tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38110942429331067382024-03-12T22:38:52.438-05:00It's All RelativeBirth, marriage, and death certificates, naturalization documents, old family photographs, newspaper clippings, yellowed maps, obituaries...to a genealogist, it's all relative.Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-91809537427848040562012-02-04T16:52:00.001-06:002012-02-04T16:52:33.968-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7JtdKgqM7E/Ty22NHpXFFI/AAAAAAAAAqo/TiYLIwO7U6c/s1600/we-moved.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7JtdKgqM7E/Ty22NHpXFFI/AAAAAAAAAqo/TiYLIwO7U6c/s320/we-moved.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please follow me at my new blog at: </span><a href="http://where2look4ancestors.com/"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://where2look4ancestors.com/</span></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-69225590832736541912012-02-01T08:02:00.004-06:002012-02-01T08:02:00.522-06:00Army Pictures: Ingram, Mueller and Whitten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adGMwBBooFU/TxL5DKBtVDI/AAAAAAAAAnY/layM448JkUk/s1600/Blog+Post+2012+Feb+1+1+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" kba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adGMwBBooFU/TxL5DKBtVDI/AAAAAAAAAnY/layM448JkUk/s320/Blog+Post+2012+Feb+1+1+of+2.jpg" width="226px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9flh2BekQ0/TxL5EyOocxI/AAAAAAAAAng/TR1S6zxIB2A/s1600/Blog+Post+2012+Feb+1+2+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9flh2BekQ0/TxL5EyOocxI/AAAAAAAAAng/TR1S6zxIB2A/s320/Blog+Post+2012+Feb+1+2+of+2.jpg" width="211px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2012/01/did-my-dad-know-your-dad.html" target="_blank">my original post</a> for details about the photos from my dad's Army scrapbook and please let me know if you recognize anyone in these pictures.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-35883689995146117452012-01-30T07:30:00.001-06:002012-01-30T07:30:01.119-06:00Resolutions Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GW-ehmeOsRY/TyVDDxvuZOI/AAAAAAAAApI/3RLgJ9znzuA/s1600/Goals+Streetsign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GW-ehmeOsRY/TyVDDxvuZOI/AAAAAAAAApI/3RLgJ9znzuA/s200/Goals+Streetsign.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cornandcotton.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie</a></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> for encouraging New-Year-Resolution-setting-bloggers to post goal updates once a month. Great idea! Could be just the push I need to stay on track; although my <a href="http://aremyrootsshowing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">geneabuddy</a> does a pretty good job of that too! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I only set <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-new-years-resolutions.html" target="_blank">six resolutions</a> this year. In January <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I gathered files and folders from (too many) file cabinets, paper stacks and file boxes. I established one place for the documents associated with those all-important 12 surnames. I worked my way through the <strike>mess</strike> collection of paper in the Clarin and Clarke folders. That helped with this goal:</span></span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">2.) Focus my research on 12 direct-line surnames...Start by o</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">rganizing the surname-related computer files, manila folders, family group sheets, and pages on my web site.</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">My new-and-improved filing system includes folders labeled "Requires Further Action" for each surname. <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I found the coolest colored folders with graph paper-fronts and backs. Once the contents of the folder are prioritized, I can use the graph paper to create an index/to-do list so next-steps are easy to determine.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I worked on my web site, adding a page for <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Bidenharn.aspx" target="_blank">Bidenharn</a> and updating pages for <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Clarin.aspx" target="_blank">Clarin</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Clarke.aspx" target="_blank">Clarke</a> and <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/WilliamPenrod.aspx" target="_blank">William Penrod Clarke</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Landstrom.aspx" target="_blank">Landstrom</a> and <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/JohanPeterLandstrom1824.aspx" target="_blank">Johan Peter Landstrom</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Mangels.aspx" target="_blank">Mangels</a> and <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/GustaveMangels1889.aspx" target="_blank">Gustave Robert Mangels</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Peterson.aspx" target="_blank">Peterson</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Thompson.aspx" target="_blank">Thompson</a> and <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/PeterThompson1857.aspx" target="_blank">Peter Thompson</a>, and <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Walton.aspx" target="_blank">Walton</a>. That addressed goal #2 above and this goal:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><em>4.) Keep other living descendants up to date on our family history research progress through emails, letters, Twitter, this blog and </em><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/default.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5c7996;"><em>my web site</em></span></a><em>. Search for as-yet-unknown cousins in the same way.</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">In January I devoted quite a bit of time to this goal:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><em>5.) Honor the relationship between genealogy and scrapbooking: Scan and digitize old photos. Preserve hard copies of pictures. Archive online photos off-site. Organize, label and safely store slides and negatives. Share pictures with relatives. Assemble heirloom photo albums.</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I've fallen in love with <a href="http://picasa.google.com/" target="_blank">Picasa</a>. It's free and easy to use. I have a million photos to scan and Picasa makes the save, edit, categorize and file steps fast and easy. I averaged 150 scans a week in January and stored the originals chronologically in archival-safe containers. There are still a million minus 600 photos left to scan, but I'm making progress!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Thanks again Stephanie for encouraging me to revisit my goals, check my progress and set my sights on February!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-15553750216634484462012-01-29T10:09:00.001-06:002012-01-29T18:14:57.594-06:00Serendipity in Genealogy<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My ancestors are not generally among the movers and shakers in history. They were average people living average lives. That doesn't make them any less interesting to me; it just means that if they appear in a newspaper at all, it won't be on the front page.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">So when I visited the <a href="http://www.bataviahistoricalsociety.org/depot_museum.htm" target="_blank">Depot Museum</a> in Batavia Illlinois several years ago, it was to get a glimpse of the work done at the <a href="http://www.bataviahistoricalsociety.org/batavia_history.htm" target="_blank">U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Company</a>. My second great-grandfather was a blacksmith there for many years.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">The museum was very interesting. The displays were wonderful - I took many pictures of the USWE&P display and was grateful to the volunteer who answered my many questions about 19th century life in Batavia. At the end of my visit, Marilyn Robinson encouraged me to sign the guest book and add the surname I was researching. She said other guests sometimes look through the book and connections are made. I signed the book and wrote the name "Tolf".</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">A few days later Marilyn mentioned my from-out-of-state visit to another volunteer. The volunteer asked what surname I was researching. Together they looked at the guest book. The volunteer (also named Marilyn) said Tolf looked familiar. When she returned home, (the second) Marilyn looked in the scrapbook created by her husband's great-grandfather Charles Wenberg. He had been a professional photographer in Batavia during the time my family lived there. Inside the scrapbook she found these pictures:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwrlgBrd6Hs/TyVkuf3lMSI/AAAAAAAAApQ/YGW9i9bXdHs/s1600/Charles+Wenberg+Peter+Tolf+and+Claus+Peterson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwrlgBrd6Hs/TyVkuf3lMSI/AAAAAAAAApQ/YGW9i9bXdHs/s320/Charles+Wenberg+Peter+Tolf+and+Claus+Peterson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">l-r Charles Wenberg, Peter Tolf and Claus Pederson</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">These three men were instrumental in founding the church below</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zdzImq1Rw2E/TyVk2MQbF4I/AAAAAAAAApY/rMw8AxXaX88/s1600/Mission+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zdzImq1Rw2E/TyVk2MQbF4I/AAAAAAAAApY/rMw8AxXaX88/s320/Mission+Church.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First Swedish Mission Church in Batavia Illinois</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MzlB7nBwPDM/TyVk4RlORtI/AAAAAAAAApg/arWBnc7JLVU/s1600/Peter+Tolf+with+crew+at+USWEP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MzlB7nBwPDM/TyVk4RlORtI/AAAAAAAAApg/arWBnc7JLVU/s320/Peter+Tolf+with+crew+at+USWEP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peter Tolf (center wearing tie) blacksmith foreman</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">at US Wind Engine and Pump Company</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RLhMQTTustE/TyVk6qjdD9I/AAAAAAAAApo/R1aCLpthj1k/s1600/Peter,+Augusta,+Ranghild,+Harry,+and+Raymond+Tolf+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RLhMQTTustE/TyVk6qjdD9I/AAAAAAAAApo/R1aCLpthj1k/s320/Peter,+Augusta,+Ranghild,+Harry,+and+Raymond+Tolf+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peter Tolf and his wife Augusta Landström with their children</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(l-r) Ranghild Henrietta Katarina, Harry Wilhelm, and Raymond Johan Carl</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tygOTJZGHHk/TyVk-yvRzQI/AAAAAAAAApw/RwpJ8lKdWcQ/s1600/Helen+Ahman+Tolf+with+daughters+Kristina+and+Amanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tygOTJZGHHk/TyVk-yvRzQI/AAAAAAAAApw/RwpJ8lKdWcQ/s320/Helen+Ahman+Tolf+with+daughters+Kristina+and+Amanda.