The Ancestors' Geneameme

I haven't posted in a very long time....just too little spare time these days.

I came across a blog today with a fun little activity I decided to participate in.  Visit Geniaus to participate.
The list should be annotated in the following manner:

Things you have already done or found: bold face type

Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)

Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item
Which of these apply to you?

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents

Can name over 50 direct ancestors

Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents (I have 6 of 8.....both my paternal great-grandfathers remain elusive.)

Have an ancestor who was married more than three times (well, my great-grandfather was married 3 times exactly)

Have an ancestor who was a bigamist (well, in reference to the above Great-grandfather.....he got his second wife pregnant before he was divorced from his first wife...does that count??)

Met all four of my grandparents (both my paternal grandparents died long before I was born)

Met one or more of my great-grandparents (2 of my maternal great-grandparents died while my mother was pregnant with me.)

Named a child after an ancestor (Emily)

Bear an ancestor's given name/s (variations of.....My Great-Great-Grandmother was Christina, My middle name is Christine, My Great-Great-Aunt was Hilda, I am Hillary)

Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland

Have an ancestor from Asia

Have an ancestor from Continental Europe

Have an ancestor from Africa

Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer

Have an ancestor who had large land holdings

Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi

Have an ancestor who was a midwife

Have an ancestor who was an author (Great-grandfather was a famous song writer in the 20's & 30's.  He wrote Animal Crackers in My Soup, Shuffle Off to Buffalo and the J-E-L-L-O Jingle to name a few)

Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones

Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng

Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X

Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z (Zachariah

Have an ancestor born on 25th December (a 1st cousin actaully)

Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day

Have blue blood in your family lines

Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth

Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth

Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century

Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier

Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents

Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X

Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university (University of Houston graduate)

Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence (Great-grandfather mentioned earlier spent 4 days in an Illinois jail for failure to pay child support)

Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime (not my line, but my husbands.......rape)

Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine (Tell us where) here on this blog and at ancestry.com

Have published a family history online or in print (Details please)

Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries

Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family

Have a family bible from the 19th Century

Have a pre-19th century family bible

Wednesdays Child -- Hilda A. E. & Edith L.V. Stanley

Hilda A. E. Stanley

1892-1895

Edith L.V. Stanley

1907-1909

These are my 2xGreat-Aunts.  They were the daughters of Arthur Richard & B.Christina Stanley.

While I don't know how Hilda died, this is one of my many research "To-Do's" for this family

, I do know Edith died from a ruptured appendicitis at the age of 2.

I'm always surprised to learn how often history repeats it's self.  This is one of those cases. 

My aunt, at the age of 2, also nearly died from a ruptured appendicitis in 1966.

Thanks to advances in the medical field, my aunt survived.

Tuesday's Tip #2 -- Interviewing

I have interviewed my grandparents multiple times over the years and each time I always learn more information.

This past Sunday I spent the enitre day with my Grandmother and ofcourse we discussed family history.  I had brought with me a small album with copies of pictures my Grandfather had given me about 15 years ago.  AMong the pictures there were several photos of my Grandmother as a little girl and on the back it said "Gin, Baboosic Lake, New Hampshire."  I knew her parents had a summer home on Cape Cod and I asked her why there were so many photos from Baboosic Lake, had they had a home there as well? 

"Oh no" she says, "my grandmother's brother lived there and we woiuld visit him."

"WHAT???" I said stunned.  Never in ALL the years had she EVER said her grandmother had a brother!!!  Two sisters, yes, brothers....NEVER!!!!!   

It turns out she had TWO brothers!  One, Andrew Nielson (Nilsson), lived with his wife Sarah in New Hampshire, while her other brother, Peter lived in Connecticut with his wife Jeanne.

So with that new discovery I've been reviewing my "list" of questions, and learned one vital rule..............MAKE YOUR QUESTIONS VERY SPECIFIC!!! Do not ask general questions!!

Another thing I learned......always, whenever possible, have handy visual prompts, which may help the person you are interviewing "remember" more detail.

A blog that currently has a list of 50 great questions to ask a relative is Family History with the Lineage Keeper  This is a great list to get you going, but again, whenever possible make the question very specific!!

Surname Saturday -- Things that make you go "Hmmm?"

About a year ago my mother and father-in-law asked me to do some genealogy research on their family lines.  I was excited to do so.

