Herman Kiefer Are you a Kiefer relative?
Chapter 19 of 20

Marybeth

1918 – today
Episode 19MarybethVideo coming soon
Mary Elizabeth "Marybeth" Kiefer at the time of her engagement, 1942. Family collection.
Mary Elizabeth "Marybeth" Kiefer at the time of her engagement, 1942. Family collection.

Mary Elizabeth Kiefer was born on 10 November 1918. She graduated from Olivet College, and in 1942 the Detroit papers announced her engagement: "W. R. Blackburn To Wed July 11." On 11 July 1942 she married Walter Redding Blackburn.

They raised four children — Nancy, Diane, Walter and James — and Marybeth taught third grade at Edison Elementary in Madison Heights for years. She died on 31 May 2007.

She gave her youngest son a middle name from her own family: James Herman Blackburn. Dr. Herman Kiefer, Herman Guy Kiefer, James Herman Blackburn — the name has come down through 130 years.

James Herman's son is Jim Blackburn, who built this site. Jim's daughter, Olivia, is the seventh generation from the man who stepped off a ship in 1849 with a sword, a diploma and a small bag of gold coins.

Do you know more?Every chapter is open to the family. Share a photo or document or tell us your connection.
Sources. Family records; engagement announcement (1942); obituary of Mary Elizabeth Blackburn (2007). All sources →
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