A Photobook for Father's Day, 2010

Several months ago, I posted a blog entry for Mother's Day which featured an album of vintage and recent photographs of my mother. I used an online photo album called "Snapfish dot com" to create a photobook which I then presented to Mom for Mother's Day. At the time, I proposed to create a similar photo album for my father. And now, several months after June, I finally present my "Father's Day" PhotoBook. Actually, my father died many years ago, in 1973, so I do not have as many pictures of him as I did of my mother. I have learned a little more about the process of creating Photobooks. I was able to place 104 pictures into 32 pages of my Father's album. (For Mom's PhotoBook, I placed 45 pictures into 20 pages).



Image 1 (above): Cover of my Father's Day PhotoBook. It is 8.5 x 10.5 inches, landscape orientation.



Image 2 (above): Father's Day Photobook, Page 2 and 3. My objective in these books is to present a bit of genealogy of my parents as well as a chronology of events in their lives. On the left page, I show an abbreviated pedigree of my father's known ancestors including their images. (click to enlarge) The chart was created with Microsoft Power Point. On the right page are my father's biological parents (Streich and Russell) and adopted parents (Kramp and Streich). Dad was adopted by his aunt (Otto Streich's sister). Note that I made a grievous mistake and captioned both pictures as "biological" parents. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford an editor. So, I corrected the caption on the far right with a Sharpie marker. Realize that these are limited printings of the book. So mistakes like these are easy to correct even though it looks like heck. There may be a second edition published some day with the corrections.



Image 3 (above): Father's Day Photobook, page 16 and 17.
More pages of the Photobook showing different templates in which up to 8 photos are placed on a page. On left page, are pictures of my father, mother, and their first child (me). On the right, are images of my father's career represented by a Linotype machine and a vintage picture of the Washington (District of Columbia) Evening Star- one of Dad's early employers.

I have dozens of pictures of my father which do not appear in this Photobook. It's difficult to choose the best representative pictures. So, as in the case of my mother, I plan to create a more comprehensive slide show on my online, Roxio PhotoShow site on the Internet.

LINKS and REFERENCES:
Photobook of my Mother and a link to her Roxio PhotoShow.

Vintage Baby pictures- HOLD STILL!

Chris, a friend of mine, was recently browsing an antique store in Barnegut, New Jersey, and found a magazine for collectors of postcards and other paper items. He mailed me a copy, because he knew that I enjoy collecting postcards which illustrate my family history. Incidentally, Chris collects old 45 rpm records; one time he tracked down a copy for me of Lee Dorsey's "Working in a Coal Mine". The song ends with the line, "Ohhh, I'm so tired".

In the studio photographs shown above, do you see the ghostly shape of another human being behind the baby- but hidden by a drape or curtain?

The January 2010 issue of The Paper and Advertising Collectors Marketplace (PAC CM) had an interesting article on "Uncovering the Hidden Mother (and Father) in Photographs. In the nineteenth century, exposure times for photographs were often measured by several seconds rather than fractions of a second as in modern cameras. So, how does a photographer hold a squirming baby down long enough to take an un-blurred picture- and still focus mainly on the baby? One way is to have the mother sit in a chair, hold the baby, and cover the mother's face with a drape or curtain.

The PAC CM magazine article mentioned several other techniques. In some cases, holes in the back of the chair were large enough for the mother to squat down and reach through the holes to hold the baby. A photographer named Fred Pohle invented a medal holder which babies were strapped into and held motionless for the photographer. Perhaps a less traumatic method was for the mother to hold the baby and then be cropped out of the picture during the processing or matting the picture so that the mother was hidden in the frame of the mounted photograph.

The article prompted me to go through my own photo collection looking for vintage baby pictures of my family to see if any of these techniques were used- particularly "Hidden mothers".

(click to enlarge; then use browser's "back" key)

Perhaps the oldest picture in my collection (see above) is that of my great grandparents, Thomas W. Russell and Eleanor, nee. Hartley, holding their second- and third- born children, Nicholson and Jane Ann or "Jenny". The date of the photo, 1880, is easy to pinpoint. Jenny was born in Sep 1879 and looks about a year old or less. The photo was taken at Schmiechen Studios in Sunderland, County Durham, England, and by Aug 1881, the family, or at least the father Thomas, had immigrated to Pennsylvania. In the picture you can see the parents have a pretty tight hold on the children, particularly holding their arms or tiny little hands.