I started with the paternal line of my Father-in-law..............MARVIER.  I figured it was an unsual name and would be fairly easy to trace.........more so than GREEN anyway.

This is Tony Marvier, my husbands grandfather and my Father-in-laws Dad. 

Tony was an only child, who came to America from England in 1908 with his widowed mother, Julia.  He would marry Margaret O'Connell and have 5 children; 4 sons & a daughter.  Tony died from Parkinsons in 1968.

So, armed with the knowlegde provided by my father-in-law, I started working my way backwards in time.

First bit of information I discovered came from his WW1 Draft Record on which he states his name as Vivian A. Marvier.  Ok not so unusual, we though he was Anthony Vivian...names refeversed.

Then I found his immigration records for 1908...again name is Vivian Marvier.  Perfect!

Then I find he and his mother Julia Marvieron the 1901 England census for Camberwell.  Julia is a widow and Tony is listed as Vivian Marvier.

Armed with the location information from the 1901 census, I search for a birth record in 1899 of which I do find.......

He was not born Vivian Anthony MARVIER at all...he was born Vivian Anthony DUPONT!!  There was no father listed!!

I have searched high and low for any marriage information for a Julia Dupont, both in England and in Port-Louis in the Island of Mauritius which is where Julia was from.  Nothing!

I have asked family members and no one can recall a father's name, some think perhaps the father was Edward Marvier, but again I can find no information for an Edward Marvier.

So I am left with the mystery of where on earth did the MARVIER name come from?  And WHO was Tony's father??



Friday Follow -- My picks for the week

This week, hectic as it has been for me, I found and started following these blogs.....

Remembering Those Who Came Before Us

A Grave Curiousity

Finding Kline

Clue Wagon

I also enjoyed post from these blogs I already follow.........

Stories Connect Love Heals

A Hundred Years Ago

Gretas Genealogy Bog

West In New England

Civil War 150th Anniversary

As I've done my research over the years I've have found a few ancestors who may have fought in the Civil War, but I want to get more confirmation on them.  One ancestor however, I do know for certain fought in the Civil War.

He was my 3rd Great Grandfather, Alva Beach Hubbard. 

Alva Beach Hubbard circa 1918

Alva Beach Hubbard was born 8 Nov 1834 in Windham, New York.  At the age of 27 he joined the Civil War.

Below is a transcription of his obiturary as it appeared in the Evansville Review in Evansville, Wisconsin 5 Apr 1923.

OBITUARY

ALVA BEACH HUBBARD

Alva Beach Hubbard was born Nov. 8th, 1834, in Windham, New York.  At the age of two, removed with his parents to Mount Morris, where he grew to sturdy young manhood, working on the farm summers and attending district school winters.  When 18 years of age he enjoyed two terms of high school in the village, acquiring that thirst for reading which remained with him throughout his life.  When 19 years of age, or in October, 1853, he came, with his parents, to Wisconsin, stopping in Spring Prairie.  The next year, November, 1854, he removed to Lacon, Ill, and followed railroading until July, 1857, when he came back to Spring Prairie, helping with the harvest, going back to Windham. N.Y., the last of October, where on the 7th of the month he married Miss Clara Force, returning with his bride to Spring Prairie and engaging in farming until the call of his country caused him to enlist in Co., I, 28th Wisconsin Infantry.  He served with honors for three years, until the close of the war, and was mustered out in October, 1865, returning gladly to the farm.  In the spring of 1871 he went to Minnesota and took up a homestead in Brown County.  Helped organize the township, the school district and built the first schoolhouse.  Was superintendant of the first Sunday school and a charter member of the COngressional church he helped organize, serving in some official capacity until he sold out, coming to Evansville.  A year later, in July, 1897, he moved to Mentour, Iowa, and bought a home, but returned shortly to Wisconsin, where he resided continuously until his death, which took place April 2nd., 1923, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Carrie E. Bestor.  His wife having preceded him in death four years, there remains to mourn his passing, two daughters: Mrs. Carrie E. Bestor of Evansville and Mrs. Helen Z. May of Bloomington, Ill. and one son, Clifford W. Hubbard of Omaha, Neb.  THere are also ten grand-children.  For the last years of his life Mr. Hubbard was afflicted with deafness, hearing only by the aid of a speaking trumpet, and with near blindness; still he delighted to talk with friends, especially of the stirring times immediatley precededing and during the Civil War.  Always intensley patriotic, he could  no brook slighting remarks regarding the flag of his country.  Religion and patriotism were close akin to him.  Naturally he was a member of the local Congregational Church, coming by letter.  Always he carried his church letter with him.  The funeral took place from the home of Mrs. Carrie E. Bestor on Third Street, Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, Rev. O.W.Smith of the Congregational church officiating.  Beside the many relatives and friends gathered to pay him honor was the little group of Civil War veterans, a pitiful remnant of the Grand Army of the Republic, who, with representatives of the American Iegion Post, laid the body to rest in the cemetery.  Hail and farewell, comrade and brother.

