My Trails into the Past

I have completed two hundred and fifty-one (251) weeks of semi-lockdown due to Covid-19. My outside activities were trips to the History Center, phenology, and train club. Genealogy Genealogy Writing/Research: I continued working on the Haley & Thomas families and wrote a blog post. Most of my writing this week has been lesson plans for my upcoming AppGen course on the public domain land. Registration will begin this week on January 15. Blog Posts Published: Discovering the Death of John B. Thomas, husband of Mary Ann Haley of Mississippi I wrote up the results of research that answered a research question. It’s the start of a series on my blog Mam-ma’s Southern Family. Favorite Photo – Billy Hork with his Older Sisters For the 52 Ancestors’ theme “Favorite Photo,” I posted a 1935 photo of my father with his three older sisters. SNGF: Do You Have a Digital Genealogy Library? I wrote about how I store digital copies of books, handouts, and lesson plans. Genealogy Meetings:  I ha...

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:  It's Saturday Night again -  Time for some more Genealogy Fun!! Our assignment tonight from Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings is to:  1)  Do you have a digital genealogy library? If so, what titles are in it. If not, why not? [Thank you to Linda Stufflebean for this suggested topic] Here's mine: Yes, I have a digital genealogy library. Whenever I locate a book pertinent to my family research and it is available digitally, I have downloaded a copy onto my computer. Many of these books are county histories but some may be scans of books I made at the FamilySearch Library.  Computer Now, where I keep these digital books is another matter. I am not consistent. I might have a “books” folder under the main surname folder. Under other surname folders, I might have folders of geographical areas, and the digital books are found there. Still, under other surname folders, I might have both. A folder for books that are general and a folder for...

My dad, William J. Hork, known as Billy growing up, had three older sisters: Lorene, Virginia, and June. This photo, taken in 1935, probably in Ontario, is of the four children. Billy looks about four or five years old. Since they are wearing sweaters and hats, it is probably winter.  I love this photo because it is black and white, has nice contrast, and shows the spunk of my aunts. Pictured from left to right: June, Lorene, and Virginia, and in front, Billy. #52Ancestors - Week 2: Favorite Photo This is my eighth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow ( https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/ ) at Generations Cafe.  I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past . I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. Copyright © 2025 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.

I have completed two hundred and fifty (250) weeks of semi-lockdown due to Covid-19. My outside activities were trips to the History Center, Oakland FamilySearch Center, phenology, haircut salon, and doctor’s appointment. Genealogy Genealogy Writing/Research: This week, I spent two days researching the Haley family, particularly Mary Ann Haley and John B. Thomas’s descendants. I used the full-text search at FamilySearch to locate records of Thomas J Haley and found he was the guardian for Mary Ann’s children and was transacting business in Texas. The family originated in Rankin County, Mississippi. I followed several Thomas children across several counties in Texas, locating census, vital, newspaper, and cemetery records to fill out their profiles in my RootsMagic database.  I also researched the Cromwell Children’s Home, started by my husband’s ancestor, Nils Malkom Nilsen, and wrote the first 52 Ancestors blog post about it. At the FamilySearch Center in Oakland, I scanned two of...

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:  It's Saturday Night again -  Time for some more Genealogy Fun!! Our assignment from Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings is to:  1)  What are your genealogy goals for 2025?  Consider genealogy research, education, organizing, service, writing, and whatever else you care to share. Here's mine: I have already posted about reflecting on last year’s goals and creating goals for 2025. It is here . A recap of the goals is below. 2025 Goals Organization. Continue organizing and reducing files. I have new archival boxes to store these items and I can donate the plastic bins. Writing . Create 2 books about my grandparents, Tom J Johnston & Pansy Lancaster, and William C Hork and Anna Sullivan. Do the same as I did the parent's book, using blog posts and photos. I will also continue writing 52 Ancestors, Genea-pourri, and SNGF each week, plus some additional posts as I discover topics. Renewal . Decide on a subject for the KDP I can use fo...

The Rev. N. M. Nilsen,[1]  pastor of the Swedish Congregational Church in Cromwell, Connecticut, thought the empty house on West Street could be put to better use than sitting empty. The owner, A.N. Pierson, agreed. It was decided to create an orphanage for young orphan children. The matron was Anna Molin, who came from Manchester, New Hampshire. It was first announced in the Middletown newspaper, The Penny Press, on 5 April 1900.[2]  Another article explained its purpose: “The Swedish Christian Orphanage, which is to be established here, under the patronage of the Swedish Congregational church, will be ready by the middle of May. The building acquired for the purpose on West Street, by the association, has been repainted and repapered throughout, and a new wing is to be built, to give more room. Miss Anna Molin of Manchester, N.H., who is to be the matron of the home, has arrived in town, and will spend several weeks here, as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Emil Nyren. Rev EG Hjerp...

I have completed two hundred and forty-nine (249) weeks of semi-lockdown due to Covid-19. My outside activities were trips to the History Center (twice), Oakland FamilySearch Center, the emergency room for my husband, and to a Walking group get-together.    Genealogy Genealogy Writing/Research : On Christmas Eve day, I finished the book about my parents. It’s a digital book with photos and some text I copied from previously written blog posts. I sent this document to my siblings on Christmas Eve but I have not heard from any of them yet about what they think.  I spent a couple of days working on the children of Rueben Johnston and his first wife, Catherine. The only record I have found of Catherine is their 1870 census enumeration with the first child, Samuel. Two tombstones of their children list her as S.C. Johnston. I am not sure of Catherine’s surname or even her first name. Two daughters called her Catherine Shull or Scull on their death certificates. A Sully family ...