STL DPB ON THE ROAD - I'M RELATED TO ALL THESE PEOPLE, SORT OF

This is far from my usual kind of post but it has its charms (plus I still don't have new material). The reason for the trip to Kansas was the bi-annual get together of my wife's extended family. They are descended from Jürgen Kruse, who emigrated from Bremerhaven, Germany (where there is a superb museum of German emigration, https://www.dah-bremerhaven.de/en), and earned his U.S. citizenship by serving in the Union army during the Civil War. This is Mrs. C's branch; there are others. She is in there, as are my daughter and granddaughter.

 

Years from now, if someone looks at this family's records (if there is someone to look at them), my presence may be unnoticed. As the family photographer, I'm always on the other side of the lens.