Relics: Genealogy, family stories, history & other curiosities.

  On April 21, 1887 Minnie Jones was born in Sandy Fields, NY.  She was my maternal great grandmother and the desire to learn more about her and her life has led me to my life's work, genealogy and family history.   I never met Minnie, she died before I was born.  I was lucky to hear many great stories from my aunts, my cousins and my mother.  I was luckier still that the cousin who had many of her photos stored in the attic, shared them with me.   Minnie has what I imagine would be a very hard life. She was born to a single mother, widowed before age 50 and raised her family through the depression and world war. Her home town, Sandy Fields and its neighboring towns full of family and friends were washed away to make room for Harriman State Park. Yet, every photo I find of Minnie, she is smiling her wide, happy grin.   Finding documented evidence of Minnie's life has been a genealogical challenge! But what I have found has been revealing...

I have been thinking a great deal about Minnie Jones Rose since we were told to shelter in place.   Minnie was my maternal great grandmother. She died the year before I was born, so we have never met. I don't know a whole lot about her. I can't find her in a census until she is a 23 year-old married mother. Despite all the research challenges she has given me, Minnie continues to be one of my most fascinating ancestors.   She was born in 1887 in St. John's, NY and raised in Johnsontown, two towns tucked into the hills of Rockland and Orange County Counties, and washed away to build Harriman State Park.  Born to a single mother, her father was never revealed, and I can only imagine what kind of hardships that presented.  She was a widow before age 50 and she raised 5 children.  A devout Methodist, Minnie forbid chores or sewing on the Sabbath.  Stitch on Sunday, rip them out on Monday, she would say.   When I first expressed intere...