It has been a few weeks since I have qouted any entries from John James Raley's journal, so I decided it was time for a new entry. I am doing these in order through his book he wrote, and with grammar in place.
"My grandfather John Raley was born in 1806 in Bell County Kentucky came to Ohio County Kentucky when 11 years of age with his parents he was married three times his first marriage was to Nancy Wilson who had four brothers James, Thomas, Robert, and Henry Wilson. I do not know where the Wilsons came from nor of what decent they were. Robert Wilson and my Grand Father John Raley swapted sisters Robert Wilson marrying Nancy Raley and John Raley marrying Nancy Wilson who was my Father Jonathan Raley's Mother. Grand Father John Raley had five children born to him by his first marriage my Father Jonathan Raley who was born on November the 19th 1833 his brother James Wesley Raley, his sisters Julian, Pollyann, and Nancy Jane Raley."
"Aunt Pollyann married a man whos name was Vanburan Day. They at one time when I was a small boy were doing well Uncle Van as we called him was a farmer in Grayson County, Kentucky near what is known now as Goughs Crossing on the I C Railroad running from Louisville Kentucky via Paducah to Memphis Tennessee. Uncle Van and Aunt Polly raised quite a family one sone named Presley is now a Rail Road Engineer out west one daughter Martha married a man named Scott Likins they are living in Grayson County Kentucky. Mr. Likins is a Farmer and a stock trader and is quite well fixed financially. I have forgotten the names of Uncle Van's and Aunt Polly Ann's oher children Aunt Polly Ann died when her children were all small Uncle Van soon got married again but never seemed to get along very well with his second wife. '
"Uncle Wesley Raley married Lucy Rice when he was quite young they had several children born to them named as follows John, William, James, George, Robert, Thomas Francis, and Barbara aunt Lucy died in 1880 Uncle James Wesley got married again to his cousin Media Autry they have several grown children now but I do not know their names. Uncle Wesley lives on a farm of 150 acres of land Grand Father John Raley gave him when he was first married to his first wife Lucy Rice he has never moved or lived any where else and is now 73 years of age (in 1911 when this is written) and is growing very feeble he has several of his children living near him on farms and I suppose look after his needs "
This is the end of the entry for today, but I will try to post these more often. I find myself snickering at times as i see what he had to say as well as amazed and renewed once again in my desire for furthering my own family history.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Advent Calendar- Santa Claus
Santa exists in my family much as he does for Virgina. My mother speaks of him coming to her home to deliver her gift on Christmas Eve just as he came to mine personally every Christmas Eve with a special gift inside his bag just for me. I was always amazed that Santa had enough time to come to see me personally.
Yes, there were times when I questioned his existence, but I was always afraid that if I doubted Santa, then all the magic of Christmas was over. What a miserable world we would live in then to my way of thinking. Now, as a parent I have been blessed with the continuation of Santa all over again, and even though he has changed in circumstances over the time of our lives, he still lives, and I find no statue or picture more endearing to me in all the hustle than that of a child's action of placing out a plate of cookies-- with some vegetables for the reindeer on Christmas Eve, no matter what the age.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Outdoor Decorations in Our Family
As I was shucking through the pictures I had loaded in this computer, I was hoping I had one particular picture that represented outdoor decorations as I was growing up in my family.
It was 2 large candles that stood on each side of our door. This began when I was a very little girl and m grandmother was still alive and living with us. As the years went by they were joined by a very large, happy, jolly Santa. We of course put lights across the eave of the house and into the bushes, and we loved it when our neighbors decorated as well, but those 2 yellow and red candles just said it all to me, beaconing us all home into a place of love andlaughter at the holidays. As the years went by it became harder to keep the candles together- the parts separated and we used electrical tape to keep the flame attached and the plastic began to melt away, but I don't think my father nor I wanted to see the end of those candles.
Alas, all good things must come to an end and 2 years ago after I took several pictures, Dad finally had to throw them away.
Today my daughter was at my parents home getting out the lights and tomorrow we will put them up at their house and mine- in the snow and freezing weather- but new decorations and new traditions will begin.
In the meantime, we will continue to drive around town to see other special decorations at our favorite homes and at our local park who uses the money to help children with needs.
It was 2 large candles that stood on each side of our door. This began when I was a very little girl and m grandmother was still alive and living with us. As the years went by they were joined by a very large, happy, jolly Santa. We of course put lights across the eave of the house and into the bushes, and we loved it when our neighbors decorated as well, but those 2 yellow and red candles just said it all to me, beaconing us all home into a place of love andlaughter at the holidays. As the years went by it became harder to keep the candles together- the parts separated and we used electrical tape to keep the flame attached and the plastic began to melt away, but I don't think my father nor I wanted to see the end of those candles.
Alas, all good things must come to an end and 2 years ago after I took several pictures, Dad finally had to throw them away.
Today my daughter was at my parents home getting out the lights and tomorrow we will put them up at their house and mine- in the snow and freezing weather- but new decorations and new traditions will begin.
In the meantime, we will continue to drive around town to see other special decorations at our favorite homes and at our local park who uses the money to help children with needs.
Blog Problems
I have been blessed with my first followers and I am so excited. Its fun to think that someone is willing to take a moment of their time to read what I have written, and for that I am very grateful and I appreciate it. Now, the irony is that I now know that there is a problem with the way I set up my RSS feed. I thought I did it right, read all the directions to the letter, did it a step at a time, yet somehow my feed is connected to someone else.
Luckily, there are some great experienced bloggers and technicians out in this world who can help me, and I intend to take them up on their offer since I have no idea how to fix this. So, the lesson for today is: never hesitate to ask for help when you need it. We genealogists know how much we can expand our trees with cooperation, yet sometimes forget that asking for help with the mechanics fits the bill as well.
Luckily, there are some great experienced bloggers and technicians out in this world who can help me, and I intend to take them up on their offer since I have no idea how to fix this. So, the lesson for today is: never hesitate to ask for help when you need it. We genealogists know how much we can expand our trees with cooperation, yet sometimes forget that asking for help with the mechanics fits the bill as well.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wandering Weekends
As I sat down several times over the course of the past day or so to be very productive in knocking out a few lines in my "to do" list something overcame me. I started with good intentions. I looked at my list for a few moments and knew this was a perfect opportunity to feel superior to it. And yet once again the list won out.
There is something to be said about the gift of the computer and all the benefits it brings to each of us, especially when we are lucky enough to find a new "cousin" or finally break through just a little crack in the brick wall that stands.......just so tall. Where would we be if the LDS records were not continually being expanded onto databases for all of us to view, as well as the millions of other records worldwide.
And that is actually my point- so to speak. I started with a list, a path to take with some goals to achieve, and then all that detouring took over as I discovered one site after another after another.....
I have decided that in between Monday Madness and Tombstone Tuesday that every once in a while I am going to add a Wandering Weekend. A wandering weekend just to enjoy what genealogy is all about again, without concerning myself with the concerns of so much to do, so little time.
Isn't that what it's all about anyway?
There is something to be said about the gift of the computer and all the benefits it brings to each of us, especially when we are lucky enough to find a new "cousin" or finally break through just a little crack in the brick wall that stands.......just so tall. Where would we be if the LDS records were not continually being expanded onto databases for all of us to view, as well as the millions of other records worldwide.
And that is actually my point- so to speak. I started with a list, a path to take with some goals to achieve, and then all that detouring took over as I discovered one site after another after another.....
I have decided that in between Monday Madness and Tombstone Tuesday that every once in a while I am going to add a Wandering Weekend. A wandering weekend just to enjoy what genealogy is all about again, without concerning myself with the concerns of so much to do, so little time.
Isn't that what it's all about anyway?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tombstone Tuesday
NIXON
William O 1882- 1940
Jennie E 1885- 1973
EstleBelle 1921- 1939
Jennie (McDonald) is my great-grand aunt on my paternal side, buried with her husband William Nixon. Their daughter Estlebelle died as a teenager after drowning while swimming in White County, Illinois.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Continuation of a Journal
When I began this blog, one of my goals was to have a place to dedicate to writing about the discoveries I would find down the road regarding my family history, as well as to share information with others regarding the many facets of genealogy. Unfortunately, neither one of these has happened in the past 2 weeks and i have missed this blog, so new in my life. I have quickly discovered that maintaining a blog has other benefits, such as helping me to keep my efforts focused on genealogy, and in delighting in all the avenues that we all know encompass this great "hobby".
Hard to believe, considering that just a few months ago I found blogs unnecessary and time consuming!
The purpose of today is to return to one of my early entries which is to quote entries that my great-grandfather John James Raley made into a journal he wrote about the family in 1918. I know this is a gift that should be shared, and I would be beggind if I learned that a cousin had such a treasure as well. So, I am going to commit myself to writing at least one entry a week, writing it just as my great-grandfather did spelling errors amd all.
"My Grand Father John Raley his brothers and sister all raised large families they were all Farmers most all of their lives except his brother James Raley who quit farming when he was about 45 years of age and engaged in the general merchandise business he also dealt quite largely in Tobaco at one time and at one time since I can remember was said to be worth several thousand dollars he was better fixed in a financial way than any of his brothers or his sisters husband Robert Wilson in fact he was very much better fixed than any Raley except my cousin William Raley of Louisville Kentucky whose in come is said to be some thing like or nearly one thousand dollars per month at this time in rents on his property he is a young man too something like 45 years of age and started out 26 years age without a dollar."
Hard to believe, considering that just a few months ago I found blogs unnecessary and time consuming!
The purpose of today is to return to one of my early entries which is to quote entries that my great-grandfather John James Raley made into a journal he wrote about the family in 1918. I know this is a gift that should be shared, and I would be beggind if I learned that a cousin had such a treasure as well. So, I am going to commit myself to writing at least one entry a week, writing it just as my great-grandfather did spelling errors amd all.
"My Grand Father John Raley his brothers and sister all raised large families they were all Farmers most all of their lives except his brother James Raley who quit farming when he was about 45 years of age and engaged in the general merchandise business he also dealt quite largely in Tobaco at one time and at one time since I can remember was said to be worth several thousand dollars he was better fixed in a financial way than any of his brothers or his sisters husband Robert Wilson in fact he was very much better fixed than any Raley except my cousin William Raley of Louisville Kentucky whose in come is said to be some thing like or nearly one thousand dollars per month at this time in rents on his property he is a young man too something like 45 years of age and started out 26 years age without a dollar."
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