pages and repost them.

• David Moede sent in a photograph to be identified - possibly the RUHBUSCH FAMILY from Gresham area.  Thanks, David!
• My name is Dana Brehmer. I'm a relative of Bradley Brehmer (grandson of August Brehmer). August Brehmer was the brother of William Brehmer (born in Pommerania). I'm in contact with Bradley Brehmer. He gave me some information about the relatives of William Brehmer. I'm looking for pictures of other information about the children of William Brehmer of stories about the beginning in Antigo. Do you have any further information?
  Sincerely,
  Dana Brehmer
• And the Shawano Message Board has about 19, 500 FREE COMPLETE OBITUARIES posted - many thanks to all who contributed and transcribed for us! (Volunteers are always welcome!)

Also, keeping checking back at www.familysearch.org -- it's FREE and there are wonderful things being added daily.  AND, get ready -- the 1940 Federal Census is due to be released April 2, 2012 -- and this is no April's Fool joke.  Federal Censuses are released every 72 years -- generally this was a person's life span.  This will be a wonderful asset as it is the last before World War II.  As you already know, each census asks different questions from previous years -- this one asks WHERE WERE YOU LIVING FIVE YEARS AGO!!! Now, how cool is that?  Here's a list of the other 1940 questions our ancestors answered:

1940 Census Questions

The following questions were those included on the Population Schedule for the 1940 Census.

The header of each Population Schedule reads "Department of Commerce — Bureau of the Census, Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940" and includes fields for State, County, Incorporated place, Township or other division or county, Ward of city, Block Nos., Unincorporated place, Institution, Supervisor District Number (S.D. No.), Enumeration District Number (E.D. No.), date of ectual enumeration, name of enumerator, and sheet number.

1. LOCATION: Street, avenue, road, etc.
2. LOCATION: House number (in cities and towns)
3. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Number of household in order of visitation
4. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Home owned (O) or rented (R)
5. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented
6. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Does this household live on a farm? (Yes or No)
7. NAME: Name of each person whose usual place of residence on April 1, 1940, was in this household.
8. RELATION: Relationship of this person to the head of the household, as wife, daughter, father, mother-in-law, grandson, lodger, lodger's wife, servant, hired hand, etc.
9. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Sex — Male (M), Female (F)
10. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Color or race
11. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Age at last birthday
12. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Marital status — Single (S), Married (M), Widowed (Wd), Divorced (D)
13. EDUCATION: Attended school or college any time since March 1, 1940 (Yes or No)
14. EDUCATION: Highest grade of school completed
15. PLACE OF BIRTH: If born in the United States, give State, Territory, or possession. If foreign born, give country in which birthplace was situated on January 1, 1937. Distinguish Canada-French from Canada-English and Irish Free State (Eire) from Northern Ireland.
16. CITIZENSHIP: Citizenship of the foreign born
17. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: City, town, or village having 2,500 or more inhabitants. Enter "R" for all other places
18. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: County
19. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: State (or Territory or foreign country
20. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: On a farm? (Yes or No)
21. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Was this person AT WORK for pay or profit in private or nonemergency Govt. work during week of March 24-30? (Yes or No)
22. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: If not, was he at work on, or assigned to, public EMERGENCY WORK (WPA, NYA, CCC, etc.) during week of March 24-30? (Yes or No)
23. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Was this person SEEKING WORK? (Yes or No)
24. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: If not seeking work, did he HAVE A JOB, business, etc.? (Yes or No)
25. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Indicate whether engaged in home housework (H) in school (S), unable to work (U), or other (O)
26. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Number of hours worked during week of March 24-30, 1940
27. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Duration of unemploymen up to March 30, 1940 - in weeks
28. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Occupation: Trade, profession, or particular kind of work
29. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Industry: Industry of business
30. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Class of worker
31. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Number of weeks worked in 1939 (Equivalent full-time weeks)
32. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: INCOME IN 1939: Amount of money wages or salary received (including commissions)
33. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: INCOME IN 1939: Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary? (Yes or No)
34. Number of Farm Schedule
    
     

    

    Each 1940 Population Schedule has 40 numbered lines (numbered along both the left and right edges of the form). There is a list of SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS, which would be asked of those individuals recorded usually on Lines 14 and 29 (although other lines were also designated for such use and was presumably to ensure a random sampling).
    The Supplementary Questions were as follows:
    
     

35. NAME
36. PLACE OF BIRTH OF FATHER AND MOTHER: FATHER
37. PLACE OF BIRTH OF FATHER AND MOTHER: MOTHER
38. MOTHER TONGUE (OR NATIVE LANGUAGE): Language spoken in home in earliest childhood
39. VETERANS: Is this person a veteran of the United States military forces; or the wife, widow, or under-18-year-old child of a veteran? If so, enter "Yes"
40. VETERANS: If child, is veteran-father dead (Yes or No)
41. VETERANS: War or military service
42. SOCIAL SECURITY: Does this person have a Federal Social Security Number? (Yes or No)
43. SOCIAL SECURITY: Were deductions for Federal Old-Age Insurance or Railroad Retirement made from this person's wages or salary in 1939? (Yes or No)
44. SOCIAL SECURITY: If so, were deductions made from (1) all, (2) one-half or more, (3) part, but less than half, of wages or salary?
45. USUAL OCCUPATION
46. USUAL INDUSTRY
47. Usual class of worker
48. FOR ALL WOMEN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED: Has this woman been married more than once? (Yes or No)
49. FOR ALL WOMEN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED: Age at first marriage?
50. FOR ALL WOMEN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED: Number of children ever born (Do not include stillbirths)

Here's a countdown that really matters: the days, hours, minutes, and seconds we have to endure before the 1940 U.S. Federal Census is released to the public.

And, “Unlike previous census years, images of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be made available as free digital images.”  -- and here's a GREAT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY that you can do from your own home, laptop, etc. : Help Index the 1940 US Census and we'll post just where you can access this census as we find out more as the date approaches.

"1940 Census Release Date

The 1940 U.S. Federal Census was conducted based on a census date of April 1, 1940. Given the seventy-two year privacy restriction, family historians will need to wait until April 2, 2012 before they can inspect schedules from the sixteenth census of the United States. The census counted a total of nearly 132.2 million people living in 48 states.

Since April 1st falls on a Sunday in 2012, we'll have to wait an additional day to access the 1940 census schedules, but recent announcements from officials at the National Archives have indicated the schedules are already scanned and being prepped for digital release through the NARA website, rather than microfilm as has been done in previous years."

Blank 1940 Census Form

And we're still doing FREE look-ups online at ancestry.com if you need them! Just email me.

Until we meet again online!!!
Anne

Just couldn't let our 10th birthday pass without saying "THANKS" for 10 great years and here's to many, many more.  We've put together an awesome place for research and a message board that allows interaction and postings... plus 18,000+ obituaries.  

The question I get asked at least weekly is "What are you working on?".  Took time off to work on family histories and connecting with long lost relatives... been working a little here and there on a book I am writing & doing pro bono research.  Hopefully we'll get some free time in the near future to post the newer data that folks have requested and/or shared.  If you have "dead end" you need a little help with to get to the next line, let me know...

Until then, happy spring from a finally thawing New England!!!
Anne

Thanks for your patience and enjoy the website and the 18,000+ free complete obituaries on the Message Boards...

HAPPY AUTUMN... Til next time... Anne

Drove to the church about ten years ago and was surprised that the parsonage had been demolished.  Had my wife with me and wanted to show her my first home.   Will wait for your reply.   I am going through old photos and paperwork and will keep you in mind if I find anything pertaining to the church.
Michael Schroeder

I received another email that shows how awesome obits are -- and that randomly posting them helps other people in the future - this was a 2001 obit.  I had heard a few years back "Stop posting those newer obits -- people are only interested in OLD OBITS" -- Needless to say, I didn't heed her advice! So keep posting those obits!!! Old or new... published or UNPUBLISHED (you can write an obit for an ancestor that didn't have one... and we'll put it on the message boards - just send them in!)
Subject: 2001 obituary of Mary Schwalbach
I am the great-granddaughter of Mary Schwalbach. I'm new to ancestry.com & have no idea why you posted her obit, but am thankful you did. I never knew her maiden name, and couldn't verify she was my true great-grandmother. My father, mother, and sister are mentioned in the obituary, along with other family members. Thank you for enabling me to find her.
P.S. Neglected to mention you won't find Hochgurtel in the obit names. I'm one of the Daxauer links. Married name is Hochgurtel. Again, thank you. I cried when I read her obituary.

