Judy Rosella Edwards's Blog – October 2009 Archive (3)

So maybe Grandpa didn't run off and join the circus, after all. Maybe he ran off and joined a faith-based community. In many cases family members did abandon families to join some sort of community or communal organization. There's definitely a story in there: Did he or she leave the family because the faith required it, did the family choose to stay behind, or did the family reject the person adopting a particular faith? Whatever the reason, when a family member drops off the radar,… Continue

Parks often have a genealogical connection. Detweiller Park, in Peoria, Illinois, has the distinction of being connected to several local families. A large number of family names surface while reminiscing about this park.



In November 1927, Thomas H. Detweiller donated 661 acres to the park district. While the park carries the Detweiller name, it is in honor of Thomas’s father, Captain Henry Detweiller.



Henry Detweiller was born in Alsace Lorraine. His parents, Christian… Continue

Some call it the Shelby County Weedpatch. The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission christened it the Margaret Guzy Pothole Wetlands Land and Water Reserve. The local Department of Natural Resources staff called it a surprise gift. But most people call it Guzy Prairie, in honor of the woman who donated this 159 acre wildlife sanctuary in 1991.





Guzy Prairie exemplifies how diverse a prairie can be and how quickly cropland can be restored after years of row crop production. The… Continue