Genealogical Gems

I found a wife! Not for me (my husband is work enough!) but for my Uncle Jim! Years ago, my great Aunt Helen (Still) Webster told me a story about my Uncle Jim (James Franklin Still) having a son. By the time we all came along, Uncle Jim was back East living with his brother/my grandfather (Lloyd Pierson Still). He spoke of working on ranches but never mentioned a wife or a child.  Searching on Ancestry.com today, I found a marriage record for James Still born 1910 to a Julie Riddle on 14 April 1931 in  Deep Creek, Routt, Colorado The 1930 US Census shows Uncle Jim, obviously single, still living in East Marlboro, Chester County, PA. The 1940 Census shows him living in Clark Township, Routt County, Colorado. The 1940 Census also reveals he lived there in 1935 as well but now his father, Pierson George Still, has moved out with him and Uncle Jim is single. In fact, it shows that the two of them are living by themselves on a farm.  I found land records for U...

My great grandfather with my cousins, Ken & Beth. Today is the day my great grandfather - Pierson George Still – passed away in 1977. I was just shy of eight when he died. I don’t recall how my parents told me of his passing. I don’t remember his funeral service but I do recall his burial. That winter was a frigid winter. I remember people talking about the possibility of postponing the burial until the ground thawed enough to dig. The Farmer’s Almanac shows the temperature in nearby Coatesville the day of his funeral was just 21.9 degrees. There was a reported three inches of snow on the ground as well. The wind speed that day registered between eight and 11 MPH. The cold wouldn’t have bothered him though. He and my Uncle Jim (his elder son and my maternal grandfather’s brother) took a farming / ranch job out in Colorado for a few years. Uncle Jim had gone West first as an employee of King’s Ranch. My great grandfather joined him sometime between 1935 and 1940. By 194...

Unions have been supporting workers in America for centuries. The Western Federation of Miners (WFM) had been founded in 1893 in Montana . Its strong influence had reached Cripple Creek in Colorado . By the end of October 1903, miners in the Cripple Creek gold mines took part in a strike. The goal of the strike was an eight hour workday.   With the gold mine standing still, Colorado Governor James Peabody sent the state militia into town On This Day in 1903. The mine owners, determined to break the union, had turned to the governor for state militia protection for the replacement workers being brought in.   The strike, over the next few months, turned violent. By mid-summer the following year (1904), the strike was over and the union never regained the same control.    Source Colorado governor sends militia to Cripple Creek . 23 November 1903. History.com      On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events. ...

It hardly seems like 16 years but it was On This Day in 1999 that two teenagers plotted and carried out a shooting spree at their high school – Columbine High School – in the otherwise peaceful town of Littlton , Colorado . Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students, a teacher, and finally themselves. An additional 23 people were also injured that somber morning Those killed that morning were: Cassie Bernall Steve Curnow Corey DePooter Kelly Fleming Matt Kechter Daniel Mauser Daniel Rohrbough Dave Sanders, Coach Rachel Scott Isaiah Shoels John Tomlin Laura Townsend Kyle Velasquez May Their Memory Be Eternal     On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Twenty-one year old Mary fell victim On This Day in 1982 to serial killer Tom Luther. Mary accepted a ride from Luther in Breckenridge , Colorado . He raped her and severely beat her with a claw hammer. Luther was arrested.    He was released in 1993 and attacked a 20 year old woman. It was her – Cher Elder – that he was finally convicted for killing after her body was found in 1995. Luther though was suspected in eight cases.       On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

It took an act of Congress but, On This Day in 1915, the Rocky Mountain National Park is formed. President Woodrow Wilson signed the act into law on 26 January 1915. The Park is finally dedicated on 4 September 1915. The park, located in north central Colorado , is absolutely breathtaking.    Man has enjoyed the area since 10,000 BC. The Ute, Comanche, Goshiute, and Shoshone peoples gathered in spring and summer to hunt there as early as 6,000 BC. The Apache finally appear in the park area around 1800. In 1820 the first non Native Americans finally enter and view the park area. They are known as the Stephen A Long Expedition.   Photo: Cache la Poudre Pass , NPS   Source: Rocky Mountain National Park , Colorado , NPS http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm       On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events. I will make every effort to keep events localized to that of my research or research I am...

Those Places Thursday is a GeneaBloggers prompt reminding us to write of various places that have special meaning to us or our families. With the deadly wildfires in the news today out in Colorado, my thoughts turned to my godmother and her family and one of our trips "Out West". My dad worked for Lukens Steel in Coatesville and they used to give long vacations. One year - when I was 13 (I remember because it was the summer going into high school and I was finally old enough to get a job) - he took several weeks off during the summer. We rented a RV (yes - think Robin Williams in RV) and off we went. One of the most memorable places was of course Yellowstone Park. The other was the Mesa Verde National Park. I remember thinking it was so cool that these people lived here so long ago and we could actually see how they lived. I also thought it was kind of creepy thinking that hundreds of years from now, someone may be going through my house and reflecting on my life! How...

May is National Preservation Month and the theme this year is "Discover America's Hidden Gems". This month go visit your local historical landmarks. Each landmark has its own personal story to tell in relation to the history of your local area. The Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado tells a story of the Ancient Pueblo people. The Concord Point Lighthouse in Havre de Grace, Maryland tells a maritime story. Each story is a chapter in our American history and heritage. Click HERE to read the full article as it appeared on Knoji.