The Saturday Night Genealogy Challenge: Genea-Bucket List

This weeks original post of the Genealogy Challenge and  links to those that participated can be found HERE.  The wording is as follows:

Knowing that a "Bucket List" is a wish list of things to do before death:

1)  What is on your Genealogy Bucket List?  What research locations do you want to visit?  Are there genea-people that you want to meet and share with?  What do you want to accomplish with your genealogy research?  List a minimum of three items - more if you want!

2)  Tell us about it in a blog post of your own (please give me a link in Comments), a comment to this post in Comments, or a status line or comment on Facebook.

Think big!  Have fun!  Life is short - do genealogy first!  



This week's topic is hard for me because for me my genealogy hobby is a journey that I enjoy and not something I want to complete.  Sure it would be  nice to solve some of my brick walls,  but only if new ones appeared.  And sure I enjoy research trips very much,  but only as long as there are still more research trips to take.  So, while there are many places I want to go,  many questions I want to solve, and many new tech toys I want to work with - the main thing I want to do is continue researching.  That being said,  I was able to come up with three things that I would like to put on a bucket list.    Only two things stand in my way of doing them - 1) time and 2) money.  So perhaps when I retire I will win the lotto and be able to achieve these wants.  

1) I would like a subscription to American Ancestors.  The site can be found HERE.  It is an expensive subscription but I would like to have it.  I don't have any paid subscriptions and really don't want any besides this one.  Unless maybe it would be a few months at each of the newspaper sites available or US papers.  But American Ancestors I would like a standing subscription to.  

2) I would like to attend GRIP.  It is a couple weeks of intermediate level genealogy training in the summers.  It sounds like a great experience to me.  The site can be found HERE.   

3) I want to take the NGS trip to NARA and the LOC.  A genealogy friend/cousin and I keep talking about registering for this trip.  I we get to attend it sometime.  The web page about it can be found HERE.  

These are the three things I came up with.  I am anxious to get to everyone else's posts that participated because I am sure they will list things I want to add to my list.  

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

by

J. K. Rowling

This summer  I have been enjoying the Harry Potter series.  It was recommended to me by my nine year old grandson and he sure didn't steer me wrong.  Last night I completed the third book in the series entitled Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  It is about Harry's third year at the boarding school for witches and wizards.   Harry and his friends have a whole new bunch of adventures.  I have enjoyed this series very much.  They are a great escape and a wonderful experience to read a chapter every night like a bedtime story.   I miss reading to my kids but reading these books has been the next best thing.  Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the video below about the author's new charity for needy kids.  

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Small Great Things

by

Jodi Picoult

I have never read a book by Jodi Picoult I didn't like.  Whenever I don't know what I want to read I can always pick up one of her books and know it will be good.  She addresses ethical issues within the context of a fiction novel.  In Small Great Things Jodi Picoult tackles the very complicated issue of racism.  She presents no answers but encourages people to dialogue,  learn and grow in their understanding and interactions.  The novel is written from the point of view of three people.  A OB/GYN nurse who is being charged with murder of an infant of a white supremacist couple in the hospital.  The public defender that is representing the nurse.  And the baby's father.  The nurse is a very likable character.  The public defender is a little co-dependant.  It is hard to read the baby's father's point of view.  The book is very frightening in parts and very endearing in parts.  It is an important book and for those that are not readers it is to be made into a movie starting Viola Davis and Julia Roberts.  I hope everyone either reads the book or views the movie.  We are so bad with race in the US and it is so hard for us to address.  Jodi Picoult is very brave to tackle this subject as a white female and she does a great job.  Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow links to more information and enjoy the video that follows.  

Amanuensis Monday

A  man named John Newmark is the original creator  of the concept of a weekly amanuensis blog but other bloggers have joined in.  HERE is the original explanation of the concept.  If the reader clicks on the image of the record they should be able to see it more clearly.

Patrick Kinney 1833-1904

Unknown newspaper

Patrick Kinney was born in County Atrium, Ireland, in 1833.  he emigrated to American when 18 years of age soon afterward located in Shuyler.  Here he has resided for many years and by thrift and economy accumulated a competence from his farm labors.  Mr Kinney was a jovial sociable man who made friends easily and long retained the esteem of his associates and neighbors, who with the devoted wife and children, mourn his loss.   He was married in June 1870 to Mary C. Murray, who survives him.  Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kinney there are living: Mrs Francis Collins of Cass county,  Mrs Albert Greul of Oakland township and John B Kinney, who resides at home.   He also leads a brother and sister who reside in Wisconsin.  

On Monday Funeral services were held at S. Mary's church in Rushville, conducted by Father Madden and the remains were taken to Mt. Sterling for interment in the Catholic cemetery.  

Jane Cecilia Murray 1839 - 1912

Unknown newspaper

Jane C. Murray, wife of the late Patrick Kinney,  passed away at her home Friday at 12:35 a.m..  She was sick but a few days,  death being caused by pneumonia.  "Aunt Jane", as she was better known , was born in County Antrium,  Ireland,  Feb. 4. 1839,  She was married to Patrick Kinney at St.  Alexis Catholic church in Beardstown Ill,  June10,  1870.  After their marriage they went to housekeeping on what is known as the Chadsey farm,  and after two years they moved to the home farm,  where deceased died.  She leaves two children , John B, Kinney at home,  and Mary,  wife of J.F. Collins of Virginia.  Two daughters and her husband preceding her in death.  Funeral services wereconducted at Sr. Rose Catholic church in Rushville on Saturday byFather Fitzgerald of Lewistown ,  Interment at Mt. Sterling.

Last week, for Amanuensis Monday,  I posted the obituaries of Raymond and Gladys Greuel, the parents of my children's father's mother.  This week I chose the obituaries of Raymond Greuel's mother's parents.  They lived in the Shuyler County, Illinois area.  

Saturday Night Genealogy Challenge: Biggest Surprise About an Ancestor

This weeks original post for the Saturday Night Challenge,  along with links to all the participant's posts can be found HERE.http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/07/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-what-was.html  Or it can be read as follows:

 Please answer the question - "What was the biggest surprise you found about an ancestor?" 

I have found out all sorts of cool facts about ancestors.  But I think most of the clear details of ancestor's lives that I have found has been at the great grandparent generation.  There are still many records and newspaper articles that can be found about that era that have clear details.  See the following newspaper articles by clicking on them in order to enlarge them enough to read.  

See upper right article titled "Was Rohrer Tragedy Result of Accident" which is continued on below

Underneath the bell photo is the continuation of the story from page one.

Elmer Rohrer (1886-1915) was my great grandfather,  Oscar Rohrer's, brother.  In 1915 he shot his wife and then himself.  According to the newspaper article there are two theories as to what happened.  One being that Elmer was depressed over the loss of a job and the other theory being the gun accidentally discharged after cleaning and shot his wife and then Elmer was so upset he shot himself.  If the reader of this post is able to click on the images so that they enlarge enough to read,  they will find all sorts of interesting details.  For example the crazy neighbor lady,  the names and types of Elmer' and his wife's pets,  the name of Elmer's favorite book and also family member's names.  While it is a terrible tragedy and not at in keeping with the type people my great grandparents were,  it was a big surprise to find out about.  My great grandmother (Oscar Rohrer's wife) told me many family history stories while I was growing up but she never mentioned this one.  

Amanuensis Monday - On Tuesday this week

I was away this past weekend and am playing catch up this week.  Here is my Monday Amanuensis post.

A  man named John Newmark is the original creator  of the concept of a weekly amanuensis blog but other bloggers have joined in.  HERE is the original explanation of the concept.  I am the worlds worst skimmer when it comes to reading.  And the harder the item is to read the less of it I take my time and read word for word.   Therefore I know this would be a very worthwhile exercise for me to do once a week.  My lack of self discipline will probably not allow it to happen on a weekly basis but whatever I do get transcribed will help me to read that document carefully.  I have been very fortunate that I have a friend who loves to type and often will type things up for me.  But to do some of them myself will help me to look at the documents more carefully. If the reader clicks on the image of the record they should be able to see it more clearly.


This week I chose two obituaries.  They are my children's father's mother's adoptive parents.  

 The Peoria Journal Star  Friday October 1,1965 

RAYMOND GREUEL

Services for Raymond A. Greuel, 61, a resident of Peoria Heights for the last 40 years, will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Wilton Mortuary with the Rev. John M. Hoffmann officiating.

Burial will be in Springdale Cemetery,  Friends may call at the mortuary from 7 to 9 p.m. today.

Mr. Greuel died at 5:15 a.m. yesterday at Methodist Hospital where he was admitted Sept. 25.

He was born May 16, 1904 at Ray, Ill.  the son of Albert and Rose Kinney Greuel.  He married Gladys Fry in 1925 at Peoria and she survives.

Also surviving is one daughter,  Mrs Rosemary Lyle of Dover, Del; a brother, George Greuel of Peoria, and four grandchildren.

Mr. Greuel was a tool crib workman at Caterpillar Tractor Co. for 25years,  last working Aug. 4, 1964.  He was  a member of Peoria Heights Congregational Church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Peoria Heights Congregational Church building fund.

The Peoria Journal Star  Monday May 9,1988

GLADYS GREUEL

Gladys L. Greuel, 78, of 1011 E. Rouse Ave., Peoria Heights,  for 60 years,  died at 11:15 a.m. Sunday at Methodist Medical Center,  where she was admitted April 25.  Born May 13, 1909, near Rushville, to Harland Mary Kathrine Pryor Fray,  She married Raymond A. Greuel in May1924 in Peoria.  He died September 1965.  She also was preceded indeath by one grandson, one sister and one brother.  Surviving are one daughter,  Mrs. Rosemary Lyle of Peoria: four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren: and a number of nieces and nephews.  She was amember of the Peoria Heights Congregational Church and a former member of the Order of the Eastern Star.  She was librarian at the Heights Library from 1944 to 1950,  then worked for an aluminum siding company in the Heights.  From 1955 to 1974 she worked in the Kentucky Fried Chicken office. Services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Cumerford-Endsley Memorial Home.  The Rev. Allen J. Dempsey will officiate.  Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Memorial Home.  Burial will be in Springdale Cemetery.

I had forgotten where they had worked, that they were members of the Congregational Church,  and that Gladys was a member of Eastern Star.  

Saturday Night Challenge - Unbroken Chain of Gravestones

I was away this past weekend so am very late in posting an entry to the Saturday Night Challenge.  It can be found HERE along with the other people's links who participated.  And if you don't want to follow the link the challenge is:

1)  Determine what is your longest unbroken line of ancestral gravestones - how many generations can you go back in time?  Do you have photographs of them?

2)  Tell us and/or show us in a blog post of your own, or in a comment to this blog, or in a Facebook status or a Google+ stream post.


I decided to do my father and mother's main surname lines.  

My father is still alive.  So I will begin with his father.

Fred Rohrer 

1903-1985

Bronswood Cemetery

DuPage County,  Illinois

Oscar Rohrer

1878-1938

Rayburn Cemetery

Miami, Indiana

Frederick Rohrer

1843- 1941

Rayburn Cemetery 

Miami County, Indiana

David Rohrer

1813- 1876

Fairfield Cemetery

De Kalb County, Indiana

Jacob Isaac Rohrer

1780-1850

Holmes County, Ohio

On my mother's side her maiden name was Rairigh.  I will begin with her stone.

Charlotte Ann Rairigh

1930-1990

Ever-rest Memorial Park

Cass, Indiana

Loyd Hazen Rairigh

1911-1984

Westlawn Cemetery

Miami, Indiana

William Harve Rairigh

1884-1956

Metzger Cemetery

Miami, Indiana

James Quinter Rairigh

1850-1911

Metzger Cemetery

Miami, Indiana

Rev. Samuel Rairigh

1816-1899

Marion County, Kansas

Rev George Rairigh Sr

1793-1856

 Slatehill Cemetery

Sagamore, Pennsylvania

So that is five stones in the Rohrer line and six stones in the Rairigh line.  Jacob Isaac Rohrer's parents are unknown,  although there are theories,  no one has proved his parentage.  I have a John Rohrig as Rev George Rairigh's father but I don't have it sourced and I don't have a grave stone photo.  

A History Of The Wife by Marilyn Yalom

a history of the 

Wife

by

Marilyn Yalom

This easily read non fiction book is full of very interesting social history facts.  The author touches on many historical time frames and cultures but concentrates on the story of women from medieval times in Western Europe to the experience of wives throughout the history of the United States.  She covers the evolution of expectations,  laws,  sexuality,  birth control and economics.  While most of her sources from the earlier times are documentation left by more elite women the author does explain what she has been able to piece together of the experience of more common women.  She explores the reasons people did and do get married.  Her conclusion being that romantic love is not an adequate basis for marriage and has only been a consideration for the last couple hundred years.   She points out that children are a stressor in marriage and while in the past people stayed married because of children,  they do not  as often anymore.   The things to consider in choosing a marriage partner  are many and while love in one of them it is not more important than economics,  shared values,  common beliefs, and wanting the same things out of life.  I highly recommend this book as one that should be read by all people contemplating marriage.  It made me realize, once again,  how lucky I am to be a women in this time and place.  Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow links to more information and enjoy the video that follows.  

Amanuensis Monday

A  man named John Newmark is the original creator  of the concept of a weekly amanuensis blog but other bloggers have joined in.  HERE is the original explanation of the concept.  I am the worlds worst skimmer when it comes to reading.  And the harder the item is to read the less of it I take my time and read word for word.   Therefore I know this would be a very worthwhile exercise for me to do once a week.  My lack of self discipline will probably not allow it to happen on a weekly basis but whatever I do get transcribed will help me to read that document carefully.  I have been very fortunate that I have a friend who loves to type and often will type things up for me.  But to do some of them myself will help me to look at the documents more carefully. If the reader clicks on the image of the record they should be able to see it more clearly.

Robert Lisle (Like, Lyle) Sr

 born in Ireland bef 1765 

died in Lancaster County, Pennyslvania  bet 1818-1820

Immigrant ancestor of my children's paternal line. 

To the honorable to the judges of the Court of Common Pleas, in of for the county of Lancaster holding an adjourned court for the said county the 28th day of July 1802.  

The petition of Robert Lisle a native of Ireland most respectively of herewith,

That your petitioner is desirous of becoming a citizen of the United States and enjoying the protection of the good laws and government thereof.  Your petitioner therefore prays your honorable court to grant his petition upon his faithfully complying with the requisite conditions of the act of congress ratified the 14th day of April 1802 entitled "An Act to establish a uniform rule of naturalization and to repeal the act heretofore papered on that subject." and your petitioner as in duty bound  will pray

this   Robert Lisle   mark     

The subject being first sworn doth declare to his knowledge that the petitioner has resided within the United States for upwards of five years, of within the state of Pennsylvania, the year last past,  that during that time as this informant truly  believes he has behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the constitution of the United States, & will be disposed to the good order & happenings of the same.  Alex M North

The petitioner being first sworn does declare, that he will support the constitution of the United States, and that he doth, absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all alliance of fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentates  State of Sovereignty, whatever and particularly to George the Third, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland.  his      Robert Lisle     mark

sworn by subscribe in this county 

by Alexander, Matthew & Robert Lisle 

July 28, 1802

M Oberman

for

W Barbon

esq

I am not sure I transcribed every word correctly but I think I got the main ideas.  By transcribing this document I have googled the Naturalization Act of 1802 and learned more about that act.  I took a workshop at the 2016 OGS conference on Naturalization which can be accessed HERE and it was a really good workshop.  But I would benefit from reviewing the information.  My original goal in genealogy was to get each line to immigration.  I would love to have more documents like this in my data base for other immigrant ancestors.   

The Whole Hog by Lyall Watson

The Whole Hog

by

Lyall Watson

"No man should be allowed to be President who does not understand pigs, or hasn't been around a manure pile."  ~ Harry S. Truman

This book was recommended to me and loaned to me by my youngest son.  I enjoyed the introduction but was on just the second page of the first chapter when I let out a squeal to equal any pig.  The word "suig" is Irish for pig.  I can remember when the kids and I lived on "Homestead Hollow" in Michigan and I would be canning and ran the peels out to the the pig pen.  I would call "suey suey suey"  and every one always asked me why I said that.  I had no idea.  Now I know.  Somewhere along life's way I had heard their proper Irish name.  All through this book delightful facts made me stop and read aloud to my husband.   I also agree with much the author said about pigs personalities.  One of our sows on "Homestead Hollow" got down one summer.  I sat beside her in the pen and squirted  her medicine and fluids into her mouth with a large syringe.  She knew me well after that.  Once she was in the freezer I had to pretend the pork chops were from a different pig. It was hard to eat her.  But I digress.  This book by Lyall Watson covers the history of all the different breeds of pigs in the world.  It explains the relationship between pigs and humans.  The book is divided into sections.  After the introduction which is called "In a pig's eye"  is  the first chapter called "The first leg".  It is explanations of definitions of exactly what a pig is and covers African pigs.  The second chapter - "The second Leg"  describes pigs of South America.  The third chapter - "The Third Leg", examines human/pig relationships over history and includes the familiar pigs of the American midwest.  And the fourth chapter - "The Fourth Leg", explores the mystery of pig intelligence.   There is a conclusion - "When Pigs Fly",  that explores current scientific studies of pigs.  It is not a long book.  An easy read of 193 pages. The copy my son leant me was hard cover and large with nice sized pictures throughout.   This book held my attention and is an excellent non fiction read.  Please click on the author's name and the book title above to learn more.  And enjoy the following video of a modern day famous pig with lots of personality.  

The July Genealogy Blog Party - Which Ancestor Is Your Clone?

The July Genealogy Blog Party hub can be found HERE.  The first prompt was related to DNA but for those of us not involved in DNA the alternate prompt was Which Ancestor Is Your Clone?

First of all I would like to address why I am not on the DNA bandwagon.   I think the fact that I don't fully understand how it all works has a lot to do with it.  But I have read up on DNA in relation to genealogy and from what I understand the farther the line goes back the less reliable and helpful DNA is.  Most of my brick walls are much more than the three or four generations back that DNA is said to be accurate for.  Also the majority of my lines are the Pennsylvania Dutch people and they intermarried so closely with cousins it is a wonder I don't have an extra thumb.  So the DNA is probably as intertwined as the paper trail is.  In addition to the fact I don't think it would be extremely helpful, I also am an advocate of nurture over nature so the paper trail is what matters to me.  In my opinion  nature  does of course determine our potential.   But the nurturing we received is what is responsible for what we have done with that potential.  Our culture is handed down by nurture not nature.  So the paper trail is what matters to me.  Not whether or not the milk man got over enthusiasitically involved in some generation along the way.  I am much more interested in the social history that revolved around my ancestors than I am their chromosomes.  And I am specifically interested in the women of my ancestry.  I like to chase who they were and what their lives were like.  I feel like they have not been documented adequately and would like the women of my past to be honored.   Except for the cases of formal adoption the women are there, whether or not  the husbands or the milk men were,  at the time the DNA was joined.  Therefore I did not choose to use the first writing prompt for July.

The second writing prompt also provided a challenge to me because I don't really identify with my ancestors life choices.  I don't feel like I share a lot of their traits.  I do have some physical charecteristics in common with my ancestors.  And I run across old photos that resemble closely other modern day family members.  But I have not found a photo that closely resembles me.  Most of my lines were deeply religious people who were very involved in church work.  I am not one that is a joiner.  Most of my ancestors were either farmers,  teachers or preachers.  I have an interest in herbs and I do enjoy playing a bit in the dirt with plants but I am not an extensive gardener.  I am not a public speaker.  I have a lot of appreciation for the value system that was instilled in me because of the culture of the Old Order people that proceeded me but do not identify myself as a clone of any Amish or Mennonite individuals.  I am a nurse and I have not run across very many ancestors involved in the medical profession.  But I have found one nurse midwife!  She is not a direct ancestor but she is an ancestor.

Barbara Ann Neher married a man named Squire Sheafor in 1850.  They lived in  Carroll County, Indiana but moved to Richland County, Wisconsin in 1854.  She was born in 1831 in Augusta County, Virginia.  She was two years old when her parents migrated to Clark County, Ohio.   Squire was born in Butler County Ohio.  It is unclear how they ended up married but since they were members of the United Brethren Church it is likely that they connected at a church conference.  Such events were often used to find brides that were not closely related, because of the practice of marrying with in the same church body caused local couples to often be cousins.   Or since Squire's brother Clarkston married Barbara's sister Elizabeth, perhaps Barbara Ann and Squire met at their siblings wedding.  I do not have a photo of Barbara Ann but I do have the following photo of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Neher Sheafor

 born 1838

I do not have a lot of information on either of the Neher sisters and the line leading to me is from their husbands.  Squire and Clarkston's father, Jacob, was the brother of my ancestor Elizabeth Sheafor who married Isaac Southern Patton.  Elizabeth and Isaac's son Vincent had a son named Samuel who had a daughter named Clara.  Clara married LeRoy Shepler.  They had a daughter named Georgia who was my mother's grandmother.

Returning to the subject of this post, Barbara Ann Neher Sheafor,  I discovered she was a nurse midwife when I found her grand daughter's birth certificate.  Barbara delivered her grand daughter and signed the birth certificate as a nurse midwife.  I can't share the birth certificate here because I obtained it from the DAR application of a descendant.  I obtained the DAR application because Elizabeth and Jacob Sheafor's father served in the revolution.  The DAR is very clear in their rules related to the documents they provide as a service when you purchase those applications.  But I do have a photo of the grand daughter that Barbara Ann delivered.

Pearlie Ann Sheafor 

1888-1977

Both the photo of Elizabeth Neher and Pearlie Ann Sheafor were given to me by my fifth cousin and partner in crime in researching the Sheafor's -  Rebecca.  She is always ready for a genealogical road trip and great fun to work and corospond with.

I would like to research more about the history of nursing and nurse midwifery in Wisconsin during the latter half of the 19th century but I have not done so yet.  I would like to find more out about Barbara Ann Neher Sheafor.  I also hope to find more nurses in my back ground as my family research proceeds.

Saturday Night Genealogy Challenge: Which ancestor had the most Children?

Ebenezer Church Cemetery, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania

and burial site of Johann Peter Meyer

This week's Saturday Night Challenge can be found HERE along with all the 

links of the bloggers that participated.   It also can be read below:

Please answer the question - "What ancestor had the most children?  How many?" 

Write your own blog post, make a comment on this post, or post  your answer on 

Facebook or Google+. 

Name: Johann Peter Meyer

--------------------------------------------------

Birth: 17 Dec 1763 New Tripoli, PA 18066, USA

Burial: Old Church Graveyard, at New Tripoli

Death: 3 Nov 1828 New Tripoli, PA 18066, USA

Birth: 17 Dec 1763 New Tripoli, PA 18066, USA

Spouses

--------------------------------------------------

1: Magdelena Schmidt

Birth: abt 1765 Adams

Death: 1803

Marriage: 1785

Children:

Jacob (1786-1862)

Catherine (1787-1872)

Johannes"John" (~1795-)

Elizabeth (1793-1870)

Benjamin (~1795-)

Hannah (1798-1881)

Peter (1800-1857) (Moyer)

Maria Magdalena"Molly" (1802-1862)

--------------------------------------------------

2: Anna Maria Frey

Birth: 26 Aug 1780 North Whitehall Township, Northampton, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, USA

Death: 12 Mar 1865 Trumball, Ohio, USA

Marriage: 21 Feb 1804 Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA

Children: 

Leah (1808-1894)

Gideon (1810-?1853)

Esther (1812-1870)

Abigail G (1814-1891)

Rachel (~1816-)

Nathan (1819-1888)

Jonathan (1820-1863)

Lovina (Sabina) (1823-1891)

Sixteen children - eight by each wife.  

This is one of those lines that has caused a great deal of online squabbling.  

Johannes Meyer's second wife was incorrectly listed as Maria Everett in the county history.  

For many years every one thought that the Everett line, with all it's colorful history was correctly

attached.   The discovery of pastoral records has since caused this error to be corrected and

Johannes's second wife has been correctly identified as Anna Marie Frey.  It is my opinion that the

misunderstanding arose because the Frey children were taken in by the Everett's when orphaned.  

This family is connected to me in the following way.  Johanne Meyer and Maria Schmidt's seventh

child was Peter Moyer.  He had a daughter named Amelia who married Solomon Zelner.

She had a daughter named Sara who married Herman Funk.   Sara had a son named Harry.  Harry had

a daughter named Thelma who was my mother's mother.  

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

The Lacuna

by

Barbara Kingsolver

Last pm on the way home from work I drove around an extra ten minutes to finish listening to this book.  Barbara Kingsolver is one of my go to authors.  I have aspirations to read everything she has written and The Lacuna had been on my wish list for quite some time.  It was not a disappointment.  It is not a book I would recommend to everyone.  It is a book that reaches deep into the reader's  heart and challenges the mind to think.   The author herself answers questions about the book and these answers can be found HERE.  One of the things I love about Barbara Kingsolver's books is the way she uses description to paint a detailed picture in her scenes.   In this particular book I was challenged to follow the parts of the story that take place in Mexico due to the details.  It was easy to get bogged down in what for me was unfamiliar surroundings.  But as the book progressed into the United States I became more comfortable and realized the importance of the back ground of the story that was laid in Mexico.  This book is also a little different because it is written in diaries,  letters,  newspaper and magazine story format.  Although fiction this format gives the story credibility.  And although fiction it contains historical events that actually happened.  The author tackles some hard subjects in this novel.  She talks about that in the preceding link but I would like to quote a portion of that interview as follows:  

It raises questions I’ve wondered about for nearly as long as I’ve been a writer, starting with this one: Why is the relationship between art and politics such an uneasy one in the U.S.?  Most people in other places tend to view these as inseparable.  Mexico, for example, has historically celebrated its political artists as national heroes, but here that combination can make people nervous, to put it mildly.  We seem to have an aversion to national self-criticism in general.  We began as a nation of rabble-rousers, bent on change.  But now, patriotism is often severely defined as accepting our country to be a perfect finished product.  As in, “Love it or leave it!”

I suspected this internal shift might date to the mid-20th Century, a time when U.S. citizens were persecuted, lost jobs and could even be imprisoned for expressing dissident opinions.  People were singled out not just for communism, but for supporting unions, women’s rights or racial desegregation.  Those times seem to have put a stamp on our national psyche that has never completely washed off.  I always thought someday I should go sleuthing, to see if I could turn up something interesting: the end of World War II, the House Un-American Activities Committee, the blacklisting of artists, I knew these were probably relevant, but wasn’t sure how.

In the autumn of 2001, after the September 11 attacks, I witnessed a ferocious backlash against people who raised questions about how we should respond.  The mainstream media launched a lot of vitriol at any artist or public person identified as a dissident voice.  It stunned me.  The culture of fear is potent and terrible, something worth dissecting in order to understand.  That was the push I needed.  It was time to sink or swim, so I dived into that question and swam.

She touches on the differences between social democracy and communism.  She has the protagonist (Harrison Shepard) accidentally present when the Bonus Army was destroyed by the US Military.  

She has him present as a servant in Trotsky's home when he is assassinated.   And she has her fictional Harrison Shephard investigated by the HUAC.http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/huac  

There is a lot in this novel to ponder.  It is not a light read.  But for those that want to be challenged to  digest and think through ideas The Lacuna is an excellent book.  It will stay with me for a long time.  Barbara Kingsolver has done it again.   This book will no doubt make my top ten list for 2017.  It is a brilliant work of historical fiction.   I encourage readers of this blog to  take time to follow the links and watch the videos that can be found through out the post.  

Amanuensis Monday

A  man named John Newmark is the original creator  of the concept of a weekly amanuensis blog but other bloggers have joined in.  HERE is the original explanation of the concept.  I am the worlds worst skimmer when it comes to reading.  And the harder the item is to read the less of it I take my time and read word for word.   Therefore I know this would be a very worthwhile exercise for me to do once a week.  My lack of self discipline will probably not allow it to happen on a weekly basis but whatever I do get transcribed will help me to read that document carefully.  I have been very fortunate that I have a friend who loves to type and often will type things up for me.  But to do some of them myself will help me to look at the documents more carefully. If the reader clicks on the image of the record they should be able to see it more clearly.

"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XD2X-V49 : 8 December 2014), Daniel Shively and Caty Bowman, 13 Jan 1821; citing Montgomery, Ohio, United States, reference Vol A-1 pg 94; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 1,030,835.

From the Shively Family Bible in my possession

Daniel Shively Jr (1800-1863) and Catherine Bowman (1801-1885) were married in Montgomery County Ohio (1821).  I have had the above Bible page scanned into my data base for quite sometime. And last pm while I was working through the task list on my page at the  Family Search group tree I was excited to find the image of the marriage record.  

If one skims down to fifth couple it reads:

Married on the 13th of January 1821 Daniel Shively Jr and Caty Bowman. 

It appears that the individual  who performed the marriages are listed at the end of each list and that Daniel and Caty were married by David Bowman.  Since these two pages are all listed in the same handwriting I have to assume it is a transcribed record and not an original marriage record.   I should look up David Bowman and all the people in that list he married because they likely were of the same church group and probably lived near each other. Travel took a long time back then.   Looking up these details will give me the type of history that will paint a clearer picture of this couple and the extended community in which they functioned.   

My father's mother's maiden name was Shively.  Daniel Jr and Catherine were her great grandparents.