Year of Firsts: Christmas & Dad's Birthday🎄

     One of the hardest days I was not looking forward to has come and gone. To be honest, it wasn't as gut-wrenching as I expected it to be. It was hard, don't get me wrong. But we made the days special and didn't dwell on the fact that dad wasn't physically with us. He was with us in spirit for sure.
    To start off, Mom and I visited Dad at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery a few days before Christmas. We knew it was going to be insane on Christmas day and we didn't want to deal with crowds. Every year, Jefferson Barracks puts out the wreaths that they have available on many headstones in the cemetery. Unfortunately, they do not have enough wreaths for the whole cemetery what with people being added every day. I wasn't aware of this or we would have made a donation sooner. So next year, Mom and I are going to make a donation to help out. If you are interested in making a donation to help Jefferson Barracks put wreaths on every headstone in their cemetery, go to their website here: Wreaths Across America.
    I warned Mom that it was possible dad would not have a wreath on his headstone. But when we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised. Dad DID have a wreath. It was beautiful. We had also brought some decorations to add to his headstone. Mom had a birthday card that she sealed up in plastic, I had purchased some silk poinsettias because dad loved those at Christmas, and I also printed and laminated the Fuchs Family Christmas Poem that has been passed down for years started with Great-Grandma Louise Strawhun.

Before we decorated

Dad and I after decorating

Mom said she just wanted to hug the headstone
We didn't leave the mat; it was just used for us to kneel on
and for decoration, while we were there

After decorating

As you can see, not everyone has a wreath

    

Fuchs Family Christmas Poem
Unknown Author
Put out by American Greeting Cards

    Mom and I were the only ones who went to the cemetery that day. And I'm glad about it. I needed some more time to grieve. After we left Jefferson Barracks, we also visited my Grandma & Grandpa Fuchs and Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa Strawhun at Oak Hill Cemetery. There was already a beautiful grave covering laid out at both burial plots. They were featured on my video, Grave Decorating with the Fuchs Family.
    For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, mom stayed the night with us. She was so excited to just be getting out of the house for a few nights. I think it was this fact that made the days a little easier to handle. We were with each other and supported each other. Mom brought a picture of Dad for us to put out so he could be there with us to celebrate.
    Christmas morning we made pancakes like we always do and then proceeded to open presents. We had Sancia's friend and her sister with us for Christmas so they got to join in on the festivities. Teddy was placed under the tree as that was his favorite place to be during the Christmas holidays. His presence was also missed greatly. 

Teddy's ashes under the tree

    After presents, we watched the Muppet Christmas Carol and then we decorated gingerbread houses. This was what the teens were most excited for. I went crazy getting all kinds of treats for them to use. I think this is going to be a tradition that we will continue as everyone had so much fun. We decorated a Minion Gingerbread house one year for mom and while Dad wasn't into this type of stuff, he did enjoy sitting with us and chatting.

Gingerbread Village

    After we finished this activity, it was time to head to Santa's Magical Kingdom; a light display put up in Jellystone Park in Allenton, Missouri right next to Six Flags. This display was perfect because all we had to do was drive through. And it actuallly wasn't too packed, which suprised me. 

Santa's Magical Kingdom

    That concluded our Christmas celebrations. I think it helped that we kept busy for most of the day. Although there was one moment where it got rough and that was my fault. I gave mom that Christmas Card I posted about in my last blog post. If you haven't read it, check it out here: Dad's Last Christmas Card to Mom. 

    We made it through the first Christmas and Dad's birthday. Also the first Christmas without Teddy. They always hung out together when Mom and Dad would come over. Oh he loved Grandma for sure. But he would always go over to dad when he sat down and would wait for him to pet him. I do have one good photo of the two of them.

Christmas 2013

    Now that last first that we have to experience it coming up and I'm REALLY not looking forward to it. The anniversary of Dad's passing. While I've made peace with Dad being gone, there are still moments when grief rears its ugly head and crashes down on me like a wave. While I have great memories of Christmas, the memory of the last few days with Dad are rough. While I'm grateful for the time I had with him, those are days that were the hardest and I'd rather not remember. 
    I know we will still have "firsts" that will come up throughout the years. Such as the first Fuchs Christmas party without BOTH Dad and Uncle Kevin. But the first year is always the hardest to get through. I survived. We survived. It went by so fast. And while I didn't do as much as I wanted to do this Christmas, it was enough. We enjoyed each other and reflected on good times. 

