Blogs and Facebook Really Do Help!

I've been excited recently to have been contacted by e-mail and on Facebook by people who found this blog. The first to e-mail me was a Farrell cousin, we share the same Great Great Grandparents, T.L. and Janette Farrell. We have e-mailed several times sharing the information which we have. Which reminds me I need to e-mail her back, things have been busy.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend I received a message on Facebook from a lady who found my Kelley information and asked if I would look in the Kelley book for her Kelley relative Eliza Kelley Bonine. I looked through the Kelley book and did not find Eliza , however, somewhere down the line we maybe able to connect her to this Kelley line.

Blogger Carol Wilkerson over at iPentimento/Genealogy and History had posted a couple pictures which I saw on Facebook of Edgemon's from Ten Mile,Tn. area. I left a comment asking if she was related to the Edgemon's. Carol is related in a round about way. I need to spend some more time searching through the Edgemon information for her Morrison connection.

There was also a lady who e-mailed me from a comment I left on RootsWeb several years ago on the Ziegler line. She is related but I need to type out all of the Ziegler information from a book or maybe I can scan it, since I don't have it on the computer. This will take some time also.

So many things to do and so little time to get it done.

Thanksgiving 2010 Added to Our Thanksgiving Memories

Hope that everyone out there had a great holiday. Our family enjoyed Thanksgiving with my Mom, she is 86 years old. We feel very thankful to still have her with us. We have a small family, mom, me, my husband, two kids, brother and his wife. The food was great and we had a wonderful time.

We had our usual favorite foods, turkey and dressing, pepperoni rolls, pecan pie,sausage balls, cake mix cookies,  hash brown potato casserole, sweet potato pie,fruit salad and broccoli salad. We even tried a new recipe for sweet potatoes. To save on calories  and sugar (which we need to do more of) there were no marshmallows.
Bake the sweet potatoes and scoop out the potato and add crushed pineapple, cinnamon, all spice, ginger, cloves and a small amount of butter. Mix and place in a casserole dish and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. It is so good I think we will add this to our list of favorites.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Memories - part 9 Cake Mix Cookies

Thought I would share one more recipe with you before Thanksgiving. This recipe was given to me by my sister -in- law years ago. Several years later my mother-in-law gave me the same recipe so I'm not sure which one of them got the recipe first. It is very easy and SO GOOD!
Take the basic recipe and use your imagination.
Cake Mix Cookies
Yellow cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
add
chocolate chips, nuts .....
We love lemon cake mix with the basic recipe and sprinkle with confectioners sugar!
Chocolate cake with chips and nuts, chocolate cake and peanut butter chips.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Fall in Tennessee

This photo doesn't do justice to the fabulous fall colors in these trees. We don't have the sudden color change like in New England, with the vibrant colors. However there is something to be said for still having color on some of the trees in the middle of November. Sorry this was taken quickly while driving by.

Thanksgiving Memories - part 8 Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie is a delicious Thanksgiving pie. Mom always made pecan pie for my Dad. When I married my husband loved pecan pie. He always said his mom made the Best pecan pie. When we made our annual trips home from New England in November his mom always made pecan pie which we all enjoyed at the Thanksgiving meal. Then as we were leaving she would call him into the kitchen and give him a whole pie. She did this for many years after we moved back home. She told me "I don't want to hurt your feelings, I know you can made Paul a pie. I just want to do this for him because I know how much he enjoys the pecan pie."It never bothered me. I thought it was a special moment shared between a mother and son.

She wrote out several of her recipes, including the pecan pie, and sent them to me a short time after we married.  Several years later she gave everyone a small photo album with some of the favorite family recipes.

As you can see from the recipe card it has been used many times. I've seen recipes for pecan pie which were the same or nearly the same. I think the reason this pie was so mouth watering was it was made with Love!

                                 We miss your pecan pie!

Thanksgiving Memories -part 7 What I'm Thankful For

Thanksgiving 2010 is one week from tomorrow. I have enjoyed putting together my memories of Thanksgivings past. As I have looked through pictures and remembered so many Thanksgiving celebrations it has become clear to me that the most important thing is FAMILY!
I was looking at some pictures of Thanksgiving 2000 with my husband's family and it struck me there are so many of our family no longer with us 10 years later. My Dad, mother -in- law's second husband, my mother -in- law, my sister -in- law's husband, my brother -in- law and 4 aunts and 1 uncle.  So this Thanksgiving the thing I'm most thankful for is the family we still have with us. Even if we don't see each other at Thanksgiving.

                                                 Thanksgiving 2000
                                 My sweet mother -in- law, you are missed!

Thanksgiving Memories - part 6 Special Thanksgiving Recipes!

Have you planned your Thanksgiving menu? I guess most of us have favorite dishes which we make for the holidays and rarely if ever make them when it isn't Thanksgiving or Christmas. The recipe I want to share today is one of my family favorites.
There of course has to be some history before we get to the recipe.  My husband was in the Army, while we were dating he was in Turkey. While there he had a friend named Dan, and during the holidays Dan's mother sent him a box of "GOODIES". All the guys got boxes from their families and they shared. I sent my husband (then boy friend) several boxes during the year he was there.
Dan's box contained some rolls, which my husband said were SO GOOD! Even though they were a bit old from the long mail trip! They were yeast rolls with pepperoni and cheese baked inside. After my husband and I married we had Dan over to eat. I asked him to get the recipe from his mom and he said there is nothing to it just put pepperoni and cheese in a yeast roll recipe and bake! So that was all I had to go on. We have enjoyed them for 25 years! They are best right out of the oven. I have looked in cook books and on the Internet and haven't found them. This is the recipe I use. The last two years my daughter has made the rolls, she has watched and helped for years but she decided she wanted to make them herself.
Pepperoni Rolls
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening, softened
1tsp. salt
1pkg. regular or quick-acting dry yeast
1/2 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
1/2 cup very warm milk, scalded, then cooled to 120-130 degrees
 1 egg
sliced pepperoni
1 in.cubes cheddar cheese
Mix 2 cups of the flour, sugar, shortening, salt, and yeast in 2 1/2 qt. bowl. Add water, milk and egg. Beat on low speed, scrapping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 min. Stir in enough flour to make dough easy to handle.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic about 5 minutes. Place in greased 2 1/2 qt. bowl, turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Divide into about 18 pieces. Place 3 slices pepperoni and 2 cubes of cheese in center of each piece of dough and pull dough up around pepperoni. Roll into ball making sure cheese and pepperoni are covered. Place seam side down in greased muffin pan. Cover and let rise until double, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400.
Bake until golden brown 12 to 18 minutes. I rub a little butter on top when done.
Enjoy!!

Thanksgiving Memories - part 5 Thanksgiving at Our House

I can't remember what year it was but we, my husband, kids and I, had Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Since my husband and I moved back home we have always had Thanksgiving at my parents house except for one year.  My brother and his family were going to his wife's family for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom's health had not been good and Dad didn't want mom to over do herself, which she would. So Dad said there was no need in me cooking a meal and bringing it over to their house. He said that he and mom would go out to eat. I told him that they should come to my house but he didn't want mom to have to cook anything and she would if they came over to my house.
Wow! flash back to the Thanksgiving of 1981! My parents eating out on Thanksgiving! When they could come to my house. Here we were just the four of us with our BIG Thanksgiving meal. I remember standing there saying this just isn't right. My husband said next year we are going to your Mom and Dad's house and I said I agree. The next day I told my Dad that it just wasn't the same without them on Thanksgiving and next year we are fixing the meal and bringing it over here. He said OK!

Thanksgiving Memories - part 4 Thanksgiving 1981

First I have to say there are many wonderful, happy memories of Thanksgiving, I hope that no one thinks I'm just telling the sad times.
November of 1981 was a stressful and sad time especially for my Mom. Her mother had died in March of 1981 and her Dad was in poor health. He had a stroke in late October and was in the hospital for two weeks. He died on November 14,1981.
Thanksgiving we knew would be sad. My brother and his wife went to have Thanksgiving with her family.
My Dad knew how tired Mom was after being at the hospital so much. He said there was no need in her cooking a turkey for just the three of us. He said we would go out to eat. Eating out on Thanksgiving!! What a strange thing to do, I know lots of people do it now, but in 1981 it just wasn't that common.

Mom, Dad and I went to Shoney's to eat. I just felt like crying through the meal. Looking around at the people, most were older people, a few young people. There were probably many reasons the people were eating there and not with family. The first Thanksgiving without my grandparents was probably the saddest.
I remember telling Mom and Dad, "I will fix Thanksgiving dinner next time. I just don't want to eat out on Thanksgiving." I don't think that it bothered Mom and Dad like it did me.

Veterans Day

Dad

                                                       Uncle Eugene

                                        Uncle Jake

                                          Uncle Bill

                                           husband - Paul

Thanksgiving Memories - part 3 Thanksgiving in Tennessee '86-'88

Every Thanksgiving has been spent in Tennessee so what makes the years 1986, 1987, and 1988 special?
My husband was in the Army and we were living in Leominster, Mass. in 1986 and on base at Ft. Devens, Mass.  in 1987 and 1988. The only time we came home was for Thanksgiving, we were home for two weeks. Boy, was I homesick by the time November came!
It is nice to remember those years. My brother and his wife had the family over for Thanksgiving dinner in 1986. My nephew was a small child, he is now 26 years old. My cousin who was there is now a grandmother of two and two more grandchildren on the way. Sadly there are those who are no longer with us, my Dad, Aunt Mildred, Aunt Christan, Uncle Harry (who died Dec. 1986).

The drive down from Mass. was always an adventure. I think it was Nov. 1987 we came through New York City. Wow! I had to read the directions a friend had given my husband. We made it through without getting lost!!

November 1988 we decided we would drive both cars and leave my car in Tennessee. My husband was getting out of the Army in Feb. 1989 and we thought it would be one less thing to worry about when we left Ft. Devens in Feb. 1989. Especially since at that time we didn't know where we would end up living.
After many prayers and job searches  we ended up back home in Chattanooga!

On our drive down in '88 we stopped to get gas. I pulled out and started back on the Interstate and realized that my husband was no where in sight. This was before cell phones! I had to talk on the CB radio! which my husband had put in both cars special for this trip. I pulled over and waited for him ( he was at the gas station looking for me). We made it home safely.

Thanksgiving Memories part 2 Thanksgiving with Great Grandma

Growing up many Thanksgiving days were spent with Great Grandma Ziegler, not sure how unusual it is to be able to spend Thanksgiving with a great grandparent. I would love to hear from others who spent holidays with great grandparents.
Grandma and Great Aunt Christan came to my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving. My Mom and Grandmother cooked the meal. There were other family members there some years but almost always Grandma and Christan were there. Grandma looked forward to coming to "Johnnie's  for Thanksgiving". She always called my grandfather, John Huff Ziegler, Johnnie. It was a celebration of Christan's birthday, Nov. 17,1906, and Grandma's birthday Nov. 30, 1873  , and Thanksgiving all in one. I can't remember for sure but I think they even came the Thanksgiving of 1971, before Grandma died in March 1972.
I don't think I have any pictures of those Thanksgiving celebrations sure wish I did.
My kids were born after all of their great grandparents died so they never knew them. Most of all I wish my grandmothers could have seen my children.
The best part of Thanksgiving was waking up smelling the turkey cooking. Now I'm the one getting up early to get the turkey cooked. Hope my kids enjoy waking up smelling the turkey like I did. Now I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Memories part 1

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to visit with family and enjoy their company and also enjoy a great meal.

November of 2007 was a special Thanksgiving meal with my Dad's last surviving sister. My Aunt didn't have any children and her husband passed away in June 2005. One of my cousin's in south Georgia e-mailed and said he was coming up to have Thanksgiving with Aunt Betty and wanted us all to come.

We didn't get together on Thanksgiving Day but it was a special day. Many of the cousins came and brought food and shared the day with our Aunt. It brought back many memories of family gatherings at her house. She was always the one who put together all the family gatherings.

left- Aunt Betty, right - my Mom

Aunt Betty had been sick for sometime and taking treatment for cancer. My Mom, kids and I went back to see her again just before Christmas. She died on Jan. 7, 2008.

She was the glue that held the family together, it hasn't been the same since. We miss you!

I have learned if you have a chance to visit family, you should because you never know when it will be too late to see them again.

Thank You!

Thank you to all the people who stopped by yesterday to wish a happy 2nd anniversary. You all made it a wonderful day. I even got a few new followers, which is ALWAYS fun. Genealogy and blogging just seem to go together! It has been fun working on this blog and getting to know other bloggers, those working on genealogy and other fun blogs.

Today Is A Special Day!

Today is special here at Genealogy Fun! Two years ago today I started this blog. I really didn't know what I was doing, still don't sometimes. Blogging has been fun and educational. I have learned so much from the other bloggers.
I started blogging two years ago today but my first follower didn't come until Jan. 2009. Terry Snyder at Desktop Genealogist Unplugged was first, and Becky Jamison at Grace and Glory was my second. They were helpful and encouraging. Sure miss your post Terry! Becky also encouraged me to get on Facebook which has been fun. I have 49 followers now!
I recently had a Farrell cousin contact me after finding this blog. It has been fun e-mailing and sharing information. I haven't broken any brick walls but I am still hopeful that will happen.
Today's post makes 300!! My goal has always been to post 5 days a week but that doesn't happen very often. I am grateful for the time I've had to work on Genealogy Fun.

Genealogy Snobbery

Please check out the great blog post at GeneaBloggers on Genealogy Snobbery. I love genealogy, family history, family research, I'm not a professional, it is just a hobby. I have received encouragement from many other Genealogy bloggers. Sometimes, however, you can feel the snobbery!  Your blog is just not worthy of them reading. Some of their post are all about how others are doing everything wrong. You wonder how many have stopped because they feel like they could never make their blog live up to these standards. Thankfully there are few of these people. Thank you to all the Genealogy Bloggers who have been encouraging to me.

Wordless Wednesday

Pictures from our last vacation, June 2009, to Destin, Fl. Wow makes me wish I was there!

Kelley's 1963

My brother and I with Mom, back in 1963. Another of the photos given to me by my Aunt.

Chattanooga National Cemetery -Tombstone Tuesday

The Kelley Family - April 1966

My Dad's sister gave me this photo several years ago, I'm so proud to have it. We did not have a copy of this photo. Mom and Dad didn't always have the extra money to have pictures made but my Aunt made lots of pictures, I can remember she and my uncle making pictures at all the family get togethers.
Betsy reminded me that I didn't tell you who this was. Left is Me, my Dad, my Mom, and my brother. There aren't a lot of pictures of the four of us so I am proud to have this one.

Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church Cemetery

This is a brief history of

the Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church Cemetery. This is from a book listing all those buried at the cemetery, my Aunt was so kind to let me borrow the book and make copies. Many of my Kelley ancestors are buried there. In fact for many years my dad said that this is where he wanted to be buried, next to his mother and dad. At some point he changed his mind and is buried in Chattanooga.
The Long family mentioned are also related, my Great grandmother Newby (Olivia Jane Jennie) was a Long.