Blog 22: Amy Carlson and the Challenges of Creating a Genealogy in the Digital Age

Genealogical research is inherently complex. Every individual carries a story shaped by countless variables: family dynamics, geography, culture, trauma, religion, economics, and time. Even under ideal circumstances, reconstructing a life requires patience, skepticism, and a willingness to sit with incomplete information. Researching individuals who lived into or beyond the early 2000s introduces an entirely new layer of complexity, particularly with the rise of social networking, livestreaming, and internet-based documentation.

Unlike traditional records preserved in courthouses, churches, archives, and cemeteries, online content is often temporary. Websites disappear. Social media accounts are deleted. Videos are removed. Entire communities can vanish overnight. Digital evidence, much like paper records, is not guaranteed to exist in perpetuity.

This raises a central genealogical question: how do we determine whether information is credible, reliable, and genealogically useful?

As with traditional records, online material must be evaluated through authorship, provenance, context, corroboration, and the preponderance of evidence. A livestream, archived website, Reddit discussion, YouTube upload, or Facebook post must be analyzed much like a diary, newspaper article, or oral history interview. Who created it? When was it created? Was it firsthand knowledge, hearsay, propaganda, performance, or retrospective interpretation? Most importantly, does it meaningfully contribute to an accurate reconstruction of a person’s life? Each source must be weighed to determine whether it functions as a primary source, a secondary source, or a tertiary interpretation.

As a researcher, I am well-versed in using established genealogical databases such as Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, Find my Past, Newspapers.com, and Fold3. These digital archives allow researchers to gather vast amounts of information remotely. However, they are not comprehensive. In many cases, local repositories like courthouses, historical societies, libraries, and regional archives still provide the missing pieces that digital collections cannot.

Understanding the historical context of a location often determines whether records still exist and where they may be found. Researching internet-based movements introduces an entirely different challenge. Data mining social networking platforms, livestream archives, deleted web pages, and fragmented online communities require a distinct set of tools from those traditionally used in genealogy. The internet produces an overwhelming volume of information, but volume does not equal reliability. In fact, the opposite is often true. Modern digital lives can leave behind thousands of contradictory fragments, many created performatively for public consumption rather than as genuine reflections of private reality.

Most of my research focuses on individuals born between the 1860s and 1940s in the United States. Generations of genealogists before me have documented and indexed local repositories, creating research roadmaps that are continually refined. This foundational work is invaluable. However, researching modern individuals, particularly those whose lives unfolded publicly online—requires a fundamentally different approach, which I would discover quite early in the process.

When my sister suggested researching a newer cult, one that developed largely through the internet and social media, I was uncertain what I would encounter. This blog marks the beginning of an effort to document how genealogical methodology must evolve to address modern digital lives, at least in this instance. It is an examination of how researchers document people whose identities, relationships, belief systems, and personal histories were constructed, performed, and preserved online in ways previous generations of genealogists never had to confront.

Case Study: Amy Carlson, Love Has Won

Known Information: Amy Carlson and the Love Has Won cult

Research Outcome Goal:

• Construct a genealogy of Amy Carlson extending back two generations

• Provide a critical analysis of Amy Carlson and her family

• Provide a critical analysis of Amy Carlson and the Love Has Won movement

  
  

Methodology

Rather than beginning with traditional genealogical databases, this research intentionally reverses the standard order of operations. The investigation begins with:

1. Open-source internet research

2. Media and livestream analysis

3. Archival recovery of deleted or fragmented online material

4. Traditional genealogical records used for corroboration and expansion
   

In many respects, this mirrors investigative journalism more closely than conventional genealogy. However, the same core principles remain essential: source evaluation, corroboration, provenance, contextualization, and evidentiary weighting.

The challenge is not simply finding information. The challenge is determining which information deserves to be trusted.

Gathering Information

I did attempt to gather quick, limited data from a basic google search to begin the tree in my traditional manner, but quickly found it to be ineffective. The most prominent results referenced an actress named Amy Carlson. Notably, no death date appeared, suggesting this was likely not the correct individual. I retained the information temporarily for elimination purposes; Spoiler alert: she was not the same person.

The second prominent result was a Wikipedia entry identifying Amy Carlson as a “religious leader,” with a reported birth date of 30 November 1975 and a death date of 16 April 2021. While Wikipedia is not a primary source, it provided a preliminary framework and confirmed that further investigation was warranted.[1]

To gather further familial details, I turned to long-form media sources, beginning with Dr. Phil’s Mystery and Murder Podcast, specifically the three-part episode titled “Playing God: Amy Carlson and the Love Has Won Cult,” available on YouTube.[2]

Key Genealogical Information Extracted

· Mother’s name: Linda

· Two sisters: Chelsea and Tara

· Parents divorced in Kansas when Amy was approximately nine years old

· Subsequent remarriage and relocation to Oklahoma City

· Alleged abuse by a step-parent; Father’s new spouse

· Later relocation with her mother to Dallas, Texas

· Married three times by her early twenties

· Three children by three different fathers (names not disclosed)

· Became involved in an online relationship with “Wide Eagle”

· Abandoned her children

· Eventually settled in Crestone, Colorado

· Partner identified as Miguel Lamboy, also known as “Archangel Michael”

With the information extracted from his Podcast, I was able to create my first rudimentary family tree. I left out her “Father God” partners from this to make it easier to navigate. Her tree, I am assuming, will become much more tangled the further we dive into her genealogy.

I was still lacking reliable familial information, but I knew from prior research experience that Texas birth, marriage, and death indexes are accessible through Ancestry. Because Amy Carlson was reportedly raised in Texas, I shifted my focus toward marriages, divorces, and the births of possible children, reasoning that these events would likely leave a documentary footprint within Texas vital records.

At this point, I moved away from general internet searching and back into more traditional genealogical methodology.

