Saturday Night Fun - Unusual Ancestor's Name

For this Saturday Night Fun Randy has challenged other genealogy bloggers to post the weirdest name of one of their ancestors. I'll try to play along as best as I can.

At the moment, I cannot think of any ancestors with strange surnames, but I can think of a couple of unusual first names for a couple of my female ancestors. The two unusual first names that I can think of off the top of my head are Tryphena and Euphrosyne. The ancestor named Tryphena was from the U. K., and the ancestor with the name Euphrosyne was from Germany. Both names are quite unusual to me, and I've never heard of these names before discovering these ancestors. Does anyone else have female ancestors with either of these two first names? Thanks!

99 Things ...

Yes, I have also decided to join in on another meme that has been going around the genealogy blogs within the past or so. As far as I know, Julie, Terry, Sheri, and Msteri are the ones who have done this meme so far. (Of course, if I have missed someone, I am terribly sorry.)

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize in blue (My addition)
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disney world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. (Does being in a boat in a harbor on the Great Lakes count?)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp. (I have not decided whether I want to do this or not.)
67. Bounced a cheque.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican. (I have not decided whether I want to do this or not.)
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.

6th Edition of the Smile For The Camera Carnival Posted!

The sixth edition of the Smile for the Camera carnival has been posted! You can read the article here, and the topic for the next edition is:

Oh, Baby! Show us those wonderful family photographs of babies, or those you've collected. Share the ones that are too cute for words, or those only a mother could love. Your favorite of grandma or grandmas' favorite. Grandpa on a bear skin rug or grandpas' little love. Everyone has a baby photo, so let's see it!

Enjoy!

I Should Play That Instrument? I Don't Think So ...

I first noticed this quiz when I saw that Lori had taken this quiz yesterday, and today, I noticed that Terry had also taken the quiz. So, I figured I might as well take the quiz, and here are my results:

You Should Play the Harp

You are a sensitive soul, with a great admiration for beauty. You definitely have what it takes to make beautiful music, but most instruments are too harsh for you. You are subtle, shy, and even a bit spoiled. You're very picky about most aspects of your life. It's just your style to play an eccentric, hard to transport instrument like the harp that few people consider. Overall, you have the relaxed demeanor of a leisurely upper class person, and your music would reflect that. Your calm yet soulful harp playing would be sure to help people forget their troubles for a while. Your dominant personality characteristic: your zen-ness Your secondary personality characteristic: your quiet independence

What Musical Instrument Should You Play?

I should play the harp, or so this quiz says. Yeah right. I like playing the piano, and I prefer to keep it that way. (He, he.) I guess this just goes to show you that you can't always take these fun quizzes too seriously.

5th Edition of the Smile For The Carmera Carnival Posted!

The fifth edition of the Smile For the Camera Carnival has been posted! You can read the edition here, and the topic for the next carnival is:

"Funny Bone. Show us that picture that never fails to bring a smile to your face! An amusing incident, a funny face, an unusual situation. Share!Choose a photograph of an ancestor, relative, yourself, or an orphan photograph that tickles your Funny Bone and bring it to the carnival. Admission is free with every photograph!"

Enjoy!

Speaking of Funny Place Names ...

I just happened to notice Randy's post on funny place names, and his mention of Hell, Michigan. I know where that is! I live somewhat near the area of Hell ... Hell, Michigan that is. Oh, and while I'm at it, I should mention that there's a Paradise in Michigan. Except, it's in the Upper Peninsula. I don't think it would be too much of a Paradise in the winter, but that's my thoughts. (Ha, ha!)

Some Interesting Keywords Used to Find My Blog ...

As I have mentioned before, I use Google Analytics to keep track of how many people visit my blog on a daily basis. One of the features of this service is that keywords used to find my blog are tracked. I hadn't looked at the different keywords used in awhile, and discovered that most of the keywords used relate to topics I had posted on. I did, though, find a few interesting posts, and I thought I would just post some of the interesting and strange keywords that I noticed:

• Jessica Scahill
• so punctuation
• "stolen by Ancestry"
• "Jessica*"" world history"
• a summary of the random family book Jessica
• analysis of poem picture puzzle piece
• Barbara Ainscough youtube
• call of the wild, buck's personality traits
• Eastern European facial features
• facial characteristics of Eastern European people
• genealogy more my mother or father closer to traits
• How do I find my ancestors?
• George Edward Detwiler
• Jessica Caroll Salem II
• Jessica death huntingdon co.
• What kind of people where [sic] in the know nothing party?
• useful technologies in the old days
• What's my ancestry?

I realize this is quite a few keywords to list, but these were the ones that caught my attention. I found a couple of the search terms to be funny, but some of them did not make any sense to me as they do not relate to anything that I had posted.

Ten Signs You're Addicted to Genealogy ...

I've decided to take another stab at coming up with genealogy humor. After reading Chris Durham's post a few times, I could not help but come up with my own humorous post. (Or an attempt at it.)

So here are ten signs you're addicted to genealogy:

10. You have dreams where you see your family tree.

9. You are grumpy for most of the day if you do not get a chance to read articles from genealogy blogs or read about genealogy techniques.

8. You bring notebooks, pencils, and possibly tape recorders or camcorders to family gatherings, even if it is not for a holiday or special event.

7. You can remember what a first cousin five times removed is but you can't remember what you need to buy at the grocery store.

6. Family members run away from you when they see you coming towards them with a notebook and pencil in your hand.

5. You are always finding cousins related to you, no matter how distant, and introducing them to your family members.

4. Local archivists, librarians and county officials know you on a first name basis.

3. You write or speak about your ancestors as if you have known them your whole life.

2. You stop to transcribe the tombstones in every cemetery you drive by.

1. If you did not have to eat, sleep or work, you would spend all of your time at an archive.

How Addicted Am I?

Other genealogy bloggers have blogged about how addicted they are to blogging, and I thought I would take the test as well. So here are my results:


54%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I thought I would be higher, but oh well, I guess it is high enough. Tim Agazio challenged other bloggers to take this test.

Silly Christmas Quizes

I decided to take a couple of Christmas personality quizzes since it is getting closer to December. (Of course, I can't wait for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to going home.) So here are some of the results of the quizzes I took:

You Are a Practical Gift Giver

Your gifts are useful, appropriate, and custom tailored to each person. In your opinion, the best gifts are gifts that someone will actually use. Your gifts may not be the most glamorous, but they are always appreciated.

What Kind of Gift Giver Are You?

You Are a Snowman

Friendly and fun, you enjoy bringing holiday cheer to everyone you know!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Your Christmas Song Is

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year It's the most wonderful time of the year With the kids jingle-belling And everyone telling you Be of good cheer It's the most wonderful time of the year Hands down, Christmas is your favorite holiday ever And you always enjoy every moment of it

What Christmas Carol Are You?

You Are a Cranberry and Popcorn Strung Tree

Christmas is all about showcasing your creative talents. From cookies to nicely wrapped presents, your unique creations impress everyone.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up. Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

I realize that this is a long post, but these are just only a few of the quizzes that that site has on Christmas. I only picked the ones that I liked. A few of the quizzes, though, I thought were not very appropriate, especially for children.

Here's a Cute Quiz ...

I decided to take another personality quiz, and this time it is on handwriting. I definitely believe the subject is fitting for this blog. Here are my results:

What Your Handwriting Says About You

You are a fairly energetic person. You know how do pace yourself, and you deal well with stress. You range from very outgoing to very shy. You are a shapeshifter who is very versatile. You adapt well, and you look at things from many angles. You are balanced and grounded. You know how to get along well with others. You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well. You are conservative, old fashioned, and a little stubborn. You are resistant to change. You are a good communicator. You work hard to get your ideas across effectively.

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

I can't say that the quiz fits me exactly, but it is only for fun anyway.

I Am My Own - Well Not Quite ....

Earlier today, Randy Seaver posted about songs on genealogy, and one of the songs mentioned was "I am my own grandpa." Randy's post reminded me of an ancestor who participated in a situation similar to the situation described in the song and I decided to write about it.

My ancestor, Jacob Detwiler, was married twice. He first married my ancestor, Barbara Housholder/Householder on 8 December 1836 in Pennsylvania. They had at least six children who lived to adulthood. By the 1870 Census, Jacob and Barbara were living on their own, as their children had all been married by then. By October of 1871, Barbara had died. I was not able to determine when she died exactly from her grave marker, even though it appears as though there might once have been a date of death on the stone. The cemetery transcription for Riverside Cemetery suggests that she died on 25 April 1871, but since there isn't a death registration for her, I have to find some other record that would indicate when she died. I have not yet checked with the Sexton of the cemetery to see if there are any records on her burial. It may be possible that I'll find more information on her and what the cause of death was.

How do I know that Barbara was dead by October of 1871? Jacob remarried that month, to a much younger woman. On the 24th of October 1871, Jacob married Alwilda Arnold in South Bend, Indiana. Although I have not been able to find any church records that give birth dates for Jacob, Barbara or Alwilda, census records do indicate when they might have been born. Barbara was born either before or about 1810. Jacob was born about 1815, and Alwilda appears to have been born about 1850, give or take a couple of years. The most shocking instance for me about Jacob's second marriage is that Alwilda was almost the same age as Jacob's youngest daughter. In other words, Jacob was old enough to be Alwilda's father. The newspaper articles listed that both Jacob and Alwilda were residents of Three Rivers before they got married in South Bend.

I wonder, though, why they married in Indiana. I realize that the Saint Joseph River runs through Three Rivers and South Bend. It may be that Alwilda had family there, but one has to wonder how Jacob's grown children felt about his remarriage or how the community might have felt about the marriage. If Barbara did die in April of 1871, Jacob remarried within six months. To me, remarrying within six months of the death of a spouse seems too early. As far as I know, Jacob did not have any young children living in his household, and all of his children were grown by 1871. Is it possible that either Jacob's children or his neighbors were against him remarrying because his wife had been dead for only a short amount of time? Did Jacob and Alwilda get married in Indiana instead of Michigan as a result of possible disapproval? At the moment, I don't know what Jacob's faith was because he and Alwilda and several of his children were married by a Justice of Peace, so I don't know if there are any records that might indicate why he chose Indiana.

Jacob and Alwilda would have at least one son, Charles, who lived to adulthood, and they may have had another son who died at the age of one. There is a death record in the Saint Joseph County, Michigan County Clerk's office for a Casey E. Detwiler who was born in Indiana. The problem is that the mother is listed as Emma. It could be a mistake for Alwilda's name since the marriage record gave her first name as Elwilda. I have not found any other Jacob Detwiler's in the Southwestern Michigan and Northwestern Indiana area who would have been old enough to have been the child's father. It is always possible that this child is another couple's child. Whether or not Jacob and Alwilda had one or two children, the birth of Charles probably confused later descendants of his relationship to other Detwilers in the area. As I mentioned before, all of Jacob's older children were married and had children. Jacob was already a grandfather before Charles was born, and Charles' birth would automatically make him an uncle to the children of his older half-siblings. I can only wonder how confusing it might have been to be one of Jacob's grandchildren; several of Jacob's grandchildren would be older than their own uncle.

Jacob Detwiler died on 21 December 1879 in Saint Joseph County, Michigan. I have not yet found his probate file, but it is always possible that I missed it while looking for other probate files.
__________________________________________________________________

Sources

(I don't have my sources with me, but I have tried to list as much of my sources as I can remember.)

• "Married." Huntingdon Gazette, December 28, 1836, page 3, http://www.accesspadigital.org/ajunc/ajunc.htm
• Household of Jacob Detwiler. 1850 U. S. Federal Census, Walker Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. (Note Detwiler for this family is spelled Ditwiler in this census.)
• Household of Jacob Detwiler. 1860 U. S. Federal Census, Lockport Township, Saint Joseph County, Michigan. (Detwiler is spelled Detweiler in this census.)
• Household of Jacob Detwiler. 1870 U. S. Federal Census, Lockport Township, Saint Joseph County, Michigan.
• Saint Joseph County Genealogical Society, "Riverside Cemetery," in Cemeteries of Saint Joseph County, vol. 4.
• Saint Joseph County, Indiana Marriages, Saint Joseph County Clerk, book 6, page 391. (Note: Detwiler is spelled Detwilder and Alwilda's name is given is Elwilda.
• Saint Joseph Valley Register and National Union, (no date or page number. These newspaper articles and the marriage record above were kindly looked up for me at the beginning of this year.)
• Household of Alwilda Detwiler. 1880 U. S. Federal Census, Lockport Township, Saint Joseph County, Michigan.
• "Death record of Casey E. Detwiler," Saint Joseph County, Michigan death records, book one, page 59.
• "Death record of Jacob Detweler," Saint Joseph County, Michigan death records, book one, page 122. (Note: Jacob's last name is spelled Detweler in this record.)

