Original post: 10/08/19
Total rewrites & updates: 4/03/2021 & 3/16/2024

On my Dad's side, I am descended from the HUBBARD line from Iowa/Nebraska & the RÜITTIMANN/RUETTIMANN line from Berne, Switzerland, now located in the bustling big city of Hamlet, which includes the neighboring towns of Palisade, Wauneta & Hayes Co, in general.

On my Mom's side, I am descended from the CULLINS line from Goodland, Kansas, Sherman County (we're in "The Big Red Books" published in the 80s) & the BINGHAM line that eventually landed in Goodland. Had they not ... my G pa Clifford Bingham & G ma Madeline Cullins would have NEVER met & married!

I was named after my ONLY Great Aunt on the Hubbard side - Laura - & a Great Uncle on the Cullins side - Lewis, AKA "Lou".

My Dad was an only child, so I have NO AUNTS, UNCLES OR 1st COUSINS ON THE HUBBARD SIDE. As a result, I grew VERY CLOSE to all the Hubbard & Ruettimann GREAT AUNTS/UNCLES I knew. After they passed, their chilren - my 2nd COUSINS - took over.
They are my age or there abouts, give or take 10 yrs either side.

My Mom (Cullins/Bingham) only had 1 sister, who had 3 daughters. So, I only have 3 first cousins to my name. I lost the middle one on Sat, March 27, 2021. She didn't even make it to 70. My oldest 1st cousin was born in 1940 & the youngest in 1955, making her 1 yr younger than me.

Both my parents & I are at the tail ends of all our families. Unfortunately, like my Dad, I am also an "only child". And as an adult, I could not have children of my own due to a mis-managed medical condition. Therefore ... I am the LAST & FINAL DESCENDANT of that particular Hubbard line. ** It could even be said that my Dad was actually the final Hubbard because he had no son in which to pass on the Hubbard name.

I realize now that my Dad's childhood was a lot like mine: no siblings, & all the aunts, uncle's & 1st cousins coming from one side of the family - in his case, the Ruettimann side. His father (the Hubbard side) only had 1 sister & she & her husband never had children. (Ironically, this is the Great Aunt I was named after.) Like me, my Dad was very close to his Great Aunts & Uncles & his SECOND & THIRD cousins on BOTH sides of his family.

The Find A Grave site is VERY important to me for many reasons. In one place I am reunited with all of my Great Aunts & Uncles who were so important to me & who HAD A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON MY CHILDHOOD. I am also reunited with my much older 2nd cousins who were there for me later in life.

Find A Grave allows me to see or "visit" the out of state graves of family members, all of which I will never get to visit for several reasons. I also really appreciate that membership to Find A Grave is FREE because I do not have the disposable income to join the "zillions" of excessively overpriced ancestry/genealogy sites.

In closing, anyone who thinks that Great Aunts & Great Uncles aren't "biologically close enough" or "aren't a direct line" or "don't count" or "aren't relevant" is seriously misguided & doesn't have a clue about family relationships & bonds, let alone about family life in general. A great part of me - the better part, Id like to think - was formed by those wonderful sibs of my Grandparents - my Great Aunts & my Great Uncles. God bless them forever. I feel it is an honor to manage their memorial sites here.

Laura Hubbard

• Proudly born & raised in Los Angeles Co, CA
• Medically retired RN, BS (Community Health Nurse)
• Geneology enthusiast
• Loud, proud Democrat-Socialist
• Civil Rights activist since the early 60s
• Lifelong (literally since 1954) "headbanger" (term for Rock n Roll fan)
• Animal lover
• Ballet dancer & dancer in general - on hiatus ...
• Last remaining Catholic from my Mom's side of the family
• Cancer survivor ... so far ...

Original post: 10/08/19
Total rewrites & updates: 4/03/2021 & 3/16/2024

On my Dad's side, I am descended from the HUBBARD line from Iowa/Nebraska & the RÜITTIMANN/RUETTIMANN line from Berne, Switzerland, now located in the bustling big city of Hamlet, which includes the neighboring towns of Palisade, Wauneta & Hayes Co, in general.

On my Mom's side, I am descended from the CULLINS line from Goodland, Kansas, Sherman County (we're in "The Big Red Books" published in the 80s) & the BINGHAM line that eventually landed in Goodland. Had they not ... my G pa Clifford Bingham & G ma Madeline Cullins would have NEVER met & married!

I was named after my ONLY Great Aunt on the Hubbard side - Laura - & a Great Uncle on the Cullins side - Lewis, AKA "Lou".

My Dad was an only child, so I have NO AUNTS, UNCLES OR 1st COUSINS ON THE HUBBARD SIDE. As a result, I grew VERY CLOSE to all the Hubbard & Ruettimann GREAT AUNTS/UNCLES I knew. After they passed, their chilren - my 2nd COUSINS - took over.
They are my age or there abouts, give or take 10 yrs either side.

My Mom (Cullins/Bingham) only had 1 sister, who had 3 daughters. So, I only have 3 first cousins to my name. I lost the middle one on Sat, March 27, 2021. She didn't even make it to 70. My oldest 1st cousin was born in 1940 & the youngest in 1955, making her 1 yr younger than me.

Both my parents & I are at the tail ends of all our families. Unfortunately, like my Dad, I am also an "only child". And as an adult, I could not have children of my own due to a mis-managed medical condition. Therefore ... I am the LAST & FINAL DESCENDANT of that particular Hubbard line. ** It could even be said that my Dad was actually the final Hubbard because he had no son in which to pass on the Hubbard name.

I realize now that my Dad's childhood was a lot like mine: no siblings, & all the aunts, uncle's & 1st cousins coming from one side of the family - in his case, the Ruettimann side. His father (the Hubbard side) only had 1 sister & she & her husband never had children. (Ironically, this is the Great Aunt I was named after.) Like me, my Dad was very close to his Great Aunts & Uncles & his SECOND & THIRD cousins on BOTH sides of his family.

The Find A Grave site is VERY important to me for many reasons. In one place I am reunited with all of my Great Aunts & Uncles who were so important to me & who HAD A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON MY CHILDHOOD. I am also reunited with my much older 2nd cousins who were there for me later in life.

Find A Grave allows me to see or "visit" the out of state graves of family members, all of which I will never get to visit for several reasons. I also really appreciate that membership to Find A Grave is FREE because I do not have the disposable income to join the "zillions" of excessively overpriced ancestry/genealogy sites.

In closing, anyone who thinks that Great Aunts & Great Uncles aren't "biologically close enough" or "aren't a direct line" or "don't count" or "aren't relevant" is seriously misguided & doesn't have a clue about family relationships & bonds, let alone about family life in general. A great part of me - the better part, Id like to think - was formed by those wonderful sibs of my Grandparents - my Great Aunts & my Great Uncles. God bless them forever. I feel it is an honor to manage their memorial sites here.

Laura Hubbard

• Proudly born & raised in Los Angeles Co, CA
• Medically retired RN, BS (Community Health Nurse)
• Geneology enthusiast
• Loud, proud Democrat-Socialist
• Civil Rights activist since the early 60s
• Lifelong (literally since 1954) "headbanger" (term for Rock n Roll fan)
• Animal lover
• Ballet dancer & dancer in general - on hiatus ...
• Last remaining Catholic from my Mom's side of the family
• Cancer survivor ... so far ...