May love and laughter light your days...

May love and laughter light your days

and warm your heart and home

May good and faithful friends be yours

wherever you may roam

May peace and plenty bless your world

with love that long endures

May all life's passing seasons bring

the best to you and yours

Although I have never really enjoyed poetry much, I occasionally run across something that touches me. Many years ago I ran across an Irish blessing in a local paper that I really liked and clipped it. I had been cross stitching for a couple of years and wanted to try my hand at working on linen and creating my own design. The blessing seemed perfect. As you can see, the design was simple and the work not prefect. I framed it myself and it is not blocked perfectly. Yet it remains to this day one of my favorite pieces and one of the few pieces of my work that I have kept for myself. It has hung near an entrance to my last three homes so that the blessing may be passed to friends upon leaving.

Written for the 19th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture to be hosted by Lisa at Small-leaved Shamrock.

Surname Saturday - Kelly

Due to the generosity of a cousin, I have recently been able to take my Kelly line back a generation to Ireland. My Kelly line begins with John Kelly who was born in the late 1700's in Ireland. (I'm working to narrow that down. Records I have found indicate 1783-1798). He married Polly Minchin, who was born about 1799 in Askinfarney, County Wexford, Ireland. They had nine children, all born in Askinfarney.

1. John Kelly, born about 1819. He married Eliza LNU. They had at least two children, John and Minnie and lived in Adams, Jefferson, New York.
2. Maria Kelly, born about 1821. She married Thomas Hennesy. They lived in Canada, Adams, New York and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
3. Michael Kelly, born about 1823. He married Mary LNU. They lived in Adams, New York and had at least seven children; John, Ann, James, Philip, Mary, William and George.
4. Catherine Kelly, born about 1826. She married Michael Flood. They lived in Adams, New York and had several children.
5. Bridget Kelly, born about 1829. Married James Hennesy.
6. Ann Kelly, born about 1832. Never married?
7. Rebecca Kelly, born about 1835. She married James Quinlen and they lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
8. Eliza Kelly, born about 1838. Never married?
9. Margaret Frances Kelly, born 1841. She married William H. Minchin in 1866. They lived in Ontario, Canada and had several children.

My line:

John Kelly c. 1798 Ireland > Canada > Adams, New York
> Michael Kelly c1823 Askinfarney, Ireland > Canada > Adams, New York
>> James Kelly  1856 - 1936 Canada > New York > Ontario, Canada
>>> Mary Leith Kelly 1900 - 1970 Calabogie, Ontario > Ottawa > Syracuse, NY
>>>> Harvey G. Berry 1926 - 2000
>>>>> Me

Wm. H. Minchin Journal - Treasure Chest Thursday

I was recently contacted by a distant cousin from a line I hadn't yet discovered! She very generously shared with me the journal in which her great-grandfather (my 2nd great-grand uncle) had recorded much of our family history. So far I have concentrated on just my Kelly line, it will take me weeks to digest and enter all the information in the journal!

On this page is the family of my great-grandfather, James Kelly.

His father, grandfather and other family members are listed on these two pages, along with where they lived and hints about their children.

And if that wasn't exciting enough at the bottom of the page it says, "All the above 9 children of John Kelly were born in Askinfarnie."

So not only do I now know who my 3rd great-grandparents were, I know that they came from Askinfarney, County Wexford, Ireland!

Fashionable to Practical

May (Jarvis) Berry, Thomas Jarvis, Elizabeth (Peter) Jarvis, Charlotte (Hollington, Berry) Sanders, Thomas David Berry. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 1920's (Charlotte's husband, Harvey Harry Sanders, was most likely the photographer)

Thomas David Berry was my grandfather's brother. I initially thought this picture was probably taken on his wedding day in 1922 but after looking at the hemlines and cloche hats the ladies are sporting I not believe that the picture may be from c. 1925-1926. No matter the year, they were a well turned out group!

May's dress is very pretty and has a lot of detail. Her mother, Elizabeth, doesn't look very comfortable in this picture! My great-grandmother, Lottie, was always a fashionable lady, check out the fox tail she is sporting!. Mr. Jarvis is wearing a sport coat and holding a straw hat. Uncle Tom is wearing striped suit and holding a camera. Note that the only person without glasses is May.

Fast forward forty years to Easter 1962 and Tom and May still looked great! They were visiting in Syracuse, NY that spring. Note that May now has a fashionable pair of glasses.

