Wrapping it up--

This time of year we do just that.  We finished the wrapping of gifts that are now unwrapped, the clutter is being cleared and we settle down to wrap up another year.  We remember events that happened to shaped our life for the last 365 days and we also remember events that have shaped our lives in years past.

Christmas gifts of a few years ago certainly weren't all the electronic marvels or the extravagance that seems the hype and hopes of all the Christmas retailers.  Even as a child we always had a Christmas tree and were thrilled with the presents we had to unwrap.  Mom and Dad, as we did for our boys, took advantage of the clothing needs at Christmas time as well.  Socks and underwear were always needed it seems and our boys were eager to unwrap the  presents under the tree knowing that some were no doubt disguised as socks and such.  Each pair of socks was wrapped separately so there seemed to be more gifts to unwrap!

One year Mom refused to put names on the packages under our tree as we always shook and felt to see if we could discern what it was and who it might be for. Christmas morning the packages still had no names but it was fun to choose something to unwrap and then laugh and exchange ones not meant for us.

This week all news channels have the best and worst events of 2010 reminding us of the joys and sad times throughout the world.  It's time for us to think of the not so good times and the joyous times of the past year with hopes that 2011 will have more of the latter ones.

My wish is that this will be an exciting new year in good health, with much happiness and lots of love in 2011!

Thankful for--

Eating and visiting were the two things we always remember about the holiday seasons.  Thanksgiving was always a favorite.  It was the fun of the eating, gathering of family and visiting but without the hassle of gift giving and quite so much decorating.  For all these times I'm thoroughly thankful as I remember many, many such wonderful times.

Uncles, Aunts and cousins frequently gathered with us around Mom and Dad's table as we were growing up.  Mom was such a wonderful cook and it seemed so effortless for her to have such a bountiful table.  Many of her recipes have become necessary regulars for each of our tables as well.  Nothing could beat her pumpkin pie, cornbread stuffing or chocolate chip cookies--- naming just a few.


Because Mom was such a good cook and did it with such ease that I didn't learn to cook with her.  The first Thanksgiving after we were married and moved to Colorado, I suggested Mom, Dad and sister come out to see us.  I really got a feeling of panic when they agreed as I had never cooked a turkey let alone cooked for more than two and was still painfully experimenting.  A teacher at school suggested I cook a turkey in a brown paper bag.  No problem getting it prepared and in the bag but I was terrified each time I opened the oven but saw only a brown paper bag stapled shut.  Was it cooking, what if it caught fire, was it going to be done, what if it doesn't taste good?  When the time was up it turned out to be a perfectly browned bird done to a tee.  With my folks, we had Bob's brother, wife and son as well.  I'm still not sure where we had room for everyone as I recall that tiny, tiny apartment but it was a time to remember.

Another 'remember' was a day when all the family was coming to our house when we lived in Missouri.  I had cooked ahead and ready to put the big bird in first thing Thanksgiving  morning.  Overnight, one of those legendary snow storms hit blocking us in and keeping everyone else from getting in.  I'm not sure what the families of brothers, sister and parents did for eats that day as they had to 'defend' for themselves.  We had enough food for an army!  We lived on campus at that time so Bob went to the dorm to find kids who had planned to leave for a family dinner and invited them over.  Not much food was left after they all left but we had a good Thanksgiving feeling.

Later as children grew with activities of their friends and school and dividing time between inlaw families we began to gather on another special day for our family -- Halloween.  Mom's birthday was on Oct. 31 so we always tried to get all the family together on a weekend closest to that date.  Of course we also gathered on the other two feasting days as often as we could.

Such events and many more have evoked such wonderful and thankful memories.

A Stouthearted Stone

Charles Stone, Jr. was born May 6, 1757 in Stockbridge, MA.  He served as waggoner in the Revolutionary War carrying supplies to the Army.  In 1782 he married Polly Springs (1764-1838) and sometime after his marriage he went into the Mohawk Valley to establish a home.  Because of his wife's ill health at the time, he left that region and in 1791 moved his family to Broome Co., New York.  He settled on the bank of the Chenango River about 5 miles north of Binghamton.  Part of this time and until around 1800 he carried the mail on horseback through the woods from Owego to Catskill and related experiences with man and beast on these journeys.  His daughter Lura rode horseback to Catskill to attend school about a 50 mile round trip.

Leaving this location that was clear of debt he moved west. But "in an evil hour" trying to do a good deed for a reported reliable friend, he signed a security bond for $5,000.  The friend did not turn out to be so reliable and Charles was required to pay out this amount.  He was just recovering from this when not long after this as he was deciding where to build a mill, he was persuaded to purchase a certain site.  On this site there was not water sufficient to run a mill and this event left him absolutely penniless. It was said that his wife, Polly, had more practical wisdom and opposed many of his unfortunate undertakings.

