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Showing posts from April, 2025

52 Ancestors: Institutionalized: The Tragic Story of Jay "Jaybird" Roe

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Some relatives leave behind stories of triumph and success. Others, like my 2x great grand uncle Jay "Jaybird" Roe, leave stories that reflect the harsh realities of a different era – stories that remind us how far we've come in understanding and treating medical conditions, yet how far we still have to go. Born around 1900 in Kansas, Jay first appears in the 1910 census as a 7-year-old boy living with his father Jerry Rae in Otoe, Noble County, Oklahoma. The family, though they attempted to claim Native American heritage on census records, were actually Romani Travelers. Like many nomadic peoples throughout history, they faced prejudice and struggled to find acceptance in mainstream American society. Jay's life would be marked by his epilepsy – a condition deeply misunderstood in early 20th century America. During the 1920s and 1930s, epilepsy was heavily stigmatized and often conflated with mental illness or intellectual disability, even though many people with ep...

Weekly Newsletter: My 4 AM Writing Ritual

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  Beep. Beep. Beep. No, that's not my alarm clock—I rarely need one anymore. The persistent ache in my hip or back and my insistent bladder nudge me awake as the bedroom clock glows 4:02 AM. I surrender to the inevitable, sliding my feet to the floor and stretching away the stiffness. Outside, the world remains still and dark, but inside my mind, characters and plot lines already begin to stir. The coffee maker gurgles in the kitchen as I collect dog bowls, fill them up and let the dogs in for their morning meal. Steam rises from my mug, a simple pleasure that signals the start of my sacred hours. After grabbing my protein shake, I settle into my favorite spot by the bay window, laptop warming my legs. From this perch, I watch darkness slowly retreat from Switzer Mountain. The first birds appear at the feeder—chickadees today, flitting back and forth in the growing light. Yesterday's writing session for "His Greatest Regret" ended with my protagonist facing a difficul...

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Scott line DNA Research

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I have been trying to break through many lines for many years, including my Scott line. Out of curiosity, I was looking through my ancestor DNA connections, and I saw something promising for the first time in my matches. So come along with me as I give you a front-seat view of how I think through my DNA research. What I Know The screenshot above shows all of the lines that descend from Emily Lutitia Scott. Most of these descendants I knew before we even started doing DNA, so the research back to my 3x great-grandmother Emily is pretty solid. We have all been in search of her paternal grandparents. Many of us have researched many Scotts in Missouri, Kansas, and Indiana. We knew George had lived in Missouri and Kansas, and he was born in Indiana, but no matter how many Scotts I researched, I never could find one with a son named George that fit my George. Fast forward to today, and out of curiosity, I was looking through my mom's matches by ancestor and scrolled down to her 5th gre...

Juggling History, Writing, and Seedlings

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  As some of you may see starting at the very top of this weeks newsletter there are a great many changes going on. I thought why the heck not reinvent my business, join the Daughters of the American Revolution and go into overdrive with that, take on some genealogy research for a couple young ladies, potentially future DAR's, and continue writing all at the same time. Oh and don't forget I'm still not retired, so I work full time too. Sure why not. I got this! Actually, believe it or not with today's technology, calendaring, scheduling social media, Ai assistance, and all the other fun technology out there, I really do have this, but yes I do have moments where I hear the words my grandfather once said, "Be careful what you ask for. It just might come true." But of course he didn't have a crystal ball to see all the fun stuff I could use to help me do it all. So here is a little of what is going on and some of it is for you my dear readers. The Great Rebr...

The Lanterns Still Shine: Commemorating 250 Years Since Paul Revere's Midnight Ride

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  April 18, 2025 Today marks exactly 250 years since an American silversmith mounted his horse and galloped through the Massachusetts countryside on a mission that would change the course of history. On this night in 1775, Paul Revere embarked on his famous "midnight ride," carrying urgent news that British troops were on the move. Two lanterns hung in Boston's Old North Church tower, signaling the approach of British forces by sea, and setting in motion events that would spark the American Revolution. The Man Behind the Legend Before he became an American icon, Paul Revere was a skilled craftsman and businessman. Born in Boston's North End on January 1, 1735, Revere learned silversmithing from his father, a French Huguenot immigrant who had anglicized his name from Apollos Rivoire. After his father's death in 1754, Revere took over the family silver shop, producing everything from elegant tea sets to shoe buckles. But Revere was more than just a silversmith....