Women's History Month - #6

On a cold a snowy Ohio morning, I'm thinking of the women in my family...

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

It is unfortunate that a fire occurred about a year and a half after my mom died.  Many of the items in that house fire would have come to me, for none of my sisters like old things.

Me...I love old things.  Perhaps I love them too much!  I treasure them.  I think of how they were used, how they were made, how they were worn.

But, two things stand out in the possessions I do own:

My sister found a cast iron skillet in my dad's possessions when she was cleaning out her garage.  It is similar to the one above.  I cleaned up the rust that was on it, re-seasoned it, and now use it every day.

I can't help but think of the many pans of cornbread, biscuits, fried potatoes, fried chicken, fried pies, fried anything that must have come from that skillet.  It has "Wegner's 1891" imprinted on the bottom.  It's one of the best.

The next items are just as dear:

I inherited three bonnets that my mother and grandmother wore.  Mom's favorite is on the far right.  How well I remember the days she wore it as she tended her magnificent flowerbed, pulled weeds, and worked in the garden under blistering sun.  I believe I still have the pattern she used to make it.

These mementos take me back to a time when I can envision the people who used them, and they allow me to cherish them even more!

Women's History Month - #5

Onward we go with the lives of valiant women!

March 5 — How did they meet? You’ve documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?

My mom used to tell me that she and dad met at church.  Then, she would later say that they didn't really grow up going to church.  So, I'm not sure how they met, other than the fact that Dad worked at the limestone quarry where Mom's father, Corb Stevens, was the foreman.

The old limestone quarry at Lawton, KY.  It was later a mushroom factory, where the conditions were perfect for growing mushrooms.

My dad's parents, Richard Lee and Fannie Collier Clemens.  The story about how they met is unknown to me.  

My mom's parents, Corb and Bertha Gearheart Stevens.  The story about how they met is unknown to me.

How sad it is that these people that I knew so well in my life have stories that will never be known to me.  I can only surmise that their love story echoes that of my parents; they married because there wasn't anything else to do.

In eastern Kentucky, opportunities for going beyond the few counties around one's home were few.  You married who you knew; those your parents knew, those you went to school with, those you saw at church, those that lived up the holler.

Oh, if I could just have about five minutes more with each of them!

Women's History Month - #4

And, the fun continues...

March 4 — Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

My good parents, shortly after their marriage in 1932.

My parents lived in eastern Kentucky.  Mom told me they got married because there wasn't anything else to do.

Chester Lee Clemens and Ida Stevens were young hillbillies living in Carter County, Kentucky.  Ida's father was the foreman at the local limestone quarry where Chester worked.  Dad married the boss's daughter.

On the morning of 1 Feb 1932, Dad was working on the car that would take them to neighboring Morehead in Rowan County.  Battery acid spilled into his eyes.  They flushed them out, but his eyes continued to tear up all day, and he spent the day wiping them.

The judge kept reassuring him that it wasn't going to be that bad.

They married during the Depression, but Mom always said they never knew there was a Depression going on.  They made do on very little.  They had $7 to their name, and bought a hog with that money.

Their long marriage survived economic bad times, illnesses, World War II, Dad's service in the Navy at Pearl Harbor, poverty, working in the coal mines and living in the coal camps.  

Through it all, Mom was a strong woman who raised four strong daughters.

Women's History Month - #3

This challenge has been exciting!  I am enjoying the rediscovery of the love of my ancestors who were women.

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

Well, I wasn't named for anyone in my family tree - or so I thought.

I was actually named for the woman my mother worked for.  She cleaned house for a woman whose husband was a supermarket owner in my hometown.  I quote from mom's journal:

"I Ida Clemens lived at 294 East arch St in 1955 and that is where our baby Peggy Lynn was borned I was 41 years of age when she come to live with us.  Betty Lee was passed 16 years of age when Peggy Lynn was borned ever one sure was shocked.  I worked for Peggy & Dave Sternbaum when we learned we was going to have here the Saints here give us a Shower we just had every thing we needed.  She was borned on 8 July 1955  at 10 oclock inthe Mansfield Ohio General Hospitial in Richland co.  Dr Bonar was the Dr that delivered hir.  My Dr was out of towon on Vacation Dr Robert Allison.  We had to much company to seethe new baby.  And the weather was Hot."

Mom was actually about six months' along when she felt she should go to the doctor, where she was informed she had "Cupid's tumor."  All she heard was the word "tumor".  Then he informed her she would be having a baby in the middle of the summer.

However, I have now discovered several women named Peggy in my family tree.  Most were named Margaret, though I was not.  It really does seem to be a family name.

The most unusual name I have found is one that I have blogged about before - that of John Ellen Offill.  I just don't understand why in the world she was named John.  Her grandfather's name was John, as well as her husband's.  She's a beautiful woman.

But, her name is John...

Women's History Month - #2

In continuing on with Women's History Month, the following challenge question was issued:

March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

This is my mother, Ida Stevens Clemens.  It was probably taken in the 1940's in either Kentucky or West Virginia.  Mom was born in 1913, so my best guest is that she was in her early 30's.

This photo has always been one of my favorites, because it shows a young and happy woman that seems so happy and vivacious.  It was post-Depression in the hills of Appalachia, yet she glows.

I did not know my mother when she was young.  I was born when she was 41 years old, and in 1955 that was considered "awfully old to be having a baby".  Most of my friends had grandparents that were the age of my parents.

But, this shows my mom just full of life.  What a beautiful young woman she was!

Women's History Month - #1

This month, I have decided to accept the challenge given by Lisa Alzo for Women's History Month.

Half of our pedigree belongs to our female ancestors.  They are just as important, yet many times remain silent entitites.  Many did not have voices in ownership of land and property, or even in choosing their own life partner.

Yet, they are ours.

For the first day of challenge, I include the following:

March 1 — Do you have a favorite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

I have thought a lot about this one, and decided that my favorite female ancestor is the unknown one.  We all have one.

The above photo came from a CD that contained many photos of my husband's ancestors.  Many, if not most of the photos are labeled.  This one is not.  It is simply entitled "Unknown Jensen Girl".

She's unknown to us, but perhaps someone knows who she is.  

She must have a story to tell.  She probably grew up with her family.  She was probably part of the early Mormon pioneers making the trek by handcart to the Salt Lake Valley.  She may have fallen in love, married and had a family.  

We just don't know.

Yet her story deserves to be told.  I just wish we knew what it was...

Helping another...just because

A few months ago, I received a phone call from the Temple President in Columbus, Ohio.  A lady who was not a member of our church had called the temple, wanting to know if someone could help her find out something about her family.  She wasn't even sure who her father's family was.

President Brandt said, "Point her to Peggy!"

I called the woman, told her who I was, and reassured her that I was someone she could trust.  She  was African-American,  and was elderly.  I asked her a few questions, again reassuring her that she need not fear me, and told her I would get back with her as soon as I had something.

Her family was not that difficult to find.  I spent part of an afternoon doing some basic research and locating her family in census records, death records and obituaries.

I ended up taking her family back to the Civil War days.  Imagine that!  Clear back to the days of bondage.

I called her again to tell her I found some things she would be interested in, and asked her for her address.  Again, she was a bit hesitant, but I told her that once I sent the items to her I would shred her phone number and address.

I sent sixty pages of her family's history to her.

I didn't hear from her for a couple of weeks.  I just chalked it up to an "Oh, well" moment, and went on my way.

Then, the phone call came.  She was beyond ecstatic!!  She had shared the information with her children and grandchildren, and they were excited to take it to the next level.  I told her that it might be a challenge to get beyond the Civil War, and that she should refer to the web sites I had given her in my letter to her.

This was one of those wonderful, feel-good moments that come in helping another.  I don't know if Miss Pauline will ever know her pre-Civil War family, but what I sent to her brought her and her family great joy - which in turn, gave me great joy.