What's New?

During the past few months, I have been working on getting my database cleaned up. In particular, my sources and citations.  Elizabeth Shown Mills is THE expert on this subject in the genealogy field.  In my earlier days I tried using the templates in my resident software, Family Tree Maker. Then later, I discovered they weren't matching the correct Evidence Explained standard of Ms. Mills.  It is a time consuming venture, as I presently have over 550 source groups in my Steele-Rowell-Taylor-Witham database.

Then came the announcement from Ancestry.com last December that they would not be supporting my Family Tree Maker software any longer.  Mass panic ensued with thousands of people feeling they had been abandoned.  Then, about 2 months later, Ancestry announced that they had made a deal with Mackiev software company that would continue to support and update Family Tree Maker.  Many of us had followed another path with other database programs.  I had discovered Roots Magic which, in my opinion, has a very robust source module that followed Evidence Explained standards.  It would even build end notes, foot notes and bibliography notations for you. I also found that to link each fact or event to a source, the citation had to be retyped for each entry or person.  Family Tree Maker has a pop-up window which allows you to check off the facts that the source relates to.  Much faster.  Yesterday I installed a new source in Roots Magic and had to re-type it 39 times for the various people and events that were mentioned.  So, today I am going back to Family Tree Maker and continue my re-do of sources.  Roots Magic, for all it's depth is just too time consuming for my comfort level.

Deceased Military in My Family Tree ~ In Remembrance

Barkhouse, Norval  1943-1970; U.S. Navy, Machinery Repairman, 2^nd, Vietnam War.

Barkhouse, Phillip B. 1941-2002; U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War.

Boucher, Augustus  1923-2013; U.S. Army, WWII , 27^th Division, 102^nd Engineers.

Boucher, Joseph Thomas “Clete” 1913-2001; U.S Navy, WWII, USS Rutland.

Boudreau, Joseph Irving  1913 - ?, U.S. Army, WWII.

Boynton, David P.  1831-1863; Pvt., Co. B., 50^th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

Budrow, Edward Payne 1928-1997; US Navy, Seaman 1^st Class, WWI & U.S. Army, Cpl., Korea.

Cilley, Joseph 1734-1799; General, & State Senator, 1^st and 2^nd New Hampshire.

Corcoran, David Conners  1842-1916; U.S. Navy 1863-1864, Seaman.

Fortunado, Joseph  1916-1998; U.S. Navy, Hospital Medical Corpsman, WWII.

Francis, Wilfred Anthony  1914-1994; U.S. Army Air Force, WWII.

George, Reynard Alison  1914-1979; U.S. Army, WWII.

Mahoney, Francis Patrick  1923-2001; U.S. Army, WWII.

McClary, Michael  1752-1825; Captain at Bunker Hill, Burgoyne, Monmouth.

Morse, Herbert Boynton  1918-1964; U.S. Army, WWII, Corporal, Batt. A, 344^th Field Artillery.

Morse, John Robert  1920-1966; U.S. Army, WWII.

Palmer, Thomas H., M.D.  1924-2009, U.S. Navy, WWII, Korean Conflict.

Parkhurst, George  1844-1914; U.S. Army, Civil Way, Pvt., 50^th Massachusetts Infantry.

Parkhurst, Waldo Kenneth  1894-1920; U.S. Army, WWI, Sgt. 1^st Cl., Co. B. 101^st Engineers.

Pratt, Ralph Witham  1918-2004; U.S. Army, WWII.

Pratt, William J.  1907-1930; U.S. Coast Guard, Motor Machinist 2^nd Class.

Roberts, Frederick Franklin  1870-1924; U.S. Navy, Spanish American War, Philippines.

Roberts, Isaiah  1841-1925; U.S. Navy, Civil War.

Rowell, Abram M.  1837-1900; U.S. Army, Civil War, 2^nd New Hampshire Infantry.

Rowell, Martin P.  1835-1892; U.S. Army, Civil War, Pvt., Co. E., 2^nd New Hampshire Volunteers.

