Lost But Found Again

As researchers we encounter those wonderful stories of uniting our clients with their family history through the research that we do. That is a wonderful gift, job or tool however you word it, we take pride in what we do and don’t take it lightly. Recently I had to opportunity to reunite someone’s family history with the family. Okay I can see you tilting your head from side to side trying to figure out what on earth I’m talking about.

Some of you are aware as to how I started in genealogy; you might have seen me present or read one of my blog postings about the wonderful things that can be found on the internet to help in your search. One of those sites I’ve mentioned was eBay and searching for family letters to research, blog about or aid in a client’s research.  Well recently while reviewing a purchase made a few years back I realized that the dates on some letters were post stamped in the late 1990’s. As a genealogist I research “for the living” I don’t research the living. I find it exciting to discover a family’s history along with that family member, client.  After noticing the dates I ventured out to research “the living” and see if I could reunite the family with this wonderful collection that I had purchased so many years ago.  What a wonderful feeling it was to speak with a member of the family and discover these were things many family members had never seen.  I had mixed feeling during the end of our phone conversation both of joy and great sadness.  It turned out this family collection had been stolen; yes that was where my sadness entered.  But I quickly found joy in the fact that many years ago I purchased the “lot” of letters, photos and documents and with multiple moves I packed them away in a box for safe keeping. Only to then pull them out a couple weeks ago, locate the family and reunite them with pieces of their family history that they thought were gone forever.  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again I “LOVE” doing this. 

Amanuensis Monday - Love from Alaska to Washington

Here are two more letters from Paul Moore addressed to his darling Elaine Cummings.  Showing concern that he has already been forgotten only to find out she still thinks and cares for him. Times are hard and letters take time to arrive, which leaves them both wondering if they are remembered while waiting for those special acknowledgment in letters like these. 

Saturday, 3/14/42

  Hi Darling:

   I received your letter the first of this week & lady I sure was glad to get it. I had just about decided that you had forgotten me. I was sorta disappointed tho for it was sort of cool & distant & it sorta makes me wonder what is wrong. Have you changed or what?

  I have had that picture taken and as soon as I get it I will send it on to you. I really do want one of you took so I want you to rush one to me as soon as you can. Promise?

  I would so much like to see you. It would be so much fun to dance with you again & maybe even to sprit you clear away from the crowd as I did once before. Do you think you would mind that so terrible much? I know that I would enjoy it!

  I have been sorta laid up for the last two days with a bum leg but it is better now and I think I can get back in the thick of things in the next couple of days. This laying around idle sorta gets on my nerves. I have put it to good use though for I had quite a bit of studying to do for exams for  officers School & it has given me a good chance to catch up. I have been before one examining board & now it is all up to me when I go before the last one. Keep hoping & maybe I can see you soon. I have been over most of the Island & it really is very pretty Rugged Mountains & beautiful parks & valley. Seems a shame that you can’t b e here to help me enjoy it. You see every time I see something that reminds me of you I begin to wish a little bit harder that you were here. I miss you so very much my dear. I guess I’ll keep on until I get back & then if my powers of persuasion haven’t exactly failed me I can keep you with me for a long time.

  I miss you so very much Darling.

Write soon

Especially for you

Paul

NOTES: This was a two page letter with only one side used on each sheet. The letter was addressed to Miss Elaine Cummings, P.O. Box 178, Seattle, Washington mailed by Paul L Moore A.S.M. 35205865 1-H. (printed U.S. Army Toops Fort Greeley Kodiak, Alaska w/ U.S. Army Troops and Kodiak marked out) it was send March 17 1942 “Via Air Mail” and checked by 2^nd Lt. Inf. Robert D. Schulz.

U.S. Army Troops

Fort Greeley

Kodiak, Alaska

Friday 4/3/42

Hi Honey:

                I’m sort of wondering what you are thinking about me by this time. I realize what I have done by not writing to you & I sincerely want you to forgive me. I haven’t got so very good an excuse but here it is. I have been down in the dumps for the last 10 days & just haven’t felt like writing to anyone. I just got my first letter started for home today & they’re probably fuming too.

                I was proud to get your last letter & it sure was a help. I am so very glad to hear from you & if I could get a letter every day it would be so very swell. But then that is hardly possible up here so of course I can’t ask it of you.

                You said in your last letter that your father had asked if I have seen any of the bears that are to be found here. I haven’t been lucky, unlucky enough to do so as yet I still have hopes. I have seen a couple of mounted specimens tho & they sure are big. I say. Could you use a bear skin. If I get the chance I mean to collect a couple. So you can tell him that he really should see them. Fishing season is just about here & I also plan on having a few good fish frys. Sound good? Maybe we can enjoy a few of those together sometime. Do you think so too or do you enjoy such things?

