Genealogy Category
Gentle Genealogy: More Discoveries, more Delight, less Drudgery
Posted on September 14, 2021 Leave a Comment
Sounds great, right? Well I found this out as a side effect of becoming a Reformed Genealogist. All one needs is to shift your focus from collecting and researching: to resurrecting and writing. It’s called a Paradigm Shift. I am telling you it will be the best thing that ever happened to you, as a […]
Family History Writing: Sequencing Challenge
Posted on September 13, 2021 2 Comments
I have an issue with sequencing. Many years ago this was diagnosed during a learning styles assessment. Do you remember in grammar school where you read a story and then had to put a series of items in the order in which they happened? Well I could never do it. Only if there was a […]
Location, Location, Location: San Francisco A Soprano’s Aria Chapter 6
Posted on September 13, 2021 1 Comment
BACKGROUND The location of the Mosier residence in 1913 deserves some attention. The flat that Allie secured for them at 1712 1/2 Fell street was quite a wonderful location. Frank may not have had a job for the first few weeks but they had a centrally located flat across from the panhandle. The “Panhandle” is […]
Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Park, Paradise? A Soprano’s Aria Chapter 5
Posted on September 13, 2021 1 Comment
1913 Thu Oct 9 I hardly know just how to describe the events of this day for I saw two beautiful sights new to me and long looked forward to, the Golden Gate Park and the Pacific Ocean. I suppose if I had not been so tired I should have been greater thrilled. But there […]
Who was on the Train? A Soprano’s Aria: Chapter 4
Posted on September 12, 2021 Leave a Comment
BACKGROUND On the 2,000 mile train trip from Minneapolis to San Francisco we have our heroine Mary “Lulu” (PADEN) MOSIER 45, her husband “Frank” Franklin Stewart MOSIER 45, also known as F.S. in Lulu’s Diary. Then we have their children: Eilene 18, Dewey 16, Milo 13 and Lolita 12. Left back in Minneapolis is Leo […]
On the Rails: Minneapolis to San Francisco: A Soprano’s Aria Chapter 3
Posted on September 12, 2021 Leave a Comment
1913 Wed Oct 1 Wed Mrs Haley and Nellie came up in the evening. We had a pleasant time. Oct 2 Thurs Mooved into the New Flat at 1109 E. 17 st. A beautiful sunny day Frank Hoffman [Eilene’s husband] moved us in his auto-truck. Dewey went down to Haleys and got some pickles and […]
Listen to Your Ancestors: What Story do they want you to Write?
Posted on September 11, 2021 5 Comments
When I was thinking about my great grandmother’s diary, A Soprano’s Aria: Lulu’s Diary, I really struggled with the title. And if you read my piece Writing Stories: Writing Begins With a Title you will know that the title sets the stage for the story you will tell. It really got me to reflect on […]
American Women’s League & Good Bye Minneapolis! A Soprano’s Aria: Chapter 2
Posted on September 10, 2021 Leave a Comment
“Edward Gardner Lewis established the American Woman’s League as a subscription gathering organization. Lewis’ plan was for women to qualify for memberships by selling $52 in magazine subscriptions. The fees that would otherwise have been paid to individuals would be paid to the American Woman’s League. The League would use these funds to provide benefits […]
NAME CHANGERS
Posted on September 7, 2021 Leave a Comment
This is a blog post with examples of name changes from the simple to the dramatic. Let’s begin with the simple. SIMPLE SPELLING CHANGES Simple name changes often begin with a simple spelling error. There is usually nothing nefarious about them. The person speaks their name and it is recorded as the person heard it. […]
Writing Stories: Writing Begins With a Title
Posted on September 5, 2021 1 Comment
“If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.” Virginia Woolf For many beginning writers or future writers the two hardest things are “what to write about” and “how to get started.” Choosing a title helps me focus my writing and defines the parameters. Occasionally I may refine […]