Wednesday, June 13, 2018

99-cent Kindle Special Ends at Midnight on June 14

Wow! #1 in Amazon's Kindle Genealogy list from June 13-17.
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Now, for only 99 cents, you can download the Kindle version of my book, Planning a Future for Your Family's Past.

But this special price expires on midnight of Thursday, June 14th, New York time, so please click to take a look soon!

UPDATE: More than 260 ebooks sold in 5 days (plus printed copies too), keeping my book at the top of the Amazon Kindle genealogy best-seller list for five days in a row. Thank you! Please, if you own my book, would you take a moment to post a review on Amazon? Your feedback would be most appreciated!

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Father's Day: Where Dad Lived (and Why)


For Father's Day, I'm telling stories of where Dad lived, and why, and stories he told me about everyday life. Harold Burk (1909-1978) was born in Jewish Harlem, 77 E. 109th Street in Manhattan. That's the address on his birth certificate and the address where he lived at the time of the 1910 Census. It's just a short walk from the Northern end of Central Park.

Thanks to the images in the New York City Public Library's digital collections, I can see tenements similar to the building where Dad lived and read about conditions there. These East Harlem buildings were not quite as cramped and dank as tenements in the Lower East Side. Another plus: They were "uptown" and therefore more desirable, with less-crowded streets and within reach of greener pastures (literally) in upper Manhattan and lower Bronx.

The reason Dad's family lived uptown, rather than downtown in the Lower East Side where so many immigrants lived, has to do with family connections as much as infrastructure. When my grandpa Isaac Burk (1882-1943) got to New York City in 1904-5, he boarded with the Mahler family at 1956 Third Avenue in Manhattan. That's where Isaac married my grandma Henrietta Mahler (1881-1954) in June, 1906.

The bride and groom may have been cousins, a possibility I'm still researching, because documents show Isaac's mother's maiden name as Shuham and the maiden name of Henrietta's grandmother as Shuham. Both of those families had roots in Lithuania. Strong possibility of family connections, but no proof (yet).

By 1909, when Dad was born, his parents Isaac & Henrietta were living only a seven-minute walk from Henrietta's Mahler family apartment on Third Avenue. By 1915, according to the New York City Census, the two families were living in separate apartments in the same tenement house at 7 East 105th Street in Jewish Harlem. Built-in babysitters for a growing family: Dad was 6, his older sister was 8, and there were two more siblings under the age of 4.

Both the Burk and Mahler families found it convenient and desirable to live uptown in East Harlem because workers could commute by "el" (elevated trains) to jobs located in midtown or downtown. The Third Avenue El, as it was known, was fast and affordable.

This elevated train line stopped running during my lifetime as other mass transit options took its place, and the car culture took hold. In the early 1900s, however, the el and later underground subway lines enabled working people to escape the dirty, noisy, crowded Lower East Side. The NYPL has some atmospheric photos of the "el" at various periods.

Dad told stories of playing stickball in the streets as a youngster (maybe ducking the few cars that passed). He also told of boys daring each other to jump from one tenement rooftop to another. Even though the tenements were often butted up against each other or barely a few inches away, it wasn't at all easy or safe. Dad admitted he was just plain lucky to live through those escapades. Bet his parents never knew what he was doing!

Dad also told stories of taking horse-drawn buses from his Harlem home north to the Bronx for a daylong picnic outing. Sounds like the children would eat and then play while the adults shmoozed and snoozed before returning to their tenements. By the time I was old enough to hear these stories, it was hard to imagine the Bronx as a bucolic collection of farmlands and rural picnic vistas--but entirely true, as photos in the NYPL collection demonstrate.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad and I'm delighted to keep his memory and his stories alive for future generations, in the spirit of #52Ancestors and the #GenealogyBlogParty's Dynamite Dads.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

More June Weddings - My Side of the Family

Here are some of the June weddings on my side of the family and what I learned about them during my research:
  • June 3, 1934: Above, an invite to the wedding of Rachel Chazan and Solomon Ash in Manchester, England, 84 years ago. The invitee, "N. Block," turned out to be Nellie Block, older sister of my paternal Grandpa Isaac Burk. In 1901, Isaac had lived in Manchester with the parents of the bride, en route from Lithuania to his new home in North America. Once a cousin unearthed this invite, I quickly connected with descendants of this family in Manchester (hi, cousins!). And only last year, I connected with more descendants of Grandpa Isaac's other siblings (hi, cousins!).
  • June 7, 1930: My mother's uncle Fred Farkas married Charlotte Chapman 88 years ago in Chicago. His career and growing family meant he rarely returned to New York City, where the Farkas Family Tree association was based. Staying in touch, Fred and Charlotte wrote letters to be read out loud during these family meetings. WWII letters indicate that some Farkas family members serving in the military were able to visit Fred and Charlotte on leave during the 1940s.
  • June 10, 1906: Happily for me, Isaac Burk married Henrietta Mahler on this day, 112 years ago, in the NYC apartment of the bride's family. (Hi, Grandma and Grandpa!) Interestingly, the 1905 NY Census shows Isaac as a boarder in the Mahler apartment in Manhattan, along with Isaac's brother, Meyer Berg. Could Isaac's family have put him in touch with Henrietta's parents to arrange a place to stay, and then love bloomed within close quarters? 
  • June 14, 1932: Morris Mahler, brother of my grandma Henrietta Mahler,  married Carrie Etschel 86 years ago in New York City. Both bride and groom were in their 40s when they married, against the wishes of my father's Mahler family (because of religious differences). Relatives told me they were happy together, which makes me happy.

