Nomnie’s Dress for Muriel - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 15)

Nomnie’s Dress for Muriel - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 15)

This beautiful dress was made for “Granny”, Muriel Joy Gregory Petit (1930-2014), my wife’s maternal grandmother. Elegantly framed, the dress and its story have been lovingly preserved by my mother-in-law. It now hangs in our home.

1930s and 40s Funeral Costs - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 14)

1930s and 40s Funeral Costs - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 14)

How much did a funeral cost in 1930s and 1940s? These documents from my 2nd great grandparents, Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934) and Fannie Schmidt Ratz (1870-1944), give us an idea.

Funeral Prayer Card for Marianna Grzeskowiak Pawlowski (1879-1941) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 13)

Funeral Prayer Card for Marianna Grzeskowiak Pawlowski (1879-1941) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 13)

This is the funeral prayer card for my great grandmother, Marianna Grzeskowiak Pawlowski (1879-1941). I don’t have it in my possession, but the image was shared with me by a cousin several years ago.

Naturalization Record for Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 12)

Naturalization Record for Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 12)

This is the Certificate of Naturalization for my 2nd great grandfather, Heinrich (Henry) Peter Ratz (1867-1934). It was signed on Monday, February 18, 1895 by Robert H. Shields, the County Clerk in Houghton County, Michigan.

Tintype Photograph of James Costlow (1822-1904)? - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 11)

Tintype Photograph of James Costlow (1822-1904)? - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 11)

This is the oldest photograph that I have in my personal family collection. Though unidentified, I suspect that it is of my 3rd great grandfather, James Costlow (1822-1904). It is likely that he is with his first wife, my 3rd great grandmother, Sarah Reynolds Costlow (1824-1865).

Ceramic Owl Lamp, 1978 - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 10)

Ceramic Owl Lamp, 1978 - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 10)

This ceramic owl lamp was hand painted by my mother in 1978. It was one of the hundreds of projects she made with the kiln and ceramic studio we had in our basement.

If I Had a Hammer - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 9)

If I Had a Hammer - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 9)

The first known owner of this simple hammer was my great grandfather, Michael John Hanley (1890-1964), though it is possible an ancestor owned if before him. It was passed down to my grandfather, and then my father.

The Pipe and Rosary of My Hanley 2nd Great Grandparents - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 8)

The Pipe and Rosary of My Hanley 2nd Great Grandparents - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 8)

This is perhaps my most treasured family heirloom. It is a wooden rosary and pipe that belonged to my 2nd great grandparents, Patrick Hanley (1857-1923) and Ellen Sullivan Kelly Hanley (1850-1938). They were both immigrants from the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland to Atlantic Mine, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Here is their story.

Huron Pride Rutabaga Bag - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 7)

Huron Pride Rutabaga Bag - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 7)

This belonged to my father who, in his late high school and early college years (late 1960s), worked at a grocery store where he picked up this Exeter Produce & Storage Huron Pride Rutabagas burlap bag. He turned it into a piece of “art” that is enjoyed, off and on, today.

A Family Bible from the Teamsters Local Union 299 - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 6)

A Family Bible from the Teamsters Local Union 299 - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 6)

My maternal grandfather, James William Halvangis (1920-1973), drove truck for a living in the city of Detroit, Michigan. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local Union No. 299. When he died, his Teamster Brothers presented our family with this Holy Bible.

A 1951 Wedding Invitation - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 5)

A 1951 Wedding Invitation - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 5)

This is the wedding invitation of my wife’s maternal grandparents, Laurence A. Petit Jr. (1925-2007) and Muriel Joy Gregory Petit (1930-2014). Beautifully framed, it hangs proudly in our home. They were married on October 5th, 1951.

A Grandmother's Rose Petal Rosary - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 4)

A Grandmother's Rose Petal Rosary - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 4)

This rosary was made from the dried rose petals that adorned the casket of my maternal grandmother, Claire Pawlowski Halvangis (1916-1980). It was subsequently used by my older brother when he made his First Holy Communion.

John J. Harrington (1895-1963) World War I Identification Tags - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 3)

John J. Harrington (1895-1963) World War I Identification Tags - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 3)

These are the World War I identification tags (i.e., “dog tags”) of my 2nd great uncle by marriage, John Joseph Harrington (1895-1963), of Hubbell, Michigan. He married my 2nd great aunt, Margaret Hanley Harrington (1894-1979), the younger sister of my great grandfather, Michael John Hanley (1890-1964).

Public School Geography (Canada, 1905) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 2)

Public School Geography (Canada, 1905) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 2)

This “Public School Geography” book came from my wife’s collection. It was published in Toronto Canada by the Canada Publishing Co. in 1905. It cost 75 cents and believe to a Miss Bessie Millson.

Grandma's Recipe Box - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 1)

Grandma's Recipe Box - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 1)

This is the recipe box of my paternal grandmother, Betty Grace Sears Hanley (1924-1981). It includes recipes for “Thrifty Peach Bavarian”, “Fiesta Shrimp Sauce”, and “Honeyscotch Sundae”. Bon Appetit!

Family History Artifact of the Day Challenge - May, 2020

Family History Artifact of the Day Challenge - May, 2020

Do you need to re-energize your family history research and writing? Try the “Family History Artifact of the Day Challenge” for every day in the month of May, 2020.

Military Images Magazine Photo Colorization: U.S. Sharpshooters (1860s)

Military Images Magazine Photo Colorization: U.S. Sharpshooters (1860s)

Two Civil War photo colorizations of U.S. Sharpshooters. This was a unique collaboration between us and Military Images, America’s only magazine dedicated solely to the study of portrait photographs of Civil War soldiers.

Old-Timey Radio During Your COVID-19 Quarantine

Old-Timey Radio During Your COVID-19 Quarantine

There are many heroes during these challenging times. I am not one of them. Most of us are simply being asked to stay home in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re already binged out on Netflix and Hulu you might try some old-timey radio shows.

Colorization in the Time of Coronavirus

Colorization in the Time of Coronavirus

As I write this the world is in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic. Professional photo colorization is literally the last thing anyone needs to be thinking about right now. But, I have some time on my hands. So here we are. Vote for the photo you would like to see colorized next.

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The Tragic Motorcycle Death of Germain W. Rhoads (1906-1940)

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The Tragic Motorcycle Death of Germain W. Rhoads (1906-1940)

My 1st cousin 2x removed, Germain W. Rhoads (1906-1940), died after the motorcycle he was driving struck a car in Mt. Morris, Michigan on June 15th, 1940. This is his story.

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