Margaret Verena remains a mystery. Though her correspondence to family echoes through time, little more is known about her. This space is here in her memory, in the fashion of a newspaper or weekly post, as we attempt to sketch a fuller history. Along the way, we’ll explore other pockets of genealogy, old paper of interest and puzzles of the past and present.

The Schifferli Postcard Project

Hundreds of postcards have been passed down, largely from the first decade of the 1900s. They document a cross-continental exchange among family, friends, educators and priests. Many of them relate to the life and death of William Schifferli. With a range of tones from the quotidian to humor to grief, we get quite something of a picture of these people.

“Designed to Improve All Classes Interested in Soil Culture Including the Farmer, Gardener, Fruit Grower, Planter, Stock Breeder, etc.” Besides sharing some choice excerpts, we’ll also look at seed varieties and plant names of the time as well as market prices and trends.