Whether your math sense says this is the first month of a new decade or that 2021 is truly the start of a new decade, the blog is starting a bit refreshed.  One of the worst issues was the SSL technology Google has been using- because we did not purchase an SSL certificate, “Not Secure” came up in the address of the blog. (Cue flashing lights and “Warning, Will Robinson!!”) This blog is supported privately so that you don’t have to deal with ads or tracking, so needing to purchase an expensive SSL certificate was pretty aggravating, and did not happen. Thankfully WordPress and independent app developers stepped in to make this technology free, so we have added it to the blog. You can now connect securely to HeritageRamblings.net, and will see a locked padlock in the address bar and “https” in the address, rather than “Not Secure.” You will be redirected to the secure connection if you use the old URL, so please change your bookmarks or notes to reflect the new address of https://heritageramblings.net/.

The past year has also been spent on updating some behind-the-scenes aspects of the blog such as back-ups and printing as a PDF or to your printer. Quite a lot of information and artifacts have been ‘found’ this year too, and those are being scanned and researched so we can add to the blog- the most recent posts for the Roberts family are some of those lovely pictures and stories. The blog and some traveling has allowed us to reach out to more family members which has been absolutely wonderful. Genealogy should really be about the family, its love and connections, and honoring those of the past while embracing the new family members who carry on with our genes but more importantly, our family legacy.

We hope that 2020 brings our family, and the whole human family, closer in love and understanding. Best wishes for the New Year to all.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. “Warning, Will Robinson!!” will be understood by those ‘of an era’ though it is cool to see that “Lost in Space” has been revived for younger generations. Those who have not seen the early TV versions should watch the first one or two for campy fun.

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Original content copyright 2013-2020 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Roberts Family (Click for Family Tree)

George Anthony Roberts (1861-1939) and Ella Viola Daniel (1866-1922) had known each other as very young children in Warren County, Illinois. Both families migrated across the rich midwest prairie to Jasper County, Iowa in 1868, via covered wagon- what an adventure for young children! George and Ella grew to adulthood in Jasper County and then married on 16 Apr 1885. Ella was just 18 years old, and George 23.

The family must have been full of joy as they prepared for their first child to be born. John Robert Roberts was born on 14 Mar 1888, but sadly he passed away in June. One year later, on 11 Jun 1889, they became the parents of George Anthony Roberts, Jr. They must have been very excited as little Georgie passed the three month mark and beyond. Georgie grew up to be a very hard-working man, growing crops and raising livestock as he got older, and eventually working the farm he inherited from his parents. He also worked the sections of farm his sister, Edith (Roberts) [McMurray] Luck, inherited.

It has been challenging to research the photographer of this portrait for greater accuracy in estimating a date when it was taken. Georgie was always short, so we have to consider that in estimating how old he was in the photo; he and Ella are siting up on a riser, so that alters our perception of height as well. If Georgie was a year and a half, the photo could have been taken in late 1890. Georgie’s sister Ethel Gay Roberts was born on 28 Jan 1891, however, and Ella does not look as if she is at the end of a pregnancy. So possibly the portrait was taken mid-1890, around Georgie’s first birthday.

This picture is a good example of why it is wrong to assume, or use current ways of thinking in analyzing our ancestors, their photos, and artifacts. If one did not know who the people were in this picture, a person today would assume that the child was a girl, because of the dress. However, back in the day, little boys wore dresses during their youngest years. There were numerous reasons:

1) Changing diapers was easier with an outfit that was open at the bottom- and remember, they only had cloth diapers back then, with no plastic pants to put over them to contain moisture;

2) Dresses are easier to get a wiggly or newly walking toddler into, vs. pants;

3) Dresses allowed more growth, whereas pants are outgrown fairly quickly; and

4) In general, our ancestors generally did not have many closets or storage areas, but did not need them as their wardrobes did not include as many outfits as we tend to have today. If boys and girls could wear the same clothes when very young, passing down dresses that had to be handmade, or finally could be store-bought but expensive, would make sense to our frugal and often cash-strapped ancestors.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Thanks to those who share the wonderful treasures of our family history.
2. See also “Wedding Wednesday: Ella V. Daniel and George A. Roberts,” https://heritageramblings.net/2014/08/20/wedding-wednesday-ella-v-daniel-and-george-a-roberts/

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Original content copyright 2013-2019 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Roberts Family (Click for Family Tree)

Our last post featured a lovely portrait of Edith Mae Roberts (later [McMurray] Luck), and this image is most likely from the same sitting.

The previously published post image is probably the same as the picture sitting on the family piano with George A. Roberts, Edith’s father, sitting in his rocker in their beautiful home. (See “George Anthony Roberts, Sr. of Jasper County, Iowa“)

Thankfully the folder from this portrait has been preserved:

How lucky to have a folder with embossing telling us the name and place of the photo studio! We know that Newberg Studio was doing business in Iowa City, Iowa, as early as 1916 and as late as 1922, though they probably were in business both before and after these dates. (More research would give more accurate dates.) Edith was part of the class of 1918 at Prairie City High School in Jasper County, Iowa, and probably graduated in May or June. She attended the University of Iowa, likely starting in September of 1918. In these photos, she looks more mature than her high school graduating class picture. (That will be posted soon.) So these photos could have been taken when she was in college, possibly as she was joining a sorority or the literary society.

Alternatively, they could have been photos taken around the time of her wedding to Edward A. McMurray (Sr.), which took place on 25 Nov 1921.

The portraits could instead have been graduation pictures- Edith graduated 5 Jun 1923 with a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology plus a Certificate from the School of Education for her additional coursework in the Science of Education and Psychology. (She would have been able to teach with that combination of classes.) It was very unusual in those days for women to earn a degree in Zoology- women were not even allowed to vote when she started college! Her major had originally been music, but she changed it when she realized the classes in zoology were much more interesting. Edith’s beautiful, soft and feminine look in the portraits is quite a contrast to the tomboy she said she sometimes was, including at the university where students had to catch their own specimens for study.

Edith Mae (Roberts) [McMurray] Luck was quite an interesting woman, especially for her time!

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. 1. Family treasure chest of photos.
   2. “Edith M. (Roberts) [McMurray] Luck, and a Wonderful Start in Family History,” published on Heritage Ramblings on 01 Dec 2019,
       https://heritageramblings.net/2019/12/01/edith-m-roberts-mcmurray-luck-and-a-wonderful-start-in-family-history/
   3. “George Anthony Roberts, Sr. of Jasper County, Iowa” published on Heritage Ramblings on 19 Nov 2019, https://heritageramblings.net/2019/11/19/george-anthony-roberts-sr-of-jasper-county-iowa/
   4. Newberg Studio ad in Abel’s Photographic Weekly, Vol. 30, No. 778, p558, p588, 18 Nov 1922; via GoogleBooks.
   5. Newberg Studio ad in The Transit, the annual published by the College of Applied Science, University of Iowa, 1916, p2 (II), via GoogleBooks.

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Original content copyright 2013-2019 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Roberts Family (Click for Family Tree)

It is only fitting to provide a lovely picture of Edith (Roberts) [McMurray] Luck on the blog since this is Thanksgiving weekend. Why, you ask? Have you enjoyed the posts, the stories, the pictures, and the family tree knowledge provided by this blog? If so, Edith deserves a big “THANK YOU” from you, dear reader, as well as from myself- she, along with one other influential person, was the start of my love of family history when I was a child. Edith talked about her family, shared pictures and stories, and made her descendants proud of their ancestors. What a gift! What a legacy!

Edith also preserved so much of our inheritance, even though the bibles, papers, and photos were stored in a hot-in-summer, cold-in-winter attic for decades. She drove family all over the county to visit relatives and hear their stories. She wrote lovely tales of growing up on a farm in Jasper County, Iowa in the early 1900s, and she included details about the personalities of her parents (George A. Roberts, Sr., and Ella Viola (Daniel) Roberts) and grandparents, and the parents of her first husband, Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Sr. That she preserved the legacy is so wonderful- many do not have much information about those who came before. So many do not have the family heirlooms that one can hold in the hand, knowing that others with the same blood held those objects too, so long ago. All of that legacy having such personal aspects is an amazing gift, as well.

“You come from strong pioneer stock- you can do anything you set your mind to.” How her words resonated for her descendants, in times of struggle or challenge, her oral legacy helping to make us realize that if the ancestors could persevere, we could too. Studies have shown that children who know their family history have more resilience, and that makes sense. Understanding that others have had similar- and worse!- obstacles to face in their life helps us realize we are not alone in having roadblocks thrown at us as we navigate life. Knowing how dire the circumstances of our ancestors might have been at times makes one feel ‘wimpy’ in comparison, until one realizes those same genes make us who we are today. The ancestors have given us this gift through our DNA and our stories, down through the ages. That resilience, that fortitude, can be found within ourselves if we but search for it, tap into it, and use it to persevere.

Edith also showed us the joy of family, the happiness that comes from loving deeply, and from giving and supporting each other and the community. These are gifts that help to make us whole, and fulfilled.

Thank you, dear Edith- and all our ancestors.

[More to come about this photo!]

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Family treasure chest of photos, lovingly shared.

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Original content copyright 2013-2019 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Roberts Family (Click for Family Tree)

The year of 1922 was a sad year for both George Anthony Roberts and Lucy L. (Cadwallader) Frank. On the 17th of January, John lost his wife of almost 37 years, Ella Viola (Daniel) Roberts; they had four children together (one did not survive infancy). Just ten days later, his father, John Roberts, passed away. Lucy’s husband of 29 years, John A. Frank, passed away on the 16th of March; they had two children together. The families had been living in the Prairie City, Iowa, area, so likely knew each other.

At the age of 63, George married Lucy, who was 50 at the time.

They enjoyed their time together, with numerous trips to Florida for fishing.George A. Roberts, Sr. and his 2nd wife Lucy L. (Cadwallader) Frank Roberts in Florida, after 1925. (Click to enlarge.)

George passed away in 1939, and Lucy survived him by 31 years.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. We apologize for the poor quality of these photos. They were taken from a video that included family pictures, but they were not scanned at the time. In fact, scanners may not have been readily available when this was done, but at least we can see how sweet the couple looked on their wedding day.  (Wedding happiness is not just for the young!)

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Original content copyright 2013-2019 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.