Dear Uncle,
I'm sure you are aware of the chatting going on between my brother and I regarding his latest finds of our Civil War boys. His blog is fascinating. http://bealfamilycivilwarstory.blogspot.com/ His latest find came in the delivery of documents (78 pages) from NARA regarding the Widows pensions for Lucinda Barteaux Beals.
Lucinda was the bride of Jesse N. Beals, one of our group of Civil War boys from the same Beal family. Lucinda was born in Nova Scotia, 23 March 1837, the daughter of George Barteaux and Eliza Williams.
Lucinda and Jesse had not been married long when he was drafted into the Union Army. Jesse came home a very, very ill man. The pension files have many depostions as to Jesse's condition both during his enlistment and after his return home. I mention this because it is of no doubt to me that Lucinda was a woman of strength and character who cared for her debilitated husband until his passing. What is remarkable to me is that like other women of the time whose husbands did not return from war they were courted and won by those men who were available for matrimony
Many of those men, older, widowed, established, had a field of young bereaved, vulnerable women from which to pick as wife number 2 or 3. Our Lucinda was chosen by a widowed,well established, well placed, politican who in the end treated her shamelessly and because his actions were so callous, and the neighbors had witnessed and came to her rescue, this heinous individual gave her money to go away and keep the details out of court (and the public). Heaven forbid a scandal should taint this man. It was three years before a divorce was filed and granted. The plaintiff being the degenerate husband, the cause being desertion by Lucinda! It all seems very clear cut until in her deposition she states that she was advised by her family and close friends not to file a cross complaint because of the nature of her husband and the possible or probable repercussions.
How many other stories similar to our Lucindas have not been told?
Julia Russell was born about 1826 in Meridith, New Hamsphire, the daughter of Phineas Russell and Mary Leavitt. She was the wife of George W. Beal. They had been married about 10 years when George was called to duty. His time with the army was a short 5 months as he was killed in action at Yellow Bayou, Louisiana. Julia and her young son stayed in Natick. Julia remained a war widow who ran a boarding house on Central Street. I would imagine that there were more than a few "eligible" men who would have attempted to court the Widow Beal. That she never remarried is not so much a mystery as perhaps she was being prudent in hanging on to what was hers for the benefit of her son.
Abby Fellows was born 1830 in Chesterville, Maine. The daughter of Jonothan and Betsey Leavitt. She was the wife of Eleazar Carpenter Beal who served in the Civil War for three years. When Eleazar went to war Abby was at home in Natick tending to her children Abigail age 10 and Wallace age 3. Abby was a lucky woman, her husband came home from war and together they lived to old age.
It would appear that the women would be close, if not by affection for each other certainly geographically. They all lived in Natick. Would it be too much to assume that these women would bolster each other daily as news came from the war? Would they not have attempted to comfort each other when tragedy struck their families? Would they not have held each other standing at the gravesite in Dell Park? Would they not have cried with one another when the news came home but their loved ones remains would be forever lost and an empty grave with a name on a headstone was the only record that they were once loved? Did they visit one another? Attend church together? Did they ever laugh together?
I think that these women of that time in our history who suffered so much loss not only from war but from childbirth and disease have gone unrecognized as heroines in their own right. In the genealogical line they are referred to as "great", in my heart I refer to them as GREAT.
Uncle, if you happen to see them please let them know that I admire their courage and strength. Bless them all.
As always,
Your devoted niece
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Dad
He had the black hair and blue eyes of much of his line. He was taller than his ancestors at 5'11" and he had the ruddy complexion of the other men in the family. He was of average build, not small of frame, nor large. Like much of his family he loved music and played several instruments. Trombone was his instrument of first choice but he also played Trumpet, Cornet, Violin, and Banjo. He played well enough to play in the Coast Guard Band and travel with the USO during WW2 . When he and Mom were married in 1945, Dad only had a few days off duty. Their honeymoon was aboard a train with the Coast Guard Band and they were serenaded to their compartment by the other bands on board. My Mom said it was quite an evening and she remembered that Cesar Romero, a very famous actor at that time, was among the group of singers. He was on board as a member of the USO Tour.
