One of our favorite flowers (the Iris) appeared this week for the first time since last year. We were sitting outside when Gail noticed this beautiful purple blossom across the yard. Then we noticed that a deeper intensive color purple blossom had also appeared -- an appropriate tribute for this week.
It is interesting that, first of all the two blossoms on either end of the above collage appeared this week, but also in that there were only one of each. The flowers in the middle have been here all year and are shown to represent the range of purple.
We await the blooming of the rest of the Iris' both in the backyard and in the front yard, where normally we see them. Last year we planted a variety of bulbs and this is now the "fruit" of that.
It is always fascinating to me about where the searching on our tree takes me in a given week. This week was no exception. I have been across the country and even to some familiar and "connected" areas.
By "connected" I refer to the fact that I found a relative, a second cousin that I never knew of but wish that I had known of AND living in a location where other of my immediate family live -- and they did not know either.
I refer to our branch of the "Allen" family. It is a large branch and one that I am getting to know more about as time goes on.
I direct attention to Edna Mae Allen, above, who married Dewel Paul Walters and both of them were born and raised in Monroe County, Wisconsin. Edna was born in Warrens where so many of our folks were born. Dewel, born in Tomah, Wisconsin, also a popular birth location for our tree folks.
And guess where they wound up -- in Barrington, Lake County, Illinois -- where my sister and family live today (part of the year anyway). Edna just passed away in 2013, Dewel in 2005, so could have easily crossed paths with relatives that neither knew of . . .
I've learned some interesting facts about them, e.g. Dewel was a butcher in 1940 in Walter's & Son Meat Shop in Tomah, but wound up as the Fire Chief at Fort Sheridan, Illinois (where my father was stationed in the 20s and 30s). Edna worked in Civil Service at the Fort as well retiring in 1975.
Dewel lived to be 90 and Edna to be 100, had two daughters, one of whom may still live in the area with her family.
Very interesting and I'll be doing more research on this branch, for sure.
Another branch that I found myself in again this week was the "Butler" branch. The Allens are from my father's side, the Butlers are from my mother's side. But specifically I was checking into the life of Emma Butler.
Emma Butler is more distantly related and in a more round-about-way than Edna Allen is, but related none-the-less.
I found Emma interesting because she introduced one of the most unique surnames into our tree:
the "Wackernagel" family. We have several "Wackernagel" members now. I tried to see if there was a definition to the name but did not find any. Nagel could refer to "nail" in German and "Wacker" is self explanatory . . . but no official definition was found.
Emma, is found in the William L Butler branch (as I am) and I will certainly be checking more into this branch as well -- I already have found several news articles about a Wackernagel, I just have to make the connection and as I do, I will post.
Coming up tonight on WDYTYA is the episode featuring Molly Ringwald -- should be interesting.
The other two genealogy related shows on currently are the "Long Lost Family" which is really impressive to watch. And the "Relative Race" which is fun as well.
Soon returning will be "Genealogy Roadshow", I look forward to that.
An addition to the "on the nightstand books" is "Passed and Present" which I am reading in between reading "Frank Sinatra".
I have just started reading this so I look forward to getting some good ideas that may be of use.
It sounds like it may contain novel ways in which to recognize and to remember folks from our tree.
Actually, I have a few other genealogy books that are on the nightstand as well that I alternate reading.
Someday, I will actually catch up with these and maybe post about . . .
And lastly, though "Unger" has passed, his humor lives on via "LaughingStock Licensing, Inc".
This particular comic has the "feel" of an original Unger and it reminds us why we do not have a cat any longer -- though we loved "Ms Kitty" when she was here . . .
In a mall years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Unger at a book signing event and enjoyed that thoroughly and bought several autographed books.
Ant that is bit of our week, It is Sunday night, dinner will be a surprise . . . see you all "in a few"!
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