Amanuensis Monday: How Claus Schlichtmann Came to America

Amanuensis Monday is a blogging prompt used by many fellow genealogy bloggers. An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a newly-discovered (by me, anyway) photo of my third great Claus Schlichtmann and Anna Sophia von der Lieth. Claus and Anna Sophia were early pioneers of my hometown, Tracy, California, but I didn't know very much about them until I stopped in for a visit at the Tracy Genealogical Society office about six weeks ago. Among the photos and records that documented the lives of my Schlichtmann and Bruhns families in Tracy, I found a hand-written account of how Claus and Sophia came from Germany to make a life for them and their children in California. The story was written by one of Claus and Sophia's granddaughters, and she notes that her information came from interviewing "a lot of people who might know or remember" and "it may not be totally correct." In any case, it's a compelling story, and it has motivated me to continue my research into the Schlichtmann family in Holstein, Germany.

Here are images of the hand-written story, and I've transcribed the text below.

 Here's the story of Claus and Anna Sophia Schlichtmann, as written by their granddaughter:

My great grandmother, Maria Katt, was born Maria von Holte in Hanover, Germany. She married Christopher Schlichtmann and had 2 sons, Christopher and Claus. Her husband died leaving her with 2 young boys. She married Dietrich Katt. He was a good step father, the boys liked him. The boys married sisters named von der Lieth and moved their families to the States, eventually to California. In those days, all young men went into the army at 18. Claus, my grandfather, had been in 12 years, 4 each in infantry, cavalry and artillery. He deserted, went through Holland pushing a wheel barrow with his belongings on it. He went to the port of embarkation, signed on as a crew member and worked his passage out. He went to Pennsylvania, took out first citizenship papers, then sent for his wife and 2 little girls, Annie and Christina. They lived in Pennsylvania long enough to add Sophia and Claus to the family, then came to California by boat. They sailed down the Atlantic Coast across the Gulf of Mexico then across Panama by boat and mule train, boarded ship again on the Pacific Coast and sailed to San Francisco. Grandmother was seasick and couldn't take care of her baby. There was a young woman on board who took care of him. Later in San Francisco she married and had a daughter who grew up to marry that boy. Willie and  August were added to the family in San Francisco. It turned out to be too damp and cold there for Grandfather, so they moved to a piece of homestead land west of Tracy. All a man needed to homestead land in those days was 2 horses and a wagon load of lumber -- enough for one room. When they arrived at their chosen piece of land a neighbor who already had a ranch wanted that piece, too, so he told them they were on the wrong piece and directed... (writing is illegible here). While he went for his load of lumber, they were told that the first location was right, so Grandmother and the children carried the lumber back. It was not dry country then. There was good vegetation and plenty of game including deer and antelope. The only money they had at first was what Grandmother earned washing for the section men. She walked to Midway, about 3 miles, and carried the laundry on her back, dipped water from their spring and washed it by hand, then carried it back to Midway -- for 50¢ a week. It's my guess that she got more for 50¢ than we get for a dollar now. The older girls went to work in families, often as mothers helpers for their keep. From this small beginning they became well off as worth was measured in those days. They moved to a better farm where they built a comfortable house with running water, a rarity in those days. Grandfather built a water tank on a slope above the house from rocks he gathered himself, probably on his own land. It was smooth inside like porcelain. May still be in use.

After Dietrich Katt died Great Grandmother followed her boys to California. It was she who brought the story about our connection with the House of Hanover. We had a romantic ancestor who eloped with an army officer and was dropped from the family. Old country folks told us we had good blood, came from good stock which seemed to be worth something to them but not to young folks raised in California. Great Grandmother lived to be 88. She was a big woman, had red hair. She is buried in the Tracy cemetery along with her son and his wife and 2 of their children in the family plot. 

In gathering this information we questioned a lot of people who might know or remember. It may not be totally correct. 

(Note: The writer's great grandmother, Anna Maria von Holte Schlichtmann Katt, actually lived to 98, and not 88, per the inscription on her gravestone.)

So, I think that the granddaughter who wrote this may have been Annette Genzen Kniveton, who was the daughter of Claus and Anna Sophia's daughter, Anna Maria Schlichtmann Genzen. I'm not completely sure if this is the case, and Annette passed away in 1990. In any case, this little bit of history now has me excited to delve further into our family story before Claus came to the States. I want to know more about Claus' father who died so young, and I'm dying to find out about our alleged connection to the House of Hanover (royalty!).

Meanwhile, here's how I'm descended through this line:

4th great grandparents:
Christopher Schlichtmann (??-1838)
Anna Maria von Holte (1802-1901)

Children:
Christopher Schlichtmann
Claus Schlichtmann (1831-1899)

3rd great grandparents:
Claus Schlichtmann (1831-1899)
Anna Sophia von der Lieth (1830-1901)

Children:
Boy Schlichtmann (1857-??)
Girl Schlichtmann (1858-??)
Anna Maria Schlichtmann (1860-1896)
Christina Marguerita Schlichtmann (1862-1952)
Johanna Sophia Schlichtmann (1864-1952)
Claus Schlichtmann (1866-1943)
William Frederick Schlichtmann (1868-1910)
August Schlichtmann (1872-1931)

2nd great grandparents:
Johann Bruhns (1848-1934)
Christina Marguerita Schlichtmann (1862-1952)

Children:
Matilda M. Bruhns (1883-1932)
Christina Anna Bruhns (1885-1965)
Johanna Bruhns (1886-1965)
Bertha Bruhns (1888-1949)
John Bruhns (1890-1976)

Great grandparents:
Lars Hansen Madsen (1893-1971)
Johanna Bruhns (1886-1965)

Children:
Lloyd Harold Madsen (1918-2012)
Donna Marie Madsen (1919-1966)
Rae Harriett Madsen (1921-2010)

Grandparents:
John Bartram (1911-1987)
Donna Marie Madsen (1919-1966)

Children:
Clinton James Bartram (1938-2001)
Brenda Rae Bartram (living)
Rebecca Elizabeth Bartram (living)
Clay John Bartram (living)

Parents:
William Lee Brittain (1942-2003)
Rebecca Elizabeth Bartram (living)

Children:
Wendy Lee Brittain (that's me!)
Cynthia Lynn Brittain (living)

Sentimental Sunday: Grandpa John Bartram at the County Fair

Today is the last day of the annual Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, California. Going to the fair has always been a family tradition for us. My sister and I used to bring our 4-H lambs to show and sell at the San Joaquin County Fair, and we loved going to the Alameda County Fair with our cousins when we were kids. My Grandpa John Bartram also enjoyed going to the fair each year, but not for the rides and games. He liked to bet on the ponies! I remember going to the fair with him as a kid, and he'd give us a bit of money for games and cotton candy while he'd head up to the horse racing stands. What I didn't realize is that he started that particular tradition with my mom when she was a kid!

Here's a photo of Grandpa John with our family friend, Bud. As Mom tells the story, Grandpa and Bud decided it was a good day to go to the races, and my mom and her cousin, Stan, also wanted to go for the rides and games. Grandpa gave them each a wad of money and sent them on their way. Then, he and Bud headed up to the races enjoy a few (or more) beers and try their luck with the horses. When they were done (we don't have any recollection of how much money they won or lost that day), they headed back down to the midway and decided to document the occasion with a photo booth picture:

Bud (left) and Grandpa John 

Even if they didn't win big that day, it looks like they had a lot of fun at the fair!!

My sister, Cindy, happened to be visiting us during the fair this year, so she, our cousin, Leslie, and I went to the Alameda County Fair with Cindy's boys and Leslie's husband and daughter. The young kids had a great time, and the three of us "old" kids couldn't resist squeezing into a photo booth. It was just like old times!

Cousin Leslie and sisters, Cindy and Wendy, clowning around at the fair!

Treasure Chest Thursday: Great Grandma Jessie's 1915 Common School Diploma

Jessie Luetta Halstead

A few weeks ago, one of my dad's first cousins, Ann, contacted me to see if my sister and I would like a couple of things that had belonged to our paternal great grandmother, Jessie Luetta Halstead Brittain. What a nice surprise! I thought that Cindy might like to have Grandma's silverware set, and I'm happy that she'll get to think of Great Grandma Brittain whenever she uses it.

