Tag: genealogy
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 ...
Storytelling: Interpretations
Adding the dramatic effect When I read novels these days, I notice that the authors are writing their stories almost as if they are describing how they want it to look in a movie. With this in mind, I began to think about the “special effects” that could accompany some of the older letters I ...
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. ...
Full circle
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe Family reunion...of sorts Meeting up with a long lost cousin A year or so ago I found my step-cousin Milton on Ancestry. Receiving a response of any kind on that site often does not happen; I was pleasantly surprised when ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Malevolent Matriarch 