tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26871686489961669942024-03-19T03:48:48.275-04:00Reflections of a Young Family Historian I am just going over Jordan... I am just going over home... Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-6109258306320061252016-11-15T09:22:00.002-05:002016-11-15T09:32:37.981-05:00Storybook Ancestor Well y'all, it's been fun here, but I am officially retiring this blog. But don't worry, I'm not going away!<br />
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I am transitioning to my new website and blog, Storybook Ancestor, at <a href="http://www.storybookancestor.org/">www.storybookancestor.org</a>. I'm very excited about this new project, and I hope you'll follow along. I'll continue to share my personal family history stories there as I did here, but this site will also be dedicated to stories from all of you!<br />
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The mission of Storybook Ancestor is to encourage children to explore their family history, and then to tell the stories they find there - the stories of themselves, their families, and their ancestors. The blog will be full of stories, writing tips, history and genealogy lessons, and book reviews.<br />
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Currently, the landing page is live, and the full site will be coming mid January 2017. The exciting news for you right now: when you subscribe to the newsletter, you receive a free e-book - <i>Writing Family History for Kids: A Workbook & Guide</i>. It's a basic introduction to family history for kids, and also a guide to writing the stories they discover as they talk to their elders and do a little research. And the exciting news for the kids who work through the book - they can submit the stories they write through the workbook and they'll be published on the site!<br />
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It's all about the power of story. Our stories help us understand the world around us, past, present, and future, and help us understand each other. Our stories have the power to heal and make the world a better place.<br />
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This blog will remain live, and please feel free to read through it, but do follow along at Storybook Ancestor for more! I hope to see you there.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1839003000"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.storybookancestor.org/">www.storybookancestor.org</a><br />
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Connect with me on social media:<br />
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Storybook Ancestor:<br />
Facebook: /storybookancestor<br />
Twitter: @storyancestry<br />
Instagram: @storybookancestor<br />
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Me:<br />
Facebook: /katieandrewspotter<br />
Twitter: @andrewspotter26<br />
Instagram: @andrewspotter26<br />
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See ya around!<br />
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KatieKatie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-68546665519398174302016-04-28T16:14:00.000-04:002016-04-28T16:15:31.124-04:00Thankful Thursday: On the Passing of my Great-great Aunt I know I haven't written on this blog in a few weeks, and I suppose it's because I've been in a very reflective mode during this time. Just ten days after her 95th birthday in March, I got a text from my mom that my great-great aunt Betts had just been put on hospice care. She had likely had a heart attack overnight. She never woke up. She passed away just minutes before my husband and I made it to her care facility. She was surrounded by family when she died, and we all took hands and said a tearful prayer together. We thanked God for her life, and rested in the assurance that she was now with him. And then we said the Lord's Prayer together, all of us standing around her bedside. How surreal it was. <br />
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I'm our family historian. I'm only 30, and I've been the family historian since I was 16. My great-uncle actually just told me the other day they had a family history question for me. Me! But later that afternoon at Betts' care facility, as my family sat together reminiscing, it hit me. Aunt Betts had been my connection to our family history. She had always been there. She had always been a fiercely independent woman with a sharp wit and an even sharper memory. She was the granddaughter of Irish immigrants, and of Indiana pioneers. She was alive during the Depression, she could remember World War II clearly, though she didn't really speak of it. She knew more about sports than anybody I've ever known, and was quite the athlete in her day - she even is in the Indiana Softball Hall of Fame. And she loved her family. She told me so many stories about her parents, her grandparents, her fun in her childhood and youth with her brother and her sister - my great-grandmother, who died years before I was born. She was a standing pillar of history in our family. She was the one who kept the distantly growing different sides of our family together. Most of us really only saw each other once a year in March at her birthday parties. She was the last of an old age in my family, and now she's no longer with us to answer our questions, to tell us stories of the last 95 years, to laugh with us and play Euchre with us. <br />
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So today I choose to be thankful for her life. I'm thankful I knew her. I'm thankful she was "adopted" into our side of the family. That she spent all her holidays with us. That she faithfully sent us birthday and Christmas cards every year that simply read, "Love, Betts". That she was hilarious and could beat anybody at Euchre. That she kept friends that she had known since grade school her whole life. That up until her death, she was there for my entire life, my mother's entire life, and my grandmother's entire life, and my great-grandmother's entire life. I'm thankful I got to ask her what her parents and grandparents were like. I'm thankful I got to tell her her other grandparents' names, as she never knew them. I'm grateful to now be the caretaker of all her photo albums and memorabilia, because she knew how much I will treasure them. I'm thankful that she lived a long, full, life, and that she died peacefully. I'm thankful she was a part of our family. <br />
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Her passing has made a mark on me as a person, as a family member, and as a family historian. It has reminded me how important it is to gather our elders' stories while we can. It's made me grateful I started our family history work as a teenager, because I got to open my eyes to a whole other level to our family I would never have experienced had I been indifferent, and I got to spend precious time with Aunt Betts I otherwise may not have. Family history is so important. It shows you who you are, who your family is, it helps you appreciate who you came from, and provides you with a unique identity and pride. And boy, does it show you love. And today I'm thankful for love. Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-89823239874004160922016-03-17T16:13:00.000-04:002016-03-17T16:13:27.039-04:00Our Irish Ancestors <div style="text-align: center;">
Happy St. Patrick's Day! </div>
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In honor of all things Irish, I decided to write up a little overview of my Irish ancestors on my maternal grandmother's side (Jacqueline Ann Mulry Lutz, see the last post for more about her). So if you're related to me through her side, these are your ancestors, too! <br />
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<em><strong>Mulry, Reardon, Dunn </strong></em><br />
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The Mulry family originally came to Indianapolis in the 1860s. John Mulry was born in 1845 in Co. Galway, Ireland and his wife Mary Ellen Reardon was born in 1848 in Co. Limerick. They came over the same year and met and were married in Boston, Massachusetts. John ran a blacksmith shop with his brother Lawrence in Indianapolis, and they lived in the Fountain Square neighborhood. They were members of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Fountain Square, and most of them are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery on the near south side. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy_nF2z1C7v-NjDorA5B6UClMXPholLSCNvpS6y0LXOkAQPZFSrsxP-4RLh1YTI9mhlRkCrci-e8zH3J90ZOaYOO6zr2Bq0pUBOmmiVw6wcGJHYnihovXwUXPkMcHeWU1gS9IgWgVXcqA/s1600/Mulry+grave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy_nF2z1C7v-NjDorA5B6UClMXPholLSCNvpS6y0LXOkAQPZFSrsxP-4RLh1YTI9mhlRkCrci-e8zH3J90ZOaYOO6zr2Bq0pUBOmmiVw6wcGJHYnihovXwUXPkMcHeWU1gS9IgWgVXcqA/s320/Mulry+grave.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John & Mary Mulry's grave in Holy Cross Cemetery in Indianapolis - buried with their young daughter Mamie </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick's Church in Fountain Square, Indianapolis. <br />
Courtesy of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis </td></tr>
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John's parents were James Mulry and Mary Dunn. They were married in 1837 in Co. Galway. They lived in parish of Killian in the townland of Toomard. <br />
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<strong><em>Garrity, Walsh, O'Donnell, Hessian </em></strong><br />
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This side of the family lived in and around Connersville, Indiana. My great-great grandmother, Katharine Garrity Fox, was my grandma Jackie's maternal grandmother. Katharine was the daughter of John Garrity and Anna Walsh and was born in Connersville in 1889. <br />
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John Garrity was born in 1857 in Indiana to Irish immigrants Patrick Garrity (Geraghty) and Hannah O'Donnell. Patrick was born in 1829 in Co. Mayo, and Hannah was born in 1832 in Co. Galway to Pat O'Donnell and Mary Hessian. Patrick and Hannah were married in 1849 in Co. Mayo, and their first child was born there in 1850. They then immigrated to Wayne Co., Indiana, during the Potato Famine, and had several more children in Indiana. <br />
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Anna Walsh was born in 1859 in England to Irish parents, Edward and Winifred Walsh. Edward died young, and Winifred and their three children, Anna, Mary, and John immigrated to Connersville, Fayette, Indiana in the early 1860s. They were members of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church, and many of them are buried in the Connersville City Cemetery. Anna was left to care for many young children when her husband John died young in 1895. Anna passed away in 1905 in Connersville, and her younger children went to live with her sister Mary in Indianapolis. This is how Katharine Garrity Fox came to live in Indianapolis. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoblJFYYx980_gPs0AkPs8qiN17uTbq3Pm7IWjzQP1_Kcgv6UI3cRuxF5j9wUblYRaeZWJymZPd9_PLYnp0aOBqtwAJriWGE5FxUrt4OIyn8p54iN_Eonv910xn8VXO1beLNz08it_OQ6n/s1600/KatherineGarrityFox.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoblJFYYx980_gPs0AkPs8qiN17uTbq3Pm7IWjzQP1_Kcgv6UI3cRuxF5j9wUblYRaeZWJymZPd9_PLYnp0aOBqtwAJriWGE5FxUrt4OIyn8p54iN_Eonv910xn8VXO1beLNz08it_OQ6n/s320/KatherineGarrityFox.bmp" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katharine Garrity Fox </td></tr>
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All of our Irish ancestors were Catholics, and so we owe their faith originally to St. Patrick! My great-great uncle, Larry Mulry, told the story:
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The best story of all that I ever
heard of all of them was the one about Grandma wanting to make a priest out of
my father Lawrence. As you can plainly see, it is a good thing that she did not
succeed because none of us would be here now as he was the only one to have any
