Sunday Search: Speaking For My Ancestors

A few weeks ago I was at a business event in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia. While I did notice the construction being done on I-95 in that area I didn't take notice beyond the fact that the resulting traffic and detours delayed my arrival at the venue. However, after a conversation I had this week, there is certainly greater significance for me concerning that highway expansion project. It all started with a simple email that I received through my Ancestry.com account.

As it turns out, as part of this project they are conducting extensive archaeological excavations around the area that will be impacted by the build out. Again, being that I am not too familiar with that section of the city, I was unaware of this research being done. And while they slowly sift through the layers of history they are also digging into the records for each of the impacted properties. Well, to my surprise, my family turned up during this examination of historical documents.

The connection and the basis of the query which I received was because of Adah Mary Worth, my great great grandmother on my mother’s side, being listed in the 1870 census. At the time she was living in the Mullin household and the researcher was curious as to the connection she had with the family. He had been consulting both my public tree on ancestry.com and had been reading a few of the relevant posts on my blog to try and figure things out himself but, in the end, still needed to connect with me in order to put the pieces together. Well, after a long conversation where we each shared what we have been able to uncover, the resulting story was rather interesting.

As I have written about previously, Adah’s father, Jacob Worth, was killed in action during the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864. Adah’s two siblings passed away at around the same time leaving her as the only remaining child. By the 1870 census, Adah’s mother, Mary Eppright, had remarried to a man named William Mullin, a widower with a young daughter of his own from his first marriage (to Mary Pote). The duplication of Mary’s is what originally confused the research but we were able to verify everything shortly after our conversation. This new merged family lived in the area in question.

Adding further intrigue was the fact that Mary Eppright was born in Haverford, lived in Roxborough while married to Jacob Worth, moved to Fishtown with William Mullin, and, once again a widow, moved back to Roxborough soon after Adah met John Uttley who was a Philadelphia Police Officer in the 5^th Ward (Roxborough). This answered the researcher’s additional question of why only Mary Mullin and Adah Worth are found living in Roxborough in the 1880 census (Adah and John Uttley married in 1881).

So, as it turns out, my family touches on more neighborhoods in the Philadelphia area than I originally thought and, once again, the census has proven to be a valuable tool in filling in some of the interesting colors and shades of some of the leaves in the family tree. And now I am interested in learning more about the archaeology being done in a few of the Philadelphia neighborhoods… some of the initial information can already be found at diggingi95.com. While by no means the primary reason for devoting the time and energy to researching the various lines in my family tree, this has been a crystal clear example of the impact that our work can have on others. Furthermore, by trying to find out as much as we can about our ancestors, it puts us in a better position to give them a voice in situations such as this. There are few feelings and situations more rewarding than that.

Firearms Friday: Membership Considerations

Anyone in the firearms community is familiar with the breadth of options when it comes to various firearms and second amendment groups and associations. For many of us, we hold multiple memberships in various groups at any given time and we receive regular correspondences from the others asking for donations and dues. This is one area where we have to be mindful of the total costs of these memberships and we must weigh the options both of becoming members and what kind of membership do we want to have in these various groups.

The first group with which everyone is familiar is the National Rifle Association (NRA). This is essentially your foundation on which I believe all your other memberships and donations should be structured around. The dues that we pay go toward supporting the rights that we all enjoy and the financial commitment, regardless of level, should be considered a necessary expense. However, from the basic annual membership there are other levels including life, endowment, benefactor, patron, golden eagles, etc. This determination is something that each member has to figure out for their self but, for me, I have found that becoming an endowment member has allowed me to focus on some of the other organizations while not having to worry about the annual commitment.

Once the foundation is in place other organizations can be explored such as Gun Owners of America (GOA), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Citizens Committee for the Right To Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JFPO), and many other national and local organizations. Keep in mind that many of these and other groups are far more aggressive than the NRA and you should take a look at each before determining whether or not you wish to support them and their message. And, once again, when you have made your decision you must also determine what level of support to which you wish to commit.

