Heirloom Preservation ~ How do you preserve them? Here's one way .......

 

 What qualifies as an heirloom?

Like "beauty" the definition of an heirloom is arguably somewhat subjective.  Technically, a valuable object that has belonged to a family for one or more generations, is an heirloom.

I know that most of you probably have items that have been handed down to you from your parents, grandparents and great grandparents.  Whether it’s a desk, a set of spoons, a ceramic rooster, a photo album or whatever, these items usually have sentimental meaning to us.

Enter today’s culture and the current thinking that if things aren’t new, they aren’t worth anything. This is what I’ve learned from talking to nieces, nephews, grandchildren and others of a younger generation.

Granted, when we were younger we too were anxious for the latest and greatest.  We didn’t spend much time worrying about an item that might have been passed down from previous generations. 

But, as we got older and perhaps wiser, our thinking changed.  I have to admit though, that I’ve always been a fan of anything historic and was inclined to keep older items.

Do you have a plan for ensuring or at least trying to ensure that those historical family items aren’t thrown in the trash or given as donations?

My plan is to take photos of the items, enter the information about the item on an “Heirloom Card” and then create a digital scrapbook page.  Then I will print the pages and have them included with my will/trust.  I will also label the items as best I can so that someone might find out who they’d belonged to before me.

Here is the blank Heirloom Card created in a Word document. From here I change the colors of the background and add pertinent information, then crop the page as needed.

And here are 3 pages I’ve created so far.  These are all items that came from my paternal grandmother, Marie Lindsay Gould.

TIP - In order to add each item to that memory card, I wanted to remove any background and create a png image.  I use a website called remove.bg for that purpose. Just a simple removal of the background and download of the item is free.

I have several more items from my maternal grandmother and even one item from a great grandmother.

•  What are your thoughts on this subject?
•   Do you have a plan?  I’d love to hear about it.

   Happy Hunting,

   Michigan Girl

If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Copyright ©  2010-2024   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

TUESDAY'S TREASURES ~ What have I turned up during packing and unpacking?

There’s been a LOT of boxes packed and unpacked during our move from California to Montana. 

We had lived in our home in CA for 28 years. There were boxes in the garage that had been moved from our previous home together, my previous home before our marriage and Ron’s previous home.

Items that hadn’t been seen in decades.

One of the very best things for me, is finding photos I either hadn’t seen or don’t remember.

Here’s a blast from the past – circa 1970s to early 1980s

Left - Florence Bowden Milne - my maternal grandmother
Right - from L-R - Patricia Milne-my mother, Florence Milne-my grandmother,  me, Joan Milne-my Aunt

Left - Patricia Milne in the purple blouse and her sister Joan Milne in the sunglasses
Right - Me and My Mom at Disneyland

Left - Me playing my new piano    Right - My grandmother, Florence Milne's desk

To my knowledge those are the only photos in existence with my mother, Patricia Milne Gould Cornelius and her sister Joan Milne Morrison, as adults. Sadly, they were never close and did not stay in touch after 1957.  However, on this occasion I believe that my Aunt Joan traveled to Houston to visit their mother, Florence Milne (also shown in the photos).

I’m particularly pleased to have that shot of all four of us standing together. I had moved to Houston to live with my mother and stepfather in Dec 1972 and stayed until June 1974, when I returned to San Diego, CA.

I had always wanted to play the piano as a young girl.  When I was about 10 years old my parents rented a piano for a short while and I began taking lessons.  This photo of me is about 1980 when I purchased a beautiful Emerson upright grand piano and began taking lessons again.

The desk you see in the photo belonged to my maternal grandmother Florence Milne (shown in these photos) and is seen here in my mother’s home. That same desk sits directly behind me as I type this blog post.  It is a treasured possession.

These are just a small sample of what’s turned up during this moving process.  At this point I’m wondering if I will ever get through it all.  Will I ever get everything scanned?  It’s a big job, but I will try to tackle it a little at a time.

I’d love to hear about your finds if you’ve moved or acquired items from a loved one who’s gone now. 

If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2024   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

WEDDING WEDNESDAY ~ Divorces? How many of my ancestor couples divorced prior to 1900?

 

Today instead of concentrating on a marriage record, I thought I would find out how many couples in my database/tree were divorced overall and how many before 1900?

I know my own parents were, and my Dad also had a first wife, prior to my Mom. 

Divorce wasn’t always as common as it is today.  I don’t believe it was that couples didn’t have issues, I think it was just handled differently.  They could live apart or they would stay together and continue being miserable.

We have to remember that prior to 1900, women couldn’t own property, most had no means of support.  And shockingly, if they became widows or did divorce, they couldn’t even be guardians of their own children.

As a reference point here is a list of women’s rights, from 1769-1900:¹

1769 — The early American colonies base their laws on the English common law, which said, “By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in the law. The very being and legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated into that of her husband under whose wing and protection she performs everything.”

1777 — All states pass laws taking away women’s right to vote.

1833 — Oberlin College is founded as the first co-educational institution that accepts women and African Americans.

1848 — At Seneca Falls, 300 women and men sign the Declaration of Sentiments, a plea for the end of discrimination against women.

1848 — New York passes the Married Woman’s Property Act. For the first time, a woman isn’t automatically liable for her husband’s debts; she could enter contracts on her own; she could collect rents or receive an inheritance in her own right; she could file a lawsuit on her own behalf. She became for economic purposes, an individual.

