Journey to the Past

Journey to His Past

2012-03-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Two years ago, today, I started my blog with the thoughts of expanding it to my husband's family. The more I wrote about my family-the more protective I became about my blog. I wasn't ready to write about the Leyndyke side of the family on Journey to the Past yet. It wasn't until Tina Lyons, of Gen Wish List, blogged about starting a new blog for her husband's family, Mr. Gen Wish List, that I started thinking about a second, separate blog.

Today is the day! I have launched a second blog, "Journey to His Past" where I will share the stories, pictures, documents and research pertaining to my husband's ancestry. Journey to His Past will explore the origins of the Leyndyke family, including Luijendijk and Luyendyk spellings, and their related families.

I hope you will enjoy reading Journey to His Past as much as I have had in planning its' launch. And, thank you Tina for the great idea of a second, separate blog.

Recommendations for Genealogy Education And Assessing 2012 Goals

2012-02-29T08:00:00.014-05:00

I do a goal check up at the end of each month, but had planned to blog quarterly about my progress. I looked over what I had accomplished in January and February and thought I should share my progress with my loyal readers.

I am loving the webinar explosion. I have participated in eight webinars since the first week of January. Plus, I will be viewing another one today. I am amazed at how much information is available online in genealogy education. Webinars coupled with Family Search Research Courses has provided me with more information than I can process sometimes. I am loving it. If you are looking for webinars check out Legacy, Jamboree Extension Series, and the calendar at Geneawebinars.

My 2012 Goals and the progress made are:

Research

Research, record, and source vital record information for my mother's 11 brothers and sisters.

Progress is being made on this. I am about half done.

Research Vinera Eglantine Powers parentage.

Great progress has been made thanks to the research of a 'cousin'. I want to explore the parentage a little more before I go 'live' with the information.

Education

View two webinars per month.

This has been the easiest one to complete. I averaged four a month. I have viewed the following webinars:

Digital Books and Sites for Genealogists by James Tanner-A wonderful presentation of digital resources for genealogy. I spend a lot of time with online researching and it always amazes me to find new sources.
10 Ways to Jump Start Your Genealogy in 2012 by Thomas MacEntee-The title says it all! 10 Ways where the first letter of each way spells Genealogy.
Discovering Your Massachusetts Ancestors by Marian Pierre Louis-I loved this webinar. I especially appreciated the background information given on the history of Massachusetts. Marion covered access to records: online, archives, and microfilm. I learned about census records, including the Tax Valuation List of 1771 (new source for me), vital, land, probate, military and cemetery records. This is one of the best webinars I have viewed.
Google Reader Update by Dear Myrtle-As a long time user of google reader, I appreciated a review of it.
See the Patterns by Michael John Neill-Michael organizes his presentation in a way that is easy to follow. He explained a four step process and techniques that will help one understand and organize genealogical information. As someone who uses charts and tables, I enjoyed seeing his.
Ten Brickwall Tips for Beginners by Marian Pierre-Louis- This webinar would be good for all levels of researchers. Marian gave some good ideas on brickwall busting. I don't always think to go back over and review my documentation, which is Marian's number one tip.
Key to the Courthouse by Jan Sloan Broglin-I have limited experience with courthouse research so this webinar broadened my genealogical education. The references given are ones I need to take a look at.
Digging Your Canadian Roots by Kathryn Lake Hogan-This webinar provided tips and techniques for researching your Canadian Ancestors, including websites to use for your research. My great grandmother, Catharine McGee Watt, was born in Canada. I am looking forward to using the information provided here to explore her roots in Canada.

Read research wiki's or courses twice a month.

This was my first experience with the Family Search Research Courses and I wasn't disappointed. There is a wealth of information under the learn tab at familysearch.org. If you haven't checked it out, I encourage you to do so. I averaged three a month, plus a few five minute videos. I viewed the following courses:

Inferential Genealogy by Dr. Tom Jones-I had the privilege of attending a class given by Dr. Jones at FGS 2011 in Springfield, Illinois and enjoyed it, so I chose him for my first research course and I wasn't disappointed. This is an excellent course that every genealogist should take advantage of. The best piece of advice Dr. Jones gave was, "Do not add someone to your family tree who should not be there." Something everyone adding information online should remember.
Research Logs Part I and II-by G. David Dilts-I have a love/hate relationship with research logs. I love the organizational benefits of them, but hate the time it takes to complete them. I am trying to do a better job with them. This course takes you through the mechanics of research logs and their importance. One thing I liked was his advice on keeping everything on one log. When I started I had research extracts, correspondence logs and research logs. I created a new research log and look forward to using it. He also stressed to start from this point forward and not worry about going back and creating research logs for past research. Whew! glad to hear that.
US Midwest Records Lesson 1, 2, and 3-I am fortunate that all eight of my great grandparents settled in Michigan. A couple of them by way of Indiana, so I was curious to see what Midwest records would be covered in these lessons. If you have Midwest ancestors this is a good introductory lesson.
5 Minutes Genealogy-I was intrigued by this premise so I decided to check out the first video. Well, 25 videos later, I was impressed. Yes, I watched every one of them! (OCD maybe?) Before you think I am crazy and have nothing else to do with my time, I watched them while I was sick, over a two week period. My first thought was these would be great for kids. They pack a lot of information in a short period of time. I found myself chuckling a few times. They would also be great for a beginning genealogist. The videos cover everything from getting started, to finding records to how to get help. I wouldn't say I learned anything, but if you have a budding genealogist in your family have them take a look. They won't be disappointed.

Click on the titles of each course to be taken to the family search website and that course.

Organization

Finish the Glover surname file labels, using Family Roots Organizer System.

Zero, Zilch, Nada completed on this. I guess I was too busy viewing 5 Minute Genealogy videos.

Add information received from a Glover researcher to my Roots Magic software.

This is completed. I double checked her references and added the information to my family tree. I am looking forward to collaborating further with her. It is probably a good thing she lives in another state, or we would get nothing else done.

All in all it has been an excellent two months. I think the cold weather and my being sick contributed to the success toward my goals. I will have to remember this when the lazy days of summer beckon me to the beach.

All of the above webinars and research courses were free. You can't beat that. Do you have a webinar or research course recommendation? Please share it in the comment section.

Otto Robert Fredricks and Faye Nelson Fredricks-Tombstone Tuesday

2012-02-28T08:00:00.003-05:00

Gravestone of Otto R. Fredricks, 1923-1997 and Faye L. Fredricks, 1923-1982, Brethren Cemetery, Brethren, Michigan. (Corner of N. High Bridge Rd and Coates Highway).

Photo and transcription by Brenda Leyndyke on July 2010 visit.

FREDRICKS

FAYE L. OTTO R.

1923-1982 1923-1997

Otto Robert Fredricks is the son of Otto August Fredrick and Daisy Ellen (Graf) Fredrick. He was born 23 June 1923 at home, near Brethren, Michigan. He died 18 January 1997 in Kaleva, Manistee, Michigan. He married Faye Lorraine(Nelson) Kolk 9 June 1945. Faye Lorraine Nelson was born 29 August 1923. She died 25 June 1982 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Kathryn Louise Tritten Pihl-Funeral Card Friday

2012-02-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

This funeral card is for my aunt and godmother, Kathryn Louise (Fredrick) Tritten Puryear Pihl. Aunt Kate as we called her was the oldest daughter of Otto August Fredrick and Daisy Ellen (Graf) Fredrick. She was married three times. First, to Carl Tritten. Next, to Russell Puryear. Last, to Weiko Pihl. They all preceded her in death.

Kathryn Pihl died 2 January 2012 in Manistee, Manistee, Michigan. Her funeral service was held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Onekema, Michigan. Trinity in Onekema has been the place for a lot of family baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals. My mother was confirmed here. My parents were married here, and I was baptised at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Aunt Kate's grandson, Rev. Eric Tritten officiated at the funeral. He gave a wonderful sermon that celebrated the life of his grandmother. I even learned a few genealogical facts, as he shared where she was baptised and confirmed. She was baptised at the Church of the Brethren in Brethren, Michigan and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church, Onekema, Michigan.

Rest in Peace, Aunt Kate.

Where in the World is Harry Glover?

2012-02-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

One of the first places genealogists look for information on their ancestors is in census records. The first United States Federal Census was taken in 1790, and every ten years after. United States Census records can be found through Family Search and Heritage Quest for free. Heritage Quest is available through many local libraries.
The excitement about the 1940 Census being released on 2 April 2012 prompted me to take a look at my census records and see if I was missing any census data for my ancestors. I decided to blog about my ancestor's census whereabouts to help me find any gaps in my information. I am starting with my paternal grandfather, Harry Glover, who was recorded as Frank Jr., Frank H. and Harry in the census.

HARRY GLOVER CENSUS DATA

FACT	DATE	PLACE OF RESIDENCE	ENUMERATION DISTRICT/PAGE ID./DWELLING
Birth	6 May 1883	Jackson, Jackson, Michigan, United States
Census	1900	Crystal Lake Township, Benzie, Michigan, United States	ED 5/ 19A/397
Census	1910	Marquette, Marquette, Michigan, United States	ED 191/4A/71
Census	1920	Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States	ED 69/ 4A/38
Census	1930	Royal Oak, Oakland, Michigan, United States	ED 122/16B/381

Harry Glover aka Frank Henry Glover Jr.- Military Monday

2012-02-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Source: "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," [database on-line], Ancestry.com,

Entry for Frank Henry Glover, Jr.

This World War I draft registration card is for my grandfather, Harry Glover, but for some unknown reason he went by Frank Henry Glover, Jr. too. His birth certificate lists Harry Glover. Even though his name is different and for some reason his birth date too, it is his. His birth date was 6 May 1883, not the 5 May 1883.

How do I know it is the right record? There are a couple of facts that confirm it. He lists his relative as Frank H. Glover, Marquette, Michigan, which is his father. Also, it states that he has an artificial right foot. My grandfather lost his right foot running to catch a train at the age of 18. His occupation is listed as a toolmaker. My grandfather was a tool engineer for many years with the Chrysler Corporation. Although, the name and birth date are wrong, the card is indeed my grandfather's Harry Glover aka Frank Henry Glover, Jr.

Happy Birthday, Dad

2012-02-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Today is my dad's birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad! I remember him talking about his favorite cake as a child. It was from Sander's in Detroit, Michigan. It was a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and white butter cream. When I was doing my student teaching in Bay City, Michigan the local Kroger's carried Sander's cakes. I remember taking one home to him for his birthday. I will never be able to re-create a Sander's cake, but our local German bakery comes close. The cake above is a chocolate cake with a custard filling from Continental Pastries in Battle Creek, Michigan, my favorite bakery.

My dad celebrating his birthday last year at our home.

6th Floor Harvey Hall at Western Michigan University-Those Places Thursday

2012-02-16T08:00:00.022-05:00

On the way to Goldsworth Valley 2, the four halls that are part of it,

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Intersection of E. Pond Dr. and Goldsworth Dr.

The hill going up to Goldsworth Valley 2 dorms at

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Harvey Hall, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan

I moved into Harvey Hall in the Fall of 1975. My dad and I drove the 220 miles and he helped me unload the car. I remember being excited, nervous, and a little anxious at what awaited me. I knew my roommate, we were high school friends, so I didn't have to worry about that.

My room assignment was on the sixth floor. It was great except for the numerous fire drills we had in the middle of the night, the first week we were there. They caught the person who was pulling the fire alarm and kicked him out of college. My roommate and I used the stairs as exercise for awhile. I even lost weight my freshman year.

I lived on the sixth floor of Harvey Hall for my Freshman and Sophomore years at Western. When you entered the room there was a closet on the right and the bathroom on the left. The bathroom was shared by two rooms. They called it a suite. Two females were assigned to each room. The floor I was on was all girls. The dorm itself was co-ed by floors. The dorm room itself was one room with a desk unit, for two, attached to the wall. Two twin beds and a dresser made up the furniture. I thought it was great. I was happy to be on my own. I enjoyed college life.

Harvey Hall holds a lot of memories for me. A few I won't be sharing!

Happy Valentine's Day-Hattie's Bible

2012-02-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day

This perfectly cut-out picture reminds me of a Valentine. I don't know if it was used as one or not. I found this in Hattie's Bible. Whoever cut it out did an excellent job. I wish I knew more about it, as it must have meant something to my great grandmother for her to save it in her Bible. There is nothing on the back of it. The paper reminds me of the old manila drawing paper we use to have in grade school.

I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day.

Samuel Stillman Glover Death Notice-Sunday's Obituary

2012-02-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

The above clipping was sent to me by a cousin and it is hard to read. I found a transcription of another clippping online. The information is pretty close to what I imagine the above is saying.

GLOVER - in this city, May 30th, 1870, Samuel S. Glover, in his 73d years. Funeral will be attended from his son's residence rear of No. 38 Stillson Street, on Wednesday afternoon, at 2 o'clock.

Source: Rochester Daily Democrat, (Rochester, New York), , p 4, 31 May 1870; Rootsweb.com, http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nymonnws/1870/MAY.html.

Samuel Stillman Glover was born 11 September 1798 in Conway, Franklin, Massachusetts. He died 30 May 1870 in Rochester, Monroe, New York, at the age of 71, not 73.

No One Believes Me-Leonia Fredrick was Real

2012-02-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Have you found an ancestor that no one in the family believes existed? I was researching my Fredrick side of the family at the Manistee Historical Museum in Manistee, Michigan and found one. I was looking in their card file for the Fredrick surname and came across a Leonia Frederick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Fredrick, my great grandparents.

Source: Manistee Daily News, (Manistee, Manistee, Michigan), 18 October 1899, newspaper transcription; Manistee County Historical Museum, Manistee, Michigan.

Information transcribed and found in museum's card file.

"Leonia Frederick, 2 year old daughter of Mr. & Mrs. August Frederick of 35 Filer St. died yesterday from measles. Interment in Oak Grove. Manistee Daily News Oct 18, 1899"

Upon seeing this I had to find more information. I found the death certificate for Leonia Fredrick.

Source: State of Michigan, "Death Records 1897-1920," database, State of Michigan, Seeking Michigan (http://seekingmichigan.org/discover-collection?collection=p129401coll7: accessed 11 July 2010), Leonia Fredrick Death Certificate No. 161 Manistee County, Michigan; citing Michigan Department of State, Lansing, Vital Statistics Division.

From the death certificate I learn that Leonia Fredrick was 1 year, 11 months, 2 days old. If this information is correct, her birth date would be November, 1897. She had a brother, Leonard, born in November, 1897. Twins? Leonard's son, Bill, is still living and we have shared a lot of information, but he had never heard of Leonia. He was very interested though. He said his dad never talked about his family, which is the case in many families.

Leonia Fredrick was real. Unfortunately, she died at an early age of measles. How sad that she wasn't remembered by the family. (Or was she? Her brother, Otto August Fredrick, named one of his daughters, Leona.) I will remember her and she has a permanent place in my family tree, whether the family believes it or not.

Affidavit of Widow's Poorness-Military Monday

2012-02-06T08:00:00.018-05:00

Source: Glover, Samuel Stillman; Pension File No. 28715, Civil War Pension File,

(Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration), .

