It wasn't all bad

If you watch the video on the Week's website, they state that the two haven't yet taken a blood test to confirm. But I'd suggest they look alike. But, Holy Cow! What an incredible coincidence!

Now it makes nosy me wonder how they got separated, especially given he, who stayed with his parent/s, is the older sibling... meaning, what was going on such that an older child didn't know his mother was pregnant, and what happened to that child. The story does not mention if there are other siblings, nor does it mention if the parents - adoptive and biological - knew one another.

In all cases, though, holy cow!

Philip Osborn never knew he had a sister until he moved in next door to her. After living in Florida for years, Osborn recently moved back to a Michigan retirement home to be closer to his family. His new neighbor, Marilyn Meyers, adopted at birth, had spent the past few decades searching for her biological family — so when she heard that someone with the last name Osborn had just moved in, she started investigating. After confirming small bits of family history, they were shocked to discover they were siblings. "I've always wanted to be an older brother," Osborn told Fox17. "It's divine intervention."

Taken from the September 22, 2017 edition of The Week Magazine.

Firstborns are smartest

Being a second born.... I'm not sure I want to agree with this. And besides, my younger brother told me that Dad told him he was the smartest! (Do we think there might be some sibling stuff going on here?)

And what about the story about Europe's most fertile man from three years ago on this blog? If he has had 98 children, is the 98th less smart than the first? Or is it all about doting parents and not aged telomeres? I wonder if it's worth the investigation. It was always the mother that was blamed for problems in the past, but aged sperm also contributes to issues.

Here’s one to fuel sibling rivalries: New research suggests the order in which brothers and sisters are born may influence their relative intelligence. Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Sydney analyzed data on roughly 5,000 American children, who were followed from pregnancy until age 14. They found that firstborns consistently outperformed their younger siblings on IQ tests—including for reading, matching letters, and picture vocabulary—and that the disparities began just 12 months after birth. The team speculates that this advantage may be traced back to the extra attention doting parents give to their first child. “First-time parents tend to want to do everything right and generally have a greater awareness of their interactions with and investments in the firstborn,” the study’s co-author, Jee-Yeon Lehmann, tells Today.com. With each additional child that parents have, Lehmann explains, they tend to have less time and energy to devote to activities they perceive as nonessential, such as reading, arts and crafts, and playing musical instruments. Another factor could be that first-time mothers are less likely to drink, smoke, or take part in other risky behaviors during pregnancy.

From my favorite news source, the distilled Week Magazine, March 3rd.

Possible Breakthru on a Photograph (because of Herb's letter home)

The Spanish Flu is some serious stuff... Herb is a little cavalier about it.

Ruth Parker is Herb's cousin, born 1915, and had a tragic life. I should write up her story, though she married, she died at 25 years old. I wish I had that photograph! (Or do I? This photo was sent to me by my cousin Chuck who is a descendant of Ida Lee.)

Either of those little girls could be roughly 3 years old, couldn't they? And I think the woman second from the right is Herb's Mom, Nellie Jane. So if the older girl seated is Olive Lee, (born 1904) and maybe the other child is Margaret, (born 1911) then maybe the woman standing next to the man is Ruth's mother, Edith Cornell. Hmm. I will need to ask my cousin Chuck. BUT, OMG, I think I figured it out. What a triumph!

October 31 (1918)

Dearest Mother,
I had your and Dad’s letters of October 6th and 13th to day – rather good time. Two days ago we received fourth class mail and lo and behold! What should arrive but that package you ordered for me from Wanamaker’s – last May. I think it was. There was in it some carbolic soap, a tooth brush, a tube of toothpaste, a half-pound of hard candy and this paper on which I am writing. That let’s Wanamaker’s out, of course, but I hardly think the experiment worth repeating. The war may be over before I could receive another package, at that rate.

I think I’ve already told you that I won’t be able to get a requisition for any winter clothing. These are all being refused on the ground that such things are supplied by the Q.M. on the Red Cross. As a matter of fact, we’re issued four pairs of heavy socks though they are by no means so good as home made ones. However, I’ve bought a sheepskin coat from one of the boys who wanted to dispose of it, so I don’t believe I shall freeze.

