Did Grandfather Falk Have a Car?

Day before yesterday (November 26) I posted about the Falk family members who were listed on the

database of Oregon motor vehicle registrations from 1911 to 1946. So I searched for my grandfather, Julius A. Falk.

Yes, he did have a car, but it wasn't until 1921. He was listed as J.A. Falk of Harrisburg for February 1921 with a Reo touring car, not a Ford. I suspect he had used horse and buggy or wagon until then.

My mother, Wilma Falk, would have been nine years old when they got that car. Her sister Lois would have been five and Erma one. I can believe that it was exciting for them. Sometimes it is hard to remember that family I knew personally lived in the horse and buggy days.

The Falks Drove Fords

At least in Oregon in 1913, 1914 and 1915 the Falks drove Fords, that would be Model T Fords
It made me happy when the genealogy site, Ancestry.com, posted a database of Oregon motor vehicle registrations from 1911 to 1946. So I searched for Falk family members in the first five years and found eight entries for them in 1913, 1914 & 1915. All of the entries were for Fords.

In 1913 the only entry was for L. [Louis] R. Falk of Halsey, one of my grandfather's nephews. In August he registered a 1913 model Ford. He registered the same vehicle in January 1914 and again in January 1915.

His brother, C. [Charles] L. Falk Jr. of Halsey registered a 1914 model Ford in June of 1914 and another brother, Henry J. of Halsey registered a 1914 model in January 1915. But by September Henry registered a 1915 model.

I believe it was their father, C. [Charles] L. Falk of Halsey, who registered a 1914 model in April of 1915. That same month his brother, Conrad Falk of Salem, also registered a 1914 model.

I found one more entry during that time period. Another of my grandfather's nephews, G. [George] L. Falk of Salem, registered a 1914 model in March of 1915.

This may not be the typical information found by genealogists, but I find it great information to have. If you want to see more typical information about this family, check my genealogical website, www.joanneskelton.com

Thanksgiving 83 Years Ago

Thanksgiving 83 years ago was 1933. My parents, Lester Albertson and Wilma Falk were married on the 4th of November in 1933, so 83 years ago was their first Thanksgiving as a married couple.  I really enjoy researching in old newspapers and am so happy that some of my newspaper subscription sites include papers that were in the area where my family lived as well as being able to research at the University of Oregon library using microfilm.  The Halsey Journal (Halsey, Oregon) had a small paragraph in their December 9th issue which stated that the following people had enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner in Albany at the home of Rev. B. M. Higbee: Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Albertson Ione Higbee and Mr. and Mrs. Lester Albertson.  I did some further research on these individuals to see why they spent Thanksgiving together. The newspaper did not get all the names correct. It was the home of Rev. Dellno M. Higbee. Arthur and Della were my father's uncle and aunt and Aunt Della's was Dellno's sister. Ione was actually Ion Higbee and he was another brother. Of course Mr and Mrs Lester Albertson were my parents. So my research helped me know where my parents spent Thanksgiving 83 years ago and who some of the others were who were also there.

Learning about DNA and genealogy

Only an estimate of my ancestry from long ago

 

 

 

 

Over the past couple of years I have been reading and trying to learn about DNA testing for genealogy.  I was asked by my local genealogical society (Cottage Grove Genealogical Society) to give a talk about DNA at our regular meeting. What should I tell them when it seems to be a rapidly changing field?

I decided one of the best ways to help the Society members learn about DNA was to share on my blog some links to sites which they could read and study, for DNA is a complex subject. Also by sharing on my blog any of my readers can also have this information.

International Society of Genetic Genealogy  provides many links as well as information on their site
http://www.isogg.org/
http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Beginners'_guides_to_genetic_genealogy  

Introduction to DNA Lectures at Who Do You Think You Are Live at Birmingham England 2016 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi0PrkwL8LY 

A special site for adoption research  includes information helpful for all.
http://dnaadoption.com/

Individuals write about DNA and genealogy
Emily Aulicino
http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.com/
Blaine Bettinger:
http://thegeneticgenealogist.com/
Kitty Cooper: 
http://blog.kittycooper.com/
Roberta Estes
https://dna-explained.com/
Richard Hill
http://www.dna-testing-adviser.com/
CeCe Moore
http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/

The companies which provide testing and utilities for using our DNA results can provide information also.
23andMe
https://www.23andme.com/
Family Tree DNA
https://www.familytreedna.com/
Ancestry Academy video about Ancestry DNA
https://www.ancestry.com/academy/course/ancestry-dna-101
GEDmatch
https://www.gedmatch.com/
DNA.LAND
https://dna.land/

My Birthplace Pedigree Chart

      Many bloggers have been posting their version of a birthplace pedigree chart. Credit has been given to J. Paul Hawthorne as beginning this exercise.  I saw examples on several blogs that I follow, so decided to give it a try. Here is mine with 11 different locations in a five generation chart.

Postcards from Christmas Past

Some of my favorite items that were found among my father's belongings after his death was a collection of old postcards he had received as a child. These are from Albertson relatives.

from Uncle Ernest

from Uncle Calvin & Aunt Lulu

from cousin Iona

An Ancestor's Birthday--Julius A. Falk

It was on December 4th, 1880, in Avoca township, Iowa County, Wisconsin, when my maternal grandfather, Julius Adolph Falk was born. Both of his parents, Ludwig Falk and Anna Louisa (Boehm) Falk, were born in the Posen Province of Prussia. They were German speaking Protestants who had immigrated to the United States in 1858. Julius was their youngest son, with at least 11 older brothers and sisters and 4 older half-siblings. By 1905 Julius had moved to Linn County, Oregon, where he married Florence Edna Bond in 1910. He continued to live there on his farm with his family until his death in 1944.

Read some more about him on my website:
http://www.joanneskelton.com/p5.htm