I began reviewing the Texas, U.S., Marriage Index, 1824–2021 on Ancestry.com, searching broadly for women named Amy Carlson whose age, geography, and chronology aligned with the known details of Amy Carlson. Several results appeared, but two stood out as especially plausible candidates. Both marriage records were associated with Dallas-area jurisdictions, which aligned geographically with other emerging information.

The first record reflected a marriage between an Amy Carlson and Pedro G. Silva, dated 10 October 1994 in Dallas County, Texas. [3]  Based on the reported birth year of approximately 1975 or 1976, Amy would have been about eighteen years old at the time of marriage. While I was not yet convinced this record belonged to the correct Amy Carlson, it was sufficiently plausible to retain for later comparison and corroboration.

A second marriage index entry documented a marriage between Amy Carlson and Matthew A. Stroud on 5 September 2000, also in Texas. [4] Again, the chronology appeared possible, though additional evidence would be required before drawing conclusions.

At this stage, the records functioned primarily as working hypotheses rather than established proof.

The first potentially significant birth record appeared in the Texas, U.S., Birth Index, 1903–1997 on Ancestry.com. The entry listed Cole Bradley Carlson, born 25 December 1995 in Collin County, Texas. [5] Collin County sits immediately north of Dallas and fits the developing geographic pattern. Notably, no father was listed in the indexed result. The same entry also appeared in FamilySearch, which cited the Texas Department of State Health Services as the underlying source authority.

At this point, the evidence was beginning to suggest: a probable Dallas-area connection; a possible early marriage to Pedro Silva, and at least one child born in the mid-1990s.

However, none of these conclusions met genealogical proof standards. The names were common enough to require caution, and modern records introduce additional complications due to privacy restrictions, indexing errors, and incomplete public access.

To continue building context, I shifted back into media analysis and viewed the three-part HBO documentary series Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. [6]  While the series is not a genealogical source in the traditional sense, it provided substantial contextual material that could later be compared against documentary records.

Key New Genealogical Information Extracted

-          Her daughter, Madi discusses her mother leaving when she was 5.

-          Tara, her sister, talks about their father Dennis and their stepmom.

-          Linda relays a situation where she found a bruise on Amy’s leg.

-          Amy's oldest son was in 5^th grade when Amy left.

-          Amy’s Last Partner was Jason Castillo.

-         Amy's first marriage was to a man named Robert.

Having the father’s first name proved pivotal to the research process. Up to this point, most of the investigation had relied on indirect associations, chronology, and contextual overlap. A potential paternal identity, however tentative, created an opportunity to pivot back toward more traditional record-based genealogy.

I began examining Kansas records because Amy Carlson was reportedly born there. It quickly became apparent that Kansas vital records from this period—particularly birth and marriage records involving living or recently deceased individuals—were not broadly available online due to privacy restrictions. Divorce records, however, were far more accessible.

I knew that Linda and Dennis Carlson were divorced in Kansas. Kansas maintains an online judicial records system through the Kansas Judicial Branch CaseSearch portal. While useful, the system is not comprehensive, and researchers must remember that many older records remain county-based and may require direct inquiry with a Clerk of Courts office. At first, I searched broadly for Linda Carlson as a party to actions within the database, though the results were limited and inconclusive. One record that stood out involved a Linda Ann Carlson and Reed Merit Haythorne, who applied for a marriage license in McPherson County, Kansas, under case number 1984-MA-000171. [7]

This immediately caught my attention for several reasons: the timeline appeared plausible, the county aligned geographically with emerging Kansas connections, and the marriage date generally matched the approximate period in which family restructuring may have occurred. At this stage, however, the record remained circumstantial rather than conclusive.

Still, genealogy often advances through clusters rather than single discoveries. When one surname, location, and timeframe begin repeatedly intersecting, it becomes worthwhile to focus more closely on that locality.

With this in mind, I shifted my attention toward McPherson County and broadened the search to include Dennis Carlson, whose name had emerged as a possible paternal figure connected to Amy’s early life.

Searching the Kansas Judicial Branch database for Dennis Carlson produced a much more substantial set of returns.[8]

This was an important turning point in the investigation. Until now, most evidence had been built from: media reporting, online commentary, documentary interviews, and fragmented digital traces.

Court records, by contrast, offered something fundamentally different: named individuals, documented legal actions, dates, jurisdictions, and relational evidence grounded in formal governmental processes. Even when incomplete, these records provided a firmer evidentiary framework than internet discourse alone.

Equally important, the shift demonstrated a broader methodological lesson: modern genealogical investigations frequently require moving back and forth between digital cultural evidence and traditional documentary records. Neither category alone is sufficient. Internet-based research may identify relationships, aliases, or geographic clues, but courthouse records remain essential for corroboration and reconstruction.

At this point in the research, I was no longer simply asking whether Amy Carlson could be identified genealogically. The emerging question was whether a coherent and documentable family structure could be reconstructed despite the fragmentary nature of modern digital life.

Curious, I narrowed the search parameters to McPherson County, Kansas, reasoning that I could always broaden the search later if necessary. The result set immediately became far more manageable, five records instead of dozens.

One case in particular stood out. Case Number MP-2025-PR-000087, involving the Estate of Dennis D. Carlson. For genealogical purposes, this was the equivalent of striking gold.

Three names immediately drew my attention: Tara Flores, Cole Carlson, and Madison Stroud.[9] At that point in the investigation, the surname Flores had not yet appeared anywhere else in the research. My first thought was that it might represent either a married surname, or the surname of one of Amy Carlson’s former spouses. The name Madison Stroud, however, stood out almost immediately.

In the HBO documentary series Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, Amy’s daughter “Madi” [10]  appears extensively in interviews discussing her mother, family separation, and the eventual rise of Love Has Won. Earlier in the research process, I had already located a Texas marriage record connecting Amy Carlson to Matthew A. Stroud. Seeing the surname Stroud reappear here was significant. [11] Individually, none of these pieces constituted proof. Together, however, they began forming a coherent relational network.

