Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wordless Wednesday Sister and Me in Texas


Almost wordless Wednesday... here is a picture of my sister Mary and me in Texas.

Taken June 22, 1952

My sister is on the right side with the natural dark curly hair

and I am a blond with not natural curls.
Thanks for stopping by... Grace

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday Remembering My Great Great Great Great Grandfather Michael Cossell




Michael Cossell
died Aug 9 1847
72 years
This burial located in Cossell Cemetery
Monument moved May 1 1964

Michael is my great great great great grandfather.
He was born January 14 1763
Augusta , Washington county, Virginia to Abraham and Martha Bessie ( Flinner ) Cassell
Michael married Mary Fleenor before 1799 and had eleven children.
died Charlestone Cole, Illinois.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Gratitude Story


It is Saturday night and time for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.. tonight we are to tell a story of gratitude.

Randy Seaver has given us this mission, should you accept it, is to: * Read Megan Smolenyak's article 120 Years of Smolenyaks in America: A Note of Gratitude from a Great-Granddaughter* Do you have an ancestor like Megan's great-grandfather that was the first one to come to America (or your present country of residence) that you would like to thank?* If so, tell us about that ancestor - and why you are thankful for their effort.* Write your own blog post, or leave a comment on this post, or on the Facebook entry for this post.

The person I want to thank is my great grandmother Catherine Gallaher/ Gallagher. She went through struggles in the 1890's that must of been very hard for a woman of that time. She held strong to her beliefs and because of her we are the family we are.

Thank you great grandmother Catherine, I wish I had known you.

Planning A Trip to Our Ancestor's Home Tips

I have been enjoying the TV show . Who Do You Think You Are?Have you been able to catch it yet.
Today's email from http://www.ancestry.com/ gave me an article on tips for a road trip to ancestor's home.
Great ideas and I hope to do some traveling this summer as we head home to Minnesota to visit the kids and grandchildren.
Here is what was on http://www.ancestry.com/

Be sure to pack the following tips when you visit your ancestor’s home so you can hit the ground running when you arrive.

Before You Leave:
Jot down addresses.
Use city directories and street addresses from census records (you’ll find these in the left-hand margin in 1880 and beyond) at Ancestry.com.

Copy photos.
Look through the Ancestry.com postcard, newspaper, and yearbook collections to add to the collection of photos of the neighborhood you already have.

Get oriented.
Pull up a map online or select the town name from your ancestor’s profile in your Ancestry.com family tree. Use street views, when available, so you can see what the street looks like now – and when you get there. Keep in mind that street names and numbering may have changed over the years. Local libraries, historical societies, and municipalities may have this information. For example, the Chicago Historical Society has posted street address conversion guides from 1909 and 1911 here. City directories can also contain this information.

In Person:
Find an expert. Visit the local library, visitors’ bureau, or historical society to ask questions about the neighborhood. See if historic tours are available.

Learn what’s available.
If finding in-person records are your goal, ask about what’s available at the library and the historical society. Visit the county courthouse to search for land and probate records.

Take in everything.
Use your camera to recreate scenes from the old family photos you brought along. Follow the paths your ancestor would have taken to school, to church, to work.

Get the real story.
Stop by the local diner, sit at the counter, and start asking questions about what life used to be like there. Name drop – someone might have known your family.

Make notes.
Pack a diary or start a blog (where you can also upload photos) and write about your experience. Note who you met, what you saw, and where you went. You’ll want to revisit everything when you return home.

Pinpoint answers.
Snap photos at the cemetery of your ancestors’ tombstones and other ones you might find interesting (maybe you’ll discover you’re related one day your family is connected to them, too). Have a GPS phone, camera, or other device? Jot down GPS coordinates of the places you’d like to visit again.

Great ideas to keep in mind if a trip is planned in the near future.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Time Line Thursday on Great Grandmother Mabel Hall Coleman


For Time Line Thursday I have begun a time line on one of my paternal great grandmothers. I would like you to meet Mabel Coleman. As I learn more about her I will be adding to her timeline. For now this is what I have learned so far.


