Searching for Sina: Sina's Little Book of Pictures - Part 2

Yesterday, I began posting images from Sina Bellinger Kelly's little book of pictures of her and her friends. I am posting the images in the order they appear in her little book.

Flo Ferris

Here is a photograph of Flo Ferris. The age and condition of the little book is obvious and there are a couple photographs that are missing - with no indication of who they may have been.

Jay Parsell

The next page in Sina's book is a photograph of Jay Parsell. I've found some records on Ancestry.com that appear to be the same person. I've contacted Ancestry members who have Jay Parsell in their family tree to see if they are interested in having a scan of the photograph.

  

I believe that doing a little bit of research about the people who are in Sina's picture book may give me some additional insight about her - through her friends.

UPDATE: 23 June 2011: I've just united the photograph of Jay Parsell with one of his living relatives via a family tree on Ancestry.com. This never could have happened before the internet!

Searching for Sina - Sina's Little Book of Pictures

One of the recent discoveries in my forgotten family archives is a little book of pictures that belonged to my maternal grandmother, Sina Bellinger Kelly.

The book is roughly the dimensions of standard business card with paper printed with blue-lined grids. The little notebook appears to have been a giveaway from Speier & Simon, Men's and Boys' Outfitters that were located on the corner of Tenth and O Streets in Lincoln, Nebraska. The cover indicates this was given out at the Nebraska State Fair in 1909. Sina would have been about 20 years old at the time.

The little picture book is sprinkled with tiny photographs of Sina's friends. Fortunately for me, she has identified the majority of the people in the book. I'll be sharing the photographs in the coming days. I'm trying to match up the photos to long lost relatives who might be looking for them. So I'm searching out matches on Ancestry.com and FindAGrave and contacting other family historians to see if they are interested in a photo of their long lost relative.

This is a photograph of Garnet Lee Meese with Sina Bellinger Kelly. I love those hats!

Garnet appears several times in Sina's little book of pictures, so it would seem they were close friends. I found Garnet's memorial page on FindAGrave and added some of the photos from the book. I've also contacted some Ancestry.com members who have Garnet in their family tree. I'll be interested to see if I hear back from anyone.

More photos from Sina's Little Book of Pictures will be posted in the coming days.

Open Discussion Weekend: Letting Go of Family Artifacts

In recent weeks, I've been faced with a challenge that many of us face at some point. Growing Older. Downsizing. Moving On.

It's time for me to sell my house and move on. So over the past few weeks, I have been going through several decades accumulation of my own Stuff, as well as various items of Stuff that belonged to my ancestors. Stuff is spelled with a capital S because at some point Stuff takes on a life of its own.

Okay, so what genealogist isn't a pack rat when it comes to their family history Stuff? We've all got those photos, letters, documents, artifacts - whatever it may be - all tucked away and treasured as if it were the Holy Grail.

I have boxes and boxes of family archive paper ephemera. What has amazed me in going through the remaining boxes of my own Stuff has been the additional family archive Stuff that I probably knew I had at one time, yet had forgotten about. At least two additional boxes of goodies have emerged. Sorting through all of this will probably be my project for next winter.

But my primary goal is to downsize, lighten my load, give myself some Freedom from the shackles of Stuff. I've been telling myself that the eventual goal is to downsize to what would fit in a two-bedroom apartment. It's kind of like starting over from scratch. By the time this weekend is over, I will have emptied my house of at least half of my Stuff. I already feel lighter.

During this process enters the moment of truth. Does some of the Stuff I've been hanging on to, moving, packing and storing for decades still have any purpose in my genealogical journey? In some cases, the answer was No. Hard as may be to believe, I have let go of several items that had belonged to my ancestors. Truth be told, they were junk. For thirty years, I had thought about restoration, but it never happened. And I knew that it wasn't going to happen. I let them go. And it was a much easier decision than I thought it would be. The items really served no function in my research. No other family members have interest in the items. The items had become a burden. They're gone.

It's not like I don't have boxes and boxes of photographs, letters, autograph books, Bibles that I will continue to curate for my own pleasure. I do. And I have no regrets over what I let go. Besides, I still have a LOT.

Open for Discussion:

• Have you let go of family artifacts? If so, did you have a clear conscience or live to regret it?
• Could you never dream of letting go of anything once owned by an ancestor?
• Do you believe that you can separate your research from physical items?
• Are you weighed down by Stuff you don't want to part with?
• Are those items really a treasure or just a bunch of junk?
• Have I committed the worst sin that could ever be committed by a family historian?

Please add your thoughts in the Comments section below.

My Genealogy Article in Lincoln 55+

The first in a series of articles that I am writing for Lincoln 55+ Seniors Paper has been published in the Summer 2011 issue.

Titled "Discovering Your Family History," the article is a teaser to encourage people to look into their roots. Upcoming articles will be on interviewing relatives, finding family clues in an obituary, and getting connected with internet resources.

The paper is distributed free at more than 300 locations in the Lincoln, Nebraska area.

You can read my article by clicking here (page 14).

Remembering Betty Jane Stradley Sullivan - Mom's best friend

Pat Kelly (Petersen) and Betty Stradley (Sullivan)
Greenwood, Nebraska High School
1941

Today I learned of the death of Betty Jane (Stradley) Sullivan - my Mom's friend since the time they were about seven or eight years old. Betty died on Wednesday, June 1, 2011. Betty would have been about 84 or 85.

Of course, I only knew Betty as a grown-up when I was a child. She had five children, the oldest, Susan, about a year younger than me. I wonder where Betty came up with that name?

Betty was funny, quick to laugh and enjoyed life. She was a hard worker. She waited tables for years. She worked at the American Legion Club in Lincoln, Nebraska and no matter who I went there with, we always asked to be seated in Betty's section. I know she was still working as recently as three to four years ago, as my Dad and I met up with her at another local restaurant.

Born Betty Jane Stradley, her family was also among the early families of Greenwood, Nebraska. She was the youngest daughter of Earl and Minnie Stradley and had an older brother, Telford, and a sister, Wilma. After World War II, Betty, Wilma and Mom - and their soon-to-be-husbands all hung out together.

Mom always said how Betty was basically the class clown. She told the story about their history lesson about the Flag and one of the questions asked by the teacher was "What flies over the school house?" and Betty said, "Pigeons!" That was so Betty.

Mom and her siblings had a pony named Ted and she said that Ted was usually the mode of transportation, with all three of them - Wilma, Betty and Mom - on Ted's back - getting around in Greenwood.

Mass of Christian Burial: 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. Butherus, Maser and Love Funeral Home is handling arrangements.


Betty - you were one of a kind - and one of my last links to my Mom. I hope the two of you are having a beer and some laughs together tonight.

Obituary

Betty Jane (Stradley) Sullivan, passed away June 1, 2011 at the Journey House/Tabitha, Lincoln. She was born to Earl and Minnie Stradley in Greenwood. Retired hostess/waitress in food service. Member of St. Joseph's Parrish. Long time Denton resident, last 18 years resided in Lincoln.

Survivors: daughters, Susan B. Medley, Flower Mound, Texas; Nancy M. Pool, Lincoln, Jane R. Sullivan, Irvine, Calif.; son, Robert B. Sullivan, Loveland, Colo.; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; special friend, Rich Cannon, Winona, Minn. Preceded in death by husband, Jerry E. (Butch) Sullivan and son, Brent M. Sullivan.

Rosary, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2011, Butherus, Maser & Love Funeral Home, 4040 A St, Lincoln. Mass of Christian Burial: 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 8, 2011, St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 7900 Trendwood Dr., Lincoln. Visitation: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at Butherus, Maser and Love Funeral Home. Memorials to: American Cancer Society, MADD, Journey House at Tabitha, and St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Condolences may be left at www.bmlfh.com