52 weeks of Ancestors

 I came across a group on Facebook at the end of December... they were promoting a new challenge for the new year, called 52 Ancestors.  It turns out they've been doing this for a while...and I'm just late to the game.  But I've been faithful so far, so post something about an ancestor each week... and now I am going to move it here, as well.

Week one's theme was "I'd like to meet"...  I wrote about Mary/Polly Barnett-Ussery, one of my 4th Great Grandmothers.  Born in 1805 Georgia, married in 1826 Maury Co Tennessee, moved entire family to Southern Illinois in 1846... lost 2 sons in the Mexican War in 1848, lost one son in the Civil War, widowed at age 67, died in 1887 in Anna, IL.  I chose her, because I'd love to hear her stories about her life.  I'm sure there were many to tell...especially the moving from Georgia to Tennessee as a child, and then the move from Tennessee to Illinois at age 41.  

Week two's theme was "Favorite photo"...  I chose a picture of Luvisa Burton-Lively, one of my 2nd Great Grandmothers.  She has always just looked sassy to me in this one photo...and it gives her a personality.  Not all photos can do that.

Luvisa Burton - Lively

Week three's theme was "Out of place"... and I wrote about Hiram Hicks, a 2nd Great Granduncle.  He was born in Hardin County, IL, in 1838.  Signed up with the Union Army on August 22, 1862... mustered into service on November 7, 1862... placed in a hospital in Memphis on December 21, 1862... and died on January 8, 1863.  His body was not retrieved, and not sent home.  He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis originally...but later moved to the Memphis National Cemetery.  He's buried in an unmarked grave.

Week four's theme was "Education"... and I wrote about Ernest Trill, my Grandfather.  We have a few pictures of him and his classmates at Ashkum School, in Ashkum, Illinois.  My Grandmother used to write names and info on the pictures (which I'm grateful for now).  Of the three pictures we have, two of them are from BOTH years he attended 1st grade (1908 and 1909).  The other picture is noted as his final year at the school, in 1914.  Most likely, that was his final year of school, period.

Far right, middle row, 2nd from right

That brings us up to the current week!

This week's theme is "Oops"...  and I'm writing about my other Grandfather, Arthur Carlisle.  There was a blurb in the Hardin County Independent (Illinois) in 1907 about him... then age 3.  He swallowed a silver quarter... OOPS!

paper dated Sept. 26, 1907

From here on, I'll do a post each week about this challenge... the theme and who I have written about.  I've read some of the other posts each week...and there are lots of interesting folks out there!  If you're on Facebook, come check it out for yourself... The page is called "Generations Cafe".  #52Ancestors 

10 years?!

Has it really been 10 years since I last posted something here??  Well yes, Amanda... it has.

Okay... so I am going to try to pick this up again from time to time.  I was looking at some of my past blogs, and what a stroll down memory lane!

I'm not sure what I will write about this time around... probably ancestry (because I've always got that going on in my brain)... basketball (because that little boy in the old posts?... well he's 12 now and plays on a school team)... books (because I am always reading... or looking at books)... cats (because come on, who doesn't love a good cat story?)...  and I don't know what else.  

So here's to a blog reunion... and trying to get my thoughts together again!