Exploring the Past to Improve the Future
Week 10: #52 Ancestors – Bachelor Uncle(s) By Eilene Lyon The grown children of Robert Ransom and Emma Jenkins, my 2nd great-grandparents, really stump me at times. My great-grandmother, Clara Ransom Davis, was the youngest of the lot. She had one surviving sister and four brothers: James, William, Arthur, and Fred. The sister married in... Continue Reading →
Week 12: #52 Ancestors – 12 By Eilene Lyon The year 1961 was tragic for my grandmother, Reatha (Gusso) Halse. She lost her husband, her mother, and her father-in-law. Then I, her first granddaughter, screamed in under the wire on December 31. How’s that for timing? A little grace note at the end of a... Continue Reading →
Week 9: #52 Ancestors – At the Courthouse By Eilene Lyon Benjamin Franklin was the first postmaster general, appointed by the Second Continental Congress in 1775. Delivering mail has been a vital function of this quasi-governmental agency ever since. Thanks to the Postal Service, Americans could communicate inexpensively over long distances, facilitating population mobility before the age... Continue Reading →
Week 8: #52 Ancestors – Family Photo By Eilene Lyon Rather than a standard group portrait, I will share a trio of images recently added to Ancestry.com by my 4th cousin, Twinkycat. She and I met in Wisconsin in 2012. As we got acquainted over drinks, she showed me a hardbound, professionally printed copy of... Continue Reading →
Week 7: #52 Ancestors – Love By Eilene Lyon A long marriage doesn’t necessarily an indicate a deep love and respect, but it’s a good start. I chose this couple, my great-uncle and great-aunt, Norman and Delores Gusso, because not only did they have a long marriage, but they also have a large, close-knit family... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon Following up on my post about the Bisti Badlands, these are some highlights from the rest of our tour of southwest New Mexico last October. From the Bisti, we continued south on NM 371 to I-40. Exiting at mile 89, we headed to a BLM campground adjacent to El Malpais National Monument... Continue Reading →
Week 6: #52 Ancestors – Surprise By Eilene Lyon The Surprise My grandfather, Laurence M. Smith, wrote many stories about his life. I’ve already shared some on this blog. But there’s a big gap between the death of his beloved mother, Mary Lila Reams, and the beginning of his engineering career. All he said was,... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon A New Project Nothing thrills me more than finding photos of ancestors I’ve never seen -- the photos or the ancestors! Many are posted on Ancestry.com by distant relatives I do not even know. There are also angels out there who rescue abandoned or discarded family Bibles and photo albums, in hopes... Continue Reading →
Week 5: #52 Ancestors – At the Library By Eilene Lyon Before she died, my great-grandmother, Clara Ransom Davis, made a priceless (at least to me) donation to the Henry E. Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Why she chose the Huntington -- not the Bancroft Library at UC-Berkeley, the California Historical Society, or the... Continue Reading →
Finding the facts behind the legends!
Climbing the branches of my family tree + the occasional post about old Hollywood
a nurses' perspective on the need for reform of our current healthcare system
Sits down with The Two Doctors and .....
Exploring family histories & mysteries
Digging through the stacks to find my family's history
A blog about genealogy and family histories
You'll be as happy as you make up your mind to be
A tour of Public Lands & National Parks with T
Genealogy and other musings
Head Dog, Leading the Way Across the USA!
Following the Path to the Past
Adventures at home and abroad
Valarie Gravelle's family history and genealogy blog
Piecing together my family history
never judge a girl by her weight
The little and large things making my life delicious!