A Petition for Determination of Descent tied directly to the estate proceedings finally connected Amy Carlson to Dennis Carlson and, importantly, to the children identified within the broader family network. This represented a major evidentiary transition as up to this point, much of the research relied on interviews, documentaries, media reporting, and indexed records lacking direct relational confirmation.

The probate materials, however, moved the investigation into a much stronger documentary category. Probate and estate records are often among the most valuable genealogical sources precisely because they explicitly identify familial relationships.

My search had originally been structured around Dennis Carlson appearing as a party to legal actions. Interestingly, the only will in which he appeared involved the estate of Betty Jean Carlson, whose probate records were electronically available.

My search was based on listing Dennis as a party to an action. The only will he was included in belonged to Betty Jean Carlson, which was available electronically.

Within the will, Betty Jean Carlson identified three children: Dennis Dean Carlson, Steven Wayne Carlson (noted as predeceased), and Diane Jean Rhea Dennis and Diane were listed as co-executors. This was another important breakthrough because it pushed the family reconstruction back an additional generation and began establishing a multi-generational framework rather than a single isolated nuclear family. An accompanying affidavit filed pursuant to K.S.A. 59-61a provided additional corroborating detail and further strengthened confidence that the McPherson County Carlson family was, in fact, connected to Amy Carlson’s paternal line.

At this point, the research was no longer dependent primarily on internet narratives or media portrayals. Traditional genealogical records had begun independently validating key relationships that previously existed only as circumstantial or contextual evidence.

Granddaughter, Jami Carlson, and Grandson, Matthew Carlson, were listed[12].  I notated the information and wrote a note to look up these names as I looked into Amy’s extended family, thinking they may be brothers, sisters, or cousins.

Amy Carlson Tree Updated

Facebook as a Source, Finding her Mother’s Maiden Name

Social media has fundamentally changed the way people communicate, preserve memories, and discuss relationships. Because of this, every genealogist researching modern individuals needs at least a working understanding of interpersonal communication patterns within the periods, communities, and digital environments they are studying.

Traditional genealogy often relies on records intentionally created for legal, religious, or governmental purposes: census schedules, probate files, marriage licenses, deeds, church registers, and newspapers. Modern digital communication is different. Information is fragmented, conversational, emotional, performative, and often undocumented outside the platform where it was originally posted. Yet these conversations can still contain valuable genealogical clues when approached carefully and critically.

By this stage of the research, I had reasonably identified Amy Carlson’s father as Dennis Carlson and could begin constructing her paternal line. Her mother, however, remained more elusive. I only knew her as Linda Ann Carlson, the surname she carried at the time of Amy’s birth. The obvious next question was: What was Linda’s maiden name?

Initial searches through Google and deeper reviews of documentaries, interviews, podcasts, and articles yielded surprisingly little. For a family so heavily discussed online, very little attention had been paid to documenting the broader family structure. At that point, I decided to use social media itself as a research environment. My first productive search phrase was: “Amy Carlson mother name McPherson.” This led to a Facebook group titled “Things you remember about McPherson when you were a kid.” The group appeared to function as a local nostalgia and community memory forum centered around McPherson, Kansas.

One post, made by user Aaron Loomis Wojtak on 16 November 2023, asked, “Did anyone know Amy Carlson from Mac? She is the cult leader known as Mother God in Colorado. New HBO Max docuseries on now.” The comments underneath proved unexpectedly useful. Several individuals claiming local familiarity with the family responded. One user, Sandee Thompson, stated that Linda was her first cousin and that Amy had two sisters living in Texas. She further mentioned that Amy’s uncle was Dean Krell. That surname immediately stood out. Another commenter stated that Linda had once been married to Steve’s brother. Yet another referred to Amy’s mother directly as Linda Krell. [13] At this point, I simply notated the information. This distinction is important.

Facebook comments are not genealogical proof. Anyone can post anything online, and internet discussions frequently contain inaccuracies, exaggerations, mistaken memories, and outright fabrications. However, genealogists routinely evaluate imperfect sources. A handwritten letter, oral history interview, newspaper obituary, or family Bible entry must also be scrutinized for authorship, motive, memory, and reliability.

The key difference is not whether a source is online or offline. The key question is whether it can be corroborated. Rather than accepting the information outright, I attempted to substantiate it using traditional genealogical records.

The first relevant documentary record appeared in the 1957 Kansas City and County Census Records. There, a Linda Krell, age one, appeared in McPherson, Kansas, residing at 808 W. Lincoln. Other members of this household were 44-year-old Dean Krell (Amy’s uncle’s name, according to a Facebook post), 41-year-old Florence Krell, 16-year-old David Krell, 9-year-old Richard Krell and 19-year-old Dean Krell Jr. No other Krells were listed on this enumeration page. [14]

What immediately caught my attention was the overlap between this documentary evidence and the Facebook discussion. One commenter had specifically identified “Dean Krell” as an uncle connected to Amy’s maternal family. This does not prove the connection by itself. However, it does demonstrate an important genealogical principle, independent source convergence.

A Facebook discussion produced the surname Krell and the name Dean Krell. A traditional census-style record independently identified a Linda Krell living in McPherson in a household headed by a Dean Krell. The overlap significantly increased the likelihood that the social media discussion was referencing a real and documentable family network rather than an internet rumor. Equally important, no other Krell households appeared on that particular enumeration page, reducing ambiguity within the immediate locality.

At this stage, the investigation was beginning to demonstrate something larger than Amy Carlson’s genealogy alone. It illustrated how modern genealogical research increasingly requires researchers to move fluidly between: social media analysis, local memory communities, traditional archival records, and documentary corroboration. The methodology itself was evolving alongside the evidence.

From Facebook, I learned two potentially important pieces of information: Linda had reportedly been married to a man whose brother was named “Steve,” and Amy’s uncle was allegedly named Dean Krell. At first glance, these comments seemed casual and conversational, the sort of local recollections commonly found in community Facebook groups. However, genealogical research often advances through exactly these kinds of fragmented observations.

The immediate question became:

Was this Dean Krell actually Amy’s uncle, and if so, what was the exact relationship?

At that stage, several possibilities existed: Dean Krell could have been Linda’s brother, Linda’s father, an uncle by marriage, or simply a family acquaintance remembered incorrectly online. This is where chronology becomes essential. Based on the 1957 Kansas city and county census-style enumeration, Linda Krell appeared to be approximately one year old, placing her birth around 1956. If that estimate was correct, then the forty-four-year-old Dean Krell listed as head of household was much more likely to be her father than her brother.

That distinction mattered because it would extend Amy Carlson’s maternal line back another generation and potentially establish the maiden name of Amy’s mother through documentary evidence rather than internet speculation alone. At this point, the research process became much more targeted.

I updated my search parameters to focus specifically on: Linda Krell, born approximately 1956 in Kansas, particularly McPherson County, with an emphasis on Kansas city and county census enumerations and related local records. This narrowing process is a common but important genealogical technique. Broad searches often produce overwhelming noise, especially when dealing with common surnames or incomplete information. Once a probable locality and surname cluster emerge, restricting searches geographically and chronologically can dramatically improve the quality of results.

The shift also reflected another important methodological lesson: social media rarely provides answers directly. Instead, it provides leads. The value of the Facebook discussion was not that it definitively identified Linda’s family. Its value was that it supplied a surname, a locality, a possible family relationship, and enough contextual detail to guide documentary research. Only after traditional records began independently aligning with those statements did the information become genealogically useful.

According to Dean Sr.’s WWII Draft Card, Dean Dutton Krell was born in Fairfield, Nebraska, and currently worked at Safeway Stores in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. Interestingly, the person listed as someone who would “always know his address” was his mother, identified as “Mrs. Fred Krell.” [15] Even small details like this can be valuable in genealogy because they help establish family continuity, migration patterns, and generational structure. A marriage announcement dated 11 October 1936 documenting the marriage of Dean Krell and Florence McCaffree proved especially important. Because this appeared to be Florence’s first marriage, it effectively secured McCaffree as Linda’s mother’s surname and extended Amy Carlson’s maternal line back another generation with considerably more confidence.[16] 

Because Linda herself was born after the release cutoff for publicly available federal census records, she would not appear in the 1950 U.S. Census. Her parents and older brothers, however, did. This made the 1950 census the logical next step, as it represents the most recent federal census currently available to researchers. The household consisted of:

• Dean D. Krell, age 37, born in Nebraska

• Florence Krell, age 35, born in Nebraska

• sons Dean Jr. and David, both born in Nebraska

• and youngest son Richard, born in Kansas

  
  

This geographic transition proved informative. Because Richard was born in Kansas while the older sons were born in Nebraska, the evidence strongly suggests the family relocated to Kansas sometime before approximately 1948. Dean Sr. worked in pipeline construction within the oil and gas industry. According to the census schedule, he had worked an astonishing 75 hours during the previous week. That figure immediately stands out and provides a glimpse into the realities of postwar industrial labor and the demands associated with pipeline expansion during the era. The census also recorded employment information for David, one of the older sons. In 1949, David reportedly worked 52 weeks and earned $5,250 annually.[17] Using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator, that income would equate to approximately $72,662.68 in 2026 dollars. [18]

The Krell family appears to have been solidly working or lower-middle class, tied closely to industrial labor and regional mobility associated with postwar economic expansion. Their move from Nebraska into Kansas likely reflected employment opportunities tied to pipeline construction and broader oil and gas infrastructure growth across the Midwest. This also illustrates how modern genealogical research benefits tremendously from combining documentary evidence with historical context. A census alone tells us where a family lived. Historical interpretation helps explain why they may have been there in the first place.

Amy Carlson’s Maternal Grandparents

Florance Iolene McCaffree, the mother of Linda Ann Krell and maternal grandmother of Amy Carlson, was born around 1915, most likely in Nebraska, though a small number of records suggest Iowa. As is often the case in genealogy, birthplace inconsistencies appear across records, particularly when dealing with early twentieth-century census reporting and later secondary documents. At present, Nebraska appears to be the most consistently supported location.

According to the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Florance resided with her husband, Dean Dutton Krell, and their two-year-old son, Dean Krell Jr., in rural Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. Interestingly, the family was not enumerated on a farm despite residing in a rural district. This distinction matters because it suggests a working-class household tied more closely to transportation and industrial labor than agriculture, despite the rural setting. Florance had completed her second year of college, notable for a woman in this generation. Dean had completed the 8^th grade and was a truck driver at the time. This educational disparity is worth noting, not because it was unusual, but because it offers insight into the family dynamic and economic realities of the period. In many working-class Midwestern households of the era, women with clerical or stenographic training often temporarily left the workforce after marriage, only to re-enter later if economic necessity demanded it.[19] Dean would change jobs throughout the years.

