Monday, April 30, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - The Mockenhaupt's Are Married

'
Number 844486
State of Illinois
Cook County
Marriage License
To any Person Legally Authorized to Solemnize Marriage
GREETING
Marriage may be Celebrated, in the County of Cook and State of Illinois
between Mr. Berth J. Mockenhaupt of Chicago, in the County of Cook and
State of Illinois, of the age of 38 years, and Miss Rosalie Banet
of Chicago, in the County of Cook and Stat of Illinois of the age of 28 years.
Witness, Robert M. Sweitzer, County Clerk of the County of Cook, and the Seal thereof
at my office in Chicago, the 10 day of Oct. A.D. 1919
(Robert Sweitzer-signature) County Clerk.
The Person who Solemnizes Marriage is cautioned against making any changes in this License.

************************
State of Illinois
County Cook} I Rev. Wm. J. Mockenhaupt, a Catholic Priest
hereby certify that Mr. Berth Mockenhaupt and Miss Rosalie Banet
were united in Marriage by me at Chicago in the County of Cook and State of Illinois
on the 15th day of October, 1919.
Rev. W. J. Mockenhaupt
Address 1648 Grand Ave.

******************************************************

Rosalie Banet was a second cousin, 3x removed. Our common ancestor was my 4x great-grandparents, Ettiene Banet and Jeanne Claudine Guignard.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Sentimental Sunday


“Hello. My Name is Barbie, and this is my boyfriend Ken!”

And so would begin our conversations as Mother would slip to sit beside me and my sister on the floor.

Mother would reach into the array of Barbie’s and Skipper’s and pick out one to play with. She’d immediately have to find an outfit she liked, something always so much fabulous than whatever the doll was currently wearing!

And so our play would progress, with giggles and squeals, and hours of play time fun!

I will always remember Mother, her legs to the side, and tucked up under her skirt, looking for all the world like a legless doll perched and ready for play! [I remember telling her once that I thought she looked like Barbie!]

Mother would even sit for hours at a time and cut out and sew new clothing for our Barbie’s, and even for Ken when he came along!

Eventually, Barbie outgrew her small, black vinyl case, and lived in a lovely townhouse! Before she had a car that could be bought from Mattel [trademark], we made her cars, and even buses, out of cereal and cracker boxes! Ken was always her cute chauffer, or the cool bus driver! And the couple even went horseback riding on my [gasp!]  Breyer horses!

Oh, we had dozens of kinds of dolls as we grew up. But I don’t think any evoke such a strong memory with me today, as sitting on the floor and playing Barbie dolls with my sister, and Mother!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Surname Saturday - Harris


This is another venture honoring  Texican’s step-dad, Eddie, and his ancestors.



GENERATION 2

2. Edwin Darl CUSTER son of William J. CUSTER and Essie G. HARRIS[1, 2] was born on 20 Jan 1933

in Dunlo, Cambria, Pennsylvania[1, 3, 4]. He died on 09 Apr 1974 in Universal City, Bexar, Texas[3].



3. Betty Louise Rotge daughter of John Cornelius ROTGE and Ora Lee Sparks[3, 5] was born on 30 Aug

1930 in Kerrville, Kerr, Texas[3, 6]. She died on 05 Jul 2003 in Jourdanton, Atascosa, Texas[3].







GENERATION 3

4. William J. CUSTER son of William J. CUSTER and Maxine wifeofWilliamCuster[3] was born in 1906 in

Pennsylvania[11, 12].

5. Essie G. HARRIS daughter of William H. Harris and Maude M. UNKNOWN[3] was born in 1913 in

Pennsylvania[3, 13, 14].







GENERATION 4

10. William H. Harris[24] was born in 1877 in Pennsylvania[25].

11. Maude M. UNKNOWN[14] was born in 1881 in Pennsylvania[25].

William H. Harris and Maude M. UNKNOWN were married about 1901.

Friday, April 27, 2012

WDYTYA with Rob Lowe Reviewed

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't viewed this episode, you might want to wait until after doing so to read the following review.


