Military Monday - Remembering my Uncle

My uncle, Edward Thomas Brown, Jr., passed away sometime on Friday, January 30th. I found out as I was driving to a Scout class this weekend. Not the best drive after that news and being cheerful in class wasn't happening either. We knew he was sick for a few weeks. Cancer. By the time it was discovered it had really progressed. We knew it all didn't sound good, but you never know how long you'll have after such a serious diagnosis. I did think I would have at least a little more time though. I had emailed his wife and asked what time and phone number would be good to call this Sunday. My husband, boys, and I wanted to be able to talk to him again even if the cancer kept him from being able to talk back. We never got another Sunday to say goodbye. It makes his passing even harder to deal with. We didn't call quickly enough.

I thought I transcribed this clipping before, but I couldn't find it. Either way I'm sharing it today. I don't know when or if an obituary will be published. I do know that he will be cremated and his ash will be scattered in the Pacific. Thank goodness for FindAGrave where I could at least create a virtual memorial.

"Ensign Edward T. Brown

Ensign Brown Navy Aviator

Ensign Edward T. Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Brown, 576 West Green street, this city, recently was designated a naval aviator and received his 'wings of gold' at the U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station, New Iberia, La.

He now is serving aboard the aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet, with its home port at San Diego, Calif.

During his training, he gained ground and flight experience that fully qualified him for all-weather flying and primary anti-submarine missions, and completed carrier landing qualifications aboard the anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington, in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ensign Brown, whose father is assistant principal at the H. F. Grebey Junior High School, was graduated from the University of Scranton and entered the service in June, 1962. he is an alumnus of Hazleton high School, class of 1958."

Remembering the Space Shuttle Challenger and Crew

(This is a repost from 2011, but I know I'll never forget that day)

When I was in Junior High School I wanted to be an astronaut.  The guidance counselor would try to persuade me to not try for it because they hire so few a year, blah, blah, blah (yeah...wonderfully encouraging man...).  I was also in 8th grade when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.  I was sitting in typing class when our science teacher, Mr. Nause, knocked on the door and called our typing teacher, Ms. Miller, out of the room.

Ms. Miller was a jokester.  She was a bit harsh too...not all of her jokes were the most pleasant, i.e. - telling kids with dimples that they were birth defects, etc.  I didn't mind her.  In fact I enjoyed her class, if not her humor (and I have dimples!).  So a couple minutes later she came back into the classroom and told us that the Challenger exploded.  The class laughed uneasily.  Everyone figured that with her sense of humor she was trying to make a joke, and we knew that you always laughed at her jokes!  She repeated it several times, but couldn't convince us.  She had to leave the room and get Mr. Nause to come back in and tell us that she wasn't joking.  Needless to say there was silence after that.

The period ended a few minutes later and it was time for gym class.  My gym teacher (I don't remember her name) sat in the gymnasium with the radio on listening to the news about the disaster.  There were only about 5 of us that sat there with her and listened and cried while everyone else did who knows what. It pretty much ended up being a free period for them. Here are some balls go do something.

There are three tragedies that occurred during my life that I feel certain I will remember for the rest of my life.  This is one of them.  How absolutely heart-breaking to think of their families (and I somehow always do think of the families when tragedy happens), and how terrible it was for Mrs. McAuliffe's class to be there watching it happened.  I hope they will be remembered for what they are.  Heroes making the way into the great unknown.  Explorers.  Trail-blazers.

Do you remember where you were?

Rest in Peace:

Ellison S. Onizuka - Mission Specialist - from Kona, HI.  First Asian American to in space. LTC, USAF

Sharon Christa McAuliffe - Crew Member, "Teacher in Space Program" - from Concord, NH.  Was selected from over 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space.

Greg Jarvis - Payload Specialist - born in Detroit, MI.  CPT, USAF

Judy Resnik - Mission Specialist - born Akron, OH. Second American woman and second Jewish person in space.

Michael J. Smith - Pilot - born Beaufort, NC. CPT, USN

Dick Scobee - Commander - born Cle Elum, WA.  LTC, USAF (Vietnam veteran. Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal)

Ron McNair - Physicist - born Lake City, SC.  Second African-American in space.  Black belt & Saxophonist.


For more information on these heroes, please check out the NASA website.

Military Monday - Fort Carson GWOT Fallen Soldiers' Memorial, 2010-2013

Fort Carson GWOT Memorial stone, 2010-2013

These photos were taken shortly after Memorial Weekend on Fort Carson. All of the flags, flowers, bottles and various token were left behind by friends and loved ones as a tribute to those they lost. We need to remember ever single one of them!

Roll Call

SSG Matthew J. West 30 Aug 2010
SPC Timothy L. Johnson 16 Sep 2010
SSG Carlos A Benitez 14 Oct 2010
PFC Tramaine J. Billingsley 14 Oct 2010
SGT Rafael Martinez, Jr. 14 Oct 2010
PFC Dylan T. Reid 16 Oct 2010
SGT Robert C. Sisson, Jr. 21 Feb 2011
SGT Ken K. Hermogino 9 May 2011
PFC Eric Daniel Soufrine 14 Jun 2011
SSG Lex Lee Lewis 15 Jul 2011
MSG Charles Levan Price III 12 Aug 2011
CPT Drew Edward Russell 8 Oct 2011
CPT Joshua Sean Lawrence 8 Oct 2011
SPC Christopher L. Mendonca 4 Dec 2011
SSG Allen Robert McKenna Jr. 21 Feb 2012
SSG Daniel Joseph Brown 24 Mar 2012
SrA Bradley R. Smith (3 Jan 2010)**
SSG Christopher L. Brown 3 Apr 2012


SSG David P. Nowaczyk 15 Apr 2012
1LT Alejo R. Thompson 11 May 2012
SGT Tofiga J. Tautolo 27 May 2012
Maj (sic) Walter D. Gray 8 Aug 2012
CSM Kevin J. Griffin 8 Aug 2012
MAJ Thomas E. Kennedy 8 Aug 2012
SPC Mabry J. Anders 27 Aug 2012
SSG Christopher J. Birdwell 27 Aug 2012
SPC Kyle R. Rookey 2 Sep 2012
SSG Mark H. Schoonhoven 20 Jan 2013
SPC Charles P. McClure 2 May 2013
SPC Trinidad Santiago Jr. 2 May 2012
SSG Joe A. Nunez-Rodriguez 30 May 2013
SPC Ember M. Alt 18 Jun 2013
SPC Robert W. Ellis 18 Jun 2013
SPGT William R. Moody 18 Jun 2013
SSG Joshua J. Bowden 31 Aug 2013
SFC Liam J. Nevins 21 Sep 2013
SSG Patrick H. Quinn 13 Oct 2013

May all of our Service Members come home for good soon!

Fort Carson 2003-2004 memorial post
Fort Carson 2004 memorial post
Fort Carson 2004-2005 memorial post
Fort Carson 2005-2006 memorial post
Fort Carson 2006-2007 memorial post
Fort Carson 2007-2009 memorial post
Fort Carson 2009-2010 memorial post

Sunday's Obituary - Clarence Frank Tabor...Frank? What?

Hazleton Standard-Speaker,
29NOV1974, pg24

I remember pulling this obituary years ago. I don't remember the exact date or anything. I just remember finding the obituary exactly where it should have been in the local newspaper and saying to myself, "Frank? What? His middle name was Paul!"

Perhaps lying about middle names was a family tradition. My father told me his middle name was Christopher. I believed for a good majority of my life that it was. My sister told me the truth a few days before I went to MEPS to join the Army. Considering I was going for a security clearance it probably wouldn't have looked good to get my father's name wrong. I get it though. My dad hated his middle name, although it was his dad's name so I didn't get the whole dislike of it. As for my grandfather fibbing his middle name, well who knows? Paul isn't a bad name so why give a false one.

As it turns out it was a nickname he used for the same reason that my dad lied about his middle name being Clarence. Apparently they both hated the name. Although if Clarence hated it why would he give it to his son? Goodness only knows. I know that when he snuck away and joined the Army he was known as "Corp" to his buddies. No doubt a nickname for "corporal."

"Clarence (Frank) Tabor

Clarence (Frank) Tabor of 837 Alter St. died late Tuesday evening at the Hazleton State General Hospital following a lingering illness.

He was born in Scranton a son of the late Adam and Jadwiga Tabor. His wife, the former Florence Bronsavage (sic), died in 1962.

The deceased was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Hazleton.

Prior to his retirement seven years ago he was employed as an assembler at the L.F. Grams Co. in Allentown.

He is survived by two sone: Leonard, at home; and Paul of Hazleton; two sisters: Mrs. Leo Zener and Mrs. Stanley Romanski (sic) of Scranton; and a brother, Adam of Scranton. Three grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. from the Turnbach Funeral Home with the Rev. Ghulam M. Nasrani officiating. Interment will be in the Mountain View Cemetery, West Hazleton.

Friends may call tonight from 7 to 9."

Family Reunion Friday - Cayemberg Family 1955

The clipping for this reunion is short, sweet, and to the point. I don't know if it was published in any other newspapers. It may have been, but Pampering Park is in the Green Bay area so the Press-Gazette would be the closest newspaper.

There are no extraordinary details in this year's clipping, but if we didn't know Florence Cayemberg nee Villers' age we'd be able to glean it here. Of course we wouldn't get "Florence" from the clipping, but it was most likely more important to acknowledge her marriage to Eli, mention him by name and that he had passed. We can also see that all of her children were in attendance. I guess short and sweet and still tell you quite a bit if you know where to look.

"18th Reunion Held By Cayemberg Family

Handwritten '1955'

Special to Press-Gazette

PULASKI, Wis. - The Cayemberg family held its 18th reunion Sunday at Pamperin Park with 138 guests present for dinner.

The 10 children of Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski, Rt. 2, were in the group.  She is the widow of the late Eli Cayemberg and reached her 83rd birthday anniversary in January.

Mrs. Pat Cayemberg, Mrs. Lucy Anderson and Frank Cayemberg were in charge of the arrangements. It was planned to meet at the same place next year, with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fellows and Mrs. Frank Cayemberg as chairmen."

The clipping was taken from a scrapbook handed down to me by my mother in law.  It appears to be taken from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Military Monday - Fort Carson GWOT Fallen Soldiers' Memorial, 2009-2010

Fort Carson GWOT Memorial stone, 2009-2010

These photos were taken shortly after Memorial Weekend on Fort Carson. All of the flags, flowers, bottles and various token were left behind by friends and loved ones as a tribute to those they lost. We need to remember ever single one of them!

Roll Call

1LT Tyler E. Parten 10 Sep 2009
SFC Duane A. Thornsbury 12 Sep 2009
SGT David A. Davis 19 Sep 2009
PFC William L. Meredith 21 Sep 2009
SSG Justin T. Gallegos 3 Oct 2009
SGT Christopher T. Griffin 3 Oct 2009
SGT Joshua M. Hardt 3 Oct 2009
SGT Joshua J. Kirk 3 Oct 2009
SPC Stephan L. Mace 3 Oct 2009
SSG Vernon W. Martin 3 Oct 2009
SGT Michael P. Scusa 3 Oct 2009
PFC Kevin C. Thomson 3 Oct 2009
SPC Kevin O. Hill 4 Oct 2009
SPC Jesus O. Flores 15 Oct 2009
SPC Daniel C. Lawson 15 Oct 2009
SSG Glen H. Stivison 15 Oct 2009
PFC Brandon M. Styer 15 Oct 2009
SPC Kimble A. Han 23 Oct 2009



SPC Eric N. Lembke 23 Oct 2009
PFC Devin J. Michel 24 Oct 2009
SGT Eduviges G. Wolf 25 Oct 2009
SGT Jason A. McLeod 23 Nov 2009
SGT Kenneth R. Nichols Jr. 1 Dec 2009
SGT Elijah Rao 5 Dec 2009
SPC Brian R. Bowman 3 Jan 2010
PFC John P. Dion 3 Jan 2010
SGT Joshua A. Lengstorf 3 Jan 2010
SGT Ryan J. Hopkins 8 Jan 2010
SPC Robert J. Donevski 16 Jan 2010
SSG Thaddeus S. Montgomery 20 Jan 2010
SPC Bobby J. Pagan 13 Feb 2010
SSG John A. Reiners 13 Feb 2010
SGT Jeremiah T. Wittman 13 Feb 2010
SSG Michael D. Cardenaz 20 Feb 2010
PFC JR Salvacion 21 Feb 2010
SGT Sean M. Durkin 9 Apr 2010
SGT Michael K. Ingram, Jr. 17 Apr 2010

