Friday, April 29, 2011

Happy 11th Anniversary!

Rick and Cherie Cayemberg

On April 29th, 2000, just 11 short years ago, my husband and I were married at Nellis Chapel on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.  We actually married 7 months earlier in a civil ceremony, but needed to make it right with the Catholic Church (and I think our families appreciated it too!).

My husband and I were both in the Army.  He was from Wisconsin and I was from Pennsylvania, so the question was, where would we have the wedding?  Going to either place seemed to slight the other family (in our opinions) so we decided to have the church ceremony on Hawaii where we were living.  After all, it was a chance for our families to come out to the islands and enjoy themselves!

It was a wonderful time having family out there, especially all at once!  My aunt and uncle, retired Army officers, actually lived on Oahu and were generous enough to have the rehearsal dinner at their beautiful home.  This was particularly challenging for my aunt who broke her feet stepping on a dog-toy as she came down a short set of stairs in her home just days before the wedding!  In fact, it was the day my mother arrived at the airport.  When we told her why her sister wasn't there to greet her she thought we were joking!  The photographer was a friend of my aunt's and she did a great job hiding her feet under the train of my gown!

The hubby and I with our parents

It was a simple wedding.  We had a mass, but no limos or anything fancy like that.  When we arrived at the church there were old fashioned WWII era military vehicles set up along "General's Row" just down from the chapel.  You could actually see many of them from the front of the church.  Most of us took a quick glance to see them before heading into the church.

During mass Father Olczyk jokingly said that if we heard the sounds of bombing during the ceremony to not be worried.  Hollywood was there and would be filming scenes for a movie that day.  Which movie was being filmed outside the chapel that we were being married in on our wedding day?...Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck (although he wasn't there...just camera crews)!


I walked down the aisle to "All I Ask Of You" from Phantom of the Opera and had both my mother and father give me away.  Leis were given to the mother of the bride and groom, and instead of a veil, I had one of the wonderful ladies at the Honolulu Airport (Martha) that we had been buying all our leis from to make a head-leis for me to use instead of a traditional veil.  I loved it (and it only cost me $20.00)!


We looked around at various places to have the reception and everything was so expensive and formal.  Formal isn't exactly what Hawaii was all about either, so we opted to rent a small pavillion at Bellows AFB beach at Waimanalo.  We bought a keg and grilled...now that's the way to have a reception.  Even our priest, Fr. Olczyk showed up with some Green Bay Packer's gear on.  As it turned out he was originally from Wisconsin like my hubby and was my priest when I was stationed in San Antonio.  Such a small world!

The families of the bride and groom

During the homily in mass Fr Olczyk kept talking about having babies, so much so that after mass many of the guys from my unit asked if I was pregnant.  Ironically, I would be one month later!

Happy Anniversary to the best husband a woman can ask for...oh and good luck to William and Kate!  It's a great date for a wedding!


My matron of honor & sister, Aimee, and me
So excited to have a picture of me I didn't hate!























Some of "the guys" outside before the wedding

Finally convinced the guys to come in the church!
Our leis-lady, Martha, at the Honolulu Airport




Thursday, April 28, 2011

Follow Friday - A Good Laugh from Clue Wagon

I was trying to catch up on my RSS feed (that seems to happen to me a lot!) and came across this post on Kerry Scott's blog Clue Wagon.  It really gave me a good laugh...several actually.

So if you'd like a little genealogical humor that's guaranteed to make you smile and have others around you think that you've lost your mind with all the giggling you'll be doing head on over to Kerry's post called, "Breaking News:  Scientists Pinpoint the Origins of Piles of Genea-Crap."

And I was beginning to think it was just me that did all that!  Thanks, Kerry for helping me realize I may not be insane after all! :)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Pets

Alamo and Dobby 2011
My sisters and I had 3 pets when we were growing up.  We had a West-Highland White Terrier named Scottie; a male Cockatiel named Merlin (yes, after the wizard); and a black dwarf rabbit name Harry Houdini.  Each one of us had a pet to take care of.  My oldest sister cared for the bird.  My younger sister for the dog, and I cared for the rabbit.

