Mary Kos’ Birthplace, Dubranec, Croatia. Photo courtesy of Google.
Last week I provided recommendations on best practices for using archives in other countries. This week I’m focusing on making the most when visiting your ancestor’s hometowns.
I always wanted to walk in the village my maternal grandmother had told me about when I was young. She had described the neighborhood church with its cemetery, a family garden, and her maternal side living in the next village.
My grandmother, Mary, emigrated with her mother, Anna, and younger brother, Joseph, in July 1913 when she was 12 years old. She would become a teen a week after arriving in the U.S. My great-grandfather had come 3 years earlier and settled in Chicago after crisscrossing the country working for the Pullman Company.
I had photos of the apartment where they lived in Chicago and the houses they rented and bought in Gary, Indiana, but I had no visual of the home she resided in as a child. Grandma had returned to visit Croatia in the summer of 1960 with her singing group, Preradovic. I have a picture of her with two village women, unnamed, who she said were cousins. Truthfully, Grandma called everyone cousins and she was probably correct as the village in which she was born had only 349 people in 2011. Her mother’s ancestral village, Jerebic, only had 41 people in 2011. If they weren’t cousins, they were called kum or kuma (godfather or godmother). Definitely supports the importance of Elizabeth Shown Mills’ FAN Club! With such small numbers, everyone was connected.
There were 99 houses in town, which one was Grandma’s? For that, I turned to a genealogical report written by Sanja Frigan for my second cousin in 2008. Sanja had gone to the local church and spoke with the priest who shared records. I was able to identify the location as house number 40. This was confirmed through the only FamilySearch.org Dubranec record for my grandmother – her baptism record shows the family living in house number 40. Through the Association of Professional Genealogists, I contacted fellow genealogistLidija Sambunjak to discover if house numbers were altered since the church record was made in 1900. I highly recommend contacting a local genealogist, historian, or archaeologist as they know details of communities that aren’t available online. Lidija was able to find the new house number. She also found a record that showed the home had been built by 1861 when a census had been taken. Lidija also discovered the home was now a tavern so there was a strong possibility I could go inside and even eat in the location my grandmother had taken her first bites of food!
Getting to Dubranec was an issue; it was outside the city limits of Zagreb so no bus was available. I could Uber/taxi but I didn’t want to just get dropped off. I needed a driver who could take me to all the places I wanted to see, wait while I explored for a bit, and answer questions that might arise from what I was seeing. I was not comfortable with renting a car as I was unfamiliar with the area and there were avalanche and flash flood warnings – not something I wanted to tackle on my own. Plus, I don’t speak Croatian well and a translator would be helpful.
Lidija recommended a colleague, Nikolina Antonić, who was a historian and archaeologist. We agreed on a price for the day and in our email exchanges, she shared with me her dissertation which just happened to be in the area my family resided. Finding a knowledgeable professional might take some time so start looking as soon as you book your trip.
I shared with Nikolina my family stories regarding defending a castle, building a church, going on a pilgrimage, and being titled a nobleman. Her dissertation was about the land records for the area beginning in the 1200s so she was an expert with location and history.
Nikolina met us at our hotel at 9 AM sharp. After reading her dissertation I had questions about how my family fit into the culture of those times. Her answers helped me put the records I had found the day before into perspective. Our first stop was a recreated home that would have been typical of a noble family. Although we couldn’t go inside, we were able to walk the grounds, peer in the windows and my husband found pottery shards in the freshly turned garden. Nikolina identified them as the late 1800s. A few days later we toured a castle in Bled and in the museum was an identical pottery piece labeled the late 1800s. It helped me imagine that my two times great-grandparents likely used a similar jug.
Our next stop was a recreated castle where my family tale says we fought off Turkish invaders. I’ll be writing more about this next week.
As we climbed the mountain through a forest I could visualize my ancestors hunting in the woods. It was breathtakingly beautiful – spring green leaves budding on the trees, a deep blue sky with puffy white clouds – a picture postcard.
The village Dubranec was larger than I expected. From the land records discovered the previous day I knew where some of my family’s property began and ended. The lots have been subdivided over the years and now, many more buildings were housed on what was once farmland. I was disappointed to find the home where my grandmother was born that had been turned into a tavern closed. A man walking down the street informed us that the owner had recently died. The picture at the top was from Google; the building has changed somewhat and for privacy, I am not displaying the photo I took.
Next, we went to the village Jerebeic where my great-grandmother’s family was from. It was about a 5-minute drive further up the mountain. The village was exactly what I had envisioned – all old wooden buildings. The well, unused now, was still there, roosters still roamed the yard, and hay was stored in the barn. I was surprised to learn that my family had been known for their vineyards and some very old plants still produced grapes. Which great grandfather had planted them I don’t know but I still have the recipes. We spoke to the farm’s present owner who knew it had once been owned by the Grdenic family. He kindly let me take photos.
Back down the mountain, our next stop was Our Lady of the Snows Roman Catholic Church. The earthquake had damaged the structure so we could not go inside. I was shocked to see the cemetery intact and with just a few older stones. I learned that rental needs to be paid annually and when it is not received, after a time, the body is dug up, the bones collected, and placed in a group grave. Nikolina was not sure what happened to the old tombstones. The beautiful day had turned rainy and with thunder and lightning overhead, we did not stay long among the graves. I plan on writing to the current priest to obtain more information.
We then drove miles to visit Marija Bistrica, a pilgrimage site. On our way, we saw a group of pilgrims with walking sticks making their way to the church high on a mountaintop. I’ll write more about my great-grandmother’s reason for the pilgrimage next week. I was amazed to see how far she walked over such difficult terrain. I know I come from a strong line of females but this discovery really surprised me.
It was time to return to our hotel as our Gate1 tour was meeting that evening. I will never forget this emotional experience and I believe I would not have gained such insight into my family’s background had it not been for Nikolina’s expertise.
If you are planning an excursion to your ancestor’s home turf, do your research first, then check out transportation options, and hire a guide who is familiar with the area’s history. Although most people in Europe speak English, if you are going to a rural area it is best if you have someone who can translate for you. Don’t forget your camera or phone charger!
Next week I’ll be giving you some tech tips for your ancestral experience.
Partial Clip from U.S., Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914, Thomas Thompson, digital image; Ancesry.com: accessed 17 July 2021, image 402 of 440; citing NARA M233.
One of the things I love about genealogy is the weird occurrences that happen. I had planned to write about a local mystery but two strange events happened to me this week that I think you’ll find interesting.
Last week, I blogged about The Forgotten Ones project for the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War. While researching Thomas Charles Thompson I came across a document that may or may not be his father, Thomas Coke Thompson.
These folks are my husband’s relatives and whenever I work on that line strange things happen. The pattern continues…
The document I found is shown above. Thomas Coke was known to be in the Albany, New York area at the time the document was made. He married first, Elizabeth and had several children. Only Thomas Charles lived to adulthood but died before Thomas Coke. Census and death records state that Thomas Coke was born in New York City but I’ve never found a record for him or his parents. The document above caught my eye because the same location, name used in other records (he never used Coke) and age. What stood out to me was that he was a musician born in Great Britain. The Thomas Coke in our family tree was a ship’s carpenter when he moved to Chicago.
I forwarded the document to my husband’s cousins who I have met over the years through online research. One stated she wasn’t interested. Another thanked me immensely. The third replied that she wished her mom was alive to see and ponder it – her mom’s birthday would be 2 days after I made the find. I replied to the 3rd cousin that I had thought of her mom the prior week when I wrote to a colleague who wanted information for an upcoming book he was writing on cemetery re-internments. In reviewing my notes I found an email from a cemetery that mentioned the 3rd cousin’s mother who had written to correct a mistake in the cemetery record.
A few days after I emailed the 3rd cousin, she replied she wasn’t feeling that the document was for Thomas Coke. After all, Thomas Thompson is a common name. Although that is true, in the Albany 1830 US Federal census there are only 5 Thomas Thompsons in that area; 3 are Black, 1 is old and 1 is of the age of the man who enlisted. What doesn’t fit is the name of the next of kin on the form (clip above not showing it). No record of this individual anywhere and none of the cousins have heard of her. Certainly more research is needed but for now it’s on hold until I’m able to revisit NARA next spring.
The 3rd cousin decided to look through her records and found several photos from the 1860’s that she didn’t recall sharing with me. One was of Elizabeth Williams, sister of Drusilla who had married 2nd Thomas Coke.
At the same time 3rd cousin was emailing me the picture, I received another email that I had a message on MyHeritage. I assumed it was a response for WW2 pictures as I had contacted a number of tree owners looking for photos for the Fields of Honors project in the Netherlands.
I don’t know why but something told me to respond to the 3rd cousin after reviewing all my emails. I logged onto MyHeritage and was astounded to discover a message from a 3 times great granddaughter of Elizabeth Williams. She was thanking me for putting info on the tree.
Before answering, I decided to check my personal email to read the 3rd cousins’ information. That’s when I discovered the picture of Elizabeth. I emailed both of my husband’s cousins to connect them and uploaded the picture to Ancestry, which is where my Main Tree is located. That’s the tree I keep updated.
So, if that wasn’t enough of the eebee jeebees for you, two days later the following happened…
Summer is my family’s lean time as we don’t receive a paycheck. Unfortunately for us, we’ve had some major expenses. We had budgeted for the ones we knew about (replacing a deck, renovating the side yard) but not for others (reconstructing a coop, a plumbing issue we didn’t even know was a problem). After shelling out a couple of hundred dollars to a pest control company to get rid of the varmints that had eaten the deck and coop and infested an appliance, a remembrance of my grandmother, Mary Koss, came to me.
When I was dating my husband in high school I was adamant I was never going to get married. I had never seen a happy couple. I’m serious – most of my older relatives were divorced or in miserable marriages. One day after my then boyfriend left, my grandmother said to me, “You’d be a fool not to marry him. You’ll never find anyone better.” I know I though she was nuts at the time but you didn’t argue with Grandma so I didn’t respond. She has proven to be right.
Grandma loved to be right and was not shy about making sure everyone knew she had predicted what was going to occur. My thoughts of that day came about because my dear husband never ever has complained to me about spending money, even when it’s tight.
This jogged my brain into calling our power company as I wanted to change our automatic payment method. I tried to do this online but I was directed to call the company. While waiting for a human, I decided to clean out my emails and I saw that Ancestry had sent me one with their latest record updates. It happened to be for Ellis Island/Castle Gardens.
Since I had thought about my grandmother I decided to enter in her information which I’ve seen before. I just wanted to check if there was something new. Coincidentally, the date my grandmother had arrived on Ellis Island just happened to be the day I was checking the record.
OHHH – weird – her birthday was coming up in 2 days and I hadn’t noticed before that she had made herself older on the form – claimed to be a teenager of 13 when she was still 12 for two more days. That made me laugh.
But the weirdness doesn’t end there…The customer service rep came on the line and asked my name. When I told her she responded by spelling my first name correctly. No one does that as there is several ways to spell Lori. I didn’t think much of that but as we got into the call she had to speak to my husband as she couldn’t find that I had access to the account. This always annoys me but I put my husband on who told her he has given my information on several occasions and to please correct it for the future. The customer service rep said, “There is someone else on the account, do you know who that could be?” My husband asked me and then it hit me – it was probably my birth certificate name that I never use. I gave the woman that name and she said, “Yes, that’s it. I didn’t think you were the same person as my mother is named (with your birth certificate name) and my aunt with the name you go by.” So, this explained how she could spell Lori correctly. I told her that I always asked my mom why they named me as they had when they called me something else. My mom’s reply was that she didn’t know, I was supposed to be named Patty Ann after her friend but when she looked at me after my birth the other name just popped into her head. She never met anyone with my birth certificate name and can’t explain why she thought of it.
After years of doing genealogy, I was shocked to learn that my father’s family was from a European province that is the same as my real name. I doubted my mom would know that as she had always told me my father was Germany, English, Scotts-Irish and Welsh. The province is not located in any of those areas. I know he never knew of the province as he always told me his ancestry was German and British.
I thought maybe my mom had heard the name and it was somewhere in her head where the euphoria of childbirth brought it forth. Now, because of what next occurred, I’m thinking that is a real possibility.
After using the Ancestry.com search for my grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother and great uncle I decided to try to find my great grandfather who had emigrated before his wife and two children. I had a little trouble in that I was entering Croatia as his birth place. I should have left that blank. It finally dawned on me he would have said Austria as that was the country at the time. My grandmother, a vocal almost teen ager and being for Croatia separation from Austria-Hungary, had stated she was from Croatia so I just didn’t think initially to change it. It made sense he would have provided different information as he had been in the Austrian Calvary. (HINT TO SELF-When searching, try to think like the individual that provided the record information and not what you know of the individual). His information tells me he didn’t think of himself as Croatian first; he had allegiance to the governing country probably due to his military service..
When I found my great grandfather Josip Kos’ record I was astounded to see that the ship he sailed to America on was my birth certificate name. Wow!
I had seen the document before but it never clicked. My great grandfather died during the previous pandemic and I had just thought about him when I got my pneumonia vaccine last week. He got the flu but died of pneumonia. Although my mom was a baby when he died, perhaps she had heard this ship’s name and recalled it for who knows what reason when I was born.
Or, just maybe, he whispered it into her ear and she wrote it on my birth certificate.
Who knows?! All I can tell you for sure is that I just really enjoy these creepy coincidences. Christmas in July? Nope, with my family I’ve got Halloween early!
My blog plans have changed due to the events of this past week. Originally, I was going to share a find I discovered by accident on Christmas evening but that will wait.
When I began Genealogy At Heart, my goal was to post blogs to further the genealogical education of everyone interested in family history. One of the ways I would accomplish that objective was through sharing heartwarming genealogical finds.
My heart hurt this week by the lack of respect and the irresponsibility that was shown by the mob that attacked the Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6. Their denial of the truth and their selfish actions are abhorrent. Although I have only once previously written about my personal political beliefs I cannot remain silent on what occurred on Wednesday.
I suspect, based on your belief system, you may stop reading this – here’s why you shouldn’t do that and try to keep an open mind. We can’t pick and choose our ancestors. You need to be open to all the records of their lives so it would be in your best interest now to practice that today and continue reading.
A genealogist needs to be respectful, responsible, honest and hard working. I believe those 4 traits are beneficial to all people in every career field. Today, I’m providing some genealogical education since it appears, based on the latest poll, that 45% of U.S.Republicans believe that the mob’s behavior was acceptable. Please know I am not bashing Republicans as my own family had been members since the days of Abraham Lincoln. My intent today is to reflect on the events of January 6, 2021 and compare it to my family research. Wednesday was a historic day for our nation and my family was a part of much of the United States’ history.
As an educator, I often give non-examples to students and I intend to use that method below.
What is a “patriot”? Google’s dictionary states its “1. A person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.”
Those who believe that storming the Capitol is acceptable behavior are calling themselves patriots. Donald Trump and his daughter also used the term, though she deleted it. I vehemently disagree with them.
I vigorously support my country and I am willing to defend it against enemies/detractors. The key word is “enemies” which the Google dictionary defines as “a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.” I am not hostile (unfriendly/antagonistic); those who took part in the assault on the Capitol were and they were violating the sanctity of our country’s rules of law. The legislators tasked with certifying the election results were not the enemy; they were following the law. They were voted in by their constituents to do that job. Those who tried to prevent them from their jobs are the enemies and are not patriots.
An enemy is not someone who merely disagrees with you. An enemy uses violence because they want it their way and believe their view is the only one that matters. Patriots DO NOT act in that manner.
Here are some examples of Non Patriots and Patriots:
Non Patriot
Photo texted to author by colleague. Wearing the shirt “Camp Auschwitz” exemplifies being a NON PATRIOT. There are no words I can use in a family blog to describe someone who mocks the 1.1 MILLION who died at Auschwitz.
Patriot
PATRIOT George Willard Harbaugh (1924-2004) served in World War 2. He was captured and held by the Nazi regime in Camp Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow & after the notorious Black March, was confined at Camp Wobbelin Bei Ludwigsloft. He earned a Purple Heart. I knew this Patriot; he would be appalled by what happened on Wednesday. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He is my husband’s uncle.
Non Patriot
Photo on site by Simon Davis-Cohen, no photographer noted. Antagonizing those who are serving to protect and defend the citizens of this country who follow the rules of law are NON PATRIOTS. Granted, this country needs to clean up the folks in blue as not all of them are fit to serve. It is still inexcusable to resort to violence.
Patriot
Patriot George Bryant Harbaugh (1893-1954) served in World War 1. He was injured at Chateau-Thierry, France on 14 July 1918 & in the Argonne Forest on 1 Oct 1918 supporting France from the “enemy.” He earned a Purple Heart. He and wife Elsie (1896-1968) to his right, were the parents of PATRIOT George Willard Harbaugh & they are my husband’s maternal grandparents.
Non Patriot
Photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP. Carrying a flag does not make you a Patriot; standing for the ideals of the country does. This clown, Jake Angeli, (clearly man is not the right word; my middle school males are more manly then this person) needs someone with sense to tell him it is not Halloween, he isn’t a shaman, Q Anon is FAKE NEWS, nor is it appropriate to mock the hallowed halls of Congress. Screaming is also inappropriate. Guess he never learned how to choose a positive peer group either based on those surrounding him who are allowing his poor conduct. All pictured are NON PATRIOTS. (I just keep thinking – where were the women in these men’s lives? How could you raise a son to act this way? Why would you date/marry someone with these character traits? Come on, ladies, step it up to become Patriots!)
Patriots
PATRIOTS are not found just in the Military. On 4 Jul 1923 these Patriots were celebrating our country’s independence. They were immigrants who were mocked for where they happened to be born & the religion they chose to follow, worked their entire lives in dangerous low level jobs, endured a KKK cross burning yet they so strongly believed in the ideals of this nation they became citizens. Left to right, boarder living with my grandparents, my maternal grandmother Mary Koss (1900-1985) & my great uncle Joseph Koss Jr. (1902-1993).
Non Patriot
Getty Images/Photographer unspecified. I have no idea what the above person’s education level is, however, he made a poor choice in breaking into the Capitol. Did he never pass Civics?! That “duh” look on his face shows he has perfected playing stupid over the years to get out of trouble. Education or lack of it does not make one a Patriot. Storming the Capitol to interrupt the important business of certifying a national election to attest the leader of the free world is most definitely something a NON PATRIOT would do.
PatriotPatriot
My maternal grandfather, Ivan “John” Koss (1892-1970), left, did not have the opportunity to attend even 1 day of school. He often endured the slur, DP, at his job with U.S. Steel in Gary, Lake, Indiana. He wanted to become a U.S. citizen so badly but feared he would not pass the test due to his illiteracy. The girl pictured below him is his daughter Mary Lou (1931-1999). She tutored him and he successfully passed to become a citizen in 1942. She is shown on the bike she was given for her help in allowing him to reach his dream. She went on to volunteer with her chosen political party as an adult for years to ensure that everyone eligible could exercise their voting rights. Even though he had a wooden leg, John hobbled in the cold Indiana weather to vote in every election. They were true PATRIOTS even though they belonged to different political parties.
Non Patriot
Photo by Mike Theiler, Reuters
Parading into the Capitol with the symbol of racism from THE LOSING SIDE in the Civil War is demonstrating NON PATRIOTISM, along with prejudice, white supremacy, a disregard for the feelings of others AND the stupidity of not realizing that the south lost the Civil War over 155 years ago. Get over it and stop believing the lie that the war was about state rights.
My 1st cousin, 3 times removed, Jacob Wilson Parrott (1843-1908) was left orphaned at age 10. He later became a private in the Union Army, Company K, 33rd Ohio Infantry in 1861. He volunteered in 1862 to infiltrate Confederate lines and hijacked the locomotive, The General, from Atlanta, Georgia. He was successful in destroying the train, however he was captured and severely beaten 110 times in an attempt to make him talk. He refused to be broken and later escaped. Captured again, he was exchanged in a soldier swap. He was taken to Washington, D.C. where he met President Abraham Lincoln and was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor. This PATRIOT, like John McCain and George Willard Harbaugh who were captured, was not a “loser” as the current individual residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would call him. A loser and Non Patriot is someone who incites others to “be worst!” and then watches the events unfold from safety. In other words, they are cowards.
Non Patriot
Photo by Saul Loep/AFP/Getty Images. If you are proud while breaking the law you are a NON PATRIOT. Taking what doesn’t belong to you makes you a thief, aka criminal. This individual did not come to unite the country but to take home a souvenir. Shallow and selfish!
Patriot
This is the grave marker for my immigrant 2nd great grandfather, Henry Kuhn and his wife, Maria Duer. Henry, born in Bedesbach, Pfalz, Bavaria arrived at 16 in the U.S. At age 30, in 1862, he joined the Union Army & served as a private in the 45th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company 1 in the Civil War. He didn’t have to, he wanted to. He is a PATRIOT and I am proud to be a Daughter of the Union Veterans because of his belief that our country be “UNITED.”
Non Patriot
Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Image. Richard “Bigo” Barnett of Gravette, Arkansas – you are a NON PATRIOT. Poor baby, was it too long you had to stand that made you have to sit at someone’s desk and put your feet up? You are not even close to being George Patton Reincarnated as your Facebook page is titled. Taking mail that doesn’t belong to you makes you a thief. Leaving a quarter doesn’t make it right. Your actions show your lack of character. You would think by age 60 wisdom would have been involved but clearly Small Minded Bigo has none .
Patriot
Like Henry Kuhn, PATRIOT Samuel “August” Samuelson (1839-1908) was an immigrant from Stora Haddebo, Vastra Harg, Ostergotland, Sweden who arrived in the U.S. at age 12 with his family. Settling in Indiana, he chose to join the 73rd Indiana Infantry Regiment as a private in the Civil War. He was seriously wounded and left for dead at Stone River, Tennessee but he survived. Although he suffered the remainder of his life from his injuries, this PATRIOT refused to give up and went on to become a prosperous farmer. He is my husband’s paternal 2nd great grandfather. You would never have seen this man breaking into someone’s office, rifling through their belongings and putting his disabled leg up on their furniture.
Result of the actions of a Non Patriot
CNN article by Harmeet Kaur, no photographer noted. Vandalizing property is only done by NON PATRIOTS. Destroying historical property is only done by thugs and idiots. No “good” person would act in this manner.
Patriot
My husband’s 2nd great maternal grandfather, John A. Long, (he was the grandfather of Patriot John Bryant Harbaugh) so hated slavery that he was run out of Morristown, Jefferson, Tennessee at age 16 because of his views. Relocating to Indiana, he decided to enlist, at age 49, as a teamster with Union Army Company I, Indiana 9th Infantry Regiment. His experiences took him all the way to Texas. He mustered out on 28 September 1865. John Long demonstrates you can be a PATRIOT at any age.
Non Patriot Action
Photo by Melina Mara/Washington Post. Leaving a mess behind for someone else to clean up is what a NON PATRIOT does. Did no one ever teach this group to leave your area better than how you found it?
Patriot
Leonard Harbaugh (1749-1822), my husband’s 5th great grand uncle, was a carpenter who helped build the original White House, the contractor for the War and Treasury Buildings and the Foreman of Carpenters for the Capitol after it needed to be restored due to the previous siege by the British in August 1814. He and his wife are buried in the Capitol Cemetery in Washington, D.C. I can only imagine how that PATRIOT would have viewed those who vandalized his hard work. Bet he always left a clean job site!
Non Patriot
Jenny Cudd – seriously, grow up. You are a NON PATRIOT and act like a spoiled child. As a white woman you sicken me! Maybe you need to think about your actions as it probably explains why you weren’t elected mayor in Midland, TX in 2019. Kudos to your community to seeing what you represent.
Patriot
Above is the grave marker from Covententer’s Cemetery, Jackson, Mahoning, Ohio, of my 5th great grandfather, John Duer (1748-1831) who served as a private in the Sussex County, New Jersey Militia for the Continental Army. He had a son who served in the War of 1812 and a grand son who served in the Mexican American War. Clearly, this PATRIOT led by example and instilled in his descendants the importance of protecting our democracy.
Actions of a Non Patriot
Photo by Katherine Frey/Washington Post. Only a NON PATRIOT would think it was acceptable to deface something that does not belong to them. For all those real Patriots who were injured doing what was right, the NON PATRIOT’s action makes a mockery of what real Patriots endured. This statue purportedly was vandalized with blood. Only a mentally ill person or someone who has no understanding of the dangers of body fluid transmission would do something like this. Guess that explains why the vast majority of the mob didn’t wear a mask or social distance.
Patriot
My husband’s maternal 4th great grandfather, Christian Thomas Harbaugh, a member of the Moravian Church that opposed violence knew it was the right thing to do to stand up to the invading British Army. Christian was commissioned in Christian Smith’s Company as an Ensign on 29 March 1779 in Frederick County, Maryland. Putting your country first demonstrates being a true PATRIOT.
Non Patriot
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images. NON PATRIOTS believe stealing is acceptable. You might not expect that from a father of 5 with a physician wife but Adam Johnson from Parrish, Florida thought his white male privilege made him cute and justified his actions. It does not – he needs to be in jail. He’s a danger to raising those children. I wouldn’t want his wife to provide me medical assistance even if I was near death. He is maskless and not social distancing. When he gets home he can easily spread covid to his family. She needs to lose her job.
Patriot Sadly, there is no picture for Wilson Williams (1754-1831), my husband’s 4th great paternal grandfather who served in Hempstead Harbor, Long Island, New York’s Militia Company in 1775. In keeping with his religious belief, his grave was simply marked with a stone that has disappeared over time. He is buried next to his wife in the Dutch Reformed Church Cemetery, Long Island, New York. Family lore states the Hessians invaded his home but were driven out as the soldiers thought the fireplace was possessed by the devil. It actually was chestnuts, stored on a niche in the fireplace, exploding from the fire. Wilson and his sons were able to use the Hessian’s arms to keep them from returning. What a PATRIOT!
In my family tree, I have more than the 12 Patriots I have highlighted above but these were the individuals that came to mind as I watched in horror on Wednesday at the events unfolded at the Capital.
My Patriots were NOT perfect people, just like every other human. They did, however, strive to do what was right for their country. I honor their courage and spirit. As you reflect on the events of the past week, please think of your Patriot ancestors and pledge that you will follow in their footsteps. We have a lot of work to do in this country and now is the time to get involved.
