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.

Happy 102nd Birthday to Grandpa John Bartram!

Today would have been my beloved Grandpa John's 102nd birthday! Grandpa always liked a good celebration, so I think I'll have a drink in his honor tonight. Meanwhile, here's the blog post I wrote two years ago for his 100th birthday. Enjoy!



If you've been following my posts, you know that I have a huge soft spot for my maternal grandpa, John Bartram. Today would have been Grandpa John's 100th birthday, so I'm dedicating this blog post to him.

I've already written about Grandpa's rodeo exploits and his knack for telling tall tales. Here's a little bit more about his life. John Bartram was born on April 4, 1911, in Allen, Kansas, to Joseph and Alice Veale Bartram. He was the fourth youngest of 17 (!!) kids. He and his siblings grew up on his father's farm, and he left school after third grade to help out with the necessary chores that kept this large ranching family alive, including farm work, carpentry and horse shoeing.

Grandpa had the adventurous spirit that was so prevalent in many of my ancestors. In 1924, at the young age of 13 years old, he made his first trip to California, hopping a west-bound freight. He stayed here for one year, working on ranches in the Clearlake area, before heading back home to Kansas. He again returned to California in around 1927 at the age of 16 (again riding a westbound freight train), and this time he stayed for good. He landed a job at the Rowell Ranch in Dublin Canyon (between Hayward and Dublin) where his brother, Dutch, was working as ranch foreman. He worked at the Rowell Ranch until the early 1950s.

Riding in a parade at the
1939 World's Fair in San Francisco

In 1932, Grandpa began his career as a professional rodeo performer, competing in rodeos all over the west for over 20 years. He bulldogged and roped steers and rode broncs and bulls. He joined rodeo greats Johnny and Frank Schneider and Joe Berl to make up the American team of rodeo riders sent to the World Games in Australia in 1936, where they competed against cowboys from Russia, Australia and other countries. He also participated in the rodeo portion of the World’s Fair in 1939 in San Francisco. This was a dangerous sport, but he competed with gusto. At one rodeo, Grandpa was bucked off a bull and broke his back.  He recovered and continued his rodeo career, but the injury stayed with him through his life.

In 1936, Grandpa met a pretty little rodeo queen at the Livermore Rodeo: my grandmother, Donna Madsen. They fell in love and were married in Reno, Nevada, on March 26, 1938. Grandma and Grandpa had four children: Clinton James, Brenda Rae, Rebecca Elizabeth (my mom); and Clay John. In 1959, Donna and John were involved in a terrible automobile accident which left my grandma brain damaged. She passed away in 1966, leaving Grandpa John to care for the family.

Back: Uncle Jim, Aunt Brenda, Mom (Becky)
Front: Uncle Clay, Grandma Donna, Grandpa John

L-R: Uncle Jim, Aunt Brenda, Grandpa John, Mom, Uncle Clay

As a grandfather, he was wonderful to all eight of his grandchildren. He was loving and attentive, and seemed to enjoy spending time with us. We probably didn't realize it at the time, but my sister, Cindy, and I were fortunate that Grandpa lived with us for part of our childhood. Here are some of my memories of growing up with Grandpa John:

• His tall tales and songs. I've already written about his story of the buzzards who hoisted him out of a dry well. There were plenty of other stories and songs, including some that I can't repeat in polite company... 
• He never lacked a ride! Grandpa was an alcoholic and we eventually had to take his drivers license away from him. It didn't slow him down, though. Whenever he wanted a six-pack of his favorite beer (Olympia), he'd saddle up his horse and ride a few miles down the road to the local country store. He didn't even need to dismount since the storekeeper would come out with his beer, take his money and then come back out with his change. Then, he and his horse would ride back up the hill and he'd enjoy a nice cold brew out on the porch. 
• His short-lived excitement at me getting my own drivers license. At first, Grandpa was tickled about me getting my license because it meant I could take him into town for more affordable beer. I wasn't so excited about getting this chore, though, so I made the poor guy suffer it by taking him on joy rides and watching his knuckles turn white with every turn. When I moved away to college, Cindy continued the joy rides with Grandpa (including one infamous ride that entailed running over chickens, which he never really got over).
• His wake-up calls. I'm not a morning person, but Cindy and I raised sheep in 4-H, which meant we had to get up early each day to feed them. Grandpa made sure we were up every morning to take care of our sheep, and usually had to resort to tearing my bedclothes clear off of me in order to do the trick.
• He called me Wendower -- not sure why!
• His pride in us kids. Grandpa didn't get to finish school, so he was proud of us kids and encouraged us to succeed. He helped us when he could, especially with our 4-H endeavors, and cheered us on in everything else.  

Grandpa John and his girls!

Grandpa John passed away on August 15, 1987. He had suffered for years from the effects of alcoholism, emphysema and, finally, lung cancer (not to mention a broken heart from losing his Donna). He was a strong guy with a strong heart, though, and fought these diseases for far longer than anyone expected he could. It was still quite a blow to all of us when we lost him. As I think of Grandpa John on this 100th anniversary of his birth, I'm happy to remember his warmth, humor, resilience and love. Happy Birthday, Grandpa John!

Talented Tuesday: Great Aunt Grace Bartram Bags the First Deer of the Season!

I come from a family of deer hunters on both my Bartram and Brittain sides. I remember well the beginning of deer season when I was growing up. My dad, uncles, grandfathers, etc. would all get ready to head up to Kennedy Meadows in the Sierra mountains, and we'd all wonder what they were going to come back with: hopefully enough deer for Uncle Jimmy to make some of his amazingly delicious deer jerky. Oh, how I miss that jerky...

While I'd always heard the hunting stories of the men in my clan (some of them tall tales, I'm sure), I had no idea that at least one of my female relatives was quite the shot, herself. Since I've subscribe to a couple of the online newspaper archives that are out there, I'm finding out all sorts of fun things about my family. Here's an August 2, 1932, Oakland Tribune newspaper article that tells the story of my great Aunt Grace (1913-1975, and Grandpa John's sister) bagging the very first deer of the season!

That's Aunt Grace on the left, with Elizabeth Rowell on the right

 The article is a bit hard to read, so here's what it says:

(Caption under the photo: It took two girl hunters to bag the first deer of the season in the Livermore hills. One shot from the rifle of Miss Grace Bartram (left), of Castro Valley, and this three-point, 180-pound buck was downed. Miss Bartram was accompanied on her first hunt by Miss Elizabeth Rowell, also of Castro Valley. -- Wallace photo)

Hayward, Aug. 2 -- Her first shot in the first hunt brought Miss Grace Bartram, 21, Castro Valley girl, the first deer of the season. 

Just two hours after California's 1932 deer season officially opened yesterday, Miss Bartram and Miss Elizabeth Rowell, 18, also of Castro Valley, ran across a three-point buck in the Livermore hills near Sunol.

One shot from Miss Bartram's rifle and the first deer of the Livermore hills, one of the state's principal hunting sections, was bagged.

Miss Bartram said it was the first time she had ever been deer hunting. She confessed to a slight case of "buck fever" after the the animal was downed, but today was back in the hills with Miss Rowell again on the hunt.

Taken to Don Harder's sports emporium here, Miss Bartram's deer was found to weigh in excess of 180 pounds. She won the Harder cup for the first deer bagged in this section.

Not bad for her first shot of her first hunt on the first day of deer season!!  

Revisited: Happy Birthday, Grandma Edith!!

Today would have been my Grandma Edith's 93rd birthday. Here's the post I wrote two years ago to celebrate this wonderful lady's birth!

Edith Vivian Hunt
b. April 1, 1920

My paternal grandmother, Edith Vivian Hunt Brittain, was born on this date, April 1, in 1920. And she was no fool! Since I've been following in Grandma Edith's genealogy footsteps, I'd like to take a moment to honor her memory.

Edith Vivian Hunt was born in Slick, Creek County, Oklahoma to James William "Earl" Hunt and Ethel Modina Martindale Hunt. She was the older sister to Edgar James "Bud" Hunt and George Lee Hunt. She grew up in Oklahoma, and that's where she married my grandfather, Woodie Leroy Brittain, on August 18, 1938. They then moved to California shortly after that, settling in Hayward. There, Grandma and Grandpa had one son: my dad, William Lee Brittain, on October 28, 1942.

Grandma and Grandpa stayed in the East Bay Area, eventually moving to Livermore. This is where my sister, Cindy, and I spent most of our time with Grandma Edith, and where our fond memories of her live. Grandma Edith was a wonderful grandmother! She was a bit childlike, herself, so she had no problem keeping up with Cindy and me, and seemed to love playing with us for hours on end. Here are some of my dearest memories of spending time with Grandma Edith:

• There was a pond near their house in the Springtown neighborhood of Livermore, California. Grandma would save up the ends of her bread loaves until Cindy and I came to visit. Then, we'd walk over to the pond and feed the ducks. If we were lucky, Grandma would let us walk across the street to the 7-11 and get a Slurpee and some candy!
• Grandma loved board games and often played Chinese Checkers and Monopoly with us. The Monopoly games were often marathon events, but Grandma had endless patience (and/or stamina!) and usually stuck with us to the end of each game. 
• Grandma Edith and I shared a love of black licorice. One of our favorite things to do was to buy a pack of the really long, skinny licorice strings and unfurl it. Then, each of us would take an end and start nibbling until we met in the middle with a sweet kiss. 
• Grandma's southern cooking! Oh, she made the best fried chicken and pecan pie and homemade biscuits and... Everything she made was wonderful. She also liked to fry her eggs in about an inch of bacon fat (I know -- could have had something to do with the hardening of the arteries she eventually suffered from). She was also great at letting Cindy and me "help" in the kitchen, and she often let me sneak sips of her coffee when Mom wasn't looking. 
• Her passion for genealogy. Grandma spent hours researching Grandpa Woodie's and her family histories. This was long before personal computers and the Internet. Grandma did it "old school style." I remember sitting with her while she read letters from cousins (near and distant) comparing notes on their research and answering questions for one another. I loved hearing about her regular trips to Oklahoma to visit her family there. I'm indebted to Grandma Edith for her dedication and hard work on our family tree, and for planting the genealogy seed that eventually grew in me.

Grandma was also a breast cancer survivor, and battled that beast with bravery. She eventually was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at some point during my teenage years. It was brutal for all of us to watch her decline and see her once curious mind and playful disposition deteriorate. She finally passed away on June 2, 1993, but we really lost her long before then. She's buried at the National Cemetery in San Bruno, California, and I'm lucky that I live near enough that I'm able to visit and pay my respects fairly often. I still miss Grandma Edith, and I'm proud to honor her on this special day.

Grandma Edith with me and my little sister, Cindy

Sentimental Sunday: Happy Easter from 1968!

Happy Easter, everyone. 

We're getting ready to head out to my Uncle Clay's place for our annual Easter picnic. Thunderstorms are in the forecast, but they have a big barn, so we'll be safe and dry. We just need to put our heads together to decide how we're going to do the Easter Egg hunts (one for the kids, and one for the adults).

Meanwhile, here's an Easter photo from 45 years ago: it was our first annual family Easter picnic in in Livermore, California. Over the years, our picnics have been out on Mines Road and Alden Lane in Livermore, and then they moved to my immediate family's homes on Koster Road and Bird Road in Tracy. I recall a couple of Easters up the hill on Bird Road when the adult Easter Egg hunts included the addition of Easter Beers, often hidden in the field, under dried cow patties. Mom tells me, though, that this tradition actually started at one of our Easters up on Mines Road. We country folk know how to put on a good party!

Since my dad passed away in 2003, Uncle Clay and his girlfriend, Robin, have taken over the family Easter gatherings at their small ranch in Stevinson, California, and they've kept our long-standing tradition of good food, games and multiple Easter Egg hunts.

Here's the attendance list at our First Family Easter Picnic at the Roderick Ranch on Mines Road in Livermore, 1968:

Great Grandpa Louie Madsen; Aunt Rae (Madsen) and Uncle Rob Christensen and my cousin Stan; Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Trixie Madsen and my cousins, Judy, Alan and Maryann; Aunt Brenda (Bartram) and Uncle Art Davina and my cousins, Dee Dee, Glenn and Vikki; Aunt Bobbie (Anselmo) and Uncle Jim Bartram and my cousins Debbie and Leslie; Uncle Clay; Uncle Art's mother, Lucille (Tatum) Davina (who we all called Nana. She just passed away last week at the age of 100!) and her daughters, Mary Lou and Dorothy, and Dorothy's kids, Annie, John and Mark. Mom (Becky Bartram Brittain), my little sister, Cindy, and I are also in there, of course. I'm the one standing in front on the left.

Uncle Jim wasn't in the photo because he was taking it (where's the tripod when you need one?). And, where was Grandpa John? My dad, Bill Brittain, is also missing from the photo. He was a firefighter for Alameda County at that time, so my best guess is that he drew the short straw and had to work that day.

I was three years old, so I don't really have a strong memory of this particular Easter. However, there's a certain smell in the air when I'm out in the country that always makes me think of the Easters we celebrated when I was a kid.

It's so sad to think that so many of these people are no longer with us: Grandpa Louie, Uncle Rob and Aunt Rae, Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Trixie, Maryann, Nana, Grandpa John and especially my Uncle Jim and Dad. I'm sure we'll all think of them today, though, as we continue the tradition, now with added family members and friends, that they all helped to start 35 years ago!

I hope you're all enjoying your Easter Sunday, as well!