Too-Too Thursday - Trick-or-Treat!

Life has been good lately, but extremely busy. It seems every time I sit down to work in my little office, something comes up that requires my attention. I have the feeling of being stretched like a piece of taffy.  Which reminds me of Laffy Taffy!

With it being Halloween, I dragged out some old pictures of Halloweens past. As you can see, I am on the left in both photos. And apparently, I like dressing up as a man! Who knew? Actually, guy clothes in our house were really big on me, so I have to wonder about the jacket in the first photo. Skinny tie must be my older brothers.

 Obviously, I went out trick-or-treating way past the age when most kids stopped. In 1964, I was 12. In the second photo? I was closing in on 32. My own daughters inherited my love of Halloween from me, I am sure.

Me & the girls!

Our neighborhood is an older one, and when we first moved here we had maybe a dozen trick-or-treaters. Now, not one. Kind of makes me sad. 

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Kleesaat & Schacht

On October 30, 1812 in Kastorf, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, Jurgen Gustav "Georg" Kleesaat/Klevesaat married  Catarina Sophia Schacht. They were my great-great-great grandparents on my mom's side.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tombstone Tuesday - What the Heck?

The stone above seems innocuous enough, but it through me for a loop. Yes, I expected to find Price and Harvey Parker in Lexington (KY) Cemetery, but not with what was engraved on the back, which unfortunately, I did not get a picture of. The back of the stone says Kirtley. I expected to find Kelly Kirtley buried there with Price and Harvey.

You see, Kelly and Price were brother and sister. They were the children of Isaac Shelby Kirtley and Susan Anna Chinn. Shelby was my first cousin four times removed and Susan Anna was my second great grand aunt. That makes their children related to me several times over. After Isaac and Susan's deaths, they were raised Price, or more properly, Sterling Price Kirtley, was raised by her aunt Hester Chinn Trapp, in Lexington, Kentucky (their parents died in Lexington, Missouri.)

So, unfortunately, no trace of Kelly Kirtley was to be found. My suspicion is that after he murdered a young woman and committed suicide, the family did not want a marker in the cemetery for him.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday Moanin' - Catching Up - Again!

I have tried all weekend to accomplish something ... anything. Really, not much luck. Today however, I updated my to-do list in RootsMagic. I knocked quite a few items off the to-do list and took it from 180 items to 146. Way to go, me!

I constantly try to impress upon readers the need for organization when you go on a research trip to a courthouse, library, cemetery or whatever. Even when researching from home, keep a list of what you need in certain online databases. Its amazing how much you will get done.

Some people use their place list to use as research. I might do that if I am going somewhere out of town and want to check if there is something to search for that I don't have. Some use family group sheets. Me, I use my to do lists in RootsMagic and I keep databases of cemeteries. There are three that I concentrate on: Mount Olivet in Detroit, where some of my family is buried; Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Kentucky; and Cave Hill in Louisville, Kentucky. The Cave Hill website allows you to print out a section map and it is so easy to mark the lot and write on the page the people you for whom you are searching.

The important thing is to stay organized.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Frederick Border

Border, Oct. 26, of Monrovia, Fred Border, loving father of Mrs. Catherine Freel of Monrovia and Mrs. M. B. Russell of New York City.

Private Services Friday, 2:30 p.m. at the chapel of W. B. Temple, Monrovia.

{Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, death notice, 29 October 1942.}

He was the husband of  Ellen Major "Nellie" Percival.
 



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Home Again!

DH and I took a short trip to Lexington, Kentucky this week. We had a great time and it was fun to just get away for a few days. I crossed lots of stuff off my to do list - but haven't really checked the numbers. Also, our little experiment with taking pictures of the cemetery section map was mostly successful. I got one really big surprise when I looked for the stone for Kelly Kirtley. I most certainly found a stone that said Kirtley on it, in the section and lot where I expected it to be, but the front had the names of his sister and her husband. Curious. I have my thoughts on that and maybe I will share them sometime.

All in all, a successful trip and I am glad to be back home!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Lousy Pictures

The other day I wrote about going to Lexington Cemetery. What I didn't say was I look like a drunk lurching around the headstones. I really try to walk carefully, being terrified of tripping over a lot marker or stepping in a shallow hole. I will do anything not to wrench my right knee - the titanium one!

I looked at my pictures from the cemetery and as I suspected the text on the memorial for John B. Bowman were awful. I just couldn't get close enough - it was way too high. However, since Wednesday's plan was to hit the Kentucky Room, I searched for and found the inscription in the Lexington Herald, November 13, 1914.

Inscription on Memorial.

"Nature might stand up

 and say to all the world 

'this was a man.'

John Bryan Bowman
who, in 1858, revived
Bacon College
under the name of
Kentucky University
and, in 1865,
multiplied its one college
united with that institution
which name was resumed in 1908
and the
Agricultural and Mechanical College
of Kentucky
which in 1908 became the
State University of Kentucky
and received the official title of
Regent of Kentucky University
which office he filled until 1878.
He, in 1866
purchased for the site of the university the
Ashland and Woodland Estates
and in 1870
became by an act of the Legislature,
originator of the
Lexington Street Railway,
which the
Interurban Railway naturally
followed.
He was indirectly the cause,
in 1869, of Hocker, now Hamilton
College,
in 1876 the Commercial College, and
in 1877, the College of the Bible
Born and died in Mercer County
October 16, 1824, September 19, 1891.
His Wife
Mary Dorcas Bowman
Born in North Middletown, August 26, 1826."

Apparently, no one really cared to inscribe Mary Bowman's death date, which was about a year and half later on March 11, 1916.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - McHatton & Hubbard

Marriages taken from the "Brooklyn Eagle (published), p 78.

Oct 23 (1880) at Norwich Connecticut by Rev. Dr. Olney, Henry McHatton of Brooklyn and Elizabeth Hubbard of Norwich.

Dr. Henry Chinn McHatton was the son of James McHatton and Eliza Chinn.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tombstone Tuesday - Say What?

No pictures of a tombstone today, as I have not yet uploaded the pictures I took today. Yes, DH and I spent the morning in a cemetery. Lexington Cemetery. One of my favorites.

Yesterday, we stopped at the cemetery office and I took pictures of the sections I wanted to visit. At least all the numbered sections. We've visited section A through O in the past, and the letter-number sections and today was supposed to be easy. Because we could find the lots with the printouts I made. Theoretically. Graves are hard to find if there are no stones. Then sometimes the back of the stone says one thing and the front says another. But that particular stone is for another day!

Some of the stones we found, were pretty self explanatory. Others. Hmm. One gravesite we did visit today was for the Chinn-Runyon family. Specifically, Addison Ball Chinn who was my second great-granduncle. I have written about him, he was murdered in his own home. I wrote the first of three parts to this Thriller Thursday in 2010, and you can read it here, here, and here. There is a family stone and simple headstones.


The easiest plot was the John B. Bowman one. He was a first cousin 4 times removed and the founder of the University of Kentucky. You can visit this page to read about his monument. I hope that we can read the writing on the monument in the pictures that I took. I guess I will find out when I upload them later.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday Moanin' - The Weekend

Ahh! Missed my nephew's wedding (the fourth of 6) out in California on Saturday. But enjoying the online photos. Such a cute couple and I have to admit, I've never seen a cake like that before! Half wedding cake and half Batman cake. And really, black fondant? Wowsa!

Many good wishes to the happy couple, Danny & Danielle!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Calvin Fuller Percival

The Western Spy, Oct 27, 1810

Calvin Percival was the son of Dr. Jabez Percival and Elizabeth Stearns Percival. He died October 20, 1810. He was born December 20, 1794 in Freehold, New York.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Finally, Friday!

I need to get busy, stuff to do around the house, stuff to do to prepare for Lexington, Kentucky and just stuff to do. Finally heard from our cabinet guy and we are excited to be getting close to completed craft room and built-ins in the living room. In the meantime, everything that was in those rooms has been packed up. I think the former storeroom looks worse now than it did before. Maybe. Can't wait to get that room up and running and organized. It is driving me crazy!

Tomorrow is a big day in the family. Unfortunately, we will miss it as it is taking place in California. Our nephew, Danny is getting married! We wish him and Danielle all the best!


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Not Enough Time

No, actually, haven't forgotten about blogging, just been so busy! Then last night, when I would have normally written my post, I had a blood sugar spike. Yesterday, I did not eat when I should have or what I should have. Some diabetics wouldn't complain about a blood sugar of 176, but for me, that is the highest it has ever been and I could feel it. It didn't help that I didn't have enough sleep Tuesday night either. Less than 5 hours, which for me is really awful.

Our local Honda dealer made us an offer out of the blue for our 2011 Odyssey. We couldn't refuse it and they gave us a deal on the 2014 CR-V with which we replaced the Odyssey. I love it. I missed my 2004 CR-V a lot. It was the perfect size for me, as is this one. Fits in the garage better too. Our last one was "V;" this one is "V2." Not gray, she is Mountain Air Metallic, just a bit of teal. DH's color choice!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Zimmeth & Whiteside

I have two Zimmeth/Whiteside marriages. The first one that took place is between Mary "May" Zimmeth and Samuel Whiteside. They were married on October 16, 1899 in East Tawas, Michigan. May was the daughter of August and Augusta Wilhelmina (Cleasott) Zimmeth and was one of my grandfather's sisters. Sam was the son of William and Emeline (Bancroft) Whiteside.  They are pictured below with the first five of their seven children. From left to right: Myrtle, May Zimmeth Whiteside, holding Ray, Charlotte, Earl, Sam holding Harry.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

SNOWBALL!

I am suffering from the snowball effect. That is you look for one thing and find dozens of other things that you may or may not have expected to find. Not that I am complaining, because sometimes you search for something that should be there and isn't, and you are left out in the cold.

I haven't had that happen in a long time. Mainly because my powers of concentration were under-utilized.

None of these finds are making my piles any smaller ...

And speaking of these piles, yes, I am trying to go paperless. And for the most part I do not file Find-A-Grave records, or census records. And unless they are direct line, I don't bother with saving death certificates, unless I paid for them or someone sent me them. I do, however, scan them and link the image to the person/family.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Bit by Bit

I think the trip last month did me a lot of good. For one thing, it got me researching again. I didn't realize how much I had gotten out of the habit until I started transcribing obituaries and marriage notices.

Tis a good thing, too, since DH and I have another shorter trip planned wherein I have a couple days in one of my favorite towns, and I get to hit the newspaper films again as well as revisit the cemetery. Fortunately, it will only be a four hour drive instead of the longer drives last month!

Yay!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Valentine Kruszka

 Valentine Kruszka, my DH's great uncle was born in Poland, January 12, 1889 (according to his SS-5 record.) He died in Detroit, Michigan October 12, 1970.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Other Marriage Records That Surprised Me!

My mother's family must have had a thing about getting married in Ohio. When I plugged in Zimmeth I got the following marriages:

1.  Leo Zimmeth & Adele R. Kasten. I knew they were married, and the East Tawas, Michigan parish that Leo was baptized at indicated he got married in Missouri. Well, a check of those marriage records came up zip, zilch, nada. So I was really surprised to find out that he got married in Toledo, Ohio.  They got married April 29, 1929. Leo was my mother's first cousin and the oldest child of George & Julia (Blust) Zimmeth. I think the marriage ended in divorce.

2.  Mary Zimmeth & William B. Eager. I knew about this marriage, but again, did not realize that they got married in Ohio. Mary didn't tell me this when I talked to her many years ago.  They got married September 14, 1931 in Toledo. Mary is Leo's sister. They, too were divorced.

3. Charlotte Whiteside & Floyd Hamather. Charlotte apparently was working as a telephone operator in Bowling Green, Ohio when she married Floyd on April 12, 1939.  Charlotte was my mother's first cousin and was the daughter of Samuel Whiteside and Mary (May) Zimmeth. May was my grandfather's sister.

One things all of these cousins had in common were that they were all much older than my mother and her siblings.

Charlotte was born in 1904, Leo was born in 1907, and Mary was born in 1913.  My grandparents weren't even married until 1922.

It was a very productive night!


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday: Add This to My List of Occupations

In my life, I have been a babysitter, a church secretary, a Medical Records office clerk, a medical transcriptionist, a wife, a mother, a library page, and a library clerk. I added a new occupation the other day: locksmith.

As we were leaving the house the other day, I closed the door that has been sticking really bad, hard enough to close it. When we got home, we couldn't use that door to get in. Key or no key, the lock was clearly broken. So DH and I took it apart and the next day went shopping for a repair, a part or a new entry lock.

Turns out we needed to replace the entry lock on the door into the garage, and then re-key it. That was actually one of the easiest things we've ever done. And now we can use that door again!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Thank You, Family Search! I think?

Yesterday's post was about the indexing on my parent's marriage record. Really, someone should have checked that one.

Today's is not without issues either. But I am happy, nonetheless. The record is for Catherine Simmet and Christian Brinkman. I am reasonably sure that this is Christian Brickman and Catherine Zimmeth.

The marriage license is issued in Erie county, Ohio. I know the family lived in the Sandusky area in the mid 1800s. How Catherine got there, I don't know. Her parents were my great-great grandparents, Joseph Zimmeth and Catherine Boegler, who lived in Erie county, New York.

There are lots of issues with Zimmeth and Simmet. One of Joseph's son's, Michael, used Zimmeth and Simmeth interchangeably. One of Michael's sons, Frank, used Simmet.

So back to Christian and Catherine. Their marriage license was issued on February 11th, 1850. And it is indexed as Brinkman and Simmet. Their ages and the location are right.

Christian could not write - at least not in English. He made his mark on the license.

I know that the marriage ended in 1863 with Catherine's death in Erie county, Ohio. In 1865, her some of her children are living with their grandparents in Lancaster, New York. They are indexed as Brakeman. So my gut instinct is to go with Brickman and not Brinkman. But still, both names need to be searched.

At any rate, no notation is made for an actual marriage date.  Here is the license.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

What the Heck, Family Search?

As is my custom, I went to Family Search to see what new or updated marriage records they had. Bingo! Found my mom and dad's marriage record. Of course, I had it already. I got it after my dad died, when my mom applied for his Veteran's benefits. Apparently, my parents didn't have a copy of their own marriage record handy? We had the church one that took place 7 months later, but not the actual Ohio elopement one.

So I have this record and it is very readable. However, apparently the indexer goofed and put my mom's name as ... Q. Zimmeth. No idea why that is like that.

So I scrolled to the right hand page and there listed right after my folks were the Badgeros. Bill and Janet were the couple that my folks traveled to Fremont, Ohio with so that they could be Bill and Janet's witnesses.

I understand when a record is hard to decipher, but this one wasn't. Sigh.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Persistence Pays Off - The Dell Is Resuscitated

About six weeks ago, I turned on my old Dell XPS 1530 laptop to do some updates. The updates were less than successful and it appeared to have crashed and burned. Instead of the blue screen of death, I got the gray screen which really looked awful.

Then early this afternoon, I got the mad idea to try and reinstall windows, since I had the disks that came with that Dell.

It was tedious, nail-biting, nerve-wracking. But I did it. Of course, I lost everything that was on it, but there wasn't anything on it that wasn't backed up. Whew. Now, it is mostly bare bones.

It has Firefox, the webcam and programs, the Roxio Creator and my eCal software for my Sizzix, my electronic cutter and all the SVG Cuts files that I use. That is the only thing I haven't tested. The old Dell is 5+ years old, and it was always my workhorse. So I am really glad to be able to use it in my craft room -- if that ever gets done! I hope to test everything in the next few days. Since the craft room is packed up in anticipation of remodeling, I may have to make room in my office. Hmm. Incentive to clear up those piles?

