Photo Restoration

Recently I had asked Janine at Janinealogy for some expert tips on some old family photographs that I am having difficulty restoring so that I can then colorize them. The problem, as Janine refers to it, is called lighting "blow out". I can restore the photo so that the photograph looks ok if left in the sepia tones, but not as good as I would like, nor does it colorize well. I hope those of you interested in great tips and tricks on photo restoration will take a look at Janine's blog - "Janinealogy" - as she explains things very well and is an excellent teacher. See her instructions to me for the restoration of the photo of my Grandparents, shown below. Unfortunately due to family illness I won't be able to work on this photo for a while - but please check back to see what I'm able to do with her instructions.

Visit Janinealogy at http://janinealogy.blogspot.com/

(photograph privately held please do not use without permission)

Thank You Thank You!!

Thank you to Linda at Flipside for bestowing the "Friendly Blogger Award" to me. I'm so honored!!

Also - Thank you to Harriet at Genealogy Fun for bestowing the " One Lovely Blog Award" to me. WOW two in one day.

I'm so sorry I have not responded sooner, but, family illness has prevented me from spending much time on my blog updates. When I'm able to return I will share these wonderful awards with other deserving blogs that I also enjoy!

Thank you Linda and Harriet you don't know how much you lifted my spirits!

Thank You Mr. Sabin - Sabin Sunday - April 24, 1960

Recently my cousin sent me a copy of an obituary of one of my great grandparents from the Blue Hill Leader Newspaper of 1949. On the same page, an article regarding a Polio Meeting in Red Cloud, Nebraska caught my eye.

The article brought back a lot of memories of growing up in the 1950's. Being an Air Force Brat - anytime there was a new vaccine the Air Force medical team would set up an area in the school or in the base gymnasium to administer the shots. Picture this - several hundred children - standing in line with their mothers - knowing they were going to get a shot. Oh boy - not much fun for anyone. And of course the closer you got to the head of the line - the more you could hear the ones in front of you screaming and crying, which of course made it much worse.

I also remember the little milk cartons that were distributed by the March of Dimes. We carried them with us on Halloween to collect pennies in - and then turned them in at school. The pennies were used to research a cure for polio and the help the thousands of polio victims. It was a horrible disease that crippled many children.

I remember Sabin Sunday in 1960, when we lined up for the vaccine that would protect us from polio. Scared of yet another shot for a disease a child could not understand. What a pleasant surprise it was when we found out there were no needles - just a cube of sugar! As the old Mary Poppins song goes - "Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down!" Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of life's woes could be cured with a simple lump of sugar.

Thank you Mr. Sabin for that Sunday - 49 years ago!

Quest of a Genea-Holic - P.H. Gustave Bebensee

I wanted to share the only photograph of my great grandfather, P. H. Gustave Bebensee that we have - I have restored, colorized and altered the photograph to include my grandfather, Gustav Bebensee, at the age of 8.

(this photograph is privately held - do not use restored and altered photographs without permission - thank you)

Quest of a Genea-Holic - Part 4

A true genea-holic will not settle for just bits and pieces of information. Each document that is found is read and reread to find more clues. In the death certificate I learned that great grandpa Bebensee died from acute miliary tuberculosis. So of course I had to look up exactly what that was. Then I proceeded on to find out that in 1914 tuberculosis was in epidemic proportions in the Seattle area. A hospital was opened in Seattle, called Firwood, to help accommodate those with the disease. There are also lists of names of people who were admitted at Firwood. According to the death certificate, my great grandfather, died at home so I did not expect to find him on the patient list, however, I thought possibly his wife, Jennette, may have also contracted the disease, since it was so contagious, and that maybe she may have been at Firwood. But, I did not find any information about her there.
I next contacted the Seattle Library through ask-a-librarian, to see if they could find an obituary. Their response was surprisingly quick, although they did not find an obituary right away, they did locate Gustave and Jennette Bebensee in the R. L. Polk Seattle City Directory, for the years 1912 and 1914. So now I knew that sometime between 1910 and 1912 they had moved from Los Angeles to Seattle.
The 1912 directory lists them living at 1229 Third Avenue North. And Gustave's occupation is listed as interior decorator. In the 1914 directory, they still live at the same address, but, the occupation is listed as electrician. It appears that after 1914, Jennette, either moved away or possibly remarried.
The librarian, Mary, informed me it would take them about a week to find and obituary. Mary, not only found his death notice, but, also the obituary in the Seattle Intelligencer, on May 8th and May 10th respectively. I had hoped that there would be a full obituary, one that would outline his life history. Within in the obituary I did learn another tidbit though. Great Grandpa had been a Mason, and belonged to the Alki Lodge #152, F and A.M., and the Masons had sponsored his funeral. The Lodge was established in 1906 and is still in existence today. I have contacted them and am waiting to hear what they might find, if anything.



Seattle Intelligencer - December 8, 1914


"BEBENSEE - At the family residence, 1229 Third avenue north, December 7, 1914,
Gustave Bebensee, aged 57 years. Member F. and A.M. Announcement of funeral hereafter.
Remains at the parlors of Bonney Watson Company, Broadway at Olive Street, opposite
Broadway High School.
Seattle Intelligencer - December 10, 1914


"BEBENSEE - At the family residence, 1229 Third avenue north, December 7, 1914. Gustave Bebensee, aged 57 years. Member F. and A.M.
Funeral service will be held at the parlors of Bonney-Watson Company at Olive street, opposite Broadway High School, Sunday at 1 PM under auspices of Alki Lodge Number 152. F and A.M.
Brother Masons and friends are invited to attend. Internment at Lake View Cemetery."

The death certificate also revealed that he had been cremated and the undertakers name. They too are still in existence. I contacted Bonney-Watson Company in Seattle and spoke with a very nice woman by the name of Denise. She told me that unfortunately the records from those years are in very bad condition. But, she promised to see what could be found. Denise, advised me that he probably was buried at the Lake View Cemetery, and that I should try to contact them also.
Denise's guess was right! Upon contacting Lake View Cemetery, I found another kind woman, who looked through all of the records for me. When she did not find Bebensee, she did not give up, she continued checking by using the death date and variations in the spelling of Bebensee. Lo and behold, she found him, a misspelling of Bebensee to Bedensee was found. She gave me the location of his grave as, section 15, plot 11, D20B. I also learned from her that since my great grandfather had been a Mason, that was probably why he was buried at Lake View. The Lake View Cemetery was originally started by the Masons in 1872. At that time it was called The Seattle Masonic Cemetery. In 1890 the cemetery name was changed to Lake View Cemetery and is located in the Capital Hill area of Seattle. But, was there a tombstone?

A quick search through Find-A-Grave did not produce any results, however, I did locate a volunteer who maintains information on the Lake View Cemetery. His name is Nils Solsvik. I quickly shot off an email to Mr. Solsvik, and he kindly agreed to go to the cemetery and photograph the tombstone, if one was there. I was amazed when the very next day I received an email from him stating he had been to the cemetery. He had originally indicated to give him a week or so to accomplish it. Mr. Solsvik also searched through the cemetery records, to see if Jennette might also be buried there. Jennette, was not buried at Lake View Cemetery, at least not with the last name of Bebensee. From Mr. Solsvik, I learned that my great grandpa was not interned right away either. He was not buried for almost 5 months – on May 20, 1915. Why the delay? It's a puzzle – I'm guessing – lack of funds?

There was no tombstone, but, Mr. Solsvik took about 25 photographs of the area where he is buried and the surrounding area. I am very appreciative of Mr. Solsvik for going out of his way to take these photographs and for allowing me to share them with you. Seattle and Denver are many miles apart, and who knows if I would ever be able to go there to do this myself. A special Thank You to Mr. Solsvik – and the people who volunteer to lend a hand to others in this way!

I have contacted the Alki Lodge in Seattle and am anxiously awaiting news of anything they many be able to tell me. I'm told not to get my hopes up for any more information then that he was a member - but it's hard not to hope for more.
I want to take a moment to thank the many people who have helped in the search – Washington State Board of Health – Denise at Bonney Watson – Mary at Seattle Library, Ask A Librarian – Mary at Lake View Cemetery – Nils Solsvik a Find-A-Grave volunteer – and to James Tanner at Genealogy Star who prompted me to take a second look at the Family Search Pilot Program! Also, to Randy Seaver, who so kindly included me in his “Best of the Best” posts for mentioning my story.

I continue my search for Jennette in hopes that I can make some connection with her family. Always hoping that someone may know more of the secret life of Gustave Bebensee.

I hope that I will be able to share more with you all in the near future.

Quest of a Genea-Holic - Part 3

I am a genea-holic! Are you? Those that are will fully understand the concept of the “happy dance of joy”. Those of us who search for our ancestors know the joy of at last locating the missing link – that one piece of information that ties our entire family history together. Sometimes we find that we share DNA with extraordinary people who have accomplished great deeds – but for most of us we find people who worked hard, loved their families and just made the best of life that they could. It's exciting when we find out our great great great grandpa was the mayor or that our great great grandma was a suffragette. But, sometimes the joy can be bitter-sweet.

As I filled out the search boxes on the Family Search website I honestly did not expect anything to come up. Years of filling in the same information –“ Gustav Bebensee – born 1863 – Germany – Died ? - emigrated 1898” with no results made me skeptical that there would be anything new. For I had fully convinced myself that aliens had abducted him. My computer was running a tad slow that day so while it loaded the information I ran downstairs to get a cup of coffee. When I came back the information had loaded and as I sat down, coffee cup in hand, I saw what my eyes could not believe. I started shaking so that the coffee in my cup nearly drowned my keyboard. Oh my gosh can it be?! I thought about taking some Valium, my heart was pounding, and I could feel the adrenalin rush through my veins. OK, I thought calm down – figure this out – don't get ahead of yourself. (ya right!)

So slowly I read through the information:

Gustave Bebensee
Washington Death Certificates – 1907-1960
Death Date: 07 Dec 1914
Seattle, King, Washington
Male
51 years 3 months 14 days
Birth year: 1863
Married – Jennette Bebensee

I was sure this was at least the same Gustave that appeared on the 1910 California Census. It took me a little bit to figure out if the birthday matched – geeeze - how many days in November, October and September are there? Ok, I'll admit it – I had to look it up. Oh my – that worked out to August 23, 1863 – my great grandpa was born on that date. I thought maybe I was just making it worked so I called my brother in Ohio and asked him to calculate it – he came up with the same. After looking up the Washington State Board of Health and finding out that they charge $32.00 for a death certificate, which I thought was extreme, I was a little hesitant about the cost. At long last to be so close and yet needing that document to let $32 stand in the way seemed kind of dumb – but what if I get it and it's not him - $32 is a lot to pay for some other Gustave. It only took a little nudge from my Mom though and I ordered it. Within 4 days I had the document in hand. I'm 99.9% positive that this is my great grandfather. There are a few elements that are missing that would really cinch it – his parents names are not on the document, apparently his wife, Jennette, either did not know or it was omitted.

You would think after so many years and generations of search that I would be doing the happy dance of joy in hip-hop style – to be the one that finally tracked this man down should be reason to shout it from the roof top – but for me it was bitter-sweet. An overwhelming feeling of grief came over me and I felt an unexplained pain settle into my heart. The news meant that he didn't die some tragic death in an earthquake. It did mean that he chose to start a new life – one that did not include his children. My thoughts went to my grandfather, his son, whose dancing blue eyes filled with tears as a boy, longing with all his heart to be reunited with his father who he loved so. I'm glad he didn't know – so glad he didn't know the truth................

But wait - there's more - join me as my quest for information continues..........

Quest of a Genea-Holic - Part 2

My grandpa Bebensee had sparkling blue eyes that seemed to dance when he smiled, but, if he was riled they could pierce through you like a knife. You towed the line with Grandpa – no messing around – now that's not to say you couldn't have fun, but, you better not cause trouble or there would be a price to pay. Grandpa loved to sing, I can still see him standing there singing “Oh, I wish I were single again – for my pockets would jingle....” and he would reach in his front pocket and shake it so the change would jingle. So long ago now and yet it could be just yesterday because the memory is so clear in my mind. Grandpa grew up near Hamburg, Germany – he was a city boy. I imagine when he emigrated in 1906 to the flat open state of Nebraska it was quiet the cultural shock.

My grandfather was just 7 years old when his father and older brother emigrated to the US in 1898. In a letter written in 1899 by my grandfather and his mother to his brother it tells of the how painful it was not to have his father there with them (see my post of December – to read the letter http://terri-thetiesthatbind.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-letter-to-nebraska-1899-from.html). The only memory of his father passed on were stories of how his father would take him to the docks in Hamburg to see the big ships that came in and out of the harbor. So in 1994 when I traveled with my parents to Germany it was a must see for my Mom who wanted to see what he so vividly remembered and told her about as a young girl. The docks and locks in Hamburg are an impressive site and I imagine in the early 1890's that it was just as impressive, especially to a little boy.

I think most of us have a grandiose idea of who our ancestors were, that they were honorable and noble people. With the disappearance of my great grandfather in 1906 it was assumed, since the last known residence was in San Francisco, that he must have died in the great earthquake disaster. Something just ate at me about this assumption and I began a quest for some record – anything that would prove that he was there. Searching through every website I could find on this disaster led me nowhere. One site claims only 500 people died in the earthquake. Other's say it's in the 1000's that died, not only from the earthquake itself but from the after effects such as fires, disease and shock. I've also read that the city tried to cover up how bad it really was because they were afraid people would not come there any more. I've searched through all the available hospital records and hotel registers that are available online. Nothing on Gustave Bebensee. Now I realize there were probably a lot of people that died that had no identification and that the conditions were such that possibly there were inconsistencies in the records. But, I just felt he had to have friends or people that he worked with that would report him missing or that would send a letter to the family of his demise – there was nothing.

As I mentioned before I never neglect to look for three particular individuals when I search any genealogy site – my great grandparents the Bebensee's and my grandfathers sister Greta. To my surprise one day up pops the 1910 census with a Gustav Bebensee living in Los Angeles, California. Could it be I thought? I was kind of shaking as I read the information. The age was about right -he was German and emigrated in 1898 – oh my gosh that matches too. But it could still just be a coincidence. I'm sure there could be other Gustave Bebensee's out there – however, when I read the occupation “decorator” - which was what my great grandfather had trained for in Germany and that was his occupation as an adult – I really felt this could be him. Right down to my bones I suspected it was him.

Now if the census had said his occupation was something more common, like farmer, I might have dismissed it, but, decorator – come on – really could there be so many coincidences?
The surprise on the census was that there was a wife listed – Jennette Bebensee – and it stated they had been married for 5 years. That would put their marriage around 1905 -hmmmmm??

As I shared the information with other family members I got a variety of responses. From “hmmmm” to an absolute “No it can't be him – he would not have deserted his children!”. I on the other hand was not so sure. Of course I'd like to believe that he would not have deserted his children, but really what did we know about him? Only a little boy's memory of how much he loved his father who would take him to the docks to see the big ships. My great grandfather was a relatively young man when he came to the US – just 35 and an entire world away from Germany. It stands to reason that he could be attracted to someone else and choose to start a new life. In my heart I wasn't so sure that I wanted it to be him either, because that would change my whole way of thinking about him.

Until a couple weeks ago this was the only record I had found that indicated it could be him. Then as I was doing my usual blog reading of up-dated posts I read on James Tanner's, Genealogy Star, that the Family Search had updated records for California. As I clicked on the link I hoped that possibly there would now be new information on Gustave. I had hoped I would again find him on the 1920 California census report, but, he was not on the census. What I did find though, after all these years, left me stunned and unsure of whether I really wanted to know what I now knew.............

Join me again when I will share what I found that has brought me to tears and yet.........

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Lena Johanna (Buss) Evers

Confirmation Picture - 1906

April 12, 1892 - January 13, 1971

We Love and Miss you Grandma!

Original photograph -
(all photographs are privately held - do not use without permission (restoration 3/2009) - Thank you!

Quest of a Genea-holic - Part 1

I'm a genea-holic! Are you?





You can determine if you are a genea-holic very simply - these are the known symptoms:

If there's a burning in the pit of your stomach, an ache in your heart and if the mystery of that elusive ancestor engulfs your every thought – then you are a genea-holic! We genea-holics search every available genealogy record we can find. A census report provides a map of clues into the life of our intended quest. We dig through court records, newspapers, periodicals, county history books and oh yes we even travel into the graveyards where ghost's and goblins hide. We read and reread old letters to search out any morsel of information we can find or have missed. Like a book you can't put down – we swear just one more chapter and we'll go to bed. But then we run across a tidbit that looks promising so we dig, dig, dig until that little glimmer of hope burns out and the trail again runs cold. So we slump off to bed – tired, exhausted and disappointed. We try to sleep but our mind keeps circling – round and round – trying to capture that keyword that we are overlooking. I am a genea-holic and I search for my ancestors that refuse to be found. But know this - I am persistent! – I will find you – if not today – then tomorrow.

I have been fortunate to have multiple success stories in my search for my ancestors. Many I credit to the kindness of strangers who offer help through message boards. Some finds have just been luck, the right keyword and unexpected finds. I've been fortunate to find entire family links that I wasn't even looking for. But, through all my successes and the thrill of finding those elusive ancestors, I still walk away disappointed because in my quest I have been unable to locate the three people that have initiated most of my finds. Don't get me wrong - I'm ecstatic to have found my great great great grandparents and cousins I didn't know existed – but................ There is something different about these three people for me – I have such a longing to know what became of them and their families. It tugs at my heart strings and puts my mind on overload trying to find the right path to go down. Sometimes I think the world must have just swallowed them up or possibly an alien ship came down and whisked them away. Surely somewhere there is a record that indicates they existed?

Gustave Bebensee was born in Wandsbek, Germany, a suburb of Hamburg, on August 23, 1863, he married my great grandmother, Maria C. A. Sievers in 1888 in Wandsbek and they had 4 children together. In 1898 my great grandfather and his eldest son, Hans, emigrated to the US. They then traveled to Elk Creek, Nebraska where his sister, Emma, lived. Gustave left his 10 year old son with her and traveled west to find work – to my knowledge he never returned and I do not know if he communicated with his son after that.

Over the last 108 years various members of my family, some long gone now, have searched for my great grandfather. His last known residence was San Francisco in 1906. To the best of my knowledge the last word from him was when he sent money to my grandfather in Germany to help pay his passage to emigrate. The plan, as I understand it, was to meet my grandfather in Chicago where they would then travel by train to Elk Creek, Nebraska. My great grandfather never arrived – was he killed in the disaster of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake? For years my great aunt Emma tried to find him and there has been someone in every generation since that has looked for him.

I joined the search years ago when I wrote to the California Vital Records Department to search for a death certificate - I had them search a 20 year range (1906-1926)– to no avail. I contacted the San Francisco Historical Society – nothing. I've searched through numerous 1906 earthquake websites – nothing. Then about 2-3 years ago I stumbled across the 1910 California census report for Los Angeles, California.

Join me again as I tell of my remarkable find. A find that not only made me do the happy dance of joy but also brought sadness.............

A Noble Live - Smile For The Camera - 12th Edition

The word prompt for the 12th Edition of Smile For The Camera is A Noble Life. Show us a photograph of an ancestor, relative, or friend that is the embodiment of A Noble Life. A life that is worthy of those who came before and those who follow after. A Life filled with small but courageous acts; filled with love and honor. A simple life, an ordinary life, A Noble Life. Bring them to the carnival and share with us how you've honored them. Admission is free with every photograph!

F/O Willis F. Evers

1920-1943

My submission for the 12th Edition of Smile For the Camera - A Noble Life is of my Uncle Willis Evers - I hope you will take time to read my submission for "The Carnival of Genealogy - Uncle-Uncle" - under my title of "Going Home - The Unexpected - Parts 1-10" - that tells his story.