Treasure Chest Thursday - 1936 Woman's Basketball Team

Treasure Chest Thursday

1936 Woman's Basketball Team

Coon Rapids, Iowa

One more classic photo, including my mother, #8, twice, with many of her closest friends. One caution, for those who click to enlarge the photo: The caption has the names reversed on #5 & #8. Note that #8 is Eileen Kinnick, in both the full group and in the seniors photo. #5 is Erna Lund, who lived just down the road from Eileen in the diaries.

Remember, in these days, in Iowa Girls Basketball, they played three on three, in half courts, not full court. Defense on one end and Offense on the other! The opponent the reverse, obviously, I hope!

Also, not that the gymnasium was just built in 1934. It was just torn down a few weeks ago, in 2012.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Eileen and three boys

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday

Eileen and three boys

Wow! Where did this one come from... That must be Kelton (Kinnick cousin) on the left. He is too big to be our brother number three, Tom. Brother Jim is about 4, perhaps, which would make me about 9, so this is summer 1948 - Tom was born in May, 1948... she is pretty slim...  Kelt was born in Jul 1945, so three??

Love to see the buildings in the background, as well, on the farm! My oh my! Love new discoveries!


Families are Forever!  ;-)

One More "Day of Listening" story...

One More "Day of Listening" story...

Thanks to Randy Seaver for recommending this really neat story...

http://myancestorsname.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-ancestors-told-elders-listened-we.html

Families are Forever!  ;-)

This is the "National Day of Listening"

This is the "National Day of Listening"

If you missed my post on Monday, check it out here.

Today, I also enjoyed seeing Biff Barnes write about it here.

Each has great links to follow for more information!  

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Thanksgiving Day 1941

Treasure Chest Thursday

Thanksgiving Day 1941

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Cousins!

Upper left, cousin Dennis Ford, six months older

Upper right, Bill Smith, 2 years, 5 months - love that car!

Lower left, Dennis and Billie!

Lower right, cousin Karen Kinnick in white; neighbor girl

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Thanksgiving 2003 in Branson

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday

Thanksgiving 2003 in Branson

We'll be back together this year, in Austin!  ;-)

Families are Forever!  ;-)

National Day of Listening - Friday, 23 Nov 2012 upcoming

National Day of Listening - Friday, 23 Nov 2012 upcoming


I recently published this lens about the upcoming National Day of Listening, 23 Nov 2012.


Now, I've become aware of a neat Genealogy Community Blog Carnival on the same subject. Click on this link for more detailed information on participating.

Story Corp's National Day of Listening theme for 2012 is Thank a Veteran, and I encourage you to use that theme, if it is available to you. I fully support oral history projects, and this is a good one. [A while back, my grandson interviewed me for his family history boy scout project - that was really fun!] I did several oral history interviews, a few years ago, when I was working an Oral History Project in the Kansas Flint Hills!


My personal emphasis for the 2012 Holiday Season, is to talk to your aunts and uncles.

Here is a summary of that request:

Talk to aunts and uncles this holiday season about their family stories

I frequently write of learning and sharing the stories of my and your family history and genealogy. This year, as we approach the holiday season of family gathering, I want to encourage each of us to reach out to some additional key persons to better gather, record, understand and share these family stories: aunts and uncles (including great aunts and uncles, of course).

These are the siblings, brothers and sisters, of your parents and grandparents, and their spouses. I have mentioned this before when I discussed "Follow the Women" in talking about sources of family information. Most of us are fortunate enough to have heard stories from our parents and/or grandparents of the 'old days.' Aunts and uncles were there in the times of those stories, too, but they were a little older or a little younger, and you will get a different slant on those same stories. Have you found that to be true? I sure have. And, you'll get some stories your parents and grandparents may not choose to tell you - or 'just forgot!" Give it a try this holiday season. Talk to them one-on-one, as well. You may get more and better stories.

An added benefit you may also discover, by talking to an aunt or an uncle, especially ones you don't see too often, may be that you discover they love family history and genealogy, as well, and become an outstanding continuing source of new information for you. They may not realize you have an interest, especially if you are, in fact, relatively new to it yourself. Much of my paternal side information had already been compiled by my Dad's sister, my aunt. Since that surname was SMITH, I was especially appreciative of the work she and her sister had done. There was plenty left for me to work on, but I'll be eternally grateful for her outstanding groundwork!

I hope you will come back and leave me a comment, here, on Facebook, or at one of my blog sites, with the new stories you find this year at your holiday family gatherings!  ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)

My Hometown on Monday - Dwight Williams to open locker in Coon Rapids

My Hometown on Monday
Dwight Williams to open locker in Coon Rapids


October 22, 1937 - 75 Years Ago - 1 Nov 2012 CRE, p. 4:

Dwight Williams, local ice man, has leased the east room of the Speiker building and is remodeling it to install refrigerated lockers. Electricity will be used to create below-zero freezing temperatures in which meats or other food stuff can be kept for an indefinite period. This locker system has been installed in many cities and towns in the state and is proving highly satisfactorily according to Mr. Williams who says it will be some weeks before he will have it ready for operation.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Leo and Ida Marie (Bell) Kinnick married

Treasure Chest Thursday

Leo and Ida Marie (Bell) Kinnick married

[Another post from my 'CRE Enterprise archives' series]

