From Cradle to Grave - Cora Bell Ozias Kuhn, Part II

Read From Cradle to Grave - Cora Bell Ozias Kuhn, Part I here.

Cora Bell Ozias Kuhn was my second great-grandmother on my paternal side. When we left off from her story it was 1894 and she was recently married to her second husband, James H. Martin. Cora picked up her sons and moved them with her new family to Nebraska for five years. By 1900 the family has moved again to Baldwin City, Kansas.

Martin and Kuhn family 1900 census

The family lives here for the next twenty years. By 1910 all three sons have moved out and Mabel, her step-daughter, is the only child left at home.

Martin Family on 1910 census

This photo was part of a collection of Kuhn family photos I borrowed from a cousin. The only note on the photo is its location. Based on the vehicle, I have to wonder if this is the home of Cora and James Martin.

In 1920, the family is in the same location, but now there is a new child listed: Claude E. Gates. I have found no information regarding this individual, but I assume that he was adopted or that Cora and James were just providing a home for him.

Martin family on 1920 census

Sometime between 1920 and 1925 things went a little off for Cora. In the 1925 Kansas census she is found in Holton, Johnson County, Kansas, but with a new husband: Lemuel B. Wolverton. With them lives a ward, William Felt.

Wolverton family on 1930 census

I have found no information regarding this third marriage for Cora. I do know that James Martin was still alive, so she was not widowed. Another case of irreconcilable differences I assume. And this is where the records for Cora stop. I can not find her or Lemuel Wolverton on the 1940 census. She died February 1, 1953 at the home of her son, F. E. Kuhn, in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. According to her death certificate she had lived in Pleasant Hill for 10 years so she must have moved there sometime around 1943.

Cora is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Pleasant Hill, Missouri

 

Cora went through some trying times in her life. She moved countless times across four different states, dealt with the deaths of many loved ones and reared at least six children. There are no known photos of Cora, which I find odd since she lived into the 1950s. I won't give up hope that there is one somewhere. One thing I noticed about Cora is that throughout her life she used the initial "K." Regardless of who she was married to she maintained her attachment to her first husband, Frank Kuhn. It's possible that she did this for her children, but I like to think that she was maintaining a tie to her first love.

 

Missing items:

 

- Cora on the 1940 census.

- A photo of Cora (I'll reach out to cousins for this one).

Wedding Wednesday - Wedding gift inventory...in a newspaper

While researching the children of Philip and Bertha (Cutler) Kuhn, I came across a wedding announcement for the marriage of Benson Vernon and Zillah Kuhn. My first respose was to giggle for finding a relative named Benson (I think back to the great show of the 80s). This was printed in the March 18, 1887 edition of the Centralia Journal, the newspaper for Centralia, Kansas. It is the first wedding announcement I have seen that includes a complete inventory of the wedding gifts.

As was mentioned last week, Mr. Benson Vernon and Miss Zillah Kuhn were united in marriage a week ago yesterday at the residence of the bride's parents. A company of about thirty guests arrived promptly. Only relatives and  most  intimate  friends  were present. The young  couple were ushered into the parlor by the  parents of the bride and groom. The  bride was dressed in pure white, the   groom in black. Ceremony performed by Rev Murray a  former   Methodist  preacher at this place. Shortly after, dinner was served, and if it were not that common dinners are called excellent, we might give you an idea of this. (The English language is defective in adjectives.)  A reception was held next day at  Mr. J. W. Vernon's, father of the groom. They will begin house­keeping in a few days on the farm north of Corning. Following is the list of presents received.

1, Wordsworth's Poems, Mrs. Mur­ray, Alma, Kansas.
2,     Tablecloth and lamp, C. H. Bonjour.
3,     Pair Towels, Mr. and Mrs. I. Stickel.
4, Pair Towels, Mr. and Mrs. M.  B. Young, Shelby, Ohio.
5, Table Cloth, Mrs. J. W. Vernon.
6,  Water pitcher and pair towels; Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Magill. Corning, Kan.
7,      Glass bread plate. Chas. and Emma Kuhn.
8,      Pincushion, Ona Kuhn.
9,      Water pitcher and pair pillow shams, Mr. and Mrs. N. W. Vernon.
10,  Zephys bed scarf. Ada Kuhn.
11, Embroidery tidy, Jennie Atkinson, Pawnee City, Nebraska.
12, Hand painted table scarf, Nettie Kuhn.
13, Water pitcher and pair towels, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Vernon
14, Sugar bowl, Rosa Vernon
15, Set Goblets, Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Stickney
16, Covered comforter, Mr. and Mrs. S.T. Barrett.
17, Wash bowl and pitcher, Hervey and Frank Vernon.
18, Pair painted palettes, Angie Stickney
19, Washing machine, Father and Mother Kuhn
20, Cane bottomed chair, Father and Mother Vernon  

