Posts and name game

We will begin posting again tomorrow...So check back!  In the mean time here are some more of the names we have found along the way!  If you didn't read before, we have been playing a game in the RV to pass the time on long drives.  We find names of our family and friends and then all rush to grab the camera and snap a picture before we pass it.  We have passed quite a few, but have also found a lot.  If you do not see your name, don't give up.  We still have a long way and a lot of signs to go.

Bridges of Madison County

Today we had a very slow start.  We had stayed the night in a Walmart shopping center so we decided to go to Sams Club, Best Buy and Toys R US.  We finally started driving around 3 pm.  On our drive we stopped at the Freedom rock to see the art work of Ray "Bubba" Sorensen.  Every year he paints a new patriotic theme.  It was really quit impressive how detailed the painting was.  After the rock stop we headed to Madison County,  you know from the book and movie, "The Bridges of Madison County."  We went to the town square first which reminded us of the Back to the Future movie town square.  We were waiting for a Dolorian to go speeding toward the courthouse.  We then drove to the Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge.  It was very pretty but I was very disappointed with all the graffiti that lined the inside of the bridge.  It is really to bad that people have destroyed such a beautiful piece of history.  We then drove by the home of John Wayne.  It was very cute.  After that brief stop we had a gorgeous drive thru the country on our way to another covered bridge.  The Imes Bridge was as beautiful as the last one on the outside but it to was covered in graffiti on the inside. The two bridges we saw were the 2 earliest bridges.  They were both erected in 1870.  I'm glad we had a chance to see 2 of the remaining 6 bridges.  

After the bridges we continued our drive into Des Moines.  We got lucky to find a spot at the Cutty's Campground.  They have 550 sites but were totally packed for the 4th of July weekend.  This is a really cool campground with a small lake and 3 pools, a sauna and a jacuzzi.  They even had an impressive firework display tonight that we arrived just in time to see.

Schlotzhauer Family History - Kansas City and Oregon, MO and Omaha Fireworks

Today was a really fascinating day for me.  I have always been proud to be a Schlotzhauer since the time I was paid a silver dollar to learn how to spell it.  With a name like Schlotzhauer you have to either embrace it or try to marry out of it as soon as possible.  Well, I now am a proud Hulsebus but will never stop loving my Schlotzhauer past.  Anyway, the reason I am going on about this is because today I took a step back into my family history and learned a little more about my roots.  First we visited my great-great grandfather Rudolph's house that he built in 1897 located at 4104 Wyoming St in Kansas City, Missouri.   My great grandfather moved to this house with his parents and his 6 other siblings when he was 7.  We were hoping it was still going to be there when we decided to drive across town in our 40 ft beast.  When we got closer we realized it wasn't going to be easy to get the big rig close to the street.  The streets were very narrow with low lying trees and sharp turns.  Dave managed to get us there but the block was closed off for a 4th of July party.  So we parked at the end of the street and walked to the house.  When I saw it I knew immediately that it was the one.  I'm not really sure why since I ha

d never seen a picture of it.  Next door the neighbors were sitting outside having a 4th of July party.  We got to talking to them and he told me a little history of the house.  He had lived in the neighborhood for 40 years and knew the owners prior to the current owner that bought it in 1989.  I took a few pictures of the house and was about to leave when I got this wild idea that I wanted to see the inside.  So I knocked on the door and a very nice lady, Teresa (who is the current owner), allowed me to come in and look around.  She knew a little about the house but was excited to hear what I knew about it.  Then she went to get something to show me.  When she came back she brought some old pictures that she had found a while ago in the basement.  They were pictures of the house taken sometime in the early 1900s.  She told me that the previous owner had found a lot of old pictures and things in the attic but had thrown them all away since it wasn't their history.  She had asked to keep those pictures of the house.  I was pretty bummed that all that great history could have been from our family and it was no longer around.  Teresa allowed me and Tanner to take a look around the house.  I was amazed that

all the original molding, doors, a built-in China cabinet and the floors were still intact.  The staircase also original.  When I was walking around it was very eery in a good way.  I honestly felt as if I could feel my family from the past walking with me.  I had a sense of bonding and connection with them that I had never had before.  I was so glad I was able to tour the house and on my way out Teresa handed me the old photos.  She felt that since it was my family history I should take them with me.  I was very thankful to have them and am very excited to share them with the rest of the Schlotzhauers.

