Recent Posts
A Journey to the US Ahead of the War
Today we know the atrocities committed against Jews at the hands of the Nazis. However, in the years leading up to World War II, and…
A Cemetery With Different Markers
Most cemeteries have markers with a person’s name, date of birth and death, and little else. Not so for many of the markers in this…
The Night of Broken Glass
It is a night that Henry Straus will never forget. November 9th, 1938. It’s today known as the “Night of Broken Glass.” Today we go…
The Life of Punxsutawney Phil
He is by far the oldest and wisest groundhog in the nation, and every February 2, you can be assured the eyes of the nation…
A Jewish Family’s Challenges in Nazi Germany
We resume our moving conversation today with Henry Straus as he share his family’s challenges living as Jews in a country where the Nazis were…
Growing Up Jewish in Germany
From his earliest memories, Henry Straus remembers discrimination. As a young Jewish boy living in a German city, his family faced laws that stripped them…
The Union Army’s Order Number 11
In the summer of 1863 the Union Army issued Order Number 11, an edict that forced every resident living in Bates County, Missouri to leave…
Clearing Out the County
If two people are arguing, perhaps it’s best they both stop and take a rest from one another. That was the situation in Bates County,…
Tensions on the Missouri – Kansas Border
In the decade leading up to the Civil War, tensions rose along Kansas’ border with Missouri. Even if one tried to stay out of harm’s…
A Place Called Penneytown
Virginia Houston holds a unique distinction. She was the last child born in Penneytown. It’s a fact that holds much significance in her life and…