My Tree in the Forest

Week 38 New to Me

“Sometimes when a person buys a used car, they say that it isn’t new, but it’s “new to me.” Do you have something like that? What about a “new” favorite resource to use? Or even a “new” ancestor! Feel free to post your links and stories in the comments.” this weeks prompt from Amy Johnson Crow.

I considered writing about the family of Anton Koch, whom I wrote about in my previous post, but I decided to save them until I know a little more than their names and baptism dates. The 1921 Scottish Census was released yesterday so I am choosing to write a bit more about my grandfather’s family.

The first one I looked up was Walter Guy Kirkwood (1857-1927). This will be the last Census I will find him. The family lived at 29 Marshall Street in the Civil Parish of Dalserf, the Quoad Sacra Parish of Larkhall, Parish Ward of Larkhall South. They had 2 rooms and six people living in those rooms. This website has some photos and tells a little about the buildings. The photos look similar to this picture which was found in my mom’s photos. I am wondering if this may have been taken when Walter died in 1927.

Unknown probable Scottish relatives of Helen Kirkwood

Walter was the head of the family, he was 64 years and 6 months old. This is the first Census I remember seeing the months added. He was a male and married. Next is birthplace which is Tollcross. Here are some photos of the Tollcross area.

Walter’s occupation is coal miner, hewer. A hewer is a coal face worker who digs coal, loosening the coal with a pick. So, he was still working hard at age 64. He worked at Summerlee Iron Coy. This site closed during the Great Depression of the early 1930’s. The major structures were demolished in 1938. “Further demolition and landscaping was carried out in the 1950s when the Hydrocon crane factory (now the main Exhibition Hall of Summerlee Museum) was built.” this is from rediscovering summerlee ironworks. The site is now legally protected as a Scheduled Monument. The link I gave you has quite a bit of history about the Summerlee Ironworks and many photos, it is worth looking at.

Walter’s wife Marion is listed below him. She is 66 years and 7 months old and was born in Bothwell. Her occupation is H.D. or Household Duties. Bothwell was once primarily a mining village but is now one of Glasgow’s most prominent satellites. It is home to some famous footballers and other local celebrities.

Next is their son Walter who is now 36 years and 3 months. Walter is single and was born in Carluke. I found his job interesting. He was the assistant manager at the Y.M.C.A. in Glasgow. I never really thought about it before but I wouldn’t have guessed there were Y.M.C.A.’s in Glasgow in 1921. I didn’t know they began in England in 1844! This site has a brief history of the organization in Scotland. I had been hoping to find the name of the clothing store he worked for later in his life but it’s fun to see other occupations as well.

Next on the list is Alex or Alexander. Alex is now 28 years and 6 months old. Alex is single and was born in Old Monkland. You may remember Alex from a previous post, he was gassed during WWI and never fully recovered. Alex died in 1929 at the age of 37. This will be the last Census I will find Alex listed. In this Census he is working as a Goods Guard for the Caldonian Railway Coy. This was another interesting job. This railway was built to form a link between England and Glasgow. Eventually it extended to Edinburgh and Aberdeen with a dense network of lines around Glasgow. This site I linked to says it is one of the Railway Wonders of the World.

Number five on the family listed in this Census is Minnie. It has her listed as their daughter, but having found her birth certificate, I know she is actually their granddaughter. Minnie is now 16 years 10 months old and single. She was born in Larkhall. Her occupation is listed as H.D. or Household Duties. Minnie is the daughter of Jessie, the second child of Walter and Marion.

The final name on this census surprised me. His name is Robert McMillan and he is 4 years 5 months old and listed as a boarder. The name McMillan rang a bell for me. Jessie married Robert McMillan and I believe this is one of their children. This would make him a half brother of Minnie, so maybe he was there for an extended visit. He has quite a few other full siblings so this must have been a special visit for him. Maybe that is why he is listed as a boarder, he didn’t always live with Walter and Marion.

I have many more relatives to look for in the 1921 Census but I gained quite a few new snippets in the lives of my ancestors from this one. I love learning about what they actually did and who was included in their home and what their home was like. I hope I find many more stories as I continue my search.

Have you found anything new recently?

Week 37 High and Low

“Life is rarely a straight line; there are highs and lows. Is there an ancestor who experienced both? You could also take a more literal interpretation of mountains and valleys, or even tall and short. Feel free to share your links and stories in the comments.” Prompt for the week from Amy Johnson Crow

My second great grandfather eluded me for years. I was halfheartedly researching while my kids were young, so I didn’t really take the time needed to learn how to research. There is a skill involved that I am still trying to improve. I found him completely by accident through Ancestry DNA thrulines. I had been checking the lines and noticed a new connection. I sent a note to see if we could compare the information we each had and wondering if we were related. It turned out the son of my niece was doing a school project to find out if he would be eligible for Sons of the American Revolution. His neighbor happened to be a genealogist and she found my 2nd great grandfather’s will! You never know where help will appear.

My great grandfather Ben Cook left home sometime after the age of 16. The family story was he had changed his name from Koch to Cook. I believed he had been born in Germany and the name change happened when he came to America. It is a common myth to believe names were changed as they came thru Ellis Island or other port of entry, but I have learned that is a myth and it usually happened later. I was very frustrated when I could find nothing about Ben anywhere. I hired someone to do an hour of work for me and she was able to find the obituary and details of his accident in a Belle Plaine, Iowa newspaper. This genealogist opened a whole new world of research for me and started the spark to find more of my family. If she could find this in an hour just by knowing where to look who knows what I would find if I improved my skills.