A very hairy Scottie #2
Scottie – She was a sweet, wonderful little dog.  She grew up with us. She was actually Scottie #2.  The first Scottie died as a puppy before I was born.  I’m told by my father that she got sick and died, they replaced her with another Westie pup (Scottie #2) and she started showing the same symptoms (don’t remember what they were).  Rushed the doggie to the vet where they were given expensive pills for the dog.  The dog wasn’t getting better and they took her somewhere else where the vet told my parents that the pills were just calcium tablets and to just give the dog milk.  I don’t know what exactly was wrong that would cause this to be the cure, but I can speculate that perhaps the puppy mill that they got the dog from was taking them away from their mom too early.  Just a guess though.

Not sure if it's Scottie #1 or #2 with my older sister
So, Scottie #2 was a great dog to have.  She loved to give kisses and sit on laps.  She would walk around the house every night and check on the kids before she went to bed.  I knew this, not only because my father told us, but when I couldn’t sleep I could hear her walking through the house and come into my room.  Her dog tags would knock together and make a light tinkling sound.  She’d pause and then leave to check the next room.  Not a very intimidating guard dog, but you could tell that she loved us and protected us. 
Merlin the snugglie cockatiel

Merlin – I so want another cockatiel!  Do you know how you can buy a hand-fed cockatiel and they cuddle with you?  We didn’t buy him hand-fed, but he ended up acting in much the same way.  His cage hung from a chain on the ceiling and we’d open his door, he’d walk down to the end of it and just sing.  If you didn’t pay attention he’d squawk louder and louder until you’d pay attention to him.  He wanted you to scratch his little head.  If you ignored him for too long…maybe there was something interesting on TV, well, he’d fly over to the chair that you were on, land on the arm of the chair and start climbing up your arm until he got to your shoulder.  Those toenails!  He’d nibble your ear and play with your hair.  I never in my life thought a bird could be so cuddly.  Beautiful, yes, but not so affectionate!  A funny memory about Merlin was when we were sitting at the dining room table having dinner and he wanted our attention.  The living room where his cage was flowed right into the dining room and Merlin’s cage was open.  He flew over to the table and landed in the mashed potatoes.  Little bird footprints in the potatoes.  He was put back on his cage door and seemed very offended over the whole thing.  I think he saw the roast chicken…

Harry ready to jump out
Harry Houdini – My personal responsibility…we got him for Easter one year.  We got the cage at the pet shop that the clerk recommended and found out very quickly that this baby rabbit could squeeze between the bars and get out (thus the name Harry Houdini).  So some mesh wire was placed around his cage to keep him in…it helped with the cedar chips too!  We put a little litter box in there for him and he actually was litter trained after a while.  Too bad there wasn’t scoopable litter invented yet!  We’d open Harry’s cage lid and just leave it open sometimes.  He’d jump out whenever he wanted to explore.  I remember so many times that I’d be lying on the couch watching TV and the rabbit would hop over, jump up and then squeeze under my neck.  He’d just flatten himself out and fall asleep there.  It was funny to see him so stretched out when I’d sit up and he’d still be sleeping.  A cutie pie.   


Harry and me (What a perm!)
As with most rabbits, Harry ended up getting an infection.  He had pockets of puss that would develop under his skin and the vet had us drain them and give him antibiotics, but you can only delay the inevitable for so long and eventually it was his time to go.  I remember I was at home alone when his time came.  I picked him up and held him in my arms on his back like a baby…he liked that…he used to hold my finger between his paws and lick it when he was healthy…and he died.  I wouldn’t put him down.  My father was at the mall.  I had him paged and asked him to come home.  I was still holding Harry when he came home and took him from my arms and buried him in the backyard.


