Our ancestry is Dutch. Dad was elated when he was told that our original family name meant “little house by the stream.” He thought it so picturesque. Finally, he met someone from Holland and they told him the story about our name. The gentleman asked the original spelling, then explained (as kindly as possible) that it did indeed mean “little house by the stream,” which in the Netherlands is a polite way of saying “outhouse.”
Frances Bekins Dalton
New Orleans, Louisiana
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then Capper’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.
