2016 - Honeysuckle Farm, LLC

2016 Report Card

It’s the end of the year so that means report card time.

If you’ve been reading my blog for at least a year you’ll know that at the end of the year I post the year’s goals and review how well I did at reaching them and then I set new goals for the new year. Often, even if I don’t reach the goals in the year I made them, I will reach them in a different year. It never ceases to surprise me how the universe seems to work to meet my goals if I put them out there. Most years I put my goals out to the universe and don’t look at them again until the end of the year. It’s always a fun surprise to see how things turn out.

Last years goals:

1. To learn who my 3rd great grandfather Charles SEELY’s parents were. (Research goal)

You can read previous posts about the SEELY’s at these links:

#22882- Charles’ marriage to Sinthia FOSTER.

#25722- the Arkansas copy of the deed for the Georgia property.

#23404- the multi-part story of Press SEELY- grandson to Charles SEELY.

#20760- June 2015, a more in-depth post about Charles Seely.

So I didn’t find out a lot about Charles this year despite going to Lawrence County, Missouri to look for records. If you open your eyes and pay attention though, you’ll find that life is very cyclical and I’m certain that Charles will decide to be found in a future year when I don’t expect him to show up. I did acquire his Homestead file from National Archives. Charles homesteaded land in Lawrence County, Missouri in 1857. The documents are of poor quality and unfortunately did not give the amount of detail I’ve found in other ancestors’ Homestead files. Charles paid $100 for the Northwest quarter of the Southeast quarter of section 31 in Township 27 of Range 28 containing 40 acres at $2.50 per acre. The document was originally filed in the Receiver’s Office in Springfield, Missouri.

Land plat map of Lawrence County, Missouri area where Charles Seely's homestead was. — Land plat map of Lawrence County, Missouri area where Charles Seely’s homestead was.

Charles’ land was located where the red circle is on this map of Lawrence County, MO.

This year, the person who really wanted to be found (and who kept cropping up all year long) was my 3rd great-grandfather, John BATES. You can read some of his posts at these links if you want:

Post #16413 written in January 2015.

Follow-up post #25406 guest written by my cousin Troy Bates.

My mom and I were able to go to the Benton County, Arkansas courthouse and find a deed record pertaining to John’s widow and then later in the year Bart and I were able to make a trip to Georgia and I found the counterpart to that deed in a courthouse in Georgia. The deed had to be filed in both states since the property was in Georgia but by that time, his widow had remarried and moved to Arkansas.

So as far as Charles SEELY- I found him on a couple of documents but I don’t feel I made any real progress as far as who he was, who his family (parents/siblings) was, or where he came from.

2. To blog at least once per month. Also, to convert some of my blog stories to articles and try to get them published in small local or specialized genealogical or historical publications. (Combined writing and sharing goals)

This was a win and not-a-win all at the same time. On the one hand I blew the blog goal out of the water with more than 54 (!!!) blog posts this year. The publication goal? I did a little research into potential publications to contact but didn’t actually send any material in for possible publication. This year was not at all what I expected it to be. I’m glad for the things that happened- they just didn’t further the genealogy goals.

3. To start over in reviewing and organizing my family history utilizing ideas from Thomas MacEntee’s Genealogy Do-Over Challenge. (Organizing goal- keeping the same goal since I didn’t meet it last year.) You can learn more about the challenge here.

Once again, I didn’t get much done in the way of organization other than cleaning up my digital family tree because that part is necessary before I can consider a blog post publish-worthy. Beyond that- I didn’t do anything worth noting here. However, for Christmas I requested a table that I could set up in my home to utilize as a work area for all my genealogy “stuff” (some of which has been packed away for more than a decade!). My parents were kind enough to get me a table. I’ll be setting it up between Christmas and New Year’s and will begin unpacking all my genealogy, organizing it, digitizing it, and setting up a work area. I’m really excited about this! Thanks Dad and Mom!

4. To attend a conference/workshop/educational event. This year’s choice is Family History Conference of Northwest Arkansas 2016 (same as last year). It’s a free event with some good workshops. If you’re interested you can find more information here. (Self-Improvement Goal)

I went to the conference in 2016 and enjoyed it. This coming year I will be teaching one of the workshops. I’m pretty excited about that and I hope to see some of you there. It’s still free. The 2017 schedule should be up soon. You can register now if you want. The link above is still valid.

In summary, while I didn’t meet some of my goals or met them in a way I didn’t intend/anticipate, I still feel it was a pretty successful year. In addition to last year’s genealogy trips, I was able to get trips in this year to Tennessee/North Carolina and Georgia as well as local trips to the courthouses in Benton County, Arkansas and Lawrence County, Missouri.

New Year, New Blog

Now it’s time to set new goals and then to talk about the 2017 blog setup since it’s going to change some.

2017 Goals

1. Learn more about my 3rd great grandmother Hester Ann Eglentine MITCHELL DRAKE – anything about the end of her life or the very beginning (well…really just anything at all!). (Research goal)

2. Continue to blog but with a more regular schedule and begin including some of Bart’s family stories as well. (Writing/Sharing goals)

3. Set up a research area in a spare room and FINALLY get started on those organization goals I’ve had the last couple of years. (Organizing goals)

4. Create a successful class to teach Spring, 2017 at conference. (Self-Improvement Goal)

Blog Changes for 2017

In 2017 my blog will change. I plan to start telling some of my husband Bart’s stories as well as mine. I also plan to have somewhat of a schedule so I don’t necessarily have to announce when each blog post goes live. I will still advertise each blog post on my Facebook but I won’t necessarily be tagging people each time I post. I would like readers to be able to depend on a schedule and know ahead of time what I will be posting so they can go find the information on their own. I would especially like to get away from tagging everyone on Facebook for each individual post.

In order to accomplish these goals I will be making a new blog post every Sunday. On Sunday I will list the specific days of that week that new blog posts will go live. That way you can check back on those days if you’re interested in the topic and find it on your own. For instance, the first week of January I will be posting the week’s schedule on January 1 because it’s a Sunday. It will look something like this:

January 1: Schedule for the week PLUS stories about James M. BULLOCK (my maternal 2nd great grandfather) and Theodor H. MOELLER (Bart’s maternal great grandfather).

January 3: Stories about Laura BULLOCK RITER (my maternal great grandmother)

January 5: Stories about Nancy CHAMBERS HUBBARD (my paternal 3rd great grandmother)

January 6: Stories about Lucretia HUTCHISON MITCHELL (my paternal 4th great grandmother)

So now you know that the first week of January you can expect blog posts on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. You will also know whether I’m talking about mom’s family (maternal) or dad’s family (paternal) or Bart’s mom’s or dad’s families. So if you miss my Facebook link about a particular person that you’re interested in you can just come here and read it. Bookmarking my blog on your computer or subscribing to an RSS feed of my blog will be the easiest/fastest way to access my blog on your own without Facebook links.

I hope this coming year will be a great year for all of us and I hope you will come back to read the blog throughout the year. I’m looking forward to telling our stories for future generations to enjoy. Please feel free to contribute stories if you have some about the people listed on each Sunday’s schedule. I’d love to include your stories here. For now though, I’m going to celebrate the coming new year with some cupcakes. You can find the recipes for the cupcakes here: Gin and Juice Cupcakes from A Soulful Twist blog and Red Velvet Red Win Cupcakes from A Night Owl blog.

Until next time,

~ Lisa at Days of Our Lives

Details of the 99%

So I thought I would give you some further insight to the percentages in yesterday’s post. I will start with my paternal line and then go into my maternal line after that. I will let you know where I think each line came from in order to make up the DNA results I talked about yesterday.
My Paternal Lines- In Alphabetical Order
I will put the surname first and then the country I *think* each family came from before entering the US. If I don’t know, the family won’t be included on the list.
Bear- I suspect this family is Native American but can’t prove it
Bond- England
Caudill- Scotland or England- not certain
Day- Wales
Drake- England
Greer- Scotland
Hubbard- England
Larkin- Possibly Ireland
Littrell- Ireland
Lowe- England
Pilgrim- I suspect Germany but don’t know anything certain
Reed- Ireland
Sargent- England
Watts- England
Wedding- Germany
Weddle- Netherlands
Is it becoming clear why my data states 56% British Isles??
My Maternal Lines- In Alphabetical Order
I will put the surname first and then the country I *think* each family came from before entering the US. If I don’t know, the family won’t be included on the list.
Bates- I suspect probably Germany but don’t know really
Chenoweth- England
Dale- England
Dow- England
Ellis- England
Elston/Elton- England
Gibson- Ireland
Reiter/Riter- Germany
Scott- Native American
White- England
So you can see that my mom’s heritage is a big mystery to me, but still helps to account for a good portion of that 56% British Isles result.
I’ve pretty well accounted for the 56% British Isles. I’ve accounted for exactly ZERO of the 25% Scandinavian DNA. I feel like I’ve done a decent job covering the 10% Western and Central Europe (Germany). I’ve accounted for exactly ZERO of the 7% Southern Europe. And that 1% Central/South Asian plus the half percentages of Eastern/Middle East and Ashkenazi Jew?? Still nothing (although I suspect the Reiter family on Mom’s side and possibly the Pilgrim family on Dad’s side)! However, I’ve starting dabbling with the Jewishgen.org website and have found so many of the surnames that I believe to be German (on both mine AND Bart’s families) so maybe I’ll make some headway on the Jewish angle in 2017.
Until next time,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

