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August 2 Sept 13 Mar 2008 July 2008 November 2008 March 2009 July 2009
August 9 Dec 2007 April 2008 August 2008 December 2008 April 2009
August 16 Jan 2008 May 2008 Sept 2008 January 2009 May 2009
August 23 Feb 2008 June 2008 Oct 2008 February 2009 June 2009
Apologies. My mother passed away this spring and it will take me a while until I want to work on genealogy again.
July 2009
PFLEGER/BORNHOFEN/JANN/MEYSING
An email arrived in July from Franz-Theodor Voss-Meysing of Germany offering corrections to the oldest generations listed on the Meysing page.
March 2009
HARDISON/AVERY/VINSON
An email from Vinson researcher Emily Kantor gave a copy of a deed from Drury Vinson to his son Archibald, that updates information on the Elizabeth Vinson page with the solid guess that her mother was named Winifred, her brother was named Archibald, and her paternal grandfather may have been named John, and may have been granted a land patent on the Neuse River.
PFLEGER/BORNHOFEN/JANN/MEYSING
Some email arrived from Herbert Scholz of Germany, connecting his German forebears to Charles Meysing of Chicago. Charles married the daughter of a Jann (connected via convoluted pathway to Lou Pfleger, brother of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf). To see the Meysing information going back to the 1600s that Herbert Scholz collected, click here: Meysing. The page also contains some census and draft info on Charles Meysing Sr. and Jr.
ST. MARTIN'S
Photos of the church, the statue of St. Philomena and the Christmas Crib are now in Gallery Three on the St Martins page. Many thanks to Christopher Ives for his patience, and for sending the photos both by email and on disk to get around my creaky computer.
HARDISON/AVERY/NORRIS
Some email came in from Kay Bachman, descendent of Pherabe Avery and Nahor Norris, correcting some errors on the Sally Norris page and adding more information about the early Avery family members in the US.
I've recently been sent some photos of St. Martin's (the Wachdorf family church for many years) that I need to convert to upload.
WACHDORF/KARY/WILES/DODSON
An Amarillo, TX descendent of the Dodson line sent some information unraveling a little of the mystery in the Wiles family (from whom Marge Kary Wachdorf descended). In the census things were a little muddled but he explained that the Wiles family had Dodsons living with them because two Wiles daughters married Sidney Levi Dodson. Everything is on the Kary page, but you have to scroll down to the Wiles section, between the 1920 and 1930 census.
November 2008
Been slacking. Kittens born in August and everything else went by the wayside until they were grown.
WACHDORF/KLEIN
Found some listings in Chicago City Directories for Anna Klein and Anton Wachdorf in 1882 and 1884. In the 1882 Chicago Directory (the year they married) she is "Klein, Anna, wid. Anthon, 270 W. Chicago av," listed under dressmakers. Listed as widow by accident, or as an intentional gloss enabling her to be both respectable and employed?
GRIMM/PFLEGER
Found a goldmine in Peter Grimm's 1902 passport application. He was the brother of Maria Grimm Pfleger, and uncle of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf. Always wondered how Irene's mother could say she was born in Ohio yet her parents resided in Katzenbach. By Peter's application (quoted in full on the Peter Grimm page) the oldest two Grimm children were born in Canal Dover, Ohio of a father who WAS a US citizen. So the parents were in the US circa 1850 but moved back to Germany, and the kids were therefore already citizens when they returned in the 1870s. Ah ha! The passport application also gave his wife's maiden name and birth place (Katzenbach, again) and made me wonder if something significant happened in the German branch of the Grimm family in 1902.
WACHDORF
Added to Anton Wachdorf page information found in the 1877 and 1878 Chicago City Directories. In his late teens he was apparently and wood turner and lived on Meagher Street.
WACHDORF/KLEIN/ALBERG
Found a baptismal record on the LDS site for Christina Alberg, who eventually married John Klein and gave birth to Anna Klein (Wachdorf). According to the record, her parents were Georg Alberg and Elisabeth Schmitz, from Gerolstein, Rhineland-Prussia. (If I found the right records, then by the time the family arrives in the US the woman of unspecified relationship traveling with Georg Alberg and young "Christiana" and the rest of the family is named Claudia, not Elisabeth, suggesting Elisabeth died or was named Claudia Elisabeth / Elisabeth Claudia.)
Also found Christina's husband, John Klein, in the 1892 Chicago voter registration, identified as the relevant John Klein by his address on Princeton. Whereas he put in the census that he arrived in the US in 1854, on his voter registration he said he arrived in Illinois in 1854, but arrived in the US in 1849. Sadly, rather than identifying the court in which he was naturalized, it was listed as "court not known."
PFLEGER/PHILIPP
Added information to the page for Lena Pfleger Philipp (sister of John/Johann Pfleger, thus aunt of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf) after contact by email with her granddaughter. Also added pages for Lena's children, Louise Philipp (King), Rose Philipp (Donahue Gray Kurtz), and Lawrence Philipp.
LETTERS
Added Wachdorf letters 1956.
UNKNOWN/FRIENDS
The unknown/friends gallery has been split across two pages, one renamed unidentified and the other friends. Two photos have been identified, one as Audria Stevens and another as either Rose or Louise Philipp, daughter of Lena Pfleger Philipp. After being contacted by the descendents of Lawrence Philipp, Lena's son, I have added a page for Lena's son, Lawrence Philipp, and hope to be able to post photos to it eventually.
LETTERS
Added Wachdorf letters 1955, which include accounts of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf going into the hospital for the first time with diverticulitis, and account of Bunky's second son being hit by a car. Letters 1956-59 still to be transcribed.
LETTERS
Added remaining Wachdorf letters of the 1960s accessed from the All Letters page.
WIRTZ/PFLEGER/ENK etc found an article in the Southtown Economist 7-28-1926 on 50th wedding anniversary of Hubert Wirtz & Mary Krump (in-laws of Oscar Pfleger), and added it to Wirtz 50th page and to pages for Hubert Wirtz, Mary Krump Wirtz, Annie Wirtz Pfleger, Mary Wirtz Enk, Tony Wirtz & Charles Wirtz
PFLEGER/BORNHOFEN: found and added obituary from Southtown Economist for Gert Bornhofen Pfleger (wife of Lou Pfleger)
PFLEGER/LIFT: found and added three clippings on the death of George Pfleger, son of Henry Pfleger & Louise Lift, who was killed in action in France in 1944, WWII. The clippings finally give his wife's name: Isabel Sullivan Pfleger.
WACHDORF: discovered that the article on Anton Wachdorf's retirement in 1931 was picked up by U.P. and published in various odd papers around the country (because he held the same job for so many years). Added it to articles.
HARDISON/AVERY/WARMATH
An email from Stan Warmath, descendent of Henry Hilliard Warmath, filled in a missing branch of that family. The only child of HH Warmath who lacked his own page had been son William, but thanks to Stan, there is now a William James Warmath page with attached pages for several of his children, all of whom hailed from the Weakley, Gibson and Madison Co. TN area.
LETTERS
Added letters 1967 which has links to letters written in 1967 by Arthur Wachdorf (s/o Irene Pfleger Wachdorf), Hilda Grimm Diver Forney (cousin of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf), Rose (granddaughter of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf) and four by Irene Pfleger Wachdorf herself.
Also added letters 1968 by Hilda Grimm Diver Forney, Ed Wachdorf Jr's daughter Rose, Art Wachdorf and 2 by Irene Pfleger Wachdorf.
Also added letters 1969 which include the condolences sent after Irene Pfleger Wachdorf passed away, as well as letters by Harry, Art, and 3 by Larry plus one by a child to Harry & Justy thanking them for a gift.
Also added (but have barely started) Hardison Letters
WACHDORF/HOCHERTZ
Emails from Kitty Wachdorf Hochertz's granddaughter provided names for many of the faces in photos, and so all of Kitty's children have separate pages now, with some clips from the Southtown Economist newspaper added to their pages as well, and a few more photos from 1943. To reach any of the pages for Tony, Eddie, Marie, Dorothy, Magdalen, Charlotte, or Harry, start with their mother's page: Kitty Hochertz
WACHDORF/HOCHERTZ#2
Emails from Kitty's grandson gave some oral history of the Hochertz name and information on Tony Hochertz Sr.'s two sisters, who were literally sisters (nuns).
WACHDORF/KLEIN
An email from Mike Wokasch provided some information about (and a photo of) Florence Klein Krueger, daughter of George Klein. While it is not proven that the George Klein who fathered Florence is the same George Klein whose sister, Anna, became Anna Klein Wachdorf (mother of the line for all U.S. Wachdorfs) it seems likely.
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PFLEGER/WIRTZ/ENK
Received email from Shirley Martin with corrections to the Enk page, specifically that Edwin Enk's maternal grandmother's family were Bluechers, not Blenchards, and verifying that his grandmother was "Ricker," short for Fredericka.
PFLEGER/WACHDORF/STEVENS/ROSTER
Joe Wachdorf's granddaughters found some photos in their mother's papers and forwarded them. The shots included:
-Frances Stevens and husband, perhaps on their anniversary, and a shot of a good portion of their gang c. 1940?
-possibly Anton Wachdorf and an unknown man taken in the early 1900s.
-A group shot of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf, Madge Wachdorf, Mae Wachdorf, and Clara Roster taken between 1905-1925?
-A man I could not identify, who has been added to the unknown / friends page.
WACHDORF/KARY
Emails have come in from the descendents of George Kary (brother of Marge Kary Wachdorf) including a photograph, so the Kary page has been updated and a separate page has been added for George Kary, with more info and photos to be added once the photos have been scanned.
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HARDISON/AVERY/PATE
Received email from Jinx Pate-Lee announcing that the Pate DNA project is underway. The link is at http://www.familytreedna.com (then enter Pate in the search engine, and when the Pate page comes up, click on the link to their website). The email said in part, "We now have 70 males and 3 females in our project and have DNA results at this time for 66 males and 3 females..."
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October 11, 2007
HARDISON/SHELTON/AVERY
I received some emails from Dorothy Storms, great-granddaughter of William Frank Shelton, who is listed in the Hardison Family Bible as a witness to the 1892 wedding of G.W. Hardison and Ida Tennessee Avery. A further and more mysterious connection between the families is that GW's brother, John Franklin Hardison, raised a foster daughter named Katie L. and, according to Dorothy Storms' family information, W.F. Shelton "gave away" a daughter named Katie L, perhaps because her mother died and he was not equipped to raise her. One wonders if John Franklin Hardison and William Franklin Shelton were both named in honor of some kin to both of their families whom I have not yet unearthed, but it is only speculated that William Frank was actually William Franklin Shelton. Dorothy's info on the Shelton family to be posted to the GW and John Franklin Hardison pages, and the Ida Avery page, and WF's granddaughter will be getting in touch with more information at a later date, to see if we can unearth the missing link.
WACHDORF
Have been spending a lot of time with film footage. Received a box of Wachdorf home movies from a daughter of Jerry Wachdorf, taken by her father Jerry and some by Wachdorf family friend, Wilbert "Peanut" Schuch. Just as I finished getting these transferred (including footage mentioned in Wachdorf letters of 1953) another box of film was discovered by a daughter of Edward Wachdorf Jr that may have more Wachdorf related footage.
PFLEGER/WIRTZ
I am guilty of still not tackling the giant Wirtz notebook, but heard from my Pfleger go-to source that a Pfleger (one of our Pflegers, but whose exact connection can not be listed to protect privacy) did the sound design and mix on the Discovery Times Channel program on the fall of the Berlin Wall that aired originally on Oct. 3, 2007.
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Have been goofing off and using the end of summer for the end of summer. Getting back to work. Got an email from DeAnn Meysing that corrected some mislabeled Meysings in the Bornhofen's 50th photo (a man labeled Ray Meysing was in fact Ray's father, Charles Meysing, and it is the woman beside him, not the woman in the back row, who is his wife Anna Gertrude Jann Meysing. Consequently the labels for the pair on the page for her mother/his mother-in-law Anna Gertrude Utschig Jann have also been corrected.