State of Michigan
County of Manistee
     In the Matter Of Claim for Pension of Adda L. Widow of Samuel S. Glover Jr. personally appeared before me, a Notary Public in and for the County and State aforesaid,
Adda L. Glover aged 66 ~~years, and~~ who being duly sworn, declares in relation to said claim that She or her late Husband did not own any real estate whatever and that they did not own any Personal but Two Horses and a Cow which was Sold to Pay the Funeral and Doctors Expenses for the burial and Sickness of my late Husband and that I have no income from any Source aside from my labor further that my late Husband Samuel S. Glover Jr had No life insurance and further there is no Person leagally bound to Support me and that I have not remarried since the death of my late Husband ~~He further declares that he has no interest in said claim and is not interested in its prosecution~~ and her Post Office address is Bear Leake Michigan
                            Signature Adda L. Glover
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 26th day of May 1904 and I certify that the reputation for truth and veracity of the above name affiant is Good
                            Official Signature, L.D. Shir?liff
                            Official Character, Notary Public

My second great grandfather, Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr. died 12 April 1914. Just six weeks later, his widow, Adaline 'Adda' L. (Dyer) Glover filed the above affidavit attesting that she did not own real estate or personal property. She states that she had to sell two horses and a cow to pay for the funeral, burial, and doctor's expenses of her husband. She had no income and no one responsible for her. She goes on to state that her husband did not have life insurance. She states she has not remarried.

Adda was 66 years old and the reason for filing these affidavits was so she could receive a widow's pension from her husband's civil war service. What did she get for her widow's pension? $8 per month, or $96 a year. Can you imagine living on $96 a year? The average American worker made between $200 and $400 a year in 1904.

Adda lived for another 13 1/2 years. She lived with her daughter, Sadie (Sarah), for a time in Wisconsin and with her son, Louis, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She spent the last part of her life in the Wisconsin Veteran's Home, dying there on 19 Dec 1917.

She continued receiving monthly widow's benefits up to her death in the amount of :

9 May 1904 $8

23 July 1904 $10

26 September 1916 $12

September 1916 $20 (by act of Congress to increase widow's pensions)

4 December 1917 $25

Thankfully, Adda had a widow's pension and survived by living with her children, but what a hard few years she had bouncing from home to home.

Ancestor Biography: Adaline L. Dyer

2012-02-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Adaline L. Dyer

6 March 1838-19 December 1917

(Picture found in daughter-in-law's, Hattie Fenn Glover, Family Bible)

My second great grandmother, Adaline L. Dyer, was born 6 March 1838, in New York City. She was the oldest of five children born to William G. Dyer and Mary Ann (Swallow) Dyer. Her brothers and sisters were George, Sarah, Mary and William B. Dyer.

Source: 1850 U.S. Census, , population schedule, Cazenovia, Madison, New York, p76 Image 154, dwelling 1072, Wm G. Dyer; digital images, ancestry.com ( accessed 22 October 2009);

Adaline spent her early years living among the hustle and bustle of New York City. Sometime before 1850, the Dyer family moved to Cazenovia, Madison, New York. They can be found in the 1850 United States Federal Census here.

Source: Glover, Samuel Stillman; Pension File No. 28715, Civil War Pension File, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).

Additional Marriage Source: Dibean Jack and Marianne, "Dibean Michigan Marriage Index," [online index], Michigan Family History, The Dibean Michigan Marrage Index (http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/dibeanindex/default.asp: accessed 15 November 2009),

Samuel Stillman Glover and Adda Dyer Marriage.

Another move was in Adaline's future and sometime in the mid 1850's her family moved to Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan. It is here that she meets her future husband, Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr. Ada L. Dyer, age 19, and Stillman S. Glover, age 21, were married at Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan by Rev. W.H. Perraie on 2 August 1857. Later, Adaline's siblings, Mary and George, would attest to the fact that Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr was the same person as Stillman S. Glover. This attestation is found in Samuel S. Glover Jr.'s civil war pension file. They say for a reason unknown to them he went by Stillman. I believe he went by Stillman to avoid confusion with his father, Samuel Stillman and brother, Samuel Worcester.

Adaline was the mother of two young children under the age of three, Charles and William, when her husband left to serve in the Civil War. She didn't know for months what had happened to Samuel, the family gave up hope, thinking he had died in war. Samuel arrived home in 1863 having been injured by a gunshot to the knee.

Adaline and Samuel Glover were the parents of ten children, all of them born in Michigan:

Charles W.
William E.
Frank H. (my great grandfather)
Mary J.
Louis B.
Laura J.
Sarah W.
Emma D. (twin)
Emerson (twin)
Walter S.

Moving seemed to be Adaline's lot in life, from 1860 to 1917, she moved at least eight times. The family can be found in the 1860 Census living in Lenawee County, Michigan. By 1870, Samuel, Adaline and six of their children moved over 250 miles northwest to Manistee, Michigan. It is here where she gave birth to four more children, two of them being twins. Adeline experienced the joy of giving birth to twins in July of 1873, but also the heartache of losing them, as Emma and Emerson died in the first year of their life.

Source: 1870 U.S. Census, population schedule, Manistee Ward 2, Manistee, Michigan, Roll M593_689; Page 200; Image 67, dwelling 25, Adaline Glover; digital images,

ancestry.com (accessed 25 October 2007);

In 1877, Samuel, Adaline and family moved to Hart, Oceana, Michigan. By 1880, they are found in the census for Muskegon, Muskegon, Michigan. A move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin took place before 1889, and a move back to Michigan occurred before 1900.

Adaline's husband, Samuel, died in Pleasanton Township, Michigan in 1904. Adaline, age 66, had to sell two horses and one cow for $175 to pay for the doctor's bill and funeral expenses for Samuel. She had no income or real estate at this time.

1905 finds Adaline living with her daughter, Sadie (Sarah) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 1910 finds her living in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan with her son, Louis, and his three young children.

Source: Glover, Samuel Stillman; Pension File No. 28715, Civil War Pension File,

(Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).

Source: Find-a-Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com/index.html :

accessed 10 May 2011), Plot: Section 2 Row 80S, Site 76

Adeline L. Glover Mar 6 1835-Dec 19 1917; gravestone picture.

(Picture used by permission)

At the end of Adaline's life she ends up in the Wisconsin Veteran's Home, King, Wisconsin, dying there 19 December 1917, at the age of 79. Adaline is buried at Wisconsin Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, King, Waupaca, Wisconsin.

I can't imagine that Adaline's life was easy with worrying about a husband off to fight in the civil war, to the death of twins, to being poor at the end of her life. I only hope that the love of family sustained her throughout her life.

Len and Addie McKie: Hattie's Bible

2012-01-31T08:20:00.001-05:00

Addie and Len McKie

Date unknown

This picture of Addie and Len McKie was found in Hattie's Bible.

Adeline E. Glover Tyson married her second husband, Leonard G. McKie, on 24 April 1946. Adeline 'Addie' is the daughter of Frank H. Glover and Hattie Lodema Fenn of Hattie's Bible. I don't know the date of the picture, but wondered if it was possibly their wedding day. Any thoughts? Could this picture be from 1946?

Historic Adventist Village, Battle Creek, Michigan

2012-01-30T12:48:00.000-05:00

Historic Adventist Village, Battle Creek, Michigan

Welcome Center and Dr. J. H. Kellogg Discovery Center

Did you know that Battle Creek, Michigan is the birthplace of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination? I didn't either until I visited Historic Adventist Village, which is located on the west side of Battle Creek, just minutes from my home.

Historic Adventist Village restores the history of the Seventh-day Adventist movement. It includes the neighborhood where early pioneers of the church lived and walked. The Adventist Village encompasses three blocks of restored buildings, including homes, a one room school house, meeting house, and church.

Your visit starts at the Welcome Center and Dr. J.H. Kellogg Discovery Center. Visitors are welcomed by costumed workers who are very knowledgeable about Dr. Kellogg and the village. They will give you a tour of the village, including the inside of the buildings.

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg

Life-size cut out at Historic Adventist Village

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg is, probably, best known as the inventor of Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal, which he invented along with his brother, W.K. (Will Keith) Kellogg. Dr. Kellogg was a medical doctor with an interest in holistic health. As the chief medical officer, Dr. Kellogg ran the Battle Creek Sanitarium using holistic health methods with an emphasis on exercise, enemas, and nutrition.

Light Bed, invented by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg

Historic Adventist Village, Battle Creek, Michigan

The light bed concept was invented by Dr. Kellogg, who promoted better health through photo-therapy. Other inventions of Dr. Kellogg's can be found at the interactive Welcome Center and Kellogg Discovery Center.

Ellen White

Historic Adventist Village, Battle Creek, Michigan

Ellen White, along with her husband James White, are known for being the co-founders of the

Seventh-day Adventist Church. A short movie about the church and the White family can be seen at the Welcome Center.

Home of James and Ellen White 1856-1863

They built this house for about $500 in 1856.

It is the oldest known Seventh-day Adventist landmark in Battle Creek.

It was restored in 2001.

David Hewitt Log Cabin

David was the first seventh-day Sabbathkeeper in Battle Creek.

School House circa 1870's

The school house was moved to the Village in 1999.

Guides will tell you about the first Seventh-day Adventist Church School

and Battle Creek College, which was the beginning of the Church's worldwide educational system.

Adventist Church, Parkdale Michigan 1861

This church was the first Adventist Church to be legally organized.

Parkdale is located in southwest Michigan, near Three Rivers, Michigan.

The church was moved to Adventist Village and restored in 2002.

A visit to the Historic Adventist Village is a step back in time. The heritage of the Seventh-day Adventist church is evident in every step. Tours are offered Memorial Day-Labor Day Monday through Friday (10-5) and Saturdays (2-5), with the last tour starting at 4. Labor Day-Memorial Day hours are Saturday (2-4).

For more information: Visit the Historic Adventist Village website.

(This blog post is to celebrate the history of Battle Creek, Michigan, my hometown for the past 24 years. I try to post one article a month on the heritage and history of Battle Creek, The Cereal City!)

Huron Avenue, Harbor Beach, Michigan: Those Thursday Places

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-05:00

The summer I graduated from high school my parents bought a house on Huron Avenue in Harbor Beach, Michigan. I didn't spend much time here. My freshman year in college I would come home for holidays, but that was about it. My family only lived here about a year.

The few memories I have of this house include:

packing up to go to college
sleeping in the basement
riding my bike through the golf course on my way to my summer job at the resort.

The two story home had a kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom and sun porch on the main floor. The upstairs had two bedrooms. There were one and a half baths, but I don't remember which was on what level. A full basement and detached garage completed it.

The Bucket List GeneaMeme

2012-01-25T12:03:00.000-05:00

I was reading through my blog list and came upon Jill Ball's The Bucket List GeneaMeme at her Geniaus blog. I thought I would give it a try.

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you would like to do or find: Bold Type
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments after each item

The genealogy conference I would most like to attend is... FGS, I went last year and loved it.
The genealogy speaker I would most like to hear and see is... Elizabeth Shown Mills
The geneablogger I would most like to meet in person is... Barbara Poole
The genealogy writer I would most like to have dinner with is...
The genealogy lecture I would most like to present is....
I would like to go on a genealogy cruise that visits.... Scotland
The photo I would most like to find is... My great great grandfather Samuel S.Glover, Jr.
The repository in a foreign land I would most like to visit is... Anyone in Germany
The place of worship I would most like to visit is... Baptist Church in Shoreham, Vermont
The cemetery I would most like to visit is ...... Thornbury-Clarksburg Union Cemetery, Collingwood Township,Ontario, Canada
The ancestral town or village I would most like to visit is...... Shoreham, Vermont or Rockenhausen, Germany
The brick wall I most want to smash is... Who are Daniel Fenn's parents?
The piece of software I most want to buy is....
The tech toy I want to purchase next is ..... ipad or DSRL camera
The expensive book I would most like to buy is...
The library I would most like to visit is..... Family History Library in Salt Lake City
The genealogy related book I would most like to write is....
The genealogy blog I would most like to start would be about.... My husband's family-Journey to His Past!
The journal article I would most like to write would be about...
The ancestor I most want to meet in the afterlife is.... a tie-Hattie Fenn Glover of Hattie's Bible Fame and Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr.

Jack G. Tyson and Rosalene M Tyson-Tombstone Tuesday

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

Burial: Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan

JACK G TYSON

CPL US ARMY WWII

JUL 8 1923 SEP 17 2010

ROSALENE M TYSON

JUL 3 1923 SEP 2 2009

OUR BELOVED PARENTS

TOGETHER FOREVER

Jack Glover Tyson is the son of Adeline E. Glover and Victor Tyson. He was born 8 July 1923 in Marquette, Marquette, Michigan. He died 17 September 2010 in Battle Creek, Calhoun, Michigan. Rosalene's maiden name was Richardson. She died 2 September 2009 in Battle Creek, Calhoun, Michigan. They are buried in Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan.

DEAD: Civil War Pension File-Military Monday

2012-01-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Source: Glover, Samuel Stillman; Pension File No. 28715, Civil War Pension File,

(Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).

As genealogists we look at a lot of records, sometimes with detachment, I think. Of course, we know our ancestors are dead, but seeing it stamped in bold, black ink is a little unsettling. The excitement of receiving my great-great grandfather's, Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr, civil war pension file was soon dimmed upon seeing the cover. The reality of his life and death were forefront in my mind.

The cover provides information on his rank, company and regiment; pension rates and date of changes; widow pension information and miscellaneous pension information. It was only the beginning of what has provided me with some great genealogical information.

Do you have an ancestor's record that provoked mixed emotions in you?

My Glover Line: Surname Saturday

2012-01-21T12:26:00.000-05:00

I think I have researched every Frank Glover, who was born between 1862 and 1864, in the 1870 United States Federal Census. There were seven that fit that category. I only went down the wrong path once, so that wasn't too bad. Of course, the seventh one was the correct one! Once I found the correct parents, I had pretty smooth sailing back to the 1600's in Massachusetts.

Here is my line of Glover Ancestry:

Me
My Dad
Harry Glover (6 May 1883-6 Sep 1950) m. Sarah Lilla Watt
Frank H. Glover (7 Aug 1863-7 Oct 1925) m. Hattie Lodema Fenn
Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr. (13 May 1836-12 Apr 1904) m. Adaline L. Dyer
Samuel Stillman Glover (11 Sep 1798-30 May 1870) m. Vinera Eglantine Powers
Alexander Glover (20 Mar 1756-27 Jan 1826) m. Sarah Salisbury
Thomas Glover (8 Jan 1719-1 Oct 1782) m. Joan Swift
Henry Glover (20 Aug 1670-?) m. Mary Crehore
Henry Glover (1642-6 Apr 1714) m. Hannah

Grandma Fredrick's Creamer-Treasure Chest Thursday

2012-01-12T10:03:00.001-05:00

My grandmother, Daisy Graf Fredricks, lived a simple life as a farmer's daughter and wife. She lived a humble life. She was a kind, loving, Christian women with a wonderful laugh. She didn't have a lot, but anytime I visited her she made me feel welcome. Our family usually visited her at least once a year.

So, when my mother asked if I would like to have a creamer that belonged to her I said, "yes". I think this is the only heirloom my mother had from her mother. It is special to me because of this. In the spring, I use it as a vase. It is in pretty good condition. Although, it does have one small chip on the spout. I think she would get a chuckle out of my using it. She probably doesn't think anyone would want "that old thing". She was like that.

The creamer is a waffle pattern with scallops and real? gold on the rim. It is a pressed glass cream. I imagine my grandmother pouring her fresh cream into the small pitcher in the morning for her coffee, or maybe for fresh strawberries. I have a faint memory of it on her table at her home in Brethren, Michigan. I may have been having a snack at the time, probably cookies.

Grandma Fredrick's creamer is one that I will treasure for years to come.

(I even found it on etsy as an antique!)

Samuel Poor's Michigan Land Record from 1837

2012-01-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Samuel Poor; Document Number 12757; United States Bureau of Land Management "General Land Office Records: Land Patents," digital images, Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records (www.glorecords.blm.gov: accessed 12 October 2011).

