Motivation Monday- Update on Goals for 2012

I thought since I'm already through a quarter of 2012 I should probably check in on myself and how I am doing on my goals.  Initially I had a pretty ambitious list... and since that initial list I've made some headway.  Here's how I stand now...


General Genealogy Goals
Education
1.  Attend the Ohio Genealogical Conference in Cleveland, Ohio (April 12-14).  I've decided not to attend this year.  The topics just weren't calling to me as much as last year and the expense of hotel, parking, food, and the conference seemed too high for me this year.  Instead I'm planning on attending the National conference in Cincy.
2.  Attend the National Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio (May 9-12).  I'm registered!  
3.  Visit the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana and learn about the resources available there.  Yes!  I made it finally!  I met 20 geneabloggers and had a great time with them and getting familiar with the library.  I cannot wait to go again!
4.  Finish the Advanced Jewish Genealogy Coursework that I began in November.  I'm still working on this one.  I'm about 75% done and hope to finish this up this month.
5.  Take the courses that I won last year through the Family Tree Magazine.  Haven't even looked at them.
6.  Finish reading the Jewish Genealogy book that I bought last year.  I'm about 1/3 through the book.  Slow but sure progress.  
7.  Finish the Methodology Part 1 course through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  This probably won't happen till later this year.
8.  Attend the Midwestern Roots Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana (July 20-21).  I still need to register for this.

Blogging
1.  Write at least once a week.  I've done well with this.  There were even weeks with 2-3 posts!
2.  Promote my blog on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.  Definitely been getting more social media face time.  It's been fun!
3.  Invite others to write as guests on my blog.  Still need to line this up.

Networking
1.  Continue to meet with the COG's (Central Ohio Geneabloggers).  Oh yea, this has been so much fun.  Just love these gals!
2.  At all conferences make at least one new connection.  I need to work on this one.  I tend to be a bit shy in new situations and have to force myself outside of my comfort zone.
3.  Become active in the Licking County Genealogical Society and volunteer in the library.  I've joined the group, but haven't made it to a meeting or contacted anyone to volunteer. 

Family Interviews
Interview the older generations in my family about their memories growing up.  Use pictures to spur stories about relatives that I know little about.  Record these interviews to digital audio for later reference and sharing.  I have been stalling on this one.  Really need to schedule these in the next couple of months.

Specific questions and goals for the family lines that I'd like to examine this year...
Morse
1.  Find out more about Margaret Maude Nolan Morse McGraw.  According to my Great Uncle, she was married once before she met George Frederick Morse.  Was Nolan her maiden name or was it her 1st married name?  While at the ACPL I was able to work on this question.  I still need to pursue some more leads on this and request some marriage records to confirm/ disprove my findings.
2.  Who was George Frederick Morse married to before Margaret?  My Great Uncle said he was married once before... who was she?  No progress on this one yet.
3.  What happened to Arthur Morse's daughter Helena Irene?  No progress on this one yet.
4.  Join the Morse Family Genealogical Society.   I joined last month, but haven't received any mailings yet.  


Krueger
1.  Find out more about Alex/ Ellye Kriger in Belarus.  Was he born there or elsewhere?  When & where was he buried?  No progress on this one yet.
2.  Did Myer Krueger have any siblings?  According to my grandma there was a sister in Minnesota that married and had several children.  When did she come to America?   No progress on this one yet.
3.  Where is Sophia/ Zipe Soloman Krueger buried and when did she die?  Where was she born?  Did she have any siblings besides Sarah Soloman Shon?   No progress on this one yet.

Engel
1.  Did Samuel Hirsch Engel have any siblings?  Did his family remain in Slovakia?   No progress on this one yet.
2.  Did Dora Fleckman Engel have any siblings?  Did her family stay in Slovakia?   No progress on this one yet.

Alford
1.  Find out more about my dad's half-brother Kenny and Kenny's mother.  Where did they end up & is Kenny still alive?  No progress on this one yet.
2.  Find out more about Naomi Reynolds Alford's family and whether any more pictures are "out there".  No progress on this one yet.
3.  Join the Alford Family Association.   No progress on this one yet.

Clifford
1.  Find out where in Ireland the Cliffords came from originally.   No progress on this one yet.

