In June I went to "West By God Virginia"! I went with my sister, my mom, and my youngest - Emily. My intention was to go down to get some research done on mom's family....but you know the saying about best intentions. I did get to the Greenbrier County Historical Society and spent part of the morning doing some research and did find a couple of things I needed on a couple of different lines. I had a lot more fun spending time with the girls and shopping and eating!
We stayed at the General Lewis Inn in Lewisburg and shopped downtown. It's changed a lot since I was there about 13 years ago. It's so nice! Lots of really unique shops now. And lots of great places to eat. Emily and I went to Lost World Caverns on Saturday and we had a great time! If you ever get down to Lewsiburg you need to go to the caverns.
I would move down to the Lewisburg area in a heartbeat. I'm hoping to be able to go down again in the next year or so........to get some research done. :-)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Vaclav Loos
The SS Breslau
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Greatest Knight Ever.......Seriously
The book is about Sir William Marshall. William was born in 1146 and, as was common in those times in England, he didn't have a wonderful childhood. Life was hard. It was a time of Kings and wars and allegiences and knights. At the tender young age of 6 William was almost hanged. King Stephen besieged the castle of William's father, John, who had once been a supporter of Stephen, but turned on him. In order for Stephen to make sure that John surrendered the castle he held little William hostage and threatened to hang him in front of his father. William's father, John, being the "wonderful" man that he was told Stephen to go ahead and hang him because - "I still have the hammer and the anvil with which to forge still more and better sons!" Fortunately for the child, Stephen could not bring himself to hang young William.
Because William was the younger son of a minor nobleman he was not to inherit any lands or money and had to make his own way in life. At the age of 12 he was sent to Normandy and this is where he had his first lessons on becoming a knight. He found his true calling jousting in tournaments. He is said to have bested over 500 knights in his career. His reputation grew and soon he was appointed to the house of Henry the Young King in 1170. He and the young king continued to travel at all the tournaments.
William supported the young king in his efforts against his father, King Henry II. For years William lived with and worked for this royal family. In August 1189 King Henry kept his promise to William, who was now 43, and gave William the hand of 17 year old Isabel du Claire - along with her father's lands and estates in England, Ireland, Normandy and France and he became one of the richest men in the kingdom.
After many political moves, William went to the Crusades, supported King John, became a huge supporter of the Magna Carta and eventually helped sign it into law. On 14 May 1219 he died. On his deathbed he had invested into the Knights Templar and was buried at Temple Church.
What I've written here about him is extremely condensed. His life was amazing - he came from nothing and became one of the richest, most respected knights in England. He played hardball with kings and protected queens. He played the medival political game with skill and came out on top.
William Marshall is what little girl's dreams are made of - the ultimate knight in shining armour. He's my 25th great-grandfather and I'm very proud of that.
For more info "Bing" or "Google" Sir William Marshall.
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Feeling
I was just doing the dishes and I was thinking about genealogy....of course, and a thought popped into my head. How do I describe the feeling I get when I find a new ancestor, or when I find new information on someone.
Imagine you're a small child again. It's Christmas morning and you've just come down the stairs.........do you remember the feeling of overwhelming excitement when you see what Santa has left you? Do you remember the feeling of awe and happiness when you see the tree all lit up and the presents stacked under it? That is just a small sample of what I feel everything I find someone, or something, in or about my family.
It's an overwhelming sense of excitement and awe and happiness, but also a sense of reverence and thankfullness, and pride. It gives me goosebumps. No feeling in the world is quite like it.
I feel so honored to be a part of such a family. I feel so inspired by their lives. I feel so thankful to them for all they sacrificed for me....for everything they did for me without even knowing.
And, (bear with me here while I go off the deep end....) I'm thankful for the ways they help me discover their lives. Seriously. Sometimes I feel like I'm spirit-lead. I'll lie awake at night sometimes, thinking about an ancestor I'm having a problem with. Then I fall asleep and when I wake up in the morning I know exactly where to go to look for him. Of course, this doesn't seem to work with Samuel Martin. He's being difficult.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love genealogy. I love my family - present and past.
Imagine you're a small child again. It's Christmas morning and you've just come down the stairs.........do you remember the feeling of overwhelming excitement when you see what Santa has left you? Do you remember the feeling of awe and happiness when you see the tree all lit up and the presents stacked under it? That is just a small sample of what I feel everything I find someone, or something, in or about my family.
It's an overwhelming sense of excitement and awe and happiness, but also a sense of reverence and thankfullness, and pride. It gives me goosebumps. No feeling in the world is quite like it.
I feel so honored to be a part of such a family. I feel so inspired by their lives. I feel so thankful to them for all they sacrificed for me....for everything they did for me without even knowing.
And, (bear with me here while I go off the deep end....) I'm thankful for the ways they help me discover their lives. Seriously. Sometimes I feel like I'm spirit-lead. I'll lie awake at night sometimes, thinking about an ancestor I'm having a problem with. Then I fall asleep and when I wake up in the morning I know exactly where to go to look for him. Of course, this doesn't seem to work with Samuel Martin. He's being difficult.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love genealogy. I love my family - present and past.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Research Trip!!!!
I'm excited!!! I'm going on a research trip to Greenbrier Co., WV!! I've been wanting to do this for quite a few years and now it's going to happen. I've got so much to do - lists to make of what I want to look for, what I need to prove, where I want to go, what to pack, etc. I'd forgotten how stressful planning a trip could be! :-) But it's a good stress.
I'm hoping to be able to end the brick wall of Samuel Martin.
I'm hoping to be able to end the brick wall of Samuel Martin.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Present Past
Twenty years or so ago when people found out that I liked to do genealogy, most of them didn't know what it was, and those that did couldn't understand why I wanted to do it.
For those that couldn't figure out why in the world I wanted to know about my family history I would ask them if they had ever wondered where they came from. Most of the time their answer was "yes" and after I talked to them about it for a few minutes they would become very interested.
I love teaching genealogy to people and will talk about my family history to anyone that asks....or doesn't :-)
For those that couldn't figure out why in the world I wanted to know about my family history I would ask them if they had ever wondered where they came from. Most of the time their answer was "yes" and after I talked to them about it for a few minutes they would become very interested.
I love teaching genealogy to people and will talk about my family history to anyone that asks....or doesn't :-)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
What Does Our Family Have To Do With the Great Seal of the United States???
Here's a bit of trivia for you - Who designed the Great Seal of the United States?
Answer - Charles Thomson. (Yes, it's spelled right)
And he's related how?, you ask. Well, he's my 6th great-grand uncle.....which means he was the brother of my 6th great grandfather, David Thompson. (Yes, it's spelled right.)
Sit back, kick your shoes off and I'll tell you the story...............
A long, long time ago, in the very early 1700s to be exact, in County Londonderry, Ireland a family by the name of Thomson lived. However, just because the family lived in Ireland, and some of the children were born there, they were actually Scottish.
A little info here - many families from Scotland moved, or were driven out of Scotland, and went to Ireland due to religious persecution. The term Scot-Irish was given to them. HOWEVER, they were NOT Irish. The true Scot-Irish NEVER intermarried with the Irish and kept their Scottish bloodlines true.
Anyway, back to the story............
Charles Thomson was born in 1729. He had two or three brothers, one of which was David. Their mother died sometime around 1739 and his father and the boys left Ireland for America. The father died at sea and the boys were left orphaned and penniless and when they reached America they were seperated.
