This is the discovery of family and the possible answer to the why. Surnames that will be highlighted and researched: Howie, Mellen, Ginn, Johnston, England, Rider, Melin, Andersson, Nalick, Macfarlane, Bywater and more!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
U.S. World War II Navy
Specifications:
Displacement 758 t.(light), 993 t.(attack) 1,175 t. (fully loaded)
Length 203' 6" o.a.
Beam 34' 6"
Draft 7' forward, 9' aft
Speed 13 kts.
Complement 6 officers, 137 enlisted
Armament
Armor 10-lb. STS on conning station, pilot-house, radio room, radar plot, and rocket control, 10-lb. ASPP around 40 and 20mm gun mounts and directors
Propulsion two General Motors 16-287A (non-reversing with airflex clutch) diesels, direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm, twin screws, Endurance, 3,000 miles @ 13kts
serial no. 567-XX-XX
HOWIE, Donald James
Seaman First Class USNR V-6
315 E. Howard Street
Pasadena, California
Los Angeles, County
Place of Separation: PSC NB TI, SAN PEDRO, CALIF.
Character of separation: HONORABLE
Race: White
Sex: Male
Marital Status: Single
U.S. Citizen: Yes
Date and place of birth: 28 Sept 1927, Derby, Orleans County Vermont.
Means of entry: Enlisted
Date: 04 AUG 1945
Date of active service: 28 SEPT 1945
Place of entry: Pasadena, Calif
Qualifications, Certificates held.
See rating booklet # 15165
Seaman First Class
Marksman
Ratings Held: AS, S2c, S1c
Services schools completed: None
Service (Vessels and stations served on)
USS LSM (R) 404
Remarks:
Victory Medal World War II
Signed by: J.B. Warner, LT. COMDR., USNR
Education completed prior:
GRAM: 8 Y.S.: 4 COLL: 0 MAJOR: None
Date of separation: 17 AUG 1946
Front of Victory Medal World War II |
Rev. Victory War Medal World War II |
The World War II Victory Medal was first issued as a ribbon, and was referred to simply as the “Victory Ribbon.” By 1946, a full medal had been established which was referred to as the World War II Victory Medal. The medal's front depicts Nike standing victorious, holding a broken sword, representing the broken power of the Axis, with one foot upon the helmet of Mars, the Roman god of war, representing the end of the conflict. Behind Nike is a sunburst, representing the dawn of peace. The reverse recalls the "Four Freedoms" speech by President Roosevelt, with a laurel sprig, surrounded by the words "United States of America", and the dates of the conflict, "1941-1945". The edges of the ribbon revisit the multi-colored rainbow ribbon of the Allied World War I Victory Medal. This again honors all the allied nations. The wide red center represents the new sacrifice of blood by World War II combatants. The thin white lines separating the central red band from the outer multi-colored bands represent the rays of new hope, two of them signifying that this was the second global conflict.
There is no minimum service time limit for the issuance of the World War II Victory Medal, and the National Personnel Records Center has reported some cases of service members receiving the award for simply a few days of service. As the Second World War ended on September 2, 1945, there are also cases of service members, who had enlisted in 1946, receiving the decoration without having been a veteran of World War II. The reason for this late date is that President Harry S. Truman did not declare an official end of hostilities until the last day of 1946.
Friday, February 25, 2011
In The Name of the Lord
November 02, 1631, The Lyon, the first ship of three hired by Rev. Thomas Hooker and the Braintree Company of Braintree, Essex County, England, arrives in Boston Harbor. Immigrants aboard were prepared to do battle with the savages in the name of the Lord. Among those landing were William Westwood, and Deacon Stephen Hart. These were very wealthy men. William Westwood, although only thirteen years old, held title as Yeoman. They were the first to settle Braintree Massachusetts, but soon there after formed Newtowne, which today is Cambridge. Rev. Thomas Hooker had been invited by the Puritans to come from England to be their pastor. Approximately 350 Immigrants arrived in the Braintree Company to the shores of New England. They brought with them smallpox. During the twelve week voyage many died of smallpox and were buried at sea. When they arrived, the smallpox quickly spread and was wiping out the Native American Indians. The puritans saw this as Gods work to clean the new land of the savages.
