Wisteria

While my personality certainly comes out in the posts I write about my genealogy, I don’t often write a post just to talk about myself. I do enjoy “chatty” blogs that touch on different topics and like to follow others that share in some of my other interests such as antiques, thrift finds and miniatures. I have said before that I’m meant for many things, but I strive to keep this blog focused on family history in particular. Today I felt like posting something different. After all, I myself am part of my family history and will one day take the place for my descendants that my ancestors now occupy for me. So as I’d love to learn more about my ancestors were like, I’m writing so others can learn more about what I’m like and what my "talents" are. I really like to go thrift store shopping and always like to see what others find in their hunt as well. Not long ago, I came home with some really nice finds and I snapped a photo of all the items I got. The cost of course was

Well, technically it was a Christmas present, but it was given to a girl by her beau so I wanted to post it for Valentine’s Day. I traveled down to Western Kentucky recently to stay with some extended family. It was a side trip tacked on to a trip for different purposes to Southern Illinois. I managed to meet up with a few kinfolk, but others I will have to get with on another trip. I tried very hard not to fall into the vernacular of the area and one cousin said I talk more like a Yankee now. One of the highlights of the trip was getting a chance to see this beauty of a family heirloom: Iva Watts Diuguid Photo Album It was Aunt Ivy’s and given to her on Christmas Day 1906 by her future husband, Travis Duigiud. On that day, Aunt Ivy was about a month past her 17 th birthday. Uncle Trav was three years her senior. They were married just over five years later on January 17, 1912. "Presented by Mr. Travis Diuguid to Iva Watts Dec. 25, 1906" My cousi

Ewin & Howard Lacy Ira Ewin Lacy was born in 1898 to Elijah Ewing Lacy and Georgia Ella Hill. He became a member of the Sinking Fork Christian Church in 1918 at the age of 20, but later withdrew his membership. He married Grace Courtney. He died in 1986 and is buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky. His father Elijah first married Amanda Woosley (a descendant of Samuel Woosley ) and had at least three children: Omer Lacy (born 28 August 1877), Herschel Lo yd Lacy  (who married Ora Watts) and Dorothy Euire Lacy, born 1 December 1890 (who married Oscar Sam Malone). In addition, Ewin and Howard had a brother Ralph and a sister Mary Belle (who married L. Ellis Underwood). Information from: History of Sinking Fork Christian Church 1893-1996 by Betty S. McCorkle. This original cabinet card was originally in possession of Cephas Bryant (C.B.) Watts and his wife Amy Leora Hardy. The original cabinet photo is roughly 4 ¾ x 6 inches i

Here is my old speech that I talked about in my last post : 20 October 1997 Hello, my name is Dawn Westfall. My husband and I run a dairy farm. We moved here about three years ago . We have two daughters, Amy who's 4, and Megan is 20 months. I myself was born and raised here in F l orida, while my father's family is from Kentucky and my mother's is from Michigan. This is the first time I've ever done any public speaking, but I was asked to speak about something I truly love, so I thought I'd give it a try. I don't know if I can adequately convey to you my passion for genealogy (family history) -- I have a deep love and abiding respect for those who have gone before me. I like the concept of People Enjoying People . In fact genealogy is similar to that, only we enjoy dead people - we have bumper stickers that say "I collect dead relatives". It's quite  an  interesting hobby, that turns into a passion for some, like me. I started doin

January marked 25 years since I first started “doing” genealogy. I was thinking about this the other day and went looking for the notes to the first speech I gave about the subject back in 1997. I was asked to speak to a group of retirees when I lived down in Florida and a member of the local genealogy society there. I could not find it the other day and gave up. I thought it would be neat to look over again because my speech gives a more precise history of my motivation to do genealogy, the how and why I started this hobby and has my thoughts on the subject down on paper already. I went looking for it among my journal notebooks but it was never there. I found it yesterday while looking to chronicle all the published articles and speaking engagements I have done over the years. Good place for it, I just had not remembered where. I thought my original speech would be good for posterity to publish here on my blog. It’s been nearly eighteen years since then. The infant I talked of th

These original tiny photographs are pasted on some type of scrap cardstock that has typed words on it. The words that can be seen say “gold filled” and “latest novelty.” The cardstock itself measures no more than 1 ¼ inch square. “Ray S. and Ennis” were written on the back of the cardstock in what appears to be the handwriting of my grandmother, Amy Leora Hardy Watts (1902-1989). She was also a member of the Sinking Fork Christian Church along with this Sizemore family.  The boys were sons of Joseph J. Sizemore (AKA Joe P. Sizemore) and his wife Laura D. Stephens. Judging from their birthdates, the photos were probably taken around 1910. Ray was born 19 June 1899. He married Gertha Robinson. He became a member of the Sinking Fork Christian Church in 1928 and held the office of Deacon. He died 12 February 1966 and is buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky. Ennis was born 15 December 1902. He became a member of the Sinking For