October 22, 1937 - 75 Years Ago - 1 Nov 2012 CRE, p. 4:
******
Miss Ida Marie Bell and Leo M. Kinnick exchanged nuptial vows in a very quiet single ring
ceremony at the Methodist Parsonage here at 3:00 p.m. Sunday. The Rev. O.E. Cooley, who
performed the ceremony, Mrs. Cooley, Wayne and Rosalee were the only witnesses besides their attendants, Miss Eileen Kinnick, sister of the bride groom, and LeVerne Smith. The bride wore a smart one piece blue silk crepe cut very plainly with a swing skirt and a Peter-Pan collar. Tiny buttons of self material extended from the neckline to the bottom of the dress in front, and a band of Krimer fur edged the bottom of the skirt and collar. Her accessories were gray. Miss Kinnick wore a one piece blue silk modernistic print and brown accessories. Both men wore dark suits. Both young people graduated with the Coon Rapids Class of 1935. Mrs. Kinnick the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Bell, has taught in the rural schools here the past two years, northeast of town and at Oak Hill. Mr. Kinnick, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kinnick, graduated last year from the Capital City Commercial College in Des Moines and since that time he has been engaged in farming on his father’s farm northwest of Coon Rapids, where the young couple are at home.
******
If you would like to see the original page, including advertising, here is the copy from the archives:

http://coonrapids.advantage-preservation.com/document/coon-rapids-enterprise-1937-10-22-page-4

[click to view large image]

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Another Nebraska Smith Photo

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Another Nebraska Smith Photo

About a month ago, I shared a photo of the 1954 Smith family gathering at our Iowa family farm when Smith cousins from Nebraska were visiting there. Our visitors were a son and his wive and grandchildren of my great-uncle, John Joseph Smith.

I included other photos shared with me by his great-grandchildren, Laurel Brunken and his sister, Candace "Candy" Brunken Breed. The following photo recently came to me, from Candy, via Laurel. THANK YOU for sharing!  ;-)

This is 1962 portrait of John Joseph's two sons and their wives:

From left: Laura Alice (Price) and her husband, Lee Arnold Smith with Esther (Swanson) and her husband, Lyman Smith.

In sending me the photo, Laurel said: "This photo was always in a frame around our house when I was growing up. I thought you might enjoy it since Esther and Lyman are in it." Lyman and Esther were our 1954 visitors. 

By the way, Lee Arnold and Lyman had one sister, Beulah.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - Explore Stats, not my usual thing

Follow Friday - Explore Stats, not my usual thing


I don't normally spend much time on stats of my writings on the web. However, I've had an usual series of events recently, in my Squidoo.com writing platform, that has given me an opportunity to take a second look.

My lens (viewpoint webpage) "Explore Your Family History" was given the top honor of the Platform (founded by Marketing Guru Seth Godin) as "Lens of the Day" (LOTD) - running as number one on the site for 24 hours… on October 25; really neat. It got (and I'm using October 31 stats) 911 visits - with 298 Likes, to date.

Within the body of the lens, I included a Poll Question: "How far back in your family do you already know some family stories?"

Here are the results, to date:

4.2% - I really don't know any
4.2% - I've never really thought about it before
56.6% - Great-grandparents and before
27.7% - Grandparents
5.4% - Parents
1.8% - My own only

Total votes - 166

I personally answered each of the couple of hundred comments left on the lens. While some were from folks that have done family history extensively, on their own or with other family members, there were many, many with the comments like: I want to do this, but don't know how; Never seem to find the time; Wish I knew where to get started, etc.

For them, I created a follow-up lens: "7 Step Guide to Family History Study".


I request your comments on two areas: 1) Do you have thoughts on the stats? Do they seem normal and reasonable to you? Are there areas of concern, if this were your lens?

2) Your reaction to the two lenses, themselves.

P.S. These were created for a NON-family history and genealogy audience, generally, by the way. There are only a dozen or so in the audience who also write specifically on family history among their writing. So, in a way, I am 'reaching out' to new folks in the area - unlike my readers here on this blog.

Thanks for comments - here, on Facebook, Google+, or on your own blog.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Bridesons depart for California

Treasure Chest Thursday - Bridesons depart for California
[Another post  from my 'CRE Enterprise archives' series]

Following up on posts from Oct 18 and Oct 25:

Following are excerpts from the 3 Dec 1948 and 10 Dec 1948 'Bayard News' sections for The Coon Rapids Enterprise (from the Archives) related to the departure of the Everette and Gertrude (Kinnick) Brideson family (including children John and Jeanette) from the Bayard, Iowa, community to Sacramento, California. [As I have noted earlier, these are my maternal great aunt and uncle - she is a sister of my maternal grandfather, Paul Kinnick. They remained close to us over the years, visiting from time to time - I continue Facebook connections with several of their grandchildren even today.]

From Page 9, 3 Dec 1948:

Bridesons Honored
Mr. and Mrs. Everett Brideson, John and Jeanette have been honored at a series of dinners and luncheons for the past week in farewell to them before they leave for their new home in Sacramento, California.

From Page 8, 10 Dec 1948:

Mr. Brideson Honored
The Sunday school of the Methodist church gave a farewell pot-luck dinner in the church basement Thursday evening honoring Everett Brideson, the superintendent of the Sunday school for the past 12 years. Mrs. Brideson shared the honors as she has been Sunday school teacher for the past 25 years.
Jack Schauf, the new superintendent, presented Mr. Brideson with a gift from the group. Edwin Adamson gave the farewell address.

*****



There are several other related stories on the two referenced pages. I'm sharing a photo image of the pdf files from the archives for each page, below. You can click on the image to see an enlarged version. You may also find the advertisements of local  businesses on the pages interesting. Of course, if you are from the area, you will also recognize other stories about your neighbors and friends on these pages.

I hope you will share your comments about what your see and read here and on Facebook and Google+

Families ( and Friends) are Forever!  ;-)