The Church

My great-grandparents on my mother’s side lived in Hoosick Falls, Rensselaer County, New York for some portion of their married life, and are buried there. They appear on the 1880 census in Chatham, and in 1900 in Hoosick Falls, so they arrived in Hoosick Falls sometime between those dates.

They were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Hoosick Falls, and one of my goals on my trip to New York was to attend church in that building myself.

cornerstone

The Methodist and Presbyterian church joined together some years ago, and use the building as their home today; the congregation is called First United Church, Presbyterian.

The building is beautiful, and I noticed the heavy wooden doors my mother had remembered and told me about. I attended the service with my first cousin, once removed who lives in Hoosick Falls. She is a wonderful lady, who has been very gracious since I wrote her several years ago. She remembered my mother as a small child, and was the only person connected with that family who even knew who Mom was.

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My great-grandparents, Orlando William Palmer and Libbie Winn were the parents of five children, Nellie E., 1875-1890; Lillian S., 1878-1888; Edwin Ernest, 1884-1943; my grandmother, Helen Lois, 1891-1966; and her twin, Hazel Sarah, 1891-1947. A window in the church honors Lillian, and I especially wanted to see that again.

lillians window

My visit to the church was a reminder that we do stand on the shoulders of those who come before, and a concrete reminder that they were here on this earth. It is especially meaningful to me, since I never met any of my mother’s family until I found the cousin I mentioned.

Treasure Chest Thursday — Aunt Jane’s Treasures

This entry is part 9 of 9 in the series Treasures and Curiosities

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. We had visited her there for nearly twelve years, holiday after holiday, so the place was familiar. I had also stayed in the apartment for a couple of nights when Aunt Jane was in the nursing portion of the facility.

Margaret Jane Yearnd was born on 29 January 1910 in Cadillac, Michigan. Her parents were William H. Yearnd, Sr., and Winnie Alice Kaiser. Aunt Jane graduated from Cadillac High School, and received a AB degree in social work from the University of Michigan in 1931.  She married Leo Edward Joseph Devereaux on 25 December 1931. Concern for others was the hallmark of Aunt Jane’s life.

When Jane  was eventually forced to relocate to a small retirement apartment, she did not save too much. What I did find tells a lot about the who Jane was.

Hidden away in the place I keep all my most important things, a top bureau drawer was Jane’s master’s degree from the University of Michigan. She earned the degree in 1943, I can only imagine the difficulty of study and full time work, while worrying about her soldier husband.

yearnd devereaux jane masters degree

yearnd devereaux jane masters

Next, I found some remnants of Aunt Jane’s volunteer efforts at a sheltered workshop in Paris, Michigan. I know she drove there from her Evart, Michigan retirement home each week, but had not been aware how important that activity was to her. As soon as I saw it, it remembered; one of Aunt Jane’s jobs was slaving over a hot grill on cook-out days.  She had saved a remodeled fast food crown to remember her time there.

yearnd devereaux jane hdq

The organization had honored her, also. There is an inside joke here, we will never know the whole story. I do the staff at MOARC treasured and cared for Jane.
yearnd jane devereaux moarc

Old habits live on, and Aunt Jane was a person who lived a life of service to others. Even with her sight problems, she found ways to help during her time at the retirement home. We usually visited Jane on Sunday, but if we made a Saturday trip, we were cautioned to arrive after 11:30. During the morning, Aunt Jane was busy helping with bingo and other games in the facilities health center.
yearnd devereaux jane fv vol

Jane Devereaux
Friendship Village Heath Center
May, 1994

Elizabeth Laurence Longstreet

This entry is part 59 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

I received a comment on on on my cemetery posts recently. The writer wondered about the burial of Elzabeth Longstreet. Elizabeth or Elisabeth Laurence, was the wife of Henry Longstreet; they were the parents Harmon Henry Longstreet, second husband of Papa’s ancestor, Susie Melissa Burdick. Her death record on the Seeking Michigan website give the spelling as Elisabeth, but most early census records use the more conventional Elizabeth.