Ben Cook was born in 1863 in Watertown, Wisconsin. His name was Bernard Anton Koch at birth. He died at the age of 37 when he was run over by a train. In the obituary it stated Ben had two brothers from Watertown, Wisconsin who came to his funeral. It didn’t give any names but it did give me a starting point. There were a surprising number of Koch families in Wisconsin during that time frame. I had it narrowed down to 2 or 3 but couldn’t find a way to connect him. This is where my niece’s son entered the picture and gave me the correct family. My 2nd great grandfather was Anton Koch born in Prussia in 1822. My second great grandmother was Anna Maria Lemair born 1828. Anton died in 1903 and in his will he mentioned Bernard(Ben) and his three descendants Frank, Maud and Bernard from Belle Plaine, Iowa. Bernard is my grandfather.

Anton and Anna Maria, also known as Mary, immigrated in 1857 with their first two sons. Their marriage record in 1853 was from Katholisch, Lichtenau Paderborn, Westfalen, Prussia. Looking through other records from this area I was able to find the births of the two boys, Engelbert (1854-1932) and Franz Heinrich (1856-?). In the 1860 U.S. Census the Kochs were living on a farm in Watertown, Wisconsin. They now have a daughter, Anna who is two years old along with Engelbert and Henry. The personal estate is valued at $250.

In 1870 the family is still farming in Watertown and they have added four more children. Josephine age 8, Bernhard age 5, Joseph age 3, and Mary age 2 were added to their family between 1860-1870. Bernhard is my great grandfather. I tried to find birth certificates but of course their court house had burned down along with all of the relevant records just after Bernhard was born. Next I looked for Baptism records. I knew from the records in Prussia they were Catholic. I found two Catholic churches in Watertown. They attended St Henry’s church in Watertown. I wrote this church and was able to get baptism dates for most of the children along with a few weddings and found out some of the family is buried in their cemetery.

In 1880, Anton is still farming in Watertown and they have added one more child to their family. The youngest child is Anton and he is 10 years old. The two oldest, Engelbert(26) and Henry(24) are both laborers on the farm. Annie(21) and Josephine(14) have an occupation of ‘at home.’ Joseph(18) and Bernard(16) have no occupation listed so they weren’t at school. Mary(12) and Anton(10) were both ‘at school.’ All in all the family is doing well, they have their farm and eight children.

The 1890 Census is like a unicorn in genealogical terms. Not many survived from that year. I did find the Wisconsin state Census from 1895. Not much data and very hard to read is the best description. This is the page heading.

I have difficulty discerning the titles of the columns beyond the first two for male and female. I thought at least I would be able to learn how many males and females were living together in 1895. Wrong! I can’t read these numbers at all.

1895 Wisconsin State Census for Anton Koch family

I can read four and two a couple of columns over and that made me do a search to find out what those columns were headed. My search took me to the Wiki on Family Search. I discovered those two were for who was born in the United States and who was born in Germany.

Wisconsin sample 1895 Census header from Family Search

So, at first I was guessing the two referred to Anton and Anna Maria(Mary), the parents. That would mean four of the eight children were still living at home. According to the 1885 Wisconsin State Census there were four from Germany in the household. But then I found this article.

The Watertown News, Watertown, Wisconsin, 30 Aug 1893 page 5

According to this Anton was admitted to the hospital in 1893. So either Engelbert or Henry must have been working the farm in 1895. I had it in my head that Bernard(Ben) was still at home when his father was admitted to the hospital. Ben was married and living in Belle Plaine, Iowa in 1891 so he wasn’t around for this confrontation at all. Possibly he left because farming was not the life he wanted. He was a bridge builder for the railroad.

I sent to see if it was possible to get any records about Anton and his admission to the hospital. It must have been traumatizing all around. The police were involved because Anton threatened homicide. It turns out he had broken his leg about six months before this happened and it wasn’t set correctly. He must have been in a great deal of pain and probably not able to work on his farm. Anton remained at the Institution for the remainder of his life. He died in 1903 of a cerebral hemorrhage. Anton was 82 years of age. He is buried in St Henry church cemetery in Watertown, WI. His death certificate gave me the names of his parents.

U.S. Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918

I found this map from 1899 that shows the land of Anton Koch right where it says Lot 1. They had a nice property, right on the river. So it appears they were doing well right up until the time Anton broke his leg. This was the biggest high and low I could think of in my family so far. It must have been so frustrating and painful for all of them to watch him deteriorate in spirit and physically those last few months at home.

In 1900 Anton is listed in the Census for ‘Jefferson County Insane Asylum For Chronic Insane.’ It must have been more than an insane asylum as there is an entire family from age 38-4 on the same page as Anton. I am thinking the poor were also housed here.

Anna Maria(Mary) is living as head of her household in 1900. She owns the house but it is mortgaged. It says she is a farmer but the address is different than previous years. The change in address doesn’t mean a lot to me other than it is another thing that could be investigated. My husband and I lived in Wisconsin for 5 years at the same house and our address was changed 3 times. Engelbert(46), Joseph(39) and Mary(32) are all living with Anna Maria(Mary) in 1900. Anna Maria(Mary) died 26 Dec 1905. She was 77 years of age and is buried in St Henry church cemetery in Watertown, WI.

I have been unable to find an obituary for Anna Maria(Mary) at this time. These are the highs and lows in the life of Anton Koch as I know them. I have recently discovered his entire family and look forward to maybe telling some more Koch stories in the future. Do you have an ancestor who experienced highs and lows? Maybe they began life low and rose to greatness during their life. What stories could you tell?

Week 36 Exploration

“Where did your ancestors explore? Who moved around a lot? You could also share records, libraries, or archives that you’ve explored in. Remember, there’s no wrong way to interpret the theme! Feel free to post your links and stories in the comments.”

