The 75th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: Justice and Independence

(artwork courtesy of the footnoteMaven)

This edition of the Carnival of Genealogy celebrates our country’s struggles and glories of Justice and Independence. These concepts have been at the core of our nation’s philosophy since its formation and geneabloggers have not gone without recognizing this fact. Below you will find a summary of those who’ve chosen to celebrate Justice and Independence in their search for genealogical answers. And as usual, footnoteMaven provided us with a unique banner to celebrate the occasion! Thanks fM!

Dorene from Ohio celebrates Justice in her post, F. D. Parish, Sandusky Lawyer and Abolitionist. Dorene states: "F. D. Parish actively helped fugitive slaves find freedom during the time of the Underground Railroad in pre- Civil War Erie County, Ohio. While F. D. Parish is not my ancestor, he helped seek justice for future residents of the United States and Canada." You can find Dorene's Graveyard Rabbit blog at http://graveyardrabbitofsanduskybay.blogspot.com/.

Midge Frazel, author of Granite in My Blood (http://granite-in-my-blood.blogspot.com/), writes that "Finding the graves of those who served in our American Revolution is a passion for many gravestone hunters. But, finding out what they did for their country can prove to be difficult. Take Cap's Peter Brown for example...". Yes, I am going to make you click HERE to read the rest!

T. Casteel regales us with the participation of an ancestor, Captain Edmund du Chastel in Queen Anne's War in the 1700's. This post gives a little family history, a little American History, a little European history and a lesson in war-naming. You can find this post at the above link to the blog Tangles Trees at http://tangledtrees.blogspot.com/.

Jasia provides us with a much-needed reminder to remember those who fought for Justice throughout the world in her post, Lest We Forget. Jasia writes: "I don't have a long line of ancestors who fought for independence here in America. But watching a recent WWII re-enactment of D-Day brought my Uncle Edward to mind. Photos and reflections of that day are presented here." Jasia's blog, which needs no introduction, is located at http://creativegene.blogspot.com/.

Karen Packard Rhodes tells the story of her fourth great-grandfather Richards Packard. She tells a great story and provides us with a "short bio of my fourth great-grandfather Richards Packard, a soldier in the American Revolution". You can read more of Karen's writings at her blog Karen About Genealogy, http://karenaboutgenealogy.blogspot.com/.

John Newmark has many stories to tell relating to this topic and summarizes the thought processes that went into his decision to incorporate music for the COG. His post, Deuteronomy 16:20 ,describes how, "In the end, raised on the music of Peter, Paul and Mary, I had to write about Deuteronomy, Chapter 16, Verse 20." You can read this and many more thought-provoking posts at his blog, Transylvania Dutch, http://transylvaniandutch.blogspot.com/.

Jean B. Duncan of Forget Me Knots: My Ancestors and My Ghosts (http://.jeanbduncan.blogspot.com/) writes, in her post "Harry Buzzell's WWI Story, Part 1",: "Time to start thinking about and getting ready for the 4th of July. Harry Buzzell, my grandfather's brother, automatically comes to mind as he is the one in our family who made the ultimate sacrifice in 1918 during World War I in France. His story was captured in his own words in 60 letters that he wrote home from 1914 to 1918. I've written about him before some and even presented a speech once. But now I want to look at it again and thought that I would create a series about him in anticipation of the upcoming holiday weekend."

Earline Bradt offers a different perspective for geneabloggers in her post "Justice and Independence - The Loyalists' Viewpoint" at her blog Ancestral Notes (http://ancestralnotes.ebradt.org/ ). She "...discovered that "Justice" depended entirely on your political and religious affiliation, it was not handed out to all Americans, only those who supported the newly formed government. The Loyalists, while being citizens of America, suffered terrible injustices in search of their independence. "

Linda Hughes Hiser of Flipside (http://lindasflipside.blogspot.com/ ) isn't kidding around with her sharing the story of Purcell Houston, her fourth great-grandfather. Her post, "Carnival of Genealogy, 75th Edition—Purnell Houston in the American Revolution" is a fascinating read.

Amanda tells the story of a great-uncle who died in Normandy and pondered what he and the other men who landed there thought at her post "Freedom Isn't Free". You'll find it at her blog at http://www.ataleoftwoancestors.blogspot.com/.

Dawn Watson of "Genealogical Research: A Hobby or an Obsession?" (http://www.genealogical.wordpress.com/) tells a fascinating story of the Little Lulu's crew on her post, "The Crew of the Little Lulu". She introduces us to "My grandfather, Thad J. Watson, Sr., was a crew member of the Little Lulu, a B-24 Liberator which was shot down on August 24, 1944". It is a great story!

Debra Osborne Spindle posts a really neat photograph along with her entry, "Uncle Sam Wants You". You'll find it at her attractive blog, All My Ancestors (http://allmyancestors.com/blog/).

I normally don't think it's appropos for the host to choose a favorite post, but I've been known to break a rule or two every once in a while. And to choose footnoteMaven's submission to the 75th Carnival of Genealogy as my favorite is saying a lot, because there are so many great posts here to choose from! What did she write to capture my fascination again? Check out her post, "The Visual Chronicles of One Who Fought" and see for yourself! She posted some exciting possessions at her blog, "Shades of the Departed" (http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/).

Bill West, of West in New England (http://www.westinnewengland.blogspot.com/) wonders what our Revolutionary War veterans would think about today's celebrations in his post "West in New England: INDEPENDENCE DAY". Bill writes, "Studying my colonial ancestors who fought for independence has heightened my interest in the history of our nation as well!" As always, it's worth a read.

Cathy Palm traces the descendants of her Col. Miles Powell in her post Col. Miles Powell, Who Participated In This Country's Struggle For Independence. You'll find the story of Colonel Powell at her blog, Detour Through History at http://www.detourthroughhistory.blogspot.com/.

Jessica Oswalt focused on her European ancestors' fights for justice in her post "Justice and Independence: Ancestral Experiences ...". In this post at her blog "Jessica's Genejournal" (http://www.jessicagenejournal.blogspot.com/), the author takes "a look at a couple of my ancestors' experiences with independence movements and justice, or the opposite. ". Nice post that is certain to make the footnoteMaven proud!

“From Austin to Visscher - no matter what the surname – men in my family have been serving this country to ensure justice, choices and freedoms since it was founded. For that and for them I am grateful.” So writes Thomas MacEntee, who eloquently offers his gratitude for his relatives and everyone else who gave their lives for current and future generations. You can find his post, "Justice, Choices, and Freedom" at his "Destination Austin Family" blog at http://www.destinationaustinfamily.blogspot.com/".

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings has two entries: one, an impressive list of his ancestors from the Revolutionary War at his post "My Revolutionary Roots". Complete with citations, of course! His second is entitled "Isaac Buck - Revolutionary Soldier" and can be found HERE.

My own submission, "Fighting for Justice and Celebrating Independence" has a little bit of everything all wrapped up in one slideshow, brought to you by Flickr and Paul McCartney! There's no link here for the exact post since the music won't play on the single-post page. But never fear, you can find te post and the blog, The Oracle of OMcHodoy, at http://www.omchodoy.blogspot.com/ .

Thanks to those who participated in this holiday edition of The Carnival of Genealogy!

Now it's time for a Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: How I spent my summer vacation... a favorite summer memory from your youth. Tell us what summers were like when you were a wee tad pole. Did you vacation with family? Go to a youth camp? Hang out at the local park? Watch fireworks? Catch fireflies? Share those lazy, hazy, crazy, days of summers past with us! Deadline for submissions is July 14, 2009.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Who is OMcHodoy?

OMcHodoy is a true pedigree name: A little bit of each grandparent that touched my life in some way.

O'ROURKE, represented by the top photo on the right sidebar, was my mother's maiden name, though I never met the man who gave it to her. James O'ROURKE died before I was born (1902-1963). Shown in the photo are my great-grandfather James O'ROURKE (1976-1944), his wife, Mary (KEARNS) and daughters Margaret "Nellie"(marrid McCARTHY), Mary "Mae"(married JORDAN), and Betty (married ROCHE). There were also two others in this line, a daughter Lucille and, of course, a son James.

McHugh is my surname, and obviously has great meaning to me. In the second picture on the sidebar my paternal grandparents, Mary (HODICK) and Joseph McHUGH hang out.

HODICK was my father's maternal line. The photo is a copy of a 1918 portrait sent to me by my cousin, Tom HODICK. My grandmother Mary is the girl on the left with the bow in her hair. The others in the picture are (not necesarrily in order): Joseph, Anthony, William, John, Susan, Thomas, Sylvestina, Edward Jr, and the parents, Edward and Justina (NAHADIL) HODICK.

And DOYLE was my mother's maternal line, and gave me one of the biggest influences of my life: My grandmother Regina "Jean" DOYLE (1905-1979). The woman pictured is either her mother Jane (McCUE) DOYLE or possibly Johanna (DOYLE) HORAN, my great-grandparents' daughter.

Now that you know "Who" OMcHodoy is, a little bit about "Why". Orations of OMcHodoy was borne out of my original blog, The Oracle of OMcHodoy. I started that blog at the urging of a friend of mine who'd created her blog, "Waiting for Lauren Elizabeth" when she and her husband began the process of adopting a girl from China. It turned out to be a good way to chronicle my research, flaws and all. I learned as I went and my feaux-pa were there in plain sight for the world to see. After "GeneaBloggers" began to take off and I began participating in the Carnival of Genealogy, I decided to split my focus: The Oracle of OMcHodoy would remain focused on my research efforts, while Orations of OMcHodoy would focus on stories, lore, carnivals and other geneablogger activities.

And speaking of Carnivals, the 75th edition of "The Carnival of Genealogy" will be held right here at Orations. The theme is "Justice and Independence". Here is a breakdown of the type of posts you might see here on July 4, 2009:

1). Stories of participants' ancestor(s) who fought for freedom.

2). Stories about how Independence Day was celebrated by participants' ancestors.

3). Lyrics of songs that exemplify how Justice and Independence have worked in the lives of participants' ancestors and/or family, including photos!

It's not to late to write a post on this topic and submit it for the COG. Deadline is July 1. Click HERE to submit your blog post (In the description, please type in a short blurb about your post to be included in the roundup for this edition!).

All Truths are Marching On!

It was Bill West, of West in New England, who challenged geneabloggers to put their work to music! Here are the rules:

1. Set the names of your ancestors to the music of any song. It can be any number of names, any song. Just remember to mention what song you are using so we can all sing along as we read!

2. Publish your efforts on your blog and send Bill the link (Email:BillWest48@gmail.com). If you don't have a blog then leave them as a comment for Bill on his blog.

3. Deadline is June 30th. He'll publish the final list on his blog on the 4th of July!

I had fun with this one, as I do with most challenges (not sure about Randy's last one, though!). Since Bill will post the participants' entries on July 4, I chose "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" as the tune for my lyrics!

The Battle Hymn of The Hodicks, O'Rourkes and Doyles

Mine eyes have read the stories
Of many an ancestor
There were shopkeepers and railroaders
And coal miners galore
Oh, they kept this country moving
And they even kept it warm
Their truths are marching on!

Chorus:
Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Their truths are marching on!

Yes they worked hard for a living
Just to keep everyone fed
And they went to work each morning
Staying out ‘til almost bed
Coming home to eat and sleep so
They can do it all again
Their truths are marching on!

Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Their truths are marching on!

I wish that I knew more about
The fam’ from which I’m bred
But the ones that knew the answers
They have all so long been dead
So I blog and then I research
And I ask the few who're left
For truths that once marched on!

Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Their truths are marching on!

Saturday Night Geneablogger Fun

It is time for another "Seaver Saturday" activity! Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings posted yet another challenge to geneabloggers. I'm truly having a hard time participating in this one, and judging by his first four comments, I'm not the only one! The idea is to go to http://www.deathclock.com/ and answer a few questions about yourself and let it determine your death date. I truly do not wish to know! So I'll try it with other people ;).

I plugged in my mother's information (she'd died in 1988). Only for her I chose "non-smoker" since she did smoke, and died at the age of 50. I entered her BMI as <25 (she was tiny), and her mode as pessimistic, which she could be at times. Her time apparently expired on Sunday 9 Jan 1994. A bit shy of 6 years after her true death date. Changing her mode to "Optimistic" would have her death date in 20 years, at 6 May 2029 at 91 years of age. Putting her mode at "Normal" put her death date at 1 Apr 2017 (79 years). Claiming her as a smoker, which she was, and "normal" mode would have put her death date at 18 Jan 2013, her 75th birthday. Changing this window's "mode" status as "pessimistic" and it brings her death date (24 Nov 1990) to within 2 years and 11 days of her actual date of death: 13 Nov 1988.

Okay. So I still don't have the guts to put in my information, so I'll use dad instead (bwahahahaha).

When I plug in my father's information, it states something like "You've already expired". His death date was supposed to be Thursday, 12 Jul 2007. He's still alive, so take THAT, Death Clock.

Well that was a confidence builder, so here goes!

Entering my information, my death date will be 18 Jan 2018 (54 years old), or 1 Feb 2025 (61 years of age), depending on which result you choose. See, I wanted to double check the date after I'd closed the window so just hit "enter" again to see what it was and it came up with a different answer. Only bought me 7 years, but a different answer just the same! Bringing my BMI down to 24 (yeah, right) would put my death date at 23 Jan 2019; still only 55 years old! Changing my "Mode" from pessimistic (Murphy is my friend) to "Normal" puts my death date at 22 Mar 2043 (79 years), and changing it to "Optimistic" brings it to a final age of 103 with a death date of 1 May 2067!

So basically what I need to do is keep going to the gym, eat less, and stop being friends with Murphy!

The Puckerbrush Award

Of all the awards I've received, this one has got to have the funniest name. It is also one that means a lot to me, because the award is named for the author of Cow Hampshire, Janice Brown. Janice has been MIA for a while now, and the Geneabloggers are certainly on the losing end of her absence. We all hope for the best for Janice. It appears her blog is also MIA, so I will quote the meaning of "Puckerbrush" as published on many sites, per Janice's own words:

Janice's definition of the puckerbrush is as follows: "On any land allowed to go fallow and left untended, a wild assortment of wild plants grow – in some areas, this wild growth results in such a thicket of plants that it is almost impossible to push your way through the growth."

I will follow in the footsteps of many, and carry on the tradition Janice set forth by identifying 10 blogs that have influenced me. Many if not all of these have already received this award. Thank you to Judith Richards Shubert for presenting the award to me.

Miriam Robbins Midkiff of Ancestories: The Stories of my Ancestors.

Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family

Lisa of A Light That Shines Again and Small-Leaved Shamrock. I'm not convinced that Lisa and I don't have a connection in our McCue lines of Northeast Pennsylvania! Alas, I know just about nothing of this line of mine, so time will tell!

Charlene of Apple's Tree. I love reading about her research and family, but I also love reading about her home, as it reminds me of the Village that I grew up in.

Jasia of Creative Gene.

Denise Olson of Moultrie Creek.

Lori Thornton of Smoky Mountain Family Historian

Terry Thornton of Hill Country of Monroe County who is taking a bit of a break. Best wishes, Terry.

Bill West of West in New England

And of course, Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings.

Thanks to all the bloggers who've influenced me and for all my readers that stick with me, even during posting lulls.