Advent Calendar - December 4 - Christmas Cards

The mail begins to trickle in this time of year with Christmas Cards, and already this year we've received a couple.  Our cards will be adding to the postal service economy here shortly.

We always seem to get a variety of cards and letters at Christmas time.  Some folks take the time to write out a long letter, but most are just the traditional greetings with a message of love.  We try to keep our address book up to date, as there is always someone among our friends or family who seems to have moved within the year.

In the past, there have been times where we've displayed the cards in the tree or across the doorway, etc.  Some in my family have made small Christmas gift boxes out of the old cards from previous years.  Others have placed them in the Christmas tree itself.  Personally, I like to see who uses the same cards as others to see who shares a similar taste.

Our Christmas cards typically express a Christian message - one small way to share the gospel.  Some of the cards we receive share this faith, others are filled with snowmen, Santa or other winter scene.  Occasionally, a friend will send one of those picture cards, showing us how much their children or their pets have grown.

I do not have any Christmas cards of my ancestors, nor do I typically save the cards from year to year unless they are being recycled into a giftbox.  Other than saving new addresses for the address books, the cards usually end up in the trash.


Christmas cards are a good way to stay in touch with loved ones that we don't get to see as often as we would like. 

Marriage: William P. Wehrly to Olive Jane Smith

My paternal 2nd-great grandparents, William P. WEHRLY and Olive Jane SMITH were married on August 4, 1866 in Jay County, Indiana.  Notice in the record that William is shown with a middle initial of 'S.'; that was the middle initial used by his father.  Also, the spelling of the surname is WHERLEY in this record.

William was born November 2, 1845 in Preble County, Ohio, the son of Johannes "John S." and Barbara (PETRY) WEHRLY.  Olive was born June 23, 1846 in Cass County, Michigan, the daughter of William P. and Prudence (MAXSON) SMITH.

They lived out their lives in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, where William was a farmer, sawmiller and mortician.  They had 13 children.

William died June 16, 1909 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.  Olive died January 6, 1913 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.

Advent Calendar - December 3 - Christmas Tree Ornaments

Our family likes Christmas ornaments.  We have all types from homemade ones made by the kids to store bought ones with sentimental attachments.  We definitely have the silly ones, like the Indianapolis Colts one I'm holding in the above photo, to the "Our First Christmas", etc.

My folks like to buy ornaments every year for the grandkids that reflect a period in their lives : an instrument, a sports team, etc.  I have my John Deere ornament and Tony Stewart's car for our tree.  


The kids have made ornaments at school and church that we still have in the collection.  We've also gone to the Walkway of Lights in Marion and purchased handcrafted ones as well.  We have a bit of an eclectic mix of ornaments to choose from when we put up the tree.


Sometimes when the ornaments are past their prime, it is hard to say goodbye to them.  Perhaps that is just the pack rat in me.  


 

Family Milestones: December 2nd

My maternal 6th-great granduncle, Joseph CHEW, married on this date in 1799 in Frederick County, Virginia to Elizabeth THOMAS.  Joseph was the son of Major James and Mary (CALDWELL) CHEW, and the older brother of my Andrew CHEW.  Joseph was born December 19, 1765 in Virginia.  Elizabeth was born June 9, 1772, probably in Pike County, Virginia, the daughter of Sampson THOMAS. They raised a family of 10 children.  Joseph died March 12, 1848 in Andersonville, Ross County, Ohio, and Elizabeth died September 11, 1843 in Andersonville, Ross County, Ohio.

 

Advent Calendar - December 2 - Holiday Foods

I can remember as a kid waking up mom & dad to let them know that Santa had been there.  Once everyone was up, we were tortured into eating breakfast before opening our presents!  Just kidding!  I'm sure the bacon and eggs, and the coffee for mom and dad, helped make the morning go smoother as we ripped into our presents.  Believe me, we ate breakfast at a lightning pace!


Our family pretty much had all of the traditional holiday foods for Christmas dinner - everything from ham to turkey, plenty of pies, even cranberry sauce (yuck!).  Honestly, I probably don't pay enough attention to what is being served - if you fix it, I can eat it.

One particular holiday tradition that I remember growing up involved special "Santa" mugs filled with lime-green holiday punch.  My grandma Wright started this tradition, I believe, and my mom still has this punch every year.  The kids really enjoy it :

Christmas Punch

Makes 36 servings

2 cups sugar                                    6 cups water

3 packages lemon-lime koolaide         2 liters lemon-lime soda

3 cups pineapple-grapefruit juice*       1 quart lime sherbet

1/3 cup lemon juice

About 2 hours before serving, stir half of the lime sherbet in punch bowl to soften.  Mix sugar, koolaide, juices and water together in large pitcher.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  (This could be done ahead of time and chilled).  Blend into the sherbet that is in the punch bowl.  Scoop remaining sherbet on top.  Carefully pour in 7-Up or any lemon-lime carbonated beverage.

*If pineapple-grapefruit juice is not available, mix 1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice and 1 1/2 cups of grapefruit juice.

** Freeze 7-Up ice cubes with drained marschino cherries in the middle for color.

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday: LeMaster home - Portland, Indiana

These photos are from the house on West Water Street in Portland, Indiana that my father grew up in and that I remember from a boy visiting my grandmother. The first one is dated 1947.

This photo shows a winter view. From the type of film used, it was probably taken sometime in the late 1970s.

The final photo appears as I remember the house in the 1980s.

Genealogy Research Journal - December 2, 2009

Updated my database today with information I received from a correspondant regarding a collateral COOK family line.  Janet Cook Hart saw my database at Worldconnect and gave me corrections and additions to connect James S. COOK b. 1803 Guilford County, North Carolina into the main branches of the Quaker COOKS already in my database.  Turns out James is a 3rd cousin 6 times removed from me, but a descendant of Peter COOK and Elinor NORMAN.


Looking at the data reminds me that I have far to go to correct and document the correct Quaker dating in my records.  

Family Milestones: December 1st

My maternal 4th-great granduncle, Henry WARDLAW, married on this date in 1836 in Brown County, Ohio to Mary L. PURDUM.  Henry was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (NESBIT) WARDLAW, and the older brother of my Anna.  Henry was born May 12, 1812 in Brown County, Ohio.  Mary was born circa 1817 in Ohio.  They lived out their lives in Brown County, Ohio, where Henry was a farmer.  Henry died April 1, 1886 in Brown County, Ohio.  They had a family of 7 children.

My paternal 6th-great grandaunt, Susannah CHEW, married on this date in 1756 to Savil WILSON.  Susannah was the daughter of Jeffrey and Amy (DRIVER) CHEW, and the older sister of my Jesse CHEW.  Susannah was born in 1735 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  She died in 1789, probably in Gloucester County.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My paternal 4th-great grandaunt, Judith PHILBRICK, was born on this date in 1788.  Judith was the daughter of Deacon John and Sally (JEWETT) PHILBRICK, and the younger sister of my Joel PHILBRICK.  Judith died in October 1782.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Sarah Wilson LAMBERTSON, was born on this date in 1835 in Warren County, New Jersey.  Sarah was the daughter of John and Sarah A. (WILSON) LAMBERTSON, and the older sister of my Carey W. LAMBERTSON.  Sarah married on February 22, 1855 in Butler County, Ohio to John W. LYST.  John was born February 14, 1831 in Fayette County, Ohio, the son of John W. and Nancy Agnes (________) LYST.  They moved their family to Madison County, Indiana and had 10 children.  Sarah died in 1881 in Madison County, Indiana and is buried in the Elwood City Cemetery, Elwood, Indiana.

My maternal grandfather, William Lee WRIGHT, was born on this date in 1919 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  William was the son of Virgil Lee and Edna Muriel (PIERCE) WRIGHT.  William married on June 7, 1941 in Madison County, Indiana to Bonnie Mae LAMBERTSON, the daughter of Clemon Beals and June Kirk (DAVIS) LAMBERTSON.  Bonnie was born February 18, 1924 in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.  William died July 9, 1973 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.

Tombstone Tuesday: John William and Ellen (King) Wright

My maternal 2nd-great grandparents, John William and Ellen (KING) WRIGHT, are buried in the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.

John William was born February 21, 1860 in Brown County, Ohio, the son of Joseph W. and Rebecca (HEATON) WRIGHT.

Ellen was born August 24, 1888 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (SHAW) KING.

John and Ellen were married on May 13, 1888 in Madison County, Indiana. They lived out their lives on the family farm in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.

Children of John and Ellen (KING) WRIGHT were:

• unnamed WRIGHT; the 1900 census lists Ellen as the mother of 3 children with 2 living
• Virgil Lee WRIGHT (1894-1972); married Edna Muriel PIERCE; 3 children
• Chester Arthur "Mike" WRIGHT (1896-1955); married Erma Violet HAYES: 1 child
• unnamed WRIGHT; the 1910 census lists Ellen as the mother of 4 children with 3 living
  

Advent Calendar - December 1 - Christmas Tree

Growing up, our family usually had an artificial Christmas tree, although I do remember the time when we tried to have a live tree.  I believe that the mess and the cleanup it caused was the reason that we were back to an artificial tree the next year.

As an adult, in my family we've always had the artificial tree at Christmas.  Starting out in my married life, I even used a tree or two that was 'recycled', ie. it had belonged to my grandparents or parents.  Talk about a tree that had seen a better day.  Those trees looked a bit like the old Charlie Brown tree by the time I was done with them.

Traditionally, we would put up our Christmas tree after Thanksgiving, though not necessarily right after the turkey was put away.  Mother's birthday was in early December, and as I recall, the times the tree went up seemed to be closely tied to her birthday.

My brother, sister and I would help mom and dad put up the tree and decorations, and that is a tradition that continues at our house today.  Somehow it seems better to make the tree decorating a family project.

Christmas Tree, 2003 model