Pyrex Cats and Reunions

Next week I am going to 1515 for our Galbreath Mitchell Reunion!

Yes 110 years.

I work hard ever year finding more descendants to keep it going.

Another reason I want to get home is see what I won at the auction!

I was in town and bid on these so I need to get back to get them.

I caught the box out of the corner of my eye, it said Pyrex!

I researched the box and figured out what it might be and YES

Golden Poinsetta, in original box, with holder and never used!

$25!

Also 2 pieces of American Fostoria

3 legged platter $6

Smaller cake stand

Are  you wondering how the boys are?

Busy

They went to their first Vet visit and they both purred the entire time, even when they got their shots.

So they went with us to 1515 for the 4th. They were so good.

Jasper 

Pounce

Came home to find them sleeping together

I think they like Daddy

I will be away from them all and of course

Greta too

But so looking forward to it!

Wednesday we are going to our family church and will be scanning the church records that go back to the 1840's. I want to help them get something together for the 100th Anniversary of the new churh which will be in 2017.

Thursday, meeting cousin Marty in Greenup for lunch, shopping and peaches at the Orchard

Friday, cleaning then dinner with those who have come into town at the local Rib place

Saturday, Genealogy Workshop and rededication of our family cemetery. And of course family picnic at 1515.

Sunday, 110th Reunion, wondering if anyone else has been going longer in the state if Illinois?

Some years we struggle but this year I have 37 confirmed for the Reunion.

In 1952 I found where they only had 30, so I guess we are doing ok.

1910

Our table will not be that full

but we will be blessed to be together once again.

My Grandmother looks so pretty, the young lady in front on the right.

I am sure she will be happy.

My genealogy role model Aunt Annie, her sister is just behind her on the rt.

I know she is happy that what she started in 1906 is still going strong!

Have a great week!

Ann

There May Be Something In Those Old Letters....

Do you have some old letters at your house?

Written to a deceased relative by another relative you don't know?

They probably do not mean a thing to you.

At the reunion I met a new cousin, Lois from Arizona.

She had never been to the reunion before, but her brother had been coming for several years.

It was a delight to get to know her.

Her Great Great Grandfather and My Great Great Grandmother were siblings.

When she got home she sent me a email.

"I found some letters Annie Galbreath had written to my Grandmother in the 1940's, 

would you like them?"

YES!!!

As you may know my Great Aunt Annie was the keeper of our history and my cousin has given me all her letters, pictures and diaries which we have been scanning.

Aunt Annie 

I am in awe of what she accomplished with just a pen and paper.

We know about our family today because of her.

And here is her 2nd cousin Frank and his wife Greta who she wrote to

these are Lois Grandparents

Lois told me I probably would not learn anything new? 

I was so excited I could not wait to read them.

They start in 1940 before the war, they end in 1945 when the boys are coming home.

It started as writing a letter to learn about family history.

But over the years it turned into a friendship.

They lived about 40 miles from each other but with war rationed gas it might as well of been 400 miles. But they did visit with each other in person.

What did I learn? A great deal. I learned when my Dad was drafted all he wrote about was how much he missed going to school. I did not know he wanted to go to the University of Illinois and would of if he had not gotten drafted in HS and left after graduation.

I also read about how they talked about information they got from another family member.

That person, I just met her Grandson at the reunion this year.

I found out that my family had been in touch with some family in Tennessee, going back to the 1780's.

They talked about the 1767 family bible. They talked about a distant cousin who died in Singapore when he was a Missionary, and that my Aunt had a oil painting of him? 

Where is it? She also had letters he wrote from Singapore in 1838 to the family.

He had written asking about a slave named Phyllis, remembering her under the Walnut tree.

I had someone from the University of Georgia contact me about Phyllis and I did a great deal of research and her there was information about her in a letter in 1941.

So Lois I am so glad you came to Illinois

and so glad you sent me those letters.

See there was something in those old letters.........

alot!

But even better some 70 years later we are all still together.

Family

It Never Hurts to Say "I love you"

It never hurts to say "I love you"

I always live by this, people may think I am sappy but I have never had to regret saying those words.

It was the last thing I said to my Dad, my Mom and my Grandparents.

I appreciate you all saying prayers for my cousin Bob and his wife Judy who were in a auto accident coming home from our family reunion in July.

I got to talk to Bob on Friday, I was so full of joy, he sounded so good, so humorous, so upbeat.

I told him I could do cartwheels I was so happy.

That was 3pm Friday

By Saturday he was gone............

he was playing his autoharp in rehab Friday night.

he was happy and hopeful.

My heart is broken

We loved working on genealogy brick walls together

He was VP of our Galbreath Mitchell Reunion

They are the most joyful energetic couple you would ever want to meet.

The have brought so much joy to my life and I will miss you so dear cousin.

Robert Glenn Mitchell

1943-2013

and yes the last thing I ever said to him was

"I love you"

A Sigh of Relief

Did you miss me?

Wonder where I have been?

The yearly Galbreath Reunion...#107

Last year I was so worried, only 18 came to our reunion.

I was so concerned that it was just myself and my cousin holding it together.

But this year was a complete turn around!

I planned a 3 day weekend.

We had people from Seattle, San Antonio, Maryland, Indiana, Iowa,

Colorado, AZ and all over Illinois

First day I got there the doorbell rang at 1515 and it was cousin Fran from Maryland.

We had lunch and then dinner with the twins and the Texas cousin and that was Thursday.

Friday my cousins from Indiana arrived and we in this new age text messaged everyone to come to lunch at our favorite new place.

meeting cousin Greg and wife Linda for the first time

You have to remember we are cousins through our 3rd or 4th Great Grandparents

Then some hanging out at 1515..love that

That night we did our annual Ribs at Roc's in Charleston

prior to my cousin David's book signing

18 of us! that was how many there were at the reunion last year!

cousin Gregg, Bob and Cleone meeting

Their Great Grandfathers were brother and as we found out

fought in the Civil War together.

Lois is from AZ, and I had never met her, she was so sweet.

And even though the twins are not related they came and joined us

because everyone wants to be related to them!

cousin David ready to do his book signing 

appreciate Bob Bertrand for opening his Pensees Bookshop for the signing

The next day was the workshop I had put together

but something happened along the way there......

I was rear ended!!

By the Assistant Regional Superintend of schools so I took the 

opportunity to discuss the Charleston Riot and the schools participation.

The policeman said that the superintend said I was the nicest person

he could ever of ran into.

So I was late for the event I was hosting by only 10 minutes.

But I was frazzled the rest of the day.

26 showed up for the Genealogy workshop!

I was so very happy

Our focus was our family during the Civil War

But the highlight was the appearance of the family bibles!

cousin Gregg touching the 1767 Mitchell Bible that was hidden

in the trunk under my 5th Great Grandmothers dress when then the 

British stormed the spring house they were hiding in during the Battle of Guildford Courthouse NC.

My 4th Great Grandfather's birth recorded in it 4th May 1774

Bob and Judy entertained us with Civil War music and music they have written

about our families adventures!

Some of us at 4pm went to the family cemetery

My 3rd Great Grandfather who served 7 years in the Revolutionary War

and whom we honor

some of us were enjoying the baby calf's

or they watching us!?

that night a impromptu dinner for 10 at 1515 we had a blast!

and July in Illinois means fresh corn, green beans and tomato's!

cousin David and the twins held court and we laughed at the stories they told.

It was a late evening

The next day was the official reunion day

at my Grandmother and Great Grandparents church

getting the meal together

I asked cousin Lynn "when did it happen that we now are the ones getting the meal together?" It is like a coming of age thing we decided

cousin Phil who was President for many years

Jerry talks to his Aunt Janet who brought a display of her husbands things.

He was my Dad's first cousin and a well known archaeologist and Professor at SIU

I did a display and the bibles were there that day too.

the tables were full!

and how many were there?

38!!!

I was so happy

Phil and dear cousin Fred have kept this going for so long.

We elected new officers and was so happy Phil's niece is the new president!

Bob and Judy played again and the Battle of Adam Mitchell they are going to put on You Tube!

We officially changed the reunion name to the 

Galbreath-Mitchell Reunion

I cried

I am such a sap

but I work so hard on this.

I ran cousins Bob and Judy out to St Omer cemetery

to see the orb tombstone of our distant cousin

they say one was a witch because her tombstone 

says she died Feb 31st.

I say she was the last to die and now one was there to point out the error

Time to say goodbyes

9 Descendants of my Great Grandparents

2013

1933 when our parents were children

my dad is in the overhauls

with our Great grandparents

or

cousin Fred is the only one from the 1938 picture in the picture now

he is the little boy on the rt front and in the now picture

back row lt

times change but the love remains

look at my sweet daddy hugging his sister on the left

I would think Adam Mitchell and William Galbreath are pretty proud of their

Scottish Clan