Died of Wounds in France: Raymond Lord Boone (1895-1918)

I was contacted by a gentleman who had inherited World War I dog tags which belonged to Raymond Lord Boone of New York State. He wanted my help in finding a descendant so that he could return the dog tags to a family member. Since a close relative was not found, the dog tags may be donated to the New York State Military Museum.

Raymond Lord Boone was born on 9 April 1895 to Edward and Edith (Earles) Boone. Records conflict about his place of birth. Federal census records indicate Raymond was born in New York. His military records created after his death, list New Port Richey, Florida, as his place of birth. However, his draft registration card, which was completed by a Schenectady County draft board official while meeting with Raymond, lists his place of birth as Preston Hollow, New York. I tend to think New York was his place of birth as his parents lived in Florida in the 1930s before returning to New York, according to his mother's obituary.

From at least 1900 to 1915, Raymond lived in Duanesburg, New York, with his parents and older brother Weller Earl. His father was a blacksmith.

Rt. 7 and Rt. 20 crossroads in downtown Duanesburg; courtesy of eBay 

On 27 June 1917 Raymond traveled to Schenectady to enlist in the New York National Guard. At the time he enlisted, he lived in the village of Delanson in Schenectady County, which is situated west-southwest of Duanesburg. He was assigned to the Machine Gun (MG) Company of 2nd Infantry. On 1 October 1917 the 2nd New York Infantry became the 105th New York Infantry. The regiment was strengthened by men from the 71st Regiment. It was paired with the 106th Regiment and attached to the 53rd Brigade of the 27th Division. They traveled to Camp Wadsworth near Spartanburg, South Carolina, for extensive training.

The 105th Infantry embarked for Europe from Newport News, Virginia, on 17 May 1918; and sailed aboard the Army Transport Steamer, President Grant. The last elements of the division arrived in France by late June.

Army Transport Steamer President Grant; courtesy of the Naval History and
Heritage Command

According to the New York State Museum website the, "27th division was slowly rotated into the front line in relief of the British 6th Division" on 25 July 1918. "German offensives during late March and April had driven deep salients into the allied lines near Amiens and Hazebrouck. On 31 August 1918, operations of the Ypres-Lys Offensive began in an attempt to remove the Germans from the Dickebusch/Scherpenberg area, and thus reduce the Amiens salient. This would free the Amiens-Paris railroad and safeguard allied communications. The responsibility for the assault on the 31st fell to the 53rd Brigade with the 105th regiment attacking on the left, abreast of the 106th Regiment. Over the next couple of days the 105th Regiment advanced against moderate German resistance until the entire 27th Division was relieved by the British 41st Division.

The 27th Division was transferred to the British 3rd Army on 4 September and was stationed near Doullens in a reserve position. By mid-September, the German salients had been reduced and the allied armies were finally in a position to launch their own offensive. The Somme offensive was organized and launched from 24 September to 21 October 1918 with the express purpose of piercing the Hindenburg line, a complex system of German defenses with an average depth of six to eight kilometers. On September 27th, elements of the 105th moved forward in support of an attack by the 106th Regiment. Modest gains were made, initially near Quennemont Ferme, Guillemont Ferme, and a fortified hill creatively labeled 'The Knoll,' but German counterattacks threw the two regiments back to their starting place. On 29 September, the 105th, which had been sent to the rear as a reserve advanced on The Knoll, but was checked by savage amounts of machine gun fire that rained down from the elevated German positions. On 1 October, the whole of the 27th Division was moved again, they time to Premont, where it would serve with the American 2nd Corps.

27th Infantry Division war dead on 29 Sep 1918 near Gillemont Farm; courtesy
of the Australian War Memorial

On October 17th the 105th helped spearhead an assault against the German defenses, and rapidly took a portion of the line at L'Arbe de Guise, holding it against vigorous counterattacks. The following day, the 105th attacked again, advancing to one of the main north-south German lines, which ran through Jonc de Mer Ferme before being halted by strong resistance. On 19 October the 105th advanced from their forward positions in the face of slight opposition, and easily took the main German works. The Germans, placed in an untenable position by the 105th the previous day, had been forced to withdraw. The 105th Regiment held the line until 21 October when the entire division was relieved." This series of engagements became known as the Battle of the Selle.

Raymond Lord Boone died from wounds received in action during the battle on 20 October 1918. His body was interred at the Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension in Nord, France. Busigny had been liberated by the allies in early October and over the next two months the 12th, 37th and 48th Casualty Clearing Stations operated in town. The cemetery extension was begun October until February 1919. After the armistice, the cemetery extension was enlarged when Plots II-VII were used for graves of soldiers killed in a wide area between Cambrai and Guise. Boone was interred in Grave No. 6, Plot 2, No. 623. His remains were eventually moved to Arlington National Cemetery.

Private Raymond Lord Boone's headstone at
Arlington National Cemetery; courtesy of Find A
Grave volunteer Doc Wilson

A memorial plaque mounted on a stone honoring the ultimate sacrifice made by Raymond L. Boone and four other men was erected in the Mariaville, New York, Cemetery where Raymond's brother, Weller Earl, and his wife, Janet S. (Gahagan) Boone, were interred. Mariaville is a hamlet in Schenetady County and was named after a small, nearby lake.

Memorial stone honoring Raymond Lord Boone at the
Mariaville Cemetery; courtesy of Find A Grave volunteer
Thomas Dunne

In Honor of
1st Class Private
Raymond L. Boone
Machine Gun Co., 105th Infantry
27th Division, U.S.A.

Killed at the
Battle of Laselle River
St. Souplet, France
October 20th 1918, Aged 23 Years

Erected by the Citizens of
Mariaville
In Grateful Recognition
Of His Services
To His Country and to Humanity

Honor Roll

Robert L. Gullings
Stephen Brown
Orson J. Smith
Frank Jeffers

A Strange Valentine's Day Tale

The following article was published in The Franklin Times on 22 January 1904 about the remarriage of Felix Von Briesen and Daisy Penland. They were first married in 1893, divorced in 1902 and remarried in 1904. Their love story was also published in several other newspapers around the country.

