Stories of family, creativity, and diverse distractions.

Author: Michelle Page 28 of 34

What’s in a name? Nicknames, Family Names, and Middle Names

In a few posts, I have been discussing some of the challenges of identifying people when you are doing genealogical research. I covered immigration and census records in this post. I talked about some of the difficulties encountered in translation and working with older documents in this post.

Today, I am going to look at some naming conventions that can make it difficult to determine exactly who you are looking at.

It’s time to go walkies! Hiking with Jaxon.

Our dog Jaxon loves to hike with us. I needed a leash that would work while hiking, sometimes with a large pack on my back. Since I use two trekking poles when I am on the trail, my hands needed to free.

Jaxon with his pack on a backpacking trip.

It’s tomato season!

When the garden does well, early August can be a busy time getting all of the produce stored.

A quantity of fresh tomatoes held in a woman's shirt as a basket
I didn’t grab anything to carry the tomatoes in, as I wasn’t expecting this many to be ready to pick.

I love to eat the fresh tomatoes from the garden! The first BLT sandwiches are always a favorite part of summer.

Isadore and Teresa Kempker Link Family

Isadore Link was born in New Vienna, Iowa, on April 4, 1860, and lived most of his life on a farm northwest of West Point. He was the son of William J Link and Mary Ann Sauter.

Isadore married Teresa Kempker on April 17, 1882. Teresa was born on October 10, 1859, the daughter of John and Catherine Kempker.

A picture of Isadore as a young man (not sure of the date) and Teresa from the 1890s.

They had a large family and most of the family stayed in southeastern Iowa, living in and near West Point and Burlington.

Picture of the Isadore Link family on their farm, taken in 1903. Standing in the back are William and John. Across the front is Isadore, Leo, Ada, Charles, Kathryn, Albert, Teresa holding Robert, and Louise.
Picture of the Isadore Link family on their farm, taken in 1903. Standing in the back are William and John. Across the front is Isadore, Leo, Ada, Charles, Kathryn, Albert, Teresa holding Robert, and Louise.

Isadore died on February 24, 1944. Teresa died on March 21, 1913, when Robert was just 10 years old.

Isadore and Teresa are Walt’s great grandparents.

Tools of the trade: Stiletto for the sewing room

I remember a quilting class where the instructor had a porcupine quill in her tools. It seemed like an odd item to find in a sewing kit, but when she showed us how she used it, I promptly got one for myself.

Image shows a sewing machine with fabric being fed through the stitching area.
Holding down the seam allowance.

When you are making a quilt, you sew across multiple seams, and it can be difficult to get everything to lie flat while you are doing this. A stiletto helps keep things lined up and neat.

The long narrow tip allows you to guide the fabric through the machine without getting you fingers close to the needle. I personally have never (knock on wood) stitched through a finger, but I know a number of people who have.

You can use a stiletto to punch a hole in fabric or leather, either for stitching of adding grommets. It can be used to help turn the edge of applique under before stitching it down.

A fancy brass stiletto

image shows a brass stiletto in two parts.

I had seen a brass stiletto with a needle tip. It had a cap to protect the tip from getting damaged and reduce the risk of it poking anyone or anything when not in use. I showed it to Walt, and he decided he would try to make one. He made several, some which were used a gifts and some that were sold.

He will show you more about how he made them in one of his shop project posts.

I use mine every time I am at the sewing machine.

Image shows a porcupine quill and a stiletto with the sections connected
The porcupine quill I started with and the brass stiletto Walt made for me.

Discharged in good order – Gerhard’s military service record

Last week, I showed Maria Catherina Krumpelmann’s birth certificate and the process used to translate it. That was not the only document that was translated for us. Today, we’ll take a look at Gerhard Wellman’s service record. The same process was used as in the other document.

An original German document about the service of Gerhard Wellman in the late 1870s.

Creativity across generations – knitting a story of love

My Grandma James sewed, knit, and did other hand work. My mom taught me how to use a sewing machine and makes quilts and does beautiful embroidery. I have tried my hand at a wide variety of crafts over the years and still do a wide variety of things. I enjoy having projects I can take with me to fill time at appointments and when I am traveling. Knitting fills that wonderfully, and I enjoy it even more knowing I am using my grandma’s tools.

A pair of knitting needles with purple yarn.
My current scarf.

Even in the 1880’s, you needed a copy of your birth certificate

In a previous post, I discussed the challenges one can encounter when translating a document. Translation becomes more difficult when the document is more than 100 years old.

Can’t find what you need? Make it! Oven Mitts

I really like to cook, but I have to admit that I am not the safest in the kitchen when it comes to hot objects. I have bumped my hands and arms more times that I would care to admit when I am taking things out of the oven.

They hang where I can easily get them in my kitchen.

I had been looking for a set of longer oven mitts for a long time, and everything I found had really large hands, so much so that I was having trouble grasping things. It was like putting on a pair of oversized mittens and trying to pick small things up. So I decided to make my own.

I had a fun botanical print that went well with my kitchen decor. I purchased some insulated batting called Insul-Bright©. It is a polyester and mylar batting that can be sewn on a regular sewing machine. I have since used it in other projects.

Going on a class picnic – 1934 West Point Iowa

There was a message on our voicemail from a gentleman who went to school in West Point. It was delightful to talk with him. I wasn’t aware that there was a West Point Iowa Facebook Group, and I have enjoyed reading bits of the West Point Bee and seeing pictures posted on the group.

I thought that a glimpse of the school picnic from 1934, taken at the Fairgrounds would be fun pictures to share this week.

Page 28 of 34

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