Saturday, June 1, 2013

Journal Preservation with a Digital Camera or Scanner

Carl Cook's Journal beginning in 1911 was rebound in 1989

  While visiting my grandmother I started reading my great grandfather's journal and I did not want to put it down.

My great grandfather's life in 1911 was busy, filled with daily tasks.  He farmed grains and grew gardens.  He gathered wild berries for jams and pie.  Hunted for game and raised some cattle on their Wyoming homestead.
He helped tend his children when they were ill, built caskets for others and for his own children when they died.  One of their babies died of whooping cough.   
He attended to others needs as a Bishop and concerned neighbor.
He travelled for meetings.
He took care of his civic duties by encouraging others to vote by providing wagon rides to the polls.
He was a good hardworking man. 

Fostering genealogical interest in family members begins with the stories. 

Later his stomping grounds came closer to my current home.
He hunted and camped just off of my back door step where I roamed with my children during youth conference a few years ago.
He slept in his automobile in the canyon.
Then in 1943 his travels took him to Ogden to work at the Depot.
 
His journal entries were simple and brief in earlier entries, but as he got older his writing developed beyond quick daily happenings and entries that resemble a weather almanac. 
What a treasure!  His example is so helpful! 
His example encourages me to write even if my entry is only a line or two.

How could I give this back to my grandmother without making a copy to preserve it?

The pages can be viewed easily using a photo viewer on your computer.

 I set myself up rather simply.

 
My set up consisted of a large fluffy towel to support the book, a black lawn chair and a nice sunny day under our covered porch.  I got out fresh batteries and set to work.
I took about 360 images of the book.
In places where the ink was faded or the writing was small I took two images of the page, one upper and one lower.
The pictures can easily be viewed with a photo viewer program.
I have not cropped them or adjusted them at all, but that could be done if needed.
 

Now the journal is ready for transcription.

My goal is to transcribe the journal, but for now it is preserved.
I plan to share the journal with others in my family by copying the images onto disks.
What a blessing it is that he took the time each day to write a few words.
 

 
 

Pigs in the Garden

Did your mother teach you that it is best to avoid a fight if you can? 
Mine did.
Apparently my grandfather understood this too.

Share what you find.

It does not have to be complicated. 
Now that this is preserved I can share it simply by copying a disk or I can post it online to be shared.
Isn't technology wonderful!
 


Monday, June 11, 2012

Pictures of Hatton, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Washington Praire Cemetery - Jensen/Jenson Family Plot

Thank you so much to David and Sandy for taking a detour on their vacation to get these for me. It means a lot to me to have these.  I have wanted so much to visit this cemetery.  Thanks so much!

Washington Prairie Cemetery Grand Forks North Dakota
Anton and Sigrid Jensen with their children (from left to right) Hanna Marie, Omar Herman, Mae Alice, and between her parents Sigfrid.  Anton and Omar have grave markers in the Washington Prairie Cemetery along with Adolph who was lost as an infant.  I have telephone notes from a conversation with Hanna while she was living indicating there was an additional baby lost.  Her name was Annette.  I do not know where she is buried. 



Anton Ole Jensen 1865-1911
Omar Herman Jensen 1891-1911
Adolph C. Jensen 1899-1899  Son of Anton and Sigrid Jensen/Jenson Many babies were lost.
Ole Jenson 1826-1896 Father of Anton
I do not know how Ida ties in, but she is buried in the family plot.
Again, Kornelius surely ties in, but how? He died as a two year old.  Another little one lost to the unforgiving time.
My best guess is Marit was a woman.  But, I do not know.
Notice the difference in spelling.
Thank you to whomever maintains this beautiful cemetery!
And Thanks again to David and Sandy!
If you have information to share please comment below.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Jensen's buried in Hatton, Grand Forks, North Dakota at Washington Prairie Cemetery


Back row: Hanna M Jensen, Omar Jensen, Mae Jensen
Front row: Anton Jensen, Sigfrid Jensen, Sigrid Hansdatter Renaa Jensen

Inquiry-

I hope that someone recognizes these names.
I have wondered about the Jensen's buried Washington Prairie Cemetery  (Hatton North Dakota) for years now.  I know that *4 out of 7 of them belong to our family, but have not been able to connect the others in.  Surely they are my families kin.  If this should happen to come up when you are searching and you know something about them I would love to hear from you.

All of the following names are on https://new.familysearch.org .

*Jensen, Adolph C, b. 1899, d. 1899, s/w Kornelius & Ole
*Jensen, Anton, b. 1865, d. 1911, s/w Ida, Marit & Omar
 Jensen, Ida M, b. 1889, d. 1972, s/w Marit, Anton & Omar    
 Jensen, Kornelius, b. 1896, d. 1898, s/w Adolph & Ole           
 Jensen, Marit O, b. 1852, d. 1933, s/w Ida, Anton & Omar    
*Jensen, Ole, b. 1826, d. 1896, s/w Adolph & Kornelius
*Jensen, Omar H, b. 1891, 1911, s/w Ida, Anton & Marit

History-

    2nd from left: Omar Jensen

Omar Jensen 1891- 1911 Son of Anton and Sigrid Hansdatter Renna is in the above picture, second from the left. I assume the photo was taken while he was attending Luther College.  He drowned in a lake in Minnesota at the age of 20 after graduation.  His poor family lost their father the same year.  Later in 1932, the family was struck by death again when Sigfrid was killed in an auto-pedestrian accident.  She was crossing the street in Chicago while she was working, when she was hit.  She had graduated from college also.   
I feel for his poor mother.  She lost 2 babies early on, Adolph C. Jensen and Anette Jensen (we have no records about her) in addition to all of these losses.  I have shed tears of empathy more than once for this dear mother and her family.


Source Info.-

Cemetery Source: http://www.interment.net/data/us/nd/grandforks/wash_prairie/washington.htm
Cemetery Map Location: http://wikimapia.org/8635566/Washington-Prairie-Cemetery

Thank you for stopping!