It was Just a Matter of Time...

On my meandering drive through Ohio back in September .., I stopped at the Strickland Cemetery in Vermillion Township, Ashland County where Jonathan and Elizabeth Hazlett are buried. They may be my 5th great-grandparents. I haven't been able to prove the connection yet but they are really the only candidates that I've found thus far. I'll have more on them in a future post.



A previous visit to the cemetery in October 1999 had resulted in rather poor non-digital photographs of their gravestones, which appeared to be very worn and not very legible. Pouring a little water on the stones brought out the engravings somewhat – enough to verify the transcriptions that had been previously published.



Since I had been to the cemetery before, I knew that their gravestones faced west and timed my visit so that the sun would be in an advantageous position. But I got there a little too soon.





The photo above was taken at 11:39 am. The inscriptions are barely noticeable. The stone on the left is for Elizabeth and the one on the right is for Jonathan. Since time was not an issue, and it was a beautiful day, I walked around the cemetery a bit then fixed a sandwich and had lunch while waiting for the sun to move a little further west.





Taken at 12:15 pm, the inscription on Elizabeth's stone is starting to appear.



I was amazed when, 18 minutes later (at 12:33 pm) the inscriptions were completely visible and could easily be read. All it took was some time and a little patience...





ELIZABETHWife ofJONATHAN HAZLETTDIEDMarch 3, 1848Aged 86 Years



JONATHAN HAZLETTDIEDSept. 16, 1853AGED82 Ys. 1 Mo. 1 D.

Photographs were taken September 18, .. at Strickland Cemetery in Vermillion Township, Ashland County, Ohio.



Did you notice anything unusual with the inscriptions?



Elizabeth appears to have been about nine years older than Jonathan!

Wordless Wednesday - Icelandic Sunset

Near Keflavik, Iceland. Summer of 1973.Copyright © 1973/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Children of Lysander and Lydia Robison Joslin

See the post "Lysander and Lydia Robison Joslin" for background information on the family.

Anna Eliza Joslin was born on 08 Nov 1844 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 28 Jul 1885 in Jefferson County, Iowa and was buried in McDowell Cemetery in Jefferson County, Iowa. She married William Klingaman on 12 Oct 1865 in Whitley County, Indiana and had three children:

1. Charles Sherman Klingaman (1867-1955)
2. Olen Valerus Klingaman (1869-1951)
3. Frank Ellsworth Klingaman (1872-1950)

Mary Jane Joslin was born on 20 Jul 1846 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 20 Mar 1850 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Elsy Ellen Joslin was born on 05 Aug 1847 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 09 Mar 1850 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Lillia, Elcy, Esther, and Mary Joslin lie next to their great-grandfather, Bela Goodrich, in Adams Cemetery, Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Malissa Mariah Joslin was born on 24 Jun 1849 in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana, died on 30 Sep 1937 in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in South Park Cemetery in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana. She married William Brubaker on 20 Apr 1871 in Whitley County, Indiana. They had two children.

1. Charles Romain Brubaker (1871-1945 my great grandfather, still need to write about him!)
2. Maurice Hale Brubaker (1886-1910)

Luther Marion Joslin was born on 02 Jan 1852 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 18 May 1930 in Turkey Ridge, Pulaski County, Missouri and was buried in Colley Hollow Cemetery in Turkey Ridge, Pulaski County, Missouri. He married Phoebe Dorcas Elliott on 02 Mar 1876 in Whitley County, Indiana. Luther and Phoebe lived in Illinois, Kansas and Iowa as well as homesteading in South Dakota before moving to Missouri in the late 1920s. They had five children.

1. Ole Elsworth Joslin (1876- ?)
2. David Judson Joslin (1878-1880)
3. Flora Evelyn Joslin (1884-1983)
4. Virgil Newton Joslin (1891-1959)
5. Phoebe Dorcas Joslin Kutz (1893-1977)

Roxie Arminta Joslin was born on 04 Apr 1853 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 05 Mar 1941 in Cardin, Ottawa County, Oklahoma and was buried in Baxter Springs Cemetery in Cherokee County, Kansas. She married Jacob Henry Parkison on 30 May 1874 in Whitley County, Indiana. Jacob was a half-brother of William Brubaker who married Roxie's sister, Malissa. Roxie and Jacob had nine children.

1. Wilbert Henry "Bert" Parkison (1874-1932)
2. George Thomas Parkison II (1876-1958)
3. Ida Maude Parkison Frazier (1878-1959)
4. Otis Garfield Parkison (1880-1925)
5. Andrew Franklin Parkison (1883-1910)
6. William Sherman Parkison (1885-1927)
7. Valetta Arminta "Letty" Parkison Strahan (1887-1946)
8. Benjamin Earl Parkison (1890-1962)
9. Gladys Roxie "Babe" Parkison Elder (1892-1982)

John Lafayette Joslin was born on 30 Nov 1855 in Whitley County, Indiana. He is listed with Lysander and Lydia in the 1870 federal census in Whitley County. The last record of John is in the family bible where it shows that he married "Mattie" on September 29, 1890. One family researcher indicates that John "went to California" but no further information is given and we haven't been able to locate him.

Esther Joslin was born on 03 Sep 1857 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 05 Nov 1858 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Minerva Fatima Joslin was born on 07 Jan 1859 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 12 May 1905 in Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas and was buried in Old Cemetery in Iola, Allen County, Kansas. She married William John Knight on 16 Mar 1876 in Whitley County, Indiana.

1. Merlin Andrew Knight (1878- ?)
2. Nellie Gertrude Knight Sutton (1879-1947)
3. Hale Vernon Knight (1897-1947)

Andrew Hanable Joslin was born on 30 May 1860 in Whitley County, Indiana and died in 1921 in Arkansas. He married Elmina Viola "Minnie" Himes on 01 Jun 1891 in Elkhart, Morton County, Kansas. They had five children.

1. Lottie Mina Joslin Smith (1892 -1954)
2. Frank Andrew Joslin (1896- ? between 1920-1930)
3. Joseph Earl Joslin (1900-1976)
4. George Dimmick Joslin (1902-1993)
5. Rose Joslin Vickery (1908-still living in ..)

Lillian Arvilla Joslin was born on 20 Apr 1862 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 20 Sep 1863 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Ida Blanch Joslin was born on 11 Jul 1863 in Whitley County, Indiana and died on 04 Mar 1937 in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. Ida was married to John G. Dressler on 20 Jul 1882 in Barton County, Kansas but by 1900 they had divorced. Ida later married Sam Lewis and lived in Kansas City. Ida had three children:

1. Charles Joslin (1879- ?)
2. Elnora Dressler (1883 - ? Gravemarker with no date in Mt. Washington Cemetery, Kansas City/Independence, Jackson County, Missouri)
3. Joseph Dressler (1885-1961) moved to Torrance County, New Mexico before 1920.

Mandellie "Della" Joslin was born on 09 Dec 1866 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 07 Feb 1943 in Hartsville Township, Darlington County, South Carolina and was buried in Fountain Inn Municipal Cemetery in Fountain Inn, Greenville County, South Carolina. She married James Downey " J. D." Quillen on 30 Jul 1884 in Barton County, Kansas. They lived is several counties in Kansas as well as Kitsap County, Washington before moving to Fountain Inn, South Carolina to live near their son Robert Quillen. Della and J. D. had five children.

1. Leroy "Roy" Quillen (1885-1917) It is not known where Roy died. He married Ana Wahl and they had a daughter Lorna, born in Lewis County, Washington 1907.
2. Robert Quillen (1887-1948) His full name was Verni Robert, but he was always known as Robert.
3. Lydia Elizabeth "Betty" Quillen Deason (1893-1983)
4. Marjorie Quillen (1903-1903)
5. Della Lucile Quillen Agnew (1909-..)

Elmer Joslin was born on 04 Jun 1868 in Jefferson County, Iowa and died on 30 Jun 1868 in Jefferson County, Iowa.

Elmus Robison Joslin was born on 04 Jun 1868 in Fairfield Township, Jefferson County, Iowa, died on 11 Aug 1928 in Helena, Lewis & Clark County, Montana and was buried in Highland Cemetery in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana. Elmus sometimes went by the name of Elmer. He married Catherine "Kattie" Kelly on 16 May 1892 in Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado. They had three children.

1. Fred Elmus "Freddie" Joslin (1893-1924)
2. Harry Lester Joslin (1894-1956)
3. Frank Allen "Frankie" Joslin (1897-1962)

Upper Tahquamenon Falls

The “showcase” of Tahquamenon Falls is the Upper Falls, which is about four miles upstream from the Lower Falls. It is larger and more dramatic – it has a drop of 50 feet and is more than 200 feet wide.





But first, I had to slip this in...A “fact shack” has a nice display of information about the falls and an impressive display recognizing the comeback of the gray wolf. I was hypnotized by the stare of this fellow – stuffed and amazingly life-like.



Paved trails from the parking lot lead to the Upper Falls, so it is an easy walk. Several viewing areas along the way provide a good look at the falls.





At the end of the trail is a staircase with 94 (or maybe it was 84, whatever, it was a lot) steps that have to be taken down (and back up). But it's worth the effort to get a close-up view of the magnificent falls.











Returning to the top of the steps and following the path back, I noticed a second pathway that continued south and down to the gorge. At the end I was faced with another staircase - this one of 118 steps - that went down to the river. I hoped that the view would be worth the effort – the temperature was 80 degrees and the humidity was probably 98% - it had rained in the morning.



The views did indeed provide a different perspective of the falls...







It was awesome, in spite of the gloomy, gray, rainy day. Lucky for me, on this day the rain stopped mid-day. Photos were taken on Tuesday August 2nd.

Up the Mountain

It was a beautiful, winding drive up the mountain to the Ridge that even included a tunnel. (Jan's head in the mirror.) There were wonderful vistas off in the distance each time we went around another bend in the road, that we would stop and look at. There were trees everywhere, sometimes obscuring the views. We even saw a mama deer and her fawn. The fawn is in this shot with a moutain behind it.

Ed Cooper on Deltaform!

Many of the current generation of climbers may not know the name. But you should! Ed Cooper was climbing things years ago that many of us still aspire to today. He was likely there first either taking pictures or climbing some thing that most have not seen in North America yet unless you have gotten off the beaten track. FromDenali andEl Cap in the 50s to the "black hole" on the other side of the Canadian Icefields in the '60s. I am honored to present Ed's commentsand photos of Deltaform here on the blog. What a treasure, enjoy!





Interview with Ed here:

http://www.7photographyquestions.com//01/p35-show-notes-for-mountain-photography----an-interview-with.html

His website is here:http://www.edcooper.com/mountains1.html

Make sure you dbl click on the wonderful photos!

Ed's comments,

"I wouldn't describe Deltaform Mountain as an especially beautiful or aesthetic peak, but it is certainly an awesome mountain with a raw savage feel to it. It makes a great photographic study. Attached are several views of it, some with nearby peaks.They were all taken with a 4x5 view camera except for the view from the top of Mt. Lefroy, which was taken with a 2 ¼ x2 ¼ square folding camera. Low-res images are

included here, but the original scans are close to 300 megabytes each, enough to blow the images up to 30x40 inches and still maintain 300 dpi. Considerable restorative work was required on all the images, as over time the colors had faded, and fungal spots had appeared on the film emulsion."





"The north face has made my anti-bucket list; that is, I've added it to places I would rather not be. I have recalled two interesting anecdotes about this area."