Stacy & her mom, Audrey Frank, have been diligently working on updating the St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery in Bonduel -- and we'll add those to the page ASAP! Thanks, Stacy & Audrey!

And, we're working on a page for the Upham - Stanton families... thanks Jim and we're hoping to have this up and running shortly -- GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS!!!

And, if you are up at Facebook & Farmville, stop in and say hi! (Anne Taylor-Czaplewski) -- My daughter's been up there for a few years and I thought it was just a sign of having too much free time -- was I wrong!  In the past couple weeks, I have connected with cousins & friends from way back... and got some old photos identified, too.

Til next time... from my computer to yours!
Anne

We've got an update from Dave Maas regarding last week's 1953 Oak Park School - it was also known as the May School and Dave attended it just prior to the photo being taken.  He sent in the list of the 4th & 5th graders which include:
 

4th grade:
Donna Opperman	Marcia List	Robert “Bobby” Smith
Kenneth Strauss	Sandra Straus	Rita Giese
Inez Carter	Dale Buettner	Kathy Ratner
5th Grade:
Karl Wudtke	Neil Buettner	Karen Montoure
Arnold Ness	Nancy Strauss	Larry Huntington

Hope this helps identify more of the students. BTW  The Larry ? is Larry Huntington, he is the boy standing next the teacher, Mrs. Paiser and Rita? is Rita Giese. Dave

Dave, many thanks!  If anyone can identify the faces to go with the names, let me know and we'll make the connection.

Thanks to Brenda for letting us know the CENSUS PAGE was not working.  We fixed it and updated & added more FREE links -- should address everyone's census needs FOR FREE.  And if you encounter any bad links, let me know -- otherwise we don't know of the breaks.

And we're working on an Upham - Stanton page for next week... and check the Message Board as there has been an increase in activity lately - I'm sure the new TV programs regarding genealogy has sparked an interest -- and it might be someone looking for your family names so be sure to post them!

A HAPPY & BLESSED EASTER TO ALL!
Anne

Many thanks to Ron Newcomb for sending in the 1953 Oak Park School Grades 1 -5 Classroom Photo -- Ron has identified MOST of the children but there are a few that need names to their smiling faces.  If you are familiar with this school at Montoure & Raguse in Wescott Twp., take a peak - you might see your Mom or Dad!

Started a new pet project of mine -- FAMILY GROUP SHEETS - we're calling it our online FILE CABINET.  These forms are just as described -- old FAMILY GROUP SHEETS that have been collected & are looking to see the light of day again.  THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE PERFECT or VERIFIED... often we find that we don't share data or leads as we might not have recorded the sources or verified the accuracy -- heck, we might not even remember where they came from!  Well, the "File Cabinet" is a storage place for all these bits and pieces... these are "AS IS" -- but they might just offer a missing clue YOU'VE been looking for and someone else didn't even realize they have.  Check it out and it is an ongoing project.  And you can submit them anonymously - email, mail or fax.

ONLINE CLASSES -- these are totally awesome and made me miss my teaching days!  These are projects I used to work on and now the FHL offers them online for FREE and you can participate without leaving your home!  The German one is EXCELLENT and you go at your own pace... See, you can teach an old dog a new trick!  They have Irish, Italian, German and even Russian!  and it never hurts to brush-up on the latest research tips and hints.

UPDATED - Civil War Page - 1890 FEDERAL CENSUS - SPECIAL SCHEDULE Surviving SOLDIERS, SAILORS and MARINES, and WIDOWS, etc. images by RMC - thanks!

OFFER: Need a CENSUS PAGE LOOK-UP or copied? Email me the year(s) & area, and the person's name and I'll send the page via email.  Federal and State censuses...  We also have copies of PLAT MAPS that are too recent to post... if you need a look-up, just email me as well.

From my computer to yours... Anne
 

• I received an email requesting information regarding the Jeske/Yeske Family:
  <<<I really would like some family information on August Jeske 1816-1900 buried in Butternut and Wilhelmina Streck Jeske 1826-1914 and buried in St. Elias Cemetery in Shawano. Also on their children Herman Henry Yeske 1842-1913 buried in South Dakota, Albertine Ernestine Jeske 1847-1898 who married Carl Hafermann and they are likely buried in Shawano, August Jeske 1849-1929 buried in St. Elias in Shawano, Carl Frederick Albert Jeske 1851-1926 buried in St. Elias, Wilhelm Jeske 1854-1939 buried somewhere, Auguste Jeske 1857-1933 buried somewhere, Wilhelmine Alvine Jeske 1864-1923 buried in Almon, Shawano County, and finally Herman Jeske 1875 to about 1905 or so, and buried somewhere.
  >>>
  If these are your families, just email me and I'll put you in touch with the researcher.
   
• NEWEST PAGE:  Like I have been promising so many times before... lol... and this time we have a preview of it FINALLY!  Bethany Indian Mission is still in the construction zone but it is off to a great start!
  "Welcome to our second page for Indian Schools in Shawano County.  Our first, Red Springs Indian Mission, explains the Why & Hows of Indian Boarding Schools and Missions.  As we stated before, these mission schools were controversial at best and the details sometimes were lost over the years.  We've included articles written in journals, books and pamphlets as well as school censuses, photographs & post cards.  If you have additional information & pictures, you can email me and we can easily update the pages.  And, if you recognize any faces in any of the photos, email me and we'll add the name to the face."
   
• Many thanks for the great emails regarding the New Menominee County Project -- I love sharing my time & talents and I believe in freely "paying it forward" -- people have helped me mutter through German & Polish documents and this is my way of saying THANKS to their sharing their time & talents with me.  And if you are looking to help others as well, let me know as I have plenty of projects that you can help with from your home.

  Til next time -- from my computer to yours!
  HAPPY ST PADDY'S DAY!!!
  Anne

• Thanks to Tina for rescuing an old wedding(??) photograph and sharing it with us -- hopefully someone will be able to identify one or both individuals.  The photographer was CA Spicer Clintonville - Wittenberg area.
• LIST OF CHEESE FACTORIES - MAY 1928 to our BITS n PIECES page...
• We rec'd a query regarding the burial place for John ALLAN -- his wife Elizabeth is interred in Union - Advance Cemetery... if you have additional information on John ALLAN, we will forward it to the researcher so he may contact you.
• Last but not least, you have probably noticed the **NEW** sign by the Menominee County Web Page link on the index page.  Since most of Menominee County was part of Shawano County prior to 1961, I decided the end of last year to adopt the county as it needed a "mom" and it's a very good fit.  We're in the process of setting up the Menominee site, so if you are researching this area as well, stop by and we're adding & moving data pertaining to Menominee County from the Shawano site as we get time.  We'll continue to post PRE 1961 Menominee data to the Shawano site as well as the Menominee site for your convenience.  If you have any books, photographs, newspaper items, family group sheets, etc. we'll gladly format & post them for you to either or both sites.  And check out the Message Boards for both counties as we've added HUNDREDS in the past month... Thanks, TC!

And we are collecting data on the Bethany Indian School for our next Shawano project -- if you have pics, photos, newspaper items or stories to tell, just shoot an email off to me.

Til next time... Anne
 

Many thanks to RMC for the rest of the 1898 Plat Map revamp... he's been working on their next project - the 1924 Plat Maps courtesy of Judith Winter... Judith said they were labeled "1924" but they seem identical to the 1920 Plat Maps... take a peek and if you find a difference in land ownership between the two, let me know so we know they are truly different maps!  The 1924 set LOOKS to be an easier read... they are unindexed and looking for volunteers!

Our kind GenWeb neighbour to the south & west, Waupaca GenWeb CC Paula and I have been thinking about a weekly chat room for Waupaca & Shawano Counties...

<<<Hello Fellow Waupaca and Shawano County researchers-

Are you interested in a real time weekly chat to share information, ask questions or simply discuss family research in the Waupaca and Shawano County areas? If so, please let us know.

If we find there is enough interest a weekly chat room will be set up just for this purpose. So let us know if one evening is better than another for you. Or if a certain time slot is better for you.

Let us hear from you-
Paula, Waupaca County Coordinator  pajolova@hotmail.com
http://www.wigenweb.org/waupaca/

Anne, Shawano County Coordinator  czaplewska@aol.com
http://wigenweb.org/shawano/  >>>

If you are interested, please let us know.  Being new to chat rooms myself, this will be a fun experience - we can learn together!  On Wed. nights, the Wisconsin County Coordinators (CCs) meet and I popped in for a visit not too long ago... simple IM's back and forth and you can participate as much or as little as you like... great way to ask questions and share your expertise & knowledge as well!  We'll post the details to both Message Boards as well as here as soon as we know the specifics.  Again, this is a great way to network with other researchers and attendance every week isn't necessary -- pop in when you have free time or a question/answer.

Til next time... from my computer to yours...
Anne
 

Jeanne sent in a wonderful PHOTOGRAPH of a graduating class of her grandfather, Jacob Leander Isaacson.  This is a MUST SEE!  Wonderful picture that is 105 years old!  And the clarity is just as great so we are hoping to identify the students & teachers -- AND THE SCHOOL!  Visit the page for the details and I'm hoping your keen eyes and sense of detail will identify the school...

Message Boards -- adding COMPLETE obits almost daily... we're almost up to 18,000 entries...

I was asked the other day for some of my favorite links and here are a few I frequent (in no special order):

• CastleGarden.org is an educational project of The Battery Conservancy. This free site offers access to an extraordinary database of information on 12 million immigrants from 1820 through 1892, the year Ellis Island opened. Over 100 million Americans can trace their ancestors to this early immigration period.
• Ellis Island is another site for immigration records -- free as well and you can see ACTUAL MANIFESTS!
• Family Search PILOT PROGRAM is a FREE SITE that offers transcribed items from all over the world as well as Wisconsin STATE CENSUSES (1855, 1875, 1885, 1895 & 1905) as well as US Censuses... great site and consider volunteering to transcribe records from home in your bathrobe! (grin) All the records you will use are online.  This site will one day rival ancestry.com...
• Wisconsin Historical Society has images, biographies, war records, pre 1907 birth, death and marriage indexes for the entire state - one stop shopping!
• Findagrave.com is your online virtual cemetery - great program and do consider adding your photographs up there.
• Family Chronicle Top Genealogy Websites - and our USGenWeb project is listed as #2 only to Cyndi's List - we're very proud to be associated with this awesome project for almost 9 YEARS!
• German Translations -- and the BEST are the VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS.  My all-time favorite was Arthur Teschler's free service but unfortunately, they are closed at present.  I'll let you know when they are back up and they translated most European languages.

Til next time... and what's Valentine's Day without Godiva Truffles?
Anne

• SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE PAGE - thanks Kathy for the great photos & inspiration!
• UPDATE to our FERDINAND KUPSKY PAGE -- Ken has sent in two GREAT photographs that clearly identify family members -- MANY, MANY THANKS KEN!
• An old man was sitting on his porch, when a young man walked up with a pad and pencil in his hand.
  "What are you selling, young man?" he asked.
  "I'm not selling anything, sir," the young man replied. "I'm the census taker."
  "A what?" the man asked.
  "A census taker. We are trying to find out how many people are in the United States."
  "Well," the man answered, "you're wasting your time with me; I have no idea."
• And, speaking of censuses, did you know the 23rd US Census will be April 1, 2010?  "10 MINUTES - 10 ANSWERS" -- To see a quick preview, click here -- The 2010 Census is "a short form" census that collects only basic information. Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic or Latino origin, Household Relationship and whether your Home is Owned or Rented.  I guess the questions our ancestors were asked (immigration, where you were born, parent's birthplace, occupation, etc.) are now deemed to be politically incorrect & invasive to ask in 2010.  Hopefully, genealogists in 2082 will have better places to hunt for their ancestors than in present day censuses!
• And do check out our MESSAGE BOARDS -- we have 17800+ messages & obituaries, etc. posted with more coming every day.  The obits are COMPLETE obits from various newspapers around the country!  Hoping to pass 18,000 in January!  And thanks to Sue Pukall for sending in Schenk & Matz obits for the Message Boards... every obit counts, especially if it is the one YOU are looking for.
• And, what's New Year's Day without a resolution?  Mine for the year is to start SCANNING IN THE OLD PHOTOS... Photographs do not last forever but if you scan them in the computer, the scan will last forever -- that's if you remember to BACK UP your hard-drive... that's my second New Year's resolution!

Have a GREAT NEW YEAR 2010 and remember to drive & party safely this New Year's Eve!  Til next time -- Anne
 

As you all know by now, I hawk very few things and when I find something I like, I let you know -- and when I find a scammer, I let you know as well... This one is a definite "I LIKE" and it would make a GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT for yourself or family from the Shawano area -- and the proceeds go back into the community!

It's a GREAT BOOK called "Shawano County at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century" by Curt Knoke.  Hard-covered and about 180 pages of BEAUTIFUL PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS of people & places in Shawano County.  Absolutely AWESOME and you will love it!  Mr. Knoke traveled 15,000 miles criss-crossing the county over a 2 1/2 year period to capture the faces & places that will remind you of Shawano County.  These were donated NEW to the Shawano Chamber of Commerce and they can be reached at 715-524-2139 to help you with your order.  And they ship lightening fast so there is still time for the holidays!  ENJOY!

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season!
Anne

Now, back to business!  If you sent in data, we'll eventually get it posted -- email me with a reminder as some of our data might be uploaded but not linked back to the actual site.

• JOHNSON - CASE FAMILY - Tani sent in a couple more gorgeous photo for her family page -- Many Thanks!
• Rick Raasch has sent in DOZENS of headstone pics for the LAKE DRIVE CEMETERY IN WESCOTT TWP Many thanks, Rick and if you have headstone pics to add to the site, just email them in!  We have plenty of space and pictures are the next best thing to being there.
• Many thanks to Norman for sending in some great PETKO FAMILY PHOTOS -- the family is that of Robert & Amelia (Kersten) Petko of Tigerton, Fairbanks, Twp., Shawano County.  If these are families you are researching, Norman would love to hear from you!

And just a reminder -- there are very talented people out there with lots of free time who hack into websites.  It is a prosecutable crime and I'm sure the GenWeb folks are on their tracks as we speak.  WHAT CAN YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR EMAILS AND INTERNET PASSWORDS SAFE?  Two things to remember -- do not post anything online that you would not have on a huge sign on your front lawn -- it's the same thing when you post online -- even in emails you think are private.  If someone ASKS for this type of info, the reply is NO and move on.  Second, remember to CHANGE those passwords -- I know, I do it myself -- found a password I can remember and just keep using it.  Back in the day when hackers were rare, this worked.  Today's a new era so new rules apply.    The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society had a great article written on this very thing this past newletter.  The writers gave a great suggestion on how to CREATE a secure password... don't use birthdates, pet names, nick names.  These generally are short in character and computer programs can guess them once they get the first few letters. 

WSGS Oct. Newsletter - Page 126 Vol. 55 No. 4:

"Four types of characters can be used for passwords: Upper case letters (ABC…), lower case letters (abc…), numbers (123…) and characters (!@#...). Professionals strongly recommend that you use a combination of at least three of the four types.  Let’s build a sample password: NewYork  Not the state I live in, none of my family lives there, it is not connected to me except by genealogy.  But I want to take a research trip there some day. Using capital and lower case letters covers two of the four types of characters essential for a strong password.  Now make it even stronger by including a county name….CayugaNewYork  Next, I'm adding the birth year for my main ancestor in that county. CayugaNewYork1753  Now I have added numbers to the password, using three of the four character types recommended  by internet professionals. This is a secure password. But let’s make it more secure.  Next I hold the shift key down, and simply re-enter that same year of birth for my main ancestor.  CayugaNewYork1753!&%#

Stay safe! and update/change your passwords if you haven't for a while...
Anne
Shawano GenWeb Project

JOHNSON - CASE FAMILY -- Many thanks to Tani Sutley of Bellingham, Washington state, for the great photos and information on her grandparents, Ernest Ivar and Anna (nee Case) Johnson from the Birnamwood area.  Brothers Ernest & Oscar Johnson, along with their Uncle John Carlson immigrated from Sweden and were residents of Birnamwood from approx. 1889-1913.  Ernest moved to Alberta Canada after marrying a young lady, Anna Case, daughter of Frank Jerome Case, in 1911.  Anna died of the flu in 1918 and Ernest remarried and raised 4 children in Portland Oregon.  His brothers were nearby in Oregon City, Oregon.  Tani is still tracing his travels between Seattle and Alberta  but believes he was taking work where ever he could find it including working as a driver of a limo for a Snoqualme Falls to Seattle transportation company.  Tani's cousin just sent her lots of old photos and she is still putting the history together. 

World War II DRAFT REGISTRATION -- Just like in World War I, there are DRAFT REGISTRATION CARDS for World War II and I explain the how & whys...

If you have sent something in and it's not up yet,  email me with a gentle reminder! THANKS!!!

Every time I see the beautiful fall leaves, I think back to St. Paul 7th Grade & Mr. Lehrke -- and his fall leaf collection project -- this consisted of collecting, pressing and identifying LEAVES.  There are things you learn as a kid and figure you will NEVER USE in your adult life  -- but I can honestly say that I use this all the time and think of the 7th grade project every fall when the trees are breathe-taking here in New England.  So go out and enjoy the beautiful fall foliage (on the trees) BEFORE they fall (off the trees) in the yard! 

Til next time... ANne, aka leaf-peeper

Hope your summer has been great -- ours was very busy as you can tell from the lapse in postings, plus we have had incredible humidity here and the office lacks AC... so less humid days, more items posted!

• SURNAMES SCHOENFELD & FRECHETTE:  I would like my name added as my mother and some of the family have done a bit of work on the Schoenfeld side of the family which was my father-Robert.  My mother is Margaret Frechette.
  I think that we have some valuable information if anyone would like to contact me.  I would be more than happy to share, provided I have the information for the years they are looking for. 
  Thank you
  Look forward to hearing from you
  Kristine Victoria
• SURNAME ADAMS (Artemas): Thank you so much for all the wonderful information on your Web site. I am researching the family of Artemas Adams and would love to be added to your Surnames list. The Adams lived in Belle Plaine during the 1870s and Artemas served as a lieutenant with the Wisconsin 11th Infantry, Company K. He is buried in Bethesda cemetery.
  Thank you.
  Cynthia Strother
• BUSCH-MARQUARDT -- Ken's dad came into possession of a scrapbook his Grandmother had. In it are about 3 dozen news clippings from 1920-1970, mostly family obits.  Ken left the typos and misspellings as they were found. A lot of the clippings seem to involve the families of Robert and Mathilda (Busch) Marquardt and their in-laws.  Later on, the Kupsky family will creep in, leading Ken to believe his Grandmother Cecelia Marquardt Kupsky, daughter of Robert and Matilda, kept up the book from whomever started it.  His dad says some of the notes are her writing, but some may not be. -- Many thanks, Ken!
• Leona Luepke -- Xen has been busy all summer adding Leona's pictures to her site at Shutterfly.  As soon as I get some free time, I'll be bringing some of them into the Shawano site for Leona's page BUT until then, here's the link on Shutterfly so you can preview them... awesome job, Xen! http://estateofleonaluepke.shutterfly.com/
• PHOTO LOOKING FOR HOME!
  Dear Anne,
  My name is Cindy Schmechel & I live in Hubertus, WI with genealogical roots in Shawano County, Wisconsin.  I came across an old photo the other day in an antique shop in Kewaskum, WI.  It's of a baby on a fur blanket.  On the back of the photo, there is writing that reads as follows, "For Maggie, Inez Luckenback, age 6 months, 1901.  I am looking for any descendants who would be interested in this photo.  It's in good condition & even though I had to buy it, I will send it to a family member for free.  It's so rare to find any old photo that has ID writing on it, that I am glad to pass it along to someone who will appreciate it.
  Thanks.
  Cindy Schmechel
  miztaz@charter.net
• 1875 - 1885 - 1895 WISCONSIN CENSUSES are ONLINE & INDEXED (not perfectly!)  Just go to linked page and scroll down to WISCONSIN... granted, the 1875, 1885 and 1895 censuses are not as thorough and list everyone in the household like the 1850+ Federal Censuses, they still can be of great value as to when people arrived, moved and, by process of elimination, you can figure out who is in the household.  This is at the Familysearch.org pilot site and the information, as ALL data that is provided from the LDS/Mormons, FREE.  I worked on some of these projects and it is a lot of fun -- consider transcribing some documents... there are links on the website.  Eventually, this site will rival ancestry.com as FREE is the preferred word among researchers worldwide.
• FREE CHARTS & FORMS: Thanks Judith for the great link... and for the IMMIGRANTS TO CANADA link.
• CAN YOU HELP WITH REHN RESEARCH? Anne, I am interested in establishing the town in Sweden where the Rehns were born.  I have a document that accounts for Bernard Rehn's brother immigrating from Sundsvall, Sweden to Norway, Michigan.  However, Sundsvall is a coastal city and I don't know if they were there just to catch a boat or if, in fact, they were residents of Sundsvall. 
  Sue
• Tips for Organization -- and no, I didn't write the article, hence the desk photo is not mine!  Close, but no cigar. And you can start organizing now if you missed January! or plan early for January 2010.
• 1898 Plat Maps -- thanks to hubby Bob, we have newer digitized plat maps that we have been adding -- we have Almon - Pella back up and running.  Unfortunately, RMC has had to put COPYRIGHT on the maps to protect his digitized work and keep it from being illegally acquired & posted to a commercial site with their fraudulent copyright plastered on it.
• Don't Forget Your Living Relatives -- I call them "Treasures"... they can save you a lot of time and hassle in your research if you ask them NOW while they are still able to recall names & dates.  By now you must have read my story about this but I'll retell it... Bob's grandmother "Busia" had a picture on her bedroom wall of the inside of the Polish parish her family went to in the Old Country.  After she passed, I asked one of Bob's aunts if they knew the name of the church -- she said they always called it Busia's church and didn't know the correct name... lol... had we asked Busia, she would have told us the parish name & small village in Poland.  She lived to be 6 weeks shy of 100 years old so God gave us plenty of opportunity to ask!  Well, 5 years, 20+ letters with "donations" included, we now have the name of the church & the parish... it would have been a 30 second question if we asked Busia herself...
• Many thanks to Matt Otto who sends me postings regarding military recognition / flag-lowering for veterans, etc ... I just received one tonight Wisconsin Office of the Governor - Media Room regarding the passing of Sen. Kennedy Tues. evening on Cape Cod.
• And, if you sent in family pics, I am working on them -- haven't forgotten you!  Also, thanks for the "broken links" info -- if you don't let me know, chances are I won't find them. :)

That is it 'til next time -- enjoy the Shawano County Fair & the Sweet Adeline's Cream Puff Stand if you are in the area this weekend!  Have a safe Labor Day weekend!  And HAPPY BIRTHDAY Arlene, wherever you are!  Anne

Now, having said this, how does this affect  information and look-ups posted on the Shawano GenWeb site?  I'm still holding to posting information that is older to protect privacy & if we inadvertently think you passed, and you find yourself on one of our pages, let me know and we'll correct the situation (by removing it!) Despite the fact that the state specifies what is PUBLIC RECORD, I don't want to find my personal info online and I'm sure you do not as well.  Now as for LOOK-UPS... since the information is available at the courthouse for all to see for all years, it is up to the individual volunteer to decide what they will and won't copy and pass along.  If they feel uncomfortable copying a recent birth, etc. I would suggest that they explain this to the requester and include the address of the Register of Deeds where the requester can send (along with a driver's license photo & $20) a request via the Post Office mail for an uncertified copy for genealogical purposes.

And, another issue has been recently raised regarding posting researcher's ADDRESSES and/or PHONE NUMBERS online.  And my 5¢ on this is -- DO NOT POST anything online that you would not want written on a sign on your front lawn where you & your family live.  Again, having been through identity theft recently, NEVER, EVER post your address & contact information (other than email) or information regarding your children ONLINE.  Items online never truly disappear... I was told recently that even info made in "google searches" are stored in Google computers INDEFINITELY... and if someone asks you for your address to post online, run, don't walk, away from this one!  Now, if someone you know EMAILS you and wants to correspond through the mail, no problem... but stay away from posting your name & address online. 

NEW THIS WEEK:

• Carol Brecker sent in some pictures of her family headstones... we updated little Joanne Rueckert's on the St. Paul Bonduel page and added 3 Rueckert headstones to the Shawano Message Board (17, 200+) until we get the page up for that cemetery... and I know she has already received an email query regarding the family... the Message Boards work!  People just have to know that YOU are researching that surname -- unless you post a query, they have no way of knowing!  Many thanks, Carol!
• And you can take a walk back into the early 1900's shopping experience by visiting our Upham & Russell Co. page.  Reminded me of a LARGE Olesen's Mercantile from the Little House on the Prairie days...
• And we also added a few new names & updated addresses on the SURNAME page -- if you moved in cyberspace, let us know so we can update your email.
• And if you need a look up at ancestry.com, let me know... also we have a volunteer with access to NEWSBANK for more recent obituaries from throughout the country.

Til next time -- ENJOY THE SUMMER!
Anne

• Lee Grady added CZARAPATA to our SURNAME page - John and Anna Czarapata lived in Maple Grove Township c.1890s-1920s.  Thanks, Lee.
• Many thanks for all who post/posted to our Message Board -- James J. Glenzer's obituary was our #17,000 message.  And many thanks to TC for his work this past week on our out-of-the-area obituaries.
• Art Peterson sent in information for our 1926 Peterson School in Navarino -- Art's family homesteaded the property that the school was located on -- Art's grandfather was Ebrat Peterson - many, many thanks, Art!  If anyone knows what happened to the Verbruggen Family from Navarino after 1926, please email me...
• And did you know you can get copies of the WWII Draft Registrations?  We'll have more on that next week -- including the application form, address and what one looks like...

Til next time... enjoy NATIONAL BLUEBERRY MONTH!
Anne

This week, we have two new neat things...

• Xen recently started scanning photographs from the Estate of Leona Luepke (1911 - 2004).  As you will see, Leona was a photographer and avid collector of photographs and we are pleased to be able to host some of her work & collection.  You will be in awe of a few of the pictures, especially the one of gentleman in the 1880s Deutsches Reich uniform.  And we will be adding more of them -- and there are some great ones of the local Bonduel - Hartland Twp. families.  Thanks, Xen, for sharing Leona with us!
• Mary, from the NARA Archives, sent me scans of WORLD WAR II WISCONSIN HONOR LIST ARMY & AIR FORCE -- we had most of the information on the Shawano site already but now we have ALL the scans for the entire state of Wisconsin.  Until we get them transcribed into the State Archives, they'll be here on the Shawano site.

Hope your weekend is great, have fun, keep safe & enjoy the brats & hot dogs!
Anne

Jill sent in The History of Northern Wisconsin - Shawano County.  This is a great history done in 1881 by WHC / Chicago and offers a glimpse of Shawano County "back in the day" and a little bit of this and that, too - thanks Jill!

While surfing the internet for some research someone asked me to do, I located the following:
PETER PETERSON & SON EVERETT
This paper was written by a descendant of Peter's regarding racism issues in the 1800-1900s - the paper is very nicely written and gives the history of the PETERSON FAMILY in Leopolis as well.  I found it very, very interesting and give it 5 stars!

Debbie, in our pursuit to finish off our cemetery page, has added TWO cemeteries this week:

• ZION LUTHERAN CEMETERY in Caroline, Grant Township and we have placed a map online as well...
• EVANGELICAL UNITED BRETHREN CEMETERY -- another one from Caroline, Grant Township and it includes a map, also...  Many thanks, Debbie and rock on!

Debbie uses primarily the Guyant listings & then updates them with obituaries, etc. to form a compiled listing -- if your family member is interred in these but not listed, email us and we'll add it.  Thanks again, Debbie.

I think that's all that is new right now -- working on projects every day.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
Anne
 

New this time:

We've added a page for the Angelica Methodist Church -- it has some great history excerpts from Memories of Old Angelica and a few baptismal entries from the early 1920s.  These were on a page sent to me when I was looking for Flossie Egan Christiansen's children and I had them here collecting dust.  I decided to post them in the event someone out there is looking for one of the people listed on this xerox.  It's just another example of how information we have for 1 family might just very well contain information on someone else's... so please, look over those old newspaper clippings and booklets because you might just have the missing piece to someone else's puzzle... just send them on it!  I like to think of it as the Golden Rule in Genealogy --  and we'll do the typing!  The more we post for FREE, the less $$$ others will have to spend to do their research online.

Thanks to Debbie, we have another cemetery page to add: LAKE DRIVE CEMETERY IN WESCOTT TWP.  Debbie uses obituaries, military records and local history to compile these cemetery listings and she does an awesome job.  Since these are compilations that change rapidly, you can add your names & data as well... just email us!

And, to go hand in hand with the Angelica church page, Debbie has sent in the Rest Haven Magee-Prickett Cemetery page. 

We are reposting the 1898 Plat Maps as fast as we can... RMC has digitally enhanced new scans, making them easier to read.  Again, these pages are protected under US copyright as are all our Shawano GenWeb pages.  Feel free to use them for your OWN PERSONAL USE - they cannot be posted or added to any website, whole or in part... personal or commercial...

As you have noticed, portions of our site have been taken without our permission... we are addressing this and many thanks to the concerned researchers who have emailed me and call this to my attention on a weekly basis.  And, yes, we are aware that people listed as having copyrighted a web site on the front index page are considered in violation of US copyright laws when ANY of the secondary supporting pages have been acquired illegally and can (& will ) be held financially & legally responsible just the same as the person who actually right-clicked the data and reposted it illegally in 2008-2009.  We have never said we have sole ownership of the original data -- but we do own the copyright on text, format, design & style of our Shawano GenWeb pages.  The original data was in the form of random sheets of handwritten notes and pages that was given to us to post (and that I still have ALL the hard copies from various sources including copies of the Guyant records)... we spent YEARS organizing, formatting, typing and updating including OUR PERSONAL NOTES and fortunately for me, MY TYPOS.    Easy to tell the original page from the copied... 2001 was long before 2008.  GenWeb Projects have no financial support from taxes or churches, etc.  The County Coordinators spend their own funds to bring these pages & data to you & we love doing it!  Again, the Genealogy Golden Rule applies...

Now, back to work & we're busy creating more NEW pages...
Anne
 

First, here's a link to a scrapbook online of the Hansen family... regardless if you know them or not, the scrapbook has some unidentified old town scenes... if you can help identify them, please let us know!  The Shawano pictures are in Scrapbook 1, and there's some Manitowoc pictures in the Scrapbook "Family of Richard Hansen - circa 1927.

Second, Daryl Helwig sent in information on his family HARKE & HELWIG for the immigration page. Thanks much, Daryl -- If you happen to know any of the Harke-Helwig folks from Shawano and Waupaca county, Daryl would to exchange emails with you.

Jim Lane sent in an email looking for some assistance: ...I am attempting to track back my ancestry. My father James Lane Sr. is the son of Earl Ebben. Before that, I can only vaguely remember my great grandfather may have been Charles, born circ 1862. 
I am certain Earl is my grandfather as my family is from Shawano (where he registered for the WW l draft) back then with my father being born in Green Bay.  
Now I am trying to make the connection back to England? or Ireland?  Earl was married to Bessie Way.
If anyone is working on this line, please email Jim.  Jim, good luck in your search.

Many thanks to our "Genie Angel B" who compiled this table for us from the Shawano County Journal, 1939.  It is a "year in review" covering some marriages, deaths and funerals.  We have opted not to list the births as 1939 is a little too recent for privacy issues.

And many thanks for this beautiful thought that was sent in regarding Memorial Day...  double click on the photo for the larger image.

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.

Many THANKS to all who have served, are currently serving and to the families that have/are sharing their loved ones with the country to keep us safe...

 HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!

Anne
 

New this week...
The Maas Family sent in some GREAT pictures... some of THEIRS and... some of YOURS that are looking for new/old homes.  Current names they are researching are: Marohl, Braun, Poppendorf, Rohloff, Buelter, Maas, Hoeffs, Plantikow, Ebert, Krueger, Teshke, Radtke, Yuenger, Wescott, Mosling, Bahr, and Schenk. Some of these families overlap into Oconto/Outagamie/Waupaca counties.  And the photographs that are looking for homes are already identified!!  You just have to email Dave to claim them as your family... Awesome job, Dave & Mrs. M. are a true genie-angels! 

Back in the day, before Vince & the Pack, Wisconsin boasted statewide organized TOWN BASEBALL TEAMS as far back as 1901.  Not only was baseball the national past-time, it was sometimes the only game in town in most instances... and we loved baseball!  Kathy Merzouk sent in a wonderful picture of the Aniwa Town Baseball Team -- we're not sure on the date but Kathy thinks it is late 1920s.  Take a peek and if you can identify any of the team members, email us!  Thanks, Kathy.

Bev sent me some GREAT photographs to add to the Bonduel Community Archives page... we left them LARGE -- you might have a bit of a wait for the pictures to load, but the detail makes it well worth it.  Thanks again to all the folks at BCA - one stop genealogy at it's finest -- check them out!  When I have a question or need something from the Bonduel area, this is where I go -- awesome folks!  Consider a BCA membership as a gift for Mother's or Father's Day!

Tom Wentzel sent in some great detective work on our BEVERSDORF PHOTOS...  And he has a network of expert eyes that assisted him... Thanks to all of  you!

Still looking for more photos and stories for our INDIAN SCHOOL MISSIONS PAGE... even if it's just a paragraph!

And ChgoKd added area obits & some Korean War info to the Message Board...