Military Monday - Philip Kuhn and the Grand Army of the Republic

Fraternity ~ Charity ~ Loyalty

The Grand Army of the Republic, or GAR, was founded April 6, 1866 as veteran's organization for Union Civil War soldiers. The organization's constitution sets forth the following aims:

1st. The preservation of those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together, with the strong cords of love and affection, the comrades in arms of many battles, sieges and marches.
2nd. To make these ties available in works and results of kindness, of favor and material aid to those in need of assistance.
3rd. To make provision, where it is not already done, for the support, care and education of soldiers' orphans, and for the maintenance of the widows of deceased soldiers.
4th. For the protection and assistance of disabled soldiers, whether disabled by wounds, sickness, old age or misfortune.
5th. For the establishment and defense of the late soldiery of the United States, morally, socially and politically, with a view to inculcate a proper appreciation of their services to the the country, and o a recognition of such services and claims by the American people.

   - "Constitution of the Grand Army of the Republic." History of the Grand Army of the Republic. Beath, Robert Burns. Bryan, Taylor, & co., 1889. Pgs. 44-45.

The GAR grew to have more than 7,000 posts and at its height in 1890 it had more than 400,000 members. It became a strong advocate for veteran pensions and also had a strong hand in winning the elections of republican candidates. The GAR is also credited with founding Memorial Day. It began as a request from General John A. Logan, then commander-in-chief of the GAR, to all post members to place flowers on the graves of fallen comrades on May 30, 1868. It was called Decoration Day and soon caught on around the country. A female auxiliary, the National Women's Relief Corps, officially began in 1883. The GAR was formally dissolved in 1956 upon the death of it's last member. The legacy of the GAR then passed to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

My ancestor, Philip Kuhn, served in "The Recent Unpleasantness" as a musician in the 120th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted on September 2, 1862 and remained in service for the entire war, discharged on July 8, 1865. His service included a period in the prisoner of war camp just outside of Tyler, Texas: Camp Ford.

Philip was a founding member of the Grand Army of the Republic, George Graham Post No. 92 on July 4, 1882 in Seneca, Kansas. He was also an active member of Centralia Post No. 188 in Centralia, Kansas.

Philip served as adjutant and chaplain as well as providing music for various events; he was a musician after all. He also shared the story of his time as a prisoner of war. The following is the newspaper story about a GAR Post No. 188 fundraiser held in 1887 as printed in The Centralia Journal, Centralia, Kansas (I have added some formatting to make reading easier):

The G.A.R. Gastronomic and Literary Feast

     The Grand Army Dinner and entertainment last Friday evening, was a grand success, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather. The dinner was superb and abundant. The solicitors scoured town and country and everybody seemed glad to encourage the boys who wore the blue. By time the clock struck twelve, tables for 100 guests were bountifully spread and literally groaned under the accumulated eatables, consisting of vast quantities of cake, pies, meats, huge paps of port and beans --"The army bean white and clean." The onslaught of this formidable array continues until after 2 o'clock, some of the guests eating as though they were hollow to the bottom of their boots. But after all had done their best there was enough left to feed half a regiment. This surplus made many needy families of the town happy.

