What was it there for? Where does it go to? Why put it so high up?I will never know.
Sunday, September 05, 2021
Stairway to ...?
I saw had a strange lookin' stairway near the top.
What was it there for? Where does it go to? Why put it so high up?
I will never know.
What was it there for? Where does it go to? Why put it so high up?I will never know.
Saturday, September 04, 2021
Benjamin Franklin
Please see the comment before continuing.
******
Benjamin Franklin was a terrible father.
His son William was born just before his marriage to Deborah Read in 1730. Perhaps because of the circumstances of his birth -- despite being taken in by the family -- William seems to have grown up with a chip on his shoulder.
The apple didn't seem to fall far from the tree, though, because William also had an illegitimiate child -- William Temple Franklin. For whatever reason, Benjamin felt quite fond of Temple, which probably just irritated William further.
The animosity became political. While Benjamin Franklin was a great advocate for the American cause, William was a Loyalist. In fact, he became what would be the last Royal Governor of New Jersey. As the Revolutionary War wound down, William moved to England with Temple, and the two never saw Benjamin Franklin again. [Source]
Benjamin was a terrible husband, too.
In November 1764, he left for England, where he would stay until 1775. Even after Deborah suffered a stroke (1768) and stopped writing to him (1773), he still refused to return. She died in Deember 1774, without having seen him for the last ten years of her life. [Source]
Benjamin and Deborah had a son (Francis) and a daughter (Sarah) together, but Francis died from smallpox when he was four years-old. Sarah grew up and had a family of her own, but took her husband's name -- Bache. As a result, the only descendents of Benjamin Franklin with his family name are in England.
Benjamin did, however, have many brothers and sisters. In fact, his immediate-older sister was also named Deborah; he was born in 1706, she was born in 1705.
Deborah Franklin married a fellow named Joseph Scull on February 1, 1729, and the two would go on to have 15 children. I'm not sure if all of them survived to adulthood, but the 11th seems to have been named after his uncle: Benjamin Franklin Scull.
That was interesting to me, because Scull was my grandmother Eleanor's middle name. And it was her middle name because it was *her* mother's maiden name.
Benjamin Franklin Scull was my great-grandmother Anna Mae Scull's great-great-grandfather, making Ben Franklin my 6th great-granduncle.
******
Benjamin Franklin was a terrible father.His son William was born just before his marriage to Deborah Read in 1730. Perhaps because of the circumstances of his birth -- despite being taken in by the family -- William seems to have grown up with a chip on his shoulder.
The apple didn't seem to fall far from the tree, though, because William also had an illegitimiate child -- William Temple Franklin. For whatever reason, Benjamin felt quite fond of Temple, which probably just irritated William further.
The animosity became political. While Benjamin Franklin was a great advocate for the American cause, William was a Loyalist. In fact, he became what would be the last Royal Governor of New Jersey. As the Revolutionary War wound down, William moved to England with Temple, and the two never saw Benjamin Franklin again. [Source]
Benjamin was a terrible husband, too.
In November 1764, he left for England, where he would stay until 1775. Even after Deborah suffered a stroke (1768) and stopped writing to him (1773), he still refused to return. She died in Deember 1774, without having seen him for the last ten years of her life. [Source]
Benjamin and Deborah had a son (Francis) and a daughter (Sarah) together, but Francis died from smallpox when he was four years-old. Sarah grew up and had a family of her own, but took her husband's name -- Bache. As a result, the only descendents of Benjamin Franklin with his family name are in England.
Benjamin did, however, have many brothers and sisters. In fact, his immediate-older sister was also named Deborah; he was born in 1706, she was born in 1705.
Deborah Franklin married a fellow named Joseph Scull on February 1, 1729, and the two would go on to have 15 children. I'm not sure if all of them survived to adulthood, but the 11th seems to have been named after his uncle: Benjamin Franklin Scull.
That was interesting to me, because Scull was my grandmother Eleanor's middle name. And it was her middle name because it was *her* mother's maiden name.
Benjamin Franklin Scull was my great-grandmother Anna Mae Scull's great-great-grandfather, making Ben Franklin my 6th great-granduncle.
"Parking space included."
Japan has parking garages, but they typically require a monthly fee in addition to the rent. Here's an apartment building near Fussa Station (福生駅) that provides a free parking space.
Friday, September 03, 2021
Anna (Hannah?) Annie Edmonds
There was a show in the 1970s called the Brady Bunch.
One of the things I'd never wondered was "What if Greg Brady married Marsha?" That is ... until now.
