Archive for January, 2013

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Surname Forum Activity
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MANLEY Johnnie Clara 1922

DaveStrickland photographed this gravestone in the Restland Cemetery, Dallas Co, Texas . Feel free to use this picture for your personal records. This is one of the 228,862 cemetery photos free at http://teafor2.com where they are listed in order by state(Texas), county(Dallas), cemetery(Restland user submitted) and Surname.
If you know more about this person please reply here, instead of contacting me because this is most likely “not my family”.
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Surname Forum Activity
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MANLEY James Herman 1023

DaveStrickland photographed this gravestone in the Restland Cemetery, Dallas Co, Texas . Feel free to use this picture for your personal records. This is one of the 228,862 cemetery photos free at http://teafor2.com where they are listed in order by state(Texas), county(Dallas), cemetery(Restland user submitted) and Surname.
If you know more about this person please reply here, instead of contacting me because this is most likely “not my family”.
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Surname Forum Activity
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Hi
I am looking for any Ancestry info on Margeret Jefferson & Joeseph Manley from New Bern NC Married in 1863.
Children were,David Manley,Bertie Manley,Hattie Manley and Joe Manley.
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Surname Forum Activity
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HOWLAND – Robert James Manley, 65, passed away at 4:20 p.m. Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, from complications of lung cancer.

Bob was born Feb. 9, 1947, in Warren, Ohio the son of Bill and Jane Ann Manley.

Upon graduation from Howland High School, he joined the U.S. Navy.
He served with distinction on the USS Forrestal as a fighter jet mechanic in Vietnam, including aiding with the devastating fire on July 29, 1967, after a Zuni rocket discharged on the flight deck while in the Gulf of Tonkin. He received honors and commendations for his dedication.

After he was honorably discharged in 1969, he returned to Warren, Ohio where he began working for Republic Steel.
Bob was a motor inspector/electrician in the mill for 42 years until he retired.

Bob loved spending time with his grandchildren. He was the best “Grampy.” He also enjoyed family trips to the Outer Banks, breakfasts with the retiree gang, hunting and, most of all, Canadian fishing trips with his buddies (a.k.a. “The Great Canadian Adventure”).

Bob was predeceased by his parents and a brother, Terry Manley.

He is lovingly remembered by his son, Mark (Angie) Manley of Chesapeake, Va.; daughter, Nicole (Tim) McPherson of Wellington, Fla.; son Robert (Harry) Manley of Columbus, Ohio; sister Patty (Jim) Cvengros of Niles, Ohio; aunt Kay (Vince) Krist of North Olmsted, OH; and grandchildren, nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at a later, warmer date in Warren, Ohio.

Cremation is being handled by the Palms West Funeral Home in Royal Palm Beach, FL.

A family and friend adventure will be planned to bring Bob to his final resting place at the Little Kipawa River in Quebec, “indalake … where the fish are.”

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Bob’s honor to The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

Visit http://www.palmswestfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Robert-Manley… to express family condolences

Veteran
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This is a good one, follow if you can…my Grandpa Wilkinson has an aunt Mabel. I never knew her because she died in 1969 and lived in another state. But I was given a letter that she had written to my Grandpa. It tells all about her life and family in Birmingham, Alabama.

We are here to find her two grandsons that we were led to believe still lived here. As I was doing some research today on Ancestry.com, I had the thought that maybe her children would still be alive, so I checked it out. Mabel had 3 kids, Dixie, who only had one son and he passed away as a child, Don, who moved to Georgia, and Santa. Santa was her daughter and our main link, because she was the mother of the 2 grandsons here in Birmingham.

We had been discussing this for days. Rob was making lunch and the kids were eating nearby while I discovered that unfortunately all of Mabel’s 3 children had already passed away…I said to Rob, “They’re all gone.” Rob said, “What?” Looking confused. Apparently he didn’t hear me so I said, “Santa’s dead”. Not noticing that Harvey was sitting across the table, until a few minutes later he asked, “Dad, who’s gonna bring our presents?” A good laugh feels so good! Look how much fun Family History can be! The search continues for Santa’s sons and yes, I am sure there must be a very interesting story behind her name. Why would anyone name their daughter Santa? We are gonna find out!

