Remembering 9/11 - Genabloggers

I was at work and my husband had just returned home when he heard it on the car radio.  As soon as he walked in the door and turned on the television, the second plane hit the towers.  He called me at work and gave me the news.  As we talked, he kept updating me with the latest news.  At the time I worked at a moving company whose trucks had only a dispatch radio.  I remember calling the trucks to give them the news and making the comment " We're at war."  At home after work, we watched the towers crumple time after time in disbelief that this could happen in our country.

Our grandchild was due to be born in Germany, and we had reservations to fly to Germany on Sept 12.  All flights were canceled  and the earliest we could fly to Germany was September 16.  We flew on a German airline and the crew had been grounded in the United States for a week.  They were very anxious to get home.

People asked if we were afraid to fly, but with the security so tight, it was probably was the safest flight I ever took.  One man set off the security alarm and it was determined that it was the foil wrapper on a stick of gum in his packet!

Semtimental Sunday - Labor Day

Long ago Labor Day was a time of parades and picnics celebrating the workers.  Workers built floats that proudly displayed their trades.  Like other parades, there was candy and music.  After the parade there was usually a picnic or cook-out in a local park.  There are still some traditional Labor Day activities, but we hear much more about the sales and the end of Summer..

Labor Day does mean the end of Summer and traditionally it is time for back to school.  It was the last weekend at the lake for many and school began on the next day.  Now many schools begin in mid-August or earlier and Labor Day is the first 3 day weekend of the school year, not the last weekend of Summer.

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy - Challenge #36

Week 36: Check out the Family History Library catalog (http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp)

I have been using the Family History Library catalog for some time and it has proven invaluable in documenting my family records.  I have ordered films of church records from Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden.  I don't speak these languages, but have found that names are fairly legible in any language and the records are written in both Latin and the language of the country.

Usually I use the place search but lately have also used the keyword search.  Case in point:  the place search for St Mel Church shows 2 films of church records available, but using the keyword search for St Mel Church gave me another film which held the Baptismal records for 5 of my mother's brothers and sisters.

I have ordered the church records  from Oberselters Germany and been able to trace my ancestors back to 1732.  Lucky for me they didn't seem to move often.  In the 1850s they began migrating to the United States.  They settled in Milwaukee, WI, St Louis, MO, and Austin, TX.

I use the film/fiche search when I have taken less than substantial source notes.  I may have a film number, item number, and page number but not the actual title of the film.  Film search is a quick fix.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Baptismal Records

I had been looking for the Baptismal records of my Connery grandparent's children but could only find the records for the oldest three.  I knew what churches they attended and checked the Family History Library for films of the records.  I perused all of the films of the records of St Mel Catholic Church in Chicago and found only Communion and Confirmation records.  Where were the Baptismal records?

Then I remembered a blog I had read about using the key word search.  There it was!  A LDS film with the Baptisms listed.  I had forgotten that at one time the parish was known as St Mel Holy Ghost Parish.  The film I needed was titled Catholic Church. Holy Ghost (Chicago, Illinois).

Once I ordered and received the correct film, I had no trouble finding the Baptismal records of 5 of my mother's siblings.  The records gave name, birth date, baptismal date, parents, Godparents, and address of the child.  The Godparents were usually related to the child and thus could help to determine other family members.

It was truly a treasure that I remembered Holy Ghost Parish!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Thanks Randy!  This was really fun.

Treasure Chest Thursday - The Journey of Cabinet 1940 - 2005

I first knew this cabinet when it lived in the kitchen of my parents first apartment in Chicago. At the time it was built in to a wall of cabinets and was covered with many coats of white enamel paint.  We eventually moved to other apartments and then to a house in the suburbs.  

Fortunately, my Uncle Tom owned the apartment building and when it was sold in the mid-1960's we were offered the chance to take what we wanted from the building.  We took the cabinet and moved it to our little 4 room apartment where my husband,  Dave, worked very hard to remove the white enamel.  He thought there were at least 32 coats of paint!  Finally it was revealed that the cabinet was solid oak.  After it was stained, it took a place of honor in every residence we occupied.  I moved with us from house to house in Illinois and finally to Florida.  With every move we prayed that nothing would happen to the stained glass door.  

After about 15 years in Florida,  Dave decided it was time to pass in on to our son David.  He did some major repair work on the top, and one side and then re-stained it.  Once again it was moved.  This time it was back to Illinois where it is under the care of David. 

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Alice Connery (aka Sr Marie Camilla, OP)

circa 1904 Chicago, IL