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Helena Åman Tolf with daughters Christina Tolf and Amanda (Tolf) Peterson</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I know I thanked both women at least a hundred times. Marilyn Robinson has since passed away, but her extensive work in the Batavia Historical Society surely guaranteed her a place in genealogy heaven. I will be forever grateful to the second Marilyn who gave me something I would never have seen without her generosity. I'm also grateful to <strong>Charles Wenberg</strong> who wrote captions at the bottom of his photographs without which his great-grandson's wife couldn't have made our connection.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">And to my <strong>Tolf</strong>,<strong> Åman</strong>, and <strong>Landström</strong> ancestors: For putting the two Marilyns and me in all the right places at all the right times - there are not enough words in my vocabulary to express the depth and breadth of my feelings.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-32090737465485966262012-01-25T07:50:00.004-06:002012-01-25T07:50:00.391-06:00Army Pictures: M C Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XmWpfCK7fTY/TxL4au_LqJI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/j5y17OfgtSs/s1600/Blog+Post+2012+Jan+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" kba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XmWpfCK7fTY/TxL4au_LqJI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/j5y17OfgtSs/s320/Blog+Post+2012+Jan+25.jpg" width="216px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2012/01/did-my-dad-know-your-dad.html" target="_blank">my original post</a> for details about the photos from my dad's Army scrapbook and please let me know if you recognize anyone in these pictures.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-15208639896060567612012-01-22T07:30:00.002-06:002012-01-22T07:30:01.214-06:00January Anniversaries<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">January is a bit of a "small world" in my family tree.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example, my paternal 4th great-grandparents <strong>François SCHMITT</strong> and <strong>Elizabeth GROSSE</strong> were married 16 Jan 1804 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France - </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">François' sister was married the same day: </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSB4AoZmQu0/Tu5lGM5_J3I/AAAAAAAAAhg/a4d2dJiXrVM/s1600/MR+1804+Francois+Schmitt+and+Elisabeth+Grosse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247px" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSB4AoZmQu0/Tu5lGM5_J3I/AAAAAAAAAhg/a4d2dJiXrVM/s320/MR+1804+Francois+Schmitt+and+Elisabeth+Grosse.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the other side of the ocean, three weeks after acting as witnesses at <a href="https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11106-6293-64?cc=1463145" target="_blank">Peter's brother's wedding</a>, my maternal 2nd great-grandparents <strong>Peter August TOLF</strong> and <strong>Augusta Sophia LANDSTROM</strong> were married 21 Jan 1882 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8V433Hbakug/Tu5u8aVjgcI/AAAAAAAAAho/VqvSLzndePk/s1600/MC+1882+Peter+A+Tolf+and+Augusta+S+Landstrom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284px" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8V433Hbakug/Tu5u8aVjgcI/AAAAAAAAAho/VqvSLzndePk/s320/MC+1882+Peter+A+Tolf+and+Augusta+S+Landstrom.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My other set of 2nd great-grandparents <strong>Peter THOMPSON</strong> and <strong>Maria Fredrika PETERSON</strong> were married 20 Jan 1883 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpNRhAPk2s8/Tu5vfkW1eQI/AAAAAAAAAhw/Hw1OGLgIELU/s1600/MC+1883+Maria+Peterson+and+Peter+Thompson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289px" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpNRhAPk2s8/Tu5vfkW1eQI/AAAAAAAAAhw/Hw1OGLgIELU/s320/MC+1883+Maria+Peterson+and+Peter+Thompson.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The longer I work on my family tree, the greater number of interesting connections I find among the members. From what I read in the </span><a href="http://www.chicagoancestors.org/#tab-tools" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1880 and 1885 city directories</span></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, it appears that both the Tolf/Landstrom and Thompson/Peterson couples were married at the same church. It's possible that the four immigrants met there and built a friendship. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Years later Harry (Peter and Augusta's son) would marry Julia (Peter and Maria Fredrika's daughter). Unfortunately it wasn't happily-ever-after marriage, but their story may have begun earlier than I previously thought.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I wonder what other surprises my ancestors have in store for me this year?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Are any of my ancestors in <em>your</em> family tree too?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Let's compare notes!</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-86484317140326572092012-01-19T07:30:00.001-06:002012-01-19T07:30:04.664-06:00I (blank) Therefore I Blog<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Happy Blogoversary ~ It's All Relative!</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before penning my first post two years ago, I read a blog how-to tip that encouraged me to "find your own voice". I might be in the remedial class because I just recently figured out the <em>real</em> reasons I blog:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I want to honor the memory of my ancestors,</em></strong> therefore I blog:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Ao2nMMzJac/S3K1ymqACoI/AAAAAAAAACE/Sh4La5Gbh2M/s1600/Fodelsedagar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Ao2nMMzJac/S3K1ymqACoI/AAAAAAAAACE/Sh4La5Gbh2M/s320/Fodelsedagar.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/02/bengta-johnsson-clarin-from-vasterstad.html" target="_blank">Wednesday February 10, 2010</a></span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I find genealogy addicting,</em></strong> therefore I blog:</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGugGFaU-R8/TKhoiHlKtKI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/izWxj03h1j0/s1600/MGS+Conf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGugGFaU-R8/TKhoiHlKtKI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/izWxj03h1j0/s320/MGS+Conf.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/10/12-step-program-for-genealogists.html" target="_blank">Sunday October 3, 2010</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I like to laugh,</em></strong> therefore I blog:</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EDBMzGq1vhs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/12/12-days-of-christmas-for-genealogists.html" target="_blank">Monday, December 12, 2011</a></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I share genealogists' idiosyncrasies,</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>therefore I blog:</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2aLqc6oIj_w/S4vc6ve4YtI/AAAAAAAAACk/rgbS847fLb0/s1600/caveman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2aLqc6oIj_w/S4vc6ve4YtI/AAAAAAAAACk/rgbS847fLb0/s320/caveman.jpg" width="242px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/03/hunter-or-gatherer.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monday, March 1, 2010</span></a></span></span></span></div></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>I still have a lot to learn about myself,</strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>therefore I blog:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6ZpAXtRNis/S6figh60Y1I/AAAAAAAAADU/zbEjUz5uHT4/s1600/Heinz+57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6ZpAXtRNis/S6figh60Y1I/AAAAAAAAADU/zbEjUz5uHT4/s320/Heinz+57.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/03/who-do-you-think-you-are.html" target="_blank">Monday, March 22, 2010</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I like to share cool stuff,</em></strong> therefore I blog</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2Lpf1iXAOk/Tn8KIh4roMI/AAAAAAAAAWY/Hm3ZyIG8L0A/s1600/Navy+Pier+and+the+Chicago+Skyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2Lpf1iXAOk/Tn8KIh4roMI/AAAAAAAAAWY/Hm3ZyIG8L0A/s320/Navy+Pier+and+the+Chicago+Skyline.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/09/chicago-and-cook-county-resources-part.html" target="_blank">Monday, September 26, 2011</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I wish I was more organized,</em></strong> therefore I blog:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wgU_AAV4ZkQ/Tg8w4mhJgXI/AAAAAAAAANU/A86LJD8-c8E/s1600/todolist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wgU_AAV4ZkQ/Tg8w4mhJgXI/AAAAAAAAANU/A86LJD8-c8E/s320/todolist.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/07/playing-ketchup-by-myself.html" target="_blank">Saturday, July 2, 2011</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I love traditions,</em></strong> therefore I blog:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s2AwjuAp2Tk/TuajTzhV6ZI/AAAAAAAAAhY/3OVGwDk4pjE/s1600/St+Lucia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s2AwjuAp2Tk/TuajTzhV6ZI/AAAAAAAAAhY/3OVGwDk4pjE/s320/St+Lucia.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/12/celebrating-st-lucia-day.html" target="_blank">Tuesday, December 13, 2011</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I adore my grandchildren,</em></strong> therefore I blog:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vCucOV-rIcs/S5enszPnDHI/AAAAAAAAAC8/p2WAAAP-LHo/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vCucOV-rIcs/S5enszPnDHI/AAAAAAAAAC8/p2WAAAP-LHo/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/03/traditions-in-todays-family-history.html" target="_blank">Wednesday, March 10, 2010</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I miss my dad,</em></strong> therefore I blog:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9N0tLWp59Y/TM2Vv2X9EAI/AAAAAAAAAGc/Y6QqZTvL3iU/s1600/Daddy+May+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9N0tLWp59Y/TM2Vv2X9EAI/AAAAAAAAAGc/Y6QqZTvL3iU/s320/Daddy+May+2009.jpg" width="208px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/10/to-daddy-with-love.html" target="_blank">Sunday, October 31, 2010</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>I appreciate my geneabuddy,</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>therefore I blog:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-35si-JgddDw/TeIkQXZdbDI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/5uiAltALa-k/s1600/CL3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-35si-JgddDw/TeIkQXZdbDI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/5uiAltALa-k/s1600/CL3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/05/success-team-week-two.html" target="_blank">Sunday May 29, 2011</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you find something worthwhile tucked in among these and my other posts. Thank you dear readers for following It's All Relative!