Chickatico
There were other animals that came into our house but didn’t stay forever.  My mom had a bird named Chickatico.  He was an albino cockatoo, I believe.  She thought that if she bought him a peg that he would just sit there…that didn’t work…he was a free bird and would climb up the radiator pipes up onto the ledge trim that separated our living room and dining room (and we had high ceilings!).  He couldn’t figure out how to get down.  We’d try to bring a broom handle or something for him to step on so he could get down, but he would have none of it and would just jump and SPLAT!  Hit the floor.  His wings were clipped so he wasn’t a flier.  We did think that he was just about the dumbest bird we’d ever seen, but maybe he just landed on his head one too many times.   

Chickatico the attack bird

We tried to teach him to let us scratch his head, and he would permit it from time to time.  We’d only do it through the bars and the trick was to get your finger away before he was done with the head-scratching because if you didn’t get your finger out in time there was blood drawn.  He wasn’t as delicate as Merlin.  Mom took  him with her when she left and eventually we stayed with my younger sister for awhile.  Eventually he was given to a home that was better able to take care of him.  I don’t think mom realized when she got him exactly how long cockatoos lived!  He’s probably still alive out there with his new family that, if I remember correctly, had several large birds.

We had a parakeet that I barely remember named Puffy.  My dad claims that every morning my mom would remove the cover to his cage and she would call him "Buzzard-beak".  Then one morning she removed the covered and he called her "buzzard-beak".  Don't know if I believe that.  I don't think parakeets are big talkers!
Sampson


Puffy










When I was a teenager and in college and lived with my mom, she had the sweetest little Yorkie named Sampson.  He was another snuggler and loved being held.  If you picked him up and held him on your lap he would stand up and put his little paws on your chest and then put his head on you sideways...doggie hugs! 

A sleeping Bandito
As an adult my hubby and I had some fish, but moving around with the military was not conducive to caring/transporting fish.  They were peaceful and we enjoyed them and hope to have more again someday.  We had a cat, Bandito, that was too friendly and trusting for his own good.  He fell asleep under the wheel of a car.  No more to be said about that.  We know have a very fat beagle, Alamo,  that’s 7 years old (and we very nearly lost last year due to pancreatic issues) and a new cat, Dobby (yes, named after the elf in Harry Potter), that’s about 3 years old.  My two boys are following in my footsteps taking care of their animals that love them very much.  The cycle continues…


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Repaired Card Photo

Before
After

 Not too shabby.  The more I do this, the less I swear when I'm doing it!  See...there are benefits!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Tuesday's Tip - Inputting Data on a Census Form - 1900

1900 U.S. Federal Census

Pet Peeve time...with a solution...

I love that Ancestry.com (and other sites) have blank copies of U.S. Census forms that you can print out and transcribe the results of your search in.  What I don't like is that I've found very few where you can actually type in the information and save it to your computer.

I was trolling the National Archives site checking out the info on the 1940 census last week and saw that they had a .pdf that you could input data into...but only for the 1940 census.  I checked a couple other years and found no others like this.  The down-side (apart from the 1940 census still being just under a year away)?  You can't save the data on the form.  So I conducted a quick Google search on blank census forms, got loads of hits, but nothing I found was what I wanted so I decided to make my own.

Sunday was my birthday and we have a tradition in our family.  Whoever's birthday it is gets to be "king" or "queen" for the day.  We adjust and take the Saturday closest to our birthday so we can make the most of that day.  You can have cake and ice cream for breakfast, sleep in, stay up late and pretty much do whatever you want as long as it's not dangerous or outrageously expensive.  As a mom who adores her children, what I wanted to do was have time to myself with a computer and coffee...so I went to Barnes and Noble.  This is where I started working on my version of the 1900 U.S. Census form that you can input and save your data to.  Yes, I know...this is what I chose to do on my birthday, but it's not all I did! :)

You can download the Excel spreadsheet, save it and use it as many times as your heart's content (as long as you rename the file, but we all knew that, right?).  Remember that if you save the spreadsheet and image of the census as the same name they'll be right next to each other in the folder you save them to...convenient!

You can print them out or not.  It doesn't matter because now that you can save the transcribed data on the form, you've got it on your computer for when you need it.  As long as you make sure to back up your data and ensure that you change/convert file-types with the times!

