Saturday Spotting’s–from gum balls to weddings…

Clipping out of the Jackson Herald, Jackson, MO April 1907

On last Saturday night some

professionals or some very pro-

ficient amateurs made a raid on

the gum slot machines that were

in our city. They took the two

machines of E. G. Sibley and

the one in front of Bruening &

Kertsner’s and took them up

Houck’s railroad and broke them

open. They got all the chewing

gum that was in the machines

and about $4 in money and com-

pletely wrecked the machines.

These plunderers have not as

yet been found. From the shape

they left the machines in one

is forced to believe that the work

was done by some very worth-

less inhabitants of our city.

 

Clipping out of the Jackson Herald, Jackson, MO April 1907

Oakridge Indcator: “George

Smith (Little George) and

Birdie Byrd (nee Penny) were

married this morning in Central

hotel, Jackson, by Fred Weltecke,

Esq. The groom is a substantial

farmer about 60 years of age and

lives at Daisy. The bride is a

daughter of John Penny and is

about thirty years her husband’s

junior. Both are experienced

sailors on the matrimonial sea.”

Thursday Treasure Chest - My Wooden Treasure

My wooden treasure chest, so to speak. That would have to be the desk that I set at day in and day out blogging and doing all of my research. The desk that I comfortably set at once belonged to my grandparents, Fred H. and Martha C. Elfrank. This was the first piece of furniture they bought when they were married. I received it after the passing of my grandfather back in 2001 and it has traveled with us where ever we’ve gone. I couldn’t think of a better place to sit and post my blogs, research, write, and run my business. This is a treasure that helps me to produce more treasures.
 

What, Aunts and Uncles aren't part of our FAMILIES??

     Who knew that my uncle, great uncle or even my aunt were not really my family? I’m sorry I was always under the assumption that they were family; I thought family included aunts, uncles and cousins. But much to my surprise I was wrong. Sorry, hold on, let me back up here and explain.

     See a couple of days ago I was visiting our local library doing some genealogy research and overheard a conversation.  A table of two ladies and one gentleman, I’m not sure but I believe all three of them were related. I know at least two of them were, only because of a comment they both made about their mother. They were sitting at the table skimming over books of research and discussing their finds, as many of us do. So that didn't really shock me, until I heard that the gentleman was disgusted with the research a family historian had recently done.

     From what I gathered one of their relatives, a cousin, who happens to be a family historian, did some research on their ancestor’s.  This gentleman sitting at the table was so upset that research on his mother and father were included in the research this cousin had done.  He didn't feel as if his parents, the aunt and uncle of this family historian, should be included in the report he handed out at a reunion.  For those of you, who know me, know that I so desperately wanted to help and find out why he felt as if they should not be included.  But I didn't, instead I set back and thought of all the possible reasons.

     We all have our reason for doing the research we do. Some of us find this as a passion, business or even a simple hobby,  I use” simple” lightly because we all know that not everything is simple when it comes to research.

     Possibly the cousin who did the research was adopted or maybe from a previous marriage. Or just the simple thought of him completing his work, before the gentleman in the library, was enough to upset him.  Whatever the reason may be aunts, uncles and cousins are just as important as your parents, siblings and grandparents.  If he would have left them off, then handed this report out at their family reunion it would have been incomplete. So please don’t forget to include your aunts, uncles and cousins. 

     I don’t really know everything about this situation, and I’m sure there are others out there like it or close to it. But I know, for myself wither you are adopted or from a previous marriage I always include you in my reports. There are special notations that can be made to explain the adoption or if the child is from a previous marriage. Just don’t leave them out they are part of your tree, your “Family Tree”.

Matrilineal Monday–Martha Colleen CLINTON

     Martha Colleen CLINTON is the next lady I would like to introduce you to. Colleen as she was often referred to was my maternal grandmother and she had a wonderful, fun filled, interesting and active life. She was born on 26 February 1922, in Matthews, New Madrid, Missouri; her parents were Edd CLINTON and Essie Mae STEWART. She had two sisters, Nellie Elizabeth CLINTON and Edra Mae CLINTON. There were four brothers in that house Kenneth Clair CLINTON, Ora Hilton CLINTON, Frank Stewart Clinton and Clarence Eldon CLINTON. She grew up on the farm and lived a simple life like most families did then.

