Treasure Chest Thursday - Oh, Playmate.

For my high school graduation, my grandfather gave me this music box.  It was a joke, he thought, as I was now all grown up and this is a childish gift, but I've treasured it and kept it close all these years.  It plays Oh, Playmate and the Berenstain Bears go up and down to the tune.  Nevermind the dust.  I put it there just for the picture.  I would never actually let my house get this dusty.  Really.

Wordless Wednesday -

From a tin-type of my sister-in-law.  We aren't sure who they are.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History Songs

The day I was born, the #1 song on the American charts was The Association’s WINDY.  I can honestly say that I don’t remember listening to that song.  I know it and I’ve heard it a billion times, but my parents rarely had music on and when they did, it was the Doors or the like.

My formative years were spent listening to punk music.  I still do.  It’s just part of who we are.  Our kids listen to it, too, although my husband is more of a techno punk guy  than garage, so they have more of that influence since they spend their days with him.

But we also spend much time with the Beatles in this household.  We all agree that the Beatles work for all of us and so we play them frequently.  The kids are particularly fond of Yellow Submarine (doing all the voices and acting out the movie).

But Windy?  I don’t think that’s on our iPods…

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History Neighbors

My childhood was filled with moves and with living on wide-open spaces.  Neighbors then were basically anyone you saw at least once a week.  Now it’s the people on my street.  Back then, I count neighbors as those I went to school with.  I still see most of them and we’ve remained friends through the years.  I did live in a city for a year and my across the street neighbor/best friend and I hooked back up a year or so ago.  So, yes, I still am close with old neighbors.

Now things are different.  At least in our new neighborhood.  In our new neighborhood (we moved about 2 years ago), we know only our next door neighbors and only in a “will you feed my dog while we’re gone” sort of way.  They are super nice but we just wave.

Our old neighborhood on the other hand was more like the village that takes care of each other.  We were all (and still are) family not neighbors.  I miss that.

Tombstone Tuesday: GD Mariani

A couple of Thursdays ago, I visited the California Genealogical Society library and met a wonderful woman (Jane) who helped me find the burial place of someone I was researching: GD Mariani.   She helped me find the California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1835-1931 on FamilySearch.  In there, in Godeau’s Day Book 1, we found Giusseppe Mariani, died 21 July 1895 in the French Hospital. Buried 26 July 1895 it IOOF Cemetery, age 55. 

At the mention of IOOF, Jane got excited, told me it stood for “International/Independent Order of Odd Fellows and ran off for a book.  She came back with a VERY LARGE tattered book listing all those buried at IOOF.  Very old.  Very awesome.  Among the listed was my GD.  GD had been buried in Tier 1, Lot 27 in the Avenue Section with Godeau as the funeral home.

Oddly, having never heard of the French Hospital, one of my book club cohorts (nothing at all to do with genealogy) discussed it at our meeting last week, as she grew up in San Francisco and her family were members.  The French Hospital had very low dues and then very low payments to receive services.  They “contracted” with different societies around San Francisco and that is how I imagine my GD got in as he was prominent in the Ticanese Benevolent Society.  You can read more about the French Hospital here.

IOOF cemetery, as all cemeteries in San Francisco (except Mission Dolores and the Presidio) were moved to Colma to make room for houses and industry.  The IOOF moved happened in 1929, when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance requiring the removal.  It took six years to move all the IOOF remains to Greenlawn Cemetery in Colma.  All the bodies were put together in a mass grave.  If their markers were unclaimed, they were used in seawalls, rain gutters in Buena Vista Park, and even the foundation of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Military Monday: Miles Franklin Price

This is my grandfather who was in the Civil War, Miles Franklin Price, and his wife, Emmaline Markham.  I have yet to order his pension records, but once I do, I’m sure I will have quite a few Military Mondays.  I love this picture because he's smiling and looks happy.

Sentimental Sunday: Wedding Vows

The second set of vows on this page were the vows that Marc and I spoke to each other on 6 August 1988 at the Grace Lutheran Church in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California.  I remember not a single word and, in fact, very little of that day at all.   I remember that in the middle of the ceremony, Marc whispered without moving his lips that there was a plastic cow in his pocket.  And I remember my dad made me laugh walking down the aisle.  But that’s about it. 

Sympathy Saturday: Harriet Elizabeth Conner

My grandfather’s sister, Harriet, was a wonderful woman.  We were very close with her growing up, so I spent a lot of time with her.  She never, ever treated us like children; we were always treated like an adult and that made us feel special.  She would “hire” us at garage sales to walk around and serve fruit picked from her trees.  She had a dog that was wiry and  tall and his name was Rabbit.  Rabbit was her constant companion and so we loved Rabbit, too.  She took me shopping for my birthday and bought me a shirt to match her so that we could be twins. 

Although she bought me presents for my birthday, apparently I just drew presents for her.  She sent this to me a few years before she passed away, touching me that she’d kept it all these years.  I miss my Auntie Harriet.



For Harriet Elizabeth Conner, born 15 March 1921, Philip, Haakon County, South Dakota.  Died 17 Oct 2001, Murphys, Calaveras County, California.

Funeral Card Friday: Olive Silveira

Olive was my husband’s grandmother.  She was born in Hayward, Alameda County, California on 21 May 1905 and died in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California on 8 August 1987, just almost a year before Marc and I were married.  I visited her often and she always made me laugh.  I wish I’d gotten to know her better, though.

Those Places Thursday: Zero, Lucas County, Iowa

My great grandfather, Thomas Orville Conner, was born in Zero, Iowa in 1896.  Zero has always fascinated me because it’s now a true ghost town with apparently not even a building left.  It began in 1883 due to the coal mining and railroad that was nearby, but never became incredibly huge. 

It was in Lucas County, Iowa, about 4 miles east of Russell off of Highway 34.  As Frank Myers says in his article, titled, “Ghost Towns and Post Offices of Lucas County, Iowa”:

“The 1978 book, ‘History of Lucas County, Iowa’ said, ‘Located halfway between Melrose and Russell, Iowa, is the ghost town of Zero. Only a couple of old wooden buildings and a few foundations remain of the old town that was platted in 1883 by the Zero Coal Company. There were 61 lots, 5 streets and 3 alleys drawn into the town.

‘Zero did have a post office operated by Aquilla Kern and there was a general store run by Henry Gettinger. The Zero mine was never a big mine. It never exceeded 20 railroad cars of coal a day and finally closed in 1886 because there was too much water in the mine.

‘Today Zero, Iowa, is losing its contest with time. Fred Schreck is the last person living there in 1978 and he is 78 years old. The few buildings that remain have deteriorated past the point of ugliness and have achieved a weathered beauty of their own. The lovely countryside is closing in on the once proud house and sagging barn, and the shingle roofs no longer hold back the rain.’"



From:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9ibKwq1jRTUkjKscfofAi9ADu-O624kxOjaiss0hMBX7NoPb3um6L31ZKJIChVF1RnjI10oIY6qh6ypOVtJgRMcZJoGM8uxPxldKRNKd_nIi3YwufywUSJBfC2UUzvuhZ5g4RT7TOA/s1600/ZeroIowa1977.jpg

The Russell Historical Items blog also has a story about Zero, Iowa to go with this picture the I linked to:

http://russellhistoricalitems.blogspot.com/2010/12/short-story-about-town-of-zero-ia.html



Wednesday's Child: Celia Sylvesta Price

Bardolph Cemetery, Macomb Township, McDonough County, IL
Price, Celia
d: 14 Nov 1865 age 4 yr 11 da

I first heard of Celia from notes that my dad got from his grandmother, Ann Konst.  Ann was daughter-in-law to Harriet Price, who was sister to Celia, born three years after Celia died. 

Celia has always fascinated me because, a) she was still very much remembered despite her short life; b) she was born while her father was in the Civil War and before her parents were married; c) she is buried with a number of her Markham relatives, which would be on her mom's side (Emmaline Markham). 

I think a lot happened in little Celia's life and it must have been hard for Emmaline to not only leave her family to move with her husband after the war, but to leave her child's grave.   It makes me happy that I, 146 years later, remember that little girl.

Tuesday's Tip: Geneablogger Radio

If you have an iPod or some other listening device, I suggest you run (don't walk) to iTunes and download all the past episodes of Geneablogger radio.  If you don't, then go to Genealblogger Radio and listen on your computer.  And if you have time on Friday nights to listen live, then do that, too. 

