Surname Saturday – Adams

ADAMS

1. Jeremy ADAMS was my 9th great-grandfather on my paternal side. He was born about 1604 in England. Henry Whitmore’s book, The History of the Adams Family, published by the Higgenson Book Company in 1893, gives a good deal of information about this man.  It reports that Adams arrived in America with Thomas Hooker and lived in Braintree, Cambridge and finally Hartford, Connecticut. His first wife, Rebecca Baseden, had previously been married to Samuel Greenhill.  The widow and Adams married in Hartford, Connecticut. When she died in 1678, and he married Rebecca Fletcher, widow of Andrew Warner, Jr. John ADAMS, son of Adams and the first Rebecca, became my 8th great-grandfather.  Jeremy ADAMS died on August 11, 1683 in Hartford and is buried in the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford. His name is listed on the “Founders” Monument. Further information concerning this man and his family can be found in the book Genealogies of Connecticut Families: From the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 1 by Judith McGhan, published by the Genealogical Publishing Co., 1983, page 5.

2. John ADAMS, born 1637 in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut married Abigail Smith on August 24, 1657 in Connecticut.  She was born 1638 and died in New York after 1683. John and Abigail Adams are not to be confused with our second President and First Lady (they were born almost one hundred years apart). The couple had eight children: Rebecca (who I am descended from), Abigail, Sarah, Jeremiah, John, Jonathan, Thomas and Lydia. John Adams died on September 6, 1670 in Hartford.

3. Rebecca ADAMS,  my 7th great-grandmother, was born in August 1658 in Hartford and died before May 1726. She married Richard Risley in 1676 in Hartford. He was born August 2, 1645 and died in 1730 in Hartford. Eleven children were born to this union. Their son, Samuel, is my ancestor.

From Samuel to myself: Samuel Risley m. Rebecca Gaines; their son, Thomas Risley m. Elizabeth Burnham; their daughter, Rebecca Risley, m. Lazarus House; their son, Allen House, m. Editha Bigelow; their son, Florus Allen House, m. Julia Ann Lewis; their son, James Emory House, m. Frances Virginia Ogan; their daughter, Ella Maria House, m. Lloyd William Amore.  My dad is Ella and Lloyd’s son!

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Ghosts, Goblins, and Baby Movie Star!

In honor of Halloween, I thought I’d take you on a photo tour through many years of “dressing up” for the holiday.  Disclaimer: some of the following photos of me were not taken at Halloween – they were taken at times I just felt called to dress up (my children may either get a kick out of these or be horribly embarrassed)!

I was three – not quite four – when I was a “Chipmunk” for Halloween. I can remember that Mom and Dad drove me over to my grandparents’ house to Trick or Treat. They “hid” while I went up to the door. Somehow I still think that my Nana and Grandad knew who I was!

This is one of those times that I just created my own “look” and it wasn’t Halloween!  I call this being a “movie star” because of the hat and sunglasses!  I am not sure why I was pretending it was very sunny, yet still had a rain umbrella!!

Scary witch, anyone? I can’t believe I had on a “dress” type costume because it was usually pretty chilly at the end of October in Ohio.  There were many times that Mom and I argued over whether I should wear a coat to trick or treat – I did not like that my costume would be covered up!

I am “Little Red Riding Hood”!  This was taken just before I turned six. School age kids would not only “beg” for treats but they would carry UNICEF boxes to collect money.  I did the same thing when I was in elementary school. The money was taken back to school after “beggar’s night”.  Do you remember doing that?

 

This was my attempt at dressing up as an “Old Lady” for Halloween – complete with my mom’s wig, an old ’50s style skirt, and a stick I made into a cane!  What strikes me as insanely amusing is that I sure didn’t look “old” (I was almost ten) – in fact now I am the age I was trying to “look” back then and I don’t think I’m even pulling it off now!

Somewhere I have another photo that shows me with my hair all tied up in a scarf, rock star make up on my face (in the style of KISS), with a pair of purple tights under shorts!  And that wasn’t for Halloween – that was just me being me – at about fifteen!

Even as an adult, the thrill of wearing a costume for Halloween has not left me.  I’ve dressed up as a witch, a fortune-teller, a pregnant gypsy (I was pregnant with my youngest child at the time!), a hippie, and a “madam”.

As the years have gone by, I’ve watched my four children get excited at Halloween and talk about what costume they will be wearing for weeks before “Trick or Treat” night.

    

Now I get to see the three grandsons all dressed up!  (Picture on far right was taken by my daughter: Teresa Sumner)

Image of Jack-o-lantern Pumpkins by Petr Kratochvil

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(Not so) Wordless Wednesday – Grandad & the Dogs!

This picture is of my grandfather, Glen R. Johnson, with our two dachshunds (Bridget and Gretel) in his lap. this picture was taken in 1971.  Every holiday or family get-together, he would sit in this chair (or whatever chair was in this spot) and hold the dogs.  Many times they would all nap together in the chair. Whenever I remember the holidays as I was growing up, this scene comes to mind!

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(Sort of) Wordless Wednesday – Retirement

Taken in 1958 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (Dayton, Ohio) when my grandfather, Col. Glen R. Johnson, retired from the Air Force. Those in the picture include: my Uncle Glen (Jr.), my Aunt Mary, my Uncle Johnny, my grandmother – Vesta, my brother Jim, and my grandfather – Glen.  I’m not sure why they were all looking in different directions and no one is left to ask. (On a side note – I also am in possession of the painting above my grandfather!)

(Photograph taken by Air Force Official photographer, in possession of Wendy Littrell, Address FOR PRIVATE USE)

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