July 31

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

David Thomas Spayde 1933-2013

David was the son of Georgianna Thomas and Paul Spayde.

I don't have any adult pictures of Georgianna -- unless she is among the group of unidentified photos from the Thomas side of the family, which is highly likely. There is an unidentified young girl in many of them.

Georgianna Thomas was the daughter of Roy and Mabel Thomas.

Roy was the older brother of my grandfather Bill Thomas. 

(Roy was 18 years old when Grandpa was born, and there was an older brother Clarence. There was a 9 year gap between Clarence and the next child, Effie. I actually didn't know about these two oldest brothers when I was growing up. I was only aware of the four younger siblings. My grandfather was the youngest of the six.) 

So Georgianna would have been my father's first cousin, and David was her son.

David Thomas Spayde's obituary:

David Thomas "Sam" Spayde, age 80, passed away on November 15, 2013 at Spectrum Health, Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids. He grew up in Paw Paw, MI. After graduating from Paw Paw High School, he received a Bachelor of Science and Masters Degrees from Western Michigan University. He was active in Tau Kappa Epsilon, Men's Judicial Board, and R.O.T.C. He served in the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant in 1958. In 1959, he began a 32-year teaching career at Kelloggsville School System in Wyoming, MI. Spending summers at the family cottage in Bay View (Petoskey), he was Director of the Bay View Recreation Club. He was an active member of Second Congregational United Church of Christ for over 50 years. He was always quick with a joke or a cheerful word. He had the ability to celebrate triumphs over his everyday health challenges. His sense of humor was legendary. He had a great love for his family and friends. Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Mary Blandford Spayde, and his daughters, Betsey Spayde of Grand Rapids and Carolyn (Kurt) Krahulik of Lansing. He was proud of his grandchildren, Rachel and Mitchell Krahulik. Also surviving are his brother, Richard Paul Spayde and sisters-in-law, Jane Spayde, Laura Higgins and Carla Blandford. He loved his nieces and nephews. The family thanks Dr. Gary Humphries, for his extra special care throughout many years. In lieu of flowers, please consider gifts to Second Congregation Church UCC, Bay View Association, or the Blandford Nature Center. Visitation will be Thursday, November 21 at Second Congregation Church from 6:30-8 PM. Celebration of Life at the church located at 525 Cheshire Dr. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505 at 11 AM on Friday, November 22, 2013.

July 30

 MEMORIAL...

Edward Gus Heinze 1923-2004

Ed Heinze was the husband of Ruth Till. Ruth was the daughter of my grandmother's (Christie Treat Thomas) sister Madge Treat Till. I don't have a lot of memories of Ruth and Ed Heinze, although I did know them and they lived nearby. When I was a child, theirs was one of those one-word names that families tend to develop -- "Ruthaneddie" -- (or is it just me?)

Ruth and Ed Heinze had two children:

Edward Gus II ("Little Eddie"), and Rita Rae.

Photo: Rita Heinze Butler and her daughter Lori Butler.

Photo: Lori Butler and husband Jason Miller

I don't have any pictures of little Eddie except a group photo that was taken on John and Mabel Treat's 25th wedding anniversary.

In this photo, little Eddie is 4th from left, being held by Ruth's father Leonard Till. Ruth is holding Rita, and Ed is standing behind her. Ruth's mother, Madge, is on the far left.

Here's a photo of Ed Heinze's obituary:

July 29

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Johnny Cleo Carter 1942-1993

Johnny Cleo Carter was the son of  Elmer Cleo Carter and Lorene Smith Carter.

Elmer Cleo Carter was the son of John Martin Carter and Amy Tamsett Carter

John Martin Carter was the son of Ned Jonas Carter and Nancy Jane Evans

That's as far back as our Carter family history has been traced.

Johnny Cleo Carter married Barbara Cortney. I don't have any photos of her, and don't know anything at all about her. (Can't help but wonder, though, if she is the person Johnny's head is leaning against that was cut out of the photo of him above. It's the only picture I have of him.)

John and Barbara had three children:

Venetta Lynn, born 1967

Darla Fay, born 1968

Johnny Lee, born 1970

Darla Fay Carter died the day after she was born. The only thing I know about the other children is this, from Glynda Fay Carter Tucker --

"Johnny Cleo Carter's children were adopted by relatives. Johnny Lee was adopted by Johnny's sister Edna and Darrel Foster. Venetta Lynn was adopted by grandmother Lorene Carter Brewer."

I have no idea why those children were adopted out to family members. 

Johnny Cleo Carter died in 1993 at age 50, and is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Floral, Arkansas, with most of our other relatives from the Carter/Arnold branch of the family tree.

July 28

 Okay, first off, I have to mention that it is the birthday of Peleg George Thomas 1769. Just because I think pee-leg is a funny name. It's a Bible name, granted, but it's still funny. And there are 2 or 3 of them in our Thomas family lineage. Also, the name George -- almost every one of our male Thomas ancestors has George for a first or middle name. The rest are either Charles or William. I'm not kidding. They were not very creative with names -- unlike the Carter/Arnold branch of the family tree in which there are names you've never heard of before or since! (Case in point... Zella...)

Now, the real post...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO....

Zella Irene Hicks married Golden 'Doc' Barnett on 28 July 1934

Irene was one of the five sisters of my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford. Another sister, Ruby, married Doc's brother Arvil 'Jack' Barnett.

