July 30th, 2010

Stories of the Week

Most Inspirational

An excerpt from William Arthur Hogan 's Story:
I am 44 now and I am just waiting to die. I have hepatitis and I have had it for over 20 years now and I can't do anything about it. I am not going to take interferon. I have a tough time with my heart sometimes. I can feel the thing not working right. I just don't have any answers to where I will die or where I am going. Now if I could help a kid today. I think I would tell the kids get on my shoulders we're going fishing. If I could I would go fishing.

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Funniest

An excerpt from Joseph Agustus Brady 's Story:
My Brother William when he returned from Japan with his wife Sue and the kids lived there with them. The garbage and the baby food waste was put outside under the back stairs after it would pile up then my Father would take it down the back and bury it. But there was a skunk that used to come to eat there. One day he got his head stuck in a baby food jar. My Mother went out to save its life and I don't know what she used maybe a hammer. but she broke the jar so it could breath. But unfortuately the ring at the top of the jar was still around the skunk's neck. So the skunk who had different thoughts didn't like the idea, so he sprayed her. She then jumped into the swimming pool that was filled up out the back. But that is the story there. She never did get that jagged ring of glass off the skunk's neck.



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Most Unusual

An excerpt from Joseph Agustus Brady 's Story:
Information needed for a History/Genealogy?

People have asked me, "What type of information is needed for a History/Genealogy and where can that information be acquired"? Here is my answer: ASK QUESTIONS!

1- From your Grandparents, Parents, Yourself, Spouse/ex-spouse and children, as applicable. Or from Public Records, as follows, If you know where they are?

2- From Birth/Marriage/Divorce/Death/Adotion Records/Certificates.

3- From Military Service Records/Discharge's.

4- From Educational Diploma's/Degree's.

5- Drom Professional Licences/Awards/Certifications.

6- From Census Records - at least one hundred years old, by law.

7- From The Court - Wills and Real Estate Transactons Records.

8- From Grave Stones - A Few paragraphs telling your/their personal story would be very helpful and highly desireable. what you would want somebody, in the future, to know about. A personal Resume - if you will.

My two youngest children were born while we lived in North Reading, MA. You can only find their Birth Certificates in Boston, for Carol, and in Melrose for Tom. That's where the Hospitals were located, where they were born. Carol was married in Bossier City, LA, Tom was married in Memphis, TN. How would you know where to get a copy of their Marriage Certificates? They are Public Records. In fact my son Neil was married in Costa Rica. How's that for making things complicated?

Simple, isn't it? It has taken me thirty years, off and on, a great deal of time and effort and yes money to acquire the information that I have Published in History/ Genealogy's recently. Surely they are incomplete. After all the History/Genealogy is only a snapshot in time, from the day of Publication - to the past. Time marches on so that what is Published is only information on which to build.

Is the Information Published an INVASION OF PRIVACY?

PERHAPS - However it is all in the Public Records, if you know where to go and you wish to learn it. AH! But how helpful it might be, to your Descendants - in the Future. Maybe your Great Grandchild would like to learn of their heritage. They want to know about you, their Great Grandparent. Don't you think they would be THANKFUL that you were far sighted enough to provide them your own Personal History- for their review?

It is absolutely amazing how much information an individual has, concerning their Heritage, however, if it is not recorded or organized so that on their passing, the information is lost to History. THINK - How much do you know about any one of your Great Grandparents? I suspect, very little - what a shame - you could solve this problem easily by Documenting your Persoanl Pedigree in a History/Genealogy, for the Future use of your Descendants. Please give it a try, I have.

I personally knew many Relatives who were born in the 1800's. They could have answered many questions that can no longer be answered. I have regretted my immaturity, for years. Had I been more interested, I could have saved myself un-told frustration. The information is no longer Retrieveable, what a loss!

I have been and amateur Genealogist for in excess of thirty years. I have been researching the Brady, Tweed, Jameson and Meyer Families, during this time. Claire and I have visited Ireland, Germany, Nova Scotia and throughout New England, partly for this purpose, trying to develop information, with some success.

I started on the endeavor in the late 1960's. One of my Grand Aunt's died and left my mother a copy of a History/Genealogy which was pertinent to my Mother. That book had been published in 1900. My Mother could not understand its content and so she came to me for explanation. It meant I had to study its content, in so doing, I was hooked. This book provided me with the opportunity to unlock the past of my Mother's Family and Heritage. Because of this one book, I have now acquired a number of Genealogies, Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Certificates, Diploma's, Degree's, Certifications, Discharged Wills and many Photographs of Grave Stones. The search goes on.

I thank God for the efforts of that Authoress. She provided me with the beginning of the search for my Heritage. She is gone now, having been born May 3, 1836 but what a legacy she has left for those, who like me, can find their Ancestors in that book. Perhaps someone will say the same for me, in the future.

After a History/Genealogy is published, the Author always hears from people who want to know why they were not included or why pertainent information was left out. To be perfectly frank - it's because they did not choose to provide it, in the first place or were not aware that a History/ Genealogy was about to be published that they could have volunteered information for.

Although a major effort was made, to find out where some people were, so that information could be obtained, the effort was unsuccessful. The results are apparent in the latter part of this book, upon examination of the content. The only solution is a future Revised Edition. I do not know who might provide it.

The Author can only use the information that is currently at hand, even though that information may be years old. One has to stop somewhere, at the age of Seventy, that point has been reached for me. I no longer have the option of delaying the publication of this History/Genealogy. If I don't, the information will be lost.

I am computer illiterate and a long way from being a professional typist, therefore, please excuse any typographical errors, however, if you come across any major errors, in content, or wish to provide additional data. I would appreciate it if you could send me a marked-up copy so that I might modify the original copy.

After reading this book, I hope you have learned something about your Heritage, I have, In compiling it. To my Grand Children - Your parents should have a copy of this book and others for the other side of the family. Contact them, if they are still alive.
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