As I’ve mentioned before, one of the things I love most about working at the Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum is that you never know who is going to call, email, or walk through the door—and what story, memory, or artifact they’re going to bring with them.

Back in May, I shared the story of a man in Texas who found a 1919 receipt from the Palisch Store in Frohna tucked inside a World War I history book at an antique store. He called out of the blue to tell me about it. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard any more from him, so that mystery is still waiting for its next chapter.

In June, I told you about a visitor who mentioned he had several wall hangings that looked like stained glass windows. He has since generously donated them to the museum, and they now hang beautifully in our main gallery. What a transformation—from a casual comment to a striking new display.

So that leaves… an email.

A couple of weeks ago, I received one from Hans in Dresden, Germany. He is a stamp collector who came across a letter written from Wittenberg, MO to Dresden in 1841. Here are the images he attached to the email for those of you who can read German.

Hans was looking for any information about Angermann family members—whether in our records or still living in the area.

Gerard jumped into the research, but aside from a listing in the German Family Tree, we couldn’t find much. I sent Hans a scan of those four pages, expecting he might be disappointed. To my surprise, he was thrilled—and eager to share his findings at the next meeting of their stamp club.

These encounters—by phone, in person, or online—remind me that history is never really finished. It lives in attics and memory boxes, in family stories and forgotten receipts, quietly waiting to be shared. And often, it finds its way to us in the most unexpected ways.

Have something you’ve been meaning to tell us? You don’t have to visit in person (though we’d love that). You can always call or send an email. We’d love to hear from you.