The above record states that" Whereas, Samuel Poor, of Steuben county New York has deposited in the General Land Office of the United States, a certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Detroit whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said Samuel Poor according to the provisions of the act of Congress of the 24th of April 1820, entitled "An act making further provision for the sale of the Public Lands" for the north east quarter of the south west quarter, and the south east quarter of the north west quarter, of Section thirty three, in township two south, of range three east, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Detroit Michigan, containing Eighty acres according to the official plat of the survey of the said lands, returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General, which said tract has been purchased by the said Samuel Poor."

Land Patent Details

Michigan was barely two months into statehood when my ancestor, Samuel Poor, was issued eighty acres of land in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Samuel Poor's land was in Township 2S-Range 3E, which is Sylvan Township, it was the Northeast quarter of the southwest quarter and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 33. The highlighted section of the map below is Section 33 of Sylvan Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan. This map is from 1874 and there aren't any Poor's living in the area at that time.

1874 Plat Map of Sylvan Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan; Section 33 Highlighted

My ggg grandfather Samuel Poor was a pioneer of Washtenaw County, Michigan. Michigan became a state on 26 January 1837. Samuel's land grant was issued 1 April 1837, barely two months after statehood. He was married to Eleanor Begole. They can be found in the 1830 U.S. Federal Census in Stueben County, New York. The 1840 U.S. Federal Census has Samuel Poor in Washtenaw County, Michigan employed in agriculture. Samuel and Eleanor's daughter, Elizabeth, married Daniel C. Fenn. Daniel and Elizabeth Fenn are my great, great grandparents.

Dressed for Winter

2012-01-10T07:00:00.004-05:00

The Otto and Daisy Fredrick Family

L-R Back: Lola Fredrick, Marie Fredrick, Daisy Graf Fredrick, Otto Fredrick,

Carl Tritten, Kathryn Fredrick Tritten,

Row 3 L-R: Otto Robert Fredrick, Richard Frederick, Leona Fredrick

Row 2 L-R: Ray Fredrick, John Fredrick, Audrey Fredrick

Front Row L-R: Twins, Norman Fredrick, Norma Jean Fredrick

This picture of the Fredrick family was taken in the late 1930's. It is one of the few I have seen where my grandfather, Otto Fredrick, is smiling. Plus, he has his arm around my grandma, a rare showing of affection.

I have a couple of pictures that were taken with this house in the background. I had assumed that it was on the family farm. I was looking at it with my mother and I asked where this was taken and she said it was taken at the home of William and Mary (Graf) Tritten near Brethren, Michigan. Mary Tritten is Daisy Graf Fredrick's sister.

You may notice that I spelled Richard's last name as Frederick. That is the spelling that is used on his birth certificate and he used that spelling throughout his life.

Kathryn Louise Tritten Pihl-Sunday's Obituary

2012-01-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

The obituary below is for my maternal aunt, Kathryn Louise Tritten Pihl. The obituary was found online at the funeral home's website, Terwilliger Funeral Home in Kaleva, Michigan.

Kathryn Louise Tritten Pihl
(September 6, 1918 - January 2, 2012)

Kathryn Louise Tritten Pihl, 93, of Manistee, formerly of Brethren and Kaleva, died Monday, January 2, 2012, at the Manistee County Medical Care Facility in Manistee. She was born September 6, 1918, in Brethren, the daughter of Otto and Daisy (Graf) Fredricks.

Kathryn worked as cook at Norman Dickson School. Later in life, she went on to become an LPN and worked as a nurse for several area physicians and at Memorial Hospital in Onekama. She also served her community as Dickson Township Supervisor.

Kathryn was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Onekama and Manistee. She was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Ladies Guild, in Onekama, and also served her church as a Sunday School teacher. Most of all, Kathryn loved to spend time with her family, especially with her grandchildren.

Kathryn is survived by: her children, Kathryn (Thomas) Welch of Barnesville, Ohio, and John (Susanne) Tritten in Manistee; 9 grandchildren, Thomas (Betsy) Welch of Barnesville, Ohio, Timothy (Pam) Welch of Barnesville, Ohio, Mark (Beth) Welch of Matthews, North Carolina, James (Connie) Welch of Humble, Texas, Dennis Welch of Barnesville, Ohio, Eric (Christine) Tritten of Stow, Ohio, Heather (Jason Youngstrom) Tritten of Denver, Colorado, Brian (Kimberly) Tritten of Savannah, Georgia, and Timothy Tritten of Mainistee; 18 great-grandchildren; 8 great-greatgrandchildren; 5 siblings, Lola Brown of Brethren, Richard (Marilyn) Fredericks of Brethren, John (Louise) Fredricks of Blanchard, Audrey (Bruce) Glover of Portage, and Norma Jean (Leslie) Kaskinen of Bellaire; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

On May 8, 1938, Kathryn married Carl Henry Tritten who preceded her in death in 1970. She was also preceded in death by: her second husband, Russell Wayne Puryear in 1989; her third husband, Weikko Alvar Pihl in 1994; her parents; and 6 siblings, Harold Fredricks, Daisy Marie Kurth, Leona Wagoner, Ray Fredricks, Norman Fredricks, and Otto Fredricks.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10:00 AM, Saturday, January 7, 2012, at Trinity Lutheran Church, in Onekama, with Reverend Eric Tritten officiating. Interment will follow in the Brethren Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM, Friday, January 6, 2012, at the Terwilliger Funeral Home, in Kaleva.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sonshine Ladies of Trinity Lutheran Church in Onekama, Trinity Lutheran Church in Manistee, or to Concordia Seminary, Seminary Advancement Office-Loeber Hall, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, Missouri, 63105-3196.

The Terwilliger Funeral Home, in Kaleva, is in charge of arrangements.

Obituary found online at www.terwilligerfuneralhome.com

Happy Birthday, Travis

2012-01-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday, Travis

Travis celebrating his 1st birthday with an angel food cake topped with blueberries.

Travis celebrated his 1st birthday on a very snowy day. The weather was so bad that no one could come and celebrate with him. Kirk, Kirsten, Travis and myself celebrated at our home in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Travis excited about opening his gifts.

The celebration included opening gifts that were sent from Grandma and Grandpa Glover, Aunt Nancy and Uncle Neil, who were living in Texas at the time, Kirsten, and us (Mom and Dad). You received clothes (a warm up suit, blue jeans, Dallas Cowboy sweatshirt), toys (Pop Up Pals, Animal Sounds Barn, Teddy Bear named Radar) and Money.

Travis, Kirsten and Radar

Travis loved his bear, Radar, that his sister, Kirsten, gave him for his birthday. Radar was Sesame Street's Big Bird's bear. This bear was so soft and cuddly. Travis loved the bear to the point that Radar eventually lost a leg and an arm.

Travis wasn't so sure about the cake, but the blueberries looked good.

Your birthday dinner included one of your favorite foods at the time, turkey and pasta. I made Turkey Tetrazzini. A birthday cake of angel food cake topped with blueberries was enjoyed. You weren't too sure about the angel food cake. You took the cake off of your Mickey Mouse paper plate and licked the blueberries.

A Happy 1 Year Old!

I hope Travis is enjoying his birthday, today, as much as he enjoyed his 1st Birthday. Happy Birthday, Travis! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you.

The Worlds of Genealogy and Theatre Collide: Part II

2012-01-04T08:00:00.004-05:00

The costume inspiration board

I wrote about the worlds of genealogy and theatre colliding and my daughter's connection to it in a post titled "The Worlds of Genealogy and Theatre Collide". I had the privilege of attending Light Opera Works in Evanston, Illinois production of 'The Secret Garden' this past weekend. The Secret Garden musical is filled with beautiful music; music that you feel in your heart and soul.

My heart and soul was filled with pride Saturday night. Pride that my daughter is following her dream of being a musical theatre performer. Watching her perform is a joy, one that I cherish every time I see it. Pride that her great, great grandparents were an inspiration for costumes.

I sat in the audience as the characters of Ben, the gardener, and Martha, the housekeeper, entered the stage. I knew that my great grandparent's picture was the inspiration for their costumes. I am still in awe of the coincidence.

Even Kirsten was touched by the coincidence. She said, "I'd seen that photo of the Fredricks' a handful of times, but I never expected to see it at a design concept presentation! They put the photo up on the costume plot board and I had to look twice...then text my mother asap! As actors and designers, we always are looking at images for inspiration and research, but you never think you'll see photos of your own family. When I told some of the cast members that the photo was of my great great grandparents, the response was "no way!" It was a cool moment."

Here is the picture of Johann August Fredrick and Louise Fredricke Zastrow Fredrick. The one used as costume inspiration.

And, here is the picture of Ben and Martha from Light Opera Works Production of "The Secret Garden"

Rest in Peace, Aunt Kate

2012-01-03T08:17:00.000-05:00

Kathryn Louise (Fredrick) Pihl

6 September 1918-2 January 2012

Kathryn Louise Fredrick

Kathryn Louise Fredrick on the Fredrick Family Farm

Kathryn Louise Fredrick and Carl Tritten on their wedding day, May 1938

My Aunt Kate passed away last night. She was more like a grandmother to me than an aunt. I have very fond memories of her. Although it is sad that she is gone, I know she is free from the effects of Alzheimers. I will remember her and the wonderful times I spent at her home. My thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time. Rest in peace, Aunt Kate.

12 for 2012?

2012-01-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

2012

Happy New Year!

It is that time of year when people are making resolutions and genealogists are making goals. I have given up on resolutions, but can really get into making goals. Can I achieve 12 goals for 2012? My family can attest to my overdoing it every now and then. So, in honor of a new year, I will not be overdoing it with goal setting this year. I decided to concentrate on three areas: research, education and organization. Here are my six goals for 2012:

Research

Research, record, and source vital record information for my mother's 11 brothers and sisters.
Research Vinera Eglantine Powers parentage.

Education

View two webinars per month.
Read research wiki's or courses twice a month.

Organization

Finish the Glover surname file labels, using Family Roots Organizer System.
Add information received from a Glover researcher to my Roots Magic software.

Setting goals motivates me in my genealogy research. Additionally, it focuses my attention toward completion of the goals. Do you set genealogy goals? Why or Why not?

11 for 11 Review

2011-12-30T07:00:00.005-05:00

A short 12 months ago I made '11 for 11' genealogy goals. I feel setting goals has helped focus my research, but I don't know if I will do '12 for 12' or not. Some of my goals were too vague, so if I do it again I will simplify the goals I want to achieve. I completed 9 of the 11 goals for 2011, for 82%. Goal numbers 4 and 9 were not achieved. I never made it to Miami County, Indiana and I don't really have a good excuse. And number 9 was more of a dream, I think. I am a creature of habit and I thought I could do the same for my research. Although I did not have a regular time for research I did a lot of research this year. In addition, I completed many things that are not found in these goals. How did your 2011 go genealogy-wise?

My 2011 genealogy goals are:

Scan pictures! -Boy, did I scan pictures. I scanned at home, my mom's, libraries, family reunion and a cousin's house.
Work on my brickwall, Daniel Fenn. I worked on it, but still no luck on who his parent's were.
Make a concentrated effort to source every fact as I add it to my software program. I am most proud of my efforts here. If it doesn't have a source, it doesn't go in Roots Magic. I even went back and cleaned up/enhanced my sources already in my program.
Visit Miami County, Indiana to research Casper and Mary Graf further.
Obtain my grandfather's, Otto August Fredrick, obituary. A visit to the Library of Michigan enabled me to check this one off the list. I found lots of other obituaries here too.
Attend a genealogical conference. I attended the FGS conference in Springfield, Illinois. It was a wonderful experience and I am still researching using the tips I learned from the many excellent presenters.
Start researching my son-in-law's ancestry. I had made good progress on his father's side and just started his mother's side of the family.
Talk to my mother and find out about family heirlooms in her possession. I talked to her and took pictures of some of the heirlooms.
Carve out a regular research time.
Make contact with newly discovered cousins and share information. This was a fun one, I have talked/emailed to many of my family researchers.
Research myself! Add my personal facts to my genealogical software. This was another fun one. I added many facts about myself to my software.

50th Anniversary of Charles and Emma Zobel

2011-12-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Manistee News Advocate, (Manistee, Michigan), 28 December 1938, p2; column 3,

microfilm owned by Library of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan.

"Charles Zobels Celebrate Their Golden Wedding

Married 50 years ago Tuesday, Dec. 27, Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Zobel celebrated their Golden Wedding yesterday with a family dinner at Smith's dining hall preceding a church service and 'open house' reception at Trinity Lutheran schoolhouse.

Attending the dinner in addition to their son-in-law and daughter Mr. and Mrs. Harmon Jacks, their son and daughter-in-law Mr and Mrs. Charles G. Zobel and children, Natalie and Edward, and Mrs. Zobel's sister, Mrs. Ollie Wenzel, all of Detroit, were another son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth Wares and children, Elaine and Donald, a son, Edgar Zobel of Traverse City, All Dorrance of Fowlerville, Mich., and the Rev. and Mrs. J. H. Todt of Manistee.

Beautiful arrangements of white and gold flowers-the gifts of their many friends adorned the school hall where nearly 100 friends assembled following the church service to extend felicitations to the honored couple.

The program opening with selections by the church choir continued with a talk by Reverend Todt, songs by the Zobels' granddaughter, Natalie Zobel, with piano accompaniment by her aunt, Mrs. Harmon Jacks; a piano solo by another granddaughter, Elaine Warnes; a humorous monologue by Mrs. Jacks; the reading of greetings, letters and telegrams by Mrs. John Messner and Reverend Todt. In conclusion, Mrs. Emma Ohst congratulated the guests of honor and presented them an anniversary purse in behalf of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Lutheran Band and Concordia No. 9.

A 65 pound wedding cake, 36 inches high shaped like a gold bell and surrounded by a white dove with two wedding rings in its bill was cut at the reception.

Mrs. Zobel before her wedding 50 years ago in the old German Lutheran Church by the Rev. H. Lemke was Emma May Tracy, daughter of George Tracy of this city. Mr. Zobel was a clerk for F.C. Larsen and later owned and operated a haberdashery. He now is engaged in the insurance business. He has served his home city as city treasurer, as alderman under the former aldermanic form of government and as member and secretary of the Board of Education."

Charles Zobel is the son of John Zobel and Henriette Fredrich. They were married 73 years ago today. Charles Zobel died in 1947.

Surname Advice-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-12-24T11:00:00.002-05:00

Week 52. Advice. Do you have any advice for future generations who may be researching your family? For example, was there a name change or a significant relocation in your past. This is intended to be a very flexible question. Answer it any way you wish.

GLOVER: I have been very fortunate to come in contact with other's who are researching the Glover line. I have never seen it spelled any other way. I am confident that I have traced it correctly to the 1600's Colonial America. My advice is if you find Anna Glover's Glover Memorials and Genealogy book to verify the information. The Glover family came from England to Dedham and Milton, Massachusetts to Lebanon, Connecticut, to Phelps,New York to Ypsilanti,Michigan.

FREDRICK: The spelling of this name can be found as FREDRICH, FREDRICKS, and FREDERICKS. My line of Fredrick's came from Prussia. The Fredrick family settled in Manistee County, Michigan. The Fredrick farm is a Centennial Farm and is still in the area. My advice is to visit the Manistee County Historical Museum which is rich in the history of the area. You can do double duty here as Glover's and Fredrick's settled in this area.