I've learned so much from it.

Mappy Monday - I Less Than Three Maps

I can't wait to fill this in with more specific info.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=201026514217356293488.0004a6242fd89190820ee

Once I have it all filled in, I hope to do some sort of movie about it.  Or something.  Very fun.

Black Sheep Sunday: Doty

"The first duel of New England is said to be that between Edward Doty and Edward Leister, servants of Steven Hopkins. They fought with sword and dagger and both were wounded. Having no statute agains the offense, the Pilgrims met in council to determine the punishment. It was, according to observers, exemplary. The parties were ordered to be tied together, hand and foot, and to remain twenty-four hours without food or drink. The intercession of their master and their own entreties procured their release before the sentence was carried out."   (http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com/enquirer/front.htm)

Edward is my 10th great grandfather.  My line from him is:
Edward Doty
Samuel
Samuel
John
Samuel
Samuel
Jesse
Francis
Mary Louisa
Myra Belle Hulse
Ethyl Maxine Shelton
Mom
Me

Sorting Saturday: Sorting Pictures

With the death of my sister-in-law, we inherited a great deal of pictures.  I’ve been scanning and sorting through them for a while now and I like how Family Tree Maker will let me log them to individual people. 

What I don’t like is my naming of the jpg files, so I need to go back through and rename everything., but first I need to find a naming convention that I like.  As I was pondering on a new convention, I saw this post at Sassy Jane Genealogy and promptly ordered the e-book.

Off to begin renaming…

Family Recipe Friday: Swiss Steak

I remember my grandmother making this Swiss Steak and when Skeet shared her recipes with us, I found out it was her grandmother’s recipe.  What I didn’t really know was that Swiss Steak isn’t really Swiss… but it is good.  If you grew up with it. 

Swiss Steak

3 to 4 lbs. round steak                            Kitchen Bouquet

Onion to taste – cut in rings                 ¼ c green pepper cut into rings          

Salt and pepper to taste                         shortening

Cut round steak in serving sized pieces.  Prepare a bowl of flour (about 1½ cups I think) and add salt and pepper - stir up (I use a fork to mix the salt and pepper in the flour).  Coat each piece of steak in flour and brown in melted shortening in large frying pan.  Brown both sides and remove from pan and place in roaster.  You may have to add more shortening to get all pieces browned.  Then add enough shortening to make a thin layer of melted shortening in bottom of frying pan; sprinkle flour to cover the shortening and add salt (takes quite a bit of salt to flavor it).  Brown this and slowly add cold water stirring continuously while doing so.  This will take about 3 to 4 cups of water and will be very thin. Add 3 or 4 drops of Kitchen Bouquet to gravy and stir in.  Pour over steaks.  Add onions and peppers if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 1½ to 2 hours. 

We always had mashed potatoes and corn with this.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Say Cheese!

When I was little, my dad loved making toys for us.  He'd use wood and other garage accoutrements.  He carved a doll for me, a bus that fit the old fashioned Fisher Price Little People, and this camera:

Which my children now play with just as I did.

Wisdom Wednesday - My Grandfather and the CCCs

“Our greatest task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our national resources.”

- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 4 March 1933

Franklin Roosevelt at CCC camp, Shenandoah National Park, 1933

From the spring of 1939 to the summer of 1941, at the age of 20, my grandfather, Pierre Conner, was in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCCs), working in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The CCCs were part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s (FDR) New Deal.  The most popular of all New Deal programs.   The CCCs provided jobs to conserve and develop natural resources in rural government lands.  The CCCs began in 1933 and ended in 1942, providing nearly 3 million unemployed men, age 18 to 25, with $30 a month ($25 went to their parents).

Two weekends ago, I got a bug up my you-know-what and had to know more about Grampa and the CCCs.  Here is the result of that Butt Bug:

My Grampa and the CCCs.

It was fun to pick his brain, write up the information, and then send it to him along with a book that I found, titled, "Civilian Conservation Corps: In and Around the Black Hills," by Peggy Sanders.  There is a Thanksgiving menu in the book that lists my grandfather and his best friend, who my dad is named for.

