Shared Memories of JFK Assassination for GeneaBloggers

Shared Memories of JFK Assassination for GeneaBloggers

 

 

Our GeneaBlogger leader, Genealogy Ninja Thomas MacEntee, has asked that those of us with memories of that day, 22 November 1963, share whatever memories we do have. He was too young at the time, to have memories of his own. We are to include a relevant image, as well, as the memories will be collected at Pinterest.

 

I was a young officer in the United States Air Force, on that day, working in my green office, at my green desk, with a radio on another green desk, not too far away, in our series of semi-trailer vans that made up our radar unit. This was a Radar Bomb Scoring detachment, part of the Strategic Air Command. Our location was a mesa west of and above St. George, Utah. We had earlier (a couple of months) moved from another Mesa located west of Winslow, Arizona. We had two officers and 25-30 enlisted men in our detachment. [I also had a wife and young daughter, at our home, in town]

The only really clear memory is standing around that radio, shocked to hear of the assassination attempt, and awaiting the (unbelievable, but nearly inevitable) news of Kennedy's death. The rest is a blur. Shock always is.


Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun on Sunday - 29 Aug 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun on Sunday - 29 Aug 2010

Randy Seaver regularly suggests a "Saturnday Night Genealogy Fun" project; for this week:
"Your mission, should you decide to accept it (and I hope that you do... because this one is really cool!), is to:

1) Go to the www.ImageChef.com website and explore their FREE offerings. Click on the "Create" button, or choose to make a slideshow or posters from their main page (there are more than one screen of poster backgrounds).

2) Make one or more posters or other creation - perhaps they relate to genealogy or your own family history. Save them to your computer (right click, Save as Picture for Windows users).

3) Show your creations to us... in your own blog post, on a Facebook post, etc. If you make a really neat one and want to show it to the world but don't have a way to do it, send it to me (rjseaver@cox.net) and I'll show it off for you in a blog post."

Here is the first poster I made:

Thanks for another fun project, Randy!  ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Contributed Article posted at Examiner.com

I was please to publish an article by Sharleen Reyes: "How-To Preserve Your Family's History" on my Examiner.com - Springfield Genealogy Examiner series at:

http://www.examiner.com/genealogy-in-springfield/how-to-preserve-your-family-s-history-using-available-digital-tools-and-services-springfield-area

Hope you enjoy it, if you hadn't seen it already.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #23

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #23

Thanks again to Amy Coffin of We Tree (http://wetree.blogspot.com/) for the inspiration for this set of challenges.

This week we were challenged to come up with a personal genealogy challenge of our own. Well, I am taking on the challenge #22 from last week, related to  Find-a-Grave, by pledging to myself to become an active Contributor to FInd-a-Grave.

Frankly, I had become a bit worn out, even bored, with the Daily Theme of Tombstone Tuesday. I have done all the "easy ones!" Well, of course, the work is not done.

First, I will use my prior work on Tombstone Tuesday blog posts [it appears I have done 32, to-date] to create Contributions, meaningful Memorials, and Add a Photo to Find-a-Grave for most or all of these.

Second, in coming weeks and months, I also know I have other tombstone/grave photos in my vast unsorted boxes and files of photos. My wife and I recently agreed that getting a start on sorting them, scanning them, etc. [all those photos] needs to be part of our YEAR TWO retirement goals, starting next month. Therefore, I have and will retrieve those other tombstone/grave photos and post them to Tombstone Tuesdays as well as contribute them as Memorials on Find-a-Grave.

Wish me well on this new initiative in the coming year(s).

Thanks, again, to Amy at We Tree and to Thomas at GeneaBloggers for the inspiration!


Families are Forever!  ;-)

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #22

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #22

Thanks again to Amy Coffin of We Tree (http://wetree.blogspot.com/) for the inspiration for this set of challenges. (http://wetree.blogspot.com/2010/01/52-weeks-to-better-genealogy.html)


This week we were challenged to spend some time at Find-a-Grave and report on the experience.


While I have used the site, admittedly sparingly, in the past, this was the first time I really looked at it. Here was my experience:

I first saw a link: Search by Location, I clicked on USA - Iowa, and got 365 results.
To my surprise, I saw a list of individuals, not cemeteries, as I expected. Then, I realized I had clicked the "location" link under "Find a Famous Grave" not under "Find Grave" - First lesson learned!  ;-)

Under Find Grave, I used Search for a cemetery, then entered Coon Rapids, USA, Iowa, Carroll County - my hometown cemetery.

