My Mother's Family

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

2011-11-19T06:25:00.001-07:00

We humans seem to have a fascination with our modes of transportation. At least my family did...they were always having their pictures taken with them. Here are a few of the photos from my coffers of my folks with their traditional, and some not so traditional, rides.

My 2nd-great-grandmother, Juliane Bye, my great-grandmother, Frances Bye, and my cousin Julian Tvedt, c1900

Aunt- and Uncle-in-law, c1910


My great-grandparents, Harry and Frances (Bye) Jackson, with their motorbike in the early 1920s.

I don't know who this is or what year, but he's probably a relative since this photo is in our family files.
Anyone want to hazard a guess as to the date?

I don't know who these children are, either. I'm guessing this is late 1920s or early 1930s based on their clothing.
I wish we could see more of the airplane, though.

Grandpa-in-law Claude Parker in a row boat, probably fishing. He looks about 15 here, I'm guessing this was taken in 1917.

Grandpa-in-law Claude Parker. What do you think, early 1920s?

My mother-in-law and her cousin, c1925

A bunch of Parkers (I can't read the names on the back of the photo). I'm guessing early 1930s. What is your guess?

We're not certain who these people are...far left might be my great-grandmother Frances (Bye) Jackson. Probably 1930s.

My grandfather Vince Heinz, c1935

Mom 1936

Mom c1937

Mom's first train ride 1939 (with Frances (Bye) Jackson)

Great-grandma Frances and her son Lee Jackson c1940

Granduncle Lee Jackson on what looks like a toy tractor c1940

My great-grandfather Harry Jackson with his vacation trailer in Tampa, Florida c1941

My great-grandmother (again) c.1943

Front of a Christmas card Lee Jackson sent to his mother from his tour in WW II in 1944. He was in the 82nd Airborne Division and suffered injuries to his back and leg from a parachute jump in Africa.

Frances (Bye) Jackson racing the family dog on one of her grand-daughters' bikes, probably late 1940s or early 1950s.

Cousin Paule Loring, about 1950-1960

Sis and Me, 1957

Great-grandma Frances Jackson, c1959

Grandparents-in-law Claude and Mildred (Muth) Parker, 1972

Cousins at Cape Canaveral, 1985

Dumbo ride at Disneyland, 1987

Hubby playing with a tractor in the rain, 1988

Whew!!! There's more, but I think you get the drift.

Sepia Saturday is a weekly meme which encourages bloggers to publish and share old images and photographs. Visit their blog for other stories and vintage photos with the theme of the week.

Thanks for dropping by.

Veterans Day Tribute - Experiences of a WW I Veteran

2011-11-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the world rejoiced and celebrated because after four years of bitter war, the Allied powers signed a cease-fire agreement (an armistice) with Germany at Rethondes, France on November 11, 1918. This brought World War I to a close. November 11, 1919 was set aside as Armistice Day in the United Sates, to remember the sacrifices that men and women made during World War I in order to ensure a lasting peace...Beginning in 1954, the United States designated November 11 as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S. wars. (quoted from http://www.usafederalholidays.com/veterans_day.html).

My grandfather, Joseph Kennedy (Ken) Masterson, was in France on that fateful that day. He was inducted in the U.S. Army on June 24, 1918. He was trained at Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky until about July 15th at which time he was shipped to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana and then to Camp Stewart, Virginia. He was deployed to Europe on August 6, arriving in Brest, France on the 18th. He was first attached to the 39th Division (Co. H., 154th Reg. Infantry). He was transferred to the 32nd Division of the American Expeditionary Forces (Co. H, 125th Inf.) in September 1918 as one of the replacements.

Joseph Kennedy Masterson, Private,
United States Army. Fought during
World War I in France and Germany
from 24 June 1918 to 21 May 1919.

We are fortunate to have the letters that he wrote to his future wife, our grandmother, Mary Ethel Peake. Ken doesn't write much about the war until his letter of November 25, 1918. This was the first letter he had written since August 26, shortly after arriving in Europe. The letter covered two pages, but the mention of the war was very short:

     Dear Ethel I will take the pleasure to write you a few lines as it has been quite a while since I have written to you. But the reason I haven’t written before now it has been just so I couldn’t. Well, E., I have been on the front lines & have been over the top several times.
   I sure have seen some fighting.
   When I saw my friends falling on both sides of me & I never got a scratch so I began to think I was lucky. I was under shell fire for about 22 days. I was in the support line when the Armustice [sic] was signed. So I was sure a happy fellow then haha.
   But now I am hiking every day. I have hiked all over France & across Belgium & now I am in Luxemburg. So I guess the next move I will land in Germany. haha
   Say I have sure been going some since I came into the service. Just 5 months yesterday.

Private Masterson doesn't mention his experiences in the war again until January 15, 1919. At that time he was in Germany. Unlike his previous letters, most of this one was about the fighting. Grandpa always inserted haha whenever he expressed strong emotions. I have retained the spelling from the original letter...he only had a sixth grade education:

     I was transferred from the 39th Div to the 32nd. I met this Div at Suzan Court the 20th of Sept & left there on the 22nd for the front, we went in the front lines the 1st of Oct. We were on the front for 20 days, & I went over the top several times, the first time I went over the top I thought it was fun but I soon changed my mind haha. When I seen my friends falling all around me, I didn’t think it was so funny.
     When the shells were bursting around me, you just ought to see me hug the ground haha. I thought several times when the bullets were singing around my head that I would never get to see your smile face again.
     We were under shell fire when the Armistice was signed & were going on the front again on the 12th of Nov. so you know how happy I felt when I heard it was signed. Then we started on our long hike to the Rine on the 17th of Nov. We crossed Belgium Luxenbourgh & now in Germany & I guess the next place will be Russia. haha We crossed over the line between Luxenbourg & Germany on the 1st of Dec & crossed the Rine river Dec 13th at Andernach.

The next, and the last, time any mention of the fighting was in a letter of February 18th. He added a map and a schedule of the 32nd Division with the explanation that he had just gotten it and thought he would send with the letter.

Written on the back of the map:
The Bar-Red-Arrow
In November 1918 when instructions were received that each Division in the A. E. F. should choose a distinguishing mark, it was thought that the red circle no longer typfied the character of the 32nd Division. It had shown by the part taken in the actions in the Chateau-Thierry Sections, on the Jewigny-Soissons Front, as well as in its fighting in the Clirgonne Forest and on the Meuse that the soldiers of the 32nd Division did not run in circles but shot through all obstacles. The troops of the Division on many occasions formed a flying wedge launched against the German lines and this fact led to the selection of the arrow as its symbol. The Commanding General of the division, when asked why he had chosen the Bar Red-Arrow as the distinguishing mark of the division, said, “I chose the barred–arrow as the Division symbol because we pierced every line the Roche put before us.”

In addition to the letters, Pvt. J.K. Masterson kept a journal of his movements overseas. The journal suffered water damage when my grandparents' basement flooded which makes it difficult to read. Below is a transcript of his marches as far as they are readable. I tried to correct the spelling, but some of the places may be wrong.

