ROOTS · STORIES · REMEMBRANCE

Our Family Tree.

Two family branches, generations of stories, and the people whose lives shaped our own. This is a living family history: a place to honor what we know, and to be careful with what we are still discovering.

Family relationships and dates are drawn from family recollections and genealogy research. Some details await independent verification. To respect privacy, living relatives are not identified without permission.

WHERE THE BRANCHES MEET

The Hesch family

Paul Hesch’s family history brings together the Agnew–Sturgeon and Hesch–Leonard lines.

MATERNAL BRANCH

Agnew & Sturgeon

Janell Kay Agnew

Born 1939

Janell connects the Agnew and Sturgeon families. Her family memories help preserve stories and relationships across generations.

Parents

John Park Agnew

1903–1962

Nellie Marie Sturgeon

1908–1992

John and Nellie married in 1932 in Box Butte County, Nebraska. Their daughters included Janell and Ada Marie Agnew (1933–2017).

Ada Marie Agnew

1933–2017 · Janell’s sister

Ada was a daughter of John Park Agnew and Nellie Marie Sturgeon. She never married or had children. She lived in California, including San Ramon and Stockton, where she died in 2017.

Earlier generations

Edwin Holmes Agnew & Ada Jones

Recorded as John Park Agnew’s parents in the family’s working research.

Dwight Lemoyne Sturgeon & Nannie Rhodes Smith

Recorded as Nellie Marie Sturgeon’s parents in the family’s working research.

The mystery of “Uncle Claude”

Claude E. Schultz (1913–1998) is a promising possible match for a relative affectionately known as “Uncle Claude.” An Ancestry family tree names Melvin Eugene Schultz and Josie Agnew as his parents; family memories also connect Claude to Reseda, California.

Josie may have been John Park Agnew’s sister, which would make Claude a cousin in Janell’s generation. These identifications and the exact relationship remain unconfirmed, so Claude is included as a research lead, not a proven connection.

Earlier Agnew and Sturgeon family stories

John Park Agnew (1903–1962) and Nellie Marie Sturgeon (1908–1992) married in Box Butte County, Nebraska, in 1932. Their daughters included Ada Marie Agnew (1933–2017) and Janell Kay Agnew (born 1939).

Working family records connect John to Edwin Holmes Agnew and Ada Jones, and Nellie to Dwight Lemoyne Sturgeon and Nannie Rhodes Smith. These earlier-generation relationships are being checked against original records.

Family memories recall a relative known as “Uncle Claude.” Claude E. Schultz (June 8, 1913 – September 3, 1998), son of Melvin Eugene Schultz and Josie Agnew in an Ancestry family tree, is a promising candidate. Janell recalls a long-standing Reseda, California connection. Josie may have been John Park Agnew’s sister, but both identifications remain provisional.

PATERNAL BRANCH

Hesch & Leonard

Herbert Harold Hesch Jr.

1939–1996 · Lockport, New York

Herbert moved to California with his family during his younger years and graduated from high school in Van Nuys. He served four years in the United States Navy before building a career in electronics engineering.

His dedication and leadership eventually led him to become president of Senso-Metrics in Simi Valley, California, where he had worked for approximately 15 years.

Herbert was the father of three sons. His life reflected a commitment to family, service, hard work, and professional achievement. He passed away on February 29, 1996, at age 56.

Parents

Herbert Harold Hesch Sr.

1914–1994

Eleanor May Leonard

1915–2001

Herbert Sr. and Eleanor married November 30, 1933, in Lockport, New York.

Earlier generations

Frederick Harold Hesch & Catherine L. Bowes

1895–1962 · 1893–1967

Married September 17, 1913, in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Charles Henry Leonard & Eva Lillian Brado

1890–1951 · 1894–1962

Married June 20, 1914, in Niagara County, New York.

More of the Hesch family

Frederick Harold Hesch and Catherine L. Bowes married in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1913. FamilySearch records also list their children Kenneth Richard Hesch (1916–2002), Lawrence D. Hesch (1917–1984), and Helen M. Hesch (1920–2001), alongside Herbert Harold Hesch Sr. Dates for some relatives differ between records and are subject to verification.

Eleanor May Leonard was born June 26, 1915, in Newfane, New York, and died June 25, 2001, in California. Her parents, Charles Henry Leonard and Eva Lillian Brado, married in Niagara County, New York, in 1914. Eleanor’s sister was Lorraine Grace Leonard (1919–2005).

A LIFE OF CREATIVITY & NEW BEGINNINGS

Paul Hesch — A Life of Many Chapters

Paul’s entrepreneurial spirit began at just ten years old, when he started a small candle business. That early interest in creating something of his own grew into a lifelong willingness to explore new opportunities.

Over the years, Paul has been involved in a Screenmobile franchise, an avian rescue foundation, an online pet store offering Dr. Harvey’s natural pet foods, a moving company, real estate brokerages, and a business providing sales leads. His professional experience has also included real estate, bank courier work, and automotive sales.

A lifelong interest in automobiles has brought many cars and trucks into his story. Later chapters brought songwriting, Reiki, intuition, and energy work together through The Paul Hesch Frequency™.

Rather than following one conventional path, Paul’s story is one of creativity, reinvention, and new beginnings — and it is still being written.

PRESERVING THE STORIES

Every name has a story.

This family tree will grow as memories, photographs, and reliable records are gathered. Uncertain connections are labeled rather than presented as established fact, and the privacy of living family members comes first.

Back to Paul’s story