Adobe Spark

I watched a great tutorial video from Amy Johnson Crow about Adobe Spark. I was inspired to make a video about my grandmother’s ancestors to share with my family. I also attended a Google Hangout with DearMYRTLE’s distant cousin, Sweet Sadie, which was another great walk-through of creating a video. It was a fun, quick process… well besides hearing myself talk. That’s always strange!

There is also the option to create what they call “pages” and “posts”. I didn’t try the pages section yet, but had a little fun with the post section.

Adobe Spark

Wow, that’s a big, crisp image! I just took a free stock image of Scotland (my dream destination) and used all the different font and shape settings Adobe Spark had pre-built. My blog template will shrink it down to fit a certain size but the original dimensions of the image is 2052 pixels by 2052 pixels. I have to say I love this and will definitely be playing more with it!

Decoration Day, 1923

In 2011, I posted one picture from my great-grandmother’s collection. It was of a Decoration Day parade in Caldwell, New Jersey. Here is another few pictures from that same day. I happen to also know thanks to Llewellyn’s diary, that her and her mother used to volunteer with her church to decorate the graves of veterans also. She sure was one great lady. I am thinking of all our fallen soldiers today.

Decoration Day, 1923

Decoration Day, 1923

Decoration Day, 1923

SNGF: My Ancestor’s Occupations

Randy Seaver has posted another great Saturday Night Genealogy Fun topic! The mission this week is to list the occupations of my ancestors. Well, I certainly can do that! To protect privacy, I will omit anyone who is still living.

Randy suggested using the Ancestor Chart number for each person, so here we go!

4. William Thorward Moore (1930-2012)

Odd jobs

Police Officer in North Caldwell, New Jersey.

Police Chief in North Caldwell, New Jersey.

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5. Florence Jean Redford (1930-2001)

Housewife

A&P Cashier in Denville, New Jersey.

6. Stanley Lee Mays (1923-1976)

Farmer

U.S. Army during WWII

Farmer

7. Emogene Taylor (1929-2005)

Various odd jobs

Housewife

8. William Lawrence Moore (1901-1980)

Bookkeeper

Clerk

Assistant Stenographer

Senior Accountant – AT&T, for over 30 years

9. Llewellyn Josephine Thorward (1899-1986)

Bookkeeper, Insurance Company, 1920s.

Housewife

10. Clifford Herbert Redford (1894-1955)

Phonograph Errand Boy, (1910 Census)

Plumber, (WWI Draft Card, 1920 Census, 1930 Census)

Maintenance Man – Battery Manufacturing (1940 Census)

11. Jane Mable Parkin (1896-1957)

Phonograph Inspector (1920 Census)

Housewife

12. William Harmon Mays (1872-1952)

Farmer

13. Iva Belle Moyer (1894-1949)

Housewife

14. Marshall Howard Taylor (1892-1958)

Farmer

15. Lula Margaret Applegate (1901-1978)

Housewife

Cashier at Coney Island Amusement Park in New Richmond, Ohio.

16. Robert James Moore (1871-1925)

House Painter (1892-1915)

17. Mary E. Johnson (1873-?)

Housewife

18. Lewis Thorward (1875-1946)

Butcher at Vanderhoof and Wilton Market.

Butcher at Thorward and Van Duyne’s Market

Butcher at Thorward Meat Market

  • He was in the same market for over 42 years. It changed owners, but he stayed.

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19. Jennie Viola Love (1876-1960)

Housewife

20. Herbert Redford (1872-1940)

Hatter (1900-1940 Census)

21. Sarah Ann Sutcliffe (1873-1924?)

Housewife

22. John Walter Parkin (1863-190?)

Sandpaper Factory (1880 Census)

Motorman (1900 Census)

I think that is enough for now, but it was fun to see. 🙂

 

Herbert Redford

timelinefriday

Herbert Redford happens to be one of my favorite ancestors. I know I’m not supposed to play favorites but I just can’t help it. He is the first ancestor whose record I sent away for. I was so excited and it took quite a long time. It was well worth it though. 🙂 Plus I have this photo I believe to be him. It was passed down through the family and I was given a photocopy of it where someone identified him as “Herbert Redford”.

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November 14, 1872

Herbert Redford is born to Samuel Redford and Frances Wright Travis in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He is their second child and second son.

October 7, 1874

Herbert‘s first sister, Sarah Elizabeth Redford is born in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

September 30, 1877

Herbert‘s little brother Samuel dies shortly after he was born.

Note: Index entry, need to obtain original.

April 23, 1879

Herbert‘s little sister, Lillian Redford is born.

June 1880

Herbert is 7 years old living in East Orange, New Jersey. He is going to school with his older brother William.  His dad is working as a hat manufacturer, which is a trade that was passed down from Frances Travis-Redford‘s family.

samuelredford1880

March 20, 1894

Herbert marries my 2nd great grandmother Sarah (Sadie) Ann Sutcliffe (daughter of Paul Sutcliffe and Mary S. Senior) in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Herbert lists his occupation as Hatter, continuing the occupation to the fourth generation through his mother’s family. Both Herbert and Sadie were 21 at the time of their marriage.

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October 29, 1894

My great grandfather, Clifford Herbert Redford is born in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Note: Index entry, need to obtain original.

1895

New Jersey took a census in 1895. Herbert, Sadie, and Clifford are living in Bloomfield with Herbert’s parents and siblings.

samuelredford1895

September 28, 1897

Herbert‘s father Samuel dies in Bloomfield, New Jersey. His age is about 54, I do not currently have his birth record or know where it is.

Note: Index entry, need to obtain original.

December 18, 1897

Herbert and Sadie‘s second child Howard Redford is born in Orange, New Jersey.

April 13, 1899

Herbert and Sadie‘s first daughter, Edith Redford, is born in West Orange, New Jersey.

June 1900

The United States Census rolls around again. Herbert and Sadie are now living on Whittley Avenue in West Orange. They own their home but have a mortgage. His sister Sarah Redford-Tinston and her husband are living with the family.

herbertredford1900

June 1905

Herbert is enumerated in Essex County, New Jersey in the State Census. He is living with his wife Sadie and their three children. Also living in the house is Herbert‘s brother William and William’s son Harry Redford, age 10. Herbert‘s mother Frances Travis-Redford is also living in the household. They own their home but have a mortgage on it.

Note: I will have to go to the State Archives to see the actual census. All I have online is an index. 🙂

August 29, 1906

Herbert and Sadie‘s fourth child, Lillian Elizabeth Redford, is born.

April 1910

Herbert is working as a hat finisher. He has been married for 17 years and they have 4 total children now, with all still living.  His brother William is still living with him and is also working at a hat factory. William’s son is now living in Los Angeles, California with his aunt Sarah Redford-Tinston. Herbert’s mother Frances is now living with her daughter Lillian Redford-Stemmle. They live at 16 Gist Place, Orange, New Jersey and they pay rent.

herbertredford1910

1912

According to a 1912 Orange, New Jersey city directory, Frances Travis-Redford (wid of Samuel), removes to Los Angeles, California.

September 12, 1919

Herbert fills out a World War I Draft Registration Card. There is no evidence he ever had any military service. His occupation is listed as Hatter. He is described as being short (tell me about it. haha), Medium build and he had blue eyes and brown hair. He gives his address as 16 Gist Place, Orange, New Jersey.

0288-HerbertRedford-WWI

January 1920

Herbert and Sadie are still renting their house at 16 Gist Place. He is still employed at a Hatter. Their sons Clifford (age 25) and Howard (age 22) still live at home. The youngest child, Lillian (age 13) is also living there. The household also now has a boarder named Alfred Ireland who is a machinist in a factory.

herbertredford1920

Herbert’s mother (Frances) is living in Los Angeles, California with Sarah Redford-Tinston and her husband.

August 27, 1921

Herbert‘s mother Frances dies in Los Angeles, California of chronic myocarditis. She was 80 years old. She is buried at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Los Angeles. Sarah Redford-Tinston is the informant on the record.

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1924

Note: Herbert’s wife Sadie possibly died in this year. I don’t know the place, but my current thinking is New Jersey. There is a Sadie Redford buried in Rosedale Cemetery in Orange, New Jersey. Someone took a picture of the grave for me on Find A Grave, but there is nothing on the marker to indicate this is my Sadie. The year does fit for her birth year.

April 1930

Herbert is now widowed and living as a lodger in Los Angeles, California. He is one of nine lodgers in the house of Margaret Clement. All the boarders have various types of jobs and are from lots of different places.

April 1940

Herbert and his sister Lillian Redford-Stemmle are living together at 3469 Siskiyou Street in Los Angeles, California. Lillian is listed as widowed but Herbert is listed as single. The x mark indicates Herbert is the person giving the information. Herbert states that he is a Hatter but has been unemployed for 16 weeks.. He also says he is actively seeking work.

September 11, 1940

Herbert dies in Los Angeles, California at the age of 67. His cause of death was chronic myocardial degeneration due to Coronary Artery Sclerosis. The Informant on his death certificate is his daughter Lillian Redford-Swiggart. (Whom I previously thought went missing.) He was buried at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Los Angeles and a kind Find a Grave volunteer fulfilled a photo request for me. 🙂

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Records to Find:

  • I want to fill the gap between 1880 and the 1890s.
  • Samuel Redford’s birth record.
  • The 1905 Census entries at the New Jersey State Archives. ( I would like to make a list of ALL people that I would like to find before I go.)

Records to Order:

  • Herbert’s birth record from the New Jersey State Archives
  • His siblings birth records from the New Jersey State Archives
  • Samuel Redford Jr’s death record from the New Jersey State Archives
  • Marriage Record for William Redford
  • Birth Records for Herbert and Sadie’s children.
  • Samuel Redford Sr’s death certificate from New Jersey State Archives.

Not a Brick Wall but a Brain Wall

Just last week, I wrote about how my thinking has changed over the 13 years I’ve researched my family history. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past two weeks watching videos and reading genealogy books. It’s very funny how much my thinking has changed over just the last few weeks. The more I learn, the more I realize that I didn’t have brick walls before but brain walls.

lightbulbmoment

The reason I say brain walls is because what used to seem insurmountable, just isn’t anymore. Things are challenging, or they test my knowledge but never does it feel like I’m stuck. Okay, George Thorward sometimes makes me feel stuck. That’s only because I need to get access to more records or learn more about something. It feels like something finally switched in my head. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m analyzing the data better or because I’m becoming more knowledgeable about how to do things. I don’t have a college educated background in research and things, so I didn’t start with all this knowledge on how to write-up reports or do huge research projects. I’m just trying to learn the best I can. Really that’s all any of us can do I guess.

Have you ever had something just click in your head? I’m sorry for all the rambling posts lately, I am just being very contemplative as I get ready for my Genealogy Do-Over.

Credit: Lightbulb image is a free stock photo.