September 11, 2012
This is the headstone of my Great Grandparents. I never met either Harrison or Rhodie but I’ve heard stories and seen fabulous pictures. They are buried in the cemetery at the Palestine AME Church in Johnsville, Bradley County, AR.
I learned more about my family walking around this cemetery with my Father, Aunt, Grandmother, and a few cousins for a couple of hours in 1999 than I did in years of solitary research. It is a memory I treasure.
Happy Hunting!
Jess
September 5, 2012
This is a Bailey family picture. That’s definitely my Grandpa Bailey’s mother, Lizzie, in the back but I’m not sure which sons are pictured here. Yes, Aunts and Uncles, this is a test to see who’s reading.
Happy hunting,
Jess
September 4, 2012
I now feel like I have just enough of a backlog of digital images to participate in the meme “Tombstone Tuesday”… so, the next up is in honor of my Great Great Grandmother who was laid to rest 84 years ago yesterday.
This is the headstone for my Great Great Grandmother Lena Grove (Baker) Johnson. She was the 5th child and youngest daughter of Eugene and Amelia (Grove) Baker born 16 Apr 1884. At the age of 18 she married William Amos Johnson, the youngest son of William Suffling and Mary (Gordon) Johnson. The family spent a number of years in Traverse City, Michigan where William worked as a plumber but in 1923 they moved back to Rockford, Michigan. She died five years later on 03 Sep 1928 after a six month illness leaving one grown son, Robert Eugene, and a 10 year old daughter, Betty Lou.
Lena is buried with her husband in the Rockford Cemetery, in Rockford, Michigan. When you take the main entrance to the cemetery if you follow the center path and take the next left the Johnson plot will be on the left hand side of the path. Interestingly on my last trip the stones were essentially in the right location but up out of the ground beside their normal spots. Given the tremendous shifting over the years I’m not terribly surprised.
Happy hunting,
Jess
August 29, 2012
I would guess that his lovely sombrero was picked up in Mexico? (Gran can correct me if I’m wrong.) My Great Aunt has lived in Arizona for decades and at one time or another a large portion of us have been down to visit and gotten a grand tour complete with trips into Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
Anyway… Looking good, Grandpa Bill!
Happy hunting!
Jess
PS. Can you tell what O. J. Simpson’s selling there?
August 28, 2012
I now feel like I have just enough of a backlog of digital images to participate in the meme “Tombstone Tuesday”… so, the first up is one of a set of sinking stones from the “New” Rockford Cemetery.
This is the headstone of my 3rd Great Aunt Katherine Baker Sears who died 162 years ago today. She is buried in the Sears Lot just south of the Hessler Mausoleum.
Katie Baker was the eldest child of Eugene and Amelia (Grove) Baker and the oldest sibling of my 3rd Great grandmother Lena Grove Baker Johnson. She was born 05 December 1874 probably in Joliet, Illinois where her parents married and lived for a short time before Eugene brought them back to Kent County, Michigan.
In 1895 she married Clifton F. Sears. They had at least two children before he died in 1899—Dorothy and Charles F. After Clifton’s passing she kept house for her brother Frank Baker for a time and and from 1909 to 1943 she worked for C. F. Sears Co, her father-in-law’s dry goods store.
Katie was involved in the community with the Methodist Church, the Garden Club, Tuesday Club, Dorcas circle and more.
Rest well, Aunt Katie!
Happy hunting,
Jess
August 22, 2012
Happy belated birthday to the twins! You’ve come a long way…
But I still know who’s who in this picture.
August 15, 2012
Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!
August 14, 2012
My “Hello World” post went up a year ago today (Sorry, Geneabloggers, but it’s definitely today) and it’s been a fun and bizarre, but research-rich, year. While I had hopes of making more road-trips I’ve often had to opt for short hops and learning more about my local institutions—which, mind you, are none too shabby. But this has been a good year for getting organized, connecting with family, and connecting with fellow researchers.
I want to thank all my followers, subscribers, and friends. It may seem funny to say it, but it’s so cool to know that there are people reading my posts! A special thank you to Anne at Adventures of a Kidney Donor! A blog had never crossed my mind until we got to talking about hers. Thanks so much, to the supportive, informative and fun Geneabloggers community. And they’ve heard it before but Sue, Bobbie, Kris, Jeri, and Ariana… Thank you for your continued support! And here’s to another fun and productive research year.
My parents didn’t do the big first birthday parties the way their parents or my generation seems to be stuck on (which I’m totally fine with) so I had to go back to find a good graphic.
Happy Hunting,
Jess
August 8, 2012
We believe this is Earl Shea with my great grandfather (and Earl’s older brother) Robert Shea. According to the 1900 and 1910 Census listings Earl was born sometime around 1893. In his mother’s obituary he was listed as living in Middleton, Ohio. Grandma thought that he might have married a woman named Gussie, and they might have had a daughter. That’s about the extent of what I think I know about him. I haven’t found him in later Census and I’m very curious about where he went. Ah well… for now he remains one of my elusive relatives.
But the brothers look pretty dapper here!
Happy hunting,
Jess
August 1, 2012
Relocating from Michigan to a base in Alaska? Pack up the “V-Wagon”—as it’s labeled on the back of this picture—of course. The Johnson family did just that loading up this van with parents, 3 kids, 2 dogs, and a cat. They have a bunch of interesting stories of their trip and their time in Anchorage—like being chased by moose, housing with flat roofs and tons of snow (yes, they caved in), and the fact that they managed to move on to Grandpa’s next base posting in time to miss the 1964 earthquake where the prominent image from the quake was their destroyed elementary school, Government Hill.
Happy hunting,
Jess
Genie Road Trip 