When I started this quest, I had no idea that I would end up doing this. I have found so many interesting things that I really want to share them with the rest of the family.

This is not just a site for outlined genealogy but for a picture of our lives - and lives of those who came before us. By recreating a picture of our family's past, I hope to assist in the growing picture of our family's future.

While you are browsing through this site, you will notice underlined text on names, dates and pictures, that if you click them, will link to other intersting documents or images pertaining to the people that the dates, names or images belong.

An example is that if you see a marriage date in blue, underlined text, it will link to a marriage certificate or wedding photos. If you see the date of death in blue, underlined text, it will link to an obituary. If you see a date of birth underlined, it will lead to a birth certificate or baby pictures.

If you see an image stating "PHOTO NEEDED" it means just that. If you click on that image, it will open your email application so that you may send me a photo if you have one..... and any and all help would be appreciated. Any corrections would also be appreciated, if you find accuracy errors.

Unless I am given permission by a living person, I will not post their date of birth or any other documents that I, as a family member, am privledged to possess. If they are indeed still living, it will say so below the date of birth upon being given permission to post such information.

This quest has been gratifying for me in many ways. I have contacted family members in Germany, have had family friends help me translate old German script, went to Iowa (in April 2005) to research the DEGELAU, DREWIS, KUHRT and HAGEN family names from my father's side of the family in Waverly's public library, have gained more insight into many things than I ever thought I would understand and rekindled familial relationships along the way.

I have used some family scrapbooks that have provided a crucial jumpstart to this project, and I have to give credit to Anita SIGLIN and Norma PAPACH for that. These are my great aunt and grandmother. Without these books, I would have not known where to begin. They are also the source for many of these images, obituaries and other important family documents.

I wish to give credit to the sources of information and images provided to me. I have no malicious intent to take information from others or use their information as my own without due credit. None of this would be possible without the help of other family members, and I do not wish to infringe on anyone's rights to their own research, developement and/or images.

With some photos, credit has been issued in a statement such as, "This image is the property of the site's developer [me, Jessica Drewis] and in courtesy of..." The reason for this is so that while someone is searching for information, it does not come up with a false result due to the name of the image provider. I may, in the future, find it necessary to make a link to the personal source of the image instead of direct text under the image. That will depend upon the personal wishes of the source.

If you feel that I have in anyway not given due credit, please feel free to contact me at jjdrewis@hotmal.com. I will also be happy to share the images upon request.

Please, enjoy. Feel free to write to me. I will look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Jessica DREWIS