31 August 2011

Harry Glover at Work-Workday Wednesday


This picture of my grandfather, Harry Glover, was taken at the headquarters of Chrysler Corporation in Highland Park, Michigan.  I don't know when this picture was taken, but I do know that Chrysler moved into the Highland Park facility in 1925.  Harry worked as a mechanical engineer while at Chrysler.  He retired after 25 years of service to Chrysler.

27 August 2011

My Wedding Story-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Week 35.  Wedding.  Tell us about your wedding.  You may also talk about your future wedding, the wedding of a relative or shape this question to fit your own life experience.

My husband, Kirk, asked me to marry him on Saturday, September 13, 1980.  Linda Ronstadt and The Muppet Movie records were playing.  He asked me to marry him at his home at the time, which was perfect as I am not a fan of public displays.

My engagement diamond was his grandmother's.  It was a beautiful, old cut, round solitaire. Kirk had it reset in a white gold setting with a matching wedding band.  It was a very simple setting, which I loved. 

Our wedding took place six months later in March of 1981.  Kirk was going to be attending graduate school in the summer of 1981 and we wanted to get married before he went, so we decided on a Spring Break wedding.  Can you tell we were teachers at the time? 


The Michigan weather, in March, can be anything from a blizzard to an ice storm to rain.  We lucked out.  The morning started out a little chilly, but by the 5:30 p.m. service the sun was shining through the 'Jesus praying at the Garden of Gethsemane' stained glass window on the altar of St. John's Lutheran Church, Palms, Michigan.



Our marriage ceremony was a traditional Lutheran ceremony with scripture readings, vows, exchange of rings, lighting unity candle, prayers and benediction.  Music selected by Kirk and I was sung by a family friend, Richard Klaus.  I wonder if my choice of musical theatre songs was a sign that our children would like musical theatre, one of them anyway.  I love it when I hear "Sunrise, Sunset", "Wedding Song", or "Day by Day", it takes me back.  And I love to hear "The Lord's Prayer" sung.


Our Wedding Party
L-R:  Michael Williams, Joanne Werkema, Gerry Czyzyk, Linda Elson, Me, Kirk, Nancy Glover, James Haskins, Mary Hentschl-Early, James A. Leyndyke 


My attendants included my sister, Linda, as matron of honor; my sister, Nancy; Kirk's sister, Joanne; and my best friend, Mary.

Kirk's attendants included a good friend, Gerry, as best man; friends, Mike and Jim; and his brother, Jim.

Ushers were my brother-in-law, Jeff Elson and Kirk's friend, Andy Ylisto.

A reception for about 220 people was held at St. Joseph's Parish Hall, M-19, Argyle, Michigan, which was about 20 miles from the church.  Friends and family from throughout the United States joined us in celebrating our wedding.


We honeymooned in Toronto, Canada.  We stayed at the Chelsea Inn, for $52 a night!  Current prices are about $150 a night.  We were on the 23rd floor and the view was fabulous. 

Kirk and I celebrated our 30th anniversary this year.  Would I marry him all over again?  You bet, without a doubt!

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History by Amy Coffin, of the We Tree blog, is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2011) that invite genealogists and others to record memories and insights about their own lives for future descendants.

26 August 2011

Battle Creek Yearbooks-Follow Friday

(Once a month I try to showcase a Battle Creek, Michigan
resource on my blog.  This month's post comes from
Willard Library, Battle Creek, Michigan)

Willard Library, in my hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan, has digitized yearbooks from five local public high schools.  Those high schools and the years covered are:
  1. Battle Creek High School (1894-2000)
  2. Harper Creek High School (1962-2000)
  3. Lakeview High School (1925-2000)
  4. Pennfield High School (1979-2000)
  5. Springfield High School  (1956-1989)
Online access is limited to those with a current Willard Library card.  However, non library card users can access the digitized yearbooks in person at Willard Library.  If you can't travel to our lovely city, then information is provided here (scroll to bottom of page) on having the library staff search, up to five pages, for you.  They will return the search in the form of an emailed pdf. file.