Funny Friday- Start 'Em Young

My Dad taught me how to play Poker at a young age...

My Genealogy Goals for 2012

Here are my much-anticipated genealogy goals for 2012.  Some are pretty general and some quite specific.  I am hopeful that I'll be able to go to all the conferences I've mentioned.  I think the main thing is to just set aside time each month to work on one or two of these goals.  I'll keep you posted as I accomplish each one.


General Genealogy Goals..


Education
1.  Attend the Ohio Genealogical Conference in Cleveland, Ohio (April 12-14).
2.  Attend the National Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio (May 9-12).
3.  Visit the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana and learn about the resources available there.
4.  Finish the Advanced Jewish Genealogy Coursework that I began in November.
5.  Take the courses that I won last year through the Family Tree Magazine.
6.  Finish reading the Jewish Genealogy book that I bought last year.
7.  Finish the Methodology Part 1 course through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.
8.  Attend the Midwestern Roots Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana (July 20-21).

Blogging
1.  Write at least once a week.
2.  Promote my blog on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+
3.  Invite others to write as guests on my blog.

Networking
1.  Continue to meet with the COG's (Central Ohio Geneabloggers).
2.  At all conferences make at least one new connection.
3.  Become active in the Licking County Genealogical Society and volunteer in the library.

Family Interviews
Interview the older generations in my family about their memories growing up.  Use pictures to spur stories about relatives that I know little about.  Record these interviews to digital audio for later reference and sharing.



Specific questions and goals for the family lines that I'd like to examine this year...

Morse
1.  Find out more about Margaret Maude Nolan Morse McGraw.  According to my Great Uncle, she was married once before she met George Frederick Morse.  Was Nolan her maiden name or was it her 1st married name?
2.  Who was George Frederick Morse married to before Margaret?  My Great Uncle said he was married once before... who was she?
3.  What happened to Arthur Morse's daughter Helena Irene?
4.  Join the Morse Family Genealogical Society.

Krueger
1.  Find out more about Alex/ Ellye Kriger in Belarus.  Was he born there or elsewhere?  When & where was he buried?
2.  Did Myer Krueger have any siblings?  According to my grandma there was a sister in Minnesota that married and had several children.  When did she come to America? 
3.  Where is Sophia/ Zipe Soloman Krueger buried and when did she die?  Where was she born?  Did she have any siblings besides Sarah Soloman Shon?

Engel
1.  Did Samuel Hirsch Engel have any siblings?  Did his family remain in Slovakia?
2.  Did Dora Fleckman Engel have any siblings?  Did her family stay in Slovakia?

Alford
1.  Find out more about my dad's half-brother Kenny and Kenny's mother.  Where did they end up & is Kenny still alive?
2.  Find out more about Naomi Reynolds Alford's family and whether any more pictures are "out there".
3.  Join the Alford Family Association.

Clifford
1.  Find out where in Ireland the Cliffords came from originally.

Wordless Wednesday- Clifford/ Alford Family

Left side of table (near to far)- Grandpa Billie Alford, Uncle Tom Clifford, Unknown Man, Grandma Margaret Clifford Alford
Far end of Table- Great Grandpa John Clifford, Unknown Girl
Near End of Table- Unknown Boy
Right side of Table (near to far)- Great Grandma Violetta Senn Clifford, Aunt Jean Clifford, Unknown Lady, Unknown Lady

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History- High School

Shortly before middle school my family relocated from Hamilton, Ohio to Middletown, Ohio.  I was excited because we had bought a home with a big yard and great neighborhood.  I was thrilled that our neighbors also had three girls in their family and we all got along well.  That first summer was a blast!  We played games, put on plays, and rode our bikes all over.  But it wasn't till I started middle school that I finally met some kids my own age. 

Unfortunately they had all been in grade school together and so they weren't very friendly to the strange girl who didn't wear the popular clothes.  I was pretty shy back then and took their comments and "jokes" personally.  I had hoped that the neighborhood kids would be welcoming, but they were not.  I finally started making friends with another "geeky" girl on the school bus and things got better.  We stayed friends all through middle and high school.