As for his humor, well it was usually something totally unexpected that he would do or say that would have us all rolling on the floor laughing. Like the time Ed Sullivan had Rudolph Nureyev on his show. I ooh and aaahed at his graceful dance. Whereupon Dad , not to be outdone, leapt into the air, twirled and landed gracefully with a bow and smile on his face. My jaw dropped. I sometimes wondered if he saved it all up and then just exploded because he just couldn't contain it anymore. Nowadays it would be known as an OMG moment.
The phrase "Now the bit here is..." was Dad's way of beginning the explanation of a circumstance. A way of explaining how things are not necessarily what they appear to be, how one thing may seem one way but digging a little deeper would reveal the real purpose, the motivation. Dad loved political discussions and election years. He would have had quite alot to say about this election year. Of that I have absolutely no doubt.
I envy those who can describe their parents in depth. Their various traits and quirks, the minute details, the shape of the face, the angle of a smile. But I am not that clever. To me Dad is a feeling. Warm, protected, defended, laughter, seriousness, strength, intelligence and being loved to the very core of my being. Happy Birthday Daddy. I miss you very, very much.
 |
| Dad and Mom 1948 Robert W. Beale 1923 - 1971 |
Dear Uncle,
Tomorrow is Dad's 89th birthday. Every year since his passing his birthday is bittersweet. As you know I was just 18 when he passed so unexpectedly. The word "Sudden" doesn't even begin to describe how one moment can change so many lives. A wife and 3 children in shock, their world shattered, off balance, surreal, a nightmare all too true. But to dwell on that part is to do a disservice to a man who was so kind, funny, intelligent and yes, handsome. Oh, he was far from a saint...he could be stubborn and he had an opinion and he was a debator and he was a staunch Republican. There was no "gray area" with Dad. It was or it wasn't. There were rules, there were commandments, there were laws. You were one side or the other, for or against. And he could confuse us kids. Many was the time when I'd hear "Look I was raised this way, believing this [that or the other thing] and it's wrong." So yes, his mind could be changed with facts, statistics and just plain morality. But it wasn't easy. To discuss subjects with Dad, to argue a point, to attempt to change his mind you'd better have the facts and you'd better be prepared to be aggravated, frustrated, angry, and ready for a "fight". And the satisfaction of winning him over to "your" side was a real accomplishment. Needless to say all 3 of us children are very good debaters. We all learned, eventually, to stand our ground.
He had the black hair and blue eyes of much of his line. He was taller than his ancestors at 5'11" and he had the ruddy complexion of the other men in the family. He was of average build, not small of frame, nor large. Like much of his family he loved music and played several instruments. Trombone was his instrument of first choice but he also played Trumpet, Cornet, Violin, and Banjo. He played well enough to play in the Coast Guard Band and travel with the USO during WW2 . When he and Mom were married in 1945, Dad only had a few days off duty. Their honeymoon was aboard a train with the Coast Guard Band and they were serenaded to their compartment by the other bands on board. My Mom said it was quite an evening and she remembered that Cesar Romero, a very famous actor at that time, was among the group of singers. He was on board as a member of the USO Tour.
Dad was brought up in a multi-generational Irish household. The ladies, his Mom, her Mom and then her Mom, were women to be reckoned with. Dad and his father were outnumbered by the girls. I remember though that there were laps to climb up on and hugs and kisses to be had when we visited. I suppose being grandchildren had it's advantages.
Dad had a wicked, dry sense of humor. He had a twinkle in his eye and an eyebrow that he'd raise in question which meant you'd done something surprising, wrong ( as in what were you thinking?) or WRONG - as in your backside was about to be reaquainted with the palm of his hand. Now let me state here and now that spankings didn't happen often. We knew the rules, we knew the consequences and he suffered more than we did when forced to back up what he said he'd do. Usually "The Look" was more than enough to keep us all in line, and not just us but the neighborhood kids also.
The phrase "Now the bit here is..." was Dad's way of beginning the explanation of a circumstance. A way of explaining how things are not necessarily what they appear to be, how one thing may seem one way but digging a little deeper would reveal the real purpose, the motivation. Dad loved political discussions and election years. He would have had quite alot to say about this election year. Of that I have absolutely no doubt.
I envy those who can describe their parents in depth. Their various traits and quirks, the minute details, the shape of the face, the angle of a smile. But I am not that clever. To me Dad is a feeling. Warm, protected, defended, laughter, seriousness, strength, intelligence and being loved to the very core of my being. Happy Birthday Daddy. I miss you very, very much.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
When Siblings Find Common Ground
Dear Uncle,
I'm sure you know brother Bill, my brother the history buff. Well, he has started a blog. Or rather he started one back in July but neglected to tell me about it. It's great! What Bill has done is to focus on our Civil War Boys, the Beal boys. Now Bill is one who reads voraciously and will spend untold hours doing research of an historical nature. I shouldn't really be surprised that he elected to start this blog because in as much as I, the family historian, would LOVE to do in depth research on a particular person in the tree, I do not have that kind of time at present. What Bill has done by focusing on our boys is to tell the tale as if he was an observer of the boys during their enlistment.
Bill has scoured books and records and reports to find out what happened during those days when our boys put their lives on the line.
Bill has called me on several occasions to relate his latest findings but I am so emotionally involved with these boys that I just could not listen to the gory details without becoming pretty upset. You may think this silly as the boys are long gone but to me they are family and each time I discover something new it makes them even more alive for me. I can't read about their hardships without having nightmares.
Bill tells the story so well citing his sources along the way. If another person wanted to read what Bill has read then the link or source is right there. The story of the 5 Beal boys is an interesting one, not only from the perspective of the Civil War, but understanding what it must have done to their family as well. The tragedy the family had to overcome. It is fascinating.
So my dear Uncle if you have a few minutes to spare please read what your nephew has written at http://bealfamilycivilwarstory.blogspot.com . Go ahead and click this link, it will open in a new tab, that way you can have us both at the same time.
I must run now, enjoy Bills blog. I did.
As ever,
Your Devoted Niece
I'm sure you know brother Bill, my brother the history buff. Well, he has started a blog. Or rather he started one back in July but neglected to tell me about it. It's great! What Bill has done is to focus on our Civil War Boys, the Beal boys. Now Bill is one who reads voraciously and will spend untold hours doing research of an historical nature. I shouldn't really be surprised that he elected to start this blog because in as much as I, the family historian, would LOVE to do in depth research on a particular person in the tree, I do not have that kind of time at present. What Bill has done by focusing on our boys is to tell the tale as if he was an observer of the boys during their enlistment.
Bill has scoured books and records and reports to find out what happened during those days when our boys put their lives on the line.
Bill has called me on several occasions to relate his latest findings but I am so emotionally involved with these boys that I just could not listen to the gory details without becoming pretty upset. You may think this silly as the boys are long gone but to me they are family and each time I discover something new it makes them even more alive for me. I can't read about their hardships without having nightmares.
Bill tells the story so well citing his sources along the way. If another person wanted to read what Bill has read then the link or source is right there. The story of the 5 Beal boys is an interesting one, not only from the perspective of the Civil War, but understanding what it must have done to their family as well. The tragedy the family had to overcome. It is fascinating.
So my dear Uncle if you have a few minutes to spare please read what your nephew has written at http://bealfamilycivilwarstory.blogspot.com . Go ahead and click this link, it will open in a new tab, that way you can have us both at the same time.
I must run now, enjoy Bills blog. I did.
As ever,
Your Devoted Niece
Monday, October 8, 2012
Irish Eyes Are Smiling - Finally
Dear Uncle Selah,
Forgive me for not writing sooner, but surely you understand from all that has been happening these months. In any event I am writing to let you know of the discoveries that I've made on the Irish side of the family.
You know that the lack of information has driven me to distraction and on more than one occassion has had me cussing like a sailor. It seemed like just when I thought that I had the right individual it was the wrong individual...again.
Uncle, you of all people know how much I value tradition and honoring ancestors, and how much I try to impart the feelings of love and devotion to all the generations but....ah yes, the BUT. BUT the naming traditions along with the large families on the Irish side and the people marrying neighbors in their villages who both had cousins of the same name in another village and they married each other, not to mention the brothers and sisters of one family marrying the brothers and sisters of the other family, and the charts I did just to keep them all straight, and I know you may be laughing but it didn't seem quite so difficult when I was doing the English side.
Then again maybe it was.
Well the discoveries are these: Patrick Morris and Julia McNulty [3rd great grandparents] were from county Mayo. Thank the Lord I've finally made the Mayo connection. Patrick Morris was actually Patrick
Morrisroe from Swinford, County Mayo, Ireland.
