Justice for Mrs. Loftus

Week 29: #52 Ancestors – Newsworthy By Eilene Lyon Newspaper articles feature prominently in my family history research, as I’ve amply demonstrated on this blog. There were the outrageous tales of Dr. William C. Ransom and Adoph Dills. The peek into the railroad career of Arthur L. Ransom. The sad ends of Clifford Cutting, postman;... Continue Reading →

July 18, 2020 29

A Twin For James

Week 28: #52 Ancestors – Multiple By Eilene Lyon [Note: the image above bears no relation to the story below, but it fits the theme of “Multiple”😁 Young violet-green swallows peer from their nest cavity the day before they fledged. E. Lyon 2020] This story is somewhat incomplete, because the discovery is quite fresh. It... Continue Reading →

July 15, 2020 24

Mid-Century Kids

Week 26: #52 Ancestors – Middle By Eilene Lyon This brief tale is about two cousins (to each other, as well as to me), who were both born in the year 1850, but whose lives turned out very differently. Both lived in the north and their early teen years were marred by the devastation of... Continue Reading →

July 4, 2020 24

Saving Grace

Week 18: #52 Ancestors – Where There’s a Will By Eilene Lyon William Zane Jenkins barely knew what hit him. Suddenly blind, deaf and numb, in a dark hole deep in the bowels of Mother Earth, his life took on new meaning. He’d always been a taciturn, pessimistic, Eeyore of a man. For some reason,... Continue Reading →

May 30, 2020 21

Deeds to Diplomas

Week 17: #52 Ancestors – Land By Eilene Lyon I’ve written about my great-grandmother’s homestead in Idaho in earlier posts. Clara Pearl Ransom moved to Moscow, Idaho, when she was still in her teen years. Her older brother, Arthur L. Ransom, encouraged her to take up a homestead claim in the Clearwater region when she... Continue Reading →

May 23, 2020 28

Flying Fortress Falls

Week 16: #52 Ancestors – Air By Eilene Lyon This pre-Memorial Day story honors 2nd Lieutenant Jack P. Laird, my mother’s 4th cousin on the Ransom family tree. Born John Paul Laird in December 1919 in Klamath Falls, Oregon, Jack’s parents were Thomas W. Laird and Sylvia Lee Rackleff. He had one sibling, a brother... Continue Reading →

May 21, 2020 42

The Fire

Week 15: #52 Ancestors - Fire This story was written by my grandmother about an event she recalled from her early childhood. A cousin and I have tried to verify it, but without success. The Fire By Clare Ransom (Davis) Smith Our little house on the farm was just 3 rooms – kitchen, living room... Continue Reading →

May 16, 2020 23

The Jewel of Idaho

Week 14: #52 Ancestors – Water By Eilene Lyon Priest Lake, near Canada in Idaho's panhandle, has long been a popular recreation area. In the 1920s, actor/director Nell Shipman "discovered" the lake and established Lionhead Lodge and her own film production company there. Though she stayed only a couple years, her movies introduced the country... Continue Reading →

May 14, 2020 39

Uncovering The Dead

Week 13: #52 Ancestors – Almost Forgotten By Eilene Lyon This is the 52 Ancestors post that will have you shaking your head and muttering, “That Eilene is insane about her genealogy research.” And I won’t argue the point. Meet Dr. Jones Back in November 2018, I told you a little about my cousin, Dr.... Continue Reading →

May 9, 2020 26