Angela's Genealogy Notes

Maria's Family History Blog

2011-09-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'm passing on the link to Maria's blog--the one on which she writes about the Bishop family of Ohio. She has discovered some very interesting tidbits on this family who has remained in the area for over a hundred years.

Meet Some Families of Logan County, Ohio

Holding a Silver Dollar

2011-09-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Leslie Jerome Thaden was a small boy during the time now known as the Great Depression.[1] He was young enough that he didn’t realize his family was considered poor. It was life as he had always known it, and he doesn’t remember ever hearing anyone refer to the times as a Depression while it was going on. He didn’t realize there was any other kind of life.

Life as he knew it consisted of some of his unique chores. It was his job to walk the neighborhood and scout around for scrap wood his family could use in their fireplace.[2] On the journey he also picked up any glass bottles he found. He then sold these to bootleggers.[3]

He earned money in other ways as well. He sold newspapers on the street corners. His was the voice one would hear yelling, “Read all about it; the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor!” He also sold candy. He stocked up from a corner grocery store then ventured out to see how many he could sell. He also shined shoes; he made his own shoe shine kit and set up on the sidewalk to earn a few cents.[4] He then turned his earnings over to his parents.

Les lived in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, and remembers distinctly the lines of men waiting for food and for work. His own father was self-employed and Les recalls his family was never hungry; they always had something to eat. His father was often paid in kind and brought home food in return for his services as a night watchman. Through this bartering, Les’ father was also able to provide presents at birthdays and Christmas for his wife and five children.

Sometimes, when his father needed to buy food, he didn’t always have the money, but he had a 1900 silver dollar that was very special to him.[5] The grocer would hold the silver dollar in exchange for some groceries until Les’ father could pay the grocer what he owed.

The children of the Depression era were very resourceful and imaginative. They played their pretend games with all sorts of items. They played grocery store with items such as grass, leaves, and sticks and old cans from the garbage. Les made his own pop guns using bamboo, china berries, a clothes pin, and a slice of rubber from an old inner tube. He also made his own scooters, toy sailboats, and go carts.

Some people say America is in an economic crisis today because many people are losing their jobs and homes, and many businesses are folding. Les acknowledges that these unfortunate events are occurring; however he does not feel the people of this country are suffering as much as the people were during the Depression of the 1930s—not when he sees individuals still spending money on sports and restaurants, not when he sees people still using cell phones and frequenting the mall, not when he sees folks making trips to Disneyland and sailing on cruises to Mexico.

He will be the first to acknowledge that people didn’t have these sorts of items or opportunities when he was a boy. They had so few of these extras that would have been considered luxuries back then but are considered necessities today. Since these luxuries didn’t even exist, they didn’t miss them. He realizes that his mother cooked their meals from scratch only because meals in a box or can or in a frozen dinner tray simply did not exist. He also adds that his mother did a lot of clothing repair. Interestingly, mending is a dying art today. Since his family lived in town, they didn’t even have a car. They walked everywhere they went or rode the street car.

Les concludes that the times were harder on the population during the Great Depression, even though they didn’t have as much to do without as people would today. If the people of today had to start living as he did as a boy, they would have no cell phones, no television, no computer games and no ipods. They would have no fast food and less variety of food in general and no electric refrigerators. They would have only one or two pairs of shoes and their clothes would be mended many times over and perhaps remade. If he sees people living like this again, he will feel satisfied that the current economic crisis can be compared to the Great Depression.

Les' father, Herman Meigs Thaden juggles a happy baby Charles Herman on
his hip c1925. He holds his hat in his left hand. Les says his father never went
anywhere without his hat. Notice the strap across his chest and the law
  enforcement badge pinned to his shirt. The strap perhaps held his holstered
     pistol. Some say he was a deputy; others say he worked for the police
    department. Perhaps his association with city law enforcement had something
      to do with his job as night watchman for the downtown businesses on his beat.

Angela Thaden Hahn

29 April 2009

[1] Les Thaden was born in 1928.

[2] Interestingly, homes in Jacksonville, Florida, were built with fireplaces. There are a few mornings and evenings during the Jacksonville winters that can be chilly.

[3] Bootleggers are usually associated with the Prohibition years of the 1920s. Perhaps in actuality, Les’ bottles were sold to folks who processed their own spirits. Most everyone during the Depression years had to be frugal with recycled items of all kinds.

[4] Les came from a Syrian merchant background. Though he doesn’t remember, it is quite possible he stocked up at the store of a Syrian owner. By selling the merchandise, he was simply peddling. Many Syrian merchants operated in this manner. Likewise, with his shoe shine kit, he may very well have set up outside the Syrian and Greek owned shoe shops and dry cleaning businesses.

[5] This 1900 silver dollar may have been special to Les’ father because that is the year he was born.

How to Do Better on Tests and Job Interviews

2011-09-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Boost your chances of getting a job or passing an exam... by thinking about your ancestors for five minutes

Reading Old Newspapers

2011-08-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

At Chronicling America, old newspapers from Holt County, Missouri have been digitized . Our direct ancestor, Samuel Hahn, left the county in the mid-1860s, but much can be learned about his brothers, Richard and Daniel Hahn, who remained in the county until they died. Trying different search terms has produced many articles that help to piece together Daniel's very large family. The articles also open a peek into the daily life of Daniel Hahn, one the county's first and respected citizens, a successful and wealthy farmer, who lived to be 83 years old. You can read some of these articles at Daniel Hahn (1813-1897).

My Favorite Genealogy Reads

2011-08-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

About.com.Genealogy
DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
Genealogy Insider
Genealogy Tip of the Day
GeneaWebinars

Youth Genealogy

2011-08-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Back in the Day Youth

How refreshing to see young people involved in their family history.

Letters from the Old Country

2011-08-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

How fun to receive last week a tube full of documents pertaining to Herman Thaden and his family. There was a patent for the airship and a brochure explaining the wonders of this airship for potential shareholders. There was also a news clipping featuring the airship in an Atlanta German-language newspaper. Many letters accompanied these documents, written by Bernard Thaden to relatives back home. All are written in German with the exception of some written to his sister's family. Curiously, his sister also lived in Ostfriesland but must have had no trouble with the English language. Incidentally, Bernard's English was better than most Americans'. The translation of these letters will be a challenge, especially since the script is Old German and more especially since they are most likely written in the plat Deutsch of Ostfriesland. These papers were discovered in an old trunk, by a Strenge cousin, in the attic of the Thaden home in Dornum before it was torn down. Thanks to Cousins Christoph and Lenchen for securing such nice scans of the documents and then sending them to me. They truly know the value of good family history research!

iGoogle

2011-07-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

I have discovered iGoogle! It takes awhile to set this up, but with the help of Lisa Louise Cooke’s The Genealogist’s Toolbox I have set up a web page that has all the tools I need at the ready for my writing and research. I feel so organized!