My level of support varies from organization to organization depending on both the messaging and the financial commitment that each requires for membership. In some instances, I have chosen life memberships over the annual option as it made financial sense. In other cases, there were some overly aggressive messages that I couldn’t fully back with the extra finances so I either kept my membership at the lowest level or ceased supporting them altogether. In the end, it is a balance that is up to the individual but definitely a process that needs to be considered by every supporter of the second amendment. After all, without the work being done to protect the second amendment, your rights will slowly become nothing more than a memory.

Last Notice Of The Year

For the first time in months I am actually on schedule… the final notice of the year is done and ready to be mailed. This is usually the hardest message for me to write or at least it has been these past two years as there is limited space to both reflect on the previous year while also looking forward to the following year. Of course, it also wouldn’t be an end of the year message if I didn’t include another appeal to pay dues.

The past year has been a bit trying but we managed to get through it and now we are entering the new year with a clean slate. Actually, with an almost completely new slate as I will be one of the few staying in my elected office. While there were times over the past twelve months when I questioned whether I even wanted to run for reelection it all came down to living up to the promise I made to myself and others to see this to the end. We are at a point of turning things around at the lodge. While we may fishtail a bit at times, we are still moving in the right direction.

It is with this at the forefront of my mind that I wrote my final message of the year to the brethren. It consisted of wrapping up the events for the year as well as a warm welcome to the incoming officers. While I will in some regards miss the routine that I have enjoyed over the past couple of years under the current leadership, I am also looking forward to the changes on the horizon and getting to know some of the other brothers a little better. This is one of the benefits of being Secretary that only those who have held the office can truly appreciate… you really get to know the people with whom you work and the bond that you have with them is something that is shared, for a brief moment in time, among the officers.

Having missed the final meeting of 2014 due to a medical emergency, I am interested to observe the transition first hand. My first time as a sitting officer and only my second time as a mason. And during this upcoming meeting I am looking forward to seeing the faces of those taking office for the first time. I remember the feeling well and I will never forget it. It truly is a time to remember and an experience that I look to share with some newly elected brothers.

Early Morning Phone Calls

 

Still groggy from my unfulfilling sleep last night, I woke up this morning moving a little slower than usual and not completely processing everything efficiently. By eight o’clock I was getting ready to get out the door when the phone rang. I noticed that it was maintenance and, knowing exactly what it was about, I let it go to voicemail. I will pick up my apartment key when I get home after work.

Five minutes later my phone rang again (I really have to remember to turn the volume off at night). My initial thought was that maintenance was calling again so I slowly made my way to the annoying noise and looked at the screen. Well, it wasn’t maintenance and it wasn’t a number I recognized. I figured it was probably a really ballsy solicitor so I let it ring through, put my phone in my pocket, and walked out the door. Thirty seconds later my phone vibrated again. I guess they weren’t selling something. Whoever it was left a message so I pulled my phone out and hit play.

I was originally skeptical when I heard the recorded message and even more so when I was asked to call back the number. It just seems like a scam when you get an automated call telling you that there might be a fraudulent purchase on your credit card. So, I quickly looked up the number on the internet and it seemed like it was a legitimate call. Still wary of the number in the message, I pulled out my credit card and called the number on the back.

Well, turns out that someone decided to put an $85 purchase on my Cabela’s credit card on the Sports Authority website at around midnight last night. I know that it wasn’t me because I don’t shop at that store and my Cabela’s credit card has been paid off for months now. Needless to say, I immediately denied the charge and had the number deactivated. Thankfully, the transfer to a different account (closing of the old one and opening a new one) is taken care of in house and is not reported to the credit bureau keeping my credit score intact.

So, that was not a fun start to my day but at least Cabela’s gave me a call and let me know of the suspicious charge. While it is not a lot of money to some people it is still $85 out of my pocket and it was also only the very beginning. So, thank you Cabela’s for making sure that this is taken care of properly. While your prices may be high, your customer service/support is pretty darn good.