Society Saturday - Texas Relatives? Don't Miss This!

Say "Cheese!", Amie!

East Bell County Genealogy Society held a meeting on February 21st and had an excellent speaker in Amie Oliver.  Amie is the Coordinator for Use and Access Services for The Texas Collection at Baylor University.  She gave a wonderful and information presentation, “Genealogical Resources at The Texas Collection.”  All I can say after hearing everything The Texas Collection has to offer, is that I wish I had ancestors that lived in Texas!  If you have ancestors that lived Texas, you don’t want to miss out on this collection!

So what exactly is meant by a “Special Collection”?  Well a special collection is a library or archive devoted to one specific type of information, in this instance, Texas history.  The Texas Collection is a closed stack library, which means that someone will retrieve the books/materials that you wish to look through.  And just like in other closed stack libraries and archives, you can submit a request for materials to be pulled before your arrival so they’re waiting for you!

Some of the information in The Texas Collection that you can peruse includes:

            -135,000+ volumes of printed materials on Texas, both rare and current and approximately 150 books are added each month!

            -Microfilm (a genealogist’s bane true love)!  Seriously, though everything isn’t on line so good old-fashion microfilm scanning is essential and The Texas Collection is not lacking here.  They have the census records, both microfilmed as well as electronic versions.  Another neat aspect here is the Regional Historical Resource Depository (RHRD).  What’s that?  Well, they are county records!  Of Texas’ counties 167 have chosen to have their records microfilmed.  There are 25 RHRD depositories in Texas and The Texas Collection at Baylor University is one of them!  More awesomeness needed?  Well most microfilm is available through Inter-Library Loan (ILL).  So if you find something you’d like to take a look at and you don’t live near one of these depositories, you can make a request through ILL.  If it's not one of the items that is available through ILL the worst you'll hear is "no", but nothing ventured nothing gained! Records that may be found in the RHRD include, naturalizations, vital records, muster rolls, voter registrations, probate, divorce records, etc.  Criminal cases (sadly) are not microfilmed, but tax records from the formation of a specific county through 1910 are!

            -Various area histories (an often neglected resource)

            -Biographical Gazetteer of Texas – This is unique to the Texas Collection.  Almost 200 books with biographical sketches were taken, gone through and a database was created so that you can search for a person’s name and find which books they are mentioned in.  The database can even be searched via their website!

            -Telephone books and City directories – they have been digitized through 1923 and as copyright limitations expire, more will be added!

            -Periodicals – There are over 100 genealogical titles

            -Vertical Files – These are cataloged, not digitized.  The files are on specific people, places, or events and many have family history data in them.

            -Church histories of all faiths – sure the South is known for Baptist churches but The Texas Collection has church histories for all faiths.  These histories may include membership information, baptisms, cemetery records, births and information on the clergy.

            -Family histories – these can be found in books, vertical files, and oral memoirs.  Family histories can be difficult to come by because when someone publishes theirs, they tend to only make enough copies for immediate family.  Is your family from Texas and do you have a family history that’s been published (bound or digitally)?  Send the Texas Collection a copy.  Trust me…the want it!

            -Funeral home records – Always a great source of information and while some of the information may also be found on a death certificate there may be other tid-bits that you don’t want to miss out on, including who paid for the funeral.  That may help you demolish a brick wall or two!

            -Military records – Lots of Civil War records here, and the military records are in both book and microfilm form.  Some of the information includes, County rosters, cemeteries, branch of service, pension applications, muster rolls, etc.

            -School annuals/yearbooks – All levels here from Kindergarten through college.  If you have an old yearbook that you’ve been looking to get rid of send it to The Texas Collection!  Does your child’s school have extra yearbooks that they’re looking to get rid of?  Send a copy to The Texas Collection!

            -Cookbooks – All kinds from church to business to family to school.  An often over-looked source of family information, these cookbooks can include genealogical gems and pictures!

            -Manuscript Archive – Filled with diaries, letters, photographs and more.

            -Oral Memoirs – Some have even been digitized and may be available online!

            -Newspapers – OK, maybe you anticipated this one, but they’ve got more than just Texas newspapers!

            -University Archive – Includes university records, policies, organization, planning, decisions operation, procedures, etc.

            -Photographs – An estimated 250,000 images!

            -Maps, Maps, Maps! – 14,000+ including historic Texas maps, highway maps, urban renewal and topographical.

Now that you know why going to Baylor University’s Texas Collection is well worth your while, here are some good things to know before arriving:

            -Photo ID is required

            -All bags must be placed in a locker (you can keep out your paper, pencil, and laptop)

            -No food or drink in the reading room

            -Please take all cell phone calls outside (don’t you just hate it when someone doesn’t!)

            -You can bring a thumb drive and scan items instead of making photocopies.

            -Copy orders can be filled for you for a cost.  You do not make your own copies.

            -Bring a sweater, because it’s cold inside!

            -There is no trained genealogist on staff.

You can follow the Texas Collection on Facebook by clicking here, on YouTube here, their blog here or on Twitter @texascollection. You can check out the Texas Collection's website by clicking here.

Now if you've got Texas roots, get on out there and get researching!

The Unknown Collection

Back of photo

Edward Joseph and Charles Hambright

Another photo from my scrapbook of unknowns.  Always hoping for a genealogically connected angel to swoop down and help identify some of these pictures!

What I know about the pictures is pretty obvious from what can be seen on the back of the card.  The boys are apparently Edward Joseph and Charles Hambright and the photo was taken by J.E. Sonnenberg in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, but I don't know what these boys are to my family. Relatives?  Friends?

Now this scrapbook was from a member of my Quirk line and my family is all from the Hazleton area of eastern Pennsylvania and this photo was from Allegheny City in western Pennsylvania.  I do know that there was at least one family member that moved to the Pittsburgh/Allegheny area from this side of the family.  Perhaps there were more?  Did my ancestors move from the Pittsburgh area and then to eastern Pennsylvania?  Possibly, but most likely these relatives moved from eastern to western PA.

I may need to do some research on Joseph and Charles Hambright.  Perhaps they lived close to my Lee relatives.  Always neat to realize that there may be other ways to get through brick walls...and maybe, if I'm very lucky, I may find out who Edward Joseph and Charles Hambright are to my family!

Tombstone Tuesday - Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, OVER???

Sorry military humor, but this kind of chapped my booty a bit.  I had requested a tombstone photo through FindAGrave for my step-father's 1st cousin, Kathryn Clements nee Sonni.  A kind-hearted genealogical angel set out to fulfill said request and posted that there was a problem...

"Please contact the cemetery office for the name of the section that she is buried in as this is a very large cemetery.  Due to privacy issues, the office will not give out burial information to non-family members."

You've GOT to be kidding me.  Not to be rude, but what privacy issues?  She's dead!  So you've got to be a relative to visit someone that's died?  So much for visiting a friend or a random act of genealogical kindness!

So apparently I'll be attempting to call Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida this week to get the information and ask "Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, OVER?"

Nonsensical silliness...

A Crime to be Catholic, Part 1

It's no secret that the Catholic Irish and Protestant English/Irish have been butting heads for centuries, but I really didn't understand the depth of the persecution until very recently. Heck, I most likely still don't grasp it fully, but I did receive a bit of a wake up.

For Lent I made the pledge to recite my rosary daily.  I have a very old family rosary that was passed on to me (which I blogged about previously), and this was the rosary that I would use to pray. I really didn't know much about it apart from that it was passed down through our ancestor William Quirk.  It was obviously hand-carved and the date 1816 was carved into the back.  There had been some various people that tried to help me discover the origins of the rosary, but as I didn't even know the origins within Ireland of William Quirk, I have had to take everything with a grain of salt.  Placing the rosary in a specific location doesn't lock in where William is from, but it could be a clue.  Either way, I still didn't know much about it.

So I typed in "19th century Irish rosary" into a Google search and came to a site called the RosaryWorkshop.com.  There as I scrolled down the page was a crucifix that looked almost exactly like mine...including a carved date on the back!

It was called a Penal Cross, so the first thing I thought of (before reading just a little further) was "Did this mean one of my ancestors was a criminal?"  Talk about adding some spice to my Irish line!  The answer was no...and yes.  An explanation, because heaven knows I needed one!

I have no proof that William Quirk or any of his family were criminals, but they were guilty of criminal actions.  What were their crimes?  They were Catholic, and apparently this at one point, became a crime punishable by death.  They couldn't pray openly so they prayed in secret and this is where the Penal Cross comes into play.

A Penal Cross was usually attached to a chaplet (one decade of a rosary) and a metal ring on the opposite end.  The ring would be slipped over the person's thumb and the Penal Cross and chaplet were concealed up the person's sleeve.  They would pray a decade of the rosary and then move the ring from their thumb to their index finger and then so on as they completed each decade.  This is how they kept track of where they were in their prayers.  The Penal Cross was designed with shortened "arms" of the cross because if they were any longer they would break off.

Many of these Penal Crosses/Chaplets were purchased during a pilgrimage to Lough Derg in County Donegal and the date on the back of the cross was to indicate the year of the pilgrimage. I don't know if this goes for all Penal Crosses and my research is certainly incomplete.  I would find it difficult to believe that these crosses only were received/purchased if you made a pilgrimage.

Some differences with my rosary and the chaplets I've found...well, my obviously Penal Cross doesn't have the symbols that often come on the front of the crucifix.  This doesn't mean that it wasn't a Penal Cross (it obviously is...at least obviously to me) but it's not "typical".  Also on the back of the cross I do have a cross carved onto the top of an "H" and then the date, but the "IHS" is not there...just the "H" and frankly it doesn't appear that the "I" and the "S" were worn off.  My Penal Cross is attached to a 5-decade rosary...not a chaplet and it is missing a center and the first 5 beads that should be just above the cross.  I have no idea why it's different.

So more mysteries attached to the rosary.  While I didn't concretely locate it's origins, it did open my eyes to what my ancestors had gone through.  While on RosaryWorkshop.com I read the following and tears ran down my face:

"In 1726 the Lord Chancellor, Richard West, declared that: 'The law does not suppose any such person to exist as an Irish Roman Catholic'.  The right to vote was removed from Catholics by act of Parliament in 1727.  Other Penal Laws included the closure of Catholic schools (which forced education of Catholics underground) and the barring of Catholics from entering a profession, the army, or attending Catholic worship - however they were required to attend Anglican service." (http://www.rosaryworkshop.com/MUSEUM-Hunt-Penal-Rosaries.html)

I knew there was hatred, and I knew that the majority of the Irish Catholics were the poorest and worked the land.  That the rents were raised and they were run off the land and left without means to exist, but I didn't realize that through legal means that it had made it illegal to be Catholic and to force them to even pray in a church not their own.  I gripe about my church often enough (especially right now with the whole birth control garbage going on), but this really made me appreciate how strongly my family had to have felt about their faith.  They were persecuted for it and gosh darn it they weren't going to give in.  No English-made law was going to keep them from their faith.

Even though this rosary isn't a Penal Chaplet, the Penal Cross on it reminds me of what they went through to keep their faith despite great odds.  Somehow saying my prayers on this rosary has taken on a deeper meaning.

UPDATE:
Since I originally began writing this post, I have been in contact with some wonderful people at Lough Derg.  Lough Derg made my week by telling me that this is indeed a Lough Derg Penal Cross.  You can be sure that I will be putting a pilgrimage on my to-do list when I get to finally visit Ireland!  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Prior Mohan and Maureen!  If you would like to find out more information about Lough Derg you can check out their website by clicking here.  You can also LIKE them on Facebook here!

Follow Friday - Impressions of My Soul

A dear friend of mine just started a blog.  It's not a genealogy blog, but it's awesome nonetheless!  Shel has such a wonderful and positive outlook on life and her blog is sure to lift your spirits! Please head on over and check out Impressions of My Soul and follow and support a new blogger!

I guarantee that you will be inspired!

Those Places Thursday - Pilgrimages to Lambeau Field

The Atrium entrance to Lambeau

It sounds silly, I mean no one is going to Lambeau Field to worship or anything, but to Packers fans from all over, getting to Lambeau Field is a pretty big deal.  Getting season tickets, well, that's a huge deal.

The Green Bay Packers have an extraordinary history, heck the trophy awarded to the Super Bowl winner is named after former Green Bay Packer coach, Vince Lombardi.  Lombardi is looked at as an inspiration to football fans and players everywhere.  Heck, one of my nephews is named Vincent if that tells you about Packer love!

One of the many businesses with Packer pride

I’ve been to Lambeau several times.  My husband is originally from Green Bay and every time we go home to visit a trip to Lambeau Field is on the schedule (and a Packer game if they’re playing).  Green Bay exudes Packers.  Almost every business has something Packer in the store and Packer gear among kids and adults alike is a clothing staple.

Want to go to a Packers home game?  Well, unless you know someone with season tickets or find a dealer authorized to sell tickets for season ticket holders that aren’t going to the game that weekend, you’re pretty much out of luck.  The Packers games have been sold out since 1960.  So if you want to go and live in the vicinity, best sign up for season tickets, but…

Getting season tickets is no easy matter.  You will wait decades, or even your entire life without getting season tickets.  It used to be that you could will someone your place on the waiting list if you died, but no more.  Luckily, you can still will your tickets to someone so it’s possible to keep them in the family!

