History Lives in the Heart--- Everyday for 40 Years

I love genealogy, today and everyday. It's a fascinating passion for
me. My family history lives in my heart.

Today, I received a press release from Florida regarding a cousin of
mine. His passion is also history, whether it be our family or our
country. Today, I must acknowledge my delightful cousin who always
inspires me in my search and who is always stretching my boundaries
in genealogy. Today, I must acknowledge one of the few people who
truly share my love of digging around in the family cemetery for
clues, and who is always willing to meet me there. Today, I must
acknowledge a man who lives his conviction of God, home and country.

John A. Williams Jr has just received recognition from the Sons of
the American Revolution for 40 years of faithful membership. John
said, "If we don't know how this country was started, the history
that has brought us to this date, then how can we intelligently plan
for the future?"

Cousin John, you are a true American Patriot. Cousin John, you
inspire me. Cousin John, I'm proud to share our roots together in
Allegheny Co, PA, where our grandpas John HENRY (1750-1838), James
GLENN (1750-1813) and John Simmons, Jr (1761-1843) were our patriots.

Most importantly, I look forward to the next time we can raise a
toast to our ancestors. I look forward to the phone call with the
statement, "I think I've found something."

I look forward to find the past.

Research Guide or Research Fraud?

"Hey, it's a new place to go! Hey, it costs money! Hey, this could
be a scam!"

Readers, beware! Not all alleged genealogy sites are true genealogy
sites. There is a new warning posted by the PR Director of a popular
genealogy site which provides a snapshot view of a few of these
sites. Here is the link for the warning.

http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2008/04/10/potentially-fraudulent-

sites-posing-as-genealogy-websites/

While we all want to believe that everyone shares our love of
history, please be reminded to verify the sources to whom you choose
to spend your precious research money. I routinely look at new sites
to evaluate them for my own personal research. Most times, I choose
not to follow up with these sites for a number of reasons. The most
important one I would recommend to you is "Follow your gut feeling."

Have a great weekend!

-----

www.fayettefrontpage.com
First With Community News You Can Use
Peachtree City, Tyrone, Fayetteville

Follow the Trail

"How's your family research coming along?", asked one of my
acquaintances the other evening as her eyes were twinkling. Did she
sense my slight hesitation as I blurted out my reply? "Just fine,
thank you." I waited. She blushed and said, "I've found something
and I want to show it to you." Ah. No wonder she expressed an
increased interest into my hobby. She's found a trail.

Boy, oh boy, she does have a find. It's a picture from 1905 of about
two dozen or so children in school within the area now known as
Peachtree City. Why, that certainly predates the town's known
educational system! We studied the picture, and noticed the children
appear to range in age from about 6 to about 16. We noticed the bare
feet. We noticed the fancy clothes. We laughed as we noticed the
looks on some of the faces.

What next? Follow the trail!!!! Dig up the census for the area in
which the school was located. Find the families in the area in the
1910 census. Find the land owners surrounding the area. Locate the
local church records for that time. I suspect the names Huddleston,
Brown and Gray will show up.

I'll be meeting with my friend next week and spend some time with her
working on this project. We'll be thrilled as we attempt to unravel
as many clues as we can about the photo. I imagine you'll even hear
laughter erupt as we narrow down the suspects.

If you're of old Fayette County blood, contact me. Perhaps, I'll
have some happy trails for you to investigate. Perhaps, I'll have
some trails uncovered. In any event, follow the trail. You never
know where it will lead.

www.fayettefrontpage.com
Community News You Can Use
Peachtree City, Tyrone, Fayetteville

If You Don't Remember ....

I hear ethereal whispers, persuasive, soft and still, 

"Daughter, if you don't remember us, who will?"…

I don't know who first uttered this quote, but they could have been talking about me.  I hear the whispers of the past calling me to preserve their stories for the future.  I hear the whispers from the grave.

Today, I received a letter from Sweden.  This time, I had no clue when I looked at the return address.  With anticipation, I opened the letter.  It was from the granddaughter of my oldest living cousin in Sweden.  Stina's grandfather was the brother of my great grandmother who immigrated to America back in 1879.  We've been gone from Sweden for over a hundred years now.  Still, I hear the whispers calling me.

Stina is now in her 80s and neither reads nor speaks English.  Thankfully, her granddaughter has a fairly good command of English.  In the letter, she has a few surprises.  At least, I was surprised.  She tells of the area in Stockholm where my great grandmother's brother lived.  It was a poor area.  Now this in itself is not surprising.  If you read the history of Sweden, being poor was quite common.  So common that it is estimated 4 of 5 residents emigrated during the late 1800s to escape the poverty.  Many chose to come to America.  There is no doubt in my mind that had my great grandparents stayed in Stockholm, they too would have lived their lives in poverty.

The surprises in the letter come from sharing some of the life that Jonas Petter and his family had.  My heart ached for these children as I read the words of my cousin.  

It's interesting to learn about our past.  It's interesting to be able to talk about the past.  It's amazing when we can shed our rose colored glasses and look at the failings of our ancestors.  It's phenomenal when we can share their triumphs.

The past is calling me.  My family of old is whispering for me to tell their stories.  Is yours?  Sit still and listen.  You may be surprised.

Wearing of the Green, is it?

St. Patrick's Day.

It's a day of celebration of having Irish blood course through the
veins. Why wear green?

The wearing of the green was first worn in honor of St. Patrick who
used the Shamrock to demonstrate the Holy Trinity to the Irish people
back around 400 AD. In fact, the color blue was the first prominent
color associated with St. Patrick. Irish who became Christians would
wear shamrocks to show their support of Ireland and of the Roman
Catholic Church. Changing to wearing of the green seems to have
become popular in the 1700s.

Those Irish who are not Roman Catholic wear the color orange. Some
say this is because both orange and green coincide peacefully on the
Irish flag. Others say the orange is the Irish Protestant way to
honor William of Orange, a king of England, Ireland and Scotland in
the late 1600s. William of Orange was raised in the teachings of
Calvin and was Protestant.

The first known public St. Patrick's Day Celebration in the United
States was in Boston in 1737. Even George Washington allowed his
Irish troops to honor the day in 1780.

People who choose to wear orange today, in addition to the green, do
so to honor their Irish heritage. Another common method to honor
Irish heritage is to use the Anglicized Gaelic term 'Erin Go Bragh."
Ireland Forever.

My Irish blood soars. It courses through my veins as I research more
of my family history. My ancestors who chose to come to America
brought with them a tremendous heritage of courage, strength, and
deep religious beliefs.

Erin Go Bragh.

Take A Stand

This morning, I was cruising around a site with some old Civil War
Era newspapers on it. It's a free site and is focused on
Pennsylvania papers. Also included at this site are some of the old
Presbyterian papers of the time.

I found an article about Uncle Bob, that is, the Rev. Robert W Henry
(1827-1869). I've shared some of the information I have found on him
in the past with you. Imagine my surprise when I found a new article
this morning. It was in a Presbyterian paper from 1857.

Think about the times. Think about the issue that was in hot
debate. Think about the upcoming war. All of these thoughts raced
through my mind as I read the article.

In the article, an outspoken pro-slavery minister makes a statement.
In it, he writes the Rev. R W HENRY, who he says is anti-slavery, has
been asking him to remove to Chicago for the good of the church. Now
that is an interesting statement. He does include a telegraph from
the Rev. Henry, as well as other men, asking him to join them for a
meeting. They offered to pay his way and offered him several dates.
This man refused to go to the meeting. I'm curious as to what
happened to that man.

While I do know that Uncle Bob was a Presbyterian minister, I find it
interesting to see this article. I don't know his politics and I
don't know those of his family. All I know is the history books
portray them all as Republicans and strong Christian men. Is this a
glimpse into his character? Is this a glimpse into the thoughts of
his family?

His cousin, James GLENN, was a Captain in Co. D of the PA 149th. He
spent time in battle and was awarded a sword for his service at the
Battle of Seminary Hill at Gettysburg. Here is a part of the
comments found in the History of the Regiment Book by Nesbitt (1899).

"During his service he became known as a fighting officer,being
frequently assigned to other commands when severe fighting was
expected. He was almost reckless in his bravery. It was a common
remark among the boys that "the Captain didn't know when he was
licked" and after his attempt to rally half a dozen members of his
Company on the retreat from Seminary Hill at Gettysburg, to stop the
advance of a division of Lee's Army, followed by his service in the
Wilderness and other campaigns, the mention of his name was sure to
recall recollection of his bravery and soldierly qualities. He served
his entire term of service without sickness or wounds, and was
engaged in every march, skirmish or battle in which the Regiment
participated."

I still don't know their personal beliefs. I do know these were men
willing to take a stand. Stand and fight as in the case of James
GLENN, or stand and preach as in the case of the good Rev. Uncle Bob.

History is full of men and women who take a stand. Keep looking.
You'll be surprised at what stands our ancestors have taken at one
time or another. You'll learn more history about our country.

Where Are Those Papers?

Finding new clues is exciting. Finding new genealogy sites to visit
is also exciting. Just this week, I checked out a site called
Footnotes. Footnotes has many records available and it appears they
have some arrangement with the National Archives.