     She married Fred Henry ELFRANK on 3 August 1940 while living in Missouri. They had two great kids, the oldest being Fred Leroy ELFRANK and the youngest Deborah Sue ELFRANK. The lived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri throughout the greater part of their marriage and raised both children while there. As you’ve noticed I'm speaking in past tense, we lost my grandmother on the 3 August 1995.

     Grandma was known as a very strong minded lady that had a point to prove and wouldn't stop till you either truly agreed or just agreed so you could move on. She had a knack with crafts and decorating that was passed on to my mom and me. I forget to mention the strong minded characteristics were also passed on to me. Thank you grandma!
     I know in the past post that I’ve done on Mater Women I’ve always gone to my mom or my dad for their input. I’m changing this up some only because I’m not sure if they are aware of how much of an impact she made with me. When I started this post I couldn't help but cry, I miss so much of my grandma. I wish so much she was here with us to see what a wonderful family I have and to get that stinging love pat we, the grand kids  always got when she was happy. It doesn't matter if we were sitting around playing card games or out back hitting the wiffle ball. Whenever she would give us a hug we would always get a strong loving pat on our legs or on our backs.
     Playing cards was always something we did with grandma. We would sit around this little breakfast bar style table and start dealing the deck, for games like spite and malice or even slap jack. My brothers and I had small hands and couldn't hold the cards so grandma let us lay them out on chairs next to us. The came couldn't start of course until we, the kids, had our soda and pretzels, while grandma would have her cigarettes, and a “Pabst Blue Ribbon,” her beer of choice. We would stay up for hour’s playing cards and no matter what we would never admit we were tired.
     I mentioned that my grandmother was very crafty and she taught me a few things. Needle point is one of the many crafts, I have two pillow cases one with kitty cats playing with a ball of yarn and another one with a princess. Funny thing is I don’t really remember making these with my grandma but I still have them and keep them close. I do however remember us making a trashcan together, strange I know but that was the coolest trashcan. She and grandpa grabbed a couple of those large, cylinder ice cream tubs from “Basket Robbins”, along with some Sears and JcPenny catalogs. We sat in her black and gold craft room and we would rip each page out of those catalogs. Then place a toothpick in one corner and roll to the other, attach a small piece of tape then lay in a pile. I don’t remember how many of those we rolled but we rolled a ton, we carried our rolls and ice cream containers to the kitchen table then began gluing each one on the outside all the way around the container. Then voila we had our new crafty trash cans ready to take home.
     It was always a treat watching grandma play wiffle ball with my brothers and I. Let’s just say, you had better use the restroom before you begin to play or you’re likely to have an accident from laughing so hard. She would grab that bat, step up to the plate, stick her butt out, do a full 360 spin with that bat, chant her batter- batter-swing; while all of this was going on she would shake her butt. You just had to see her; she was so serious about making us laugh.
     No matter how old you were or what you’ve done you could always count on grandma to love you. She might not agree with some of the choices you have made but you were always right there in her thoughts and heart.

I love you and miss you grandma……

Orphan Photo

This is another photo out of the 1965 album that I purchased while stationed in Germany. There are many small churches just like this on throughout Germany.

Saturday Spotting's

     We have all noticed some strange advertisements, for some unusual products or even some that we can relate to products we see today. I thought I would share at least three that caught my attention.  They all came out of the Jackson Herald, Jackson, MO from 1903-1907.

Disease and Health REVIVO RESTORES VITALITY

“Made a Well man of me.”

THE GREAT REVIVO REMEDY

Produces fine results in 30 days. It acts

powerfully and quickly. Cures when others fail.

Young men can regain their lost manhood and

old men may recover their youthful vigor by

using REVIVO. It quickly and quietly re-

moves Nervousness. Lost Vitality, Sexual

weakness such as Lost Power, Failing Memory,

wasting Diseases, and effects of self-abuse or

excess and indiscretion, which unfits one for

study, business or marriage. It not only curies

by starting at the seat of disease, but is a great

nerve tonic and blood builder, bringing

back the pink glow to pale checks and re-

storeing the fire of youth. It wards off ap-

roaching disease. Insist on having REVIVO,

too other. It can be carried in vest pocket. By

all, $1.00 per package, or six for $5.00. We

give free advice and counsel to all who wish it,

with guarantee. Circulars free. Address

ROYAL MEDICINE CO., Marice Bldg., Chicago, IIL

The strength of a child.

