Taylorstales-Genealogy

Wordless Wednesday, Luc and Aurelie Boudreau

2011-07-06T07:26:00.011-05:00

Luc and Aurelie Boudreau (my 3rd Great grandparents)
with 10 of their children.
Belle Boudreau Deno Senesac is my 2nd Great grandmother
(looking at the picture, on the right, sitting on the chair
she is wearing glasses)
ca. 1891-1895

Wozniak naturalization record

2011-07-03T08:33:00.003-05:00

For the last six months or so I have been using most of my free time to work on my Polish ancestors, specifically the Wozniak side of the family. I was going to attend a family reunion in LaCrosse, Wisconsin the beginning of May and wanted to share (and of course try to add to ) the information I had gathered over the years. I admit I really didn't have too much research done on this side of the family. So, for several months I devoted quite a number of hours at my favorite FHC in Chicago Heights reviewing reels and reels of microfilm. I found a few more facts that I immediately added (and CITED!) to my family tree. Two facts in particular indicated that two of my grandfathers older brothers, John and Frank were indeed here in the Chicago area at the beginning of the 20th century. Finding out that was a big milestone in the family genealogy, for these two gentlemen were mere whispers--I can't seem to find out any real concrete evidence of their lives here in the Midwest.
Of course, reviewing reels and reels of microfilm was not the only resource I investigated. I acquired the naturalization record of my grandfather's sister Agnes Modrzejewski from the City of Chicago Archives at the Circuit Court records downtown. It was easy to use Ancestry.com and get the Naturalization card but I wanted to see the actual record which is stored in the archives. The record indicated specifically that Agnes Modrzejewski, nee Wozniak was born in Warszawske, Gubernia, Poland. Best of all was a physical description of Agnes. She indicated she was 5'3" tall (taller than myself), weighed 115 pounds, (okay, I weigh more than that), she had fair complexion (me too), brown eyes (oops, mine are hazel), and brown hair (well, my natural color I suppose is a version of brown). The naturalization record also mentioned her date of arrival to the United States as being in 1904, although I clearly found a record of Agnes and her mother Mary arriving to the US in 1894. I think perhaps the family went back to Poland for a visit. Four more children were born to Mary and her husband Joseph here in Chicago between 1901 and 1906 so it is hard to imagine that Agnes actually immigrated in 1904, more likely it was 1894. Hmmmm.
One of the biggest genealogical discoveries I found was while searching the naturalization records on Ancestry.com for the last name of Wozniak. I came across a naturalization record for a Casey Wozniak. Casey was my grandfather's youngest brother born in 1910 in Wisconsin. He would have been a US citizen by birth so what was the naturalization record? Upon further research I discovered that Casey and his wife Eleanor adopted a little girl and it was her naturalization record that I was actually looking at. Who knew? What a find. Not only did that information add more names to the family tree, but I was able to find some more information about the family through Google and other internet resources.
My Wozniak family tree is certainly growing. Anyone out there know anything about a Frank or John Wozniak, born to Joseph and Mary Wozniak? If so, please contact me! Thanks.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

2010-09-25T21:46:00.002-05:00

Randy Seaver has come up with another interesting Saturday night genealogy quest. This one is on birth order and I thought I would give it a try.

Pam Wozniak Taylor, (1955-), first child, first daughter of Norbert and Arlene (Guinee)Wozniak (they had three daughters)

Arlene Marie Guinee, (1931-1998), first child, first daughter of Bert and Lucille (Hanaway) Guinee (they had 2 daughters and 2 sons)

Lucille May Hanaway, (1912-1998), sixth child, third daughter of Marion Albert and Eva (Deno) Hanaway (they had 4 daughters and 4 sons)

Eva Belle Deno, (1881-1956), only child of Theophile and Belle (Boudreau) Deno

Belle Boudreau, (1860-1946), fourth child, third daughter of Luc and Aurelie (Landry) Boudreau (they had 3 sons and 8 daughters)

Aurelie Landry, (1830-1917), third child, first daughter of Jean Baptiste and Elisabeth (Letourneau) Landry (they had six sons and four daughters)

Elisabeth Letourneau (1809-?), third child, second daughter of Amable and Elizabeth Isabelle (Bissonnet) Letourneau (they had one son and two daughters)

Thank you Randy, this was great!

A different type of headstone, tombstone Tuesday

2010-08-10T10:12:00.009-05:00

These two different headstones are located in the Old Monticello Cemetery in Monticello, Indiana. I have never seen any other tombstones or grave markers like these two. It appears that a fallen tree was covered in cement. Notice the ornate vines, fruits and leaves which surround the trunk of the trees, all in cement! Click on the pictures to enlarge them and see the great details!

My great great grandparents, Jacob and Eliza Hanaway and several of their children are also buried in this cemetery. Unfortunately, my relatives tombstones are in very poor condition.

Wordless Wednesday, Everlasting Love

2010-07-07T00:05:00.000-05:00

Bert & Eva Hanaway

My great grandparents,

Married 1-15-1901

circa 1954

Road trip to Bunnell Cemetery

2010-07-05T08:41:00.014-05:00

Friday evening I was working on my family history when I realized that quite a number of my Bunnell ancestors were buried in Reynolds, IN. After using Google Maps, I found out that Reynolds, IN was about 60 miles from my sister's home in Valparaiso. Not only that, but thanks to searching "cemeteries +Reynolds, IN" in Google, I discovered that there is a "Bunnell Cemetery" in Reynolds. Wow, there was a cemetery named after some of my relatives...now I really had to see this! So, the very next day my sister Carole, my niece Hannah and I went on a little road trip to Bunnell Cemetery!

It was a beautiful day for a road trip too. The mandatory stop for ice cream made the time in the car fly by. For once, I didn't need to stop and ask for directions to the cemetery! We found it with no trouble at all. I remembered to bring the camera but forgot to wear shoes, and the ground was covered in cactus! The discoveries were so worth a number of stickers on the toes!

Nathaniel Bunnell, the son of my 4th G grandfather, Nathaniel Bunnell.
This Nathaniel Bunnell was born in Ross County, OH and
married Susannah

Susannah and her husband Nathaniel share a headstone.
Susannah's inscription faces the north
and Nathaniel's inscription faces the south.

This was the first Bunnell headstone I found. You

could easily see it from where we parked.

All in all, I found about ten Bunnell graves and a few other names I recognized from my family history. Many, many more of my ancestors, including my 3rd great grandparents are buried in the Monticello cemetery which is less than eight miles from this cemetery. My Bunnell and Hanaway ancestors came to White County around 1832 so there is a lot of family history to be found in this area!

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

2010-06-27T20:11:00.009-05:00

Three beauties on the beach:

Mabel Hanaway Kleckner, Margaret Anderson Hanaway
Arlene Guinee Wozniak

July, 1971

Many a summer past included a visit to my cousins cottage in Stevensville, Michigan. The Hanaway clan is quite large and we are now spread out over most of theses great United States. I grew up enjoying the simple joys of gathering with family. There was a lot of fun to be had at the cottage too. Playing with my MANY, MANY cousins; running down sand dunes, fishing, swimming, boating, and of course eating pot luck dinners! Many visits were short day trips, if I was lucky, I would get to spend a night or two! Who minds sleeping on the beach with a campfire, roasting marshmallows, telling spooky stories and falling asleep under the stars? Those clearly were some special times and I cherish the memories. When I can create them for my children I jump at the chance. Although many parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are now gone, there are those of us who still take the time to get together and we always have a blast! The cottage is still in the family. When the opportunity knocks I take advantage of a little road trip with my kids and once again enjoy the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.

"You Have Family, You Have History"

2010-06-21T22:12:00.006-05:00

I know, I know, I haven't been blogging lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working on my genealogy.

Mailed my reservation in for the "You Have Family, You Have History", Illinois State Genealogical Society Conference. This year it will be held on October 23, 2010, in Peoria. Can't wait to attend and learn even more!

I continue to work on my Sommer/Rusch relatives and am happy to say I continue to gain ground. Thanks to FamilySearch.org and lots of hours of reading microfilm I have connected even more relatives.

Two weeks ago, my cousin Marian emailed me indicating she found another relative right here in Chicago, about 11 years earlier than our ancestors! What a find! Now, perhaps we'll be able to find a cousin or two to connect with in our area. No matter, we both were excited and happy to share the information with each other! That's what cousins are for right?!!

Getting my Hanaway family trees lined up for printing. This year I will be putting a "scrapbook look" to them. Our reunion is coming up on July 18th and this year I think I will print off about nine different trees for door prizes or raffles. That's a gift I would love to receive!

July 8th the MLS Historical group will hold a meeting at the National Archives on 73rd and Pulaski in Chicago. Mrs. Eula Nichols will be present a program on the LDS Family History Centers, well, guess what? Mrs. Nichols has taught ME a trick or two using the FamilySearch.org database at the Chicago Heights Family History Center (my favorite one) and I love her assistance. Cannot say enough wonderful things about her! Most of all, she doesn't mind at all, when I ask, "just one more question." Cannot wait for July 8th! Thank you Mrs. Nichols!

One thing leads to another...

2010-04-09T11:21:00.007-05:00

My parents, Norbert and Arlene (nee Guinee) Wozniak, divorce became final when I was about ten years old. I say final because in the early sixties it was not easy for a woman with three children to divorce her husband. My mother had a difficult time finding an attorney who would represent her-the way she wanted to be represented. She needed to keep her children and she needed housing for the four of us. In the end, it was a priest from our church (yes, a Catholic church too) who put her in touch with an attorney who handled her case until it was finalized. It took almost four years. My mother received custody of us girls and ended buying back our house from the bank.

I had no relationship with Norb after the divorce. When I was 26 years old, I searched for him and discovered he lived not far from me. So, in 1981, I had a visit with him at his home. I met his wife Shirley who seemed like a very quiet and nice woman. The visit was pleasant enough, but for reasons of our own, Norb and I never saw each other again. In 1989, I was informed through a cousin in Wisconsin that Norb had died three weeks earlier.

Recently I was searching Google, and discovered that Shirley had passed away last November. I was wondering what would have happened to the "stuff" of Norb's that perhaps no one would want and the executor of Shirley's estate would donate to a charity or even toss out. So, I wrote some letters to all the people mentioned in her obituary. I probably wouldn't have done that except for a wonderful friend who belongs to the New Lenox Public Library Genealogy Club, of which I am also a member. She constantly comes to our monthly meetings tellings us stories and showing us pictures some new found relative has shared with her. Thank you Mary! You inspired me!

One of the people I wrote to phoned me and left a message that she contacted a good friend of Shirley's and that that woman was willing to send me some photographs! Now, I haven't received them yet, but I am looking forward to the mail each and everyday! I have less than a dozen pictures of my father and several of his parents. I am hoping that the photographs I receive will include some of his parents and grandparents. Now, that would be a real family treasure!

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!

2010-04-08T19:38:00.006-05:00

Today I took a vacation day from my GSU job and intended to spend the day at my favorite Family History Center - in Chicago Heights, IL. And, guess what...I did! Well, I spent about three hours there. I am continuing my research on my Sommer relatives and was searching through a reel of microfilm from Cleebronn, Germany when a gentleman came in to use another microfilm machine. Having the gift of gab, I didn't wait to long to ask him what records he was looking at-- tax records from the 19th century. One thing lead to another and I discovered his name is Earl Bell and he is the US GenWeb county coordinator for Nash County, North Carolina! Imagine my surprise (see you never know who you may meet until you open your mouth and ASK!) Of course I couldn't let an opportunity slip by, so I asked him a LOT of questions about tax records and his web site. It was a very interesting conversation and I learned quite a bit. Check out his link if time permits.
Now, when I wasn't talking to Earl, I was actually looking at microfilm. I couldn't believe it, but I found four more marriage records (all in German) for my Sommer ancestors, from 1691 through 1796. I also discovered several more children my 5th Great Grandfather Johann Martin Sommer and his wife Johanna Sophia Schoch had. Best of all I actually found the death records for; Johann Sophia Schoch in September, 1788, her father Georg Adam Schoch in July, 1782, Johann Martin Sommer in August, 1791, and quite a number of death records for Martin and Sophia's children. One or two of the marriage records may even lead me back another generation or two. So, I'm doing a little genealogy dance and wearing a smile on my face tonight!
Can't wait to get these records translated!

Wordless Wednesday, Mother & Son

2010-04-07T13:20:00.003-05:00

Cecelia Sawicki Wozniak and son Norbert

ca. 1928

Photo owned by P. Taylor

Easter Sunday, when I was a little girl.....

2010-04-04T09:36:00.005-05:00

Ah, this Easter Sunday is beautiful! The sun is shining, there is a slight breeze (when is there NOT at least a little breeze in Chicago?), and best of all NO rain in sight. Perfect weather.

When I was a little girl, we would start off our day searching for our Easter baskets. Believe it or not, I still have mine.... well used and a few missing parts, but I wouldn't part with it for anything. Oh, the things my sisters and I would find in those baskets; Silly Putty, a kite with our own roll of string, ball and jacks, chalk, and of course candy! We would put on own new dresses that my mom made for us; usually we were all dressed the same too! Add our new patent leather shoes, gloves and purse and off to church we went, looking wonderful. So where are those pictures? Hmmmm....

After church our family usually had dinner at my Grandmother Lucy's house, where of course we would meet up with almost all of my cousins. There were a lot of kids too, you could count on at least 15+ kids and five or six adults. Kids ate in my grandmother's basement on picnic tables and card tables. Adults ate in the dining room. Each family brought a dish and we NEVER ran out of food! Following dinner, the boys made haste for outdoors, while most of the older girls and women cleaned up the dishes. Then the real fun began...what we had all been waiting for....the EASTER EGG HUNT!! My Uncle Damien was in charge. I don't ever remember finding a real egg either. They were always plastic eggs with candy and money inside. Uncle Damien arranged two hunts, one for the younger kids and one for us older kids. It was a blast!

Those are some great memories!

Some traditions must be passed on as well...so my family will gather at my sister's home in a little while. We will eat a delicious meal, including baked beans (Lucy's recipe!), potatos, ham, green bean casserole and tons more, plus desserts. Whoever cooks doesn't do the dishes so it looks like my sister and I will have some free time and who knows, despite all of our kids being teenagers and young adults, you never know there still may be an Easter Egg Hunt! Happy Easter friends!

April Fools Day....Governors State University

2010-04-01T10:09:00.004-05:00

Coming into work early this morning I was pleased to see yet another issue of our campus newsletter focused on this special day...April 1. I must admit this year they have out done themselves. I laughed out loud and have had a smile on my face all morning, so I thought I would share with you this bit of silliness. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Follow the link.

Governors State University

Fealess Females Blog Post: March 22-This is "her" life

2010-03-22T14:15:00.007-05:00

Thanks to Lisa at the Accidental Genealogist for suggesting a month long list of blog posts honoring our "Fearless Females!"

Arlene Guinee

ca. 1945-1947

March 22 — If a famous director wanted to make a movie about one of your female ancestors who would it be? What actress would you cast in the role and why?

If they ever made a movie about one of my female ancestors I hope it would be about my beloved mother- Arlene Guinee! Of course it would have to be a comedy for my mom did have a sense of humor. Katherine Hepburn or Audrey Hepburn would have been perfect to play mom. They both were absolutely beautiful. Katherine Hepburn would have easily captured my mother's determination and independence with a sense of humor to top none. Audrey Hepburn was so pretty and petite, just like my mother! That would be one Oscar worthy movie too!

