#77: Tradition | Ole (Lauritsen) Lorensen

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-18): Tradition

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of April 27 is "Tradition"

The Vanguard of a New Identity: Ole (Lauritsen) Lorensen

Tradition often suggests staying put—carrying on the customs, names, and lands of those who came before. But for my great-granduncle, Ole Lorensen, "tradition" was something he both carried with him and consciously reshaped. Born in Norway at a time when resources were scarce and farms were small, he became the catalyst for a generational shift that would eventually bring six of seven siblings to American shores.

#76: A Year of Change | 1904-1905 Caroline "Lena" Schmitz

A Year of Change: Caroline "Lena" Schmitz (1904–1905)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt this week (2026-17) is "Working for a Living" and I'm covering the early work of my great-grandmother Caroline "Lena" Schmitz who was born December 18, 1888, to Peter Schmitz and Catharine Pirron in New York City. For this week's blog post, I am focusing on a "Year of Change" for Lena, covering a pivotal window in her young adult life.

#75: "A Quiet Life" No More: Resurrecting Susan F. Moody

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-16)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of April 13 is "A Quiet Life." I decided to interpret this prompt to highlight the "Quiet Life" of my wife’s great-great-grandmother, Susan F. Moody.