Monday, June 4, 2018

Going to the Chapel - His Side of the Family

So many ancestors were married in June, in my husband's family tree and in my tree! I used RootsMagic7's calendar report to see who was married, when, and how long ago, tree by tree. This is a good opportunity to revisit my research, summarize what I know, see what's missing, and take the next step. Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow for this #52 Ancestors prompt.

Here are some of the early June marriages in my husband's tree:


  • June 3, 1903: Hubby's great-aunt Mary Amanda Wood married August Jacob Carsten 115 years ago in Toledo, Ohio. Sadly, Mary Amanda died at age 32, just months after giving birth to their fourth child. Mary Amanda was named for her mother, Mary Amanda Demarest Wood.
  • June 10, 1903: At top, the license application for hubby's Grandma Floyda Mabel Steiner and Grandpa Brice Larimer McClure, who married 115 years ago in Wyandot county, Ohio. Only through this record did I discover that Floyda had been married before. She was brave enough to divorce the first husband, who called her vile names and threatened her. Plus she won an alimony settlement!
  • June 12, 1856: My husband's 2d great-uncle Samuel D. Steiner married Maria L. Forrest 162 years ago in Crawford county, Ohio. While researching the Steiner family in Wyandot county a few years ago, I discovered that Samuel had been arrested for aiding/abetting burglary and not showing up in court. What happened? Don't know yet, but I did find Samuel at home in the 1880 census. 
  • June 13, 1847: My husband's 3d great-aunt, Elizabeth E. Bentley, married Emanuel Light 171 years ago in Elkhart, Indiana, as shown on the marriage license below. During the 1850s, Elizabeth and Emanuel left their home and traveled west, as her father had done in 1848 early in the Gold Rush. The Light family farmed in California. Despite years of research, the Bentley family's ancestors are still a bit of a mystery, one of my genealogical works in progress.


  • Friday, June 1, 2018

    DNA Results: Not Even Close






























    Dear cousins I don't yet know but hope are out there,

    Up front, I have to say I'm sincerely grateful for all the cousins I've connected with through genealogy! I treasure our kinship, our friendship, and the shared history of our ancestors.

    But I can't help wondering: Do I have more cousins I haven't yet found?

    Of course I'm using conventional methods to trace all the branches of my tree. I've also hopped on the genetic genealogy bandwagon, posting my results to multiple sites. New matches pop up regularly.

    However, as shown above in last week's Ancestry DNA matches (sorted by date, not relationship) most are not even close. At best, if I followed up on this lot, I might find a 5th cousin. And only one of these matches is in the "good confidence" range.

    Even more discouraging, just 4 of this week's crop have bothered to post any kind of family tree. Two of those are private trees, making it difficult to check out potential relationships. The latest matches on other DNA sites are also distant cousins, and therefore not high on my priority list.

    When Family Tree DNA finally delivers my long-awaited mtDNA analysis results (delayed three times already), I want to use that data to focus on my maternal line.

    So, dear cousins I don't yet know, I hope we connect with each other. Don't be a stranger.

    Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow for the #52Ancestors prompt, "so far away," my starting point for this post.

    Wednesday, May 30, 2018

    Diary Entries Describe Decoration Day Traditions

    Today is the 150th anniversary of Decoration Day. The original purpose was to honor those who died serving in the Civil War by putting flowers on their graves. After World War I, the concept of Decoration Day expanded to decorating the graves of all U.S. military men and women who had died in wars.

    For decades, my late father-in-law, Edgar J. Wood (1903-1986) would drive his wife, Marian J. McClure Wood (1909-1983), from their home in Cleveland to Upper Sandusky, Ohio, for Decoration Day. In his diaries, he wrote "Decoration Day" on the space for May 30th and jotted notes about laying flowers on her relatives' graves. Interestingly, only one diary entry ever mentioned decorating his parents' graves in Highland Park Cemetery, Cleveland, and that took place on the day before Decoration Day.

    At top is a partial listing of Marian's relatives buried in Upper Sandusky's historic Old Mission Cemetery, including her mother, Floyda Mabel Steiner McClure (1878-1948). Also buried there are her aunts, uncles, and grandparents. None of these folks had fought or died in war; it seems it was family tradition to honor the memories of much-loved relatives by laying flowers on their graves every Decoration Day.

    According to the diaries, Edgar and Marian would pick up her father, Brice Larimer McClure (1878-1970), for the drive to Old Mission Cemetery, where they laid flowers and had a picnic nearby. If it was raining, they ate in the car. Then they visited relatives in the area, such as Marian's Aunt Carrie Steiner Traxler (1870-1963), before driving home.