According to Dean Sr.’s WWII Draft Card, Dean Dutton Krell was born in Fairfield, Nebraska, but currently worked at Safeway Stores in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska. He lists his mother, Mrs. Fred Krell, as the person who will always know his address.[20] A marriage announcement between Dean Krell and Florance McCaffree dated 11 October 1936, secured Linda’s mother’s surname as this would be her first marriage.[21] Linda was raised in the mid-West in a working-class family. Her father was a blue-collar worker who died suddenly after falling seven feet headfirst off a scaffold on Tuesday, 28 October 1958. [22] Linda’s father’s unexpected death left behind a wife and 3 minor children: 3-year-old Linda, 1-year-old Nancy and 11-year-old Richard. Following Dean’s death, Florance was forced to find work and became a secretary for a refuse center, having been a stenographer before her marriage to Dean.[23] Sometime between 1959 and 1960, the family would move out of their residence at 808 West Lincoln and into a new residence located at 740 Euclid.[24] The 1960 Kansas Population Schedule citation information on Ancestry.com is incorrect as her address is listed under the city of McLouth in Jefferson County. However, it is still in McPherson, McPherson County. Page 21 of 54 shifts the list of residents from McLouth County to McPherson County.[25]

Tragedy would strike again when Florence died on 28 August 1963, just five years after her husband[26], leaving behind three minor children: 8-year-old Linda, 6 -year-old Nancy, and 16-year-old Richard. According to the McPherson Public Library Genealogical Database, there were two death notices/obituaries for her in the local newspaper, The Sentinel, on 28 August and 29 August 1963. Having familial losses at such a young age would have been quite difficult. After all, you are 8; probably in the third grade and just beginning your life’s journeys.

Amy Carlson’s Paternal Grandparents

Amy Carlson’s father, Dennis Dean Carlson, was born to Robert Dean Carlson and Betty Jean Becker. Dennis was born in July 1955 in McPherson, Kansas. His father Robert was born and raised in McPherson, Kansas. McPherson is known for its good soil and farming. The town began growing in the 1870s due to its proximity to a well-established railway hub, quite common for the time. By 1888, the Santa Fe, Union Pacific, the Missouri Pacific, and Rock Island Railroads had extended lines into McPherson. Oil was struck in the 1920s, causing a boom that assisted the town in sidestepping the major effects of the Great Depression.[27]

Robert Dean Carlson was born on 7 October 1925 in McPherson, Kansas.[28] He too was born into a farming family, his grandparents having arrived from Sweden. His father, Carl Alven Carlson, married Ruth Irene at the age of 21; she was 18. By the 1930 census, Robert’s parents had two children, himself and Carl.[29] The family were members of the local New Gottland Lutheran Church in McPherson. The church register lists the brother’s baptism dates as the same day as their mother’s confirmation, 11 Nov. 1934.[30] By the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, his father Carl does not appear with the household. Based on the 1940 Federal Census enumerator’s markings, if a person had a spouse that was not living in the household and the resident partner was under 55, as in this case, the enumerator would place a horizontal line through the “M” and write a 7 above the letter. This lets the coder know how to input the information properly.[31]

Where was Carl? While I could not find him on the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Several Kansas records around the late 1930’s/early 1940’s places him in the same town, Castle, McPherson, Kansas.[32]

1950 U.S. census, McPherson County, Kansas, Castle, enumeration District (ED) 57-6, sheet 3, household 22, line 13, Carl Carlson; imaged, “United States Census, 1950: McPherson. Census 1950,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHN-GQH4-78PD?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A6F7B-KJYN&action=view&cc=4464515&lang=en&groupId= : 18 May 2026).

 Carl can be found on the 1950 Census living with his wife Kathryn V. and 5 children: Jaunita N. Hansen, Garyl G Hanson (both products of  Kathryn’s previous marriage), Carla Carlson, Clarence A. Carlson, and Marion L. Carlson. He worked on a farm and as a school bus driver. The Hanson children were noted on the census.[33] Carl lists Mrs. Ruth Irene Carlson of Windom, Kansas as one who will “always know [his] address” on his WWII Draft Registration Card.[34] Notably, this was only 1 year before her death.[35] Robert’s mother passed away in 1943, only in her mid-30’s.[36]  According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850 – 2020, Robert was active with the U.S. Navy from 14 Jan 1944 – 8 May 1946. Robert lived with his older brother Carl in McPherson, Kansas in 1950. Both were mechanics in a garage. [37]

Robert later married Betty Jean (Becker) Carlson, born 19 July 1933 in McPherson, Kansas, on 26 July 1950. They were married for almost 59 years before his passing. She was a member of the First Baptist Church. Betty was a homemaker but also worked as a waitress, a cook, a salesclerk, and a holiday gift wrapper.[38]

Robert was buried and the stone marker also lists his wife, Betty, whose date of death would be added on her death in 2022. Robert passed away on 7 July 2009.[39]

Linda and Dennis Dean Carlson, Amy’s Parents

Dennis Dean Carlson, father of Amy Carlson, was born and raised in McPherson, Kansas, in a family deeply rooted in the area’s agricultural, industrial, and Protestant cultural environment. According to his obituary, he studied electrical engineering at Hutchinson Community College and Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University. He later studied business and received a bachelor's degree from Central Christian College of Kansas. The obituary lists his most recent marriage to Sherill Anne (James) Newberry at the First Baptist Church in McPherson, where he was a lifetime member. He worked for CertainTeed and was awarded 11 patents.[40] Little is publicly known about Dennis as he chose not to do interviews like others in Amy’s family. In fact, the name Dennis was only mentioned once by Amy’s sister in the HBO Docuseries.[41]

Linda Krell graduated from McPherson High School and was active in school activities. She was a part of the 1972 Kayettes,[42] a leadership training club, and participated in Deca in 1973[43], which prepares youth for careers later in life. She also took part in the soprano section of the Treble Clef.[44] She appears to have been an outgoing person, as she pledged a social sorority at Kansas University.[45] Linda and Dennis married and had Amy and her sister Tara before divorcing when Amy was young. The parents ended up in a custody battle, so the children experienced being shuffled from their mothers to their fathers early in life. According to Tara and Linda, Amy was physically and emotionally abused by Denis’s new wife, their stepmother. One day,  Linda reportedly picked up Amy from her dad's and saw bruising on her legs. It was at this point that she stopped allowing her children to go to their fathers. When Amy turned 9, her mother remarried. Up until this time, she was raising her two daughters as a single, working mother. [46]

