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Hilda's Certificate of Naturalization

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Hilda Maria Carlsson Gillberg Certificate of Naturalization Cropped
My paternal great-grandparents, Carl and Hilda Gillberg, emigrated from Sweden to the United States in the early 1900s. Both Carl and Hilda eventually became United States citizens. In a previous post, I shared with you a copy of Carl's Certificate of Naturalization. Today I'm happy to share with you a copy of Hilda's Certificate of Naturalization.

You may remember that Hilda's husband Carl filled out two Declarations of Intention, the first one in 1924 and the second one in 1939. It appears that Hilda only filled out one Declaration of Intention in 1939.

Carl became a citizen on July 10, 1942, and Hilda became a citizen on November 20, 1942. I wonder why they didn't become citizens on the same day.

Information listed in this document:
  1. Age – 64 years old
  2. Sex – Female
  3. Color – White
  4. Complexion – Medium
  5. Color of Eyes – Gray
  6. Color of Hair – Gray
  7. Height – 5' 1" Tall
  8. Weight – 186 Pounds
  9. Visible Distinctive Marks – None
  10. Marital Status – Married
  11. Former Nationality – Swedish
  12. Bonuses – Hilda's Photo and Signature (Hurray!)
  13. Address – 12306 Wick Street, Roscoe, California
As I said before, I'm so thankful my Grandma Ingrid saved copies of her parents' Certificates of Naturalization in her Books of Remembrance. Thank you Grandma for preserving family history treasures for your descendants to enjoy!

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for July 26, 2013

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Four Shooting Stars from Microsoft Office Images
My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. What Did Your Ancestor Look Like? 5 Ways to Find Physical Characteristics by The Ancestor Hunt
  2. In Sweet Remembrance of my Beautiful Mom ~ 1933 - 2010 ~ by Ginisology
  3. Who are you calling a “Huckster”? AND Are you a descendant of Percy Emmons Woodward? by Nutfield Genealogy
  4. I’m a Wanderer–Like My Ancestors! by Jennyalogist
  5. What a Story I Have to Share! by The Olive Tree Genealogy
  6. Search Gets Major Feature Enhancements by FamilySearch Blog
  7. Survival in Paradise: Southern France by Freud's Butcher
  8. An interesting find by Talking Box Genealogy
  9. Tombstone Tuesday: Freddie Harrison by How Did I Get Here? My Amazing Genealogy Journey
  10. Every Civil War soldier has a story – tell yours AND My Top 5 Resources for Researching your Civil War ancestor – All Online and All Free by Cindy Freed's Genealogy Circle
  11. Family History Archives at BYU have been moved by Family History with the Lineagekeeper
  12. Eva Nicolaus * 1898 in Koenigsberg, East Prussia by schmidtbarbara
  13. Sarah Ann Handley, The Key to Piggott Doors by Ancestors Live Here
  14. A Bunch of Stuff by The Pye Plate
  15. The twice-told tale of debt by The Legal Genealogist
  16. Summer Vacations Create Family Memories by Thomas MacEntee for Saving Memories Forever
  17. Anticipating the Next Generation PERSI by Taneya's Genealogy Blog
  18. Solved! The mystery of my grandfather’s birthplace by Organize Your Family History
  19. Look beyond a photo's image for clues about your family by Root, Branch and Twig
  20. Wordless Wednesday: Rice Flakes? by Jollett Etc.

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Vintage Postcard, and Photo Blog Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal
Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Military Monday ~ Dr. Homer Clark Waterman – Assistant Surgeon in the Civil War

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Homer Clark Waterman

This is a photo of Dr. Homer Clark Waterman, my maternal 2nd great-granduncle. He was born on May 18, 1827 in Troy, Athens, Ohio to Asher Waterman and Bathsheba Paulk.

Homer married Sarah Ann D. Rathburn on October 6, 1850 in Meigs County, Ohio. They were the parents of four children:

  1. Lillian F. Waterman (1854-1931)
  2. Helen M. Waterman (1860-1930)
  3. William Rathburn Waterman (1867-1946)
  4. Mary E. Waterman (1869-1893)
On October 15, 1862, at thirty-five years of age, and with a wife and two young daughters at home, Homer entered the Civil War. He had recently graduated from a medical college in Ohio.

Homer started his Civil War service as 2nd Assistant Surgeon in the 4th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered into duty as Assistant Surgeon in the same regiment on January 24, 1863. He served in this regiment until October 8, 1864, when he was honorably mustered out at Wheeling, West Virginia.
1

I assume he went home at this point. I can just imagine the joyous reunion he had with his wife Sarah, and two young daughters, Lillian and Helen.

But he wasn't home for very long, because on January 4, 1865, he was commissioned by the Governor of West Virginia to serve as Assistant Surgeon of the 2nd Regiment West Virginia Veterans Volunteer Infantry. He served in this regiment until the end of the war. He was mustered out of service at Clarksburg, West Virginia on July 16, 1865.
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Interestingly, Homer's grandfather, and my 4th great-grandfather, Dr. Luther L. Waterman, was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War. Both Luther and Homer must have beheld horrific scenes while serving on the battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

According to the United States, 1890 Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War,2 Homer served in the Civil War for two years, nine months, and nine days.