Tuesday's Tip: Find a Process

Whenever I find a new name for my family database, I immediately begin the chicken-with-its-head-cut-off syndrome.  I gallop from Google to Ancestry to FamilySearch to USGenWeb.  And then back again because I notice something new and have to re-look.  And then again.  And then back again months later because I didn’t document anything during my manic romp through New-Name-Ville.

One day, in my workplace, I realized that I had the same reaction when I was given a particular kind of new project.  Since at work I’m process-oriented, I quickly analyzed why I had this reaction and I realized it’s because we didn’t have a process in place.  I created a process and now it’s all a piece of cake.  Cake without a lot of re-work.

So I made a process for genealogy, too.

I begin by printing a family group sheet (FGS), checklist and notes pages.  I find that I need to do it the old fashioned way- pen and paper; I just can’t do it on the computer.  It’s much easier for me to enter it all later, when I have everything at hand.

I gather the three printed sheets (mine are attached at GoogleDocs here), my Stuck-On-Sources (SOS) from www.svcgg.org, blank sheets of paper, and a pen (not pencil).  I begin by putting the surname at the top of the FGS.  I have binders for each of the main surnames I am researching, so this surname may not be the surname of the person I’m newly working on.

That main surname is the only item that I don’t have an SOS for.  For anything else that I write on the FGS, I have an SOS that I label at the top with the item (i.e. DOB), a number, and then I detail the source.  If more than one item is from this source, I still make an SOS for it, but I just number it the same as the other and skip all the other source crap writing.

Once I document what I just found, I then get to collect new stuff.  Rather than frolic through the internet, flippantly gathering cookies and bookmarks, I use the checklist and keep tabs, SOS-ing and jotting down as I go. 

When I’m bored of my new ancestor, I enter the data into my database and make a list of what else I can check on later on down the road.

I like to keep the original SOS and FGS all penned up and messy, though, as about 10 out of 5 times, I do forget to notice something really important when I enter it into the database…

Motivation Monday: Check on Goals

1. Write up what I know of John Shelton.- Not done yet. 
2. Write up what I know about Laura Wilkinson.- Check.
3. Write up what I know about William Mason Conner.- Still working on it.
4. Fill in some blanks about Thomas Conner.- Still working on it.
5. Write the Mariani history as I know it.- Still working on it.  Heavily.  This is my focus right now.  I have 2 chapters of book 2 done.
6. Source all of the above.- I’m sourcing as I go.  Easier that way.
7. Begin a family newsletter for descendents of William Mason Conner.- Began a Facebook page and designed the format of the newsletter, but I won’t do the first newsletter until the book is done. (see #3)
8. Find descendents of William Mason Conner.- found some on Facebook and sent emails on others.  Next is regular mail.
9. Teach a home school class on family history for young children.- planned out and just waiting for the Fall.
10. Toss all of the above to 2012's list when I find something really exciting on some other line that wasn't on The List.- Check!  Exactly what I did when I spent the weekend learning and writing about my grandfather and the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Sunday's Obituary - Neva Coschina Fisher

August 22, 1987, San Jose Mercury News, San Jose, California

Fisher, Neva O, 89, of San Jose, retired secretary for Rosicrucian Order.  Private service.  Arrangements by Lima Family-Erickson, San Jose.

Neva was my husband's grandmother who he met only once.  The Rosicrucian Museum is a family favorite place to visit (we like it almost as much as Disneyland), so it's interesting that there is a different tie there, too.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Clothing

Week 24. Clothes.

It’s amazing how styles have changed since I was born in 1967.  I remember rompers and granny dresses.  Lot’s of flow-ey garments and big flowery patterns.  I particularly remember a special pair of bell bottom pants.  They were white with big flowers all over them. 

Sadly, bell bottoms + bike spokes = cut-off shorts.  I can still picture that that sad day with Mom coming at me with giant scissors as I cried and whined, while pinned to my bicycle by the enormous pieces of material at the bottom of my pants.

I also remember the long granny dresses with patterns and bows.  I think they were easy to sew, as I had many of them that my family made for me.  My cousin and I would frolic around on holidays in granny dresses that didn’t exactly match, but were granny enough so that we were sure we were attired in coordinating high fashion.