Coon Rapids Cemetery came up, with 392 interments listed along with 8 Photo Requests. There was also a very nice, active map of the location, which I knew to be true.

I entered 5 surnames in the search, to see what I would find:

SMITH - 31 names listed, none of them 'my family' - the first Oops; no excuse, I should have seen that 'mine' were entered before this.
KINNICK - 0 - surprise, again... shame on me, as well as others, for no entries.
SORENSEN - 0 - ditto!!
BOLGER - 0 - my wife's name; she and her family have not entered them either.
WILSON - 5 - Happy to see these, by a cousin of my wife, Shawn Brown

I followed up by looking at Shawn's activity - he had entered 42 memorials - good for him, along with 3 photos.

Well, I committed to do this Challenge because I thought it was important to do - even though I am "on vacation" this week. Now I understand why.

I registered as a Contributor and completed the Contributor Page.

One of my new projects will to be to begin converting my many blog entries under Tombstone Tuesday to memorials on Find-a-Grave. Thanks, again, to Amy at We Tree and to Thomas at GeneaBloggers for the reminder!



Families are Forever!  ;-)

KINNICKs in Old Man's Draft -WW II

KINNICKs in Old Man's Draft - US WWII Draft Reg Cards, 1942

On The KINNICK Project Blog I have listed each of the persons with surname KINNICK currently listed in the Ancestry.com repository of WW II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, the first of seven draft lists in WWII - and the only ones available to date. Over time, I will post all of the individual card images.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Special Report - The Jennie Ellis Story

The Jennie Ellis Story

Jennie Ellis

I introduced Jennie Ellis as a "hometown" girl in my Treasure Chest Thursday - old diaries and more a week or so back. This post is a little more on Jennie Ellis. It is not a lot, but it is what we have, and enough to speculate on more, until additional facts are discovered and/or disclosed.

Several recent posts, and more to come, are sharing the story of Jay King "Babe" Towne, noted in Jennie's diary as "beaux" with his photo.

There were two sets of photos in the scans I've found to date. Someday, I'll find the diary again, and add more to the story...  ;-)

I did find Jennie once, in the US Census, in 1900, living at home with her Minister father, James, her mother, Mattie, and a younger sister, Bertha. They were living in Rippey, Greene Co, Iowa, at the time. Rippey is a few miles east of Coon Rapids, Iowa.

From the 1900 US Census:

Name: Jennie L Ellis [Jennie L Ella] 
Home in 1900: Washington, Greene, Iowa
Age: 18
Birth Date: Jul 1882
Birthplace: Iowa
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relationship to Head of House: Daughter
Father's Name: James W
Father's Birthplace: Illinois
Mother's Name: Mattie C
Mother's Birthplace: Wisconsin
Marital Status: Single 
Household Members:
Name
Age
James W Ellis
45
Mattie C Ellis
42
Jennie L Ellis
18
Bertha M Ellis
13

Rippey Town, Minister

Ministers have a habit of moving regularly, it seems. I would speculate that Ellis may have been in Coon Rapids two or three years earlier, and moved to Rippey by 1900.

Note that Jennie is two years younger than Jay Towne (1880 v. 1882) the baseball player. Towne graduated from Coon Rapids High School in 1898. By 1900, he had been married to someone else for a year already! Therefore, it appears that the entires in the diary likely were made in 1895-96, perhaps, when he might have been her "beaux" - the open question would be, did he know about it!  ;-)

I was able to find one of her lady friends in the census, as well, Mabel Wallace, about her age:

1900 US Census:
Name: Mabel Wallace
Home in 1900: Union, Carroll, Iowa (Coon Rapids area)
Age: 17
Birth Date: Jan 1883
Birthplace: Iowa
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relationship to Head of House: Daughter
Father's Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mother's Name: Esther
Mother's Birthplace: Iowa
Marital Status: Single 
Household Members:
Name
Age
Esther Wallace
36
Mabel Wallace
17
Charley Wallace
13

That is what we have, at this time. I'm sure the story will be continued, down the road.
If anyone who sees this can add to the story, we would love to hear from you.  ;-)



Families are Forever!  ;-)

Special Report - The Babe Towne Story

Special Report - The Babe Towne Story

We introduced Babe on Monday last week in the Hometown Baseball story. More was added to the story on Treasure Chest Thursday, introducing the Jennie Ellis diary and some news clippings. [See one more Treasure Chest Thursday, this coming week as well]

Hopefully, this will be more of a Life Story of Jay King "Babe" Towne. Let's start with identifying his family:

From the Coon Rapids Enterprise, 100 Years Ago, 10 Sep 1909:
Dr. E.B. Towne, one of the oldest settlers of the county, and a prominent and highly respected citizen, died yesterday afternoon as we went to press, hence are unable to make more than a brief announcement of his death. It is likely the burial will take place Saturday from the residence of his son, Jay Towne.

