Richard L. Kienlen . . .
Famous Pigeon Photographer?
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 16 Theme: Out of Place
Generation 3
My Father
Rigsby, Kienlen, Aden, Thompson
Researching close family is a strange process.
I was close to my parents. I thought I knew them, but surprises are
out there just waiting to be discovered.
As I mentioned in a previous post (HERE),
my dad loved to travel. He also loved photography and science.
As a photographer for Ralston-Purina, he was able to incorporate the things
he loved into his career. I once asked him why he chose that career instead of one where he could make more money.
He told me that it was more important to enjoy the work you do than to have money.
That was such an important lesson, one that I passed on to my children.
My girls may never be rich, but they are doing what they enjoy, which makes me happy. My dad would be so proud!
On Thanksgiving day, 2014, I lost my dad.
It's a strange feeling when both of your parents are gone, and I am so
thankful to have two wonderful sisters. We got each other through those difficult times. Doing my dad's final tax return was a horrible experience.
I sent it in and prayed it was right. With his final refund we did what my dad would have wanted us to to. We took a sisters trip.
We couldn't decide where to go, so we each put three locations into a cup and drew one out. I don't remember what won, but we realized
that we had all put in Charleston, South Carolina so we decided to go there.
My dad had taken us to almost every state, but not South Carolina.
It was a fitting choice.
Kienlen Sisters in Charleston
We stayed at the Embassy Suites in the Charleston Historic District. Every day, several times a day, we walked by The College of Charleston.
Every day. Several times a day.
Sometime after our trip, I decided to Google my dad. I entered
"Richard L. Kienlen" photograph.
Guess what!
In the Wendell Mitchell Levi Papers, at the College of Charleston,
there is some sort of reference to my dad.
The College of Charleston.
The one we passed by every day. Several times a day.
As it turns out, Levi put together an encyclopedia of pigeons and used
some of my dad's pigeon photographs. I didn't know he took pictures
of pigeons, but it makes sense with him working for Ralston-Purina.
After further research, I learned
that some of my dad's pigeon pictures are in science textbooks.
I don't know if he knew that. Liking science as he did, he
would have been thrilled.
I have lived in St. Louis all my life. So did my dad and his parents and grandparents before him.
Never in a million years would I have expected to
find information about my dad in Charleston.
It seems so out of place.
Luckily, my sister is going back there this summer.
I hope she'll stop by The College of Charleston and
pick up some records for me!
I was close to my parents. I thought I knew them, but surprises are
out there just waiting to be discovered.
As I mentioned in a previous post (HERE),
my dad loved to travel. He also loved photography and science.
As a photographer for Ralston-Purina, he was able to incorporate the things
he loved into his career. I once asked him why he chose that career instead of one where he could make more money.
He told me that it was more important to enjoy the work you do than to have money.
That was such an important lesson, one that I passed on to my children.
My girls may never be rich, but they are doing what they enjoy, which makes me happy. My dad would be so proud!
On Thanksgiving day, 2014, I lost my dad.
It's a strange feeling when both of your parents are gone, and I am so
thankful to have two wonderful sisters. We got each other through those difficult times. Doing my dad's final tax return was a horrible experience.
I sent it in and prayed it was right. With his final refund we did what my dad would have wanted us to to. We took a sisters trip.
We couldn't decide where to go, so we each put three locations into a cup and drew one out. I don't remember what won, but we realized
that we had all put in Charleston, South Carolina so we decided to go there.
My dad had taken us to almost every state, but not South Carolina.
It was a fitting choice.
We stayed at the Embassy Suites in the Charleston Historic District. Every day, several times a day, we walked by The College of Charleston.
Every day. Several times a day.
Sometime after our trip, I decided to Google my dad. I entered
"Richard L. Kienlen" photograph.
Guess what!
In the Wendell Mitchell Levi Papers, at the College of Charleston,
there is some sort of reference to my dad.
The College of Charleston.
The one we passed by every day. Several times a day.
As it turns out, Levi put together an encyclopedia of pigeons and used
some of my dad's pigeon photographs. I didn't know he took pictures
of pigeons, but it makes sense with him working for Ralston-Purina.
After further research, I learned
that some of my dad's pigeon pictures are in science textbooks.
I don't know if he knew that. Liking science as he did, he
would have been thrilled.
I have lived in St. Louis all my life. So did my dad and his parents and grandparents before him.
Never in a million years would I have expected to
find information about my dad in Charleston.
It seems so out of place.
Luckily, my sister is going back there this summer.
I hope she'll stop by The College of Charleston and
pick up some records for me!
I never heard that story from Granny.
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