"About the time the images taken in 1971, there was a fatal accident in the couloirs between Peaks 2 & 3 of the Valley of Ten Peaks. A climber was killed by a falling rock careening down the couloirs while he was ascending toward the Neil Cogan Hut located between Peaks 2 & 3. Sometime later, I happened to run across a climber that I knew, and he was very surprised to see me. He said, "I thought you were killed in the Valley of Ten Peaks area". It turns out that the climber that was killed had the last name of Cooper."







"The photo taken from the top of Mt. Lefroy has an interesting history behind it. It was the only time in my life that I have had a powerful premonition about a climb. This was a period in my life where I was exploring my inner self, with periods of intense meditation. In Augustof 1971, I met up with and joined a group of 5 other climbers to climb Mt. Lefroy.



We approached the Abbot Pass Hut via the "Death Trap". The next morning we headed out and traversed out below Mt. Lefroy, The unofficial leader of the group pointed up a snow slope that led directly to the summit with no interruption by rocks. He indicated that that was the route.



One look at it and I had an immediate foreboding and knew that I couldn't go that way. I expressed my feeling to the group, and one of them agreed to go with me up another route, close to rocks, to the right of the other climbers.



As we proceeded upward, we noticed snow conditions deteriorating rapidly due to the warm sun. Snow was starting to slough off and slide. We stayed as close to the rocks as possible and actually climbed on them where feasible. It was during this time that we heard some commotion and shouts off to our left, where the other climbers were. Once we had reached a perch where we could look to the left, we saw the other

four climbers near the base of the climb. It was obvious they had been caught in an avalanche.



There was nothing we could do at this point, as it was too dangerous to descend even the route we were ascending. At least two of the climbers were moving around, so we knew that they, at least, would be able to get back to the hut at Abbot Pass and call for help.



To make a long story short, we reached the summit (where I took the picture) and then proceeded eastward over unknown terrain to find our way down. We weren't prepared to follow a new route, and we wound up traversing many ledges below cliff faces in an attempt to get back to the hut. We had to rappel a few times. At some point we were aware of helicopter noise, which came in to rescue the most severely injured of the climbers.



We arrived back at the hut just as darkness was closing in, thankful that we had chosen a different route!"

Metal Pot

A metal pot or vase inside the Patio Market with the fountain in the background.

My Plan to Prepare for Disaster

After writing the post Are You Prepared? I'm Not a couple of weeks ago, I've decided to take my own advice and have begun devising a plan to tackle some of those issues. But something else came up this morning that added to the mix. Apple's post Uncertain Future brings up some things that I hadn't really thought about. So, what happens to all this stuff in the future, after I'm gone or incapable of living on my own? Wouldn't it be disastrous if it were all destroyed or lost? Looks like another plan needs to be made, or at the least, added to my list.

I'm posting this list for all to see so that perhaps it will give me some incentive. Time spent on these tasks will, obviously, take away time that might otherwise been spent on research or other more "fun" things, but these are things that really require some attention! With that said, I've identified what I think needs to be done, though I may have forgotten a thing or two. Now I have to prioritize these tasks and start working on them!

1. Inventory Household. Take pictures of stuff. Give a copy to someone else to keep in a safe place.

2. Go through all of the boxes (about 30) in the garage. Dispose of what I don't want (sell, give away or trash, if necessary). Inventory items in each box that is kept.

3. Investigate the various services available for scanning photographs. Do they scan the pictures themselves or send them elsewhere? What is the turnaround time, cost, etc. The Genealogy Insider had a post on Batch Photo Scanning Services in October that I've used as the starting point for my investigation. I have negatives for nearly all of the pictures I've taken, so the negatives could be scanned or printed if the pictures were lost in this process. It would be costly, but not disastrous if something were to happen to these prints.

4. Scan Mom's pictures that are in magnetic album pages. Put those pictures into new archival albums. These don't have negatives so they won't be sent out for scanning.

5. Review and reorganize genealogy files (20+ years worth). They look organized, yes? But appearances can be deceiving. I need to put all information for my ancestors into their own file. Currently my files are organized by record type by location. When entered into Legacy a file number is given to each item so it can quickly be retrieved for reference. However, if something should happen to me, no one else would know which documents are specific to which families. Thus, these files need to be reorganized. I also need to confirm that the data has been entered into Legacy.



6. Scan the documents pertaining specifically to ancestors.

7. Finish scanning the old family photographs that I got from Dad (way back in 1992).

8. Create a CD or DVD to distribute the digital picture and document files to my brothers and cousins and anyone else interested in them.

9. Reorganize the files on my computer so that if something happened to me the "important" files would be easier to access, i.e. not buried in several layers of folders. Similar to my paper files, the organization of my digital files make sense to me but could be confusing to others.

10. Post my genealogy databases online. The Bray-Wiseman data is on WorldConnect but none of my other family data is available in an online database. The databases require some clean-up before they can be posted.

11. Be more conscientious about backing up the data on my computer.

12. Try to come up with an answer to the question: "What happens to all this stuff in the future, after I'm gone or incapable of living on my own?"

Tombstone Tuesday :: Maud Wise Yontz

Scott-Keister Cemetery, Etna-Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana
MAUD WISE / YONTZ / 1877 - 1953
Maud Catherine Wise Brubaker Yontz was my great grandmother. She was the daughter of William Pythagrus and Sophia Dunfee Wise. Her first husband, Charles Romain Brubaker, is my great grandfather. Her second husband was Joseph F. Yontz.

Tuffee & Yucca

Tuffee is on our side of the fence but I was on my neighbors side taking the photo.

Photographing clouds over Speckled Trout Lake

A couple of shotsfrom last weekend in Northern Minnesota. We had gone out paddling on a local lake mostly to look for Loons (of which we did find two) but also just to get out on the water and hopefully get some nice pictures. As sunset approached we were treated to some very nice clouds which reflected quite nicely on the super-calm waters of the lake.

Honey Cyclocross: Sweetly Different

Aside from their obvious use for cyclocross racing, 'cross bikes can be a good choice for unpaved riding - something I've been apparently doing more and more of in recent weeks. So I wanted to try one and compare the experience to the 650B road-to-trail type bikes I've been riding thus far. Ride Studio Cafe's manager Patria offered her personal steed - a women-specific, true cyclocross racing machine from Honey Bikes. Patria and I are similar in height and we use the same pedal system, which makes it very convenient for me to try her bikes. One day when she wasn't riding it, I took the Honey out for a spin.






A small local manufacturer, Honey Bikes are a sister (or cousin?) company to Seven Cycles, specialising in modestly priced, handmade steel bikes.The Honey brand is not promoted aggressively, and the aesthetics are low key.Models include road, race, cyclocross, mountain, tandem and commuter bikes - each available in sizes configured for men and women, with size-specific tubing. The bikes are sold fully built-up with a selection of component groups and stock colours, priced starting at $2,000. These are not custom bicycles and the comparatively reasonable prices are achieved by sticking to stock configurations. However, the choices for those configurations are extensive - particularly the wide range of sizes. Thecyclocross model is available in 12 sizes, ranging from 49.5cm to 62cm, measured by the top tube.






Patria's bike is a 52.5cm according to the Honey sizing system. The toptube slopes 8°, exposing quite a bit of seatpost despite my rather unaggressive bar to saddle height ratio (Normally the saddle is set up a tad higher than shown here).






There is no toe overlap for me on this bike despite the 700C x 35mm knobby tires and short top tube.






The frame has a nice flow to it and is cleanly finished; the welded joints appear seamless under the paint. For those in the know, the curvy stays and sculptural dropouts are tell-tale signs of the relationship to Seven.






The body-colour stem and all-black components give a sense of unity and flow to the overall look of the bike.






One interesting feature that is typical of cyclocross bikes, is the cable routing.All three cables - the shifter cables and the rear brake cable - are routed along the top of the top tube.






This is done so that cyclocross racers can carry their bikes more comfortably, and so that the shifter cables (normally underneath the downtube) do not get covered in mud.






Also typical of cyclocross bikes are canti-lever brakes. These Tektro cantis worked adequately for me, though I still have not found brakes that work excellently on wide tire bikes.







The carbon fiber fork is made for Honey Bikes specifically, with canti bosses.






Lots of clearance for wide tires here, I believe 40mm being the maximum width.






The tires on the bike when I rode it were Schwalbe Racing Ralph 35mm.






The SRAM Rival drivetrain and levers were new to me, but it did not take long to figure out the double-tap shifting. I can use SRAM brake levers much better than Shimano, though I still prefer the Campagnolo on my own bike.






I rode the Honey on a local dirt trail, then on the road, then finally in circles on a grass lot before returning it to its owner. It was not a long ride - maybe 12 miles total.The ride quality over rough roads was smooth and the bicycle felt pleasantly floaty. At the same time, the wide tires were amazingly stable, and I fondly recalled the reassuring go-anywhere feeling of knobbies from my teenage years. However, that is where the sense of familiarity ended. Having ridden a Surly Cross-Check before, I thought that I knew what to expect from a cyclocross bike, but this was a different animal. As far as the handling, the novelty factor dominated my impression. The weight distribution was not what I was used to, and the bike felt somehow simultaneously more relaxed and more aggressive than the roadbikes I've gotten to know. I found myself standing up more than usual, and in general it was as if the bike wanted me to ride it differently than I normally ride. What I remember thinking was: "I can tell this bike is meant for something specific. But it's not meant for me." Still, the test ride was enjoyable precisely because of the novelty factor and the challenge of understanding the handling. I felt comfortable and reasonably confident on the bicycle, yet aware that it was designed for someone with a different riding style than mine.




Unlike me, the bike's owner actually races cyclocross. She finds the handling spot on, as do other cross racers who've tried it. The Honey is certainly worth considering for those looking for a racing bike just in time for the cyclocross season.






As far as general road-to-trail type riding for the rest of us... Well, in theory the Honey Cyclocross is suitable for that as well. I noticed that the gearing on the stock drivetrains is somewhat high, so you may need to tweak that. But features such as the wide tire clearances with no TCO, the canti/v-brake bosses, the variety of sizing options, and the lightweight components, are very appropriate. As described earlier, I would say the handling is rather particular; you may want to test ride the bike first. But that is exactly what I would say about low-trail 650B bikes, whose handling feels intuitive to me but strange to others.




For a US-made frame with an elegant contemporary aesthetic and mid-tier components, the price point of the Honey is certainly appealing. I am curious about their other models, and in particular find myself wanting to try the mountain bike. Those knobby tires have really put ideas in my head. Many thanks to Patria for lending me her Honey Bike! Full set of pictures here.

Trompe L'Oeil Lugwork

Having mentioned the idea of doing this as a joke some time ago, imagine my delight when I saw it in the wild: trompe l'oeil lugwork! Standing in the parlor of local pickelleur (randonneuring Dill Pickle bag maker) Emily O'Brien, when I first saw the bike across the room the illusion looked quite real. I figured it was an old beater frame, with the lugs spray painted to contrast the tubes. Then I got closer and realised the lugs looked unusually flat, and finally it hit me: They'd been cut out of tape and wrapped around the welded frame joints.






And lest you think this project is only about the fabulous looks, it does have practical merit: The tape is reflective. Just imagine the beautiful lugs glowing in the dark... A fun DIY idea to spruce up a boring frame in any event.








Apparently I am not the only one to have been fooled from a distance, as cyclists stop Emily all the time to ask about the interesting bike, usually assuming it is something vintage and Italian. Any guess as to what this bike is? Hint 1: It's a ubiquitous modern steel bike. Hint 2: The fork crown is lugged for real.