Grandpa’ McCracken’s Aunt Minnie Alameda Munroe unknowingly left the family a wonderful gift even though she didn’t name them in her will.  The only people included in her will were Charles Munroe (her husband), Mabel Raukohl (her niece), and The Old Peoples Home of Illinois Conference of Methodist Episcopal Church in Quincy, Illinois.   The Probate Paper   Grandpa had kept a paper he had received from the Probate Court in Quincy, Illinois regarding his

Lawrence Peelle (Peale, Peele), born about 1601 in England, is believed to be our earliest ancestor in America.  The line can be traced back to Robert, who is believed to be Lawrence’s son per location and associations. In 1620, Lawrence boarded the ship the Margaret & John for the trip across the Atlantic.  Some people record the date this journey began as December 1620 and others record it as February 1620.  The latter is believed

Different people have different things that they are successful doing.  For some it is their job, for others it is raising their family, helping people, or becoming an expert gardener.  This story is a bit different.  It is about my mom and her success with fitting anything and everything into the house.   The Early Days   This is believed to be the necklace that Mom’s grandfather gave her for her 8th grade graduation. Mom

William Johnson Peelle was my great-grandfather.  He was also a carpenter, farmer, and all around jack of all trades.  He kept a journal from 1878 when he was 22 until 1894.  That journal primarily focused on his work and the places he went.  He spoke mostly of men, even referring to his brother-in-laws instead of his sisters.  He rarely wrote of personal family events.  Thus, this story will outline his life, focusing on his carpentry

  Rod’s 4th-great-grandfather Jesse Klinefelter and multiple of his brothers were steamboat pilots and captains.  Initially, they piloted boats on the Ohio River primarily between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cincinnati, Ohio.     Jesse’s brother John became well-known as the captain and owner/co-owner of several different boats over the years.  One passenger described Captain John Klinefelter as a stout Pennsylvanian of German descent with a face that indicates it would be difficult to keep him from