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-7956719689211603992012-01-18T07:45:00.004-06:002012-01-18T07:45:01.268-06:00Army Pictures: 1952 Hamkin and Danley<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lCT6-LodDc/TxLpYE_GAQI/AAAAAAAAAnA/fRpp6VHdQf8/s1600/Blog+Post+2012+Jan+18+1+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307px" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lCT6-LodDc/TxLpYE_GAQI/AAAAAAAAAnA/fRpp6VHdQf8/s320/Blog+Post+2012+Jan+18+1+of+2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hamkin and Danley</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7o3xTckyijo/TxLpZ5dMNYI/AAAAAAAAAnI/90kfUTm4vqs/s1600/Blog+Post+2012+Jan+18+2+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279px" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7o3xTckyijo/TxLpZ5dMNYI/AAAAAAAAAnI/90kfUTm4vqs/s320/Blog+Post+2012+Jan+18+2+of+2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Hamkin and Danley</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2012/01/did-my-dad-know-your-dad.html" target="_blank">my original post</a> for details about the photos from my dad's Army scrapbook and please let me know if you recognize anyone in these pictures.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-4773365012209855222012-01-11T07:30:00.001-06:002012-01-15T08:44:46.306-06:00Did my dad know your dad?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gzwHZ9EIohs/TwwiHuTYLBI/AAAAAAAAAm4/SqtUVHwptdg/s1600/Daddy+and+Baggs+in+Grandma+Brenke%2527s+front+yard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246px" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gzwHZ9EIohs/TwwiHuTYLBI/AAAAAAAAAm4/SqtUVHwptdg/s320/Daddy+and+Baggs+in+Grandma+Brenke%2527s+front+yard.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Daddy and Baggs in Grandma's front yard</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My dad loved to take pictures. He took lots of them while he was in the Army from 1949 to 1953. And as you can see from the photo on the left, he labeled them. <em>On the front</em>.</span><br />
<div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">The only scrapbook Daddy ever assembled was the one that began with his Army pictures. A couple years before he died, he gave the bulging book to me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">When I saw those wonderful candid shots of Army buddies relaxing in their fatigues, smoking cigars, playing volleyball and generally having fun, I knew I had to share them. What if the other dads in the pictures shipped off to <a href="http://www.koreanwar.org/" target="_blank">Korea</a> and didn't return? These images could be among their last.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Enter <a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/daily-blogging-prompts/wordless-wednesday/" target="_blank">Wordless Wednesday</a> 2012. I'll be posting photos from my dad's collection once a week for the rest of the year. The pictures were taken between 1949 and 1953 when my dad served in </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">the 17th Company STR in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Benning" target="_blank">Fort Benning</a> Georgia and Battery D 71st AAA Gun Battalion in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Belvoir" target="_blank">Fort Belvoir</a> Virginia. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Did my dad know your dad? If so, he may be in the scrapbook. Stay tuned!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-20102015074620692252012-01-08T07:00:00.037-06:002012-01-11T08:45:27.611-06:00January Birthdays<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy January birthday to my late grandmother <strong>Frances Lois MANGELS</strong> born 23 Jan 1911; my sister, my cousin Alexander, and my nephew Eric.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My grandmother's aunt <strong>Amanda Ida MANGELS</strong> was born 24 Jan 1893 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Amanda testified on</span> my grandmother's behalf when she applied for a delayed birth certificate in May of 1929.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After his divorce from her mother, my grandmother's father <strong>Gustave MANGELS</strong> married </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Emilie HEINZELMANN</strong> who was born 09 Jan 1899 in Marschalkenzimmern, Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zSnqKSR-AM/TiGQRjs2YDI/AAAAAAAAAOU/H1EqphE3WuU/s1600/Christina+Gury+France.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zSnqKSR-AM/TiGQRjs2YDI/AAAAAAAAAOU/H1EqphE3WuU/s320/Christina+Gury+France.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Marie Catherine Gury</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Mar</strong></span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>ie Catherine <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Gury.aspx" target="_blank">GURY</a></strong> born 11 Jan 1809 in Altroff, Meurthe, Lorraine, France. This photo is said to be of her. The family story is that Marie Catherine first became a nun and later a Mother Superior. I hope to prove or disprove that story this year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Marie Catherine's niece <strong>Pauline GURY</strong> was born 22 Jan 1834 in Léning, Moselle, Lorraine, France.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Pauline immigrated to the United States as a child. Another immigrant <strong>Pierre Ferdinand <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/NicolasSchmitt1813.aspx" target="_blank">SCHMITT</a></strong> (who was born 28 Jan 1843 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France) would later become her sister's brother-in-law.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Swedes with January birthdays in my family tree include <strong>Raymond Carl Johan <span id="goog_1835856362"></span>TOLF </strong><span id="goog_1835856363"></span>(also known as Unkie) born 09 Jan 1891 in Batavia, Kane, Illinois. Unkie is the ancestor who piqued my interest in genealogy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Unkie's cousin <strong>Pearl May TOLF</strong> was born 01 Jan 1883 in Dixon, Lee, Illinois and </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"> <strong>Peter August TOLF</strong> was born 01 Jan 1858 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Peter is Unkie's father and my 2nd great-grandfather. He was a blacksmith and foreman for the <a href="http://www.bataviahistoricalsociety.org/usw.htm" target="_blank">Wind Engine and Pump Company</a> in Batavia Illinois.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of the Tolf men were blacksmiths including Peter's uncle <strong>Anders Gustaf TOLF</strong> was born 08 Jan 1821 in Lindefors, Jönköping, Sweden.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q1Cy9bUA4e4/TwH6HNvV0II/AAAAAAAAAi0/ftnfVrLL_Xs/s1600/Peter%252520Tolf%252520with%252520crew%252520at%252520USWEP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q1Cy9bUA4e4/TwH6HNvV0II/AAAAAAAAAi0/ftnfVrLL_Xs/s320/Peter%252520Tolf%252520with%252520crew%252520at%252520USWEP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Foreman Peter TOLF - front and center</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also hailing from Sweden and born in January; <strong>Carl Magnus CARLSON</strong> born 05 Jan 1871 in Börstil, Uppsala, Sweden.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From my <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-new-years-resolutions.html" target="_blank">2012 Burning Questions list</a>; </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Hanna Sophia PETERSON</strong> born 09 Jan 1873 and her brother</span></li>
</ul></div><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Carl Frithof PETERSON</strong> born 27 Jan 1877 in Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden</span></div></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A number of my Manx ancestors were born in the month of January including:</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Abigail WALTON</strong> born 31 Jan 1836 in Lonan, Isle of Man</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>John WALTON</strong> born 24 Jan 1841 in Lonan, Isle of Man</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Margaret WALTON</strong> born 19 Jan 1845 in Lonan, Isle of Man</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Mary WALTON</strong> born 24 Jan 1847 in Lonan, Isle of Man and</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Jane CHRISTIAN</strong> born 20 Jan 1812 in Lonan, Isle of Man who married a Walton</span></div></li>
</ul></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conspicuously absent from my calendar is the birthDAY of my 2nd great-grandfather </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Peter THOMPSON</strong>. All I know as of this writing is that he was born Jan 1857 in Norway. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are any of my ancestors in <em>your</em> family tree too?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's compare notes!</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-39615705362833139872012-01-03T07:45:00.004-06:002012-01-03T07:45:01.545-06:00Where Are Otto's Granddaughters?<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although nearly 100 years have passed since <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/11/suicide-while-temporarily-insane.html" target="_blank">Otto V Mueller took his own life</a>, he may remain in the memory of more than just one living descendant. I hope to connect with a family member who may know of him on a more personal level. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Otto and his wife Alvina had one child:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QYJ-5Swyfmw/TwIZTCEq3FI/AAAAAAAAAjE/bIm-hah9Sk8/s1600/1910%252520Census%252520Mueller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><img border="0" height="227px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QYJ-5Swyfmw/TwIZTCEq3FI/AAAAAAAAAjE/bIm-hah9Sk8/s320/1910%252520Census%252520Mueller.jpg" width="320px" /></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1910 Chicago Illinois Census - Otto Mueller and family</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daughter Edith was nine years old when her parents divorced. Edith's mother Alvina moved back to Ohio...</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H-dHHJTpXh8/TwIcfG6w9oI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/8xB-GIpYxno/s1600/1920%252520Census%252520pg%2525201%252520of%2525202%252520Mueller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><img border="0" height="227px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H-dHHJTpXh8/TwIcfG6w9oI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/8xB-GIpYxno/s320/1920%252520Census%252520pg%2525201%252520of%2525202%252520Mueller.jpg" width="320px" /></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Alvina and Edith Mueller on the bottom of the page</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to be near her widowed brother Arthur J. Schmitt:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XCrOSfBhmTI/TwIc023O7EI/AAAAAAAAAjc/qO5Mt2e2ps4/s1600/1920%252520Census%252520pg%2525202%252520of%2525202%252520Schmitt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><img border="0" height="227px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XCrOSfBhmTI/TwIc023O7EI/AAAAAAAAAjc/qO5Mt2e2ps4/s320/1920%252520Census%252520pg%2525202%252520of%2525202%252520Schmitt.jpg" width="320px" /></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Arthur is on the top of the next page</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Edith married John B. Caine and had three daughters:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hbnPXDYl7SE/TwI_Ejhk8DI/AAAAAAAAAkw/kdNlHlr8AvI/s1600/1930%252520Census%252520Caine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hbnPXDYl7SE/TwI_Ejhk8DI/AAAAAAAAAkw/kdNlHlr8AvI/s320/1930%252520Census%252520Caine.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Caine family in 1930 Ohio census</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">According to the <em>Ohio Division of Vital Statistics. Death Certificates and index, December 20, 1908-December 31, 1953. State Archives Series 3094. Ohio Historical Society, Ohio;</em> John B Caine<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>died at the age of 70 on the 2nd of Jun 1975. Edith died at 79 years of age on</span> the 5th of Sep 1982.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">One of Edith's daughters passed away in 1999. The two remaining are surely getting on in years. There's been no response from the contributor of a public tree on Ancestry that includes Edith. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I'm cautiously optimistic that this post will result in a connection with someone whose life was touched by Otto V Mueller. I would like to share the information I gathered and if possible, learn more about this man. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">If you know of anyone related to <strong>Otto V Mueller</strong>, <strong>Alvina Schmitt Mueller</strong>, <strong>Edith Mueller Caine</strong> or any of their descendants; please contact me at:</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-55611261310345078072011-12-31T06:30:00.002-06:002011-12-31T06:30:02.815-06:002012 New Year's Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oiWY411yhDk/TsfNk8Rl7mI/AAAAAAAAAgI/inA2tYXS1Qw/s1600/R1-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oiWY411yhDk/TsfNk8Rl7mI/AAAAAAAAAgI/inA2tYXS1Qw/s320/R1-35.jpg" width="216px" /></a></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another year comes to a close. The past 12 months were sprinkled with equal parts levity and laughter, wonder and worry, pitfalls and proud moments. I'm glad I was on the planet to see all the ups and downs firsthand and I very much appreciated your company along the way. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With family group sheet in hand, I nervously reviewed my <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/12/genealogy-new-years-resolutions-for.html" target="_blank">2011 resolutions</a>. Not as bad as I thought - whew! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2012 offers new opportunities to make check marks on my genealogy to-do list. Look out family tree, I'm getting serious about climbing you this year! With weekly encouragement from my <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2011/05/success-team-week-two.html" target="_blank">Success Team</a> partner <a href="http://aremyrootsshowing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jenny</a>,</span><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> I </span><strike style="font-family: Verdana;">plan to</strike><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> will:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">1.) Attend at least one out-of-state genealogical conference or convention.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">2.) Focus my research on 12 direct-line surnames; <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Clarin.aspx" target="_blank">Clarin</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Clarke.aspx" target="_blank">Clarke</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Gury.aspx" target="_blank">Gury</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Landstrom.aspx" target="_blank">Landstrom</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Littrell.aspx" target="_blank">Littrell</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Mangels.aspx" target="_blank">Mangels</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Mueller.aspx" target="_blank">Mueller</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Peterson.aspx" target="_blank">Peterson</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Schmitt.aspx" target="_blank">Schmitt</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Thompson.aspx" target="_blank">Thompson</a>, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/geography.aspx" target="_blank">Tolf</a>, and <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/Walton.aspx" target="_blank">Walton</a>. Start by o</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">rganizing the surname-related computer files, manila folders, family group sheets, and pages on my web site.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">3.) Answer the following burning questions:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did Esther give birth to the Clarin/Mangels child I recently located? </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Was her divorce from Gustave really as public as family stories suggest?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From what country did the Maryland Clarkes originate?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who is the child that accompanied Marie-Anne Gury and her children from France to Cincinnati?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When (and at which port) did Augusta Landstrom arrive in America?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From what country did the Virginia Littrells originate?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What did the inquests into Herman Friedrich Carl Mangels and Frank Mangels' deaths reveal? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In which Swiss town was Jacob Mueller born? Were Otto Mueller and his wife Alvina Schmitt really cousins?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where did Maria Fredericka Peterson's sisters settle after leaving Sweden?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What were the circumstances around Elizabeth Schmitt's divorce from Anton Bidenharn and marriage three days later to Jacob Mueller?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Where did Peter Thompson die and where is he buried? Was his daughter really institutionalized so her husband could obtain a divorce?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">At which American port did James Walton and his parents end their voyage from the Isle of Man? </span></li>
</ul><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">4.) Keep other living descendants up to date on our family history research progress through emails, letters, Twitter, this blog and <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">my web site</a>. Search for as-yet-unknown cousins in the same way.</span><br />
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5.) Honor the relationship between genealogy and scrapbooking: Scan and digitize old photos. Preserve hard copies of pictures. Archive online photos off-site. Organize, label and safely store slides and negatives. Share pictures with relatives. Assemble heirloom photo albums.<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6.) Share (and create more) family history with my glorious grandchildren.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Every one of my goals interests and excites me. 2012 could be a <em>great</em> year for my family and me. I hope yours is even better. Happy New Year!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-22725892014885524542011-12-25T07:45:00.001-06:002011-12-25T07:45:00.308-06:00Merry Christmas<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2WVqqgrzbc/TsfMPA-l3PI/AAAAAAAAAgA/6uTbeBRQjcU/s1600/129576419102500960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2WVqqgrzbc/TsfMPA-l3PI/AAAAAAAAAgA/6uTbeBRQjcU/s320/129576419102500960.jpg" width="245px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From our house to yours;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">may all the blessings of the season</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">grace you and those you love.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-47425810280064537292011-12-17T08:15:00.038-06:002011-12-17T08:15:01.224-06:00December Anniversaries<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy December anniversary to my cousin Cynthia and her husband! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ancestors who wed in December include:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My third great-grandparents <strong>Carl TOLF</strong> and <strong>Helena Christina ÅMAN</strong> who were married in Sweden 26 Dec 1848. They begat Peter, who begat Harry, who begat Harriet, who begat my mother.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Owen Henry TOLF</strong> (my second cousin twice removed) who married Luella BUTLER 29 Dec 1947 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Owen's grandfather Gustav TOLF was my 2nd great-grandfather Peter TOLF's brother.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My grand-uncle <strong>Harry Vincent FLOOD</strong> and Helen Catherine MALCZAN who were married 24 Dec 1955 in River Grove, Cook, Illinois. Harry and my maternal <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">grandfather John George WALTON were half brothers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Charles Fredrick OTTO Jr</strong> (my granduncle) who married Marie Martha SCHMITZ 31 Dec 1940 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Charlie's mother Esther Ingeborg CLARIN, was my father's maternal grandmother.