Week 25: #52 Ancestors – Broken Branch By Eilene Lyon Family branches become detached from trees for a variety of reasons. In many cases, a member decides to migrate from the ancestral home, either within a country or to a place far away. The migrant may remain in contact with the stay-at-home relatives, but their... Continue Reading →
Sacramento Sights
By Eilene Lyon I recently spent a week in Sacramento at the National Genealogical Society conference, where I gave a well-received presentation, “Immortal Words: Keep your family history alive with a lively blog.” This was my second visit to the city in recent years, but on this occasion I had a little more time for... Continue Reading →
Violins & Voices
Week 21: #52 Ancestors – Yearbook By Eilene Lyon Family photos tend to introduce us to our ancestors in the context of relatives. The great thing about yearbooks is how they put people in the context of friends in one of the most formative of social institutions: schools. I enjoyed finding my parents in their... Continue Reading →
No More Guilt
Week 23: #52 Ancestors – Mistake By Eilene Lyon I have just returned home from a three-week road trip to the west coast. It incorporated the National Genealogical Society Conference in Sacramento; visits with cousins; visits with friends; and a trip to the Portland area to see Mom and my Aunt B. I will share... Continue Reading →
On Lexington Common
Week 22: #52 Ancestors – Conflict By Eilene Lyon The Putterer’s 6th great-grandfather, Amos Poor Jr., is an established Patriot in both the DAR and SAR (Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution). He also has the distinction of having been at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.1 Amos and his younger brother, Eliphalet,... Continue Reading →
Artful Durango – Part 1
By Eilene Lyon I've enjoyed blogs about public art from around the world, so I am going to do a series highlighting some public art in Durango, Colorado. This installment features a few of the many murals around town. These are recent works (to my knowledge). I did not find information on the artist in... Continue Reading →
It Was Ugly!
Week 20: #52 Ancestors – Textile By Eilene Lyon I did a bad thing. I’m still ashamed. My grandmother, Clare (Davis) Smith, said she had an heirloom to pass on to me, if I would promise to keep and preserve it. I broke that promise. Partly because of a misunderstanding about the nature of this... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Baby Book
By Eilene Lyon The “From the Vault” series features an artifact or family photo from my collection to illustrate a tale from my distant past. Did your parents keep a baby book for you? Are baby books still a “thing”? The inside cover of mine indicates it was a gift from my Aunt B in... Continue Reading →
Pioneer Pastimes
Week 18: #52 Ancestors– Social By Eilene Lyon Pioneering was not about rugged individualism. Settlers depended on family connections and other social ties for practical and personal reasons. Survival depended on the community network. Many jobs required extra helping hands. Other events drew on specialized skills, such as midwifery or blacksmithing. Even gatherings for work... Continue Reading →