Wordless Wednesday: Lake Poinsett

Jacob William Friess // Lake Poinsett, South Dakota

Hope Eternal

My great-great-grandfather, Milton Marion Cook, was a Methodist circuit rider; he was born on July 28, 1877 in Mason City, Iowa, and he grew up on a farm with his parents--James Milton Cook and Emily Cornelia Damon--and five older sisters: Martha Louise, Ella Rosina, Fannie Lucina, Florence Ellen and Hattie Ethel. Milton met his future [...]

Workin’ on the Railroad

Ward Earl Smith (Left) & Raymond Lee Smith (Seated) The Northern Pacific Railway Company issued each new employee a copy of their "Consolidated Code of Operating Rules" before starting on the job; the rules begin with a General Notice: "Safety is of the first importance in the discharge of duty. Obedience to the rules is [...]

The Scamps

Milton & Mollie (Bond) Cook, 1898 This week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks theme is "So Far Away," and I've decided to write about the adventures and travels of my Uncle Bud, my Aunt Iva and my Aunt Blanche--also known as "The Scamps." "This will be a feeble attempt to write a partial life history [...]