The Latest Ancestry DNA Update is Weird

Ancestry DNA recently updated their results, predictions, etc, which means I'm a new breed of something or other that I wasn't yesterday.

First of all I lost the small bit of German DNA that I have, my last name being of Rhineland Prussia roots, Americanized around the Revolutionary War. I've gone from 1% to 2% Welsh. And I've gone up quite a bit in Scottish DNA, nearly balancing England, Ireland, and Scotland.

But This is what's weird, and why I'm not so trusting of this latest calculation: My Grandparents results vs my Mom and Aunt.

My Grandpa R is 4% Welsh and my Grandma A is 2% Welsh. My Mom's results were 10% Welsh whereas my Aunt is 4% Welsh.

My Grandpa R is 3% Scottish whereas my Grandma A is 8% Scottish. My Mom's results were 0% Scottish (nothing!) whereas my Aunt is 16% Scottish.  

My Mom's not happy that for the first time Scotland isn't showing up at all with her results, and I think there's a mistake there.  My Dad is 38% Scottish.

Further proving what an imperfect science all this DNA region testing is.  The app has taken away the ability to see percentage ranges for each ethnicity.

It's all fun, and there's some truth in the data, but it's not to be taken quite literally.

A map of my heritage and the second is my communities, though I also belong to "Munster Ireland" and "Arkansas, Oklahoma & Texas Settles", which are not pictured.

The New Ancestry DNA Update Gave Me New Numbers and a New Region

From Ancestry:

"Thanks to our growing and increasingly diverse DNA reference panel, we’ve added eight new regions from across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Although you may not see these new regions in your personal results, you could see changes in your ethnicity estimate as part of this update."

 "This update adds the following eight regions to AncestryDNA • Indigenous Americas—Panama & Costa Rica • Indigenous Americas—Ecuador • Indigenous Americas—Chile • Aegean Islands • Arabian Peninsula • Egypt • Levant • Bengal

"Your DNA itself doesn’t change, but the technology and methods we use to analyze it are constantly evolving. As we continue to advance the science, you will see even more updates in the future. We’re bringing you our most precise ethnicity estimate to date using a combination of scientific expertise, the world’s largest online consumer DNA database, and millions of family trees linked to DNA results."

My numbers have shifted around a little, and I now have Wales! All of 1%, but I've now got a little of the whole British Isles.

To Give you an idea, here is my previous numbers: England 36%, Ireland 35%, Scotland 19%, Germanic Europe 6%, Norway 4%.

For my updated DNA results I'm going to include my range in parentheses.  "You range comes from making multiple comparisons of your DNA to our reference panel. It includes other possible, but less likely, percentages."

My updated results: Ireland 41% (13-41%), England & North Europe 39% (33-58%), Scotland 13% (0-32%), Norway 4% (0-8%), Germanic Europe 2% (0-12%), Wales 1% (0-12%).

Since I've done my whole family, including grandparents and an aunt, plus I know the results of another grandparent, a cousin, and a great-uncle (my maternal grandmother's brother, which is interesting to compare), it's interesting looking through all the numbers and recognizing patterns. 

It's interesting going through all the information.  My Dad use to have Wales, but no longer does, though I did trace one of his lines on Family Tree (not reliable information) to the Welsh monarchy several centuries back.  My Dad is now 44% English and 43% Scottish, but only 2% German despite our last name being of Americanized German origin.  My maternal grandmother now has Irish, though she wasn't showing it before, and we had a few paper trails back to Ireland on that side, so that's finally showing up.  My Great-Uncle still has 3% French, which my Grandmother didn't inherit, so none of us down this branch of the tree inherited it, but it's nice to see it's still there, though he lost his 1% Spain.

And it's fun comparing myself with my siblings and seeing all our different numbers.  Robbie and my percentages are really close.  Michael is evenly balanced between Ireland, Scotland, and England all within the low 30%.  Steven is 55% English and only 5% Scottish, though he and Robbie are both 4% Wales (my Mom is 6% Wales).  Also, my Mom is 100% British Isles.  She's the only one out of my whole tested family who has nothing in continental Europe.

Fun stuff.  It's all very fascinating.  Sure enough as more data is collected and algorithms improve the numbers will continue to change.

It's cool my Irish numbers have increased to my dominate region, though Scotland went down because of it.  I'm still primarily Celtic!!  :D

 Sarah

 

Ancestry DNA Has A New Update: Separating England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales

Ancestry DNA has a new update which separates the British Isles.  There used to be only two ethnicities: England and Scotland/Ireland.  Now England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are all separated.   And alas I have all but Wales.

This is what I am now, before it changes again.  In the brackets are my ranges, as Ancestry does this whole "1,000 Estimates" thing using probabilities, a reference panel, and what is known.  The percentages are derived by algorithms based on current knowledge and information.  Essentially this information is subject to change, because DNA research is still imperfect.  This is what the algorithm assigned me: England (30-36%), Ireland 35% (0-43%), Scotland 19% (0-20%), Germanic Europe 6% (0-20%), Norway 4% (0-5%).

Now, this is what the system gave me.  Once upon a time I was able to see the whole list of ethnicities and what they tested, and even if the system didn't assign an ethnicity to me, doesn't mean I don't have it.  I used to be able to click on a random Ethnicity and see if it was all 0%, or if there was a small percentage bracket.  For instance my Mom is Ireland 56% (42-63%) and my Aunt is Ireland 50% (34-55%), yet my Grandma didn't register as having any Irish.  If I was allowed to see the full list of ethnicities and then click on Irish, I could see what the tested bracket percentage said.  My Grandma has Irish in her family tree, though it's possible they emigrated from Scotland (as she registers 37% Scottish), but with my Mom having 56% Irish with the percentage bracket she does, there's no way my Grandma doesn't have a small percentage of Irish.

Also, I was hoping to have some Welsh in my DNA, so that I could be British Isles Divergent (nerd reference).  Apparently I don't have any, though my Dad is 2% Welsh (0-13%), Mom is 1% Welsh (0-7%), my brother Steven 5% Welsh (0-11%), and my Grandma Stuff. is 4%.  I have gone down my Dad's family tree on the Family Tree website, and there is Welsh there, some of which are royalty (which I take with a grain of salt, but it's fun).  I've found Welsh elsewhere.  It's a little, but there's a paper trail.  Proof that our DNA is a hint of linage, but not a true representation of our heritage and family history.  DNA is simply what we inherit. 

The most interesting discovery is between my Grandpa R and Grandma A.  We always assumed my Grandpa had a lot of Scottish.  He was obsessed with Scotland, yet he only has 5% (0-14%).  Ironically my Grandma A has more with 37% (0-37%).   It's just funny.  Though my Grandpa was 91% Irish (71-95%), connecting with 9 regions all through the south of Ireland, from Kerry to East Cork.

It's all fun.  It's interesting comparing the results of my family.  My Grandma's brother, my Great Uncle, had France 3% (0-7%) and Spain 1% (0-1%) show up in his results, so that's interesting.  And even though Steven is the only one of my siblings to have Wales show up in his DNA, he only registered 6% Scottish (0-13%), whereas my brother Michael is 33% Scottish (2-35%).  Steven is 47% Irish (22-54%).  It's just interesting how similar, yet different we all are, even with the same linage.

So I've spent the weekend nerding out over Family History. :0)

PS. I don't care what they say, I'm still British Isles Divergent.

Honoring My Ancestor Ensign Brintnel Robbins this Independence Day

The interesting thing about doing family history is realizing one of the greatest resources for gathering stories and linking families: Pension war testimonies.  War is sad, but historically the records kept during each American war are of great worth.  And when an ancestor does give testimony, either for himself or another, there are true gems to be found.  Gallant stories.  Acts of heroism.  Bringing to life a name on a family chart that would have otherwise blended in.

Ensign Brintnel Robbins is my 5th great-grandfather, born 1756 in Connecticut and died July 25, 1836, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.  He fought every chance he could during the revolutionary war, and when he wasn't marching/fighting he was making saltpeter.

On his gravestone it lists his battles of engagements as Concord, New London, White Plains, Rhode Island, Monmouth, Trenton, Valley Forge, etc.  Each time Brintnel enlisted he was in his brother Captain Samuel Robbins company

His grave mentions Concord, but in his pension he talks about fighting in Lexington.  Battles is plural, so I suppose he was at Lexington and Concord:

"I was engaged in the battles of Lexington, we had a good deal of Sharp Shooting we had to retreat at the first onset but we soon got more help, and the British Soldiers had to fly in turn, we had an old cannon - we put it on a waggon, we loaded it with broken metal pots, which the women carried us, then we got log chains and loaded it with them, we shot at the Soldiers from behind fences, and walls and every place where we could protect ourselves from their fire."

Then he talks about marching from New London to New York where the waited for General Washington to retreat from New York Island to White Plains.

"I was engages in the battle of the White Plains.  The British were within a short distance of us, and were marching and maneuvering within sight of us all morning, and the American army were mostly entrenched and on high or elevated ground not far from White Plains, the firing commenced about 3 O'clock in the afternoon, there were a good many killed on both sides, during the engagement three musket balls passed through my hat, but I received no wound . . . After the battle we were marched to North Castle where we lay for some time, and General Washington crossed the North River with part of the army and marched to a place called Fort Lee, which the British soon afterwards captured, they also captured Fort Washington about the same time, the company that I belonged to was dismissed at North Castle."

And later, with another enlistment:

"I was marched to Rhode Island and was engaged in the battle that was fought about 2 miles from the city of New Port, in or about the last of August of that year, General Sulivan was our commanding officer & General Tyler was there also.  We got defeated and had to retreat by the north end of the Island.  The enemy pursued us close and we had to face about and try them another spell, and we soon had hot work of it, we were constantly under arms for three days and three nights in succession, we got off the island in the night in boats and every way we could.  General Lafayette was at this place, but not in the battle, we crossed Kings Bridge and the British did not pursue us any further."

There's some more, but these were the more exciting parts.  At the end of the testimony he declares he was never wounded, despite "4 hard fought battles and a number of skirmishes," which is amazing.

One of the reasons I love studying family history is because it brings history alive and makes it personal, giving a different perspective than what is presented in history books.  History is exciting!  Tragic.  Crazy.  But none of us would be here now if these things didn't happen, and it's good to be aware.

Someday I hope to visit the east coast, so the places by ancestors lived and even fought, as I have several ancestors in the Revolution, War of 1812, and the Civil War, Gettysburg included.

Study your family history.  You never know what tales you may unfold.

 

Remembering My Grandpa Paul R., 1932-2018

 My Grandfather passed away July 14th, 2018.  My Mom, Aunt Tam, our French friend Patou, and I were in California when his health took a turn for the worse, and we knew we wouldn't make it back in time.  His burial was last week.  He didn't want a burial.  He wanted his ashes spread somewhere between Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands, no funeral service.  Instead we found a Veterans cemetery, which we feel he would have liked.  He was proud of his military service, and we feel he would be happy being close to us.  When deciding what should go on his grave my brother Michael came up with, "Sailing the Interlude."  Interlude was the name of his sail boat, and there's a wonderful double meaning there.

Grandpa, I love you.

Have fun Sailing the Interlude.

Remembering My Grandma Stuff: 1934-June 15, 2017

My Grandmother passed away yesterday.  Ravenna Stufflebeam, 1934 to 2017.

I haven't seen her in awhile.  Her dementia got really bad and I stopped visiting as often, which I regret.

My Dad just had surgery, which he's recovering really well from, and as he left the hospital Wednesday he learned Grandma Stuff took a turn for the worst.  We were planning on visiting her yesterday, but learned she passed away that morning.

(Somewhere in the Wasatch Mountains)

Yesterday I was filled with many emotions, some unexpected.  Happy she's passed, because of all the pain she's been in.  She's with my Grandfather now, who passed several years ago.  I have zero doubt of an afterlife, and I know she's at peace.  How wonderful it must be.  How beautiful.  Surrounded by her family and friends, getting ready to do whatever work she and my Grandpa are called to perform.  Heaven's a busy place.

What surprised me was the anger and pain I felt.  Long story, but growing up in Porterville I was persecuted for being LDS.  When we moved to Utah to get to know my Dad's side of the family I was so excited to get to know them, to finally be accepted for who I am.  But then some of my extended family persecuted me for being a shy introverted bookworm.  Family get-togethers became unbearable.  I thought I had forgiven my Grandparents for the role they played, but my feelings came back with a vengeance.  Before going to bed I prayed for help to let go and forgive, and all last night I tossed and turned until 4am, when suddenly all the angst and frustration left my body and I felt peace.  And I know my Grandma's really sorry.  And I'm sorry, too.

So I'm going to remember the good times!

(My two Grandma's)

Sadly I wasn't as close to my Grandma Stuff as I am with my Grandma A and Grandpa R, who I grew up with.  but here and there I have scattered memories.

I remember visiting once when they lived in Reno and visiting Circus Circus.  At some point we visited my Grandparents when they lived in Salt Lake.  It snowed!  And I thought that was the grandest thing!!  Of course now I'm overwhelmingly cynical towards snow, but we went sledding, and that was a lot of fun.

 (Mayon Volcano, Philippines, 1995)

I remember all the family gathering right before my Grandparents left to serve a mission in the Philippines and having a large meal at a restaurant.  Driving home to California was scary as we drove through a legit blizzard.  I still have visuals of cars sliding off the I-15, very limited visibility.

When they got back they didn't really share many stories.  There was one event that my Grandma told over and over.  In once place they stayed there was a pig that ran around quite merrily.  When my Grandparents were about to transfer to another area my Grandma noticed the pig was no longer anywhere to be seen.  The family who served them their farewell dinner served pork, and when my Grandma realized the pork was the cute little pig she couldn't eat it.

My Dad all spiffed up for his performance in Carmen, which was done in English.  He was a smuggler.

Right before my Grandpa died they went to many events and shows and had a booth.  They sold swords, and when Grandpa passed and bought a few.  They also got into jewelry making.  The two wire work pieces my Grandpa did.  The red jasper piece, I think that's the stone, my Grandma made in a class.  I don't think she liked going to the shows.  When I went to my Uncle and Aunts home where she was staying to get a couple pieces after my Grandfather passed we talked, and that's probably the closest I really felt to her.  She softened a lot after he passed.

After that my Dad would regularly pick her up, and I tagged along now and then, taking her to the movies, out to eat, up into the mountains, or anything else we felt like doing.

I'm very thankful that I got to spend those moments with her.

My Little Dancing Soul

 My Mom was going through some old papers when she found one she wrote about me when I was really young.  It was fun to read, and shows how I've always had music and dance in my soul :0)

 "Before Sarah could walk she liked to kick her feet.  Her mommy would hold her arms so she would not fall.  Her tiny little feet made a tiny little dance.

"One day Sarah and her mommy and daddy were visiting Sarah's great granny and grandpa's house.  There was lots of family there, because it was granny's birthday.

"Everyone liked to hold Sarah, because she was such a sweet bundle of joy.  Her daddy told everyone there: 'did you know that Sarah could dance?'  Sarah's granny, and grandma, and great aunt said: 'Oh how wonderful.'  But Sarah's aunt Krissy said: 'How can that be.  She can't even walk.'  Sarah's daddy replied: 'You do not need to walk to dance.'  Then daddy walked over and picked up Sarah.  he held her arms and there went the feet tapping and kicking in perfect rhythm.  Aunt Krissy said: 'You're right she can dance.'"

I was born with rhythm pulsing through me. :0)

The Mysterious Man in the Purple Shirt: What is Love?

On October 9th, hanging out at LAX, my brother, sister-in-law, and I decided we desperately needed real food, after enduring that weird stuff on the plane.  I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it had a lemonade theme, very California, and is in the Delta terminal.  I write this because of something that happened.  Something probably not worth mentioning, but it's actually been on my mind, and has me contemplating stuff.

When I was in line I first got the broccoli salad and some couscous something or other, and then I decided to get the Salmon.  (Insert here, the salmon is cold, but cooked, just to warn you.)  But it was taking forever for them to get me the salmon.  So I stood and stood while Michael and Krista moved ahead, bought their food, and went to sit down.  I was still waiting for the salmon.

After I got it and moved ahead, my eye caught a glimpse of the chocolate cake, and after spending a week in Japan finding difficulty eating stuff, the chocolate cake looked mighty good.

I passed it, and then turned around to get another look, deciding whether the cake was truly worth it.  But when I turned around I couldn't see it.  Someone was standing right behind me, close, blocking my view.  Some guy wearing a purple shirt, a button up dress shirt I believe, and instead I stared at the wall gathering my thoughts.  Mainly because I was shocked.  But also because of what I was feeling.

I felt that zing.  That something.  That feeling where you feel molecules move.  A feeling I haven't felt in a very, very long time.  And it surprised me.  And that made me nervous and self conscious.  So I stared ahead, afraid to look up.  I inquired then to the gal at the counter about the chocolate cake, saying something about we all needing a little cake in our lives, or something like that, and then she handed it to me and I faced the direction of the registers.

I couldn't look up to see who the guy was, so I decided I would walk up to the register and causally glance back, unassuming, and sneak a peak then.  But when I got to the counter and looked back, who ever it was was gone.

So it's a mystery.

 But, even though it's strange, I'm thankful.  Thankful because I haven't been next to a guy in a very long time and felt that.  I know this sounds kind of pathetic!  But you have to understand my circumstances.  When I moved to Utah I joined a singles ward, 19 with the average age around 27.  Then when I got to be 27 the singles ward I was then in became young, the average age around 22.  And now I'm in the mid-singles ward, and it seems like there's 3-4 girls to every guy.  I've given up on love.  I didn't realize how much I have truly given up on it.

And for a moment I felt hope.

And I hope now that I may feel it again.

So many girls my age have given up, but I know I can't.  Man it's painful, my chest hurts writing this, but I have to cling onto hope.  In this modern World so many girls have given up having a family for other pursuits.  But I feel there's nothing wrong with wanting a family.  Call me old fashioned, because I am.  Unashamedly so.

And then this all reminded me of something.  See, there's a lot of divorce in my extended family.  I have one aunt whose been married seven or so times.  And many of my cousins come from broken homes.  My Mom's parents divorced, at no fault of my Grandmother, when my Mom was 13.  I've learned so much from those around me.

But when I think of my Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, Granny and Gramps, theirs is the greatest love story I've even seen.  They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and more.  It was a special event.  There was a huge party.  And they deeply loved each other till the very end.

Then after my Gramps passed away I sat down and read his life story that he wrote out with his hand, and I read something that amazed me.  "I saw Welma again at the Sheridon store one night and later the neighborhood kids had a party at the store upstairs.  Still my heart didn't flip flop.  She was just one of the girls."  And that's how the greatest love story I've ever seen got started.  No flip flops.  And I listened to an interview my Mom and Grandma gave my Granny on cassette tape a few years ago.  She mentioned she didn't feel any pitter patter when she first saw my Gramps!  He was just one of the guys.

I sometimes think modern society gets love all wrong.  We think it's all about the flip flops and the pitter patters, but it's not.  Those come, but what makes a marriage successful involves so many things.  Marriage is complex, and yet simple.  Ups, downs, and the in between.

And once again one of the greatest lessons I've learned is thanks to my Great-grandparents.  I heard a lady asked once how she kept her marriage together, and she responded, "Back in my day when it was broke we fixed it."

We really need to learn from those who have come before.

What "Stufflebeam" Really Means

(Image Info)

For the longest time I thought the origin of Stufflebeam meant "tree stump."  I'm trying to remember where I read it, but its stuck with me, and since last names sometimes come from location markers, it sort of made sense.  That must have been a pretty epic tree stump.

But last names can also come from a physical trait of an ancestor.  (The surname "Short" for instance.)

A couple weeks ago I was with my Grandparents and Mom, visiting the home of their dear, old friends.  This couple immigrated from Germany in the 1950's, still fluent, light accent when speaking English.

I told Trudy, who has a wonderful sense of humor, about my last name.  She wanted to know what it was, before becoming Americanized during the Revolutionary War by my ancestor who fought, but I couldn't remember the correct spelling.  I got my cellphone out, accessed the ancestry.org app, and showed her the name.

"Stoppelbein."

Trudy started giggling something fierce.

I was confused and asked what it was, but she just kept giggling.

Then, when she could breath, she said, "Your last name means stumped leg!"

"What?"

"Stoppel," she explained, "Means stubble or stump."  Giggling some more, "And bein means leg."

So maybe it wasn't a tree stump after all that brought about my surname.  Maybe it was my ancestor with that stumped leg . . .

. . . or hairy legs . . .

. . .

Lincoln, Movie Review

Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Section 1: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2: Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Review: 4.25 Stars out of 5 Stars

The year is January, 1865, and the Civil War has been raging since April, 1861.  Abraham Lincoln, a staunch abolitionist, is on a mission to end slavery.  On January 1st, 1863 Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation by executive order.  The order freed slaves in Confederate territories, but didn't outlaw slavery itself.  Now Lincoln is pushing for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawing slavery, but it must happen before the war ends, since returning slave states would out rule the 13th amendment, and there may not be enough time to wait for a Republican majority in the House of Representatives come February (the bill passed quickly in the Senate.) 

Lincoln is a cerebral film.  The trailer makes it seem as if the movie is nothing but epic battle scenes and raging war/congress rooms.  Instead we get a movie that takes us into Lincolns life as we see another side of the Civil War; one where blood is not being spilled, but words still act as knives.  The battle lines are drawn when it is realized that all Republicans must vote for the 13th amendment (not one can falter or be absent) and twenty votes must be found on the Democratic side of the aisle, which would bring the vote to the 2/3rds needed to pass the amendment.  The film illustrates beautifully the losing battle Lincoln and his fellow Republicans are fighting.    
The movie is based on the Lincoln's biography Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which takes place in Lincolns last four months of life.  In public Lincoln is known for his short, to the point (and may I add refreshing) speeches, but in private he loves to tell stories and anecdotes.  There's a gentle wit in this, and a softness in Lincoln portrayed that's different then any history book I've ever read, but I quickly grew to love Lincoln as a man.  Of course he's not perfect.  He knows how to be a good father to his youngest, fourth son, but feels distant to his eldest, having lost his second and third sons to illness.  His eldest son, Robert, wishes to join the Union army, and Lincoln does what he can to prevent it, thanks to his wife Mary's wishes, so that they would not then lose a third son.

The acting throughout the film is superb by the entire cast.  I read a news story once outlining what Sally Fields, who plays Mary Lincoln, did to assure herself the role.  She met up with Danial Day-Lewis, who plays Lincoln, and the director Steven Spielberg for a one hour screen test.  The entire hour was her and Lewis improvising.  They were both so committed and prepared that they were living and breathing Lincoln and Mary.  That commitment and passion is beautiful, and it shows on the screen.  Tommy Lee Jones, who plays Thaddeus Stevens, is also a marvel to watch.

Maybe I'm a little biased in this review, because I find the Civil War so intriguing, owning a few books on the subject, doing a little research here and there.  One of my ancestors, a Union soldier, received a really bad battle wound and soon after died at home.  Another ancestor, also Union, fought at Gettysburg.  So when the film opened to a battle scene, immediately I was brought to that time, grateful for my forebears who were brave enough to fight and give their lives, and overwhelmed by the pain and sacrifice that entails.

A beautiful movie for an amazing man.     

MPAA: PG-13 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language.

"No man is good enough to govern another man without the other's consent" ~ Abe Lincoln

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just." ~ Abe Lincoln

"There has never been but one question in all civilization-how to keep a few men from saying to many men: You work and earn bread and we will eat it." ~ Abe Lincoln

"Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." ~ Abe Lincoln

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."~ Abe Lincoln

365 Day Photo challenge: Days 45-48

 (Day 45 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-16-2012)

 This quote is found on the side of the Idaho Utah Map store, which, after living here 10 years, I finally checked out!  It's amazing how many gems exist here that I've never even bothered with.  It's such a fun place!  The maps are interesting, and the lower level is nothing but toys and learning material.  Also, I love this quote.  Ralph Waldo Emerson is my 4th cousin, 10 times removed.  The only famous individual I can find any claim to.  I like to think my love of writing poetry stems from my connection to him.

  (Day 46 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-17-2012)

I was practicing my 5k training, which, on this date, I was keeping up quite well . . . currently I have slacked a little.  This was taken underneath the bleachers at a football field.  The angle is interesting, and I love the light and shadows. 

  (Day 47 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-18-2012)

 I attending this event, and it was quite enjoyable.  I'll write about it in a blog post tomorrow, my thoughts on Austenland, and how I feel about book signings in general.

 (Day 48 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-19-2012)

This is a picture of my Great-Great Grandmother's Angeline Dee's autograph book.  I was over at my Grandma's working on genealogy, and decided it was about time I photograph the pages.  Unfortunately the battery died in the middle of this endever, so I need to return and finish the job.  Here are a couple of the pages:

   (Written June 24, 1889)

 (Written June 24, 1892)

I really, really want to know the stories behind what is written on the left side of the second photo.  Whatever it was, those would have been fantastic stories.  What was the "note" that was passed around at a party?  And something about a braw??!!  If pages could unleash their secrets.  

Have a great day!

Sarah  

 

Lizzie's Last Run

(My Great Grandfather, Forrest Emerson)

I thought it would be fun every Sunday to share some of the things I'm finding in my families genealogy.  Below is a poem my Great Grandfather wrote about a trip he took.  He even got it published in the newspaper around 1926.  Below was what was published:

Lizzie's Last Run

(Forest Emerson, who went to California two months ago with Ray Ebersole, Charles Walker, and Burton Whalin in a Ford, gives his version of a perlious trip--no they were in the Ford, but he tells about it in poetry.)

Coming down the mountain, there is lots to be told,

About a Ford with brakes that wouldn't hold.

And this is what I want to tell thee--

Razz ran her up against a big tree.  

Lizzie sure did look awfully sad.  

With the front end smashed up pretty bad.

We took all five tires,

Spark plugs and even the wires.

We took the lights, I'd hope to shout,

But not the connecting rods, because they were burned out.

Then some other things we didn't want anybody to steal,

Were the radiator and guide wheel.

So, we brought everything with us,

In the back of Clifford's bus.

So now she lays with a broken heart,

You can crank but she will never start.

Because we never left a single coil,

Not even gas, but all the oil.

If we only had a car with brakes that would hold,

This story to you would never have been told.

~Forrest Emerson.

  (Picture of the Ford)

He was 18 when he traveled from Toledo Iowa to California with three of his friends, and this story is of a random side trip he was talked into up to Oregon and back.  The Ford crashed on the way back.

Hope you had a great Sunday,

Sarah