Saulnier, Robert Daniel  1943-2005; U.S. Air Force, Airmen 2^nd Class, Vietnam.

Shaw, Richard Winfield  1927-1985; U.S. Army, WWII

Spittle, Charles, William  1921-1987, U.S. Army, WWII

Spittle, Donald Edwin  1921-1995, U.S. Army, WWII

Spittle, Jacob E., Jr.  1929-1995; U.S. Air Force, Korean Conflict.

Steele, Dana Allen  1891- ?; U.S. Army, Captain WWI.

Steele, Frederick Lincoln Jr.  1899-1939; U.S. Army, WWII.

Steele, Frederick Cilley  1897-1975; U.S. Army, WWI.

Steele, Richard Andrew  1913-1995; U.S. Navy, WWII, Boatswain’s Mate 1^st Class.

Stubbs, George Parkins  1924-2013; U.S. Army Air Force, WWII, B24 Pilot.

Sullivan, John  1740-1795; Continental Army, Commander in Chief & Governor of New Hampshire.

Swain, Elbridge Lyman  1829-1863; U.S. Army, Civil War, Pvt; Co. E., 11th Infantry,  N.H.

Taylor, Joseph Osborne  1914-1996; U.S. Army, WWII.

Taylor, Norman George  1917-2001; U.S. Marine Corps., WWII, Technical Sergeant.

Tobin, John Joseph  1921-1996; U.S. Army, WWII, Sergeant.

Webster, Albert Joseph  1879-1961; U.S. Army, Spanish-American War, Pvt., Co. C, 1^st N.H. Inf.

Wilson, Wallace  1909-1972; U.S. Army, WWII.

Witham, Benjamin Franklin  1842-1900; U.S. Army, Civil War, Pvt., 2^nd California Infantry, Co. E.

Witham, Daniel  1977-1960; U.S. Army, Spanish American War, Pvt. 7^th Artillery, Co. L.

Witham, George Edward  1907-; U.S. Army, WWII.

Witham, Henry Lewis  1919-2007; U.S. Navy, WWII, Radioman, Petty Officer 2^nd Cl., USS Liddle.

Witham, Leslie Saunders  1923-1999; U.S. Navy, WWII, Seaman.

Witham, Raymond William  1914-1994; U.S. Army, WWII.

Witham, Sidney  1862-1951; U.S. Army, Coporal, 8^th Massachusetts Infantry, Co. G.

Freedom Friday ~ War Diary of Richard A. Steele

Easter on an LST 1945 

From the WWII Diary of Richard A. Steele, Sr.

Sat. 3-31-45:  Still underway – going around circles – Had an “alky split” in sick bay with Jack Vincent the pharmacist mate last night. Lemonade and a generous portion of 90% - went very good – 1^st hard drink I’ve had since the skipper broke out a couple weeks ago on the day the boat got smashed – it’s getting warmer.  Skipper said we’d be in the “thick of it” in 4 to 6 weeks.  Today at noon over the radio (Honolulu station) I heard “Put on Your Easter Bonnet” and damn near cried right at the chow table thinking of Ethel and the kids.  I hope they’ve been able to get new things.  I don’t even know when it’s Sunday anymore – they’re all alike.  Thought of the Easter Ethel & I and Geo. Brewer [?] and can’t think of her name – went over to Nahant and heard Murphy’s outfit put on a show- had many laughs.  This PM we beached twice on Green Beach Island of Maui – good beachings – the 2^nd time we towed the 896 off the beach and the skipper congratulated us on the way we did the job – I handled the stern anchor, wench, cable and tossing messengers as usual.  The 208 got her cable tangled in the 218 screws and she had to be towed back to P.H.  We had explosions on the beach and everything – one more day of this stuff and then firing again Monday then back to P.H.