May 14, 1634, Deacon Stephen Hart was admitted as a freeman in Cambridge. Then in 1635 he moves with Rev. Hookers group to and area now called Hartford. He was one of the original proprietors and built his home near the ford he discovered where you could cross the Connecticut river at a low stage of the water. Thus the town was named "Hartsford," which soon just became Hartford. Born in 1605, Hart was now thirty years old, and along with Hookers group had taken much of the cleared pasture and meadow from the Indians. On March 04, 1635, Westwood takes the freemans oath at Newtown, and on September 05, 1635 was sworn in as constable of the Plantation Connecticut. Then by March of 1636 Westwood was given a commission to govern the people of Connecticut in the first court. The first general court had great power. It acted as both the court and the legislature under the Mosaic Laws of the Church.
July 1636, on Block Island just off the coast of Connecticut, members of the Narragansett tributary tribe kill Captain John Oldham. In retaliation, John Endicott sets sail out of Boston for Block Island and he and his men spend two days setting fire to the Indian huts, destroying food reserves and shooting their dogs. By winter of 1636 the Indians return the white mans attack, and besiege Fort Saybrook and attack the Wethersfield settlement.
In the winter and early into 1637 Westwood and his court declare war on the Pequot Indians. On the 10th of May Captain Mason set sail down the river with three ships and seventy men. Then on May 26, 1637, under the command of Captain John Mason the Puritans joined with 90 men from the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes to surround the Pequot Village of Misstuck (Mystic). Within one hour 700 men, women and children are put to death by sword and burned to death as the entire village was burned. On there return the Puritan soldiers were granted a lot known as a Soldiers field.
Why am I telling you this story about The Pequot War? Because Deacon Stephen Hart is my ninth Great Grand Father and he was there killing the Pequot Indians and burning down Misstuck village in the name of the Lord.
He had a daughter, Mary Hart who married John Lee. We are descendants from this branch of the Lee family. Not from Robert E. Lee of the Virginia Lee's, but that story is for another posting.
Here is the pedigree which links me to Deacon Stephen Hart, my 9th Great Grand Father, the proprietor of Hartford Connecticut, and to the Lee family descendants of John Lee.
I want to thank Google for making available on Googlebooks the Lee Family Genealogy 1634 - 1897 By: Leonard & Sarah Marsh Lee. The book is more than 700 pages, but if you get a chance, at-least read the introduction.
May 14, 1634, Deacon Stephen Hart was admitted as a freeman in Cambridge. Then in 1635 he moves with Rev. Hookers group to and area now called Hartford. He was one of the original proprietors and built his home near the ford he discovered where you could cross the Connecticut river at a low stage of the water. Thus the town was named "Hartsford," which soon just became Hartford. Born in 1605, Hart was now thirty years old, and along with Hookers group had taken much of the cleared pasture and meadow from the Indians. On March 04, 1635, Westwood takes the freemans oath at Newtown, and on September 05, 1635 was sworn in as constable of the Plantation Connecticut. Then by March of 1636 Westwood was given a commission to govern the people of Connecticut in the first court. The first general court had great power. It acted as both the court and the legislature under the Mosaic Laws of the Church.
July 1636, on Block Island just off the coast of Connecticut, members of the Narragansett tributary tribe kill Captain John Oldham. In retaliation, John Endicott sets sail out of Boston for Block Island and he and his men spend two days setting fire to the Indian huts, destroying food reserves and shooting their dogs. By winter of 1636 the Indians return the white mans attack, and besiege Fort Saybrook and attack the Wethersfield settlement.
In the winter and early into 1637 Westwood and his court declare war on the Pequot Indians. On the 10th of May Captain Mason set sail down the river with three ships and seventy men. Then on May 26, 1637, under the command of Captain John Mason the Puritans joined with 90 men from the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes to surround the Pequot Village of Misstuck (Mystic). Within one hour 700 men, women and children are put to death by sword and burned to death as the entire village was burned. On there return the Puritan soldiers were granted a lot known as a Soldiers field.