"A lovely lady"
Anna Edmonds came from Bristol, in southwestern England. William was from Wales, which is just north across the Bristol Channel. Both were big coal mining areas, so it's likely that William had gone to Bristol to work.
The two married in 1882, and moved to the United States after their daughter was born. There, they had two sons -- William and Edward -- along with five other children.
Sadly, William (the elder) was gone by the time of the 1900 census, leaving Anna to take care of eight children – with the youngest only a year and a half old.
"A man named … Flook"
Joseph Flook and his wife Roseanna Rogers were also from Wales. They married in 1878 in Llanfihangel, which today is a mere hour's drive from Bristol. Their daughter was born in 1880 in Talywain, and they moved to the U.S. in 1883.
After their arrival, they had more two daughters -- Gertrude and Thursa -- and then three boys.
Sadly, Roseanna passed away in 1898 from complications following the birth of their youngest, and Joseph was left with six children – the youngest a mere two months old.
“When the lady met this fellow…”
Joseph and Anna probably already knew each other. They’d lived in the same coal mining community for several years and were actually on the *same census page.* Their houses were probably right down the street from each other.
Sometime between the census in June 1900 and June 1901, Joseph and Anna joined their two families together. With 7 children from Anna’s first marriage and 5 from Joseph’s (the oldest of each having moved out) it would certainly have been crowded.
And then in true “yours, mine, and ours” fashion, they added three more.
But wait, there’s more
At this point, you might think that 17 children – grown or not – makes a crazy enough story. But in 1901, Anna’s son William turned 16. Joseph’s daughter Thursa was six months younger.
Now, there are many details in this situation that have not made it into traceable records, but one thing is clear – Anna’s son William married Joseph’s daughter Thursa in 1903. That made William simultaneously Joseph’s step-son and son-in-law. (This just about broke the family tree.)
And through my great-grandfather Edward, Thursa became my great-great-grandmother Anna’s both step-daughter and daughter-in law.
Mr. Flook’s expression in this picture summed up my reaction nicely.
One of the things I'd never wondered was "What if Greg Brady married Marsha?" That is ... until now.
"A lovely lady"
Anna Edmonds came from Bristol, in southwestern England. William was from Wales, which is just north across the Bristol Channel. Both were big coal mining areas, so it's likely that William had gone to Bristol to work.
The two married in 1882, and moved to the United States after their daughter was born. There, they had two sons -- William and Edward -- along with five other children.
Sadly, William (the elder) was gone by the time of the 1900 census, leaving Anna to take care of eight children – with the youngest only a year and a half old.
"A man named … Flook"
Joseph Flook and his wife Roseanna Rogers were also from Wales. They married in 1878 in Llanfihangel, which today is a mere hour's drive from Bristol. Their daughter was born in 1880 in Talywain, and they moved to the U.S. in 1883.
After their arrival, they had more two daughters -- Gertrude and Thursa -- and then three boys.
Sadly, Roseanna passed away in 1898 from complications following the birth of their youngest, and Joseph was left with six children – the youngest a mere two months old.
“When the lady met this fellow…”
Joseph and Anna probably already knew each other. They’d lived in the same coal mining community for several years and were actually on the *same census page.* Their houses were probably right down the street from each other.
Sometime between the census in June 1900 and June 1901, Joseph and Anna joined their two families together. With 7 children from Anna’s first marriage and 5 from Joseph’s (the oldest of each having moved out) it would certainly have been crowded.And then in true “yours, mine, and ours” fashion, they added three more.
But wait, there’s more
At this point, you might think that 17 children – grown or not – makes a crazy enough story. But in 1901, Anna’s son William turned 16. Joseph’s daughter Thursa was six months younger.
Now, there are many details in this situation that have not made it into traceable records, but one thing is clear – Anna’s son William married Joseph’s daughter Thursa in 1903. That made William simultaneously Joseph’s step-son and son-in-law. (This just about broke the family tree.)
And through my great-grandfather Edward, Thursa became my great-great-grandmother Anna’s both step-daughter and daughter-in law.Mr. Flook’s expression in this picture summed up my reaction nicely.
Yokota TDY
From 15-19 August, and then 22 Aug to 2 Sep, I went TDY to Yokota Air Base for an exercise. Staying in a Japanese hotel was pretty interesting.
The room was small, with the bed placed right next to the desk, and no formal closet.
The bed was right next to the window, which offered a great of the area outside Fussa Station (福生駅).