Around the world with the U. S. Army.
     Left Bardstown June 24 for Camp Taylor KY, and arrived there the same day, was placed there in the 10th Co. 3 tr. Bn. 153. Depo brigade.
     Was transferred from there to Camp Beauregard, LA July 15th for replacements to 39 Div. Co. H 154th inf. Arrived there July 18th.
     Left there for Camp Stewart July 31st. Port of embarkation Camp Stewart at Newport News, VA.
     Embarked Aug 6th for France. Arrived in the harbor at Brest Aug 18th, got off the ship the 19th. Hiked out past Napoleon barracks and struck a field camp the same day, the dirtiest place on earth.
     The 21st went to the harbor and helped unload supplies. The 22nd hiked back to the Napoleon barracks and had a two Minute cold water bath, and spent the night on guard.
     Aug 23rd hiked back to Brest, and loaded in two by four box cars for Quincy France. Thirty six in each car. Unloaded at Mehun, the 27th and hiked four Km. the same day to Quincy. Left Quincy the 12th of Sept, hiked 15 Km, to St. Florence, to a transportation camp.
     Left on the night of Sept 17th for replacements of the 32nd Div, some more nice riding in a side door pullman. Arrived at St. Dizier Sept 20th, hiked 17 Km to Suzanne Court, where I joined the 32nd Div, and was assigned to Co H 125th Inf.
     Left there the 22nd for the front, in trucks. 24 hour ride. We stopped in the woods at noon 23rd 24th and 25th, hiked at night and the morning of the 26th we camped in the woods in front of the --- Artillery.
     The 29th was Sunday and we hiked that Morning, and then worked the rest, Till 7 Pm and at 8 Pm we hiked in the support lines.
     And the night of the 30th we went in on the front. That was the Argonne sector, of the Verdun front in the Argonne forest.
     Went Over the top the first time.
   Oct 7th, our Captain got killed that evening, Francis A. Barlow, and then about all we did, was go over the top and we sure was shot all to pieces on that front.
     The night of the 19th, the 89th Div relieved us. On the 20th hiked back 12 Km. to the rear for rest. We struck a field camp in the Malfalkin Woods.
     Started back to the front the 31st. Camped in the woods left of Romance. Hiked up to big concrete dugout on the 2nd of Nov, stayed there 4 days. Went back on the support lines on the 7th. We crossed the --- River the night of the ---th then we camped at Suchrey in the woods until the Armistice was signed on the 11th month 11th day and 11th hour. The last shot was fired at 10:45 am.
     Then we moved into some German barracks until the Glorious hike to the Rheine was started. The night of the 12th was the first time I slept in a building since the 12th of Sept.
     Nov 16th, started the hike to the Rheine, hiked 10 Km to some German barracks. Nov 17th hiked 14 Km to ---
     Nov 18th hiked 30 Km to Longwy.
     Nov 20th hiked 15 Km and crossed one corner of Belgium and crossed at Aubang Luxembourg.
     Nov 21st hiked 28 Km to Holndenger Luxembourg.
     Nov 22nd hiked 12 Km to Godbrange.
     Nov 23rd hiked 28 Kilometers to Siegen farm, rested there 7 days.
     Dec 1st hiked 23 Km to Elgendorf Germany. Crossed the line in to Germany Dec 1st.
     Dec 2nd hiked 18 Km to Erdorf.
     Dec 3rd hiked 10 Km to Oberkail.
     Dec 5th hiked 35 Km to Daun.
     Dec 6th hiked 22 Km to Boos.
     Dec 7 hiked 21 Km to Marpie.
     Dec 9th hiked 5 Km to Thur.
     Dec 10th hiked 15 Km to Andernach on the Rhine River.
     Dec 13th hiked 18 Km to Oberbieber. Crossed the Rhine at 11 am, in a drizzling rain, and fell out and rested on the last end of the bridge.
     Dec 14th hiked 18 Km to Willroth and established a line of defense for the bridge head on the Rhine.
     Jan 1st 1919 hiked 1 Km to Gierend Germany where I am stationed for quite a while. On the night of April the 7th I went to Oberbieber with a wagon train to turn them in.

The United States Army published a brief history of the 32nd Division in response to the desire of the Army Commander that all "individuals...receive a written or printed brief of their history as soldiers of the A.E.F." This history has been digitized by Google and can be viewed here. According to that history, the division suffered the loss of 6,637 officers and men due to death, wounds, gas, and missing in action during the time my grandfather was attached to the division. Miraculously, he came through unscathed.

On March 24, 1919 John J. Pershing, Commander-in-Chief, wrote a letter to Major General William Lassiter, Commander of the 32nd Division, extending his compliments to the men. In that letter, he states: "...During the Meuse-Argonne offensive the 32d Division entered the line on September 30th and by its persistence in that sector it penetrated the Kreimhilde Stellung, taking Romagne and following the enemy to the northeastern edge of the Bois de Bantheville. On November 8th, the division took up the pursuit of the enemy east of the Meuse until the time when hostilities were suspended.
"Since the signing of the Armistice the 32d Division has had the honor to act as a part of the Army of Occupation. For the way in which all ranks have performed their duties in this capacity, I have only the warmest praise and approval. The pride of your officers and men, justified by such a record, will insure the same high morale which has been present in the division during its stay in France. I want each man to know my appreciation of the work he has done and of the admiration in which he is held by the rest of his comrades in the American Expeditionary Forces."

Ken finally made it home and was honorably discharged at Camp Zachary Taylor on 21 May 1919. He never talked about his war experiences to his children, but it is clear that he instilled a sense of patriotism to them as both his sons enlisted in the military as soon as they graduated high school—the oldest was in the Army Air Corps and was captured by the Germans in World War II, the youngest joined the Air Force and served in Korea and in Vietnam during those wars.

Otho Masterson 1943

Kenneth Masterson 1951

I am honored to have such valiant men in my heritage.

Thanks for dropping by.

Thriller Thursday - Wounded and Alone

2011-11-10T20:10:00.001-07:00

Thomas Peake (1843-1915)

Thomas Peake (my 2nd-great grandfather) was born March 24, 1843 near Holy Cross, Marion county, Kentucky. He was five feet, eight inches tall, with dark hair, dark complexion and gray eyes. He enlisted in the United States Army at Camp Graves on November 4, 1861, enrolling in Company G of the Tenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The 10th Kentucky, under the command of John M. Harlan, was outfitted at Camp Crittenden, Lebanon, Kentucky, and mustered into service on November 21, 1861.

It is no wonder that so many of the young men of Kentucky flocked to the recruiting offices. One Union meeting at the Springfield fairground opened with a prayer which included an entreaty that the Almighty should "take each erring rebel by the nape of the neck and the seat of his breeches, and shake him over the fires of perdition, which may have ben heated seven times hotter than was prepared for thy servants Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the days of old,...until these rebellious and sacrilegious souls may, like the prodigal son, return to the Union..". This was followed by a speech and exhortations by ex-Governor Charles Wycliffe for the young men to volunteer to "save the country". The 10th Kentucky marched to Springfield to attend a picnic in their honor at the fairgrounds: "...one thousand men four abreast, came winding itself like some great monster along the road, with Colonel Harlan and his staff at their head."[1]

Between December 31, 1861 and September 19, 1863, Thomas Peake and the 10th Ky. engaged in numerous battles ranging from Kentucky to Tennessee to Mississippi to Alabama to Georgia.[2] The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19 and 20, 1863, was the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and involved the second highest number of casualties in the war following the Battle of Gettysburg. The 10th Kentucky was in the thick of that battle from start to finish. Of the 471 men available for duty at Chickamauga, the 10th Kentucky suffered 166 casualties, including Thomas Peake. At some point in the two days of fighting, Peake was wounded and, as described by him, was lost in the woods for several days while making his way to the rear. Feverish and alone, he feared that he would die of his wounds before reaching safety and medical attention. His fears were put to rest by an apparition of the Blessed Virgin, who assured him that he would be saved.

An assessment of Peake's wounds is contained in the Surgeon General's report, which states that he received gunshot wounds to the right arm, thigh and leg, described as flesh wounds, but serious. There was no exit wound for the shots to the leg indicating that the balls were still there for the rest of his life.[3] The Oct. 8, 1863 edition of the Cincinnati Daily Commercial listed the Union casualties of Chickamauga, describing Thomas Peake's condition as "severely wounded".

Surgeon's Report illustrating Thomas Peake's injuries.

Thomas returned to his unit on March 22, 1864 and engaged in the Atlanta campaign with the rest of the 10th Ky with the exception of a brief hospitalization due to illness in August 1864. On December 6, 1864, the surviving members of the regiment were mustered out in Louisville and were allowed to return home.

Thomas Peake married Theresa Elizabeth Culver on February 6, 1866. They lived in Larue County in 1870 but returned to Nelson County by 1880. The couple had eight children: Robert Damascus Peake (my great-grandfather), born December 11, 1867; John O. Peake, born November 19, 1870; Gabriel T. Peake, born December 7, 1873; Mary R. Peake, born October 22, 1877; Annie L. Peake, born May 11, 1880; Alice V. Peake, born July 25, 1884; Frances N. Peake, born October 18, 1885; and Florence E. Peake, born September 14, 1888.[3]

THOMAS PEAKE AND FAMILY (circa 1906)
First Row (seated on ground): Phillip Peake, John O. Peake holding Bessie Peake, Joseph Carl Peake;
Second Row, standing: Mary Helen (Ella) Peake, Minnie Peake;
Second Row, seated: Teresa Elizabeth Culver Peake, Thomas Peake, Catherine Peake Culver;
Third Row: Martha (Lola) Fogle Peake holding Eddie Peake, Florence Peake Watson, Alice Veronica (Bonnie) Peake Hall, Sid Hall, Frances (Fannie) Peake.

