Sunday Sing Along - Down to the River to Pray

Beautiful old gospel song sung by Alison Krauss, beautifully done!

Follow Friday - On the Telly!

That's right folks, you read it right! On the telly! Not on a blog, newsletter, or other written source, but on the telly.

Have you ever wished you could dig deeper into some of the mysteries of our country? Well, Scott Wolter, a renowned forensic geologist is making a difference in the history departments all across the nation. And perhaps, rewriting our nation's history!

 

Wolter's vehicle is the H2 [History Channel] program, America Unearthed. And if it does nothing else, it makes you think of the possibilities and the reasons behind various and sundry information available to us in the form of our nation's history.

 

Last week, I enjoyed a variety of Wolter's expose's. Two stand out. One was a show dedicated to the Lost Colony at Roanoke. Where did they go to? Did they move inland? Were they murdered? Did they go to the Croatoan island? And were the Dare stones, all located between 1937 and 1940 [over 40 stones] real or faked? The second was on famed American explorer, Merriweather Lewis. Did he commit suicide or was he murdered? Did he uncover a secret that our founding father's had him killed for? And were the Welsh really America's first real settlers, possibly inter-marrying with the Mandan Indian tribe of the Midwest?

 

I absolutely do my best not to miss a single episode. But when I do... I head right on over to the America Unearthed   website, and watch the latest episodes there.

 

If you enjoy American history as much as I do, then you're gonna love this channel, and the website.

Tombstone Tuesday - William Jacob Sparks

 

W.J. SPARKS

MAR. 11, 1883

SEPT. 12, 1944

 

William Jacob Sparks was born Newton Caddell Sparks and his wife, Theodora Perrylee McCarty. He was the second born of 8 known children to the couple.

He married Laura May Clements [1890-1960] on 15 April 1906 in Bandera County, Texas. They went on to have 4 children:

Beulah Bessie Sparks [1905-1975]

Lelah V. Sparks [b. 1906]

Newton Jacob Sparks [1910-1991]

Ora Lee Sparks [1914-1982]

 

 

William Jacob Sparks is buried at the Tarpley Cemetery, Tarpley, Bandera County, Texas.

 

Sunday Sing Along - I'll Fly Away

The great Ralph Stanley singing "I'll Fly Away"

Sibling Saturday - My Aunts and Uncles

This may come as a shocker to some individuals, but my Dad has 14 siblings. Yes, 14.

Dear old Grandad, who died 5 years before I was born, was married three time. He outlived his first two wives, and had children with all three.

It may seem strange to some, but I was a mid-century baby, and my Grandad was born in 1866. Yes, you read that correctly. 1866. So, my Dad's oldest sibling was actually 1 year older than my Grandma!

I thought it would be fun to try to find photographs of as many of these individuals as I could. So here goes! [I forewarn you that some were never photographed.]

Rita Teree Bean

1896-1993

 

Lama Wellington Beane

1899-1957

 

Pauline Beane

1902-1925

 

John Monroe Beane, Jr.

1908-1972

 

Emmett Lorimer Beane

1910-1988

 

Blanche Audrey Beane

1912-2002

 

Ann Margaret Beane

b. 1914

 

William McHarvey Beane

b. 1917

 

 

Samuel Maxwell "Max" Bean

1919-1923

 

Ada Eleanor Beane

1921-2007

 

 

Dorothy Eloise Bean

1923-1925

 

 

Jack Bean-Ashley

b. 1929

 

Walter Maxwell "Buster" Beane

b. 1937

 

 

Edsel Ford Beane

b. 1939

 

 

Roy Edwin Bean

1943-1946

 

The discrepancies in the spelling of their last name is as written. The children changed the spelling of their last name, adding an "e" on the end of the surname, after my grandfather's death.

 

As you can see, from those lacking death dates, there aren't many of this generation left. It is with deep respect, honor, and love I share them with you today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Friday...Hack Genealogy

For those of you who know me, you know that I don't easily recommend genealogy sites, unless I have tried them and had excellent results with them. [I am a choosy girl after all!]

Today I would like to take a minute and recommend Hack Genealogy  for your use.

Written by none other than Thomas MacEntee

[photo from Facebook.com]

 

...one of the better known genealogy "guru's" of our time, Hack Genealogy touts this by line on it's website:

 

"Hack Genealogy is about “re-purposing today’s technology for tomorrow’s genealogy” and a little bit more. Hack Genealogy is more than just a list of resources. Hack Genealogy provides information on emerging technology inside and outside the genealogy industry. Hack Genealogy wants readers to understand how others succeed in genealogy."

 

Thomas is an excellent teacher and speaker. He has written several informative and helpful books on tools for the genealogist. And this website is especially helpful for the new genealogist.

 

I highly recommend Hack Genealogy as a place to turn to when you are exploring technology within the parameters of genealogy. I truly believe you will find it helpful and insightful.

Treasure Chest Thursday - My First Car

Who doesn't remember their first car? Certainly I do.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a photograph of it. But I remember it well. A 1965 Plymouth Satellite. She wasn't a pretty car, but she was dependable. Fun. And she could run fast.

Short of being able to add oil and water when she needed it, I can't tell you anything about her engine.

She was brown with a black roof. The interior was brown and black leather. She had a floor shift [automatic], a radio that was awesome [even in the mountains I could pick up stations well!], and nothing "power" on her at all!

My parents gifted her to me when I got married [at a way too young age, but that's another story!]. And she's one car I'd like to be able to go back and get!

I couldn't find a photograph of one with the same style paint as mine had, but here's one I did find:

 

Ahhh.... how I miss that little car so! And she a beauty???