Although I had never heard the cemetery referred to as Dahuff cemetery, the sign said “Dahuff” and “Meauwataka”. A lake just around the corner from the cemetery is “Dahuff Lake”, and some early settlers with the surname Dahuff are buried in the cemetery.

Since Papa and I were already in the area, we scouted around, looking for evidence of her burial. longstreet george

We found a marker on a morning trip, but even high tech manipulation left the image difficult to read.longstreet henry laurence elizabeth cem 1

A trip later in the day revealed that the headstone we found did indeed mark the grave of Henry and Elizabeth Longstreet.

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Henry Longstreet
BORN
Mar 29, 1823
DIED
June 13, 1894
____________
Elizabeth Longstreet
BORN
Aug 19, 1821
DIED
Sep 10, 1903

Treasure Chest Thursday – Aunt Bertha’s Tray

This entry is part 8 of 9 in the series Treasures and Curiosities

I have had this hammered aluminum tray for a number of years. Aunt Jane, my Dad’s sister gave it to me, along with a story.

aunt berthas tray

Aunt Jane said that Bertha went to some classes and made the tray. That is an interesting story, I wish I knew if it was true. There is no mark or emblem of any kind on the tray, which is just over twenty-one inches in diameter.

. Bertha Elizabeth Kaiser was born 21 February 1893 in Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan and died there on 11 June 1981. She was my grandmother’s half sister, the daughter of William Kaiser and his second wife, Delia Conway. Bertha married Henry Cornwell Ballou on 10 August 1916 and the couple lived in Cadillac and Detroit.

When I knew Aunt Bertha she was a widow, and in my child’s eye, a typical older lady. When Papa and I decided to marry, she had us to lunch one day. At that time, she would have been seventy-six years old. No wonder I can’t imagine her taking a class and hammering out an aluminum tray!

I wonder if the B stood for Ballou, or for Bertha?

Troy Irish Genealogy Society

Last week when I was out in New York, I enjoyed a dinner meeting of the Troy Irish Genealogy Society. Why, you ask, would I traipse off to a meeting, when I am not a member, and do not know a soul?

It comes down to the TIGS website. Well, perhaps it is the information they *post* on their website. Click on over there, and take a look at the “Projects” page. Look at the transcriptions done by the Society.

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There are many, and they are useful. Especially useful is the Rensselaer County Marriage Index, and I found some members of my family in that.

The collective knowledge of the group and their research experience in the area really shine on the “Resources” page. One of special interest to me was the link titled “Troy Genealogy Research Tips”. This was a great place for me to get familiar with the area, and see what was available.

Another great resource is a two page document written by Donna Vaughan, access able from the “Resources” page. Information on how or where to access information on your New York ancestors is clearly described and linked in the document.

I enjoyed the dinner, and was happy to meet an enthusiastic group of genealogists focused on helping other researchers. If I happen to be out that way again on a meeting day, I will be joining them again, it was a great restaurant. My only question, why does the Irish Genealogy Society meet at an Italian restaurant?

Do you know of a genealogy society that is remarkable in some way? Who are they, and what makes them special?

A Little About Mable Dickinson

This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Winnie Kaiser Yearnd Funeral Register

I arrived home with big plans to get things done. You all know about that, I think. I wanted to enter all my data, transcribe all I found, enter correct sources, and see if I could reach any conclusions.

By the time Papa and I had emptied the car, I collapsed and fell asleep. Sunday, I did the wash, and we mowed the lawn. Now it is Monday. So much for getting everything done quickly.

Today, I am looking at the information I have for Mable Dickinson, of Brooklyn, New York. My mother said Mable was a lady that took in children. OK, so why am I interested a lady that did foster care in 1930’s in New York? My mother was raised in foster care, and had very little memory of her family. Mable Dickinson was the only name Mom ever gave me when I asked about care givers or foster parents.

A while back, I investigated the address Mom gave me, using an old photo and Google Maps Street View.