Time line for Mabel Jane (Coleman ) Hall ..picture of Mabel and John with daughters Mae, Alta and Pearl

1872 01 July Mabel is born to John Henry and Alta Angeline ( Cheuvront ) Coleman at Greenwood Nebraska
1873 01 September Paternal Grandfather, Elic Chalker Coleman passes away in Salt Creek , Cass, Nebraska
1880 Census living in Salt Creek Nebraska with mother, father sisters Myrtle and Mary and brothers Elic and Elmer.
1884 01 December Paternal grandmother Catherine ( Beiler) Coleman passes away Greenwood Cass Nebraska
1891 28 August married Arthur Reynolds Hall at the age of 19 in Denver, Colorado
1892 26 June daughter Alta Louise is born in Evansville, Wisconsin
1893 to about 1897 family is living in Chicago, Illinois.
1895 25 July daughter Mae Bell is born in Chicago, Illinois
1896 maternal grandfather Lemuel Cheuvront passes away in Geneva. Fillmore, Colorado
1900 census has Mabel, Arthur, Alta and Mae Bell living in Straton Township, Filmore , Nebraska.
1901 11 April daughter Pearl Myrtle is born in Geneva, Nebraska
1904 maternal grandmother Mary (Rouse) Cheuvront passes away in Taylor Loup , Nebraska
1910 census has family living in Taylor Loup, Nebraska
1913 11 June daughter Alta marries Perry Zion in Taylor, Nebraska
1914 23 August daughter Alta has first child naming him John
1914 03 September daughter Mae Bell marries George Strum
1917 daughter Mae has son naming him Ray
1918 03 July daughter Alta has second son naming him George
1919 19 September husband Arthur passes away while visiting daughter Alta in Craig, Colorado
1920 census Mabel is living in Taylor Loup, Nebraska in the home of her father John and mother Alta along with daughter Pearl.
1920 October 30 daughter Mae has a girl naming her Idella who was born in Crawford, Nebraska
1921 30 April daughter Alta has twins a girl named Alice and a boy naming him Arthur ( my daddy)
1922 20 September Mabel’s father John passes away in Tayor, Loup, Nebraska
1922 29th December daughter Alta has a son named Joe
1924 18 June daughter Pearl marries Frank Sauer
1925 daughter Pearl has first child, a daughter Mabel
1927 Pearl has second child a son named Vance
1930 Pearl has another son naming him Vernon
1930 census has Mabel living in Custer, South Dakota
1931 Pearl has twins Betty and Bobby, son bobby passes away that year
1934 Pearl has son Garold who passes away the same year
1935 Pearl has son Wayne
1937 28th September Mabel’s mother Alta passes away at Taylor Loup , Nebraska
1944 February 21 daughter Alta passes away of cancer in Winlock Washington
1946 14 March Mabel passes away in Arkansas. She is buried in the Dawes Cemetery, Greenwood Nebraska next to husband Arthur.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

March is Women's History Month ... Meet The Women In My Life # 3


March is Women's History Month ... Meet The Women In My Life # 3
This is my great aunt Pearl (Hall ) Sauer. Pictured with her is Johnnie Zion and the baby is Mary Sturm .
Pearl is the sister of my grandma Alta and baby Johnnie is Alta's son. My father identified the baby as Mary Sturm , so this would be Pearl's sister Mae daughter.
The back of the photo says that Johnnie is 19 months 5 days , Pearl is 15 years and Mary is 5 weeks. This picture would of been taken March 28 1915 using Johnnie's birthday as a time line.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sentimental Sunday Mama and Me


Mama and me .. mid 1949 Texas

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 7 & 8

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 7 and 8 ...I am still going through my note book and organizing with new tabs labeled with family names.
Week 6 was seeing if these family names were in my family program. I have more catching up to do and this will be a on going project as will my notebook organizing.

This week is to take those piles of photos and put into manila envelopes which are clearly labeled DO NOT THROW OUT... PRECIOUS PHOTOS and label which ever catagory you select.
These can be organized by family , or years or what ever you choose.

So for week 7 I will clear off my work table of photos, label my envelopes with family names and dates. To continue buying more dividers with tabs and continuing to work on seeing what of my family names and information is not in my family tree program.

Week 8 Subscribe to free email genealogy newsletters for your surnames or locality where your ancestors lived. For ideas go to http://www.cyndislist.com/rootsl.htm

Have a great week .. Grace

March is Women's History Month ... Meet The Women In My Life # 2


March is Women's History Month ... Meet The Women In My Life # 2. This a beautiful wedding photo of my great aunt Bridget (Gallaher / Gallagher ) Mickschls. She married Jacob in La Crosse, Wisconsin November 13,1894.

Bridget was born March 12, 1869 to Patrick and Johanna ( Riordan ) Gallaher/ Gallagher in LaCrosse Wisconsin.

Jacob and Bridget had 6 children, Mary Catherine 1896, Katherine A 1897, Rose Ella 1899, Jacob 1901, Browd 1904 and Christina 1909.

Bridget passed away in LaCrosse Wisconsin March 12, 1869.
I know very little about Bridget but I do have several photos of her with my great grandmother Katherine in my collection of family photos.
I have had contact with another family member who is the great granddaughter of Bridget. Hopefully I will maybe find out a little more about Bridget from her.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

March is Women's History Month ... Meet The Women In My Life # 1



I was reading a posting at Shades Of The Departed about March being Women's History Month and thought that this would be a wonderful subject for postings. I will be posting some pictures of the women in my life during March.

Number one woman in my life is my mother. My aunt Daisy was probably number two.
Mama was sweet, gentle and loving. She was always there for me from the time I was born until her last days. She never let her handicap come into the way of being involved in our school and church lives.
My Aunt Daisy took us girls ( my sister and cousin ) places where mama could not. We went to the fair and to Minneapolis on the train every year. She was always there for me and so she deserves to be here in my first posting along with mama for Women in History... My history at least.

This picture is of my mother and my aunt Daisy. It was taken in Minnesota probably Olgivee. My mother looks to be a young teenager so that would make this picture taken some where in the mid 1930's. Aunt Daisy would be in her early twenties at this time.

I love the curl in the middle of Daisy's forhead and the big bow on mama's dress.

Mama got polio in the early 1950's while we were living in Texas. That is why aunt Daisy was so close to us girls, helping to take care of us and spending time with us. Aunt Daisy never married and always called us kids her kids.

Hope that you enjoyed learning a little more about mama and my Aunt Daisy.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Remembering My Family This Week

This is a very quiet week for family happenings.

February 28th is one of the hardest days for me. My sweet mother left us in 1998. She was a blessing for all of us to know and I miss her so much.

March 2nd my great x 11 Casper Henckel passed away in 1651. He was born in 1576 in Allendorf Lumda, Oberhesser Hessen darmstadt Germany and passed away same place. This line did not come to the United States till the early 1700's. First ancestor to be in the US and die in the US was Rev. Anthony 2 Jacob Henckel . He would be my great grandfather x8. He and his wife lived and died in Germantown Pennsylvania.

Thanks For Stopping By.. Grace

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 6

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 6.. Little behind on these posts. My work is getting in the way with the things I enjoy one is blogging and another is my family research.
I am still working on organizing my family notebooks and buying more and more tabs with dividers and getting everything looking nice. As I do this I spot more relatives that I have not spent any time with. So much to do and to look forward to learning.
This week we are going through those notebooks and starting to see if they are in our family program. Is their information been entered.
This is of course an on going process and hopefully once I get myself organized I will keep up with it.

Hope that you are enjoying your family research a hidden treasure.. Grace

 I am nowhere  done searching for my roots. For my missing family members.  So many to fine so little time.  This has been a hard few years ...