If a love of animals is passed on through the DNA, then it would explain why I've always had some sort of pet. Cats, dogs, goldfish, guinea pigs, hamsters, turtles... you name it, I've probably had one. Or more.
The following are photos of a few of our family pets:
Lucky was my father's beloved boyhood companion for a number of years. He now has a Welsh Corgi, a Cocker Spaniel, and about 7 cats. At least, that was the last count.
For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of this cat. I do remember that she was a Siamese, and had blue eyes that I think were crossed. My grandmother always had one or more cats; even the neighborhood cats hung out at her house because she put out food for them... just in case they were hungry. Unfortunately, I discovered that I was allergic to cats when my eyes swelled up and itched like crazy every time we went to visit my grandparents.
I've had about 5 dogs in my lifetime, but Pepper was my first. He was a bit odd, but loyal and loveable, nonetheless. He is pictured here getting a bath in a tub that's just a few sizes too small. And yes, my shirt really does say, "Shake Your Booty." It was the '70s.
Reilly lives with us now. I adopted him in 1999 from the animal shelter when he was about three months old. He was my "baby" until my daughter came along. He doesn't much like his new position in "the pack," unfortunately.
Photographs:
"Dad and Lucky," (ca. 1952). Photograph. Privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal.
"Reba Dunn Swanay and Cat," (ca. 1973, Rialto, Riverside Co, California). Digital Image. Privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal.
"Pepper and Me," (July 1977, El Toro, Orange Co., California). Photograph. Privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal.
"Reilly," (September 11, 2007, Lompoc, Santa Barbara Co, California). Digital Image. Privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Creatures Great and Small (Mostly Small)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
See the Bathing Beauties at the COG!
If you haven't already done so, you'll want to dive into the Carnival of Genealogy, 49th Edition: Suimsuit Edition!
You won't see ME, of course, but you will see a wide variety of lovely, memorable family photos and stories.
It's not Sports Illustrated, but I'm certain that you will enjoy it, nonetheless!
My entry in the COG is here: Back to the Beach: 1940's Suimsuit Edition, featuring my mother and her sister in the most stylish of 1940's era swimwear for children (shoes and socks included).
If you're feeling inspired, here is the skinny on the next Carnival of Genealogy:
The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: family pets! Bring out those old photos of Snoopy, Garfield, Rex and Bob! Tell us the funny, charming, and cute stories about the pets you remember or remember hearing about. Introduce us to the furry, feathered, and scaly members who have a place on your family tree! The deadline for the next edition is June 15, 2008, and it will be hosted by none other than the flutaphone master himself, Bill West!See you there!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Back to the Beach: 1940's Suimsuit Edition
Pictured here, modeling the most lovely of late-1940's era children's swimwear, are my mother, Judy Dagle, and her older sister, Sharon Dagle.
As is the custom with my family, NONE of the photos are labeled, so I have absolutely no idea where they were taken, when, or what the occasion was (grrr). I'm lucky if I can figure out who is in the pictures.
Sharon and Judy in matching swimsuits, ca. 1943. Picture probably taken in Iowa. I'm guessing from the shoes and socks that both are wearing that there must be no water to play in nearby.
I do love the border around the photo. It says "ELKO" in the corners; apparently the Elko Photo Company was based in Kansas City, Missouri, so it's possible that they also did business in other midwestern states. (Digital Image. Original privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal, California, USA, 2008)
Judy and Sharon, a few years later. This time, no matching suimsuits. Notice the daring, yet subdued, tummy-baring "bikini" my mother was wearing! To my knowledge, she was never caught wearing one of these ever again. Photo was taken ca. 1947. Based on the background, they appear to be in northern Washington, at a lake or river. (Digital Image. Original privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal, California, USA, 2008)
This photo appears to have been taken on the same day as the previous photo.
(Digital Image. Original privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal, California, USA, 2008)
Perhaps someone from the Washington State area might recognize this spot? I do know that the family lived in Tacoma in the late 1940's/early 1950's, which is probably when these photos were taken.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Mom Knows Best: The 48th Edition Carnival of Genealogy
For the one or two of you out there who haven't heard... The 48th Edition Carnival of Genealogy: Mom, How'd You Get So Smart? was published on May 17th.
My mom always told me that she had eyes in the back of her head. I know now that it's just some special "smartness" that comes with being a mom.
And the need to stay at least one step ahead at all times.
My COG entry is here.
You won't want to miss the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: Swimsuit Edition - just in time for the beach!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Momsense: How'd You Get So Smart?
Several years before my mother died, I gave her a book. It was one of those "All About Mom" personal history books, which asked a bunch of questions about life, and had blanks on which to fill in the answers.
Mom died in 2001. I found the book among her belongings... still full of empty blanks.
So I'm at a loss for information about much of her life.
I do know a little bit about her school years, mostly from the few stories she told and from the photos and news clippings I found after her death.
From what I can determine, Mom attended grade school at Sacred Heart School in Tacoma, Washington.
2nd Grade Class, Sacred Heart School (Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington). Photo taken May 20, 1949. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.
On the back of her second and fourth grade photos, she meticulously wrote the names of all of her classmates.
3rd Grade Class, Sacred Heart School (Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington). Photo taken c. 1950. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.
On the back of her third grade photo, she wrote, "This is the third grade when I had Father Kelly and Sister Mary Paula for my teachers, and Father Kelly for my priest." Mom always did have beautiful penmanship.
4th Grade Class, Sacred Heart School (Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington). Photo taken c. 1951. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.
High School Diploma of Judith Ann Dagle (St. Bernadine's High School, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California). Dated June 3, 1959. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.
After the death of her father Marvin Dagle, Mom, her mother Mary, and her sister Sharon moved to San Bernardino, California, where she attended St. Bernadine's High School. St. Bernadine's was an all-girl, Catholic school.
High School Graduation Photo of Judith Ann Dagle (St. Bernadine's High School, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California). Photo taken 1959. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal. 
St. Bernadine's High School Graduation Announcement from Unknown Newspaper. Date Unknown, estimated June 2, 1959. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.
After high school, Mom was accepted as a flight attendant (or "stewardess," as they said back then) with an airline - I believe it was American Airlines, but I'm not certain. She did not finish her training, as she decided to marry my father instead of becoming a flight attendant.
Mom never attended college, but always had a great love of reading. She voraciously read dozens of books each year, and instilled this love of reading in me with numerous trips to the library when I was young.
She was also the best "speller" of anyone I knew. Unfortunately, whenever I asked her how to spell a word, her favorite answer was, "Look it up."
I'm sure I'll be passing this wise bit of "momsense" on to my daughter someday.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Two Treats!
I was a little under the weather yesterday, so I didn't get to see the posting of the Carnival of Genealogy, 47th Edition, until this morning. The topic for this edition was "A Place Called Home." So many parts of the world are represented - you won't want to miss checking out these terrific articles for a little "armchair travel" around the world!
I'm running out of superlatives to describe what a wonderful job Jasia does with the Carnival of Genealogy. Thank you again, Jasia, for all you do. I hope you enjoy a much-deserved summer break!
TREAT #2
I typically let my daughter watch her favorite cartoon - "The Little Einsteins" on the Disney Channel - in the mornings. I know, Bad Mommy using the TV as a babysitter... but it keeps her occupied for a while so I can get my morning chores done. I'll deal with the guilt later.
Anyway, while "The Little Einsteins" are saving the world yet again, I like to tune out (a little - moms NEVER completely tune out) by listening to my favorite podcasts on my iPod. These include a variety of genealogy podcasts such as Lisa L. Cooke's "Genealogy Gems," and "DearMYRTLE's Family History Hour."
I'm also something of a LOST junkie, and I enjoy "The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack." It's good to know that I'm not the only one confused by this show.
So this morning I was listening to "The Genealogy Guys Podcast" with George C. Morgan and Drew Smith, episode #135, and who did I hear them mention? Why, none other than Miriam Midkiff from AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors!
Miriam had written to The Guys to in response to a previous show on which they discussed genetic genealogy, and she referred them to Blaine Bettinger's free publication, "I Have The Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?" available on Blaine's blog, The Genetic Genealogist.
I was happy to hear both of these fine blogs mentioned by The Guys on their show. If you haven't read either of these blogs, or listened to the podcasts I mentioned, I hope that you'll take some time to do so. You won't be disappointed!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
It's Greener in Greeneville
Pleasant Hill Church: many of my ancestors are buried in its cemetery. (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995)
My father’s parents came to California from Tennessee, specifically, Greeneville, in Greene County, Tennessee.
About Greene County
Located at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Greene County is found in the Eastern part of Tennessee, and is named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Major General Nathanael Greene. It was organized from Washington County, Tennessee, in 1783, with Greeneville as the county seat.
Greene County is ranked the 6th largest county in the state, and covers 624 square miles with an average elevation of 1,320 feet above sea level. Of this, more than 230,000 acres are under cultivation by Greene County's nearly 3,400 farm families.
Like in the days of early Greene County, farming continues to be an important industry. (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )
Some famous Greene Countians:
Davy Crockett (Col. David Stern Crockett) was born in Greene County on August 17, 1786. You probably know him as the “King of the Wild Frontier,” but he also had quite a political career, and represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Col. Crockett died at the historic Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.
President Andrew Johnson used to make his home in Greenville. “Old Hickory,” as he was known, became the 17th President of the United States after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. His former home and tailor shop are open to the public.
This replica of Andrew Jackson's South Carolina birth place stands in Greene County. (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )
But I’m not related to either of these gentlemen.
My Visit to Greene County
My father, my aunt (Dad’s sister), and I took a trip to see the “ancestral home” of Greeneville over Memorial Day weekend in 1995. My aunt was the person who got me interested in genealogy back in 1987, and she had been researching our family for about a decade before that. So it was fitting that we should make this trip together.
My father and I met at the airport in Knoxville; he flew in from Massachusetts, and I from San Diego. The first thing I noticed was the HUMIDITY. It was like a wall of steam hitting me in the lungs! Being a California desert girl, this came as quite a shock.
Once my aunt arrived from Washington, we were able to really get the show on the road. The next day, we took the scenic route from Knoxville to Greeneville via the Great Smoky Mountains and a teensy corner of North Carolina. Having never been in this part of the country before, I enjoyed the drive very much.
The "Olde Greene County Gaol" (jail), built in 1882 by Turner and Lane.
(Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )
While in Greeneville, we experienced as much of the “local color” as possible. My favorite was the way the waitresses would always ask, “Would you like grits with that?” Grits aren’t a staple of the typical California diet, so this was an unusual question to me. I really didn't want grits with anything, and I still don't.
(Oddly enough, my husband loves grits. But then, he’s a “southerner,” having lived in both Carolinas, as well as Florida, growing up.)
I was also struck by how aptly named Greeneville was: everything was so green! After a few days, I started wondering why on earth my grandparents ever left Greeneville for California. I mean, I know why they really left (I think), and it had nothing to do with the landscape, but still… Los Angeles must have been quite a change for them.
Tusculum College, founded in 1794, is Tennessee's oldest college.
(Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )
We stopped for a short visit at Tusculum College, admiring the beautiful stone arch at the entry. In my grandfather's younger days, he wanted to become a teacher, and had dreams of attending Tusculum. Life got in the way, and this didn't happen; however, he did raise two children who became teachers, and two of his grandchildren also became teachers. It seems that teaching runs in the family.
The three of us trekked through as many cemeteries as possible, visiting the known graves of ancestors, and discovering a few new ones. We hit cemetery “pay dirt” at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, finding lots of family graves to photograph and record. Unfortunately, we had a big missed opportunity, because at the time, we didn’t know that the burial location of our Revolutionary War ancestor Leroy Taylor was just down the road in Leesburg (the town named for him – DUH!).
