Week 51 - Musical - Conner/Us

My first major musical that I attended happened on December 20, 1980, in Detroit, Michigan. My husband and I had moved to Romulus, Michigan the previous October when he had taken a promotion for his job at North Central Airlines. Our second daughter had been born in February, and not only did we not know very many people, but for a night out we also had to find a babysitter for two children under the age of three.

On top of that, money didn't grow on trees obviously and we were a one income family.  So, to find the extra dollars for babysitter, dinner and tickets was a chore all in itself. A fellow employee Craig and his wife Karen who also had small children at home were interested in attending with us. After some conversations, it was decided we would do a night out on the town just before Christmas.

We picked the national touring company that was showing the Neil Simon play 'They're Playing Our Song' at the Fisher Theater in downtown Detroit. The music was written by Marvin Hamlisch, and the main performers were Victor Garber and Marsha Skaggs. 

The Detroit Free Press Wed, Dec 10, 1980, pg. 67

Getting the tickets at a local grocery store that was a ticket outlet for the theater, we settled on the final night of the performance, front row balcony, and spent a whopping $10.00 on each ticket. Next, we were able to find a babysitter who was the niece of a neighbor of ours. We were all set and ready to celebrate.

Now in 1980, going to the Fisher Theater in downtown Detroit was an exciting time. The guys dressed up in their three-piece suits and we ladies dug deep in our closets to find dresses and shoes that would do them proud. My memory doesn't extend far enough back to remember where we had dinner before the show, but I'm thinking probably it was at Leonardo's Italian Grille in Romulus. The restaurant is still open today, just at a different location. They have awesome Italian food.

Arriving in downtown for the show, we obviously gawked at the fanciness of the Fisher. The marble, the plushness, the gold-leaf decorations, the women in their mink stoles! It was mind-boggling. We found our seats and settled in. Long before intermission the men had hung their suitcoats on the seats, unbuttoned their vests and were wondering how much longer before they could go find a drink in the lobby.

My mind doesn't remember every detail, but it must have been important enough to me that I saved the tickets. We have laughed often remembering that night over the last 45 years. It remains a good memory; I can still see the guys with their shirt sleeves rolled up and vests unbuttoned.

Barbie

Week 50 - Family Heirloom - Sheridan

Memories alone are family heirlooms to be cherished. But when it comes to tangible items, I have many different ones. 

Although I have nothing in my collection that are tied to a famous person, artist or philosopher, to me they are priceless. I have a few antiques, school memorabilia from previous ancestors, and some letters and autograph books. Mainly items that are tied to a specific person or era of our family.

One of my favorite items I am the keeper of is a Sheridan family bible. It seems so innocent of an item, yet it connects to our immigrant ancestor Michael Sheridan, Sr who traveled from Cloncovid/Clonkiffel, County Cavan, Ireland to America in the early 1800's.  

Written in pencil on the inside cover is "Michael Sheridan Bible 1845".

The publication is a Douay Catholic Bible. The bible was published in 1839 in Philadelphia by Eugene Cummiskey. He was an Irish immigrant also, active in printing and bookselling and one of the first American publishers to produce Catholic Bibles domestically, reducing the reliance on imports from Ireland or England.

The front pages are missing and if there were any family pages, those are also gone. Ah, to have a crystal ball and see who may have removed those original writings and where they might have ended up. Luckily there is a title page for The New Testament section, and it shows the 1839 publish date so I can connect it to the first Michael Sheridan. 

His first wife had died in Ireland (Mary Healey) before he had immigrated in 1827. His sons Michael, Jr and Patrick immigrated ca 1832. Following Michael, Sr's death, his sons then came into Michigan.

Michael Sheridan, Sr married his second wife Mary Kane in New York in 1838. By April 1849, they were the parents of six children. Mary died in August of 1849 following the birth of twins William and Joseph. Michael died 15 months later in November of 1850 leaving the children orphans. Two sons (James and Thomas) came to Michigan to live with their half-brothers, Michael and Patrick (my 2x great grandfather).  

