Friday, April 04, 2008

Carnival of Genealogy, 45th Edition



Welcome to the April 4, 2008 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic for this edition is: Cars as stars of our family history! With 36 participants, some who wrote multiple articles, this is our largest edition of the Carnival of Genealogy ever! What a popular topic this was, and wasn't! Most folks wrote about cars with passion and zeal, a few wrote grudgingly. But everyone's participation is appreciated! I know you'll enjoy reading about these car stars. And I think you'll be surprised at all the various rolls they have played. So pop open a can of your favorite Friday night beverage and take a drive through the memories of the cars that are the stars of our family histories...

Thomas MacEntee presents I Don't Drive, I'm Driven posted at Destination: Austin Family. Not everyone feels the lure of the open road while in the driver's seat of a hot set of wheels. Thomas is content to be a passenger. Here he shares his memories about the cars of his childhood and his choice to not take the driver's seat. Thanks for sharing Thomas!

Chery Kinnick presents Not Without My Car posted at Nordic Blue. Chery takes us on a delightful trip down memory lane as she revisits the cars that she and her parents drove over the years. Chery is a talented writer, so much so you can all but feel the wind blowing through your hair from the open windows. Thanks for taking us along for the ride Chery!

Melissa presents Automobiles posted at in pursuit of a pedigree. Melissa shares with us how information from a car title contributed to her genealogy research. Stop by and check out the story of a grand old car and the part it played in her family history. Thanks for sharing with us Melly!

Lisa presents The love of fine cars: it's in the genes and The view from my corner of the world and Small-leaved Shamrock: Vrrooomm!!! Vrrooomm!!! and 100 Years in America: Sisterly love: the Ujlaky family in 1936 posted at 100 Years in America. You're gonna love these... who wouldn't go for a pink Cadillac story?!!! And, "A story for you about my "beloved" red Volvo and its travels with me around the world...". And, " A little teaser in the form of beloved family cars without their stories. More research needed on these beauties... but I couldn't resist sharing their "portraits" for the carnival!" Check these out and you'll see some great photos of vintage autos and hear some warm and wonderful memories. Thanks Lisa!

Sandusky Library Archives Research Center presents Sandusky History: J. Leroy Weier posted at Sandusky History. Here's a wonderful article from a first time participant. The author of the Sandusky Library blog shares with us an interesting article about a one-time resident of their area who was the part owner of a local tire shop. Great pictures included! Stop by and say hello and check out this article! Thanks for sharing!

Donna Pointkouski presents My Big, Old, Fast Favorite Car posted at What's Past is Prologue. Here's an article that expresses Donna's true love for her car. She may not remember the exact model or year it was but she can recall a lot about the adventures she had in it. I'll bet we can all relate to that! Stop by and check out Donna's article and see her baby blue beauty! Thanks for sharing with us Donna!

Denise Olson presents Autobahn Adventures and Corvair Road Trip posted at Moultrie Creek. Denise has great car stories to tell. I envy her both adventures and I'll bet you will too. Stop by and see for yourself. Vroom! Vroom! Thanks for sharing your cars and adventures with us Denise!

Janet Iles presents Cars as Stars 45th Carnival of Genealogy posted at Janet the researcher. Janet is fortunate to have photos of some of the cars in her family, including a great picture of a vintage Chevy Impala that looks just like the one my dad used to own. Any other Chevy Impala owners out there? Check out Janet's article, great photos too! Thanks for sharing Janet!

Jessica Oswalt presents The Automotive Industry: One Family's Connection ... posted at Jessica's Genejournal. Jessica doesn't know much about her family's automotive history but she knows her family's got a long connection with the automotive industry. In this article Jess shares with us her family's occupational history as it relates to the automotive industry. Stop by for a visit! Thanks for sharing with us Jessica!

John Newmark presents Cars posted at Transylvanian Dutch. John has a couple wonderful vintage photos and one that will make you say, "ouch!" in this article that tells about some of his and his family's automotive history. Stop by and check them out! Thanks for sharing, John!

Becky Wiseman presents Cars - A Necessary Evil posted at kinexxions. How is it that Becky can say on one hand that cars have never been a big thing in her family and then proceed to entertain us with several warm and wonderful stories of her driving adventures? Great writing, that's how! Thanks for sharing your auto memories with us Becky... they're really good ones!

Ken Spangler presents Cars As Stars! posted at Beyond Fiction. Not many have as great a family car-racing story to tell as Ken does. Great article, fantastic photos, don't miss this 4-part series!!! Thanks for sharing with us Ken!

