A Tale of the Roberts Clan....

So ...... I have been working on some of my husband's Mom's side for a little while, and his Mom asked me to share some of the information I have thus far.

So his Mom's parents were

Claude Roberts & Philomena D'Ambrosio ...
(Dennis' Grandparents)

Claude was born on 5 January 1928 ...... and he died 9 September 1986 .... I haven't gotten a chance yet to see if I can find anything on him on the military website I use, I think Dennis did and didn't find anything.  But they are still working on a lot of records getting added....

AND I have to point out that (my kids) Calahan was born on January 5th and Kaedyn was born September 9th .. odd right?

Philomena J. D'Ambrosio was born as a first generation American Italian in Illionis 29 Aug 1927 and she died 3 Mar 2001 in Chicago.   She was buried with her son Patrick whom died from a cocaine overdose.

They had several children, of which most are alive right now.  Though I don't know much information on any of them.... there were 5 boys and two girls.  Daniel, David, Dennis, Jeff and Patrick, and then two girls Judy and Phyllis...  David, Dennis and Patrick have passed away.  Dennis (my husband) was named after his uncle Dennis.

We're going to discuss Philomena's parents in another blog.  So I'll continue with Claude's parents ...

Harold Owen Roberts and Agnes Griffin
(Dennis' Great-Grandparents)

 ... Harold was born 4 June 1902 in Minnesota and died 10 July 1982 in Minnesota.  Agnes was born 6 Feb 1903 in Minnesota and died in Minnesota on 21 Dec 1962.

Somone had posted this picture on Ancestry ....

Their graves are together....

They had five boys and two girls.  Harleth, Forrest, Bernice, Claude, Verna, Glen & Elmer ...  I have found infomation on Harleth, and of course Claude, but the rest are still a mystery.

They are resting in Memory Gardens Cemetery - Arlington Heights (Cook County), Illinois

Harold's parents are
William Edward Roberts & Gussie "Mae" Elnora Hyde ....
(Dennis' Great-Great-Grandparents)

Luckily one picture of Gussie with her sisters was shared on Ancestry ...

Sisters - Gussie, Clara Hall, Eloda Hyde, and Alice

It's absolutely WONDERFUL when people share these photos on their trees for others to see.  Because so many of us wouldn't be able to SEE our ancestors otherwise....

Gussie Elnora Hyde was born Jul. 28, 1881 in Maxville, Buffalo County, Wisconsin ...  She died Apr. 11, 1954 in Lake City, Wabasha County, Minnesota...

William Edward Roberts was born Nov. 1, 1869 in Perry County, Pennsylvania and he died on Jan. 2, 1929 in Lake City, Wabasha County, Minnesota

They are both buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Lake City, MN ...  

Now, Agnes' parents were 

William Leroy Griffin & Inga Dorothea Hasvog (Carlson)

(Dennis' Great-Great-Grandparents) 

Inga Dorothea Hasvog 

Carlson is attached to Inga because that's how people would normally be named in Norway, which she is an immigrant of - along with her family.  Truly - it would be Carldotter or Karldotter ... because of her being a girl, she wouldn't be a "son" ...  

As for Hasvog, that's where Inga is from .... Hasvåg, Nord-Trøndelag, NORWAY ...  so I'm not sure WHAT their TRUE surname is .... 

That's just my thoughts on that....  

So this is a family photo of Inga's family that someone posted on Ancestry.  Thank you!  

Standing Left to Right_ Lewis, Mary, Laura, Carl Anton, Inga Grandpa, Alena _ Carl's Wife, Grandma Children are Carl Anton and Olena

I haven't found their graves yet but from what I have (at the moment) William Leroy Griffin was born 1881 in and he died in 1969 in Wisconsin ....  Inga was born in Norway in 1875 and she died in Wisconsin in 1974.

In the above photo Inga's father is the older man sitting with his arms crossed, his name is Karl (Carl) Jacob Danielson, and his wife's name (holding the older baby) is named Antonette Ingebrigtsdatter....  

