High School Yearbook ~ I Did In Fact Stay Cool

Recently I saw this quote on social media and laughed harder than really was appropriate. I then started thinking about past me, old friends, and fun times. I would never go back and do it again, but remembering the fun times is nice.

Whenever yearbook photo hints show up on Ancestry I always look at them suspiciously. As is true with all hints on Ancestry each record must be carefully considered. I ask myself is that really the person I am searching.

Launching off from my own profile on Ancestry I did a search for Yearbook photos for me. The results - 1000s of photos with links to the yearbook with exactly the same name as mine. When I narrowed it to Canada there was still more than a hundred. Not one of those entries was actually me. 

Many years ago I went for my first criminal record check required for my field of work. Since it was my first time I didn't realize they don't normally put you in a locked room & finger print you before saying 'you are free to go'. The tone they used was cold & distant. On the one hand I thought it was normal since I had no other experience to compare it to, but 19 year old small town me was super scared. It was also my first time in downtown Vancouver which even then was already known as the Downtown Eastside (DTES) . 

Several months later I had to do another criminal record search in the small town I grew up. When nothing more than taking my paperwork happened I asked the officer why it was different. He held up about 30 feet of connected computer paper telling me the officers in Vancouver thought they had this person. Since the town was small & my family known the officer knew I wasn't that person. He explained that the name was the same, the birth-month one off, and the birth province one over. Apparently these are typical switches in trying to allude identification. 

This was honestly the first time I realized names are very common, and maybe mine was more common than most.

In the years since I have often wondered why I am always 'randomly' selected for extra screening including being SSS'd on a few trips. Every time it happens I think 'random my ass'. BUT there is nothing I can do to eliminate the criminal history of someone I share a name with. Maybe I should get a NEXUS card? In the meantime I choose my clothing & footwear for travel days carefully knowing I will be searched.

BUT it is important not to write off all photos that appear in the yearbook searches. I found these of my father-in-law long before he was a father.

Ron in the back row - red arrow
Glendale Highschool Football team
1961

Ron - 2nd row third from the left
Grade 5 & 6 class
Rolph Street Public School
1958

I wonder how long before one of the records that appears for my own search are actually me.

Finding your relatives in old school records!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Fashionista ~ Past & Present

Thinking about this week's prompt TEXTILES I started thinking about how fashion changes over time. 

Often we look at old photos and are confused about what was 'in style'. Looking at how our ancestors dressed through the eyes of today we are often left giggling. How could THAT possibly be in fashion we ask ourselves.

I would like to believe my husband's ancestors were fashionable since it's a trait he has & has passed to our children. 

I have written about my husband's fashion sense before - read it here: Fashionista ~ Princess Chris

I have been known to go out looking less than 'well put together', but they never do! 

This is my husband's 4th great grandmother on his father's paternal line.

Sarah Elizabeth (nee Hawthorne) Meharg was known as Elizabeth. 

Looking at this photo we wonder -- was she fashionable? Was the bonnet the latest fashion?  or not? 

When I look at the photo there is no doubt she is related to my husband. They share similarities in the nose, lips, chin and face shape, along with hair line. They may also share eyebrows, but we can't be sure 4th great grandma didn't alter hers for beauty practices of the day.

It's always interesting to find features shared with ancestors.

She was 22 years old when she married John William (known as William) Meharg at Drumballyroney Civil Parish, County Down, Northern Ireland. This information was provided by an ancestor & genealogy researcher via message on Ancestry. Their first born child was born in that parish near the village of Rathfriland further supporting the claim.

She was 84 years old (widowed at age 40) when she died while visiting daughter Esther (married to Daniel Archibald Mosher) in Yale, Michigan, USA.

My husband's 4th great grandparents: 

Sarah Elizabeth (Elizabeth) Hawthorne
BIRTH 1 JAN 1804 • County Down, Northern Ireland
DEATH 30 AUG 1888 • Yale, St. Clair County, Michigan, USA
and
John William (William) Meharg
BIRTH County Down, Northern Ireland
DEATH 1844 • Ontario, Canada

Elizabeth & William had 9 children including 2 sets of twins born just just 2 years (less a day) apart. 

