Sunday's Obituary: William B. Dyer

Transcription:

WILLIAM B. DYER DEAD

Expired suddenly Thursday After-

noon at Seeley Street Home

   William B. Dyer, aged 69 years,

died of heart failure at 5:30 o'clock

Thursday afternoon at his home,

130 Seeley street. Mr. Dyer has

not been well for a few days but

had not been confined to his bed

and his death came unexpectedly.

   Mr. Dyer moved to this city from

Adrian township where he was a 

farmer for many years.  He came

to Lenawee County from New York

state when he was a young man

and had spent most of his life here.

The last eight years of his life had

been spent in Adrian.

   He is survivied by his widow, two

daughters, Mrs. Allen Bruce of Po-

catello, Idaho, Miss Jessie Dyer of

Kingston, N.Y., two sons, Edward 

of Toronto, Canada and Howard

Dyer, who lives at home, and a

step-son, Harold Dyer, also of Ad-

rian.

   Funeral services will be held at 

3:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon at

the home with the burial in Oak-

wood cemetery.

End of transcription.

William B. Dyer was the son of my third great grandparents, William G. Dyer and Mary Ann Dyer, nee Swallow.  The above obituary was found in the Adrian Daily Telegram, Adrian, Michigan, March 17, 1922 edition.  Microfilm available at the Library of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan.

Where in the World is Valentine Graf?

Where in the World is Valentine Graf?

One of the first place family historians search for their ancestors is in the United States Census records.  I am compiling my census information in a table format.  Each month, I share a Where in the World post.  This month I am sharing my great grandfather, Valentine Graf. 

FACT	DATE	PLACE OF RESIDENCE	ENUMERATION DISTRICT/PAGE ID./DWELLING
Birth	14 Dec 1865	Amboy, Miami, Indiana, United States
Census	1870	Harrison, Miami, Indiana, United States	/16/114
Census	1880	Harrison, Miami, Indiana, United States	125/8/62
Census	1900	Liberty Township, Howard, Indiana, United States	68/3A/49
Census	1910	Dickson Township, Manistee, Michigan, United States	52/3B/64
Census	1920	Dickson Township, Manistee, Michigan, United States	61/2A/27
Census	1930	Dickson Township, Manistee, Michigan, United States	51-7/2B/41
Death	13 Jan 1933	Dickson Township, Manistee, Michigan, United States

Workday Wednesday: All Aboard for Researching Your Railroad Worker

Patricia Walls Stamm, CG, CGL presented Railroad Records Across America at the recent Federation of Genealogical Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  I knew when I saw this option that I would for sure be going to it.  I have a few ancestors that worked in the railroad industry:

• David Watt, paternal great grandfather, was an engineer for Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic railroad.
• Frank H. Glover, paternal great grandfather, was a brakeman for a yet to be identified railroad.
• Claude Glover, paternal great uncle, was an engineer for Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad.

Patricia Walls Stamm did an excellent job with helping those who would like to research the railroad industry.  It was mentioned that locating railroad records is a challenge.  There is no one repository for the information.  She presented her lecture in three parts:

1. In the Roundhouse-Introduction:  She took us through the history of railroads and how they changed names or dissolved.  She suggested we check "Railroad Names: a Directory of Common Carrier Railroads Operating in the United States 1826-1997" for more information.
2. In the Depot-Repositories:  This section provided one with information about where to look for information.  Ms. Walls Stamm suggested checking libraries for manuscripts, using a search engine for the railroad or area one is researching, and using railroad maps for the time period one is researching.
3. Getting Down the Tracks-Records:  Information on accidents, company records, publications, and retirement records was covered.

I came away with a wealth of information on how to get started with my railroad research.  I look forward to digging deeper and finding out more about the work that my ancestor's did.

Here are a few online railroad resources to get you started, courtesy of Ms. Walls Stamm,

Library of Congress.  Railroad Maps 1828-1900.

Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States.  Various years available at google books.

The Biographical Directory of the Railway Officials of America.  Available at google books.

Union Pacific.  Railroad Job Descriptions  

Investigation of Railroad Accidents 1911-1993.  

A Trilogy of Journey Blogs

Courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art

I am participating in Julie Goucher's Blog Prompt, "The Book of Me, Written By You".  I wrote the first week's prompt here at Journey to the Past.  I got thinking about what a nice memoir this project would be and decided to start a third blog, Journey to My Past.  I will be posting my Book of Me prompts at that blog from now on.

