Remembering September 11, 2001

It was a crisp fall morning.  The sky was so very blue with random fluffy clouds.  

I was sitting in my cubical at work in Summit, NJ when my co-worker, Sadie, told me she just got a call from her boyfriend. He had heard a plane crashed into one of the towers on the Howard Stern show.  I was in disbelief.  Thinking that was a horrible skit by the Howard Stern Show. 

We then proceeded to find a TV.  The conference rooms were packed. We were able to get visual conformation that the news was true, but being smokers at the time, we proceed to my car and listened to the news on the radio.  After chain smoking for while, we went back into the office. 

The feeling inside was dread.  It was quiet and no one was at their desks.  More planes were falling from the sky.  I didn't know what was going on, I thought we were going to war, and I wanted to go home.  I left work before 11 AM.  Coming down the mountain that morining,   People were pulled over gazing at the city. You could see the smoke and dust in the skyline. The landscape had changed forever that day.

I went to visit my husband, Bob, at the store in Garwood and was glued to the TV all day.  Living close to Newark Airport, you always hear planes flying by, but that afternoon there were no planes in the air. It was so,so quiet.

In the days that followed, we saw the best of Americans.  People volunteering and helping in any way that they could.  Streets were lined with American Flags.  You couldn't find flags for sale, they were all sold out.  People were still searching for their loved ones.  Funerals were happeneing all over the place for the lucky ones that could be laid to rest.

I guess I was one of the luckier ones.  I only attened one funneral.  The father of one of my brother's best friend answered the Port Authority radio call that morning.  He was also our 3rd cousin once removed. He was one of one of the good ones. RIP Bobby Kaulfers.

It was a time that none of will ever forget.

What were you doing or where where you when you first learned of the Twin Tower attacks?

A Memory of Grandma Turner

My daughter, Bridget, asked me to take her to Claire's at the mall today.  She never asks to go to the mall, so I said sure.  We'll go while daddy's watching football!

So I take her to Claire's.  As we were walking through the store, I couldn't help but think about Grandma Turner.   For my 13th birthday, grandma gave me a necklace that I loved.  It was a little pendant of an old fashioned fan that opened and closed.  It was unique, and I loved it.

I remember this because Grandma sent me a postcard after she received a note I had sent to her thanking her for it. Apparently, I had asked her where she found it.

This was around the time where I started to save every letter or note that I could. I still have that postcard from 1985.

After Bridget and I went to Claire's we went to lunch.  I told her about the first necklace I ever had from Claire's and about Grandma Turner.  She learned that I would spend a week at Grandma's every  summer.  I told her how we would go to the beach or swim in the pool (bathing caps and all).  Some times we would go up to the "Clubhouse" and play shuffleboard.   She taught me how to play poker.  We played every night and would play with poker chips (very common now, but back then she was the only one I knew with poker chips in a case) and we would drink chocolate soda.

When we got home, I showed her the pendant. Bridget thought it was neat.  I on the other hand still love it.

Happy 30th Birthday in Heaven

James Anthony Fiume

August 25, 1987 - December 14, 1987

Grandma Pickard Update!

Circa 1948 Bridget Reilly Pickard and Nancy Donnelly Turner

For years,  Bridget Reilly Pickard, AKA Grandma Pickard was a brick wall.  A GIGANTIC brick wall.   All I knew about her was on her death certificate.  She was born in March 1863 in Ireland and her father's name was Thomas Reilly.

Thanks to the power of my mother's DNA and a kind, kind cousin, Craig.  I know more about her.  He was able to compare strands of DNA and determine that it was the Reilly surname.  His Reilly's are from Lurgan Parish, Co. Cavan, Ireland.  He suggested that I check baptismal records for Lurgan Parish.

Within a few minutes, I struck gold.  Bridget Reilly was baptized on 27 April 1863 to a Thomas Reilly and Rose Brady.  This matched the year of birth and name of father.  Here is the record:  http://registers.nli.ie/pages/vtls000634887_100

I shared my find with Craig and he took the ball and ran with it.  Finding siblings and a marriage record for Thomas Reilly and Rose Brady.  He also very eloquently pieced together both Thomas and Rose's parents. Thomas' parents were Thomas Reilly and Bridget Curran.  This Thomas is brother to Craig's direct ancestor Ann.  Thomas and Ann's parents were Phillip Reilly and Judith, our common ancestors making us 7th Cousins. 

This branch was bare before his correspondence.  Now we know so much more than just her father's name.  This branch has now blossomed!

I can't wait to find out more about her siblings and research further on her mother's side.

Thank you Craig for connecting the limbs of our family tree and thank you mom for making the DNA investment!

Hugh Turner and June Weller met on the S.S. Colombia in July 1934

I always loved this photo of my grandparents.  Hugh in his Merchant Marine uniform and June in her playful sailing outfit.  I have no idea when this photo was taken, but they look so happy. I never knew how they met.

Recently, my brother called me from California after spending time with Uncle Bob.  He told me that our grandparents met on a ship!  He worked on the ship and she was a passenger. They met by chance returning to the ship at a port of call.  June was alone and Hugh was told to escort her back to the ship.  Not sure which port of call, but nonetheless, here is the ship manifests for the S.S. Colombia, where they clearly met. He is on the first line of the crew list dated June 18, 1934.

June is the last person listed on this passenger list dated July 18, 1934.

Two lines above her is Aunt Francis, her traveling companion.  The rest is family history :)

An Ellingham Adventure - She's a Good Sport

So this week, Mom and I went on a mini cemetery adventure.  We hit 4 cemeteries in one day.  We started out in Linden, NJ at Rosedale Cemetery visiting the grave of Jane (nee Allingham) Ellingham Stevenson.  Jane was born in 1844 in Drumhome, County Donegal, Ireland.  She is the daughter of Francis (Frank) Allingham and Elizabeth Montgomery.  She married first William Ellingham on October 2, 1865 in Poughkeepsie, Duchess County, New York.  They later relocated to Brooklyn. In the 1910 census Jane is listed as being the mother of 8, but only 4 are living.  William died on April 3, 1888.  Jane is Mom’s 2x great grandmother (my 3x).  Jane's Findagrave.com memorial.  On September 22, 1898, she married William Stevenson in Brooklyn, NY,  He died on July 2, 1915 in Brooklyn. Jane died November 25, 1915 in Elizabeth, NJ at age 71.

Jane is buried with her son William Ellingham, daughter Martha Miller, son-in-law Alexander Miller and members of his immediate family.  The other side with more names can be seen on Martha's findagrave.com memorial.

We made a few stops in Queens researching another line on my father's side of the family. More on that in a future post. Mom came along for the ride.  She was a great sport.  She walked around and helped look for markers.  She's really good at finding them!

1st Calvary Cemetery, Long Island City, NY

Our last stop in New York was The Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn.  We went to visit the grave of Jane's husband William Ellingham. 

She found his!

William Ellingham was born in 1846 in County Donegal, Ireland.  He is the son of William Ellingham and Ann Lenax.  William enlisted in Poughkeepsie, NY on September 6, 1864 and was honorably discharged at the end of the Civil War on July 12, 1865. He served as a Private.  He died on April 3, 1888 in Brooklyn at the age of 43.

Nancy Turner visiting the grave of her 2x great grandfather.

 We started and ended the day visiting Cenie's paternal grandparents.

I hoped to get to the Green-Wood Cemetery before leaving Brooklyn, but we ran out of time.  Thanks for being a great sport Mom!

John Lewis Monument

In the town of Staunton, Virginia, in the beautiful Gypsy Hill Park stands a monument to the first pioneer to settle the area, my 7x great grandfather John Lewis.