Week 47: #52 Ancestors – Thankful By Eilene Lyon This week’s theme is about what we are thankful for in our genealogy research. Since genealogy is all about people, I want to express my gratitude to the innumerable people who have made this such a rich and rewarding avocation. First, I’m thankful for all my... Continue Reading →
A Sad Situation
Week 46: #52 Ancestors – Random Fact By Eilene Lyon “Benjamin Hull Jones, a native of Ohio, became dissipated, and by accident shot away a large portion of his face.” I found that statement more random and shocking than anything I’ve come across in my decades of research. When I began examining the life of... Continue Reading →
Like Father, Like Son
Week 43: #52 Ancestors – Cause of Death By Eilene Lyon As Charlie Gusso was welcomed into the light of day, his father was expiring from his grievous wounds on a cold day in Milwaukee. That story is well-known family lore which I was able to confirm with church records (in German!). Less well-known family... Continue Reading →
I Remember the Farm
Week 39: #52 Ancestors – On the Farm By Eilene Lyon My grandmother, Clare Ransom Davis, was born on the Davis family farm about six miles from Moscow, Idaho, in 1914. She was the second (and last) child of Clara Pearl Ransom and Sterling Price Davis. Grandma wrote a story about her father that I... Continue Reading →
Tale of Two Adas
Week 37: #52 Ancestors – Closest to Your Birthday By Eilene Lyon In my last post in this series, I told you that my grandparents, Reatha Gusso and Everett Halse, were married on December 31, 1932.1 I squelched into existence on what would have been their 29th wedding anniversary, except that Everett had been gone... Continue Reading →
The Halse Work Ethic
Week 36: #52 Ancestors – Work By Eilene Lyon I got my work ethic from my dad. We kids were expected to do a variety of chores (wash dishes, dust, set the table, clean the bathroom) from a very early age. We were given a generous allowance, too, so we also learned to manage our... Continue Reading →
Genealogy (sort-of haiku)
By Eilene Lyon It is the job of The ones who are left, to do The remembering. Feature image: Collage of photos from W. Halse collection 2015
Fabric of Our Lives
Week 30: #52 Ancestors – Colorful By Eilene Lyon This is not really a story about an ancestor, just a bit of family history. My father was an Army officer for about 20 years, and one of his “overseas” assignments was a 3 ½ year stay in Guatemala. This was in the 1970s and I... Continue Reading →
The Short Load
It’s been a while since I shared one of Smitty’s stories with you. This was written on May 24, 1991, in Portland, Oregon. My grandparents got married about the time Clare was graduated from the University of Idaho. It was in the depths of the Great Depression. Smitty had graduated earlier with an electrical engineering... Continue Reading →