Unfortunately, the first two children, both daughters, of Thomas and Eleanor died before this picture was taken. One daughter died at about a year; the other daughter, at 11 years. One of the points of the PAC CM article was that often pictures of children were taken because of the high infant mortality in the mid-19th century. The photographs served as reminders.

My great grandfather, Joseph Austel, had 10 children by his first wife, but only one child by his second wife, Rosa, nee. Friedrich. Rosa had a valued picture of the son, Paul, who died in 1904 at age 4 or 5 years. Rosa kept the photograph on an alter that she put together herself and placed at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor. She kept a candle burning on the alter. My mother remembers her grandmother praying at the makeshift alter, but somehow, the picture of Paul has been lost.

The two baby pictures above show my maternal grandfather, Charles Anton Gailliot, born 1894, and his first cousin, once removed, Mildred Ann "Millie" Gailliot, born 1907. Their common ancestors were Anton Gailliot and Johanna "Helena" Schlebusch. Both babies are propped on a chair and lay on what looks like sheep skins. Perhaps these shaggy foundations gave more warmth and comfort than if not present. Would that not have been a calming influence on a baby? In Millie's picture, on the right, there seems to be a folded piece of material behind her head. Could this be her "hidden mother". In certainly does not look like part of the chair. I like the cute way Millie is grasping the back of the chair in her left hand.

By the early twentieth century, cameras and films had improved so that exposure times were reduced, and thus the pictures were less likely to be blurred by the subject's movement. Still, the youngest child in the middle of these offspring of Robert William Kramp and Martha, nee. Streich (on left) apparently needed to be steadied. Note the sister holding the baby's hand.

On the right, is my grandmother's sister, Mrs. Rose Salmon, nee. Austel, holding her first child, John. John's left hand seems to be slightly blurred compared to the rest of the picture. I'm glad the beautiful mother in this case was not hidden.

LINKS AND REFERENCES:

1. Go to the homepage of The Paper and Advertising Collectors' Marketplace. Today, I could flip through the pages of their publication and see more pictures of "Hidden Mothers" in baby photographs including the whole text of the article. Perhaps in the future, one may have to look up Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jan 2010) on their site.

2. The "Dead Fred" genealogy photo archive web site also has an unidentified couple who were photographed at Bolko Schmieken Studios in England. I do not believe they are related to my family.

Extra Pedigree Ornament No. 5A, My Paternal Adopted Grandmother (My Grand Aunt)

Martha Strike (Streich), born 1880, at Peale, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania; died 1933, Ramey, Clearfield Co., PA; buried International Order of Odd Fellows, Brisbin, PA.

This book of Bible stories (excerpts) was given to Martha Strike on her 15th birthday, 10 June 1895. It is a relatively small book, 5 x 8 inches, and 290 pages. The first five pages are missing, so I have no information on the publisher or date of publication. However, the text was printed in German. The pair of images shown on the ornament include the card stock cover of the book and the book open to page number 219. It is the beginning of Chapter 24 which is subtitled, “Jesus, der Kinderfreund -- Der Blinde -- Zacchaeus”.

Regarding the children in this chapter:

Jesus’ followers ask Him, “Wer ist doch der Größte im Himmelreich?” (Who is now the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?).

Jesus called a child to stand in their midst and then said, “Wahrlich, ich sage euch, es sei denn, daß ihr euch umkehret und werdet wie die Kinder, so werdet ihr nicht ins Himmelreich kommen.” (Truly, I say to you, unless you change yourselves to be as like as the children, so you will never come into the Kingdom of Heaven.)

The Chapter goes on to describe the healing of a blind man near Jericho, and then deals with Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, who promises to give his belongings to the poor and undergo salvation.

The book did not contain any genealogical data.

Martha attended St. John’s German Lutheran Church in Houtzdale, Pennsylvania, as did other German immigrants in the community. Martha was the sister of Otto Strike. Martha married Robert William Kramp in December 1902, and later in 1918, became the foster parents of Martha’s nephew, Robert Karl Strike (son of Otto). Martha and her husband eventually adopted her nephew who changed his name to Robert Carl Kramp. He was my father.

