Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sunday's Obituary -- Hazel M. Piggott

While I was in Bear Lake this last May I went through newspaper clippings and whatnots that my aunt had stashed in envelopes.  Actually I went through them on the car ride back to Pocatello because we didn't find them until the last minute.

I set aside all the things that I wanted copies of and good ole cousin Daniel scanned them for me. I just received them this morning and among these goodies is the obituary of grandma Hazel so I wanted to share that today.

The one with her photo came from the Idaho State Journal, I believe.  I don't know where the other one came from.




Surnames mentioned: Madsen, Piggott, Crocker, Findlay, Rich, Wallentine, Hansen, Stucki, Bateman, Stock, Hart, Dunford, Gardiner, Beck, Smedley.


Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sunday's Obituary -- J. H. Pugmire

Joseph Hyrum Pugmire
Source: Salt Lake Herald, November 26, 1906.

Joseph was my 3rd great-grandfather.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Sepia Saturday -- When We Were Four

This photo was taken sometime around December 1965 or January 1966 at grandma Smedley's house in Paris, Idaho.  See the little baby doll in my mom's lap?  That's actually my baby sister.  She was actually the whole reason we were all dressed up and posing for photos.  This was the day that she was blessed at grandma and grandpa's church. I know, dad looks grumpy doesn't he.

See the secretary behind dad? My great-grandfather Poulsen made that.  That's where grandma kept the color book and crayons and the pencil sharper (you know, the kind they have at school).  I sure wish that I had that secretary.  I am always on the lookout for one similar to that.

Notice how the t.v. is unplugged. Grandma always kept it unplugged when it wasn't on for fear of something happening during a storm.  The rack of the t.v. stand is where she kept the catalogs, you know from Penneys, Sears, Montgomery Ward.  You can bet later that night I was sitting in front of the heater in my jammies looking through the toy section of every one of them.  A few years later I sat in that very same spot and searched through that famous Sears catalog and I never could find that underwear guy.

I loved that wallpaper.  I was kind of sad when they took it down.

You are probably wondering about the title.  This was before my brother was born so we were only a "family of four" at the time.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Friend of Friends Friday -- Death of Dr. Groom

Both of these articles come from the Weekly Gazette and Free Press, 25 July 1857, page 2, published in Janesville, Wisconsin.



Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday -- Grace Price Poulsen

Grace was my great-grandmother.  She was born 9 September 1871 in Paris, Idaho and died 4 February 1905 in Paris, Idaho.  She is buried in the Paris Cemetery.

Grace was only five years old when her mother passed away. She was raised by her stepmother, Susannah. Her father, Robert Price, managed the Co-Op dairy in Nounan valley. Several of his daughters including Grace worked there.  She would milk around twenty cows by hand morning and night. This is where she met her husband, James S. Poulsen.

While I was in the cemetery I took a photo of the little headstone for their son Benjamin who they lost when he was only 3 years old.

I find myself wondering why great-grandma's headstone wasn't sitting on a pedestal like great-grandpa's? (Was that a man thing or what?)

Monday, August 16, 2010

History 101 - Life Sketch of Grace Ellen Poulsen Smedley

Grace Ellen Smedley and Cloree Jensen

For this month's history I want to share the life sketch that I wrote and read at my grandma Smedley's funeral. Her last couple of years she couldn't speak and I am not sure that she knew who we were.
Grace Ellen Poulsen Smedley Life Sketch
by, Leslie Ann Ballou


Grace Ellen Poulsen Smedley was born in Paris, Idaho December 10, 1901.  She was the youngest of three children born to James Sirrine and Grace Price Poulsen.

When she was only three and a half years old little Grace lost her mother.  In 1905 her father married Harriet Humphrys and they had six children together.  Grace was kept busy helping with the children as well as milking cows day and night.

On October 7, 1920 Grace married the boy from across the street, Calvin Buck Smedley, in the Salt Lake City Temple.  Calvin and Grace were the proud parents of seven children.  After Violet, Cloree, and Darrell were born the doctor warned her not to have any more children because of her health.  Good old Grandma wouldn’t hear of it so she had four more.

She delivered James with no problem, but had quite a struggle almost losing her life, when Beverly and Garna were born.  Do you think that was going to stop Grace?  No way, there was one more baby to be born!  When the Doctor found out she was pregnant with Tom he flat out told her, “You better have this baby in the hospital or I wont take care of you.”  So dad was born in the Montpelier Hospital.

Grace has always been very active in the church.  She has held positions in the Sunday School, Mutual, and Relief Society, and she was even the Stake Librarian.  She was also a member of the D.U.P. (Daughters of Utah Pioneers).

In 1970 Calvin and Grace were called on an eight month mission to North Carolina and Virginia.  They had many wonderful experiences there.  When they returned home they acted as guides for the Tabernacle once a week.

Grace enjoyed crocheting and quilting among other crafts.  She made a quilt for each and every one of her grandchildren for their high school graduation. Grandma also enjoyed and knew the importance of family history.

Grace also enjoyed singing and reading to her children and grandchildren.  When I came to visit Grandma I could always count on grabbing a lap and listening to “Little Brown Koko” and, or “The Billy Goats Gruff”.

Every time I went to visit Grandma I followed the same ritual.  After getting a hug and kiss from Grandma, and whisker burns from Grandpa, I ran straight to the cookie jar.  If it was winter, I would take that cookie and sit right in front of the heater and eat it.

Grandma loved to feed her family.  You were always prompted to have more, and those who gave in probably left the table with a belly ache.  You could always count on an ice cream cone after dinner no matter what time of the year it was.
I don’t ever remember leaving Grandma’s house empty handed.  I always left with a bottle of Peaches or pears, or even little trinkets.

There was a song that Grandma always sang to the children and  grandchildren called “You are My Sunshine”.  I sang this at her 100th birthday celebration and from her reaction I know that it touched her.

Grandma, I would like to sing to you one last time........

Friday, August 13, 2010

Sepia Saturday - Me and My Long Lost Barbie

So this is my first Sepia Saturday and I wanted to share a couple of photos that I my aunt gave to me while I was in Idaho last May.

Me holding my very first Barbie, and my sister.
This first photo was a Polaroid taken in  August of 1966.  We are sitting on a bench in front of the Chevron station that my aunt and uncle used to own in Paris, Idaho. 

I have often thought of this barbie and wondered what ever happened to it. It was my favorite not only because it was my first, but because my daddy gave it to me, not for Christmas or birthday, but just because.  When I saw this actual proof of my Bubble Cut Barbie, I was kind of excited.

This second picture didn't scan very well, but it is a better view of my Barbie.

Follow A Friend of Friends Friday

So today I am going to throw a little AFoF in with my suggestion that you follow Tonie Carrier at LowCountry Africa.  She hasn't posted on her blog for a while, but for good reason. She has been a busy little bee in her collaboration with Footnote.com, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and FamilySearch to digitize every surviving estate inventory for Colonial and Charleston South Carolina from 1732 to 1872, as well as selected Bills of Sale for the same period, in a FREE collection.

There are still many records to index and help is needed so I suggest you follow her example and volunteer to do your 10. (Did that sound bossy?) (This is "Follow Friday", right?) After you do your 10, you get this neat little badge to put on your blog: 
I have three of them, one for each blog.  Not only is it rewarding, but indexing is fun, informative and an unexpected tool to finding new information.  

For example, while indexing I see the name Julius P. Watie.  I think to myself, am I reading that right? Just to make sure I put his name in the old Google search and low and behold I find the Will of Thomas Bracey who happens to be the nephew of Julius and not only did he leave his plantation Known as “James Hill” to his uncle, but also several slaves that he names. 

Another name I had to investigate was James Legare.  I have never seen that last name before. Check out what Google led me to learn about this rascal James Legare  of Charleston, South Carolina who fabricated an elaborate spoof on his ancestral line. 

Happy Friday and happy indexing!  ;)

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - James S. Poulsen

I took this photo on our wintery escapade through the Bear Lake Valley last May. James Sirrene Poulsen was my great-grandfather.  He was born 8 May 1864 in Paris, Idaho and died 15 August 1940.  He is buried in the Paris Cemetery.

When James was 14 years old he carried the mail from Ovid to Liberty three times a week, walking the entire five miles for three years.  When he was in his early twenties he went to work for Co-op Dairy in Nounan valley.  James occupied various positions of public trust, such as city councilman, president of the irrigation company, and road supervisor. He was the second city Marshal of the city of Paris.  During his term in office, a number of bad epidemics of disease swept through the town, resulting in many deaths.  It was his duty to enforce the quarantine law, and to see personally that quarantined families were kept in food and other supplies.


Friday, August 6, 2010

Friend of Friends Friday - Runaways

The following articles came from the Torch Light and Public Advertiser, published in Hagers-town, Maryland, Jan 31, 1828, page 3.


Named slaves mentioned are Richard Gant and Prince. One article is about a runaway 13 year old apprentice named Samuel Alender.














Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday -- Charles E. Taylor

Here is another headstone that I stumbled on to while I was cemetery hopping in the Bear Lake Valley.  This is Charles Edwards Taylor residing in the Bloomington Cemetery in Bloomington, Idaho.  He was born 12 Jan 1849 in St. Louis, Missouri and died 27 Nov 1922 in Bloomington, Idaho.  I haven't been able to find a burial date for him.

Charles was my second great granduncle. Yesterday I posted the will of my great-great grandmother, Elizabeth Edwards Cannon Piggott.  Charles was her half brother and she left him "Mother's enlarged photo", which I believe is this one ==>
You may recognize her as the woman on your "Ancestor Approved Award".  Her name is Mary Edwards White Cannon Taylor.  She is my third great-grandmother.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Will of Elizabeth C. Piggott (With a Little Madness Monday)

Saturday, July 31 I finally received the long awaited will of my great-great grandma Piggott.  I should have received at quite a bit earlier, but the fiscal department of the Idaho State Archives Library neglected to tell the librarian that they had received my money order July 8. It was July 22 when I decided I had better send them an email to see what was going on.

I actually forgot to check the mail Saturday.  Sunday when hubby got out of the truck to check the mail before we headed down the lane to the house I noticed that he was holding what looked like two small manila envelopes before he got back into the truck. Then I thought to myself, Could that be the 53 page will I have been expecting? No, surely they wouldn't have......Sure as $#it the mail carrier folded my legal size manila envelope in half and shoved it in the mailbox!! I was fuming, and that wasn't the worst of it. Just look at what this package went through:


I mean, it literally looks like it was ran over by a truck! That is not what I expect $49.50 package to look like! It's a darn good thing there wasn't any pictures in there.  The papers seemed to be alright, except for a big bow in the middle from being folded over.


Okay, I have ranted enough -- on to the will. I never realized there was so much involved with processing a will.  These are all the documents that were included in her probate file:
  1. The will itself.
  2. E-4014 - Petition for Probate of Will.
  3. 346 - Order Appointing Time.
  4. 337 - Notice For Publication of Time, Etc.
  5. 385 - Testimony of Applicant on Probate of Will.
  6. 384 - Testimony of Subscribing Witnesses on Probate of Will.
  7. 312 - Certificate of Proof of Will and the Facts Found.
  8. Order Admitting Will to Probate.
  9. Letters Testamentary.  D-3097
  10. 345 - Order Appointing Appraisers.
  11. 323 - Inventory and Appraisement.
  12. 357 - Order of Publication of Notice to Creditors.
  13. Publishers Certificate. (Two of them)
  14. 300 - Account.
  15. 368 - Petition for Distribution of Estate.
  16. Order Appointing Day of Settlement of Account and Directing Notice to be Given.
  17. Notice of Hearing of Final Account and Petition for Distribution.
  18. Affidavit of Posting Notice.
  19. Decree of Settlement of Account.
  20. and last, but not least. Decree of Distribution of Estate.
Today I want to share the will itself with you.








Sunday, August 1, 2010

Sunday's Obituary -- Mary Krogue Madsen

These two obituaries of Mary Krogue Madsen were among the grandma Hazel's collection of stuff.
I am not sure which newspaper they came from, but one was probably a Salt Lake, Utah paper, and the other was a paper from Bear Lake County, Idaho.  Mary was married to my 2nd great-grand uncle.




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