"I Have Believed...Impossible Things..."

"'Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation.  Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I--I hardly know, sir just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'" [Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 5 by Lewis Carroll]

I went to a little private elementary school in the small town that I'm from in Texas.  We wore red plaid jumper uniforms over white blouses with Peter Pan collars, and to top it off, black and white saddle shoes

with knee high socks.  It was a pretty good little school, and for the most part I was a good student.  However, every once and a while my Irish leperchaun would come out, and I'd get into some trouble.  [Hard to believe, I know.]  Many of these times I'd end up in the corner staring at the brick wall that was painted white.  [By the way, I like that decorative effect...]  Anyway, there was this built-in bookshelf that contained a large set of books.  Well, being the good student that I am [sarcasm], I became bored and decided to look inside one of these books.  To my surprise, there was an inscription that read "Donated by Mary Alice Truitt Blacketer".  The handwriting looked like my Gran's, but the only name I recognized was Blacketer...This was the first time that I ever saw her full name in print.  [You mean her name wasn't Gran Blacketer?]  As I've mentioned before Gran was Catholic.  So, of course, her first name was Mary.  [This is a joke for those of us who keep finding so many Mary's in our research.]    But  Alice?  Truitt?  Of course, later I asked her about the name Truitt, and she replied, "Dear [my Gran always started a story with this endearment], I am a Truitt.  It's my maiden name and Blacketer is my married name."  During the rest of her lifetime, I heard her mention this several times, and she'd always say it with a declaration of assurance..."I am a Truitt, " as if that explained everything.  [In my research later, I did find out what that meant...a story for another time.]  The name that has captured my interest right now is Alice.

"'Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice"[from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 2]

Not only is my Gran named Mary Alice, so is her mother, my Boo.  I even have a second cousin named Mary Alice.  Hmm...Just where does this name come from?  I never really thought much about it until I started researching my Boo's father [my great-great grandfather, Daniel Rook(e) Vaughn.  I wasn't looking for it, but I may have found the answer, but of course it's opened up some more questions...

"The White Rabbit put on his spectacles.  'Where should I begin, please your Majesty?' he asked.  'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'" [Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Chapter 12]

Daniel Rook(e) Vaughn was born in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Michigan in 11 Nov 1847.  The very first avenue of research on him was, of course, the U.S. Federal Population Census Schedule [accessed through Heritage Quest and Ancestry.com].  I found him and his family in 1850 in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Michigan .  His father was B.H. Vaughn 29yo  born in Canada, and his mother was Susanna 28yo born in New York.  They had 3 children: Prudence (5yo), Daniel (3yo), and last [but certainly not least] was Alice (under 1yo).  So then I looked to the 1860 census, and I was able to find Daniel, but he was living with a family by the name of Rook(e), who I have since found out were his grandmother, aunt, uncle, and his aunt's future husband on his mom's side.  Though I performed many searches, there was no sign of his family from 1850.  It was if they had fallen down a hole...

"Down, down, down.  Would the fall NEVER come to an end? 'I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time?' she said aloud.  'I must be getting near the centre of the earth'..." [Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Chapter 1]

I have since found Daniel's older sister Prudence.  She was living with a family by the name of Ogden in Shelby Co., Ohio [I'm pretty sure.], but I've lost her from there [possibly due to marriage, death, or moving out of the country].  As for the rest of the family, I have searched high, and I have searched low.  In looking at the history of the wee township of Ypsilanti, I did discover that there was a terrible fire in 1851 in the town proper.  However, there were no casualties mentioned -- just damages.  [Alexander Winchell, History of Washtenaw County, Michigan:... (Chicago: C.C. Chapman & Co., 1881), 1121. accessed through Heritage Quest Online].  So, I'm left with a missing family.  Were Benjamin, Susanna, and "baby" Alice casualties of the fire of 1851 in Ypsilanti?  Or did they succumb to some sort of disease?

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, " said the Cat.

"I don't much care where--" said Alice.

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

"--so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.

"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Chapter 6]

I'm not sure what happened to Daniel's family.  I don't know why, but I always think of Daniel's sister as "my" Alice.  Maybe because she was so young...  The one thing that I know for sure is that I will never rest until I find "my" little Alice, for she has been on her adventure in her wonderland for far too long.  There have been three women named after her in my family [I think ;)], and it's about time that we found her.

Alice laughed. "There's no use trying," she said : "one can't believe impossible things."

"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen.  "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day.  Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

[Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, Chapter 5]

[Note: All of the above quotes and original illustrations are from Lenny's Alice in Wonderland site.  The color illustrations are from Wikipedia.  All items are in the public domain due to copyright expiration.]

Caroline

Some Housekeeping is in Order

Lovely Blog Award
I'm only about a week late, but [as they say] better late than never!  Janine at Janinealogy graciously awarded me [or rather my blog] the "Lovely Blog Award"!  As a special thank you, I created this design.  In keeping with the stipulations that are attached to winning this award, the 7 blogs that I'd like to recognize [and encourage you to read] are the following:

• Jo at Wibbling Jo's Genealogy Blog
• Earline at To My Descendants
• Putting the Family Puzzle Together
• Holly at Raeburn Family Odyssey
• Diana at Random Relatives
• Karen at The Graphics Fairy
• Patty at Autumn's Meadow

Now all that you [the reader] needs to do is check out their blogs when you get a chance.  The recipients of the award need to choose 7 blogs to recommend and pay it forward!

