Four Rivers Genealogy Society

05/23/2026

We now have our very own book scanner available FREE for the community to use! Thanks to a very generous donor. We are so grateful for the community and their gifts to Four Rivers.

If you have a family journal, ledger, diary, or any handwritten book from your ancestors... bring it in and digitize it to help preserve your family history for generations to come.

Prefer not to do it yourself? No problem we can handle the scanning for you for a small fee.

Whether you’re preserving a single page or an entire collection, we’re here to help you protect and share your story.

Stop by and see how easy it is to bring your family history into the digital age!

05/20/2026

Othmar J. Jasper

July 1, 1920 - May 17, 2026

Othmar J. Jasper,105, of Washington, passed away on May 17, 2026. Mr. Jasper, son of the late Joseph H. Jasper and Mary nee Filla, was born on July 1, 1920, in Washington. He received his education from St. Gertrude’s Grade School. On November 8, 1947, he was united in marriage to Marie Kopp at the St. Francis Borgia Church. Mr. Jasper served his country honorably as a member of the United States Army in WW II. He was a member of St. Gertrude’s Church, Knights of Columbus, and VFW 2661.

Othmar had many childhood memories, growing up on his parents farm, with a large family. He was the middle child and was given the nickname “Ottie”. As part of the greatest generation, he followed the call to War and served with distinction.

Ottie taught his children by example, raising livestock, extensive gardening, winemaking, woodworking, and performing vehicle maintenance. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and finding mushrooms. Mr. Jasper was a devout catholic, who was very strong in his faith. For the last several years, Aspen Valley is where Othmar called home and where he took his last breath.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Marie Jasper; two children, Allen Jasper and one in infancy; siblings, Joe Jasper, Ray Jasper, Vic Jasper, Marcellus Jasper, Harold Jasper, Margaret Bleckmann, and Marian Maune.

Among his survivors are his children, Larry Jasper of San Francisco, CA, Glennon Jasper and wife Frances of New Haven, Lester Jasper and wife Beth of New Haven, Wayne Jasper and wife Kim of St. Louis, Carol Riegel and husband Bob of Washington, and Diane Kessler and husband Tom of Augusta; grandchildren, Luke Jasper, Izek Jasper and significant other Danielle Laprise, Seth Jasper and significant other Samantha Crowe, Talisa Matter, Hayley Hale and husband Todd, Shelby Rufkahr and husband Adam, Shay Jasper, Samantha Berwin and husband Andrew, Alison Jasper and significant other Emin Naimkadic, Jodi Riegel and significant other Jeremy Stephens, Steven Riegel and wife Dana, and Nathan Riegel and wife Kathryn; nineteen great-grandchildren; brother and sisters-in-law, Herb Kopp and wife Bernice and Mildred Glosemeyer; loved ones and many friends.

Visitation will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, from 3-7 p.m. at Nieburg-Vitt, Miller Funeral Home. KC Rosary will begin at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the St. Gertrude’s Church in Krakow. Interment, with full military honors will be at the church cemetery. Memorial donations can be made to St. Gertrude’s Church or School.

05/14/2026

The mysterious story of Miss Mary Meta Kasel…

Mary was born in 1890 in New Haven, Missouri to Gustave and Pauline Kasel. By the time she was a young woman, she had already made a place for herself in Washington, Missouri. At just 20 years old, she was teaching music on Third Street. Later, as she approached 30, she worked alongside her sister Ella in Ella’s millinery shop as a hat finisher. Mary never married. She was described as small in stature, just under 5 feet tall and around 100 pounds.

In November of 1923, Mary disappeared.

She was last seen just after 6 p.m. leaving her sister’s shop. Ella watched her go and even asked her to pull the shades as she stepped out. Mary did as she was asked and walked out into the evening. She left behind her coat, sweater, and purse. Ella assumed she was heading to supper and thought nothing unusual of it at the time.

Mary never arrived at her boarding house that night, and she never came home.

As concern grew, Ella reported her missing to the City Marshal. Friends and family shared that Mary had seemed troubled in the days before her disappearance. There was mention of a letter she had received from a man in Owensville, though nothing was ever found to confirm what was written. When they interviewed the man he could not think of a reason for her despondance.

Searches followed. Reports came in of a woman matching her description seen near the river on Lafayette Street. Her family even offered a reward for information, hoping someone would come forward with answers.

Five months later, Mary’s body was recovered from the Mississippi River near Norfolk, Missouri. The condition of the remains led to questions at the time, though her family believed some of the marks may have come from time in the river rather than anything else.

She was found wearing only a nightgown, stockings, and low shoes.

Mary’s story remains one of those cases that settles into the records but never fully settles in understanding. For those who work in genealogy and local history, she is a reminder that behind every name is a life that was lived, and sometimes a story that still leaves questions behind.