The pain from his wounds increased as Thomas grew older necessitating the use of a cane when walking. By the time he was 47, he had developed a severe case of rheumatism as a direct result of his war wounds. He received a veteran's pension until his death on December 28, 1915 due to influenza.[3]

For a more detailed account of the movements and engagements of the 10th Ky, visit Chapter 7: Thomas Peake - The Civil War of The Peakes of Nelson County, Kentucky by Robert Zwicker and John Stewart.

Thanks for dropping by.

Thriller Thursday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

[1] Washington County, Kentucky Bicentennial History, 1792-1992, Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Kentucky.
[2] Union Regiments of Kentucky, Thomas Speed et al., 1897. Reprint, Morningside House, Dayton, Ohio (1984).
[3] Pension File for Thomas Peak, National Archives, 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D. C.

Wordless Wednesday: Fishing

2011-11-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

Mom and Auntie, Chicago area, c. 1945

Thanks for dropping by.

Wordless Wednesday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

Talented Tuesday: Dancing with the Angels

2011-11-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

Signa, Frances, Dorothy, Lillian c. 1921

My grandmother, Dorothy Jackson, was a dancer. She was given ballet and acrobatic dance lessons as a child. There is one photo where she is on the beach with her mom and two sisters—she is posed with her toe pointed like a ballerina.

Dorothy Jackson and
friend in their Russian
dance costumes, c. 1920

Dorothy was particularly proud of being able to do a Russian dance where she would squat as if she were sitting on a chair, fold her arms in front of her chest, and kick her legs out.

Dorothy married Vincent Adam Heinz in the spring of 1933 and they had three beautiful daughters by the fall of 1936. My grandfather left his wife and daughters in 1943. His mother disowned him and invited Dorothy and the girls to live with her in Skokie, Illinois. Great-grandmother was a widow and owner of the Skokie Inn (or Club), situated on a triangular-shaped corner on North Cicero with the house behind the Inn joined by a breezeway. Dorothy helped her ex-mother-in-law in the tavern in return for a home on the second floor of the house.

Dorothy outside the Skokie Club

The jukebox was always playing in the tavern. Dorothy and her young sisters-in-law could often be found jitterbugging with each other and with the gentlemen that came into the tavern. Dorothy’s early childhood dance lessons were an advantage to her when the jitterbug became popular – she was able to perform the acrobatic moves quite easily. It was here that she met and married William Max Mead, a recently returned veteran of World War II.

Galesburg house on Florence Ave.

The family moved to Grampa Bill's hometown of Galesburg, Illinois. Things were difficult for them at this time. The unemployment rate was high and Bill would sometimes get bumped at the railroad where we worked, or would have to work at a lower pay. But the family was happy. They would sing and dance to the tunes on the radio. Dorothy would wax the kitchen floor, then she and the girls would buff it by dancing and sliding on it in their stocking feet. Dorothy taught her daughters to jitter-bug and, when the weather was nice, she would teach them acrobatics in the back yard. They would all do cartwheels, handstands, and back-flips. As the girls grew into their teen years, the neighborhood boys and girls would come to the house and Dorothy would teach them all how to jitter-bug.

Dorothy on her 70th birthday

Even in her later years Dorothy continued to dance every chance she had, as well as do cartwheels. She was often found on the floor with her grandchildren as limber as any 20 year old. I picture her now dancing with the angels. I'm sure she is giving them a run for their money.

Thanks for dropping by.

Talented Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

Take Good Care of Your Karma

2011-11-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer in Karma. I know that if I am kind to others and do good deeds, others will be kind to me. I also know that if I do wrong to others, I will incur misfortune three-fold. Karma. How did I learn this lesson, you ask? I thank (blame) my brother.

Bro is just under three years younger than me. He is my parents' third child and first son. I don't know why, but I loved to provoke him when we were very young. Here are a couple of examples...

When I was six, Sis was five, Bro was three, Lil Sis was a baby (no Baby Bro, yet). We lived in a house that had a gas heater in the bathroom. The heater malfunctioned causing it to emit carbon monoxide into the house overnight. I remember waking up groggy with Mom standing in the bedroom doorway. She looked woozy herself and scared. She was calling mine and Sis' names over and over to wake us up. I think she was trying to find out if we were still alive. The next thing I remember is being in the hospital with Bro in the same room. We were the only two in the family that were admitted, everyone else went home. The hospital had put Bro in a crib. He was not too happy about it...he had been sleeping in a "big boy's" bed for quite some time. Of course I couldn't let the opportunity pass to tease him about being a baby and I proceeded to do so. He got more and more upset as I continued to call him a baby. Bro went home the next day and I was still there. After he left, I started to feel very lonely. Mom couldn't visit much because she had the other kids to take care of and, I suspect, she was probably still a little weak from inhaling the carbon monoxide. Daddy was away on Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY) in England; he was flown home, but not for a few days. As I lay in the hospital bed feeling sorry for myself, I stuck my tongue out and it wouldn't go back into my mouth! I tried pushing it in with my hand but it would just pop right back out. I was terrified. I had visions of spending the rest of my life with my tongue hanging out. The nurse called the Doctor who said it was psychological because I was homesick. Then, miraculously, I was able to put my tongue back in my mouth and it stayed put. But it was a close call; I could have been permanently disabled all because I mocked Bro. Karma.

About the time of the carbon monoxide poisoning.
I am on the far right. Bro is, well, the boy.

The next incident occurred when I was seven or eight. Bro caught the mumps. He was miserable and he looked so funny with the puffy cheeks. He would sit out in the back yard and sadly watch us play with our friends, wishing so much that he could play, too. What did I do? I rubbed it in. And what happened to me? I caught the mumps and they lasted twice as long with me as they did with Bro. Karma.

Let this be a lesson to you...take good care of your Karma and your Karma will take good care of you.

Thanks for dropping by.

Fresh Meat! (Genealogically Speaking)

2011-11-06T22:05:00.001-07:00

Baby Bro and his new wife flew into town to surprise Mom for her birthday. This is the first time I've seen Sis-in-law since they were married a little over two years ago.

Mom mentioned during the conversation that she hasn't sent any birthday cards to anyone since she got here because her date book is packed in storage. This got me to thinking about all the birthdays I have stored in my genealogy program and I suddenly remembered that Sis-in-law and I haven't had "The Discussion" yet. So I sat her down with a pedigree chart and a family group record and we got started.

The only info Sis-in-law was able to give me were the names of her parents and grandparents. To her knowledge, no one has ever researched her paternal line. Her father never talked about his family and she didn't know much. My heart started to palpitate--a virgin family tree! This is going to be so much fun!

Baby Bro and Sis-in-law drove up to Phoenix to watch today's Cardinals-Rams game and I stayed behind to research her family tree. So far I have been able to get dates for her father and paternal grandparents AND I have added two more generations to her pedigree. She will be so surprised when I hand it over to her tomorrow along with the supporting documentation (draft cards, obituaries, birth, death, and marriage records and, of course, censuses)!

Sis-in-law's Grandpa's WW I draft card

Pure Bliss! This is waayyy more fun than watching any football game, right?

[Do you think maybe I might be a geek?]

Thanks for dropping by.

Music was in his soul

2011-11-05T01:50:00.000-07:00

Sepia Saturday is a weekly meme which encourages bloggers to publish and share old images and photographs. This week has a musical theme.

Carl Olavus Bye was born in 1834 in Norway. He was a violin and flute soloist. According to family legend, he was Director of the Norwegian Army Band for 28 years. The King of Sweden and Norway (probably Oscar II) gave him a set of silver spoons which are still in possession of one of his granddaughters. The whereabouts of the ceremonial sword to his uniform is unknown.

Carl immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1887. They arrived in Boston and settled in Kennebunk, Maine. Carl worked as a musician, and as a music teacher, until his return to Norway before 1908. His family remained in the U.S. He died in Oslo, Norway in 1915.

The poster to the left announced a farewell concert to be made by him in 1889, the day before he was scheduled to travel to New York and and expected return to Norway. I don't know if he made that trip or not, but I do know that he was enumerated in Maine in the 1900 U.S. census and in the 1905 Kennebunk town register he was listed as living in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Several of Carl's children were semi-professional musicians. His daughter Clara accompanied the famous violinist Ole Bull on the piano. His son Olaf is the son that accompanied Carl at the Farewell Concert in 1889 when he was only 14 years old. His youngest son Terschak followed in his father's footsteps and performed musical concerts with his entire family as the Nordic Ensemble. Clara's son Julian Tvedt was a noted violinist in New England.