Have You Checked These Out?

Earlier this week I [finally] introduced one of my companion blogs, "Texas Family Stories".  Also, I have another companion blog called "Family Stories in Stone".  I'm still "tinkering" with them, but do go & check them out...Later today I will be posting my Friday Name Post, so don't fret.  This particular post was a bonus!

Caroline

Thank You For Your Ultimate Sacrifice

In Remembrance

Today is a day for remembrance for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us, as a country, safe and free.  This day of honor started after the Civil War, and its intent was to honor all Union soldiers who had lost their lives during the Civil War.  Starting after World War I, though, all those who have paid with their lives while involved in any war or military action are now honored. The following is an excerpt from the original order made by General John Logan, the National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, made on 5 May 1868.  The first observance was on 30 May 1868.

    

    "Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners.  Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic...If other eyes grow dull and other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours should keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us."

[Note: This information and additional information on the history of Memorial Day can be found here, here, and here.]

Many Fought...Some Didn't Make It Back Alive
Though I have many documented ancestors that were involved in the Civil War including ones that died, I have decided to introduce you to a Union soldier on my husband's side.  [Also, I have a picture of him, which is a big plus.]  In the spirit that General Logan introduced the first Memorial Day, I would like to introduce you to Edward Haley.  He was the brother of my husband's great-great grandfather, Daniel Haley.  Their parents Patrick and Bridget (Foley) Haley came from Ireland and settled in Vermont where they raised their 10 children [5 boys and 5 girls].  All five sons fought for the Union side for their home state Vermont.  However not all of them made it home alive.

Edward Haley
One of these Haley men who did not make it home alive was the second eldest, Edward Haley.  Not much is known about him and his story before the Civil War other than he was born about 1835 - the 5th of 10 children of Irish immigrants.  He enlisted in Co G, 5th Infantry Regiment Vermont on 15 Sep 1862 when he was about 27 years old.  His regiment was involved in many battles and squirmishes including the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Gettysburg, but Edward survived these only to be shot and captured at the Battle of the Wilderness which was fought the 5th through the 7th of May in 1864 in Spottsylvania County, Virginia.  He was taken to the notoriuos Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, where he managed to survive an additional 2 months in unsanitary and disease-ridden conditions [to say the very least].  Edward Haley passed away in Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia on 14 Jul 1864. [More information on Vermont's contribution to the Civil War can be found here.]

General Logan, my eyes will not grow dull, nor my hands slack, nor my heart cold; for I shall always remember and never forget the cost of our free and undivided republic.

Thank You,
Caroline

Here's My Sign, Oops, I Mean My Bumper Sticker!

Okey-Dokey.  I was too tempted by Randy Seaver's Saturday night genealogy fun challenge this week on his blog Genea-Musings where he has challenged his readers to come up with a bumper sticker slogan that describes our "addicti-..,er passion" for genealogy.  When I first read it, I thought, "Oh, that's cute", but when he mentioned there'd be "extra points" for making it look like a real bumper sticker, well, I couldn't resist...[combining genealogy and photoshop?  I'm SO there...]  Here's my submission:



Caroline

Her Irish Eyes ~ They Were A Smilin'

Image by epSos.de via Flickr

Alice Florence (Vaughan) Truitt

With each name that I research, it still amazes me the finds that I make in my pursuit of my family's genealogy and the stories that I find behind their names.  Sometimes, though, the story leads to the name, or a picture, or another person to add to the family tree...Today I'd like to introduce you to my "Boo".  No, it's not Boo Radley [Silly. That's a fictional character.], but my great-grandmother, Alice Florence [Vaughan] Truitt.  I don't have a picture of her unfortunately, but I do have the story behind her name.

A Bean Counter is Off to Mexico

My grandfather, James Wesley Blacketer was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa 22 Mar 1894, grew up in Missouri, joined the army, was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, and this is where he met and married my Gran, Mary Alice Truitt [Boo's daughter].  My grandfather [who I never met] was pretty much a "bean counter" all of his life, which [no offense, but] doesn't usually lead to an adventurous life.  However, my grandfather managed to put a little pizzaz into his life when he secured a position with a company in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico.  Yes, you read correctly. Mexico.  Now, growing up I had always heard about my grandparents and my eldest aunt living in Mexico for awhile, but never thought much about it until I found my grandfather's and my grandmother's applications for a U.S. Passport on Ancestry.com.  This was definitely a good find because the applications included a picture of the applicants, and I had never "seen" my grandfather before.

Tampico, Mexico

Image by MichaelB in Houston via FlickrIn the 1920's [and a little before], Tampico, Mexico was a booming city with the introduction of the tramway/railway and the development of natural resources such as oil.  Many companie
s came there to "set-up shop", and apparently many Americans in search of work followed them, and my grandfather was one of them.

