My sis and I recently visited the Button Museum, a collection housed in the Mattatuck Museum in downtown Waterbury, Connecticut. Unexpectedly, we discovered a bit of family history there.
Adventures in genealogy . . . learning new methodology, finding out about ancestors, and connecting with cousins! On Twitter as @MarianBWood, on Mastodon as @MarianBWood@genealysis.social
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Friday, March 22, 2024
Family History at the Button Museum
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Book Review: "Valiant Women"
Andrews has written a very engaging, informative history of "the extraordinary American servicewomen who helped win World War II," who resumed their civilian lives with a sense of satisfaction but little or no public acknowledgement of their indispensable roles in the military. As the author notes, women in uniform were part of the "Greatest Generation" yet their WWII roles are often overlooked.
Rocky road to women's service
The book's main focus is the sometimes rocky road to establishing US military women's programs, recruiting women with the right skills, and putting them in the right places to support the US war effort. The US Army was the first of the armed forces to create a women's service, going all out to attract the best and most skilled women--which it did, with thousands and thousands applying to enlist. On the other hand, Andrews shows how the leaders of the US Marines were much less enthusiastic about a women's program, although they ultimately went along with the idea.
The story behind each service's approach to women in the military is fascinating. The author has a knack for putting a lot into a few words and holding the reader's interest throughout. And she does a superb job of sketching historical and military context without slowing down the story, which gets pretty lively.
Quotes add personality
The personal memories and experiences of female veterans, based on author interviews, bring to life the social and bureaucratic obstacles they had to overcome in order to serve their country. From the historical record and from their own words quoted in the book, it's clear that women in uniform strove to do their very best at any and every assignment, from pilots and stenographers and mail sorters to translators and chemists and map-makers. Andrews deftly captures the essence of their experiences, both the ups and the downs, whether the women served stateside or overseas.
My aunt, WAC Sgt. Dorothy Schwartz, was an expert stenographer, one of the top in her unit. I can see echoes and confirmations of her experiences in Valiant Women. In the book, a WAVE thinks back to her wartime assignment, creating oceanographic maps for the US military. "I confess I was terrified at all of the complications," she admits, knowing how essential the charts were to Allied commanders. My aunt felt similarly as she transcribed orders for bomber crews: many lives were at stake, so her transcriptions had to be accurate as well as speedy. It was a huge responsibility, and what she did made a difference every day.
Honoring Capt. Stratton
The final section in Valiant Women examines how women's WWII service led the way for women to become part of the regular armed forces and military reserves in the post-war era. Andrews ends with the commissioning of the US Coast Guard Cutter named for a veteran, Captain Dorothy Stratton, who headed women's Coast Guard services in WWII. Capt. Stratton gave the program its name, SPARS, drawing on the Coast Guard's slogan, "Semper Paratus--Always Ready."
Highly recommended: Valiant Women by Lena Andrews.
Monday, November 6, 2023
The WWII Veteran Who Enlisted at Age 45
This week's #52Ancestors genealogy prompt, by Amy Johnson Crow, is war and peace.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Yearbook Photos of Ancestors Who Served in the Military
This is a combination post for Memorial Day 2022 and for this week's #52Ancestors prompt of "yearbook," honoring two ancestors who served during World War II.
My Aunt, the WWII WAC
My aunt, Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001), served overseas as a US Army WAC in World War II.
Dorothy and her twin sister Daisy Schwartz (my Mom, 1919-1981) graduated from James Monroe High School in the Bronx, New York, in January of 1936.
This was the same south Bronx high school attended by their older brother Frederick (see below).
When World War II broke out, Auntie Dorothy was attending Hunter College in Manhattan.She enlisted in the Women's Army Corps on September 11, 1942, and later was promoted to become Sgt. Schwartz (see photo at right).
Dorothy was awarded the Bronze Star for "meritorious service in direct support of operations against the enemy." Back in civilian life, she finished college, went to work, then returned to school for education courses and became a high school teacher.
My Uncle, the WWII Army Teacher
My uncle, Frederick Schwartz (1912-1991), graduated from James Monroe High School in the Bronx, New York, in June of 1928. He was only 16.By the time Uncle Fred was drafted into the US Army on Nov 10, 1943, he was teaching at Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He was also married with a baby just a few months old.
Following basic training, much of Fred's three years in the US Army was devoted to teaching. At the end of the war, he held classes teaching soldiers how to navigate the Army system to receive benefits and apply skills to civilian life.
I dedicate this post to my aunt and uncle, with affection and gratitude for their service.
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Saving Family Letters for Future Generations
I have dozens of letters and a few postcards written to one of her nieces, dating from the early 1980s and continuing until shortly before her death nearly 20 years later.
"Auntie" wrote of life after retiring from her teaching career, about her travels, about being in touch with relatives, about her health, and more.
I found some really interesting family history tidbits in her letters. Did Dorothy's grandpa Moritz Farkas (1867-1936) play favorites? Dorothy says Moritz's oldest daughter was his favorite--even though another of Moritz's daughters insisted she was always the favorite. And that's just one example.
