Click this web link for some background information on the facilitator of this library.

Before you read stories written by Lorraine, and other interesting information stored on this shelf of the library, please read the following letter dated 9 Mar 1987.

Letter to Bernice Eller dated 9 Mar 1987

Letter to Betty Tyner dated 18 June 1987  (Comment on 5 May 2017: “Thirty years later and Lorraine is still juggling genealogy.”)

Read stories written by Lorraine and published in several genealogy magazines.

Thanks, John published in Mennonite Family History, April 1988

My Favorite Genealogy Software Program published in Mennonite Family History, July 1988

A Short, Short Story About an Old, Old Notebook published in Mennonite Family History, October 1988

A Marriage of Convenience published in Mennonite Family History, April 1989

Verify published in California State Genealogical Alliance Newsletter, May/June 1989

Bonnet Blues published in Mennonite Family History, July 1989

Third Times a Charm published in California State Genealogical Alliance Newsletter, August 1989

Many Hands Make Light Work published in California State Genealogical Alliance Newsletter, September 1989

Birth of a Book published in California State Genealogical Alliance Newsletter, February 1990

LaVerne Revisited published in Mennonite Family History, April 1990

Desert Disaster published in Roots Users Group of Arlington, Virginia, September 1990

Faith of my Forefathers published in Mennonite Family History, January 1991

Thanksgiving in Modesto published in Mennonite Family History, October 1991

Affirming comments from Lois Ann Mast, Mennonite Family History, dated 26 Dec 1991

The Michael Frantz Chest with picture published in Mennonite Family History, July 1992

Unsolved Mystery published in Mennonite Family History, October 1992

Snowbound published in Mennonite Family History, Jan 1994

Torn Between Two Worlds appeared in Mennonite Family History, October 2017. Find a link to the article on blog titled Fresh off the press….

Read Lorraine’s ancestry chart; check the surnames. Maybe we are “cousins.”

Lorraine Frantz Edwards Ahnentafel dated 1992

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Blog message dated 25 Jun 2017 with specific mention of

Alvin K. Funderburg.

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Below find a prime example of my desire to scan, and save, the records I collected in the early years of my research. Here is a handwritten story of my uncle’s early years. Some, obviously, is likewise my father’s early years. I did not know this information; my father never talked about his youth. I found this narrative in March 2017 (as I prepared for the scanning project) and cannot recall ever previously reading it. I wept as I read about the pioneer hardships of my grandparents and their children. ~~ Some areas of the photocopy of handwritten narrative are difficult to read and I plan to eventually transcribe.

Ralph Frantz twelve page narrative about his life in early years

Lorraine’s letter dated 5 Nov 1996

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Something to think about?!

Spending your dash

Now a comment from “the librarian”: When the book LaVerne Evergreen Cemetery Tombstone Inscriptions was self-published (1989) folks would say “You don’t put poetry in a cemetery book.” My rebuttal: “In my humble opinion, the editor/publisher is free to prepare the publication any way she wants.” ~~ The poem The Touch of the Master’s Hand was included on page forty-eight. Myra Brooks Welch (1877-1959) is buried there (and she was a dear friend of my grandmother Lydia Traxler Frantz [1877-1974]) so what better place to showcase the poem beloved by many?!

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Are you curious about my ancestry? Because I’m alive (29 May 2017), Ancestry.com won’t let you look at my name. However, my brother is a different story and you can see our ancestry by clicking this link. If you do not have an Ancestry.com account, I think they offer a free trial subscription.

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Nena Frantz birthday book dated 23 Apr 1991 ~~ Cousins by the dozens!! Most… are Lorraine’s lineage, too. ~~ Such a joy to compile, and print, the 225 page booklet for my dear “Aunt Nena” (Clough) Frantz. (1905-2004)

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Ancestor charts for Lorraine Frantz Edwards dated 1991

This is My Heritage (book) ~~ Here is the publisher website (16 Jun 2017); could not find reference to the book (Google search). “Maybe I should scan it?” So Lorraine separated the pages and spent three hours scanning…. This Is My Heritage

With 20/20 hindsight, Lorraine should have “worked” information on family group sheets, and pages from family surname books, against Ancestry.com before she threw away the pages. Initially, the goal was to “preserve” (scan) the information. Again, with 20/20 hindsight, much easier to document with information to the right of the computer keyboard. This project is like an octopus with eight long arms!! (And the old lady didn’t think of coordinating several “ideal” projects.) Some of the information in this library can be found on Ancestry.com on the Lorraine Frantz tree.

Technology and Tenderness ~~ Did she succeed??