Genealogy Field Trip

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Great Grandma Alma Nickles (nee Burnia) with my Grandpa as a toddler.

Back when I was 19 years old I was looking through some older family photographs that were stashed away in an old box that my Grandpa had in his possession. I remember looking through them and becoming increasingly curious about the people in the pictures. I knew they were related, but didn’t know how. In addition I found picture of my eldest relatives as younger adults and it struck me that my Great Grandmother was once my age and had already began a family. There was one where she was holding my Grandfather when he was just a toddler.

Suddenly my attention had been grabbed and there was no looking back. I started asking my Grandpa questions about life ‘back then’ and the stories he told me were fascinating! I simply could not learn enough. Before too long those stories turned into a hobby that I have been interested in since that day so many moons ago — genealogy.

I have since traced (some with the help of other family historians of different lineages) a lot of my family history. The things I have learned in the last 20 years have kept my interest ignited over the years. Not only do you learn about your ancestors, but it’s amazing what you can learn about yourself through this journey.

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Great Great Grandma Josie Nickles (nee Luster) on right

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Great Great Grandfather John Henry Nickles

 

One of my favorite stories was how my Great Great Grandfather, John Henry, once told my Great Great Grandmother, Josie, that he was going to the store for a loaf of bread. He didn’t return until 20 years later. Upon his arrival Josie had asked him where he had been and his response, “You know, it was the darndest thing…they were out of bread!” Josie didn’t accept his answer, but allowed John Henry to live on a property that she had purchased by himself until he passed away years later. Til’ this day no one knows where John Henry was for those 20 years.

One of the most fascinating pieces of history that was discovered was that my Great Great Great Great Grandfather, PVT Henry F. Frizzell, was a Medal of Honor recipient from the Civil War. You can read more about him on his wiki page here.

I wanted to share our family history with my daughter while I’m still young. I thought maybe, just maybe, it would spark her interest as it once did mine and she could carry on where I have left off someday. While I’ve done 80% of the work thus far there is still lots left to be researched. With that said, I am starting to document it all on a more public resource and have every intention of printing it out to be kept for historical purposes. I’d hate to have 20 years of work (and whatever else I complete until I’m gone) destroyed or tossed aside.

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Great Great Great Grandfather John Walter Burnia (everyone called him Walter) gravesite

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Great Great Great Grandmother’s “Kid” Burnia (nee: Renfro) gravesite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Alexis standing at her Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather’s memorial in Fredericktown, MO

So my husband, daughter and I took off on a journey to a few towns just south of us here in Missouri to do some more documentation and exploring. We visited an old cemetery in Mine La Motte, Missouri where a ton of our ancestors are buried. I was able to stand at the grave of my Great Great Great Grandparents which I found absolutely intriguing. Who thought that would ever be possible? The fact that my daughter was able to go there with me was great…and she thought so as well.

We were also able to see Henry’s memorial monument in Fredericktown, Missouri as well as the memorial bridge named in his honor just 12 miles west. To see more photographs you can view the open album on Facebook here.

It was a phenomenal journey that I’m glad we embarked on. Not only was I able to teach my daughter about our family history, but I was also able to teach her about history in general. Now she has a connection to the Civil War that she can relate to and maybe that will help her better understand things that she is taught in school during history class.

I still have so much I want to share with her, but making the attempt to cram 20 years of family research into a short time might be a little too much (hence the reason I’m documenting everything so precisely) for such a young child.

Regardless, we’re off to a great start and to see that much enthusiasm about it makes my heart smile. I remember when I first started on it…it was clearly the best hobby that I have ever partaken in.

 

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2 Responses to Genealogy Field Trip

  1. Bill Hart says:

    John Henry Nickles & Josie Nickles are my grandparents. My Mother Goldie Marie
    (nickles) Hart was born in Cadet Missouri. Josie worked most of her life in St. Louis
    but she had a log cabin just outside Cadet not very far from her son Beuford & his
    wife alma. Her other son Ted lived just up the road. He wife’s name was Juanita.

  2. Bufford & Alma are my Great Grandparents 🙂

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