TOMBSTONE TUESDAY

Susanna Marie Heimark Crowley McGee
My Mother

Chester Fred Crowley
My Father

Sophia Anzonettie Knudsen Heimark
My Grandmother





     

Lawrence A. Heimark - My Grandfather




This seems to be going so well, that I'm going to take a break for a few days, and try to get some organizing done. It's been a good week! I'll be back soon.

AMANUENSIS MONDAY

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I plugged the name of my great grandfather into Google one day many years ago, and received several links to something called "Hallingen." All items were written in Norwegian, and I couldn't translate. However, I could pick out my ancestor's name, and knew I would find a way to have it translated some day.

Hallingen is a Norwegian magazine published in America for people with connections to the Hallingdal area of Norway.

At the time, I carried membership in the Norwegian Genealogy Society, and felt at ease contacting the Director for assistance. He referred me to a lady who had been doing translations for the Society for many years. 

I sent her my package of printouts, with sticky-notes telling her what parts I needed translated.  

I waited for what seemed like forever, but finally, a package arrived.

Imagine my surprise when I opened it and started to read her translation. Page 1:  Maybe a few lines from an old Halling would be meaningful... Page 2:  It was 38 years since I saw the place of my birth... 

These pages were written in his own words! He had written articles for the magazine, and they had been published.

They were beautifully translated by hand, on lined paper. They had not been typed, either on a typewriter, or on a computer.

Now, my job seems to be to transcribe these treasures into the Internet so they will be available to anyone who wants them.

ANCESTOR LEGEND

My Great Grandfather

Asle Knudsen

was born on a farm

                                                                                     

in the Hallingdal section of Norway in 1844.

                                                            He was Baptised in the Al church  





In 1865 he came to America where he became a Methodist Pastor, and bought this house in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

  

He wrote these words in 1929, telling about "A Brief Visit to Hallingdal in 1902."

"My oldest sister was Mrs. Ole Simonson Pukerud. She did not know that I, her oldest brother, had come to Norway, and she did not know me when I came to her home. She thought I was the sheriff who had come to report about some work on the road. Then she noticed my long beard and she knew the sheriff did not have a very long beard.

 "There's something different about you, " she said. "I could almost think you were my brother." Then the tears flowed freely, and we let happiness rule for both of us."

"My cousin had a farm nearby. I was soon over there. I met him outside his beautiful house and greeted him. I said, "Hello."

"And good day to you," he answered. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I am from Amerika."

"Would you by any chance know a man by name of Asle Knudsen?"

"Yes, I know him real well."

"Is that so! But tell me, is he a Pastor? I have heard that but I don't know if it is true."

"Yes, it is true."

"Do you know him? Have you heard him preach?"

"Many times!" "I would really like to hear him."

"He is talking to you right now."

"He was very quiet for a long time. Then he said in a loud voice, "I suppose you have come to take a bunch of Norwegians to America?"

"No, people have so much that is good here in Norway - things we do not have in America, so if they want to stay here, i think they should stay, and if they want to go, let them go."

"You talk like you have good sense," he said, and added, "come into the house so we can talk more.

And they walked arm in arm into the house as the sun set on Al, Norway.    

The legend of his family not knowing him when he returned to Norway for a visit was proved to be true by his own words.

SHOPPING SATURDAY

 

Albert C. Knudson

In the early 1950s, between the ages of 5 and 6, I lived in a "No Children Allowed" apartment building. We were only allowed to live there because my Grand Uncle lived across the courtyard. He was a renowned author, and retired Dean of Theology at Boston University.

Even at that young age, I felt the amount of respect shown him was a bit overdone, but I suppose that's how it was in those days. (ie: His sisters called him Dean Knudson, instead of his name, when speaking to him.)

What does a Boston University Dean have to do with Shopping Saturday, you might ask? Well, Uncle Al wasn't the Dean of Theology to me. He was my Uncle, who asked me to accompany him on his Sunday (not Saturday) morning walk to purchase the Sunday newspaper.

As I said, he lived across the courtyard, and when my grandmother saw him emerging from the front door, she would send me out to meet him. We would stand on the front steps for a moment when he asked me, "Would you like to walk to the store with me this morning?", and I would reply, "Yes, please."

The street seemed to stretch on forever, but that was a good thing. Uncle Al was a kind Uncle, and I enjoyed our time together. 

The store where we were going was an actual Corner store, situated directly across the main street .

Once inside, after Uncle Al made his purchase, he would ask me if I would like a piece of candy. Of course my reply was, "Yes, please." and I would stand with my nose against the glass case trying to decide which single piece out of that glorious display I wanted as my own.

Mission accomplished, we would walk home hand in hand.

On one such delightful Sunday, Uncle Al neglected to ask if I would like a piece of candy. I was devastated, but I knew that, if I asked for some I would be sealing my fate, and would not get any, and in all probability, never would again. To this day, I believe he was testing me.

I had just put my hand on the doorknob in preparation to exiting the store, when Uncle Al's voice came from behind me saying, "Oh, I almost forgot, would you like a piece of candy?" My little heart soared! I had passed the test.

Thank you, Uncle Al, for a "sweet" (no pun intended) memory.

NOTE: You may notice the date stamp on most of these pictures. I went back to the old neighborhood in 2005. The apartment buildings were still standing (which didn't really surprise me), but the fact that the Corner Store was still there, and still a Corner Store, blew my mind!

FOLLOW FRIDAY

Follow Friday

A blog is a diary that you keep on the computer, instead of in a book or binder. Reading someone's diary used to be a big no-no, but the computer age has changed all that. It is now considered a good thing to read what others have written about a subject that is near and dear to your heart. (And even some that aren't.)

Do you have any blogs you follow on a regular basis? I must admit, they're new to me. Suddenly, I'm enthralled by them, and can't get enough. I'm surprised by the variety that are available.

I've been following Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter (Http://eogn.com) by Dick Eastman for some time now. I like the fact that he lives in an RV, and travels the country at will. (His writing's not bad, either.)

Recently, I signed up to receive the following four blogs on my Kindle:

Everyday Genealogy (everydaygenealogycalendar.blogspot.com)

Technology Tamers (technology-tamers.blogspot.com)

My Blog.. My Life.. My Ancestry (Kellyvial.blogspot.com)
GeneaBloggers (www.GeneaBloggers.com)

As you can probably tell, these are all genealogy themed. I enjoy them all very much, but would like to branch out to include other subjects. I may look for blogs related to organizing and knitting, but can't think of any other topics at this time.

If you have any blogs you enjoy, please share them. You may be my inspiration!

THOSE PLACES THURSDAY

Places I've been - and when...


Birmingham, Alabama: 1944 - 1945

Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham boasts a metropolitan population of a little more than 1 million people. Founded in 1871 as a steel-making center, it exploded onto the map almost overnight, quickly growing into Alabama's largest city and thus earning the nickname of "The Magic City." Today, it is a medical and financial center, as well as a cultural and heritage destination. Its vast selection of attractions includes the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Southern Museum of Flight, Vulcan Park, Arlington Antebellum Home, McWane Center, Alabama Adventure Theme Park, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and the Birmingham Zoo, the state's largest. The city is also famous for its beautiful golf courses, year-round calendar of entertainment, fabulous shopping and world-class dining. Birmingham is centrally located between Huntsville and Montgomery and serves as the major hub of air transportation in the state.

I was born in this hospital (Jefferson Hillman) on Thanksgiving Day in 1944

_______________________________________________________________________

Minneapolis, Minnesota: 1945 - 1946

The city of Minneapolis grew up around the flour mills powered by St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. Other industries overtook milling by the middle of the 20th century, but the west bank of the river remained the commercial center of the city.
Now office buildings and skyscrapers dominate downtown Minneapolis, together with modern apartment blocks, shopping centers, theaters, restaurants and all kinds of entertainment.

Moved to Minneapolis to be with matriarchal family.

______________________________________________________________________________

New York City, NY: 1946 - 1950

 New York is the most populous city in the United States of America and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. The city is referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. A global power city. New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters. New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.

This is me in 1946

(the baby, not the mother)

In the original black & white edition

I was standing in line to see Santa.

(can't find me in the colored version)

Are you interested yet? Do you have questions? Come on, ask them. I dare you!

This is only the first installment of "Places." I've lived in several places over the years, so this will be an on-going feature on Thursdays for awhile.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - a great way to share old family photos! Enjoy!

I'm the one with the pointy head. Age 3

NOW IT BEGINS

I'm not a blogger. Never even kept a diary in my youth. All this techno stuff has my brain in a spin. Hence the title "An Unbloggered Daze."

Come along with me for the ride of your life! I think we'll have fun.

Up, up, and awaaaay!!