K.P. Kollenborn, like many Americans, is interested in genealogy. Like many, she began tracing her ancestry. One great-grandmother was born a Buster; her maiden name was Myrtle Buster. The last name amused and intrigued Kollenborn. She began a hunt for ancestors of that name. “The Buster Clan: An American Saga” is the harvest of that search.
‘The Buster Clan’
The book traces the descendants of one man, William Bustard, from the 17th century to the present. Because the name is virtually unique, most people today surnamed Buster (the family name changed to Buster in the early 1800s) are likely to have descended from William Bustard.What results is a history of America from its Colonial Era to the present. Kollenborn begins by introducing William Bustard. Records are scarce. Much of this work is pieced together and includes inferences. Kollenborn spends the first chapter trying to nail down William’s origins. The best evidence indicates he came to the New World as an indentured servant in either 1701 or 1708. She shows he settled in Virginia and then traces the family forward from there.