99%

I’m slow to get into things but once I do, I’m pretty committed. The DNA craze has been going on for awhile. My SIL Becky got hers done long ago and has been encouraging me to do mine for a long time. I finally decided I was ready and knew which company I wanted to go with, etc. Actually…my great-uncle and great-aunt wanted me to help them do theirs and I decided if they were doing it and I was helping them I might as well do my own. Then I decided if I was doing it my husband was, too! Then I even got my parents to do it. I chose Family Tree DNA for a few reasons, the most important of which are that they don’t share your info with other companies and also they utilize a swab test rather than a spit test. (The kits are still on sale but only for a few more days! Hurry and buy one now!!)
I ordered our kits the second week of November. We held on to them a couple of days and then sent them in. I’m not sure what happened with the mailing process but it took a couple of weeks for Family Tree to acknowledge receipt of our packages. However, my uncle and aunt’s kits were acknowledged right away. My husband and I swabbed and sent in our samples in mid-November. Our results were posted about a week before Christmas. For the record, the results were posted well in advance of the date projected by Family Tree DNA. I COULD NOT WAIT TO READ THE RESULTS!!
I opened them and I was so confused and frustrated! My husband’s, aunt’s, and uncle’s results all read 100% but mine read 99%. I messaged Family Tree and asked why mine were only 99%. I didn’t get a response (to be fair it was Christmas time) so I called them and asked the same question. I was told that it is normal to receive between 99% and 101% on results due to the fact that there are sometimes fractions of percents that cause the total to come in under or over 100%. The company doesn’t report fractions less than 1% total because that amount falls within the margin of error.
So for my family reading this- I know you’re asking yourself when I’m going to get around to talking about that 99% so here you go:
98% European- broken down to include:
56% British Isles (United Kingdom, Ireland, Great Britain area)
25% Scandinavia (Norway and southern Sweden area)
10% Western and Central Europe (Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic area)
7% Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Albania, Greece area)
Plus
1% Central/South Asian- specifically:
Central Asia (Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan area)
In case you do better with pictures, here you go:

For the most part I was not surprised with the exception of the 1% Central Asia. I WAS surprised that there was no Native American percentage since I can prove that heritage.
Now back to that 1%. Along the way to discovering all of the above information and subsequently trying to find relatives on the Family Tree DNA website and the Gedmatch.com website, I have discovered that the missing percent includes about half Eastern Middle East (the best I can tell that includes Turkey, Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan area) and about half Ashkenazi Jew. I will say that there are a lot of extraneous discussions on the internet about Eastern Middle East DNA and the possibility that Native American DNA is being interpreted as Eastern Middle East. I just don’t know enough about DNA to say what’s going on with that.
About the Ashkenazi Jew…I used to tease my son about having a “Jew nose” and I would affectionately call him my “Jew boy” sometimes. (He’s no longer with us but as soon as I learned about the Ashkenazi heritage, I texted my daughter to let her know she really was my “Jew girl”.) I used to tell my son there’s Jewish in there somewhere! Then about a year ago I found some information in my research that indicated the possibility of Ashkenazi Jew and I mentioned it to my mom but then I just put it on the back burner and forgot about it because what are the chances this Oklahoma country girl is really Jewish?! Seriously. And there was ZERO family oral history about being Jewish. Well, wouldn’t you know…I am!! And now I know where that Jew nose came from! And it totally explains my maternal grandparents’ tight grip on money! I *think* my Ashkenazi DNA may come from my maternal 2nd great grandfather, Nicholas REITER. Those of you who follow my blog may know that I’m kind of stuck on Nicholas REITER’s family history. I just can’t get anywhere with him even after nearly three decades of research. As soon as the Ashkenazi Jew heritage was confirmed with DNA I started looking around online and found Jewishgen.org. I found a few REITER researchers on this website and I have contacted all of them hoping to get a positive response and finally make a breakthrough on this family line. Something really cool about being Jewish- if I’m understanding correctly- is I can obtain dual citizenship in Israel based on my mother’s Jewish heritage because of Israel’s Law of Return. Very cool!!
I’ve uploaded my results to the Gedmatch.com website hoping to get more results but honestly- I feel so dumb when it comes to this DNA stuff. There is so much to learn! And it isn’t an exact science. Each company I test with could come back with slightly different results due to differences in testing. And your DNA can NOT tell you everything. For instance, I know I’m Native American even though my DNA results don’t indicate that. On top of that, my brothers’ DNA results may be slightly different than mine because people don’t inherit equal amounts of DNA from each ancestor. So while my results may show Ashkenazi Jew, my brother’s might not show that at all. And while my DNA may shows no Native American heritage, that Native American may show up on my brother’s results.
I encourage each of you to get tested. The more people that test, the easier it will be to continue researching the family’s history. You have options including Family Tree DNA, Ancestry, 23andMe, and the newest one- MyHeritage. Please let me know if you decide to test. If you can get older family members to test, please do so. With each generation, we lose a little piece of DNA. I’m so looking forward to this DNA journey I’ve started on. If I make any incredible breakthroughs I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Until next time,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Medical Monday: An Apple a Day, A Test a Year- Whatever it Takes

