Well, looking back at the previously posted Christian Hiller's Three-Part Civil War Story, I really thought I had obtained all the pertinent records to complete that narrative. Wrong! Recently, after filing a Freedom of Information Act request, my mail carrier delivered a large envelope containing 116 pages of Christian Hiller's pension records: service records including hospitalizations, diagnosis, physician records, affidavits by neighbors and fellow service men, marriage certificate and widow's pension records. Basically, a mother-lode of genealogy documentation covering 1889, when Christian first applied for disability pension, until June 1944 when his widow Isabelle died. That's 55 years! The information contained in this packet is invaluable, helping me to timeline Christian's life and mesh the events with those previously known.
Where Were You When...?
"Where were you when President Lincoln was shot?" Impossible to answer since no one living today was alive in 1865. Many of us, however, do have answers to other similar events that have shaped the United States- "Where were you when Pearl Harbor was bombed?", "Where were you when President Kennedy was assassinated?", "Where were you when the World Trade Center went down?". Will we tell our children, grand children and great grandchildren of our experiences during those times or will those rememberances be lost in time?
Over the next couple months I will be exploring Christian Hiller and his Civil War service in the Michigan 9th Infantry. Beginning with July's post as an introduction to his service and then, hopefully, in August I will have received his service and pension records from the National Archives and can add more detail. Oh, yes, and I will answer the question "Where was Christian when President Lincoln was shot?". View the first installment on the Hiller page below, Christian Hiller and the Michigan 9th Infantry, July 31, 2017.
Grandfathers Who Served
Today is Memorial Day and I thought it timely to recognize my grandfathers who have served our country. I'm sure this list is not complete as there is ALWAYS ongoing research. Their sacrifice leaves me with lasting gratitude.
Civil War (1861-1865)
John Thielen, circa 1869.
Civil War (1861-1865)
John Thielen (1843-1929)
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 34th Regiment, Company D. Enlisted November, 1862 at age 19 and discharged April 16, 1863 due to disability (no details). John immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1854 and had only been in this country for 8½ years before his enlistment.
Christian G. Hiller (1844-1918)
Michigan 9th Infantry Regiment, Company H. Enlisted February 10, 1864 and discharged September 28, 1865 in Jackson, Michigan. Christian was a Germany immigrant as well, arriving in the United States at the age of 13 in 1857. Seven years later, age 20, he would be a Union soldier.
Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Timothy Barton (1732-1791)
Massachusetts Militia. Private in Captain David Chadwick's Company marching to Bennington on alarm. Service 5 days, discharged September 23, 1777.
Oliver Burton (1740-1813)
Connecticut 16th Regiment. Enlisted and served 3 months.
Samuel Kenyon (1720-1801) Noyes' Regiment,
Rhode Island Militia, service date 26 August 1778.
John Clarke (1740-1836)
Lieutenant and captain with Rhode Island troops. Enlisted in Richmond, RI and served as a Lieutenant, May 1776-May1778 and Captain under Colonels Dyer and Maxon, May 1778-May1883.
Solomon Fuller (1757-1847)
Private and sergeant with Vermont Militia. Served as a private in Captain William Dyre's Company, October-November 1780 and sergeant in Captain Bigelow Lawrence's Company, Colonel Walbridge's Regiment. Four days service, July 1781 and ten days service with the same company October 1781.
Elijah Fuller, father of Solomon (1724-1799)
Vermont Militia. Private in Green Mountain Boys, Captain Brownson's Company, Colonel Warner's Regiment.
Edward Preston (1733-1823)
Massachusetts Militia.
William Brown, Jr. (1740-?)
Massachusetts Militia, 17 April 1776. Private in James Patch's Company of Minute Men who marched on alarm from Ipswich to Mystic. Four days service.
April in Slovenia
2013 photo of my 2nd great grandparents headstone, Jošef and Franciska Kočijancic.