WATT: My paternal grandmother's surname was Watt. The family was from Methil, Fife, Scotland. They came to Ontario, Canada and then Marquette, Michigan. Watt is the only spelling I have come across in my research.

GRAF: The Graf family is from Rockenhausen, Germany. They came from Germany to Miami County, Indiana to Brethren, Michigan. The name can be found as Grav, Graff, and Graf. Check out the Family History Center's films from Rockenhausen, Germany. They have lots of information.

FENN: I wish future researchers luck with this surname. I imagine it will forever be a brickwall for me. In my research I have only seen it spelled as Fenn. The Fenn family came from Shoreham, Vermont to Washtenaw County, Michigan.

MCGEE: The McGee family settled in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. They were Irish in origin. The name is usually spelled McGee. My advice is to not get confused by the various ages that Richard McGee listed in the census. I think he was compensating for the age difference with his second wife.

ZASTROW: The Zastrow name is German in origin. My great grandmother was the first generation to come to America. She settled in Manistee County, Michigan. The spelling can be found as Zastrow and Zastrau. Don't be confused by a Louise Zastrow who came to America through the New Orleans port and settled in Wisconsin. She is not our Louise Zastrow.

MAST: The Mast family came from the Guggisberg area of Switzerland. They settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the 1730's. They moved to Somerset County, Pennsylvania. They also had a short stop in Walnut Creek, Ohio before settling in Howard County, Indiana. Some family members used the spelling Mast and others used Maust. Mast is the spelling I found in Switzerland.

LEYNDYKE: Good Luck to future Leyndyke's researching the family. My advice is to find where I donated my research and take a look. The spelling of Leyndyke has changed over the years, starting with Luijendijk to Luyendyk to Leyn Dyke to Leyndyke. The Luijendijk family originated in Heenvliet, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands around 1500. The first five generations have Arend Jan and Jan Arend as their first name. The first Luyendyk immigrated to Owasco, New York and later Grand Rapids, Michigan. Once you figure out the spelling of the ancestors of Leyndyke you will have smooth sailing as Dutch records are easy to use.

This concludes my participation in 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History for this year. The 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History was created by Amy Coffin of We Tree Genealogy Blog. Thank you to Amy for her great ideas. I have participated in 46 of the 52 weeks. I don't usually write about myself, so these prompts were a way for me to leave stories for my descendants. I hope you have enjoyed them.

White Chocolate Snack Mix-Family Recipe Friday

2011-12-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

White Chocolate Snack Mix, Christmas 2010

White Chocolate Snack Mix is a favorite treat of my children, Kirsten and Travis. I first tasted this when I was substitute teaching many years ago. I asked for the recipe, but the woman who made it wasn't one for sharing recipes. She said it was easy to make, you just add the ingredients and cover with chocolate. OK, I should be able to figure this one out. So, I did. The recipe below is the one I adapted.

White Chocolate Snack Mix
1 cup cheerios
4 cups Rice Chex
1 cup pretzel sticks, or holiday pretzel shapes
1 cup M&M’s, holiday colors
1 cup peanuts
1 cup cashews

Melt 2 cups white chocolate wafers in double boiler. Spread melted white chocolate over mixture. Stir gently to coat. Cool in freezer. Stir as it cools to prevent clumping. Break up and enjoy!

I have made variations of this for other holidays: peanut butter chocolate wafers, toffee peanuts, harvest colored m&m's, etc. I will be making a double batch to enjoy this year.

Our Heritage Christmas Tree

2011-12-21T07:00:00.028-05:00

Our Heritage Christmas Tree

December 2011

I have been thinking about putting a Christmas tree up that celebrates our family's heritage for awhile now. I finally did it this year. This tree is in addition to our regular Christmas tree.

A short, fall, getaway weekend to Frankenmuth, Michigan and Bronner's Christmas Store motivated me to do it this year. We found a very nice, four-foot tree, which is what I had been looking for. In addition, I bought flag ornaments for the countries our ancestors emigrated from; plus, the United States. Bronner's had all of the flags we needed except for The Netherlands. I did find The Netherland's flag ornament online, so our countries are complete.

L-R Top Row: United States, Switzerland, Great Britain

Middle Row: Ireland, France, Germany

Bottom Row: Netherlands, Canada, Scotland

Currently, I only have the flag ornaments and a couple of ornaments that celebrates Dutch Heritage. I am going to leave it this way for now. I don't know what else I want to add. I am open to ideas, so please share yours in the comment section.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Happy Birthday, Kirsten

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIRSTEN!!

Kirsten's 1st Birthday, 1984

Kirsten, licking the batters from her birthday cake.

Last year I wrote about Kirsten's birth, so I thought I would write about her 1st birthday this year. I have always been compelled to bake my children's birthday cakes. It is something I wanted to do. So, when I found a cute baby block recipe, I thought that would be perfect. Well, it was for about an hour!

Kirsten's Baby Block Birthday Cake

The afternoon before her birthday I baked the cake and cut it into squares. Later, in the evening, I frosted and decorated it. I didn't think it looked too bad. I took a picture and went to bed looking forward to the next day, Kirsten's 1st birthday. I woke up in the morning and headed downstairs to the kitchen and what did I find? All of the frosting had slid off of her cake. (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of that.) I was mortified! What was I going to do? We had friends coming over for a little birthday celebration that night. It was too late to order a cake from a bakery, our small town didn't have a bakery, anyway. So, I thought cupcakes. They are quick, easy to decorate and I didn't have to worry about the frosting sliding off! So, I quickly baked some cupcakes.

Chocolate cupcakes with mini chocolate chips saved the day.

I look back on the cake episode and chuckle, but I wasn't chuckling in 1984. I am a bit of a perfectionist and wanted to make her 1st birthday perfect! It turned out to be a wonderful celebration with friends, so all was good.

Family friends, Jenny, Russell, Kari, Katy and Jennifer with Kirsten eating cake and ice cream.

As you can see from the pictures, the birthday theme was Smurfs. We had a Smurf tablecloth and napkins. Each child guest received a Smurf hat. Kirsten had a fun time and never realized her mom made two birthday cakes that year!

Holiday Events-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-12-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

L-R Mom, Travis, Kirsten, Dad-Christmas 2010

Week 51. Holiday Events. Where did your family gather for Christmas or Hanukkah as a child? Which family members and friends attended the event?

Christmas Eve was the time for our family's celebration. Every year we would attend our church's Sunday School Christmas Program and church services. The program never varied over the years. It was the retelling of the Christmas Story. Joseph and Mary, The Manger, Wisemen, and shepherds were the stars of this story. Christmas Carols were sung. The evening ended with ushers passing out paper lunch size sacks filled with shelled peanuts, hard filled Christmas candy, and chocolate drops.

Pre-1966, my mom, dad, sister-Linda, and myself would arrive home to find that Santa had visited while we were in church. Christmas Eve was also special as we were allowed to have pop as a treat. My dad would have to go to the liquor store to purchase it.

My younger sister, Nancy, was born in 1966 and my brother, Neil, in 1968. Christmas Eve traditions continued, pretty much unchanged, until my parents moved to Texas in 1981. We were only able to visit once for Christmas in Texas.

I don't remember ever celebrating Christmas with anyone other than my immediate family. No visit to the grandparent's homes. We lived hours from them and just didn't visit at Christmas.

My husband, children, along with their spouse or significant other, and I still go to my parent's house and celebrate on Christmas Eve. We don't go to the Sunday School program anymore, but we have a family dinner with the opening of gifts afterwards. I don't even want to think about the day when this family tradition changes. I treasure each and every one of them.

Hattie's Bible: In Memory of Zealton Fenn

2011-12-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

Zealton Fenn, the son of Daniel C. Fenn and Elizabeth Ann Poor, was born 19 November 1850. He died 15 December 1908 in Big Rapids, Mecosta, Michigan, at the age of 58. The cause of death was obstruction of bowels with a strangulated hernia.

This picture of Zealton Fenn was found in Hattie's Bible. "My oldest brother" is written on the back of the photo in what I am guessing is Hattie's handwriting.

James V. Tyson-Tombstone Tuesday

2011-12-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

JAMES V TYSON

SM3 US NAVY

WORLD WAR II

APR 14, 1925 MAY 5, 1995

JOAN A. TYSON

FEB 5 1930 MAY 27 2005

James V. Tyson is the son of Victor Tyson and Adeline Glover.

James and his wife, Joan, are buried in Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan.

Holiday Gifts-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-12-10T11:00:00.004-05:00

Week 50. Holiday Gifts. Describe any memorable Christmas or Hanukkah gifts you received as a child.

Christmas 1961-ish

I love the expression of excitement on my face in this picture. I don't remember this Christmas, per se, but I do remember that suitcase. It was for doll clothes. I think it was red in color, with a white handle and two flip closures. It must have been a doll accessory Christmas as there is a high chair in the background.

Other favorite childhood Christmas gifts include: Larry the Lion, Barbie's friend, Midge, Board games (Candy Land, Uncle Wiggly, Life, and Monopoly) and a cupboard for play dishes. Anyone else remember getting furniture that was made of cardboard? Things sure have changed.

First Street: Those Places Thursday

2011-12-08T07:00:00.004-05:00

Harbor Beach, Michigan

This is probably my favorite place to live. I loved this house. This house had character, from the leaded glass windows to the beautiful wood trim and doors, it was charming. The two rooms on the left of the picture were warm and cheery. The downstair's rooms included a living room, dining room, sun room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Upstairs had three bedrooms, a sun room, bathroom and landing area.

We lived in this home for two years. My memories of this house include:

Summer carnival days in front of our house
Walking to school and meeting my boyfriend halfway and walking together
A beautiful lilac tree outside the back door
Parties that my parents had; have you ever seen your principal drunk?
Doing homework at the snack bar in the kitchen
Closing up my bedroom over the porch in the winter and moving to another room to sleep
High school graduation day

Leona Fredrick Graf Wagoner: Sunday's Obituary

2011-12-04T07:04:00.002-05:00

Source: Manistee News Advocate-Manistee Daily Advocate, 22 April 1996, page 2; column 4 and 5, microfilmed owned by Manistee Public Library, Manistee Michigan.

Leona Wagoner

1926-1996

Leona Inez Wagoner, 69, of Bear Lake, died Sunday, April 21, 1996 at West Shore Hospital, Manistee.

She was born 5 Dec 1926 in Brethren, the daughter of Otto and Daisy (Graf) Fredricks. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Ladies Aid, Onekama; the DAV Auxiliary, Manistee; and graduated as a LPN from Northwestern Michigan college of Nursing in 1966. She worked for many years for Dr. Arnold Graham in his Bear Lake office.

Surviviors include her husband, Robert Wagoner; her son and daughter-in-law, Ronald and Lynn; her grandson, Cody Graf; her sisters, Kathryn Pihl, Kaleva, Lola Brown, Brethren, Marie (Walter) Kurth, Smith River, Calif., Audrey (Bruce) Glover, Portage, Jean (Leslie) Kaskinen, Bellaire; her brothers, Otto (Margaret) Fredricks, Kaleva, Richard (Marilyn) Fredericks, Brethren, John (Louise) Fredricks, Blanchard and Ray (Alyce) Fredricks, Caledonia, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Raymond Graf in 1971, brothers, Harold and Norman Fredricks; and nephews Mark Kaskinen, Michael Fredricks, and Richard Fredericks.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Onekama, with the Rev. Paul Pollatz officiating. Burial will be in the Onekama Village Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 7-9 Tuesday at the Terwilliger Funeral Home, P.C., Kaleva.

Memorials may be given to the American Diabetes Association. Envelopes are available at the Terwilliger Funeral Home, Kaleva.

1968 A Year of Assassinations-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-12-03T11:01:00.003-05:00

Week 49. Historical Events. Describe a memorable national historical event from your childhood. How old were you and how did you process this event? How did it affect your family?

1968

My ten year old self remembers being frightened by the news of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on 4 April 1968 and a few weeks later of Robert Kennedy of 6 June 1968. I think this is the first memory of world events that I have.

I was visiting a friend when the TV network broke in to tell of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. I said I had to go and ran across the street to my home. I don't know why I felt that way, I just did. I wasn't one to watch the news at that time and didn't really understand the implications of his death. I just knew it was something big.

A few weeks later, I woke up one morning and wandered into my parent's bedroom. They were listening to the radio. They were talking about someone named Sirhan Sirhan. I remember asking my parents what they were listening too. They said that Robert F. Kennedy had been shot. I don't think I knew who he was, but again I felt it must be big news.

I think having my parents talk about what happened helped me to process the event at the time. They did it without alarming me.

Although, neither of these events affected my family, or me personally, it helped me to understand that there were bad people in this world. Later, when I studied the importance of these two events as they related to race relations, I remembered the news stories. This was the beginning of my interest in current events.

Church Window Cookies-Family Recipe Friday

2011-12-02T13:30:00.000-05:00

Church Window Cookies
12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 stick margarine
1-10 ½ ounce bag colored marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1-7 ounce package shredded coconut
Melt chocolate chips and butter, stirring to prevent burning. Let cool enough so marshmallows don’t melt. Add nuts and marshmallows.
Divide into two portions on wax paper. Spread with coconut. Roll on wax paper to form rolls. Each roll will be about 14 inches.
Store rolls in refrigerator until cold and set.
Slice as needed.

I Heart Organization! Part II

2011-11-29T07:00:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I started re-organizing my genealogy files using Mary Hill's Family Roots Organizer System. (You can read Part I here.) I finished the project just before Thanksgiving, which was a good thing as I needed one of the tables for Thanksgiving dinner!

I really enjoy my new file organization. I had filed everything by surname and now I have them filed by surnames, then families. It makes it so much easier to find everything.

My pedigree charts are filed at the beginning of the drawer followed by my color-coded great, great grandparents' surnames. Normally, one would have 16, but I haven't found one of their surnames so I have 15. I have placed a 5-generation pedigree chart inside of each surname file.

Next, I typed labels for each family on my 5-generation pedigree chart, using color coordinated file folder labels. I used the full sheet ones as I found those easier to run through the printer. The Family Roots Organizer System uses manila file folders for this step. I used colored file folders because I already had them. The family file folders are then filed alphabetically per surname. Each family file folder holds: family group record, documents, notes, and anything pertaining to that family.

I continued adding files for families. I added new surname hanging folders as I came across them. The picture above shows my direct line families on the right. The files in the middle are the collateral lines I have researched. I continued this way until I re-filed my information. I left a few items in their original surname files as I haven't collected much information on them. I will eventually file those into this system. Plus, my research lately has been saved in digital format whenever possible.

Once my surname and family information was filed I moved on to locality and help files. These files are orange in color, which was my choice. Again, because I already had the supplies. Locality files hold the information for places I am researching. Help files hold information I use in my research. Examples of these files are: writing tips, conferences, military research, quick sheets, handwriting helps, repository information and society information.

But the best part of a new file system is this:

an empty in-box!!!

Thanksgiving-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-11-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

Week 48: Thanksgiving. What was on your family's Thanksgiving table? Do you serve the same dishes now as your family served in the past.

Thanksgiving was a celebration of food in my family. Roasted Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, 24 Hour Salad, Rolls, and Pie are my memories of childhood Thanksgiving's.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2011

This year for Thanksgiving the menu was very similar to the above except I substituted brussel sprouts for the sweet potatoes, substituted strawberry salad for the 24 Hour Salad and added green bean casserole to the menu.

Here is Mom's 24 Hour Salad Recipe:

2 eggs
4T. lemon juice
4T. sugar
2T. butter

Beat eggs in small pan over low heat along with lemon juice, and sugar. Stir constantly until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, add butter, and cool. When cold, fold into 1/2 pint of whipping cream, whipped. Add:

2 cups oranges, cut up
2 cups pineapple tidbits
2 cups small marshmallows
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

Store in refrigerator overnight.

