My passion is sharing history! I’m a writer. I tell my stories in the books I’ve written and been part of, on my many blogs, and sometimes in my podcasts. I’ve been writing for nearly forty years now, about Missouri history, German immigrants, and slavery. I like to tell the story accurately, because as an archivist too, I value the use of original documents. I always like to tell the whole story, because as a professional genealogist, I value oral history of descendants. Which leads me to say, that today many don’t tell the whole story. Some don’t dig deep enough, or use an archive, and read, and tell stories in the context of the time. Some judge history with the morals of today and want to get rid of it. Stop! Think! Some day you will want to share the stories of your ancestors and what will there be left? If you want to know more, follow me, and we will make this journey together. Here are my latest blogs ...
- This small beautiful one-acre was blessed to be the home for the Smith Chapel AME in 1871… Congratulations!
- To Tell the True Story
- Plans for a new memorial that is long overdue…
- Benjamin Oglesby and the U.S. Colored Troops
- The public is being invited to the unveiling of the plans for an Archer Alexander Memorial
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DORRIS KEEVEN FRANKE ON FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/Authordorriskeevenfranke
Dorris Keeven-Franke is an award-winning author that has been writing Missouri history for over thirty years. She is currently working on the biography of Archer Alexander. Awarded the German American Friendship Award by the Federal Republic of Germany in 2016, she is the Executive Director of Missouri Germans Consortium. She is an Archivist at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum. As a public historian she shares either virtually or in person, and on her blogs below…
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BLOGS WRITTEN BY DORRIS KEEVEN-FRANKE
Sharing the story of Archer Alexander https://archeralexander.
Sharing Missouri’s German heritage is the mission of the Missouri Germans Consortium http://mo-germans.com
Sharing the history of St. Charles County which began OVER 250 years ago http://stcharlescountyhistory.org
Sharing the stories of African Americans buried at Sage Chapel Cemetery https://sagechapel.com/
DORRISKEEVENFRANKE.COM
To Tell the True Story
Research has revealed that all was known about Archer Alexander. My goal is to tell the true story of this unknown American hero…
Plans for a new memorial that is long overdue…
In 1876, he was the unidentified freedom seeker on the only memorial raised by the formerly enslaved people, for President Abraham Lincoln in Washington DC. Four years later, he was buried in an unknown grave in the common lots in a St. Louis cemetery. Now this American hero will receive the recognition he deserves….
THREE NEW SITES IN ST. LOUIS
There are now five sites in St. Louis Missouri that are part of the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom…
The untold story of an American hero
Archer Alexander, a freedom seeker enslaved in St. Charles, Missouri, was first captured in February 1863 when sixteen men made their attempt for freedom at Howell’s Ferry on the Missouri River. Running for his life, after overhearing his enslaver Richard Pitman, and other area men, plotting to destroy a vital railroad bridge nearby, he had…
Only African American High School
For over half of a century, this was the only African American High School available in St. Charles County. Students came from as far as Wentzville. This is a very special place that needs to be understood, recalled, and preserved.
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Dorris Keeven Franke 
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