Marriage of William John McGee and Laura Kirby Determines My Great Grandmother's Parentage

Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library (Brampton, Ontario, Canada). Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1926 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

William John McGee, age 28, married Laura Kirby, age 18, on 30 January 1900, in Thornbury, Grey, Ontario Canada. (111 years ago, today)  William is the son of Richard McGee and Sarah Jackson.  Laura is the daughter of Robert Kirby and Maggie Theakston.

William McGee is the brother of my great grandmother, Katherine McGee Watt.  I was having trouble finding Katherine's parents.  I couldn't find any birth record for her.  I decided I would research her siblings in hope of finding the information.  I found this document and had my answer to who her parents were. 

Of course, now I am stuck on who Richard McGee's parents are!    My advice on brick walls is don't overlook siblings when researching your ancestors.

Ymmm! Shrimp: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History: Week 5 Favorite Food

Week 5:  Favorite Food.  What was your favorite food from childhood?  If it was homemade, who made it?  What was in this dish, and why was it your favorite?  What is your favorite dish now?

Blogging:  A good excuse to fix shrimp, so I could take a picture!

It was hard to narrow down my list of favorite foods to just one, but as I thought about special dishes I had when I was a child-I kept coming back to shrimp.  It wasn't something we had often, so when we did-it was special.  I am guessing it wasn't an economical meal to prepare for a family.  My mom would buy breaded shrimp and deep fry it.  I remember my mom serving it with coleslaw and sometimes french fries.  I preferred tartar sauce as a child, but like cocktail sauce now.

Once in third grade we were reading in social studies class about shrimp.  I was one of the few students who had eaten shrimp.  I don't know if I volunteered my mom, or if the teacher asked her, but my mom made shrimp to share with the class.  She made it at home and brought it into the class for all to try.  I think back on it now and realize what a generous thing that was for her to do.

Sometimes in the summer we would get food baskets and drive to Lake Huron and have a picnic.  My dad was a teacher in a small town, and when he was hired he was told that teachers weren't to be seen in the local bars or restaurants that served alcohol.  So, my mom or dad would call the local bar/restaurant and order takeout baskets for us.  We would drive up to the back door of the bar/restaurant and my dad would go in and pick it up.  We would have to sit in the car smelling the delicious food until we drove the seven miles to the lake.  I remember ordering a shrimp basket many times.  The place on Lake Huron that we would go to was a scenic turnout with picnic tables and a beautiful view of the lake. 

I still enjoy shrimp, but very rarely make it.  My favorite food now is anything Thai.  I have three Thai cookbooks and enjoy trying new recipes.  I especially like pad thai, maybe it's the shrimp in it!  I like the combination of spicy, sweet, and salty.  My favorite homemade pad thai is:

8 ounces rice noodles

2T peanut oil

5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2T. chopped shallots

3/4 cup cooked small shrimp

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar substitute

6-8 teaspoons tamarind concentrate

1/2 cup chopped blanched peanuts

1 medium egg, beaten

1 cup bean sprouts

1.  Soak the noodles in water at room temperature for 30-60 minutes or until soft.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Heat the peanut oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and shallots.  Stir fry until they begin to change colors.

3.  Add the noodles and all remaining ingredients except the egg and bean sprouts, stir fry until hot.

4.  Stirring constantly, drizzle in the beaten egg.

5.  Add the bean sprouts, stir for about 30 seconds.

6.  In a small bowl mix together the following for garnish:

     1 T. lime juice

     1 T. tamarind concentrate

     1 T. fish sauce

     1/2 cup bean sprouts

     1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts    

7.  Place Pad Thai mixture on serving dish.  Top with garnish (see #6) and lime wedges.

Finding all the ingredients in Battle Creek, Michigan is not easy.  I found fish sauce at our local oriental market, but had to buy tamarind concentrate online.  My favorite Thai restaurant is in Chicago, Opart's Thai House.  It is in the same block that my daughter and son-in-law live on. 

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. You do not have to be a blogger to participate. If you do not have a genealogy blog, write down your memories on your computer, or simply record them on paper and keep them with your files.



Where Were You on January 28, 1986?

In Memory- (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair;

 (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik.

Today commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Challenger explosion.  Do you remember where you were when this happened?  I remember it very clearly, including the sinking feeling I had in my stomach.  I was teaching preschool at the time and the parents were dropping their children off.  One parent asked if I had heard about the Challenger explosion.  I hadn't.  I had the overwhelming urge to call my husband.  I had my aide take over the class for a few minutes and I went to call Kirk.  Kirk was home sick that day and I asked if he had heard about it, he hadn't. 

One might wonder why I would have an urge to call my husband.  All I could think of was Christa McAuliffe, the teacher in space.  Kirk had applied for the teacher in space project!  I was thinking of what might have been.  Kirk and I talked for a couple of minutes and then I headed back into the classroom.  I put it out of my mind as I didn't want to scare the four year olds I was teaching.  Once I got home, I was glued to the television. 

My thoughts and memories are with the families of those who gave their life that day:  Michael Smith,  Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnick, and Christa McAuliffe. 

Where Do You Do Your Genealogy?

One of the benefits of being an empty nester is having extra room.  I converted my son's bedroom into a genealogy/computer room.  A benefit of setting up a new room is organizing it.  How long it will stay looking like this is hard to say.  What you don't see is the crate of pictures and papers hidden next to the file cabinet.

One of the things I wanted to do when setting up the room was to make a place for family pictures.  The shelf to the left of the desk has pictures of my husband and children, siblings, nieces, nephews, and both sets of parents.  I have pictures of my children on the desk and file cabinet.  These are the people who motivate me to research the family.

In addition to pictures I have placed a few heirlooms around the room.  I have a hot pad my grandmother, Sarah Lilla Watt Glover Bell,  made on the desk.  My great grandmother, Hattie Fenn Glover, crocheted doilies and I was given them, recently.  I have one front and center on my desk.  I have a couple of art projects my children made near the desk too.  All of this is inspirational to me.

The wall behind my desk is a tree of our ancestor's pictures.  Near the bottom of the tree are my children and then Kirk and my wedding picture.  I have pictures of both sets of parents, 4 sets of grandparents, 6 great grandmothers, 4 great grandfathers, 2 great great grandmothers and 1 great great grandfather.  They are looking over my shoulder as I work.

Also on this wall is a hope chest that belonged to my husband's grandmother.  It is here that I store other family heirlooms.  I have linens, doilies, and other heirlooms stored here. 

I am very comfortable researching here.  Where do you do your genealogy? 

Hattie's Bible: Letter from Claude Glover Amanuensis Monday

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.  Amanuensis Monday is a theme hosted by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

 Zast lake    1894

I will write a few lines

to you.  we are all well

I go to sundayschool

every sunday I have

made bobs with Harrys

sled I set with Rudolph

Donahue I am most

thru the second reader.

I go slideing on the

hill every night and I go

scateing every saturday

I want you to come

home dear mamma.

Your own dear boy Claudie

Glover

I found this letter in Hattie's Bible.  Claude Glover is the son of Hattie and Frank H. Glover.  Did he write this letter to his mother?  If so, I wonder where she was when he wrote it.  Claude would have been about 10 at the time he wrote this.  The two highlighted words were my best effort at transcribing the words. (I wondered if maybe the Z was a backwards E) 

Because he mentions skating and sledding the letter must have been written in the winter.  The Harry that is mentioned in this letter is his older brother.  Harry is my paternal grandfather.  Claude was two years younger than Harry. 

When I first read this letter, I was filled with emotion.  I never met Claude Glover, but from this letter he must have loved and missed his mother very much.  Religion must have been important in his house as he mentions going to Sunday school.  It must have been special to Hattie that she saved it for so many years.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History: Week 4-Home: My First Home

Week 4:  Home:  Describe the house in which you grew up.  Was it big or small?  What made it unique?  Is it still there today?

The floor plan of my first home.

(Made at http://smallblueprinter.com/)

I lived in seven different houses the first 18 years of my life.  I thought about what home I grew up in and couldn't pick just one.  I decided I would pick the first home I lived in to write about.

I lived in this red brick, three bedroom home in Deckerville, Michigan from 1957-1962.  This was the house I came home from the hospital to.  I remember it as being a nice size house, but I am sure if I went back today it would seem smaller.  The last time I was in Deckerville, the home was still there.  The uniqueness of the house was the in the layout.  My sister and I could chase each other in circles!  We could go from the bedroom, to the bathroom, dining room, living room and back to the bedroom.  I am sure it drove my mother nuts.  Also, the room on the back of the house, seemed big.  It was a laundry room, toy room, furnace room and storage room.  We had a toy chest to the right as you entered from the kitchen. 

The kitchen was long, one end had the kitchen table and chairs.  The other end, toward the front of the house, had a U shaped kitchen.  The sink was at the head of the U, the stove to the left of the sink, and the refrigerator to the right of the sink.  There was a window over the sink.

The front door opened into the dining room.  I remember a blond dining room table, chairs, buffet and desk in the room.  This room went from the front of the house to the back, with windows on the front and back wall.  I think it had wood floors.  The bathroom, kitchen, living room and stairs were off of this room.  I remember the telephone being by the front door.

The living room seemed big.  There was a couch, 2 chairs, tv, stereo and tables in this room.  I remember flowered curtains, but I am not sure if it is a memory from a picture or an actual memory. 

My sister, Linda, and I shared the downstairs bedroom for awhile.  We had a double bed, and at least one dresser.  The closet in this room was under the stairs.  It seemed like it went on forever.  We stored games, books, and clothes here.

Sometime while living here, I was given the bedroom upstairs.  It was the one to the right of the stairs.  It seemed small to me.  I had a twin bed here. 

The other bedroom upstairs seemed big.  My parents had this room.  I thought the closet was cool.  It had two doors and you could walk through it.  My mother had a neat vanity.  It had a place you could sit up to it, with 4 drawers, two on each side, and a big round mirror.  It matched the other dresser, and bed, I think.

