
Tragedy and the Importance of Historical Context
Encountering tragedy is common in family history research, and understanding the historical context can make the events even more personable to us. Learn how to research beyond names and dates to discover the stories of your ancestors.In doing genealogical research, it’s extremely important to look beyond the bare-bones names and dates of your ancestors, and learn about the culture, history, and events that took place during their lives. If we neglect this vital piece of the puzzle, there will often be crucial elements to our ancestors’ story that we will miss. The tragic story of the Bruse family is a lesson in this principle.The Bruse FamilyIn June of 1870, August Bruse and his wife Sophia lived with their five children, ages seven to twenty-one, in Peshtigo, Oconto (now Marinette), Wisconsin.[1] German immigrants, the family were farmers and laborers, with Sophia keeping house and the younger children at school.A little over one year later, life as they knew it was …
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