Sunday, December 23, 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS, CUZ!


This Christmas, I thought I'd get you something you'd really love! I tried to get all of your corrections and additions done and uploaded before Christmas. Alas, another lot of corrections came in and I was not able to finish it up. In the past couple of months, I've made over five thousand corrections to the familiy tree. Thanks for your contributions. Your help is really appreciated. I realized I had to just post all of the corrections done so far. I should be all caught up on the corrections made up through Thanskgiving. So, if you have sent in your family files--either by email or CD--and the changes are not made yet please send me a reminder by email, just to make sure I did receive it. As I write this, the pages are being updated.
As you know, I lost both of my grandmother's this year and I'm finding it very difficult to feel very Christmasy. Still, I have them to thank for all the traditions and happiness that they brought me. Family is one of the most important parts of Christmas and I'm so thankful that I was able to share the family traditions that I inherited with my son and I'm sure he'll pass them on to his children. Just today, while we made our family's Magic Cookie Bars I was taken back to when I was a child and couldn't wait to bite into those gooey, chocolately concoctions.
Santa List

It's a little late to make changes to your letters to Santa Claus, but if any cash is left under the Christmas tree for you you might want to consider a couple of purchases for yourself:
One of our cousins, Dennis Lampley, has written a book: CAPTAIN ED BAXTER & HIS TENNESSEE ARTILLERYMEN, CSA. My ggg grandfather William Sullivan, fought under Capt. Baxter in the Civil War, and if your ancestor was in Dickson or Williamson County during that time maybe yours did too. If you're related to William Sullivan, check out the Share the Wealth Section here and download his muster rolls, pension application, and letter to Capt. Baxter, if you haven't already done that already.
Another book that came out this year, The Heritage of Dickson County, Tennessee. The book requires a good chunk of change, $77.50, but is definitely worth it. I'm learning a lot from it, not the least of which is learning how much I didn't know!
Another really neat thing to get for yourself as well as your descendants is a family album. So many sites these days offer ways to help you create one, but it does take a little time. You can go to Snapfish, Kodak Gallery (kodakgallery.com), Flickr.com, or many others, ranging in price from $6.99 to $69.99.
I even converted my photos into a nice Calendar for my parents using a very convenient service at Apple.com, and even if you're not a Mac user a lot of the photo website above offer the same types of calendars. They turn out really nice. I even put on it all the special days to remember of all the kids and grandkids.
Anyway, I want to thank you for all of your help in keeping our group active and keeping me up to date on your genealogical research.

Merry Christmas!


April


Wednesday, November 21, 2007

A Truly Golden Thanksgiving









Tomorrow will be a really special day! Yes, because it's Thanksgiving but also because it will commemorate 50 years of marriage for my parents, Jim and Donna Heath.






Looking through my photo album I'm amazed at how young and innocent my parents looked. I can't help but be astounded at how far we've come when I look back at the events that happened in 1957:
  • Russians launched Sputnik 2 (NOVEMBER 3, 1957);
  • An unknown singer named Patsy Cline wins on CBS' Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program with a rendition of the song "Walking After Midnight."
  • The Top Ten Songs on the Radio: 1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On," Jerry Lee Lewis; 2. "Jailhouse Rock," Elvis Presley; 3. "Peggy Sue," Buddy Holly; 4. "You Send Me," Sam Cooke; 5. "Come Go With Me," The Del-Vikings; 6. "School Day," Chuck Berry; 7. "Lucille," Little Richard; 8. "Little Darlin'," The Diamonds; 9. "Blue Monday," Fats Domino; 10. "Wake Up Little Susie," The Everly Brothers;
  • The worst Tornado Outbreak ever recorded across US, at least 9 separate tornados hit the Louisana/Texas area;
  • Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps make their US television debut, performing "Lotta Loving" and "Dance to the Bop" on CBS' Ed Sullivan Show
  • A very young Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel make their first TV appearance on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand" (NOVEMBER 22, 1957)
  • Mickey Mantle wins AMERICAN League MVP (most valuable player) (NOVEMBER 22 1957)
After getting married my parents promptly began their life, not even taking the time to have a honeymoon. My Dad joined the military and after several moves, ended up in California. There, they reared a family of six kids. While we weren't well off in the financial sense we were very blessed with lots of love for each other. My parents dedicated themselves to their children with Scouts, Little League, music lessons, camping trips, swimming lessons, school plays, fishing excursions, dancing festivals, school sports, all while working full time--all the usual activities that fill up a life time. And now, during a time where they should be living a quiet retired life, they are raising a second family with three rambunctious teen-aged boys! For some time, it has been a trend to blame our parents for all that's wrong with us, but when I look back at our lives I have to admit that my parents not only did the best they could, they did a HECK of a lot.

I look at my brothers and sister and am so proud of how they turned out and, while we each have faced challenges, we've been able to meet them with determination and graciousness. All of which is due to my Mom's and Dad's parenting skills, who taught us that it is our differences that make us valuable and that no matter what happens we are family first.

Even though it's been a very difficult year for all of us with the loss of both my grandmothers, both of my parents' mothers, I realized I have a lot to be thankful for on this special day, starting first with my parents. So, tomorrow, when I say my prayers of thanksgiving, they will be at the top of my list!

Happy Thanksgiving Every One!


Love,
April

Thursday, October 25, 2007

To Grammie Glen, With Love










I have put off writing this as long as possible, because any thing I could write would never be enough to honor my grandmother, Agnes Glenevie Sullivan Heath Krupa. I cannot describe my Grammie Glen because everything falls short. She's complicated and contradictory.
One moment she can be silly and fun loving and in the next, scholarly and serious; a tomboy throwing a slick speedball, then a girl friend sharing the latest hair style; a spiritual soul of deep empathy and caring; then, a hardened woman with the mouth of a sailor.




One thing I can say about my Gammie Glen, I loved her and her passing has left a large void in my life. I will cherish my memories of the times spent with her: Memories of crawling onto her lap, loving her teasing as she called me her "sugar booger;" sitting around the dining room table infected by her laughter and humor; her boundless energy and stamina; being proud as a child that I had the youngest, most beautiful grandmother on the block.
Those who'd known her for years wouldn't know what a hard life, harder than most, she had lived, unless they came straight out and asked her. Not that she was hiding anything, she was simply humble and always put others before her own needs. From a teen pregnancy, to two abusive husbands...The list of hardships is long, but I won't list them. She wouldn't. She never held grudges. "That's all water under the bridge," she'd say and dismiss the crime. If only I could be so quick to forgive for much less offenses.
Most women will know what I mean when I say she did what it took. She did what had to be done simply because it had to be done. For instance, she needed money, so she walked into a restaurant and asked for a job. When asked if she'd had any experience as a cook, she replied she had (not explaining that it was for a house full of kids) and got the job and soon, because of her dedication and hard work, became the manager. Voicing my amazement once over something that she'd done, she bluntly hushed my praise with those piercing Sullivan-blue eyes. "You do what you have to," she had said.
In July of 2007, she was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, and the doctors said there was nothing more they could do and sent her home. Through it all she continued to have hope and maintained her spirits and faith in her God. When the rest of us were crying great tears inside she was still smiling, still optimistic. Her courage and spirit were inspiring. She wanted to spare us of her pain, a typical selfless act for her.
My grandmother did not die alone. She spent the last days her life at home with her daughter, Darlene (Aunt Kittie). Her room was constantly full of loved ones. So many people loved her and wanted to spend time with her. Grandma breathed her last breath surrounded by loving family--her sisters Madge and Rose, her daughter Kittie and granddaughter Dena. They sang a hymn my grandmother had written as a young girl. Their presence made her death peaceful and spiritual and we are all grateful for that.
On November 24, 2007, a memorial birthday service will be held for my grandmother at the Unitarian Church of Flint, Michigan. My grandmother insisted that she did not want a funeral and so this event will honor her wishes with a gathering on her birthday.


Love,
April

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

The Quickest Way To Get The News

Well, the times they are a changin' and I realized that I should take advantage of the new technology that's out there, especially when it makes my site work faster. I'm talking about the What's New messages that I've been doing for years. I've decided to change the way I do them so they can post immediately, through a site called blogger.com.
I'll give it a try.

April

* * * * * * * * * * * http//heycuz.net * * * * * * * * * * * *
"We shall find no ancestor before his time."

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Ruby Harrison Rennie's Photo Album

My mom copied some of my Grandmother's photos and I made them available for viewing online at snapfish.
http://heycuz.snapfish.com/snapfish
The photos are Rennie, Harrison, Cornell and Heaths. There are also several unknown photographs, if you can id anyone let me know, which reminded me to always write on the back of a photograph who it is. I know its good advice, but I have a box of photos that I have been meaning to scapbook and haven't done anything with in a while. But, take a look at the photo album on snapfish and you'll see the photo of the miners. We don't know if its a family picture or from a postcard. We don't know why my grandmother had a photograph of this group of miners. You may have to register at snapfish, if you don't have an account already, but its free and they do offer great deals on prints, but if you don't want to do that you can copy the photos to your computer and print them.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, CUZ!


This Christmas, I thought I'd get you something you'd really love! I tried to get all of your corrections and additions done and uploaded before Christmas. Alas, another lot of corrections came in and I was not able to finish it up. In the past couple of months, I've made over five thousand corrections to the familiy tree. Thanks for your contributions. Your help is really appreciated. I realized I had to just post all of the corrections done so far. I should be all caught up on the corrections made up through Thanskgiving. So, if you have sent in your family files--either by email or CD--and the changes are not made yet please send me a reminder by email, just to make sure I did receive it. As I write this, the pages are being updated.
As you know, I lost both of my grandmother's this year and I'm finding it very difficult to feel very Christmasy. Still, I have them to thank for all the traditions and happiness that they brought me. Family is one of the most important parts of Christmas and I'm so thankful that I was able to share the family traditions that I inherited with my son and I'm sure he'll pass them on to his children. Just today, while we made our family's Magic Cookie Bars I was taken back to when I was a child and couldn't wait to bite into those gooey, chocolately concoctions.
Santa List

It's a little late to make changes to your letters to Santa Claus, but if any cash is left under the Christmas tree for you you might want to consider a couple of purchases for yourself:
One of our cousins, Dennis Lampley, has written a book: CAPTAIN ED BAXTER & HIS TENNESSEE ARTILLERYMEN, CSA. My ggg grandfather William Sullivan, fought under Capt. Baxter in the Civil War, and if your ancestor was in Dickson or Williamson County during that time maybe yours did too. If you're related to William Sullivan, check out the Share the Wealth Section here and download his muster rolls, pension application, and letter to Capt. Baxter, if you haven't already done that already.
Another book that came out this year, The Heritage of Dickson County, Tennessee. The book requires a good chunk of change, $77.50, but is definitely worth it. I'm learning a lot from it, not the least of which is learning how much I didn't know!
Another really neat thing to get for yourself as well as your descendants is a family album. So many sites these days offer ways to help you create one, but it does take a little time. You can go to Snapfish, Kodak Gallery (kodakgallery.com), Flickr.com, or many others, ranging in price from $6.99 to $69.99.
I even converted my photos into a nice Calendar for my parents using a very convenient service at Apple.com, and even if you're not a Mac user a lot of the photo website above offer the same types of calendars. They turn out really nice. I even put on it all the special days to remember of all the kids and grandkids.
Anyway, I want to thank you for all of your help in keeping our group active and keeping me up to date on your genealogical research.

Merry Christmas!


April


A Truly Golden Thanksgiving









Tomorrow will be a really special day! Yes, because it's Thanksgiving but also because it will commemorate 50 years of marriage for my parents, Jim and Donna Heath.






Looking through my photo album I'm amazed at how young and innocent my parents looked. I can't help but be astounded at how far we've come when I look back at the events that happened in 1957:
  • Russians launched Sputnik 2 (NOVEMBER 3, 1957);
  • An unknown singer named Patsy Cline wins on CBS' Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program with a rendition of the song "Walking After Midnight."
  • The Top Ten Songs on the Radio: 1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On," Jerry Lee Lewis; 2. "Jailhouse Rock," Elvis Presley; 3. "Peggy Sue," Buddy Holly; 4. "You Send Me," Sam Cooke; 5. "Come Go With Me," The Del-Vikings; 6. "School Day," Chuck Berry; 7. "Lucille," Little Richard; 8. "Little Darlin'," The Diamonds; 9. "Blue Monday," Fats Domino; 10. "Wake Up Little Susie," The Everly Brothers;
  • The worst Tornado Outbreak ever recorded across US, at least 9 separate tornados hit the Louisana/Texas area;
  • Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps make their US television debut, performing "Lotta Loving" and "Dance to the Bop" on CBS' Ed Sullivan Show
  • A very young Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel make their first TV appearance on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand" (NOVEMBER 22, 1957)
  • Mickey Mantle wins AMERICAN League MVP (most valuable player) (NOVEMBER 22 1957)
After getting married my parents promptly began their life, not even taking the time to have a honeymoon. My Dad joined the military and after several moves, ended up in California. There, they reared a family of six kids. While we weren't well off in the financial sense we were very blessed with lots of love for each other. My parents dedicated themselves to their children with Scouts, Little League, music lessons, camping trips, swimming lessons, school plays, fishing excursions, dancing festivals, school sports, all while working full time--all the usual activities that fill up a life time. And now, during a time where they should be living a quiet retired life, they are raising a second family with three rambunctious teen-aged boys! For some time, it has been a trend to blame our parents for all that's wrong with us, but when I look back at our lives I have to admit that my parents not only did the best they could, they did a HECK of a lot.

I look at my brothers and sister and am so proud of how they turned out and, while we each have faced challenges, we've been able to meet them with determination and graciousness. All of which is due to my Mom's and Dad's parenting skills, who taught us that it is our differences that make us valuable and that no matter what happens we are family first.

Even though it's been a very difficult year for all of us with the loss of both my grandmothers, both of my parents' mothers, I realized I have a lot to be thankful for on this special day, starting first with my parents. So, tomorrow, when I say my prayers of thanksgiving, they will be at the top of my list!

Happy Thanksgiving Every One!


Love,
April

To Grammie Glen, With Love










I have put off writing this as long as possible, because any thing I could write would never be enough to honor my grandmother, Agnes Glenevie Sullivan Heath Krupa. I cannot describe my Grammie Glen because everything falls short. She's complicated and contradictory.
One moment she can be silly and fun loving and in the next, scholarly and serious; a tomboy throwing a slick speedball, then a girl friend sharing the latest hair style; a spiritual soul of deep empathy and caring; then, a hardened woman with the mouth of a sailor.




One thing I can say about my Gammie Glen, I loved her and her passing has left a large void in my life. I will cherish my memories of the times spent with her: Memories of crawling onto her lap, loving her teasing as she called me her "sugar booger;" sitting around the dining room table infected by her laughter and humor; her boundless energy and stamina; being proud as a child that I had the youngest, most beautiful grandmother on the block.
Those who'd known her for years wouldn't know what a hard life, harder than most, she had lived, unless they came straight out and asked her. Not that she was hiding anything, she was simply humble and always put others before her own needs. From a teen pregnancy, to two abusive husbands...The list of hardships is long, but I won't list them. She wouldn't. She never held grudges. "That's all water under the bridge," she'd say and dismiss the crime. If only I could be so quick to forgive for much less offenses.
Most women will know what I mean when I say she did what it took. She did what had to be done simply because it had to be done. For instance, she needed money, so she walked into a restaurant and asked for a job. When asked if she'd had any experience as a cook, she replied she had (not explaining that it was for a house full of kids) and got the job and soon, because of her dedication and hard work, became the manager. Voicing my amazement once over something that she'd done, she bluntly hushed my praise with those piercing Sullivan-blue eyes. "You do what you have to," she had said.
In July of 2007, she was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, and the doctors said there was nothing more they could do and sent her home. Through it all she continued to have hope and maintained her spirits and faith in her God. When the rest of us were crying great tears inside she was still smiling, still optimistic. Her courage and spirit were inspiring. She wanted to spare us of her pain, a typical selfless act for her.
My grandmother did not die alone. She spent the last days her life at home with her daughter, Darlene (Aunt Kittie). Her room was constantly full of loved ones. So many people loved her and wanted to spend time with her. Grandma breathed her last breath surrounded by loving family--her sisters Madge and Rose, her daughter Kittie and granddaughter Dena. They sang a hymn my grandmother had written as a young girl. Their presence made her death peaceful and spiritual and we are all grateful for that.
On November 24, 2007, a memorial birthday service will be held for my grandmother at the Unitarian Church of Flint, Michigan. My grandmother insisted that she did not want a funeral and so this event will honor her wishes with a gathering on her birthday.


Love,
April

The Quickest Way To Get The News

Well, the times they are a changin' and I realized that I should take advantage of the new technology that's out there, especially when it makes my site work faster. I'm talking about the What's New messages that I've been doing for years. I've decided to change the way I do them so they can post immediately, through a site called blogger.com.
I'll give it a try.

April

* * * * * * * * * * * http//heycuz.net * * * * * * * * * * * *
"We shall find no ancestor before his time."

Ruby Harrison Rennie's Photo Album

My mom copied some of my Grandmother's photos and I made them available for viewing online at snapfish.
http://heycuz.snapfish.com/snapfish
The photos are Rennie, Harrison, Cornell and Heaths. There are also several unknown photographs, if you can id anyone let me know, which reminded me to always write on the back of a photograph who it is. I know its good advice, but I have a box of photos that I have been meaning to scapbook and haven't done anything with in a while. But, take a look at the photo album on snapfish and you'll see the photo of the miners. We don't know if its a family picture or from a postcard. We don't know why my grandmother had a photograph of this group of miners. You may have to register at snapfish, if you don't have an account already, but its free and they do offer great deals on prints, but if you don't want to do that you can copy the photos to your computer and print them.