From my Carroll County Timeline - Carroll Co, IA, GenWeb site (circa 1997-8):
In 1870, Carrollton consisted of two blacksmith shops, the United Brethren Church, a grocery store, a dry goods store, a shoemaker's shop, an implement shop, post office, saloon, the town hall (Woodman's), the two-story schoolhouse, carpenter shop, the courthouse, two hotels, a telephone switchboard, a dressmaker shop and Dr. Towne's office. The telephone had direct connections with Glidden, Dedham, and Coon Rapids. [3]
[3] Carrollton History-Cookbook, Carrollton Community Club, 1897-1997.

From the 1880 US Census:
Name: J.K. Towne
Home in 1880: Newton Twp, Carroll, Iowa Age: 2M
Estimated birth year: abt 1880
Birthplace: Iowa
Relation to Head of Household: Son
Father's Name: E.B.
Father's birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Name: Angeline
Mother's birthplace: Virginia
Household Members:
Name, Age
E.B. Towne, 51
Angeline Towne, 32
E.W. Towne, 20
J.K. Towne, 2M
Child birth month: March
Occupation of father: Physician

From the 1885 Iowa State Census:
Name: E B Town [E B Towne] 
Birth Year: abt 1829
Birth Place: ??, Ohio
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Census Date: 1885
Residence State: Iowa
Residence County: Carroll
Locality: Newton
Household Members:
Name, Age
E B Town, 56
A E Town, 35
Jay Town, 4
Chara M Town, 0


From the 1895 Iowa State Census:
J. K. Towne, Age 14
Birthplace: Carroll Co, IA
Residence: Coon Rapids, Carroll

Listed as High School Graduate, Coon Rapids High School, Class of 1898

From the 1900 US Census:
Name: Jay Towne
Home in 1900: Union, Carroll, Iowa
Age: 19
Birth Date: Nov 1880
Birthplace: Iowa
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relationship to Head of House: Son-in-law
Father's Birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Birthplace: Ohio
Marriage Year: 1899
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 1
Household Members:
Name, Age
Elsie Clennon, 48
Alice Clennon, 38
Barton Clennon, 14
Esther Towne ,17
Jennie Clennon, 9
Lawrence Clennon, 4
Myrtle Slevins, 16
Jay Towne, 19 (son-in-law)


The Des Moines Daily News, Sunday, July 29, 1906:

JAY TOWNE SOLD CHICAGO AMERICAN
Big Des Moines Catcher is Seen Here for Last Time
Catch Game This Afternoon

Lincoln, Nebraska, July 28
Special - Manager M. E. Cantillon, of the Des Moines club, announced that Catcher "Babe" Towne, who has done the bulk of the backstopping for the Western league champions since the season opened, has bee sold to the Chicago American league team. Towne will catch tomorrow in Des Moines and leave at night for Chicago to join Comiskey's White Sox. Manager Cantillon left Lincoln tonight for a scouting tour of Nebraska to pick up a catcher to substitute for Dexter, who will be the regular catcher for Des Moines for the remainder of the season. Pithcer Miller and Outfielder Caffyn, both of Des Moines, will likely be sold during the coming week.

Professional Baseball Players, 1876-2004 about Jay King Towne
Name: Babe Towne
Birth name: Jay King Towne
Nickname: Babe
Birth Place: Iowa, United States
Birth Year: 1880
Death Place: Iowa, United States
Death Date: 29 Oct 1938
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180 lbs.
First game date: 01 Aug 1906
Final game date: 06 Oct 1906
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Draft: Not Applicable

The Waterloo Reporter, 26 Jun 1908, Waterloo, Iowa:

BABE TOWNE HEARD FROM
Sioux City Tribune: "Babe" Towne once a star backstop in the Western league and drafted two years ago by Comiskey, of the White Sox, has been signed by Manager Holmes. Towne, who is at home at Coon Rapids, is to join the club, when it goes to Des Moines. If he is in good condition he will remain with the team the balance of the season. Catcher Jack Henry was injured at Omaha and may be out of the game for some time and Manager Holmes, needing another catcher badly, took Towne.
"Babe" Towne shortly after he joined the White Sox two years ago was injured. His right shoulder was wrenched in sliding to a base and thereafter his throwing was inaccurate and his hitting fell off. Last season he was farmed out to Burlington. His record there was not good, owing to the injury and it was announced that he would play no more baseball.
Back in the store where he clerks his injury is said to have healed and those who have seen him play the past month declare he is as good as ever. While in the Western he hit over .300 in the two years with Des Molnes. In the ten or fifteen games played with the champion Sox he batted above the .300 mark and until he was injured was regarded as one of the most promising backstops taken from the minors.
"Babe" began playing professional baseball with Rock Rapids about 12 years ago. He was a first baseman and afterward donned the windpad.

Babe Towne State, WHite Sox 1906:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/1906.shtml

Roster:
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1906&t=CHA


World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 about Jay King Towne
Clay County, Iowa, 12 Mar 1880 Birthdate

From the 1920 US Census:

Name: Jay K Towne
Home in 1920: Sioux, Clay, Iowa
Age: 39
Estimated birth year: abt 1881
Birthplace: Iowa
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Spouse's name: Esther
Father's Birth Place: New York
Mother's Birth Place: Pennsylvania
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes 
Household Members:
Name, Age
Jay K Towne, 39
Esther M Towne, 35
Edith Towne, 14
Helen A Towne, 8
Virginia Towne, 5
Lawrance Clennon, 24

Lawrance is brother-in-law; Jay listed as Farmer, Gen Farm

Consensus from Ancestry (from Family Trees):

Jay King Towne  - Hines Family Tree
    •    Birth:  12 Mar 1880 - Coon Rapids, Carroll, Iowa, United States
    •    Death:  29 Oct 1938 - Coon Rapids, Carroll, Iowa, United States
    •    Parents:  Edmund Burt Towne, Angeline E Harold
    •    Spouse:  Esther Mary Clennon

Many family trees with information agreeing are available.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Surname Saturday - Special Report - Common Surnames

Special Report on Common Surnames

 I am taking a break from my usual Surname Saturday posts to share this Special Report:

This post was stimulated by Lisa Louise Cooke Facebook discussion of Thomas Jones lecture on Tracing Common Surnames and Sean Lamb sharing the Wikipedia reference of common surnames:

Common Surnames (Top 15, in order, 2000) in the United States:

Smith *
Johnson **
Williams*
Brown ***
Jones *
Miller *
Davis **
Garcia
Rodriquez
Wilson ***
Martinez
Anderson ***
Taylor
Thomas ***
Hernandez

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames_in_North_America

* 4 of the top 6 are in my list of 21/32 closet on Pedigree Surnames (all listed on page 2 of the blog)
** son-in-law or aunt by marriage
*** wife's close ancestor or in-law

I suppose the point of this Special Report is to note how many of the most Common Surnames in the United States are in our family... it does make our genealogy work a fun challenge - as if we didn't know that already!!  ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #19

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #19

Examine the "Genealogy and Military Records" page on the National Archives site: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/research/genealogy.html

I went to the Site:

Genealogy Research in Military Records, looked to the right and saw"New to Research in Military Records" for link to:
Overview: Historical Documents of Interest to Veterans
Online Veterans and Military Documents
Online Military Documents in ARC

At ARC - Archival Research Catalog, I entered KINNICK in the search box [I got 7 results]:

1 Kinnick Joseph, Jr -- [Date of Birth] 01/16/1897, [Service Number] 000069303, [Date of Enlistment] 03/08/1915
ARC Identifier 2276328 / Local Identifier MC20501008
Textual Records from the Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. U.S. Marine Corps. Personnel Management Division. (ca. 1947 - )
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Archival Operations Branch), St. Louis, MO
File Unit from Record Group 127: Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1775 - 9999

2 Kinnick Forest Glen -- [Service Number] 001026644, [Date of Enlistment] 06/07/1917
ARC Identifier 3547075 / Local Identifier NV07143022
Textual Records from the Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Bureau of Naval Personnel. (1991 - ca. 1995)
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Archival Operations Branch), St. Louis, MO
File Unit from Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798 - 2007

3 Kinnick Everette D -- [Service Number] 001026643, [Date of Enlistment] 12/04/1917
ARC Identifier 3547074 / Local Identifier NV07143021
Textual Records from the Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Bureau of Naval Personnel. (1991 - ca. 1995)
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Archival Operations Branch), St. Louis, MO
File Unit from Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798 - 2007