Juliana (Christianson), Carl Olavus, and Charles Bye

There is only one known photo of Carl which was taken about 1908 with his wife Juliana and son Charles.

Visit Sepia Saturday for other stories and vintage photos with the theme of the week.

Thanks for dropping by.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Elementary School

2011-11-04T00:10:00.006-07:00

DISCLAIMER: Names were changed to protect the people involved.

I thought that writing about the elementary schools I attended (there were four from Kindergarten through Sixth grades) would be kind of boring, so I decided to use this blogging prompt to write about some of my more memorable moments in elementary school.

First, you need to understand where I was coming from. I am the eldest of five children. That meant that I was automatically smarter, braver, and stronger than all my siblings. It was my job to experience all that life had to offer first, then to teach my younger siblings how to go on.

Sherri First Grade

Daddy was in the Air Force and stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas. We lived in a house on Main Street until the summer of 1959. I attended First Grade in a public school just down the street from our home. I had to cross the street in order to get to school, but there was a crossing guard just in front of the school, which made walking alone uneventful. One day, I was late leaving for school and when I got to the crosswalk, the crossing guard was gone! Naturally, I returned home and informed my mother that I could not go to school since I could not cross the street. Mom helped me to cross the street in front of the house and told me to walk to school on that side of the street. Unfortunately, there was a big, mean, scary dog on that side of the street. I returned home once more, screaming and crying, and refused to ever walk on that side of the street again. This was the first time I had ever crossed the street alone (trying to get away from that dog) and once the fear subsided and I realized what I had done, I decided that it wasn’t so scary to cross a street after all.

It was in the First Grade that I learned about April Fool’s Day. Walking home from school, some older girls played an April Fool’s joke on me by telling me that my dress was untied. The girls explained the concept of April Fool’s to me and I couldn’t wait to get home to play a trick on Mom. When I got home, my mother was standing on a stool hanging up curtains. I told her that her shoes were untied and, of course, she looked down. This thrilled me to no end and I screamed “April Fool’s!” while giggling uncontrollably. Mom asked me how I had learned about it and said she had hoped I wouldn’t learn about April Fool’s until I was much older.

Sherri Second Grade

Sometime during the summer of 1960, we moved to base housing. At the same time, an opening came up for me to attend Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic parochial school. Since my younger sister's sixth birthday was on Labor Day that year, the school allowed her to start First Grade. Not only was this a new school, but we had to ride the bus. Although apprehensive about all these new experiences, I needed to be brave for Susie's sake and must help her with her first experience with school.

Susie (aka Susan)
First Grade

My term at Sacred Heart Academy did not get off to a good start. Since the school was overcrowded, they combined the first and second grade classes; first grade students were on one side of the room and the second grade students on the other. This meant that Susie and I were in the same classroom and I could keep an eye on my little sister. On the first day of school, when the nun called roll, she asked if Sherri was a nickname for "Sharon" or for "Cheryl". The teacher and I had a short argument over my real name, which IS Sherri. When the nun got around to calling Susie's name, she called her "Susan". I promptly raised my hand and informed her that my sister's name is "SUSIE", not "SUSAN." This, of course, did not endear me to the teacher. When we returned home, I told Mom that the school had made a mistake with Susie’s name and that she needed to go down there and straighten them out. Imagine my surprise upon learning that her real name was actually Susan. I was very upset and indignant that Mom had never told me that my sister had an alias.

My experience in parochial school was a little different from my previous experiences in public school. Our bus arrived a little earlier than the one picked up the public school kids. Susie and I were the only ones at our stop rode the blue bus. One morning, Susie and I stood at the stop for a much longer time than usual. The public school bus came and went and we were still waiting. Finally, we walked back home to tell Mom that the bus never came! She called the school and found out that it was a Holy Day…one of those magical days that only catholic school kids got off from school. What a wonderful surprise for us—a free holiday that none of the other kids at the bus stop got! We felt really special and they were all quite envious of us when we gloated about it the next day.

The differences between the two types of schools held some pitfalls as well. In those days, Catholics were not supposed to eat meat on Fridays. Unfortunately, our mother would sometimes forget that it was Friday and send us to school with bologna sandwiches. Susie and I would hide in a corner to eat our lunch so no one would see what we were eating. We were terrified that we would be sent straight to Hell if we were caught.

Another pitfall was that all children, starting with second grade, must go to confession every Wednesday. Each class would troop over to the church on the grounds and line up for the confessional. Each child entered alone and confessed her sins for the past week to the priest. There were no exceptions. The trouble I had with this was that I had nothing to confess! I was a very well-behaved child. We never talked back to our parents, we addressed all men as “sir” and all women as “ma’am”. We did not even think about telling a lie, for the punishment was painful not to mention a certain trip to Hell if you had the misfortune to be run over by a bus or to be struck by lightning soon after. I didn’t dare confess about the Friday meat thing as I was afraid the priest would punish Mom for giving it to us. So, what did I do? Why, I lied of course! I made up sins every week. The priest must have thought I was a very bad child—I talked back to my parents, I fought with my brothers and sisters, and I lied. I am just now realizing that the ironic thing about all this is that my confession of lying wasn’t really a lie, at least not after the first time, because the entire confession was a lie. I never asked Susie what she did when she made it to the second grade; she might have been able to give me some good tips.

Despite our surety of falling from grace, by the time we left Texas for Arizona at the end of our third year at the school, Susie and I had become the jump-rope queens of the playground. The notoriety we gained at Sacred Heart gave us the courage to face total strangers, being thrust into a civilian community, and the return to public school in a new state the following year. Thus one era ended for us and another began.

Thanks for dropping by.

Those Places Thursday - Is That Building Still Standing?

2011-11-03T00:10:00.006-07:00

Some of you may remember the photo I posted on my very first "real" post for Wordless Wednesday. If you have forgotten, you may visit it here.

One of my readers asked if the building in the background was still standing as she wanted to look for it when she visited the area. It got me wondering, too. I have always admired the house but I never thought to look to see if it still existed. Sure, I thought, I'll find out where it was and let her know. It should be easy. I'll just look at the 1900 census again and get my 2nd great-grandparents' address because I'm fairly certain that was where the photo was taken. So I pull up Ancestry.com, view the census image, and find that no house number nor even a street name is written for them. Drat!

No problem. I'll just email the cousin that shared most of the photos I have of that family and see if he has an address, perhaps written on the back of the photo or something. No luck. He didn't have an address, either.

Now what? Oh! City Directories! Yay! So I check Ancestry.com and archive.org but I strike out there, too. Cyndi's List doesn't give me a link to a city directory, either. I had a copy of the Bye family page in the 1905 Town Register for Kennebunk and Wells, but it didn't have addresses.

I'm getting pretty desperate at this point. Where do I go from here? I consult Kathleen Hinckley's Your Guide to the Federal Census. Page 151 talks about Enumeration District Descriptions and Maps. She says that the E.D. descriptions are available in microfilm at the Family History Library. I think to myself, I can look up their E.D., find it on a map, and try to trace the route the enumerator took and at least get it fairly close. So, I check the FHL library catalog and proceed to order the film online. I get the message "The film you requested is already at your selected Family History Center. Please contact your Family History Center for viewing." YES!!!

At the first opportunity, I trek on down to my FHC to find the film. It's right where it should be. I'm on a roll (pun intended)! The description I found for Kennebunk, York county, Maine, E.D. 236 is "All that part of town lying east of the B. & M. R.R." Well! I found a really great map of 1895 Kennebunk in the American Memory Maps Collection. The B&M R.R. appears to be in the far south-western corner of town, which means that E.D. 236 is almost the entire town of Kennebunk.

B&M R.R., Kennebunk, Me., 1895 / G.E. Norris, Brockton.
Image from American Memory Maps Collection, Library of Congress.

Further review of Hinckley's book informs me that the FHL has photocopies of the census maps on microfiche, but I could only find them in book format in the catalog. It also says that photocopies can be ordered through the National Archives, however the URL she provided must be outdated because I get an error loading the page. <sigh>

It's time to change tactics. A more detailed study of the census page on which my 2nd great-grandparents appear, I note that while they are renting their home, the first two families on that page own their homes. Eureka! I can search the land deeds for those families and pinpoint their property. Since I believe the house in the photo is that of a neighbor, it very well could be one of their homes! I immediately return to the FHLC, locate the film number for the Deed Grantee index, v. 3-5, Kennebunk-Z, 1886-1905, and place an order.

