COG August--Scrapbooking Your Family History

Thank you to Jasia over at Creative Gene for challenging us with a scrapbooking Carnival. 

     After I read Michelle's wonderful blog over at The Turning of Generations I decided to take the challenge. I love to put together photo albums and have done my share of scrapbooking; however, trying to use the computer photo programs would be a new adventure. I have been somewhat busy with family health issues this month, so I decided to take the easy road and took apart a collage that I had made for my father's 80th birthday back in 2001 and reworked it for this COG.

Coming to America: West Hartlepool, Englandto Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaJOHN GEORGE and ELIZABETH OLESEN HUGHESand son, GEORGE HENRY HUGHES

     My paternal great grandparents, John George and Elizabeth Olesen Hughes, must have become dissatisfied with life in West Hartlepool, England in the early 1900's and made the decision to move to America. They were the only Hughes family members to leave West Hartlepool. 

     When I visited Hughes family members in Hartlepool in 2003, none had any idea what prompted this decision and why they were the only ones to make the trip. Books on West Hartlepool do not paint a very inviting picture of the area where the Hughes family lived and all the Hughes brothers, of which John George was one, were coal dealers....a dirty job. They went daily to the coal depot, loaded their horse drawn wagons and road up and down the streets of West Hartlepool delivering coal. 

     Like most immigrants, a better life for themselves and their small boy was at the top of the list for John and Elizabeth Hughes. John, Elizabeth and my grandfather, George Henry, age eight, packed up their worldly belongings and took a train to Liverpool, where they boarded the S.S. Caronia on May 8, 1906 for New York City and Ellis Island. 

     The ship manifest lists them as steerage passengers and their names are at the top of the page. It took ten days to cross the pond and the Caronia arrived at the port of New York on May 18, 1906. 

     The Hughes family took a train across Pennsylvania arriving in Pittsburgh at the home of a family friend M. Mathews. To date I have not been able to find this person on census records. I have no idea who he is. 

     My great grandparents lived in the greater Pittsburgh area all their lives. The first stop was the South Side of Pittsburgh, where John worked for J & L Steel. When a new plant opened up in 1913 in Woodlawn, Pennsylvania, Beaver County, on the Ohio River, the Hughes family relocated. 

     John George Hughes signed his Declaration of Intention on June 13, 1906, his Petition For Naturalization on June 30, 1918 and became a citizen of the United States on December 12, 1918. 

     The immigration voyage was not the only crossing.  Elizabeth and little George crossed the ocean to visit family in West Hartlepool in 1907. Elizabeth made a trip back with her brother, Bill Olesen, in 1910 and John and Elizabeth returned in 1920 just a year before John died on May 20, 1921. 

Updated October 2022

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© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

What's Not To Like--Garrett's first kayak

Ken has found one of the BEST places to put our kayaks in.....The Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir which is located in The West Branch State Park outside the town of Ravenna, Ohio.

I have made two treks to this delightful spot with Ken and yesterday we took my son, Garrett, for his first ever kayaking experience.


Garrett took the "getting situated and steady in a kayak" learning curve in stride and off he went. It was exciting to watch a newbie get his water wings, take off and show such enjoyment in the experience.

And what an experience he had!!! We had three separate sightings of great blue heron and a doe down by the water having a drink. I have to tell ya that being up close and personal with a great blue taking flight yards away just takes my breath away!



Our paddle was primarily up the West Branch of the Mahoning River....very calm and serene water. Hopefully next time, we will explore it more.

This tree reminded me of a tall lady with a green hat & skirt!
Garrett spotted this great blue heron
Heading out into the reservoir...down the middle....NO FEAR!
Back to the cars

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Treasure Chest Thursday--Charles Edward Stark Bible

I found this palm size New Testament Psalms Bible among the estate pieces of my maternal grandmother. It belonged to my maternal grandfather, Charles Edward Stark.

Dated September 22, 1899 I am guessing it was a birthday gift as he would be celebrating his 19th birthday the next day, September 23.

My mother, Martha Jean Stark Hughes, repeatedly told me stories of her father's dedication to the church and that he "held close to his Bible". In the estate I only found two....this small Psalms and a larger complete Bible which was my grandmothers.

Of interest and found tucked inside were several items:


A handwritten piece of paper, probably in Grandpa Stark's hand, of verses that speak of "Unpardonable Sin"......YIKES!!!


And a little note written to him by a friend and teacher (probably church school), Marion A. Paden dated September 22, 1897.

My question is this....was the New Testament of Psalms given to Charles Stark as a birthday gift from Marion A. Paden and the wrong year was written on the inside cover. The handwriting looks to be that of the gift giver, Marion Paden.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Wordless Wednesday--Pink and BLUE

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Tombstone Tuesday--The Beemans

Thomas Howard Beeman and his brother, Claude Earl Beeman, Jr. are maternal first cousins twice removed of my husband. I came across several Beeman tombstones last week while going through hundreds of photos at my mother-in-laws condo. These were probably taken by her sister, Betty. The date of the photograph is 1980

My husband relates to the Beeman's through the Hess side of his family tree. His maternal great grandmother was Ida Mae Hess who married Charles Henry Christian Tate. Ida's sister Susanna Rebecca Hess married Henry R. Beeman. One of Rebecca and Henry's sons, Claude Earl Beeman and his wife E. Edna Frey were the parents of these two boys.




The Beeman family was not on my genealogical radar until I found the photos and several more in an old album. It has taken me some time using ancestry to build the family profile and once done, was able to check it out with the genealogist in my husband's family....Aunt Betty.

Thomas Howard and Claude Earl, Jr. along with numerous members of the Beeman family are buried in Highland Cemetery, Covington, Miami County, Ohio. They are all listed out on FindAGrave.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

I Write Like......who?

Michelle Goodrum's blog I Write Like caught my attention this evening and I HAD to give it a try. I plugged in one paragraph of a blog and that one was like James Joyce.

I write like
James Joyce

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I had to give it a test....two James Joyce's or someone else. I plugged in the first paragraph of another blog and presto.....the answer was Stephen King. Sorry, I didn't think to copy the graphic.

Whoa, I certainly have some different writing styles....but both seem to be money makers....LOL
Thanks Michelle.

This was fun.

Treasure Chest Thursday--Antique Napkin Rings

These napkin rings are not family heirlooms, although perhaps they might become one since I purchased them back in the early 1970's. When I was first married, I was an antique fanatic. Granted we didn't have much additional cash to spend on items as frivolous as antiques, but to be fair, before there was an antique collecting craze in the states, many nice items were selling back then for amounts that would be considered relatively cheap on today's market.

Photos borrowed from e-bay
At that time, I didn't even know what a napkin ring was. I was introduced to them by my then, brother-in-law, who had the most extraordinary sterling and silver plate napkin rings collection I had ever seen.....including to date! He had the regular, ordinary round bands that would hold an individuals table napkin securely by their plate at the table. And then there were the remarkable ones.....3 dimensional sterling silver horses rearing up off the table with the ring portion down near the hoves.....wagons and ox carts with the rings down near the wheels.....various wild animals with the rings near their legs or feet.

Whenever I saw his collection, I was full of envy.....how I wished to have one of those spectacular rings! Now, I did mention that many antiques back then were were not as expensive as today; however, the extravagant ones, if you could find them, were WAY out of my price range.

I didn't purchase too many as I quickly tired of napkin rings and moved on to another collectible. The ones above are probably the best of my collection. First, because it is a pair and second, because they actually have marks on the inside of the ring.


My rings have somewhat simple ornamentation engraved around the entire outside. They are two toned--gold and silver. The marks inside are still a mystery to me, although I have tried to identify them. I have always thought that they were sterling since there is the capital "S"; however, I now wonder if that is the maker's mark instead.


The marks inside are--

Stamped inside:S308A

Then scratched inside:220 750

Perhaps a reader might direct me to the answer.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser