Christmas a Time for Stories

This is the day after Christmas and we are having a blizzard.  Thankfully we don't have to go anywhere. 

I was thinking about long ago Christmas' and how families got together.  They would have had to travel to families in other towns and probably stay over several days.  I'm sure the presents and food we have today were nothing like what they would have been opening and eating.

I remember my father telling me that Christmas for him in the 1920's and 30's would have consisted of going to church and then coming home to dinner with family.  In the 1920's he lived in New York City and had several Aunts and Uncles living close by.  He didn't receive any kind of present just maybe an Orange in his stocking.  In those days fresh fruit was very hard to ship.  So oranges that grew in the south and out in California were prize gifts.  I have never seen any family photos of Christmas during that time period.

I remember Christmas time in 1947.  We lived in Bellerose, New York and the day after Christmas, like today, there was a big big blizzard.  We lost power and heat.  We all stayed in the living room and had blankets hanging at all the doors to keep warm.  At that time we didn't have large refrigerators and would shop just about everyday.  So the next day we got a sled out and trudged to the store to get milk and bread and eggs.  The streets weren't plowed and it stayed that way for days.

This year we had a beautiful Christmas with our family.

Occupations

One of the best ways to understand the lives of your ancestors is to look at their occupations.

My great grandfather William John Mathers was a shoe and boot maker.  I believe he lived over his shop in New York City most of his life.  In the census records where they ask for occupation, he is listed as a shoemaker.  I've also found it noted in the city directories of the time period he lived in New York City.  I found an old film that had to do with having a shoe making business.  The film is "Hobson's Choice" with John Mills and Charles Laughton.  The movie really showed you how a shop would look back years ago.  I'm sure great grandfather William worked long and hard everyday and made a very nice living for his large family.

Brick Walls

In my last post I mentioned Brick Walls, I have several and will list them below.

In my Moore family, Tristram A. Moore, b. 1851 in Canada, deserted his family sometime after 1900 in Savannah Georgia.  The story that has been passed down is he went to sea and died at sea.  I have not been able to find any record of his death.

Another problem family is the Murphy family in Brooklyn.  John Murphy and Nora Quinlan married sometime around 1870.  Their first child was born 1874, I have that certificate.  They both were born in Ireland.  Perhaps when and if I find their marriage record it will tell me where they came from in Ireland and when they came.

On my father's maternal side I have a lot of information on the McGuigan's.  I am now trying to connect all the McGuigan's in their small town of Crossdall.  With the information I gather I hope to find the name of my 3rd great grandfather.  Some relatives have said his name is Mark, but there are very few Mark's in the family so I am not too sure that is right.

We also have the Glessoff family from Russia.  I have John and Alexandria's passenger list of their arrival in 1897, but haven't started to research Russian records. 

Searching Cemetery Listings and Death Records

I have decided to use this blog to show my research methods.  I have many brick walls and hope this will help in seeking out the lost relatives.

I received a death record indicating the relative was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.  I called the cemetery and was very surprised to find there were 14 people buried in the grave site.  The wonderful person at the office was kind enough to read off all the information for the 14 people.  There are great people out there who are willing to help, you just have to ask.

I am now going to send to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for copies of all the death certificates.

I am looking for information on the wife's family and hope there might be a clue in one of the records.