My Halloween Personality ...

I said I wasn't going to post until Saturday, but I couldn't resist. Randy Seaver posted on his blog a challenge to take a personality quiz, and here is my personality:

What Your Halloween Habits Say About You

You're a friendly person, but not the life of the party. You like making someone else's day - and you'll dress up if you think of a really fun costume. You often feel invisible when you're in public. And it's a shame, because you're really quite a character. Your inner child is open minded, playful, and adventurous. You fear those closest to you finding out who you really are. You dread people discovering your secrets. You're logical, rational, and not easily effected. Not a lot scares you... especially when it comes to the paranormal. You are a total overachiever and workaholic. You're the type of person who plans their elaborate Halloween costume weeks in advance.

What's Your Halloween Personality?

You Know You Are a Michigander When ...

I noticed earlier today that Moultrie Creek had posted "You Know you're a Floridian if ..." a few days ago, and died laughing while reading the post. So, in light of that post, I felt I had to create my own list about Michigan.

You know you are a Michigander when ...

• You point on your hand to show where your hometown is.
• You are unfazed by the sudden change in weather or the inaccuracy of the weatherman's weather report.
• You refer to Windsor, Ontario as a sister city.
• You refer to the driving seasons as "Construction" and "Winter."
• You call the day before Halloween, Devil's Night.
• You call the people who live in the Upper Peninsula, "Youppers."
• UP means the Upper Peninsula.
• You visit another state and consider the car ahead of you, going the speed limit, too slow.
• You continue to drive in bad weather after all the other cars pull over.
• You know how to drive in bad weather.
• You think nothing of driving on a road covered by a couple of inches of snow.
• You think nothing of driving at 80 m.p.h. or more on the freeway.
• You are not surprised by a temperature drop of 4o degrees from the day before.
• You consider your winter warm when you have had very little snow.
• You associate the first couple of weeks in November with deer hunting.
• You hear, "Tri-County," and think Metro-Detroit.
• You take it for granted that the Lions will lose.
• You estimate the distance between two locations in minutes.
• You consider Hockeytown another name for Detroit.
• You refer to Detroit as "Motown."
• You call coke and Pepsi, "pop."
• You still go to school even though it snowed the night before.
• You are used to driving on bad roads.
• You know how to play euchre.
• You expect to drive the same distance to a place in the U. P. as you would in driving to Tennessee.
• You hear the term, "Inland Lake," but do not associate the Great Lakes with that term.
• You can go north or east and end up in Canada.
• You are used to cold weather.

This is all that I can think of when it comes to Michigan. I hope you found this funny. Any other additions are welcome. Enjoy.

A Little Movie I Created...

I just created this little movie earlier today. It is a movie about the different stages of life, and it showcases different times in one man's life. It's just supposed to be a fun, little movie.




Update at 8:40 p.m.: In case anyone is curious as to where I obtained the graphics, my post on my daily blog explains where they came from.

Added a Poll

I just added a poll to see how far back other people have researched their family history. It is just for fun, and I will write about the results after the poll closes in the next two weeks.

Tombstone Maker Website

I just learned about this website from reading Randy Seaver's post. On this website, you can create your own tombstone epitaph.

I thought it was an interesting site, so I decided to create a tombstone marker. Here is mine:









Update: July 30, 2007:





I also created a tombstone for one of my ancestors. I know where he is buried (now, after a wild goose chase), but he doesn't have a grave marker. So, I made him one. Here it is:





Okay, I know the epitaph is not the most original, but this was the best I could think of. Maybe someday I will tell the story of how I found his grave, but it won't be today.

My Personality Type and Other Quizes

I just learned about this personality test How Rare is Your Personality? from reading Randy Seaver's post on this quiz.

Here are my results:

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm. Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all menYou are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

http://www.blogthings.com/howrareisyourpersonalityquiz/">How Rare Is Your Personality?

Well, according to this quiz, my personality is only slightly rare. Oh, well, there still isn't anyone else like me out there.

After I took that quiz, I took another personality type quiz: What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Here's what this quiz said:

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view.A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofintelligencedoyouhavequiz/">What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Well, it seems to be somewhat accurate. Either way, I think these quizes are fun and really don't mean that much. There are many other types of personality quizes on the site. Some I think are really funny, and others that I don't think are appropriate.