Won Fortune and Wife Who Had Divorced Him

"The mountain city of Asheville is the beginning and end of a romance in real life which is as full of incident and interest as any theme of a novelist.

A dozen years ago Felix Von Briesen, a talented young German went there to work in carving the stone for the quaint gargoyles and other ornaments of George Vanderbilt's magnificent chateau at Biltmore. He was born in Macon, Ga., but no native German has more sentimentalism, with a leaning toward the tenderest love, and so it happened that when he saw Miss Daisy Penland it was a case of love at first sight.

One of the "quaint gargoyles and other ornaments" on the
exterior of the Biltmore; personal collection

Marriage quickly followed and for five years they lived in Asheville, Von Briesen all that time working at the chateau.

When the latter was completed the sculptor had to go elsewhere for employment, and he went to Arizona and New Mexico, but found no work sufficiently permanent to justify him in sending for his wife. He wrote her from time to time, sending money, but the periods between the letters grew longer and finally the letters ceased entirely.

His wife spent two years without a word from him. Then she secured a divorce on the grounds of desertion. Two children had been the fruit of the union, but one, a boy had died, leaving a little girl with all her mother's beauty. Mrs. Von Briesen became a trained nurse and so supported herself and daughter, seeking no pity and putting aside the memory of her husband, who it was thought by her family and friends had tired of his love and deserted her.

One day last October a letter came from Santa Fe, N. Mex., assuring her that his love had never failed, but that failure to secure profitable employment had disheartened him and he feared to write, but sunshine had come by the death of a relative, who had left him $25,000, and he was prepared to take care of his family.

So startling was this letter that the wife could hardly credit it, but replied and correspondence was resumed. Von Briesen wrote that he would give his wife and child a large portion of his inheritance. The wife wrote him to lose no time in coming to Asheville. He came a few days ago and complete understanding was effected. He gave his wife a certificate for a large sum of money and on Monday of last week they were re-married by the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Asheville."

Biographical Sketch of Felix Von Briesen

Felix Von Briesen was the third known son of Oscar and Susannah (Wagner) Von Briesen. He maintained on various documents he was born on 10 June 1870; however, he appeared on the 1870 census as a three-year old boy. So my assumption is he was born on 10 June 1867 in Macon, Georgia. His family had lived in Macon earlier in the decade when his father taught music at Wesleyan Female College, now Wesleyan College. His father was thought to have been of German heritage and immigrated to the United States about 1846 from the area of eastern Europe that was variously under Polish, Prussian, and Russian rule. His mother consistently stated on source documents that she had been born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.

In 1870, Felix's family lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where is father taught school -- perhaps at another college -- but by 1880, his family had been torn apart. His father, Oscar, lived in Austin, Texas, making pianos. His mother and brothers, Edward and Robert, lived in Baltimore, boarding with the William F. Schwarze family. Susannah was a dressmaker and Edward worked as a bartender. The whereabouts of Felix's younger brother, William, is unknown to me at this time. Twelve-year-old Felix was an inmate at the Home of the Friendless.

The Home of the Friendless was a private social services organization, which began its work in Baltimore in 1854 when the Home of Friendless Vagrant Girls was chartered. Its purpose was to provide a "refuge and Christian home for homeless, friendless, and worse than friendless vagrant girls with the objective of preparing their residents for service in Christian homes." A boys' home was constructed in 1871.

In 1888 Felix lived in Baltimore and worked as a stonecutter. The next year George Vanderbilt, a grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, began constructing a 250-room French Renaissance chateau, known as the Biltmore, in the Blue Ridge mountains near Asheville. Felix moved to Asheville and worked on the Biltmore for five years before the mansion was opened to Vanderbilt's friends and family for Christmas in 1895.

Biltmore mansion in Asheville, North Carolina; personal collection

He married Daisy Penland, daughter of Noble and Nancy (Stevens) Penland, in 1893 in Buncombe County and they had two children, Oscar A. and Felicia Nancy, though Oscar died on 24 November 1895 just days after his first birthday.

Soon after their son died, Felix went west to look for work. In 1900 he lived in Holbrook, Arizona, which was then a territory, in a large boarding house along with several other stonecutters and day laborers. I suspect the craftsmen had gathered there to build the now historic Navajo County Courthouse. Holbrook was known as "the town too tough for women and churches." In 1902, Felix was registered to vote in Graham County, Arizona.

Historic Navajo County, Arizona, courthouse; courtesy of Wikipedia

Meanwhile back home his wife filed for and received a divorce in 1902 in Buncombe County. Felix returned to Asheville and the couple remarried on 14 December 1903. A few days after their second marriage, they moved to Washington, DC, where Felix had secured, what the local newspaper described as  "a good position."

While in Washington, Felix pursued a civil suit against Congressional and Mexican Mining Company to recover $10,500. It appears judged ruled against him and his attorney filed a motion for a new trial. What happened to this motion is not clear. Then on 7 August 1906 a creditor of the mining company sued several stockholders, including Felix for not making their installment payments for stock. The outcome of this lawsuit is also unknown.

He and Daisy purchased a 140-acre farm in Clifton Station, Virginia, and took in boarders during the summer months. Felix's mother, Susannah died on the farm on 28 October 1905. Daisy had a son in 1907 while they lived in Virginia. Felix sold the farm in 1910 and by 1912 he and his family had moved to El Paso, Texas.

Felix and Daisy's love story did not last. They divorced in January 1916. Both of them remained in El Paso. Daisy worked as a nurse and Felix worked at various jobs with the Army, a milling company, and a mining concern. In 1921 he went to Sinaloa, Mexico, on a prospecting trip for a mining company.

Felix died of heart problems on 26 July 1928 in El Paso. Daisy never remarried and died on 25 April 1964, also in El Paso.

