Unidentified Family Objects

Do you remember any historical events during your childhood?

2009-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Question:
Do you remember any historical events during your childhood?

Answer:
I was born in the year of our bicentennial, so I clearly do not remember the celebrations surrounding that. There were some events that I can vaguely recall as I grew up. I was old enough when the Berlin Wall fell to know it was important. I was old enough to be nervous when I flew over Mount St. Helens and saw smoke (it erupted in 1980 and I think I flew over it about five years later). And I was old enough to know something very bad happened when the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up.

But I think what sticks out most in my mind was the solar eclipse. Based on what data I could find in my research, the eclipse occurred on May 30, 1984 (a Wednesday) before lunchtime on the East Coast of North America. What I remember most is that our teachers continually told us not to look directly at the sun or at the eclipse. I vaguely recall making a little pinhole viewer that reflected the eclipse onto a piece of paper so you could watch the moon move across the sun.

What I do remember clearly is sitting on the classroom floor, looking out a little side window with the rest of my class, waiting for it to happen. I am not sure what grade I was in (probably second grade), but I thought it was the coolest thing to sit there and look out the window.

Photos:

References:
- "NASA - Annular Solar Eclipse of 1984 May 30." NASA Eclipse Web Site. Web. 30 Oct. 2009. http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle1951/SE1984May30Agoogle.html.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Evy Smith?

2009-11-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Question:
Do you know Evy Smith?

Answer:
This is yet another example of random photos in our collection with nothing more than a name attached to them. Here we have two photos, each labeled as Evy Smith, the daughter of Earl Smith. And of course with a last name like "Smith," it is nearly impossible to find out any information about her.

Photos:

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Erlene Purdum?

2009-10-29T06:00:00.003-04:00

Question:
Do you know Erlene Purdum?

Answer:
She was our grandmother's friend in the 1930s. And based on the photos, we would say they were schoolmates during the 1930-1931 school year in Mullen, Nebraska.

During our research, we were able to find out more about her. Erlene was born November 30, 1914 in Arkansas. But the saddest news came when we discovered her obituary. She passed on July 11, 2007 in Idaho, barely two years ago. The most touching of all was the paragraph in her obituary that reads:

Erlene spent a majority of her life cooking for others. During high school and the early years of her marriage, she cooked on ranches. The ranch hands she cooked for had 3 hot meals everyday that weren’t complete without a homemade pastry. After Erlene and Gerald moved with their family to Idaho in 1950, she continued cooking for others in various cafeteria kitchens. Of all the meals that she prepared, the ones that will be most cherished are the ones that she shared with her family. No one could fry up a chicken like grandma and her homemade cookies were something we all looked forward to.

This further confirms that Erlene and our grandmother were likely close friends during childhood. Our grandmother would later go on to do similar things in her life like cooking for ranch hands.

Also while doing research on Erlene, we discovered various references to other family members that grew up or lived in the same areas of Nebraska. So while we missed a prime opportunity to find out more about Erlene and her early years, we were still able to gather new information about our own family tree.

Photos:

References:
- "Erlene Hattenbach." Draucker Funeral Home. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. http://www.drauckerfh.com/Obituaries/Archived_Obits/Obits_07/Erlene%20Perrin%20Hattenbach.htm.
- "NEGenWeb Project ~ a proud part of the USGenWeb Project." RootsWeb.com Home Page. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgenweb/ne/grant/cemetery/grant-hyannis-hyannis02.html.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What illnesses do you remember from your childhood?

2009-10-27T06:00:00.003-04:00

Question:
What illnesses do you remember from your childhood?

Answer:
My parents kept a very nice record of my medical history through the early years of my life, so I have a great source to use in researching those childhood illnesses I do not remember. As I got older, the record-keeping fell by the wayside, but there were a few illnesses and injuries that stick out in my mind.

One particular fall, I was sick with bronchitis or the flu or something that kept me in bed. I remember being very sad about it because it was Halloween and I was not allowed to go trick-or-treating.

I also remember one year, probably in the summer, when I had an ear infection and my Aunt Susie had to put drops or something in my ear. I know she was doing the right thing but it was NOT something I enjoyed. Felt totally weird and I remember jumping like she had given me a shot.