Tonight’s episode was another Who Do You Think You Are masterpiece. A touching story, that brought much information to light that we seldom ever think about.
Tonight’s celebrity is actor Rob Lowe. A career that spans more than 30 years, and being one of Hollywood’s leading men, makes Lowe easily recognizable to the public.
Lowe lives with his wife, Cheryl and sons John Owen and Matthew.
When Lowe was 12, his parents divorced and he and his mother moved from the mid-west to Malibu. He states that family history was discussed and he really didn’t care about it until recently.
“You start to think about who you are, and where came from,” he says.
Lowe states that when he first thought taking this journey, he wondered which side of his family to look into.
Since his Dad is still living, and his mother has passed on, he thinks he would like to know about where they came from her side.
Lowe begins with meeting his brother Chad to discuss about their mother. Chad brings out a scrap book that their mother had. There was a photo of their mother, taken probably in her senior year in high school. Photos of grandparents, and they came across a photo of their great-grandparents, Oran Hepler and Bessie May East. There was also a newspaper clipping from 1906 from the East family reunion, in Lima, Ohio, which expounded upon the family patriarch, John Christopher East, who was a Revolutionary War patriot.
The men look up John Christopher East on Ancestry.com, and do find that he is listed in the Revolutionary Patriots list. But no other info was available.
So Lowe heads to the D.A.R. [Daughter’s of the American Revolution] in Washington, D.C.
 My dream is to have a connection to real heroes,” Lowe says.
On his arrival at the D.A.R., Lowe is met by genealogist Josh Taylor.
To be a member of the D.A.R., you have to have a documented ancestor, and the D.A.R. recognizes both military, and non-military­, Patriots.
Taylor locates a listing on the D.A.R. website that states Lowe’s ancestor was a Private in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolution. Taylor explains that an application may contain documents, Bible records, etc. that are not seen online. So he is off to find the application.
When Taylor returns, he lays out the application materials before Lowe. Immediately Lowe spies his great-grandmother, Bessie May East, and knows he is on the right track.  They discover that John Christopher East is Lowe’s 5x-great-grandfather.
They also discover that a Stophol East is on the 1790 tax list for Newtown, Pennsylvania, and determine that this is Lowe’s ancestor.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” Taylor states.
 The D.A.R. considers the line closed. There is no documentation to prove that East was a private in the militia.
“However, when one door closes – one opens,” Taylor says.
 So, the pair split. Taylor will search for non-military documentation to prove East was a Patriot, while Lowe moves forward to the Library of Congress to look for military documentation.
Revolutionary War Historian Scott Stephenson meets Lowe at the Library of Congress. They discover a Christoph Oest was in a Hessian Grenadier Regiment, listed among prisoners. Stephenson moves on to George Washington’s personal papers, in hopes of discovering just what this all means. [As a Hessian Grenadier soldier, Oest – or East – would have been fighting against the Patriots in the revolution.]
 In June of 1775, George Washington took charge of the American forces. He was very careful to document every move he made, realizing from the start that this information would all be of historical regard as this was the birth of a new and different nation.
 What Lowe and Stephenson discover was that there were three Hessian commands, one of whom was commanded by a man named Rohl.
Stephenson explained to Lowe that these Hessian commands were actually rented out to the British forces by the prince of the Hessians during the Revolution. So these Grenadier soldiers were pressed into service, and were not volunteers.
 “It just never occurred to me! That explains why he’s not in the D.A.R! He was among those fighting to kill Washington!” Lowe exclaims.
 Captured at the Battle of Trenton, Lowe takes that as cue as to where to head to next. He is off to the Old Barracks Museum at Trenton, where he meets with Hessian Prisoner Expert, Daniel Krebs. The pair meets in actual barracks the Hessian soldiers occupied.
 In attempting to find out what East’s role and activities must have been like, Krebs offers Lowe a copy of a diary written by Johannes Ruber, who was in the same regiment as Lowe’s ancestor.
 Everyone recognizes the stealth attack from Christmas Eve 1776 from the portrait of Washington crossing the Delaware River, this is the attack that Lowe’s ancestor was captured at. This attack by Washington was considered a daring move then, and even in today’s military standards, a bold move on Washington’s part.
 When the Patriot forces attacked, the Hessians retreated outside of the city to regroup. Washington stole a cannon from them, but they later went back, retook their cannon, and the fighting was moved into the city streets. Washington’s men encompassed the Hessians, and because their leader, Rohl, was weakened, they were forced to surrender rather than fight to the death. Rohl’s defining notation was “…all was lost.”
 “Now I want to know more about what happened to my ancestor after he was taken prisoner,” Lowe stated.
 Krebs takes Lowe to the old Presbyterian Church at Newtown, Pennsylvania where the Hessian soldiers went on the first night of their march to the prison.
 Ruber discusses in his diary about the old women lined up on the street who screeched and screamed at the Hessians for attempting to take away their freedoms. They were marched through the city streets in shame and humiliation.
 However, George Washington, being the supreme leader that he was, posted broadsides about the city stating that these prisoners were forced into service in the Revolution and were not volunteers, and that they were NOT to be violated. These men were offered citizenship should they wish to accept it, or they could return to their homelands.
 “To be vanquished and in a prison, and to be told this, it must have blown their minds!” Lowe exclaims.
 Lowe asks Krebs how many men accepted the offer to stay. Astonishingly, only about 15% decided to stay, and about 85% returned to their homeland.
 East then disappears, so we don’t know if he took the offer, or simply escaped.
 It was decided that Lowe would head off to Marburg, Germany to the Hessian military museum to see if he could find out what would make East stay in America, rather than return to his own country.
 Lowe meets with Professor Holbert Graf a Hessian Historian at the Marburg University in Marburg.
 Christoph Oest is listed as one of the Hessian soldiers pressed into service, but unlike other’s listed, no personal information is listed.
 “I didn’t come all this way not to learn anything,” Lowe states.
 Graf suggests he begin checking the towns where other’s named Oest on the list came from. The name Oest was rare enough that he didn’t think there would be a problem in locating the information once he located the right town. And this was done with the very first town Lowe went to. Fuerstenhagen.
 The parish minister pulled some records, and Graf and Lowe went over them together.
 In August 1754, John Christoph Oest was born to Johan Oest, and he was baptized in the very church where they sat reading the records.
 Next, a marriage record was found for Johanes Oest and Laura Noll, Christoph Oest’s mother. They find that Christoph was the youngest of eight siblings. They also discover the burial of Johanes in 1766, when Christoph was only 12 years of age, and his mother only five years later.
 Only the eldest son could inherit the family goods, lands, or monies, in those days. So, Christoph had no proposition of being more than a hired laborer. This then was the impetus for Christoph to remain in America when he was offered citizenship.
 “It all makes sense to me now, based on his life in Germany. Why he chose America. The puzzle is solved,” Lowe said.
 When Lowe returned to his hotel suite, he found an envelope from Josh Taylor.
Taylor had submitted a letter to the D.A.R. regarding John Christopher East. Because East had been forced into service with the Hessians, and because he paid taxes as early as 1782, which were used to supply American forces, it is thus proven that he contributed to the American effort in the Revolutionary War, and as such is accepted on record with the D.A.R. But as Lowe goes further through the sheaf of papers, he finds not only the D.A.R., but also acceptance into the S.A.R. as well [Sons of the American Revolution].
Lowe was quite moved emotionally. He had his American Patriot.
 “I think the way he came to be authenticated was much more than I could ever imagine. And that’s a happy ending,” Lowe stated in closing.
 This was, indeed, quite the interesting program this evening, with an ancestor who actually fought on both sides of the Revolution! More amazing, the reasons why this happened.
 Only in America!
 Thanks WDYTYA for another great show!
You can betcha I’ll be watching next week when Rashida Jones is the guest celebrity.