Their children:

• Oscar A. Von Briesen, born 11 November 1894 in Buncombe County, North Carolina; died 24 November 1895; interred at the Newton Academy Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina.
• Felicia Nancy Von Briesen, born 18 July 1896 in Buncombe County; died 3 March 1984 in El Paso County, Texas; interred at Restlawn Memorial Park in El Paso; married 1) Walter Vernon Haggard (1893-1927) and 2) John Graham Melton (1897-1972).
• Delphin Von Briesen, born 4 June 1907 in Clifton, Virginia; died 28 January 1970 in El Paso, Texas; interred at Restlawn Memorial Park; married Mary Emma Luckett (1912-1986).

_______________

Felix Von Briesen, was the brother-in-law from 1913-1916 of the first wife of my second cousin three times removed, James Taylor. When Rose Etta (Poole) Von Briesen married my cousin, she was a widow. Her first husband was Felix's brother, Robert Von Briesen.

Cowhiding in Wake County 

The Mysterious Rose Etta (Poole) Von Briesen Taylor...

Christmas Traditions Around the World

This post was originally published on Worldwide Genealogy -- A Genealogical Collaboration on 25 December 2014.

Imagine my surprise when I realized my day to contribute a monthly post fell on Christmas! I knew just what to write about this month. My dear mother-in-law started giving me the Lenox "Christmas Trees from Around the World" plates in 1991 and continued each year until the day she died in 2008. I would like to share with you some of them and the tree traditions from each country where our families originated as written on the back of each plate.

Austria

Austria celebrates a month-long tradition at Christmas, from the arrival of Saint Nicholas and his companion Krampus on December 5th until Epiphany on January 6th when the Wise Men appear. The Advent wreath is the first sign of the season as a candle is lighted with great festivity on the first Sunday of Advent. In Austrian homes the Nativity creche is also an important tradition often an heirloom carved in wood centuries ago. New figures may be carved over the years to include not only the Holy Family but any number of other figures. From Austria the world has received the beautiful hymn "Silent Night," composed in 1818 by Franz Gruber, a young organist, with lyrics by Joseph Mohr. In Austria the tree is the bright jewel of the home during the Christmas season. After the Christmas Eve supper, the tree is lighted in a blaze of flory as family members gather to sing Christmas songs, and peasant or classical carols.

1995 Lenox Austria plate

The 1995 Lenox plate tree is decorated with gold and silver garlands and candles, with presents arranged beneath the tree.

Canada

Canada celebrates the Christmas season based upon culturally diverse traditions. It is a holiday that shares a mix of old and new. The French, for instance, brought their tradition or displaying the creche, while the Germans introduced the fir tree as part of the celebratory process. They are also credited with the introduction of blown glass ornaments to tree decoration. The English had an old tradition of hanging a "Kissing Ball" or setting the table with Christmas crackers. Earlier decorations were highly influenced by the native Indian crafts, including the use of feathers.

2003 Lenox Canada plate

The 2003 Lenox plate shows the rich, balsam adorned with pine cones, kissing balls and feathered jeweled ornaments. Kugels and Neapolitan-style angles are represented. The Canadian maple leaf is featured throughout the design and garlands of cranberry wrap around the tree.

England

According to English myth, the custom of decorating trees for Christmas began in their country with Prince Albert. After the birth of their first son in 1841, he present Queen Victoria with a candlelit tree laden with sweets of the most expensive kind. Victorians, who were given to imitate the Royal Family, quickly adopted the custom after a picture of one of the Windsor trees appeared in an 1848 edition of the Illustrated London News. Charles Dickens delighted readers with his magazine account of the glittering Christmas trees decorated with miniature dolls, fiddles, drums, and figurines that had become the new fashion for the elated season in Victorian England.

1993 Lenox England plate

The 1993 Lenox plate is festive with delectable English confections and a garland of cranberries. A gilded angel with outstretched wings crowns the candlelit tree, around which are the traditional plum pudding, toys, figurines and Christmas gifts are placed in celebration of the merriest of English holidays.

Germany

Germany is truly the land of the Christmas tree. . .in no other country is the day so fully and heartily observed. "Weihnachtsbaum" (Christmas tree) is the symbol of the German yuletide. In 1531 the first Christmas trees were sold in the Strasbourg market. The four-foot trees were set up undecorated for the holiday on small tables. The oldest known Christmas tree to be decorated as we know the tradition today, was found in Strasbourg in the early 17th century. Decorations included only apples and nuts, with the addition of flat wafers, gilded candies and many different colored paper roses following later. By the 18th century, Christmas trees were decorated with many kins of sweet confections as well as gold leaf covered apples and other gilded fruits and nuts.

1991 Lenox Germany plate; the first plate of the series

The 1991 Lenox plate displays a typical German Christmas tree of the early 1600s. Simple apples and nuts adorn the tree just as they did when the world's first Christmas tree was decorated in Germany.

Hungary

Christmas arrives in Hungary not once, but twice! The first celebration takes place on December 6th, which is Saint Nicholas (also known as "Mikols") Day. Children place boots in their window hoping to be rewarded for good behavior by Saint Nicholas who ill fill them with chocolate, fruit, walnuts and other goodies. The second celebration is December 25th, which actually begins the night before. Songs and good cheer arise as friends and family come together to share fits and a traditional meal that often includes fish, lentils and a special poppy pastry known as "beigli."

The 2005 Lenox plate depicts the legend that a tree was brought by angels to surprise the children. Hence, families wait until Holy night, December 24th, to decorate their tree. A bell is rung, signaling that the angels have brought the tree and the Baby Jesus has arrived with gifts. The tree, lit with candles and sparklers, is then unveiled to the delighted children.

2005 Lenox Hungary plate

Special holiday candies called "szalon cukon," wrapped in bright red and gold foil, are also used to decorate the tree. "Matyo" felt ornaments, decorated with the colorful embroidery that Hungary for which is renowned, make unique and festive tree decorations. Hungary's rich tradition of beautiful handcrafted work and wonderful culinary delights give special meaning to the phrase "Yokarar Csony," Merry Christmas!

Russia

The Christmas celebration in Old Russia began with the appearance of the first evening star on Christmas Eve. Children eagerly awaited the wheat cakes placed for them on the window sill by St. Nicholas, the kind and generous bishop chosen as the patron saint of Russia almost one thousand years ago. At supper, the table was set with a layer of straw beneath the cloth to symbolize the bed in the manger. After a meal of fish and special cakes, family members, dressed in costumes, paraded through the neighborhood singing Christmas songs known as "Kolyada." Russian children waited in anticipation, not for Santa Claus, but for the old woman Babouschka, who brings each little child a present as she searches every house on her long journey to find the Christ Child.

1996 Lenox Russia plate

The 1996 Lenox plate is decorated with jeweled eggs, ornately detailed balls, and sparkling crystals inspired by Imperial Russia. A bear, gilded-domed palace and Russian dolls are gathered under the star-topped tree.

United States of America

Along with its own original celebrations, Christmas in America combines a unique blend of customs and traditions from around the world. All contribute to the holiday season, making Christmas in America a very special time of year. Although the Christmas tree originated in Germany, large cities to small towns throughout the United States display a "Community Tree" -- a custom which began in Pasadena, California, in 1909. Typically, trees are decorated with a variety of ornaments, old and new, that are rich in sentiments.

1998 Lenox America plate

The 1998 Lenox America tree is decorated with jolly Santa Claus figurines and old fashioned candles. The boughs are adorned with garland and strings of popcorn. Antique toys and brightly colored fruit evoke the feelings of a colonial Christmas while delicate snowflakes, icicles and baubles shimmer. A star glistens from the tree top and shines upon the colorful array of packages and toys beneath the tree.

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!

_______________
To learn about the Christmas tree traditions in Ireland and Poland, I hope you'll click over to my Tangled Roots and Trees Christmas post.

The surnames of my husband and my grandparents were: Adametz (Austria), Dagutis (Lithuania), Fishtahler (Hungary), Jennings (England), Klimsansluski (Lithuania), Lange (Russia), Muir (Scotland), and Schalin (Russia). The Fishtahler, Lange, and Schalin families considered themselves German, though they immigrated extensively in Europe (Hungary, Poland, Russia, and Serbia) before coming to the new world (Canada and the United States).

Christmas Eve at The Sagamore

Pete and I journeyed north to Bolton Landing on the west shore of Lake George through snow, ice and fog to spend Christmas Eve at The Sagamore. The hotel was named for a character in James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 novel, Last of the Mohicans -- Chingachgook, the last Mohican chief and often called "The Great Sagamore," or respected chief. The first hotel opened in 1883 and quickly became the center of social activity for wealthy Green Island residents and the owners of "cottages" along Lake George's Millionaires Row.

The less photographed entry facade of The Sagamore; personal collection

Valet desk; valet service is complimentary; personal collection

The first hotel was built in the shingled Queen Anne style of architecture, was constructed in the shape of an "H" and was three and a half stories. Lake steamers made regular stops at the docks of the hotel bringing new guests and their arrival was a highly anticipated event.

After the first fire in 1893 which left nothing more than the chimneys, there was no summer season. However, the surrounding cottages did not burn and owners needed a place to dine and socialize. So the Sagamore bowling alley was converted to a dining hall for the 1893 season.

The new Sagamore opened for business on 26 June 1894. Its architecture was picturesque; "its varied porticoes, balconies, and gables admirably displayed in colors that harmonized richly with their native surroundings."[1]

The second fire occurred on Easter Sunday in 1914 and totally destroyed the resort. Though rumors abounded about a new hotel in the years following, only cottages were built on Green Island. In 1923 the Sagamore Club opened. From historic photographs of the club, one can begin to discern the beginnings of the current hotel, which opened on 1 July 1930.

The hotel was added to the National Historic Register of Places in 1983 and became a member of Historic Hotels of American in 1991. The property was purchased by Ocean Properties, LTD in 2008, who have invested an additional $50 million.

The world famous lake facade, which was built in 1930; personal collection

View of Lake George and Dome Island; personal collection

The Christmas decorations were beautiful throughout the hotel, including banks of poinsettias...

Poinsettias in the lobby; personal collection

...Christmas trees throughout the property...

Christmas tree in the lobby bar; personal collection

...beautifully decorated mantles (yes, I lusted after that bark canoe)...

Cabin style Christmas decorations; personal collection

...and one life-sized gingerbread house in the lobby.

Life-sized gingerbread house in the lobby; personal
collection

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends.

________________
[1] Brown, M. O. The Sagamore, Lake George. Bolton Landing, New York, 1889. (Pamphlet)

From 4-Star Resorts to Coal Mines

Pete and I weren't able to join my youngest brother and his wife for our annual Memorial Weekend get-away as we are working hard to get our house ready to sell. We have extensively remodeled our home over the past 13 years, but after Mom died in 2014, I lost my motivation and never really got everything put back together after the last project. So this holiday weekend, I thought back to our most recent trip and decided to share with you memories of our 2015 Memorial Day trip to southern West Virginia. Taking a long weekend trip with my youngest brother and his wife is a family tradition which began in 2010.

It was my turn to pick a destination. In my never-ending quest to get my youngest brother interested in family history, I decided we should go to southern West Virginia where our great grandfather, Robert Muir (1875-1956), worked as a miner from at least 1920 through the early 1940s. We would tour a coal mine, drive through McDowell and Wyoming counties where he lived and worked, and hopefully photograph his grave and that of his son, Robert Muir, Jr. (1912-1959). My brother requested we add a tour of the Congressional Government Relocation Facility, better known as "The Bunker." It was a Cold War era underground facility to house Congress during a nuclear attack so the government would continue to function. So we were spending Memorial Day weekend underground!

