Alma Ratz

Hanley Family Reminiscences of Atlantic Mine, Michigan

Hanley Family Reminiscences of Atlantic Mine, Michigan

This interview was recorded around 2005 on a road trip up to Atlantic Mine, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where my great grandfather, Michael John Hanley (1890-1964) was born. Two of his daughters (my great aunts) share their reminiscences about their travels to visit family there in the 1930s and 40s.

1930s and 40s Funeral Costs - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 14)

1930s and 40s Funeral Costs - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 14)

How much did a funeral cost in 1930s and 1940s? These documents from my 2nd great grandparents, Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934) and Fannie Schmidt Ratz (1870-1944), give us an idea.

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Sweethearts Wed on Soggy Flint Michigan Day (1946)

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Sweethearts Wed on Soggy Flint Michigan Day (1946)

It was a cool and wet Saturday afternoon at the corner of 5th Avenue and Saginaw Street in Flint, Michigan. On Saturday, May 4th, 1946, high school sweethearts, Betty Grace Sears (1924-1981) and Michael John Hanley Jr. (1924-2015), were married at St. Michael Catholic Church.

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#119) - The Hanley Homestead at 739 E. Baker Street in Flint, Michigan

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#119) - The Hanley Homestead at 739 E. Baker Street in Flint, Michigan

Here is one from my personal vault. It is a photo taken probably around 1929 at 739 East Baker Street in Flint, Michigan.

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Genealogy Blogging and the Brick Wall Busting Discovery of My Schmidt Family

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Genealogy Blogging and the Brick Wall Busting Discovery of My Schmidt Family

Genealogy blogging led me to the discovery of this beautiful photograph of my 3rd great grandparents, Carl Schmidt and Ernestina Zenner Schmidt (d. 1922), and their 8 children. Here is how.

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Alma Ratz Hanley (1894-1979): A Photo Essay

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Alma Ratz Hanley (1894-1979): A Photo Essay

Alma Ratz Hanley (1894-1979) was one of my paternal great grandmothers. She is also the subject of this 49th installment of my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks family history blogging challenge. I hope you enjoy this photo essay about her life.

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Albert "Rabbit" Zenner (1886-1964): Woodsman of the Upper Peninsula

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Albert "Rabbit" Zenner (1886-1964): Woodsman of the Upper Peninsula

When you discover a relative in your family tree nicknamed "Rabbit" you obviously have to find and tell his story. Here it is.

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Planes, Shuffleboard, and Hats: The Elegant Lydia Schmidt McNamara (1876-1961)

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Planes, Shuffleboard, and Hats: The Elegant Lydia Schmidt McNamara (1876-1961)

Lydia Schmidt McNamara (1876-1961) was an elegant woman with a fondness for hats, planes, and jewelry. There is photographic evidence that she fancied shuffleboard as well.

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Making Kuchen, Bread, and Wickelklöße With a Smile: Martha Zenner Muenzel (1868-1960)

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Making Kuchen, Bread, and Wickelklöße With a Smile: Martha Zenner Muenzel (1868-1960)

By all accounts Martha Zenner Muenzel (1868-1960) was a wonderful German cook. Some of her specialities were Kucken and Wickelklöße. She was likely my 1st cousin 4x removed. The is her story.   

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From Pew to Bar and Back Again: John "Jack" Hanley (1885-1946)

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From Pew to Bar and Back Again: John "Jack" Hanley (1885-1946)

Whether praying in the pews or tending the family bar, John "Jack" Hanley (1885-1946) was a man of faith and familial duty. This is his story.  

 

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"Nothing but the choicest meats" - Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934)

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"Nothing but the choicest meats" - Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934)

My 2nd great grandfather, Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934), was a butcher. Though, as you'll learn, perhaps not a very successful one. This is his story.

The Tragic Death of Julia Kelly (1869-1941) by Fire in Atlantic Mine, Michigan

The Tragic Death of Julia Kelly (1869-1941) by Fire in Atlantic Mine, Michigan

This is the surprising story about my 2nd great aunt, Julia Kelly (1869-1941), and her tragic death by fire in Atlantic Mine, MI. {with audio}