Mystery Monday ~ Where is the Furtney Family now?

 I have an old photo album that was acquired at a garage sale.  Most of the photos in it are not marked. But there are a few with names and I'd like to get them to their family.  Unfortunately my scanner is down so I took photos of these pictures with my phone (yikes!)   I love old photos and I especially like to look at the background.  Look at that car, it's wonderful.  

I've included a photo of the back of that family picture.  It reads "this is 4 generations Myself & Lillie Edward and his son Vernon Furtney"  I searched these names on ancestry.com and I believe I found their family tree  :)  I will contact the owner of that family tree and direct him to these photos.  I hope these photos belong to them as I'd like to get them in the mail to their family.  Wouldn't we all like to receive a surprise like this? It would be wonderful if I had lost family photos that came back home. 

  
This looks like such a lovely couple.  The same name appears on the back - Furtney.  As I look closely at the picture, she has a wedding ring on and some chain hanging in front of her.  I'm not sure what that is.  He has a chain in front as well and I assume that's his pocket watch.  Also, I've notice in most old photos the subjects are never smiling.  I wonder if they were told not to.

  There is writing on the back on this photo as well.  I've included a picture of it here and as you see it's very difficult to read.  Looking at the original photo it appears to say "Mrs Maud Furtney Ft. Dodge, Iowa".   Interesting because the back of the photo also has the emblem of the photographer A. Larson who is from Minneapolis, Minn.  I will update my blog if I find the family of these photos  :)

Warm Regards,

Saturday Surprise ~ I found our Dead Baby!

I hope that title didn't shock anyone but that's exactly what happened . . . I found our dead long lost baby!  I have been looking litterly for years. My Grandfather told me, when I was a child, that he had a sister who died when she was a baby. The circumstances weren't discussed .. .that I recall.. but I had remembered hearing about a child that died. I also remember, at one time, seeing her in a coffin. I've haven't seen that picture since and have no clue where it is. All I knew was that the child was a girl, named Clara or similar, about 2 years old, and she died in the Cleveland Ohio area. Her parents were Andreas and Anna Rasmussen who immigrated to the United States from Denmark in 1889 and they settle in Cleveland. They remained in Cleveland for a while and had ten children, with six living (per census records) I knew the six living as they were my Grandfather and his five sisters (my great aunts). I remember my Aunts well. One of them is "Auntie" who I wrote about earlier in this blog. The family eventually traveled West settling in California. So for the past ten years or so my cousin (another genealogy fanatic) and I have been searching for her throughout Cleveland and all over Ohio. We both searched every record we could; baptismal, cemeteries, this list, that list, etc. It was years. I eventually put it away and focused on other areas. My cousin and I were so frustrated because we KNEW she existed, just knew it, but couldn't find her. We heard stories of my Great Grandmother having all those children and losing several,one who was baby Clara. But I put it to rest for a bit.. a long bit.. finally after about a year I decided to begin looking again.  I was reading blogs and saw on one of them something about Ohio records being updated. I thought, what the heck, let me try her again. I did a little searching... didn't actually take that long and within an hour I found her! I about fell over. You all know that feeling! I was consumed with emotion and so driven to keep going, to confirm my facts, to tell myself this HAS to be her!   I found her on this "Register of Internments" that I posted here.  There she is ... little Clara! Then I discovered she was only 10 months old when she died. I thought I recalled her being closer to 2 years old so my memory was incorrect. Her name is spelled incorrectly as it's listed there as Rasmuson, Clara M. when it's actually Rasmussen - very close though. 
Oh No! Another problem!  Look at that record ... the Cemetery name is blank! You've got to be kidding!  So I think I've found her but I'm back to searching cemeteries in Cleveland!  Wait... I was able to go back a page on that record.  The page prior says Woodland Cemetery.  Ah ha!   So now I move over to Woodland Cemetery, Cleveland Ohio records.  Low and behold that cemetery has a search feature!  I put in Clara and there she is!   There's a details button and when I click on that it lists her home address in Cleveland, which I know so well from looking at many census records. It also shows she died of "Cholera Infantum" a fact I didn't know.  But wait... there are other babies buried in with her.  I start  clicking on their details and they are at the family's home address as well.  My eyes wander down the list and there's another baby!  Buried in the same area but not in the same plot.  She has the home address!  Not only did I find Clara but I also found her three stillborn siblings (unnamed).   I now can put to rest the 10 births and 6 living from the census records.  The 4 missing are all together at the same cemetery in Cleveland. My cousin and I are elated! The last names are all spelled incorrectly but it's confirmed by the home address on the "details" link.  