     The evening entertainment was opened with "America," by a choir of about 20 singers, under the leadership of Prof. Bowman. This was followed by a recitation of a poem by Comrade Wheeler, entitled "Tender-foot and Grey back," written by Chaplin Lozier. "The Army Bean" was then forcibly rendered by the choir, followed by the recitation "Kentucky Bell," by Winifred Spaulding, which held the audience spell-bound. "They've grafted him into the army," was given as a solo and chorus. Mrs. Jennie Stickel, the soloist was in costume and exhibited "The very same pants that Jimmie used to wear," Mrs. Stickel impersonated an old lady singer to perfection. Miss May Preston then recited an original poem, "The Army of the Republic," and lost none of her prestige, either as author or speaker by this effort. "Blue coat and Miss Dixy," was successfully given by Ruben Mather and Miss Spaulding. "Babyton is falling," was rendered as a solo by Will Hostlander. This was followed by the recitation, "The prisoner for debt," by G.W. Pampel.

     While a camp scene was being prepared, Commander I. Stickel narrated some personal incidents of the war, on the Vicksburg Campaign; with 20 cavalry he charged a force of 80 mounted rebs, wounded and captured 30 of them without losing a man. This statement was taken from an official report made at the time, which is now in his possession. He also related a ludicrous incident of a lieutenant who was ordered out on a scout while he was having his only shirt washed. "Tenting on the old camp grounds," was then rendered very effectively. The stage presented an old time camp scene, with tent, campfires, muskets and soldiers scattered around playing cards, making coffee, etc.

     Miss Minnie Carr, of Goffs, then recited "Sheridan's ride," displaying no ordinary powers of elocution. Comrade Wheeler then recited an original poem, "The boys in Blue.Bro's, assisted by Rev. Bush, Joe Kincaid and John Tohm, then sang "Kingdom Coming," in good style, which was followed by Mr. Oberedorf reading some very interesting abstracts from his diary kept while in the Confederate service, his "dream" being very remarkable, and we trust it may never be realized, if he is to be the victim to "mark time." Comrade Root sandwiched some of his foraging stories between this and Mr. Kincaid's speech. Kincaid wore the Grey in Tenn, and was captured at Chattanooga, and gave many incidents of the war as seen from the other side. One of the Ex-confederate speakers, David Jessie, was unable to be present. Will Holtslander gave "Old Shady," as a solo. Comrade I.A. Stickel gave some accounts of the capture at Holly Spring, Miss., by the rebs; while making a charge he was surrounded and pounded over the head and shoulders with empty shot guns, but with his noble horse and making good use of his spurs and saber, got away.

  

     Comrade Birchfield related a goose story, and the Exercises closed with "Marching through Georgia." The singers and others marched around the stage waving flags and hats, while singing the chorus. Miss Nettie Kuhn sang the solo. This was one of the best things on the program. The large audience separated feeling that they had been highly entertained. They netted between $45 and $50, and would have been much larger had it not been for the snow storm that raged during the day and night.

The Grand Army Badge, presented to all members upon their induction in to the society.

To read more about the Grand Army of the Republic visit the following links:

The History of the Grand Army of the Republic, a free Google ebook.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
The Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies, Library of Congress reading room
Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library

Wordless Wednesday - Kuhn family church photos

Dad and Mom

Bro and Sis

Photos taken for the Englewood Baptist Church directory. Yep, that is a sweet Strawberry Shortcake dress.

Not So Wordless Wednesday - Kuhns in business

This is a photograph of my great-grandparents, Gussie (Creed) and F.E. Kuhn, in front of their co-located businesses in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. F.E. Kuhn ran an insurance and real estate agency and Mrs. F.E. Kuhn ran a beauty shop.

Military Monday - Ordering Civil War Pension files through NARA eServices

I finally broke down and spent $75. On a pension file. Am I crazy?

I recently read on several other genealogy blogs that fellow researchers had ordered the Civil War pension files for their ancestors. I have many ancestors that fought in the Civil War but once I saw the steep price tag for complete pension files ($75 for the search at the NARA and up to 100 copies) I was leery. Was it really worth my money? What would I learn that I didn't already know? And most importantly, if I couldn't justify ordering a pension file for every ancestor, how would I narrow it down?

I have read that pension files are very rich with family information. It makes sense, because they were used to prove service and family relationships in order to delve out money. And we know the government is thorough when investigating how it will spend its money. The government paid pensions for the following reasons:

1. The former soldier became disabled and was unable to support himself, or he became an invalid because of wounds or illness which occurred while he was in the Service.
2. The soldier was a volunteer whose State unit saw Federal Service.
3. A widow’s pension was awarded to a woman and children whose husband and father served in the war.