Thankfully through the wonderful world of Familysearch.org, and Ancestry.com and Google and the help of some new found "cousins" we have pieced together the Moran-Greene line of the family and it goes like this:
Helen Mae Greene daughter of William B. Greene and Ellen [Mary Ann] Moran.
Ellen [Mary Ann] Moran was the daughter of Martin T. Moran and Ellen Morris.
Ellen Morris was the daughter of Patrick Morris[roe] and Julia McNulty. Patrick and Julia had several children.
Now I don't know if you remember the problem that I had a while back as all I knew was that a Patrick Morris had a wife Julia and some alluded to her last name as being Mac-something. Thanks to Familysearch and their records we've connected a few things up. Thanks to Google, which makes life so much easier, I know where Swinford in County Mayo is and a bit of the history. Thanks to Ancestry for the clues and connections to link "cousins" and things up. Oh and before I forget Uncle, having Brian Mitchells "A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland", has been fantastic! I've been able to get right down into the townships and villages and parishes and Baronys and all the divisions therein.
How I wish I had had all of this information 30 years ago. I need to be younger again to discover all that I seek to know. I know the Irish side is smiling now that we've made some headway. And it's very nice to know that when we stopped by the cemetery those many years ago and shouted out loud "Hello! We're here! We've come to find you all!" that I've kept that promise as best I could, that I've been relentless in finding the families and that they are now on our tree with names and dates and places and are not forgotten.
Until next time,
Your devoted niece
Forgive me for not writing sooner, but surely you understand from all that has been happening these months. In any event I am writing to let you know of the discoveries that I've made on the Irish side of the family.
You know that the lack of information has driven me to distraction and on more than one occassion has had me cussing like a sailor. It seemed like just when I thought that I had the right individual it was the wrong individual...again.
Uncle, you of all people know how much I value tradition and honoring ancestors, and how much I try to impart the feelings of love and devotion to all the generations but....ah yes, the BUT. BUT the naming traditions along with the large families on the Irish side and the people marrying neighbors in their villages who both had cousins of the same name in another village and they married each other, not to mention the brothers and sisters of one family marrying the brothers and sisters of the other family, and the charts I did just to keep them all straight, and I know you may be laughing but it didn't seem quite so difficult when I was doing the English side.
Then again maybe it was.
Well the discoveries are these: Patrick Morris and Julia McNulty [3rd great grandparents] were from county Mayo. Thank the Lord I've finally made the Mayo connection. Patrick Morris was actually Patrick
Morrisroe from Swinford, County Mayo, Ireland.
Thankfully through the wonderful world of Familysearch.org, and Ancestry.com and Google and the help of some new found "cousins" we have pieced together the Moran-Greene line of the family and it goes like this:
Helen Mae Greene daughter of William B. Greene and Ellen [Mary Ann] Moran.
Ellen [Mary Ann] Moran was the daughter of Martin T. Moran and Ellen Morris.
Ellen Morris was the daughter of Patrick Morris[roe] and Julia McNulty. Patrick and Julia had several children.
Now I don't know if you remember the problem that I had a while back as all I knew was that a Patrick Morris had a wife Julia and some alluded to her last name as being Mac-something. Thanks to Familysearch and their records we've connected a few things up. Thanks to Google, which makes life so much easier, I know where Swinford in County Mayo is and a bit of the history. Thanks to Ancestry for the clues and connections to link "cousins" and things up. Oh and before I forget Uncle, having Brian Mitchells "A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland", has been fantastic! I've been able to get right down into the townships and villages and parishes and Baronys and all the divisions therein.
How I wish I had had all of this information 30 years ago. I need to be younger again to discover all that I seek to know. I know the Irish side is smiling now that we've made some headway. And it's very nice to know that when we stopped by the cemetery those many years ago and shouted out loud "Hello! We're here! We've come to find you all!" that I've kept that promise as best I could, that I've been relentless in finding the families and that they are now on our tree with names and dates and places and are not forgotten.
Until next time,
Your devoted niece
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Sentimental Sunday - Easter Memories
After my Dad passed away and Nana and Auntie had also, the Easter Holiday became a non event. My brother spent the holiday with his wife's family and my sister lived out of state. My young daughter spent the day with her father and his family. That left Mom and I.