Put a sleeve on it
Yesterday I finished carefully unfolding and inserting each letter into a clear archival resealable sleeve, sliding the envelope in the back of each sleeve, to keep everything safe for the future. (This was long after I had removed staples, clips, and rubber bands.)
The letters, flat and straight in their sleeves, will be organized chronologically. Some don't have years, just day and month at top of the letter, and a few have no envelopes with postmarks. I'll have to "guess" the year based on what each undated letter says. At some point, I'll scan the letters but for now, I want to smooth them out and keep them safe.
Next step: For easy storage, I like to box things up.
Box things up
My favorite storage method is the archival box. As shown above, I buy boxes with metal corners so they can be stacked 6 high without giving way. Boxes come in a variety of sizes to fit nearly every kind of genealogical item that can lay flat, such as a document or a photo or an album or even a Bible.
I use my trusty label maker to add a descriptive label on the short side and the long side of each box, so I can read the contents no matter which side faces out.
As soon as I finish arranging my aunt's letters, that box will join the rest of the archival boxes of documents and photos in my home office--including the box above, containing letters written home during World War II by service members in my Farkas family tree.
Transcribe for accessibility
I've previously transcribed the WWII letters and sent copies of the letters and transcriptions to my cousins, the children and grandchildren of those service members. Years ago, I transcribed letters written to my mother during the late 1940s, when she met and was courted by my father. Other letters still await transcription.
Meanwhile, the letters are safely stored and will go to designated genealogy heirs when I join my ancestors someday.
--
For more about organizing, curating, and preserving family history for the sake of future generations and future researchers, please take a look at my concise, affordable book, Planning a Future for Your Family's Past, available on Amazon, at the American Ancestors book store/catalog, and at the Newberry Library book store.
Monday, May 31, 2021
Memorial Day 2021: Hubby's Ancestors Who Served
Sadly, a few members of my husband's family tree died during their wartime military service. I've been memorialized them on my trees and on other genealogy sites. Now, for Memorial Day, let me pay honor to those who died by listing them individually:
- Isaac Larimer Work (hubby's 1c4r) - died in U.S. Civil War, served in 74th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
- John Wright Work (hubby's 1c3r) - died in U.S. Civil War, served in74th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
- Arthur Henry Slatter (hubby's 1c2r) - died in WWI, served in Middlesex Regiment and Labour Corps
- Arthur Albert Slatter (hubby's 1c1r) - died in WWI, served in Royal Fusiliers, 20th Battalion
I also want to remember the service of hubby's ancestors who were in the military and then returned to civilian life, with respect and appreciation:
War of 1812, American side
- Daniel Denning (hubby's 3d great-uncle) - Mounted Infantry, Ohio Militia
- Isaac M. Larimer (hubby's 4th g-grandfather) - Capt. George Saunderson's Company
- John Larimer (hubby's 3d great-grandfather) - 90 days service, No. Ohio
- Robert Larimer (hubby's 4th great-uncle) - Hull's Division
- Elihu Wood Jr. (hubby's 3d great-uncle) - Sgt. F. Pope's Guard, Mass. Volunteer Militia
- Ira Caldwell (hubby's 1c3r) - 84th Indiana Infantry
- George H. Handy (hubby's 1c2r) - 4th Massachusetts Infantry
- Harvey H. Larimer (hubby's 1c3r) - 151st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
- Isaac Newtown Larimer (hubby's 1c4r) - 35th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
- Jacob Wright Larimer (hubby's 1c3r) - 151st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
- James Elmer Larimer (hubby's 1c4r) - 17th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry
- John Wright Larimer (hubby's 1c3r) - 17th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry
- John N. McClure (hubby's 2d great-uncle) - 89th Indiana Infantry
- Train Caldwell McClure (hubby's 2d great-uncle) - 89th Indiana Infantry
- Hugh Rinehart (hubby's 2d great-uncle) - 15th Ohio Infantry
- Benjamin Franklin Steiner (hubby's 2d great-uncle) - 10th Ohio Cavalry
- Samuel D. Steiner (hubby's 2d great-uncle) - 8th Ohio Infantry
- Lemuel C. Wood, Sr. (hubby's 3d great-uncle) - Commander of the USS Daylight, Union Navy
- Lemuel C. Wood, Jr. (hubby's 1c3r) - 3d Massachusetts Infantry
- Robert Crooke Wood, Sr. (hubby's 4c4r) - Asst. Surgeon General, Union Army
- Thomas F. Wood (hubby's 1c2r) - 3d Massachusetts Infantry
- John Taylor Wood (hubby's 4c5r) - Confederate Navy
- Robert Crooke Wood Jr. (hubby's 4c5r) - Mississippi Cavalry Regiment
- Dr. Thomas Fanning Wood (hubby's 6c3r) - 18th No. Carolina Infantry, 3d No. Carolina Infantry
- Albert James Slatter (hubby's 1c1r) - 3d Canadian Battalion, CEF
- Albert Matthew Slatter (hubby's 1c1r) - 134th Battalion, CEF
- Albert William Slatter (hubby's great uncle) - 1st Depot Battalion
- Ernest Slatter (hubby's 1c1r) - Royal Flying Corps/RAF
- Frederick William Slatter (hubby's 1c1r) - 75th Battalion
- John Daniel Slatter (hubby's great-uncle) - 48th Highlanders of Toronto
- Joseph Miles Bradford (hubby's 2c1r) - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Albert Lloyd Forde (hubby's 2c1r) - U.S. Army
- Harold McClure Forde (hubby's 2c1r) - U.S. Army HQ European Theater of Command
- Albert Henry Harvey (hubby's 2c) - U.S. Army
- John Albert Slatter (hubby's 2c) - U.S. Army
- John Hutson Slatter (hubby's 2c) - Canadian military
It is a privilege to honor these ancestors on Memorial Day weekend, 2021.
