Tuesday's Tip - Don't Forget the Actual Names on the Picture!

This post is too late to help the poor mystery people in the picture below but, you can keep something just as terrible from happening to your family, simply by following this advice!
When labeling your pictures, it is always best to include actual names in the description. Just using clever words won't be enough. Images need actual names in order to be useful to anyone but yourself! Do you see these happy people smiling from this picture? Little did they know, at the time, that they would become part of a mystery and their names would be lost.

I have to give the writer of the description kudos. He really tried but for all that effort, he completely missed the point of writing a description and they will forever remain nameless to me.
I came across this picture when sorting photos from Uncle Reuben's envelopes into stacks of family and friends. When I came to this picture, I turned it over and found a long description on the back. It seemed like I would get a quick answer as to who these people are until I began reading.

  Bottom Row - left to right

Youngest & Eldest daughter and
Mae who never aged a year since
marriage.

   Top Row Right to Left
son and your truely

The rest - daughter and sons in laws and their childrens - dog included




I'm hoping these are friends of Reuben and Marge, or possibly Marge's family. Until I have asked the people who might know this picture will live in my ? box. The writer must have put much effort into naming so many people while giving away no identities except for his wife, Mae!

Workday Wednesday - Sharing the Work

I recently came across this picture when looking through my uncle's genealogy files. It was taken on my grandparent's Kansas farm during harvest one year, long ago. Grandpa Art Johnson is seated in the middle, Grandma, Ida, is on the far right, Art's cousin Harry and his wife are standing on the left and Grandma's sister, Helen, sitting in front.  Everyone except for poor Harry found some personal shade beneath those wide-brimmed hats. I've been told that Grandpa always wore one when he was working out in the fields.

I'm sure they were working hard the day they took this picture but, I have a feeling they also had some laughs.

Amanuensis Monday - A Special Letter

Good morning dear Shari
Hope you are well and
enjoying school a lot.
Is your teacher nice 
and kind? Do you
sing songs in the morning
and write on the black
board to we use to.
Is there lots of visitors 
come to your school.
One time a man lost
his pig. and he came 
our school. just stuck
his head in the door and said, "did any of you see a runt pig." it was funny.
Lots of Love,
            Great Ma D.





Pictured to the right is Jessie Christene Field Dibbens (1874-1964). I always called her Grape Grandma. I never could figure out why she had such a different name!

Amanuensis Monday - An Entry from Uncle Reuben's Travel Journal

I transcribed the entry, above, from Great Uncle Reuben's travel journal for my class during The Uncle Reuben Project this year. It took my 2nd graders a little while to realize he was referring to bears. I wondered about the reference of Bruiser so I googled it along with words such as "Chicago," which is where they were living at the time. I believe he called the bear Bruiser because the Chicago Cubs had a mascot that was a bear named Bruiser. Uncle Reuben had a sense of humor!

This is a follow-up post to my series on Uncle Reuben.
The new blog site for: The Uncle Reuben Project
I have also written about the project on Scholastic.com. Top Teaching/Shari Edwards

Uncle Reuben's Canoe!

This is a follow-up post to my series on Uncle Reuben.
The new blog site for: The Uncle Reuben Project

Recently, I discovered that one of my uncles actually has the canoe that Uncle Reuben traveled in when he went down the Mississippi River in the early 1930's. Now I have more research to do! Here are some pictures I took of it yesterday.

Sentimental Sunday - Trip to the Homestead of Arthur T. Johnson

Sun screen, long pants, old shoes, long socks, camera...
That's right! It's summer and time to climb over barbed-wire fences and explore the old homesteads! 

Our first stop of the day was my paternal grandparents' barn, just to the northwest of McPherson, Kansas - all that's left of the farm that I spent much of my childhood exploring.


My cousin and I prepared for hiking through freshly cut wheat fields. After a discussion about which path had the least poison ivy, we stepped through the Osage Orange trees that form the hedge around the land.


The barn looks south from a grove of trees that have grown up around it. I walked to about where the old farmhouse would have stood. It is in good condition with no signs of caving in.

I wonder how old the red paint on the siding is. I was hoping there would be a little piece of the barn laying around but most of it is still intact. 


What I remember about most about this barn is the smell of oats coming from the little rooms with the wooden latches (still there!)

As we stood in the doorway, there was a sudden noise from above and out swooped a large barn owl - white with gray spots - from the door of the loft. It flew a few inches above our heads, close enough to feel the breeze from its large wings, and out the door of the barn. It was a nice surprise!




I'm thankful that this barn is still standing. My sisters, cousins and I spent many hours playing in it as children (1960's) and our parents (1930's), most likely, before us.

Wisdom Wednesday - Ask Questions Before it's Too Late!

These are words of wisdom that I am taking to heart myself. Every genealogist runs into the problem of unanswered questions and no one left to answer them. My mother's family has almost reached that point now. A few years ago I would have told you that I was asking enough questions but now I know much more about questions. 

Here is a short list of things I have learned about genealogical questions:

1. Questions multiply quickly - once you start asking.
2. There is no way you can know all of the questions you should ask before a conversation or interview.
3. No one has all of the answers but everyone has a piece of the answer.
4. Most people love answering questions.
5. Every answer brings with it many more questions.
6. More questions go unanswered than there are questions that will be answered.
7. Someday it will be too late to ask the questions.
8. I love questions!

Happy Asking!