While they do allow a free name search, you must pay to see the
information. Lucky for me I noted they have a free seven day trial
available. Before you invest on their site, check to see if they
even have the areas of the country in which you are searching. Since
they don't have a lot from Western PA, I don't think I'll invest in
it at this time.

When I looked for the Naturalization Papers for grandpa John who came
from County Monaghan, Ireland, I had several hits. The closest
suspect in this case was naturalized in Pittsburgh in 1899. Being a
resourceful researcher, I first emailed the Allegheny County
Courthouse to see if they have a copy of the record there. I
provided the name, birth date and place, year of immigration, year of
suspected naturalization, where he lived at the time, and his
spouse's information. Nothing. I received a very nice note from the
courthouse saying they have no records.

So, I guess I either have to subscribe to Footnotes for one month or
go to NARA for the information. I'm not sure which will be the
better choice for me. I'm going to look around Footnotes some more
to see if I can find any other suspects in my family line. If I do,
then either the free seven day trial or an one month subscription
begins to make sense.

When searching for Naturalization records, be sure to ask for the
Intent to Naturalize Documents as well. That may provide more
information as to the boat and actual date of entry into the US.

One interesting note is that Footnotes does have some old FBI cases
on it. While I am unaware of any blood kin having these types of
files, it may be interesting just to read.

A quick update on my Australian cousin. I haven't heard back yet. I
don't know it they check their emails on a regular basis or if they
have changed their address. In any event, if anyone in Australia is
reading this, I am searching for the descendants of Joseph PATTERSON
b. 1843 in County Monaghan Ireland. Hope to hear from you soon.

Irish Roots With An Accent

Spending time researching for my friend's German roots made me stop
and reflect more on my Irish roots. I am of Fighting Orange Stock.
I am of dissenters stock. I am of Irish blood.

Granted, some of my Irish roots have been in America since before the
American Revolution. But I do have one that is fairly recent. That
is, if you can call 1879 recent.

Sometimes, I gripe about the costs of one of the paid genealogy sites
to which I belong. Sometimes, it's worth every penny. Today may
have been one of those days. For today, I may have made contact with
some descendants of my recent Irish roots.

I decided to check the newer indices today to see if I could track
down the boat my great grandpa sailed over the pond. I still haven't
pinned it down to my satisfaction, but I do have several leads to
follow. I also spent some time looking at Griffith's Valuation. If
you've got kin living in Ireland during the timespan of Griffith's,
it's worth a look see. I chose the county in which I am interested,
clicked on it, and realized I needed more information. Guess I'll
have to find Grandpa's Naturalization papers. They are most likely
in Pittsburgh. Now to find the right court. A search that will most
likely take some time, I'd wager.

In the meantime, I checked the paid genealogy site to see if
grandpa's brother was there. His brother left Ireland and settled in
New Zealand. He's there! And his information names a parish in
County Mongahan that I must search! And his information also gives
the same parents as my grandpa's. Right man.

I've popped off an email to the submitter of the information. It's
been some time since my New Zealand cousin posted the information. I
hope he still has the same address. If not, I guess I'll be
investigating how to find someone in New Zealand.

Pretty cool. Have I made contact with some of my Irish roots? Will
I see the family resemblance? Will I sing a song of Irish lore?

Confirmed Assumptions

Last week, we talked briefly about hunting for a person with "old
country" roots. I am pleased to share the followup finds.

As you will recall, a volunteer from Random Acts of Genealogical
Kindness responded to my pleas for help in Washington State. This
volunteer located the obits for our man in question and his wife.

His obit provides his birth and death dates. His obits tells us he
did live in San Francisco before Washington State. His obit is the
icing on the cake. We had found a passport application from 1894
with our gent's name and particulars. I am now certain that this one
is the right one. Yes, we've confirmed our assumption in this case.

His wife's obit provides the marriage date and location. The rumors
we had heard were only off by a county or two and only one year.
That's pretty good.

The next step, should my friend decide to pursue her German roots, is
to contact Washington State and get a copy of the marriage license.
That could provide us with the location of her birth in Germany as
well as the correct spelling of her maiden name.

We could also check with federal government for her naturalization
papers. They should have a copy of them, and if not, contact
Washington State for them.

As for our gent, I suspect he had kin in St. Louis as that is where
he was naturalized. We could send off for his naturalization records
as we know the date of naturalization and the court in which it
happened.

I still have one assumption that is not confirmed. I suspect our
gent met his future wife when he returned to the Rhein area of
Germany for a visit in 1895. She was a young teenager at that
point. She comes to America when she is of age and marries him. I
suspect this could have been an arranged marriage. If we find her
naturalization papers, they could go a long way to proving or
disproving that particular theory. In the meantime, it makes for a
nice story.

Use Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness when you need only one or
two items in a particular spot. Their volunteers can ask for
reimbursement for parking, copy costs and 50 cents per mile. It's a
great service. Just be sure to thank the volunteers.

When In Doubt, Check The Map

Just thought I'd pass on a site I stumbled across today. Not only is
this a great place to find some maps from the c. 1870 timeframe from
across the US, the site is allowing viewers to look for free during
February.

I spent just a few minutes and quickly found some of my kin.

Hope you find some of yours!!

http://www.historicmapworks.com/

____
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Community News You Can Use
Peachtree City, Tyrone, Fayetteville

Hunting We Will Go

I guess this could be thought of as a theme song of mine. A Hunting
We Will Go... Hi Ho The Merry O.......

I've been hunting this week in a place I've never been. I've been
hunting for some "old country roots" for a friend of mine. With
scant information, and I mean scant, I've searched for her
grandparents. All she knew is her birth father was reported to be
first generation American of German descent.

The hunt began easily with a search on one of the paid sites to which
I subscribe. A hunt that ended almost as soon as I began. I found
the marriage of her parents and then I found the birth of her
father. Her father's birth record lists the name of his parents.
The problem is that's about all it listed.

Her grandfather had a name which was Americanized. What I haven't
found is whether he changed the name or whether his new name came
from when he immigrated. According to census records, he was born
about 1863 in Germany and he immigrated in 1881. So, he is here too
late for the 1880 census and there are no remaining records of the
1890 census.

A person with his last name and a name similar to his Americanized
name is found sailing into New York in 1881. This information states
he was single and originated in Prussia. So now what. Keep hunting.

The next record found is one of the Americanized name application for
a passport in 1894. On this application, the name is correct, the
year and month of birth is correct. The year of his immigration
correlates with the year of immigration found on the census reports.
Other information noted is a specific location in Germany--
Ruthweif, Rhinforting (sic?). What is odd is this application was in
San Francisco, not Washington State as I had anticipated.

The application stated he lived in both St Louis and in San Francisco
since moving to America and was naturalized in St Louis in 1886. It
still can not be discounted as being the incorrect man. But, he is
not documented fully as being the right man. As of now, I strongly
suspect he is the man for whom I am searching. To date, I have no
rumors of when he moved to Washington or where he lived for the first
several years of being in America.

The 1900 census shows our man living in Kitsap Co, Washington, as a
boarder and he has been naturalized. The US Immigrations Records
show our man going to Germany for a visit in 1904.

The 1910 census shows him married to a German girl who came over
about 1904. Now, since I don't have a good feel for the spelling of
her maiden name, I have yet to identify her coming into the country.
What I have uncovered is she was about 20 years younger than her
husband. They rapidly had 3 girls and one boy. Since it appears she
became a citizen after 1906, we can check with the federal government
for her naturalization papers. All naturalizations before 1906 were
done locally with no requirement to send paperwork to the federal
government. Finding naturalizations before 1906 really means hunting
long and hard for where someone was living when they were
naturalized, and then finding which court naturalized them.

Our man disappears after the 1930 census. His wife's death was
easily found from the Washington State Death Index. Since the index
is only online from 1940 and his name is not listed, I will deduce he
died between 1930-1940.

The hunt is far from over. Next, I contacted the Random Acts of
Kindness organization and found a volunteer in Kitsap County. Within
a 24 hour period, this volunteer has located the obits and popped
them in the mail. I look forward to seeing if the obits answer any
of my questions.

I've also sent the passport application to a cousin of mine to see if
he can decipher the correct name of the town and region of Germany.
I look forward to seeing his response.

Hunting for kin. A Hunting we will go. Hi Ho, the Merry O- can't
wait to see the catch!

Influenza Strikes

The winters of 1917-1920 were tough on America. Not only were we
focused on events across the pond, we had a new enemy. Influenza.

Even now, during our winter months, our health officials warn us of
the dangers of influenza. Even now, our beloved family members who
died during that time are difficult to find. So many morgues were
overrun and the population was just tired. The rumors of some mass
graves for influenza victims still persists to this day.

Thought you might enjoy checking out the following site which has
some startling facts regarding the Flu Pandemic of the early 20th
century.

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/greatpandemic3.html

If You Don't Know It, You Could Blow It

Questions. It's a way of life for genealogists who are always
searching for answers. Quite often, we stumble right up against a
brick wall. It seems as if no matter how hard we hit that wall, we
can't find a way over it. Here are some thoughts for you as you try
to blast your way through your brick wall.