Well my jog down memory lane didn't end there.  We headed north about an hour to Oregon, Missouri.  Christopher Schlotzhauer and his wife Dorthea moved here in 1864.  They owned and farmed 250 acres of land and also owned a steam saw mill.  After retiring from the mill (his son Phillip took it over) Christopher became the preacher of the German Methodist Church in Oregon for 25 years.  Christopher was buried with his wife in the German section of the Oregon, Missouri Maple Cemetery.  Christopher's son Rudolph (my great-great grandfather who I mentioned earlier) moved to Oregon, Missouri when he was 14.  He worked for the local paper "The Sentinel" for 10 years.  He married Anna Kunkel in 1876.  The Kunkel's owned 

a mill and Rudolph soon went to work there.  In 1882 Rudolph and three of the Kunkle sons bought the mill and were very successful running it till Rudolph moved to Kansas City, MO in 1897.  Rudolph and his wife are also buried in Maple Cemetery.  When I went to the cemetery I had no idea where to find any of the grave stones.  I walked along the path passing some of the 1,800 head stones and my eye immediately went to Rudolph's head stone.  I was pretty surprised I found it so easily.  I noticed that Rudolph was buried among the Kunkels.  After spending some time at this headstone I went searching for the other family headstones with no luck.  In the family history it said that they were buried at the German Methodist Church Cemetery.  We were at Maple Cemetery so I thought we must be at the wrong place.  So we drove into town and asked a gentleman if her knew were the other cemetery was.  He wasn't sure so he asked his neighbor.  His neighbor wasn't sure so he called his friend who happen to be the town historian.  Well about 15 minutes later we were back at the Maple Cemetery with the town historian as our personal guide.  He was amazing and gave me more history about my family that I didn't even know.  He walked us to all my family and extended family headstones and even gave me a number of an extended family member who could give me even more history.  It was so wonderful sharing my family history with my kids and Dave.  

We left Oregon, Missouri and drove to Omaha, Nebraska to watch fireworks.  We were surprised at how many people were doing the same thing.  The streets were lined with cars and people.  We got lucky and found a great parking spot with a perfect view of the festivities at Rosenblatt Staduim (site of the NCAA Baseball College World Series.  Before the main show everyone was setting off their personal fireworks.  It was pretty crazy.  We haven't really been anywhere where all kinds of fireworks are legal.  The boys got in on the action and were setting off bottle rockets, smoke bombs, grow worms, firecrackers, ground bloom flowers and sparklers.  They were having a blast!   The fireworks were really amazing.  There were a lot of firework that we have never seen before.  After the show we stuck around and enjoyed watching all the cars trying to pile out at one time.  It was quite entertaining.  Sometimes we really appreciate that we have nowhere we have to go and no specific time to be there.

Thought of the day:  While we were at the cemetery we noticed a section with some small sticks in the ground with tiny rectangular signs attached to it.  It looked like the signs you would put in a garden to tell you what you were growing.  Dave asked our tour guide what they were.  He said, "that's were the Negros are buried."  My heart stopped for a minute as he explained.  This was the only cemetery where blacks were even permitted.  Most of the blacks were just buried where ever they passed away.  These were "free" blacks not even slaves.  Some of these men died fighting next to us whites in battle and we would not allow them to be buried in white cemeteries!  This cemetery allowed them to be buried but most did not even have a headstone.  The ones that did were just small rocks that were placed on the ground.   I cannot even tell you how much this upset me!  

Our tour guide (who Dave and I can't seem to remember his name) went on to tell us that he decided that it was wrong that the blacks did not have a headstone for their relatives to find them.  So he made these little signs and placed them where their headstone should have been.  I wish I would have taken a picture to show you all.  As you can imagine this was quite a lesson for our boys.  After being at the Brown versus Board of Education National Historic site the day before and hearing about the Little Rock 9 a few weeks ago our boys are beginning to understand the importance of equality.  They are seeing and starting to understand what can happen when one group of people believe that they are better then another group of people. They are seeing how we as a society can brainwash ourselves into believing that what we are doing is justified or right.  How we can hurt other people just so that we can feel more important or valuable.  God loves us all equally and we need to learn to love each other the same way.  I wish that all kids had the opportunity to learn these lesson so that history would not have to repeat itself.