Mary and Orson eloped and tried to keep it secret!

My grand Aunt Mary and her husband Orson were a very adventurous couple. Mary Smith Spurrier was born in Moingona, Iowa in 1897. She was the youngest child of Charles William Smith (1860-1936) and Melissa Alice Minson (1863-1932). Harold Orson Spurrier was born in 1898 in Ogden, Iowa. Orson was the son of Henry Clay Spurrier (1850-1938) and Sarah Alise Hainey (1861-1931). Orson and Mary married in secret on Christmas morning 1919. They returned to their respective parents houses and are each listed in their parents homes in the 1920 Census. In the 1925 Census Mary and Orson are living with Mary’s parents. By 1930 they have their own place, they are renting a farm outside of Boone, Iowa.

1929 South Gate on their farm Helen Kirkwood (my mom) at the fence

The photo above always makes me think of the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy’s house on the family farm. They camped outside the Iowa State Fair, my mom and her sister went with them. Camping wasn’t something I ever did growing up so it sounded exciting to me. I am sure my mom and her sister loved it all.

My mom told us about a trip she took with Mary and Orson and her mom (Mary’s sister, Nettie Myrtle (Smith) Kirkwood. They drove to California and back to Iowa. They ate using a campstove, not sure if they slept in tents along the way or not. My mom said she paid for herself and her mom and only spent $40. They went to visit Mary and Myrtle’s brother Vernon. Vernon lived in Napa for many years. The next pictures were probably from a different trip because Mary, Myrtle and Vernon’s parents are in these. They are in California with Vernon’s family.

So the apple doesn’t fall far from the family tree, I guess. That is Mary and Myrtle and Vernon’s parents above along with Vernon’s wife and their kids. You may remember I wrote about Charles Smith’s father Ira in an earlier post. He was the one who left home at fifteen to become a soldier in the Mexican American War and moved at least six times from Maine to Nebraska.

Mary and Orson traveled a lot to go and visit relatives in Oregon, California, Texas, Kansas and even back to Iowa after they moved to Arizona. Mary was excellent at writing names and dates below her photos and took photos of the relatives she visited. Her photo album was a big help in identifying relatives and where they lived. They really liked to travel in style, her photo album has many photos of their awesome classic cars. She even tells the colors, I might have to try my hand at coloring some of these.

Mary and Orson with their Overland in 1932

There were many photos of farm equipment scattered throughout the album too. I don’t really remember all the cars but they were the kindest people and I loved when they came to visit. Now that I have seen the photos I think the cars are very impressive.

They celebrated their life together and with friends. Aunt Mary must have been in about 10 different social groups. There are a number of photos of all these friends and the many activities with them. They went fishing, boating, camping,, dinner parties

I like these photos of their farm. My mom spent a lot of time on their farm. When her grandmother came to stay with them before she passed away, mom stayed with Aunt Mary. She also spent time there when different illnesses were making the rounds. She said she had a pet pig who followed her everywhere, even into the house. I wonder if this is that pig.

I like this view, they had plenty of adventures right here on their farm.

I would say adventure is where you find it. Mary and Orson were people who were able to find adventure where ever they went. They had adventures with family, with friends, and most of all with each other. Mary passed away in 1974 in Mesa, Arizona. Mary had rheumatoid arthritis that didn’t slow her down most of the time. Orson remarried and stayed in Arizona. He and his new wife Florence came to visit us in Iowa. She was a sweet woman and before she left she hid little affirmations all around our house for us. It was really fun to find those notes. Orson passed away in 1989 in Mesa, Arizona.

Who was the adventurous spirit in your family? Where did their adventures lead? Did you inherit their spirit of adventure?

Week 35 Free Space

“I intended for this to be a week for you to choose whatever you want to write about. (Though that’s true every week!) But also feel free to riff off of the theme — maybe an ancestor who went West for land, going to a family vacation spot, or a bingo-playing ancestor? Have fun with this theme! Feel free to post your links and stories in the comments.” this weeks prompt for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks by Amy Johnson Crow.

I enjoy looking through old newspapers. I find the articles to be fascinating little time capsules of what life was like at the time they were written. One subscription I enjoy is Newspapers.com. Most of the time I look for articles about a specific person, event or place. Today I looked under the heading Topics. The Home page has four selections at the top; Search, Papers, Clippings and Topics. Search is what I use 99% of the time. I have never really explored the Topics section until today.

I found 34 topics and under each topic there are subdivisions to give you more in depth choice. The topics are: ‘Behind the Headlines of History’ podcast, A New Nation, Age of American Imperialism, American Civil War Era, American Revolution, Arts & Entertainment, Black History, Civil Rights, Cold War, Crafts & Patterns, Crimes & Mysteries, End of the 20th Century, Famous People, Food, Great Depression, Holidays, Industrial & Gilded Age, Native American History, Natural Disasters, Progressive Era, Quirky & Curious, Reconstruction, Roaring Twenties, Science, Space Exploration, Sports, US Presidents, US States, Vietnam War Era, Westward Expansion, Womens History, World History, World War I, World War II.

I am trying to decide what food to cook for Thanksgiving this week so food was on my mind. I clicked the Food topic first. So many choices! I chose pumpkin pie, there is a ‘pie recipes’ category too but pumpkin pie evidently has enough recipes to deserve it’s own category. One had a cheese crust, I’m not sure if I would like that with pumpkin pie but it sounds like a great crust for an apple pie. There are eggless, dairy free and traditional. Many have added ingredients from marshmallow to raisins to pineapple! Yes you read that right, someone added pineapple to a pumpkin pie. Not sure I would be that adventurous but here is the recipe if you would like to try. Could be the talk of Thanksgiving. I have found relatives of my own submitted recipes to the local paper. It’s interesting to see what they were cooking back than.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis, Missouri21 Nov 1930, Fri • Page 40

The Science category caught my eye next. I looked at several. Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver were some of the people in this section. I discovered George Washington Carver attended the same college I went to, a few years apart but fun all the same. It was called Iowa State College when he went to school in Ames, Iowa. There are a number of interesting articles about this outstanding man.

