Welcome to the first Kauffman Family Blog.
We are all blessed by a wonderful family. This blog is about them? While I have collected many stories passed down to me by my ancestors, this is not just about Kauffman’s. It is about Gustis, and Byrne, and Barnello and Hillhouse and Kuhn and Timmel and Cole and Stone and Riazzi and Rushforth. Within our combined families are many stories to share and enjoy. I will start this blog out with some of my favorites. I hope you will share with me and all of us, your favorite stories.
Family History
In the Kauffman family, one has to start with Walter Lee Kauffman. He is the namesake of my father, Walter Lee Kauffman 2nd, my brother, Walter Lee Kauffman 3rd and of course Walter Lee Kauffman 4th.
We older Kauffman’s as children remember Uncle Walt. He lived in Youngstown, Ohio, some 70 miles from Erie and would come to our home often. He was a dapper dresser, as shown in his picture, and a keeper of some strange habits, like pouring some of his coffee into the sauce plate and drinking it (it was too hot).
I have two stories about Uncle Walt that you will enjoy!
Walt is fascinated with cars. I have a letter from Walt to his father, Levi from 1911. In the letter, he is discussing the benefits of the new Klaxon horn over his old Newtone horn.
“As to the horn”, he says, “I am sure you will be as enthusiastic about is I am as soon as you have used it and seen the effect it has on teams, etc. Yesterday we came up against a public horse sale which was being carried on in the middle of the street. No one paid any attention to the bulb horn so I held down the Klaxon button. The crowd ‘melted away’ at once! You have no idea how they got out of the way. If you can’t believe all I’m telling you now you will certainly see for yourself when we get it on our car.!”
There is more about Uncle Walt including another funny story.
Happenings
Charlie Barnello made his high school Baseball team.
Eva Kuhn is enjoying her sophomore year at University of Pittsburgh.
Izzy is a freshman at University of Arizona in Tucson studying Sociology.
Nina is a senior at Clemson majoring in Geology.
Sam is marketing coordinator and newsletter editor at the Post & Courier in Charleston. He studied Audio Technology at CLemson.
Chuck, Melanie, Dylan and Daniel enjoyed a weekend up at their cottage.
Joy and Roland at Martha’s Vineyard.
Hope you enjoyed this first Blog.
Please send suggestions to me at email.