Stewart, Leisure, Ging Gathering ca. 1930

It's been awhile but I've finally gotten around to scanning the second family gathering photo for the Stewart, Lesiure, Ging group. I'm sorry it's a bit fuzzy but I've done the best I can with the original.

The names were given to me by my mother. I had a record for everyone except Evelyn and Junior Ricker. If anyone out there recognizes them, I'd love to know how they fit in the family. Mom may have gotten the surname wrong or I may have heard it wrong, but I just don't know who they are.

Enjoy!!

 

Wordless Wednesday - My Girls

Just a sample of the 500 plus photos scanned from the box under the bed!! Project complete!!

Wordless Wednesday (almost) - EMAY children

The beautiful girl on the left, Lizzie, is my grandmother and the person whose bio I'm currently on. This picture was taken about 1900. Not included in the photo is the children's little brother, Cleveland, who died 24 July 1885 at the age of 10 months. Ola - or as we called her, Aunt Oli - was born 31 Mar 1886, just nine months later.

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.

Three Ruch Girls - A Treasure on Tuesday

I've been absent for a few days because I've been spending my time scanning and preserving originals from a couple of photo albums I borrowed from my father-in-law. Some of these I had already scanned some time ago but I had placed them on diskettes, not in folders on my computer. Even though I updated the diskettes to CDs and DVDs, some of the files were damaged or the scans from my old scanner just didn't cut it. This time the pictures are in my family files as well as my Family Tree Maker media files as well as on a back-up drive.

However, the process allowed my to gather even more photos than I had before. Among these was a picture of three of the Ruch girls which I find very interesting. The picture is of Julia, Emma and Mary Ruch probably taken sometime in 1899 after the death of their sister, Alice. Note to pins at the neck of each dress; I think the girls are wearing a picture of Alice for whom they are in mourning. What do you think?

Julia, Emma and Mary Ruch 1899

Julia and Emma (in the back) are twins born 21 Nov 1874 in Erie, PA.

Mary (not a twin) was born 21 Nov 1878 in Chicago, IL.

Yes, they were born on the same date but four years apart.

Julia was married in 1901 and Emma in 1903; Mary came to own a restaurant on Ogden Ave. in Chicago and did not marry until 1922.

Civil War Letter - Peter Miller to family in Indiana

I transcribed this letter and have left it as close to how it was written as I could. I made no corrections for spelling or grammar.

Hospitle on the Battle ground near Murfreesboro

Jan the 31, 1863

I received a letter from you yesterday and was hapy to here from you, dated December the 6 and I hope this will find you all well. This leaves me well. I have got over the diarhea and am geting strength since I have bin in the hospitle. I have but three Patience, the Rest have bin moved to Nashville and I have easy times. Those three have there legs Broke. There is one Cook here and one person to bring Rations and ……. I will take the doler and buy me some paper and envelopes.

I have not got but three papers and I have not got any for five weeks. I would like to have the paper to read if I cold get it Regular but as I cant I don’t think it necesary to send it. I will thank you for your kindness sending it so long. Well, I thank you for this money.

You wanted to no what I had for dinner at christmas. I had no diner as we went foraging to get corn hay and ladis and we got lots of sweet and irish potatoes and then we started for this plase and left them all there and one month ago to day we had the fite with the Rebles. We left Ills with nine hundred and fifty men in our Regament now we have only two hundred. Now we are all in good health, the march from Louisville is what killed our men.

Rite if father Rents my plase and his and if he finds Lem and what he does with my horse and mare and mules and Who he Rents to and if he builes on his land and what he does with his corn and mine and how the horse and mare looks and how my hay looks. If Lem took it up and Beried and how many hogs and cattle father fed and what he got for them and if he has payed the payment on my land and his. You need not think I am tired of soldiering for I am not. All I ast is good health.

My address P. Miller, 79 Reg, Ills vol, Co E near Murfreesboro Tennisee. Plese Rite soon and where dick is. tell Charles I would like to here from him soon.

I dont no how long I will be here......

I have no more paper and will get some soon then I will Rite more.
Ann Miller   A Miller
Sarah Miller
Susan Miller


P Miller


Here is a picture of the original:

Wordless Wednesday - Sylvia Walker Miller

My Grandmother - Sylvia B Walker Miller

About 1910

About 1965

Wordless Wednesday - Century of Progress

Under the Flags at the Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois 1933.

Left to Right: Bernice Larson, Teckla Larson, Alice Davey, Delbert Larson

Excerpt from Alice Davey diary, Saturday 29 July 1933, "My Aunt Teckla and Lida and cousins Bernice and Delbert and Mrs. Crumstrum came for Mich." Friday, 04 August 1933, :"Went to the Fair. My mother came out at night about 7 o’clock. We came home about 10:30 P.M. or so."

Orphan Train Rider Medallion

Though this item doesn't reside in my house, I treasure it just the same. The picture is of the tombstone of William Sydney Emay, my great-grandfather. The medallion on the stone was placed there by his descendants at a special ceremony on June 15, 2001 and identifies William as an orphan train rider in 1861.

Miller Family Bible

Here are a few pages from one of my most appreciated family treasures:

Ole Brother Donk Sermon

Below is a transcription of a sermon penned by my great-grandfather for an itinerant peacher, Brother Donk. It's a bit difficult to read in parts because I left it as written with all the colloquial spelling and all. However, you should find a cadence that seems to help.
Some of the content may be offensive to 21st century ears (I know it is to mine) and I apologize for that but taken in the context of the time and place (rural Indiana) I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
"Does your mamies know your out?"