The Bystander
Des Moines, Iowa14 Dec 1894, Fri • Page 1

I am a quilter/crafter so the Crafts and Patterns category appealed to me too. There were only two sections under this heading, Heirloom Quilt Patterns and Vintage Crochet Patterns. There are many patterns under each heading though so if you enjoy either of these leisure activities this might be a good fit for you. I have found relatives who shared my love of sewing as a job or by entering exhibits in their county fair. Have you looked for your crafty relatives yet.

Quirky and Curious in Newspapers sounded like entertaining reading so I had to peak. One of the choices is Weird News, who can resist that choice. There is an article about a corpse that spoiled her wake by refusing to stay dead! This would be a fun story to add to your family tree. Another was about an anti-noise bill that would bann eating popcorn and peanuts at the movie theater in Oregon. Did that pass? I didn’t look for a follow up. The one I added here almost sounds like something that could happen today even though this article is from 1906.

The Topeka Daily Herald
Topeka, Kansas03 Feb 1906, Sat • Page 10

All of the historical sections appealed to me because I had ancestors in each of those Wars, ancestors who lived through the Great Depression, my grandmother was a suffragette. I remember the moon landing so those papers brought back some memories for me. I think the newspapers help me to have a better understanding of life at the time my ancestor was alive. They broaden my view of the obstacles they may have overcome or dealt with in their lives.

I also like NewspaperArchive.com and GenealogyBank.com and Digital Archives of Belle Plaine Community Library. Do you have a favorite newspaper site? What have you found that surprised you?

Week 34 Timeline

“Timelines are a great research tool. What discovery have you made after putting together an ancestor’s timeline? Have you thought about how everyday life changed for an ancestor during his or her life? Feel free to post your links and stories in the comments.” prompt from Amy Johnson Crow

Charles and Alice Smith probably taken for wedding or when the lived in Nebraska

I have to admit I have never used timelines in my research, not in a timeline format anyway. When I write about a specific ancestor I tend to write birth to death so, kind of the same. A timeline might be a more compact version. I can see how it would be helpful to make a timeline when organizing my stories. It would be easier to make sure I put everything in the correct order. It would also help me see if there are conflicts in my sources.

I found a number of sources for information on how to make and use timelines. Some of the main tree building sites include a timeline as you add in the sources for each person. I am thinking it would be most helpful for me to use timelines with ancestors I need to research further. It would allow me to see the gaps in my research so I could focus on those areas.

Cindi’s List has the most comprehensive list of sources for timelines. She has 19 links for everything from webinars to downloadable tip sheets. There are links for historical timelines, I like to add history to my ancestor stories because it often explains the why. Lives are so intertwined with what is happening in the world at the time someone lived. Just use the example of a World Wide Pandemic such as we experienced and you know how much it affected all of our lives.

I liked the site called Owlcation. Maybe it has something to do with the name but, she also has a very basic down to earth description of what a timeline is and what types of events might be included. She offers a few sources for a downloadable templates.

Ancestry has at least one video about creating a timeline. It’s only about 17 minutes. I like the way she created this one with a word document. Some prefer excel, or evernote or whatever program works best for you. In the video she actually takes you through the steps of creating the timeline and she adds her notes on the timeline for what needs to be done next. I’m going to trying this one soon. The name is “Creating Timelines to Better Understand Records and Families”. You can find it here.

About Melissa Alice Minson from Family Search website

I like the map feature on Family Search associated with the timelines. The photo above shows the page for my great great grandmother Melissa Alice Minson. There are 5 headings in the light bluish bar, click on the one that says About. One of the headings you will see is Time line. If you scroll to the bottom of Timeline there is a clickable link saying View With Map, click that link.

Timeline with Map for Melissa Alice Minson from Family Search website

Now the timeline is on the left and a map on the right. Her map has 6 events in Ohio and 20 in Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Kansas. You can click again on whichever place you prefer. I clicked the 20 and it divided up even further to what is below.

Next I clicked the 2 in south central Nebraska. Each of the numbers shows how many events I have for her that took place in the tagged locations. I think it’s a fun feature. Here is what happens when you get down to the final clickable link.

The little blue house is where they were living and you can see in the timeline on the left the corresponding event is now highlighted in blue as well. In 1885 when Melissa was 21 she was living in Franklin, Nebraska.

The timeline of events on Ancestry includes more of the historical events, personal photos and actual documents. It is called a Life Story and has a lot of in depth detail which maybe is the reason I have never felt I needed to make a timeline of my own. It also has a clickable map to explore where she was living when the different events occurred. I think the ability to add notes and source notations on my own timeline would be very helpful. If only there were more hours in each day!

Do you use timelines in your research? What is your favorite tool to use when you make a timeline? Do you use maps with your timelines? If you don’t are you considering using them now?

Week 33 Service

This weeks challenge for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is Service. I chose Harvey Laverne Hartje (1921-1999). Harvey was in the Navy during WWII, he was my husband’s dad. I have to give full disclosure, I know very little about the structure and details involved in military life so hopefully I won’t mess up describing what I have found.

