Genealogical Gems

This just in from the National Genealogical Society (NGS): Registration will open on Sunday, 1 December 2013, for the NGS's 36th annual family history conference. The conference, "Virginia: The First Frontier", will be held 7–10 May 2014 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and the Marriott Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. The conference will again feature the Board for Certification of Genealogists’ Skillbuilding track, which focuses on research techniques useful to both the beginning and the advanced researcher. Among the eighteen lectures in the migration track are David Rencher’s “From Ulster to Virginia and the Carolinas,” Eric Grundset’s “The Chesapeake and New England: Colonial Connections and Migrations,” and J. Mark Lowe’s “The Migration Triangle: Virginia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.” A two-day German track features lectures on German research in both the United States and Europe. Single-day tracks focus on DNA, NARA, military, and African A...

In addition to Genealogical Gems here, I also post at Facing Diabetes , a blog about diabetes and my day to day living with it. November is National Health Blog Post Month and it is also National Diabetes Month. So, most days I have posted various health related thoughts on specific prompts. Today's prompt is "A Time to Give Thanks". I felt my answer was also worthy of Geneablogger's regular "Thankful Thursday" prompt. A Time to Give Thanks What’s the one thing you’re most thankful for? Write a list of three things that you’re thankful for, excited about, or inspired by. I am most thankful for ... my faith. Three things additionally that I am thankful for: 1. my family 2. my Church family 3. my health - though far from perfect, I recognize that it could be a lot worse. Happy Thanksgiving to all ...

  Anna Zook   b. 18 July 1866 d. 15 February 1947 buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Township, Chester County, PA   Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

    BABEL   Husband George W 1897 - 1987 Wife Helen M 1902 -1972 Mother Mary 1857 - 1944   buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Township, Chester County, PA Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

Joseph Sokso,  age 87, of Milton, DE formerly of Sadsburyville, PA passed away on Monday, November 11, 2013 at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, Newark, DE. He was born January 29, 1926 in Coatesville, PA, son of the late George and Mary (Kernke) Sokso. Mr. Sokso retired as a foreman in 1988 after a 40 year career with Lukens Steel, formerly Bethlehem Steel in Coatesville, PA. After retirement, he relocated to Milton, DE where he enjoyed sunny days fishing and boating on local waters. Mr. Sokso could fix anything he tackled, especially household projects, with a very analytical mind. He thoroughly enjoyed designing and building the family's two homes. When time permitted, Mr. Sokso loved travelling, experiencing all this country had to offer. He also served as a Lecturer and Bible School volunteer at Zion United Methodist Church. Previously, Mr. Sokso served as a Trustee on the Board of the Lutheran Church in Coatesville, PA. He was a humble man, never looking for ...

  HEWCZUK   Wasyl 1888 - 1955 Irene 1894 - 1971   buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Township, Chester County, PA     Wasyl was born in Austria, according to his World War II Draft Registration (1942). At that time he listed his residence as Honeybrook. His contact person was "Mrs. Hewczuk" who was living on Palmer Avenue in Coatesville. His birthday was listed as 2 February 1888.   On his World War I Draft Registration (1918) lists his birthday as 10 September 1888. Both he and "Mrs. Irenya Hewczuk" lived at 519 First Avenue in Coatesville. He lists that he is still a citizen of Austria Galicia and that he is employed by the Midvale Steel and Ordinance Company as a pitman. Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

Today - Veteran's Day - we take a moment as a nation and thank all those who have fought for our country. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." Originally called Armistice Day, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. Today, I'd like to take a moment and thank all those who fought for our country, our freedoms, and our way of life. I have so many ancestors who served that I am sure I would miss someone so I will say Thank You in general.