As I was viewing the Deed Grantee index, I noticed that there are several deeds granted to the Tvedt family, one of whom is the father of Julian Tvedt, the boy in that photo. This got me thinking...by 1900, Julian was living with his aunt Hilda (Bye) Crowley and her husband, Cornelius Crowley, in Spencer, Worcester county, Massachusetts (see my previous post "Monday Madness - Religiously Insane!" for that sad story)...perhaps Julianna and Frances were visiting Hilda when that photo was taken and I am looking in the wrong location entirely!

By this time, some of you are probably thinking that I am wasting my time and that I should just contact the Kennebunk Historical Society and ask them if they are aware of where this unique building might be. I thought of that and wrote to them. They are willing to try to help me so I sent the photo and the census and crossed my fingers.

As I am very weak in the area of land and property research, I want to continue on this path to gain the experience if nothing else.To that end, my next step is to order the deeds for some of the Bye neighbors and try to plot them on a map. I might also start looking in Spencer, Mass. for that building but I think I will ask the historical society there first, assuming the Kennebunk historical society responds with a negative.

I will post an update when I get some findings, positive or negative, from the avenues I am pursuing now. This is proving to be a much larger project than I imagined and is in danger of becoming the subject of a future Madness Monday post...

Thanks for dropping by.

Those Places Thursday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

NaBloPoMo? What's That???

2011-11-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

October was a very busy month for me. As a result, I am woefully behind on my blog reading...I started the morning with 702 unread blog posts in my reader! As I began to catch up on the reading, I noticed several posts about NaBloPoMo. I've heard of NaNoWriMo, but not NaBloPoMo. What is it???

I followed the links on the blogs and eventually found myself on BlogHer.com which explains that November is "National Blog Posting Month". Obviously inspired by NaNoWriMo, the idea is to post on your blog every day, or you can post on their blog. You have to sign up by 11 pm EST on November 5th in order for your posts to be included on the blogroll, so hurry if you haven't already done so. Everything you need to participate can be found at this link.

I've already missed November 1st, but this is my second post today. We'll see if I can manage to publish 30 posts this month. Send good thoughts my way and wish me luck!

Thanks for dropping by.

Wordless Wednesday - Turn-of-the-Century Fashionista

2011-11-02T00:11:00.003-07:00

Oscara Francesca Bye, age 15 (c1903)

Wordless Wednesday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

Society Saturday: Family History Seminars

2011-10-29T23:25:00.001-07:00

Today, our local Family History Center hosted the annual Family History Fair. This year's theme was Family History in the 21st Century with the focus on using the technology available to us in this day and age to further our research, organize our findings, and share the results. There were display tables covered with heirlooms, quilts, photos, memory books, and beautifully made and uniquely designed family trees donated by volunteers, their friends and families. The program ran for seven and a half hours, consisting of six hours of instruction with seven individual classes and a study hall running simultaneously, forty different topics, eighteen presenters, and an untold number of volunteers ensuring that everyone had what they needed and all attendees had a positive experience. Attendance was open to everyone.

All this was provided at no cost!

Everything was done by volunteers who labored for months to ensure the day ran smoothly. I had the honor of teaching one of the forty classes, and it was fun! The presenters of the classes I was able to attend were engaging, knowledgeable and entertaining. These presenters were plain folks like myself who enjoy what they do and were happy to share what they knew with anyone who wanted to learn. Free.

Seminars and conferences are a valuable resource for all family historians. The ambiance at any family history conference is exhilarating and the opportunities for networking and collaboration are unparalleled. You don't need to travel long distances. Local genealogy societies and family history centers usually host annual seminars of some sort. I plan to take advantage of all the opportunities offered within a three hour driving distance.

But for now, I'm going to take a nap and rest up after all the Family History month activities. I'm glad October is almost over; I'm pooped! I hope to be back to regular blogging in a few days. I've missed it!

Thanks for dropping by.

Society Saturday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

You've Got a Friend

2011-10-18T22:48:00.001-07:00

Today was one of the best days I've had in a long while. When I was just a fledgling genealogist, some 14 years ago, I met a kindred spirit whose friendship made me a better person. She was interested in all the same things I was and more. She continually seeked to improve her knowledge and skills in everything and encouraged me to do so as well. Everything is more fun when you have someone to share it with, right?

Unfortunately, a few years ago our family and business lives became a bit overwhelming and we lost touch. She reminded me that the last time we saw each other my daughter had just graduated high school. Well, my daughter graduated college a year and a half ago...that means it's been five and a half years since we've had any but the most cursory email communication. How sad is that?

But today, we talked and laughed just like old times. It felt so good to have my friend back. I didn't realize until now how much I've missed her. I'm reminded of the Carole King song:

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

All you have to do is call

And I’ll be there, yes I will

You’ve got a friend

Of course we made promises to spend more time together in future. Her life is a bit more crazy than mine right now, but I am absolutely not going to let so much time go by without regular therapeutic visits with my friend.

Thank you, Dear Friend, for making my life a little brighter today.

Thanks for dropping by.

Wordless Wednesday - Mystery Photo

2011-10-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

We are pretty sure that the woman with the tire around her neck is my great-grandmother Oskara Francesca (Frances) Jackson nee Bye who is featured in many of my past posts. But we do not know who the other people are or where the photo was taken. This looks like it was taken in the 1930s based on the clothing the women are wearing. The photo was one of several unlabeled that were found with Frances' youngest daughter Lillian's effects. Lillian married Lloyd Elwood Cornell in 1936 Chicago. Frances could have been visiting her daughter at the daughter's in-laws place? Or maybe she was visiting her own in-laws the Whittemore-Jacksons in Massachusetts.

Any suggestions on how to track down the who, when, where of this photo is appreciated!

Thanks for dropping by.

Wordless Wednesday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Trouble

2011-10-02T11:19:00.002-07:00

Viewer Discretion Advised. This post contains violence, unruly children, and humor.

My parents were very strict. They doled out the usual punishments of the 1950s-1970s, spankings as we were children then grounding as we got older. I was one of those unfortunate children that almost always got caught. Consequently, I carefully evaluated every potential infraction to determine if it was worth the punishment before executing.

Everyone except Baby Bro. If you really feel the need, you may
use age progression software to advance it about 3 years to see
what we looked like when this unfortunate incident took place.

There was one, and only one, incident that I can remember when we were caught but were not punished. We had a vinyl ottoman (I think it was oval shaped, longer than it was wide). Sis (age 9), Bro (age 7) and I (age 10) got the idea that it would be really fun to prop the ottoman on the sofa with one end against the back and the other on the seat and slide down it. Mom was probably at work and the sitter must have been too busy with Lil Sis (age 4) and Baby Bro (age 1) to pay attention to what we were up to.

We were right...it was FUN! The slippery surface of the vinyl made it a perfect slide. After several gleeful turns down the impromptu slide, the ottoman suddenly crashed through the front window (the sofa was placed under the window). Oh, oh! This was bad, very bad. We knew that we were going to get it and get it good. Once we got through the initial finger-pointing (I still say it was Bro's fault), we had another bright idea. Let's put books and pillows in our pants so that when Daddy spanked us it wouldn't hurt so much. We all hurried to put this plan into action.

When Daddy came home and saw what we had done, he gave us The Look and we all cowered. But when he saw our pants bulging with the books and pillows, he quickly turned away to hide his laughter. We never did get our spanking.

Although we successfully avoided the punishment that day, we were never foolish enough to try that trick again.

Thanks for dropping by.

Swimsuit Edition (uh, Sports Center Saturday?)

2011-10-01T00:10:00.058-07:00

The other day Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers fame shared with his Facebook friends a photo of a bathing suit he was thinking of packing for his cruise. I will not share the post with you but I will share the link to the image should you choose to see the item in question for yourselves. I give you fair warning -- it is not a pretty sight (no, Thomas is not modeling it, but Borat is).

That post got me thinking about my early 20th century relatives and what they wore while bathing or just lounging on the beach. I thought I would share some of them with you today.


Frances (Bye) Jackson probably Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, c1910

Signa, Lillian & Dorothy Jackson probably Nantasket Beach, 1920.
Too cold to bathe, I suppose.