05/13/2026

As promised, we’re back on 217 West Main Street in Washington, Missouri, continuing the story of the people and businesses that shaped it.

The “hardware” ghost sign raises an early question. Though we can't prove it the most likely early connection is George Krumsick, listed in the 1870s as operating a hardware business on Main between Oak and Elm. He would have rented space rather than owning the building. The sign would have been covered during later construction and then reexposed in 1946 during Bocklage Clothing’s expansion.

The first confirmed business we can place in this building is J. F. Brinkmann’s Star Saloon in 1887. He remained until 1894, when Charles Wunderlich took over. Later, Joe Stamm and Oscar Grothaus likely continued saloon operations in the same space.

By 1906, the building shifted into services with Stegmaier Jeweler and Optician, staying until 1911. Ella Kasel followed in 1912 with a millinery shop, running it until 1919. Arthur Deutch then moved in with a tailor shop, offering menswear and alterations.

In 1920, Bynn Yann Grocery opened with a cooperative model but closed by the end of that same year for not fulfilling their obligations.

In 1929 Kopp’s Shoe Store opened and remained until 1962, one of the longest-running businesses in the building’s history. After that, Bocklage Clothing expanded briefly into the shoe trade before returning to clothing.

From the 1960s into the 1970s, Franks Dining Room occupied the space, followed by a series of short-lived restaurants including Joan’s, Connelly’s, and The Mainlander.

The 1980s and 1990s brought a steady rotation of businesses including Final Touch, ABC Donuts, Town and Country Interiors, Our Country Store III, President Travel Agency, and Choo Choo Chocolates.

After 2000, the building continued its pattern of change with Antiques on Main, Kate and Beth Mercantile, Rodrigo Pineda Studio, the Fudge Shoppe, and now Kim’s Candy Dish.

Like tracing a family line, this building shows us that history is rarely one straight story. Names change, uses shift, and sometimes what we thought was certain turns out to be something else.

05/12/2026

Annie is ready for memorial day! Come say hello.

05/10/2026

We want to wish all of those moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day. We will be closed today! See everyone on Tuesday!

Take the time to find out more about your mom's story and get to know her a little better! Pull out those old photographs. Talk about her favorite memories. Ask her lots of questions. She has a library full of valuable experiences and life lessons waiting for you.

05/06/2026

We are back with our Main Street Project, continuing our look at 217 West Main Street in Washington, Missouri!

The building is marked with a plaque identifying it as the “Busch Hardware Building,” with a build date of 1887 and attribution to E. G. Busch. A familiar Main Street story, but when digging in the records we found a little surprise.

E. G. Busch is actually connected to a nearby frame building constructed in 1887 for his hardware business, but the records do not clearly support him as the builder or owner of 217 West Main Street itself. This property was instead held by the Droege and Grothaus family for a long period, with John D. Grothaus eventually acquiring full ownership after purchasing Droege’s share. The property remained with the Grothaus family for more than 150 years.

The exact construction date of the building at 217 West Main Street has not been completely established. Based on available records, and photographs, it likely falls between the years of 1870 and 1878. Who built it is still unclear, with both Droege and Grothaus remaining possibilities at this time.

John D. Grothaus was born in 1830 in Hannover, Germany. He married Elisabeth Menkhaus, and they had four children: John F., Alvinia, Oscar, and William. They lived in Washington, Missouri, where Grothaus worked as a merchant and he also served as a town trustee and county judge. He died in 1876 at the young age of 46.
Elisabeth never remarried and retained his property holdings across Washington, later passing them to their daughter Alvinia. After Elisabeth’s death in 1912, Alvinia, held onto the property and later transfered to Oscar in 1920. Oscar maintained ownership of the property until the 1980s when the next Grothaus family member took over.

Come back next week to see a little more about the people who ran their businesses in this building over time!

If you know of or have had a family member in this building and have photographs to share (new or old) please reach out to us. We would love to add it to our Main Street Files!

05/01/2026

Your DNA carries echoes of people you will never meet. Generations of lives, stories, struggles, and triumphs are woven into who you are today, whether their names are remembered or long forgotten. Genealogy gives us a way to reach back through time and reconnect with those threads. Every record, photo, and story brings us a little closer to understanding the lives that shaped our own.

In searching for them, we often find a deeper understanding of ourselves. Do you need help with your Ancestry DNA results? Please reach out we would be glad to help.

04/28/2026

Don't miss this tonight if you haven't had a chance to catch his others!!

‼️Attention‼️There are still seats left for our Family Tree 101 program happening tonight! Terry Wilson from Four Rivers Genealogical Society presents an introduction to tracing your family history. Learn the basics of building a family tree, organizing records, and uncovering your ancestors' stories. To RSVP, call (573) 299-0006, or visit us online at bit.ly/48VNsD6.