U.S.S. Arkansas Pacific War Diary owned by Lloyd Hartje

Before joining the Navy, Harvey was involved in the Civilian Conservation Corp. Harvey’s family in northern North Dakota had been hit hard with the economy of the time. They had lost the farm, they had moved, they had trouble finding work, and he was only 19. I was able to get some information about his work with the CCC through NARA. His job with them was Kitchen police. He worked in Larimore, North Dakota from 4 Oct 1939 to 3 Apr 1940. I found this description in the North Dakota Studies website.

“The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a program for young unmarried men. Some of these men were still in their teens, but others were in their twenties and unable to find regular work. Many of the CCC boys from North Dakota had grown up on farms, but their labor on the family farm had lost value. The CCC gave them a place to live, a job, education and training, and a paycheck. Of their $30 monthly pay, $25 was sent to their parents. Work on the CCC helped both the young men and their families.” you can find more here.

It looks like he had classes in typing, english, spelling, mess management, hygiene, manners, and citizenship. His job training classes were in K.P. and Safety. He was described as “Above average young man, Excellent.” His vocational interest was electrical engineering. Previous jobs included potato picking, beet work, farm work and combining. I’m not exactly sure what Kitchen police involved. I tried to find more and found this picture on North Country at Work of a kitchen police worker hauling coal. I’m guessing it was whatever needed to be accomplished in the kitchen.

Harvey worked at Turtle River State Park in Larimore, North Dakota. I was given his company number, 4727, and the town. When I searched for the town plus CCC this article about Turtle River came up. The CCC was there during the period he worked and it mentions his company. The CCC was meant to be a temporary organization and when the war broke out it began to shut down sites.

Harvey Laverne Hartje from U.S.S. Arkansas Pacific War Diary

Harvey enlisted in the Navy 13 Nov 1940. Not positive what he did between the two but we are guessing he was working for various farmers wherever he could. The photo above is from a book Harvey owned and now belongs to my husband. It’s more or less a year book for the U.S.S. Arkansas. Most of the information I will be posting is from this book. I have found quite a bit on Fold3 about his service. They have Muster Rolls and Report of Changes for the various ships he was on. They even have photos of some of the ships. This photo is the Arkansas from his book.

I discovered through the records on Fold3 that Harvey was on a hospital ship from February to March of 1942. None of his children knew of any injury from the war so I have sent for his records through NARA to try to find out why he was on the U.S.S. Relief. He was also on a ship called U.S.S. Wyoming for a short time in 1942. It looks like he was on the Arkansas until the end of the war and after he was on a ship called the U.S.S. Suncock for a time. His discharge date was 15 Dec 1946. For this post we will focus on the Arkansas and his travels through the Pacific.

This is the first page in his book and gives dates for different destinations throughout the Pacific Ocean for the years 1944-1945.

I wanted to include the Forward from the book because it shows the good, the bad and the ugly in this short account. The book had some moisture problems over the years so the pages are a little rippled but hopefully you can still read what he has to say.

Foreward from the U.S.S. Arkansas Pacific War Diary

On the next pages there was a log that briefly described the history of the Arkansas beginning in 1910.

This is a photo of of the 8B Division. Harvey is the third one on the left right in the front row.

The next section was full of photos from the many different ports of call. My husband asked his dad once which stop was his favorite from his years in service. Harvey said New York. That wasn’t part of this trip but it surprised me, I was expecting one of the more exotic stops. I considered his answer and realized New York would have been a peacetime stop for them so it made a lot of sense from that point of view. Boston was where they began their journey. Some of the stops had more pages of photos than others. I am only including one for each stop.

I had to look up their next Port of Call because I had never heard of it. I’m sure anyone who knows anything about geography and or the Navy is shuddering right now. If by any chance you are like me here is a little more information about this very important speck of land that became the largest navy base of WWII. Ulithi was the next Port of Call for the U.S.S. Arkansas.

The next Port of Call was Guam. They must have been there for a longer stop as there are pages of photos. They enjoyed shows, beaches, town life and music.

Leyte Gulf is where they were when they learned the first news of the surrender on August 10th. The photo at the bottom of the page shows the rockets, flares and searchlights the beach and ships sent up when they heard the news.

The next Port of Call listed is Okinawa Gunto. There are many sites that detail how important this battle was at the end of WWII. For those of you who are interested in reading more in depth about the battle here are a couple of the sites I found, The History of War and History dot com.

Nagasaki was the next Port in the book, I didn’t include all the stops. Pearl Harbor followed in the book.

I had to include the second page for Pearl Harbor. Waikiki Beach has changed a little since 1945.

The end of the voyages had them return to the United States via Seattle. That must have felt really good to all those hard working sailors.

There are a lot of photos of everyday life on the ship including haircuts, laundry, mail call, holiday routines, dentist, church, mess hall and even someone having an emergency appendectomy. The most smiles were in the mail call photo.

A story about Harvey Hartje wouldn’t be complete without a thank you to the gentleman who returned Harvey’s military tags to our family. When I first began researching my husbands family I was contacted by someone who had found Harvey’s military tag in his fathers memento’s. He was so kind to take the time to look us up and send a message and to send the tag back to us. We can’t thank him enough for this kind effort. (I blurred out his number on the tag)

Harvey is the one in front of the two officers in this photo. There are many groups of photos and surprisingly I found a relative of mine while looking through all the names. I see a couple more familiar names as well so I will have to look and see if they were in the Navy during WWII.

Voyages of the Arkansas during the war in the Atlantic Ocean

You can see they had many stops in the Atlantic, quite a few in New York which was Harvey’s favorite. His brother was also in the Navy during WWII and I wonder if they were ever in the same place at the same time?

