Cemeteries Tell Stories
02 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: A Grave Interest, ancestors, burial plots, cemeteries, funerals, genealogy, headstones, Stories in Stone, tombstones
We all know documents can help us tell the stories of our ancestors, but have you considered that their headstone tells stories too? I found this fantastic book, Stories in Stone A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography by Douglas Keister. It is filled with wonderful pictures and great descriptions of what the symbols and figures you see in a cemetery mean. There are even several pages of abbreviation meanings that are found on stones.
Take a look at these sites for additional information and next time you visit a cemetery, write down the story the grave stone tells you about your ancestor. Also visit on Friday for my Follow Friday post related to cemeteries.
A Grave Interest blog
Cemetery Symbolism, part of the Graveyard Rabbit
Gravesecrets Headstone Meanings
52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History
28 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: family history, family tree, genealogy, professional genealogist
Week 9: Sounds
Describe any sounds that take you back to your childhood. These could be familiar songs, jingles, children playing, or something entirely different.
I was born in the early 1970s and grew up listening to the music my mom loved. Neil Diamond, John Denver, Barry Manilow, Abba, and a bunch of music from her teen years. Those songs take me back to our house in Downers Grove where I am in the living room my dad built on to the house.
1980s music takes me back to Jr. High and High School when I was old enough to go to school dances and date. I know Bon Jovi takes me back to those days and it is funny that the songs I loved then, my kids love now.
If I hear the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, I’m taken back to my junior year in high school when I played that for my solo at District and State Music Contests. Those were good times. If I hear the theme from “Robin Hood” I am taken back to the fall of 1991 when I was in the marching band at SMSU (now Missouri State). I can still hear the music and feel my feet move forward at one point then horns raised to blast the audience at just the right moment. What a rush!!
Follow Friday – FamHist
25 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: ancestors, ancestry, blogging, genealogical research, history sources, Springpad
I came across a post last week that I had to read but kept putting it off to do other things. Well, I just read it and now have to go try this myself.
Take a peek at FamHist’s Using Springpad for Genealogy Research and give it a try yourself!
Wisdom Wednesday – Check the Dictionary
02 Feb 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: Chicago, citizenship, family, family bible, family histories, family history, family history researchers, family history resources, genealogical research, genealogical researchers, genealogy, generations, professional genealogist, research genealogy, researching family history, social security numbers, writing family history
If you read my post on Monday about going through old boxes of stuff this weekend, you will know I found a lot of new items I had not really looked at.
This is the cover to the Webster Dictionary. I am not sure of the date. It is a thick cardboard cover and on the back is a lot of family history information. We have all heard of families writing in the family Bible, but a dictionary?
The back contains information written by my grandma Rose Tregler. She wrote birth and death dates and places, social security numbers and citizenship petition numbers for some of my relatives! The people include Jaroslav Tregler, Sr., Jaroslav Tregler, Anna Tregler, Rose Tregler, her parent’s names, my aunt and my mom.
I wonder why grandma would write this in a dictionary……. Where are some interesting places you have located family information?
Mystery Monday – Chicago Butcher Shop 1928
31 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: ancestors, blogger, Chicago, family history researchers, genealogical research, genealogical researchers, genealogy research, generations, professional genealogy, research genealogy, researching family history, writing family history
This weekend I was going through boxes of memorabilia to sort and organize it. I came across this photograph which had been in one of my uncle’s old albums. I’m not sure who Louie is. A friend of my grandpa’s? I wish the people sitting on the stools were not so blurred and faded. Regardless, I think it is an interesting picture of the time period and wanted to share. Maybe someone will see this and know who it is and where it was taken.