Happy and Bilingual [Sort Of]

So, what does this have to do with how my "Boo" received her nickname?  Well, I'm getting to that. As you can see, in the picture that was used for my Gran's application, there are 3 people.  On the left, I believe is my Aunt Anne [actually, she's my Gran's sister, but we always called her Aunt Anne], my Gran is on the right, and she's holding my Aunt Happy. [There's a story there, too, with that name.]  Aunt Happy was about 6 months old here in this picture.  The story that I heard countless times was that when the family came back from Mexico, my Aunt Happy could only speak Spanish, with just a few words known in English.  One of these words [and apparently one of her favorites] was "bamboo" [I suppose they had some growing there where they lived].  When not speaking Spanish, she called everything "bamboo" including my [you guessed it] great-grandmother, Alice Florence [Vaughan] Truitt.  Try as they may, they couldn't get her to call her anything else, and eventually it was truncated by my Aunt Happy to just Boo. And she's been Boo ever since.

Her Irish Eyes, They Were A Smilin'

My Boo, Alice Florence [Vaughan] Truitt was born in Port Bolivar, Texas 23 Oct 1883. [Port Bolivar is the peninsula that was one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Ike last year and is also known as Bolivar Point and The Bolivar Peninsula.]  Unfortantely, I don't have many memories of my own of my Boo.  In fact, I have just one.  I remember my Aunt Mary Anne and my Uncle Lloyd bringing Boo for a visit in the early 1970's and she was quite elderly then.  Uncle Lloyd was forever yelling at her.  No, not really yelling at her, but speaking very loudly to her [it just seemed to me like he was yelling].  Well, I never understood why he did that, so I asked him.  He replied that Boo was hard-of-hearing then he walked off.  I then turned to my Boo and said "I don't yell, and you're able to hear me just fine."  She replied, "Don't worry about him.  I just do it to annoy him."  [A woman after my own heart.]  
Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr [Howth & Ireland's Eye. County Dublin, Ireland.]

My Boo was a spry thing for being, at the time, just over 90 yrs old. [She passed away at age 94 in 1978.] Oh, that reminds me.  She danced the Irish Jig on her 90th birthday. I wish I had memories of it. I'm sure, though, her mother [my great-great grandmother] Annie (O'Brien) Vaughan's Irish eyes were a smilin' an' a watchin' from abov', stompin' her fee' an' clappin' her hands.

Were Your Ancestors Beautiful?

What is Beauty?
For the sake of this post, I am going to define beauty as the following:

• Physical Beauty [While it's superficial, I know, it is a real, tangible, and undeniable part of beauty].
• What's Said About You By Others; and
• Your Actions [They really do speak louder than words.]

Physical Beauty
Whenever I look at this photograph, I am so captivated by the subject's beauty.  This is Pearley May "Pearl" [Williams] Pointer, the wife of Harvey Lewis "Harve" Pointer.  She is my husband's great-grandmother on his father's side.  Wasn't she beautiful?  Her skin is so perfect looking and her face is so expressive that I think, sometimes, she looks like she is going to "pop" out of the photograph and into my life.  [I wish she would because I have some questions for her...]  It is easily one of my favorite old photographs.  Pearl was born 21 May 1887 in Fairfield Township, Carroll Co., Missouri, and her family moved back and forth from Missouri to Iowa.  She died in Collins, Story County, Iowa 29 Sep 1970.  Her maternal line, the Odell family, and her paternal line, the Williams family, can both be traced back to England.

What Others Say About You Can Be Very Revealing About Your Character...
This photograph is of a 125-year old autograph book that belonged to my husband's great-great grandmother Lovina Emaline "Vina" [Richmond] Haley.  She was the wife of Daniel Haley [one of 10 children of Irish immigrants, Patrick & Bridget (Foley) Haley], and she was the daughter of James Richmond, Jr. of Indiana and Luvisa Logsdon/Logston of Kentucky.  This family heirloom is easily one of my favorites.  All of the entries are four line rhymes.  The first chronological entry was made 22 Feb 1884 by Della B. Stier, her niece, and it indicates that Della is the one who has given this album to her.  Many of the entries are by her nieces, nephews, and sisters right before they left Iowa to live out west.  What a precious gift they gave their aunt as well as their aunt's many descendants.  By the entries alone, you can tell that she was a beloved aunt.  However, these aren't  the only entries.  There are some by her friends as well as other family members.  In fact, 14 Mar 1885 Daniel Haley [my husband's great-great grandfather], her husband, wrote the following:

     On this page
     The first in this book
     I will write my name
     In your Autograph Book.

     Yours Very Truly,
     Daniel Haley

Daniel and Lovina's son, Wilbert Raymond Haley [my husband's great-grandfather] wrote the following to his mother 3 Jan 1896:

     Dear Mamma,
     I thought I would write on this sheet of paper to let you see it when
     you are old and see how good
     I could write when I was nine years old.  I will write my name.
     Your Baby,
     Ray Haley

And here is one that when I read it to my children, we all got goosebumps:

    9 May 1889
    Mrs. Haley,
   
    One hundred years from now
    Where will this album be
    Who will look these pages o'er
    And think of you and me

    Sallie Pontz

[Well, 125 yrs later, I can tell you, it's me!]