Harvey Laverne Hartje Mandan, North Dakota

Harvey is buried in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, North Dakota. I hope this gave you a little picture into the service life of Harvey Laverne Hartje. Did you have any veterans in your family? Were you fortunate enough to have a memory book like ours? We have much to be thankful for in this country, our veterans are at the top of the list.

Week 32 At the Library

“One of my favorite things to do when I was little was go to the library. (It still is!) It’s really no surprise that I ended up getting my Masters degree in library science. Do you have any librarians in your family? What about fond memories of going to the library or help that you’ve received from a librarian? Feel free to share your links or stories in the comments.” Amy Johnson Crow giving this weeks instructions.

This is a postcard in my collection. Boone County Library, Boone, Iowa.

The library was one of my favorite places to go when I was young. This view has you walking into the adult library. The children’s entrance was on the right side of the building, you walked downstairs to the lower level. It had a big cozy couch in front of a massive fireplace and the kindest librarian in the world. As I got older she gave me a list of books that she thought I would like. My favorite was autobiographies.

Richard Paul Cook and Helen (Kirkwood) Cook

My parents fostered a love of reading for all of their children. My mom was always reading and throwing out quotes from different books or poems. My dad had the most amazing voice for the different characters in stories. One of my best memories is of him reading Dr Suess books when I was little. He could do an evil laugh like the Grinch at the drop of a hat.

A few years ago I was in a group for art quilters called Art Quilts Around The World. We made small pieces based on a theme. The theme of Favorite Book inspired me to make this small book shaped quilt. I used the two photos I already posted plus a few more to explain how difficult it was to chose only one book. As I made the quilt I realized it was more the total experience of a shared story that was laughed, and discussed and even argued over that made a book special. So mine ended up showing the people I enjoyed sharing my reading experience with throughout my life.

Just before the pandemic broke out I started going to the library at The Minnesota Historical Society. They are a wonderful resource and I need to get back over there to do some more research about my husband’s family. The first time I went I learned about MOMS, Minnesota Official Marriage System. I found the record for my husband’s parents marriage. They lived in North Dakota so we were all surprised to find out they had crossed into Minnesota to get married. I have since found out several of his relatives did the same.

Marriage Certificate for Harvey Hartje and Noreen Thorfinnson

The library was one of my favorite spots to escape when I was young. Libraries are helpful in so many aspects of our lives and now they are a great place for genealogical research. Do you have any favorite memories of going to the library? Do you find it helpful now for your research? Do you have a relative who wrote a book?

Week 31 Help

I should be writing about myself for this one! I’ve needed more help lately than I would like. I haven’t been able to find the information I wanted to use for this post. I know I have it and thought I had already scanned that information but I guess not. So this is a reminder post, organize while you are young, so you can bend and stretch and lift without reopening stitches. I have too many boxes of things I started to work on but they got set aside because something more pressing called me at the time. Instead of going back to that box I would move on to the next and end up with another unfinished box. Don’t be like Janet, finish what you start.

My sister suggested writing about our grand aunt Gert, Gertrude Mary Siepmann (1890-1966). In the photo above Gert is the second from the left. I’m guessing my mom took this picture. I think the baby; held by my grandma, Frieda (Siepmann) Cook, is my oldest brother. My dad would have been serving in WWII at this time. There are two more of Gert’s sisters and two of her brothers also in this photo. Nelle Siepmann, front and center in the dotted dress, is the sister who helped Gert and later she helped my grandma.

Birth of Gertrude Mary Siepmann from Iowa, U.S., Births (series) 1880-1904, 1921-1944 and Delayed Births (series), 1856-1940

Gert was born 8 February 1890 in Blairstown, Iowa to Katie or Catherine White and Frederick William Siepmann. Gert was their third child and the first daughter. One of her older brothers is in the photo above. James Frederick Siepmann is on the far left.

“Iowa State Census, 1895,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DZN3-HLF?cc=1803957&wc=M612-K6D%3A145594701 : 21 May 2014), Cedar > image 154 of 769; citing State Historical Society, Des Moines.

The first Census I found Gert in was from 1895 in Tipton, Iowa. Gert is now seven years old and has two younger sisters. The 2 year old sister, Catherine is in the photo above, the second from the right. You can see another example of how this family helped each other through the years in this Census. Katie (White) Siepmann’s parents are now living with the family.

“United States Census, 1900,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SMW-P2F?cc=1325221&wc=9BQY-MJC%3A1030552001%2C1032337701%2C1033364901 : 5 August 2014), Iowa > Cedar > ED 24 Center Township Tipton city Ward 1-3 > image 2 of 52; citing NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

The 1900 Census is also from Tipton, Iowa. Two more daughters have been added to the family. Nelle (pictured in the polka dot dress) and Frieda (holding the baby). Gert is 10 years old. She is a student and able to read and write. The White’s are no longer living with the Siepmann’s, but the family is still helping out other family members. This census shows August Siepmann, a brother of Frederick William Siepmann is now living with the family. August arrived in the U.S. in 1899 from Germany so I would guess they are helping him get established in this new country.

“United States Census, 1910,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RV2-9D1F?cc=1727033&wc=QZZW-BSS%3A133641401%2C134604001%2C133664001%2C1589089090 : 24 June 2017), Iowa > Cedar > Center > ED 26 > image 10 of 26; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

“United States Census, 1910,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRV2-95WY?cc=1727033&wc=QZZW-BSS%3A133641401%2C134604001%2C133664001%2C1589089090 : 24 June 2017), Iowa > Cedar > Center > ED 26 > image 11 of 26; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Gert is a 20 year old school teacher in 1910. The Siepmann household only contains immediate family members this time. Their family was listed at the bottom of the page so I had to look at the next page to find the entire family. They have now added one more son, Frederick Edward Siepmann who is on the far right in the above family picture.

“Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934,” database, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64JS-N7G?cc=1805551&wc=M6TH-PNL%3A149085201 : 8 March 2016), 004322058 > image 177 of 787; county courthouses, Iowa.

On September 14, 1914 Gert married James Thomas Fitzpatrick. It was a first marriage for both of them and they were both 24. Their marriage did not last long. I think possibly they married because they had a son. I haven’t been able to find a birth certificate for their son yet but it looks like he was born in Aug of 1914 according to his draft registration. I also haven’t found anything about a divorce but this is the only document I have found with Gert and James on the same page.

“Iowa State Census, 1915,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G926-8DLT?cc=2240483&wc=QSZV-K6D%3A1291558902%2C1291558901 : 12 August 2022), Benton > Clark, R.-Happel, A. > image 2979 of 5420; Iowa State Historical Department, Des Moines.

From what I can tell Gert was living with her parents in 1915 along with her son. I found both of their Iowa State Census records for 1915 and they are living in the same ward as Gert’s parents. James Thomas Fitzpatrick is not listed in the records. It doesn’t give an exact address but it is the same Ward as the rest of Gert’s family.

“Iowa State Census, 1915,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G926-86XJ?cc=2240483&wc=QSZV-K6D%3A1291558902%2C1291558901 : 12 August 2022), Benton > Clark, R.-Happel, A. > image 2980 of 5420; Iowa State Historical Department, Des Moines.

Looking at the Census for James, on the far left at the bottom it looks like it says he has been in Iowa for 6 months. On the top right at first I thought it said 0 months but I think it’s the swoop of the m running into the 6. So, I’m trying to find out when the Census was taken in order to pin down the birth date for James. I think his parents married and separated at the same time. According to information about the Census “the information was “The facts were gathered and reported by the assessors at the time of the regular assessment as of January 1, 1915.” (1)

“United States Census, 1920,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R6K-HT4?cc=1488411&wc=QZJP-PM7%3A1036470601%2C1036624101%2C1036758601%2C1589332270 : 10 September 2019), Iowa > Benton > Belle Plaine Ward 2 > ED 2 > image 11 of 32; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

In 1920 Gertrude is living with her parents. Gertrude is now 29 and working as a milliner. Her son is five. I am very glad she was able to keep her son and had the support of her family to raise him. I’m sure with the rules they had for teachers at the time she was no longer able to be a teacher but she has found another way to support herself. The following is a list of Rules for Teachers from 1915.

https://www.openculture.com/2013/09/rules-for-teachers-in-1872-1915-no-drinking-smoking-or-trips-to-barber-shops-and-ice-cream-parlors.html

In 1930 Gert and her son switch households and cities. They have moved in with her sister Nelle, Nelle’s husband, Lymon and Lymon’s parents. Another multigenerational household working together to make life easier for all involved. Gertrude is once again teaching! I’m glad for her that rules were changed and women were allowed to be human beings once again. Gertude is 40 and her son is 15.

“United States Census, 1930,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR4L-V27?cc=1810731&wc=QZFS-617%3A648806501%2C649697601%2C649138201%2C1589282312 : 8 December 2015), Iowa > Linn > Cedar Rapids > ED 37 > image 3 of 42; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).

We are up to 1940 now in the life of Gertrude Mary Siepmann. Gert is living with her sister Nelle in Cedar Rapids. Nelle’s husbands parents are no longer a part of the household but Nelle and Lymon have children of their own. James, Gert’s son is living in this blended family too. Gert is now 50 and is working as a sales lady for a clothing store. According to one of my cousins Gert worked for Armstrong Department Store as a Sales Lady and Buyer in the children’s Department. Probably the time she spent as a teacher helped her to do this job very well. This photo was also from my cousin and probably from about this time period. James is 25 and working as a sorter in the accounting department for the Railroad. There is a lodger living with the family at this time. I haven’t figured out if there is a family connection yet but it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Gertrude Mary (Siepmann) Fitzpatrick from Mary Ann Peterson

“United States Census, 1940,” database with images, *FamilySearch* (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M1-FVLW?cc=2000219&wc=QZF9-3SQ%3A790105501%2C793899101%2C796129201%2C796138201 : accessed 11 November 2022), Iowa > Linn > Rapids Township, Cedar Rapids, Area A > 57-41A Rapids Township, Cedar Rapids City (Area A – part), St. Luke’s Hospital, Y.M.C.A. > image 14 of 61; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 – 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.

I am not positive but I had an ah-ha moment while writing this post. I realized James Fitzpatrick, Gert’s son was married in 1944 and maybe that was the reason for this family get together. That would mean the two younger adults in the photo could be James and his wife Mary Eleanor Crowley. I could be way off on this idea though. Here is a later picture of the two or maybe this is their wedding photo?

James Fitzpatrick and Mary Eleanor (Crowley) Fitzpatrick

United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa; Roll: 5079; Sheet Number: 1; Enumeration District: 100-4

In 1950 Gert is aging slowly as she only aged 7 years in the past 10. The Census says she is 57 and still working as a sales lady. She is living with Nelle and Lymon and their children in Cedar Rapids. We don’t have the 1960 Census yet but I am sure Gert is living in Cedar Rapids with her sister.

Gertrude Mary (Siepmann) Fitzpatrick passed away 24 Nov 1966. She is buried in St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Tipton, Iowa. I made a trip there a few years ago with several of my sisters and in laws. Here is a photo of Gert’s headstone.