Fearless Female Blog Post...A Little Late (Surprising Fact!)

2010-03-21T08:56:00.006-05:00

Julia K. Sommer & Maria Elisabetha Rusch Sommer

ca. 1880

photo owned by M. Devers

Within the last year and a half, I have discovered a number of my German ancestors and have written about them in several posts. Through a distant cousin I have even acquired a few photographs as well. One fearless woman I have continued to research is my Great Great Great Grandmother Maria Elisabetha Rusch Sommer. According to her daughter Catharina's death certificate (my GG grandmother) Catharina was born in Neckargemund, Germany. Wow, with that little tid bit of information, I started my "Mission Possible". Here is what I have discovered through church and village records about Maria Elisabeth Rusch Sommer.

Maria used the name Elisabetha throughout her life, she dropped the Maria. She married Johann Gottlieb Sommer March 30, 1841. They had at least ten children...

1) Johann Daniel Sommer, 1841

2) Friedericka Jacobina Johanna Sommer, 1843

3) Martin Sommer, ca. 1844

4) Jacob, 1844

5) Fredericka, 1846

6) Catharina Julia, 1849 (my GG grandmother)

7) Julia Catharina, 1851

8) Georg, 1852

9) Johann Gottlieb, ca. 1858

10) Johann Michael, ca. 1859

Unfortunately, quite a number of these children died in infancy or before the age of five. I believe Gottlieb died in 1863, I recently discovered his death record and need to send it in for translation. That left a widowed Elisabeth with at least several children to care for. I have a major blank in the history at this point in time, until she immigrated to the United States in September of 1881. She arrived with her daughter Julia, her cousin Phillipina and her granddaughter Julia K. Sommer (Daniel's daughter). At this time I do not know why her grand daughter was permitted to come with her. She lived out her last fourteen years here in Chicago, Illinois. She is buried in Oakwoods Cemetery with the simple inscription on the headstone that reads "Grandmother".

I had believed that Elisabeth was born in 1816. That is the age that corresponds to her death certificate, however, I recently had her birth and baptismal records translated and they indicate she was actually born on July 30th, 1814 at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE....ding, ding, ding....wasn't that date the SAME date that Gottlieb was born???

Yes it was! According to church records, Gottlieb was born on July 30th, 1814 at 8 o'clock in the morning. What are the chances of these two people born on the same date, in the same town of Neckargemund, marrying each other? Hmmmm, was this an arranged marriage? I have no idea at this point in time. I can't wait to continue my research on this wonderful and fearless woman!

Wordless Wednesday, Another Sisters, Sisters Photo

2010-03-16T22:23:00.003-05:00

Sisters, Sisters....

Arlene & Shirley Guinee

ca. 1933

Smile for the Camera, Give Their Face a Place

2010-03-10T21:26:00.005-06:00

Lucille Mae Hanaway Guinee

ca. 1927-1929

My grandmother

Original photo owned by D. Witkus

Lucille Hanaway, my beloved grandmother was the sixth of eight children. Born in DeMotte, Indiana to Marion Albert "Burt" and Eva Hanaway, Lucille had four brothers and three sisters. Her family farmed their land and by all accounts they were dirt poor but a very happy and close family. My grandmother married in 1930 to Bert Guinee and that union produced four children. My grandparents raised their children in Chicago, IL. She remained close to her siblings after her parents died in 1955 and 1956. Sometimes after mass on Sundays, my mother, sisters, and I would join Lucy for a little "drive" out to Indiana where we visited several of her sisters and/or brothers. My grandmother was very much loved and cherished by her children and her twenty four grandchildren. In the 70's, her children grown with families of their own, she decided to relocate to Arkansas where she lived in a retirement community. Being a very social woman, she had many friends and was very involved in her community and church, especially the choir! There were lots of visits from family and friends too!

There was no one who could grow a garden and flower bed like Lucy! I credit my own love of flowers and gardening to her. My favorite flower is a violet and no one could grow them like Lucy. Violets...I think all she needed to do was simply pinch a petal off, stick it in dirt and wallah....within a short period of time she has a beautiful plant. (I have written before about my many attempts to keep a violet plant alive, let alone grow one from a leaf!). The basement in her house in Chicago had two shelves full of violet plants in small clay pots! I wouldn't want to admit to how many died in my care. Her yard and garden were full of blooming flowers, especially roses. And trust me, when Lucy went on a vacation, she always took photographs of the many flowers she saw! She had lots and lots of photographs with flowers in them, many with no people, just flowers!

Lucy died shortly before her 87th birthday and is buried in Wheatfield Cemetery in Wheatfield, Indiana. Her parents and grandfather are buried in the same cemetery. DeMotte, Indiana, her birthplace is not far away. She will forever be remembered for her laugh, her giving nature, love of dogs (no wonder my family has always had at least one poochie!), her "green thumb" and most of all her love of her family and church. She was a really terrific woman, daughter, mother and grandmother.

DuPage County Genealogical Society 35th Annual Conference...a blast!

2010-02-28T11:02:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the 35th Annual Genealogy Conference sponsored by the DuPage County Genealogical Society. What a blast! I had mentioned the upcoming conference at the New Lenox Public Library's Genealogy Club to several of the members and they were able to make it. Plus a couple of friends from the Tinley Moraine Genealogists also attended.
I wish I could have participated in more lectures because they had great speakers. Dr. John Philip Colletta, genealogist, lecturer, educator, and author of a number of great genealogy books, including his newest publication; Only a Few Bones was my favorite presenter. I was lucky enough to sit in on three of his programs; Discovering Your Ancestors' World Through Maps and Gazetteers, Passenger Arrival Records: Advanced Problem Solving and Discovering the Real Stories of Your Immigrant Ancestors. From start to finish, all three programs were presented in Dr. Colletta's humorous and extremely knowledgeable style. I also attended a program by Elissa Scalise Powell, another terrific researcher, genealogist, educator and lecturer. That program was titled The Research Cycle-Don't Pedal Backwards and was quite enjoyable as well.
So, my day was perfect, attending a genealogy conference, meeting new friends, and gaining more genealogical research insight. I was able to talk to my genealogy peers about GENEALOGY all day. No one got tired of listening to each other, sharing ideas, discussing our brickwalls, and suggesting new directions in our quest to discover our family history!
Wow, I can't wait for the next conference....

Wordless Wednesday, Roller Skates

2010-02-23T22:08:00.002-06:00

2nd Grade, Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T13:20:00.005-06:00

Arlene Guinee, 2nd grade

2nd row, 1st person on the left!

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor

Third Annual iGene Awards, Best of the Best

2010-02-13T19:39:00.016-06:00

The topic for this 90th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is the iGene Awards, Best of the Best, (thank you Jasia). Time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History to honor what we feel are our own best blog posts of 2009 in the following five areas. So, here it goes....

Best Picture of 2009 would have to be one on my first blog posts of 2009 and is one of my favorites. It is a three generation picture of my grandfather Steve, my father Norb and myself when I was about one year old. It is the only picture I have of the three of us together.

Best Screen Play of 2009, How to be a Mean Mom. What a name for a screen play huh? Well, if I had to choose actors to star in this movie I would pick Katherine Hepburn to play my mother for she portrayed women in a real down to earth fashion. I always loved
Ms. Hepburn and so did my mom. To play my part I would choose Sandra Bullock or Reese Witherspoon (I can dream can't I?), especially after watching Sandra in the movie the Blindside--and I loved Reese in the movie Walk the Line. Go ladies!

Best Documentary of 2009 would be one of the first blog posts about my Sommer/Rusch relatives from Germany. It is really an ongoing series about my German relatives from Neckargemund, Neckarsteinach, and Cleebronn Germany. I have been so fortunate to discover so many of my family records that are available from the Family History Library.

Best Biography of 2009, well, it's not really a biography but it certainly is a story. My uncle shared several stories from his youth of my great grandparents Bert and Eva Hanaway. I had never heard those stories before and my uncle told them in such a manner that I thought I was there with him. It was a great afternoon for sharing family history.

Best Comedy of 2009 is an easy one. It HAS to be the picture of my grandmother Lucy getting a big smooch (yuck!) from a camel while vacationing in Greece! I can just hear my grandmother laughing out loud when I look at this picture.

So, there they are...the five blog posts that I think are some of my best of 2009. Take a moment and visit some of them and share with me your comments please!

DuPage County Genealogical Society Annual Conference

2010-02-13T08:26:00.003-06:00

The DuPage County Genealogical Society is having their 35th annual conference on February 27, 2010. For anyone living in the Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, or Indiana areas this is another wonderful opportunity to meet some terrific fellow genealogists and acquire some great information.
The scheduled speakers include; Jeffrey A. Bockman, Genealogical Lecturer and author, John Philip Colletta, author, lecturer and faculty member at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Kathy Meade, U.S. representative for Genline AB and volunteer at the Swedish American Museum in Chicago, and finally Elissa Scalise Powell, certified genealogist, teacher and researcher. There will also be quite a few vendors and exhibitors at this conference.
Have a free Saturday with nothing to do? Make a date and plan on attending this great genealogy conference. Hope to see you there!

Wordless Wednesday....burrrrrrr

2010-02-10T00:01:00.008-06:00

Ice on Lake Michigan

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor

Smile for the Camera! Día de San Valentín

2010-02-08T21:00:00.022-06:00

This card is from my oldest daughter Sharon. I believe she made it for me her first year in high school (about 1994)for a Spanish assignment! I have been given many hand made cards (my FAVORITE) from my children over the years. This is the only one I have in Spanish.

Her handwriting is so pretty!

Gracias querida hija!

I'm so excited!!!

2010-02-07T20:49:00.009-06:00

Magenheim Castle

Cleebronn, Germany

The joy of microfilm records....

I have a number of reels of microfilm on Neckargemuend, Germany on permanent loan from the Family History Center in the Chicago Heights Family History Library. The church records of those reels of microfilm are invaluable. I have found births, baptismal, marriage, and death records on many, many of my Sommer and Rusch ancestors.

In December, 2009, I discovered that my 4th Great Grandfather Johann Michael Sommer married in Neckargemuend, Germany, however, he was a resident of Cleebronn, Germany.

That information lead me to a new location to investigate. I was keeping my fingers crossed that there would be some information available so I could continue my family research. Lucky for me there is!
Below is the 1795 marriage record of Johann Michael Sommer and Anna Margaretha Schmidt that lead me to Cleebronn, Germany.
The translation reads as follows:
1795
On the 28th of April, the unmarried, prospective local citizen and baker Johann Michael Sommer, born in Cleebronn in Wurttemburg's greater district of Brackenheim, and Anna Margaretha, unmarried legitimate daughter left behind by the deceased local citizen and master butcher Johann Valentin Schmidt, were married here in the church after posting three banns and receipt of the Dismissorial.

One description of Dismissorial is: written permission to get married by another Reverend in another community.

This translation was completed by N. Grossman, a professional German researcher/translator, December of 2009.

So, last Thursday I reviewed the first of two reels of film on Cleebronn, Germany that I had requested. I must have copied twenty some records in about 2 1/2 hours of work. Plus, there is so much more on this particular reel of film. From a marriage proclamation in Cleebronn on Johann Michael's first marriage, I believe I discovered the name of his mother and father. There are also at least nine possible sibling baptismal records, several death records, which may include Michael's grandparents. That information would take my research back to my 6th great grandparents! Oh how I wish there were photographs!

The records I discovered have been scanned and sent to N. Grossman. I cannot wait to go back to the FHC and continue my research and hopefully, find even more connections and ancestors!

Bloggers Best Friend Award!

2010-01-27T22:05:00.006-06:00

Much thanks goes out to Cheryl at Heritage Happens who awarded me this honor! For a number of months I really didn't spend much time working on my blog (as you can tell from the few posts). I decided for 2010 I was going to devote more time to my blog and reading my friends posts as well. So far so good....I've been keeping up with my "resolution".

I have enjoyed so many of the genealogy blogs that it is really hard to pick one. I love Heritage Happens~ Cheryl's blog, Jasia at Creative Gene, Becky at Kinexxions, Bill at West in New England, and Becky at Grace and Glory and MANY MORE.

One of the blogs I have discovered recently is Leah from Random Notes. Because of the poems that Bill and Leah wrote for the newest Carnival of Genealogy I was inspired to give it a whirl and attempt to write a family history poem.

Therefore, I am awarding this newest blog honor to Leah at Random Notes....with much admiration and thanks! Thank you Leah, you go girl....you've got a great genealogy blog. Thank you for sharing your stories and pictures and of course your POEMS with all of us!

Wordless Wednesday~~Absolutely Too Precious!

2010-01-27T21:57:00.004-06:00

Arlene Guinee, Six years of age

Second row, first one of left

On the back of this photo she scribbled

Nightingale School 1B 1P 37113--I imagine the 1P should be 19
Photo privately owned by P. Taylor

Ode to My Family History

2010-01-22T18:02:00.014-06:00

This month's Carnival of Genealogy topic is to create a poem that tells our family's history that could be used as an introduction to a book or video. Not an easy task, although Bill from West in New England, Leah from Random Notes and Jasia from Creative Gene have all done a terrific job.
With help from my family and friends, who constantly have to listen to my babbling about my family research this little poem was created.

Footprints in my family history...

They sailed across the pond
from England, France, Poland, and Germany.
To name a few, they include;
Hanaway, Guinee, Wozniak, and Sawicki.

Many settled in Delaware and Pennsylvania
before migrating to Ohio, Indiana, and west of the great Mississippi.
They were millers, farmers, teachers, and bakers
Protestants, Jewish, Catholics, and Quakers.

They have fought in many wars,
spanning many generations.
Serving as soldiers and sailors-
Witnessing the birth of this great nation.

They are my grandparents, parents,
aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Through them I am a granddaughter, daughter,
sister, aunt, cousin, and mother.

Honor our ancestors memories, their stories live within all of us.
Each of us holds a special place on our eternal tree.
These are the footprints of our family history,
Now start your journey by taking that first footstep....

Benjamin Bowsher, father of 22!

2010-01-21T21:19:00.011-06:00

Benjamin Bowsher

Born 1833

Died 1901

When I look at different branches of my family tree, it amazes me how many children some of my relatives had. Many of my relatives were farmers, it was understandable that they had a large family to help with the work maintaining the fields and the farm itself. One of the largest families on my tree is that of Benjamin Bowsher.

My 3rd great grandfather Benjamin Bowsher was born and raised in Marion County, Ohio. He met and married Nancy Hockenberry, daughter of David and Elizabeth (Reizor) Hockenberry in December of 1854. Nancy was just 18 years old when they married. Within one year they had the first of twelve children. They are as follows:

1. Olive Vivian Bowsher, born 1855

2. Anthony David Bowsher, born 1857

3. Esas Marilda Bowsher, born 1859 (my 2nd great grandmother)

4. Margaret Jane Bowsher, born 1861

5. William Allen Bowsher, born 1863

6. Allen Bowsher, born 1865

7. Ellen Bowsher, born 1867

8. Hester Marie (Hettie) born 1869

9. Everett Bowsher, born 1872

10. Ada Bowsher, born 1874 (twin)

11. Arthur Sherman Bowsher, born 1874 (twin)

12. Infant, unknown name, born 1877

So, at the age of 44 Benjamin was a widow with at least eight children still at home! Wow. In 1879 he married Mary Elizabeth Luse, who was born in 1855, the same year Benjamin and Nancy's oldest daughter Olive was born. I wonder if they were friends?

Benjamin and Mary went on to have ten more children! They are as follows:

1. Martha Melissa Bowsher, born 1880

2. Sarah Elizabeth Bowsher, born 1884

3. Benjamin Bowsher, Jr., born 1886

4. Ida Bowsher, born 1887

5. Joseph Albert Bowsher, born 1888

6. James Francis Bowsher, born 1890

7. George Warren Bowsher, born 1892

8. Lillie Myrtle Bowsher, born 1894

9. Louise T. Bowsher, born 1899

10. Infant, died at birth (Mary may have had the measles)

Twenty two children. I believe that Benjamin had the most children on any branch of my family tree. Unfortunately, he died in 1901 and is buried in Warden Cemetery, Monticello, White County, Indiana. Elizabeth died in 1831. Next time I get to Monticello, I will have to look up the Warden cemetery and hopefully find Benjamin and Nancy's graves. There is a lot of information on the Bowsher family in the White County Museum in Monticello, in fact a direct descendant of Benjamin, and my 4th cousin- Judy Baker Carol is director of the museum. Check out my post about our chance encounter on Good Friday two years ago. I believe someone in the family sent me Benjamin's picture. I have a copy of a picture of Nancy Hockenberry, but it is really a very poor copy otherwise I would have published it as well. Who knows, maybe someone in my family has a really good copy I can get my hands on someday!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-20T21:25:00.003-06:00

Arlene, Marvin, and Shirley Guinee

ca. 1939

Photo owned by P. Taylor

52 Weeks of Genealogy...Week 3

2010-01-17T13:50:00.011-06:00

Several months ago I posted a blog titled "Please Forward" asking readers...how many times have they moved in their lifetime? When I sat down and thought about it, I was shocked how many times I myself have moved (18 times). I've documented each and every address that I can remember and filed it in my own genealogy research. Just thought I would save my descendants a little bit of time in the event they ever wanted to trace my movements.

I have found that creating time lines for my ancestors helps me fill in the blanks. Of course, I document when and where they were born, married, and raised their families. But, as we know that is not the story...those are simply the facts. I have started documenting major events that took place in their community, their city, and the country. For example, my Great Great grandparents Charles and Katharine (Sommer)Ball were married here in Chicago in 1885. The Chicago Haymarket riots were in May, 1886. Charles and Katharine's daughter Alma was born in October of 1886. Another event I added to their timeline was the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition that was held here in Chicago, Illinois. Schooling, government, wars, presidents, vacations, those are events I love to add, to give my "facts" a story. I have started my own timeline....it's getting really long....I constantly think---to add or not to add...

When my oldest daughter graduated from college (yippee!) I wanted to give her something "little" because I had already given her her BIG present. The "little" gift was a scrapbook. Except it really wasn't a "little" gift, for one major thing....it took a lot of time and money! I started out at the beginning, making pages of all those major "milestones" in her life. It was fun to work on it. I found I kept wanting to add more and more. Thank heavens there were only so many pages that would fit in the book! I was pleased with the way it turned out. I never really thought of making one up for myself. I have a small collection of photographs from my childhood. I have more from my adulthood when I bought my own camera and started my love of photography. It wouldn't be hard to put one together, but it would take TIME!

Documenting my personal history would take some time. I know that I am so much more interested in the who, what, where, when, why, and how about my ancestors that I simply don't want to take the time to write my own. However, if I do a little bit at a time, like a baby step- I imagine it really won't really be that big of a project. What should I work on next??? Schools I attended, vacations I have taken, jobs I have worked at, friends in my life, hobbies I have had, genealogy dances I have danced, vital records I have found, ancestors I have connected, oops there I go again hmmmmmmm!

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy: Week 2

2010-01-14T21:13:00.007-06:00

New Lenox Public Library

Thanks to Genea-bloggers and Amy from WeTree for coming up with 52 blog ideas for 2010. Here's week 2. Visit your local public library and describe their local history and genealogy collections. I would love to describe the local history and genealogy collections at the New Lenox library..
First of all, let me start by saying--I work part time in the Adult Services/Reference department at the New Lenox Public Library and I LOVE my job! The library is located in Will County, south of Chicago, Illinois. The population of New Lenox is approximately 25, 000 people. The picture above is the "new" building for it is only 8 years old. It is about 56,000 square feet and BEAUTIFUL inside and out. In my opinion it is clearly one of the most beautiful libraries in the area.

Although our local history collection is not very large, what we have is priceless! Our book collection consists of materials not only on the community of New Lenox from the 19th century, but Will County history, Cook County history, the Civil War and local heroes, schools, churches, and of course local historical and genealogical societies. We have a bulletin board devoted to stories and photographs of early New Lenox settlers, churches, schools and businesses.

Last fall our library participated in a local history preservation project. We digitized many New Lenox photographs, obituaries, histories, and news stories from the 19th and early 20th centuries. This New Lenox: History in the Making project is still in the works, as more material is being gathered and will be added to the website.

Our collection doesn't stop there! We have a small collection of newspapers on microfilm. However, patrons visiting the library can easily access our internet database of the Chicago Tribune Historical Archives and many other Chicago newspapers. New Lenox library card holders can access most of our internet databases on genealogy from the comfort of their own home! Ancestry.com is the only database that must be accessed at the library.

An area that many times is overlooked or missed by patrons searching local history is the pamphlet file. Not only do we have government documents regarding New Lenox but, we also have a super collection of publications by the South Suburban Genelogical and Historical Society and the Will County Historical Society. "Where the Trails Cross" and "Civil War Rosters" are two such publications.

Of course our reference materials include many genealogy books. Being part of a large public library system, if we don't have a particular book in our collection we can usually request it from another library or even an out of state library (for a small fee). I take advantage of our "Interlibrary" loan policy many times! Another plus--our library receives the Ancestry magazine--one of my favorite magazines too!

New in 2010 is our Genealogy Club which meets once a month! Our first meeting was this past Tuesday and we had a great turnout!

Wow, I for one look forward to more club meetings and our collection of local history and genealogical materials continuing to grow!

Isn't she lovely!! Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T00:30:00.002-06:00

Arlene Guinee Wozniak Turnbull

ca. 1945-1948

Photo owned by P. Taylor

Ludwik and Stella Sawicki

2010-01-10T17:23:00.005-06:00

Stella and Ludwik Sawicki

ca. 1914

Stella and Ludwik (Louis) Sawicki are my Great Grandparents. Ludwik was born in August of 1863 in Pozen, Poland. He immigrated to the United States about 1885 and eventually came to live in Chicago, Illinois. He married Stanislawa Wieczorek, daughter of Andrzj and Antonina Wieczorek. Stanislawa (Stella) was born in 1868 in Pozen, Poland. I am fortunate enough to have a copy of their marriage license from Cook County and marriage certifcate from St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church.

Stella and Ludwik resided in a predominately Polish neighborhood in Chicago, IL. They had eleven children between 1890 and 1905. Six daughters and one son survived through adulthood and produced eighteen grandchildren for Stella and Ludwik. Thanks to FamilySearch.org I have found a number of the children's birth certificates and have even found several of the children's marriage certificates. I have also been lucky enough to have found the Sawicki family on the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 Federal Census records.

Ludwik worked for the Steel mills for many years as did many relatives and neighbors. I never knew either of my Polish Great Grandparents for they already passed away many years before I was born. He died in 1937 at the age of 74. Stella lived until 1948. Both are buried on a small hillside in Holy Cross cemetery in Calumet City, Illinois.

I usually visit the graves of many of my Polish ancestors at Holy Cross cemetery twice a year. I attempt to clean off the headstones and usually look for more ancestors. Of course, I take pictures of the headstones and document where the graves are located to make finding them easier in the future!

Happy 101 Award

2010-01-10T13:10:00.007-06:00

Thank you to Becky from Grace and Glory for awarding this really neat honor! I have enjoyed Becky's stories and pictures of her family history for quite awhile!

I am to name ten things that make me happy~~~gosh that is an EASY requirement! Here it goes....

1) All my children, I am blessed to be their Mom. I am trying so hard to document all of our good times together!
2) My sister and her family, my many, many cousins, and other family members who tolerate my consistent questioning about our ancestry.
3) I am so happy that I work at two different libraries. One an academic and the other a public. Both offering me opportunities to spread the "genealogy" bug to students, faculty, staff, and patrons! Thank you.
4) My friends who never seem to tire of my chatter regarding my newest "discovery" or brickwall!
5) My grandmother and my mother's recipe boxes! Not only are the recipes terrific, but many are in their own handwriting!
6) Family photographs, especially those from my mother and grandmother. I always love looking at them and discovering something new!
7) Chocolate cake, chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate ice cream, get the idea?
8) A home cooked dinner that someone ELSE has made. I am not fussy! It will be delicious I am sure!
9) Dakota, Anya, and Kaylee, the family pooches~~ who keep me company and let me work without any interruptions by sleeping on my bed or next to my chair whenever I am on my computer.
10) My genealogy friends and internet friends who tolerate my gift of gab and never ending questions.

Now, I am to pass this terrific award onto other blogs that I enjoy. Here they are....

Judith at Genealogy Traces
Wendy at All My Branches Genealogy
Sheri at Twig Talk who is recovering from a really awful fall.
Leah at Random Notes
Elizabeth at Little Bytes of Life

I am delighted to see that the following blogs have already been awarded this honor as well:

Becky from Kinnexions
Apple from Apple's Tree
Jasia from Creative Gene

Wordless Wednesday, Chatty Cathy & Casper the Friendly Ghost

2010-01-06T21:49:00.004-06:00

Chatty Cathy

& Casper the Friendly Ghost

Christmas ca. 1961

Using the library!

2010-01-03T12:34:00.005-06:00

Elisabeth Rusch Sommer &

her granddaughter Julia K. Sommer

ca. 1880's

Elisabeth Rusch Sommer is my GG Great Grandmother. She was born in 1816 in Germany and died here in Chicago on December 30, 1899. Last year, through an internet connection, I was blessed in discovering a distant cousin who provided me with the above picture.

Well, it's a New Year, so it's about time I wrote about my continuing research on my Sommer/Rusch ancestors. I devoted almost all of 2009 to researching just these two families. I am happy to say I found quite a number of great connections and of course, with those connections come even more questions.

Amy Coffin from the We Tree blog came up with weekly blog ideas for all 52 weeks of 2010! Thank you Amy. Week one suggests using the library for your research. Great suggestion, for I work at both an Academic library and a Public library. Both of which can provide great resources for searching your family history.

I live in a pretty small community on the very south side of Chicago. My public library is small and unfortunately you wouldn't find too much information on genealogy on the shelves. However, thanks to an Inter-library Loan program I can request almost any book from any library in the United States. I request a lot of books too. I love using WorldCat and finding many many books on not only specific locations, topics, but also surnames! One of the books I am currently reading is the fourth edition of "In Search of Your German Ancestors" by Angus Baxter. I like this book so much I most likely will order it from Amazon.com. Many public libraries will have the library edition of Ancestry.com on their public computers. Who wouldn't love using Ancestry.com for their research? Although my public library doesn't subscribe to Ancestry.com, there are a number of larger libraries in the area that do subscribe to this great database. I can use their electronic databases when I visit their library.

At Governors State University library you will find the Chicago Tribune on microfilm going back to 1885! What a great resource for death notices and obituaries!

Another great resource I use at least once a month is the Chicago Heights Family History Center. I have requested many reels of microfilm from their library for my German family research. Thanks to those many reels of microfilm and many more hours reading them, I have discovered a lot of information on my Rusch and Sommer ancestors from Neckargemund, Germany. I am slowly connecting the dots, crossing the t's and dotting the i's!

Thank you Amy for suggesting people use their public libraries! They may also want to look at the local universities and Family History Centers too for discovering more information on their family history!

Saturday night genealogy fun!

2009-10-17T19:46:00.003-05:00

John and Alma Guinee

ca. 1952

Weeee, I am home on a Saturday night and I am actually working on my genealogy! Thought I would see what Randy Seaver suggested for our Saturday night genealogy fun! I believe I can do this too!

Name one set of your great grandparents, list their descendants by generation, list how many are still living, and how many I have met. Here I go...

****I have chosen my great grandparents John Guinee (1888-1972) and Alma (Ball) Guinee (1886-1963). I may have met both of them, but if I did I was very young and gosh darn it, have no recollection of them personally.

****I used my Family Tree Maker program to create a descendant chart!

****John and Alma had:

1st generation: four children.

2nd generation: nine grandchildren, four are still living

3rd generation: forty-three great grandchildren,, I believe all are still living

4th generation: seventy-three great great grandchildren, I know one is deceased

5th generation: nine great, great, great grandchildren

***** How many have I met?

Well, I only know five of their grandchildren, although I am still trying to find two more that I believe are still alive.

I know/met via the internet twenty five of their great grandchildren

I know forty-four of their great great grandchildren.

I do not know any of the great, great, grandchildren, although perhaps some day I will!

I really only know my Grandfather's descendants the best. I have emailed several other cousins quite often, especially during the holidays. I continue to send out "are we related" letters each month and once in a blue moon actually get a response. I am currently waiting to see if I hear anything from three such letters!

These little exercise was fun and got me thinking of a few other areas I should explore to fill in some missing relatives!

My Ancestors from: Neckargemund, Germany

2009-09-28T10:43:00.004-05:00

Neckargemund, Germany

Home of my Sommer/Rusch ancestors

I have recently been working with a wonderful woman, Nancy Grossman, who I learned about from the Newberry Library here in Chicago. Nancy does genealogy and history research and she specializes in German genealogy both here and abroad. LUCKY ME!!

I contacted Nancy and via email sent her four of my many, many, many German documents. These four I believed were birth and death Church records of my Sommer relatives from Neckargemund, Germany. Being that I am always on a budget regarding my genealogy quests I was thrilled that Nancy's fee for translating all four documents was minimal. Better yet, I had the translations in less than two days!

So, I thought I would share two of those documents. This translation is my GG grandmother Katharina Juliana Sommer's birth certificate. It reads as follows:

1849

In the year of 1849 on the 18th of January at two o'clock in the morning, a girl was born. She was baptised on the 24th of January and named Katharina Juliana. The parents are: Gottlieb SOMMER, local citizen and flour dealer and his wife Elisabetha nee RUSCH. Witnesses and Godparents are: 1) Friederich RUSCH, baker from here and brother (of Elisabetha), 2) Jacob KNORR, local citizen and baker.

***Notes: from Nancy Grossman

Flour dealers go hand in hand with the baking industry! (Thank you for this note Nancy!)

Now, Katharina immigrated here to the Chicago area in the early 1880's with her widowed mother Elisabetha and her sister Juliana. Here is Juliana's birth certificate translation.

It reads as follows:

1851

In the year 1851, here in Neckargemund on the 8th of January at eight o'clock in the morning, a baby girl was born. She was baptised on the 3rd of February at two o'clock in the afternoon, and named Katharina Juliana. The parents are: Gottlieb SOMMER, local citizen and flour dealer and his wife Elisabetha nee RUSCH. The witnesses and Godparents are: 1) Jacob KNORR, local citizen and master baker 2) his wife Katharina, 3) Friederich RUSCH, the unmarried brother of the mother of the child, a baker from here (Neckargemund).