children to carry on the name.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So now you know we really have the luck of the Irish! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6j60KdoxnsLt8QbnepAKpjMD38P5Zf4wPECzv49aq1jpQy83Omse6anAgFnG4rRAIikxmtF10BHFWPBnpHHrb5arIXYwqtuB2gZvyJ3LKW0BI5I-o6jSBsUTuwSZ8PKLi_cW1lKPuO6p/s1600/Galway+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6j60KdoxnsLt8QbnepAKpjMD38P5Zf4wPECzv49aq1jpQy83Omse6anAgFnG4rRAIikxmtF10BHFWPBnpHHrb5arIXYwqtuB2gZvyJ3LKW0BI5I-o6jSBsUTuwSZ8PKLi_cW1lKPuO6p/s320/Galway+road.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo was taken by Beautiful Ireland Photography specifically for my Mulry Family History book. This road is near Toomard, Killian, Co. Galway, where the Mulry family was from. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A keepsake of my great-grandfather's brother, Larry Mulry "Mike" <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day, and to my family - keep your Irish pride alive! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Katie </span></div>
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Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-31986347094711893042016-03-10T23:56:00.003-05:002016-03-11T00:00:10.371-05:00This Day in my Family History: Grandma Jackie Mulry Lutz This day in my family history is particularly special, as it is my grandma's birthday. She was born Jacqueline Ann Mulry on March 10, 1945, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to James and Mary Ann Fox Mulry. She was a very special lady, and tragically passed away in a car accident in 1993, when I was 7. But I still have many memories of her, and thought I'd share some fun memories of her on this post, as well as those of some of my other family members. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE66m5xHj1KUr-jfp4-Isu8wUqjyd1YNxXKw44XWwMZXJtGQO84Df1CnoTO7AWIksdg9mrMCDf30w71vhDDGJb4cxIhriU6R042ujGmYQL2mBCQ_-1ECzpHWAs4Cbl4D1hETBCeJszP6Q7/s1600/Grandmamekiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE66m5xHj1KUr-jfp4-Isu8wUqjyd1YNxXKw44XWwMZXJtGQO84Df1CnoTO7AWIksdg9mrMCDf30w71vhDDGJb4cxIhriU6R042ujGmYQL2mBCQ_-1ECzpHWAs4Cbl4D1hETBCeJszP6Q7/s320/Grandmamekiss.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & Grandma </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Remembering her as a young child, the first things that pop into my head are the funny memories. I remember her doing the splits in her kitchen, and wearing a funny hat in the convertible driving ahead of us. One thing I don't really remember, but have seen on video, is when I was a flower girl at my aunt's wedding, I think I was 4. I was up front pouting and throwing a silent temper tantrum, and she was sitting in the front row snapping at me to come sit next to her. Ha! Another time I was in the car with her, probably heading to the salon, and she was whipping around the corners a little fast and I told her, "Grandma, you have to be careful with me!"<br />
<br />
Apparently she was a trickster, too. She and my uncle would pour cold water on each other in the shower. James, my uncle, would also put fake snakes in the bathtub to freak her out, because she hated snakes. One time when the family was camping at SNH Campground, which they did often, she and two of her friends stayed up half the night making the word "COLD" out of paper and taped it up on the camp shower house so that it read "COLD SHOWERS" because they were tired of taking cold showers there! <br />
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She loved animals, which is I think where all of us get it. She had always had cats, and loved her white cat named Zero. One time she was serving a big chicken dinner and Zero got up on the table and ran all the way across it, making a huge mess. I also remember her waking me up when I spent the night at their house to show me the raccoons on their porch. <br />
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Grandma loved her family, and she loved Jesus. I know we'll see her again some day. Happy birthday, Grandma! <br />
<br />Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-44925874609169241392016-02-28T20:48:00.001-05:002016-02-28T20:48:55.673-05:00This Day in my Family History: Glenn D. Andrews <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9A1CC65NBTbDbQtmvuLhw3h1Z9BzysVOMNvOdIHExSlLwYef_RBOjllIaVdCHHNM_yzLepjyqDI2Ze4dddsmdR-549lwzr4MN2q1Zfu90Gk-Hh9W3uPOECA3RrtepRrmN_VCFzd9H0Cb/s1600/GlennAndrews.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9A1CC65NBTbDbQtmvuLhw3h1Z9BzysVOMNvOdIHExSlLwYef_RBOjllIaVdCHHNM_yzLepjyqDI2Ze4dddsmdR-549lwzr4MN2q1Zfu90Gk-Hh9W3uPOECA3RrtepRrmN_VCFzd9H0Cb/s320/GlennAndrews.bmp" width="226" /></a></div>
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<em>Glenn Daniel Andrews </em></div>
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<em>1911-2000</em></div>
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My grandpa, or "Papaw", was born in May 1911 in Abingdon, Illinois. His name was Glenn Daniel Andrews, "Glenn D." or "Shorty" - named after his father and grandfather, as I would come to discover. He was on my mind today, as he passed away on this day in 2000. I was 14 when he died. Just two years later was when I first started researching my family history, so I never got to ask him about his family. My grandma, his wife, didn't know much about them, and he didn't really have any photos from his younger years. Or so I thought. <br />
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We were doing some spring cleaning today, and my husband pulled out an old, sealed envelope addressed to my grandparents from the 1960s or 70s. Sealed? I eyed my husband and opened it up. Inside was a letter from my grandpa's sister, Louise Andrews Dunlap, and with it were photos of my grandpa and his family. <br />
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I'm still trying to pick up my jaw off the floor. I have never in my life seen a childhood photo of my grandpa, until today, sixteen years to the day after he died. In addition were photos of Louise, their other sister, Ruth, and their mother Helen Lucky Andrews - someone else I have never seen a photo of. Excuse me while I freak out. These pictures have been right under my nose all these years, and I didn't know it until today. That's the thing about researching your family history, isn't it - even after doing it for years and years, there is <em>always</em> more to find. <br />
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Here are the pictures: <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPFXgW0wdvwYLEKf-vdNlU4l7UqRMGL7ItyFM4HKuesD1yV6YoyhQd2wye7l_Uakb8nWBKTwRyfCu0Zu1eTed4M4UWBnpHU_oO4HRmjsGpW-RIeL58jHmS85plyGknwBv0IOvfZxWoHoB/s1600/HelenLuckyAndrewsRuth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPFXgW0wdvwYLEKf-vdNlU4l7UqRMGL7ItyFM4HKuesD1yV6YoyhQd2wye7l_Uakb8nWBKTwRyfCu0Zu1eTed4M4UWBnpHU_oO4HRmjsGpW-RIeL58jHmS85plyGknwBv0IOvfZxWoHoB/s320/HelenLuckyAndrewsRuth.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Probably) Ruth & their mother, Helen Lucky Andrews, 1938<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JftMYROzyKup_MOwvRmp4mGwGBxnaeHhW0CtsAjC4qrAB2t_uKVZbIbcU83igvZZZJOfb2VvMf-7921vpe49AtezMHfeYTppBO5CjGJfxvqwckzL-lFvDzFpDqvVRtyo08fql0q1OgRp/s1600/GlennDAndrews2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JftMYROzyKup_MOwvRmp4mGwGBxnaeHhW0CtsAjC4qrAB2t_uKVZbIbcU83igvZZZJOfb2VvMf-7921vpe49AtezMHfeYTppBO5CjGJfxvqwckzL-lFvDzFpDqvVRtyo08fql0q1OgRp/s320/GlennDAndrews2.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandpa</td></tr>
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And my favorite: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBnfsWomlBqaLzxhlOJ5OPLyb7ddJcxxRrASvEEVTD9-QN_gydkSWMjajT9soUKQ1hAUOMBOabA6dfL4mmO2Q950dpIOBR4QkXZGBKF9_YRM6YKRSnS-CP0VATHqtTS6FjL1TL7ph8HEw/s1600/GlennLouiseAndrews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBnfsWomlBqaLzxhlOJ5OPLyb7ddJcxxRrASvEEVTD9-QN_gydkSWMjajT9soUKQ1hAUOMBOabA6dfL4mmO2Q950dpIOBR4QkXZGBKF9_YRM6YKRSnS-CP0VATHqtTS6FjL1TL7ph8HEw/s320/GlennLouiseAndrews.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louise (left) & Glenn (right)<br />
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Never stop searching. You never know what you'll find. Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-86119936396170023482016-01-25T23:05:00.001-05:002016-01-25T23:07:20.558-05:00This Day in my Family History: In Search of Mary Mulry Bland I'm finally back at the blog challenge- "this day in my family history." Anybody else at it, too? Comment with a link to your blog. <br />
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On this day 103 years ago, January 25, 1913, my great-great aunt, Mary Elizabeth Mulry, was born. She was born in Indianapolis to Lawrence and Nellie Hitchcock Mulry. She grew up with three brothers, Larry, John, and James. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJ5Uv5x0BlcqbxjpIVP5gjWBIQ9ID03qRUNbKujlYML_I1CxcgDLj6tHqlHdEZ51KGGYqbUpA1vV1wKXT2uDJOXmAQJUJcvwNlhhkFypFCWxpJsuMMUseNzqf8IiFUpkNdIyWrpCxLGFe/s1600/Aunt+Mary+Mulry+Bland+1974+-+61st+Birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJ5Uv5x0BlcqbxjpIVP5gjWBIQ9ID03qRUNbKujlYML_I1CxcgDLj6tHqlHdEZ51KGGYqbUpA1vV1wKXT2uDJOXmAQJUJcvwNlhhkFypFCWxpJsuMMUseNzqf8IiFUpkNdIyWrpCxLGFe/s320/Aunt+Mary+Mulry+Bland+1974+-+61st+Birthday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary's 61st birthday - 1974</td></tr>
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Mary married three times, first to a Leroy Heinrichs in 1929. She had two children with her second husband, Thomas West, - Robert "Bobby", and Marilyn. Tragically, Marilyn was killed in an accident while riding her bike when she was only 12 years old. Mary married a third time to Ralph Bland, and they had five sons - Ralph, Larry, Johnny, Kenny, and Gilbert. She lived in Beech Grove for much of her life, and passed away in 1985. She is buried at Washington Park East Cemetery in Indianapolis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMFgP64FEiI1Xobb51uyl_yXUUeekZnMTvv5CXwVaQ18AYbKPA0qSYoK9PvZvMmeHn148yBCNFCj1M6uzxP1PHckK7A54Gs3diiBovK4t3TeE5PJqDVon_ftLhxsV3Cy3qF3TThBfSMQz/s1600/Mulry4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMFgP64FEiI1Xobb51uyl_yXUUeekZnMTvv5CXwVaQ18AYbKPA0qSYoK9PvZvMmeHn148yBCNFCj1M6uzxP1PHckK7A54Gs3diiBovK4t3TeE5PJqDVon_ftLhxsV3Cy3qF3TThBfSMQz/s320/Mulry4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John, Mary, Larry, & Jim <br />
Mulry siblings at Mulry family reunion 1974</td></tr>
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For the past five years now, I have been researching and writing a book about the Mulry family of Indianapolis. I have been able to collect a plethora of information- genealogical details, stories, memories, photographs, and more- about the families of Mary's brothers, Larry, John, and James. (I am descended from James.) I have not had such luck with Mary's family. Despite the potential for many descendants with six sons, I have not been able to locate Bland or West relatives and therefore I know next to nothing about her side. There have been some memories of Mary and her family shared with me by relatives on her brothers' sides, but none of them have any idea of the whereabouts of her family nowadays. If on the off chance that you are related to Mary and you happen upon this blog, I would absolutely love to hear from you. I have been wanting to publish the Mulry Family History for some time now, but there's one thing holding me back and it's this gaping hole in the book that is the Bland family. I would love to complete the family history book, but it may just not be possible. I may just need to bite the bullet and publish it as is, but something is holding me back. If any of you are out there...help? <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Mary Elizabeth Mulry Bland </div>
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1913-1985 </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorRFj-YjwKVos5fk8DcjlYgmdDiecaLtalAR1vbiSW0IYqwlu6vq1Oh1I-hXD4kIybPIfOMWmmgMckYcTCXQL0-JgvxqY06e8XwsFutFahKt9WNkWhEjhXFlH-hAYBJfxV3vPBsLBrxFG/s1600/MaryBlandobituary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorRFj-YjwKVos5fk8DcjlYgmdDiecaLtalAR1vbiSW0IYqwlu6vq1Oh1I-hXD4kIybPIfOMWmmgMckYcTCXQL0-JgvxqY06e8XwsFutFahKt9WNkWhEjhXFlH-hAYBJfxV3vPBsLBrxFG/s320/MaryBlandobituary.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-68250357726585387012016-01-14T23:26:00.001-05:002016-01-14T23:26:57.917-05:00Wayfaring Stranger: A Song That's Stood the Test of Time <span style="font-family: Calibri;">The minor key gets me every time. The passion of the voice,