Gertrude Mary (Siepmann) Fitzpatrick, St Mary’s Catholic Church Cemetery, Tipton, Iowa

This story has been about how family members work to help each other through those transition times in life and other obstacles we encounter along the way. The Siepmann’s really embody the help theme with their multigenerational approach to life. In today’s mobile society we seem to have lost this part of family life. In some ways that may be good but in other ways maybe not. Is your family multigenerational?

(1)https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433107706990&view=1up&seq=6

Week 30 Teams

Week 30 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks inspired by Amy Johnson Crow is Teams. I went with sports teams for this post. My dad, Richard Paul Cook, was involved in many sports throughout his life. I think basketball and golf were probably his favorites. Both of my parents enjoyed bowling. I think my mom, Helen (Kirkwood) Cook, was more of a social golfer. She did like to golf but more of a fun activity to do with other people. They were both in other activities throughout their lives that involved being part of a team. Music was a big accomplishment for my mom who played in a quartet to earn money. They were both on speech teams in high school.

50th Anniversary of Dick Cook and Helen (Kirkwood) Cook

Bowling was one I remember both of my parents doing. They played individually and on teams. My moms team won in 1967. She is the fourth from the left in the photo of the women sitting at the table. If I hadn’t been searching by name I probably would have passed it by because I barely recognize her from this photo.

Boone News Republican, Feb 25, 1967 page 8

Boone News Republican, Boone, Iowa, Tues, January 24, 1967 page 6

My parents played couples golf for a time. My dad had a group that he played with on a regular basis for many years. He also liked to play with my three brothers frequently. I played in a mother daughter tourney with my mom once and I think she played on women’s night. This article is from their couples golf team. They had low putts! Must have been from all the family miniature golf outings.

Basketball was maybe one my dad had the fondest memories of playing. He played through high school and into his beginning years of college until he joined the military before WWII. His high school team worked well together. This photo was before the tournament, my dad is number 9.

Boone News Republican, Boone, Iowa, March 4, 1938 pg 3

The above name the players in the photo. The newspaper page was very light and hard to read. So I hope you are able to read the names. Here is more of the article. It also included their wins and losses throughout the season and the schedule for the tournament.

These are just a couple of examples of teams in my family. Did your family have anyone who was part of a team? Hope you are able to find some photos and news clippings, or maybe an old trophy or two!

Week 29 Fun Facts

The theme for week 29 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is Fun Fact. I have a small box of letters and cards I have been wanting to scan into the computer. These were saved by my parents and are really fun to read. Some of the cards have letters included that give information about additional family. Sometimes there is still an envelope with an address. I learned one is from a cousin of my grandfather who I don’t yet have in my tree.

This first one is a beautiful card from my grandpa, John Kirkwood, to my mom for her birthday in 1961.

The next one was also a birthday card for my mom. I think it is adorable! It has fuzzy yellow ducks!

This card was from my Aunt Jean and Uncle Tom Hennessey. Jean was my dad’s sister. I’m pretty sure it was for my mom because most of the cards were hers and she is the one with Scottish Ancestry.

Here is another birthday card from my grandpa to my mom. This is from 1964. I love what it says and I really love he signed it Daddy!

The next birthday card is from my mom’s uncle Walter Kirkwood who lived in Scotland. My mom did get to meet him once when she and my dad took a trip of a lifetime.

Here is a card is from my mom’s parents. Her mom died in June of 1952, so this may have been the last card from both of them. It is really cute, it has a spring inside that curls up when you open the card. I made a little video opening the card so you could see the spring but realized I don’t know how to attach videos on here. I’ll have to work on that.

This birthday card was I believe for my dad. It is tiny. The back is a clear plastic. I’ve never seen one like this, it’s very cute.

There are quite a few get well cards in the box. My mom had her tonsils out when they lived in Gebo, Wyoming, we all heard the horror story from that episode. In 1934 I believe she had her appendix removed and was hospitalized in Boone at the Boone County Hospital. I thought it was fun she received a card with her name and the name of the hospital. This one is from her Aunt Mary and Uncle Orson Spurrier. Mary was my grandma Kirkwood’s sister. Mom spent a lot of time living with Mary and Orson during different periods of her childhood. I think this one is beautiful.

The next get well card reaches back a little farther. It is from a sister of my moms grandmother. Nettie (Minson) and Lewis Hamilton were my moms grand aunt and uncle. It was one of the treasures with a return address, so that was a bonus. The little insert feels like it could be embroidered silk. It is still very pretty.

There are cards from several holidays and some letters ‘just because’ included in this fun box. The last card I will show for today is a Christmas card from my dad’s moms sister. Nelle (Siepmann) and Lymon Marshall. This one is exciting because it has my parents address in Georgia. We knew my dad was stationed in Georgia for part of his training during WWII. My parents were married in June 1943 and this card is from December 1943. I am sure my mom and dad were excited about any letters from home during this period. My dad trained in several different states and it must have been a tumultous time in their lives.

The last fun fact for today is a letter sent to my grandfather from his cousin Jessie Sorbie. Jessie was living in Wyoming at the time with her husband John and sent the letter to my grandfather in Boone, Iowa. My brain clicked on the wrong person for who I thought Jessie was in my family tree. In the letter it says her husband had been living there for 8 years. She knew my grandfathers family well enough to name almost everyone in her letter so I assumed they had grown up near each other in Scotland. I knew of a Jessie on my grandpa’s dads side and was assuming this was the correct person but I could never get the documents to line up. I asked for help. Turns out there was also a Jessie on my grandpa’s moms side about the same age and she was the one who traveled to America. I have more to do to fill out this family but that was an exciting block to break through.

I hope you enjoyed my trip through some fun mementos. It’s amazing how much you can learn from something as simple as an address. Do you have fun mementos from your family? It makes me rethink what mementos of my own I want to save.