And that's where we are going to stop for now :)

My Great Grandparents were Freemasons

So - while I was looking at the Obits I just found of my Great Grandparents ... in my Great Grandmother's I saw the phrase "Deborah Chapter of Order of the Eastern Star"

And............

On my Great Grandfather's I saw several things....... "Deborah Chapter of Order of the Eastern Star" .... "Scottish Rite"...."White Shrine of Jerusalem"... "F and AM"... and "Shrine" .

So I was all ......... what the HECK does all that mean.....  to my surprise, but now I do remember my Mom mentioning to me a long time ago that my Great Grandfather was a Shriner ....  I found out that my Great Grandparents were Freemasons.

This has always been an interesting thing to me, now I know I have a connection of it.   So what does all this mean, let me share some information.   I found this info HERE.... I couldn't find a lot of information doing Wisconsin searches and them being close to the boarder of MN I checked with that search word and found this site with a host of information!!  YAY .....  This is what I just found out tonight, but I'll have to look into it some more!

Order of the Eastern Star

Vision Statement

 The Grand Chapter of Minnesota, Order of the Eastern Star, is a growing fraternal organization of women and men within the Fraternal Family of Masonry, whose members are dedicated to:

·         charity, truth and loving-kindness;

·         working together in harmony to share with and care for each other;

·         making a difference in their communities through their charitable and social activities;

·         and benefiting all mankind.

Developed by the 2003-2004 Grand Line Officers

Who Are We

The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world to which both men and women may belong. Worldwide, there are approximately 1 million members under the General Grand Chapter.

Eastern Star is a social order comprised of persons with spiritual values but it is not a religion. Its appeal rests in the true beauty of the refreshing and character-building lessons that are so sincerely portrayed in its ritualistic work. A deep fraternal bond exists between its members. It is the wholesome relationship of sisterly and brotherly love brought about through high principles exemplified in our lives which makes us near and dear to each other.

While this is an Order composed of people of deep spiritual convictions, it is open to all faiths, except no faith. The personal welfare of our members is vital to all of those in the Eastern Star and it is considered a privilege to help another member whenever we can.

The stated purposes of the organization are: Charitable, Educational, Fraternal and Scientific; but there is much more to it than that. Dr. Rob Morris, the Poet Laureate of Masonry, founded the Order using beautiful and inspiring biblical examples of heroic conduct and moral values. These portray the noble principles which should adorn the personal lives of Eastern Star members. Eastern Star strives to take good people and through uplifting and elevating associations of love and service, and through precept and example, build an Order which is truly dedicated to charity, truth and loving kindness.

Concrete evidence of the charitable nature of the organization as it affects others is the millions of dollars which have been raised within the membership to support national, jurisdictional, and local charities. Minnesota have two homes for their senior members.

History of the Order

The history of the Eastern Star is divided into three Eras:

1. The First Era extended from 1850 to 1866, under the leadership of Dr. Rob Morris, Poet Laureate of Masonry.
2. The Second Era extended from 1860 to 1876, under the leadership of Robert Macoy of New York.
3. The Third Era extends from 1876, when the General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, was established to the present time.

Of these eras, the first is perhaps the most important as it prepared the way for the other two.

The real origin of the Eastern Star, like Masonry, will always be shrouded in mystery. Many researchers believe it had a French origin as early as 1703. By some, this is claimed to be the first inception of "Female Masonry" or "Androgynous Degrees" -- (degrees for both men and women).

There appeared at this time, to be a demand for "Side Degrees" or Degrees conferred on ladies, and quite a list sprang up -- "Heroines of Jericho", "Danger in the Dark", "Tall Cedars of Lebanon", etc. These were extensively used but soon fell into decay, for lack of lasting worth.

As to the real origin of Eastern Star Degrees in its Initiatory form, there is not the least shadow of doubt that the honor belongs to Dr. Rob Morris and its real origin comes under the First Era.

Dr. Morris had traveled many years. He had written many books on Masonry which are now valued references in many Masonic Libraries.