the violin, strum of a guitar, the words. That song took root in my soul years
ago, it's tattooed on my foot, I listen to it nearly every day. It reminds me of
what’s to come, it reminds me to focus on the Lord, it grounds me and centers
me. That song… My ancestors sang it, the pioneers in the mountains, the African
slaves of the south sang it, and the characters in my books. It’s called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wayfaring Stranger</i>. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The song has a long history, and it’s so shrouded in
mystery. It's said to be an Appalachian folk song, others say it’s a slave
spiritual. It could very well be both. It's</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> been sung throughout America for
two hundred years, and it's stood the test of time, as recording artists are still creating new versions every year. It was sung at revival meetings, and it could have been code for freedom among the slaves - "going over 'Jordan'" could have meant the Ohio River, bordering slave and free states. It
just grabs at you with its heartfelt, haunting tune, its words about longing
for heaven and to be done with the trials of this earth. It reminds me of the
verse from Romans 8, that we long to be set free, that all creation groans for
redemption, for the next life. I’ve been listening to this song nearly every
day for seven years straight, and I never tire of it. It’s a part of me now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Treasury of American
Song</i> tells the song was first recorded as having been song as early as
1830, but was likely around for years or decades before then. One source claims it dates to 1784. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spiritual Folk Songs of Early America</i>
says the song is found in the first edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sacred Harp</i> in 1844, and a note along with the song reads: “the
compiler, John G. McCurry, Hartwell, Georgia, ‘when eight years old, learned
the air of this tune from Mrs. Catherine Penn.’ That was therefore 1829.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, the song lives on in homes and churches around the
country, and artists from Johnny Cash, Andy Griffith, Emmy Lou Harris, Alex
Boye, Jack White to Ed Sheeran have created their own versions. Log in to
Youtube or Spotify and just scroll down the list. There are hundreds of
versions of this song, and no two are alike. That’s the beautiful thing about
old folk tunes such as this—you can take it and run with it and make it your
own. Violin to acapella to guitar, you can do anything with this song. The
words lend themselves to creativity, and yet I have not found a version that
was not true to its original intent. Some versions I can listen to over and
over again and am still moved by them every time. Find your favorite version
and leave it in the comments. I’m always looking for more versions to add to my
collection. </span></div>
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<em>I am just goin' over Jordan </em></div>
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<em>I am just goin' over home</em> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What song means the most to you? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-37509230065634263432016-01-07T17:49:00.001-05:002016-01-07T17:53:56.856-05:00This Day in my Family History: Carrie Goldquist Luckey My 3rd post in the This Day in my Family History blog challenge! Are any of you doing it? Comment below with a link to your blog to share it with others. Maybe we'll have ancestors that shares a birthday...you never know! <br />
<br />
The ancestor I want to write about today I'm not even entirely sure what name she went by. I've found her listed as Ruth Carolyn, Carolyn Christine, Ruthie C., and Carrie. But since her granddaughter Ruth, my great-aunt, recorded her name as Carrie, I suppose we'll stick with that. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZqaPe8cC1FdpvXGBhPCs4uWnJ0dUPPqIolr5iUbtiRZKGn8YiIdmdsE3YndqKp9e7Fj2vaLb138oiuhLYUhVf5cOabbwyyR_BcM-yOoLEqRD2C2PIPglo2Ww2p4VBE3yBxfPBzI6fKuv/s1600/HelenLuckytree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZqaPe8cC1FdpvXGBhPCs4uWnJ0dUPPqIolr5iUbtiRZKGn8YiIdmdsE3YndqKp9e7Fj2vaLb138oiuhLYUhVf5cOabbwyyR_BcM-yOoLEqRD2C2PIPglo2Ww2p4VBE3yBxfPBzI6fKuv/s640/HelenLuckytree.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family tree of Helen Lucky Andrews, daughter of Carrie Goldquist Luckey, written by Ruth Andrews Fairchild</td></tr>
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Carrie Goldquist was born on January 7, 1860 in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, to Olof and Fredericka Petersen Goldquist. Her parents were Swedish immigrants and were among the first settlers in the county. Her father, Olof, died when she was still very young. Carrie was the fourth of five children, and she lived almost her entire life in Knox County. She graduated from Galesburg High School in 1878 and married Joseph M. Luckey on December 21, 1880. We find the family in the 1900 census with six children. In 1910 they are living on East Main Street in Galesburg with the youngest four of their children, and Joseph is working as a machinist for the railroad. In this census we first see the musical talent recorded that ran in the family, as her daughter Josephine is listed as a pianist. Later her daughter Helen (my great-grandmother) would go on to attend the Knox Conservatory of Music, and Helen's son-in-law, Donald Fairchild, would become a well-known pianist and composer.<br />
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Carrie continued to live in Galesburg until she and Joseph moved to Muhlenberg, Kentucky, presumably to live with their daughter Josephine's family. Carrie passed away in 1929, and her burial site is unknown. Joseph is found living with their daughter Josephine and her husband in the 1930 census, and he passed away in 1931. <br />
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The Luckey family is somewhat of a mystery. Helen Luckey, Carrie's daughter, was my great-grandmother, my paternal grandfather's mother. My Papaw died in 2000, two years before I began my genealogy work, and therefore I never got to ask him about his family, and my grandma, his wife, knew next to nothing about them. My grandpa was born in Knox County, Illinois, but came to Indianapolis when still quite young, and apparently did not have a good relationship (or any relationship) with much of his family. I've pieced together a story over the years, and have made contact with some family members who still live in Illinois, but this whole side of the tree is still shrouded in secrets. For now, I'll just keep researching!Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-8243008894187410222016-01-02T20:34:00.001-05:002016-01-02T20:34:35.587-05:00This Day in my Family History: William & Almira Holsclaw's Wedding <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hadn't planned on writing today but while looking over events in my family history in January, I discovered today is the wedding anniversary of my favorite couple in my family tree. William and Almira King Holsclaw were wedded on January 2, 1862 in Jennings County, Indiana. They were married an impressive 68 years before William passed away in 1930, and Almira soon after him in 1931. They were survived by five of their eight children, many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. They were buried in the Summerfield Cemetery (also known as the Vawter Cemetery), which lies on a hilltop above the Muscatatuck River in Selmier State Forest in Jennings County.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Two newspaper articles follow, published on January 2, 1924, and another on January 2, 1929, their 62nd and 67th anniversaries respectively. Many thanks to Don Stanwyck for passing them on to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">January 2, 1924</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_981879621" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ"><span style="color: #222222;">On Wednesday</span></span></span>, the second day of January this year, Mr. and Mrs.<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Holsclaw celebrated in a very quite (sic) manner their 62nd wedding</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">anniversary.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span> </span>To be blessed with long life is a gift from God and to live for 62</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">years as man and wife, sharing together the joys as well as the sorrows</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">of this world is more than a blessing.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span> </span>We frequently read where some happy couple have lived to celebrate</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">their their 60th anniversary, but how often do we hear of one living to</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">celebrate their 62nd anniversary and as is the case with Mr. and Mrs.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Holsclaw in apparently good health.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span> </span>Mr. Holsclaw has one sister living, Mrs. Agnes Fredenburg, age 78 of</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;">Westport</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;">, Ind.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;">, and Mrs. Holsclaw has a brother, George Alvin King of</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;">Lincoln</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;">, Neb.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span> </span>Three brothers of Mr. Holsclaw's served thruout (sic) the Civil war.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span> </span>Mr. and Mrs. Holsclaw are noted thruout the neighborhood for their</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">generosity and kindness and it is with the fondest hopes that all their</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">friends wish them many more years of wedded life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">January 2, 1929 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">NORTH VERNON, Ind., January 2.<br /> Mr. and Mrs. William T. Holsclaw today celebrated the sixty-seventh anniversary of their marriage at their home in Jennings County, just east of this city. They entertained their children and their families. Mr. and Mrs. Holsclaw were married by Mrs. Holsclaw's grandfather, the Rev. William Vawter, January 2, 1862 and their married life has been spent in what is known as the Deer Creek neighborhood. Mrs. Holsclaw was born at Deer Creek and is now eighty-six years old. Mr. Holsclaw was born in Garrett county, Kentucky, and is now ninety-three.<br /><br /> Their living children are: Ezra Holsclaw, living near Franklin; Mrs. Jennie Carson, Seymour; Mrs. Oscar Beeman, Jennings county; Harry Holsclaw, Auburn, Cal., and Mrs. H. A. Searles, Spokane, Wash. The have thirty grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">William and Almira are among my favorite ancestors, and I love to read about their life together. Have you found events in your ancestors' lives to write about on the anniversary of their happening? Let me know if you've joined the (temporarily named) This Day in my Family History challenge! </span></span></div>
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-36393923010907584052016-01-01T19:29:00.002-05:002016-01-01T19:31:48.652-05:00This Day in my Family History: Blog Challenge <br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Growing up with a daily newspaper in our house, I always
gravitated towards the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This Day in
History</i> section. I loved feeling a connection with the past by reading what
was happening on that day at different points in history, all around the world.
