oral-history
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When guessing is all you have…
When Amalie was 7-years-old she was sent to a neighboring farm to work because her family was so poor. I found this little nugget of information tucked in my e-records for my Great-Grandmother (my father’s maternal grandmother) Thyra Amalie Martinsen JENSEN. It took me by surprise because it wasn’t tied to any supporting documentation. I…
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Mommy Dearest or Dearest Mom?
A story persists in the McDowell oral history about Lizzie Martin McDowell, my paternal great-grandmother. As the story goes, she was a wicked thing, mean and abusive to both her children and her husband John as well as being generally promiscuous, having an affinity for the local male population. [1] Poor Lizzie. Will no one…
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Those Nosy News Reporters
I love them! Nosy Reporters, that is. Were it not for a nosy news reporter, I would know far less about my maternal 3rd-Great-Grandmother than I do. Luckily for me, she knew Abraham Lincoln.
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When your ancestor’s name is John Smith…
Or, in my case, the Danish equivalent of John Smith: Jens Jensen, my paternal great-grandfather. I know almost nothing about him: he came to the United States in 1900 with my great-grandmother, Thyra Amalia [1] Martinsen, and their son Oscar; by 1910 [2], he was farming in Platte, Nebraska and supporting a family of five–wife…
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Happy Birthday Ruth
One hundred and three years ago today, my husband’s paternal grandmother was born. In wanting to write a tribute to her on her birthday, however, I realize that what I know about Ruth, in the genealogical sense, is very little.
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Dynasty
Those of us of a certain age may recall the 1980s drama Dynasty. Apparently, it was so good as to warrant a reboot, so that our progeny won’t miss out on the fun. Well, those Carringtons (now or in the 80s) don’t have anything on the Pattersons.
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Delusions of Grandeur
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by
When I was in the 10th Grade, I had to write a research paper for history. We were given a list of Civil War topics from which to choose. Sadly, Irvin is not my long lost 3rd-Great-Uncle or even my 1st-Cousin-4x-Removed. He was just a very unskilled Union general.
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Top This
I’ve been told my Grandfather Weddle’s maternal relatives, the Marshes, weren’t very close. In fact, on the rare occasions that they all got together, they typically spent their time and energy playing “Top This!” [1] You know how that game goes: one sibling brags about their new car, or big bonus, or the latest remarkable…
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No More Elijah
Remember the post, where I waxed eloquent about poor Elijah—my 5th great-grandfather, who died just before arriving in America from Germany? Well, turns out that was a lie. It was an accident, I promise. But, things like this happen when researching ancestry. One tries to be diligent. To check sources. Review information to see that…
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One Trunk
Elijah opened his eyes to a sea of bodies, crammed shoulder to jowl at the foot of his berth: Papa, Hans and Elizabeth, the children, behind them others he didn’t recognize. His lovely Mary held his hand, ever the vigilant nurse, her great belly nudged against his arm. The fetid smell of urine and vomit mixed…