We arrived in Beckley, West Virginia, on Saturday and met my brother and his wife there for dinner, which was our best meal of the trip.

Dinner on the 304 Chop House patio; personal collection

Sunday morning we drove to the White Sulphur Springs Valley and toured the Bunker, the grounds of the Greenbrier resort, and ate lunch at the hotel's restaurant, Draper's. We drove back to Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and toured the museum, miners' housing, and went underground into the drift mine.

Front entrance of the Greenbrier; personal collection

Down in the drift mine; personal collection

We ate dinner at Tamarack, West Virginia's economic development project for arts and crafts. The cafeteria is staffed by chefs from the Greenbrier.

Tamarack arts and crafts facility; courtesy of Wikipedia

On Monday we drove south through Wyoming and McDowell counties, where nothing is flat and the valleys are narrow and pinched together with only room for a creek, railroad tracks, and a road, which would have been a great racing road course! We found the cemetery, which was huge and mountainous (of course). However, we did not find the graves of our ancestors. The records for 1950s burials were burned several years ago. We drove through Welch, West Virginia, the county seat, which is practically a ghost town now, but once was one of the fastest-growing cities in West Virginia. The decline of the coal industry has wreaked havoc on the economy. While we were there yet another mining company announced large layoffs.

Welch, West Virginia on a Sunday afternoon, 1946; courtesy of Wikipedia

Same street on a Sunday afternoon, 2015; personal collection

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the trip was learning about the West Virginia Mine War, which occurred in 1920 and 1921. It is still the largest labor action in our Nation's history. There was certainly the need for unions in that era of barely regulated capitalism.

I don't think I made much progress getting my youngest brother interested in genealogy or our family history. But I haven't given up yet!

If you are interested in looking at the photographs of the rest of our trip, you may want to review my album on Facebook: 2015 Southern West Virginia Photo Album. There is a county historical society, which has been quite helpful in my research.

_______________
Memorial Day Traditions
Project Greek Island: The Bunker
Welch County Courthouse: Then and Now
Welch, West Virginia: The Nation's Coal Bin
West Virginia Mine Wars

Honoring Ancestors Who Died in Mines

On Labor Day we commemorate working people and the labor movement by observing Labor Day, our national holiday established to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations." Labor Day was born out of the Industrial Revolution and that revolution was fueled by coal. Many of my ancestors worked in coal pits in Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, and the United States. Today, I would like to remember and honor those men who were killed working in coal mines.

John Franklin Austin (1915-1943)
Age at Death: 27
Relationship: First husband of the wife of my third cousin once removed, Clyde Hilton Key (1911-1987)
Parents: Harry F. Austin and Mattie E. Parker
Cause of Death: Crushed between a train and the wall of the coal mine.
Death Location: United States
New Nipper Killed in the Mine

William Collins (1850-1917)
Age ag Death: 67
Relationship: Second husband of my great great grandmother, Clementine (Wells) Riggin (1846-1932)
Parents: William Collins and Mary Lang
Cause of Death: Killed by a fall of slate at the Donk Brothers Coke & Coal Company
Death Location: United States
Coal Mining: A Dangerous Occupation

George White Dick (1871-1925)
Age at Death: 54
Relationship: Husband of my first cousin times removed, Henrietta Brown Muir (1874-1939)
Parents: Thomas and Margaret White
Cause of Death: Shock following injuries sustained after being crushed at Hopeturn Colliery
Death Location: Scotland

Andrew Cairns Muir (1902-1936)
Age at Death: 34
Relationship: Adopted son of my first cousin three times removed, Nathaniel Muir (1872-1936)
Parents: Birth -- Andrew Cairns and Elizabeth Cameron; Adopted: Nathaniel Muir and Ann "Annie" Hutton
Cause of Death: Died of injuries sustained when the roof of the mine where he was working collapsed and fell on him.
Fatal Colliery Accident

Alexander Paterson (1886-1944)
Age at Death: 57
Relationship: Husband of my third cousin once removed, Henrietta Cassells Lively (1892-1948)
Parents: John Paterson and Marion Scoular
Cause of Death: Asphyxia after being smothered by a fall of coal, stone, and dirt when mine ceiling collapsed.
Death Location: Scotland

James Richardson (1896-1921)
Age at Death: 24
Relationship: Second cousin twice removed
Parents: Hugh Richardson and Janet Muir
Cause of Death: Changing a trolley pole and came into contact with a live wire and he was electrocuted.
Electrocuted in the Frederick Mine

James Richardson (1886-1921); photo courtesy of Ancestry.com
member and DNA match BarbZale

William Brown Shaw (1866-1878)
Age at Death: 12
Relationship: Step-son of three times great uncle Robert Orr Muir (1839-1917)
Parents: Unknown father and Mary Watson (Shaw) Muir
Cause of Death: Died of injuries sustained when he fell out of cage ascending the pit shaft.
Death Location: Scotland
Fatal Coal Pit Accident

Daniel Boone Wells (1856-1910)
Age at Death: 54
Relationship: Third great uncle
Parents: James Wells and Mary Hearelson
Cause of Death: Killed instantly under a fall of coal at the face of his room at the Lumaghi Coal Company's No. 2 mine.
Death Location: United States
Coal Mining: A Dangerous Occupation

Revisiting Daniel Mitchell, Patriot

On 4 July 2015 I wrote a post entitled Daniel Mitchell, Patriot. Thanks to a comment from a reader on that post, I learned much of the information I had was incorrect and since then I have learned much more about the Daniel Mitchell who served in the Revolutionary War on the side of his nascent country. Though I added a lengthy update to the original post, I would like to set the record straight on the day that honors our independence from Great Britain.

Daniel Mitchell (c1750-c1822) was the grandson of Robert "the Immigrant" Mitchell and Mary Innes, who immigrated to Philadelphia sometime in the 1730s. The Mitchell family was of Scottish origin but lived in Londonderry, Ireland. They originally settled in Pequea, Pennsylvania, which is in Lancaster County on the banks of the Susquehanna River. At least two sons -- Daniel and Robert -- came to the colonies with their parents. For several generations the Mitchell family followed the Scottish naming convention, spawning a slew of men named Robert and Daniel Mitchell.

