Religious Rites: Weddings

The topic for the 99th Carnival of Genealogy is:  

Religious Rites: Organized religion played a large part in many of our family histories. Virtually all religions have their rites/ceremonies. Has your family participated in any of these rites?

There were several things I considered discussing - or, in most cases, discussing again.  I've written a lot about how religion has intersected with my family history.  At the bottom of my blog's sidebar is a poem I wrote in 2008.  The second stanza:

As I research ancestral lines I discover

some ancestors celebrated Hanuka,

others Christmas, and still others

the Green Corn Ceremony;

Jewish, Methodist Episcopalian,

Puritan, Christian Scientist, Mennonite,

Choctaw, and Cherokee.

Weddings are perhaps the most joyous of all religious rites.  If my recollections are correct, across four decades I have attended twelve, including seven involving family members. I have had a role in several of them - I've read from a prayer book, been a chuppa (canopy) pole holder, witnessed a Ketubah (marriage contract), and was a groomsman more than once. The wedding location has usually been at a church or synagogue, but two have been held outdoors.  All twelve of the ceremonies reflected the religious beliefs of the bride and groom in some fashion.

As it is I suspect with most.  Perhaps, sometimes the ceremony reflects more the religious beliefs of the parents.  When there are differences, some will bow to the dictates of family harmony.  Most of my European Jewish immigrant ancestors were Orthodox in their faith, but their children moved towards Reform in the early 20th century.  For example, I know that my great grandparents Herman and Annie (Blatt) Feinstein were married by the Chief Orthodox Rabbi of St. Louis, but they raised their children at United Hebrew Temple, a Reform congregation.

My other paternal great grandparents, Barney and Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark raised their children in the Reform tradition as well, at B'nai El.  I haven't located their marriage certificate yet. (I believe they were married in East St. Louis)  However, I know the Cruvants were Orthodox, and I also know where Barney's older brother, Sol was married.

I wrote about his marriage to Sarah Nathan in a post three years ago. August 31, 1902. Sol and Sarah were married in the Great Synagogue of London, England.  Here's a copy of their marriage certificate, retrieved from the British General Register Office:

In the post I wrote three years ago I researched every name and other piece of information I could find on the certificate.  I won't detail everything I learned -- you can read the original post.

One of the signatures is that of the Cantor, or Hazzan, Marcus Hast.  He likely led the ceremony.  He was born in Warsaw, Poland, not far from where the Newmark family originated.  I believe Sol's parents may have been familiar with Hast while he was still in Poland.  In 2007 I wrote:

The scores of Hast's compositions are available for download, and there is a section devoted to wedding music, so the music that was likely played at the ceremony could be duplicated.

I provided the link, but the scores are in the public domain, so here they are for two traditional songs welcoming the bride and groom underneath the chuppa.




Translation of the lyrics for Mi Adir:

He who is mighty above all, He who is blessed above all, He who is great above all, He who is distingui​shed above all, may He bless the groom and the bride.

Second Annual GALPSGC: Texas, Our Texas

Bill West at West in New England presents the Second Annual Great American Local Poem and Song Genealogy Challenge

1. Find a poem by a local poet, famous or obscure, from the region one of your ancestors lived in. It can be about an historical event, a legend, a person, or even about some place (like a river)or a local animal. Or if you prefer, post the lyrics of a song or a link to a video of someone performing the song.
2. Post the poem or song to your blog (remembering to cite the source where you found it.)
3. Tell us how the subject of the poem or song relates to your ancestor's home or life.

As I mentioned last year, when it comes to poetry challenges, "I'm just a guy who can't say no."  I submitted three poems.  One by a Hungarian poet, one by an American-born expatriate, and one by a Lithuanian-born Polish poet who spent several years in America. (Most people will be familiar with the American expat.)

This year, the challenge is being broadened to include song, so my first submission will come from the State of Texas.  My 3rd great grandparents, William and Elizabeth (Sliver) Denyer, entered Texas in 1839, before it became a state, and my grandmother, Myrtle Van Every, was born in Texas in 1900.  She left Texas for Missouri in 1920.  I no longer had any direct ancestors living in Texas when the State Legislature on May 28, 1929 declared "Texas, Our Texas" the state song.  (The song was written in 1924 by William J. Marsh and Gladys Yoakum Wright.)



While she was no longer living in Texas, I have some evidence a place for her home state remained in my grandmother's heart: A copy of the sheet music, autographed by Gladys Yoakum Wright.

The original lyrics to the song were slightly different from what they are today.  When Alaska was added to the Union, they changed the word 'largest' to 'boldest' in the first verse.

Amanuensis Monday: More from the Happy Hammers

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I share transcriptions of several letters my great aunt, Minnie Van Every, sent to the Houston Post's children's section when she was 13 and 14. These letters indicate either the quality of the local public schools, or the intelligence of my great aunt.  (She would become a teacher.)  They also may help to solve a genealogical mystery.

Amanuensis Monday - October 25, 2010

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.

SNGF: Those who share my birthday

Randy Seaver proposed a fun challenge in his weekly Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

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

1)  Is there a person in your genealogy database that has the same birth date that you do?  If so, tell us about him or her - what do you know, and how is s/he related to you?

2)  For bonus points, how did you determine this?  What feature or process did you use in your software to work this problem out?  I think the Calendar feature probably does it, but perhaps you have a trick to make this work outside of the calendar function.

It's Sunday afternoon, but I was able to answer this question on two different calendars quickly, using iFamily

1) In the Events menu select "On This Day"
2) Enter the Month and Date, and hit return (or tab)

A list of events (births marriages and deaths) on that date appears

3) Check the box that says "Display the results using the Hebrew calendar"
[Note: The program converts Gregorian to Hebrew for the current Gregorian year.]
4) Change the Gregorian Month/Date so that it lists the events for the correct Hebrew date.

For the Gregorian calendar, two individuals in my database share my birthday of January 21.

Bernie Klinsky (1927-1995).  Bernie's grandfather, Jacob Perlik, was the brother of my second great grandmother Annie (Perlik) Feinstein.

Elizabeth Fretz (1781-1849).  Elizabeth was the sister of my 4th great grandmother, Barbara (Fretz) Sliver.  Elizabeth married John Geil.


For the Hebrew calendar, only one individual shares my birthday of the 2nd of Sh'vat.

Frances Lucille Benold (1922-1996).  Frances was the youngest daughter of my grandmother's sister, Minnie (Van Every) Benold.  She married Harley Searcy (1917-1986).

Daily Picks - via Google Buzz/Reader

I've taken a break from my weekly genealogy picks, and it appears Greta Koehl at Greta's Genealogy Bog is taking a similar break. There are still other bloggers weekly, or semi-weekly, posting their lists, such as Randy Seaver, Diane Haddad, and Megan Smolenyak^2. However, I thought I'd also mention a few geneabloggers who are sharing daily picks.  That's right - Daily Picks.  However, they aren't doing it on their blogs, so you might not know about it. They're doing it through Google Buzz and Google Reader. 

• Vickie Everhart of BeNotForgot
• Miriam Robbins Midkiff of AnceStories
• Gini Webb of Ginisology

All three of the above share their choices publicly so you can follow the links above to their Google Profiles, and scroll down to see their recent selections.

There is a link on profile pages to click if you want to follow someone. If you follow someone, and use Google's Gmail, their shared posts will appear in your Google Buzz folder. If you use Google Reader, their shared posts will appear in your "People You Follow" folder.

Some people (like myself) share their choices privately to only those individuals who are following them. So while their profile page may appear blank, it will suddenly be populated if you choose to follow them.  (You have to be signed into your Google account for this to happen.)

My Google Profile 

Warning: While I am sharing genealogically related items this way, I also share links pertaining to other interests, including politics, religion, poetry, and science fiction. (Which is partially why I do keep my 'buzz' private.)

Wisdom Wednesday: Melvin Van Every on Life and Love

Wisdom Wednesday – Create a post in which you share words of wisdom about any number of things including weddings, marriage, children, work, and so on. A post could include such things as favorite sayings of grannies, superstitions, that sort of thing. Words of wisdom should have their origins in the past and have been passed on from generation to generation.

I've transcribed and posted as part of my Amanuensis Monday project several letters from my great grandfather, Melvin Van Every, to his daughter and my grandmother, Myrtle.  I've also transcribed several letters that haven't been posted, and aren't likely to be for varying reasons, at least not in their entirety.  However, my great grandfather would often share some 'words of wisdom' with my grandmother that are illustrative of the man he was, and the times.

From a letter dated January 10, 1925

"I may not know women. But I know men and I know when a woman makes a fool over a man and chases after him he thinks less of her."

Note: The woman referenced wasn't my grandmother.

My great grandfather closed the letter with:

"Am sorry to hear of the death of your friend’s mother. When one looses their mother they loose their best friend."

Notes: In one letter my great grandfather indicates he had to drop out of school after the third grade to help with the farming. While I cringe when I see the misspellings in his letters, he has an excuse, which today's high school and college graduates don't have.

What I also find a bit interesting about the closing is what he doesn't say.  His wife, and the mother of my grandmother, died two years earlier, in 1923, and he makes no reference.  Though I don't have the letter my grandmother wrote to him, and to which he is responding.  My grandmother may well have mentioned her natural empathy for her friend, and he had no reason to bring it up again.

I also know that if my great grandfather is speaking from experience, he isn't thinking of his biological mother, Abigail Stuart Van Every, as she died when he was 3.  He's thinking of his step mother, Margaret Watkins Van Every.

Amanuensis Monday: Morris Feinstein and the Dice Game in New York

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a newspaper article from 1922 concerning a Morris Feinstein, possibly a brother of my great grandfather Herman Feinstein.  While the newspaper article is about a gambling debt, Morris definitely appears to outsmart a pair of scam artists.

Amanuensis Monday - October 18, 2010

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?

I had been listing others who participated in my Weekly Genealogy Picks entry, from which I am taking a break.  However, I'd still like to provide a weekly place for everyone to add links to their transcriptions.  So if you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.

Blog Action Day - 2010 - Water

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion around an important issue that impacts us all. (BlogActionDay.Change.Org)

The theme for 2010 is Water.

Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us who are subject to preventable disease and even death because of something that many of us take for granted.

Access to clean water is not just a human rights issue. It’s an environmental issue. An animal welfare issue. A sustainability issue. Water is a global issue, and it affects all of us.

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

For more on the current global issue of water, visit the Blog Action Day site.  However, this is a genealogy blog - and as such - my concern is less on how water currently impacts me, or others, but how it has impacted my ancestors.  You might ask, "how would you know?"  I know my ancestor, Barnard Goldfinch, was a sailmaker, and every one of my immigrant ancestors arrived in America by ship.  Those are obvious connections, but not exactly what Blog Action Day is about.

Since February of 2009, every Monday I have posted a transcription of some document in my family history collection.  I have also transcribed many documents that haven't been posted.  One of the reasons I give for my transcription project is that it makes searching for documents that mention a particular person, place, or thing much easier.  So I put this into action.  I searched for the word 'water' on my computer.

If I had done this prior to this week, my choice for this past Monday's transcription would have been different.  Back in January I mentioned my Great Aunt Minnie's letters to the Happy Hammers (a 'youth club' sponsored by the Houston Post, where children throughout Texas submitted weekly letters.  Often challenging the youth to write letters on specific themes.)  Here's a letter of hers from when she was 13 years old.

November 21, 1897
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
Maxwell, Texas

Dear Haphammer: ...

What historical man deserves the most honor before 1900? Well, I have studied some time about it and it’s a hard thing to decide. I think Christopher Columbus, the great sea voyager, deserves the most honor. He was the first man that crossed the Atlantic. He didn’t really discover America, but it is claimed that he did. Still, he had very much courage to make such a daring attempt. When he started he did not intend to discover any such land as America. He wanted to set a new route by water to Asia and the West Indies. I know more about him, but it doesn’t seem interesting to most of the Haps.

... I will close with love to all. A true Hap,

Minnie Van Every

I think it's great that Minnie at age 13 in 1897 knows Columbus did not discover America.  Of course, her grandmother professed to be part Choctaw.  Minnie had reason to know that what everyone claimed wasn't so.

