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Memories Matter Blog


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Keeping the past in our present for the future. Blogger Michael Ondrasik, who owns Home Video Studio of Mount Dora, shares the memories he has been tasked with preserving through his digitalization service.
The Searchers
2023-01-22 12:13
The following incident was the inspiration behind the John Ford/John Wayne classic western, The Searchers, but the film bears little resemblance to the actual story. On May 19, 1836, Coma… Read More
Know When To Fold ‘Em
2023-01-15 12:13
From the Philadelphia Inquirer of March 9, 1836, reporting on the stabbing death of my first cousin (five times removed), Robert Allen Jr: “We learn with much pain, that Robert Alle… Read More
The Jamestown Massacre
2023-01-08 12:13
The year 1622 saw what many consider to be “the most brilliantly conceived, planned, and executed uprising against white aggression in the history of the American Indians.” It wa… Read More
Aviation Pioneer
2023-01-01 12:13
My daughter-in-law’s 4th great-granduncle, Lincoln Binion, was tragically killed in one of the nation’s first airplane related accidents. And he never left the ground. Binion… Read More
Lavisa’s Ruse
2023-01-01 12:13
There are many stories told involving the Bowens of Virginia and Tennessee. This one features Lavisa Smith, wife of Lt. Rees Bowen, Revolutionary War hero, and a 6th great grandmother of my… Read More
Christmas On Crutches
2022-12-25 12:13
At this time of year I find myself looking back with fondness to Christmases of old. Some of the most memorable for me occurred during those transitional college years when Christmas became… Read More
A Love That Laughs At Locksmiths
2022-12-18 12:13
Sometimes, it is the family narrative histories that are the most fun to read for they can provide  more of an insight into the lives and emotions of those who lived before us than is p… Read More
The Mexican War Of 1846
2022-12-11 12:13
We are sometimes able to catch a glimpse of our ancestors’ lives through a blurred photo or a snippet of a saved letter but rarely do we have the opportunity to really delve inside the… Read More
Baby On Board
2022-12-04 12:13
There are many “coming to America” stories out there but none seem to me to be as harrowing as the one involving my daughter-in-law’s 5th great grandfather.  Joseph… Read More
Not Just Women’s Work
2022-11-27 12:13
In 1982, a landmark case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. It involved Joe Hogan, a registered nurse and qualified applicant, who was turned down by the Mississippi University for Women f… Read More
2022-11-20 12:13
Of the 159 counties in Georgia, there’s only one named for a woman. Hart County, in the northeastern part of the state, is named after my daughter-in-law’s 6th great-grandmother… Read More
2022-11-13 12:13
In the 1970s, a new genius burst onto the comedy scene. Originally a student of the famed Julliard School, Robin Williams departed after his junior year when told “there was nothing le… Read More
The Red-Headed Warrior
2022-11-06 12:13
In the 1700s, one of my relatives became one of the most feared figures east of the Mississippi. An Indian warrior, he was described as having red hair, fair complexion, and a good command o… Read More
Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog
2022-10-30 11:13
Life aboard the vessel “Fame” was anything but easy for the Palantine refugees looking to start a new life in a new world. Life in Germany (Palatinate) in the 1700s was difficult… Read More
2022-10-23 11:13
In July of 1864, Union and Confederate forces clashed in a little remembered skirmish outside of Rutherford’s Farm in Virginia. Noted mainly due to the morale boost it gave to the emba… Read More
Mayberry, R.F.D.
