Saturday, December 09, 2006

2006 in Pictures

Merry Christmas to your family from ours.

It seemed like such a good idea at the time - we'd make our Christmas gifts this year. Lynne and I decided on that last spring and we actually started some of our creations during summer vacation. However, events caught up with us and here we are on December 21 with no gifts mailed out.

We did mail our cards today which were more involved than usual this year. We almost always make our Christmas cards but this year I learned a beautiful technique of layering colored paper that I just had to share it with you.

Below, we've posted some pictures from each month of the past year. (Click the small photo for a larger version).

January saw us at the new Georgia Aquarium. We like it very much and have an annual pass this year. It is well worth the visit next time you come see us in Georgia.









February, Karen and the girls took a trip to Cumberland Island, the Okeefenokee Swamp, and Savannah.



This little wild horse thought he was hidden from us.



March seemed to revolve around Girl Scouts - especially cookie sales and delivery. Karen is the leader for the 16-girl Brownie troop, 2068. Starting in the fall of 2006, Karen also became the assistant leader for Tacie's 7-girl Cadette troop, 778.






Charlie graduated from his first obedience school. Tacie is completely responsible for Charlie's care and she does a pretty good job.



In April, we drove down to Disney World for spring break. We stayed in Disney's Pop Century resort and enjoyed visiting each of the parks the first 4 days. The 5th day, Tacie and Bruce went to all 4 in one day to ride the best roller coasters. Karen and Talia were happy at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.










While at Cumberland Island in February, Karen had hurt her arch walking barefoot in the sand. The doctor prescribed a special sandal and shoe inserts. By the time we went to Disney World, it was almost healed. The week before we left, Tacie sprained her arch walking in moccasins. The podiatrist taught Karen how to tape Tacie's foot. Tacie also got a special sandal and ended up in a wheelchair for most of the time at the parks. Luckily, Disney is very wheelchair accessible. We both are walking well now.



May marked the end of the school year. Memorial Day our Girl Scouts set flags out at Marietta National Cemetery






June marked the height of summer break. Both the girls both enjoyed a week of Girl Scout day camp. We celebrated Talia's 8th birthday. They went swimming at the neighborhood pool most days.

Bruce was able to stay in town most of the summer and work from home. Tacie is old enough to babysit Talia even when he had to leave so they stayed home and played day after day after day. Sometimes they stayed in their pajamas most of the day!



July we went blueberry picking with Karen's sister, Lynne one day. We ended up with 4 very large baskets of delicious ripe blueberries which we mostly ate out-of-hand. We froze about half to enjoy through the winter on cereal, in pancakes and muffins - maybe a pie too.








August was the beginning of the new school year. We took a short holiday in the north Georgia mountains the week beforehand. We visited Amicalola Falls, Cleveland where the Cabbage Patch Kids are born, and Helen. We rafted down the lazy Chattahoochee River in Helen. We spent quite a bit of time napping that week. We had to get our strength up in preparation for the new school year!




September we were in full swing at school. Talia is in 3rd grade and Tacie in 8th. Tacie moved to the newly built middle school closer to home. The building is nice but she misses her friends. People from the old school were redistricted to 3 different schools.

We took a break over Labor Day and went family camping at one of the Girl Scout camps. All four of us got to do archery, canoe, kayak, do crafts, tie dye, swim, and eat in the dining hall. We slept in a platform tent.





In October we're enjoying the cool of the fall. Tacie's new teachers are very enthusiastic this year. The Advanced Learning Program students are going on 9 field trips including the yearbook factory, Savannah, the Oconee River, and the Georgia legislature. The first one this year, families were invited to go too on a Sunday to the Etowah Indian mounds.



We had a belated party to celebrate Tacie's 13th birthday. We invited 8 of her school friends over for "Once Upon a Murder". Eight storybook characters are under suspicion of the murder of Jack (of Jack and Jill fame). Tacie played "Scarlet Hood". It was a great success.



A few days later for Halloween, Talia dressed as "Dorothy" from The Wizard of Oz. Tacie was "Little Red Riding Hood".



We executed a large part of our landscape plan. Over the summer we had a landscape architect draw up a plan for the front and back of our home. The previous owners had done little - what may have been nice 17 years ago in the front was overgrown. The back had never been touched. We don't like plants that need a lot of attention and watering and the landscaper took our preferences into consideration.






One Friday in October, we rented an amazing machine from Home Depot. It included a trencher, a scooper, a scraper, and 3 sizes of augers for digging holes. We used them all. We installed a sprinkler system in the front, dug up a number of overgrown shrubs, and dug over 100 holes for new shurbs and trees. The next weekend, we went bought 2 trailer loads and 3 mini van loads of plants. Over the next weeks we planted. We still have some liriope that needs planting but all the large trees and shrubs are doing well.

In November, we were thankful to host our family this year at our house for Thanksgiving. Ken, Carla, Riley, and Rowen came, as well as Lynne and Sharon. We had a pretty big group to enjoy all that good food.


December has already been busy. This year Lynne, Carla, and we decided that our families would make all of our Christmas gifts this season. We've been busy for months preparing but it looks like they all won't get done in time. We've also been making our Christmas cards by hand and that's been a fun project too. We've been to a bunch of parties and have a few more left.

I hope you've enjoyed our 2006 photo highlight. We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful 2007.

Love,

Karen, Bruce, Tacie, and Talia


Saturday, November 25, 2006

Italian Roots

I am seeking the origins of my Italian family. My great grandmother, Ada Nicolini was born in Italy and immigrated to the United States in about 1874. The family was Catholic.

It is said that her family was sought by the "black hand", the precursor of the Mafia. They came to the US to escape. On the boat here they gave their daughter, Ada, to the Clem Studebaker family for her safety. If this story is true, it would imply that they were from Sicily or southern Italy as that is where the "black hand" was active during the late 19th century (from my understanding). One of my Cragen cousins thought that the family may have been from Genoa which is in northern Italy. I've learned not to put too much faith in family legend.

1874 is before the huge Italian immigration to the US. There were only about 4000 people from Italy to immigrate that year - compared to over 250,000 in 1906.

I found an Italian family in the 1880 census that I believe is ours.

June 21, 1880 Marshall Co. German Township, Bremen Town; ED101; pg40; ln4
163 South Street Bremen, Ind.

Louis and wife Louisetta Nicol - living with their 6 children and his 2 brothers. Louis is age 45; married; works as a laborer; he and both parents born in Italy. Louisetta is age 25; married; keeping house; she and both parents born in Italy. Children listed are:
Addie 10 (born in Italy), Mary 8 (Italy), Charlotte 6 (Indiana), Charlie 4 (Indiana), Agustav 2 (Indiana), Thomas 6 mo. (Indiana).

Louis' two brothers are Antoine age 22; single; works on railroad; he and both parents born in Italy and Ruberto age 20; single; works on railroad; he and both parents born in Italy.


The 1900 census says Ada came to the US in 1876. According to the children's births, that puts them here after 1873.

I have not been able to find any Nicol/Nicolini families in Bremen in the 1900 or later census records.

I believe that Louis is not an Italian name but that his name was likely Luigi Nicolini or Niccolini

I have not been able to verify any of these family members on any immigration passenger lists. The closest I have found is a Luigi and an Antoino near the correct ages traveling together on the steamship, "The Queen" in 1872. They originated in Italy but are sailing from Le Havre, France (apparently this was a common embarkation point from Italy for the US). Luigi is listed as age 34 and a laborer. Antoinio is listed as a child, aged 10. They arrived December 12, 1872.

I am traveling to Italy in the spring. I would very much like to know Ada's birth place before we go.

The Schmidt Family

My grandmother Leona's parents were Ada Nicolini and Jacob Schmidt. They were married in St. Joseph County, Indiana, listed on the marriage license as Jacob H. Schmidt and Ada Lee. The license was issued on 2 Sept 1889. They were married on 11 Sept. 1889 by Reverend D. Showley, Minister of the Gospel.

Jacob was born in 1867 in Alsace - Lorraine. He considered himself French, spoke fluent French, and would sing the French national anthem. However, he was blond with blue eyes and his name was Schmidt so was likely German in part. He was raised Lutheran.

Jacob embarked at Bremen with his parents and arrived in New York October 11, 1872. He became a naturalized citizen. His father, also Jacob Schmidt (born 1847 in Prussia), was naturalized October 2, 1884 at Crown Point, Indiana.

Jacob worked in a foundry as a painter and paper hanger. From family tradition, it is said Jacob was a bootlegger, making flour sugar whiskey in Breman.

Jacob's brother, Alfred, was on the Board of Trade in Chicago in 1918. Their father built the first Lutheran cathedral in Chicago. Their sister, Devore, was an actress in Chicago.

Ada was born in Italy. Ada also came to the United States as a child, in about 1876. She was raised Catholic. I will write more about Ada's family in the next post.

Ada and Jacob had 8 children:
Jacob Henry -1889
Mary Louise - 4/21/1891
Charles - 1892-1903
Consula Verna (Luella) - 9/25/1896
Adelaide - 2/26/1898
Leona Lavona - 1900
Paul David - 1905
Ruth (died young)

Ada and Jacob are listed in the 1900 census as "Ida and Jacob Smith".
June 6, 1900 Marshall Co. German Township, Bremen Town, Indiana.

The are living with their 5 children. Ada born in Aug. 1870; age 29; married for 10 yrs; 6 children born; 5 still living; she and both parents born in Italy; year of immigration: 1876; #years in US: 24; can read/write/speak English.

Jacob born in Jan. 1866; age 34; married for 10 yrs; he and both parents born in Germany; year of immigration: 1868; #years in US: 27; Naturalized citizen; painter; no unemployment; can read/write/speak English; Owned house with mortgage.


In the 1910 census, the family is still in Bremen. They now have 6 children at home and a boarder.

Jacob is listed as age 48; second marriage for 20 yrs; he and both parents born in Germany, speaks German; immigration: 1868; Naturalized citizen; English language; worked as painter in the foundry; no unemployment; can read/write/speak English; own house free. Lived at 58 Whitlock Street Bremen, Ind. Enumerated as Jacob H. Smith. Their boarder, John Coin was 23, from Austria in 1848 and worked as a 'moulder' at a foundry.

Ada is listed with her husband, 6 children and boarder. Age 37; married for 20 yrs; she and both parents born in Italy, speaks Italian; immigration: 1874; English language; 'keeps boarders in our home'; no unemployment; can read/write/speak English. Lives at 58 Whitlock St. Enumerated as Ida Smith.





Jacob and Ada died in the 1918 flu epidemic. They are buried in Bremen - Driveway 3, about 2nd plot in, going north. The dates say: 1867 - 1918 and 1870 - 1918. There are two other graves at the site, Charles 1892-1903 who was killed in a grain elevator, and infant David Moore 1909 (probably the son of Louise Schmidt Moore).

The family says that Jacob died one month and two days after his wife. It was said that he died of a broken heart.