The history of the Gallagher's as I remember them... Part 1

Well, that is another nine months gone, as anyone still reading here can tell. I have stopped updating my genealogy blog. I haven't had time to write about all my adventures or misadventures for a while. Between school, work, and marriage, there was a thin line between sleep and staying up to blog. Then life hit. You know how it is. You are going along, working, living. Then a bunch of things happen all at once. Before you know it, you've been posting on your blog for nine months. 

So, that's why I'm here? Maybe. Has my life slowed down since I finished my genealogy studies at BYU-Idaho? Or is it because life has slowed down (definitely not). Or I'd like to leave my thoughts, cares, and prayers in a space other than Facebook. That's it. My hand-written journaling has also been slacking, so don't be jealous of actual pen and paper. 

Regarding genealogy, there are no significant finds, wall-breaking epiphanies, or groundbreaking records released on FamilySearch or Ancestry😞. However... This is my third senior service mission in the North American Operations of BYU at FamilySearch. In this capacity, I am assisting with the "chat" options to help people like you figure out their family tree, fix mistakes, and merge records that have been duplicated more than twice, I've seen up to six times so far. Also, guiding and introducing people to the basics of research. I am enjoying it so far. 

This is the third mission I have served for FamilySearch. I enjoy serving people by helping them find their family members. So I decided, and with prompting from the Holy Spirit, I applied for my 2nd tour and have been serving since June 2025.   

Something else I'd like to do is revisit Utah and see the Granite Vault (click link), built in the foothills of the mountains surrounding the Salt Lake Valley. However, there is no public access, but nonetheless, it would be cool to see. In the fall, it's too hot (now) to hike a mountain to see something you can't enter. 

Are you still doing genealogy?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is more complicated. It used to be that I logged on to FamilySearch, Ancestry, and my genealogy email multiple times a day. However, when school ended, I slowed down, really slow. Plus, with the uptick in prices in the economy, many people have put genealogy on the back burner. In my research, it appears there haven't been any significant finds, wall-breaking epiphanies, or any groundbreaking records released on FamilySearch or Ancestry. That is, since the 1950 census records 

When Charles Edward Gallagher was born on 11 September 1912 in Brooklyn, New York, his father, Edward, was 39, and his mother, Margaret, was 32. He married Florence Helen Harvey on 20 June 1941, in New York City, New York. They had eight children during their marriage. He died on 12 February 1985, in his hometown at the age of 72.
When I found my late grandfather's obituary, everything matched what I had on FamilySearch and Ancestry, except for one thing: "his late wife," Florence Harvey Gallagher. 1

The thing is, she wasn't deceased in 1985; when Florence Helen Harvey was born on 9 February 1923 in New York City, New York, her father, George, was 33, and her mother, Florence, was 23. She married Charles Edward Gallagher, and they had eight children together.
Then they divorced because of my grandfather's alcoholism and other destructive behavior. There were many times my Sister, who was five years younger than I, would look for grandpa, and the bartender would ask us to bring him home because he was passed out on the floor or on the bar. I'd have to call my dad and tell him where we were. When my father took the train home (which wasn't for free), he got to grandpa's stoop, because we couldn't lift him to walk four flights of marble stairs. Dad hollered at Grandpa as if he were a child. Drinking was and is a family-destroying habit. I felt horrible for Grandpa.


My Sister was contacted by Florence's son, John, from her 2nd marriage to Johan Dagfin Lindland Hansen, who was born on 3 September 1977 in Brooklyn, New York, and found out why Florence left, and how the children were split up to save them from going to orphanages. The two oldest boys stayed with Grandpa, while everyone else stayed with family members from Canada. One son went to an orphanage, and another son was mentally incapacitated, and he was in a hospital until he turned eighteen. Then he has lived in a personal care home since. Alcoholism is hard on everyone in the family, not just the person who is drinking, but even the baby in the family.


Florence died on 16 October 1995, in Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 72

Nervous Nelly...