Heirlooms at the Thanksgiving Table

2011-11-23T07:29:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Day, 2010

One of my favorite heirlooms is my china. My gold rimmed china was gifted to me through my mother from a special aunt. Mabel Ruff Glover was the wife of Francis Henry Glover, my dad's brother. She was a warm, loving woman. I have fond memories of visiting her in Ferndale and Troy, Michigan.

Mabel Ruff was born 26 March 1921 in Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan. She died 15 April 1996 in Deland, Volusia, Florida.

One of the special parts of holidays is being able to have a part of my ancestors represented at the table. My china is one such part. Do you have special heirlooms that your cherish around the holidays?

L-R Aunt Mabel, Me and Linda, my sister, 1958

Happy 3rd Anniversary!

2011-11-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. Chase Agnello-Dean

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Agnello-Dean

Happy Birthday, Linda

2011-11-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

My older sister, Linda, sometime in the 1950's

Today is my older sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Linda

My Favorite Season-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-11-19T11:00:00.003-05:00

Week 47: Fall. What was fall like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc.

Fall is, and was, my favorite season. Fall in Michigan is a beautiful site. The crisp air, beautiful colors, and food bounty makes for a lovely mix.

First, is the leaves changing colors. The green leaves of summer turn to red, orange, yellow and brown. They even have color tours that you can take to see the beautiful colors. Leaves are also a good part of my childhood memories of Fall. I remember gathering leaves in a pile and jumping in them. Another favorite leaf memory is placing leaves in the shape of a house floor plan and playing in the different rooms. A school assignment required collecting leaves and ironing them between wax paper. Everyone knew where the unusual leaves could be found.

Fall weather is my kind of weather. Warm, but not hot, days and cool nights. The air can be crisp, but it is a great time to go to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Windy days will cause leaves to swirl and an occasional rainy day can be found.

Fall activities centered around school, mostly. I think of football games and homecoming. I went to a lot of high school football games. My dad was the defensive coach. High School homecoming was a chance to get together with friends and float build. One year we decorated one of our teacher's car as a ladybug. We won first prize that year. Homecoming culminated in a dance that every girl wanted to be asked to.

Other fall activities included going to an apple orchard and pumpkin patch. I have fond memories of taking my children to the apple orchard. Sometimes we would pick our own. Other times we would buy a bushel of apples and donuts. The kids loved the cinnamon sugar donuts prepared on site at the orchard. Apple cider is another fall treat.

Fall is the time to make soups, stews and chili. Nothing tastes better after a day of football watching or leaf raking than a big bowl of chili. Meat and bean chili is the norm at our house. Other fall favorites include pears, squash, pumpkin, and anything made with apples.

It would be hard to pick just one reason why Fall is my favorite season. The weather, activities and food all come together to make it one of the most beautiful times of year here in Michigan.

Trescott Street-Those Thursday Places

2011-11-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

Trescott Street, Harbor Beach, Michigan

My family moved here in 1968. We lived here for five years. A few improvements have been made to this house since we lived here. The second story and porch were added. The driveway to the right went back to a carport when we lived there.

I spent a good part of my teen years in this house. A few of my memories of this house include:

learning how to bake
being picked up for my first date
being walked home from a ball game by a boy and standing outside and just talking, really, just talking
learning how to drive
hopping across the creek to go visit a good friend, Ann
hopping across the creek to play in the old school playground
getting my shoe stuck in the muck as I hopped across the creek!
running away from home and only making it one block before my dad picked me up
biking from one end of Trescott St. to the other, which ended at the beach
helping my mom clean, by scrubbing a lot of tile floors
my brother, Neil, coming home from the hospital
my sister, Linda's graduation party
and, lots of family moments spent together.

I Heart Organization!

2011-11-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

It is important for me to be organized. Whether it is my house or my genealogy research, I am happiest when it is organized. Clutter stresses me out. So, when Legacy Family Tree offered webinars on genealogy organizational techniques I made sure I signed up for them.

Recently, Mary Hill presented a webinar on the Family Roots Organizer System. This wonderful webinar was right up my alley. Mary's system fits well with the way I organize things. I can fit what I have already organized into Mary's system with a little tweaking of my files.

The Family Roots Organizer System is a simple and easy to understand way of organizing your genealogy research. It uses a color coded system. You organize your files in red, yellow, green and blue colors, using your grandparents surnames. My current system already uses those colors.

The picture above shows my current system of organizing my genealogy. I use the same four colors as Mary does but in a different order. I will keep my order as it is what I am comfortable with. Each file folders is organized by surname, using more than one as needed. This will be changed as I work on the new organizational system.

I will be changing over to the Family Roots Organizer System in the next few weeks. This is what I have done so far.

Made a shopping list of supplies needed. I needed to get colored hanging files, fine point sharpie pen, and file folder labels. (A complete shopping list is available here.) I added printer ink to the list.
Put all supplies in one area, easily accessible to my file cabinets.
I use Roots Magic as my genealogy software and had already color coded my family to match my colored file folders. I just made sure color coding was on for printing of charts.
Printed off family group sheets and 5 generation pedigree charts. I had a current, completed pedigree chart printed off already.
Emptied out file cabinet drawers, you should see my office now.

This is as far as I have gotten. Next steps will be moving my files into new folders and labeling them using the Family Roots Organizer System. Check back to follow my progress.

Politics-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-11-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

Week 46. Politics. What are your childhood memories of politics? Were your parents active in politics? What political events and elections do you remember from your youth?

I don't have a lot of childhood memories of politics. I remember not being allowed to watch John F. Kennedy's funeral. I remember waking up one June morning to hear that Robert F. Kennedy had been shot. I remember the night I heard the Martin L. King was assassinated. Most of those events made headline news.

As far as memories of politics, it wasn't until Watergate that I paid much attention to politics. I remember the television airways being bombarded with the hearings for this.

The first presidential election I voted in was the 1976 election. Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford were the candidates. I voted for Ford. He was from Michigan, after all. As we all know, he lost. It turned out to be one of many times my vote didn't go to the winner.

In Honor of My Ancestors Who Fought-Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day in the United States. What better day than 11/11/11 to honor those who have served our country.

I would like to pay tribute to my ancestors this Veteran's Day. I would not be able to enjoy my freedom without their sacrifices and service. Thank you to all who have served and are serving this great country.

I have only recently begun researching the military history of my ancestors. Below is a chart of the ancestors I have identified as serving. I am sure I will find a few more as I continue to research. I know there are other collateral lines who have served to.

Relationship to Me	Ancestor	War Service
4^th Great Grandfather	Alexander Glover	American Revolution
4^th Great Grandfather	Hopkins Rowley	American Revolution
5^th Great Grandfather	Jonathan Rowley	American Revolution
5^th Great Grandfather	Peter Forney	American Revolution
5^th Great Grandfather	Thomas Bowles	American Revolution
5^th Great Grandfather	William Salisbury II	American Revolution
5^th Great Grandfather	Moses Poor	American Revolution-Died in Battle of Bunker Hill
6^th Great Grandfather	Seth Beal	American Revolution
2^nd Great Grandfather	Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr	Civil War-Mechanics and Engineers
3^rd Great Grandfather	Daniel Fenn	War of 1812
Father	Bruce Glover	WWII-Army
Father-in-Law	James Leyndyke	WWII, Korean War-Navy

We're Loyal to You Harbor Beach! 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-11-10T08:08:00.000-05:00

Harbor Beach Middle School, 2011

Week 45: High School. Describe your middle and/or high school. Was it a large or small student body? Is the school still in existence today? How has it changed since you went there?

I attended Harbor Beach Community Schools in Harbor Beach, Michigan for junior high and high school. It was located, and still is, on Fifth Street in Harbor Beach. The junior high and high school were housed in one building.

The junior high was located on the front, north end of the school. It was a two-story wing. I remember lots of wood cabinets and an old school feel. Harbor Beach was experiencing growing pains and some of our classes were held in the Our Lady of Lake Huron (OLLH) Catholic school. OLLH was a short walk across a field to 2nd Street. I walked there for 7th grade Home Economics.

A new addition to the high school was added during my Freshman year. This is the school I remember the most.  We didn't have to share lockers as we each got our own. The core of the school was the high school office. Four hallways went out from there. The hanging out place for many students was the four corners.  To the north of the office was the wing for business and shop classes. The east hallway led to the history and English wing. The library was located down this hallway with English classrooms adjoining it. The south hallway was a short hallway with just a couple of classrooms. The west hallway held the Home Economics classrooms and led to the gym and another wing that housed the science and math classes.

Recently, a new addition was added. The Science and Math wing was converted to the elementary school. The old junior high, now the middle school, is still in the 2 story part of the school. I haven't seen the new addition, so I don't know what it is like.

Harbor Beach High School was considered a medium sized school at the time. The town of Harbor Beach had a population of 2500, but the school district covered a large area. It covered the town of Harbor Beach, the surrounding area, plus, the small towns of Ruth and Forestville.

My dad, Bruce Glover, was a teacher and coach at my high school.  He taught physical education there. I never had my dad for a teacher as phys. ed. classes were not co-educational at the time. He would be teaching on the other side of the wall during my gym classes.  I did have teachers who were friends of my dad and it was interesting to see them in social settings.

The Harbor Beach School song was the University of Illinois' fight song. I loved the line "we know you have sand" and Harbor Beach did have sand as it was on the shores of Lake Huron.

The Worlds of Genealogy and Theatre Collide

2011-11-09T08:31:00.000-05:00

My daughter, Kirsten, is currently in rehearsal for "The Secret Garden" musical at Light Opera Works in Evanston, Illinois. Last night, I received a text from Kirsten telling me that Light Opera Works used a picture of our ancestors, August and Louise Fredrick, in the design presentation for The Secret Garden. I was blown away.

August and Louise Fredrick are my great grandparents; Kirsten's great, great grandparents. Can you imagine sitting in rehearsal (or anywhere) and seeing your ancestors used for inspiration? Kirsten texted "What a random coincidence and a great example of how genealogy affects everything." I agree.

The design team for The Secret Garden must have found the picture online during their research as Kirsten was blown away as much as I was. The picture was used for costume inspiration for the characters of Ben, the gardener and Martha, the chambermaid.

When I attend one of Kirsten's productions, just as the lights go down I reflect on how proud I am of Kirsten and how hard she works as she follows her dream. This time, in addition, I will be remembering the inspiration for Ben and Martha and how genealogy and theatre collided for this one moment.

My Little Devils

2011-10-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

I use to recycle my children's Halloween costumes. I was green before it became fashionable!

Here are my two little devils, Kirsten and Travis.

Kirsten, 1985, age 22 months.

Travis, 1987, age 10 months.

Emma Winkler Glover-Sunday's Obituary

2011-10-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

My grandfather, Harry Glover, was married to Emma Winkler before he married my grandmother, Sarah Lilla Watt. Harry and Emma were married a short four years. Emma Winkler Glover passed away 27 September 1915 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Below is the obituary for Emma Winkler Glover.

Source: The Mining Journal, (Marquette, Michigan), 29 September 1915, page 8; column 3, Microfilmed owned by Library of Michigan; Library of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan.

PASSED AWAY IN DETROIT

Death of Mrs. Harry Glover Occurred Monday Evening

Mrs. Harry Glover of Detroit, formerly Miss Emma Winkler, passed away Monday evening at Detroit. Some ten days ago she gave birth to an infant who, with her husband, survives her. Mrs. Glover, who went to Detroit about a year and a half ago, was married four years ago. The remains will be brought to Marquette, arriving this afternoon and will be taken to the home of Mrs. Glover's sister, Mrs. Anna Shoemacher, West Ridge Street. Other sisters are Mrs. Conrad Wellman, of this city and Mrs. Asa Fellows, of Calumet. There are two brothers, Herman of Duluth and Ernest, of Chicago.

Elementary School(s)-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-10-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

Week 44: Elementary School. Describe your grammar/elementary school (or schools). Were they big or small? Are any of these schools still in existence today? If so, how have they changed since you went there?

Deckerville Elementary School, Deckerville, Michigan

I entered the brown door on the right in the picture above in the fall of 1962 and started Kindergarten. I attended this school until the end of the first semester of fifth grade in 1968. The picture above shows the wing the Kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms were in. It was a small school then and is still considered small. There were two kindergarten classrooms and two 1st grade rooms in this wing. It was detached from the rest of the school when I went there. There was an old two story school to the right and in front of this wing. They eventually tore it down and built more classrooms and connected it altogether. I never had any classes in the old school, but I remember my sister had girl scouts in the cafeteria of that building.

My 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade classrooms were in a wing that is perpendicular and behind the wing above. I remember those classrooms as all being the same. All three of my classrooms were on the same side of the hall. The blackboard was to the right of the door. Desks were in rows with cubbies for our coats and boots to the side. The back of the classroom had cupboards and a big cubby for supplies. To the left of the desks was a wall of windows that overlooked the playground. A door to the playground was on that wall too.

For 5th grade I attended class in the new addition. It was a nice classroom. Again, the blackboard was to the right of the door. Two cupboards and hooks and shelves for coats were to the left. The back wall had a sink and drinking fountain on it. A window was in the back corner. Bulletin boards were across from the door. This is also the classroom that 12 years later, the man who would become my husband was teaching in.

Today, the school is basically the same. A few years ago they added another wing to the elementary. It is behind and parallel to the wing in the picture above.

My family moved 25 miles north to Harbor Beach, Michigan in January of 1968. I attended one semester of fifth grade and then sixth grade in Harbor Beach Elementary School. The elementary school was on the south side of the building that housed all K-12 grades. It was a little bigger than Deckerville, but still considered a small school. The classrooms were very similar to other elementary classrooms with chalkboards, bulletin board, hooks for coats, desks and cupboards. This school is the one that changed the most through the years. The district eventually built a separate elementary school and the wing I had gone to in 5th and 6th grade was the science and math wing in high school. The district also built onto the school sometime in the early 70's. They have recently built onto the high school again. The building is once again a K-12 school. I haven't been in the high school since 1981, when I interviewed for a teaching job.

Best and Worst in Science-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-10-27T07:10:00.001-04:00

Week 42. Favorite School Subject. What was your favorite subject in school and why? Was it also your best subject?

Although I haven't always done well in all my science classes, there is one science area that I loved and that was Anatomy. It was called Advanced Biology in high school. The teacher Mr. Clark made the class fun. We studied the systems of the human body for an entire semester. I find the study of the human body to be fascinating. I think my good memory helped in this class. I remember having to name bones, muscles, heart chambers, veins, arteries, etc. I took Human Biology in college and enjoyed that class as well. My Advanced Biology grade was mostly "A's". My Human Biology grade was a "B".

Week 43. Worst School Subject. What was your worst or least favorite subject in school and why?

As much as I liked anatomy, I detested Chemistry. Why I thought I wanted to major in medical technology when I went to college I have no idea. It was the thought of eight semesters of Chemistry that made me quickly change my mind. Plus, I failed one Chemistry class my second semester in college. I took one Chemistry class in high school and although I did well, A's and B's, it wasn't my favorite subject. I really liked the teacher, Mr. Miljour. He made the class fun, but I felt like I didn't have a clue in some of the labs we did.

Even though I picked both subjects as science classes, it is the difference the teachers made in my life that made both experiences a good one. When I became a teacher myself, I remembered the teachers that made a difference in my life and tried to emulate them. Although, I never jumped on top of my desk to get my student's attention (Mr. Miljour did!), I did use humor in the classroom. Thank you Mr. Clark and Mr. Miljour for two great science experiences.