                I had a letter from home Wednesday & my brother & Dad both had to register for the draft. So maybe there will soon be another of my family in here too. I already have one brother in the Cir Corp & I guess he is still in the States or was the last time I heard from him. I also have had my application approved & so my going to officer T.S. is just a matter of time. I sure hope it is soon tho for I sure would like to see you again. Every time I think of the fun we had dancing laughing & talking together it makes me want to see you so darned badly. We could have so much fun & loving if I was only back with you again. Just think it has been almost 3 months since I saw you. Seems almost like 3 years when I think of it tho.

                I haven’t gotten the picture yet but I don’t think it will be long now. I have it ordered for almost a month but the Photo shop here is just about swamped with orders so they are very slow. I have been sorta anxiously waiting for your photo to come around too.

                I must quit this rambling around & say Good nite Darling & the Ohio deal still stands good. I’m as badly gone over you now as I ever was. Still in an accepting mood dearest?

Write soon an again

I’ll be loving you

Paul (and written sig.)

I sure could use those

Kisses, too.

What do you mean?

Especially for you (too)

That’s my pet expression

NOTES: There were a total of four pages and all hand written on the same letter heading as noted above. The envelope was hand written addressed to: Miss Elaine Cummings, P.O. Box 178, Seattle, WN.

In the return address is: U.S. Army Troops Fort Greeley, the city is scratched out, Alaska, Paul L Moore, A.S.N. 35205865 1-H. The letter was post marked April 14, 1942 out of Kodiak, Alaska sent Via Air Mail. The letter was checked by 2^nd Lt. Robert D. Schulz. 

"My Life Journal" ....Diana Lewis

     After placing a bid for this book on eBay I wasn't really sure for one if I would get it and two what exactly I would find. Once I received the alert that I won the bid I couldn't wait to get it and see what information I would find. I will have to admit not everything that I purchased off eBay held a lot of easy access information some I have to really read.  A couple of times I’ve even pulled out a magnifying glass to closely examine writhing and photographs.

     Okay now to the journal I wasn't really sure how to introduce it and in what style or format, so I’m going with my gut on this one. I will introduce four pages a day, with photos of the pages, letters, cards, photographs and newspaper clippings and more. What’s wonderful about posting like this I will also be able to share a life and name those that she and her family were close too. I hope that maybe, just maybe someone will recognize this family our others that will be making an appearance.

Photo of Front Cover

Photos of Inside Cover

Diana Lewis

July 17, 1944

Marriage of Virginia Hadley and Robert Arthur Lewis, Jr.

Father and Mother

Date October 12, 1942

Place Needham, Mass.

Robert Arthur Lewis, Jr.

Father

Born Oct 22, 1918

At Allston, Mass

Robert Arthur Lewis

Grandfather

Born July 2

Helen McKee Lewis

Grandmother

Feb 10, 18

David McKee

Great Grandfather

Clara McKee

Great Grandmother

Virginia Hadley Lewis

Mother

Born April 11, 1920

At Henniker, N. H.

Carroll Cleveland Hadley

Grandfather

Born Sterling, Mass 1892

May 16

Fredrick R. Hadley

Great Grandfather

At Lunenburg, Mass

Lived to Jan 1926

Estella Simonds Hadley

Great Grandmother

At Ashby, Mass.

Lived to April 29, 1917

Mildred Beers Hadley

Grandmother

Born February 25, 1893

At Everett, Mass.

Edwin C. Beers

Great Grandfather

Born Aug 7, 1864

At South Peabody, Mass.

Lived to October 20, 1927

Flora Beers

Great Grandmother

Born Sept. 1, 1870

At Manchester, N. H. 

Photo of Life Journal of…..

For Baby-on-the-Way

This brings the best whishes

That ever were

And a welcome for HIM

Or THEM or HER

Love to all Minie & Lean

FOR BABY-to-be

This little gift

for someone new

Is being sent ahead to you

TO SAY:

May every single day

Of Baby’s life be glad and gay!

With Love

Nana ______

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

July 17^th 1945

Dear Diana:

Do you hear the

Echoes of “Happy Birthday”

coming from all points

of the compass to you from

all you friends & relatives.

And here is a little tribute to you from your

Great-grandmother

wishing you many happy returns. Love to you always

Nanna McKee

ONE YEAR OLD!

Happy Birthday wishes

To a one-year old Baby dear,-

How could you have grown

So sweet

In just one little year!

Love G. G.