Also received a great letter from the granddaughter of Lorraine Cameron (Sis Stevens) that added names to many of the photos on the Fran's children page (Fran's children descend from Anton Wachdorf via his daughter Frances Wachdorf Stevens). She said Sis knows every name in every Wachdorf photo, and invited me to email. I did, but I suspect my email got thrown out by her spam filter. I'll have to try snail mail again.
Received as well a massive notebook of Wirtz family history sent by Richard Pfleger but compiled by (I think) Bob Grimm. He is a Wirtz descendant, and sadly not related to our Grimms, of whom I am in contact with Cathy Grimm, sister of the completely un-Wirtzian other Bob Grimm. I need to get back in contact with the Wirtzian Bob to ask him what I have permission to use, and then I have to sit in awe of the notebook for a little while, working up the nerve to begin tackling something that big.
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WACHDORF
Added to the pages of all mentioned a photo of Harry going off to war that includes his mother, Irene Pfleger Wachdorf, his brothers Ed & Bunky and sister Dolores as well as sisters-in-law Marge and Charlotte, plus two of Ed & Marge's kids (see pages for Edward Wachdorf Jr. and Marge Kary Wachdorf, Harry Wachdorf and Justina Hannigan Wachdorf, Dolores Wachdorf, Jerry Wachdorf and Charlotte Plaehn Wachdorf, Bunky Frank Wachdorf and Larry Wachdorf.
Also added to the pages of all mentioned a color snapshot c.1960 of Edward Wachdorf Jr., Larry Wachdorf & Jerry Wachdorf.
Also added a 1983 photo of Harry Wachdorf and Justina Hannigan Wachdorf and a 1950s photo of Dolores Wachdorf & Les.
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No updates this week. I was on vacation.
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HARDISON/AVERY
Got an email from Bill Ward of Dallas TX that enabled me to add a page for Sallie E Hall (though I haven't added her info to the indexes yet). Sallie was the daughter of Sarah Elizabeth Avery (McDougald Hall). In other words, Sallie was the cousin of Wm. A.G. Avery (she was the cousin of Ida Tennessee's father).
I have added Wendell Avery's correction to the story of the loss of the Avery family farm on every page it was mentioned, but have not yet added the obituaries that he mentioned nor the information on Ida Tennessee's nephew James Riverboat Avery--trying to track down a little more info first.
PFLEGER/WIRTZ
Received by snail mail from Richard Pfleger a large notebook chock full of Wirtz info that was compiled by Bob Grimm (no relation to Louis Grimm's line). Will be adding the information starting next week, when I return from my mini-vacation.
WACHDORF
Added a copy of Sis' death certificate to her page at Sis after the convent.
Added some photos of Dolores Wachdorf and Jerry Wachdorf.
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HARDISON/AVERY/PATE
It's Friday night, July 20th, and the following two items came in today and will be posted (with hyperlinks to prove it) later in the week:
--Received a letter from Alice Peterie containing a photo of Bolin Green Pate and his Civil War pension application. If you can't tell by the name Bolin Green, he was the grandson of Bolin Green Henry Bascom Avery and the cousin of Ida Tennessee Avery Hardison.
--received a phone call from Wendell Avery of Alamo TN who said that Mary Lou Hardison Barnett Foutch was likely incorrect when she said the orphaned Avery children could have kept the farm if only Troy and Drew Avery hadn't taken it over; Wendell Avery's recollection was that the farm was sold to pay taxes. He also agreed that Vinas Hardison's story about Tom Avery (brother of Ida Tennessee) and the suitcase full of cats sounded more like something Drew Avery would do, and not at all in keeping with an upstanding citizen like Tom.
He also said that Virginia Lee Avery, the widow of Tom's son, Paul Constance Avery, died July 1st this year at 103 years old. He was on his way to the funeral of Sarah Martha Avery Emison, daughter of John Buchanan Avery and granddaughter of Troy H. Avery--the same Troy that Mary Lou mistakenly thought took the farm. Ida Tennessee was second cousin to Sarah's father. In other words, Ida's grandfather (Bolin Green Henry Bascom Avery) and Sarah's great-grandfather (James Arlean Avery) were brothers.
