Description

In the debut episode of Just Like Nana, host Amie (Elizabeth) Penny Sayler introduces us to the Elizabeth Room. In this space, generations of her ancestors gather to tell their stories. Amie shares her deeply personal journey of discovering 45 grandmothers named Elizabeth through DNA testing and genealogical research.

The heart of this episode is a narrative reimagining of Amie’s fifth great-grandmother, Elisabetha Kaltwasser Simon. Set in Bavaria in 1823, we follow 12-year-old Betha as she navigates the rigid teachings of the church, the weight of family expectations, and a terrifying encounter with a wolf pack that reveals a forbidden power—one that carries the dangerous label of Hexe (witch).

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• The Power of a Name: Why Amie’s middle name, Elizabeth, became the key to unlocking eight generations of family history.
• Bridging the Gap: How to connect with ancestors even when family dynamics or religious barriers have cut off access to certain branches of your tree.
• Elisabetha’s Story: A journey to 19th-century Bavaria involving blue ribbons, Napoleonic Wars, and the struggle to stay "pure" in the eyes of the church.
• The "Hexe" Legacy: The moment Elisabetha used her intuition to save a friend and the heavy price her mother paid to keep that secret safe.
• Healing the Future: Why telling these stories is the first step toward resolving generational trauma for ourselves and our children.

Featured Ancestor

• Name: Elisabetha Kaltwasser Simon
• Lived: 1811–1887
• Origin: Bavaria to Illinois

Resources

• Ancestry.com: The platform used to build Amie's family tree.
• JustLikeNana.com: Connect with Amie and share your own family stories.
• Woodford County Historical Society: Great research support.
• Larsen, Celeste, Heal the Witch Wound (2023)

I do not have a photograph of my Nana Betha.  Pictured in the episode art is her daughter (my fourth-great grandmother) Anna Mary Schneider Daub.

Theme music written and performed by Carter Penny.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.