Happy Anniversary (Again)

Dana Cignarella, Rick and Cherie Cayemberg and Jeff Ryan Sr

My husband and I actually have 2 anniversaries.  We had a civil wedding first and then did the proper church wedding later (which I blogged about a few months ago).  Why the two weddings?  An interesting story...

My husband and I were both in the Army and stationed in Hawaii.  We knew that we were going to get married eventually and I was playing the good girlfriend and try not to ask every 5 minutes when it would happen.  In September 1999 my husband and I took a trip to Maui.  At his unit's last Christmas party he had won a trip for two so we decided that we'd go.  Maui was gorgeous (naturally!), but our hotel room was not.  No biggie.  As my now husband said, "We'll only be sleeping there."  So we spent the majority of our days there out and about, which is really what needed to be done anyway!

The view from the top of Haleakala

We decided to take a bike ride down the Haleakala volcano and we opted to go with a company that let you do it yourself rather than in a group.  We wanted to take our time and stop when we wanted to.  It was almost entirely downhill, so it wasn't like it was incredibly difficult.  The view from the crater of the volcano was very cool.  We were above the clouds.  What an interesting perspective.  Just like being in a plane, but it's open-air.  A bit odd to say the least.  And cold.  Cold is a word I would use too.  Not freezing cold, although that could happen too, but chilly cold.  You had to layer your clothes to do this bike ride.  At the top with a light jacket (preferably waterproof) and you could peel off layers on the way down.

We had decided that we'd stop and picnic on the way down and we did.  Rick saw a farm that over-looked the lower "saddle" portion of Maui complete with ocean on both sides of the "saddle."  We parked our bikes and climbed over the fence to the farm and sat down.  I know...we were bad, sneaking onto someone farm, but that wasn't how we saw it.  We just wanted the view.  I don't remember what we ate.  It was eclipsed by my husband taking a twist tie (like the ones on a loaf of bread) and fashioning it into an engagement ring and asking if I would marry him.

Rick sitting where he asked me to marry him

I'm sure some women would have taken a look at that and thought only of diamonds.  Not me.  I immediately said yes.  I knew this was the man I wanted to spend forever with...garbage bag tie ring or diamond.  He slipped it on my finger and gave me a kiss.  Then he took the real diamond ring out of his pocket and put that on my finger!  And he thinks he's not romantic!

I almost ruined the surprise and busted him that morning before we set off on our bike ride.  He was wondering around wearing his Umbro shorts.  The only pocket they have is one on the back.  I noticed a big lump on his butt and reached out with a "What's in your pocket?"  I really was dim.  I never thought that an engagement ring was coming that day.  He swatted my hand away and I still didn't figure it out.  I suppose he moved the ring to a pocket in the backpack we took, which was probably a good thing.  Could you imagine losing the ring on a 20 mile (ish) bike ride?

It was only a couple weeks later that we decided to get married.  We'd been living together since I moved out to Hawaii about 4 months earlier and he was getting ready to go to a 2 month long military school.  He thought it would be best to finalize the deal before he left.  Now it was a rush.  We got the marriage license and found someone to perform the ceremony.  Where did we get married?  On a beach at sunset of course!  Diamond Head Beach Park (also known as Leahi Beach Park) to be exact.  It was a small wedding, and it was the day before he was leaving for school!  We had our 2 witnesses and that was that.  My uncle Jeff was one of the two witnesses.  The other was a friend stationed out there.  I would have preferred to have had my Uncle Jeff and Aunt Cathy as witnesses, but because our wedding was so last minute, my aunt had to be back on the mainland that weekend for work.

Rick's family sometimes wondered if he was ever going to get married, so in true Rick form, he called them up the night before the wedding with a, "Hey, at whatever o'clock tomorrow (yes I don't remember the time we got married!) have a beer for me!"  The response was always, "Why?" and the answer, "Because I'll be getting married."  That's my hubby!

Me being all girlie and crying

It was beautiful (although the pictures aren't the best) and I did cry.  My uncle took us out to dinner afterward to celebrate at a wonderful restaurant called David Paul's and the food was the best I had eaten!  It was such a wonderful end to the day and I could never thank my uncle (and aunt) enough for that dinner.  We even went back there on our 1st anniversary!  The staff came out and presented us with the cork from the wine we drank and a card signed by the entire staff congratulating us on our special day.


I get asked which anniversary we celebrate.  Our civil wedding or our church wedding.  My answer?  Obviously the church wedding meant something very special to me or we wouldn't have had one, but when someone asks me how long we've been married I answer based on the civil wedding.  Wouldn't you?

Rick signing the marriage certificate

The rings

Rick putting on my ring

Putting on my husband's ring

The card and cork from David Paul's restaurant

Follow Friday - From One Extreme to Another!

I'm amazed at ignorance, although I know I shouldn't be.  If you haven't read Marian Pierre-Louis' blog post, "And So She Risks Everything by Being Completely Honest," over at Roots and Rambles, you really need to.  Perhaps those tactless individuals were indeed joking, but it really doesn't matter.  Just because someone hasn't gotten letters after their name yet doesn't mean that they are any less a researcher/genealogist/family historian.  It means that they don't have letters after their name.  Maybe some day they will.  Maybe some day they won't, but it doesn't make that person inexperienced, unqualified or any less than another.  It means THEY DON'T HAVE LETTERS AFTER THEIR NAME!  I'm not sure if they had their heads jammed in the sand or somewhere else!

Now I'd like to move to something of a more solemn nature.  A remembrance posted by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.  I've posted about the VVMF previously.  I love the fact that they are looking to put a face with every name that is inscribed on the Vietnam Wall.  The VVMF posted on Monday about a Vietnam Hero that does not appear on the Vietnam Wall, because he made it home alive and died saving others (thousands of others) in the WTC on 9/11.  Go and read the post, "10 Years Later and No One Has Forgotten."  It was incredibly moving.  A true hero.

A great point made by none other than Dick Eastman (always an excellent source for information), was a post "Copyright Myths."  We deal with these issues daily whether we are hearing about someone taking from us or from one of our colleagues (hopefully not us taking improperly from someone else.).  It's always nice for a little refresher.  Wouldn't it be nice if the people that needed the refresher would read this?  Ah well...we can always hope!  Thanks for the post, Dick!

The Shipwreck of the Royal Charter

A few days ago I posted "So Very Excited..." and relayed that the Chester Chronicle (A Welsh publication) was going to be publishing a follow up story this week about the shipwreck of the Royal Charter that occurred on October 26, 1859.  Images of the shipwreck were going to be printed in the Chronicle at some point this week.  All I had hoped for was to see a couple pictures on their website, but I was greeted with a much happier sight via the BBC's website.  There is a 2 minute long video clip which not only shows some bits of the shipwreck, but talks with Chris Holden, one of the authors of the book Life and Death on the "Royal Charter", as well as a brief summary of what happened to the Royal Charter 152 years ago this October.

Of course this developing story is of great interest to me as a descendant of someone that died in the shipwreck.  I've posted about the Royal Charter a few times before.  I am excited that there will be a documentary broadcast on the Royal Charter and that it will include the underwater images.  I'm bummed that I'm certain it won't be shown in America.  I may have to look for any YouTube posts on it.  I can only dream of it being released on DVD, but you can be sure that if it is I'll be first in line to get it!

If you'd like to view the 2 minute video and check out the news article on the Royal Charter head on over to the BBC here!

Tombstone Tuesday - William and Katherina Boegel

The autumn is always a crazy time of year.  School is back in session and Cub Scouts starts anew.  It usually means that I've got to put genealogy aside to complete the obligations I have in Scouting and PTA.  And although this year seems to be running much more smoothly than last year, I still have found myself hard-pressed for time.  I really wanted to get the 1890 census form up tonight, but reality and wishful thinking are two very different things.  Instead of not posting anything at all, however, I decided to get up a reasonably quick post with a beautiful family tombstone.  I simply have too much family data to not post something.  I'm always hoping to run across those distant cousins researching the same lines!

This tombstone always caught my attention when visiting St. Kilian's in Wisconsin.  It's just so huge.  This is my husband's side of the tree.  My side, well, I have yet to come across something so grand!  It's beautiful.

William and Katherina Boegel nee Melzer are my husband's 2nd great grandparents.  They were the parents of at least 8 children (that I've found so far), William Jr., Maria, Katherine (Mrs. Joseph Bonlender), John, Peter, Raymond, Mary (Mrs. Gebhardt Strabel), and Theresa.  John was my husband's great grandfather.

William Boegel Sr was born on December 21st 1848 in Wisconsin.  The son of Henry Boegel and Herietta (maiden name unknown), he married Katherine Melzer around 1875 (still working on that marriage certificate) and died on October 21st, 1922.  Katherine was born on December 12th 1846 in Germany (I know...that doesn't narrow it down by much) she died on May 24th 1927.  I don't know who her parents were yet.

What I do know is that St. Kilian's cemetery in Wisconsin has been completely recorded online, and while I may have over-looked the other Melzers in there when I passed through in genealogical bliss several years back, I can easily reference the interments by going to the Campbellsport, Wisconsin website.  And hey...writing this quick post did make me realize that finding relatives of Katherina (nee Melzer) may not be too difficult after all.  At least I have some names as leads now.

Well, time to jump in bed and prepare for a PTA-filled day tomorrow.  I need all the rest I can get for it!  Have fun tending those roots!

NOTE:  And after posting this and jumping to the wonderful Wisconsin Historical Society website I found the image numbers for a marriage of William Boegel and Katherine Meker.  I love their website!  It's now in my research calendar and when I get up to Wisconsin for Christmas I'll be copying that record!

Amanuensis Monday - Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

Did you ever feel like you were doing some kind of weird genealogical dance researching your family history?  I'm feeling that way right about now.  In mid-August I wrote a post "Wisdom Wednesday - I Live For These Moments".  In it I talked about a revelation I had about finding a missing (and most likely deceased) family member who disappeared from family history.  Bessie Dugan nee Quirk died in 1918 shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Elizabeth (Betty).  Betty was found in the 1920 census living with her father and his siblings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  She was no where to be found in the 1930 census, but her father, Dennis Dugan, was remarried.

Family lore never passed on anything about Dennis, or Betty for that matter.  We had actually assumed that she died at the same time as her mom.  The newspaper clippings that stated the baby was well but the momma wasn't didn't change that view.  It wasn't until I started researching and found the above mentioned that we collectively began to wonder, "What ever happened to little Betty?"

My previous post's revelation was that if I researched the step-mother's obituary that perhaps Betty would be mentioned in it.  Either as having predeceased her or, hopefully, had survived her.  So I contacted the local Bethlehem, PA newspaper "The Morning Call" and asked for help getting to back issues.  They directed me to the library that holds the microfilm and they had a brilliant online search tool.  I was able to input Dennis' 2nd wife, Rose Dugan's, name and she popped up with the date of the obituary.  I also found Dennis' obit.  I didn't find Betty/Elizabeth.

So I paid the small fee to have the articles printed out and sent to me and I got them this past week.  The excitement was, and still is, there at having received this information, but it didn't answer the question I was looking for.  I will most likely continue to delve into this collateral line to find out the question of, "What happened to Betty Dugan," but for now, I'll simply share her step-mother's obituary.

The Globe Times - 13SEP1982

"Mrs. Dennis Dugan

Mrs. Rose King Dugan, 87, formerly a guest at Cedarbrook Annex, Fountain Hill, died today in St. Luke's Hospital.  She was the widow of Clarence Steager and Dennis Dugan.

Born in Bethlehem, she was the daughter of James and Ellen Larkin King.

She was a member of Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, Bethlehem.

Surviving is a son, James J. Steager of Fountain Hill; two daughters, Sister Joan Dugan of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Mary Phillips of Bethlehem; a sister, Mrs. Anthony Reiser of Bethlehem, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A son Francis preceded her in death in 1956.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 730 W. Broad Street.  Call one hour prior to services Wednesday evening.  Burial will be in Holy Savior Cemetery, Bethlehem, at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Charles M. Downing Funeral Home, 835 Broadway, Bethlehem, is handling arrangements.

Memorials may be made in her name to Ss. Simon and Jude Church."


[The Globe Times, Sep. 13, 1982 pg B4:Col3]

Where Were You When the World Seemed to End?

Tribute in Light (please take time to view the description and acknowledgement below)*

September 11th, 2011.  The day the world seemed like it was coming to an end.  Where were you?  Where was I...

I was a Staff Sergeant in the Army.  Stationed with the 25th Infantry Division (L), 125 Military Intelligence Battalion.  We were in the field.  Training exercises.  It's what we did.  My husband was playing single dad with our almost 8 month old son while I played Soldier and got dirty for the week.  At least that was the plan.

The evening of September 10th (Monday) my squad and I got in our vehicles and went out to our site.  It was my first time as a squad leader.  I'll admit I was nervous.  I always wanted to impress.  To show people that I was good at what I did.  It didn't start out well.  It was dark and we were having difficulty finding the site we were supposed to set up at.  It took awhile, but we eventually got there and set up.

I jumped into the back of our "system" after it was set up.  I then proceeded to block all news and music stations that I could find.  Our job was to "Find the Enemy" and I didn't want people distracted and not looking for OPFOR (Opposing Forces).  We were a squad of 4, Newsom, Cash, Jefferson and me.  Newsom was my Assistant Squad Leader and he took first shift.  Jefferson took guard shift.  Cash and I racked out in the back of the chase vehicle (the vehicle that follows our system with all the gear in the back).

Around 4:30am I was woken up by Newsom.  He told me, "Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center and there were fears that other planes may have been hijacked."

I sat up straight and just looked at where his voice came from in the dark.  "What?" I said as I processed the information, although I really didn't need it repeated.  Then I asked, "Did you report it to the TOC (Tactical  Operations Center)?"

"No"

"Do it."  Newsom left and got on the radio.  I got on my cell phone.  I called my husband.  He had already been called by his oldest sister and his unit.  He was watching the news.  It was bad.  There was a lot of confusion in the news.  He was getting our son ready for day care and was taking him in as soon as it opened.  He was needed at work.  It was going to be a long day.  I told him I loved them both and needed to go.  I had to call my aunt and uncle that were living in Hawaii.  My Uncle Jeff's family was from New York.

I called and Uncle Jeff answered.  I could tell I just woke them.  "Turn on your T.V.," I said, "Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center and more may have been hijacked.  We're under attack."  He said he had to go and hung up.  I understood.  He needed to make sure his family was safe.

I got out of the vehicle and went to the system where Newsom was still listening.  I asked him what the TOC said.  He replied that they claimed it was all a part of the exercise.  When that happened however, Cushman, a team leader from one of the other dismounted teams, popped up on the radio with the reply, "Bullshit!" and explained that they intercepted it too and it was a news station reporting.  They were now reporting that another plane hit the Pentagon.  Then one went down somewhere in Pennsylvania.  My home state.  How many more?  That's all I could think of.

Eventually the TOC pulled their heads out of their asses and realized that this was real.  Another platoon member who was back at the TOC had brought a portable T.V. with him.  He was from New York.  Fiorelli was his name.  A good ol' Italian boy from the city.  He turned the portable on just in time to see the first Tower collapse.  I can't imagine what that was like for him.

All four of us were standing in or around our system.  There was no one pulling security.  We just weren't "playing Army" anymore.

"It's bin Laden," I stated.  Something that wouldn't be repeated on the news until later.  Most people in MI knew who Osama bin Laden was, even if we weren't "active" in the intel field. It was no secret that he hated America.  It was no secret that he would do anything within his power to strike at America if given the opportunity.  I had no doubt that it was him.  There was no reply to my statement.  There was none need.  I guess we all already knew it was probably right.  Knowing doesn't make anything better.

Pentagon Flag **

One of the guys (I can't remember which one) asked me, "What's going to happen?"

"We're going to be pulled back in."  I don't know how I knew that.  Maybe it was because I wanted it to happen.  I needed it to happen.  I wanted to get home to my husband and son.  I was terrified that a military day care would be targeted.  He didn't care who he attacked.  Unrealistic fear?  There are no unrealistic fears to a parent.

I continued, "There are too many people that need to find out how their families are.  I can't imagine them keeping us out here much longer." And then there was the unspoken fact that we were now at war.  Attacked at home and would be needed to defend our home.  We didn't know how bad this was going to get, but we knew everything was about to change.

There was only one set of headphones for the system.  Only one person could listen at once, but we all wanted to be that person.  We did take turns and whoever had the headset would relay any new information to the rest of us.  Eventually my Platoon Sergeant, Stege, came out to the site.  To see how we were doing.  To tell us to break down because we'd be going back in.  No surprise there.  It took several hours before we made it back to the company area.

Our company was in a quad.  Four buildings facing inward.  That's just pretty much how the majority of Schofield Barracks was set up.  When we returned to the quad it was surrounded by triple-strand concertina wire (razor wire) with a guard at each entry point checking IDs.  The entire post was like this.  Not only was the post at 100% ID check, vehicle inspection (complete with looking under each vehicle for bombs), but once you got on post you had to show ID to get into your quad.  If anyone doubted that this was serious, that ended any doubts.

I got home later that evening.  Talked to family and held mine.  We watched the TV until I don't know how late.  My husband worked one of those "active" intel jobs.  I knew he knew stuff.  And I knew he couldn't tell me.  I accepted that.  I understood.  I wouldn't ask.  Didn't really need to.  I mean, how bad is bad?  It already was.

My uncle's family was safe.  My family was safe.  Why then did it seem like none of us were safe and that we all had lost someone dear to us?  Was this how it felt after our innocence was taken at Pearl Harbor?  I was certain it must have been.

I was a Soldier.  I knew we were now at war.  We all knew it.  There was no cheering.  No stupid smack-talk about going out and killing bin Laden.  We all wanted him.  We all wanted to go, but this was an indescribable moment and there was no juvenile posturing like you see today.  No one prays for peace more than the Soldier that has to fight the war and lose their brothers and sisters in arms.

Looking back I find it amazing at how calm and incredibly somber we were.  There were no tears shed from my squad.  It didn't even occur to me to cry.  We were in shock.  Perhaps if we had seen rather than heard what was happening there would have been tears.  There certainly were many since.  There will continue to be many in the years to come.  Osama bin Laden is dead.  This is the first anniversary of the attacks that we can say that.  It damn well took us long enough...but you know what?  It doesn't lessen the pain.

Members of my unit experienced what I can only describe as Divine Intervention on September 11th, although we would not hear of it until later.  My former Platoon Leader, CPT Meyer, had left the military and was working at the World Trade Center. He was one of those insanely hard-core-ranger-tabbed-dudes that would walk 10 miles with a broken leg because it was nothing big.  He'd never go to sick call.  He'd be in a hospital only if forced.  He wasn't at the World Trade Center on September 11th....he was in the hospital.  He was sick and his family made him go.

Writing this post was extremely difficult as I'm sure it was for many who have written posts for today.  I never saw the original footage of the attacks with the newscasters talking.  I saw the sanitized images.  The footage of the images without any human reaction.  Just analysis.  There was something about seeing the video and hearing their reactions that is just so gut-wrenching.  It made it feel as though it had just happened.

