Whenever I mention my interest in genealogy—what has surprised me most is how many of my friends admit they have no idea what their great-grandparents looked like.
Not just their names—their faces.
That realization stayed with me.
We live in a time where we can capture thousands of photos in a single year, yet just a few generations back, images were rare, treasured, and often the only visual connection we have to those who came before us. Without them, our ancestors can feel distant, almost imaginary—names on paper rather than real people who lived full and complex lives.
This blog is my way of closing that distance.
Here, I want to share photographs of my great-grandparents.
Juan James Hess 1850-1929 – A paternal great grandfatherPhoto of Dorothy (Dora) Bishop Hess 1857-1904 and Juan James Hess 1850-1929 – paternal great grandparentsHenry David Joseph Spruhan 1857-1939 – A paternal great grandfatherCaroline “Rosie” Baur Spruhan 1863-1942 – A paternal great grandmotherAugust Friedrick Krüger Grayer – 1849-1917 and Emilie “Amelia” Louise Wisthoff Grayer “Grandma Grayer” 1861-1955 – maternal great grandparentsEmilie “Amelia” Louise Wisthoff Grayer “Grandma Grayer” – A maternal great grandmother 1861-1955Benjamin Ream – A maternal great grandfather 1855-1928 and Harriet “Hattie” Fike Ream- maternal great grandparentsHarriet “Hattie” Fike Ream 1863-1926- A maternal great grandmother