You have to know the information. In other words, don't assume
anything! If you can't document the family lore about where grandma
and grandpa came from, where they lived, how many children they had,
etc., you risk blowing right past the truth.

Think about it. Do you really know if great grandma or grandpa were
married only once? Do you really know if they were divorced or
widowed? Do you really know if all their children were born on the
right side of the marriage certificate? Does grandma really remember
when her parents were born?

One of my brick walls was with a grandpa of mine. I had been told by
my father that his father had been married twice. Funny how no one
else in the family had ever heard that tidbit. I asked my father how
he knew. It was simple. He was at a train station with his mother
and siblings back in the 1930s and there was another lady with a son
sitting close by. He heard the other lady tell her son not to speak
or look at my father and his family because they were the results of
"that woman" who stole your father away from us. Now my father was
never able to glean what the name of his older half brother was. He
spoke of it to me and his younger brother soon before my father
passed away.

So everyone who knew the truth was gone. I tried searching for a
divorce record in the county where my grandfather lived with his
parents. Nothing. I tried the surrounding counties. Nothing. It
has been suggested I try neighboring states. Way back in the early
1900s, divorce was not a common event, but it did happen. To date, I
have yet to find his divorce. Of course, I also haven't been able to
document the other son's name. The census records haven't been of
much help. Did the lady remarry?

I did locate the marriage license for my grandparents. On the
application, my grandfather had stated he was previously married and
provided the date of the divorce. So, now I have legal documentation
of the divorce. But from whom? And where?

I have also located his World War I registration in which he lists
his status as single. This, too, correlates with the date of the
divorce, which was 1917. It would appear he joined the Army soon
after his divorce. He also went overseas to fight for his country
and came back wounded. He had known my grandmother since he was a
child. I have pictures of her sitting with him at the hospital while
he endured the surgeries necessary to help him walk again. She
didn't marry him until 1920, so I'm going to go on a limb here and
say the distraught woman with her son at the train station gave false
information to her son. Marrying someone three years after your
divorce doesn't quite add up to a "stolen" man.

Take home message is simple. You have to be able to document,
document, document. You can't just blow past information if it
doesn't fit in with your carefully constructed tree. Sometimes our
assumptions become the truth. Sometimes, it's only in our minds.
Don't blow it. Just make sure you know it!!

Who Dat?

Sometimes, digging around for the clues on family history is fun.
Sometimes, it can give even me a headache.

I recently received an email from one of my cousins who spends more
time researching the family than I do. I know, you probably didn't
think it was possible. This cousin is a doll and we've even
published an article together. By popular demand, this article is
going into a reprint this summer.

This cousin writes and asks, "Who is this?" She was looking at a
census and found a name we've never seen before. So, she sent it to
me. I looked at the census and am not quite sure I agree with the
translation of the name, but nonetheless, there sits another child.
Another child? Who dat?

William HENRY (1789-1849) married Zebiah MIDDLESWARTH (1797-1872) in
the county in which they were both born and raised. They stayed
there and had seven children. Those are known facts. We can
document this. We can document the names of the children, their
dates of birth, their spouses, their dates of death, and their final
resting places. I've visited most of them.

Now, why are we finding another child in the 1850 census? Not only
is he another child, he has a name that, to date, has not been seen
in the family before this time. Kinda unusual in the old Scot-Irish
naming traditions. And, this child, allegedly named Joshua, is not
found in any of the orphans court proceedings when daddy William
dies. All of the other children, who are still minors, have their
uncle, my 3rd great grandfather, named as their guardian in court
records. This alleged Joshua is also not listed in daddy's will.
Curious. Think he would have been.

I have found a Joshua HENRY who lived in the county, but not too
close to the family, who died around 1845 or so. He did leave a son
Joshua, but his named guardian is not someone that I know.

I looked around and noticed one of Zebiah's sisters, Mary, had a
husband who died in 1844. Court records show guardians were named
for six of their nine children. What were the names of the other
three children? Don't know.

Another curious thing about that 1850 census. The handwriting on the
original census is difficult to read. It LOOKS like the head of the
family is Mary HENRY? We know the head of this family is named
Zebiah. However, all the children listed, save the alleged Joshua,
are those known children of William and Zebiah. Could Zebiah have
been gone for a time? Could Zebiah have left her sister, Mary, in
charge of taking care of the younger children? Another clue
surfaces. In the court records for the children of William HENRY,
the children are listed as having very little financial worth. This
leads one to believe that Zebiah didn't get too much when he died.
In the 1850 census, this alleged head of household Mary HENRY has a
net worth of $20,000. Hmmm. Did Zebiah remarry? No. She is buried
with William and most of their children. Note, there is no Joshua
here either.

Another thought runs through my head as I try to piece it all
together. William and Zebiah had a son, William, who died in
February 1850 as a result of scarlet fever. Could Zebiah have been
gone for awhile taking care of others? Could she have had a bout of
it and not been able to take care of her own children? Would the
census taker think that Mary's last name was HENRY, the children in
the household had that surname?

I don't know the answers. These are all possibilities for me to
consider. I think I need to find the complete estate file of William
to see if there is any mention of another child in it. I am still
leaning that this Joshua was not a natural born child, but rather one
they took in and cared for upon his parent's demise. Hopefully, I'll
find the proof I need so I can rest easy. I just find it unsettling
when there are unanswered questions lingering around the air.

Who dat? I don't know. I hope to know soon.

Get Ready for the Tax Man

I'm always digging around to find more evidence of my ancestors.
Recently, I was looking at some old estate records from 1864. I find
it rather interesting that one bed, one pillow, and one blanket would
be listed as belonging to the deceased. Especially since his wife
has been reported dying the month before he did. I still need to
confirm her date of death. Tis a pity her headstone is not listed as
being with the family. Now, she was his second wife and they were
married only about 30 years. So you would think she'd be there with
the family. Two of the three children they had are buried at the
cemetery, although there are no remaining headstones. Their third
child died in New York, I believe. In fact, dear cousins, if you
know where Addison HENRY is buried, please let me know. I know his
widow and child are listed as living in Galway, New York.

To complicate matters, Grandpa James's first wife was also named
Sara. And their children are most definitely buried in adjoining
plots. Ahh, another day.

Anyway, in looking at James estate details, I find there are several
monetary notes listed. Back in 1864, about $10,000 was a lot of
money to have loaned to people. One note was to his son and the
other note was to a name I don't recognize. Guess I should look at
that name and see if I can determine any reason why Grandpa would
have loaned money to a potential non-relative.

The estate file also contains a sworn document from a son-in-law of
James in which he states he heard James say repeatedly that his bed
and bedding were to be equally divided by his daughters who had
remained in the area. My first question is how does one divide one
bed and one pillow? Guess they got that all straightened out.

One of his sons- in-law was the attorney of record for the estate.
Convenient for everyone. In this file, I also found a statement from
the Tax Collector's Office from 1869. The paper was to the United
States for Internal Revenue. The items on the tax bill are for
income, Billiard Tables for private use, carriages, plates and gold
watches. So way back when, the government wanted to know if you had
a gold watch, and if so, it appears you would have had to pay tax on
it. Of course, who would have guessed that a billiard table, of all
things, would be considered tax worthy by the federal government.

My suggestion of the day is to look at everything. Look at the
actual files in the estate. Don't just look at an abstract. You
could miss something vital. Also, take time to look at the local tax
records. Who knows. Maybe you'll find something that is time worthy
in your search.

Happy Anniversary

Today is etched into my memory. Tis the day my parents were married,
oh, so many years ago. As you are looking into your family history,
don't neglect to talk with the living. I remember my mother telling
me stories about her wedding. I remember her telling me stories
about the family.

Write these stories down for those who will follow in your shoes.
Write these stories down and pass them on to your children, and to
the family story teller in your life. What gems these become for the
children, the grandchildren, and for the future. Let your
descendants know how you laughed, you cried, you lived and loved.

As for my dad's thoughts about his marriage, he once told me he never
considered divorcing my mother. Murder, perhaps. But never
divorce. My dad was a man who truly loved and respected his wife.
What a great legacy for me and mine.

What a great legacy you too can share.

So, Happy Anniversary to my dear parents. I only wish I could tell
you in person. Just know I remember. I remember the love, the
laughter, the tears. And I am writing down your stories of the past
for the future.

Genealogy for beginners

I spent some time today wandering around one of the subscription
services looking for the residence of one of the widows in my
family. Mary Emma became a widow in 1869, when her husband, the
younger brother of my 2g grandmother, died while on a trip to the
Holy Land. We're now investigating the boat Uncle Bob was on when he
went on his journey. If we are correct, there may have been contact
with a really cool famous American author on it. One of my cousins
has promised to dig up the letter he has from Uncle Bob's trip.

Thanks to my newly in real time met cousin, I have documentation from
1872 indicating Mary Emma was living in Mt Washington, Allegheny,
PA. So far, the census records have not been helpful. I guess I'm
going to have to send for her obit. I know, from other sources, that
she slipped and died in the bathtub. I just recently found she died
in 1918. So, more clues to follow. Another day, another clue.

