Mystery Monday - a BIRTH - a new Life

Today is all about me now..........  yes this is my day!! 

JUNE 30 Alliance, Stark County, Ohio USA 

                                    Sandra Lee GARDNER (Aberle-Benward)- that's me!!!

                                                    ......................................................
Alliance Review Newspaper:  birth announcement read:

BIRTHS:
Mr & Mrs John Patterson Gardner Jr, 2214 South Linden Ave daughter born Sunday morning
                                                  ......................................................
                     

Simple and sweet and there you have it, I was introduced to the world or at least to the City of Alliance. My dad (John Patterson GARDNER Jr) just got out of the US Army and actually so did my mother (Mary Jane LITTLE). They came home to Alliance and moved in with my dad parents (John Patterson Sr & Margaret BRANFIELD GARDNER) while looking for a place of their own. My parents contracted to have a new home build but unfortunately it was not finished before my mom brought me home from the hospital. So we all continued to live with my grandparents till the house was finished. So my grandparents home at 2214 South Linden Ave was my first home. Soon after the new house was complete and we moved in to our own place....... my second home.

Soon after we moved into our new home, my dad decided to go back into the Army, and my journey as an Army brat begins with moving every 2 years- first to Germany, more Germany, & even more Germany, El Paso, Texas, and then San Francisco California. Fast forward many years later in 1969 married and going back to Germany as an adult as an Air Force wife and then back to Sacramento, California in 1972 as a very pregnant Air Force wife, 1976 another beautiful son, divorce, remarried ............. and lived happily ever after.

Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday 
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to Me..............

AND sooooooo many many more!!!!

Workday Wednesday - Start of the Korean War 1950

25 June 1950 -North Korea invades South Korea with 135,000 men, initiating the Korean War.
26 June 1950- Destroyers USS Mansfield and USS De Haven help evacuate 700 Americans and friendly foreign nationals from Inchon, South Korea. 
29 June 1950- 33 officers and men of Detachment X of the 507th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion deploy from Japan to protect Suwon Airfield. They are the first U S ground troops in Korea
27 July 1953 - The United States, North Korea and China sign an armistice, which ends the war but fails to bring about a permanent peace. To date The Republic of Korea (South) and Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (North) have not signed a peace treaty
5 August -  23 December 1953 - Operation Big Switch (POW Exchange)
           want more details of the Korean War

My dad, Captain John P GARDNER Jr, was stationed in Korea but not during the war years. I am actually thankful for that. He was stationed there in the early 1960's running the Officer's Club..... wonder what strings he had to pull to get that job?........  might as well enjoy yourself while serving. 

Korean War Memorial in Washington DC

If you ever have a chance to visit, DO, it is amazing.

 From one side you can see all the faces of the soldiers and straight on you see the names of the soldiers.

Images are from Google Images.....  History of Korean War from Wikipedia and Timeline of Korean War Events 

Matrilineal Monday- Finding those Women through DNA???

I am starting in a new arena with family research.......  using the results and matches from DNA tests to build and expand my family tree. But I am told, and told very loudly & clearly, that you must use the DNA results along with your paper trail of your research too. The two go hand in hand, not used separately. 

 So it begins........  through FamilyTreeDNA I have already had my brother, and my youngest son YDNA tested. Also, I myself had a full mtDNA sequence test. At the Southern California Jamboree this month I opened a test kit for myself for the Family Finder in FamilyTreeDNA (so waiting for those results)

I purchased a FamilyTreeDNA FamilyFinder for my mother and another kit for my second cousin on my mothers side. My moms test has been done and sent back but I am hand carrying my cousin's test to her next month. (so just waiting now)

I also purchased an Autosomal DNA kit from AncestryDNA. (waiting for results). In my mind, the Autosomal test from AncestryDNA is similar to the Family Finder test at FamilyTreeDNA. Unlike FamilyTreeDNA testing which is a check swab, AncestryDNA requires a spit sample. Not as easy as you may think. 

I have also purchased a DNA test kit from 23andMe. They do not attend conferences so I went to their website and ordered the kit directly. It is another spit test. YUK! Give me a check swab anyday......  and it will 2-4 weeks for the kit to be received and confirmed that they have received it and another 2-4 weeks for the results. I appreciate the fine work that they have to do for the results but what takes so long getting it back to the lab when it only took two days to mail the kit to me. Just anxious for results and to compare them to the others from Ancestry and FamilyTreeDNA. I know compare is not the right words but to see what matches I will have and see if any are duplicated in the other tests.

Yes this is the year of DNA......  a very big learning curve too. 

I am thinking I am pretty well covered with my maternal side with the tests taken so far. (and my paternal side too)

Now just waiting........ waiting ....... waiting.........

Those Places Thursday - Homes from the Past

Great Grandparents on my Fathers Side 

I thought it would be interesting to show off the homes of Harry B and Elizabeth (DIETZ) GARDNER's family. These addresses were taken from the Allegheny/Pittsburgh City Directories (CD)Allegheny, Pennsylvania and the Alliance, Stark Co., Ohio City Directories and the US Census Records (CR)  Allegheny, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania and Alliance & Canton, Stark Co., Ohio

CD-  1885 & 1886  120 Washington Ace and 47 1/2  Washington Ave, Allegheny, Allegheny, PA-  neither homes is there, it is an industrial area now. Street name Washington renamed in the early 1900's to Columbus Ave.



CD- 1892 276 Franklin, Allegheny, Allegheny, PA -  the street has been renumbered and I don't know which home it would be
                                                                                                                                                                 

CD & CR-
1894 till at least 1900
934 Morrison Ave, Allegheny, Allegheny, PA

This house was very interesting and sad too. It is one of only a very few home left on this street. It looks like it would fall down on its own any time. Although it is made from solid bricks.

There is a family living there when we visited  2001.





This home is up on a mountain way way up on the top of a hill. The   picture below is the view that they have from this home...........

CD - 1904 36 W Ely St Alliance, Stark Co.,  Ohio......... AND as you can see it is no longer there, nothing is there but an empty lot.......

CD & CR - 1906-08-10-13-16-18 -  291 W Broadway, Alliance, Stark Co., Ohio (street was renumbered at some point because it was listed as 292 W Broadway)  This was a large family home that they lived in for over 12 years raising their family








CR 1920-  2850 Mahoning Rd NE Canton, Stark Co., Ohio...... Harry's mother Jane lived with them at this time. She passes away in 1926. I did not take a picture - the entire block was gone, nothing to see. Too sad.



BELOW: CR 1930- 2615 Harmont Ave NE, Canton, Stark Co., Ohio - difficult to get a clear picture of home because so many shrubs and trees in the front area............ It is a two story home with a large front porch made of brick. Harry passes away in 1936 but Elizabeth lives on with her children in Alliance and Wooster, Ohio till 1951.

I wonder if there is somewhere in Pittsburgh/Allegheny PA and Alliance & Canton Ohio that you can see pictures of the various houses taken at a certain time frame & some history of that particular area.  Only thinking this because in Sacramento we have The Center for Sacramento History - and it has all types of artifacts including the pictures, maps & history's of a lot of the homes in this area.........

Anyone out there know of such a place or places, Please let me know. Thank You  in advance.

Tombstone Tuesday - Those Precious Stones

Second Great Grandmother 

JANE (SMITH) GARDNER 

and 

her first born son and his wife 

Harry B and Elizabeth (DIETZ) GARDNER

Alliance City Cemetery

Alliance, Stark Co., Ohio

Not really sure what happened to the actual picture of Jane's stone but it is right in line with her son [and my Great Grandparents] Harry B and Elizabeth (DIETZ) GARDNER

(please excuse the post-it in place of Jane's stone)

NOTE to self: I need to find out where both of her husbands are buried, when did they die, how did they die? Why isn't one of them buried with her? 

 First husband, George GARDNER is not mentioned in her obituary and neither is her second husband John DOUGLASS. What happened to them? 

Sentimental Sunday - Happy Father's Day to ALL Father's & Soon to Be Daddy's

                  

 HAPPY FATHER'S DAY 

to all Fathers 

and especially my own  

John Patterson GARDNER Jr.

taken about 1942 National Guard, Snow Camp- Wisconsin

1917-2006 

Alliance, Stark Co., Ohio -- Roseville, Placer Co., California

I love you, think of you and miss you every day 

.

Father's Day Celebration 

for my Dad- John Patterson GARDNER Jr, 

my hubby Charles David BENWARD (bearded one) and

 my first born son, Michael John ABERLE (standing with black shirt)   

my Dad's 88th Birthday Celebration 

August 2005

........and now in 2014 we also celebrate Father's Day  

with my youngest son Jason Gardner ABERLE (kneeling with white shirt)

"all exceptional men, & good patient loving fathers"

.........and in a more carefree time (1948)

Miss Sandra Lee GARDNER playing in the water with her daddy John Patterson GARDNER Jr

Thankful Thursday - Thankful for City Directories

     OK Jamboree is over and back to business on my family tree........ but what a great break!

While visiting Alliance, Stark Co., Ohio in the early 2000's I was able to spend a couple of days at the Rodman Public Library. They have a really great genealogy area/section with mainly local information........  and in this case IT IS GREAT! My home town...............

They have a great collection of Alliance City Directories and I spent a couple of days going through each directory.
I never found my second great Grandparents listed at all - George and Jane (SMITH) GARDNER.
So the first to show up is my Great Grandparents Harry & Elizabeth [DIETZ] GARDNER and most of their children. I wish I had spent more time looking at the different parts of the directories for ads, business section and other information. Just so overwhelmed at this point - so much to look through and very little time. Don't know when I will ever get back again, but I am hoping.

Alliance City Directories   Stark County, OHIO
1876- 77 nothing
1899-1900 nothing
1902 - no book available
1904 - Gardner, Geo, RR firman res: 36 W Ely St ----------- Granduncle NOT 2ndGGfather
                           Harry (Elizabeth) road forman endines PennCo res: 36 W Ely ST
                           Nettie - telephone operator res: 36 W Ely St
                           John - clerks Wm E Davis & Co res: 36 W Ely St
                                William E Davis & Co .. prop (Dry Goods Store & Carpets)
                                  526 E Main St (Grandpa Gardner worked here)
1906 - Gardner, Geo (Stella) brakeman Penna Co res: 125 E Prospect St
                           Harry B (Elizabeth) wks Penna Co, res: 292 W Broadway
                           John, yard clerk, Penna Co res: 292 W Broadway
                            Miss Nettie, tel opr Penna Central, res: 292 W Broadway
1908- Gardner,  Caroline, res: 292 Broadway
                           GB (Stella) condr PFW &CRR res: 125 E Prospect
                            Harry, student, res: 292 W Broadway
                            HB (Elizabeth) road forman PFW &CRR res: 292 W Broadway
                            John, clerk Penna Co res: 292 W Broadway
                            Margaret, stenographer, All Mach Cores res: 292 W Broadway
            Hartzell   Edgar (Nettie) machinist, res: 668 S Liberty Ave
1910- Gardner,  Caroline, clerks, Woolworth Store, res: 291 W Broadway
                           Geo G (Stella) conductor, PFW & CRR res: 125 E Prospect
                           Harry, wks Am Steel Fds, res: 291 W Broadway
                            HB (Elizabeth) road foreman Penna Co resL 291 W Broadway
                            John wks office Penna Co res: 291 W Broadway
             Hartzell   Ed (Nettie) machinist ME Co res: 924 S Senica
1911- Gardners page is missing from directory
            Hartzell  Ed (Nettie) machinist ME Co res: 924 S Seneca
1913- Gardner, Mr fireman, Penna Co res: 249 S Liberty Ave
                         Harry, apprentice machinist, Reans $ W res: 291 W Broadway
                         HB (Elizabeth) Penna RR supt, res: 291 W Broadway
                         JP (Margaret) wks Penna Co. res: 283 W Broadway
1916-  Gardner HB (Elizabeth) road foreman, PA lines res: 291 W Broadway
                          Harry, die sinker, T-W Co res: 291 W Broadway
                          JP (Margaret) clerk PA yd office res: 293 W Broadway
1918- Gardner  George- US Army res: 291 W Broadway
                          HB (Elizabeth) road foreman, Penna C res: 291 W Broadway
                           HB jr (Clara) die sinder, Transue & W res: 767 S Lincoln
                          JP (Margaret) yardmaster, Penn C res: 283 W Broadway
          Hartzell   Edgar M (Nettie) machinist foreman ME Co res: 1391 S Liberty

Harry B & Elizabeth GARDNER - NOT LISTED AFTER 1918   
The 1920 & 1930 US Census show them living in Canton, Stark Co., Ohio.  I would want to check the Canton, Ohio City Directories after this point- I am hoping that some of these things are online 

OMG, at this moment AT THIS VERY MOMENT it just dawned on me that I did not know about the second marriage of Jane GARDNER to John DOUGLASS while I was at the Rodman Library so I would not have looked into the 'D' section for her. DRAT!!! Now my curiosity is peeked.

I do want to google the addresses they were all living at and see what is still there...... if anything!

After this point all the listings include their children, and grandchildren & great grandchildren. 

continued:  Alliance City Directories   Stark County, OHIO
1920- Gardner  JP (Margaret) gen yd master Penna Co res: 409 E Oxford
                         Geo (Stella) mill wright ME Co res: 641 S McKinley
                          HB (Clara) Painters Conf, res: 170 E Main St
           Hartzell  Edward (Nettie) machine foreman ME Co res 867 Rockhill
1923- Gardner Harry B Jr (Clara) foreman ME Co res: 470 W Columbia
                         John P (Margaret) gen yd master Penna RR res:867 Rockhill
           Hartzell  Ed (Nettie) wks ME Co res: 2242 S Linden
1925-26 Gardner, John P (Margaret) yardmaster, Penna Co res: 2214 S Linden
              Hartzell, Edgar M (Nettie) forman ME Co res: 2242 S Linden
1927-28 Gardner, John P (Margaret) yard master Penna Co res: 2214 S Linden
              Hartzell,  Edgar M (Nettie) machine foreman ME Co res: 2242 S Linden
1930- Gardner, John (Margaret) yardmaster Penna res: 2214 S Linden
           Hartzell,  Edgar M (Nettie) machinist ME Co res: 2242 S Linden
1931-32 Gardner, John P (Margaret) yard master, Penna Co res: 2214 S Linden
                              John P Jr, student high school res: 2214 S Linden
              Hartzell,  EM (Nettie) machinist ME Co, res: 2242 S Linden
1938- Gardner, Mrs Elizabath res: 2242 S Linden
                          John P (Margaret) yardmaster Penna C res: 2214 S Linden
                          John P jr student res: 2214 S Linden
                          Vancil R student high school res 2214 S Linden
            Hartzell, Edgar M (Nettie) die maker res: 2242 S Linden
1939-40-Gardner, John P (Margaret E) (H) yardmstr Penna RR H: 2214 S Linden
                                      #2967
                              John P jr res 2214 S Linden #2967
                              Vancil R (Flora E) 1- carp hlpr, Penna RR H: 847 S Freedom
1944- Gardner, John P (Margt) 1- (H) yd mstr Penn RR H: 2214 S Linden #2967
                          John P Jr (Mary) USA - H: 2214 S Linden #2967
1946- Gardner, John P (Marget E) 1 H yd mstr H; 2214 S Linden T-2967
                          John P Jr (Mary J) H drftsmn Alliance Mfg Co, H: 1411 Parkway Blvd
                          Lois A wtrs Haupts Village Restr H: 2214 S Linden
NOTE: Haupts Village Restaurant (FF Haupt) 1290 W State (Herest) #4177
            Haupts Village market (FF Haupt) 1220 W State (Herest) #6255
1948- Gardner, John P (Margt) H yd mstr Penn RR H: 2214 S Linden T: 2967
           Seidner, Lois A (Mrs Richd) ofc McCaskey Red Co H: 1335 S Arch
                         Richard (Lois A) (United Rug Clng Sev) H: 1335 S Arch
1950- Gardner, John P (Margt E) (H) yd mstr Penn RR H: 2214 S Linden #2967
          SEIDNER'S FLOWERS INC - CW Seidners, Pres & Gen'r Mgr/
                     WC Seidner, Sec/Trea Adele Miller, bkpr Morrison Theatre Bldg #7122
1961- Gardner, Larry L help Peroz res: 543 E High #TA-3-3428
                          Vancil R (Flora E) 2 (H) firemn Penn RR H: 543 E High TA-3-3428
          SEIDNER'S FLOWERS INC - WC Seidner, Pres & Gen'l Mgr
                         H: 333 E Marget #TA-3-7122
---------------------------------------------------------------

I know this goes well beyond the second great grandparents and my great grandparents life's but it is very interesting to me to see who pops up, where they are, what they are doing, who they are living with, or next door too. Who still lives in Alliance in the early 1960's knowing that none of them live there now.