Advent Calendar of Memories-the Christmas Tree

The Memory of the Christmas Tree

When I was little, every year one corner of the living room was taken over by "the platform". My dad would bring up the saw horses to hold the large piece of plywood that fit into the corner. The "skirting" around the outside was "brick" coragated paper. Then the top of the plywood was covered with the green sand paper for the giant Lionel Trains to go on. And we had the giant buildings to make up the town and the farm. In the middle of it all was the tree that Santa brought. the big memory I have was on Christmas morning, sitting at the top of the steps waiting for my parents to come home from 6 AM Mass. My Uncle had guard duty. He had to keep my sister and I at the top of the steps until they came home. I can still remember sitting up there and the wonderful smell of the tree coming up the stairs. It just added to the excitement and anticipation of it all!

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy - Challenge #47 - Genealogy Gifts

My Genealogy Gift Wish List

This week for our challenge we should list what Genealogy gifts we would like to receive. I have been making a few wish lists recently. Part of current ProGen assignment is a Wish List for our Genealogy Library. So I am working on that. And doing that has had me begin a Wish List on Amazon. So some of those will show up here. I think I will start out with Electronics.

It would be great if Santa would bring me a new Desk Top computer. The other electronics item would be the Magic Wand-Portable Scanner. Since we have been hearing about these in our community I have only found where you have to order these, but in this week's Bed Bath & Beyond ad I see they have the same item for the same price and you don't have to wait for it come (except waiting for Christmas). I am sorry, I do have another electronics Wish item. Would love an iPod.

On to some books. I need to replace my copy of "The Surnames of Ireland" by Edward MacLysaght. Also would like "Tracing Your Irish Ancestors" by John Grenham, the "German-English Genealogical Dictionary" by Ernest Thode, "In Search of Your German Roots" by Angus Baxter, and Hans Barlow's "Book of German Names"

Then I guess we come to Society Memberships. The two main ones I am looking for right now are New England Historic Genealogical Society and Connecticut Society of Genealogists.

It is always fun to dream and this has been fun. Wishing you all a Merry Genealogy Christmas!

Military Monday-WWII Church Certificate

This was among my Dad's treasures from his time in the Army. This is from his home parish. I thought it was great that he had such support from home.

Surname Saturday-Gunther/McCarron

Breaking Down Brick Walls

This has been a Bounty Genealogy Week for me and some more brick walls have come down.

I have written before about Emil Gunther and how hard it is to find information about him and his second wife, Catherine McCarron. On Tuesday night I found their Marriage license in the Philadelphia Index. Then I started to look for Catherine's death certificate. I thought it must be before 1915 because my grandmother had always said that she died when she was a little girl. And I found it. She died 17 Sep 1914. And this gave me her parents names and that they came from Ireland and where she Emil and their daughters were living when she died. It also told me the cemetery where she was buried. The same one where her daughter is. So I went there today hoping to also find Emil and his death information. Well I found him, he died 1924. I also found there is a baby there. He is the baby of my grandparents who died when he was only 10 months old. So wow what I week I have had. I have to move these bricks out of the way and continue on.

Treasure Chest Thursday-Patriotic Parade

Undated newspaper clipping my Grandmother kept. My father, George O'Donnell is the second drummer from the right. I think this is about 1936.

Wordless Wednesday-Thomas Emil Gunther

Thomas Emil Gunther is one of my Great Grandfathers