Thursday, May 03, 2007

Carnival of Genealogy, 23rd Edition




Welcome to the May 4, 2007 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic for this edition is: School Days! Wow, the contributors have really pulled off an amazing feat this time. They came through with a whole bunch of great articles even when pressed for time. I truly appreciate everyone's efforts. You guys are the best! Without further ado, let's visit the school days carnival!

Randy Seaver starts us off with My favorite teacher posted at Genea-Musings. Randy shares a tribute to his favorite teacher who found a special place in his heart and has no rival for his affections. What a wonderful article, Randy. I hope this special teacher knows how much you appreciate her! Thanks for sharing!

Next, Dana Huff presents Letter from Stella Bowling Cunningham posted at Our Family History: A Genealogy Blog by Dana Huff, saying, "This is a letter my great-great-grandmother Stella Bowling Cunningham wrote to my great-uncle Alvin Cunningham. He was asked to interview a grandparent about his/her school days for a school project, and this letter is what Grandma Stella sent." What a precious letter! Stella obviously had a great memory and a fondness for those simpler days of her youth. A true treasure. Thank you for sharing it with us Dana!

Lee Anders shares To Be, Rather than to Seem posted at Before My Time. Read about Lee's day spent in a one-room schoolhouse and the teacher who inspired her interest in history. Great read, Lee! (Confession: when I first saw your picture in this article I thought, "oh my gosh, she looks just like me... or rather like I did in the second grade! We could be sisters, or at the very least cousins.)

And next, Christina Geyer presents Shaping the Future posted at Shaking the Tree. Holy Toledo, Batman! This is exactly the kind of family history I'd like to be able to write. Oh to have all the documents, stories, and personal memories Christina has about her grandparents would be absolutely wonderful. This article is a great tribute to a couple of very talented and dedicated educators and loving grandparents. Thank you for telling us about these wonderful people Christina!

Becky Wiseman shares with us two articles, Scott School in Troy Township and Hale Brubaker & Crow's Corner School both posted at kinexxions and a third article School Days - Carnival of Genealogy posted at Whitley County Kinexxions. Hale's story is a sad one and a classic reminder of how fragile life was even for the young and hearty back in the days before antibiotics. Scott School is the quintessential one-room school house of days gone by. When I think about the challenges of teaching a room full of children of such varying ages I'm awed. And it's always good to spread the word about online resources, in this case for Whitley County, IN. Thanks times three Becky!

Next, Bill West presents SCHOOL DAZE posted at West in New England. Bill takes us down memory lane and shares his school experiences with us. Being a romantic at heart, the part about his teacher crush was my favorite. Like Bill, I find it intriguing that we remember certain years of our childhood/education but not others. Thanks for sharing Bill!

Steve Danko shares The Vincentian Institute in Albany, New York posted at Steve's Genealogy Blog. The educational institutions of Steve's youth have suffered the same fate as so many Catholic schools over the years... they had to close their doors. Once that happens, information about them is hard to come by. But Steve has written a very nice summation of the schools of his youth. Thanks for sharing Steve!

Then, footnote Maven presents Lillian E. Salter - PS 69 - January 31, 1912 posted at footnoteMaven. This is a delightful article about Miss Lillian Salter's autograph book. Absolutely charming, both her picture and her book. What a treasure! Thanks for sharing this with us Maven!

Following that, Craig Manson presents School Days in Milam County, Texas posted at GeneaBlogie. Craig found a gold mine of old school documents for some of his ancestors. How cool is that?! Craig introduces us to some of his family members while weaving bits and pieces of their lives around these documents. Great article, Craig! Thanks for sharing!

Jasia presents Sweetest Heart of Mary Parish School posted at Creative Gene. Yet another story of a once vibrant Catholic school which had to close its doors due to declined enrollment. How I wish I could walk the halls my great grandmother walked, sat at a desk she may have sat at, and written on a chalk board she may herself have written on.

Next, Chris Dunham presents My Educational Roots posted at The Genealogue. In Chris' article we learn the truth about his educational roots (they're planted in Maine). It turns out that his great great grandfather was quite a learned man. No doubt Chris shares Lemuel's intellectual mien. Is there a physical resemblance there too? Well done Chris! Thanks for sharing Lemuel's story with us. You really are a gifted writer. When is that book coming out?

And T.K. presents Kate Pettis Kerr at Slippery Rock posted at Before My Time. Wonderful pictures and history here. There's something exciting about having family involved in theater. Thanks for sharing with us T.K! For those of you who haven't visited T.K.'s blog before be sure and scroll down the page and see what nice enhancements can be added to a genealogy blog. Very nicely done!

Next up, Lori presents School Days posted at Mississippi History & Genealogy Notes. Oooooh here's a great resource tip I've never heard of... censuses of educable children. I wonder if there are any of these available in Michigan. Hmmm. I'll have to look into this one of these days... you may want to also! Thanks for sharing this resource Lori!!!

David Bowles presents School Kids Today Are Missing Something ? posted at Writing the Westward Sagas, saying, "Thoughts on how different each day started when I was in elementary school compared to today." This article will make you think back to a bygone era. Thanks for the reflection David. It's good food for thought.

Terry Thornton shares Greenwright School, Singing Schools, and Music in the Hills posted at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi, saying, "A little about music, a little about history, and a lot about the South." Wow. Terry shares with us a wonderful article about what is no doubt a little known bit of southern culture. I'd never heard of "singing schools" before I read this blog post but thanks to Terry's excellent and detailed writing I can clearly picture the conductors with their arms verily dancing in air. Thank you so much for sharing your memories Terry!

Next, Nikki-ann presents 2nd May 2007 posted at Nikki-ann : Journal, saying, "Nan never missed a day of school (unlike myself!)". What a gal Nan was... perfect attendance for so many years! And she looks so studious in her photo. I'm most intrigued by the 1916 award. Great article Nikki-ann. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Susan Kitchens presents us with An Old School Mystery posted at Family Oral History Using Digital Tools. Susan discovers a tragedy that involved her grandmother while she was a student at MIT. A sad but truly compelling story. Well worth the read. Thanks for sharing Susan!

And finally, Schelly Talalay Dardashti presents Making a fashion statement posted at Tracing the Tribe. I just had to save this one for last. It's a hoot and will leave you smiling if not out right laughing! Thank you for sharing your article Schelly. What a precious family story!

Wow, was that a great COG edition or what? I think when challenged you guys are at your best! Thanks so much for sharing your stories, resources, tributes, and knowledge. I applaud you one and all. And I thank you for coming through for me.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. And now it's time for a Call for Submissions! In honor of Mother's Day (May 13th) the topic for the next edition of the COG will be: Moms. Share with us something about a special mom... birth mother, adoptive mother, step-mother, grandmother, Godmother, den mother, cousin's mother (yes, I know that's your aunt ;-), mother earth, Mother Mary, or your own reflections on motherhood if you're a mom. Let's take our mom's to the Carnival! The deadline for submissions is May 15th. You can submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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