Why I Miss My Children-Wordless Wednesday

S.S. Glover Jr. and 1st Regiment of Engineers and Mechanics History-Military Monday

The 1st Regiment of the Engineers and Mechanics of Michigan was a civil war volunteer group of individuals that organized at Camp Owen in Marshall, Michigan, on 12 of September 1861.  Marshall, Michigan was chosen because of its' proximity to the Michigan Central Railroad.  In addition, it had a large fairgrounds where they set up camp.  Camp Owen was named after John Owen, the state treasurer at the time.   My second great grandfather, Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr. was in Company H of this regiment. 

I have researched service records, pension files, and regimental papers to learn more about this regiments' service to the Union during the civil war, especially my ancestor's important dates.  The information below gives specific times and duties of the members of Company H up to the time of Samuel S. Glover Jr.'s discharge.

A couple of things struck me as interesting when I compiled this chart.  First, what hard workers the engineers and mechanics must have been.  Can you imagine building corduroy roads in a swamp?  Next, on August 31, 1862 he was reported as deserted from U. S. Hospital #12.  Deserted?  Does this mean what I think it does?  He received a pension, so I am guessing he returned with a suitable reason for not being there on that day.  Lastly, I enjoyed reading the October 31, 1862 entry, he was listed as present or absent or not at hospital.  I guess that is better than being listed as deceased.  I wonder which one of the three he was!

One of my sources is Mark Hoffman's book, My Brave Mechanics.  At the May Calhoun County Genealogical Society meeting, held in Marshall, Michigan, Mr. Hoffman was the presenter.  He gave a very informative talk on the role of the engineers and mechanics.  If you would like more information on this regiment, his book is a well-sourced, excellent account of their service.  I wrote about his book previously, and highly recommend it.

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

Hoffman Mark, My Brave Mechanics: The First Michigan Engineers and Their Civil War (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2007).

Sligh, Charles R., History of the Service of the First Regiment Michigan Engineers and Mechanics (Grand Rapids, Michigan: n.p., 1921).  Available through google books.

No Pants Allowed-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Week 24:  Clothes-What types of clothes did you wear as a child?  What was 'in fashion' and did your style compare?

Growing up in the sixties we were not allowed to wear pants to school.  I remember having to wear dresses or skirts to school through eighth grade at the public schools I attended.  I have never really been overly fashion conscious and I don't remember specific outfits I wore as a child to school.  I do remember having to throw pants in my school bag for outdoor recess in the winter.  I imagine I had snow pants, too. 

Sunday dresses were different from my school dresses.  I remember getting Cinderella dresses for Easter and then wearing that to church on Sunday.  We had church shoes and school shoes.  We didn't wear our black or white patent leather shoes to school.  We wore school shoes and had to take a pair of tennis shoes for gym class. 

In the summer I remember wearing pedal pushers or shorts.  The collar and trim on the shirt usually matched the bottoms.  White bobby socks and tennis shoes were the norm.  These were considered our play clothes.  Winter play clothes consisted of knit pants, no jeans at that time for girls, and cotton button down blouses, or knit turtlenecks.

I remember the first time I wore pants to school.  I was sure I was going to be sent home.  It was eighth grade picture day, 1971.  Pant suits were in vogue and I had a very nice purple pant suit. It was a knit two piece.  The belted top came down to upper thigh length.  It had gold buttons on the shoulder.  The bell bottomed pants matched the top exactly in color and material.   I wanted to have my picture taken in that.  So, I broke the rules and wore it for picture day.  I worried all day that someone was going to say something, but no one did.  I remember wanting wire-rimmed glasses so bad, but my mom said "No, only hippies wear wire rimmed glasses!"  It wasn't long after that I got contacts!

Grandma Daisy's Dill Pickles-Family Recipe Friday

My grandmother, Daisy Graf Fredricks, grew up on a farm and lived most of her life on a farm.  She use to make these dill pickles.  Here is the recipe written as given to me.

3 quarts water
1 quart vinegar
1 cup coarse salt
1 tablespoon alum

Mix all together and bring to a boil.  Let boil for few minutes.  Pour over pickles which have been washed.  Put sprig of dill in bottom of jar.  Pack pickles in jar with sprig of dill on top.  Pour hot liquid over pickles and seal.  This recipe is for quart jars.

I haven't tried to make these as I don't can anymore.  I did when I was first married.  It seems easier to just buy it now.  Although, nothing is better than fresh from the garden home canned food.

Another Piece to the Puzzle-Researching Collateral Lines

Last month, I wrote about my success with researching my maternal great grandfather's sisters and finding his mother.    I am still trying to find what part of Prussia, now Poland,  J. August Fredrick was from.  I continued my research into his oldest sister, Henriette Fredrich Zobel, and found a passport application for her son, Charles A. Zobel. 

Source:  U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925," [database on-line], Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 May 2011), entry for Charles A. Zobel; Passport Applications, 1795-1905; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1372, 694 rolls) 

Charles A. Zobel applied for a U.S. passport in 1922 to travel and visit relatives in Germany and Poland.  He lists his birthplace as:  "near city of Nakel, Germany, now Poland".  I had found his parent's, Johann Zobel and Henriette Fredrich, marriage place as Nakel, Poznan, Prussia. 

I guess I am wondering what the chance is of Henriette Fredrich living away from her family and if this could be the area my great grandfather is from.  She was married in 1862; her son, Charles, was born in 1864.  The Zobel family immigrated to the United States in 1870.  J. August Fredrich immigrated in 1872. Unfortunately, the immigration records have been destroyed for Manistee County (so I was told by a county clerk). 

I know the Zobel family and J. August's family were members of the German Lutheran Church in Manistee, Michigan.  It may be time to take a look for Lutheran parish records for Nakel. 

What do you think?  Any suggestions, where to go next?

Hattie Fenn Glover Born 147 Years Ago Today

Hattie Lodema Fenn

Birthdate:  6 June 1864

Birthplace:  Lima, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States

Parents:  Daniel C. Fenn and Elizabeth Ann Poor

Source:  Glover, Hattie L. "Fenn", family data. In The Holy Bible: with Revised New Testament. Chicago: GW Borland & Co., 1882. Original owned in June 2010 by Brenda Leyndyke,

 [address for private use].

Happy Birthday, Great Grandma Glover!



This is the Face of Genealogy

My Great Grandparents, Frank H. Glover and Hattie Fenn Glover

Dr. Suess, The Bobbsey Twins and My Love of Reading: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Week 23:  Books-What was your favorite book, or who was your favorite author from your childhood?  What do you like to read now?  Books or other formats?

For as long as I can remember I have loved to read.  I remember the first time my dad took me to the library.  I thought it was amazing.  It was a tiny, little, white cottage-like building on Main Street, in Deckerville, Michigan.  I was probably seven or eight at the time.  There were rows of children's books I could choose from.  I chose "If I Ran the Zoo" by Dr. Suess.  I remember because I read the book while my Dad was looking for something.  I checked it out and read it again and again.  I liked the characters and the silly words he used in telling the story.  Other Dr. Suess books I liked were "If I Ran A Circus" and "The Sleep Book". 

Later, I developed a love for "The Bobbsey Twins".  I think I have read almost all of their books.  By this time, we had moved to Harbor Beach, Michigan and I could ride my bike downtown to the library.  The library was located in the Community Building, on Huron Avenue.  The children's section was in the back corner.  I would get three or four books at a time.  In the summer I remember bringing home 8-10 books. 

I enjoyed getting books for birthdays and Christmas.  My parents always let me get a book or two when the Scholastic book order came out, too.  In Junior High, I received a book a month from a book club, I'm not sure what company that was with.  I still have "If I Ran a Circus"  and "The Sleep Book".  They were well loved.  I remember having Bobbsey Twins books as well. 

I am still an avid reader today.  My tastes have developed from Dr. Suess to Bobbsey Twins to authors like Stuart Woods, Nora Roberts and Phillipa Gregory.  I read mostly fiction, but every now and then I pick up a biography or a cookbook to read. 

I still visit my local library, Willard Library in Battle Creek, Michigan, to check books out.  Recently, I bought my husband a Nook e-reader, and have found that format enjoyable, so I may be reading more e-books.  (If he will share it!)