Indexing

Today I was doing some indexing for FamilySearch. I've been doing Ontario Death Records. My great grandfather, Henry Austin Baker, is from Cornwall, Ontario. The Bakers were Loyalists and went to Upper Canada after the Revolutionary War and Henry Austin Baker returned to the United States by way of North Dakota.

Well back to my indexing and my thoughts for today. I indexed a record (or transcribed part of the record so people can locate it on the web) for a man that was his own informant. That's right! I doubled checked the information and it had the decease's name listed as the informant and then where it asked for the relationship it said himself, not a son or father or wife, but himself! That goes to show how you need to be careful of the information even on official documents. I always assumed the informant information would be correct, but now I'm not sure.

4th of July

As I watch the "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" I remember my father's feelings about this country. He always thought it was a disgrace to wear the flag on your clothing, unless it was part of an official uniform. I carry some of those same thoughts today. I bothers me some times as I see people wear the flag as shorts or shirts or bathing suits. To me it is disrespectful the way some people decorate their bodies with the flag, it makes the flag to common. As I've done my genealogy I've learned some of the sacrifices of my forefathers. I've come to appreciate their services and commitment to this great country. My maternal grandfather and his cousins served proudly during WW II and even 1 cousin died in that great war. That may not sound to amazing, but my grandfather was first generation American and and since both his parents were from Italy there were some problems. His aunt and uncle almost went to a relocation camp because of their heritage, but they lived across the road from the cut off point and were allowed to stay in their home.

Many people of Japanese, Italian and German heritage were sent to relocation camps because of their heritage and yet these same families proudly sent their sons and brothers off to war. While they and the rest of their families were sent to camps in some ways worse than the conditions they grandparents or them left the old country. Yet these same people taught their children to be proud to be an America and to be proud to live where freedoms ring.

There is something to studying history and learning about our forefathers. It is learning what it is we truly have. It is seeing how blessed we are.

Today is Father's Day, So I will spotlight my Dad.

James Edward Baker Jr.

Nickname Eddie

Born 5 September 1925 in Esmond, Benson, North Dakota

Died 28 February 1975 at home, San Jose, Santa Clara, California

I'm not sure if this is an actual picture of my father or just a generic picture.









Here is a picture of my father at 7 months.













My father's navy picture, mid 1940's.

My father and mother in the 1950's.

Suranme Saturday

The Surname I'm going to mention today is one of my Italian names, Bionaz
My mom Elizabeth Joan Bionaz Baker - born in San Francisco California - 1931
My grandfather John Camil Bionaz - born in Southfork, Cambria County, Pennsylvania - 1904
My great-grandfather John Elere Bionaz - born in Gignod, Aosta, Italy - 1867
My 2great-grandfather (possibly) Peter Bionaz - somewhere in Aosta, Italy - about 1840
I'm not sure about the information on Peter.

Now there is a second Bionaz line that ties into my line, but as far as we know they are not connected.

John Elere Bionaz married Orpheline Boche and Orpheline's sister, Amelia, married a John F. Bionaz. However the two Johns have different mother's names and were not aware of being related.

Memorial Day 2010

Corporal Wilson L Starkey

15th Illinois Regiment Volunteers

Born about 1835

in New York

Died 27 July 1862

(according to the official death certificate,

however some reports put his on 26 July 1862)

Died on the U.S.N. Hospital ship Red Rover

on the Mississippi River.

Buried at Spanish Moss Bend, on the Mississippi River

This is my 3great-grandfather's younger brother.

Wordless Wednesday

This is a picture of me, Betty-Lu Baker Burton, at about 14 months old.

My grandmother Baker, Lucy Mary Huyck Baker, always had a parakeet for as long as I can remember.

Discoveries

Every Family Historian has a to do list and at the bottom of the list there are things that would be nice to know, but not really worth taking the time to search for. Well this week I stumbled upon the answer to one of those things.

My father, James Edward Baker Jr., was married twice, with my mother, Elizabeth Joan Bionaz, being his second marriage. The only reason why we even know anything about his first marriage is we have his final divorce papers. Back in the early 1950's you had to wait a year from the time the divorce was filed until the divorce was final. Well, during this time my father met my mother and started dating. He would not ask my mother to marry him until his divorce was final. The story goes, when the time came, both my dad and his first wife had moved on with their lives and neither were interested in picking up the final papers. In order for the divorce to be final, someone had to pick-up the papers, so my dad went down and ended up picking up both copies of his divorce papers, his copy and that of his former wife. That's the only way we really knew anything about his first marriage. Since they had no children and the marriage did not last very long I was satisfied with only knowing her first name, Grace.(the papers listed her name as Grace Baker)

This week, on Ancestry.com, I stumbled on The various San Mateo newspapers covering the time period my family lived in San Mateo. You guessed it I stumbled upon the wedding announcement for my dad and his first wife. Now I know his first wife,s name was Grace Eldona Bigelow, daughter of Lawrence Bigelow. They were married 28 August 1948 in San Mateo, California. I was more excited about finding this then I thought I would be, but it was exciting. Since he married my mother in Sept 1951, He must of only lived with his first wife not much more than a year.

I'm kind of wondering if his schooling played a role in his divorce. The wedding announcement stated he would be finishing his studies at San Francisco State College. I know he never finished those studies and my mother tried to get him to go back. My mother always said my dad had to stop his studies because of his military service and felt to old to go back, but now I'm wondering if his first marriage may of had something to do with it.