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My second great-granduncle <strong>Frans Magnus TOLF</strong> and Matilda PETERSON who were married 31 Dec 1881 Batavia, Kane, Illinois. Frank (as he was called in America) and my 2nd great-grandfather Peter TOLF were brothers.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L05DhlTyQI0/TtpGTE_bg8I/AAAAAAAAAgo/qAHWipTGlH0/s1600/Frans+and+Mathilda+Tolf+with+son+Charles+Herbert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L05DhlTyQI0/TtpGTE_bg8I/AAAAAAAAAgo/qAHWipTGlH0/s320/Frans+and+Mathilda+Tolf+with+son+Charles+Herbert.jpg" width="240px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Frank and Mathilda with their son Charles</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Are any of my ancestors in <em>your</em> family tree too?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Let's compare notes!</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-19577455076978309192011-12-13T07:15:00.001-06:002011-12-13T07:15:00.766-06:00Celebrating St Lucia Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dP_DbL1kC3k/TuZ1JbzTDnI/AAAAAAAAAgw/BRuxlUc9CBY/s1600/SCAN0087.jpg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dP_DbL1kC3k/TuZ1JbzTDnI/AAAAAAAAAgw/BRuxlUc9CBY/s200/SCAN0087.jpg.JPG" width="138px" /></a></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shortly after starting my family history research I had an epiphany: <em>my children and I actually shared the DNA of the people I was researching</em>! </span><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We weren't just <em>related</em> to Swedes and Germans, we <em>were </em>English and Swedish and German (<a href="http://livinginthepastlane.blogspot.com/2010/03/who-do-you-think-you-are.html" target="_blank">and Manx and two other ethnicities</a>, but that discovery came much later.)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">This meant we had to do more than <em>have</em> an ethnic heritage; we needed to honor our ethnic heritage.</span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s2AwjuAp2Tk/TuajTzhV6ZI/AAAAAAAAAhY/3OVGwDk4pjE/s1600/St+Lucia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279px" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s2AwjuAp2Tk/TuajTzhV6ZI/AAAAAAAAAhY/3OVGwDk4pjE/s320/St+Lucia.jpg" width="320px" /></a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I asked my daughters (then 10 and 11 years old) to choose the country whose traditions we would include in our upcoming Christmas celebration. Would it be Germany, Sweden or England? They decided on Sweden. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">We checked books out from the public library (did I mention this was in the 80s?) and read about Sweden's holiday traditions.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">On December 13th the girls and I drove to Chicago where we watched the crowning of a young St Lucia.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BDg9A1xpB6E/TuZ66Fn_9-I/AAAAAAAAAhA/oZ3qJoPkNnA/s1600/SCAN0097.jpg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211px" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BDg9A1xpB6E/TuZ66Fn_9-I/AAAAAAAAAhA/oZ3qJoPkNnA/s320/SCAN0097.jpg.JPG" width="320px" /></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">We explored the Swedish American museum in Andersonville, bought pastries at Nelson's Bakery, chose a few special straw ornaments at the Swedish Museum Gift Shop, and had dinner at a tiny restaurant called Svea's. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">During dinner, Svea's owner played the guitar, serenading his patrons. Several diners added their voices to the Swedish Christmas music he played. The whole day was magical.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IFtiJKonsyY/TuZ7lM5DdtI/AAAAAAAAAhI/NoDiNXgNNeE/s1600/SCAN0089.jpg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IFtiJKonsyY/TuZ7lM5DdtI/AAAAAAAAAhI/NoDiNXgNNeE/s320/SCAN0089.jpg.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">As part of our Christmas celebration a couple weeks later, my daughters served their grandmother and aunts Lussekatter buns while dressed in traditional St Lucia Day attire. </span> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">The following year, I asked which country (Germany or England) we should explore during the next holiday. Shocked that I would ask such a question (!), the girls said Sweden would be our focus. Always.</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FL8BH7o04_o/TuZ8JdFWCuI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/CQC-VwR6I4Q/s1600/SCAN0088.jpg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FL8BH7o04_o/TuZ8JdFWCuI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/CQC-VwR6I4Q/s320/SCAN0088.jpg.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Music at Svea happened only once since that first Swedish Christmas 25 years ago. But the melody will play in my heart forever.</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-16269344127792907642011-12-12T07:45:00.024-06:002011-12-12T07:45:00.171-06:0012 Days of Christmas for Genealogists<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04;">My all-time favorite version of the 12 Days of Christmas</span> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">was sung by the Muppets (b-dum bum bum). </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YpuNU3y1KAk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's another version ~ suitable for genealogists: </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me; </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a branch in my family tree. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">two round-trip tickets, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a clue to the family mystery.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a branch in my family tree.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a new name for my family pedigree.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>five days in <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library" target="_blank">Utah</a></em>,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a branch in my family tree.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">six Flip Pals scanning,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>five days in Utah,</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a book of our family history.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seven films a' scrolling, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">six Flip Pals scanning,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>five days in Utah,</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a branch in my family tree.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">eight forms of sourcing,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seven films a' scrolling, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">six Flip Pals scanning</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>five days in Utah,</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a new date for my genealogy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nine headstone rubbings,<br />
eight forms of sourcing,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seven films a' scrolling, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">six Flip Pals scanning</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>five days in Utah</em>,</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a branch in my family tree.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span><br />
<div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ten archival filings,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nine headstone rubbings,<br />
eight forms of sourcing,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seven films a' scrolling, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">six Flip Pals scanning</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>five days in Utah</em> (b-dum bum bum),</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a Gedcom of my family tree.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me;</span><br />
<div align="center"><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">eleven towns a' mapping,</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ten archival filings,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nine headstone rubbings,<br />
eight forms of sourcing,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seven films a' scrolling, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">six Flip Pals scanning</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>five days in Utah</em> (b-dum bum bum),</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a branch in my family tree. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me; </span><br />
<div align="center"><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">twelve drives a' flashing,</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">eleven towns a' mapping,</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ten archival filings,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nine headstone rubbings,<br />
eight forms of sourcing,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seven films a' scrolling, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">six Flip Pals scanning</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>five days in Utah</em> (b-dum bum bum),</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">four family bibles,<br />
three new cousins,<br />