Anyway, my high school was pretty big with about 1200 kids total.  My graduating class was about 330 and I really think I maybe knew half of those kids.  For the most part I didn't really like high school. I didn't have a lot of friends and I was terribly self-conscious all the time. I was a good kid and smart and didn't get in trouble. I felt like I didn't have a lot in common with most of the other kids.  I spent most of my time in the theater and became entrenched in helping with all the school plays.  It was a blast and it helped me come a bit out of my shell.



The school was a two story brick building with an annex for a vocational school.  My junior and senior year I took Computer Drafting classes over at the vocational school (despite my guidance counselor telling me that an Honor student shouldn't do that).  Those classes helped me get my summer jobs for years after that with various cities and with the DOT.  I think that counselor had no clue what engineers would be expected to do someday.  Thank God I ignored her!

The high school is still being used today and both of my younger sisters went there.  I haven't been back to the school in at least ten or more years, but every once in a while I drive by there when I go to see my mom. 

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History

Recently I joined Geneabloggers and noted that they have weekly topics that are designed to get you to blog about your own personal history.  How could I pass up an opportunity to talk about myself? 


This is Week 44 and the topic is Elementary School.

I have quite a variety of Elementary School experiences for grades kindergarten through sixth grade.  Initially I started at theSouth Bend Hebrew Day School.  My uncle helped with my tuition so that I could be in the same class with his daughter, Shellie.  I was younger than everyone else in my class by a few months, but liked school for the most part.  It was a small school and I remember having to ride two different school buses just to get there.  As I progressed in school I eventually started telling mom that I wanted to go to the same school as all my neighborhood friends.  My best friend, Erin, was attending the local elementary and I wanted to be with her.  I liked recess and whenever we had art classes.  I remember playing "Red Rover" and playing on the playground which was really nice.  It was wooded and shady and had swings, slides, and more.  I don't remember much else about the school except that I often faked stomach aches or colds in the hopes of being sent home from school.  My poor mom was divorced by this time and it must have caused a lot of hassle for her to try and get off work to come get me.  

I think it was in first grade when I had my first major injury and unfortunately it happened at school.  I was playing with my friend Jennifer (yes, there were three of us with that name and we went by Jen, Jenny, and Jennifer) and we were taking turns going on the small slide.  It was only about 6' high and so I didn't get scared like I did on the 12' high one.  When it was my turn to go down the slide the boy behind me told me to hurry up and I think he gave me a little shove.  Next thing I knew I was going over the side and landed on my right arm.  I blacked out and when I woke Jennifer was leaning over me and asked, "Are you alright?".  At first I thought I was okay, but when I went to get up I knew I was hurt.  I couldn't move my right arm at all.  I was crying a little bit when I realized it and so we went to the teacher on the playground and she told us to go to the nurse.  I remember Jennifer saying that she needed to tell her big brother where she was going and when he saw me he asked, "What's wrong with her?  What a baby!". 

Eventually we made it into the office of the school and the principal stopped me.  As I'd mentioned earlier, I was known for faking sick and here is when it became obvious that it had caught up with me.  The principal asked what had happened and then he asked me to move my arm.  At this point my arm was pretty much dangling at my side.  I made an honest attempt to move it, but nothing happened.  Finally, he believed me and got the nurse.  She was so sweet about it and very gentle.  She made a sling for my arm out of a pair of pants that she had in her office and had me lie down for a while.  When mom came she quickly took me to the hospital where they x-rayed my arm and discovered that I'd broken my collarbone.  There wasn't much that they could do so they set it and then taped my arm to my body and put it in a sling.  I got to stay home for a couple days and the highlight of the time was when the principal brought me a huge yellow card signed by everyone in the school.  It was easily about 4' tall and I loved it.  For the next couple weeks I had to learn to do things with my left hand and I actually got pretty good at it.  To this day, I consider myself to be fairly ambidextrous. 

In second grade, Mom finally gave in and let me change to the neighborhood elementary school.  I was thrilled!  My new school was James Madison Elementary and was just about a fifteen minute walk from our house and went right past the house that my dad was living in.  I really liked this school and have many fond memories of the two years I attended there.   It was a lot bigger than my old school and had all kinds of kids.  It was a two story brick building and a few years ago I drove past it on a visit to South Bend and it looked just the same to me.  In third grade my mom remarried and so we moved to Hamilton, Ohio.  I was upset about leaving my best friend, my dad and brother, and all my grandparents.  All my classmates wrote me letters saying how much they would miss me.  I still have those letters and every once in a while I read through them and smile at the cute mispellings.



James Madison School, South Bend, Indiana



Once we were in Ohio though I adjusted pretty well and made new friends.  The funny thing was that my new school was named the same thing as my old one!  Yet another James Madison Elementary and the mascot was a Bulldog there too!   This school was a little smaller than my last school, but I had some of my best teachers while attending this one.  I had several good friends and had slumber parties and we talked about the boys that we had crushes on.  I think I had a crush on nearly every boy in my class at one time or another!  At recess we would play two-square, tether ball, jump rope, and even played the occasional game of kickball.  It was a huge asphalt lot that was fenced on one side and was enclosed by the building.  Not the most kid friendly atmosphere, but we didn't care.  A few years ago I drove by this school and discovered it was boarded up and closed.  They were planning to demolish it I think.  It made me sad, but then I realized how small and run down it now seemed.  Funny how our memories as kids are so much smaller once we grow up. 

Annie Alford Page Moore

My dad called me on Tuesday to let me know that my great aunt Ann had passed away on Monday.   I had not seen Ann in more than twenty-some years, but I had recently gotten in touch with her daughter.  I thought a short tribute to a great lady was in order.  After all, my grandpa always spoke so highly of his big sister.  I can remember playing Old Maid and Gin Rummy with her when I visited her.  She was a cool lady and I thought it was neat that she had a greenhouse and banana tree.  I wish I could have gotten to know her better!
Here’s a little photo montage in memory of those departed…

Ann, Naomi, Arlie and Bill Alford

Uncle Ben and Aunt Mary Lakin with Ann and Bill Alford

(When Ann and Bill’s parents passed away the Lakins raised them)

The following is from the local paper in Hot Springs, Arkansas (The Sentinel-Record -
Published: 10/27/2011)

Ann (Alford) Page Moore, 90, of Hot Springs, died Oct. 24, 2011. She was born Nov. 20, 1920, in Hot Springs, to Arlie and Naomi (Reynolds) Alford.

After her parents death, she and her younger brother, Billy Tom Alford, were raised by their Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben Lakin. In 1942, she married Robert Randolph Page. They owned Page Liquor Store for 25 years. Later, Ann worked as a sales clerk in various Hot Springs gift shops. Ann was a member of Morning Star Methodist Church.
She enjoyed reading, yard work, cooking, jigsaw and crossword puzzles and most of all, playing cards with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Robert Randolph Page, son, Robert Page II, son, Danny Page and brother, Billy Tom Alford.
In 1999 Ann married Dan Moore who survives along with her daughter, Suzanne (Jacob) Woolfson; daughter-in-law, Phyllis Page; grandsons; Dr. Robert (Ann) Page III and Anthony (Amy) Hubbard, granddaughters, Crystal Hubbard and Denise (Brian) Askelson, 9 great-grandchildren and many step-children and step- grandchildren who treated Ann as their own.

Caught Up in the Daily Grind

Earlier this week I was contemplating an extensive write-up with photographs and stories related to my grandma’s house.  However, with the limited free time I’ve had this week I will have to hold that thought till later.  This week was a busy one for me as I have four projects that are due tomorrow and another due on Tuesday.  I worked every day last week and over the weekend too.  It’s rare that I end up doing that, but I don’t mind it when I know that my efforts are appreciated.  So since I only have a bit of time this evening to share with you- I am going to share a story from my childhood again.

The summer before  I entered high school I was offered a trip with my Grandma and Grandpa Alford that would take us from Indiana all the way to California.  It would be a three week long road trip and we’d stop at many landmarks of America’s history.  Much to my surprise it is a trip that I mention frequently in conversation to this day.