Not much is known of how my David had to spend his childhood, but he acquired land in Frederick County, Virginia (now Mineral County, West Virginia) in 1749. In this same area, five miles from David's home, were the Thomas Hanks family (Grandfather of Abraham Lincoln)and Rebecca Bryan Boone's parents. (Wife of Daniel Boone) David farmed and raised a large family of 8 children with his wife, Mary. Their son, David Jr. was my line.
However, this story is about my 6th great-granduncle, Charles. You notice that Charles and David spelled their last names differently. Charles chose to keep the original spelling of the name and David chose to add the "p".
When Charles was seperated from his brothers after landing in America he was cared for by a blacksmith in New Castle, Delaware and was educated in New London, Pennsylvania. In 1750 he became a tutor in Latin at the Philadelphia Academy. He was also the founder of a group that became the American Philosophical Society. But that's not all...............
Charles was a good friend to the Indians and during the French and Indian War he was an opponent of the Pennsylvania proprietors' American Indian policies. He also became a leader of the Philadelphia Sons of Liberty. And that's not all.............
In the 1770s he was a leader in the revolutionary crisis. John Adams refered to him as "the Samuel Adams of Philadelphia." He also served as secretary of the Continental Congress through it's entirety (15 years). Along with John Hancock, who was the president of the Continental Congress, Charles' name appeared on the first published version of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. (He signed as secretary) Charles was also considered "The Prime Minister of the United States" as he was so involved in the conduct of foreign affairs. And that's not all...........
Charles was also the most responsible for coming up with the Great Seal of the United States. It seems that three seperate committees had tried to come up with a suitable design for the national seal that would satisfy the Continental Congress and they couldn't do it. Charles took it upon himself to take designs elements from the three committees and combined them into one work. Once he had the basic idea, William Barton refined it and the Congress accepted it and that's what serves as our national seal today.
From other sources ---
Charles Thomson – Principal Designer of the Great Seal
Although few people today have heard of Charles Thomson (1729-1824), he was one of America's most significant and influential Founding Fathers – a man very well qualified to translate the idea and ideals of America into symbolic imagery.
As the only Secretary of the Continental Congress for its entire fifteen years, Thomson was a tremendous unifying factor. He kept the minutes of all sessions of Congress, including special minutes of all the secret affairs. His journals and files became the archives of our nation.
From www.greatseal.com --
"No person in the world is so perfectly acquainted with the rise, conduct,
and conclusion of the American Revolution." – John Jay
Not Your Father's Secretary
Before the Constitution took effect in 1789, the Continental Congress was both the Executive and the Legislature. There was no President of the United States, only a President of Congress (elected by Congress).
Thomson's job combined what are now the domestic duties of the Department of State, the duties of the Secretary of the Senate. and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
"It's as true as if Charles Thomson's name were on it."
As Secretary, Thomson's name was regarded as an emblem of truth. In all the factional disputes of the Revolutionary period, his judgment was respected. During the rumors and uncertainties of the Revolutionary War, Thomson helped the Continental Congress retain the faith and support of the people by insisting that full and honest reports be issued, under his signature, concerning all battles and engagements whether won or lost.
His reputation was such that his reports were in great demand. When a Congressional paper appeared containing his signature the expression was frequently heard, "Here comes the Truth."
Ranked closely to the President, Thomson stands to the right of John Hancock in the painting of the Declaration of Independence seen on the two-dollar bill. In fact, Hancock's and Thomson's are the only two names on the Dunlap broadside, the copy of the Declaration printed the night of July 4th – the only version made public for the next six months.
John Adams said Charles Thomson was
"the Sam Adams of Philadelphia, the life and cause of liberty."
Thomson was keenly aware of the slavery problem.
Writing to Jefferson in 1785: "It grieves me to the soul that there should be such just grounds for your apprehensions respecting the irritation that will be produced in the Southern States by what you have said of slavery. However, I would not have you discouraged. This is a cancer we must get rid of. It is a blot on our character that must be wiped out. If it cannot be done by religion, reason, and philosophy, confident I am that it will be one day by blood.
He was largely responsible for the establishment and continuation of the American Philosophical Society, a key vehicle for colonial communication and unification. A man of high intelligence, Thomson was avid promoter of useful knowledge – especially scientific agriculture, which he put into practice on his farm for thirty years.
And, last but not least, Charles Thomson purchased a farm that another one of my ancestors had settled on. Rowland Ellis, my 7th great-grandfather, built the house and farmed the land that Charles Thomson eventually bought and lived out his life on. The farm is near Bryn Mawr, PA.
If you ever need to do a report on someone for history, this is your man.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day
In honor of St. Paddy's Day I thought I'd try to write something about one of my Irish ancestors, so I've decided to tell you a little bit about my 6th great-grandfather, Nehemiah Hutton.
Nehemiah was born in County Cavan, Ireland about 1690 to Thomas Hutton and Sarah Starkey. At an early age Nehemiah, who was a Quaker, left Ireland and sailed for America arriving here on 5 January 1716. He settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania and aquired 250 acres of land there. In 1723 he married Mary Miller, also from Ireland and also a Quaker, at the New Garden Monthly Meeting in Chester County and they proceeded to start a family.
It seems Nehemiah, being a "typical" Irish man, liked to partake in the spirits once in awhile and in 1724 this got him in trouble with the church. ---------
Quaker minutes: "10 Mo 12, 1724: 'Whereas Joseph & Nehemiah Hutton being both overtaken in Drink in ye County of New Castle & have condemned ye Same Under their hands which papers were read heere to ye Satisfaction of this Meeting & Appoints Benjamin ffred to read ye Same in ye Next first dayes Meeting.'"
Nehemiah lived until about 1735.
Nehemiah was born in County Cavan, Ireland about 1690 to Thomas Hutton and Sarah Starkey. At an early age Nehemiah, who was a Quaker, left Ireland and sailed for America arriving here on 5 January 1716. He settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania and aquired 250 acres of land there. In 1723 he married Mary Miller, also from Ireland and also a Quaker, at the New Garden Monthly Meeting in Chester County and they proceeded to start a family.
It seems Nehemiah, being a "typical" Irish man, liked to partake in the spirits once in awhile and in 1724 this got him in trouble with the church. ---------
Quaker minutes: "10 Mo 12, 1724: 'Whereas Joseph & Nehemiah Hutton being both overtaken in Drink in ye County of New Castle & have condemned ye Same Under their hands which papers were read heere to ye Satisfaction of this Meeting & Appoints Benjamin ffred to read ye Same in ye Next first dayes Meeting.'"
Nehemiah lived until about 1735.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The David Frantz Family
My great-grandma was Minnie Martin.....Sarah Minnie Frantz Martin to be exact. I only remember meeting her once when I was young. She lived in Indiana and we lived in Ohio, so it just wasn't possible for my mom to visit her grandmother much.
Minnie married Cleve Martin......George Cleveland Martin to be exact, in 1911. My grandfather, Galen Cleveland (he hated the name Cleveland) was their first child. Minnie was born and raised in Greenbrier County, West Virginia and was the daughter of Abraham Frantz Martin and Lovie Alice Puckett.