The yearbook digitization project was instituted in order to preserve the yearbooks which are suffering from deterioration.  If you are looking for Battle Creek ancestors, check this wonderful resource out.

23 August 2011

Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Glover, Jr. Anniversary

My grandparents, Frank H. Glover, Jr "Harry" and Sarah Lilla Watt "Lilla", were married 92 years ago, today.  I would love to know the story of their meeting and getting married.  

Lilla was living in Marquette, Michigan at the time of their marriage.  Harry was living and working in Detroit, Michigan.  Harry had been married, previously, to Emma Winkler, who died in 1915.  Harry and Emma had a son, Francis "Hank".  Hank was being raised by his grandparents, Frank H. and Hattie (Fenn) Glover, in Marquette, Michigan.  I would imagine Harry would come visit his parents and son and met Lilla, or maybe they knew each other before this.  I'm not sure.   

The picture below is the only picture I have of Harry and Lilla together.  Also in the picture is Edythe Glover, who was Claude Glover's (Harry's brother) wife.

 L-R Edythe Glover, Harry Glover, Sarah Watt Glover 
taken before September, 1950.

Source:  "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," Marriage Record, , Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 15 August 2011), citing the marriage of Frank H. Glover, Jr. and Sarah L. Watt; Film #2342732, Image 195

The record above states:
  • Frank H. Glover, Jr, age 36, of Detroit, and Sarah L. Watt, age 34, of Marquette, were married Aug 23, 1919 in Marquette Michigan.
  • Parents of the groom were Frank H. Glo and attie Fenn.  (unreadable in crease-actual names are Frank H. Glover and Hattie Fenn)
  • Parents of the bride were David Wa  and atherin McGee (unreadable in crease-actual names are David Watt and Catherine McGee.)
  • The groom's birthplace is listed as Jackson.
  • The bride's birthplace is listed as Marquette.
  • The groom's occupation was listed as mechanic.
  • The bride's occupation was listed as stenographer.
  • E. M. Martinson officiated as a baptist minister.
  • Witnesses were Doris I. Bowson and Burt L. Watt, both of Marquette.  (Burt Watt was Sarah's youngest brother.)

22 August 2011

Happy Birthday, Neil-My Younger Brother

Neil D. Glover-High School Graduation-A 'Few' Years Ago

My only brother, Neil, is celebrating a birthday today.  Neil is 11 years younger than I am.  When I left for college he was only 6 years old.  He told me once that he didn't remember my living at home.  I thought that was kind of sad.  When he was 12, he  moved with my parents to Texas.   I would see him about once a year. 

This past summer my husband and I spent a week with Neil, his wife, Amanda and their darling little girl.  My parents were there, too.  In addition, Amanda's mother was able to join us.  It was a great week.  We rented a house in Beulah, Michigan, near Crystal Lake.

Even though we are miles apart I have fond memories of Neil.  I use to babysit for him when I was in high school.  Neil has always had a great sense of humor.  I don't think I tortured him too much as a child.  If I did, he doesn't remember it anyway! 

Neil had a set of lego's that you could use to make buildings with, I loved helping him with that.  He had matchbox cars and a car wash to go with that.  We would play that.  He had an erector set that use to drive me crazy.  It had thin plastic panels that went into plastic grids and you connected them to erect buildings.  I wasn't very good at it or perhaps it was more that I didn't have the patience for it.  My husband taught Neil to play chess, before I had even met him.  Neil was a great chess player, even won a couple of tournaments.  I use to play chess with him. 

Now, Neil is a huge University of Michigan fan.  So, in honor of your birthday, Neil.  M Go Blue!!

Happy Birthday!

20 August 2011

Flour + Water = Glue: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Week 34.  Smells.  Describe any smells that take you back to childhood.  These could be from meals, fragrant gardens, musty basements, or something entirely different.



