Sometimes, it is an odd combination of circumstances that gets one started on a search for their ancestors. For myself, this quest began quite innocently when I tried to complete a lineage chart for my son and realized that I didn't even know the names of my great-grandparents. At about the same time (January of 1983), my grandmother, Louise Gruenhagen, died, and I became acutely aware of the fact that even though I had been close to her during my whole life, I really knew very little about her. My loss was even greater because all of her memories had died with her. I made a decision to sit down and really talk to my grandfather, August. I asked a lot of questions, and really listened to the answers. More importantly, I wrote down everything he told me. That was the beginning of this book.

This book represents all that I could discover about our Gruenhagen family. Do not look upon this book as a finished project, because there are still a lot of missing pieces. I have no doubt that there are also some inaccuracies, but I have done my best to be as accurate and complete as possible. I was, of course limited by the amount of cooperation that I received. The more information that people shared with me, the more I was able to write about them. I hope that my efforts will inspire each of you to write down the details of your lives. Please contact Phil Gruenhagen via email if you have any material or pictures that you would like to see added to the book.

This story is our story - our history. Each of these ancestors is a part of what we are. Their personalities, their ambitions, and their talents have been passed down from generation to generation. Most particularly, you will find that there is a strong drive to create. Many of them are artists, writers, architects, jewelers, carpenters, and engineers. One can find in almost every Gruenhagen a vivid imagination and nimble, skilled fingers, and a particular skill for transforming one with the other.

The Gruenhagens are also very religious for the most part. The family has been primarily Lutheran - for seven generations in some cases. It seems that this has contributed to the strength of the family. The recitation of the same liturgy through centuries of time created a oneness the the past and a sense of continuity between the generations. It was the one unchanging and constant factor in a rapidly changing world.

You may ask yourself why I chose to write about the infants and children that died before they were able to marry and have children. I feel that it is important to remember them because their deaths serve a purpose, even now. They remind us that life is temporary and short and each day must be lived and enjoyed to the fullest.