We went down to the Eastern Shore to say goodbye to my sister. It was an emotional trip. Joanne's funeral Mass was held at her church, with only family and close friends there to remember her. Masks were required and the seating was carefully arranged to maintain proper social distance during Mass. Joanne was very active in the church, so the priest was able to make the Mass very personal and touching. I teared up... Read more →
My older sister, Joanne Wise Williams, died last Monday. She was 84. Joanne was almost 16 years older than I. I used to open her closet and gaze at her beautiful dresses, hoping that someday I would have dresses as pretty as that. She got married when I was nine. I got to be a Junior Bridesmaid, while my younger sister was the Flower Girl. And I had a beautiful dress too! So many Thanksgivings,... Read more →
Well, friends, I seem to have flamed out on Holidailies, alas! I did okay for most of the month, then my vacation started and I proceeded to take vacation from almost everything except actual Christmas! And actual Christmas was completely delightful. SonnyeBoy came up on Christmas Eve and stayed until Sunday. He's had two negative tests; Joe's had one. I never go out except to doctors' appointments or for rides. So - yeah. Our bubble... Read more →
On October 21, 1945, my Pop sent this missive to my Mom. He was on board the SS Trevilian, a tanker ship anchored off the Philippines. I imagine it was the best early Christmas present she ever got! The form letter, in all caps, reads: Please do not mail Xmas parcels to me at this address. I expect to be on my way home before Christmas and hope to enjoy the holidays there. If plans... Read more →
As soon as my Pop heard about Pearl Harbor, he was determined to join the military. The Army didn't want him, so he joined the Navy. Because of his age, education, and experience, he started his service as a Lieutenant JG Gunnery Officer, and was in charge of the Navy Armed Guard on cargo ships. He served on the SS Esso Concord, the SS Trevilian, and the SS William Pepper. My Mom kept a scrapbook... Read more →
I've been messing around with Ancestry.com and finding out some pretty remarkable things about my forebears. Allow me to introduce you to Captain John Francis, my fifth great-grandfather. He was born in the colony of Connecticut on June 20, 1744, and died in the state of Connecticut on May 30, 1824. He married at age 20 and had one son. He served in the American Revolution, too! Here is the story of his service, which... Read more →
Today is our Ruby wedding anniversary - 40 whole years! How did we get here? Well, our first date was in August, 1979, at a pizza joint on Capitol Hill in DC. More dates followed quickly. Early in the fall, I invited Joe to accompany me on a canoe trip down the Mullica River in New Jersey. This event was hosted by one of the programmers where I worked; many of my fellow employees attended.... Read more →
Several years ago I took Ancestry.com up on their two-week free trial and found out some really interesting details about my family tree. I quit after the free trial, but I occasionally get emails talking about "hints" on my ancestry. I got one yesterday - a hint about my great-great-grandfather, Barney Whitney. It was a record of his service in the Union Army during the Civil War. Well, that was too delicious to pass up,... Read more →
What a wonderful whirlwind it was! Christmas, that is. Christmas Eve was a flurry of activity that ended with a grand party at my sister's house. It started early - I had to get some bloodwork done, get a couple of last minute gifts, and pick up our Christmas dinner from the fabulous Founding Farmer's. Then I had to rearrange the fridge and stow the dinner, throw stuff in a bag, and check on our... Read more →
Here's my grandmother's marriage certificate. It's not as fancypants as her father's certificate, but Gramma's wedding was 27 years after his, so maybe things were more streamlined in the 20th century. Anyway, the Washington Star published the following description of the wedding. The suburban home of Dr. and Mrs. Charles F. Whitney of Woodside, Md., was the scene of a pretty wedding Wednesday evening, when their daughter, Miss Mabel Whitney, was married to Mr. Jarrett... Read more →