Actions Speak Louder

We all know the adage “actions speak louder than words.” I think this holds especially true in genealogy research when we often don't have any “words” to refer to. By words I mean personal words in the form of letters, journals and the like. Lacking this we have only the “actions” a person took in their life such as where they lived, their occupation(s), whether they accumulated land, etc. to guide us in our attempts to uncover elements of personality.

When I began writing about my gg-grandfather's brother, Lawrence Flynn (1844-1916) I had to find a way to understand what kind of person he was. By looking more closely at the “actions” in Lawrence's life I came to believe that he was a passionate, ambitious young man. Here are the actions in his early life that lead me to that conclusion.

In 1860, Lawrence was working on a neighbor's farm, though surely he would have been needed on his parents' farm, being the oldest one still at home. [1]

When only sixteen, Lawrence may have tried to enlist at the same time as his brother, Edward, shortly after the Civil War broke out. [2]

At seventeen Lawrence enlisted on 17 Oct 1861 in the First Michigan Lancers, a unit that was disbanded soon thereafter. When Lawrence enlisted it was only one day before his brother John joined a different unit. [3, 4] Lawrence enlisted at Saginaw, about 40 miles from his parents' home, again possibly indicating he was not living at home. [4]

When Lawrence enlisted again (in the 1^st Michigan Mechanics and Engineers) in 1863 he stated his occupation as “carpenter” and his residence as Detroit (again not where his parents lived). [5]

After the war, Lawrence moved in with his brother, Michael, in Three Rivers to learn the carriage-making trade in his brother's successful shop. [6,7]

After only a few years Lawrence moved out from under Michael's wing to work in a buggy shop in Constantine. [8]

By 1877, Lawrence had moved to the carriage-making hub of Kalamazoo and had joined forces with prominent carriage-maker Nelson A. Newton. [9, 10, 11]

A few years later Lawrence started a business with a colleague, blacksmith Frank Whaling, though this endeavor was ultimately unsuccessful. [12, 13]

Re-printed with generous permission of the Kalamazoo Public Library! [14]

In 1894, Lawrence and Frank started a business for the second time, establishing City Carriage Co. Again, the business failed when the partners had a falling out that resulted in a lawsuit. [15, 16, 17]

Then I look at those things and ask myself “what kind of a person would do these things?"  To me, these actions suggested a few things. First, the fact that Lawrence left home at an early age indicated that he wanted to be on his own. He may have wanted to emulate his elder brothers and prove that he was ready to be a man, though it may also be a result of tension between Lawrence and his parents. I'll never know for certain. Similarly, when Lawrence enlisted or tried to enlist he may have been trying to be like his older brothers. Second, after only a few years working in Michael's carriage-making shop Lawrence moved on, first to Constantine and then to Kalamazoo. Perhaps he felt he had learned everything he could from Michael or he wanted to prove to himself or his family that he could be successful in his own right.

While Lawrence actually did start a carriage business twice, neither lasted more than a couple of years. Part of the reason for these failures was likely Lawrence's health. This was certainly the case for City Carriage. [17] Lawrence's back had been injured during the Civil War. [18] One of his lower vertebrae was pushed out of alignment and seems to have pressed on his spinal cord causing neuralgia in his legs such that the only time he reported he wasn't in pain was when he was lying prone. [18, 19]

Lawrence continued working in his chosen trade until a few years prior to his death. For at least a few of those years he worked at the Michigan Buggy Company and would have been there when they began getting their toes wet in the new automobile trade. After examining Lawrence's actions I came to believe that he was a passionate, ambitious young man who was not afraid to take a chance and strike out on his own. He also may have had a bit of a temper based on his testimony in a couple of lawsuits. [17, 20] By the time I finished writing my story about Lawrence (and as I wrote it became more about him and less about the carriage to car age) I believed he would have been excited by the burgeoning car industry. He may even have wished he had been born a little later so he could have had an active role in this new world.

