Just the Facts, Ma'am . . .

How Does It Happen So Quickly?

As genealogists, we delight in uncovering "facts" about our ancestors.  Those of us with a particular love of family history try to place our ancestors in "context" by familiarizing ourselves with the history, economics, living conditions, and social realities of the time.  The reality is, however, that we often try to build a plausible story based on a few precious facts that we have uncovered.

Typical information about an ancestor might include birth, death and marriage dates, number of children and a list of residences.  From Census documents we may be able to assess an ancestor's overall financial situation, occupation, year of immigration, etc.  We can determine whether or not they were literate and probably have a pretty good idea of what religion they practiced.  But then what?

I, like many of you, want to get inside their heads, understand their world view and learn what may have motivated them to stay put or move on.  It occurred to me that interpreting the "facts" is more than a minor undertaking. Let me demonstrate how tricky this can be by sharing some of the facts of my own life.

• 1949 - born in Cincinnati, Ohio to John T. and Virginia Jones
• 1950 U. S. Census - my parents now have two children.  We are living in an apartment in Wyoming.
• 1950 - Move to first house in Golf Manor
• 1960 U. S. Census - parents had 7th child and we are living in a house in Pleasant Ridge.
• 1963 - Graduate from 8th Grade at Nativity School Pleasant Ridge
• 1967 - Graduate from Regina High School, Norwood
• 1970 U.S. Census - still living with parents in Pleasant Ridge and attending college at the University of Cincinnati. Education Major.
• 1972 - Start first job as a teacher at Bond Hill School.
• 1976 - Marry Robert J. Hellmann
• 1977 - Build first house with husband in Landen, Warren County, Ohio
• 1978 - Give birth to daughter, Elizabeth Ann Hellmann
• 1979 - Divorce.
• 1980 - U. S. Census - living in apartment in Symmes Township with daughter, single parent.
• 1987 - Marry William E. Reed
• 1990 - Living in home in Pleasant Ridge
• 1999 - Buy home and relocate to Kenwood, Ohio.  Daughter spends college-semester abroad.
• 2001 - Retire from Cincinnati Public Schools but continue working.
• 2010 - Still living in Kenwood, daughter married, one grandchild.

OK -- so now you've got more information than most genealogists have about their ancestors.  Pretend you are my great-grandchild.  What will you decide about me?  What were my hobbies?  What was my religion?  My politics? My financial situation? How did I feel about being a wife, parent and grandparent?  What about divorce? How was my health? I'd love to see what they decide about me.  Will it be accurate?  More clues tomorrow.

The Wedding That Was - April 2, 1976

 Wedding Day - April 2, 1976

In a previous post, I discussed the "wedding that wasn't."  My fiancee and I called off the wedding one week before it was to take place in July 1974.  He seemed to be remorseful from the beginning that we did not marry, even though he was the one with cold feet.  I promised my Dad that we would never get married -- I believed it when I said it. 

Over the next two years, however, my "ex" made a lot of changes in his life to convince me that he regretted the decision and wanted to get married.  There is so much I could say (but choose not to) because I believe that he is entitled to his privacy and may see things differently.  I'll just say that my large family had become his family and that he really cared about all of us. 

So nearly two years after calling off our wedding, it was on again.  This time it was very much scaled-down and happened within two months of our decision.  We still had unused contracts with the photographer, florist, etc. and just called and rescheduled.  The date was practically determined by my sister, Karen.  She was scheduled to be married on April 10th and knew that she would be moving permanently to Florida.  I wanted her in the wedding and she said it would be impossible to turn around and return to Cincinnati any time soon.  So she suggested we get married the week BEFORE her scheduled wedding. 

In hindsight, I think that was an incredibly gracious offer on her part.  I'm not sure to this day that I should have taken her up on it.  Since, of course, we share the same aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, many people would feel obligated to attend two family weddings eight days apart.  It would have been one thing if her long-planned wedding was the first one, but in fact, it was the second. 

I remember being very happy on my wedding day.  There was a lot to admire about my "ex" that I found attractive.  I always had this feeling that we could create beautiful and intelligent children together -- and that we did.

Why we split is one of those things most appropriately discussed in another forum.  I believe that when we married, it was definitely the right thing to do at the time. When we decided to divorce 3 1/2 years later, people would comment that it was too bad that we had not realized it would not work before we had a child.  I'm sure that I can speak for both of us when I say that that is the one thing that neither of us regrets.

Things happen for a reason.  I'm a better person because of it.  And best of all -- I have a beautiful daughter as a result of it who has enriched my life.  What could be wrong with that?

Bill Reed's 75th Birthday!

Kath and Bill
Photo Credit:  Mark Jones

Today is my husband's 75th birthday!  This, in itself, is quite an accomplishment.  Bill suffered is first of many heart attacks when he was 42 years old.  He's had two triple-bypass heart surgeries and double stents put in. And yet yesterday we indulged in one of our guilty pleasures -- riding our bikes the eleven miles to Loveland.  Bill has always loved exercise, and his cardiologist would be the first one to tell you that that is the reason he is still here.

Bill is my second husband.  He has one daughter, Julie, from his previous marriage.  We met when I was a divorced single parent of a less than three-year old daughter.  When we started dating, my daughter who was used to having me all to herself, did not feel like we needed anyone else in our lives.  He hung in there, however, and we were married 5 1/2 years later.

Roland, Bill, and Kathy on Elixir

Bill is NOT defined by his health.  One of his favorite passions was sailing.  For more than 30 years, Bill spent just about every weekend from May through October on whatever boat he had at the time.  As I grew up in a family of "stink boaters," having a sailboat was "heresy." Now our son-in-law, Roland, is Elixir's owner and captain.

We have been married for 24 years.  Not only was Bill a "father" to my daughter, but now has the privilege of being a "grandfather" to Ian.  I've been blessed by knowing him for thirty years.  The joke in our family is that Bill is always on the verge of "dying."  When we decided to get married, I was led to believe I'd only have to make it through a couple of years (since he'd be dead before too long).  Not only have I shared most of my adult life with him, but we've also been able to travel together all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel. He is the BEST travel companion.  We know how to accommodate each other's health issues.

So I wish the best for Bill as we move forward from here.   I'm grateful for the wonderful partner he is.

Ian, Kath, Bill, Roland and Liz - Easter 2011
Photo Credit:  Mark Jones, Nephew

Love

Kath

Grandpa Roy Ryan -- 111th Anniversary of His Birth

I loved my Grandpa, Roy Ryan. As the first-born child and grandchild on my maternal side, I had the pleasure of knowing this gentle family man in ways that my younger siblings and cousins did not get the opportunity to experience.  He was Irish (if you ignore that his mother was of German ethnicity) and probably a good yin to my grandmother's yang.

In keeping with tradition, Grandpa was my Godfather and my Dad's mother, Norine, was my Godmother.  "Tradition" resulted in two great role models for me. I was baptized on my Grandfather's birthday, 62 years ago today.  That's me he's holding in the picture on the left.

I've written about Grandpa several times before.  You can search his name on the blog if you want to read more -- there is so much more.  If you missed the photoshow I posted for him, and want to get all emotional, click on the link and spend a few minutes with Grandpa.  What a great date for a birthday -- April 10th, 1900!

I'm 62 -- No Foolin'

Once upon a time I was cute!  (Don't ask me what happened).  But I'm celebrating today because it's my birthday!  This year I've been posting pictures of my siblings as each of their birthdays rolls around, so I decided to do the same for myself today.

I'm the oldest of seven and the first grandchild of 25 on my mother's side of the family -- so I guess it shouldn't really be a big surprise that I would be the one who became most interested in our family's history.

It just so happened that I discovered that the Ohio Genealogical Society was having its annual conference in Columbus over my birthday.  I have never attended before. A cousin I discovered through Ancestry, Barbara Pharo, thought it would be fun to attend together.  Barbara's birthday is in a few days so the birthday excuse sounded good to her, too.  But Barbara lives in Tampa.  She came anyway.

We are having a great time in sunny, cold Columbus.  Yesterday we attended workshops on writing your family history and tracing your Irish ancestors.  In the evening, we attended a dinner where I received a "Century Families" recognition for proving that nine direct ancestors were living in Ohio before 1911.  Tonight is a dinner recognizing three Civil War ancestors. Tomorrow may bring yet another recognition -- we'll see.

Thanks to everyone who posted so many wonderful birthday wishes on Facebook today!

On the Hunt for 2269 Columbia Ave. - My Dad's Birthplace

Note:  Double-click on all pictures to enlarge.

Five Jones Siblings

A few days ago, my cousin, Tony Scardina, emailed this picture to me.  Several of us debated the possible location, but leave it to my brother, Tim, to recognize that it was Columbia Ave.  That led me to do some immediate research.

We had always known that my father lived on Columbia Ave. at the time of his birth in 1920.  The family rented space from my grandfather's Uncle Tom and Aunt Ella in a two-family home.  My Dad used to talk about how horses hauled milk trucks past their home in those "old" days.  They were forced to move to Eastern Ave. when the city decided to turn Columbia Ave. into Columbia Parkway -- a main east/west thoroughfare that followed the north bank of the Ohio River.

Instantly the picture took on more meaning, because to my knowledge, it is the only picture that any of us has that shows their initial home.  A little research was in order.  I looked at the 1920 Census where Tom, Ella, Fred, Norine, Edith, Charley and Bob were listed.  My Dad would be born later that year.  The address was 2269 Columbia Ave.  The next trip was to the Main Library to check the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for 1904-1930.  I was told by the librarian that as changes to the maps took place over the 26-year period, they would "cover up" the previous version.  Here is the segment from the map. (I highlighted the area that had been their property and labeled it with the 2269 address).  I then drove to Collins Ave. and the current Columbia Parkway to see if the property was accessible.