My research is currently focused on finding out more about Alva's war experience and finding out more about the Co. 1 28th Wisconsin Infantry.  I'm very proud to have him in my family tree.

My connection to Alva Beach Hubbard:

Alva Hubbard>>Carrie E. (Hubbard) Bestor>>Donald H. Bestor>>Bartley R. Bestor>>Sherri C. Bestor>>Me

The other Civil War veterans in my tree are not direct ancestors, but are uncles and cousins in my tree.

One Lovely Blog Award

Today I receieved a message from Deborah over at The Sum of All My Research letting me know she was awarding my little blog with the "One Lovely Blog Award."

I am very honored to accept this award!  Thank You Deborah!!  Please be sur eto stop by Deborah's blog!!

I have added this award to my sidebar, and now I would like to pass this award onto the following blogs....

The Family Curator

Lost in The Family Tree

Greta's Genealogy Blog

Making Connections to the Past Present and Future

Kinexxions

Midwestern Microhistory; A Genealogy Blog

My Link to The Past

Sharons Family HIstory and Other Stuff

Stories Connect Love Heals

Climbing My Family Tree

Have fun stopping by all these great blogs!!



Meet The Parents -- Mom & Dad, their story continues.....

As mentioned in this post and this one, my parents met in detention at Novato High School in Novato, California in 1960.

By the fall of 1961 they had parted ways.  My mom was in her Junior year and my Dad was in his Senior year. 

In December 1961 my Mom became a sister for the 4th time when her mother gave birth to another baby sister.  At that time my Mom was keeping a very large secret. 

At the age of 16, she was nearly five months pregnant.

My Mom recalls this time with mixed emotions.  She had not told a soul of her condition, yet she was excited and terrified all at once.  She knew without a doubt she wanted the baby, but had no idea of how everyone in her life would react. So she kept her secret until she was 7.5 months along, and it was no longer possible to hide her expanding waistline.

Her mother asked her directly "Are you pregnant?"

"Yes." was my Mom's simple reply.

That one word turned her world upside down from the moment it escaped her lips.

My Grandmother's immediate reaction was violent.  She tore a necklace off my Mom's neck, which had been given to my Mom by her own grandmother, stating "You don't deserve this!"

That night my Mom made the phone call to my Dad. And in complete contrast to her parent's reaction, my Dad responded with an excited "Oh Good, Now we'll get married."  Never once did he react negatively, even with all that happened in the ensuing weeks.

My Grandparents were furious!!  They told my Mom she was NOT under any circumstances going to keep the baby..."What would the neighbors think!!" was all my Grandmother cared about at the time.  They arranged for a women from a local home for pregnant teens, to come and speak with my Mom about how things would go and the adoption process.

My Mom recalls her own behavior during this meeting as belligerent, disrespectful and down-right rude!!  She recalls having such a desperate feeling and knew only one thing....No one was taking her baby!

After the disastrous meeting, my Grandparents had a private meeting with my Dad's mother.  Although my parents where not allowed to be present at this meeting, my mom learned later what was discussed.  My Dad's mother told my Mom's parents that if they did not want her to have this baby, that was their decision, but the baby would not go up for adoption!  My Dad would take the child and it would be raised by his family. 

Two weeks later, my Grandfather drove my Mom to a small church in Napa, California where she was met by my Dad, his Mother and his two brothers.  Before my Mom stepped out of the car, my Grandfather said "I hope your happy!" After she got out of the car, my Grandfather drove away.

My Mom walked into the small church on 12 March 1962 and became Mrs. Theodore Green.  She was 16 years old.