I just returned from a 12 day visit to Slovenia, my second in four years. In 2013 my daughter and I made the journey as a combination vacation and genealogy quest with success finding the cemetery headstone of my 2nd great grandparents and meeting some very distant relatives as well. Honestly, after the initial trip I had a less-than-optimistic outlook that I would ever see Slovenia again. Fast forward to January 2017 when my daughter receives a Fulbright Scholarship and relocates to...........Ljubljana, Slovenia for the next 9 months!
2017 photo showing a new headstone.
Being in Slovenia again gave me another opportunity to visit the Nadškofija Ljubljana Arhiv, one of three Catholic archives in Slovenia. Equipped with 2 other helpers (husband and daughter) we made quick time of the Status Animarum records (parish family books) for the year 1854 and found a number of promising records I am currently evaluating.
We also made a visit again to St. Cantius Church cemetery in Škocjan near Turjak to visit the graves of my 2nd great grandparents (if you missed my post on Jošef you can read it here). and we found something quite surprising, a new headstone since 2013. Translating the inscription it appears that Jošef's son Anton (1881-1957) as well as his daughter Vida (1921-1999) and her husband Franc Žužek are buried here also, which was probably the case in 2013 and why a new headstone was installed. Due to limited land in Slovenia, cemetery plots only exist while a member of the family continues to pay the monthly rent and maintain the space. After that, they are evicted (I didn't ask anymore questions and don't want to know!
Altogether, this visit was more remarkable than the first considering I had my daughter for a tour guide! Hmmm, I wonder if I will ever return?
Soda Crackers and Coffee, breakfast of champions?
Surprises! That's what I love about genealogy and family history. Whether it's meeting distant cousins in Slovenia and Michigan, locating a headstone or cemetery, adding another name on the family tree or hearing about favorite family recipes these are what I consider to be the true pieces to the genealogical puzzle. Discovering stories that bring "life" to my ancestors and then sharing these with my family will always be my purpose for continuing to search. This month, a mighty "thank you" to my Mom and her twin sister for sharing this memory!
My attempt at "soda crackers and coffee".
Although I wouldn't consider this a "recipe" as such, my Mom and Aunt recalled that their Grandfather, Anton Penne, frequently consumed "soda crackers and coffee" for breakfast, mixed together with a lot of sugar! Yep, he had a "giant coffee cup" where all ingredients were mingled together and then eaten with a spoon, slurping followed. Of course, I had to try it, with cream as well, and quickly gave it a thumbs up. As strange as this breakfast may sound, after online researching, it really isn't at all. Soakey, Coffee Sop, Coffee Soup was a staple during the Depression Era and Latinos have a long tradition of adding "galletas de soda" to their coffee or hot chocolate as well. During the American Civil War soldiers would soften their daily ration of hardtack (basically a cracker made from flour, water and salt) in their morning coffee. In fact, I have found a television commercial and a blog touting the delightful deliciousness of soakey!
Did Great Grandpa Penne's breakfast tradition originate in Slovenia or after he immigrated? Maybe during the Depression? I don't think anyone ever bothered to ask but this breakfast choice surely made a lasting impression on his grand daughters. I too remember sitting at the breakfast table with my grandparents, watching them add evaporated milk to their coffee while eating toast with strawberry jam scooped and spread on with a spoon. Childhood memories are like snapshots, small bits and pieces that don't seem to have a beginning or end and maybe the most focused snapshots occur first thing in the morning after a long night's rest and that's why they are so easily recalled even years later.
What Would Jožef Think?
My daughter in Ljubljana during our 2013 Slovenia trip.
As it turns out, my great, great grandfather Jožef Kocijančić and I have more in common than DNA. We both have had children make the same journey between the United States and Slovenia, with the exception of being in the opposite direction. Last Friday, I hugged my daughter goodbye as she left for a nine month research and cultural experience in Slovenia. However, as Jozef's daughter Johanna (my great grandmother) set sail for America in 1901 their hug would need to last a lifetime. They never saw each other again. In today's world of international travel, the thought of never seeing your child again seems unimaginable. I certainly couldn't help but think about Jožef and Johanna as I left my daughter at the airport. How would you say goodbye to your child forever? For many of our ancestors that was the grim reality and I am very, very thankful it is not mine. Someday I hope to know more about this brave man but for now you can read what I do know about Jožef on the Penne page below.
Updated Pedigree Charts
It's been well over two years since the creation of this blog and it recently occurred to me that I haven't updated the pedigree charts. Much has happened since that time-names, dates and places added as well as names, dates and places changed. Twelve charts have been added that are extensions to the previous four, one for each of my grandparents. In many cases, for example Parks, Hiller, Kenyon and Fuller surnames, my current pedigree charts extend much further and as I add my genealogical citations and sources to these names and families I will feel more comfortable posting the charts. In the meantime, if you are on the edge of your seat (ha ha) curiosity seekers can message me and I will provide this information.
A Golden Anniversary
One unexpected result of being the family genealogist is that I've also become the family's "archivist". Any photo, 8 mm film, letter, newspaper clipping, memento, etc. that is no longer wanted by my family finds it's way to my doorstep. And I appreciate ALL of it! Recently a cousin, one of those distant and removed kind of cousins, sent me an envelope of beautiful remembrances pertaining to my great grandparent's golden anniversary celebration. One of the items included provided details of the day and out-of-town relatives and friends who attended. Of great importance to me were these additional names that I can use in my "cluster" research of my great-grandparents. This is how Wikipedia describes cluster research:
"Cluster genealogy is a research technique employed by genealogists to learn more about an ancestor by examining records left by the ancestor's cluster. A person's cluster consists of the extended family, friends, neighbors, and other associates such as business partners. Researching the lives of an ancestor's cluster leads to a more complete and more accurate picture of the ancestor's life".
I hope you enjoy all my gathered media celebrating Anton and Johanna's special day, available on the Penne Family page. A special "thank you" to Carolyn for sending all the items my way!
"Cluster genealogy is a research technique employed by genealogists to learn more about an ancestor by examining records left by the ancestor's cluster. A person's cluster consists of the extended family, friends, neighbors, and other associates such as business partners. Researching the lives of an ancestor's cluster leads to a more complete and more accurate picture of the ancestor's life".
I hope you enjoy all my gathered media celebrating Anton and Johanna's special day, available on the Penne Family page. A special "thank you" to Carolyn for sending all the items my way!
Artwork Addition to "The Artist" Post
Portrait of my Auntie Marlene as painted by her father Harry Atwell, circa 1936-37.
This month I've spent more time researching genealogy (to bring you more fascinating stories in the future) than preparing my monthly genealogy blog post So I will continue with a story from May when I highlighted my grandfather's, Harry Atwell, artwork. Another painting has been made known to me and I have edited The Artist post to include the portrait.
My Genealogy Brick Walls
Over the last 2 years, I have authored posts on each of my great grandparents, aside from two, William H. Stone Atwell and his wife Helena Besack who are most definitely my genealogy brick walls. William's story is unusual and conflicting family knowledge, or lack thereof, and clashing information from the documents I have obtained has made for difficult research progress. Although Helena's childhood was more conventional, pulling together her story has been difficult as well. Much more is known about these two after their marriage. This two-part (June and July) post about William is more "genealogy proof summary" than "life story". A way for me to put a jumble of information and documents out there for review, consideration, reader thoughts and criticism. Visit the Atwell Family Page for William H. Stone Atwell's curious childhood.
Remembering My Grandfather's Artwork
This month I am highlighting the artwork of my grandfather, Harry Atwell, and hopefully have gathered for the first time most of the known paintings into one area. A number of people hold pieces of Grandpa's work, my Dad and Aunt as well as myself and my brother, and over the years I have been able to photograph each of them. Hopefully, by posting the art, more pieces will be revealed by other family members and can also be added to this collection. I'm delighted to share it with you all now and it can be found under the Atwell Family page.
Another Family Recipe...
My Grandma, Marie
Willing Atwell,
circa 1920's
Shredded Wheat, most likely, is one of those cereals that kids never want to see at the breakfast table. I was one of those kids who rarely made it my first choice in the morning, that is, until my Auntie Marlene made me her mother's recipe (circa 1970's). She took those bland, wheaty biscuits and created a warm, crispy, sweet, buttery bowlful of goodness! It's the perfect hot cereal for a cold winter's morning. Yes, I know. I should have posted this 2 months ago!