Last week, one resource I had looked forward to was the Brooklyn, New York City Directories and phone books. It did not take me too long to find Miss Mable B. Dickinson, residing at 256 Decatur, Brooklyn. She appeared in the phone books for the years 1939-1946, always at 256 Decatur, and always with a phone number of JE fferson 3-7551. Miss Dickinson was not listed in 1938, nor in 1947, 1948 or 1949.

dickinson mable 1943-4 brooklyn ny phone book

Some people have noted that using a camera to capture something on a microfilm machine is tricky. When I find an item of interest, I take a picture of the page number, then one of the actual listing. In many cases, I also take a photo of the source information, in this case, it was a microfilm. It took me just a minute to crop, copy and paste, fatten the image and save it with a new name. I have one of these for each year I found Mable B. Dickinson in Brooklyn, this on is from the 1943-44 directory. If a microfilm contains a will or deed that I need to transcribe, I photograph the entire page, if possible. Even if that is possible, I also start at the top of each page and take a series of photos from top to bottom. I never use a flash to photograph a microfilm, and rarely use one to photograph a book.

There is not much in the way of a conclusion to draw from all this. I have resolved the information I have about Mom and Miss Dickinson as follows:

  1. There is a photo of Mom and a young man standing outside of a house with the number 256.
  2. Mom told me the address of her Brooklyn home was 256 Decatur and said the name of her care giver was Mable Dickinson.
  3. It is possible to find the house at 256 Decatur today, and it looks similar.
  4. Mable B. Dickinson lived at that address at least from 1939 to 1946.
  5. Mother was in the care of non-related adults after 1931.
  6. Mom filled out a Social Security card application on 22 April 1943, she home address was given as: 256 Decatur, Brooklyn, New York.

My conclusion is that Mom was correct in her memory of living with Miss Mable Dickinson in Brooklyn, NY

Mom lied about her birth year on the Social Security application, saying 1924, although she was born in 1926. She said she was working for “Northeast Waite Tower Sys. Inc”, located at 418 W 42 St, New York, NY. She gave her home address as: 256 Decatur St, Brooklyn, New York.

I sure wish I could call that phone number and find out a little more about Mom’s childhood. Like a lot of us, she kept much to herself, and didn’t share very much about her childhood.

Apple and I

I am in recovery, after a great trip to New York. On my way home Saturday, I has a breakfast with the famous Apple, of Apple’s Tree and The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree, and her better half. It was great to meet Apple after years of reading her posts, and absorbing some of her perspective on genealogy and life in general.

Since Apple is dealing with an aging parent, and I have recently done just that; and since I have a bunion which really should be fixed, and she recently had foot surgery; and especially since we both have children and grandchildren that we love and worry about, we have a lot in common. Apple also writes frequently about her Michigan ancestors; I find that very interesting.

During the meal, I wished that I didn’t have to drive 9 more hours to get home, and that I could stay just a little longer. Apple is still recovering from her foot surgery, but seem to be on the upswing now. She thought she might be able to walk again in about a week, wonderful news. After breakfast we took a few pictures, John did the honors. Apple was kind enough to give me some flowers for my flower bed. I found a nice home for them in the bed on the south side of my home. It will be great to see them growing here next spring.

apple and me small
It is nice to know we are both protected from cataracts by those lovely lenses, too.

I am already looking forward to Apple’s next Michigan trip, or perhaps my next New York trip, whichever comes first!

Funeral Card Friday – Alfred John Jenkins

I am sharing funeral cards on Friday, following a Facebook meme which you an see here.

Alfred John Jenkins funeral card

Alfred Jenkins was a son of William John Jenkins and Mary Eliza Fenton. Mary was Papa’s grand aunt, sister of his grandpa, Ross P. Fenton. Alfred was Papa’s first cousin once removed.

Treasure Chest Thursday – Follett Hoe

This entry is part 7 of 9 in the series Treasures and Curiosities

For years, M-in-L has used a nice little hoe with a triangle shape and a sharp point. She has always called it her “Follett Hoe”. A man named Follett lived near M-in-L’s family; he was the maker of the hoe. You can see his name on the Colfax township plat map, look next the the land outlined in red, he lived to the west of that place.

I never paid much attention to the hoe, but recently all that changed. Papa and I went down to Lehman’s hardware to shop and see the sights. Somewhere in that huge store we saw a hoe just like M-in-L’s. The photo and description on Lehman’s site pretty well tell the tale. The Follett hoe was made from a sickle bar tooth; something I never knew. It had been sharpened down real small.

Papa has been making all kinds of things in the past few years, and I guess the vision of the hoe stuck. A few weeks later he had made two of the wonderful hoes, one for me and one for his mother. Here is mine:

hoe

This baby is sharp, really sharp. The tooth is a little muddy, but you can see how sharp the point in this close-up.

point

This thing cuts roots like a champ, I will be putting it to good use for the summer. I know you are jealous and probably want one of these now; if you don’t you would as soon as you used it once. I do not have the blueprint, but I can tell you what Papa said he did. He went to the store and bought some sickle bar mower teeth, they are replacements parts and are available at places that carry the mowers. Then he bought a couple of cheap hoes, cut the blades off them and welded the tooth on in its place. It seems simple to me, but I have never run the welder.

Hats off the Mr. Follett, the originator of the idea in our neck of the woods, and to the smart fellow who is making them for Layman’s hardware!

On My Way

I am on my way to New York this morning. In honor of the trip, I wanted to explain some of what I am taking, and why. I will skip the clothing, except to say that I brought layered things, comfortable shoes, an umbrella, and a couple of warm jackets. It is all in one suitcase, I learned to travel light when I was working and flying every week.

Now the traveling light thing goes out the window. Since this trip is based on genealogical research, I packed with that in mind. My not-so-brief (thank goodness it has wheels) case contains:

  1. Magnifying glass, computer glasses
  2. Pencils, pens, notepads, index cards
  3. Notebook with:
    1. Family group sheets
    2. Maps of each location I intend to research
    3. List of individuals by location, showing what events took place in that location
    4. List of research locations, including address, phone, fax and hours they are open. Yes, I called ahead.
  4. Camera, extra data cards, battery charger
  5. Laptop, cord, small mouse, small surge suppresser, cute USB cord
  6. Portable scanner
  7. Computer lock
  8. Extension cord
  9. iPhone with GedView and my gedcom loaded, a pdf reader app and pdf family group sheets and lists, address book, clock, GPS, camera, dictionary app, Dragon Dictation, music, games, Facebook, Google including maps, WordPress– well, almost everything. If I didn’t really need to type on a real keyboard and see a bigger screen, I would not need the laptop.
  10. Lifesavers
  11. Change for copies
  12. More stuff you don’t need to hear about

not so briefcute interface

My cemetery kit contains:

  1. Trowel
  2. Spray bottle
  3. Gloves
  4. Flashlight
  5. Tin foil
  6. Old shoes
  7. Mirror
  8. Paintbrush
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I have a cooler, but it is mostly empty. By the time you read this I will have crossed the US/Canada border and I wanted to minimize the potential for problems. It is just easier to buy food in New York. I have an electric frying pan, a small electric tea kettle, an empty water bottle, laundry soap and dryer sheets, and our travel kitchen bag with paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, a can opener, my prescriptions and vitamins, garbage bags, baby wipes, hand sanitizer and empty plastic foot storage bags. I also have a small reusable lunch cooler bag. Papa and I do not often eat in restaurants, and I won’t be doing so too often on this trip.

If you think I forgot something, it is too late to help me. Luckily, I know there are stores in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts, and those are the places I will be visiting.

The most important thing is something I am not carrying with me, my Google Map. I constructed a map with all the landmarks and research locations marked. Each marker has the phone, hours and other details about the place. I hope between the iPhone and the map I will get to the places I consider most important and accomplish as much as possible.