The others (John, Ellen and the twins) were probably apprenticed out or adopted. I have never found mention of them.

James married twice - Kate O'Brien who died in 1884 following the birth of her last child and 2nd Francis Kelly. He had six children: Paul H, Joseph, William, Emmit Frances, Agnes and Peter Eclestine with Kate and then four children with Francis: Eva, Helen, James and Prudence. They settled in Muskegon, Michigan.

Thomas married Esther Tinkler and had seven children: Ella (Eloise), Mary Agnes, Rosa Belle, Kate, John James, Teresa Cleo and Henry Thomas. They settled in Jackson, Michigan.

And just that quick our cousin base doubles with many half-cousins. And we all connect back to that original 185-year-old family bible.

Barbie

Week 49 - Written - William and Carrie Porter

This week's prompt is WRITTEN. Don't always believe what is written - not all things are cut and dried.

This picture came to me from my Aunt Phyllis (Porter) Drummond. She was my dad's older sister.  My dad, William (Bill) Porter was born 10 October 1917, the youngest of three children of Harry Edward and Nellie Irene (Dillingham) Porter. Dad had an older brother Harry Edward, Jr born 31 March 1916 and his older sister Phyllis was born 20 Feb 1915.

Aunt Phyllis remembered a lot about growing up and residing in Flandreau, SD where my dad was born.  She and Harry were born in Manning, Iowa. 

Now my grandpa Porter always went by Ed - never Harry. His son Harry always went by Harry. and my dad William always went by Bill.  And dad had a grandfather named William. You can see the confusion already.

Here is the line:

Bill Porter>Ed Porter>William Porter>John Porter>Aaron Porter

So, looking at the enclosed picture, you would figure that it is of Aaron Porter and his wife Lavina (Chapman) Porter based on the fact of what Phyllis wrote. The great-grandparents of Ed.

But and it is a fairly large 'but'...Aaron Porter died in 1845. While living in the wilds of Iowa, before it became a state. When it was the Iowa Territories. Would it have been feasible that he and Lavina would have had their picture taken? Photography didn't really develop until Civil War times. I really don't think so. I am so not feeling it.

I believe the picture is of John Porter (1818-1885) and his wife Margaret (Matter) Porter (1833-1901). I don't have any other pictures of John Porter, but I do have this one of Margaret.

Any input is always welcome. Research has shown that the clothing in the first picture is dated 1860-1870's. Long after Aaron Porter died. Thoughts?

Barbie

Week 48 - Family Recipe - Conner

When Doris Daly met and fell in love with Ken Conner, she never dreamed she would step outside the limits of the small town of Columbiaville, Michigan that she had been born and raised in.  

Kenny always loved the lure of the sky. He spent most of his extra cash on flying and his airplane. Ben Scott taught him how to fly, and he proceeded to do whatever needed to be done to accrue flight hours. He started as a crop duster and flew in Beaverdam, Wisconsin from April 1952 - August 1952 before heading to Hartsville, North Carolina for one month during the summer of 1954.  He then went to Texas in 1955 to get his Instrument rating.  Following that he worked for Trot Brothers in Almont for extra flying time.  When Kenny started with North Central Airlines in September 1955, they packed up their small family of four and moved to Belleville, Michigan. 

Doris happily settled into their small trailer in the park there and did what all the pilots wives did that lived there. (I think the park was called Town & Country Mobile Home Estates)    

                            Trailer in Belleville                                                      Kenny and Doris
 

They did Tupperware parties, card parties, helped each other out by watching the other women's kids. All those things that young women did in the 1950's.  Oh, and they exchanged recipes.

My husband Dan has always loved two things his mom made...Salad Dressing Cake (with cooked frosting) and Congo Bars.