In front of Lambeau with Benjamin

 To illustrate how long it takes, and how important it is, to get season tickets, after our first son was born we flew to Wisconsin from Hawaii to have Benjamin baptized in my husband’s church…and then we drove to Lambeau Field and put his name on the waiting list for season tickets.  After our second son was born, we drove from Tennessee to Pennsylvania to have Daniel baptized in my church and then a few days later drove to Wisconsin to see family…and to go to Lambeau and put his name on the waiting list for season tickets.  Benjamin was born in 2001 and his number on the waiting list the last we checked is 47560.  Daniel was born in 2006 and his number is 68529.

I mentioned earlier that almost all stores have something cheering the Packers on inside, but lets talk about the city.  The McDonalds restaurants are GREEN & GOLD!!! 

A Green Bay McDonalds

You’ve seen signs up north that tell you not to park on this side of the street due to street sweeping or plowing?  Well, in Green Bay you see street signs that say “No Parking Day of Packer Game”!

A very unique sign

Many streets, particularly near Lambeau Field, are named for popular/famous Packer players and coaches, and Brett Favre owns a steakhouse near the stadium!

Well, speaking of Brett Favre what Packer fans had heartache about (apart from him being just a first class drama queen) was the fact that he didn’t retire (you know…the final time he retired) straight from the Packers.  His last team that he played for should have been the Packers, and the silliness that went on (and the reasons were many, varied, and complicated) should never have happened.  He should have gone out gloriously, and not gone out with a text of his genitals!

Despite the Favre-drama and how upset fans were at his bumping around to other teams, what they support

fully is Aaron Rogers.  Not only is Rogers a 1^st class quarterback, but that’s what Packer fans do.  They support their team.  They don’t support their team when they’re winning.  They support their team whether they’re winning or whether they’re having a terrible season!  Packer fans don’t walk out of football games.  They stay to support their team, not what you see when you watch other teams play…they’re losing and the stands empty.  Nope…not for my Packers.  Die hard fans, always. 

Lambeau isn’t a covered stadium either, and as you might expect, it snows in Green Bay, so after it snows the fans come out to shovel the stands and get the stadium ready for the game.  They come out in droves to shovel!  In fact earlier this year the stadium had to turn away hundreds of people because there were just too many of them!  There were even some fans that drove more than 3 hours so they could shovel.  It was like they were waiting for Black Friday Holiday deals outside Walmart.  They waited for the stadium to open and to be among the people selected.  Sure they get paid, but they do it because they are fans!

Going to a game is an all-day affair….OK…most of the day affair.  You first have to find a place to park.  There simply isn’t enough room at Lambeau to park (and it’s expensive!), but if you drive around (or know the right people) you can find parking near the stadium.  Lambeau is right next to a residential area.  Quite literally there are homes across the street from the stadium!  People rent out their lawns for anywhere from $10-$25.00+ dollars per car to park.  I don’t know what it does to their lawn, but do the math…if you fit 10+ cars on your lawn each time the Packers play, that’s a nice chunk of change!

Outside Lambeau after signing Danny up for tickets

So we park on a friend of a friend’s lawn and then we tailgate.  Sometimes it’s just sandwiches, and sometimes it’s much more, but a tailgate is required…even if it’s 5 degrees!  You dress for the game.  You bundle up in the winter.  Seriously bundled up!  Then you head in about 45 minutes to and hour prior to kickoff so you can get through security, get a tasty beverage and get to your seat.  After the game you go back to your car and chill out for about an hour until the traffic clears before even attempting to head home.

The Packers aren’t owned by one person.  They are owned by the fans themselves.  In fact, as I type this, the last day to purchase stock in the Green Bay Packers is coming to an end.  Perhaps we’ll purchase a couple shares before midnight.  If not, we’ll wait for the next stock option.  How much are shares going for?  $250!  It’s one of the ways that this non-profit organization raises extra funds.

I'm not originally from Green Bay, but as I've blogged before, I've whole-heartedly married into a Packer family and am a die hard fan.  I love the passion the fans have as well as the sense of humor.  This DirecTV ad makes me laugh.  It's very spot-on.  The hand-made sweater.  The priest sitting in the room with her and the team rivalry (although they would have been more on target had it been a Bears fan that moved in).

Wordless Wednesday - The Unknown Collection

This is a photo from an album of unknowns.  All I know is that it belonged to ancestors in my Quirk line. I'd love to think that it's a photo of family members.  Who?...well, I have no idea.  Kellmer's studio was in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.