This is a late post but an important one. Periodically I have to begin a round of tests to ensure that I do not have cancer. This has been going on for about 10 years now. Occasionally, after what I think will be a routine exam, the doctor will say, “There’s something that I’m not sure about. Let’s do some tests.” So I go do the tests and then it’s wait wait wait wait wait…then, “Ok well it seems like everything is fine so we’ll just watch and wait.” And then I’m put on an every six-month schedule to see the doctor for at least a year and a half until they’re comfortable with the way everything is going. Last year I was referred out to a breast cancer doctor in Tulsa so she could take a look and give her input. It was a little stressful to be bumped up from OB-GYN care to a breast cancer doctor. Let’s be honest…it was nerve-racking. She was great though and even got me a genetic cancer screening paid for by insurance and it said everything was fine. So I felt confident that I was healthy and I went on about my business. But really- who knows the future? I just had another visit to the breast cancer doctor today for an exam. Regular exams are so important. Guys (men!)- don’t think you’re immune to breast cancer because it hits guys, too. For that matter, don’t ignore any signs or symptoms of any type of cancer. If something isn’t right- go to the doctor! Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. In this day and age, cancer is survivable- especially if you seek treatment right away.
Just to emphasize what I’m saying (for those of you who share some of my genetic history), I’m going to post photos of causes of death on ONLY THREE of my direct line paternal ancestors. There’s plenty on mom’s side too, so don’t think y’all are off the hook just because I’m talking about my paternal family. Please- get regular exams no matter how uncomfortable they may be!

Portion of a death certificate showing a family history of cancer.

I know that these are ancestors who died of cancer but this was a long time ago. Cancer is treatable now. The people who love you need you to TRY! So go get examined today if you’re having problems- and maybe even if you’re not. Preventive maintenance is the best policy.

Until next time,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Drama Queen

Today’s blog theme is ‘heirloom’. This is another topic that has already been covered this month so I planned on doing something different for the final blog post in this month-long challenge. I’ve written a post about Derek so now I want to finish up with a blog post about Shaina and my stint as a ‘drama mom’. It’s going to be short and sweet, I hope, since we are still struggling with the hot water heater problem.
I remember when Derek was in 2nd grade his teacher (I wish I could remember her name- he loved her) commented to me once about how dramatic Derek was. I must have looked at her like she had two heads and I remember saying, “He is?!” She went on to tell me the ways in which Derek was dramatic and all I could say was that I guessed I hadn’t noticed that Derek was dramatic since his sister was so much MORE dramatic all the time. ALL the time.
Over the years both my kids were in quite a few plays. I truly enjoyed my time as a drama mom. I was in a play in 1st grade and loved it but once I got to high school I didn’t have enough confidence or self-esteem to be in drama. I kind of lived through my kids during their drama years. So to close out this month, here are a few mementos of some of the plays Shaina was involved in. She was a good actress and I’m proud of her.

A church play Shaina and Derek were in when they were little. We were at Kuna Life Center in Kuna, Idaho at that time.

Shaina is front and center- almost covered up by the music stand.

More pics from Candy Cane Christmas, the church play the kids did at Kuna Life Center. Shaina was practicing her solo part here.