In 1984, Linda married Reed Haythorne, [47]  and in April 1985[48] they welcomed a daughter, Chelsea. Chelsea, Amy’s younger half-sister, later described admiring and looking up to Amy as many younger siblings will. Interestingly, publicly available social media references to Reed Haythorne appear broadly positive, though comparatively little is publicly documented about his earlier years as a husband, father, or stepfather. Linda’s later professional life also becomes more visible through modern digital records. Her LinkedIn profile indicates she worked for more than twenty-five years within the hospitality and corporate housing industries before retiring in February 2022.[49]

At this point in the research, a clearer family structure has emerged around Amy Carlson. Her paternal line is rooted in Midwestern farming, engineering, and Protestant traditions. The maternal line shows early tragedy and resilience. This already blended family will become even more complex.

The next blog will move away from ancestral reconstruction and focus more directly on Amy Carlson herself:

• her early adulthood,

• marriages and children,

• spiritual transformation,

• and the eventual emergence of Love Has Won as an internet-based religious movement.

[1] Wikipedia contributors. “Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified 2023.

[2] Dr. Phil Podcast, "Part 1 Playing God: Amy Carlson and the Love Has Won Cult | Mystery and Murder: Analysis," 6 February 2026, video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKEgxqxCLH4.; Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhzaz_7Hix4; Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D4uSnh9eZ8&t=2821s

[3] Ancestry.com. Texas, U.S., Marriage Index, 1824-2021 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin, Texas; Texas Marriage Index, 1966-2021

[4] “Texas, U.S., Marriage Index, 1824-2021,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/54584741?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a226d4166423464665a4b686678306f737958477a55616676514e6e715933556c33572f6a475273464b4f36773d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d : accessed 6 February 2026), marriage index, Amy Carlson and Matthew Stroud, 5 September 2000, Dallas, TX, certificate no. 25532000127973; citing ancestry.com.

[5] "Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 15 November 2025. From "Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997." Database and images. Ancestry. http://www.ancestry.com : 2005. Citing Texas Department of State Health Services.

[6] Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. Directed by Hannah Olson. HBO Documentary Films, 2023.

[7] “Kansas Judicial Branch Case Search,” database, Kansas Judicial Branch (https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/Home/CaseDetailPdf?caseId=7777914 : accessed 6 February 2026), marriage index, Linda Ann Carlson and Reed Merit Haythorne, 1984, McPherson County, Kansas, certificate no. 1984-MA-000171; citing Kansas Judicial Branch.

[8] “Kansas Judicial Branch Case Search,” database, Kansas Judicial Branch, (https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/Home/CaseDetail : accessed 7 February 2026) Dennis D. Carlson, 2025, Kansas citing Dennis Carlson, Kansas Judicial Branch.

[9] “Kansas Judicial Branch Case Search,” database, Kansas Judicial Branch, (https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/Home/CaseDetail : accessed 7 February 2026) Petition for Determination of Descent, Dennis D. Carlson, 2025, McPherson County, Kansas, Case No. MP-2025-PR000; citing Kansas Judicial Branch.

[10] Carlson, Madi. Interview. In Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. HBO Documentary Films, 2023.

[11] “Texas, U.S., Marriage Index, 1824-2021,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/54584741?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a226d4166423464665a4b686678306f737958477a55616676514e6e715933556c33572f6a475273464b4f36773d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d : accessed 6 February 2026), marriage index, Amy Carlson and Matthew Stroud, 5 September 2000, Dallas, TX, certificate no. 25532000127973; citing ancestry.com.

[12] “Kansas Judicial Branch Case Search,” database, Kansas Judicial Branch, (https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/Home/CaseDetail : accessed 7 February 2026) , Estate of Betty Jean Carlson, 2022, McPherson County, Kansas, Affidavit Pursuant to K.S.A. 59-618a; citing Kansas Judicial Branch.

[13] Aaron Wojtak, “Did anyone know Amy Carlson from Mac? She is the cult leader known as Mother God in Colorado. New HBO Max docuseries on now.,” Facebook, November 16, 2023, comment on Things you remember about McPherson when you were a kid, “McPherson Childhood,” https://www.facebook.com/groups/225463880824284/.

[14] 1957 Kansas City and State Census, McPherson County, McPherson, page 233 of 388, line 21, entry for Linda Krell; imaged in “Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961,” ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/54583316?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a22764478564f365a3966726f487367686739555856477a4a5a41302b6b4c576c44643845702f7130374372413d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d : accessed 6 February 2026); citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka.

[15] “U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/54859804?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2253655645472f54334c682f776176734e6d5869747377425461336d565a3857696b7870506e426b6761426b3d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d : accessed 10 February 2026), registration card for Dean Krell, serial no. 1585, order no. 1317, Local Board No. 5: Douglas County; citing Ancestry, Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147, Box 58.

[16] “McCaffree-Krell,” The Hastings Daily Tribune (Hastings, Nebraska), 8 Oct 1936, p.6; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hastings-daily-tribune-1936-marriage/190980465/ : accessed 10 February 2026).

[17] 1950 U.S. census, McPherson County, Kansas, McPherson, enumeration District (ED) 57-27, sheet 3, household 808, line 4, Krell Dean; imaged, “1950 United States Federal Census - Kansas - McPherson - McPherson 57-27,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62308/images/43290879-Kansas-114013-0004?treeid=207524321&personid=272733439664&hintid=1026356703291&usePUB=true&_phsrc=vtK476&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true¤tPageIsStart=&useCurrentPageInfo=&showinfopanel=true&pId=27283125 : 9 February 2026).

[18] “CPI Inflation Calculator,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, online calculator, (https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm : accessed 18 February 2026).