Waterman, Homer Clark - 1890 Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War Cropped, Highlighted and Straightened

Not only was Homer a physician, he was also elected Coroner in two different counties. He also served as the Treasurer and Justice of the Peace of Salisbury township and served as School Examiner of Meigs County for six years. Homer was also a Mason.1

Dr. Homer Clark Waterman passed away on March 5, 1893 in Zanesville, Muskingum, Ohio.

More about Dr. Homer Clark Waterman's life in future posts.

Thanks for reading!

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last


1 Dr. Homer Clark Waterman's Civil War Pension File
2 "United States, 1890 Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K835-65L : accessed 28 Jul 2013), Homer C Waterman, 1890.
3 Obituary from Zanesville Daily Courier, dated March 6, 1893. Transcription courtesy of Rootsweb.com - Meigs County News For The Year 1893 – As stated on the website, "These pages contain transcriptions of news items published in Meigs County newspapers. They were transcribed from microfilm copies of the originals or from the originals themselves."

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for August 2, 2013

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Four Shooting Stars from Microsoft Office Images
My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. GenealogyBank permissions clarified AND A signature moment by The Legal Genealogist
  2. How Did I Miss This? by Past-Present-Future
  3. FamilySearch Family Tree Adds Important New ‘Attach Record’ Feature by Tom Kemp for GenealogyBank Blog
  4. Part 3: A Third Family Line of Fraser Slaves in South Carolina by Into the Briar Patch: A Family Memoir
  5. Matrilineal Monday: Mary Elizabeth Bellangee AND Military Monday: Wallace Partridge, Civil War Soldier by Know Their Stories
  6. Those Places Thursday -- Alcatraz Island by Telling Their Tale. The Stories of My Ancestors
  7. Old Reader is Going Private - Time to Choose a New RSS Reader by The Olive Tree Genealogy
  8. Family Stories To Laugh About... Someday by Valerie Elkins for Family Storytelling
  9. Can You Chart the Heart? AND The BYU Family History and Genealogy Conference is Going South by The Single Leaf
  10. Tombstone Tuesday: Need Bloopers for Class on Cemetery Photography AND Tech Tuesday: How Can I Get a Response from FindAGrave by A Patient Genealogist
  11. How I Use OneNote to Organize My Genealogy by Elyse's Genealogy Blog
  12. Freud’s Butcher, Year One: Five Highlights by Freud's Butcher
  13. Immigrants, History, and the Second City: Resources for Chicago Genealogy by Jennifer Holik for Archives.com
  14. Favorite Records: Vertical Files by Begin with 'Craft'
  15. Worked out what I can do... by Geniaus
  16. Coffins, Urns, and Ziplock Bags by The Ancestry Insider
  17. Photo of Grandma and Me by A Hundred Years Ago
  18. Genealogy From The Blueberry Patch by Sally Searches
  19. Happy Blogoversary to Me! AND Friday Funny ~ The Flavor "Graveyard" by Nutfield Genealogy

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Vintage Postcard, and Photo Blog Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Just Sitting Around…on a Shed

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This fun photo was found in one of my Grandma Ingrid Gillberg's Books of Remembrance. I don't know if the structure these girls are sitting on is actually a shed or not. I'm just guessing about that. Is it a shed, a garage, or something else? What do you think?

Just why were my Grandma Ingrid (second from the left), three of her sisters, and a friend, sitting there having their picture taken? And who took the picture?

A friend Anabelle McKendrick, Ingrid, Ida, Ruby, and Edith Gillberg about 1926

Here's a zoomed in view of these darling girls.

A friend Anabelle McKendrick, Ingrid, Ida, Ruby, and Edith Gillberg about 1926

This is what my Grandma Ingrid wrote under the photo in her Book of Remembrance.

Ingrid's Writing Under A Photo of her and her sisters

Transcription:
From left to right a friend
Annabelle McKendrick, Myself
Ida, Ruby and Edith. Taken
by our home on Grand Ave
Salt Lake City, Utah
about 1926
In 1926 my Grandma Ingrid and her three sisters in this photo would have been the following ages:

Ingrid - about 13 years old
Ida - about 10 years old
Ruby - about 6 years old
Edith - about 10 years old

Ida and Edith were twins. Did you notice how they were dressed alike? Well, except for the shoes. And I like how little Ruby is sitting there with her arms folded. And notice how Annabelle, Ingrid's friend, has her arm around Ingrid? Annabelle seems to be holding something in her lap too. I wonder what it is.

Don't these girls look happy…just sitting around…on a shed?