There are two types of pension file reproductions that you can order. The first, the Pension Documents Packet (NATF 85B), costs $25 and includes eight documents with the most genealogical rich information. The second option is the Federal Military Pension Application - Civil War and Later Complete File (NATF 85D), which includes all documentation in the pension file. The pension file could include marriage certificates, death certificates and discharge information, among other things.

Some of my ancestors inadvertently helped me to narrow down which pension files I would have to order by being Confederate soldiers. Those pension application files are kept at a state level which would require a request to each of the different state archives, a project for down the road. Other ancestors were Union soldiers, but did not see federal service. I am now narrowed down to the following ancestors:

Joseph M. Creed
Philip Kuhn

Both were Union Soldiers in my direct line and I have located pension index files for them. If I have to choose which to order I choose to not choose. That is a choice, right? But I will save ordering Philip Kuhn's file for later. I have already discovered Civil War letters written by Philip and I am very familiar with his service record. Joseph Creed is more of a mystery. He was a member of the Cass County Home Guards (Missouri) and the 9th Regiment, Kansas Calvary. I have no idea why his service crossed the state line and what happened that led him to see federal service. So the winner is Joseph M. Creed for $75. I hope it is well worth it!

So off I went to the NARA to place my order. I have found the easiest way to order reprodcutions from the National Archives is through their eServices site.

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Set up a user ID and password on the right-hand side of the screen. Once you have logged in click on the Order Reproductions button in the center of the screen or the tab at the top of the page. 

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Note the red circle. These are quick links to Military Service and Pension Records. Following this link brings you to a screen listing all of the military service and pension records available for order. I have circled the two Civil War files mentioned above:

Click to enlarge.

After choosing the type of file you would like to order, the site asks for all the pertinent information to conduct the search to include the veteran's name, unit, pension file application number (if known) and other information. The rest of the steps to order the file are similiar to ordering anything online. I have ordered many items through this site and my favorite part is the order history found in the My Account section. You are able to track all of your past orders and see where current orders are in the process. Note my most recent purchase is already being serviced!

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Note that there is no charge if the NARA is unable to locate your requested records, but their search can only be as good as the information you provide. I hope this tutorial drives others to order their ancestor's pension files. I hope that it is worth it for all of us!

For more information on Civil War Pension files at the NARA see here.

Tuesday's Tune - "I Can't Get Next to You" by the Temptations

Tuesday's Tune is a new blog prompt I created to talk about my ancestry playlist. Music has always played an important role in my life and there are countless songs that remind me of my family. I often wonder if those that are gone loved the same music I love today. This prompt will give me an opportunity to share my playlist.

Today's song is "I Can't Get Next to You" by the Temptations. This song, and any other Motown hit, always makes me think of my father, Warren Kuhn. Dad was raised in Kansas City, Missouri on the south side and he attended Paseo High School. At the time, both Dad's neighborhood and the high school had a large black population. Dad has always said he learned his love for Motown music from his neighbors and fellow students.

Paseo High School, Kansas City, Missouri. The school was built in 1926 and demolished in 1990 to make way for a fine arts magnet school.

As I was growing up we used to listen to a lot of records, with Motown music played more than most. The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, and especially the Temptations would fill our house with music. My favorite Temptations song is "I Can't Get Next to You." The song was a number-one hit for the Temptations in October 1969.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Paseo High School yearbooks

Well once again I am happy for my Ancestry.com subscription. They have recently added more yearbooks to their U.S. School Yearbooks collection and I was able to find the following from my father's yearbooks:

The young pup at the far right is my papa, Warren Kuhn. These are the Army Junior ROTC officers from Paseo High School, Kansas City, Missouri in 1964. My father was listed as the Range and Ordnance NCO. Just a few years later he was living in Germany guarding real ordnance.

Luckily, the high school yearbooks for the years I was in school are not online...that would make me old, wouldn't it?

Wedding Wednesday - Warren and Cathy Kuhn

Warren Kuhn and Catherine Happy Hope

married August 24, 1974 in Kansas City, Missouri

Happy 37th anniversary!