But the one that sticks out the most in my mind is the day I wrecked my bicycle. The neighborhood I grew up in has a road that made a big loop, so I would often ride my bike around the loop. One end of the loop had a small hill that you could coast down (or pedal hard to go faster). The loop had a slight curve and was within sight of my house (just over a tenth of a mile away). Well, being the adventurous boy I was, I decided it was a perfect spot to try riding a bike with one hand.

Needless to say, it did not work out very well. I remember trying to pedal, go down the hill, and turn, all with one hand on the handle bar. I must have over-compensated for the curve because the wheel went wobbly and I went over the handle bar. My Dad said he heard me scream and came to get me. I do not remember much about the accident or the events immediately after, but I apparently lost consciousness at the time of impact.

I do remember me getting patched up in my bedroom. I had a patch of road rash on my shoulder and probably a scraped knee or two, but I remember my Dad constantly checking on me to make sure I was not going to sleep. I am sure I had a concussion, but no bones were broken and I only had bruises and scrapes to deal with.

I did eventually learn to ride a bike with one hand, but it took me a few years to get over that wreck. And to this day, when I feel brave enough to try, I have a hard time trying to ride with no hands.

Photos:
While I had no broken bones during my bicycle accident, my son did manage to break his leg during a recent trip down a slide. He has healed nicely and shows no signs of any lasting damage beyond hesitating to go down slides.

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What gifts do you remember most from childhood?

2009-10-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Question:
What gifts do you remember most from childhood? Was it a birthday present, a Christmas present, or for some other special event?

Answer:
For me, I would have to split them into two categories, birthdays and Christmas. The one that I remember the most from Christmas is probably the GI Joe Terror Drome I got when I was living with my mom. I was big into GI Joes when I was a kid and loved playing "army" with them. I would even make my own sound effects (which often resulted in many strange looks and a few giggles from family members). But I always wanted one of those big toys. Sure the four-wheeler and the motorcycle were cool, but I wanted something big like the aircraft carrier. Alas, no aircraft carrier for me, but I did manage to get my hands on Cobra's Terror Drome. And I loved it. It felt like it took hours to put together, but I enjoyed every minute.

For my birthday one year, my dad surprised me with a trip to Antigua. And it was because of this trip that I failed my Typing class in middle school. For some reason I never could get all the make-up work done right, but it did not matter much to me. I had gone to a wonderful hotel on the beach and had the week of my life (well, at the time it was the best week I'd had). Anyway, I had packed my suitcase and was in the shower when my dad got sneaky and switched out my clothes. I was under the impression we were going to Nebraska. And in October, Nebraska is a bit chilly. So instead of pants, he gave me shorts and swim trunks. And instead of seeing flat fields of corn and soybeans, I got to see jellyfish on the beach and Cal Ripken, Jr. on the flight home.

Photos:

References:
- Toy Archive. Alex Bickmore. Web. 14 Oct. 2009.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know the Johnston brothers?

2009-10-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

Question:
Do you know the Johnston brothers?

Answer:
We have what looks like three brothers that we are trying to identify. Feel free to chime in with any information you have. Here is what we have been able to determine based on our research. The family consisted of Ollie the father, Helda the mother, and three sons; Earnest, Harry, and Floyd. We do have a few photos on hand that show one or more of the brothers together. So if you can help us identify them, please let us know.

Ollie Johnston

Ollie is listed as the head of household in both the 1910 and the 1920 census. In 1910, the family lived in Kearney, Buffalo County, Nebraska. In 1920 the family lived in the Dewey Precinct of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. He was listed as a "laborer" and was born around 1883 in Missouri. Both of his parents were born in Missouri.

Helda (or Hulda) Johnston

Helda (or Hulda) was listed as the wife in both census records. She was born around 1886 in Nebraska. Both of her parents were born in Sweden.

Earnest (or Earnest) Johnston

Earnest (or Ernest) was born around 1909 in Nebraska.

Harry Johnston

Harry was born around October 1915 in Nebraska.

Floyd Johnston

Floyd was born around January 1918 in Nebraska.