Neckargemund, the 3rd of February, 1851

***Notes: from Nancy Grossman

Another relative...Friederich RUSCH, Elisabetha's brother! Jacob KNORR may have been a relative as well, possibly an in-law on the mother of the father's side.

***Additional Notes: from Nancy Grossman

I wouldn't say it was common for siblings to have the same name, but it was not unusual. The sisters had the same Godparents too. This may have something to do with it. For example, both were probably namesakes of their Godparent Katharina KNORR, Jacob's wife. Re. the name Juliana, I can't say yet. The sisters may have been named after the same person, or two different people with the same name.

When I find siblings with the same name, it is customary like in your family, for each sibling to take a different part of the name as their dominant one;i.e. one became Katharina and the other, as Julia.

Again, much thanks to Nancy.

So, did I learn anything NEW?? Yes, I did! I now have the names of Godparents, the exact dates of birth, father's occupation, and yet another family connection with Friederich! I could not be happier!

I also can't wait to scan more documents to Nancy for translation! YIPPEE!!

How many ancestors have you met?

2009-08-29T21:07:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Randy Seaver for this Saturday night's blog idea.
How many ancestors have I met? Well, let's see...

1) Arlene Guinee Wozniak Turnbull, my beloved mother whom I have written about many times on this blog, lived most of her life here in the Chicago land area until she retired. She then traveled the country and spent her winters as a "snowbird" in Arizona!
2) Norbert Wozniak, father, lived in the Chicago land area until he retired then he moved to Shelbyville, IL. He died shortly after he retired.
3) Lucille Hanaway Guinee, my grandmother, born in Indiana, lived in the Chicago land area after her marriage to Bert Guinee, and later lived in Arkansas until her death in 1998.
4) Bert Guinee, grandfather. Unfortunately, I only knew who my grandfather was, I did not have any kind of relationship with him. I have heard many wonderful stories from my cousins!
5) Stephen Wozniak, grandfather. Lived in the Chicago land area. Died in 1959 in Oak Lawn, IL. I have one precious picture of my grandfather that I cherish!
6) Cecelia Sawicki Wozniak, grandmother. Lived in the Chicago land area for many years.
7) John Guinee, great grandfather, died in 1972 when I was a teenager.
8) Alma Ball Guinee, great grandmother, died in 1963 when I was only eight years old.

My mother had one sister and two brothers, one of whom is still very much alive. I have a lot of first cousins and many of us still live close to each other and still get together. My other cousins and I still keep in touch.
I have been lucky to know all of my grandmother Lucy Guinee's siblings, and there were eight of them! My great Aunt Berniece is still alive and wonderful! I have tons of cousins from the Hanaway family tree!
I also knew my father's sister and brother. My aunt is still alive. I still occasionally hear from her and her family which is terrific!

So, I consider myself pretty lucky to have known these ancestors. Sure wish I had known more of my great grandparents but times were very hard in the mid 20th century. I have a couple of pictures and hope to discover more!

Please Forward:

2009-08-23T13:49:00.005-05:00

My sister Carole and her husband just celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary. Whee, that was a really quick twenty years! They have moved at least nine times during their marriage, not because one of them is in the military or they changed jobs, they just move from house to house. My brother-in-law is extremely handy and can do almost anything around the house. I know because he has helped me many times with projects around my house. When they move they usually don't move far. They are only about 48 miles from my home, so we get together very often. They have lived in their current house not quite three years. This house is beautiful and continues to get better and better. I have kidded the both of them many times about moving and when are they moving next? Both say this is it, they are staying put. I have heard that before!

That got me thinking about how many times I have moved in my lifetime. I started from the time of my birth. It couldn't really be that many times. In my childhood we moved from our home in Chicago Ridge to California. In California we stayed with relatives for a short time and then we moved to San Jose. (Yes, I really do know that way to San Jose!). Living in California didn't work out very well so we came back home to the south side of Chicago. We lived with my grandmother for about one year until we could move back into our house (my mother rented our house instead of selling it---good thinking!) Anyway, I stayed put with Mom until college and then decided to work full time which of course meant moving out of Mom's house and getting my own "place." In a span of ten years, 1975-1985, I moved eight times. WOW! Since 1985 I have moved only three times and in fact have lived in my current home for almost sixteen years. Since my birth I have moved eighteen times! When I asked a friend to figure out how many times she has moved, she came up with thirteen times. Our generation really moves around a lot!

With the help of the federal census records it is pretty easy for me to track my Great grandparents Bert and Eva Hanaway. They pretty much stayed in the same area of Indiana and on the same farm most of their married life. One hundred years ago, you could have simply addressed a letter to them with the Route number and DeMotte, Indiana and they would have gotten it. Pretty simple really. That certainly wouldn't be the case today!

My mother moved twice from the time she was born until she married in 1954. In 1975 she married my stepfather Jim and they traveled a lot. She eventually sold the family home in Illinois and moved to Arizona where she spent the winters. Apache Junction, AZ was really her home base. In the summers she traveled all over the United States and worked in National Parks. If you wrote to her, the letters usually stayed in her mailbox in Arizona until she got back there in the late fall! Once in a while she would leave a forwarding address if her she had long term plans to stay put in one spot for a few months. She will not be easy to find on any census record from 1980 forward that is for sure!

My Great Great grandmother Katharine Sommer Ball moved frequently from the time of her marriage in 1885 until her death in 1923. With the help of Chicago city directories, I found her living at sixteen different addresses in those thirty eight years. She usually only lived at one address one or two years and then moved. Many years she was not listed in the city directory. So, in actuality she had more than those 16 different addresses. Plus, I have yet to find Katharine or my Great Great grandfather Charles Ball on any census record.

So, I ask "How many times have you moved?" How easy do you think our ancestors will be able to find us on a census record? Well, I'm going to give mine a little help and document all the places I've lived. I might be able to save them a little time looking for me!

Taking some time for research...ahhhhhh

2009-07-20T21:31:00.003-05:00

Recently I have had not one but two different opportunities to do some research on my Sommer family history. Last Thursday I was lucky enough to find some time to visit the Chicago Heights, IL, Family History Center. I had previously ordered some microfilm on Neckargemund, Germany church records. Thanks to one of my new found Sommer relatives I had a couple of names to work with and got busy. The first major obstacle I faced was the fact that the microfilm was in German, and I do not read or speak German. However, that did not prevent me from continuing my research. I brought with me a German-English and English-German dictionary and went to work. After about an hour I decided to simply look for the Sommer or Rusch names and would copy the page and have it translated later. Thanks to a couple of words I could translate, I believe I found the marriage record of Daniel Sommer and Christina Wittman from 1873. I was lucky enough to also find four of their children's baptismal/birth records from 1873 through 1880. The Rusch name was listed in several places so I copied those records as well, although I do not know if they are relevant to my family. After four hours I decided to call it quits. The film will remain at the Family History Center until the middle of August unless I extend it indefinitely, which most likely I will do. That way I can look at the film many more times. It was a great afternoon for sure.
Saturday, I went with the Friends of the Governors State Library Historical Society to the Newberry Library in Chicago, IL. I had been to the library before but was unable to do any personal research. This time was different! After another tour of the library, I went directly to the second floor where the genealogy research area is located. I went through almost twenty years of Chicago City Directories which were on microfilm. Once again, I met with some success. There are years when my Great Great Grandparents Charles and Katharine Ball were simply not listed anywhere. When they were listed their occupation was always listed as a "nurse." Confirmation of what I believed to be true! What I also discovered was that Charles and Katharine moved almost every year to a new home/apartment. Gosh, would I hate to move that often. Why did they move so often anyway? My next visit to the Newberry Library will be to research maps and attempt to plot the neighborhoods where they lived!
I've updated my family tree with my new found information and have given my German records to a friend to translate---at his convenience of course. So, as so often is the case, I have met with some genealogy success but once again, boy do I have more questions! The search continues......

Wordless Wednesday: Come on kids, let's go for a ride!

2009-07-15T00:15:00.002-05:00

Photo owned by P. Taylor

Alma Ball Guinee and children

Circa: 1916

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T00:15:00.000-05:00

Photo owned by P. Taylor

Sunset at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Summer, 2008

Row, row, row your boat.....here's the picture!

2009-06-23T23:02:00.003-05:00

Bert and his granddaughter Iona

Flood waters of the Kankakee River in Indiana

Hanaway house is in the background.

Era... 1940's

Thanks for the memories.....

2009-06-23T22:01:00.005-05:00

Recently my nephew graduated from high school. Yes, he worked hard, got terrific grades, participated in almost every sport offered at his high school and will be attending Purdue University in the fall. We are all very PROUD of his accomplishments! It was a time for celebration and of course a gathering of family and friends.
My uncle and his wife from Minnesota stopped in for a while and we chatted. Of course, as the afternoon lingered, stories were told. My favorite kind of stories too! Yep, family genealogy stories. The kind of stories that brings your family history alive! So, I thought I would share a little of what my uncle so vividly brought to life about my great grandparents Bert and Eva Hanaway.
My great grandparents were dirt poor! They raised eight children and were really dirt poor! But, poor doesn't mean they weren't a happy family! My great grandfather apparently had a real sense of humor and loved to tell jokes. Some people have compared him to Will Rogers. Bert and Eva lived in the northern part of Indiana, close to the Kankakee River, which to this day floods horribly in the spring time. They never had indoor plumbing, can you imagine? In the middle of the 20th century, they had no indoor plumbing. No showers or baths, and worse yet....trudging to the outhouse in the bitter winter weather---ugh! They had a water pump and three wells on their property.
Bert and Eva were farmers. They had 15 acres of farm land. My great grandfather used a plow pulled behind two mules. Back breaking labor walking behind two mules to plant the crops. (My uncle had a hip replacement five years ago. He is completely recovered now. I wonder what condition my great grandfather's back and hips were in working behind a plow his entire life?) Those crops got planted and harvested without the luxury of a tractor!
Bert usually had three hogs, and each fall one was slaughtered for food for the family. My uncle told a great story that when he was young and spent some time with Bert and Eva, he and his cousins (of course BOYS!) would put hay in some gunny sacks and chase the hogs and mules around the pasture so they could hop on the animals back. They would chase those animals and chase them until they could wear them down long enough to get on their back for a terrific 15 second ride! You should have seen my uncle's face when he was sharing that story. It was magic!
He went on to say that my great grandmother canned everything and had a root cellar where she stored those items. My uncle said Eva had a "pickle patch." Cute picture...a pickle patch. Eva made all the food and none was wasted- on anything or anybody! My uncle said one afternoon he and his cousins took ONE ear of corn out of the corn crib and went to feed the chickens, they rubbed the kernels off and threw the kernels to the chickens. The chickens loved it! The problem was that Eva fed the chickens earlier and yelled to the kids that they didn't need to feed those chickens again. My uncle said even though she yelled to them, she wasn't mad. Kids are kids.
Each Sunday, the entire family congregated at Bert and Eva's; kids, spouses and grandchildren. It was a large family for my uncle has 37 first cousins just from that side of the family!
In 1953, the floods were so bad that Bert and Eva had to move out of their home and never returned. The water damage was simply too bad. I have pictures of my great grandfather in a row boat with his granddaughter Iona. He used that row boat frequently to get to the road from the house and back again.
As my uncle was sharing this story, I grabbed some paper and starting writing....I was not about to let an opportunity like this one slip by....nor was I counting on my remembering everything he was telling. Needless to say....it was a great afternoon to celebrate my nephew's graduation and to share more family history!
These stories are not only on my blog, but rest assured they have been added to my family tree! Thanks for sharing the memories Uncle! Keep 'em coming!

Wordless Wednesday, Summer Flowers

2009-06-23T21:56:00.005-05:00

Photo owned by P. Taylor

Rita Wilson Orton

August, 1967

Wordless Wednesday....

2009-06-16T22:17:00.005-05:00

Margaret Anderson Hanaway
1921-2003

Enjoying the sun, sand, and of course

A GREAT BOOK!

"Back in the Saddle Again...."

2009-06-15T12:06:00.005-05:00

Well, well, well, I know that it has been a very long time since I have written anything on my blog. It doesn't mean I haven't been working on my genealogy, it just means that I haven't had the time to post anything about my genealogy. Besides having sunshine and warmer weather to enjoy, flowers to plant, and graduations to attend, it is BASEBALL season. My two youngest sons are on several teams, which is where I spend my "free" time. I am after all, their number one cheerleader!
The last several months I have been devoting some late night "free" time researching my Polish ancestors. Just last week I finally found out when and where three great aunts were married here in Chicago. I was pretty excited to get my hands on those marriage certificates. In typical fashion, having those certificates has lead to a few more questions regarding my family history....
I have posted a number of queries on the message boards regarding my Sawicki, Wieczorek and Polus relatives. Keeping my fingers crossed someone may respond and we have a family connection!
Glad to be "back in the saddle" again!

It really was a Good Friday!

2009-04-22T19:07:00.005-05:00

White County Historical Museum & Genealogical Society

Monticello, Indiana

April, 2009

Two weeks ago on Good Friday, my two youngest sons and I traveled to Monticello, Indiana. I was planning to visit several cemeteries in the hope of finding at least my Great Grandmother Rilda Hanaway's grave and possibly several others ancestors as well. On previous trips I didn't bring the names of the cemeteries or who may have been where....this time I was a little smarter and more prepared. My sons and I couldn't check into our hotel until 4 pm. so we decided to check out one particular cemetery I could easily find-the Old Monticello Cemetery where Eliza Hanaway, my 3rd Great Grandmother is buried there. Supposedly, so are three of her sons and her husband Jacob.

On the way to the cemetery I drove by the White County Historical Museum. On my previous trips it was never opened and being Good Friday I didn't give it a thought, until I saw an "Open" sign hanging in the window. BINGO, I couldn't find a parking spot fast enough.

There was supposed to be quite a bit of information on Jacob Hanaway in this museum and maybe I could find it! It turned out to be better than I could have imagined! I met my 4th cousin Judy Carol Baker who just happens to be the director of the museum! Wow, what a wonderful and very informative visit we had too! Judy gave me access to Jacob's will and better yet copied everything that I wanted copies of. She also provided me with copies of Benjamin and Nancy Hockenberry Bowsher my 3rd Great Grandparents! Cool!

Judy gave me directions to several cemeteries in the area and the next day I found Rilda's grave and her son Rollie's grave in the Yeoman cemetery. I found that Jacob shared the grave with his first wife Eliza for his name was on the other side of the tombstone. I found many Bowsher, Bunnell, Burns, and Cripe relatives in the Old Riverview Cemetery.

It certainly was a great trip! Now, all I have to do is download all the pictures of the tombstones, identify them and the cemetery I found them in.....especially before I forget all those little details!

Wordless Wednesday-Pet Cemetery

2009-04-15T08:50:00.004-05:00

Pike Creek Pet Cemetery,

Monticello, White County, Indiana

Photograph owned by P. Taylor

Happy Birthday to my Mom, Arlene Wozniak Turnbull!

2009-04-02T20:17:00.008-05:00

Arlene Marie Guinee Wozniak Turnbull

1931-1998

My beloved Mother

Little did I know

when I was a youngster

how much joy

a smile could bring to a parent.