As I came to my pre-teen years, the fashion turned to Ditto jeans with satin jackets and gaucho pants with butterfly tops.  I dabbled in those fashions briefly before finding my niche in the punk rock realm of fashion.  I remained dressed by thrift stores and found clothing (almost everything black) until suddenly I found myself working a professional job wearing professional clothing. 

And now I sport what I deem 40-something Mom Wear.  Pants, a shirt and some comfortable shoes.  Details don’t matter as long as I’m:  a) adequately covered; b) comfortable.  Not necessarily in that order.  No clue how it happened.

Here are some Snapshots Through the Ages:

You know it's the '70s when you are excited about the poncho you got for Christmas.

Granny dress example.  I believe this was first day of Kindergarten.

Cindy and I posing in our Fancy Pants

Overalls?  Really?  Come on...

Bandana around the neck?  Really?  Come on...

Graduation from high school.  Wore a hat to cover up the shaved head.

Soon after we met.  (how can it be almost 30 years ago???)

Our 1 year anniversary.  August 1989.

2010 Christmas at Disneyland

Surname Saturday - Felt

My Felt family came from Sweden, so Felt wasn't carried back very far.  In fact, my great, great grandfather was the first Felt.  He took the name from his wife's side and changed it from Falt to Felt before coming to America.  Here is the line up THROUGH Felt, though, starting with me:

Debbie Conner Mascot
Harry James Conner
Signa Viola Felt
Petter Eriksson (Peter Felt)
Erik Erson
Erik Larson
Lars Person
Par Parson
Par Jonsson
Jon

They lived in Rot, Sweden:

Family Recipe Friday - Skeet's Brownies

Alvina Ann Felt (aka Skeet) was my dad's cousin.  I met her when I was a baby, but I don't remember.  What I do remember was knowing her via email as an adult.  About 10 or so years ago, she decided that she wanted to learn of her family history.  Her other cousin, Janet, put her in touch with me and we began a wonderful friendship over email  Skeet gave me all her grandmother's recipes (my great grandmother's) and even put together an entire huge binder full of HER recipes for me.  With notes and histories of each.  I treasure that book, as I treasured being able to know her.  Skeet passed away in 2007 and I'm sad that we never got to really meet again.

But that said, her brownies are amazing!  I try to put her name on each of her recipes, renaming them so that Skeet is remembered.  So while her recipe calls them "Brownies for a Crowd" and says they were her mother-in-law's brownies, my recipe calls them. Skeet's  Brownies.

Skeet's Brownies

1 ¼ cups flour                                  ½ cup butter

1 cup sugar                                      ¼ cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar                           4 eggs

1 tsp. salt                                          8 TBSP cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla                                     ½ cup nuts (opt)

½ tsp. baking powder

Mix ingredients and pour in jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Frost with Chocolate Frosting (below).

 

Skeet's Chocolate Frosting

3 TBSP butter

3TBSP milk

3 TBSP cocoa

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Melt butter and mix with milk and cocoa.  Stir in powdered sugar and bat until smooth. 

Treasure Chest Thursday - Snake Eyes

This is the leather dice cup and dice that belonged my grandfather, Charles Albert Badgley.  I use it as a pencil cup at my desk...

Wedding Wednesday- WIlliam Mason Conner and Harriet Orvilla Price

My great, great grandparents, William Mason Conner and Harriet Orvilla Price Conner were married for 68 years.  The Lucas County Genealogy Society sent me the clippings from each of their anniversaries that appeared in their papers.

Blog Comments- On Your Blogs

I usually want to comment.  Honest I do.  I try and try, but sometimes your site just makes it feel like a ton of work and effort just to tell you "I agree!".  I type my witty comment, click to use my Google account, then click, Comment.  And then nothing happens.   So I have to click Preview.  Where I then get the box to type the random work.  Then I click Comment and Google takes me to a login screen.  I log in and it all starts over again.  After I get to the last login step for the third time, my comment will usually post.  Usually.  And that is if I have time to get to the last step.

So just know that  I AGREE!  And I am reading.  I just can't always tell you.

Tombstone Tuesday – Konst

I played with Find-A-Grave the other day and found a number of my Konst family members.  I took the time to place notes and/or obituaries on their sites for anyone else who may notice them.