When I agreed to go on this trip I don’t think I realized just how many hours would be spent in the car.  I think that during that trip I must have slept 90% of the time!  I kept a journal which I found mildly amusing when I stumbled upon it a few years ago.  Here’s a funny excerpt, “We are in Iowa- practically all farms.  Probably the Beverly Hillbillies live around here.”   On the trip we drove up to South Dakota where we saw the Enchanted World Doll Museum, The Corn Palace, and stopped at the ghost town Wall Drug.  We traveled through the Black Hills and saw Mt. Rushmore.  our trip through Yellowstone National Park was complete with seeing about twenty buffalos!  While we were there I noticed some smoke in the woods and I wondered what was going on.  That summer there was a drought and some careless person started what became a massive wildfire there. 

While we drove I watched for license plates from other states and saw just about all of them except for Hawaii and Delaware.  I even kept track of which Canadian province license plates I saw.  I was a bit bored during the drive.  We traveled through the Badlands and crossed the Rocky Mountains.  When we finally got to California I wanted to stand in the Pacific Ocean and so we stopped there briefly.  The water was freezing!  I was really impressed and I think it was the first time I had ever seen an ocean.  We went through the Redwood forest which was amazing.  To see that many massive trees was really inspiring.  I think it’s why I love trees so much now.  After the Redwoods we went to Sacramento where we visited my uncle and his wife.  We had a good time visiting with them and while we were there we took a side trip to Reno.  I had fun playing video games with my grandparents gambled.

After that we went down towards Los Angeles where we went to Universal Studios, Disneyland, and at some point we went to Knott’s Berry Farm.  I loved roller coasters and Grandpa was a good sport and rode them all with me.  Grandma patiently waited for us to get out of the rides.  Next on our itinerary was a visit to another Uncle’s house, but unfortunately they had a family emergency and we didn’t get together.  We drove on to Needles and spent a few days there roasting in the sun and playing in the pool.  I met many nice kids while I hung out at the pool.  My journal captures some of my memories, “A few day ago I met this girl that just graduated from high school.  She asked me when I “got out” of school and I said June 8th.  She asked what college I was going to go to!  I almost died.  So I said, ‘You mean that you thought I got out of high school?’ She said, ‘Yeah.’  ‘No way.  I just got out of junior high.’  I can’t believe she actually thought that was 18!”

Eventually we made our way to Hot Springs, Arkansas where we stayed with my Grandpa’s sister, Ann.  We had a lot of fun there playing “Old Maid” and Gin Rummy.  We went to the wax museum in town and I played Tic-Tac-Toe against a chicken.  We also went to the local amusement park, Magic Springs, where we all got soaked on a water ride.  After we wore out our welcome in Arkansas, we drove up to Illinois to see the home of Abraham Lincoln.  I was pretty awestruck.  We went to his tomb and paid our respects there too.  It was a long trip, but one full of great memories and one that I hope to someday share with my own children or even grandchildren!

A Cousin Reconnects

A few weeks ago I was surprised to find a message in my Ancestry mailbox from a cousin of mine.  I had never met her or been in touch as far as I knew, but I’d heard her name mentioned by my Dad and knew of her.  Her mother is the sister of my grandpa and apparently she had gotten into genealogy over the past few years too.  She contacted me and mentioned that she might have pictures of my great grandparents!  I had never seen any pictures of them so I was thrilled at the prospect of finally getting to see their faces.  After a few emails back and forth I got the first batch of scanned photographs that had been identified by my Grand Aunt.

Back Row: Andy Alford, Arlie Alford, Unknown, Tom Alford (uncle)

Front Row: Linda Alford (grandmother), Annie Alford (aunt), Naomi Alford

Children: Annie Alford and cousin Arcielle Alford

According to his World War I draft registration card completed in September 1918 he was 21 years old and worked as Second Cook for the Porter Bros. in Cape Henry, Virginia.  He called home Hot Springs, Arkansas and listed his father Andy G. Alford as his nearest relation.

Annie, Naomi, Arlie, and Billie Alford  (approx. 1925)

Naomi Reynolds and Arlie Alford married in 1920 in Arkansas.  Unfortunately, both Naomi and Arlie died of tuberculosis while their children were very young.  Annie and Billie went on to be raised by Mary and Ben Lakin of Hot Springs.  By grandfather (Billie) never really spoke of his parents as I imagine he was probably too young to remember them when they died.  Grandpa frequently visited Hot Springs up until he was unable to drive himself. 

Ben and Mary Lakin with Annie and Billie Alford

Don’t Forget to Write Down Your Own Memories

Recently I was listening to my favorite podcaster, Lisa Louise Cook of Genealogy Gems, and she mentioned how important it is to start writing down your own stories.  I then realized how little I’ve done for myself.  Sure, I’ve kept journals, diaries, and blogs over the years, but I’ve noticed that I tend to write a lot about more about the challenging times in my past and not the good memories.  This was highlighted recently when my sister asked me what my happiest moment in my life has been so far.  Honestly, I thought of many happy memories, yet none really leaped out as a front runner.  I’m a Harry Potter fan and I think I might have a tough time coming up with something for use  during the spell “Expecto Patronum” which capitalizes on the strongest positive memory.  So I thought this might be a good time to finally put some of those really GOOD memories down in writing.  After all, I really do feel that though my life has been a bit of a roller coaster, overall I have been happy and very fortunate.  And on the first in a series I will be sharing.

In elementary school I was a bit on the shy side.  It wasn’t really until 4th grade that I began to come a bit out of my shell.  This was due to a series of great teachers in my life while at James Madison Elementary School in Hamilton, Ohio.  Ms. Vitatoe was my 4th grade teacher and she encouraged us all to participate in a musical we were going to do.  I don’t recall us ever doing the musical, but we had a blast learning the songs in class.  I also had Miss Ruehl who taught me in both 5th and 6th grade English.  She read us the Ursula K. LeGuin books and they remain amongst my favorite fantasy books from childhood.  A few years ago, I reread them and was pleased to see how well they stood up to my memory. 

Anyway, in 6th grade our school hosted a talent show and since I’d been taking dance classes since I was little I knew I wanted to participate.  My best friend Christy Land and I were both dancers so I knew we’d be competing against each other, but that was okay. 

On the day of the show the whole school was there to watch the show.  It was a lot of fun to watch.  There were girls wearing cheerleader outfits, a group dancing and lip syncing to “Hey Mickey”, and many more.  The teachers even did a few songs.  My friend Christy performed a song from “Flashdance” and did a great job.   One teacher did Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All”. 

When it was my turn, I went on stage and lip synced and danced my heart out.  At the time I had recently gotten my first Weird Al Yankovic tape and on it was a song called “This is the Life”.  It certainly wasn’t one of his biggest hits, but it combined a lot of different styles of music and I had worked out a whole choreography that went with it.   My performance included tap dancing and even a little break dancing.  I tossed paper money around as I sang about how great it is to be rich.  It was a blast and the crowd seemed to enjoy it.  At the end when I took my bow I stuck my hands in my pockets and pulled out the gold foiled chocolate coins and tossed them out into the audience. 

It was a great time and we waited anxiously for the announcements of the winners.   The next day the principal announced on the loud speaker the results.  For best solo performance, Christy Land and for best overall performance, Jenny Alford!  I was thrilled and even got my very own portable radio with headphones and gift certificate to Wendy’s restaurant.  I was really proud of how I had done and it always makes me smile when I think of it. 

Margaret Ann Clifford (1925-2008)