It is surprising to find how few parents

know the great strength giving qualities

of good oatmeal. Most of them think

of it as a good for the sturdy Scotch or

the brawny Englishmen, and overlook

its value as a food for children. Every

now and then a mother will take to feed

-ing her children on Quaker Oats and

will be astonished at their improvement

in strength and vigor. Of course, she

tells her friends, and they prove it for

themselves, but every mother in the

country should see that her children are

strong and vigorous. Plenty of Quaker

Oats, eaten often, will do it.

Grocers sell Quaker oats in regular

size packages at 10c, the family size

packages at 25c, and the family size

package containing a piece of fine china

for 30c.

Don’t miss a day; eat Quaker Oats

every morning for breakfast.

For Sale at McAtee

Mercantile Co.

Mrs. Fred Unrath,

President Country Club, Benton

Harbor, Mich.

“After my first baby was born I did not

seem to regain my strength although the

doctor gave me a tonic which he consid-

ered very superior, but instead of getting

better I grew weaker every day. My hus-

band insisted that I take Wine of Cardul

for a week and see what it would do for

me. I did take the medicine and was very

grateful to find my strength and health

slowly returning. In two weeks, I was out

of bed and in a month I was able to take

up my usual duties. I am very enthuse-

astic in the praise.”

Wine of Cardui reinforces the organs

of generation for the ordeal of preg-

nancy and childbirth. It prevents mis-

carriage. No woman who takes Wine

of Cardui need fear the coming of her

child. If Mrs. Unrath had taken

Wine of Cardui before her baby came

she would not have been weakened as

she was. Her rapid recovery should

commend this great remedy to every

expectant mother. Wine of Cardui

regulates the menstrual flow.

WINE of CARDUI

Treasure Chest Thursday

    
Best little orange box in town that is actually a big box of memories. The old, “Town & Country Shoes,” shoe box was recently given to me by my mom on a holiday trip back home. While we were visiting my parents, we sought through some old family photographs and I was able to bring some of them home. That’s right I brought them home in this “orange shoe box”, but don’t worry I’ve placed them in acid free sleeves and boxes. So my Thursday Treasure Chest is the “orange box” pictured below and I’ve decided to scan a few of the photos in and share, no laughing.




      

The sweet bonnet girl is non other then my mom, Deborah Sue ELFRANK Langston. The rough and tough cowboy and boot wearing cowgirl happen to be my uncle Fred Leroy ELFRANK and my mom.


       

The beautiful lady and handsome man pictured on the left are my grandparents, Martha Colleen CLINTON Elfrank and Fred Henry ELFRANK. Now for the other couple on the right, remember no laughing, yes that’s one of the “Seven Dwarfs” and myself.



Yes that’s me in a pink lace dress, my poor daughter was in shock with this one, it was my junior prom.
 

Just remember some of your treasures might be in a simple shoe box. So pull them out, clear the table, spread them out and share.

Slave Marriage Book Project

Press Release

Slave Marriage Book Project

Project to Save Slave Marriage Book

Kathleen Brandt, the founder of a3Genealogy, Kansas City, Mo,- was researching in Saline County, MO when she eyed a registry: Colored Marriages of Saline County, 1865-1870. One of the first rights granted to freed-slaves was to legalize their slave marriages. Information from these records will link the African American researcher to slave ancestors. It will also further descendants of Slave Masters to reference one more resource in their research.  

A Kickstarter.com project: Slave Marriage Book was immediately launched to digitize, index and transcribe each page of the book, and the many entries of the legalized slave marriages and children born to the union during slavery.


For additional information visit:
Kickstarter Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/624106288/slave-marriage-book?ref=live
Hidden Historical Records - A Valentine Find (Cupid and the Slave Marriages)
http://a3genealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/hidden-historical-records.html

For interview contact:
Kathleen Brandt
816-729-5995
a3genealogy@gmail.com

A Look Back at Ancestry Day in Kansas City

  I've been spending the past few days here in the Kansas City area enjoying the Ancestry Day event sponsored by the Midwest Genealogy Center. I'm one of the lucky ones who were invited by close and dear friends that not only welcomed me into their home but is also feeding and entertaining me. Thank you Kathleen and John, I must not forget Sheba who is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of licking my plate clean.

     For those of you who were not aware this event let me recap on come of the specifics. Independence, Missouri’s own Midwest Genealogy Center is hosting this wonderful event for Ancestory.com, hence the name Ancestry Day. It is supposed to be a wonderful four day event starting on the 14th of March lasting thru the 17th of March.   