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for August 9, 2013

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Four Shooting Stars from Microsoft Office Images
My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. A guest photo! by Ancestoring's Orphan Photos
  2. Updates to Chronicling America Historic Newspapers – Follow Friday by Sassy Jane Genealogy
  3. Family History Expos 10th Anniversary in Colorado Springs by Grace and Glory
  4. San Francisco Chinatown Bubonic Plague Records AND Five Fabulous Years! by The Educated Genealogist
  5. Legacy Family Tree 8 Revealed - Origins and Migration Reports by Legacy Family Tree News
  6. 100,000 Family History Books now Online by Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
  7. RootsTech Rowdies in Google+ AND Ancestor 'Selfies'....Got Any? by Journeys Past
  8. Tarnow Calling by Freud's Butcher
  9. The Wait is Over - The 1921 Canada Census is Here! by Looking 4 Ancestors
  10. Competition: Free Photo Consultation with The Photo Detective by Emma for MyHeritage Blog
  11. Sepia Saturday - Doorways to Life by Family History Fun
  12. Georgia Roots - I Knew It! I Knew It! by Celebrating Family Stories
  13. Military periodicals online by The Empire Called and I Answered
  14. My Postmortem by Sally Searches
  15. Contest to Win a Free Copy of Family Tree Maker 2012 by Genea-Musings
  16. The Letters on Ebay by Life from The Roots
  17. Employment Applications can be a great resource. by Letters to My Grandparents
  18. The Chimney Fell off the House, and Mama Died. 1906. by Ancestors from the Attic
  19. Fantastic Friday: Hotel LaRose Mystery Solved by Many Branches, One Tree

New Blog Discovery

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Vintage Postcard, and Photo Blog Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Hilma Elizabeth (Carlsson) Taylor

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Hilma E. Carlsson Taylor and Charles A. Taylor Tombstone

This is the tombstone of my great-grandaunt Hilma Elizabeth (Carlsson) Taylor and her husband Charles Alvin Taylor.

Many thanks go to Alton and Loudonia, Find A Grave volunteers, who took this photo of Hilma and Charles' tombstone.

Hilma was born on June 1, 1888 in Eskilstuna, Sodermanland, Sweden to Johan Erik Carlsson and Karin Johnsson. According to both the 1910 and 1930 federal censuses, Hilma's year of immigration to the United States was 1900.

Hilma married Charles Alvin Taylor on November 16, 1907 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were the parents of two daughters:
  1. Hazel Hilma Taylor (1909-1977)
  2. Catherine Amy Taylor
I love this photo of Hilma with her sister Hilda Maria (Carlsson) Gillberg. Hilda was my great-grandmother.


Hilda Maria (Carlsson) Gillberg and Sister Hilma Elizabeth (Carlsson) Taylor
Hilda Maria (Carlsson) Gillberg [left]
and Hilma Elizabeth (Carlsson) Taylor [right]

Hilma passed away on June 14, 1976 in Suwannee County, Florida.

To view Hilma's Find A Grave Memorial Page, click HERE.

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Carl Albert Gillberg – Leaving from Liverpool

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Gillberg, Carl Albert - UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890-1960

I love immigration and naturalization records. This amazing UK, Outward Passenger List1 is from Ancestry.com. It shows my great-grandfather, Carl Albert Gillberg, with his step-daughter Judith, and daughter Margaret. See their names and information in the red box? Here's a close-up view.

Gillberg, Carl Albert - UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890-1960 Cropped

Information gleaned from this document:
  • Name of Ship – Canada
  • Date of Departure – September 9, 1909
  • Where Bound – Quebec and Montreal
  • Carl's port at which he contracted to land – Montreal
  • Port of Departure – Liverpool
  • Carl's profession – Mechanic
  • Carl's age – 27 years old
  • Judith's age – 11 years old
  • Margaret's age – 7 years old

So, of course looking at this document raises some questions for me.
  1. Carl and his family lived in Eskilstuna, Sweden. He and his daughters would have had to travel to Liverpool, England, the port from which they left for the United States. How did they get to Liverpool? And where did they stay before the ship left?
  2. Why was Carl's profession listed as a mechanic? On two other documents he is listed as a tinsmith.
  3. Carl's 1924 Declaration of Intention states that he entered the United States on September 18, 1909 at the Port of Chicago in Illinois. But on a different passenger list, there is a handwritten note near Carl's name stating the following – Detroit 9-19-09 C. P. Ry. Through which port did Carl enter the United States? The Google Map below shows the relation of Montreal to Detroit and Chicago.
Googlemap showing Carl Gillberg's Port of Arrival in Montreal Canada

I did a Google search for "C P Railway" and Canadian Pacific Railway came up as an option. Here's a map from the Library of Congress that shows some of the Canadian Pacific Railway lines, particularly from Montreal, Canada westward. It appears that the ports of Detroit and Chicago were part of the Canadian Pacific Railway lines. So, now I'm not sure if Carl entered the United States at the Port of Detroit or the Port of Chicago.

