Grew up in Pocahontas, Iowa, and am directly descended from at least 3 Mayflower luminaries, including Gov William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins(both paternal ancestors), and Richard Warren(maternal ancestor). I am also descended from the earliest pioneer settlers in Iowa, going back to the 1840s. All of my great great grandparents, along with their deceased descendants, are buried within one of the following counties in Iowa...Polk, Webster, Winneshiek, Calhoun, Clay, Buena Vista, and Humboldt Counties. Prior to my grandparents generation, they were all farmers. Two of my great grandfathers were also employed off the farm, one as a school superintendent/teacher, the other as an elevator manager.

While I am mostly interested in correctly assembling my own family's genealogy, if you see me sorting out, and assemblying other family trees, it is very likely due to my having some past connection, along with positive thoughts and favor for them. In other words, it signals my goodwill, and desire to be helpful.

My paternal grandparents took great interest in me when I was a little boy, and among the many fun things we did together like go to the Barnum & Baily Ringling Brother's Circus, or Arnold's Park...they encouraged me to treasure family, especially those who had worked so hard to build better lives for their posterity. I have benefited from listening to all the old family stories, including a significant tragedy of a young father dying a horrible death due to blood poisoning, or a more comedic tragedy of a family picnic "gone to crap(LMAO)" when an outhouse floor covered with children looking for a hide and seek spot, failed to hold it's weight on a hot summer day. Among the most oft told tale was that of John Rutherford's Civil War Service, and those Memorial Days 40 years later when his granddaughter, my paternal grandmother would put on her finest white dress for the Marathon GAR Ceremony. The GAR Veterans would sit in honor upon the stage and their granddaughters all in white dresses, would step up to the stage, and deliver their grandfather a rose. Those who had not been physically wounded, would receive a white rose from their granddaughter's hand. As John Rutherford had suffered a minor wound at Vicksburg in May, 1963, my grandmother Pearl would, with great pride, deliver to him a red rose, which was the protocol recognizing those who had been wounded in battle.

I cherish those wonderful times gone by and hope that my small efforts on this database render to my grandparents a portion of that which they sought from me...that they never be forgotten. If they could only know now how often they are not forgotten...they would be well pleased. For in this endeavor, as in many other endeavors, I show my respect and love for them, their sacrifices, and the wonderful legacy left their posterity.

Grew up in Pocahontas, Iowa, and am directly descended from at least 3 Mayflower luminaries, including Gov William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins(both paternal ancestors), and Richard Warren(maternal ancestor). I am also descended from the earliest pioneer settlers in Iowa, going back to the 1840s. All of my great great grandparents, along with their deceased descendants, are buried within one of the following counties in Iowa...Polk, Webster, Winneshiek, Calhoun, Clay, Buena Vista, and Humboldt Counties. Prior to my grandparents generation, they were all farmers. Two of my great grandfathers were also employed off the farm, one as a school superintendent/teacher, the other as an elevator manager.

While I am mostly interested in correctly assembling my own family's genealogy, if you see me sorting out, and assemblying other family trees, it is very likely due to my having some past connection, along with positive thoughts and favor for them. In other words, it signals my goodwill, and desire to be helpful.

My paternal grandparents took great interest in me when I was a little boy, and among the many fun things we did together like go to the Barnum & Baily Ringling Brother's Circus, or Arnold's Park...they encouraged me to treasure family, especially those who had worked so hard to build better lives for their posterity. I have benefited from listening to all the old family stories, including a significant tragedy of a young father dying a horrible death due to blood poisoning, or a more comedic tragedy of a family picnic "gone to crap(LMAO)" when an outhouse floor covered with children looking for a hide and seek spot, failed to hold it's weight on a hot summer day. Among the most oft told tale was that of John Rutherford's Civil War Service, and those Memorial Days 40 years later when his granddaughter, my paternal grandmother would put on her finest white dress for the Marathon GAR Ceremony. The GAR Veterans would sit in honor upon the stage and their granddaughters all in white dresses, would step up to the stage, and deliver their grandfather a rose. Those who had not been physically wounded, would receive a white rose from their granddaughter's hand. As John Rutherford had suffered a minor wound at Vicksburg in May, 1963, my grandmother Pearl would, with great pride, deliver to him a red rose, which was the protocol recognizing those who had been wounded in battle.

I cherish those wonderful times gone by and hope that my small efforts on this database render to my grandparents a portion of that which they sought from me...that they never be forgotten. If they could only know now how often they are not forgotten...they would be well pleased. For in this endeavor, as in many other endeavors, I show my respect and love for them, their sacrifices, and the wonderful legacy left their posterity.