Tracing Roots to Butte and Remembrance

My grandfather passed away this week. I debated whether to write this blog at all, as my heart is heavy with grief. But as I sit here, reflecting on the man who shaped me, who nurtured my love for words and storytelling, I know what he would say—

Keep writing. Atta Girl.

He was the one who first pulled me into the world of family mysteries. If not for him—and for his own father’s adoption story—I might never have discovered the real-life figure who inspired my main character for the Sagacity Stories series. He always found these stories fascinating, always encouraged me to chase the truth, no matter where it led. So, I write this for him.

As a teenager, I joined my grandfather in trying to untangle the mystery of my great-grandfather’s adoption. What began as a few scattered clues led us on a winding path to Butte, Montana. In the early 2000s, long before genealogical records were widely digitized, the Butte-Silver Bow Archives became an invaluable resource. Their staff and volunteers offered guidance, and every research fee was an investment in a story waiting to be uncovered. I still have the printed emails, carefully tucked away in my research files—a testament to the journey we took together.

For years, we believed we had solved the mystery. We traced my great-grandfather’s supposed birthfather, Tom Jones, whose family had moved from Lawrence County, South Dakota, to Butte, Montana. Fast forward to a few months ago, after taking a DNA test, everything changed. The adoption records had been falsified. The real birth family? They had also moved from Lawrence County to Butte. And so, the search begins again! I am so thankful I was able to share this new discovery with him before he passed away.

Jones Children, Lead, South Dakota c1900. Tom, back row far right.

One theme that runs through my books—especially Adopting the Forgotten—is the idea of lost lineage. Many of the people whose stories I uncover have no known descendants, their names and lives nearly erased by time. Tom and his wife Gussie, for example, had no children. In honor of their forgotten story, I want to share a photograph of Gussie, found in her Montana State Hospital file at the Montana State Archives.

Gussie’s life was marked by resilience. A Jewish immigrant from Romania, she made her way to Washington State, only to be abandoned by her first husband. After divorcing him, she remarried Tom, and for a brief time began to build a life in Butte. But tragedy followed them a few later—each passing away in the Montana State Hospital from communicable diseases.

Gussie, Montana State Hospital, From Medical Record File, c1920. Montana State Archives.

In a few weeks, when the fog of grief has lifted a little, I’ll share more about my Butte research and the connections to my novels. Until then, I have something special planned—some intriguing research about Helena that didn’t quite make it into Zoetic Solace. Stay tuned!

And if you have any genealogical research to do in Butte or Silver Bow County, I cannot recommend the Butte-Silver Bow Archives enough. Their resources are invaluable. You can explore their collections here: https://buttearchives.org/

Until next time,

Jennifer