Grace and Glory

Two Precious Veterans

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:57:00 +0000

We were very fortunate to receive this picture yesterday from my husband's brother. Shown here are my husband Larry Jamison as a toddler, on the knee of his Dad, Lt. Col. L. R. Jamison. The picture was taken in Waynesburg, Greene, Pennsylvania about 1948. It's fitting that I post this picture today because both Larry and his dad served in the United States Air Force. I'm proud of these Jamison veterans on this Veteran's Day and always!

Happy Birthday, Little Uncle Alfred

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:21:00 +0000

Pictured at left are my grandparents, John and Mollie (Koleber) Margheim with their two sons Ernest (my dad) at left and Alfred at right. Alfred was born November 11, 1923, but passed away on March 22, 1933.

Wednesday would have been your 86th birthday, so I'm wishing you Happy Birthday, Uncle Alfred!

Happy Birthday, Dennis and Becky

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:02:00 +0000

Ernest and Ruby Flanders Margheim are pictured with twins Dennis and Becky in 1949 on the porch of our "basement" home in Great Bend, Kansas. Dennis and I were born November 5, 1947 in Great Bend, the only children born to Ernest and Ruby during their marriage.

What a Group Sheet Tells Me About My Grandpa

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:29:00 +0000

My dad's father was John Ludwig Margheim, born in Wakeeney, Trego County, Kansas March 15, 1900. He was born the youngest of 9 children of German parents who had immigrated from Russia to Kansas in December, 1886. I recently spent a three week period trying to keep working on my genealogy research without using my laptop computer. I printed out the group sheet showing my grandfather as the child in his family and I sat down to read it thoroughly. I love reading family group sheets! I enjoy interpreting the stories they tell.

My grandpa was a quiet man. A gentle, hard working man who grew up on farms in Kansas and worked at farming, carpentry, on the railroad, and as a school custodian in his later years. He had a very pleasant demeanor. I was fortunate to live with him and my grandma as a toddler and grew up only 10 miles from their home. We visited frequently and spent a lot of time together.

As I studied his parents' group sheet, I established this timeline that revealed many of the life experiences that surely defined him as a man.

At age 12, his father died.

At age 20, his mother died.

At age 20, he married my grandmother, Amalia Koleber.

At age 21, his first son Ernest was born (my dad).

At age 23, his second son Alfred was born.

At age 26, his older brother Alexander was killed in a car wreck.

At age 27, his older sister Lena died.

At age 29, his wife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

At age 33, his son Alfred died at age 9.

At age 34, his brother Fred died as the result of what the family considered a murder, but what was ruled a suicide.

At age 46, his older brother Jacob died.

At age 50 his older sister Eva died.

At age 53, his older sister Mary died.

At age 62, his brother George died.

Grandpa Margheim died in 1978 at age 78.

My Grandpa's life was filled with family deaths and tragedy--they were frequent! Knowing that has made me more aware of the great strength of his character. Through all of that, he remained a strong Christian, a very pleasant, positive, loving and gentle man. He was not bitter, not resentful, and never exhibited any feelings of self-pity. I admire that. It was only after I studied these details on that group sheet that I was fully aware of the sorrows that Grandpa faced as he grew up. Oh the stories a Family Group Sheet can tell!

Tombstone Tuesday: McMillan Cemetery

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:37:00 +0000

The McMillan family marker in the McMillan Cemetery. As shown on the sign below, the McMillan Cemetery was established in 1843 in Nunda Township, McHenry County, Illinois.
The headstone below is that of Jane Ann (Wilson) McMillan (1823-1904), my great, great grandmother.

The headstone below is for Samuel McMillan (1815-1884), my great, great grandfather.

Tombstone Tuesday: Joe and Emma Becker

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:22:00 +0000

John Joseph "Joe" and Emma Cornelia Strait Becker are buried in the cemetery in my hometown, Great Bend Cemetery, Great Bend, Barton, Kansas. There isn't anything particularly unique about this headstone, except that it has been in view since 1944 and I've never seen it personally! I was born in Great Bend in 1947 and visited that cemetery annually as my parents decorated family graves with flowers. I have been to the neighboring plots of my grandparents Milo and Nannie Becker Flanders - Nannie being the daughter of Joe and Emma Becker, but don't recall ever looking down at their headstones while standing in that area. I was not raised with my mother, the daughter orf Milo and Nannie and granddaughter of Joe and Emma, so if I was at this gravesite, it was only briefly and for a quick visit with my mother. Not to attend to the graves of her ancestors.

