Guest Blogger - Ancient History

My 12-year-old daughter is my guest blogger today.   She wrote the following history report this past spring.  I added the picture at the end.

King Nebuchadnezzar

by: Ashley Genung

     King Nebuchadnezzar is among the most famous rulers of Ancient Mesopotamia. He lived from 630 B.C. to 562 B.C. During his lifetime he made many conquests and created marvelous cities. His most famous architectural achievement was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In his old grand palace, he created the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Some people say that he created it just to please his beautiful wife Amytis.

     King Nebuchadnezzar was the son of Nabopolassar. Nabopolassar was a Chaldien Chief who led a surprising attack against the Assyrians.  Then, Nabopolassar declared himself king of Babylon. As crowned prince, Nebuchadnezzar was in charge of the army, but he was greedy so he couldn’t wait for more. He was thrilled to hear the news of his father’s death. He rushed home as soon as possible so that he could start ruling his kingdom. This happened just a few months after he met King Necho of Egypt during battle, and killed him in the year 605 B.C. Four years later, he tried to invade Egypt, but to his embarrassment his attempt failed. Then eight years later in 597 B.C.,  King Nebuchadnezzar overtook Jerusalem. During the year 568 B.C. he foolishly tried to take over Egypt yet again and he failed. The last years of his life were full of family conflicts, and just two years after his son took the throne, he was overtaken. Today Babylon if full of wonders and secrets left behind like a treasure hunt from the past.

     King Nebuchadnezzar also played an important role in the Bible. In the Bible it says that King Nebuchadnezzar became too prideful as he became more powerful. It said that God did not like pride, so he used King Nebuchadnezzar as an example to all of his followers. The Bible says that God forced him to live with the wild animals and open plains. He roamed the endless land for seven years and he was only allowed to eat grass. According to the story, when he figured out that God was the king of the heavens and Earth, he would be allowed to return to his kingdom. In the Bible, eventually, he said “because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:37) King Nebuchadnezzar made conquests, created architectural wonders, and he became a biblical character. Even though he had his ups and downs, I think that he made his mark in history a good one.

 Artist's rendering of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Three Generations and a Tractor

Wordless Wednesday

 

Three generations of women, a tractor, and the family farm - you do the math!

Policeman Shot in the Line of Duty

William Foulks

(1863-1900)

This month's Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is a "Carousel" edition, which means the post can be about anything relating to cemeteries.  I chose this tombstone because of the story behind William Foulk's death.  I also find the shape of the stone, especially at the top, fascinating.  William is pictured in his police uniform in the photo above.  His story is below.

William Foulks was born on 29 March 1863, and died on 29 September 1900.  He was a Detective Lieutenant in the Cleveland Police Department until his untimely death at 37 years of age.  In July of 1900, workers at seventeen foundries went on strike because the employers refused to give them a 10 percent wage increase. William Foulks was shot and killed while responding to a fight between these striking union molders and the non-union men who were recruited to work the striking molders jobs.  Six months later, members of the Iron Molders Union's Local 218 were still on strike, demanding "living wages."

William Foulk's name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.  He left behind a wife and six children when he died.  William was buried in Moultrie Chapel Cemetery, in Columbiana County, Ohio.

A Tribute to My Mom

Today is my Mom's birthday.  She would be 69 years of age if she was still with us.  She was born Caroline Elbert, on 21 August 1940 in New York City, and died on 11 January 2007 in Dyer, Indiana.  She married my dad, Richard Livingston (1939-2005), on 19 September 1964.  She was with us for too short a time.  Happy birthday, Mom; we miss you!

Caroline Elbert in 1962

A Festival of Postcards (4th Edition)

This month's theme is water, so I chose the above postcard. It depicts the old Wagon Bridge that crossed the Wabash River in Terre Haute, Indiana. The hand written date is 22 September 1906. The note reads:

arrived here at 12 last night. leave for Jarvis tonight. got a player yesterday.
Everything is lovely on the Wabash. Your bro. Chas.

I researched a little bit of the bridge's history, and here is what I discovered. Joseph Fellenzer, while he was on the Vigo board of county commissioners in the 1870's, was one of the main forces behind the scheme to buy the Wagon Bridge. The plan to purchase the bridge was successful, and meant that there would be no toll fees on the bridge.

To see the other entries in this month's Festival of Postcards, click here.

Wordless Wednesday

This is the Genung house in Chatham, New Jersey.

Tombstone Tuesday - Genung Marker

This is the Genung family marker for the plots in Markle Cemetery in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana.

Wordless Wednesday - 12 August 2009

My great-grandparents again; this time with their daughters. The one on the left is my grandmother.
Click here to see their wedding photo, which I posted previously.

Tombstone Tuesday - Moultrie Chapel Cemetery Military Memorial

My Tombstone Tuesday posting for today is the military memorial at Moultrie Chapel Cemetery. The cemetery is located in Columbiana County, Ohio. I have several ancestors in this cemetery.

Smile for the Camera, 16th Edition

The prompt for this edition of Smile for the Camera is "Bling, ancestor Bling." I have chosen a picture of my paternal grandmother wearing her signature pearls. She is wearing that pearl necklace in nearly every photo I have of her. Sadly, I don't know what became of it. However, I do have a birthstone ring of hers that my father had given me when I was a teenager. Her name is Mary Elizabeth Crist, and she grew up in a small town in Ohio. She moved to the big city of New York in her early 20's. What a culture shock that must have been! Later in life, she moved out to Long Island, where she passed away in 1967.

Wordless Wednesday - 5 August 2009; Also: A Festival of Postcards (4th Edition)

Wordless Wednesday is here again. This ship is the Normanni; which brought my ancestor, Wilhelm Gerner, from Germany to New York on 8 December 1893, when he was 23 years of age.

This posting is also being used for A Festival of Postcards (4th Edition) since this month's theme is water.

Tombstone Tuesday - Sanor Family Plot

It is time for my 'Tombstone Tuesday' post again; even though it really is Wednesday. The photo below is of the Sanor family plot in the Hawk and Sanor Cemetery in North Georgetown, Columbiana County, Ohio, USA. Notice the USA flag; that Sanor ancestor was in the American Revolutionary War. The large monument on the left is for all the Sanors that are buried there. I am a direct descendant of the Sanor family, and I plan to write about the individual family members in later blog posts.

Free 1930 Census on Footnote.com

Footnote.com is offering free access to the 1930 United States Federal census until the end of August. To take advantage of this special offer, you have to sign up for a free Footnote account. Just go here: Free 1930 Census - Footnote.com (Shared via AddThis) to get started. While you are there, try out some of their other free databases.

Are there standards for names in family trees?

On Facebook, Randy Seaver started a discussion about: Are there standards for names in family trees? He was mainly interested in cleaning up his database in the Family Tree Maker software program. Go here: http://bit.ly/kMc5x to read the responses, including my comment. I may write a lengthier post on this subject later, when I have more time. It's a debate genealogists have been having for as long as I can remember, and the answer usually boils down to the best standard is the one that works best for you, and is clear to those who will read your research, both now and in the future. Just something to ponder.