Family Recipe Friday - Fried Mush

Okay, so this is one those breakfast foods I made frequently when my children were growing up [mainly because it was cheap!], even though I only remember eating it once as I was growing up!

Still, it was a frequent staple in many early American homes. And can you guess why?

Because it’s dirt cheap!

Yep… absolutely free for some folks [those that grew and milled their own corn!]

If you like the taste of cornbread, you’re probably gonna enjoy this as well! When I make fried mush, I usually fix sausage on the side and fried eggs. Makes a big breakfast!

But here’s the thing with fried mush… it really starts the evening before!

Ingredients

4 cups cold water

1 – ½  [one and a half]  cups coarse ground yellow cornmeal

1-teaspoon kosher salt

Butter



Preparation:
Prepare a loaf pan by buttering the pan thoroughly.

The evening before you plan to have fried mush, you will need to make the mush for chilling thoroughly.

In a large sauce pan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal. Bring the water back to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and stir constantly until the mush becomes thick. [Think “thick pudding”.]

Immediately pour the mush into the prepared pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, then place in refrigerator overnight to completely set.

The Next Morning
Set the loaf pan out for about 15 minutes to begin to loosen the mush.  Place a dinner plate over the pan and invert. If the mush does not immediately come out of the pan, you can dip the bottom of the pan into tepid water [like you would to unmold a jello dish] and then invert on plate.

Once you have removed the mush, use a sharp knife and slice the mush into about ½-inch slices.

Place butter into a cast-iron skillet over medium-heat. Fry the mush slices on each side until golden brown.

These can be eaten as is, or you can serve melted butter, syrup, honey or molasses with it. [I especially love the flavor of sorghum molasses with fried mush!]

The next time you are looking to try some authentic pioneer food… this might just be what you’re looking for!

Enjoy!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Treasure Chest Thursday - A Gift From Papa

Years ago, [don’t ask how many, and I won’t tell!], my Daddy was in the Navy and spent many, many months away from his family. My sister and I, along with out Mother, spent our days talking about him, our evenings were spent penning him long letters, and praying for God to send him home safe to us.
Daddy would write short little notes whenever he could. Sometimes nothing more than a line or two! But we anticipated every single note we got!
And every time Daddy would arrive back home, he’d bring the “three of his girls” something special.
One time a real crocodile leather purse from Italy; another time a rosary blessed at the Vatican; another time a pair of wooden shoes from Holland. And the list went on.
Here’s a little something he brought back to me from Japan. It’s getting pretty brittle, and I really should frame it, instead of leaving it open to the air.
He probably paid very little for it. But to me…. It’s one of my life’s great treasure’s. Because Daddy brought it for me.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

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Wordless Wednesday

George Culver Tennille, Jr.
1825-1874

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Tombstone Tuesday - Sir Robert de Roos


I am currently working on a client’s genealogy that has taken me into a far reaching world that I never dreamed I would be exploring! That of the Templar Knights!
For years I have held a great fascination on the subject of the Knights, and especially that of Templar Knights and Crusaders. So to actually be working on a research project that allows me to pursue this fascination, has been tantamount to a dream come true!


This is the effigy of Sir Robert de Roos [aka: de Ros], which is located, naturally, within Temple Church in London, England. [Temple Church houses many stone effigy’s of the Knights Templar.]
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Sir Robert de Ros:
He was the son of Everard de Ros, Baron of Helmsley and Roese Trussebut, daughter of William Trussebut of Warter. In 1191, aged fourteen, he paid a thousand marks fine for livery of his lands to King Richard I of England. In 1197, while serving King Richard in Normandy, he was arrested for an unspecified offence, and was committed to the custody of Hugh de Chaumont, but Chaumont entrusted his prisoner to William de Spiney, who allowed him to escape from the castle of Bonville, England. King Richard thereupon hanged Spiney and collected a fine of twelve hundred marks from Ros' guardian as the price of his continued freedom.

When King John came to the throne, he gave Ros the barony of his great-grandmother's father, Walter d'Espec. Soon afterwards he was deputed one of those to escort William the Lion, his father-in-law, into England, to swear fealty to King John. Some years later, Robert de Ros assumed the habit of a monk, whereupon the custody of all his lands and Castle Werke (Wark), in Northumberland, were committed to Philip d'Ulcote, but he soon returned and about a year later he was High Sheriff of Cumberland.

When the struggle of the barons for a constitutional government began, de Ros at first sided with King John, and thus obtained some valuable grants from the crown, and was made governor of Carlisle; but he subsequently went over to the barons and became one of the celebrated twenty-five "Sureties" appointed to enforce the observance of Magna Carta, the county of Northumberland being placed under his supervision. He gave his allegiance to King Henry III and, in 1217-18, his manors were restored to him. Although he was witness to the second Great Charter and the Forest Charter, of 1224, he seems to have remained in royal favour.”
[taken from here]
Temple Church, London

While not all effigy’s depict a person at their tomb, or grave, Sir Robert is entombed at Temple Church.


Monday, April 23, 2012

Maritime Monday

USS Buttress

This ship was laid out as a Patrol Ship on 11 May 1943 by the Albina Engine and Machine Works, in Portland, Oregon.

She launched on 26 August 1943 and was delivered and commissioned as the USS PCE-878 on 13 March 1944.

She was converted to an Auxiliary Minelayer, ACM-4, on 27 March - 26 April 1944 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California.
[during conversion at Mare Island]


She was renamed the USS Buttress on 15 June 1944.
[at Mare Island after conversion]

USS Buttress served as a minelayer during World War II.

She was decommissioned on 24 February 1947 at Bremerton, Washington, and struck from Navy lists on 05 March 1947.


She was sold on 30 October 1947 to J.W. Rumsey and renamed Pacific Reefer.

She sold once more to the Trident Seafoods Corp. of Seattle, Washington and was renamed Mr. J. She was used as a crab processor at Akutan Harbor in the Aleutian Islands for many years.

Around the mid-1990's this former pride of the Navy was towed to sea and sunk.


