Tag: family history
The Women Who Created Our World, Part 1
A woman is like a tea bag — you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Credit where credit is due A legacy to be proud of In the end, I think we don’t give enough credit to the women who made us who we are, not ...
A journey from 1891-Post 4
Signature number four A fly on the wall My mom has two, gold trunks in her apartment, and both are filled with genealogical treasures. In late August, she found something in the bottom of the smaller trunk. It was an autograph book once belonging to my great, great, great grandparents Charles and Maria Smith. To ...
The Art of Successful Letter Writing
A Letter from an Ancestor By Susan Phelps “In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, we forget what an important part it used to play in people’s lives.” ~ Anatole Broyard On May 9, 1887, the Reverend Charles Smith sat down in his home in Plover, Wisconsin, to write a ...
Storytelling: Painting a main character
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.” ~ Sue Monk Kidd Storytelling is an important part of family history. Passing down stories about our lives and the lives of our ancestors makes history real. Characters make stories come to life. ...
Storytelling: Grandma and grandpa’s cabin
Stories of a family vacation spot Location, location, location After talking with my cousin Miltie, it occurred to me that another way to tell a family story is through memories of a shared vacation spot. From the time I was a little girl, I heard stories about "the cabin," or "hood canal," or just "the ...
A journey from 1891-Post 3
Installment number three A true gem. A few weeks ago my mother handed me an autograph book. It originated on my father's maternal side, the Smith family, who lived in Stevens Point, Wisconsin at the time of these writings. The book belonged to the Reverend Charles Smith and his wife Maria Polly Bixby Smith (below). ...
The song of family
"You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear." ~ Oscar Wilde Today I received something precious. My cousin Milton sent four photos I'd never seen. Have a look: From left: Bill Lawyer, Carol Sather, Rod Geier (dad), Margaret ...
Family history: Record using various methods
When writing is not your thing Think of your "go to" method to communicate When I began this blog, I was intently focused on the written form of ancestor stories. My goal is to teach my children about their past, and as a writer, making notes or creating a few short paragraphs is a piece ...
Trinkets & treasures
WHAT ABOUT THOSE HARD-TO-CATEGORIZE COLLECTIBLES? Inevitably, there are items that end up collecting dust. Some are hard to use in the present; a smaller, easier, or more versatile item has taken its place. Others will always collect dust. Still, there are ways to help your children learn how their ancestors lived. Can anyone guess the ...
Hard-to-find information
A cousin recently sent me an obit for the sister of my great, great grandfather. The sister's name was Ida Smith Seeber; her brother, my direct ancestor, was Alfred Josiah "Si" Smith. This is exactly the type of documentation I am looking for, the type I want to share here. Here's why. Si was the ...
The Malevolent Matriarch 