This is just one more reason why we need to write down the stories of our relatives. If we look at all of our documents and read between the lines of a person's actions we can start to discover the hints of personality. Even if we have few (or even no) actual words from that person we can flesh them out at least to some extent. The process of writing forces me, at least, to really look at everything I have to tease out what makes that person tick to the best of my estimation. It's true that I can't prove the elements of personality that I attribute to him in my story. First of all, I can't. Second, that's not the object of my story. My goal is to create a narrative about his life that can help to explain the facts that I have. Who wants to read a recitation of whats and wheres? I have yet to find a family member beating down my door to read my notes in my family tree software. The whys are what makes everything else interesting. Naturally, I try to make reasonable guesses based on the evidence I have and clearly state that they are just that, guesses. But, it is often enough to give my family a story worth reading. One that makes them think about a person they never knew and want to know more. So, even if you never thought about writing about someone in your family because you never knew them and have no personal writings, take a look at their actions and if you listen carefully they may reveal some little hints of personality you can't find elsewhere.

 

1. 1860 U.S. census, Washtenaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Webster, p. 62 (handwritten,), dwelling 469, family 469, Lawrence Flynn; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 27 Nov 2006), citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 548.
2. Camp Fire Tales, Kalamazoo (Michigan) Gazette, 30 Jan 1916, page 7, column 2; digital image, Genealogy Bank (http://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 26 March 2011), Kalamazoo Gazette (1837-1922) Collection.
3. Compiled Service Record, John Flynn, Pvt., Co H, 14^th Michigan Inf.; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
4. Muster In Rolls, Lawrence Flynn, Pvt., Co E, 1^st Michigan Lancers; Ovs 78 Folder 03 Doc 27 Regimental Service Records, Michigan Adjutant General, Record Group 59-14: Records of the Michigan Military Establishment; digital image, Seeking Michigan (http://www.seekingmichigan.org: accessed 29 Sep 2011), Archives of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan.
5. Pension fact sheet signed by Lawrence, Lawrence H. Flynn (Cpl., Co. M, 1^st MI Eng. and Mech., Civil War), application no. 279,062, certificate no. 382,696, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications. . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
6. Lawrence Flynn deposition for Edward Flynn (p. 21), Edward A. Flynn (Pvt. Co I, 2^nd MI Inf., Civil War), application no. 83,138, certificate no. 63,675, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications. . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
7. “Died.” The News Reporter (Three Rivers, Michigan), 25 Sep 1880, page 4, Microfilm Collection, Roll No. Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
8. 1870 U.S. census, St. Joseph County, Michigan, population schedule, Constantine Post Office, p. 6 (handwritten), dwelling 46, family 48, Lawrence Flynn; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 27 Nov 2006), citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 700.
9. “Wanted.” Kalamazoo (Michigan) Daily Telegraph, 13 Mar 1877, p. 4, col 6, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 24 Feb 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
10. “The County Fair,” Kalamazoo (Michigan) Daily Telegraph, 26 Sep 1877, p. 4, cols 3-4, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 24 Feb 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
11. The Gazette directory of Kalamazoo County : containing complete village directories for all villages in the county, and a complete record of landholders by townships with number of acres, post office address and sections (Kalamazoo: Kalamazoo Gazette Book and Jobs Rooms, 1878) 53.
12. Kalamazoo (Michigan) Daily Telegraph, 21 Oct 1879, p. 1, col 2, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 25 Feb 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
13. “Jottings,” Kalamazoo (Michigan) Daily Telegraph, 23 Mar 1883, p. 3, col 2, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 25 Feb 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
14. Kalamazoo (Michigan) Daily Telegraph, 13 Aug 1880, p. 6, col 2, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 25 Feb 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
15. “City Carriage Co. A New Institution Nearly Ready For Business,” Kalamazoo (Michigan) Gazette, 30 Sep 1894, (clipping, page no. not recorded – older/wiser now), digital images, Genealogy Bank (http://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 26 Mar 2011), Kalamazoo Gazette (1837-1922) Collection.
16. “Injunction Granted,” Kalamazoo (Michigan) Gazette, 13 Dec 1895, (clipping, page no. not recorded – older/wiser now), digital images, Genealogy Bank (http://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 26 Mar 2011), Kalamazoo Gazette (1837-1922) Collection.
17. Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Chancery Court, docket 8, Case 120, Lawrence Flynn v. Frank Whaling, filed 12 Dec 1895, Microfilm Collection, Roll No., Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
18.  Lawrence's statements, Lawrence H. Flynn (Cpl., Co. M, 1^st MI Eng. and Mech., Civil War), application no. 279,062, certificate no. 382,696, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications. . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C. 
19. Doctor's statement, Lawrence H. Flynn (Cpl., Co. M, 1^st MI Eng. and Mech., Civil War), application no. 279,062, certificate no. 382,696, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications. . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
20. Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Chancery Court, docket , Case , Lawrence Flynn v. Andrew Holmes, filed 1893, Microfilm Collection, Roll No., Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Kazoo's Gianunzio Pens WWII Memoir

Anthony Gianunzio, longtime composition and creative writing teacher in the Portage high schools (and occasionally at KVCC), has just published a book describing his experiences in World War II. That said, it is more than simply a WWII story. Tony often had the 8 pm to midnight watch on the fantail of the Coast Guard's USS Machias. During those still, peaceful hours when one is already prone to daydreaming it is easy to see how a thoughtful, young man could wax philosophic about his place in the universe. After all, the Pacific is a big place and Japanese ships and subs couldn't be everywhere. Mesmerized by the ship's wake and with endless stars for a canopy, how could one not think big thoughts?

The Last Romantic War is a series of these reminiscences. Just as Tony would sit on the depth charge rack with his thoughts drifting home the book weaves his time on the Machias with his impressions of growing up in America as the son of Italian immigrants. One moment he is in his hometown of Iron Mountain, Michigan hoping to play big league baseball, the next he is escorting troop ships to the south Pacific.

The Last Romantic War: A Blind Date With History follows Tony as he and his shipmates transform from idealistic boys (some more so than others) into men.

Warning: shameless plug ahead. If you're interested in reading Tony's book you can purchase it from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Can You Can?

I canned some garlic dill pickle slices today and I couldn't help thinking that some of my female ancestors likely did the same. Many of “my people” lived on farms so I think it's not too much of a stretch to suspect they preserved some of their harvests once home canning techniques were developed.

I know for sure that at least one relative did some canning because it actually turned up in her divorce papers. Cora (Taylor) Saward Arnold Shellfish and her soon-to-be ex-husband were slinging accusations at one another in the divorce papers. He described some items that Cora took with her. She admitted that, among other things, she took “a small quantity of canned fruit which [she] had done up herself and which she thought she was justly entitled to.” [1]

You might find it kind of odd that canning products earned a mention in a divorce proceeding, but if you've ever done any canning you how much time and effort it takes.

1. Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Circuit Court in Chancery, divorce case no. 614, docket 17 (1919), Cora B. Arnold vs. Frank Arnold, Testimony of Cora Arnold (answer to the crossbill, p. 2), filed 2 Jun 1919, Circuit Clerk's Office, Kalamazoo.

Ancestor Collector

I've come to think of myself as an ancestor collector. This is not to be confused with the disdained name collector whose goal is to add as many names as possible to his/her family tree program. I imagine people like that troll online trees to find more people to add into their genealogy software. They may even congratulate themselves on a high tally. 

A few of the people I have collected, or at least, I would if I could identify them.

Then there are the people who claim they can trace their lineage back to Charlemagne or King So-And-So, almost always through an illegitimate child. I don't know how anyone could even begin to connect the dots on a story like that let alone try to prove it. From a tree I found online it's possible that one of my lines might lead back to the Mayflower, but I have never taken the time to seriously investigate the lineage. About all I ever did was to see if I could find any men who fought in the Revolutionary War (when Fold3 had some of these records free for a limited time).

I guess there are two reasons for this why I haven't spent more time trying to confirm this line. One is that if I didn't find the connection it's just not as much fun to trace because the mystery is gone. Second, I have much more fun looking into relatives nearer to me in time and for whom I have found more records (like newspapers, court records and Civil War pension files). A string of names is simply not very interesting to me. I want to know what made my people tick. Why did they move from New York to Michigan? Why did she marry five times? How did he feel when his business failed? With the documents I have access to it is easier to piece this together for my southwest Michigan people than it would be for long-dead New Englanders. Besides, those New Englanders aren't going anywhere. Someday I can seek out their stories too.

Speaking of stories, I don't know about other genealogists, but after I add people to my tree and start to think about their lives I begin to feel protective of them. They become “my people.” Not in the “MINE” sense like a toddler is possessive of a prized toy, and whose goal is to keep it to himself. Rather, I feel like once I bring people into the fold that it is my job to care for them. I would even go so far as to say that in some cases I feel almost obligated to tell their stories. After all, there may be no one else who will.

Colorizing Old Photos

Do you ever look at old B&W or sepia photos and feel like something is missing?  Do you wonder if your family would be able to better relate to the people in those photos if they were magically in color?  Well, I decided to try my hand at colorizing an old photo to see how it would look and how difficult the process was.  Here is the photo I started with.

Since I didn't want to pay for a fancy photo editing program I used the free program GIMP and found a helpful video tutorial to walk me through the process.  Here is what the photo looked like after I manipulated it.

I know it doesn't look perfect; the eyes, for example, look unnatural, but for a first attempt I don't think it looks terrible.  Perhaps, this was a poor image to begin with because there was not much contrast in the facial features, making it difficult to tell where the lips and eyes met the surrounding skin.  That said, I think this technique has the potential to refresh some of those old photos and bring them to life in a way. 

The process really wasn't that difficult, but it was time-consuming and repetitive.  However, if you just don't feel like thinking and yet you still want to accomplish something this might be just the task to fill the bill. 

Here are the basic steps I followed, though I'm sure there are many ways to achieve the same result.

1. Make a copy of the photo you want to colorize. Don't even think about using your original!
   
2. To make sure you can color your copy go to Image → Mode and select RGB.
   
3. In the middle of the Toolbox window, click on the set of boxes (one black, one white) to select the color you want to begin with. When you choose a color keep in mind that it won't look exactly like that when applied to your photograph. The program takes into account the pigment density (for lack of a better descriptor) in the area you are coloring. For example in my photograph, the folds of the dress have a higher pigment density and thus look darker blue.
   
4. Now go to Layer → New Layer. Name your layer, such as “skin” and make sure that you select “Foreground Color” before you click OK. Don't be alarmed when your photo is completely obscured by the color.
   
5. In the Layers box (if it didn't pop up, go to Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Layers and then pull the window off to the side so you can see the screen with your photo as well) right click on your new layer and select Add Layer Mask from the drop-down menu. When the dialog box comes up select “Black, full transparency.”
   
6. At the top of the Layers dialog box where it says Mode, click on it and select “Overlay” from the drop down menu.
   
7. In the Toolbox window select the pink eraser tool. Now you are ready to color. At the bottom of the screen with your photograph zoom in to 200%-800% so you can easily see what you want to color. Move your cursor over onto the image and you will see a dotted circle or something like it. That is the size of your eraser. On the Toolbox window there is a Scale slider you can use to increase or decrease the size of your eraser to suit the area you are coloring. I like to start with a larger tool to do the large areas of the same color and then decrease the tool size to go back and do the edges and any nooks or crannies. To color in the area selected by the circle click the left mouse button. Keep the left mouse button down and move your cursor around to color your selected section. Save frequently so if you make a mistake you can go to Edit → Undo and you won't lose a lot of your work.
   
8. Lather, rinse and repeat. Go back to step 3 to select your next color and so on until you have colored everything you want to.
   
9. When you are completely done, you will need to combine all of the layers so you can save it as a jpg to share with your family. To do this go to Image → Flatten Image. Now you can Save As and choose the file type (.jpg).
   

A few last notes on coloring images, based on my admittedly limited experience: Be careful at the edges where one color will meet another. If the colors overlap you will see a combination of the two and it will draw your eye to the boundary and look unnatural. You may want to start with something simple like the floor or the wall to practice using the eraser. I was excited and wanted to begin with the face first when I wasn't used to the tools and so I discovered the effects of unintentionally overlapping colors. When working in little areas zoom to the maximum size and use a smaller eraser so you have more control.

Good luck if you decide to try this out.  Remember to start with a very simple photo like the one I chose.  Believe me, you do not want to try this out on a photo with lots of details.  Then amaze your family with the results.

Just for the record, this photo is of Mary Jo Townsend who lived with my family (the Clemens) in Island Creek, Steubenville, Jefferson Co, Ohio in 1860. The photo was in the Flynn family bible belonging to my gg-grandfather, Edward Flynn and his wife, Sarah Clemens. The photo was taken in Steubenville, OH.