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The Mystery of Aunt Kathryn Part 6
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The Mystery of Aunt Kathryn Part 6

Who is Henry Gaus?

During my initial search on his name, nothing came up except for the 1880 US Census record so I knew there was probably another spelling of his last name. I went back to the actual image of the record and saw that the writing could be interpreted as Gaus or Gans. Since nothing came up for Gaus before, I searched for Henry Gans and bingo!

There is a 1900 Census record for Henry Gans, still living in Bloomington, WI. And who is still living with him? Angeline Heuertz, 34 years, and Kate Lorenz, 23 years. His wife, Stephania, had died in 1897 so it’s just the three of them now.

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The Mystery of Aunt Kathryn Part 3

A Thread to Follow

In the next letter, Kathryn mentions only one name on her side, “John also is enjoying the best of health. He is taking his after dinner nap.”

They are obviously living together, and there seems to be an air of intimacy reserved for family, so I assumed that John was her husband and made a note to search “John Lorenz”.

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The Mystery of Aunt Kathryn Part 1

The story of Aunt Kathryn will be told a little differently than my other family history blog posts because I think the story of how I “rediscovered” a relative, and in turn a completely new side of my family, is as interesting as the woman whose story I’m telling.

The Letters – June 2004

I stared at the envelope, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar name in the upper left hand corner, K.M. Lorenz. Who is that? 

Among the names I’d become so familiar with during the decades of researching my family’s history, Lorenz hadn’t popped up once. The postmark from Remsen, Iowa didn’t ring any bells, either.  

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How Elizabeth Blessing’s Inheritance Was Stolen (Part 2)
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How Elizabeth Blessing’s Inheritance Was Stolen (Part 2)

Mary Blessing

When Mary’s father, Lewis Blessing, died in 1825, he left her 150 acres of land next to the 150 acres that he had bequeathed to her brother, John, “running the whole length of my survey out from the river bending on my son John’s line, the whole length thereof, and such distance from his line so as to include the 150 acres.”

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