Never quite satisfied that all the good in Masonry should be confined to men, Dr. Morris felt that Masonry should be for the whole family. But by the laws of that Ancient Order, women are not eligible for its degrees. Knowing he could not change the Ancient Landmarks of Masonry, Dr. Morris sought some method by which women could share with the Masonic Brother the same inspiration that "prompts man to noble deeds."

Although he harbored these feelings for years, it wasn't until 1850, while confined to his home after an accident, that Dr. Morris fully developed the Eastern Star Degrees in their present initiatory form.

During this time, he carefully thought out the symbolism and significance of the floor plan and the corps of officers. He conferred the degrees upon his wife and daughters, and some neighbors, presumably having an idea to clothe the ladies with certain words or signs whereby they might make themselves known to Master Masons.

These signs and so-called mysteries of the Order were communicated freely to all Master Masons and their relatives. Dr. Morris and other prominent Master Masons gave many lectures and conferred the degrees on many ladies throughout the nation.

Who May Join

Only men who are Masons are eligible and only women with specific Masonic affiliation may be members. These affiliations include:

• Affiliated Master Masons in good standing,
• the wives
• daughters
• legally adopted daughters
• mothers
• widows
• sisters
• half sisters
• granddaughters
• stepmothers
• stepdaughters
• stepsisters
• daughters-in-law
• grandmothers
• great granddaughters
• nieces
• great nieces
• mothers-in-law
• sisters-in-law

and daughters of sisters or brothers of affiliated Master Masons in good standing, or if deceased were in good standing at the time of their death; as well as members - either active for three(3) years or majority - of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls or of the International Order of Job's daughters, each of whom having attained to at least the age of eighteen (18) years, are eligible to membership in the Order of the Eastern Star.

How to Join

To inquire about membership, talk to a current member, or contact a local chapter.  To find a Chapter near you, click here and locate your city (or one nearby) in the list.  Note the Chapter Name, Number, Secretary's name and phone number. Petitions are carefully read, eligibility investigated and election to membership must be by unanimous vote. The Order strives to select persons of mental, moral and spiritual quality who will work together in harmony to perform its objectives.

White Shrine of Jerusalem

Founded in 1894, the Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem’s purpose is three-fold, Spiritual, Charitable and Fraternal bringing together Master Masons and their female relatives of high moral and social character to share their desire to spread the Christian Gospel, and assist the less fortunate and create enjoyable experiences for themselves.

The term “white” refers to the purity of the life of Jesus Christ and nothing to do with race or the racial makeup of the membership. Neither is it connected to the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS) to which some Master Masons (Shriners) belong. The Supreme Shrine is the governing body for this International organization.

Visit the White Shrine of Jersalem website for further information.

Scottish Rite

SPES MEA IN DEO EST
"My Hope Is In God"

The Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is, above all else, an educational institution. We seek not to teach men the truth but, instead, a way to the truth. Each must find the truth for himself. The degrees of the Scottish Rite do not teach specific lessons. Rather, they give parallel examples from earlier cultures, raise questions and challenge us to think.

Freemasonry, in each of its branches, is a journey of self-discovery and self-development. We seek only to be a guide, teaching the common ground of various philosophical and religious approaches to belief, in order that men might be more united in their standards of right and wrong and in their understanding of the reality of God.

The Mission of the Scottish Rite, S.J.
To improve it's members and enhance the communities in which they live
by teaching and emulating the Principles of
Brotherly Love, Tolerance, Charity and Truth,
while actively embracing high social, moral and spiritual values,
including fellowship, compassion
and dedication to God, family and country.

The Scottish Rite Creed
The cause of human progress is our cause,
the enfranchisement of human thought our supreme wish,
the freedom of human conscience our mission,
and the guarantee of equal rights to all peoples everywhere,
the end of our contention.

About the Scottish Rite

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is commonly known as the Scottish Rite. It is one of several appendant groups of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry. Each Valley has up to four Scottish Rite bodies, and each body confers a set of degrees. In the Southern Jurisdiction these are the Lodge of Perfection (4°–14°), Chapter of Rose Croix (15°–18°), Council of Kadosh (19°–30°), and the Consistory (31°–32°). The Supreme Council confers the 33rd Degree of Sovereign Grand Inspector General.

   

The Scottish Rite is one of the two branches of Freemasonry in which a Master Mason may proceed after he has completed the three degrees of Symbolic or Blue Lodge Masonry. The other branch is known as the York Rite, consisting of Royal Arch Masons, Royal and Select Masters and the Knights Templar.

For more information on the Scottish Rite, its organization, degrees and Valleys in Minnesota follow this link to the Orient of Minnesota web site:

Orient of Minnesota

Shrine

Shriners offers men and their families an opportunity to meet new friends who have similar interests. There are 191 Shrine Temples, or chapters, located in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Republic of Panama. Informal Shrine Clubs are located around the world.

Shriners of North America have a philanthropic mission as well-- to support Shriners Hospitals for Children, a world-class network of 22 pediatric specialty hospitals located throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Since 1922, Shriners Hospitals for Children have significantly improved the lives of more than 800,000 children.

If you hold the title of Master Mason in Freemasonry, you qualify and are invited to join the Shriners. — All We Need Is You.

Who are the Shriners?

A brotherhood of men...dedicated to fun and fellowship...but with a serious purpose. Shriners are distinguished by an enjoyment of life and a commitment to philanthropy. They enjoy parades, trips, dances, dinners, sporting events and other social occasions. They support what has been called the "World's Greatest Philanthropy," Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 pediatric specialty hospitals, operated and maintained by the Shriners. All children, up to 18 years old, may be eligible for treatment at Shriners Hospitals if they, in the opinion of the hospital's chief of staff, could benefit from the specialized care available at Shriners Hospitals. Eligibility is not based on financial need or relationship to a Shriner.

What is Masonry and what is the connection to the Shrine?
In order to become a Shriner, a man must first be a Mason. The fraternity of Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely known fraternity in the world. It dates back hundreds of years to the time when stonemasons and other craftsmen gathered in shelter houses or lodges. Over the years, formal Masonic lodges emerged, with members bound together not by trade, but by their own desire to be fraternal brothers.

The basic unit of Masonry is the Blue Lodge, where members earn the first three Masonic Degrees known as the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason. There is no higher degree than that of Master Mason (the Third Degree).

After he becomes a Master Mason, he can belong to many other organizations which have their roots in Masonry and which have Blue Lodge Masonry as a prerequisite. Only when a man has achieved the status of Master Mason can he petition to become a Noble of the Shrine of North America. 

What is the relationship between Shriners and Shriners Hospitals?

In a unique interdependent relationship, the Shriners and Shriners Hospitals are separate but inseparable.

The Shriners of North America supports Shriners Hospitals in many ways: Shrine Temples and clubs often help arrange and pay for transportation for children and parents to the hospitals, and thousands of Shriners spend many hours of their own time driving families to the hospitals and entertaining the patients.

In addition, Shriners helps support the hospitals financially, with each Shriner paying an annual $5 hospital assessment. Temples and clubs also hold many fundraisers, some of which benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children.

What are the benefits of becoming a Shriner?

• Membership in a well-known fraternal organization recognized for its social and philanthropic activities.
• Opportunity to develop lasting friendships with others from all walks of life
• A variety of social activities available for the entire family and many special-interest groups to meet individual interests
• The privilege of being part of the "Worlds Greatest Philanthropy," offering Shriners many opportunities to find personal fulfillment and satisfaction through supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children.

If you would like more information about the Shrine there are two Shrine Centers located in the Twin Cities and one in Duluth. Follow the links to your desired location:

Aad Shrine Temple - Duluth

Zuhrah Shrine Temple - Minneapolis

Osman Shrine Temple - St. Paul

Parts of Northwestern Minnesota are served by the Shrine Center located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Kem Temple.

Parts of Southwestern Minnesota are served by the Shrine Center located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, El Riad Temple.

The Shriners of North America

Finding Pieces of them Fills my Heart ...

I am enjoying finding little newspaper gems right now ....  

5 Aug 1965 ...... This is the Obit of my Great-Grandma (My Mom's Mom's Mom) .. her name was Eva.  

My Great-Grandfather Dana died a year and almost two months after my Great-Grandma Eva.  I had talked to my Mom about this and said "awwww he died of a broken heart" and she had told me how he had been really sick, suffering from some sort or infection or something - I'll have to ask her again.   But he didn't really let anyone know.  We had this discussion when we were talking about my Grandmother's sister Beverly.  

Oh I found it attached to a picture of him two months before he died:  Dana Wheaton July 1966 - two months before he died, about a year after Eva died. Mom said he bled to death, he had a cut in his throat that was aggravated by some procedure done by the doctors, and no one knew he was slowly bleeding to death. She said they found a lot of tums when they cleaned out his apartment (which he got after selling the house after Eva died)

Regardless .... here is his obituary I found... 

I'm not sure what the .... "Deborah Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star" is though... something to investigate.    **Looked it up, it's a type of (Chapter of) Freemasonry ...  he was also a Shriner...  see the Freemason blog! 

The other little gem I found - which actually broke my heart to find ....   was the obituary of my Uncle Lynn.  He was my Uncle Lance's twin brother.   From what my Grandma had told me - was that the twins were born ( Twins - Lance & Lynn - September 16, 1962 - Lance 4 lbs 1oz and Lynn 4 lbs 2.5 oz ... 12:44/ 12:48 pm ) ... the doctors said Lance was the sicker of the two of them.  They didn't expect him to live.  They had the twins baptized right away.  Then Lynn aspirated and didn't make it.  So they lost the twin they were hoping to take home and got the twin they were preparing to lose.  

From what I understood, they got no photos of Lynn.  They wouldn't let them take pictures until Lynn died and so they only got pictures of Lance.  However my Grandmother wrote something on the back of Lance's picture taken shortly after Lynn died that makes me wonder if the photographer may have gotten a photo of him.  

This is what she wrote on the back:  "Too bad the twins were too small to take from incubators for picture together on their day old one by photographer who comes in daily in the am" I didn't think there were any pictures of Lynn - and the story was that they finally convinced them to take a picture of Lance once they lost Lynn. Sounds like I misunderstood when Grandma told me that?

Getting Organized .....

So ......  I have a binder that I have some stuff in, I had a ton of loose papers .... this and that.   So I decided to get a file system going.

So ........  this may not be the case in everyone's searching because I realize that I am extremely lucky to be able to trace my family back to the 1300's and later.  I'm lucky where I can trace mine to British (and other nationality) Royalty ... who kept really good track of their heritage.

So not all of my ancestors have last names.  For example.....  the label of Plantagenet was attached as a last name when infact it was the HOUSE name.  So a lot of the House names, Clan names, Nobility issues were used as a "last name" to keep things more organized.  But it wasn't actually their last name.

Also, say in Norway ....  the family name was not always the same with in the same family.   For example, a man, Hans, has children with his wife.  Their children are given the surnames of .... "Hansson" if its a boy or "Hansdotter" if it's a girl.  So you can have a brother and sister without identical surnames.  So it can get confusing.

So while I have been researching to make sure my facts are straight.... when I put them in Ancestry, ESPECIALLY a husband and wife's children.  Because it seems that people on Ancestry connect a lot of children, the same children multiple times, one of them has multiple wives or husbands - and people are confused on the true father or true mother - so I try to get that corrected as much as possible.

So I staple the husband and wife together.   So I started a notebook to keep track of those I have printed off so I'm not duplicating information AND refer back if needed.

So sometimes people are filed under their first names, sometimes the surnames.  It depends on the time period.

There is also the issue of women not being important and not a lot of women's trees can be traced because it was the man's lineage that's important, not the mother's.   So if you can trace a woman back - you are lucky!!   I have pinned some things on Pinterest - some suggestions on how to help continue the searches for the women brink walls you hit.

Anyway ......

So I got to thinking about it and realized, I need an external way of knowing those I filed.  So I started a notebook.

The cover:

I thought it was appropriate!  And I hadn't used it for anything else yet.

On the first couple of pages I left open for my log in information for the sites I frequent (not a complete list) and yes I realize you can read my info - but my passwords are coded ....

So I had some large scrapbooking letters and used those for pages ...... and this is what I started doing...

So I list their name (names) .. the years they were alive if known (or about the time - like I will put 1600s if that's the era) ...  and if they are stapled to someone .....  if it's the cover page, I put stapled with meaning there is someone else behind them.  So (husband name-info) stapled with (wife's name) ...   If it's the wife... I use stapled to because it's the person on the front page.  So (wife's name-info) stapled to (husband's name).

And since there are some of the same people intertwined in the different sections of my trees (Me, Dennis, ex-husband for my older two kids, even Dennis' ex for his daughter, etc) ...  I am putting which person representing what main section of the tree that person belongs to - and if they belong to more than one, it'll be noted on there.   Also - if I copy things over to Word (like the 1st pic below) ... I am putting where I got the information ....  Also, if there is more than one person on a page, for example below....  John North is married to Dorothy Dale, once John died, Dorothy married James.   There are some pages where top man is linked to his father below his wife.  So I am learning you can't have too many notes on the paper to make things clear.

If it's informational papers - like the one below - I have who's side, attached to what family, and make sure the website is on there (in this case I printed it from the site I got it so it's on the bottom of the page) ....  

So ........ I'm getting organized on the cheap...  LOL... and it's still a work in progress.

If there is a story that I want to share on here, I'm going to make sure there is a star by it or something where I know to share the story if I'm not sharing the story right away.

I'm also taking a lot of screen captions and cropping it to the information I want.... (like the news articles I have found) ... and all that.

Onions in the Stew

So while I was digging around (general surname) searches for newspaper stuff.... I came across this little gem of a find.   

I am reading it, looking at it, re-reading it and I think.....  "That's my DAD!" ... LOL...  So I go onto my facebook tab and I send him a little message:

Me:  Dad..................
Me: You were in a play in highschool called "Onions in the Stew" ......

I never knew this... LOL... course I'm sure there is a whole history book I don't know about my Dad...  need to find all that out!

My Dad replied to me:  I was.... I was a sailor and Ruth Voight was "my gal" (she was too for a while in High school so was her sister Jackie) I wore dad Navy Uniform... 1st time I ever wore cracker jacks.

Yep, that is a gem of a find, for sure!

Now:  Funny note.   My Dad grew up in Wisconsin.  So did I for that matter.   Later, down the road - he got transferred (Navy) to the Puget Sound Area in Washington State.  Ironic?   Then my mom met a guy out here (also Navy guy) ...   and she moved out here.   Eventually I followed (in 2010) ... and now I live in the Puget Sound area.  

Funny......... I think so.......

Accidental Grandfather ......

So I have been looking up my family on some newspaper sites ....  and I found a few interesting things.  Like - my Grandfather Larry (my Mom's Dad) was prone to car accidents.  These are just two I found - imagine what I haven't! LOL

16 Feb 1962

10 April 1967

I remember my Grandmother would always HIT THE DASHBOARD with her hands or hit the car ceiling with her hands ...  when my Grandpa was driving.  I always thought she was crazy - over reacting - now I understand.   Grandpa had a HISTORY....  LOL...

Snipping the Family Tree

Okay - I get it - I admit it .......  I was a happy Ancestry(dot)com clicker.....

And I made a mistake......

and I am DEARLY paying for it now...

DEARLY ......

All those links into my Royal History were branched off the one MISTAKE .....

(insert rapid cussing here)

I'm not losing that link to the royal history I have - because that person that was placed in the spot as a mistake (husband's name is the same as grandfather's name - she was placed as wife for both) ....

So there I am building all this together - off the RIGHT person in the WRONG spot .... make sense?

Yep .......

So I took screen shots of the work I did off the right person - wrong spot - and CLICK.... DELETE ..... replaced with a picture .......