Why am I telling you this story about The Pequot War? Because Deacon Stephen Hart is my ninth Great Grand Father and he was there killing the Pequot Indians and burning down Misstuck village in the name of the Lord.
He had a daughter, Mary Hart who married John Lee. We are descendants from this branch of the Lee family. Not from Robert E. Lee of the Virginia Lee's, but that story is for another posting.
Here is the pedigree which links me to Deacon Stephen Hart, my 9th Great Grand Father, the proprietor of Hartford Connecticut, and to the Lee family descendants of John Lee.
Deacon Stephen Hart (1602 - 1683)
is your 9th great grandfather
Daughter of Deacon Stephen
Son of Mary
Son of David
Son of Jedediah
Son of Elias Jedediah
Son of Daniel
Daughter of Ede W
Daughter of Dorothy Ann
Son of Helen Desdemonia
Son of William Rider
You are the son of Donald James
I want to thank Google for making available on Googlebooks the Lee Family Genealogy 1634 - 1897 By: Leonard & Sarah Marsh Lee. The book is more than 700 pages, but if you get a chance, at-least read the introduction.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Masonic Compass
I recently started looking to cemeteries to help me in my family research. This has brought me huge success. The day is here when you don't have to travel around the country looking for the cemetery, and then wander around a cemetery for hours on end with disapointment and frustration that you were not able to locate your ancestor.
I have found a couple of websites where you can travel to virtual cemeteries. The premise is an all volunteer system. You volunteer to go to cemeteries near your home and take photos, and someone else does the same for you. Just this past holiday I received my first request to find a family plot here in Texas near my home. I was given the GPS coordinates of Longitude and Latitude and I headed out on my quest.
I found the family plot, and if you know me, you know that I had to talk to someone and ask questions for sure, right? Well the family cemetery plot was on private land, on a huge cattle ranch on the north shore of Lake Travis. Back in the mid - 1800's the area was known as Travis Peak. The area is still mostly rolling hills covered in Cedar and Oak trees. Very beautiful place that will probably in my life time be swallowed up by the growth of the city of Austin. Well, me having a jeep, I just drove right on in to the ranch. I met the current resident of the ranch and we talked briefly about the history of the area, and the original family, it was great! I explained I was there to photograph the family cemetery plot, so he showed be the way, and he went on about his day.
The cemetery was on a bluff over looking a beautiful valley with a creek in the bottom. It was enclosed within a rusty old white painted iron fence that had since been knocked over by the 150 plus years of cattle. Directly in the center of the plot and surrounded by a few family headstones was a newer granite monument. On the top of the monument for this family was the Masonic compass.
I have seen this compass symbol everywhere in my family research, and have to say that I am very ignorant regarding this organization, which peaks my interest all the more. My knowledge I guess is limited to the book and movie by the same name, The Da Vinci Code, and I had a friend in college who is a Mason.
Since many of my ancestors were Masons in Quebec Canada and were from the Golden Rule Lodge in Vermont at Owls Head, which is in Newport. I decided I need to began my inquiry into this secret society. I thought I should start small first, and find out why the Masonic Compass appears on the headstones.
I first discover that like any organization, people branch off. Besides Masons, I also find there are Freemasons, and The Scottish Rite. I decided this would be too much work, I do not want to write a PHD thesis here. The one thing I find they all have in common is the Masonic Compass.
One of the most common symbols of The Masonic Temple, Freemasonry, and the Scottish Rite is the symbol of the crossed compass and set-square. The compass and square are architect's tools, and symbolize God as the architect of the universe, among other things.
As measuring instruments, the tools represent judgment and discernment.
The compass, which is used to draw circles, represents the realm of the spiritual- eternity. It is symbolic of the defining and limiting principle, and also of infinite boundaries.
The angle measures the square, the symbol of earth and the realm of the material. The square represents fairness, balance, and firmness, which is reflected in phrases such as "on the square" and "squared away." Something that is squared is something that is stable, a foundation for building upon.
Together, the compass and square represent the convergence of matter and spirit, and the convergence of earthly and spiritual responsibilities. The two symbols together form a hexagram, forming a union of the earth with the heavens, matter and mind.