Shaina is at the microphone for her solo part.
Candy Cane Christmas- Kuna Life Center, Kuna, Idaho.

Shaina at JBU Cheer Camp in Siloam Springs, Arkansas the summer after her 5th grade year.

Shaina is in the center in blue shorts.

Shaina at JBU Cheer Camp in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

Shaina is next to the cheerleader on the right.
~~Summer drama camp- Grease musical~~

Shaina at dress rehearsal for Sager Creek Arts Center's play The Plain Brown Bear. Shaina and her cousin, Patrick Dowdy, had the two lead roles. — Shaina at dress rehearsal for Sager Creek Arts Center’s play The Plain Brown Bear. Shaina and her cousin, Patrick Dowdy, had the two lead roles.

I thought I had lost all these photos in a computer crash! I was just saying a few days ago how much I would like to have a photo from this play. This is Shaina and my nephew, Patrick, in The Plain Brown Bear. Shaina and Patrick earned the two leading roles in the play. Shaina is on the far right in a dark blue dress and is sitting. Patrick is front and center in the bear costume. Both Shaina and Patrick gave excellent performances. This was Shaina’s final stage performance. She showed her maturity as an actress on stage.

Cast photos from Picture in Scripture Amphitheater.

Bart and Derek are wearing the Roman soldier costumes. I am seated to the left of Bart and Shaina is the girl seated next to Derek, between Bart and Derek. In the upper right corner I’m pretty sure that’s Derek getting a pie smashed in his face by Jackie Lingle.

Cast photo from Picture in Scripture Amphitheater in Disney, Oklahoma.

In the upper row on the far right is Derek and the girl in front of him wearing the purplish-pinkish costume is Shaina.

Cast photos from Picture in Scripture Amphitheater in Disney, Oklahoma.

I *think* both my kids are in the upper tier with Shaina being on the far right in the green costume and Derek being third from the right in a yellowish/beigish costume.

Possibly opening night at Picture in Scripture Amphitheater in Disney, Oklahoma.

This is the opening scene. I am on the upper tier in the white costume helping someone with their flag. It was a windy night and the flags were difficult to handle that night. I *think* that might be Shaina below me and to the right next to the maroon-colored curtain on the building. The girl wearing the green dress.

Derek and Bart as the two thieves on the cross. Darrin Scroggins played Jesus. Picture in Scripture Amphitheater, Disney, Oklahoma.

2010- our final season in the Picture in Scripture play at Disney, Oklahoma. The final picture is Bart and Derek playing the two thieves on the cross and me as Mary. Shaina was in the crowd below us.

Cast photo at Picture in Scripture Amphitheater in Disney, Oklahoma.

I think this was the 2003 season- our first year in the play. Shaina is in the circle on the left. Bart and I are circled together and Derek is in the other circle.
Finally, Shaina in The Little Prince and me as backstage drama mom in The Little Prince. She got to wear a fat suit and play a male character:

Me, backstage doing costume changes at Grove Playmakers' production of The Little Prince. — Me, backstage doing costume changes at Grove Playmakers’ production of The Little Prince.

Me backstage helping one of the cast members with her costume.

Shaina putting on her "fat" suit for one of her parts in Grove Playmakers' The Little Prince. — Shaina putting on her “fat” suit for one of her parts in Grove Playmakers’ The Little Prince.

The fat suit was a chore to get into.

Shaina and another actress in costume backstage at Grove Playmakers' The Little Prince dress rehearsal. Here, she's wearing the fat suit. — Shaina and another actress in costume backstage at Grove Playmakers’ The Little Prince dress rehearsal. Here, she’s wearing the fat suit.

Shaina posing for the camera with her cast friend.

Shaina at Grove Playmakers at a rehearsal of The Little Prince.

So much emotion! One of the play rehearsals.

Shaina, backstage and in costume, awaiting her turn on stage at Grove Playmakers' production of The Little Prince. — Shaina, backstage and in costume, awaiting her turn on stage at Grove Playmakers’ production of The Little Prince.

This was backstage on either a dress rehearsal or one of the show nights. This was Shaina’s next to last stage role. She showed a lot of maturity on stage and in accepting the role she received.
It was stage tradition for the actor/actress to write their favorite line from the play on the wall backstage. I can’t remember the lines Shaina chose but maybe if she remembers she will share them with us.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the November blogs. I’m going to take a break in December. I need to start on Christmas presents before I run out of time! You may only see two blog posts from me in the final month of 2016 but I’ll still be around blogging when I can.