Such a shame! I lived in Great Bend until I was 39 years old and in all those years, I never saw the headstone or gravesite of my great grnadparents. I also lived only a few blocks from the cemetery for 3 years! It's through the generosity of my mother's cousins that I now have this photo of their headstone.

Such a shame that we often aren't connected when we're young. Such a shame.

On the Knee of my Uncle Albert

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:08:00 +0000

As I grew up I was especially fond of my uncle, Albert Flanders (1918-2002). This photo of me at age 2 on his knee is evidence that I was fond of him even as a toddler.

Happy Birthday, Grandma Margheim

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to my grandma, Mollie Koleber Margheim

Oct. 6, 1902 - June 6, 1986

Kings in White

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Erma "Aldine" King (1914-1997)

and brother Robert P. King (1919-1987)

Franklin, Greene, Pennsylvania

Children of Samuel L. and Goldie Roberts King

Aldine and Robert are first cousins, once removed, of my husband, Larry Jamison.

Wordless Wednesday: My 6th Grade Teachers

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:04:00 +0000

Leo Lake and Elinore Haneke, 1957

E. E. Morrison School, Great Bend, Kansas

Genealogists Know This

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:10:00 +0000

Greg Olsen is one of my favorite artists and is a Facebook friend. He graciously shares his original paintings with his fans and calls the offerings in this album: "SPIRITUAL STEROIDS": DAILY thoughts & images to pump up your soul! -Healing-Inspiring-Awakening! - Greg

As a genealogist, I know this to be true: "Those we love are never far away". The more time we spend researching our ancestors, the more we learn about them and the better we get to know them. This contributes to us feeling their presence in our lives. I've been so blessed to spend thousands of hours with my family...if only on paper and in my mind. But my feelings for them have grown and my consciousness of them is ever present. I know, as artist Greg Olsen tells us, they are never far away.

Thank you, Greg, for reminding us of this. And for delighting our lives with your beautiful paintings.

Tombstone Tuesday: My First Blogoversary

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Wednesday, September 23 is my First Blogoversary. To celebrate, I'm posting this memorial on Tombstone Tuesday. Pictured here is the gravestone of Catherine Van Dyke Follett, wife of Jonathan Follett III. The memorial was created on Find A Grave by Sonnet Tidwell on Feb. 1, 2009 and is memorial #33449852. Thank you, Sonnet!

I adopted my son as an infant and he was recently reunited with his birth mother. She graciously provided us with her pedigree chart, completely filled in for 4 generations. A genealogist's dream! In researching my son's ancestry, I've found that Catherine Van Dyke Follett was his 5th great grandmother. She was born 15 Feb 1787 in New Jersey and died 3 Jan 1889 in Garner, Hancock, Iowa. She's buried in Garner Cemetery, Council Bluffs, Pottawattomie, Iowa. So she lived to be nearly 102. It's a treasure to find a picture of a headstone for a 5th great-grandmother and a woman who was born in 1787! I'm grateful to Ms. Tidwell for posting this memorial and sharing this treasure with us.

Wordless Wednesday: Fred Becker Family

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:39:00 +0000

This post is in memory of Patrick Swayze (1952-2009), 7th cousin of my step-mother, with whom he shared common ancestors Caleb Horton and Phoebe Terry.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Family Music at Christmas

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:05:00 +0000

From my treasure chest of family photos, I found this picture, one of the least attractive, but one of the most representative of some of the good memories I have from early childhood. When my Grandpa Jones came over each Christmas, he encouraged his grandchildren to play or sing for him. You can see in this picture that we honored his wish. Standing at back are (from left to right) my mom (step-mother) Phyllis, my dad Ernie, and my mom's sister Maxine. Seated from left to right are me (Becky Jamison), my twin brother Dennis, and my cousins Cora and Diana Sova. My dad is providing our accompaniment on his guitar.

When we were in 5th and 6th grade, we all played musical instruments. Maybe next week I can dig out the picture of us offering music to Grandpa Jones at Christmas time by playing our Flute, French Horn, Trumpet and Clarinet. Boy, you can be sure that was a "concert" to remember! A concert only a Grandpa could love.

You can tell by the loud drapes in our living room, this picture was taken in the early 50s.

Great Grandma Mazie

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:55:00 +0000

Yesterday I had the very special privilege of meeting "Karen", the woman who gave birth to my son and allowed me to adopt him shortly thereafter. She came to our meeting armed with photographs of some of her ancestors, as well as her immediate family.

Karen graciously loaned me her photos so I could scan and save them, which was my first priority on this holiday. One of the most precious photos she shared with us is the one at left, which is of her grandmother and my son's great-grandmother Mazie, shown here at 18 months old.