While this jumped out at me due to Columbus Day, one of the suggested themes for Blog Action Day is the impact of water on global conflict, and Columbus's arrival in American waters might be seen as applicable in a way.

However, this isn't the only appearance of water in my transcriptions.

***

When my grandfather, Melvin L Newmark, was interviewed he discussed the living conditions of his grandparents in St. Louis around 1910-1920.

Melvin: I remember my grandmother’s tenement on 15th and Carr or something in downtown St. Louis. Without indoor plumbing. I went there frequently as a child, I recall…
Interviewer: Describe it. 
Melvin: Horrible! 
Interviewer: Tall buildings? 
Melvin: Well, maybe three stories, walk-up steps, with a porch. Squalid. 
Interviewer: Outdoor plumbing? 
Melvin: Outdoor plumbing 
Interviewer: Did they have water inside? 
Melvin: I think they had running water. Yes they had running water inside. 
Interviewer: Electricity or gas?
Melvin: I don’t think, no, I think it was gas. Later they got electricity…

[Image note: The caption reads, "The back wall of this privy vault is the wall of the oven of the adjoining bakery." Source: Housing Conditions in St. Louis: Report of the Housing Committee of the Civic League of St. Louis, The Civic League of St. Louis, 1908, p. 22.  The photograph may have been taken only a few blocks from where my grandfather's grandparents lived.]

***

My maternal grandfather, Martin Deutsch, and his brother, Ted, also mentioned water when discussing their childhood in Romania. 

Ted: ...Dezur and Feri, those are the two brothers I met that I know of in Margitta, because I was there, and I visited them. I used to go when I visited them, I went out to the marketplace, I used to sell water over there. Fresh water. 
Martin: Sell water? How did you get the water? 
Ted: Well, we had a well. They had a well. 
Martin: Oh, you wouldn’t get it from the river? 
Ted: Grandfather had a well. And they had a little container that I put on my back. I was about 10 years old. We’d go to the marketplace, and sell fresh water. We made money that way. 
Martin: You had goatskin probably. 
Ted: No, we had a little container. I don’t recall what kind, made out of wood, that’s all I know.

[Image note: This photograph of a well was taken in 2000 by my mother in Almasu, Romania - formerly Varalmas, Hungary - the birthplace of my maternal grandfather.]

***

A couple other posts from the past come to mind when I think about this theme.

When my great great grandfather, Selig Feinstein, came to America he was a blacksmith for ten years. As a blacksmith he had to have ready access to a fire hydrant in case of emergency.  He even came up with some improvements to the hydrant which he patented in 1898.

My 2008 Blog Action Day post  on poverty focused on the 1908 Civic League of St. Louis report on housing conditions from which the above photograph of the privy and bakery came.  The report discussed the lack of indoor plumbing in the neighborhood, and what that meant for the residents.

***

Finally, at times I've wondered what the reasons were for my paternal ancestors who settled in St. Louis upon arriving in America.  None of them seem to have had relatives here beforehand.  One commonality is that they were all in similar trades -- 1 blacksmith, 2 tailors, and a shoemaker.  In the late 19th century early 20th century, I believe those trades may have still thrived best in cities that were fed by a river economy.  That's just a guess, and may not be the real reason.  But it's certainly a possibility.

Changes/Adjustments

My blog archives in the left sidebar indicate the number of posts per month.  A quick glance suggests something happened at the end of May.  Posts dropped significantly.  And in July they dropped further.

We only have 24 hours in a day, and 168 hours in a week, so doing everything one wants to do is a matter of setting priorities.  In recent months I have had to budget time for something that I didn't need to budget time for the first half of the year.  I'm certainly not complaining, but blogging was and is a lower priority. 



In the past few months my weekly Sunday and Monday posts absorbed most if not all of my blogging time.  That's going to change.

I'm dropping my Sunday "Weekly Picks." I'm also going to decrease my Google Reader subscriptions significantly.  I'm hoping that the time I've spent each week in this area can be redistributed to more than one post.  And may even leave some additional time for other things.