Easter Sunday- 4-1-45 – Happy Easter!  Nuts!  - we worked our asses off today!  Hot and clear – did we sweat! – We towed the LST 896 twice, we towed them once – they shot over a breeches buoy once and all did was run lines, messengers, stern anchor & wench all day – I’m pooped – started the day at 3:30 AM with the 4 – 8 watch and have the 12 – 4 tonight – great!  This is our last day of these damn maneuvers and tomorrow AM we have a G.O. – fire and go back to P.H. for the 3^rd time – I hope that this time we get our load and go to the real thing – we’ve got this far and might as well go the rest of the way.  We are 7000 miles from home what the hell is another 4 or 5000?  Well we’d be on the way back of we get that far.

Mon. 4-2-45:  Had G.O. at 8 o’clock fired at sleeves until noon - boys did some good shooting.  Started back for P.H. and tied up in West Lock at 5:30PM - saw the wreckage of 6 LST’s blown up last summer – and what wreckage – we’re tied up alongside it!  It was sabotage – went after mail at 6 – got 3 bags full – I got letters from Glen Talbot, Fred Murphy, a card from mayor McLean and four from my homey – hers were written March 21-23-25-27 – nothing much in them but swell to hear from her.  I immediately answered because we are going out on another goddam shakedown cruise!

Tuesday 4-3-45:  Went after mail again at 9 AM – no mail.  Picked up my shoes I had topped at the sub-base ships service.  Coming out of the harbor a big Essex Class carrier  (Ben Franklin) came limping in – what a mess – after half of ship smashed to hell and burned, super-structure, radar, etc. all shot up – the Japs still got some shells and no one is kidding us – I also  saw the B.B. Miss., the heavy cruiser Quincy and many subs and cans – also a greater number of A.P.A.’s then I’ve ever seen before.  Worked on some wire splicing and painting in P.M.  Knocked off at 4:30, took a shower – looked at my honeys picture and here I am wishing I was home!

The Deck Crew

West Lock Pier, Pearl Harbor - LST 899, 1011 and 530

"Big Ben" Aircraft Carrier USS Franklin CV-13

Breeches Buoy

New-Mexico Class Battleship USS Mississippi BB-41

Baltimore Class Cruiser USS Quincy CA-71

Wordless Wednesday ~ Essex Icon by Brigette Matthews

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Donald Taylor & Christina Murray

This photograph was taken at Belle River Scotland Cemetery, Belle River, Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Canada by Karen Dicks Miller.

In

Memory of

Donald Taylor

Died

Jan. 2. 1853

Aet. 65

Also his wife

Christina Murray

Died

Jan. 28. 1882

AEt. 87

Natives of Cantire.

Argyleshire, Scotland

Donald Taylor and his wife, Christina Murray were the first Taylor immigrants to North America from Scotland for our Taylor line. They are my 3^rd great grandparents from my mother’s paternal line. Donald was from the Skipness area, possibly Claonaig and Christina from Tarbert.  They sailed from Greenock on the ship “Alexander” on April 20, 1820 and arrived in Prince Edward Island on May 22.  They had three young boys with them on the voyage:  Archibald, age 5, Neil, age 4 and an infant, John.  They settled in Rustico, and then leased land in Wood Islands in about 1824.  There were 8 more children born on the island: Malcolm, twins Donald and William, James, Duncan, Alexander, Angus and one daughter Mary.  Donald was a wheelwright and farmer.  Note: the Mull of Kintyre is misspelled on the stone as Cantire.

Sources for this information:

Find A Grave, Find a Grave, Inc., Find a Grave (http://findagrave.com : accessed 24 May 2016), transcriptions and digital images, memorial 129905814, created by Karen Dicks Miller on 16 May 2014.

The Edinburgh Adviser, 25 Apr 1820, page 262, appearing at Newspaper Archive (http://www.newspaperarchive.com)

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Published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Sandra Steele DeFord, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ Donald Taylor & Christina Murray" (http://catchingtimeblog.blogspot.com : posted 24 May 2016).