Three generations, 1952, Waupun, Wisconsin
William Carl, paternal grandfather
John Ferdinand, Paternal great-grandfather
Larry H., beloved father
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Paternal Ancestery
William Carl, paternal grandfather
John Ferdinand, Paternal great-grandfather
Larry H., beloved father
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Something a mother should not do
I love my mother.
Some things about the two of us did not make a "goodness of fit".
As a young child I had a "lovey". It was a light pink, cotton, loose weave blanket with a wide satin edging. I needed that blanket. I was a timid child that was easily overwhelmed with what life seemed to expect of me. That blanket was pure, safe, soft comfort to me. It helped take the rough edges off of life.
By the time I was five years old, I still needed and used that lovey. It was tattered and dirty. One summer day while in the back yard mother came up and announced to me that she had burned my blanket. Sure enough, there was a fire and smoke in the round metal barrel that we used for burning trash. Mother was giggling in glee. I am sure she was delighted to see the end of that yukky thing. This is what I most remember -- it felt as if life was draining out of me. It was painful that my beloved blanket was being burned, and to have my mother laugh at me in my panic and fear was incomprehensible. I wanted to run and scream and cry and protest, but I could not move. I was both overwhelmed and afraid to feel. It was more than I could process. Life just became different at that moment. I think my basic ability to trust was seriously violated. What was soft and warm and safe and good and predictable in my life was gone.
I believe I was an emotionally vunerable child from day one. It is just how I was programmed. This experience just made me more emotionally fragile.
Some may poo-poo the lasting impact such a small incident could have in a child's life. Research does support the notion that experiences in a child's life can and often do have both an immediate impact as well as long-lasting and cumlative effects.
So, you mothers out there, do not burn your child's lovey. Do not laugh at your child, especially when he/she is in pain or confused or afraid.
Some things about the two of us did not make a "goodness of fit".
As a young child I had a "lovey". It was a light pink, cotton, loose weave blanket with a wide satin edging. I needed that blanket. I was a timid child that was easily overwhelmed with what life seemed to expect of me. That blanket was pure, safe, soft comfort to me. It helped take the rough edges off of life.
By the time I was five years old, I still needed and used that lovey. It was tattered and dirty. One summer day while in the back yard mother came up and announced to me that she had burned my blanket. Sure enough, there was a fire and smoke in the round metal barrel that we used for burning trash. Mother was giggling in glee. I am sure she was delighted to see the end of that yukky thing. This is what I most remember -- it felt as if life was draining out of me. It was painful that my beloved blanket was being burned, and to have my mother laugh at me in my panic and fear was incomprehensible. I wanted to run and scream and cry and protest, but I could not move. I was both overwhelmed and afraid to feel. It was more than I could process. Life just became different at that moment. I think my basic ability to trust was seriously violated. What was soft and warm and safe and good and predictable in my life was gone.
I believe I was an emotionally vunerable child from day one. It is just how I was programmed. This experience just made me more emotionally fragile.
Some may poo-poo the lasting impact such a small incident could have in a child's life. Research does support the notion that experiences in a child's life can and often do have both an immediate impact as well as long-lasting and cumlative effects.
So, you mothers out there, do not burn your child's lovey. Do not laugh at your child, especially when he/she is in pain or confused or afraid.
Friday, May 29, 2009
John Ferdinand #1
All dates are subject to verification --
John Ferdinand Armga was born 25 June in 1866 in Stettin, Germany (or between Stettin and Hamburg on the Order River). His father, August, died 4 days later on 29 June, 1866.
John had two brothers and one sister. His oldest brother, Will, was born and died in Germany. His brother Ernest was born in Germany in 1864, lived in Appleton, Wisconsin and died in 1919 or 1920 at age 52. (It is believed that Ernest spelled his last name "Armge"). His sister Augusta was also older than John and lived near him in Waupun, Wisconsin.
John Ferdinand is our paternal great-grandfather, the father of William Carl.
The family (mother, Ernest, Augusta and John) immigrated to the United States in 1874. They entered North America through Nova Scotia. They settled in the Waupun, Wisconsin area.
John used to tell about the voyage from Germany to North America and remembered that whales bothered the boat so the crew threw empty barrels overboard to divert them. He also remembered people dying at sea during the trip across the Atlantic. Their bodies would be thrown overboard and sharks would immediately take the bodies.
John was 5 feet 10 inches tall, had light brown hair and blue eyes. He was a jolly, happy man who never lost his temper. Others found him very easy to get along with. He was always ready to help someone else and never worried about what others had that he didn't. He was honest. Others said of him that he would "never get rich, he was too honest." He chewed tobacco and said he smoked a pipe "to get the nasty taste out of my mouth after dinner" to tease his wife.
John Ferdinand Armga was born 25 June in 1866 in Stettin, Germany (or between Stettin and Hamburg on the Order River). His father, August, died 4 days later on 29 June, 1866.
John had two brothers and one sister. His oldest brother, Will, was born and died in Germany. His brother Ernest was born in Germany in 1864, lived in Appleton, Wisconsin and died in 1919 or 1920 at age 52. (It is believed that Ernest spelled his last name "Armge"). His sister Augusta was also older than John and lived near him in Waupun, Wisconsin.
John Ferdinand is our paternal great-grandfather, the father of William Carl.
The family (mother, Ernest, Augusta and John) immigrated to the United States in 1874. They entered North America through Nova Scotia. They settled in the Waupun, Wisconsin area.
John used to tell about the voyage from Germany to North America and remembered that whales bothered the boat so the crew threw empty barrels overboard to divert them. He also remembered people dying at sea during the trip across the Atlantic. Their bodies would be thrown overboard and sharks would immediately take the bodies.
John was 5 feet 10 inches tall, had light brown hair and blue eyes. He was a jolly, happy man who never lost his temper. Others found him very easy to get along with. He was always ready to help someone else and never worried about what others had that he didn't. He was honest. Others said of him that he would "never get rich, he was too honest." He chewed tobacco and said he smoked a pipe "to get the nasty taste out of my mouth after dinner" to tease his wife.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Minnie #3
Here Minnie is pictured with her husband, John Ferdinand. They are in front of their home in Waupun. It was here that she operated her boarding home. From her clothes, I am guessing that this photo was taken in the mid- to late 1930s. Notice on John Ferdinand's suit that you can see the creases in the pant legs, where they were folded at mid-leg.Minnie was considered to be a good cook. She made especially good pie crust, rice pudding, and "boiled dinner (ham bone, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes)". She made dandelion wine, which she would ferment for six weeks. Also passed down in the family, as recipes from Minnie, are "Russian Fluff" and "Crumb Cake".
Russian Fluff
1 lb. ground beef
1 med. chopped onion
3/4 cup rice, cooked
1 can peas
1 can tomatoes
Brown meat and season with salt and pepper. Add onion, cooked rice, peas and tomatoes. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees oven for 1 hour.
[You may want to salt and pepper this dish. Minnie probably did add these spices but her recipe doesn't document that. I've also cooked the beef with some minced garlic to add flavor.]
A variation on this dish is to substitute the rice with cooked elbow macaroni. Then the dish becomes "Eat More".
Crumb Cake
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients and butter and rub to crumb mixture. Reserve 3/4 cup. Add eggs and milk. Beat well. Spread in 9 by 12 cake pan. Sprinkle and spread reserved crumb mixture on top. Bake 350 till toothpick tests clean. This makes a great cake to take on a picnic since the crumb mixture serves as the icing and is easy to transport.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day
When Pat and I first moved to Texas we were surprised at the lack of celebration of this late May holiday. Public schools are often in session on this day. The decorating of cemeteries just isn’t done like I remember it happening in Idaho. Someone explained to me that Memorial Day was a “Yankee” thing and southerners don’t observe it to the same degree.
What I particularly remember about Memorial Day is the decorating of graves. I don’t remember Mother and Dad initiating this activity but they supported Grandma (Emma) in her determination to honor the dead. I do think Dad liked visiting the cemetery because of the American flags at so many grave sites and the sense of reverence in the cemetery.
Grandma had the grave decorating down to a pure science. First we had to clean the headstone. This required liquid acid that she’d get from the cemetery headquarters. She’d take along a glass jar to receive and carry this. She was very careful and full of caution about how to deal with this caustic material. We’d slowly and carefully pour the acid onto the metal headstone and then use a wire brush to scrub and make our best effort to remove the damage done by the past year’s heat, cold, snow and rain. I both remember doing the scrubbing and watching Grandma do it. I think as she aged and her grandchildren got older these roles were reversed. After the acid and scrubbing we would pour water on the headstone to wash away the acid. Water could be collected from a nearby spigot used for watering the huge expanse of greenery at the cemetery. Finally a coat of oil (I remember using a dark oil like what would be used for keeping lawn tools lubricated) was spread on the headstone to protect the metal. The result was a shiny and cleaner than when we arrived headstone.
Then the flowers. Grandma and Grandpa’s headstone had a “built in” vase. That would be put in place and filled with flowers from Grandma’s productive flower beds and shrubs. There were always lots of lilacs sweetly perfuming the air. Peonies were also available in abunance. I think it is interesting that these two showy flowers are in bloom just in time for Memorial Day. Most years Grandma’s snowball plant was in bloom. I remember taking those puffy white flower balls and being required to outline the entire gravesite by laying the flowers on the ground as if tracing the grave site with a white pencil.
After Grandma’s death the tradition continued as if she were standing there to supervise. She trained us well. We added sweet baby Jayson Roth’s tiny headstone to our yearly cleaning and decorating tradition. While we never cleaned Grandpa Armga’s headstone we’d look for it. It has been consistently hard to find. I don’t know why we could never get the visual coordinates figured out and memorized for future years.
I do remember one special Memorial Day with Mother and Dad. I think I was the only one living with them at the time and the only one who went on the outing with them. We drove up to and through Sun Valley. We went beyond that following the Big Wood River and several miles further down the road, but before Easleys we pulled off and into a campsite. It was quite cold and there were drifts of snow still on the ground. Dad built a small fire in the fire grate and then we roasted hotdogs and heated up a small can of Pork and Beans still in the can. I particularly remember standing by the side of the car talking with Dad. Regrettably, I can't remember what was said. I do remember I enjoyed being with them that day as we had a relaxing drive and lunch together.
What I particularly remember about Memorial Day is the decorating of graves. I don’t remember Mother and Dad initiating this activity but they supported Grandma (Emma) in her determination to honor the dead. I do think Dad liked visiting the cemetery because of the American flags at so many grave sites and the sense of reverence in the cemetery.
Grandma had the grave decorating down to a pure science. First we had to clean the headstone. This required liquid acid that she’d get from the cemetery headquarters. She’d take along a glass jar to receive and carry this. She was very careful and full of caution about how to deal with this caustic material. We’d slowly and carefully pour the acid onto the metal headstone and then use a wire brush to scrub and make our best effort to remove the damage done by the past year’s heat, cold, snow and rain. I both remember doing the scrubbing and watching Grandma do it. I think as she aged and her grandchildren got older these roles were reversed. After the acid and scrubbing we would pour water on the headstone to wash away the acid. Water could be collected from a nearby spigot used for watering the huge expanse of greenery at the cemetery. Finally a coat of oil (I remember using a dark oil like what would be used for keeping lawn tools lubricated) was spread on the headstone to protect the metal. The result was a shiny and cleaner than when we arrived headstone.
Then the flowers. Grandma and Grandpa’s headstone had a “built in” vase. That would be put in place and filled with flowers from Grandma’s productive flower beds and shrubs. There were always lots of lilacs sweetly perfuming the air. Peonies were also available in abunance. I think it is interesting that these two showy flowers are in bloom just in time for Memorial Day. Most years Grandma’s snowball plant was in bloom. I remember taking those puffy white flower balls and being required to outline the entire gravesite by laying the flowers on the ground as if tracing the grave site with a white pencil.
After Grandma’s death the tradition continued as if she were standing there to supervise. She trained us well. We added sweet baby Jayson Roth’s tiny headstone to our yearly cleaning and decorating tradition. While we never cleaned Grandpa Armga’s headstone we’d look for it. It has been consistently hard to find. I don’t know why we could never get the visual coordinates figured out and memorized for future years.
I do remember one special Memorial Day with Mother and Dad. I think I was the only one living with them at the time and the only one who went on the outing with them. We drove up to and through Sun Valley. We went beyond that following the Big Wood River and several miles further down the road, but before Easleys we pulled off and into a campsite. It was quite cold and there were drifts of snow still on the ground. Dad built a small fire in the fire grate and then we roasted hotdogs and heated up a small can of Pork and Beans still in the can. I particularly remember standing by the side of the car talking with Dad. Regrettably, I can't remember what was said. I do remember I enjoyed being with them that day as we had a relaxing drive and lunch together.
Found, Lost Shopping List
Grocery store.
Parking lot.
Empty cart.
Wait, pad of paper left in cart.
Top sheet, appears to be a shopping list.
Wait, what is this?
I recognize chicken (twice) and tomatoes, but what are these other items?
Oh, wait, I get it!
Oh, funny! Hilarious!
Writer's primary language probably isn't English.
Can you guess what items needed to be purchased?
Friday, May 22, 2009
Naming of Names #2
We recounted the naming of Bruce when we gathered for his 50th birthday celebration. It was interesting how the sibs' memories varied slightly. We all agreed on the main details, but each of the sisters seemed to remember something alittle different about the events surrounding the decision made about what to name our baby #8.
I was eight-years-old when Bruce was born. I have three distinct memories surrounding his birth. Memory number one is so typical of me. I remember how clean and tidy the house was on the day of his birth. Reason? We had carpet laid. Wooden floors were very passe. We had a low-nap greyish carpet laid over our wooden floors to update us. I remember how beautifully clean the house looked and felt with the Christmas tree in the living room on top of that carpet. I love clean and un-messy and I guess this was true even by that age.
Memory #2. Children couldn't go in hospitals except as a patient. This was the policy up until the late 80s. We couldn't go see mother and this new baby. Instead, she came to the window at the end of the hospital (in my memory it was on the top floor -- I'd say the 5th floor, but I'm not even sure the hospital had that many floors -- but she was way up high) and we stood down on the lawn underneath her. I had gotten a bracelet with hangy-down charms. As mother stood and looked I held up my arm with my gorgeous new bracelet hanging from my wrist. Later I realized she couldn't really see it, but at that point in time I thought it was very important that she know what Santa brought me for Christmas.
Memory #3. This is the naming part. I remember Larry Jr. and Dick (Charlie to us) standing in the middle of the living room (and on top of the new carpet) with the big ole black phone between them. They were discussing (I assume with mother who was on the telephone) what the name of the new baby should be. They were talking about how critical the initials of the name were. One of the names strongly being considered was Bruce Allen. The big brothers were concerned about this. (This would have been BAA-- we see the point.) The name the boys wanted was James Bruce because "JBA sounded like an executive". In my mind, that is exactly what they said. I think it made an impression on me because I wasn't sure what an executive was. Anyway, we know they were persuasive because JBA is what was decided. Either way with names, that sweet baby was our Bruce.
I was eight-years-old when Bruce was born. I have three distinct memories surrounding his birth. Memory number one is so typical of me. I remember how clean and tidy the house was on the day of his birth. Reason? We had carpet laid. Wooden floors were very passe. We had a low-nap greyish carpet laid over our wooden floors to update us. I remember how beautifully clean the house looked and felt with the Christmas tree in the living room on top of that carpet. I love clean and un-messy and I guess this was true even by that age.
Memory #2. Children couldn't go in hospitals except as a patient. This was the policy up until the late 80s. We couldn't go see mother and this new baby. Instead, she came to the window at the end of the hospital (in my memory it was on the top floor -- I'd say the 5th floor, but I'm not even sure the hospital had that many floors -- but she was way up high) and we stood down on the lawn underneath her. I had gotten a bracelet with hangy-down charms. As mother stood and looked I held up my arm with my gorgeous new bracelet hanging from my wrist. Later I realized she couldn't really see it, but at that point in time I thought it was very important that she know what Santa brought me for Christmas.
Memory #3. This is the naming part. I remember Larry Jr. and Dick (Charlie to us) standing in the middle of the living room (and on top of the new carpet) with the big ole black phone between them. They were discussing (I assume with mother who was on the telephone) what the name of the new baby should be. They were talking about how critical the initials of the name were. One of the names strongly being considered was Bruce Allen. The big brothers were concerned about this. (This would have been BAA-- we see the point.) The name the boys wanted was James Bruce because "JBA sounded like an executive". In my mind, that is exactly what they said. I think it made an impression on me because I wasn't sure what an executive was. Anyway, we know they were persuasive because JBA is what was decided. Either way with names, that sweet baby was our Bruce.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The naming of children #1
Do you know how I got my name?
When mother was pregnant with me she had chosen the name "Lois Beth" if the baby was a girl. There is no history of Dad's involvement in the choosing of the names of children. Also, I have no knowledge of what the name choice was for a boy.
This choice was a combination of the names of two of grandma's (Emma) beloved sisters. Emma had five sisters and they held a cherished place in her heart. It would have been an honor to have been named after Aunt Lois and Aunt Beth. I love both these names. I don't know if the family would have called me Lois or Beth, but either one would have brought me pleasure.
At this time Cheryl Marie was 3-years-old and, as has been consistent across her life-span, had a vivid imagination. She had an imaginary friend. Particularly, she would go out to the back yard to play and then report she had played with her friend. Her friend's name? Carol Jones. So, when baby #5 joined the family, and was a BEAUTIFUL, perfect, baby girl, somehow it seemed the perfect name for her was Carol Joan. I absolutely love having this bit of personal history. I feel my name was somehow inspired through this pure and innocent child who was to be the older sister to this baby. And the fact that I love young children and adore 3-year-olds just adds to my delight in this story.
Dad frequently called me "Jones" as a nickname and I loved it!
However, this is not the end of the story. My namer, Cheryl Marie was named in part, for another beloved sister of Grandma, Marie. When Aunt Marie died in the 1980s she left Cheryl Marie a very nice inheritance because she was a "namesake". Isn't that lovely?! That was so generous of her.
But when Aunt Lois died, and when Aunt Beth died there was no inheritance for me! I had been denied that hope by alittle switch in name. Three-year-old Cheryl didn't know what she was depriving me of when she shared that little secret of her imaginary friend. I say she owes me some money! What do you think?
When mother was pregnant with me she had chosen the name "Lois Beth" if the baby was a girl. There is no history of Dad's involvement in the choosing of the names of children. Also, I have no knowledge of what the name choice was for a boy.
This choice was a combination of the names of two of grandma's (Emma) beloved sisters. Emma had five sisters and they held a cherished place in her heart. It would have been an honor to have been named after Aunt Lois and Aunt Beth. I love both these names. I don't know if the family would have called me Lois or Beth, but either one would have brought me pleasure.
At this time Cheryl Marie was 3-years-old and, as has been consistent across her life-span, had a vivid imagination. She had an imaginary friend. Particularly, she would go out to the back yard to play and then report she had played with her friend. Her friend's name? Carol Jones. So, when baby #5 joined the family, and was a BEAUTIFUL, perfect, baby girl, somehow it seemed the perfect name for her was Carol Joan. I absolutely love having this bit of personal history. I feel my name was somehow inspired through this pure and innocent child who was to be the older sister to this baby. And the fact that I love young children and adore 3-year-olds just adds to my delight in this story.
Dad frequently called me "Jones" as a nickname and I loved it!
However, this is not the end of the story. My namer, Cheryl Marie was named in part, for another beloved sister of Grandma, Marie. When Aunt Marie died in the 1980s she left Cheryl Marie a very nice inheritance because she was a "namesake". Isn't that lovely?! That was so generous of her.
But when Aunt Lois died, and when Aunt Beth died there was no inheritance for me! I had been denied that hope by alittle switch in name. Three-year-old Cheryl didn't know what she was depriving me of when she shared that little secret of her imaginary friend. I say she owes me some money! What do you think?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Past Reunions
For several years I've worked on documenting our past family reunions. I am interested in the year, where we met and who hosted the reunion. The following is what I remember. I'm not sure it is accurate and welcome any corrections/additions.
1988 Sherwood Hills Lincolns, Mike (the California Raisins)
1990 Redfish Bruce (the groovy puzzles from photos)
1991 Wisconsin (the spontaneous Road Rally where the women smoked the men; we won't mention the missed plane flight nor the belly dancer)
1991 50th Wedding Anniversary
1992 Dad’s Funeral
1994 Stanley Lake Roths (lots and lots of rain)
1995
1996 Mother’s Funeral
1997 Lawrence’s Funeral
1999 Redfish Lake Pat & Carol (nursery rhymes as punishment for swearing)
2001 Stanley Idaho Cousins/Brandon (well organized, Brandon stressed, skits plaque)
2003 Stanley, Idaho Mike (medical based 'souvenirs' for everyone; TENSE cousins meeting)
2005 Stanley, Idaho Lyssa (awesome auction)
2007 Stanley, Idaho Pat & Carol (Boccie Ball!; Harrison's 'Wizard of Oz')
2009 Stanley, Idaho Cousins/Stephanie
1988 Sherwood Hills Lincolns, Mike (the California Raisins)
1990 Redfish Bruce (the groovy puzzles from photos)
1991 Wisconsin (the spontaneous Road Rally where the women smoked the men; we won't mention the missed plane flight nor the belly dancer)
1991 50th Wedding Anniversary
1992 Dad’s Funeral
1994 Stanley Lake Roths (lots and lots of rain)
1995
1996 Mother’s Funeral
1997 Lawrence’s Funeral
1999 Redfish Lake Pat & Carol (nursery rhymes as punishment for swearing)
2001 Stanley Idaho Cousins/Brandon (well organized, Brandon stressed, skits plaque)
2003 Stanley, Idaho Mike (medical based 'souvenirs' for everyone; TENSE cousins meeting)
2005 Stanley, Idaho Lyssa (awesome auction)
2007 Stanley, Idaho Pat & Carol (Boccie Ball!; Harrison's 'Wizard of Oz')
2009 Stanley, Idaho Cousins/Stephanie
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Minnie #2
Minnie is remembered as being very tender-hearted and would cry if her husband said a cross word. Her daughters Eunice and Viola told me (1983) that Minnie felt that "what was right was right", and what was hers she wanted. They remembered that in later years, when she took borders in at her house, she decided she would charge board and room by the week rather than by the month since some months had more weeks than others, and that way she could collect more money. They also remember their mother as being a kind woman who would help anyone. Minnie is characterized as having an especially good sense of humor. I guess this was a recessive gene -- we don't have anyone funny in our family now (does Stephanie count?).
Minnie was a very clean housekeeper and a good seamstress. She taught her daughters these skills and they especially remembered her teaching them how to sew aprons (a beginning lesson). She was very particular with her household tasks and when her husband helped with the wash, she told him exactly how to hang the clothes on the outside line to dry. The clothes were to be sequenced by size, with the largest ones first and moving down to the smallest. No bright colors were to be mixed in with the whites, nor with the dark colors. Her daughters also remember that Minnie loved to do the wash because it was a job where she could see the results of her labors.
These were the days of boiling clothes to get them clean, turning the handle to agitate the clothes in the washer and then putting the clothes one-by-one through a roller device to "wring" out all the water. Clothes dryers didn't exist -- well, unless you count the sunshine and a great breeze. Doing laundry usually took all day. And of course when there was a baby, it was cloth diapers to be laundered, and not the throw-away kind. I'm sure Minnie couldn't have even imagined what doing laundry was going to be like for her daughters, granddaughters, great-grandaughters and on.
Minnie was a very clean housekeeper and a good seamstress. She taught her daughters these skills and they especially remembered her teaching them how to sew aprons (a beginning lesson). She was very particular with her household tasks and when her husband helped with the wash, she told him exactly how to hang the clothes on the outside line to dry. The clothes were to be sequenced by size, with the largest ones first and moving down to the smallest. No bright colors were to be mixed in with the whites, nor with the dark colors. Her daughters also remember that Minnie loved to do the wash because it was a job where she could see the results of her labors.
These were the days of boiling clothes to get them clean, turning the handle to agitate the clothes in the washer and then putting the clothes one-by-one through a roller device to "wring" out all the water. Clothes dryers didn't exist -- well, unless you count the sunshine and a great breeze. Doing laundry usually took all day. And of course when there was a baby, it was cloth diapers to be laundered, and not the throw-away kind. I'm sure Minnie couldn't have even imagined what doing laundry was going to be like for her daughters, granddaughters, great-grandaughters and on.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Minnie #1
Minnie Van Hierden is our great-grandmother. She is our paternal grandfather William Carl's mother. She was born 10 March 1871 in Amsterdam, Holland. She immigrated to the United States with her parents in 1872 (she was just a baby). Her mother died shortly after. Big family mystery #2: what was the name of Minnie's mother? Her father, John Van Hierden remarried. His second wife, Mary Vanden Hook, never spoke English, which indicates that Minnie was raised in a home where Dutch was the primary language. Minnie was raised and lived with her family "out on M" outside of Waupun, Wisconsin.
Minnie's given name was Wilhelmina. Her daughter, Viola, remembers that she herself was named for Minnie's mother or grandmother. Some family members felt that Minnie had some French heritage because of her features and a darker complexion.
In adulthood Minnie was 5 feet, 3 inches tall and had really dark brown hair, which grayed in her later years. Her eyes were "lighter".
Won't it be fun to meet this ancestor?
Minnie's given name was Wilhelmina. Her daughter, Viola, remembers that she herself was named for Minnie's mother or grandmother. Some family members felt that Minnie had some French heritage because of her features and a darker complexion.
In adulthood Minnie was 5 feet, 3 inches tall and had really dark brown hair, which grayed in her later years. Her eyes were "lighter".
Won't it be fun to meet this ancestor?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Food for Thought
Eight personality roles in large families develop to help create a meaningful position. These include:
The responsible sib
The popular, well-liked, sociable sib
The socially ambitious sib
The studious sib
The self-centered, isolated sib
The irresponsible sib
The sick sib
The spoiled sib
The Sociology of Child Development
Bossard & Ball (1960)
The responsible sib
The popular, well-liked, sociable sib
The socially ambitious sib
The studious sib
The self-centered, isolated sib
The irresponsible sib
The sick sib
The spoiled sib
The Sociology of Child Development
Bossard & Ball (1960)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Sibling Meeting, July 28, 2003
In attendance: LuAnn, Ivan, Cherie, Dick, Carol, Pat, Mike, Julie, Bruce, Wendee
Discussion:
Who hosts the reunion is to vary between siblings and cousins
Reunion will still be held very other odd numbered year
We meet/gather in the Stanley Basin, Idaho area
Motion: Lyssa is in charge of the reunion for 2005
Future reunions –
$20 per family to reunion planner at previous reunion for misc. & paper products
Everyone brings own drinks
Family = a sibling
Future reunions to include:
Skits (judges are prior reunion winners, responsible for engraving, bringing plaque)
Volleyball
Guessing jars
Evening meals
Sibling meeting
Cousin meeting
July 27th is the focused day, reunion planner may extend forward or backward
The 27th includes a bonfire with time to remember Mother and Dad
Discussion:
Who hosts the reunion is to vary between siblings and cousins
Reunion will still be held very other odd numbered year
We meet/gather in the Stanley Basin, Idaho area
Motion: Lyssa is in charge of the reunion for 2005
Future reunions –
$20 per family to reunion planner at previous reunion for misc. & paper products
Everyone brings own drinks
Family = a sibling
Future reunions to include:
Skits (judges are prior reunion winners, responsible for engraving, bringing plaque)
Volleyball
Guessing jars
Evening meals
Sibling meeting
Cousin meeting
July 27th is the focused day, reunion planner may extend forward or backward
The 27th includes a bonfire with time to remember Mother and Dad
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A child of Larry and Betty will know
All the sounds of Lawrence Welk
How to survive with only one bathroom (and no shower) for 10 people
How to play ‘Eeni-Iyenie Over’
The taste (and smell) of fried hamburgers on Saturday night
How to play an instrument
The excitement of going to Redfish Lake
How to do the dishes
You’ll spend Christmas Eve with the Carrs
What room was perfect with a shiny red ceiling
How to play ‘Kick-the-can’
That the drug store across the street was our primary source of red licorice
All about sleeping outside during the summer
The ruthlessness of competition with siblings (especially playing Battleship and Monopoly)
The taste of hotdogs and pork and beans cooked over an open fire
What a jockey box is
The mysteries of the furnace room
That the doorbell never worked
The pleasure of the meals in Grandma’s cool and shady back yard
The long walk to Shelby’s market
About dad’s faithful service to Sister Crump
That you have to eat sugar daddies while driving over Galena Summit
The terrible fear that you’d be the one to break the front window
How much we loved Toufa
The cold, dank feel of the fruit room
The joy of having cousins come visit
The amazing jumble of the junk drawer in the hallway
The perfect love of being part of a close family
How to survive with only one bathroom (and no shower) for 10 people
How to play ‘Eeni-Iyenie Over’
The taste (and smell) of fried hamburgers on Saturday night
How to play an instrument
The excitement of going to Redfish Lake
How to do the dishes
You’ll spend Christmas Eve with the Carrs
What room was perfect with a shiny red ceiling
How to play ‘Kick-the-can’
That the drug store across the street was our primary source of red licorice
All about sleeping outside during the summer
The ruthlessness of competition with siblings (especially playing Battleship and Monopoly)
The taste of hotdogs and pork and beans cooked over an open fire
What a jockey box is
The mysteries of the furnace room
That the doorbell never worked
The pleasure of the meals in Grandma’s cool and shady back yard
The long walk to Shelby’s market
About dad’s faithful service to Sister Crump
That you have to eat sugar daddies while driving over Galena Summit
The terrible fear that you’d be the one to break the front window
How much we loved Toufa
The cold, dank feel of the fruit room
The joy of having cousins come visit
The amazing jumble of the junk drawer in the hallway
The perfect love of being part of a close family
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