Rita Lorraine Branstad (Garland) - Rita Garland Branstad

Terry Branstad, 39th & 42nd Governor of Iowa

Randy, we were close to my dad's first cousin, Nate Shukert, and his wife, Doris Garland Shukert. When I realized Merrick Garland was Doris's nephew, I was very proud and surprised. But when I found out Branstad's mother was a member of that family, not so much. Branstad's office released a statement yesterday disclosing his familial relationship to Judge Merrick. But as always, politics is more important to him than even family. He also said he had only met Merrick once in their 60+ years. His mother probably became the black sheep of the family when she married her Lutheran husband.

Miles Warren Rich - I noticed that my link to the Garlands went through all the Rock Island families including yours :)

We were looking at the obituary for Rita Branstead last night and I noticed that none of the Garland family were mentioned or were pall bearers. So I wondered how the two families took the mixed marriage back then.

Of course my parents were a 1948 mixed marriage in a related community in St. Louis and both sides were friendly and accepting.

https://www.geni.com/path/Hatte-Blejer+is+related+to+Max-Garland?fr... All Volhynia families from Rock Island in the mix although Garland was apparently N Lithuania.