Favorite photo, Nickname, Overlooked

 January has been a wild and crazy month. It literally snowed up to 9" of snow in Florida. This week I'm playing catch up with the prompts of the week of #52Ancestors. 

First prompt was "Favorite Photo." This is another photo of the Carl Strand family. I like this one because it's one of the few, maybe the only one, I have of Mildred Strand smiling. In most of her pictures she's looking at the camera with no smile. In this one she is smiling and looks to be laughing too. Carl has his arms crossed, as usual. Howard and Viola also look to be smiling. It's outside and the weather looks warm. Maybe it was taken on a Sunday visit to Mildred's parents' house for a Sunday dinner? I used the AI photo shop tools on Ancestry to enhance the picture as the original one is grainy. 

The next prompt was "Nickname." The most interesting nickname I've come across in my research is that of Johan Jonasson, the father of George Henrickson, aka Sven Goren Henrick Johansson. In the Swedish Church records, Johan Jonasson has the nickname of Styfva Johan. It translates to English as "Stiff" Johan. "Stiff" could have one of many meanings. It might refer to his appearance. He had stiff joints, or maybe he was strong and tall? It could also refer to his character. "Stiff" could mean that he was moral and of good character. He was proud, or arrogant. Maybe he was uncompromising? It's interesting to note that his father, Jonas Johansson also had the same nickname. Whatever it meant, father and son must've been the same. 

The next prompt was "Overlooked". In researching, I find that my female ancestors, the 3x and 4x great grandmothers often get overlooked. Women were treated as property of their husbands, and before that, taken care of by their fathers. It is hard to research female ancestors unless I can find a reliable document with their maiden name. Not all marriage certificates list parents. Sometimes I can find a maiden name, but I may not find first names of parents. Oftentimes in obituaries I'll find, Mrs. Edward Jones, wife of Edward Jones died yesterday. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Smith. Sometimes I don't even get that! Men have biographies, sketches, and full-blown obits about them. Women are just sidekicks and afterthoughts. 

That's it for this week. Do you have a favorite photo? Any nicknames of relatives, ancestors you'd like to share? Or who is someone you think is overlooked and would like to know more about? Leave me a note here or email me. I'm always looking for more material. 

In the Beginning

 Happy New Year! 

The first prompt of 2025 is "In the beginning." I decided to do something I've wanted to do for a while, compile a list of all the birthdays, deaths, and anniversaries on a monthly basis. January is the first month so it's a good place to start. 

Let's start off on a happy note with some of the birthdays I've found in January.

My paternal Great aunt Fern Thompson was born on January 1, 1927.

January 3rd has 2 birthdays, Sidney Henrickson in 1902 and my Dad in 1941.

Frank Ashley, a paternal Great Uncle was born on January 4, 1915.

Paternal 3x Great Grandmother Abigail Eldred was born on January 9, 1804.

Paternal Great Grandmother Emilia Dobbratz Ashley was born on January 15, 1888.

Great Grandfather George Henrickson was born January 19, 1875.

2x Great Grandmother Mary Pulispher Strandt was born January 20, 1877.

January 23 was the birthday of paternal 2x Great Grandfather Andrew Thompson in 1859 and paternal Grand uncle Orville Ashley in 1919

Toni Thompson was born January 28,1945.

Next up we celebrate the marriages that occurred in January.

Paternal 2x Great Grandparents Orville Ashley and Kate Eldred were united in marriage on January 1, 1863.

2x Great Grandparents Ingrid Fahna and Johan Jonasson were also united in marriage in January, on the 10th, in 1874.

Our In Memoriam segment is sadly, the largest. 

January 1 was the day Grand Aunt Esther M. Henrickson and Grand Uncle Lynn Bellinger passed away. In 1995 and 1981.

3x Great Grandfather Madison Truman passed away on January 2, 1884.

3x Great Grandfather Sven Fahna passed away on January 3, 1881 and Victor Henrickson passed away on the same date in 1923.

Howard C. Strand passed away on January 8, 2017.

Paternal 3x Great Grandfather Riley Thompson passed away on January 9, 1908.

Grand Aunt Helen Bellinger passed away on January 10, 1980.

3x Great Grandfather Carl F. T. Strand passed away on January 18, 1914.

Paternal 2x Great Grandmother Mary Bellegraph Conors passed away on January 21, 1941.

Grandfather Lawrence F. Thompson, Sr, passed away on January 19, 2006.

3x Great Grandmother Loretta Foster Bellinger passed away on January 30, 1912.

This list is by no means inclusive. If you know of any other birthdays, anniversaries or deaths in January, please list them below in the comments or email me. 

Colonel Howard C. Strand. Passed away on January 8, 2017.