#48 - Wednesday's Child #1: James W. Bagby

Wednesday's Child #1: James W. Bagby

"Wednesday's Child" is a genealogy blogging prompt where you post photos of gravestones of children and give life to the young soul's story. In my inaugural post using this prompt, I am writing about James W. Bagby, my wife's 1st cousin twice removed.

 

Back on February 4, 2020, I wrote a brief biography of Josiah W. Bagby (1835-1913) who is my wife's great-granduncle.  In preparing to write that post, I visited Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, where he was buried.  While at the cemetery I found a total of three family plots for the Bagby family.  

Oakwood Cemetery Sign from https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/51498/oakwood-cemetery/photo downloaded 2021.12.21.

#47 - Lines: My Patrilineal Line

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of December 13 is “Lines".  I decided to post about my Patrilineal Line as far back as I can document.    I am able to trace back my patrilineal line to my fifth great grandfather.

#46: Homemade - Anna’s Chair

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of December 5 is “Homemade."

Cropped image from an undated, original photo in the collection of ©Virginia E. Summers Olsen

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Anna Marie Gillen was the fifth of seven children born to Frederick and Mary Kraher Gillen.  She was born November 12, 1886 in Jersey City, NJ.  She was their third daughter, but the only one to have survived to adulthood.  My great, grandfather, Edward Gillen, was born next in 1888.

When Anna was 19, she married Edward Colwell on December 23, 1905.  

Anna Marie Gillen and Edward Colwell, circa 1930.  Enhanced and cropped image of a scanned photo from the collection of ©Virginia E. Summers Olsen.

On September 24, 1910 Edward Gillen married Caroline Schmitz in New York City.  And they soon started their family when Anna Marie Gillen (my grandmother) was born on July 6, 1911.  Obviously Edward and Caroline named her after Edward’s sister.  And Anna and Edward Colwell were named as her Godparents.  

Anna Marie Gillen, undated image, but estimated about 1911-1912.   Scanned image from original photo in the collection of ©Virginia E. Summers Olsen

For Anna’s first Christmas in 1911, Edward Colwell made the chair pictured above as a gift to Anna.  So this wonderful “Homemade” gift is now a 110 year-old family heirloom that four generations of Anna’s descendants have sat in!

This ends Part 1 of this story.  Part 2 will cover the journey of the chair through the generations and will be continued in our family’s private Facebook group.

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How I'm related to Anna Marie Gillen:

                                Frederick Gillen = Mary Kraher

                                                            |

                  ———————————————————————————-—————

                  |                                                                              |

  Anna Marie Gillen = Edward Colwell                  Edward Gillen = Caroline Schmitz 

                                                                                                          |

                                                                                          Anna Marie Gillen = Charles (SOLTIS) Summers

                                                                                                                          |

                                                                                                                       Mom = Dad

                                                                                                                                  |

                                                                                                                                ME

#45: Strength: Elizabeth “Eliza” S. Faris

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of November 28 is "Strength".  For over a week I struggled in trying to think of an ancestor to apply this prompt too.  I scrolled and scrolled through the family tree looking for inspiration and potential facts that could lead to a story about strength.  And then I found the story of one of my wife’s ancestors, her 4th great-grand aunt, that embodies Strength.  And it is so hard to believe that the details of this woman’s story from the early 1800’s was so well documented.

#44: Thankful

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of November 22 is "Thankful".  

#43: Signature Saturday #1 - Cecelia Strahle and Frank Hillenbrand

Signature Saturday

Signature Saturday is a genealogy blogging prompt where you post a copy of an ancestor’s signature.  For my inaugural post using this prompt, let me introduce you to Cecelia Strahle and Frank Hillenbrand, my Great Grandparents.

#42: Those Places Thursday #1 - Mining Towns of Washington State

Black Diamond and Ronald Washington

"Those Places Thursday" is a genealogy blogging prompt that allows writers to write about the places that their family lived in.  In my inaugural use of this prompt, I'm going to write about the mining towns of Black Diamond and Ronald Washington.  

#41: Loss - Hugh C. Rogers Formally Declared Dead

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-11)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of March 21 is "Loss."  So today, March 27, I am going to write about the loss of Capt. Hugh C. Rogers during World War II.

#40: Name's The Same: Ole

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-10)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of March 7 is "Name's The Same."  In my paternal family tree, the name Ole is a name that keeps popping up.

#39: Multiples: Johann Phillip Kräher

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-09)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of February 28 is "Multiples." Some may remember that I covered this prompt in 2020 with the Multiple being the Original Olsen Twins - Clifford and Ludvig Olsen.  For 2021, this prompt appears the week that I'm focusing on my Gillen family line.  So let me introduce you to Johann Phillip Kräher who had multiple marriages.  

#38 - Power: Newton McAllister Lee

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-08)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of February 21 is "Power." It took me some time to gather some research on the Davidson family line for Newton McAllister Lee.  

#37 - Any Day News Article #1

Any Day News Article #1

Marjorie Voorhees Bagby Jarrett and the Albert H. Hill PTA

Back in February 2020, the website newspapers.com, which is a website that bills itself as the "largest online newspaper archive," had a weekend with free access.  So I was going through my research log and looking for some obituaries that I wanted.  While searching the last name Voorhees and Richmond, Virginia, up came a lot of hits for Mary Marjorie Voorhees.    I found many family obituaries, but I also found some wonderful announcements in the Richmond Times-Dispatch for my wife's grandmother Marjorie Voohees Bagby Jarrett.  It used to be a common thing to submit to the local paper social engagements.  I found some great social announcements along with some announcements for church programs.  

But the announcement I want to highlight today is in honor of the Parent-Teacher Association (P-TA) Founders' Day which is recognized on February 17.  

#35 - In the Kitchen: The Cookie Jar

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-05)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of January 31 is "In the Kitchen."

#36 - Valentine: Emma and Clifford Olsen

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-06)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of February 7 is "Valentine." 

#34 - Namesake: Burton

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-03)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of January 18 is Namesake.  One of Amy's suggestions for this prompt is "Do you have an ancestor who was named for someone else?"  

#33 - Legendary: Ole Torsen

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-02)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week beginning January 10 is Family Legend.  In her email to introduce the theme, Amy provides some inspiration, and I took from it her message: "Perhaps you have an ancestor who was legendary (or should have been)."

So for this week's blog entry, I'm writing about Ole Torsen since he should be legendary because he is my oldest documented paternal ancestor.  Ole is my 5th-Great Grandfather.   He appears in the 1801 Norwegian Census for Trøgstad, Østfold county.

#32 - Sunday's Obituary #1: George Gillen, Sr.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-01)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of January 4-10 is "Beginnings."  I'm interpreting the prompt as this post is my Fresh Beginnings for Family History Blogging. 

I started blogging, in earnest last year.  I started off very well.  I did 19 posts between January and the middle of July.  While I didn't make a post every week, 19 out of 30 weeks was a good start.  Then the effects of the COVID-19 restrictions and teleworking began to take a toll on my motivation.  I only made two posts for the back half of the year.

So, this is my Fresh Beginnings in 2021!