Library of Congress Map of Canadian Pacific Railway Lines

Unfortunately, these questions may remain unanswered. But what I do know is that Carl and his daughters did travel across the Atlantic Ocean in 1909, leaving Carl's wife, Hilda, and another daughter, Naomi, back in Sweden. Hilda and Naomi would emigrate from Sweden to the United States the following year.

The family settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, where my grandmother, Ingrid Anna Gillberg, was born. Years later they moved to California, where Carl and Hilda became citizens of the United States of America.

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last



1 Ancestry.com. UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for August 16, 2013

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Cropped White Poppy 600dpi Cropped
My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Surprise! A Stash of Family Papers has been Discovered! by Nutfield Genealogy
  2. Online records loss in West Virginia by The Legal Genealogist
  3. Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing Baby!-Searching Original Records by Carolina Girl Genealogy
  4. Uncle Heinrich Margheim, I Never Knew You by Grace and Glory
  5. Serious Thoughts To Quit Blogging by Heritage Happens
  6. She saved napkins? by Who Knew?
  7. PAGE 10 - CARNIVAL & BALL TICKETS, 1882 and 1883 by Terwilliger Souvenir Album
  8. Connecting With Cousins by i-Descend
  9. Legacy Family Tree 8 Revealed - New Wall Charts and options by Legacy Family Tree News
  10. How to Identify an Ancestor of Uncertain Identity by Jenny Tonks for Ask a Genealogist
  11. Law and Order: Special Cousins Unit by Clue Wagon
  12. Rudolph Valentino and Dad AND Hollywood Comes Calling Again! by GeneaJourneys
  13. Using the 1930 Mexican Census to Find Your Mexican Ancestors by Mexican Genealogy
  14. Named to Family Tree Magazine's 101 Best Websites List Again! by The Chart Chick
  15. Genealogy By the States – Week 32 – Minnesota by Julie's Genealogy & History Hub
  16. First Time Ever National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair by The Olive Tree Genealogy
  17. Impressive Developments in the FamilySearch Library Catalog by Genealogy's Star
  18. Back to Where She Came From by The Family Connection
  19. Upcoming Series - Family History Through the Alphabet by Digging Up Roots
  20. 12-Book Giveaway on August 29th! by Fieldstone Common

New Blog Discovery

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Photo Blog, and Vintage Postcard Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Thanks for Traveling Frederick! – It's Esther's Turn to Travel

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This is part of a series of posts in which I share the documents relating to the travels of Watson (Frederick) Emory Webster and his family.

Fred and Esther Webster with Carlota and Edna Webster
The Webster Family
L to R - Frederick, Carlota, Edna, Esther


I wonder if Esther (Matus Villatoro) Webster, would have traveled as much as she did during her life if her husband, Frederick, a.k.a "The Traveling Dentist," hadn't traveled as much as he did. I've decided to include the travels of Frederick's wife and children as part of this series of posts called "Thanks for Traveling Frederick!"

Today I'm sharing a passenger list1 from October 19, 1911 showing Esther and her daughter Carlota traveling alone. Where was Frederick? Was he already in the United States? Were Esther and Carlota traveling to meet him? I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. I wonder how Esther felt traveling by herself with a one year old child.


Passenger List for Esther and Carlota Webster 1911

According to this passenger list, Esther and Carlota sailed on the S.S. Morro Castle. I found a picture of this ship. I think it's fascinating to see what this ship looked like.


S. S. Morro Castle
S.S. Morro Castle ~ Wikimedia Commons
No Copyright

What can we glean from the passenger list (above)?
  1. Esther and Carlota sailed on the S.S. Morro Castle
  2. Port of Departure – Veracruz, Mexico
  3. Date of Departure – October 19, 1911
  4. On line 2 we see Carlota Webster listed.  She was Frederick and Esther's oldest child.
  5. Carlota's Age was 1
  6. Carlota's Nationality – United States citizen
  7. On line 3 we see Esther Webster listed.
  8. Esther's age was 20
  9. Esther was married
  10. Esther's Nationality – United States citizen
  11. Esther's Race – Mexican
I think it's interesting that Esther's nationality (Country of which citizen or subject) was first listed as Mexico.  Then that was crossed out and U.S. was written over Mexico.  Also, in the column of Race for Esther, Mexican was crossed out and U.S. was written in.

Was Esther's nationality (Country of which citizen or subject) changed from Mexico to U.S. because she automatically became a U.S. citizen when she married Frederick Webster in 1910? I found the following information helpful regarding Esther and her citizenship status.

In the article
Seven Keys to Understanding Naturalization Records at Ancestry.com,2 the following is stated:
'"Derivative" citizenship was granted to wives and minor children of naturalized men. From 1790 to 1922, wives of naturalized men automatically became citizens. This also meant that an alien woman who married a U.S. citizen automatically became a citizen.'
In a separate article, I found the following regarding marriage and citizenship of alien women. Marian L. Smith stated in her article "Any woman who is now or may hereafter be married . . ." Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940 at Archives.gov:3
"In other cases, the immigrant woman suddenly became a citizen when she and her U.S. citizen fiance were declared "man and wife." In this case her proof of citizenship was a combination of two documents: the marriage certificate and her husband's birth record or naturalization certificate. If such an alien woman also had minor alien children, they, too, derived U.S. citizenship from the marriage. As minors, they instantly derived citizenship from the "naturalization-by-marriage" of their mother. If the marriage took place abroad, the new wife and her children could enter the United States for the first time as citizens."

