Monday Memories

My paternal grandmother, Lucy Mary Huyck Baker, family had a story that went like this: Robbie Joe, grandma's adopted brother, was adopted because his mother died shortly after he was born and that her mother, Minnie Estella Miner Huyck, had just lost a child. In 1889 bottles and baby formulas were not common and so a young child's best chance to survive was to be breastfeed.

Thus giving me the problem of finding the child that died. Unfortunately the child that died is not listed with any family records.

Below is a copy of the adoption order.

Order for Adoption
State of Wisconsin
Polk County

In County Court
In the matter of the petition of C.A. Huyck and Minnie E. Huyck his wife for leave to adopt.
Joseph Smith Klinck
a male child

Upon the verified petition of C.A. Huyck and Minnie E. Huyck of the town of Loraine in said County for leave to adopt Joseph Smith Klinck, a male child. It appearing to the satisfaction of the court.
That said petitioners are inhabitants of the state of Wisconsin, residing in the town of Loraine in said County of Polk, and are lawful husband and wife.
That said child is the son by birth of Joseph S. Klinck and Effie J. Klinck his wife, and called by the name of Joseph Smith Klinck and was born at Loraine in said county on the 26th day of December A.D. 1890.
That the mother of said child is dead, and that Joseph S. Klinck, the father of said child has given written consent to such adoption in presence of Witnesses.
That the petitioners are of sufficient ability to bring up and furnish suitable nurture and education for the child having reference to the degree and conditions of its parents, and that it is proper that such adoption shall take effect.
Therefore, It is Ordered, that from and after the date of this order, such child Joseph Smith Klinck shall be deemed to all legal interests and purposes the child of, said petitioners, C. A. Huyck and Minnie E. Huyck.
It is further Ordered that the name of such child be changed from Joseph Smith Klinck to Joseph Smith Huyck, the name of the parents by adoption.

Dated Osceola February 3rd A.D. 1891.
By the Court
Ole Larson
County Judge


Found on the bottom sideways on the above papers

Polk County Court
~~~~~~~~~~~
In the matter of the
Petition of
C.A. Huyck and wife
to adopt
Joseph Smith Klinck
~~~~~~~~~~~
Order for adoption

Recorded in Vol 3, Page 121

Filed February 3rd 1891
Ole Larson
County Judge

Monday Memories- Water and Electricity

During the 1960's, my family lived in the country just outside Woodland, California. We had our own well that used an electrical pump. It also had a tank (similar to a water heater) above ground. Whenever the electricity went out we had no water. Some one would go out and check the tank to see how much water we had. If we had any warning that the electricity was going out, then we would fill buckets of water so we would have water. After we moved from Woodland to San Jose we received notice that the electricity was going to be off for awhile and I wanted to prepare by filling buckets with water. My father had to explain to me that we would still have water. I thought about this Saturday night when our electricity went out because of a storm. Now I know that unless the electricity goes out at the water plant we still have running water!

Dad's Desk

I have a desk and hutch that I had when I got married. I know that through the years my husband has thought about getting rid of it. He doesn't know the history behind the desk and hutch. I guess I should tell him. The desk and hutch belonged to my father, James Edward "Eddie" Baker Jr when he was younger. After he died and my mom was getting ready to move into a smaller home I asked her to keep it, for some reason I just want it around. Maybe because it belonged to my father or maybe just it seems comforting to have it. I don't know, but it is in need of being redone, the paint has come off in places, but my father was the last one to refinish it and it helps me to remember him. Silly, the things we hold onto for sentimental reasons.

Monday Memories - Artichokes

My great grandma Orpheline Boche Bionaz's, sister and brother-in-law started a farm in California raising artichokes. My mother remembered every year getting a box of Artichokes from them and enjoying eating them. My mother also talked about summers as a little girl sitting in the artichoke fields and eating raw artichokes fresh off the plant. Her lips would turn black from the iron in the artichokes.



Unfortunately, I never did cook artichokes for my family. We always lived to far away for the artichokes to be affordable. I do miss them, but not raw.

Monday Memories

Today I was planting a hanging basket of tomatoes and of strawberries and it made me think of my grandpa Baker (James Edward Baker Sr.). When we moved to Woodland California, Grandma and Grandpa Baker moved their trailer behind our house. We had about 3/4 of an acre and since grandpa was retired, he decided to go back to farming. He planted a fairly large garden and my mom would say if you didn't watch grandpa he would plant another row of sweet corn. He loved his sweet corn. I remember a metal bucket of corn kernels in the wash room for planting for the longest time. Even after my grandfather died we still had a small garden, but just not as big.

I would go out in the garden and pick tomatoes and eat them fresh off the vine. I still enjoy a good tomato!

Monday Memories

My children grew up near their father's family and so they never really heard the stories about my family. I've decided than what I would do is do a Monday Memories post. So now when I blog on Monday's it will be about my memories growing up.

Tonight I'm going to talk some about my background. I'm the only girl of 4 children. I have 3 brothers, two older and one younger. People use to say I must have been spoiled being the only girl, unfortunately that was not the case. You see, my mom's only sister had the first girl on my mom's side of the family in July and my dad's only brother had the first girl on his side of the family in August (Linda shares the same birthday as grandma Baker even) and then my youngest brother is just 11 months younger then me. Then on top of that, both my mother and grandma Baker were good seamstresses. I remember at about the age of 10 being excited to get my first store bought dress that was actually bought for me! Now let me explain, girls had to wear dresses to school everyday and could not wear pants. We did wear shorts under our dresses to school so we could play on the monkey bars and not have to worry about our panties showing. Most of my life either I wore hand me downs or home made clothes. I even learned to make my own clothes and made my prom dress and my wedding dress. So the home made clothes were nice ones, but it was more of the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. (or store bought dresses were better)