City Directories

2011-07-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have been working with city directories from Kansas City, Missouri, during the years of 1891 to 1915. They are very easy for me to get to because they are located in one of the many databases within my public library's special collections. I can view pdf files of each page of the directory, save them to a thumb drive or print them right there. I like to have paper copies of the city directories so I can shuffle them around at will. Many of our families are listed in the Kansas City directories, but currently I am studying the De Mayo family. Frank De Mayo, the elder, first appears in the 1891 directory. This supports evidence that he arrived in this country in 1890. It would appear he went straight to Kansas City after landing in the U.S. As the years go by, other De Mayos appear in the list showing the same residential address as Frank. These are most likely his children. Upon further study, another family starts to form around Vito Demaio. One of his children turns out to be Albert, who was also listed as one of the pall bearers for Frank's son. This is a good indication that Frank and Vito are related. By following the directories from year to year, I can see that Vito died around 1904. With that information I can look for a death certificate that may give me clues to his possible relationship to Frank. With the addresses listed in the directory, I can go to old maps to see where these places are located and their proximity to the churches, parks, and places of employment. City directories are both fun and informative. I have spent hours with these already.

A Glimpse of Little Italy

2011-05-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Kansas City is one of several towns harboring a Little Italy community. Many Italian immigrants called this small triangular grid, in Kansas City's north end, home in the 1900s and 1910s. Eventually, many Italians moved from the enclave to other parts of the city. But in its heyday, the neighborhood of narrow streets bustled with activity. Men played bocce ball in empty lots. Many families kept a goat in their yard. The residents were hard workers. Mom and I were curious about where the DeMayo family lived after arriving in America so we took a stroll to see what culture we could find. A funeral was just at its close when we walked by the Holy Rosary Catholic Church. As the dark, stout mourners exited the heavy wooden doors, they bid each other goodbye with a kiss on each cheek. This little neighborhood is now home to some Viet Namese immigrants and the appetizing smell of Asian food hung in the air, trapped between the close buildings. I bet when the DeMayos lived there, the smell of marinara sauce greeted the noses of passers-by. Many of the business still bear Italian names and even the fire hydrants are painted in Italian colors.

Good Times

2011-04-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

While in Kansas City, my mother took me to Askew Avenue, where she lived as a little girl in one of the rooms of this house with her daddy and mama. She recounted many happy memories here. This little house was shared by three families, and my mother lived in the middle part of the house accessed by a private entrance, now made into a bay window.

The boarded-up house, now condemned, sits on a corner lot.

Mom walked one block and through a passageway under Monroe Street to reach her elementary school, also now boarded up.

Crossing Askew Avenue was 27th Street, the main street through the neighborhood, lined with mom and pop shops. My mother went on errands for her mama to the little grocery store a few doors down behind their house.

The neighborhood of painted houses and trimmed yards was once shaded in safety by leafy canopies atop gigantic trees. Today, the sad homes and forgotten school await their fate in an almost treeless ghost town of boarded stores. There is an eerie, uneasy feeling in the neighborhood now. There is no sign of life until a small car slows in curiousity and then speeds past us.

It's sad how pleasant things change. Mom's daddy died and she and her mother moved away from her home and her school and her relatives. She can never really go back to this happy place on Askew Avenue for it has gone the way of many old city neighborhoods and no longer exists. But the memories of a happier, simpler, safer time are pleasant.

Missouri River Bottom Land

2011-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Nestled in Platte County, Missouri, in the bottoms, under an overcast sky heavy with moisture, lies a small parcel of twenty acres that was once owned by Hiram McDaniel in the 1850s. Where the ground drops off to the west is the life-giving Missouri River. Kansas trims the horizon. Bluffs rise from the bottoms to the east. A neglected house, weathered brown, sleeps on this land. How long has it been there? Who lived in it? There once was a house on this land filled with the purposeful movements of Janettie McDaniel and chatter from the children, Lucretia, John Hiram, and James. Today, remnants of dried stalks and cobs indicate that corn is grown in the dark gray clay. Did Hiram grow corn, too? The bottoms continue to be home to hard working farmers like the McDaniels.

2011-04-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

My brother and his family are touring Ostfriesland. They have met up with our German cousins, the Gericke family. How wonderful to have personal tour guides to take them on a family history journey through the land of our immigrant ancestor, Hayo Eberhardt Thaden, known as Herman in America. There's just something special about walking the same village streets, stopping by the town's Lutheran church, gazing up at the windmill at the village entrance, shopping in the same merchant district as did the Thaden family in the 17 and 1800s. It certainly brings one closer to forebears with a deeper respect for the sacrifices and triumphs of their lives.

Photo of Bockwindmuhle from Panoramio at http://www.panoramio.com/photo/48902976

Cemetery Haunts and Jaunts

2011-04-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

Over spring break I drove with my parents and brother back to Kansas City to meet new relatives and conduct some research. Our cemetery experience was disappointing, yet rewarding at the same time.

There used to be an old register for Woodlawn Cemetery in KCK, which has seen its fair share of troubles over its 140 year history. My mother has seen this book; now no one knows where it is. Researchers have to rely on the printed cemetery index which doesn’t include helpful information typically found in a register, such as parents’ or spouse’s names, cause of death, place of birth, etc. What a shame this precious book has been misplaced or even destroyed as was suggested by local history staff at KCK’s public library.

On the other hand, Calvary Cemetery in KCMO is well staffed and maintained yet help was very hard to get. Their policy allows two free lookups and each additional lookup costs $10.00. Our two free lookups provided us with only the block and lot numbers and a copy of the cemetery map with highlighted directions to the gravesites. With additional genealogical information from the card file in her hand, the staff member would give us no more. She wouldn’t even take our names to pass on to the lot owners, citing the Privacy Act. But cemeteries are not subject to the Privacy Act unless they are federally owned. Calvary’s staff is either misinformed or lazy.

We did not come away entirely empty-handed from these two cemeteries. At Woodlawn we noticed stones bearing the names of Hoffman next to the empty spot where Albertson markers once stood. Next to a Bright monument lay stones for Pearson and Little. Hoffman, Pearson, and Little are recent discoveries in the family history and finding their graves by accident was a pleasant surprise.

A similar experience awaited us as we unexpectedly happened upon a Corti marker next to a monument for De Mayo—one of our two free lookups.

Challenges aplenty await the researcher without unnecessary obstacles such as lost registers and uncooperative staff. Yet perseverance and patience pay off with gentle little surprises.

A Lay Webmaster's Best Friend

2011-03-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

I have discovered Google Sites! Wow, what an easy way to create a family website! It’s much simpler than the way I was snailing them out on Rootsweb’s host. Though it was easy enough with the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) feature, it still lacked the pleasant layout options Google has to offer.

I started with Arachnophilia’s template which was a handy tool, but I still needed to learn some HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), a secret code for webmasters. Eventually I memorized some of it and the writing went a bit faster. One little mistake, though, could make my web page look really whacked. Therefore, it was very time-consuming.

I’m so happy with Google Sites, and now I am transferring all my web pages over to sites.google.com/site/hahnfamilyandthadenfamily and it is going very quickly. Knowing that creating a new page or updating an existing page won’t be drudgery, I’m more apt to add more content.

The Family Historian

2011-02-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

How can I spend so much time on family history? It’s easy. It’s sooo easy. When I’m not gardening, or maintaining the kitchen and our food supply; when I’m not cleaning, flinging, and keeping our house in order; when I’m not working out to get fit or working at my paying job; when I’m not mending, beading, or needlecrafting while enjoying a Western with my honey—I’m deeply engrossed in the family history, my most favorite hobby.

I’m in the process of writing my third family history book. I write from the facts I have already collected and in doing so, I develop more questions. Then I conduct further research to get the new questions answered.

While writing, I am studying to receive my certification in genealogy. I have a manual of standards and I take online classes in methodology while looking forward to my FamilyTree magazine. I learn professional practices which I put to use in my personal research and in the various other projects I have adopted.

Findings for my own genealogy are documented and uploaded to Rootsweb’s online database. I also maintain a family history website featuring the surnames and individuals I am currently researching. I post to this blog with fascinating tidbits for my immediate family members and other interested cousins.

My website has been hit by researchers googling for the people about whom I have written. Three previously unknown cousins have come forward to introduce themselves to me after discovering my website. Other researchers have found my Rootsweb submission and have contacted me for the purpose of collaboration.

On occasion I have found it necessary to spend some time on a case study. I have published the results of these studies on the internet as well, and one of my articles has been printed in a genealogical society newsletter.

For the past several years, I have taught a family history class during Sunday school. The students and I have covered numerous topics while I share with them the things I have learned in my own trial and error and success.

I recently joined a group of volunteers who help researchers from out of town locate local facts. So far I have had four satisfied “clients.”

Knowing the value of oral history has prompted me to begin recording and transcribing the personal story of Fred Ferguson, a long-time Colorado resident, while still working on the transcription of my own parents’ stories.

Having an interest in the town of Fountain led me to the ongoing project of publishing the research of one of the town’s early residents.

Currently, I belong to the Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America and am waiting to hear from the newsletter editor how I may get involved as a volunteer. Meanwhile, I’ve got the gears turning in my head as to how I will transcribe and photograph a local cemetery plot that is so tucked out of the way, its existence is doubtful well known.

In this season of my life I am allowed to spend a lot of time on what I love.

To Be American

2011-02-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

As my body was arousing this Saturday morning from a restful sleep, I was thinking. Sometimes I get my best thinking done before full reality sets in, when there's still room for imagination in my brain. I was thinking about the term Native American. This is not about Native Americans of indigenous descent. This is about native Americans like me of Heinz 57 descent. To be a native means to be born in a certain place. I was born in America; that makes me a native American, right? I cetainly can't be a native Brit or a native German, or a native Syrian. Even the native Syrians in my family tree were descended from Greeks and quite possibly others. The native Sicilians in my children's family trees were decended from Arabs; they did not call themselves Arab Sicilians. So why do I have to call myself a European American or an Arab American? Why can't I be a native American? After all, it seems pretty much agreed that the indigenious Americans originated somewhere else. Perhaps they should more correctly be called Siberian Americans. No, I guess that won't go over too well. In the meantime, I hope it will be okay for me to call myself an native American, born and raised in America, as were my parents and grandparents and many more before them.

Separating the two Mary Albertsons

2011-02-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

Imagine my dismay at finding our Mary A. Albertson combined with another Mary A. Albertson. Our gal had the right parents but was hooked up with the wrong spouse. The other Mary had that other spouse but was linked to our Mary's parents. What a mess!! Read how I straightened that out. In the meantime, the two are combined into one until the owners of those published family trees make the necessary adjustments.

Video Footage of Immigrants Arriving at Ellis Island

2010-12-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

This short footage has deep meaning for us as we think of our immigrant ancestors walking the same path from the ferry to customs house.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island
Scroll to the bottom to find the video.

Mormon Pioneers in the Family

2010-11-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

Tarlton Lewis was a member of Brigham Young's first company of saints to arrive in the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847. That company consisted mostly of men, their families remaining behind in Nebraska until the next spring. Sure enough, Tarlton was crossing the plains again in 1848, this time with his wife and two small children. Mary Younger Mayberry and her husband and two grown sons were also in the same company with the Lewises. In 1846, Haden Wells Church joined the Mormon Battallion in Nebraska, but didn't make it all the way to San Diego as planned. Instead, he became part of a detachment of sick soldiers who wintered over in Pueblo, Colorado. When the weather cleared, the soldiers, in company with saints from Mississippi, headed north to the Mormon Trail and then continued on into the Valley on the heels of Brigham Young's first company. None of these are direct ancestors but rather, close relatives just the same--just many generations removed.

Haden Wells Church-->Abraham M. Church-->Thomas A. Church
Daryl E. Hahn-->Hazel R. Lutes-->Robert E. Lutes-->Tennessee E. Younger-->Mary E. Church-->Charles C. Church--Thomas A. Church

Tarlton Lewis-->Neriah Lewis-->David Lewis
Nancy E. Thaden-->Nannie I. Moore-->William H. Moore-->Melvina Murphy-->Elizabeth Alexander-->Elizabeth Lewis-->David Lewis

Mary E. Younger-->Thomas Younger
Daryl E. Hahn-->Hazel R. Lutes-->Robert E. Lutes-->Tennessee E. Younger-->John W. Younger-->James N. Younger-->Thomas Younger

Trouble on the Border

2010-11-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

The Punitive Expedition in 1916 was a military operation to secure U.S. borders from revolutionary bandits leaking over the border of Mexico and attacking U.S. towns and citizens. Poncho Villa was the Mexican folk hero of that time and the criminal who was the subject of a hot pursuit by both the American and Mexican presidents. Harry Boyd Kline was 21 years old and a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard when Woodrow Wilson called up the guard from across the nation to assist General Pershing's Army at the border. Reading old newspaper accounts of the progress of that operation causes one to reflect on the similarites of today's border situation. It took awhile for Harry's unit to organize and get equipped for the mission, and so it arrived at El Paso six months after Wilson's initial call in June. The guard units were not required to cross the border as the regular army did but rather, stayed on the alert, from the U.S. side, for attacks from Villa's bandits.

I am in the process now of seeking more information about Harry's specific unit, the 13th Infantry Regiment, Company I, and what their specific roll was in this military operation.

Interestingly, upon the arrival of the 13th back home to Bloomsburg, Pa., Harry's cousins in Kansas City were registering for the draft, as did Harry.

Harry B. Kline-->Mary E. Bright-->Richard B. Bright.
Nancy E. Bright-->Fred B. Bright-->Joseph F. Bright-->Richard B. Bright.

Greek Festival

2009-09-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the 19th, Mike and I went to Pueblo to attend the Greek Festival hosted by St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church. The first thing that caught my attention was the sign outside the church with the words, "In memory of our immigrant parents." This church is nestled in an old Pueblo neighborhood. One of the festival workers informed me that most of the membership consists of descendants of immigrants who worked in the nearby steel mill in the early 1900s. I found it quite satisfying to find this small ethnic enclave had managed to preserve their culture after three and four generations.

We began our festival experience with a tour of the church. I was very interested in this part of our day because our Syrian ancestors were Greek Orthodox. Why not Syrian Orthodox, I have often wondered. I learned that all of the Orthodox religions are exactly the same. The only difference must be in the language spoken in their liturgies. This leads me to believe our Syrian ancestors spoke not only Arabic, but also Greek. I've known for some time now that there were other Greek influences in their lives. I'm thinking the ancestors of our Syrian people were Greek.

I was pleased with what I learned about the Greek Orthodox doctrine. I found I could agree with it and I felt very close to my Syrian ancestors as I stood inside the church surrounded by candles and saints and the color red. I'm so glad they remained true to Christianity in spite of the religious persecution they endured.

There were many fun wares on display imported from Greece. I bought myself a bracelet and Mike came home with a jar of olives and a can of stuffed grape leaves.

We then ordered ourselves gyros and baklava and sat down to eat while listening to recorded Greek folk music in the background. I looked around at the people and was soon able to pick out all the ones who were Greek just by the way they looked. Shortly, a group of teenagers from a Denver dance school, dressed in various colorful Greek folk costume, entertained us with some dances. There was not a blonde in the group. I thought how my own girls would not have looked out of place on that stage.