Specifications

*  Displacement 850 t

*  Length  184'6"

*  Beam 33'

*  Draft  9'5"

*  Speed  15.7 kts.

*  Complement  102

*  Armament: One 3"/ 50  dual purpose mount

* Propulsion: Two 900bhp General Motors Electro-Motive 12-567A diesel engines, two shafts


***This ship was where my Uncle, Emmette Beane, served during World War II. He was an Electrician's Mate aboard her.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Surname Saturday - Brun


Today we will explore a little researched part of my maternal line, the Brun family.

GENERATION 1
1. Cynthia Ann BEANE was born in New Albany, Floyd Co., IN. She was the daughter of 2. Walter Maxwell BEANE and 3. Lois Velleda DREHER. She married Johnnie Lee HENRY in Covington, Alleghany Co., VA, son of Joseph Wright HENRY and Betty Louise Rotge. He was born in San Antonio, Bexar Co, TX.

GENERATION 2
2. Walter Maxwell BEANE was born in Waiteville, Monroe County, WV. He was the son of 4. John Monroe BEAN and 5. Mary Elizabeth FAUDREE. He married Lois Velleda DREHER in Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
3. Lois Velleda DREHER was born in Georgetown, FLoyd Co., IN. She was the daughter of 6. Henry Condar DREHER Jr. and 7. Irene Caroline BANET.



GENERATION 3

6. Henry Condar DREHER Jr. was born on 31 Dec 1902 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky. He died on

17 May 1977 in Indiana. He was the son of 12. Henry Condar DREHER and 13. Josephine Sophie

Benzel. He married Irene Caroline BANET on 12 Dec 1923 in Indiana.

7. Irene Caroline BANET was born 24 May 1906 in Indiana. She died 08 Aug 1989 in Gap Mills,

Monroe Co., WV. She was the daughter of 14. Francis Isidore Banet and 15. Adeline Josephine EVE.



GENERATION 4

14. Francis Isidore Banet was born on 15 Aug 1863 in Indiana. He died in Apr 1945 in Indiana. He was

the son of 28. Isadore Banet and 29. Rosalie SPRIGLER. He married Adeline Josephine EVE on 31

Oct 1893 in Floyd County, Indiana.

15. Adeline Josephine EVE was born 11 Feb 1867 in Indiana. She died 05 Nov 1958 in Indiana. She

was the daughter of 30. Joseph EVE and 31. Annette.


GENERATION 5

28. Isadore Banet was born on 27 Sep 1832 in Jourmenot [Arcy] France. He died on 30 May 1901 in

Floyd Knobs, Floyd Co., IN. He was the son of 56. Ettiene Banet and 57. Francoise Bidaine. He

married Rosalie SPRIGLER.

29. Rosalie SPRIGLER was born 25 Jul 1836 in Floyd Co., IN; Floyd Knobs, Floyd, Indiana. She died 23

Feb 1904 in Floyd Knobs, Floyd Co., IN. She was the daughter of 58. Francis SPRIGLER and 59.

Rose KNABLE.


GENERATION 6

56. Ettiene Banet was born on 17 Jan 1795 in Arcy, District De L'Isle, Dept. De Doubs, France. He died

on 18 Apr 1871 in Floyd Knobs, IN. He was the son of 112. Ettiene Banet Sr. and 113. Jeanne

Claudine Guignard. He married Francoise Bidaine on 01 Oct 1821 in Arcey, France.

57. Francoise Bidaine was born 18 Apr 1802 in Arcey, France. She died 16 Mar 1877 in Floyd Knobs,

IN. She was the daughter of 114. Jean Claude Bidaine and 115. Francoise Brun.



GENERATION 7

114. Jean Claude Bidaine. He married Francoise Brun.

115. Francoise Brun.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Family Recipe Friday - Betty's Cheese Quesadilla's