Have you been infected with the overwhelming desire to find out more
about your grandma or grandpa? If you need some instructions on
getting started, there is a free Intro to Genealogy class on the
internet. I haven't taken it so I can't say if it is really worth it
or not. If you are interested, check out the about.genealogy.com
site. And if you do take it, let me know if you found it helpful.

In the meantime, I'll keep looking for more information on Mary Emma
as well as all the other slippery kin in my story.

Got An Itch?

First, let me give credit where it is due. Bob, my delightful cousin
from the last posting, said, "You really raise some genealogical
"itches" with your writings!"

I've never really thought of genealogy as an "itch," but it sure is
one! The best way to fix that "itch" is to scratch. Scratch around
the old files and find new clues.

Yesterday, someone led me to a posting about George Washington's
early PA lands. The author recounted how a docent at Mount Vernon
talked about Washington selling some of his PA holdings when he
needed some money for Mount Vernon after the Revolution. This led a
descendant of one of the men involved with Washington's selling of
the land to show an old article which is a second hand account heard
from some of the participants.

Not only does this article talk about the events surrounding
Washington's claim to the land, he also talks about some of the
participants coming to America. Change the names and you've got my
family. Now, I wonder if I need to research their story even more.
In the article, the author gives a point of departure from Ireland as
well as a date. He also gives the point of entry into the colonies.
The time frame and location fit my family. I think I will now look
to see if I can find a manifest of any ship coming or going at that
time. Who knows-- this could be a break for which I have been
searching for a number of years.

If you want to read the article, let me know and I'll direct you to
it. It was first presented in Ohio in 1929. The descendant has
been in direct communication with me as I was able to tell him that
I, too, have an ancestor who was on the wrong side of the George
Washington land claim. We're now trying to determine if we share
some kin. We certainly shared land up in PA in the 1780s. He has
some REED kin that he hasn't really delved into yet. I have REED kin
as David REED b. 1774 did marry an aunt of mine. Oh, by the way, it
was some of David REED's elders, conveniently named David as well,
who were also involved in the Washington land claim. I even hear
there is a historical marker on the site when Washington came to
dinner at David REED's to discuss the issue at hand.

I'll dig up the details from the Washington land claim so you can
read them. It really is interesting to review.

In the meantime, let me go scratch my itch and learn more about some
early ship arrivals into this great land of ours.

Could Have Talked All Day

What a great find! What fun we had!

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday with a cousin. A cousin who
I just met real time. We've known each other by email for over three
years now. We laughed, we talked, we shared documents and old
pictures. He and his wife, who live in Texas part time, brought a
notebook with some old papers in it. How amazing it was for me to
touch, and more importantly, make copies of the notebook. The names
I know and love were there. I was able to glean some more
information I had not previously seen.

He unknowingly gave me a mission when he pulled out a beautiful
memoriam book from 1884 with a name inscribed and said, "We don't
know who she is." Well, we'll find her and give her a home. We'll
remember her.

After Bob left, I spent hours happily going through the information
he brought and entering new finds into my genealogy program. No
matter how cold it was outside, I was all warm and fuzzy inside.

Now to find the mysterious Kate I NEELY. In reading the booklet,
which was produced by the Presbyterian Minister who gave her eulogy,
I found some clues. I found the name of the minister, the name of
the church and started my search. The Rev. E R Donehoo was minister
of the Eighth Presbyterian Church in the West End. At times in the
1800s, this area was also known as Chartiers and as Temperanceville.

There are other clues as to the mysterious Kate in the eulogy. It
would appear she was unmarried as the good Reverend repeats a
statement her father made to him when he arrived at the home of the
newly departed on that fateful day, August 27. We know she was at
least 13 years old in 1884. That's a start. In looking at the
church history, we can determine E R Donehoo began preaching at the
Temperanceville Church in 1869. Donehoo also mentions he had known
the lovely Kate for over ten years. This leads me to believe her
family lived in the neighborhood.

By going back and checking the 1880 census for the neighborhoods
surrounding Temperanceville, we find a James W NEELY b. abt 1807
(and d. 1891) whose youngest child is named Kate. Kate was born abt
1859. I think this is my mysterious Kate.

How does she relate to my cousin? He has a grandpa, Jonathan NEELY
who married my 3g- aunt. To our knowledge, Jonathan, b. 1812, was
born in the same general locale at James W. They are of an age to be
brothers. Confusion. Jonathan's father, Watson, is reputed to have
been born in Ireland, while James W.'s father is reported to have
been born in PA. Hmmm.

James W, has a son whom he names, James Watson NEELY. The son
becomes a physician in 1875, and no doubt, attended the deaths of
both his mother, Amelia McMichael NEELY, and his sister, Kate.

In searching further, I found where a James NEELY b. 1782 came to
America from Ireland at the age of 6 and settled in the area at which
both Jonathan and James W were born.

I do believe at this point that James W and Jonathan were either
brothers or first cousins. More research is needed to clarify the
relationship.

However, I have found the burial place for our mysterious Kate. Her
tombstone with the dates of 1856-1884 is with the James W NEELY
family out at another one of the cemeteries where I have loads of
kin--- the Montours Presbyterian Cemetery in Robinson Twp.

There is also a Samuel NEELY there who was in the Revolution. Guess
I gotta shake some trees and see who will brave the cold and go take
pics of the graves. Now I have a desire to know who all is in the
family plot there. Perhaps there are some finds there for my NEELY
descended cousins.

I could have talked all day. However, I am happy to have found the
lovely Kate I NEELY.

How fitting to end this with the words of Rev. Elijah R Donehoo who
spoke of Kate with the following words. ".....The years will come
and go, joys and sorrows will multiply upon us who shall tarry here
below, but the memory of this quiet beautiful life will linger in our
hearts like some goodly dream, which grows softer and sweeter and
more precious each time that we recall it........."

Sleep sweetly, our lovely Kate.

New Year Resolution

The following is from a fellow geni who does a really super job of
offering assistance to others and she keeps up one of the sites where
I do some of my research. I just couldn't resist passing along her
resolution for 2008. It's something we all need to do.........backup
our finds on more than one source!

As "antique" as my paper may be
It holds everyone in my tree
Tho' the ROM and disk will fail
My paper journey is my trail.

Master Xerox has seen my pages
Documenting family of all ages
There, names and dates organized
Cheering everyone's hearts and eyes.

I picture a distant time (too near!)
When my words remain so clear
Tho' the binding with its rips
My paper will save many trips.

And when a 100 +years afar
Then, old monitors a dying star
Yet my paper will still be read
Whether outside or in bed.

While "ancient" Internet proclaimed
That the future would be its fame
Computers so small to fit in an ear!
Cause anguish throughout the year.

You see, those ROMs and Thumbs
Turned out to be ideas so dumb
They held forests, not just trees
If only that data could be retrieved!

Yes, I forsee Internet will be "ancient" here
(Although to this odd idea, you may jeer!)
Thousands of years past and ahead
Lines of dusty books can still be read!

Oh yes! Leave my tree in ancient pages
Where descendants find names and ages
There Grandma rests, and Grandpap too
Back to the gr-gr-gr-gr-gr, and on through.

Pathetic howling echos ever ensues
What Name and Password to use!
The database which was "guaranteed"
Sucumbed decades ago-- genealogy greed.

"No Access" your grandchildren find
Everytime they try to get "online"
That tree you posted for all to see
Has not outlived the paper of Tree.

Genealogy experts even now do say
"Do "back-up" on paper each day!
"Don't rely only on CSS and HTML
"Paper will keep your stories to tell."

So I say again, just one last time--
(At least it will let me end this rhyme!)--

As "antique" as my paper may be
It holds everyone in my tree
Tho' the ROM and disk will fail
My paper journey is my trail.

By Judy Florian, copyright Jan 1, 2008
Webmaster of Washington Co PA Genealogy Websites
May be reprinted on free websites as long as these three lines are kept
intact.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Cousins

Another year has come and gone. I've worked on my roots and
uncovered some really neat stuff this year. I've been able to share
it with my readers and with my cousins by the dozens. I've got more
clues unraveled and look forward to revealing them in the new year.
Maybe 2008 will be the year I finally knock down my 200 year old
brick wall!

In the meantime, sometimes our blood talks. And this time, my blood
is singing out loud. One of my faithful readers, a cousin on my
dad's side is coming to town. What is really cool is we have only
communicated by email. Let's see. I found him a couple of years ago
when I was doing all that work on my "family cemetery." You see,
it's his family, too.

James HENRY, who is my 3rd great-grandfather is his 2nd great-
grandfather. My dear Margaret Henry was the younger sister to his
dear Jane Glenn Henry. We've swapped stories and documentation over
the years. Now, he's coming to town for the New Year!

I plan to meet him and his wife for lunch. I also plan to look deep
in his face to find the family resemblance. Is he more of a HENRY or
more of a GLENN? Or does he resemble the other sides? I do know
that a lot of us who are descended from Margaret Henry all share a
resemblance even to the latest generation. This will be fun. I just
hope he's packing a suitcase of stories and goodies to share. And
who knows? Maybe lunch will take a few days!

