Sentimental Sunday - Happy Father's Day!

I posted a few pictures on Mother's Day last month and last year. Now it's time for the Dads! I did find that we don't have many pictures of our family's fathers. Many were behind the camera, and several died before their spouses. Here are a few from the family collection:

 This is the only picture of my grandmother, Agnes Speck, with her father, Frank F. Speck. This was taken in or near Monessen, PA in the late 1920's.

 

 

My father, Corky, and his brother Jeff pose with their father, Art Cubbage before the Memorial Day Parade in New Providence, NJ in 1954.

My mother and her father Adolf in 1959.

Here I am with my Dad at around one year old.

 

 

Tombstone Tuesday - Lessons Learned from a Cemetery Visit

I was in Pittsburgh over Memorial Day weekend with my family and we decided to make a few cemetery visits. My oldest son had been on "cemetery hunts" with me before, but my husband and younger son were on their very first trip. We took a ride out to Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge, PA to look for a few collateral family members from my Burd line that I had found on Find A Grave.

We found the first two headstones fairly easily, but were having trouble finding the last couple of names. I guess I should also mention that even though it was the end of May, it was about 50 degrees, overcast and windy, and we had not packed for lengthy time outside (oops!). My sons and I ran back up to the entrance and found a map of the cemetery and confirmed that we were searching in the correct section. We went back, but could still not find anything.

My oldest son (and budding genealogist) suggested that we go back to Find A Grave (thanks to smart phones!!) and search for the name of a neighboring stone that should be in the same section to make sure we have the right area ... or that maybe there was a typo on the website. We confirmed a few names around where we should be, and still nothing. We took another step, and finally found two tiny stones in the grass -- we could only see first names!! I wish I had taken a few more "before" pictures because the story continues!

Find A Grave lists a Margaret, Helen and "Annie?" Burd as being in this section. Well, we had found two of the three, so we were happy. I snapped the above picture and then started clearing out the grass along the edges to get a better picture. My younger son noticed some letters above Helen's name, so we kept pulling away the grass. Guess what we found?? The two stones were actually one broken stone (or two pieced together) with all three names on it!

When we found the two little stones, all we could see were the whiter areas on the picture above - just the names and dates. We also found that the middle name is not "Annie", but "R. J. Jr." I believe that these are the children of Robert J. Burd and Minnie Roenick, so that is my next project.

So what did we learn on our cemetery visit?? Besides bringing lists of names, double checking online data, finding cemetery maps, and dressing warmly??  We learned that we should bring a small shovel and some gloves ... you may need to dig out a stone or two along the way!

Wedding Wednesday - Oma and Opa

Yesterday was my maternal grandparents' wedding anniversary. Adolf Haberkern and Elise Gegenheimer were married on June 4, 1942 in Stein, Germany.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandparents in 1962. I believe that they are at Newark Airport and my mother and grandmother had just arrived home from a trip to Germany. I love the way my Oma is looking up at Opa.

Friday's Faces from the Past - Good Humor Man

I was sitting outside this week, enjoying a beautiful spring evening with my boys, and we heard the familiar jingle of the "ice cream man." I thought of this picture of my mother as a teenager and my grandmother, Elise Gegenheimer Haberkern. It was taken in the spring of 1960. I'm not sure where they are or why my grandfather took a picture of them with the Good Humor Man. I need to check with Mom to see if she remembers!

Military Monday - Armed Forces Day

In recognition of Armed Forces Day, which was Saturday, May 18th, I am posting a few images in honor of my military ancestors.

 

 

Christian Linnemann

World War I, Pvt. 3rd Co. 1st Btn. 155th DB 

 

 

 

Frank Rudolph Speck

US Maritime Service 

 

 

 

William Arthur Cubbage

World War II, Yeoman Second Class, US Navy 

 

 

 

Charles G Schwenk

Civil War, Sgt, Co. C, 82nd PA Vol
(I don't have any pictures of Charles, this is an image of his re-enlistment papers)

 

 

 

Gerhard Linnemann

World War I, Cook, Quartermaster Corps

Treasure Chest Thursday - Christian Linnemann's Gesangbuch

 

I saw my parents last weekend and they gave me a little book ... my great grand uncle Christ's Gesangbuch! They know that I have been researching our Linnemann line for some time and wanted me to have it!

The first page ... "Ach bleib mit Deiner Gnade." According to Google Translate, this means "Oh stay with your grace."

Christ's name is written on the back of the first page. The first two pages appear to have been repaired with some white tape that covers the end of his name and part of the next  page. The next page is printed with "Widmung" which means "dedication", but nothing is written on that page.

Christian Linnemann, known as Christ, was my great-grandmother's oldest brother. He was born Christian Fasel, but his father died shortly before he was born and his mother later married Gerhard Linnemann. I also posted a picture of him when he was in the Army and his tombstone.

The title page ... "Evangelisches Gesangbuch für Rheinland und Westfalen" which translates to "Protestant hymnal for Rhineland and Westphalia." Christian was born in Gelsenkirchen, which is in the state of North Rhein-Westfalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). His mother's religion was Catholic on Christ's birth record, but by the time his sister Elisabeth was born, she and her husband were both Protestant (Evangelishes).

The bottom of the page has what I believe is the publisher (W.Crüwell) in Dortmund, dated 1897. The Linnemann family came to America in 1904. My father only met Christ a few times as a child, but remembers him as very quiet and was often seen sitting reading his Bible or this hymnal.

The hymnal doesn't open very far, but it is a beautiful little book filled with German hymns. Thank you Dad and Mom for this wonderful gift!!

Sentimental Sunday - Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! Here are a few pictures of our favortie Moms:

 My grandmother, Agnes Speck Cubbage with her mother, Elizabeth Linneman Speck Merz

November 1954

 

My father (middle) with his brother Jeff and mother, Agnes Speck Cubbage

August 1959

My mother and her mother, Elise Gegenheimer Haberkern

circa 1955

Here I am with my Mom, along with my sister and brother!