Sunday, January 31, 2021

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021 (Week 4): Favorite Photo

 Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is again hosting the blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021.  I'm going to try to participate more fully this year.  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.  

The Theme for Week 4 (Jan 25-31) is Favorite Photo.

Most of my favorite photos had already been shared on this blog.  However, I kept looking, and I think I finally found a contender.



This a picture of my Great Uncle Kenneth Carter Ranney (1909-1989).  I am guessing this photo was taken in Duplain, Clinton County, Michigan about 1920.  That would have made Uncle Kenneth about 11 years old, and that seems about right.  

That is a kitten on his head, and a chicken near him.  His father, Luther Boardman Ranney (1870-1943), was a farmer in Michigan before the family moved to California.  This picture has all the markings of having been taken on a farm, right down to Uncle Kenneth's overalls and boots.  

Someone, possibly his mother, Bessie Alice Carter Ranney (1883-1960), wrote on this picture, "Kenneth acting silly."  I'm glad in the midst of the hard work of a farm, the children could find a moment to enjoy themselves and act a little silly.

Oh, and the love of cats passed right down from Bessie to her children, including my grandmother, to my mother, and to me.  

Saturday, January 30, 2021

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Best Summer Vacation as a Kid

 From Randy (cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night 
time for more Genealogy Fun!!!


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

(1)  Tell us about a memorable summer vacation when you were a child.  What are your memories of summer vacations with your family? Did you travel? How? Did you visit extended family? Who?

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

Here's mine:

We went on vacation every year.  It was always the mountains of North Carolina, and it was always the week of my birthday, my father's birthday, and Father's Day.  I can remember having a birthday cake and presents in a motel room in Lake Lure one year.  I remember my father barely going 20 miles an hour the last stretch into Lake Lure, and I was about to go crazy, wanting him to HURRY UP ALREADY!  I really don't remember  much about these trips.  I just know it was the ONLY time we ate out was on that once-a-year vacation.  (My poor mother.)  My father wanted to go to Lake Lure every year, and I think that's probably where my aversion came from of going the same place over and over.  I want to see new things.  I can't think of a time since I've been an adult that I have visited the same place twice on vacation.  

Angela and me at Lake Lure, NC


I think we went other places at other times with Colene and Robert.  Grandfather Mountain and Chimney Rock (both in North Carolina.)  We may have gone to Florida a few times with them also. 

Here I am at Chimney Rock, NC
 

Grandfather Mountain, NC
Front:  Missi and Colene's Grandson, Kenny
Back: Angela, Mom, me, and Harry Jr


In 1977, I remember we went to Six Flags outside Atlanta.  Probably the only reason I remember that is we heard on the radio on the way home that Elvis had died.  

I also can remember going to Chattanooga, Tennessee to Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain one time.  All I remember of that trip is my father rushing through and not wanting to look at anything.

I don't recall us ever going to the beach.  Our swimming was in the motel pool or lakes.

Over the years, other kids joined us on vacation.  Colene's niece, Angela, my nephew, Harry Jr., and my niece, Missi, all joined us at least once.  

While I don't remember much of these trips, I am thankful that my parents recognized the importance of getting away for a vacation at least once a year.  I still feel that is important.  I am not able to do much traveling anymore - my vacations consist of visiting Georgia and cemeteries!  


Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Time Capsule Tuesday

 


My sweet cousin, Sheri, had a birthday last Friday.  She was born January 22, 1975.  Let's see what was going on the year she was born.

January 22, 1975 was a Wednesday.  

In the United States, the most popular baby name is Amy.  This name was given to 32,252 baby girls.  For the boys, it is Michael. This name was recorded 68,454 times in the year 1975.

The generation born between 1961 and 1979 is called Generation X.  This generation grew up right at the start of the technological revolution, are considered comfortable with technology, but not tethered to it as younger generations.  Generation Xers were born soon after the baby boomers and are associated with the hippie era.  They are often perceived as directionless and disaffected.  

The President of the United States was Gerald Ford.  The Vice President was Nelson Rockefeller.

In 1975 the unemployment rate in the United States reached 9.2% and a recession is recognized by President Ford.  The first ever strike by doctors in the U.S. caused hospitals to reduce services.  The Vietnam war ended.  Jimmy Hoffa, the ex-Teamsters boss, disappears and is never seen again.  Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC. Bruce Springsteen released his third album, Born to Run, widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.  Muhammad Ali beat Joe Fraser in the "Thriller in Manilla" match. Betamax and VHS tapes were introduced. Patty Hearst is arrested for armed robbery.  The blockbuster movie Jaws was released. Motorola obtains a patent for the first portable mobile phone. BIC launches the first disposable razor. Microsoft becomes a registered trademark and the personal computer was born.  


Historical Events on January 22, 1975

After 50 years, the U.S. ratified the Geneva Protocol of 1925, a treaty to ban the use of poison gases in wartime.

Landsat 2, the second in a series of American satellites designed to photograph images around the world, was launched.  


1975 Prices

Bread:  $0.28/loaf

Milk: $1.40/gal

Eggs:  $1.26/dozen

Car: $4,950

Gas: $0.57/gal

House: $42,600

Stamp: $0.10/each

Average Income: $15,546/year

Minimum Wage: $2.10/hour


Top Songs for 1975:

That's the Way (I Like It) by KC & the Sunshine Band

Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille

Jive Talkin' by Bee Gees

and the #1 song on January 22:  Please Mr. Postman by the Carpenters



 Top Books in 1975:

The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell

A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell

M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton

Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow


Academy Award Winners of 1932:

Best Picture:  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, directed by Milos Forman

Best Actor: Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Best Actress: Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest


People Born on January 22:

1931 - Sam Cooke, Clarksdale, MS, gospel and blues singer (You Send Me, Another Saturday night, Twisting the Night Away)

1934 - Bill Bixby, San Francisco, CA, actor (Incredible Hulk, My Favorite Martian)

1949 - Steve Perry, Hanford, CA, singer (Journey - Open Arms, Oh Sherry)


TV shows that ended in 1975:

The Odd Couple 

Adam-12

Gunsmoke


Hot New Toys in 1975:

Holly Hobbie Oven

Hello Kitty

Payday game

Evel Knieval Road and Trail Adventure Set


Sunday, January 24, 2021

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021 (Week 3): Namesake

 Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is again hosting the blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021.  I'm going to try to participate more fully this year.  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.  

The Theme for Week 3 (Jan 18-24) is Namesake. 

Since I have covered previously who I was named after (You can read that post here.), I decided to go in a different direction for this post.  There are two towns in Georgia that were named for members of my family.

Swainsboro is a city in and the county seat of Emanuel County, Georgia. It is where I grew up from ages 8-18.  In 1822, the Georgia State Legislature established "Swainsborough" as the seat of Emanuel County. The town was named in recognition of Stephen Swain the state senator who introduced the bill for the county's creation in 1812.  

Stephen Swain (1768-?) was my 4th great uncle, the son of Stephen Swain (1746-1796) and Ann Elizabeth Spruill Swain (1748-1792).  The younger Stephen had a brother named Canneth who is my 3rd Great Grandfather.  

Senator Swain served in the Georgia Assembly for more than twenty years.  

As a side note, believe it or not, the town's name was changed to "Paris" at its incorporation on February 18, 1854, but three years later reverted to its current name and spelling of Swainsboro.  

In the town's early days, Swainsboro depended on railroads for transportation. However, in the 1930s, many of the town's streets and sidewalks were paved, and Swainsboro found itself at the intersection of two major national highways, U.S. 1 and U.S. 80, thus earning its city motto: "Crossroads of the Great South." U.S. 1 was the principal highway from Maine to Key West and U.S. 80, at that time, ran from Tybee Island, Georgia to San Diego, California.  

While growing up, I lived on Highway 80 West going toward Dublin.  I had no idea at the time that the town had any ties to my family history.  

Kite is a city in Johnson County, Georgia, along the Little Ohoopee River.  Kite is 13 miles northwest of Swainsboro on Highway 57.  My father grew up in and around Kite.  I have and had many, many family members in Kite and Johnson County.  

The town was named for Shaderick Jasper Kight, Jr., (1818-1893) who donated the land to build the town. He requested the simpler spelling of the name for more efficient mail delivery and processing.  The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Kite in 1891.

While Shaderick Kight Jr is not technically related to me, he does cross over into my family many, many times.  First of all, he was married to my 2nd cousin, 7x removed,  Millie Norris Kight.  He was the great uncle of Maud Wheeler, who was the wife of my great uncle, Bascom Tapley.  He was the 2nd great uncle of Maggie V. Powell, the wife of another of my great uncles, James L Tapley (brother of Bascom). That is just three examples.  I counted a total of 21 ways Shaderick Kight was intertwined with my family.  

Kite is basically a crossroads, with a population in 2010 of only 241.  The crossroads is made up of U.S. Route 221 and as mentioned, Georgia State Route 57. Kite has a total area of only about 0.81 square miles.  

Historic photo of downtown Kite.  
Date unknown.

So as you can see, even a town can be a namesake.  

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - You Might be a Genealogist IF...

 From Randy (my newest cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night 
time for more Genealogy Fun!!!


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

(1)  Make up your own "You Might be a Genealogist IF..." sayings.  One or two.  Or lots.  The more the merrier.  

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

Here's mine:

You might be a genealogist IF... you'd rather research than EAT or SLEEP.

You might be a genealogist IF... your idea of vacation is visiting cemeteries and libraries.  

You might be a genealogist IF... you Facebook Message strangers to "introduce" yourself as their cousin.

You might be a genealogist IF... you have more than 17,000 people in your genealogy software.

You might be a genealogist IF... you don't have enough bookshelves for all of the genealogy books you own and the research notebooks for each family surname!

Sunday, January 17, 2021

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021 (Week 2): Family Legend

 Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is again hosting the blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021.  I'm going to try to participate more fully this year.  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.  

The Theme for Week 2 (Jan 11-17) is Family Legend. 

John Russell Tapley (1917-1967), a/k/a Russ, a/k/a Uncle Russ (to me) was my father's brother.  He was the second oldest child (of 6) of Nealie Drake Tapley and the sixth child (of 10) of Lusion Keman Tapley.  

From the stories I have been told through the years from my dad, my other uncles, my mom, my cousin, Ronnie, etc., it is obvious that Russ was a force to be reckoned with from the time he was a child.  He was mischievous, and I am sure that Grandma Nealie wanted to pull her hair out at times at his antics.  

By the time he was a teenager, he was big and strong, and definitely had his own mind.  I think he was the only one brave enough to run from his mother.  Whether he didn't want to do what Nealie told him at that moment or he simply had done something that he needed to be punished for, he would take off running across the fields.  Nealie would tell his brother, Dorsey, to go bring him back.  Now Dorsey could catch up with Russ, no problem.  However, he couldn't talk Russ into coming back.  This put Dorsey in an impossible position because if he laid a hand on his brother, Russ would beat him.  But if he came back to his mother without Russ, Nealie would beat him.  I think he just kept running with Russ, begging him to come back.  LOL.  

So Russ wouldn't get his punishment... that particular day.  Grandma Nealie would warn the kids that they would get it - when they least expected it.  Sure enough, it might be two weeks later, she would set the alarm to get up in the middle of the night.  She would get a switch and go into Russ's room, which he shared the room and the bed with Dorsey, and she would just start bringing that switch down on Russ while he was asleep.  Remember I mentioned how strong he was?  Well, he managed to grab the mattress on both sides and flip it over to protect himself from the blows.  Unfortunately, Dorsey would get dumped out and all the lashes fell on him.   LOL.

To be a big boy like he was, Russ was also nimble.  Nealie would get after  him and he would run across the room and jump behind the piano.  It sat across the corner of the room.  He would grab both sides and hold it so no one could pull the piano out.  LOL.

I have always wondered how long before Grandma Nealie just gave up.  Probably shaking her head.  

Around 1941, Uncle Russ, along with Nealie, my father, and their sister, Irene, moved to Jacksonville, Florida.  I do not know the reason, but I can theorize that it was for better job opportunities.  They were sharecroppers in Johnson County, Georgia. Two of Grandma Nealie's brothers lived in Jacksonville and perhaps encouraged the move.  They may have even offered to teach Uncle Russ construction.  He became a carpenter and was a really good one.

Then in 1942, when Russ was 25 years old, he was drafted into the Army and sent to fight in World War II.  I was able to get his DD 214 and this is how they described Russ when he was discharged in 1944:  He had blue eyes, red hair, and a ruddy complexion.  He was 5 foot, 11 1/4 inches in height.  His character was Excellent.  He completed 1 year, 11 months, and 18 days of service.  He was in the infantry and took part in the Italian Campaign in June 1944.   He earned a Combat Infantry Badge and a Bronze Star. He was only in Europe for three months.  He was given an honorable discharge.  


What the paperwork doesn't say is the hell Russ went through and the horrors he saw over there.  He was discharged because he suffered from PTSD (shell shocked they called it then).  For all his strength, Russ was tenderhearted and a peacemaker.  I am sure he could not reconcile this with the terrible things that he saw happen during combat.  I've been told that he never spoke of his time in the war.  

While Russ was away, his mother, Irene, and my dad, Gilbert, moved back to Kite, Georgia.  Again, I am sure it was a money issue since they depended on Uncle Russ for support, and he wasn't there.  While back in Kite, my dad got into some trouble and ended up in juvenile for 14 months.  When he got out, he went to Macon and stayed with his oldest brother, James "Fella."  

When Russ was discharged in October of 1944, he came through Macon and picked up my dad on his way back to Jacksonville. They went to work in construction and Nealie joined them at some point.

In 1946, Russ married the love of his life, Elizabeth Taylor.  Thankfully, she was of the same mind as him about family because there was almost always someone visiting or staying with them.  Their door was wide open.  They were never able to have children of their own so they spoiled the nieces and nephews.  If anyone was made to be a father, it would have been Russ, but instead he served as the father-figure for many of the children in the family.  Several of them stayed with him at one time or another.  Ronnie lived with him as a teenager.  My cousin, Jackie, that just passed away last weekend, stayed with them for awhile.  All of the children spent time over there at one time or another. 


 Russ was a fun uncle.  He was happy-go-lucky.  Always telling jokes and seeing the funny in any situation. He had a parakeet named Budgie that he could train to say anything.  Unfortunately a lot of what Budgie learned was cuss words, and if the kids tried to touch him, he would cuss them out!  Russ loved kids, animals, and a good steak!  He also loved his recliner (or chair as it was probably called back then).


Russ was the peacemaker in the family.  If there was conflict between any of the siblings, he was the one that got it smoothed over.  He was a kind man and just naturally drew people to him. I've been told it is hard to describe that quality he had, but everyone just felt it.  Oh, he had the Tapley temper, but it would blow over.  My cousin, Ronnie, did not grow up in a good situation, and he says he doesn't know what would have happened to him if Russ had not taken him in.  He said that living with Uncle Russ and Aunt Elizabeth was the only place that felt like a normal family situation for him.  Everyone loved Uncle Russ.  He was the glue that held our particular Tapley family together.  That became obvious after he passed away.

What about me?  Was Uncle Russ good to me, too?  Unfortunately, I was never given the chance to find out.  I was born on June 16, 1967.  (I'm a good 20 years younger than all of my first cousins.)  We were living in Augusta at the time, so Daddy called Russ to tell him about me.  Uncle Russ was ready to get in the car right then and drive 5-6 hours to see me.  However, Uncle Russ had experienced health problems for a few years, and all of the Tapleys have heart trouble, so Daddy told him it was too hot for him to drive up in his car, which did not have a/c.  He told him to wait and get Dorsey (who also lived in the Jacksonville area) to drive him up in his air conditioned car.  Sadly, that day didn't come.

Uncle Russ turned 50 on July 5, 1967.  Five days later, on the 10th, he suffered a massive heart attack and died instantly.  The news sent shock waves throughout the family.  Grandma Nealie was never the same.  She basically gave up after his death.  She died only 3 years later - on July 4th.  All of the siblings were hurting.  All of the nieces and nephews were, too.  Ronnie still wells up with tears whenever he tries to talk about it.  I am sure that Powell's Chapel church was overflowing the day of his funeral.  I was even there that day, at only about 4-5 weeks old.  My mom says it was so hot in the church, and I just wouldn't stop crying.  So my cousin, Joann, took me outside and calmed me until the funeral was over.


After Uncle Russ passed, things were never the same again.  Aunt Elizabeth remarried and none of the males of the family liked it.  Siblings had falling outs and didn't speak to each other for years.  No one got together anymore.  So it is no understatement to say he was the glue that held this family together.  Without him, they were lost.  He left a void that no one else could fill.  When Dorsey and my dad neared the end of their lives, they talked a lot about being ready to see Russ again.  I grew up hearing stories about him, and always have said that if there was one person who I would like to meet, it would be him.  He was a constant presence in our lives, but he was no longer the safety net.  

Russ was definitely the Tapley's family legend.  

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Our "Academy of Genealogy and Family History" (AGFH) Nominees

 From Randy (my newest cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night 
time for more Genealogy Fun!!!


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

(1)  Does anyone recall the Academy of Genealogy and Family History (AGFH) awards from back in the 2008-2012 time frame, hosted by Jasia on Creative gene? Genea-bloggers would nominate blog entries in different categories, and Jasia would collect all of them with links to each blogger's post.  The bloggers selected their own posts for nominations.

(2) This week, let us nominate the "best" posts from 2020 that we wrote in these categories:

*  Best Picture (a photograph)
* Best Screenplay (a story)
* Best Documentary (a series)
* Best Biography
* Best Comedy

(3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a post on Facebook.  

Here's mine:

* Best Picture (a photograph):


This picture was taken of me circa 1972-1973 in Swainsboro,  Georgia at my Pop Pop's house (Charles Morgan Tapley).  He is probably the one who bought me the fridge.  I don't remember much, but I do know I thoroughly enjoyed playing with that fridge.  This was my choice for Best Picture for 2020 because I was young and cute then and was having a great time.  

* Best Screenplay (a story):

Disaster is a blog post I wrote for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  It is the story about my paternal grandparents, Lusion K Tapley and Nealie Drake Tapley, losing their farm during the Great Depression.  


* Best Documentary (a series):

The series I started in September 2020, Time Capsule Tuesdays, requires the most research and seems to be a favorite of my readers.  I cover what was going on in the United States on a family member's birth date, date of death, or anniversary.  The first one I did was February 9, 1883, my great-grandmother's, Bessie Carter Ranney, date of birth.   

* Best Biography:

I wrote a post for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks about my maternal grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley, called Strong Woman.  It's my favorite of the posts I wrote about an individual ancestor last year.  

* Best Comedy:

The only comedy I included on my blog was my favorite Christmas Song:  Ray Stevens' "Santa Claus Is Watching You" from another Saturday Night Genealogy Post, Blog Caroling.  It is pretty funny through.


Thursday, January 14, 2021

A Time Line for William Lovick Drake

Family Search sent me another email today with a timeline for one of my ancestors.  This time it was for my Great Uncle, William Lovick Drake.  

This is my connection to William Lovick Drake:

Liz (that's me!)

↓↓↓

Gilbert Earl Tapley, 1928-2008 (my father)

↓↓↓

Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley, 1895-1970 (my grandmother)

↓↓↓ 

her brother, 

William Lovick Drake, 1892-1912 (my great-uncle)


Time Line for the life of William Lovick Drake 

1892

Age 0

 

Birth

02 Oct 1892

Emanuel County, Georgia

1893

Age 1

Historical Event

The Last Public Hanging in Georgia was on 28 Sep 1893. The General Assembly prohibited public executions in December 1893. Prior to this law, Georgians commonly traveled to witness scheduled public executions.

 

1900

Age 7

 

 

Historical Event

Trading Wildlife. This law prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been taken, possessed, transported, or sold illegally.

 

1900

Age 7

Residence

Lothair, Zaidee, Montgomery County, Georgia

 

1906

Age 13

 

 

Historical Event

The Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 occurred on the evening of September 22 through September 24. A newspaper reported the rapes of four white women by African American men. Fueled by pre-existing racial tensions, these reports enraged white men who then arranged gangs to attack African American men. Over the next few days, several thousand white men joined in and in the end, 26 people were killed and many were injured.

 

1910

Age 17

Residence

Emanuel County, Georgia

 

 

1912

Age 20

Death

William Lovick Drake passed away on 17 Dec 1912 in Emanuel County, Georgia of Typhoid Fever. 

 

1912

Burial

Lovick was buried on 20 Dec 1912 at Poplar Springs Methodist Church Cemetery, Adrian, Johnson County, Georgia

 

 As you can see in his obituary, Typhoid Fever swept through the family that year, but only Lovick and his oldest sister, Hattie Drake Wise (1884-1912) did not survive.  However, it must have been unimaginably hard to lose two children within five months of each other.  The obituary even mentions that the family suffered for seven months after Lovick's death.  From all that I have seen, Lovick was a good boy who was probably headed into a career in the ministry like his father, and his death so young was a tragedy.

(Please note that the obituary states Lovick's birthday as September 2, but his headstone and all other records I have seen state October 2.)





Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Time Capsule Tuesday

 


Today is my Aunt Evelyn's 89th birthday.  She was born January 12, 1932.  She is my mother's sister; the only aunt I have left.  So let's see what was going on the year she was born.

January 12, 1932 was a Tuesday (just like this year!).  Also, 1932 was a leap year.

In the United States, the most popular baby name is Betty.  This name was given to 34,411 baby girls.  For the boys, it is Robert. This name was recorded 59,259 times in the year 1932.

The generation born between 1928 and 1945 is called the Silent Generation.  This generation was comparatively small because the Great Depression and World War II caused people to have fewer children. The generation was so named because it was mostly silent; it did not issue manifestoes, make speeches or carry posters.  They tended to be thrifty and even miserly.  They were about "working within the system." They kept their heads down and worked hard. They preferred to play it safe.

The President of the United States was Herbert C. Hoover.  The Vice President was Charles Curtis.

In 1932 the economy continued to deteriorate and unemployment increased to 24.1%.  There were few jobs and many ordinary Americans were forced into living in the streets or in old cars. Toward the end of the year in November, the American voter used the power of Democracy to show Herbert Hoover what they thought of his term of presidency during these bad times and voted strongly in favor of Franklin D. Roosevelt by 472 electoral votes to 59. 

Also in 1932, Al Capone was convicted for income tax evasion.  Amelia Earhart becomes the first female aviator to successfully fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Mahatma Gandhi goes on a hunger strike. Sydney Harbor Bridge opens.

The 1930s as a whole saw dust storms, the growth of shanty towns caused by the Great Depression, and what many consider an upside down world were bank robbers were seen as heroes, not villains.  

Historical Events on January 12, 1932

Hattie W. Caraway was elected the first woman senator (D-Arkansas).

Phillip Barry's "Animal Kingdom" premieres in New York City.


1932 Prices

Bread:  $0.07/loaf

Milk: $0.43/gal

Eggs:  $0.51/dozen

Car: $540

Gas: $0.18/gal

House: $6,515

Stamp: $0.03/each

Average Income: $1,431/year


Top Songs for 1932:

Louisiana Hayride by Howard Dietz

April in Paris by E. G. Harburg

Three's a Crowd by Al Dubin

Willow Weep for Me by Irving Berlin



 Top Books in 1932:

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Selected Essays, 1917-1932 by T. S. Eliot

Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer

Light in August by William Faulkner


Academy Award Winners of 1932:

Best Picture:  Grand Hotel, produced by MGM

Best Actor: Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Best Actress: Helen Hayes in Sin of Madelon Claudet 


People Born on January 12:

1737 - John Hancock, patriot (First to sign the Declaration of Independence)

1876 - Jack London, writer/socialist (Call of the Wild)

1906 - Tex Ritter, country singer (5 Start Jubilee, The Wayward Wind)

1951 - Kirstie Allen, actress (Star Trek II, Cheers)


Sources: 

 The People History, http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1930s.html 

Wikipedia: Silent Generation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Generation

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - What Do You Take After Your Parents and/or Grandparents?

 From Randy (my newest cousin discovery!!) 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 do you take after or favor from your parents and/or grandparents? It could be looks, traits, mannerisms, speech, etc.

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

Psssst.... I suggested this topic to Randy.  Oh the pressure!

Here's mine:

(1)  Well, let's just start with my mother.  We look just alike.  She has actually had folks come up to her in the grocery store and ask her if she was my mother!  
         My mother as a baby.                                                                       Me as a baby.

I got her nose.  I also got her hair: thick, blonde as a baby and mousy brown as an adult with lots of gray mixed in as we got older.  

My being overweight is a trait shared with 3 generations of my mom's family before me.  Also is suffering from depression.

I am soft-hearted like her.  My kind, nice, sweet side definitely comes from her.  (Remember, I'm a Gemini so I have two sides!)

My hands look just hers.  I got my eye color from her.  I'm clumsy like her.  I have started choking for no reason just like her!  I got my independent streak from her.  I also think I got my sense of humor from her.  I also got her willingness to work hard.

I got my love of reading from my mom.  Also, a love of traveling and seeing new places.  Best of all, I got my love of animals from my mother. 

(2) Now, let's take a look at my dad.

 

I got that Tapley high forehead from him.  And perhaps the shape of my eyes.  You can't tell from these pictures, but I got my height from him.  He used to say that I reminded him of his mother, Nealie Drake Tapley, in the way I walked.  

I got my mean side from him.  My temper.  The anger and paranoia I got from him.  My tendency to be loud (which everyone thinks is me yelling)... that's from him.  Unfortunately, I also inherited his habit of being really hard on people and expecting a lot from them, and judging them when they didn't meet his standards.  

I start a project, get sidetracked to another project, and then get bored with the second project, so I jump to a third project.  Meanwhile nothing gets finished.  That I definitely got from him.  

There's a certain mannerism - the way he would hold his hand to his chin and run his finger back and forth over his mouth when he was doing some deep thinking - that I have caught myself doing.  

I got my love of story telling from my dad.  I use clichés like he did.  Very southern clichés.  "One thing always leads to something else." "White on rice" "burn the candle at both ends" "That takes the cake" "Who's skinning this cat?" "Katie barred the door" "Talk till you're blue in the face" "still waters run deep" "Wash one's hands of" something.   

(3)  My maternal grandparents:


From Pop Pop, I think I got his love of genealogy and perhaps his love of photography.  

(4)  My paternal grandparents:


I never knew my paternal grandfather and my Grandma Nealie died when I was 3.  So I really don't know what all I might have gotten from them.  

I know my height came from Grandma Nealie through my father to me.  Papa Lusion Tapley was very tall himself.  

Grandma was a strong woman who worked very, very hard.  I like think I got some of that from her.  

We are a product of our ancestors in many, many ways.  I'm OK with that... and proud.