Scottish naming convention; created using Microsoft Excel

Another point of confusion was the name of son Robert Mitchell's wife, which was Mary Enos. Many have combined Mary Innes, mother of Robert, and Mary Enos, wife of Robert into one person; therefore, also combining two men named Robert Mitchell into one person when they are actually father and son.

Three generations of men named Daniel and Robert Mitchell; created using
Microsoft Powerpoint

As young men, the sons of Robert "the Immigrant" Mitchell and Mary Innes migrated south and west from Lancaster County to Bedford County, Virginia, where several generations of descendants remained.

Daniel's son, also named Daniel Mitchell (I call him the Traveler), served as an Ensign in the Bedford County Militia in 1779. This was typically the lowest rank of commissioned office in a milita. If you are familiar with the officer ranks in the modern army, an ensign's responsibilities would be similar to those of a 2nd lieutenant.

At the time of the Revolutionary War, Bedford County was considered a frontier county, an area with scattered log cabins and primitive farming and industry. The greatest danger was from Indians which the British used against civilians. Defending the county was difficult as it was so sparsely populated. According to David Bushnell, Jr., in his The Virginia Frontier in History, "The winter of 1777-1778 was one of the darkest periods in the history of the western frontier of Virginia and Pennsylvania." It was the responsibility to the Bedford Militia to defend their county.

The county became very involved in the war in 1779, the year Daniel Mitchell served. An important lead mine was located in the county and it became a target for direct military action by the British. It was also a staging area for treks to the Far West, which at the time was Illinois country. So the county militia was likely very active conducting marches, skirmishes, and establishing fortifications.

Daniel and Robert Mitchell, the sons of Daniel "the Elder" Mitchell, eventually removed to Kentucky shortly after the Revolutionary War. During the trip the party was attacked by Indians and Naomi (Shipley) Mitchell died and her daughter was kidnapped.

_______________
NOTE: I should mention that the nicknames "the Immigrant" and "the Elder" where not used at the time these men lived. They have been created in order to distinguish between men with the same names.

Kidnapped by Indians
Daniel Mitchell, Patriot

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Me!

Tangled Roots and Trees is three years old today! I started the blog as a way to tell stories to my Dad to let him know that his love of genealogy and the research he did for many years continues. The audience has expanded a bit since then and I still enjoy telling family stories.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com

I define "ancestor" more broadly than most and will write about my own and those who belong to my sisters-in-law, nieces-in-law and cousins. I most frequently write about these families:

Created using Tagxedo.com

The most popular posts I wrote in 2015 were:

1. (Guest Blog) A Star in Heaven: Chelsea Ann Tucker (1989-2015)
2. Introducing the Slave Name Roll Project
3. Social Security Applications and Claims Index
4. Slaves of Harvey Claytor (1800-1871) of Franklin County, Virginia
5. Cecelia's Big Secret?
6. Last of the Covered Wagons: Duck and Cover
7. The Onion Layers that Were Cecelia Dagutis
8. In Celebration of Black History Month (or More DNA Discoveries)
9. Professor Frederick Speece's Will
10. Discovering My Local Family History Center

Perhaps, selfishly, the biggest news of the year was that I retired. (I'm Retired!) I now get to spend about 4 hours almost every day researching and writing about my extended family tree. I am also able to fulfill a promise I made to my mother before she died -- volunteer work, which I do with my DAR chapter. I also read to senior citizens in a couple of nursing homes.

In late 2014 I started what turned out to be an ambitious project -- a book about the descendants of Robert Muir (c1800-1869), my three times great grandfather and the one line on my father's side, he could not research very well as his great grandfather, James Muir, Robert's son, immigrated to the U.S. from Scotland in 1887. Dad did not have access to Scottish records at the time he was able to conduct his research. I promised I would write a book for him. That promise turned out to be a 8-volume opus! Two volumes are completed and available for download and I am now working on Volume VII: Descendants of James Muir (1848-1926). Only five more to go!

Covers of the Descendants of Robert Muir (c1800-1869)

The books and associated genealogy reports, including source citations, are available for download at: Robert Muir Family Blog/Books.

I also wrote a month-long series about the 19th Virginia Infantry regiment which fought for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. My great grandfather, Charles Edward Jennings, his brother, and three of his first cousins fought with the regiment. I am condensing the series now into an article for a magazine to be published later this year. You may find the series under the Civil War heading on my War Stories page.

On Veterans Day 2014 I began contributing to Heather Wilkinson Rojo's Honor Roll Project, which is an effort to photograph and transcribe the names of men and women who served in their country's armed forces in times of war so the names will be indexed by Internet search engines. I continued participating in 2015 and have several photographs and names to share for Memorial Day this year.

During Black History Month in February 2015, I began the Slave Name Roll Project, with five contributions. The objective is to record information about named slaves whenever and where ever they may be found so that African-American genealogists and family historians may break through the wall beyond the 1870 census. Documents such was wills and other probate records, bills of sale, court cases and newspaper advertisements for run-away slaves are often rich sources of information. Today, the project has over 310 contributions and continues to grow. If you have found a named slave in your research, I hope you will consider contributing.

Su Naujais Metais

For the past two years I've been writing about the New Year's traditions of some of my ancestors homelands, including Germany and Scotland. Today, I'm wandering over to my husband's side of the tree and his paternal grandparent's homeland, Lithuania.

On New Year's Eve, families usually spent time together and ate traditional foods. Fortune-telling, or guessing, games were played. If there was tension, reconciliation was attempted. Little alcohol was consumed.

Fireworks over Vilnius, Lithuania; courtesy of VisitLithuania

It was important to get up early on New Year's Day. If you did not, you would have a slothful year with no luck. If you were behind in your work, you would late all year. If you heard a lot of birds chirping, you would have many visitors over the coming year and it would be a fun one. If you borrowed something on New Year's Day, you would experience shortages throughout the year.