Tombstone Tuesday - Frank E. Kuhn

Photo taken by FindAGrave.com volunteer Luella Hinrichsen

Frank E. Kuhn's life was rather short, but eventful. He was born in 1861, married to Cora Bell Ozias in 1882, had two sons (Maurice Elmer and Frank Earl) and then died in 1887 of typhoid fever. Below is an article from the Centralia Journal, describing Frank's eventful final end.

Centralia Journal (Centralia, Kan.) October 21, 1887

The grandmother I never met...she would have been 90

Lois Burnett Kuhn

I just realized that today is my grandmother's birthday. If she were still living we would be celebrating her 90th birthday. I never got to meet my grandmother, as she died well before I was born, but she is the one ancestor I wish I could travel through time to meet. My father has told me countless stories about her and I can't help but think that I take very much after her. Happy Birthday!

Attack of the City Belle - Military Monday

The 120th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry had been in Louisiana for ten months before they received orders in May 1864 to join Major General Nathaniel Banks in Alexandria, Louisiana. The regiment boarded the transport City Belle in Baton Rouge in May 1864 to begin the journey towards Alexandria to take part in the Red River Campaign.

On May 8th, 1864 the City Belle came upon a surprise attack at Snaggy Point, Louisiana by Confederate cannons hidden behind the levee along the river. The first shells were directed at the wheel house and the boiler, the steam of which killing many of the animals on board.  Muskets balls tore through the ship "as if it were paper." The 120th O.V.I. had 425 men on board the vessel, 200 escaped and the rest were either killed or captured. The following is an account of the attack by Philip Reymer Kuhn written in a letter from Camp Ford Confederate prison near Tyler, Texas to his wife, Bertha. Spelling and syntax errors are the author's own.

"Well I will try and tell you this time how we liv and how we where captured. We had orders to go to Alexandra and our Colonel would obey orders no difference what came in the way so we went up Red River till we got captured and lost our Colonel and everything we had and the 120st to. We had warning by some of the citizens along the river to not go any further or we would be fired in to and shure enough we was in less than an hour. The second shot from the rebs killed the pilot and the boat swung around and the bow of the boat struck the shore and the boys commenced jumping off but the boat floted toward the middle of the river and they still kep jumping in the river throughing there arms in with them and I thought it was the best thing could do to for the rebs was firing the shell and canister into us as fast as they could so I jumped over bord and swam ashore and was soone a prisoner. The where too other colonels killed besides our. They where seven killed out of our regiment besides several that belonged to the other regt and some wouned. I lost everything I had and my likenessess too for I had them in my knapsack and it was burnt with the boat. The rebs did not take much of the boat after it surrendered for they were afraid of the gunboats coming so they mad short work of it."

Dr. John C. Gill, assistant surgeon for the 120th O.V.I. wrote the following in a letter to his friend Dr. Capener, as printed in the June 30, 1864 Ohio Plain-Dealer:

"They [Confederates] allowed us to pass one battery and to approach to about 100 yards of another one that was planted nearly half a mile above, when it opened on us with shell, and at the same time, volley after volley of musketry was poured upon us like hail. The first shell was directed at the wheel house. It carried away a portion of the roof. The second shot was at the boiler. This shot was effectual, having struck the boiler and allowing the steam to escape, killing many horses, mules, and I have no doubt, several men, as many jumped into the river at that time. Now both batteries opened on us, and a constant fire of musketry. The scene on the boat was terrible, the balls passing through the boat as if it were paper. The wheel was shattered to pieces while the pilot was at it. He, poor man, was shot three times, once with shell and twice with minnie balls, which caused mortal wounds. I was standing by my state-room door when we were first fired into; a shell came through the cabin and passed through my state-room about a foot over my head, completely covering me with feathers and bedding; the only injury it did me was a slight scare."

Captured soldiers from the City Belle attack were marched to Camp Ford near Tyler, Texas, where most remained until the close of the war. General William Tecumseh Sherman would later call the Red River Campaign "one damn blunder from beginning to end." Philip Kuhn was a principal musician for the 120th and my 3rd great-grandfather.

