1893 German Family Bible-Augusta Apel

As part of the inherited items from the Verle and Betty Van Camp estate, my dad (Kurtis Lee Van Camp) has an old German Bible that was published in 1893 inscribed to Augusta Apel.  From the note inside written by Wilmoth Lena Agee/Baker/Finders (her daughter) it reads: "Mom received this Bible from her father when 15 years old.  He was Superintendent of the Evangelical Sunday School then.  My mother Augusta Amelia Apel Agee Forrest Born August 13, 1876 Died June 26, 1964."

The Bible is written in German and has little note cards in German and ribbons to mark her places in the Bible.

Some Ancestral Clues:

• From the publish date and the birth date we know that Augusta must have been about 17 when the Bible was received brand new. 

• We also can conclude that Augusta knew German and that her parents spoke German in the home, since her father gave her the Bible.

• From the 1880 censuses we can trace that her mother Amelia was born in Prussia (Germany) and her father Heinrich (Henry) was born in Missouri but was the son of both a mother and father that were immigrants from the Saxony and Hesse regions of Germany.  So it follows that Augusta would have been given a German Bible.

• The Apel's were religious people, her father Heinrich (Henry) being an active participant as a superintendent of the Evangelical Sunday School.

• Handwriting sample of Wilmoth Lena Agee

• Source of Birth and death dates of Augusta Apel/Agee/Forrest

Amazing what just a little Bible and a few written words can convey. 

1960ish Family Photo-A Rare 4 Generations

1960-1962ish Old Family Photo

My dad is transferring all his parents old slides into digital files (a labor of love).  This weekend at my parents house we went through a few and found a picture of Augusta as a great grandma.  A rare 4 generations in this photo!  Born in 1876 she's about 84-86 in this photo.

My dad (Kurtis Lee Van Camp) said he vaguely remembers Great Grandma Gussie.  She was very old when he was a child and he remembers visiting Papa and Nana (Herman and Lena Finders) in Missouri and Great Grandma Gussie would be resting in the back bedroom when they would go say hello to her.

People in the Photo (Left to Right): Gary Van Camp, Papa (Herman Finders), Kurtis Lee Van Camp, Nana (Lena Finders-Also known as Wilmoth Lena Agee), Betty Jean Baker Van Camp and Gussie Forrest (Augusta Apel/Agee/Forrest). Photo credit mostly likely goes to Grandpa Verle Vernon Van Camp.

Picture Location: Herman and Lena Finders home in Missouri

DIRECT LINE: Augusta Apel--> Wilmoth Lena Agee -->Betty Jean Baker-->Kurtis Lee Van Camp --> Bryonny Michelle Van Camp

How Augusta Caroline Apel turns into Gussie Forrest

Augusta "Gussie" Caroline Apel-Agee-Forrest is my Great Great Grandma

I've been following a little trail of bread crumbs that Gussie's left me.  So far in my research we first meet her in the 1880 Census and more details just waiting to be discovered:

• 1876-On August 13th Augusta Caroline Apel was born.  (Maybe they named her Augusta because she was born in August)

• 1880 (Census YEAR)-She's 3 and the daughter of Henry and Amelia Apel. She was born in Missouri as Augusta Caroline Apel.  Augusta's father Henry was born in Missouri and her mother Amelia was born in Prussia/Germany.  Henry was a farmer.  She's the oldest and had 2 other living siblings at the time: Mary and Christian.  The family lived in Richland, Missouri.

• Missing Years 1881-1897

• In 1897 it's my speculation that the picture of the Apel Family is taken during this year. There are 6 living siblings now: Augusta, Mary, Chris, Henry, Frank and William, We know that William is the baby in the photo and from the 1900 census we know that he was born in Nov 1896, he's a plump little guy and looks about a year old.

• 1899-From a local obituary we learn that her father Henry dies unexpectedly at the young age of 45 from gall stones on  June 13th leaving a Amelia and the 5-6 children behind.

• 1900 (Census YEAR)-\ Amelia Apel is now the head of household, since her husband just died the year before.  Augusta, now 23, and her brothers Chris, Henry and William are still living at home in Chariton, Missouri.  We learn that Amelia has had 8 children by this time but only 5 are living.  Not yet verified but My speculation is that Mary got married and had left home by then and Frank perhaps passed away. 

• 1900-The census must have been taken right before Augusta got married to William L. Agee.  We have a marriage license record that shows they were married on June 20th, 1900 in Fayette, Missouri at the Court House

• 1901-Augusta has a baby boy: Frank Monroe Agee (maybe she named her first baby after her brother Frank)

• 1903-Augusta has baby girl: Anna Mae Agee** (**not verified with sources yet, but we known she had 4 children but only 3 were living by the 1910 census)

• 1905-Augusta has a baby girl: Wilmoth Lena Agee* (*Great Grandma comes into the world)
• 
  
• 1908-Augusta's child Anna Mae dies** (**not verified sources yet, but we known she had 4 children but only 3 were living by the 1910 census)

• 1909-Augusta's husband William L. Agee must have passed away, as there is another marriage record for "Gussie" Agee to James Forrest on May 12th 1909.

• 1910 (Census YEAR)-Augusta shows up married with her new name Augusta C. Forrest she and her husband James live in Chariton, Missouri with the kids: Frank Agee and Wilmoth Lena Agee (from Augusta's first husband William) and their new baby Carl J. Forrest not even a year old when the census is taken.  Census reveals that she is the mother of 4 children, but only 3 are living.

• 1920 (Census YEAR)-Augusta is now using that name Gussie Forrest is listed as head of household and widowed. James Forrest passed away sometime in the 10 years between censuses.  Frank, Wilmoth Lena (shorten to Lena on the census) and Carl are all still living at home in Chariton Missouri

• 1930 (Census YEAR)-Gussie Forrest is now 53 and living alone in Chariton Missouri.  Census reveals she was 23 years old at the time of her first marriage.

• 1940 (Census YEAR)-Here is where things get really interesting (at least in the family history world)-- the direct link to my Grandmother Betty Jean Baker and Gussie Forrest.  This census reveals that Gussie's highest level of school completed was 3rd grade elementary Gussie's now 63, still head of house hold and the family is moving back into the nest.  At 30 yrs old Carl's moved back in at some point and she has two more family members there as well;  Herman Finders, as son in law, and Betty Jean Baker, a granddaughter, that's 11 years old.  We know that at some point Lena Agee (great grandma) was married to Raymond Baker, had two children Porter Baker and Betty Jean Baker, was divorced and then married Herman Finders.  A little strange that Lena is missing from the party?  Still looking for clues.

And that is how Augusta Caroline Apel turns into Gussie Forrest

DIRECT LINE: Augusta Caroline Apel --> Wilmoth Lena Agee --> Betty Jean Baker -->Kurtis Van Camp --> Bryonny Michelle Van Camp

Meet the Apels

Meet the adorable Apel Family

Heinrich (as known as Henry) Apel and Amelia Apel and their 6 children:  Augusta ("Gussie"), Mary, Henry, Chris and Frank and baby William.

Direct Line:
Heinrich (Henry) Apel->Augusta (Gussie) Caroline Apel ->Wilmoth Lena Agee->Betty Jean Baker->Kurtis Lee Van Camp->Bryonny Michelle Van Camp

Van Camp Family History in the Making!

You live as long as you are remembered. -- Russian proverb

Today marks my first day of a month long weekly community family history class. Our instructor recommended a blog as a way of collaborating with Family to unlock the mysteries of the past.  So here I am appealing to all my family to work together on this great project of gathering photos and stories and getting to know our family in a meaningful and fun way.

This blog will be focused on the ancestors of Verle Vernon Van Camp and Betty Jean Baker-my paternal grandparents. 

If you want to collaborate with me on the Van Camp family tree--your own free family tree account can be set up at https://familysearch.org/

I love my family and I'm excited to get started and dig into the roots of this wonderful family tree!

-Bryonny Van Camp

(Daughter of Kurt Van Camp, son of Verle and Betty Van Camp)

Old Family Photos are the best aren't they!.. circa Late 1984/Early 1985 The Kurt Van Camp Family (Paula, Kurt, Joshua, Jayson and Bryonny--missing Kyle born in 1987)

Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/davidogden331251.html#erhuLH0r8EGZRMwz.99

Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_family.html#Jq7lyFmAa4oZTxYR.99

Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_family.html#Jq7lyFmAa4oZTxYR.99