4 Kinnick Paul Durward -- [Service Number] 002910550, [Date of Enlistment] 04/25/1923
ARC Identifier 3547076 / Local Identifier NV07143023
Textual Records from the Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Bureau of Naval Personnel. (1991 - ca. 1995)
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Archival Operations Branch), St. Louis, MO
File Unit from Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798 - 2007

5 Kinnick Glenn Wayne {****See additional detail: The KINNICK Project}-- [Date of Birth] 11/07/1902, [Service Number] 000168411, [Date of Enlistment] 10/11/1920
ARC Identifier 2416824 / Local Identifier MC22308001
Textual Records from the Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. U.S. Marine Corps. Personnel Management Division. (ca. 1947 - )
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Archival Operations Branch), St. Louis, MO
File Unit from Record Group 127: Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1775 - 9999

6 AMERICAN SCHOOLS IN JAPAN (TOKYO), 05/31/1952
ARC Identifier 25354 / Local Identifier 111-LC-29616
Moving Images from the Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. U.S. Army Audiovisual Center. (ca. 1974 - 05/15/1984)
Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division, College Park, MD
Item from Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 - 1985

7 PARAMOUNT NEWS [OCT. 24], 1940
ARC Identifier 100170 / Local Identifier PARA-PN-41.17
Moving Images from the Paramount News
Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division, College Park, MD
Item from Collection PARA: Paramount Pictures, Inc., Collection, 1951 - 1951


The first five are in my family database, and I can explore these further, individually. The final two likely relate to our most famous cousin, Nile Kinnick, Jr, who died as a Navy fighter pilot early in WWII, and had a school in Japan named for him.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Proofreading reminder

Thanks to our friends at; eNews from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, toward the end of a good article on proofreading manuscripts:

"One thing you must prepare yourself for is that no matter how many people proofread your document, the minute you publish something you will find an error that wasn’t caught. Rare is the book or magazine that doesn’t have some type of error in it. You will also discover that many people jump to give you feedback about errors. Some will present it to you in a friendly tone to assist you. Others will come across as self-important know-it-alls who criticize others to inflate their own self-worth. Kindly thank the former, and ignore the latter. Include the important step of proofreading in your writing, and your final product will always be the best it can be."

To subscribe or view back issues of eNews, please visit www.newenglandancestors.org/publications/eNews.asp.

Families are Forever!  ;-) 

A Festival of Postcards - Check it out!

Be sure to visit the Festival of Postcards!

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Our new look

Hope you like the new look of our blog. Thanks to Blogger for making more options available. I think if is easier to read and has a "cleaner" feeling. Happy to hear your comments.  Bill  ;-)

Special Report: How far do you read into a blog post?

I was just reading a neat story by that old reliable reporter, Dan Rather, on Huffington Post, when I realized that after reading, perhaps, six or seven short paragraphs... I moved on to something else. And, I hadn't even gotten to the part of the post I had clicked on to read.

How much patience do you have, these days?

I realize I keep most of my posts fairly short, in hopes that followers really will read them - THEN move on to the next. Perhaps, as some of you do, you will even have time to leave a comment. Thank you, by the way.

Just one observation. I'd love to hear your comments!

Families are Forever - but blog posts shouldn't be!  ;-)

Special Report - New Opportunities Ahead

7 March 2010 Special Report - New Opportunities Ahead

I hope you watched the new NBC TV Series Who Do You Think You Are? The Premier Episode was Friday, March 5, on NBC, at 8 p.m./7 p.m. central time. It will run weekly. See the website link for more details on the 7 celebrities being featured and future schedules.

A major sponsor of the program is Ancestry.com, a website most genealogy/family history folks depend on for at least a part of their research. We join with them in hoping and believing that perhaps millions of new people will begin a serious search for their own family history - their family tree, as most people still call it. My thought when I see the commercials and hear the discussions is:

"Discovering your family tree/ancestor stories may be FREE but it is not CHEAP."

I have even seen family history blogs speaking of "how easy it is to find your family tree, online, FREE!" Well, I suppose that is ok, but, it is not entirely true. I think we each will now have a special duty and responsibility as we help new searchers to understand the real facts. And, yes, I have seen this mentioned in a number of other blogs already; Thank you! And, yes, new folks, you will easily find elements of your family tree, online, at little or not cost - of course, it costs you something to get on the Internet!

More important, however, is the need for the reminder that just because something familiar is online, it is not necessarily complete or accurate. Also, we know that the search for your family heritage, our ancestors, is never "done." We each need to talk quietly and regularly about the research that is required to confirm and authenticate the "family tradition" type information "hints" we initially get from that first (and perhaps many others) search online - or from talking to the elders in our family, for that matter. I do know (at least I hope I do) that on this blog post I am "preaching to the choir." But, this reminder needs to repeated and repeated and repeated... especially in the months ahead. 

Finally, along with others, I want to reiterate what a great opportunity we each/all have, whether through our library, Family History Center, local genealogical or historical society, or our blogs to bring these many new people into our community of those dedicated to recognizing, documenting and sharing family history/genealogical information for all. These should be good times ahead for our interests and our programs.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - 6 Mar 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - 6 Mar 2010

Tonight's mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1) Pretend that you are one of the subjects on the Who Do You Think You Are? show on NBC TV.

2) Which of your ancestors (maximum of two) would be featured on your hour-long show? What stories would be told, and what places would you visit?

3) Tell us about it on your own blog, in comments to this blog post, or in a Note or Comment on Facebook.

My two (since I must do only two) would be my great-grandfather Preston who owned a piece of the the Blue Gravel gold mine in California, according to his own 1880s bio in a county history in Montana. He left home at 15 to be on a wagon train west in 1852, based on the info we have to date.

The second would be his maternal grandfather, John Butler, who appears to have spend the winter of 1776-77 with his seven cousins, and General George Washington, at Valley Forge, a few miles from their home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

If I could have a third, it would be fifth great-grandfather William Kinnick, a Sergeant Major in the Maryland line in the Revolutionary War. He served 3 years to the day, as a man in his mid-fifties.

Thanks, Randy, for the opportunity to do this exercise!

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Flashback Friday - Brideson Wedding Photo

 Flashback Friday - on Saturday 6 Mar 2010 - Thanks to Roots and Branches:

 

Also, pretty close to an entry :
For National Women's History Month Lisa Alzo at The Accidental Genealogist has provided 31 blogging prompts that may interest you. They are also being promoted by GeneaBlogger on Facebook.

I've been looking for an excuse to post this wedding photo of my great-aunt, Gertrude KINNICK and her husband, Everett BRIDESON; from 20 Dec 1921, at her parents (Alonzo and Nettie  KINNICK) farm near Coon Rapids, Carroll Co, Iowa. Her dress,  the bouquet, his outfit, the look in their eyes. What must they have been thinking?!?!  ;-)

 

P.S. Gertrude is third from the left in this Kinnick-Williams Picnic photo - as I knew her.  ;-)

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Friday night - 98 Followers

Just two followers short of 100 - WOW!
Thanks!
Lots to live up to!

Families are Forever!  ;-)

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 9 Friday

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 9 Friday - Final

Suggested by Amy Coffin at WeTree and hosted by Genabloggers

Here we go, for Friday, the last day of an interesting week's project!

Gen Journey
Sarah Cummings the Genealogist (Feb 22 )

A January 1880 letter with family history questions provides the basis for a good blog post!

Finding Josephine
Who Do I Think I Am? (Mar 5)

A wonderful story about "An unlikely Daughter of the Confederacy." How lucky I have been to be following this blog this week! THANK YOU!  ;-)

Reconnected Roots
First Post (2/14) - no new posts, yet.

Such familiar comments - welcome aboard!  ;-)

Southwest Arkie
"Keep This" ~ Family Treasures, Sold a Auction (Mar 5)

Just read it! Very nicely done. My Mom wrote "Keep This" on newspaper clippings... I'm still finding them, ten years later, going through different boxes of her stuff!  ;-)

Clue Wagon
This Might Actually be Better Than Ice Cream (Mar 5)

Nice promo for WDYTYA!

Families are Forever! ;-)

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 9 Thursday

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 9 Thursday

Suggested by Amy Coffin at WeTree and hosted by Genabloggers

Here we go, for Tuesday...

Gen Journey
David Holden and Bridget Atwell (Mar 4 )

A copy of an 1880 letter is the basis for this post. This leads to an interesting discussion I highly recommend.

Finding Josephine
Handy Hint (Mar 4)

An interesting update on her Handy research.

Reconnected Roots
First Post (2/14) - no new posts, yet.

Such familiar comments - welcome aboard!  ;-)

Southwest Arkie
Mystery Buttons (Mar 4)

A great grandmother photo - check out the two buttons on the dress - do you know what they are?

Clue Wagon:
Organizing Your Family Photos - Part 3 (Mar 3)

Kerry shares insights into some photo organizing tools.

Families are Forever! ;-)