Until next time,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Dreams and Wishes

The blog theme today is ‘food’. I had no intention of writing about food. I feel like we’ve covered that topic well this month. As I was considering an alternative topic last night, our hot water heater went out so we’ve been dealing with that problem today. That means another short and sweet blog post for you.
Dreams and Wishes
Bart and I have lived in our current home 10 years now (longer than I’ve ever lived in any one house). That means most of our appliances have now hit the 10 year mark as well. We knew this day was coming soon when the appliances would start shutting down. This little hot-water-heater bump in the road has kicked off yet another round of discussions about getting started on building a new house. You see, the place we’re living in was always meant to be the garage. We never intended to live in it long- and definitely not 10 years, yet here we are.
So tonight we drug out this:

Our all-time favorite house plan. It's a dream we have. — Our all-time favorite house plan. It’s a dream we have.

Our all-time favorite house plan. Now we’re hashing out our options and what our next move will be (other than buying and installing that new hot water heater, of course).
Here’s to your dreams and wishes. I hope they come true for you.

Until next time,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Momma Always Said My Middle Name Was ‘Go’!

Today’s blog theme is ‘hobby’. If you’ve read my blog, you know me. What you see is what you get. I love to write, I love to research my family history, I love to travel, and I love to forage wild edibles. If you don’t know that by now you’ve missed some of my posts! (Go back to ‘Go’ and do not collect $200!) The other thing I have fun with that may not necessarily be apparent is trip planning and date planning. I love planning! I’ve planned day, weekend, and spur-of-the-moment trips- mostly for dates and genealogy research. I’ve planned longer trips- mostly for anniversaries and vacations. I’ve planned trips for other people who didn’t like the planning aspect. When our kids were at home and I couldn’t travel with Bart, I even planned day trips for he and his travel buddies when they would get a day off unexpectedly. My mom always said that when I was little I could be asleep and dead to the world but if someone said the word ‘go’ I was instantly wide awake and ready to go- just like my Granny Jessie BATES. I’m sure I’ve told you that when Bart and I were young and broke I would break out my trusty atlas and plan future trips to different places. Just thinking about going somewhere makes me feel better and it really doesn’t matter where we go! Maybe my middle name really should have been ‘go’!
Being a trip planner means you keep in mind what your fellow travelers will enjoy as well as what you will enjoy. I think one of the reasons Bart and I travel so well together is because we respect each other. He wants me to have a good time and I want the same for him. Any time we go on a trip together you can bet we’ll be riding motorcycles (even if we have to rent one) and we’ll be digging around in courthouse basements for information to add to my family history. Why does he dig around in basements or tromp through cemeteries with me? Because he respects and loves me. Why do I hop on a motorcycle and go for day rides with him? Because I love and respect him. It’s a two way street. The funny thing is, I’ve learned to enjoy riding and he’s learned to enjoy history and family research. We both win because we’re both happy. But we also win because we’ve made each other feel valued, accepted and loved. The benefit is we’ve stretched the boundaries of our comfort zones and done things we wouldn’t have otherwise done. Studies show that when you learn something new it helps to keep your brain healthy (it fights against Alzheimer’s). I’m predisposed to Alzheimer’s/dementia on both sides of my family so the more I can fight it the better off I am. But mostly we both benefit because we’ve kept ourselves from becoming selfish and self-focused. When we’re sharing experiences with each other it keeps our feelings for each other alive in a way that I don’t completely understand and can’t explain. And nothing beats sitting on the couch on a winter night and reminiscing about some experience we had together.
By actively participating in each other’s activities and hobbies we say to each other, “You are important enough to me that I’m willing to do this with you even if it may not be my favorite thing.” The willingness to do things together builds confidence and bonds us together.
So enough talking already. I’m sure you get it. Here are some examples of some dates, vacations, and trips we’ve taken together.

A cowboy themed date we went on:

Historical sites in Dewey, Oklahoma including the Tom Mix Museum.

The remake of True Grit was in theaters when I planned this trip and I wanted to go see it but I wanted a full date experience so I planned a cowboy themed date. We had a lot of fun. We went to Dewey and went through the little Tom Mix museum. We went to Claremore to the gun museum, watched True Grit, and had a great meal. We had a lot of fun and spent the whole day running around and enjoying each other’s company.

Weekend trip to see Elmer McCurdy:

Elmer McCurdy's grave and the Apothecary Garden both in Guthrie, Oklahoma. — Elmer McCurdy’s grave and the Apothecary Garden both in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

This was a weekend trip to Guthrie. Sometimes I don’t know why Bart does some of the crazy stuff I plan for a trip. I became absorbed by the story of Elmer McCurdy a few years back (if you have time you should definitely look up his story). I decided we should go to Guthrie and visit Elmer’s grave at midnight and make a recording to see if we could record any strange occurrences. Just for fun. We left Elmer a beer for his trouble. It was a great weekend.
One of our favorite trips was to Massachusetts in 2010. It was one of my all-time favorite trips. He was hooked on history by then and always loved the Revolution. We went to Lexington, Massachusetts, stood on the green and heard the story about the Redcoats and the Minutemen, and toured the area all the way to Concord.

Massachusetts:

One of the trips we took this year was to Georgia to Chickamauga Battlefield. It was amazing. We were there most of the day and did not get to see everything that was there.

Georgia:

The field I’m standing in front of is a field where my ancestor’s unit fought a battle in the Civil War. (My 3rd great-grandfather, Joseph LARKIN- 59th Ohio.)
I love to trip plan and Bart’s job has afforded us lots of opportunities to travel and trip-plan. For a girl who was born understanding the word ‘go’ Bart’s job has been a real blessing. If you ever need a trip planned keep me in mind.

Until my next trip- however short or long it may be-
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Take It Easy

Today’s blog theme is ‘album’. My two immediate thoughts were “photo album” (way too broad) and “Eagles album”. Yes…Eagles album. A few years back Bart and I were in Winslow, Arizona. We took our pictures on the corner in Winslow, Arizona.

Bart standing "on the corner in Winslow, Arizona". — Bart standing “on the corner in Winslow, Arizona”.

Bart on the corner in Winslow, Arizona.

Me standing "on the corner in Winslow, Arizona". — Me standing “on the corner in Winslow, Arizona”.

Lisa on the corner in Winslow, Arizona.

Eagles album cover
Enjoy the tune while you’re reading:
The Eagles live- Take It Easy.
It was a fun trip. We enjoy that area. As it happens, I have distant relatives in the nearby Flagstaff, and Winona, Arizona area. I’d like to focus on the folks south of Flagstaff and directly south of Winslow, though. I’d like to write first about my dad’s family- Pearl Belle DRAKE GANN- and then second about my mom’s family- Short and Ella Amanda GIBSON LONG.

She Waited with Hope- Pearl Belle DRAKE GANN
Pearl DRAKE GANN was my 2nd great-aunt. Aunt Pearl made headlines in April of 1959 when she needed (and received) a cornea transplant.

Pearl (Gann) Drake made headlines in April, 1959.

Article about Pearl (Drake) Gann's history-making cornea transplant. — Article about Pearl (Drake) Gann’s history-making cornea transplant.

About a year and a half later in November of 1960, Pearl and her daughter, Bonnie, were called back to Oklahoma because Poppy Lon DRAKE (Alonzo Ervin DRAKE- my 2nd great-grandather) was sick. I thought possibly 1960 was when Poppy Lon was attacked by the hogs but Dad said it was more likely when Poppy was diagnosed with cancer. Dad said Poppy was attacked by the hogs about a year before he died and never quite recovered from the attack before he died. Poppy died in 1964. I wonder if Pearl thought about the fact that the cornea transplant allowed her to see her dad’s face again before he died. I wonder if this was the last time she saw him before he died. Pearl was able to see (and possibly quilt again) for 9 years before she passed away.
Shorty Long the “Bug” Conductor and a Missing Branch of My Family- Ella Amanda GIBSON LONG
You might remember my post about my 2nd great grandfather, James Thomas GIBSON. He was accused (and later the charge were dropped) of raping his daughter, Ella Amanda GIBSON. I never knew much about Manda (the name she went by before marrying Shorty LONG). I sometimes wondered if Manda and Dettie (my great-grandmother and Manda’s half-sister) knew each other or even knew about each other. I think they probably did because over the years I found a photograph of Manda and Myrtle (Myrtle is Dettie’s full sister). So I think I can safely assume both that Dettie and Manda knew about each other and that they had met and actually knew each other. I don’t have any pictures of Manda and Dettie but I do have the photo of Manda and Myrtle.

Half-sisters Manda and Barbara "Myrtle" Gibson. — Half-sisters Manda and Barbara “Myrtle” Gibson.

Manda is on the left with glasses and Myrtle is on the right. (I think!)
Weren’t they beautiful?
I’m not sure why or how Shorty and Manda ended up in the border town of Nogales, Santa Cruz, Arizona. They married in Monroe County, Iowa. I suspect they ended up in Arizona due to Shorty’s job with the railroad. Shorty spent much of his life being a train conductor for Southern Pacific railroad. While in Nogales he conducted a passenger train called the “Bug” that ran between Nogales and Benson. At some point either this train crossed into Mexico or Shorty worked another railroad job where he did cross into Mexico. I know this because Shorty had to get a passport for his job.

Shorty LONG’s passport photo.

Later photo of Shorty.
In January of 1911 Shorty’s train was in an accident. Shorty was lucky and only sustained an injury to his hand.

Article about Shorty Long's train accident. — Article about Shorty Long’s train accident.

Clipping about accident.
As an adult, Shorty and Manda’s son, Virgil, moved to New Mexico but soon moved back to Nogales, Arizona. When he moved back to Nogales he became the assistant postmaster. This is what I know about Manda. I’d like to connect with her descendants someday to try to piece together story (and subsequently her dad’s story). Maybe I’ll get lucky one day and one of them will do a Google search and this post will turn up.

Until then I’ll wait.
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

What Can 4,096 People Do?

Hubbard Coat of Arms (photo shared on Ancestry).
CAVEAT: Research that we are related to Thankful HUBBARD MILLER was done by others and has not been verified by me. Take this with a grain of salt and do your own research.
Today’s blog theme is ‘thankful’. There isn’t much in my life that I’m not thankful for- in fact, I can’t think of anything. So I decided to take a different approach and look at people named Thankful (and one named Thanklord whom some say was really named Thankful). There are 10 such persons in the Drake tree and all – ALL- of them trace back to my great-grandmother, Edith HUBBARD DRAKE.
Thankful HUBBARD (said to be my 10th great-aunt) was the daughter of Nathaniel and Mary EARLE HUBBARD. She married Joseph MILLER and together they had at least 8 children at least two of whom died before reaching adulthood. Joseph was a descendant of Lady Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmoreland. Lady Joan was a powerful land owner in Northern England in the early- to mid-1400’s. You can read Joan’s love story here.
Thankful’s sister, Abigail HUBBARD, married Jonathan BURR. It is said by BURR surname researchers that anyone with the surname BURR is in some way related to former Vice President Aaron BURR through one of his cousins.

Aaron Burr, Jr.- 3rd Vice President of the United States of America. Photo from Wikipedia.
No one is known to be descended directly through Aaron or his sister. If you want to, you can read about BURR research here. The Wikipedia version of Aaron BURR’s and his father, Aaron BURR Sr’s history can be read by clicking on each of their names. Aaron Sr. was a Calvinist and married to famous preacher, Jonathan EDWARD’s daughter, Esther.

Esther Edwards Burr. Photo from Wikipedia.
Like I said before, I’m not 100% sure Thankful is my 10th great-aunt or Nathaniel and Mary are my 10th great-grandparents because I haven’t done the research myself. What I do know is that I’m thankful for each and every pair of parents that God brought together to create me. Consider this: Starting with Nathaniel and Mary (and including them), God brought together 4,096 individual people to create 1 me- and that’s only back to my 10th great-grandparents! That’s biological ancestors- not including step-parents that stepped in when biological parents died or couples divorced. Thankful died just a couple of years before the American Revolution so really, those 4,096 people basically only include people from about one or two generations before the beginning of the USA. It inspires a feeling of awe to really consider how many people God has to bring together to create one person in the world today. Be thankful. Be awed. Be inspired. There is only one you and you have exactly one lifetime to make the world great. Do your best.

Until next time,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Worn

It’s been another busy day so today the post will be short and sweet- again. The theme is ‘worn’. I was going to do something different but I can’t access the photos I needed from where I’m at so I’m going with some photos my cousin, Mechelle WISE, sent me today. This is a bedspread (?? I don’t even really know what the proper term is) that my great-grandmother, Bess WILLIAMS LARKIN, crocheted for my cousin’s parents when they married. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I only ever saw my great-grandma do doilies and small things. I had no idea she could or did ever do anything like this. Thanks for sharing, Mechelle!

A crocheted bed cover made by my great-grandma, Bess (Williams) Larkin.

A close-up of the crocheted bed cover made by Bess (Williams) Larkin.

Detail shot of the spread.

Until next time,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Year: 2016