Follow Friday–Fab Finds for December 28, 2012

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order) -

1. Letters from Germany - The 90 Year Saga Continues by Braunhart Mania
2. Genealogy – more than names and dates by Cindy Freed's Genealogy Circle
3. My Top & Favorite Posts of 2012 AND Dear GeneaSanta, How About Some Research Help by GenBlog
4. Which #Hashtag is Right For Me, Revisited by Ancestral Breezes
5. A Year in Review by A Family Tapestry
6. Christmas Tree Decorations A Hundred Years Ago by A Hundred Years Ago
7. The Lives of Our Immigrant Ancestors by FamilySearch Blog
8. Dear Ancestry.com AND Review of Blog Stats for 2012 by Desperately Seeking Surnames
9. 2012 Genealogical Year in Review by Genealogy's Star
10. Top Ten Articles Shared in 2012 from Finding Forgotten Stories AND My Top Ten Blog Posts for 2012 on Finding Forgotten Stories by Finding Forgotten Stories

Thanks for Reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas

I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

I'm so thankful for this time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I hope you enjoy this special Christmas video.




Merry Christmas!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Follow Friday–Fab Finds for December 21, 2012

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order) -

1. An Eye for an Eye and an Ear for an Ear? by A Southern Sleuth
2. The Mobile App–What We’ve Learned AND Two National Conferences Merge For One Great Family History Event by FamilySearch Blog
3. 2 Google Plus Communities for Genealogy by 4 Your Family Story
4. Getting Involved in the Online Genealogy Community by The Armchair Genealogist
5. Wild Turkey Artist and the Fraktur — Treasure Chest Thursday by Finding Forgotten Stories
6. CHECK OUT THIS WEB SITE ON IRISH EMIGRATION! by Help!  The Faerie Folk Hid My Ancestors!

New Blog Discoveries

• Deborah A. Carder Mayes Genealogy & Family History
• Maybe someone should write that down...
• Roots & Stuff
• Unveiling My Past

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Follow Friday–Fab Finds for December 14, 2012

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order) -

1. An Example of a Record Found in the British Army Pensioners – Royal Hospital Kilmainham Collection at Findmypast.com by GenBlog
2. Viivo Adds Security to Saving Your Data in the Cloud by Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
3. Advent Calendar: Other Traditions by Jollett etc.
4. Not Everyone Is Hip by Larry Cragun Family And Genealogy Blog
5. What do I Need to Restore Damaged Photographs? Part One by FamilySearch Blog
6. Blogging for Cousins? How about blogging for help? by Desperately Seeking Surnames
7. 13 Easy & Free Ways To Watermark Photos by MakeUseOf (Thanks Thomas MacEntee for sharing this post on Facebook)
8. NARA’s Bill Mayer Speaks About Genealogists by The Ancestry Insider
9. Create Your Own Genealogy Blog Stock Images by Ancestral Breezes
10. Batch Download FamilySearch Documents With FastFilm and Decrease Your Genealogical Research Times by We are Cousins – South Texas And Northeastern Mexico Genealogy
11. Let’s Talk About Who’s Stealing Blog Content by Clue Wagon
12. Fab free resource by Android Genealogy
13. Invite an Ancestor for Christmas Dinner by The Olive Tree Genealogy
14. FamilySearch Forums Closing ~ 31 Dec 2012 by Family History With The Lineagekeeper

JUST A NOTE:

I’ve never mentioned one of my own blog posts in my weekly Fab Finds list before.  But I thought I’d go ahead and mention one today.  (And, no, I'm not saying my post is a Fab Find.)  It's a post I wrote this week about watermarking photos and is an alternative method to those listed in #7 above.

So, if you’re interested, here’s the link to my post:  Tech Tuesday ~ Watermarked Photos

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Tech Tuesday ~ Watermarked Photos

I’ve been asked recently about how I put a watermark on the photos I use within my blog.  And since more than one person has asked me this question, I thought I’d go ahead and write a blog post about how I do this.

One of the genealogy bloggers who contacted me said she’d had a couple of her photos “borrowed” from her blog. Hopefully using watermarks on your photos will help to stop this from happening.

The process I use is really very simple.  I use Windows Live Writer to compose my blog posts.  Windows Live Writer is part of the Windows Essentials suite.  I’m currently using Windows 7 and there was a rumor that Windows Live Writer was going to be discontinued with the Windows 8 update.  But happily, it looks like Live Writer has been continued in the new Windows Essentials 2012 Suite.

Windows Live Writer has a built-in watermark feature.  So, here’s how it works and what the program looks like:

This is what the start-up page looks like for my blog.  Your blog's settings and template will cause it to look different for you.

Click to Enlarge

When you are ready to add a photo to your blog post draft, click on the "Pictures" tab in the toolbar and insert your photo.

Click to Enlarge

Once you’ve added a photo to your blog post draft, just click the "Watermark" tab in the toolbar.

Click to Enlarge

The Watermark dialog box will appear.  Type your copyright statement in the Watermark text line.  As you can see, there are different options available:  font family, size, and position of your watermark.  Once you’ve created your watermark, press OK.  And here’s a nifty little feature.  When you press the "Set to default" tab, Windows Live Writer will automatically add the watermark you just created to each photo you upload in the future. 
 

Click to Enlarge

And here we are!  Your photo now has a watermark.  It’s just that simple!

Click to Enlarge

After completing your blog post draft, press the "Post draft to blog" tab in the toolbar.  Your blog post should then be sent over to your blog.  (Check first before exiting Windows Live Writer.)

Click to Enlarge

I use Blogger.  And when I write my blog posts, I will usually tweak them in Blogger once the draft has been transferred over from Windows Live Writer.

Of course, there are other ways to add watermarks to photos.  I’ve used Photoshop to add watermarks to the photos I’ve uploaded to Pinterest.  But for adding watermarks to my photos within my blog posts, I prefer the simplicity of Windows Live Writer.

Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 155 ~ Two Pairs of Overalls and a Dress - Circa 1940

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at bottom of post) challenges us to find photos with people in overalls or any kind of working apparel.

Jan Albert Iverson

and Siblings - Circa 1940

I'm sure these three cute kiddos were not about to head off to work.  It's much more likely they were headed outside to play.  This is a photo of my dad, Jan Albert Iverson, with his sister and brother.

My Dad's the one on the far left sporting the more traditionally-styled overalls.  They look like what I picture when I think of overalls.  His little brother, on the other hand, is wearing a different style of overalls.  They remind me of vintage bell-bottom sailor’s pants.  Aren’t they cute?

This photo was taken around 1940, so my dad would have been about four years old.

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written today, just click HERE.




Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Follow Friday–Fab Finds for December 7, 2012

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order) -

1. Looking at the news sites AND Copyright and the lost letters by The Legal Genealogist
2. Finding Your Family History Voice by The Armchair Genealogist
3. Happy Blogiversary to Me! by ABT UNK
4. Sepia Saturday #154 - Our Fishing Boat by Guacamole Gulch
5. Why Newspapers.com? by Kimberly Powell
6. Is it OK to Borrow That Blog Post? by Michelle Goodrum at The In-Depth Genealogist
7. WikiTree Announces “Cousin Bait” Toolkits by GeneaPress
8. How Much Did a Haircut Cost in 1935? by Cross Connections
9. How to Find Great Genealogy Blogs AND Map My Surname by FamilySearch Blog
10. Anatomy of a Social Security Number by Rootsonomy
11. Advent Calendar of Memories: Outdoor Decorations by Jollett etc.
12. Family History - Why Aren't You Writing from the Heart? by The Ancestor Hunt
13. The Book of Life:  A Journey Through My Family History on Prezi by Family History with the Lineagekeeper
14. James Wesley Blacketer's Story Continues... by Family Stories
15. Create Your Own Ancestors -- Really? by Lost Family Treasures

New Blog Discoveries

• Reaching the Heartwood
• Family at Your Fingertips

Need a good chuckle?  Then #4 and #11 are must reads.

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Advent Calendar - December 6, 2012 ~ A Visit to Santa Claus

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

December 6 – Santa Claus

Did you ever send a letter to Santa? Did you ever visit Santa and “make a list?” Do you still believe in Santa Claus?

Jana and her Brother

Visit Santa Claus

As you can see from the photo above, my brother and I did make a visit to see Santa Claus.  Unfortunately, we didn’t look all too happy to see him.  I was three years old and my brother was two years old at the time.

Between the two of us, I’d say my younger brother was the braver child during our visit, as he had the courage to actually look at Santa.  Whether or not I ever gathered up enough courage to look at Santa, I really don't recall.  Oh well, at least we weren’t screaming our heads off.  And for that, I’m sure Santa was very thankful.

At this special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Advent Calendar–December 4, 2012 ~ Christmas Cards Past and Present

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

December 4 – Christmas Cards

Did your family send cards? Did your family display the ones they received? Do you still send Christmas cards? Do you have any cards from your ancestors?

My parents did send and receive Christmas cards.  And they were displayed in our home.  As you can see from the photo below, one of the ways my mom displayed them was by attaching the cards to a ribbon which was then attached to the wall.

I don’t display my Christmas cards the same way my mom did, but I have kept up the tradition of sending Christmas cards to family and friends.   Lately though, I’ve started sending those fun Christmas photo cards from Costco instead of traditional Christmas cards.  I also include a Christmas letter updating the happenings of our family.

You could say that my Grandma Ingrid sent a type of photo Christmas card as well in 1939.  Here is a cute little Christmas card I found in one of my Grandmother Ingrid’s Books of Remembrance.  Pictured are my Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Ingrid Iverson with their three children.
 

Arthur and Ingrid Iverson Christmas Card from 1939

At this special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Advent Calendar - December 3, 2012 ~ Tinsel, Glass Birds and Cranberry Garlands

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

Christmas Tree Ornaments

Did your family have heirloom or cherished ornaments? Did you ever string popcorn and cranberries? Did your family or ancestors make Christmas ornaments?


Jana and her Brothers at Christmas

The special Christmas ornaments I remember most from my childhood were the painted glass birds that clipped onto the Christmas tree branches.  You may be able to see them on our tree in the photo above.  (Yes, that’s me in my nurse’s hat with my two brothers in the background.)  The birds were very pretty and had stiff flat plastic bristle-like tails that were decorated with glitter and other pretty things.  My dad liked the look of silver tinsel, which you can see was used to decorate our tree as well.  And, although it is not a tree ornament, I do remember the paper angel sitting on the mantel.  As I recall, it was made of paper and painted gold.

I don’t know if my Grandma Ingrid Gilberg used tinsel or glass bird ornaments to decorate her Christmas trees when she was a girl.  But, I’ve been able to read about some other decorations she and her family used to decorate their Christmas trees.  In her vocal history, recorded by my father, Grandma Ingrid reminisced about the traditions she and her Swedish immigrant parents shared at Christmas.  Among these were how they decorated their tree.

She recalled,

"It was a tradition that we make garlands for our tree.  We would decorate the ceilings with paper from corner to corner.  We would polish apples and hang them on the tree.  We did not have popcorn at this time, but we would string cranberries and hang them around the tree.  Then when Christmas Eve came, we would light our candles because there were no electric tree lights at this time.  At Christmas Eve, we would all gather around the room and we would dance around the tree and there was a little step we would dance to and we would sing a Christmas song."

"Now it is Christmas again, 

Now it is Christmas again, 

And after Christmas comes the New Year,

Yes it is so,

Yes it is so, 

After Christmas comes the New Year."

So that you can get an idea of how these ceiling decorations may have looked, here’s a photo from Grandma Ingrid and Grandpa Arthur’s wedding reception.  I’m assuming this looked similar to how the ceiling was decorated with paper garlands at Christmas.

Arthur Iverson and Ingrid Gilberg

on their Wedding Day

At this special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 154 ~ On The Road Again

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.
     
Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) shows a precarious looking wooden bridge over a river.  There are a few people daring to stand and/or sit on that rickety-looking bridge.

The two photos of bridges I’m sharing with you today aren’t made out of wood and don’t appear to be rickety.

My regular readers may remember that my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family immigrated to the United States from Brazil in 1952.  In the last installment of their immigration story, I shared my uncle’s memories of seeing some curious contraptions used as early air conditioners for cars at that time.  I also found photos of these devices.  For those who missed this post, you can read it HERE.

Well, just a short three years after my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family settled in the United States, he and his wife Willis were on the road again.  This time they traveled down to Mexico.  Debs’ only surviving sibling, Carlota, lived in Mexico City.  The photo below shows Willis, Debs, and Carlota on what appears to be a bridge or roadway near or over water.

Mexico City

L to R - Willis Webster, Debs Webster,

Carlota Webster Guerrero

Here’s a close-up view of the happy trio.

Mexico City

L to R - Willis Webster, Debs Webster,

Carlota Webster Guerrero

While Debs and Willis were in Mexico, they traveled down to Chiapas to visit relatives there.  They must have purchased this postcard while on this visit.

Dr. Belisario Dominguez Bridge

at Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico

Vintage Postcard

Upon closer examination of this vintage postcard, I noticed that I could read the sign on the top of the bridge.  Here’s a close-up view.

 The sign reads as follows -

1913 Puente 1931

Dr. Belisario Dominguez

Puente means bridge in English.  So, this bridge must have been dedicated to Dr. Belisario Dominguez.  I wondered who this doctor was so I did a little research.  He was a  Mexican physician who was born in Chiapas in 1863 and was murdered in Mexico City in 1913.

He served as a Senator from Chiapas during the Mexican Revolution and was killed because of a political speech he wrote following Victoriano Huerta’s coup d'état .    Today, the Mexican Government awards the  “Order of the Belisario Dominguez Medal of Honor” to eminent Mexican citizens who meet the criteria for this award.

Here's another close-up view from the vintage postcard.  This time, I chose to focus on the car on the bridge.  I thought I'd share this with you just because it's fun to see this old vintage car.

My Grandpa Debs and Grandma Willis took lots of photos and purchased several postcards while on their trip to Mexico in 1955.  And I’m looking forward to sharing more of these with you in the future.

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written about, whether it be rickety bridges, water, vintage postcards and cars, or anything else for that matter, just click HERE.



Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Follow Friday–Fab Finds for November 30, 2012

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order) -

1. Leftover Ancestors - 2012 Edition by Destination:  Austin Family
2. Say ‘Prunes’, Not ‘Cheese’: The History of Smiling in Photographs by PetaPixel
3. Instant Replay: A Big Game for the Big Day by A Sense of Family
4. I'm Alive... but just barely. by Ancestral Breezes
5. Baby Talk and The Theory of Relativity by Notable Characters
6. Mappy Monday by Honoring Our Ancestors
7. In Defense of Beginners by The Who Hunter
8. Tuesday's Tip - Something For Everyone by The Last Leaf On This Branch
9. War of 1812 Pension Digitization Fund Receives Generous $250,000 Donation by FGS Voice
10. Do I Need to Blog Genealogy Every Day? by Blogging Genealogy
11. Step by Step Summary of Personal Archiving by FamilySearch Blog
12. The Path of a Beginner Genealogist by GenBlog
13. ANCESTRY.COM LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE NEWSPAPERS.COM by The Olive Tree Genealogy
14. First Look at Newspapers.com by Dear Myrtle

New Blog Discoveries

• As Craig Sees It
• Lore, Legends & Lies
• Many Years Ago
• Bridge to the Past

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Those Places Thursday–Webster Family Road Trip: California or Bust!

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.

On July 7, 1952, my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family boarded the S. S. Brazil in Santos, Brazil on their way to a new life in the United States.  When they arrived in New York, they bought a car and traveled across the United States to their final destination in Southern California.

Here is the car Grandpa Debs purchased in New York.  It’s a 1951 Chevrolet Sedan.  My mom just recently showed me this awesome photo of the car with my uncles standing in front of it.  The car is parked in front of their new house in Pomona, California.  The lumber on top of the Chevy indicates to me that my Grandpa was working on some kind of project.  He was a very handy guy and always liked to have projects to work on.

1951 Chevrolet Sedan
Click to Enlarge

My uncle (the boy on the left in the photo above) wrote an email to me about his memories of their immigration to the United States and subsequent road trip from New York to California. As you read what he said, please keep in mind that they were traveling during the summer.  Here's a little snippet from his email:

"The trip was long—made longer by the heat!  We rolled down the windows and tried to be cooled by the wind as it passed through the car.  Unfortunately, the air was usually hot and we got little relief from it.  At the time, some people had a device that hooked on to the top of a window on their cars which they filled with a quantity of ice or dry ice (I really don’t know which).  This served as a scooping device that would chill the hot air from outside and circulate it inside.  This served as air conditioning in those days.  We had no such device!  Evenings were more comfortable, except that I found the concept of sleeping outdoors to be uncivilized.  After all, people were meant to sleep inside, or so I thought!  As I grew up I learned to enjoy camping out until being in Korea in the Infantry cured me of it forever!  Typically Pop would find a wide shoulder on the side of the highway where we could pull over and set up for the night."

I was intrigued by my uncle’s description of the cooling devices attached to car windows.  I had never heard of such a thing.  I did a little research on the internet to see if I could find anything about these cooling devices.  And, to my surprise, I found not only information about them, but photos too.

Wikipedia referred to this device as a car cooler.  The website stated , “A car cooler is an automobile window-mounted evaporative air cooler, sometimes referred to as a swamp cooler.  It is an early type of automobile "air conditioner."

If you’d like to read more about this fascinating early air conditioner for cars, just click HERE.

Below are photos of these car coolers from Wikimedia Commons.

Car Cooler on 1950 Chevy
Wikimedia Commons - Photo by Doug Coldwell
Click to Enlarge

Thermador Car Cooler
Wikimedia Commons - Photo by Doug Coldwell
Click to Enlarge



Car Cooler Front View
Wikimedia Commons - Photo by Doug Coldwell
Click to Enlarge

As “cool” as these early air conditioners look, I’m so happy for the modern air conditioning systems we enjoy today!

The next installment of my Grandpa Debs and his family’s immigration story will find them arriving at their sponsor’s home in Glendora, California.

Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 153 ~ Two Sisters and a Cactus

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

The Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) is a photo of Lala Williams and Elgie Crook.  In doing research on Google.com about Lala and Elgie, I found out the following:  When Elgie’s mother died, Elgie was sent to live with her uncle J. Shelby Williams, Lala’s father.  Elgie and Lala were first cousins, but Elgie grew up as a sister to Lala.

The adorable photo of Lala and Elgie, cousins who were more like sisters, provides me with the perfect opportunity to share this sweet photo of my Great-Grandmother, Hilda Carlsson Gillberg, and her sister Hilma Carlsson Taylor.




Two Sweet Sisters
Hilda Carlsson Gillberg (left) and Hilma Carlsson Taylor (right)

I love how Hilda and Hilma are holding hands.   Sweet, sisterly love on display!  Unfortunately, I don’t have any information about when or where this photo was taken, but it’s so precious. 

Hilda and Hilma were the daughters of Johan Erik Carlsson and Karin Johnsson.  Both Hilda and Hilma were born in Sweden and immigrated to the United States.

Hilda was married to my Great-Grandfather, Carl Albert Gillberg, and Hilma was married to Charles Alvin Taylor.

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written about this week, click HERE.



Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Follow Friday–Fab Finds for November 23, 2012

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order) -

1. Sepia Saturday: Book 'em by Jollett etc.
2. GRANDPARENTS - Saturday Night Fun by TWIGS and TREES
3. Ancestry.com houses new community support site by GeneaPress
4. Motivation Monday: My 200th Post! by A Patient Genealogist
5. “Don’t Publish Ages” by A Family Tapestry
6. Time to Pop a Cap in the Term "Drive-by Genealogist" by The We Tree Genealogy Blog
7. The Guide To Sourcing Images Without Landing In Hot Water by Simply Zesty
8. Blogging Genealogy: How do I figure out what to write? by Blogging Genealogy
9. It's About Time, Facebook! by Marian’s Roots & Rambles
10. Grand Theft Genealogy by Mascot Manor Genealogy
11. Birth Record Databases Updated at FamilySearch.org by GenealogyBlog
12. Solutions to File Format Challenges AND Getting Started with Digital Preservation by FamilySearch Blog
13. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Welcomes Two Girls From Milltown by The Irish In America
14. What Thanksgiving Looks Like by Family Stories
15. I Am So Thankful ... by Genea-Musings

New Blog Discovery

• From Here to There - A Searcher's Tale

Thanks for reading!

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Thanksgiving in San Diego ~ 1952

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.


This is the last photo in my Grandpa Debs Webster’s 1952 photo album, which holds the photos documenting their immigration from Brazil to the United States.  I suppose you could call this photo album a "photo travelogue" of their immigration story.  Ya, it’s pretty cool that Grandpa put this together!

Thankfully, my Grandpa Debs wrote something around the edges of this photo to tell us a bit about it.  At the top he wrote, "Thanksgiving 1952."  And at the bottom he wrote, "San Diego  Casa do Jay" which means Jay’s House in Portuguese.  Jay was related to Grandma Willis by marriage.  He was an in-law to one of Willis' sisters.

Grandpa Debs and his family arrived in the United States on July 7, 1952.  So, this would be their very first Thanksgiving in America.

I can't say for sure if this was my Grandpa Debs' first Thanksgiving in America though, as he was the son of my "Traveling Dentist" Great-Grandpa Frederick Webster.  For all I know, Frederick and his family happened to be in America during Thanksgiving at some time.

Thanksgiving in San Diego, California - 1952

Click to Enlarge

I don't know the names of everyone in this photo, so I’ll just tell you who the people are that I do know.  Grandpa Debs is standing.  In front of him is my uncle.  Then, left to right is Grandma Willis, Helena Rohwedder Quillen, my uncle, and my mom shielding her eyes from the sun.

I’m sure my Grandpa and his family had a lot to be thankful for on that Thanksgiving Day in 1952, as our family does 60 years later in 2012.

Little Pilgrim

ClipartPal.com

And now I’d like to wish all of you, my wonderful readers, a very Happy Thanksgiving filled with fun, family, and delicious food!

Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 152 ~ “What’s In The News?”

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) shows a library full of studious young men reading books. The photo I am sharing today doesn’t show a group of young men in a library.  Instead it is a photo of an older gentleman, casually dressed, sitting outside. It is a photo of my paternal Great-Grandfather, Carl Albert Gillberg. Why this photo was taken and who took it, I can’t say.  What I can say is that I’m glad the photo was taken. I found this special photo in one of my Grandmother Ingrid’s Books of Remembrance.

Carl Albert Gillberg
in Salt Lake City, Utah

Carl looks like he’s reading a newspaper. Wouldn’t it be fun to know what he was reading about? Unfortunately, there is no date for this photo. But there is a handwritten note underneath it, written by my Grandmother Ingrid Gillberg (Carl’s daughter). She wrote, “My Dad, sitting on the steps of our home on Grand Ave in Salt Lake City, Utah.”

I’m wondering if my Grandma was mistaken about this home being on Grand Avenue, because when I looked for Grand Avenue on Googlemaps, the only Grand Avenue in Salt Lake City is inside a cemetery.

(Since writing this post, Wendy Mathias of Jollett etc., informed me that there is a Grand Street in Salt Lake City. After checking this out on Googlemaps, this looks to be the likely candidate for where this photo was taken.  Thanks Wendy!)

This photo must have been taken sometime between 1909 and 1930. I surmise this because Carl immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1909 and by the 1930 census he and his family were living in Los Angeles, California. Both the 1910 census and the 1920 census show Carl and his family living in Salt Lake City, Utah. So, sometime between 1920 and 1930, Carl and his family moved to California.

Carl was born in Stockholm, Sweden on January 8, 1882. He passed away in West Covina, California on May 3, 1963 at 81 years of age. He was a hard-working family man, and did his best to provide for his family. As part of my research, I compiled a list showing Carl’s known occupations.

Occupations for Carl Albert Gillberg:

Before 1909 - According to Canadian Passenger List - Tinsmith in Sweden
1910 Census - Laborer - Tending Mason
1920 Census - Baker at Bakery Company
1930 Census - Baker at Bakery
1940 Census - Vegetable Peddler - Private Truck

That last occupation in 1940 somehow makes me sad for Carl. But, this was during "The Great Depression" so times were hard for most everyone. According to the 1940 Census, Carl was engaged in Public Emergency Work, and was seeking employment. I wrote a previous post about finding Carl and his family in the 1940 census.

While Carl worked as a baker in Utah, he was able to bring home flour sacks which his wife, Hilda, used to make clothing for their children and quilts for the family. I wrote a previous post about this. If you’d like, you can read it HERE. These were humble immigrants who did the best they could to provide for their family.

This is a photo of Carl Albert Gillberg taken in La Puente, California in 1962, the year before Carl passed away.

Carl Albert Gillberg
1962

If you’d like to see “what’s in the news” with other Sepia Saturday participants, just click HERE.




Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Follow Friday–Fab Finds for November 16, 2012

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order) -

1. Help Your Ancestors Live Forever - Write Your Family History by The Ancestor Hunt
2. I'm a DAR Gal! by (Mis)Adventures Of A Genealogist
3. Radio Man by Crazy as a Cool Fox
4. More Than a Century Later, Civil War Veteran is Honored at Last by GeneaJourneys
5. Veteran’s Day 2012 – My special veterans edition by Who Knew?
6. TUESDAY’S TIP by Honoring Our Ancestors
7. How to Tell Your Story without Boring Your Audience to Tears by Jeff Goins
8. Farmers in Your Family Between 1850 and 1880? - Tuesday's Tip by My Ancestors and Me
9. Why & how to optimize your genealogy blog for mobile by Blogging Genealogy
10. 10 Reasons to Love Genealogy by Corn and Cotton Blog
11. Why I Won’t Be Speaking at FGS 2013 by GeneaBloggers
12. Copyright and the website by The Legal Genealogist
13. The Worst Question in Genealogy by Clue Wagon
14. Veterans in the Family AND So, Now what do I do? by Kinexxions
15. Treasure Chest Thursday – Eveline’s Sewing Machine by Abbie and Eveline

New Blog Discoveries

• Dearest Esther...
• My Tree 385
• Poore Boys In Gray
• The Stephen Sherwood Letters
• Carolina Girl Genealogy

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012