Archives for Wagner
John Wagner and the Texas Widow
My 2x great uncle John Wagner served alongside his two brothers, Henry and my 2x great grandfather William Wagner, in the Civil War. After the war he moved to Texas, and all I knew was that he had "married a Texas widow." I finally found his obituary, and it lead…
Lois Ann Wagner singing 1964
Here are some tapes of my mom, Lois, singing some folksongs back in 1964. She still has her guitar that she is playing, a 1930s Gibson she got in a pawn shop. Inside of houseboat, 1964. Lois Wagner
Tapes for Grandpa
In 1972 my grandfather, Homer Henry Wagner, was in the hospital after a heart attack. I wasn't allowed to visit him because I was only 8. So I recorded two reel to reel tapes for him to listen to. I sang songs, told jokes, played cello, and recited poetry. My…
Baby Diana Tapes
I (Diana Vida Thornton) was born in January 1964. My parents, Charles Paul Thornton and Lois Wagner lived on a houseboat on the Allegheny River on the North Side, Pittsburgh, PA. Houseboat where Paul, Lois and Diana Thornton lived. ca April 1964 My mom Lois recorded several tapes of me,…
Old Bill Wagner
Jacob William (later dubbed "Old Bill") was born in 1840 in Elleringhausen, Germany. At the age of 6, he and his family joined the waves of German immigrants after their friends in Quincy, Illinois, kept writing for them to come. Six-year-old William took his little sister Henrietta by the hand…
Wagner Treasure Trove of Photos
Recently my cousin Ben Wagner sent me scans of over a hundred photos that were in boxes from his parent’s estate. I was thrilled to discover a photo of my great great grandfather William Wagner in his Civil War uniform. I had written an extensive chapter about him and his…
Are we related to John Philip Sousa?
Yes! We ARE related to the famous American conductor and composer John Philip Sousa (1854-1932). Sousa is best known for composing the marches "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National March of the USA) and "Semper Fidelis" (official march of the United States Marine Corps). John Philip Sousa was born in…
Staryn Wagner Home Movies
This is a 15-minute compilation of some of the home movies of Staryn Wagner taken by his dad Will Wagner. I've pieced together multiple clips and stills. It's so wonderful that he took and kept these videos. I couldn't include all the footage (then again, how many minutes of crawling…
Bill Russell and Noel Rockmore
Bill Russell was one of Rockmore's favorite subjects from the early 60s until Bill's death in 1992. He was also a friend, mentor, musical companion and fellow documenter of the French Quarter. Bill Russell was always game for an adventure and this time it is with his friend Noel Rockmore to…
Hanning Freyhofer Story
One cannot tell the story of the Hannings without the Freyhofers. With scenes that could be straight out of a movie or an episode of Little House on the Prairie, our ancestors came looking for the American Dream and they found it in Indiana and Kansas, along with a few…