This is my first form and while it is very similar to the one on Ancestry.com I made sure that the information on the form is what the census asks, not what may have been abbreviated on the form or on their website (although they really didn't change too much).  The top of the form, is exactly (or as close to exact as I could get) to what is on the census as well.  I really don't like how the top of the Ancestry.com form looks at all.  I want to know the data at the top of the original census...period.

There's enough room on one form for 10 inhabitants.  I know that some families were larger than that, but most weren't and I didn't want to make the lines too small.  You can just fill in another form and specify in the "Comments" section of the sheet if it's not the only page.  Don't worry about accidentally typing into the header boxes either.  I've locked the sheet so you can only input in areas that you need to.

One drawback that I could not figure out...when typing in the data for an individual, when you hit the "tab" key to advance to the next box it won't go from #15 on the top of the form to #16 on the bottom so you can continue to input for that person.  You have to manually go there.  If anyone knows how to link the boxes on an Excel spreadsheet so that it will jump to that top box on the bottom set of data, please let me know!

NOTE:  When you open up the spreadsheet in Google Documents it has a blank page #1.  This will not be there when you download it.  No idea why this happens, but perhaps I'll figure it out when I work with Google Docs more.

DOWNLOADING ISSUES? 

There were some readers experiencing issues downloading the census form and were getting an error message while others aren't having any problems.  I made some changes, i.e. - reconnected the link, opened permissions more, and changed the file to an older version of Excel.  If you still can't get the document to download, just send me an email and I'll be more than happy to send you a copy!

Cheryl Cayemberg
HaveYouSeenMyRoots@gmail.com

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Military Monday - Central Texas Casualties 2002-2003

Faces of the departed - 2002-2003

There is a beautiful monument at the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery for the region's casualties from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I figured that I would pay tribute here to those men and women of all services that gave their lives in this conflict.

Roll Call

SPC Curtis Carter
TSGT John A Chapman
SFC Nathan R Chapman
SPC Genaro Acosta
PFC Steven Acosta
SPC Richard S Arriage
SPC Jonathan P Barnes
SGT Michael P Barrera
CSM James D Blankenbecler
CW4 Clarence E Boone
SSG Kenneth Bradley
SPC Artimus Brassfield
PVT Matthew Bush
SPC Nathaniel A Caldwell
SPC Isaac Campoy
SGT Sean K Cataudella
CPL Gary B Coleman
CWO Alexander S Coulter
PFC Anthony D'Agostino
PFC Analaura Esparza-Gutierrez
PVT Jesse M Halling
SGT Atanasio Haro-Marin Jr
PFC RayShawn S Johnson
PFC Karina S Lau
 CPT Robert L Lucero
SSG Eddie E Menyweather
SGT Daniel K Methvin
SGT Keman L Mitchell
SPC Jose L Mora
SPC Joseph C Norquist
CPT Leif E Nott
1LT Osbaldo Orozco
SSG Dale A Panchot
SPC Wilfredo Perez Jr
SC James "Heath" Pirtle
SPC James E Powell
SPC Christian C Schultz
SPC Narson B Sullivan
CPT John R Teal
SSG Anthony O Thompson
PVT Scott M Tyrell
SGT Melissa Valles
SPC Frances M Vega
SPC Donal L Wheeler
SGT Steven W White
CPT George A Wood
SPC James Wright

May our Soldiers come home soon.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Follow Friday - 1940 Census Excitement!


I've got several posts that I've been wanting to share, but when I read this one, I had to share it...NOW!  I know we're all waiting with baited breath for the release of the 1940 US Federal Census and here's something from Heather Rojo at Nuttfield Genealogy to wet your whistle!

I'm deeply jealous that Heather got to attend the New England Regional Genealogical Conference (NERGC), but I can put aside my jealousy because of the absolutely wonderful information she shared (as always)!  Thanks, Heather!

