3,000-year-old butter found in Kildare bog

AN OAK barrel, full of butter, estimated to be roughly 3,000 years old has been found in Gilltown bog, between Timahoe and Staplestown.

The amazing discovery of the barrel, which is being described by archaeology experts in the National Museum as a "really fine example" was found by two Bord na Mona workers.

The pair, John Fitzharris and Martin Lane, were harrowing the bog one day in late May when they noticed a distinctive white streak in the peat.

"We got down to have a look. We knelt down and felt something hard and started to dig it out with out bare hands," John explained.

Read more here.

'Neolithic cathedral built to amaze’ unearthed in Orkney dig

A huge Neolithic cathedral, unlike anything else which can be seen in Britain, has been found in Orkney.

Archaeologists said that the building would have dwarfed the island’s landmarks from the Stone Age — the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. Nick Card, who is leading the dig at the Ness of Brodgar, said that the cathedral, which would have served the whole of the north of Scotland, would have been constructed to “amaze” and “create a sense of awe” among those who saw it.

It is about 65ft in length and width and would have dominated the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness which stand on either side. These important sites, dating back about 5,000 years, might have actually been peripheral features of Orkney’s Stone Age landscape. Mr Card said: “In effect it is a Neolithic cathedral for the whole of the north of Scotland.”

Read more here.

Study: Fire used to make tools 75,000 years ago

Early humans crossed a threshold around 75,000 years ago, when they started painting symbols, carving patterns and making jewelry. A new study found they also began to use fire to make tools around that time.

Until now, this complex, multistep process for tool making was only known to occur as recently as 25,000 years ago in Europe. But the new findings show this breakthrough occurred much earlier, and in Africa, not Europe.

By heating up stones in a fire before chipping away at them to make blades, early humans could make tools sharper and produce them more efficiently.

Read more here here, here, and here.

Early Human Hunters Had Fewer Meat-Sharing Rituals

UA anthropologist Mary Stiner has discovered that early stone-age hunters at Qesem Cave were skilled big game predators but shared their meat informally.

A University of Arizona anthropologist has discovered that humans living at a Paleolithic cave site in central Israel between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago were as successful at big-game hunting as were later stone-age hunters at the site, but that the earlier humans shared meat differently.

"The Lower Paleolithic (earlier) hunters were skilled hunters of large game animals, as were Upper Paleolithic (later) humans at this site," UA anthropology professor Mary C. Stiner said.

Read more here.

Archaeologists find cache of tablets in 2,700-year old Turkish temple

Excavations led by a University of Toronto archaeologist at the site of a recently discovered temple in southeastern Turkey have uncovered a cache of cuneiform tablets dating back to the Iron Age period between 1200 and 600 BCE. Found in the temple's cella, or 'holy of holies', the tablets are part of a possible archive that may provide insights into Assyrian imperial aspirations.

Read more here.

Social Networking for Genealogists

Go to: http://www.genealogywise.com/.

Lod Journal: Polishing a Lost Gem to Dazzle Tourists

The beauty of the exquisitely preserved ancient mosaic only seemed to underline the incongruity of its surroundings.

The late-Roman-era mosaic floor, one of the largest and finest in Israel, was unveiled by the authorities last week for just the second time since it was discovered 13 years ago in the dilapidated eastern section of this poor town near the international airport, south of Tel Aviv.

Some 1,700 years old, the magnificent tiled floor spreads over almost 2,000 square feet, shaded from the harsh summer sun by a thin awning and surrounded by a canvas fence. A panoply of colorful depictions of birds, fish, exotic animals and merchant ships, the mosaic conjures up an intriguing reminder of Lod’s more glorious past.

The archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority believe the mosaic, which lacks any inscriptions, was commissioned by a wealthy individual who owned a grand villa here. Lod, which is mentioned in the Bible, was an important center in ancient times, and this part of it is known to have been a neighborhood of the rich.

Read more here.

Israeli Archeologists Unearth Herod’s Quarry

On Monday the Israel Antiquity Authority said that they believed archeologists may have unearthed a stone quarry used by King Herod—known throughout most of the western world as the Roman king of the Holy Land during Christ’s birth—to build a number of famous structures, including the Jewish Temple and the Western Wall.

The quarry appears to be just one portion of a large system of quarries located inside the ancient city.