Mrs. Trigger's Kindergarten Class 1962-63
Deckerville Elementary School, Deckerville, Michigan
(Third Row-Second from the Right-That's Me!)

There are many smells that take me back to childhood, corn on the cob cooking, yeast raised bread, donuts frying, lilies of the valley growing, and glue! 

The smell when I mix flour and water together takes me back to Mrs. Trigger's Kindergarten classroom.  She wasn't one of my favorite teachers.  She had blue hair, for goodness sakes!  Well, maybe it was just blue to my five year old self, but what do I know I had a bad home perm!  I digress, one of my favorite times in Kindergarten (no, it wasn't nap time!) was when we would do art projects. 

Out came the flour and water glue!  We didn't get to mix it ourselves, it just magically appeared on our table.  We would have to share it; I remember there being at least 4 people to a table.  We would get our paint shirt on, one of Dad's old shirts, that we had brought from home and go at it.

I remember using(recycling before it became hip) the tops off of the glass milk bottles and making flowers out of them.  I remember in the spring we would pull the fuzzy part off of pussy willows and draw our own stems and glue the fuzzies to the paper.  I remember some sort of paper mache type project, not sure what that was.  A lot of our art projects required the use of glue and it is one of the smells that takes me back. 

And then, I remember the clean up!  Our hands would have the dry, crusted flour on them.  The shirts, too.  The next time we went to use the shirts, you could peel the glue off of it. 

Isn't it funny how different smells trigger(no pun intended) different thoughts and feelings.  For me, anytime I smell flour I think of if you add water, you will get glue!

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History by Amy Coffin, of the We Tree blog, is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2011) that invite genealogists and others to record memories and insights about their own lives for future descendants.

19 August 2011

Victor Tyson Obituary



Source:  Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Calhoun, Michigan, United States,
17 August 1944; city edition.  page 2; column 1.

Victor Tyson

Victor Tyson, 47, of 1833 West Goguac, died in a local hospital at 11 a.m Wednesday after a month's illness. Mr. Tyson, a brick mason by trade was born June 21 1897 in Gossforth, Cumberland, England, the son of Edward and Matilda (Steele) Tyson. With his parents he came to this country when he was about 10 years old, the family settling in Superior, Wis. During the First World war he served overseas with the 44th Canadian Machinegun battalion and was wounded in action. After his discharge he went to Marquette in the upper peninsula, and there he was married to Adeline Grover(sic). In 1927 they came to Battle Creek to make their home. Mr. Tyson was a member of the local bricklayers union. Those who survive are the widow; three sons, Ted, at home, Pfc. Jack G. Tyson who is with the paratroops in New Guinea, and Signalman, Third Class, James V. Tyson who is with the navy in the south Pacific; his father, Edward Tyson, St. of Superior, Wis; four brothers, John, Edward, Jr, and Albert, all of Superior, and William of Murray, Utah, and three sisters, Mrs. William O'Hara and Mrs. Mona Isaacson, both of Superior and Mrs. Ray Crom?? of Baraboo, Wis.

My last post from Hattie's Bible was a telegram about Victor Tyson's death.  Above is his obituary with transcription. 

Victor Tyson was married to my great aunt, Adeline Glover.  She was the daughter of Frank H. Glover and Hattie Fenn, of Hattie's Bible fame.

17 August 2011

War Time Telegram-Hattie's Bible

Source:  Glover, Hattie L. "Fenn", family data. In The Holy Bible: with Revised New Testament. Chicago: GW Borland & Co., 1882. Original owned in August 2011 by Brenda Leyndyke, [address for private use], Battle Creek, Michigan.


Sent Aug 17, 1944 to Mrs. Victor Tyson 1833 West Goguac Battle Creek, Mich

NOTICE OF FATHERS DEATH FORWARDED TO JAMES VICTOR TYSON. 
DUE TO EXIGENCIES OF WAR HIS RETURN HOME AT PRESENT
UNLIKELY NEITHER MAY PROMPTLY REPLY BE EXPECTED=
   BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL

CFM JAMES VICTOR TYSON


The above telegram was found in my great grandmother's bible. (Hattie Fenn Glover)  The telegram is in response to a notice sent to James Victor Tyson informing him that his father died. 