Photos:
1910 Census

1920 Census

Side by Side comparison of Harry Johnston (could also be Earnest or both Harry and Earnest)

Earnest and Harry Johnston (if names are correct, would be circa 1915-1916)

Close-up of faces

Butcher Photo, Kearney, Nebr. detail

Reverse of photo showing names and "28 st 9 ave" address in Kearney

Floyd and Harry Johnston (if names are correct, circa October 1918)

Close-up of faces

Reverse of photo showing ages (Harry 2 years and 11 months, Floyd 9 months)

Harry Johnston age 23 months (if name is correct, circa 1917)

Detail of face

One of these is labeled as Earnest Johnston

References:
- 1910 United States Federal Census.
- 1920 United States Federal Census.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What is your most memorable birthday?

2009-10-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

Question:
What is your most memorable birthday?

Answer:
I would have to say my seventh (7th) birthday was my most memorable. I remember I got a shirt with a number "7" on it (it was a favorite for a long time) and I got a giant cookie instead of a cake. You know, one of those cookies from the Great American Cookie Company? It was huge and had a ton of icing (chocolate and white icing) all around the edges and plenty in the middle.

What I remember most about the birthday though was we had some of the cookie and put the left overs in the garage fridge/freezer. So every day I'd sneak out and grab a bite or scrape some icing off. On the way to school, coming back from school, before dinner, any chance I could, I'd go out and sneak a bite. I have no idea if my dad ever knew about it or not, but it tasted so good.

Photos:
Obviously this photo is not when I turned seven. Instead it is my first birthday, one that I don't remember. But that cake looks mighty tasty.

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Clayton Armstrong?

2009-10-01T06:00:00.002-04:00

Question:
Do you know Clayton Armstrong?

Answer:
We certainly do not know who he is, but we do have an email out in the hopes of finding a relative. Our best guess, based on the other photos that were with this photo, is that Mr. Armstrong was living in Nebraska during the 1930s. If you know him, please drop us a line at tk42one@gmail.com.

Photos:

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What books, movies, and TV shows do you remember as a child?

2009-09-29T06:00:00.005-04:00

Question:
What books, movies, and TV shows do you remember as a child?

Answer:
Books
I remember reading a lot of Richard Scarry when I was young. For some reason I loved the vocabulary words and the simplistic artwork. I also remember reading Go, Dog. Go! and I think some Berenstain Bears books. After that, the only other book I recall was one our teacher read in fourth or fifth grade. I'm pretty sure it was a Beverly Cleary book, but I don't remember which one. And it wasn't until I was in middle school and high school that I really started reading, and that of course started with the Hardy Boys.

Movies
One of my earliest movie memories is watching The Empire Strikes Back in the movie theater with several of my friends. It was a birthday party and that's where the birthday kid wanted to go. I was afraid of Chewbacca and covered my eyes when he roared on screen.

Another early movie memory is watching Back to the Future in my uncle's motor home. The fact that he had a motor home was cool enough but it also had a television in the front (in the top bulkhead area between the driver and passenger). And, even cooler, was he had an 8mm tape deck. So he rented (or bought) Back to the Future on 8mm and we watched it in the motor home. Way cool.

TV Shows
I grew up watching a lot of television, but the one that sticks out the most is M*A*S*H. This is mostly due to how much my father resembled Radar. Other shows that I watched included Three's Company, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Taxi, Woody Woodpecker, I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, I Dream of Jeanie, Bewitched, Popeye, The Three Stooges, The Smurfs, The Gummi Bears, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, and the list goes on.

I do remember watching The Three Stooges on Sunday mornings while dad made pancakes. We had a lot of bonding time while we watched TV. Not a lot of talking, but a lot of vegetation.

Photos:

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Pauline Morrison?

2009-09-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Question:
Do you know Pauline Morrison?

Answer:
We sure don't. We have her photo in our collection along with what is likely her sister Elda Morrison. And if you saw our post last week, we were able to find some information on Elda, but no indication of a sister (or mother) named Pauline.

So, do you know Pauline Morrison?

Photos:

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Describe a normal day in your childhood

2009-09-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Question:
Describe a normal day in your childhood. When did you get up before school? What did you do when you got home from school? Was there anybody there when you got home? What did you do in the evenings?

Answer:
This is a hard one for me to answer since I don't remember any specifics of a "normal" day. I do remember going to town every weekend with my Dad ("town" was the nearest city that had a mall and various stores to shop at). We would usually shop around, walk the mall, and see a movie.