Little did I know

when I was a youngster

that playing a game with your Mom

was a life lesson.

Little did I know

when I was a youngster

that laughter

really was the best medicine.

Little did I know

when I was a teenager

that I would one day be

a teacher of life's lessons.

Little did I know

when I was a teenager

how much

my relatives would

mean to me.

Little did I know

when I was a teenager

how important

rules are in life.

Little did I know

when I was a teenager

how warm

a hug could feel.

Little did I know

when I was a young adult

that I would one day

grow up to be a strong woman

because I wanted to be

just like YOU.

Little did I know

when I was a young adult

that one day I would use

the independence you allowed me,
to stand on my own two feet

and make responsible decisions.

Little did I know

when I was a young mother

that I could be a good, single parent

because I saw you

as a great single parent.

I know now

as a daughter

and as a mother

that I will forever cherish

the love, generosity, and kindness

you unconditionally gave me.

Until we see each other again

I will forever keep you in my heart.

I love you and miss you bunches.

Happy Birthday Mom!

April Fool's Day??? Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-31T21:25:00.008-05:00

Flowers "trying" to "Spring" up through the snow!

This is no April Fool's joke. Yippee!!! Finally!!!

Tombstone Tuesday, Homer Hanaway

2009-03-30T22:06:00.009-05:00

Gravestone of Homer Amos Hanaway

B. 1903 D. 1979
My Granduncle

DeMotte Cemetery,

DeMotte, Indiana

Ar's Cafe...

2009-03-30T08:48:00.005-05:00

Birthday cake made by my Mom for my 1st birthday!

August, 1956

Photograph digitized by P. Taylor

Photo owned by P. Taylor

Food was a very important part of my upbringing...we celebrated at home EVERYTHING from birthdays to baby showers, wedding showers, graduations, and of course every holiday under the sun! My mother was a great cook but an even better baker! We never had a store bought birthday cake, and I do mean NEVER! She made sure the cake or cookies were not just great tasting they were cute too. Mom would decorate the cakes and cookies so well, you paused before you ate them, thinking they were too cute to eat! Of course, it didn't stop any of us, for who could resist dessert? Not me! Mom made the greatest bunny cakes for Easter while my grandmother Lucy made the best lamb cakes. Halloween included an assortment of decorated cupcakes and many other goodies. Fourth of July always had some dessert in red, white and blue foods. Thanksgiving and Christmas...wow, the best pumpkin pies! But, at Christmas my mother, sisters and I made a ton of Christmas cookies. We spent days in the kitchen making cookies to give out as gifts and of course for our family to enjoy as well. My mom loved to make coffee cakes, her favorite being Walnut Walk-A-Ways, because, you guessed it, they simply "walked" off the platter and disappeared!

As Mom got older (and wiser) and more health conscious, she experimented with low fat, no cholesterol cooking. She just loved her veggies! She made some wonderfully tasty chicken and vegetable dishes, which was great because she loved to have company and she loved to feed her company.

Wow, I'm getting hungry for one of her recipes. I have her recipe boxes filled with her recipes and her first cook book...hmmmm, I think I'll go see what I can cook up! Thanks Mom for teaching ME to cook too!

Wordless Wednesday, Just a little "kiss"

2009-03-25T00:30:00.001-05:00

Greece, ca. 1970

Lucy Guinee getting a "smooch" from a camel!

Her daughter Shirley is sitting on the camel.

Digital photo by P. Taylor 2009

Monday Madness, "My Brickwall Ancestor--Charles J. Ball"

2009-03-23T10:44:00.008-05:00

First of all I would like to thank Amy at Untangled Family Roots for creating this new Monday meme and Miriam at Ancestories for the brickwall template!

I have been searching and coming up with almost nothing on my Great Great Grandfather Charles J. Ball for over four years now. Here I go with describing my brickwall and may I add ANY SUGGESTIONS for discovering any information about him are welcomed!

This is what I would love to find out: I would love to know when and where Charles J. Ball died and where he is buried.

Here is the known information:

Charles was born about 1857 in Baden, Germany. (Information from Alma's birth record)

Charles J. Ball married Katherine J. Sommer on April 21, 1885 at Central Christian Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Daughter of Charles and Katherine Ball; Alma Ball was born on October 13,1886 at home. Their address at that time was 270 Sangamon, Chicago, Illinois.

Charles worked as a nurse.

Charles was listed on the 1892 Chicago City Directory, living at 4524 Cottage Grove Avenue.

He was also listed on the 1893 Chicago City Directory, living at 479 W. Lake.

On the 1899 Chicago City Directory he is listed as living at 631 Larrabee.

Then he disappears.

On the 1907 Chicago City Directory, Katherine lists herself as a widow of Charles.

Positive and Negative Searches include:

I have a copy of the marriage license of Charles and Katherine and also a copy of the birth certificate of Alma. The birth certificate indicates that both Charles and Katherine were born in Baden, Germany and that both worked as nurses.

Obviously, the Chicago City Directories are another positive search and I was more than thrilled when I found those!

I have in my possession a copy of a picture (most likely a Cartes de Visite) of a young Charles J. Ball taken by R. Holyland photographer. Mr. Holyland was a photographer in Baltimore for a number of years. Perhaps Charles (Chas) had his picture taken when he arrived here in the United States to prove to his family back in Germany that he made it safe and sound to America?

I have been unable to find my Charles (Chas) on any Federal Census record or Katherine for that matter. I thought I hit the jack pot on the 1900 Federal Census with a Charles Ball in Hennepin, Minnesota who immigrated from Germany and his year of birth is close to my Charles Ball. The 1900 Census also states that this Charles Ball was married for about 16 years. No wife/child was listed though and so far I have been unable to connect him to my family. (Coincidentally, Charles and Katherine's daughter Alma married Philip Hirschberg in St. James, Minnesota in May of 1906).

I've searched the surnames of Ball, Bell, Bill, Boll, and Bull with no luck.

I have paid for a death record search for 1889 through 1907 from Cook County, Illinois with no luck.

I have search the burial records for Cook County, Illinois with no luck.

Charles is NOT buried next to Katherine in Oakwoods Cemetery in Chicago, nor do they have a Charles Ball buried in that cemetery.

I cannot locate Charles coming over from Germany on any ship documents I've been able to research.

Possible resources:
I have contacted IRAD and asked that they search for any probate records and naturalization records for Charles J. Ball.
I keep going back to the Charles Ball in Minnesota and although I don't believe he is related I have a feeling there may be some connection????

Wow, that's all I have. Not much I know, but any suggestions or directions I should move in would be appreciated.

Thanks friends!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-17T22:55:00.009-05:00

Bert Guinee & children; Arlene, Shirley and Marvin

ca. 1938

Digitized photo owned by P. Taylor

Happy St. Paddy's Day

2009-03-17T07:48:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Paddy's day to all! Although I am Polish, French, and German there is a tale that my family is also Irish and with a surname like "Hanaway" I am inclined to believe it!

Will you and your family be celebrating today with Shamrock shakes from McDonald's, a corn beef and cabbage dinner and Irish soda bread? If so, enjoy and may the luck of the Irish be with everyone today!

How to be a Mean Mom!

2009-03-11T10:08:00.008-05:00

How many times when you were a kid did you say "When I have kids, I"m going to ......blah, blah, blah"? I can still hear myself saying (perhaps yelling) those words to my mother when I was a kid. Kids know it all. Yeah, right.

When I became a Mom for the first time, it was to two little boys. I was so excited-finally I was going to be a MOM! (I became a foster mom in 1986) Eric was four and his younger brother Scot (Scooter) was about sixteen months old. My Mom was coming in from Arizona to help me care for the boys because I worked full time in retail management. Friday night arrived and I was busy putting a crib together and when that job was finished, the boys arrived-hungry and nervous. Just like me.

Who knew that making dinner, washing dishes, giving the boys a bath (and myself in the process), reading bedtime stories and getting the boys to fall asleep could take so much energy? Surely, not me. The next morning was crazy, what with making breakfast, washing dishes, getting beds made, getting the boys dressed, taking them to the park (get rid of some of that energy), snack time, play time, yicks- is it bed time yet? No?? Oh my gosh, it was lunch time....okay make a good lunch-no crumby sandwiches, wash the dishes, entertain the boys, oh my God, I was exhausted and overwhelmed!

The door bells rings and it was my Mom, oh thank God! I needed a HUG!!! I was almost in tears, this was simply too much work, I was not cut out to be a mom, no way...and these were boys-not babies!!! What was my mother's response? Did I get that hug I really needed? Well, she listened to me and then looked at me real stern like, (yeah she gave me the MOM look!) took a step backwards, and then told me (in kind of a real hard voice, not quite yelling, but you know- the MOM voice) that I would be a good mother, I was a good person with a kind heart, and that I needed to get my ACT together - she didn't raise me to be a whiner! Hmmmm....where was my hug??? She then told me to go upstairs and take a nap, she'd watch the boys and then I was to come downstairs prepared to be a MOM.

Yes Mame!

Well, that was over twenty-three years ago. She watched me foster many, many children, supported me when I adopted my children and came to my home to help out when she could. My oldest daughter is going to be twenty nine years old this year, I can't believe it either. Where has the time gone? What kind of mother am I? Well, truth be told, I'm a lot like my Mom was. Sure, some things I do differently, but overall I think I'm a lot like her.

When my oldest daughter had been with me about six months I bought a wall plague that has a terrific saying on it, that reminded me of my own wonderful Mother. It has become my own Mother Motto, something I live by. I thought I would share it with you...

How to Be a Mean Mother author unknown

A mean mother never allows candy or sweets to take the place of a well-balanced meal. A mean mother insists on knowing where her children are at all time, who their friends are and what they do. A mean mother breaks the Child Labor Law by making her children work~~~washing dishes, making beds, learning to cook and doing other cruel and unpleasant chores. A mean mother produces teenagers who are wiser and more sensible. A mean mother can smile with secret delight and pride when she hears her own grandchildren call their parents "mean." What the world needs now are more Mean Mothers ~~~~ and Mean Fathers!

Thanks Mom for being a great teacher!

Brothers and Sisters...Smile for the Camera, 11th edition

2009-02-26T07:00:00.003-06:00

11th Edition - Smile For The Camera
Smile For The Camera10 March 2009

The word prompt for the 11th Edition of Smile For The Camera is brothers & sisters? Were they battling brothers, shy little sisters, or was it brother & sister against the world? Our ancestors often had only their siblings for company. Were they best friends or not? Show us that picture that you found with your family photographs or in your collection that shows your rendition of brothers & sisters. Bring them to the carnival and share. Admission is free with every photograph!
Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may be in the form of an expressive comment, a quote, a journal entry, a poem (your own or a favorite), a scrapbook page, or a heartfelt article. The choice is yours!
Deadline for submission is midnight (PT)10 March 2009
Posted - 15 March 2009

Hanaway Clan,

August 31, 1930

I discovered this picture among many that I have of my grandmother. I never really paid attention to WHO was in this picture until recently, when I noticed WHAT my grandmother was wearing. You see she is wearing her wedding dress. This picture was taken the day she married my grandfather Bert Guinee, August 31, 1930. They married at Sorrowful Mother of Mary church in Wheatfield, Indiana.

This picture is of her family; parents, grandmother, her sisters, her brothers and their wives/husbands/boyfriends/girlfriends at the time. Some of my grandmothers nieces and nephews are also in the picture and with some luck I may one day find out who. At this point in time I can only guess.

My grandmother Lucy was one of eight children, she had four brothers and three sisters. She was number six and she grew up on a farm in Indiana. Were they a close family? Oh yes they were! I spent many a Sunday traveling with my grandmother and my mother visiting our relatives in Hebron, Crown Point, Chesterton, and DeMotte, Indiana. We would travel from one of my grandmother's siblings home to another and then whoever we missed that visit we would catch the next time out.

I have wonderful memories of my aunt Mabel and her husband my uncle Chuck Kleckner. They had a large family themselves and so there was always something going on at their house in Gary, Indiana! My aunt Toots (I don't know why everyone called her Toots, her real name was Marie Ethel) lived in a small house way off the road next to a hog farm. You could walk right up and pet a huge hog! My uncle Homer never married and was a farmer, I remember picking green beans during the summer at his farm! Uncle Jim and his wife aunt Marge lived on a farm, they had two boys who I am still in contact with and see one of them occasionally at the Wal-Mart in Valapariso, Indiana where he works! Uncle Jim and aunt Marge had a great big barn that cats roamed around in catching mice. They also had a truck tire swing in the yard that my sisters and I loved to play on when we were at their house. Uncle Von and aunt Margaret lived with their children in Chesterton, Indiana until they moved to a warmer climate in Escondido, California and then relocated again to Missouri. They are my cousins who own the cottage on Lake Michigan (previous post). Uncle Teddy and aunt Jo lived in Indiana and had nine children as well! My grandmother's baby sister is still alive and still lives by herself in Indiana. I paid her a visit last winter and I know I better get another visit in soon. Although elderly and in declining health I love to visit with her and usually bring some questions for her to answer regarding her childhood and her parents. She has shared some beautiful stories!

I consider myself blessed to be related to this happy bunch!

Sisters, Sisters....Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T21:33:00.005-06:00

Arlene & Shirley Guinee

ca. 1940

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-02-20T11:06:00.006-06:00

Thanks so very much to Diana over at Random Relatives for honoring me with this wonderful award! I love to blog and although my posts may not always pertain to genealogy they are always about my family in one way or another!

The instructions for the Kreativ Blogger Award are:

1. Copy the award to your site.

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate 7 other bloggers. (how to choose only 7!!)

4. Link to those sites on your blog.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

Several of my favorite blogs have already been nominated, Creative Gene, Genealogy Traces, Twig Talk, and Heritage Happens, they are all great blogs.

Here are some more than are also terrific:

Kathryn at Looking4Ancestors

Becky at Kinexxions

Apple at Apple'sTrees

Elyse at Elyse's Genealogy Blog

Tammy at Genealogy Simple & Fun

Bill at West in New England

Lisa at 100 Years in America

Evelyn at A Canadian Family

Thank you again Diana! Congratulations to all!

Bozo's Circus is on the air!

2009-02-18T08:54:00.011-06:00

Bozo's Circus is on the air! Those words were like magic to little children in the 60's and 70's. At least here in the Chicago area. Children would run to the television at noon to watch Bozo and his terrific friends. For one short hour there would be no fighting, no yelling, no complaining, just children sitting in front of the television mesmerized by the colorful characters, games, and cartoons.

When I was in the third grade our entire class went on a "field trip" to Bozo Circus. I am not sure what educational benefit we were going to acquire from such a field trip but I do remember it was fun. Who could forget Bozo, Mr. Ned the Ringmaster, Oliver O Oliver, and Cooky the cook? Bozo would yell out "Whose Your Favorite Clown?", well heck, everyone knew that answer...Bozo of course!

It was exciting sitting on those wooden bleachers being right there in PERSON at the Bozo Circus show, plus we were on TELEVISION. Holy smokes! We had to keep a smile on our face and pay attention, no day dreaming for this hour. No squirming, pushing, or poking, behave! Before we knew it, it was time to play the GRAND PRIZE GAME. Remember the arrows that would move around the audience and randomly pick a special boy and girl to play the game? I didn't get picked, but one of the students from my school got picked. Yep, he has bragging rights, he played the GRAND PRIZE GAME. Guess what, he won too! He won a brand new bicycle, how cool was that? You know he was the "man" for a long time after that at school, his popularity rose about 110%. I always wondered how he got that bicycle home, it didn't go back to school on the bus with us.