Again, HAPPY MOM'S DAY!
BFN (Bye For Now)
Anne
 

First, DRUMROLL PLEASE!!  When I started working on the site, I placed a web page counter on the index page so I could see with my own eyes if people were using the site... and how often.  Well, when it hit 40,000 hits years back, I knew we had something great going... well, this past week, someone out there was our 250,000 viewer!  Yes, a quarter of a MILLION hits!  I am overwhelmed and humbled -- thanks so much to all of you for stopping by the site, sharing your work and stories and by george, I think we've got it!!!  And, our MESSAGE BOARD is approaching 16,000 COMPLETE obits & queries... YES!!!

This week was a surprise week -- some pretty neat things came in to the Shawano GenWeb project.  We'll get them all up as soon as we can.  Stacy Frank Kreuser and her sister, Lisa Frank Blom, had just walked & photographed the Stockbridge Indian Burial Grounds on Moh He Con Nuck Road up in Bowler the weekend before... we have the data online and the pictures will be added as we get them.  Many thanks again Stacy & Lisa!  Great job, great projects!

Awesome job, Mark! This is proof that MESSAGE BOARDS REALLY WORK!!! Mark Fruendt replied to a query I had posted regarding the Bonduel Teschke family that arrived May 28, 1869 in New York City.  He is a descendant of Frederich and Louisa Schultz Teschke family and has collected much information on the family... and he is sharing it with the Shawano GenWeb Project.  Not only has his research found many of my "missing links" but if you are researching Teschke or Hafemann Families from Hartland Twp - Bonduel area, I'm sure it will fill in some of your blanks as well.  Mark also has some rare pictures of the Red Springs Indian Mission on Mission Lake in Gresham -- we're working on a page for ALL of the county's INDIAN MISSIONS  so if you have ANY photos, stories, newspaper clipping, etc. -- we'd love to post them to our pages!!! The Indian Missions have quite a history and with your help & input, we'll offer both sides!

Tasha has started a new project -- "Today I was working on updating the cemetery records at work (church) and I found a file folder full of obituaries from the 70's and 80's.  I brought them home and will start posting them soon!!"  She has some already on the Message Boards and what is so very cool about this project is: Tasha takes the extra time to check the obits against church records and on the bottom of the obituary, she adds any data she finds including the birthplace town in Germany.  Granted, not all have the data available, but the ones that do are included.  HOW I WISH MY E.W. LAEDTKE DIED IN THOSE CHURCHES!  TASHA, AWESOME JOB AS ALWAYS!  And, we've reassigned hubby to posting obits from the local papers for us -- many thanks, Chicago Kid!  And he has some cemeteries walked by Donna that he is working on as well.  I started them before I was ill and just never got them up online... you'll also notice HUNDREDS of obits from 2003-2004 that he has been adding as well.

SURNAMES added: FOBIAN, MALLOW, RIENDL, SCHOEPKE, SIEBER, SIEBERT and SWANKE - thanks for your patience, Karen!

Email from Denise:
Bartelt, Driestler and Lupke/Luepke lines.
My gg aunt Louise Nolte married a Hermann Luepke in Germany (1878) and they had 3 children before immigrating. Their son Alfred was born in Almon, WI. I'm trying to find anyone living who might have information going back to the Nolte family, along with filling in blanks.  If you can help, Denise would love to hear from you!

OK, back to work here!  Catch you next week!
Anne

The Koeller & Handke Genealogy Page - courtesy of Karolyn.  Karolyn (Korth) Capion is the great-granddaughter of Hermann Frederick Koller and Emilia Augusta Handke, early pioneer settlers of the Town of Pella.  Thanks again, Karolyn for sharing your genealogy with us.

Patti Laessig has sent in her genealogy with some great old photos of the Krueger-Gotshe families from the Bonduel area as well as her families from the western portion of Shawano County.  Her "detective work" regarding the Mattoon Mercantile mystery put a smile on my face -- today, we carefully look at cars and license plates in the background of photos... Patti put the pieces together comparing horse and carriage... and when you see the photos, it clearly is the same horse & carriage!  And I'm sure Patti's cousin Stella is pleased with the beautiful tribute to her... she sounds like a memorable lady!  Thanks, Patti!

OK, I think that's all that's new right now -- working on a few more GREAT PROJECTS... and two of our "seasoned cemetery walkers & photographers" are working on the cemetery at St. Paul Lutheran in Bonduel... we should have an up-to-date listing AND PHOTOGRAPHS in the future!  I was so hoping some one would do this cemetery for us!  It is the largest in the Bonduel area and covers the1880's to the present... almost 130 years.

Hope your Easter was grand -- our son & his family are here from Milwaukee so we're enjoying their visit!  Should be back to work on the website soon!

Til next time,
Anne
 

• Charles and Hattie Banaszynski and their immediate family

• Frank and Marianna Zacharias (Zacharyasz is the Polish spelling)
  Note: This is Charles & Hattie Banaszynski's married daughter

• Casimir and Pelagia Kwapiszewski (1st marriage)
  Note: Frank and Marianna Zacharias' daughter, Maryann married Martin Kwapiszewski, son of Casimir and Pelagia Kwapiszewski.

Jill has done an AWESOME job on detailing the families and has WONDERFUL PHOTOS sent in as well... even if these are not your family names, the pages will be of interest in some aspect.  The story tells of a Polish immigrant couple who had the American Dream -- and you can read between the lines about the strength and determination of these young couples.  Even if it prods you just a little to scan those pictures in and send them to us to create a page for YOUR FAMILY...  And we're still tweaking the pages as Jill just sent in some more items... so check them out!

Thanks Bev, at the Bonduel Community Archives for the updated 2009 schedule and some AWESOME photos for the Shawano GenWeb site... we'll be adding these very shortly.  Bev helped locate some items to share with Mr. Oliver Griese -- he is 99 years young and his family owned the Martin Hotel in Bonduel in the 1920s+.  If you have any information or pictures to share regarding it, let me know as I am working on a webpage.  Bev located some photos and local history and if you have anything to add, we'd love to post it and share it with Mr. Griese.

Many thanks to Ann Erdmann Hayworth from Mobile, Alabama for sharing her gedcom with the Shawano GenWeb Project.    Augusta has done extensive work on her families ERDMANN (paternal) and KOHN (maternal) and the .ged she sent in from her computer program has NUMEROUS other families included.   Check it out at ERDMANN & KOHN GENEALOGY.  Now, this lady knows how to DOCUMENT DATA & SOURCES!  If you are new to genealogy, learn the lesson now, rather than later when you have 55,000+ names collected over 35 years!  It'll $ave you a lot of time and money in the long-run.

Obituaries... if you've been up to the Message Boards, you'll see we have about 15,700+ obits up there now -- many thanks to everyone who contributes them... last week we received an "atta boy" (big grin) for work posting obits online... Many thanks 'stefano'... We transcribe & post obits whenever we get a few spare minutes.  Our GOAL is to KEEP GENEALOGY FREE and accessible to everyone -- we don't dangle carrots with lists of what we have and then bilk you for your families' info with charge after charge and reselling the same data 10x to 10 different people - we just cut to the chase and POST THE OBITUARY/DATA!  We take the time to type up the COMPLETE obit and post it FOR FREE so you can use it in your personal research.  FREE GENEALOGY means FREE -- NO COSTS EVER.  I only ask one thing in return: the items are not to be sold AND if you are sold or offered to purchase ANYTHING that I have created or posted, PLEASE send me an email informing me of the details.  I spend 50+ hours a week on the Shawano site plus I spend my own funds (I don't get reimbursed or subsidized by a church, etc.) -- if I won't charge $$ (even a dime) for my own work, no one else should charge for my work either.  So please let me know!  My goal is to keep GENEALOGY FREE -- TOTALLY FREE -- I just don't talk the talk -- I walk the walk.

Mega thanks!
Anne

Upcoming projects: TWO PLAT MAP COLLECTIONS... 1920's & 1930's... and Bethany Indian Mission in Wittenberg as well as several FAMILY PAGES... and FAMILY PHOTOS... we LOVE to be busy!!
 

• Ken Benson sent in information & pictures regarding his grandfather, Magnus Benjaminsen of Waukechon Twp. -- seems when Magnus & his family came to the U.S., their voyage on the SS Thingvalla made the newspapers -- not to the extent as did the Titanic, but could have been close!  Ken, thanks so much for the interesting items!
• Back in April 2000, the Bureau of Aging published a booklet dedicated to "The Centenarian Spirit in Wisconsin".  I have posted the following entrees to the Misc. Newspaper page:  Fred Bartelt, Ruth I. Below, Gertrude Doherty, Leonora Gruner, Irene Hoffman, Viola Long, Mary Barbara Montour, Susie Opperman, Frieda Peters, Alta B. Robel, Verna Schuh, Jessie Sohr and Nina Steichen.  They have some great little hints & perspectives on life.
• Reworked and revamped a few of the older cemeteries from "back in the beginning 2001..."  These include St. Paulus German, Riverside in Almon Twp. (thanks DH & BB again!) and Jung, just south of Gresham (thanks DM!)... DS has been kind enough to update it & add the moved Sanders headstones info to it.
• This past week I've met a distant cousin Cheryl that is working on the Angelica Twp. CHRISTIANSON family, Jens (James) & Mary's daughter Cora in particular or any of the family of William & Flossie (Egan) CHRISTIANSON.  If anyone is researching this family, we'd love to hear from you as we will be putting together a family page and the more input, the better!
• And again this year, the tax man cometh -- in a previous life (lol), I worked in the income tax revenue field... I still do family & friend's returns, as well as a few business returns, so if it seems the updates are slower until April 15th, that's why...

Til next week,
Anne
 

Many thanks to Paul from St. James Archive for solving the La Follett school location:
"I asked an older friend of mine and Lillian tells me that the La Follette School was (is) on Church Road (not Church Drive) which is southeast of Zachow.  That would put it between Cedar Rd. and County Rd. B. (Section 17 on the Angelica Township Map on the 1911 Shawano County Plat map).  Lillian Mehlhorn taught in the area in a different one room school for 1 year.  She thinks the school might still be there.   Paul"  -- again, many thanks Paul -- now I can narrow the search with the plat maps...

Jane Rollin has been working on her genealogy families GUNDERSON / GUNDERSEN families from Norway and sent an update to our IMMIGRATION database as well as an email for our SUCCESS STORIES... Thanks Jane for the wonderful emails!  And congrats on the AWESOME CONNECTIONS you have made in Norway -- an inspiration to all of us seeking a link on "the other side of the pond".  And here's a great link to LIBRARY and ARCHIVES of CANADA if your family came in through Canada -- some of mine did!

Many thanks to Debbie for ST. JOHN'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CEMETERY (or St. Johannes Lutheran Cemetery or Happy Corners Cemetery)  ©Debbie adopted this page and kindly offered to compile & update this in 2006, using various hard copies (paper sources) she has, as well as obituaries.  Nicely done and we'll be getting a few more of her cemeteries online shortly.

And here's a neat BIRTH DATE CALCULATOR -- this works GREAT when you have a death date and an age but no birth date...

And I'm back to the stack of things I'm working on... somewhere under there, there's a desk! LOL... and it's really a good feeling to be working on some great projects!  We'll get them up ASAP...

Til next time...
Anne

Lynn Chadek sent in an AWESOME postcard - Lincoln School from Zachow.  We even narrowed down the original guesstimate from 1910 to 1908, thanks to Bev at the BCA.  If your families came from that area of the county, check out the photo - we know the teacher, Miss Daisy Hudson but don't know the 14 children's names... the school was torn down and later, the La Follett school was built -- if anyone can give the correct section or area of Angelica Twp., that would help narrow down the search for the students.  Again, Lynn, mega thanks for this great picture -- the children's faces are so very clear!

Another question regarding the Lincoln School -- the postcard was sent to a Mrs. Lyd. (Lorenze) Ebert in Manawa in 1911... I posted a query to the Mailing List and Dave Maas replied back that he has a Lydia Zernicke married to ? Ebert... after a phone call, Dave wrote back to me and we have a positive hit -- his Lydia indeed married Lorenz Ebert.  If anyone has more info on Lydia & Lorenz, we'd love to see if this is the piece to our missing puzzle... my guess is she attended Lincoln School or knew the children in the photo.  That's why I love this project so much, the mailing lists & the message boards all work together -- this is where I go when I am looking for information... and again, I was not disappointed!  Thanks, Dave!

And, if you have any older school / class / confirmation photos (identified or not!) we'd love to post them!  Email me...

I've started digging -- oh, yes, we call it "organizing" BOXES of teaching materials that I used and thought they might continue to be of use by making them available on the web site.  The series is GETTING PAST YOUR DEAD ENDS and this week I covered obituaries... if you have comments or ideas, let me know and we can add them or make a page regarding these tips & helps for other researchers.

Til next time... and thanks Bill for the neat box kite graphic!  It's unique!

Anne

• Wayne sent in an update for the Immigration Page -- and his email info: A family of ten from Norway to Wisconsin.   
  Surname: Peterson, Wife: Dorthea, Children: Christiane, Susana, Hanna, Hans, Dorthy, Karen, Adolph, Amalie
  Given: Andrew  [Andreas]
  Place of Origin:  Drammen, Norway
  Departure Port:  Drammen, Norway
  Ship Name:  Clipper Flora
  Arrival Date: 23 June, 1871
  Arrival Port:  Quebec City, Quebec Canada
  Submitted:  Wayne,  tieitnow@hotmail.com 
  Passenger List Retyped: Norway Heritage, Hands across the sea.  Passenger listing starting at 120-129.
   http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_list.asp?jo=613  Thanks, Wayne for the added info and hopefully other Peterson researchers will contact you!
• Doris Jeske sent us an email letting us know of Aubrey Stoehr's passing -- Aubrey's wife Marge Stoehr worked with the Shawano Family History Center for many years.  Without family support, it's very difficult to be a volunteer so many thanks, Aubrey, for a job well-done and all your support to the genealogy community.
• Many thanks to Lynn Chadek for adding 2 pictures to the Elm Lawn Cemetery -- George & Eliza Harris SNOW...
• If you've been to the 1911 Plat Map page, you'll see we are doing renovation.  Hopefully, we'll have the new layout up and running for all townships later this week... and we hope to have the 1898 plat map page back up the following week.  Many thanks to RMC for his new plat map scans and layout.  And remember the rules -- free to use for your own PERSONAL booklets & binders... not free to "re-copyright" and repost to your look-up website.
• And on a lighter note, this Tuesday is PACZKI DAY... now, this IS genealogy related if you lived on the eastern side of the county or you married into a Polish family...Ah, we feel for the person who thinks a paczki is just another jelly donut.  True insiders know a paczki (pronounced poonch-key) is a Polish pastry that was traditionally designed to use up all of your butter, sugar and cream before the fasting of Lent.  They are among the most decadent and wonderful pastries in the world - we won't even mention calories or cholesterol here... our favorites are Boston creme covered with powdered sugar and apricot paczki... oh yes, raspberry, too!  And if you are paczki deprived and don't have a Polish Bakery or a Polish Grandmother nearby, here's Busia's recipe -- I warned you, these are RICH...
• Til next time -- Anne

Not sure how the groundhog faired last week but we've had some nice melting weather and our driveway no longer resembles the skating rink at Rockefeller Center!  Hopefully, we'll see crocuses and daffodils in the yard soon!

This week we've been busy with obits on the Message Boards -- by now, you all KNOW that obits are my favorite -- mini biographies -- this has been my striving point from when we started using the MESSAGE BOARDS in 1999.  We're well over 15,000+ FREE & COMPLETE obituaries - many thanks to everyone who works on this on-going project.

• My Valentine Bob has added the 1938 Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Roll Census -- since he is semi-retired we expect many more projects from him!  His next assignment is St. Philomene's Cemetery... we've reassured him (and all our contributors) that any/all of their work won't be right-clicked & re-copyrighted on other non-Shawano GenWeb pages...
• As you will see in the future, we have had to implement "no-right click" features on some of our pages -- per requests from the contributors.  They do not want hours of their work reposted & re-copyrighted on other sites.  I deeply regret having to implement this feature but since this has happened repeatedly the past few weeks, we have to protect & respect their requests. 

