My favorite toy

This is me at almost 3 years old. Mom always said I was 2 1/2, but Grandma Wonsey had 3 years on the back of the picture. This was taken a Grandma's house in Kalkaska, Michigan. The doll was a stuffed toy with a plastic face. I remember when the face began to crack and there was no way to fix it. I was heartbroken.

One new addition to our family--

This is Senorita, Sindy for short. She is our tiny little Chihuahua--1 1/2 pounds when we got her at 6 1/2 weeks old. Her birthday is October 28, 2010. She is supposed to be mine, but has fallen in love with my 7 year old grandson, David. 

Back again!

It has been eight months since I have written here. Shame on me! So many things have been going on and I just have not had the time to do any research. So hopefully I can get started again. I miss doing my genealogy big time! In the last few weeks I have come across new cousins and grandparents. One cousin was able to post pictures of my mother's grandpa. I also found out that the 21st governor of California, George Cooper Pardee, was an uncle to my husband. I was so exited to put names with faces. It makes this so much more fun when a face goes along with a name.
This picture is of Governor Pardee with President Roosevelt.

Family and friend reunion

  The last Saturday of June each year is our family/friend reunion. Since we really don't very many family members we started asking neighbors and friends. This year friends brought friends! The count totaled 72. We have had between 12 (first year)  and 88 come in the last six years.
  One of the neatest things about this year was that I met a cousin through Ancestry.com. He lives about an hour and a half from us. He and his wife came to the picnic! I met a  cousin for the first time! We shared family info and pictures he had brought. I was on cloud nine all day.
  Also my sister was able to attend. I have not seen her for three years since our father's  funeral. Her husband has been in the Army as a Chaplin. He just retired in December. Now maybe they can visit more often.
  Many photos were taken, games played, and relaxation galore. It was a truly sensational Saturday.

New cousins

Today I call Marvelous Monday. I met a new cousin. It is so nice to come across names that you aren't even looking for and find a cousin. Then here comes tons more names from their branches.  Cousins are such cool people!

A war Veteran

Amos Wonsey(with younger brother,Ivan)

Amos was crippled at the age of twenty-one while in the Army. He turned eighty-four on May 22. He has been a source of inspiration to many people. He, like all the other veterans in our family, is a true treasure and hero.

"Child of God" by Harry Hunt

Lewis Wesley Cameron

Died at the age of sixteen in a farming accident.

Becky

This morning my cousin Becky lost her husband to cancer. I don't know too much about it yet, but my prayers and thoughts go out to her. I can not imagine her sorrow.

My Youngest

Tomorrow my youngest child will be thirty-two years old. Kinda feeling sad and happy at the same time.  It was a hard year for me when he turned thirty. No more teens and "young" adults. Thirty puts them in a whole new category. Just makes me feel older but not a lot wiser!

My Grandson, David Andrew Badgley

Summitt Cemetery, Williamston, Michigan

Surname Saturday

Surname Saturday-I've been reading lots of blogs to figure this one out. Do I just tell who I'm looking for? Do I try to find  a story about a name? Pick an ancestor to write about? This is all so new and I'm not the writer I'd like to be. So here goes..I think I want to list my Love ancestors.

1. Me
2. Dad ( Ivan wonsey)1928-2007 Born and raised in Kalkaska, Michigan. Died in Mason, Michigan.

3. Grandma  (Pansey Bell Love) 1905 -1983 Born in S. Boardman, Michigan, Died in New Port Richey, Florida

4.  ggrandpa  ( John Wesley Love) 1856-1939 Born in Tiogo, Co., Penn.  Died in Boardman Twnship, Kalkaska, Michigan.
5. gggrandpa  (John Miller Love) 1815-1894 Born in Lycoming,Pa.  Died in Tiogo, Pa.
6. Matthew Love  1774-1850
7. Robert Love   1734-1828
8. John Love   1706-1790   Born Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland   Died West Fallowfield, Chester, Pa.
9. Robert Love  1679-1741    Born  Antrim, Ireland.  Died Lancaster, Pa,
10. Robert Love  1660-1722  Born Antrim, Ireland    Died Antrim, Ireland
11. Robert Love   1637-1722  Born Antrim, Ireland   Died Antrin, Ireland
12. Robert Love   1610- 1684  Born Cooley, Ireland   Died Tanabirdy, Ireland
13. Willaim Love  1580- 1645   Born and died in Glassgow, Scotland
14. Robert Luiff  (Luiff)  1555- 1611   Born and died in Glassgow, Scotland
15. ------Luiff    Born 1530

 I have a long way to go to fill in all the siblings.  This week I hope to work on this line.

Grandpa Wonsey

For most of my life I remember Dad as a farmer. He also worked as a tool and dye maker but that is not how I remember him. My first memories were of him off the farm in Royal Oak and Farmington, Michigan working in a shop in Detroit. Memories of Dad in Farmington are of him developing pictures in his darkroom(aka bathroom).
 From there we moved to a dairy farm in Williamston, Michigan where Dad was the foreman. I "helped" in the barn whenever aloud following him all over while getting under foot. Dad started raising Angus cattle there and when we moved to our own fourty-seven acre farm in Mason, Michigan, the cows went with us. Though Dad now worked in the shop again I still thought of him as a farmer. After a few years the cows where sold and Dad started raising chinchillas. Two or three years of that and they also were sold off.
 After twenty-five years on the "farm" Dad and Mom moved to Rosman, North Carolina. There they stayed for fifteen years doing cabinetry. From there it was back to Mason because of health issues for both Mom and Dad.
Dad died three years ago and today would be his 82nd birthday. I am a farmer's grand-daughter, daughter, and wife and very proud of it.

Follow Friday

For me, I like to go to face book and look up family names. I have met some new Wonsey cousins through facebook. The saying goes (according to my grandmother) that if you are a Wonsey, you are related.
Some names are very common and some aren't. Hopkins and Hunt -too many to count! But I like to bug people anyway and ask about their family tree. Most are helpful, even if they only tell me there is no way they are related. Bugging is what keeps me doing genealogy. I had a lot of practice as a child bugging two older sisters! Why stop now?

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today my Dad would have turned 82 years old. I really, really miss him.Yesterday I honored him as my military person. Today I just say " I love you, Dad".

Military Challange #19

Ivan Wonsey U.S. Army

City and State of Residence: Kalkaska, Michigan

Enlistment date and place: January 9, 1946  Detroit, Michigan

Enlisted as Private, Regular Army

Stationed :  Camp Francis E. Warren,  Cheyanne, Wyoming

Term of Enlistment: Panama Canal Department

Education: One year high school

Civil Occupation: Farm hand

Marital status: Single without dependents

Discharged: July 1947 Fort Carson, Colorado as Corporal

Wordless Wednesday

David W. Badgley - age 7 years and one day -on the path to the first snake den in Narcisse, Manitoba.

Pictures of our trip to Manitoba, Canada

At the entrance of Lincoln Park Zoo.Never saw one.My big man.(Changed the battery, forgot to change the date).Couldn't wait to get to the snakes. Good thing the trail is in a big circle so he couldn't get lost. He was very good at answering me when I called him.Since she thinks her big brother is the cat's meow, she loved being on this trip with him. But then she also is a little sister which makes her want to tease him.Red sided gardener snakes-oh,ya-COOL! The reason for this whole trip!!This was a dead one Ali found. Didn't faze her a bit. Puzzle time!This was the third wolf we saw. First one was darting into the trees. Second one ran in front of us making Erin have to slam on the brakes. Just missed it. This one crossed the road. Erin turned around, drove back, and it was standing there waiting for me to take it's picture.American Bald Eagle. Flock of four were eating something yummy in the ditch. This one so kindly flew up in a tree letting Erin  get this nice picture.Oh ya. Can't forget to show you the huge town of Narcisse,Manitoba. Yes, this is the town! You are looking at the postoffice and that is all you will see!!

Back home again!

So happy to be home again. Had a good trip and all that, but home is home.
It really was a great trip. The Lincoln Park Zoo was awesome. I have only been to our local zoo so this much larger one was a real adventure for me. I saw animals I had never seen before. I was able to get some nice pictures of the animals, flowers, sky (with a storm coming in).
The children did very good for a seven day road trip. They loved the caves  and the snakes. Really loved all the junk food they were able to have living in a car for seven days.  It will take their mom another seven days to get the car cleaned! Ages 4 and 6 (oops-turned seven during the trip) = mess!
I'm tired, glad to be home, and wondering what the next road trip they will let me tag along on will be!

We only encountered a few sprinkles from this.

Thanks Lil' David for inviting me. I loved it, and I love you.

More Memories

Blue Mound Caves

Lincoln Park Zoo

We are now in Fargo, North Dakota. In our adventure to get here, we have visited the Lincoln Park Zoo in Ohio and the Blue Mound Caves in Wisconsin.
The zoo is the only one I've seen outside of our local zoo. Really neat. The polar bear was out and showing off in the water.
The Caves-beautiful and scary at the same time. The kids thought they were awesome and want to see some more.
Tomorrow we will go to the Narcisse Snake  Dens.  Here's hoping they are out, too.