Exploring the Past to Improve the Future
Week 17: #52 Ancestors – Document By Eilene Lyon My mother handed down some written recipes, but they originated from her mother or mother-in-law. Though Mom had a home ec degree, she learned to cook in the era of convenience foods—very little made from scratch. The easier the better, as far as she was concerned.... Continue Reading →
Week 15: #52 Ancestors – How Do You Spell That? By Eilene Lyon “How do you spell that?” “E-I-L-E-N-E” “That’s I-L-uh…?” Names can be such a pain! It’s no wonder that many immigrants choose to “Americanize” theirs. I doubt that my grandma, Reatha Gusso Halse, realized that her Grandpa Charlie Gusso and his siblings changed... Continue Reading →
Week 14: #52 Ancestors – Check It Out By Eilene Lyon My grandmother, Reatha (Gusso) Halse, never finished high school, but she spent two decades working in the Chemistry department at Oregon State University. As the supply room clerk, she spent her days checking out laboratory equipment to undergrads. Reatha became a widow at age... Continue Reading →
Week 10: #52 Ancestors – Worship By Eilene Lyon There’s no question that my ancestry is steeped in Christian culture. Though there is some hint of Ashkenazi Jewish DNA from the wayback, my heritage is very much white Protestant European. For myself, I choose “none of the above” with regard to deities. I confess that... Continue Reading →
Week 9: #52 Ancestors – Females By Eilene Lyon I’ve written briefly about my great-grandmother, Mabel Pearl (Cutting) Halse, in relation to her husband and children. It’s a case of having a lot of photographs, but not really knowing her. Unlike her mother-in-law, Lucy Halse, Mabel didn’t get her name in the papers or history... Continue Reading →
Week 7: #52 Ancestors – Landed By Eilene Lyon Great-granduncle Ward Arthur Cutting sure landed quite a few trout in this feature image. The only information on the label is his name. My guess is it was taken in Oregon about 1940. Ward must have been a sporting kind of guy, as I also have... Continue Reading →
Week 6: #52 Ancestors – Maps By Eilene Lyon Back in the late 1870s and early 1880s, promoters encouraged people to move to Dakota Territory. Naturally, land speculators played up the rich farmland and other selling points, not necessarily squaring with reality. My father was born in South Dakota, though he grew up in Oregon.... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon I would guess that most people who become writers have a journaling habit. My “daily” diaries are mostly compendiums of minutia, a way to remember what I did for all those countless yesterdays. One’s first diary is special. I don’t recall who gave this to me for Christmas in 1972. Maybe my... Continue Reading →
Week 52: #52 Ancestors – Future By Eilene Lyon My grandiose future plan regarding genealogy (we’re talking years from now) is an extended stay in Germany, perhaps six months. Many branches of my family hail from the Germanic regions of Europe. The Putterer also has a large German contingent in his tree. You can see... Continue Reading →
thoughts about parenting and life from below the surface
tiny histories
... stories of significant others ...
Celtic, Mythical and More ...
Creative writing inspired by life, love, laughter ... and a horse named Shakespeare
Tracing The Faces
Uncovering Family Legacies One Stitch at a Time
Adventures in Genealogy
Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana Blog
visual stories: fine art, artist books, illustrated gifts
Night Thoughts of a Literary Agent
Family and local stories and history, favorite books
A History of the Famously Interesting and Mostly Forgotten
Sharing stories from my family history
Things That Interest Me
Writing about experiences of women and girls in the North American West.
Exploring the Past to Improve the Future
Climbing, Outdoors, Life!
Travels Galore
Myricopia 