Sunday's Obituary - Mrs. Wilbert Dart

While trolling through my files this evening I came across the obituary for Mr and Mrs Wilbert Dart.  I decided to post the one about Mrs Wilbert Dart first, since she died first (so you'll have to wait until next week for Wilbert's obituary).

I had previously posted a photo clipped from a newspaper about their golden wedding anniversary and in that I made the guess that the hand-written date on the clipping more likely referred to the actual date of their anniversary rather than the publication date in the newspaper.  Well, according to this obituary, they were married on December 30th 1919.  We all know that obituaries are only as good as the person submitting the information so this isn't conclusive proof of a wedding date, but it did narrow it down a bit.

The obituary was published in the Green Bay Press-Gazette on Thursday, December 16th, 1976 (page B9).  Alice died on Wednesday, December 16th, 1976.  Just shy of their 57th anniversary.

I do tend to cringe a bit when I see obituaries that say "Mrs So-And-So" died, but this obituary was well written.  Even when it mentions her daughter and granddaughter it inserts their given names.  Great tips for researchers in obituaries like this.

Alice was my husband great, grand aunt.

"Mrs. Wilbert Dart

Mrs. Wilbert (Alice) Dart, 83, Rt. 3, Luxemburg, died unexpectedly Wednesday evening at her home.  The former Alice Delveaux was born June 4, 1893 in Duval, Wis.  On Dec. 30, 1919, she married Mr. Dart at Duval.  She was a member of the St. Elizabeth Society of St. Amand Church and a member of the World War I Veterans Auxillary.

Survivors are her husband; one daughter, Mrs. Sylvester (Bertha) Gaedtke, Rt. 3, Luxemburg; one granddaughter, Mrs. Randy (Jill) Bosman, Rt. 3, Luxemburg; two great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by one infant son, four sisters and three brothers.

Friends may call at McMahon Funeral Home, Luxemburg, after 7 tonight and after 2 p.m. Friday.  Rosary at 8 this evening by the St. Elizabeth Society  Wake service 8 p.m. Friday.  Funeral 10 a.m. Saturday, at St. Amand Church, Walhain, with the Rev. Sebastian Schalk officiating. Entombment in the Shrine of the Good Shepherd Mausoleum."

Family Recipe Friday - Wontons

My mother was the General Manager at the local Holiday Inn when I was little and as such she had a restaurant to oversee. I fondly remember helping dye Easter eggs for the restaurant when I was little. Talk about a kid's dream! Hundreds upon hundreds of eggs that needed dying and me and my sisters to do it.

I remember the summers when my mom was at work and we would call the number for the "Time and Temperature" repeatedly because we weren't allowed to swim unless it was 80 degrees outside.  Then we'd call my mom at work and ask for her to come and get us so we could go to the pool.

I remember the arcade that was in the hallway of the main building with the candy vending machine that we would always bug our mom for money for, and the Ms PacMan game that we would all play (and my sister, Aimee, would kick everyone's butts at....including the adults!)

While I have those memories one of the things that I remember so fondly (but didn't know it was even connected to my mom's time at the Holiday Inn) were her wontons.  Yummy, yummy, wontons!

My mother taught me how to make these wontons when I was a teenager.  It was after I went to live with her so that would be sometime in the Fall of 1989 or later.  I asked her how she learned to make wontons and she told me that she was taught during her time at the Holiday Inn.

These little hors d'eouvres are very addictive and are great hot or cold (I love them cold, personally). My mother used to get the powdered chinese mustard, mix up some of it and dip them in, but you can use regular mustard, you just won't get the spicy kick.

Normally, I follow recipes by precise measurements.  That's more of a baker's habit and I know that in cooking you need to be able to estimate.  I'm not really the best estimator and I still like my measurements, but I'm getting better at simply cooking from memory.  This recipe has some estimations, and some of them are quite odd, but you'll get the hang of it quick enough.

