Mightier Acorns

Journeys through Genealogy and Family History

A parody of a family coat of arms designed with acorns as elements, with the motto "ex gladnis potentioribus" Latin for "from Mighty Acorns"
From Mighty Acorns

Category: Iowa

Families that lived in the state and left records behind there.

  • Discovering the origins of Valentine Shuffler (1853-1916) Writing an accurate history means leaving out assumptions. Sticking only to facts and evidence, and refraining from speculation about things that we cannot know, such as personal motivations or attitudes of the people involved. But writing a complete history means adding a human element to the facts—putting what…

  • A two-for-one development – and a lesson in Endogamy Harriet Jenevereth “Hattie” Shepard (1874–1923) was the paternal grandmother of Merilyn Martin, my wife’s maternal grandmother – and thus, one of “Her Sixteen.” Hattie was born on 18 Dec 1874, the youngest of three children of Sylvanus S Shepard (1850–1921) and Lucy Gertrude Rounds (1848–1920). Her…

  • Going four generations back to find another line This surname can be found among my wife’s Sixteen great-great-grandparents. We have to go that far back to find the first Shepard – Harriet Jenevereth Shepard – 18 Dec 1874 – 17 Jan 1923 Hattie was the paternal grandmother of my wife’s maternal grandmother, Merilyn (Martin) Holmquist…

  • Going four generations back to find another line This surname can be found among my wife’s Sixteen great-great-grandparents. We have to go that far back to find our first Ballard, the paternal grandmother of my wife’s paternal grandmother, June (Shuffler) McCullough: Virginia “Virgie” Ballard – 01 Feb 1889 – 04 Nov 1977 You might remember…

  • Going four generations back to find another line This surname can be found among my wife’s Sixteen great-great-grandparents. We have to go that far back to find the first Jensen – the maternal grandmother of my wife’s maternal grandmother. Lena Marie Dagmar Jensen – 10 Sep 1874 – 04 Jan 1952 Lena was born in…

  • Going four generations back to find another line This surname can be found among my wife’s Sixteen great-great-grandparents. We have to go that far back to find our first Jones – Alice Frances Jones – (9 Oct 1857 – 25 Apr 1921). The surname “Jones” dates back to Wales in about the 1270s, when it…

  • Pacific Junction, Iowa, was a railroad town. Three railroads converged in Mills County, about 25 miles south of Omaha, Nebraska. The western terminus of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad and the eastern terminus of the Nebraska Burlington & Missouri Railroad met at a station on the Kansas City, Council Bluffs, & Saint Joseph Railroad…

  • Going four generations back to find another line This surname can be found among my wife’s Sixteen great-great-grandparents. We have to go that far back to find the first Slight – Ida Slight (1863 – 1949) Ida was born in Ackley, Iowa, and married a Dutch immigrant named Bernard Blom on 21 Nov 1885. You…

  • an overview of my work on this surname Aletha Frederick Putnam was the daughter of Charles Walter Putnam (1859–1922) and Daisy Deane Frederick (1871–1964), born on 16 Nov 1899 in New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana. Her family moved to Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, between 1904 (when her younger brother was born in New Albany)…

  • An overview of my work under this surname My wife’s paternal grandfather was Bob McCullough, the youngest child of Earl Randolph McCullough and Mary E. Blom. Earl’s father was John Riley McCullough, whom you might recall from the Family Reunion: McCullough post. Mary Blom’s parents were Bernard Blom (1861–1917) and Ida Slight (1863–1949), who were…