Tombstone Tuesday - Porcelain Art - Part 2 of 2

Last week, I posted several gravestones with porcelain portraits.  They are from the stones of Eastern European immigrants in the Joliet, Illinois area.

"Tu Spociva" is Czech for "Here Lies" and "Tu Odpociva" is Czech for "Here Rests" or "At Rest".

Ann Vitanovec (1888-1918)

 Josef Fukas (1879-1929)

Josef Fukas proudly in his military uniform

Vakay Gyorgy (1893-1915?)

close up of Vakay Gyorgy

Surinak Family stone with 2 cameos

Ondrej Surinak (1860-1928)

Maria Surinak (1862-1942)

Andrew J. Surinak, Jr (1900-1978)

Jozef Surinak (1903-1929)

Close up of Surinak family cameos

I hope there are families researching these names.  What an unexpected piece of history these stones hold.

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"Who Do You Think You Are?" with Marisa Tomei

Friday's episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" featuring actor Marisa Tomei was another well-done program.

Marisa hoped to learn about a murder mystery on her mother's side of the family.  This episode differed from last week in that there was a family myth to research.  I think those of us who have researched our family for any length of time have one of those handed-down stories.  How much is fact and how much is fiction? Stories can be like a game of "telephone", where the story is told so many times, the truth is obscured.

I appreciated that not only was Marisa engaged in the fact-finding, but also had access to records from numerous sources.  She was able to see original church books, newspaper accounts, court proceedings, and family letters to help bring her myth to light.  Sharing her finding with her mother and the sense of contentment it seemed to bring was very touching.  Her mother's comment about how your ancestors were somehow a mystical part of making you who you are was very true.

Great job again, NBC!

THIMBY Thursday - The History in My Backyard - Shabbona

Many of us, perhaps most of us, live in a place other than where our ancestral family originated.  I certainly do!  When I am driving during my day,  I begin to notice all the places in my area that could be important to someone else.  This new post series will take on "The History in My Backyard", with the easy acronym THIMBY.

This photo is of the grave of Chief Shabbona, a famous figure from the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and negotiations between Indian tribes and the United States.  Shabbona died in 1859 and this stone marks his grave in Evergreen Cemetery, Morris, Grundy County, Illinois.

What can you share from your backyard?

Wordless Wednesday - Locke Township School

Locke Township School, Ingham County, Michigan, date and students unknown

cabinet card among my Spencer family photographs

Tombstone Tuesday - Porcelain Art - Part 1 of 2

While fulfilling a Find A Grave request at Saints Cyril and Methodius Cemetery in Joliet, Illinois, I noticed many of the gravestones had porcelain portraits mounted to the front.  Portraits appeared most often on gravestones of children or teens, and first-generation adult immigrants. The pillar-style stones were generally quite simple.  This cemetery is the final resting place of many Eastern European immigrants who came to the Joliet area to work in the mills, mines, and railroads during the late 1800's and early 1900's.

"Tu Spociva" translates to "Here Lies" from the Czech language.

 Michal Ivanisko (1874-1919)

 Maria Jablonski (1863-1916)

close up of Maria Jablonski stone

Matej Hucik (1892-1934)

Matej's portrait is long missing

Magdalena Dulka ( 1892-1918)

Magdalena's portrait is also missing

More next week...

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"Who Do You Think You Are?" with Martin Sheen

I watched the third season premiere of NBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?" featuring the family of actor Martin Sheen.

I have Irish roots, but mine are of the early 1800's.  I do not know nearly enough of my Irish ancestry to know if any cousins may have participated in the Irish Civil War.  One of my great-great-grandfathers, Thomas Riley, came to America in the 1850's and lived until 1915.  On the 1930 census, his son John P. Riley listed Thomas's birthplace as "Irish Free State":

 Ancestry.com: 1930 census, Illinois, Will County, Lockport City, ED 99-65, sheet 17B, lines 85-94

I was more fascinated by the exploration into Sheen's Spanish heritage.  He was so fortunate to have records created regarding his family and their exploits, regardless of the results.  One of my most favorite parts of researching my own family is finding those amazing coincidences.  I have ancestors who lived one or two miles apart in one state whose progeny married generations later in another state, a long-lost sister buried near her brother, and two individuals from opposite sides of my Michigan roots whose obituaries appeared together on the same day...in California.

Records created in other parts of the world are often far more complete than many of us can find in the United States.  I have worked with records in West Prussia and Denmark and have had great success.

Martin found he had ancestors that had social and moral convictions they fought for, as does Sheen.  I think a big part of researching your family is finding where you fit on your tree.  It's hard to say if it is nature or nurture that created our non-physical traits.  But it is nice to find family like you.

Good start, NBC!  Can't wait until next week!

Did you watch the show?  What did you like?

Wordless Wednesday - Horse and Buggy Ride

on the Spencer farm, Locke Township, Ingham County, Michigan circa 1905