    I hope you all had a good Christmas. If this was a first Christmas for you without someone, my heart goes out to you and I'm sending you a hug. I hope we can all make some good memories going forward. And here's hoping to a better year next year. Oh God please let it be better.

Merry Christmas from Auntie Jen

Dad's Last Christmas Card to Mom🎄

     There is no denying it. This is going to be the hardest Christmas of our lives thus far. Not only is it Dad's birthday, but it will be the first one without him. We've all been doing our best to get through despite the hardships we've been going through. I do have a few special items put around the house, although I wasn't able to decorate like I wanted to as I'm still recovering from the effects of Covid. I wanted to do so much this year to make it a joyful time since it is going to be hard, but I have to accept it is what it is and make the best of it. I do have some special gifts ready to give at least. One is particularly special. It's the last Christmas Card Dad bought for Mom.
    While I was working in the basement, cleaning off Dad's old desk, I came across a bag with a card and a receipt. It was a Christmas card. One that hadn't been used yet. I knew Dad had gotten it to give to Mom, but how long had this been sitting here. I inspected the receipt and it was dated 2019. Now, you may be saying that was two years ago. Yes, but last year Dad was so weak, he couldn't get out to buy mom a card for Christmas. So that makes this card the last one he ever PURCHASED for Mom for Christmas. (Listed on the receipt along with the card was some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Mom's favorite) So I knew what I had to do.

    I've held onto this card for months without breathing a word of it to Mom. I had a plan. I was going to give this card to Mom for Christmas from Dad. But I had some work to do. I had to find a card Dad had already given Mom and copy his signature, so I could print it on this card. Dad had not gotten around to signing the card. He had left it at home in 2019 when they came over here. So I was going to help him out and do what he intended to do.
    I found an old card from a few years ago that he signed and scanned in that signature. After that, I carefully printed the signature on the new card. I will say, I'm pretty impressed with the results. It looks like Dad signed the card. Then I took the old envelope from the other card and placed the new card in it. I did write a note explaining what this card was and how I came across it and put it in the envelope for Mom.

There was always a joke between them about being
the first spouse. They both were only married once
to each other.

    I know this is going to be such a hard year. I do hope this card makes Mom feel good although I know it may just make her miss him more. We are going to the cemetery tomorrow to place flowers at Dad's grave since we won't be able to make it out there on Christmas Day. Mom picked up a birthday card for Dad that she is going to leave there.
    I can't believe it's almost been a year already. The pain and emptiness will always be there, especially around Christmas, but I know Dad will always be with us. We will see if I have enough in me to write a blog post about my first Christmas without my dad. It's definitely not going to be easy. 

The Elusive Nicholas Buer (Update)

     Nicholas Buer has been my brickwall since I learned of his existence. He is my immigrant ancestors, coming from France sometime before 1858. Unfortunately, he died in 1970. Between those years, not much was known about him. Not even the death date. I wrote about this in a previous blog post. 

Read The Elusive Nicholas Buer here

    This past year, I have finally learned some more about Nicholas Buer and have talked with a family member who gave me some special items. The first piece of information that came to me, came from the most unlikely place: My Aunt Patty's binder. Let me explain.
    Years ago, Aunt Patty acquired a ton of family history information from a relative, all on flash drives. She then took the time to print out all the information, organize it, and place it in binders. Information not only goes back many generations but is also up-to-date with descendant information. The information in these binders also has the source from which the information was acquired. I have been working to digitize these binders so the information is preserved. During this process, I just happen to come across a page with information about the Buer Family.
    What's strange about this is my Buer family is on my mom's side. Aunt Patty is on my dad's side. So to find information about the Buer family in this binder was not expected. Although, there is a connection. Nicholas Buer married Sophia Spitz, who was the daughter of Florentz Spitz and Caroline Ohl. They also had another child, Caroline Spitz, who married Andreas Fuchs. So that is why the Buer family was mentioned. Sophia and Caroline were sisters.

Page from Aunt Patty's Binder

    As you can see, it states that Nicholas Buer was bitten by his own rabid dog and died of rabies. Oh, how painful that must have been! And such a tragedy. Unfortunately, there is no death date given, but only the year. Before I had narrowed it down to around 1870-1874. This information was based on the 1870 census and the fact she was married to George Kochner sometime after that. So we know he died sometime after the 1870 census was conducted in August.
    After finding this information, I was renewed with a sense of ambition to track down any possible new information that could have been up online. Since the pandemic had shut down most libraries and historical societies at the time I found this page, that's all I was left with was online research. I rechecked Ancestry and Family Search. And would you believe, I actually found some more information!
    First, on Ancestry, I found that the Missouri, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988 had been updated, but not transcribed. So I checked for Nicholas Buer's name in the index for the year 1870. Bingo!