[19] "1940 U.S. Federal Census," Douglas County, Nebraska, Omaha, enumeration District (ED) 94-116, sheet 10B, household 1318, line 77, Florance Krell, imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/m-t0627-02272-00703?pId=63005938 : 18 February 2026).

[20] “U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/54859804?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2253655645472f54334c682f776176734e6d5869747377425461336d565a3857696b7870506e426b6761426b3d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d : accessed 10 February 2026), registration card for Dean Krell, serial no. 1585, order no. 1317, Local Board No. 5: Douglas County; citing Ancestry, Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147, Box 58.

[21] “McCaffree-Krell,” The Hastings Daily Tribune (Hastings, Nebraska), 8 Oct 1936, p.6; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hastings-daily-tribune-1936-marriage/190980465/ : accessed 10 February 2026).

[22] "Fall of Seven Feet is Fatal to Workman," The Topeka State Journal, 31 October 1958, genealogybank.com, (https://www.genealogybank.com : Accessed 9 February 2026). & “Dean Krell Dies after Fall from Scaffold,” The Fairfield Auxiliary (Fairfield, Nebraska), 30 October 1958, p.1; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairfield-auxiliary-1958-krell-dies/190939949/ : accessed 9 February 2026).

[23] “McPherson City Directory, 1958,” database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/16226914?pId=1053065668 : accessed 6 February 2026), entry for Florance Krell; citing “U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 (Loveland, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Directory Co., 1958)," p. 82. & "1959 Kansas City and State Census," McPherson County, McPherson, page 58 of 388, line 9, entry for Florence Krell; imaged in “Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961,” ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2270/records/31198023?tid=207524321&pid=272733663295&queryId=8787e85f-6121-4f17-a73b-c6144c33e405&_phsrc=FWq5290&_phstart=successSource : accessed 6 February 2026); citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. & "1961 Kansas City and State Census," McPherson County, McPherson, page 30 of 388, line 17, entry for Florence Krell; imaged in “Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961,” ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2270/records/32028689?tid=207524321&pid=272733663295&queryId=86006098-018c-4766-baa1-aae2259e7cb9&_phsrc=FWq5292&_phstart=successSource : accessed 6 February 2026); citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka.

[24] “McPherson City Directory, 1958,” database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/16226914?pId=1053065668 : accessed 6 February 2026), entry for Florance Krell; citing “U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 (Loveland, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Directory Co., 1958)," p. 82. & "1959 Kansas City and State Census," McPherson County, McPherson, page 58 of 388, line 9, entry for Florence Krell; imaged in “Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961,” ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2270/records/31198023?tid=207524321&pid=272733663295&queryId=8787e85f-6121-4f17-a73b-c6144c33e405&_phsrc=FWq5290&_phstart=successSource : accessed 6 February 2026); citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. & "1961 Kansas City and State Census," McPherson County, McPherson, page 30 of 388, line 17, entry for Florence Krell; imaged in “Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961,” ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2270/records/32028689?tid=207524321&pid=272733663295&queryId=86006098-018c-4766-baa1-aae2259e7cb9&_phsrc=FWq5292&_phstart=successSource : accessed 6 February 2026); citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka.

[25] "1960 Kansas City and State Census," Jefferson County, Mclouth, page 50 of 54, line 3, entry for Florence Krell; imaged in “Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961,” ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2270/records/32028689?tid=207524321&pid=272733663295&queryId=86006098-018c-4766-baa1-aae2259e7cb9&_phsrc=FWq5292&_phstart=successSource : accessed 6 February 2026); citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka.

[26] “Kansas Judicial Branch Case Search,” index only, Kansas Judicial Branch, (https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/Home/CaseDetail : accessed 19 February 2026) , Estate of Florence I Krell, 2003, McPherson County, Kansas, PR Determination of Descent Case Number 2003-PR-000088; citing Kansas Judicial Branch. & “Obituary Sentinel Newspaper 28 August 1963,” McPherson Public Library Genealogy Index, Index only, Mcpherson Public Library (https://macpl.org/genealogy-local-history/genealogy-index/ : accessed 19 February 2026); entry for Florence Krell.

[27] City of McPherson, “McPherson History,” City of McPherson, Kansas, ( https://www.mcpcity.com/281/McPherson-History : accessed 22 April 2026).

[28] New Gottland Lutheran Church, Rt 3 (McPherson, Kansas), “U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records,” 1872 - 1936, p. 72, Robert Dean Carlson, baptized 11 November 1934; imaged “U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1952,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61584/images/47830_554803-00955?treeid=207524321&personid=272762388919&hintid=1026470369811&usePUB=true&_phsrc=FWq5561&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true¤tPageIsStart=&useCurrentPageInfo=&showinfopanel=true&pId=30152661 : accessed 11 May 2026), Robert Dean Carlson.

[29] 1930 U.S. census, Mcpherson County, Kansas, Castle Township, page 9051 penned, enumeration district (ED) 57-6, sheet 2B, dwelling 36, family 36, Robert Carlson; imaged, “1930 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6224/images/4584465_00677?treeid=207524321&personid=272733440047&hintid=1026354553254&usePUB=true&_phsrc=FWq5505&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true¤tPageIsStart=&useCurrentPageInfo=&showinfopanel=true&pId=33225634 : accessed 22 April 2026).

[30] New Gottland Lutheran Church, Rt 3 (McPherson, Kansas), “U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records,” 1872 - 1936, p. 72, Robert Dean Carlson, baptized 11 November 1934; imaged “U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1952,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61584/images/47830_554803-00955?treeid=207524321&personid=272762388919&hintid=1026470369811&usePUB=true&_phsrc=FWq5561&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true¤tPageIsStart=&useCurrentPageInfo=&showinfopanel=true&pId=30152661 : accessed 11 May 2026), Robert Dean Carlson.

