Family History Recognition

As September comes to an end and October rolls in, it's a perfect time to honor all the people who came before us. Sunday, September 27th, was Ancestor Appreciation Day, and October is Family History Month.

Much research has gone into the writing of our novels. Although we grew up hearing about our father's family, who immigrated from Russia to Turner County in the Dakota Territory in 1874, we have uncovered so much more about these ancestors than we ever knew before. It has been so fascinating learning about these people's lives during this time period. Our third great-uncle played a role in scouting out land in America for our family to immigrate to and then helped secure aid when the new settlers were on the verge of losing everything. Two of our great-great-grandfathers helped organize the churches and served as ministers in their new homeland. Our family was instrumental in establishing schools for the children in the community and building a junior college for higher education in the early settlement.

We have traced our family genealogy on our father's side all the way back to the 1500s in Switzerland. We learned that our mother's family helped settle Pennsylvania with William Penn in the 1600s. We even traced our mother's family back to the Revolutionary War and were surprised to learn that some in her family supported the patriots while others remained loyal to the crown.

We have enjoyed learning about our ancestors' stories and have such a profound respect for all they endured in creating a new life in the Dakota Territory. Our first book traces our family's journey from Russia to Turner County, spanning 1873 - 1874. Book two continues their story with the first three years of homesteading, facing locust invasions, prairie fires, blizzards, and near-starvation. Their deep faith and overwhelming perseverance have certainly helped shape our lives today.

If you are unaware of your family history or where your ancestors come from, you should definitely begin your journey to learn about it! If you have any questions or need help, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.