Aunt Ruth's People

Aunt Ruth’s People

On August 6, 2022, Ruth Jager died at the age of 94. Since 1971, when her mother Sarah died, Ruth was the matriarch of the Jager family. At her funeral, her nephew Rol Jager told a story about visiting her in the nursing home. As they went by, some other residents commented that those were “Ruth Jager’s people.” If you knew Ruth, you know that we embrace this label.

After Aunt Ruth’s funeral, I was seemingly appointed as the unofficial Jager Family historian, the keeper of her large collection of photographs, scrapbooks, and genealogy material. This blog is an attempt to pull out some of the highlights of that collection–and share with family some of the interesting, surprising, and unknown items from Aunt Ruth.

Posts

  • Aunt Ruth’s Fudge–Famous in Wayland

    Cousin Dawn Jager asked about Aunt Ruth’s fudge recipe. Perhaps this is it. I found this in her recipe book (more a clipping file of recipes). It looks like the Jagers dominated the Wayland Globe in November, 1967. (I wonder if they were worried about being overexposed.) I’m not familiar with fudge that is kneaded. And here is another fudge Read more

  • Sarah the Celebrity Cook

    I found this clipping in Aunt Ruth’s recipe book (was someone looking for that?) This ran in the Wayland Globe in November, 1967. It’s nice to see her with a smile on her face. In our 8mm movies and photographs, it seems like she is often not smiling. Anybody remember eating this dish? Read more

  • The Life & Journey of Lambert Jager

    Lambert (Bert) Jager was born on June 27, 1891, a Saturday. His parents were Frank and Hendricka Jager, who lived in Clam Union Township, Michigan, just east of McBain, and just farther east of Cadillac. Lambert’s grandfather was Lambertus Jager (click to read the previous post about him) who came to America to join Frank Read more

  • Ruth Jager Through the Decades

    Since this blog is “Aunt Ruth’s People,” I thought I would share a selection of photographs from the life of Ruth. Ruth in 1942 Ruth at Uncle Abe and Aunt Anna VerStrate’s Farm Ruth’s senior picture. It was taken in November, 1944, and she graduated in 1945. Summer, 1946 Ruth and Freda Jager Ruth and Read more

  • The Jager Patriarch Comes to America

    Missaukee County, just east of Cadillac, is the homeland of the Jagers. And if you wander through the farmland east of McBain, you come across the small settlement of Falmouth. Just south of there is Clam Union Cemetery. And here you can find the remarkable tombstone of Lambertus Jager. Lambertus was the father of Frank. Read more

  • Ruth Jager and Chris Vanderheide

    Taken at Long Lake Park, I think. 1943? Ruth would have been 15 years old. Read more