[31] "Procedural History of the 1940 Census of Population and Housing," IPUMS Center for Data Integration, images and database (https://usa.ipums.org/usa/resources/voliii/enumproc1940.pdf : accessed 22 April 2026); citing The Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconson, Madison, Wisconson, prepared by Robert Jenkins, 1983, p. 63.

[32] United States 1942 census, McPherson, Kansas, Enumeration of Inhabitants, Alvin Carlson, p. 1; imaged, “Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 for Alvin Carlson,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2270/images/31984_238990-00392?ssrc=&treeid=207524321&personid=272762388919&queryId=c662f459-43ab-4520-b478-eaf242675ee7&usePUB=true&pId=16942464 : accessed 18 May 2026); citing citing from Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; Collection Name: Population Schedules and Statistical Rolls: Counties (1953-1979); Reel Number: 31984_238990.

[33] 1950 U.S. census, McPherson County, Kansas, Castle, enumeration District (ED) 57-6, sheet 3, household 22, line 13, Carl Carlson; imaged, “United States Census, 1950: McPherson. Census 1950,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHN-GQH4-78PD?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A6F7B-KJYN&action=view&cc=4464515&lang=en&groupId= : 18 May 2026).

[34] “U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2238/images/44011_05_00011-00043?usePUB=true&_phsrc=FWq5608&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true¤tPageIsStart=&useCurrentPageInfo=&showinfopanel=true&pId=25094245&treeid=207524321&personid=272762388919&hintid=1026470369828 : accessed 11 May 2026), registration card for Carl Alven Carlson, serial no. T1081, order no. 10598 (stamped), Local Board No. 1: McPherson County, Kansas; citing National Archives at St. Louis, Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number Records of the Selective Service System, 147, series Box: 60.

[35] “U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2020,” index, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2441/records/30321846?tid=207524321&pid=272733440047&ssrc=pt : accessed 25 March 2026), US Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File for Robert Dean Carlson.

[36] Find a Grave, database (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114417844/ruth-irene-carlsonhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182837958/dean-dutton-krell#source : accessed 9 February 2026), memorial 114417844 , created by Tom Whalen, “Ruth Carlson (36 years), died 1943, image of headstone availiable; citing McPherson Cemetery, McPherson, McPherson County, Kansas.

[37] 1950 U.S. census, McPherson County, Kansas, McPherson, enumeration District (ED) 57-25, sheet 73, household 1309 1/2, line 28, Robert Carlson; imaged, “1950 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/28170729?tid=207524321&pid=272733440047&queryId=f1f83e2c-b8dc-42ed-97f3-ec4a5e1af8a5&_phsrc=FWq5590&_phstart=successSource : 11 May 2026).

[38] Betty J. Carlson, obituary, Stockham Family Funeral Home (McPherson, Kansas), "Obituary for Betty J. Carlson," posted November 2022, (https://www.stockhamfamily.com/obituaries/betty-carlson : accessed 19 May 2026).

[39] Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 11 May 2026), memorial page Robert Dean “Bob” Carlson (2025 - 2009), Find A Grave Memorial no. 114982309, citing McPherson Cemetery, McPherson County, Kansas; the accompanying photograph by Tom Whalen.

[40] “Dennis D. Carlson” Salina Post, Salina, Kansas, 2 May 2024; article online, salinapost.com (https://salinapost.com/posts/ab0bd677-c994-4fcd-9887-16d8739fb07e : accessed 7 February 2026).

[41] Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. Directed by Hannah Olson. HBO Documentary Films, 2023.

[42] McPherson High School (McPherson, Kansas,Kansas), Bullpup 1972 MKS, vol. XXX (unknown: unknown, 1972), 76, “Linda Krell,” Group Photo of Kayettes; U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016 database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1265/images/sid_1382_1972_0080?pId=624321816 : accessed 10 March 2026), image 80.

[43] McPherson High School (McPherson, Kansas,Kansas), Bullpup 1973, vol. XXXI (unknown: unknown, 1973), 42, “Linda Krell,” Group Photo of Deca; U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016 database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1265/images/sid_1382_1972_0080?pId=624321816 : accessed 10 March 2026), image 50.

[44] McPherson High School (McPherson, Kansas,Kansas), Bullpup 1973, vol. XXXI (unknown: unknown, 1973), 55, “Linda Krell,” Group Photo of soprano section of Treble Clef; U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016 database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1265/images/sid_1382_1973_0063?pId=624321816 : accessed 10 March 2026), image 63.

[45] "Nine Topeka Girls Pledge Social Sororities at KU," The Topeka Daily Capital, 10 February 1966, genealogybank.com, (https://www.genealogybank.com : Accessed 9 February 2026).

[46] Dr. Phil, “Part 1 Playing God: Amy Carlson and the Love Has Won Cult | Mystery and Murder: Analysis By Dr. Phil,” video, uploaded 22 May 2025; YouTube: The Dr. Phil Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKEgxqxCLH4 : accessed 12 May 2026).

[47] “Kansas Judicial Branch Case Search,” database, Ancestry (https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/Home/CaseDetailPdf?caseId=7777914 : accessed 6 February 2026), marriage index, Linda Ann Carlson and Reed Merit Haythorne, 1984, McPherson County, Kansas, certificate no. 1984-MA-000171; citing Kansas Judicial Branch.

[48] TruePeopleSearch, (truepeoplesearch.com : accessed 25 March 2026), "Search Name" Chelsea Renninger; citing e-mail: chelseahaythorne@yahoo.com, citing birth Apr 1985, citing "Also Seen As" Chelsea Ann Renninger, Chelsea A Haythorne, Chelsea Baytorne.

[49] Linda Haythorne, Home, Linkedin, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-haythorne-aa10bb89/ : accessed 12 May 2026), citing Linda Haythorne Linkedin Profile.