Jennie (Bye) Loring probably Nantasket Beach, c1921.
Check out the people in the background!

Signa, Frances, Dorothy & Lillian Jackson
probably Nantasket Beach, 1921.

Ida (Whittemore), Nettie, Signa, and Ethel Jackson
in Coronado Beach, California, June 23, 1922.
Not bathing and not technically on a beach, but in a town with
the word "beach" in its name so it qualifies.

Frances on Nantasket Beach, c1930

Paul Heinz probably in Chicago area, c1930

Bye cousins at the beach, probably somewhere in Maine, c1940

Mom and her sisters in Chicago area, c1945

You may not think this is technically a sport, but Sports Illustrated would disagree with you. Okay, I'm stretching it a little but who can blame me? This is my mother's family and you gotta love 'em! I do.

Thanks for dropping by.

Sports Center Saturday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Least Favorite Foods

2011-09-30T00:10:00.023-07:00

My family and friends have often wondered why I don't eat cold cereal for breakfast. What they don't know is that when I was 11 years old, my father came home with a box of a new-fangled cereal. It consisted of corn flakes with dried fruit in it. There was a choice of strawberries or peaches. He asked us all to try it and we said it was pretty good. What we didn't know is that cereal was really, really cheap at that moment so he bought two cases of it -- one each of strawberries and peaches. Now, this seems to be a common error that fathers make, at least in my family. If they find something that their kids like, they immediately try to OD them on it. Which is exactly what happened to us. Daddy would not let us eat anything else for breakfast until that nasty cereal was completely gone. All the whining and complaining and, yes I admit it, gagging did us no good. We had to eat every last corn flake and piece of dried fruit. Even loading each bowl down with half a cup of sugar didn't help. To this day I don't/won't eat cold cereal for breakfast. Now you all know why. What I can't figure out is why my sibs psyches were not similarly damaged.

Another of my least favorite foods is liver. Mom says that I loved liver as a baby. But when I got older I developed an aversion to it; the texture, the smell, the taste, the everything. Just to make sure that my distaste for liver would remain forever entrenched in me, Mom cooked it once when I was sick with the flu. No, she didn't intend for me to eat it, but the smell of the cooking was enough to make me vomit (literally). Wouldn't you know that when I got married, I discovered that liver and onions was one of my husband's favorite meals? Being a newlywed, I naturally wanted to please him, but I just couldn't stomach liver! My solution? I floured one pound liver, placed it on the rack in my pressure cooker, added three of the strongest onions I could find, drowned it in beef broth and pressure cooked the dickens out of that puppy. It totally killed the taste and smell of the liver and Hubby loved it! He even had me fix it for my in-laws and they loved it, too. I was able to eat a bite or two of the liver cooked that way, but I saved most of it for everyone else selfless person that I am--I filled up on mashed potatoes and the "liver" gravy. You can imagine my relief, however, when Hubby became concerned with high cholesterol and decided to stop eating liver. Darn!

Thanks for dropping by.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History is an ongoing challenge from GeneaBloggers and Amy Coffin that invites genealogists and others to record memories and insights about their own lives for future descendants.

APPENDIX: October 1, 2011
After reading this post, Mom informed me that when I was about five years old she had made some liver that had a bad taste to it. She thinks the butcher may have cut into the bile. Nobody would eat it, but I insisted (that was when I foolishly liked liver) and I got sick. This explains why I developed a sudden aversion to it. Yuck!!!

Tech Tuesday (on Thursday) - The Case of the Missing Followers

2011-09-29T17:38:00.005-07:00

I noticed almost as soon as I started blogging that the nifty Followers gadget would disappear! You know the one, it has a blue "Join this site" button to follow with Google Friend Connect. The word "FOLLOWERS" would show up, but the button and the list of followers would not. I had to refresh my page (sometimes multiple times) to get it to come back. This problem occurred whether I used Firefox, Chrome or the IE browsers. I noticed that some of the blogs that I read had missing Followers buttons as well. Refreshing the page temporarily solved the issue, but I knew that not everyone would know to try it and that we might be missing out on some awesome followers.

I searched and searched the Blogger Help Forum and it seemed that a lot of people were having the same problem but there was no solution! Then finally I ran across a forum post directing me to the Code from an English Coffee Drinker blog that explained how to fix the problem. I now have a Followers button that stays put. Thank you, Mark!

If you have this problem, head on over to http://englishjavadrinker.blogspot.com/2011/09/followers-what-followers.html. Maybe you'll get more followers if people can see the button.

Thanks for dropping by.

Tech Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers.

Those Places Thursday - Chicago

2011-09-29T01:20:00.004-07:00

This is a picture of my great-grandmother Frances (Bye) Jackson and her eldest daughter Signa Eileen Jackson taken about mid-1930 on the balcony of Frances' Chicago apartment on Addison. The balcony was on the back of the unit and was a favorite setting for family photos.

Great-grandma lived in that apartment from at least 1930 until sometime in the 1950s. She lived there with her three daughters, one son, and her lover (presented to the world as her brother).

What makes this apartment interesting to me is that it is about 200 feet from Wrigley Field.

But that was not my great-grandmother's favorite view from her home...that honor went to the Marshall's department store that could be seen from her back balcony. At least, that's what my mother remembers, but I'm not so sure. The closest Marshall's is on North Clark Street and looks like it's too far to be seen from the 2nd story apartment on West Addison Street. What do you think? Was there perhaps a different Marshall's that has since been torn down?

1141 W. Addison St., Chicago (Present Day)

She and "uncle" Al moved half a mile away to 3450 North Janssen Avenue sometime before 1955 and to another apartment in that building at 3458 North Janssen before 1968.

3450/3458 N. Janssen Ave., Chicago (Present Day)

Frances and Al in their Janssen apartment, c1960.

Thanks for dropping by.

Workday Wednesday - Three Generations of Jackson Men

2011-09-28T01:00:00.010-07:00

None of my Jackson men followed in their father's footsteps. Each generation chose a completely different occupation from the generation before.

Joseph Jackson, Carpenter

My earliest known Jackson ancestor first appears in 1848 when he marries my 3rd great-grandmother Eliza T. Sawyer in Monroe, Waldo county, Maine. Those early marriage records provided almost no personal information other than the fact that he resided in Prospect, Maine at that time. Soon after, he appears in the 1850 census for Monroe as a Ship Carpenter. He and Eliza were living on his father-in-law's farm.

Ship Carpenter's tool chest from the 1850s

Joseph's next appearance is in the 1860 census for Jackson, Waldo county, Maine. At this time he is a Farmer with real estate valued at $900 and personal property valued at $500. Ten years later he is again working as a carpenter, this time as a House Carpenter, in Searsport. The value of his real estate has increased to $2,000 and his personal property to $1,000.

Fast forward to 1880 where Joseph has come full circle; he is again occupied as a Ship Carpenter but has relocated to Ashland, Middlesex county, Massachusetts. This census also gives us a look at his grown sons' first occupations; John H. and Wilfred both work in Boot Shops.

1880 census Ashland, Middlesex county, Massachusetts

When he died in Malden on 16 Jan 1893, his occupation was listed simply as Carpenter.

John Harry Jackson, Bootmaker & Meat Cutter
Joseph's son and my 2nd great-grandfather was born 1 Aug 1854 in Jackson, Waldo county, Maine. He is found on the 1880 census with the occupation Works in Boot Shop (see above image). He married first Mary Elizabeth Hill in 1879. The marriage record lists his occupation as Hat Blocker in Ashland, Middlesex county, Massachusetts. [Please look at the below image and tell me if you think I got the occupation right. If it is, and you know what that is, would you please tell me?]

1879 marriage record to Mary Hill

Sadly, Mary died of pneumonia a scant three months later in Medfield, Norfolk county, Massachusetts. John married my 2nd great-grandmother Ida Estella Whittemore on 17 Nov 1881 in Ashland. The marriage register gave Bootmaker for his occupation. He was still a Bootmaker in 1882 at the time of the birth of his first child, Harry Edward.

John made a change of career by 1900 when he is listed as a Meat Cutter in Malden, Middlesex county, Massachusetts. Notice in the image below that son Harry E. is a Shipper. [What does it say in parens after the word Shipper?]

1900 census Malden, Middlesex county, Massachusetts

The 1910 census shows that John is still a Meat Cutter at a Market but he has moved to Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts. He remains a Meat Cutter and continues to live in Boston up to his death in 1915.