It's another connection. It's my blood song. It's my family.

Happy New Year!

Twas The Night-- 2007 Geni Style

One of the great perks in genealogy is meeting some really neat people. Thought you'd enjoy the following:

T'was the night before Christmas....a Genealogy Tale

T'was the night before Christmas, her fingers tapping away
Typing piles of genealogy long into the dawn of the day.
Where's Ruth, George, Sally, Michael, Bill and Jean?
Putting families in order from bits that she gleaned.

Who is Marshall Ney Sterling? She never learned for sure
And, after years of search, his name carried much allure.
Joshua Alpheus's relatives each carried one part of his name
One Joshua, one Alpheus - why couldn't they be the same?

In the glow of computer light, her eyes worn and dreary
If she'd ever find her ancestors, of this she grew weary.
She'd whisper their names sometimes late at night
As though they'd answer and save her from this plight.

But no one answered -- she'd listened quite well you see
It was as though all wanted her to just leave them be!
"Oh Santa!" she thought, "If I could just figure it out,
I'd jump high from my chair, clap, scream and shout!"

She closed the file on the crumbling newspaper stack
Too many names, dates, and spouses she lacked.
She punched the OFF switch - rather too hard --
As she wondered if a misspelled name was just a fraud?

She thought of everyone often, before drifting off to sleep
Said a prayer to the heavens about secrets ancestors keep.
Once in awhile, a face from ago slipped into her dreams
Grandma wanted to tell her the family's story, it seemed.

But come light of day, the faces and stories all disappeared.
She was left with clues she'd never figure out, she feared.
This night was different...the faces and features oh so clear
As Grandma told story after story--oh my, was she a dear!

Awakening on Christmas, she wondered, "Am I insane?
"To be chasing my ancestors down every street and lane!"
She shook her head silently, vowing to just "Give it up!"
And went down the stairs to find the nearest coffee cup.

When what to her wonderment, familiar persons circled her tree
She couldn't get over how "they all look a little like -- ME!"
Her Grandma stepped forward, a Bible in her wrinkled palms
"I think you need this, it's got our names near the psalms."

The elated researcher was beside herself with glee
"All my ancestors heard and came looking for me!"
Dropping her head, she quickly searched the Bible's pages...
When she looked up, her family had slipped into the ages.

The star at the treetop twinkled, reflecting the many lights
While tears flowed as she remembered having this sight...
"Oh Santa, this was the best gift I've ever gotten, I swear!
"To have my sought-for ancestors standing right there!"

Standing silent she remembered her promise from before--
And leaping up and down, clapping, she gave a hearty roar!!
"Yes! Yes! I just knew I was chosen to trace our roots
And the "find" of this bible has me kicking up my boots!

Thank you Santa and Thank you God!
Thank you Grandma!
And... Thank you to all of my big extended family,
present and distant past,
who all trust me to unravel their lives, secrets,
and to tell their stories at last.

Merry Christmas--- and may you have a "visitation" in your Christmas dreams!

Permission granted to reprint "T'was the night before Christmas....a Genealogy Tale," by Judy Florian as long as this complete statement remains with the poem. Ms. Florian can be reached at: cageycat "at" gmail.com. Show love to someone on a holiday!

American?

The following is credited to a Frenchman named Crèvecoeur in the late 18th century in his "Letters from an American Farmer". Thought you'd enjoy it.....

"Ubi panis ibi patria [where I earn my bread, that is my fatherland], is the motto of all emigrants. What then is the American, this new man? He is either a European or the descendant of an European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. (...) He is an American, who, leaving behind him all the ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced (…) Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Americans are the western pilgrims who are carrying along with them that great mass of arts, sciences, vigour, and industry which began long since in the East; they will finish the great circle."

The Best Christmas Cards

Every year we get bombarded with Christmas cards. Some just have
signatures while others give details of the year. You know the cards
I like best? It's the ones where people have thought of me. One
card this year came from New York and had a NJ will abstract from the
early 1815 era in it. Another card came from San Francisco and had
an obituary from 1969 in it. Still another cousin picked up the
phone and called me with a tidbit he had just gleaned.

What joy I have at opening these cards! I just squeal with delight
and laughter. They are the best ones! They are the thoughtful ones
whose givers really know me and what I love to do. No, no, I'm not
morbid. I'm just looking for every clue on the family's past. After
all, I really enjoy the huge mystery I've been unraveling for the
last 12 years or so.

Perhaps, next year, even more kin from across this grand land of ours
will be more thoughtful and send me more obits, wills, and pictures.
Many thanks to those who take time and remember. Remember the past
and remember our roots.

Merry Christmas to all.

Ghost of Christmas Past

As I was wrapping the gifts to place under the Christmas tree the
other day, I stopped and wondered. Wondered how it is that we feel
the need to give so much to our families. Wondered how it is that so
many of have forgotten the past.

Christmas about 200 years ago was quite different from today. There
was no big turkey, stuffing and excessive eating of sweets. The
women baked and got ready for the day. However, they usually did
spend a good amount of their time baking as most families were mostly
self sufficient. The men would go out in search of meat. Bear and
deer were commonly found on the table.

There was certainly no over spending on frivolous toys. Toys were
hard to come by, and who had the time anyway? Our early American
ancestors were busy surviving. Yes, they celebrated the holiday.
They didn't work that day. If they lived near family, they would go
and visit for a few days. I can just hear the excitement as the
sleigh bells rang and the carriages carried cousins back forth.

Small gifts might be exchanged and children were thrilled to be given
a small cake, a penny, some sweetmeat, or even a new hat or dress.
Excess was something the majority of American settlers did not have.

The children might lock out their teacher thus demanding a treat
before the teacher could come back in. This practice appears to have
been quite common with the school aged and teenagers with both
schoolteachers and Sunday School teachers. The family may go to
church to spend time worshiping.

The family spent the time together, thanking God for His Gift to them
and thanking Him for their freedoms.

Hmm.. Maybe we can learn something from the past after all. Perhaps
it's time for history to repeat itself this season.

Merry Christmas!

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling......

Ever have that kind of day when someone plants a bug in your ear?
Ever have that kind of day when someone suggests that our Irish
forefathers could have been less than truthful?

I've been following a conversation regarding early Irish immigrants
and the information they provided to the authorities. One source
said they were told the Irish tended to try and hide their personal
history from the English. The source went on to explain the English
suppression of about 800 years of Irish folk led the Irish to "fudge"
a little as they tried to keep information away from their English
lords.

Another source, who happens to be a cousin of mine, donated his two
cents worth and explained it was the Anglican Church who persecuted
those who did not belong. Mainly, it was the Presbyterians and the
Catholics who received the brunt force of this. Combined with the
ever recurring potato famines in Ireland, it is no wonder that many
early Irish left Ireland for the lush green lands of the American
colonies where they could practice their religions in freedom.

How does one conduct research in Ireland? We tried several years ago
to hire a local genealogist in County Down, Ireland. We hired one,
gave her the information we had and what we suspected. She took our
money and spit back the information we had provided her. To my
knowledge, there was no research done over there.

Recently, some of the Irish parishes are getting their information
online. My understanding is it can be quite pricey after the initial
index search is completed. If you choose this route, be sure to
verity the counties who have information available as well as the
time span.

I, for one, can't wait for more parishes and more time spans to
become available. I might even be willing to pay the price if only I
can find my early Irish smiling eyes.

Thank You Charlie of Co. C

Veterans Day is almost here. It's time to remember America's heroes. It's time to honor Charlie of Co. C.

Charlie of Co. C was my grandfather, Charles Edward Simmons. Born in Dec. 1888 in Washington Co, PA, he was descended from those men who fought for the beginning of America, the War of 1812 and the War of the Recent Unpleasantness. As was true to the family line, he fulfilled his patriotic service in the Infantry. Charlie's draft registration card tells us he signed up in June 1917. The 11th Infantry men were shipped overseas in June 1918 to face an opponent who was skilled in chemical warfare. America was unprepared for this type of war, and her soldiers suffered the consequences. Charlie was one of the many who suffered from the effect of mustard gas exposure.

The United States joined the war to end all wars in 1917. In reading more about the time while Charlie was in France, I learned that in mid-July 1917, over 12,000 doughboys were within 30 miles of the front, all without gas masks or training in chemical warfare¹. The 11th Infantry saw 43 days of combat with casualties of 386. Of these, 348 were wounded in action. The unit returned to US soil in June 1919.

Poor Charlie. Not only did he suffer the effects of mustard gas while in France, he was also wounded. A picture I have in my possession shows his bandage on his left leg right below the knee. In this picture, he is sitting on a bench outside of what appears to be Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. He wears his uniform and his crutches and my grandmother are at his side. On another picture of Charlie proudly wearing his doughboy uniform, my father had written the following on the back: "He was exposed to mustard gas in WWI and injured in the leg. One inch of bone had to be removed from his left leg."

I have written to the Army to try and find Charlie's records. All I received was the confirmation he was in the Army in the unit I thought. Apparently, his records were in the big fire they had way back when.

