Wow! Is He Handsome, or What?

Is This The Pocket Watch?

Remember the post, "Does Time Reveal Mercy?" where I showcased what is probably Pearl's (Williams) Pointer's pocket watch [because it was labeled as such]?  However, the pocket watch looked quite similar to the pocketwatch that Mercy (Slingbaum) Haley was wearing in a photo that I found of her. The only problem was that the Haley's are a part of my husband's paternal grandmother's line, and the Williams are a part of my husband's paternal grandfather's line.

Confused?  Well, basically, my husband's grandmother (Myrtle Haley) on his dad's side is a Haley, and again on his dad's side, my husband's grandfather's (Forrest Pointer's) mother was Pearl Williams.  So, the question that I posed in my post about Mercy and Pearl and the pocket watch was "Did this heirloom somehow get mixed up after Forrest and Myrtle get married?"  I kind of doubted it at the time [and I still do], but I found it odd that the pocketwatch looked so similar [and it gave me something to blog about too].  In fact I probably never would have delved quite so deeply into Mercy's life.  Besides the fact that Mercy and her husband, Frank Edward Haley, never had any children [at least, none that I have found], Frank was adopted, and to the best of my knowledge was not blood-related to the Haley's.  Both of these facts had really pushed Frank Edward Haley and Mercy Slingbaum [Don't get me started on her maiden name. You should see the mutilation her name withstands in the census.  Snort.] down pretty far on my ancestor priority list ~ until I found that photo of Mercy with that pocket watch.

However, I've now found [thanks to Great-Uncle Donald] Pearl's and Harve's wedding photos.  And guess what she's wearing on her blouse?  Well, it looks like it could be a pocket watch.  And, of course, it's too blurry to see any detail of it ~ to confirm if, indeed, it's the pocket watch.  [That would be just too easy.  And why would we want that?]

So does time reveal Mercy?  Well, until I find that one definitive photo of Pearl with the pocket watch, I'm going to go with how it was labeled on the envelope containing the pocket watch.  That it is Pearl (Williams) Pointer's pocket watch.  So, yes, time reveals not only mercy, but pearls as well.  [I absolutely adore jewelry, don't you?]  And doesn't Harve Pointer look absolutely handsome [and dapper, and debonaire,...]?  I can see why Pearl married him.

Crazy Mercy In A Swimsuit

Well I finally did it.  I had enough guts to look at the keywords/phrases that people Google that lead them to Family Stories [provided by Google Analytics].  I say, "guts" because I've heard horror stories about the words and phrases that come up.  I mean, did I really want to know?  Now that I've gone over the report, oh yeah, I want to know!  While on our 3-mile morning walk, I was telling my husband some of the phrases, and we were laughing so hard that it was messing up our pace, which is a big "thing" for my husband.  I take my phone on our walk, and before we begin my husband always asks me, "Time?" and I always reply, "...to go back to bed."  [See, I'm just as funny in real life as in virtual life.]

I am very happy to report that the first 6 keyphrases that generated the most visits involved some kind of variation of "family stories".  Overall, there were 33 keyphrases that involved some form of "family stories" bringing a total of 310 visits with this phrase in the last 30 days .  That's a good thing since that's the title of my blog.  Some of the funnier ones were:

• "my family story" [Obviously, this person was hoping that someone had already done the research on their surname, My.]
• "sad family stories" [I have a few, but I know I don't really want to seek my own sad family stories out, much less someone else's.]
• "spanish stories about what your family does every day" [Que?]
• "stories about family problems" [Read on ~ I've got plenty of those.]
• "stories that include grandmother and family" [Hm.  Grandmother?  Stories?  I just might have a few of those around here somewhere.]
• "what are family stories" and "what is your family story?" [You have SO come to the right place.]

There were 21 visits generated from phrases that involved the word "Alamo" and most were concerning projects.  This indicates to me that there a lot of teachers that are assigning Alamo projects, and probably didn't appreciate my post, "Remember the Alamo!"  However, I'm real sure that the parents did.  It also indicates to me that there is a real need for a site/blog for Alamo and/or student projects, and if I could find a way to make money at it,  I'd be all over it like cheese dust on a cheetoh [What's in cheese dust anyway?].

There were 9 visits generated by searches that included the word "kringla".  I know exactly which blog post that this came from ~ Family Trees and Norwegian Kringla from Iowa.  Apparently, there are others out there that are seeking the secret of the kringla.  I am not alone.  Somehow, there is comfort in that.  Unfortunately for these seekers, my post does not unravel the secret, but it does provide commiseration.
There were 7 visits generated by searches that involved the phrase "swimsuit" [mostly from my posts "Family Stories: Swimsuit Edition" and "Remember the Alamo!"] including:

• "john wayne in swim suit" [Why is someone Googling this?  Never mind.  I really don't want to know.]
• "swimsuit accident stories" [What kind of accidents are there with swimsuits? Malfunctions?]
• "my sister swimsuit pics" [Eeeww, I think.]
• "family pictures taken in swimsuits" [Uh.  See previous, I think.]

There were 5 visits generated by the following 2 phrases: "stories of mercy" and "stories about mercy".  This was caused by my post "Does Time Reveal Mercy" which is the name of an ancestor of my husband's and was probably not what they were looking for, but I could be wrong.

There were 3 visits generated by phrases that involved the word "crazy" that were caused by my post, "Sometimes Crazy Works":

• (2) "sometimes crazy works" [I know what I meant by crazy.  What did they mean?]
• "crazy family living stories" [Were they just curious about crazy families or were they looking for some commiseration because I have that...And "living" as opposed to what? Dead?]

There were 3 visits generated by the keyword/name "Oscar" that were mainly caused by my post "What's In A Name: Oscar". [Amazing, right?]  Two of them were:

• "the story of name Oscar" [I definitely had one of those, but was it the one they were looking for?]
• "what do you think of the name Oscar" [Well, I think it's a fine name...especially for a donkey.  See my post.]

There were 2 visits generated by the keywords "mitochondria" and "organelle" caused by my post, "It Could".  I am real sure that it wasn't what they were looking for, but I think I could hold my own in a discussion of mitochondria.  I'm just not willing to bore my readers with all the details.  Here were the keyphrases:

• "funny short stories about organelles" [You know, I had everything but the "funny" with my post.  You can't please everybody.  Oh, and who is looking for and why, exactly, are they looking for these kinds of stories?  Are organelles really all that funny?]
• "what does the prefix mito mean from the word mitochondria" [I'm glad you asked.  It means "threadlike".  See, I can hold my own.]

There were some miscellaneous ones that were funny as well:

• "a girl and tin cup" [Was there someone else with a 2nd great-grandma who would get her tin cup filled up with Irish Whiskey in the back of a saloon? "I'd Bet My Tin Cup"]
• "angels in purple robes" [Did someone else have a naked grandma in heaven? "Becoming Aware"]
• "cajun historical stories" [I have one story about my cajun neighbor ~ probably wasn't what they were looking for, but hey, they stayed & read for seven minutes and forty seconds, or they got up to go to the bathroom with it still on the screen. "A Cajun's Who's Who"]
• "dad's name with extra d" [Daddy?  Buddy?  I don't know.  I need more to work with.]
• "how to start an orange orchard in the rio grande valley" [Plant an orange seed. Water. Pick oranges. Start over. From "Maybe I Could Touch Heaven"]
• "it's a family bag" [Hee-Hee.  I know they weren't looking for this bag: "It's In the Bag"]
• "slingbaum genealogy" [This is Mercy's maiden name.  Obviously, she was on the receiving end of some mercy when she married a Haley.  No offense to any Slingbaum's out there.  I give you permission to make fun of my name all you want to. "Did Time Reveal Mercy?"]
• "what are the pointer stories" [I'll show you mine if you show me yours.]

All joking aside, for the last 30 days, through Google search, I had 406 visits through 116 keywords with 96% new visits.  The longest time spent reading my stories was: 29 minutes and 14 seconds, or they fell asleep reading, or ate a meal with my blog site still on the screen.  Not really bad considering I wasn't trying.  So, if you see that my new posts have a whole bunch of keywords, you'll know why I'm doing it.  I'm just kidding.  I'm not going to do that. [Really.]

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

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

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