Amanuensis Monday: The Engagement of Blanche Slupsky and Nathan Cohen

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 am sharing the notice of an engagement party for Nathan Cohen and Blanche Slupsky in August of 1909.  It's another newspaper clipping I have found in the St. Louis Post Dispatch historical archives (1874-1922) available from ProQuest Historical Newspapers through my membership at St. Louis County Library.

Amanuensis Monday - January 31

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

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• 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• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?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 provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

SNGF: The Day I Was Born

Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun this week is to conduct some research on one's own birthdate.

1) What day of the week were you born? Tell us how you found out.
2) What has happened in recorded history on your birth date? Tell us how you found out, and list five events.
3)What famous people have been born on your birth date?  Tell us how you found out, and list five of them.

1) Using one of my favorite perpetual calendars/calendar converters at Calendarhome, I confirmed I was born on a Tuesday. The date is January 21st on the Gregorian Calendar, and the 2nd of Sh'vat on the Hebrew calendar. 

2 and 3) Using Wikipedia, I looked up January 21 

Five events on my birthdate

1793 – After being found guilty of treason by the French Convention, Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine.

1861 – American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.

1948 – The Flag of Quebec is adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec. The day is marked annually as Quebec Flag Day.

1985 – The inauguration of President Ronald Reagan to a second term, already postponed a day because January 20 fell on a Sunday, becomes the second inauguration in history moved indoors because of freezing temperatures and high winds. The parade is cancelled altogether.

2008 – Black Monday in worldwide stock markets. FTSE 100 had its biggest ever one-day points fall, European stocks closed with their worst result since 11 September 2001, and Asian stocks drop as much as 14%.

Five famous people born on my birth day

1338 – King Charles V of France (d. 1380)

1824 – Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, American, Confederate army general (d. 1863)

1905 – Christian Dior, French fashion designer (d. 1957)

1924 – Benny Hill, English actor, comedian, and singer (d. 1992)

1969 – Tsubaki Nekoi, Japanese manga artist (shares my year as well.)

Also using Wikipedia I was able to look up Shevat in Jewish History

On the Second of Shevat

76 BCE - Hashmonean King Alexander-Yannai (Jannaeus), a Sadducee and an enemy of the Pharisees, died on this date. Known as a ruthless leader, he persecuted the Pharisees and those loyal to them (approximately 50,000 were killed in the years 82-76 BCE). As a result, the day of his death was declared a holiday in Talmudic times.

1800 -The yahrtzeit (anniversary of the death) of Chassidic Rabbi Meshulam Zusha of Anipoli (1718?-1800). He was a disciple of the 2nd leader of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch- The Great Maggid of Mezeritch.

Fourth Annual TransylvanianDutch iGene Awards

The Carnival of Genealogy's Annual iGene Awards have returned - where geneabloggers choose the Best of their Best posts from the past year in five categories: Best Comedy, Best Biography, Best Documentary, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. [It's just a coincidence that this theme occurs every year around the time the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out its awards.]

The TransylvanianDutch chapter of the Academy of Genealogy and Family History has participated in all prior years, and will do so again. For those who are nostalgic, here were our selections in 2010, 2009, and 2008 from the prior year's posts.

Fourth Annual TransylvanianDutch iGene Awards

Best Comedy

Winner - Genealogy Shocker - Lucille Ball married Her Grandson

On April 1, 2010 I proved that Lucille Ball was the grandmother of her husband, Desi Arnaz by using Ancestry's OneWorldTree.  Which every genealogy researcher knows is extremely trustworthy. 

Other Nominees

The Chicago Key Puncher's Finish - A poem written by the prolific author, Anonymous, and discovered in my grandmother's collection.

When Traditional Methods Fail - I discovered someone online offering to conduct what could be described as slightly untraditional genealogical research.  It involves crystal spheres.


Best Biography

Winner - A Tale of Two Grandmas - I created a joint timeline for both of my grandmothers, allowing me to see similarities and differences in their life journeys.

Other Nominees

Ode to Sarah Hartley Denyer Foster - A poem I wrote concerning a great great grandmother.

The Labors of Hercules - a post concerning my discovery that my 8th great grandfather owned a slave, and the information I could find about that slave.