Shortly before, I had walked into the kitchen to hear Sophie telling George all about his “an sisters.” Gotta love that! We are having a blast out here on the road. We just found a family history tie in Atlanta, so I think we’re headed there next!

 

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Well, well, well… there you are Trouble…it’s been awhile. Yes, we had a bit of a setback, last night somewhere between New Orleans and our destination, Birmingham Alabama, we were given notice (a series of very loud honking) by a trucker to pull over. We pulled over and discovered the trailer we are towing with our van inside was smoking near the rear tire. Low and behold, the bearings were shot! So we called AAA. We were told since we didn’t have an exact location (deep inside the backwoods of Mississippi, doesn’t work), they couldn’t help. We had to get to a mile marker or a town. Pitch black outside, Rob decides to remove the tire, and try to drive without it (we have a double axle). When he came back in, he said, “I don’t know what’s freekier, taking off a tire next to a semi passing by or being completely alone on the highway, knowing down in those woods and swamp lands could be alligators!” I drove the van, to relieve stress and weight on the… trailer, and followed Rob into the closest town. Welcome to Meridian, Mississippi ( and yes as I typed that, I smiled as I spelled Mississippi in my mind!). We found a Wal-Mart and prepared to camp there for the night only to realize we were out of propane. So that only means, no heat, no hot water, and the fridge turns off. Oh yeah, no oven or stove either. So cold cereal it was, warmest jammies, and ice for the cooler to keep the milk cold. NO ONE has propane for your 40 gallon tank at night! This morning we found some Mississippi repair men to fix the trailer, while we drove around to see the sights with the kids while they worked (not a lot to see so this didn’t take long). We got propane and now we are about an hour from Birmingham! Taking it all in stride…and enjoying the ride! Trouble go away!

Follow the Brown Family @ http://www.ancestry.com/adventure

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The Japanese military attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, thrust the United States into WWII. It wasn’t long after that, Australia and New Zealand found themselves also under threat of Japanese attacks. While the majority of Australia’s soldiers fought alongside the British Royal Army against the Germans in the Middle East and Africa, the Japanese made their way through South Asia and South Pacific with little resistance. It was then that Australia and the United States joined forces to stop their military expansion.

My grandfather was one of a million American servicemen who found himself in Australia during World War II. While Australians had popular Hollywood movies to familiarize them with American culture, Americans knew very little about Australia or its citizens. Our soldiers were in a foreign land trying to make sense of the currency, a new environment, unfamiliar foods and, of course, colorful Australian slang.

On my recent trip to Canberra, Australia’s capital city, I visited the Australian War Memorial. I was beyond impressed and moved by the Australian War Memorial’s collection and its presentation of the artifacts. The memorial was filled with detailed dioramas and paintings that depicted battles, along with pictures of soldiers paired with stories of their bravery. Some displays left me speechless, such as the restored planes paired with a large screen that played re-enactments of air battles which brought the aircraft’s history back to life. Another exhibit – a wall of thousands of names of soldiers who died in battle – was decorated with small red flowers called poppies. The wall left me with an overwhelming sadness that I could only compare to what I felt on my first visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

After spending the afternoon wandering through this shrine to Australia’s fallen heroes, my curiosity was piqued by a little blue book found in the gift shop. The book titled, Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942 was reproduced from the original which was created by the Special Service Division, Services of Supply, United States Army, and issued by the War and Navy Departments Washington, D.C. Although our soldiers presence was mostly welcomed due to our countries’ common goal, that didn’t mean there wasn’t some tension. In order to try and avoid any unneeded drama, this small booklet was produced and issued to each American soldier arriving to Australia, familiarizing them with the Australian people, land, history and culture.

The book mainly focused on our similarities as relatively new countries with British roots. It described Australia as made up of proud, independent people who believed in the importance of personal freedom and democracy. A brief history was given of their involvement in past wars and their record as well-respected, brave soldiers who wouldn’t quit. All of the information covered in the book was used to build respect and a sense of common ground since they were qualities Americans also strived for and respected. More importantly, it stressed the fact we needed Australia’s help just as much as they needed ours.

While the book’s main purpose was to establish a sense of camaraderie between the newly arriving American servicemen and the Australians, at times it tried a little too hard to make that connection. I found some humor as it pushed our mutual love of sports and compared our carnivorous appetite. However, the part that really made me smile can be found at the back of the book, which covers Australian slang. After several of my own visits to Australia, it made me think back on all the words or phrases that ended in funny misunderstandings or left me scratching my head.

Having a grandfather who spent a great deal of time in Australia during World War II, this book was a fun little find. Sometimes it seems as though our loved ones’ service in the South Pacific during World War II isn’t covered as extensively as our involvement in Europe. Not only is this booklet a piece of history, it allowed me a look into the lives of our servicemen; I can only imagine the mixed feeling of excitement for those who had never left the country before, while also knowing there was a chance they might not come home alive.

Here was a book that was most likely issued to my grandfather that found its way into my hands, 67 years after he served, in the country he fought alongside. There is not one day that goes by that I haven’t wished I asked my grandfather more about his service and his time in Australia. I know he really would have gotten a kick out of my trips to the country he always wished to return to for a visit. It is small unexpected surprises like this that help me put his story together and make me like to think he’s still with me.

By Kris Williams
Twitter: KrisWilliams81

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Happy New Year! The stories of 2012 are now “in the books” as they say and although it is a little chilly down here in Galveston we are pinching ourselves just to make sure we are really here on this incredible adventure. We look forward to the New Year and we couldn’t be more excited about our resolutions.

We feel like we are really starting to get into the groove. We had to make some real sacrifices to make this trip happen but we have been very fortunate along the way and it has been absolutely worth it.  We have never spent more time together learning about the people and places that make this country great and how our ancestors have been a part of it all. For example, we discovered last night that Rob’s 9^th Great Grandparents John and Rebecca Throckmorton were some of the first members of the first Baptist Church in America and are on the list of Original Members in 1638.  It was a really cool discovery and we can’t wait to get to Rhode Island to see where it all happened.

We are also looking forward to meeting more great people along our journey. We meet people almost every day that are really excited about their family history and take the time to tell us all about their ancestors. It is always fascinating to observe what they find most interesting. For some the most important thing is how far back they have gone. For others they want to share the important people that are related to them. And for others it is all about the unlikely hero or the underdog who overcame difficult odds to achieve something great. Whatever their story, it is always amazing for us to hear their stories and to observe what they value most about their family history.

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We can’t believe it’s over. We have been thinking and talking about how we were going to handle Christmas on the road since we first decided to go on this trip. We wondered where we would put the Christmas tree, how Santa Claus would find us, how the kids would handle Christmas morning in a motorhome, and if it would be hard to be away from family and friends.

Celebrating Christmas on the road in Texas was very different for our family in a lot of ways. Back home we were used to icy cold weather and really big snow-covered mountains. Like most everyone, we anticipate being very busy doing things like going to family parties, baking goodies, sharing holiday treats with friends and neighbors, and hustling to get all of the Christmas shopping done in time for Christmas morning.

This year we didn’t have any of those things. This year we traded the snow, icy cold temperatures and big mountains for mild temperatures in the mid 50’s and a relatively flat Texas landscape. This year we didn’t give or receive any holiday treats to or from friends or neighbors, and instead of family parties we made a lot of “wish you were here” phone calls. This year there was no hustle or bustle for Christmas because we were focused on our travel itinerary.

However, this year Christmas was still a blast! We were treated like royalty by our good friends the Allen’s who had us over for Christmas Eve Dinner and afterward we sang carols and shared holiday memories. The kids were as excited and filled with anticipation as they have ever been, and Christmas morning was magical. They were elated to discover that Santa had found them, even in Texas, and it wouldn’t have mattered where they were, they opened their presents and shared the joy of Christmas morning with each other just like we did back home. And now that it’s all over we look back and realize that even though it wasn’t what we are used to, it was just what we had hoped for…