He also said that Ida's brother, Charles, had a son named James R. Avery and the "R" was for "Riverboat." James Riverboat Avery.
WACHDORF/PFLEGER
Added some reminiscences by daughter and son-in-law to the Irene Pfleger Wachdorf page.
Scanning photos again. Added many photos to pages of Frank Wachdorf and some of the same to the Rose page. Will post here closer to the end of the week as to which other Wachdorf photos were added.
Added a page for class photos c.1900-1945 from St Martins school and some misc St. Martin's church stuff, not counting weddings.
Added a photo to the unknown / friends page that included Ed Wachdorf Sr and his brother Harry among five other fisherfolk, stamped 9-21-1936. Can anyone identify any of the other fishermen & women? There are two more shots of the young man with the white-blond hair if anyone knows who he is.
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HARDISON/SIMS/AVERY/WARMATH
Adding information higgledy-piggledy to the Avery pages. I start work on one Avery and wind up having to veer off onto six different pages to add updates. For example, Ida's father's cousin, Ascenith Avery, married Lyda Sue Sims' uncle, James R. Sims. Descendents Alice Peterie, Sherri Sontag and Carol Berning are helping sort out this mess. Sherri Sontag has a webpage www.ourtennesseefamilytree.com which has information on the Boswell family. Turns out that Ida Tennessee Avery Hardison was raised by Doc Boswell after her parents died, and Doc's wife was Nancy Avery, whose brothers were the Troy and Drew Avery who took over the farm. They were all cousins of Ida's father.
Got sidetracked trying to figure out Asenith Avery who married a Sims, and so added pages for John P. Sims' brothers, Will Sims, Robert Sims, James R Sims.
Also added a chart to visually explain some tangled Avery/Rosamon/Hefley/Warmath folks, and cleaned up several Warmath pages.
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HARDISON/SIMS/AVERY
Starting to add the siblings of William A.G. Avery (father of Ida Tennessee Avery Hardison) but it's slow going because the darned Averys married everybody and their cousin. Literally.
PFLEGER/BORNHOFEN/UTSCHIG/JANN
Got a letter from Marion Melsheimer Czachor helping out with another group photo (on the bottom half of the Bornhofen's 50th anniversary page). She was at the party in 1929. She's amazing. She added identifications for Joe, Al and Leo Jann, and Eddie Pfleger (Oscar's).
WACHDORF
Added a few photos to the California page.
Added some photos to the pages for Harry Wachdorf and Justina Hannigan Wachdorf (including Justy's mom).
Added a photo of Mae Wachdorf and Madge Wachdorf with (I think) their niece Leona laughing at themselves while striking a glamour pose and a shot from August 1954 of Mae, Madge, and Edward Wachdorf Jr. and Marge Kary Wachdorf in Tijuana.
Finished transcribing letters 1954 including some photos.
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HARDISON/SIMS/AVERY
Added several photos to LC Hardison page and William Leland Hardison page, also a photo or two to the following pages: Vinas Rosamon Hardison (Elsie 1983); Sally Hooper Mecklin & Mary Lou Cyril Barnett Foutch; Noah Thomas Hardison (Nora and Frances 1983).
Added pages for the children of Ida T Avery Hardison's brother Tom Avery (in other words, cousins of William Leland Hardison).
Added a page for Mary Callis, the sister of Effie Amos Sims (the aunt of Lyda Sue Sims).
PFLEGER
WACHDORF
Added a letter written by Harry Wachdorf (1954 Mar 18 Harry) and letters from March 1954 to the All Letters page.
Added photos of Marge Kary Wachdorf and her mother, Ethel May Wiles Kary to the Kary page.
Added a photo of Irene Safranski Wachdorf and her mother, Lottie Safranski to the Safranski page.
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HARDISON/SIMS
Added a Transcription of a taped 1998 conversation with Mary Lou Hardison Barnett Foutch, with topics ranging from her family Bible, to her grandfather's death, her uncles, her brothers, Sims family members, etc.