Best Screenplay 

Interview with Sissie Feinstein Newmark - December 1987

A transcription of an interview conducted with my paternal grandmother in 1987.  I divided it into ten minute segments, and there are seven posts in total.  I link to the first post above, and the rest can be found in my index of Amanuensis Monday posts.

Best Documentary

Interview with Melvin Lester Newmark - December 1987

A transcription of an interview conducted with my paternal grandfather in 1987.  I divided it into ten minute segments, and there are nine posts in total.  I link to the first post above, and the rest can be found in my index of Amanuensis Monday posts.

Did you really think I was going to choose one over the other for an award?

Best Picture

Winner

Van Every Children

A photograph taken circa 1894 of the four elder children of Melvin and Margaret (Denyer) Van Every.  Taken approximately six years prior to the birth of my maternal grandmother, Myrtle Van Every, it shows her older siblings Minnie, Sam, Willa and Evva.





Other Nominees

Ten Days Without Mail 

A postcard my maternal grandfather, Martin Deutsch, sent home during the war.  No one at his APO had received mail in ten days.  The artwork on the postcard illustrated how he felt.

Scrapbook Alternatives

In a post on alternatives to scrapbooking, I included this collage concerning the smoking habits of my paternal grandparents, and the result. In the comments it was suggested that this matches the intent of scrapbooking.  But there are no fancy backgrounds, and no need to cut up old photographs since it is all done with image editing software.

This ends the awards for the five main categories.  However, last year I came up with my own additional category. I plan to award it in any year there are nominees. 

Best Genea-Bloggers in a Supporting Role - I present awards to show my gratitude to other Genea-Bloggers who commented upon, or in some other way responded to an entry, providing me with more information on my family.

• In February of 2010 I griped about my lack of success through RAOGK and  FindAGrave to obtain photographs of my great grandparents' tombstones.  John Frank of AncestryChronicles lived nearby the cemetery in Chicago and volunteered to take the photographs once the snow melted. 

• In May of 2010 Sharon of KindredFootprints discovered some Van Everys in her family tree.  I was able to help her with some information on her cousin, and when she made a trip to Niagara, Ontario  she took some photographs of the Van Every plot at Warner Cemetery. 

• In July of 2010 I discovered the will of Barnard Goldfinch at the UK National Archives.  I believed him to be my fifth great grandfather, but I was unable to decipher the will as the 18th century script was beyond my ken.  I did post the images though, and Martin Hollick of The Slovak Yankee, was able to transcribe the will using his experience with even earlier English script.

Amanuensis Monday - January 24

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

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• 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 provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Amanuensis Monday: Obituary for Melvin Newmark - January 1992

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 am sharing the obituary of my paternal grandfather, Melvin Lester Newmark (1912-1992)

Amanuensis Monday: Beshalach - 5742

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 am departing from my project slightly to transcribe a historical artifact of my own life.  The Hebrew lunar calendar and the Civil solar calendar move around with respect to one another such that anniversaries on the lunar calendar are often able to sneak up on me unnoticed.  However, Jewish weeks are often identified by the Torah passage that gets read at the synagogue on Shabbat.  And this past weekend the Torah passage was the same as the one at my Bar Mitzvah 29 years ago, on Feb 6, 1982.  The anniversary of the lunar date, the 13th of Sh'vat, is actually tomorrow, January 18th.  Below is the sermon/speech I wrote, and delivered at my Bar Mitzvah.  (I received some editing help from my parents.) There are some edits within the text on the images that suggest this may not have been the final clean draft from which I read.

Amanuensis Monday - January 17

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

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• 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 provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

The Wrong Side of History

Today’s Open Thread Thursday topic at Geneabloggers:

Over the next few years – with the sesquicentennial of the United States Civil War – there will be more of a focus on ancestors who fought in the conflict as well as those ancestors who supported certain causes and movements such as states’ rights or the abolition of slavery.

It is said that history is written by the winners. However, with the advent of blogging and the ability for almost anyone to have a platform where they can write and express their opinion, the stories of those on the losing side of these causes and movements are being told.

How do you handle telling such stories, especially if your ancestor was pro slavery or, for example, anti women’s suffrage? What if there is no evidence as to their opinions or positions yet they fought for the losing side in a war, such as World War II?

Is there, in fact, a “wrong side” of history?

