Author: dholman472
Teaser: Soon to be Finished Story – "Slick Swindler or Sweet Grandma?"*
Yesterday I mentioned that I was very busy working on a project about my husband’s great-grandmother, Catherine Seeley FitzAllen. Here is a teaser, from the first paragraphs of the book: ~ “She had an inordinate desire to be prominent in society,” testified Catherine’s soon-to-be ex-husband, William Seeley, “and my limited salary was […]
Read MoreDon’t Kick Us Out of the SAR! (Sons of the American Revolution)
Yesterday I attended a presentation given by the local DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution.) No – not for my family – the furthest back this 100% Ashkenazi Jew goes in America is 1859 when Aaron Samuel arrived in Hoboken, NJ from England, with his wife and 9 children. I was there with a friend of […]
Read MoreCarrying On a Family Tradition – Peach and Plum Cake
Almost every year from 1963 through 2011, my mother made our fall favorite: Peach and Plum cakes. There were two versions – one rectangular, with a thin crust. The other, made in a springform pan with a thicker crust. I’m a thicker crust kind of girl. The images to the left and right are from […]
Read MoreSharing – My Project List
Yesterday, I posted about the importance of sharing versus “hoarding” the results of our research. In the interest of full disclosure here’s a list of my completed, in-progress, and future family history projects: “Who We Are and How We Got This Way – Volume 1: Alan Samuel” (my dad)“Who We Are and How We Got This […]
Read MoreYou’re WHAT Kind of Hoarder?
I teach in an Adult Education program. In my morning class today, we were talking about the importance of being life-long learners. I told my students I was a hoarder of information. “You’re WHAT?”, they asked. “What does that mean?” I went on to explain that I really enjoy learning for learning’s sake. Especially related […]
Read MoreTBT (Throwback Thursday) – Family History Month
This is one of my favorite pictures. I am proudly standing on the lawn of what was then called Southern Connecticut State College. No idea who took the photo, probably my best friend, Doreen. It was some point in 1973 during my freshman year. I was 18. It’s tough to tell, but those are indeed platform […]
Read MoreWordless Wednesday – My Great-Grandfather’s shop – Then and Now
The SPIEGEL building – The original store opened around 1895 in Semarang, Indonesia – Before renovation – 2011http://smgpras.blogspot.com/2011/04/winkel-maatschapphij-h-spiegel-remaing.html SPIEGEL building now houses the SPIEGEL Bar and Bistro -after renovation – 2017.https://gapuradigital.withgoogle.com/workshops/semarang YouTube Video: Renovations 2015 YouTube Video: SPIEGEL Bar and Bistro Opening
Read MoreTombstone Tuesday – Family History Month
The closest thing to a family plot I have found is in Sharon Gardens, the Jewish section of the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Buried together there are both my paternal grandparents, my aunt, and my great-aunt and uncle. My paternal grandfather My paternal grandmother Constance was my grandmother’s sister. Her husband was Emanuel […]
Read MoreMemento Monday
Family history is not just a collection of vital records – the who, what and when. For me, it’s more about the why and the how. Those items we have so lovingly saved help round out the stories of our ancestors. There’s something about holding your great-grandmother’s slippers that cements that family connection. My mom was […]
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Who We Are and How We Got This Way 