BACK to AllenJFrantzen.com
BACK to House and Garden

Birminghams & Frantzens
FAMILY HISTORIES


updated December 2022
Joneses & Patersons

NEW pages based on the work of Eleanore Kilcoyne
Two Centuries of Iowa Birminghams

Birmingham Genealogical Documents

Birminghams and Frantzens
At left, earliest known picture of Dorothy Birmingham
and John Frantzen, 1933

Their farm : 1944-1971

 
1983-1999
Dorothy & John Frantzen & family.
2002 to present
Sibling reunions.
1983-1989
  Family of Rose & Joe Frantzen

Family of Elizabeth & Martin Birmingham

1920-1977
  Dorothy Birmingham's
photo albums & scrapbook
Al Birmingham’s Easters, 1945 & 1946

Joneses & Patersons
At right, courtship picture
of Carrie Jones & William Paterson.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 1927
   
Letters from a courtship
Carrie May Jones &
William Paterson - 1928
The first family home
in Webster Groves, Missouri

The toy chest made by George's father

Visits with Roselle
Louisville 2018
Chicago 2017
Bentonville 2016
Louisville 2015
Wilmette 2014


Frantzen sibling reunions 2002-2021
Beginning in 2002, nearly four years after the death of our father, the six children born to Dorothy and John began holding annual reunions: Carmen (b. 1935, d. 2020), Wayne (1937), Mary Ann (1939), Karen (1944), Allen (1947), and Tom (1952). During our parents' lives, we saw each other at events in Iowa, sometimes Thanksgiving or Christmas, Mother's Day or Father's Day. But seldom were all six of us in one place with our parents. Dorothy Mae Birmingham Frantzen died in 1985 and John Victor Frantzen died in 1998. After our father's death, we decided to create our own events so that we would stay in touch. We agreed to keep the reunion to the six of us and our spouses and partners. Five of the six of us were already grandparents with families. The point of sibling reunions was to have an opportunity to spend time with our brothers and sisters, people whom we hardly knew when we were growing up. Carmen was born in 1935 and Tom in 1952, the year Carmen graduated from St. William High School. The younger of us (Karen, Allen, Tom) can barely remember sitting around the family dinner table with our parents and all our brothers and sisters.

The highpoint of our visit is always the chance to sit together in a room and take turns summing up the big events of the year gone by. Long may this tradition continue! I have pictures, and the button below are links to them. Thanks to Irene Frantzen for pictures from 2004 and 2005.

For pictures of the Birmingham cousins as of 2009, go to the 2009 Waterloo link below.
And for a picture from August 1999, go here
20022003200420052006
Decorah

(July 2002)
George and I also went to Grinnell to see his friend Clara Denny.
Decorah

(July 2003)
Our second visit to Decorah included the seed farm outside of town and to the Norwegian Heritage Museum.
Decorah

(July 2004)

Maquoketa

(July 2005)

Carmen and Bernie were not there because Chad and Beth were expecting their first child about this time.

Decorah

(July 2006)
We had dinner in Decorah and went to St. Ansgar on Saturday to visit the Lutheran Church and on to Osage to visit the Hamlin Garland museum.
20072008200920102011
Waterloo

(July 2007)

Some of us went to the Russell House in Waterloo and we all went to Cedar Rock to see the Frank Lloyd Wright house (at Quasqueton).
Alta Vista

(August 2008)

We met in Alta Vista for Jolene's wedding.
Waterloo

(July 2009)

We met at the Birmingham reunion in Waterloo, all six of us there. In September we all met again in Elma at the Frantzen reunion (I have some video).
Clinton

(August 2010)
We met to celebrate Eleanore's 80th birthday. We were all at her party. Sunday morning we were all present except Wayne and Ellen.
Dubuque

(June 2011)

We met in Dubuque, and all six of us were at the Frantzen reunion in Elma the Sunday before Labor Day.
20122013201420152016
Maquoketa

(July 2012)

All of us except Carmen were at Wayne and Ellen's 50th wedding anniversary party July 21, 2012. A couple of weeks earlier all 6 of us were at Cy Haugen's 80th birthday in Waterloo.
Minnesota

(June 2013)
Our first reunion in Wayzata, where Carmen was able to join us for dinner. Earlier that day some of us went to the Walker Art Center.
Minneapolis

(June 2014)

We all had dinner with Carmen in Chanhassen and visited her at Presbyterian Homes early that day. We went to the Mill Museum and had lunch at the Guthrie Theater.
Iowa Reunions

(September 2015)

Back-to-back Birmingham and Frantzen reunions (Waterloo and New Hampton). All of us except Carmen got to both of them.
Maquoketa

(August 2016)
All of us except Carmen were in Maquoketa and visited in the front parlor of Squires Manor. Karen, Mary, and I visited Carmen in June, and Tom, Wayne, and I saw her in November.
50th Anniversary!

(October 2017)
Karen, Tom, and I joined Carmen and Bernie and family.
Frantzen Reunion

(September 2017)
Dave, Wayne Frantzen, and I marked our birthdays, 80 for Wayne.
Spring Park

(June 2018)
Mary Ann, Karen, and I visited Carmen.
Reunion
(September 2019
Our biggest gathering in a while, New Hampton.
Spring Park, MN

(June 2019)
Mary & Mel, Karen and I
Waterloo, IA
Lin Tally’s funeral

(July 2021)
Wayne, Tom, Karen, and I.
2020

No family events

Maquoketa, IA
Wayne's 84th birthday
(August 2021)
Wayne's 84th birthday

August 1999 at the family gravesite, Calvary Cemetery, Alta Vista, Iowa

4-2-2017