Life From The Roots

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.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Amherst New Hampshire Church -- Wordless Wednesday

The Congregational Church of Amherst, New Hampshire

United Church of Christ, Organized in 1741

Second Meeting House Dedicated January 19, 1774

Amherst Town Common (below)

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Bean and Eastman of Lowell, Massachusetts -- Tombstone Tuesday

BEAN

Samuel

1797 - 1867

Adeline

1802 - 1869

Livonia C.

1831 -1893

Horace W.

1857 - 1864

(On Eastman side)

Lizzie

1837 - 1860

Marietta

1845 - 1855

Lyman

1839 - 1864

Lowell Cemetery, Lowell, Massachusetts

Friday, May 3, 2013

Merrimack River and Land Owners, Lowell, MA

The Merrimack River in the top and bottom photos, taken from opposite sides of the river. Walking trail is, I believe, at least a mile on both sides.

1889

Pawtucket Boulevard

The Donors of the Land

Planted and Built

With Great Vision

Thomas Varnum

Clarence Coburn

Thos. Underwood

Catherine Butler

Geo. I. Goodale

Benj. C. Morrison

Willard Coburn

Joseph Wilson

Geo. W. Clement

Edward S. Howe

William H. Hull

Geo. J. Carney

Lucy M. Fay

Charles Dana Palmer, Mayor

1939

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Clark of Lowell, Massachusetts -- Tombstone Tuesday

Andrew J. Clark

1823 -- 1875

Elizabeth S. Clark

1826 -- 1901

George W. Clark

1846 -- 1846

Lowell Cemetery, Lowell, Massachusetts

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Brick Walls of My Readers on Surname Saturday

Permission given to use clip art by Bio Organics

Over the years, I have received hundreds of requests for help, I would say half of them I am able to help, which brings quite a bit of satisfaction. However, the others, if after my suggestions don't pan out, the person is usually left with a brick wall. This past week, I received two such requests and suddenly thought, why not post their letters. I have my own Brick Walls on a blog post, why not post theirs. I'll either use their entire letter or parts of it with pertinent information. If anybody has information on these unknown people, please write me and I will put you in touch with the appropriate person.

In addition, if anybody wants to write a piece on their brickwall, please do. Just send them to me, and I'll post here. This will be like a query board. Let's see what happens.

#1 "Hello Barbara,

It is me again. I had contacted you concerning the Lowrey / Grinnell Families and your help was so wonderful. I have followed your blogs ever since and find them so interesting. Again, thank you for all of your work!

Well, in reading the last few weeks, I noticed your connection to Momence, Illinois and the Hess family of the region. I've hit a stone wall with my great-great-great grandfather Andrew G. Hess who lived in Iroquois County Illinois (near Momence). He was supposedly born in 1830 in Pennsylvania although I found in the 1860 Census his birthplace was listed "unknown". He was a drayman and married Sarah Sapp (born 1836 in Illinois, the daughter of Asa and Allie (Thomas) Sapp. Her nickname was Sallie.) The couple had children Ally (1854), Phebe (1856), LAVINA SEREPTA -my line (1859), twins Calvin and Benjamin (1866), Samuel (1868) and Andrew E. (1871). Andrew was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery when he died in Watseka, Illinois July 13, 1884( Find-a-Grave) but no mention of Sallie's burial there.

I was just wondering if in your years vast research, if you ever came across mention of him, his parents or his family? Hess is a very popular name since a whole German part of the country seems to have used this but the geographical location of the family and the early date of living in the same area may be coincidental or they may actually tie in somewhere to the Scramlin - Hess Family that you have researched.

Thanks again for all your efforts!

Sincerely,

Bill"

----------------

#2 "Hi Barbara,

I have started researching my Westover genealogy. My father was Orville Francis Westover (1915-1992). My grandfather was Thomas Francis Westover (born in NY in April 1885 or 1887). My great-grandfather was Stephen Westover. According to the 1900 Census, he was living in Oneonta, Ostego, NY. He was born in Canada in October 1857. He had been married to Josephine Shortsleeve Westover (nickname "Rina"?) for 22 years. Josephine was born in May 1861 in New York. Their children are Thomas, May, Della, Harry, Arthur, Roy, and Reva.There is one other child that I don't know the name of. Both Thomas and Stephen were boilermakers for the railroad and the family moved frequently.

I am wondering if this Stephen Westover might be the Stephen that is on your family tree (born 1859 in Canada, son of Orange Westover). Do you have any suggestions on how to figure out if these are the same people?

Thanks for your help!
Nancy Westover S."
___________________________

Friday, April 26, 2013

Do You Know?

How long does it take FindAGrave 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.)

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 FindAGrave 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!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Charnley of Lowell, Massachusetts -- Tombstone Tuesday

Lowell Cemetery, Lowell, Massachusetts

Thomas Charnley 1781 -- 1866	Sally Charnley 1789 -- 1871
Matthew Charnley 1814 -- 1843	Sarah Charnley 1828 -- 1896
George O. Wickers 1826 -- 1909	Margaret C. Wickers 1830 -- 1923

James Charnley 1817 -- 1896	Marinda F. Charnley 1822 -- 1857
Matthew Charnley 1848 -- 1855	George F. Charnley 1850 -- 1855
John C. V. Halven 1829 -- 1849

Friday, April 19, 2013

Growing up in Lexington, Massachusetts

When I began my 4th fourth grade at the Adams School in Lexington, Massachusetts, I knew nothing of my new town's history. My parents moved there from two previous towns in Connecticut, and from my first fourth grade in California. I consider Lexington to be my favorite town of all the places I've lived.

Many of us have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War, as well as ancestors who were born in Lexington. I've several who fought in the War and were born there, and even my "brick wall" person, John Adams was in Lexington at the time of the war.

During several of my school years, our local history played an important part in our learning. My early classes took field trips down the street to see and learn about what happened. My Girl Scout troop planted flowering bulbs in the fall at some of the historic homes, and the church we attended was the tall one at the Lexington green.

Every April 19th, my Girl Scout troop marched in the Lexington Patriot's Day parade, there were two parades, I marched in the one at 7 AM! Of course, being much younger, I didn't mind, but sometimes it was cold. My mother was ecstatic about one 2 PM parade, when Sen. John F. Kennedy marched. I remember her pointing him out, but I thought, "who is he?" Both the 7 AM and 2 PM parades marched just two blocks from my house, and it was a very big deal. Many years after we moved, my mother always went back on that date to see it and visit with old friends. She even did that on the day she died, on her return trip home from Lexington. And whenever I returned for visits from Virginia, I always visited Lexington. Even now, I take this 30 minute trip frequently.

For eight years, I was in the Lexington school system, until my 11th grade, then we moved again. During my 8th grade, our class got to rename our junior high school, as there was another junior high being built. It had to have a patriotic name. I can't remember what I wrote about and why I chose the name, but the two winners were Diamond and Muzzy, so there were new names for each of the schools. Many years later, Muzzy Jr. High became condos. Always changing, but then, nothing looks changed. It is a beautiful town, see photos below.