Marie-Louise Moreau Kienlen (originally published 2019)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 1 Theme: First

Marie-Louise Moreau
Generation 8
My 3rd Great Grandmother

Rigsby - Kienlen - Moreau

As I mentioned in a previous post, my dad always told me I was German. When I started researching my family history about 15 years ago, I had one name in mind: Christian Frederich Kienlen. I knew he came from Germany, and I knew there was a street in St. Louis, Missouri, named for him. He is not the subject of this week's post, though. I have decided to write about his wife, Marie-Louise Moreau. Although I will probably never know how they met, I like to imagine the teenage Marie-Louise visiting Christian's candy shop at the corner of 3rd and Chestnut Streets, right where the new entrance to the Gateway Arch is today. There is a fountain there now, and the 5th great granddaughter of Christian and Marie-Louise had a great time splashing in it this past summer. I hope they were watching.

Marie-Louise Moreau is special to me.
She was the first French ancestor I knew of by name.
She was also the first ancestor who made me feel connected. 
Family historians know what I'm talking about. It's that feeling you get when you discover that you, through all of the people who participated in your creation, are connected to places or events that took place long ago. She made me feel like a real St. Louisan - one whose family has been here from its founding in 1764. 
I wish everyone would know enough about their family to have this feeling.
This is MY city.
I belong.