I am now the author of three Journey blogs:

1. Journey to the Past-my genealogical journey blog as I research my ancestry.
2. Journey to His Past-my genealogical journey blog as I research my husband's ancestry.
3. Journey to My Past-my journey as I write about my personal history.

I just hope I can keep them all straight.  If you see my personal history on Journey to His Past, you will know I goofed up.  I hope you enjoy the trilogy of Journey blogs.

Tombstone Tuesday: Joseph, Alma and Robert Prantle

PRANTLE

ALMA                JOSEPH

1893-1932           1887-1980 

ROBERT E.                          

AGE 7 DAYS                         

Alma Prantle, nee Fredrick, her husband, Joseph Prantle and newborn son, Robert E. are buried in Fairplains Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan in Block X, Lot T9_C, Space 6.

Alma is the daughter of J. August Fredrick and Louise Zastrow Fredrick.  She is my great aunt.

My Purchases at FGS 2013

I am still following up on everything I did in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the FGS conference.  I researched, attended sessions and visited the exhibit hall to name a few things I did.  I am still processing the research I did at Allen County Public Library.  I have facts and sources to enter into my genealogy software and new leads to follow.  This year, I used a tablet to take notes right on the pdf. copy of the syllabus.  I have reviewed the notes and filed the pdf. for future use.

I loved visiting the exhibit hall.  I think I made three trips to it.  The first was just to get a feel for where everything was.  Then, I spent one session taking my time going through it.  I purchased a few things while I was there.  I thought I would share my books with you.

1.  They Came in Ships by John P. Colletta, PhD.-I have looked at this book many times in the past.  I have read parts of it at the library, but never bought it.  I wasn't sure if I needed it.  The author, John P. Colletta, was a presenter at the conference.  I thought he was an excellent speaker.  I should have attended more of his sessions.  It was only after hearing him speak about immigration records that I went and purchased the book.  I was lucky, I got the last copy at the exhibit hall. This easy to read, short book is packed with information.  Dr. Colletta covers what passenger lists tell you about your ancestors, what you need to know and where to find it, passenger information before 1820, passenger lists after 1820, Ellis Island myths and reality, and pages of bibliographic sources.  I am enjoying this book very much.

2.  The German Research Companion by Shirley J. Reimer, Roger P. Minert and Jennifer A. Anderson- I have wanted this book for two years now, ever since I attended a four hour German research workshop and it was recommended as a must have German research book.  I went back to the exhibit hall at the FGS conference in 2011 to buy it and it was sold out.  I was bummed.  I could have bought it online, but I never did.  I didn't even have it on my mind at FGS 2013, but the minute I saw it I picked it up.  Three of my maternal great grandparents emigrated from Germany. I have done a little German research, but felt that I needed a good resource book to help me on my way with German genealogy.  This is the book to have.  The nine section book covers everything from German lands past and present to resources, emigration, German language helps, life in our ancestor's times and more.  I haven't delved into yet, but it is on my desk ready to be read.

3.  German Genealogy Research Online by Leland K. Meitzler-This was an impulse buy.  I was looking over the German Genealogy section at the Family Roots Publishing booth and thought this would be interesting.  The magazine size book has 30 online German research resources.  Plus, helpful tips for finding pictures, translating German websites, using German Gazetteers and Surname Distribution maps and more.  It is a good companion piece to number two, above.

4.  Tracing Your English and Scottish Ancestors by Moorshead Magazines-This is a collection of previously published articles from Discovering Family History, Family Chronicle and Internet Genealogy magazines all in one magazine.  Three of the sessions I attended during the conference were on English and Scottish Genealogy.  I thought this would be an interesting take home piece for me.  

After attending two of Paul Milner's sessions, I decided I wanted to purchase two more books, A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Scottish Ancestors and A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your English Ancestors both by Paul Milner and Linda Jonas.  Both of these books are out of print, but available in a pdf. version.  I am all for going paperless in my research, but I still like books.

I went back to my hotel room that night and looked for the pdf version for these books.  Then, I thought, I am going to check online to see if anyone has a used copy of these books.  Barnes and Noble did!  I was able to get a used Scottish book for $7.38, including tax and shipping.  I received the book yesterday and other than a little crease in the corner it is in perfect condition.  The English book hasn't arrived yet, but I paid $12.35 including shipping and tax for that one.  I don't have a lot of books on my research shelf, but the ones I do have I use.  

I look forward to using the above books and hope to further my German, English, and Scottish family lines.  Wish me luck! 

Summer Genealogy Goals A Bust!