WONTONS


1 lb ground pork
1 egg
8 scallions, chopped
Soy sauce
1 pkg wonton wrappers

In a bowl add the ground pork, egg, and scallions.  Generously shake soy sauce over the ingredients in the bowl.  When the ingredients look lightly coated, mix it all together with your hands.  Now here's the odd part...smell the mixture...if it has a pretty good soy sauce smell, you've put in enough.  Otherwise, add more and mix again.

Put some water in a small bowl and place your wonton wrappers on a small plate.  Grab a wrapper and place it on your plate so it looks like diamond (not a square) then place a small amount of the meat mixture (it's about 1/3 of a teaspoon...the kind you use for coffee, not for measuring) in the center of the wrapper.  Dip your finger in the water and wet the top left and right corners of the wrapper.  Bring the bottom half of the diamond over the meat and seal the edges by pressing down.  Wet the bottom corner of the wonton and wrap both bottom edges around your finger, pressing to seal.  Fold down the tip of the top of the wonton and then place on a dish (my explanation is rubbish so check out the pictures and video below).

Heat canola oil in a large pan.  Deep fry the wontons until golden brown, attempting to turn once during the cooking.  Wontons will float a few seconds after placing them in the oil.  If they don't use a slotted metal spoon or tongs to dislodge them from the bottom of the pan so they don't burn.  Once they are golden, remove to a plate or bowl with paper towels to drain.

OK, now I said, "attempting to turn once" and there's a reason.  If there's any air in your wonton when you wrapped it, you're not going to be able to turn it.  It'll just flop back over.  Don't worry though.  The wontons will still cook, they just won't look as pretty.  I've been making these for over 20 years and I still get wontons in every batch that have air in them.

I don't really know what the temperature of the oil is when I deep fry the wontons.  I heat the oil over medium-high heat and I wet my hand and flick a drop of water in the pan [gasp].  I do stand back when I do it (and all throughout the deep frying), but this was how my mom taught me to tell if the oil was hot enough.

Also, if you put too much meat in the wonton it will bust open when you try to fold it.  It still happens to me, I just squeeze the meat mixture out back into the bowl and start with another wrapper.  Wonton wrappers will dry out so don't let them sit out until you're ready to use them!

It all sounds complicated, but it really isn't and they are so yummy!  Whenever I make them for a party they disappear FAST.

Good luck trying them and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

The Unknown Collection - The Final Class Photo

At least it's the final class photo in my collection.  Who knows what may be uncovered years from now. Again, I know little except that it's from my Quirk family of the Hazleton, PA area.  Again, I don't recognize anyone in the photo, but I maintain that keeping a class photo has some significance.  Sure you keep portraits of friends and family, but you don't usually keep random class photos of some friend's kid or even another relative.  I think it was someone from the immediate family, but who?

I'm rotten at dating photos too, so if anyone has any ideas about around when it looks like it was taken, I'd love the input!

Tombstone Tuesday - Serendipity in a Cemetery

Mountain View Cemetery, West Hazleton, PA

I was preparing to post on the 1930 census with another census form, but weeding, mulching and trying to avoid being eaten by fire ants occupied the majority of my day so the census form wasn't completed. At least it's almost done so it should go up next week.  The trials and tribulations of trying to get a home in order to be put on the market!

I like sharing tombstone photos on my blog, as well as on other sites like FindAGrave.com because I know how important they can be in research, so it was only natural for me to do a Tombstone Tuesday post, but on who?

In the end I decided to do one on someone that wasn't even a member of my family.  Her name was Jane Rich, but she was known to my mom, aunt and uncle, as "Aunt Jane".  At some point, Jane began living with my great aunt Marian Brown so "Aunt Jane" she became and she outlived my great aunt Marian by about 13 years.

I didn't even know where "Aunt Jane" was buried when my mom and I went cemetery hopping this summer.  I had grabbed some flowers from the local Lowe's to put by the tombstones and we were off to Mountain View Cemetery in West Hazleton, PA to place flowers by my grandparents, Clarence and Florence Tabor nee Bronsavage's, grave.  The conversation in the car was about Aunt Marian and "Aunt Jane".  I was seeking clarification on who exactly Jane Rich was and as my mom was talking about her we looked to the right of the road and saw a tall family marker with "Rich" on it.  We stopped the car and got out and wouldn't you know we were standing there looking at Jane's gravesite.  I, naturally, had to take a picture or her stone (as well as the stones nearby).

I don't know much about "Aunt Jane" but a quick search tells me that she was the daughter to J. William and Edith Rich nee Morris.  She was the oldest of three known children of William and Edith, a younger brother named Harry (who was in the 1920 census, but missing from the 1930 census and may have died) and a sister, Harriett who would have been born a year or two after Harry was born. Her tombstone tells me that she was born in 1908 and died in 1965.

Other information that I discovered (and I will have to verify this when I get back home in reach of additional resources and records) is that Jane most likely studied at Pennsylvania State University and majored in Home Economics.  She was a member of the Chi Omega sorority (both details I discovered in Penn State's 1930 yearbook "La Vie") 

We think that after Aunt Marian died that "Aunt Jane"  ended up with most if not all of Aunt Marian's belongings.  Oh how we'd love to have some of those photos that are most likely never to be found!  One in particular was of Aunt Marian in a beautiful dress leaning against a piano.  It would be a happy day in my family if we ever found that photo!  Here's hoping that someday we'll be able to track down that photo!

Amanuensis Monday (Sort of) - Just a Little Neat Information

I was feeling a bit lazy this afternoon.  I had just finished reading a great book (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...very good but NOT for kids!) and didn't really have the motivation to get moving on a blog post. I decided to check my files for something military-flavored for a Military Monday post.  In doing so I grabbed the obituary for my cousin Monsignor Aloysius McElwee.  Msgr McElwee had been a Brigadier General in the Army and had led quite a full life (you can read more about him in his obituary here).

Even though I had already posted his obituary and didn't have any new information on him, I became curious as to whether or not I could easily find a picture of him online (preferably in his uniform).  No such luck.  I skulked back to Ancestry.com and was about to look at family trees to see if anyone had him in there with a picture that I could beg to use when I came across a passenger list with him in it.

Extract of the S.S. Manhattan Passenger List from Ancestry.com

Apparently he was a passenger on the S.S. Manhattan that left Genoa, Italy on June 2nd 1940 and was heading back to America with an arrival of June 10th.  It also gave his address which I will have to look for his family there in the 1940 census now!

Why do I find this neat information?  Well it said in his obituary that he "...took his preparation for the priesthood at the Collegio Brignole Sale Negroni, Genoa, Italy, and was ordained by the Most Rev. Francesco Canessa, D.D., in Genoa on May 18, 1940."

So Aloysius was on his way back to America, a newly ordained priest.  To me that's fairly neat!

Now to find a picture....

Breastfeeding...Be Warned

OK...because I know that there are very ignorant narrow-minded easily offended people out there that may not wish to see a picture of a nursing baby, I will take this opportunity to state that if you are offended by that sight, then do not read the rest of this post!  You have been warned.  Do not go to the comment section and complain about the pictures when you've been told in advance to not look if you're offended by it!  So let's get to it....

A shocking surprising topic for a genealogy post?  Not so in my opinion.  We all know that at some point in our ancestry everyone had an ancestor that was breastfed.  Sure, just as today when breastfeeding fails, there is formula.  Perhaps when it failed in our ancestors' past it was goat's milk or cow's milk, but it didn't fail for all of your ancestors.  Someone breastfed.

Why create a blog post about breastfeeding?  Well, it's been a subject of some news articles recently to include Facebook removing pictures of breastfeeding mothers.  While I won't really get into the debate here, it made me want to relay my story.  My breastfeeding family history.  To those that have nursed, it is important in a way that can be hard to describe.

Why did I breastfeed my children?  I didn't really think about it.  I just was going to.  It was never a discussion my husband and I had either.  I was going to breastfeed and he fully supported that.  Is that shocking?  No, but my husband did not come from a breastfeeding family.  His mother did not nurse him or his sisters and our nephews and niece were not nursed.  Is there anything wrong with that?  No.  I was delighted and impressed that not only my husband, but his family supported me.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm blessed with my family.  The one I was born into and the one I married into!

So why was the decision to breastfeed not a choice at all?  Not even a decision I had to make?  Simple.  I was lucky enough to have a mom that gave my sisters and I another sister when we were much older than most kids would be.  I was 17 when my baby sister was born.  My older sister was 20!  I got my diaper changing experience as a teenager (I'm sure my sister is cringing at the thought!)


My mom nursed my sister.  She worked a couple miles away from the house and would come home when the babysitter would call her to nurse.  I don't recall ever feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed when I watched my mother feed my sister.  I thought it was the cutest thing in the world and I loved it.  So when I got pregnant there was no thought process to it.  During a conversation with my mother on the phone she brought it up and asked if I was planning on breastfeeding.  My response was along the lines of DUH (in a completely respectful way).  I'm sure she was relieved.

It then brought up the conversation as to why she breastfed.  Was it just the norm at the time?  Did her mother encourage her to breastfeed us?  Nope.  My mom's story was short, sweet, and rather amusing.  Yes, her mother breastfed my mom and her siblings, but apparently grandma had commented that my mom wouldn't be able to nurse because she thought her breasts were too small.  Maybe grandma needed glasses a lesson in the human body.  Mom did fine.

Since I was living in Hawaii and was lucky enough to have my aunt and uncle out there.  My aunt being a nurse/midwife I always assumed that she breastfed because, being a nurse/midwife, she knew that it was best.  Of course, I sometimes forget that my aunt had a life before midwifery.  A life when she first had her children.  Yes, I can be silly and forget things like that.  So when I asked about why she decided to breastfeed she told me that she never decided to.  That my mother told her that she would breastfeed so she did.  That got a good chuckle out of me, but it shows the loving relationship between them.

Was breastfeeding easy?  No.  For something so natural it can be frustrating and painful (to both momma and baby).  There were times that I thought my kids were going to suck my nipple right off I was going to scream it hurt so much.  Thank God for lactation consultants and family.  One visit to a lactation consultant taught me a proper latch for my oldest son and we did great.  There were some drawbacks.

I got sick over Mother's Day weekend the year my son was born.  My husband was in Australia so he wasn't there.  I had a fever of 104 degrees and was terrified (panicky mom syndrome) that I would pass out or die in the apartment and then who would help my baby.  By this time I had another uncle and his wife that moved out to Hawaii.  I called them for help.  They lived right next to the military hospital.  While they were great and I value their help, I should have been smarter and called my aunt the nurse.  Why?  Well, I couldn't have known then, but when we went to the hospital the doctor, despite my informing him that I was a nursing mother and wanted medicine that I could take and safely nurse my baby, gave me medicine that I couldn't nurse my child while taking.  I had to pump and dump and my baby had to go to formula for the next week.  If I had been smart and brought my other aunt, I'm sure she would have known more about what they could do for me.

This threw my milk production way off and I was no longer producing enough to feed him on demand and pump while at work so that he would have milk in daycare.  As hard as I tried, I couldn't get my milk to increase and I certainly couldn't tell the Army that I needed a week or so at home for lactation reasons....oh would if I could!  So from that point on, we were supplementing with formula.  I was not a happy mama about it.  I was even less happy when 9/11 happened.  It was my first time in the field since having my baby.  I even brought a pump so I could keep my milk up...and then Osama bin Jackass happened.  At that, I just put the pump away.  There was no way I was going to be able to take time away from duty to pump. I had my own reasons for wanting to hunt down bin Laden.  For what he did to America and for what he did to my breastfeeding!

Was it easier with my second child?  I'd love to say that it was and I'd love to say that something so instinctual and natural was a breeze, but it wasn't.  It was perhaps even more frustrating with my second son and I felt more like a failure when it wasn't working.  He was feeding, but he was hurting me more than his brother ever did and he never seemed to latch properly.  My older sister was my angel during this.  She came down to stay with me about 2 weeks after he was born so that she could help out and that was when I was a complete breastfeeding wreck.

My sister didn't nurse her daughter.  Her milk never came in and after several days of a frustrated mom and baby, she went to formula.  I can't say I blame her for that either.  I can't imagine what she went through, but she knew how much this meant to me, and my milk was in we just weren't having a great time and there were times that I was just a complete mess and a blubbering ball crying.  I'd gone to the lactation consultant and she was less than helpful.  I wasn't planning on going back because of how useless she had been and I had been starting to wonder if my baby was a little "tongue tied".  But my sister wouldn't hear of me not going back.  She took me to the hospital and right into the lactation consultant's office and told her that she needed to do something to help me.  It was very cool seeing my sister so forceful in demanding assistance for my nursing dilemma...and it worked.

We talked with the lactation consultant awhile and I let her know about my concerns that he was tongue tied.  We got in to see an Ear Nose and Throat doctor and wouldn't you know....mama was right.  A little snip under the tongue and several pairs of Soothies from the lactation consultant and it was smooth sailing. With my second child I managed to nurse just 2 weeks shy of a year.  I'm sure being out of the military and now being a stay at home mom made this a bit easier.

Did I ever run into that awful person that chastised me about breastfeeding in public?  Nope.  I did have a very good friend and neighbor that told me her husband would most likely be completely embarrassed if he saw me nurse, so I made sure not to nurse in front of him.  There's a difference when someone politely mentions their spouse's embarrassment and doesn't demand that you go away!

I will admit that I did breastfeed once intentionally to make someone feel uncomfortable.  One of the guys in my husband's unit really turned his nose down on women.  He was married and all, but a complete pig.  He would make comments about women in the military and how they would unfairly get promoted over men like him (it had nothing to do with the fact that a woman might be more qualified...heaven forbid!) and he would say these things in front of me.  So the next time he had a get together at his house and my baby needed to eat, I just threw a receiving blanket over my shoulder and popped the kid on.  Even though he couldn't see anything he was so offended he walked away.  I know...I'm mean.

I have boys, so I can't encourage them to breastfeed their children.  I can encourage them to encourage their wives, but it's not quite the same and most likely has less of an effect.  Breastfeeding is becoming more common now than it was when my mom and aunt had children.  It's even more common now since my first was born.  Hopefully the taboo that far too many people feel about a woman feeding her child will go away completely someday.  It certainly is the cheapest method to feed your baby!

It does make me wonder how many of my ancestors nursed.  My recent ancestors that is.  Breastfeeding.  Who would have known it was a part of family history.

The Unknown Collection Continues...

Another photo to share from my album of unknowns that was passed onto me through the Quirk side of my family from the Hazleton, Pennsylvania area.  Last week I posted a photo that I'm sure has a Quirk ancestor in it.  Call it more of a feeling than anything else since some from my Quirk line were teachers, or perhaps it was one of the children in the photo...either way, I see little reason to keep a class photo unless there is someone in it you know!  The teacher looks different in the photo here as does the school.

Still waiting hoping for someone to come along and solve the mystery of some of these photos!

Tombstone Tuesday - John J Enama

This post is in memory of my brother-in-law's father.  He lost his dad a few months after we lost my father-in-law.  That was a tough year for our family.  When I went home last summer I made sure to find his father's gravestone and to stop and pay a visit for them.

"Loving Dad and Pop-Pop

John J. Enama

Jan 8, 1940 - July 5, 2010

Life's Been Good"

Amanuensis Monday - Figuring Out Where She Belongs...

I had started this transcription quite some time ago, and I don't really know why I didn't post it.  I posted the obituary for Mary Villers nee LaCrosse's husband, Frank, almost a year ago, but never figured out where he belonged in my tree...and never figured out where Mary belongs.  Perhaps that was why I didn't post this one yet.  Trying to figure out where she belongs.

It didn't take terribly long to figure it out.  I guess walking away and coming back with a clear head really does work!  I looked for Frank and Mary Villers in the 1930 US Federal Census, and easily found them.  Not only did I find Frank and Mary, but Frank's parents, Louis and Emmerance Villers, were living there with them.

Cool another generation back.  Still not in my tree though...

So to find more on Louis and Emmerance.  Louis was born some time between 1851 and 1854 (depending which census/record you look in).  Emmerance is called Merance/Marans/Meretz in different records, but the gist of her name is clear.  I was able to track them back from the 1900 US census (Kewaunee county, Wisconsin) and then to the 1880 census (still Kewaunee county).  In the 1880 census Louis' parents were living with them...Eugene and Mary Villers.  Eugene born about 1811 (according to this census).  Now I do have a Eugene Villers in my tree...but I didn't have him with a child named Louis or with his wife's name.  Grrrr....

But someone else did.  Yes, I fell back to the evil family trees on Ancestry.com, but as long as you verify their conclusions, they aren't so scary...and then I saw that one of the family trees, belonged to none other than a Cayemberg cousin!  (Wendy, I look forward to sitting down with you at the family reunion!)


So independent research still needs to be done, but if verified, it appears that my Eugene and Mary Villers are indeed Louis' parents and therefore, Frank's grandparents.  Lots to still do, but no doubt the family reunion and my research trip to the Wisconsin Historical Society this summer will be very exciting indeed!

"Mrs. Frank Villers

ROSIERE - Mrs. Frank Villers, 70, Rosiere, died Sunday afternoon at her home.  The former Mary LaCrosse was born April 1, 1892, and married Frank Villers on May 20, 1913.  Her husband died on Sept. 1, 1954, and four brothers and one sister also preceded her in death.  She was a member of the Altar Society.

Survivors include one son, Louis, at home; one grandson, Marvin Villers; two great-grandchildren; one brother, Felix LaCrosse, Algoma; two sisters, Mrs. Emily Bero and Mrs. John Monfils, both of Rosiere.

Friends may call at Wiesner-Massart Funeral Home, Casco, after 6 tonight.  The Rosary will be recited at 8 tonight and Tuesday evening.  Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Hubert Church, Rosiere, with the Rev. A.C. Kenny in charge.  Burial will be in the parish [cemetery]."

(Hand-dated - Mar. 24, 1963)

NOTE: This clipping was passed on to me by family in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  It was taken from a scrapbook filled with old newspaper clippings and had no publication information.  It may have come from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

The Unknown Collection Continues...

Unlike most of the other pictures I've post from this "Unknown Quirk Family Album" this isn't a typical card photo (portrait in a studio, although it was on card paper) or tin type.  It is also different in that it's a class photo.  Could one of my Quirk ancestors be a child in the photo?  Were one of my Quirk great aunts the teacher in the photo.  I come from teachers and coal miners so I feel sure that there must be one of my Quirks in this photo.  The other thing that I'm fairly certain about is that they went to public school (and were public school teachers) in the Hazleton, Pennsylvania area.

Tuesday's Tip - Inputting Data on the 1920 U.S. Federal Census

1920 U.S. Federal Census

Things have been crazy busy with the Easter holiday and de-cluttering the house so we can put it on the market, so I was debating whether or not to put up another census form today.  I hadn't created it yet, and it takes a little bit of time (I'm a perfectionist and like to be as close to exact as possible on these things), but as I woke up this morning thinking that I would simply turn out a quick Tombstone Tuesday with some research thrown in there, I saw a comment from Michelle Goodrum from "Turning of Generations" fame.  Her comment on my 1910 census letting me know that she's enjoying the forms was all it took to get me going.  Up to this point I was really wondering if they were useful to anyone (apart from me, that is)!

Thank you, Michelle, for getting me back on track!  Now on to the 1920 census!

I've been really enjoying the US Census Bureau's website recently.  I love the historical information they give for the decade the census was taken, and I love the fact that they usually have the instructions for the census takers (always a good thing to know!).

An interesting tid-bit I found from the Census Bureau was:

"The results of the 1920 census revealed a major and continuing shift of the population of the United States from rural to urban areas.  No apportionment was carried out following the 1920 census; representatives elected from rural districts worked to derail the process, fearful of losing political power to the cities.  Reapportionment legislation was repeatedly delayed as rural interests tried to come up with mechanisms that would blunt the impact of the population shift.  Congress finally passed a reapportionment bill in 1929.  The bill declared that the House of Representatives would be apportioned base on the results of the 1930 census."

Want to check out the report on Mines and Quarries from the 1920 census?  How about the Agriculture report?  Manufacturing?  Well, you can check out the reports on these and more on the Census Bureau's website here.

There's so much great information out there to help you understand the time period your ancestors lived in, and it's so important to remember not to think of their world as ours is today.  Sometimes we forget that...I know I do.

So now you've got another census form that you can download, input your ancestor's information into and save right to your computer.  Remember that you can access this census form that I created by clicking on any of the "1920 census" links in this blog, or by clicking here.  The form when it opens in Google Docs always appears to have more than one page, but rest assured that when you download the form, it will be in one piece.

The form is locked so that you can tab from one blank to another without accidentally erasing the form itself.  I did notice one quirk in the form.  I placed the "Notes" section at the top in this form.  Each time you tab across and hit the "Notes" section, it spits you back to the first row.  I have no idea why it does this (any suggestions to fix it are greatly appreciated!), but it's something to keep in mind when entering the information in that top set of cells.  The bottom set works fine though!

If you notice any other issues with the form or have trouble accessing it, please let me know and I'll do whatever I can to fix it.  The other input-able forms can be accesses by clicking on the "tag" labeled "FORMS" on the left-hand side of the blog.  Confused?  I think I am too at this point.  I need to stop writing this post while sitting in on my son's Boy Scout meeting!

Until next time, good luck finding your ancestors in the 1940 census and tending those roots!

UPDATE:  The links to the 1920 form were apparently bringing up the 1910 census form I created.  The link has been changed, so you'll get the right form now!  Thanks, Pam, for letting me know!

Amanuensis Monday - How I Finally Found Out When She Died...

I hadn't been able to find out when my great grandmother, Jadwiga Tabor nee Paszkawicz, died.  I knew that she had died before my great grandfather, Adam Tabor Sr, but I didn't even know how long before him she died.  I really didn't have much to go on.

Adam, Jadwiga, Aldona and Clarence Tabor

Now I know that I could request a record search from the Vital Records Department in Pennsylvania, but I'm a cheapskate and they charge quite a bit more when you don't know the exact date.  Heck if you only know the year, you're pretty much forking over more money.  I was determined to figure this out myself...or should I say, as cheaply as possible.

Her tombstone had only the year (1945), when I finally found the cemetery she was buried in, so that wasn't going to do the trick, but then...

A few years ago, I found a Western Union telegram in a packet of genealogy papers given to me and the question was answered.

"PAF2 8-Scranton Penn Jun 30 303A

1945 Jun 30 AM 6 13

C P Tabor =

708 Garfield St  670 Garfield

Mother Tabor passed away Sunday morn 2 AM=
Adam Tabor 224 Oak St Scranton PA

2 AM 224 Oak St."

So little information to tell me just what I wanted to know.  Jadwiga passed away in the early morning hours of June 30th 1945.  I was able to send away for her death certificate.  Sadly, I didn't get any parent names from the death certificates, but I had that already from their marriage certificate.  Jadwiga died at 64 years of age, what I would consider young, but I guess that's by today's standards.  Then again, who doesn't hope that their ancestors lived to ripe old ages?

Family Recipe Friday - Beer Batter-Dipped Fish

I hated fish growing up.  Well, not those gross, processed fish sticks dipped in loads of ketchup (I still actually like those gross fish sticks!) and my mom's Beer Batter-Dipped Fish.  I make it for my family and since today is Good Friday I figured this was a good family recipe to share.

Beer Batter-Dipped Fish

2 eggs, separated
1/2 c. beer (light beer is best)
1/4 c. milk
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Fish (I use cod)

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.  In another bowl beat the yolks; add the flour, beer, milk, salt and pepper and beat together.  Fold in the egg whites.

Heat canola oil until thermometer reaches 375 degrees (F).  Dip fish into batter and drop into hot oil in batches.  Deep fry until golden.  Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

There isn't a lot of salt in this recipe.  You may want to increase the salt in the batter to your taste after the first time you make the recipe.

Those Places Thursday - Time to Confuse my Descendants Again

Garden of the Gods

So if being in the military wasn't enough to throw those pesky descendants off my trail, we're moving again.  I know, I know...we aren't in the military anymore, but it matters not.  We're on our way to Colorado Springs!

I'm excited.  Very excited.  Colorado Springs is a gorgeous area.  But I'm a bit sad too.  My boys are in an awesome school and we got close to quite a few people here.  We weren't really thinking that we'd be leaving Killeen, Texas...at least not until retirement, when we'll no doubt join the great Packer fans of Wisconsin.

So getting close makes this move harder.  I was close to many people while I was in the military, but you expect to move every few years.  It's just different.  I'm leaving behind great people, but thank goodness for Facebook, FaceTime, and Skype!

So I'll look at the positive points.  Gorgeous area.  Lots of outdoor stuff to do.  Four seasons...yay, snow! Adventure!  Only about a one day drive to Salt Lake City (time for my first visit!)

My resolutions which will make this move an even more positive one:

1)  I will not become PTA/PTO-involved for a minimum of one year.  I'll join whatever parent organization the schools have, but I'll just have to give them a wrong phone number or something. Take my dues and leave me alone for a couple years.  Lay low...

2)  I will be my 6 year old's Tiger Den Leader or Assistant Tiger Den Leader, but I will not have one of the Committee positions in either Cub Scout Pack or Boy Scout Troop for at least one or two years.

3)  I will finally head out to the Family History Library!

4)  I will crank up my genealogical studies.  Either by more online courses and webinars, or (preferably) by taking the Boston University certificate program or Monterey Peninsula College's program.

5) Once I feel comfortable back in the genealogy world, I'll be heading for my certification.

So maybe this move isn't a bad one.  It looks like it will be freeing up my time so I can refocus on my business. Here's hoping anyway!

The Unknown Collection Continues...

Nice mustache!

This is another photo from my Quirk family album from the Hazleton, Pennsylvania area.  There is no information about the photo, but the person here wouldn't necessarily be from the Hazleton area. Hopefully someday someone with a name may come across my blog post!

Tuesday's Tip - Inputting Data on the 1910 U.S. Federal Census

1910 U.S. Federal Census

No you didn't read that wrong.  I'm still living in the 1910 census.  My intentions of getting the 1910, 1920, and 1930 census sheets up before the 1940 census was released, just did not happen.  One of those times when life gets in the way and then a cold just tops it all off...but I'll get into that on Thursday (unless life gets in the way)!

So, since my states/counties haven't made it up yet, I figured I'd get a post out.  And even though this is the 1910 census, that information is still relevant and potentially useful in tracking down where your ancestors may have lived or lived near for future censuses.  So onward to some details about this census...

The United States Census Bureau has some great information including the history of the decade, the various schedules and instructions to enumerators.

I particularly enjoyed reading this bit:

"The change of 'census day' from June 1 to April 15 was made up on the suggestion of the Census Bureau.  It was believed that the April 15 date would be more desirable, since a large number of people are away from their homes in June."

That cracked me up.  I mean, it certainly makes sense, but I did get a kick out of the census being rescheduled because of family vacations.

The census form that we deal with most frequently (and that I've created the sheet for) is Schedule (also called Volume) 1 - Population.  You can check out a complete list of the Schedules/Volumes for the 1910 census by clicking here.  Don't forget to check the information at the top and bottom of the page.  Lots of great information there to include the instructions to enumerators.

I'd normally put more in this post about the census, but I'll admit.  My butt's been kicked and this genealogist is heading to the bedroom soon with a good bowl of chicken broth.  Too much to do leads to icky colds, so until next time have fun tending those roots and good luck with the 1940 census!

[As always if there are any problems with the census form I posted, please contact me and I'll see what can be done to fix them!  You can get to this form by clicking any of the "1910 census" links above.  When the form is viewed as a Google document it will be 2 pages long and not look quite right, but once you download it to your computer it will be 1 page]