Bill West presents West in New England: CARS:CAN'T LIVE WITH THEM, CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM! posted at West in New England. Bill will have you chuckling and charmed with his stories of the cars his family has had over the years. He's got some wonderful memories that will leave you with that feel-good feeling. Thanks for sharing your star cars with us Bill!

Jewelgirl presents CAR UP AND DRIVE posted at Searching For Family Branches. Jewelgirl shares her cruisin' car memories with us. Oh how I can relate! She had a great car for cruisin'... stop by and prepare to be envious! Thanks for sharing your cruisemobile with us Jewelgirl!

Jasia presents It Was An Ugly Car! posted at Creative Gene. In this article I try to convey the mixed emotions I had about my first car. It was an ugly car that came to have special meaning to me. And I also want to include two previous posts that have to do with cars in my family. First Time Driving is the story of my mother's first attempt at driving her father's car, and What's In a Grandparent's Name? which tells about the name my son had for his grandma (I just added a photo I recently found of my mom and the car he associates with her).

Craig Manson presents The Family Cars, 1955-1969: Part I--The Ford and The Family Cars, 1955-1969: Part II--The Rambler posted at GeneaBlogie. Craig delights us with road trip stories made in his family's star cars. You won't want to miss these two adventure-filled articles. Craig's genuine affection for these automobiles comes shining through and you'll be impressed at how much he can recall from his youth. Check them out! Thanks for sharing, Craig!

Terry Thornton presents Cars I've Driven and One I Wish to Drive posted at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi. "Vehicles from the 1930s that I've driven (and one I wish to drive) up through what I'm driving now. Oh the memories --- the fun, the expense, the thrill, and agony --- but it would have been a totally different life without an automobile." This is a wonderful article with personal stories and great visuals. Thanks for sharing all your star cars with us Terry!

Debra Osborne Spindle presents I Loved That Car! posted at All My Ancestors. Debra's article will get your heart pumping and your face smiling! Oh to have a set of wheels like she did! Cruise on over to Debra's blog and shift into high gear when you get there... you're in for a wild ride!!! Thanks for sharing, Tex... you wild child!

Robert Lord presents Lord and Lady: Cars It's part in our Family History posted at Lord and Lady. Head on over and welcome this first time participant in the COG and you will be delighted with the stories he has to tell! Especially poignant is the story of what happened with his father's Model T during the Great Depression. Not to be missed! Thank you for sharing your wonderful family car stories with us Bob! We hope you'll join us again!

footnoteMaven presents Even Unto Death posted at footnoteMaven. As only she can, footnoteMaven tells us a very moving story about a tragedy that touched the lives of many people and yes, it involves a car. This article brings up so many family issues beyond the car and the tragedy though. Take time to read this post and it will cause you to pause and reflect. Thank you for sharing this story fM. Your post shows us just how complicated family dynamics can be.

Donna Pointkouski presents Got Milk? posted at What's Past is Prologue. Donna can make just about anything interesting to read about. She doesn't disappoint this time around either. You won't want to miss this look at a "milk truck chauffeur" on her family tree. It's both interesting and informative. Head on over and check it out! Thanks for sharing, Donna!

Apple presents Apple's Tree: Cars as Stars! posted at Apple's Tree. "I’ve linked everything together in this post. I finally researched my grandfather’s car from the late 1920’s. I was quite surprised by what I found. I enjoyed a trip down memory lane as I recalled all of the cars that I have owned. I also looked back at some of my previous posts about my life as a professional driver. The view from my office window is ever changing!" Apple and I are kindred spirits. She wrote the post I originally planned to write... which turned out to be more than one post and probably could have been a whole book! When you're into cars, you're in to cars! Do stop by her blog and read this article which links to several other of her wonderful articles. She also has a great link for old car photos. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing, Apple!

Colleen presents The Oracle of OMcHodoy: Cars and The Stories They Tell posted at The Oracle of OMcHodoy. "I didn't think I had a thing in the world to say about cars. I sure can say a lot about "nothing". Colleen sums up what I think many COG participants were thinking this time around. With her typical charm, Colleen tells us of the various cars she and her family have owned and not only did she find lots to tell but she found some great photos to share too! Thanks Colleen!

Kathryn Lake Hogan presents Cars As Stars posted at LOOKING4ANCESTORS. Kathryn is new to blogging and new to the COG so stop on by and say, "howdy!". Kathryn shares her memories of the car she learned to drive in and other cars that have had significance in her life. Great family memories here! Thanks for sharing and participating in the COG Kathryn!