I must learn to make tzatziki sauce. It was a great cultural experience, and Mike even said he would like to go again next year. I hope to bring my girls with me.

Syrian Cooking with Sitto

2009-08-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

A very thoughtful Syrian American living in Jacksonville, but who is no relation to me, sent me, via e-mail, a most precious collection of recipes in pdf format. The forty-page cookbook was prepared by the grandchildren of Syrian immigrant women who settled in Jacksonville in the 1920s.

This cookbook is very valuable to me, for while it is safe to assume that classic Syrian food varied from region to region in Syria depending on local tradition and the availabilty of ingredients, the recipes had to likewise be adapted once more in Jacksonville for the ingredient factor. Granted, the cookbook inspired by these Jacksonville Syrian women reflects the regions from which they were born, and they may not have been Beiruti or Damascene or Tripolitan, as were my ancestors, but they all became Jacksonvillians. In that sense, they were all family--my family.

Syrian Cooking with Sitto has become a treasured family history item.

And the Name Is . . . Fadilallah

2009-08-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Once again, my book is a success. Another distant cousin has found me by finding my book online. This distant cousin descends from the Yazigi/Yeager family of Syrian origin. She provided me with interesting details that would only be passed down through family lore, but the most interesting tidbit was the name represented by the letter F.

Her father and his brothers all had the middle initial of F. I am not surprised the initial was the same, for it was customary for a boy's second name to be the same as his father's first name. Therefore, I knew if I ever figured out this middle name, I'd know the name of their father. My cousin knew it! The name is Fadilallah.

In spite of her Southern accent, she has such a beautiful pronunciation of the Arabic names in our family. Arabic vowell sounds are not quite like ours. The As in this name are pronounced somewhere in between an aahh sound and an uuhh sound. The first and fourth syllables are stressed. The I is practically silent. The sound goes from the D to the L without really hearing the I. All four syllables are pronounced as if two words--more like FU-dl UL-lah. I have not seen very many Arabic names among our family and their associates that begin with F and this is the first time I have ever seen this name. I love a mystery solved.

Daughters of the Confederacy Need Not Apply

2009-08-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've just had myself a good chuckle. In researching for another book project, I ran across information about the Union Veterans Union (UVU), which was organized in 1886 for Union veterans, who did not necessarily agree with the practices of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), also organized for Union veterans. Even though the UVU was also open to sons of the veterans, membership eventually fizzled out. In honor of Union veteran ancestors, the UVU has been re-formed.

Check out these membership requirements: "We do not seek your affiliation if you belong to any organization which has been recognized as racist, white supremacist, or divisive in their practices or teachings. This includes, but is not limited to, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), the League of the South, the Southern Party, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), Confederate Reenactors Assoc., KKK, National Association for the Advancement of White People (NAAWP), or other Southern "Heritage" group which may support the principles of any racist organization or those principles of any other such organization as may have been identified by the Southern Poverty LawCenter and listed in their current annual 'Intelligence Report.' "

Whew! This means if I become a member of the UDC, I will not be welcomed in the UVU. While membership in the SCV and UDC requires a direct or colateral kinship to a Confederate veteran, everyone can belong to the UVU as long as they are not racist. This is interesting because the original UVU did not even include all veterans; only combat veterans were welcomed. Membership requirements in the Confederate groups do not include a list of organizations I can not belong to. The UVU's objection to the SUVCW, what should be their sister group, is that they supported South Carolina's right to fly the Confederate flag on the State House. This is what started the war in the first place, the issue over states' rights. It sounds like the UVU is practicing their own version of discrimination.

Has anyone told the UVU that the war is over? We're just all trying to get along now as fellow Americans. Besides, like myself, many of us are descendants of both Yankees and Rebels.

See "History of the UVU," http://www.uvuinc.4t.com/about.html
and "History of the Union Veterans Union," http://www.unionveteransunion.org/4_1UVU_HISTORY.html

The Inventor in Our Family

2009-07-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Herman Thaden invented things. In fact, his tinkering around in the shed behind his house was one of the reasons why he was investigated by the government during WWI for being friendly to the enemy. It was thought he was making radios in there, with which to communicate to the Germans. Eventually, Herman patented at least seven inventions, most having to do with gardening. But his most intriguing invention was his air ship, or flying machine as it was sometimes called.

Roof Structure
Turn-Plow
Potato-Planter
Seed-Planter
Airship
Plant-Support
Airship (another patent)

Recently, a family member discovered that the Ernest Jones Aeronautical Collection, which is part of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Archives, contains a picture of Herman Thaden's flying machine. Conveniently, another family member has just moved to the D.C. area and will be looking into the possibility of obtaining a copy of that picture.

Let's Dance!

2009-07-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

My father has mentioned an old Victrola that belonged to one of his great-aunts and on this Victrola, Syrian music, recorded on 78s, was played. Listen to a sampling of the kind of Arabic music our immigrant ancestors listened to in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. This collection of 78s once belonged to Robert Bitar (no relation to our family) of Portland, Oregon.

The Rebel Yell

2009-07-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the Rebel Yell? Have you ever wondered what it really sounded like? Go to You Tube's Confederate Rebel Yell.

The Deckner Iris

2009-07-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

The young woman who has purchased one of the original Deckner homes in Southwest Atlanta has a unique variety of iris growing in her yard. It must be remembered that the Deckner family, who originated in Saxony, were horticulturalists in Atlanta and must have had beautifully landscaped yards. This iris is so unique because it was brought to Atlanta from Germany by one of the Deckners in the 1930s. How fortunate we are to be able to still enjoy some of the Deckner beauty.

Slander in the First Degree

2009-07-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Frank DeMayo: For the Record

A good practice for genealogists is to google the name of an ancestor to see if anything about him has been published on the web. A search for the name Frank DeMayo turned up some rather disconcerting information as to Frank “Chee Chee” DeMayo’s involvement in the Kansas City Mafia. A few of these web sites are mere repeats of the text that comes straight from a Wikipedia article, which cites no sources but offers a link to The American Mafia, "Kansas City Crime Bosses." This web site actually reports that “though some believe he rose to lead the Kansas City Mafia in the late 1920s, it seems unlikely because others had power and prestige in the city during that period.”¹

Now I don’t normally write about the negative things in my ancestors’ lives. However, this allegation of a Mafia connection has been passed off as fact and published to the world. I feel that reference to Uncle Frank’s involvement in the Mafia needs to equally be addressed.

Uncle Frank’s niece, Nancy, knew him when she was a little girl. She had also heard talk of his imprisonment in the Atlanta Penitentiary, though she knew not his crime. A search for Frank DeMayo on Footnote.com turned up an old Bureau of Investigation case in which Uncle Frank had been investigated for bootlegging. It mentioned a prison sentence in the Leavenworth Penitentiary. Nancy obtained a copy of his Leavenworth prison file, which made no mention of the Mafia. I later found newspaper articles out of Missouri detailing his trial prior to his incarceration in Leavenworth. Although the articles report that he was eventually found guilty of violating Prohibition, he was never connected to the Mafia. We still do not know why he was sentenced to the Atlanta Pen.

While it is true that the Mafia didn’t really gain power in this country until the days of Prohibition, when they accumulated a vast amount of funds through bootlegging, the newspaper describes Frank “Chee Chee” DeMayo only as the Bootlegger King of the second largest bootlegging ring in the country. For Wikipedia and its copycat web articles, to report that Uncle Frank was a member of the Mafia is nothing short of slander. This serves to set the record straight.

Nancy concedes, “I just know that the man we read about in those reports is not the same Uncle Frank that I knew. Yet bootlegging is not the worst thing that happened in those days. He must have really repented and changed his life. I choose to remember the man I knew my Uncle to be during my childhood. He was a loving husband to Aunt Bess, a good father to [his son], and a great grandfather to [his grandchildren]. He was generous and kind to my family (and he loved dogs).”

¹http://www.onewal.com/maf-b-kc.html, par. 3.

Genocide During the Civil War

2009-07-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Though the term genocide did not exist before 1944, I do believe General Sherman was trying to commit just that on the Southern population during his famed march to the sea. His comments to his wife and fellow soldiers are no secret. They have been published often and show that he was certainly bent on destroying the people of the South.

I have brought up this notion of Sherman and genocide to a couple of people in my circle, whom I consider to be very intelligent. Both hesitate to strap the already shameful Sherman with the crime of genocide.

Consider the definition of genocide as was adopted in 1948 by the United Nations in the wake of the Jewish Holocaust.

[G]enocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.[1]

After conducting a study of Sherman’s war practices enacted upon his enemies, there can be no question that Sherman would have been tried as a war criminal had he dared to carry out his campaigns today. Even his own fellow generals abhorred his tactics.

As recently as 2008, one scholar likened Sherman’s practices to “war crimes and probably genocide.”[2] It is obvious that Sherman’s army killed and wounded Confederate soldiers. But, with the able men off in other places fighting the war, Sherman rampaged his way through the South. It is no secret that Sherman encouraged his men to destroy everything in their path after they had foraged for themselves. This left the women and children and old men with no food, no livestock, no crops, no cotton bales (a source of income), no valuables for which to sell, and in many instances, no homes. Such destitution brought about starvation, a sure way to prevent the births of anymore Southerners.

One might argue the last element of the definition—that of forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. While it is true that Sherman did not remove the children from their Southern parents, he did cause that the children were forced from their homes, with their parents, while carrion from the north moved in. This resulted in the desired outcome of watering down the Southern population.

In my opinion, there is no doubt that General Sherman was trying to rid the country of Southerners through criminal means. It is true that war is hell and many unfortunate things happen to the innocent. However, there is a moral code most men live by but Sherman was dispossessed of any morals. He was not the great military mind his fans set him up to be. The hero they worship was nothing short of a war criminal, a disgrace to his uniform, no one to be lauded or honored.

[1] “What is Genocide?” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 4 May 2009. 13 Jul. 2009
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10007043, par. 4

[2] Allan D. Cooper, The Geography of Genocide, University Press of America, 2008, p. 150

The Other Side of the Coin

2009-07-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

As I read stories and watch movies about the War Between the States, I am disappointed that the full story is not told. Reference is often made to the Union prisoners’ awful conditions at the Andersonville prison, but I’ve never heard mention of Rock Island prison, home to 12,000 Confederate prisoners. Complaints among Andersonville inmates included lack of food and medical care. It should be noted that the Confederate soldiers guarding that prison, and serving elsewhere suffered from the same lack of food and medical care. They couldn’t offer their prisoners what they themselves did not have. The Union Army had done an excellent job of cutting these necessities off from the South. Not only did the tactic succeed in crippling the Confederacy, it also starved their own men. The excuse at Rock Island? Rations were cut, as ordered by the U.S. government in response to the treatment of Union prisoners at Andersonville.[1]

In the end, 17% of the Confederate prisoners died at Rock Island compared with the 27% of Federal prisoners, who died at Andersonville.[2] If those numbers lessen the severity of Rock Island Prison, consider a lesser know prison camp in Federal territory that has been conveniently swept under the rug by the very critics of Andersonville, who also point out that Andersonville prisoners were cruelly mistreated. Camp Douglas was located in Chicago and had the highest mortality rate of all Union prisoner of war camps.[3]

"Prisoners were deprived of clothing to discourage escapes. Many wore sacks with head and arm holes cut out; few had underwear. Blankets to offset the bitter northern winter were confiscated from the few that had them. The weakest froze to death. The Chicago winter of 1864 was devastating. The loss of 1,091 lives in only four months was heaviest for any like period in the camp's history, and equaled the deaths at the highest rate of Andersonville from February to May, 1864. Yet, it is the name of Andersonville that burns in infamy, while there exists a northern counterpart of little shame."[4]

The next time you read a book or watch a movie that mentions Andersonville, remember Camp Douglas.

[1] Brenda Smelser Hay, “Rock Island Civil War Prison,” http://www.censusdiggins.com/prison_rock_island.html, 2008, par. 5.
[2] Ibid, par. 8.
[3] Brenda Smelser Hay, “Camp Douglas Prison,” http://www.censusdiggins.com/prison_camp_douglas.html, 2008, par. 1.
[4] Ibid, par. 3. See also “Camp Douglas” at http://geocities.com/BourbonStreet/2757/issues/camp.htm. Though the author of this web page seems to have had some trouble mastering HTML, his material appears to be well researched. After reading this account of Camp Douglas, Andersonville will not seem so unique.

Introduction to Butter Peas

2009-06-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 1995, I took my four girls down South so they could meet relatives and see the beautiful homeland of our ancestors. Our van traveled in a caravan with my parents and brother, Leslie, in one car; and my other brother, Fred, and his family in another.

While at Uncle Charles’ and Aunt Blanche’s house in Albany, Georgia, she served up some lunch, which included field peas I’d never seen before. They were green like a regular garden pea, but not quite as round. They were more oblong, but not quite like a black-eyed pea. I sure did like those peas. I had never had anything like them before and I’ve never had anything like them since.

Apparently, I did not find out right then what they were called, but as I have thought about them a lot, I have decided they must have been butter peas, the most delicious of all the different varieties of field peas. I would sure like to have some more of those, cooked just the way Aunt Blanch cooked them, flavored with a little butter or meat grease.

I will always remember Aunt Blanche when I think of butter peas or whenever I get to taste them again.

Picture found at http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/food/stories/2008/07/22/fieldpeas_0724fd05CVV.html

(The previous story was submitted to a memory book being compiled for Blanche (Booth) Thaden in honor of her 90th birthday!!)

Our Southern Belle

2009-06-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

The few documents that have been collected on Mattie Love (Meigs) Thaden reveal that she was a serious Christian. The following short announcement, which appeared in the Society column of the Atlanta Constitution in 1905, is further evidence.

A Silver Tea

The Ladies Aid Society of the West Side Methodist church will give a silver tea for the benefit of the parsonage Monday evening, March 1 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Thaden 458 West Hunter street. The public is most cordially invited. A pleasant evening is promised to all.
(27 Feb 1905, p. 6.)

So what is a Silver Tea? A brief Google search turned up an article about a contemporary charity organization that has revived the Silver Tea explaining that it "is a tradition that began in the early 1900s when guests at fundraising events learned to place their contributions – very discreetly – into a large silver bowl.”¹

This gives us a better glimpse into Mattie's home as she graciously hosted a pleasant social gathering of Southern ladies and gentlemen on a Georgia winter evening. One can almost see the sparkle of the polished tea sets and hear the delicate clatter of porcelein cups against their saucer mates. And off in a place that is niether prominent nor hidden sits the silver bowl, steadily collecting the willing contributions of the guests. . . .
¹Burl Stiff, “A Silver Anniversary for the Silver Tea,” The San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec 2008, par. 7.

Soldier and Patriot

2009-06-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Capt. Henry Rhoads is the 6th great grandfather of Michael Hahn and one of Michael's ancestral heroes because of the patriot he was during the Revolutionary War. Isn't it special then that Henry and Michael both share the same birth date of June 5th.

Image posted at FindAGrave.com, Memorial #11345940, by JYOAKE.

The Uncivil War Within

2009-05-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I discovered another Civil War soldier in our family history. John W. Younger served in Co. I of Missouri's 13th Cavalry. This Confederate unit was made up of Southerners from the Ozark Mountain area of Missouri. What is so poignant about this discovery is that it was made right after I extracted, from a biographical sketch of Oliver Johnson, sergeant in an Ohio unit in the Union Army, an account of his military service, which included many battles and injuries.

Our family history will not be complete without a study of our ancestors' involovement in the War Between the States; however, I find myself hesitant to begin because of the sadness of it all.

Could they have possibly seen far enough into the future to understand that their descendants could quite possibly be a mixture of the Blue and the Gray?

The Tragedies of War

2009-04-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I recently ran across some detailed information regarding Oliver Johnson's service in the Civil War. He was living in Tuscarawas, Ohio, when he went up to Norwalk to enlist in the Union Army October of 1861. He served for four years. He was wounded three times, the last time being at Resaca, Georgia. The Army of the Ohio was under the command of General Sherman when he began his march to the sea in the spring of 1864. The Rebels put up a good fight there at Resaca. While learning earlier about the atrocities inflicted on my civilian ancestors during Sherman's march, I developed much contempt for the man.

In the same source where I found Oliver's military information, there was a reference to Hiram Johnson. He enlisted in the same place, a day later than Oliver. I feel he is the same Hiram listed as Oliver's brother on the 1850 census of Stark County, Ohio. I was stunned to learn that Hiram was killed at Resaca. Suddenly I don't have contempt anymore, just deep sadness.

Harless Hardships

2009-04-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

I recently transcribed the pension applications for brothers, Ferdinand, Daniel, and Philip Harless of Giles County, Virginia. At this time, the area was on the very edge of civilization. The Harless family was part of the German New River Settlement. The boys were sixteen to 22 years of age when they first volunteered. They served six months out of every year for four years at a couple of forts. They were under the command of Captains and Colonels. They also served as spies to trace the movements of the Indians lurking about. Sometimes there were not enough volunteers from the backwoods to properly man the forts so men from nearby counties were drafted to help out.

In their applications the brothers recounted the depredations brought upon the settlers by the Indians. They told of families who were attacked, and some members were murdered while others were carried away captive. Their own father, Martin Harless, was chased through the woods for three or four miles before he found safety. Ferdinand recalled a ". . . Daughter of Lybrooks was skelped and beate on the head with a war club and found living next morning and when she was found asked for a drink of water and soon after expired."

Apparently their service in the Revolutionary War was not recognized by the war department; thus, their applications were denied. No, they did not belong to the Continental Army, and they did not engage the British in battle. Their service was in protecting the frontier families from the British allies so in my book they were war heroes.

Misinformed through the Internet: A Case Study in the Identity of Joseph Daniel Haun or Hahn

2009-03-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have just finished a case study into the identity of one Joseph Daniel Haun or Hahn, who appears as one of Samuel Hahn's children in genealogies published on the internet. It is satisfying to know I can confidently conclude he does not belong to Sam's clan but has a family of his own. You can read my entire article here.

We may NOT be Irish!!

2009-03-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

This notion would be something that would take some getting used to. My kids grew up on St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and celtic music playing while we ate it. We loved our tradition.

Before writing this post, I ran the idea by my mother, who is not adverse to this possibility. So here goes:

I have recently learned a little bit about Irish immigration in my family history class. Without studying it any further, which I fully intend to do, I believe the history goes like this:

In a previous post I explained that the Scotch Irish came to America from Ireland in the late 1600s and early 1700s. They were of Scotch blood but had been living in Ireland at the time they immigrated. Over here, they were sometimes called Irish and sometimes called Scotch-Irish. They were Prostestant. More often than not, those British sounding names belonged to Scotch-Irish, English, and Welsh if they came over during this time frame. They also followed certain migration patterns.

The Irish, most assuredly Catholics, did not start immigrating until around 1820. I haven't double checked all the family data, but it's looking like all of the British folks in my mother's, father's, and husband's lineages are Scotch-Irish and not Irish at all!

Therefore, I did not wear green today.

An Italian Cultural Event in 1907

2009-03-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

The following is an article I found recently in the Washington Post describing a cultural event for the new Italian Americans of that city. Our own Salvatore Chite, 33 years old and still single, and his cousin, Alfio Longo, entertained the audience with a "fantastic Sicilian dance" at this affair. The word that looks like "musicist" in the occupation field on Salvatore's passenger record tends to make a little more sense. How I would love to see such a performance today.

AMBASSADOR IS SPEAKER

Baron Mayor des Planches Addresses
Italian Children.

Expects Them to Become Good Americans
and to Reflect Credit
Upon Fatherland.

For the special benefit of the Italians of the city, the Christ Child Society gave an entertainment last night in Gonzaga Theater, North Capitol and I streets. Baron Edmondo Mayor des Planches, the Italian Ambassador, delivered two short talks, the first, in English, to the Italian children of the society's settlement, and the second, in his native language, to the audience in general.

He told the children that they must realize and appreciate the great good the society is doing for the sons and daughters of Italy in the District, and that they must make good citizens, so that they would be an honor to their fatherland. By request, he spoke in English, because many of the children of Italian parents understand no other language. He said the children should learn and be proud to know the tongue of their parents.

Ambassador des Planches, in his Italian address, spoke upon good citizenship, saying that the way for the Italian people to win the highest respect of America was by being good Americans.

Following his address, the Cecilian Orchestra rendered an overture, and G. Arancio sang a barytone [sic] solo. Two dozen little girls then sang songs of Italy. Miss S. Lewis sang soprano selections from grand opera, after which pupils of Miss Shreve sang and danced. Miss Irene Kemno rendered a soprano solo, and six little girls gave a fancy dance. Al. Fennell amused with comic songs, and Milburn mystified with feats of magic. A fantastic Sicilian dance was presented by Chite [sic] Salvatore, Bruno Natale, Alfio Longo, and Angelo Carta.

Besides the Italian Ambassador, there were present Esme Howard, counselor of the British embassy, and his wife, Lady Isabella Howard, who is much [sic] interested in the work among Italians.

The Washington Post (22 Apr. 1907): 14.

Deckner Homes in Atlanta

2009-03-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

It has been refreshing to be found by a young woman, Ami, in Atlanta, who now lives in the home originally built for Allen T. Deckner. He was the son of Charles Deckner, a prominent horticulturalist in Atlanta. Charles was the son of Frederick Deckner. The Deckner family relocated to Atlanta from Green Bay in 1865. I relunctantly add they may have been carpetbaggers, seeking the land confiscated from former Confederate owners for back taxes, which were rediculously high, and offered cheap to Yankees. This move on the part of the Federal Government facilitated their goal to Reconstruct the South, only with Northerners.

