Family History

Wendell and I decided it was time to go to Brookville and find his family there.  We joined the Jefferson County History Center and were welcomed to all the books we could find and a genealogist to help us along.  Fabulous place!   I got the info on his grandmother, but we hit some brick walls as far as other family members.
It wasn't a loss at all, but very informative- I have learned "HOW" to find the information online and to go to other records.
It's fun.
Today when I signed on to AOL, I discovered an email from genforum on Daniel Blair which I'd posted last week.  I have to do some sorting, but we are somehow connected indirectly to Alexander Peden's family..  I feel like I'm reliving Charles Carroll of Carrollton !!!  How fun.  Alexander Peden's Aunt Esther married Brice (Bryce) Blair.. and though I have the line in a pile of papers, I've not had time to untangle it. 
More later on that.

Genealogy

Family history is a passion for me I suppose. I have so much information and it's like putting a puzzle together piece by piece. Trouble is, the pieces are filling my 'office' to nearly capacity and I need to find a work space to put some of this together. It has been quite a few years since I sorted out , pitched, and put the histories in binders. Now, there are binders with data waiting to be put in other binders... forevermore.

Hubby bought me an update for my family tree maker software, and it came with 6 months of Ancestry.com. WOW. So while the snow is flying, I'm warm and cozy sitting in front of my computer searching for details of our families.. and adding my own notes.

The infamous "BRICK WALL" has been present for a long time.. as long as I've had an interest in family history. It involves only one person in the history.. Wendell's maternal great grandfather. Information is sketchy and more like obscure. His grandfather was Oren Scott Grove born 23 May 1865 in Perry Twp Jefferson County PA. He died November 25, 1955 in Butler County PA. I have visited the Rehobeth Cemetery in Armstrong County PA where he is buried. Besides his immediate family whose names are familiar, there is another headstone beside his that reads "Nancy Grove Smith~1835-1911" I have to assume this is his mother, but who was his father?

I checked the census records. The Federal census of 1870 revealed something interesting.. Nancy is living with her parents Jacob and Elizabeth Grove with 2 5 yr old children- Oran Neel and Mary C Neel. This HAS to be our family.. but who is Neel? Oren Scott was a twin. His twin sister was Mary Catherine Grove (Myers). So why were the childrens' surname listed as Neel? And who was Nancy's husband? Or was she married? Lots of unanswered questions.

No good excuse for it.. I just didn't remember..

Happy Anniversary

Keith and JJ

and many many more

wonderful years together

pictures from Ken's party

Amanda and Dieter

It was a rainy day and just kept getting rainier..

A cart to take us to and from our cars

Candy and John Craig and Emily

Bill and Carol Imm..

Our Gang

Matt

Jane and Claudia

The roast..

Dave Leah looking really good

I have counted 19 family birthdays in August..
WOW!!!
Our family sure has grown on every side.

A BIG
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
TO OUR OLDEST GRANDCHILD
JOYCE..
SHE'S OFFICIALLY
12
TODAY!!!!

Birthday picnic

Sisters.. Annabelle and Joyce

Paul3 watching and waiting for cake..

Me..Daddy..me...daddy
Paul2 and Annabelle

Sharon on the left, Amy's sister;
Then Annabelle, Joyce,Marilyn, and David

The Z's got Joyce a beautiful dress for her birthday

Papa bought her a delicate and beautiful necklace

AND.. we got her a Webkinz Clydesdale

Da Boyz.. Keith and John

It was really special to have a cousin come today to the picnic..
Here's Daniel and his cousin Jeffrey

David asked for a Webkinz skunk..

and a chipmunk too

After we ate, the kids had a Frisbee game to play..

Of course, some assembly required first..

Joyce's cake

I decided to have an egg hunt later this afternoon.. just
something a little different.. So I filled 15 plastic colored eggs for each child
with a piece of gum or candy and a few coins.. and then herded kids inside
so we could hide them outside. It really was quite fun!

Everyone got into the act..

Paul3 had black eggs.. and a toad he found while he was
searching for his eggs.

We did have set borders for where the eggs would be hidden.
Try a black egg hidden under the wiper blade of my car.. ugh

Annabelle had yellow and gold and pink eggs

5 birds.. they are growing up fast..
Daniel,David,Paul3,Joyce, and Annabelle