This page will be my side project over the coming year or so. I am currently in the beginning stages of editing material for a book that I wish to publish in 2001, God willing. The untitled book is based on a collection of letters exchanged between Josephine Maedel, a young lady from Kansas City, and Roy Marean Badger, a Lutheran minister. The two met at a church function in mid-1903 and quickly developed a relationship that expressed itself in the most beautiful words in a series of almost daily letters. These letters provide a unique first-hand look at the lives that people led at the turn of this century, and with the new millennium now here, it supplements us with a different perspective on work, love, life, and the challenges posed by them.

Despite this project's hindrance by my hectic schedule, I have an overall view of how this is going to come together:

The letters are still being scanned into digital format, which takes a while because each letter consists of up to eight pages. The scanning process is slow due to the sensitive nature of the paper of the letters. Many of the letters are written on tracing paper, making scanning a risky process and requiring extreme caution. The scanning process is scheduled for completion by the end of Fall 2000.

Each letter will then have to be typed in, and the chronological order of events surrounding Roy and Josephine's life will be built using the letters and documents available. I will also be examining historical records of that period to relate to certain events, people, and places in their lives.

After transcription is completed, genealogical research will go into full gear in order to locate the next of kin of Roy Badger and Josephine Maedel. Descendants are known to have possessed the letters as late as 1969, and it is hoped that they may be contacted for permission to publish the letters, and also in the hope of finding out more about this wonderful couple.

Photographic research may also be conducted to see if any photos contemporary of that period may be found. It is known that Roy and Josephine exchanged photos in some of their letter; these are no longer in their envelopes, as should be expected, probably sealed away in albums. I might make several trips to capture photos of descendants, homes, etc. in order to form a more complete picture.

The final stage involves putting together all of the pieces of the puzzle to rebuild the story of Roy and Josephine to the furthest extent possible. Hopefully I will be able to learn as much as possible about their early lives, extending to a short epilogue of their descendants.

My biggest concern at that point will be printing and publishing costs. If you are interested in supporting this project, please contact me and inform me how you are interested. I'm always open for suggestions!