Due to a little computer problem (on the operator, not the PC) this is being posted late. It should have been a Monday Memory...thanks for reading!

What's for supper?

2009-02-13T08:11:00.005-06:00

When I was a little girl every Sunday we went to my Grandmother Lucy's house. Sometimes we would pick her up and go out to Indiana to visit her siblings and their families but, most of the time we just went to visit her and have dinner at her home. She lived only about five miles from my family's house so it was a short trip. My grandmother could COOK, and I do mean she could cook really great "comfort food" too! Yummy!

I have several pictures of holiday celebrations at her home. Her dining room table would be covered with bowls and platters filled with delicious homemade mashed potatoes (yes, really homemade mashed potatoes, the ones where you actually PEEL a potato and cook it in water!), broccoli, turkey, stuffing (again homemade with bread, chopped onions, sage, apple bits, giblet pieces, etc.), corn, biscuits, a canned ham, of course gravy (again, homemade not out of a jar), and everyone's favorite....baked beans. I'm sure there was more for the main meal, but I probably ate only what I mentioned. That scrumptious dinner was always followed by dessert which included homemade apple, lemon meringue and the "ultimate" pumpkin pies. The joke went around with her grandchildren (and there at least 20+ of us there for these celebrations!) is that we would have a "little pumpkin pie" with our Cool Whip! Heck, I can even remember when we started using Cool Whip in the late 60's! We used the largest spoon Lucy had to scoop it out of the container and plop it on our pie! In those days we were young, skinny, and always went outside to play after eating all that food, no matter what the weather! Oh the energy we had too!

My favorite meal that Lucy made was fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes with gravy, salad with her own sweet and sour salad dressing, and of course dessert. I can easily remember walking into her house and the aroma of the fried chicken would hit me. Oooo, it smelled so good! Immediately in her little breezeway kitchen (you could never get more than three people into her little kitchen at one time!) you would see her little serving cart on wheels. On the top shelf was a shiny blue metallic cake saver....and inside, well, it was always some piece of HEAVEN! She made my absolutely favorite cake in the "whole wide world"-- chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Sometimes, she would make a German chocolate cake that was just as heavenly. But, OH MY GOODNESS, to this day chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is still my favorite. (Can I run out to the nearest bakery and get one right now?)

One of my "grossest" memories of Lucy is that she would clean the chicken bone! I mean it too, whatever piece she was eating; leg, breast, thigh, only the bare bone would be left. She loved the grizzle and the other "icky" parts besides the meat! That must have come from growing up on a farm and having so many siblings, you grabbed what you could get! Gross, and one of my cousins does the same thing today! We have a good laugh about it!

Ironically enough, sometime in my late twenties, early thirties I started having a fetish about eating chicken or any meat on the bone. So, although I eat chicken now ( and turkey, and once in a blue moon beef) I can't seem to eat it on the bone, so it is always boneless and of course skinless (you know, the older I get the more I need to watch my weight!) Another footnote, I am happy to report that in my younger years, I actually watched and attempted to make my grandmother's baked beans. It took me about six years of watching her and many attempts at home trying to remember how much of this and how much of that to use and get it right. Lucy rarely measured anything when she was cooking she just threw in a pinch of this and handful of that and wallah...perfection! I am very happy to report that I can make them just like she did! I cherish the memories of watching and observing her in the kitchen! My sister always requests that I make an extra pan of baked beans "just for her" when we have holiday celebrations!

Today, I get a kick out of my children asking me to make something special that they like to eat. I ask them to try to make it so they will know how to cook. My oldest son does a pretty good job, actually my sons can cook much better than my daughters...not sure how that happened but I'm glad someone is watching and learning and best of all enjoying the moment!

Ooo, la, la....Smile for the camera, 10th edition.

2009-02-10T21:09:00.006-06:00

Alma Guinee

January, 1933

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor

My great grandmother Alma Ball Hirschberg Guinee was quite a lady. Sure wish I could sit down and chat with her about her life! Rumor has it that she left home at a very early age and joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Although she may have left home at an early age, she defintely did not work for Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. More likely she was in the circus or in vaudeville. From what I do understand is that she could easily ride a horse bareback. A distant cousin also has some fond memories of her singing and dancing to a vaudeville song "Shuffle off to Buffalo." My cousin said Alma was in the chorus line and demonstrated this song and dance routine for him when he was a teenager, in the 1940's!

I love this picture of Alma, her hairstyle, the jewelry, and the dress are beautiful and quite becoming. I don't know what the occasion was that she got all "dolled up." I have one other picture of Alma with that same hair style so she must have really liked it!

Spare, Strike, Gutter? Monday Memories!

2009-02-09T10:42:00.007-06:00

By the time I was ten years old my parents had divorced. My mother who had full custody of my two sisters and myself needed physical activities for us to "burn off some of the extra energy" kids always seem to have. Needing support and an outlet to share her "single parent status," she joined a group called Parents Without Partners. I was too young to understand what all the issues of being divorced and single meant to a struggling single parent but I clearly remember some of the activities we participated in; visiting museums, airplane rides, amusement parks, pot luck suppers, and bowling. One of the BEST activities was bowling!

Single parents and their children would meet at a designated establishment introduce themselves and then (hopefully) engage in conversation and fun! I loved bowling! I don't remember if I was any good at it when I was young but as I grew older I got better. In high school I took bowling as a gym elective. Can you imagine getting credit for bowling? Well, I did and thanks to my teacher Ms. Jones, I improved! After high school, when I joined the "working class" I joined a bowling league on Friday nights that was called "Beauty and the Beast". I don't recall where that name came from. I remember becoming a member of the "200" club a number of times too and being awarded a "200 Club" pin. Yippee!

Well, I am happy to say...what goes around comes around. My youngest son is on a bowling league and while I was watching and cheering him from the back tables I noticed a "Sunday evening special" the bowling alley was promoting. Last night I took my two youngest sons to have some "major fun." Now, let me bring you up to date. I have not been bowling in at least twenty years but I did remember how much fun it was!

I paid our fees, got our bowling shoes and went to our lane. Put our names on the automated score board (yeah!) and we started.... I was up first (thank you boys!) I remembered my little stance and how to hold the ball, here I go.... oops, I only hit three pins. Well, hey, it wasn't a gutter ball! Next time up was not much better. My ball was simply too heavy, I elected to use a lighter weight ball (yes, that's right, the ones the little kids use) That would help wouldn't it? Jeremy was having his best game ever. Joe and I weren't doing so well. Game over, oh thank heavens....the next one will be better! Let's eat some pizza first.

Second game, we all vowed to do better. I started off hitting eight pins...wow! The boys did better too. It seems like we inspired each other, spare, strike, strike, etc....sounds like we did great huh? Well, we did. Jeremy bowled a 136, Joe bowled a 100 and I bowled a 134. We were celebrating with "high fives" and "great job!"

Third game the boys continued to improve and have fun. I was having fun too but kept getting splits! Oh well, who cared? It was just the three of us together having a great time. The boys and I were glad that for once, none of their friends joined in this activity. It was just our family making a great memory! We can't wait to do this again! It was a blast! Who knows next time maybe my older children will join us too!

One year and counting...

2009-02-06T01:00:00.008-06:00

Today marks my one year blogiversary! Had it not been for a GSU Library 2.0 Web class I enrolled in, I probably never would have started a blog in the first place. Thanks again to my fearless leaders who guided myself and many others through the process of the newest computer technology; blogs, wikis, online image generators, del.ic.ious, Rollyo, Flickr, Library Thing (although I prefer Shelfari now), and so much more. Whew. What an adventure that was! I have used most of what I was taught and best of all, I am experimenting with technology on my own now!

It's been a blast blogging and I will continue the journey until who knows when. The meme's and carnivals I have participated in are great ways to "meet" other genealogy bloggers. Most of all, I love the COMMENTS people leave. I feel lucky to have my internet friends viewing my blog and reading my posts. I am blessed they come back too! The family connections I've made, and the brickwalls that I've knocked down in my family history wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been blogging. I've learned quite a bit from other genealogy bloggers. I've even enjoyed the genealogy "happy dance" a time or two.

So thank you, thank you, thank you for stopping by and please leave a comment if you have the time!

P.S. The cute little image is from ImageChef but I first saw it on Elizabeth's LittleBytesofLife blog last year. Thank you Elizabeth!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-04T06:00:00.001-06:00

Arlene Guinee (My Mother)

date unknown

Photo owned by P. Taylor

"M Nagrobek Wtorek" (Tombstone Tuesday)

2009-02-03T21:17:00.007-06:00

Ojciec (Father)

Ludwik Sawicki

1862-1937

My Great Grandfather

Digital Photo owned by P. Taylor

Matka (Mother)

Stanislawa Sawicki

1868-1948

My Great Grandmother

Digital Photo owned by P. Taylor

*** A little note here.... Creative Gene has inspired me with all of her Polish ancestry and posts! She brings her Polish ancestors to "life" with the stories, pictures, and history she shares with us so very often. Because of these stories and so many resources she has shared I have decided to work a little harder on researching my Polish ancestors, their history, and heritage.

My Great Grandparents and many of their children are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Calumet City, Illinois. It is a beautiful cemetery. The employees in the office are extremely helpful too!

I hope that I have that Polish translation correct....M Nagrobek Wtorek -I surely hope that says Tombstone Tuesday...let me know if I've got it wrong.

Happy Dance and the Joy of Genealogy

2009-02-02T21:26:00.005-06:00

Absolutely one of my biggest "finds" in genealogy, causing me to dance, shout, sing out at the top of my lungs, scream for joy, and act like a complete fool in front of my children was discovering my ggg grandparents Johann Gottlieb Sommer and Maria Elizabeth Rusch. Actually, I knew my gg grandmother Katharine Sommer and through a friend Cynthia at Chicago Genealogy I also found her sister Julia Sommer.

I posted a query on a Rootsweb message board about Katharine and Julia and their home town Neckargemund, Germany. I was hoping to find out if anyone else was searching for relatives and ancestors. It was another amateur genealogist "Goggling" the town of Neckargemund who found me! We discovered that we were indeed cousins and better still lived only fifteen miles apart. It was fate, it was destiny, it was meant to be that we found each other. Our meetings have been terrific! Thanks to my cousin for sharing some of our history. She has provided me with the names of Katharine and Julia's parents and their sibling Johann Daniel Sommer.

So there it is, as I previously posted in November the story of one of my favorite Happy Dances in genealogy!

Wordless Wednesday....the Mother-In-Laws!

2009-01-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

The Mother-in-Laws...

Alma Guinee & Eva Hanaway

8-31-1930

Digital Photo owned by P. Taylor

Monday Memories, Roses are red...violets are blue?

2009-01-26T21:40:00.011-06:00

Digital photo owned by P. Taylor

Flower grown by P. Taylor too!

January, 2009

I certainly appreciate the blogging prompt, although I am sorry to say that I cannot recall who to give the credit to. So, here is my Monday memory.

My grandmother Lucy, had a real green thumb. She could make anything grow. Her yard proved that. The flower beds in the front yard was filled with roses. The driveway was lined with tulips, daffodils, and more roses. The back garden had all types of summer flowers; zinnias, carnations, gladiolus, bachelor buttons, and so many more. Spring and summer celebrations always included a freshly picked bouquet from my grandmother. Thanks to my grandmother, I too love all kinds of flowers.

My favorite flower grew inside her house. Lucy grew African violets. All shades of African violets, pink violets and purple violets, even violets that were almost blue. They were beautiful. She would keep them in her kitchen window and in her basement windows. She had NO problem taking a broken stem and putting it in a small clay pot filled with a little black dirt and in a couple of weeks that stem was growing into a really nice plant. I was not alone, everyone loved her African violet plants. She was always giving people "starter" plants with simple directions; give it some sun and don't water it a lot!

I can't tell you how many of those "starter" plants she gave me. Tons! I followed her directions. Give it some sunshine and a little water. It didn't matter. I always killed my little "starter violet." You can imagine the guilt I had too. It was embarrassing for me to keep asking for another plant and then within a couple of weeks it too was dead.

This went on for years. To cheer myself up, I would buy a really nice mature African violet plant from a store. I had one condition-it had to be blooming! I would beam with happiness and pride. I had an African violet that looked beautiful, for a little while at least. Then the inevitable would happen, the blossoms would shrivel up and die, then one leaf would fall off, followed by more. The plant became a little dried up mess or turned yellow when I watered it too much. Why was growing an African violet so hard? I gave up. Who needed a pretty flower anyway?

Last year my beloved grandmother must have looked down from heaven and thought I had suffered long enough. Not expecting much, I bought an African violet plant from Wal-Mart and put it in the south window of my home. I watered it a little and gave it some African violet FOOD. Plants need food too. I looked at it everyday. It didn't die. In fact, it started looking bigger and better. So, what did I do? I went out and bought two more! I watered them and gave them some African violet food too. This past November a little miracle happened. MY three African violet plants bloomed! Yep, you read right...and the best part of all...they are still blooming!

I know I didn't do this all by myself...Lucy is watching over and guiding me. She picked the right time in my life to make sure that when I got up in the morning I would see something beautiful. So, thank you dear grandmother for passing down to me an appreciation for beautiful flowers. And thank you to my Mom (who never really had much of a green thumb but loved flowers!) for teaching me to never give up when I failed at a task.

So, thanks for the memory and the lessons! My three little African violet plants sure are a pretty sight!

And one more makes how many?

2009-01-23T17:11:00.005-06:00

In 1994 I attended the 25th class reunion from my grammar school. That evening I was awarded a "prize" for having the most children. You see I have adopted all of my children. One of the gentlemen at my table (who I had a MAJOR crush on in the third grade) made a comment about me having my children "the easy way." Needless to say, I immediately straightened him out about how difficult it is to adopt a child, especially being a single parent, and that the entire process can be challenging to say the least.
That being said, I am very happy to announce that I have once again adopted a child. Well, actually my son is a teenager and I couldn't be any happier! He is a great kid, wonderful athlete, and a terrific son. Each adoption brings many wonderful feelings, the most important-how blessed I am to have these children in my life! I can't image how boring and empty my life would be without my children in it.
The beginning of the year we were asked to state our resolutions for 2009. What were we going to try to accomplish that we have either been too busy to work on, or just putting off? Well, my resolution is to attempt to start a family tree on each of my children's birth parents and their birth families. Not an easy task I know. When I adopted most of my children I received very little information about their birth parents. I learned the birth parents names and ages and some medical history but not much more information. Illinois still recognizes "closed" adoptions. Illinois will not share any information on the adoption. Nothing. When my children turn eighteen years old they can register with one or more of the national adoption registries and perhaps find their birth parents that way.
Currently, three of my children still remain in contact with their birth families to some degree which benefits all of us. Unfortunately for three of my other children (all siblings) finding out any information about their birth families and locating them is proving very difficult indeed.
I continue to be amazed at how much you can love these children who come into your life at different times for many different reasons. All looking for someone to love them and take care of them. Believe me, I get so much more back in return. I truly am very blessed!

P.S. The answer is seven!