Check out Heather's post "1940 Census Sneak Peek for Genealogists" and let the excitement grow! April 2, 2012...I can't wait!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Treasure Chest Thursday - One of My Most Cherished Possessions

Lovely detailing on the spine.
The Bard on the front
Marian V. Brown

When I drove home to Pennsylvania last year, my mother gave me my Great Aunt Marian Brown's Complete Works of Shakespeare.  I adore The Bard and this meant (and still means) so much to me.  I couldn't find a publication date anywhere in the book.  It doesn't look like any pages came out, so I don't know if I'm just over-looking it or if it's just not there.

Marian Veronica Brown was the Theatre/Drama teacher at Hazleton High School.  Sadly, I don't know much about her that's fact (and when I say fact, I mean tales that have been verified).  She died far too young in my opinion.  I wish I had known her.  She is so far just stories.  Random mentions of a lady that my mom and her siblings know, and I don't.  It's one of those things that when you ask to know more not much gets said.  I really need to put together a list of questions for my mom and ask her face to face when I visit again in a few months.

There's a pretty good story about Marian having a love affair with a famous author, but I'll have to wait to post on that until I get home and get some details on that story!  Until then I can only cherish my Shakespeare tome. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - The Price Paid























I was taking some pictures today at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery for Find A Grave and saw this monument to the men and women that gave their lives in the service of America in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The front of the monument for each year has their pictures etched into the marble and on the back, a roll call of names.  I couldn't not  take a picture.  Next time I head out it will be with my good camera and not just my iPhone so I can get better pictures.  This is the stone for 2006.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Tuesday's Tall Tales - Run Out of Town

I've got this great uncle that's always fascinated me.  The bad boys always do.  He was the first bad boy I found in my family tree (not the last) and I was always interested in finding out if the tales were true.  This is what I had to go on...

Thomas Joseph Brown Jr. was the son of Thomas Sr and Mary nee Barrett and was born around 1905 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.  I was told that he was run out of town because of gambling and booze during prohibition.  He relocated to Elmira, New York, about a 2-1/2 hour drive (133 miles away).  What did he do in Elmira?  I'm told that he ran a whore-house.  Um...kay...My Uncle Ed also believed that Tommy joined the Army at some point, but it may not have been that long a tour of duty.

So I'm not 100% sure about the year of his birth.  It was estimated on the U.S. Census, but it should be close.  I was able to find a record for a Thomas J. Brown who served in the Army.  He enlisted in 1942 from Chemung County (Elmira is in Chemung) and was born in Pennsylvania in 1905.  Should be mine, but for some reason I never requested his military records.  I guess I wasn't so convinced it was him.  I'm half Irish and our names are fairly common...Brown?  Yeah, just think of how many Thomas Browns there could be.  I know, looking back at it I can think to myself that I was an idiot for not realizing it was him.  Call it inexperience!

No whore house found though.  Nothing verifying that he was "run out of town".  As far as we know he never married.  My uncle Ed (and he's been right or very near it with almost everything he's told me about family) said that he was buried in unconsecrated ground because of the things he'd done.  My grandfather, Edward Brown Sr, was said to have gone to Elmira to try to secure a burial place for him and perhaps to permit his burial in consecrated ground.  If he was successful, I don't know, but I did finally find his final resting place.

Last week I was fulfilling a request on Find A Grave and when I was done I decided to side-track myself a bit with my own family.  I tried locating Barrett relatives that moved to Buffalo, New York.  Not having much success with concrete matches, I turned to another line, and Tommy was the first I thought of.  He popped right up too.  The memorial had been there for years.  I couldn't believe it.  Had I really not searched for him on there before?  Either way, he was there, waiting for me to find him, nicely tucked away in Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira, NY....a veterans cemetery.

I immediately requested a picture of the gravestone and requested that his memorial be transferred to my care.  Within one, maybe two days, both had occurred.  I don't know why I was so delighted to find him.  I never knew him.  I was born 15 years after he died.  Perhaps it was the love of the hard find!  My uncle Ed was right again though.  Tommy died in 1957.

