Week 9 Where There's A Will (there's a way) #52ancestors

I'm taking this in a different direction Where there's a will. I'm going blog about my father in law Charles Dale WILLiams as this is the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

I really hope the family is okay with me posting his story.

Charles Dale Williams was born August 8, 1947 Parkersburg West Virginia ,  June 17 1998 passed away at James A Haley Veterans Hospital Tampa Florida.

I never knew my father in law though I heard a lot of stories from my husband Charlie. Therefore I know very little about this man. I know he was a Sargent  in the US Army honorable discharged   he enlisted at the age of 17 years young on August 13, 1964 and I know he was still in the Army at age of 20 January 11, 1968.  Charlie told me his father was quite a ladies man. I can see why in the photo's of him :)

Since my husband passed away in 2015 I have been in contact with his mother, sister, and one of Charles Sr younger brother. That is when I was told Charles Dale was adopted by (please forgive me if I get this part incorrect) by his maternal grandparents and his birth surname was Rollins. I haven't been able to find any information on that as of yet; that is where there's a will (there's a way) I will eventually find out more. As I'm still working on my own family missing links LOL.

I do have pictures of Charles Dale in uniform (saved pictures from his daughters Facebook page) and I would like to learn more about my husbands family history.     

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE WHILE SERVING IN VIETNAM AND TO ALL WHO ELSE SERVED IN NAM! THEY DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT WHO SERVED DURING THAT TIME NOVEMBER 1 1955 - APRIL 30 1975


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Week 8 Heirloom #52ancestors

My only heirloom I have is a brooch of my father's mother Pearl May Combs Reising. I can tell that it is from the late 20's due to the hat grandma Pearl is wearing next to her picture is that of my grandfather Daniel Webster Reising.

Brooch its self has no markings on it for me to know what material it's made from no markings to tell who made the brooch. I've had this piece since my father passed away in 1989.

Week 7 : Valentine 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

My Valentine is my CRAZY husband Charles Huston Williams born April 13, 1970 to November 18, 2015. A very short life even shorter marriage May 14, 2014.

We meet in 2013 under very strange circumstances to say the least. My first impression was wow he's really rude! REason being I thought he was rude first thing he said to me " Do you have a phone" So I did him " Give it to me" Charlie called a mutual friend of ours. Next words out of his mouth was "Are you Linda?" and he gave me the phone to speak to Carolyn and he walked away.

Days after that meeting I was going to see if he was really that rude or not. I stopped in at Pastor Dan's place across frowing m where I worked. (Need to tell you Charlie and his friend James were homeless,and Carolyn was helping them with their dogs they had). Charlie still didn't speak much.

Then I noticed he would come into the store I worked at in one door out the other looking to see if I was working. Charlie would be waiting at my car at the end of my shift with Skoo B Dew, slowly he began speaking and trusting me.

My family didn't like the idea at all that I was friendly to "those people" . One thing lead to another Charlie confided to me issues he had going on a little about his life growing up. He thought the world of his father.

People would ask me "what's going on with you and Charlie?'" I didn't much of our relationship just that we were "friends" . I noticed some of his friends didn't like it that he was spending time with me (females got jealous). Charlie then told me he was getting some weird questions as well as to what was happening.

Two totally opposites from totally diffent worlds were falling in love! We decided that we wanted to marry, he was so sick back then he was afraid he didn't have much to offer me and he was very afraid he'd become like his father of not treating women well.

We married May 14th 2014 at the ROPE Center in Hudson we had a nice campsite to live in until we were able to get into house. That campsite was home for a few months and I think it was my favorite one as well.

Neither of us were married before which was odd at the ages we were then. He was and will always be my VALENTINE.  We knew wouldn't have much time together due to his illnesses. They were the best time of my life .

Love you always my Valentine Charlie Huston Williams May you continue to rest in peace you so deserve until we can be together again.   

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Week 6 Favorite Name : Davenport Wright - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

I pick my 2nd great grandfather on my maternal side of the family DAVENPORT Wright.

Davenport we usually think of as a surname  and not a first name. We think of Davenport as a piece of furniture either a sofa or antique desk. It's a town in Florida as well as Iowa, California, Nebraska, etc. There is a college and university named Davenport in the USA. 

My Davenport is also a classic he was born February  1830 Long Island New York who was a bayman - clam digger (happened to end up as family occupation ) Raised a large family near the Beach on the Island. He passed away between 1918 and 1920 Last record I can find on him was for November 15 1918 when he ran away from the Almshouse and / Poorhouse. 

I hope to find out why he was given a last name as a first name .I haven't found any other family member with this first name so he's a most unique  and colorful member of my family so far.

Week 5 In the census New York Census of Inmates in Almshouse and Poorhouse

This is a story of my great great grandparents Valentine and Margaret Wright who entered the Almshouse and / Poorhouse with 3 of their 6 children. On December 15 1876 winter can be brutal on the Beach where they lived as Davenport was a bayman .

Census states due to weather they had no food or fuel to keep warm. Further states he probably will recover.

No other choice he at 50, his wife at 37 along with the 3 children Edward at 12, Frank 9 and Valentine 3 years old.

Doesn't state how long they were at the shelter.

41 years later Davenport ended back there for shelter in Bad health by his daughter in law Harriet Wright. At 91 he wasn't going to stay put for long this stay was recorded from October 15 1918 until he ran away on November 5 1918. This is where his paper trail stops.

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Week 4 - My Dinner Date with Great Grandmother Stella Clark Wright

I would have loved to have dinner date with many of my family some for the first time others just one more dinner together. I'd would have been on cloud 9.

May 17 1915 Lynbrook Long Island

This story is about my great grandfather Valentine Wright 1873 - 1940 and Stella Clark Wright 1876 - circa 1916. Family story had Valentine as a drunk and not very nice to his wife Stella. On my maternal side of the family.

Dinner plans with Great Grand mother Stella would be more of a working dinner. I have so many questions for her.

To begin with why were you the one who was put in Jail for 6 months when your husband didn't take care of the family (providing for family).

Second Do you think if Prohibition was law during this time do you think it would have helped you?  Maybe if he wasn't able to drink alcohol things may never have gotten this bad.

Third was any of your family living near you? I'm sure they would have noticed the abuse and lack of your husbanding providing for the family. I understand women had no rights during this time, you'd be surprised things have gotten better since the

 Fourth a story that was past down was that you set him on fire during one of his drunken state, did anything happen like that? My research is telling me something totally different. Valentine  out lived you.

I'm sorry that you experience the abuse that you did. Unfortunately abuse against women is still happening. Law has come around in 1919 women won the right to vote we still need change to make women equal partners. Maybe one day  women will no longer  be abused.


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Week 3 : Longevity

Norman Reising (1935 - 2009)  my father's baby brother out lived his 6 siblings all males. Uncle Normie even out lived his father.

Father      Daniel Webster Reising 1909 to 1941 - 31 yrs old
Siblings.  Ray M Reising.    1927 to 1989 -  61 yrs old
                 Ronald J Reising 1929 to 1974 - 45 yrs old
                 Burton S Reising 1930 to 1977 - 46 yrs old
                 Ollie Reising        1931 to 1981 - 49 yrs old
                 Henry C Reising   1933 to 1989 - 55 yrs old

One more sibling Lester Reising died as an infant.

I'm sure why Normie outlasted all the men in his immediate family. Maybe because he never married  or more likely he never worked for Sid Havey oil burner parts company. Back in the day that was a very dangerous job - chemicals / acid and fumes were deadly.

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