I immediately updated my family tree, I updated findagrave, and I have such a feeling of accomplishment. On the cemetery's web page it states they will take photos if requested.  So, of course, I requested photos to be taken. They might not even have markers but to have a photo of the area where they are would be wonderful.  So let's hope I get some photos :)  

I also wrote my check and mailed in for her death certificate.  What an exciting treat that will be. 

This is a lesson on NEVER giving up.  For ten years, at least, I've been looking for this little girl. I will update the blog if I get photos of their graves and the death certificate.   I'm in California and tickled pink! 

Warm Regards,

Tuesday Tip ~ Old Death Records

I find this a fascinating site and get lost in time reading all the information posted here. OldDeathRecords.org is a Database of Death Records, Obituaries, Old Newspaper Mortuary Notices and other Death Articles, including Old Murders, Shootings, Suicides, and other causes of death.  The collection includes Death and Necrology Lists, Newspaper Death Lists, and Links to other Death Databases and Collections of Obituaries. You can add your own family's obituaries and death information so that others can gain access to it.  Be sure to search here when looking for lost relatives!   http://www.olddeathrecords.org/


Here's a sample of one I found quite interesting . . .

Colburn, Joseph d. 1891

Feud and Shot Gun.


RICHLAND, Minn., Nov. 21.---Joseph Colburn and his nephew, Charles Peaslee, revived and old feud yesterday. They quarreled about a colt. Colburn knocked Peaslee down. Peaslee got a gun and killed Colburn, filling his breast with buckshot.
Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX 22 Nov 1891

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Warm Regards,

An Amazing Treasure I Found Tucked Away . . .

As I was going through my Mother's things, after her death, I found tucked away, an envelope with her home address hand written on it.  It struck me because we seldom find hand written anything any more.  It was addressed at an old address of her's, where she lived when she was in her 20's.  The envelope was a bit wrinkled which I felt added character.   Here was a part of my Mom's past.  This letter had been air mailed to her.  I opened the envelope and carefully pulled out the letter that was placed inside.  As I read it, I got a sense it was from an old friend. As I continued reading I found it was from a gentleman that was apologizing to my Mother for his behavior.  The gentleman goes on to explain that his Mother had told him she knew my Mother was seeing another man. He goes on to let my Mother know that he will let her be and for her to enjoy this other man's company. The letter appeared sweet and had a sense of innocence about it.  This letter was written by a young man who was in the Army and stationed in Korea.  He talks a bit about things he's seen.  This letter was dated July 6, 1946.  The other man that my Mother was seeing was my Father.  :)   I'm so glad I found this letter and was able to get a peek into my Mom's past.. at a time when her and my Dad had just begun dating.  My Mom and Dad married in August of 1950.  So through this letter I've learned that they dated three years before marriage.   What a fantastic find.  Thanks Mom for saving this letter for so long.   Well, I took this letter one step further.  I researched the name of the writer of this letter and found he was still alive and not far from me.  I did the unthinkable.  Hee Hee .  Through the use of the internet I was able to find this man's phone number.  I kept hesitating but then decided to call him.  If he were alive, he would be in his 80's. I made the call and unbelievably I was able to speak to him!  I tried to explain who I was, and that I found a letter he had written to my Mother over 60 years ago.  He chuckled when I explained who I was.  He didn't recall my Mother.  I read the letter to him, hoping to jog his memory but it didn't.  He did say it sounded like a letter he would write. He was amazed that my Mother had kept this letter for so long.  We talked about how he must have been important to her.  I asked if he wanted a copy of the letter and he shared that he would.  It was such a wonderful experience to reach out and find someone that once was part of my Mother's life when she was so young.   It was a wonderful find.  Thank you Mom! 

Warm Regards,
 

1940 Census is Here!

Time sure does fly by.  Last time I wrote was during the Christmas holidays.  It's now April and Spring is in the air. 


I'm very excited that the 1940 Census has arrived.  Well, not for all states but they are working their best to get them posted asap.  This census will lead to new information on my family members. 