Topeka, Kansas

After a night in Topeka at WM we decided to take the boys to the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Site where they earned another Junior Ranger Badge!  It's now history lesson time.  In 1954 the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously (9-0) that separate educational facilities for black and white students were inherently unequal.  This landmark decision essentially overturned earlier rulings going back to Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 which declared that each state could establish separate public schools.  This ruling held that as long as the separate facilities for separate races were "equal," the segregation did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment ("no state shall... deny to any person... the equal protection of the laws").  I guess "equal" was in the eye of the beholder since many of the black schools were in  shambles and separate is NOT equal.  At the time of the Brown case there were still 17 states which required this "separate but equal" policy.  Mr. Brown, a welder with the Sante Fe Railroad and Associate Pastor, was actually one of thirteen parents named on the law suit that took place in Topeka.  The NAACP selected him because he was married, in an intact, complete family.  His daughter Linda, a 3rd grader, had to walk 6 blocks to her bus stop then take a bus 1 mile to Monroe Elementary, a segregated black school, while the white children in her neighborhood walked to nearby Sumner Elementary, a white only school.  The historical site (pictured below) is Monroe Elementary.

The US Supreme Court ruling was lead by Chief Justice Earl Warren.  In addition to serving on the Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969, Warren was also governor of California from 1943 to 1953, and ran as Vice President with Dewey who lost to Truman in 1948 and may be best know for the Warren Commission which investigated the death of President John F. Kennedy.

While in the museum we were all reminded of the many uphill battles the Black Americans had to fight in order to begin to have equality.  There was one light up trivia board that you had to pick all the ways in which the blacks were segregated.  I think the boys were amazed to see how ridiculous us white people had and have been.  We also watched a few video clips in which you can see the anger and the violence that our ancestors had when equality started to take place.  It was sad to watch and hard to understand why they behaved in that manner.  

 I have to also mention that it wasn't all white people who were racist.  There were many white people that made some really brave stands at that time.  There were white kids that choose to be friends with their new black schoolmates even though they were persecuted when they choose to do so.  There were white leaders who were voting and fighting for equality even though it may affect their popularity.  There where whites and blacks peacefully marching together in order to produce change.  It is important to me that our kids understood that even though doing the right thing is sometimes unpopular and it may take a lot of courage, a ton of inner strength and consistent determination.  In the end it will ALWAYS be the way that has the highest reward, if not here... then in heaven.

After the museum we drove by the Capitol on our way to BOBO's drive-in diner.  This was featured on the Food Network as one of the yummiest hamburger drive-in diners.  It was packed when we arrived and for good reason.  It was good.  We had burgers, onion rings, shakes and root beer floats (and you wonder why we are getting chubby).  After we rolled back into the RV we drove to Kansas City, Missouri.  We had a harder time finding an RV park due to the 4th of July weekend.  We choose the Worlds of Fun RV Park.  It actually wasn't our first choice even though it was the nicest in town.  You see it was connected to an amusement park and it wasn't a Six Flags so we knew we weren't going to pay to get in.  So it was kinda like dangling carrots in front of hungry bunnies.  The kids would look out of the front of the RV and watch the roller coasters race by but they couldn't go on it.  They actually handled it better then we expected and we did have a great time swimming in the RV park pool.  

Thought of the day: We all were again shocked that this "inequality" was only about 50 years ago.  The fact that we all grew up (are growing up) in a diverse California has served us well.  Actually the fact that we have all grown up in Christian environments where we were taught that all of us are God's equal children is thee most important.  THANKS TO OUR PARENTS for bringing us up with great examples of how to be friends with all people, no matter their race! We hope that we can do as good as a job teaching this to our children.  It is always much easier to say then to do.