The Abraham Michael Frantz family lived at the bottom of Martin Mountain in a large white house. Abraham and Lovie came from different backgrounds as far as religion goes. Abraham was raised a "River Brethern" or "Dunkard" as they were called then. (Now they are simply known as The Church of the Brethern) Lovie was raised Missionary Baptist. This could have been a real "fly in the ointment" for the couple, but when brought to meet Abraham's parents they found her to be above reproach in every way and religion was no longer a problem. Abraham became a preacher of the Brethern faith and it's said that he married and buried more people than anyone during that time. He was an accomplished man and had a love of learning. A Brethern church was built for him on his farm and the pews were hand made by one of his boys.
Abraham was the son of David Frantz and Sarah Ann Golespy (Gillespie) and was one of 19 children that had been fathered by David. Sarah herself had 9 of those children and David's first wife had the other 10.
David is the first Frantz in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, coming from Boones Mills, Franklin County, Virginia shortly after the Civil War in 1866. The family had grown so large and the land in Franklin County was so bad that David couldn't feed or cloth his children. He had heard tales of the fertile land across the Blue Ridge Mountains and decided to travel there to see for himself if he could provide for his family better there.
After traveling a long time David came into Greenbrier County. He knew that this was were he was meant to raise his family and he started looking for a place to live. He happened upon a large brick home, found out it was for sale and purchased it right then and there. This house, called Grandview, had been built by Captain John Young, brother to my Anne Young who had married Robert Thompson (parents of Margaret Katherine Thompson who married Pere Warner Martin).
David's granddaughter, Ada Frantz (sister to Sarah Minnie Frantz Martin) described him in a story she wrote as a tall man, big boned and slow moving. A deeply religious man, he always carried his Bible with him - a German Bible. He spoke fluent German and read the Bible to his grandchildren at every chance. Except for his reading, David was a quiet man and never lost his temper or raised his voice. His wife, Sarah, called him Davey. Sarah was just the opposite. She was short and plump and was a bundle of energy - always the first to rise.
Minnie married Cleve Martin......George Cleveland Martin to be exact, in 1911. My grandfather, Galen Cleveland (he hated the name Cleveland) was their first child. Minnie was born and raised in Greenbrier County, West Virginia and was the daughter of Abraham Frantz Martin and Lovie Alice Puckett.
The Abraham Michael Frantz family lived at the bottom of Martin Mountain in a large white house. Abraham and Lovie came from different backgrounds as far as religion goes. Abraham was raised a "River Brethern" or "Dunkard" as they were called then. (Now they are simply known as The Church of the Brethern) Lovie was raised Missionary Baptist. This could have been a real "fly in the ointment" for the couple, but when brought to meet Abraham's parents they found her to be above reproach in every way and religion was no longer a problem. Abraham became a preacher of the Brethern faith and it's said that he married and buried more people than anyone during that time. He was an accomplished man and had a love of learning. A Brethern church was built for him on his farm and the pews were hand made by one of his boys.
Abraham was the son of David Frantz and Sarah Ann Golespy (Gillespie) and was one of 19 children that had been fathered by David. Sarah herself had 9 of those children and David's first wife had the other 10.
David is the first Frantz in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, coming from Boones Mills, Franklin County, Virginia shortly after the Civil War in 1866. The family had grown so large and the land in Franklin County was so bad that David couldn't feed or cloth his children. He had heard tales of the fertile land across the Blue Ridge Mountains and decided to travel there to see for himself if he could provide for his family better there.
After traveling a long time David came into Greenbrier County. He knew that this was were he was meant to raise his family and he started looking for a place to live. He happened upon a large brick home, found out it was for sale and purchased it right then and there. This house, called Grandview, had been built by Captain John Young, brother to my Anne Young who had married Robert Thompson (parents of Margaret Katherine Thompson who married Pere Warner Martin).
David's granddaughter, Ada Frantz (sister to Sarah Minnie Frantz Martin) described him in a story she wrote as a tall man, big boned and slow moving. A deeply religious man, he always carried his Bible with him - a German Bible. He spoke fluent German and read the Bible to his grandchildren at every chance. Except for his reading, David was a quiet man and never lost his temper or raised his voice. His wife, Sarah, called him Davey. Sarah was just the opposite. She was short and plump and was a bundle of energy - always the first to rise.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Two More Reasons People Should Do Genealogy
I'm going off on a tangent with this one.
The first reason - I've always thought that genealogy should be taught as a required course in school. It should be taught to go along with the history classes. How many kids do you know that are actually interested in history?? Not many. I know very few genealogists who don't have a love of history and their love of history evolved with the search for their ancestors. Once you find out that one of your relatives fought in the Revolutionary War you WANT to find out more about that period of history. I think kids would develop a great love....or at least a better liking.....for history if they knew that one of their ancestors had been involved in a particular time period.
The second reason - my daughter, Chelsea. You see, Chelsea has a very rare medical condition that is genetic. We're not 100% for sure yet - but it's looking more and more like Freidricks Ataxia. The most noticable symptom? She walks like she's drunk all the time.....no balance or coordination. She didn't start to show any symptoms until about age 16.
When you trace your family history it's important to trace the medical genealogy of your family too. When I was 12 I was diagnosed with Graves Disease (Hyperactive Thyroid). I remember the doctor asking my mom and dad who else in the family had Thyroid disease and they both answered "no one that we know of". Thyroid disease is hereditary. It runs with diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.....I got the thyroid problem and my sister has the arthritis....we're just waiting for the diabetes to show up. Remember my last blog when I talked about not knowing my grandfather's sister? Well, guess what.........she had Graves disease too.
If we don't trace the medical genealogy how are we going to know what to warn our kids and grandkids about? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and if they know what to look for maybe they can head off the problem before it gets a good start on their life.
The first reason - I've always thought that genealogy should be taught as a required course in school. It should be taught to go along with the history classes. How many kids do you know that are actually interested in history?? Not many. I know very few genealogists who don't have a love of history and their love of history evolved with the search for their ancestors. Once you find out that one of your relatives fought in the Revolutionary War you WANT to find out more about that period of history. I think kids would develop a great love....or at least a better liking.....for history if they knew that one of their ancestors had been involved in a particular time period.
The second reason - my daughter, Chelsea. You see, Chelsea has a very rare medical condition that is genetic. We're not 100% for sure yet - but it's looking more and more like Freidricks Ataxia. The most noticable symptom? She walks like she's drunk all the time.....no balance or coordination. She didn't start to show any symptoms until about age 16.
When you trace your family history it's important to trace the medical genealogy of your family too. When I was 12 I was diagnosed with Graves Disease (Hyperactive Thyroid). I remember the doctor asking my mom and dad who else in the family had Thyroid disease and they both answered "no one that we know of". Thyroid disease is hereditary. It runs with diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.....I got the thyroid problem and my sister has the arthritis....we're just waiting for the diabetes to show up. Remember my last blog when I talked about not knowing my grandfather's sister? Well, guess what.........she had Graves disease too.
If we don't trace the medical genealogy how are we going to know what to warn our kids and grandkids about? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and if they know what to look for maybe they can head off the problem before it gets a good start on their life.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Family Quarrels Lead To..........
I mentioned before that my grandfather always told me he didn't have any family left. I just always assumed that the rest of the family had stayed in Europe and died there. I don't remember him ever even mentioning his family. My grandfather died in 1977.
Fast forward to 1993......