From the Midland Cemetery, Midland, Haakon County, South Dakota:

Konst, Anthony- my great, great grandfather

Konst, Elizabeth- my great, great grandmother (wife to Anthony)

Konst, Clem- my great grandmother’s brother

Konst, Alice- Clem’s wife

From Saint Mary’s Cemetery, North Washington, Chickasaw County, Iowa:

Konst, Anna- my 3^rd great grandmother, married to Henry

From the Masonic Cemetery, Philip, Haakon County, South Dakota

Konst, Henry B.- my great grandmother’s brother

Konst, Ora- wife to Henry

Konst, Clara- infant daughter of Henry and Ora

From the Calvary Cemetery, Alta Vista, Chickasaw County, Iowa

Konst, Henry- my 3^rd great grandfather

From unknown cemetery:

Konst, Anna Marie Reckner- 2^nd wife of my 3^rd great grandfather, Henry Konst

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Books

Week #23 – Books Week 23. Books. What was your favorite book, or who was your favorite author from your childhood?

I spent most of my childhood moments reading.  I loved mysteries and the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series were my favorites.  I also loved Cherry Ames.  I couldn’t get enough of all of these and all my babysitting money was spent on books.  I still have the entire series of my old Trixie books, but, sadly, so far, my daughter has no interest in my old friends…

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Secret

Week #22 – Secrets Week 22. Secrets. Describe something about yourself that won’t be found on any record 100 years from now.

In 100 years (the year 2111), you will find in the records that I was married in 1985.  What you won’t find in those records, aside from dates and events, like the birth of our children, the celebration of our 25, 50, 75 and 100 year anniversaries (I am hopeful that we will live that long!), is that the person I married is the freaking most perfect person in the world.  He stays home with the children, homeschooling, driving, doing all the regular parent things, but he makes every moment fun.  For the kids and for me.  He cooks, he cleans, he does everything.  He takes care of me, nags at me, pesters me, reminds me.  He lets me have my hobbies and supports my every endeavor. 

He is truly wonderful.

That won’t be in the records.  But it’s all very true.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Commercials

Week #21 – Commercials Week 21. Commercials. Do you remember any commercial jingles from your childhood?

I think I did this one, but just in case I didn’t and you need a little ditty stuck in your head… “My bologna has a first name…”  ‘

Nough said…

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Fame

Week #20 – Fame Week 20. Fame. Tell us about any local brushes with fame.

I am very behind in my 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History.  And it’s all because of the Fame week, as I had to get to the garage to get to the box that had the magazine that had the picture of me in my 15 minutes of fame.  So without further ado, here is me.  In all my glory.  Carving pumpkins with my friend Charlie (upper left corner tiny picture…).  Sunset Magazine, October 1976.  Page 108.

I was actually in another magazine in the 1980s in an ad for the salon I worked at, but I can’t find it and decided not to hold up this process.  I will say that this photo was also at the movie theater in an ad before the shows started.  The only people who ever recognized me from it were two kids in college who came up to me while I was studying in the cafeteria and asked if that was me.  So there.  My 15 minutes is over and done.

Madness Monday: Thomas Morton

This was in the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, January 28, 1893, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana

ADJUDGED INSANE.

Thomas Morton Found to be of Unsound Mind by a Commission.

                Thomas Morton, formerly a well-known business man of Fort Wayne, a tinner by occupation, was found insane in Justice France’s court before a commission in lunacy yesterday.  He has acted strangely for some time and the family put up with his condition as long as they could stand it.  He is a brother of a well-known lady, and he has a son in a prominent position in business here.

Thomas was the second husband of Laura Wilkinson, the mother of Cora E. Shelton.

http://mmgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/10/teaser-tuesday-laura-e-wilkinson.html

Birthday Letter from Gramma

July 22, 1971

My Dear Debbie

Today you are four years old.  What a happy day it must be for you.  I will miss being with you for this birthday, the first one I have missed by it is probably the beginning of many I will miss.  But I will think of you on your day.

Honey, I will always remember when I lived with you and how you "took care of me" for Grandpa.  Remember you always got me my stool- sat in my chair with me and watched our programs. How we always took a nap together and when I called Grnadpa you always said- "Grandma just tell him the good things".  Honey, all I knew were good things to tell him about you.