Hazel Park High School-Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T10:57:00.000-04:00

Hazel Park High School

Hazel Park, Michigan

Three Names-One Person

2011-10-21T07:00:00.003-04:00

I like to think that my Grandpa Glover is looking over my shoulder and chuckling at the challenge he has provided me in researching him. My dad knew him as Harry Glover, but thought his given name was Frank H. Glover, Jr. The first record I found for him was his World War I draft registration, it was Frank H. Glover, Jr.

Recently, I found three obituary/death notices for my grandfather and a new name was found, Francis Henry Glover. I wonder if my grandfather had an identity crisis. For the record, his birth name was Harry Glover. He was the first son of Frank H. Glover. Hence, the Frank H. Glover, Jr. I have never seen another name for his father. It is consistently Frank H. Glover. I suppose Frank could be short for Francis and the H could be Henry, but I have never seen a source that substantiates that.

My dad told me that his mother had a difficult time when Harry died. She always thought his given name was Frank H. Glover, Jr. Can you imagine the trouble she went through trying to get everything in order after his death?

Here is Francis Henry Glover's obituary, I mean Frank H. Glover Jr.'s, no, I mean Harry Glover's:

Source: The Mining Journal, (Marquette, Michigan), 7 September 1950, page 2; column 1, microfilmed owned by Library of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan

Francis H. Glover

Francis Henry Glover, 67, died at 7 Wednesday morning in Hazel Park, where he had resided 35 years. He had been employed by the Chrysler Motors firm in Hazel Park. He was born May 6, 1883 in Grand Rapids.

Survivors are his wife, the former Lilla Watt of Marquette; two sons, Francis and Bruce, Hazel Park; his mother, Mrs. Frank Glover, Munising; a sister, Mrs. Leonard G. McKie, Marquette; two brothers, Clause R., Munising, and Major Merle M. Glover, Arlington, Va. and one grandchild.

Services will be held at 2 Friday afternoon in the Swanson funeral home with the Rev. Homer Mitchell, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, officiating. Burial will be made in Park Cemetery.

(Blog Author's Note: Harry Glover was born in Jackson, Michigan not Grand Rapids.)

My Library of Michigan Visit

2011-10-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

How great is a trip to the Library of Michigan? It exceeded my expectations! Where else could I spend a day and find obituaries from Marquette in the Upper Penisula, Manistee in Northwest Michigan and Royal Oak in Southeast Michigan? It would require hundreds of miles of travel. I found newspapers from all three of these cities at the library, which is 50 miles from my home.

I started my day by arriving to the library at opening time-10:00 a.m. I headed straight to the newspaper room. This is a nice large room with microfilm readers on one side, microfilm scanner/printers on another and hundreds of microfilm rolls from 83 Michigan counties and other large cities. My goal for the day was to search from my list of obituaries, marriages and 50th wedding anniversary articles.

I had eight articles I wanted to find from The Mining Journal in Marquette, Michigan. I started there first. I pulled four films and went to the microfilm reader to start looking. (They prefer you find it first on the reader and then take it to the scanner/printer. There is a 10 minute limit on the scanner/printers. Although, there were two people who used them the entire time I was there. I am a rule follower, what can I say!) I found four of the obituaries I was looking for. Next, I printed those off.  You have the option of saving to a flash drive, there is one scanner for this purpose. I continued this way for a couple of hours.

I decided to give my eyes a break and headed to the book section. I looked up information from Lenawee, Washtenaw, and Marquette counties.  I was able to find what I was looking for quite easily.

I went back to the Newspaper room and spent another couple of hours finding the rest of my articles. I used information from the printed books, that pinpointed exact dates, to complete my newspaper research.

By this time it was three o'clock and I wanted to do a couple of look ups at the Archives of Michigan. They are open Monday to Friday, 1-5 p.m.  You walk out the library door and go around a big tree and into another door and the archives are on the left. Talk about a different world. I had to sign in and show my driver's license. I was given a researcher tag and read a list of rules. I could only take my file folder of information and a pencil in with me. No three ring binders, pens, laptops, cameras, briefcases, purses etc. were allowed. Free lockers are available.

I entered the actual archives and was welcomed by a very friendly staff. I told them what I was looking for and they helped me find what I needed. I was looking for a will from Washtenaw county for a friend who lives in the Seattle area. They walked me through finding the microfiche needed to get the record number. There was some paper work to fill out requesting the record. They pulled the record for me. They deliver it to your table. I looked at it to make sure it was the right record and requested copies of it. They do all copying. The first 11 copies are free; and then it is $.20 a copy. You pay for the copies at the entrance where the check in is.

Next, I wanted to find a naturalization record for Marquette county. Even though I had the volume and record number, I had to look up in a binder for more accurate information. The volume numbers on the microfilm are different from the volume number of the record. A staff member walked me through this and pulled the microfilm. I found the page, printed it and was done. A very easy process.

I thought I would end my day at the Archives, but as it didn't take very long, only about 45 minutes, I decided to head back to the library. I spent another hour looking at railroad books, one specifically about the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic railroad, which my great grandfather was an engineer for.

All in all I had a very productive day. I found nine obituaries, six wedding/anniversaries and four other articles. I had six negative obituary searches. I found lots of other information from the books I looked in. I am so glad I took advantage of this wonderful genealogy resource right in my home state. If you are ever in the Lansing, Michigan area, stop and see the Library of Michigan and/or Archives. It is worth it.

Preparing for the Library of Michigan

2011-10-17T07:05:00.001-04:00

I am fortunate that all eight of my great grandparents settled in Michigan. Why has it taken me so long to go to the Library of Michigan then? It is only an hour from my house and pretty easy to get to. I don't really have an excuse, so I finally put it on the calendar and went. Before I went I took time to plan my visit.

The Library of Michigan is located at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. Lansing, Michigan in the Michigan Library and Historical Center Building. The Archives of Michigan and Historical Museum are here, too.

I created a repository checklist. Feel free to copy it for your own use. Otherwise, the important information is below.

Admission is free to the library. They are open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except state holidays.

Parking is available next to the museum with entrance to the circle drive on Kalamazoo Street. The cost is $1 an hour; maximum of $8. They only except cash at the present time.

Food is available on the 1st floor or you may bring your own and eat in the snack shop eating area. No food or drink is allowed in the library.

The Library of Michigan's Abrams Foundation Historical Collection is located on the 2nd floor. This collection is of particular interest to genealogists. Census records, cemetery transcriptions, city directories, county and family histories, newspapers, land records, vital records, military indexes, and more can be found here.

ANSWER is the library card catalog. Using this before you visit the library will give you more time for research. I created a list of resources I wanted to check before I went. When I got to the library I looked at the books to the right and left of those I wanted, especially location specific ones.

One of the great collections is the library's newspaper collection. They have newspapers from before Michigan became a state in 1837. The microfilm newspaper collection has papers from all 83 Michigan counties. You can research what newspapers are available online. You can search by county or if you don't know the county you can search by the first letter of the cities name. I was excited to see they had the September 1950 Mining Journal from Marquette, Michigan. The library in Marquette didn't have the paper from that year. I enjoyed the one stop researching. Researching my ancestors from the Upper Peninsula to Southeast Michigan was done in one day and one place.

Photocopying is available. A copy card is needed. You can purchase one for $1 and it is loaded with $1 credit. Copies cost $.20 each. The copy cards are used for microfilm copies too. Again, cash only is accepted. There is a microfilm scanner available which you may scan to a flash drive if you prefer.

Your starting place for a visit to the Library of Michigan is at their website. Everything you need to know is on the website. If you need anything from the Archives of Michigan it is just a short walk from the Abrams Genealogy Collection.

How great was a trip to the Library of Michigan? You will just have to wait for the next post when I tell more.

Indiana Genealogical Society-Follow Friday

2011-10-14T08:00:00.004-04:00

I am a new member of the Indiana Genealogical Society (IGS). I joined IGS at the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2011 Conference, in Springfield, Illinois and have spent the last month exploring the online databases available to members. (I have Graf and Mast ancestors from Indiana. They were primarily in Howard and Miami counties in Indiana.)

Many of you have probably heard of the society's recent success with raising funds for the War of 1812 digitization project. Currently, they are working on a probate preservation project for Hendricks County, Indiana. Other projects IGS is involved in are listed on their website.

IGS has a Facebook and blog presence. Both are very well done. I encourage you to take a look at the Indiana Genealogical Society. Check out their website, blog and Facebook page to see all the wonderful work they are doing with preserving Indiana genealogical records.

Arthur Kellan and Jean Watt-Wedding Wednesday

2011-10-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

"Michigan Marriages 1868-1925." Marriage Record. Family Search. https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 9 October 2011.

Record Number: 312

Date of License: October 12, 1910

Groom: Arthur R. Kellan, age 29, white

Bride: Jean Ethel Watt, age 24, white

Groom's Residence: Portland, Oregon

Bride's Residence: Marquette

Groom's Birthplace: Michigan

Bride's Birthplace: Michigan

Groom's Occupation: Express Clerk

Bride's Occupation: at home

Groom's Father: Christopher Kellan

Groom's Mother: Heneritta Oest

Bride's Father: David Watt

Bride's Mother: Katherine McGee

Groom's Previous Marriage: Once

Bride's Previous Marriage: no

Date of Marriage: Oct 12 1910

Place of Marriage: Marquette Michigan

Official: John S. Bridges, Baptist Minister

Witnesses: Mr. David Watt and Mr. Thomas Price Both of Marquette

101 years ago today my great aunt, Jean Ethel Watt, married Arthur Roy Kellan. The above record of marriage cites this marriage.

Adaline L. Dyer 1838-1917

2011-10-11T08:00:00.007-04:00

Adaline L. (Dyer) Glover

Hattie's Bible has been a great blessing to me. The family information has been great, but what is more special to me are the pictures. The above picture is of Hattie's mother-in-law, Adaline L. (Dyer) Glover, which I found in Hattie's Bible.

Adaline L. Dyer was born 6 March 1838, in New York City, New York, United States. Her parents were William G. Dyer and Mary Ann Swallow. The Dyer family can be found living in Cazenovia, Madison, New York in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census.

Adaline married Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr. on 2 August 1857 in Lenawee County, Michigan. She was 19 years old. Adaline and Samuel had ten children: Charles W., William E., Frank H. (my great grandfather), Mary J., Louis B., Laura J., Sarah, Twins Emma and Emerson, and Walter.

Adaline died 19 December 1917 King, Waupaca, Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Veterans' Home. She is buried at Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, King, Waupaca, Wisconsin.

While I have discovered the vital records for Adaline, I would love to be able to flesh out Adaline with more facts or stories. I know very little about Adaline or her family. But, I think I know where I got my white hair from!

Teachers Make a Difference-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-10-09T11:56:00.001-04:00

Week 41: Teachers. Did you have a favorite teacher when you were growing up? What class(es) did this person teach and why did he/she make an impact on your life?

He gave me my first E! I still remember the day as if it was yesterday. The class was 7th grade Science. It was a cool spring day, the last class of the day and the teacher was passing the test papers back. I turned mine over and saw an "E". I was mortified. I had never gotten an E before. I had studied, I had a good memory. How could I get an E? That teacher was Mr. Bishop and he became my all-time favorite teacher.

He must have noticed my distress because he asked me to stay after class. He talked to me about the test and even explained some of the wrong answers I had gotten. I didn't say a whole lot. He then asked me if I had gotten an E before. I hung my head and said no. He said there was nothing wrong with getting an E, it was okay to fail every now and then. I think those were the best words I could have heard at that moment. They carried me threw other tough times in school and life.

Mr. Bishop was an enthusiastic teacher, he had a ton of energy. He had a great sense of humor. He had high expectations for all his students. And, he created a fun, safe, and engaging classroom environment. Unfortunately, I only had Mr. Bishop for one class. He moved a couple of years after I had him for a teacher.

I contacted Mr. Bishop when I was in high school and he helped me with some college decisions. At the time I wanted to study medical technology. He sent me some information about it. I appreciated that greatly. I started out in college with a medical technology degree, but decided eight semesters of chemistry wasn't for me! I became a teacher instead.

Mr. Bishop influenced me as a teacher, too. I remembered what I liked about his classroom and tried to emulate it in mine. I kept a sense of humor and had high expectations for all students. But, most of all I remembered and shared with my students that it is okay to fail.

Thank You Mr. Bishop!

Frank "Harry" Glover and Emma Winkler Married 100 Years Ago

2011-10-02T17:16:00.001-04:00

Source: "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," Marriage Record,

Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 2 October 2011), Marquette, Michigan

volume 3, page 394, record number 303 citing the marriage of Frank Jr Glover and Emma Winkler

One hundred years ago today my grandfather, Harry Glover, married his first wife, Emma Winkler. (Frank Jr or Harry likes to mix things up with his name. His birth record has Harry on it, but most other records list him as Frank H. Glover, Jr. He went by Harry his whole life.)

Harry is the son of Frank H. Glover and Hattie Fenn Glover. This marriage is also recorded in Hattie's Bible, which is in my possession. Emma Winkler is the daughter of John Winkler and Johanna Lindner.

The 2 October 1911 marriage took place in Marquette, Michigan. The Rev. W. Roepke officiated. Witnesses were Herman Schumaker, a friend of the Glover's and Emma Winkler's nephew, and Mrs. W. Roepke.

Unfortunately, Harry and Emma were only married four years. They had one son, Francis H. Glover on 12 September 1915. Emma died 27 September 1915.

11 for 11 Progress!

2011-09-30T07:10:00.002-04:00

It has been nine months since I set my 11 for 11 goals. I thought this would be a good time to check on my progress and see what I need to kick into high gear if I hope to finish in the next three months.

Here are my goals. The completed one are in brown:

Scan pictures! This is an ongoing process. I have scanned hundreds of pictures. So I feel confident saying this is done!
Work on my brickwall, Daniel Fenn. I have worked on him, but this is a poorly written goal. Is it complete, I guess?
Make a concentrated effort to source every fact as I add it to my software program. This is the goal I am most proud of. I went through and sourced all direct ancestors. I don't add a fact to my program without a source. Proudly completed!
Visit Miami County, Indiana to research Casper and Mary Graf further. Have not done this and I don't have a good excuse for it. If I hope to complete this I better hope for a nice fall day to visit.
Obtain my grandfather's, Otto August Fredrick, obituary. Completed.
Attend a genealogical conference. I am still excited about the completion of this goal. I attended FGS 2011 in Springfield, Illinois three weeks ago.
Start researching my son-in-law's ancestry. Completed. I have five generations on his father's side completed; I am still working on his mother's side.
Talk to my mother and find out about family heirlooms in her possession. Completed.
Carve out a regular research time. This was a dream goal, I think. I go in spurts with my research. I didn't accomplish a whole lot this summer, but I am working on a better system for research, so kind of completed.
Make contact with newly discovered cousins and share information. This is why I love blogging. I have been in contact with new cousins through my blog. I have contacted others through email.
Research myself! Add my personal facts to my genealogical software. Completed. Roots Magic made this easier. Plus, I have used the 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History prompts and wrote about myself on my blog.

I have completed 9 out of 11 to my satisfaction. 82%, B-! I have three more months to bring my grade up! Wish me luck!

Daniel C. Fenn and Jane E. Poor-Wedding Wednesday

2011-09-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

Source: "Washtenaw Marriage Certificates, v. 1, 1835-1851," p 276. Marriage Record,

Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 9 August 2011), Image 167 of 313

This certifies that Daniel C. Fenn aged twenty two
years of Sylvan County of Washtenaw, in the state
of Michigan and Jane E. Poor aged sixteen years
of the town of Sylvan County and State aforesaid
were joined together in Holy Matrimony on this
4th day of March A.D. 1846 by me.

Horace A. Smith
Justice of the Peace

In presence of Samuel D. Breed
Martha J. Smith

This marriage record is for my great-great grandfather, Daniel C. Fenn and his first wife, Jane E. Poor.
Daniel C. Fenn and Jane E. Poor were married on 4 March 1846. Jane died 12 April 1848, at the young age of 18. Daniel then married Jane's older sister, Elizabeth Ann Poor. I find it interesting that I have found the marriage record for his first marriage in 1846, but I am unable to find his second marriage record. I have estimated his marriage to Elizabeth Poor as between 12 April 1848 (Jane's death date) and 19 Nov 1850 (when first son, Zalton, is born). I guess their marriage record is just waiting to be found.

Fleshing Out S.S. Glover, Jr.-Civil War Pension File

2011-09-26T07:00:00.005-04:00

Unfortunately, I wasn't one of the lucky ones who received a picture of my civil war ancestor, Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr, in his pension file when I ordered it. His pension file provided a few clues that helped me create a picture of him. Samuel was

5 feet 8 inches tall
132-157 pounds
light complexion
blue eyed
light haired, later gray
scarred on his right knee due to gunshot wound
unscarred and unmarked on the rest of his body

What does this tell me? Samuel was of medium height and healthy weight, a little on the slender side. I imagine him being about my husband's size. I can imagine his blue eyes, light complexion and light hair. His hair turned to gray as he aged. He lost weight with age. He weighed 157 pounds in September of 1873, by 1903 he weighed 137 pounds. Samuel died in 1904. His pension file provides information about how his gunshot wound caused him to limp and eventually one leg was shorter than the other due to deterioration.

Although I don't have a picture of my great great grandfather, I can create an image using the information provided in his civil war pension file. I have enjoyed getting to know Samuel through his pension file. It has helped me to reconstruct parts of his life. What source do you have that helps you flesh out your ancestor?

Liver, Yuck!-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-09-24T11:00:00.002-04:00

Week 39. Least Favorite Food. What was your least favorite food from your childhood? Did your parents make you eat it anyway? Do you still dislike the same food today? How have your tastes changed since your youth?

Liver always has been and still is my least favorite food. My mother loves liver and so we would have it occasionally when I was growing up. I don't remember being forced to eat it, but we were encouraged to. I remember slathering it with ketchup to try to get a few pieces down. I think it was a texture thing for me. Yuck!

My husband loves liver, also. He likes it with grilled onions on it. Not me! When we were first married, I thought I would be a good wife and fix one of his favorite dishes. I think it was mustard that I slathered on it that time. I still had trouble eating it. So, I don't fix it anymore. I fix his other favorite meal, Chop Suey, instead. Thankfully, I like that.

I think my tastes have grown over the years. I grew up on pretty standard Midwestern fare: meat, potatoes (or some other starch), veggies, and sometimes, dessert for dinner. I have said before what a great cook my mother is, so most of what she cooked I liked. These days I am trying to add more fish into our diet. I like to have a meatless meal once a week too. I love to try new recipes, so I rarely fix the same thing twice in a month. But, one thing that isn't on the menu is liver, Yuck!

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History by Amy Coffin, of the We Tree blog, is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2011) that invite genealogists and others to record memories and insights about their own lives for future descendants.

J. August Fredrick Land Plat

2011-09-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Print Source: Geo. A. Ogle and Co., Standard Atlas of County, Michigan: including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county...patrons directory, reference business directory... (Chicago, Illinois: Geo A. Ogle and Co., 1903). p 27.

Found online at http://name.umdl.umich.edu/3927831.0001.001

This plat map is a little hard to see but I wanted to give the whole page in order to see the area that August Fredrick settled in on the 3rd of January 1901. The arrow points to the village of Brethren, Michigan. A small town in Northwestern Michigan. The blue box outlines the land that J. August Fredrick, my great grandfather, settled on. The farm is still in the family today. The farm is located in Brown Township, Manistee County, Michigan.

This is a cropped image of the same map above. The boxed area is the farm of August Fredrick. It shows who owned the land surrounding him. None of the names are relatives as far as I know.

August Fredrick on his farm in June 1923, six months before his death.

My great grandparents farmed this land until they sold it to their son. It was sold to August's son, Otto August Fredrick, who sold it to his son, Otto Robert Fredrick, who sold it to his niece and her husband. It has been in the family for 110 years. This past year it was given Michigan Centennial Farm distinction, meaning it has been owned by the same family for at least 100 years.

Ripped From the Headlines!-Hattie's Bible

2011-09-21T07:00:00.002-04:00

Found in Glover, Hattie L. "Fenn". In The Holy Bible: with Revised New Testament. Chicago: GW Borland & Co., 1882. Original owned in September 2011 by Brenda Leyndyke, [address for private use], Battle Creek, Michigan.

Clipping from The Benzie County Record Patriot, Frankfort, Benzie, Michigan 23 February 1956.

Caption: GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY-We are indebted to Maggie McManus of Elberta for the above picture taken an unknown number of years ago in Benzie county showing the 12 jurymen and two sheriffs during a term of circuit court. From left right back row they are: John H. Bradshaw, Sheriff of Inland; E. M. Lawn, Frankfort; F.H. Glover, Lake; Chandler Adams, Inland; Manly Osborn, Inland; J.C. Blemaster, Platte; and John Penfold, Sheriff of Frankfort. Front row left to right Ben Johnson, Lake Ann; C.W. Storr, (jury foreman) Frankfort; George Martin, Frankfort; F.C. Valdick, Weldom; H.D. Ryan, Henry Winters, Frankfort and R. L. Robbins, Blaine. Many of these names are familiar to local residents of Benzie county and though it is doubtful that any of the men are still alive a great number of their descendants still reside in Benzie county.

This newspaper clipping was literaly "ripped from the headlines" from the looks of it. I found this in my great grandmother's, Hattie Fenn Glover, bible. Hattie's husband, and my great-grandfather is the F. H. Glover, who is third from the left in the back row.

I have a couple of other pictures of Frank H. Glover: one is when he was a young boy and the other is on his wedding day in 1882. I enjoyed seeing what he looked like at this point in his life. This picture must have been taken before 1910. Frank and Hattie Glover can be found in the 1900 U.S. Census for Benzie County, Michigan. They have moved to Marquette, Michigan in time for the 1910 U.S. Census.

I don't know any of the particulars concerning the case the jury served on. I will have to add it to my 'to-do' list. Do you know anyone in the photo? Please leave a comment if you can provide more information.

Who is Catherine Wheeler? Part III-Mystery Monday

2011-09-19T07:00:00.012-04:00

Doesn't it feel great when you are contacted by someone who has read your blog and can add information to what you have written? I know I enjoy that aspect of blogging the most. Recently, I was contacted by Patricia, the great, great granddaughter of Catherine Wheeler. I have written about Catherine Wheeler twice. Once was to share the information I had found in my great grandmother Hattie's Bible. The next time was to provide information that Apple from Apple's Tree had found for me about the Wheeler family.

Catherine Wheeler was listed as a mother-in-law in the 1900 and 1910 United States Census, living in the household of Frank H. and Hattie Glover. Further research proved that she wasn't related. Hattie Fenn Glover's Bible had newspaper clippings about Catherine Wheeler and the use of the name "Grandma Wheeler" was written on the clippings. To learn more about these two events, click on the links above.

Patricia shared the following information that her dad, Edward John Blake, had given her concerning the Wheeler family. Catherine Wheeler was Edward's great grandmother. I am sharing it on my blog as a means to understanding the connection Catherine Wheeler had to the Frank H. and Hattie (Fenn) Glover family. There is no blood relation that I have found, but she was important to the Glover family. If you are related to the Wheeler family, please contact me or leave a comment on my blog. I would love to figure out the relationship of Catherine Wheeler and the Glovers.

John Branchflower, Edward's great grandfather, was born in England in May of 1818; died at Rockport, Ohio 22 February 1847.
Lucy Ann Barber, Edward's great grandmother, was born in New York on 28 September 1827; died in Litchville, Ohio on 23 May 1856.
Dr. Josiah Tyler, Edward's great grandfather was born 5 December.
Catherine Louisa Tyler Wheeler, Edward's great grandmother, was born 18 February 1828; died 10 June 1918 in Jackson, Michigan; burial Woodland Cemetery, Jackson, Michigan.
John Richard Branchflower, Edward's grandfather, was born 28 February 1844 in Cleveland, Ohio; died 4 December 1918 in Jackson, Michigan.
Emma Amelia Tyler, Edward's grandmother, was born 29 August 1856 in Albion, New York; died 8 January 1940 in Jackson, Michigan
John Richard Branchflower and Emma Amelia Tyler were married 19 August 1875 in Jackson, Michigan.
Emma Grace Branchflower, Edward's mother, born 7 July 1878 in Jackson, Michigan; died 7 July 1943; burial in Woodland Cemetery, Jackson, Michigan.
Emma Grace Branchflower and Claud Goodall married 16 March 1897; divorced 23 May 1913.
Emma Grace Branchflower Goodall and Edward Thomas Blake, Edward's father, married 10 October 1915.
Edward Thomas Blake, Edward's father, died 15 February 1959.
Edward John Blake born 20 August 1918 in Jackson, Michigan; died 3 November 1993.

Patricia shared her dad's description of his early years at Clark Lake in Michigan.

Edward's parents bought three parcels of land. One parcel on the lake had a home. Another parcel had a grocery store, which his dad ran. There was a two room schoolhouse on the lake. His dad was active in scouting and was a drummer in the American Legion band. In 1933, the family sold the grocery store, due to the depression, and moved to Ypsilanti. Edward became the produce man for the first A and P store in the country. The store was in a streetcar barn. He was sent to other towns to train produce men in other new stores.

I Heart Crafts!-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-09-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

Week 38. Hobbies. Did you have any hobbies as a child? Which ones?

Handcrafted by me, probably in the late 1960's

Don't you just love it when you discover that your mother saved something that you made as a child? The pot holder pictured above was one that I made as a child. I remember receiving a kit with a metal loom, hook tool, and cotton loops. You stretched the loops over the metal frame and then using the hook tool you weave the loops going the opposite direction. When I first started making pot holders, the loops were cotton, as the one above is. Later, the loops were a synthetic fabric, maybe nylon or polyester. I remember going through a few bags of loops. I liked to color coordinate the pot holders as opposed to making them multi-colored.

I have always been drawn to any type of crafting. In addition to making pot holders, I remember having a pom pom kit (see picture above). You wound yarn around plastic molds, tied the center, cut the yarn. There were different sizes of pom poms you could make. I must have had pom poms on every thing I owned. I dabbled in hook rug making too.

As I matured (no comments here, please) I graduated to macrame, making Christmas candy cane and wreath ornaments. I still hang those on my tree now. Christmas crafts were always a favorite of mine.

I taught myself how to crochet in college. I am left handed and could never find anyone to teach me how to crochet left handed, so I did it myself. The first thing I made was a brown and tan afghan. I never could figure out how to knit though.

Another favorite craft of mine was cross-stitching. I loved to cross stitch. I use the past tense because I have arthritis in my right thumb and cross-stitching now is not an easy thing to do. I have made baby gifts, Christmas gifts, bridal shower gifts and many projects which I kept for myself. I have cross stitched pictures, Christmas ornaments, and pillows. I haven't given up on cross stitching completely. I started a lovely Christmas manger scene on linen and I plan to keep working on it. It is the most difficult project I have attempted. Ibuprofen is my new friend when I cross-stitch.

When I was deciding on a college major, I thought about what I enjoyed doing. I came up with cooking, sewing, working with children and crafts! Voila! A home economics teacher I became. Blending my hobbies with my career was great. Even though I am no longer teaching I still enjoy crafting-when my thumb cooperates! What crafts do you enjoy?

Memories of Childhood-52 Weeks of Personal History and Genealogy

2011-09-16T11:27:00.000-04:00

Week 37. Earliest Memory. What is your earliest memory?

My childhood memories are closely tied to what house we were living in at the time. I can't pinpoint what would be my earliest memory, but I do have memories of the first house I ever lived in. My childhood memories really begin around the time I went to Kindergarten. It was September of 1962, I was 4 years old. I remember my mom helping me cross the street and then I walked the 4 blocks to school.

Other early childhood memories include playing with neighborhood friends; putting a play on in our garage and inviting neighbors to come see it; playing in the back room of our house (it's where we use to hide our vitamins!) and my mom baking goodies in the kitchen.

I guess you could say I had a very traditional midwestern upbringing. One I am thankful for.

Springfield, Illinois Welcomes Conference Attendees-FGS 2011

2011-09-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures from Springfield, Illinois. Enjoy!

Are You Ready for Some Genealogy? After the Keynote Speaker, heading to the Convention Center.

Entering the Prairie Capitol Convention Center on Thursday.

Lincoln Library, on left, and First Presbyterian Church with Lincoln Pew, on right.

Union Station and Union Square Park

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Old State Capitol

Lincoln's Tomb

One Thing I Won't Miss About FGS 2011-Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

The stairs from the lower level of the Prairie Capitol Convention Center,

where all sessions were held, to street level and exhibit hall.

Six More Sessions to Go-FGS 2011

2011-09-13T07:00:00.003-04:00

Day 4, Saturday, was the last day of the conference. I had an excellent time and attended so many sessions that my mind is on overload. I am looking forward to applying all the information presented to my research. My genealogical to-do list will be a long one when I get home. I attended six sessions today. Highlights included:

Mennonite Research: The Forgotten Swiss Germans by Michael D. Lacapo. Anyone who overlooked Dr. Lacapo because of the DVM behind his name instead of the other genealogy related initials made a mistake. Dr. Lacapo presented helpful tips and resources to use with your Mennonite ancestry. This hour flew by, not an easy thing to do at 8:00 a.m.
Developing Effective Research Strategies by Linda Turner. Ms. Turner presented an eight step research strategy that is sure to enhance my research. Using a case study to apply these steps brought together the whole process in an easy to understand way. The session ended with research tips.
Michigan Roots: Genealogy Research in the Wolverine State by Kris Rzepczynski. You may wonder why someone who has researched eight great grandparents in Michigan and lives in Michigan would attend this session. The main reason was Kris. (He is a Bronco, afterall!) I have heard him speak previously and wanted to attend another of his sessions. I wasn't disappointed. Plus, I have a great list of further reading to look for.

COOKBOOKS!!! But guess what? I controlled myself and didn't buy even one. I did text this picture to my hubby and said, "guess what I found" His reply, "oh, no!"

Exhibit Hall and Lunch-I decided to take one last look at the exhibit hall during lunch. I think the exhibitors should be happy as I noticed lots of selling going on. A couple of the books I was thinking of getting were sold out. I took this opportunity to talk and learn more about new products and services. A concession stand lunch of turkey wrap completed the time.
Online, On Microfilm and In Print: Finding Ancestors in Newspapers by James L. Hansen. The takeaway from this session was an understanding of why there aren't very many free sites for newspaper access. It is expensive to digitize newsapers due to their size. A nice list of sources for newspapers was given in the syllabus.
The Genealogical Proof Standard: What It is and What It is Not by Thomas W. Jones. Dr. Jones answered all my questions I had concerning what GPS is. I knew a little about it, but wanted to develop a better understanding of it. This session provided that for me. I was happy to hear that overkill is not needed when researching, you just need to prove the fact.
Scotland's Old Parish Registers: How to Access, Use and Interpret by Paul Milner. What a delightful way to end the conference. Mr. Milner is an entertaining and very well-informed Scottish speaker. I learned so much from this session. Historical background, church records and resources was presented. Using Scotland's People was covered as well.