This wasn't the only time I found Esther on a passenger list. I'll be sharing more documents from Esther's travels in future posts.

Thanks for reading!



© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last




1 Source Citation: Year: 1911; ; Microfilm Serial: T715; Microfilm Roll: T715_1763; Line: 3; ; Page Number: 180. Source Information: Ancestry.com. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
2 "Seven Keys to Understanding Naturalization Records." Ancestry.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Aug. 2013.
3 Smith, Marian L. "Prologue: Selected Articles." Prologue: Selected Articles. National Archives, Summer 1998. Web. 20 Aug. 2013.

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for August 23, 2013

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. BYU–Idaho Introduces a New Online Degree in Family History Research by Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
  2. Part 5 of 5: More Family Lines of Fraser Slaves in South Carolina by Into the Briar Patch: A Family Memoir
  3. Terms of use: Google Maps & Earth by The Legal Genealogist
  4. TERWILLIGER SOUVENIR ALBUM - One Year Blogiversary!! by Terwilliger Souvenir Album
  5. My Dinner with Judy! by Genealogy Certification: My Personal Journal
  6. Have you thought of quitting the blog scene? by Leaves For Trees
  7. Sepia Saturday: Eat - Pray – Love by Jollett Etc.
  8. Using the Mexican Border Crossing Records in Your Mexican Ancestry Research by Mexican Genealogy
  9. Who do I look like? by An Unexpected Discovery
  10. Wisdom Wednesday: My kind of day by Nuts From the Family Tree
  11. NARA Virtural Genealogy Fair Schedule by Adventures in Genealogy Education
  12. Don’t Stereotype a Genealogist by Genealogy & History News
  13. Dear Mother: Family Letters and Your Genealogy by Gena Philibert-Ortega for GenealogyBank Blog
  14. Flee, Fight — or Hide? Bruno Bettleheim, Anne Frank & My Family by Freud's Butcher
  15. Lost and Found, Hide-n-Seek in Ypsilanti by Family Stories
  16. FGS and RootsTech Events To Be Held In Tandem 2015 by The Olive Tree Genealogy
  17. FGS Conference Blog Compendium by Genea-Musings
  18. Follow Friday - Arkiv Digital - free this weekend by Cousin Linda
  19. Coming to Terms with History - Musings on Ellis's Service in the Civil War by My Ancestors and Me
  20. Children of the Corn by SallySearches

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Photo Blog, and Vintage Postcard Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for August 30, 2013

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Cropped Yellow Poppies 600dpi
My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Jump on board my time machine – I’m heading back! by Cindy Freed's Genealogy Circle
  2. Why I Began Researching My Family History by JAK Genealogy
  3. Blogoversary #5 and Going Strong! by Climbing My Family Tree
  4. 52 Questions in 52 Weeks by Steve Anderson for FamilySearch Blog
  5. The 5 Best Free S‪ites for Online Newspaper Research for Genealogy by The Ancestor Hunt
  6. Validation! by GeneaJourneys
  7. The Bloggers' Geneameme by Geniaus
  8. "Who Do You Think You Are?": Charlemagne Connections and English Roots by Diane Haddad for Genealogy Insider
  9. Interview with Josh Taylor: Big News from FGS by Thomas MacEntee for Hack Genealogy
  10. Mystery Monday: More than Meets the Eye by Many Branches, One Tree
  11. Pictures Too Pale by A Hundred Years Ago
  12. He was named after whom? by Ancestoring
  13. The Next, Expected News by A Family Tapestry
  14. Fleshing out a Family History Story by Bridging the Past
  15. Sonia Bajcz Diamond: Living in Shklyn and the Senkevychivka Ghetto (Part 3: 1936-1942) by Lara's Family Search
  16. My First Blogiversary! by Yvonne's Genealogy Blog
  17. Exploring Your Ancestors' World with Geography by Jen Baldwin for Archives.com
  18. Thankful Thursday - Putting the FAMILY in Genealogy and Family History by The Last Leaf On This Branch
  19. Watertown Free Library, MA -- Remember When it was in the News? by Life From The Roots

New Blog Discovery

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Photo Blog and Vintage Postcard Blogosphere This Week

Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Wednesday's Child ~ Remembering Carl Martin Gillberg

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Carl Martin Gillberg was the third of nine children, and the only son, born to my paternal great-grandparents Carl Albert Gillberg and Hilda Maria Carlsson.

Carl Martin was born on November 12, 1904 in Eskilstuna, Södermanland, Sweden and passed away on January 23, 1906. He was only one year and two months old when he died.

In one of my
Grandma Ingrid's Books of Remembrance, I found the following page (it's a large page and I'm only showing part of it here).

Pg 27

Sadly, the place for little Carl Martin's picture is empty.

It appears that he was called by his middle name Martin. I'm assuming this is because his father's name was Carl.

Here is Carl Martin's birth record
1 in Sweden:

Carl Martin Gillberg - Sweden Indexed Birth Records

Here's a cropped version of the document above just showing Carl Martin Gillberg's birth record.

Carl Martin Gillberg - Sweden Indexed Birth Records

I wish I knew what the note in the far right column says. If anyone can read Swedish and would like to help me out with this, I would very much appreciate it. Here's a closer look at that far right column.




I looked through my Grandma Ingrid's Books of Remembrance and couldn't find any information about Carl Martin's cause of death, although Ingrid mentioned that Carl was a healthy child. From what she also wrote, it sounds like Carl was a big boy and was large for his age.

Three years after Carl Martin's death, the family began immigrating to the United States. Part of the family left in 1909 and the rest left Sweden in 1910.

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last




1 Swedish Church Records Archive; Johanneshov, Sweden; Sweden, Indexed Birth Records, 1880-1920; GID Number: 79.147.34100; Roll/Fiche Number: CK2837; Volume: SCB; Record Type: Födde (Births); Year Range: 1898 - 1920. Ancestry.com. Sweden, Indexed Birth Records, 1880-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Swedish Church Records Archive. Johanneshov, Sweden: Genline AB.

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for September 6, 2013

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. The Book of Me, Written by You, Prompt 1 by Anglers Rest
  2. More Adventure Than Anticipated by (Mis)Adventures Of A Genealogist
  3. They're Not Just Records. . . by My Ancestors and Me
  4. You’re invited by Who Knew?
  5. How I found a Cousin Using Newspapers and Only Newspapers by The Ancestor Hunt
  6. I've Been Working on the Railroad: Resources by Gena's Genealogy
  7. Motivation Monday - September goals by Cousin Linda
  8. Ancestry.com and FamilySearch to Make a Billion Global Records Available Online by GeneaPress
  9. Genealogy By the States – Week 35 – West Virginia by Julie's Genealogy & History Hub
  10. Future Developments in FamilySearch Family Tree by Genealogy's Star
  11. I’M GIVING IT AWAY … AGAIN! – CATHOLIC STYLE by Are My Roots Showing?
  12. Nearly Wordless Wednesday - Restoring John and Kate's House AND Treasure Chest Thursday - Family History Handwritten on a Church Brochure by The Pendleton Genealogy Post
  13. The Brotherhood of the Traveling Bible by Remembering Family
  14. Percy Haley Identified by Are You My Cousin?
  15. Why A Genealogy Blog? by This I Leave
  16. Happy 3rd Blogiversary to me! by Leaves & Branches
  17. Not Everything You Read Is True by Ellie's Ancestors
  18. Becoming an Old Timer by I remember you…
  19. Finding Barbara by Adventures in Genealogy
  20. The Intensity of His Gaze by A Southern Sleuth

New Blog Discovery

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Photo Blog, and Vintage Postcard Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Happy Grandparents Day!

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Yes, I'm a day late in posting this, as National Grandparents Day was yesterday, but, better late than never right?

I had shared the following photos of my grandparents on Facebook, and decided to share them on my blog too.

So, in honor of National Grandparents Day, here are some photos of my grandparents.

I love this photo of my paternal grandparents Arthur Harry Iverson and Ingrid Anna Gillberg before they were married. The photo is attached to a page from one of my Grandma Ingrid's Books of Remembrance.

Arthur Iverson and Ingrid Gillberg in 1930

Thank you Grandma Ingrid for including a description of this photograph! This is what Grandma Ingrid wrote underneath the photo:
Arthur Hary Iverson and myself Ingrid Anna Gilberg
Taken before we were married. A time exposure.
  1930
I'm not sure why she spelled Arthur's middle name as Hary. It's actually Harry. And she spelled her last name as Gilberg. Over the course of time, I've seen her last name spelled Gilberg, Gillberg, and even Gilbert in documents.

I also love that Ingrid wrote "A time exposure" under the photo. I wonder how long Arthur and Ingrid had to sit still while their photo was taken.

This next photo shows my maternal grandparents Debs Warren Webster and his first wife Sarah Vasques Madeira. They were both born in Brazil and that's where this photo was taken.

Debs  Webster And Sarah Vasques Madeira

Sadly, Sarah passed away in 1942 when my mom was a little girl.

Debs married his second wife, Willis Quillin, in 1944.

This is a photo of Debs and Willis with me as a baby. My Grandpa Debs and Grandma Willis were very loving and kind. I miss them.

Grandma Willis and Grandpa Debs Webster holding Jana

I never knew my maternal grandmother Sarah Vasques Madeira or my paternal grandfather Arthur Harry Iverson. Arthur passed away when my father was a small boy.