--
This week's #52Ancestors prompt is "military."
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Memorial Day 2021: My Ancestors Who Served
Although Memorial Day is traditionally for honoring military members who died in war, none of my ancestors died during their service in WWI or WWII.
A couple were wounded and many came back profoundly changed, however.
My maternal and paternal roots stretch back to Eastern Europe, where all four of my immigrant grandparents (and some of their children) were born.
By the time World War I broke out, a number of my immigrant ancestors and a few of their descendants and in-laws were eligible to serve in the U.S. military.
During World War II, my Dad, two uncles, one aunt, many cousins, and many in-laws served in the U.S. military. I was surprised that the family was represented in every branch of the armed forces--Army, Navy, Air Corps, and Marines!
Remembering Ancestors' Military Service
For some time, I've been blogging about many of these ancestors and posting a few sentences about their military service (or even longer bios) on genealogy sites--or at least a flag or flower on grave memorials.
With affection and pride, I want to honor the military service of these ancestors in my family tree who served in the U.S. armed forces:
World War I
- Julius Farkas (my great uncle) - U.S. Army
- Peter Farkas (my great uncle) - U.S. Army
- Louis Volk (my great uncle) - U.S. Army
- Frank Maurice Morris Jacob (my 1c2r) - U.S. Marines
- Joseph A. Markell (my great uncle) - U.S. Navy
- Milton Grossman (my great uncle) - NY National Guard
- Albert Farkas (my great uncle) - U.S. Army
- Morris Pitler (my great uncle) - U.S. Army
- Harold Burk (my Dad) - U.S. Army Signal Corps
- Sidney Burk (my uncle) - U.S. Army Air Force
- Frederick Shaw (my uncle) - U.S. Army
- Dorothy Schwartz (my aunt) - Women's Army Corps (WAC)
- George Farkas (my 1c1r) - U.S. Army Air Corps
- Robert Farkas (my 1c1r) - U.S. Army Medical Corps
- Myron E. Volk (my 1c1r) - U.S. Navy
- David Philip Smith (my 1c1r) - National Guard, 8th Regiment
- Harvey Smith (my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- Jules Smith (my 1c1r) - U.S. Marine Corps
- Harry S. Pitler (my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- Ronald J. Lenney (my 1c1r) - U.S. Army (post-war occupation)
- Arthur M. Berkman (spouse of my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- Murray Berkman (spouse of my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- George W. Rosen (spouse of my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- Abraham Ezrati (spouse of my 1c1r) - U.S. Army Air Corps
- Bill Kobler (spouse of my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- Arnold D. Rosen (spouse of my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- Burton S. Wirtschafter (my 1c1r) - U.S. Army
- Robert S. Whitelaw (cousin-in-law) - U.S. Marines
Thursday, May 7, 2020
V-E Day for Farkas Family Members in the Service
My 1C1R Robert Farkas in the 303d Medical Battn of 78th Infantry Division, U.S. Army |
This tree group had been formed in 1933 to maintain the close relationships among children and grandchildren of my immigrant ancestors, Moritz Farkas (1857-1936) and Lena Kunstler Farkas (1865-1938).
The "tree" met ten times a year, bringing together dozens of family members from around the New York City area.
During World War II, the highlight of every monthly meeting was when the group listened to the reading of letters written home by Farkas relatives serving in the military. Emotions ran high as the family hoped for the safe return home of all service members.
My aunt, Sgt. Dorothy Schwartz, served as a WAC in WWII |
I'm highlighting in yellow the quoted excerpts from the minutes of June, 1945 to distinguish them from my explanations.
Sgt. Dorothy Schwartz - Bronze Star Medalist
"Dorothy, now in Belgium, seems to have had quite a riotous time on V-E Day." - This sentence refers to my Auntie, Sgt. Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001), who was a WAC serving in Europe. She was in an important administrative support role for the 9th Air Force, and by the time of V-E Day, had been moved from France to Belgium as battles were fought and won. Alas, I don't have Dorothy's letter describing her "riotous time" but I am so glad to know that she celebrated.
"Dorothy was awarded the Bronze Star Medal." - In fact, my aunt's citation read: For "meritorious service in direct support of operations against the enemy." During 17 months of bombardment leading up to V-E Day, she took shorthand listening in as commanders discussed when and where to bomb the enemy. Her key role was to quickly and accurately transcribe the bombing orders so they could be distributed to flight commanders right away. She was always cognizant that lives were on the line, and she took her responsibilities very seriously, according to her letters home.
