In 2014, I inherited the genealogical work of my father, Carl J. Gaus, Jr. He began his genealogy work in 1968 doing research as time permitted. After retirement in 1993, Carl spent his time with his family, driving through 49 states on month long excursions with his wife Dorothy, and gardening. He spent the remaining time researching and documenting his family tree, which included over 64,000 connected people and a mountain of documentation.

After my retirement in 2014, I decided to do something with all of my father's work. What started out as a project to organize and digitize all of his information has become a new passion of mine. I now understand my father's addiction.

I wish to share this information by contributing to and enhancing the data on this site. Too many Memorials are nothing but a name and dates from a grave marker. I am beginning by working my way through my family tree and will eventually wonder off into the various branches. I will be focusing on the following families; entering data for them, their children and their grandchildren:

GGGG-Grandparents:
Joseph S. Long (1775-1850) and Anna Peter (1774-1840)
Cyprian Schwab (1760-1814) and Margaritha Eble (1780-1829)

GGG-Grandparents:
Joseph Long, II (1808-1882) and Barbara Schwab (1807-1886)

GG-Grandparents:
Peter Long (1838-1923) and Margaret Schrift (1843-1919)
Albert Brindle (1828-1883) and Regina Reich (1834-1902)
Adam Beyer (1821-1909) and Anna Grasser (1820-1909)
Peter Petrich (1847-1921) and Mary Zakrajsek (1854-1921)

G-Grandparents:
John J. Gaus (1844-1895) and Mary Brindle (1855-1937)
Frederick Beyer (1856-1926) and Mary Long (1863-1944)
Frank Markum (1869-1929) and Mary Petrich (1883-1980)
Joseph Konchan (1877-1947) and Jennie Petrovcic (1874-1943)

Grandparents:
Carl Gaus (1891-1964) and Margaret Beyer (1900-1993)
John Markum (1902-1979) and Jennie Konchan (1909-1973)

I have expanded my work in the three cemeteries where my parents, brother and sister are buried. I am adding their 'neighbors' as I find them in the obituaries and from grave stones photographed while visiting their graves. I am using the database from my parents and brother's cemetery to update and add memorials for everyone buried there. I am also in the process of photographing all grave markers in my parent's cemetery.