But I’ve been thinking, how cool would it be to create a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This Day in Family History</i> record. It would be a huge undertaking,
scouring records and lists for hours to find all that happened on that very day
throughout your entire family tree. But how about for a start creating a blog
challenge dedicated to it? Pick one event on certain days throughout the year
and blog about it, then share it with your readers, and especially your family!
It could be about anything—but I’ll probably stick to birth, marriage, and
death dates. So, what about you? Is this sparking any ideas in your head? What
should we call this? Fernando Hidalgo (@Genealogistapro) on Twitter suggested “A
Day in the Life” like the Beatles song (I heard the news today, oh no). More
ideas? Are you on board? Amy Johnson Crow, you inspired me to do this with your
#52Ancestors challenge, which I fell off of too soon, but I kept up reading
your blogs. I hope to inspire others to write about their ancestors the way you
did! So, y’all, are you with me? Comment with a link to your blog and let me know!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I looked through my family tree to find an event in my
family history on January 1, and ended up landed in the year 1868. I thought this
was very fitting, since I’m a little fascinated with this branch, the Potter
family, but the funny things is—it’s not my ancestry, it’s my husband’s! I
figure it counts since it’s my kids’ tree too. So, on January 1, 1868, Lewis
Edward Potter was born in Brown County, Indiana to William and Mary Rogers
Potter, their second son. William and Mary were married in 1864, and just five
months later William joined the 145<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Indiana Volunteer Infantry in
the Union Army, and spent time in Georgia. Lewis was born a few short years
after the Civil War ended. Even in 1868, Lewis was a third generation Hoosier.
The Potters reportedly came to Brown County because they heard it was pretty! Lewis,
or Lew, grew up in the area, and married in 1890 to Ella Story Bracken, who was
also a native Hoosier, having been born just over a month later in neighboring
Monroe County—likely in a little log cabin, which her father John Bracken wrote
about in his letters home while he was in Ohio finding work. The conditions
surrounding Lewis’ birth is not certain, but apparently he and his brothers
with their father William built a home on Tunnel Road near Unionville,
including a solid walnut stairway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lewis and Ella were married in Martinsville, which their
grandson William speculates may have been the romantic thing to do at the time.
They lived north of Bloomington when their first child, Ethel, was born in
1891. Their grandson William tells of houses they lived in being on
Boultinghouse Road and Shuffle Creek, two roads which I have tracked down and daydreamed
my way through the drive. (These place names in genealogy can be magical when
you have a little imagination.) They suffered a house fire and were living in
Bloomington by 1896, lived in the country once more, when their son William was
born, my husband’s great-grandfather, and then they built a house in
Bloomington in 1906, where they stayed and continued to remodel. Lewis took
positions as a janitor at the high school and a church. Lewis and Ella had a
total of eight children between 1891 and 1911. Lewis passed away in 1950, Ella
in 1954, and they are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A big thanks goes to my husband's great-uncle William Potter, who researched and compiled the Potter family history. I'm very grateful for his hard work! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leave a comment with your ideas, your thoughts, your links,
and let’s get to writing! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">P.S. I'm still working on #StorybookAncestor with my daughter. I'd love to have some company in that, too. See a few posts below for that one! </span></div>
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-86272062177081941372015-12-28T14:03:00.001-05:002015-12-28T14:03:19.244-05:00Motivation Monday: Free Online History & Genealogy Courses I'm a lifelong learner. I'm one of those people who used to drool over course listings in college, and then get all giddy as I looked through the syllabus. I started graduate school this year, finally studying something I've always loved - American History. I'm taking it slow, only one or two courses a year, especially since I'm homeschooling my kids and they come first. But I am still dying to learn more in the fields of history and genealogy, and bringing those worlds to kids through my writing, so when I discovered that universities and organizations offer free (or mostly free) online courses that you can attend at your own pace - well, hello! <br />
<br />
Maybe you're with me? Maybe you don't want to make the commitment to go back to school but you still want to learn. Below is the list of history and genealogy courses I want to take over the next year, along with the websites and schools that offer them. Let me know if you see any you want to take, too, or if you have other recommendations! Maybe we can take them together and discuss.<br />
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<u>HISTORY</u><br />
<u></u><br />
* Citizenship & U.S. Immigration - Coursera - Emory University <br />
* History of the Slave South - Coursera - University of Pennsylvania <br />
* African American History: Emancipation to Present - Openculture - Yale University <br />
* Colonial & Revolutionary America - Openculture - Stanford University <br />
* Europe in the 19th Century - Openculture - UC Berkeley <br />
* European Civilization: 1648-1945 - Openculture - Yale University <br />
* European Cultural History: 1500-1815 - Openculture - Univesity of Wisconsin-Madison<br />
* History of the United States since 1877 - Openculture - Missouri State <br />
* The Civil War & Reconstruction Era: 1845-1877 - Openculture - Yale <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.coursera.com/">www.coursera.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.edx.org/">www.edx.org</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.openculture.com/">www.openculture.com</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<u>GENEALOGY</u> <br />
<br />
* Helping Children Love Your Family History - Brigham Young University<br />
* Vital Records - Brigham Young University<br />
* Family Records - Brigham Young University <br />
* Military Records - Brigham Young University<br />
* Germany Research - Brigham Young University<br />
* Huguenot Research - Brigham Young University <br />
* FamilySearch courses - on anything and everything! - <a href="https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html">https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html</a><br />
<a href="http://is.byu.edu/site/courses/free.cfm">http://is.byu.edu/site/courses/free.cfm</a>#<br />
<br />
Also- National Genealogical Society has very affordable courses. I'm going to become a member soon and take their courses. <br />
<a href="http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/educational_courses">http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/educational_courses</a><br />
<br />
<u>EDUCATION</u> <br />
<br />
* Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects - EdX - Smithsonian <br />
* The Art of Teaching History: A Global Conversation for Secondary Educators - Coursera - Rice University <br />
<br />
<br />
That's just a sampling of what's out there. What do you see that you'd like to learn about? Check out all those websites and let me know. I'm serious I'd love a study buddy. Happy learning! :) Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-33611912719135511682015-11-19T18:06:00.002-05:002015-11-19T18:21:14.259-05:00#StorybookAncestor <br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Grandma has an exciting story to tell about her life.
Grandpa has told us how he walked three miles to school in the snow, uphill
both ways. Your Great-great aunt has passed on exciting stories about her
grandparents, who were born just before the Civil War started. These stories
have taken up a special place in your heart, and you want them to survive. Keeping
stories alive about someone in your family that was a witness to the Civil War
is so important to you, but the genealogy bug hasn't gotten to your kids yet, and in order for family history to survive, we need
to pass it on to the younger generations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If you like classic television, you’ve surely seen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Andy Griffith Show</i>. In one of my
favorite episodes, Andy gets stuck in a bind with his son’s teacher over
History homework. The teacher gets so frustrated with her students’ apparent
lack of interest in their History studies that she is on the verge of quitting
when Andy steps in and tells the boys that they don’t want to learn about all
that “dull stuff” anyway –about “Indians, and Redcoats, and cannons, and guns
and muskets and stuff.” The boys get all excited that Andy seems to be in
agreement with them, and then they pause, turn, and look at him quizzically.
Then one pipes up: “What about Indians and Redcoats and cannons and muskets and
guns and stuff?” Andy brushes it off, saying, “Oh, you know. Indians and
Redcoats, and you know…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">history</i>.” And
with that, the boys are hooked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Andy then engages the boys (and his deputy, Barney Fife) in
a heart-pounding rendition of the tale of Paul Revere, and with every word, the
boys’ eyes grow wider, their jaws drop further, and they are drawn more and
more into the story.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> “He says the British
is comin’, the British is comin’, get your guns, we’re gonna have us a
revolution!” </i>When Andy is finished, they demand to know just where he got
that story! Andy just replies, “Oh, your history book.” But the bait is already
sunk. The boys have been won over. History has come alive for them through the
power of storytelling, and they wanted to know more.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barney and the boys listening to Andy's story </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">(If you want to see the entire episode, it’s called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Andy Discovers America</i>, and it’s on
YouTube here: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zYFC0-f7Qs"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zYFC0-f7Qs</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">.