Back: Mom, May (Jarvis) Berry, Tom Berry. Front: Kim Berry with my brother, Dallas and Mary (Kelly) Berry with Moi. (Dad was undoubtedly the photographer)


This next picture is from 1926. Jessie (Hollington) Taylor has on a very nice day dress. I believe the other woman is either her sister, Elizabeth (Hollington) Shouldice or perhaps a cousin (Lilian Hollington Mahley?) and is wearing a very practical day dress.

This picture is from February 1927. Jessie (Hollington) Taylor is holding her grand-nephew, Harvey G. Berry. A nice fur coat, fashionable handbag and I'm certain the hat was in style for the times. Perfect attire for an Ottawa winter!

This last picture is most likely c.1940 and is my grandmother's side of the family. Everyone dressed up for the photo, however great-grandma Kelly kept on her very practical apron!

 Isabelle (Kelly) McKinstry, Kimberly Berry, Isabella (White) Kelly, Mary (Kelly) Berry and unidentified man. c. 1940, most likely Ottawa, Canada.

This was written for the 9th edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival: Canadian Fashion Fads, to be hosted by Kathryn Lake at Looking for Ancestors.

April Shout Out

I want to thank everyone for their comments last month and especially for your support during my mother's illness.

Joan Hill at Roots'n'Leaves 

Barbara Poole at Life From The Roots

Pam Warren at Granny Pam and Granny's Genealogy 

Wendy Hawksley at New England Genealogy

Judy Shubert at Genealogy Traces, Tennessee Memories and four others!

Becky Wiseman at Kinexxions

Tipper at Blind Pig & the Acorn

Greta Koehl at Greta's Genealogy Bog, The GYR Afield, and The GYR of Northern Virginia 

Nancy at My Ancestors and Me 

Cheryl Flemming Palmer at Heritage Happens 

Michelle Goodrum at The Turning of Generations

Harriet at Genealogy Fun

Brenda at Journey to the Past

Lisa Swanson Ellam at The Faces Of My Family

Elizabeth Thomas at Family, Friends and Neighbors

Donna Pointkouski at What's Past is Prologue

footnote Maven at footnoteMaven and Shades of the Departed   

Lisa at Small-leaved Shamrock, 100 Years in America & A light that shines again 

Nikki-ann at Notes of Life

T.K. at Before My Time and Internet Buffet

Sharon at Kindred Footprints and Sharondipity

Diana R at Random Relatives

Thomas MacEntee at Destination Austin Family and GeneaBloggers

Amanda (the librarian) at ABT UNK

Kay at Kay B's Place 

Carol at Reflections From the Fence

Vickie Everhart at BeNotForgot and The Journal of JM Hall

Cindy at Everything's Relative and Cindy's Place

Lori at Genealogy and Me

Blaine Bettinger at The Genetic Genealogist

Janet Iles at Janet the Researcher and Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County, Ontario

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings, South San Diego Graveyard Rabbit and The Geneaholic.

Sheri Fenley at The Educated Genealogist

TennLady at Gene Notes

Cathy at Detour Through History and In Deeds 

A rootdigger at A Rootdigger and The Roots of it All

Terri at Southwest Arkie

Denise Levenick at The Family Curator 

Kathy at I Will Remember

Heather Rojo at Nutfield Genealogy

Kathryn Lake at Looking For Ancestors and several others.

Lisa at Small-leaved Shamrock, 100 Years in America & A light that shines again

Mary at Mary's Musings

Hummer at Branching Out Through The Years and Joyous Tomorrows 

Jasia at Creative Gene and Discover St. Joseph, Michigan

J.M. at Tracing My Roots

Kathryn Doyle at California Genealogy Society and Library

Dan Curtis at Dan Curtis ~ Professional Personal Historian

Kay at Kay B's Place

Leah Kleylein at Random Notes

Nancy Hurley at Hurley Travels

tetvet68 at webshots

Sherry Stocking Kline at Family Tree Writer

Les at Bits and Pieces

Deborah Andrews at The Sum of All My Research  

Terri at The Ties That Bind and Family History Productions

Debbie Blanton McCoy at Blanton Family Roots and Branches

Amy Coffin at We Tree

Taylorstales-Genealogy

Surname Saturday - Carlisle

My Carlisle line begins with David Carlisle, born c. 1702 in either Ireland or Scotland and his wife, Leatis, born c. 1705. I have no idea when they immigrated or if they were married before they left for Massachusetts or after they arrived. The first record I find for them is a birth record for their daughter, Elizabeth, born 1732, Concord, Middlesex, MA. They lived in Concord, MA; Harvard, MA; Lunenburg, MA and Walpole, NH.