Together, the compass and square represent the convergence of matter and spirit, and the convergence of earthly and spiritual responsibilities. The two symbols together form a hexagram, forming a union of the earth with the heavens, matter and mind.
What I take away from this, is the union between life, and death, and the joining of the two through the cycle of life on earth with that in the heavens. Seems very appropriate now to me.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Howie Family Cemetery
Vieux Cimetiere de Pike River |
This cemetery is located in a field 300 meters north of the village store. Access is from Ch. des Rivières.
The earliest burial was in 1828. The cemetery was originally a multi-denominational Protestant cemetery but was associated with the Methodist Church building, which was erected nearby in 1858 and catered to all denominations. That building, but not the cemetery, was sold in 1915 and subsequently dismantled. The cemetery was often referred to in the village as the “Protestant Cemetery” or the “Methodist Cemetery”. The first official name was the “Pike River Burying Ground” and later the “Pike River Protestant Cemetery”. It has also been referred to as the “Cemetery on the Hill”, the “Cemetery in the Field”, or simply the “Old Cemetery” but, contrary to occasional claims, not as the “Loyalist Cemetery”.
Due to township boundary changes, the cemetery has at different times been part of the Township of Stanbridge, of the Seigniory of Noyan, of the municipalities of Notre Dame des Anges and of Saint-Sebastien. A significant change of boundaries between the counties of Iberville and of Missisquoi in 1912 also affected the cemetery. The current ownership was established on the 5th of July 1932 by virtue of the “Loi des Compagnies de Cimetières”, or Bill C17. A more detailed history is held by Compagnie du Vieux Cimetière de Pike River.
This listing was compiled by M. Jef Asnong, a member of the Cemetery Company, by surveying the markers. To supplement damaged or missing markers, it incorporates information from partial listings made in 1927 by M. Pierre A. Saint-Pierre and 1960 by Alfred Rousseau. Cross verification against the 1960 listing was performed by David Ellis, a member of the Cemetery Company, and discrepancies found were verified against the actual markers.
Markers are numbered sequentially across all rows from the South West corner to the North West corner, then continuing in the next row. Rows are numbered from West to East. Different faces on the same monument are signified by the letters "A", "B" etc. and different individuals on the same face by ".1", ".2" etc. Some individuals appear more than once, often on a monument and also on an individual marker. When an individual appears on two markers, the information on both markers is not always consistent.
This listing is a joint effort of Jef Asnong and myself in the summer of 2005. The cemetery is in good condition, although in need of some fence work.
- David J. Ellis
Again, Thank you to Mr. David J. Ellis and M. Jef Asnong.
There are many of our ancestors in their final resting place here at the Pike River Cemetery. One epitaph that I found very touching was for Mary Jane Howie (1860), the daughter of Thomas Howie (1831 - 1902) and his wife, Jane Frances McMillan (1840 - 1915). Inscription:
Gone is little Mary Jane - From her mother and me - An angel loved her when she smiled - She was Mary Jane, our only child.
Click on the top blue link or Howie Family Cemetery to go to Find A Grave.
Or click here for a list of those buried here.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
HIBBARD FAMILY
On the Howie and Rider branches I have come to a wall and currently am unable to research back any further. The New England Historical Genealogical Society has a 100 year gap between my GGGr-granndfather Seth Bartlett Rider of Haverhill New Hampshire and Samuel Rider. I call it a wall, as many researchers on Ancestry.com were placing a Seth Rider of Massachusetts in their tree, which I knew was incorrect. To prove this I had to start researching other branches and the history of Haverhill New Hampshire.
What I have found is my sixth generation 4th Great Grand Father Thomas Hibbard (1756 - 1800) born in England. Helen Desdemonia Rider was my 2nd Great Grand Mother, and her father was Ezra Bartlett Rider. Ezra's mother was Mary Hibbard (1774 - 1860), and she was the daughter of Thomas Hibbard.
I have purchased three books on the Hibbard family and have downloaded from google books some history books on the area. As I get more information I may update this post, however here is what I have so far.
The scene of the surrender of the British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, on October 17, 1777, was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War |
Saturday, February 19, 2011
COMPTON CALIFORNIA
My cousin Annie F. Howie is here buried alongside her brother Robert Maitland Howie. She is a cousin that I never met, although she lived so close by to us in southern California. Robert and Annie were the children of James Alexander Howie. Most of you are now saying who was James? William Rider Howies' father was William George Howie. James Alexander Howie was one of the brothers of William George Howie. They had moved out to California back in 1893. This was much earlier than William Rider Howie who moved with his family from Canada to California in 1935 just after his wife died. Also, earlier than William R. Howie's parents, Helen Desdemonia Rider (Howie) (Parker) & her second husband Albert Gardner Parker. They came to Pasadena California just before 1910.
Robert Maitland Howie was just three years old when his family moved him from the family farm in Canada out to California in 1893. We then find Robert and Annie on the 1900 U.S. Census along with the rest of their family living in Compton California. Their father James A. Howie was a railroad laborer. By the 1910 U.S. Census we still find the family living together in Compton, but the census now lists them as farmers between Tweedy Blvd and Abbott Road. If you look on a current map, this is a large area. By the 1920 U.S. Census, Robert M. Howie has married Vera Naomi Gains and they have a son. They are renting a farm next to Thomas Mayo and Flora (Howie) Mayo on Lemon Ave. in Compton. I believe this is where this next photo was taken.
The year of this photo says 1916 Compton. Pictured in the photo from left to right. James Alexander Howie and above him his spouse Clara Elnett (Hand) Howie, and below him is Flora L. (Howie) Mayo and her daughter Marjorie L. Mayo. Above and to the right of Marjorie is Albert Gardner Parker and standing behind him is his spouse Helen Desdemonia (Rider) (Howie) Parker. Then sitting on the step is the Thomas Mayo and their second daughter Mabel M. Mayo. On June 5th 1917 we find a WWI draft registration card for Robert Maitland Howie, and then nine years later we find his Burial:
Woodlawn Memorial Park
Compton
Los Angeles County
California, USA.
On the 1920 U.S. Census, we find James Alexander Howie (wd) living with his daughter Annie Howie. It says he owns the home, 130 So. Rose Ave., Compton, CA. He was 65 years old, and was working as a night security guard.
Annie Howie lived a very long time. She most likely inherited the home from her father where she resided at 130 S. Rose St., Compton CA until her death January 04, 1976. She was 91 years old. She out lived all of her family except Mabel (Mayo) Somfelde who died in 1986 at 73 years of age.
Using Google maps streetview, we now find the above home is gone, it has been replaced with an asphalt parking lot.
This is about all I have on Cousin Annie Howie. I wish I had been able to get more information from Dorothy Lecka way back when. The people are gone as are the farms. All that is left is a headstone, and as you can see from the above photo taken in 2005, it appears that the headstone soon will be pushed off its base and probably broken as so many headstones are.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Sol Smith Russell died of Hiccoughs
Tonight my 3rd Cousin Lillian Rider sent me the names and dates of her grand parents. I added them to Ancestry.com and then traveled back six generations quickly. Lillian is a descendant of some very notable and interesting ancestors.
Actors, professors, clergy, miller, author, and politician. But look at the figure of realestate asset of Sol Smith Russell! Yes, $2,000,000 and that was in 1902! Did you also see that he died of Hiccoughs? He is the second person I have researched who has died this way. I think so far, this is the best obituary I have read. This is why I shared it with my readers. I guess stage actors made bank in those days.
The interesting story here I will have to research is how he went from rags to riches. Just seven years prior in 1895, I found Sol and his family living in a Penal, Corrective and Charitable Institution. Grover Cleveland was President of the United States, and had just come through the worse depression of the time. The 1893 PANIC, where we can find unemployment at over 18%.
Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington D.C. |
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Vanished people, deportation, Armenian Immigrants
While researching family history and genealogy I find the story of immigration was often caused by persecution.
I am researching the Kooshian family and a horrific story is unfolding. This is a story that I never learned in school. Youtube has many videos on the subject of Armenian Genocide produced by the BBC network. Here is part one of a five part video. I warn you now this video is very graphic.
In the video we hear the current Turkish people denying that there was ever a Genocide. There are always two sides to history. Unfortunately, history has generally been written by the victor. As a result, only one viewpoint is told and exaggerations are made, but occasionally the other angle gets out there. It is then up to the reader to determine what is authentic and what is mere fabrication.
Why do I post the above story? Well, my cousin Rev. Kooshian is an American with Armenian ancestors. His parents were part of the deportation of Armenians, however his grand parents and grand aunts and uncles were not able to flee their homeland. As the woman in the first video explains, they fled to the church where all the men, women and children were burned alive in the Adana massacre of 1909.
In the very near future genealogy will be based more on the genetic code of DNA. Currently many in my family can trace their roots to the United Kingdom, however there are the Nalick, Lecka and Gejekooshian families whose genetic roots are deep in the Ottoman Empire, and their stories and histories have been lost to wars.
The last video I would like you to watch is the other side of the story. How Muslims, Christians and Jewish people once lived together. I wonder if history just might repeat itself as Nationalism and it's ideals become stronger in the United States.
Rev. Kooshian's great grandfather was from Tarsus. Tarsus can be found mentioned in the Bible as the birth place of Paul and was the Roman Capital city of Cilicia from 72 A.D.
For more reference on Armenian's besides Youtube check out the Armeniapedia.org.
I am researching the Kooshian family and a horrific story is unfolding. This is a story that I never learned in school. Youtube has many videos on the subject of Armenian Genocide produced by the BBC network. Here is part one of a five part video. I warn you now this video is very graphic.
In the video we hear the current Turkish people denying that there was ever a Genocide. There are always two sides to history. Unfortunately, history has generally been written by the victor. As a result, only one viewpoint is told and exaggerations are made, but occasionally the other angle gets out there. It is then up to the reader to determine what is authentic and what is mere fabrication.
Why do I post the above story? Well, my cousin Rev. Kooshian is an American with Armenian ancestors. His parents were part of the deportation of Armenians, however his grand parents and grand aunts and uncles were not able to flee their homeland. As the woman in the first video explains, they fled to the church where all the men, women and children were burned alive in the Adana massacre of 1909.
In the very near future genealogy will be based more on the genetic code of DNA. Currently many in my family can trace their roots to the United Kingdom, however there are the Nalick, Lecka and Gejekooshian families whose genetic roots are deep in the Ottoman Empire, and their stories and histories have been lost to wars.
The last video I would like you to watch is the other side of the story. How Muslims, Christians and Jewish people once lived together. I wonder if history just might repeat itself as Nationalism and it's ideals become stronger in the United States.
Rev. Kooshian's great grandfather was from Tarsus. Tarsus can be found mentioned in the Bible as the birth place of Paul and was the Roman Capital city of Cilicia from 72 A.D.
For more reference on Armenian's besides Youtube check out the Armeniapedia.org.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Mayflower Ancestor Francis & John Cooke
I received a message on Friday night from someone on Ancestry.com informing me that I had some incorrect dates on the Harlow side of my tree. The message was from a Helen, and she went into such depth, and effort to explain my error that I then spent many hours this weekend correcting the Harlow Family Tree.
If you have read one of my prior postings, my aunt Evelyn May Harlow has many ancestors that share links with the Howie's!
While doing more research to correct the dates of marriages, deaths and so on, I was able to discover many new ancestors who we share links. The first name I found was Thomas Taber who was the son of Philip Tabor and Lydia Masters. Upon more research into the Taber family, I found a book about Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Colonial Ancestors. This in turn helped me find that the Harlow's and the Howie's are related to Francis & John Cooke of the Mayflower.
Here is my pedigree:
If you have read one of my prior postings, my aunt Evelyn May Harlow has many ancestors that share links with the Howie's!
While doing more research to correct the dates of marriages, deaths and so on, I was able to discover many new ancestors who we share links. The first name I found was Thomas Taber who was the son of Philip Tabor and Lydia Masters. Upon more research into the Taber family, I found a book about Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Colonial Ancestors. This in turn helped me find that the Harlow's and the Howie's are related to Francis & John Cooke of the Mayflower.
Here is my pedigree:
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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