Archeologists have indicated that the size of the stones extracted have offered clues as to what kind of construction they were used for. Some of the largest stones chiseled out of the 1,000-square-foot quarry have dimensions of roughly 9 foot by 6 foot by 6 foot—almost identical to the measurements of the massive blocks used to construct the Temple and the Western Wall.

According to Ofer Sion, director of the excavation project, “[t]he dimensions of the stones that were produced in the quarry that was revealed are suitable for the Temple walls.”

Read more here.

A deeper look at Peking Man site

RESEARCHERS yesterday began excavation work in the Zhoukoudian Caves in a suburb of Beijing, where the skulls of Peking Man, or Homo erectus, were found in the 1920s and 1930s.

The work will help scientists gain a better understanding of the lives of early humans.

Researchers will excavate 20 square meters along the western wall of the site, called Locality 1, Gao Xing, deputy director and research fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Palaeoanthropology, said yesterday.

Locality 1, where the first complete skull of Peking Man was found, used to be a 20-meter-wide, 140-meter-deep cave, but the ceiling collapsed. The four-month project aims to protect the western wall from further collapse, he said.

Read more here.

A life dedicated to antiquity

It’s never a good idea to keep Zahi Hawass waiting.

“You’re three minutes late,” the celebrated Egyptian archaeologist told a group of San Francisco visitors one very warm April morning at Saqqara, an ancient burial city site dominated by the world’s oldest pyramid (circa 2700 B.C.).

Hawass was standing in full Egyptian sunlight, shielded only by one of the battered, sweat-stained leather hats that have become his trademark costume pieces in public and on numerous History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic TV special appearances. Hawass didn’t smile as he led his guests to the opening of a nearby cave. He rarely does.

Inside the cave, Hawass pointed out a touchingly beautiful wall carving that he believes represents a young Tutankhamun with his wet nurse, Maya, their faces close together and arms intertwined.

Read more here.

'Oldest musical instrument' found

The flutes are the oldest musical instruments found to date.

The researchers say in the Journal Nature that music was widespread in pre-historic times.

Music, they suggest, may have been one of a suite of behaviours displayed by our own species which helped give them an edge over the Neanderthals.

The team from Tubingen University have published details of three flutes found in the Hohle Fels cavern in southwest Germany.

The cavern is already well known as a site for signs of early human efforts; in May, members of the same team unveiled a Hohle Fels find that could be the world's oldest Venus figure.

Read more here and here.

Forensic artists put different faces on 2,800-year-old mummy

When the 2,800-year-old mummy of an Egyptian court singer went on display at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute in February, Emily Teeter, the curator, wished she had a way for visitors to see the young woman's face so they could better understand her.

It didn't take long for that face to reappear after nearly three millennia. Two artists stepped forward, offering to do portraits of the performer using separate police forensic methods normally employed to recreate the faces of unidentified, cold-case homicide victims.

The artists, Joshua Harker of Chicago and Mike Brassell of Baltimore, worked independently and unaware of the other's efforts, each using highly detailed CT-scan images of the skull of Meresamun, a singer who died roughly 800 years before the birth of Christ.

Read more here and here.

Carvings From Cherokee Script’s Dawn

The illiterate Cherokee known as Sequoyah watched in awe as white settlers made marks on paper, convinced that these “talking leaves” were the source of white power and success. This inspired the consuming ambition of his life: to create a Cherokee written language.

Born around 1770 near present-day Knoxville, Tenn., he was given the name George Gist (or Guess) by his father, an English fur trader, and his mother, a daughter of a prominent Cherokee family. But it was as Sequoyah that around 1809 he started devising a writing system for the spoken Cherokee language.

Ten years later, despite the ridicule of friends who thought him crazed, he completed the script, in which each of the 85 characters represented a distinct sound in the spoken tongue, and combinations of these syllables spelled words. Within a few years, most Cherokees had adopted this syllabary, and Sequoyah became a folk hero as the inventor of the first Native American script in North America.

Read more here.

Bulgarian Archaeologists Uncover Intact Thracian Settlement

A team of Bulgarian archaeologists has uncovered a Thracian settlement close to the southeast town of Nova Zagora.

The team of Konstantin Gospodinov and Veselin Ignatov from the city of Burgas hope that their finding would be the first Thracian settlement to be uncovered in its entirety.