They had at least eight children but only three were named in David's will, dated 11 March 1769:

Daniel Carlisle, born 1738 Harvard, MA; married in 1766 to 1st wife, Lydia Conant, born 1737 and they had three children; married in 1776 to 2nd wife, Lydia Pierce, born 1756 and they had eight children; Daniel died 1794, Westmoreland, NH

David Carlisle, born 1741, Lunenburg, MA; married in 1765 to Sarah Cummings, born 1740 and they had ten or twelve children; David died 1797, Walpole, NH

Lettice Carlisle, born 1742, Lunenburg, MA; married in 1762 to Samuel McCrackin, born c. 1739; they had at least 10 children; I have no date or place of death for Lettice but most likely eastern New York.

My line:

David Carlisle, c. 1702 - 1769  Ireland or Scotland > Massachusetts
>Daniel Carlisle, 1738 - 1794  Harvard, MA > Westmoreland, NH
>>Daniel Carlisle, 1767 - 1822  Westmoreland, NH > Western New York
>>>Daniel Carlisle, 1797 - 1872  Westmoreland, NH > Buchanan, MI
>>>>Isaac Ashley Carlisle, 1842 - 1929  Edwardsburg, MI > Buchanan, MI
>>>>>Daniel Michael Carlisle, 1885 - 1960  Buchanan, MI
>>>>>>Mom
>>>>>>>Me

I would be happy to connect with other Carlisle descendants. I have much information on all lines of David and Leatis' descendants.


My previous posts on the Carlisle family:

Currently there are 198 posts labeled Carlisle. Many of these are family letters and many others merely mention the Carlisle family. The links below contain information that I feel others researching the family useful and/or interesting.

David and Leatis Carlisle

Beneath the Oaks - Carlisle family home

Carlisle Family Home - Buchanan, MI

Carlisle Family Papers: University of Michigan

Carlisle's in Maplelawn Cemetery Bethany, Genesee, New York

Daniel and Tamerson - photos from various years

Dining Out - Mentions a little of the life of Daniel 1738-1794

Looking for Relief - daughter of Daniel 1767-1822

McCrackin's in Batavia, NY

Midnight Confession - Revolutionary War Service of Daniel 1738-1794

More Letters!!!! and Pictures too!!! - Civil War letters of Isaac Ashley Carlisle

New Mystery - Carlisle's in Cass County, Michigan

Tippecanoe Place - Stone mason work of Isaac Ashley Carlisle

Tombstone Tuesday - Daniel M Carlisle - Picture, part of a letter and tombstone

Wordless Wednesday - Summer 1927 - Carlisle siblings, Buchanan, MI

Wordless Wednesday - Dorothy  c1925-1930

Wordless Wednesday - Waves  c.1946, Mom

Wordless Wednesday - 1952 - Mom

Wordless Wednesday - Sisters-in-law  c. 196?, Tamerson Carlisle Binns

Weekly Rewind

My Week

My week was an emotional roller coaster ride but I think the ride is winding down. From the time we arrived at the ER on Monday Mom's condition just kept worsening. She was so bad when I left on Wednesday that I thought we would lose her. But she turned the corner and by Wednesday evening she had started improving. On Thursday she was so weak that she could not even move her legs a few inches by herself to get comfortable. Yesterday she was able to get out of bed and into a chair with just a little help and she was able to feed herself!

Yesterday was the first day that I was able to talk to her and believe that she actually knew what I was talking about. She had a test to see if surgery to repair the aneurysm is even possible. If it is possible it is probably very risky with her other medical problems so she and we, her family, may still have some hard decisions and a lot of soul searching ahead. With the holiday weekend we probably won't know much before Monday.

If she does not have surgery she will be transferred to a nursing home for short term rehab some time next week. She is still too weak to manage at home by herself but we are hopeful that after another week or two of care that she can go home, with some additional help. Her transition will be hard on all of us and I expect that I won't be online too much for the next week or so. I still have much to do both for her and at home before my surgery.

I want to thank all of the people that have taken care of her at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. Everyone has been very kind to her. I especially want to thank the staff on 6 North. For myself, I thank Linda, N.P., for patiently answering my questions and giving me the support I needed.

I also want to thank all of you that have offered words of support and friendship during the week either here or on FaceBook. Your comments kept me going!

Roundups

I did almost no reading this week. I hope to start catching up over the next few days.

Please check out John Newmark's Weekly Genealogy Picks at TransylvanianDutch.

You may also find something you've missed in one of the Follow Friday posts at GeneaBloggers.