Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing – Wernher von Braun
The research required in assembling a BLOG post on the various family members who lived in our historic home always takes more time than anticipated. This is due in part to unanticipated obstacles, both in the process and the tech involved. But also, to my underestimating the time involved taking the cool idea I have in my head, where it is perfectly and clearly constructed, onto paper so someone else can make sense of it.
My current project involves the youngest sister, Gabrielle Gouldner Powell, of Dr. Rene Gouldner and his brother Dr. Edmond Gouldner. The men were the sons-in-law of Marie-Louise Hahn Stackman Steinbuchel. Gabrielle (Gabby) would not be a candidate of this BLOG except that she resided in this house for a time after she immigrated to the United States.
I posted my first BLOG about Gabby here. I have at least one more in the works. In the meantime, I am posting some links to past BLOGs as a reminder of the context of her place in the family.
The Matriarch: Marie-Louise, is the lynchpin of the family tree of those for whom our home is named. Her story is outlined here.
Her two daughters, by two different husbands, were Bertha and Elizabeth. Both lived in and married in our home. Their stories are here. Their husbands were Rene and Edmond Gouldner respectively.
Then there was Gabby, the youngest sister of the two Gouldner men. Gabby and her first husband Herbert L. Powell, married in our home as well. Read about the weddings here.
Research Is Key
So you see, a lot of research has taken place. I have pulled a lot of the information from a book written by Elisabeth Steinbuchel Wilson Gouldner, but it has been supplemented with newspaper articles and data from Ancestry.com.
I have a lot of help from my husband who loves to research. Frankly, I prefer pulling it all together into a form that is shareable. We make a pretty good team.
As you rescue the stories that inspire you, I encourage you to find others to work with. Company is a great help in this story writing thing. The Five Legacy Stories Free PDF Download will give you a place to start.