Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Just like Christmas!!! Kate Adamson

Maybe for the run of the mill genealogist receiving an important document in the mail, is exciting and brings a smile to their face.  But for someone like me (a bit obsessive), who has anxiously been waiting for something that can confirm or deny  a long held theory, it can be downright exhilarating.  I have been watching the mail every day with that child like hunger before Christmas.  And yesterday Christmas morning arrived in the middle of the afternoon in November.

As soon as I opened the mailbox and seen my very carefully prepared self addressed stamped envelop, gleaming from inside, a smile came through my soul.  I knew just what it contained.  But because it annoys me so much when people sit in front of the mailboxes, inside their cars, reading their mail...I knew I couldn't now do what I so desperately wanted to do...which was rip that bad boy open.  I got in my car and very cautiously (because by now I wanted to drive a 100 mph the 1 mile to my house) just the sooner to open my precious package.

I ran in the house and literally was jumping up and down with excitement...I think I might have scared my husband a little ;)  I made quick work of opening up my envelop to see that YES! I finally had proof!!

My 2x Great Grandmother Katherine (sometimes spelled Catherine) Adamson has been a bit of a hard case for me.  I wouldn't go so far as to say she was a "brick wall" because I had a pretty good theory on who she was and who her parents were.  After finding out that Katherine, also known as Kate, was my Great Grandfather Ralph Henry Adamson's  Mother, I started trying to find her maiden name and her family.  I went looking for all the Kate's or Catherine's located in or around Rathbone, Steuben, New York.  I found a couple that could be my Kate.  But I was able to trace all of them but one, Catherine Yost.  I had a pretty good feeling that this was my lady, but I still was seeking proof.

A couple years ago I found Kate Adamson's obituary in the Dunkirk Evening Observer dated 2 Apr 1917.




Shortly after I found this beautiful gem, I stopped working on this family.  Who knows why...I get easily distracted.  I know that I was spending every waking moment at the time, on Ralph (Kate's son) and trying to find him.  And I had her obit, which clearly states that Ralph (as far as his family back east knew) was still alive and living in North Dakota, at the time of her death in April of 1917.  I am sure that is why I never followed back up with this beautiful lead.

 Last year, I got in contact with someone that was willing to help me with some research in Steuben County, New York.  I mentioned this wonderful lady, when writing about John & Minerva's headstones a couple weeks ago, you can see that post here.  She said she would look into how I would get birth, marriage and death certificates.  This lady that helps me is very busy, as she has a full time job, so I haven't asked again about getting the records.  In Steuben County, you have to know exactly what town the record is held in to find it.

But the other day, I went poking around this part of my family tree and realized that I had this great lead and never followed up with it.  All this time, I could have finished making the link that I had started oh so long ago.  This my friends is one of the draw backs to working on so many lines at a time. I currently am working on all four of my lines plus Theron's 4 lines as well.  Which means I skip around a lot.  I don't get bored working with one family for too long but I do get distracted.  I also don't follow up or finish work that clearly could have been done before.

Well, so as I realized the other day I could have asked for the death certificate for my Kate at any time because I had a date and place of death. :)  I called the Schenectady City Clerk to make sure they carried death certificates for 1917 and with confirmation, I sent off for my document.

When it came in the mail yesterday, I was so happy.  With hopeful thoughts that birth parents were listed and a birth place, I opened up and found to my astonishment that Kate's father was listed.  Yay!! Happy Dance! (No literally...I was dancing in the kitchen)  So her mother was listed as unknown but her father's name was clear as could be "Henry Yost".  My theory had turned out to be correct.