Harry Edward Jackson, Railroad Fireman & Engineer

Harry Edward Jackson c1910

My great-grandfather's first job was as a Shipper in Malden, Massachusetts (see 1900 census image above). When he married Oscara Francesca (Frances) Bye in 1908, he was a Railroad Fireman in Dorchester, Suffolk county, Massachusetts. He worked as a Railroad Fireman in Boston (1910) and Braintree, Norfolk county, Massachusetts (1913).

Harry Edward Jackson
WW I Draft Registration

Harry registered for the draft in 1918 at which time he was a Locomotive Engineer for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in Boston. The 1920 census for Rockland, Plymouth county, Massachusetts indicates that he is still a Locomotive Engineer.

Postcard believed to include Harry (right-most man standing
in the group of three men)

Harry Edward Jackson
Social Security Application

Earnings breakdown 1937-1941

Harry worked for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company to 1941. His last service month of record was November 1941. He made $2,052.13 for working eight months that year.

Later in life, Harry spent his winters in Tampa, Florida. He lived in a trailer and died there in 1943. His sister as the informant on the death certificate said that he was an Engineer living in Boston.

Harry working on his trailer in Tampa

Thanks for dropping by.

Tuesday's Tip - FamilySearch Rocks! (and I Heart GeneaBloggers)

2011-09-27T18:30:00.003-07:00

Back in July, I created my first blog ever because it was the latest and greatest genealogy tool and everyone was doing it. But I couldn't think of anything to write, er blog. I had this foolish notion that it should be organized, sort of like if I was writing a book, and wasn't quite sure how I really wanted to structure it. I've never been the type of genealogist that picks just one individual or one family group to focus on and then move to another when "done" with them...I tend to bounce around from one family to another and am usually researching two or three lines simultaneously. Then I discovered the Daily Blogging Prompts on GeneaBloggers. GeneaBloggers' explanation for the prompts was the perfect solution to my dilemma:

"Many genealogy and family history bloggers like to post every day but at times are at a loss for ideas. Using the series of daily blogging prompts below – and there are over 30 of them! – is not only a great way to create new content, but also lets you participate in a community effort with other genealogy bloggers."

All right! now I have something to write about without stressing over the structure of my blog. And so I began...

But wait. My post is titled FamilySearch Rocks! yet all I've been talking about are Daily Blogging Pompts. What does one have to do with the other? Well, I'll tell you. Although I have been doing my own research for 14+ years, I have many, many holes in my tree. The reason for those holes is that the data was not easily accessible to me, the filling of which required more time than I had to give. Consequently, I pretty much just gave up on them.

When I started writing my blog posts, those pesky holes jumped out at me. So, I did some searches on FamilySearch. Voilá!

I found my 2nd great grandpa's hitherto unknown first wife while searching for occupations for Workday Wednesday - Three Generations of Jackson Men (to be published tomorrow).
I found marriages and baptisms in Norway parish record indices while writing my post for Monday Madness - Religously Insane!, which led me to digital images of those records on the National Archives of Norway, Arkivverket Digitalarkivet website (the indexed record gave me the source film number; a film/fiche search at the FamilySearch library catalog gave me a link to the archives).
I found my cousin's marriage record containing his wife's name, date of birth, and parents' names while documenting the Thriller Thursday - Railroad Crossing Tragedy story.

While I didn't use all of the information I found in those stories, the point is that I saw that I had holes which FamilySearch helped me to fill. FamilySearch has over 2 billion indexed names and an additional 312 million names that have not been indexed and are browse-only images. They add about a million new records every week. You have to go back often to search for the same people...eventually you will find them! And best of all, it is 100%, no strings attached, FREE!

In summary, GeneaBloggers' Daily Blogging Prompts coupled with the dynamic FamilySearch website have re-energized my research and documentation of my findings. FamilySearch Rocks! (and I Heart GeneaBloggers).

Thanks for dropping by.

Monday Madness - Religiously Insane!

2011-09-26T00:04:00.004-07:00

"Hans O. Tvedt, a Norwegian of this town went to Insane Asylum in Augusta a few days ago. He is said to be religiously insane." This was an entry made in Andrew Walker’s diary on Friday, 6 November 1896 (Kennebunk, Maine). The subject of that entry was the husband of my Great-Grandaunt.

Hans Olaves Tvedt was born about 1855 in Østre Molands parish, Aust-Agder, Norway to Samuel Joakim Tvedt and Marthe Olsdatter.[1] He married Clara Eugenie Bye, daughter of Carl Olavus Hansen and Julianna Marie Rasmusdatter, between 1880 and 1883 probably in Arendal, Aust-Agder, Norway.[2] It is believed that Hans and Clara immigrated to the U.S. in either 1880 or 1884. His younger brothers, Anthon (Antoine) Marthin Tvedt and Samuel Marthin Tvedt immigrated in 1880 and 1884 respectively.[3] The brothers settled in Kennebunk, York county, Maine. Hans created a successful leathergoods business in Kennebunk where they manufactured leather trunks from leatherboard. They actively recruited other Norwegians to immigrate to Kennebunk to staff the factory, which is presumably why Clara’s family came to the U.S.

So, what happened to Hans in 1896? He went from a prosperous businessman living the American dream to a raging lunatic at the insane asylum within 16 years or less. Well, to begin with, he and Clara had only one living child, Julian Martine Tvedt (discussed in a previous post), who was born in Maine in 1888. While I have been unable to locate any records, we can safely assume that Clara either miscarried or lost children before and maybe after Julian. Clara died on 6 March 1895 of consumption. Hans sold his leathergoods business to his brother Samuel shortly after. Hans must have been consumed with grief. His son Julian was only six years old when he lost his mother but his father was apparently unable to care for him; Julian was sent to live with his mother's sister Hilda (Bye) Crowley.

Hans was admitted to the Augusta Mental Health Institute on 21 October 1896, 20 months after Clara’s death, and remained until his death nine years and seven months later. The Augusta Mental Health Institute’s records are difficult to decipher. Below is the transcription as best as I can make it out:

Oct 1896: Hans Tvedt of Kennebunk, 1st ad., Native Sweden, age 35, was admitted to the Augusta Mental Health Institute. Religious id?????  predominate. Thinks his friends have turned against him.
Oct 1896: Very delusional and despondent.
Nov 1896: Delusions in regard to religious matters. 
Jan 1897: No improvement mentally. [This is repeated for 1 Apr and 10 Apr 1897]
Jan 1899: Well disposed. Has fixed delusions. 
Jan. 1900: No change in past year.
Mar 1901: No change in past year. 
Dec 1902: Much the same. 
??? 1903: In good physical health. No change mentally. 
Oct 1903: ditto 
Sept 1904: Much the same in every respect. 
May 1906: Recently became very much excited and noisy
May 1906: Very much exhausted. Mania is exhausting.
May 1906: Died this morning. Exhaustion Mania

Here is the record that was sent to me. If anyone can make out some of the words that I was not able to, please let me know.

Acknowledgement: My cousin, Karl Bye, found much of the information in this story. He discovered the diary entry and the information about the leathergoods business. Thank you for sharing your finds with me, Karl! It inspired me to research poor Hans' story a little further.

Thanks for dropping by.

[1] 1865 census for Christiania, Norway, Samuel Joaki Tvedt household, numbers 22 thru 29, 0918 Østre Moland.

[2] Marriage record has not been located to date. Place of marriage is assumed based on the parish where her sister Marie Elevine Bye’s 1881 birth was recorded. Marriage date is estimated based on assumption that they were married before they immigrated.

[3] Antoine and Sam’s naturalization petitions. No immigration or naturalization records have been found for Hans.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Hobbies

2011-09-23T00:15:00.001-07:00

The online Merium-Webster dictionary gives the following definition as its first choice for hobby: ": a small Old World falcon (Falco subbuteo) that is dark blue above and white below with dark streaking on the breast." Huh. I don't think that's what is meant by this week's topic for 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History.

Okay, then, they must mean the second definition: ": a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation." Everything I did as a child fell into one of three categories: school, chores, play. I'm going to assume that the intent for this topic is the activities that fell into the play category.

Image found on public domain.

