Class of 1960 commencement program – A.J. Kent High School
I just started the module for my Boston University coursework which discusses evidence and how to evaluate it. Part of the unit will also provide a foundation for making and creating citations. To be a legitimate genealogist, one must use professional standards. This includes citing sources. I have long been frustrated with the amateur family researcher who posts their family tree on Ancestry and then neglects to document their sources. I usually have to take a deep breath and remember that everyone starts somewhere. My frustration rarely leaves my own house or keyboard and I quietly move on to more credible information. Professionals do not wake up one morning and suddenly become so. Genealogy, like so many other fields, is a process. Everyone brings their own unique skill set to the table, whether one is a novice or a well-educated master. A truly professional genealogist recognizes this. Instead of getting frustrated or rude and berating a newcomer, a professional would help and assist the beginner to better their skills and gently suggest better ways of doing things. But I digress. I wanted to talk about indirect evidence.
Through the letters, I am reading about several of my father’s childhood friends and classmates. Donald E. Funk was born a few weeks before my father. They were members of the same high school graduating class. Today’s letter mentions the birth of a baby girl, the daughter of John Sullivan. This girl was born at Watseka Hospital. There were two hospitals that were “close” to Kentland, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana, and Watseka Hospital in Watseka, Illinois. My grandfather sent his patients to both hospitals. Watseka was slightly closer. It was directly west from Kentland, along the present day route US 24.
Now, I have no direct evidence (so far) as to who this baby girl Sullivan was. I do know that she was born during September 1942 which would make her the same relative age as my father. I don’t have access to the 1950 census nor to school records or yearbooks. What I do have is the program from the A.J. Kent High School Class of 1960 Baccalaureate Service. There were 25 students in the class of 1960. One was my father, another was Donald Funk. Among the class list is one Eleanor Darlene Sullivan. So I would submit, based on this piece of indirect evidence, that the baby girl Sullivan born in September 1942 was most likely Eleanor Sullivan.
-
- September 10, 1942 (GRY) Envelope front
-
- September 10, 1942 (GRY) Envelope back – Notice it took 5 days to get to San Francisco from Kentland
-
- September 10, 1942, p. 1
-
- September 10, 1942 (GRY), p. 2-3
-
- September 10, 1942, p. 4
Letter transcription:
Kentland Ind
Sept 10-1942
Dear Daddy-
Well I am downstairs today-the first time in two weeks. I think I’ll be able to stay up now until I go to St. E. (I hope). The shots must be helping me. I am a little tired from moving around but I think I’ll gain strength right along.
Mother rec’d a letter from Dolores this morning. She didn’t get to move to Maryland but is in a new office location that overlooks the Potomac. I hadn’t written her all summer so I wrote her a long letter this morning. This is about
[page2] all I feel like doing.
I had a card from Arleen yesterday. She is coming home tomorrow and says she is feeling good. Bobby & Jimmy are out playing together this morning in front of Statons. The little Zell girl doesn’t play with them. Her mother keeps her home.
I sent your mother a belated birthday gift and card yesterday. I wrote her last week but haven’t heard from her this week yet. I hope she gets her package today.
I rec’d a notice for the auto ins. So will have to pay it tomorrow-and I hate that – 42⁰⁰
[page 3] now that I am up again I want to send out some statements-seems everyone has just forgotten all about what they owe us.
It is still raining almost every day and the grass is still having to be cut every week. It certainly has been a “bugaboo” for the boys. I think this time last year they had quit mowing. My flowers are still blooming profusely. The petunias around the evergreens in front of the house have spread all over the ground. It is about time for this tree in front to be replaced. They may not come around but I am going to mind them. They have to replace two for Link, and the one in Foulkes front yard too. That large blue spruce Bill had put in looks like
[page 4]it won’t make it either.
I see in the paper the John Sullivans have a baby girl-at the Watseka hospital. I looked through the paper for other news items but didn’t see anything that would interest you.
Had a card from Dorothy Parr. Said Harlan is in school from 8 till 4:30. He will be in Indpls until Christmas, then she doesn’t know where he will be.
Christmas-Mark is beginning to plan for gifts now. He is wondering what he will get and give. I told him to wait a while. He is beginning to campaign for a bike. I suppose I’ll get him one if I can.
I feel a little drowsy from all my correspondence, so will try to take a little nap.
Love Mother
Just two weeks until I’m born! Glad to know mother is feeling better.
So much familiar territory in this letter, e.g., Watseka, I heard that name a lot growing up.
“My flowers are still blooming profusely.” I especially remember the flowers in the yard, on the east side of the house the lilies of the valley, in the back yard the big heavy peonies, and the brightly colored snap dragons.
This made me laugh: “Christmas-Mark is beginning to plan for gifts now. He is wondering what he will get and give. I told him to wait a while. He is beginning to campaign for a bike.” I remember that I had to campaign for stuff too, for example, a transistor radio that was not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes. I got it too! (and, you know, I may still have it somewhere! …it was such a treasured item, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to throw it away). And I remember also the day that my bike came into the Sears Store (though not a Christmas gift). I remember when mother (for father?) got the call, I ran all the way to the store. When I was growing up the Christmas tree was in the living room, on the opposite side of the room from the French doors.
Concerning the importance of sources: totally crucial. You can’t write history without contemporary documents/sources. Otherwise you’re dealing with hearsay, speculation, rumor, guesses…some or all of which may contain historical truth–but it’s impossible to to nail down the facts. It’s a huge frustration in my field that people assume that documents written 30 or 40 or 50 years after the fact (the supposed fact) are trustworthy. NOT! You gotta have contemporary documents….and even those MUST be examined with a critical (or even skeptical) eye.
Note: top of page two, “say” should be “says” Bottom of page 3 “fron” should be “front”
I think it is great you are doing coursework at BU. do they have a certificate or credential of some kind? I am amazed you are able to keep up the pace with your letter transcribing. It takes me a long time to do one letter every couple of weeks!
I am just crazy that way! I have to do everything at once.
The Boston University research certificate program lasts 15 weeks. While you do receive a certificate at the end, it is not the same as being certificated through the Board of Certified Genealogists. The coursework is intended to prepare you for the certification process.
I am really enjoying the process of learning how to write reports and doing in depth analysis of records.
Well that’s really great you are doing that! I did a similar thing through BYU online and found that it pushed me to become a lot better, screaming and kicking the whole way
Someone who talks about correlating indirect evidence is way legit in my book, so keep up the good work!
Thank you! And thank you for following my blog!
At this point, quite often the only evidence we have is indirect or circumstantial. As long as we identify it as a “best guess”, I think that explains it.
I’ve had to do that with nany of the pictures I have. Some are over 100 years old and anyone who could identify the people in them are long gone.
For example, I have a picture of a teenaged boy, a teenaged girl who appears to be a couple of years younger and four older women, all sitting or standing around a setee or small sofa, I think. There were a lot of pictures of one particular woman and I know that my grandfather enjoyed taking pictures with his camera.
I know that after my grandfather’s father died in 1899, they were forced to live in more modest accommodations and that 3 Aunts came to live with them. The negative was found in the prayer book belonging to my grandfather’s grandmother.
I am presuming that this is a picture of my grandfather, his sister Elsie, 3 years younger, his mother and his 3 Aunts. There are quite a few pictures of one of the older ladies, and my guess is that she is my grandfather’s mother. It just seems logical that he would take a lot of pictures of his mother around the house. But I don’t know for sure.
Have to be honest, I don’t bother citing sources on Ancestry because I generally attach their records to my tree and not much else. Anybody who wants to know more can always ask. As long as they’re definitely connected to my family, I’m more than happy to help with copies of documents in the hope that they will reciprocate in some way!.
I have gotten very lazy with ancestry myself. I just attach the record too. But at least I have records attached. I see many files that have nothing or other trees as the only source.
Thanks for checking out my blog!
God bless anyone who is thinking of my Ancestry tree as gospel. I have been using Ancestry as just another tool for my genealogy work. I “park” information there and then do further research. I consider my paper files as the real tree.