I found this photocopy of a letter written by Albert J. Silver to his sister, Nellie Cummings, in the archival collection of Ruth (Cummings) Sorofman. I don’t know the location of the original letter, if it even exists. I believe … Continue reading →
I keep reading old newspapers to learn how our ancestors dealt with their 1918 pandemic, the Spanish Flu. Here is a telling story from the October 22, 1918 edition of the Paris, Oxford County, Maine newspaper, the Oxford Democrat, which … Continue reading →
Social distancing, the need to wear masks, lockdowns, frontline workers – suddenly this has become routine. Not to mention daily death reports and illness totals. I am absolutely dumbfounded that we are living in such times. (Why I am dumbfounded … Continue reading →
In 1957, my father and mother packed their three children, into the back of the old Buick and headed west. They traveled from New Jersey to visit family in Utah and Arizona. It was quite a journey and I remember it well. (By the way, we never made a cross-country car trip again. My Mother denies all memory of the experience. And from then on, Dad put us on a plane, and if he drove, he drove alone.)
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4Family great-grandparents? Who were they? Joseph David Burbidge (1902-1966)1 & Moiselle Stoney (1908-1988).2 They were married on September 1, 1927, in Salt Lake City.3 Earl O. Cummings (1894-1972)4 & Nellie Frances Silver (1894-1975)5 They were married on September 4, 1915, … Continue reading →
Stories about our ancestors will also include monthly birthday remembrances. Although birthday celebrations differ between cultures and time periods, their importance to humanity is unquestioned. Just ask any eight-year-old. Or an Egyptian Pharoah, whose birthday was noted for the day … Continue reading →
Mary Ellen (Button) Gass and Charles W. Silver were both born in April. Mary Ellen was born 150 years ago this month and Charles W. Silver was born 185 years ago. From the Burbidge Family Mary Ellen (Button) Gass, a … Continue reading →
In the 1840s, McClaughry’s general store was a hub for community life in and around Fountain Green, Hancock County, Illinois. Our 4x great-grandfather, Cleon Elmer, lived in the area and sometimes shopped at the store. He made his first purchase … Continue reading →
I love the way my grandmother has her arm draped across Elmer’s shoulder. And, yes, the little girl picking her nose is me. Full disclosure! … Continue reading →
It’s been almost a year since I posted anything here. Can I blame retirement? I had planned a dive — deep and immediate into writing, blogging, researching. But discovered I needed to just float for a while. I needed to refocus … Continue reading →