Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

The month of September flew by and I feel a bit guilty about not producing a blog post during that time – with the exception, of course, of helping to locate the family of the Finison Family Bible.

States she plans to obtain licensure:
Florida, New York, Vermont, and Virginia

So what have I been doing?  We drove to Gainesville, Florida to attend the graduation of our daughter from the Academy of Five Element Acupuncture. We are very proud of our Master of Acupuncture daughter.  She is now busy studying for her national boards.  I started volunteering two mornings a week at the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc., and am getting their office and research files in good order. We enjoyed a lot of company this month, as well as a couple of day trips, one to Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay, and another to the birthplaces of Robert E. Lee and George Washington.  And in my spare time, research on my latest project, Life on the Farm, The Tuckers of Tompkins County, New York could not be done without transcribing the diaries of William Lanning Tucker, and his daughter, Jessie May Tucker Agard.

William’s diaries span the years of 1919-1929. William died in 1929 at the age of 90.  Jessie’s diaries span twenty-four years, 1944-1968, with the years 1945 and 1946 missing.  Jessie died in 1973 at the age of 97.  I am not transcribing every word, but I am capturing dates and important events during each year. Needless to say, it is a time consuming project, but a very worthwhile one. I am now able to document more of the life of Jessie’s sister, Addie Tucker, as well as her death, and the date and cause of death of many family members. 

I learned that on 14 April 1944 Jessie took the oath of office as Ulysses Town Historian.  And on 16 January 1947 Jessie began writing the history of the Jacksonville Community Church. 

Jessie and Arthur Agard at her 90th Birthday Party
January 1, 1966 held at the home of Merritt and Maude Agard

When not cleaning her house from top to bottom each day, after baking several loaves of bread, a couple of pies, and a pot roast, Jessie was busy making afghans and quilts for each family member.  All females received a colorful afghan; each male a quilt.  I still have mine.

I am anxious to get back at my genealogy research...and will try to be better at sharing same.