The website I watched this video on is a page at the National Archives called "Understanding 9/11".  The video is toward the bottom of the page and they list a chronology and description of the footage you'll watch.  There are broadcasts from Mexico, Japan, Russia, Iraq and Britain as well as the U.S.  A unique international perspective, and you really don't need to understand the different languages.

I'm a disabled veteran of the United States Army, and I'm a hippie-chick to boot.  Crazy combination.  Crazy chick.  Hippie chick or not...I can't listen to Darryl Worley's, "Have You Forgotten?" without tearing up.  Some scars don't heal that easily, and these scars dug at our country deep.  It truly felt like the world was coming to an end that day.

Acknowledgements

(Pictures obtained via the U.S. Air Force Official Website)  

*Tribute in Light - The "Tribute in Light" memorial is in remembrance of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The two towers of light are composed of two banks of high wattage spotlights that point straight up from a lot next to Ground Zero. This photo was taken from Liberty State Park, N.J., Sept. 11, the five-year anniversary of 9/11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Denise Gould)

**Pentagon Flag - WASHINGTON -- Military members rendered honors as fire and rescue workers unfurled a huge American flag over the side of the Pentagon during rescue and recovery work following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The attack came at approximately 9:40 a.m. as a hijacked commercial airliner, originating from Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport, was flown into the southern side of the building facing Virginia Highway 27. (U.S. Navy photo by Michael W. Pendergrass )

Information presented on AF.mil is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested. 

Chronology of 9/11

[Please note that times do vary by source]

8:01 am - American Airlines Flt 11 takes off from Boston heading to Los Angeles.  There were 92 people on board.

8:14 am - United Airlines Flt 175 takes off from Boston heading to Los Angeles.  There were 65 people on board.

8:21 am - American Airlines Flt 77 takes off from Washington D.C. heading to Los Angeles.  There were 64 people on board.

8:41 am - United Airlines Flt 93 takes off from Newark heading to San Francisco.  There were 40 people on board.

8:46 am - Flt 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center

9:03 am - Flt 175 crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center

9:40 am - Flt 77 crashes into the Pentagon

9:59 am - The South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses

10:07 am - Flt 93 crashes into a field in Shanksburg, Pennsylvania

10:15 am - Portion of the Pentagon collapses.  Approximately 200 people died in and around the Pentagon.

10:28 am - The North Tower of the World Trade Center collapses

4:00 pm - CNN reports that their are indications that Osama bin Laden is responsible for the attacks.

5:25 pm - Number 7 World Trade Center collapses

8:30 pm - President Bush addresses the nation

So Very Excited...

Add caption

I was delighted to come across this news article this morning while trolling around online.  It's about the shipwreck that my 3rd great grandfather, Manus Boyle, died in.  It's not famous in America (at least not any more), but was a big deal at the time.  The shipwreck was the subject of my very first blog post.  It's what made me start blogging.  You can read the post by clicking here.

Anyway, the shipwreck happened off the coast of Wales and they are going to broadcast underwater footage of the wreck.  I've often wondered about it.  I'm told that you can see the wreck from shore still today.  That's one of the things that makes the story even sadder...they died so close to shore.  And if you like tales of gold and riches, well this shipwreck is a goodie as well...many of the people (including my 3rd great grandfather) were on their way back from mining for gold in Australia.  The ship was absolutely laden with gold when it sank.  It looks like my Irish ancestor found his pot of gold, and then a hurricane got in the way.

The ship sank back on October 26, 1859.  More than 150 years ago.  The Chester Chronicle will be publishing a full report next week.  It looks like I may have to ask one of my friends in the UK to get a copy for me!  I hope I can view the video of the broadcast when it's played, but I don't see BBC America showing it.

You can read the brief article on the underwater photos at The Chester Chronicle here.