May 23, 2012
This is my Grandfather, Levie Trotter, in deep conversation with two of his brother-in-laws at a York Barbeque in 1982. I believe they are Grandma Trotter’s brothers Herman and Arverse York (also children Philip Henry York and his third wife, Sally Wheeler). If there are any Yorks (or Trotters for that matter) monitoring the site… correct me if I’m wrong.
Happy Hunting,
Jess
May 16, 2012
And for your viewing pleasure on this Wordless Wednesday… This is my Great Grandfather Robert Shea, my 2nd Great Aunt Grace Packer, and my Great Grandmother Cora (Packer) Shea. It was probably taken in the early 1920s before Grace married Harold Elliott in 1925.
Happy Hunting,
Jess
May 9, 2012
This week marks both the anniversary of my birth and, unfortunately, the anniversary of my Grandpa Bill’s death. Luckily, we overlapped briefly. And since I am likely to scrounge up baby pictures of others around their birthdays I thought fair’s fair. So, here we are.
May 5, 2012
Today is my Uncle Christopher’s Birthday… and I miss him! He was always great with his nieces and nephews.
May 2, 2012
This was a fun find… I knew I had it somewhere but as it’s from my original research—which was not well planned or organized—I just found it again. These are the four eldest children of Charles and Lula (Holden) Porter from Left to Right: My Grandma Crystal, Zelma, Alton, and Reva. Based on ages I’d guess this was taken sometime between 1914 and the birth of their next son, Darcy in 1917. The original resided in my Great Aunt and Uncle’s photo collection.
Happy hunting,
Jess
April 25, 2012
Today is the 165th Anniversary of my 3rd Great Grandparents wedding. On 25 April 1847 Joseph Packer married Harriet Vaughan at St. Margaret’s Church in Rainham, Kent, England witnessed by Joseph’s brother, Charles and sister, Mercy. The couple lived to celebrate 59 years of marriage. They were the parents of at least seven children: William James, Thomas William Horton, Joseph Malcolm Ross, Sara Maria, Charles, Cornelius, and Albert A. The family lived in Kent; Ontario, Canada; and finally in the United States. The couple completed their lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Happy Hunting,
Jess
April 18, 2012
For Mom…. She knows why!
Happy Hunting,
Jess
April 11, 2012
Another miss in my sequin haze… Saturday marked the 185 Anniversary of my 3rd Great Grandfather Joseph Packer’s birth. I introduced a bit of his story on the occasion of his wife, Harriett Vaughan’s birthday back in January. To give you a little more on Joseph, he was born on April 7, 1827 in Rainham, Kent, England. He was the son of Thomas Swissenton Packer and Hannah Ross. He and Harriett married 1847. In the 1851 Census he was listed as a brickmaker in the Village of Gillingham at Kent. The family lived at Malcomb Place in Sittingbourne during the 1861 Census. By 1871 they were settled in Ontario, Canada. Around 1891 the family came to Michigan. Joseph died February 19, 1911 in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the United States.
Happy hunting!
Jess
P.s. Denise, If you see this before I get my act together! I fully intend on writing back. But until then: Yes, I’m still happily tracking our Packers and Masseys!
April 4, 2012
Projects from my other time consuming pursuit (as well as work) have grabbed the majority of my time, but I did take time off from both to visit the Michigan Antiquarian Book and Paper Show on Sunday. And I couldn’t resist purchasing a few postcards. This is notany of them. However, this was a fun find at a previous show.
This is a postcard from Daisy Bowers Rector to her mother Mrs. Benjamin Bowers—Dora Brainard Morningstar, the adopted child of my 5th Great Grandfather Henry Morningstar. I believe the photograph on the front is of Daisy’s husband Ernest and their adopted son Clifton Rector.
Happy Hunting!
Jess
March 28, 2012
Today is the 12oth Anniversary of the birth of my Great Grandmother Cora Packer Shea.
Happy Hunting,
Jess
Genie Road Trip 