Obama, Palin, Coulter, and Reid

According to the AP

A genealogist at the Utah-based Ancestry.com, Anastasia Tyler, said Obama and Palin are 10th cousins through a common ancestor named John Smith, a pastor and early settler in 17th-century Massachusetts. Obama is related to Smith through his mother, as is Palin, Tyler said.
...
And one other thing from Ancestry.com: It also found that Palin is distant cousins with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and conservative author and pundit Ann Coulter, through John Lathrop, who was exiled to the United States from England for being a pastor of an illegal independent church.

 The article points out a few other celebrity relationships.

Two major annoyances

1) Anastasia Tyler is NOT a genealogist.  She is a PR manager.
There is a difference, and since every article seems to call her a genealogist, I suspect she refers to herself as one in her press release. (Unsure, as the press release doesn't appear to be online.)

2) Never do these stories explain *how* the individuals are related beyond their common ancestor.  This makes the information completely useless to most people interested in family history.  It only is of interest to those who care which celebrities are related to which other celebrities, and don't care how.  Of course, it also means we can't check their work and prove them wrong.  Which might be why Ancestry.com doesn't release that information.

Weekly Genealogy Picks

Weekly Genealogy Picks -- October 3rd to October 10th
from genealogy blogs, newspaper articles and elsewhere
 [being posted a day later than usual; hopefully I will be back on schedule next week.]


James Tanner at Genealogy's Star shares a Testimony Against Procrastination

The Ancestry Insider discusses why you can't always copy everything in the public domain. 

Schelly Talalay Dardashti writes about Finding Family on Facebook

Laura at It's All Relative comes up with a 12 Step Program for Genealogists

The latest issue of the Shades of the Departed magazine has been released.

The 98th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been released.

Other Weekly Lists
Due to a busy weekend and a desire to post this as soon as possible, my list above is shorter than I would like.  However, the genealogy bloggers below provide their selections - many different from my own. 

• Best of the Genea-Blogs - from Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings

• Follow Friday - from Greta Koehl at Greta's Genealogy Bog

• Links - from Liz Haigney Lynch at Ancestral Archaeologist

• Genealogy News Corral - from Diane Haddad at Genealogy Insider

• Monday's Link Roundup - from Dan Curtis at Dan Curtis: Professional Personal Historian

• New Genealogy Blogs and Upcoming Genealogy Blogging Events - from Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers 

Amanuensis Monday: October 4th participants
[Amanuensis Monday is a weekly blogging theme I began in February of 2009, where participants transcribe letters, audio, and other documents.  Why I do this.]

• Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here 
• Valerie C. at Begin with Craft
• Betty Tartas at Betty's Boneyard Genealogy
• Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings
• Greg Lamberson at Greg Lamberson's Genealogy Blog
• Barbara Poole at Life from the Roots
• Nancy at My Ancestors and Me
• Anonymous at Nolichucky Roots
• Heather Wilkinson Rojo at Nutfield Genealogy 
• Lisa Wallen Logsdon at Old Stones Undeciphered
• Teresa Wilson Rogers at Rogers Family History
• John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch
• Stachia at The Wandering Vine

If you participated, but don't appear on this list, please, let me know.

Amanuensis Monday: Girl Accuses Farm Hand

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them. If you choose to join me in Amanuensis Monday and post your transcriptions, feel free to add a link to your post in the comments.

This week I transcribe a newspaper article that appeared in the April 9, 1907 St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Delay

I had a wonderfully enjoyable weekend in Aviston, IL, where I visited Hidden Lake Winery, returning home just in time to attend a family member's birthday party.

This is just to say my weekly list of genealogy links will be appearing tomorrow evening.

Tombstone Tuesday: Stevan J Newmark (1942-1997)

My uncle, Stevan J Newmark, was born on October 15, 1942, the second child of Melvin Lester Newmark and Belle "Sissie" Feinstein. Through his initials, he was named after his great grandfather, Samuel Joseph Newmark.

He served in the Army Reserves. He owned a commercial printing company. He had a wonderful sense of humor.

The Newmark family is a close one, and I grew up having Sunday dinners with uncles, aunts, and cousins at my grandparents. I have many fond memories of my uncle. Thirteen years ago, Cancer took his life way too soon, 11 days before his 55th birthday. He is buried at United Hebrew Cemetery.