That household must have been so busy with 2 year old twins, newborn twins, a 4 year old, a 7 year old, and a 9 year old. I can't imagine how she coped with looking after the children & the home in a time when no conveniences existed.

Their children:

William Meharg
BIRTH 1830 • Ireland
DEATH ABT. 1852

John Franklin Meharg (my husband's 3rd great grandfather)
BIRTH 24 JUN 1832 • Rathfriland, Ulster, County Down, Ireland
DEATH 7 JUN 1909 • Norfolk, Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada

James Meharg
BIRTH 12 AUG 1835 • Ireland
DEATH 17 DEC 1914 • Ludington, Mason, Michigan, USA

Elizabeth Margaret Meharg
BIRTH 8 NOV 1837 • Ireland
DEATH Unknown

Samuel Meharg 
BIRTH 8 NOV 1837 • Rathfriland, County Down, Northern Ireland
DEATH 14 OCT 1912 • Russell County, Kansas, USA

Sarah Lavina Meharg
BIRTH 7 NOV 1839 • Hillsborough, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland
DEATH 17 MAY 1922 • Watertown, Codington Co., South Dakota, USA

Esther Meharg
BIRTH 7 NOV 1839 • Ireland
DEATH 28 JUN 1920 • Yale, St. Clair County, Michigan, USA

Robert Meharg
BIRTH ABT. 1841
DEATH Unknown

Edward Meharg
BIRTH ABT. 1843
DEATH ABT. 1843
Edward died on the trip to Canada, and was buried at sea

The first child I could find records for was born 4 years after their marriage. After that babies arrived about every 2 years. I suspect there was infants born still or died young that didn't make the trip from Ireland, and their records are lost to us at this time. We may find them in the future. No child should be forgotten.

On a side note - the family story is the Meharg family were sheep thieves, and after deciding to leave their thieving days behind reversed the spelling of their name. The name was originally Graham. When I first heard this family tale I was concerned about my husband and I being related since my mom's maiden name was Graham. As I cautiously clicked the One-to-one Autosomal DNA Comparison button on GedMatch I was relieved to see No shared DNA segments found, and even more relieved for the same answer with my mom's sister's kit number. 

My Grahams are from Scotland, and his Mehargs are from Ireland.

We are not related.

Finding no shared branches between spouses!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Sarah Elizabeth (nee Hawthorne) Meharg, Retrieved May 22nd 2022 from Ancestry. Original source of photo unknown.

Sources:

Drumballyroney.  Civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. Retrieved May 22nd 2022 from https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Drumballyroney

Marriage information for Sarah Elizabeth Hawthorne & John William Meharg. Descendant & Genealogy researcher Carol (Meharg) Morrow. Provided January 2022

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Wedding Present ~ Bowls 129 Years Later

On September 10th 1893 Amy Louisa Baker married William Herbert Dendy.

On that day, almost 129 years ago, they received these 2 bowls as a wedding present. 

The bowls are 6 inches across and 2 inches deep.

They are etched with a flower (including stem & leaves) on each side

129 years later they held snacks on the table at their great grandchild's 50th wedding anniversary celebration.

What an amazing legacy these bowls stand for. 

I'm not sure if there were more bowls to the set, but it's likely there were. Only these 2 bowls remain.

They traveled across the Ocean from England to Canada in 1903. They were then passed down daughter to daughter until arriving safely to the homes of two great granddaughters who treasure these heirlooms. I have no doubt they will continue to be passed down through the family lines. 

Maybe someday the relative of mine who hold them will find this blog. 

Receiving these bowls at their wedding were:
The Bride, Amy Louisa Baker, 
BIRTH 18 MAR 1875 • Ealing, Middlesex, England
DEATH 23 DEC 1949 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
& the Groom, William Herbert Dendy, 
BIRTH 27 JUL 1866 • Wandsworth, Surrey, England
DEATH 25 DEC 1929 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

They were married September 10th 1893.

Amy's sister Mary & William's brother Harry were their witnesses.

The church they were married in still stand today: 
St Andrew's Church in London, England. 

Food & Drink is the prompt for Week 19 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, and I thought these bowls fit perfectly. 

This is my  4th year participating in Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Prior to #52Ancestors  I had been in an uncommitted relationship with my genealogy blog since first starting it in 2014. Since 2019 I have written weekly about someone in our Bramble Bush. If you would like to learn more click the link at the bottom of this blog. 

Genealogy blogging for future searchers!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

Photo, St Andrew's Church. Retrieved May 12th 2022 from 
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2628490

St Andrew's Church, Stockwell Green, London: Victorian Re-Modelling by H. C. Coe, Retrieved May 12th 2022 from 
https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/churches/79.html

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Buckner, Missouri, USA ~ Where Exactly Did the Name Come From

This week's prompt is social 
"Maybe you have a story or photo of an ancestor at an ice cream social. Maybe your ancestor was part of a society, like the Masons or Odd Fellows. Maybe you've made a connection with a cousin or made a great discovery thanks to social media." Amy Johnson Crow 1  

I remembered that my husband's side of this Bramble Bush has Masons, and headed to Google to search. 

My search term was buchner free mason

The first result was

This led me to discover Buckner, Missouri, USA

Buckner, Missouri, USA
Clipped from Google Maps

There is some debate to how the town got it's name

"Buckner was established in 1875. In its inception Buckner was a railroad depot town for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Where Buckner derives its name from is a point of contention; the town is either named from former US Senator Alexander Buckner (1830-1833) who served on the States Constitutional Convention in 1820, or named after Real Estate operator Simon Buckner. Yet another claim as namesake is Thomas W. Buckner, an original owner of the site."2

Looking for more information for the 3 men I found this about
Thomas W. Buckner:
"Jackson County Photo Taken on August 16, 2019 The town was laid out by Thomas Monroe, in the spring of 1875 on land owned by Thomas W. Buckner, whose land extended up and over a high hill immediately south and adjoining the site. The hill had long been known as Buckner Hill and the town was given that name. Later by a town ordinance the Hill was dropped. The first house built on the present site of Buckner was by John T. Cobb, in which he kept a general country store. A post offices [sic] was established here in 1876 and is still in operation." 3

I found nothing for Real Estate Operator Simon Buckner.

I found lots for Senator Alexander Buckner. Following the Senators Family line back I was not able to go back to 'the old country' so I can't be sure if this line is from the same area as my husband's Buchner line from Unnau, Westerwald, Hessen, Germany. I did find Senator Buckner on Wikipedia. Using Relationship finder I discovered he is 21 degrees from my husband via his mother's line & not the expected Buchner line.

I always thought all Buchners, Boughners, Buckners, and any other variation of spelling were related - it seems that may not be true.

At this time there is no known connection between any of the three men and my husband's family line, but that may change in the future. 

Knowing there is always more to research!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1 Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from Generations Cafe, Private Group, Facebook challenge page.

2  Buckner, Missouri. Wikiwand. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Buckner,_Missouri

3 Buckner Missouri. Getty Images. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from
https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/photo/buckner-missouri-royalty-free-image/1177095808 

Sources:

Alexander Buckner. Wikiwand. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Alexander_Buckner

Buchner Free Mason. Google search. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from
https://www.google.com/search?q=buchner+free+mason&rlz=1C1PRFI_enCA800CA800&oq=Buchner+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j69i59j0i433i512j69i60j69i61j69i65l3.3735j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Buckner Missouri. Getty Images. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from
https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/photo/buckner-missouri-royalty-free-image/1177095808

Buckner, Missouri facts for kids, Kiddle. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from
https://kids.kiddle.co/Buckner,_Missouri

Buckner, Missouri. Google search. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from
https://www.google.com/search?q=Buckner%2C+Missouri&rlz=1C1PRFI_enCA800CA800&oq=Buckner%2C+Missouri&aqs=chrome..69i57j46i512j0i512j0i457i512j0i512l6.2290j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Welcome to the City of Buckner Website!  City of Buckner Website. Retrieved May 4th 2022 from https://cityofbuckner.org/

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________