The

Life Journal

Of

Diana Lewis

Presented by

Miriam and Leon Perkins

Cochituate, Mass.

on

January 1944

July 17, 1944

As always I look forward to your comments so let me know what you think and be sure to visit my blog   tomorrow for another four pages.   

eBay and Genealogy

    Some of us know you don’t have to leave home to shop or even do our genealogy research. But do we all know about the treasure chest of genealogy wealth you can find on eBay. To be honest I didn't really know what I had until a close and dear friend pointed that out to me.

     Years ago, during one of my husband’s deployments I found this wonderful site on the internet, eBay. Little did I know when I started shopping for story ideas for children’s books that I would find such a treasure.  I would go on in search of antique diaries, letters, journals even baby books. I was so surprised to see how much was there.  I didn't know where to start, from autograph books dating back to 1864, baby book full of memories from a baby girl born in Natick, Massachusetts later moving to Canada . Even letters between father and son during his military enlistment followed the years he served during war.

     For the past few months I've been working tirelessly trying to get all of the photos, letters, documents, diaries, journals and baby books scanned. Along with now working to transcribe all of them, this is an ongoing adventure that has many twists and turns with every page I turn and letter I open.  But an idea that I encourage all of you to at least visit.  If you don’t have the interest in searching other surnames, families, than search for your surnames or one that you’re currently working on. You might even find that one piece of information that completes a chain of events in the lives of your ancestors. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

     I've decided that over the next few weeks I will be posting some pages, photos, cards and newspaper clippings from the baby book I mentioned earlier. "My Life Journal" will share the life of Diana Lewis born 17 July 1944 in Natick, Massachusetts. So I invite you to check in and see what some of her life was like and find out about the family and all included in this book.

     

2013 Resolutions with some Reflections

     It’s time to welcome in the new year of 2013; I’m sure most of you already know that. I’m just trying to figure out if I’m supposed to reflect back on my two months of blogging. Maybe I should blog about my resolutions of what I hope to accomplish with my blog and genealogy research. Since I don’t have a lot of blogs to reflect back on why not combine both, the reflection and my resolutions.

     I wasn’t really sure about blogging when I was first approached; it was defiantly new and kind of scary for me, as some of you know. But a wise lady told me that you just have to jump in and give it a try, step out of your box. That I did and I’m so glad because I have truly enjoyed every aspect of it, as I hope you’ve gotten a joy out of reading my blog. I still have a few things to look into that I made reference to on previous post. Finding out more about the small cemetery our neighborhood, I still need to find a Halloween photo of my dad; I need to look into a “Military Genealogical Society”.  I think those are the stones left unturned that I still need to flip over, so I’ll carry those over to my resolutions for 2013. Reliving my Christmas past with the blog prompts from http://geneabloggers.com was very entertaining. There were so many things that I had forgotten about, the store front at Hutson’s, plastic bread bags on our feet and the Jell-O recipe. What’s nice is there were so many more memories that came to light and I enjoyed sharing those with my family, we all had a laugh or two.

     I, like all of you want to complete my genealogy research on my family and my husbands. As I said earlier I need to carry over the Halloween photo hunt for my dad, uncover the mystery of the neighborhood cemetery and look into that “Military Genealogical Society”. I hope to attend one of the large, informative, fun and wonderful genealogy conferences again this year either the NGS or FGS. Finish my genealogy class and take some additional genealogy classes. I plan on completing the scanning of all letters, diaries, photos and other documents that I’ve collected over the years. Then transcribing them for others to view, who knows maybe I have information on a surname you or someone you know might be searching for. I want to promote my blog, business and myself more in this coming year thru education with the youth, giving speeches, client work and through my blog. First and foremost have a blast doing all of it because without the fun and enjoyment of genealogy research it just becomes work and none of us like work.

Diaries and the Weather

The car is pack with presents, food, suitcases and movies for the kids. We are on the road heading to a family Christmas. As we were packing everything up in the car, the conversation was about the weather. What it was currently doing and what we were about to drive into. That got me to thinking about something that might be overlooked during some of our research.

      The weather played a pretty big role in the lives and travels of our ancestors. Many of them kept travel or weather diaries noting what the weather was like, some even made notations every day. Now that can be a treasure chest of hidden information for some of us. For example if you were reading a diary entry that was discussing the excitement of someone's arrival, then read another entry the following days speaking of disappointment because the guest never arrived. It could be the weather that hindered their travel. Not all of our ancestors made notations of the weather. Those who did might hold the answer to some questions we have, maybe break some of those brick walls. Lets face it with all of the assistance we have traveling now with GPS and internet things are much easier. I guarantee that my great grandparents had to make quick discussions when traveling in inclement weather. Because of those types of quick traveling discussions its nice to have a weather diary to refer back to, plus having it written in their own handwriting makes it even more of a treasure.

     I know this is a short post but one that I thought I would share. You never know what you might overlook when doing your research.