Betty’s Cheese Quesadilla’s
I married Texican in 1998. He was born and raised in south Texas, so he loves all things with a south-of-the-border flavor! Mexican cuisine is as much a part of our household eats as is the rich German and French that I was raised on! It didn’t take Texican long to convince me that I needed to learn to make a few things that he loved!
One of these was a good quesadilla. So, I was quick to call my Mother-in-Law, Betty, and have her send me a few recipes. Her reply?
“Oh you know… just Mexican food!”
Okay, so here I am… having eaten Mexican while growing up, but only in a restaurant, and not even that in many years since my family moved to a rural area of West Virginia, sans Mexican restaurants!
So, the first thing Betty taught me to make, via letter writing between our home in Monroe County, West Virginia, and her apartment in San Antonio, Texas, was a simple cheese quesadilla.
And here is Betty’s recipe:
“Take 2 tortils [tortillas]. Grease your fry pan. Put one tortil in the pan. Add cut up cheese. Cover with other tortil. When done on that side, flip over. “
That’s it!
Didn’t take me too long to begin to experiment, and before long we had a simple quesadilla that serves us well even today.
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 tortillas per serving
¼ cup shredded cheese of your choice per serving
Sour cream
Guacamole
Salsa/ picante
Preparation:
Using either a comal or a cast iron skillet, over medium-low heat, add 1-tbsp. EVOO [extra-virgin olive oil].
Place one tortilla on the comal or skillet. Top with cheese, and cover with second tortilla.
Allow tortilla to brown on bottom, then using a large spatula, turn carefully. [I sometimes use 2 spatulas to make this a bit easier.]
When lightly browned on both sides, remove from heat and allow to cool for about 1-minute before cutting into eigths [think of a pie].
Serve with either sour cream, guacamole, or salsa for dipping.
image via here

**NOTE: You can also add more ingredients to your quesadilla if you like. Diced chicken or beef, browned ground beef or sausage. Even cold cuts! Try a variety of cheeses! You can add refried beans if you want.
You may also use either flour or corn tortillas. [I actually prefer the corn tortillas, for an earthier flavor!] And if you want to be really authentic, using the comal, make your own tortillas! But then, that’s a whole other blog post!
These are absolutely the quickest and easiest south-of-the-border dish to make! And I can promise you… young and old will enjoy these!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

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Treasure Chest Thursday.....Another Owl


I've written before about how my Granny Dreher loved owls before. She collected all kinds of owls. Statuettes, pictures, paintings, and jewelry.

This little owl brooch is about 2-1/2 inches tall and about the same wide. While this photo makes it look more wood toned, it is actually a golden color. The black of the eyes are free moving and wiggle from side to side.

I sometimes wear this with a sweater, or a scarf. But I never wear it without a smile, remembering Granny and her vast collection of owls.

It's simply another treasure in my chest of items from my ancestors.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - Four Generations


Standing in Back: Ethel Marie Dreher McCutchen [1924-2012]

Left to Right: Kent McCutchen [son of Ethel],  Sarah [Kent's daughter], and Irene Caroline Banet Dreher [1906-1989] mother of Ethel

ca: 1988

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Melungeon Myth

Melungeon Myth of Drake Dropping off Passengers on Roanoke

By Janet Crain

A myth exists on the Internet that the Melungeons, a group of dark skinned
persons of mysterious origins found living in East Tennessee two hundred
years ago descend from Turkish prisoners and sundry other non-English persons
said to have been rescued by Sir Francis Drake during the sacking of Cartagena and
then deserted on Roanoke Island in 1586. In truth, there is NO evidence there
were any left behind there, much less several hundred. This myth was introduced
in a book published in the 1990's by Brent Kennedy titled
The Melungeons:
The Resurrection of a Proud People : An Untold Story of Ethnic Cleansing in
America.

***Read the rest of this article here on Lost Colony Research Group.

Tombstone Tuesday - Blanche Is Buried


Blanche U.
Wife Of
John M. Bean
Born
Apr. 7, 1875
Died
Oct. 19, 1902



Buried at:


Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
aka: Gates Cemetery
Gates, Monroe, West Virginia

Monday, April 16, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - Blanche's Death Record


Monroe County, West Virginia
Blanche Beane
Female, White, 27 years of age, 6 months, 15 days
Housekeeping
Date of Death 19 Oct 1902
Place of Birth: Waiteville
How long a Resident in this state: All her life
Place of Death: Keenan
Cause of Death: Tuberculosis
Duration of Illness: 12 months
Place of Burial: Double Gate
Date of Burial: 20 Oct 1902
Physician: T.L. Gilchrist, Pickaway
Filed: 15 ov. 1902

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sentimental Sunday - All Those Orphan Photos

I am sure I am not alone when I say I collect the photographs of my family. I have, literally, thousands. And, of course, along the way, there have been those photographs which were unidentifiable. Oh, they came from numerous sources. They were, perhaps, found in a box of grandmother's old photographs; or Uncle's tobacco box after he passed away; or tucked in some distant cousins Bible.

I cannot bear to part with any of them, thinking that perhaps one day I will find the identity of these individuals. And so, for the next few weeks, I will be posting some of this collection on Sentimental Sunday's. I can't think of a more appropriate title!