Wordless Wednesday-out in the snow

I thought this picture would do today with the snow falling outside. My Grandfather, James J. McCarry, Sr, out in the snow in Saranac Lake, NY

SNGF-Your Very Best 2010 Research

It's Saturday Night again(I know, you just celebrated New Years Eve - are you home for the night?-- Time for some Genealogy Fun (what else is there?)!!

Your mission, should you decide to except it, is to:

1) Decide which of your (many?) genealogy research adventures was your "very best" (your definition).

2) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Status report or comment on Facebook.

Here's mine:

It has to be one of the two "brick walls" the I have broken down in the last part of the year.
My great grandfather, Emil Gunther, has been like the invisible man to find anything about. Along with his wife. I started checking around in Family Search and the records they recently microfilmed from Philadelphia, PA. My grandmother had always said that her mother died when she was little, so I thought it might have been before 1915. The death records they had are up to 1915. So I started looking and I found her death certificate. She died in 1914. This gave me her parent's names and her death information. I found that she is buried in the same cemetery as her daughter. So I went to the cemetery with the hope that in the records I would find that her husband, Emil would be there also. My grandparents were married in 1920, so I figured that he died after that. Well I lucked out big time! Not only did I find that Emil died in 1924, but also buried with them is my grandparents' first child that had died in 1922 at 10 months old. I had known about him but had no information until now. I have ordered and am still waiting for death certificates from PA for both Emil and "Baby James". So I would say this was a great research adventure for 2010!

Wordless Wednesday-Day in the Park, Bethlehem, PA

David W. O'Donnell (my grandfather) in a park in Bethlehem, PA in 1920

Blog Caroling

Christmas music is my favorite music. When I was growing up and going to Catholic School, my favorite time was when we started singing the Christmas Carols. I think my favorite was " Come all ye Fathful" or the Latin, "Adeste Fideles". the best part was singing the chorus and getting louder with each verse.

This is from Google:The text to the Carol O Come All Ye Faithful was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles) and was intended to be a hymn, it is attributed to John Wade, an Englishman. The music to O Come All Ye Faithful was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. The tune was first published in a collection known as "Cantus Diversi" in 1751. In 1841 Rev. Frederick Oakley is reputed to have worked on the familiar translation of O Come All Ye Faithful which replaced the older Latin lyrics "Adeste Fideles".

O Come All Ye FaithfulJoyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him,Born the King of Angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,Christ the Lord.

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.