I’ll start by providing my thoughts on the final question. No. There is a ‘winning’ and ‘losing’ side of most wars – whether they are fought on a physical or intellectual battlefield. (Sometimes there’s a stalemate.) However, those who lose these wars weren’t necessarily ‘wrong.’

I also don’t attribute the telling of the stories to the internet. The losing side has had a voice in history since Gutenberg. I read Mein Kampf in high school. Yes, it was presented in the context of the writings of a madman, but I read Hitler’s words. I also read the Communist Manifesto. I’ve also read speeches given by William Jennings Bryan. Whether a student is encouraged to read the works of those whose opinions weren’t favored by history depends entirely upon the quality of the school. However, it doesn’t depend upon the internet. It’s possible the internet is providing this information to a greater number of individuals – acting as a school-replacement for those who need one.

Fortunately, I have no knowledge of relatives who fought on the losing side of World War I or II. Since I can trace my maternal ancestry back to Germany, I can assume I have some distant cousins, but our most recent common ancestor would likely have lived during the 17th century. My Great Uncle, Sam, was accused of pro-German sympathies, but his accuser was an ex-wife, who might not be the most reliable source.

That said, there are several descendants of Thomas and Katherine Stoughton whose political beliefs are in opposition to my own. From William Stoughton, Chief Magistrate over the Salem Witch Trials to political commentator, Patrick Buchanan. I find the presence of John Kerry and Franklin Roosevelt, along with the poets Harold Hart Crane and Oliver Wendell Holmes in the same list of descendants ample balance.

I do have ancestors who fought for the Confederacy, and others who were United Empire Loyalists. I’ve blogged before about my discovery of a slave-owning ancestor.

I’m careful not to infer what someone’s thoughts or beliefs were, unless they were written down. I record the facts as they are known. My second great grandfather, Ebenezer Denyer, served the Confederacy in the State of Texas. He is not known to have owned any slaves. The Denyer family lived in Texas prior to the state joining the US. A sibling of Ebenezer’s fought for the Republic of Texas against Mexico in 1841. Was Ebenezer’s service during the Civil War more Pro-Texas than Pro-Slavery or Anti-Union? I can’t answer that. (I can raise the question, though.)

The political battles today can still get rather heated.  I have good friends with whom I disagree strongly on some issues.  I have no idea what 'side' I will be viewed on in 20, 40 or 80 years.  I don't believe in hiding information about ancestors from future generations.  I will respect  kin and refrain from blogging about some things if the relative in question has close living descendants.  But if the event in question happened 150 years ago or more, I'm not going to hesitate much blogging about it.

Amanuensis Monday - January 10

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

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• 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 provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Amanuensis Monday: Obituary of Sammie H. Brown

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 the extensive obituary for Sammie H. Brown (1919-1998) - a first cousin of my paternal grandfather's.  As is my habit, I have removed the names of living kin.

How Genealogy and History Can Determine Your Age - 2011

This fun mathematical post has become sort of a tradition here.

I started it in 2008, updated it for 2009, and then updated it again in 2010.

A close comparison of posts will illustrate what needs to be changed each year, and the comments in 2009 included a mathematical explanation by someone on how this works, for those who are curious.

***

This takes less than a minute. Work this out as you read .

Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
(Because, you know, that spoils the fun.)


1. How many Great-Grandparents do you have full name, date of birth, and date of death for?

Secondary spouses don't count. Only (pardon the redundancy) direct ancestors count.

2. Multiply by the number of biological parents you have, regardless of whether or not you have any information on them. (Everyone should have the same answer here. 2.)

3. Add the number next to your paternal grandmother on your ahnentafel table or list. (Once again, everyone should have the same number. 5.)

4. To honor the year the Roman Emperor, Claudius, adopted Nero -- Multiply it by 50

5. To honor the nuptials of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz - or, if you wish, the birth of Henry Shrapnel, inventor of the shrapnel shell - add 1761.

6. If you haven't had your birthday yet this year, subtract 1.

7. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number

The first digit of this is the number of great grandparents you have all that information on!

The next two numbers are:

YOUR AGE

Don't deny it!

Note: This will not work if you are at least 100 years old. (But, congratulations!)

Amanuensis Monday: Carl Kroovand and the Summons

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 couple 1930 news stories involving a distant cousin who managed to get his photograph in the newspaper, handing a summons to the mayor of New York City.

Amanuensis Monday - January 3

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

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• 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 provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.