My great-grandfather James Walton died when my maternal grandfather was six years old. The personal information on James’ death certificate was provided by Alfred Pearson, his wife’s brother-in-law. And much of it is wrong. Alfred got a few things right; James Walton did not have a middle name. And he was male, white and married. But James wasn’t born in…
My mother said her mother refused to have her baby on the first of April; there would be no April Fool’s baby for her! Mom’s April second birth certificate does not prove or disprove this story, but it does provide a couple other interesting tidbits. Like many other babies of her time, Mom was born…
Among my late mother’s photographs were class pictures taken when she and her brother attended elementary school. Being a genealogist of course I Googled the name of the school. And there I stumbled upon a page where Chicago’s Newton Bateman Elementary School displayed some of their alumni. One quick email to the school and my photos…
Happy Birthday Girl Scouts! On this day in 1912 Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization’s first 18 girl members in Savannah, Georgia. Most of my Girl Scout days were enjoyed as a junior scout. I had the best leader ever and have many fond memories of scouting. This picture was taken after I marched in a…
Grandpa was one of the kindest men I have ever known. So two of the family stories about him make me cringe every time I hear them. Born on this day in 1905, John George Walton was a married father of two during the worst days of the Great Depression. Having left school early to help…
What a great smile! That’s the first thing I thought when I saw this picture of Marie Agnes Duha, my first cousin twice removed. Her mother was Agnes Magnheld Clarin (1891-1959), the middle of three daughters born to my 2nd great-grandparents Carl Larsson Clarin (1863-1924) and Bengta Johnson (1866-1895). Marie was born in Chicago 14…
Their fathers Peter (1858-1929) and Frans Tolf (1852-1928) were brothers. And so Ranghild Katarina Henrietta (1889-1973) and Eva Mathilda (1891-1957) were first cousins. Eva had a sister named Pearl May (1883-1967). The three women got together often. As a matter of fact, Pearl lived with Ranghild and her family in the 1910 census. Then in 1913 Pearl…
May Merry Christmas oft return to all our friends most dear, God bless you all and send you all a prosperous New Year!
where2look4ancestors 