I love my grandparents, including the grandparents I never knew in this life.

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Remembering 9/11 Twelve Years Later –“The Unthinkable Has Happened!”

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Patriot Day – September 11, 2013

This is a reprint from last year's post with an edit to make it current as of today's date.


WTC-Wreckage-exterior_shell_of_south_tower - Public Domain
World Trade Center Wreckage
Wikimedia Commons
Public Domain


At the Pentagon after Attack - US Navy Took Photo - Public Domain - Wikimedia Commons
Flag at Pentagon on September 12, 2001
Wikimedia Commons
Public Domain


“The unthinkable has happened!” Those are the words I wrote as I began writing about 9/11 in my journal. I can’t believe it’s really been eleven twelve years now since it happened. Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers suggested we write a post recalling our memories of that horrific day.

I live on the West Coast. I was awake when 9/11 happened, getting ready for the day. FoxNews was on our TV. An alert came on saying a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. We thought it was just a terrible accident. But then the next plane crashed into the other tower. My husband saw it happen live on TV. Then we knew it was no accident. We were being attacked. We watched this all unfold as if mesmerized. I wrote in my journal that I felt like I was in a nightmare. I was in shock. I went through the motions of getting the kids to school but was gripped with fear of what had just happened.

Our five kids ranged in age back then from high school age down to elementary school. I remember taking my youngest kids to elementary school and as we were waiting out on the playground for the bell to ring, a strange and foreign thought ran through my mind. The vague thought of concern about planes that were in our skies that morning. We live not too far from an Air National Guard station.  Also our city airport isn't too far away. I really wasn't too concerned about our little corner of the world, but still.

After coming home from taking the kids to school, I was of course glued to the television, watching the horrific and unbelievable events of the day taking place.

Then there was the void of airplanes in the sky in the coming days. That was very eerie.

Because we live close to an Air National Guard Fighter Wing, those planes kept flying, but no commercial planes were in the air. One of my sons, who was in elementary school at the time, woke up at 4:00 am on Wednesday morning. He woke me up and said he heard an airplane - he was scared. I told him that it was the military—that it was one of ours. I wrote in my journal, “Isn’t that pathetic that I would have to say those words to one of my children?”

Our world has changed since 9/11. Our sense of security has changed as well. We had the attack at Pearl Harbor, but that was a generation or two ago. Now our generation has it’s own attack on U.S. soil to remember.

I hope that we will always remember 9/11 and those who perished that day, as well as those who risked their lives trying to save others.

And I hope we remember those in the military, some who have made the ultimate sacrifice, who willingly serve so that we can enjoy freedom and safety.

Thanks for reading.

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for September 13, 2013

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. THERE'S Patsey! It Has Been a LONG LONG Search by Reflections From the Fence
  2. FamilySearch & Ancestry Partnership Frequently Asked Questions AND Photos and Stories Update by FamilySearch Blog
  3. Online timelines for your genealogy by Kinfolk News
  4. Launch of the Biographical Database of Australia by Jenny's Genealogy Blog
  5. Legacy Family Tree 8 Revealed - Automated Sorting by Legacy Family Tree News
  6. Disaster Preparedness for Genealogists: Assess Your Assets Part 1 by Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems
  7. A Big Surprise! - My GG-Grandfather Served in the Civil War!! by Teach Me Genealogy
  8. There is Hope for Estranged Family Members! by What Do You Mean We're Irish?
  9. Breaking News: Scientists Pinpoint the Origins of Piles of Genea-Crap by Clue Wagon
  10. Tuesday's Tip: Even More 10-Minute Genealogist Tips by Climbing My Family Tree
  11. Wordless Wednesday: TEAL There Is a Cure by Jollett Etc.
  12. The 1920s and 1930s: An American Era Like No Other by GeneaJourneys
  13. Organizing all the genealogy stuff by Genealogy's Star
  14. Put Some Heart into it. How to Share Your Family History Stories. by Family Cherished
  15. Year 12… never forget by The Legal Genealogist
  16. Massachusetts Remembers 9/ll With Memorial and Names by Life From The Roots
  17. An Amusement Park Ride Patent by my Great Great Grandfather by Nutfield Genealogy
  18. The Cemetery Santa by Ancestral Breezes
  19. Proven! My Loyalist Lineage From John Ryckman of Barton Township by Looking 4 Ancestors
  20. Lost in time by Leafing through Linda's Tree
  21. How to Become a BillionGraves Android Beta-tester by BillionGraves Blog

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Photo Blog, and Vintage Postcard Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Three Webster Siblings in 1922

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Isn't this a wonderful photo? Besides the thrill of seeing the faces of our dear ancestors, it's also interesting to see the fashions of their day.

These three cute kids are (from left to right) my Grandpa Debs Warren Webster and his sisters Carlota Adelia Webster and Edna Lillie Webster.

