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Making Port: the History of a Baltimore Family
This collection includes the families Hiltz, Sinskey, Berquist, Hartlove, Stutt, Behm, and Susemihl.
Some genealogists like to say that the dead want to be found, that they're at our sides, guiding us while we try to find out who they were. I don't know about this; I've found the exact opposite is true in some cases, such as where my German great-grandfather Behm lied on the 1900 US Census, saying he was born in Maryland. Sometimes the dead want to be found... and sometimes they like to keep their secrets.
Though this book hasn't been as easy to write as I'd hoped, I feel like I have accomplished my goal. While listing the facts of a life is important--name, birthdate, hometown, anniversary--this doesn't give a complete view of a life. This book contains more than that, and through the pictures, stories, and documents contained here, I hope that the history of this family will appear a little clearer than it once was.
Some genealogists like to say that the dead want to be found, that they're at our sides, guiding us while we try to find out who they were. I don't know about this; I've found the exact opposite is true in some cases, such as where my German great-grandfather Behm lied on the 1900 US Census, saying he was born in Maryland. Sometimes the dead want to be found... and sometimes they like to keep their secrets.
Though this book hasn't been as easy to write as I'd hoped, I feel like I have accomplished my goal. While listing the facts of a life is important--name, birthdate, hometown, anniversary--this doesn't give a complete view of a life. This book contains more than that, and through the pictures, stories, and documents contained here, I hope that the history of this family will appear a little clearer than it once was.
218 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2014
2 people want to read
About the author
Erica Lee Berquist
7 books4 followersI am a Recovery Analyst, freelance editor, and writer from MD. My poetry & short stories have been published in literary magazines, and I have an upcoming novel publication.
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October 12, 2025
The Killing of Andrew Mybull is a quirky, nostalgic, and darkly humorous novel set in 1950s Nebraska. It follows four mischievous brothers living on a dilapidated farm as they stumble through a series of outrageous and often hilarious escapades. Beneath the comedy, though, runs a thread of melancholy and reflection, a coming-of-age story marked by rural hardship, youthful lust, and the poignant unraveling of small-town secrets.
Prell’s storytelling blends slapstick absurdity with heart, bringing together colorful characters, eccentric tales like “Gypsy Gold” and “Big Blue Balls,” and ultimately the tragicomic mystery behind the titular killing of Andrew Mybull. It’s a book that captures the chaos, humor, and heartbreak of boyhood in a forgotten corner of mid-century America.
Prell’s storytelling blends slapstick absurdity with heart, bringing together colorful characters, eccentric tales like “Gypsy Gold” and “Big Blue Balls,” and ultimately the tragicomic mystery behind the titular killing of Andrew Mybull. It’s a book that captures the chaos, humor, and heartbreak of boyhood in a forgotten corner of mid-century America.
Displaying 1 of 1 review