Til next time.. Anne
 

• 100th Anniversary Booklet, St. Paul Lutheran, Zachow, WI -- many thanks to Jackie for sending this in... and to the parish for sharing 100 years of history by making the booklet.
• Kathy Merzouk sent in the following:
  Andrew B(erge) Peterson immigrated as "Anders P. Berge" (Berge was the farm he came from in Hordaland).  He Americanized his name by 1860.
  DEP: Bergen, Norway on May 25, 1844 on the brigantine "Hercules" (Captain Michael Madsen); 
  ARR: Castle Rock, NYC on July 29 1844
  DOB: 1 March 1819, Berge, Voss, Hordaland Norway
  Father's name:  Per Andersen
  and we updated our Immigration Data Page -- thanks, Kathy!
• Howie sent in the following email: (referring to the 1960 Lessor Plat Map)
       "Frazer Corners State Graded School school was in the extreme NE corner of Section 1 (Bena Jeske farm).  The school was originally one room, but approx. 1910, was remodeled to two rooms, changed entrance from North side to East side, and moved the bell tower.  East of school, across the road (in Maple Grove) was my dad's cheese factory and store.  Where the black dot is, is where the school was.  The official name of the school might be Lessor.  On some earlier pictures I have, that is the name on the sign board.  As long I know it was always called Frazer Corners school.  My mother taught there during WWII. 
       Welhaven Grade School was a one (1) room school.  My sister taught a few years there.  The school was on the extreme SE corner of Section 11.  The land is listed as church land, but the church land did not go all the way to the corner.  The church cemetery is in Section 13, south of Ole Rudie land in Section 12.  The church originally sat there before it was moved in the early 1900's."
  Many thanks and we'll update the school page!
• Be sure to check out our CIVIL WAR veterans page -- we have several volunteers looking through records to locate veterans... if you know of any, please send them in... also, the follow-up page will be for WIDOWS and PENSIONERS from the Civil War...
• OK, every morning I read the Shawano Leader and last week, an article just made me smile -- all I can say is "Go, Grandma!!!"  I bleeped out the names to protect their identities but AWESOME 81-year-old lady who confronted a person 40+ years her junior!!!  She should be teaching self-defense at a senior center -- and I'm not kidding.

  Gillett woman charged in early morning attempted burglary

  By Tim Ryan, Leader Reporter

  A Gillett woman accused of brandishing a hatchet during an attempted burglary before being disarmed by the 81-year-old homeowner Friday morning was on probation for another burglary incident in Oconto County when the alleged crime was committed, according to court records.

  XXXXX was charged in Shawano County Circuit Court Friday with three felony counts, including burglary to a dwelling, burglary armed with a dangerous weapon and first degree reckless endangerment.

  Because of her previous conviction, XXXX could face enhanced penalties for each of the alleged crimes if found guilty. She faces a maximum possible penalty of 21 years imprisonment for each for the two burglary counts and 18 and a half years imprisonment for reckless endangerment. The charges also carry $125,000 in fines.

  XXXX allegedly broke into the Shawano home of YYYY around 2 a.m. Friday. YYYY initially called police with a noise complaint, but after YYYY hung up the phone with the police, she heard glass breaking. She then confronted a woman brandishing an object in the kitchen, according to the police narrative in the criminal complaint.

  YYYY told police she got the intruder in a bear hug and disarmed the woman of what she had been brandishing. It was only then, as the intruder fled, that YYYY realized the object was a hatchet, according to the criminal complaint.

• And til next week -- stay warm!  Anne

And, this week, THANKS to all the neat items sent in!!! We'll get to each and every one of them!!!

First, Gary sent in an update to his BONNIN FAMILY -- You can contact Gary at glpegelow@hotmail.com for additional information exchange.

Second, thanks to Bill R. and his contributions to the CEMETERY PAGE -- he has walked & photographed Zion Ev. Luth. in Zachow, as well as Dickson in Advance & he's working on Memorial Park as well.  Many thanks!

Third, many thanks again to Donna for walking the Forest Cemetery in Birnamwood a few years back -- we've updated it, using obits & SSDI, and reposted it... this is a LARGE CEMETERY -- over 1700 graves!!! And quite a few veterans, including Civil War vets...

Fourth, many thanks to Judith in Arizona for the following information update -- I rec'd several very concerned emails asking about this and Judith went to the source.  She stated that the LDS SHAWANO FAMILY HISTORY CENTER created & has the completed 80,000 obituaries indexed and will send you FREE OBITUARIES.  There is no need to pay a service or middle man to get a copies of the FREE obituaries.  According to Salt Lake Family History Library, the "parent" of the Shawano FHC, the FHCs & THEIR STAFF are here to provide FREE help & assistance to LDS & non-LDS people worldwide.  FHC's do not charge for research assistance -- there is a small charge if you RENT microfilm from SLC, Utah but these obituaries are not on microfilm. 

Simply send a regular letter with the list of the obits requested (please limit 4 to one request) and a return SELF-ADDRESSED PRE-STAMPED envelope to:

Shawano Family History Center
(removed by request)

Judith also writes that if you are ASKED or ENCOURAGED to pay any other costs/fees or hire ANY staff or have ALREADY PAID to find additional information, please contact the following person for a FULL REFUND:

LDS Stake President
651 Pinehurst
Green Bay, WI   54302

When writing to him, please include your name & address and approximate date of the payment & the method (check or cash).

The Shawano FHC does not have an email address directly to the LDS staff nor do local FHCs have websites - the church STRONGLY bans local FHC websites.   The LDS Church has a main website at www.familysearch.org where they provide a wealth of FREE information and resources.

Thanks, Judith, as this definitely clears up MANY QUESTIONS and CONCERNS other researchers have asked in the past few weeks...

Til next time...
Anne

Our 75th ANNIVERSARY BOOKLET - ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ZACHOW is up and running -- many thanks to Jackie for sending this in and we are working on the next anniversary booklet Jackie so generously shared with us... Jackie had both these booklets and xeroxed the pages and mailed them to us... and we take care of the rest!

And, Jackie also sent in some marvelous obituaries and photos of her GARBRECHT, BOETTCHER & BOSIN FAMILIES and we created a page for them as well... again, Jackie xeroxed the items and mailed them in... Many thanks for sharing this great family compilation with us!

Paul, the Archivist at St. James in Shawano, sent in an awesome Autobiography of Rev. Peter Heinrich Dicke (1822 - 1911) -- whether you had family that attended St. Jacobi or St. James, this is a VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE -- it explains the how and why of settling in the pioneer days of Shawano County.  He provides a very detailed account of early days and how the various Lutheran churches in the area were formed as well as bits and pieces of a pioneer minister's family life.   Paul, this is excellent reading and many thanks again.

And another gift from Paul: "Here's a picture just provided to the archive from Opal (Krueger) Lohmiller.  This was the 1942 Confirmation Class (Palm Sunday) just before the church burned."  -- thanks, Paul.

Karolyn (Korth) Capion added the following to the Shawano Marriages page: I would like to add to the early Shawano county marriages. My great grandfather and great grandmother were married on April 13,1877 in St. Peters church Pella.  Their names are Hermann Frederick Koller and Emilia Augusta Handke. I have the original Marriage certificate signed  by Gustus Barth.  Thanks Karolyn for the update.

Robert Duerwachter sent in an email regarding the Fish Family -- if you are working on this family, please contact Robert...

Also, I rec'd this from Mary... "I am researching  Kluchesky--John Henry /Kluchesky/27 Jun 1874/New
London, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  His family lived there - Daughter Lucy Clara was born in Birnamwood, Shawano, Wisconsin, USA 6 Mar 1907.... I am trying to find out more about his Father Adam, and Grandfather Thomas Strehlow, August died Herman 12 May 1905, leaving Wife Mary (Schumacher) and 3 daughters who married.  Did Mary remarry??? How are they related to other Strehlows?"  If this is your family line, Mary would love to hear from you.

And thanks to Pastor Phillips from First Presbyterian  in Shawano for the link to their website: www.shawanopres.org, as well as updating another Shawano church's address -- Many thanks!

Mr. Merritt Webb sent in a WONDERFUL autobiography in pdf of his great-grandfather Harry Jennings... Mr. Jennings worked for the railroad and his autobiography follows his life in New York, Michigan, Rhinelander and he eventually settles in Antigo.  Although Antigo is in Langlade County, I included it in the Shawano site because it tells a very familiar story of early settlers and because it is so VERY, VERY well-written!  I'm hoping to someday get my grandfather's story done and this one offers such excellent inspiration.  Thanks, Merritt for sending it in.

I think that gets us caught up on most of the past updates we've been working on... if you sent something in and have not seen it on the site -- a gentle email is appreciated to remind us.  We get approximately 15-20 emails each day and try our best to keep them all straight!  Thanks again for visiting the Shawano site and do remember to list your SURNAMES on the Message Board and Mailing Lists -- I hear great success stories every week of how someone randomly found the surname and emailed to make a great connection!

Til next time --
Anne

Hope your Christmas was wonderful and the snow not too deep!  This week we have been working on the following:

• On our military page, we've added "The Meaning Of The Flag Draped Coffin" -- very interesting!
• UPDATE on the St. James Lutheran -- article on Paul Wollangk from the Shawano Leader -- Congratulations, Paul!

And have a very safe & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Til next time!

Anne

And a little Chicago Political Humor from a furniture store...