Mustard gas. The weapon of choice in World War I which still produces shivers down my spine. It was extremely caustic and penetrated everything- even clothing. While I do not know the extent of Charlie's short term exposure, I have heard family lore of the long term effects. The exposure was said to have changed him. He did marry, he did have three sons, and he died young. The death certificate suggests he had renal failure and sepsis. His widow and small children were left to carry on. Unfortunately, they had to leave their home on Bosses Alley in Crucible, PA. Yes, Bosses Alley was the street on the hill above the Crucible Mine. The housing was company owned and was for the managers. Charlie was the chief clerk for the mine. I've heard from others that Charlie and his brother-in-law who owned the bank walked around town surrounded by coal and iron policemen-- especially on pay day. Charlie was also the local mine baseball team manager and was a member of the school board which had a new high school built. This high school was dedicated in June 1929.

So Charlie - with tears in my eyes, thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your life. Thank you for your smile. Thank you for my dad.

Thank you for protecting your unborn grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We remember you - everyday.
_______________
¹http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/chemical/chem_pt3.pdf

Gotcha

There are some wonderful feelings in this world. We all like to hug
and be hugged. We all like the thrill of victory. I also find it
thrilling to shout "Gotcha" from time to time. The best "gotcha" is
unraveling the many clues in digging up the family.

I've been researching the children of John HENRY (abt 1750-1838) for
about ten years now. I've made contact with descendants of over half
of his 12 children. I'm determined to find more.

My house just shook with my gleeful shout of joy. GOTCHA!

Samuel Smith HENRY was of the children of the first wife of John
HENRY. I had already identified Samuel's two wives and had also been
in touch with a descendant of his inlaws. Eleanor LAIRD, as was
common in 1822, died in childbirth. Samuel arranged for the care of
the motherless wee lass. Her guardians, who were family members,
moved to Ohio from Allegheny Co, PA and had a great life. Letters
from the grandchildren tell us more of her early life. We find her
father, Samuel, paid for her education and visited her often. We
find her happy.

What I hadn't found was the fates of Samuel's other four children by
his second wife, Jane Cook. One son was named Ashman C HENRY. Now
you would think that would be a fairly easy name to locate in the
1860 census. Not so. Not until I got creative and expanded my way
of thinking. When I looked at the 1850 census, I find Samuel listed
as SS living in Ohio. That's news to me- but ok. The census also
lists the four children. However, Ashman was listed as AC. Hmmm........

No AC Henry surfaces again for awhile. Here's one in CA in 1880.
He's a banker. Since I don't know his wife's name, I can't say if he
is mine or not. More surfing needs to be done.

I know that Ashman had a sister who married a William REED. GOTCHA!
There he is-- a judge in Ohio. So I sent an inquiry to one of my
geni lists for help in Ohio. GOTCHA! Since he was a judge, there
was a really nice family bio in a history book of the county. In
this book, it mentions that Ashman had gone to CA. GOTCHA!

Now it's back to CA records. Now I look in earnest for AC and find
Ashmun C Henry- a banker who becomes the mayor of Oakland in 1883.
Now I will look for his descendants.

The kind volunteer geni in OH also provided the death date and
probate dates for Samuel, Ashman's father. Now I will search for a
way to get my hands on copies of those papers.

Got to shout "GOTCHA" from time to time. It's what keeps me
motivated in this unending quest to put flesh on the bones of my
ancestors. So, as you come up against your proverbial brick wall in
your own research, take a break. Look at another line. Come back
with an open mind and be willing to ask for help. Be willing to
assist others in their own quests. Be ready. One day, you will
shout "GOTCHA" and shake your house, too.

The Story Tellers

We are the chosen. My feelings are in each family there is one
who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones
and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that
somehow they know and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold
gathering of facts, but, instead, breathing life into all who have
gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have
one. We have been called as it were, by our genes. Those who have
gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. So we do.

In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have
I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times
have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be
proud of us? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt
somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say.

It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and
why do I do the things I do? It goes to seeing a cemetery about to
be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying, I can't let
this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my
flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in
what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to
what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses,
their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and
build a life for their family.

It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a
Nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were
doing it for us

That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them.
So we do.

With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence,
because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe called, I tell
the story of my family. It is up that one called in the next
generation to answer the call and their their place in the long line
of family storytellers.

That is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those
young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones.
Unknown Author

I just had to pass this along. Enjoy reading it. Enjoy learning who
you are.

It's A Good Thing

Last month, you may recall I shared finding the obituary for my
cousin. I also wrote of how I was looking for my cousin's daughter.
I'm sorry to report the funeral home never bothered to send my
information on to the family. However, I have struck gold. I found
her!

It's a good thing I don't cotton to holding my breath while waiting.
Otherwise, I could be struggling for breath. It's a good thing that
I know people in the Pittsburgh area. It's a good thing that several
kind souls offered to assist me. Some of these kind souls are grave
seekers, I mean, genealogists like me. Some of these kind souls
share my blood. Some closer than others.

Anyway, the emails were coming in. "I found seven possible suspects
for you." "Here are more names and phone numbers." "Here are the tax
records." So, I did what everyone who grew up awhile back does. I
let my fingers do the walking. They walked and dialed and got the
standard, "No, not me."

Until last week when the phone on the other end of the line rang. A
young man picked it up. I explained who I was, and for whom I was
searching. He said, "Who?" And then he said those wonderful words
we all long to hear, "Yes, that was her maiden name and her father
did die two years ago." I surprised they didn't hear my shout all
over Fayette County and all the way up to Allegheny County in PA.

This dear daughter and I talked for quite awhile. As I had
suspected, her father had not talked much about his family. And
who's to blame him? Not me. What I hope to give this dear cousin is
a sense of who her father's family was. While we were talking, and
while I was telling her the little tidbits of lore my father had
given me about her grandfather, she exclaimed, "My dad was just like
that."

I've now sent her some tidbits of information and some old pictures.
I know she needs time to read it and try to piece the puzzles
together in her head. I've also given her some keys to her father's
past. It's a good thing. Next, I'll be able to share with her
stories of her paternal family. It's a good thing. We've got a neat
history. And I'm willing to share it.

I lost my father when I was in my 20s. He left this earth much too
soon for my liking. However, the connections I have made with his
family have given me pieces of him. I see his spirit, I see his
eyes, I see his sense of humor in my cousins. It's a good thing.

So, my new found cousin, you've got a great family waiting to
embrace you and tell you of your father's family. It's a good
thing. We hope you agree.

My advice to everyone? Don't give up in your personal searches for
your family. One day the phone may ring and someone will say, "Yes,
that's my family." It's a good thing.

It's Raining Kin

The forecast looks promising. Promising for those of us who have been
parched with thirst over the summer. The days where we could quench
our thirst have been few and far between. Is this a weather forecast
or a taste of genealogical research?

When I was younger and my dad's first cousins were still walking and
laughing among us, they took me to see my grandparents' graves. First
on our list was to find the graves. So, we stopped at the little white
house at the front of the cemetery, stepped inside and asked for
assistance. Old ledgers were pulled, dusted off, and I noticed my
paternal grandmother had bought four plots. These plots were adjacent
to the plots of her parents. Then a bolt of lightning went off in my
head. My eyes beheld a curious sight. A stranger's name burned up off
the pages. When asked about it, the red faced cemetery lady hemmed and
hawed, and could give me no explanation as to why someone I had never
heard of before was buried next to my grandmother. But my cousin
could. You see, he told me that there was a cousin of my grandmother
who had died and had nowhere to go. So, she allowed his burial in one
of her plots. Now I had to determine just who was this Austin M.
Brendel who died in 1935.

Census records uncovered his name was Austin McClain Brendel and he
was the son of my grandmother's aunt, Henrietta McClain Brendel. I
placed some queries and started my period of waiting for the droplets
of information to find me. A couple of years later, someone responded
that he thought Austin was his great uncle. We communicated, and I had
a flood of information pouring in.

It turns out Austin was working for the railroads in the mid to late
1920s. It appears he, with a lot of other unfortunate souls. lost most
everything during the crash of '29. He, like a lot of other
unfortunate souls, never recovered. He returned to Pittsburgh, his
wife divorced him and he died. Were it not for my grandmother, his
first cousin, we would not know of him nor of his fate. Thanks,
Isabel, for giving Austin and me rest. I also found his
great-granddaughter who tells me he was considered to be somewhat of a
lady's man in his time, thus the problems with his wife. We've even
uncovered the name of a daughter whose mother is not clear. Did he
have a daughter of which we were unaware? Did he remarry? Did he have
a child on the proverbial wrong side of the sheets? Time will tell.

I turn to the next cloud on the horizon. We hadn't found out whatever
happened to Henrietta. When did she die? Where was she buried? My
great-grandmother's obituary provided some clues. It looks like
Henrietta was living in Erie in 1919. Ok. My cousin contacted some
genealogical type folks up there and we waited, not unlike waiting for
some precipitation this summer. Yes, it was a long and dry wait.