The people in this telegram are as follows:
  •  Mrs. Victor Tyson:  She is Adeline E. Glover, the daughter of Frank H. and Hattie (Fenn) Glover.  She married Victor Tyson 25 February 1922, in Marquette, Michigan.  They had three children, John(Jack), James, and Francis(Ted).  Adeline E. Glover is my great aunt. 
  • James Victor Tyson:  He is the second son of Adeline E. Glover and Victor Tyson; born 14 April 1925.  He was serving with the navy in the South Pacific as a Signalman, Third Class.
  • Father in Telegram:  He is Victor Tyson, who died 16 August 1944 in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Victor was born 21 June 1897 in Gossforth, Cumberland, England.  He was the son of Edward and Matilda (Steele) Tyson. 
  • Capt Glover:  On the middle bottom of the telegram looks like a stamped area that was filled in.  The telephone number, who it was phoned to, the time and by who is written in.  The Capt Glover it was phoned to would be Adeline's brother, Merle M. Glover.  As I don't know a lot about Western Union telegrams, I'm not sure if it was sent to both Merle and Adeline or what. 

When I first found this telegram in the bible I thought about how hard it must have been for James Tyson to find out his father had died while he was fighting World War II.  I didn't know a lot about the family at this point.  I have since done a little research.  It is sad to think that my great aunt and her family were living in Battle Creek at the time I moved here and I didn't know it.  I would have loved to have talked to her.  I called her son, Jack, once, but he wasn't receptive to meeting and I never pushed it.  He has since died.


15 August 2011

She Died Where?-Civil War Pension File-Military Monday

I wonder how long it would have taken me to find Adaline L. (Dyer) Glover's death if I hadn't ordered her husband's, Samuel S. Glover, Jr., civil war pension file.  She would have been another one of my ancestors whom I would have kept looking for.  Luckily, I did order the pension file and guess what?  I could check quite a few items off my check list for Adaline, notably her death date and place.

The letter below is from the adjutant at the Wisconsin Veterans' Home.  He lists pensioners and one widow who died in the home.  He included their death date and pension certificate number.

Source:  Glover, Jr., Samuel Stillman; Pension File No. 28715, Civil War Pension File, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).

The following deaths were listed:
  • Burlin, George W.     Nov. 16th, 1917 
  • Brainard, Anson M.   Nov. 20th, 1917      
  • Dunbar, Martin V.     Nov. 23rd, 1917     
  • Haney, James R         Nov. 23rd, 1917
  • Lewis, Charles O.      Nov.   9th, 1917
  • Locke, William H.     Nov. 16th, 1917
  • Mohr, John (Johan)    Oct. 25th, 1917   AND
  • Glover, Adda              Dec 19th, 1917
Samuel's pension file has been very helpful in filling in some of the blanks I have had about his family.  So, don't overlook the pension files to discover genealogical gems.

11 August 2011

Happy Anniversary, Linda and Jeff

My sister, Linda, and her husband, Jeff are celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary today. 
 Happy Anniversary, Linda and Jeff.

07 August 2011

Frank H. Glover Born 148 Years Ago

Frank H. Glover
Date of Picture Unknown

Frank H. Glover, son of Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr. and Adaline L. Dyer was born on 7 August 1863 in Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan, United States.  He was the third of ten children born to Samuel and Adaline Glover. 

06 August 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History Week 32: Dinner Time

Week 32:  Dinner Time.  On a typical childhood evening, who was around the dinner table?  Was the meal served by one person, or was it a free-for-all?  What is dinner time like in your family today?