Nevertheless, Fred Deckner and his son became quite successful in the field of horticulture and Charles carried the tradition long after his father died. Ami had done her research and informs me there were several homes in a row along a street now named for Charles Deckner. Some survive, including the one she now owns, which she is beautifully renovating, and the one right next door, pictured here, which used to belong to Charles himself.

Scots-Irish vs. Scotch-Irish

2009-03-13T10:22:00.001-07:00

We hear both terms, but which is correct? I have chosen to use the term Scotch-Irish. The current popluation of Scotland prefers to refer to themselves as Scots. But, they have very little if anything to do with those people from Scotland, who moved to Ireland and later to America. The term Scotch-Irish was used in America as early as the mid-1700s to describe a certain segment of the American population, and as one scholar on the subject suggests "...in this country [USA], where they have been called Scotch-Irish for over two hundred years, it would be absurd to give them a name by which they are not known here... Here their name is Scotch-Irish; let us call them by it." (qtd. in Wikipedia and attributed to Wayland F. Dunaway, The Scotch-Irish of Colonial America, University of North Carolina Press, 1944.)

Read this essay, "Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irish: What's in a Name?", for a deeper look into the reason why Scotch-Irish is the correct term.

Read About the Scotch-Irish

2009-03-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

Here are links to a articles about the Scotch-Irish.

Why You Need to Know the Scots-Irish
Scots-Irish
The Scotch-Irish in America

Mary Artiemissa was not Elly May

2009-03-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been stewing for the past couple of days over the last lecture in my family history class. The subject was the social history of the Scotch-Irish culture in America. I absorbed everything the teacher delivered because much of my ancestry lies within the hills of the Upcountry of South Carolina, in names such as Murphy, Moore, Madden, and Garvin.

The teacher, Katherine Scott Sturdevant, pretty well-known among historians and genealogists, began with an overview of where the Scotch-Irish came from by describing their existence in Scotland and their migration over to Ireland, noting the Scots were a warring people and not adverse at all to removing the current residents of Ireland in order to claim the land. She compared it to what happened on this continent to the Indians by the large amount of Scotch-Irish immigrants.

She then painted a picture of these immigrants--products of their wild and barbarian ancestry. She says that by settling in the hills of America's back country, they remained in this wild state for generations. Even to this day, in the more rural and remote parts of the country, she says, those of Scotch-Irish heritage tend to be earthy, stubborn, rebellious, and unrefined.

She mentioned figures such as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. These were Kentucky and Tennessee frontiersmen. I read a description recently of the typical backwoodsman which wasn't very flattering. It was written long ago by one who would have met men like Boone and Crockett. I'd like to find that quote again.

Ms. Sturdevant gave several examples of the hillbilly way of life, none of them flattering. When I asked if there was anything positive about these people, she jokingly said these people would think there was nothing wrong with their culture and the problem would lie in the one asking such a thing. Although she said Li'l Abner and the Clampett family were stereotypes, she referred to them often when describing the "real" hillbilly. And though sources will mention South Carolina as one of the largest concentrations of Scotch-Irish, she focused only on Kentucky and the Ozarks.

Of all the U.S. presidents of Scotch-Irish extraction, she only mentioned Andrew Jackson, by now a very unpopular president by politically correct standards. She called him the people's president, for during his time, he was very popular among the people, a large majority of who were Scotch-Irish.

I kept thinking back to what I know about my own people. Granted, I don't have a whole lot of details. I do know that my Great Grandpa William Moore owned a mercantile store in a town. He lived in that town in a beautiful white house. His lovely daughters received college educations. Certainly they lived a civilized life. And I do know that his wife, Mary Artiemissa, married late in her life, simply because she stayed at home to take care of her father and younger brothers after their mother died. I have trouble picturing her exposing her shoulders and thighs in the effort to "catch a man," as did Elly May, Daisy Mae, and Daisy Duke. She was more modest, like Mary Ellen Walton, and her daughter Nannie was more like Christy, the Appalachian school teacher. Nevertheless, I am curious now to discover details about their progenitors and just exactly how their families fit into historical context.

Ms. Studevant herself has Scotch-Irish ancestry. Regardless of how she portrayed these people in her lecture, she was talking about her own people. I took this into consideration as I asked her how, then, do we write the ugly truth about our ancestors without offending anyone in our families. Perhaps I was too offended myself to hear her reply, but I did get this much: They are merely a product of their ancestry--the barbaric Scots. When I write about my people, I like to celebrate the positive. I may find I have to mention a fact that is undesirable, but I try not to leave it at that. Explantions as to why something negative might have occurred are always helpful in my opinion.

I am not yet comfortable in assuming my Scotch-Irish ancestors were these undesirable folk portrayed in my class. I have not yet determined if Ms. Studevant is one of these historians who re-writes history. I like to find history written very close to the time it occurred or by one who lived it. She advised me, though, that history written nowadays has been more thoroughly researched and, therefore, is more trustworthy.

I need to do a lot more of my own research before I feel comfortable in believing anything I'm told about these tough, courageous, lovers of freedom and before I begin to write their story.

Antonio Motta and Grazia Chite--What's Up with Their Marriage Date

2009-02-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

I have discovered a most curious fact about Antonio Motta and Grazia Chite'. They married each other in Catania, Italy, in 1905, but that was a few months before their fourth child was born! Yesterday, I located the birth record (1899) for their first child to see if I could discover any clues as to why they delayed their marriage. I have not yet been able to decipher all the words on the document but so far I'm making out the fact that Lucia was the legitimate child of Antonio and Grazia and that their marriage was cebrated in 1905.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why, with so many Catholic Churches accessible in the large city of Catania, Antonio and Grazia waited so long to get married?

Lutz and Younger

2009-02-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

I have been working on two families at once lately. From the Younger researcher, which I mentioned in the last entry, I received the research of Wilma Norton. So far I am very pleased with her work. She has listed numerous sources and seems to have been as thorough as possible. From her research, I have learned that our Youngers came to Missouri from North Carolina. Prior to migrating to North Carolina, they lived in Viginia in the 1700s along the tidewater riverways on tobacco plantations. Land records show they owned fewer than a thousand acres, so their plantations were small compared to others. This opens a new window into the lives of some of our colonial ancestors and beckons me to learn what I can about the early Virginia plantation lifestyle.
Regarding the Lutz family, I have discovered a book written by Margaret D. Lutes in 1983. Her work contains no speculation, but only facts extracted from primary sources. Her information covers the immigrant ancestor, Johannes Georg Lutz, from his entry into Philadelphia, through to his descendants. Johannes did not live long after arriving in America. Two of his sons migrated to North Carolina and became known among the family as Pioneer George and Pioneer Jacob. Many descendants still live in North Carolina and strong family traditions regarding the family history are still alive. Eventually, John and Sarah Lutz moved out west to Missouri. These were the parents of Joe Lutz, who made the Great Land Run into Oklahoma in 1893. Unfortunately, Mrs. Lutes' information regarding this line of descendancy ends with the family's removal to Missouri and does not cover the exciting time of the land rush. Should there ever be an addendum written to this book, I hope to be a contributor.