Breakfast was complimentary, and the vending machine in the lobby sold beer.
The room was small, with the bed placed right next to the desk, and no formal closet.
The bed was right next to the window, which offered a great of the area outside Fussa Station (福生駅).
Breakfast was complimentary, and the vending machine in the lobby sold beer.
Thursday, September 02, 2021
Anna Thieler
Anna spent her whole life thinking she was from Germany.
It made sense. She knew that she was born in Europe, that her family moved to the U.S. soon after she was born (1885), and that her parents spoke German at home.
Besides, there wasn't really anyone to correct her. Her mother died in childbirth when she was six, and her father didn't speak much about the days before he married his second wife.
In the 1900 census, Father listed Germany as his place of birth, as well as Anna's step-mother's.
By 1910, Anna married, and lived with her five year-old son and her native-born husband from Illinois. Trivialities like where her parents came from 25 years before didn't really matter anymore. She was American now, much like her siblings who'd started Anglicizing their last name: "Tyler."
In 1917, her father passed away, putting more distance from her past. Through 1920 and 1930 censuses, Anna repeated her mistake.
Although the 1940 census didn't ask about parents' countries of origin, Anna didn't have the chance to answer.
Anna's son married in1930 and her daughter-in-law moved in. A year later, Anna passed away at the age of 46, never understanding where she was really came from, much less why her parents wanted to leave.
Anna was not from Germany. Nor was she from Austria, as her brother John Paul and older sister Gisela thought. Gisela was on the right track, though – she'd at least guessed that *Magyar* was her parent's "native tongue."
And therein lies a clue as to why the Thieler family left Szentjanos ("Sant John"), Hungary in 1887. The newly autonomous Kingdom of Hungary – still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – had recently begun a policy of "Magyarization." They wanted Hungary for Hungarians. And as ethnic Germans on the western side of the country, the Thieler family apparently felt that better opportunities lay elsewhere.
It is a strange thing that we can learn such details about a person who lived a hundred years ago, and yet to have never once thought to ask those who would have known them best.
As a ten year-old, I certainly would have never thought to ask Anna's son, whom I'd met, about his mother. I just didn't know what I didn't know.
Anna's son is pictured here – he's the gentleman on the left. And in the center there – that's my brother.
This picture was taken in 1985. Grandpa Roy passed away in 1988.
I looked up the address that the family lived at when they first arrived. This house was built in 1888, which means that Anna Thieler was among its first occupants.
It made sense. She knew that she was born in Europe, that her family moved to the U.S. soon after she was born (1885), and that her parents spoke German at home.
Besides, there wasn't really anyone to correct her. Her mother died in childbirth when she was six, and her father didn't speak much about the days before he married his second wife.
In the 1900 census, Father listed Germany as his place of birth, as well as Anna's step-mother's.
By 1910, Anna married, and lived with her five year-old son and her native-born husband from Illinois. Trivialities like where her parents came from 25 years before didn't really matter anymore. She was American now, much like her siblings who'd started Anglicizing their last name: "Tyler."
In 1917, her father passed away, putting more distance from her past. Through 1920 and 1930 censuses, Anna repeated her mistake.
Although the 1940 census didn't ask about parents' countries of origin, Anna didn't have the chance to answer.
Anna's son married in1930 and her daughter-in-law moved in. A year later, Anna passed away at the age of 46, never understanding where she was really came from, much less why her parents wanted to leave.
Anna was not from Germany. Nor was she from Austria, as her brother John Paul and older sister Gisela thought. Gisela was on the right track, though – she'd at least guessed that *Magyar* was her parent's "native tongue."
And therein lies a clue as to why the Thieler family left Szentjanos ("Sant John"), Hungary in 1887. The newly autonomous Kingdom of Hungary – still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – had recently begun a policy of "Magyarization." They wanted Hungary for Hungarians. And as ethnic Germans on the western side of the country, the Thieler family apparently felt that better opportunities lay elsewhere.
It is a strange thing that we can learn such details about a person who lived a hundred years ago, and yet to have never once thought to ask those who would have known them best.As a ten year-old, I certainly would have never thought to ask Anna's son, whom I'd met, about his mother. I just didn't know what I didn't know.
Anna's son is pictured here – he's the gentleman on the left. And in the center there – that's my brother.
This picture was taken in 1985. Grandpa Roy passed away in 1988.
I looked up the address that the family lived at when they first arrived. This house was built in 1888, which means that Anna Thieler was among its first occupants.
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