Shredded Wheat was first introduced to the American public in 1893 during the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Although first marketed as a cold, "cookless", cereal today many variations of the warm cereal and other recipes incorporating shredded wheat can be found online.
Me and Grandma Atwell
circa 1964.
My Grandma Atwell's recipe can be found on
the Family Recipe Page. Give it a try! It's good any time of the year.
Credits/Additional Information
http://www.vintagerecipeblog.com/2014/12/1931-shredded-wheat-ad.html
For a little history:
http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2013/06/25/that-momentous-filamentous-introduction-in-chicago/
Vintage Photos of a Life Before Marriage
Years ago, my Grandma Hiller handed me her photo album, "You should have this" she said, "because you have all the other old family photos". I was honored she chose me to be the family archivist despite, at the time, having no idea what I would ever do with this album. We never had a chance to label all the photos and consequently many remain unknown today. My best guess in dating this album would be 1929-1932. Grandma's brother Matt who died in 1928 is not present in any of the photos and by 1933 she was living in Milwaukee. These photos are most definitely from Grandma's hometown of Leonidis, a mining community next to Eveleth, Minnesota in the Iron Range and this is where most of the photos were taken. This photo album was important to her and, therefore, it is important to me as well. All these years, I've kept it in a safe place and today it's been digitized and shared with all of you. I haven't removed any photos and any empty spaces were there on the day she handed me the book. I think it was her way of letting me know she had a life before marriage, children and grandchildren. A life that, as someone ages, rarely is spoken about with grandchildren. I am sure she never imagined the people and places of her youth would be posted on the Internet in a family history blog for all the world to see! You can find the complete photo album on the Penne Family page.
Lost Memories: A Lifetime in Twenty-Nine Years.
How do I find the words to write about a life lost too soon? While attempting to create a timeline of my great grandmother, Martha Kenyon, I realized that when you only live 29 years the task at hand becomes limited. However, since genealogy is ongoing and never-ending I've decided to share the information I've collected thus far and reserve the right to make additions.
My great grandmother Martha Kenyon Hiller died during childbirth in 1912. In the 1900's, for every 1,000 women 6-9 died of pregnancy related complications and approximately 100 infants died before the age of 1. Currently, 15 women per 100,000 die in pregnancy or childbirth (1). Although a great improvement, currently for women aged 20-34 "pregnancy complications" is still the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (2). After studying Martha's death certificate it's clear that today she would have received a Cesarean section for her transverse pregnancy, antibiotics for her sepsis and she and her baby would have survived.
My great grandmother's tragic death is every pregnant woman's worst fear. I'm saddened by the fact that she not only left behind a 3 year old son (my grandfather Don Hiller) and husband but grandchildren and great-grandchildren yet to be born, like me. Martha would have been 79 the year I was born.
Martha's story can be found on the here.
1. http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pmss.html
2. http://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/2013/womenall_2013.pdf
Family Recipes, Traditions and Preservation
I'm a big fan of recipe preservation and the accompanying traditions whether it's family recipes, heritage recipes or both. I get even more excited when I find cookbooks on the subject so when I stumbled across this Internet article "Appetites: Preserving Iron Range Recipes" by Minnesota Public Radio News I decided to change topics this month and expand on November's potica post. In addition to providing another potica recipe, there are recipes for porketta and pasties. Pasties became a convenient lunch staple of the miners in the Iron Range. My great grandfather, Anton Pene, worked the mines for years and probably ate his share of these delicious meat pies. Interesting timing/side note, my daughter cooked porchetta/porketta for Christmas dinner last month and learning to make meat pies are on my "to-do" list this winter! The featured cookbook, "Come, You Taste-Family Recipes from the Iron Range" by B.J. Carpenter is available through the Minnesota Historical Society using the link provided in the article. I have ordered, but not yet received my copy, however, I'm excited to read this "cultural record" of the Iron Range and my heritage. A new cookbook is also available through The Slovenian Union of America ,"The American-Slovenian Table", which contains traditional Slovenian recipes and holiday menus. Chapter 1 starts with New Year's Eve-Silvestrovo and highlights significant holiday events in Slovenian culture and ends with Chapter 11 Christmas-Božič.
