Tag: Orah Myrtle Smith
Storytelling: What might our ancestors’ health status reveal?
Great grandma, not such a mystery Proof is in the pudding I'd heard the stories. Most weren't wonderful. Orah was unkind, and while I wish dad was here to tell me more, he doesn't have to be. I have at my disposal the very best proof: great grandma's own words. What follows are excerpts from ...
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 ...
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 ...
Why “The Malevolent Matriarch?”
GREAT GRANDMA'S TONGUE WAS AS SHARP AS HER PENCIL. Afraid of no one, she let loose in hundreds of letters to daughter Bertha, sometimes twice a day. Her stern "disposition" intimidates (yet I adore that photo on the right. Notice her posture, her confidence. The hat and coat add to the "don't mess with me" ...
The Malevolent Matriarch 