All in all, I have had a great time at my first national genealogical conference. I am tired, but it was worth it. A few closing thoughts:

First, I need to say a great big thank you to those responsible for presenting a great conference. To the co-chairs, D. Joshua Taylor and Paula Stuart-Warren, thanks for your leadership. From the speakers, the Illinois Genealogical Society, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, exhibitors, volunteers, conference committee, and all the sponsors this was a well organized, educationally sound conference. Thank you.
To the attendees who were warm and welcoming, thank you. It was nice to sit next to fellow genealogists and learn from you too.
To geneabloggers, thank you for welcoming me into your community.
To the Springfield Hilton, thank you. My room was a great place to go to after a very busy day.
To the downtown Springfield businesses, thanks. I loved the welcoming signs and friendly staff.

After attending the keynote speaker, 16 sessions. one workshop, and one dinner-would I do anything different? Just a couple of things. First, I think I would look at the total day before signing up for special events. Pairing a four hour session with a dinner after, might have been better planned on my part. I hope I was decent company at dinner. The other thing I would do differently would be to spend the last night at the hotel. I decided to leave after the conference and drive to Chicago (through six construction zones!) and spend the night with my daughter. I loved visiting my daughter, but an extra night to unwind after the conference would have been helpful. And, lastly, take more pictures. I was so wrapped up in the conference I didn't take enough pictures.

I have lots of new ideas for blog posts and how FGS 2011 help me with my research, so check back for that.

Day 3-My Longest Day-FGS 2011

2011-09-12T13:26:00.000-04:00

Remember how I said I was connected? Well, apparently the Hilton wasn't. It seemed when I had the time to blog, I couldn't connect. I figured conference attendees had the same time to use the internet as I did and we overwhelmed the system. But, I plan to continue with my FGS updates now. (I wrote them in word and saved.)

My time at the FGS 2011 'Pathways to the Heartland' conference is flying by. I have learned so much and I can't wait to get home and apply it. Session highlights are:

Records and Repositories at the Crossroad of America-Indiana Research-Curt Witcher. Curt Witcher was a wonderful way to start at 8:00 a.m. His enthusiasm for genealogy spills over to the audience. He talked about the history of Indiana, vital records availability, and organizations and repositories.
Demystifying Eastern European Research-Lisa Alzo. Lisa, a fellow geneablogger, talked about keys to success, complications, myths, and sources to help with your eastern european research. The importance of networking through social media, genealogical queries in publications and online was discussed.
Effective Search Techniques and Sound Research Practices on Family Search by David Ouimette. Even though I have used family search many times, this was a helpful class. He talked about the tools Family Search has developed to help us in our research. Additionally, he discussed browsing digital images, using sound research principles and practices and exploring the Family Search research wiki's.
German Research by Tamra L. Stansfield. I was so glad I signed up and paid for this four hour workshop. Ms. Stansfield presented a wealth of information that I am hoping will further my German research. She divided the class into four sessions, with breaks in between. First, she talked about resources, language, and handwriting, giving helpful tips for each. Next, she discussed finding place of origin, stressing to scout ALL U. S. sources before looking for German ones. A great lesson on understanding Meyers Gazetteers was welcomed. Third, an understanding of the historical events that impacted our ancestors was given. Lastly, Ms. Stansfield presented resources for German research. Unfortunately, the workbook that Ms. Stansfield created and sent to Springfield never arrived. Luckily, Family Search has agreed to mail them to us once they are located.
FGS 35th Anniversary Gala-This was the only extra event I attended and it was a good one to attend. An entertaining skit on the history of FGS started the evening. Harold Holzer presented "The Lincoln Family Album" which showed many family photo's and a few surprises. Who would have thought that John Wilkes Booth's picture would be included?

Tomorrow, Day 4, is the end of the conference and will be the day I take the most sessions, six! Check back for those updates.

Day 2 and We Are Half Way Through-FGS 2011

2011-09-09T07:25:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, was day two of my four day conference at Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) 'Pathway to the Heartland" conference in Springfield, Illinois. I continue to be amazed at how smoothly this conference is run. Again, I cannot say thank you enough to all the wonderful people at FGS and the Illinois State Genealogical Society, the local host for the conference.

The highlights of my day included:

The opening of the conference with a posting of the colors, complete with drum and trumpets.
Learning that 2000 attendees are here. Wow!
Taking to heart the Mayor of Springfield's welcome and invitation to "spend lots of money!"
Listening to the keynote speaker, David S. Ferriero, the archivist of the United States.
Attending four sessions that furthered my genealogical education.
Visiting the exhibit hall, three times. I controlled my purchases to a flip pal scanner cover, a map of 1820 Prussia, and a Diet soda. I could spend a small fortune on books, but I am trying to control myself.
Getting my beads on! I received beads identifying me as a geneablogger from the geneablogger guru, Thomas MacEntee. I feel so loved!
Meeting lots of fellow geneabloggers at a meet up at Bennigans. It was so nice to put faces to the bloggers I have read and been inspired by.

Now, for the main reason I am here-education. I attended the following four sessions:

Overlooked War of 1812 Records in the National Archives by Marie Varrelman Melchiori. I left this session realizing I need to spend more time learning about the national archives. Thankfully, Ms. Melchiori gave us a wonderful bibliography and tips on how to get more information.
The Illinois State Archives by Gregg Cox. Mr. Cox is the archivist of the archives and provided lots of information on what is available there in an entertaining way. Illinois residents receive help and searches for free. (I may have to enlist my favorite Chicago resident, my daughter, for help.) Out of state residents pay a nominal fee.
Discovering Old World Origins with U. S. Records by David Ouimette. This session provided lots of places to look in the United States for the country of origin of your ancestor. Mr. Ouimette stressed the importance of looking in the United States before you make the jump to another country. I can't wait to get home and use his ideas and tips for immigrant research.
Going Beyond the Bare Bones: Reconstructing Your Ancestor's Lives by Thomas W. Jones. In this sold out session, Mr. Jones used four case studies to demonstrate how to take information gleaned from records to create biographical type narratives. He included genealogical sources which are helpful in creating these biographies.

All in all, I am thankful for the opportunity to grow and learn as a genealogist. My goal for today is to take some pictures! Check back tomorrow for a Day 3 update, including my four hour German workshop. I just may get enough information to break through my German brick wall! (Fingers crossed).

I'm Connected-FGS 2011

2011-09-08T07:02:00.000-04:00

I'm here and connected!. Here, is the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2011 Conference "Pathways to the Heartland", in Springfield, Illinois.

First, I would like to thank all the volunteers who worked so hard to make this available to the many genealogists who are attending. The organization is superb. From the moment I stepped in the door of the Prairie Capital Convention Center, I have felt welcomed.

I left home early yesterday morning and arrived in Springfield in time to attend the afternoon sessions. I attended three very informative sessions:

Effective Editing and Writing by Pamela Boyer Sayre. Practice, Practice, Practice was the take home lesson I got from this session. I was pleasantly surprised that I had a couple of the resources she mentioned on my shelf at home: Chicago Manual of Style and Evidence Explained.
Finding and Keeping Volunteers by Amy Johnson Crow. Amy says "we get so wrapped up in the genealogy we forget the society". She also provided lots of information on fitting the volunteer to the position and finding the right people for the job.
Building a Society Education Program for Genealogists and Family Historians by J. H. Fronkert. This session went through all the things one should think of when putting on a society program. Identifying the purpose, audience subject matter, etc. was presented. A few minutes at the end was given for audience suggestions, lots of good ideas were shared.

Today starts with the keynote speaker, David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States. After that the exhibit hall opens and more sessions are held. I plan to attend four sessions today. The Society Showcase is tonight as well as the much anticipated Geneabloggers meetup. It will be a full day, one that I am looking forward to. After all, I'm Connected!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Kate

2011-09-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

Kathryn Fredrick Tritten and me, December 1957

My mother's sister (and my godmother) is celebrating her 93rd birthday today. Kathryn Louise Fredrick was born 6 September 1918, in Manistee County, Michigan, to Otto August Fredrick and Daisy Ellen Graf. She was the oldest of eleven children born to them.

L-R: Sisters, Marie Fredrick and Kathryn Fredrick, picture taken on the family farm, date unknown.

Aunt Kate has always been very special to me. I have wonderful memories of visiting her in Brethren, Michigan. I have visited many times throughout my life, as a baby, child, teenager, college student, and even after I was married and had children.

My most recent visit to Aunt Kate was in a nursing home. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about ten years ago. She didn't recognize me or my mother, who I took to see Aunt Kate. Alzheimer's is such a terrible disease. My thought and prayers are with Aunt Kate and her family as they live with a life changing diagnosis.

I hope in some small way that Aunt Kate knows it is her birthday and is celebrating in a way she deserves. Happy Birthday, Aunt Kate.

Honoring Teachers on Labor Day

2011-09-05T08:27:00.001-04:00

My dad, Bruce Glover, teaching physical education at

Harbor Beach High School, Harbor Beach, Michigan around 1974.

The United States is celebrating Labor Day today. Labor Day is a day to recognize the contributions that workers have made. I have chosen to celebrate teachers. Teachers have been under fire in our state of Michigan, lately. I won't get into the specifics, but needless to say I am on the side of teachers. Teachers make a difference every day of their lives. They work tirelessly for the benefit of their students. They spend their summers improving themselves and preparing for the next year.

I have been blessed with very good teachers in my life. From my favorite first grade teacher, Mrs. Merriman, to a favorite sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Davidson, I have fond memories of caring, dedicated teachers. Junior High was no different, a math teacher, Mrs. Weikert, took the time to help me learn to relax during tests. Mr. Bishop, a science teacher, inspired me to go to college. He brought an enthusiasm to his teaching I would have loved to replicate. High school teachers that I found especially helpful include Mr. Clark, Biology; Mr. Tippett, Government; Miss Witkovski, English; Mr. Miljour, Biology and Mrs. Brobst, Home Economics. Again, teachers make a difference!

There are a few teachers in my family. My dad, taught for 41 years before retiring. After retirement, he decided to be a golf coach and did that for another 5 years or so. I never had my dad as a teacher as he taught physical education and it wasn't co-ed in those days.

My husband, Kirk, teaching first grade at

Deckerville Elementary School, Deckerville, Michigan in 1981.

I married a teacher. My husband, Kirk, has been in education for 36 years. He was an elementary teacher for many years. Currently, he is a middle school counselor. He loves his job. It is getting to the time where he should be thinking about retirement, but he loves working with the students. After an unusually challenging child abuse case I asked him how he does it. His reply was he wants to be the one to make a difference in a child's life. He wants to be there for them. An attitude I have heard time and again from many, many teachers.

So, in honor of Labor Day, I say thank you to the many teachers who devote their lives to their students.

A First-timer Preps for FGS 2011

2011-09-04T09:05:00.001-04:00

Print by Jim Borgman at allposter.com

How are you feeling today? My husband has this poster in his school counseling office and I think I am running the gamut of feelings today: nervous, happy, overwhelmed, hopeful, but most of all ecstatic! Nervous that I won't be ready in time, which leads to feelings of being overwhelmed. Happy that I am going! Hopeful that I will learn a ton, meet lots of great people and have a great time. And of course, ecstatic that I will be in Springfield in 3 days! YE HA!

One of the ways I cope with the negative feelings is to get myself organized. The more organized I am the better I will feel. How organized am I?

Pretty organized, I think. I have a file folder for each day, Wednesday through Saturday. In each folder is the days schedule and syllabi for classes I plan on taking. Another folder is full of syllabi of classes that interest me (second choices) in case I need a back up plan. One folder has my master schedule for the week in it. Plus, a copy of all sessions, hotel info, a downtown Springfield map, and address labels. This is my low tech prep! I do have my calendar, notes, maps, syllabi and other information accessible on my lap top and/or smart phone.

I have charged the various electronics that I think I will need: phone, camera, computer and ishuffle. The chargers are all in one place. I have my ishuffle loaded and ready to go. My play list has everything from genealogy related podcasts to Coldplay to Bruno Mars to Broadway tunes. I figure this will be a good way to unwind after a long day of what I am imagining is going to be information overload.

One thing I am not concerned about is the drive to Springfield. I have been to Springfield before and am very comfortable with the drive. If you haven't been to Springfield before, you are in for a treat. It is rich in history and culture, a great place for a genealogy conference.

Oh, and I can't forget I have my i-pass ready so I can zoom through those pesky toll booths south of Chicago. I will be keeping within the speed limit, of course. I would hate to have to use my exhibit shopping money for a speeding ticket!

Now, the only thing I have to do is pack. I am feeling confident about that. How are you feeling today?

Road Trip Road Games: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-09-03T13:39:00.000-04:00

Week 36: Road Trips. Describe a family road trip from your childhood. Where did you go and why? Who was in the car? How did you pass the time?

Dad, Mom, Brenda and Linda in Ferndale, Michigan outside of Uncle Hank's and Aunt Mabel's home.

Do you remember the license plate game? My sister and I would try to find the most out-of-state license plates we could when we would go on road trips. Another road trip activity was to be the first one to spot an object, it could be on the road, on a billboard, or anywhere. For example, be the first one to spot a ball. I remember another game where we tried to find letters that spelled words. We would be looking at license plates, billboards and anything with writing on it.

We didn't travel a whole lot when we were children, but I do remember going to Detroit a number of times. It seems like we would combine a school shopping trip with going to the Detroit Zoo almost every year for many years. I loved the Detroit Zoo. I liked the train ride, the large animals, eating lunch there, and the balloons. One time just as we got to the car, I lost my balloon. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy. Thankfully, my wonderful dad went back and got me another one, which I am sure made the trip home a lot quieter for my parents.

Most road trips included my dad, my mom, my sister, Linda, and myself. Later, two more siblings joined us. I don't remember very many road trips when there were six of us, probably didn't have a big enough car. My dad always drove and my mom would sit in the front seat. My sister and I were in the back playing games, reading, or sleeping.

Road trips to Detroit were usually fun because we usually would stop at my Aunt Mabel's and Uncle Hank's home in Ferndale. I can't think of a better trip than the Detroit Zoo, shopping and visiting one of my favorite aunts.

Countdown to FGS 2011

2011-09-01T21:09:00.000-04:00

I am so excited and looking forward to next week. I am going to FGS's "Pathways to the Heartland" Conference in Springfield, Illinois in five days. Yikes! Only 5 days to get ready.

Luckily, I am within driving distance so I don't have to worry about limiting what I take. I am comfortable about the drive as I have been to Springfield before. My daughter, Kirsten, attended college about 40 miles east of Springfield in Decatur, Illinois and I made the trip numerous times, sometimes going down and back in one day. I am glad I don't have to do that this time.

I plan to arrive on Wednesday in time to attend one or two afternoon sessions. I have been pouring over the wonderful syllabus and have about 75% of my sessions selected. I thought I would be flexible, or in other words, I had trouble with a couple of time slots-too many good choices. One thing I am looking forward to is the German Workshop. Four hours of learning should get me on the right path with my mother's side of the family.

Other activities I plan to take advantage of include the Geneabloggers Meet Up and FGS 35th Anniversary Celebration. I didn't think I was going to be able to get to Springfield on Wednesday so I missed out on tickets for the Prairie Social, but know there will be lots of other opportunities for fun.

So, look for me at FGS 2011, I will be the one with white hair!