I've already sent away for his death certificate and military records.  With any luck I'll see them sometime in 2011, maybe 2012.  That won't stop me from finding more information though.  When I travel back to the Northeast this summer, I'll be diving into the local newspapers, both in Elmira and Hazleton.  I'll be checking for the obituary and see if it gives any clues to his purported shady past.  With any luck I'll find a picture.  What did he look like?...apart from being 67-inches tall and 107 pounds (short, skinny bugger!).  So many more questions and the tall tale hasn't been confirmed or denied, but I've got more to go on and that's just what I needed!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - The Irish Catholic Benevolent Union (I.C.B.U.)

Very interesting to see how the Irish Catholics were trying to improve the lives of their fellows.  It also reads a bit like "Far and Away".  Always an interesting insight into our ancestors' lives and concerns of the day!  In the end it seems like they knew what they wanted to do, but didn't want to over-step their bounds without the Bishops being present.  I have to say that I'm impressed at the National conventions, considering the time period.  I'm slowly gathering information on the ICBU and they had a national convention every year.  Their "National" convention was often times in Canada as well as the US!


 
"IRISH IMMIGRATION.

DISCUSSION IN THE IRISH CONVENTION AT ST. LOUIS.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 16 - The Irish Convention met soon after noon to-day.  Several amendments to the constitution were offered, the most important of which was one to establish an emigration bureau in New-York with a branch in each State, the Secretary of the Union to reside in New-York and superintend the business of the bureau.  After considerable discussion the matter was referred to the Committee on Immigration.

The Convention, this afternoon, went into Committee of the Whole on the immigration question, and there was a very general opinion expressed in ten-minute speeches.  Mr. Hogan, of Missouri, believed the best way to inaugurate the movement for the benefit of Irish immigrants was through the Irish Catholic Benevolent Union, and that that Union should devise a plan of operation which would meet the great need they were considering.  He vividly pictured the condition of the immigrant in New-York and other large cities in his struggle for a bare subsistence, and advocated the establishment of a bureau through wich the newly-arrived Irishmen, and also those who had been int he country some time, could be helped to cheap lands in the West, upon which they could make prosperous and happy homes for themselves and take and maintain rank among the best citizens of the nation.

Mr. Butler, of Kansas, proposed that information regarding the soil, climate, &c., of the Western States should be collated and printed for distribution to the Irish in Ireland, and to those already here, and that means be provided to assist them in obtaining lands and homes of their own.

Judge Dwyer, of Dayton, Ohio, proposed a standing committee of five on immigration, to whom all matters touching immigration shall be referred, and who shall have full control of the matter, obtain from all available sources in the Western States, particularly those through which great lines of railroads run, all information relating to the climate, productions, general resources of the country, price of land, &c., and publish it in available form for distribution.  Also consult railroad and ocean steam-ship companies regarding passenger and freight rates; make best terms for transportation, &c.  He further proposed that immigrants should be under the charge of the Union during transit from the sea-board to point of destination, and that the seal of protection of the Union should be placed around every person under its charge, and any imposition or ill-treatment practiced by any company upon immigrants should be followed by the instant withdrawal of patronage.

Mr. McDonough, of Missouri, said it was not the Irish in Ireland who most need the aid of this Union, but those already in America, living in the slums of the great cities; those who are employed on railroads, canals, public and private works, and who are abused, insulted, degraded, and, in many instances, treated like dogs by those over them.  he favored some plan by which the condition of these people could be bettered, and by which they could be assisted in obtaining land, and placed in a position where they could become independent and useful citizens.

Judge Daly, of St. Louis, also pictured the sad condition of large numbers of the Irish in cities, and said the great need was some plan to provide means by which they could be induced to leave the great centres of the country and adopt agricultural pursuits.  He favored the incorporation under the State law of Irish societies in different cities; raising funds by contribution or assessment for the purchase of cheap lands in the West; the building of houses and providing the necessary means to start the family in their efforts to make homes for themselves.

Mr. Haggerty, of Indiana, advocated the formation of stock companies on a plan similar to the building associations in different parts of the country, which would furnish money for the purchase of lands, building of houses, partially stocking farms, for which moderate interest would be charges, a mortgage on the land being taken for security.