David C Eckman, 87 David C Eckman of 147 Loop Rd., Pequea, dies at Lancaster Regional Medical Center on Friday, 21 November 2003. He was 87. Mr. Eckman was born in Little Britain Township, son of the later David H and Lottie Herr Eckman. He farmed in Martic Township, worked for Armstrong Co., the Pennsylvania Railroad., PP&L, and the construction crew that built a UGI pipeline. He retired from PennDOT in 1977 after 10 years' service. Mr.Eckman was a member of the Martic Township Planning Commission, the Safe Harbor United Methodist Church, and the Multiple Sclerosis Patients Club. He liked to attend sales, make crafts, and build and fix equipment. Mr.Eckman is survived by two daughters, Joyce E Hartenstine of Lancaster and Linda L Morris of Ephrata; his son, David D Eckman of Hooversville; nine great grandchildren and four great grandchildren. His wife, Mabel A Gantz Eckman, died in 2001. Four sisters, Miriam Hathaway, Ruth Wood, Edna Mae Kleinhans Mortimer, an...

  LIPKA   Peter Lipka 15 March 1890 - 28 June 1939 Mary Lipka 8 May 1898 - 4 April 1971 buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery, Valley Township, Chester County, PA   Peter and Mary were living in East Fallowfield Township in 1920. He listed Galicia as his birthplace. Mary and their three children listed Pennsylvania as their birthplace. The three children were: Annie (b 1916), Cornelius (b 1918) and Mary (b 1920). They also had two boarders living with them: William and Tessie Yaremko. By 1930 the family lived in South Coatesville and had a fourth child, Dorothy. Dorothy was born in 1928. In 1940 Anna and Dorothy lived with their widowed mother (Mary) in South Coatesville. Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

Benjamin F Still fought in the Civil War. This record at right (SOURCE: National Park Service. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.) shows him to have made the rank of Sergeant. He was in Litzinger's Batallion of the Pennsylvania Infantry.  

Newell M. Eckman, 76, of Lancaster, died Saturday {28 January 2006} at Homestead Village. Born 11 March 1929 in Conestoga, he was a son of the late Newell I. and Bertha M. (Manning) Eckman. He is survived by his wife, Jean (Scheafnocker) Eckman of Lancaster. Mr. Eckman served our country in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. He graduated from Penn State University in 1957 with a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering. He served in many capacities during his 37 year career at Armstrong World Industries, finishing as Plant Manager of the Tile Plant, and retiring in 1994. Mr. Eckman was a member of Millersville Masonic Lodge #496, the Lodge of Perfection, and the Zembo Shrine in Harrisburg, and a past member of the Lancaster County Shrine Club. He was an avid fisherman and hunter, and a dedicated Penn State fan. In addition to his wife, Mr. Eckman is survived by three daughters: Mary E. Gestrich of Bradenton, FL, Barbara L. Eckman of Greensboro, NC, and Sus...

Today (2 November) is Plan Your Epitaph Day. An epitaph is "an inscription on or at a tomb or a grave in memory of the one buried there," according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It can be something simple like "beloved wife and mother" to something almost comical "I told you I had a cold." An epitaph can be informative - that is name, birth info, death info - or it can be more personal and revealing. This example (on right) shows the stone of a Charles L Miller, buried in the Clearfield UM Church Cemetery in Providence Township, Lancaster County, PA. Charles is clearly a father who passed in 1911.  Beneath his death info reads: A little flower of love That blossomed but to die Transplanted now above (?) with God on high - The short verse tells a few things about Charles Miller. First we see by the dates that Charles was young. He was just 27 when he passed. Second, we know he is a father so we can surmise he had a wife and at least one chil...

Can you believe it is November already? Seriously the year seems to have flown by. Soon it will be Thanksgiving then Christmas. This year will seem odd - just like Easter did - without mom physically with us. Mom was one of many family and friends who passed away this year. That thought brings me to today - Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). El Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Its roots can be traced back to pre-Columbian days. Families visit cemeteries and prepare small individual altars, thus encouraging those who have passed to visit for the day. Hence, the Day of the Dead. The belief generally speaking is that the souls of the departed will visit and we can communicate with them. They will hear and ideally answer the prayers of the living. The Los Angeles Times today has a gre...