GALESBURG, Mich. — History is all around us.
Some live inside it, then eventually learn that it was also living underneath them without their knowledge.
During a recent renovation project at a 150-year-old home in Galesburg, Mich., workers discovered a 1944 newspaper under the homeowner's floorboards, triggering a social media crusade, hoping to connect with the family of the baby - a war orphan - who's featured on the front page.
"My house was built sometime between 1860 and 1870," said Gertie Bax Visel, who has lived in her Galesburg home since 1981. "My floor was wobbly and I just wanted to make some changes."
In late 2020, Gertie hired a construction crew to remodel most of her home's interior, including her living room and kitchen. In December, the workers began tearing up Gertie's floor. As they were peeling up several layers of linoleum, they saw something hidden underneath.
"It was an old newspaper," Gertie said.
Yellowed, slightly frayed, yet in great condition for it's age, the workers gently picked it up and gave it to Gertie.
"It's the October 23, 1944 edition of the Kalamazoo Gazette," Gertie said. "We were all in awe."
Gertie began reading the newspaper, and the story above the fold caught her eye and her heart.
"There was a photo of an infant and I saw the words 'War Orphan' and I needed to learn what it was about," Gertie said.
It's not often that nearly 80-year-old news become new information again, but that's what the experience was like for Gertie.
"The article said the baby was born in England; the father was a U.S. airman who died in battle in Britain, the mother died during childbirth and the maternal grandparents died in a bombing in England," Gertie said. "It went on to say that this child's only family was his maternal grandparents who, at the time, Lived in Grand Rapids, Mich.
At just 6 months old, Kenneth Barry Maloney was about to make history. The story made national headlines in 1944, as Maloney became the youngest passenger to cross the Atlantic Ocean on an Army transport plane unaccompanied by any member of his family.
"After reading that, I immediately wondered if Kenneth Maloney was still alive," Gertie said.
She immediately did a Google search and quickly learned that Kenneth Barry Maloney died in Newaygo, Mich. in 2015 at the age of 70.
"I was bummed to see that he had passed away because I really wanted to try and reach out to him," Gertie said. "While reading through his obituary, I did see that he had two children - Nicholas and Amber."
Gertie then tried to find the two children but didn't have any luck, so she decided to put a post on the 'Vanished Kalamazoo' Facebook page, hoping a couple photos of the newspaper, and a brief backstory about its discovery, might trigger someone from the virtual world to come forward with needed answers.
The post generated a lot of interest, comments and shares, but no leads on how to contact Nicholas or Amber.
On Wednesday, March 17, Megan Heyl - a professional genealogist based in Holland, Mich., and owner of Hunting Down History, reached out to Gertie, after seeing the Facebook post.
"Megan said she wanted to use her resources to help find Mr. Maloney's children," Gertie said.
On Thursday, March 18, Megan contacted 13 ON YOUR SIDE and said she'd found both Nicholas and Amber and would try to connect with them to see if they'd be interested in getting the newspaper.
"I really want to share this paper with them," Gertie said. "It would certainly have more meaning to them than it does to me.
"I've just been the unknowing caretaker of this 77-year-old treasure."
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