I was visiting my grandmother one day and I was clearing off the table in preperation to eat some lunch with her. I picked up the bills and papers she had been working on and noticed a letter she had been reading. The return address on the envelope said "Bob Loos" and he lived in Novelty, Ohio. WHAT????? Who was this Bob Loos and why did he have my last name and why was he writing to my grandmother???
I asked my grandmother who he was and she told me, very nonchalantly, that he was my dad's cousin. Again....WHAT???? Dad had a Loos cousin I had never heard of?? What was going on? I asked her how he was related. She told me that Bob's dad had been my grandfather's brother. For the third time.....WHAT????? My grandfather had a brother??? Oh yes, and another brother, and a sister too. Ok. Last time....WHAT???? She didn't seem to want to tell me anything more about them, so I let it go, but the wheels in my mind were spinning.
After lunch she went upstairs. After a few minutes she called me up and I found her sitting in the spare room on the bed. She had an old shoe box next to her and she pushed it towards me. I looked at it and then at her and she motioned for me to open it.
I opened the shoe box not sure what I would find. When the lid came off there, on the top of the pile of things in the box, were people I didn't know nor had ever seen staring out at me. The people in the picture had names written by them, in my grandfather's handwriting. He was one of the boys in the picture. The rest of the people were his family.....his dad, mom, brothers, and sister. My grandmother then told me that I should have this box full of pictures and wouldn't say much more about it.
I carried the box downstairs and then copied the address for Bob Loos down and as soon as I got home I wrote to him. I introduced myself to him - told him who my dad was and who my grandfather had been. Not long after I sent that letter Bob mailed me back. He introduced himself to me and told me about his wife and his girls. Then he started telling me about the family I had never known. He even told me that my grandfather's sister, Mary, was still alive. Wow. I had Loos family and they were all here in Ohio. Wow.
One question still loomed in my mind....what had happened to the family that lead my grandfather to tell me that he had no family and that they were all gone?
Bob sent me my grand-aunt Mary's address and I sat down to write to her. I took great care in the wording of the letter and in telling her who I was and how I had come to find her. She was very elderly and I didn't want to shock her with my sudden "appearance".
Almost immediately I heard from Aunt Mary...a seething, horrible, mean letter. I was shocked, I was hurt, and in the end I was mad. She had basically told me that I was the scum of the earth and she never wanted to hear from me again. Aagain, I was mad. I might be a lot of things, but scum of the earth is not one of them. So, I wrote her back....and was very sweet about it. I explained to her that I had not intended to dredge up a lot of bad memories for her and that I had no idea about any family rift or what had happened, and, most of all, I was not involved in that rift as I was two generations away from it. I stamped it, sent it and figured that that avenue of my new found family was now closed.
Imagine my surprise when I got the sweetest letter, about a week later, from that same aunt who had all but condemned me to hell. She apologized for her first letter and began to tell me about herself. We carried on the exchange of letters until
1997.
It seems that my grandmother and grandfather had caused some trouble in the family by borrowing some money that never got paid back, and for a few other things too. Aunt Mary hadn't spoken to my grandfather for years and years and neither had her brother or her mother. Basically, I suppose, my grandfather had been dead to them because of the "problem".
There's a lesson to be learned here. Nothing should ever come between family. At least nothing that lasts forever. My grandfather suffered at the "loss" of his family, though he never said so I know he did. My dad suffered because he never got to know his own grandmother or his aunt and uncle. I suffered for the same reason...I never got to know my family. I was denied the opportunity because of some stupid quarrel in the family.
No one should ever be denied their right to know their family. Period.
Fast forward to 1993......
I was visiting my grandmother one day and I was clearing off the table in preperation to eat some lunch with her. I picked up the bills and papers she had been working on and noticed a letter she had been reading. The return address on the envelope said "Bob Loos" and he lived in Novelty, Ohio. WHAT????? Who was this Bob Loos and why did he have my last name and why was he writing to my grandmother???
I asked my grandmother who he was and she told me, very nonchalantly, that he was my dad's cousin. Again....WHAT???? Dad had a Loos cousin I had never heard of?? What was going on? I asked her how he was related. She told me that Bob's dad had been my grandfather's brother. For the third time.....WHAT????? My grandfather had a brother??? Oh yes, and another brother, and a sister too. Ok. Last time....WHAT???? She didn't seem to want to tell me anything more about them, so I let it go, but the wheels in my mind were spinning.
After lunch she went upstairs. After a few minutes she called me up and I found her sitting in the spare room on the bed. She had an old shoe box next to her and she pushed it towards me. I looked at it and then at her and she motioned for me to open it.
I opened the shoe box not sure what I would find. When the lid came off there, on the top of the pile of things in the box, were people I didn't know nor had ever seen staring out at me. The people in the picture had names written by them, in my grandfather's handwriting. He was one of the boys in the picture. The rest of the people were his family.....his dad, mom, brothers, and sister. My grandmother then told me that I should have this box full of pictures and wouldn't say much more about it.
I carried the box downstairs and then copied the address for Bob Loos down and as soon as I got home I wrote to him. I introduced myself to him - told him who my dad was and who my grandfather had been. Not long after I sent that letter Bob mailed me back. He introduced himself to me and told me about his wife and his girls. Then he started telling me about the family I had never known. He even told me that my grandfather's sister, Mary, was still alive. Wow. I had Loos family and they were all here in Ohio. Wow.
One question still loomed in my mind....what had happened to the family that lead my grandfather to tell me that he had no family and that they were all gone?
Bob sent me my grand-aunt Mary's address and I sat down to write to her. I took great care in the wording of the letter and in telling her who I was and how I had come to find her. She was very elderly and I didn't want to shock her with my sudden "appearance".
Almost immediately I heard from Aunt Mary...a seething, horrible, mean letter. I was shocked, I was hurt, and in the end I was mad. She had basically told me that I was the scum of the earth and she never wanted to hear from me again. Aagain, I was mad. I might be a lot of things, but scum of the earth is not one of them. So, I wrote her back....and was very sweet about it. I explained to her that I had not intended to dredge up a lot of bad memories for her and that I had no idea about any family rift or what had happened, and, most of all, I was not involved in that rift as I was two generations away from it. I stamped it, sent it and figured that that avenue of my new found family was now closed.
Imagine my surprise when I got the sweetest letter, about a week later, from that same aunt who had all but condemned me to hell. She apologized for her first letter and began to tell me about herself. We carried on the exchange of letters until
1997.
It seems that my grandmother and grandfather had caused some trouble in the family by borrowing some money that never got paid back, and for a few other things too. Aunt Mary hadn't spoken to my grandfather for years and years and neither had her brother or her mother. Basically, I suppose, my grandfather had been dead to them because of the "problem".
There's a lesson to be learned here. Nothing should ever come between family. At least nothing that lasts forever. My grandfather suffered at the "loss" of his family, though he never said so I know he did. My dad suffered because he never got to know his own grandmother or his aunt and uncle. I suffered for the same reason...I never got to know my family. I was denied the opportunity because of some stupid quarrel in the family.
No one should ever be denied their right to know their family. Period.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Music
As you have probably noticed, I've added some music to my blog. One of the songs is a song that means something to Paul and I. Some of them - like Crosby Stills Nash and Neil Young are what I loved growing up. Others, like Springtime in the Rockies hold a very special place in my heart because a grandparent sang these songs to me as a child.
