August 15, 2025

Introducing Lois Catherine Buchanan

Welcome to the Memory Page for Lois Catherine Buchanan

August 14, 1914 – February 15, 2007

Lois’s story is one of quiet strength, deep roots, and the kind of steadiness that anchored her family through nearly a century of change. Born in Ridgeway, Illinois, the daughter of Reverend Maurice Buchanan and Pearl Wilton, Lois grew up in the warm but watchful world of a Methodist parsonage. From her early years in small Indiana towns to her long life in Indianapolis, she remained devoted to family, faith, and the art of creating a welcoming home.

Over her 92 years, Lois witnessed two World Wars, the rise of the automobile and the computer, and the transformation of her city—but her heart stayed firmly grounded in the things that mattered most: the people she loved and the communities she served.

A Few Things to Remember About Lois

The Preacher’s Daughter: She spent her childhood in parsonages, learning grace and hospitality from an early age.
A Long First Marriage: Married to Robert Daniel Boone for more than four decades, raising two children, Michael and Marilyn.
A Second Chapter: At 63, she married James Steven Kiraly, finding companionship and stability in her later years.
An Indianapolis Fixture: From the 1930s onward, she made the city her home—through bustling downtown years, suburban life, and a quiet retirement.

Share Your Memories

Do you remember visiting Lois’s home on East 62nd Street?
Did you know her from church, the neighborhood, or family gatherings?
Do you have a treasured recipe, holiday tradition, or photograph tied to her?

Your stories help keep her spirit alive for future generations. Please share them below so they can become part of her legacy.

📜 Back to the Buchanan Family Page to explore more relatives and history.

Curious about Lois’s place in the family tree?
Return to her Family Page to see how her story connects with generations past and present.

August 11, 2025

Introducing Philip Carlin Buchanan

Philip Carlin Buchanan

Born: January 4, 1913 – Shawneetown, Illinois
Died: January 5, 1967 – Anderson, Indiana
Laid to Rest: Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana

Every life leaves a trail — a string of addresses, occupations, and dates neatly preserved in public records. For Philip Carlin Buchanan, those official lines tell of a preacher’s son who became a husband, father, and typewriter salesman.

Born in the river town of Shawneetown, Illinois, Carlin grew up in a household where faith and family intertwined, his father serving as a Methodist pastor. Life took him from small-town Indiana streets to the busy neighborhoods of Indianapolis, where he built a family with Theresa Louise Owens and raised three daughters.

Yet, beyond the directories and census returns, there are the untold stories — the everyday moments, the quirks, the laughter, and the challenges. Family whispers suggest a more colorful side to Carlin’s life, but without hard evidence, those tales remain in the realm of rumor and imagination.

Want to see the full timeline of Carlin’s life?
Visit Philip Carlin Buchanan’s Family Page for a milestone-by-milestone account, complete with records, photos, and historical context.

Share Your Memories

Do you remember Carlin — his voice, his humor, his habits?
Did he ever tell you a story, teach you a skill, or leave you with an unforgettable moment?

Your memories could help paint the fuller picture of his life for future generations. Please share your stories, photographs, or recollections in the comments below. Together, we can bring Carlin’s story to life beyond the black-and-white of official records.

August 6, 2025

Introducing Charles Beckett Buchanan

🛠️ Intro Page for Charles Beckett Buchanan

1913–2003
Twin Son of a Preacher | Gulf Coast Grandpa | RCA Foreman | Budgeting Philosopher

Welcome to the gathering place for stories, memories, and reflections about Charles Beckett Buchanan—a man of precision, practicality, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting.

Born in 1913 in a small Indiana town, Charles grew up the son of a Methodist pastor and lived a life that spanned horse-drawn wagons, typewriters, moon landings, and the dawn of the internet. He married Mildred Viola Beyl in 1935, worked in typewriter sales and later as a foreman for RCA, and retired to Florida—where he became a pool shark, a card-playing strategist, and a fiercely independent spirit with a golf swing strong enough to outlive his knees.

Charles didn’t always show affection the way others might—but for those who knew him, he left behind moments of humor, wisdom, and hard-earned love. Maybe you fished with him in the Gulf. Maybe he taught you how to stretch a dollar or win a game of cards. Maybe he made you roll your eyes, and then laugh five minutes later.

If you have a story to tell, a photo to share, or just a favorite memory of Charles—this is the place. Whether you knew him as Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, neighbor, or co-worker… we invite you to add your voice to his story.

📚 Curious about the full story?
You can explore Charles Beckett Buchanan’s life in greater detail—including census records, career milestones, and family memories—on his Family Page. From his early days in Indiana to his retirement in Florida, the timeline offers a deeper look at the man behind the memories.
👉 Click here to visit his Family Page.

🕯️ Drop a memory in the comments below, or send us a message to be included in a future post. He might not have baited your hook—but he certainly left his mark.

