An award-winning documentary crew will interview an Astoria woman this week as part of a video project and nationwide search. The crew from Naperville (Ill.) Community Television 17 is traveling to Oregon this week looking for stories, memorabilia and even the beer recipe from the Stenger family brewery which existed in suburban Chicago from 1849 to 1893.

Astoria’s Evelyn Leahy Hankel is the great-granddaughter of Joseph Stenger, who ran the family brewery. In 1870, Stenger promoted a young Adolph Coors to the position of General Brewery Superintendent. Some years later, Coors struck out on his own and found eventual success in Golden, Colo. The documentary crew plans to talk with Hankel about her recollections of the family history and gather anecdotes, photographs and memorabilia which illuminate the brewery’s colorful history.

Further examination of her family tree reveals her great-uncle was Joseph Schamberger, who joined North Pacific Brewing Company of Astoria as brewmaster in 1902. Schamberger later reincorporated the brewery with two partners and built a home in Astoria. Family historians believe Schamberger and Adolph Coors both emigrated from Germany in the 1800s in order to work in the Stenger family brewery in Naperville.

Descendent Ron Stenger is asking Oregon residents to participate in his family’s search for Stenger brewery memorabilia, stories and even the old beer recipes. He and the documentary crew hope that bringing their family’s story to life will benefit anyone with an interest in the era.