It's nice to meet you, Great-Grandma Mazie!

Tombstone Tuesday: Onesiphorus Flanders

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:44:00 +0000

My Great, Great, Great Grandfather

Onesiphorus Flanders 1772-1853

Buried at Vittum Hill Cemetery, Sandwich, Carroll, New Hampshire

Husband of Mary Burbank Flanders 1779-1853

Wordless Wednesday: A Stringer Full

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:29:00 +0000

My Confirmation Class from 1962

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:31:00 +0000

You never know what you might find when you start cleaning up your office! When I was organized paperwork in my office yesterday, I came across this photo of the Confirmation Class of which my brother and I were members. It was taken at Trinity Lutheran Church, Great Bend, Kansas in May, 1962. Since these were the classmates I'd gone to school and church with for ten years, I'm still able to recall the name of everyone in the photo. Here goes:

Back row left to right: Marsha Brack, Larry Hanken, Alice Hackerott, Vernon Dunekack, Rev. Arlen J. Bruns, Wilena Wyrick, Lloyd Willard, Judy Helmke, Dennis Margheim.

Middle row, left to right: Larry Fry, Roger Bailey, Jennifer Kruckenberg, Judy Kayartz, Becky Margheim (me), Kathy Rosencrantz, Rita Niedens, Gary Ehler, Mike Stanton.

Front row left to right: Linda Suchy, Norman Krug, Jolene Orebaugh, Doug Ehrlich, Jackie Baldwin, Bruce Helander, Patty Price and Ron Odegard.

Milo Flanders Working the Cattle

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:47:00 +0000

This picture may just look like a couple of men long ago working with their cattle on a farm. But it has much more significance to me, which is often the wonderful thing about pictures. Last month I was blessed to be found on Facebook by a cousin...actually the daughter of my first cousin, a young lady whom I've never personally met. One of her interests is in touching up old photographs. Today she emailed me this picture. I haven't seen it before and I'm thrilled to have it. The man in the background is my maternal grandfather, Milo Flanders. I don't know how old he was in this picture, but he moved from Illinois to Barton County, Kansas before he was 12 years old, and since he's a young man here I know this farm is somewhere near Comanche Township, Barton, Kansas.
I can't wait to see what other goodies my cousin has for me. I'm so grateful to Facebook for all the wonderful connections I've been able to make through it.

My Ancestors' Immigrant Ships

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:49:00 +0000

This is the ship Lucania, which sailed from Liverpool and landed at Ellis Island on 24 June 1904 bringing my great, great grandparents, George 'Daniel' and Mary Elisabeth Meier Dietz to America from their home in Kratzke, Saratov, Russia.

This is the ship Umbria, which sailed to Ellis Island on 14 July 1904 bringing my great grandparents John 'George' and Catharine Elisabeth 'Katy' Dietz Koleber and my grandmother Amalia 'Mollie', along with her two older brothers George Jr and Daniel. Katy was the daughter of Daniel and Mary Dietz, who sailed on the ship pictured at the top. The manifest of the Umbria on which my great grandparents were listed as passengers says their Port of Departure was Italy. The Port of Registry for the Umbria was Liverpool. Both ships were owned by the Cunard Steamship Company.

Wordless Wednesday: Becky and Dennis

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Tombstone Tuesday: Harris Headstone

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:11:00 +0000

This week I posted on my personal blog about the miracle of being found by a cousin I was not acquainted with. Her grandparents, with whom she was not well acquainted, are buried in the cemetery at Stafford, Stafford, Kansas. Through another wonderful online resource, I found a photo of their headstone, pictured above, at Find A Grave.

This post is a tribute to my Aunt Edna "Pearl" Flanders Harris (1916-1980) and Uncle George W. Harris (1918-1994).

Volga German Settlements

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I formed a Group for descendants of Germans from Russia (Volga Germans) at Genealogy Wise. I'm putting this map on my blog so I can link to it on Genealogy Wise.

My Mom was Buried on July 17th

becky.jamison5@gmail.com (Becky Jamison) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Dates stick in my mind. Today is July 17th and my mother was buried on July 17, 1990. I couldn't let the day go by without just making mention of her, even though I posted her picture on my blog on July 14th, the 19th anniversary of her death.

I recently took a class on heirloom preservation from Laura Best at the Family History Expo in Loveland, Colorado. She advised us to remove any old photos that we had that had been mounted on black paper. You can see that the photo above was one such photo. I hesitate to remove it from the original album (tho I will) because my mother captioned her photos with a white ink pen. I loved her handwriting. My dad did too. And I love this picture of them. I think it's very romantic!