Friday Funny

 

Now that it is Fall and getting cooler, I am ready!!

Surname Word Cloud

 

I don't know if any of my readers have noticed, but there is new image gadget on my blog.  I'll share it here, but please check it out there on the side the next time you open my blog to read a post!

This was very simple to do!  It was made by ChatGPT using a surname report I prepared in Family Tree Maker (FTM) 2024.  The size of the each name corresponds to the number of individuals in my tree with that last name.  So obviously, I have mostly Tapleys in my tree, but surprisingly, Price, Claxton, and Powell are right up there!  You can do one with every surname in your tree, as I did, or you can limit it to just your immediate or extended family.  It's entirely up to you.

How did I learn about Surname Word Clouds and how to make one?  I am so glad you asked!  Thanks to Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings.com, I read his weekly post of the Best of the Genea-Blogs -- Week of 13 to 19 September 2026 and found a link to Doris Kenney's blog, A Tree With No Name.  You can read the excellent directions she provides on her post Updating My Genealogy Surname Word Cloud - and a Little Blog Housekeeping and make your own!  (And I got a new blogging friend out of deal, too!)

I'm going to hold on to her post for future updates like she did.  It will interesting to see how the surnames "grow" in my cloud.

(Please note that I had to remove my underlines for an unknown surname from my list or 5 dashes would have appeared in the Word Cloud.  I really don't want to think about how many surnames I do not know!)

Tombstone Tuesday

 

Veta Irene Herrmann Barwick

buried at

Watson Cemetery
Adrian, Emanuel County, Georgia, USA

Military Monday

 

George W Watson

11 Oct 1921 or 1922 - 30 Jul 1944

Georgia, USA
TEC5 Infantry, 66 Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division
World War II

Draft Registration Card:

WWII Application for Headstone or Marker:

Note: Birth year in Military Records was 1922; in family records it was 1921.  

One family tree listed that he died in Kin, Liege, Belgium.  However, Google Gemini cannot find a town or village by that name in Belgium. Also, his regiment or division was not in Belgium in July of 1944.  They had landed on the beaches of Normandy in early June of that year and had been slowly fighting their way inland.  They did not arrive in Belgium until September.  So the exact location or circumstances of his death are unknown.  

Thank you for your service and ultimate sacrifice.  

Black Sheep Sunday - Part 11 (1956-1957) of From small town Georgia boy to notorious Texas (and beyond!) con man

 

This post is the 11th in a series of posts about the life of my cousin and con man Elridge Solomon Price, Sr.  You can find the other installments here:  

Part 1 (Preview up to 1913)  

Part 2 (1913-1930) 

Part 3 (1931-1934) 

Part 4 (1935-1939)  

Part 5 (1940) 

Part 6 (1941-1943) 

Part 7 (1944-1946)  

Part 8 (1947) 

Part 9 (1948-1950)

Part 10 (1951-1955)

Come 1956, it must have been Georgia's turn on the fraud spin wheel.  Elridge is indicted again.

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, March 27, 1956, Page 2

The following article out of Monroe, Louisiana, added a colorful description and some new, interesting information, i.e., "Cadillac and diamond necklace profits" and "assaulting a federal tax officer" !!  

Newspapers.com, The News-Star (formerly The Monroe News-Star), Monroe, Louisiana,
Wednesday, March 28, 1956, Page 9

(I checked and re-checked February of 1956 to try to find something about Elridge assaulting a federal tax officer, but I found nothing.)

Unfortunately, is appears that Edith is now neck deep in Elridge's shenanigans.

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, March 28, 1956, Page 3

Newspapers.com, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas,
Saturday, April 14, 1956, Page 2

Newspapers.com, Standard-Times (formerly San Angelo Standard-Times), San Angelo, Texas,
Saturday, April 14, 1956, Page 5

Newspapers.com, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas,
Saturday, May 05, 1956, Page 8

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Saturday, November 10, 1956, Page 2

Then it was 1957 and this picture about sums up Elridge's year, and it is just beginning!

In between all his other troubles, Elridge was sued by his workers in Colorado for not paying them.  This case will go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Newspapers.com, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Fort Collins, Colorado,
Wednesday, February 20, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Fort Collins, Colorado,
Monday, March 11, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, August 20, 1957, Page 19

Newspapers.com, The Valdosta Daily Times, Valdosta, Georgia,
Thursday, August 22, 1957, Page 16

Newspapers.com, The Valdosta Daily Times, Valdosta, Georgia,
Tuesday, September 10, 1957, Page 1

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, September 10, 1957, Page 6

Newspapers.com, Standard-Times (formerly San Angelo Standard-Times), San Angelo, Texas, 
Wednesday, September 11, 1957, Page 1

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, September 11, 1957, Page 1

Newspaper.com, The Houston Post, Houston, Texas,
Thursday, September 12, 1957, Page 51

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Thursday, September 12, 1957, Page 31

Newspapers.com, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, North Carolina,
Friday, September 13, 1957, Page 35

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Friday, September 13, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, Standard-Times (formerly San Angelo Standard-Times), San Angelo, Texas,
Saturday, September 14, 1957, Page 1

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, September 17, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, September 18, 1957, Pages 1 & 4

Newspapers.com, Tyler Morning Telegraph, Tyler, Texas,
Thursday, September 19, 1957, Page 16

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Thursday, September 19, 1957, Pages 1 & 18

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Saturday, September 21, 1957, Page 9

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Saturday, September 21, 1957, Pages 1 & 15

Newspapers.com, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Fort Collins, Colorado,
Monday, September 23, 1957, Page 10

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Monday, September 23, 1957, Page 20

Newspapers.com, Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas,
Tuesday, September 24, 1957, Page 6

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, September 24, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, September 25, 1957, Pages 1 & 6

Newspapers.com, The Valdosta Daily Times, Valdosta, Georgia,
Thursday, September 26, 1957, Page 18

Newspapers.com, The Midland Reporter-Telegram, Midland, Texas,
Friday, September 27, 1957, Page 16

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Friday, September 27, 1957, Page 4

Newspapers.com, The Evening Mirror, Hillsboro, Texas,
Tuesday, October 01, 1957, Page 1

Newspapers.com, The Valdosta Daily Times, Valdosta, Georgia,
Tuesday, October 01, 1957, Page 12

Newspapers.com, The Odessa American, Odessa, Texas,
Wednesday, October 02, 1957, Page 1

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, October 02, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Midland Reporter-Telegram, Midland, Texas,
Thursday, October 03, 1957, Page 4

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Thursday, October 03, 1957, Page 55

Newspapers.com, The Evening Mirror, Hillsboro, Texas,
Friday, October 04, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Friday, October 04, 1957, Pages 1 & 4

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Saturday, October 05, 1957, Page 8

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, October 08, 1957, Page 10

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, October 08, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, October 09, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Thursday, October 10, 1957, Page 15

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Thursday, October 10, 1957, Page 17

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Friday, October 11, 1957, Page 8

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Saturday, October 12, 1957, Page 3

Newspapers.com, Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas,
Saturday, October 12, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Saturday, October 12, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Monday, October 14, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, October 15, 1957, Page 6

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, October 15, 1957, Pages 1 & 11

Newspapers.com, The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, Colorado,
Wednesday, October 16, 1957, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, October 16, 1957, Page 5

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Wednesday, October 16, 1957, Pages 1 & 8

Newspapers.com, The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, Colorado,
Thursday, October 17, 1957, Page 5

Newspapers.com, The Tulsa Tribune, Tulsa, Oklahoma,
Friday, October 18, 1957, Page 1

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Saturday, October 19, 1957 Page 2

Newspapers.com, Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas,
Saturday, November 09, 1957, Page 20

Here's my question. He was in federal court in Atlanta.  Then why did he go all the way down to Pensacola, Florida to the hospital for treatment of the flu???

Newspapers.com, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Fort Collins, Colorado,
Monday, November 11, 1957, Page 4

Newspapers.com, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia,
Friday, November 22, 1957, Page 1

It was a tough couple of years for Elridge.  Come back in a week to see what happens next.  Will he actually go to prison?  Or will he win his appeal? With Elridge, there is no predicting the outcome of any situation.