July 24, 2025

Introduction to Versa Eleanor Buchanan (1910–1998)

Resilient. Graceful. Unforgettable.
Posted by Kris | July 24, 2025 | Introduction Series

Versa Eleanor Buchanan was born on a sunlit July morning in 1910 in St. Francisville, Illinois. The daughter of a preacher and a woman with Missouri roots, she grew up surrounded by sermons, lullabies, and the quiet strength of a close-knit family. But Versa wasn’t content to simply be a part of the story—she became a woman who wrote her own chapters.

She married young, during the uncertainty of the Great Depression, and spent her early years working as a saleslady in Indianapolis, living under the roof of her mother-in-law and helping support the household. When that first marriage unraveled, Versa didn’t crumble—she evolved. She raised a daughter, earned her own income, and went on to forge a career as a photographer, capturing the light in others even as she shaped her own second act.

Versa worked behind the camera for over twenty years. She retired in 1977, long after she’d traded in the roles of wife and salesgirl for that of artist and independent woman. In her later years, she remarried, built a quieter life with Robert E. Laird, and lived out her days in Indianapolis—the same city where her daughter had been born and where, decades later, Versa herself would pass.

She now rests at Crown Hill Cemetery. No grand monuments, no fame. But her story? Her story matters.

Versa Eleanor Buchanan may not have left behind many photographs of herself, but she left behind something just as lasting—proof that a life can be quiet and still powerful. That a woman can live through heartbreak, reinvention, and generational change, and still leave the world a little more luminous than she found it.

💬 Do you remember Versa? Did she photograph you, know your family, or leave behind a story in your corner of the world? Please share your memories or reflections below—we’d love to help keep her story alive, one comment at a time.

With warmth,
~Kris

April 8, 2017

Buchanan Family History

Buchanan Surname

The Buchanan Family sparked my interest in researching our family history. When I was a little girl, I heard that former President James Buchanan was my 5x great-uncle. So, naturally, I set out to see if that was true…and how he was related exactly. More on that later. And now here we are today.

I did a quick search on Ancestry.com to find the origin of the surname Buchanan. Buchanan originated in Scotland. Interestingly, my great aunt visited Scotland once, and when she returned, she reported that she felt at home there, like she belonged there.

Fortunately, Ancestry seems to have over 3 million records for the Buchanan surname, which is fantastic! Researching this line of genealogy should be pretty straightforward, right?

The Buchanan families seem to have immigrated all over the United States.

While it appears that most of them immigrated to the eastern regions of the United States, many also immigrated to Texas and California.

I don’t yet know where her parents were born, so I’m not sure how far back in the Applegate line they immigrated. Based on the time frame, I would venture to guess that it would’ve been her grandparents or great-grandparents who immigrated.

I wonder how our ancestors decided where to immigrate to. How did they decide where to go?

My DNA shows that I am 28% Irish, including Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. I think it’s safe to say I inherited a bit of Buchanan blood here.

According to Ancestry.com, most Buchanans came from Scotland and Ireland, with a select few from England, Great Britain, and Germany.

I would be interested in traveling to Scotland to see if I feel the same connection that my great aunt did when she went there.

That would be so cool to feel a deep-rooted connection in my ancestors’ area.

The Buchanan family probably immigrated to the United States between 1851 and 1891.

Again, I’d very much like to know why they immigrated. What prompted their decisions to leave? Where did they intend to go? What did they intend to do?

There are just so many questions!

The biggest spikes seem to be around 1870 and again around 1885. I wonder if something was going on in Scotland and Ireland in those years that prompted a decision to leave. I’ll have to look into that further. Maybe I could at least get a general idea of why they may have left.

Most Buchanans seem to have been farmers, which is pretty consistent with my research so far.

I’ve found that most wives prior to the 1900s were housekeepers or housewives, so it’s not surprising that 6% are included in this chart.

Farmers and Laborers were pretty typical jobs in the 1800s and early 1900s. I’ve seen many of each in all the lines I’ve researched.

I will be looking for any Buchanans with interesting jobs besides farming. I know there was a Methodist Pastor in this line, so that’s different from the norm.

I wonder what other interesting occupations I’ll find in my research.

Buchanan Members Researched So Far

Victor
William
Victor Thomas
William
Maurice Grant

Finally, the Buchanan family’s life expectancy has been pretty close to that of the general public.

It seems as though many lived to see their 70s.

I do find it interesting that life expectancy spiked in the late 1950s by over 20 years! It’s commonly known that technological advances began in the 1950s; perhaps this is the reason for the spike.

Researchers are still trying to determine the reasons for such differences. So, I will continue focusing on my own ancestors and let the scientists tackle that question.

There is not much information on this line just yet, as I’ve only researched one person so far. But, as always, I will come back and update this page as I find more information. There is so much to do, so little time!

It would be nice to know more about these ancestors. Where did they come from before Indiana? Why did they immigrate to the United States? Are there any notable or famous ancestors in this line?

Have you found Buchanan in your family tree yet? If so, I’d love to hear from you!

Even if you haven’t, have you found reliable places to research the history of your family name? I’d love to know where to go to find out accurate facts about surnames that can provide some of the history behind the name. Do share and let us know how you do it. Just drop a line in the comments below.

That’s all for now, I’ll check back regularly and update this page as I find additional information.

Happy searching!

~Kris