Added photos to LC Hardison page and a column about him by his Uncle Leslie (also added to Leslie Sims page)
Added photo of Bobby Sims to Leslie Sims page.
Added 1991 photo of Mary Lou Hardison & Alma Foutch to Mary Lou Cyril Barnett Foutch page
PFLEGER/WIRTZ/ENK
Got an email from Bob Grimm, great-great-grandson of an uncle of Hubert Wirtz (Oscar Pfleger's father-in-law. Oscar=Irene Pfleger Wachdorf's brother) and based on his information added a page for Hubert's father Martin Wirtz and names of grandparents, and siblings.
Added three group photos (see description in Wachdorf section of update).
Found John Pfleger (grandfather of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf) in the the 1888 Jackson Michigan directory and added info to his page and his bro-in-law Louis Grimm's page.
Added Enk page (Mary Wirtz Enk sis of Annie Wirtz Pfleger. Annie's husband Oscar Pfleger was brother of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf)
WACHDORF
Rec'd & added marriage license and certificate for Joseph Wachdorf & wife Jessie McCormick from their granddaughter. (Joe = brother of Ed Wachdorf Sr)
Did general clean up of pages for Anton Wachdorf and his children (including Ed Wachdorf Sr), adding census info instead of summarizing it
Fixed a faulty link to the 1932 Letters.
Added two photos (appearing on pages of all people in the photos):
1925 Tourist Camp Albion Michigan (includes Harry H Wachdorf (Ed's brother, not his son), Oscar Pfleger & his son John, either Edwin Enk or one of the Wirtz brothers, and Emil Wiedemann)
shot c. 1930 overlooking a river with Ed Jr. & Irene "Sis" Wachdorf, Eleanor Pfleger & her parents Oscar & Annie, Dell & Harry Wachdorf, and Emil Wiedemann.
Added another group photo (this time just the men) to Bornhofen's 50th. Includes Joe Bornhofen, Chris & Ed Eck, Herb & Lee Jann, Ray Meysing, Lou & Oscar Pfleger, Harry Wachdorf, Emil Wiedemann, Hubert Wirtz etc.
Added photos to the pages for Dolores Wachdorf, Ed Wachdorf Sr, Frank & Jinny Wachdorf, Irene Wachdorf, Irene "Sis" Wachdorf and photos of friends of Sis Wachdorf.
Added some info to Harry H. Wachdorf page on his second wife, Lydia Harnois
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HARDISON/ROBESON/STALLINGS/BIGGS
Added pages for Clara Robeson Hardison's sisters, Cyntha Stallings and Matilda Biggs, but have barely added any information yet.
PFLEGER/WIRTZ
Added a Wirtz 50th page with photos of the 1926 golden anniversary of Hubert Wirtz and Mary Krump with about 50 guests. In the process of linking it to the relevant Wirtz and Pfleger pages.
WACHDORF
In the process of transcribing Wachdorf letters 1954.
I've begun scanning the Wachdorf photo album 1910-1930. New photos for Edward Wachdorf, wife, and children will be appearing or have already appeared. Also overhauled the pages for Irene "Sis" Wachdorf, Ed & Irene.
Added some relevant photos to the 1932 Letters page, letters 1953 and letters 1954.
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Added the All Letters page, which currently has links to Wachdorf letters 1904-1911, 1932, 1941, and 1953. The page will eventually hold Wachdorf letters (1904-1911, 1932, 1941, 1953-1968) and the letters written from Arkansas by William Leland Hardison, as well as some odds and ends.
HARDISON/SIMS/COOK
Adding some information regarding Julia Cook and her family (m/o John PG Sims & grandmother of Lyda Sue Sims Hardison).
PFLEGER/GRIMM
Got a card from the granddaughter of Louis Grimm Jr, who added some information for the Rosina, Hilda and Henrietta Grimm pages.
WACHDORF/HOCHERTZ
Received an email from a granddaughter of Kitty Hochertz, who is showing the pictures on the website to her aunt in the hope of putting some names on faces.