Following their wedding, my parents returned to Novato and lived with my Dad's mother.  My mom dropped out of school and on 31 May 1962 my sister Caren was born.

Between 1962 and 1966 my parents had 3 more children; two more girls and one boy.

1967

While their marriage was not a fairytale by any stretch of the imagination, they were happy.

Sadly, my Dad's mother died the summer of 1965, and with her death came a very deep depression my Dad could not recover from.

1968

He began drinking regularly and heavily, although by all accounts he NEVER drank at home.

In the fall of 1972 I was born.

The only photo of my Dad and I in the same space and time.

I am being held by a cousin, and the little boy is my brother.

Just 9 months later, and after nearly 12 years of marriage, on 8 Sept 1973 my father died in a head-on collision after a night of drinking.  His blood alcohol level was 2.8.  He was killed instantly.  By the grace of God, no one else was seriously injured.

While the story of my parents has a sad ending, they did love one another, and even today and after a second marriage, my Mom says my Dad was her soul mate.

I have to say that being the daughter of a "Teen Mom" taught me a lot.  I can vividly recall being 16 and thinking My God, I could never be a mom right know...How did she do it!!

While statistics show children born to teen parents are more likely to become teen parents themselves, this did not happen with my family.

Friday Follow -- Great reads from this weeks

Here are some blog entries from this week that I enjoyed reading.

Stories Connect Love Heals - A great story of how to friends find a common link between their ancestors.

Making Connections to the Past, Present and Future- A terrific tale of a WWII POW

Stones Undeciphered - In honor of National Tartan Day

Ancestry Insider - Offers a great article on source citations

A Hundred Years Ago - Last Day of School, Graduation, Picnic & A wedding...another great diary entry from 100 years ago.

Retracing The Past - A great post on research goals and a research plan

Those Places Thursday -- Kankakee Illinois

Photo Credit

My ancestry has deep roots in Kankakee County Illinois.  My Maternal grandfather was born in the town of Kankakee in 1921.  His maternal line had been long time residence of the county since the mid 1850's when they emigrated down from Canada.  In the early 1900's his grandfather was the sherrif of Kankakee County and was a well respected member of society.

I have not had the chance to visit Kankakee, but it is on my "To Do List"

If you have roots in Kankakee be sure to visit The Kankakee Valley Genealogical Society.  The volunteer researches there have been of tremendous assistance to me over the years.

Tombstone Tuesday -- Ted S. Green

This headstone belongs to my Dad.  He was born Theodore Stanley Green

He was known to all as Ted

He died just over one month after his 30th birthday. 

He left behind a young wife, age 27, and five small children ranging in age from 11years to 9 months.

He was killed in a head-on collision car accident on a dark two-lane highway at approximately 9pm on Saturday, 8 Sept 1973.

Meet The Parents -- Dad

I suppose, in a lot of ways, my Dad was the first family member I ever researched. But I did so without realising what I was doing was genealogy research.

You see, my Dad died unexpectadly when I was 9months old.  I grew up not having any memory of him.  When I was about 16 years old I set out on a quest of sorts to bring my Dad to life....on paper.  I felt an odd need to make his life more tangible to myself.  I needed to see that he HAD lived.

By the time I was 17 years old, I had accumulated all the information I possibly could.  I had his birth certificate, his death certificate, his social security application, his coroners report, his obituary, articles about his accident, his school records, photos of every home he had lived in, and interviewed every family member and friend who had any memory of him.

At times my quest was upsetting to my mom, not so much for the purpose of my quest, but because at times information I found would be very upsetting to me and that was difficult for her.  I was essentially mourning my Dad's death 16years after it had happened.  There were times my mom wanted to protect me from the sorrow, but it was a process I was determined to go through and a quest I was determined to finish.

1944 Baltimore MD

My Dad was born on a Friday, 6 Aug 1943 in Baltimore, Maryland.  He was the fourth and final child born to my paternal grandparents.  He was born at home while his three older siblings played in the yard outside their Urbman Avenue home.

Urbman Ave., Maryland

His early childhood years, up to age 2, where spent in Baltimore, Maryland with frequent visits to his Grandmother "Mama's" home in Pennsylvania.

Circa 1945

In 1945, the family of six drove across counrty to Novato, California.  California would remain their home for the rest of their lives.  When they arrived in California, they lived in a very small home with the family of my Grandmother's brother, who had settled here the year before.