two round-trip tickets,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and a suitable-for-framing family tree.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-32822857162469157732011-12-03T07:45:00.001-06:002011-12-03T07:45:01.127-06:00December Birthdays<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy December birthday to my niece Julia and to my cousins Dennis and Lynn. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LtYgoiMUd-E/Tsxrco4olZI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/1ZE0Lv3I9ko/s1600/R1-62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="216px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LtYgoiMUd-E/Tsxrco4olZI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/1ZE0Lv3I9ko/s320/R1-62.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Other December birthdays in my family tree include:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Sara Lisa JACOBSDOTTER</strong>, my 7th great-grandmother was born 31 Dec 1725 in Ostergotlands, Sweden. Sara's great-grandson, my 3rd great-grandfather <strong>Carl TOLF</strong> also celebrated his birthday in December; he was born 19 Dec 1824 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. In May of 1878 he and his wife and four of their eight children left Sweden for America. Carl would live out his life in Batavia Illinois.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carl's son Peter TOLF married Augusta LANDSTROM. Augusta's mother <strong>Lisa Katarina PETERSDOTTER</strong> was born 29 Dec 1829 Wallsjo, Sweden. The Landstroms also immigrated to Illinois.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My 2nd great-grandfather <strong>James WALTON</strong> was born on the Isle of Man 18 Dec 1843. He was only seven months old when his parents and an aunt and uncle immigrated to Cleveland Ohio. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A 2nd great grandaunt <strong>Sophia SCHMITT</strong> was born in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France 10 Dec 1845. Her sister-in-law <strong>Mary Ann BARNES</strong> was born 26 Dec 1845 in Dublin Ireland.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my family history mysteries is <strong>Carl Johan TOLF</strong> born 02 Dec 1849 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. It isn't clear whether or not he immigrated to Illinois as his parents and siblings did. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My 2nd great grandfather's brother <strong>Sven LARSSON</strong> was born in Hörby, Malmöhus, Sweden on 15 Dec 1856. Sven immigrated to Denmark on 19 May 1873 and younger brother Carl LARSSON CLARIN immigrated to Illinois. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Another direct line ancestor's brother celebrated a December birthday. <strong>Elmer Eugene CLARKE</strong> was born in Maryland 03 Dec 1865. He and several of his brothers, including my 2nd great-grandfather William Penrod CLARKE moved to Illinois when they were young men.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Emma Justina PETERSDOTTER</strong> (21 Dec 1866) is a 2nd great grandaunt who immigrated from her birthplace of Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden in 1883. To date, I have found no records of her on the US side of the ocean.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Alvina S SCHMITT</strong>, who was married to Otto V MUELLER, was born 15 Dec 1883 in Ohio. I hope to locate a living descendant of hers soon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Swedish immigrant <strong>Ludwig Charles OGREN</strong>, born 21 Dec 1885, married one of my Thompson ancestors and moved to Ohio. Their adopted daughter Ruth was my maternal grandmother's cousin.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">My maternal grandfather's sister <strong>Edith Josephine WALTON</strong> was born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois 23 Dec 1902. Grandpa's brother <strong>Rolf Sylvester WALTON</strong> was born in Chicago too, on 31 Dec 1909.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">My paternal grandmother's brother <strong>Ernest Robert MANGELS</strong> was born 28 Dec 1907 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. He and his brother were given up for unofficial adoption. Their reunion decades later was more than just newsworthy:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i1ci6mH2dvM/Tsxr00fP6AI/AAAAAAAAAgY/LoEStvCSkQQ/s1600/Mangels+brother+reunion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="297px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i1ci6mH2dvM/Tsxr00fP6AI/AAAAAAAAAgY/LoEStvCSkQQ/s320/Mangels+brother+reunion.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are any of my ancestors in <em>your</em> family tree too? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If so, please contact me at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read more about my family's history on my <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/" target="_blank">web site</a>.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-67912144285332382462011-11-29T07:45:00.012-06:002011-11-29T07:45:00.728-06:00Anne Marie Schmitt nee Schmitt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0qn_25zB7qA/TtLCLbxswdI/AAAAAAAAAgg/EUvnaQlE9qs/s1600/DR+Anne+Marie+Schmitt+1791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0qn_25zB7qA/TtLCLbxswdI/AAAAAAAAAgg/EUvnaQlE9qs/s320/DR+Anne+Marie+Schmitt+1791.jpg" width="214px" /></a></div><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Thursday before Thanksgiving I visited the Family History Center to view film #<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/printing/titledetailsprint.asp?titleno=549222" target="_blank">2083956</a></span>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found my 5th great grandmother Anne Marie Schmitt in the 1791 records of burials for the Roman Catholic Church of Hellimer, Moselle, France. The record (last on the page) was a bit challenging to transcribe and translate because part of the text is written in Latin. (Many thanks to the French and German gentlemen who shared their knowledge of the Latin language.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>Burial record transcription</em>: </span><span style="color: #783f04;"><span>L’an mille sept cent quatre vingt onze, le neuf août vers les cinq heures du matin décéda subitement Anne Marie Schmitt, âgée de quarante sept ans, épouse de Claude Schmitt, tanneur à Hellimer, son corps fut inhumé le lendemain dans le cimetière de cette paroisse en présence des témoins soussignés avec les cérémonies ordinaires. [signed by the] curé de Grossetanquin<span style="mso-tab-count: 7;"> [and the] </span>curé de Hellimer.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>Burial record translation</em>: <span>On August 9th in the year 1791, about 5 am, suddenly died Anne Marie Schmitt, 47 years old, wife of Claude Schmitt, tanner in Hellimer; her body was buried on the next day in the cemetery of this parish, in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, with the ordinary ceremonies. [signed by the] priests of Grossetanquin and Hellimer and [Anne Marie's husband] Claude Schmitt.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span><span style="color: #783f04;"><span>The record does not include Anne Marie's date of birth or her parents' names. At the time of her death, she had at least six children. </span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-78329909555018733502011-11-26T07:45:00.003-06:002011-11-26T07:45:00.662-06:00Surname Saturday ~ The Name Game<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ready to test your name-knowledge? (Names for <strong>Round 5 of The Name Game</strong> were inspired by the </span><a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/fgs-2011-springfield/"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Geneabloggers</strong> who attended <strong>FGS 2011</strong></span></a>, friends and coworkers.)<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Step right up and try your luck guessing the country of origin and the meanings of these names:</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ackerman</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clark</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eastman</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Geiger</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingsby</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kline</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">McEntee</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ortega</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Quist</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seaver</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Uebele</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wolcott</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Youngquist</span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Give yourself one point for each country guessed correctly and another point for each correct meaning. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Scroll down...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">to see...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">the answers...</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Ackerman, Ackermann, Acreman</strong> (German/English) One who plowed the lord's land and tended his plow teams.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://nolichuckyroots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Clark</a>, Clarke</strong> (English) A clergyman, scholar, scribe or recorder. (British pronunciation of clerk.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://blog.eogn.com/" target="_blank">Eastman</a></strong> (English) One who came from the east; descendant of Eastmund or Estmunt (east, protection); one who came from the Baltic countries.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Geiger</strong> (German) One who played a violin.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Ingsby</strong> (Dan., Sw., Nor.) Dweller at Ingi's farm.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Kline</strong> (German) Varient of Klein, q.v. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Klein, Kleine (German) The small man; the nice, neat man.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/" target="_blank">McEntee</a></strong> (Irish) The son of the scholar.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ortega</a>, Ortego</strong> (Spanish) Dweller at the sign of the grouse; one with the charactoristics of a grouse.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Quist</strong> (Swedish) Twig.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.geneamusings.com/" target="_blank">Seaver</a>, Sever, Seavers</strong> (English) One with a grave and austere demeanor.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Uebele, Uebel</strong> (German) Descendant of Oppo or Ubo, pet forms of Audoberht (possession, bright).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.genealogydragnet.com/" target="_blank">Wolcott</a></strong> (English) One who came from Woolscott (Wulfsige's cottage), in Warwickshire.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Youngquist</strong> (Swedish) Heather, twig.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Hope you enjoyed Round 5 of The Name Game!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-88334955320956569722011-11-19T07:45:00.039-06:002011-11-19T07:45:00.865-06:00November Anniversaries<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Happy November anniversary to the following couples in my family tree:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">My 4th great-grandparents <strong>Matthew CLARKE and Rebecca Margaret RIDENOUR</strong> were married on 13 Nov 1818 in Washington County, Maryland. (Wish I knew exact dates of birth for either of them!)