Do Our Ancestors Matter Today?
Do our ancestors matter today? And, if they really do, why? This was the question I asked myself after a conversation with my maternal grandmother, Ethel “Brandt” Gutshall. Ethel, whom I call “Oma” (German...
Author: Andrew Hagenbuch
Interpreting Documents: Michael Hagenbuch’s Inventory
One of the joys and sometimes the frustration of genealogy is interpreting historic documents. Wills, inventories, letters, and deeds present opportunities to better understand the past. Of course, this is only possible if we...
Making Sauerkraut: A Pennsylvania Deitsch Tradition
It was hardly a surprise when, this past summer, my parents told me that they were going to start making their own sauerkraut. My family does, after all, have a reputation for tackling some...
One Year On
In October of 2014, Hagenbuch.org was born. Since then my father, Mark Hagenbuch, and I have filled the site with over 50 articles on topics related to the Hagenbuch family, history, and genealogy. It’s...
Connecting with Our Family
One of the best parts of building this Hagenbuch family website has been connecting with relatives. Sometimes these are individuals I’ve simply lost touch with. Other times, as happened recently, these are people I’ve...
A Day Trip Through Hagenbuch Country
A few weeks ago, I traveled from California to Pennsylvania to visit with family. One of the highlights of the trip was a day spent with my father and website co-author, Mark O. Hagenbuch....
Hagenbuch Coat of Arms
The Hagenbuch family has a unique coat of arms that, even now, is still used by the town of Hagenbuch in Switzerland. The coat of arms depicts a single beech tree surrounded by a...
Grape-Nut Ice Cream: a Hagenbuch Family Favorite
The Hagenbuch family in Pennsylvania has a reputation for making homemade ice cream. For several generations, it’s been a part of our family visits and gatherings. Out of all the possible flavors, one is...
Expanding the Hagenbuch Homestead
The Hagenbuch Homestead was established on November 4, 1741 when Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715) received a land warrant for 150.5 acres. The homestead parcel was situated in what is today Albany Township, Berks County,...
Family We Will Never Forget
The other day I heard something that really struck a chord with me. I was listening to an interview with Kevin Kelly, a prolific writer and co-founder of Wired magazine. At the end of...
