John and Sarah Decker of Cayutaville, New York

We are so excited that hubby's book, The Descendants of John and Sarah Decker, is now available on FamilySearch.org. Sign in to FamilySearch and click on "Books." Then Search John Decker, Cayuta, NY. The book is digitized and searchable. The text, photos, and descendant charts for each generation comprises 53 pages, two maps of the area are on page 2. There are forty-seven pages have newspaper clippings of birth/marriage/death, society notes, military notes. The index is four pages, two columns.

It was so neat to read through this work online. Hubby had the book bound by Bridgeport Bindery near Springfield, MA, then sent a copy to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Besides having the book on their library shelves, they digitized it for all to read. 

The Death of Cassie White

Cassie White is not a family member, though she feels that way to me. And yes, this is a shameless commercial. Cassie White is the reason I've not had time to devote to chasing down my ancestors. She is the subject of the third Caitlyn Jamison mystery that I've written/published over the past four years. The writing is fun, challenging, and provides a learning event every day. Just like genealogy. But putting on the marketing hat, which every author has to do if they want to sell books, is not an easy one for most writers. Me included. Below is a synopsis of the story. The books can be purchased directly from me (signed), or on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble online. Please pass the word. Thanks!!!

Caitlyn Jamison, a self-employed graphic artist living in a suburb of Washington, DC, is strong willed, and when confronted with an injustice, she throws caution aside and pursues the case. This passion for justice is how she met, worked with, and then developed a personal relationship with Sheriff Ethan Ewing.

The first two books, An Unexpected Death and Fatal Dose are set in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York. The third book, The Death of Cassie White, is set in Virginia’s Northern Neck.

The Caitlyn Jamison mysteries feature strong characters, interesting and current plot lines, where clues and red herrings are interspersed to keep the reader turning the pages. After reading An Unexpected Death, one retired New York State police chief said, “You had me. I missed that one clue . . .”

In The Death of Cassie White, Caitlyn is in Ingram Bay, Virginia, to interview with a potential client, one that is located in the same town to where her parents have recently moved. When the interview ends, she learns that skeletal remains were discovered in conservation land adjacent to her parents’ home. Against all advice, she pursues the case.

Her investigation brings her in contact with marine biologist Chad Owens who is working to solve his own mystery—a new and dangerous dead zone has developed in the Chesapeake Bay. She’d met Dr. Owens in Fatal Dose when she was in Riverview, New York, and he was monitoring the health of the Finger Lakes.

In the meantime, and unbeknownst to Caitlyn, her crime solving partner and romantic interest Ethan Ewing, has accepted another position, closer to Caitlyn, and is immediately sent to Ingram Bay on a suspected kidnapping case. Ethan and Caitlyn run into each other, quite unexpectedly, and their investigations become intertwined with Chad’s. Their cases are not without peril as they learn that the quaint town of Ingram Bay, Virginia, is full of secrets.

M.E. Maki Bio

Mary E. Maki grew up in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York where her first two mystery books are set. Her third Caitlyn Jamison mystery is set in Virginia’s Northern Neck. A work in progress is a suspense novel set in Savannah, Georgia.

As well as writing mysteries, Mary is a family historian. Along those lines, she played an integral part on the team that produced three volumes of the Newtown (CT) Oral History Project, the Ulysses Historical Society (NY) Oral History Project, and the Newfield, NY Historical Society Oral History Project. She is a volunteer at the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. and on the committee to create a visible likeness of the 18^th century Fielding Lewis Store.

Mary is a member of Sisters in Crime, Fredericksburg’s Old Town Sleuths, and the Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s Memoir and Fiction Critique writing groups.

Website: memaki.com

Blogs: CaitlynJamisonMysteries.blogspot.com

GrowingUpInWillowCreek.blogspot.com

Published Works:

An Unexpected Death

Fatal Dose

The Death of Cassie White

Contact Information:

Ami6310@gmail.com

John and Bridget Conlon of Bronx, New York

Another day of searching for a connection between the Conlon siblings so that I can prove that my Nana (Mary Agnes Doyle) and Mary (Mae) Conlon were truly cousins.

In the 1915 New York State Census, I found Mae and her bothers Edward, George and Lawrence living as “boarders” in the 1902 Wallace Street, Bronx home of John and Bridget Conlon. I learned that John worked his whole career as a street cleaner for the City of New York, as did Nana’s father, Patrick Doyle.

By 1917, the Conlon children were living at 164 East 97^th Street, Manhattan, New York in the Doyle household.

John (b: abt 1871) and Bridget (b: abt 1873) had four children: Katherine (b: 1901), Elizabeth (b: 1903). Margaret (b: 1904), and Michael (b: 1912). I followed this family through 1940 where they lived in the same house (owned), and at that time, John was age 70, Bridget age 68, Elizabeth 36, and Michael 28 lived at home.

In 1910, John and Bridget had John Higgins (21), James, Thomas, and Peter Dignan, and George Markey “boarding” with them. In 1920, six year old Charlotte Sisler, William and Harold Shant, also six, all born in Ireland were “boarding” with them. More cousins? Or were the Conlon’s paid to take in boarders? But this last group were only six year olds. Another mystery to be solved.

Earlier in the year, my sister took a DNA test and the results came back she was closely related (second cousin, I believe) to a woman who was searching her Irish ancestors: Carney, Farley, Flanagan, Loreth, and Lahey. The woman whose test results were similar has not returned my sister’s attempt to contact. I’m hoping that some of these names will appear as I chase down the Conlon family.

No results on a Findagrave search for John, Bridget or Edward Conlon.

John and Mae (Conlon) Harrington of the Bronx, New York

On 24 March 2011 and 4 January 2013 I wrote blog posts about this couple. Mae is my grandmother’s cousin. In the past I’ve found very little about her and her family. Yesterday I decided to try again.

Thanks to Reclaim the Records, the books listing New York City marriages have been posted online. In 1930 Mae lived with my grandparents Harry and Mary (Doyle) Nunn in the Bronx. In 1940 Mae and her husband John Harrington were living in the Bronx, and stated they were at that same address in 1935. That cut the window for their marriage to five years. Their marriage date was found to be 25 March 1932. (Note my first blog post about Mae was a day after her 25 March wedding date-coincidence?)

My main goal is to connect Mae’s father, Edward Conlon, with my great-grandmother, Margaret (Conlon) Doyle. That I did not accomplish. But I’m getting close. There are other mysteries surrounding this family. I believe the mother Mary (O’Donnell?) Conlon died between 1905 and before the 1910 census as Edward listed himself as widower. I need to find her death date and cause of death. Then what happened to her husband, Edward? Mae and Anna disappear for a few years, until Mae is seen living with the Doyles. Where’s Anna? Mae’s brothers are in an orphanage, until they, too, are living with the Doyles in the 1920s.

I found an Ancestry.com family tree that had Mae’s brother Edward married to Elizabeth “Lil” E. Graham (1892-1973). Earlier I’d found from a census document that Edward had a wife named Elizabeth, but had no maiden name. Now I do. Unfortunately, the woman who posted this tree on Ancestry has not been active for over a year. I sent her an email anyway, but we know what that tells us – sigh.

The other problem with this family is most did not marry, and the ones that did produced one or no children. There might not be much more information to be found, but their story deserves to be told and I intend to do that.