Security, no place to hide.

How many of you remember when a security question for an online account was, "What is your mother's maiden name?" I was looking for something the other day and did a search of my name. The info popped up and literally scared me. 

I blame this whole mess on Ancestry dot com. (almost kidding) It started an avalanche of familial information for everyone to find their roots. Lots of free sites out there - yep. I found my first marriage license - and thankfully they don't have my age right, but I'm sure another site has it. My life and yours is now being broadcast to whoever wants to know where we've been and what we've done and who we did it with. It would seem that our family members are unwittingly adding to our outbreak of information on the www.

The thing is - this information is open to anyone, no matter where they live and what they do for a living. It isn't any wonder why our accounts get hacked. How much of your familial and financial information is out there - if you look, you will be surprised and disgusted.

I See Dead People ...

I have been going through the few photographs I have, in an attempt to make a family representation for those coming behind me. I have 23 actual photographs, thanks to my cousins Janet and Suzie. Many of the pictures I have are shots of photographs that I took on a trip to Minnesota about 7, maybe 8 years ago. I took the shots in a hurry, as there were so many of them and so little time to do it. In my hurry, they didn't all turn out as well as I hoped. The photographs were at another cousin's home.

I've tried to take pictures of the actual, physical photographs that I have. (Like the one of my mom and dad in the lower left hand of the collage.) About the only way I can get a better shot (if at all) is to buy a copy stand for my camera. After pricing them, I have decided a slightly imperfect copy will have to do. After all, the shots that I took of my cousin's aren't all that bad.

While putting the collage together, I realized that in the upper left picture, only 5 of the youngsters are still alive - I guess. On the right hand side, in the middle, I believe the youngest of the little boys are still around - I would hope, but maybe not. As a child, I knew most of these people. My children really don't have a clue who they are. Oh, I'm sure they can point out a few, but they never really met very many, and my youngest none at all.

Am I wasting my time trying to save these for them? 

Announcing a Marriage

Please forgive me, I have been down the rabbit hole. I popped up to show you my latest discovery and an old one.

The story begins thus: years ago when ebay and I were on friendly terms, I bought an antique gold wedding ring reportedly to be a size 7. I was fairly green about real sizes and weights. I took said ring to Jeff, my jeweler, to have him check it out. The ring was considerably smaller than stated (a size 4 1/4) and lighter than the weight stated in the ad. I made the mistake of allowing Jeff to clean it up. He said the inscription looked authentic, but people these days can produce fakes every day of the week.

I wrote the seller, thinking perhaps he had both rings and he had sent the smaller of the two. He would not allow me to return it after I told him I had it to the jeweler. He claimed I had ruined the ring by taking off the old. The ring would only fit my pinky at the time and I have a reputation of losing them, so for the longest time, it sat in my drawer.

The inscription in the ring reads, Napoleon Jennie Sept 13, 1869. I often thought (wondered) if I could authenticate it and find out if it was real or not. Yes, It could still be a fake, but with my ancestry subscription - I did locate their license. Napoleon was a popular name in that decade and I found half a dozen Napoleon and Jennie's in the marriage licenses. I was quite surprised. The old guy who sold me the ring, said he thought he had gotten it in a lot from an estate in Ohio.

 I'm wearing Jennie's ring now, as my hands have shrunken with age. I couldn't keep my wedding ring on anymore and had thought to try it on. You have to know - I am very curious what happened to that young couple. Wouldn't you be?

Sorry for the lousy picture of Jennie's ring.

Going to bed and then back down the rabbit hole. I hope everyone is doing well!

Those Bleep Immigrants!

“The absolute nerve of these people, coming into our country, they don’t speak English, and they don’t understand our money. Yep, the lowest riff-raff of society is moving in on us! I imagine they are a bunch of beggars and thieves. What is this country coming to? They are allowing so many ignorant people to come in to take over our jobs. It won’t be long and the economy will be spiraling so deep, we’ll never get out of the hole the president put us! It may be their dream, coming to America, but it’s our nightmare.”

These words probably spoken in the mid-1800s, about our great-grand parents and our second great-grand parents, yet I hear them again today. It makes you want to think a little bit—doesn’t it? The terrible Irish—now we all want to be Irish, at least one day a year. Those nasty Italians—what would we do without our pasta and pizza? You get my drift, don’t you? So many of us would not be living here, had it not been for the guts and dreams of our ancestors.

Doing some of my research has made me cry. I read death records, trying to find out what happened to my great-grandfather. He became a widower after making that trip with great-grandma and part of his children. (I still need to go more in depth on this; I sincerely hope I am wrong.) What I have figured out is this—he had five children, ages 5 to 10. He died of liver disease at 73, but not until he raised his brood. I notice that many children died from meningitis, typhoid, and one from croup. It was heart breaking to see a young man had died, after coming all this way from Wales—to be crushed to death in a mine accident.

I have figured out that census takers probably had their hands full. The people almost always had a thick accent. I seriously think that Chicobena was Jacobena, a popular name at the time. Say Chicobena with a thick German accent—see? I have been trailing my line, more by address than by actual spelling. Entries were all made by hand and a ...dau could look like a ...dan or a ...dow, or even a simple ...d!

Playing the Ancestry game

Think you can spot me?

My extended family used to go all out for occasions. This time it was for my sister's confirmation. I couldn't begin to tell you for certain who everyone is. I have a few question marks floating in front of me.

I'm having a good bit of fun and frustration playing the Ancestry game. It gives you clues or hints where to look for information. Pick the wrong hint and your family tree is not going to come out right. You talk to your computer. Seriously, "Where did you get that? I can't find that!" Sometimes, you're saying, "No, no, no, that is soooo wrong," and then the next day you find out you were soooo wrong. Yo do realize that you are playing the game with your cousins or other family members. You don't want to look stupid, ill informed, or wasting their time. It's really not a game, but if you don't play well, you just know they are going to be talking about you behind your computer screen.

I swear, I am going to get carpal tunnel problems or need surgery on my shoulder. When I can finally leave it alone, I feel as if I have been hit by a garbage truck and my desk looks like it too.

I think I need lessons in old fashioned cursive writing. Some names are so hard to tell what that first letter is. I have to take into account that a lot of the people couldn't read English yet and the census taker had to wing it on some of their names when they were saying them in broken English. I found a lulu today, I left it there until I can decipher it. It looks like Chicobena - German name. Not.

The Little Cup

As most of you know, I am trying to research my past. Some of my past still lingers in my mind. Some I never knew and have been continuing to be surprised each day. Trying to keep it all straight, is a bit difficult. No, make that extremely difficult, causing insomnia. This is the little story I posted in my family history.
 

"8"

Remembering Great-Grandma

  

Discovering new ‘old’ things. I remember going to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the house on Edmund Avenue. At the time, I didn’t know that the house belonged to the little old lady who sat in the little bedroom at the back of the house. From time to time, I would peek through the door for a little girl visit. The only thing I knew about her, was that she was Great-Grandma.

She never came out to visit with the rest of the family, although I knew she could walk just fine. One Christmastime, she had this glass tree; it was like empty branches with sharp ends. Skewered on the ends of the branches were spiced gumdrops. It wasn’t very large; I would guess roughly about 8” in both directions. (I since, have acquired a plastic one, similar) We sat and chatted, eating spiced gumdrops, she in her chair and I on her bed. I have no idea what we talked about, what do little girls and very old ladies have to talk about? She was comfortable to be around and I liked our infrequent visits.

I thought I was 5-6 at the time, but the nearest numbers are seven going on eight, when she passed. My family and everyone else in the extended family, gathered for the Luau (As Tom and Gloria referred to the after burial, food and chat.) and I went into Grandma's bedroom. The door was shut and they had all these pretty things on her bed. They were dividing Great-Grandma’s personal property.  Someone said to leave. Okay, here’s the thing, only certain little girls received her things. I have always been a little pushy when I don’t think something’s right. I told them I wanted something, and then I would leave. To shut me up placate me, I got the little cup and saucer. Grandma said, not to tell anybody. I guess I sold out cheap, didn’t I?

I used to think it was horrible to have her shut away like that, but now that I’m a Great-Grandma, I can see the point. It was probably her choice. I always think of her when I look at my little cup. Somewhere out there is the rest of the set – the bottom of this one is marked ‘8’, in gold paint.

Houston er... Ancestry.com, we have a problem...

Seems they have a problem with 3 brother marrying 3 sisters...

My mom has been gone 20 years now. Think I will go watch a movie before I go insane. (Probably too late for that though.)

Something that makes me say, "Hmm"

My father was in some sort of something - He was in uniform in a couple of pictures, but I cannot find any military information on him. If I were to guess, I would say the cavalry, but in 1935? I could use some info on just what kind of uniform he is wearing.

1934-1935?

1934-1935 - Dad kneeling in front with my mother (seated)

No luck

Think he could come just a few feet closer? That feeder must be giving off bad vibes. They look at it, but they are not coming.

In the old fig

 Jack is looking like Old Yeller or something like that. It's from his ringworm treatment, it should all wash out eventually. I called the vet and she said to give him another bath - He still stinks, have been having him snuggle up to the lavender scented giraffe. Actually - I put it between him and me.

Mr. Stinky

I just started using my new printer a few days ago and it is screaming for more ink! I have more sheets of paper filled with many different fun and not so fun (more like boring) facts about my family and doing some work on DH's just to add to the confusion.

The most popular name for a girl in the 1800's was Annie and they seem to be in absolutely every generation on both sides of my family. One bleep census taker wrote down Emmy one year and it is so screwed up now. The thing thinks he had a second wife with a separate family. Just before I quit for the night - another Annie.

I need a new mouse, this one is going to bleep from all the scrolling and clicking. DH working another week and Dollie's car is on the fritz, so I hope it hangs on.

My shoulders are burning, Good night folks! I think I will try to leave it alone for a couple of days... but you know me...

Sharon's (Pandora's) Box and loose ends.

Something I never thought of when I signed up for Ancestry.com... It gets them off the boat - kind of. As near as I can tell it costs more to search where they came from to get on a boat. My family pretty much came to a screeching halt at the dock in the 1800's.

My husband's family is really messed up. Tennessee had hired people with the worst penmanship to fill out the thin lines on those census forms and obviously never asked for a spelling. It all has to be taken with a grain of salt. (And a good guess) Had all sorts of spellings for the same names on different census years.

It was 7 degrees this morning. I dripped the water all night. Irritating drip, drip, drip, all night long. Dollie did Jack's stinky dip on Tuesday, he still stinks. I have my lavender giraffe laying on him so I can stand having him in my womb. He's cold - he want's my bed.

My brother or someone from his household sent me a stollen in the mail. Have been eating on it. I like it with butter, so I am still packing on those Christmas pounds.

Dollie may not be here for a while, something wrong with her car. She will need a shovel by the time she comes back. Haha.

The price list on those pictures are prohibitive... cost me a medium sized fortune. Not sure what I am going to do about it. Can't blow up the ones on the monitor... pixel problem.

Oh! My son has ordered me an original G. Boese figurine. Not as intricate as when my brother began helping him, but truly his work. I would know that signature anywhere!

All for now... PS the birds hate it on this side of the house or something. No visitors YET.

Have a good, day, night, whatever! 

Twilight Zone

This family of mine is a mystery... I have yet to find a marriage license or anything of that type of thing for my folks. I know they were married, just no documentation - so far.

I find that the Census Bureau plays fast and loose with the spelling of names, oh, and where my great-grandfather came from, guess it's take a pick or choose the latest. Maybe it was due to WWI. ??? He came from Poland, Prussia, Germany. My great-grandmother's name was from Johana, to Johanna, to Johama.

I am coming up with names of grand aunts and uncles that the names were familiar, but I hadn't heard since I was maybe 7 or 8 and I sure didn't see them! It's too bad that you can't find the dirt on the reason why there is all of a sudden a son, who had never been mentioned before - no birth record but he's on the census - twice.

Sigh... if only I could write a book..........................

Didn't find any monkeys...

...on my family tree. I will be SO sore tomorrow from bending over this keyboard. I am finished for the night! Maybe for a day or two. Still not much on my dad. He was born, lived (according to the census) and died. Other than that... Sigh...

This is how far I got...