More than a million Germans arrived in the United States between 1845 and 1855 [1]US History, Irish and German Immigration, and many more came after that. They were fleeing political strife and economic hardship. Even so, many had enough money to travel to the Midwest in search of farmland. That’s exactly what my family did,…
This post is inspired by the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by Amy Johnson Crow. The week 10 challenge is “Strong Woman”. I grew up listening to my daddy tell stories about his French fur trapper ancestor – a great-great-grandfather named Joeseph Lemaitre. We went on wild adventures as he narrated the 19th-century fur-trade. I had images…
Every time I go somewhere and see a pressed penny souvenir machine, I dig for 2 quarters and a shiny penny. I’ve done this ever since I was a kid. It began as a child’s fascination … sometimes a challenge to crank the machine … and is now something I love adding to my collection….
This post is inspired by the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by Amy Johnson Crow. The week 5 challenge is “In the Census”. When I was a kid, it was hard for me to think of my grandparents as anything other than grandparents. My grandpa was 55 years old when I was born, my grandma was…
I recently discovered the 31 Days to Better Genealogy challenge from Amy Johnson Crow and decided I need some motivation to get moving with my research again. Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing my own progress with this challenge. It will take me longer than 31 days – but you will hear from me…
I recently discovered the 31 Days to Better Genealogy challenge from Amy Johnson Crow and decided I need some motivation to get moving with my research again. Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing my own progress with this challenge. It will take me longer than 31 days – but you will hear from me…
I recently discovered the 31 Days to Better Genealogy challenge from Amy Johnson Crow and decided I need some motivation to get moving with my research again. Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing my own progress with this challenge. It will take me longer than 31 days – but you will hear from me…
Illinois Senator Samuel Casey is my husband’s 1st cousin 5x removed … and he liked catfish. Senator Samuel Casey Samuel King Casey was born on June 27, 1817 in Smith County (now White County), Tennessee to Zadok Casey and Rachel King. Later that same year, the Casey family moved to what is now Jefferson County in…
Week 20 of the 52 ancestors challenge is themed “black sheep”. I come from a family of doctors, politicians, preachers, and a lot of farmers. I’ve not found a black sheep among them. Okay, the politicians might be questionable. So, instead of writing about skeletons in closets or general bad behavior of black sheep ancestors,…
“Same” is the theme for week 12 of the 2015 52 Ancestors challenge. I’m always fascinated at how characteristics and features get passed to us from our parents and grandparents. Every now and then, I come across a photo of an ancestor that sends me into utter shock because of a family resemblance. The “sameness”…
I initially had trouble deciding about whom to write given the week 9 52 ancestors theme, Close to Home. I live in the same area where my ancestors on all sides have lived for as many as 200 years … so everyone is close to home. Then it hit me. I was moving some books…
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Good deeds … the 52 ancestors week 8 theme … is an easy one for me. When my grandpa would tell stories about his family, his grandfather, Thomas James Rains, would always enter the tale. There are many characters that intertwine in stories of the Rains family, so I will…
Love is an apropos theme for week 7 of the 2015 installment of 51 ancestors … the week of Valentine’s Day. Of course, the theme draws me toward ancestors who fell madly in love with their spouse and lived happily ever after. Well … that would be too predictable. On Saturday, February 12, 1910, two…
Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small gave us a new 52 Ancestors challenge for 2015. Each week, we have a different theme about which to write. It’s quite the challenge, but I love meeting it and reading how everyone interprets each week. Week five is “plowing through”. My 3rd great grandmother, Veronique Voirol, was born in…
Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small gave us a new 52 Ancestors challenge for 2015. Each week, we have a different theme about which to write. It’s quite the challenge, but I love meeting it and reading how everyone interprets each week. The theme for 52 Ancestors for week 3 is “strong women”. It’s…
In honor of Wishful Wednesday … Have you ever been asked, “If you could sit down with anyone in history and have a conversation, who would it be?”. I have … several times. I always have a different answer, too. Sometimes it’s Eleanor Roosevelt, sometimes it is Mary Queen of Scots or Robert the Bruce….
It stormed really bad this morning and well into the afternoon. The kind of storm that makes you wonder what’s coming next. When it quieted down a bit, Mom, Noodle and I made a break for our favorite museum and resale shop. Upon our return, I noticed the power had gone out at some point…
Grandpa Douglas is a bit of a household name, even though Winfield Scott Douglas is my maternal 2nd great grandfather and died 5 years before my own grandpa was born. Grandpa Douglas is a man attached to stories told by his daughter, Phoebe, and her son, and his sons … stories that have been told…
I am utterly amazed at how much information is available on the Internet, especially if you know how to dig around and find it! I have compiled stories, photos, and documents on several ancestors. Reuben Bramlett is no exception. In fact, I ran across his name on the Illinois Gen Web page for Saline County,…
Was Nellie Davis born on January 26, 1886? Or, was Nellie Davis born on February 25, 1886? The short answer is … both. The Davis Family I haven’t done a lot of research on Chili’s side of the family. I have my own family mysteries to solve and adding his family mysteries just makes my head…
Last week, I wrote about Lucy Jane Land and her long-lived life. While researching Lucy and her husband, Joseph, I found Joseph Dunn. Joseph is Lucy’s father-in-law and my 3rd great grandfather. Joseph Dunn was born around 1812 in Ohio, although various documents from census records to military records put his birth anywhere from 1809…
We’ve just passed the 70th anniversary of D-Day. My family has been watching WWII documentaries on the History channel, including The World Wars series which is one of the best I’ve ever seen. We’re coming up on the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI. It doesn’t seem like these events should be so far…
I absolutely love that I have baby pictures of my Grandma Raines, my mom and me. My mom and I look alike, and sometimes I catch a glimpse of Grandma when I look at Mom. I don’t think any of us look alike as babies, though! Grandma, Doris (Schuster) Raines…
Lucy Jane Land was the daughter of the farmer. She lived to the ripe old age of 92 and was spry until the very last year of her life. She was third of 14 children, born on February 17, 1857 to Overton and Mary Ellen (Prather) Land. Lucy is my paternal 2nd great grandmother. Raised…