     They had a wide verity of speakers during this conference starting on Thursday with Ellen Miller, Angela McComas, Kathleen Brandt (who is taught two classes), and Beth Foulk. I attended all of the classes and assisted in the two classes taught by Kathleen.  I’m happy to say that I at least learned something new in each class and had a fun time interacting with those who attended.

     Friday came around and there were only two classes which were fine because some of us had some research to do on our own.  Jolene Clark and Beth Foulk were the presenters on Friday and both of their classes appeared to be full.

     So far I've attended two days of events and I've found there to be some useful information for all levels of genealogist and family historians.  On Saturday I sat in on the Ancestry Day event that I must say was quite large with 1,000+ attendees. The guest speakers were Anne Mitchell, Lou Szucs and Janice Schultz from Ancestry.com. They not only shared different techniques on using their web site but also shared some personal experience of their own on the road to discovering their family’s history. I recommend that you take time to play with the site if you currently have it and find all the interesting search tools, there are many,  if you don't have access to it at home then take a trip to your local library.

     Then came the final day, and all good things must come to an end.  It ended back at the Midwest Genealogy Center on Sunday.  The final presenters for the Ancestry Day event were   Beth Foulk, Cynthia Shiverly and Angela McComas.

     Now as I’m sitting here in the KCI airport piecing together my post on this event there are a couple of things that keep coming to my attention. For those who asked the question, “I don’t even know what that means?” they were able to receive an answer, which is always nice.  Attending genealogy conferences are always helpful in some way, you might get the answers to some nagging questions, meet others who have the same passion in genealogy as you and you always have the chance to make new acquaintances and friends. I’m glad to say that I’ve accomplished all. 

Orphan Photo

This is a photo out of the same album from 1965 that came from Germany. I’ve seen a couple pictures of these ladies in this album and another, 1966. I’m not sure but this could be mother and daughter looking through photographs.

Saturday Spotting–Happy War Brides

KINGSTON, NEW YORK, JANUARY 4, 1947

HAPPY WAR BRIDES

By the middle of next year there will be

60,000 foreign-born girls in this country as

brides of American soldiers. Already there

are more than 40,000 here. The communities

throughout the land where they have settled

have received them with interest, usually

with cordiality. They have been the subject

of many press articles. And of course every-

one wants to know how they like America.

While statistics on such a personal matter

must be unscientific, one writer estimates

that all but five per cent of these marriages

are succeeding. There are instances like that

of the English girl from beautiful Somerset-

shire who could not face bringing up her

child in the grime and ugliness of a West

Virginia coal mining town where her hus-

band’s work took them. Housing shortages,

forcing a doubling up with his family, have

produced mother-in-law troubles. But by

and large even those girls from non-English

speaking European countries like life in the

United States with its liberty of speech and

action, its household comforts, its material

plenty and its freedom from war devastation.

America has a long history of assimilating

other nationals. This indeed has made

America. The newcomer brides, like the

other people from their homelands who have

come to these shores, will make this country

a better place and everybody hopes they will

be happy here.

Must Reorganize

   Wake up fix breakfast; get the kids out the door for school and now the fun starts. Research, research, write, file, research some more, oh yeah don’t forget to grab some lunch. Back to the research and let’s not forget the social minutes throughout the day, which can turn into hours if you’re not careful, Facebook, check email and Twitter. Oh shoot I forgot the clothes, dishes and I need to thaw out some kind of meat for dinner. Now I only have 25 minutes to blog before the kids get home and then back to work, snacks, cleanup, homework and dinner. 

     Okay so this might explain why I’ve been an absentee blogger these past few days I’ve lost control. So now it’s time to regroup, reorganize my organizational skills.  Let’s see if this new organizational schedule I’ve made for myself works because I hate that I’ve been absent from my blog. Stay tuned and let me know what you think.

Saturday Spotting- Bolivar, TN

     I bet you thought I would forget to post some of those Saturday Spotting's, guess what I almost did. Sorry. I grabbed three clippings that I saw in the Bolivar Bulletin out of Bolivar, TN in 1866. If your like me all three of these will strike a different emotion, interesting, funny and disgust. But as I’ve said before we don’t have to like it or even agree with it but it was part of our ancestors lives and it might answer that question some of us are seeking and answer too.

The above clipping came out of the Bolivar Bulletin, Bolivar, TN 1866

The above clipping came out of the Bolivar Bulletin, Bolivar, TN 1866

The above clipping came out of the Bolivar Bulletin, Bolivar, TN 1866