Reference Number Fun

Most genealogy programs include reference numbers – either pre-programmed or entered manually. Today I decided to look up all those in my family file with reference #’s that include numbers that correspond to today’s date.
Dorcas Elizabeth Stropel – born Unknown (around 1800-1813) and died Unknown.  Wife of David Bushong, Jr.  Mother of Jacob, George Emmanuel, [...]

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Mingling of Families and Murder

A wealthy man and a postmaster
An argument over a ditch
A revolver came out and several shots fired
Some of them never hit
A shed to hide
A suicide
The story of the attempted murder of John James Johnson by Coleman Hawkins in a nutshell.  Just who were these men?  Were they more than just neighbors?
John James Johnson
John J. Johnson, [...]

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Very Large Portraits of Ancestors

I wrote this post about wanting to meet Maureen Taylor of Photo Detective fame and show her the portraits I’ve acquired.  Yesterday I had an opportunity to photograph the portraits – since they are way too large to scan – and look them over a little more.  I had to experiment a little because each [...]

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Random Acts

As I did further research on my BLAZER line this past weekend, I went to Find a Grave to check out any new submissions that might help. There weren’t any recent postings so I decided to submit a photo request for the grave of Malissa Goul Blazer, my maternal g-g-grandmother. On the request form, I also [...]

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Immigrant Ancestors

This is a list of my ancestors who immigrated to America.
Adam Goul: My 4th g-grandfather.  About 1763 from Germany to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Adam was a young boy traveling onboard ship with his mother, father – Frederick, and a sister.  All but Adam died on the voyage.
Adam Lutz: My 5th g-grandfather.  (father-in-law of Adam Goul) about [...]

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A Feather In Her Cap

The 10th Edition of Smile for the Camera is about Costumes! Not the type worn for Halloween but a distinctive dress for the period or class or what was worn in an era of time. I chose the photo below of my maternal grandfather’s first cousin, Ada Blazer.

Ada Dell Blazer was born on July 2, [...]

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Where Are You?

Some of my ancestors were “lost” at one point or another in their lives.  I find them in one census – then they are missing from the next one – and found again on the one following.  Unfortunately, it is always the census that could give me that extra bit of information – children’s names, [...]

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Update on Rachel Blazer and Maurice Given

This is an update to my post from July 24, 2008, Elusive Great-Great-Aunt Rachel, where I listed information I knew and what I had found concerning my maternal great-grandmother’s sister, Rachel Blazer.  Rachel had married Maurice (or Morris – depending on the document) Given about 1897 according to the 1910 Census that lists them as [...]

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Doing Research & Possibly Finding the Blazers

I’ve been doing some research the last couple of days and believe that I’ve knocked down a couple other brick walls!  Many years ago as I was looking for the parents of John Blazer (my maternal 3rd great-grandfather) b. March 12, 1810 d. 1873, I came across an article published in “Biographical and Historical Record [...]

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Cousin to James Madison

Yes – THAT James Madison. Fourth President of the United States. He would be my 2nd cousin, 7 times removed. Alright, so that’s a bit of a stretch!

And no, I haven’t been holding out waiting to spring that on everyone. I didn’t know! Just found out yesterday. As I’ve mentioned before, when I bump (or [...]

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