They are three of the five children born to my Traveling Dentist Great-Grandfather Watson (Frederick) Emory Webster and my Great-Grandmother Esther Matus Villatoro.

Debs, Carlota, and Edna Lilie Webster
Left to Right - Debs, Carlota and Edna Lillie Webster


As you can see from the writing on the back of the photo (thank you Grandpa Debs for writing this!),the photo was taken in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico on December 26, 1922, the day after Christmas.Thankfully, my Grandpa Debs also recorded their ages at the time this photo was taken:

Edna – 11
Carlota – 13
Debs – 9

Debs, Carlota, and Edna Lilie Webster - back of photo

This photo was taken three years after the death of their mother Esther, and about a year or so before sweet littleEdna Lillie's death. Of the five children born to Watson and Esther, my grandfather Debs and his sister Carlota were the only children to survive to adulthood.

Now what these three were doing in Irapuato, Mexico, I couldn't tell you.  But of course wehave torememberthat theyare the childrenof "The TravelingDentist."

Thanks forreading!

© 2013 Copyrightby Jana Last

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for September 20, 2013

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Find A Grave revisited AND The company you keep AND Reading between the lines by The Legal Genealogist
  2. Copac update: The National Archives Library added by The Family Recorder
  3. Military Monday – Piecing Together the Story by Generations
  4. Are you getting fewer blog comments? by Genealogy Leftovers
  5. Getting the Most from Message Groups and Mailing Lists by Thomas MacEntee for Archives.com
  6. The Fork in the Road and the Road Less Traveled By; Remembering and Honoring Our Heritage by Valerie Elkins for Family Storytelling
  7. Preserving Scrapbooks From The Past: Canon DSLR vs. Flip-Pal AND Printable Calendars, Planners and MORE! by Not Your Mother's Genealogy
  8. Those Places Thursday: 1717 Shearn, Houston, Texas, circa 1908-09 by ABT UNK
  9. Urgent Need for Volunteers to Help Clean Up Chapel Heights Memory Gardens, Marion Township, Marion County, Ohio by Exploring almost forgotten gravesites in Ohio
  10. My Summer "Vacation" by The Turning of Generations
  11. "Genealogy Roadshow" Sept. 23 Debut Investigates Family Stories in Nashville by Diane Haddad for Genealogy Insider – Family Tree Magazine
  12. My Number 1 App for the Family History Traveler! by The Armchair Genealogist
  13. Free APG Webinar - Working with Autosomal DNA: Intermediate/Advanced Applications by GeneaWebinars
  14. 5 Online Places to Begin Your Search for Czech Ancestors by Kimberly Powell for About.com – Genealogy
  15. Riding a Wave of Eastern European Resources by The Who Hunter
  16. Solving The Mystery Of Nellie Jane… Mostly by AncestorQuest
  17. GOOGLE EARTH AND TIME TRAVEL by On Granny's Trail
  18. Follow Friday: Prisoners of The Revolution by Carolina Family Roots

New Blog Discovery

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Genealogy, Photo Blog, and Vintage Postcard Blogosphere This Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Grandpa's Postcards
Jana's Photo Journal

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Grandpa Arthur and His Mandolin

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I've seen this photo before and I love it! It's a photo of my paternal grandfather, Arthur Harry Iverson, playing a mandolin. I've shared this photo with you in a previous post. But, I don't think it was as clear as this photo.

My sister-in-law has been working on scanning slides given to her by my cousin's wife. This photo was from one of those slides. These slides were found at my Aunt Joan and Uncle Alan's home. Sadly, my Aunt Joan and Uncle Alan passed away several years ago.

Arthur Iverson playing a mandolin

I was thrilled to see this new-to-me photo (below) that my sister-in-law had scanned. It looks like Arthur loved to play his mandolin! I wonder who's car that was. Arthur was a mechanic, so it could have belonged to a client. Don't you love that hand crank in the front of the car? Awesome!

Arthur Iverson holding a mandolin standing in front of an automobile

It appears that Arthur came from a musical family. This is what my dad, Jan Iverson, wrote in his personal history about his father Arthur. My dad actually wrote this as part of his mother's eulogy, and included it in his personal history.
"I can also remember that both mother and Arthur played the accordion and filled the home with music.  Arthur must have been musically inclined, as I have found out since that his older brothers played guitars and violins and also made the instruments."

Oh, how I wish I knew if my Grandpa Arthur's mandolin and the guitars and violins his brothers made and played were still around somewhere. Could they be hiding in a relative's attic or basement? If so, I'd love to see them.

I wonder if this musical talent is in the genes and has been passed down to Arthur's great-grandchildren, because all of our children are musically talented. All five of them sing and learned to play at least one instrument. The instruments our kids learned to play include the piano, trumpet, guitar, and mandolin. Yep! That's right! One of our sons bought his own mandolin several years ago. And at the time he bought it, he was unaware that his Great-Grandfather Arthur also played the mandolin. How fun is that?!

Thanks for reading!


© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last
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