Gearing Up For Christmas

It's hard to believe I haven't posted since November 19 but facts don't lie! We have been busy around here though and as everyone knows sometimes life gets in the way.

Since I last posted, we have a new roof, new siding, and new gutters on our 39 year old house. We'll have to wait for spring to paint the trim but things are already looking better!

My Christmas cards are in the mail - those I still send. My father-in-law's list is ready and the cards have been purchased so that feels nearly complete.

I got an early Christmas present a few days ago. My granddaughter bought a new 4G I-phone which meant her 3G was handed down to me. I'm so excited I can finally carry my genealogy database with me all the time once again!! My old PDA went belly-up well over a year ago which left me with only my laptop. Needless to say, I've been working on getting apps for my new phone:)

I'm sure the Advent Calendar of Christmas prompts will help get and keep me in the mood for the holiday! For now, I'm off to work on those cards.

ISGS Springfield2

I had to hurry off from my previous post because I was going to be late for dinner. A number of the ISGS board members met at Cheddars and we had a great meal and lots of good conversation.

Jack, Donna Pond, Janice Fritsch, Jane Haldeman, Cheri Hunter
Kristy Gravlin, and Michele Claypool

Later, most of us continued socializing at the Comfort Suites. Now it's time to get some rest and prepare for the meeting tomorrow. I'm so pleased to be associated with such a dedicated and talented group of people.

ISGS Springfield

This morning around 9:00, Larry Pepper, the new 1st vice president of the Illinois State Genealogical Society picked me up to come to Springfield for my first ISGS board meeting tomorrow. Our trip was uneventful but full of lots of great conversation. Good company does help travel time fly by.

After a nice lunch at the Garden of Eatin', we went to the Illinois Archives to the ISGS office to see if we could be of any help. Hopefully, we did more helping than hindering.

The ISGS designated office at the Illinois Archives

That's it for now

A Century of Progress and One Girl

Alice Davey lived in Chicago most of her life. The Chicago World's Fair was a big event not to be missed. While there, she picked up a souvenir provided by the Chicago & North Western Railway - a small note pad which she used as a diary/calendar beginning in January of 1934.

This little pad also had pictures of some of the buildings and special locations of  A Century of Progress. Some of these still grace Chicago and some are long gone.

Alice and her boyfriend, "Happy", and her family, plus visiting relatives went to the Fair many times. She always recorded the event, even if it was succinctly.

Wednesday, July 4, 1934

Happy & I went to the Fair. Happy took home two Coca Cola glasses.

Tuesday, October 30, 1934	Hap and I want to the Fair. Got home around 1:30.
Wednesday, October 31, 1934	The last day of the Fair. My Mother and Dad went and Cliff and Catherine. I went to school.

My guess is she had more fun going to the fair on Tuesday with Hap than she would have had with her Mother, Dad, and Cliff and Catherine (brother and sister-in-law). Just sayin' :)

SNGF - Fun With Photos

Our fun for this Saturday from Randy Seaver:
1)  Go to the AnyMaking website (http://anymaking.com  - it's FREE to use) and ...
2)  Doctor some of your priceless photographs using one or more of their photo effects to turn your photo into a cartoon, into a puzzle, into a wanted poster, etc.  Try it, it's fun.  You can spend hours doing this.  Think about Christmas presents for your family or friends... [Note that if you want decent size photos - or real puzzles, portraits, etc., you'll need to subscribe to their Premium service.]
3)  Show off your creations on your own blog, or on Facebook, or some other online photo location. 



I only did one Wanted Poster but it's a real one. I'm actually still looking for Charles Brown who was apparently "kicked out" by Julia Ruch Brown for being a "womanizer." Where did he go and did she divorce him?

Wednesday Child: Mildred Mary Higgins

This beautiful little girl died just before her 5th birthday of complications from the Measles.

Mildred Mary Higgins  1908-1912

A Month In the Life of Alice Davey - 1929

In honor of Amanuensis Monday, I'm sharing one month of entries from the calendar/diary of Alice Davey. At the time of the writing, Alice was 14 years old and in the 8th grade. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.
She mentions her friends by first name only. Their full names (of those I know) are: Mary Osman; Irene Hall; Gertrude Gronvall of Ishpeming, Michigan; Tecklas & Lida Larson, aunts from Ishpeming, Michigan; Gena Bertolone.
I love how she usual mentions the theater and title when show goes to the movies.

Tuesday, January 1, 1929	Mary came over to my house and woke the New Year’s in.
Wednesday, January 2, 1929	Too cold to go out so stayed in the house with Mary and played games.
Thursday, January 3, 1929	Went to the show with Mary and saw Varsity (at the Wilson)
Friday, January 4, 1929	Went to Irene’s house and stayed until Sunday.
Saturday, January 5, 1929	Went to Bobbies house that is down stairs and played school.
Sunday, January 6, 1929	Irene came to my house and we went to Mary’s house and to the show.
Monday, January 7, 1929	Started school again.
Tuesday, January 8, 1929	Grandma House [Hossman?]came over to our house. I went to the show and saw Clara Bow in “Free to Love”.
Wednesday, January 9, 1929	Got a letter from Gertrude. I wrote to my aunt Teckla & Lida.
Thursday, January 10, 1929	Went to church with Mary.
Friday, January 11, 1929	Stayed at home and did homework.
Saturday, January 12, 1929	Went to Saturday club.
Sunday, January 13, 1929	Went to Sunday School. Went to the Paradise with Gena and saw “Dream of Love”
Monday, January 14, 1929	Stayed home and studied English.
Tuesday, January 15, 1929	Stayed home.
Wednesday, January 16, 1929	Stayed home.
Thursday, January 17, 1929	Went to church with Mary.
Friday, January 18, 1929	Stayed home.
Saturday, January 19, 1929	Went to the American with my mother and saw “The Laughing Man.”
Sunday, January 20, 1929	Went to Sunday School. Went to the Bishop with Gena and saw “Com. Marriage”. We went to the American too and saw “Silks and Saddles.”
Monday, January 21, 1929	Stayed home.
Tuesday, January 22, 1929	Stayed home.
Wednesday, February 23, 1929	Went to library. At night read “The Arabian Nights.”
Thursday, January 24, 1929	Went to church with Mary.
Friday, January 25, 1929	Stayed home and fixed hearts for our church Valentine Party We had a party at school for the 8A’s.
Saturday, January 26, 1929	Went to Saturday Club. Went to Wilson with Gena and saw “The Home Towners.”
Sunday, January 27, 1929	Went to Sunday School Went to the American with Gena and Mary and saw “Annaoplis”. We went to the Ashland too and saw “Fazil.”
Monday, January 28, 1929	Stayed home and worked on English Book.
Tuesday, January 29, 1929	Stayed home.
Wednesday, January 30, 1929	Stayed home.
Thursday, January 31, 1929	Went to church with Mary.

Transcribing Diaries

Back a few years ago, before my mother-in-law, Alice, passed away, I began transcribing diaries she had placed in my possession. I managed to complete from January 1, 1932 through February 25, 1934 before turning to other projects.

In 1932, Alice was eighteen years old. She wasn't the type of girl who poured out her soul on paper each evening. Her writings are more a calendar of her life and she kept such calendars throughout her life. Each day was given some comment. Sometimes it's a mere, "Stayed home", other times she gives mention to people in her life and special events. Alice and her friends loved going to the movies and she often mentions the title and names the theater they attended. These short writings even provide a peek into her early relationship with my father-in-law.

Recently, I found the 1929 book- oops - which I've begun to transcribe and then I plan to start where I left off in 1934 which will take me into 1935. I'll need to do a little hunting around after that because I have a gap until 1939. I'm sure the missing books are somewhere - probably in the cedar chest which is bulging at the seams!

Anyway, I plan to work on this little task, off and on, while I'm taking my short break between major projects until the first of next year. For now, it's back to 1929.