There is another Bible in the hands of this Kramp family. In contrast to Martha's small book of Bible excerpts, which was given to her as a child, her husband obtained a very large Bible also printed in German which was passed down to their grandson, Robert Melvin Kramp. Several years ago, I took a picture of Robert holding the Book in his kitchen. Again, there was no genealogical data, such as vital statististics, written within the Book. Unfortunately, I did not obain any information on the Publisher of the Book on this first visit. I called Robert tonight to get more information about the book. He said the book was stored away. So, there you go. There are other dead ends besides brick walls.

Image: Robert M. Kramp holds an old Bible printed in German which once belonged to Robert W. "Pop" Kramp and Martha, nee. Strike.

Thanks to Herr Rudolf Kerbitz for translating portions of Martha's book.

Extra Pedigree Ornament No. 4A, My Adopted Grandfather

Robert William Kramp, born 1873 in Papritzfeldt, Kreis Stolp, Hinterpommern (Pomerania Province, Prussia), now Pomorskie Wojewodztwo, Poland; died 1963, Edinburg, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.


Image: My little brother and I pay a summer visit to our adopted grandfather, Robert William “Pop” Kramp, near Ramey, Pennslyvania, about 1948. (scanned 35 mm Ektachrome)

No, this is not a major deviation from my plan to include just my direct pedigree in this ornament project. My previous entry in this series presented my biological grandfather, Otto Streich (Ornament No. 4). However, I feel the need to also include my father’s adopted parents, Robert William Kramp, and his wife, the former Martha Strike. Actually, Martha was my father’s aunt (Otto Strike’s younger sister); so, there is in fact a biological connection. Robert W. Kramp and Martha, born Strike, had five children before they became foster parents of my father. These children were really my father’s first cousins, since Martha and Otto shared the same surviving parent, Mrs. Henrietta Streich-Wagner, born Hohnke. But Dad never knew the Kramp children by anything other than his brothers and sisters, at least while he was growing up in Ramey, Clearfield County, PA. There were two boys in the Kramp family, one of whom died of diabetes in 1925 when Dad was about six years old. The other step-brother was 15 years older than my Dad and the others were girls. So, Dad turned to the neighborhood boys for companionship. And I heard that between home chores, they had a great time playing sand-lot baseball, hitching a ride on the “Pennsy”, steam-driven train, into Houtzdale to see cowboy movies. Then when they returned home, they brought out the guitars and sang cowboy songs.

Mrs. Martha Kramp, born Strike, died in 1933, when Dad was only 15 years old. So, my brother and I never got to see our adopted grandmother (actually our biological grand aunt). But we did get to know Pop Kramp. He lived to the age of 90 years. Our family would usually make the trip from Bethesda, Maryland, up to the mountains of PA, to see Pop in the summer when school was out.

Pop Kramp sold his homestead in 1941 and then lived with his children for months at a time until the 1950s. He did not live with us however, mainly because we lived too far from his “home” area in Pennsylvania. But when he did come to our house to visit for a few days, my brother and I knew exactly what to do. We brought out our piggy banks, sat on the floor in front of his chair, and started to slowly count our hundred or so pennies. Then with a chuckle, Pop would throw out a couple of dollar bills on top of the pile pennies- to our immense delight.

Pop eventually settled down with his oldest daughter, Florence, for the remainder of his life. I recall that aunt Florence made the best home-made apple pies and bread. As I got into High school and beyond, I did not travel up to see Pop and Florence very often. Pop died the year before I graduated from college. Unfortunately, Aunt Florence died only four months before I decided to take almost a year off in 1992 to research my roots. Most of us have probably gone through the same loss of an elderly relative and with that the loss of a precious source of our family history.

Thus, in 1992, I returned by myself to the old homestead and blacksmith shop where Pop Kramp once lived and worked and where my father spent his childhood. I knocked on the door and told the present owner, an aged man, who turned out to be the late Mr. Shunkwiler, that I once knew the former inhabitants. He invited me in to look around the old house. He told me that he used to come down to Pop Kramp’s blacksmith shop behind the house to have his picks re-sharpened. Coal miners were responsible for keeping their own tools maintained. One day, Pop surprised him by offering to sell the house if he was interested. Shunkwiler responded that he didn’t have much money. He wound up buying the house for $900 (that’s nine Hundred dollars) and Pop Kramp went off to live with his children.



Image: The late Mr. Shunkwiler tells me how he came to own the house my adopted grandfather once owned. I asked Mr. Shunkwiler If he hunted with the shotgun standing by his bedside. “Not much”, he said, “I just keep it around to run off prying family historians”.

Believe that and I’ll tell you another one. The gun WAS real though.

Small World Department- Delfosse Descendant

I think it is because I do genealogy that I am so aware of people and events around me. Take a few days ago for example when a house guest and I were touring Old Salem in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Old Salem is a “living museum” created within the limits of the city. It was founded about 1753, as a settlement for a religious sect known as the Moravians from former Moravia in Bohemia, Germany. Today, Moravia is in western portion of the Republic of Czech. The descendants of the Moravians, with the help of others, preserved many of the homes of the original settlement and have recreated many of the shops and activities of the original settlers such as gardening and baking and gunsmiths.

My guest and I prepared to take a break on this warm, sunny Fall day and eat our fresh raisin and oatmeal cookies we had just purchased from the Moravian Bakery. I noticed the lady sitting across from me wore a name tag identifying her as Darlene Delfosse. I told her I was interested in her unique surname because one of my ancestors married a Delfosse.

“Oh, my husband was a Delfosse from Smoke Run, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania”, she informed me.

“And it’s nice that you pronounced the name correctly” she added. (I pronounced the ending like “boss” with a silent “e”).

Well that clinched it. Her late husband was undoubtedly related to the former Mae Louise Delfoss, who was the wife of my father’s step brother, Richard M. Kramp. Mrs. Mae Kramp, nee. Delfoss, or Mary as we called her, was a daughter of John B. “Jack” Delfosse and the granddaughter of Desire Delfosse and his wife, Marie. The progenitors had immigrated from Lievin, in northern France, in the 1880’s and settled in Pennsylvania. They had nine other children besides Jack Delfosse.

Image: Mrs. Darlene Delfosse, of Bern, North Carolina, whose husband's family line is related through marriage to our Kramp Family Line from Pennsylvania.

Of course, I did not have my computer with me; nor did I have my genealogy books and printouts nearby. And I didn’t even think of giving her one of my personal cards- which I had left at home anyway. From now on, I will carry several cards with me- at least giving information on how to access this blog. I wish I could have shown Darlene the following photograph taken at IOOF Cemetery, Brisbin, PA, which shows the tombstones of her husband’s ancestors.

Image (above): The Delfosse Plot at IOOF Cemetery, Brisbin, in southeastern Clearfield County, PA. Desire and Marie Delfosse were the grandparents of Mae Louise “Mary” Delfosse, who married Richard Melvin Kramp, son of Richard Otto Kramp and Bertha, nee. Fox. Louise M. Delfosse was the first of ten children born to Desire and Marie.

Incidentally, Mrs. Mary (Delfosse) Kramp was the last and only KRAMP listed in the Clearfield County (PA) telephone book before she died in August 2005.

One more note on the Delfosse name: On a recent car ride in Virginia, on state route 29, about halfway between Charlottsville and Danville, I noticed a road sign announcing the location of "Delfosse Winery". I better get up there again soon, as I may have a family discount waiting for me on a case of my favorite libation.

References and Links:
The Defosse Winery in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I would have never seen the details if I had not blogged this entry. It was there in Google all this time waiting for me to search and find it.

Three ran for Political office; two won

I’ve hardly been active in political causes. Probably because I moved around the country so much, I did not really have a chance to get involved in local politics. However, I always did my patriotic duty and voted in every National election since I was 18. Matter of fact the age of voting was reduced from the age of 21 to 18 years shortly before my first vote in an election. The age was reduced because of the Vietnam war. Some of us can recall the slogan, “if you are old enough to die (in the war), then you are old enough to vote”.

Usually, one must have lots of money and be a lawyer to run for national office. I guess it figures that if the US Congress is going to make laws, then being a lawyer would help in the creation of new laws. Thank goodness we have a different branch of the government to interpret the laws. That’s not to say that lawyers always make good laws- just that they can read them. However, some of our first politicians were not lawyers. Benjamin Franklin was a printer and a scientist, was he not? George Washington was a surveyor, soldier, and plantation owner. And, the list could go on.

However, at least three persons that I know of in our extended family ran for an elected office. Two were coal miners in Pennsylvania and one was a proprietor of an Automobile dealership in Syracuse, New York.

Robert Russell was a coal miner for most of his life, but he worked his way up to be a mining engineer. In 1900 in Clearfield County, PA, he was elected to be school director of Woodward Township. A granddaughter of Robert’s, Mrs. Gladys Hilburt, nee. Russell, told me that Robert couldn’t read and write until his wife taught him. I believe this to be true since he went into the mines when he was a young lad back in County Durham, England. Robert Russell immigrated to America in 1881.

Above: Certificate of Election (results) for Robert Russell, the son Thomas Russell, the elder, and Jane McNelley, in the Woodward township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Witnesses: Charles Lees, Joseph Shapless, and Frank Crago (Judge).

Above: Campaign card for Frank Ferdinand Kramp, son of Johann Kramp and Johanna Masche. Frank ran in the Republican Party for County Commissioner of Clearfield County, PA, on Tuesday, 20 September 1927. Frank lost the primary according to votes which were tabulated in the Clearfield Progress newspaper. Incidentally, Frank was cited as owning more than one percent of the stock of the Progress at one point. Frank was a coal mine operator of a company in Ramey Borough, Clearfield County. However, his company went broke at the time of the Wall Street crash of 1929, and apparently, he was not bailed out by the Government.

Finally, Clellan Scales Forsythe, son of Alexander Forsyth (no “e”) and Alma Emma, nee. Russell, won election for Councilman-at-large for Onondega County, New York. He ran on the Republican ticket. Clell, as he was known, began his career as a “trapper boy” in the coal mines of Pennsylvania, but rose successfully as businessman in the auto industry after his family moved to Syracuse about 1910. It seems that humble beginnings are always a mark of good character. Clellan's Dodge car dealership became one of the biggest company’s in New York. As Councilman, he ran a successful campaign for people to get out and vote. He helped Thomas E. Dewey win the gubernatorial race for New York. Dewey served three terms as a moderate Republican Governor of New York.

By the way, are you as tired as I am of opinion polls reported by the press and TV this election. I ignore them, as it is rediculous to think that someone else's opinion would influence my vote. Rather, I wish that the media would use more of my valuble time to discuss the issues. Indeed, back in 1948, Thomas Dewey was heavily favored to win a second bid for the Presidency against Harry Truman. In the late night edition on election day, the Chicago Daily Tribune jumped the gun and released the headline that Dewey was elected as the new President. However, the next morning, there was the front page picture of Harry Truman holding up the erronous report in the newspaper. Harry Truman had beat Dewey by a narrow margin in one of the nation's most famous political upsets . Hear, hear, you pollsters and ichy-finger mediapersons.

Clellan Forsythe was a game hunter and fisherman and fond of hosting an annual "game dinner" during which he hobnobbed it with a few big wigs around Syracuse, including the mayor. Today, such an event would not be so politically correct, especially among environmentalists and animal lovers.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: From Syracuse Herald Journal, 6 Dec 1939, p 14:

"Forsythe Entertains Friends at Annual Game Dinner"

"The second annual game dinner was given by Clellan S. Forsythe in the ballroom of the Onondaga Hotel last night. Fish, moose and duck, all bagged by Mr. Forsythe or such other "mighty hunters" as Mayor Rolland B Marvin and Clifford H Searle, were the chief features of an elaborate dinner, in a North Woods setting of trees and rocks, with which the dining room was decorated. Amid the trees and on little knolls of the landscape were stuffed specimens of forest wild life, bears, rabbits, beavers and other animals.

"There was no formal program, but colored moving pictures taken of a fishing party at the Triton Club in the Canadian woods by Mayor Marvin proved a feature of the evening. A reel depicting a moose hunt also was shown, but this had no Syracusans in the action. In addition to the fishing movies by the Mayor, motion pictures he took at the World's Fair were shown."

Unfortunately, Clellan Forsythe had a sad ending. While hunting pheasants with his brother on an island they owned on Lake Ontario, Clellan somehow accidentally discharged his shotgun and fatally wounded himself. The brother, John Russell Forsythe, said that Clellan slumped over the gun while he was sitting in the car, apparently the victum of a heart attack. More can be found in his obituary.

This family history story was submitted to the 59th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy whose topic this week was “Politics of our Ancestors”. To see what other Genealogical Bloggers wrote on the topic go to Jasia's Creative Gene blog

OTHER LINKS and REFERENCES:

1. Robert Russell and Clellan Forsythe (son of Mrs. Alma Emma Forsyth, nee. Russell) can be further indentified within the family tree by going to "Introduction to the first generation RUSSELL Line". Pardon me, but I have yet to compose an introduction to the Kramp Line. Please re-visit.

2. Former President Truman holds up front page of Chicago Daily Tribune with the famous erronous headline, "Dewey Defeats Truman" (from Wikipedia).

Who's in Arlington National Cemetery

It's great to come back to Washington, DC, for a visit. I was born and raised in the so-called DC Metropolitan area. I believe most people think of Presidents and Politicians when they hear of Washington, DC. However, it is a city of mostly ordinary "Main Street" characters who were born, grew up, lived and worked here. Like my family. Actually, I was born on Cameron Street in Alexandria, VA, just south of DC. They call it George Washington's home town. One can ride a bicycle from Alexandria City to his former plantation at the end of the Mt. Vernon Trail which runs beside the Purple Heart Highway.

When I was 6 years old we moved to Bethesda, Maryland, on the north side of DC, in Montgomery County. I must mention that Hubert H. Humphrey, Junior, that's the former VP's son, was in my 7th grade class at Kensington Junior High. I wouldn't have even known that, but I recognized his family's portrait in the newspaper one day. I graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park, and afterwards migrated to other parts of the country. However, I never went back to DC except for visits to my family- and research at the National Archives. Now, instead of bedding at relatives and taking the Metro Subway to the National Archives, I can sit in front of my computer and access the U.S. census records on the Internet. But I still miss the real life adventure.

I am visiting my family again in the DC Metro area, and while here, I took a day's tour of the Arlington National Cemetery and took some of the following pictures. I saved my legs and took a tram around the cemetery and listened to some very good and entertaining interpreters. Can I use the word "entertaining" while visiting the resting places of some of the greatest heroes of our country? If you are a genealogist, you'll agree in the affirmative.


I watched the changing of the guard at the tombs of the Unknown Soldiers. Of course the tombs are guarded 24 seven. One is impressed by the precision and dedication of these guards from nearby Fort Myers. When the soldiers halt and do a right face or an about face, they swing out one straight leg and bring it back sharply making a loud clack with their heels. Their shoe heels are built up of several layers of leather on the inside step in order to take this constant pounding. Also, the guards have to be between 5 ft, 8 inches and 6 ft, 2 inches tall, AND be able to fit into a 29 inch belt- it's the only size of belt issued. I meet the first criterion but fall just a tad short of the second.

The four plaques of the Kennedy family and the Eternal Flame is a solemn place. From far corner to your left:

• "Daughter", August 23, 1956
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1917-1963
• Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, 1929-1994. I had to check those dates twice, as I didn't realize that Jackie was 11 years younger than her husband.
• Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, August 7, 1963- August 9, 1963

There is a lengthy list of criteria for burial at Arlington, but only minor children under the age of 21 can be interred next to their parents. That is why JFK's adult children can not be buried here. Son, "John John" Kennedy, was cremated and his ashes strewn off of Martha's vineyard. (Read here the eligibility requirements for ground burial)

Former Senator Robert Kennedy is buried just down the hill from his brother in a very unassuming grave, marked by a flat stone and a simple white cross.

On the hill above the Kennedy's Eternal Flame is the Curtis Lee Manson which is being renovated as a museum. From the mansion, you have a great panoramic view of Washington, DC, on the opposite side of the Potomac river. From the left, if you're somewhat familiar with the city, you can see the Lincoln Memorial, the tall pointed Washington Monument, The Capital, and the Jefferson Memorial.

An urn containing the ashes of my daughter's father-in-law was placed (inurnment) at Arlington Cemetery this past spring, on 8 Apr 2008 (see above image). He was Henry Francis "Bud" Collins, 187th Regional Combat unit, Korean Conflict.

Other members of our extended family buried at Arlington are:

• Norma Jean HONADLE, nee. KOEHLER, daughter of Robert Koehler and Helen RUSSELL, Section 66, Grave 6920.
• John Albert HONADLE, Major, USAF, husband of Norma Jean
• William Lewis KRAMP, Air Police SQ, USAF, Section 41, Grave 1179
• Doroth Marie PARKE, nee. KRAMP, wife of John.
• John T. PARKE, TEC 5, US Army, WW II

My last stop at Arlington was the museum inside the Curtis Lee Mansion. On one wall of the mansion were family trees for the Curtis-Lee Family (on left of chart) and the family of George Washington, first president of the United States.

I'm just a little dishevelled and unorganized here on the road, borrowing a friends computer to upload this entry. So, I will finish reading the tourist brochures and add to this entry at a more comfortable time. In the meantime, I found a more complete, interactive presentation of the Family Tree on the Internet here.

REFERENCES and LINKS:

Description and pictures of Curtis Lee mansion (Arlington House) by the National Park Service.

The Official web site of Arlington National Cemetery

Kramp Roads, PA Rest Stops and Kilt Towels

I believe there are many members of the Kramp tribe in Ontario, Canada. One of the visitors who I met at the Joseph Schneider Haus and Museum in Kitchener, Ontario, told me he had an uncle named Milton Kramp. I did not ask him if Milton lived at the end of Kramp Road, but my traveling companion did take a picture of the road. He was probably lost at the time, but the road lies somewhere between Kitchener and Guelph, Ontario (link to my Picasa Gallery and look at map).

The roads on our return home from Ontario eventually led us down Interstate 81 through New York to Pennsylvania. We stopped just inside the border near Summit, PA. The sign read, "Smile. You're in Pennsylvania, State of Independence". Well, OK, here goes. I believe "Independence" refers to the Liberty Bell which was located in Independence Hall, Philadephia. I should've asked, but actually, I thought all retirees were in the state of Independence.

I thought it was a neat idea to exhibit coal mining equipment at the Information Center and Rest Stop. Below is a picture of me standing next to a "Lokie". It is a battery-operated locomotive and car which once hauled anthracite coal through the mine tunnels toward the surface. It replaced the living, animal mule and increased coal production. This low-type Scout model locomotive was built by Greensburg Machine Company, near Pittsburgh, PA.

My late uncle Orville Shugar, husband of the former Bernice Kramp, was a former anthracite coal miner who lived in Wilkes-Barre, PA, just off I-81. Other Kramp relatives were also coal miners, but most of them mined soft coal (sulphur-rich) in western Pennsylvania, particularly along the Moshannon Vien in Clearfield County.

While we were in Ontario, a Scottish Highland Games was being held in Fergus, Ontario. My friend went to the Games while I finished up some last minute touring in Kitchener. I usually shun the wearing of heavy wool kilts during Scottish Games held in the heat of summer for obvious reason of discomfort. Hardly a breeze ever runs up me open legs, lad. However, my friend found a solution at one of the vendors at Fergus. It is a cotton towel designed like a kilt, complete with fancy sporron (the purse in front). Now, I can step out of a shower and right into a kilt. Would it be blasphemous to wear it at the next Scottish Games even in 92 degree temperatures?

Image: An answer to wearing hot wool kilts in the middle of the summer? If you dare, click on the sporron to enlarge.

Technical Note: I believe I finally got the hang of uploading images in a blog entry so that clicking on any one of them will enlarge it.
1. Upload all your images first, in the REVERSE order you want to present them. Pre-numbering the images helps. You can only upload 5 images initially. Additional images can be added, but they will not enlarge if you click on them.
2. Fill in the text, one pargraph at a time between each image if that is your wish.
3. You can add images at a later time, but they will not enlarge if you click on them.
Takes some planning and inhibits spontanaeity, but it works.