Summer has come and gone.  Schools are back in session.  Labor Day celebrations are done.  It is almost fall.  I had great plans for genealogy this summer.  I wrote a few summer goals down and blogged about it thinking it would motivate me to achieve them.  Well, guess what?  I didn't achieve very many of them.  Here are my goals I wrote in June, the bold one is the goal I achieved:

• Miami and Howard County Indiana-The Graf and Fredricks side of my mom's family settled here before migrating to Michigan.  I would like to visit the Miami County Courthouse and get Casper Graf's will and visit a few cemeteries and take pictures.  I would like to explore the area.  I may need to plan this as an overnight trip from the looks of what I want to accomplish.
• Adrian, Michigan- The Dyer side of my dad's family settled here when they came from New York. I want to check out the library and a couple of cemeteries.  
• Bentley Historical Library, Ann Arbor-There are two civil war era diaries, that mentions my 2nd great grandfather's gunshot wound that he received during the Civil War, that I would like to read.  Plus, the library has Lima Township vital records and Baptist records that I am interested in exploring.
• Go to Fort Wayne, Indiana-I will be there for the FGS 2013 Conference in August, but I would like to go at least once and do a little research at the library.
• Last but not least, is to attend the Fredricks Family Reunion.  I didn't go last year, but I am, definitely, going this year.  Shhh! Don't tell anyone but I have a killer white elephant gift to take this year.

Pretty pathetic, if you ask me.  Everyone of these goals could have been accomplished in a day.  I don't even have a good reason for not doing them.  Our summer wasn't crazy busy.  We spent one week on vacation with our son and his girlfriend; and one week at FGS conference in Fort Wayne.  I don't know where the time went.

I will have to keep these goals on the back burner for now as I have so much that I want to do as a follow up to the sessions I attended in Fort Wayne.  Plus, the laundry, grocery shopping, bill paying, house cleaning, painting and gardening beckons.  Maybe, I do know what I did this summer after all!  How did your summer go genealogy wise?  

School Days! School Days! Good Old Fashioned School Days!

It is that time of the year again when students and teachers are going back to school.  My husband, Kirk, a middle school counselor is back to school (insert smile!) and I am back to a routine of sorts.  I like my routines.

One of the routines I enjoy is blogging.  In honor of back to school week I am sharing my first grade remembrances.

I have a lot of memories from first grade at Deckerville Elementary School.  My teacher, Mrs. Merriman, was one of my favorite teachers.  She recently passed away, but I will always remember her as a very kind and caring teacher.

I remember walking to school and entering the building my classroom was in.  There were only four classrooms in that part of the school, two Kindergarten and two first grade ones.  My room was on the right side of the hallway, overlooking the playground.  We sat in tables of six.  I remember being the last table furthest from the front of the room and then the second table in the middle of the classroom.  I believe there were six tables total.

We kept our books in our space under the table.  I remember that area getting really messy.  We had desk cleaning days!  In the summer before school started, we would go to the gymnasium and buy our books.  I enjoyed reading, spelling and geography.  I wasn't a fan of math.

One day, I copied some math answers from the girl next to me, Sandra.  Mrs. Merriman called her up to the teacher's desk and asked her what she was doing. Sandra said she shared her answers with me.  Next thing I knew Sandra was getting her hand slapped with a paddle, it was one of those that you used to hit a small rubber ball with.  I felt terrible!  I apologized to Sandra when she came back to the table.  I remember her being really nice about it.  Next, I got up from the table and went to Mrs. Merriman and told her I was the one who copied the answers.  She said it was Sandra's fault for letting me do it.  To this day, I don't agree with that, I should have had my hand slapped too.  I think that experience was always in my mind and shaped who I was as a teacher, never blaming one student over another.

We spent a lot of time at those tables.  I remember eating lunch at our tables.  I don't remember if they had a cafeteria or not.  If they did it was not in our building. We would have to walk outside and to the next building for gym and art class. Eventually, they connected the buildings.

Another memory I have is sitting in class and seeing these red spots all over my arms.  I told the teacher about it and she said it was okay, not to worry about it. The spots had spread by the time I got home.  I had the measles.  It seems like I missed a few days of school during first grade.  I know I had the measles and mumps that year.

My first grade year was the year that President Kennedy was shot.  I don't remember being aware of anything at school, but we did get the day of his funeral off.  I remember my parents watching it on TV and I wasn't allowed to watch it.  Of course, that made me curious and I would catch glimpses of it as I walked by the living room.  Weekly Reader covered President Kennedy's death and I remember reading about it later.

I find it interesting the things I remember about first grade.  I don't remember much about recess, or music, or even who my friends were in my class.  I have very clear memories of a few events. How about you?  Do you remember first grade?