Greeneville’s most historic cemetery, the Old Harmony Graveyard, was established in 1791. Many of Greeneville’s most famous residents are buried there. Although none are/were related to me, we did check it out, just the same.
Old Harmony Graveyard (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )
We also visited the courthouse and found some genealogical gems, which I’ll be happy to talk about in future articles.
I really loved visiting Greeneville, Tennessee. The landscape was lush and green, and the people were warm and friendly.
I hope to make it back again soon, especially now that I’m armed with even more genealogical information!
We were surprised to learn that we're actually named after this sign! Or was the sign named after us? Either way, it was a fun find! (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 1995 )
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More About Greene County, Tennessee:
TN GenWeb
Pleasant Hill Cemetery on Find A Grave
Old Harmony Graveyard on Find A Grave
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
44th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is Posted!
Hop on over to Jasia's Creative Gene to read the terrific entries in the latest edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.
Being that March is National Women's History Month, the topic of this edition was "A Tribute to Women."
My own post is here: My Mother, My Hero.
If you haven't already done so, be sure to honor some of the outstanding women in your family this month.
Flowers are always good. Or chocolate.
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The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: Cars as stars!
Next to purchasing a house, a "new set of wheels" was the next most significant purchase for many families. What car played a starring roll in your family history and what roll did it play? Did your family build cars or tinker with them? Did they take "Sunday drives"? What was your first car? Was there a hangout that you frequented in your car? How far back can you document your family's automotive genealogy?
The deadline for submissions is April 1st. 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 the blog carnival index page.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
My Mother, My Hero
When I read the theme for the 44th Carnival of Genealogy, A Tribute to Women, I was unsure if I would be able to participate without turning into a puddle on the floor.
You see, the woman who has made the greatest impact on my life was my mother.
Unfortunately, she died almost 7 years ago from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), following what should have been a routine back surgery. A surgery that should have relieved her intense pain and made her life bearable... but which, instead, killed her.
To this day, I'm still so very sad and angry. My mother will never know her granddaughter, whom she would have loved so much, and my daughter will never know her grandmother. Everyday I have to fight back the grief.
So, this is my tribute to my mother, Judith Ann Dagle. She would have been 67 years old on Sunday, March 16, 2008.
I hope that what I am not able to say in words, I will be able to say in pictures.
Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal
Thursday, March 6, 2008
You've Probably Already Heard This, But...
In case you are the only person in the genealogy world who has NOT heard this news, then let me be the one to tell you:
The 43rd Carnival of Genealogy has been posted!
The topic of this month's COG was right up my alley: Technology... as in, what are your favorite technology tools (hardware, software, web site) for genealogy.
32 bloggers participated this time, including a few newbies and "bloglings" such as myself.
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blogling: \ˈbläg-liŋ\, noun, one who has been a blogger for less than one year, as defined by footnoteMaven.
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For the record, I was truly honored to be included among such an esteemed group of genealogy bloggers. And I'm overwhelmed and amazed that so many people took the time to visit my little blogling blog. Thank you, thank you, and I do hope you'll come back again!
If you haven't visited the COG yet, please do take the time to check it out. It will be a worthwhile visit for you, I promise.
Oh, and my little entry is here.
Many thanks to Jasia of Creative Gene for her efforts of continually hosting this terrific blog carnival.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Another First for Me: 43rd Carnival of Genealogy – Technology
It's true: I'm a Carnival of Genealogy newbie.
I didn't participate in the last two Carnivals, mainly because a) I am still a fledgling blogger and didn't have enough posts under my belt to deserve any iGenes, and b) it took me a while to figure out exactly what a blog carnival is.
I mean, who knew? As of today, there are 3,617 different blog carnivals in progress, ranging from the sublime to the downright unique. Interested in pets? Check out the "All About Dog Training" carnival. Need to cleanse your body and soul? Check out the "Detox With Apples" carnival. Ever read something and think, "Whoa!" Then the "Carnival of Crazy" is for you!
But if blogging about genealogy and history is more your thing, you might want to check out these carnivals:
Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture
Carnival of Central/Eastern European Genealogy
Cabinet of Curiousities
I was seriously thinking of entering the "Carnival of Cheese" until I found out it had been discontinued. Rats. And I really like feta, too.
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What technology do you most rely on for your genealogy and family history research? Select one piece of hardware (besides your computer), one piece of software (besides your internet browser), and one web site/blog (besides your own) that are indispensable to you. Resist the urge to dilute the impact of your 3 choices by mentioning several others you use and appreciate as well. This is an exercise in appraising the technology you use/recommend the most.
Hardware
Other than my computer, the piece of hardware I rely on most would have to be my digital camera.
My camera goes everywhere with me. Voted one of Popular Photography & Imaging Magazine’s Top 25 Products of 2007, (see "Stuff I Like," to the left) my beautiful Canon EOS 40D
Almost. In a quieter, less demanding sort of way.
Not only do I use my camera to photograph cemeteries, historic places, and cute things my daughter does, I’ve also used it numerous times to photograph family photos, letters, and documents in a pinch when no scanner or copier was available.
For places that don’t allow photography, I keep my much smaller and easier-to-hide Sony Cybershot in my purse. I’ve been known to hide in the back of libraries, photographing pages of books rather than pay to use the copier. Shhh!
Plus, it’s no secret that I have a terrible memory. My friends call it “Swiss Cheese Brain,” and I'm almost positive that they mean it in good fun. But my digital camera has saved me on numerous occasions. That book I saw in the cemetery superintendent’s office? I’ll never remember what it was called… so I take a picture of the cover! That web site I saw advertised at the SCGS Jamboree that I wanted to investigate? I’ll never remember the URL.
But a picture is worth a thousand little scraps of paper!
My camera is also very useful for helping my husband get the correct items at the supermarket, but that’s for another post.
I keep a couple of 4 GB CompactFlash
Software
Like many genealogists, I use Family Tree Maker
I don’t have time for much of a learning curve these days.
But I do like the way FTM integrates with Ancestry.com: one click of a button, and it searches Ancestry’s collections for a particular ancestor. I’ve found lots of useful items this way that I did not find using Ancestry’s regular search page.
I’m still using version 16, mainly because I’m a) too cheap, and b) too scared to upgrade to the new version. I've been burned too many times by upgrades.
However, my father recently purchased the new version and seems to like it just fine. He’s never used anything else though, so he doesn’t really have anything with which to compare it. I tried it out on his computer, and the interface was so different from version 16 that it was very confusing for me.
But I suppose I will eventually comply and buy the new version. I always do.
Web Site/Blog
I really wanted to come up with something unique and creative for this one, but after spending the better part of an afternoon helping a friend with her research, I realized that there really is one particular web site that I rely on most.
Don’t hate on me for saying this, but that one web site is Ancestry.com.
I know, I know… there’s all sorts of reasons why Ancestry is BAD.
But just like the with the bad boys in college… I can’t help myself.
Yes, Ancestry costs a boatload of money. And yes, they probably do steal your stuff (or at least, Ancestry users steal your stuff).
But they do have a LOT of stuff. I can sit at my computer in my bath robe sipping coffee while my toddler watches cartoons and surf the 1920 Census. I can’t do that at the National Archives.
There are many, many other genealogy and history sites on which I rely, but I always seem to go to Ancestry first. Once I’ve exhausted them as a resource, I’ll look elsewhere.
But I’ll always go back again later. Maybe I had the wrong search criteria the first time, or maybe a new database was added. Who knows!
If I’m really lucky, I’ll meet a new cousin through their "contact other users interested in this ancestor" feature. That has happened on more than one occasion.
It's nice to know that I'm not always the only one out there searching for a particular ancestor, even if it seems that way.
