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The Life From The Roots blog topics have changed several times since I began this blog in 2009. I initially wrote only about the family history I had been working on for 20 years. Years later, I was into visiting gardens, historical homes, churches, libraries that had genealogical collections, historical societies, war memorials, and travel/tourism places. I also enjoy posting autographs and photos of famous people I've met or have seen.

Along with my New England roots, other areas include New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada.

Please check out the labels on the right side for topics (please note, they need work). Below the labels and pageviews is a listing of my top nine posts, according to Google. Four of them pertain to Lowell, MA. These posts change often because they are based on what people are reading.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Do You Know?

As of May 31, 2013, there are now 100 Million grave records on FindAGrave. Their announcement is as follows:

Find A Grave passes the 100 MILLION mark!
And we're growing faster than ever!
Last month, Find A Grave contributors added
2 million new memorials and 1.8 million new photos!
Go, Team Find A Grave, Go! 
Now, on to the next 100 million... 
[Click to visit the 100 millionth memorial]

How long does it take Find A Grave to add a million grave records into their site?

By my calculation it is now taking just a little over 3 weeks. I base this on my visual viewing of their site, since I am on it almost every day. The weeks between December 7 and January 1 took a little bit longer to reach the million mark, due to holiday activities. I say by August 15th they will hit the 100,000,000 mark. What do you think? (I now think June 5th. (Date picked on April 26th))

In November, I wrote, Have You Looked Lately? a short piece about FindAGrave. For each new figure, I updated my blog to reflect the stats.

** While I was working with Find A Grave today, December 7, 2012, the total went to 91 million  grave records.

** The total is now 92 million grave records as of January 1, 2013!

** The total is now 93 million grave records as of January 22, 2013!

** The total is now 94 million grave records as of February 13, 2013!

** The total is now 95 million grave records as of March 4, 2013!

** The total is now 96 million grave records as of March 24, 2013!

** The total is now 97 million grave records as of April 11, 2013!

** The total is now 98 million grave records as of April 26, 2013!

** The total is now 99 million grave records as of May 14, 2013!

Mr. Fay and Father John's Medicine Co., of Lowell


Many years ago, one of my bosses lived in this beautiful old house.  It originally belonged to Mr. Aubert J. Fay, who owned Father John's Medicine Co., Inc., where I worked for over 10 years.
I never met Mr. Fay, because he died in 1944, nor his wife, who died in 1965. She continued to live in the house until her death. As a matter of fact, her wake was held in the house, and that was the only time I stepped foot inside it. Although I don't know the history or much about Mr. Fay, other than material obtained through Ancestry, I intend to go to the Lowell archives and try to find out more. I do know the house was built in 1904. I want to know when he began the company and how and why his house and reins of the company were passed into the hands of the Donehue family, the father,  then his two sons, Gerald F. and George H. As long as I knew the sons, Gerald lived alone in this house and he was also the president of the company at the time I left. Brother George lived a few blocks away with his wife.

Cemetery photos for the Donehue family may be seen HERE. Cemetery photos for the Fay family may be seen below.


FAY
Front view
From a distance, the tombstone looks larger because the one in the next plot is so large that you can't distinguish the two.



BORN

DIED
1820    

JAMES L. FAY    
1907
1827    

MARY N. HIS WIFE    
1907
1867    

AGNES L. FAY    
1904
1852    

EDGAR L. FAY    
1915
1848    

FREDERICK T. FAY    
1938
1847    

ANNE D. HIS WIFE    
1927
1860    

THOMAS G. McGANNON    
1927
1865    

BLANCHE HIS WIFE    
1919
1860    

AUBERT J. FAY    
1944
1877    

GERTRUDE E. HIS WIFE   
(Gertrude Elizabeth Knowles)
1965

Father John's Medicine building is 4 stories high (building is where the street lamp is) and is now used for senior housing.


Census information:
1900, Lowell, Massachusetts.  Albert J. Fay, born August 1861 in New Hampshire was age 38, and working as a carriage dealer. Actual birth record states he was born Aug. 29, 1860.

1930, Lowell, Massachusetts.  Hubert J. [sic]  Fay, age 67 and Gertrude E. age 53. He is listed as the president, Medicine Co.