I was a bit of a tomboy...while I didn't play sports, I did enjoy roller skating, playing catch, riding my bike, and climbing trees. I used to watch my sister play with dolls and thought it was really boring. And then I discovered Troll Dolls. Do you remember them? They were short and fat and really ugly which made them really cute. They had outrageous colored hair that was fuzzy and messy. I don't remember how many Troll dolls I had, but I saved my allowance and bought another as soon as I had enough to do so. I kept them all lined up on the window sill in my bedroom.

Image found on public domain.

I didn't play with the dolls, I made clothes for them! My mother wouldn't let me use the sewing machine (I was still too young to operate heavy machinery) so I had to hand sew all their garments. She would give me scraps of felt and I would make little outfits for them. I had many happy hours of designing the outfits and plying the needle and thread. Hmmm, maybe my hobby was really fashion design and sewing. I might have been a contender for Project Runway! Who knew?

Thanks for dropping by.

Those Places Thursday - Payson Avenue, Rockland, Massachusetts

2011-09-22T00:01:00.001-07:00

This is a postcard that was found in my great-grandmother's effects. It was probably taken between 1915 and 1930. We believe that one of the homes depicted here is either the home in which she lived with her first husband at 37 Payson Ave. (Harry Edward JACKSON and Oscara Francesca "Francis" BYE) or the one that her second husband (Alton or Allen William WENDERGREN) lived with his mother and step-father (John J. WESTMAN and Matilda Sofia ANDERSON) at 74 Payson Ave.

This is written on the back of the postcard:
To Mr. A. Ekhurg
8 Mill ot
Dorchester Mass
yug far dur aran att yratlubea Pa Augut dagen Westman

WESTMAN was the name of the family living at 74 Payson Ave. and they were all born in Sweden. Since that name appears on the postcard, I'm guessing it is written in Swedish. It is also more likely that the WESTMAN home at 74 Payson Ave. is in this photo not only because their name is in the postcard's message but also because there is a curve in the road on the photo and there is a curve in the road at that address in Google maps. Unfortunately, there is no street view available on Google maps but there are many houses in the areas of both addresses which makes me think that they are both still standing. If anyone is ever in the neighborhood, please let me know if the houses are still there.

Thanks for dropping by.

Wordless Wednesday - Dorothy Jackson (1913-1990)

2011-09-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

"Grame and Dorothy Worcester Mass."

Sympathy Saturday - Jacob Heinz

2011-09-17T00:32:00.001-07:00

Jacob and Christine (Schwartz) Heinz

It seems appropriate to write about my 3rd Great-Grandfather as his birthday was this week. Jacob Heinz was born 14 September 1812 in Germany and died on 15 May 1904 at the age of 91 years, 8 months and 1 day (don't you love those calculators the genealogy programs give you?).

Jacob learned carpentry from his father, George, as a young boy. In February 1837, at the age of 24, he set off for the U.S. He arrived in New York on 15 April where he remained until the fall when he went to Mt. Vernon, Florida to work on the United States arsenal. Jacob worked there until April 1843. His friend, Erhart Beyer, told him of the "great opportunities and the fertile soil" found in Cook county, so he purchased one hundred and sixty acres in the town of Maine.

Jacob Heinz married Christine Schwartz, daughter of Peter Schwartz, on 13 June 1844. They had twelve children, eight of whom lived to adulthood.

Jacob and Christine are considered to be original settlers of the Grennan Heights area of Niles. He was elected Town Supervisor for one term, but refused any additional political appointments stating that "a man cannot well be a politician and be honest."

Jacob died of "senile gengrene of left leg" on 15 May 1904 in Niles Center.

Christine died on 27 October 1906 at the age of 82. They are both buried in the St. Peter Catholic cemetery in Skokie.

Both Jacob and Christine lived long and prosperous lives. They left many children to carry on their work. So, why are they the target of my sympathy, you ask? Well, they aren't. The targets of my sympathy are all of us that were born after they died because we didn't have the opportunity to get to know them personally. But I feel certain that I will meet them after I leave this world and will mean it when I thank them for their legacy.

Thanks for dropping by.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History - Earliest Memory

2011-09-15T23:18:00.001-07:00

Each week GeneaBloggers and Amy Coffin publish a topic for genealogists to publish on their blogs or to record in their computers or journals. This week's topic (week #37) is "Earliest Memory".


Me and my sister not long before the Great Tragedy of which I write.

They say that the memory of traumatic experiences stay with you for a lifetime. My earliest memory is of the first tragedy I experienced when I was only three years old. On this fateful night, my parents decided to go out on a date. This was unusual as I don't remember very many times that both my parents left us children with strangers at night. On this occasion, they took my sister and me to the nursery on the Air Force base where my dad was stationed. I had never been there before and was frightened, but I had to be brave for my younger sister so she wouldn't cry. That wasn't as difficult as it sounds because I had a secret weapon. You see, I had my Blankey! Blankey was my constant companion and I violently resisted all efforts made by my parents or anyone else to separate me from it.

I don't remember much about the nursery except that there was a room with a lot of beds (probably cots). I remember that my sister and I were put in beds/cots next to each other and we went to sleep. I know that I fell asleep tightly clutching Blankey in my little hands. The next thing I remember is my parents waking us up and carrying us out to the car. I was so relieved to see them and escape that awful scary place and settled blissfully into my place in the car. Part way home, I realized Blankey was missing! I started to yell that it was gone and my parents immediately went back to the nursery to find it. Alas, it was nowhere to be found. I was devastated! I know that I must have grieved for the loss of Blankey because I still vividly remember the moment I realized it was gone forever. My mother says that I eventually learned to live without it, but my sleep was uneasy for a while until then.

At some point I started to suspect that my parents had left Blankey there on purpose to wean me from it. I'm not sure how long after the tragic loss that I came to that conclusion but it was probably some years later as a three year old doesn't usually have sophisticated reasoning skills. I kept my suspicions to myself until my rebellious teens when I confronted my mother. She emphatically denied the accusation then and continues to deny it today. But I still wonder...

Rest In Peace, my beloved Blankey. You are lost but not forgotten.

Thriller Thursday - Railroad Crossing Tragedy

2011-09-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

The Springfield Daily Republican, Springfield, Mass.: Friday, February 24, 1939

The family were returning from a "happy day's work" remodeling an old house which they planned to move into in May. Julian never regained consciousness and died of his injuries on 24 February. The Springfield Daily Republican of 27 February said: "Mr. Tvedt was born at Kennebunk, Me., of Norwegian birth, the family having extraordinary musical ability. His grandfather was a band conductor of Norway and his mother a concert pianist. He graduated from the Washington missionary college at Washington, D.C., and studied the violin with his grandfather. He had taught violin several years. On August 17, 1932, he married Barbara Newton of Vernon. Besides his widow and five-year-old son, Carl, he leaves two uncles, Tersac [sic] Bye of Portland, Me., and Samuel Tvedt of Kennebunk, Me."

The Atlantic Union Gleaner of March 29, 1939 reported that Barbara and Carl were still convalescing in the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Barbara died in 1984 and Carl died before 1983.

Julian Tvedt posing with his violin.

Julian Martine TVEDT was my 1st cousin twice removed. He was raised with my great-grandmother Oscara Francesca BYE who was five months older than he. His mother, Clara Eugenie BYE, died of consumption when he was six and a half years old. His father, Hans Olaves TVEDT, was admitted to an insane asylum when Julian was eight years old (a topic for a future "Thriller Thursday"). He was brought up by his mother's younger sister, Hilda Sennove BYE, and her husband, Cornelius F. CROWLEY.

Julian Tvedt and Frances Bye, circa 1898.

Cornelius "Tom" Crowley and Hulda (Bye) Crowley, 1928.

Wordless Wednesday - Julianna Marie (Rasmusdatter, Christenson) Bye

2011-09-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

Julianna Marie (Rasmusdatter, Christensen) Bye with daughter Oscara Francesca Bye and grandson Julian Martine Tvedt in Kennebunk, York county Maine about 1900

What am I doing!!!???

2011-07-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

I have heard so much about how blogging is a great tool in your family history research so I've decided to start one. This one is focused on my mother's side of the family. I thought it might be too limiting to only include one surname but would get too big/confusing if I did both parents' in one blog so I will start with her and, if it works out, I will begin a new one for my father's family.

To begin with, my mother's father came from German stock and her mother was the daughter of a Norwegian immigrant and a long line of New Englanders. That strange mixture alone will probably make this a little complicated, but I will do my best.

Stay tuned for more. And please feel free to leave comments.