A step back in time.

6/22/1845-5/16/1923

Gerhard Heinrich Tappel, (the blacksmith's great grandfather) came to America in 1867 from  Twist Germany. Gerhard settled in Osage County, Westphalia Missouri. He was 22 at the time. 

Katharina Lueckenhoff 9/27/1849-7/2/1913

Eleven years later he married a local girl from Osage County. On November 19, 1878, they were married. Sometime in the 1870's they bought 360 acres in that same county and set up household. 

This is that house as it stood in 1988. It had been in the Tappel family for over 100 years. 

Gerhard and Katharina had 6 children. The blacksmith's grand father John Bernard was born in this house in 1882. 

Ben & Cecilia wedding day June 14, 1921.

John Bernard, known as Ben, and his wife Cecilia raised 4 children in the house, including the blacksmith's father, Henry, born in 1922.

Sylvanus Monat, Henry and Delphine Tappel, Catherine Tappel Hagenhoff

September 29, 1948

Although Henry did not end up owning the house, he did start his married life there. Henry and his wife Delphine lived there the first 7 years of their marriage and operated the farm. The blacksmith was born while his parents lived there in 1950.

After they moved away Grandma Cecilia and later her son Jim, owned the place until they both passed away.  Jim had lived in the house up until the mid 1980s.

After Jim passed the farm was sold and an auction was held to dispose of the personal property.

The barn as it stood on auction day 1988.

Auction day. 

The 2 men holding auction items up (you'll see them later in the family picture) is brother in law Doug on the left, and brother Pat on the right.

Fast forward to present. . . December  28th, 2014. 

The Rackers family graciously invited the Tappel clan to come see the house. 

It has been restored on the outside and is used as a family gathering place. It's a hunting lodge, a farming house, and a summer and winter retreat.

Inside, they added running water, including a bathroom, and refreshed the wiring. Much of the interior still looked like it did in June of 1988. Memories!!!

This is the majestic queen as she stands today, completely refreshed with new siding, new railings & floors on the porches, new roof, and new windows. 

The back side. 

The barn has a fresh coat of paint.

All the bedrooms upstairs have these great porches!

Just as Grandma had, the kitchen still has a wood cook stove.

The house has a cut limestone foundation with a full basement. This is a view going up the stairs from the basement.

The house has all the original wood floors. Note next to the sink, they kept the old cistern pump.

This was found on one of the bedroom walls. Uncle Jim must have written this at a very early age, as he misspelled his last name. 

The spring still running.

Inside, the Rackers had even decorated a fresh cut cedar tree for the season. 

The current generation of the Tappels include eight children.  Of these eight, Pat, Darlene, Marla, Bernard (the blacksmith) and Janie made the visit.

The 5 with their spouses. Pat and Doug, (shown on auction day holding up dishes) are the first two on the left back row. 

One last photo, Janie said, "Mom always took my picture on this sidewalk holding a doll." Her youngest brother Pat, was the only doll she could find on this day.

We want to give a big Thank You to the Rackers family for the invite, the coffee and cookies,  and the house and barn tours. It was great hearing stories of the house and farm by both families.