Wednesday, December 31, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD–Harry Norman Gould 1912-1991

Birthday balloons
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAD–He would have been 102 years old today
My Dad was the son of Harry W. Gould & Marie Lindsay.  He was born on New Year’s Eve 1912 in Detroit, Michigan.  He died on 3 Feb 1991 in Trenton, Wayne, Michigan.
Throughout my life it was always a double celebration on New Year’s Eve.
 
My Dad loved to laugh and he was a great story teller.  He could remember so many jokes and I never knew how he did it.
 
I’m thankful that I went through old family photos with him in the years before he died.  There are many we still hadn’t gotten to and I would give anything to ask him a few questions.

ALWAYS ask your parents & grandparents questions about their families.   Use your smart phone or your tablet and record your conversation or write things down.  You will never regret it.

Here are some pictures from the past.  My grandmother, my Dad’s mother, had an old photo album.  You know, the kind with the black pages.  She and my grandpa took quite a few pictures.  Hard to believe these pictures are 100 years old.

Dad in several pictures when he was 5 months old May 1913
MY DAD AT 5 MONTHS WITH HIS MOM & HIS DAD - Detroit, Michigan
 
Dad on the running board of his Wm Goulds car_1918
MY DAD AT ABOUT 6 YRS. OLD ON THE RUNNING BOARD OF HIS GRANDFATHER'S CAR

Dad with his mother on the steps_circa 1914
MY DAD WITH HIS MOTHER – DETROIT, MICHIGAN CIRCA 1914

Gould_H. Norman_about 1933
MY DAD AS A TEENAGER,  IN THE MID 1920’s in his bathing suit

GOULD_Diane with her Dad Harry Norman Gould on her birthday in 1981
ME & MY DAD IN 1981, CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY - SAN DIEGO, CA.

I miss you and I love you Dad. 


Bye for now,
Your daughter, Diane

Copyright ©  2010-2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION








Monday, December 29, 2014

AMANUENSIS MONDAY-TRANSCRIBING MY GRANDMOTHER'S JOURNAL-BIRTH & DEATH DATES-OCTOBER

What does Amanuensis mean anyway?
To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”
 
As many of you know from reading previous posts on my blog, my maternal grandmother left a spiral notebook, which I call her journal.  In it she left recipes, a list of 183 family members and their birth dates and some death dates, a list of anniversaries and other various lists or things that were important to her.  It’s a treasure that I cherish.
 
Today I’m going to be transcribing her list of names & dates from October
.
For the previous posts transcribing January through September, please click on these links.
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal - January
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – February
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – March
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – April
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – May
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – June
Amaneunsis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – July
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – August
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal - September
 
Here is the page from her journal.  This journal was begun when my grandmother, Florence L. Bowden, married my grandfather, Joseph A. Milne, in 1906.  She was just 18 years old at the time.  This journal is very old and falling apart.  I have digitized all the pages and have the original stored in a safe, archival box.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)
 
October_REDACTED

Here is my transcription of this page, with some annotations.  I have indicated the family connection in brackets, even thought it’s not part of the document.  I thought you’d like to know who these people are to me.  And, for any cousins out there reading this, maybe you’ll find it helpful.

I’ve added whatever photos I have of the family members named in this list. (See below)

 
ADDITIONAL NOTE:  I REDACT THE YEAR OF BIRTH & PART OF THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO I’M AWARE OF, THAT ARE STILL LIVING, FOR THEIR PROTECTION.
 
OCTOBER
PATRICIA ANN  Oct 3   [my mother]
ETTA MILNE  died Jan 26  ‘90   Oct 4  ‘87  [grandaunt]
MYRA SEIGLE  died Dec 29, ‘38    Oct 4 ‘59  [great grandaunt]
*  BARBARA WIDMER  Oct 8 
* FRANCES LENNEBACKER  Oct 19
* LEANDER WOOD  Oct 21  died aged 67  Sept 4, 1942
RAPHAEL HUNTER  Oct 24  ‘90  71  90 [great granduncle]
* DOROTHY JANE TITUS  Oct 28  ‘14  
* FANNY ROEHN  Oct  27  ‘85     ‘66
MARILYN SILER  Oct 30  ‘40   [probably connected via Raphael Hunter, great granduncle, who married Lucy Della Siler]
RONALD    Oct 2  ‘36
* CHAS PURCEY 3rd    Oct 17  ‘41
RIGGS Oct 6  ‘51
* MARTHA  Oct 6 ‘40?  Sept 23, 75
* HAROLD COKER  Oct 2  1889  Sept 28 ‘75
SARAH JANE PERKINS  Oct 9  ‘79 [possible 2nd cousin once removed]
 
That’s a total of 16 names, (including the names that are lined out).  I am very fortunate to have this kind of list from my grandmother.