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Earl John Brough

First I am going to preface this with a little story about how I was approached at a Western Wayne County Genealogical Society meeting in Livonia, Michigan one evening, quite a few years ago. You see, the person whom I met was David Brough (I think and if my memory is not failing me.) He wanted to know if my Percivals and his Percivals were connected. At the time, I had enough to do to follow my own line, and told him I didn't know anything about his line, but that if I came across anything, I would email him. We exchanged email addresses.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I did connect the dots on this Percival and tried to email him. The email never came back as undeliverable (sadly, I had no snail mail address for this fellow.)

Tonight, while writing this post, I checked the obits. Probably an obvious thing to do, and I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. I think I found him. Or possibly his father. I don't remember him being close to my dad's age ...

At any rate, this is one of his ancestors, and it comes from the Ludington Daily News, obituary, 12 October 1940, p5 c3:

EARL BROUGH DIES AT ANN ARBOR

PELTON DISTRICT. - Relatives here have received word of the death in Ann Arbor, Saturday, Oct. 5, of Earl Brough, husband of Edna Percival Brough, a former resident here.

Mr. Brough and a companion fell to their death from the scaffolding of a building on which they were working.

He was buried in Ann Arbor Tuesday.

Mrs. Brough is a cousin of Mrs. Herman Beyer, who received the message and also a cousin of Mrs. John Belleville and H. L. Darr.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

The Insomniac

I remember when I was young, waking up in the middle of the night and my dad would be planted in front of the TV, trying to fall asleep. This was back in the days before 24 hour television, when the last thing you would hear is the star spangled banner followed by the visual test pattern. If you had black and white TV, it was not very interesting, but with the advent of color television you  could stare at the colors for a while, before getting up off your hind end to turn the TV off. Then you would watch the picture reduce to a dot before fading away.

Now, TV almost never goes black, unless there is a power failure. But when I wake up at 4:15 in the morning, the last thing I want to do is turn the TV on. So instead, I toss and turn, read, play games, read email and compose blog posts!

Good night. Um morning. Whatever.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday: So Much for Packing Light!

Yes, I know we have almost three weeks until our next trip, but already, I am planning what is going with me - besides clothing. I always take my laptop with me, since that is an invaluable tool. Also, I am taking my portable printer too! I took it last trip, but didn't need it. This time, with our plan of going to the cemetery on arrival and getting some photos of the cemetery plot map first, I figure it will be easier to print if I take the printer with us and have the photos of the plot map on hand.

I love this little printer. It's a Canon inkjet and I have had it for YEARS.  It's lasted longer than any computer I've ever owned, that's for sure! So then the question becomes, do I take the big rolling computer case or the smaller shoulder ones. I can get my laptop and printer in the rolling case, so that is probably the route I will take. DH and I have found as we get older, that if more of our luggage rolls, the better!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Bush and Riddle

From:  Licking Valley Register, marriage, 22 July 1843, p3:

Married -- On Tuesday the 18th instant, by Rev. Dr. Bell, Mr. John S. Bush of this city, and Miss Mary Jane Riddle of Burlington.

John Smith Bush was the son of Philip Bush and Vicy Tousey (Vicy was the daughter of Thomas Tousey and Lydia Percival which makes John Bush my second cousin four times removed.)

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Our Thirty-Fourth!

As noted, DH and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary over the weekend. We ticked something on our bucket list -- a visit to the Cumberland County Playhouse over in Crossville. We saw "Ring of Fire" which was the music of Johnny Cash. One of the cast members was his great niece, Kellye Cash. There sure are some talented people in Tennessee!

One of our concerns for the weekend was the simultaneous "Fly-In" at the airport next door to the playhouse. There were all kinds of small planes flying in and on display. In fact, we did get a good luck at a couple of them. Fortunately, traffic-wise, the Fly-In was done by 3 p.m., so we did not have to contend with that traffic on the way out!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes