“Deep under our feet the Earth holds its molten breath, while the bones of countless generations watch us and wait.” ― Warm Bodies
When we became the owners and stewards of a historic landmark home, we knew it was special, but we had no idea of the generations of connections that would come with it – to real live people. Soon after we became the owners, we began to have contact with people who had lived here and/or with the home’s namesake family: Steinbuchel
Randomly, family members began to show up on our porch. Most, having moved away, would pop by when in town wanting a peek at the old homestead. Each time we gained more insight and information about the house, its lore, and the family who lived here.
I endeavored to develop a means to stay in touch with the various contacts, with limited success. Now in the age of more robust email, social media, and yes, this BLOG, we can meet in the midst of our full varied lives.
Generations Today
Recently the descendants of Marie-Louise Hahn and Herman Joeseph Steinbuchel’s grandson, Mark Steinbuchel (1942-2010) contacted us. In town for a memorial service on their mother’s side of the family, they asked if they could come by. All seven of them!
We were delighted, of course. So the day after a major snowstorm, we welcomed these family members to our house restoration project in progress. The visitors included three great-granddaughters, spouses, and two great-great-grandchildren. A member from the grandmother’s side of the family also attended.
After introductions and much-needed hot beverages, we shared our connection to the house, not only as owners but via our Strasbourg, France connection. With a roaring fire in the fireplace, I talked about my two primary source documents: the abstract and their ancestor’s account of the family’s history.
Dr. Dave talked about his discoveries of family history details via ancestry which, in many cases confirmed or filled in details from the family oral history. One member had recently traveled to the family estate in Germany, where we also had visited some years ago.
We also talked about:
- The Hahn family reunion in August of 1999
- The declaration of Steinbuchel House Day on that occasion.
- and other events that have taken place at Maison Steinbuchel
It was a good day. A day of discovery on all sides.
Since that time, Dr. Dave dug into one particular photo circa 1941, discovering all sorts of detail and story. One thing is certain, an aspect of our stewardship has deepened: one of relationship with people connected by bonds of time and geography.
Your Generations Await!
Capturing the story behind events, photos and objects is a simple way to rescue your stories from being lost. Download the Five Legacy Story FREE PDF below and get started today!