Later, Charles and Polly were forced to live with their children.  At one time living with daughter Harriet and her daughter in Port Crane among the wild basket makers of that region.  It is reported that he was so lame with sciatica that he had been seen hoeing corn on his knees, being too lame to bend over.  His remarkable conscientiousness was noted by the fact that in spite of these infirmities he picked huckleberries to pay a second time a note for a yoke of cattle, rather than run the risk of making the mistake by swearing he had paid for them.

In the spring of 1837, after selling his personal effects at auction, Charles now in his 80s was so crippled he could barely walk with two canes. With his wife, daughter Harriet and Granddaughter Frances he traveled on a raft down the river, took the canal as far as they could, over the mountains by emigrant wagons and then by steamboat to Cincinnati, Ohio to live with Charles' brother Ethan.

Polly Springs Stone died there in the fall of 1838.  Charles died in the summer of 1848.  I have nine children listed for Charles and Polly, however, I believe the last child Aaron, to be either a grandson or nephew they had taken in to live with them.  The birthdate for Aaron is 18 years after the 8th child on the family tree.  Clarification of this mystery still eludes me.

A paper found among family histories and photos recounts the above story.  It was dated 1909 but no author is listed.  This account was also found reprinted in the bicentennial publication by The Chenango Bridge Civic Association in 1976, titled, Chenango Bridge, Our Heritage.

Great Grandparents

We did not have a chance to meet Grandpa Stone's parents.  We have only this picture of Aaron Stone and except for genealogy facts and dates we have no anecdotal information about him.  Aaron was born in1818 and died in 1898.  He grew up on the homestead that had been in the family for generations.  The census records have  always listed Aaron as a farmer. Grandpa and his father had a strained relationship when Grandpa moved to Nebraska.  As far as we know Grandpa never returned to New York and only Aaron's siblings visited him.                                                       

We had this picture, a nickle silver spoon engraved 'Jane Temple' and a letter written to Grandpa in 1888. Researching this summer I have found a bit more factual  information.  Jane Gray Temple was born in 1822 in Chenango, New York and died in October 1890.  Jane was one of 10 children born to James Temple and Manda Alenda Sherwin.  Her mother was born in New Jersey and her father in Connecticut.  The genealogy of her family reaches back into England even farther than the Stone family.                                                                 

                                                                      

  Aaron and Jane were married 3 November 1844 and produced 6 children.                                                                      

More information and facts about the Stones and Temples keep popping up so perhaps there will be more stories to come.                                                                                         

                             

This day in history --

When I read the morning newspaper I'm always happy when I find something that connects with me or the family. Today is the anniversary of the Chicago Fire in 1871.  I remembered a story I had read about a member of the Story family with ties to the Chicago Fire.

Wilbur Fisk Story, a cousin of Bob's great grandfather, was born in Salisbury, VT, attended local schools and worked many years in Vermont, New York City and Indiana.  He went to Jackson, MI, and after being proprietor of a drug store, established a newspaper and read law for two years.  He was appointed postmaster by President Polk and was removed from office by President Tyler.

His newspaper career continued when in 1853 he bought an interest in The Detroit Free Press and eventually became the sole owner.  Under his leadership the Free Press came to be regarded as one of the leading democratic newspapers in the west.  In 1861 he purchased from Cyrus H. McCormick, the The Daily Chicago Times bringing with him a large part of his staff.  He changed the title to Chicago Times and continued the paper with a democratic voice.  His paper was  unpopular because of his support of the Civil War.  Because of his views on the Civil War his plant was raided and partially destroyed.  However, popular sentiments prevailed and the paper reopened.  After the Civil War, Story using the motto "to print the news and raise Hell," turned the Times into an outspoken, eccentric and critic of Chicago Society.

The Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed his plant but Wilbur rebuilt the building and continued to publish.  Wilbur edited the Times until 1884 when failing health intervened.  He died Oct. 27, 1884.

The Chicago Times, after a few merges and name changes was eventually bought by a Melville Stone, but Melville Stone apparently is not a link to the Stone side of the family.

Family trivia is fun to find.

Thanks to baseball -

This is the 50th anniversary picture of Grandma and Grandpa Stone in 1935. I remember their little house in Humansville and it seems like I remember walking to the post office with Grandpa one day. I remember the sounds of the turtle doves,the constant sound of a near by ice plant and Grandma's pancakes for breakfast.


