derek.knorr We headed to Fairbury on Memorial Day. Derek’s parents, Aunt Karen and Uncle E.J., and Aunt Carol and Uncle Steve were staying at the local hotel in celebration of Don and Steve’s birthdays and Grandma Shirley’s memorial in Hubbell the next day.
My mom’s side of the family is from that area as well and so our plan was to visit the cemeteries in Fairbury and nearby Gladstone that afternoon. Mother nature wasn’t kind and it poured all day so we decided to just head for the hotel and hope for better weather the next morning.
The kids were so impressed that our hotel shared a parking lot with McDonald’s and were thrilled when Grandma Cathy treated them to a dish of McIce Cream. We had the hotel lobby and pool to ourselves so enjoyed each other’s company, a few chilly dives, Casey’s pizza, Pollyanna, and a couple ice cold beers.
The next morning, after breakfast, we realized the weather man was wrong again. We headed out in the drizzling rain to visit our ancestors. I visited regularly with my grandma back in my college days. We would pick peonies from her garden and make our rounds together. That was 20 years ago and I had little recollection of where any grave sites were and was so thankful to discover findagrave.com, an amazing site. I was able to figure out who was buried where and trace back ancestors farther than I ever had with my grandma.
Our first stop was at the Fairbury Cemetery where my great step-grandmother Leva and my great uncle Darrel and great aunt Helen rest.
Next we headed toward Gladstone. My grandpa’s family is buried in Zion United Church of Christ Cemetery, about one mile east of Gladstone. I was able to trace back 6 generations of Kapkes, back to my kids’ great-great-great-great grandparents, all immigrants from the northwest regions of Germany, Lower Saxony or North Rhine-Westphalia:
- Justine von Gro Streich, b. 1813, d. 1900
- Frederick Fandrei, b. 1823, d. 1893
- Anna Christina Grabow Fandrei, b. 1826, d. 1900
Grandpa Dwight’s paternal grandparents, Theo & Augusta (Streich) Kapke 
Grandpa Dwight’s parents, Charles E. & Marie (Michels) Kapke 
Grandpa Dwight’s sister, Gwendolyn 
Grandpa Dwight’s maternal grandparents, Marten & Ida (Fandrei) Michels 
Trevor brought his trumpet and played Taps for us at each of the three cemeteries. He is so talented.
My grandma’s family is buried at Trinity Lutheran (or Grace Lutheran) Cemetery, about 2 miles west of Gladstone.
Grandma Ruth’s brother and his wife 
Grandma Ruth’s sister and her husband 
Grandma Ruth’s niece, DeDe & Gerdie’s daughter 
Grandma Ruth’s parents
We left Gladstone and headed for Hubbell to meet up with family for Grandma Shirley’s memorial service and luncheon. We met at the Acreage Steak House in town. It was a small, family only gathering. Christiana’s father, Pastor Steve Sirek, led the service at the church. It was a day full of meaning. The service was at Zion Lutheran Church, where Shirley and Duane were married, on what would have been their 70th wedding anniversary. All four of their kids were born nearby and baptized here as well. After the service, we processed to the cemetery where Shirley’s and Duane’s ashes were scattered on the wind.