Lithuanians used to watch the weather carefully. If New Year's Eve was cold, Easter would be warm. If the night cold, clear and star-filled, the summer would be a good one. If the morning dawned foggy, there would be many deaths. If there was a blizzard, farmers would harvest a bumper crop. Huge snowflakes meant the cows would give a lot of milk.

Today, the end-of-year traditions have lost some of their importance in comparison with Christmas celebrations. The first day of the new year is spent with family or close friends at home or in a restaurant. People still hope the first piece of news they hear will be good as it reveals the type of news they hear throughout the year.

And since 1919, 1 January has also been Flag Day. To celebrate, a solemn ceremony, in which the flag is replaced, is held on Gediminas Field in Vilnius, the capital.

52 Ancestors #52: Genealogy Resolutions

I didn't used make resolutions on New Year's. I believe self-improvement is a continuous process. When your recognize something about yourself that doesn't please you, start fixing it right away. Don't wait for the new year. Sometimes you fail, have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again. Other times you can take a victory lap. Trying to become a better person is a never-ending process.

But on 1 January 2013 I made one resolution and that was Dad's 20+ years of genealogy research would not die and would continue and be shared with others.

I'd always been intrigued by family history from the first time I sat with Dad in his home office helping him with data entry into his Family Tree Maker database and listening to his stories. Since he was working on his and Mom's family, I would work on my husbands'. His grandparents all emigrated from eastern Europe and progress was slow to nonexistent. I would stop for years at a time, start again, find a tidbit, and hit another brick wall.

Trakai, Lithuania, where my husbands' paternal grandfather was born. It
took 10 years to locate the name of this city; photograph courtesy of
Wikipedia

But in 2012, I brought back all Dad's genealogy files and software because his health did not permit him to continue and became obsessed!

One night I realized I was making interesting discovery after interesting discovery and without much thought started blogging about them. Who wouldn't want to tell people that Charles Dickens' Bleak House was written about their family? Or that the 1st Lord Howe had to forcibly toss someone out of the window to enforce his claim to a Jennens inheritance? Or about the quack doctor who likely killed Jonathan Hiller's first wife?

However, I quickly ran out of steam. I was writing all the time and no longer researching. Soon I had no more material about which to blog. After a month, the blog almost died. I stopped thinking about it and started researching in earnest again. And, of course, started finding interesting stories. After five months I resumed blogging and learned to pace myself. I don't have to post every day. I came up with a schedule that works for me -- usually three or four posts a week -- if it's less, that is okay, too. When I have an idea I made a placeholder post, schedule it and include the link to the person in my tree and a brief description of what I want to write about. I've got ideas through 2018 now!

On 1 January 2014 I made another New Year's resolution, I would write a book about Dad's one immigrant line from Scotland -- his mother's paternal Muir line. He didn't know much about his Muir ancestors because when he was researching he had no access to Scottish records. Using ScotlandsPeople, I do.

East Kilbride, Scotland, Parish Church, built in 1774, where my great great
aunt, Martha Muir married John Riddell in 1852; photograph courtesy of
Wikipedia

After several false start starts, I started writing the book as a blog in October of 2014. When completed, it will encompass eight volumes -- one for every child of my Muir three times great grandparents who lived to adulthood and had children. When I finish the descendants of one child, I make an electronic book and post a link, making it available for download to anyone who is interested. After the second volume was completed I skipped ahead to my two times great grandfather, James Muir. And hit a wall when I got to my own grandmother. I found it very difficult to write about people I actually knew.

So I am making another New Year's resolution in 2016 -- I will start writing this book again, darn it!

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Resolution.

________________
Writing a Family History
Hello from the Old Dominion

52 Ancestors #51: Mom's Spritz Cookies

Ancestor Name: Dorothy Ailein (Lange) Jennings (1930-2014)

Mom was a great cook. I think one of the best heirlooms I received when she died was her recipe book. For years and years she spent the month of December baking Christmas cookies. She loved to try new cookie recipes during this time. There were always new types of cookies. Some made her annual rotation and some did not. A family favorite, however, was Mom's Spritz cookies.

Spritz cookies similar to those Mom used to make; source unknown

Spritz cookies, more officially known as Spritzgebäck, is a type of German and Alsatian Christmas biscuit or cookie made of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Wikipedia says, "When made correctly, the cookies are crisp, fragile, somewhat dry, and buttery. The German verb spritzen means to squirt in English. As the name implies, these cookies are made by extruding, or 'squirting,' the dough with a press made of patterned holes or with a cake decorator, or pastry bag, to which a variety of nozzles may be fitted. In the United States, the name Spritzgebäck is often shortened to spritz becoming known as the spritz cookie."

Many people add flavor extracts; others add chocolate to their recipes. Some people add icing or sprinkles to decorate them. Many families, I'm sure, have a much treasured version of this cookie recipe. What we all loved about Mom's version was the buttery, crispy flavor. To make them crispy she used a star-shaped hole with her cookie press and shaped them like a capital S.

These cookies bring back so many memories...of a night over the holidays when my middle brother, cousin, and I went out on the town. When we returned, my cousin and I stood in Mom's laundry room, where she stored her Christmas baking, and ate all the Spritz cookies. Or of last year when I saw this post from my youngest brother on Facebook:

"Missing Mom as Christmas nears, so I decided to honor her by -- of all things -- baking Spritz cookies! I found a recipe online and gave it a try. Kind of bland to be honest. Maybe it's the recipe, maybe it's the cook? My penmanship isn't as good as Mom's either."

Maybe it was because Mom didn't make them.

My brother's attempt at baking Spritz cookies; Facebook

His wife was visiting her mother, helping her prepare for the holidays. When she saw my brother's Facebook post, she emailed me for Mom's recipe. I sent her to my online recipe website and she and her mother made Spritz cookies, wrapped them up for Christmas and gave them to my brother. She sent me a photograph when they were fresh out of the oven.

Spritz cookies; photograph courtesy of Celeste Jennings

Mom's Spritz cookie recipe:

1 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter and and sugar until well blended; blend in egg and almond extract. Mix in flour. Put dough in a cookie press and use star-shaped pattern. Shape each cookie into capital S.

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 to 9 minutes on next to top shelf.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Nice.

52 Ancesors #49: Holiday Memories

Christmas for our family was a time to spend at home with just our immediate family. Traveling to be with extended family was something we did for other holidays. As a child I was happy about this because I wanted Santa Claus to be able to find me on Christmas Day.

One of my first memories of the holiday season was the Lange family gathering on Christmas Eve. Mom was the eighth of nine children so Grandma and Grandpa Lange's house was filled to overflowing with aunts, uncles and cousins. Grandpa told me he had made a special arrangement with Santa to visit early.

We'd hear him on the roof; then a faint "Ho, Ho, Ho," which became louder and louder; and soon Santa would be on the porch! He left presents in a large box. One of the aunts or uncles would distribute the presents by calling out names. For some reason the memory I have of those Christmas Eves was fright. Grandpa died when I was five years old so I was very young. Maybe that explains it.

Me on Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Lange's farm in southern
Maryland; personal collection

When I was an infant, Mom and Dad purchased their first home together. The house was in Arlington County, Virginia, on 1403 North Hartford Street. We lived there until 1967.[1] Grandpa Lange came to live with us after suffering several heart attacks. He died two days before Christmas in 1963 at our home. It's another kind of holiday memory. Mom called Dad at work. He laid Grandpa's body out on his and Mom's bed and the doctor was called. Then later the funeral home was called and Grandpa's body was taken away.

I later learned Mom had a hard time with Christmas after that, but with small children she didn't really have much choice but to put on her happy face and get into the spirit. And she did it so successfully, I didn't know she was sad until she told me years later. I think the sadness turned to melancholy over time, but she always had a Grandpa story to tell during the holidays. So it probably never went away entirely.

Mom always turned our house into a beautiful home. She won many awards for the best decorated house in the neighborhood over the holidays.

This is Dad after he wrapped our front door in Christmas wrapping paper;
photograph is from my personal collection.

Mom, me, Dad, and my brother, Ted in front of our Arlington house. Ted
has the practice grenade Dad sent to Mom when he was in Korea. Her Dad
thought it was real and put it in the chicken coop! Photograph is from my
personal collection

She used an artificial tree when we lived in Arlington. Later when we moved to Vienna, we begged for a live tree. We used to love the trip to pick out our tree. Mom always wanted perfection, however. So when the tree came home, Dad would have to drill holes in the trunk and add extra branches to make it symmetrical or remove a branch or two! Her front door decoration became more elaborate after that. She would wrap it in wrapping paper. Then Dad added half our old artificial tree to the door and Mom lit it and decorated it. When the wind blew, it looked spectacular!

Dad in front of our artificial tree in Arlington,
Virginia; personal collection

I used to get so excited about what Santa was going to bring me that I couldn't sleep. One year I kept the entire house up all night. About 2:00 a.m. they finally let me open a present, hoping I would then sleep. I chose the smallest present. It was a Timex watch, which was at the top of the wish list I sent to Santa. After that wonderful discovery, I was too excited to sleep!

We moved to Vienna, Virginia, five days before Christmas in 1967. Mom and Dad worked so hard getting the new home set up for their children. When they brought my brother and me to the house, our tree was up and decorated. It was such a relief to me (I was nine years old at the time) because I had been very worried Santa wouldn't find me.

The next year, we had a new brother.

My youngest brother's first Christmas; personal
collection

My brothers and I a few years later. Mom had made
the drapes, Dad made the valance she designed, and
together they added the mill work to the walls;
photograph from my personal collection

One of my favorite memories of Christmas are of my youngest brother. He used to loved to hear A Visit from Saint Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore every night before bedtime.  Often he wanted to hear it several times in one reading session. Once, I thought he had drifted off to sleep after three or four readings. So I skipped several pages and began to read again closer to the end. John opened his eyes and asked, "What about the part where his 'belly that shook when he laugh'd like a bowl full of jelly'?" I had been well and truly busted by a three year old!

I believed in Santa until I was 10 years old. I was teased that year in school unmercifully because I continue to think Santa was real. It was with deep regret that I stopped believing. One of the wonderful things about having a brother almost ten years younger than me, was that he kept the Christmas spirit alive in our home. That is, until he was five years old. Apparently, his buddy had told him Santa wasn't real. So John devised a plan to prove if Santa was real or a fairy tale. He took some of the tinsel Mom used to decorate the tree and tied it around each side of the mesh fireplace curtain screens. If it was broken Santa was real; if the tinsel was still tied together, he wasn't.

Mom and Dad left cookies and egg nog out for Santa before we all went to bed. When we woke up in the morning the plate and glass were empty. It was one of their little tricks. Another was opening the fireplace curtain screens so it looked as though Santa had been to visit. The year John was testing the reality of Santa, Mom and Dad forgot to open the screens. The first thing John did when he woke up, was examine the fireplace, which I thought was odd. Then he turned around and pronounced very matter of factly that Santa was not real. He proceeded to open his presents and looked as though he didn't mind losing Santa at all. How different my engineer brother was than me!

I wish everyone joy and happiness over the holiday season. May you and your families make many special memories to share in the future.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Holidays. Thank you, Amy, for giving me a reason to write some of my memories of Christmas down to share with my family.

_______________
[1]Mom had a child at the first three places they lived: 1) me in their apartment; 2) my middle brother, Ted, when we lived in Arlington; and 3) my youngest brother, John, when we lived in Vienna, Virginia. When Mom and Dad moved to North Carolina in 1978, I teased her about having another child since she did every time they had moved previously. She was 48 years old and horrified!