Category: Heirlooms
A journey from 1891-Post 5
Personal update I'm here Most of you know our family was hit with a devastating diagnosis this past year. My husband was diagnosed with brain cancer. That said, after two craniotomies, radiation together with low dose chemo, and now cycles of the highest dose of chemo, he is doing remarkably well. For this cancer, there ...
Letter #7: December 27, 1889
The series continues A letter from Josiah INTO IRONWOOD My mother found letters authored 129 years ago by my great, great grandfather, letters, in fact, partly responsible for the start of this blog. The author's daughter is our malevolent matriarch. Alfred Josiah "Si" Smith was his name and his family lived in Ironwood, Michigan. As ...
A journey from 1891
Discovering a treasure What are the chances? When one considers more than time, when we think about the journey--this book began in Stevens Pt., Wisconsin and now resides in Oregon--not simply the hands it passed through, the eyes that read its pages, or the thoughts that went into its making, but the risk of damage ...
Family history: Storytelling using grandma’s cookbook
Creating an ancestor profile using a book Tell a story with grandma's cookbook I began collecting cookbooks years ago, a habit for which my husband prefers I receive therapy. Or was that for hoarding fabric? Never mind! The point is, while I can say I have too many cookbooks, a few in my collection are ...
Storytelling: Let me count the ways
Think outside the box Start with communication When my children went to college, I soon discovered I would be contacted in one of three ways: my oldest called, my middle emailed, and the youngest sent texts. To this day, these are their preferred methods to communicate with me. Think about this: Maybe the oldest is ...
Document and photo preservation
Preserving old documents and photos Documents, papers, photos and more I wrote about preserving photos and other old documents in IN A PREVIOUS POST. This one, however, takes a closer look at materials currently recommended. Take a look at Susan's article to read tips and tricks for preserving your documents. While it can be expensive ...
Photos: Help identifying unknowns
Identifying unknowns The place for help with family photos Steps you take now may help in the identification of your photos. Where did you find the photo? Was it with the Smith collection or in the Butterfield tubs? Chances are, the person belongs to that family. File or label it accordingly. Have you tried to ...
A Butterfield Geier wedding story
Creating my grandparents' wedding story Using 1921 souvenirs Perhaps one of the most important stories I want to leave my children is the one about my paternal grandparents' wedding. I can't really say why. This is the grandma I knew best, the one I spent more time with, the one they'll never know; perhaps I ...
Grandaunt Bertha: Making a slideshow
Profiling when there is scant information Create a simple slideshow using what you have MEMORIES Dad used to say Bertha was a fabulous cook. I didn't have the pleasure of sitting at her dining table but once; however, I recall that visit. The year was 1980, and it was the only time I visited Aunt ...
Truth or fact: Honor guard or wounded soldier?
Separating truth from fact when reading old documents A matter of focusing on your goals When deciphering journals, diaries, or even census records, it's very important to keep in mind that someone's family story is their truth, which will be repeated as such. This does not mean it is factual. Perhaps a story or fact ...
The Malevolent Matriarch 