Realizing that it would be the two of us I wanted to spend the day as a day of renewal. So on the day before Easter I went to the local garden center and bought some Easter lilies, Daffodils and Hyacinths and mulch.
On Easter Sunday Mom and I would plant them. We would freshen up the gardens, spruce up whatever needed sprucing up. A hopeful, beautiful start to the year. Reminising about those who had passed. A chance to slow down and just talk. Just the two of us.
In the following years we could see the fruits of our labors as the gardens bloomed in shades of yellows and pinks, reds, orange, green, lavender and white.
Tulips and Crocus, Lilies and Daffodils. The fragrance of the Hyacinths on the breeze saying "Spring". People driving by the house and taking pictures. Spring the season of renewal.
Mom has passed to be with Dad and our ancestors, I'm now on the other side of the country, far from "home". The house of the gardens a memory. But every Easter I remember the planting, the talking, and the exclamation "Oh Honey it's beautiful ! ". It was. She was. Happy Easter Mom.
Realizing that it would be the two of us I wanted to spend the day as a day of renewal. So on the day before Easter I went to the local garden center and bought some Easter lilies, Daffodils and Hyacinths and mulch.
On Easter Sunday Mom and I would plant them. We would freshen up the gardens, spruce up whatever needed sprucing up. A hopeful, beautiful start to the year. Reminising about those who had passed. A chance to slow down and just talk. Just the two of us.
In the following years we could see the fruits of our labors as the gardens bloomed in shades of yellows and pinks, reds, orange, green, lavender and white.
Tulips and Crocus, Lilies and Daffodils. The fragrance of the Hyacinths on the breeze saying "Spring". People driving by the house and taking pictures. Spring the season of renewal.
Mom has passed to be with Dad and our ancestors, I'm now on the other side of the country, far from "home". The house of the gardens a memory. But every Easter I remember the planting, the talking, and the exclamation "Oh Honey it's beautiful ! ". It was. She was. Happy Easter Mom.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Giving Back - Indexing
Dear Uncle,
My apologies for being away for so long. Life got in the way. In the midst of it all I did find time to sign up for indexing. The 1940 census is about to be released and I can say that if it were not for all of the folks who had previously done indexing then I would not have found all of the members on the family tree that we currently have.
It is my time to give back. It was really very easy to sign up. The instructions are very simple and while I and millions of others wait for the 1940 census to drop I signed up to do some indexing that needed to be done. I thought it would give me good practice.
I signed up at Family Search.org. They sent me a batch of my choosing, something that I felt I could handle. Each batch consisted of 20 records. I had death records for the state of Texas 1904, 1909 for a couple of different counties. For the most part I did pretty well. There were a couple of records that I could not decipher and I would challenge anyone to decipher them - doctors handwriting...need I say more?
I can say that all my years researching family history served me well. Names and places were relatively easy to figure out. And there were helpful things to be able to read the documents more easily. If I had a better knowledge of the areas I'd have sped right through them. At the most each batch took about an hour. It might seem like a long time but you can do a few records here and there when you have time.
I have a greater appreciation of the folks who have done all this work before. And I feel pretty good about being able to give back. I haven't done a huge amount, only about a hundred records, but now someone looking for a relative who died in Brazos or Bexar counties in 1904 or 1909 might actually be able to find them and that makes me feel good.
Indexing has also had it's emotional moments. Records of folks who died without a hint of where they came from- the dreaded "UNKNOWN". Or the records of Black americans born before the Emancipation. Date of Birth : Unknown, Fathers Name: Unknown, Mothers Name: Unknown, Place of Birth : Unknown. Granted there were folks of all races that had entrys like that but for the most part there was something that was known.
I guess it hit me that without the records, without the information filled in, the trail to family stops. Yes, I've been there but there was a way around it somehow and eventually I found a clue here and there. And yes, the Irish side is a bucket full of aggravation but once I get a few more clues I can "jump the pond" . How do you "jump" to anywhere when the record is "Mary" no last name, no mother, no father. The next record is "Jimmy" and he died 2 miles west of a farm. No date of birth, no last name.
