Happy 188th birthday, Grandma Bruce!
My son, Rockhound, has been invited to prepare and present a presentation about Sophronia at Murray State University for high school students. We are wracking our brains about things to display. Of course, the quilt will go on display, and I've ordered a locking jewelry case to display her jewelry that I have. I have a lot of her furniture, but transporting it will be difficult.
He has completed a great deal of research into Sophronia's life and with the family legends, Sophronia is an important part of our family still. Happy birthday, Grandma Bruce!
Thanks for coming by!
This is a typical victorian mourning pin, containing my great great great grandmother's hair. I wear this, too.
The crazy quilt that all 3 daughters worked on. They made these out of their old clothes...
Handmade lace, made by Sophronia.
Thinking of Grandma Bruce and her many accomplishments today!
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Happy birthday, Grandma Bruce!
I hope you enjoy the pictures!
I have to wonder how long it would take to make such a beautiful, delicate and complex lace hankie.
The quilts and lace are just lovely!
Same here. The delicate detail in the lace hanky is truly amazing. It is certainly the product of many long hours spent practicing to achieve such exquisite results.
My cousin is involved with "needle arts"-- knotting, crocheting, sewing and...she occasionally makes hand-made lace! I believe almost all lace made today is made by machines-- somehow the hand-made also looks much better.(And since its so labour-intensive, it costs much more than the machine made product.
I have a feeling that, sadly, many of these marvelous old types of craftsmanship are dying out.
I learned how to sew on a sewing machine and by hand at a very young age from my Paternal Grandmother. Also how to tan hides. From my Maternal Grandmother I learned how to do tatting, a means of making lace. My Mother taught me how to crochet and knit, and play the piano. Embroidery was not something I really liked to do, but, I did make a lot of embroidery pillow cases, hand towels, as well as cross-stitch.
I also didn't like knitting as it took so much longer to compete something compared to crochet. I made much of my own clothing as I grew older, as well as clothing for my two children. I also taught my Granddaughter how to sew and crochet.
My Maternal Grandmother made all the lace for my Mothers' wedding dress and veil. It was truly beautiful.
There are several NT members who could use their hides tanned!
Hey...not my job man! That job belongs to Perrie and the Mods. And they will likely do it the nice way. (hee hee hee)
Hours and hours. Tatting is a long process!
My grandmother tatted, but I sure can't! Oh my gosh, that tatting loom would just fly in her hands!
Indeed it is! When I was younger I could do the tatting in a fair length of time, but, today, I would not be able to do so well. Mainly now I don't have the patience for it. My Mother loved the Pineapple pattern of crochet, and made many lovely table clothes, doilies and even bedspreads.
This one was one of her favorite patterns:
Wow! It is gorgeous!
Wow Dowser, what amazing treasures you have from your family!! I love the quilt and lace hanky. Do you know when your family came to America?
The Bruce family came in about 1750, fought in the revolutionary war, etc. I don't know when Sophronia's bunch came. Rockhound may know! I'll ask him!
Her husband, William O. Bruce's grandfather, also William O. Bruce built the first Methodist church west of the Alleghenies in 1808. It was still standing until a couple of years ago.
Any relation to Robert Bruce of Scotland?
Happy birthday to your grandmother.
How do you make lace, anyway?
Descendant of his brother, all he has. Us and about 4 million other people.
You make lace with thread and a tatting shuttle, or a crochet needle. I used to watch my Grandma tat. wow!!!
His daughter married into the Stuart line and had children. I believe her name was Marjorie (may have been spelled differently).
I have heard of her, but the Bruce family name has to come from one of his brothers, at least as I understand... Needless to say, don't ask me. We're the descendants of a younger son... William Bruce came to the US in the 1750s, married and had two sons, Elijah and Joel. Elijah married Charity Dye, and had 3 kids, while Joel went off to fight in the Revolutionary war. While Joel was gone, some kind of ailment wiped out Elijah, Charity, and two of their 3 children. When Joel came back, he took the younger son, also named William O. Bruce, under his wing and raised him. When he reached his majority, Joel gave him his inheritance from his father, which he brought to KY and purchased about 1/4 of the county as it exists today, (a lot less than 1/4th back then, as the counties were larger, but about equal to 10,000 acres.), and he founded the Bruce family in Henry County, KY. William O, the second had John and William, and 6 other children. John had William O, my great great grandfather, and about 8 others. William O had 3 daughters, and then, after Grandma Bruce died, he remarried and had 2 sons, neither of whom married, but they both fought in WWI. I knew them and loved them. The Bruce Boys. Every generation has a John, a William, a Thomas, and a George. They got a little more creative with the woman's names, thankfully. But, it makes it difficult to trace and keep track of.