The recipe for Congo Bars came from another pilot's wife from those few years in the trailer park. I had heard the story about it but never thought to get a name or any heavy particulars.  His mother made those bars for everyone. A new baby - Congo Bars. A sick neighbor - Congo Bars. She even would bake them for the girls in the dentist office every time she went.

She shared that recipe with me when I was a new bride in 1974. 

THE recipe

I didn't attempt to make them often, but I did make them occasionally.  But they never came out like hers. They were not done in the middle, too cooked, too flat....one time I even mixed up the salt and the baking powder! Yuk. Needless to say, they weren't on the top of my baking list. 

Mum always baked up high, cakey, totally fabulous Congo Bars. There was a secret to them.... there had to be! But what did she do differently than what I did? I used a hand mixer just like her and I hand chopped the nuts. But still not the same.

I once made a family cookbook for my Sheridan family and forgot to put THE recipe in it. I heard about that mistake for a long time. Now the recipe is widely shared, and many have made them. But are they as good as hers?

I don't think so. There is more research (and baking) to be done.

Barbie

Week 47 - Names the same - Harris / Sheridan

Icabod Pomeroy was born March 9, 1757, in Southampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. He was the son of Noah and Temperance (Sweetland) Pomeroy and spent his early years among the forests and woodlands there.

He married Lucy Harris (my 5th great-aunt) the daughter of Asa Harris, Jr and Anna Eli (my 5th great grandparents). They were the parents of ten children. As a young man, he enlisted in the 25th Massachusetts and fought for our new country as a proud Patriot and a member of the Continental Army where he engaged in battle at the Siege of Boston and also Bunker Hill.

North American Family Histories 1500-2000

After the births of their children, between 1802 and 1810, they made the decision to head west. They settled in Cayuga County, Ohio and there etched out a living amongst the newly acquired lands that were part of the Western Connecticut Reserve. There were no towns only clusters of rough cabins.  They spent many years felling trees and turning the area into fertile farmland. Their children grew to adulthood and married.

Their sixth born son Ichabod Pomeroy, Jr was born 28 June 1792 in Southampton, Mass and spent his childhood amongst the forests and woodlands there as his father had. As a proud American, he entered and fought in the War of 1812 in Ohio, while serving with Captain Norman Canfield and where he defended his lands and his way of life against Britain. His rank was Corporal.

He married Dorothy Booth on December 21, 1815, in Hambden, Cayuga County, Ohio and they settled and became the parents of two sons, Alveston and Almon.

The elder Ichabod died November 14, 1843, in Hambden, Ohio. He lived a long and fulfilling life. The younger died April 8, 1856, also in Hambden at the age of 64.

There is a town named Pomeroy, Ohio that is in the southern part of the state and is along the Ohio River. There is a cable-stayed bridge over the river that connects Pomeroy to Mason, West Virginia. The town is built between the river and a high cliff and because of that there are no 4-way intersections in town.

The two Ichabod's cross-over in a lot of records and histories making research difficult. Only the first name makes it easy to find records. It is intriguing to have the name in my family history. My mind instantly heads to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. (pun intended)

Barbie

Week 46 - Wartime - Pratt, Joseph (Sheridan)

My 5x great grandfather Joseph Pratt was the son of Joseph, Sr and Sarah (Hunkins) Pratt. He was born April 1, 1748, in Oxford, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America.  His father was a farmer, and all records point to Joseph, Jr also being involved in the same occupation.

His parents had both been born and raised in the Oxford area. The main industry was farming along with having abundant streams which produced mills. Oxford is about 50 miles west of Boston. The area was very rural, yet self-supporting.

He met and married a local girl by the name of Esther Blood on 24 Mar 1771 in Oxford, Massachusetts Bay. Esther was born in 1748 in Charlton, Mass, the daughter of Isaiah and Martha (Thompson) Blood.

Joseph Pratt and Esther Blood marriage - Charlton, Worcester, Massachusetts

When the rumblings of discontent with England began in the area, Joseph became a part of the Provincial Army in the area. Each county raised regiments that later would become the backbone of the Continental Army.  

When the war began at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the Provincial Army from Oxford partook in the Siege of Boston and also at Warren & Bristol, Rhode Island defending the coastal regions.

“In Capt. Jonathan Davis’s company were Lieut. Ebenezer, Sergeants Jonathan Wheelock and Elijah Parkman; Corporals Thomas Trumbull and James Town; Josiah Wolcott, Aaron Parker, Edmund Town, Joseph Pratt, Jesse Pratt, Nathan Shumway, David Pratt, privates.”
— History of the Town of Oxford, Massachusetts, p. 300.

In 1776 the Continental Army was organized and Joseph served as a Private under Captain Lamb and Captain Holman in the Massachusetts military regiment.  This regiment then mustered into the 12th Massachusetts commanded by Colonel Bradford.  

Joseph Pratt Rev War Muster Roll

Soldiers faced scarce and poor-quality provisions. Fresh food was limited, leading to reliance on salted meat, hardtack, and whatever local provisions could be found.

Many soldiers lived in tents or crude huts in freezing winter conditions. Snow, rain, and mud made encampments harsh. Exposure and unsanitary conditions led to illness such as smallpox, dysentery, and typhus. The Americans were poorly armed; muskets, gunpowder, and cannon were in short supply. Despite those hardships, soldiers were motivated by defending their homes and fighting for their freedom.

Meanwhile his wife Esther took on the tasks of farming, handling the daily farm chores along with raising their small children by herself. All this in addition to her normal household chores. And going months with no contact with her husband. Not knowing if he was alive or dead or even where in the area he might be fighting. Most men signed up for 2-3 years enlistment or until no longer needed. 

At the end of his enlistment(s), Joseph returned to his family where he spent his final days in peace, knowing that he had helped in the birth of a new country. Proud to have secured their freedom and independence from Britain.

In 1835, he applied and was granted a pension for his service. He was paid $96.00 annually from 1823 ($993.00 retroactively) until his death in 1838. For a total of $1,281.00. 

Barbie

Week 45 - Multiples - Sheridan

The prompt this week of 'multiples' brings to mind twins, triplets, etc. My family has its share of twins, but not any other multiple births.

Our immigrant Michael Sheridan and his second wife Mary (Kane) had a set of twins that were born April 28, 1849, in Rochester, Monroe County, New York. Their names were William and Joseph. The mother had died in August following their birth. Her death occurred just months before the father Michael died in November of 1849. Instantly, all the children were orphans. 

Other sets of twins in the Sheridan families were:

My great-grandparents Michael and Elizabeth (Holland) Sheridan had Cleo Paul and Leo Thomas born Jan 17, 1896, although Cleo died at nine months old. After being sick during the summer, Cleo never fully recovered and died Nov 18, 1896. Leo went on to marry Marie Baker and had three children.

Gratiot County Herald July 1896

My great aunt Tressie (Sheridan) and her husband Don Gray had twins Michael (known as Guy) and Josephine who were born July 12, 1915, in Brant, Saginaw County, Michigan. This was when Don and Tressie owned the Gray & Goschka Bar in Marion Springs. 

Guy and Josephine Gray

Mary Leo (Sheridan) and her husband Harvey Blanchard had twins Eleanor V and Harvey R born April 28, 1917. Mary Blanchard was my grandfather John Sheridan's first cousin. They lived in Dexter, Michigan and there Harvey, Sr and his brothers began a flouring mill. Harvey, Sr also owned and operated flouring mills and a lumber mill in the towns of Brooklyn, Michigan and Jefferson, Michigan with his sons Harvey, Jr and William J Blanchard. The enterprising Blanchard family also owned a cider mill in Brooklyn.

My sister has a set of twin boys, and one cousin has twin girls, and another cousin has twin grandchildren. 

There may be more, in the outskirts of the family that I haven't heard about. We seem to have a few multiple births and then there are a number of years/generations without any.  Let me know if I have missed a set.

Barbie