2022-10-16 11:13
My wife, who identifies as Italian (understandably, as three of her four grandparents were born in that sun-dappled country), is sometimes baffled as to how she ended up with someone as unab… Read More
Hudson’s Bay Colony
2022-10-09 11:13
When  two French adventurers (Groseilliers and Radisson) heard from a Cree source that the best fur country could be found northwest of Lake Superior bordering a “frozen sea,&rdqu&hell…Read More
John The Herald
2022-10-02 11:13
 My niece’s husband has an 8th generational great grandfather who is noted for his work in the ancient practice of heraldry. John “The Herald” Guillim published the de… Read More
The Wicked Bible
2022-09-25 11:13
 John Bill, my daughter-in-law’s 10th great grandfather, was born in Shropshire, England in 1576. He was apparently living in London in 1613 where he was identified as “publ… Read More
The Colonel From Erwinna
2022-09-18 11:13
My 6th great-grandfather, Col. Arthur Erwin, was a Scotch-Irish immigrant of considerable means who came to America in 1768. After purchasing an estate in Bucks County Pennsylvania, he retur… Read More
One Man; Two Presidents
2022-09-11 11:13
During our lifetimes, we cross paths with many different people. Most are regular folks, simply living their own lives as best they can. But sometimes, if we are fortunate, we get an opportu… Read More
Handcart Pioneers
2022-09-04 11:13
Soon after the first Mormon pioneers reached Utah in 1847, the church encouraged its converts in Europe to emigrate to Utah. As most of them were poor and funds were wanting… Read More
2022-08-28 11:13
The Shelby County “war”, which took place in Texas during the mid 1800s, was more like a feud than a traditional war. A main factor in creating the problem that led to the confli… Read More
2022-08-21 11:13
The medical field has come a long way since leeches and bloodletting were a common technique to treat certain ills of the body. We should be grateful that we live in a time that is, relative… Read More
The Big Snow
2022-08-07 11:13
In Bulloch County, Georgia, the average temperature in February, its coldest month, has a high of 57º F and a low of 37º F. As a result, snow is not a concern of most people who li… Read More
TO FUEL A NATION
2022-07-31 11:13
Robert Cathcart was a native of Dublin, Ireland but emigrated to the United States in 1790. He was most likely the first settler in the Mahoning Township area in Armstrong County, Pennsylvan… Read More
Keeping The Wolves At Bay
2022-07-31 11:13
In my last post, I wrote about Robert Cathcart, one of my son’s 5th great grand-uncles. Here’s a little family detail that has survived the generations: As a young boy, he was ta… Read More
Rev. Henry Loveall
2022-07-27 11:13
It is no surprise to find, among the branches of our family tree, several relatives who served as pastors or ministers. But none did so as infamously as Rev. Henry Loveall, an 8th great-gran… Read More
Vengeance Is Mine
2022-07-24 11:13
While researching my wife’s side of the family to gather the data needed for her Daughters of the American Revolution application, I came across her 6th great-grandfather, Benjamin Con… Read More
2022-07-20 11:13
Alexander Nelson, my daughter-in-law’s 6th great grandfather, was born in County Down, Ireland. He emigrated to America with his parents in 1759, when he was just ten years old. They f… Read More
The Juliette Fowler Communities
2022-07-17 11:13
We often run across businesses, organizations, or companies named after specific individuals without really knowing the history of the person whose name is being so used. It so happens that… Read More
The Little Forkers
2022-07-10 11:13
In 1859, following the John Brown raid, a group of Southern men formed the Little Fork Raiders, a calvary militia that would train in Oakshade, at the Little Forks Church in Culpepper County… Read More
A Life Story
2022-07-06 11:13
Of all documents used in researching genealogy, none are as captivating as the stories told by the subjects themselves. The following (edited) first person account was given by James Addy, 6… Read More
The Grande Dame Of Daniel Street
2022-07-03 11:13
Built in 1718 for Archibald MacPheadris, an Irish-Scot sea captain and merchant, the two-story brick Warner House is one of the finest examples of early-Georgian architecture in northern New… Read More
2022-06-29 11:13
One unexpected side benefit from doing all this ancestral research is that it compels us to take a more vested interest in history. Before this, I couldn’t name the 11th president of t… Read More
Oyez, Oyez! Read All About It!
2022-06-26 10:55
Many males who are my age or older will remember that our first taste of employment was had by delivering the local newspaper. Being a paperboy was almost like a rite of passage that is sadl… Read More
Defining God
2022-06-22 11:13
Rev. George Gillespie, a 7th great-grandfather of my niece’s husband, has been described as “one of the greatest and most influential Scottish Presbyterians to have ever lived&he&hell…Read More
2022-06-19 11:13
Robert Allen, my 4th great-granduncle, served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee for over 15 years. On March 29th, 1822 while at his residence in Washington DC, he was awakened by a dream so v… Read More
Hair Art
2022-06-15 11:13
During the Victorian age, mourning hair art became quite popular. Taking their cue from Queen Victoria who, after her husband’s death in 1861, adopted a permanent state of formal mourn… Read More
Off With His Head
2022-06-12 11:13
History is filled with injustices and wrongs committed. And position or power often does not protect against them. In the 17th century, my 11th great grand-uncle, Thomas Wentworth, rose to a… Read More
Broadway Bound
2022-06-08 11:13
As many know, I met my wife-to-be on a theatrical stage. 31 years ago, we were cast as brother/sister in the show “The Cocktail Hour.” A year later we were toasting to our marita… Read More
The Revolution’s Doogie Houser
2022-06-01 11:13
By all accounts, Dr. Robert Johnston, who is related to my daughter-in-law, led an interesting life at an interesting time. At the age of 10, he began attending the College of Philadelphia… Read More
Siege On Quebec
2022-05-29 11:13
Jonus Hubbard, an 8th great-granduncle to my wife, was born in Worcester MA and was an active businessman of ample means as the Revolution began. He was a first lieutenant in Captain Timothy… Read More
The Troup Suit Club
2022-05-25 11:13
Two of my daughter-in-law’s 3rd great granduncles, Snap and David Pace Jarvis from Troup, TX, established their family business, Jarvis & Company, in 1888. It would continue to be… Read More
2022-05-22 11:13
Our family’s connection to royalty continues. I’ve just learned that Sarah Jones, the great-great grandaunt of my sons, who lived in Rochester NY during the late 1800s, emigrated… Read More
That’s My Pop!
2022-05-18 11:13
One of my father-in-law’s earliest memories was also one of his favorite stories to tell. As a young lad, Arthur Giannone grew up in the New York/New Jersey area in the 1930s, and was… Read More
En Guarde
2022-05-15 11:13
A family name that is sprinkled throughout my daughter-in-law’s ancestry is Scrimshire or Scrimshaw. It is an Anglo-Scottish surname of Old French origins. The derivations are from the… Read More
The Randolphs Of Virginia
2022-05-11 11:13
My aunt’s 6th great-grandfather, William Randolph, is often referred to (along with his wife) as the Adam and Eve of Virginia. Though he arrived in the colony with an axe and no money… Read More
2022-05-08 11:13
John Wentworth, my wife’s 6th great grand uncle, lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  And even though he was smitten with his cousin, Frances Deering Wentworth, who felt the same… Read More
The Mason Dixon Line
2022-05-04 11:13
Prior to 1760, there was a considerable amount of controversy that existed between Lord Baltimore and William Penn regarding the boundary lines between Pennsylvania and Maryland. This actual… Read More
Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego
2022-05-01 11:13
Around 1772, Daniel Boone once again crossed paths with some of my family members. My 8th great grandfather, Shadrach Inman, along with his brothers Meshach and Abednego joined Boone in expl… Read More
James And The Silver Mine
2022-04-27 11:13
Col. James Harrod, one of Kentucky’s greatest pioneers and the founder of Harrodsburg KY, was the father-in-law of my aunt’s 5th great-grandfather. His death in 1792 is still som… Read More
The Oregon Trail
2022-04-24 11:13
1852 was a standout year for American emigration. Thousands if not tens of thousands took advantage of a treaty engineered by Thomas Fitzpatrick Broken Hand which all but eliminated the dang… Read More
A Knight To Remember
2022-04-20 11:13
By all accounts, it would appear that Sir George Beeston led an incredible life. Born in 1501 to gentrified parentage, he inherited the family estate at the young age of 22. He became a cons… Read More
The Ten Eyckers
2022-04-17 11:13
Conradt Ten Eyck, one of my 10th great grandfathers, was born in Moers, Germany in 1617, at a time when that area was under Dutch control. He was listed as a shoemaker’s helper (appren… Read More
Fort Nashborough
2022-04-13 11:13
A while back, I wrote about my 5th great grandfather, John Blakemore, and the role he played in the settlement of what was to become Nashville. It turns out that my daughter-in-law’s 7… Read More
2022-04-10 11:13
Rev. Gospero Sweet was a Methodist minister and planter, and the 5th great grandfather of my niece’s husband. He and his wife, Ann Munnerlyn, had moved from South Carolina to Georgia b… Read More
Once Born, Twice Buried
2022-04-06 11:13
Samuel Thaxter, a first cousin (eight times removed) of my wife, was a major in the British Army when he fought in the French Indian War during the mid 1700s. He was captured by Indians duri… Read More
Call Me Mabee
2022-04-03 12:09
Situated within New York’s Mohawk Valley, along the banks of the Mohawk River, is a structure widely recognized as the oldest existing building in the region, if not the state. The Mab… Read More
2022-03-30 11:13
As reported in The Logan Banner, Nov 23, 1979 “One of the most legendary characters in Logan County history was Abner Vance. [A distant relative of my niece’s husband.] He was… Read More
The Hatfields And McCoys
2022-03-23 11:13
For the record, I have no beef with anyone named McCoy even though it appears that I have a number of Hatfields sitting in my family tree. In fact, Ephraim “Eff of All” Hatfield… Read More
The Honaker Long Rifle
2022-03-20 11:13
In America, during the 1800s, gun making was something of a family affair. It was a specialized blacksmithing skill passed down from father to son throughout the generations. Not surprisingl… Read More
2022-03-16 11:13
There’s a little town in Manatee County FL called Parrish. It has a population of approximately 9,700 people and is home to the Florida Railroad Museum. It was also named after my 1st… Read More
The Regulators
2022-03-13 11:13
After the Civil War, life in many of the southern states was anything but civil. Kentucky in the late 1800s was particularly hard hit with lawlessness and violence that local authorities cou… Read More
Not Worth The Paper It’s Written On
2022-03-09 12:13
Counterfeiting is nothing new. During the Revolutionary War, one of England’s strategies was to flood the colonies with phony money in an attempt to weaken their fledgling economy and… Read More
There’s Gold In Them Thar Hills!
2022-03-06 12:13
In 1849, the dreams of “striking it rich” loomed large in the hearts of many. Stories of gold being found in the hills of California created a rush of men heading west in search… Read More
The Donelson Expedition
2022-03-02 12:13
John Blakemore, my 5th great grandfather, was an instrumental player in the settlement of Tennessee. In December of 1779, when a large expedition was being prepared to establish a settlement… Read More
Moving Day
2022-02-27 12:13
It is easy to forget how hard life was in the early years of our country’s founding. One way to remember is to read the first-hand accounts of people who were there. The following narr… Read More
Privateer Or Pirate?
2022-02-23 12:13
William Joseph Kidd, the 8th great-granduncle of my niece’s husband, was, by all accounts, an accomplished seaman. He was born around 1654 in Scotland at a time when sailing was fraugh… Read More
The Brown Lady
2022-02-20 12:13
The legend of The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall dates back centuries. Lady Dorothy Walpole (1686-1726), a distant relative of my daughter-in-law, was the second wife of Charles Townshend. Upon… Read More
2022-02-16 12:13
The years between 1500 and 1660 is widely known as the English Renaissance which saw a flowering of the arts, particularly within the dramatic field. William Shakespeare was, of course, the… Read More
Button, Button, Who’s Got The Button?
2022-02-13 12:13
The Green Duck Company was founded in 1906 in Chicago, Illinois as a metal stamping and novelty production house. Within two years they landed the prestigious contract to produce campaig… Read More
Dunrobin Castle
2022-02-09 12:13
The story of Dunrobin Castle is a story of earls and dukes that dates back to the 14th century.  Located in the Highlands of Scotland in what is now Sutherland, the land was granted by… Read More
Tornado Of 1929
2022-02-06 12:13
Natural disasters are nothing new. In the early 20th century, especially in the rural/agricultural areas of our country, they could be especially devastating. In April of 1929, a seri… Read More
The Black Hawk War
2022-02-02 12:13
History is filled with events little thought about or even remembered today. Yet every pebble thrown into the pool of time causes ripples. The Black Hawk War of 1832 may have lasted only… Read More
Tax Laws Too Squirrely?