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Here is a photograph of Frank Edward Haley, the first son of Daniel and Lovina Haley.  He was their adopted son [their biological son was Wilbert Raymond Haley who I mentioned above].  I have determined through a lot of research that Edward was not a blood relation of theirs.  Many times, if there was an adoption, it was usually a blood family member of sorts.  Well, from the best I can tell, Edward was not a blood relation.  Edward was adopted as an infant, and Wilbert came 9 years after that.  What love Daniel and Lovina must have had in their hearts to adopt Edward and raise him as their own.

Though I don't have a photograph of Lovina [not yet, anyway], I can tell that she was just as beautiful as Pearl was!

Caroline

"Making" a Family Story Up

Where Does Your Name Come From?

Have you ever thought about where your name came from? Maybe you already know, but then again maybe you don't...I know that I'm named after my mom, and that I share it with my great-great grandmother Catharine Caroline Vaughn. Also, I already shared with you how I acquired my middle name Martin. I'm one of the lucky ones, though. Nowadays, so many don't know where their name comes from.

It's Personal

However, I never realized how important given names are in finding your family story until I started doing genealogical research. Actually when you think about it, names are highly personal to us now, so why wouldn't they be highly personal to our ancestors? If you have children, think about the time you spent and the thought processes that you went through picking out your children's names.

Diggin' Up Stories

There are so many aspects of researching given names that I love and that I use consistently in my research - from name origins to naming patterns. It seems that whenever I start digging into given names, they seem to reveal family stories. I am by no means [not even a smidgen] an expert on genealogical given name research [say that 10 times fast], but hopefully it can help others in their research. Oh, and if you don't do genealogical research [What, there are people who don't?], then I hope it gets you thinking about your family's given names and the family stories that may be behind them...

A Family Story Within a Family Story...

As I was going through my husband's family's genealogy jackpot cache this week, I stumbled upon something of my own family's meager heirlooms. Remember the WWI Victory Medal that is probably my grandfather's that I found in my father's old jewelry box? Well, there were a few more items that I found. One of which is a lady's powder compact with matching [and at one time] attached lipstick. They both still have "product" in them, and the lipstick is bright red. Now I'm pretty sure they aren't my dad's. How? Because he never wore that shade of lipstick [badump-bump...] Seriously, I think it was my Paw-Paw's [his mother's] makeup. They weren't my mom's, and my Paw-Paw died a year before my dad. So, it's a possiblity... The bottom of the compact is stamped with "Made in the U.S.A." [don't see that much anymore], and the bottom of the lipstick reads: "Jacqueline Cochran New York Distributor" and the shade is "Firecracker" [and it certainly is...]. I'd never heard of Jacqueline Cochran, so I "Googled" the name [you know you've made it when the name of your business is also used as a verb...]. Do you know who or what Jacqueline Cochran was? Well, it's the name of a cosmetics company started by a [you guessed it] Jacqueline Cochran. She was a woman who had grown up poor in Florida moved to New York and became a hairdresser who also "dabbled" in the making of cosmetics. She was a hair dresser to the "rich" and was often invited to their parties. She often traveled with her wealthy customers, and this is how she met a tycoon [what are the odds, right?], Floyd Bostwick Odlum, who would eventually become her husband [just as soon as he stopped being someone else's husband...tsk-tsk]. He basically funded her cosmetics business, but that's not what she's usually known for...she was a pilot in the same era as Amelia Earhart, and she won many races and set a multitude of records in aviation. In addition, she led the WASPs [Women's Air Force Service Pilots] in WWII. [These women serving in WWII are everywhere.]

If You Want, Make Up Your Family Story...

Jacqueline Cochran, however, was not really Jacqueline. It seems that Jacqueline was not really proud of her family's poverty and her real family story, so she made her own family story up that included her being an orphan, raised by a foster family, and she even changed her name from Bessie Lee Pittman [which doesn't really have the same ring to it...]. Anyway, some of her family [who did exist] who lived with her later in life on her ranch in California were instructed to say that they were her adopted family...[now that's a tidbit that could come in handy with some of my family members - lol]. Her whole story can be found here, here and here.

Named After Aviatrix and Cosmetics Line?

So, what does this have to do with my family story? Well, I've done a lot of research on my Paw-Paw's lines, and one thing I know to be true is that there are definite naming patterns in all her lines [that ended up in Johnson County in Southern Illinois]. So, it always baffled me that my Paw-Paw named her only daughter, my aunt, Jacqueline [and she named her daughter, my cousin, Jacqueline]. Coincidence? Maybe...it looks like I am going to have to call my aunt again, to see what she knows, but I do find that it is at best, very suspicious, and at worst, very interesting that this name has "popped" up and has uncovered another family story [Bessie's, not mine...yet].

Can You Say Genealogical Jackpot?

I Can...
Last night the kids and I [hubby is out-of-town] went to father-in-law's house to eat some incredibly good grub. [Of course, all meals that I don't have to prepare are incredibly good...] Some of my father-in-law's family was in town and eventually all the old family memorabilia came out...I had no clue what's been sitting in my father-in-law's house all this time! [He lives about 10 minutes away from us.] So, can you guess what I'm doing the rest of this week? Yup, scanning, photographing, indentifying, "database-entrying", etc., etc.... Just some of the items in this collection are:

• 125-year old Autograph Album of my hubby's great-grandmother, Pearl Williams;
• A book of Longfellow's poem "Evangeline" belonging to Pearl;
• A collection of Red Man chewing tobacco trading cards featuring American Indian Chiefs;
• One of Pearl's War Ration Books from World War II;
• A matching jewelry box and photo album that made its way to Iowa by covered wagon;
• Pocket Watch belonging to Pearl; and
• A Civil War tin-type picture of one of hubby's great-great-grandfathers' brother who was shot in The Battle of the Wilderness and was imprisoned in Libby Prison, where he died.