Uncle, I am so very fortunate to have found the information that I have. Fortunate that folks had the foresight to realize that these records attach to real people, someones kin and that perhaps that kin might come looking for them someday. And no matter what genealogy group or association or church or whatever began to make these records available it is a blessing.
So now, when I type in a name of one of our ancestors and I come up with a new record I will bless the indexer for taking the time to enter the information so that I can find my kin.
Until the next,
Your devoted Niece
My apologies for being away for so long. Life got in the way. In the midst of it all I did find time to sign up for indexing. The 1940 census is about to be released and I can say that if it were not for all of the folks who had previously done indexing then I would not have found all of the members on the family tree that we currently have.
It is my time to give back. It was really very easy to sign up. The instructions are very simple and while I and millions of others wait for the 1940 census to drop I signed up to do some indexing that needed to be done. I thought it would give me good practice.
I signed up at Family Search.org. They sent me a batch of my choosing, something that I felt I could handle. Each batch consisted of 20 records. I had death records for the state of Texas 1904, 1909 for a couple of different counties. For the most part I did pretty well. There were a couple of records that I could not decipher and I would challenge anyone to decipher them - doctors handwriting...need I say more?
I can say that all my years researching family history served me well. Names and places were relatively easy to figure out. And there were helpful things to be able to read the documents more easily. If I had a better knowledge of the areas I'd have sped right through them. At the most each batch took about an hour. It might seem like a long time but you can do a few records here and there when you have time.
I have a greater appreciation of the folks who have done all this work before. And I feel pretty good about being able to give back. I haven't done a huge amount, only about a hundred records, but now someone looking for a relative who died in Brazos or Bexar counties in 1904 or 1909 might actually be able to find them and that makes me feel good.
Indexing has also had it's emotional moments. Records of folks who died without a hint of where they came from- the dreaded "UNKNOWN". Or the records of Black americans born before the Emancipation. Date of Birth : Unknown, Fathers Name: Unknown, Mothers Name: Unknown, Place of Birth : Unknown. Granted there were folks of all races that had entrys like that but for the most part there was something that was known.
I guess it hit me that without the records, without the information filled in, the trail to family stops. Yes, I've been there but there was a way around it somehow and eventually I found a clue here and there. And yes, the Irish side is a bucket full of aggravation but once I get a few more clues I can "jump the pond" . How do you "jump" to anywhere when the record is "Mary" no last name, no mother, no father. The next record is "Jimmy" and he died 2 miles west of a farm. No date of birth, no last name.
Uncle, I am so very fortunate to have found the information that I have. Fortunate that folks had the foresight to realize that these records attach to real people, someones kin and that perhaps that kin might come looking for them someday. And no matter what genealogy group or association or church or whatever began to make these records available it is a blessing.
So now, when I type in a name of one of our ancestors and I come up with a new record I will bless the indexer for taking the time to enter the information so that I can find my kin.
Until the next,
Your devoted Niece
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
When The Fire Alarm Sounds - Again
Dear Uncle,
As you might remember, 2 years ago last October our apartment building caught fire. It took 11 minutes to run through the building. Thank God there was no loss of human life largely due to the fact that the fire occurred in late afternoon, although sadly many pets were lost. You might also remember the miracle that our apartment was the only apartment of 12 apartments, untouched by the flames and smoke and water. I still thank the ancestors for pulling that one off. The Fire Marshall said in his opinion it was no less than a miracle.
I'm sure that you can imagine my panic when the building alarm went off last Friday evening. When we moved last year we selected a complex that had sprinklers in every apartment. You never quite get over a fire.
We darted out into the parking lot looking for the flames. We didn't see any but that really doesn't mean anything. Fire hides inside walls. I ran back into our apartment hearing the sirens getting closer, ( I know it was a very stupid thing to do) grabbed a suitcase, loaded it with essentials, just in case. Again memories of smelling of smoke and shopping at midnight at Walmart for underwear and socks my motivator. The prior time we had only the clothes on our backs.
The second thing was the Genealogy. I ran into the office and stopped dead. What to grab? I was paralyzed. There was no way we could grab 3 computers and their monitors, the printer, 6 boxes of files and research, 10 photo boxes of pictures, a box full of CD's full of document scans and the old pictures on the walls of my parents and grandparents.