Just this week, they were able to provide us with her last known
address in 1919. The next step will be to contact the state vitals
department, ship them some cash and give them a five year window in
which to search for her. The clues of Henrietta and her kin are
trickling in. Maybe one day, we'll have a storm of info. Until then,
I'll take whatever drops my way.

Back to Basics

Ring, Ring. Ah, the sound heard early in the morning that insists I
get moving. Ring, Ring. The sound that means my kids have to get up
and going. Ring, Ring. The sound that means getting back to school
and reviewing the basics. Ring, Ring.

It's also a good time to review the information I have collected in my
genealogy files. It's time to see if I can try once more to locate
some missing kin. Yet again, I am trying to find the grown, hopefully
breathing, children of a family member with whom all contact was lost
some 40 years ago. You know how it is. People don't stay put. The
military or jobs take people away. You get married, have kids, go to
soccer games, fall into bed exhausted at night. Our routine. And
sometimes the far away family gets forgotten. This is especially true
when a divorce occurs. Such is the case in my family.

My father left home, courtesy of World War II, and never moved back to
Pittsburgh. He settled in the south after he married his Charleston
sweetheart. I should add they met while he was in the Army and he was
in Charleston for his job. Ah, another story for another day.

Back to basics. His older brother, Bud, divorced his wife, left
Pittsburgh and moved to Seattle. The grandmother, who also relocated
to Seattle, kept in touch with his two boys. Upon her death, all
contact was lost. I knew the names of the boys and the approximate
years they were born. I even have pictures of them taken in the early
1950s. From time to time, when family members gathered, they wondered
whatever happened to them.

From time to time, when I was in Pittsburgh on business, I would try to
find these missing boys. The voice on the other end of the phone line
always said, "Not me." So I moved on to other lines. Years have
passed. Earlier this month, one of my geni friends asked me to try and
find these boys again.

This time, I did find one of them. To my dismay, it was an easy find.
You see, I found his obituary dated in 2005. I've lost him and I never
knew him. His obituary did provide me the names of his grown children.
Now I am on a mad hunt to locate them. I contacted the funeral home
and asked if I could be put in touch with them. The voice said, "No."
I asked the funeral home to send my info to the children, along with a
website address of my "family" cemetery in Pittsburgh. My goal was to
show them I was legit and I who I really am. After reviewing my info
and website, the funeral home has agreed to send my info to the
daughter, Cindy MILLER. Now I wait to hear from her.

I may wait a long time. Who knows what her father thought of his
father? Who knows what, if any, relationship they had? Who knows if
her father even knew of my presence in this world? Who knows if she
even cares? I hope to know and I hope to meet her.

It's time for going back to the basics. The basics of knowing your
roots- both living and dead.

Jewels in the Vault

I was on a mission. Pass through the guards, dig through the vault,
and find those jewels. I knew they had to be there- somewhere in the
vaults of the Fayette County Justice Center. I was joined on this
mission by a friend who has a much stronger interest in these jewels
than I do. They are her jewels, after all.

The jewels in this case are the old land deeds from the 1830s that we
uncovered in the vault. Fayette County has done a nice job in helping
to preserve these fragile, old documents. Each page has painstakingly
been placed in a protective sleeve. I only hope they are acid free and
they treated the pages as well. Otherwise, time may alter these
valuable documents. There are index books, both direct and indirect.
The Direct Index provides the transfer of land from grantor to grantee,
while the index lists the name of the grantee first. This is wonderful
for researchers as it allows you to look for potential purchase or sell
of land.

Once we located the names of interest in the Direct Index book, we
noted the deed book letter and page number. Glad we've worked out
lately as lifting those huge red books took some muscle!

From these documents, we discovered James Waldrop, one of the men we
were researching, had received his land from Cain Simpson. Cain
Simpson? Hmmm. So, it's off to the probate records to check on
marriage records and wills. No will was located for Cain Simpson but
we did find evidence of a marriage between a Waldrop and a Simpson. In
particular, a female Simpson. To be more exact, the land was given to
the male Waldrop. Ha- find the marriage record. Yes, they there are.
Married shortly after the land transfer. The logical conclusion is
the land was Cain's daughter's dowry.

Diamonds in the rough. What we uncovered still has to be polished up
and looked at closely. We noticed Cain Simpson paid taxes on land in
Putnam Co, GA, while living in Fayette Co. Guess who else came here
from the Putnam Co. area? Bingo. The Waldrop Family. After leaving
the vaults that day, we were able to find a marriage record in Jasper
Co, which neighbors Putnam Co. James and Mary Waldrop's daughter,
Bellana, married Elcanor Cain Simpson 20 Mar 1817. I think that
particular facet shines brightly now.

On our next excursion deep into the vault, I suspect we will uncover
some rubies. We plan to document the evidence on Elcanor Cain Simpson.
In addition, we hope to uncover more land deeds or marriage records.
Until that time, I'll keep polishing the diamonds we found to see if
they, too, can shine bright with information for us.

Enjoy your time searching for those family jewels. They're there- and
at this location, it's even air conditioned!!

The Census Taker's Home!

For all of you who have struggled with reading an old census!! Please
enjoy this "Afternoon Rocking" message by Jan Philpot.

The Census Taker's Home

Ever wonder why those censuses just don't add up sometimes? Well we
all have
"our days" when our world is topsy turvy and effects most everything
that
happens, and I figure a census taker did too. Of course he might not
have
realized just how far reaching the effects of his bad day might be…

Well, I'm surely glad to be home, that I am. I tell you another day
like
this one and I am good mind just to fill them papers out on memory and
be done
with it. Here, put these socks over there next to the fire to dry out,
will
you? Got down yonder this mornin and everyone in Household 451 through
486 was
gone. Some big shindig going on down there. Good thing the folks in
441 could
tell me who they all was. Here, reckon you could go over some of the
writin
on this here page? Got smeared a bit in the rain. I think you can
cipher most
of it out.

Then them folks down in the holler got suspicious over a census. Said,
and
derned if they had a point, what difference did it make who they was?
Was them
guvment folks up in Warshington going to come down here to say howdy
do? So
they finally let me write down they last name and first initial, but I
think
they wuz havin a bit of fun with me when they listed who lived in the
house.
Saw some winkin goin on and I believe I got the same house a youngins
in two
or three places. It been a day, woman. Honey, git that paper out of
Johnny's
mouth,will ya? I worked all day on that thing, and no call to let him
go
chewin it up.

Went up the river a piece and tried to get that done fore it come a
downpour, but run into trouble there too. Ole Man Jenkins curr dog run
me off and I
tell you, ain't no call to get eat up over such a thing as this. They
ort to
be a limit what a man does for his country. Was lucky man down the
road mostly
knew Jenkins was nigh on sixty years old and was living there with his
woman
and five youngins from his first marriage plus a passel from the
second. We
give em good Christian names. Best be doin something bout this pen. It
give
out on me halfway through. See you havin trouble too. Johnny! Hand
that here,
boy!

And I tell you I would ruther fight grandpap's British than mess with
that
feller out on the ridge. He got out his shotgun soon as he seen me
comin and I
went t'other direction. Had Jones tell me about him instead, and he
didn't
rightly know the feller's first name. said they called him "Squirrel",
and it
was ok just to put that cause wasn't nobody around here claimin him no
how,
and they for sure didn't want the guvment knowin there was any
relationship.
That coffee done?

Then got over to Smiths, and ole Hoss was in a nervous fit so wasn't no
getting information there. His woman havin another youngin and he
looked like he
could run right through me when I went to askin how many youngins he had
now. Hightailed it out of there, and Miz Hart helped me straighten that
household out. Think we got most of the names straight, and as he has
had a youngin a
year for the last ten, ages purty close too. Now look what Johnny went
and
done!

I tell you, next time this come around I ain't gonna be no where in
sight.
Farmin a heap easier, and I figger there folks round here what can
read and
write and cipher and ain't no good fer nothing else we can spare for
this
foolishness. Pass me another tater, will you?

Copyright ©2000JanPhilpot

Tax The Whiskey?

The marshal shows up and wants to serve a warrant. Tempers flare.
Shots are fired. Someone is killed. Preachers say "Listen to your
government." Hard working farmers say, "Unfair taxation!" Wait, this
sounds familiar-- is this now or .........

213 years ago, in a little corner of southwestern Pennsylvania, tempers
flared. Why, that rascal Alexander Hamilton wanted to tax whiskey.
Not only did he want to tax whiskey, he also decided small distillers
had to pay more taxes per gallon than the larger distillers. It seems
his argument was the government needed to raise money to pay off its
debts. Hmmmmmppphhhhh- the locals say.

There were no good roads in the area so the farmers took their excess
grain and distilled it. Distilling it made it easier to transport down
the river to where it could be sold or bartered. The Rev. John McMillan
preached obedience to his congregations. These farmers, many of them
Scot-Irish who had just fought to rid the land of the tyranny of unfair
taxes, just couldn't believe Hamilton's audacity. They had just
assisted their neighbors in declaring and fighting for independence--
and now--- this! Unbelievable. These same men had little hard cold
cash. They used whiskey to barter for what they needed. The government
wanted hard cold cash.