To Meet Tuesday...or rather brick wall breakthrough

I would love to meet Bertha Cutler Kuhn, my 3rd great-grandmother. She was born in Plymouth, Richland County, Ohio on December 28, 1841. Bertha is one of those relatives that I know just enough about to be dangerous. As I have written in a previous post, I was blessed enough to have a letter written by Bertha to her husband during the Civil War. This link made me feel a certain connection to Bertha as I have also been at home with a small child while my husband was at war. But this was all I had.

Bertha's obituary lists her maiden name as Cutler and her birthplace as Plymouth, Ohio. I found her on the 1850 census in Richland County, Ohio. She lived with her father, James, her mother, Eliza, and her brother, Robert. Today as I was preparing to write about why I would like to meet Bertha, I decided to try and find out more about her parents, as they have been one of my brick walls. I have a copy of her brother Robert's obituary which states his mother was Eliza Bodine of Richland County, Ohio. But I have been unable to track more about this family. I cannot even find a death date for James Cutler.

To try to "backdoor" my research I decided to look for more information on a third sibling: Mary Cutler. Mary was born in 1853 according to my research. But I lose track of her after her listing at age 17 on the 1870 census. At that time she is still living with her father in Richland County. On Ancestry.com there is a link to a family tree for Mary. That tree states that her husband was Milton H. Myers. I have no idea if this information is accurate, as it is not sourced. So, I take a cautious step and look for information on Milton, hoping to find a connection back to Mary, and ultimately back to the Cutler family. On FindAGrave.com I find headstones for both Mary and Milton. The headstone states that Milton was a member of the 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (a fraternal organization of Civil War Veterans).

With this information in hand I turned back to Google. I now searched for Milton Myers and Civil War and wonders upon wonders a link to the Wichita State University Special Collections page came up. They have in their archives a collection of documents from Milton Myers: Milton H. Myers Collection of Civil War Documents. The collection includes documents collected by Milton Myers during his time as a sergeant with the 110th O.V.I. The Special Collections branch of the library has included a list of all the items in the collection, and as I browsed through it I was especially piqued by what was in Box 1, file folder 12: "Photocopy of the "Genealogy and History of the Branch of the Bodine Family Founded by John Bodine: A soldier of the Revolutionary War and a pioneer of the State of New Jersey." It was written and compiled by Maude Cutler Scholfield. This work tells the genealogy and history of Milton H. Myers' wife, Mary Eliza Cutler."

Here we have Cutler and Bodine in the same area. I was floored and realized this could be a roundabout way through my brick wall. Needless to say, I have contacted the library to determine if I may be able to get a copy of some of the files in the archive. I still want to meet Bertha Cutler, but now I have a whole different set of things I would ask her!

To Meet Tuesday: Lois Burnett Kuhn

I have decided to start my own blog prompt for Tuesday: To Meet Tuesday. I know what you are thinking...why not Meet Monday? Well, I like Military Monday too much. Anyway, this prompt is all about the ancestors you wish you could meet in person, if only for a little bit, and what you would say to them.

If I'm honest I would like to meet every ancestor I find, but I have no problem picking the first person I would want to meet. It would be my grandmother, Lois Burnett Kuhn. Lois was my father's mother and she died when he was only 18 of a heart attack. She was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and following a divorce was a single, working mother. She was in her mid-twenties during WWII and worked in a factory...and fell in love with a Soldier. My father has told me many stories of his mother including how she used to roll up the carpet in their living room and make dad dance with her to big band music. I can imagine the two of them swinging around the room. From the stories I have heard from family she was an independent woman.



Leroy Kuhn and Lois Burnett
on their wedding day



If I met her I think I would tell her how much I have missed her. How much everyone has missed her. I would also tell her about my father and myself and what we have accomplished, although perhaps that is a waste as she probably already knows. No, maybe I would just focus on asking her about herself. Things she loved and hated, how she liked to spend her time. And before she left I would tell her how I believe I learned my independence, in part, from her.

It is a sad thing to me that I was never able to meet my grandmother. I'm not sure how I know, but I am positive we would have been peas in a pod. But even though she isn't here, she has been a big influence on my life. I have always thought of her watching and supporting me from wherever she is. We never met, but she has always been here.

