Category Archives: Family History

The Elizabeth Degen Bushman Bible to be housed in the BYU Special Collections

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

This afternoon I received a delightful phone call from Ellie Johnson in Las Vegas. She has been the family member in possession of the Elizabeth Degen Bushman Bible for many years. This last week she attended the BYU Education Week. … Continue reading →

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First Mennonite Bible School, ca. 1964

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

This is the Reedley First Mennonite Church my family attended when I was a girl.  My Grandparents. Rudolf and Elsa Laemmlen, attended church after coming to America and moving to Reedley.  When their little 2-year-old daughter, Ruth died of pneumonia … Continue reading →

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Heirlooms Treasures from Grandma Elsa Schaefer Laemmlen and her mother, Susanna Schaefer

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

Packed away in the cedar chest my Dad made for my Mom in the 1950s, I’ve kept some treasures and linens from my Grandma.  Elsa loved doing handwork.  Her mother, Susanna Schaefer had a needlework shop with sewing supplies on … Continue reading →

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Memorial Day 2026

Posted on May 25, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

This year was an especially fun Memorial Day, visiting Mom in the Orem Cemetery because we will soon be Neighbors!  Our new home is right across the street from the cemetery, which was a big selling point for me.  I … Continue reading →

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Pfannekuchen, a Family Favorite

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

This is one of my favorite meals.  My Grandma Elsa fed Pfannekuchen to her boys, covered with berries or applesauce or other fruit.  My Mom made these in a big electric fry pan, covering the whole pan with one big … Continue reading →

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Grace Laemmlen, Calligrapher

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

My mother, Grace Laemmlen, was a 3rd grade teacher for many many years.  She had the best penmanship of anyone I’ve ever known.  She taught children to write beautifully. In her later life, she loved going to UC Santa Cruz … Continue reading →

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Sizing and Packing Tree Fruit in the 1960s

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

Here is an interesting piece of our fruit farming history.  When I was a girl, when fruit packing didn’t involve cold storage warehouses, we packed into wooden boxes and used paper cups (like cupcake papers) to put the fruit in.  … Continue reading →

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Grandma Elsa Schaefer Laemmlen’s Cookbook and Recipes

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned finding my Grandma’s Pickled Figs recipe and how happy that made me. I did not mention that another treasure I found in that box from my Dad was my Grandma Elsa’s 1928 German … Continue reading →

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A Letter from my Grandma Ruby to my Grandma Elsa, 1954

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

This week, I went through a box my Dad sent me years ago, filled with things from his parents after they died.  I hadn’t really inspected everything in that box (there were a lot of German books), I had just … Continue reading →

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Art Laemmlen’s Baby Teeth and Splinter

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis

Here are my Dad’s baby teeth.  Because they’ve been kept this long, I figured I should capture a photo of them.  He was born in 1930.  The splinter was something he stepped on as a little boy.  It went all … Continue reading →

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