Photo: Jack & Ruby, Irene & Doc

Doc and Irene had four daughters: Velma Lee, Melba June, Betty Ruth, Barbara Irene ('Bobbie Rene')

Doc and Irene celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 1974:

As far as I know, they lived in Campbell, Missouri, all the years of their marriage.

 Doc Barnett died in 1982 at age 67.

Irene died in 2002, age 87.

July 27

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Eileen Delores Rice Thomas 1929

Eileen is the wife of my dad's brother Bernarde Thomas.

Bernarde and Eileen have 3 sons, Mick, Greg, and Kim

This photo is from Eileen's 90th birthday, two years ago:

L to R: Kim, Mick, Greg

Photo L to R: Mick, Eileen, Mick's wife Marilyn, Kim's wife Cindy, Kim, Greg's wife Dawn, Greg.

And now, there are a multitude of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grands.

Photo: Some -- but not all -- of the Thomas family gathered for Eileen's birthday. 

In Van Buren County, Michigan... the woods is full of 'em!

July 26

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

Vicki Lynn Hills 1951

Vicki is the daughter of Geraldine 'Jerry' Thomas and Burt Hills.

This was one of my unidentified family photos. But then someone on the Bangor FB page told me it was Jerry and Burt Hills. On their wedding day, maybe? That would have been 1946.

Jerry was the daughter of Roger and Jean Thomas. Roger was my grandfather's brother.

Jerry and Burt had two children, Susan and Vicki

July 25

 MEMORIAL...

Leona Canzada Bullard Hamby Cross died 1961, age 81

I have run across a lot of family photographs of people that are unknown to me. I try to research and figure out exactly how they are related. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I don't. This photo is about 2 inches square, glued to a piece of cardboard, and there are a few others done the same way, with names written on the back. 

The name Hamby doesn't occur anywhere else in our family records, so I honestly don't even remember how I managed to start looking for this lady. But I finally was able to trace her to the Bullard family. And from the Bullard family to the Tamsett family. The Bullards and the Tamsetts are laced into the Arnold/Carter family in several different ways. (I just find this stuff fascinating. Maybe not everyone would enjoy this kind of detective work, but I love it. If you don't enjoy it, you should probably stop reading right here, 'cause this is gonna get twisted.)

Leona Hamby was the daughter of George Bullard and his first wife Josephine Tamsett.

This is not one of our family photos, but one I found on the Find-A-Grave website. This is George Bullard and Josephine Tamsett Bullard with their daughter Leona Canzada Bullard. Leona married William Limuel Phalamil Hamby. I had some pictures of a boy named Mell Hamby. Turns out he was Leona's son.

And then there are these...

Photos: Albert Tamsett, Tessie Bullard, Euna Hamby

These pictures are also tiny, glued to cardboard, with names written on the back. But who in the world are they? Well, turns out they are all related to one another, and somehow related to our family. You see, George Bullard and his sister Peggy are the people who raised my great-great-grandfather John Henry Arnold. He was their nephew -- the son of their sister Emma Bullard, whose husband (somebody Arnold) had left her. That's how the Bullards became part of the family. After George and Peggy got John Henry raised, they both married. Twice. George married Josephine Tamsett. You may remember the name Tamsett from some other posts. George Arnold married Jessie Tamsett, and John Carter married her sister Amy Tamsett. Jessie and Amy were the daughters of Sarah Tamsett -- the midwife who delivered my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford. Sarah was married to Jackson Tamsett, and Jackson had a sister named Josephine, and that's who married George Bullard. Leona Hamby is their daughter. 

Mell Hamby was Leona's son. I still don't know for sure who Euna Hamby is. Eventually, I found out that Albert Tamsett was a brother to Aunt Jessie and Aunt Amy.

You with me so far? 

Well, George Bullard had a second wife. (I don't know what happened to Josephine. I guess she died.) Her name was Mary Alice Moorehead Robinson. She had two sons by her first husband, and then she and George had two daughters -- Tessie and Georgia Alice.

Photo: George and Mary Bullard, Levi and Herbert Robinson, Tessie Bullard. (And doll...?) 

Georgia Alice was born in 1912, which I assume would be after this picture was taken.

Well, there's more, but I think I'll stop here. My brain hurts.

July 24

 Oh, boy! Today I get to embarrass my cousin Ron Burford (aka Little Ronnie) by showing you all the pictures I have of him when he was a little kid.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RONALD GENE BURFORD, JR. 

July 24, 1972

Ronald Gene Burford, Sr. was my mother's youngest brother. He died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident when Little Ronnie was not quite 8 years old.

I had just graduated from high school when Ronnie was born, so I didn't get to see much of him growing up. But as far as I can tell he has turned out to be just as fine a man as his father was. And that is high praise, indeed.

Happy birthday, miracle boy.💗

July 23

 Okay, now to today's REAL post...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Otho Simeon Ford 1907-1980

This little guy has a kind of fascinating story. Here's what it says in the family history my dad wrote -- 

Here is a photo of Otho Simeon Ford's mother, Edith Abbie Stuller.

Apparently, she kept in touch with him throughout his life, because Otho's daughter (Della) seems to know where she was and what she was doing, and has her obit and funeral card.

Here is the Charles Ford family:

Charles, Cleo, Otho Simeon, Otho Horace, Effie Harvey Ford

Here are pictures of Otho and his wife Fiina

And here's a picture of Otho Horace Ford and Otho Simeon Ford