Margaret (Marge) was born September 1, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois to Violetta Agnes Senn (1902-1997) and John Leo Clifford (1902-1980).  She had two sisters, Mary Elizabeth and Barbara Louise, and a younger brother Thomas Richard.  In the 1930 census the family lived at 2204 1/2 Miami Street, South Bend, Indiana.  
In late 1947, Marge met Billie Alford at a dance club named Palais Royale in South Bend, Indiana. Her parents disapproved of the relationship because he was not Catholic. Bill was brought up Protestant and converted to Catholicism for the marriage. On September 1, 1948 Marge married Billie Thomas Alford (1922-2008) from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Grandpa (Bill) was working on the road as a pipe fitter when he met Marge. He continued to do that until about 1956. He eventually became a clerk at the Mishawaka, Indiana Post Office until he retired. 
In 1949 she gave birth to my father, Michael. Later I learned that they tried to have more children, but were unable. She was very proud of Mike and kept every report card and newspaper clipping from his involvement in the Boy Scouts to his eventual college graduation at Notre Dame. I am fortunate that she made a scrapbook for me with many photographs and all his merit badges. I just wish I would have asked her more about her own life.
My dad shared with me, “As a kid I remember him (Dad) coming home for the weekend a couple times a month. This was always a bone of contention for mom, and he finally got a local job. Dad moved out of the home twice. The first time was in 1965, just a few months before I turned 16. The second time was a week before I graduated high school in 1967. The second time he swore he was not coming back, which put major dampers on my high school graduation party and led to questions about financing for Notre Dame. Neither time did he stay away for more than a couple of months.”
“Dad worked as a distribution clerk in the Mishawaka post office. He basically sorted the mail for the mail carriers. Near the end of his career he switched to the customer window so that he could get better retirement. He only lasted a few months at it because at the time the window clerk was responsible for any shorts, which he had a lot of. He complained till the day he died that he should have stayed a distribution clerk.”
“Mom and dad bought the house sometime in the early 50s on land contract. It originally was a slab house that only had the front bedroom, living room, and kitchen with an outhouse in the back. Dad and my uncle did most of the work to add the bathroom, back bedroom, and basement. Dad did most of the work to add the front porch, driveway and garage. I remember as a kid playing in a huge mound of dirt probably when they built the basement. Mom insisted on indoor plumbing before we moved in, but I remember being yelled at to stay away from the spot the outhouse had been lest I fall through. They also owned a lake cottage on West Saddlebag Lake near Marcellus, Michigan for a few years (mom worked to get that money together).”
“As a kid we had the only house on our side of the street. Mom and dad bought the empty lot that covered the house next to us and the house grandpa and grandma (Clifford) lived in some time in the early seventies. Grandpa had lost his vision and mom usually helped them run errands. Grandpa's sisters, Marie and Eleanor, had money and offered to build them a house if they supplied the land, so mom and dad subdivided the lot and they moved to the new house in the late 70s.”
Marge worked as a bookkeeper/secretary off and on during her lifetime. One of the places she worked was Edwards Iron Works. My dad had his first paying job there as a sophomore in high school. Grandma worked whenever they needed money, which included times when house repairs were needed, illnesses occurred, I went to college, or dad moved out (twice that I know of). She probably worked about 20-25 years of her life at one place or another.
I was fortunate to get to see Grandma quite often while I was growing up.  I would often go to her house and sit at the kitchen table and color in my coloring books while she would watch her soap operas.  Then we’d watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.  I always thought she knew everything and would have cleaned up if she ever went on the shows.
Once my parents divorced I saw Grandma less frequently.  It was a nice thing that Great Grandma & Grandpa Clifford lived just down the block and I was able to go and visit them as well.  When I was 13 my grandparents took me on a trip to California and back.  It’s one of those experiences that have had a special place in my heart.  I remember it pretty clearly and often reference it when I’m talking with friends. 
Grandma and Grandpa always seemed to have a pretty volatile relationship.  Grandma was always pretty vocal about when Grandpa was “wrong” and often corrected or argued with him.  It wasn’t till I was much older that I came to realize that they did actually love each other. 
When Grandma had a stroke that left her with very little speech and only able to move her left side it was hard to see her that way.  Grandma was always quite opinionated and now she couldn’t really express herself.  She could still laugh and smile though so you could certainly tell that she was still “with it” and following the conversation.  The last time that I visited before she passed away I was able to share with her a small book I had put together remembering our trip across the US.  I read it aloud to her and though she was disoriented, I like to think that she knew how often I thought of that trip and appreciated what she had shared with me.  A week later she did pass away and though I felt very sad, I was glad that she was finally released from the pain and frustration she had felt for her last few years.  I picture her up in heaven giving us all a piece of her mind on the latest political matter and kicking butt at Jeopardy.