Messrs. Whiting, of Philadelphia, Gleanan and O'Connor, of Virginia, and several others expressed views similar to those above mentioned.

After the consideration of several unimportant matters, a resolution was adopted for the committee to wait on his Grace Archbishop Kendrick, and Bishop Ryan, offering them the homage of the Convention, and asking their blessing upon the proceedings of the meeting, after which the Conventions adjourned."

The New York Times, October 17, 1873

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Appolonia Flasch

What an absolutely cool name!  Of course when she became a nun she changed it.  I suppose I would have changed it too (nun or no nun!)!

"Sr. M. Leandra Flasch, S.S.N.D. [hand-written 1967]

ELM GROVE - Funeral services were hald July 10 for Sister Mary Leandra Flasch, S.S.N.D., who died Friday, July 7, at the age of 68.

The former Appolonia Flasch was born in 1899 in St. Kilian, Wis.  She entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1927 and took first vows in 1931.

She taught as an elementary grade school teacher at St. Aloysius, Arcadia; Holy Rosary, Darlington; Sacred Heart, Laurium, Mich.; St. Patrick, Chesterton, Ind.; St. Joseph, Hewitt, Wis.; St. Alphonsus, Chicago; Holy Name, Sheboygan; and Sacred Hearts, Sun Prairie.

Sister is survived by a sister in the Notre Dame community, Sister Mary Judith, S.S.N.D., of St. Mary school, Menasha; another sister, Mrs. Richard Preo, Milwaukee; and four brothers, Leo and Al, of St. Kilian; Paul, of West Bend; and Andrew, of Milwaukee.

Burial was at the convent cemetery in Elm Grove.

[Also hand-written on the side that Leo died on July 10, 1967 which would have been the day she was buried.  Checked for Leo's grave on FindAGrave.com and he's listed as dying on July 11th so which is correct?  The person that entered the info on FindAGrave or the person that wrote on the obit?  Don't know if I'll check since I don't know if this person is in my tree yet!]

NOTE: S.S.N.D stands for School Sisters of Notre Dame

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Thrifty Thursday - Use the Photo Software You Already Have!

If you have a reasonably new computer, chances are you already have photo editing software on your computer.  My computer came with Microsoft Picture Manager.  Arguably not proper editing software, but it's not without it's uses and it was FREE...or at least it didn't cost any more money to have it on the computer I was already buying!

I know PhotoShop is excellent software (my sis swears by it and is well-versed in using it).  Drawback....it is expensive!  Yes, there are toned-down, cheaper versions of PhotoShop, but if I'm going to shell out the $$$ I don't want to start playing around and realize that it's missing something I want.  If you're going to be doing a lot of photo editing, perhaps it's a good option, but I couldn't make the commitment.  Buyer-fear and my sister is a 2 day drive from me so if I get stuck, she's not there to rescue me!

The photo editing software I eventually purchased is certainly a topic for a future post, but what I wanted to illustrate is that the free stuff isn't without worth.  In fact, I use Microsoft Picture Manager before editing with my other software.  It's not that my other software can't do something that Picture Manager can, but it's just so easy that I've over-looked learning it on the new software.  I'm bad, I know, and eventually I'll learn it.

If you checked out my "Wordless Wednesday" post yesterday you'll see 5 pictures as I went through the editing process to correct a fairly faded family photograph.  Here's the original photo and the first adjustment I made:

Adjustment #1
Original
























A pretty noticeable difference isn't it?  I did it by clicking one button on Picture Manager...the "auto correct" button...and I'm not joking.  That is the difference that one, uneducated click made in recovering this picture.  Keep in mind that I scan all of my pictures at 600 d.p.i. (at least).  You want as much detail as possible.

I use my Picture Manager to rotate, crop (which I don't often do with genealogy pics like this one), adjust color, contrast, and remove red eye.  The tools that come with the program are supposed to be simple.  Just remember not to hit "save" if you aren't happy with your finished product!