1870 — The 15th Amendment is ratified, saying, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” African-Americans may vote now, but women may not.

1872 — Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman to run for U.S. President. She receives few votes.

1890 — Wyoming becomes the first state to grant women the right to vote in its state elections.

1900 — By now, every state has passed legislation modeled after New York’s Married Women’s Property Act (1848), granting married women some control over their property and earnings.

Back to my subject –

·       How many divorces are recorded in my Legacy database? 108

·       How many of those divorces took place prior to 1900? 5

To find these figures using Legacy, I used Find>Detailed Search and then entered the parameters I needed.  You’ve all seen me do these kinds of searches numerous times.

Of the 5 couples who divorced these are the dates I have.

1863, 1865, 1874, circa 1880-1885 and 1899

I have 1786 Individuals or 893 couples who have a recorded marriage date in my tree, prior to 1900.

That’s a lot of marriages and only 5 divorces.  I suspect there are many stories we do not and never will know.

Are you curious how many of your ancestors divorced?

Let me know if you ran a similar report with your software and what the results were.

Source: 1 – History of Women’s Rights in America

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2024   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

HERE IT IS - My first post since December of last year

It’s been months since I’ve written a blog post.  As many of you may know, we moved from CA to Montana.  The move hasn’t been easy for 2 senior citizens, but we are now settled.

Thank you to all the readers who have been patient with me and are still planning on reading my posts.

Let’s see if I can get my rhythm back and start telling those family stories once again.  Are there more cousins out there? I hope so.

During the move I’ve located many photos and documents that had been in boxes for years.  Some of those I will be sharing with you.

Let’s get this show on the road. Stay tuned.

Here’s a few photos of me and my hubby, Ron and our dog Libby. The Bitterroot River runs all through our valley here and there are so many beautiful places to walk.  Not to mention the mountain hikes.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2024   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

SUNDAY’S OBITUARY ~ Helen Marion Lindhorst 1916-1994

Published in The Belleville News-Democrat (Illinois) 24 Jan 1994, page 10

Helen Marion Lindhorst is my maternal 1^st cousin twice removed.  She is the only known descendant of my maternal grand uncle Raphael (aka Ralph) Hunter.  Ralph had 8 siblings, seven sisters and one brother.  I’ve researched this family for many years.  I have photos of six of the seven sisters, but not a single one of Ralph or his brother Clyde.  I’m ever hopeful that someday I will find a distant cousin with family photos.  This is why I write blog posts about cousins that may be once, twice or three times removed.  Do they have descendants out there?  If so, perhaps my blog posts will encourage them to contact me.

I have transcribed Helen’s obituary which was published in The Belleville News-Democrat (Illinois) on 24 Jan 1994, page 10.

Helen Marion Lindhorst, nee Hunter, 77, of Dupo, Ill., born Oct 27, 1916, in St. Louis, Mo., died Sunday, Jan 23, 1994 at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, Ill.

Mrs. Lindhorst was a member of First Baptist Church of Dupo, Dupo, Ill., and V. F. W. Auxiliary Post 6368 in Dupo, Ill.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Lucy nee Siler, Hunter; a son, Carl Edwin Lindhorst and a sister, Elsie Beal.

Surviving are her husband, Edwin E. Lindhorst of Dupo, Ill.; a son and daughter-in-law, Col. Joseph R. and Judy Lindhorst of Freeburg, Ill.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan 26 at Dashner Funeral Home in Dupo, Ill., with the Rev. Darrell Atkins officiating.  Burial will be in Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery, Columbia, Ill.

Friends may call from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 8:30 a.m. until the time of service Wednesday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Dupo, Dupo, Ill.

Helen’s mother Lucy was married prior to her marriage to Ralph Hunter and had a son and daughter.  This means Lucy had two step siblings and they are enumerated in the household in the 1920 census.  By 1930 her step sister, Elsie had left the household. I have not yet been able to learn anything about Elsie’s life after leaving her parent’s household. 

I do however, know that Helen’s step brother Joseph Jackson Heathcock died in a diving accident at the age of 25, on 2 Aug 1938.  I believe he had married prior to his death to a lady named Louise, but I am still trying to locate more information about them.

This leads us to Helen.  She married Edwin Lindhorst about 1936.  They had two sons.  Their first, Carl Edwin Lindhorst was born 24 Jul 1937 in Illinois.  He sadly died in a vehicle accident at the age of 17 yrs. I wrote about his death here ANCESTORS IN THE NEWS ~ Carl E. Lindhorst, age 17–Dead in a car crash, 1954, Illinois

This means that there is only one known descendant of Edwin Lindhorst and Helen Hunter.  A son, Joseph R. Lindhorst, born about 1949. It appears, based on a newspaper article (The Columbia Star, 28 Mar 1968, page 4) that Joseph joined the U.S. Army.  In many future references to him, I see him referred to as Colonel Joseph R. Hunter.  I believe he married Judith A. Kobylinski in about 1968. 

Since I have not located an obituary or other notice of death for Col. Joseph Lindhorst, I am assuming he may still be alive.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could make contact with him and learn more about his mother, Helen?  Perhaps he has photos of her.  And, oh my, could he have photos of his grandparents, Ralph & Lucy Hunter? 

If you are related to or a descendant of any of the people I listed in this blog post, I’d love to hear from you.  Let’s exchange information.

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2023   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION