Happy New Year

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!

This postcard dated Dec 31, 1925 was from Lawrence and Elsie Hansen. Lawrence was the younger brother of my grandfather Anton Hansen and Anna (Dillingham) Hansen was Anton's wife.

Good read: The Button Boxes

Home & Harvest is a delightful little magazine that likely you've never heard of. Published by a young couple living in Moscow, Idaho, the magazine is billed as: We are the premier community and lifestyle magazine for the Palouse and surrounding regions. That means the magazine covers Moscow, Pullman, Lewiston and Clarkston. While (apparently) you cannot subscribe, issues can be picked up for free at merchants in those towns. The magazine has interesting articles, history bits and local recipes. Tiz a fun read every time.

The current issue (pink drink on cover) featured an interview with a young lady author, Temple Kinyon, about her new book. I was so intrigued that I went to Amazon and bought the book. Looked like my kind of read...... any genealogists kind of read. 

Let me know what YOU think. 

Santa Claus' pedigree chart? Really?

Is Santa Claus real? Does he have a pedigree? Well, according to Google, the answer is yes. Here tiz:

Merry Christmas

Christmas postcard from my uncle Ralph Hansen to my grandmother Anna Hansen in 1918. Ralph's sisters Frances and Carrie were in Minnesota going to college. Interesting note on this penny postcard, it took two one cent stamps to mail it in 1918. One of the tax increases the government used to help pay for WWI. Notice how plain this card is, the fancier postcards were mostly from Germany, but Germany quit exporting post cards when the war started.

When did Christmas trees become a thing?

Everybody likes Christmas trees and most everybody puts one up in their home (even before Halloween!!). Do you know when this custom originated? Here's the answer and now you know. (Google: Christmas tree history for more info.)

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century (that's in the 1500s) when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.

Personally, while I enjoy my indoor tree, I love a snowy outdoor tree even more. What is your favorite?

Ever see a Nativity Set like this one??

We've all seen Christmas Nativity sets in many sizes and shapes and they're all wonderful. Especially the ones from our childhood, right? Here's one like I'd bet you've never seen before:

Being a "rock person" this unusual Nativity Set really spoke to me when I spotted it. 

Tell me about your favorite Nativity set; love to hear your memories. Just click COMMENT below. 

Been to see the Manito greenhouse lights?

Have you been to see the lights in the Manito Greenhouse? They're only showing Dec 13-22. Why speak of this in a genealogy post? 
Christmas tradition is why. That is one of our family's Christmas traditions. What are yours? 

Have you also written down for posterity your Christmas traditions of your childhood? Your young-children-at-home days? Even if you cannot re-live those memories, you certainly can memorialize them for posterity. Why not do it now? 

My Dad's Christmas Letter to Santa in 1926

Old family letters are next best thing to have after old family photos, right? Here is my Dad's letter to Santa written when he was five years old in 1926:

"Dec 26  Dear Santa  I have been good so please bring bring things to play with remember the poor children Francis Potter"

Did you save any of YOUR letters to Santa? Or your childrens?

EWGS January Luncheon

Save the Date

Our Year of Change!

Join us for a great Pasta Luncheon at Mukogowa. Enjoy an informative webinar: “Do You Have Brick Walls?” from the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS). And Honor and visit with our past Presidents.

When: January 4, 2020. Time: Doors open at 11:30 Lunch at 12:00-

Program to Follow

Where: Mukogowa | 4000 W. Randolph Road | Spokane, WA. 99224

Buffet Pasta Bar and Webinar

Registration: $25.00

By Pay Pal at ewsgi.org

OR

Mail Check to:

EWGS

P.O. Box 1826

Spokane, WA 99210

Obituary Crew..... and a "Christmas" find.

The Obituary Indexing Crew is keeping on keeping on. The crew is comprised of: Lynda Keenan, Lynn Krogh, PJ Farrance-Rabel, Cilla Carpenter, Jeanne Coe, Patricia Flint, Sandi Gaffney and me, Donna. 



Jeanne Coe and I are working to index the obituaries found in the 22 drawers of Biography Files at the Ferris Library. And that's where I found that Santa once lived in Spokane!

Alexander Cozza, who was born in Italy, died in Spokane in 1978 and lies resting in Holy Cross Cemetery. His wife, Santa C., died in 1998, age 86, and rests beside him.

Now you know! :-) 

Frosty's Baby Picture...... Really?

Everybody enjoys baby pictures. Well, most everybody. How about this one?

Finding Your Female Ancestors at Hayden Library

Dear Friends,

I've scheduled a three-month genealogy series to delve into the extraordinary lives of our female ancestors, in particular, those born during the early 20th century when the women's suffrage movement led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The workshop will last about an hour with informal sharing, so bring your bagged lunch as we have the room until 12:00 p.m.

FINDING YOUR FEMALE ANCESTORS AT HAYDEN LIBRARY
Saturday, Jan 11 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Where Were Your Female Ancestors Celebrating the Vote: 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

Saturday, Feb 8 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Finding American Women’s Voices through the Centuries: Letters, Diaries, Journals, Newspapers, and Court Records

Saturday, March 14 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Nineteenth Century Women Settlers Confront the Far West

"The Seneca Falls Convention framed a national discussion about women's rights in America and marked the beginning of a massive civil rights movement that would span the next 70 years. The right to vote was seen as the first step to change the traditional and unjust systems that existed. Women worked for equal rights." 

You might want to get your hands on a good book or two for "light" reading. I'd recommend The Ladies of Seneca Falls: The Birth of the Woman's Rights Movement (Studies in the Life of Women). You could goggle using the terms: "books on women's suffrage" or just read websites. 

Merry Christmas, and I hope will to see you soon.

Your friend,

Kim Morgan

https://www.facebook.com/findingmyancestor/  

https://www.findingancestors.net

Will your family keepsakes end up like this??

My doggers and I enjoy taking walks along our Spokane County road. While I too often carry a bag to pick up trash, I did once find a $20 bill. Score!

Imagine my horror, dismay and tears to find this lying with other trash spilling out of a black plastic bag in the gravel. 

Of course you're thinking, "well this won't happen to MY stuff!" Or will it???

Giving precious heirlooms to an unappreciative son or niece might just guarantee your memento or photo to end up at best in the Goodwill or at worst, alongside the road.