 While some people will label me as being "weird" or "strange", I find this totally acceptable.  Because to me opening a whole new line to research and find and get to know, is a lot like Christmas morning to children all across the world.  I am so excited to find a whole new line to research.  My 3x Great Grandfather's name is Henry P. Yost, my 3x Great Grandmother is Mary A. (maiden name soon to be found).  I have also found Henry's mother, my 4x Great Grandmother Catherine Yost (this is another post all together).  I have found aunt's and uncle's and cousin's galore!! I can't wait to get to know this family and see where they take me.  So for me....Christmas came early!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - The Twins

I have spent countless hours going through my parents house, trying to find any little family gem I might have missed.  I really thought I had found everything in their home, that I could add to my "collection".  But somehow, I came across a treasure trove of stuff I had previously missed, on my last trip out.  My Mother is notorious for putting stuff away and forgetting about it.  I found a old Walmart bag behind her closet with tons of pictures. And this time, I went through her file cabinet and found in the file with my Dad's name on it, this beautiful (and for me unseen) picture! So excited!!

Robert B & Richard D Adamson Are they the cutest little stinkers ever?!?!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A Limb has Fallen

I know it's a part of life, but it seems lately there has been a lot of deaths in my life.  I thought I would just take a moment to say I love you to those still here and I will miss you to those already on the other side of the veil.

I found this little poem on one of the social websites and saved it to my desktop, quite some time ago.  I am sorry that I don't remember where I got it from, but thought I would share it nonetheless.





It is always comforting to me, to know that our loved ones are in a better place and happy.  And most importantly waiting for us to join them.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Military Monday - Robert Goad

I am so thankful everyday for all the men and women that do currently serve and have served in the past to keep my family and I free.  Free to go to the church of our choosing, free to own our own home, free to come and go as we please, free to teach our children what we want to teach them, and free to live and be happy.  I don't go a day without being grateful for all that I have in my life.  And I know that none of this would be worth anything without my freedom.  And it wouldn't be possible without my God & Country.

I may not agree with our leaders today but one thing I will always support is our troops, those that have served or are still serving.  I believe that what they are doing is so very vital to our way of life.  So....

THANK YOU!!!

Words will never be enough.

Every Veteran's and Memorial Day I like to "spotlight" one of my soldier ancestor's.  Today, after talking with a cousin this last week about this family line, decided to talk about my 4x Great Grandfather Robert Goad.

Robert fought in the Civil War as a Confederate.  While looking back 150 years, I do not agree with what the South fought for, I don't have the proper perspective.  To a lot of the men and boys that were fighting for the South, the war wasn't about slavery.  It was about their freedom.

What a horrible war this was for our country.  We had brother's fighting against each other.  It was a sad time for our country.  But we fought and came back and became a very fine "United" country.  Yes, it took a long time.  And we are still working on it but isn't that the point...to keep growing.

Robert was a 2nd Lieutenant for the 22nd Texas Regiment Infantry Co. K. I sadly, don't know much more about Robert.  I am starting my research on him and his family this week. So, I don't have any cool pictures to go along with him.

I just wanted to say Thank You Robert for standing up for what you believe in.  I don't always agree with my ancestors but they are my family.  And family is what makes this hard life worth living.

This was taken by me in July 2010 at the Riverside Cemetery in Orofino, ID

Thursday, November 7, 2013

You just never know...

I don't always start my day with the plan to make a cool discovery or even to have a productive day.  And sometimes a productive day doesn't mean spending 12 hours in front of your computer, for example I sometimes get distracted with FaceBook, Pinterest, Google+...well you get the point.  OK, most of the time I get distracted.  But like I said you don't have to spend hours in front of the computer to feel productive.

Today, I was checking my email, like I do a few hundred times a day.  And I noticed that my newsletter from the New England Historic Genealogical Society was in.  Yay! I always look forward to this particular newsletter every week for two reasons:
1.  They have a cool survey that I love to participate in.
2.  They have a Spotlight, for different archives throughout the US.

Today their spotlight was on Brainerd, Crow Wing, Minnesota, USA's website for the City of Brainerd.  On this new section of the site, they have a place where you could look at a selection of historic newspapers.