Paying Respects to Another Lost Family Member

It’s been a rough week in the Alford clan.  I mentioned my Uncle Tom who passed away earlier this week, but today I learned of another loss in the family.  I have some family out in California that are descendants of my Aunt Bobby.  I haven’t seen or heard from them in many years, but I still think of them and wonder how they are doing.  Well today I learned that a cousin of mine, L. Cpl. Gavin Brummond, had been killed by a landmine in Afghanistan.  He was only 22 years old and was married just a short time.   I cannot imagine what the family and his wife are going through.  It makes me so sad.
There are a few links online that shared the details and the comments from those who knew him were really touching.  I don’t believe I ever met him, but it still saddens me that he was taken so young.  I am grateful that there are so many who have served our country and want to help those who can’t stand up for themselves.  For me I find it so heartbreaking to see so many young people taken from this world.  I know that I’m pretty soft-hearted when it comes to such things, but it’s still hard to understand the big picture sometimes.
For anyone who’d like to read about my cousin, please feel free to read this blog post and the comments.  He sounds like he would have been a great guy to know.  What a loss.

Technorati Tags: Alford,Brummond,Military

Interesting Possibility on Alford Side of Family Tree

This morning I was poking around a bit on the family tree and exploring my great-great-great-grandparents on the Alford side.  Well, it looks like my GGGGrandmother Nancy Cole Moytoy was the daughter of Cherokee Indians.  I'd always heard hints of this in family stories, but I'd always thought it was a stretch.  Now I'm thinking that it would be interesting to get my dad to do a DNA test to see if we really are descendants of Native Americans.  


Which brings me to the topic of DNA testing.  I've been listening to podcasts by Lisa Louise Cooke who does Genealogy Gems and has a packed website at http://www.genealogygemspodcast.com/ that has all kinds of cool tidbits.  Well on Episode 29 she interviews a representative of the  Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation which back in 2007 was offering free DNA testing.  Too bad I wasn't interested in that back then!  Anyway, they are basically trying to prove that ultimately we are all related (at a guess, some kind of Adam & Eve type deal) with the hopes that once we all realize this we'll all be a little more peaceful and understanding.  I like the overall idea of it despite the possible religious connotations.  


So far, I've learned that getting your oldest male relative on that particular family line is your best bet for finding matches.  They basically take a cheek swab (or a swish of mouthwash) worth of DNA to get the Y-chromosomes which can be traced back in the paternal line of your family.  There are a large number of companies that now offer this service with varying levels of detail and many claim to have great databases to match your data.  I did a simple Google search for "largest DNA database in the world" and came up with Family Search which is associated with the Mormon Church.  I've been stumped on the Krueger line of the family for a while, so I checked their database to see how many datasets they have in that line.  They had 43 which was the largest group I've found of the sites I have checked so far.  Plus, they offer a discount for those joining their "project".  It's quite a pricey deal all the same.  The most basic test is $99 and the most expensive is $518 which gets you the anthropological history of your line as well.  I'm pretty sure that we're European in our line, so that seems a bit ridiculous to me.  The middle of the road test is $149 and looks to contain most of what I am interested in learning.


I still have a bit of a learning curve on all of this, but I think that I may be getting more serious about getting the DNA testing done as I hit more and more brick walls in my research.  I've been fortunate that so many of my relatives have shared their memories, family names, birth dates, death dates, and so on that my tree keeps expanding.  I love playing amateur detective and expanding my knowledge of the family history!

Why I have started this blog

In 2008 all three of my remaining grandparents passed away. It hit me hard and as a result I began to wonder about their history and what stories I missed out on. I spoke with my parents and began to become increasing interested in our family history. I joined Ancestry.com and bought Family Tree Maker. I scoured family photographs for clues as to who my relatives were and where they came from. At first I was amazed at the sheer volume of information "out there"! Census records, immigration details including ship manifests, birth, marriage, and death certificates were available for so many of my relatives! It has been quite fascinating for me.

I've always been interested in history and the stories of my past. I knew hardly anything about my Alford side of the family. All I knew about my mom's side of the family is that we were descended from Russian Jews and that my great grandfather, Myer Krueger, had come over around 1900. A great treasure hunt for my roots! I've loved mysteries and have felt a bit like a private investigator hunting down the details. Taking educated guesses at times, but for the most part relying on family stories to pursue leads.

And so I have decided to document my search and share my findings with my relatives and friends. I'm hoping some of the information that I share will lead to memories being triggered and new stories shared. New clues unearthed and an appreciation by all of the family for where we came from and how fortunate we all are that our family took the risks in coming to America to give us all these great opportunities.

The journey continues....