To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.
This week the prompt is 'Family Photo’, so I am sharing a family photo I came across last fall. Pictured are Louis D Striebel wth his father, Louis F Striebel, his in-laws, Ella and Frank Hixon, and Walt Williams, who I believe may be the uncle of Frank. Young Louis married the daughter of Ella and Frank, Lucile Striebel in about 1922.I’ve not yet done much research on this branch, but it is possible that Will Williams is a brother to Frank Hixon’s mother, Mary Charlotte Williams. I don’t know when or where this photo was taken.
To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.
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The word of the week this week is ‘Frightening’. That’s appropriate with Halloween falling this week! It’s also timely, because just this past week I was going through boxes of heirloom photos and documents that I’ve had stored for a decade or more, and came across this invitation that I’d never seen before.
This invitation to a Ghost Party certainly looks spooky with the skull and cross bones, and I like the drama of the black background with silver engraving. But what exactly is a ghost party? I did a search of NewspaperArchive.com to get some context. A 1902 article, ten years after the party above, from the San Pete Free Press, Manti, UT tells of the new fad of ghost parties, in which the room is darkened, candles lit, and ghost stories told. You can find the story here.
A second article a few years later, 1905, gives more details about a ghost party, Not only is candlelight part of the atmosphere, but the room is draped in black and decorated with creeping things like spiders and skulls! There are some ‘horror house’ touches; the hostess greets guests with a handshake, during which her ‘hand’ become detached (a glove filled with sand)! And of course, the guests take turns telling ghost stories! This article appeared in the Fort Wayne (IN) Gazette, in the same state where Ella Herrold, hostess of the ghost party in the invitation pictured above. I have to wonder if these parties may have evolved into the seances hosted by mediums that were so popular a decade or two later. You can find the story here.
Ella Herrold, the hostess of the 1892 party, was born circa 1871 in Indiana, probaby in LaPorte County near Michigan City. She married Julian Frank Hixon 3 Sep1893, just little over a year after the ghost party took place, so it’s very possible he was one of the ‘ghosts’ in attendance. They raised their three children in Michigan City. Here is a picture of Ella and Frank sometime after their marriage.
longevity noun lon·gev·i·ty \ län-ˈje-və-tē , lȯn- \ : long continuance : permanence, durability “Longevity.” Merriam-Webster.com, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longevity. Accessed 3 Aug. 2018. Longevity is the word for week 3! A marriage that lasts fifty years certainly meets the definition of longevity. As I was looking for couples in my database, I came across several that celebrated a golden anniversary, and even one or two that lasted 60+ years! Today I am sharing a bit about one of those couples.
I came across this invitation to the fiftieth anniversary of Verne and Velda (Anthony) Hixon when looking through a box of artifacts that had belonged to Verne's sister, Lucile. I knew that is something that I wanted to share. This motivated me to do a little more research. I hoped to find a wedding announcement for this couple in a newspaper from Michigan City, Indiana, where Verne lived his entire life. Unfortunately I could find none online. If I really decide I need it I can either request a search from the local library for a fee, or add it to my list of things to explore if and when I get to Michigan City again. When I couldn’t find quick access to an online newspaper, I took a closer look at what I already knew, and lo and behold, I’d missed a very important detail — Verne’s obituary states that he and Velda were married in South Haven, MICHIGAN!! Though I’d recorded this in my database, it had slipped past me somehow, because I’d assumed that they’d always lived in Michigan City! That started me on a search for South Haven newspapers, and I was fortunate to find that these newspapers are available online at NewspaperArchive.com, which I can access from home with my library card! I not only found references to the marriage very quickly — an article about a pre-nuptial shower for Velda, and an article about the newly-weds setting up house in Detroit — but I found enough to convince me that the South Haven newspapers will be a treasure trove of information when I am ready to continue my research on the Hixon family! I'd say that's a win! Below is a photo of Verne and Velda celebrating the longevity of their marriage and a copy of the invitation to the Golden Anniversary celebration for Verne and Velda. |
Subcribe by RSSThe above RSS link appears to not work correctly. If you are having trouble adding my blog to your RSS feed, please try this link. About MeI have been researching my family history for almost 20 years. Some of the main surnames in my research include DEBEE, FRERICHS, HAHNENKAMP, HIXON, HOLTON, JANCO, KOLK, PETRINI, POYNTER, STRIEBEL and WEISS. Contact me if you think you are related! Archives
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