    For this generation of my husband's family, Decoration Day was a day of remembering those who had passed away and spending time with family members they rarely saw.

    Monday, May 28, 2018

    Write Family History Now, Add or Change Later


    Thinking about writing your family history? There's no time like the present. Anything you write will be a real gift to your family and to future generations, whether you write about a special family photo or trace the life of a matriarch or patriarch.

    If all you have is a photo and the names of some or all of those pictured, you've got enough to make a good start. The goal is to write as much as you know about who, what, when, where, why, and how. Today, you may only know "who" and "when" but tomorrow, when you discover "where" or "when," you can add that to your write-up or make corrections.

    Always ask family members for help. Many times, cousins can identify people we've never seen or met. Photos can also trigger recall of a family story that adds color and personality to the family history.

    Here's a photo taken at the NYC wedding of my parents, Daisy Schwartz (1919-1981) and Harold Burk (1909-1978). When I was writing about their courtship and marriage, I asked several cousins to help identify the wedding guests. Unfortunately, we identified only four of my mother's maternal aunts and uncles shown here. Still, I kept moving ahead with my write-up.

    A few weeks later, one cousin suddenly remembered the name of the lady seated fourth from the right. Based on this new info, I located the lady's son and ultimately connected his branch to my great-grandma's family tree in Hungary. Because of my cousin's memory, I now have more names, relationships, and stories to add to my family history.

    Never give up! Eventually, we identified the last two "unknowns" in this photo as more cousins on my mother's side.

    Please, do the "write" thing for the sake of future generations. There's no time like the present for starting on this gift to the descendants of our ancestors.

    NOTE: This is part of my series about writing family history:

    Saturday, May 26, 2018

    Saving WWII Letters for the Next Generation

    One of my 2d cousins was kind enough to lend me a scrapbook of letters written by my mother's 1st cousins and her sister serving in World War II.

    The letter-writers were the American-born grandchildren of Leni Kunstler Farkas (1865-1938) and Moritz Farkas (1857-1936). Leni and Moritz, my great-grandparents, were born in Hungary and came to New York City at the turn of the 20th century. Their children (my grandma and her generation) formed the Farkas Family Tree (the FFT) association during the Depression to keep the family close-knit.

    One by one, as these grandchildren of the matriarch and patriarch joined the military in the 1940s, they wrote letters to be read out loud during the family tree's monthly meetings. In all, five men and one woman wrote home about their WWII experiences. They were dedicated, patriotic, and often quite candid about their military experiences.

    Above, a letter from my mother's first cousin Harry, who trained as an X-ray technician after enlisting in the Army in 1943. He was stationed at Camp Grant (Rockford, IL), Lawson General Hospital (Atlanta, GA), Fort Lewis (Tacoma, WA), and Fort Jackson (Columbia, SC), among other places.

    While being shipped cross-country every few months for additional training, Harry wrote about wanting to finally, finally work with patients, which he eventually did. After the war, he went to medical school, set up a practice in a small town, and was sorely missed when he passed away at age 89.

    My aunt Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001) enlisted as a WAAC in 1942. She was keenly aware of what she was and wasn't permitted to say in her letters, describing where she was stationed without actually naming the place or revealing other details. In the letter above, she reassures her family by mentioning the beautiful countryside in England (no town mentioned) and gives the latest news about a WAAC controversy over wearing "overseas hats" when out and about.

    At the same time, my aunt didn't mince words when expressing her outrage about German prisoners of war being allowed to stand and watch while U.S. servicewomen handled jobs like cleaning mess halls that could and should have been performed by the POWs. She was also realistic about the dim prospects for an early peace in Europe, from her vantage point of being the administrative support for military officials.

    On this Memorial Day weekend, I salute my cousins and all the men and women who have defended our country over the years. This military post is for week 21 of #52Ancestors.

    Friday, May 25, 2018

    Where Have All the Gen Bloggers Gone?

    Do you remember that 1950s folk song, Where Have All the Flowers Gone? by Pete Seeger (read the story here)?

    This mournful song came to mind today as I tested the links on every one of the dozens of genealogy blogs I follow. Where have all the genealogy bloggers gone?

    • Nearly 3 dozen blogs haven't been updated in at least 6 months. Of these, at least 10 have been dormant since 2015. Most of the blogs had been active for a few years, on and off, and then activity dwindled to zero.
    • Several blogs have transitioned to websites (and are still functioning, so I changed my "follow list" to reflect the new address). These are keepers.
    • Inexplicably, 2 blogs are now "hidden" from view. Can't see what they are now, so I deleted them from my reading list.
    Now I'm down to reading only 78 genealogy blogs. Since few bloggers post as often as, say, Randy Seaver on Genea-Musings, I can easily keep up with the blogs I like to follow.

    But I really miss the meadow of genealogy blogs that once blossomed with information, education, and discoveries. I miss buzzing from blog to blog and enjoying the diverse voices and stories that these bloggers were kind enough to share.