So, I'm going to be a little busy for a while. I think I sense some more family stories I get to share [I dunno. Maybe.]...

Caroline

The Woman Who Introduced the Bonus Child

The Looker

Last, but certainly not least: This is my mom. Wasn't she a "looker" back in the day? Apparently my dad thought so, too. My parents were married when my mom was just 15 yrs old and my dad 17 yrs old. Wow, huh? My mom had my brother 2 years later at 17 and my oldest sister at 19. My other sister was born just 4 yrs after that. Then, 9 years after that the bundle of joy, otherwise known as me, came along! Yes, I am what some refer to as "the accident" [at least that's what my siblings would have you believe...]

My Mom Called Me the Bonus...

Growing up [me, not the said older siblings], my parents were huge Zig Ziglar fans. Do you know him? You've probably heard one of his motivational quotes before...He's a motivational speaker who started holding seminars in the 1970's on the power of positive thinking. My parents went to one of the seminars and also bought his book and all of his tapes [cassette tapes...remember those?]. My parents sat on the side of the bed every morning and before they did anything else, they'd tell themselves what a great day they were going to have...They also taped a positive message on the bathroom mirror, so they'd read it countless times while getting ready in the morning. [I tried the early morning pep talk and I liked it, but never left any messages on the mirror for myself unless you count the time I took a bar of soap and a foggy bathroom mirror and wrote my name on it...] Well, this outlook profoundly affected how I look at life, of course [which is why I'm so more well-adjusted than my older siblings ;) ]. When introducing me to other people, my mom always called me her "Bonus Child" [not an "accident" or "oops"]. Anyway, the smart man that he was my dad followed suit, and that's the kind of attitude that I grew up with...and I wouldn't have it any other way... [My siblings are just jealous because they aren't the "bonus," which is understandable...lol]

The Mom Pics

Above are some pictures of my mom in various "mom" poses. The middle top one is a school picture of my mom, probably around the time she married my dad. The 2 outside pictures of her are with her first 2 babies. Look how young she looks [probably because she was - lol]. The bottom 3 pictures include...me! In the one on the far left, I am a newborn...sleeping on the couch with my mom and the siblings surrounding me. The other 2 were from a family trip to Big Bend National Park out in West Texas, which we did several times growing up [on this trip I was about 6]. One thing I'd like to point out is how happy everyone looks with my addition into their lives...[Trust me I've seen the before pictures and they don't look half as happy! lol]. Speaking of other pictures, there are a ton of them...apparently my dad thought he was a professional photographer...so, he took pictures of everything! Now they are all mine [thanks, dad]...There are a bunch of pictures of my mom in the early years. [Apparently she thought she was a fashion model...lol] So, it was hard to pick just a few to share, but I managed...to include 3 of them with me...

So, thank you mom for making me your "Bonus Child." [Oh, and dad, too, but that's for another story for another day.] I love you, and have a happy Mother's Day!

Caroline

An Angel in a Long Flowing Purple Robe

"Here Hit Her"

One of my favorite all-time chick movies is "Steel Magnolias" because of the display of friendship and family. However, I think my favorite scene is towards the end when the mother, Sally Field's character, is crying after her daughter's funeral, then she gets angry and says she wants to hit something. This is the point [of course] when you can't stop the tears from falling from your eyes, and just when you think you can't take anymore, Olympia Dukakis' character grabs Shirley McLain's character and replies, "Here, hit her." And suddenly you're laughing through your tears...comic relief...a release...

Linda

This is my mother-in-law, Linda Jo. She was the single best mother-in-law in the whole world, and I don't have to meet any of the others to know this. She loved her family, friends, dogs, kids, people, anything purple, and angels. I don't know exactly how the whole angels thing started. She was a hairdresser, and I think it began when one of her clients gave her an angel. It caught on, and soon thereafter all she received were angels for gifts for every occasion.

Just What Does One Wear In Heaven?

Linda fought a valiant fight against breast cancer. Though her body is gone, her spirit is alive and doing well [thank you very much]. Her spirit is in her kids...in her grandkids...Soon after she died, my husband was cleaning out her condo while I was at home with the kids [my son was just 6 months old]. I was changing my son's diaper while my daughter was standing on the bed watching. My husband called and asked what he should do with all of his mom's clothes [she had a ton of them]. I suggested he donate them, and then we hung up, both of us with heavy hearts. My daughter [two and a half at the time] was silent for a little while then she asked, "Mom, is grandma naked in heaven?" Obviously she had overheard our conversation, and I couldn't let her have an image of her grandma naked in heaven...So I replied, "No. No, honey. Grandma is not naked in heaven. She's wearing a long flowing purple robe." My daughter jumped off the bed and ran off to play, relieved that grandma was not naked in heaven. Aahhh...my own "Steel Magnolia" moment!