TK presents A Virtual Vacation... and A Bit of Detroit Transportation History posted at Before My Time. Both these posts have interesting videos. I especially enjoyed the one about Detroit's street cars. There's something so charming and romantic about street cars, isn't there? Check 'em out! Thanks for sharing these TK!

Randy Seaver presents The Cars of my Life posted at Genea-Musings. Without a doubt Randy had the most fuel efficient first car ever, and then he sort of graduated to gas hogs. Hey, it happens! Wonderful memories and great pictures, the perfect combination for his auto-biography ;-) Thanks for sharing, Randy!

John presents A Lagonda in 1940s London posted at Anglo-Celtic Connections. John, a first time contributor to the COG, has a really interesting car story to tell... about a most unusual car model that you've probably never heard of (I hadn't!). How his father was able to acquire it will have you saying, "oh my!" Head on over and welcome John to the COG and read his fascinating story! Thanks for sharing with us, John!

Dru Pair presents Cars as Stars! posted at Find Your Folks. Dru writes a very inspirational article about her own determination to learn to drive and own a car. Your heart will go out to her. Don't miss this wonderful article of courage and fortitude written by this first time COG participant. Thanks for sharing, Dru! Wonderful article!

Sasha Mitchell presents The Passengers posted at Memory Lane. Sasha's story about her first driving lesson is guaranteed to make you smile. She tells us of the car-less tradition in her family and how she dealt with that. Wonderful story Sasha! Thanks for sharing the star cars in your family!

Lori Thornton presents The Obligatory Car Post posted at Smoky Mountain Family Historian. You can almost feel Lori's pain in writing this post. She's not a car person. But we love her anyway! Too bad you couldn't get that red Civic, Lori. Red cars have a way of inciting passion and it just might have changed your opinion about cars. Thanks for sharing your auto history with us Lori!

Kathryn Doyle presents Chronicling Events in a Horseless Carriage posted at California Genealogical Society and Library blog. "Sometimes in the old photographs the Cars are such Stars that they eclipse what else might be going on..." Kathryn shares a couple of wonderful vintage family/car photos with us and points out that every picture tells a story, but sometimes you have look closely at the details to get the whole picture. Great lesson for us all Kathryn! Thanks for sharing with us!

Miriam Robbins Midkiff presents 1967 Model No. 1 posted at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors. I never cease to be amazed at how creative and clever Miriam's parents were in the days of her youth. In this article she shares with us her parents' very unique way of blending their love for cars and for her. Check it out and prepare to smile! Thanks for sharing, Miriam!

M. Diane Rogers presents Jenny, the Rogers Family's Star Car! 45th edition, Carnival of Genealogy posted at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt'. For someone who's "not a motor person", Diane has a great family car story to tell, complete with wonderful photos. Not many can claim to still have a 1950s vintage car in the family, but she can! How cool is that? Stop by and check it out! Thanks for sharing your family's star car with us, Diane!

Stephen J. Danko presents Pa's Cars posted at Steve's Genealogy Blog. Steve shares with us a story that will make you chuckle, groan, and admire. His grandfather was quite resourceful when it came to his car. Stop by and see for yourself! Thanks for sharing your family car story with us, Steve!

L.H. Crawley presents An Automobile Chase In Queens, 1908 posted at The Virtual Dime Museum. Here's an interesting family car story involving a "hired automobile". As always, L.H. takes us there and makes us feel a part of the story. Wonderful writing, not to be missed! Thanks for sharing your car story with us, L.H.!

Larry Lehmer presents Bittersweet memories, but one sweet car posted at Passing It On. We end with a guy who fondly remembers his first car and shares those precious memories with us. What adventures he had with it! We should all have such fond memories of our first cars. Thanks so much for sharing your sweet baby with us, Larry! The next time I see a blue and white '57 Chevy I'll think of you :-)

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. Wasn't it fun to read about the cars that were a part of our lives and that of our ancestors? The next time I go to an old car show I'll be thinking about the wonderful stories I've read here!

And now it's time for a Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: What traits run in your family? Which of them did you inherit? Do you have your mother's blue eyes? Your grandfather's stubbornness? Your aunt's skill with knitting needles? Is there a talent for music in your family? Or do you come from a long line of teachers? Have you ever looked at an old photo and recognized your nose on another family member's face? Tell us all about your family traits and please submit your articles by the deadline, April 15th (no inheritance taxes will be assessed ;-) . Thanks to Lisa Alzo for the topic suggestion!

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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