2022-01-30 12:13
Settling the new American frontier was a daunting task in that it presented challenges that required “out-of-the-box” thinking from the civic leaders of the day. Such as the… Read More
Be It Resolved
2022-01-26 12:13
America’s war for independence was not born overnight. Discontent over British rule fomented and grew over time. And, much like most rebellions, it had its origins at local, grass… Read More
The Fratellanza Society
2022-01-23 12:13
Because my wife is of Italian heritage (three out of four of her grandparents had their ancestral roots firmly planted in Italy), I’ve always had a soft spot for the stories I am a… Read More
The Doomsday Book
2022-01-19 12:13
In the year 1085, William I (aka William the Conqueror) sent agents to every shire in England for the purpose of evaluating all holdings so he might calculate the dues owed to him.  In… Read More
The First Prime Minister
2022-01-16 12:13
It is largely accepted that Great Britain’s first Prime Minister was Sir Robert Walpole, a Whig who was initially elected to Parliament in 1701.  Seen as a political moderate and… Read More
The Woll Invasion
2022-01-12 12:13
Tensions between Mexico and Texas did not end with Santa Anna’s defeat at San Jacinto in 1836. in fact, there were a number of skirmishes between the newly formed Republic of Texas and… Read More
Mural Maker
2022-01-09 12:13
Sometimes, historic documents used for genealogical research don’t tell the whole story. For example, when researching my wife’s grand-uncle, Angelo Magnanti, one would get the i… Read More
2022-01-05 12:13
In the early 1700s, the colonies of North America were still developing their identities and civic infrastructures. In Pennsylvania, construction was underway for the erection of their S… Read More
Have You Heard The One About…
2022-01-02 12:13
Family stories are the best. You know… the ones that are passed down from generation to generation; perhaps with a few added embellishments that come with each telling. What they… Read More
Trail Of Tears
2021-12-29 12:13
America’s treatment of its indigenous people was undeniably cruel and severe, culminating in the decades long practice of Indian removal, relocation, and ethnic cleansing.  Be… Read More
Raid On Deerfield
2021-12-26 12:13
We can sometimes forget that long before the American colonists fought for their independence, other nations were battling to gain dominance in this new land. Throughout Queen Anne&rsquo… Read More
Waylands Waylaid
2021-12-22 12:14
In 1717, a small group of Germans left their homeland in an attempt to sail to the new colony in Pennsylvania. The ship which was to make the crossing first stopped in London where the capta… Read More
The Allan Line
2021-12-19 12:13
Captain Alexander “Sandy” Allan was born in 1780 Scotland. In 1800, while employed as a journeyman shoemaker near Galston, Sandy moved to Saltcoats, intent on learning to… Read More
Confederate Roll Of Honor
2021-12-15 12:13
The Civil War, horrific as it was, was also home to incredible feats of bravery and heroism. So much so that, in 1861, the United States created the Medal of Honor, which remains the hig… Read More
The Immortal 600
2021-12-12 12:13
Dr. James Hughes, the first cousin of my daughter-in-law’s 5th great-grandaunt, was a captain in the 44th Virginia Regiment during the Civil War. He was captured in May of 1864 at… Read More
The Chicken Oath
2021-12-08 12:13
While conducting my genealogical research, I will often stumble across odd little snippets of history of which I am largely unfamiliar. They will, in turn, lead me on little side quests… Read More
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident
2021-12-05 12:13
There are 56 signatures on America’s Declaration of Independence. I suppose it was only a matter of time before I managed to link one of them back to my family. Col. George V Ro… Read More
A Confederate Soldier
2021-12-01 12:13
William Patrick Goode, the 4th great-granduncle of my daughter-in-law, enlisted in the Confederate Army when he was 18 years old. He served in B Company, 57th Infantry, Virginia Voluntee… Read More
2021-11-28 12:13
The following account was published in the Ironton Register on August 24, 1854. It has been edited due to space considerations. It was about the year 1791 that Captain Henry Harman, t… Read More
Fife And Drum
2021-11-24 12:13
The use of fife and drum corps in the military dates back many centuries. Because of its loud and piercing sound when played in its upper register, the fife, which is also easy to carry… Read More
If I Had A Hammer
2021-11-21 12:13
When looking at history, we can often gloss over the details and in doing so, fail to grasp the full impact of events that occurred. I never before thought of what kind of housing the or… Read More

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