Thanksgiving and blogversary

Happy Thanksgiving! 
As hard as I have searched, I cannot yet find any pictures of my family at Thanksgiving dinner.... but I'll keep looking!  Really missed having my daughter at the table this year, so called her.... and miss having Mom as well, hard to believe this is the second Thanksgiving without her....

Spent the evening watching a terrific History Channel documentary called Desperate Journey: The untold story of the Mayflower.... Fabulous!  I recorded it to watch again.... It started with the separatist movement in Scrooby, the move to Holland, and went through the end of the first year and the "Harvest Feast"....
It was based primarily on Bradford's journals...The only part of the story not told was the anecdote about my ancestor John Howland, who supposedly was washed overboard, but hung onto a halyard rope, and was dragged back on board.  I'm not sure that I could have lasted with the 100+ passengers below decks for 9 weeks through the storms, or survived the first winter, but am very thankful that John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley did, or I might not be here!!!

Just realized that this is the third anniversary of beginning this blog!!! My resolution (not waiting to New Year's) is to be more regular in writing my posts and sharing the history and documents of the various branches of the family, and the adventure in discovering them.....

now to retire to my bed with a very full stomach! Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and Thank You God for all your many blessings to me and my family.
Sue

Tombstone Tuesday--Fairchild, Petty, Miller, Keller, Case,

While in the east last July, took lots of gravestone pictures. Some of the tombstones which were legible 30 years ago, are not now readable..... but some are.... going to add all to Findagrave one of these days....

This is the Fairchild plot at Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Portville, Cattaraugus Co., NY . Of course there are no chestnut trees there anymore ......   here are the individual tombstones....
left to right , front row

 Lucy Gertrude Miller 1st wife of Fred William Fairchild.  She died within a week of giving birth to her second child, Marion. My grandfather Victor Miller Fairchild was her first child.

 Next is Fred William Fairchild,  son of James H. and Roxey R. Petty Fairchild,  buried between his two wives...

Fred's second wife, Maude Ziegler.

 Next is Nellie Sophia Fairchild ( sister to Fred and daughter of James & Roxey) and her husband Will T. Keller... the Kellers lived next door to James H. & Roxey Petty Fairchild.....

Final grave in first row is that of a grandson of Nellie and Will,  I believe he died of a gunshot as a teenager... but haven't done much research on that branch of the family....
2nd Row

Roxcy Rosalia Petty Fairchild was the matriarch of this family. Grandma rose was the glue, and raised not only her eight children, but was also instrumental in raising 3 grandchildren after one was orphaned, and the other two lost their mother.... I wish I could have met her, and am truly thankful for her influence on the family!

James H(enry?) Fairchild was the patriarch. He was owner of a shingle mill, fought in the Civil War, was wounded at Battle of the Wilderness, member of the GAR, on the school board,  whose "word was as good as a bond" as stated in his obituary. He was father of 5 sons and 3 daughters.... a distinguished man from his photos....

Lewie was another son of James. He worked in oil drilling in Cattaraugus count, among other jobs...
With no children of his own, he was a great uncle to all his nieces and nephews....

Mary Case, wife of Lewis, worked in the publishing industry.... she and Lewis lived apart for many years, but remained married as far as I have been able to research.  They had no children.... 


Well, that is the small plot of my great-great grandparents and some of their descendants..... for more info see my other blog posts and ahnentafel page, or contact me if you have more info, I'm always willing to share!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!  
Sue

RootsTech Registration contests

Roots Tech is an annual conference held in Salt Lake City. It is of value to both genealogy software developers and to all of us genealogists who use these tools.  I couldn't go last year, as was still working, but now that I'm retired.....
There are several contests to win a free registration going on. Registration is $129 early, $189 regular, so this is a great savings!  Here's the first one I saw posted, and it's easy to enter... offered by Joan Miller  of Luxegen Genealogy & family History,  it only requires you to spread the word, pick a session, and write an e-mail!!!!  go to
http://www.luxegen.ca/genealogy/rootstech-2012-win-free-registration/ 
for the details....But Hurry, closes at midnight Sunday !
I picked the session on apps for genealogy, as am trying to decide on smart phone, tablet/iPad, etc, and hope to learn enough to choose wisely!  But there are sessions on the DNA usage, databases,  and scores more (103 sessions in all!!! )     Hope to see you there!!!