Wordless Wednesday, Let it snow!

2009-01-21T14:17:00.001-06:00

January, 2009

Kaylee & Dakota

Digital photo owned by P. Taylor

In their glory!!

Oh what a night...

2009-01-19T10:26:00.009-06:00

Last night I actually found myself with no obligations...I didn't have to cook, the kids had their homework done (no school on Monday), and chores were done. I had some time to do what I wanted. Of course, you know that meant working on my genealogy.....
For the past year I have been working exclusively on my Ball and Sommer relatives and have met with a little success. Thanks to a distant cousin who contacted me I also have the names of my gggreat grandparents. However, I ran into a lot of brick walls and then I got discouraged. This time I picked a different family to work on.
My father, Norbert Wozniak was Polish, so I have a lot of Polish relatives. Unfortunately, I have very little information on their history. I do know the names of my fathers parents -Steven and Cecilia (Sawicki) Wozniak, his father's parents -Joseph and Mary (Ziolkowski) Wozniak,and his mothers parents -Louis and Stella (Wieczorek) Sawicki. Thanks to the census records (and longevity) I also have the name of a paternal great great great grandmother - Regina Polus.
So, I decided to work on my Sawicki family history. It is my hope to some day connect with a cousin or two. After reviewing the information I already had, I began working with some free online databases; Cook County Genealogy, Illinois State Archives, Social Security Death Index, and the Polish Genealogical Society of America. I discovered the dates of quite a few marriages, births and deaths of my relatives. Using the Chicago Tribune Historical Archives database from the public library that I work at, I was able to access obituaries that confirmed the death information that I just discovered. Not only did I find out funeral home information but also church and cemetery information. In a number of cases the obituary also gave me the names of siblings and grandchildren! The obituary definitely confirmed the information I had gathered.
I wasn't done yet. It was almost midnight when I accessed Heritage Quest from home (using my local public library) and played around with the census records. Imagine my delight when I added a number of names and addresses to quite a few of my relatives to my family tree program.
Wow, I could hardly keep my eyes open any longer but I was in my glory! I actually met with some success in discovering and confirming some of my Polish relatives. I was definitely doing the genealogy dance!! Oh what a night I had....

Wishing for a WARM Wordless Wednesday....Priceless

2009-01-14T09:18:00.006-06:00

Photograph Privately owned by P. Taylor

Winter, 2009

January, 2009

Below zero temperatures...

Blistery cold winds...

Black ice...

Frozen fingers...

Wet feet...

Ice covered highways...

Five inches of snow on side streets...

hmmmmmmmm.....

Photograph privately owned by P. Taylor

Mackinac Island, Summer 2008

Glorious sunshine...

Warm weather...

Soft breeze...

PRICELESS!!!

Okay, so this post is really not wordless, but it is a Wednesday and I am really wishing for warm weather!

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-01-12T21:31:00.010-06:00

My Grandmother Lucy Hanaway Guinee's tombstone

Wheatfield Cemetery, Wheatfield, IN

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor

My Great Grandparents Eva and Albert (Bert) Hanaway's tombstone

Wheatfield Cemetery, Wheatfield, IN

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor

My Great Great Grandfather Jacob A. Hanaway's tombstone

Wheatfield Cemetery, Wheatfield, IN

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor

Drive Route 49, about 25 - 30 miles south of Valparaiso, Indiana and you will find the Wheatfield cemetery. It really is a nice drive from Valparaiso to Wheatfield. On the way you pass through Kouts, Indiana where one of my favorite country stores is located. The Willow Tree Garden. Of course I make a point of stopping by and saying hello to one of the owners- Carrie who has become a wonderful friend. Drive a little further south and you will come to Wheatfield. The cemetery is along both sides of Rt. 49. The land where the cemetery is located now used to be farm land, which is evident by the surrounding corn fields on the east. The community of Wheatfield is small but quite a number of my living Hanaway relatives still reside there. I usually make the trip to the cemetery each season and decorate the tombstones of my grandparents and my mother too. I try to decorate the tombstones with plants and small decorations, and the best part is they are always there when I return. Nothing is ever stolen!

It is comforting to know that so many of my grandparents are laid to rest in the same cemetery.

Blogging prompt, week one--Another favorite picture...

2009-01-10T20:53:00.008-06:00

Myself, my father Norb and

Grandfather Steven Wozniak

circa 1956

Photo privately owned

by P. Taylor

Oh thank heavens for a years worth of blogging ideas....thanks to those who worked on this project! Week one post your favorite photo and talk about it. Okay, here it goes...

So, here is yet another one of my favorite pictures. I was almost one year old when this picture was taken. A three generation photo! That makes it special and a FAVORITE automatically! Here you see my father holding me and his father standing next to him. A couple of weeks later my father would be in the hospital with a broken collarbone and then two weeks after that I would be in the hospital. Poor Mom, she was about seven months pregnant with my sister! Talk about stress!!

Both my father and grandfather enjoyed gardening as is the evidence of the beautiful roses against the house. My grandfather died in 1959 when I was not quite four years old, so this picture means a great deal to me!

104 Tidbits of my Genealogy

2009-01-07T13:05:00.005-06:00

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

Belong to a genealogical society.

Researched records onsite at a court house.

Transcribed records.

Uploaded tombstone pictures to Find-A-Grave.

Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) .

Joined Facebook.

Helped to clean up a run-down cemetery.

Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group on Facebook.

Attended a genealogy conference.

Lectured at a genealogy conference.

Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.

Been the editor of a genealogy society newsletter.

Contributed to a genealogy society publication.

Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.

Got lost on the way to a cemetery.

Talked to dead ancestors.

Researched outside the state in which I live.

Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants.

Cold called a distant relative.

Posted messages on a surname message board.

Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.

Googled my name. (aka The Ego Search)

Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.

Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.

Have been paid to do genealogical research.

Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.

Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.

Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.

Responded to messages on a message board or forum.

Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.

Participated in a genealogy meme.

Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.).

Performed a record lookup for someone else.

Went on a genealogy seminar cruise.

Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.

Found a disturbing family secret.

Told others about a disturbing family secret.

Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).

Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.

Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person (Unclaimed Persons).

Taught someone else how to find their roots.

Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure.

Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.

Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.

Disproved a family myth through research.

Got a family member to let you copy photos.

Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.

Translated a record from a foreign language.

Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.

Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.

Used microfiche.

Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Visited more than one LDS Family History Center.

Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.

Taught a class in genealogy.

Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.

Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.

Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.

Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.

Found an ancestor’s Social Security application.

Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.

Used Steve Morse’s One-Step searches.

Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.

Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.

Visited the Library of Congress.

Have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower.

Have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War.

Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.

Became a member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.

Can read a church record in Latin.

Have an ancestor who changed their name.

Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.

Created a family website.

Have more than one "genealogy" blog.

Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.

Have broken through at least one brick wall.

Visited the DAR Library in Washington D.C.

Borrowed a microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.

Have done indexing for Family Search Indexing or another genealogy project.

Visited the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Had an amazing serendipitous find of the "Psychic Roots" variety.

Have an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War.

Have an ancestor who was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War.

Have both Patriot & Loyalist ancestors.

Have used Border Crossing records to locate an ancestor.

Use maps in my genealogy research.

Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK.

Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors.

Visited the National Archives in Kew.

Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.

Found a cousin in Australia (or other foreign country).

Consistently cite my sources. (As of 1-1-2008 my New Year's resolution that I KEPT!)

Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors.

Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.

Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).

Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.

Organized a family reunion.

Published a family history book.

Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.

Have done the genealogy happy dance.

Sustained an injury doing the genealogy happy dance.

Offended a family member with my research.

Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.

Well, there you have it! I have quite a number of tasks ahead of me to attempt in 2009.

Who Are You?

2009-01-05T21:05:00.005-06:00

Well, after taking some time off from blogging due to the extremely busy holidays, I'm diving in head first for 2009!

I suspect these people in this photograph are possibly my Wozniak or Wieczorek relatives who resided here in the Chicago area (or maybe they were just visiting?) around 1890-1900. I wrote about them before my unknown ancestors, so now I am asking for your help in identifying just exactly who they are. There are and were many Wozniak and Wieczorek Polish immigrants residing in the Great Lakes area at the turn of the twentieth century. I know that my Great Grandparents Joseph and Mary Wozniak were married in Poland prior to their immigration in the late 1800's, so perhaps it is one of their family members. This is one of many brickwalls I have in regards to my Polish ancestors. My aunt owns the original and I've asked if she knows who these people are but she has no idea and there are no notations on the back of the photograph. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I really want to start 2009 off on a great note! Thanks

Join the fun Blog Caroling....

2008-12-12T08:20:00.001-06:00

Thank you to footnoteMaven for starting the traditon of Christmas blog caroling!

I love to sing despite not always knowing the words to the song. So this is the easy part, post the words to the song and raise your voices to the heavens!

I have so many "favorite" Christmas songs, but one of my favorites' is definitely The Little Drummer Boy. I remember watching Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing this at Christmas time on Bing Crosby's Christmas special when I was a little girl...

THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

Come they told me, Pa rum pum pum pum

A new born King to see, Pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, Pa rum pum pum pum

To lay before the king, Pa rum pum pum pum,rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him, Pa rum pum pum pum

When we come.

Little baby, Pa rum pum pum pum

I am a poor boy too, Pa rum pum pum pum

I have no gift to bring, Pa rum pum pum pum

That's fit to give our King, Pa rum pum pum pum,rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you? Pa rum pum pum pum On my drum.

Mary nodded, Pa rum pum pum pum

The ox and lamb kept time, Pa rum pum pum pum

I played my drum for Him, Pa rum pum pum pum

I played my best for Him, Pa rum pum pum pum,rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
The He smiled at me, Pa rum pum pum pum

Me and my drum

For those of you who would actually like to HEAR Bing and David sing the song together here is it is, courtesy of YouTube:

Dear Genea-Santa....

2008-12-09T21:43:00.011-06:00

Dear Genea-Santa,

I have tried very hard to be good this year working on my genealogy research. It wasn't always easy to actually do "real work" around the house. Sometimes I would get tied up with my family tree and forget to dust and clean and yes, I even ordered out for dinner probably a few too many times. I bet I spent a little too much money for all those vital records I ordered too, but I did use my "allowance." I could have saved a little more money if I would have made the trips to the county clerk's office instead of using PayPal too.

Santa, I really did try to be good and make new family connections, cite my sources, digitized some family photos, and continue my family research. Because I was nice instead of naughty, I would like to ask for a couple of presents for Christmas this year.

First of all, I would give up my allowance for one WHOLE year, for my great grandmother Eva Belle Hanaway's family bible. I just know she would have kept one and she would have added all of her children's information as well as her parents. She might have even stuck some family black and white photographs inside too. I really don't know where it is, but it might be in one of my cousins attic just collecting dust. Maybe one of your elves could help look for it!

Second, because I love taking pictures of my children and my family, I would love to have a family picture of my great great grandparents Katharine and Charles Ball with their daughter Alma. That's right Santa, all three of them together, in the same picture. I know it would be real old and in black and white, but that's okay. They don't have to be smiling in the picture. One of these days, I might get desperate and photo shop them together which might look a little strange because the only picture I have of Great Great Grandpa Charles is when he was about 18 years old and the pictures I have of Great Grandma Alma is when she is over forty years old. See what I mean about it looking a bit strange?

Last of all Santa, because my family has the best times just sitting around eating and laughing together, I would love to spend a little time with any of my ancestors you can gather anytime you want (if only in my dreams!)....yep, you see by spending some time together and sharing stories and laughter I'll have some great memories to write about and keep in my heart. I promise I'll even COOK!

Thank you Santa. I love ya!

Pam

Christmas Stocking Stuffer

2008-12-09T20:57:00.004-06:00

Santa with Mike and Steve

1991

Picture owned by P. Taylor

All of my children and the rest of my family must constantly endured having their pictures taken and not only for special occasions either. My camera is like another appendage! It is always handy and I use it all the time!

I was so blessed that these two little adorable boys actually sat still while I took this picture! My oldest son Michael is on the left and my nephew Steven is on the right. Mike was three years old and Stevie was just one in 1991 when they sat with Santa without much FEAR. How lucky was I to have captured such a great look on Mike's face! It really was the start of him always giving me or someone else the "look" of having yet another picture being taken of him, for he likes to goof around all of the time. Now, seventeen years later, I must still count out loud to three so he will look at the camera and smile. He has me trained all right.

So, with the Mike and Steve's permission, I am posting this picture for Smile for the Camera. Mike has already told me to file this one in the "archives," but I think I'll frame it and stuff it in his stocking this year!
Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

Eight things about me...

2008-12-01T10:58:00.005-06:00

Thanks to Elizabeth over at Little Bytes of Life for tagging me with the newest meme going around the genealogy bloggers internet... here it goes...
Here are the rules:

*Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

*Write a blog post about these eight things and post these rules.

*At the end of the blog post, list eight people to get tagged.

*Leave a comment on their blogs telling them they have been tagged.

1. I have been a foster parent since 1987 and have had over 45 children come live with me,
seven of whom I have been blessed to have adopted!
2. I really do love working in both an academic library (full time job) and a public
library (part time job).
3. Being that I work in the library, I also love to read. So many books, simply not enough
time!
4. I have the "gift of gab," I have no problem with public speaking.
5. I love going to the movies. I generally see musicals, comedies, and animation movies. I
usually stay away from violent dramas with horrible language and blood and gore. Not my
style. I just saw Four Christmases with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn and I loved
it!
6. My favorite food is cheese lasagna with extra sauce and meatballs on the side---Yummy!
Oh, and because I need to eat healthy once in awhile, better give me an Italian tossed salad
with my lasagna!
7. I love going to the beach! Of course, I will bring my large beach umbrella (can't get a
sunburn), my beach chair, a cooler of ice with bottled water and cheese, a beach
bag filled with crackers, a large print book, my MP3 player filled with my favorite tunes,
insect repellent, beach towels, sun glasses, and of course my cell phone! I go PREPARED!
8. When I am driving I do not speed, therefore it usually takes me longer to get anywhere,
which drives my children crazy! It does save me from getting a speeding ticket!

Well, I wanted to tag eight bloggers, but apparently I waited too long. Everyone I visit and even some new ones, have already been tagged. I will try harder next time to respond faster to play tag with a new meme! Happy Holidays Folks!

Family Recipe

2008-11-27T21:26:00.002-06:00

As my daughter Elizabeth and I were preparing the food for our family's Thanksgiving feast I ran across a wonderful "recipe" in a family cookbook that needs to be passed on especially today. I do not know who wrote it, but it certainly is worth sharing....

Family Recipe

2 cups Genuine Interest

4 spoons of Understanding

1 cup of Recognition

1 cup of Appreciation

2 spoons of Tenderness

1 cup of simple Courtesies

3 glasses of Kindness

4 spoons of Faith

1 cup of Friendship

1 jug of Laughter (my favorite)

1 jug of Smiles

2 mugs of Consideration for Others

Take Genuine Interest and make an effort to Understand. Mix thoroughly with Recognition and Appreciation. Blend with Simple Courtesies, Kindness and Tenderness. Add Faith, Friendship and an abundance of Laughter.

Top freely with Smile and Consideration for Others. Bake with bright openness. Garnish with Love. Serve daily with generous helpings!

I certainly hope that you-all of my blogging friends had a most blessed Thanksgiving that was celebrated with family and friends! Happy Gobble, Gobble!!

