Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

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Wordless Wednesday - The missing eva

Eva M Kemple nee Kominar

Dusting this off with a DAR update

I met up with someone last week from my DAR chapter who has been helping me with my application.  Thanks to my dad I finally have all of my paperwork to send it in.  Our membership chairwoman has been so patient with me but after the July 4th parade my paperwork will be submitted!  By the October meeting I should be officially in!  I'm so excited.

There have been many obstacles in my way both genealogy-wise as well as life in general.  However on a happy note, once I'm in I plan on finishing up the additional 5 lines I've found so far and submit those.  I'm in no rush to get those in but I would be honored to have all of them recognized.



I'll update more soon!

Tombstone Tuesday

William Clouse, 4X Great Grandfather.
b. 16 June 1810 Bergen, New Jersey
d. 23 December 1872 Roxbury, New Jersey

 Malinda Clouse nee Voorhees, 4X Great Grandmother
b.  11 October 1810 Morris, New Jersey
d.  5 February 1875  Roxbury, New Jersey

located in Methodist Cemetery, Flanders New Jersey

Through this link I have met cousins I never knew as well as received land deeds from a wonderful volunteer.  I haven't sorted thru all my information however I'm truly blessed with the family I've found.

Geneaology Book Ideas?

Summer is quickly approaching and once my classes are done I will be hitting the geneaology trail!
My question for you all is:

What genealogy books do you recommend?

I would love to get a list started.  Summer is the only chance I have to read non school related books so I try to fit in as much as I can!

Thanks so much!

Listening to the past...Part 2

Here's the follow up post to the Listening to the Past try-it my daughter earned on our last trip up to NJ.

We had a blast and it was so fun to share stories of the family and visit landmarks with my daughter and niece.

The activities we accomplished while we were there:

1) Community Stories 4) Tell Stories of the Past 2)If these Buildings Could Talk - While in NJ, my father and I shared stories of with the girls, both my mother's side and my father's side.  Starting from when they came over to the United states, the wars they fought in and up thru the current members.  It was so much fun and they had great questions.  Just driving thru my hometown I was able to show my daughter where the family used to have farms and where their legacies still remain.

3) Visit the Oldest Cemetery - This may not be the absolute oldest cemetery in the town however it is definitely one of the oldest.  I gave the girls the task of finding the oldest grave and off they went!  We paid respect to both revolutionary war, civil war, and WWI soldiers in our family.

Off searching for the oldest grave

Dubois Swezy - GAR - Civil War

Gilbert and Sarah Drew - Revolutionary War

I had so much fun with my father and the girls.  I can't wait to go back home to NJ to do more research and take more pictures.  Thanks for sharing this experience with me!

Listening to the past...Part 1

This is a perfect title for this blog post. 

It's also comes from the name of the Brownie Girl Scout Try-it, Listening it the past 

 With our upcoming trip to my hometown, I thought this was the perfect time to work on this patch.  She needs to complete 4 out of 6 of the activities.  

1. Community Stories – listen to and share the stories of some of the oldest people in your community.
2. If These Buildings Could Talk – visit historic buildings, monuments, and sites in your neighborhood (just what you are doing now!)
3. Visit the Oldest Cemetery – visit a cemetery and learn some interesting facts as you look about, make rubbings, and search for different things.
4. Tell Stories of the Past – learn and share two stories written in the past or about the past (there are lots of very interesting stories to learned here!)
5. Acting Out – act out a scene from the past involving an historical or fictional character. 
6. Games of the Past – learn to play a fun game of the past and teach it to others! 

Throughout the week her and I are going to work on this and prepare for what needs to be done in NJ.  I can't wait and neither can she.  I post next week when we come home with her finished work!

I finally did it!

After many moons I finally have all the information to finish my DAR application.   I have spoken to a different chapter where I feel much more at home with.  I just have to pick up a few more documents from my father next weekend and I'm good to go!  Once I'm approved I plan on starting my daughter's application into the CAR :) 

After all my hard work I'm excited to finally be at this point.   Once I get the paperwork for my father the waiting will begin. 

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History – Week 1 New Year’s Day

One of my goals this year was to keep plugging away on family history and to become more active in the online Genealogy community.  Geneabloggers  hosts 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History and I'm going to do my best to keep it up.

Topic:
Week 1: New Year’s. Did your family have any New Year’s traditions? How was the New Year celebrated during your childhood? Have you kept these traditions in the present day?

Getting together with the extended family was important when I was younger.  It seemed like every holiday, birthday, or random day there was a party or picnic at my grandparent's house.  New Years was no exception.  The only difference was that it was at my Great Aunt and Uncles house.  I really don't remember to much about the days except that there was a large number of people in a tiny house with LOTS of food!  Everywhere you turned there was a table with more food.  I think I may have emptied the olive bowls myself each and every time.  It was also a sure thing that my Great Grandmother would make Jello squares.  My cousins and I looked forward to those at every event. 

Unfortunately I have moved 400+ miles away and the parties have slowed down.  My husband, daughter and I have a nice quiet NYE evening and enjoy the new year together.