The excerpt I discussed starts at the 10:15 mark.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children need to know that their ancestors’ lives were a
series of stories. There were times your ancestors probably picked up their son
or daughter on their knee and told them the story of the time they did this or
that. Pa Ingalls in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little
House</i> book series was an expert storyteller. Laura preserved those stories
in her books, always just as exciting as when Pa told it to her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And that is what I want to challenge you to do with your
children. Capture your family stories in a homemade storybook. Write out their
stories in narrative form, with dialogue and action verbs and illustrations by
your child. Turn that story your grandpa told you into a storybook. Turn the
family legend of your ancestor’s crossing of the Atlantic into a storybook. Was
your 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> great-grandfather a teacher in a small town in Germany? His
story can be in a storybook. Was your 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> great-grandfather a Union
soldier? That can be a storybook, too.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbyqw0-0lifmCMgUrx9HAn5kxmf4YM0o3ujL8o8w4VeOg_EVkofKkQ-tkdmavB5d81u4sAiWJtzFOdz0HpUq_lskJB7hIWZ6P9o_0D2dfNr7VEr6kejYlKvrYEzCohMROl7LSvDpRpXZu/s1600/StorybookAncestor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbyqw0-0lifmCMgUrx9HAn5kxmf4YM0o3ujL8o8w4VeOg_EVkofKkQ-tkdmavB5d81u4sAiWJtzFOdz0HpUq_lskJB7hIWZ6P9o_0D2dfNr7VEr6kejYlKvrYEzCohMROl7LSvDpRpXZu/s400/StorybookAncestor1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An illustration by my daughter, Ellie, about our ancestor Jesse Vawter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Will you and your children join me? I’d love to create a
community of people turning their family history into storybooks with the help
of your children. Or you can do it on your own, and present the book to your
children or grandchildren as a gift. It’s up to you! Whatever you do, share it
with the rest of us! Use the hashtag #StorybookAncestor or simply comment on
this blog with your link. I’ll be sharing the storybooks I create with my 7
year old daughter and I'll check in every week to share everyone else's. I can’t wait to see what everyone
comes up with. Best wishes! </span></div>
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-45859130740781750932015-11-13T17:02:00.002-05:002015-11-13T17:02:32.346-05:00Friday's Faces from the Past: The Mystery of Salome Clouse Hitchcock I have one particular ancestor whose story has really thrown me for a loop. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRHSC1vq6gC9IDPKuRVGAzBT1zO9h00E-2zkXLlDglu0hFPqNeXO4gBNFrN2YDXEm7_IBvS4bQELoZhLJWxcFInxd6pTE2ZnaWoTid8C3JhJrASRdruSb3pnl1xHLeMgW2Zo7XPb5Bw4a/s1600/SalomeClouseHitchcock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRHSC1vq6gC9IDPKuRVGAzBT1zO9h00E-2zkXLlDglu0hFPqNeXO4gBNFrN2YDXEm7_IBvS4bQELoZhLJWxcFInxd6pTE2ZnaWoTid8C3JhJrASRdruSb3pnl1xHLeMgW2Zo7XPb5Bw4a/s200/SalomeClouseHitchcock.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salome Clouse Hitchcock 1815-1893 </td></tr>
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Her maiden name was Salome Clouse, and she was born in 1815 in North Carolina. She married her sister's widower, Isaac Hitchcock, and they moved to Hope, Indiana. Her granddaughter is my great-great grandmother, Nellie Hitchcock Mulry. Now, the story goes in the Mulry family history that we have "deep roots in the South, as your great, great, great grandmother was a Cherokee Indian." Later, it mentions that Salome was "half Cherokee Indian." The man who wrote about Salome in the Mulry history was born only 11 years after she died, so I would assume the story may have come directly from Salome. But it remains a mystery, because...<br />
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...when I did some research on Salome, I found that her parents were John Clouse and Catherine Lachenauer, who has deep French roots. I wondered if maybe Catherine was John's second wife, and if she was recorded as Salome's mother because she raised her--perhaps Salome's mother died when she was young. But where would this story have come from that Salome was half Cherokee? Did she find out as a questioning young teenager, or was it something that she had known all along? Or was Catherine Lachenauer really her mother? Or maybe she was descended from Cherokee much further back, and the story somehow morphed into her being "half." She did come from North Carolina, where the Cherokee made their home. <br />
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I have Mulry relatives that have said their grandmother, Nellie Hitchcock Mulry, told of Indian roots, and one person mentions a photo of Nellie all dressed up in "full Indian garb", but that photo has been lost. This is just something I may have to continue to speculate about, as there may never be any real proof to substantiate the family story. I would be proud to have Cherokee blood flowing through my veins, but I may never know for sure if I do or not. <br />
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What about you? There are so many stories about Native American roots floating about nowadays, but often little evidence. I'm excited to read more by my co-writer at The In-Depth Genealogist, who writes about Native American genealogy. I have a lot to learn, and a lot of curiosity to lead me there! <br />
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Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-45553086412551254582015-11-12T17:07:00.000-05:002015-11-12T17:10:22.807-05:00Indiana History Unit Studies Now that I've completed my first course of graduate school studying History, I'm ready to dive in and finally start creating those Indiana history unit studies I've been talking about for so long. My first course taught me how to do historical research, and my next class will teach me how to write history. My tentative plan will be to release my first unit study near the time I will be completing my second course next summer. <br />
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What will it be about? The first unit study on Indiana history will be all about the Prehistoric Peoples of Indiana, beginning with the arrival of the Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago, and on up through the Mississippian peoples who made this area their home. As part of my research for the study, I have visited sites such as Mounds State Park in Anderson, Koteewi Park in Strawtown, and I have future plans to visit such places as Angel Mounds in Evansville, and a big trip to Cahokia Mounds in Illinois. The unit study will include vivid photographs from my trips, accompanying field trip tips to those sites, and of course, exciting history all about the peoples who called the Midwest and specifically present-day Indiana home, tailored for a 4th grade student beginning their study of Indiana history. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINoRXPrejgJVeeS5scSLaFblZL5StzXdOWfZHAC6i0SKaNJL0-x7SWWDEnJSwRO8MFKXR6RRdIPl-kcAw8GatwpYozNIJ7u-LWSlMyxJX125SipKo8ezLyi8eJ3_VHOf5J9ZCTCVJa2ST/s1600/Mounds1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINoRXPrejgJVeeS5scSLaFblZL5StzXdOWfZHAC6i0SKaNJL0-x7SWWDEnJSwRO8MFKXR6RRdIPl-kcAw8GatwpYozNIJ7u-LWSlMyxJX125SipKo8ezLyi8eJ3_VHOf5J9ZCTCVJa2ST/s640/Mounds1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Mound at Mounds State Park, Anderson, Indiana</td></tr>
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I have a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and have taught in schools, but am relatively new to homeschooling. My daughter went to a charter school for Kindergarten, but we decided to transfer her to home school for 1st grade on. My son is two, and loves having his big sister home to learn alongside her. I develop unit studies especially for my daughter, mostly focusing on Language Arts. She is a very inquisitive little girl and I often let her decide what she wants to study. We just finished a three-week study on Space, and this week we switched gears and are doing a little study on Native Americans. For this, we went to Koteewi Park in Strawtown and went on a little walk (their Taylor Center for Natural History was unfortunately closed). But as we were walking the grounds and talking about the people who lived there, I realized something. I have the perfect co-writer. My daughter! I realized again just how creative and inquisitive she is, and concluded she just must do my research with me, and write my Indiana history unit studies along with me. It needs a child's touch, after all. <br />
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I'll be launching an author website in the near future, and keep in touch - I'll also be posting free lesson and activity ideas on this blog and that website, designed by my daughter and I. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1gf83P9TougUvX-TV0ZkLzptLz4HlcHoLHu4q8HNgUqMjnKywat3Nlibv4d9ieEn698xNPMk-5LZb1Y1nphH0zClWKjEPtUCQqCZMFiBWfLwLJIKFbSLJZWX7o_0xeboRiz4Pd8Epb6i/s1600/Mounds3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1gf83P9TougUvX-TV0ZkLzptLz4HlcHoLHu4q8HNgUqMjnKywat3Nlibv4d9ieEn698xNPMk-5LZb1Y1nphH0zClWKjEPtUCQqCZMFiBWfLwLJIKFbSLJZWX7o_0xeboRiz4Pd8Epb6i/s320/Mounds3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White River, or Wapahani, at Mounds State Park </td></tr>
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Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-59022891168184030702015-10-24T23:39:00.000-04:002015-10-24T23:41:47.760-04:00Society Saturday: Indiana Genealogy & Local History Fair <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my booth at the Indiana State Library</td></tr>
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I participated in the Indiana State Library's Genealogy & Local History Fair today, and it was a wonderful experience. Genealogists are some of the nicest bunch of people, I'll tell ya. We may like hanging around dead people, but we're still friendly with the living. <br />
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Well, I was there to promote my books, and I did sell a few, glad to say, but I also spread the word about The In-Depth Genealogist, which I now proudly write for. But the best part was the connections that I made! I sat across from the ladies at the Clinton County Genealogical Society, and we discussed my husband's Ploughe ancestors who lived in Clinton County. I also met Naomi from Scott County, and she purchased my books. (I hope you like them, Naomi.) I don't have any Scott County ancestors, it's one of the few counties in Indiana I'm not connected with, but I hope to maybe see them again next year.<br />
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But I was very excited to make a connection with the Society of Indiana Pioneers. I have been toying with the idea of joining their society for years now, and today after meeting their genealogist, Michele, I think I'm finally going to do it. I know I qualify- I am a 9th generation Hoosier on both sides, after all, and I've already found my ancestor Jesse Vawter on their list of approved ancestors, I just have to track down all the documentation to prove I'm his descendant. But for me, the big Indiana history guru to not be a part of their society by now, is a little silly, dontcha think? I know, about time. <br />
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Side note, I'm also joining the Indiana Genealogical Society. If you join now, you get an extended membership to the end of 2016. That's worth it, I'll say.<br />
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I'm excited to make more connections and maybe travel a little, if not in person, then at least on the page. I just finished my first research proposal before writing this blog post, which completes my first course of graduate school towards my Master's in American History. And after today, I'm more inspired than ever to keep writing, and keep researching. Will you join me? Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-58891823249164054992015-10-13T11:56:00.000-04:002015-10-13T21:49:46.897-04:00An Indiana Tradition There are certain times when I feel like a super-Hoosier, and I love it. I love my Indiana heritage, and all the traditions that go along with it. We had a chance to go to Myrtle Beach this week, but decided not to, and although it would have been a lot of fun, I'm kind of glad to stay here right now. Indiana in autumn is simply beautiful, and my favorite time of year. <br />
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There's one tradition that I haven't missed once in my lifetime, and that's what's known as the "Stewfest". When I was younger we just called it "Joe & Darlene's". <br />
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Every October, my Great-Uncle Joe and Aunt Darlene host a get-together in their big red barn, and my maternal grandpa's side of the family gathers, Uncle Joe cooks stew over the fire, we roast marshmallows, we catch up, and, if the weather cooperates, we go on a hayride. Uncle Joe and Aunt Darlene live out in the country in Morgan County, Indiana, down a windy road, their big house with the wrap-around porch set up on a hill in the trees overlooking the wide open fields. My immediate family has even had a tradition of listening to a particular album on the way down to their house since I was probably in elementary school - the <em>Last of the Mohicans</em> soundtrack - but we can't turn it on until we get to SR-67, and the brightly colored hills are all around us. This tradition took on almost mythic proportions for me as a child, and to this day, even now in my 30s, it seems almost magical. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Joe & Aunt Darlene with the famous stew </td></tr>
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The hayride is my favorite part of the whole thing. This year was the first in three years that we got our hayride. Two years ago the fields were too wet, and last year it was pouring down rain, so heavy we could hardly hear each other over the pounding on the barn roof, and my brother Nicholas and cousin Allie and I agreed it didn't really feel like the Stewfest and went home rather bummed. But this year, as the Stewfest has entered a new age with its own hashtag on Facebook among family members, this year was perfect. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom with her 3 grandchildren - Micah, Kira, & Ellie - the 5th generation of the Lutz family to attend the Stewfest </td></tr>
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We huddle up next to each other in the hay in our sweatshirts and hoodies as Uncle Joe pulls us on his tractor. The Milky Way is clearly visible above us, and we point out all the constellations we know. Aunt Robin starts singing the Brady Bunch song. My son Micah is snuggled in my lap, one of the 5th generation of Lutz family members to attend the Stewfest. My sister Kristin has her little daughter, Kira, at her first Stewfest. And then when we're way out in the field, my mom recites James Whitcomb Riley's "The Gobble-uns'll getcha ef ya don't watch out" as we all chime in on that part, we all go "wooo-oooo" with the wind, and "have the mostest fun." After that, my brother Nicholas takes after my uncle Isaac and cousins Joey and Kevin, and climbs silently out of the wagon and scares my cousin Jameson half to death. The trees finally clear enough for us to see the whole Big Dipper and I point it out to my daughter Ellie. The tractor rumbles on and we joke and laugh and then we're back and it's time to get out and trudge back up the hill to the barn. We roast some marshmallows, catch up around the fire, and then I hate it but it's time to go. We have a long drive home and it's late. The night was so perfect it could definitely go down in the books as the Stewfest to beat. <br />
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I don't know October without it, and I'm already looking forward to next year. <br />
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"and the gobble-uns'll getcha ef ya don't watch out!"</div>
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What fall traditions does your family celebrate? </div>
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-10427703730028147602015-08-09T16:08:00.000-04:002015-08-09T16:08:27.415-04:00Sentimental Sunday: A Collection of Foxes <div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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Yesterday I woke up to a phone call from my aunt Sherrie, and my kids and I ended up spending the morning with her. We went out to breakfast, and then we did something that was really hard for me. We went over to my great-great aunt's apartment and went through her things, and I got to choose which things of hers that I wanted to take home. In her credenza, a big note was taped over a collection of old photo albums and memorabilia that read: <em>Katie's Korner.</em> All of that was mine for the taking. She wanted me to have all of it. It was exciting for the genealogist in me: my great-great grandparents' marriage certificate, her high school diploma, an old Bible, old photos, but it was all very difficult at the same time, because of what dividing up all of these things meant. It was hard walking through her apartment without her there, even though she is still living, and deciding to divide up her things. One thing I knew I wanted: a fox. Her name is Betts Fox, and over the years she has collected foxes. Other relatives had already come and taken most of the foxes, but I found a painting of a fox by a local artist in a corner, so I took that, and will hang it in my office. So then we took all of the historical items, paintings, and other odds and ends and loaded up my aunt's car, and then we went over to visit Betts at the nursing home. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie & Micah with their Great-great-great aunt Betts </td></tr>
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We surprised her with our visit, and she was excited to see us. She is 94 years old, and even though she may be in her last months, is still as vibrant as ever. She has always been full of life. She is a Euchre queen, has always kept up with her family and old friends, loves sports and her "soaps". <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betts with her nephew, Jim Mulry, playing Euchre at her birthday party <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday! </td></tr>
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Some day I will write out her life story on my blog, but for now, I just wanted to write out about what was going through my mind as we were going through her things yesterday. This coming week I will be seeing her again, and this time, I'm going to record an interview with her about her life story, memories, and the changes she's seen in her life time living in Indianapolis. I'm so grateful to have gotten to know her. And to my family - take the time to go visit her while you still can. She would love the visit. More to come. Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-40723768996887736842015-07-15T18:57:00.000-04:002015-07-16T05:42:13.925-04:00Wishful Wednesday: An Enigma <em> "My brother and your father - a good man - an enigma" </em><br />
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These are the words of my great-great uncle, Ralph Holsclaw, written in a letter to my grandmother, Mary Holsclaw Andrews. Her father, Hubert Holsclaw, or "Herb", had just died, and he was writing to her about his death. But neither one of them had known him at the time of his death. Neither one of them had seen him for years before his death. <br />
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Hubert Holsclaw had walked out on my grandma and her mother, Helen, when my grandma was only seven years old. She was an only child. My grandma and her mother lived with Helen's parents from that time on, and her grandparents, Elmer and Lottie Oder, became very close to her. But to my knowledge, from the age of seven, my grandma never again saw her father, and I don't believe she ever spoke to him again either. <br />
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So in 1973, Ralph wrote a letter on a typewriter to my grandma Mary in response to one she had written to him, telling him there were many things she wished to know. We had never heard about this letter, and only discovered it in her house after she had died. Ralph begins the letter by harkening back to 1927, the year Hubert walked out. He left, relocated to Boston, remarried, and later moved to Miami, where years later, he divorced again. But he was a hard worker, and did, it seems, keep a few close friends, but it seems he had trouble with relationships, and as Ralph later notes, he had a pattern of rejecting the people who loved him. He never did mention a daughter to anyone he came in contact with. He died suddenly, without any warning, at the age of 75. <br />
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Ralph writes, <em>"Seventeen elderly persons attended his funeral and signed the register. I met them all as they came in and asked if they had the time to wait after the service so that I could talk with them. We all met in the back of the chapel and each and every one of them expressed to me that they had never known a finer and gentler man. None had laid eyes upon him since he bowed out upon them without a goodbye. An elderly couple who, because of their infirmities, could not attend the service, had a friend drive them to the door of the chapel and asked that I come out and talk to them, which I did. All of their questioning eyes formed the one word - WHY. They and you and I will never know the answer. None of these friends had ever heard of the existence of a brother or a daughter except Mrs. Gasche and she had not heard about you. My brother and your father - a good man - an enigma. I am sure you have detected a pattern in your father's life, as I have - a rejection of the people who loved him....." </em><br />
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These are the times in genealogy when you wish you could have been a fly on the wall. When you wish you could have known Mrs. Gasche, or Ralph, or Ralph's daughter that he mentions, who apparently Hubert favored. But at the same time it gives me insight to my grandmother's childhood, and what pain this man must have caused her. But having only known him to the age of seven, she couldn't really tell me much about him when I asked, or...she didn't really want to. I couldn't tell. An enigma indeed. All of genealogy really is, isn't it? Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-64561258480399946502015-07-07T16:28:00.000-04:002015-07-15T18:26:23.231-04:00Travel Tuesday: Lutztown Road The Lutz line of my genealogy research used to be a huge brick wall for me. It was finally broken down after I was able to look through some things from my great-grandmother's old cedar chest, and then resources from local libraries helped me climb my way up the tree. <br />
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Here is my Lutz family tree: <br />
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George Lutz b. 1772 m. Catherine Wolf b. 1777 <br />
- Baltzer Lutz b. 1803 m. Nancy Eby b. 1803 <br />
- Moses Lutz b. 1828 m. Nancy Ann Shafer b. 1833 <br />
- Ervin Lutz n. Ida Slagle <br />
- Earl Moses Lutz b. 1886 m. Alma Bertha Bruns <br />
- Harold Lutz b. 1920 m. Virginia Bunce <br />
- Robert Earl Lutz b. 1944 m. Jacqueline Ann Mulry <br />
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This past week we vacationed in upstate New York, and since it was the 4th of July weekend, we decided it would be neat to swing by Philadelphia to see where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Immediately the thought crossed my mind that we would be coming home to Indianapolis heading due west, and the Lutzes were from an area we would be driving through. A quick Google Maps search confirmed this and I headed straight to Findagrave.com to locate the cemetery where George and Catherine Wolf Lutz are buried. They lived in Churchtown, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and are buried in Mt. Zion Cemetery. I also knew from reading in an old county history book that the area where they lived and for three generations engaged in wagon and coachmaking was known as Lutztown. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the next road by the cemetery was called Lutztown Road. I was standing in the very area the Lutzes must have lived and worked. <br />
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We then took to the cemetery. It was a pretty large cemetery, across from a gas station, otherwise surrounded by cornfields. (I was also excited to discover it was very near to the Appalachian Trail.) For once it didn't take me long to find the graves I was looking for. <br />
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It was raining so I didn't stay long at their graves, but it was so neat to see them and feel the rough stone. George is the earliest Lutz ancestor I can trace. He was born around 1772 in Switzerland and came to America because of religious persecutions. He settled in Pennsylvania, eventually making his way to Cumberland County. He married Catherine Wolf, and they had nine children. Our ancestor is their son, Baltzer Lutz, who came to Muncie, Indiana, and his son Moses, who was a blacksmith in Muncie. <br />
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(To my Lutz relatives, I have much more information. Send me an email and I can send the rest to you. Let me know if you have any questions too! Someday I will turn this all into a book like I'm doing with the Mulry family.) <br />
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Long story short, if you ever find yourself traveling near an ancestral homeland, take the extra hour or two out of your day to visit. It's worth it. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Reference:</span> <br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.<br />Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, <br />Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and <br />Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and <br />Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc. Illustrated. Chicago: Warner, Beers <br />& Co., 1886.<br />http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm</span></em><br />
<br />Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-49269148461385255972015-06-08T16:46:00.000-04:002015-06-08T16:47:52.800-04:008 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Wayfaring Sisters Series<br />
With the recent release of <u>Going over Jordan</u>, I figured I'd write up a few things about my books for the inquiring mind. If you want to know a little more about the first book, <u>Going over Home</u>, you can go here: <a href="http://bit.ly/1d2Kfgi">http://bit.ly/1d2Kfgi</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The title of each book in the series is from a
line in the old folk song <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wayfaring
Stranger</i>. The unknown history of the song is part of its magic. Some say it’s
an old slave spiritual, others say it’s an Appalachian folk song. Either way,
it probably dates to the early 1800s. The song is ultimately above traveling
through the world on our way to our heavenly home, but it can also be
interpreted to mean more than that. If it was in fact a slave spiritual, then “Jordan”
could have meant the Ohio River, the border between slave and free states, as
it does in the second book in the series, <u>Going over Jordan</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There will be seven books in the series—maybe
more. One book for each Fox sister: Maddie, Ellie, Carrie, Jackie, and Lottie,
and then one book for Mama (Evelyn) and one for Grandma (Eleanor). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a lot of potential for other women in
the family’s stories to be told, but I’m waiting on the inspiration for theirs.
These seven women are the ones whose stories are begging to be told. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each book will tell the story of the main
character’s romances, but ultimately each book will be about the character’s
coming of age story, and their growth from girlhood to womanhood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The heroes in the books I’ve written so far
(Maddie-Henry, Ellie-Will, Carrie-Asa) are all inspired by my husband, Ben. They’re
all different, but each of their characters reflects his in their own special
ways, and their romances are drawn from our own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wayfaring
Stranger</i>—I have listened to this song thousands of times nearly every day
for the past six years since beginning work on these books. I have discovered
countless versions of the song, but my favorite remains Jack White’s version from
the soundtrack from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cold Mountain</i>.
This song has shaped the story and character arcs of the books in so many ways,
it can only be considered divine inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Music in general has been such a driving force
in writing my books. Alison Krauss and her song <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If I Didn’t Know Any Better </i>inspired <u>Going over Home</u>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I See Fire</i> by Ed Sheeran inspired <u>Going
over Jordan</u>. (Don’t ask why. I have absolutely no idea.) And so far, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Wonder as I Wander </i>by Andy Griffith
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Would You Go with Me</i> by Josh
Turner have shaped <u>Wayfaring</u>. Thank you, Spotify. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These books are naturally derived from my
longtime love of genealogy and Indiana history. I am a ninth generation Hoosier,
and so is my husband, so we have a lot of stories to draw from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have bipolar disorder, and have had many
struggles with my creativity because of this. But I’ve found if I let go and
stop worrying about what I’m going to write and give it up to God, he helps me
through my brain fog and writes through me. Ultimately I want to use these
gifts and passions he’s instilled in me for His glory, and I want to touch
lives with them, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These characters are family to me. If they’ve touched you in
any way, please let me know. I’d love to hear from readers who’ve enjoyed my
work! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-31340876240600774302015-06-01T17:19:00.003-04:002015-06-01T17:19:51.483-04:00Motivation Monday: The Wayfaring Sisters Today is release day for my second book - Going over Jordan! <br />
<br />
Many of you have read the first book in The Wayfaring Sisters series, Going over Home, released in 2012. The books originated out of my love for genealogy and Indiana history, and are set in present and pioneer Indiana. I am so excited to release Going over Jordan out into the world. You can find it on Amazon in paperback for $7.99 and on Kindle for $2.99. If you've never read Going over Home, it's only $0.99 on Kindle. If you read them, please don't forget to leave a review! <br />
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For you Indiana folks, I will also be signing both books at Conner Prairie's Curiosity Fair on Saturday, June 13 11am-4pm. Come out to see me! <br />
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Happy reading! <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Cover by Kristin Stout</em></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvsQoreQtjSZf6FAz4-mHbEyQ3E8A6447A4O9S0cnmVXSbgAI_Qcjp5XHoWYej8B-KMAB50k-AbiKucPj1HFuOa3rUvoWZZq7mcJ_pIPCti-MD_-2mplWdrGh3dlo5_eItOnxEhyphenhyphenELFy7/s1600/GoingoverJordanfrontcover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvsQoreQtjSZf6FAz4-mHbEyQ3E8A6447A4O9S0cnmVXSbgAI_Qcjp5XHoWYej8B-KMAB50k-AbiKucPj1HFuOa3rUvoWZZq7mcJ_pIPCti-MD_-2mplWdrGh3dlo5_eItOnxEhyphenhyphenELFy7/s320/GoingoverJordanfrontcover.png" width="213" /></a></div>
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Cover by Lorie Lee Andrews & Kristin Stout </span></em><br />
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Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-62171319922601111082015-05-27T22:14:00.000-04:002015-05-27T22:17:58.683-04:00Cover reveal: Going over Jordan It's finally complete! Here is the cover for my upcoming book, Going over Jordan, sequel to Going over Home. The design is by Lorie Lee Andrews, an Indianapolis artist, and friend and former neighbor of mine. It is a copper plate etching hand colored with watercolor. Title graphics were done by my sister, Kristin Stout, of Stout Studio Designs in Carmel, Indiana. I must say, I am head over heels with the final product. It's more beautiful than I dreamed. The book will be for sale in a matter of days! <br />
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Back of the book reads: <br />
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<em>Ellie Fox is a product of the 1990s and 2000s: headstrong, outspoken, and independent. She grew up in the Indianapolis suburbs, started her college life at Indiana University. So when she suddenly has to start life over in the 1840s, her mind is left reeling. She feels, naturally, a bit out of place. Her sister Maddie came with her, but Maddie is now married and seems to be adjust<span class="text_exposed_show">ing to her new surroundings quite easily. Not so much for Ellie. She lives with her grandmother in the backwoods and helps her run a station on the Underground Railroad, but what she has been told will become her “new normal” just…doesn’t. And because she is from the future, she knows who she is going to marry— a man named William Cookston. Ellie, ever the hopeless romantic, just knows he will be perfect and will sweep her right off her feet. But when he arrives he seems to be as opposite the man of her dreams as he could be—and he has his secrets, too. Once they’re married, they find themselves living lives of secrecy as they aid runaways. It seems only a matter of time before Ellie’s mouth gets the best of her. And when it does, everything is at stake –even lives. Now it’s up to her to restore their part of the Liberty Line, and grow from a young girl to the woman she is called to be.</span></em><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Available on Amazon soon!</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Release signing: Conner Prairie Curiosity Fair, Saturday, June 13, 2015-11am-4pm- Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Fishers, Indiana </span>Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-69799049283997383452015-05-06T12:23:00.003-04:002015-06-04T14:52:17.531-04:00For the love of God <br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to brag on God for a bit here. He is so good. He
knows our innermost beings and the desires of our hearts and he seeks to use us
through our passions and talents, which he instilled in us. God knows <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i>
heart. He knows that the most important thing on this earth to me is my family.
When my job in education, being unstable in nature and far away from where we live, which I really did
love, began to take a toll on my mental health and my family last year, God
helped us make the big decision to transition me to full-time stay-at-home mama
at the end of the school semester. It was a huge leap of faith for us. My
husband is a good provider, but we really weren’t sure what it was going to
look like without my income. But God has sustained us, and has opened up
opportunities for me in the world of stay-at-home mamaness. Not only has it
restored my mental health and done wonders for my family, especially my
children, it has also allowed me to focus my writing career in ways I never
have been able to before. I have finally finished my second young adult
historical fantasy novel after three years and will be publishing it in June. I
am working on editing my great-great-great grandmother’s memoir to turn into a
children’s picture book. And the thing I am most excited about: writing Indiana history and genealogy curriculum for homeschooling
families. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But since my last blog, God has opened a door that I am about
98% certain I will get to walk through that will expand my writing career in a
way I have only dreamt about. I have been accepted into a Master’s program in
American History, am all set to start classes in July. I am just waiting on my
financial aid to come through. When I first started college in 2004, my majors
were History and Writing –two of my greatest passions. After a semester I decided
that this was not the direction I was to go – yet—and I changed my major to
Elementary Education. In 2010, I graduated with that degree, and I now hold my
teaching license in K-6 and have worked in Special Education and ABA Therapy. But
now, as God has brought me home and made it clear that he wants me to WRITE in the
field of education, he is now opening doors for me to study History again, and
these studies will in turn open doors for me to open the doors of history to
children around the country, in both fiction and nonfiction. I firmly believe
this is the direction God is leading me. He has instilled a love of writing in
me since the day I could pick up a pencil and form a word on the page, and the
love of story, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">history</i>, since as
young an age. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am so excited to see where God is leading. It truly is
amazing when you come to accept the unique person God has created you to be and
understand how he can work through you. It is not yourself who does the work,
that we should get the glory, but God. He doesn’t always show you the path
clearly laid out, so we have to trust him, but he is so trustworthy. Our lives
are in his hands, and I can think of no better place for them to be. Praise his
Name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-56842537683792402642015-02-12T11:49:00.000-05:002015-02-12T12:07:08.077-05:00#52Ancestors: So Far Away: From Grimm to Holsclaw Okay, this week is about more than one ancestor, but for the sake of the hashtag, I'll make it about my paternal grandmother's stories of her last name: Mary Ruth Holsclaw Andrews. More to come on her in another post. <br />
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Mary Ruth Holsclaw Andrews</div>
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1919-2008</div>
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Before beginning my genealogy when I was 16, I never knew my grandmother's maiden name. She had never mentioned her parents, though she had often told me about her childhood. So when I heard the name was <em>Holslcaw</em>, I immediately knew it had to be German. Sure enough, she told me that she had heard it came from the name of a town in Germany. She also told me that the name used to be <em>Grimm</em> before it was changed. I was a newbie to online genealogy research at the time, but I stumbled upon Familysearch and typed in the names she gave me. I was excited to right away find names dating all the way back to the 1400s. But what amazed me the most was that my grandmother was exactly right. The name had gone through several changes, but in the 1400s it <em>was Grimm</em>. That oral tradition had been passed down over <em>600 years</em> to my grandma. I even discovered a book on the genealogy of the Holtzclaw family, and not once did it mention the name Grimm, so I knew she didn't get it from there. That oral tradition had traveled from <em>so far away</em>. It resided in Nassau-Seigen area of Germany for 300 years, crossed the Atlantic in 1714 with our ancestor Jacob Holtzklau, settled in Virginia, then made it's way to Kentucky and finally to Indiana in the 1840s, where my grandma was born in 1919, and in 2002 it was passed on to me. Genealogy is pretty stinkin cool, folks. <br />
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Church at Oberholzklau</div>
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from <em>The Genealogy of the Holtzclaw Family 1540-1935</em></div>
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by B.C. Holtzclaw </div>
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William Theodore Holsclaw</div>
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1835-1930</div>
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Jacob Doddridge Holsclaw</div>
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Vawter Cemetery, Jennings Co., Indiana</div>
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1814-1846</div>
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Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687168648996166994.post-20562018985060446402015-02-06T12:57:00.003-05:002015-02-06T12:57:47.872-05:00Funeral Card Friday: Grandma "Maxine" Lutz <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A little over seven years ago, my great-grandma, Virginia "Maxine" Bunce Lutz passed away. I remember all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren crowding into her hospital room toward the end, but she only passed away after she saw her sister for the last time. She had lived most of her life as a police man's wife and mother to three in Indianapolis, but lived later in Edinburgh, as did her son, my uncle David, so the funeral was held at a church in that town. She was buried next to her husband, my great-grandfather, Harold Lutz, at Friendship Park Cemetery in Paragon, over a half hour away from the church. It was the neatest funeral procession as police men escorted our party all that long way. Below is the beautiful eulogy given at her funeral. <br />
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Grandma's high school graduation picture </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em>Virginia Maxine Bunce Lutz was born on
December 30 in the year 1923, and she entered into God’s eternal kingdom on
Tuesday, January 15, 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
preceded in death by her parents Esther Giroud and William Bunce, her husband
Harold Lutz, her step-brother Frank and her sister Norma.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Maxine was born in the city of Indianapolis
and lived in the city for much of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She graduated from Arsenal Tech High School as one of the top ten
students in her class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not liking her
given name Virginia she preferred to go by her middle name Maxine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At age 13 she met her future husband, Harold,
thanks to her father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father William
was a milkman and he often employed young men to be helpers on his milk
route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was beneficial not only to
Maxine but also one of her sisters as they both married milk route
helpers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harold and Maxine became high
school sweethearts and married on January 31, 1942.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harold gave her the nickname “Mac” and that
caught on with family and friends. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were married for 50 years, until Harold passed away from cancer in 1992.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em>Early on Maxine or “Mac” was employed by the
Indianapolis Police Department and Commercial Motor Freight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In both positions she worked in the
office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after her children Bob,
Darlene and David were born, Mac focused her energy on being a housewife and
mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also did some in home child
care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mac never drove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her first time behind the wheel convinced her
otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She nearly went over a bridge
and decided to leave the driving to others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But this was not a problem for her, as she was a homebody and preferred
to spend her time at home caring for the needs of her family and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a member of Morris Street Methodist
Church, and her three children were all baptized on the same Sunday.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Maxine had a flair for organization that
touched every aspect of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having
grown up during the Depression Era, she understood the importance of stretching
every dollar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a knack for
household finances and would keep a monthly budget in a rubber-banded Sucrets
tin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a pay as you go attitude
about spending, and sought various ways to save money, including taking
advantage of sales to stock up on necessary items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mac was particular about her shopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she sent one of the children to pick up
something for her, they better be sure to pick up the correct brand and the
right size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, they could
anticipate having to go back to make an exchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dented cans weren’t an issue for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it was the brand she wanted, she’d buy it
anyway, and save a few cents on the dented can.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Mac also had a passion for cutting and
saving coupons, not only for herself but also for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a pro at saving Stokely Van-Camp
labels and green stamps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In time she collected
enough for a Radio Flyer Wagon and a child-sized wooden rocking chair for each
of her grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Her great talent for organization carried
over into her daily routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mondays and
Thursdays were wash days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tuesdays and
Fridays were spent ironing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her children
told me that Mac was passionate about ironing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything got ironed – clothes, sheets, you name it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though she did draw a line at undergarments
and socks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her home was organized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furniture never moved once Mac had found a
spot for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even after 35 years in one
house, the furniture stayed put.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Mac enjoyed staying current on local events,
reading the Indianapolis Star then later in life the Franklin Journal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would read the paper cover to cover, and
that included the classified section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She enjoyed collecting information, and would write notes to herself so
she could remember everything she wanted to tell someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though she was not an outgoing person, she
cared greatly for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Household
chores were always done by noon and her afternoons were usually spent relaxing
in the rocker on the front porch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
always had a listening ear for her neighbors, and if it was summertime, she
would offer homemade iced tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
became the repository for all the goings-on in the neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing seemed to get past her.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em>Late in life, when she moved into the
Masonic Home, the staff called her the psychologist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They felt comfortable going to her for advice
or simply to vent their frustrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
knew she would listen to them and share all their joys and their
heartaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even without a front porch,
she offered a friendly smile and a welcome to all who knew her. <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></em><br />
<em>
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Though her life was very full with taking
care of her family, Mac did have some special interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loved to feed birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She enjoying learning about the different
types from her bird book and liked to watch them when the came to the
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also liked to collect dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a family member put on a yard sale, Mac
would use some of her savings to purchase the dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though she never seemed to use the dishes she
bought, she enjoyed collecting them.<o:p></o:p></span></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Mac also loved to bake, and when her
children came home from school there was always some type of homemade snack
waiting for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When her son Bob
worked for Standard grocery, she would take the day old fruit and make fresh
cobblers for her family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
wintertime, homemade hot chocolate was a daily treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Christmastime, snicker doodles and sugar
cookies were always part of the festivities.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<em>
</em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Though she was raised a city girl, Mac had
no problem adapting when her mother married a farmer later in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Sunday mornings Mac and her husband Harold
would drive to her mother’s home to help with the farm work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She picked vegetables and collected
eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She even learned to kill chickens
and pluck their feathers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mac would take
the produce and sell them to her friends in the neighborhood or to Harold’s
coworkers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did this as a service to
her mom and step-dad and refused to accept any money for her help.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<em>
</em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Though Mac had lots of energy, she was
plagued by arthritis much of her adult life, and that limited what she could
and could not do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1989 she had a
double hip replacement surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterward
she feared being stuck in a wheelchair, never being able to walk again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Physical therapy was rough for awhile, until
daughter Darlene suggested to the therapists a trick of using smelling salts to
keep her going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That worked wonders and
soon she was back on her feet again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Not long after her husband Harold died in
1992, Mac agreed to move to the White Oak Apartments in Edinburgh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She got involved with a ladies group
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the first time she had
been involved in a group like this, but quickly enjoyed being part of their
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They played cards and bingo and
enjoyed regular pot luck dinners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About
10 years later Mac moved into the Masonic home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her friendliness and love of others quickly drew people to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as I said before, she was a friend to
both staff and residents while she lived there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So many things can be said about this
wonderful woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is easy to see why
she was so well-loved by all who knew her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mac will be remembered for her laughter, her astounding organizational
skills, her practicality, her kindness and generosity, and her great love of
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mac is survived by her children
Robert, Darlene and David, her grandchildren Craig, Michelle, Sharon, Laurie,
Robin, James, Isaac, Ashley, Brian and Chris, eleven great-grandchildren, her
sister Betty Puckett, and her step-brother Bill Giroud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mac will be greatly missed by her family, her
friends, and by all who were blessed by her presence in their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But all who have been touched by this special
woman can rejoice that she is now at home in God’s heavenly kingdom.</span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></em> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">You are missed, Grandma!</span></em></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
Katie Andrews Potter http://www.blogger.com/profile/04423760792825405433noreply@blogger.com0