There is, of course, plenty of Spanish grippe over here but so far I’ve escaped all but that touch of it I had while on leave. At present I’m in my usual good health and, you may believe that I’m taking all possible precautions to stay so.

Since my last letter we’ve made two short moves and, at present, I’m living in what was once the Station Agent’s house in a small town on a jerkwater road. It’s a very comfortable place, too, dry – I’m on the second floor and good and warm thanks to a comfortable stove.

I continue to get magazines that Dad sends me pretty regularly. They come in handy, too. I was awfully glad to get that picture of you all – I mean the one taken when you were at Aunt Ida’s. You must have been looking straight at the sun because you do look cross. Ruth is as fat as a button, isn’t she?

It was very fortunate that I told you how I met Ken Lavin, wasn’t it. I can imagine that his mother was greatly relieved to hear he was all right. I know nothing of Herb Blake these days. In fact, the only time I ever saw him was when I first came up to the front.

I haven’t heard from Tom in some time now so I’m hoping that he really has gone back to the U.S.
The last letter I had from Karolyn was written while she was on the train going down to Bridgeport to take up her work there so I am waiting to hear from her to see how she likes it.

With best love to all,
Your affectionate son,
Herb

Harry Enlisted!

OMG, I don't think I knew that Harry enlisted until I found this letter. I don't believe I found this until intentionally searching for it.



And apparently I spelled Paul's name wrong, but I found him. He attended Dartmouth.



What a handsome young man. They called him 'Red' and apparently he was a very fine athlete.



Herb must be sleeping at the Hopital Miomandre. While researching the hospital I came across a book written by a guy, Dr. Richard Derby, who served as a surgeon in France - "Wade In, Sanitary!": The Story of a Division Surgeon in France. I would like to read it, though a quick look through the index did not pop up anything about Section 580.

July 28, 1918
Dear Mother,

I’ve had one letter from you this week – it was dated June 24th.

I really wasn’t much surprised to hear what Harry’s been up to. I’ve been expecting as much for some time. I know it will be hard for you, Mother dear, but it can’t be helped. It’s a nasty business and everyone ought do his share. As for me, I’m right proud of the kid. A slacker is about the meanest thing on two feet, and I’m glad we have none in the family.

It’s good to hear of Dad’s increase. Certainly it was needed and it’s little enough.

Do you know that darned package from Wannamaker’s hasn’t turned up yet. I haven’t given up hope yet, though.

Things are pretty quiet hereabouts though there’s plenty doing on other parts of the line I guess the Kaiser must be laughing out of the other side of his mouth at the Americans.

Those clippings you send are very interesting. Of course I got a look at a paper once or twice a week and the troops usually hear the daily communiques but I never see any worthwhile editorial comment.

They’ve brought a number of Polish troops up here. Most of them come from the States but they were recruited by the French – something on the plan of the Foreign Legion – and wear the French uniform except for the Polish square topped hat. They seem to be pretty good too – brought in quite a few prisoners the other day.

We’ve had quite a bit of rain lately but the weather is fine on the whole and not too warm.

Did I tell you that we’re quartered in a field hospital now. They aren’t using it now so we’ve moved in to one of the huts. It’s quite the best barracks we’ve ever had – it has regular beds in it with springs and honest to goodness mattresses. I’d almost forgotten that there were ever such things as bed springs.

If Harry’s ordered out anywhere give me his address so I’ll be able to write him.

Your affectionate son
Herb

Beverly Hayden Art at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, Co.

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival started today in Denver, CO; the festival continues through the 6th. It's a juried show and there are many excellent artists.

I met Beverly Hayden from Chattanooga, TN. She had some art pieces which jumped out at me because she uses vintage items, such as washboards and irons, etc. and creates shadow boxes with old photographs. The piece I admired today, called "Luck of the Draw" incorporates photographs of her mother as a child and some of her spinster - or shall we use childless? - aunts. It seems that I can not snag that image from her web site to show my readers. She seemed genuinely enthusiastic when I told her I was attempting to research and write the story of my childless female relatives.

Here, however, is how she describes her process for making these "Boxes":

Striving to explore dimension and layers, I assemble vintage found objects with objects of my own construction. At their heart, most of my pieces are deeply personal reflections on introspection, self-awareness and personal growth. I explore universal experiences such as “finding oneself,” the tricky art of family relations as well as love and loss. I express the underlying theme of time passages by using layers of beeswax, paint and even minute differences in depth in my placement of objects. I love to incorporate old objects that have their own “life experiences” to add to the sense of history and timeliness of each piece.

I call the boxes and drawers that house these objects and their ultimate stories/expressions “homes” because I view them not only as a final resting place for these unexpected groupings, but also because each piece ultimately is about finding one’s home – that place within where peace, calm, happiness, safety & sense of family exist in abundance. Through our shared life experiences, celebrations & struggles, I hope your spirit finds a home and sense of kinship within one of my “homes.”

I was intrigued with her pieces, too, because she gives me a place to begin when I start to assemble some family pieces with photographs. I was visiting with my brother and he has some of my father's toy lead WW1 soldiers. I had conceived of the idea while I was in New Orleans that I should make a shadow box with a portrait of my father and some of his soldiers to give to my brothers. Of the collection of soldiers my brother had in his possession, many were of nurses, wounded and stretcher bearers. The Ambulance Corps is not my father's experience, but I couldn't not take those soldiers because of where my head is with these letters from Herb. Hopefully my shadow boxes will turn out as beautiful as those of Ms. Hayden, though with perhaps a narrower appeal.

I was able to scan her card:

7th week in camp

Seems such a surprise that Herb and Charles would want to talk about what Herb will be doing after the War - the War hasn't even begun for Herb.... I guess they are very optimistic that the War will not last long once the Americans enter it.

Karolyn is heading over to Bridgeport to be a nurse....

So, was Olive at summer camp??? We saw her school picture before, in the blog entry dedicated to her.

Still no idea who Kelly Zillessen is....


Sunday, August 12, 1917

Dear Mother,
Sunday again – another week gone. Last Thursday finished my seventh week in camp.

I had a letter from Kelly Zillessen (?) yesterday. He was called out a week ago yesterday by telegram and sent to an aviation organization camp at San Antonio, Texas. He expects to be there only a few weeks and then to be sent to the aviation school either in Illinois or at Mineola.

This afternoon at 4 o’clock section 80 mounts guard for twenty-four hours. At four o’clock Monday afternoon we are relieved and are then off duty til 5:30 Wednesday morning. I plan to leave Monday at 6:07 pm and go over and visit Chas. I shall return late Tuesday night. He is very anxious to have me come and this looks like a good opportunity. There are a lot of things about what I am to do after the war that we want to talk over together. I shall tell him then about what Harry is going to do. I know he will be pleased and will be anxious to help out a bit if it proves necessary.

I can’t understand why it is that you have no word from the firm. I have made no later arrangement with them – could not have, in fact, since no one but Mr. Friedman was in the office when last I was there. At any rate, I would not have changed the arrangement without first consulting you since I had already given the money to Harry. However I will drop in to see them all Tuesday and will probably hear about it then.

Karolyn is going in to a hospital in Bridgeport, just as soon as arrangements are completed and she can get together her uniforms and aprons or whatever it is a nurse in training needs. Since she is to be in Bridgeport I hope to be able to go over to see her some Sunday soon.

I hear not more about when are to go abroad.

The food lately has been a great improvement. They are giving a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit – oranges, bananas, sweet corn, tomatoes, green peas, etc. It’s a great relief after canned stuff.

I had intended to write Olive but you said she was coming home so I did not. I hear from Karolyn that friend Mac Dowell has been telling around town that he expects to go to France with the U.S.A.A.C.
Love to all,
Herb


Rather than posting both fun things I found the other day while rifling through the strong box, I am posting the photograph I found of proud Harry with one of his masterpieces. Both front and back:

Artists in the family

I wonder where sister Olive is, camp, maybe? No way to know.

Herb seems so generous with his younger brother, Harry. I do know that Harry became an artist of sorts. I have one large, slightly faded, watercolor of his that I got when Olive died. Though Harry does seems to be at loose ends, having a tough time making some decisions about his life.

Herb tried his hand at drawing, too, actually. It looks as though he copied images out of magazines. This is one that I framed and have hanging in my office:

Looks like Herb was interested in fiber arts, too - or pretty women, I suppose.... ;)

Wednesday, August 1, 1917

Dear Mother,

I got your letter safely yesterday but have been too busy + tired to write. We left Allentown Monday and are now in a semi-permanent camp about ten miles from Allentown. We are living in tents and I’m not awfully keen about it. Yesterday was I think the hottest day I ever remember. The thermometer touched 103 in the shade. We hiked all morning and I layed [sic] around in my underwear in the shade the rest of the day and still couldn’t get cool. We are supposed to go on hikes every day and return at night. That’s easier than breaking camp every day. The food is cooked on field kitchens but is very good – really better than we got in Allentown. This morning I have been on a detail to get water for the kitchen. We had to bring it a half a mile on trucks. it also rained hard for an hour and a half so everything except the clothes I had on is wet. But they’ll soon dry up.

I had a letter from Olive today. She says she is having a fine time.

I’m really glad that Harry didn’t go in the Navy, and that he’s going to Photography school in the fall. Of course my money from the firm is his. Have him write me more of his plans. I should think he might be best board over in Sterling Place. It’s reasonable and they’ll take good care of him. If he thinks he will I’ll write him a letter of introduction.

There are about a thousand of us here in this camp. How long will be here I don’t know, Reveille is at 4:45 AM and taps at 9:00 PM. I ought to be healthy – I never sweat so much before in my life. Mail is brought here three times a day from Allentown…
[letter torn and remainder missing.]

Emmeline Young Jenkins Revisited

An unmet fellow Find-a-graver, Bob Collins, has just the other day posted some photographs of Emmeline's tombstone and the tombstones around her. He has indicated to me that Emmeline had several more children that died very young. I will need to re-check the information Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn provided me and see if I can confirm the relationships and even find the burial information amongst the copies provided.

The tombstone delightedly provided the names of Emmeline's parents - Stephen B. and Sarah. I had seen a Sarah living with Emmeline in the census, but there was no relationship provided. I have also seen an Eliza Young living with her, but again, no relationship - she could be an unmarried female relative or the spouse. So much more sleuthing to do.

This new information will keep me busy for quite a while, now.

And just reflecting on Emmeline's life, it would seem that it was a very sad and trying in the early years. If that was the case for Emmeline, I hope the time with her grandchildren was a source of happiness in her later years.

Jumping to March 1917

Let me begin by wishing everyone a very happy Memorial Day.

I have been transcribing letters like mad. They are not in order and many do not have envelopes or dates, so a guessing game ensues. This letter I have assumed to be early March based on research in the NY Times archives about the Bronx Building and Loan and Herb's mention of Spring - that's an obvious clue. This is the earliest letter I have come across so far, so no mention of enlisting at this time - just a dutiful son updating his mother on his comings and goings at his job in New York City away from his immediate family up in Troy, but in the hometown of his father's family, the Lees.

I found an article in the NY Times Archives dated March 11, 1917 about the investors - depositors in this case - losing $100,000 to 'peculations'. I had never heard that word before, but one can assume what it means and dictionary.com indicates: to steal or take dishonestly (money, especially public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. I couldn't attach the article because it is a PDF, but trust me when I say it was a moment of elation when I found the article, to learn about what he was referring to and to get a specific date in time to place the letter in the sequence of Sunday letters home.

From all of my transcribing and consulting my family tree I have figured out who some of the people Herb is gossiping/talking about. I believe that Jane Parker may be the sister to Russell Parker who is first cousin Edith's husband. Edith is Charles' sister and daughter to Ida. The wedding to which Herb refers is that of Grace Hughson and Charles. It's so rewarding when Herb mentions something by name - in this case Banker's Trust, Charles' employer.

Herb's description of Hasbrouk Heights is pretty great, too. So many mysteries solved in this letter alone.

Dad Reece - though I believe it may be spelled Rees - is Aunt Ida's second husband. She was widowed quite young from her first husband, John Cornell, a butcher in New York City. John and Ida Rees live in Huntington on Long Island and John describes himself in the 1920 Federal Census as a poultry man on a private estate. (Might Ida and Mr. Rees have met through her first husband's employment as a butcher? Tantalizing to speculate.) Edith and her husband Russell seem to be having some marital trouble and I believe they eventually divorce, as she describes herself divorced in the 1930 Federal Census. In 1915 Russell is a stage manager; in 1920 a actor in theatricals and by 1925 he describes himself as a movie actor. Has Edith headed home to Mom/Ida because Russell is on the road? Doesn't sound like he is taking good care of his wife and two children, Howard and Ruth....

Herb attended 3 years at Syracuse University and was obviously a member of Phi Delta Theta. The boys in Brooklyn were some of his fraternity brothers.


Sunday (Sometime in early March 1917)
Dear Mother + all,

I was of course delighted to hear that you are all pretty well again. It’s been a nasty winter, take it by and large and I guess we are all pretty glad that Spring is coming.

I got my shirt all right – on Tuesday I think it was. It’s a peach, Mother. I like it awfully well. Many thanks.

Tuesday we went over to call on Jane Parker. I had a very nice time. We played cards a while + chewed about the wedding.

Did you happen to read in the New York papers about the Building + Loan Association here in the Bronx that went to smash (?). Mr. Hughson had about eight hundred dollars in it, Grace had a couple of hundred + Mabel + Bess Elmore each had some about three hundred between them I think. The funny thing was that Charlie has been after Grace to take hers out for some time. She had at last been persuaded and next month she was going to give it to Charlie to put in the Employees Special account at Banker’s Trust where it would have drawn nine per cent.

Charlie + Grace haven’t been able to find a house that they could afford or wanted anywhere so they have pretty well decided on a six room apartment over in Jersey City. I haven’t seen it but they both are quite enthusiastic. It’s a new apartment – not yet completed – and is in a strictly residential section on the heights on the west side of the town – with a nice view of the open country. From there into Wall Street is only about a thirty minute ride which isn’t bad at all.

Charlie + Grace went to Huntington to day to stay until to-morrow. Aunt Ida is pretty well now I guess but still a bit weak. Edith is in town again. She and the kids are staying with John while she hunts for a flat. Charlie + I were up to see them Friday night. I wouldn’t mention it if I were you but Dad Reece thinks that Russell ought to be made to feel the responsibility of his position and support her. I think he’s right too. If Russell isn’t forced to come through now when he’s making good money he may get the idea fastened tight in his head that he doesn’t have to support his family.

There wasn’t anything to worry about in Mr. Friedman’s wanting to talk to me, mother. We just went out to lunch together at his invitation so we could eat and chew the rag together peacefully. That’s a common habit in Wall Street. I’m confident that he thinks pretty well of me.

I don’t think there’s any reason for worrying a great deal about the rail road strike. The mail trains would undoubtedly be run under government orders + if the food gives out I’ll walk home.

I’m glad Harry is satisfied with his work.

Do you suppose he could lend me about fifteen dollars in a month or so. I really need a new suit myself + I can’t save any money for it, because I need a new hat + new shoes even worse. I’ve got to look up + coming when I go around to the other offices interviewing some pretty substantial men sometimes when I am hunting information. If he can let me have it I can get on my feet all right, I’ll appreciate it.

As ever,
Herb

I’m going over this afternoon to see the boys in Brooklyn. I haven’t seen them I a month. I had an invitation to the annual Phi Delt Banquet at the Onondaga March 31st. I suppose they think I’m prosperous by now.

This photograph was a picture my cousin Chuck attached to his tree on ancestry which I copied back in September of last year. He had it labeled as Ida Rees and the Lees. Looking closely, and having found some photographs of my own which were labeled, I believe I can identify some of the people. Here's my attempt:
Unknown man (could this be Mr. Doring?), unknown woman (could this be Ida?), Nellie Jane Kirkpatrick Lee, Aunt Burdella (or is she Ida?)
Margaret Lee, Olive Lee, Burdella

Let me attach the photographs for my readers to review to see if you think I am correct with my guess of the people.

Labeled Aunt Berdella, Margaret and Olive

Margaret Lee and Berdella

Nellie Jane, Oliver and Herb - June 15th, 1930, so 15 years roughly after these letters were written, though this photograph shows Nellie Jane in a manner to compare with the unlabeled photograph.

A great date with Karolyn

I have jumped backwards in time to July 23rd. The romance with Karolyn continues to alarm me and I worry, as I know he doesn’t marry her. What might have happened to her? He does seem very much in love.

Aunt Ada is Herb’s mother’s sister. Good to know that she is in the City, or maybe in New Jersey at this period in time. I don’t think I knew where she was. It will help with the research. Ada only had one daughter, Helen, and Helen only had one son. The son, William Arthur, never married and never had any children, that I know of, at least.

Harry was born in 1899, so he is about 17 at this point.

I don’t know who this Charlie is. Hopefully more will be revealed.

Herb worked with Case, Pomeroy & Co. before he enlisted. I’m afraid my research has not yet revealed what kind of business they were in. I believe Herb’s resume indicates that he worked as a statistician for them. Case, Pomeroy & Co. had their offices at 60 Wall Street. Theodore Pomeroy wrote a nice recommendation letter about Herb, indicating that he “has proved himself an efficient, capable, honest, thorough-going young fellow.”

I don’t know who Herb would be staying with in Hasbrouk Heights. According to Wikipedia, Hasbrouk Heights is located about 8 miles northwest of the City. Perhaps that is where I will find Aunt Ada. I do know that Herb used to live at Sterling Place in Brooklyn.

Monday, July 23, 1917

Dear Mother,

I am awfully sorry not to have written you before but I have been on the jump ever since I sent you the telegram. I had to hustle to get to the train Friday evening and then it got in Jersey City about a half hour late. I had at once tried to get Charlie on the phone but is I found out later it was not yet connected at his end so I couldn’t get him. I then went over to New York and called up Karolyn at Bridgeport and arranged for her to come over to New York in the morning. Then I called up Sterling Place and went over there to spend the night. Kimber and Zillesen are both enlisted in the Aviation Corps. They have been sworn in but are still waiting to be called and are getting so anxious that they watch for the mail man like two hawks.

I left there in the morning and went over to the Bank to see Charlie. He told me that Aunt Ada was to meet him at 12:30, she having been in to find out if he knew where I was and go out to Jersey with him. He suggested that I bring Karolyn along and we’d all have lunch together so I agreed. Then I went down to 60 Wall for about an hour. Fred Judson is on active service and Mr. Case + Mr. Pomeroy were away for the weekend but I had a long talk with Mr. Friedman about nothing in particular. It was then time to meet Karolyn so I went up to Grand Central. I brought her back and showed her around Wall Street a bit and then went around to the Bank and met Charlie and Aunt Ada. We all had lunch together and after Karolyn and I went with them over to the tube (?) and left then because she had to go back to Bridgeport. We took the 4:26 only New York and went to Fairfield, near Bridgeport and stayed at the beach there about an hour. Then we went to Bridgeport, had something to eat and I went home with her. Her grandmother wanted me to stay overnight at least with them, but it was sad enough as it was and I didn’t want to prolong the agony so I came back to NY. I left her about 12 o’clock and took the 1:00 back to NY. I arrived in the station at NY about 3:00 am so darned tired I couldn’t move. In the waiting room were about 35 men in uniform peacefully sleeping so I took off my coat for a pillow and joined them till seven o’clock. Then I washed up, went out and had breakfast, went over to Matthews to see Aunt Ada and from there over to Hasbrouk Heights. I had dinner there and early tea and left about 5:00 to come back to camp. Gee I did hate to come back here, but I had to do it.