Wordless Wednesday, Chiricahua's

2008-11-12T22:02:00.004-06:00

Chiricahua National Monument, AZ

Picture owned by P. Taylor (address private)

Circa: 1982

Blogging=Family Connections

2008-11-10T11:00:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a terrific day! I met with a new cousin-Marian, who had posted a comment on my blog a little while ago. Marian found my blog by searching the internet. I had mentioned in a post that my ggg grandmother Elizabeth's hometown was Neckargemund, Germany. That little post on my blog connected me to new found family! Both of us have been looking for Sommer relatives for sometime now, although I freely admit that Marian has been working on the Sommer line longer than I and looking for relatives much longer than I. We share a great grandmother-Elizabeth Rusch Sommer, actually Elizabeth is my GGG grandmother and Marian's GG grandmother.
We both brought our Sommer binders filled with family trees, vital records, obituaries, and more. It was so exciting to find someone who shares my obsession with my family history. Plus, we each confirmed the other's information! We gabbed and gabbed for 2 1/2 hours in the warmth and comfort of the local Panera restaurant, talking about our relatives, stories past down to us, and new discoveries that we have made. It was the perfect way to start off a Sunday...plus, we plan on meeting together again in about one month....next time I'll remember the photographs!

Smile for the camera...Once upon a time...

2008-11-09T11:06:00.004-06:00

Norbert Wozniak and

daughter

Christmas, 1956

Picture owned by P. Taylor

One of the very few pictures I have of my father and myself.

I started my love of books and reading at a very early age!

Home Sweet Home

2008-11-07T13:53:00.009-06:00

Almost done...

My parents first house,

South suburb of Chicago, circa 1955

Photo owned by P. Taylor (address private)

Owning a home is a privilege, especially these days. I have often wondered what my ancestors homes looked like. Wood frame? Bungalow? Brick? Apartment? Having an address and knowing what type of home was on the property are two entirely different things. Using land records can help you answer those and many other questions.
Last evening I had the opportunity to attend a workshop "Uncovering your past through land records," at the Tinley Park Library. This exciting workshop was presented by Grace DuMelle, author of "Finding Your Chicago Ancestors," one of my absolute must have books for people with ancestors here in the Chicago area.

I learned an awful lot about grantor-grantee, tract records, recorder of deeds, cadastral maps, land ownership maps, and fire insurance maps. The information that you can find from these records is astounding! I immediately thought about Katharine Ball, my gg grandmother. She was listed on a number of city directories between 1892 and 1917 and most of the time she was at a different location. According to Ms. DuMelle, Katharine may have actually lived in the same house/apartment building because street names and numbers may have changed. There were many street name and number changes between 1909 and 1911 in Chicago. Did she live in a house or an apartment? I have no idea, but I do have addresses, which makes my research a little easier. I just have to start "digging" in some land records.

I know for a fact that I will be visiting the Cook County Recorder of Deeds office in Chicago very soon and with any luck will have answers to some of my questions!

Wordless Wednesday (almost wordless)

2008-11-05T21:38:00.004-06:00

Arlene Marie Guinee

Holy Communion picture

Taken about 1940

Photo owned by P. Taylor (address private)

Good things come to those who search and search and search...

2008-11-01T17:29:00.004-05:00

Greetings!
I cannot believe my luck this week! As I mentioned in my post a week ago, I finally discovered the names of my ggg grandparents Galief Sommer and Elizabeth Rusch Sommer. Thanks to my blog and message boards (you always need to post a query on a message board!) a new friend contacted me regarding Elizabeth Rusch Sommer. Elizabeth is her gg grandmother! WHAT A DISCOVERY! After we corresponded a couple of times she verified most of the information I have collected regarding my Sommer relatives. She has been searching for Sommer relatives for 20+ years. She even sent me a picture of Elizabeth Rusch Sommer...my first picture of a ggg grandparent...I feel like I've won the genealogy lottery!
It seems that although on Julia Sommer's death certificate her father's name is listed as Galief, it is actually Johann Gottlieb Sommer. My "newly found cousin" actually gave me Johann's parents names too. All this information in one week...it's almost too good to be true! This was meant to be!
The best part of all--my "newly found cousin" lives less than fifteen miles from me...that's what I mean about good things happen to those who search and search and search.
We are setting up a day to meet, greet, and share....and best of all CONNECT!

And the winner was.......

2008-10-29T08:45:00.012-05:00

Last year, the Dean of the library where I work promoted a pumpkin carving contest for the employees of the library and really anyone else in the university. What a blast and yes, yours truly particpated.

Having quite a large family who love to carve pumpkins warrants me buying at least eight or nine pumpkins each year (we always have some do overs!). Good thing because I was in the pumpkin carving mood. Theme....umm I needed a theme, something different, not the usual pumpkin face. Something I really enjoy, something that wouldn't be too difficult to carve....bingo-a FAMILY TREE. So, with my idea in my head (I should have drawn a picture on a piece of paper first!) I "carved" away. So many children so little room to get them all on the pumpkin along with the branches, the roots, etc. So much slimy gunk to pull out, let's not go into that. Of course, I had to save the pumpkin seeds for the kids too. It's so much easier to paint a pumpkin or supervise. After two attempts (remember I said we always have some do overs!) I completed my Family Tree pumpkin. On each branch I listed a name of one of my children. My children were amazed that MOM could actually carve a pretty good family tree too!

The next morning I carefully transported my work of art to the university library. It was added to the collection of other carved pumpkins which included cats, witches, Harry Potter, and more. The faculty, staff and students all voted and much to my surprise I won! What a thrill and the prize was a Borders gift certificate. What could be a better gift for an amateur genealogist than the opportunity to buy one of their favorite genealogy books!

Am I carving another pumpkin this year? Well, the pumpkins are sitting on the back porch. The kids are gearing up...we'll see what I'll "carve" up this year.....

Tombstone Tuesday: Boudreau and Senesac

2008-10-28T21:50:00.007-05:00

My GG grandparents headstone

Belle and Isaac Senesac,

Belle Boudreau Deno Senesac b. 7-30-1860 (correct birth date)

d. 1-2-1946

Isaac Senesac b. 4-10-1867 d. 11-3-1912

Buried in St. Rose Cemetery

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Photograph owned by P. Taylor

My GGG grandparents headstone

Luke and Aurelia Boudreau

(Belle's parents)

Luke Boudreau b. 4-10-1828 d. 4-27-1905

Aurelia Landry Boudreau b. 3-21-1830 d. 10-8-1917

Buried in St. Rose Cemetery

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Photograph owned by P. Taylor

A little bit of a treat before Halloween...

2008-10-27T07:44:00.007-05:00

Greetings,
Like many of my blogger friends, I have been working on my family history for quite a while now. I still get very frustrated when I make one of the simplest mistakes and don't realize it for too long a period. Where did my brain cells go??
Example-I have been searching for the names of Katharine Ball's parents, my GGG grandparents. They were not listed on Katharine's death certificate. Katharine's sister Julia died in April of 1928. Both sisters are buried in Oakwoods Cemetery here in Chicago. I contacted the Cook County Clerk's office for a copy of Julia's death certificate only to be informed that they had no record of it. (Cost $15). According to Oakwoods Cemetery, Julia died on the 24th of April and was buried on the 26th. That tells me, she had to have died close by. Where else could I find a death certificate if the county clerk doesn't have it? The cemetery doesn't have a burial permit either, which may have indicated where Julia had died. I tried to think of other places to find Julia Sommer's death certificate.
I tell people all the time, try different spellings for your ancestors. Many times names are misspelled on any document including vital records. Did I follow my own advice? After way too long a period of researching. A light bulb FINALLY went off. I was searching for Julia Sommer, but could a death certificate be under Julia Summer? Yes, I searched the Cook County death index and there she was...date of death matched! I requested a copy from Chicago Genealogy and within one day had a digitized copy of Julia's death certificate. (Cost $5.46, including PayPal fee) All the information matched with what I already knew...her date of birth, husband's name and address. Julia's son Phillip was the informant on the death certificate and he was quite knowledgeable. He knew Julia's parents names and where they lived! Galief Sommer and Elizabeth Rusch Sommer resided in Neckargemund, Germany. I now know the names of my GGG grandparents on another branch of my tree!
"If only..." can now be another lesson learned the hard way. Sure hope I don't need to learn it the hard way again. I am thrilled to add two more names to my research but also to have another direction to move toward finding even more ancestors!
What a great hobby!

I've been tagged!

2008-10-17T18:09:00.002-05:00

Big thanks to Becky over at Kinexxions to tagging me with one of the newest memes traveling the internet this week. I managed to get this one done without too much delay...here I go....

10 years ago I was

* I was teaching Kindergarten and absolutely loving it!

* My "favorite dog" Dakota was still a puppy!

* I was just starting to research my family history!

* I bought my first computer!

* My oldest daughter was starting college and my youngest son at the time was in third grade!

7 Things On Today's To Do List

1. Work the day job (done)

2. Check my blog and comment on others (working on this one now)

3. Take my two sons to get haircuts (if they would get home!)

4. Make dinner (might have to order out!)

5. Try to finish the book I've been reading "The Blue Cotton Gown- a midwife's memoir by Patricia Harman (will attempt after 10:30 when most of the kids will be in bed!)

6. Clean off my desk (I'm stressing thinking about this job, it will probably have to wait for another day!)

7. Get to bed before midnight! (If only, but I can wish!)

5 Snacks I Enjoy

1. I can only pick five? Okay, anything chocolate

2. Jay's Baked Mesquite potato chips (yummy)

3. Cheddar cheese and wheat crackers

4. Snow-caps (chocolate)

5. Junior mints (chocolate again)

5 Places I Have Lived

1. Chicago Ridge, Illinois

2. San Jose, California

3. Justice, Illinois

4. Alsip, Illinois

5. Chicago, Illinois

5 Jobs I Have Had

1. Shampoo girl and manicurist (first real job!)

2. Factory worker (college)

3. Flag guard (college)

4. Retail management (Montgomery Ward, adulthood)

5. Library Specialist (curent, best job, working with books and people!)

Now I am suppose to pass this on to other "Newbie" Genea-Bloggers, so I am tagging the following blogs I have been viewing recently...

Twig Talk

Little Bytes of Life

Speak Up Librarian non genealogy but oodles of information on our deaf community

Thank you again Becky....

Hmmm, when did it all start?

2008-10-17T08:07:00.001-05:00

I think it's safe to say that I love working on my family's genealogy. I love going to libraries, cemeteries, historical societies, genealogical societies, archives, and much more. I admit I am sometimes obsessed with knocking down one of my many brickwalls. And, when I feel I am getting close to finding an answer--watch out, it gets even worse. Do you remember what specifically spiked your interest in your family history? I do.
In 1998, my cousin Terry and I were driving to Indiana. We were going to the cemetery where our grandmother Lucy was buried. Somehow we got on the subject of our great grandparents Bert and Eva Hanaway. Neither of us knew them, we were babies when they passed away. But, we grew up attending the annual Hanaway reunion in July. It was a once a year event where we gathered and celebrated Bert and Eva's lives. Aunts, uncles and cousins came from all over Illinois, Indiana and Michigan to join in the celebration. We starting counting how many grandchildren Bert and Eva had and came up with a number around 40. Then we wondered how many great grandchildren they had. We would be included in that number. We estimated around 100. We tried naming all the grandchildren-which wasn't too hard because that was our parents generation and we knew all of our parents first cousins. We tried counting how many children each cousin had. Of course, we couldn't keep that number straight. Who had nine children, who had eight? Who were we missing? We ran into a tangled mess. That was when I knew I needed to KNOW! That was my defining moment. I wanted to know -where I did I fall in the number of great grandchildren? I wanted to know Bert and Eva's parents' names. Where did they live? How many children did they have? Where were are all of my other relatives....not just my Hanaway aunts, uncles and cousins?
Months later, after many questionnaires were sent and returned and many more phone calls were made, Terry and I were amazed to discover that Bert and Eva had over 150 great grandchildren!
So, here is a question for you...do you remember when you KNEW you needed to KNOW about your family history? What happened that sparked your interest to the point that you had to know? Was it a story from a relative? Was it the loss of a loved one or a notation in their family bible? Was it an heirloom you inherited? When did you KNOW that you needed to find out more information about your family history?

Wordless Wednesday....ummmmm

2008-10-15T21:13:00.005-05:00

Alma Guinee with

granddaughters Arlene and Shirley

circa: 1933

Dogs Rule Day !

2008-10-10T18:20:00.010-05:00

A little break from genealogy to show how much we love our dogs! Dogs rule in our house.

Dakota

Why we love our dog Dakota!

1. Loves to bark at anything, even a leaf falling off a tree.

2. Especially loves to bark early in the morning to wake up neighbors dogs to

come outside to bark with her.

3. Loves to sit at dining room table, has been known to occasionally lay ON TOP of the

dining room table and sleep.

4. Loves to sleep with Mom or children.

5. Loves to cuddle.

6. Has great manners, she refuses a doggie treat until Anya and Kaylee have had theirs first!

7. Loves to chase Kaylee around house until they both get yelled at and sent outside to play.

8. Best dog in the house!

Anya

Why we love our dog Anya!

1. She loves Mom the most.

2. She loves to growl, oh I mean "dog talk" to people.

3. Will occasionally bite butts, beware! (don't worry she doesn't break the skin!)

4. Prefers to stay by Mom when Mom is home.

5. She is first in line for a dog treat.

6. Loves to eat!

7. Refuses to go on diet, Mom gives in, but makes her go up and down the stairs

several times a day for at least some exercise.

8. Best dog in the house.

Kaylee

Why we love our dog Kaylee

1. Supposed to be Mike's dog, but we all know how THAT works out!

2. Loves everyone and everything!

3. Loves to bark.

4. Loves to chase Dakota (thank heavens, that way they both get some exercise!).

5. Loves to sleep with Mom or children.

6. Good on a lease, but prefers to run and have family members chase her.

7. Loves to gives wet sloppy doggie kisses (the only one that gives smooches!)

8. Best dog in the house

A friend of mine gave me the article below, I hope you love it as much as I did!

Dog Lessons for People

* When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

* Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

* Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

* Take naps.

*Stretch before rising.

* Run, romp, and play daily.

* Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

* Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

* On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

* On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

* When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

* Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

* Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

* Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

* If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

* When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Laughter really is the best medicine!

2008-10-10T17:14:00.009-05:00

Bert & Eva Hanaway

circa. 1930's

Although they were already gone by the time I was born, I feel like I have a real connection to my gg grandparents Bert and Eva. Not because of the family research I have been involved in for so long. Bert and Eva had eight children and their children had MANY children.

The first Hanaway reunion was organized in 1956 after Bert and Eva had both passed away. I believe these reunions- where I was exposed to all of Bert and Eva's descendants, my relatives, were where I learned how much my gg grandparents were not only respected but deeply loved by all who knew them. Stories continue to be told and retold to this day about my gg grandfather's sense of humor and my gg grandmother's patience.

This picture always makes me smile, Bert and Eva had to be in their 50's when it was taken. Looking at their faces, I don't see the wrinkles or worry lines. I see two people who loved to share a smile and a laugh. My mother had a sense of humor and I too love to laugh! I think it might be in our genes.

Submitted for 6th edition of Carnival of Genealogy, Funny Bone.