Now you are a big girl - 4 years old.  You are growing up so fast pretty soon maybe you can get on an airplane alone and come and take care of me some more.

I love you very much and hope y our birthday is happy.  I miss you too.

Be a good girl.

Love
Grandma

Do It. Now.

Today I was scanning pictures and I scanned some of Lake Sheridan where I knew Grampa had built or done something.  I started Googling for info.  Was it the Peace Corps?  Something like that...

After about an hour or two of just searching and reading, I heard my brain say the freaking stupidest thing.  "Someday I will have to ask Grampa about this."

Serously.  My brain said that.  Grampa is amazing and active and amazing and vibrant.  But he is 92 years old... Why do I always say, "Someday"?  So I picked up the phone and called.  Grampa told me all about his time in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  We talked for 30 min or so.  It was wonderful.

So don't save up the questions.  Don't say "Someday".  Just call.  Now.  It's easier than you think and WAY more fun than Google.  (although afterward if you do Google, send Grampa the links to see all the pictures you find.  And have Amazon send him that book you find, too).

This is the Face of Genealogy

Myra Belle Hulse Shelton

Taken at age 38.

Sunday's Obituary: Miles Franklin Price

Miles Franklin Price

JULY 6, 1916 LEADER Lucas County, Iowa

OBITUARY

MILES PRICE.

                Miles Price was born Oct. 21, 1837, in Catawiana, Columbia County, Penn.  He died June 23, 1916, at his home in Russell, Iowa.  In 1862 he was united in marriage to Emeline Markham, of Bardolph, McDonough County, Ill.  To this union were born nine children-- Cecelia S., William F., Harriet A., Charles S., Ella May, Lu Ida, Asa A., Mabel R., and Walter J.  There are also twenty-two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  Those living are the wife and four children- Mrs. Harriet A. Conner, of Ottumwa, S.D.; Charles S., Lu Ida and Asa A. of Russell.  These were all present at this bedside doing all that loving hands could do.

                When the call was given for volunteers he was one among the first to answer his country's call and enlisted in Co. A, 16th Ill. infantry.  He served until the close of the war and received his honorable discharge the 26th of September, 1865.  He and his family moved from Illinois to Lucas County, Iowa, March 1876, and located on a farm near Russell.

                He confessed faith in Christ and united with the Christian church in 1882, remaining a consistent member until death.  A kind and loving husband, father and brother, has answered the last call.  A patient man through all his years of suffering.

                The funeral services were conducted at the Christian church, Sunday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock, and he was laid at final rest in the Russell cemetery, where a host of friends had assembled to show their respect for him and their friendship for the family.

JULY 6, 1916 LEADER Lucas County, Iowa

OBITUARY

MILES PRICE.

                Miles Price was born Oct. 21, 1837, in Catawiana, Columbia County, Penn.  He died June 23, 1916, at his home in Russell, Iowa.  In 1862 he was united in marriage to Emeline Markham, of Bardolph, McDonough County, Ill.  To this union were born nine children-- Cecelia S., William F., Harriet A., Charles S., Ella May, Lu Ida, Asa A., Mabel R., and Walter J.  There are also twenty-two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  Those living are the wife and four children- Mrs. Harriet A. Conner, of Ottumwa, S.D.; Charles S., Lu Ida and Asa A. of Russell.  These were all present at this bedside doing all that loving hands could do.

                When the call was given for volunteers he was one among the first to answer his country's call and enlisted in Co. A, 16th Ill. infantry.  He served until the close of the war and received his honorable discharge the 26th of September, 1865.  He and his family moved from Illinois to Lucas County, Iowa, March 1876, and located on a farm near Russell.

                He confessed faith in Christ and united with the Christian church in 1882, remaining a consistent member until death.  A kind and loving husband, father and brother, has answered the last call.  A patient man through all his years of suffering.

                The funeral services were conducted at the Christian church, Sunday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock, and he was laid at final rest in the Russell cemetery, where a host of friends had assembled to show their respect for him and their friendship for the family.

Miles was my great, great, great grandfather.  Shown here:

http://mmgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/10/treasure-chest-thursday.html

And here:

http://mmgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/01/conner-homestead.html

And here: 

http://mmgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/04/civil-war.html