I'm sure during the week I had a set time to wake-up as well as to go to bed. I know when I was younger my Dad would drop me off at the ABC Preschool (now operating under another name). While there I would play until the bus came. At school it was school work, recess, lunch, and the normal activities you'd go through in school. After school I'd go back to the preschool and wait for my Dad to get off work.

Once at home, Dad would cook dinner (often it was fried food since our oven rarely worked and took too long). During dinner we'd watch television before going to bed. I distinctly remember growing up watching classics like Three's Company, M*A*S*H, Taxi, and others.

Other basic routines I remember are going to the pool in the summer when I was old enough to go by myself. Going to my Mom's house during the summer (usually for most of the summer). Going on trips with my Dad during the summer to visit relatives in Nebraska, Alabama, Illinois, Arizona, and California.

Photos:

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Elda Morrison?

2009-09-17T06:00:00.001-04:00

Question:
Do you know Elda Morrison?

Answer:
Here's what we know. Elda Morrison has her name on the photograph accompanied by the phrase "Year 1930-31." We assume this means the school year and probably the year she graduated.

Here's what we were able to find out. On September 3, 1933, Elda L. Morrison married Everett T. Muhr in Banner County, Nebraska. Based on this we can assume Mrs. Elda Muhr was born in January 29, 1914 and died July 27, 1995. She is buried in the Chalk Creek (Hackberry) Cemetery in Banner County, Nebraska.

Based on these dates, she would have been 16 years old in the photo, younger than a senior would have been. She would have been married at 19 and would have been 81 when she died.

After more searching, I found that she was born in Colorado and died in Riverside, California. Her mother's maiden name was Galbraith.

According to the 1920 Census, she was living in the Steen Precinct of Cherry County, Nebraska (Cherry County is also the home of Valentine). However, the census shows her as being four, nearly five years old. And there is no sister by the name of Pauline living in the household (we're also pretty sure she has a sister or mother named Pauline, more on that in later post). With the age close, the census also shows she was born in Nebraska. The rest of the census for the district (three pages total) lists five teachers. An unusually high number for a rural area that could indicate a large school in the area (like maybe Valentine) but we were unable to find where "Steen" was located.

We also found an Elda Morrison in the 1930 census but that just made things even more confusing so we avoided it.

Which means we are right back where we started. So can you help us figure out who Elda Morrison is? Please?

Photos:

References:
- Banner County Cemeteries. Retrieved on September 18, 2009 from http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nebanner/bannercemeteries.html.
- Banner County Marriage Index. January 23, 1924 to January 31, 1936. Retrieved on September 18, 2009 from http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nebanner/book2bride.html.
- California Death Index. 1940-1997. Retrieved on September 18, 2009 from http://www.ancestry.com/.
- United States Census. 1920. Retrieved on September 18, 2009 from http://www.ancestry.com/.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Did you have any favorite toys or pets as a child?

2009-09-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Question:
Did you have any favorite toys or pets as a child?

Answer:
Toys. I had a lot of toys when I was a kid, but the one that probably sticks out the most was my little bean bag Snoopy. He went with me just about everywhere. He had a little black nose that I vaguely recall falling off once or twice. I think my dad glued it back on. There were other toys I remember, like the BB gun or the sled or the GI Joe Terrordrome.

Pets. I often claim that I never had a pet as a child. Most people think that's odd, but in fact it isn't true. I did have pets as a kid, but not in the conventional sense. When I was in sixth grade and living with my mother in Pennsylvania, we somehow acquired two turkeys. We built a little pen for them next to the tree line (we lived on ten acres) and even clipped their wings so they wouldn't fly away. They started as little chicks that went "peep peeeep" all the time and eventually grew fairly large. Along the way, they died and we got two more. I think the second set eventually went to a farmer for butchering. Anyway, the turkeys were dumb as rocks. One time they broke out of their pen while I was waiting for the school bus and tried to follow me. They were much cuter when they would ride on my step-father's shoulder when he cut the grass. I think he even built a little box for them to ride in.

During this same time, we also acquired a shaggy, mangy, stray dog. He was white I think, or at least a light brown. I'm not sure how long we had him, but I think at some point he got sick. Shortly thereafter he took a trip to the woods, was shot, and never seen again.

So now you know why I tell people I never had a pet as a kid. It was traumatic at the time and overall, the pets weren't with me very long.

Photos:
Here I am in 1980 playing with my Navy Rescue helicoptor with Space Capsule. Yes, I still remember playing with this toy too.

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

A Bill Rector Update

2009-09-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Update:
We previously asked if anyone knew Bill Rector. And thanks to reader Annie for reminding us that the license plates in Nebraska typically have a county prefix on them. And in the case of our Bill Rector, the car behind him as registered in county 93, known to most of the world as Hooker County.

Once I was able to determine this, I did a basic search online and found a "William Rector" living in Hooker County. But he was too old (or at least appeared to be too old). But, the William Rector I found had two children, which means he could have had a son named William.

After more searching in the census records, I was able to find the following:

William A. Rector (born October 1865 in Missouri) married Alice Speck (born around 1883 in Nebraska). They had three children. Myrtle F. Rector (born around 1902 in Nebraska). William H. Rector (born around 1905 in Nebraska). Arthur B. Rector (born around 1912 in Nebraska).

So, if William H. Rector (the son) was born around 1905, that would make him 24 in the photo. Which looks to be about the right age. Hopefully this has helped in identifying our Bill Rector. Please let us know if you know him.

References:
- Semi-Centennial History of Nebraska. 1904. Retrieved on September 8, 2009 from http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/topic/resources/OLLibrary/SCHofNE/pages/schn0252.htm.
- United States Federal Census. 1900.
- United States Federal Census. 1920.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

When is a death close enough to hurt?

2009-09-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

Question:
When is a death close enough to hurt?

Answer:
I recently learned of a death of the mother to a childhood friend. While I normally may have been stoic in dealing with the news, I was moved by the news and felt it was necessary to do something. For me, a death is close enough to hurt when I feel I need to either go to the services or at least express my sympathy with flowers, a card, or something on that level.

I think part of what moved me to do something, part of why the death hurt was that I had often stayed overnight in her house. She treated me as a son when I was there and her son and myself even started school together. Same day, same school, same bus stop. We're in each other's photos. We're part of each other's history.

As we grew older, we grew apart. We moved on to different cliques in high school and went our separate ways after graduation. As we moved into our adult lives, we crossed paths again when my family moved onto the same street as him and his family as well as his parents. He lives next to his childhood house while I live another mile or so down the road. We never really became friends again, but we randomly heard news about each other through our parents.

And because of those few years together, those nights spent in his room (I still remember the bunk beds and the cool trashcan he had), that first day of school, all of these add up to sadness in learning about his mother's death. I wasn't able to attend the viewing or the funeral, but my father paid his respects. So I did the best I could in expressing my sympathy by sending flowers. That's how I knew the death was close enough to hurt.

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Bill Rector?

2009-09-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

Question:
Do you know Bill Rector?

Details:
The man in this photo is labeled as Bill Rector. He is sitting on a horse with a car behind him. The license plate of the car behind him reads 93-321. It also appears to have the year 1929. The state is NEBR (Nebraska).

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Describe your childhood home

2009-09-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Question:
Describe your childhood home. Pretend you are walking in the front door and describe it in as much detail as possible. Did you have a favorite room? What kind of furniture did you have? Was there something special about your house? Did you live in a lot of different houses or towns?

Answer:
This is a fairly easy one for me since my father still lives in the house I grew up in. So for privacy concerns, I'll describe a few other homes I've lived in as a child.

The Apartments in Salt Lake City, Utah
At one point my mother and step-father owned and lived in a set of apartments in Salt Lake. I don't remember how many there were, jut that they had white exterior walls and the one we lived in faced the main road. I also remember cutting the grass with small hand-held trimmers where the grass met the sidewalk or driveway. There was also a tree out front that had fascinating roots. I don't recall much about the interior, but there was a trailer parked out back and a feral cat had kittens under it. And one of our neighbors had a very large neck, I think due to a tumor of some sort. I think his funeral was the first I attended.

The Fifth-Wheel in Madera, California
I remember being slightly older than I was in Utah and my mother and step-father were living in a fifth-wheel while she worked at the local hospital. I remember Madera was awfully hot, which meant I didn't play outside much. The trailer park had a pool but I don't think I was allowed to swim there alone. But I do remember swimming there once shortly after eating and getting sick on the side of the pool. I had french fries.

Being a trailer park there was the stereo-typical group of kids that lived there and were often up to no good. Seeing as I had no friends since I was only there in the summer (I usually spent my summers with my mother and the rest of the year with my father), I did my best to be friends with this group of small time hoodlums. I never remember doing anything terribly bod or even mildly bad, but the leader of the group had a deformed foot and when he pedaled his bike, his one foot was always sideways on the pedal.

I also remember seeing a group of European (German I think) travellers come through on a giant tour bus (there may have been two buses). They had cool stuff that slid out of the bottom of the bus (like a grill) and it was neat to watch them and listen to them talk.

Photos:

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Mary Morris?

2009-08-27T06:00:00.003-04:00

Question:
Do you know Mary Morris?

Details:
The photo is identified as Mary Morris. She is labeled in the photo as a teacher. The school year was 1928 - 1929. This could have been in Nebraska, possibly in Cherry County, maybe even in Alliance.

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What are your earliest memories?

2009-08-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

Question:
What are your earliest memories?

Answer:
This is actually a pretty tough question. I had to go back and look at some photos to get the chronology right and it turns out what I thought was the earliest was a year or so after another memory. Which means, my earliest memory would be Easter 1980. To be exact, Easter fell on April 6, 1980 so I was just three days past being exactly 3 1/2 years old. I was visiting my dad's eldest brother in Fort Meade, Maryland where he was stationed and we were doing various Easter activities. We dyed eggs, played games, ate way too many marshmallows, and had a nice Easter dinner (at least I'm sure it was nice, especially if my aunt was cooking it).

I remember they had wicker furniture which I always thought was weird. Their driveway was medium sized and you would turn left out of it to leave the neighborhood (I think they lived on a corner lot too). They had a nice backyard with a fence I think where I did the Easter egg hunt thing. And I remember my aunt letting me eat a bunch of marshmallows. Like almost a whole bag of them.

On a side note, there are other events that I think I remember when I see them in pictures, but I'm not sure if I remember them or if I remember the stories people told me while showing me the pictures.

Photos:
In the photo, you'll see the goofy kid in the dog sweater, that's me. On the right is my uncle. But pay attention to the counter. The eggs are there, obviously, but there's a crayon that I remember using to write on the egg before we dipped it in the dye (so the dye wouldn't stick to the egg). There's also an old bottle of Joy dish soap, old Pyrex mixing bowls (we had a set like that for the longest time), and some White House apple vinegar. And don't forget to check out those old curtains.

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Hiatus Over?

2009-08-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

After nearly a year on hiatus, the Unidentified Family Objects (UFO) blog will be coming back to life in a couple of weeks. While the original focus of this blog was to document those family objects found, discovered, and stored in our private Area 51 collection, the format will change slightly as we move into the future.

Going forward, the UFO Team will work to document things more "genealogical." We will start with questions to ask your own family in an effort to help you gather history. From there we will progress into things that involve more research. We will try to use actual documents and ephemera from our own Area 51 collection as guides to drive you in new directions of thought.

With that said, we would also like to remind you that we will still do our best to comply with our previous risk analysis and keep as much private information as private as possible. But any information that is in the public domain can and will be covered. And as we stated before, we cannot control how information is used.

And as usual, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you are always welcome to contact us.

1944-04-10 - Janet Neville Letter

2008-09-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Description:
This envelope held two letters. The first was from "Bob" who wrote from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. The second letter appears to have been written by Miss Neville in response to Bob's letter. The second letter was left unfinished. Of interest in these letters are Miss Neville's very neat handwriting; Bob seeing Mexican Hayride in New York; and a bit of Latin that could be a code or a simple mistranslation.

History:
Mexican Hayride was a Cole Porter play that opened on Broadway in 1944. Bob would have seen it about three or four months after it opened.

The Latin phrase used in the letter could have been simply misinterpreted or could have been a sly way of saying something else. Assuming that Latin was a fairly common subject in the 1940's, it is doubtful that an unauthorized reader would have been unable to read the phrase.

Transcription:
Letter One:

[begin letterhead]
Hotchkiss
The Hotchkiss School
Lakeville, Conn.
[end letterhead]
Dearest Janet,
It was too damn bad about the Chicken Pox, but I guess I had to get it some time! I’m back at school now and way behind in my studies, but at least I’m in the last lap! I’m just awful [sic] sorry I didn’t get to see you more often. This June we’ll go out and have some real fun! I went to a play in New York, Mexican Hayride! It was really awfully funny. You’d love it. I’m practicing up on the [begin page 2] Chinese Checkers so I can beat you some time! (Maybe!) Has that girl out West come up in her studies yet! I sure hope you get to go out because I know you’ll love it. I sure did. Well, Jan, take care of yourself and be good. Remember – Amor vincit omnia! Now what does that mean? Oh yes. A stitch in time gathers no moss [the Latin phrase “amor vincit omnia” actually translates to “love conquers all”]. Thank that over.
A heartful [sic] of love,
Bob

Letter Two:

[begin letterhead]
Hawthorn
West Chester
Pennsylvania
[end letterhead]
Dear Bob,
I suppose by now you have decided that I don’t know how to write and I don’t blame you. I’m really sorry I didn’t write sooner and my excuse is that I’ve been very busy, especially with school work. Life around here is very dull now with everyone back at school and settled down to the old grind again.
I don’t think I’ll get to California and right now I’m going [letter ends here]

Photos:

References:
- Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved on September 16, 2008 from http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=1386.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

1944-02-20 - Janet Neville Letter

2008-09-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Description:
This envelope and letter have been abused by time. The envelope shows signs of the normal wear and tear of age but also some rough handling by the recipient, Miss Neville. The sender, Mr. Smith again, was writing from Westminster School.

History:
Again, we know little about Miss Neville and Mr. Smith beyond what we've already learned. Items of interest in the letter include Mr. Smith's knee healing (but still sore); Scarlet Fever hits Westminster School (resulting in quarantines); and Mr. Smith's eldest brother getting married a month before.

Transcription:

H. Lawrence Smith
Westminster School
Simsbury, Connecticut
Febuary [sic] 20, 1944
Dear Janet
I received your letter the other day and to tell you the truth I was a bit surprised. It was a very nice one too and I liked it a great deal. I also like the smell of it because it brings back memorys [sic] of the fun I once had.
You said something about Dinie “pining over Bill Rich” are you sure that doesn’t mean panting. I gather from the first of the letter she is [in] love with him. Bill is a very good mate for her, just her type a little bit co-co [sic] or nuts in the head.
My knee is almost healed and it feels swell. I can do a great deal more than I have done during the past month. I need no cane to get around with any more and I sure am glad. The only thing I miss is going to Hartford and having a cigarette [the word “butt” is crossed out here] and a good meal. You say you hurt yourself going down that little mole hill in front of your house, my gosh if you can’t stand up on such a simple hill as that I would try and do something which I could do more easily. But if you insist oppone [sic] skiing, a wonderful sport, remember to keep one ski a bit in front of the other and flex (bend) you [sic] knees up and down and you [sic] find better results.
Dinie isn’t much of a two timer, who is this Courtney, he sounds like a jerk. Have I ever seen him before, dose [sic] he know brother Sam, if so I guess he will pass. But just in case you would like to know there is nothing [begin page two] between Dinie and me and never was thank god [sic] but I am going to write her and find out if I can find any time in which to write another letter after this.
Won’t you please tell me [unknown word] [unknown word] wrote that letter for crying-out-loud. I really am curious I know I isn’t Dinie’s handwriting and it looks a little like your handwriting but I am not sure I think you would give credit to someone elce [sic] but that’s besides the point.
For your information the picture you had printed for me was me last winter. The person who took it was a very handsome boy 16 and is a very good photograph. It was too bad he didn’t get my head in, I had an awful expression on my face.
If you would really like to know how I can write such a long letter I will tell you. It is much easier to write a long letter at a boarding school because you can write it in stages as I do. I started this letter Thursday night in evening hall and will most likely finish it on Saturday night or sooner. It all depends how I feel when I write somebody. When I write a girl I must get in the right mood, but once I get started I usually can keep on going for a long time as you have experienced. If I think of something I just write it down. I can remember when I had to write over two hundred words in a letter when I wrote the family, gee that was hard, it is just second nature to me now. I invaribly [sic]will write five or six hundred words I never have written over an eight page letter to anybody latly [sic] but I am soon going to try and beat it.
I suppose you saw that valentine [sic] [begin page three] that Dinie sent me. It sure was a funny one especially what she wrote on it. Ha! Ha! I can’t see where she gets such foolish ideas. The only thing is some day she may be right. I hope. At the end of your letter you said not [to] believe a word she wrote, well [to] tell you the truth may-be your [sic] right, on the other hand you may not be.
How do you like the new point of my pin [sic]. I always have wanted a small point, the only thing about this point is that it scratches. It’s an old pen I took from my brother’s desk. (I didn’t like it).
We have one case of scarlet fever here at school. Everybody is on quarintine [sic], except for the ones who have had it, or are immune to the disease. The infirmy [sic] is trying to get some surong [sic] so we can take the Dick Test and find who is imuned [sic] and who isn’t. I have had it so I [am] not worried. If we get one more case we will have to call of [sic] the play and the dance week-end, that would be bad. I hope it won’t stop us from having our spring vacation, I am pretty sure it won’t.
Well I have run out of word [sic] and it [sic] about time I wrote my oldest brother and congratulate him on his marriage. He’s been married a month and I haven’t written him yet, oh dear.
Say help to Dinie when you see her and tell her not to do anything I [begin page four] wouldn’t do.
Please! Write! Me! [image of several exclamation points of various sizes]
Lawry
P.S. How much do I owe you count in that picture.
$1.00 scarf [sic]
.65 money I aqumulated [sic] from you
--
1.65
I will send you the money in my next letter, that is if you will write me back sooner than you just did.
I hope you will write me soon.
Lawry.
[image of various shapes and lines]

Photos:

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

The UFO Family Brand

2008-09-02T17:00:00.001-04:00

Description:
This is a bit of a personal post from a member of our UFO Team. On his son's first birthday, he got a tattoo on his leg. His son is named after his great-great-grandfather, William Richard. The brand is a "Bar Q" brand, currently registered in a mid-western state by living family members.

History:
Our UFO Team member neglected to ask how long the brand has been registered and in use, but he believes it to date back to his grandfather.

Photos:

FAQs:

Yes, it hurt, a lot.
No, the shaved area will not stay shaved in an effort to "better display the tattoo."
It's a brand, as in a cattle brand, not a cereal or shoe brand.

References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Local UFO

2008-09-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Updated 9/2/2008.

While this local walker is not a part of the Official UFO Team, we feel she deserves an honorary membership at least.

Update:
The local UFO was referenced again in another local paper.

References:
- The Journal Press, Retrieved on August 20, 2008 from http://journalpress.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=189&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=5346&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1139&hn=journalpress&he=.com.

1944-02-18 - Janet Neville Letter

2008-08-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Description:
This letter has no return address on the envelope. However we can see that Miss Neville is living in "Hawthorne" in West Chester, Pennsylvania. While this could be Hawthorne Lane just east of town, the UFO Team firmly believes "Hawthorne" refers to the name of the building Ms. Neville is living in or the school she is attending (just look at the address on this letter from last year).

History:
The Madeira School, which "Doll" (the write of this letter) attended, has a most interesting history. No other information could be found about the letter writer or the two Bills. The Mask & Wig Club appears to be some sort of satirical theater troupe based in Pennsylvania.

Transcription:

Thursday
The Madeira School
Greenway, Fairfax County
Virginia
Dearest Nev-
Oh: what a wreck I am. We have had exams all this week. My hard ones are all over though. Mon. I had English Tues. French yesterday Latin and I still have Geom. To go but that is a snap. If it weren’t for exams this week would be devine [sic]. The food has been super and we have had tea every day. [begin page 2] I am now sitting in the dining room writing (undoubtly) [sic] all of us who don’t have exams have to. Most of them are reading mushy magazines.
Did I tell you that Billy asked me up to the Mask & Wig. I really think it is funny. You know he didn’t write me all the 1st term. Well some time [sic] in the last of January I got this letter from him. I really don’t know what’s comming [sic] off. Of course I couldn’t go because it [begin page 3] was last week end & I had exams to study for. I wrote him back and told him and he said he would send all the things about it, programs so forth. I have heard only once from Larry. I answered it and haven’t heard since. And we just don’t talk about the two Bills. I haven’t heard from Foulke for three weeks and Rich hasn’t written yet. Has he written Diane?
This week end is going to be marvelous we don’t [begin page 4] have any work and this Saturday four of us are going into Washington to celebrate.
That is really all there is for now, write soon and be good.
Lots of love
Doll
PS. What Bob are you talking about I don’t know any Bob.