I patiently awaited for the DNA kit at Ancestry to go on sale over the holidays. Finally, on January 3rd, I noticed the lower price tag … and ordered mine! Admittedly, a small tinge of anticipation went through my bones. I’m fascinated at our ability to use DNA in this manor and very excited to see what…
When JD’s Grandma Davis passed away, we inherited several items from her home. One of these was a Christmas tree that she has always placed on top of an end table during the holidays. With the tree came its original box! The tree dates to the 1960s and is from the American Tree and Wreath…
From the moment I first read the New York Sun editorial written in 1897 by Francis Church in response to an 8 year-old’s question about Santa Claus, I was in love. I was in love with the idea of Santa Claus and the idea of writing … and sharing that writing. I don’t even remember how…
Over the weekend, a friend from college posted a Christmas memory on Facebook about being “dirt poor” … his words … as a child and how that impacted Christmas for him and his seven siblings. Christmas stockings were filled not with trinkets and “stuffers”, but with fresh fruit and hard candy, both being treats for his…
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….
I have been fascinated with cemeteries for as long as I can remember. It feels a little morbid, but there is great history lurking among the grave markers! I’ve wandered through my fair share of cemeteries, too … sometimes just to imagine the lives of those buried in them. As the family genealogy nut (one of…
If you were to ask me what my favorite pie is, I’d say raisin … or strawberry-rhubarb … or raisin. It’s a toss-up between the two! Raisin was also my grandpa’s favorite pie. I don’t recall my grandma ever making it, but I certainly remember my mom baking one at least once a year so…
Why is it that people remain a specific age in our minds no matter how old they really are when we lose them? My grandpa was 89 when he died in 2008, but he will always be in his mid-60s in my mind. That was the age when he raced me across the yard and let me…
Many of my Grandpa’s people are buried in Boucher Cemetery in Murphysboro, Illinois. Among them are Grandma Phoebe – Grandpa’s mother – and her parents, Scott and Margaret Douglas. Several siblings and many other Raines family connections were laid to rest at Boucher Cemetery. While it isn’t really “the family cemetery”, I have always felt as though it…
It always seems odd to refer to grandparents as ancestors. I suppose that’s because I’ve been raised around them or grown to know them well in my adulthood. They’re people who have helped me become who I am in ways that “dead people” ancestors haven’t. Alas, grandparents are ancestors, so this week I’m writing about…
September in Southern Illinois can be hot or cold … or both on the same day! Autumn approaches, regardless, and pumpkins and apples are ripe for the picking. Noodle, Grandma Debbie, and I went pumpkin picking today. We mostly picked from the piles of already picked pumpkins … but I’m okay with that! These are pretty…
I received a wonderful surprise last night when I checked in on Twitter … Valerie Hughes, who writes Genealogy with Valerie, nominated me for the “One Lovely Blog Award”. I am very honored to be recognized by such a great blogger and author! Thank you, Valerie! The rules for this award are as follows: Thank…
As I continue to answer the “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” challenge set forth by Amy Johnson Crow over at “No Story Too Small”, I find myself doing more and more research on ancestors I know very little about. I’m determined to make it to number 52, but I think it’s going to take longer…
This was the view at Flamm Orchards in Cobden, Illinois last weekend! The Flamm family has owned this orchard for over 120 years… six generations! It’s one of two of our “go-to” spots for fresh fruit and vegetables during the summer and fall seasons. Mom, Noodle and I stopped at the fruit stand on our Saturday…
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…
You probably have concluded that I have an attraction to “old” cookbooks and cookbooks about “old” food. I have always found the cookbooks are one of the best ways to peak into history and learn about the daily life of our ancestors … certainly of our female ancestors. I picked up this little gem online…
I’m writing about something a little different for my 52 Ancestors post this week. Earlier this summer, a brick honoring three men in my family was placed at the veteran’s memorial at Riverside Park in Murphysboro, Illinois. I stopped by a few nights ago to take some photos. It was bright; the sun was setting…
Joab was a very popular name in my dad’s family. My grandfather’s name was Joab. His grandfather’s name was Joab, and so on back to my 4th great grandfather, Joab Moore. This is as far back as I can reach in the Moore line. Joab #1 was born in 1785 in either North Carolina (1850…
Sophia Fredericka Arnold was barely 6 months old when she arrived in New York on June 19, 1843 from Hamburg, Germany. She came to America with her parents, Leonard and Christine; two sisters Katharine and Barbara; and a brother, George. Sophia is my maternal 3rd great grandmother. While the Arnold family is found on…
I am forever amazed at how the life of someone long passed has impacted my own … how the life and death of a man who lived 150 years ago had such an impact on my very existence, and that of my entire family. The Facts Philip Wolf was the first husband of my 2nd…
If you have Germany ancestors and need help figuring out where – on the map – they originated, this is a great resource! Personally, I can never remember where the different political divisions (L änder) are without looking. Map from PlanetWare.com
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,…
It was HOT yesterday … a typical hot and humid sunny Southern Illinois summer day … ewe. Summer time usually means I migrate from oven cooking to grill cooking to keep the kitchen cool, except for the days I get hungry for something like oven roasted meat! Yesterday was one of those day. It…