Blog Caroling!

Luckily I'm keeping up on my Google Reader (for the most part anyway) and noticed that Blog Caroling is fast approaching!  I loved sharing my favorite Christmas carol last year and was very excited when I came across the first Blog caroling post which just happened to be Bill West's who was singing "I Saw Three Ships".  Oddly enough I'd heard the song before, but didn't know the words except for "On Christmas Day in the morning".  Thanks for sharing, Bill, and thank you footnoteMaven for the caroling!

After some consideration I finally decided on a song for this year.  When I was a little girl, my mom used to play Brenda Lee's Christmas album, "Jingle Bell Rock".  I loved those songs, but there was one that always gave me chills and brought a tear to my eye (almost every time...even today).  I've played this album for my kids as well, and my oldest son Benjamin loves this song too.  It's called, "The Angel and the Little Blue Bell."

Now let me see...no hot toddy for me tonight, but my cup of tea is still warm.

1...2...3...

The Angel and the Little Blue Bell

At Christmas time in the steeple high

The bells would proudly ring

To tell the world of the joy and cheer

That Christmas Day would bring

But one little bell in the steeple high

Could only pain alone and cry

No matter how he'd try and try 

Poor little thing

He couldn't ring

At all...

All the other bells in the steeple high

Saw all his lonely tears

And watched him try his best to ring

Each Christmas through the years

But the little blue bell in the steeple tall

Just cried when Christmas came to call

For like I said in spite of all

Poor little thing

He couldn't ring

At all...

One Christmas Eve in the steeple high

An angel did appear

She smiled and said to the little blue bell

I've come to dry your tears

And on that night so the story's told

She changed the little blue bell to the purest gold

With the richest tone to hold and hold

Proud little thing

Just hear him ring

At all

Remembering Pearl Harbor

The names of those who died on the USS Arizona

The Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

I lived in Hawaii for 3 years.  I got married there (both my civil and church wedding) and I gave birth to my first son there.  I still have family living on Oahu.  I have beautiful memories of Hawaii and miss it terribly.  When we think of Hawaii we think of tranquility and beauty.  A tropical paradise.  It was 70 years ago today, at 7:55am (Hawaii time) that its tranquility was shattered in, as Franklin Delano Roosevelt put it, "A date that will live in infamy."

The Arizona Memorial

Today I remember the victims, and survivors of Pearl Harbor.  I cannot imagine what they went through.  Many of the survivors had enormous guilt.  "Why did I survive?"  Many of them would later choose to be interred in the wreckage with their buddies that died on that infamous day, December 7th, 1941.

Oil still bubbles up from the wreckage of the USS Arizona

These are some of the pictures I have of Pearl Harbor. A place where many of my fellow Soldiers chose as the site of their reenlistments.  A place of tranquility again, with a beautiful memorial in paradise to those who lost their lives.  Remember them always.

The USS Arizona.  Some parts of the ship sit just above the water.

The USS Arizona

Folding the flag during a reenlistment at the Arizona Memorial

A reenlistment of a dear friend at the Arizona Memorial

Tombstone Tuesday - Remembering This Holiday Season

I went to the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery last week to participate in November's challenge from Lorine McGinnis of Olive Tree Genealogy.  Lorine will soon be working her video magic on the various submissions that were sent to her, but I wanted to take this Tombstone Tuesday and share some of the photos I took.

The cemetery decorates the veterans' graves with flags during Memorial and Veterans Days and wreaths during the holidays.  It is a beautiful sight to see.  There are many people that help to put out the flags/wreaths as well as clean them up each time it's needed.  One of those groups that helps is a local Boy Scout Troop.  Great work, boys!  Thank you for remembering these heroes and their families.

This holiday season I will be remembering the loved ones that couldn't be with us anymore.  They are alive in our hearts and our work!

All I can say here is WOW! Served during 3 wars (I don't care if they say Korea was a "conflict")...

"Robert Sanders

SGM US Army

WWII   Korea   Vietnam

May 23, 1923    Mar 25, 2005"

I'm not trying to single out Sergeants Major here, but another Wow!

"William McPherson

CSM US Army

Korea   Vietnam

Jan 22, 1932    Apr 23, 2005

Silver Star

Bronze Star

Purple Heart"

I can only imagine your experience...

"Warne S May

1LT US Army

World War II

Mar 8, 1920   Oct 6, 1999

AM Ex-POW

Carlyn M May

Mar 22, 1921    Mar 11, 2008"

Thank you, Sir

"Carl William Gustke Jr

MAJ

United States Army

Vietnam

Sep 25, 1947   Jan 12, 2011

BSM  PH  MSM  ARCOM"

And we cannot forget those on the home front for these vets.

"Kil Sun Foxen

Feb 25, 1951   Sep 24, 2006

Wife of

CW2 Robert A Neal

USA"

and...

"Mary Lou McDilda

Oct 6, 1938   May 4, 2004

Wife of

A1C Robert K McDilda

USA"

And those still waiting for their markers still got wreaths...

Thank you all!

Military Monday - Now THAT's a Military Family!

I'm sure we've all seen those families with tons of children serving during wartime.  They are always impressive/awe-inspiring to see and this one is along those lines.  Not only does Mrs. Alice Hare have a son serving during World War II, but has a brother and sister serving!  I find the sister to be particularly impressive considering the time period we're talking about!

I haven't made a connection between these heroes found in my family scrapbook, but I look forward to searching for that connection and adding them to my Veterans Day post!

"Mail Brings Good News of Sister, Son and Brother

Mrs. Alice Hare, 908 Harvey street, received double good news from the war front this week.  One letter bore notification that her son, Warren, 21, had been promoted from first lieutenant to captain int he Philippines, where he flies a C-47 transport plane.  He had flown over 300 combat missions, and 700 non-combat, and has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air medal.  He entered service shortly after his graduation from Central Catholic High school in 1942.  His sites, Eloise, is a yeoman 2/c in the Waves, and his brother, Eugene, is in the Merchant Marine.

The other good news was a letter announcing the meeting of Mrs. Hare's sister, Lt. Gladys Berken, and her brother, Lt. Roy Berken, in England, where Lt. Gladys is stationed as an Army nurse.  Lt. Roy is pilot of a C-47 transport, based in France and flew to England to visit his sister.  It was their first meeting since leaving the United States last August.

Lt. Gladys was on the nursing staff of St. Vincent hospital here for a time, then entered private nursing in Milwaukee.  Lt. Roy was a partner in the Berken and Paque trucking service before becoming an Army flier.

Lts Berken and Mrs. Hare are children of Mrs. Mary Berken, route 7."

Follow Friday - Just This One...

I wasn't going to do a post today, but I've been reading Kathy Reed's Advent posts for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories and they are addictive!  She's using her brother as a "guest blogger" and posting his Christmas Letters.  These are letters that he wrote and put out at Christmas for his company and they are fabulous!

Kathy is already an excellent blogger and her brother is right up there with her.  I'm enjoying these posts so much and find myself looking forward to the next.  Don't miss out on this series.  Head over to Jones Family Matters and read the posts.  I guarantee you'll be hooked!

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - The Tree

My Mom, Aunt Cathy, and Mary Lucille Gilson (at Mary's house)

It's that time of year again, and even though last year was my first year participating in the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories (and blogging), I really had fun.  Rather than repeat my posts from last year, I'm going to be asking family members to share with me their memories.  I haven't decided yet if I will stick with one family member this year and save the other stories for next year, but I figured it was a good way to mix it up and to gather all those great memories that we want remembered forever!

The following are my mom's memories of the Christmas Tree (and Christmas in general) when she was growing up, edited just a bit so you may understand some of the people and places that were referred to...


When Eddie and I were young my mom and dad would send us next door to Aunt Mary Quirk's house and we'd have dinner with Aunt Mary, Aunt Kay and, when I was very young, grandpa Quirk.  At our bedtime mom came over and took us back to the house, but everything was dark in the living room because Santa Claus was coming that night.


It was so hard going to sleep.  I remember lying awake and hearing noises in the living room but knew I couldn't see what it was.


My father would set up the entire two train set - a big green one (I don't remember the brand) and a little black one (a Lionel).  I guess my mom was in charge of the tree.  It was always a real one with big bulb lights and bubble lights.  I remember always flicking the bubble lights that didn't bubble.  I think the bubble lights on the tree are the reason I still like them so much.  My dad helped grandpa Brown.  When we came down in the morning Santa had been there and it was magic knowing he had done everything while we slept.  He even came into our rooms and put our filled stockings on our beds.


My Grandpa Brown died when I was in 6th grade and it must have been the first Christmas after his death (Cathy was still little) that my mom told us that Santa needed our help that year so we were going to set up the platform, trains and tree and Santa would finish it.  A couple of years later we helped even more by decorating the tree.  I think I believed in Santa until I was in Grebey Junior High School.


Wonderful memories.  Of course, we had to go to the children's mass at St. Gabriel's on Christmas morning.  By that time we had gone through all of our presents at home.  When we came back it was on to the aunts' house (Mary and Kay) next door and got more presents.   By the afternoon we ended up at Aunt Marian and Grandpa Brown's house which was right behind ours.  My mom made the best turkey and pumpkin pie and when it was all finished, Ed and I would go to the Gramley's house to see what Malcom and Tommy got for Christmas.  Nobody in the neighborhood was well off but everyone's father except one had a job.  It was good times.


When we got older and my mom turned the garage into a TV room, we started putting the tree up there.  I think my parents loved Christmas as much as we did.  When we were older my dad would give us money and we'd go to Fellins jewelry or Deisroth's to buy presents for my mom.


I'm sure Ed and Cathy did what I did in trying to duplicate that sense of joy and Santa.  I remember staying up to 4:00 a.m. with your father on Christmas Eve putting together that Barbie three (or was it four) level house.  Good times and very good memories.


Next week I'll feel like a kid again as we bring up the Christmas tree from the crawl space and bring out all the old decorations and bubble lights and put baby's breath on the branches.


Thanks mom for sharing these memories!

Wedding Wednesday - Did You Ever Get the Feeling You're Related...

Green Bay Press-Gazette

This is one of those obituaries that I have in my collection where I have no doubt the bride is related to my husband, but I have no idea what the relation is...yet!

I often refer back to the scrapbooks that my husband's paternal grandmother put together and that were passed on to me by his mother.  They are a treasure trove indeed (although rarely cited).  I see names that are in my husband's direct line, and I see other names in indirect lines.  So who's related?  Well, my husband's 3rd great grandparents were Charles and Josephe Hermans nee Landeck.

Now that's going pretty far back, but Charles is the last male Hermans I have...and I don't have any brothers or sisters for him, and I know of no children that he and his wife had apart from their daughter, Josephine.  There was obviously another Hermans there somewhere.  At least obvious to me.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  Just because someone shares a last name in my tree doesn't make them related and it's sloppy research to try to find records to fit someone in my husband's tree.  I'm not trying to do that though.  This clipping was cut and pasted into this scrapbook for a reason.  I just need to find out what that reason is.  In this case, with a surname in his line, I'm venturing that it's a distant cousin.  After all, I've been told all the Belgians in that part of Wisconsin were related!  An amusing generalization, but you get my point...

Lucille Hermans and Edward Rueckl were married on October 12, 1943 (as best as I can tell from my not-so-exhaustive-research).  Since there's no date on this clipping, I'm going to ensure I have the right date, by verifying it with the local microfilmed newspapers when I get back to Green Bay for the holidays.  We'll go on from there.  I can, of course, hope that someone will come across this post and be able to help me fill in some of the genealogical blanks and speed me on my way.  Isn't that one of the reasons for me, and many of you, to blog?  We want to find those connections.

On to the wedding announcement of this beautiful bride!

"Lucille Hermans Bride at Tonet

Special to Press-Gazette

LUXEMBURG, Wis. - In a ceremony performed by the Rev. L.A. Dobblesteen at Tonet last Tuesday morning, Miss Lucille Hermans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hermans of Luxemburg, became the bride of Norbert Rueckl, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Rueckl, also of Luxemburg.

The bride wore a gown of ivory satin with a long train, a V neckline with lace yolk, and long sleeves with V-points over the wrists.  Her fingertip veil was caught in a lace headpiece, and she carried a bouquet of Johanna Hill roses and white pompons.

Miss Hyacinth Rueckl was maid of honor, in blue brocaded satin, and Miss Marie Hermans and Iris Luedtke were bridesmaids.  Veronica Hermans was flower girl.  The best man was Linus Hermans, and the bridegroom's other attendants, Robert Colle and Orville Hermans.

Wedding dinner was served for 175 guests at the bridegroom's home.  He is a farmer, and they will live near Luxemburg."