SGT Grant A. Wichmann 24 Apr 2010
SGT Nathan P. Kennedy 27 Apr 2010
SPC Eric M. Finniginam 1 May 2010
MAJ Jeffery P. Toczylowski 3 Nov 2005**
PFC Charlie C. Antonio 19 Apr 2010
SPC Zakary A. Gansert 15 Jul 2010
SPC Pedro A. Millet Meletiche IV 22 Aug 2010
SPC Chad D. Clements 30 Aug 2010
CH (CPT) Dale A. Goetz 30 Aug 2010
SSG Casey J. Grochowiak 30 Aug 2010
SSG Jesse Infante 30 Aug 2010
SSG Kevin J. Kessler 30 Aug 2010
1LT Mark A. Noziska 30 Aug 2010

May all of our Service Members come home for good soon!

This memorial transcription was difficult to do. As I began inputting the names I noticed large numbers of casualties on October 3rd, 2009 and again on August 30th, 2010. The loss of any of our service members is tragic. Seeing so many taken at once compounds the loss. You can tell that something big happened those days. 

I found an article in the New York Times that explains what happened in the October attack. These service members were stationed at a remote outpost in Afghanistan near the Pakistani border. It occurred in broad daylight and was estimated that 300 insurgents took part. You can read the entire article here.

The only article that could be found on the August 30th, 2010 incident was via Fox News*. They were killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan. The AP's article was published the day of the attacks and the details seem sketchy and a little contradictory. You can read it here.

*I try not to make it a habit to post articles from untrustworthy news sites, but this was an Associated Press repost. I just wish I could have found the AP linked article.

**I'm not sure why Major Toczylowski's name was placed on this stone when he died in 2005. My best guess would be that it was somehow overlooked when the 2005 stone was created and they were rectifying that by memorializing him on the most recent stone. The year was not a typo. He did pass in 2005.

Fort Carson 2003-2004 memorial post
Fort Carson 2004 memorial post
Fort Carson 2004-2005 memorial post
Fort Carson 2005-2006 memorial post
Fort Carson 2006-2007 memorial post
Fort Carson 2007-2009 memorial post

Freaky Friday - Woman Dies In Plunge

The Fond du Lac Daily Reporter,
16APR1926, pg1

Sometimes when I'm scrolling through microfilm I come across articles that aren't related to my family, but strike me as odd. I know there's a "Funny Friday" blogging prompt, but some of the articles I have wouldn't really be appropriate. I mean it isn't quite funny what happened here. It's just plain odd! See for yourself...

"Woman Dies in Plunge

Sets Self Afire, Falls From Roof While Walking in Sleep

New York, April 16, (RLW) - Believed to have set herself afire while walking in her sleep, Teresa Ferrara, 33, plunged in flames from the roof of her apartment house early today and died on the operating table shortly afterward as surgeons were attempting to remove a garden stake on which she was impaled. The dead woman was a somnambulist, according to her sister. A partly burned match found on the stairs leading to the roof led police to believe Miss Ferrara struck a match while walking in her sleep."

I don't have any siblings or children that would sleep walk so I'm not very familiar with it, but it is truly horrifying to think that someone could do all of this to themselves in their sleep. I have to admit that part of me wondered if there had been someone else involved. To sleepwalk off a roof is tragic. To set yourself on fire and sleepwalk off a roof is horrific. To set yourself on fire, sleepwalk off a roof, and impale yourself on a garden tool is unbelievable.

It's like death was coming for her and he wanted to make sure she wasn't getting away. Too many things happening at once, any of which could have killed her.

What is the most unbelievable news clipping you've seen?