Baptist Sermon by Old Brother Donk. February the 26. 1860

Text “And He weighed ‘im in a bellows and found ‘im wanting.”

My deer Breethering I am a little man and I’m an old man and I’m Somewhat decript an I’m not So high larnt nor so well bred in the Scripter nor what these big colleg’ larnd fellers what preaches about the ludurnal moshun of the arth an comicks an planicksan Geologer an Biologer and Sockologer and other big larning which confusticated with Greek and Latin they throw out frome their larned lips as though a common clod hopper like your humble Sarvant darsent understand a word of what they preached about. Now though I Say it that ortent to say it I’ve wore the gospel harness for morenor twenty year and I’m mighty thankfull that I never put on enny Brichen to hold back with But now as I’m an unlarnt candle of the Lord and a dipped one at that. They call me ole Donk but it used to was ole Brother Donk.


I’m glad to Say to you my breethering that I’m a hard Shell Babtist fur I’de rather have a hard Shell than no Shell at all. Now my deer breethering and Sistern, I’m guine to let you find your own teses this evening which you can easily do by lookin in the leaves of the Bible somewhar between Revolutions and generations and when you find it it shall read as follows “And He weighed im in a bellows an found im wanting.”


Now my deer old brothers and Sisters ah I’m not a guine to preach to you to night frome New Testament for I dizzarn with my nateral Sight that there are menny young folks here what needs advice for they’re so awfully Stuck up and Stiff with pride that they think they’re daddies and mammies dont know B frome a broomstick ah but Now in the first place ah I’m afraid that some of them will be weighed in a bellows and found wanting. ah And you young ladies what Sets over there ah a tossing ov your purty heads to make your ear bobs wag ah and has got your false curls stuffed with cotton ah which looks like the curls on a Newfoundland dogs back ah. Does your mamies know your out? Oh yes ah and you will Simper and gigle an try to get Sum ov the young men to look at you ah although your not more nor fourteen or fifteen and are gist beginning to understand the meanin of Soft love words ah Does you mammies know your out? Oh yes Ah and youll get on your finery and Store cloths and jimcrackery and jewelry and try to make the people Stare at you ah Oh yes ah and you cant get into the church nor its pews when you go to meetings ah an you Stand round in the iles so that the people may See you fine dresses and the red ribons and the blue ribons and artificial flowers and grasses which make you look like unto a frosted inguin bed ah if your mamies dont know your out youl be weighed in the bellows and found wanting and youl take that red pant and that whight paint and daub your faces ah Do not the indians the Same? Ah you think that theirby it will make you look purty and hide your dark skin and freckels So yoll intrap a pair of whiskers and youl think about gittin maried. You had better go home and larn home works before you learn the pianer and yuse sich big words from the Dictionary when you couldent spell two words in Webster spelling book without making ah yes ah and you can larn to chatter french and Italien ah and put on the agony ah but you had better learn that true worth dont lie in fine clothes and big words ah but in the moral edycashun of the head and heart ah and the common sense of the mind for he weighed him in the bellows and found im wantin. Now you men what sets in the back four of the house I say unto you in the languague of Saint James that your time that was to hav ariven hav aroven for you shell be weighed in a bellows and found wanting if you can get them forty pound cigars in your mouths you can make the smoke roll like a tar kiln in South Caroliner ah and if you can get a little ov your aslo pewter in your pockets and a brass watch and a hoss you can out sihvrder move than a big nigger in bead cloth. Does your mammies know your out? If you can git a little fuz to grow on your chins you can grease em up with bars of soap and make em look as justfdvis as a mules …… ah and you can cull up your soap bars until your heads smell uctous as a muskrat ah and you can git to goin a sparkin and feed on moonshine ah when you git heels over head in puppy love and sentiment ah you think about taking upon yourselves the title husband ah when if youd go home and look at family bible records you might find not mor nor 17 or 18 years ago you wer litttle chindlen brats in your cardles ah now your not a bit more fit to be maried than a two year old todler is to be president of the united states for youl be weighed in a bellows and found wanting. Oh yes and youl try to act out the big boy to perfection by Struttin around like a turkey gobler Struttin over hot coles ah and takin about as plane an Sensible as a guinea niggar Ah but when you get your fashionalbe Suits on you and your Shals tossed across your Shoulders ah you look like a hoss in hot wether with his fly blow hiver on him ah does you dadies know your heads hav got So little brains in them and are so light that you hav to hold them back in a fortyfive angle? You may go and drone through colidge and git your acomplishments ah but youl leav the world not a whit wiser for you will make about as much show with your numbskull tomfoolery in the world as a tadpole in lake Superior ah. If you get larning git it right and dont rest on your own acomplishments for he weighed im in a bellows and found im wanting. Now if your mamies dont know your out you had better post yourselves up in the tricks and turns of the world before you venture out amoung wicked men ah and not be So goslin green like as to be weighed in the bellows and found wanting. Now in conclusion let me Say to you you ortent to make fun of old … Soles and think your dadies and mamies dont know nuthing about the tricks and turns of this world Ah for they hav lived longer in it than you hav and know what kind of humons live in it. Ah you had better take their advice for if you dont you will come out on the little end of the horn.


Eliphalet Miller

Transcribed from the original by Becky Higgins. November 1996