I have placed an asterisk * next to the names I have not yet connected to our family.
EIGHT of the names are still waiting for me to find their connections.  I have them in my Legacy database as unlinked individuals.  Were they friends of my grandmother & grandfather, neighbors, or are they all family?
 
In the lists from the other 11 months of the year, there are also names that aren’t yet connected.  I keep looking from time to time and link them as I identify them.
 
This month I have photographs of two of the people on the list.  Of course I have lots of pictures of my Mom, who is still living.  And I have pictures of my great grandaunt Myra.
 
PICTURES OF MY MOM
MILNE_Patricia with her little dog   MILNE_Patricia_1940-age 15 or 16  MILNE_Patricia-full photo_age about 20  MILNE_Patricia_headshot retouched-1978-age54

PICTURES OF MY GREAT GRANDAUNT MYRA HUNTER SEIGLE
HunterSisters-from Louise_brightened   Hunter_Myra
That's Myra with 5 of her sisters.  She is in the front row, far right.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Etta Milne, the second name on this list, was the second child born to my great grandparents, Andrew Charles MILNE and Susan Anne GILLESPIE.  It is their son, Joseph who married my grandmother, Florence.  Florence is the author of this wonderful journal.  Until I began doing family research, my mother had no idea that their were 4 children in her father’s family.  Only two children lived.  Margaret “Etta” Milne was born 3 Oct 1887 (same birth month & day as my mother, as a matter of fact) in Detroit, Michigan.  Little Etta died at the age of 2 years, on 26 Jan 1890 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.  Her cause of death was diptheria.  How sad.  

Here is her obituary from the Detroit Free Press.

Copy of MILNE_Etta_Obituary_Detroit Free Press_1890
Transcription of obituary: “MILNE, At Cleveland, January 26, 1 a.m., Etta, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Milne, formerly of Detroit.  Funeral from depot in Detroit on Monday, January 27, 3 p.m.”

I do not know where Etta is buried.  Since her funeral was “from the depot” in Detroit, she may be buried in that city.
 
Please contact me if you recognize any of the names with asterisks or if you are related to any of these family members.  I’d love to hear from you.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU
SIBLING SATURDAY - THE HUNTER SISTERS
FAMILY RECIPE FRIDAY - CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROM MY GRANDMOTHER'S JOURNAL

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

CHRISTMAS THEN & NOW - WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS



I thought this year I would post photos of some of the Christmases from the past and more recent times. 

*  How many photos do you have in your family that were taken in front of the Christmas tree? 
*  Or around the Christmas dinner table? 
*  Do you celebrate Christmas or another holiday?

Here are some of mine.  From both my family and my husband’s. Click on any of the images to see a close up.

I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas or whatever holiday are celebrating.
  
Gould_family in living room probably circa 1924
MY DAD'S FAMILY CIRCA 1920

John_W_1st_Christmas_1944_5x3
MY BROTHER JOHN - 1944
Copy of Diane sitting at little desk in front of Christmas tree_enhanced
ME - ABOUT AGE 3

Christmas1954-Me-Norm-Grparents-parents2
Me & my brother, Norm with our parents & grandparents-1954
MILNE_Robert in front of Christmas tree circa 1960
My maternal Uncle, Bob - 1960
FINK Family_all of them_Christmas1953_SanDiegoCA_enh
My husband & his family - 1953 - The Hall, Fink & Long families
Me&NormChristmasGGould'scirca1959
Me & my brother, Norm, about 1958 in Florida

Christmas1989-Ron-Jeff-Scott and Dorothy Hall
Ron Hall, Jeff Hall, Scott Hall & Dorothy Hall-1990
HALL_Jeff & Scott at Santas Village_1982
Jeff & Scott Hall - circa 1979-80
  

IMG_1617
Friends-Ron, Nancy, Me, Lara & Morgan
100_2535
Ron & I with our granddaughters
100_2570
My Mom
  

100_2575
My nephew & niece - Myriah & Joshua
IMG_0628
My brother John, niece Myriah, nephew Joshua, sister-in-law Melinda & my Mom
IMG_2750
Our granddaughter, Lexi & me
       

IMG_2760
Texas friends, Debbie & Steve with me & Ron
IMG_3962
At the Ehrke's for Christmas 2010 - Our friends Roxanne, Rick, Sean & me
     





IMG_0311
The Grandparents - all of us - 2013







Monday, December 22, 2014

AMANUENSIS MONDAY–Death Certificate of Joseph Jackson Hunter–Age 25


What does Amanuensis mean anyway?

To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”
 
Today I will transcribe a death certificate.
It is a death certificate for Joseph Jackson HUNTER, first cousin twice removed. Son of Raphael HUNTER & Lucy SILER.

You know those wonderful Photo Duplication Requests that many of us have been using?  Yes, the ones that have been discontinued.
I had a couple of last minute requests I turned in before the December 5th deadline and have received one of them back.  I felt that same excitement when the email came. Oh boy, another record!


I ordered this certificate because I was curious why Joseph Hunter had died at the age of only 25 yrs.  I had located his death record index on the family search site.  From there I had created a memorial on findagrave.com memorial #92249329.  I requested a photo of the headstone and the request was kindly fulfilled.

Here is his death certificate:

HUNTER_Joseph Jackson_death cert_1938_Dupo_StClair_Illinois 
Let’s take a good look at this certificate top to bottom.  Will it confirm information I already know?  Give me new information? Let’s find out.

Place of death:  St. Clair County, East St. Louis, Illinois
Registration No. 856, Primary Dist. No. 3647, number stamped in the top middle of certificate appears to be 31905.
This is a Coroner’s Certificate of Death
Died at St. Mary’s Hospital
Length of residence where death occurred: 1 mos. 0 ds
1a. Place of residence: State-Illinois, County-St. Clair, Township-Sugarloaf, City or Village-Dupo
2.  Full Name: Joseph Jackson Hunter
3.  Sex – Male
4.  Color or Race – White
5.  Single, married, widowed or divorced – divorced
5a.  If married, widowed or divorced husband of – Louise Hunter
6.  Date of birth – March 2, 1913
7.  Age – 25 years, 5 months, 0 days
8.  Trade, profession etc – Electrician Helper
9.  Industry or business – Montsanto Chem. Co.
10. Date deceased last worked at this occupation – July 38 [should that be 18?]
11. Total time (years) spent in this occupation – 5
12.  Birthplace – East St. Louis, Ill.
13. Name of father – Raphael Hunter
14. Birthplace of father – Kentucky
15. Maiden name of mother – Lucy Siler
16. Birthplace of mother – Tennessee
17. Informant – Mrs. R. Hunter, P.O. Address – Dupo, Illinois
18. Place of burial – Cemetery – St. Paul; location – Columbia, Illinois; Monore County, Illinois
19. Date – Aug. 4, 1938
20. Undertaker – Albert L. Dashner, Dashner Funeral Home, Dupo, Ill.
21. Date of death – Aug. 2, 1938
22. Inquest & autopsy held and deceased came to his death on the date stated above…….death was from compression fracture to 5th cervical vertebrae.
Date of Onset or occurrence:  July 3, 1938
Manner of injury was: Dived in Mississippi river at E. Corondlete
Accidental, suicidal or homicidal – Accidental
Was injury related to occupation – No
23. Injury rec’d in E. Corondlete township
Specify whether injury occurred in industry, in home or    in public place:  Mississippi River
24. Signed: Leo L. Madden, MD Coroner
Address 403A Collinsville Ave.  E. St. Louis, Ill.
Date Aug 3, 1938  Telephone – E2213
25. Filed Aug 4 1938 (stamped) R. C. Fannier registrar
P.O. Address  E. St. Louis, Ill

When I went over this certificate the first couple of times, I had missed some things.  Transcribing the record brought those to my attention.

MY NEXT STEPS:
  • See if there is a newspaper article about this incident.  If he dove into the Mississippi River and was injured that would certainly be news worthy.
  • Find the divorce record for he and his wife Louise.
  • Since there was a Coroner’s inquest, I may be able to order that record.
  • Enter this as a source in Legacy and link it to all appropriate data & events.  And, enter the image of the certificate in the photo gallery (plus sign next to his death info).
So, now I know why Joseph Jackson Hunter died at the age of 25 years.  And don’t I know so much more about him?

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
MICHIGAN DEATH RECORDS ONLINE - Where can you find them?
CORONER'S CASE FILE - Robert L. Bowden - An analysis

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Saturday, December 20, 2014

SATURDAY NIGHT FUN–MAKE A SURNAME CHRISTMAS TREE


Image result for free christmas tree clip artImage result for free christmas tree clip artImage result for free christmas tree clip art
It’s been a long time since I have taken on the Saturday Night Fun challenge from Randy Seaver’s Genea-Musings blog. 
This sounded like fun, so I did it.  You can click on the link to Randy’s post above and find out how he did his tree and what it looks like.
HERE’S MY SURNAME TREE – IF YOU ARE FAMILY CAN YOU FIND YOUR SURNAME?
SURNAME TREE 2014_try 2

Thursday, December 18, 2014

DID I FIND OUT WHO JULIA AUSTIN’S PARENTS WERE? Or not?

THORP_Julia nee AUSTIN_portrait photo from Bonnie Schultz Nymberg_blk&wht
I am currently researching my 2nd great grand uncle, Reverend Wallace Walter THORP/THORPE.  His wife was Julia Maria AUSTIN.

As I began reviewing I realized that I don’t have any parents listed in my database for Julia.  Why is that?  Have I not been able to locate them?  Where have I looked? 
I know that Julia was married to Rev. Wallace Walter Thorp(e) about 1862.  I have recorded their residences in census & directory listings from 1870 until the year of her death in 1914.

I have found her burial location in Floral Park Cemetery, Johnson City, Broome County, New York.  Click on this link to see her findagrave.com memorial.  I contacted Floral Park cemetery via email )(floralcemetery@aol.com) and asked if they had any death date, place, cause and/or parents names in their records.  They did not.
In reviewing my research notes in Legacy, it looks like I found an 1860 census record back in February 2009 that I thought might be her.  She would have been around 15 yrs. old at that time.

TIP:  I have developed the habit of dating my research notes.  This has been very useful when I go back & review them.  It gives me some idea of when I may have last researched this particular ancestor.  Additionally, I may realize that I should re-visit a particular record or website because more information may now be available.  Here is a screenshot of some of the notes I have for Julia Austin Thorpe.  These are my personal research notes.  I can choose to include or exclude them when I print reports to share with others.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)
research notes julia austin

LET’S FOLLOW SOME LEADS AND SEE WHAT WE FIND
In that 1860 census record I referenced above I found a Julia Austin about the correct age, born in New York and working as a domestic in the GEER family.  Here is the index for that census:

1860 Austin Julia

NOTE:  In the above 1860 census Julia Austin is living in Skaneateles, Onondaga, New York.  That’s where her future husband, Wallace Walter Thorp was born.  But, who are the Geer’s?  Is this our Julia?

If Julia was born about 1845 in New York according to the 1870, 1880, 1900 & 1910 census records, then what earlier, pre-marriage records might I locate for her?
  • Perhaps in the 1855 New York state census?  Let’s look for her there.
I clicked on “Search Records” on the Ancestry home page.  Then scrolled to the bottom and clicked on New York.  I want to be very specific and don’t want to have to scroll through records that I’m not interested in.
 
This is what came up when I clicked on New York

NY census page 1

I don’t see the 1855 state census on that list, do you?  

So, I clicked on “View all” and this is what I saw next.  There it is, the 1855 state census I’m looking for.

1855 NY census listing

My search criteria when I clicked on the 1855 census was simple.  Julia Austin born about 1845.  I entered nothing else in the search screen.

Here is the next list I got.  It contains 1,182 results.

1855 list

WHICH RECORD WOULD YOU SELECT FIRST?

I picked the Julia Austin, born 1845 (second one on the list) in Chenango, Broome Co., NY. She is a “child” of whoever is the head of this household and the birth year fits.

Here is the index page

1855 census index page

Now let’s look at the image of that census.  YOU CAN CLICK ON THIS SHORTENED LINK TO SEE THE ACTUAL IMAGE ON ANCESTRY.COM
http://tinyurl.com/l6q6pb7

 1855_AUSTIN_William & Mary & many children incl Julia_New York

TIP:  ALWAYS check the other people on the page you are viewing, as well as a page or two before and after the one you are viewing. 

There is Julia Austin, age 10, born in Broome County, New York living with her parents & siblings.  BUT, when I go to the next page, what do I see as the very next family on this enumeration?  The GERE family, Fayette Gere and his wife Elisabeth and a Sarah Austin, listed as a sister.  WAIT!!!  Wasn’t Julia working for the GEER family in 1860.  When I checked the first names of the GEER family she was working for, lo and behold, it was Fayette and Eliz, exactly 5 yrs. older than this couple on the 1855 census.
 
CONCLUSION:  I believe that the Julia Austin shown on the 1860 census and the Julia Austin on the 1855 census are one and the same person. 

Are William & Mary AUSTIN listed in the 1855 NY census her parents?  Is this OUR Julia?
 
Only more research will tell me that.  New York is very difficult when it comes to online records.  There aren’t many available.  If I could only locate a death record, it might list parent’s names for Julia.  Other than that I may have to find probate records or an obituary to find her parent’s names.  I will keep looking, but I have “that feeling” that I’m on the right track.  When ‘A’ connects to ‘B’ and then they both connect to ‘C’ it’s always a good feeling.  I’ve made progress here and will continue my search for proof.  Until then, I won’t list any parents for Julia in my database.  But, I will keep good notes of my progress so far.
 
Do you have any other ideas for me as far as places to look?  Do you think that William & Mary could be Julia's parents?  I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions. 
 
OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

HOW TO FIND PROBATE RECORDS ONLINE

IS THAT INDEX CORRECT?  HERE'S WHY WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION