Graef Historical Group

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, Robert Graef, Bette Eberhardt, Maryanne Eberhardt, and Margaret Eberhardt Ayres visited three family cemeteries in Keokuk County, Iowa: Dresden, Sixteen, and Sorden. Dresden Cemetery (near Deep River) Michael & Anna Fisch Sixteen Cemetery (near Thornburg) Rickey Family at Sixteen Cemetery William & Ida Rickey Line of Descent: James Shepherd to Robert Graef Sorden Cemetery (near Webster) Irons Family Burials at Sorden Cemetery John & Margaret Irons Charles Irons Verna Ione Irons Velda & Verna Irons, the Irons sisters

 This chart traces five generations of my family, from my great-great-grandparents James and Rebecca Ann (Coghlan) Shepherd, through Ida (Shepherd) Rickey, Lorin Rickey and my mother Grezelda Jean (Rickey) Graef, down to me. James, Rebecca, Ida and William Rickey are all buried at Sixteen Cemetery near Thornburg, Iowa. Sources for each date are listed in the notes at the bottom of the chart. © 2026 Robert Graef • Graef Family Legacy • Not to be reproduced without permission.

On Sunday afternoon, November 1, we're taking a family tour of three old country cemeteries in Poweshiek and Keokuk counties, where several of our Fisch, Rickey and Irons ancestors are buried. The plan 1:30–2:15 PM: Dresden Cemetery , south of Deep River 2:25–3:10 PM: Sixteen Cemetery , near Thornburg 3:30–4:15 PM: Sorden Cemetery , near Webster Who we'll visit Dresden: Michael Fisch (1831–1910) and Anna Maria Eva (Lang) Fisch (1830–1917) , parents of Christie Anna Fisch Irons. Sixteen: William Calvert Rickey (1868–1956) and Ida (Shepherd) Rickey (1875–1960) , parents of Lorin Rickey, and their son Kenneth Harvey Rickey (1913–1917). Sorden: John Irons (1810–1903) and Margaret (Powell) Irons (1813–1900) ; their son Charles Irons (1839–1905) , Civil War veteran, Co. H, 33rd Iowa Infantry; and granddaughters Velda May Irons (1904–1917) and Verna Ione Irons (1906–1966) . Good to know: Clocks fall back that morning, and sunset is around 5 PM. Some roads may be grav...

The Graef family legacy digital scrapbook (PDF) is available here: Graef family legacy digital scrapbook

Irons Rickey Families Genealogy Pedigree Chart courtesy of GRAEF-ANCESTRY

 Fred & Jean Graef..May 1947 at St. Wencelaus Church for confirmation of their childred.. Beverly, Bette, Robert Graef

From: Robert Graef Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 10:57 AM Subject: Remembering Virgil Bixby on D-Day June 6 Remembering those We Love Virgil Henry Bixby died in the invasion of Normandy Phyllis and Virgil Bixby married days before Virgil left for combat in France This is their wedding photo D-Day The US Army remembers June 6, 1944: D-Day in Normandy, France. Video, audio, photos, posters, and maps tell the story. www.army.mil/ d - day Virgil Died in the assault on Normandy WW 2 http://picasaweb.google.com/robertgraef/PhyllisRickeyBixbyBradleyAndWilliamFord # --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ -----~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---