TSGS Cruiser Blog

Friday, February 10, 2012

"Grande Papa Ralph Longneck" - Just for Fun

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People that know me will say that I am one of the last to brag about my family... but, I would like to brag just a little. The American Indians (AKA: Native Americans) waved a welcome to the Europeans arriving on the East coast of Colonial America in the 1600's or earlier. However, when the Indians first crossed the Bearing Sea into Alaska and spread across North America, it was my ancestors (who had been in America for so long) that were waving a welcome to these much earlier inhabitants to America. I am sure that some historians would try to deny this family tradition of my ancestors as being just a fabrication. I know it is true because my great aunt heard this story from her very old great grand mother when my great aunt was a very small child.

We have all heard some really unbelievable fantastic family stories! I keep meeting people that tell me someone in the family has the family tree all the way back to King So & So in the 1300's, but they do not know who their great grandfather in this line was. Well, again, not to brag, but someone in my family has traced our family line way back millions of years to the Dinosaurs! We even have a family photo of our direct
ancestors... the rather tall one in this photo is Ralph Longneck from
my mother's side (later the family dropped the "neck" part of the name). Instead of being called Great, Great whatever Grandpa, he is known to the family as "Grande Papa!" As you can see, the photo was taken during the ice age. Below is Grande Papa with wife, kid and some neighbors!

Ok, I am only joking! I liked this ice
sculpture done at the 2011 Alaskan Ice Festival and made up these
stories to legitimize directing our blog readers to these works of
unbelievable beauty. My wife's distant cousin, Gary Quick, sent this
and several other works of art by email. Here is a site to see other
photos of some more incredible ice sculptures:

https://www.google.com/search?q=alaskan+ice+festival&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7RNWN_en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=2VE1T5PuMMeDtgezg-3LAg&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1680&bih=910

Above is a photo of this huge ice art work with a large crowd.

- Compiled by JGWest

Thursday, February 9, 2012

"Former President John Tyler’s (1790-1862) grandchildren still alive!"

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Former President John Tyler, born 221 years ago, still has two living grandchildren. So, how is it possible that a former president who died 150 years ago would still have grandchildren alive today? As it turns out, the Tyler men were known for fathering children late in life. John Tyler was born in 1790. He became the 10th president of the United States in 1841 after William Henry Harrison died in office. Tyler fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler in 1853, at age 63. Then, at the age of 71, Lyon Gardiner Tyler fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. in 1924 and four years later at age 75, Harrison Ruffin Tyler. Both men are still alive today.

The above comes from Yahoo News http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/former-president-john-tyler-1790-1862-grandchildren-still-191230189.html in an article by By Eric Pfeiffer. Read entire article by clicking link.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

"What's her name?"

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Recently on FaceBook, Megan Smolenyak had a photo of her newest book on a display table in a bookstore that someone had sent to her. Since I had read her book on DNA (of which I was very impressed), I thought that I might check this new book out in the near future.

I happened to be driving by Barnes & Noble yesterday and decided to see if I could get her latest book. I looked at their displays of new books, because I realized I did not remember the name of the book! So, I thought I would ask them to look her up, then I realized, I could not remember how to spell that last name - Smolenyak. The gentlemen was being polite, but I knew he was saying to himself "why me?" After he could not find her in the computer, he said that he would search under "genealogy" but found nothing new! He said without the correct spelling of the author's name or the name of the book, he was not going to find it (I actually came close to spelling the name, though). I said she is a very well known genealogist and asked if he had seen the TV show "Who Do You Think You Are?" He said he saw the show & thought it was interesting. I thought, wait, she wrote the book with that name! Flashing lights & sirens going off everywhere. Duh! LOL!!! With a book name, he found it easily. We then went to where they had the genealogy section hidden behind the children's books & toys. I got the WDYTYA book and her new one about America's roots showing! I already had her DNA book! It goes to show you that genealogists may not always be able to knock down brick walls, but we sure can trip over them! 8^)

- Compiled by JGWest

Monday, February 6, 2012

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday - WWI Servicemen

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James Bethel Gresham of Evansville
The first American soldier killed in France
In memory of the Soldiers and Sailors of
Vanderburgh County who made the supreme sacrifice
And further to commemorate the Patriot Fund of Vanderburgh County
Subscribed in 1918 by 25579 Citizens of said county to the amount of
$412,000. Dedicated November 11, 1923.

[This is a beautiful plaque that needs some serious cleaning! Click on photo to get a larger image. - JGWest]

- Photo taken & submitted by Don Counts, TSGS President

Sunday, February 5, 2012

From My Email Box - "Genealogy Workshop"

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Online Genealogy for Beginners
Thursday, Feb. 9 at 9:30 am
North Park Branch of the
Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

Use EVPL databases and Internet resources to discover your ancestors.

Register here .

- Submitted by TSGS member J.D. Strouth