William was my grandfather. I originally posted this short biography on my old website, more than ten years ago. I am finally getting around to adding it here. Birth and parents William Henry Yearnd was born ca 1883 in Howell Michigan. I have found no birth or baptism record. His birth and parentage is supported … Read more
My parents, James Austin Yearnd and Marjorie Helen Herrington, were married on this day in 1951. The wedding was held at my grandmother’s home, 703 E. Division, Cadillac, Michigan. The picture hanging in the wall on the right is hanging in my house today. It is an English water color, about 15 x 28 inches, … Read more
I have a bundle of things to do today, but I am barely treading water. The reason is that my father died on July 13, 1979, 31 years ago today. Somehow, that 31 years seems like a long time, but the events seem like they happened yesterday. James Austin Yearnd, Sr., 1927-1979 I remember the … Read more
When you wish to know or understand someone, it is helpful to consider what they think is important. When my Aunt Jane passed to a better place on 5 February 2002, I was called upon to clean out her apartment. There were other things I did, but cleaning out the apartment was the most difficult. … Read more
There are a host of professional genealogists who offer tips, shortcuts and tricks to make life easier for the rest of us. Along the way, each of us picks up tidbits of knowledge which help us survive, or at least become our own standard way of accomplishing tasks. Once in a while, when I feel … Read more
If you haven’t read about my search for my great-grandfather’s surname, you can find out more here, here, and here. After I found my grandfather’s family, I was thrilled, and did quite a few happy dances, visited the cemetery, got his will and every record available about him and his family in his hometown of … Read more
Javascript required. Made with WordItOut I used Word it Out to create this graphic which shows the surnames in my family. Somehow, just the names seem very incomplete, so here is a little more. The Johnstons and the Rapiers arrived in Huron County, Ontario from Scotland, where they married. Long and Myers arrived in Ontario, … Read more
You may or may not be familiar with the Blue Star Mothers, an organization of mothers of service members. I recently read the history of the Blue Star Mothers, and learned that the group was organized in Flint, Michigan. I am a Michigander, and finding the group’s Michigan connection made me proud. I saw the … Read more
Mother left us for a better place on June 6, 2007. I was fine for a while, and the not fine, and then fine. I rode the roller coaster of life and found joy in daily routine, family and friends, my garden and my genealogical research. A year ago today we buried her ashes at … Read more
This locket was given to me on Christmas, by my Aunt Jane Yearnd Devereaux. Aunt Jane was my father’s sister, her full name at birth was Margaret Jane Yearnd. This note which accompanied the locket describes three items, I will get to the others in later posts. Inside the locket Here is a larger photo … Read more