Christmas on the Western Front If you've read "(Not) Home for Christmas, Part 1", you've seen this photo, and you also know how Emil and the Augustana bandsmen had spent Christmas of 1917. Christmas, 1918 found Emil "billeted" with the Bougnot family in Doulaincourt, Hte Marne, with Theo Lenz as a roommate. The Armistice had …
Grandpa's Book, Part 2 You may remember that at the end of "The Forgotten Bandsmen", I said there were interesting stories about quite a few members of the Augustana Band/123rd Field Artillery. Some of the stories are kind of humorous, like the one about draftee Frank Vasco, who refused to be told when to use …
Ludington Daily News The postcard on the left shows the Ludington Daily News building in the early 1900s. My grandfather, Emil, (the one typing) worked there for several years starting in 1913. There was also the Record Appeal, a weekly publication that would condense the main stories from the Daily News, and add other news …
No, I sincerely doubt if that's him. Frank is first mentioned on this blog by Foster in "Why You Probably Shouldn't Try to Eat a Broom". I guess you know I haven't given up on finding Frank. I won't go so far as to say it's become an obsession with me, but I've spent hours …
Learning Swedish from "Google Translate" This is my great grandfather, Nels Johnson, in his tailor shop in Ludington, Michigan. I'm not sure of the date, or of the exact location, because he had a few different shops in Ludington over the years. If you remember, he's the one who made the wool quilt that Foster …
One of my great uncles was named Kermit. Whenever I mention this fact to people outside the family, they always question me: "Kermit? Really?" Today, people immediately associate the name with Kermit the Frog. But in 1916, well before the Muppets were ever thought of, little Kermit Johnson had a feeling his name would become …
You might remember... That ever since I was little, I have helped Mom paint. The first thing she painted after I came to live with her was the "Talavera Kitchen". That was when I discovered my natural artistic talent. It was also when I discovered the step stool, which enabled me to get into the …
Okay, you've seen this photo before... It seems almost universal; we just don't think we will ever forget the people in our family photos. And most likely, we ourselves won't. But what about our descendants, when those of us who knew the subjects of the photos are no longer around? The man in the red …
"International what??" Panda was busy looking at Mom's laptop. I turned quickly when I heard him talking to himself as he scrolled attentively through various international maps and images. "International Panda Day!" he responded to my startled question, as he continued to scroll. "I think there should be an International Panda Day, don't you?""Is this …
"Dude, have you seen Mom's desk lately?" Foster's words woke me up from a sound sleep. We were in the front living room, where we had been helping Mom go through some family history information earlier in the day. "Not recently," I replied. "I can't see the top of the desk unless somebody puts me …