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">My 3rd great-grandparents <strong>Lars PETERSSON and Anna SVENSDOTTER</strong> tied the knot on 21 Nov 1856 in Agunnaryd, Kronobergs, Sweden. Their son Carl took the military name Clarin and would later immigrate to Chicago Illinois.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">The direct line ancestors with whom I spend <em>much</em> of my time these days; my 2nd great-grandparents <strong>Jacob K MUELLER and Elizabeth SCHMITT</strong> were married in Chicago on 28 Nov 1874.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><em>Other November brides and grooms include:</em></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Norman A CLARKE and Hester Ann LEFFEL</strong> were married 23 Nov 1887 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>John PETERSON and Amanda Sofia Karlsdotter TOLF</strong> were married in the 1st Swedish M.E. Church in Chicago, Cook, Illinois 21 Nov 1900. (I wonder why? They both lived in Batavia Illinois, 30 or so miles west of Chicago.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-umNh74P0CGs/TsZFu8uqa8I/AAAAAAAAAf4/IgZEBSxzoYo/s1600/MC+Amanda+Tolf+and+John+Peterson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="269px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-umNh74P0CGs/TsZFu8uqa8I/AAAAAAAAAf4/IgZEBSxzoYo/s320/MC+Amanda+Tolf+and+John+Peterson.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Lawrence Charles YOUNGBERG and Alma S SANDSTEDT</strong> were married 17 Nov 1909 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>John Alfred LUND and Hannah Christina TOLF</strong> were married 10 Nov 1910 in Kane County, Illinois.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Amanda Ida MANGELS and Stephen Taylor GILES</strong> were married 22 Nov 1910 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;">Are any of these people in <u>your</u> family tree too?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;">Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana;">Let's compare notes!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-69044455918047125302011-11-16T07:45:00.002-06:002011-11-16T07:45:00.292-06:00Wordless Wednesday ~ Cousins<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fra3tWhubwI/TpBTDpLnLwI/AAAAAAAAAXw/Etb-8WlhmKY/s1600/Harriet+Kathlyn+Tolf+and+cousin+Ruth+Ogren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fra3tWhubwI/TpBTDpLnLwI/AAAAAAAAAXw/Etb-8WlhmKY/s320/Harriet+Kathlyn+Tolf+and+cousin+Ruth+Ogren.jpg" width="211px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Harriet Kathlyn Tolf and cousin Ruth Ogren</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-17668736858134290142011-11-13T05:16:00.000-06:002011-11-13T05:16:00.764-06:00Five Pages of Written Testimony<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A thick envelope arrived yesterday from the Cook County (Illinois) Medical Examiner's Office. I carried it from the mailbox to my desk with trembling hands. Gone were thoughts of doing the Genealogy Happy Dance. This is my family. Otto V. Mueller is my great grand-uncle. The documents inside this envelope from Chicago contained five pages of testimony telling how and why he took his own life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Otto's half-sister Alma and two of Otto's neighbors testified that Otto had behaved differently during the week after his divorce. He was drinking heavily and talking about leaving the city he loved. On the night he died, Otto went home, turned a gas jet on high and blew out the flame. He climbed into bed and lay there waiting for the "illuminating gas" to fill his lungs and end his grief. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">How could he know that 99-1/2 years later a woman he had never met would sit at her desk blinking back tears and grieving for him?</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-71982059552800852922011-11-09T16:19:00.001-06:002011-11-09T16:19:49.403-06:00Suicide while temporarily insane<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Otto V. Mueller</strong> is often on my mind these days. I recently requested copies of the inquest record created after his 1912 suicide. I can't help wondering what caused him to feel such despair that he chose to take his own life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">My path to Otto started with my paternal grandparents <strong>Harold Clarke Mueller</strong> and <strong>Frances Lois Mangels</strong> who were married in August of 1930:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0SUzwhVow9o/TrnlfpNUzqI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/CL2VFLRyKSk/s1600/Untitled-1+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0SUzwhVow9o/TrnlfpNUzqI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/CL2VFLRyKSk/s320/Untitled-1+2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">The 1930 census was taken shortly before my grandparents' wedding, and Harold was enumerated (on line 84) with his parents and younger brother:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6EhgRKAfps/Trnl2i-r6jI/AAAAAAAAAeY/cXnNzqU6VRc/s1600/1930+IL+Alfred%252C+Gertrude%252C+Harold+and+Robert+Mueller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6EhgRKAfps/Trnl2i-r6jI/AAAAAAAAAeY/cXnNzqU6VRc/s200/1930+IL+Alfred%252C+Gertrude%252C+Harold+and+Robert+Mueller.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My dad remembered sliding down the load when Harold made deliveries in a coal truck, so the occupation listed in column 25 concerned me at first. </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I mentioned to my grand-uncle Charlie that my grandfather had been a truck driver, he said, "Really? I remember him banging gold." Bingo - we have a match! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the 1920 census Harold, his parents and grandparents lived together. Seeing the Clarkes explains where Harold's middle name originated:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cs7PQlpJ2yM/TrniZxsBDKI/AAAAAAAAAd4/i8axbQX3-4s/s1600/1920+IL+Harold+Clarke+Mueller+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="244" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cs7PQlpJ2yM/TrniZxsBDKI/AAAAAAAAAd4/i8axbQX3-4s/s320/1920+IL+Harold+Clarke+Mueller+-+1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--bKgU1bwaqI/Trnie0S83qI/AAAAAAAAAeA/oAq2nynvdG8/s1600/1920+IL+Harold+Clarke+Mueller+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--bKgU1bwaqI/Trnie0S83qI/AAAAAAAAAeA/oAq2nynvdG8/s320/1920+IL+Harold+Clarke+Mueller+-+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's the family in 1910:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KVA3IpcHpi4/TrnpE3oUgFI/AAAAAAAAAeg/921Rw2c68gk/s1600/1910+IL+Harold+Clarke+Mueller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KVA3IpcHpi4/TrnpE3oUgFI/AAAAAAAAAeg/921Rw2c68gk/s320/1910+IL+Harold+Clarke+Mueller.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and in 1900:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0mucY51obI/TrpcO8JFUdI/AAAAAAAAAeo/jh72rsJdtaw/s1600/1900+IL+Census+Mueller+part+1+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0mucY51obI/TrpcO8JFUdI/AAAAAAAAAeo/jh72rsJdtaw/s320/1900+IL+Census+Mueller+part+1+of+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The list of family members is continued on a second page, including Alfred's sister Alma E. Note her occupation, then take a look at Otto's. Could Alma work in Otto's office? This becomes more evident (and more confusing) when we travel back and forth in time.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NfQaDZiSBog/TrpciYRqjuI/AAAAAAAAAew/Hd01c0rY3ZM/s1600/1900+IL+Census+Mueller+part+2+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NfQaDZiSBog/TrpciYRqjuI/AAAAAAAAAew/Hd01c0rY3ZM/s320/1900+IL+Census+Mueller+part+2+of+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's the family in 1880. In those days, Mueller was spelled Müller. See how the census taker tried to correct his misspelling? Wish I knew if he was attempting to squeeze in an "e" or trying to add the umlaut.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VUF206jPAWo/Trpe7GmE4VI/AAAAAAAAAe4/fT9kEnko4wU/s1600/1880+IL+Census+Chicago+Dist+93+MUELLER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VUF206jPAWo/Trpe7GmE4VI/AAAAAAAAAe4/fT9kEnko4wU/s320/1880+IL+Census+Chicago+Dist+93+MUELLER.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The census taker's fumble helps explain another indexer's version of Jacob's surname. Jacob's marriage certificate was indexed under Mutler. But the marriage license clerk's attention to detail provided wonderful clues. Jacob's new wife is <strong><em>Mrs.</em> Elizabeth Biedenham</strong> (actually Bidenharn, but let's not quibble about details). This helped me find Elizabeth and Otto in 1870.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nZ5_nW0KaD4/TrpiZkOe-wI/AAAAAAAAAfA/R31ZpW10XWA/s1600/Untitled-2+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nZ5_nW0KaD4/TrpiZkOe-wI/AAAAAAAAAfA/R31ZpW10XWA/s320/Untitled-2+2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Otto is consistently listed as Ohio-born. Remember the 1880 census and the 10-year difference between Otto and Alfred? Both facts make more sense after seeing the marriage record above. It suggests Otto isn't Jacob's biological son. An 1870 Ohio census confirms that hypothesis (see line 9):</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kQqVNKkenF4/TrpjxH2nOFI/AAAAAAAAAfI/vyMNpNgSJ8Y/s1600/1870+Cen+Elizabeth+Schmitt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kQqVNKkenF4/TrpjxH2nOFI/AAAAAAAAAfI/vyMNpNgSJ8Y/s320/1870+Cen+Elizabeth+Schmitt.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Learning that Otto was Alfred's <em>half</em>-brother made me wonder if I should continue to research Otto. I mean, it's not as if he's a direct line ancestor. And heck, he only shares 50% of my DNA. Hmm. But then I do have that manila folder with his name on it...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm glad I chose to gather <em>just the basics</em> on Otto, file them and move on; 'cause that's when things got interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I couldn't find Otto in the 1930 or 1920 censuses. He didn't appear with Jacob and Alma in 1910. As it turns out he lived on the same street with his wife and daughter:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_B1jNIDbm0/TrqvDVcZO0I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/4guvfNtkjC0/s1600/1910+Cen+Otto+V+Mueller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_B1jNIDbm0/TrqvDVcZO0I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/4guvfNtkjC0/s320/1910+Cen+Otto+V+Mueller.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I couldn't find Otto and Alvina in the Chicago marriage index. More searching revealed their marriage had taken place on the other side of Lake Michigan in Berrien County Michigan, a quaint location known for elopements. I blinked hard when I read the new Mrs. Mueller's maiden name. Schmitt is Otto's mother's maiden name too. Coincidence? Except there was something familiar about a Schmitt and Kauffman couple in Ohio with a daughter named Alvina. Did Otto marry his first cousin? Time will tell. Here's the marriage record (entry 752):</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpH9NNWffrQ/TrrB5BGyPeI/AAAAAAAAAfY/nrpHfvEKwsc/s1600/MR+Otto+Mueller+and+Alvina+Schmitt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpH9NNWffrQ/TrrB5BGyPeI/AAAAAAAAAfY/nrpHfvEKwsc/s320/MR+Otto+Mueller+and+Alvina+Schmitt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So where was this family in 1920? I hadn't been able to find Otto. But I did find Alvina and Edith (bottom two lines)...</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tqo-njczH-o/TrrIDDAk0kI/AAAAAAAAAfg/x4wYmwaj_ws/s1600/1920+OH+Alvina+Schmitt+Mueller+and+Edith+part+1+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tqo-njczH-o/TrrIDDAk0kI/AAAAAAAAAfg/x4wYmwaj_ws/s320/1920+OH+Alvina+Schmitt+Mueller+and+Edith+part+1+of+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">who live with Alvina's widowed brother (line 1):</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VJicUpxRTsM/TrrI2xSxLLI/AAAAAAAAAfo/TiUbEZkDcAU/s1600/1920+OH+Alvina+Schmitt+Mueller+and+Edith+part+2+of+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VJicUpxRTsM/TrrI2xSxLLI/AAAAAAAAAfo/TiUbEZkDcAU/s320/1920+OH+Alvina+Schmitt+Mueller+and+Edith+part+2+of+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alvina is listed as a widow. But was she? Not according to Otto's sister Alma:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pATLGkgFQSg/TrrJlnukc8I/AAAAAAAAAfw/_DkWmp7SwZs/s1600/DC+Otto+V+Mueller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pATLGkgFQSg/TrrJlnukc8I/AAAAAAAAAfw/_DkWmp7SwZs/s320/DC+Otto+V+Mueller.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What happened to Otto? Before all the ugliness, things seemed to be going pretty well for this husband, father and successful businessman. Articles referencing him appeared in several newspapers; his participation in an annual cycling race as a member of the Englewood Wheelmen, and public congratulations and admiration after his promotion to city engineer. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Why is Otto's death certificate so um, I don't know, weird? Look at his place of birth, his birth date, even his date of death - on<em> or about</em> the 16th of April. How long did he lay dead in his garage? Alma was the informant; was she distraught? Distant? Estranged? If she lived with Otto and worked at his insurance agency years before, why didn't she know more answers?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">She was right on the money regarding her parents' names (especially Elise rather than Elizabeth) and their places of birth. It's quite puzzling.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Which is why I ordered inquest records for this collateral ancestor. I sent a letter to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office requesting Otto's file on October first. A letter from them arrived the 13th saying there are five pages of written testimony. (FIVE PAGES!!) Copy costs are five dollars per page. I mailed a check the 14th. Then I started pacing in front of my mailbox. After two weeks I called the ME's office and spoke with a very nice woman. She said she had indeed received my check. She reminded me the pages had been tri-folded for nearly a hundred years and said they were working to unfold them. Once that is done, they can copy the pages and send them to me. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">Honest to goodness, I have dreams about getting these papers! I want to know who testified and what they said. Don't you?</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-59685134381154803892011-11-05T08:00:00.005-05:002011-11-05T08:00:02.337-05:00Surname Saturday ~ November Birthdays<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy November birthday to my sister and my nephew Ben, and to my cousins Russell, Mitchell, and Barbie.</span> </span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">November <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">birthdays in my family tree include:</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My 4th great-grandmother <strong>Maja Lisa LIDSTROM</strong> (16 Nov 1797) and her daughter </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Gustafva Jubilina TOLF</strong> (28 Nov 1830) were born in <a href="http://www.svenarumhok.se/english.htm">Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden</a>.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXnJ8sq-wK4/Tq36aZldD0I/AAAAAAAAAbY/xZoHeVd9U2Q/s1600/Tanno+1950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143px" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXnJ8sq-wK4/Tq36aZldD0I/AAAAAAAAAbY/xZoHeVd9U2Q/s200/Tanno+1950.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My 3rd great-grandfather <strong>Peter Johan JOHANISSON</strong> was born 14 Nov 1836 in Norra Sandsjö, Jonkopings, Sweden. His children, my 2nd great-grandmother <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER </strong></span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(22 Nov 1864) and <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">her brother <strong>Johan Gustaf PETERSON</strong> (15 Nov 1874) were born in Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First cousins thrice-removed, <strong>Lillian Christine KIRCHHEIMER</strong> (19 Nov 1873) and </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Emil Francis SCHMITT</strong> (21 Nov 1875) were born in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio. Lillian's mother and Emil's father were <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/ElisabethSchmitt.aspx">my 2nd great-grandmother</a>'s sister and brother respectively.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Birthdays in my Clark/Clarke line include <strong><a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/ElmerEugene.aspx">Susan E BERG</a></strong> (13 Nov 1871<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) and <strong>Miriam Edith BLAKE</strong> (21 Nov 1920) both of Chicago, Cook, Illinois.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Great-granduncles <strong>George James WALTON</strong> (28 Nov 1884) and <strong>Frederick WALTON</strong> <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(20 Nov 1888) were born in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First generation American <strong>Julia Christine THOMPSON</strong> born 10 Nov 1888 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois was my great-grandmother. Her father Peter Thompson immigrated from Norway and her mother (Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER listed above) immigrated from Sweden.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Frank Raymond TOLF</strong> born 23 Nov 1888 in Batavia, Kane, Illinois and </span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Howard W TOLF</strong> born 10 Nov 1898 in Dixon, Lee, Illinois were cousins; nephews of my 2nd great-grandfather Per August Tolf. Frank's wife <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Ruth MCFARLAND</strong> was born in Indiana 28 Nov 1892. <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2nd cousin twice-removed <strong>Norman Joseph FRIEND</strong> born in Illinois 30 Nov 1914 was a Tolf descendant; his mother's mother was <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/FridaKatrinaTolf.aspx">Frida Katrina TOLF</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My great-grandaunt <strong>Agnes Magnheld CLARIN</strong> (21 Nov 1891) and her half-brother </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Carl James CLARIN</strong> (22 Nov 1898) were both born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Their father, Carl Larsson Clarin was a Swedish immigrant.</span><br />
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<em>Do any of my ancestors reside in your family tree too? Please contact me at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com. Let's compare notes!</em></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811094242933106738.post-51913806303697908282011-11-04T07:45:00.018-05:002011-11-04T07:45:00.748-05:00Genealogy Blog, Not Just for Michigan<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I learned my second great-grandparents, <a href="http://livinginthepastlane.com/WilliamPenrod.aspx">William Penrod Clarke</a> and Mary Ella LITTRELL died in southwest Michigan, I explored the area virtually. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.vbrgs.org/">Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society of Southern Michigan</a> has a great web site, complete with an <a href="http://www.vbrgs.org/VanBurenCountyDeaths.html">index of Van Buren County deaths</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">The Society's web site has a link to the <a href="http://vanburendistrict.blogspot.com/">Van Buren District Library's blog</a>. This is an interesting and informative blog worth a genealogy meandering minute or two, regardless of your connection <em>or lack thereof</em> to Michigan.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">If you're a list-lover like me, you'll appreciate their <a href="http://vanburendistrict.blogspot.com/2011/09/research-tip-use-of-checklists-to.html">Use of Checklists</a> series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">The Collection Highlight is always interesting, I found <a href="http://vanburendistrict.blogspot.com/2011/10/collection-highlight-local-newspapers.html">this one</a> especially so.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana;">I'm always intrigued by their Nameless Picture of the Day. Here's a picture that was posted in August:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-umlDpZRRuQY/TqMEvvP23GI/AAAAAAAAAaY/l8gNMAbsC4k/s1600/M1787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207px" rda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-umlDpZRRuQY/TqMEvvP23GI/AAAAAAAAAaY/l8gNMAbsC4k/s320/M1787.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Unknown boy & girl in buggy; cabinet card <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #783f04;">M1787</span>.</span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photographer - Northrup, Bangor </span></span></div></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take a moment or two to explore this not-just-for-Michigan library's blog. Let me know what you think!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="none" data-via="itsallrelatives">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Laura Aanensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704005867617529814noreply@blogger.com0