January 9, 2013
I was going through pictures again and these two struck me as an interesting pair. The first is my mother and the second is me. I had more hair and teeth… and yes, I am rocking Oscar the Grouch on my dress. But, yeah, we’re related.
Happy Hunting,
Jess
January 2, 2013
I’ve been scrounging through photos lately and I keep coming back to this set. I don’t know who everyone in the pictures is but these were taken around my Great Aunt Rachel (York) Elliot’s funeral in 1971 and the majority of the men are York brothers and in-laws.
Can any Yorks/Trotters or other Bradley County folk recognize any of my unknowns? Or, for that matter, correct our identifications?
Happy hunting,
Jess
Between Dad & I, we think we have identified…
Picture 1 (L to R): Oscar York, Levie Trotter, Arverse York, Preston York, UNKNOWN, and 
Herman York
Picture 2 (L to R): Arverse York, Preston York, UNKNOWN, Herman York, Ernest York, UNKNOWN, and UNKNOWN
Picture 3 (L to R): Herman York, Ernest York, UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN, and UNKNOWN
January 1, 2013
Welcome all to 2013!
Another year has passed and I am thrilled to have made so much progress on various lines—largely inspired by maintaining this blog. I have challenged myself searching out different (fabulous and informative) record types including trying DNA testing for the first time (more coming on that soon). I have hit a point where I have to use my almost non-existent German to work on one of my maternal lines (though I’m not quite out of the country yet). As for trips… it’s been mostly short hops though one was out of the country to learn more about the Alison’s and their allied families. And my professional clear has started to blend into my genealogy as I started co-teaching genealogy classes for my library. All that and I have met new friends and gotten to know some better over this endeavor.
And as I noted this time last year it’s the perfect time for a little goal-setting and I have a few in mind:
I will be doing Saturday research at the Archives of Michigan—when my job permits me—and you should too! Starting January 5th the Archives will be open 10 am – 4 pm. I have had fabulous success with the Archives and found (more often than not) that they had a resource I thought I had to travel farther to get. If you live in the area please consider supporting the Archives efforts to increase accessibility.
My Roadtrip wish list is long and varied but I’m eyeing trips to ACPL‘s Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, the Burton Historical Collection in Detroit, and back to Fort Wayne in the Fall for FGS 2013.
My current research focuses are Dad’s African-American line and Mom’s German ancestors—which I have come to find equally hard to research just based on regular name variations. So, in the back of my mind Arkansas or Ohio/Pennsylvania field trips are being planned as well.
Plus, I’ll continue doing a little presenting. I have been asked to continue our genealogy classes at my library and will be presenting on African American research at WMGS’s February meeting.
I’ll keep up the posts and let you all know what I’m working on.
Happy Hunting!
Jess
December 26, 2012
Their first Christmas. These were the firstborn grandchildren for their generation. That’s Mom on the right and her cousin Susie on the left. This is taken in Kent County, MI, circa 1952.
Happy hunting and happy holidays,
Jess
December 19, 2012
Here’s one that comes up in conversation more often than it should. But this year was significant because it was the first and last time I was the tallest of this shady lot of cousins. You can’t even really tell in this picture but it was a really big deal at the time. Needless to say every last one of them shot past me not too long after that. The photo was taken at the apartment of my Grandma Ethel and eventual Step-Grandfather Don in Grand Rapids, MI.
Happy holidays and happy hunting!
Jess
December 18, 2012
This is the plot of the family of Harvey K. Bailey in Rockford Cemetery, in Rockford, MI. The stone in the foreground is that of his wife Rachel C. Deer. Today is the 101st anniversary of her death in Algoma Township, MI. She was born in May of 1830 to George and Sara (Labere) Deer and she is the sister of my 5th Great Aunt, Sarah (Deer) Helsel. She married Harvey in Dec of 1864 in Kent County, MI. The couple had at least two children: Austen and Ella May Bailey. I detailed the Deer family back in May.
Happy hunting,
Jessica
December 12, 2012
I’m the product of a two child household so the concept of a Christmas for a family of 10 (8 kids) is a bit foreign. Check out this tree… to my eyes the presents go on forever. This is taken in my grandparents home in Detroit, Michigan during Christmas of 1971.
Happy hunting and happy holidays!
Jess
December 5, 2012
As we head into the holidays I have a collection of Christmas related pics for Wordless Wednesday.
This is a favorite of mine. This was taken in December of ‘77 or ’78. I’m the baby being held my Grandpa Bill. The others are my mom, my aunt, and my older cousin. We’re at my grandparents’ home on Main St. in Rockford, MI for the holidays doing dishes and just being together.
What you can’t see and I only vaguely remember is the risqué wallpaper print.
Happy hunting,
Jess
December 4, 2012
This is the final resting site of my Great Grandmother, Crystal May Porter and my Step-Great-Grandfather Harold Bailey at Blythefield Memory Gardens in Kent County, MI. Grandma Crystal died 44 years ago today, at the age of 55. She was the third child of Charles and Lula (Holden) Porter. She married my Great Grandfather Robert Eugene Johnson on April 13, 1927 and they had four children including my Grandfather, William Eugene Johnson. Crystal and Robert divorced and in 1934 Grandma Crystal married Grandpa Bailey with whom she had one more son.
Happy hunting!
Jess
November 28, 2012
I’m currently working on an article about researching African American roots and spending a lot of time working on that half of my line. And this week’s picture goes along with that. I believe this is a gathering of Yorks and right in the middle on the couch is the baby of the family my grandmother, Elnora (York) Trotter. I’m pretty sure that’s GrandpaLevie to the right of her too. Grandma Trotter is gorgeous! The photo is ca. 1949 and probably taken in Bradley County, Arkansas.
Happy hunting,
Jess
Genie Road Trip 