I believe what makes a house a home is the memories.  I have some fond memories of this home.  Here are some of the other memories I have from this home:

• my mother making donuts in the kitchen and when she went to answer the phone I dipped my donut in her coffee and drank all her coffee
• getting a bath in the tub that was in the laundry room
• hiding vitamins in the toy chest that was in the laundry room
• sneaking out of the downstairs bedroom and into the kitchen to get bubble gum
• my sister, Linda, throwing up on me in bed
• going to the grocery store which was across the alley from the backyard
• playing games at the dining room table in the dining room
• walking to Kindergarten-my mom would help me cross the main street and off I would go, it was about a 4 block walk
• playing tag with neighborhood friends, The Goheen's and The DuCharme's
• putting on a play in the garage
• learning to ride a two-wheel bicycle in the driveway

As I write this, the memories keep coming.  I think I will go make a floor plan for the next house we lived in and see what memories it triggers.

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. You do not have to be a blogger to participate. If you do not have a genealogy blog, write down your memories on your computer, or simply record them on paper and keep them with your files.

Merle McKinley Glover's Birthday

Merle McKinley Glover was the youngest son born to Frank H. and Hattie (Fenn) Glover.  He was born 21 January 1902, 109 years ago today.  I don't believe McKinley is a family name, so I wondered if he was named after President McKinley, who was assassinated in September, 1901, just months before Merle's birth.

Merle spent his youth in Marquette, Marquette, Michigan.  He left home at the age of 15 and enlisted in the Canadian army.  He listed his age as 19 on his enlistment papers.  He went on to have a great career in the United States military, retiring with the rank of Lt. Col.

Merle and Genevieve Dout married on 31 May 1927.  They had two daughters, Marylyn R. and Barbara Elaine. 

Merle died 12 November 1981 in Arlington, Arlington, Virginia.  His obituary states he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, but I haven't been able to find his burial there. 

Don't Let Yourself Be A Future Brickwall

I don't want to be a brickwall for my descendants.  I am sure they will have enough of those to solve without me adding to the frustration.  When I was making my 2011 genealogical goals one of my 11 for 11 was to "Research myself!  Add personal facts to my genealogical software."

I started using Roots Magic as my software program and it has a very nice selection of facts to add to each person.  If by chance there isn't a fact for your situation, you can create one.  So, I really don't have any excuse for not adding my facts to the program.  I guess I just get hung up on researching the past.

Well, no more!  I am going to research myself!  Here is some of the information I plan on leaving for future generations.  I hope they will be thanking me and I become one of their favorite ancestors.

1. Records and Certificates recording significant events in my life.  For example, birth certificate, baptismal certificate, school records (high school and college), and marriage certificate.  In addition to the certificates I am trying to write a few lines about each document.  For example, future researchers may want to know why I was baptized 200 miles from my birth place.  It was the church my parents were married in and there wasn't a Lutheran church in my hometown.
2. Residence/Census Information.  They won't be scratching their heads wondering where I lived in 2010 Census, I have put a residence fact for each place and a note with the time period I have lived there.  I added who was head of household and who else lived there at that time.  I  included the street address, too.  I included pictures for those places I have pictures for.
3. Property/Land Records. We have owned two houses in my 30 years of marriage and I plan to add that information with a scan of the deeds and/or mortgage papers. 
4. School Information and Pictures.  I have quite a few class pictures from elementary school.  I plan to scan them into my program.  I scanned my Kindergarten one in and when I went to list my classmates, I couldn't remember all their names.  So, I posted it on facebook and asked my friends (I have connected with a few friends from elementary school there) and we came up with all but 4 names out of a class of 28 or so.
5. Information from scrapbooks and memory books I have.  I have a memory book from confirmation, high school senior year and my wedding.  I have receipts from various things in each.  I plan to go through them and scan (with my flip pal!) interesting things I saved.  I have 2 scrapbooks from my childhood and teen years that I want to go through.  They are in pretty rough shape.  I have newspaper clippings from the Detroit Riots, Top 100 Song lists for a few years, TV Guide articles on Batman, and clippings about the Detroit Tigers in the 60's.  All things I remember being interested in, and maybe a little obsessed about(Batman!?).
6. Memories of my life.  In addition to having the facts for my ancestors, I especially enjoy when I can learn more about the person.  I plan to write in the notes section information about my likes, dislikes, activities and any other memories from my past.  I think I will write a few blog posts about this, too.  I have a feeling 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History will keep me focused.
7. Pictures!  I would like to scan in pictures from various points in my life and write a little about my memories of the picture.  I may even ask my parents about them and see what they remember.

I am sure there are more facts I will think of as I get going.  Researching myself should be fun as I know just where the information is and I won't have to spend any money to get the information.  I suppose I am taking some of the fun out of their research, but as I said before, they will have others that give them headaches.  Hopefully, I can leave enough information for future generations and I will be smiling down from above as they read about me.

What kind of information would you like to leave for your ancestors?