Technician 4th Class Robert Farkas - Three Battle Stars
"Regional censorship being lifted in the ETO [European Theater of Operations], Bob wrote what he could about where he is and it wasn't much even though a 3d party was not reading the letters." - Robert "Bob" Farkas (1924-2014) had enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 18 and was part of the medical corps. After training, he was sent to England, France, Belgium, and Germany to provide care for wounded service members.
"Bob has three battle stars." - He served in B Company, 303d medical battalion of the 78th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, and I believe I spotted him in this photo of the 303d. He's smiling in the next-to-back row, 6th from the right. Bob was one of the most prolific of the letter-writers, sending home frequent descriptions of what he was doing and seeing during training and all over Europe. He wrote that he learned more from the aftermath of the first combat experience in Europe than he did from all of his previous training.
Let me salute all the servicepeople who participated in the Allied war effort leading up to V-E Day.
This is my post for week 19 of Amy Johnson Crow's #52Ancestors genealogy prompts - service.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
WorldCat Search Tip: Author and Title
Searching WorldCat
Off to WorldCat to search, I entered her name as author. I quickly discovered that a library not far away had a copy in the reference department. My librarian arranged an inter-library loan! I photographed key pages that are not in good condition in my personal copy, and returned the book with a thank-you to my library and another thank-you to the other library.
However, if I had searched using the title of the book, as well as the author, WorldCat would have shown me the above results. Notice the arrow, pointing to the ebook available with a single click?!
Yes, WorldCat included HathiTrust Digital Library in its search results, and there, for all the world to read (and/or download), is my aunt's History of the WAC Detachment, 9th Air Division, Sept 1942-Sept 1945. Professionally digitized and in great condition. Here's a link to the book.
Today's Search Tip
So today's tip is: remember to search WorldCat by author and title. Even if you know the author, as I did, be sure to search by title to see slightly different search results, including ebooks that may not pop up in an author-only search.
* These WAC histories were written and privately printed, paid for by members of the WAC detachments who chose to order a copy--in advance. My aunt purchased several copies, for family and for her good friend in the British intelligence service, a woman she met during her harrowing trans-Atlantic crossing in the midst of German sub threats.
Monday, November 5, 2018
The Genealogist as Indexer-in-Chief
My maternal grandmother Hermina Farkas Schwartz was the oldest daughter of the 11 children of Lena Kunstler Farkas (1865-1938) and Moritz Farkas (1857-1936). As the Farkas children grew up, married, and had children of their own, they formed the Farkas Family Tree to keep the family close-knit. Members met up to 10 times a year (taking summers off because relatives scattered to the beach or other cooler places outside the New York City metro area).
Five years ago, my 1st cousin once removed lent me his bound books of family tree minutes from 1933 through 1964 to scan, collate, and index. I included a "who's who" of the 11 Farkas children, their spouses, and their children.
However, the bound books didn't have all the months from 1940 to 1944, a dramatic period in the family's life because of WWII. Earlier this year, my 2d cousin kindly provided the 1940-44 minutes, saved by his mother for decades. Now that we have 600-plus pages of monthly minutes to read and enjoy, a detailed index is even more important. That's my specialty!
As shown at top, I like to start with a legal pad and pen, listing the names by hand along the left as each one appears in the minutes. Then I jot down the month and year when each name is mentioned in the minutes, such as 9/40 or 11/42.
Later, I type up the index alphabetically by surname and expand the dates a bit so they can be read at a glance. A typical entry in the final index would be:
Farkas, Peter Feb 1940, March 1940, Oct 1940, Dec 1940 . . .
To make it easy for later generations, I list married women by their married surnames AND include an entry for their maiden names, with the notation "see ___[married name]." Here's why: Younger relatives, in particular, may not know an ancestor's maiden name, but they will recognize the ancestor's married name. (I don't list dates twice, only next to the married name). The goal is to make the index as intuitive and reader-friendly as possible.
- If I know the person's exact relationship, I include it. My listing for Roth, Bela indicates that his first wife was Lena Kunstler Farkas's sister. He was known as Bela "Bacsi" or "Uncle Bela" by Lena's children.
- If I don't know the exact relationship, I say what I do know. My listing for Hartfield, Jenny notes that her maiden name was Mandel and she was always referred to as a cousin, possibly related through the Kunstler family.
PS: Cousins, the full index will be completed soon!
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Saving WWII Letters for the Next Generation
The letter-writers were the American-born grandchildren of Leni Kunstler Farkas (1865-1938) and Moritz Farkas (1857-1936). Leni and Moritz, my great-grandparents, were born in Hungary and came to New York City at the turn of the 20th century. Their children (my grandma and her generation) formed the Farkas Family Tree (the FFT) association during the Depression to keep the family close-knit.
One by one, as these grandchildren of the matriarch and patriarch joined the military in the 1940s, they wrote letters to be read out loud during the family tree's monthly meetings. In all, five men and one woman wrote home about their WWII experiences. They were dedicated, patriotic, and often quite candid about their military experiences.
Above, a letter from my mother's first cousin Harry, who trained as an X-ray technician after enlisting in the Army in 1943. He was stationed at Camp Grant (Rockford, IL), Lawson General Hospital (Atlanta, GA), Fort Lewis (Tacoma, WA), and Fort Jackson (Columbia, SC), among other places.
While being shipped cross-country every few months for additional training, Harry wrote about wanting to finally, finally work with patients, which he eventually did. After the war, he went to medical school, set up a practice in a small town, and was sorely missed when he passed away at age 89.
My aunt Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001) enlisted as a WAAC in 1942. She was keenly aware of what she was and wasn't permitted to say in her letters, describing where she was stationed without actually naming the place or revealing other details. In the letter above, she reassures her family by mentioning the beautiful countryside in England (no town mentioned) and gives the latest news about a WAAC controversy over wearing "overseas hats" when out and about.
At the same time, my aunt didn't mince words when expressing her outrage about German prisoners of war being allowed to stand and watch while U.S. servicewomen handled jobs like cleaning mess halls that could and should have been performed by the POWs. She was also realistic about the dim prospects for an early peace in Europe, from her vantage point of being the administrative support for military officials.
On this Memorial Day weekend, I salute my cousins and all the men and women who have defended our country over the years. This military post is for week 21 of #52Ancestors.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
War Memorial Honor Roll Project: Woodbury, Connecticut
This year, I'm paying tribute to the service of men and women from Woodbury, Connecticut. The neat little town green is the setting for plaques honoring those who served during three wars.
At top, the memorial that honors those from Woodbury, CT who served in Vietnam. Their names, as inscribed above, are:
Alba, Louis G. Anderson, Mark E. Bacon, William Jr.
Barry, Kevin G. Benjamin, John D. Brown, Edward C.
Brown, Thomas M. Brownell, Thomas D. Burmeister, Richard R.
Cacy, Thomas E. Carroll, Peter J. Cassidy, Brian J.
Castings, Walter J. Churchill, James H. Cole, Arthur R.
Cole, Donald E. Connelly, Joseph F. Coppola, Andrew F.
Creighton, David B. Curtiss, Alan C. Daury, James P.
Eyre, Harry D., Jr. Eyre, Stephen B. Faraci, William S.
Garrick, Edmund J. Geraci, Joe L. Geraci, Richard J.
Green, Kenneth G. Hoffman, Theodore A. Hollister, Gordon E.
Hotchkiss, Berkeley W. Hoxley, Martin D. Huff, Harold C.
Jasper, Carl S. Jefferson, David W. Jensen, Linda S.
Jones, K. Nickerson Jones, Steven W. Judson, David P.
Judson, Donald H. Judson, Ronald P. Kelleher, Robert D.
Koeppel, Robert A. Leavenworth, Jeffrey M. Leigh, David F.
Lonegan, Daniel P. Marquis, Gene D. Maxwell, Barry W.
Maxwell, Philip D. Neal, Harris G. Neal, Leslie R.
Newell, Charles R. Newell, Edward W. Newell, Wales A.
Norton, Frank L. Peck, Hiram W. Pond, J. Lawrence
Quint, Donald P. Quint, Michael G. Rehkamp, George M.
Rehkamp, Ronald D. Richards, Donald W. Roberts, Dennis A.
Rogers, Christopher C. Rowell, James P. Ryan, Robert F.
Scherer, Celester C. Scherer, Martin A. Seymour, Terry R.
Shanny, David E. Taff, Frederick S. Talarico, Thomas J.
White, John F. Winus, Richard J. Woodward, Charles S.
Woodward, Lawrence S. Woodward, Thomas M.
Nearby is the plaque paying tribute to the men and women of Woodbury, CT, who were in the Korean War. Their names are:
Abbott, Frank K. Clark, John E.
Cole, Norman F. Cole, Walter H.
Cowles, Robert B. Creighton, E. Donald
Deschino, John J. Drakeley, George M.
Fawcett, Edward F. Hardisty, Chester C.
Hellwinkle, Ronald F. Judson, Melvin P.
Metcalf, Fred L. Phillips, Edward W.
Rehkamp, Dr. Charles J. Robinson, Kenneth L.
Robinson, Richard H. Terrell, Donald W.
Warner, Thomas H.
The plaque above is one of two honoring people from Woodbury, CT who served during World War II. This is A through N, with an asterick denoting those who were killed in action.
On this plaque are listed:
Abbott, H. Ellsworth Atwood, Gilbert Atwood, Henry S.
Atwood, Kenneth Balch, George F. Barnes, Randall C.
Bassett, George G. Bassett, Harold E. Beauregard, Howard F.
Belz, Mary E. (nurse) Bennett, Sherwood Bergensten, L.J.
Bowker, Ruth N. (nurse) Bradley, Kenneth A. Brown, Charles E.
Brunet, Richard D. Brunet, William M. Bull, David
Burdick, Elward C. Burdick, Harold Burton, William J. Jr. *
Bynack, Joseph G. Cable, George Cable, Louis D.
Carlisle, David Cassidy, J. Donald Cassidy, Joseph J.
Cassidy, Marjorie E. (WAC) Cassidy, Paul F. Chatfield, Robert E.
Churchill, Howard Coats, John E. Coey, Albert L.
Cole, Ferris E. Cole, Francis P. Cooper, Ralph E.
Cooper, Earl D. Cooper, James R. Cowles, Paul G.
Crane, Robert T. Crighton, David B. Cunningham, Harold W.
Daury, Vincent P. Davidson, James H. Dawson, John
Dawson, Richard Decker, E. Norton, Jr. Decker, Robert S.
Dillon, James * Dillon, Richard Drake, Arthur W.
Drakeley, Robert I., Jr. Duda, Casimir J. * Duda, Peter A.
Dyer, Carroll L. Elting, Charles E. Elting, Stewart E.
Eyre, Alfred G. Eyre, Harry D. Eyre, Stanley B.
Ferrell, John W. Fegen, Charles W. * . Fleming, William P.
Fray, Ralph Fray, Robert Frazier, Charlotte (nurse)
Freeman, Arthur Gardiner, Shirley B. Giggey, Kempton L.
Gillis, Carter E. (chaplain) Goodrich, Ruth H. Graham, Leslie W. *
Green, Ernest H. Green, George A. Green, Robert
Griswold, Hobart W. Hahn, William A., Jr. Harriman, Charles S. Jr.
Harriman, Ellen Hirsch, Arthur Z. Hirsch, Charles E.
Hirsch, Clifford B. Hogan, Michael J. Hohimer, Ernest
Hower, William D. Johnson, Clifford M. Judson, Donald F.
Kalesky, John C. * Karagulla, Selim M. Kenny, John *
King, Arthur C. King, Charles W. Klatka, Catherine (nurse)
Knox, Delmar A. Koch, Edgar M. Kozenieski, Lloyd M.
Laukaitis, Anthony Lavery, James Leach, John
Leesemann, Frederick W. Lewis, Warren Lizauskas, Stanley
Lundin, David J. Lundin, Frank G. Lucas, Frances A.
Lyon, Frank C. Lyon, James G. Macbeth, S. Alexander
MacCallum, John * Mansfield, Paul H. Manzi, Edward J.
Manzi, Roland Manzi, Vincent D. Markham, Fred. A. Jr.
Markham, Hurlburt A. Markle, Raymond D. MD Martinson, William F.
Marvin, Everett D., Jr. Mason, Howard F.R. Jr. May, Russell C.
Michaels, Richard W. Miller, Robert E. Miller, Vincent A.
Minor, Emerson * Minor, Lewis R. Morgan, Addis W.
Morgan, Henry Morris, Hobart D. Morris, Vernon H.
Mosevage, Anthony J. Mosevage, George W. Munson, Richard S.
Munson, William L., Jr Murphy, Franklin Nichols, Joel L.
Nutting, Parker B.
The WWII plaque honoring those who served from Woodbury, with surnames P through Z, lists the following servicemen and servicewomen:
Pagano, Anthony Pastore, William E. Pearson, James E.
Pearson, Robert R. Peck, Hiram W., Jr. Petruzzi, Marco
Petruzzi, Michael Phelan, Robert L. Phillips, John M.
Phillips, Thomas J. Pinard, Alton H. Platt, Alfred H.
Pond, Sebastian L. Quint, Carmen G. (nurse) Quint, Carleton L.
Quint, Donald H. * Quint, Franklin E. Racenet, Amelie H. (nurse)
Racenet, J. Ernest Reichenbach, Frank (MD) * Reichenbach, Herbert I.
Rice, Roy E. Richards, David K. Richards, James H. Jr.
Richards, Robert K. Richardson, Phillip E. Riese, Frederick K.
Robinson, Walter A. Savage, David W. Schmidt, Clifford
Scott, Joseph M. Sears, Richard A. Sharp, Charles M.
Shaw, Raymond W. Sherwood, Albert C. Sherwood, Charles C.
Shippee, Harold E. Slattery, Frances P. Slattery, James J.
Smith, Allen G. Smith, Carleton E. Smith, Edward
Smith, Robert G. Smith, Walter E. Snyder, Melvin L.
Somers, Harold Starr, Robert F. Stevens, Fannie P. (Marines)
Stockwell, Charles Strattman, Dwight Strever, Charles W.
Sturges, Edward B. Sturges, George R. Sweeney, Bernard J. *
Sweeney, Lawrence W. Talarico, Joseph Talarico, Louis
Talarico, Thomas Taylor, Raymond Thomas, Ferris F.
Thompson, David Thompson, Louise J. (WAVE) Titus, Howard
Tomlinson, James H. Towne, Ernest H. Jr. Travers, Sherwood W.
Underwood, H. Gilbert Underwood, Homer R. Voytershark, Frank P.
Walcott, C. James Wallace, Raymond D. * Walston, Harvey D.
Weeden, Willis M. Weeks, Carnes, Jr. Weeks, Robert
Westerlund, Charles H. Westerlund, Harry F. Weymer, Russell W.
Wilson, Herbert R. Wilson, Robert L. Wolcott, George
Wooden, Paul M. Yurkunas, Kasimir
Farrell, John J.
McConville, Marion
Weeks, Carnes
Cam, John H.
Coe, Albert B.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
History Gets Personal in Family History
I'm struck by this again and again as I transcribe letters written by Farkas cousins to the family tree association during WWII. These cousins were in the service (some in the US Army, some in Army Air Corps, some in Navy, some in WAC) and their letters home are filled with observations that bring history alive and illuminate how the war experiences affected them personally. The letters also reveal personality and, often, a dry sense of humor.
Above, the letterhead from a cousin's letter written in January, 1943. Notice the words running along the ribbon at bottom of the image--"Prepare for Combat."
Cousin G enlisted to fly but he couldn't land the way the Army Air Force wanted, he wrote home in a 1942 letter. At that point, he chose to train as a navigator/bombardier.
In this 1943 letter, written from an Army Air Field in Monroe, LA, cousin G is "waiting around for shipment to Advanced [training] which will be in Coral Gables, Florida." He mentions that the school is run by Pan-American (Airways) and he has to satisfy a tougher standard. Why does he care which school he attends?
"The main reason I decided upon the Gables was that most of the navigation is over water and from what I hear that is pretty important when you have to pick an island out of the whole Pacific."Cousin G understands that he has a role to play in history and takes it seriously, even when his letters make the family smile. His role in history affects his family history too, and I'm proud to document what he wrote to the family during these critical years. Plus I'm learning more about historical details as I add explanatory endnotes to the letters, ensuring that future generations will get the full picture of our family's contributions to and experiences in World War II.
Monday, March 19, 2018
Letters Home from My Aunt, the WAAC
Sgt. Schwartz |
But Auntie Dorothy (as we always called her) never expected to be away from home for nearly three years. As World War II wore on, she felt pangs of separation from her parents, siblings, aunts/uncles, and many first cousins in the Farkas Family Tree.
Transcribing the wartime letters Dorothy wrote to the tree while in the service (see a sample V-Mail above), I learned that she loved her time stationed near London. She wrote home often about the historic places, beautiful landscape, and opportunities to meet people from other nations.
In fact, her January, 1944 letter written to her sister (living in the Bronx apartment building shown at left) states that celebrating the new year in England was a high point!
Yet Dorothy was acutely aware of what she was missing each month when the Farkas Family Tree gathered for its regular meetings and enjoyed holiday meals together.
Her letters mention being homesick a couple of times. Although family members apparently wrote optimistic letters about the war ending soon, Dorothy's answers indicate her realism, saying she didn't expect a quick end (no specifics, the censors were reading along).
Dorothy also made it clear that she felt remarkably "at home" in London, with its big-city atmosphere, subways, and theater--all familiar from her civilian life as an apartment-dweller in New York City.
This citified "Old Homestead" post is #13 of the 2018 #52Ancestors challenge by Amy Johnson Crow.
NOTE: Most of Dorothy's letters were handwritten, but those written at the end of 1943 and during 1944 were microfilmed and shrunk into the V-Mail format. To transcribe, I first had to photograph them and blow them on my screen, then print the enlargements so I could read them as I typed. Totally worth it! More soon on my plans for a Farkas Family Tree World War II letters booklet.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Found: Farkas Family WWII Letters
Once a cousin kindly let me borrow the meeting minutes and annual historian's reports, I scanned all 500 pages. Then I indexed and identified each person as a relative/in-law (by relationship) or as a family friend. Indexing helped me solve several family mysteries!
However, the World War II meeting notes were mostly missing, as were letters written by family members who were in the service during the war. Five years I've tried to find these missing documents, with no luck. I feared they were lost forever.
Until a lucky break last month. I reconnected with a 2d cousin, who mentioned his search for some of the minutes and records I'd scanned. And lo and behold, he has in his possession the missing family-tree minutes and letters from the war years!
We swapped. Now I'm scanning (and indexing) all the new-found minutes and letters from the 1940s. At top, the title page of the scrapbook he lent me. At right, a letter written by my Auntie Dorothy Schwartz exactly 75 years ago this month--when she was a WAC in training, prior to being posted overseas for World War II service.
Lucky, lucky me to be able to assemble a complete set of minutes and letters for the Farkas Family Tree and keep them safe for the next generation (and beyond).
Thanks to Elizabeth O'Neal for the Genealogy Blog Party prompt "As luck would have it" for March.
*One of Mom's first cousins had bound books of meeting minutes and documents and when he and I got together for the first time in decades, and I began to ask him about the family, he casually mentioned having those books. I then volunteered to scan and produce a spiral-bound book. He thought it would take me years. It took less than 3 months, including indexing, because another cousin volunteered to retype anything that was illegible. So remember: Always reach out to cousins and let them know of your interest in anything even vaguely related to family history!
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Saluting the Veterans in Our Family Trees
Let me begin with my husband's Slatter family in Canada. Above, second from left is Capt. John Daniel Slatter of the 48th Highlanders in Toronto. He was my hubby's great uncle, an older brother to hubby's Grandma Mary Slatter Wood, and he was a world-famous bandmaster in his time.
At far left of the photo is Capt. Slatter's son, Lt. Frederick William Slatter, who fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge during WWI. Third from left is John Hutson Slatter, grandson of Capt. Slatter, who enlisted in the Canadian military in the spring of 1940 for service in WWII. At far right is another of Capt. Slatter's sons, Lt. Albert Matthew Slatter, who served in Canada's No. 4 Company of 15th Battalion and then in the 48th Highlanders of Toronto. (Albert was the father of John Hutson Slatter.)
Grandma Mary Slatter Wood had two other distinguished bandmaster brothers active in the Canadian military early in the 1900s: Henry Arthur Slatter (who served in the 72d Seaforth Highlanders of Vancouver) and Albert William Slatter (who served in the 7th London Fusiliers of Ontario).
In my family tree, a number of folks served in World War II. Above, 2d from left in front row is my father, Harold D. Burk, who was in the US Army Signal Corps in Europe. His brother, Sidney Burk, also served during WWII, stationed in Hawaii. And I've recently written a lot about my aunt, Dorothy Schwartz, who was a WAC and received the Bronze Star for her service in Europe. My uncle, Dorothy's brother Fred, was in Europe serving with the Army, as well.
Meanwhile, my mother, Daisy Schwartz, was busy selling war bonds in NYC and corresponding with maybe a dozen GIs to keep their spirits up. When Mom wrote the historian's report for the Farkas Family Tree association at the end of 1943, she reflected the entire family's feelings about their relatives fighting for freedom.
For the coming year, the earnest hope of all is that 1944 will find the Axis vanquished and our boys home. All that is unrelated to the war effort must be sublimated to the present struggle to which some in our group have pledged their lives. The rest of us pledge our aid. The Allies will be victorious--God is on our side!
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Genealogy, Free or Fee: Ask an Archivist!
In a recent entry, I told how I discovered that a letter written by my Aunt Dorothy H. Schwartz (1919-2001) was included in With Love, Jane, a compilation of correspondence from WWII servicewomen edited by Alma Lutz.
As shown in the table of contents at right, Sgt. Schwartz's letter was on p. 104, one of more than a dozen contributed by "Indispensable WACS."
My aunt's letter began with the salutation: "Dear ____" and had a vague date ("1943").
Who, I wondered, was my Auntie writing to? And when did she actually write the letter that wound up being printed?
I did an online search to find out more about Alma Lutz, and learned that her literary notes and other papers were in the archives of her alma mater, Vassar.
You know what I did next, right? I picked up the phone and called the archives, leaving word about my request for more information about the author's contact with my aunt.
An hour later, I had a return call from the archives! They were delighted to do a quick search for materials from my aunt. And an hour after that, I received an email from the archivist, attaching the pdfs of two V-mail letters from my aunt to Alma Lutz. (Thank you, wonderful archivist! No lengthy wait, no fee.)
You can see the second of the letters to Alma Lutz at top, in which my aunt claims not to remember who she was writing to, not even the approximate date of that letter.
As the archivist said in his email to me: "So, while I can't solve the mystery of 'Dear Blank,' I hope that I can at least provide a little context for its inclusion in the final volume."
The V-mails did indeed give me more background about my aunt and her wartime activities. Now you know why I suggest that researchers go ahead and "ask an archivist."
NOTE: For more "Free or Fee" tips for genealogy, please see my special page here.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Family History Month: Sgt. Schwartz, "The Woman Behind the Man Behind the Gun"
Excerpt from my aunt's published letter in With Love, Jane by Alma Lutz |
Auntie Dorothy's letter was one of several dozen included in With Love, Jane, a compilation edited by Alma Lutz, a "leader in the fight for woman suffrage and equal rights" (quoting Vassar College's biographical note).
Happily for me, the interlibrary loan system enabled me to put my hands on a copy of this 199-page book, published in 1945.
Carefully turning the pages, because the binding is a little wobbly after 72 years, I read my aunt's thoughts about being in the Army during WWII and her pride at being "the woman behind the man behind the gun."
Here an excerpt from the first half of Sgt. Dorothy H. Schwartz's letter as printed in Alma Lutz's volume. And to borrow my aunt's words--you're darn right I'm proud!
Dear ___,
It is close to 0400, Army time; in anybody's time, when life is at its lowest ebb. I'm not writing because I'm unable to sleep. I'm writing during a pause in my work, for my shift is from midnight to 0730, and I'm writing because of a real desire to talk to you. This is the only way it can be done, for we are thousands of miles apart and I can't call you over the phone and hear your low, clear voice reaching me across the miles . . . But I can see you so well in your letters, I know you can read into these lines my own facial expressions, my movements, my very tones, and that you will understand full well what I am trying to say.
I don't know what it is like outside since I came on duty, for my job is to stick at this desk no matter what happens and not leave it. But probably it is deep, dark night with heavy, low clouds, and the thick mist which obscured everything more than a foot away is burdening the earth. You can believe everything you read or see in the movies about English mist and fog and rain--none of it can be exaggerated. It isn't always like this. I guess I've seen every kind of weather at every hour of the day or night by this time, and England would be beautiful to me whatever the weather.
England! Even now, when the initial excitement has long since passed off, when we have been here long enough to have settled down completely--even now, I say, to use "England" as a return address is still startling at times. And how I revel in this piece of fortune! To be able to visualize myself finally and easily as the woman behind the man behind the gun--could any dream come true be more satisfying? You're darn right I'm proud.