- “Of Good Moral Character”
I have found very little information about my great-grandaunt. That may have been intentional. I have a few photos of her. And I’ve found a copy of a wedding announcement as well as a newspaper article announcing her marriage. But other than that, I have very little to illuminate me on an ancestor who seems to have been one of very few in the family—especially of that generation—who left Jefferson County, Kansas, and saw and lived in other parts of the country. Vera Curry (1879-1966) was the younger sister of my great-grandmother. Vera left their small town of Winchester to… Continue reading “Of Good Moral Character” - Small World. Vast Universe.
Though distant, I have an ancestral connection to someone who worked for NASA. Harold “Hal” Ashley Head, Jr. was born September 10, 1928, in Valdosta, Georgia. His father, Harold Ashley, Head, Sr., was the son of Charles May Head (1862-1914), a Superior Judge for Shasta County, California, and his wife Clara. Judge Charles Head’s second marriage was to my 2nd cousin 4X removed, Alfreda Eureka “Alpha” Garoutte (1873-1952), The subject of this essay then, Hal Head, Jr., was my cousin’s step grandson. Hal Head, Jr. studied at Clemson University and then worked as a mechanical engineer for Brown Engineering on… Continue reading Small World. Vast Universe. - Cartography Reimagined
Inspired by visual artists who have explored the creative possibilities of maps and map-making, I have envisioned my own map. I just cannot create it. As a genealogy researcher, I’ve found that locations can cause a lot of confusion. As an example, here’s a situation that I encountered for countless ancestors residing in North Carolina: A series of U.S. Censuses are available for the ancestor. Every ten years, for a series of decades, a record exists of him or her residing in the very same county, year after year–usually Mecklenburg County or Anson County, North Carolina. But later, a census… Continue reading Cartography Reimagined - Cut from the Same Cloth
At least four generations of women in my family possessed/possess significant skill in needlework and other handwork. My grandmother also spent some leisure time out of the house, going to a local ceramics studio where she picked out pre-fired pieces and painted or glazed them. She also made many fabulous needlepoint projects. She was disappointed when she had to discontinue that work due to arthritis in her hands, but as I recall, her affliction was less of an impediment with crocheting, and she was able to continue that for quite a while. My paternal grandmother was a dynamo. For her,… Continue reading Cut from the Same Cloth - James Cathcart in the Darbies
Learning of an ancestor’s conscription by the British Navy brings to mind…opera. One of my favorite things about genealogy research is how, in the course of trying to better understand the context of the records I find, it then becomes necessary to do even more research, often about American or European history. Learning or refreshing my memory about the synopsis of an opera during my career as a professional musician often prompted me to do similar background reading. Some works in the repertoire are based upon true events or are set during a specific time in history. It has become… Continue reading James Cathcart in the Darbies
