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Goals for 2016 - The Curtiss Branch

For the past few days, I have been preparing for my blog goals for 2016. There has been one lineage that I've wanted to blog about that goes back to some fascinating European history. So, with the exception of any posts that will reveal new information on other branches, my focus will be on the Curtiss and Kelsey branches. 

It begins with my 3rd great-grandfather, Kelsey Curtiss, through his father, Joel Curtiss, to his grandmother, Hannah Kelsey, and both her parents - Jonah Kelsey and Martha Nettleton. 

Both Jonah and Martha's lineages will be followed -sometimes jumping from one branch to another - as both ancestors lead to historical figures in European history.

Since I have some other time-consuming projects planned in 2016, in addition to this blog, I will make every attempt to schedule regular times for research and posting.

In the meantime, Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Family Christmas Past

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

James Hendrix and Elsie Pagni

A photo of James Phalen Hendrix and Elsie Pagni, sent to me by their daughter, Edie. James was the son of Susan Spencer (daughter of Rodolph Ambrose Spencer and Telitha Humphries) and William H. Hendrix. Elsie was the daughter of Annibale Pagni and Elizabeth Boothryood.

City Directory Research with the Bjorkmans

While I ponder on my next blog post, I decided today to do a little viewing of city directories. After a while, I decided this to be my next post.
City directories hold a wealth of information. It can help if you are timelining a family member. It can also help with filling in blanks on a variety of vital information.
Let's use Hilmar Bjorkman as an example. I call him Grandpa B.
The earliest city directory record I could find for Grandpa B was in Waukegan, 1916. 

Now, I found this interesting because there was a fact here that I didn't know - the residence. I had never heard of Grandpa and Grandma B. living on Helmholtz Ave. in Waukegan. A quick Google Map check shows that Helmholtz Avenue runs east/west between S. Jackson St. to the west and S. Geneesee St. to the east. Where the grandparents lived lays between S. Lincoln (west) and Sunderlin (east) with George Ave (north) and Cummings Ave (south). There wasn't a street view photo for Helmholtz Avenue, but just the map gave an exact location. 
I also know from the directory year - 1916 - that Mom and Uncle Earl were not born yet. It was the year that Uncle Ivan was born, so I think it is safe to say that Grandpa and Grandma B, Uncle Rollie, and Uncle Ivan lived here. 
Many of the early directories would give occupations. In this case, the directory has Grandpa B.'s occupation as painter. 

Such is the case in the 1939 Waukegan City Directory when Grandpa and Grandma B lived on Jackson in the North Chicago area of Waukegan. It shows Grandpa B. as a painter, and Mom as an assembler at Giolite Corp.
There is another interesting fact about this particular directory listing. In the same household is Harold S Bjorkman. I believe this may be Harold Sondee. It doesn't say why he was listed as living there, and I don't know if he and Aunt Nora had already moved to Florida or not at that time. 
One other thing about this listing. It is the last listing on the page, so it is always a good thing to check the next page for any other information, such as what I found when I did just that.

Well, well, well......at the top is Aunt Irene, a glass moulder at Giolite. Uncle Ivan's listing is right below Aunt Irene, living with Grandpa and Grandma B. Two listings below is Aunt Irene's husband, Uncle Rollie, a bundler at AS&W. 
So, you see, it's always best to check the following page when someone is listed as last on the previous page. That also holds true for anyone as a first listing on a page - check the previous page.
This brings me to make another point - family members on the same page in the same directory.

Here, in the 1945 San Diego City Directory, second column of the page, is Rocky and Mom living on Penn Avenue.
And look who I find in the first column of the same page.  Rocky's brother, Bud (Bart C), a salesman, living on Arizona. Rocky's parents, Bart and Ellen, living on Grim St, and Rocky's sister, Betty Lou, a couple of listings down.

From the Mitchell Branch - Anne Elizabeth Cody

I was contacted recently by a gentleman on Ancestry. He and his wife were sorting through the many photographs from his wife's family and they came across a photograph that did not have any connection to her. They surmise that she was, perhaps, a friend of the family.  
Obviously, they viewed my tree and found the extensive research I had done on the Mitchell branch, including the Cody family.
They emailed me this photograph of Anne Elizabeth Cody.
Anne was the daughter of Patrick J. Cody and Mary Jane Giblin.
Patrick (son of Michael Cody and Catherine Anna Powers) and Mary Jane (daughter of Michael Giblin and Margaret Mitchell) had six daughters and two sons - Mary Mae Frances, Thomas Joseph, Raymond John, Catherine M, Anne Elizabeth, Ellen T (Nellie), Agnes Loretta, and Grace Cecelia.
Anne died at the age of eighteen in Sioux City, Iowa. She is buried in the St. Ann's Cemetery in Vail, Iowa. 


On a side note, I reached a milestone with this blog. This is my 100th blog post.