This picture of the house was taken a few years ago. The house has been repainted but looks just the same as I remember it.  There was a smoke house by the back door and a small barn for Grandma's goats. Grandpa as I recall, was very soft spoken, sang or whistled, and always made sure his mustache tickled when he kissed me. I recall his gnarled fingers from catching baseballs. He loved baseball and always had his ear pressed against the speakers of the radio to hear each play. The story is told that as a young man he played baseball whenever he had a chance. He farmed with his father so probably only had time to play ball on Sundays. This was not acceptable for his father who told him he could not play on Sundays. When Grandpa continued to play he was told either stop playing on Sundays or leave. Grandpa did just that and started west homesteading in Furness Co., Nebraska. I don't remember hearing that he ever returned to New York but some of his siblings did visit in Missouri.

In Nebraska he met the Larson family, who had homesteaded in Nebraska a few years earlier, and married their daughter Adla, July 3, 1885. They had seven children, all born in Nebraska before moving to Missouri sometime after 1908. I've heard that Grandpa heard about Missouri having more trees and decided that was a better place for farming.

Grandpa was born in Binghamton, New York to Aaron and Jane Temple Stone. He grew up in a house on land that had been in the family for several generations. A log house was originally on the property but was used as a barn on the property when this house was built. Grandpa had six siblings and this is a reunion picture with five,(from l to r) Leonard, Hugh, Genie (Eugenia), Jeddi (Geraldine) and Fred. There was a running joke in our family that if we mis-behaved or didn't mind our manners, "We'll never be able to take you to New York."




My memories of Grandma are of her always with ankle length dresses and usually with a cap on her head. This is a picture of them with five of their children in the early 1940s. Two of their children were left buried in Lynden Cemetery in Hendley, NE. Edith dying as a small child and Fred at the age of sixteen.


Grandma liked animals.  When living in Humansville, she had besides the goats, a little dog named Andy.  Grandma was never very well, as I remember, but she did lots of sewing, making garments by hand with beautiful buttonholes. In their last few years they lived just a few houses from us. Grandma always mended the many rips needed for us plus darning the knees of stockings I constantly ruined. I remember Grandma and Grandpa sitting on the front porch as I walked home from school.

We miss them all!

More family and more soldiers

Yesterday I wrote about finding Great, great, great grandfather Samuel James Martin. He was married to Susannah Francis, (1799-1870). Her father was a Malachi Francis, (1764-1831), from Halifax, VA. Malachi, married to Mary Fisher, is one more family member, I've found who fought in the Revolutionary war. Malachi entered the service as a private, but was promoted to other grades before he left the service. Some records indicate he was at the Battle of Brandywine, Sept 11, 1777, at the Battle of Guilford Court House in North Carolina near the Dan River and at the surrender of Corwallis, Oct 19, 1781. One record said Malakai Francis kept a diary of the Revolutionary War and parts of it were in the Military Records of Virginia. I'll keep searching.

Malachi's father was Micajah who was born in 1728 in Henry Co., VA and died in 1775 in Halifax Co, VA. He was married to Annabelle Keronhappock and they had four sons, Malachai, Vincent, John, Nathaniel and an adopted son Lucius.

It is a listing of the estate settlement for Micajah that I found interesting. His estate dated 20 April, 1775 in Hallifax, VA lists: (all spellings are as listed on the settlement)

12 head hogs
1/2 dozen pewter spoons
1 bed and furniture
2 chests and 2 spinning wheels
1 p cotton cards
1/2 dozen knives and forks
1 fidle
1 smooth bord gun
1 bottle jug and 1 qt. bottle
1 parcel of corn
1 loom
1 man's saddle and bridle and two bells.

Micajah would be the Great, great, great Grandfather of Uncle Mack. Perhaps that is where he learned to play the "fidle".

"Listen my children, and you shall hear--"

Most of us have had to read or even memorized Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and we all learned about the Revolutionary War in school. Finding a connection between history and family is always fun and makes those lessons from school more meaningful.

1775 - The Lexington Alarm, the first battle of the Revolutionary War, was fought in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. British troops had moved from Boston toward Lexington and Concord to seize the colonists' military supplies and arrest revolutionaries. But British troops met resistance from the Minutemen and American volunteers who harassed the retreating British troops along the Concord-Lexington road. Paul Revere, on his famous ride, had first alerted the Americans to the British movement.

Locating information about Jane Grey Temple, Grandpa Stone's mother, I found this:

Jane's father was James Temple, (1789-1861) his father was Stephen Temple, Jr., born 1764 in New Hampshire and died in Adams, MA in 1854. He was married to Susannah Wood. Stephen enlisted in The Revolutionary War April 21, 1777 at Camp West Point and was still listed on the muster rolls in 1781.

His father, Stephen, Sr., was born 1731 in Worcester, MA and died in 1809. He married Sarah Bates and they had 14 children. Stephen was probably a grantee of land from Plymouth, VT in 1761, lived in Winchester, NH from 1764-1772 and moved to Northbridge, MA before 1775.

In April 1775 he joined The Lexington Alarm and was listed as a private. Sept. 26, 1775 he was listed as a sergeant and a corporal in March of 1777. In June 1776 he received compensation for his losses sustained at Lexington and Bunker Hill. I found no listing of those losses. Stephen was again listed in service in 1780 and belonged to Westford, MA.

---"You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,-
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
They crossing the fields to engage again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load."------

Uncle Mack Martin

Yes, this is Uncle Mack Martin. Sometime ago I wrote "Who is Uncle Mack", wondering the connection in the family. This is the second of the two pictures found on which, 'Uncle Mack Martin' was written. Recent searching has located more history of the Martin's and added another "Great" to the family tree.

Grandpa Martin's father was Joseph Merida Martin; Joseph's father was James Martin; and recently have found that James' father was Samuel James Martin (1795-1850).

Samuel James Martin was married to Susannah Francis (1799-1870) and together they had nine children. Among them were James Martin, (1824-1886) and Malachai Francis Martin (1827--) Malachai was born in Barron Co., Kentucy, married Elizabeth Bradshaw and they had 6 children. I don't have a death date for Malachai but he was living with his son, Samuel, in the 1910 census for Green, Hickory Co, MO and was listed as a widower at 83 years of age.

I keep hunting and the results are fun. More stories keep coming so stay tuned!

Maja Greta

This wonderful picture is of our Mom and her Grandmother Marie Larson. Maja Greta is the way it is spelled on the certificate signed at the time of leaving Sweden. Great Grandmother Larson came from Sweden in 1871 with her husband Magnus and three children ages, five, nine and eleven. Another son, Albert Frank was born in Illinois, in 1875. Marie was born March 11, 1830 and died Sept 9, 1923. According to stories heard as a child, Marie was blind when this picture was taken. She could see the difference between light and dark and loved the outside with the sunshine on her face because it was so light. We have no knowledge of what caused the blindness. It occurred later in life as the story is told of her sitting with books she brought from Sweden on her lap and "reading" them from memory. I wish I could remember the songs and rhymes repeated by Mom and her siblings that were heard from Marie, some in Swedish. I remember one story that Great Grandmother Marie only wanted either jam or butter on her bread as having both was "doobles"

I hope someday to locate the name of the ship that brought Marie, Magnus, Grandma Adla, age 5, Lars Johann, age 11 and Emma Kristina age 9, to America. I'd like to know where, for sure they lived in Sweden, where they landed, how they traveled west and perhaps traveled with whom. I have a piece of paper handwritten, that appears to read "Skara, Sweden" but have not been able to locate such a place. However there is a Spara, Sweden which might be the place. What a long arduous journey that must have been as Marie was no doubt pregnant on part of the journey and moving with a baby in a covered wagon doesn't sound easy.. Magnus received his naturalization papers from Morgan Co., Illinois in October 1878 but there is no record of Marie having such papers. Nor is there a record of Grandma Adla being a naturalized citizen. At that time it didn't seem to matter as women couldn't vote or need a social security card. We know they traveled by covered wagon from Illinois in 1879 settling in Hendley, Furnas Co., NE. Magnus was listed as a farmer in the census of NE. Did he work at farming in Illinois when they lived there and was that his occupation in Sweden? Though Magnus died in Illinois in 1908, they both are buried in Riverview Cemetery in Hendley. I have many questions of whether relatives traveled with them from Sweden. why was Magnus in Illinois in 1908 and more.

Mom always spoke very highly of Great Grandmother Maja Greta. As I'm remembering Grandma Adla's soft and caring ways I can only imagine that these traits came from Marie as well.

Nine years ago.

I think we all remember where we were and what we were doing on that September 11 when terrorists dealt that devastating blow on the United States. We were working in Yellowstone during the summers at that time. This meant very limited TV within the park but there was a small TV in our employee lounge. Someone not on duty happened to see the first attack and the word soon spread. Anytime anyone had an extra few minutes we gathered to see those planes hit the Twin Towers and the chaos that ensued. Tourists did not have TV in the cabin area so had to rely on our news reports. Everyone was stunned beyond belief.

It was a very disturbing day but there always is a crowd in September in Yellowstone and the day and our duties to accommodate them continued.

About dusk we set up an impromptu candle light service for anyone who wished to participate, employees and visitors as well. We gathered out in front of the store and handed out candles. We were amazed that such a large group gathered. The candles were lit without a single word from any one. Each person, I'm sure, had their own thoughts and prayers so no comments needed to be said. I don't remember how long this lasted but before long someone in the crowd began singing softly, Amazing Grace. The assembled group soon began singing along and this was followed by a couple of other well know hymns ending with God Bless America. The light of the candles cast a bright glow as it was getting dark outside but I think we all felt lighter inside. It was a very moving experience.