Ken Cutter and George Gay - 1944

A great photo of hubby's Uncle Ken Cutter and Lt. Gay, former plane captain Torpedo Squadron Eight in Ready Room. This official U.S. Navy Photograph was taken in Miami, FL August 16, 1944.

Could these men be the crew of the USS Hornet?

We need help!! This souvenir photo was taken from Sherman's State and C Streets Dine and Dance, San Diego, CA by Claud's West Coast Photography, December 9, 1942. Uncle Ken Cutter is first row left. We'd love to be able to identify the other Navy crew. The man on top right is in another photo with Ken. That photo taken at Paris Inn, Dine and Dance, n.w. corner First Avenue and C Street, San Diego, CA. Photo #34855. We think they may all be aviation machinist mates.

Kenneth Cutter and George Gay reunite after Battle of the Midway

My husband recently acquired newspaper clippings and photos of his Uncle Kenneth Cutter’s World War II military service. The article shows Aviation Machinist Mate First Class Kenneth Cutter (at right) with Lt. George Gay. Although the news reported there were no survivors on the USS Hornet at the Battle of Midway, they were wrong. George Gay survived. From Ian W. Toll’s book Pacific Crucible; War at Seat in the Pacific, 1941-1942, he writes: “Ensign George Gay, lone survivor of Torpedo Eight, treaded water in the midst of the Japanese task force. He concealed his head under a float cushion whenever a ship came near, and rejoiced as he watched the enemy carriers burn.” The Squadron received the only Presidential Unit Citation ever given.

Mecklenburg County, Virginia Genealogy

One of my genealogy colleagues has a wonderful website with much of her research in Mecklenburg County. She is in the process of writing a monograph on the Newman family line. Check her website, Julie's Mecklenburg, Virginia Discoveries and search surnames, photos of people and places, African-American resources, Chancery records, churches, plats and land notes, oral histories and interviews, and more. Her Website is: https://mecklenburgvagenealogy.com

"Women as bright as Stars" by Rosemary Rowland

Researching female ancestors is a difficult task. Women are left out of the history books. Their busy lives and contributions to family and community oftentimes ignored. 

Thanks to Rosemary Rowland, the women of the small rural village of Newfield, New York are recognized and now part of written history. 

Rosemary starts her books with a quote from author Donald Dean Parker, who wrote Local History, How to Gather it, Write It, and Publish It. Mr. Parker states: It is not, after all, the highly trained historian who will write the local history of each community in this vast country. If the local history of the United States is to be written at all, it will have to be done by an interested, if amateur citizen or citizens in each community."

I would not say Rosemary is an "amateur," because she has published a well researched and documented book. But she does fit into Mr. Parker's category as an interested citizen of the community in which she lives.

To give a glimpse of the scope of her research into the women who called Newfield home during the 1800s, there are nine pages, two columns of names in the index.

This book is not just for those who have female ancestors in the Tompkins County, New York area. Rosemary divided the chapters into categories, such as Land, Farming, Business, African Americans, The Arts, Education, etc. Consequently, any family historian can learn the issues of the day, can learn what daily life was like for women everywhere during the 19th century.

Her book, recently published, has garnered much interest. Bravo! Rosemary. A job very well done.

To order your copy email Rosemary at: fnrland@gmail.com

 

St. Joseph's Home Peekskill, New York - Contact information

Several years ago I contacted the Franciscan Sisters in Peekskill, New York to inquire about my grandfather's records. My grandfather, Harry Nunn, and six of his eight siblings were admitted into St. Joseph's Home in June 1900. I had worked eight years to break through this family's brick wall. I had no idea where the records would be, but I was on a mission. 

To my surprise a lovely nun came to the phone and when asked where I could get my grandfather's records, she replied in a soft tone, "I have them." You could have knocked me over with a feather!! This lovely person worked with the home's archives and appreciated genealogy. She copied my grandfather's intake and outtake documents as well as those of each of his siblings. The day the postman delivered that manila envelope I was in "heaven." 

Over the years I've posted several blogs about St. Joseph's home, and it is the most visited blog of any I have written. I still receive requests from family historians on how to get their family records from St. Joseph's Home. Since it has been quite a few years since I received my grandfather's records, I decided to find out what the latest procedure was. The last I knew, since the nun who help me had passed away, no one else had stepped forward to respond to these requests.

I sent an email to the Field Library in Peekskill, and was delighted to learn that the reference librarian who I'd met all those years ago, is still there and has worked with the Franciscan Sisters to make records available. The Sisters have given permission to add their contact information on the library's website. It is listed under Local History. 

The contact is: Sister Laura and any information about St. Joseph’s Home can be obtained by emailing Sister Laura at slmfmsc@mail.com.  Please include St. Joseph Home Request in the Subject line.