 As most of you know, I have been attending BYU-Idaho (online classes), working towards a bachelor's degree in History with a minor in Family History. I've finished all the required courses for History, which has earned me a bachelor's degree; however, since my Family History degree is more detailed, I am graduating in the Spring of 2023. 

In my final semester ( this fall), I am taking Directed Geographic Speciality - the dreaded 499R or what is referred to as the Capstone and submitting the project I am working on to ICAPGEN for my accreditation and to earn the Accredited Genealogist status. 

The guidelines for the Four-Generation project in the class are the same as the ICAPGEN Four-Generation Project. However, I do not have to add the documents to the report I am submitting to the professor, but I have to submit them to ICAPGEN after my semester. I am downloading all the pertinent documents and transferring them into a separate PDF document. 

Why so astringent? The purpose of the ICAPGen Four-Generation Project is to test an applicant's ability to conduct research based on a well-defined objective and report all research findings, analysis of evidence, and conclusions based on that evidence, as if to a client. In this report, both for my capstone and for ICAPGEN, I have to properly apply the following relevant context to the research objective:

• Historical
• Geographical 
• Legal 
• Methodological 
• Social 

The second level is a written test that tests document interpretation and general questions on the knowledge of history, geography, methodology, records, etc. It also includes questions specific to the chosen region. 

The third level includes one section of the written exam, which tests skills in data analysis, research planning, methodology, and report writing and concludes with an oral review. 

I have chosen the Southeastern region, and the family I have chosen is my ex-husband's maternal line, the Arrington family.

 

Why you may ask? When my ex-husband and I were married, I found his maternal family to be the epitome of the American family.  His grandmother (granny) told me the story of three brothers who immigrated from England and settled on the Isle of Wight, Virginia. I thought about how the family faced obstacles immigrating from England to the Americas. Then migrating years later from Virginia to Georgia. While this story always stuck out in my mind, I took it with a grain of salt; because she was ninety-two years old at the time. However, through the 20+ years, the three brothers remained elusive. I did come to the conclusion that I would never find the truth. 

However, recently as if there was help from the other side of the veil, a book titled "Arrington Pathway Home" by Rick Arrington appeared in my searches. When reading the chapters on the Isle of Wight, Va, Arthur Arrington's name appeared; however, I discounted it because it did not fit in the ancestral naming pattern.[1] But as I continued to read, the names Willliam, Benjamin, Sarah, and John Arrington surfaced. These were names that repeat within four family generations. The family naming pattern still continues to this modern day.  

While it will be a lot of work, I am hopeful that I will ace my last semester! But, I regress I am still a nervous nelly. 

Above is a photo I took at Aunt Mary Ellen's (center in pink) birthday party. From left to right, Berry Arrington, John Arrington, Mary Ellen Templeton (Arrington), Marion (Bud) Arrington, Mildred Ashby (Arrington), and Daniel Arrington. 

[1] Arrington, Rick. 2018. Arrington Pathways Home. Berwyn Heights, Md.: Heritage Books. Pg 479-484. 

Between Semesters..

 Time goes by so quickly. The last time I posted was in 2020. Now I only have one Spring quarter remaining before I graduate with a bachelor's in History, minoring in Family History/genealogy.   

Since my last posting, much has happened in my personal life, married life, and business life. In my personal life, everything has been going really well. I'm working on my second flower garden and a vegetable garden. Last year we had a beautiful vegetable garden.

We had corn (yellow and white shoepeg), tomatoes (grape, cherry, early girl, beefsteak slicing), green peppers, cucumbers (for eating and making pickles), cabbage (my husbands favorite), yellow crookneck squash (my favorite), green beans (bush), white acre peas, purple hull peas, basil, oregano, marigolds (pest repellent), echinacea and sunflowers, long beans, watermelon, and sweet potatoes! 

My wonderful husband made the A-frames for the cucumbers and green beans. It was a 15 X 15 garden space; we put everything we could into that garden (blood, sweat, and dirty faces). Even though you can see the sweet potatoes, they are there. They grew under the A-frame in the back and spread their vines all over the garden. In October, after our beach vacation, we dug up the patch. We ended up having over thirty pounds of sweet potatoes, including two handfuls of slips for the 2022 growing season. 

In our flower garden, I was still learning what would grow, what the ground didn't like, or was that what the flower didn't like? But with any of the flowers that did make it, they sure did make beautiful arrangements! 

This year 2022, we've doubled our little garden space to 30 X 30, which is 900 sq feet! I've got so many vegetables planned for this year, including what we had last year! The addition to this year's garden is asparagus, broccoli, sweet yellow onion, red onion, beets, and a couple of varieties of lettuce. This year's tomato varieties will also include my husband's favorite cherry tomatoes and several other more extensive types of hybrid tomatoes. 

We packed (canned) and froze so many vegetables last year. We are still eating our green beans, green peppers, and white acre peas; only a few sweet potatoes are left. We primarily used the sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and New Year in casseroles. So this year, we are doubling our potato patch by moving it to the side of the driveway. Making every space either have flowers or vegetables. 

We also gave several canned vegetables, heads of cabbage and bags, and bags of green beans and green peppers away. So, this year we will be doing the same. 

In my business life, I am finally accepting clients. Two semesters ago, I completed decorating my home office and finally hung my certificate. 

My personal business summary: 

Wendy has lived in various locations throughout the United States, with Georgia currently being her home. She has given lectures at various conferences throughout the south has done webinars and zoom meetings that are available online. Wendy devotes much of her time to the field of genealogy and presently has over 20 years of experience in genealogy. She is continuing her education by attending BYU-Idaho online, completing her bachelor's in History and Family History as her minor. Her final plans are to reunite children with their birth parent(s) from analyzing DNA; eventually working with law enforcement forensics team.

As a self-starter, she has always taken the lead in any job position and demonstrated a solid work ethic. She is experienced with consulting as a marketing manager. She is skilled in negotiation, customer service, coaching, mentoring, sales in retail, and de-escalation. She is proficiently skilled with Microsoft platforms such as excel, word, publisher, PowerPoint, and outlook. Also experienced in Linux, Red Hat, and Apple Software. She can work with a team or with minimal supervision and begin projects independently. On the hunt has always been in Wendy's blood, and the love of finding family is Wendy's passion. 

Blog: yesterdayslineage.com

Email: yesterdayslineage@gmail.com

Keeping up with the Joneses Pt 1 of 12

I haven't forgotten this blog, just things have taken more precedence, mainly school. But I was emailed recently asking why I haven't been blogging lately. Well, family history is why! It takes some time to compile names, photos and most of all making sure all the sources are correct before I go to publishing on the great ole interweb. So, without further ado... Keeping up with the Joneses

Dating the ages of the Rock Springs School class photo

• The picture was most likely taken in 1894, maybe 1893.

Three Jones brothers are standing together in the back row. Beginning with Charles,(2nd from left), age 11 or 12, next to him is older brother Samuel, age 15 or 16, and then Albert, about age 10 or 11...

Sister Esther was three years older than Sam making her about 19 at the time of the picture. If she is there I sense that she might be fourth from the right in the back row due only to the shape of her face which is mindful of her older sister Mary Lou reflected in a later family photo. If I have the photo dated but one year earlier, 1893, then Esther would have been 18 and probably still in school.

The two girls cropped near the center of the picture are most likely Martha Elizabeth, about age 8, on the left with sister Pearl, about age 6, next to her. This is only an educated guess since the two have dresses of the same patterned material meaning they are most likely from the same family and the age difference of the two is about right in the photo. I see a strong resemblance to Pearl and somewhat less in the face of Martha.

Grady, Eula, and Ruth would have been younger than six and most likely not in school at all. However, the front row has some rather young children present so it is possible that some of the younger family members were present. I can't recognize any strong facial features within the younger children, however. Ruth was born the year of this picture, 1894, Grady would have been about 4 years old and Eula about 2 years. It is possible that Grady may be present but I am doubtful at this point. If I were to hazard a guess if any, Grady might be fifth from the left in the front row but I really have no confidence in that at all.