As families grow and relocate to different states and even abroad, upholding and celebrating family traditions become more important because they are at risk for being lost. Let's make the effort to keep those holiday traditions and old recipes you might inherit. You never know who might really be missing Aunt Mabel's famous chocolate cake recipe!
As families grow and relocate to different states and even abroad, upholding and celebrating family traditions become more important because they are at risk for being lost. Let's make the effort to keep those holiday traditions and old recipes you might inherit. You never know who might really be missing Aunt Mabel's famous chocolate cake recipe!
Thoughts of Chrismases Past
Both sets of grandparents (Red & Anne Hiller, above) have a special place on the Christmas tree each year.
As a child, every holiday season my parents would pack the station wagon with children, luggage and Christmas gifts and brave the eight hour journey from Michigan to our grandparent's home in Milwaukee. My Dad would wake us early, carry our pajama-clothed bodies to the warmed car and nestle us into cozy sleeping areas he made for each of us. No seat belts back then just comfort and, yet, somehow we managed to survive the trip. Not too far into the trip my Mom would open a thermos of coffee which instantaneously wafted throughout the vehicle. Each year, I would ask myself and sometimes even out loud "
Am I old enough to drink coffee out of that red thermos cap while driving to Milwaukee?"
And the answer was always "kids don't drink coffee". WELL....someone failed to inform my Grandma because upon arrival she would let me pour the Carnation Evaporated Milk from a can in the refrigerator into her hot, black cup of coffee, the creamy white swirls entrancing me and when she deemed the coffee "cool enough" I would get a sip. I decided waiting for Grandma's brew was much more satisfying anyway.
Harry & Marie Atwell.
Christmas Eve was always reserved for Dad's side of the family, usually held at his brother's or sister's home. Christmas Day was celebrated with Mom's side Grandpa and Grandma Hiller's and kicked off by attending mass at St. John The Evangelist Church and trying to understand Father Goulet's Slovenian accent. Both visits were magnificent - uncles, aunts, cousins, gifts, cookies and plenty of laughter and merriment! I only remember two occasions we didn't travel to Milwaukee, once when my siblings and I all had the chickenpox and the other when we were much older and thought we should stay at home. Both times we were miserable and disappointed we "missed out". So, I guess the moral of the story is to value our remaining holidays and the time we have left together so as not to feel like we "miss out" ever again. Merry Christmas!
Christmas card sent out by my great Grandpa & Grandma Penne, circa 1950's.
My great Grandma's handwriting. She never learned to speak English, only her native Slovene.
Potica!
Traditionally, during the Christmas Season (Christmas Eve-Božični večer and Christmas -Božič) any Slovenian woman will tell you that means it's time to make potica. The Slovenian Union of America writes in their current cookbook The Slovenian-American Table that potica "is as Slovenian as apple pie is American". Potica (nut roll) is a pastry made from a sweet yeast bought rolled out very thin, then spread with a ground nut paste mixture and finally tightly rolled into a log shape and baked. Slovenian immigrant women, like my great grandmother Johanna Kocijančič, brought their recipes to the United States. I've no doubt that that our current receipe was
My Universal grinder was purchased about 8 years ago and is still available for under $35.00. My Mom still uses my Grandmother's original grinder.
either memorized by or carried with Great Grandma Johanna and then modernized over the years. I grew up learning to make potica from my Grandmother, Mother and Aunt and since it freezes well, also eating it at most family gathering throughout the year.
Potica artwork! If you choose to follow this recipe there is a slight error in the first paragraph-1 tsp. sugar NOT 1/2 cup.