Missouri, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988
Probate Records, 1822-1933; Index, 1869-1945; Author: Missouri.
Probate Court (Jefferson County); Probate Place: Jefferson, Missouri
Ancestry.com
Buer Nicholas Est

 
    After this, I checked Family Search for more records. Sometimes there are databases available on Family Search that are not available on Ancestry. The database I found was another probate records database dated from 1750-1988. I checked the index for the years 1869-1945 and found him listed again.

Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1988
Image 9 of 408 is the index
FamilySearch.org
Buer Nicholas

    As you can see, there were many pages associated with his estate, so I went through and downloaded each page to review. The probate records state Nicholas Buer died Intestate (no will). The date of the record is 7 Sept 1870. So he died before this date. His wife, Sophia Buer, was made administratrix (Administrator) of his estate until 17 April 1871 when George Kochner, her 2nd husband, was made Administrator of the Estate. Most of the papers were updates to the case as it was necessary. Nicholas Buer's items and real estate had to be sold in order to pay the debts left behind after his death.

    The most exciting piece of information I found through all this was the cause of death. That really was a shocking find. Looking through the probate records informed me that Notices were placed in the Jefferson County Record (a newspaper for Jefferson County, Missouri) for anyone who had any dealings with Nicholas Buer to contact Sophia Buer for the matters to be settled. It's possible more articles were shared about Nicholas Buer regarding his death. Unfortunately, this newspaper is not available online. It's only available at the Jefferson County Library headquarters, which was closed due to covid. And unless things have changed since I last visited, the newspapers are not indexed. So I will have to page through each newspaper looking for information. So that is on my To-Do list once I am able to get back to the library.
    As a long shot, I decided to check the mortality schedule for 1870. Mortality Schedules were taken for the years of the censuses. If someone had passed the year of the census, they were recorded on these schedules. Regrettably, I wouldn't find Nicholas on this schedule as it was taken in June of 1870 and Nicholas appears to have passed sometime between August and September of 1870. August from when the actual 1870 Census was conducted and September from the date of the probate record. It was worth checking through. 

    This was not all that I had acquired this past year. I was in contact with a long-lost relative on the Buer side through Ancestry.com. The descendant of Francis Buer, who was the grandson of Nicholas & Sophia Buer, shared with me some information.

"My Dad, Francis Buer, states George [Kochner] was an alcoholic and when he died Sophia took over his work building wagons (the steel parts). She was up to see my dad in South Dakota when he was born in 1919 - rode the train by herself. She 'wanted to see that little boy.' Nicholas and Sophia met on the ship from France I am told. Sophia is my Dad's grandmother. "

    But the most exciting things were yet to come. Another descendant of the Buer Family commented on some of my stuff on Ancestry and it led me to something wonderful. PHOTOS! Actual photos of Nicholas Buer and his family. I was overjoyed to find these. So thank you to Kathryn Rabe for providing me with these wonderful treasures.

Nicholas Bour (Buer)
Image from: Kathryn Rabe

Nicholas Charles Bour (Buer) & Edward Bour (Buer)
Sons of Nicholas & Sophia Buer
Image from: Kathryn Rabe

Francis Buer (Grandson of Nicholas & Sophia)
Grandma & Grandpa (possibly Nicholas Charles Buer & wife Susanna)
Image from: Kathryn Rabe

    This is why I tell people to never give up. New information is being added all the time to online trees and databases are being updated as well. Just because you can't find something right this second, it doesn't mean all hope is lost. It just means that someone hasn't opened up a binder or a box or a truck yet that might have photos you've been looking for. Or it means records that were once stored in a basement somewhere just haven't been digitized and uploaded. Give it time. 
    Obviously, this is not the end of my research on Nicholas Buer. I still have more places to look that are not online. More people to contact. We are not even close to exhausting all resources yet. But every little piece of information found is another key to unlocking more. And I'm excited to keep opening up more doors to see what's behind them. 

Keep checking back for more updates!

Christmas Songs: What's your favorite? 🎄

     It's Christmas time, so you know what that means. Yep, Christmas songs are everywhere. On the radio, in the malls and stores, and at home as well. A lot of people start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, but I'm a traditionalist. I usually wait until after Thanksgiving to enjoy everything Christmas. My dad used to make jokes about it too. I would go to their house and he would say, "Hey look Jen, we're watching a Christmas Movie in July!" I just believe in enjoying Christmas during the time it's supposed to be enjoyed so I don't get tired of it and have something to look forward to.

    Christmas music played a very important role in my life. I have so many good memories surrounded by many Christmas songs. My parents have a huge record player in their basement that they have had since the 70s. It's connected to the speakers in the ceiling, so no matter where you are in the basement, you will hear music. Dad would set up his long table for wrapping presents and checking light bulbs on the Christmas lights and we always had Christmas music playing on the record player. So when we finally moved into our house a few years ago, I told my parents I wanted a record player to play Christmas records on. Well, yeah other records as well, but mostly Christmas records. Priorities here. 

    If you are like most people, you have your favorite "go-to" Christmas songs that you have to listen to. Basically, it's not Christmas without these songs. That's how I feel about these particular songs. Some you have probably heard of, while others not so much. But these are my top 10 favorite songs that I HAVE to listen to during Christmas. To be fair, I love most Christmas songs; old and new. And I love many artists. So this list is not all-inclusive, but my top favorites. 

10. Silent Night by Anne Murray
Growing up as a kid, we always played Anne Murray's Christmas album on cassette. While there are a lot of great songs on that album, this song is definitely one of my favorites to listen to. I love this song in general really. I used to sing it to my daughter around Christmas time when she was little to help her relax. So I have a lot of great memories with this song. I now have this album in my collection on Vinyl. 

9. The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
Many people have remade this song so many times over, but my favorite version is the one by Nat King Cole. This version immediately puts me in the Christmas mood. This is one I actually do not own, so I have to rely on the radio to play it for me. One day I will own it. And if I'm lucky, on Vinyl.

8. White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Ok, come on. You have to admit, it's not Christmas without this classic. I've loved this song since I was young cause I always wanted a white Christmas. I told my mom once that if we didn't have a white Christmas, I wasn't opening up any of my presents. Well, we didn't. But, yeah, I still opened my presents. You can't get more old school than this version. This song was actually #1 on the charts in 1942, the year my dad was born. Mark finally got this album for me on Vinyl for Christmas this year (2021).

7. Strawberry Snow by Brenda Lee
Bonus points for those who actually know this song. As a kid (you are going to hear me say that a lot in this blog post) I loved this song. Strawberry was my favorite flavor, so I always thought it would be neat to wake up to Strawberry Snow. This song is on her Christmas Album, along with another very memorable song that is coming up on this list.

6. Mary's Boy Child
We had this song on a cassette years ago, but I have no clue who sang this song. It was one of my dad's favorites. There are a few artists who have sang this song, but I will share the version by Evie. I think Dad would have enjoyed this version.

5. Come On Ring Those Bells by Evie
I wasn't introduced to this song until later in life by my best friend and sister, Sarah. They grew up listening to this song. Like me, it's not Christmas until you listen to certain songs, on Vinyl. The sound of the crackles in the background of different songs just adds to the Christmas feeling. When we lived near Sarah and her family, this song was always played on Christmas. Last year (2020), she surprised me with my very own copy of this album on Vinyl. I cried I was so happy. So this song definitely evokes many happy memories.

4. Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon
This year (2021), this song is really hard to listen to but is still one of my favorites because it reminds me of my dad. My dad loved this song for a few reasons. One is the children singing in the background. Another is the subject matter. It was produced in 1971 in the midst of the Vietnam War. My dad served in Vietnam in 1969 and it was the hardest thing he ever experienced. I will never know how deep this song affected my dad, but I play it in remembrance of his service and just in his memory in general.

3. All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey
Is it really Christmas if we don't hear this? I play this for my hubby every year and even have it as my ring tone for him on my phone. We finally got this album on Vinyl a few years ago, but it's got a few problems. I find new Vinyl albums tend to have more problems than older, used Vinyl records. I used to play this CD in the car when I started driving, blasting the songs and singing really loud. Good times. 

2. Christmas in St. Louis by Randy Mayfield
Unless you live in St. Louis, you probably don't know this song. It was on the same cassette as my dad's favorite version of Mary's Boy Child. Many years ago, with the help of a friend, we were able to put that cassette on CD for my dad so it would be preserved. The tape was starting to get old and I was afraid it wouldn't work anymore. I had an idea to create a special ornament with this song a few years ago, but the idea never panned out. Before I had finalized the idea, I knew I needed the permission of the writer, Randy Mayfield, to use his song otherwise I couldn't make the ornament. So I contacted him to ask his permission or to see what I needed to do to acquire his permission. Well, I got the surprise of a lifetime when he actually called me on the phone! He even sang the song to me on the phone. I was completely star-struck. He even gave me permission as long as he got an ornament and sent me a better copy of the song. But like I said, I never got the ornament conception finalized. Maybe one day. 

Before we get to my number 1 favorite song, I wanted to give an honorable mention. Mary Did You Know by Pentatonix. This is a beautiful rendition of this song. Completely acapella. No other version in my opinion measures up to this. If you haven't heard it, I suggest you listen to it and try not to cry. 

1. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
If any of you know me, you will know this is my absolute favorite Christmas song. Ever since I was a little kid. It's definitely not Christmas without this song. Well, her whole Christmas album period. Before I got this album on Vinyl, my Mother-in-law got me a CD with all her Christmas music on it. It even had songs on it I had never heard her sing before. I loved it! Now, I have two copies of her original Christmas album on Vinyl. One belonged to my parents and the other belonged to my grandma. Oh and I listen to this album very often during Christmas on my record player.

    Well, there you have it! My top 10 favorite Christmas songs that I HAVE to listen to every year. What are your favorites? Do you own them on Vinyl? How do you prefer to listen to your Christmas music? Also, what are some Christmas songs you can't stand? Either because they play them too often or just because you don't like them. Share in the comments below.

🎄Merry Christmas!🎄

Passenger Lists - How Do We Know Which Database to Search?

     How do you find out when your ancestors came to America and how do you find the passenger list they were on? These were questions that were posed to me the other day. The easiest answer would be to search the Passenger Lists database on Ancestry to see if anything comes up. But more than likely there will be multiple entries for the name you are searching for. So how do you determine which one is the correct entry? There are a couple of places to look for clues that will help you narrow down that information and find the correct passenger list.

EMS Ship
1887
Ancestry.com
2nd Great-Grandma Pauline Kimmerle
emigrated from Germany on this ship

Census Records

The first place to check is the census records. Some censuses have more information than others, but you can always glean something from them. Here is what you can find in each census.

1880 - Place of birth for parents
If they are born from another country, that will tell you where your ancestors would have come from.

1900 - Place of birth for parents, Year of immigration to US, No. of years in US, and Naturalization
There is an actual Citizenship section on this census. The year of immigration helps narrow down the time period to look for passenger lists. Just keep in mind that this could be wrong depending on who gave the information. Check other census records to compare the dates. The Naturalization column will tell you if they are Naturalized. If they are, you can check for that paperwork. 

1900 US Federal Census
Ancestry.com

1910, 1920, 1930 - Same as 1900

1940 - Place of birth and whether the Ancestor was a citizen or not. They are from a foreign country, column 16 will have one of the following: Na, Pa, Al, Na Cit, or 4. (See my blog post about Citizenship of Foreign Born - 1940 Census)

1940 US Federal Census
Ancestry.com

1950 (Released April 2022) - Same as 1940; Be sure to check the Supplemental Questions for more information.

This is just a start. The census records will give you clues on where to look next to find immigration information and records. 

Naturalization Records

When someone wants to become a Naturalized Citizen of the United States, there are a few different stages they have to go through. Through these stages, applications are filled out and certain information is given. This information will help you find when they came to the United States, what ship they traveled on, and sometimes the name of the village they came from. To learn more about Naturalization and Immigration records, visit the National Archives Website.

Case Study: Declaration of Intention Record - Martin Hribar
When a person wants to become a Naturalized Citizen, the first application they have to fill out is called a Declaration of Intention Record, also known as First Papers. Martin Hribar is the immigrant ancestor for my friend and her family. On the 1920 Census, in Columns 13, 14, and 15, it states that Martin Hribar was Naturalized, the year he was Naturalized, and when he Immigrated.

1920 US Federal Census
Ancestry.com
Martin Hribar - Beaver Dam, Butler, Missouri

This would mean he would have filled out a Declaration of Intention Record. On this record, it lists where Martin came from when he arrived in the United States. This will lead to the ship manifest.

Declaration of Intention Record
26 April 1906
FamilySearch.org
Martin Hribar

Passport Applications

Passports were issued for foreign travel for a few different reasons and the applications that were filled out contained a plethora of information regarding the immigration of the applicant. Information such as Birthdate, the village of birth, the date of immigration, the ship name, and when they were naturalized. 

Case Study: Passport Application - George Hilke
George Hilke is my husband's 2nd Great Grand Uncle; he is the brother of my husband's 2nd Great Grandfather. In order to learn more about the family, sometimes it's necessary to research the siblings of your direct ancestors. The passport application of George Hilke provided the village the family came from along with the immigration information. The biggest piece of information on this application is the name of the ship and the date they traveled. That will lead you directly to a ship manifest.

Passport Application
6 April 1896
Ancestry.com
George Hilke

Passenger Lists

Once you have some basic information, you can search on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org for ship manifests and passenger lists. Most people think that their ancestors came through Ellis Island, and while that may be true, that's not the first port that immigrants came through. Ellis Island was in operation from 1892-1950 so if your ancestor immigrated before 1892, they would have come through Castle Garden, like my 2nd Great-Grandma Pauline Kimmerle. Castle Garden was in operation from 1855 to 1890 and was the first official Emigration Depot. This is why it's important to have narrow down the details of an ancestor's immigration, otherwise, you may be searching in a database that they will not be in. Read about where you ancestor could have possibly come through and where you would find those records here: Castle Garden or Ellis Island?

Search online databases:

Ellis Island New York Passenger Lists - Family Search.org

Family History Center Ellis Island - StatueOfLiberty.org

Castle Garden Database - CastleGarden.org

Immigration & Travel - Ancestry.com

As you can see, there are multiple options, databases, and helpful links that will lead you to possible manifests your ancestor may be listed on. The more information you can gather on an ancestor from multiple sources, the easier time you will have narrowing down the records you will need to look through. While this is not an extensive list of helpful tips, there are multiple sources online to help you. Check out some of the links below:

https://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/overview

https://stevemorse.org/ 

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/US_Immigration_Passenger_Arrival_Records

https://youtu.be/Wqk08S7SajU
Video by Connie Knox – Genealogy TV 

https://youtu.be/taDG7nTqzl0
Video by Lisa Louise Cook

https://youtu.be/mhGvWwGOh1s
Video by Connie Knox – Genealogy TV

https://youtu.be/kXNFjJ3XlKA
Passport Applications - US National Archives

I hope this information has been helpful for you. If you have any suggestions or if you have any questions, leave them in the comments below. 

Year of Firsts: Thanksgiving & Losing an Uncle

     This year has been anything but normal. Between Covid, deaths, and other circumstances, nothing has been what we thought it would be. Thanksgiving was no different. 
    We were so excited for Thanksgiving to come. We wanted to get together and have some good food and try to make some good memories. This, of course, was the first Thanksgiving since Dad had passed, but last year wasn't normal either. Dad was in the hospital for Thanksgiving last year, so we didn't get to spend it with him. 

Dad in the hospital

Day after Thanksgiving 2020

Reading his favorite section of the paper

"Let's Eat!"

Thanksgiving

Our house

2020

    Mom went to the hospital for Thanksgiving and I went the day after to bring him some leftovers. So this year, we wanted to have a good gathering around our table. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
    A week before Thanksgiving, I started feeling really crappy. Sneezing, coughing, sore throat, aches & pains, etc. I was supposed to go to Mom's to sign some papers for Dad's estate but ended up going to get tested just in case. And would you believe, I tested positive for Covid. I'd made it this long without catching the virus, but as Mark said, it was only a matter of time since the virus wasn't going away.
    Soon after, Sancia started with symptoms. You know what this means. Yep, Thanksgiving was canceled. I would have to be quarantined for 10-14 years which would put us past Thanksgiving. So once again, Thanksgiving would not be normal. Mom was so great though. She cooked a nice big meal for us and dropped it off. We had ordered 2-20lb turkeys to cook this year. One for dinner and one for my homemade turkey broth so I can make my soups for winter. Yeah, that is also delayed.
    Since Thanksgiving didn't resemble anything normal, it wasn't as hard to get through missing Dad. Obviously, we miss him. But being sick kind of distracted us. And now, Mark has also tested positive and is off work for at least a week. He will get re-tested Monday. I am still suffering from burning in my chest, but am finally starting to feel somewhat better. It's more than likely, I have what they call "Long Haul Covid" which means the symptoms will outlast the virus itself for a long time. 

    I wish I could say this was the only upsetting thing to occur at this moment. But like I said at the beginning, nothing has been normal. My Uncle Kevin has been battling Cancer again this year and we got work right after Thanksgiving they were putting him on hospice. On November 30, 2021, we lost Uncle Kevin. I'm still reeling from this. I can't even begin to process this. It hasn't even been a year since we lost Dad and now Uncle Kevin.

Read Uncle Kevin's Obituary Here

    Dad never would have been able to handle this. They were really close. Uncle Kevin would take Dad to his cancer treatments and doctor appointments. Everywhere they went, they would make people smile and laugh. Especially the nurses and cancer patients in the room. I know after Dad passed, he felt so lost. We all still do. 

Uncle Kevin & Dad

Christmas 2018

    This Thanksgiving didn't turn out like we thought it was going to, but what are you going to do? I'm still recovering along with Mark and Sancia. I don't have any energy to decorate for Christmas. I'm trying to get my tree up, but it is taking a lot out of me. At this rate, I won't be putting up decorations outside. I almost don't want Christmas to come. Not only will it be the first Christmas without Dad and now Uncle Kevin, but it's also Dad's birthday. How am I going to do this?

Last Thanksgiving we had with Dad

Our house - 2019

Oct. 28, 1965: The last piece of the Arch is fitted into place 🍂

     Have you been to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri? How about to the top of the Arch? That's quite an experience! I've been to the arch a few times and have even been to the top. Definitely a must-do while in St. Louis.

Final piece being added

St. Louis, Missouri

Oct. 28, 1965

    Today is the anniversary of the last piece being fitted into place to complete the "sweeping curve of stainless steel rising 630 feet above the ground". It took 142 pieces of welded equilateral triangles rising from two separate legs to complete the arch. Engineers had to be precise with their measurements so as to not end up with a very costly (and embarrassing) mistake when then two legs came together. And it was perfect... only being about three-eights of an inch off. Who said you wouldn't need Math when you grow up? 

Check out pictures of the construction here

    The first time I went to the Arch, I was about 5 or 6 years old. It was for a field trip in Kindergarten. We never went up in the arch, but we visited the museum underneath. The most I remember about that day is walking right next to one of the legs of the arch and running my fingers against it to feel the cool steel. 

Going to the Arch
Eureka, Missouri
abt 1988

    I didn't make up to the top of the arch for the first time until I was 18. Mom and I took a day and went downtown. I didn't get any pictures, but it was a good time. Now, I am afraid of heights. Seriously afraid of heights. I could just feel my heart racing in my chest as I looked out the windows. It was a beautiful sight for sure. And I have gone up a couple times since, but yeah, it's a little unnerving. 

    If that doesn't make you shake, the ride up just might. You fit yourselves into what looks like an Egg that Mork from Mork and Mindy would have arrived in, and ride to the top. Did I also mention I am claustrophobic? Eek! It's a tight fit, only 5 people per "egg". And as you are going up, the "egg" shifts back and forth as it goes up the leg of the arch. You can see out the small window as you ride up. Not outside, but the stairs that are right outside the "egg". Can you imagine having to use the stairs?? Oh heck no!

    Now when you get to the stop, your senses will need some time to adjust. On windy days, you WILL feel the arch swaying. It definitely threw off my equilibrium. I had to sit down. But again, if you are able to make the trip, I absolutely recommend it for the experience. There have never been any accidents or problems, so you are perfectly safe. 

    I had the opportunity to take my daughter to the top when we were visiting St. Louis in 2010 (before we moved back). She really enjoyed it! We went to the top and took lots of photos. We also visited the museum down below.

Gateway Arch

St. Louis, Missouri

Aug 2010

    The last time we visited the arch grounds was in 2014 when my best friend who is like a sister to me visited St. Louis for our other friend's birthday. It had been years since she been back and we wanted to make the best of it. Sarah is an amazing photographer and took some beautiful shots. She has her own blog where she showcases her photos. 

Visit Just Shoot Pics' Blog

    During this visit, we actually got shots of the inside of the "egg" elevator along with photos inside of the arch. 

Gateway Arch

St. Louis, Missouri

2014

Have you ever been to the top of the arch? Share your stories in the comments. Were you watching the day that they put the last piece in place? Tell me what you remember.