Happy Mother's Day, Linda! We love and miss you dearly...

Caroline

Family Trees and Norwegian Kringla from Iowa

Why Not Norwegian Kringla?
"Honey, can you make some Kringla cookies like my mom and my Grandma used to make?" my husband asked me at Christmas a couple of years ago.  "Sure," I said as I mentally calculated just where I could "fit" that in...You see, I love to bake at Christmas.  I bake tons of cookies [and I really do mean tons].  I also make candy...just like my mom and my Gran used to do.  From our family secret peanut brittle to pralines and beyond...Not to mention pies and whatever else I pick out from my holiday cookbooks that looks pretty [and maybe a little challenging ;) ].  So, why not Norwegian Kringla? ["Why not," indeed!]

Apprenticeship, Anyone?
Do you know what Kringla is...Have you ever tasted it?  It's a very light cookie in the shape of a pretzel - not quite as sweet as sugar cookies, but in the same ballpark.  Anyway, I thought, "How hard could it be?"  [You'd think by now I would've learned to not ask that question.]  HA!  It's extremely hard to make Kringla.  For starters, the dough is runny [and it's supposed to be].  That's all fine and dandy, but then it can be kind of troublesome when trying to roll it in the shape of a snake [a small garden one...you know, the kind you made in kindergarten with clay].  I was a "little" fustrated at this point, as I was trying to do 10 things at once and even though I'd made the dough as cold as possible so that it would be stiff, I had no luck with it, and I had to admit failure at this particular point.  I really hate to lose, but this recipe of Grandma Richardson's had me beat.  I had to tell my hubby, there would be no Kringla for Christmas, and that I was going to have to go to Iowa and apprentice with his Norwegian descendant kinfolk.  He just looked at me and said, "Yeah, right."

Hackett's of Iowa
Yes, my husband was born in Iowa [but he got to Texas as soon as he could].  He's been here since he was in 5th grade, and he's assimilated nicely.  However, all his kinfolk settled in Iowa and were farmers [hard to believe, huh?].  Above I have some of my husband's mothers in his family [his mom will be in a separate post with my mom next.]  In the top middle is Grandma Richardson, a.ka. Neva Virene (Hackett) Richardson.  She and her family are in the next picture to the right.  Her father on the left was Raymond Clifford Hackett and her mother was Neva Jane Long on the right.  Grandma Richardson is in the middle with her two sisters Ila and Myrna.  The picture directly below is a very "motherly" picture...Great-Grandma Long sitting down with her three daughters behind her.  The next picture to the left is Grandma Richardson with her children and husband [my hubby's mom is on the far right].

Where the Kringla Secret Lies...
In the top left is a wedding picture of John R. Richardson and Belle T. Weeks, Grandma Richardson's in-laws, and this is the Norwegian connection [and where the Kringla recipe secret probably comes from].  It's kind of nice to put a face to the family that has stumped me with a cookie recipe [of all things]!  Be that as it may, I love this picture...it's so cool [for those of us who like old photographs].  When I began to research the Richardson family, I never in a million years would've thought that it had already been researched.  This line of my husband's has been traced back to the mid-1500's in Norway and Scotland.  A few brave Scottish souls sailed the frigid waters to Norway.  This is so cool and I am not jealous that it's traced back that far.  Nope, not at all.  [Well maybe just a little.  O.K., a lot].  The bright side is that I married into it, and it's mine now...[ha!]

One Good-Looking Grandma
The bottom left is my husband's Grandma Pointer, Myrtle Elaine Haley in both of the pictures.  Her family descends from Irish immigrants, Patrick Haley and Bridget Foley who settled in Vermont.  In the older picture from the 1970's I think she is one good-lookin' grandma!

Happy Mother's Day Great-Grandma Long, Great-Grandma Richardson, Grandma Richardson, and Grandma Pointer!

Caroline

Genealogy, Catholicism, & Managing Women...

Mary Alice (Truitt) Blacketer

Drumroll, please...here is my Gran. If you've been reading my past stories then you know who I'm talking about. [If not, after this post read: "My Gran's Southern Hash," if you like...] She was such a sweet little lady [unless you got on her bad side, which I didn't because I was her favorite :)]. I don't have a whole lot of photographs of her, but I managed to find some "Mom" pics with all her kids over the years. One of the pictures [a copy actually] I stumbled upon when I found her passport application [way cool]. In it she's holding her infant daughter my Aunt Happy [a name worthy of another story], and an unidentified other woman, who, if I had to guess, is probably my Gran's sister, my Aunt Anne, but I don't know for sure. My Gran and her mother, my Boo [yes, there's a story behind that name, too] raised Gran's eight children together during World War II. My Gran worked several jobs outside of the home, and my Boo took care of things on the homefront. Like so many other mom's, they worked hard to "make it happen."

From Ireland to a Deck in Texas

My Gran's Gran, Annie O'Brien, who came to America [thru New Orleans, LA] from Dublin, Ireland was Catholic. [Shocker, right?] I was baptized a Catholic and remained one for only the first 3 years of my life. My dad didn't really like the Catholic Church, and he'd been raised a Methodist. So my mom and dad compromised and we became Episcopalian [can't say we aren't problem-solvers]. "Why didn't my dad like the Catholic Church," you ask? Well, if you read my 6-part series [yes, I said 6] on "Secrets" of my grandfather's then that might shed some light on it...So, what does this have to do with my Gran? One of my most vivid memories of her [other than her Southern hash] was that she was a devout Catholic who prayed religiously [pardon the pun]. She had her Saint Prayer Cards and her Rosary always in her pocket and she'd go outside to be in nature and talk to God...everyday...several times a day...without fail [in the rain, she'd sit on that same deck that my dad built...the one mentioned in "Runaway Bunny"]. And I remember when I was little thinking at the time that she and God sure talked a lot...[She was probably praying for my dad's non-Catholic soul! lol]

Three Managing Women

So here's to [really] 3 mom's my Gran, my Boo, and the outlandish Annie O'Brien [yeah, there's some stories there, too] - 3 hardworking, managing, Catholic women who never stopped and asked, "Why," but just kept working together to keep their homes together and their children healthy and happy...Happy Mother's Day, Gran, Boo, and Annie!

Caroline

I Won Something..."One Lovely Blog Award"

One Lovely Blog Award...My First Blog Award

What a way to start the day...to find that Gini at Ginisology honored me with my first blog award! Thanks Gini! [Isn't her blog name Ginisology the cutest??] Thanks for the encouragement, support, and kind words, Gini.

Pay It Forward

Not only is this award for me, but I get to share the love with 7 blogs/authors as well. Is that not cool, or what? Then when those 7 receive their award, they spread the love to 7 other worthy blogs/authors, and so on and so forth. It's the gift that keeps on giving...So, read some new blogs and/or read some old favorites then pass it on...

And the Nominees Are...

[I just want to say that it's hard to pick just 7 because there are so many creative and entertaining blogs out there. Now, if I could just get this envelope open...O.K., here they are...]

• Holly at Raeburn Family Odyssey
• Joy at Joy In the Burbs
• Amy at We Tree
• Les at Bits and Pieces
• Rosie at Rosie Cotton
• Linda at Markeroni
• TCasteel at Tangled Trees

Thanks again, Gini!

Caroline

Martians, Marshmallows, and Genealogy...

Paw Paw

This is my Paw Paw [my grandmother on my dad's side]. These are some of my favorite pictures of her because they are so expressive. The picture in the center I think is very fitting for Mother's Day, as this was taken with her children [my dad and aunt]. Rettie Maye was born in Southern Illinois in 1913 and was the daughter of Lillie Mae Alley and the grandaughter of Catharine Caroline Vaughn [both also of Southern Illinois]

Stop Calling Me a Martian!

Growing up I always hated my middle name, Martin. When you're a kid, you don't want to be different and my name was definitely not the norm - 2 surnames or a man's name for a middle name [definitely not cool]. I was the object of a lot of teasing and name-calling when other kids found out my middle name. The most popular names were martian and marshmallow. The second nickname making fun of my last name, Marshall [cuz hey, why not?], and sometimes there was that kid in the crowd that put them together: Martian Marshmallow [ha-ha. Very funny]. No worries, though, I'm made of sterner stuff than that, and although I'd like to say that I took the high road and ignored them, I can't. I gave as good as I got...[after all, what would you expect from a bossy, oops, I mean managing woman/girl?

Mom, Why Did You Give Me the Middle Name, Martin?

I just never understood why my mom gave me the name, and I never thought to ask until much later in life. So, why did she give me the middle name, Martin? She said that I was named after Paw Paw's maiden name, and that Paw Paw and I [at the time I asked] were the only one's left in her father's line to carry on the name, and she went on to explain that my Paw Paw's brother and all of his kids died in a house fire [arson: a story for another day]...

Oh. [sigh] Now I've got to say that since that day, I've been so very proud to be named after her...My Paw Paw died in 2003 and now I'm left to carry on the Martin name. Happy Mother's Day, Paw Paw!

[So, does anyone else have any childhood nicknames that they hated, or how about a family story behind a maternal name in your family? Share it in comments, if you want...]

Caroline

"She wrote, 'My Mother'"

A Wonderful Discovery
The week after Hurricane Ike the kids and I stayed with my sister in San Antonio for several days.  On the last day right before we left, she mentioned that she had a couple of "tubs" of stuff that was mom and dad's and asked me if I wanted to go through it. [Well, duh...]  To my utter surprise I found many family photographs, memorabilia, and old school projects [of my dad's].  I was so ecstatic.  She also said I needed to get over to mom's house because there were more "tubs" to go through.  [I have yet to go back, but it's on top of my summer "to-do" list.]

Lillie Mae Alley
This is one of the precious photographs that I found of my great-grandmother on my dad's side, Lillie Mae Alley.  She was the daughter of Catharine Caroline Vaughn who I introduced you to yesterday.  This is the photograph of her that my grandma [my Paw-Paw] had of her mother.  She looks so young, and after doing some research, I found that she'd married very young and died young, so this photograph truly captures her innocence and her life.  She passed away when my Paw-Paw was only 6 years old.  Lillie Mae gave birth to four children: Little Pearl, Roscoe Benton, Rettie Maye [my Paw-Paw], and Mabel Irene.  Little Pearl passed away when just an infant, and until I found her, no one knew she'd existed.  I wonder if my Paw-Paw had known...


My Paw-Paw wrote, "My Mother"
While it's never easy to lose a loved one, certainly this was a difficult age for my Paw-Paw to lose her mother, and I wonder what she thought about this photograph that she had of her mother.  On the back, my Paw-Paw wrote simply, "Lillie Mae Alley (my mother).  Following are the lyrics of a song called "Photograph" that accurately captures the feeling I get when looking at family photographs...[written and performed by Charlie Robison, a Texas music performer; see my music picks in my sidebar.]:


Photograph
[written & performed by
Charlie Robison]
Well I got a picture
It's glued in a book
Of most of my family,
 that somebody took

Well Grandpa died early
Before I could know
The man that they tell me
That I take after so

Well I don't remember
But it still makes me laugh
When I see us together
In a photograph

Well mama and daddy
Burned hot like a flame
But it all turned ashes
With no one to blame

and I can still see them
But not in my mind
It's been so long
All my memories lie

Well I can't remember
But it still makes me laugh
When I see us together
In a photograph

Well it happened last winter
We had a son
And they took a picture
Of family, round one

It's there to remind you
For when you can't recall
What your daddy looked like
When you were so small

Though you won't remember
It'll still make you laugh
When you see us together
In a photograph

No you won't remember
It'll still make you laugh
When you see us together
In a photograph

Happy Mother's Day, Lillie Mae...

Caroline

Finding Color in Black and White

Finding Color in Black and White
I love looking at old photographs.  I always wonder what the people in them were thinking when the picture was taken.  Were they happy, sad, or angry?  It makes me want to know them.  Additionally, I always feel that I've hit the jackpot when I'm given or when I find old black and white photographs of my family.  There's just something about them that gets my imagination going.  Sometimes, though, we forget that even though the photographs are in black and white, the people in them were living a colorful life.  Have you ever heard the song "In Color" by Jamey Johnson?  He's a country singer, and the song just touches my soul and captures my feelings about old photographs.  Even if country music isn't your thing, I highly suggest listening to it if family history and genealogy are your thing.  Here are the lyrics:

In Color
Said grandpa what's this picture here.
It's all black and white it ain't real clear.
Is that you there?
He said yeah, I was 11.
Times were tough back in '35, that's me and Uncle Joe just tryin' to survive a cotton farm in the Great Depression.
If it looks like we were scared to death like a couple of kids just trying to save each other you should've seen it in color.
Oh, and this one here was taken over seas, in the middle of hell in 1943 in the winter time.
You can almost see my breath.
That was my tail gunner ole Johnny Maggee he was a high school teacher from New Orleans and he had my back right through the day we left.
If it looks like we were scared to death like a couple of kids just trying to save each other you should've seen it in color.
A picture's worth a thousand words but you can't see what those shades of gray keep covered you should've seen it in color
This one is my favorite one. This is me and grandma in the summer sun all dressed up the day we said our vows.
You can't tell it here but it was hot that June and that rose was red and her eyes were blue and just look at that smile I was so proud.
That's the story of my life right there in black and white.
And if it looks like we were scared to death like a couple of kids just trying to save each other you should've seen it in color.
A pictures worth a thousand words but you can't see what those shades of gray keep covered you should have seen it in color.
You should have seen it in color.
 
Mother's Day
So, I guess my love for old photographs is really about turning them into color...finding all that I can about them...finding their family story.
In honor of Mother's Day Week [...I think it should be a week - not just a day, kind of like a birthday week...you do have those too, don't you?], I'm going to share with you pictures of mothers from my family...Just trying to keep the "color" in the old photographs.  After all, what is a photograph, but a glimpse of a family story?
 
Catharine Caroline Vaughn
The photograph today is of my great-great grandmother Catharine Caroline Vaughn who was born, lived, and died in Southern Illinois [Johnson County].  It's one of my favorites because she is so "grand-motherly-looking" seated in her rocking chair and clutching her Bible with both hands while giving the camera a big smile.  Coincidentally, I wasn't named after her, but I think she has a really cool name, and I'm proud to share it with her!
 
Caroline

Public Svc: Blogger Problems?

O.K., here's the fix if you have a blog on Blogger.com and you aren't able to access it [error code: bx-rlezpk] or can't access Layout [error code: bx-m4v2gb]:

1. If you have an error page, and there is no "header" thingy on top, but it says Blogger...click on it.
2. Click on your "Dashboard" Link in top right hand corner.
3. Should have list of your blog(s).
4. Click on "Layout" of the blog you can't access.
5. Click on "Edit HTML" - don't worry you're NOT going to touch your HTML...
6. Scroll down to below the HTML window.
7. Click on link:  "Revert widget templates to default". [This will NOT affect your layout.]

Now, not able to post or save drafts, etc.?

1. Remove your Google adsense ad thingys for now [worked for me & probably why Blogger hasn't said anything, because they don't want you to do that.  Just my opinion...I don't blame 'em...]

Hope this works for you...not really a "techy" person as you can probably tell ;)

Caroline