Monday, April 30, 2018

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter E is for East Dunkirk or Oostduinkerke!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter E is for East Dunkirk (Loones)!
We are looking at this part of Belgium
Credit
When we zoom in we are talking about this part of the red part above (also called West Flanders). 
Credit
East Dunkirk can be translated to Duinkerke and then in the 13th century it had the beginning added to what is now called Oostduinkerke.  Oostduinkerke is a place in West Flanders, Belgium.  My great grandfather on my mother’s side comes from the West Flanders region.

I have a 2nd cousin 2x removed cousin that’s known for living there. How?
I've made this chart up in 2017 which shows how we're connected. She's a grandchild of Honrore.
Copyright Jo Ann Fitzgerald.
You can also see more here

Honoré Loones became an hotelier in a place called the Grand Hotel Gauquié or Hotel Gauquié in Oostduinkerke. Then in 1942 he became the mayor of Oostduinkerke, Belgium. The hotel was demolished in 2001 and another building was put in its place.
Part of the Gauquie Hotel before it was torn down in 2001.
Credit

Anyhow, after World War 2, he was succeeded for Mayor. He was then called to justify actions he did and ended up imprisoned. It was supposed to be for one year. However he was let go after two years and if that wasn’t enough, his civil rights were taken away for 20 years. This made sure he could no longer fulfill his political role.
The outside of Gauquie Hotel.
Credit from Loones Blog

As if the political party doing this would stop our family. During the 1952 elections, his wife, Rosette Dewitte, conquered the seats needed and was appointed Mayor – the same position her husband had been in 10 years earlier. She was also the first female Mayor for the area. She held this office until 1964 when she became the new mayor’s private secretary.

Then in 1964, he listed himself in the race for mayor and was Mayor once again where he served for 2 more terms. Then this area merged with others in 1977. Twenty years later Loones was then given the title of bad mayor for some reason. It’s thought with him leaving political life, it was the end of the war era for the area.

Honore died in 1981. Rosa Dewitte died in 2011.
Rosa Dewitte
Credit from Loones Blog

Honore is also the founder of the National Fisheries Museum or Vrienden Nationaal Visserijmuseum Oostduinkerke.
The Plaque they put on the Museum.
Credit.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter D is for Denmark!



In 2017 there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter D is for Denmark!

My mother’s grandmother, Annie Larsen, came from Alrup,or Aarup, Denmark. I’m still trying to research this bit of family history.
You can see where it is on this map along with how far away it is from Stockholm.
Credit
I do know when she was a child whom she lived with her parents, siblings, and her grandmother. Within ten years, she and her brother were servants on a farm in Alrup.

The red lined box above is what I believe is my great grandmother Annie/Ana Larsen.
Credit - www,danishfamilysearch.com
She set off to come to the US from Denmark to Southampton, England. Then in October 24, 1892 she arrived in the US. Somehow on April 25, 1896 she had met and married Jules Gauquie in St Paul Minnesota.


My great grandparent's marriage certificate in 1896 in Minnesota.
Credit: Familysearch
(Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949 database with images - Image 270)
The came back to New York where Jules first rented, then mortgaged before becoming an owner of a dairy farm. They both worked the farm while raising their children. 
Part of the land deed of Jules and Annie.
Credit: Familysearch.org

They had one child die in 1911 at 5 ½ years old by drowning on one of the lakes. Then one of their daughters, Mary came down with polio with the epidemic that happened around this time.
Many people don't realize women also worked the lands and helped with animals.
1917 30th Jan - Mrs Gauquie Cow Milking Accident - Middletown Daily Times
By 1924, Annie’s father, Paul Larsen, was deceased and this was written on her naturalized paperwork for US citizenship.

Annie's Naturalization for the US in 1924.
Credit: Orange County Register, Goshen NY
In 1933, Annie dies due to pneumonia. The story is her daughters were worried about it being so cold and her not having a coat when she worked outside. They went and bought her a coat, but only got to wear it once or twice before she came down sick and was put into the St Luke’s Hospital in Newburgh where she died.


Annie's headstone at St Mary's Church, Blooming Grove, NY
Credit Find a Grave

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter C is for Catholic!


In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter C is for Catholic!

As I’ve stated before, I’m an original. I can go back many generations on both sides of my family and have found for at least 300 years on my maternal side and 200 on my paternal side we have been in the Catholic religion. In fact, more than that, we’ve been Roman Catholic.

Both of my parents made communion. In fact, when they were growing up their parents would go several times a week to church. 

My generation only went so far as to get baptized. As far as I know, none of us actually made communion. I know I haven’t. In fact my baptized paperwork was destroyed with my baby book back just before I got married when we had a house fire.

A picture of my father in the 1940s after his communion.
Copyright Jo Ann Fitzgerald.

My niece with her son at his communion in 2010.
Copyright Jessica Chase.
The Decon with my niece's son at his communion in 2010.
Copyright Jessica Chase.
I know at least one of my niece’s children made communion at the local Catholic Church, so the link is still there even though we don’t go to church at all.

Where myself and siblings were baptized. My Uncle and Grandmother's final services were held here too.
Credit for picture
The last time I had gone was when my Uncle passed away and my brother was worried the whole time about the building crashing down on us and then he panicked when they gave offering and didn’t know what to do. It was a memorable day as I had him panicking, my husband not really knowing what to do as he's never been baptized or practiced, it was about 90 degrees F and I was on fertility medication and was having hot flashes along with feeling like I was going to faint. Like I said, memorable.
My Uncle's final resting place in Newburgh.
Credit Jo Ann Fitzgerald.