52 Weeks of Sharing Memories - Kindergarten Days

The first Challenge in Lorine McGinnis Schulze's of Olive Tree Genealogy "52 Weeks of Sharing Memories" is "Kindergarten Days".

I went to a private school kindergarten at Deer Park Baptist School in North Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina.  At the time kindergarten was optional so not all public schools had a kindergarten class.  The nearest public kindergarten to us was in a not so great part of town so private school for me.  I only went there for one year.

I remember that the school was attached to the church and we entered on the right side.  We had several school plays.  I remember one for Thanksgiving and found this picture.

I also remember that we had a "graduation" and my father wore a tie.  My father never wore ties so I knew it was a special occasion!  And see, I graduated!!!

52 Ancestors: #1 Sharyn Senecal Coughlin

For my first entry in Amy Johnson Crow's of No Story Too Small "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge", I have chosen my mother, Sharyn Ann Senecal Coughlin (1945-1992).

The beginning of January always reminds me of my mother as her birthday is January 4 and her death was on January 3, a day before her 47th birthday.  Always a roller coaster of emotions for me but I am proud to call her "Mom".

Mom was the only child of Ernest John Senecal and Eulalia Mary Duprey.  As is always the case for me lately, I recently found her birth certificate while looking for something else.  I also found her death certificate and noticed we misspelled Grandma's name!!

One of my favorite memories of my Mom and her crafts. She was always knitting, crocheting and just making stuff! On this bitterly cold day, I am wearing a scarf my Mom made for me in high school. Let's just say this scarf is older than a few folks in our suite!!

2014 The Year of Challenges and Basics

It's 2014 already.  Where did 2013 go!!

I have decided to accept the "Challenge" of Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small and blog about an ancestor a week.  In her post Challenge: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, Amy (like the rest of us!) wants to blog more and regularly so she is challenging everyone to write (blog, journal, email) about a specific ancestor. It can be stories, photos, research problems but focus on one ancestor.

Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy also a challenge for us.  She is embarking on Challenge: 52 Weeks of Writing Our Memories.  This week is "Kindergarten Days".  So she wants us to dig deep into memory banks to see if we can remember the who, what, where, how of those innocent days.

I have decided on 2 mantras this year: "Challenge" and "Basics". This is the year I want to simplify my life in all areas.  I hope that by accepting the first challenge that I will then move on the next one! Also, I need to get back to the basics. So time to review what's in my life and what's going!

So 2014....here I come!!

Image Courtesy of  Stuart Miles
FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

UPDATE - Au Sable Forks High School Baseball Team 1920-21

My paternal grandmother, Helen Torrance Coughlin, was always sending us clippings from the local papers.  I found this today while trying to find a photo. It's from the Adirondack-Post, October 18, 1975 and is the photo I posted in August 2013!!

Caption:

Picture of the 1920 AuSable Forks High School Baseball team taken on the School athletic field.  Submitted by Daniel T. Manning of AuSable Forks, NY. Top row - Francis Murphy, Emmett Ryan, Thomas Manning, Chappie Rhino. Middle row - Chauncey Kenney, Riley Hamilton, Daniel T. Manning, Ernest Senecal, Clarence Votraw. Bottom - Amos Tellier. The 1920 baseball team provided their own uniforms, equipment down to the ball, bought their own letters and had their mothers sew them on. A do it yourself effort which produced some excellent ballplayers and certainly many fond memories.

Know we know who's who in the photo!  I love small town newspapers!!!

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Au Sable Forks High School Baseball Team 1920-21

I always love it when I am looking for something and find something that relates to what I either just blogged about or that I am researching.

I present to you the 1920-21 Au Sable Forks High School Baseball Team:

And the Lineup included:

1920-21 AFHS Baseball Team Lineup

1.  Ernest J. Senecal     Second Base

2.  Emmett Ryan              Right Field

3.  Daniell T. Manning      Catcher

4.  Clarence Votraw        Third Base

5.  Chauncey Kinney       First Base

6.  Riley Hamilton            Left Field

7.  Francis Murphy          Center Field

8.  Thomas Manning        Short Stop

9.  Chapell Rhino             Pitcher

10. Julius Tellier               Pitcher

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Ernest "Red" Senecal (1905-1967) was my maternal grandfather. A summer filled with baseball....what could be better!!

Senecal - Yelle Wedding 17 October 1899

I remember seeing (or thought I had!) my maternal great grandparents marriage certificate at some point during one of my many moves but I could not find it in all my "stuff" and boxes.  Then while going thru old newspapers and advertisements yesterday I FOUND IT!!

The marriage between Master Jean Baptiste Senecal and Miss Georgina Yelle on October 17, 1899 at Notre Dame de L'Assumption Church in Redford, Clinton County, New York.  The witnesses were Henry Senecal and Irene Yelle, siblings of the bride and groom.

John Senecal-Georgiana Yelle Marriage Certificate
In possession of the Blog Mistress

Jean Baptiste or John Senecal (1872-1952) and Georgiana Yelle Senecal (1876-1946) had four children, Jean Baptiste/John Senecal (1903-1903), Ernest John Senecal (1905-1967), Raymond Octave Senecal (1908-1976) and Doris Senecal Votraw (1909-1981).

I have to laugh as the scan shows the notary seal in the upper left hand corner.  It is still as visible and textured as my notary seal is today!

As I have lots of unlabeled photos, I have few documents let alone originals.  So I am doing a little "genealogy jig" right now!!

Happy Anniversary to my great grandparents!!

Coughlin - Fleming Wedding 1943

From The Adirondack Record-Elizabethtown Post, Au Sable Forks, NY, Thursday, October 21, 1943:

Coughlin-Fleming

Miss Constance Irene Fleming, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Fleming, 5 Ames street [sic], Worcester, Mass., was married to Private Thomas Raymond Coughlin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Coughlin of Au Sable Forks, N.Y., Tuesday morning, October 12, in the Church of the Ascension.  Hotel Bancroft was the scene of the reception.

Miss E. M. Fleming was maid of honor for her sister and Daniel Coughlin, jr. [sic], of 22 Holland Road, Worcester, was best man for his brother.  The bride wore a street length dress of rose with navy blue accessories and carried a white prayerbook with a cover corsage of white orchids.  The maid of honor chose a powder blue silk jersey dress with a rose colored hat and navy blue accessories.  Her corsage was of red roses.

For traveling to Albany, Troy and Au Sable Forks the bride selected a solider blue suit with a matching hat and navy blue accessories.  Mrs. Coughlin will live with her parents while her husband is in service.  Private Coughlin is stationed at Fort Jackson, S.C.

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This was my great uncle and father's namesake who died in 1944 (Thomas Coughlin - The Uncle).  He did not make it to their first anniversary.

 I did some checking and the church they were married in was closed by the Diocese of Worcester in 2008.  

Constance Fleming Coughlin remarried in 1947 and had 2 daughters.  She died in 2008.  She was originally from Scotland and stayed in Massachusetts from the 1930's till her death.  

Unfortunately one of the many war widows through out the ages......

Connecting the Dots - My "AHA" Moment

Ever run across an obituary that lists a known relative but you can't figure out the connection? I've had the following obituary for a few years:

John Maple

John Maple, 60, was found dead in his home, Kent street Keeseville, Wednesday afternoon at 1:15 o’clock, after neighbors had reported to State Police that they had not seen him that morning as usual.  Dr. J.H. Evans was called and he stated that Mr. Maple died of a heart attack, and had been dead about 10 hours.

Only known survivors are several cousins, Mrs. Daniel Coughlin, of Palmer Hill, Mrs. George Frasier of Darby, Pa., Mrs. Frank Pattno of Plattsburgh, Pvt. Charles Williams of Camp Stonesman, Calif., and Mrs. Marie Finnessey of Schenectady.

The remains were removed to R. Prescott Company’s Undertaking Parlors.  Funeral arrangements have not been completed.

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I am not actively researching this line but as both sides of the family are from the same area if I see something that mentions the line I am not working that day then I save it for future viewing.  I have looked at this obit from time to time but didn't see the connection.  The only person I knew was Mrs. Daniel Coughlin of Palmer Hill, my paternal great grandmother, Bridget Agnes Williams Coughlin (1883-1973).  

Then when I was researching something else (as is always the case) I found the connection to Mrs. Frank Pattno.  She was the former Orilla Frazier (1885-?), the daughter of my paternal 2nd great aunt, Margaret Dewan Frazier (1857-1927) sister of Agnes' mother Mary Dewan Williams (1854-1916). 

So when I accidentally clicked on John Maple's obituary last weekend, I decided to work on it.  Found a few more collateral relatives. Also solved my puzzle.  John Maple was the son of Mary and Margaret Dewan's sister Elizabeth Dewan Maple (1859-1939). EUREKA! 

I looked at the other names mentioned.  George Frazier (1893-1980) and Marie Frazier Henessey (1895-1972) were Orilla Frazier Pattno's siblings. George was still alive so not sure why "Mrs. George Frazier" was listed.  Finessey was actually Henessey but sometimes in genealogy those things happen!

Charles Williams is still my mystery.  I haven't worked much on the Williams line yet but so far no Charles has surfaced.  Just another item on the To Do List!!

The moral of the story...it pays off to look at items again after you have found other connections because the dots will be there (hopefully) and the puzzle will be solved!!