The Federal Marshal arrived at the home of Oliver Miller in Allegheny
County, PA, in July 1794 to serve his warrant for the taxes. Several
stories say it was only accidental that a shot was fired, others say it
was on purpose. The government inspector, who lived in the
neighborhood, had his barn burned. Men were killed- on both sides.
President George Washington called out the troops, some 13,000 of them
to squelch the rebellion. Interesting fact is the troops could only
find 20 or so of the rebels. Plenty has been written on the Whiskey
Rebellion and I invite you to read some of the stories.

This story took on life for me as I was looking at wills one day in
Washington County, PA. Ta da! I found the evidence I needed. Yes, my
John HENRY had been married twice, as some histories proclaim. Yes, I
found the will of his father-in-law, John SMITH. And, I found the
names of the children of John SMITH. One was Mary MILLER, the wife of
James MILLER. So who was he? Further investigation revealed he was
the son of Oliver MILLER, the man on whose farm the first shot of the
Whiskey Rebellion was fired. Wow! So I launched my investigation into
the MILLER family to learn more of the rebellion. It's really quite
interesting. For me, it opened new doors.

Since that day, I have visited the museum homestead of Oliver MILLER,
which stands today in its original location in a beautiful park named
South Park in Allegheny Co. We also had the pleasure of having the
home opened to us for our own tour. To sit, stand and walk in the
rooms that my 3g and 4g grandparents did resulted in a powerful feeling
of family for me. What joy and sadness those rooms could tell, and my
bones could feel it all.

It's wonderful- digging into the past. I'll take them all: immigrants
of old, American Revolution Patriots, Whiskey Rebellion participants,
hard working men and women who shaped this country and me.

Remembering WWII veterans

I stumbled across this site and thought it would be of interest. The
National WWII Memorial in Washington DC lists those who were killed in
action and their burial sites. In addition, they offer a Registry of
Remembrances for all those who contributed to the war effort. Check it
out--

http://www.wwiimemorial.com/default.asp?page=registry.asp

Happy Hunting!!

Honor Thy Flag

Summer, the time of year my children love. It means sleeping late,
playing at the pool, and assisting in volunteer work. I'm a firm
believer that children need to learn about giving their time and
talents to helping others. My children are well versed in helping
others. My children have also had the added benefit of learning much
about their own heritage as they have assisted me in my genealogical
quests.

One child of mine recently volunteered in Fayette County by cleaning
off old graves at a neglected cemetery. The graves were cleaned so
they could be catalogued and digitized. As we wandered around this
old cemetery, we noted the presence of at least two of America's
soldiers. One was from the American Revolution and the other was from
the War of the Recent Unpleasantness. These men and their families
came to Fayette County after the Creek Indians ceded their lands to the
young American government.

Who were these families who helped to form Fayette County? One was the
James Waldrop family, who fought for the Virginia Colony during the
American Revolution. The other family, the James Bottoms Family, is
reputed to have bought land in the county in the 1840s. George, a
descendant of James Bottoms, is the other American Patriot who is
buried here. Both of these men fought for their flag. Both men were
willing to sacrifice everything they had for their flag. Both of these
men survived the wars and lived out their lives in Fayette County.

America's flag, our flag, has its own special day this week. June 14th
will mark the 230th anniversary of "Old Glory's" adoption by Congress.
Salute your flag and remember all of America's patriots and the
sacrifices they made. Pray for the safety of America's military today
as they fight to preserve the freedoms we enjoy. Remember, they fight
today in the hopes their children and grandchildren won't have to
fight. They fight today so their children and grandchildren can enjoy
sleeping late and playing at the pool.

Over the next several months, I will be looking into these two families
to see what we can learn from them. I'll be sure to keep you updated
so you, too, can learn about early Fayette County residents. In the
meantime, honor thy flag.

Happy Birthday "Old Glory".

Military Records For Memorial Day

As we approach Memorial Day and remember all of America's patriots, be
sure to take some time to look at largest collection of US Military
Records offered by Ancestry.com. The over 90 million names are
searchable and cover more than four centuries of our land and its
people.

Included are the 1942-1945 military newsreels and The Stars and Stripes
newspapers. There are many more collections-- go see them and maybe,
find some kinsmen.

Through June 6- this collection is free to the public. I understand
the overwhelming demand for these records can make login a slow
process. Take your time. I also understand that some of the quality
of the newsreels is suspect, but the closeups are wonderful.

Just thought I'd pass this on--- no connection other than a love of
our country and a deep appreciation for all of her Armed Forces men and
women.

Eastman's Newsletter: Important announcement by FamilySearch

An announcement has been made by Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
and I thought I'd pass it on. This has the potential to assist
millions of us in our efforts. I have no affiliation- just passing on
selected excerpts from the announcement. Please visit www.egon.com for
the complete announcement and commentary.
>
> FamilySearch Unveils Program to Increase Access to World's
> Genealogical Records
>
> Tidal Wave of Online Databases Will Result
>
> SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH-FamilySearch announced today its Records Access
> program to increase public access to massive genealogy collections
> worldwide. For the first time ever, FamilySearch will provide free
> services to archives and other records custodians who wish to
> digitize, index, publish, and preserve their collections. The program
> expands FamiliySearch's previously announced decision to digitize and
> provide online access to over 2 million rolls of copyrighted microfilm
> preserved in the Granite Mountain Records Vault. A key component of
> the program allows FamilySearch and archives to team with genealogy
> websites to provide unprecedented access to microfilm in the vault.
> The combined results ensure a flood of new record indexes and images
> online at www.FamilySearch.org and affiliated websites.
>
> For archives and heritage societies, the new program benefits include:
> Digitally capture, preserve, and publish records online
> Increase access to records while maintaining control and ownership
> Increase patronage and business viability
> Over 100 years of archival and publishing experience
>
> For genealogy websites, the new program helps them:
> · Benefit from the knowledge and relationships of FamilySearch with
> the archival community worldwide
> · Significantly lower costs associated with acquiring, preserving, or
> providing access to data
> · Increase business viability and website traffic
> · Leverage an open platform that develops value-added services around
> FamilySearch, the world's largest repository of genealogical data.
>
> FamilySearch will announce the first collaborative projects of its new
> Records Access program during the National Genealogical Society (NGS)
> Convention in Richmond, Virginia, the week of May 14, 2007. Many more
> project announcements are expected in the following months.
>
> Record custodians and archives that would like additional information
> regarding the FamilySearch Records Services can contact Wayne Metcalfe
> (metcalfewj@gensocietyofutah.org) and genealogy web service providers
> should contact Dave Harding (hardingdp@ldschurch.org).
>
> FamilySearch (historically known as the Genealogical Society of Utah)
> is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of
> Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch maintains the world's largest
> repository of genealogical resources accessed through
> FamilySearch.org, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and
> over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries.
>

Remember Mama

All across America, mothers wake up on this day, Mother's Day, with
hugs and kisses from their young children. Breakfast is lovingly and
painstakingly made by little hands. Gifts and cards may be store
bought or handmade. What means the most is the love. Remember mama.

It was a usual sight for a visitation the night before a funeral. The
proverbial old ladies sitting next to the casket while family members
and friends mingled, hugged, and shed tears of sadness. Such was the
scene at the recent funeral of my mother's sister, the last of their
generation to leave us. While it was a sad occasion and many tears
fell, there was also laughter to be heard. People remembered my aunt
with love and laughter. And most of all, they remembered mama.

The visitation room in which my aunt lay at the Charleston funeral home
was built by my grandfather, Sebastian Cabot Poston. The funeral
director was most anxious that the family know this-- and know that
they remembered my family. What a comfort it was for the family to
know his daughter was in a place he had known well and lovingly built
about 50 years ago.

I introduced myself to the old ladies in attendance as Louise's
sister's child. Ears perked up, eyes glistened, and these beautiful
gentile women spoke lovingly to me. They knew my name, and they
remembered mama. While my mother has been gone for many a year, they
brought her back to me that night. They spoke of the times when they
were all young girls together. They made my laugh and cry.

These same women sat directly behind me at my aunt's funeral and spoke,
yet again, of my mother and the past. At the reception after the
service, I had a blessing bestowed on me. People remembered mama. And
it was all with love in their voices. They remembered my grandmother
and spoke of her love for her Lord and gave me more memories which are
now in my heart.

I remember mama. I remember the unconditional love, the way she
couldn't tell a joke, the way she and my dad would waltz, the times
when I thought her rules were way too strict, her love of God, her love
of family, her unfailing support of her children and her husband, the
way my head and heart felt when I rested on her shoulder, the way she
taught us to live, and the way she taught us how to die. Oh yes, I
remember mama.

Why do I get a kick out of genealogy? It's my way to preserve the
history of the family. It's my way to see how my ancestors lived.
It's my way to try and understand the sacrifices made by our ancestors
so we may flourish. It's been my blessing to see how much faith has
been a part of the family. It's my way to teach my children.

Oh yes, I remember mama. And through me, my children are given a
strong sense of who they are and who she was. Oh yes, I remember mama.
I miss her terribly but her love is with me always. Yes, I remember
mama.