Right away my ears perked up and I thought "WELL I wonder...." and I immediately went over there.  I double checked the date I was looking for and went searching.  Sure enough, there was a little (and by little I mean tiny) blurb in the "Brainerd Dispatch" about my Great Grandparents Ralph & Nina (Coen) Adamson's marriage.  Well I'll be darned.  While it didn't give me much additional information, it did give me something.  I didn't know specifically where they were married.  And the little blurb answered that question. :)
Brainerd Dispatch 5 Apr 1901 Page 5

Excerpt of the marriage announcement

Brainerd Dispatch
5 Apr 1901

"There was a quiet wedding at the Deerwood hotel on Wednesday evening, Mr. Ralph Adamson and Vina (Nina) Cohen (Coen) were united in marriage, Justice Rathvon officiating."

Transcribed by Melinda Wahl (7 Nov 2013)
Brainerd Dispatch

Just in case you are having a hard time reading it.

They were married in Deerwood, MN in the local hotel.  I did not know that.  Add that to the list of places I want to visit!






A few years ago, I spent a whole day calling different court houses throughout the neighboring counties for Todd County, MN looking for this marriage record.  Well, I was looking for a few other records in regards to the Coen family too.  But I was so excited when the lady on the other end of the phone said she did have a record of Ralph Adamson and Nina Coen getting married.  I promptly sent off the required fee and she mailed me a beautiful copy of their record.  I hadn't previously known when they were married, just had an "about" date.

Now, I have two sources for their marriage date and place.  That is always a good thing.  And have a more specific place where they got married, the local hotel.  Now to find out more about that hotel.  I wonder if it's still standing....

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Tombstone Tuesday - John & Minerva Adamson and family

I know I talk a lot about Find A Grave and how wonderful people in the genealogy community really can be.  But really they are AWESOME!!!

I have had some requests up for a few years for my 3x Great Grandparents John & Minerva Adamson and two of their children Emily & Mulford Adamson. 

I also have been in contact with a "cousin" from Minerva's line that was trying also to get more information on Minerva.  He even stopped by the Townline Cemetery located in Rathbone, Steuben, New York, to see if he could locate their headstones for me.  He was unable to find them.  And I had sadly thought their headstones must have fallen down at some point. 

Needless to say, I was so excited to check my email last Friday to find that someone had fulfilled all four requests!!!

I met a fellow genealogists through the GenerousGenealogist website and have been working with her since last March on my Adamson-Yost line.  She has been amazing in helping me locate records that I don't have access to being so far away. 

She sent me an email and told me that she had had time to run by that specific cemetery and seen my requests and was happy to help.  She found the headstone's that we had previously thought were not there.

Photo's courtesy: Shawna Neff 
Emily age 11 & Mulford age 15 are my 2nd Great Grand Aunt & Uncle 

Aren't they so beautiful!!! Thank you Shawna!! Your kindness will not be forgotten!!

There is some of the most giving and amazing people in this community!! And I love it!!

Someday I will go and visit my Grandparents....dreams do come true...I have faith and a very understanding and loving husband ;)

Monday, November 4, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - A Voice From the Past Part 3








"Red
     We were staying at a hotel in Reno, where Red Skelton was appearing in the casino dinning room.
     The morning of his apperance, we stopped to check out.  There was a man standing there, talking to to the girls behind the desk.  As he turned to go, I saw his face, to my surprise it was Red himself.  And being the smart person that I am, I pointed my finger at him and said "Hey your Red Skeleton!" And this gray haired man changed with a smile to a little boy, and said "That's me."
     We talked and found him to be a warm and friendly person.  We walked outside with him, where a man was waiting for him with a golf cart.  He was there to take Red from the hotel to the casino.  There was a sign on the front of the cart that read, "Look Out Ahead Here Comes Red".  He got in and they took off.  To late, I remembered I hadn't ask for his autograph.
March 12, 79"

Picture from Madame Pickwick Blog

     For more information on Red Skelton visit his website at: Red Skelton.