An article on family heritage travel!

Over the weekend I picked up the April 2013 issue of National Geographic Traveler.  If you have not seen or read this magazine and love to learn about new places or fantasize about those bucket list trips, you should pick up a copy.  I picked up this issue specifically because on the front cover I saw the main story was titled “Return to Your Roots.”  Wow, a feature article in a travel magazine about heritage trips.

The article contained 5 first person accounts by writers who traveled to discover their roots.  They voyaged to Northern Ireland, Taiwan, Sicily, Krakow, and Angola.  Each incredibly personal story drawing the reader into their experiences making you want to know what else they may have found or explored.

In the piece on Ireland the author took her whole family on the trip.  They found her great-great grandfather’s farm, and she immersed her boys into the family experience.  In contrast the author who penned the piece on Taiwan talked about meeting with her birth sisters in the Taipei night market.  You next learn about Sicilian Cooking, the legacy Jewish Krakow, and how a surname from the Jamestown Colony leads a man to find his roots in Angola.

It was wonderful to see how they each had a different experience to share with the readers.  There was no formula, no right or wrong way to take a tip.  They were people searching for a connection to their past and were awed and amazed around every corner.   

At the end of the segment was a Genealogy 101 information box.  It made me so happy to see this included in the article as it is one thing to talk about making trips to find your heritage but something else to take on the genealogical aspect of it.  I was impressed by the author’s advice, links, and suggestions.  Makes me think she may have the bug too.

My husband and I have talked about making treks to the homeland someday.  Choosing which one and when seems to be the problem.  We have mostly Irish, Scottish, and English roots but thrown into the mix are German, Swiss, French, and Norwegian; a lot of choices and a lot of varied places to see on that list.  I also want to take our children with us to see new things and learn about the places our family left before coming to North America. 

How many of you have taken a trip to discover your ancestors?  I would love to hear about it and your experiences.

Cursive writing going the way of the dinosaur?

I enjoy looking at medieval manuscripts.  Odd hobbies, I know I have a lot of them.  They are beautiful, and once you understand the hand, or calligraphy, they are fairly easy to read.  This made me think about a trend of recent blog posts I read.  They all concern the lack of teaching cursive writing in schools and if in the next century we will need to teach researchers how to read what was written by…us. 

Most recently James Tanner wrote at Genealogy’s Star about this subject as well.  While his post covered several subjects pertinent to the education of future researchers, his comment about his grandson not being able to read cursive struck home.  Just a few months ago I taught my middle school son how to sign his name.  He didn’t know how.  I know that they started to teach cursive in 2^nd grade at his school, but it seems that it is not a requirement to actually do it anymore.  All of his work is printed or typed, no cursive to be seen.

If you had asked me a year ago if thought this could happen in our future I think I would have been hard pressed not to laugh.  Cursive, go out of favor, are you kidding me?  However, as I have read article, after article, after article addressing this concern, I started to look around me.  Even my home state isn’t requiring teaching of cursive writing anymore!

I think I am the only one in my house who still writes in cursive.  My boys both print, and so does my husband when he isn’t typing.  However, in his defense, he is a lefty with atrocious handwriting; I may be the only one on the planet that read it.  Most of my friends print, even my sons teachers for the most print all their notes home when they aren’t typed. 

What are your thoughts?  Is this a dying art from like gothic lettering?  Do see a college class for historians in 50 years on reading cursive handwriting?  Or… am I overreacting? 

*Image from wikipedia

Paul Combs golden glove boxer

I came across these old newspaper clippings in a box of papers that belonged to my grandmother.  She cut them out of the local paper from Washington, Indiana, the Herald Tribune.  They were running a column called "Looking Back: 50 Years Ago."  It highlighted community happenings and people from 50 years before.  She had clipped the columns that contained information on my grandfather, Paul Combs.  I have talked about him in the past here.


Saturday March 8, 1986
Looking Back
50 years ago
March 8, 1936

The Strong Montgomery Vikings pulled the first big surprise of the Washington Sectional in the first semi-final game here Saturday afternoon by defeating their arch rival, the Odon Bulldogs, 28-14.  In the other game, the Washington Hatchets defeated the Plainville Midgets, 23-19.

Edward H. Scales, ex-clerk of the Pike Circuit Court and ex-democratic county chairman of Pike County, was confirmed by the senate yesterday for Postmaster at Petersburg.

Paul Combs, Washington's only boxer of any worth, Friday night came close to achieving his ambition -- that of winning the Chicago Gold Gloves tournament in the bantamweight class.  Combs fought his way through all the preliminary rounds and went undefeated, earning a bid in the final.  But Johnny Brown of Chicago out-punched Combs in the three-round fight and was ruled the winner.  Combs was quite popular in Chicago, and after the decision was announced, the judges were booed thinking that Combs should have been declared the winner.



Friday April 4, 1986
Looking Back
50 years ago
April 4, 1936

The Rainbow Rangers of Washington have accepted employment with Don Weston, formerly with Gene Autrey.  They are heard daily from Station WLAP in Lexington, Kentucky.  In the feature they will be known as Don Weston and his Westerners.

Paul Combs, local bantamweight boxer, punched his way into the finals of the State Amateur Athletic Union boxing tournament in the South Bend last night when he won a decision over Paul Lanby of Elkhart.  Combs will have the best wishes of all the people this community as he has proved himself one of the best, if not the best boxer ever seen in this section of the state.

On the national scene, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was put to death by electrocution today for his conviction of the kidnap-murder of aviator Charles Lindbergh's baby.



Wednesday April 30, 1986
,Looking Back
50 years ago
April 30, 1936

A joint Mother's Day program will held next Monday evening, May 11th, at 7:30 o'clock in the court house, sponsored by the American Legion, and the be participated in by the War Mothers, Legion Auxiliary, mothers of service men, and the American Legion.  Dr. H.C. Wadsworth of Washington will be the principle speaker of the evening, and a playlet will be given by the Legion Auxiliary.

Quite a number of local sport fans are anxiously waiting for the night when the Bedford Recreation Boxing team will meet the local team at the Recreation center.  Bob Downey, Recreation supervisor, announced today that a feature bout is in the making between Paul Combs, State A.A.U. champion a boy from Bedford, whom we are told was the champion of the Pacific fleet when he was in the navy.  A match of the kind would certainly draw a large crowd.

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Article that made my day!

This morning I found the following article teasing me from Facebook.  A friend had sent it to me because she said it reminded her of me... what is she trying to say?  That from a thousand miles away she knows that I would do something like this?  Well... she's right.

Up a Family Tree, by Leslie Larson will probably remind you of you too.  Goodness knows I think my husband will attest that I was like her (and probably still show the same traits on occasion) when I first started tracking down my family.

So, pick up a favorite reading drink (Earl Grey for me) and cuddle up with your computer for a few minutes of laughter.

Image from the Library of Congress