Military Monday: Exploits in Military Records, part II

My Kuhn line is filled with men who served their country. Our military legacy stretches back to the Revolutionary War, which means a large portion of my research time is devoted to military history and research. One ancestor that I have always been curious about is Warren Edward Kuhn. I knew from a very young age that Warren died in WWII and that my father was named after him. We didn't know very much about his service, other than that he served in the European theater and was buried in Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. My father has often told me the story about his visit to that cemetery during his military tour in Germany in the 1960s; it gave him a very strange feeling to see his own name on a headstone.

Years later I was able to make my own visit to Henri-Chapelle to pay my respects on Veteran's Day. The cemetery is located in Belgium, just north of the village of Henri-Chapelle and only seven miles from the German border. In order to find the location of the headstone we stopped to visit with the cemetery administrator. He was very kind and when he found out we were looking for a relative's grave he took us to his office and prepared a packet of documents for us which included a printout of information from the American Battle Monuments Commission website and an official Presidential certificate honoring my uncle's service. He also escorted my husband and I to the grave and gave us a flag to honor him. I was floored and had not expected such a welcome or the level of respect for my fallen ancestor.

I walked away from the experience realizing that I did not know anything about my uncle. I resolved to dig deeper and learn more about both him and his service. In a quick search on Ancestry.com I located the WWI, WWII, and Korean War Casualty Listings archive and found a listing on my uncle, which included his service number. As I did with my grandfather, I wrote to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) and requested a copy of his official military record file or OMPF. I could not use the eVetRecs service of the National Archives because I am not a direct descendant, but instead filled out the Standard Form 180. I sent my request on  4 September 2009. On 11 January 2010 I received a response. In the cover letter the archivist mentioned that the record I requested was in the portion of the NPRC that received the most damage during the fire there in 1973, but that they did have a few documents that were saved and for $60 I could get copies of them. That was a pretty steep price to pay, but I just couldn't say no.

In March 2010 I received the documents in a packet 1/2" thick. It included all the paperwork from Warren's induction into the military. It also contained documents from March 1945 when he was killed in action. It included the place in Germany where he was injured and the injuries he sustained. I am not a morbid person, but for some reason it was very important to me to understand what he had gone through and where he had died. I received the information after I moved from Germany, but when I return I plan to visit the city where he was killed.

My results for the request of his OMPF are not typical. Very few World War II Army personnel records we saved from the 1973 fire. That being said, there are still other options when researching Army veterans killed in action during WWII. Ancestry.com has many resources for military casualty listings which include not only service numbers but assigned units. Although it is a fee-based website many libraries offer the site for free. If you have the assigned unit you can trace the unit's movement, as well as that of their higher headquarters, and find a better idea of where your ancestor was when they were killed. I knew that Warren was assigned to the 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion and in a quick Google search of that unit I found many links that gave me an idea of what the unit did during the war. By narrowing the search to Google Books I found books that discussed the history of the unit that I could view and download in some instances. I also visited WorldCat.org, a website that compiles the holdings of libraries from across the country, and found many other books that I could request through interlibrary loan. Many Army divisions also have associations where past members gather and maintain the history of the division. You are especially lucky if your ancestor's unit still exists, as you can find information on their heritage by contacting the Army historian for the unit or its higher headquarters.

For a better understanding of what your military ancestor experienced you can visit The National World War II Museum in New Orleans or visit the website for the U.S. Army Center of Military History which has a myriad of publications and links.

I am especially proud of my uncle and his sacrifice. The search for his service history has been fascinating and only makes me the more proud.

Breaking down a genealogy brick wall: Worldcat.org

For a genealogist patience is a virtue. I will be the first to admit that I am a card-carrying member of the “instant gratification” generation. For me, and those of my ilk, information is at the tips of our fingers through the wonders of the Internet. Whether I am looking for the closest Chinese restaurant, or whether snakes snore, all I need is a computer (or my phone) and a wireless connection.

This need for an instant answer does not bode well for my genealogy research…or my nerves. I try to remain patient when conducting my research, but I must admit that it is pretty difficult. This was especially true when researching my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Philip Kuhn.

I am lucky enough to have received some information on Philip through my family. I knew that Philip had been a musician for the 120th Ohio Regiment during the Civil War and I did what research I could on the Internet to find out more about him and his wife, Bertha. But not being able to travel to their home states of Ohio and Kansas, I finally came to a wall. I thought that Philip and Bertha Kuhn were just another example of family history disappeared. I stopped researching the pair and moved on to other branches of my tree.