Enjoy the songs here. Every one of them mean something to me.
Enjoy the songs here. Every one of them mean something to me.
A Brick Wall Named "Martin"
Sometimes....more often than not.....I'll be following a line of my ancestors, motoring right along and then all of a sudden....I hit a brick wall. All research stops. I search and search and search for the parents of the last ancestor I've been able to find and come up with nothing.
How does this happen? Did he get dropped from a space ship? Did he crawl out of a hole in the ground? Was he in the witness protection program?
One of these brick walls is in my Martin line. My grandfather, Galen Martin, was born near Rainelle, Greenbrier County, West Virginia to George Cleveland and Sarah Minnie Frantz Martin. When my grandfather was about 6 years old Cleve and Minnie uprooted their small family and moved to Indiana where Cleve pursued farming. Growing up in West Virginia both Cleve and Minnie came from farming families. Minnie's father, Abraham Frantz, was also a preacher of the Brethern faith. It's said that he married and buried more people than any other preacher at that time.
Cleve was the son of George Warner Martin and Mary Catherine Tincher. George and Mary were a handsome couple. They married in 1871 in Greenbrier County and proceeded to have a large family of 9 known children. George was also a farmer and the family lived on what we affectionatly call "Martin Mountain" near Crag, West Virginia. At some point in time, George went to work for the railroad and worked there until he retired. Mary, however, at the young age of 38 died of "consumption" or tuberculosis. My great-grandfather, Cleve, was only 4.
George Warner was the son of Pere Warner Martin. Pere was also a farmer and lived on "Martin Mountain". At times Pere preached the gospel to any who would listen. He had married, in 1842, to Martha Katherine Thompson. They had a family of 8 known children. Martha's parents were well known in the area as they had started one of the first inns and stage coach stops in Greenbrier County.
Pere's parents were Samuel and Margaret Bollar McClung Martin. Samuel, also a farmer and a Methodist preacher was the first Martin on the mountain and the first Martin of my line in Greenbrier County - that I've been able to find. He is my brick wall.
There are some that are sure he is the son of Robert Martin and Mary Craig of Nicholas County, West Virginia, and he may well be. However, no proof positive has been sent to me, so the doors are still open. Robert and Mary's wills both mention a son Samuel. A Samuel Martin did own about 20,000 acres in what is now Nicholas County. A Samuel Martin was a contable in Nicholas County and a Samuel Martin did serve with the Virginia Militia. But is this MY Samuel?
With any luck I'll be traveling to Greenbrier County later this year to try to find out just who my Samuel Martin really was. He and Margaret are buried in the Martin Cemetery on Martin Mountain along with many of their descendents. He is the earliest Martin in the cemetery.
Samuel Martin - alien or everyday farmer and preacher. Time will tell.
How does this happen? Did he get dropped from a space ship? Did he crawl out of a hole in the ground? Was he in the witness protection program?
One of these brick walls is in my Martin line. My grandfather, Galen Martin, was born near Rainelle, Greenbrier County, West Virginia to George Cleveland and Sarah Minnie Frantz Martin. When my grandfather was about 6 years old Cleve and Minnie uprooted their small family and moved to Indiana where Cleve pursued farming. Growing up in West Virginia both Cleve and Minnie came from farming families. Minnie's father, Abraham Frantz, was also a preacher of the Brethern faith. It's said that he married and buried more people than any other preacher at that time.
Cleve was the son of George Warner Martin and Mary Catherine Tincher. George and Mary were a handsome couple. They married in 1871 in Greenbrier County and proceeded to have a large family of 9 known children. George was also a farmer and the family lived on what we affectionatly call "Martin Mountain" near Crag, West Virginia. At some point in time, George went to work for the railroad and worked there until he retired. Mary, however, at the young age of 38 died of "consumption" or tuberculosis. My great-grandfather, Cleve, was only 4.
George Warner was the son of Pere Warner Martin. Pere was also a farmer and lived on "Martin Mountain". At times Pere preached the gospel to any who would listen. He had married, in 1842, to Martha Katherine Thompson. They had a family of 8 known children. Martha's parents were well known in the area as they had started one of the first inns and stage coach stops in Greenbrier County.
Pere's parents were Samuel and Margaret Bollar McClung Martin. Samuel, also a farmer and a Methodist preacher was the first Martin on the mountain and the first Martin of my line in Greenbrier County - that I've been able to find. He is my brick wall.
There are some that are sure he is the son of Robert Martin and Mary Craig of Nicholas County, West Virginia, and he may well be. However, no proof positive has been sent to me, so the doors are still open. Robert and Mary's wills both mention a son Samuel. A Samuel Martin did own about 20,000 acres in what is now Nicholas County. A Samuel Martin was a contable in Nicholas County and a Samuel Martin did serve with the Virginia Militia. But is this MY Samuel?
With any luck I'll be traveling to Greenbrier County later this year to try to find out just who my Samuel Martin really was. He and Margaret are buried in the Martin Cemetery on Martin Mountain along with many of their descendents. He is the earliest Martin in the cemetery.
Samuel Martin - alien or everyday farmer and preacher. Time will tell.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Past Past and Present Past
How do you like that title? Now that I have you totally confused I guess I should explain......
I spend a lot of time in the past looking for my ancestors - the "past past". But I need to tell you about my more recent past from time to time also, and I call that "present past". Got that? :-)
The first "present past" -
I didn't realize it until later in life, but I grew up very lucky. Lucky because I grew up around BOTH sets of my grandparents and I got to know, briefly, 3 of my great-grandmothers and one of my great-grandfathers. I've found, over the years of helping people find their roots, that not too many can say that. It seems, that while having all those greats and grandparents around was normal for me, there are a great many people out there who never got to know even one grandparent....let alone a great-grandparent.
This realization made me stop and think about all the wonderful memories that I have and how lucky I was to know all of them. I am blessed.
I spend a lot of time in the past looking for my ancestors - the "past past". But I need to tell you about my more recent past from time to time also, and I call that "present past". Got that? :-)
The first "present past" -
I didn't realize it until later in life, but I grew up very lucky. Lucky because I grew up around BOTH sets of my grandparents and I got to know, briefly, 3 of my great-grandmothers and one of my great-grandfathers. I've found, over the years of helping people find their roots, that not too many can say that. It seems, that while having all those greats and grandparents around was normal for me, there are a great many people out there who never got to know even one grandparent....let alone a great-grandparent.
This realization made me stop and think about all the wonderful memories that I have and how lucky I was to know all of them. I am blessed.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
John Borton, Quaker
John Borton is one of my favorite ancestors. I'm not sure why, but I think it's because he's the first one that I was able to find out a lot about.
John was born in 1634 in Aynho, Northamptonshire, England. Because the last name ends in "ton" it's very probable that the Bortons were descendents of the Normans, probably coming to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. Though not much is known of John's younger life, in 1660 he and another man, John Bett, were taken out of their homes by soldiers and taken to prison for refusing their oaths. Then, in 1665, John had all of his "goods" taken by distress for a fine of four shillings because he didn't attend the local parish (Catholic) church for four weeks.
It's very possible that John Borton and his wife, Ann Kinton, were the only members of the Borton family to join the Quaker religion. Probably due to persecution by the Catholic Church, the English government, and by his own family, John and Ann left England for America.
