The Marlens: Views into Four Generations of a Midwestern Family

Illinois and Missouri, 1883-1966

A nephew asked his 85-year-old aunt to tell him about the man whose name he carries-a great grandfather with the name of Charles Marlen; a man he never met.

So, returning in her mind to the Midwest where she lived the first forty years of her life, the aunt searched for memories of her grandfather to share with her nephew, hoping to create a story about this grandfather whom she loved deeply.

Soon the endeavor grew when this aunt contacted her siblings and cousins to gain more stories to share with her nephew. They sent photos, some torn, and others darkened with age. She learned about polio in the family, a death by a falling tree in the Northwest, and a murder; stories she would have never known had her nephew not asked his question.

Some family members wondered about the origins of the name Marlen. As she perused an old document, she surmised how the name of Marlen came to be then searched for memories to learn how the Marlens lived.