As near as I can tell, this picture was taken in 1942 as the country was gearing up for WWII. On the right side of the photo, in the back row, are my father's side of the family. They gathered at my maternal grandfather's house in Jackson, as people were concerned that life as they knew it was about to be altered drastically. They were correct. My mother's father, in the center of the front row, died in 1944. His mother lived to be 97 - I had no idea that anyone in our family ever lived so long. The things you learn along the way, eh? She outlived her husband and her son. Both of my older brothers got to meet her. What a long, interesting life she had.
Anyway, I met or knew 9 people in that picture, and as far as I know, only my cousin, the young girl in the front row, is still with us, if you consider living in Australia still with us.
I got to stay in that house a couple of times, but after my uncle pissed away his inheritance the house was lost to our family and was picked up and moved to a park in Jackson. The land around it was developed into a housing tract, no doubt with the word "Plantation" in its name. So it goes.
I wish I had met that dog - what a good looking animal.
25 comments:
A second post on family and ancestors so close after DBQ's allows me to get in my question, or thoughts, about cousins, that I thought of but a little late to add to DBQ's thread. Anyway, cousins have meant a lot to me. Two first cousins in particular, Arthur and Laura. I guess it's not too strong a word to say I was worshipful of Arthur and just felt immense comfort in Laura's presence. The key is that they were both three years older than me at a time of life when three years is an unbridgeable gap, like my age 9 to their ages 12. They were superior beings to me, impossible to imagine as peers. But they were first cousins. The fall off, for me at least, in the connection to second cousins was precipitous. I don't know whether that's universal or not, so I'm asking....is it?
In the early 1700s, I had two different cousins marrying their 2nd cousins. Probably not too many women to choose from back then.
I love old pictures.
nice story...
like the picture
Aha!!! Sixty. You are hooked now!
I love the old photos too. People looked so very serious then. But...when you consider how hard life was, they had good reason to be serious.
@ ricpic
I think the cousin thing has more to do with age relevance than whether you are a second or first cousin
My first cousin is the same age as my daughter...so they are second cousins. I'm not very close with my first cuz, but my daughter and she are very close. Her father, my uncle is (or was as he has passed long ago) ...is only 8 years older than I am.
I have a second cousin, my father's first cousin who is just a year or two older than I am.
We aren't all that close but relate on the same level as if we were firsties. My grandmothers youngest brother (Dad's uncle) was just a couple of years older than my father.
Confused?
Evidently my families have had the ability to procreate for a very long time creating much overlap in generations.
DBQ, when you have a second cousin, their children will be called your second cousins once removed.
Same thing with your third cousins, their children will be called your third cousins once removed.
... and on and on.
I have had some cousins who should have been removed, just sayin'.
My father had a daughter who is one year older than my oldest son, so his aunt is essentially the same age he is.
And, while this has nothing to do with any of that, I just learned that my oldest granddaughter has the same birthday as my first cousin.
Families, what are you goin' to do, eh?
... and when your second cousins once removed have children they will be your second cousins twice removed.
You have to take the good with the bad, I had a grand uncle who died of syphilis.
I just learned another thing - I am not naming names here, but based on marriage records versus birth date, one of those serious lookin' couples had to get married. Fascinating!
Whoopee. Johnny wearing low cut cowboy boots and actually dancing. Nothing like a good woman to put a little cut in your strut.
My son was born on his first cousins (twins), twice removed birthday. They are 65 years older than he is. One is still living, 88 now.
"In the early 1700s, I had two different cousins marrying their 2nd cousins. Probably not too many women to choose from back then."
I don't know how you can remember that far back. I forget what I had for breakfast.
bags, this is information that Ancestry provided with their "hints". This morning I had some eggs and some other stuff, I guess.
Great picture though yes there are many such but having it explained with who's/who is great.
When I was in Nova Scotia I did some research on my mother's side of the family. I learned my alcoholic brute of a grandfather was a cop. He was on the wrong side of the law when he moved to the US in 1921.
When all 4 of your grandparents were immigrants it makes research a challenge. My bride got me a 23 and Me for Christmas. Haven't gotten the results yet.
@ Spinelli
Yes. Immigration did put a stopper on some research for me. The farthest back that I can research my Welsh Great Grands is when then immigrated in 1880 to Rock Springs Wyoming. Before that they were born in Wales. Plus the details are a bit murky (suspicious) about marriage or not. And the fate of my GGrandfather is also hidden in mystery. Rumor is that he left his wife in Wyoming, shortly after the birth of my Grandfather (1890), to go to Virginia City and mine there and .....that was the last she heard for sure. Rumors of his death by 'misadventure' were sent by a friend of his in Virginia City to her. But who knows. We do know he left Wales under a cloud. Something to do with drinking and fighting. Dead? or Deadbeat?
Ancestry, unless you pay up!, only accesses US records, so getting details from Ireland or other places is difficult.
Sometimes you may find another person who is researching your ancestors too has gotten foreign ancestors information. You can glean some info from their research.
I should stop being such a cheap bastard and pay for 6 months for foreign info.
You'll be lucky, Nick, if you can go back to the 1850s if your ancestors are from Sicily. Maybe farther back if from Italy, but I doubt it.
DBQ, are you making a family tree on Ancestry? If so, do you see a green leaf by the names after you enter the name on your tree? Using that (green leaf hint) will take you to a list (sometimes huge) of others that have made a family tree using that same person.
... which will lead you to their parents names, plus all of their children.
I've been with Ancestry for quite a while, so I'm not sure what the cost would be now for someone just starting, but I pay $199 every six months. I think that it's well worth it. I have unlimited access to all of their information. Now at #550 4th cousins or closer.
@ Allen
Yes. The green leaves are great! I have often been able to get info from other people's family trees via the hints. Some branches of my various families histories seem to be rather well researched with lots of relatives and leads. Others, no one but I and a few people are researching and we all seem to have hit dead ends.
I also take the info in other family trees with a grain of salt (doubt) because I have seen some mistakes that I KNOW to be wrong information. There is one person who has a photo that is listed in his tree as the person who is my mother. It is NOT my mother and I have told him repeatedly to take it down. Grrrrrr.
Yes, be careful about others family trees. Usually, there are numerous entries on a family member, you have to sort through the info, and choose what to use for your own tree. I guess nothing is perfect. Kinda like life. My grandfather from Sicily family tree stops with him. He came to America in 1910. In the 1920s he applied for citizenship and was denied. He finally became a citizen in the 1950s right before he died. On the document for citizenship he was asked if he tried to become a citizen before, but was denied, and his answer was yes, and that he was denied because he was on parole. I had asked my mother about him, but eventually she asked me why I was so nosey.
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