98th Carnival of Genealogy - Posted

The 98th Carnival of Genealogy has been posted by Jasia at CreativeGene.  Fourteen participants wrote about breaking down brick walls.

The theme for the 99th CoG will be: Religious Rites

Baptisms/Christenings, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, church weddings, anointings, ordinations, etc. Organized religion played a large part in many of our family histories. Virtually all religions have their rites/ceremonies. Has your family participated in any of these rites? Write about it and submit your article to the Carnival of Genealogy. The deadline for submissions will be November 1st. Thirty submissions will be accepted. 

More information at CreativeGene

Amanuensis Monday: A Fall From a Porch

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them. If you choose to join me in Amanuensis Monday and post your transcriptions, feel free to add a link to your post in the comments.

This week I transcribe a couple newspaper articles that appeared in the Oct 24, 1904 St. Louis Post Dispatch. 

Weekly Genealogy Picks

Weekly Genealogy Picks -- September 26th to October 2nd
from genealogy blogs, newspaper articles and elsewhere
 [being posted a little bit later on Sunday than usual.]

• Lawyer and Genealogist, James Tanner, at Genealogy's Star discusses the difference between copyright infringement and theft.

• Twenty Years ago, on October 3, 1990, Germany was reunified.  A memorandum containing the telephone conversation between German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and US President George H. W. Bush was posted at the National Archive's Document of the Day.

• Kory Meyerink at ProGenealogists explains to a client the cost of copying a document.

• The Ancestry Insider explains when gloves should be worn when handling documents.

• Locally, both the St. Louis City Mayor and the St. Louis County Executive seem to be in favor of merging the two governments, reconciling what is known locally as The Great Divorce of 1876.  If it were put to a vote, and passed, it would not only probably be great for St. Louis in general, but make things easier for genealogists, since City/County government records would be reunited for the first time in over a century.

• While architectural history isn't genealogy, I've found many genealogists have interest in the towns our ancestors lived in, and how they have changed over the years.  Locally, Vanishing St. Louis has an entry illustrating an architectural nightmare.  How a neoclassical bank became an orange brick rectangle, as well as the ironic use the building is being used for today.

Press Releases
(In some cases multiple blogs have posted these press releases, but I have chosen one representative.)

LexisNexis' US Serial Set is available at NARA research facilities - (DearMyrtle)

Blogging/Social Networking/Technology

Tamura Jones at Modern Software Experience illustrates the Twitter Redesign

Other Weekly/Monthly Lists
The genealogy bloggers below provide their selections for the week - many different from my own. 

• Best of the Genea-Blogs - from Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings

• Follow Friday - from Greta Koehl at Greta's Genealogy Bog 

• Genealogy Round Up - from Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak at Megan's Roots World

• Links - from Liz Haigney Lynch at Ancestral Archaeologist

• Genealogy News Corral - from Diane Haddad at Genealogy Insider

• Monday's Link Roundup - from Dan Curtis at Dan Curtis: Professional Personal Historian

• New Genealogy Blogs and Upcoming Genealogy Blogging Events - from Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers
  

•  October 2010 Calendar of Events - from Miriam Robbins Midkiff at Ancestories

Amanuensis Monday: September 27th participants
[Amanuensis Monday is a weekly blogging theme I began in February of 2009, where participants transcribe letters, audio, and other documents.  Why I do this.]

• Leslie Ann - Ancestors Live Here
• Lisa - Are You My Cousin?
• Valerie C. - Begin with Craft
• Belinda Blades - Blades and Handy Clippings from the Past
• D. Kay Strickland  - D Kay S Days
• Randy Seaver - Genea-Musings
• Anonymous - In Deeds
• Susan Petersen - Long Lost Relatives.net
• Anonymous - Nolichucky Roots
• Heather Wilkinson Rojo - Nutfield Genealogy
• Lisa Wallen Logsdon - Old Stones Undeciphered
• Laila Christensen - Slekt og Slikt
• Martin Hollick - The Slovak Yankee
• Stachia - The Wandering Vine
• John Newmark - TransylvanianDutch

If you participated, but don't appear on this list, please, let me know.