April 2010 - Page 5 of 7 - Ramblin' with Roger

Family History and the Census

One of the great things I’ve been doing, particularly this week, has been working on our family history with my sisters. We discovered some anomalies in the information we have looked at.

My grandmother, Gertrude Yates, was born in 1897. Her father, Edward Yates, died in 1911. Her maternal grandfather, James Archer, died in 1912. In the 1920 Census, we discovered that Gert’s widowed grandmother, Harriet, had living with her formerly widowed daughter, Lillian, Lillian’s four children by Edward Yates, and her new husband, a gentleman named Maurice Holland. It’s this guy who caught my eye.

Now in the 1910 Census, Maurice Holland came from Texas, but in 1920 he came from Mexico, and his first name was Mauricio. This suggests but one thing: he lied in one of these Censuses, probably 1910.

Up until the last half dozen Censuses, the Census taker would record all the information, rather than having individual householders do so. Sometimes, the Census taker did it incorrectly. Listed in 1920:
Harriet Archer (head)
Maurcio Holland (son-in-law)
Lillian Holland (wife)
Gertrude Yates (daughter)
Edward Yates (son)
Earnest Yates (son)
Adina Yates (daughter)

It should have had Lillian as daughter of Harriet, and the children as grandchildren of Harriet. As is stands, it appears that Lillian was Harriet’s wife. I’m fairly sure same-sex marriage was not counted in 1920. Also Earnest should have been Ernest and Adina, Adenia.

From looking at the family Bible, it appears that my mother may have had a sibling, who died in 1929. With no date of birth given, one has to assume that the child died in infancy, maybe at birth. My mother knew nothing of this.

In the 1910 Census, my grandmother Gertrude Yates was listed as Gertrude Archie, a variation on the family surname. What was THAT all about?

Relatives I checked for the 1870 and 1880 Census had the children (Lillian and her siblings) whose births changed 10 years over the decade, as they should, but the adults, James and Harriet Archer, aging only about six years over the period.

My great-great-great-great grandmother’s name was Phylisia Wargner. Or Phyllis Waggoner. Or other variations such as Wagner. She was born on April 3, 1807 and died on July 8, 1865. She married William Edward Bell on March 2, 1832. These are the oldest ancestors I could find so far. From Census records, I can tell that Harriet was born in Virginia, and her parents were as well, but that they didn’t know where their parents were born, which suggests slave trade.

I have been watching this show called Who Do They Think They Are?, a genealogy show on NBC. They do a search for the personal histories of celebrities. So far Emmitt Smith found his slave roots; Matthew Broderick discovered ancestors who served in the Civil War at Gettysburg, dying the following year in Georgia, and as a medic in a bloody World War I battle; and co-executive producer Lisa Kudrow found the place where her grandmother died during the Holocaust, but found alive a cousin who had initially brought the news. I’m finding it interesting but irritating. There’s too much “Coming up next” before the commercials, as though it weren’t interesting enough to stick around for, and too much recapitulation after the ads, as though we all have ADHD. I’ve seen similar shows, on PBS and elsewhere, but this particular program seems to have has rekindled this search for my roots.

ROG

Rooting QUESTIONS

As some of you know, the men’s college basketball tournament, known as March Madness, ended on Monday, with traditional powerhouse Duke barely beating Butler. I was pulling for the team from Indianapolis, and not just because it was the underdog. A small piece was the bulldog mascot; my high school teams were the Bulldogs. A greater factor, though, is that there’s a woman in my choir. Every year, during prayer concerns, she talks about her alma mater’s progress in the tournament. Given the fact that she lost one son, her husband (also a Butler alum) and her other son to various illnesses in the past two years, I was pulling for the team for her sake; alas, it was not to be.

Whereas I’m not fond of Duke. Though they’d not dominated the tournament recently as they did, I developed a dislike for the team not unlike how some baseball fans HATE the New York Yankees.

Now there are teams I dislike for a period. College football was dominated by teams from Florida for a time, and often there was a certain thuggery in the teams, but they’re not as dominant now, so not an issue.

I used to hate the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1960s because they beat the Yankees in the 1963 World Series, a team my father LOVED because the Brooklyn Dodgers played Jackie Robinson. But my Dodger disdain has passed.

In fact, the only franchise I really can’t stand are the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Started off with the Cowboys beating the NY Giants in the 1960s, but it’s more about the “America’s team” moniker, something *I* never voted on.

Since it’s a new baseball season, I thought I’d ask – what teams do you really dislike, and why? What players can you just not stand?
***
Singer/songwriter Tom Lehrer measures his birthdays in Celsius.
***
John Forsythe died while I was away. I remember him best for two sitcoms. One was called Bachelor Father (1957-1962), where a wealthy attorney took care of his niece, whose parents were killed in a car accident. Niece tries to fix up uncle, who’d rather play the field. The other was The Powers That Be, where he played a clueless US Senator; great cast, short-lived (1992-1993), and deserved a better fate.

ROG

On the Road Again

The family has been on a (delayed) road trip. We were scheduled to leave on Friday for Charlotte, NC to visit my mother, my sisters (including the one from San Diego) and my 19-y.o. niece. But I felt awful the previous Wednesday night: Chills, yet sweating; sore throat, and generally a desire never to leave my bed ever again. I wasn’t that much better on Thursday. I felt marginally better on Friday, and I was willing to give travel a shot. The wife, conversely, thought I should actually try to get well before departing.

Random interesting things we experienced:

In Pulaski, VA McDonald’s, after I had ordered lunch.
Employee #1: This salad seems warm!
Employee #2: Shhh1 Don’t talk like that in front of the customers. Don’t say stuff like that!
Employee #1:: I don’t care! I’m always going to tell the truth!
(Does Employee #2 think I’m deaf? BTW, I thought the salad was fine, though I was ready to return it if it wasn’t.)

Perkins’ restaurant somewhere in central Pennsylvania: Poster for American Idol candidate Aaron Kelly; actually watched the results show (for first time in three years) to see if he survived; he did. But viewing reminded me why I HATE the AI results show; they just drag out the torture. i

Coolest water tower: in Mount Jackson, VA.

Worst traffic jam: northbound on I-77 Wednesday morning just north of Statesville, NC. 10 miles in 50 minutes. The worst part is that we could have missed it by exiting the highway and taking Route 21 for 20 miles.

In Walgreen’s in Charlotte Tuesday night:
Customer: I didn’t like what you said!
Employee: I didn’t say anything.
Customer: You were pointing at my family, and…
Employee: I didn’t say anything.
Customer: You are in customer service, you ought to know better.
Employee: I didn’t…
Customer: I’m going to talk to the manager. Where’s the manager?
Employee: Go right ahead. [Walks away.]
Customer: I’m going to tear this m*****f***in’ place to the ground!
(We left a few minutes later with a degree of trepidation.)

Greatest annoyance about our hotel, the Drury in Charlotte: the smokers who stood six feet from the entrance, every day, so that one has to run the gauntlet to avoid the stench. The greatest pleasure about our hotel: the glass-sided elevator.

There were on the road, heading from from the Bluebird bus company in Alabama driving to Quebec five new school buses, one pulling a van ee assume carried the drivers down. The daughter asked what was on the buses, then repeated the phrase “Arretez aux signaux”.

ROG

Getaway

One of the things that is true of my wife: she is constitutionally incapable of doing that thing people call a “staycation.” The idea that we’d stay home and, for instance, see the sites of Albany – tour the state Capitol or go up to the 42nd floor of the Corning Tower – tallest building between Montreal and New York City, I’m told, would likely not happen until whatever chores that needed to be done were done. Generally, that means that we don’t always play as much as I want.

Early on in our marriage I realized this. It was in the days after 11 September 2001, and naturally the news was terribly depressing. I suggested that we go SOMEWHERE. She said, “We could stay home and go on vacation.” We’d only been married a little over two years, but I’d known her for nine. I said something like, “You are constitutionally incapable of staying home without finding things that need to be done in the house. There are ALWAYS things to be done in the house.” I insisted that we had to go SOMEWHERE ELSE.

It turned out that she had a gift certificate from before we were married to a bed and breakfast in Cherry Valley, NY, only about an hour’s distance, but a world away from our lives. The place we went to had no TVs. It had some lovely shops. I’m not a shopper, because shopping tends to mean going to some megastore, but this kind of shopping was quite all right.