In 1946 his father, my Grandfather, was diagnosed with lung cancer.  My Uncle recalls his father still heading off to work in San Francisco following surgery to remove a portion of his lung.

My Dad with his Father, 1944 Maryland

In the fall of 1947 my Grandfather lost his battle with cancer, leaving his wife, twin sons age 12, a daughter age 7, and my Dad age 4, without a father.

My Dad with his Mother, his sisiter and his twin brothers 1955

During the next few years my Dad's family settled into life without a father and in 1950 my Grandmother remarried.

Age 7

By all accounts, my Dad was the typical 1950's "Bad Boy" with a charming personality who could always make you laugh.  My mom says "It was his personality that drew me to him."

circa 1957

In 1960, my parents met during detention in high school.  My Mom says it wasn't love at first sight, but that they definitely had a soulful connection from the start.  They dated briefly that fall, then went their separate ways until my mom's accident in the spring of 1961.  After she returned home from her accident, they dated again until the fall of 1961, when they again parted ways.

Little did my Father know at the time they went their separate ways that fall, my Mom was 3 months pregnant with his child!

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History -- Week 14 -- Spring

When I think of spring, I always think of Easter.........and allergies!

When I was little, my mom would take me to a local Easter Egg Hunt that was often held in a large field near our downtown.  I can't say I particularly enjoyued these outings.  The organizers would line all the kids up, and all at once they would say "Run!" and all the kids would rush into the open field with their baskets flying to find as many eggs as they could.

I was not a very outgoing kid, so I was usually at the back of the pack.  What that meant is most of the eggs I came across were smashed and gross......we didin't do plastic eggs back then.  Each year I would walk out with only three or four eggs in my basket.

I can't recall being dissapointed by that, but I can remember feeling relieved that my mission was complete and we could go.

One of my most memorable Easters was when I was about 8 years old.  I woke up to find an Easter Basket hanging from my bedpost with a brand new Cabbage Patch Preemie doll in side!!  I was sooooo excited I could hardly stand it.  I LOVED dolls!! 

image from Cloud Nine Toys

Her name was Aleta Jaralee and she was perfect!!  I took that doll, and my first Cabbage Patch Doll, Wayne Harris, EVERWHERE!!  Today Aleta and Wayne live in my daughter's room.  While my girls never played much with dolls, I could never, and probaly will never, get rid of these dolls.  My little Wayne still has his baby powder scent and just sniffing his head takes me right back to being 7 years old!!



Sorting Saturday -- Doing a little organizing

Over the last week I've been doing alot of research on local history for my ancestral homes.  What this means for my home is MOOORE paper.  I beleive in the last week I've printed about 200 pages of variuos topics detailing the history of Kankakee, Illinois, Ludlow, England & Boston, Massachusetts.

Now I'm focusing on getting all this information sorted and filed and anotated, so I can add historical details to my family genealogy book.

I still have many more ancestral locations to research more in depth, which will mean MOOORE paper!!  I need to stay on top of it all before it gets on top of me!

Speaking of research....can anyone recommend a good source for historical advertisements and political ads? 

Friday Follow -- Blogs to Check Out

I'm new to the Genealogy blog circut, but this week I came across some very enjoyable reads in the Genealogy Blog department.  Here are a few I started following.....

Geneabloggers - Offers great blogging topics and listen to Geneabloggers Radio.

A Hundred Years Ago - Follow Helena Muffly's grandaughter as she shares her grandmother Helena's diary entries from 100 years ago. 

Stalking Dead People - I must admit I was drawn by the title!  My husband tells people I collect dead people. 

My Link to the Past - A newer blog like myself

Lost in the Family Tree - A blogger who just inherieted boxes and boxes of family documents.

Sharons Family and Other Stuff - Fun read.

Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories- Another good one.

Old Stones Undeciphered - Another good one to follow

Where in the world??

Where my Ancestors Originated

http://bighugelabs.com/map.php

Where My Ancestors Settled

http://bighugelabs.com/map.php

You can head on over to Big Huge Labs and make your own map!!

Genealogy Collaboration

When I began my research 20+ years ago, I was the only one in my family that had any interest in researching our ancestors.

