27 April 2011

deMacedo Family Home - 1956

I collected a few old pictures from my Grandmother (Deolinda) many years ago and am finally going to do something with them. As they make the move to an acid free photo album I thought I'd share them. I emailed my Dad and asked for some more information.

Here's what he said about this picture: I'm the baby, Walter is the 6 yrs old (or a few months before his b-day). This is the house where I lived my first 13 years.

Later, I received another email with a story he thought of when he saw this picture. It's really cute and says a lot for the type of father, and grandfather, that Genival was.

The stork trip to Vista Alegre back in 1956. by Nilton deMacedo

If there is one thing that my dad did well was to tell stories. He would resort to vivid details, so specific that I still can see (in my mind) how the story came to life when I heard them as a little boy. He was very good in telling the story almost verbatim every time, and he never sounded bored, on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy as much as I did.

The first story I can recall I heard for the first time when I was very, very, small. The versions I recall come from when I was about 5 maybe 6 years old. Every birthday, or when a neighbor or family member had a baby, I would ask him to tell me this story. Besides telling the story he would walk around our yard and show me where the fictitious story would have happened, as if he wanted to prove it true. As I said, the details were precise, down to specific facts that made the story so believable. I will try to re-count as close to what I heard, in his words, and in brackets I’ll add my comments to clarify items that may not make sense for someone outside of the family.

I guess this story came as a result of me (or my brother, who was six years older than me) asking about our birth. The question must have been something like: Why was I born into this family, and not any other? How did I get here?

This gave origin to the story of the “Visit from Ms. Stork”, and it went like this [the times I recall he was alone in the yard with me. Maybe my brother was getting too old for these stories]:

When babies are ready to be born, a Stork is called to take that baby to their future parents. Your mommy and I were waiting for a visit from Ms. Stork for more than five years (so your brother could have a brother or sister to play with). Because of the large avocado tree by the side of the house, and a coconut tree on the front, our home was not very visible from above and every time the stork came by with a baby she would (by mistake) deliver it to the neighbors instead. [That explained why they had nine children, at least to me].

I had enough of it [again, these are my dad’s word], so almost daily I went to the upstairs room [we had an extra bedroom above on the second floor with a window to the front of the house, with better visibility because it was a little above the avocado tree]. I decided to look for the stork as often as I could, to make it sure she wouldn’t miss our house again. Every day I would go up there, go to the window and watch the skies. It took a long time, but one day I saw it coming in our direction with a baby in its beak. That was you. I started waiving my hands, screaming, trying to get the storks attention. At first she ignored me and flew past our home, towards the neighbors house [the lady with nine kids]. I didn’t give up. I ran downstairs, grabbed a dish cloth in the kitchen and started waiving it towards the stork that was now going in circles, round and round, preparing to land.

[At this point my dad would take me outside, if we were not there already, and show me exactly where all that “happened”].

I waived the dish cloth, I screamed, I waived my hands. Your mom and your grandma came out to see what was happening. I started climbing the avocado tree and jumped from there into the neighbor’s roof. The stork was very close to landing when she saw me. I told her that I was expecting that baby for so long; it wasn’t fair to give you to the neighbors, who already had their hands full. The stork finally ended the slow descending and landed on the neighbor’s roof, gave me a curious look (they don’t talk, but she understood what I was saying) and I guess she decided I was right and slowly walked my way with you in her beak. I was so happy! I got you in my arms, and I could hear your mom and grandma screaming in excitement down below us.

I couldn’t get down through the avocado tree, because I could slip and drop you, so I walk carefully towards the window of the bedroom on our house upper level and by then your grandma was already there, arms open to get you.

Can you see that bent rain gutter and the cracked ceramic tile? [I would acknowledge that I could spot them]. I bent the gutter and cracked the tile when I was walking on the roof, because I’m so heavy for those fragile tiles. I never fixed them because they remind me of that wonderful day, March 12, 1956. [I still remember vividly that every time I saw the bent rain-gutter and the cracked tile I would think about the story and how I was “born”]

After grandma got you, your mom came in also and you were going from one to the other. I just climbed in through the window, and you were now part of the family. That was a close call. If I had missed the stork’s visit, Abel and Wilma [Our next door neighbors - I don’t recall her last name, we never used it!] would have had 10 kids instead.

That was an adventure for all of us, but it was well worth.

26 April 2011

Deolinda's Employment Identification Card, 1954

As the story goes, Deolinda worked as an Accountant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Federal government. I've been told she was one of the, if not the, first female Accountant in Rio. Below is her Identification card and transcriptions of what it says. (Click on images to see larger)
Around the outside: Departamento Federal de Segurança Publica, Instituto Felix Pacheco (Federal Department of Public Safety, Felix Pacheco Institute)
Registration Number: 592 986
Order Number: 99379
Photograph, right index print, and signature

TOP
Cartão de Identidade (Identification Card)
Estados Unidos do Brasil (United States of Brazil)
Instituto Félix Pacheco (Felix Pacheco Institute)

BOTTOM
Marca D'água - Armas da República (Watermark - Arms of the Republic)

Nome (Name): Deolinda Ferreira de Macedo
Natural de (Native of): Distrito Federal
Data do Nacimento (Date of Birth): 4.1.927 (4 Jan 1927)
Da Cutis (race/skin): Branca (white)
Filiacao (Parents): José Ferreira da Fonseca e (and) Anna Ferreira
Issued 26 de...1954
Signed by the director.

25 April 2011

Through Her Eyes #3

Grandfather [Oscar Alfred Sr.], then homesteaded a ranch near by at Dry Creek. They had seven children born to them, Mary Elizabeth, Oscar Alfred Jr., Haken William, Joseph Doyle, Denis Marion, Harriet Elnore and Thirza Lavinie. They prospered and was a happy family enjoying farm life and they enjoyed visiting the neighbors and have the neighbors visit with them. The people in this farming comunity [sic] were very friendly and close to one other. They were always there when help was needed.

Then one day tragedy struck their home. Grandmother [Thirza Jane Lee] was stricken ill and passed away on July 16, 1894, leaving Grandfather and his small family, the eldest was 15 years old and the youngest, was 2½ years old. Grandfather’s sister Nora took the youngest, Thirza Lavinie to raise.

Elizabeth being the eldest and learned many things from her beloved mother on how a house was run so she was like a little mother taking over and with the help of the other children and her father they got the situation well in hand life was recaptured and things soon on a happier out look for that family once again.

It seems that Kanosh was the hub of everything in those little communities and there is where their Social lives would begin. They had Saturday dances at the Church and Sunday afternoon picknicks. So as time went by and Mary Elizabeth became a beautiful young lady and was permitted to attend those dances, she met a fine young handsome man, Clarence Albert Barney, their romance began. When she was just past eighteen they were married on August 10, 1897. They stayed on at Grandfathers so as to help with the children.


To investigate:
  • Find BLM records for the homestead.
  • Verify names and birth dates for children.
  • What illness did Thirza Jane have? Verify death date. Where is she buried?
  • Is Thirza Lavinie in the next census with Nora's family? Does she ever come back to live with her family?
  • Research Kanosh and what went on there. Is there a county/town history that can give more information about the social activities there?
  • Verify marriage date for Mary Elizabeth.

23 April 2011

Through Her Eyes #2


The family was then sent by the Church Authorities to fill a position as a Miller at Fillmore, Utah, as Great Grandfather Hakan had training in this field. They arrived there on 28 September 1862. After they had been there for awhile they decided to homestead a farm on Dry Creek, two miles south of Meadow. The soil here at Meadow proved to be very rich and with a lot of hard work they soon had a comfortable home.


They had ten children, Oscar Alfred, Catherine Elnora, Hakan Julian, Wilda Josephine, Betsy Mary Ann, Mary Elizabeth, Albert William, John Edward, Augusta (whom died at sea) and one other who died.

All the children had jobs assigned to them and with their help farm life became a fun life and they had many good times together.

Grandfather Anderson (Oscar Alfred, Sr.) attended dances at Kanosh, where he met a very lovely girl, whose name was Thirza Jane Lee. They began courting and had many good times together, and after awhile they set their wedding day and was Married on May 28, 1878. They bought a home at Kanosh, where Oscar got a job in a Harness Shop with Halsey Kealso, making and reparing and selling harness and other products.

Later because of Great Grandfathers health they move back to the farm at Dry Creek, where they stayed until Great Grandfathers death on 26 August 1884.

To investigate:
  • Are there church records listing who was assigned where?
  • What does a miller do? Where did Hakan recieve training?
  • Verify date of arrival in Millard Co.
  • Find Homesteading deed.
  • Add children to the pedigree. Did the "one other who died" have a name? When was he/she born?
  • Verify marriage date for Oscar and Thirza.
  • Can I find a purchase agreement for the home they bought?
  • Who was Halsey Kealso? Why is he listed specifically? Is he the boss?
  • Verify Hakan's death date. What illness did he have?

21 April 2011

Through Her Eyes - Aliene's Recollections

Aliene Anderson Lund left each of her grandchildren a copy of her Family History. Slowly, but surely, I'll be transcribing her recollections and using them to help guide my search of the Anderson side of Troy's family.


THE FAMILY

My earliest recollection of home and family life was of a sweet, gentle, loving and attractive Mother [Annie Chelsea Mills]. She loved more than anything else taking care of her home and family. She was very good at about everything she did but most of all she was a real wonderful cook. She had a very special way of making every meal so delicious that her family cleaned up every morsel of food. I can still smell those delicious ginger cookies and raisened [sic] filled cookies, she would be baking when all of us children arrived home from school. She was there waiting for us children to tell her all about our day at school and she would give us a cookie and a glass of milk. What a treat this was, we were all so excited to tell her of our experience of the day and she was just as excited to listen. Some times she would let me help her cut the cookies out.

My Father [Oscar Anderson, Jr.] was, tall sturdy and somewhat handsome. He was stern, outspoken but was also patient and gentle when the need was there. He loved his home and family and took us children and Mother on picknicks [sic] and outings. We all enjoyed those times as we were all together as a family.

I remember father telling of how his Grandparents (Hakan Anderson, Marianne Marie Neilson) left their homes in Sweden and Denmark after they had become members of the “Latter-day-Saints Church”, and went to Liverpool, where they joined other saints and embarked on a large ship called “The Electric”. It was very hard on the ship and while on their journey at sea they lost their baby son “Augusta” and he was buried at sea. They finally arrived in New York City, where they prepared for Transportation to Florence, Nebraska. They traveled by rail to Nebraska. When they then made arrangments to join an emigrant ox train. Where they then made their way accross [sic] the Plains. They had many hardships and trials along the way but finally in August 1862 they arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah.

To investigate:
  • Where Hakan and Marianne are from, specifically. When did they join the church? When did they move to England? When did they meet/marry?
  • Find "The Electric" from Liverpool to New York City.
  • See if I can find any information about Augusta (is that really the boy's name? Or was it a girl?)
  • Can I find any info on rail travel? Any info on Florence, Nebraska?
  • Find information about the ox train they joined.
  • Verify the date they arrived in Salt Lake City. Did they know anyone here? Where did they stay? How long before they moved to Millard County? Why did they move?