Two things occurred on that Columbus Day weekend I remember quite vividly. Carol’s (and my) niece Markia was born – we got a phone call – and the war in Afghanistan began, which I heard on someone’s radio. Re: the latter, you can get away for only so long, and sometimes not far enough away.

What reminded me of that was the past couple weekend trips. One was to the Mid-Hudson Valley, about an hour south of Albany. We stayed in a Holiday In Express in Poughkeepsie, attended a party, seeing some old friends, including one I hadn’t seen since 1991, and generally had a great time. The other trip actually ended today, visiting my mom, sisters and niece in Charlotte, NC.

The difference is that, in each case, seeking Internet connectivity was a primary consideration. I used the Hotel Internet Guide, because, somehow, being connected has become just as important as price and location. What that says about me over the past nine years, I’m not sure.

ROG

Quizzery

Something from Jaquandor whose birthday is September 26, same as my daddy’s.

1. Never in my life have I been: to Asia. Or Africa. Or Europe. Or Australia. Or Antarctica. Or South America, though I came close.

2. The one person who can drive me nuts is: just one? OK, Pat Robertson.

3. High school: wasn’t all that bad, eventually. I mean my friends and I were pariahs in my sophomore year because of our opposition to the Vietnam war. But by my junior year, that tended to be the more popular view. I was elected student government president that year and was a PITA to the principal, which was fun.

4. When I’m nervous: I feel like I need 16 hours of sleep.

5. The last song I listened to was: Roy Orbison’s greatest hits album, his music of the 1950s and 1960s, not the later stuff, which I also own.

6. If I were to get married right now my best man/maid of honor: would be asking, “Why again?”

7. My hair is: pretty much gone; it’s gray.

8. When I was 5: I was in the hospital with an uncontrollable bloody nose. That is where I saw a female doctor, and even then, that was a shock to the system.

9. Last Christmas: was fine. The child was happy.

10. I should be…: rich or famous, but probably not both.

11. When I look down I see: carpeting.

12. The happiest recent event was: something the choir sang well at church.

13. If I were a character on ‘Friends’ I would be: neurotic Ross.

14. By this time next year: I’d like to have lost some weight.

15. My current gripe is: There are people who actually believe Glenn Beck’s “analysis” of anything.

16. I have a hard time understanding: the popularity of magazines, websites, et al. delineating the loves of demi-stars.

17. There’s this girl I know that: likes to recite the alphabet backwards.

18. If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be: The Wife. Followed by you. How’s that for service! (Stolen response!)

19. Take my advice: Get a massage. You’ll feel better.

20. The thing I want to buy: some day, one of those larger, stereophonic television contraptions.

21. If you visited the place I was born: You’d see flood damage from the 2006 flooding of the Susquehanna River around Binghamton, NY.

22. I plan to visit: my mother in Charlotte.

23. If you spent the night at my house: Wait, give me a moment. Got to get rid of the massive clutter in the guest room…

24. I’d stop my wedding if: I had to interview to be the JEOPARDY! head writer.

25. The world could do without: teabaggers.

26. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: watch FOX news.

27. Most recent thing I’ve bought myself: Corinne Bailey Rae’s CD The Sea. Recommended.

28. Most recent thing someone else bought me: bunch o music for my birthday.

29. My favorite blonde is: Laura Linney.

30. My favorite brunette is: (other than my wife) Penelope Cruz (with HOF status for Sophia Loren).

31. My favorite red head is: Julianne Moore. I once had a dream about her, where I saved her from oncoming traffic, and she sent me videos of her movies.

32. My middle name is: Owen, just like Owen Marshall, Counselor-at-Law.

33. In the morning I: would rather stay in bed.

34. The animals I would like to see flying besides birds are: humans with jetpacks.

35. Once, at a bar: I got very drunk one one Long Island iced tea.

36. Last night I was: reading, sorting photos.

37. There’s this guy I know who: thinks way too much of himself.

38. If I was an animal I’d be: a bear, so I could hibernate in the winter.

39. A better name for me would be: there IS no better name for me.

40. Tomorrow I am: working on the family tree.

41. Tonight I am: tending to the child.

42. My birthday is: March 7, just like Anthony Armstrong-Jones, the former royal photographer who was married to one of the royals at one time. Complicated relationship, just like mine.

ROG