Aunt Ada says Harry is trying to enlist. (Here Herb changes to pencil) The ink has run out. My advice to him is not to do it. (Herb changes back to pen.) I don’t believe there is any real obligation on him since I have gone. Anyway he’s too young for this sort of thing. It’s a hard, nasty life, and I should hate to see him in it. He’ll be more real use to the country by looking for a job on a farm for now and trying to go to Agriculture college, if he likes, in the Fall. If it were a war at home I wouldn’t try to dissuade him but as it is, I say, for God’s sake stay out of it. One of us is enough. Think it over Harry. I never steered you wrong yet.
Love to all,
Herb

Photographs - what do you do when inundated?

As perhaps I mentioned, I have found a ton of Lee/Kirkpatick photographs/memorabilia in my attic. I am ashamed that I have had it all along and am only now realizing it. What I recall from the time that I cleaned out Olive’s apartment in the late 90s is that there were a ton of tiny travel photographs - maybe 1 and a 1/2 inch square. I knew they were very cool, because they were Rome, Moscow, China, etc. – but they were so small and I couldn't deal with it at the time. It appears that I had more presence of mind than I realized – I seem to have saved some really good stuff. Thank you, God.
However, going through all the unlabeled photographs made me think about my own colletion of photographs. Mostly I make shutterfly.com books of my travel photographs. But, those books are more about what I see rather than the people. I know from this archival or historical process that it is the people who will be interesting years later, not the places – unless, of course it is someplace that eventually gets destroyed, like the Buddha statues in Afghanistan. Then you want to keep those photographs.
So, I have sorted through years of photographs. I had to wrestle with the question of outdated storage media, slides and negatives. My husband suggested that I keep all the negatives, and I suppose they don’t take up too much space. I didn’t even tackle the slides. I have a ton of black and white negatives from photography classes over the years, though they are already slipped in to sleeves and filed in a 3 ring binder. I did throw some photographs away, though. That feels like sacrilege. I tossed photos of a cousin’s wedding, but only because the quality of the photographs is so poor; it was a tough decision, though. I am sure, though, that I have photo albums somewhere with these photographs and these are the duplicates.
Of course I have come across miscellaneous photographs which are not people, but make me think about my family and my life. So, in that vein, I have scanned – and I will now toss – a photograph of the house my grandmother rented for a number of years in Kennebunkport, Maine. I will also write the memories I have of the house and my family's time there.

• This house was owned by the Pruitt Family
• The house is just down the road from the Walker (read President Bush’s) compound on Walker point. I remember when I heard Senior President George Bush make a speech when he was running against Reagan, before he became his running mate.
• I spent summers here reading Jane Austen while cousin was reading English literature; I think he was preparing for graduate school.
• This was where Gammy had a piece of spinach on her nose and another cousin and I were laughing about it. When Alex told Gammy about it, she answered with “well, I think it looks good there.” Santos came out to serve the next course and used her finger to wipe it off. I can picture that to this day.
• The my brothers and my cousins spent hours walking/playing on the rocks along the Maine coastline.
• Gammy bought us tennis, sailing and diving lessons and such to keep us out of the house and active.

Honestly, I am overwhelmed with all the photographs - and also the knowledge that being childless, none of these images will be of interest to another generation. I will hope that my nieces and my stepchildren with be happy for the images of their own parents amongst my collection.

5,300 DNA and grandchildren....

Some Austrian scientists have used DNA to prove that 19 men currently living in the Tyrol region are related to Otzi the Iceman, whose 5,300 year old body was found frozen in the Alps in 1991.

Europe's Most Fertile Man

What in the world? Again, from The Week Magazine, an article of modest, amusing interest to those of us doing family research. Now, there are other elements to this story other than the questions/problems this would raise for a person building a family tree. On a side note, I remember hearing that something like 15% of people discover during DNA testing that there was a "non-paternal" event in their tree. In other words, someone they thought was a father turns out not to be. That's a larger number than I would have suspected. In this case, it is out in the open, so long as the parents are forthright with their children about their paternity.

Ed Houben is sought after by women all over Europe, said John Laurenson in BBC.com. The Dutch “charitable sperm donor” is prized for his legendary powers of insemination, having fathered a staggering 98 children in the last decade. More unusually, he donates his sperm in the “traditional way”: by forgoing the syringe and having sex with the women—many of whom are married. “Much better chance of conception,” Houben explains. The 44-year-old started donating to sperm banks in 2002, but when the Netherlands banned anonymous sperm donation, he offered his stud services for free online. As requests poured in, Houben began keeping an up-to-date list of his children on his computer. One British couple now awaiting a delivery came to him after several unsuccessful trips to fertility clinics. “They stayed for eight days and—how should I put it correctly?—she and I slept together four times, and after almost 10 years of trying they had their first pregnancy.” The husbands, he says, rarely present a problem. They’re so eager to have a baby that they’re “beyond these feelings of, ‘Ooh, there’s a stranger sleeping with my wife.’” And that’s what it’s all about, Houben insists: the “beautiful hope of creating a new life that will be loved and looked after.”

One would think that these children must be told their parentage, as what would happen should they find each other.... we have seen from previous posts that there are plenty of long lost siblings out there who find one another later in life....

Blog with a similar name

As I named my blog I obviously had to find something unique. I did, at least I did with blogspot.... Today I read an entry with a similar name and of course, with the similar name, it had a similar theme. Nancy Humphrey Case wrote about the sale of her family's farm built in 1810 where 10 generations of her family lived. Such good stuff. But it makes me sad. She concludes it's the stories that make it worthwhile, not the things. I have noticed, though, that it's just often the things that make one remember the stories... We don't write these stories down, or think to tell them on a normal Sunday afternoon. I don't have an answer as how to change that.

But please find here Ms. Case's entry about her farm called Cherry Brook. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

A Long Lost Sister Right Next Door - from the Week Magazine

I had to share the following blurb from the February 28th edition of The Week Magazine:

A long-lost sister right next door
North Dakotan John Maixner spent years exchanging friendly hellos with Walmart greeter Buddine Bullinger, only to discover recently that she is his long-lost sister. Maixner, a brother, and three sisters were given up for adoption 50 years ago, and just last year he began searching for his birth family. When he tracked down a picture of his siblings, his jaw dropped as he realized that he knew Bullinger. The pair now speak by phone nearly every day, and Maixner has reconnected with his siblings and their children. “I gained a huge family,” he said.

How wonderful is this story? I can't imagine having my family split up in such a manner, but to then find them? What a blessing. It's too bad that the article doesn't mention how they found one another. I did find a third cousin through Ancestry.com DNA, though I am disappointed to report that she does not seem all that interested in connecting. I have heard stories about people trying to scam others through Ancestry connections. The scam goes something like this: people become close/connected and then the scammer asks their 'family' to lend them money. An alarming possibility which leads to a lot of distrust on the site.

Separated siblings

I read a fabulous blurb in the April 18th edition of The Week Magazine:

After 18 years apart, two long lost sisters have reunited through social media. Nia Edwards, 23, has been searching for her scattered siblings for years. She scoured Facebook, My Space, and Twitter without any luck. In one last effort to reconnect, she downloaded Instagram and was immediately successful. Brenda Edwards has been looking for her sibs as well. "She had followed so many people names Nia Edwards, hoping that one was me," said an overjoyed Nia. "I was so happy that I called my local news station."

What a wonderful story; the internet and social media has been so helpful for genealogy, too. Being Facebook friends with cousins I can add their joyful events to my Family Tree Maker software without having to pester them. (Or, I can easily pester them for the details, and I can copy some of the photographs they post.) I have also 'friended' cousins who I have connected through this genealogical research, so I can have an idea about the lives of third cousins who live many miles away.