Posted by a joint effort from Dave and Cindi

Wichita, Kansas

It took us 4 hours to change a toilet seat cover!  Yuck!  After that we decided to go to Exploration Place in Wichita.  It was a pretty fun museum although we have been to so many museums we have become museum snobs.  We all really enjoyed the thinking puzzles they had throughout the museum.  While at the museum it started to rain so hard.  We were in a room surrounded by glass that was on the edge of the Arkansas River.  I honestly thought I was Noah's wife and the building was going to float away.  I absolutely love watching the the rain and lightning and hearing the thunder.  Peyton said "We don't get lightning like this in California."  Thee we don't get in California phrases has become his new saying.  After the museum closed all the boys played mini golf on the museum owned mini golf course.  Good thing we carry our own golf clubs in the RV.  I stayed in the RV and made a steak dinner 

(editorial comment by Dave... Cindi is an awesome cook!  She has been making us all great meals).  After dinner we took a walk across a really cool walking bridge that had a very nice, 2006 completed, area saluting all of the Plains Indian tribes of Mid America.  Then we started our drive to Topeka, Kansas.  The highlight of the day was watching some spectacular lightning as we drove.  We also got to watch a firework show as we drove towards a small Kansas town along the way.  Right as we passed by, at the perfect time, they lit up the sky with their gra

nd finale.

Burman and then Hodgson Family

As many of you know I am behind a day!  I was way too tired to write last night so I am going to post 2 great days in one post.

First of all, Happy Birthday to DeeDee (Dave's mom) and Happy Anniversary to Pop and DeeDee.  We LOVE both of you and miss you very much.  We are also looking forward to having you join us at some point during our adventure.

Yesterday we had another great day with the Burmans.  We went over to Billye and Howard's house again and had a nice lunch with them.  We then headed to the mall to see WALL-E.  It was a little different than what I expected.  I had a hard time getting into the 2 robots falling in love.  It was still fun hanging with the Burmans and gaining weight on all you can eat popcorn.  After the movie we did some shopping in the mall and then headed back to the house. Billye had prepared a wonderful dinner for all of us and their friend Donna (Jim's brother's girlfriend). Billye is a great cook and really put on a feast for us.  We had a great time visiting and cracking up over old cruise stories.  Then the real challenge began!!  The rematch of the Burman family marble game.  So the night before the cheating boys won so the girls had something to prove.  Well I'm proud to announce that the woman were unstoppable and won 2 games in a row!  If you are adding (and you know I am) that is 2 for the ladies and 1 cheating win for the boys.  That makes the woman the marble champions!!!!! (Editorial comment from Dave ...first, the boys didn't cheat and second, we are playing the best 3 out of 5 ;-)

Well I have to say that we had such a wonderful time with the Burmans and we were sorry to see them go.  We also felt so much at home at Billye and Howards.  They are the most wonderful people and we so loved spending time with them.  

Today we drove to Ponca City, Oklahoma.  Why you ask?  Well, when I met Dave he was working for Unocal 76 and living in Hermosa Beach, CA a couple houses from the ocean.  Dave had 2 roommates.  One was John Hodgson.  Dave and John both worked at Unocal and became good friends.  "Johnny H" even played on our Hermosa Beach Co-Ed Championship Softball Team.  So what does that have to do with Ponca City?  Dave remembered that Johnny H had moved somewhere in Oklahoma.  It happened to be Ponca City which was only an hour from Bartlesville.  So Dave gave John a call and he and his wife Nani invited us over for dinner and a swim.  We were so excited to see John again and to meet his family.  We haven't seen John (Dave has kept up with him by phone) since he attended our wedding over 13 years ago. John is married to Nani, who is so nice, and he has 2 extremely sweet girls Courtney (7)  and Summer (3).  Nani had prepared a delicious meal for us.  It was so nice to catch up and learn what they have all been doing the last 13 years.  After dinner all the kids swam.  Dave and I were so entertained by their youngest girl Summer.  She was so cute, she had so much to talk about and would talk in run on sentences in a language that was half english and half her own dialect.  She really took a liking to Dave and had multiple stories to tell him.  She even would dip the corn chips in the salsa for Dave and hand them to him so that he would not have to reach and dip them himself.   We really did have a wonderful time at the Hodgson house and we are so glad we re-connected with them.  At the end of the night Nani gave each of the boys a Ponca t-shirt (which they all put on right when we got to the RV) and also some really cool whistle candy.  But Sterling was so excited and surprised when John gave him a 76 football.  That absolutely made his night.