Friday, July 24, 2009

Photos for Marker, Davison and Meanor

I finally finished processing all the photos I acquired earlier in the month. I will be return them to everyone later next week. I have next Saturday off, so will try to catch up with Diane Willson then. I want to put some pictures together for Norma in addition to the ones I have from her before mailing everything back to her. I have already passed along pictures to Susan Sharp, but I think I want to give her some Prairie picture I have as well.

So much to do.....so little time.

Fieldtrip to Pocatello and...

We had a trip to Pocatello on Monday, July 20th. I can't say it was a good one, but it was a trip. We had planned to go first to Pocatello then on to Franklin. An achievable goal, if you leave the children and grumpy people at home.

Our voyage included, Mom (driver), Dad (grumpy person), Kyrie (only one who had fun), Carolyn (terror extraordinaire), and myself (genealogist).

We started off late... I forgot my purse and we had to go home...and break into the house. Fortunately the living room window was open able and I was able to lift Kyrie in. I would not have gone back for it, but it had the money for the trip and my camera. Mom didn't bring her camera.

The directions from Yahoo and Google were off...way off. We found everything OK, but only because Mom and Dad know a bit about where things are in Pocatello.

My great uncle, the stillborn baby boy Jarvis.... We found his grave, but it's not marked. So, a new fieldtrip needs to be planned to mark the grave.

After lunch, and tearing my leg up trying to get Carolyn out of the playground at McDonald's, we went to the County Courthouse. I went to the records window. The woman was on a cell phone. After 20 minutes the woman at a neighboring window finally told me where to find the records I was looking for. The other woman was still on the phone when we left. In the office where the records are kept from the 1920's, I was quickly assisted. I sat down with the record book and went through it twice. Great Grandma Basil's divorce records were not there. So on to Boise....another day.

Leaving there Dad was cranky and irritated. Carolyn was done. We deiced to leave Franklin for another trip, and headed home. At Fort Hall Dad had us stop to show the girls the Buffalo and the small museum. Carolyn was fascinated by the dead animals. Kyrie was entranced by the models.

Yep, spent all that money and time for for two null answers. Now I have even more questions....

Thursday, July 16, 2009

C. E. Dowd

I asked for a picture of C.E. Dowd's headstone in Dayton, Webster, Iowa on findagrave.com .....just about forever ago. Today I opened my e-mail and Jim in Minnesota not only posted a picture to the site, but sent one to me as well. THANKS JIM!!! With the picture came information that I didn't have before. Love it!

Now to begin unraveling the C. E. Dowd mystery...... After the trip to Franklin....

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Amazing Smith Prairie Search Results

So... I love to put in peoples names in the Google search engine with quotes around them and watch what pops up. This past week it dawned on me to try a place name. So I started with a place I am very familiar with...Smith Prairie. One word, just one...WOW! I was amazed by the stuff that popped up. I was totally and completely blown away...pictures, newspaper articles, hiking guides for the surrounding mountains, history, geology, geography, and on and on and on... I only got through the first three pages. I highly recommend this type of search.

Picture of John M. Meanor!!!

I returned the McTeer-Mateer book today to Diane Wilson. I took other things I found on-line as well as the scans of the book. In return she gave me several Pennsylvania books on CD that have passed out of copyright. She also sent home two pictures. One of William Peart Meanor that needs restoration, and one of John M. and William Peart Meanor to scan and return. She has an incredible collection of photos from the Meanor line.

Another great visit and exchange of information.

With Love from Norma

I met Norma Dart, and a friend from Scotland (who's name I didn't catch), in Blackfoot on Thursday with Mom and the girls. Norma is an Ireland/Marker... Anyway she brought a gallon baggie full of Marker, Davison and Ireland pictures. I got to bring them home to scan and send back to her. Now to find the time...

I also took pictures of Family Group Sheets that go back farther than Jens Peder Marcher (Jens Peter Marker). She gave me sheets on how to look up land pattens for Idaho with information on our Smith Prairie families pattens. She had a map which she has worked hard to fill in the who had what originally. I took a picture of it, but there was a lot of glare problems. I am not sure of some of the information on it as the homesteads for Wiley and Davison seem too close together. I'll need to do some verifications.

Susan Sharp got my autographed copy of Norma's Danskin Canyon book. Norma brought me another one and signed it exactly the same way as she signed the first one. She also gave me a second signed copy.

All in all a great visit and information exchange.