The settlement is located along the Blatnitsa River. It had a moat around it, and include large buildings rising above the ground, news.dir.bg [in Bulgarian] reported.

Read more here (in English).

Study: Food storage began well before farming

People were storing grain long before they learned to domesticate crops, a new study indicates. A structure used as a food granary discovered in recent excavations in Jordan dates to about 11,300 years ago, according to a report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

That's as much as a thousand years before people in the Middle East domesticated grain, the research team led by anthropologist Ian Kuijt of the University of Notre Dame said.

Remains of wild barley were found in the structure, indicating that the grain was collected and saved even though formal cultivation had not yet developed.

Read more here and read the original research article at PNAS.

Neanderthals Made Mammoth Jerky

Necessity compelled Neanderthals to dry hunks of big game meat for easy transport, according to a new study on the survival needs of Neanderthals.

Neanderthals also likely wore tailored clothing, according to the new study, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Archaeology.

The findings help to explain how Neanderthals could transport meat over long distances without it rotting, as well as how they survived the often chilly conditions of Northern Europe.

See more here.

Intact ancient tomb uncovered in Bethlehem

Workers renovating a house in the traditional town of Jesus' birth accidentally discovered an untouched ancient tomb containing clay pots, plates, beads and the bones of two humans, a Palestinian antiquities official said Tuesday.

The 4,000-year-old tomb provides a glimpse of the burial customs of the area's inhabitants during the Canaanite period, said Mohammed Ghayyada, director of the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Workers in a house near the Church of the Nativity uncovered a hole leading to the grave, which was about one meter (yard) below ground, he said. They contacted antiquities officials, who photographed the grave intact before removing its contents.

They dated the grave to the Early Bronze Age, between 1,900 B.C. and 2,200 B.C.

Read more here.

Lod Mosaic

Thirteen years after one of the most beautiful mosaics ever to be seen in the country was covered over, the Israel Antiquities Authority, in cooperation with the municipality of Lod and its residents, is beginning an archaeological excavation that will re-expose the mosaic, once and for all. Some 30,000 people from all over the country visited the site during one weekend when the mosaic was on display to the public.

The 1,700 year old mosaic floor, which is one of the most magnificent and largest mosaics ever revealed in Israel, was first uncovered in the city of Lod in 1996. The mosaic is a real archaeological gem and extraordinarily well-preserved. It covers an area of approximately 180 square meters and is composed of colored carpets that depict in detail mammals, birds, fish, a variety of flora and the sailing and merchant ships that were used at the time. The purpose of the building in which the mosaic floor was placed is not known.

Read more here.

Ancient Holy Land quarry uncovered, team says

Israeli archaeologists said on Sunday they had discovered the largest underground quarry in the Holy Land, dating back to the time of Jesus and containing Christian symbols etched into the walls.

The 4,000-square-meter (yard) cavern, buried 10 meters beneath the desert near the ancient West Bank city of Jericho, was dug about 2,000 years ago and was in use for about half a millennium, archaeologist Adam Zertal said.

Read more here.

Update:



Read more here.

Archaeologists unearth kiln site of pioneer master potter

In 1852, Thomas Davenport fired up a kiln in southern Utah's first pioneer settlement and started making pottery and crockery that slowly spread through the West along with his reputation as a craftsman.

The old site in Parowan, where Davenpoprt manufactured the clay pieces, is being excavated now by a team from Michigan Technological University led by a associate professor who has been studying Davenport and his work for the past 10 years.

Timothy Scarlett said the site is significant in understanding the artisans and industry of the West and culture of pioneers with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who settled in the area.

Read more here.

Ancient artifacts sacred, not trivial

George Hawkins ("Let ordinary people collect artifacts," June 16) is pretty sure he can make an Anasazi pot, one that he doubts even an expert could tell from an old one.

Hawkins is likely a very skilled artist and I commend the hard work it must have taken to reach that level of skill.

But what he is making is a replica, not an Anasazi pot, because he's not an Anasazi. They disappeared from the region a long time ago.

Hawkins also thinks ordinary people ought to be able to collect ancient artifacts from public land. His thinking reveals that he is missing a large part of the picture of what ancient artifacts are and why we want to protect them.

Read more here.

The New Acropolis Museum

The new Acropolis Museum opened today in Athens. You can explore it online at http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr (in Greek) or http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/?pname=Home&la=2 (in English).

Llanrwst builders discover 17th century bridge remains

CONTRACTORS working on flood defences in Llanrwst have unearthed the original 17th century footings of the town’s historic bridge.

Contractor May Gurney had to down tools last Thursday when original footings from the approach to the Pont Fawr bridge, dating back to 1636 and designed by Inigo Jones, where uncovered.

Project manager Gareth Evans made the historic discovery.

Read more here.

Jornada Mogollon artifacts found at White Sands

Artifacts have been found near White Sands Missile Range of the Jornada Mogollon, who lived mostly in the Tularosa Basin more than 650 years ago.

The archeological find was discovered last year during preliminary site preparation for construction of facilities for the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which was activated at White Sands in October. Archaeologists consider the artifacts "a significant discovery" because they suggest that the Jornada Mogollon temporarily occupied the site two separate times, first around A.D. 1150 and the second from about A.D. 1250 to 1350.

Read more here.

Major Archaeological Find in Kent County, Delaware

A rare find in Delaware is giving archaeologists a look at how Native Americans used to live in that state. After months of digging at a site near Frederica, dozens of tools and artifacts used by Native Americans have been found.

Archaeologists hope to learn a lot from what they found. Some of the artifacts are rare. Already at the Frederica site old spear heads have been found.

Read more here.

Meriwether Lewis: suicide or murder?

The small band of travelers rode north on the Natchez Trace, winding through the Tennessee wilderness en route to Washington, D.C.

Leading them was Meriwether Lewis, who just three years earlier had helped blaze a trail to the Pacific Ocean, cementing his fame and power in a young America.

On this journey in October 1809, Lewis' heart was heavy with problems. He was sick and in financial straits. The task of completing his Lewis and Clark Expedition journals weighed on the 35-year-old explorer, as did the politics of the day.

Read more here.

New Tombs Found on Luxor's West Bank

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, announced today that an Egyptian archaeological mission led by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), has discovered an 18th Dynasty tomb (1570-1315 BC) in the necropolis of Dra Abu el-Naga, on Luxor's west bank.

Dr. Hawass stated that the newly discovered tomb belongs to the Supervisor of Hunters, Amun-em-Opet, and that it dates to shortly before the reign of King Akhenaten (1372-1355 BC).

Read more here.

Dig reveals colonial school artifacts

Two hundred-plus years ago a school on the corner of Bridge and St. George streets and financed by the Spanish government allowed boys -- both black and white -- a free education.

On Tuesday, City of St. Augustine Archaeologist Carl Halbirt was excavating the corner and musing on the similarities between then and now.

"You have the ideal version, and then you have reality," Halbirt said.

Read more here.

Digging into Maryland's Colonial past

Parts of Charles County's Zekiah Swamp are every bit as inhospitable as the name suggests, choked with tick-infested woods and boot-sucking wetlands.

But as archaeologists are discovering to their delight, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries Zekiah was a growth center for the young Maryland colony.

The site of a 1674 courthouse was found last summer. Excavations this month have uncovered what might be traces of the "summer house" that Gov. Charles Calvert built to dodge his political enemies. And diggers are searching for traces of Zekiah Fort, built in 1680 to resettle several hundred "friendly" Piscataway Indians.

Read more here.

Maya Intensively Cultivated Manioc 1,400 Years Ago

A University of Colorado at Boulder team has uncovered an ancient and previously unknown Maya agricultural system -- a large manioc field intensively cultivated as a staple crop that was buried and exquisitely preserved under a blanket of ash by a volcanic eruption in present-day El Salvador 1,400 years ago.

Evidence shows the manioc field -- at least one-third the size of a football field -- was harvested just days before the eruption of the Loma Caldera volcano near San Salvador in roughly A.D. 600, said CU-Boulder anthropology Professor Payson Sheets, who is directing excavations at the ancient village of Ceren. The cultivated field of manioc was discovered adjacent to Ceren, which was buried under 17 feet of ash and is considered the best preserved ancient farming village in all of Latin America.

Read more here.

Excavation reveals ancient aqueduct in Jerusalem

The Israel Antiquities Authority uncovered the main aqueduct that conveyed water to the Sultan's Pool during an excavation prior to the construction of the Montefiore Museum in Mishkenot Sha'ananim by the Jerusalem Foundation. The ancient aqueduct supplied pilgrims and residents with water for drinking and purification.

Most Jerusalemites identify the Sultan's Pool as a venue where large cultural events are held; however, for hundreds of years it was one of the city’s most important water reservoirs.

In an archaeological excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority recently conducted prior to the construction of the Montefiore Museum, which the Jerusalem Foundation plans to build in Mishkenot Sha'ananim, an aqueduct was uncovered that conveyed water to the Temple Mount and also served as the principal water supply to the Sultan's Pool. The excavation, directed by Gideon Solimany and Dr. Ron Beeri of the Israel Antiquities Authority, focused on a section along the course of the low-level aqueduct, on the western side of Ben Hinnoam Valley above the Derekh Hebron bridge.

Read more here.

An Interesting Idea

Dan Savage has an interesting idea for some civil disobedience . . .

Longtime gay activist Cleve Jones is leading the charge for the "National Equality March," a gay march on Washington called for October 11 of this year. Many folks are opposed—there's not enough time to organize a march, Congress isn't in session that week, marches don't accomplish much, a march eats up resources and energy—and Queerty has a good point/counterpoint interview/argument with Cleve. I'm officially agnostic: if people want to march, they can march.

But I have suggestion for an ongoing, smaller-scale action that would have a larger impact than a one-off "march" through an empty city. My idea would need fewer than a 1000 people to succeed—730 to be exact—and it wouldn't be over in a day. It would go on, day-in, day-out, every day, for a year. Hell, it could go on indefinitely. It involves civil disobedience and the 730 volunteers would have to be willing to get arrested. People who are unable to participate could make donations to help cover the expenses—legal expenses and travel expenses—of those who can.

Read more at The Stranger.

Huge Pre-Stonehenge Complex Found via "Crop Circles"

Given away by strange, crop circle-like formations seen from the air, a huge prehistoric ceremonial complex discovered in southern England has taken archaeologists by surprise.

A thousand years older than nearby Stonehenge, the site includes the remains of wooden temples and two massive, 6,000-year-old tombs that are among "Britain's first architecture," according to archaeologist Helen Wickstead, leader of the Damerham Archaeology Project.

Read more here.

A Peek into 18th-century Life

Rich Remer mined his family's Kensington past for a quarter-century.

He found deeds, wills, letters, newspaper clippings, maps, diaries. The material took him to the first Remer in the colonies, a German butcher who lived on Shackamaxon Street by the Delaware River in the mid-1700s.

A decade ago, he thought he had exhausted all leads.

Then came unexpected news two weeks ago: Archaeologists for the state had unearthed 25,000 artifacts from a Fishtown property once owned by his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, the butcher Godfrey Remer.

Read more here.

Lost Aztec tomb lies under Mexico City

"Archeologists digging in the dirt and black ooze under Mexico City's most important public square have been tantalized for decades by the possibility of a great treasure and likely burial place of one of the last Aztec rulers."

See more here.

Save Ohio Museums: This Place Matters

Save Ohio Museums



On Friday, May 29, the Ohio Senate made big budget cuts that once again targeted the Ohio Historical Society. The Senate changes slashed funding for the Society from $13.56 million two years ago to $10 million for Fiscal Year 2010─a 26-percent decrease. This represents the lowest allocation of state funding for the Society since FY 1994.The Senate changes reduced the Society's Outreach Services (line 509 in the Society's state budget) from $703,638 to $0 and removed $750,000 in funding for Sites. See more here.

A Proclamation

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release, June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

See the rest here.

Ancient handle with Hebrew text found in Jerusalem

Archaeologists digging on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives have discovered a nearly 3,000-year-old jar handle bearing ancient Hebrew script, a find significantly older than most inscribed artifacts unearthed in the ancient city, an archaeologist said.

The Iron Age handle is inscribed with the Hebrew name Menachem, which was the name of an Israelite king and is still common among Jews. Read more here.

5760

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!


Dad and Mom, 07 May 1960



Dad, Mom, and Mom's parents, Mary Eileen and Benedict Roddy, 07 May 1960



Dad, Mom, and Dad's parents, Freda and Harry Schoen, 07 May 1960

Front: Harry and Freda Schoen and Mary Eileen and Benedict Roddy
Back: Neil Schoen (Dad's brother and Best Man), Dad, Mom, Carol Mulivihill (Maid of Honor)

Palestinians busted trying to sell 2,000 year-old Hebrew scroll

Two Palestinians were arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing a rare antique Hebrew scroll and attempting to sell it for millions of dollars.

Police apprehended the two suspects in Jerusalem after an intelligence tip allowed police forces to trace their tracks and intercept the document's sale. See more here.

"Dark Age" Temple Found in Turkey

The director of this excavation, Timothy Harrison of the University of Toronto, is a friend of mine from graduate school.


An ancient temple in Turkey has been found filled with broken metal, ivory carvings, and stone slabs engraved with a dead language.

The find is casting new light on the "dark age" that was thought to have engulfed the region from 1200 to 900 B.C. See more here.

Fragment Of Hebrew Inscription From Period Of Kings Of Judah Found

ScienceDaily (2009-04-25) -- A fragment of a limestone plaque bearing several letters of ancient Hebrew script was discovered while sifting soil that was excavated in the vicinity of the Gihon Spring, within the precincts of the "Walls around Jerusalem National Park". See more here.

Gay Marriage = Religious Freedom

Long Time No Blog

It's been almost two months since I last posted. I'm not sure why I've been so lazy. I guess I needed time to think about what kinds of posts I'd been making. I was focusing too much on just genealogy and I'd like to branch out some.

Last week was my mother's birthday. More that 30 years ago, Mom told us (her children) that we didn't have to celebrate her birthday as long as we remembered Mother's Day and my parent's anniversary. I have dutifully followed her instructions ever since. However, I've been thinking about some of the pictures I have of my mother from her childhood and I thought I would share them. I love seeing pictures of my parents when they were young. It somehow makes them even more human in my eyes.

Mom (1940)

Aunt Shirley, Mom, and Aunt Mary Ann (1940)

Mom (about 1944)

Mom (1946)

Uncle Ben and Mom (about 1945)

Mom (about 1950)

Mom (about 1955)

Mom (1958)

Mom and Dad (about 1958)

Dad and Mom (1960)

20 Years

Twenty years ago today Chuck and I met for the first time. We were introduced through a now-defunct computer dating service called, Comquest. We exchanged letters and phone calls before setting up a lunch date on the next Saturday, 28 January. I did meet one other person through Comquest but didn't pursue a relationship because the first date with Chuck went well enough. I ordered tuna salad for lunch, being that I was a somewhat poor graduate student. Chuck's reply was "How original!" I completely missed the sarcasm in his reply.

Chuck has said that he knew on our first date that I was the one. It took me a bit longer to get there, but after a month, I had a pretty good idea. Perhaps I should have known when, for our third date, he bought us tickets to Gone With the Wind at the Music Box theatre. 

The first summer we were together was a bit of a nightmare.I had commited to going to Israel for two months to work on an archaeological excavation. Those were the longest and hardest two months of my life, or so I thought at the time. It is certainly not something I would recommend to anyone in a new relationship. When I came back to Chicago in August, we moved in together. 

Because he came "Just in Time."

MFH: 25 January

Today is the 249th anniversary of the birth of my 5th great-grandmother, Maria Elisabetha Wagner. Maria Elisabetha was born 25 January 1760 in Frohnhofen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Maria Elisabetha was the daughter of Theobald and Sophia Magdalena (Berg) Wagner. On 26 September 1786, she married Johann Theobald Bender in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Maria Elisabetha and Johann Theobald had three children, two daughters and one son. Maria Elisabetha died on 04 March 1813 in Altenkirchen.

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My descent from Maria Elisabetha is:
Maria Elisabetha Wagner + Johann Theobald Bender
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
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Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
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Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
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John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
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Harry Fredrick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
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My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 23 January

Today is the 175th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-grandmother, Margaret L. King. Margaret was born 23 January 1834 in Monroe County, Ohio. Margaret is one of the most persistent brick walls in my genealogical research. I do not know who her parents were. I've had no luck, except finding her birth date, tracing her before her marriage. She was married in about 1853 in Monroe County, Ohio, to Thomas E. Needs, whose origins are equally mysterious.

Thomas E. Needs and Margaret L. King, my great-great-grandparents.

Margaret and Thomas had ten children, three daughters and seven sons. Margaret died 02 March 1888 at Cow Run, Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio and is buried there in Mt. Zion Cemetery.

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My descent from Margaret is:
Margaret L. King + Thomas E. Needs
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James Eldridge Needs + Rena Belle Fleming
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Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
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My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 22 January

Today is the 291st anniversary of the marriage of my 7th great-grandparents, Mercy Dean and Ebenezer Seely. Mercy and Ebenezer were married 22 January 1718 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

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Mercy was born in about 1700 in Stamford. Ebenezer was born 18 January 1697, also in Stamford, the second son (of four) and fourth child (of six) of Jonas and Mary (Wicks) Seely. Mercy and Ebenezer had thirteen children, three daughters and ten sons. Mercy died about 1744 in New Canaan, Connecticut. Ebenezer died 07 March 1767 in Goshen, Orange, New York, USA.

My descent from Mercy and Ebenezer is:
Mercy Dean + Ebenezer Seely
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Jonas Seely + Sarah Bartlett
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Joseph Seely + Elizabeth Haines
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William Gedney Seely + Hannah Ferris
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Joseph Seely + Caroline S. Richards
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Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
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Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
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Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
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My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Today is also the 213th anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Rosanna Hanbach and James Lowe. Rosanna and James were married 22 January 1796 in Fauquier County, Virginia.

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Rosanna was born in 1776 in Pennsylvania, the second daughter (of three) and third child (of six), of John and Mary (Huffman) Hanback. James was born 05 January 1755 in Kirk, Scotland, UK, a son of John Lowe. Rosanna and James had eleven children, six daughters and five sons. James died in about 1814 in Monroe County, Ohio. Rosanna died in about 1850 in Morgan County, Ohio.

My descent from Rosanna and James is:
Rosanna Hanbach + James Lowe
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Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
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Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
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Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
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Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
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Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
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My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 18 January

Today is 312th anniversary of the birth of my 7th great-grandfather, Ebenezer Seely. Ebenezer was born 18 January 1697 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

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Ebenezer was the second son (of four) and fourth child (of six) of Jonas and Mary (Wicks) Seely. On 22 January 1718 Ebenezer married Mercy Dean in Stamford. Ebenezer and Mercy had thirteen children, three daughters and ten sons. Ebenezer died 07 March 1767 in Goshen, Orange, New York, USA. He is buried in the Old Seeley Cemetery, Cromline Kill, Orange County, New York.

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My descent from Ebenezer is:
Ebenezer Seely + Mercy Dean
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Jonas Seely + Sarah Bartlett
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Joseph Seely + Elizabeth Haines
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William Gedney Seely + Hannah Ferris
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Joseph Seely + Caroline S. Richards
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Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
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Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
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Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
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My Mother + My Father
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Me

MFH: 13 January

Today is the 283rd anniversary of the birth of my 7th great-grandfather, Johann Jacob Heimbach. Johann was born 13 January 1726 in Seelbach, Germany. There are six towns named Seelbach in modern Germany. I'm not entirely certain which one Johann lived in, but I think it was Seelbach, Siegen, Germany:

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Johann was the youngest son (of seven) and youngest child (of fourteen) of Johannes and Elsa Katharina (Schneider) Heimbach. At some point he immigrated to the USA and in the 1740s married Mary Gertrude Young. Johann and Mary had seven children, four daughters and three sons. Johann died in Culpeper County, Virginia in November 1785.

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My descent from Johann is:
Johann Jacob Heimbach + Mary Gertrude Young
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John Hanback + Mary Huffman
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Rosanna Hanbach + James Lowe
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Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
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Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
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Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
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Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
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Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
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My Father + My Mother
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Me

Today is also the 272nd anniversary of the birth of my 6th great-grandmother, Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann. Anna Elisabetha was born 13 January 1737 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Anna Elisabetha was the elder daughter and second child (of four) of Hanß Michael and Elisabetha Catharina (Schütz) Hofmann. On 24 November 1755 in Altenkirchen, she married Johann Peter Bender. Anna Elisabetha and Johann Peter had eight children, two daughters and six sons. Anna Elisabetha died in Altenkirchen on 27 November 1799.

My descent from Anna Elisabetha is:
Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann + Johann Peter Bender
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Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
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Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
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Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
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Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
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John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
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Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
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My Father + My Mother
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Me

MFH: 11 January

Today is the 224th anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Maria Catharina Mehl and Johann Jacob Becker. Maria Catharina and Johann Jacob were married 11 January 1785 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Maria Catharina was born 11 April 1763 in nearby Herschweiler, the daughter of Peter and Anna Margaretha (Müller) Mehl. Johann Jacob was born 10 April 1759 in Altenkirchen, the third son (of six) and third child (of nine) of Johann Adam and Elisabetha Barbara (Molter) Becker. Maria Catharina and Johann Jacob had four children, three daughters and one son. Johann Jacob died 13 January 1805 in Altenkirchen. Maria Catharina died there also but at an unknown date.

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My descent from Maria Catharina and Johann Jacob is:
Maria Catharina Mehl + Johann Jacob Becker
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Catharina Barbara Becker + Johann Theobald Bender
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Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
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Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
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John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
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Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
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My Father + My Mother
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Me

MFH: 07 January

Today is the 247th anniversary of the marriage of my 6th great-grandparents, Barbara Junckin and Johannes Jost. Barbara and Johannes were married 07 January 1762 in Obermoschel, Donnersbergkreis, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Barbara was born 28 March 1738 in Obermoschel, the eldest daughter (of four) and eldest child (of five) of Bernard and Maria Magdalena (Sues) Junck. I don't have any information about the parents or family of Johannes. Barbara and Johannes had six children, two daughters and four sons.

My descent from Barbara and Johannes is:
Barbara Junckin + Johannes Jost
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Peter Jost + Katharina Hütter
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Margarethe Jost + Jacob Schön
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Johannes Schoen + Margaretha Bender
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Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
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John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
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Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
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My Father + My Mother
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Me

Today is also the 198th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandfather, Anton Kress. Anton was born 11 January 1811 in Hessen, Germany. By 1842 he was marriedto Eva Wehner (Warner) and living near Fulda, Monroe County, Ohio. [In 1851, when Noble County was formed Fulda was in the new county.] Anton and Eva had seven children, five daughters and two sons. Anton died 20 June 1883 at Fulda, Noble County, Ohio.

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My descent from Anton is:
Anton Kress + Eva Wehner
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Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress + Frederick August Schoen
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John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
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Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
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My Father + My Mother
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Me

MFH: 05 January

Today is the 254th anniversary of the birth of my 5th great-grandfather, James Lowe. James was born 05 January 1755 in Kirk, Scotland.

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James was the son of John Lowe. James Lowe enlisted as a private in the First Maryland Regiment under Col. John H. Stone in 1778 for three years service (The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume 43, page 206). On 22 January 1796 in Fauquier County, Virginia he married Rosanna Hanbach. James and Rosanna had eleven children, six daughters and five sons.

My descent from James is:
James Lowe + Rosanna Hanbach
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Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
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Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
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Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
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Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
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Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
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My Father + My Mother
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Me

MFH: 02 January

Today is the 358th anniversary of the marriage of my 9th great-grandparents, Margaretha Nied and Hanß Cloß. Margaretha and Hanß were married 02 January 1651 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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I don't have many details about Margaretha and Hanß. I know that Margaretha was born in nearby Dittweiler and that Hanß died before 1669. Margaretha and Hanß had two children, one daughter and one son.

Today is also the 190th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandfather, Johannes Schoen. Johannes was born 02 January 1819 in Kübelberg, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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On 23 August 1843, in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, Johannes was married to Margaretha Bender, the 4th great-granddaughter of Margaretha Nied and Hanß Cloß. Margaretha and Johannes had four children, one daughter and three sons. One daughter and one son died in Germany. on 26 July 1856, Margaretha, Johannes and their two surviving sons arrived at the port of New York on board the ship Havre. By 1860, they had settled in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio, living on Hart Street.

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By 1870, their younger son, Karl had died and my the mid-1870's they had purchased 150 acres of land at Hohman in Ludlow Township, northeast of Marietta.

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Johannes died on the Schoen farm at Hohman on 20 May 1901 and is buried nearby in St. Patrick's Cemetery.


The obituary of Johannes Schoen.


















My descent from Margaretha and Hanß and Johannes is:
Margaretha Nied + Hanß Cloß
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Hanß Theobald Cloß + Anna Maria [Unknown]
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Anna Elisabetha Cloß + Johann Georg Bender
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Johann Peter Bender + Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann
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Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
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Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
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Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
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Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
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John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
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Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
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My Father + My Mother
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Me