Over the years I have been contacted by numerous distant cousins and I myself have contacted distant cousins on varies lines, and without fail, I always have the most information.

Because I am very diligent in checking sources and I want copies of EVERYTHING I find, I am always happy to share what information and documents I have gathered.

I feel genealogy research should be a collaborative effort, why would I not share??  I have run across some researches who don't share their information and I think that is just plain silly.  It makes no sense to me.  If you have information someone else needs, why withhold that information?

Surnames Researched:
Green, Jenkins, Bestor, Stanley, Meyrick, Bolton, Lloyd, Hardman, Hostetler, Nilsdotter, Cyrier, Savoie, Chartier, Hubbard, Jewell, Massara, Comerford, Cunningham, Guiton, Kelly

Ancestral Locations:
Kankakee, Illinois
Boston, Massachusetts
Baltimore, Maryland
Fulton, Pennsylvania
Hardman, Oregon
Dayton, Washington
Montreal, Canada
Ludlow, England
Crickhowell, Wales
Onslunda, Sweden
Kilkinney, Ireland
Tipperary, Ireland
Italy
Connecticut
California
New York
Wisconsin

Meet The Parents -- Mom

My family history begins with my parents.  Without them, I wouldn't be here......go figure!

This is my mom.....Isn't she cute!

She was the first born child to my grandparents (I'll introduce them another day) and she was born on Sunday, 14 October 1945 in Waltham, Massachusetts.........9 months and 10 days after her parents were married.

As my Grandmother tells it, my mom was born after a lengthy labor, in which my grandmother was ultimatley sedated.  My Grandmother saw her new baby for the first time the next day and she recalls her first thoughts being........Who is this black haired child? (My grandmother is a redhead)  She couldn't imagine this dark-haired dark-eyed baby could possibly be hers! (Never mind my Grandfather is dark in coloring, and wasn't present for the birth because he was busy in the Pacific War Theater during a little thing now known as WWII)

My mom spent the first six months of her life living in Needham, Massachusetts with her mother and her grandparents.  My grandmother recalls laying my mom out in the sun for hours at time to "get some fresh are."  Nowadays, babies are smoothered in sunscreen and hidden in the shade.

When her father was discharged in 1946, he moved his little family to Houston, Texas while he attended college.  This is where they would remain for the next four years.  During this time my mom had two favorite activities.  Disappearing off to uncharted areas (aka climbing the fence in the back yard and visiting neighbors....some blocks away).

And playing in a washtub.

When my mom was 18 months old, her world changed...............she became a big sister for the first time.  Now, if you ask my mom, this was the most tramating event in her little life.  Due to the fact that my grandparents where in Houston, Texas, and all other relatives were in Massachusettes, my mom was sent to a Nunnery while my grandmother birthed her second child.  My mom would remain in the Nunnery for two weeks.  During her stay, my mom was not allowed a bottle, which at 18 months of age she was quite attached too.  In my moms opinion, this act has affected her entire life.  I suppose she's the only one who can decide that.

New Big Sister, Baby Sister and Daddy

After the birth of her sister, and upon my Grandfather's graduation, the family of 4 headed back to Massachusetts, settling in Nadick.  During the years they lived in Nadick, my mom became a sister two more times.  In 1955 they family of 6 moved to Middletown, New Jersey where they would remain until 1960.

Christmas 1955

During her childhood years my mom spent all her summers at The Cape (Cape Cod) at her grandparents beach house.  One of her most vivid memories is being on at The Cape with her Grandmother during  hurrican Hazel, while the rest of her family was back in Nadick.  She recalls the tremendous combined strength it took for her and her grandmother to close the french doors on the front porch.  She and her grandmother had to wait out a portion of the storm for her grandfather to arrive to bring them back to Nadick. She can still remember the burning sting of the sand as she and her grandmother ran to the car once her grandfather had arrived. 

The Cape

After a crazy drive through flooded cranberry bogs, they arrived in Needham and she had to spend the night at her grandparents.  She laid awake all night listening to the mantle clock chime each hour, as she scratched and scratched a horrible case of poison oak.

Sixth Grade

In the Summer of 1960, the family of 6 loaded up in a 1954 two-tone station wagon, and headed to their new home on the West Coast .  They took the entire summer to drive across the country stoppping in various locations along the way to visit family. 