John and Ann had become Quakers at least by 1660 as evidenced above. In 1676, in London, England, John Borton, along with 150 other men, signed The Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors, Freeholders, and Inhabitants of the Province of West New Jersey in America which had been written by William Penn. The document was a great colonial charter of civil and religious liberty which embodied many of the elementary principles underlying the Bill of Rights.
Though John is listed as being a "poor laborer" in England, he was actually a man of some means - being able to read, write and "cipher" and he was not a tennant farmer. He signed his name to the Concessions agreement - actually signed it, and not with an "x".
Once he had signed the Concessions he took care of whatever he needed to in England and he and Ann set sail for America in 1679 on the ship "Griffin". They landed in New Jersey and John set about making a new home for his family. They had brought with them, a letter from the Banbury Monthly Meeting in England and presented it at the Burlington Monthly Meeting in 1679. Also, in this year, John paid the Indians 20 pounds and 7 shillings for land and received a deed.
Once the family was settled in New Jersey John soon made a name for himself as a very respected member of the society. Among his achievements were the following -
Assigned to take care of births and burials for Rancocas in 1781; Assigned to take care of orphans, 1682; Constable for London Tenth 1682; Member of the Second Tenth Assembly in 1683; Member of the Assembly and Road Commission in 1684; and became a substantial land owner.
He built a large house and called it Hillsdown, where he died in 1687.
John and Ann had at least 7 children - one of whom was Elizabeth Borton who married in 1684 at Burlington MM, John Woolman, another one of my famous Quaker ancestors.
John was born in 1634 in Aynho, Northamptonshire, England. Because the last name ends in "ton" it's very probable that the Bortons were descendents of the Normans, probably coming to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. Though not much is known of John's younger life, in 1660 he and another man, John Bett, were taken out of their homes by soldiers and taken to prison for refusing their oaths. Then, in 1665, John had all of his "goods" taken by distress for a fine of four shillings because he didn't attend the local parish (Catholic) church for four weeks.
It's very possible that John Borton and his wife, Ann Kinton, were the only members of the Borton family to join the Quaker religion. Probably due to persecution by the Catholic Church, the English government, and by his own family, John and Ann left England for America.
John and Ann had become Quakers at least by 1660 as evidenced above. In 1676, in London, England, John Borton, along with 150 other men, signed The Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors, Freeholders, and Inhabitants of the Province of West New Jersey in America which had been written by William Penn. The document was a great colonial charter of civil and religious liberty which embodied many of the elementary principles underlying the Bill of Rights.
Though John is listed as being a "poor laborer" in England, he was actually a man of some means - being able to read, write and "cipher" and he was not a tennant farmer. He signed his name to the Concessions agreement - actually signed it, and not with an "x".
Once he had signed the Concessions he took care of whatever he needed to in England and he and Ann set sail for America in 1679 on the ship "Griffin". They landed in New Jersey and John set about making a new home for his family. They had brought with them, a letter from the Banbury Monthly Meeting in England and presented it at the Burlington Monthly Meeting in 1679. Also, in this year, John paid the Indians 20 pounds and 7 shillings for land and received a deed.
Once the family was settled in New Jersey John soon made a name for himself as a very respected member of the society. Among his achievements were the following -
Assigned to take care of births and burials for Rancocas in 1781; Assigned to take care of orphans, 1682; Constable for London Tenth 1682; Member of the Second Tenth Assembly in 1683; Member of the Assembly and Road Commission in 1684; and became a substantial land owner.
He built a large house and called it Hillsdown, where he died in 1687.
John and Ann had at least 7 children - one of whom was Elizabeth Borton who married in 1684 at Burlington MM, John Woolman, another one of my famous Quaker ancestors.
Hijacked!
This really has nothing to do with my genealogy, but I almost lost my blog this weekend......my blog was hijacked. Thanks to the great people on blogspot another blogger was able to help me get rid of the hijacker and now all is well. Thank goodness because the only solution I saw was to delete my blog and that would have really upset me.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Bohemian Rhapsody
I've always been very proud of my Czech heritage. However, that same heritage has also given me reason to curse it because it's been a challenge trying to discover my roots there. It's been a thorn in my side all these years, but about 3 years ago I decided to bite the bullet and try, once again, to find my roots in Bohemia.
First step - get into the closet - way in the back - and dig out the boxes I had stuffed in there years ago. A challenge in itself.
Second step - find out just exactly what was in those boxes. Another huge challenge - going thru all the pictures and newspaper clippings and documents, etc. that my family had accumulated for years and years. This took hours.
Third step - Now we're getting somewhere.......I found my grandfather's birth record. My grandmother must have given it to me awhile back. My grandfather had come to America in about 1906. He was born in 1901 in Bohemia and during the 1970s my grandparents had made several trips back to the home land. He must have picked it up on one of those trips as the date on it was in the 70s.
Fourth step - Figure out just what the heck the birth record said - since it's all in Czech. A daunting task.
A few months ago a good friend of mine, who is Slovak, told me about a website he had run across where you can find penpals all over the world. He had found a couple of people that lived near where his family was from in Slovakia and had contacted them. He'd had a lot of success with them helping him find his family there. I decided to give it a try. I now have two wonderful ladies, Mila and Jana, that live in the Czech Republic as penpals and both live within about 20 miles of where my grandfather was born.
I sent Mila a copy of the birth record and she emailed it back to me - translated! The birth record was a wealth of information - more than I had even hoped for.
The first thing I learned was that my grandfather's name was not James, or Jim as he was known, but Vaclav. I'd never heard this name and wondered if James was the translation for it. However, I found that the translation for it is actually Wenceslas, as in "Good King" the Christmas song. Since there is no good translation for the name into English, most men with the name Vaclav chose James when they came to America.
The birth record also, of course, had his birth date, which I already knew. The next thing was where he was born. The town's name was Libusin (pronounced Leebusheen). I was off to find out where Libusin was and anything I could about the town. Unfortunately, the only thing I could find, that I could actually read, was that the town was in the Czech Republic. That was a huge help. :-(
I emailed Jana and asked her if she was familiar with the town and she told me that it was about 10 miles from her home. I emailed Mila with the same question and she told me that she was also familiar with it, but couldn't tell me anything about it. However, a few days later she sent me a couple of Czech websites that had pictures of the town on them!!
When I was going through my boxes I found a couple of pictures of my grandfather standing in front of a building. He had written on the pictures that it was where he had been born. Imagine my surprise when I found a picture of the exact same building on a website and it had the street name with it!! Now I'm getting somewhere!
Next on the birth record was my great-grandfather's name, his birthday, where he was born and what he did for a living. Then, my great-grandmother's name, her birthday, and that she was the daughter of a farmer. WOW!!! The info didn't stop there either!!!! The names of my GREAT-GREAT grandparents were on the record also!!
Armed with information I went to search for anything I could find on my long-lost ancestors......which ended up amounting to.....Nothing.
I'm not giving up. With the help of Mila and Jana I'm going to find my roots in the Czech Republic some day. Hopefully some day soon.
First step - get into the closet - way in the back - and dig out the boxes I had stuffed in there years ago. A challenge in itself.
Second step - find out just exactly what was in those boxes. Another huge challenge - going thru all the pictures and newspaper clippings and documents, etc. that my family had accumulated for years and years. This took hours.
Third step - Now we're getting somewhere.......I found my grandfather's birth record. My grandmother must have given it to me awhile back. My grandfather had come to America in about 1906. He was born in 1901 in Bohemia and during the 1970s my grandparents had made several trips back to the home land. He must have picked it up on one of those trips as the date on it was in the 70s.
Fourth step - Figure out just what the heck the birth record said - since it's all in Czech. A daunting task.
A few months ago a good friend of mine, who is Slovak, told me about a website he had run across where you can find penpals all over the world. He had found a couple of people that lived near where his family was from in Slovakia and had contacted them. He'd had a lot of success with them helping him find his family there. I decided to give it a try. I now have two wonderful ladies, Mila and Jana, that live in the Czech Republic as penpals and both live within about 20 miles of where my grandfather was born.
I sent Mila a copy of the birth record and she emailed it back to me - translated! The birth record was a wealth of information - more than I had even hoped for.
The first thing I learned was that my grandfather's name was not James, or Jim as he was known, but Vaclav. I'd never heard this name and wondered if James was the translation for it. However, I found that the translation for it is actually Wenceslas, as in "Good King" the Christmas song. Since there is no good translation for the name into English, most men with the name Vaclav chose James when they came to America.
The birth record also, of course, had his birth date, which I already knew. The next thing was where he was born. The town's name was Libusin (pronounced Leebusheen). I was off to find out where Libusin was and anything I could about the town. Unfortunately, the only thing I could find, that I could actually read, was that the town was in the Czech Republic. That was a huge help. :-(
I emailed Jana and asked her if she was familiar with the town and she told me that it was about 10 miles from her home. I emailed Mila with the same question and she told me that she was also familiar with it, but couldn't tell me anything about it. However, a few days later she sent me a couple of Czech websites that had pictures of the town on them!!
When I was going through my boxes I found a couple of pictures of my grandfather standing in front of a building. He had written on the pictures that it was where he had been born. Imagine my surprise when I found a picture of the exact same building on a website and it had the street name with it!! Now I'm getting somewhere!
Next on the birth record was my great-grandfather's name, his birthday, where he was born and what he did for a living. Then, my great-grandmother's name, her birthday, and that she was the daughter of a farmer. WOW!!! The info didn't stop there either!!!! The names of my GREAT-GREAT grandparents were on the record also!!
Armed with information I went to search for anything I could find on my long-lost ancestors......which ended up amounting to.....Nothing.
I'm not giving up. With the help of Mila and Jana I'm going to find my roots in the Czech Republic some day. Hopefully some day soon.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
A Lady Pioneer and an Opera Singer
I'm 1/2 Bohemian (Czech) and 1/2 Heinz 57......a real mutt. Some of my "American" lines have been here for over 400 years. (My Czech lines - not so long - I'm 2nd generation.)
One of the groups of people that came to America early were the Quakers. The last Quaker in my family was my great-great grandmother, Martha Ellis Harvey. Martha was born in Indiana in 1843. She had a hard life. At the age of 5 she lost her mother, and by 10 her dad was also dead. She was raised by relatives and became a land owner. In 1860 she married John Harvey and in the space of 15 years had 5 children - the youngest was my great-grandfather. Sometime after the birth of my great-grandfather in 1875 the family bought land in near Blue Springs, Nebraska and moved there. I think that Martha was not only the last Quaker in the family, but the last pioneer woman in the family as well. I like to think that, as she had red hair, she had the dispostion to go along with it and that got her thru a lot. Upon arriving in Blue Springs Martha set up housekeeping in a SOD house where the family lived until their "real" home was built. Can you imagine trying to keep clean in a dirt and sod house??? Unfortunately, Martha died in 1880 at the young age of 37. The family buried her in Blue Springs. John was left with small children to raise and no help, so he moved the family back to Indiana to be near relatives.
The second child, Simeon, never got over losing his mother. He was 15 when she died and was attending the Arapahoe School in Nebraska where he was awarded a Diploma of Honor for regular attendance, good deportment and good recitation. He also spoke an Indian dialect. When he died, at the age of 23 in Holton, Kansas, his family honored his request and buried him beside his mother in Blue Springs, Nebraska.
Martha Ellis Harvey's parents were Mordacai Ellis and Ruth Hinshaw. If you know anything about genealogy research - Quaker research, imparticular, you've heard about the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy compiled by William Wade Hinshaw and you know how the series changed the way we research Quaker records today. Here's a story you may not know.......
William Wade Hinshaw was a first cousin to Ruth Hinshaw Ellis and second cousin to Martha. If it hadn't been for Martha's granddaughter, Edna Harvey Joseph, William Wade might not have ever written those books. You see, Edna had a love of genealogy and did a huge amount of research on the family from about 1920 until her death in the 1973. William Wade Hinshaw had an interest in his Quaker forebearers, but didn't know how to go about researching them. Edna pointed him in the right direction and "was able to fan that small flame into a roaring fire" in her cousin. Oh, and William Wade Hinshaw was also a very well known Metropolitan opera singer.
One of the groups of people that came to America early were the Quakers. The last Quaker in my family was my great-great grandmother, Martha Ellis Harvey. Martha was born in Indiana in 1843. She had a hard life. At the age of 5 she lost her mother, and by 10 her dad was also dead. She was raised by relatives and became a land owner. In 1860 she married John Harvey and in the space of 15 years had 5 children - the youngest was my great-grandfather. Sometime after the birth of my great-grandfather in 1875 the family bought land in near Blue Springs, Nebraska and moved there. I think that Martha was not only the last Quaker in the family, but the last pioneer woman in the family as well. I like to think that, as she had red hair, she had the dispostion to go along with it and that got her thru a lot. Upon arriving in Blue Springs Martha set up housekeeping in a SOD house where the family lived until their "real" home was built. Can you imagine trying to keep clean in a dirt and sod house??? Unfortunately, Martha died in 1880 at the young age of 37. The family buried her in Blue Springs. John was left with small children to raise and no help, so he moved the family back to Indiana to be near relatives.
The second child, Simeon, never got over losing his mother. He was 15 when she died and was attending the Arapahoe School in Nebraska where he was awarded a Diploma of Honor for regular attendance, good deportment and good recitation. He also spoke an Indian dialect. When he died, at the age of 23 in Holton, Kansas, his family honored his request and buried him beside his mother in Blue Springs, Nebraska.
Martha Ellis Harvey's parents were Mordacai Ellis and Ruth Hinshaw. If you know anything about genealogy research - Quaker research, imparticular, you've heard about the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy compiled by William Wade Hinshaw and you know how the series changed the way we research Quaker records today. Here's a story you may not know.......
William Wade Hinshaw was a first cousin to Ruth Hinshaw Ellis and second cousin to Martha. If it hadn't been for Martha's granddaughter, Edna Harvey Joseph, William Wade might not have ever written those books. You see, Edna had a love of genealogy and did a huge amount of research on the family from about 1920 until her death in the 1973. William Wade Hinshaw had an interest in his Quaker forebearers, but didn't know how to go about researching them. Edna pointed him in the right direction and "was able to fan that small flame into a roaring fire" in her cousin. Oh, and William Wade Hinshaw was also a very well known Metropolitan opera singer.
Where the road leads me....
I thought and thought about this blog and what I wanted to do with it today. I think I've come up with the way it should flow - for now....until I decide to change it. :-)
It's been hard for me to figure out how to do this without making everything sound so...scientific and boring.