I’m not sure what made me Google “Philip Reymer Kuhn” a few months later, but I was not disappointed. My search came up with an interesting hit: “Letters, 1863-1865 by Philip Kuhn.” Awestruck, I quickly followed the link and landed on a citation on WorldCat, a website that lists the holdings of libraries across the country. The citation was for an archive of information that included letters from Philip to Bertha during the war and a photocopy of his discharge, among other things. I could not believe my luck! On the WorldCat system you are able to find the libraries that maintain the holding you are interested in, but in my case, no library was listed.

The citation listed a myriad of interesting information, except for the crucial detail of location. Thus began my obsession with “Letters.” Knowing of the letters existence I was now like a donkey with a dangling carrot. But I was unfamiliar with the WorldCat system and had no idea how to track down the archive.

I started by considering that a library or historical society close to where Philip and Bertha had lived would have been gifted the archive. I knew that they had lived in Ohio during the war, but soon after moved to Missouri and Kansas, finally settling in Baldwin City, Kansas. I sent an email to the Baldwin City Library and the Douglas County, Kansas, Historical Society thinking that Philip and Bertha would have kept the letters until they passed. Perhaps the Society or library would know of such an archive.

I received a quick response from the history resources volunteer of the Baldwin City Library: they did not have the letters. The library was able to send me Philip’s obituary which mentioned that his children attended Baker University. Could this connection with the university mean that my documents were in their library?

Well, the answer is no. And the University of Kansas is also located in Douglas County and has a large collection of Kansas documents but there was no record of the archive there either. There was no knowledge on any community genealogy message boards and no further information on WorldCat, despite having tried numerous times hoping that just maybe more information would be posted.

I am nothing if not tenacious, but even I was beginning to feel that my brick wall may very well be one I could not scale. It was about this time that my father sent me a newspaper article from the Kansas City Star about the genealogy library in Independence, Missouri. A part of the Mid-Continent Public Library System of the Kansas City metropolitan area, the Midwest Genealogy Center has a large collection of documents, books and resources from both the Midwest and beyond. Even though all my darts had missed the target, why not one more try?

So I sent yet another email to yet another source quite frankly not holding out much hope. Within a few hours I received a response that they did not have the archive in their holdings. Of course, story of my life. But when they looked in WorldCat they were able to determine that the archive was in the Special Collections Department of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Success! After months of searching, I had found the war time correspondence of my Civil War-era grandfather. Sadly, I realized that if I had only gone to my local library I could have probably learned of the archives whereabouts much sooner, but then the moment of finding them would not have been as sweet.



A portion of a civil war-era letter from Philip Kuhn to his wife, Bertha.

I immediately found the contact information for the McCormick Library of Special Collections and sent a request, along with the citation from WorldCat. Within two weeks a copy of the archive arrived. Only a genealogist would understand the anticipation and excitement I felt when the packet was delivered.



Savoring my success, I scoured through the documents which included several letters from Philip to Bertha, a letter from Bertha to Philip and a copy of his discharge from service, among other things. As genealogists we have many statistics on our ancestors: birth, marriage and death dates, cities and counties of residence, children’s names. But it is a truly rare instance to be able to fill the spaces with their actual thoughts, dreams and desires.

The archive was a wealth of information. Not only were the documents a first hand account of the events of the 1860s, but also a wealth of leads to which I could find out more about Philip and Bertha Kuhn. I learned that Philip was a prisoner of war held by the Confederate Army in Camp Ford, Texas. I learned that Bertha was home alone with two young children for four years while Philip fought a war. Being a military member and spouse, as well as a mother, I felt a connection with Bertha that I had not before.

I did not come across this genealogical gem instantly, but I believe that my tendency to quick gratification fueled my desire and pushed me to continue researching, even if the road seemed a trifle crooked. I will take away several lessons from my adventures with Philip and Bertha, but the most important is that patience and creativity are keys to success in family research. Although it is not in my nature, I see now more than ever that the successful genealogist is the epitome of patience, and it sometimes takes a great success to make that patience worth while.