Although there are many different varieties of potica both sweet and savory, my family has always made only one kind, orehova potica or walnut potica, one way, with one nut grinder and with one recipe. I believe the key to making potica is my Universal nut grinder which produces finely ground walnuts, without turning them to paste like a food processor tends to do, allowing for a tight roll. About 5 years ago now, my niece, Danielle, found an artist named Marcella Kriebel to turn our family recipe into a work of art and surprised each of the women in our family with a copy. One of the BEST gifts I have ever received. Our family recipe for potica can be seen on the Family Recipe page. Enjoy.
Thirteen Day Voyage to a New Life
Johanna Kocijančić on her wedding day, October 6, 1901.
Never having a chance to meet my great grandmother wasn't necessary to surmise she was a very brave and gutsy woman. Just a little research regarding women who immigrated to the Minnesota Iron Range in the early 1900's reveals a difficult life which included long work days and substandard living conditions. For most, pre-immigration perception of the United States was much different than the reality. There were no streets paved with gold and in the Iron Range most were just red ore dust. In all likelihood, it was the promise of a husband that encouraged my great grandmother to board the SS Königin Luise in Bremen, Germany on April 14, 1901 with her cousin Franc Ščurek. Eventually her sisters, Ana and Franciska, would also immigrate, marry and raise families in Eveleth. Johanna's story can be seen on the Penne Family Page.
Franc Ščurek, who became Frank Stark in the United States, with Johanna's sister Ana Kocijančič Kerze.
Bob Dylan, legandary songwriter and singer, was born in Duluth, Minnesota and raised in Hibbing, the heart of the Iron Range. North Country Blues is a song he wrote about perils of the mining industry and there are plenty of versions of this on You Tube if you would like to listen. Bruce Springsteen also wrote a tribute to miners in his song Youngstown.
Youngstown,
From the Monongahela Valley
To the Mesabi Iron Range
To the coal mines of Appalachia
The story's always the same.
Flancati, Flancati!
Traditionally, flancati is a dessert made with dough, deep fried and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar and that's how, I'm told, it was always made by my Grandma Hiller. However, while searching through her old recipes I found this written in her hand- Oven Baked Flancati. As a child, I was never privileged to a taste her flancati but my Mom and Aunt made them with her often and they confirmed deep frying was the process she used.
Results of my oven baked flancati.
Probably at some point my Grandma moved away from the time-consuming flancati to rosettes (a Swedish cookie) because I definitely remember eating those. Rosette ingredients are very similar to flancati, a combination of eggs, flour, vanilla, milk (instead of sour cream) and a little sugar. A special tool is coated with the batter mixture then held in the heated oil until the rosettes fall off the tool. When cooled, like flancati, the rosettes are sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. Every culture has figured out how to fry dough, top it with sugar and call it a dessert/pastry. Whether you're eating flancati, rosette, churro, beinet, zeppole, bugne, funnel cake, or doughnut in the end it's all fried dough! Yum.
The original, handwritten recipe can be seen on the "Family Recipes" page.
Monday, November 20, 1933, 2:20 p.m.
In general, most of my posts refer to a specific person, an ancestor. Last month, that was John Willing, my great grandfather. I've decided, this month, to expand on John's life and write about an event that took place during his residence in Racine, Wisconsin. In past posts I have mentioned Genevieve's Memoir and the informative role it has had in helping me to create accurate historical and genealogical information. In this one case, however, Genevieve's memory was imprecise. While recounting her stay at St. Mary's Hospital after the birth of her daughter, Genevieve states that "the bank that is located on the corner next to it (Bijou Theatre) was robbed by Dillinger and accomplices". John Dillinger did burglarize the American Bank and Trust Company on November 20, 1933, however, Gen didn't marry until October, 1944 and her daughter was not born until after her marriage. Perhaps she is just confusing the episode with another hospital stay. Regardless, I found it thought-provoking that this event occurred one-and-a-half miles from so many of my father's ancestor's homes (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) and wondered how this incident affected their lives. Although I have no written documentation regarding their personal experiences during the manhunt, I'm guessing there was plenty to talk about at dinner that night! Find the story on the Willing Family page.