Next I contacted my partners-in-crime, my brother Tim and his wife, Dusty.  Tim and Dusty kindly accommodated me (aka the "Crip") as we climbed through the honeysuckle, bamboo and other brush that has taken over the hillside.  It was worth it.

We first came across what appeared to be an old wall or part of an old foundation.  Tim found an easier access route by going up to Columbia Parkway from the opposite side and crossing this four-lane, highly-traveled road.  He was able to capture pictures of what would have been the view of the Ohio River from their home and the hillside that was directly across the road.  The hillside has a substantial retaining wall designed to prevent mudslides, which are so common on this parkway.

Records from the Cincinnati Historical Society, state that these homes were purchased when the Parkway began construction in 1929.  Mom's notes say that the home they built down the hill at 2424 Eastern Ave. was purchased just as the Stock Market crashed in 1929.  They paid $5500  for the house and sold it in 1966 for $7500.  The homes on Columbia Ave. did not have indoor plumbing, so their new home must have felt like a palace.

View of the Ohio River from Columbia Ave. location

Dusty and Tim

From this spot we walked down to Gladstone to try to search out the foundation of the home where Pop had grown up.  Three houses in a row had been torn down and we were unsure which one of the three had been the location of the house.

Tim on Collins Ave.

No trip would be complete without taking a picture of the 90 degree turn on Collins Ave. underneath the railroad tracks.  Because the road is so narrow there, Dad would always beep his horn as a warning to oncoming cars.

It's hard to believe that starting with Alexander and Elizabeth Jones, four generations of our Jones family lived within a few blocks of the beautiful Ohio River.  It really is true that a river runs through us.

Note:  I followed up this post with a visit to the Cincinnati Historical Society to see if they had any newspaper articles or old photographs in their files.  You can see what I was able to get from them by clicking on this link.

Elmwood Place -- The Move to Ohio

The 1900 Census shows 26 year-old August, 23 year-old "Annie", and 9 month-old Virginia living on Holman St. in Covington, Kentucky. August's occupation is listed as a "shoe cutter". By 1903, the family had relocated to Elmwood Place, Ohio. August went into business for himself, opening the Valley Shoe Store. One of the Vonderheide grandchildren sent me this picture taken in 1903. You can see August looking out the door of the store. I would love to know who the others are -- we speculated that the little boy might have been son, Val, because he would have been three years old in 1903. I don't know who the couple is on the left (August's parents were both dead by then). It could be Anna pictured on the right, but I just don't know.


The family lived above the store. Aunt Evelyn thinks that Anna must have helped out in the store, because she recalls that they had help looking after the children. She also told me that this picture was of his first store location and that his second location was much bigger and a couple of blocks north.

I have a copy of a newspaper article published in 1953 when August was 80 years old. It has a great summary of this first-generation immigrant's accomplishments.

One of Elmwood's most interesting business personalities, Mr. A. H. Vonderheide celebrated his birthday recently. He was 80 years old on September 1.

Mr. Vonderheide was born in Germany and at the age of 7 came to this country with is parents and twin brothers. He had a sister who had passed away before the family came to the United States.

He recalls that his first employer was Mr. B. H. Kroger of the Kroger Grocery and Baking Company and he was the first clerk employed in the first store Mr. Kroger opened. Later he learned the shoe business and was promoted to foreman of the cutters in the sample room of the shoe factory.

In 1903 he bought the shoe store at 5911 Vine Street in Elmwood Place from Mr. John Imwalle and operated a successful business until he retired a few years ago. After his retirement he enjoyed a vacation in Florida.

In the year 1917, during his career as a shoe business man, Mr. Vonderheide, with a few more business men from Elmwood Place, organized the Inter-Valley Building and Loan Association of which he is now the president.

He is a charter member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and of the Elmwood Eagles. He also a past governor of the Elmwood Moose.

Mr. Vonderheide's wife died March 7, 1931. He has two children, Val and Virginia, eight grandchildren, two of them now serving in the United States Navy and two served in the Navy in previous wars. He has 14 great-grandchildren of whom he is very proud. Everyone is wishing Mr. Vonderheide many more hale and hearty years.

August died in 1959 at the age of 85. At the time of his death he was living with his son and daughter-in-law, Val and Clara, in a home they shared at 922 Springfield Pike in Wyoming. At the time of his death, he already had 26 great-grandchildren with more to come. I was 10 years old. So what do I remember? I remember a proud man who loved his large family. I also remember that as each new great-grandchild was born, the gift from Great Grandpa was a savings account booklet in your name with a deposit of $10. (Was there a lesson in this?) Here is a picture of Roy and August (poor quality) that was extracted from a family video from Easter, 1952. Notice the cigar in August's hand.

Here is a four-generation picture of August, Virginia, Virginia and me. What a fortunate heritage I have!