I was most excited, however, that Ann had Great Grandma Brittain's Common School Diploma. I eagerly took Ann up on her offer to send it to me, and this is what showed up at my office a few days ago:

The document reads:

COMMON SCHOOL 

DIPLOMA

THIS CERTIFIES THAT

Jessie Halstead

has completed the regular course of study prescribed by the State

Board of Education of the State of Oklahoma and has passed

a satisfactory examination in all subjects of the Common School

Course and is, therefore, entitled to this Diploma which admits

the holder to any High School, State Normal School, the 

A&M college and all secondary colleges in

the State of Oklahoma.

Given at Oklahoma City this 5th day of May 1915

Grandma Brittain's test scores (pardon my obtrusive camera work...)

As you can see, someone had the diploma framed in double-sided glass, which was nice because Grandma Brittain's test results were recorded on the back of the document. I had a chuckle at her 70 score in arithmetic. My own former math teachers would agree that the apple did not fall far from this branch of the family!

Grandma Jessie was 16 years old when she passed her exams and received her diploma. I'm guessing that she and her family were very proud, especially since a lot of rural kids, especially girls, didn't complete their education back in those days. I don't know if she went on to high school, but she didn't marry my Great Grandfather, Andrew Lee Brittain, until after another four years, so it's entirely possible that she did continue her studies.

Grandma's diploma now hangs in my bedroom. I'm quite proud of her for her scholarly achievement -- mediocre math grade, and all!

Thanks again to Cousin Ann for sharing this treasure with me!

Not So Wordless Wednesday: GGG Grandparents, Claus Schlichtmann and Anna Sophia von der Lieth

When I was home in Tracy, California, a few weeks ago, I stopped by the Tracy Area Genealogical Society (TAGS) to do a little research on my Bruhns and Schlichtmann family. I had known that my Germans came to California in the 1860s and 1870s, and were successful farmers in the Tracy area, but I really didn't know an awful lot more about them prior to their arrival in the States. I was surprised to find that the TAGS group had a LOT of information about my Tracy pioneers, including some fantastic photos.

My favorite picture that I unearthed that day is this one. It's of my GGG grandparents, Claus Schlichtmann (1831-1899) and Anna Sophia von der Lieth (1830-1901). 

I had never seen a photo of either of them before, and it somehow really touched me to look upon the faces of these brave maternal ancestors who risked a lot to bring their family to a whole new world of opportunities. In addition to the photos I found at the TAGS office, there are more documents that tell the story of how the Schlichtmanns came to the US, and to Tracy, California. There's even a bit of romantic mystery that needs some more research (perhaps, we're related to German royalty!). More to come on all of that in the weeks ahead. 

Meanwhile, please say hello to Claus and Anna!

Tombstone Tuesday: Claus Schlichtmann (1834-1899) and family

Last month, on my way to visit my mom for our annual birthday celebration (cake, steak and gambling!), I stopped by my old hometown of Tracy, California, to check out the cemetery where some of my pioneer ancestors were buried. I mostly grew up in Tracy (we moved there from over the hill in Livermore when I was almost eight, in 1973, and my mom finally moved away after Dad passed away in 2003). Lately, I've been trying to dig a little further into my Tracy roots, and it occurred to me that I hadn't yet even bothered to visit my ancestors who "lived" so close to me. Shame on me!

So, here is is the tombstone and burial plot of my Great Great Great Grandfather, Claus Schlichtmann. His name and information are inscribed on the front of the monument and his mother, Anna Maria (von Holte-Schlichtmann) Katt, and daughter, Anna Maria (Schlichtmann) Genzer, are both memorialized on the side and back of the monument.

Claus Schlichtmann, Born Sept. 4, 1831. Died July 5, 1899. A native of Germany

Claus Schlichtmann was my 3rd great grandfather on my mom's side. He was born in 1831 in Hanover, Germany, and immigrated to the US in 1862. Not long afterward he sent for his family, including his wife, Anna, and my great great grandmother, Christina Schlichtmann Bruhns, who was just a baby when they made their voyage. They lived in Pennsylvania for a time, and then finally they made their way to California, living for a short time in San Francisco before they settled in Tracy. Claus died in San Francisco on July 5, 1899, at the age of 68, and was buried at the Tracy Public Cemetery in Tracy, California. The plot is in the oldest section of the cemetery, right at the corner of Schulte Road and McArthur Boulevard. Growing up, we drove by there at least a few times a week on our way into town. 

Claus' daughter, Anna Maria Genzen, Born Sept 14, 1860. Died Feb 3, 1896. A native of Germany  

Claus' mother, Anna Maria von Holte (Schlichtmann) Katt, Born Nov 12, 1802.
Died Jan 17, 1901. A native of Germany.

Mystery stone, but I think it belongs to Claus' wife, Anna Sophia, or one of his other daughters.

Claus' wife (and my GGG grandmother), Anna Sophia von der Leith, is not memorialized on the stone.  However, I believe she is buried with her family in the plot. It's possible that this broken stone that was leaning against the base of the memorial stone belongs to her or another family member. Next time I'm in Tracy, I'm going to visit the cemetery office to see if I can get some records that might help me determine exactly where Anna Sophia is resting.

I enjoyed my first "tourist" visit (meaning, not there for a funeral) to the Tracy Public Cemetery, and I'm having fun getting to know my German ancestors. In fact, on my way back home to Oakland that week, I stopped in at the Tracy Area Genealogical Society office and did a little more research into my Schlichtmann and Bruhns families. What a treasure trove! More to come on that soon.

Sentimental Sunday: Reblogged -- A Tribute to Dad

In honor of Father's Day this year, I'm reposting a tribute to my dad, William Lee Brittain, that I posted a couple of years ago. The sentiments still ring true, and I sure do wish Dad was here for me to wish him a Happy Father's Day and give him a big hug in person.

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Dad, Cindy and me

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there. This is a bittersweet day for me since my own dad passed away on January 4, 2003, from congestive heart disease and a heart transplant that went badly. I was a "daddy's girl" and I still find it hard to talk -- or write -- about him without getting very emotional. Instead, I'm going to share with you some photos of him, as well as the tribute I read at his memorial service. 

Tribute to My Dad (read at his memorial service on January 11, 2003)

When Cindy and I were growing up, we often heard friends tell us how cool our parents were and how lucky we were to have such great relationships with them.  We always knew that was the case and, even during those turbulent teen years, we valued and respected our Mom and Dad -- as both parents and friends.

Today, I’d like to share some memories that Cindy and I have shared, separately as well as together, with Dad as well as Mom.

Mom, Dad and me

WENDY’S MEMORIES

* The first time I remember seeing Dad cry was when I moved away from home to go to college in San Diego.  My roommate came to pick me up, and I was so excited as we started to drive off to our new lives as young adults in a new city.  Then, I turned around for one more wave goodbye to my family and saw that my Dad was crying.  Of course, I knew that he would miss me, but I was so touched by his show of emotion.  Needless to say, I bawled for a good thirty miles or so down the road

* Even though my family and I missed each other while I was living away from home, we never went too long without visits.  I always loved it when my parents came to visit me in college -- it was so much fun to show them the sites and take them to my favorite bars in San Diego and, later, in San Luis Obispo.  Some of my favorite times where when they would bring my sister, family friends or aunts and uncles.  A particularly memorable time was when they and Mike and Lois Brenkwitz visited me in San Diego one July 4th weekend.  I took them on a rather lively tour of Tijuana that will remain in our memories for years to come.  In more recent years, I’ve relished visits from Mom and Dad to my home in San Francisco.  Dad was NOT a city person, but he was always willing to hand over the car keys and let me be his tour guide

* Dad and I had many things in common.  We tended to drive Mom and Cindy crazy with our deep -- and, at times, incessant -- discussions/debates on politics and social issues.  It’s from my Dad that I inherited my addiction to news and political commentary -- we didn’t always agree on issues or candidates, but we found that we generally were coming from the same place.  We also loved discussing technology and sharing new “toys” with each other -- another topic that drove Mom and Cindy crazy.  Finally, Dad and I shared a passion for music.  He taught me to appreciate western swing and the older country music of Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Bob Wills, Hank Thompson, Marty Robbins and many other artists.  He and Mom also let me tag along with them and the McCrearys to jazz festivals.  One of my last happy memories with Dad was when he was in the hospital at Stanford and one of the hospital musicians came into to his room to play guitar and sing a few songs.  Dad had been very depressed, but when Jeff started playing “San Antonio Rose,” and I sang along with him, Dad’s eyes lit up -- he was so uplifted that he joined in the singing as well.  

Dad and Cindy

CINDY’S MEMORIES

*  Cindy felt especially lucky and privileged to have her Daddy walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.  Most of you know that Dad was not a man of many words, but the toast that gave that night was so moving because it came directly from his heart -- he was so proud of his little girl.  It was also icing on the cake knowing that Luis, her new husband, and Dad already were developing a great relationship.  After spending so much time in a family dominated by women, we think it made Dad very happy to be finally getting a son

*  The morning after Evan was born, everyone showed up at the hospital for a visit.  Liam got up on the bed with Cindy to meet his baby brother.  When Dad walked into the room and saw his daughter and two grandsons together for the first time, a tear came to his eyes.  This moment was especially touching for Cindy and is something she’ll hold dear to her.

*  Dad was such a proud grandpa, and he loved Liam and Evan so much.  I know that it bothered him that he didn’t have the energy to run after the boys or get down on the floor to play with him the way he would have liked to, but to see his eyes light up whenever the boys came to visit him and Mom was something to behold.  Liam and Evan loved their Papa Cow, too, and they both talk about him often and miss him very much.

Cindy, Mom, Pepper, Dad and me
at our house on Bird Road

 MEMORIES TOGETHER

* While Cindy and I had many separate memories of Dad, we also shared wonderful times with him together.  Some of our earliest memories of Dad were when he’d take us horse shoeing with him around Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin.  He would let us hand him whatever tools he needed to do his job, or just let us loose to play with the kids or dogs who lived at the various ranches.  We’ll never forget the smell of horses and sweat that lingered in his ‘67 Ford pickup.  It’s a scent that -- even today -- both of us find sweet.

* While we were growing up, our family didn’t take trips to Europe, or even across the country.  Instead, most of our family vacations happened up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, usually camping with a motley group of family and/or close friends.  I think that one year, we camped in Yosemite at least four or five times -- we experienced that magnificent place in every season.  Dad loved the mountains more than anywhere else in the world, and he instilled that same love in Cindy and me.  When Cindy and I were old enough to have summer jobs, our parents started occasionally going up to the mountains without us -- while we were excited that they trusted us enough to leave us at home alone, I think that we secretly were a bit envious and sad that they were enjoying our favorite vacation stomping grounds without us!

* As we got older, we enjoyed many road trips with Mom and Dad -- big and small, well-planned as well as spontaneous -- but always memorable.  Their spur-of-the-moment trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with Cindy and Luis always inspires laughter -- just mention the word “lizard” or ask about the “two dead coyotes driving down the road” and see what kind of reaction you’ll get.  It was during my trips to the Southwest with Mom and Dad that I developed an appreciation for Native American culture as well as the history of West.  I was always so honored to receive the occasional phone call from Mom and Dad, saying that they were thinking about taking a weekend road trip to Shasta or Eureka or wherever, and would I like to come along.  As you can see from the picture board and photo album we‘ve brought along today, these trips were treasured -- not just for the travel -- but for the special times we got to enjoy with both our parents.

Finally, one of my all-time favorite memories of both Mom and Dad together was witnessing a very fleeting, yet loving, moment between them just a few years ago.  I was home one weekend, watching TV in the living room.  I looked up to see Mom and Dad standing in the dining room with their arms around each other sharing a kiss and an “I love you”.  I thought, how cool is it that, after all these years, my parents are still in love with each other.  Their relationship was the solid foundation for our incredibly close-knit and loving family.

It’s so sad to think that we won’t have the chance to create more memories with Dad, but we’re so happy to have had all the happy times with him that we did.  We also know that Dad created memories with just about all of you, and we know that you are treasuring them in your own ways.  We miss Dad so much, and I know that he’s keeping an eye on us and will continue to share in our future memories in his own special way.

Again, Happy Fathers Day to everyone out there. While I'm missing my Daddy, I cherish all our memories together, and I hope you're all able to enjoy yours, as well.  

Dad, Mom and me on one of our Southwest vacations

Not So Wordless Wednesday: Madsen Family in 1912

Once again, I've been contacted by a cousin wanting to share family pictures and stories. I'm always happy when my new-found cousins are excited for me to post their treasures here on my blog because I know how much it means for all of us to have these rare glimpses into our families' pasts.

So, thanks to my cousin, Jim Cole, for this gem! This handsome family is Jim's grandparents, Han Terkelsen Madsen and Maren Christiansen Caspersen, their six children, AND Hans' youngest brother, Lars Hansen Madsen. Yep, that handsome young Danish chap standing in the back with his hand on his hip was my Great Grandpa Louie!

Hans came to California from Aero, Denmark, in 1891. Born in 1870, he was the oldest of ten children and 23 years older than his little brother, Lars, who followed him to Livermore, California, in 1908.

Here are the Madsen family members in this photo, which I think was taken in about 1912, likely in Livermore:

Front (l-r): Louis C. Madsen (1906-2000), William Hans Madsen (1910-1973), Hans Terkelsen Madsen (1870-1956), Maren Christiansen Caspersen (1870-1972), Casper Marion Madsen (1907-1986).

Rear (l-r): Katie M. Madsen (1896-1976), May Christine Madsen (1904-1981), Julia C. Madsen (1899-?), Lars Hansen Madsen (1893-1971). It's entirely possible that I have May and Julia mixed up here, but based on birth dates, I think this is correct.

Cousin Jim Cole is the son of May Christine Madsen, and he's been sharing wonderful stories about his memories of my Grandpa Louie, whom they all called either 'Little Louie' or 'Uncle Louie,' and my Great Grandma Hannah. Jim is visiting our families' homeland in Aero, Denmark, later this summer, and I can't wait to hear more stories when he returns!

Not So Wordless Wednesday: Four Generations of Hunts

Here's a photo I found in my Grandma Edith's collection awhile ago. It's of four generations of her Hunt family, and I believe it was taken sometime around 1953.

On the left is my great great grandmother, Georgia Francis Ann Purser. She was born October 7, 1871, in Searcy, White County, Arkansas, and died July 14, 1956, in Henderson County, Texas. She was married to William Calhoun Hunt. 

Next to Georgia is her oldest child, and my great grandfather, James William "Earl" Hunt. James was born January 1, 1891, in Lee County, Texas, and died April 7, 1961, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He was married to Ethel Modena Martindale.

Next to Earl is his youngest child, and my Grandma Edith's younger brother, George Lee Hunt. Uncle George was born January 11, 1927, in Oklahoma, and died November 1987 in Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma. 

Standing in front are George's two sons. I think they are Lester Wayne Hunt and James Lee Hunt, but I'm not entirely sure (if any Hunt cousins are reading this and know for sure, please feel free to let me know!). 

Tombstone Tuesday: F.H. Brittian

Frederick Harmon Brittain
(not Brittian...)

Yes, I realize that I spelled my own last name incorrectly in the title of this post. There's a good reason for that. Let me explain...

A couple of years ago, I was busy working on my Daughters of the American Revolution application, and was running into a couple of brick walls in my attempt to prove my direct lineage back to my Revolutionary War patriot, Nathaniel Brittain.

One of the issues I had was in documenting the death of my great great grandfather, Frederick Harmon Brittain (1859-1921). I knew that he had died in 1921, in Rupert, Van Buren County, Arkansas, but I just couldn't find the proof. Finally, I sent a request to the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website, to ask if anyone had access to cemetery records in that area (the original RAOGK site is now defunct, but a wiki workaround was created last year). Thankfully, a fellow genealogist had a cemetery record book that listed "F.H. Brittian" as being buried in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Van Buren County, Arkansas, and she was kind enough to scan the page and send it to me.

As you can see, Grandpa Brittain's last name is spelled incorrectly. This is actually one of the more typical misspellings of our name that I see on a regular basis (and it never fails to annoy me just a little bit). Nevertheless, it was a big help in proving my relationship to Nathaniel Brittain, and I figured it was just an error in the record keeping until a couple of days ago.

So, back when I had originally posted my request at the RAOGK site, I also posted a request for a photo of the grave on the Find A Grave website. I had completely forgotten about that query until I received an email saying that someone had fulfilled my photo request for me! Thanks to Dan McGuire, I now have a photo of Frederick Harmon Brittain's grave stone and, sure enough, the name is misspelled as "Brittian." Sigh...

Photo by Dan McGuire

By the way, this is my ancestor who, according to family lore, was wrongly put in a US Jail in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1900 for horse thievery (the horse's previous owner finally showed up to vouch for him). The poor guy couldn't catch a break, even in death!

Thanks so much to Dan McGuire and all of the other kind family historians out there who are willing to share documents and trudge through old cemeteries to take photos.

And, this was another lesson for me to remember to check alternate spellings when searching through documentation. It wouldn't have occurred to me to switch that "a" and "i" around, even though people get my name wrong all the time!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Here's a post I wrote a couple of years ago in honor of my own wonderful mom, Becky. I'm so happy I get to celebrate with her this year, and I look forward to seeing her and giving her a big hug a little later today!

Little Becky Bartram
What a cutie!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone! Today, I dedicate my blog post to my Mom: Rebecca Elizabeth Bartram (Brittain Santos). Mom was born in 1946, in Livermore, California, to John Bartram and Donna Madsen Bartram. She's the third of four children, including her older brother and sister, Jimmy and Brenda, and her younger brother, Clay.

Mom grew up around the Livermore valley, where my Grandpa John worked as a cowboy (for the Harry Rowell Ranch as well as riding rodeo). She met my dad, William Lee Brittain, when she was a teenager, and they married on September 12, 1964. They soon started their family with my younger sister, Cindy, and me. We moved around the Livermore area (with short stints in San Luis Obispo and the Reno, Nevada, area) until we settled outside of Tracy, California, in 1974.

Mom, Dad and me

Mom was always very involved in Cindy's and my activities. She worked at our elementary school and was an active leader of our 4-H group. In fact, Mom and Dad took it upon themselves to learn all they could about raising sheep so they could lead our 4-H sheep group. She schlepped us to our other various activities: Cindy's gymnastics practice and my marching band competitions, for example. She also fostered our love of crafts and Halloween: to this day, I refuse to purchase a Halloween costume when my Mom instilled in me the creativity and ingenuity to conjure up my own! I appreciated Dad and Mom helping me through college -- I was the first one in my family to get a university degree, and I can't tell you how much their support meant to me. Whatever we were into, Mom was a staunch supporter and we could always count on her encouragement.

Cindy, Mom and me at Mom and Rodney's wedding

I have to say, Cindy and I are very lucky daughters. My mom has always been a great parent, and she has a real knack for knowing when it's appropriate to be the "mom" and when it's ok to be our friend. As we've both grown, our relationship as women has truly blossomed. I've had fun going on vacations with Mom (alone and with Dad) and just hanging out with her. We still reminisce about our mother/daughter trip to New Orleans and pilgrimage to Graceland.

Grandma I-U and her boys, Liam and Evan

Mom has also developed a special relationship with Cindy: they are both mothers now and share that wonderful bond. She's the best grandma (or I-U, as they call her) to her boys, Liam and Evan. When Dad passed away in 2003, we all went through a rough patch together (and still do sometimes), but we knew we could count on each other to be strong for each other, or just to cry on each others' shoulders. I honestly don't know what I would have done without Mom and Cindy during that time.

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Santos

Mom has now embarked on a new adventure in her life. She met a wonderful man, Rodney, and they got married last year. Cindy and I are so happy that she found love and companionship again, and that we're able to share in their new life together. I'm not able to spend today with Mom (we're celebrating our birthdays together in a couple of weeks, though), but I look forward to calling her first thing to thank her for everything she's done for me, and to tell her I love her.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Love,
-wendy

Isn't she beautiful??

Wednesday's Child: Edith Vivian Hunt

Some people may think it's a chore to organize files and photos, but I'm having a lot of fun whipping my documents into shape on Google Drive. Part of the joy is getting a fresh look at a bunch of old photos of my family members and ancestors.

Here are a few photos I have of my Grandma, Edith Vivian Hunt (Brittain), from when she was a child. I'm so happy that my great grandparents, Jim and Ethel Hunt, had a camera and loved to take pictures of their family!

Edith Vivian Hunt,  born April 1, 1920, in Slick, Creek County, Oklahoma

Baby Edith, with her parents, James William (Earl) Hunt and Ethel Modina Martindale  

That's Edith on the left

Edith at 14 years old

I love her curls!

Wasn't my Grandma a pretty young lady!?

Travel Tuesday: Dad and Grandma Edith's Southwest Vacation

When my Dad, William Lee Brittain, was about 13 or so, he and my Grandma, Edith Vivian Hunt Brittain, took a trip to Oklahoma to visit relatives. On their way, they did a little sightseeing through the beautiful Southwest. I don't know who the people are who are with them. The older lady looks like she might be related to my paternal great grandmother, Jessie Louetta Halstead Brittain, so it may a relative of hers. As is often the case, there are no markings on the backs of any of the photos.

Grandma Edith and Grandpa Woodie Brittain both grew up in Oklahoma, and were married there before moving to California in 1940. Grandma Edith traveled via Greyhound Bus back home to Oklahoma often to visit her family and work on the family history with her cousin, Fritz.

Here are some fun photos of Dad and Grandma's road trip through the Southwest!

Grandma Edith on the left, and Dad on the right

Anyone up for a carriage ride?

Looks like Dad was getting ready to do some work!

Dad in the middle, and Grandma Edith on the right.
I think the gentleman on the left may have been a cousin.

Fortunately, Dad never tired of the Southwest region, and I was lucky enough to go on a couple wonderful vacations with him and Mom before he passed away. Here's a photo from one of those trips that I'll never forget!

Bill Brittain, Wendy Brittain, and Becky Bartram Brittain
I believe we were on our way to Chaco Canyon that day. 

Workday Wednesday: Great Grandpa James Hunt Working on Oil Rig

A couple of years ago, my mom gave me some boxes of photos that had belonged to my dad and my Grandma Edith. Many are of my Hunt family in Oklahoma, and there are quite a few that are a mystery to me. I sure do wish that my ancestors were better at labeling their family photos!

I did find some really neat photos that were tagged, including this one of my Great Grandfather, James William (Earl) Hunt at work on an oil rig in Oklahoma!

I think he's the one on the right, facing the camera. I don't know when this picture was taken, but I think it was in the early to mid 1920s. I know that they lived in the towns of Slick and Drumright in Creek County, Oklahoma, which both began as oil boom towns in the 1910s and 1920s.  I understand that working on oil rigs today is hard work, and I can't imagine what a job that must have been nearly 100 years ago!

Wedding Wednesday: Uncle Dutch's Secret Marriage

You think you know all there is to know about a family member, and then the secrets start pouring out... I always knew that my Great Uncle Dutch (Grandpa John's older brother, Raymond) had been married to his wife, Helen Prowse, until his horrible death in 1954. What I didn't know is that he had been married once previously. Apparently, none of his friends and family knew, either, until after Dutch and his first wife Olive (Ollie) Frager, had already been married for a year!

This little news nugget in the July 19, 1934, edition of the Hayward Daily Review, tells the story:

Here's what the article says:

'Dutch' Bartram Wed To Pleasanton Girl

The marriage of Ray "Dutch" Bartram, employed by the Rowell ranch in Dublin canyon, to Miss Ollie Frager of Pleasanton, was revealed recently to their many friends. The young couple have been married over a year, which fact they have kept secret for some time. They were married at Fallon, Nev.

Miss Frager is a popular school teacher in Pleasanton, and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Frager.

Ray Bartram is the son of Mrs. Alice Bartram of Richmond, and is quite well known in this community as a rodeo performer. The young couple are making their home in Pleasanton.

Uncle Raymond "Dutch" Bartram
and his sister, my Aunt Grace

My guess is that Ollie and Dutch met while rodeoing together. I've seen both of them mentioned as winners in the various rodeos around the area. Ollie and my Aunt Grace Bartram are also mentioned as friends in various news accounts. I wonder why Uncle Dutch and Ollie kept their secret for so long?

In any case, theirs seemed to be a short-lived romance: By July 1937, the Reno Evening Gazette shows that Ollie had filed for divorce against Uncle Dutch. Uncle Dutch and Aunt Helen (Prowse) subsequently applied for their marriage license in Reno in July 1943.

On a side note, Ollie isn't the only Frager to have married into the Bartram family: my Great Aunt Mildred (Millie) Bartram (another of Grandpa John's many sisters) married Manuel Frager, who I believe was a cousin to Ollie.