Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Major News Events During Your Life

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  What are the major news events that happened during your life that you remember where you were when you heard about them?

(2)  Tell us in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a post on Facebook.  

Here's mine:

- The day Elvis (Presley) died.  August 16, 1977.  I was 10 years old and my parents and I were on our way home from Six Flags over Georgia when the news came on the radio.  Even at that young age, I knew this was BIG.  I do not remember that my mother cried, but I do know a LOT of women in the world cried that day.

- October 3, 1995.  The day O.J. Simpson was acquitted on two counts of murder.  I was at work at Associated Paper in Conyers, Georgia, and co-workers had the TV on in the break room.  I felt then and still feel now that he got away with those murders.  

- The death of Princess Diana.  Her death on August 31, 1997 occurred over Labor Day weekend.  My ex-husband and I were at St. Simons Island, Georgia for the holiday.  We awoke on September 1 and heard the horrible news.  I just could not believe it was true.  She was truly the people's princess.  

- The search for John F Kennedy Jr and his wife on July 17, 1999 after their plane disappeared the night before.  I was at home and watched TV all day while they searched for them.  He was basically American royalty, and it still affects me deeply whenever another tragedy befalls this family.

- September 11, 2001.  9/11.  I owned my scrapbook store in Conyers then, and I had gone over to a coworker's house before the store opened to help her with some organizing.  Her husband called about 9 and told her to turn the TV on.  I went to the store and opened it, but not a single person came in all day.  I was glued to the radio.  I called my mother.  It was scary because one plane after another went down, and we did not know where it was going to happen next.  I also remember the absolute silence in the skies with all air traffic grounded.  To this day, I cannot watch anything about that horrible day without crying.

- Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans on August 29, 2005.  I spent hours on my computer following the many, many stories coming out the areas hit.  Stories of destruction, death, survival, saving pets, terror, etc. for weeks.  

And finally...

- June 26, 2015.  The United States Supreme Court rules that the U.S. Constitution grants same-sex couples the right to marry.  I was at work that day... at the courthouse where I have always been supported for who I am.  It was a watershed moment.  No more being unable to simply enjoy the same right as most of the other humans on the planet.  Many of my friends got married immediately.  Almost one year later, I exercised my right to marry my wife.  

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - The Day Your Maternal Grandmother Was Born

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  What happened in the world on the day your maternal grandmother was born?  Tell us the date, the place, and find a newspaper page for that date, ideally from the place she was born.  What are some of the headlines?  What was the weather?

(2)  Tell us in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a post on Facebook.  

Here's mine:

My maternal grandmother was Ethel Irene Ranney (1913-1973).  She was born on Sunday, July 6, 1913, in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan, to Luther Boardman Ranney and Bessie Alice Carter Ranney.  She was the youngest of three children.  

During the year she was born, the President is Woodrow Wilson, The National Temperance Council is founded to promote the temperance movement, and R. J. Reynolds introduces Camel, the first packaged cigarette.

The closest newspaper I could locate to Elsie was the Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan.  Here is the front page on July 6, 1913:

The major front page articles were:

*  Tour Balloons Land in Michigan After Race From Missouri

*  Veterans From Michigan Begin Journey Home

*  Fiance of Jessie Wilson

*  Tornado Hits Wyandotte Hard

1913 marked the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) of the Civil War.  The June 19-July 4 gathering of 53,407 (of which about 8,750 were Confederate) veterans was the largest ever Civil War veteran reunion.  Veterans from 46 of the 48 states attended.  

The engagement of Mr. Francis B. Sayre and Miss Jessie Woodrow Wilson (2nd daughter of the president) was announced.

The Weather was reported on page 8:  Lower Michigan - Generally fair Sunday and Monday, Light to medium northwest to north winds.  Due to the quality of the scanned page, I was unable to make out the forecasted temperatures for Elsie.  

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 14): Water

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm probably going to be always behind on this exercise so don't go by the date and week I'm writing about and take it as accurate.  Like I am jumping back several weeks for this post.

I got the idea for this interpretation of the theme from Ingrid of the Stories from Dead Relatives blog with her post Water

Most of my family lived in Georgia or Florida.  While they worked hard, the latter generations also got time to play hard in the form of vacations or weekends spent at the lake or the beach.  I thought I would share a few of their photos here.

My Aunt Elizabeth Taylor Tapley and me at Jacksonville (Florida) beach circa 1973.  Yes, I was named for her.  I don't know that this was my very first trip to the beach, but it had to have been one of the firsts.  

That taller speck is me me with a family friend at Lake Lure, North Carolina, probably about 1975 or 1976.  We vacationed there every single summer for several years, and I spent my birthday there.  (For those of you who will recall, Dirty Dancing was filmed at Lake Lure.  One of my favorite movies!)

Here is my mother at White Sands Lake, Keystone Heights, Florida, probably early 1960's.  My parents and several other members of the family loved to go there and ski.  My dad was quite the skier in his time, but I can't find any pictures at the moment.  

Both of these photos were also taken at White Sands Lake.  This is my grandmother, Ethel Ranney Tapley, showing off her new swimsuit.  

Here is my grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley (on left), and my Aunt Elizabeth again, showing off their swimsuits.  I don't know where they were, but they seemed to enjoying themselves.  I wish I knew when this was taken, cause Aunt Elizabeth was being downright scandalous in that 2 piece suit!

I realize there is no water in the last few pictures, but if there were swimsuits, there had to be water somewhere nearby!

Here is Aunt Elizabeth again on another visit to the lake. She seems to be having a great time.

I definitely inherited my love of the water from my family members.  It is my happy place.  I could just sit and stare at the waves for hours.  It clears my mind like nothing else can.  

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 29): Newsworthy

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm probably going to be always behind on this exercise so don't go by the date and week I'm writing about and take it as accurate.  

My uncle James Tillman Tapley was always known as "Fella."  I'm the only person I know who called him Uncle "James."  He was born August 16, 1904 in Bartow, Georgia, the eldest son of Lusion "Lush" Tapley and Mattie Schwalls.  He and my father, Gilbert, had the same father.  Uncle James was only 7 years old when his mother passed away.  Two years later, Lush married my grandmother, Nealie Drake, and she became an instant mother to 3 little boys.  

Uncle James always stuck close to his father, even as an adult.  He lived next door in Wadley when Lush passed away in 1935.  It appears either during World War II or immediately afterwards, Uncle James and his wife, Reida Mae Poole, moved to Macon, Georgia.  They lived there the rest of their lives.

Uncle James, by all accounts, was a very good man.  He had a kind soul,  He was truly one who would "give you the shirt off his back."  He and Aunt Reida Mae never had children of their own, but had an open door policy and it seems that almost all of Uncle James' younger siblings stayed with them at one time or another.  

He and Aunt Reida Mae even opened their home to a child who was not their own and raised her.  

I was only 7 years old when Uncle James passed away.  However, I can still remember vividly many visits we made to Macon over those years.  The adults would sit on the porch and talk away the afternoon after eating one of Aunt Reida Mae's delicious, down home dinners.  Whatever kids were there would run around the house, inside and out, playing and getting into mischief.  Good times.

While Uncle James lived his life quietly without a lot of fanfare, there was one instance where he made the Macon newspaper, The Macon Telegraph.  I don't know the date, but it is one of those quintessential human interest pieces about a simple man and his garden.

And here is the scrapbook page I did of the article several years ago:

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 27): Solo

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm probably going to be always behind on this exercise so don't go by the date and week I'm writing about and take it as accurate.  

When I heard the theme "Solo," my father's aunt immediately came to mind. 

Vianna Bell Tapley was born on October 4, 1886 in Johnson County, Georgia, the 11th child and youngest daughter of James Madison "Jim" Tapley and Elizabeth Rebecca "Becky" Page Tapley. 

For whatever reason, Aunt Vianna never married.  She was extremely close to her mother and lived with her until Becky's death in 1924.  Since she had no source of income (to my knowledge) and was unwed, she had to find a place to live, so by 1930, she was living with her sister, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Tapley Powell and her family down the road from the home place.  In 1940, she was living with her brother, Bennett Olin "Ol" Tapley and his family, also right down the road.  She died on March 24, 1965, in Uncle Ol's house, which by then belonged to his son, Wesley.  I remember my cousin, Wesley Jr., telling me about them finding Aunt Vianna passed away in her bed that morning.  He would have been 15. 

From the stories I have heard, Aunt Vianna spent the intervening years moving around from one sibling's home to another.  She lived with her sister, Tabitha "Bosh" Tapley Lampp for awhile.  I believe she stayed with my grandmother, who was her sister-in-law, the widow of Aunt Vianna's brother and my grandfather, Lusion "Lush" Tapley, and her children some. 

Now let me stop here to add that from all accounts, Aunt Vianna was not the easiest person to get along with.  She was a shrew, dramatic and prone to temper at times.  (This could explain why she never married and some of her siblings never let her stay with them!)  She physically attacked her sister, Bosh, once.  That's when she had to leave there and move in with her brother.  Her sister's son, Sid, wanted to go after her and punish her for attacking his mother, but Aunt Bosh begged him to leave it alone, adding plainly and simply, "She's my sister." 

My father used to tell the story (And he was not proud of this...) of how, as children, he and his sister, Irene, would play act Aunt Vianna's funeral, complete with Daddy preaching the eulogy, standing on a stump.  Terrible, but a solid view into how her niece and nephew perceived her. 

Aunt Vianna never left the Powell area of Johnson County, Georgia.  She always lived within a mile or two of where she was born.  She lived with large groups of family, but she was solo.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - How Many Ancestors Have You "Met"?

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  Write down which of your ancestors that you have met in person (yes, even if you were too young to remember them).

(2)  Tell us their names, where they lived, and their relationship to you in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a post on Facebook. 

Here's mine:

(1)  Linda Irene Tapley (1942-), my mother, resides in Augusta, Georgia.  She was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up around Redlands and Yucaipa, California.  She came east in 1962 and lived in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida.  She has also lived in Swainsboro and Milledgeville/Eatonton, Georgia during her lifetime.  

(2)  Gilbert Earl Tapley (1928-2008), my father, resided all over Johnson County and a time in Jefferson County, Georgia during his childhood; in Milledgeville, Georgia a couple of times; in Jacksonville, Florida several different times; and in Augusta, Georgia at least two different times, which is where he passed away.

(3)  Charles Morgan Tapley (1907-1973), my maternal grandfather, born in Johnson County, Georgia; ran away at age 16 to join the Navy, ended up stationed in California and lived there until about 1962; lived in Tallahassee, Florida a couple of years; then settled in Swainsboro, Georgia, where he lived until his death (1964-1973).

(4)  Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley (1913-1973), my maternal grandmother, born in Elsie, Michigan; moved to the San Bernardino and Redlands area of California as a child; also lived in both Los Angeles and Yucaipa for periods of time as an adult; moved to Tallahassee Florida in 1962; moved to Swainsboro, Georgia in 1964 and lived there until her death.

(5) Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley (1895-1970), my paternal grandmother, born in Adrian, Emanuel County, Georgia; lived all over Emanuel (Adrian), Johnson (Kite), Washington (Sandersville), Jefferson (Wadley), and Richmond (Augusta) Counties during the course of her life; also lived in Jacksonville, Florida.  She had returned to Augusta and was living there when she died.

So I have only "met" five my my direct ancestors.  That is a very low number, I think.  I never had the chance to meet my paternal grandfather, Lusion Keman Tapley, or any of my great-grandparents.  I didn't even have any grandparents left after age 6.  I think I got a little cheated.  

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Pauleen's Crazy Month of May Pandemic Meme, Part II

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

(This is a continuation of my June 9th post.  Since I don't have any 4th of July memories to share, I decided to finally finish these prompts.)

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  Check out Pauleen Cass's blog post, Crazy Month of May 2020: Pandemic Experiences.

(2)  Let's do the last 11 of the prompts.

(3) Tell us about your own pandemic experience in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a post on Facebook. Be sure to leave a link to your work as a comment to this post and also on Pauleen's post.

Here's mine:

(11) What have you found to be strangest change to your life?

I find the strangest part for me is changing my entire personal reaction style with people.  I am a hugger.  Can't do that anymore.  If I'm out walking my dog without a mask and a neighbor comes up to me... I should have remembered to have a mask with me.  Also, I tend to smile at people I encounter along the way, and I'm having a hard time remembering they cannot see my facial expression!

(12) Have you found the changes and experience stressful/anxious/worrying?

What is stressful and worrying to me is the possibility of my catching the virus through someone else's selfishness in not wearing a mask.  Or touching the wrong thing.  I live alone and have no family closer than 2 states away.  If I get sick, there is no one for me to call on to help me. I worry about my mom catching it... I certainly couldn't have her come up to take care of me.  My BFF is high risk... I have the same worry there.  

(13) How have the closures affected your local community?

Prices are higher for both gas and food.  Several business are still not open and those that are have to slash their occupancy levels. I know that is very hard on small business and the unemployed.  However, I do not agree with opening up the city/county/state/country so soon.  No amount of money is worth a life or a loved one's life.  

(14)  Have in-person meetings been replaced with virtual meetings via Zoom, Skype, etc.?

I have personally not used Zoom or Skype during this pandemic.  I talk on the phone to family and friends.  Or text.  I just found out that my book club is going to start back on July 13 using Zoom.  I have avoided downloading and using it so far, but it looks like it's in my near future, like it or not. 

(15) Do you enjoy the virtual meeting format?

No, which is why I have avoided using it thus far.

(16) Are you working from home instead of in your usual place of work?

Unfortunately not.  Our Clerk of Court ordered us all to return to full time status on June 1st.  I personally believe that was way too soon and continues to be.  We are not 6 feet apart from our co-workers, and I do not know who those co-workers are around after work and on weekends.  Even though a mask is required to enter the courthouse, some seem to have worked their way down to beneath the chin by the time they reach our end of the hall.  They finally put plexiglass in front of us, but the people try to look around it or stand where there is a gap in order to converse with us.  

(17) Have your habits changed over the past month(s)?

My sleeping habits are way out of whack.  I do not shop as much.  I added a TV service so now I'm watching way too much TV, in my opinion.  I have been out to eat a couple of times, but not nearly as often as I used to.  

(18) Have you had to cancel travel plans for pleasure or family?

My mother was unable to make her annual Mother's Day visit.  I did go to Atlanta for my birthday in June, but I stayed with my friends who don't go out much either and we were really careful.  Only time will tell how this will affect my annual trip to Georgia in September.

(19) Do you think you'll be able to travel in 2020?

As I said, I hope to make a trip to Augusta in September.  I usually go at Christmas also.  It's all up in the air at this point.

(20) Have you/others been wearing masks when out and about in your area?

I always wear a mask when I go grocery shopping, to work, or a medical appointment.  Other people were not too good about it until the governor of North Carolina made it mandatory again last weekend.  Now I see everyone out shopping is wearing one which is a good feeling.  

(21) Will you change your lifestyle after this experience?

I'm sure I will.  Less eating out and shopping.  I believe mask wearing will be around for a long while.  (They have become a fashion statement, and now I spend a good deal of money on different ones!  LOL)

Side note:  I have been fortunate thus far to have someone close to me who cut my hair and groomed my dog.  Now that has ended so I will have to venture out to my hair stylist in short order.  I have had a couple of pedicures, but the salon did everything to make me feel safe.  This biggest thing I miss at this point?  My tattoo parlor!  I know, it's crazy, but I get a tattoo every year for my birthday, and I was unable to this year.  I really missed that tradition.