Chite' Family

2009-02-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

At the end of May, I found myself in Utah, about an hour away from the Family History Library. I just couldn't resist the urge to spend a day there to work. The trip was quite profitable. I found the birth records of all of the children belonging to Carmelo and Carmela Chite' of Nicolosi, Sicily.
Speaking of the Chite's, I have been corresponding with a Chite' cousin, who lives in Knoxville. Her mother was born to Salvatore Chite', one of the above Carmelo's children. She married a non-Italian and he whisked her away from Washington, D.C. Thus our cousin did not grow up around her Italian family and is now trying to connect with her roots. I found her on a Rootsweb message board. She was able to tell me a little bit about the Chite's brothers, who immigrated to America, I was able to share some information whe her about their sister Grazia Chite' Motta.

About That Rootsweb

2009-02-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

It has proven to be quite a useful tool and has turned up more leads than I can handle all at once. I posted our family tree on Rootsweb for all to see, and I have gotten several responses from people wanting to compare notes.
One very distant Hahn cousin has contacted me. We have decided the common ancestor must be Michael Hahn, who immigrated to America in the 1700's. He had several children; John was her ancestor, and Adam was ours. She has created a family tree on a website host and has invited me to add to it. Right away, though I see a problem with her information on our Samuel Hahn (b. 1810). She has his family mixed up with another Hahn family and I will have to get that straightened out for her. It is not the first time I have seen this family all mixed up.
Finally, I have been contacted, through Rootsweb, by a Younger cousin. The common ancestor is John W. Younger.
I don't think I helped her out much, unless the family group record I sent her on Tennessee Younger and Robert Lutes had new inforamation for her. However, she was helpful to me in adding a bit more information to our records regarding Arah Younger McCants, her great-grandmother.

Younger Outlaw Story

2009-02-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

This tale is as well-told in her family as it is ours, though she has not been able to find a link between her Arah and the boys. She has corresponded with another Younger researcher, who has reached the same conclusion--that there is no link. Like me, our cousin has found her family to be deeply disappointed to hear her say there is no connection. There are members of the St. Clair County, Missouri, Younger descendants who desperately want to claim kinship to these criminals from Jackson County, and I can't understand the obsession. If it were true, so be it. I'm after the truth, not the myths. In my opinion, we should celebrate those who DO make up our ancestry and not those who don't. Let us celebrate our humble and obscure ancestors--the pioneers, the soldiers, the women, the immigrants, the farmers, the inventors, the musicians, the merchants, the tradesmen, and the survivors. Let us not be on a quest to hunt down the sensational, the famous, or the infamous. There may be none of those.

Thaden House in Dornum, Germany

2009-02-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

Thadens Are Frisian

2009-02-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

I have been in touch with our cousin, Lenchen Gericke, born Thaden, who lives in Germany. She has informed me of some family history I never knew before. I must study this more, but for now, if I have the story straight, we descend from the Frisians, an ethnic group in northern Germany. Descendants of Frisians have managed to maintain much of their culture and language and continue to live in the northern part of Holland and neighboring Germany in the region of the North Sea. They were the first of the peoples inhabiting Germany to gain their independence from the Vikings. They valued freedom with a passion and were the first foreign group to support the American colonies’ move toward their own independence. The region in which our Thadens lived was Ostfresia, or East Fresia, now located in Germany.
Cousin Lenchen tells me that around 1100, the tribes got together and formed a farming cooperative called the Theelacht. Each clan was represented at the coop meetings by a clan chief. This honor was passed down to the oldest son, I believe. In case there were no sons, the oldest daughter bore the title. Although the necessity for such a coop does not exist today, the tradition of clan chiefs does, and it is still considered quite an honor. Lenchen is presently the clan chief in our family.
Further study into the emigration of Ostfresians to this country sounds like passages I have read about Syrian emigrants and Italian emigrants. Sometimes half the population of a village packed up for America, and the greatest influx was from 1850 to 1900. The reasons were usually a bad economy, corrupt politics, and lack of opportunity.
Our Thaden ancestors, Herman and Bernard were here by 1860. Most immigrants embarked at the port of New Orleans. I know this is true for Bernard. Then, most new arrivals headed up the Mississippi River to settle the farmlands of Illinois and Iowa and even Wisconsin. There are still some towns in Illinois and Iowa with a strong Frisian culture. I do not know yet why Herman decided on Atlanta and why Bernard settled on Washington, D.C.
I find this subject fascinating and intend to research more.
Note: There was an adoption between our living generations and our immigrant, Herman Thaden. Therefore we probably cannot claim a biological link to the Frisians. However, the legacy passed on from our Thaden ancestors is ours, just the same.
(Map from Wikipedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ostfriesland_de.svg )

Picture of Mattie Love (Meigs) Thaden

2009-02-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

I received this picture in the mail today from my cousin, Sherry. She writes, "Frances Thaden Risner gave me this picture on one of her trips to Albany [Ga]. She is the daughter of Mattie Meigs Thaden. Frances furnished much information on the Thaden and Deckner families."

Delilah Hahn--No More Confusion

2009-02-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

I believe I have finally figured out the confusion with Delilah (Hahn) Thompson and just exactly where she fits into her family. Here’s the problem:
I have notes made from what appears to be Hahn Bible records passed on to me by Marcelle (Hahn) Klein. They have been very accurate; however the birth information on Samuel Hahn’s five children by his first wife lacks detail, and his first wife remains unnamed.
There are several children listed for Sam and his second wife, Nancy (Harless) Hahn. According to the Bible records, the first child, Delilah, was born before Sam and Nancy were married. This fact has always been puzzling.
Did Sam and Nancy have to wait for a preacher to come through the area to make the union official? I think not; Darke County, Ohio was quite populated in 1844. Finding a judge or a minister would have been no problem.
Did Delilah actually belong to Sam’s first wife? Again, I don’t think so for two reasons. First, she is clearly listed in the Bible record as Nancy’s child. Second, Delilah was a recurring name among the Harless families from Giles County, Virginia, where Nancy was born.
The first census to name all members of the household is the 1850 census. The Hahn children, born after 1840, were very young, and accuracy of ages among young children on the census was higher than when those children grew older and forgot or fudged on their ages. The information on the 1850 census matches the information in the Bible notes. It shows that Delilah’s age fits in among the first five children and that she is the same age, in years, as one of them. This would lead the researcher to believe that Delilah was a twin; however, such is not noted on the census like it usually is, and it is likely this information would be included in the trustworthy Bible notes, but it is not.
I conclude that not only Sam, but Nancy also, was married before. Sam had five children and then his wife must have died. Nancy had one child, Delilah, when she was nineteen years old, and then something happened to her husband. The two needed spouses and another parent for their children so they combined families. Delilah was three years old at the time.
Thus, Delilah, a Harless name, appears with Nancy in the Bible records, yet with an earlier birth date than the last child from Sam’s first marriage. And she appears on the census in between the children from the first marriage because of her age, bears the same age as one of those children, and yet is not labeled a twin.
This conclusion only opens up more questions. We’ve always wanted to know who Sam’s first wife was. Now we must ask who Nancy’s first husband was. This means descendants of Delilah (Hahn) Thompson have a biological line other than that of Samuel Hahn.

Croon Line Goes Back Further

2009-02-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

I googled the name of Gerd Jakobs Thaden and found him linked to a website on FamilyTreeSeeker at http://ged.ge.ohost.de/index.htm?ref=CroonAnna1807 containing the family tree of his wife Anna Helena Croon. I have since written to the submitter, Michael Beuss. I sent him copies of Gerd's birth and death records from the Lutheran Church in Dornum, Germany, and am anxiously awaiting his opinion.