The Station Wagon

Their route took them from New Jersey, to To New York, to Connecticut, across to Illinois.  Then meandering up and down the map moving forever onward to California.

In the Fall of 1960 the family of 6 had settled in Novato, California and my Mom had entered high school as a sophmore.  In September of that year she met my father.........during detention for skipping school!  At this point, I suppose I should confess...my mom was not the most obedient teenager, and really gave her parents a horrendous time.

Photo taken just after they arrived in California in 1960

In the Spring of 1961 this disobedient teenager told her parents she was going to a school dance.  She went to the dance....briefly.......then left with three other disobedient teenagers (my dad was not among them) and headed out on a joy ride.

While taking a turn from a narrow road onto a dirt road, the driver lost control and the car spun-out.  My mom, who had been riding in the backseat, sitting with her back against the door, was thrown from the car when the door unexpectadly opened and landed on her head suffering severe head trama. 

For the next month, my mom was in the intesive care unit of a large San Francisco hospital.  For the first two weeks she was in a coma and the doctors couldn't say for certain if she would live or die.  My Grandparents recall this time in 1961 with great reluctance and anger saying it was the worst time of their lives.  My Grandfather had called in a catholic priest and my mom was given her last rites.  That is how severly injured she was!

My mom has only scattered memories of her time in the hospital.  She recalls eating pudding, and she recalls my dad being one of her only non-family visitors.

By the fall of 1961 she had recovered from her accident and was in her Junior year of high school. The family of 6 was soon to be a family of 7............and unbenounced to my Grandparents, they would soon be grandparents for the very first time...................

Fall 1960 age 14





Tuesday Tip #1 -- Start with what you know

When anyone is about to undertake the task of researching their family history, the most important, and often over looked step, is to START WITH WHAT YOU KNOW.  I have run into so many newbies to genealogy research who have jumped this very crutial step in the genealogy process. when I tell them to go back and start with themselves I get a very puzzled look from them and a response of..." I know when and where I was born."  That's great, and obviously vital information to know about ones-self, BUT..........take the time to go back and look at YOUR OWN BIRTH CERTIFICATE, you can learn vital information about your parents such as their place of birth, their occupation at the time of your birth, their residence.  Each of these is a small clue to THEIR parents.

If you have your birth record, and even perhaps birth records of your own parents, start to compile all that information.  I recommend starting a Family Group Record, A Pedigree Chart, and An Idividual Research Log.

Family Group Record:

On this document you will write down all the information for your family........Start with you and your spouse, and your children.  Make another for your parents and your siblings, Make the next one for your grandparents and their children.  Each family unit will have their own record.

Pedigree Chart:

Start with yourself as person #1, and work back from you.

Individual Record Sheet:

Start a record sheet for every individual in your family tree.  This log will help you keep track of exactly what information you have for each individual and exactly what information you still need to find.  

All of these forms are crucial tools for any genealogist or family historian, professional and hobbiest alike.  I have created forms and you can download them for free for your personal use simply click on the image or on the highlighted link.

How It all Started

In the summer of 1991, I was newly graduated from high school, and was visiting my grandparents at their summer home in Tahoe Donner, California.  It was a short four day trip spent shopping, hiking, swimming and enjoy the beauty of the Sierra.

Accompanying me on the trip was my Mom, my Step dad, my sister and my boyfriend (who is now my husband).  Each day was spent adventuring and each night was spent sitting around the dining table deep in conversation.  Each night the discussions would inevitable lead to my grandparents reminiscing about their past and their parents.  I could sit for hours listening to them.  I soaked up the stories like a sponge. I was fascinated to learn my Grandfathers' own Grandfather, while in the office of Sheriff, arrested my Grandfathers' own deadbeat father for failure to pay child support.

As the weekend neared it's end, I asked my Grandfather to write out a family tree. 

Below is the very tree that started it all.....

When I arrived home from that trip, I made a beline to the local bookstore looking for "How To" books on tracing your genealogy. 

From that trip nearly 20 years ago, I have traced many lines of my ancestry hundreds of years back in time and am currently putting the final touches on a  family genealogy book to send off to the publisher for publication!! 

I will never consider my research finished.  It will always be a work in progress!  Follow me as I introduce my ancestors and discuss my genealogical journey, sharing all my triumphs and my pitfalls along the way.