Here's some fun facts from 1940 .  .  .  .

• The federal debt: 50.7 billion
• United States Population: 132,122,446
• Unemployment: 14.6%
• Franklin D Roosevelt was President and John N. Garner was Vice President in 1940
• Cost of a first class postage stamp: 3 cents
• January 30: The first Social Security benefit checks are paid out
• The first multilane U.S. superhighway, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, opens
• The first McDonald's hamburger stand opens in Pasadena, California
• Churchill becomes Britain's prime minister 

Time for me to dig into the census records and begin searching for new clues!  Happy Hunting! 

Warm Regards, 

Christmas 2011 had a Cemetery Theme

     On Christmas day I visited my Mom's site in Forest Lawn Glendale.  I brushed some of the leaves away and trimmed the grass around her.  I found a couple pinecones attached to strong stems so I pushed them in the ground as if to make an arrangement at her headstone.  I'm sure she liked it.
     I find cemeteries very peaceful and a quiet place where you can reflect on all the lives around you.  I think about all the people there ... and wonder what their lives were like .. what their experiences where.  Is it because I'm just nosey? Or is it truly because I want to know about their life experiences?  I think the latter. What were their triumphs and struggles? What did they excel at? Were they wealthy or poor?  Everyone has a story.  I had my camera with me and I took a few pictures of headstones.. some had the same family name as mine (although not in our family) and some were  just random shots.  I left the cemetery near closing and the sun was setting.  I said my goodbye's to Mom and let her know I'd be back soon.

Ran across this stone on my walk

     Yesterday, two days after Christmas, I went to a cemetery closer to my home.  I had recently discovered that I have family buried there.  Well.. not family that I ever met.. but I did meet their brother and son (my great uncle).  I had the numbers of where they were located and stopped by the cemetery office to get a map.  The gentleman there mapped it out for me and told me where I could find them. So I headed out to find my relatives that I never met.  I walked, asked the grounds keepers, and walked some more.  I had my camera with me and took some more random shots of headstones. I saw a young couple sitting at a grave site that was decorated with Christmas decorations... they were in the children's section.  I could only imagine the sadness they must be feeling. I continued to walk on in search for my four relatives.  The area which I thought they should be was an open grassy area so I figured they couldn't afford headstones.  I found that odd because I thought of that side of the family as not being poor.  But I finally gave up and left for home. I still enjoyed my day at the cemetery.
     When home I went on to the computer and searched again, online, for their grave markers. Unbelievably I found pictures of two of them online. So they were there!  They were very large headstones like monuments.  How did I miss them?  I was concentrating more on lawn grave markers so I must have walked past them.  I will go out to that cemetery again soon and see if I can find them.  This time I hope I'm successful. 

Warm Regards,

Marie Rasmussen ~ My Grand Aunt

I remember Marie well - we all called her "Auntie".   A short lady, sweet as could be, and never married.  She was born in Independence, Ohio in 1894 (9 miles south of Cleveland). I don't know if the family lived in Independence for a time or she was just born in that city and the family had always lived in Cleveland.  I have regrets ... when she was alive... and I visited her ..  that I didn't ask her more about her past.  What I would give to sit with Auntie again and hear her stories.  Most of what I know of her is from searching through census records.  This is what I know  ....

Both of her parents, Andreas and Anna Rasmussen were born and raised in Denmark.  They came to the United States and originally settled in Independence or Cleveland Ohio. I was told by Auntie's sister, Margaret (my other Grand Aunt) that the Dr advised their Father Andreas to leave Ohio due to the harsh winters.  So the family relocated to California.

When Auntie was 16 yrs, and living in Cleveland, she worked as a seamstress in an umbrella factory. Then ten years later, in 1920, Auntie is working as a telephone operator for the phone company and living at home with her family - her Mom Anna, Dad Andreas and siblings Minnie, Robert, Margaret, Edna May and Alice. Also living there were Nels and Frank Monsen, her uncles from Denmark. In 1930, when Auntie was 36 yrs, she worked as a waitress and was still living at home, in Los Angeles, with her Mom and Dad and siblings. Auntie died in 1982, she was 88 years.  She's at Inglewood Cemetery in Los Angeles.

It appears she's never lived on her own.  Even in death she's with her Mom and Dad. 

Warm Regards,