I have so many awesome ancestors. Actually, they're all pretty special to me because I'm here thanks to them. The lives of so many of them have been such an inspiration to me at times and knowing I come from such incredible people makes me so humble. So, I'm going to just let my family, in all their glory and wisdom, lead me where they will in this blog.
And, thanks Rit and Kathy - your suggestion of writing about my life also will be a part of all of this. After all - my descendents need to know who I was too.
It's been hard for me to figure out how to do this without making everything sound so...scientific and boring.
I have so many awesome ancestors. Actually, they're all pretty special to me because I'm here thanks to them. The lives of so many of them have been such an inspiration to me at times and knowing I come from such incredible people makes me so humble. So, I'm going to just let my family, in all their glory and wisdom, lead me where they will in this blog.
And, thanks Rit and Kathy - your suggestion of writing about my life also will be a part of all of this. After all - my descendents need to know who I was too.
Lost
I've lost my way with this site already. It's supposed to be about my journey to my past, but so far I've written about everything but that. I'll find my way soon, I promise. For now I'll just ramble about genealogy in general and about the present. Bear with me.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Castles
My 8 year old, Emily, came home from school one day not too long ago and wanted to know if any of our ancestors had lived in a castle and told me that they were studying castles in class. I've always made her very aware of her heritage and have tried to involve her in the research process as much as you can involve a young child. She loves going to cemeteries with me....unlike her big sister - who if you remember, learned to read in a cemetery and now hates going with me.
Emily and I got down the family history that I've been putting together. It's a pretty extensive genealogy with bios on important people, pictures of where they lived - if possible, etc. I turned back to where I had a few pictures of castles and showed them to her. "You mean people we're related to really lived in them? That's SO COOL!"
That night Emily told me that she thought it was "really awesome that you do genealogy, Mom. You have some pretty cool stuff in those books."
Emily and I got down the family history that I've been putting together. It's a pretty extensive genealogy with bios on important people, pictures of where they lived - if possible, etc. I turned back to where I had a few pictures of castles and showed them to her. "You mean people we're related to really lived in them? That's SO COOL!"
That night Emily told me that she thought it was "really awesome that you do genealogy, Mom. You have some pretty cool stuff in those books."
Saturday, February 27, 2010
War Whoop!
I let out a war whoop last night - I think I scared poor Paul to death. I had just downloaded Google Earth and was trying it out. I thought I'd see if I could find the towns in the Czech Republic where my dad's family was from. The war whoop was because I did! It was SO exciting to see where my family was from ! Google Earth is an awesome thing! I got to see where my family had lived without ever leaving my home. How much cooler does it get?
I just completed a project for a friend of mine. She has a daughter who is 16 and thinking about college. Michelle wanted me to trace her family for her so that her daughter could join the DAR and try for a scholarship thru them. All I needed to do was get Shannon's lines back to Revolutionary war vets. That's all she wanted. Well, that wasn't enough for me. I had to take the lines back as far as I could and find out as much as I could. What should have been a simple project turned into a two year project. It's a good thing Michelle is patient.
I love introducing people to genealogy. I love helping them trace their family back. I'll even do it for them - like I did for Michelle. However, when they start bugging me about it and wanting to know when it'll be done then I stop working on it. I lose my "want" to do it. They don't realize that a genealogy is an ongoing process. They don't stop to think about the hours I put in on the project, let alone the amount of ink and paper I use to print it up for them. I guess, to me, genealogy is like a work of art......it can't be rushed.
I love introducing people to genealogy. I love helping them trace their family back. I'll even do it for them - like I did for Michelle. However, when they start bugging me about it and wanting to know when it'll be done then I stop working on it. I lose my "want" to do it. They don't realize that a genealogy is an ongoing process. They don't stop to think about the hours I put in on the project, let alone the amount of ink and paper I use to print it up for them. I guess, to me, genealogy is like a work of art......it can't be rushed.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Genealogy Is ___________
Genealogy is a wonderful thing. It's like a good book......it starts out a little slow, then adds a little mystery. The deeper you get into the book the more it sucks you in until you can't put it down. It makes you ask questions and keeps stringing you along until.......BAMMMM - you're at the end of the book when it all comes together and the question is answered. The only problem with genealogy is that the book is never done. One answer leads to 5 more questions and you start all over again.
For a lot of people genealogy is just a bunch of names and dates - cut and dry and boring. For me genealogy is a step back in time. It's a window into the lives of people who lived before me. When I search for my ancestors not only do I search for their names and their dates, I search for their lives. I want to know when they lived, how they lived, what they did for a living, what kind of a house they lived in, what they died from, and why they made the decisions that they did.
Genealogy is my therapy. When everything else in my life becomes overwhelming and my stress level is high I can bury myself in my research and forget about the rest of the world and all my problems. As much as I love the present, I crave the past. It's like an addiction.
For a lot of people genealogy is just a bunch of names and dates - cut and dry and boring. For me genealogy is a step back in time. It's a window into the lives of people who lived before me. When I search for my ancestors not only do I search for their names and their dates, I search for their lives. I want to know when they lived, how they lived, what they did for a living, what kind of a house they lived in, what they died from, and why they made the decisions that they did.
Genealogy is my therapy. When everything else in my life becomes overwhelming and my stress level is high I can bury myself in my research and forget about the rest of the world and all my problems. As much as I love the present, I crave the past. It's like an addiction.
The Beginning
I don't remember a time in my life that I wasn't interested in my family history. I remember as a small child asking my paternal grandfather where his family was. (We spent lots of time with my grandmother's family, but I didn't remember ever meeting any of my grandfathers family.) His answer to me was "They are all gone." I'll never forget how sad I felt when he told me this. I thought it was just awful that all of his family was gone and how lonely he must be without them.
By the time I got around to trying to find my family history both of my grandfathers were gone. It's not that I hadn't tried to find things, it's just that it was very hard to do any research then - we didn't have computers to help us. And, like most people, I put off asking the questions I should have asked when the people I needed to ask were around. I always put it off until tomorrow.......and tomorrow never came.
In the beginning there was nothing. In the beginning I knew nothing.
They say that the beginning is but a single step. I took that step. A step that has taken me more places than I could have dreamed.
This was the beginning of my journey thru time.
By the time I got around to trying to find my family history both of my grandfathers were gone. It's not that I hadn't tried to find things, it's just that it was very hard to do any research then - we didn't have computers to help us. And, like most people, I put off asking the questions I should have asked when the people I needed to ask were around. I always put it off until tomorrow.......and tomorrow never came.
In the beginning there was nothing. In the beginning I knew nothing.
They say that the beginning is but a single step. I took that step. A step that has taken me more places than I could have dreamed.
This was the beginning of my journey thru time.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Why am I here?
For a few years now people have been telling me "You need to write a book." About what? "Your research - how you found your family history." And who would read such a thing? "Many people would be interested, but mostly, it'll be something for your family - a legacy you can leave them." Oh. Ok. Well, maybe I will. For now, though, I'll blog and see what happens.
So, here I am. Day 1. Why am I here?
I am here thanks to hundreds and hundreds of ancestors before me. I am here thanks to their normal day to day lives - no matter how insignificant or how magnificant their life may have been. I am here because they lived......and died......with no thought to what their time on earth would mean to anyone other than themselves. I am here to honor them and to learn from them and to tell their stories.
I am here....because.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
