Sunday, December 20, 2009

Festival of Postcards - Faces from the Box


This edition of the Festival of Postcards features all things white. I have scrambled through my treasures to find a submission, but, alas, nothing quite fits the bill.

BUT, since black and white postcards are acceptable, I submit these lovely ladies...two of my unknown "strangers in the box"...dressed in their winter finery. It seems at some time around the turn of the 20th century, it was popular to print pictures on postcards for easy mailing. I know, as I have a number of these mementos, lovely pictures on the front and a postcard on the back. Unfortunately, it is blank, never mailed, with no clue who these folks might be. Maybe they were residents of Elwood, Indiana, where my Hupp and DeHority ancestors lived. Maybe they are from somewhere else entirely. But here they are for your viewing enjoyment.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Blog Carol 2009

The footnoteMaven has called all Geneabloggers to join in for the annual caroling. Picking a favorite carol is difficult…Silent Night is great for a reflective evening, Deck the Halls gets the energy going for the shopping and decorating, cooking while Little Drummer Boy plays in the background. But the one below is one that I look forward to singing along with every year, not exactly a carol, more of a song, and a melancholy reminder to remember the less fortunate.

Mary's first Christmas

Pretty Paper
By: Willie Nelson

Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue
Wrap your presents to your darling from you
Pretty pencils to write “I love you”
Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue

Crowded street, busy feet hustle by him.
Downtown shoppers, Christmas is nigh.
There he sits all alone on the sidewalk
Hoping that you won’t pass him by.

Should you stop? Better not, much too busy .
You’re in a hurry, my how time does fly!
In the distance, the ringing of laughter,
And in the midst of the laughter he cries

Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue!
Wrap your presents to your darling from you.
Pretty pencils to write “I love you”
Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue.


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Friday, December 4, 2009

Friday's Focus Family: the Hupps of Elwood



Above is a picture of the family of George Washington Hupp and Elizabeth Stokes Hupp, the source of whatever German genes I have. Based on what I know about birth and death dates, in the photo are:

Top row, left to right
Lola M. Hupp (my great grandmother, 1870-1951)
Albert A. Hupp (1878-1947)
Maude Hupp (1882- )
William A. Hupp (1868-1904)
Samuel S. Hupp (1871-1911)

Bottom row, left to right :
George Washington Hupp (1834-1923)
Isabelle Stokes Hupp (1843-1918)

George W. Hupp was born on December 3, 1834, in Shenandoah County, Virginia, near New Market, the son of Samuel A. Hupp and Mary Kipps. Isabelle Stokes was born on May 7, 1843, in Butler County, Ohio, to Jesse Stokes and Elizabeth Hineman. According to George’s obituary, he came as a young man to Indiana in 1859, moving to Elwood in 1862 where he lived the rest of his life. I think this picture must have been from around that time. He does look like a young man headed west looking for adventure.


George and Isabelle were married in 1867. He established the first tinning and plumbing company in Elwood, later opened a hardware store, and much later went into the insurance business. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Odd Fellows Lodge. His home, with much changing and addition, is the current Copher-Fesler-May Funeral Home in Elwood.

It seems the family, like all families had its share of happy and sad times. They apparently liked to travel to Hot Springs, Arkansas, as shown in this picture.



Five children are shown, but three died in infancy. And their son Samuel must have suffered from some type of depression, as a note in the family bible indicates that he committed suicide.

Isabelle’s obituary shows her to have been an active member of the community:

Mrs. Hupp was a lifelong member of the M.E. Church, a worker in its Aid and other societies and a Christian woman who found much for her hands to do and willingly contributed to every good cause. She will be missed in the community where she was so long known and so much beloved.

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Kreativ Blogger Award


Many thanks to TCasteel of Tangled Trees for thinking of me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. It is always a pleasure to find that someone reads this chronicle of my misadventures in this family history search.

Now, according to the rules for this award, I must reveal 7 things about myself, and then name 7 other blogs for the honor. Here goes:

1. My ULTIMATE brick wall challenge is finding the parents of my ggg-grandparents, James Madison DeHority (1819-1891) and Susanna Huffman (1817-1899).
2. Like Tcasteel, I am a mystery lover; favorites are Dame Agatha Christie, Rex Stout and Martha Grimes.
3. I love to knit….there is a certain zen to the movements that is very calming.
4. My favorite countries are France and Ireland. It must be in the DNA. I have been lucky enough to visit both.
5. I have one wonderful granddaughter, thanks to my wonderful daughter.
6. In my next incarnation, I hope to have musical talent.
7. Favorite movie: Charade, with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

The difficult part will be to nominate only 7, as there are so many fascinating stories out there, but my latest list of faves are:

Carrow and Faunt Family Tales
Kathy’s Kampground Kapers
Pollyblog
The French Genealogy Blog
The Professional Descendant
We Tree
Donna’s Genealogy Blog


Thanks to each of the above for many mornings of fascinating reading!


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Friday, November 6, 2009

The Huguenots

Many thanks to Anne Mordel of the French Genealogy Blog for her introduction to the story of the Huguenots in France in her recent post Huguenot Genealogy-A Bit of Background.My Mauzy ancestors, referenced in a Surname Saturday post recently, were members of this Protestant group, and made their way to North America as a result of the persecution. Anne's chronology of the events is fascinating, and her links to online resources are very helpful. If you also have ancestors from France, be sure to pay her a visit!

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday



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Photo courtesy of FindAGrave.com