    Despite the shrinking population, I do not think that genealogy blogging is dead. Some bloggers have, I imagine, decided to focus on Twitter or Pinterest or both. Some are surely active on Facebook genealogy pages or Instagram. Most are probably busy living their lives and researching their trees. At least, I hope that's what happened. My 10th blogiversary is coming up in August, and I plan to keep blogging as I climb my family tree.

    Let me thank all of you genealogy bloggers who are still posting, and encourage those of you who are new to add your voice and believe you have an audience. I look forward to seeing what you're doing, learning from your experiences and expertise, commiserating with you when an ancestor refuses to be found, and rejoicing with you when you smash a brick wall.

    Wednesday, May 23, 2018

    So Many Ancestors, So Many Languages

    For #52Ancestors #20, I'm trying to identify the different languages spoken by key ancestors in my family tree and my husband's tree.

    My paternal grandparents (above) probably spoke three languages apiece. Grandma Henrietta Mahler Burk (1881-1954) was born in Latvia, and surely spoke Latvian as well as English and, I'm guessing, Yiddish. Possibly she spoke Russian too, although I don't know for sure.

    Her husband, Isaac Burk (1882-1943) was born in Lithuania, and spoke that language plus Russian and maybe even Yiddish in addition. Isaac certainly picked up some English when he stopped in Manchester, England, to stay with family in 1901, en route from Lithuania to North America.
    My maternal grandparents also spoke multiple languages. Grandpa Theodore Schwartz (1887-1965), shown above escorting my mother down the aisle at her wedding, had a way with languages. His native Hungarian tripped off his tongue, but he could also speak several other languages, including English--which is why the steamship lines employed him in NYC as a runner around Ellis Island in the 1910s.

    His wife, Hermina Farkas Schwartz (1886-1964), was fluent in Hungarian, having been born there, and learned Yiddish in the Lower East Side of NYC as an immigrant. Also she learned English in NYC night school.

    In my husband's Wood family tree, there are three adult Mayflower ancestors (Degory Priest, Isaac Allerton, Mary Norris Allerton). Therefore, in addition to English, they may have learned some Dutch when the Pilgrims fled to the Netherlands prior to sailing to the New World. Once in Plymouth, perhaps they learned a few words to talk with Native American tribes? Photo above shows my late father-in-law (Edgar James Wood, 1903-1986) at left with two of his Wood brothers.

    Also in my husband's McClure line, his ancestor Halbert McClure (1684-1754) was born in County Donegal, and sailed to Philadelphia with his family in the 1740s. Because the McClures were originally from Isle of Skye, hubby's ancestor may have spoken Scottish Gaelic or Gaelic (or both). On arrival in the American colonies, however, the McClures would most likely have learned English, because they walked from Philadelphia to Virginia. They would probably need to speak English to buy provisions along the way. Once in Virginia, they bought land--again, a transaction that probably required English.

    Saturday, May 19, 2018

    Honor Roll Project, Part 3: Newtown, CT, Gulf War and Civil War


    In Newtown, Connecticut, the stately memorial at the head of Main Street includes plaques with names of men and women who served in our country's military over the years. As part of Heather Rojo's Honor Roll Project, I'm transcribing the names and including photos to pay tribute to these brave people.

    This is Part 3 of names from Newtown. Part 1 covers those who served during the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, and the Mexican Border War. Part 2 covers those who served from 1944-1971.

    Here are the names of those from Newtown who served during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 1990-1991:

    Check, Emory T. (Army)
    Demand, Dana B. (Air Force)
    Denslow, Alan L. (Navy)
    Evans, William (Navy)
    Fischer, Lawrence B. (USMC)
    Godfrey, Kenneth C. (Air Force)
    Gottmeier, Richard P. (Army)
    Hannah, Stephen (Army)
    Hayward, Brian P. (Air Force)
    Knapp, Letitia Renee (Army)
    Knapp, Robert D. (Army)
    Kieras, Christopher (USMC)
    Killing, Robert E., Jr. (USMC)
    Klewicki, John E. (Army)
    Leavitt, Brian (Air Force)
    Leedy, Roberta C. (Army)
    Mead, James g. (Navy)
    Schaedler, David A. (Army)
    Schmidle, Paul W. (Navy)
    Schmidle, Robert E. (USMC)
    Swart, John J. (Army)
    Sturges, Donald (Navy)
    Wade, Brian (Navy)
    Waller, Darrick (USMC)
    Wrinn, Johnathan (Air Force)


    And here are the names of Newtowners who served during the Civil War:

    Adams, James
    Alldis, Frederick G.
    Andress, David
    Banks, Allen
    Banks, Edward A.
    Beers, Hawley
    Beers, James M.
    Benedict, Edwin
    Benedict, Henry W.
    Bigelow, Henry B.
    Bissell, Henry
    Blake, Martin
    Blakeslee, George B.
    Booth, Charles, Jr. 
    Booth, John W.
    Booth, Starr L.
    Botsford, Gideon B.
    Botsford, Israel C.
    Bradley, George A.
    Bradley, Thomas
    Brewster, John H.
    Brisco, Ephraim
    Briscoe, Charles
    Briscoe, George
    Briscoe, Gustavus
    Brown, George W.
    Brown, Jeremiah
    Brown, Jerome
    Bruno, Gottfried
    Bulkley, George
    Burritt, Charles H.
    Butcher, Charles
    Camp, Daniel B.
    Camp, George B.
    Carley, Edward
    Carmody, Michael
    Casey, Barney
    Cavanaugh, Michael
    Chipman, Charles C.
    Clark, Allen B.
    Clark, Newell
    Clark, Robert
    Clinton, George
    Coger, Henry B.
    Coley, George S.
    Colgan, Matthew
    Conger, Charles T.
    Conley, William
    Connell, William
    Cornell, Hiram
    Cunningham, John
    Curtis, Charles G.
    Curtis, Jasper L.
    Curtis, Joseph
    Curtis, William
    Curtis, William E.
    Davis, Daniel
    Davis, William
    Dayton, Charles W.
    Dick, Charles L.
    Dimon, Arthur
    Downes, Munroe D.
    Downs, Oliver
    Downs, Smith
    Dunn, Hugh
    Dunning, Edward A.
    Edgett, Seneca
    Edwards, Levi H.
    Egan, James
    Ellwood, Frederick
    Ellwood, William
    Evans, James
    Evarts, George A.
    Fairchild, Alpheus B.
    Fairchild, Henry W.
    Fairchild, Jerome B.
    Fairchild, Lewis
    Fairchild, Lewis H.
    Fairchild, Reuben A.
    Fairchild, Robert B.
    Fairchild, Theodore B.
    Fairman, Arthur
    Faulkner, John
    Flannery, Patrick
    Foote, John G.
    French, David R.
    Gage, George R.
    Gannon, John
    Gilbert, Charles E.
    Gilbert, Henry A.
    Gilbert, Horace 
    Gillette, David A.
    Glover, Henry J.
    Glover, Martin V.B.
    Gordon, James
    Gordon, William A.
    Greene, John W.
    Griffin, John
    Groever, Paul
    Guernsey, Truman
    Hall, Henry C.
    Hall, James P.
    Hawley, Charles E.
    Hawley, David B.
    Hawley, George
    Hawley, James
    Hawley, William G.
    Hayes, Dennis
    Hickey, John
    Hubbell, George S.
    Hubbell, John P.
    Hull, Andrew C.
    Jackson, Henry J.
    Johnson, Henry
    Johnson, Jacob
    Johnson, Thomas
    Jones, Charles
    Jones, David W.
    Jones, John
    Kaine, Patrick
    Kane, Daniel
    Kane, James
    Kane, John
    Keenan, Michael
    Kelly, Bernard
    Kelly, James
    Knapp, John S.
    Lake, George
    Lattin, John O.
    Lewis, George H.
    Lillis, Griffin P.
    Lillis, John
    Lillis, Martin
    Lynch, Patrick
    Manley, Henry T.
    Matthews, Benjamin W.
    May, Charles
    McArthur, William L.
    McMahon, Michael
    McNerney, Thomas 
    Merritt, Charles
    Meyer, Fritz
    Monson, Charles
    Nash, Adelbert
    Nichols, Beach
    Nichols, Elijah B.
    Nichols, Harmes L.
    Nichols, Henry E.
    Nichols, James
    Northrop, Alpheus
    O’Brien, David
    O’Brien, Thomas
    O’Halloran, Michael T.
    Olmsted, Peter D.
    Parker, James
    Parsons, Charles M.
    Payne, Charles H.
    Payne, David S.
    Peck, Albert W.
    Peck, Austin L.
    Peck, Chester D.
    Peck, David M. 
    Peck, John F.
    Peck, Nelson J.
    Peet, Benajah H.
    Pete, Elijah S.
    Peterson, Arlan
    Peterson, Carl
    Platt, Francis W.
    Platt, Orlando M.
    Ramsay, George W.
    Reed, Hawley
    Reicker, Edward
    Rigby, Matthew
    Riley, James
    Roberts, Charles H.
    Root, Nathan H.
    Ryan, Michael
    Sanford, Andrew W. 
    Sanford, Julius
    Schriver, Andrew
    Seeley, Eli B.
    Seeley, John D.
    Shaughnessy, Lawrence
    Shepard, Charles
    Shepard, Charles S.
    Shepard, Hall
    Sheridan, James
    Sherman, George H.
    Sherman, Ira
    Sherwood, Charles R.
    Smith, Frederick E.
    Smith, John
    Smith, Pearl
    Smith, William A.
    Spencer, George H.
    Spitzler, Gottlieb
    Spring, Charles
    Squire, Cyrenius N.
    Squires, George D.
    Stuart, Louis L.
    Sullivan, James
    Tappan, John
    Tappan, Robert
    Taylor, Ammon
    Taylor, Milton C.
    Taylor, Roswell
    Tongue, Elam M.
    Tongue, Hanford
    Troy, Edward
    Twitchell, Franklin S.
    Tyrrell, Stephen
    Urmston, Thomas D.
    Walsh, John
    Weed, Daniel B.
    Weed, Joseph B.
    Weible, Christian
    Wenzel, Frederick
    Wheeler, Cyrus W.
    White, Joseph
    Williams, George W.
    Wood, Smith B.
    Wooster, Charles 

    Monday, May 14, 2018

    Honor Roll Project, Part 2: Newtown, CT, 1944-1971

    Continuing with the names memorialized on plaques honoring military service by residents of Newtown, CT, here are the people who served from 1944 - 1971.

    This is Part 2 of my series...Part 1 lists Newtown's military veterans from the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish American War, and the Mexican Border War. Part 3 lists Civil War and Gulf War military veterans.

    Although the original plaques in Town Hall on Main Street don't show names in alphabetical order, I transcribed and alphabetized everything by time period.

    My goal was to make it easier for relatives and descendants to find these folks who served our country, and see who else from that family served from 1944 through 1971.

    Abbott, A.
    Adams, G.
    Adams, T.
    Allen, C.
    Allen, G.
    Allen, P.
    Anderson, J.E.
    Anderson, K.
    Anderson, N.
    Anderson, W.A.
    Andrews, L.V. Jr.
    Arbetelli, J.
    Arndt, K.A.
    Arnot, K.A.
    Atkinson, G.
    Ballerini, D.
    Barchi, F.T.
    Bardelli, D.
    Bardelli, J.
    Bardelli, T.
    Barna, S.
    Bayerle, W.A.
    Bedat, A.E.
    Beers, C.
    Beers, E.
    Beers, M.
    Belander, R.W.
    Bell, P.T.
    Bellesheim, G.
    Benedict, C.
    Berglund, K.
    Berls, C.
    Berls, C.
    Blantin, E.G.
    Bolmer, C.
    Bolmer, L.
    Bowles, E.
    Boyle, A.M.
    Bradshaw, A.
    Bradshaw, A.J.
    Braun, J.T.
    Bresson, G. Jr.
    Bresson, H.
    Bresson, J.
    Bresson, R.
    Brown, R.
    Bryk, M.
    Buonaiuto, F.V.
    Buonaiuto, J.A.
    Buonaiuto, J.T.
    Buonaiuto, V.
    Burdett, A.C.
    Burnett, D.C.
    Burns, D.J
    Burns, G.
    Burr, B.
    Canfield, W.
    Card, W.R.
    Carroll, F.
    Casey, D.
    Casey, E.
    Cassidy, D.
    Christie, W.A.
    Cogswell, C. Jr.
    Cole, W.
    Connor, R. Jr.
    Corrigan, R.
    Costello, T.
    Cox, E.
    Cox, E.E.
    Craig, D.
    Craig, E.
    Crick, J.
    Crookes, W.C.
    Crouch, E.A.
    Crouch, J.T.
    Curtain, R.A.
    Curtis, J.
    Curtis, N.G. Jr.
    Davis, G.
    Dayton, R.
    De Cesare, G.
    De Groat, E.B.
    De Groat, R.G.
    Dean, R.
    Dean, Robt.
    DeCesare, K.
    Delay, R.
    Dellea, C.T. Jr.
    Digilio, R.
    Dinkle, B.W.
    Dinkler, D.A.
    Downs, R.L.
    Eaton, N.
    Eaton, R.D.
    Eberhardt, E.V.
    Echols, D.
    Echols, J.W.
    Eddy, R. Jr.
    Eggert, O.
    Farrell, D.J.
    Farrell, E.
    Farrell, R.
    Ferris, D.
    Fleischman, C.
    Fleischman, C.
    Forbell, E.
    Fortier, P.
    Frederickson, K.
    Giambra, A.
    Gies, J.C.
    Gill, J.
    Glover, L.
    Granniss, K.
    Granniss, K.E.
    Greenman, R.
    Griffith, C.M. Jr.
    Haas, C.
    Haig, R.
    Hammond, J.C.
    Hanlon, C.
    Hannah, J.W.
    Harris, M.
    Harrison, T.
    Hart, E. Jr.
    Hartmann, J.
    Hayden, R.
    Hellauer, W.A.
    Henckel, W.E.
    Herman, E.
    Herring, R.M.
    Hileman, T.
    Hill, M.
    Hill, R.
    Hollister, W.
    Hopkins, L.
    Hopkins, M.L.
    Hopkins, P.
    Hoyt, F.W.
    Hribal, J.F.
    Hubert, J.
    Hull, R.
    Hunihan, J.
    Ingram, E. Jr.
    Ingram, R.
    Jackson, E.
    Jackson, R.R.
    Jandreau, R.A. Jr.
    Jensen, E.
    Jensen, R.
    Johnson, D.
    Jones, B.
    Kamas, J.
    Kamas, T.
    Kayfus, D.
    Kayfus, F.S.
    Kayfus, J.
    Kayfus, L.
    Kayfus, R.
    Kayfus, W.
    Kearnes, J.
    Kennedy, F.
    Kennedy, J.
    Kennedy, J.
    Kennedy, M.
    Kershaw, P.
    Kessinger, J.
    Kilbride, F.
    Killing, A.
    Killing, G.
    Killing, R.
    Kingman, G.
    Kingman, P.
    Kline, R.C.
    Knapp, E. Jr.
    Knapp, J.
    Knapp, R.
    Kondrat, M.
    Kovacs, K.
    Krafcsik, J.
    Krafcsik, M.
    Krager, R.
    Kuhne, E.G.
    Kyle, D.
    Lani, J.P.
    Larson, L.
    Lawler, D.
    Leach, D.
    Leach, J.
    Leaver, W.H.
    Leebold, R.
    Leondard, E.
    Lewis, C.
    Lewis, D.
    Lewis, D.
    Lewis, J.
    Lewis, W.
    Lillis, W.F.
    Liska, R.
    Locke, F.
    Lockwood, C.
    Lockwood, E.
    Lockwood, R.
    Lorenzo, J.
    Loveland, R.
    Lovell, W.E.
    Lucas, J.W.
    Lucas, M. III
    Lucas, R.
    Macmillan, W.
    Mahoney, J.
    Mallette, C.
    Manwaring, D.H.
    Manwaring, J.
    Marron, R.
    Matern, R.
    Maye, A.E.
    Mayer, R.W.
    McKee, L. Jr.
    McLaren, G.
    McMahon, M.L.
    McPhie, A.
    McQuillan, A.
    Melot, R.
    Mentley, J.
    Miles, H.
    Miller, R.
    Miller, R.
    Milon, W.
    Moody, D.A.
    Moody, H.
    Morgan, E.
    Morgan, R.
    Nalven, H.E.
    Nalven, L.I.
    Nestor, M.S.
    Nezvesky, I.
    Nezvesky, J.
    Northrop, E.
    Northrop, F.
    Northrop, G.
    Northrop, J.
    Norwell, J.
    Nyberg, P.
    Nyborg, D.
    O’Brien, H.D.
    O’Connor, R.J.
    Oliver, W.D.
    Paglinco, D.
    Palmer, D.
    Parsons, T.
    Pearson, A.
    Peck, C.
    Peck, D.
    Peck, K.
    Peck, R.
    Peck, R.T.
    Pellietier, K.
    Pendergast, F.
    Pendergast, J.
    Perillo, F.
    Perrotte, D.
    Petersen, D.
    Phillips, R.
    Pitcher, S.
    Powell, T.
    Presnell, T.
    Pressmar, E.
    Pressmar, J.
    Preusser, A.C.
    Proctor, G.W.
    Proudfoot, R.
    Qubick, J.
    Qubick, R.
    Quinn, H.
    Quinn, R.
    Ramsdell, T.
    Rasmussen, R.
    Reardon, D.
    Reiner, R.
    Romain, J.
    Rosenthall, H.
    Roth, E.
    Sagnelli, N.
    Sanborn, D.
    Saren, J.
    Saren, W.
    Saunders, D.
    Saxton, L.
    Schettino, R.
    Schwaiger, G.L.
    Scott, C.
    Scott, F.
    Scott, S.
    Seaman, F.
    Sedor, J.
    Selph, R.
    Seman, W.
    Shannon, R.
    Shredders, M.
    Simmons, R.
    Simon, R.
    Simpson, J.
    Simpson, R.
    Slocum, W.
    Smalley, B.
    Smith, D.
    Smith, J.
    Smith, L.
    Smith, R.
    Smith, S.
    Sniadecki, J.
    Sniadecki, R.
    Spencer, E.
    Spencer, G.
    Sperling, R.
    St. Pierre, J.
    Stanton, T.
    Steinfeld, J.
    Steisel, D.
    Steisel, J.
    Stiewing, J.
    Stikkel, F.
    Stikkel, H.
    Stikkel, V.
    Stilson, T.
    Stithan, D.
    Stoddard, F.
    Story, I.
    Stratton, J.
    Sturges, D.R.
    Sullivan, V.T.
    Talsey, J.
    Tani, C.
    Tani, J.
    Tarrant, J.
    Taylor, J.
    Temple, A.
    Thomas, J.
    Tillbrook, R.
    Tonnessen, A.
    Tonnessen, A.
    Tremblay, P.
    Trudeau, D.
    Trudeau, R.
    Trudeau, R.
    Trull, S.
    Tuttle, W.
    Ugolik, S.J.
    Valo, J.
    Van Almelo, F.
    Vandemark, R.
    Verrell, E.
    Walker, M.
    Walker, R.
    Watkins, E.
    Watkins, J.
    Watkins, R.
    Watkins, S.
    Watkins, T.
    Webber, E.
    Wechter, D.
    Wechter, P.
    Wheeler, R.
    White, D.
    White, E.
    Williams, L.
    Winston, M.
    Wiser, K.
    Wolff, R.
    Woodin, H.E.
    Woodward, P.
    Wrable, E.
    Wupperfield, J.
    Yurgilevich, A.

    Thanks again for the opportunity to participate in Heather Rojo's Honor Roll Project, as Memorial Day approaches and remember those who have served in the military over the years.

    Saturday, May 12, 2018

    Honor Roll Project, Part 1: Newtown, Connecticut


    There are two places where servicemen and servicewomen are memorialized in Newtown, Connecticut.

    One memorial is the tall, graceful monument at the head of the main street. At left, a view of what the base looks like.

    Embedded around the base of the monument are bronze plaques listing the names of Newtown residents who served, from the Revolutionary War onward (see photo below for an excerpt).

    This memorial was dedicated in 1939, with two prominent opera stars singing during the ceremony: Grace Moore (who lived in town at that time) and her friend and fellow diva, Gladys Swarthout.

    Some of the bronze plaques with
    names were added in stages after the dedication. Many but not all of the plaques were transcribed during the 1930s but I'm double-checking and correcting before posting, having found errors and omissions.

    The other place where Newtown residents who served are memorialized is on "roll of honor" plaques hand-lettered and framed in the lobby of Town Hall on Main Street. See photo here for a peek at one of these plaques (to be transcribed later this month). These have not been written up in the town's archives, to my knowledge.

    Today, I'm posting Part 1 of the listing of Newtown residents who served in the military. Part 2 (names from 1944-1971) can be found here. Part 3, with names from the Civil War and Gulf War, is here.

    Watch for more in the coming weeks, each separate list alphabetized to help people find their ancestors!

    Newtown residents who served in the War of 1812

    Beardslee, Bailey
    Beers, Abel
    Beers, Philo
    Bennet, Abel
    Bennet, Eli
    Bennet, Isaac
    Bennet, James
    Bennet, James W.
    Bennet, Joseph
    Bennet, Philo
    Booth, Philo
    Botsford, Daniel
    Botsford, Daniel, Jr.
    Botsford, Theophilus
    Bradley, Abijah
    Camp, Lemuel
    Caulkins, Joseph L.
    Chapman, Alma
    Crofut, Abel F.
    Curtis, Abijah B.
    Curtis, Alfred D.
    Curtis, Matthew
    Dibble, Philer K.
    Dibble, Squire
    Fairchild, Kiah B.
    Fairchild, Philo
    Foot, Arnold
    Foot, Isaac
    French, David
    Gilbert, Elisha
    Glover, John
    Glover, William S.
    Gray, William
    Hard, Niram
    Hawley, Lemuel
    Hays, Abraham
    Jarvis, Charles
    Johnson, Ichabod
    Judson, Abner
    Judson, David
    Judson, Zera
    Middlebrook, Peter
    Nichols, David
    Northrop, Isaac
    Peck, Andrew
    Peck, Ezekiel
    Peck, Rufus
    Prindle, Jonathan
    Shepard, Amos
    Shepard, Timothy
    Stilson, Abel, Jr.
    Stilson, Jacob
    Taylor, David
    Thorp, Ira
    Tousey, Joseph
    Wells, Amos
    Wheeler, David
    Wheeler, Joseph B.
    Whitney, Philo
    Winton, Czar
    Wooster, Roswell

    Newtown residents who served in the Mexican War

    Barnum, Franklin
    Cole, Andrew

    Newtown residents who served in the Spanish American War

    Brennan, James
    Hawley, Willis
    Lovejoy, Arthur G.
    Lovejoy, Morris B.
    Morris, Charles G.

    Newtown residents who served in the Mexican Border War

    Barnett, William E.

    Thanks to Heather Rojo for the opportunity to participate in her Honor Roll Project!

    Friday, May 11, 2018

    Remembering Ancestral Mothers with Love

    A tribute to the ancestral mothers in my family . . . 
    And in my husband's family . . . 

    They are loved and remembered, not just on Mother's Day!

    Friday, May 4, 2018

    Do the "Write" Thing for Genealogy: Be Honest, Be Ethical


    As family historians, how can we write about ancestors in a way that is both honest and ethical?

    After all, every family has a secret or a story that the current generation knows nothing about. Maybe an ancestor hid an early marriage or had some other hidden relationship . . . or committed a crime . . . or behaved in a manner considered, then or now, to be shameful or questionable or downright wicked.

    Our genealogy research can turn up things that families never expected would be known. Especially if we want people to share stories and documents with us, I believe we have an obligation to use that information in a responsible way. It's a balancing act between the honesty we genealogists owe to future generations and the ethical responsibility we owe to those living today.

    My personal approach is: If disclosing something about an ancestor would be truly harmful to someone living today, I don't write about it, either on my blog or in any "public" family history.

    This has been a real issue only once in my 20 years of genealogy research. In that instance, I put the information into my private genealogy files so the story won't be lost forever. This allows me to be honest with future generations and act responsibly by avoiding potential damage today.

    My "genealogical will" leaves my files to relatives who will safeguard them for the sake of descendants. Years from now, when these genealogical heirs sift through the files, they can weigh the consequences of disclosure in light of how much time has passed and whether anyone would be harmed if the story is told then, not now.

    What do you think? Please share your thoughts on this delicate balancing act.