Then there is the secondary stuff-- like clothes, receipts, insurance papers, passwords, bills and account information. It's amazing the things you can not do without account numbers. And heaven forbid you don't remember who set up the account originally and what their social is, or what their "secret password" is. Yes, we learned the hard way the last time. That's why we have "THE BOX". Which I immediately forgot about. That's the first thing we are supposed to grab in case of whatever.
I can tell you it's the LAST thing I remembered to even think about grabbing.
As we stood looking at the apartment that had the fire ( grease fire and sensitive sprinklers) and all of the water from the sprinklers pouring out of that apartment, I was very thankful. I am sure you heard my prayers that evening. No one was injured, only two other apartments were affected by smoke and water. And I'm relatively sure that the neighbor downstairs from the fire has some major issues. Who fries Tater Tots in oil for goodness sake?
I was also thankful for backing up my trees on ancestry and again sending my backups to my niece 1500 miles away. But this did teach me yet another lesson. I need a fireproof/waterproof black box for original documents or a safe deposit box. Files can be recreated bit by bit ( hence the 3 computers: old, older and does that thing still run?) Document/ picture scans are at least SOMETHING if I cannot have the originals.
As organized as I am, there is still room for improvement. We need to once again document our belongings for insurance purposes. Gather all receipts to one area and make duplicate copies of important info and put it into the fire box. This is the second go round with fire. It's going to take me a while to relax again.
And so my Dear Uncle, if you and the ancestors once again took it upon yourselves to assist in containing the fire I thank you- again.
With much love,
Your Devoted Niece
As you might remember, 2 years ago last October our apartment building caught fire. It took 11 minutes to run through the building. Thank God there was no loss of human life largely due to the fact that the fire occurred in late afternoon, although sadly many pets were lost. You might also remember the miracle that our apartment was the only apartment of 12 apartments, untouched by the flames and smoke and water. I still thank the ancestors for pulling that one off. The Fire Marshall said in his opinion it was no less than a miracle.
I'm sure that you can imagine my panic when the building alarm went off last Friday evening. When we moved last year we selected a complex that had sprinklers in every apartment. You never quite get over a fire.
We darted out into the parking lot looking for the flames. We didn't see any but that really doesn't mean anything. Fire hides inside walls. I ran back into our apartment hearing the sirens getting closer, ( I know it was a very stupid thing to do) grabbed a suitcase, loaded it with essentials, just in case. Again memories of smelling of smoke and shopping at midnight at Walmart for underwear and socks my motivator. The prior time we had only the clothes on our backs.
The second thing was the Genealogy. I ran into the office and stopped dead. What to grab? I was paralyzed. There was no way we could grab 3 computers and their monitors, the printer, 6 boxes of files and research, 10 photo boxes of pictures, a box full of CD's full of document scans and the old pictures on the walls of my parents and grandparents.
Then there is the secondary stuff-- like clothes, receipts, insurance papers, passwords, bills and account information. It's amazing the things you can not do without account numbers. And heaven forbid you don't remember who set up the account originally and what their social is, or what their "secret password" is. Yes, we learned the hard way the last time. That's why we have "THE BOX". Which I immediately forgot about. That's the first thing we are supposed to grab in case of whatever.
I can tell you it's the LAST thing I remembered to even think about grabbing.
As we stood looking at the apartment that had the fire ( grease fire and sensitive sprinklers) and all of the water from the sprinklers pouring out of that apartment, I was very thankful. I am sure you heard my prayers that evening. No one was injured, only two other apartments were affected by smoke and water. And I'm relatively sure that the neighbor downstairs from the fire has some major issues. Who fries Tater Tots in oil for goodness sake?
I was also thankful for backing up my trees on ancestry and again sending my backups to my niece 1500 miles away. But this did teach me yet another lesson. I need a fireproof/waterproof black box for original documents or a safe deposit box. Files can be recreated bit by bit ( hence the 3 computers: old, older and does that thing still run?) Document/ picture scans are at least SOMETHING if I cannot have the originals.
As organized as I am, there is still room for improvement. We need to once again document our belongings for insurance purposes. Gather all receipts to one area and make duplicate copies of important info and put it into the fire box. This is the second go round with fire. It's going to take me a while to relax again.
And so my Dear Uncle, if you and the ancestors once again took it upon yourselves to assist in containing the fire I thank you- again.
With much love,
Your Devoted Niece
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)