Dinner time in my family as a child was a very Midwestern meat and potato type of meal.  During the school year dinner time included my mother cooking and placing the food on the table.  We would sit around the kitchen table and eat family style.  Prayers were said and then we would pass the food to each other.  My dad who was a high school coach would eat when he got home.  My mom would make a plate for him and keep it warm until he got home.  I remember having very well-balanced meals; meat, a starch-usually potatoes of some type, vegetables, and fruit, jello, or dessert.  My mother is an excellent cook, everything was made from scratch.  I remember roasts, chicken, steak, meat loaf, pork chops and spaghetti. 

Summertime would find the whole family at the table, including dad.  Meals were a little lighter during the summer.  My mom would make use of the fresh fruits and vegetables that were available during the summer.  Favorite summertime meals were BLT's, hot dogs, hamburgers, sloppy joes or fried chicken.

For as long as I can remember we had sit down family meals.  Even in high school when our schedules were busy we would meet at the dinner table.  I kept the same tradition when my children were growing up.  Family meal time was the time to catch up with everyone's day and hear the stories of what was going on.  I think this is what I miss the most now that I am an empty nester.  I miss the laughter at the table.  I miss hearing the kids talk about their day.

I am a planner and have always planned two weeks worth of meals and grocery shop for it.  I try to balance the main meal between beef, chicken, fish, pork, or vegetarian.  I have gotten away from the meat and potato type meals for my husband and I.  I love to try new recipes and rarely have the same thing twice in a month.  Currently, I grill a lot and we usually have a vegetable and salad, or at least we do when we are being good about eating healthy.  Every now and then I get tired of cooking and then we eat out.  Dessert is few and far between.

Family meal time was and is a wonderful experience.  One that I feel fortunate enough to have been able to have as a child and a mother.

04 August 2011

Fredrick Centennial Farm: Those Thursday Places


My cousin, Rose Marie Hillard, recently applied for, and received, Centennial Farm designation for the Fredrick family farm.  She said it was a two year process by the time she proved all the relationships and land ownership for the application.


Our (Rose Marie and I) great grandfather, J. August Fredrick, owned the farm first.  Then, it was passed to our grandfather, Otto August Fredricks.  Otto Fredricks sold the farm to his son, Otto Robert Fredricks, who then sold it to Rose Marie and her husband, William. 


Numerous improvements have been made to the house and grounds.  The original house has been remodelled.  The original barn was torn down and a new barn built by my grandfather, Otto.  Other buildings on the farm have been removed.

Congratulations to Rose Marie on achieving Centennial Farm designation. 

03 August 2011

Sharing my Love of Point Betsie

My husband and I joined my brother and his family along with my parents last month for a week long vacation near Crystal Lake, Michigan.  We rented a house in Beulah, Michigan and had a great vacation. 


The highlight of the vacation was meeting my 13 month old niece for the first time and getting to share Point Betsie with her.  Although she doesn't understand the family history involved with it, I still enjoyed taking her there and getting pictures.

My great grandfather, Frank H. Glover, was an assistant lighthouse keeper at Point Betsie.  The assistant lighthouse keeper's quarters were on the second floor of the lighthouse.  Point Betsie is open for tours on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer months.  The fully restored building is filled with historic images of the lighthouse.  You can even rent the second floor rooms and stay at the lighthouse. 

3 Generations of Glover's
L-R:  Bruce, Neil, Brenda, and Caitlyn

Relationship to Frank H. Glover
Bruce: Grandson; Neil and Brenda: Great Grandchild;
Caitlyn:  Great Great Grandchild

I enjoyed getting a picture of three generations of Glover's at the lighthouse.  I am not sure that my family shares my enthusiasm for family history, but I enjoyed sharing it with them on this trip.

02 August 2011

A New Generation Started on my Tree

Welcome to the World, Nicholas 'Nico'


My great nephew, Nico, was born recently.  He is the first of his generation in our family.  I always enjoy adding individuals to our family tree.  Nico is a special addition as he makes me a great aunt for the first time.  Best wishes to his parents and welcome to the family, Nico.