Mr Giggles ex-wife is a Bruce from Ohio. I know there are lots of Bruces in the country, but I wonder if you and she are 5th or 6th cousins?
Nah....you're way too nice to be from that branch of the family, tho her dad was really nice
We may be related... I keep up with a 4th cousin, Charles O. Bruce, who is an attorney, here in Louisville. Lovely fellow, and I love him dearly! I would love to be related to you!
Marsha, have you checked for a family genealogy website? Until I looked, I wasn't aware that my family even had one. It was set up by a guy who is like a 20th cousin out in Pennsylvania. Turns out that the man who brought our family to North America came from France in 1640 and set up a shop to make bricks in Quebec. He probably made a lot of bricks but what he mostly made was babies. As a result, I've got distant relations all over the US and Canada.
Yes, we have different web pages for various branches of the family, and Matthew looked at those in his research. Ours is just one tiny twig on the whole tree...
Excellent. Matthew is very quickly learning how both History and Archeology work. The best place to start for both kinds of research is with genealogical records. Next, of course, is the local cemetery, at least if it's been there for any length of time. Burial records are also kept by the County Clerk or the particular church that owned the cemetery, if it has been destroyed. I;'m sure that Matt's professors have told him about these sources. Here are two that they may not have mentioned. Please pass them along to him with my compliments. First, property tax records, when compared with averages, will show the status of a family or individual within the community at the time the taxes were assessed. Second, when an individual dies, particularly a head of household, their will is reviewed by the Probate Court and a record of property valuations is kept. The archives of those courts can give you very valuable information about social status and social mobility among the people over any given period. Give him my sympathy. All of these records can be and, in my experience, usually are, picky and boring to work with; but, they can give you very valuable primary source data. This stuff should, within the next year or so, give him a good start on his Master's thesis (or enough material for a couple of books).
When they start any digs, I'm sure that there will be plenty of History teachers and Archeology teachers around. You can never tell, however, they might just need a bit of advice from a good Geologist. I know of at least one in that area.
We have copies of the wills and the burial notices in the paper, as well as access to the family cemeteries. Both family cemeteries have grown up, although were well taken care of up until the 1960s. The main family plot is still under perpetual care, and yield a font of information. We found Uncle Henry Hutchison, (other side of the family) just two months ago up at Cave Hill Cemetery. Uncle Henry was the feather bed renovator. His buried up next to his brother and sister, up under 3 giant shrubs. Needless to say, Cave Hill is very cooperative. If you have a family member who is not up to the "family snuff", you just cover them up with a shrub.
Beautiful Marsha. Matthew's report should be very well done and will give him an even better understanding of his family's history.
Thanks, TTGA! It is amazing that the history department recruited him, when he is majoring in archaeology!
Archeology is a lot like History, detective work from very old clues. In Archeology, it's just a lot harder to find your source material.
I think he is going to help Murray apply for a grant to do a dig at the site of the old church. Which would be wonderful! My great-great-great grandparents are buried there!
Not so amazing that they recruited him if they were aware of the long history of his family in America.
Yeah, well, it was an English assignment, and turned into a small book. Then, the rest of the English department got involved, then the archaeology department, and now the history department. He is amenable, and we do have a lot of their stuff... We moved to KY in 1806. And one of us has been here since!
Love you, dear Buzz!
Dowser: I love your articles about your family's history. Also about some of the things that have been in your family for generations and have been handed down!
Would be wonderful to see more articles like this one (as well as some of the others you have previously posted).
Thanks, Krish! There are advantages to being the last of the pack rats... I would not be happy without their things around me. It gives a depth and richness to my life that I truly treasure!
Thank you!
I do as well, Krishna. In fact, Dowser did write some very interesting stories about her family in a group here on NT a good while back, and I made sure to copy them so that I could enjoy reading them again when they were no longer available.
Like Kavika's stories, Dower's ability to bring you into the actual story is truly amazing.
Thank you! I've been trying to remember what I've written before... Semi-brain dead these days...
Great photos and story Dower.
Well done.
Thanks, Kavika! I miss you!
How many cakes would you have to bake to feed all her descendants?
Surprisingly enough, not that many. We aren't a family that has boocoos of kids. Don't ask me why!
Hang on to your underwear. We might be related. I'll get back to you in a bit.
Wonderful family heirlooms, by the way.
I HOPE SO!!!
LOVE to you!
So...they should tell her to beat it?
LOL!
I am the last one of my family still alive. My parents were each only children, and there was only my older Brother and I. All the rest of my relations have all walked on now and I am the last one standing. So I inherited all the family heirlooms and history. I created an Access database to log all the history and cataloged all the old photos and connected them with the database was well. I scanned in the official documents and records of births, marriages, divorces and deaths of all the family members back to before the Trail of Tears. Every thing has been logged in the database for easier reference. It is all backed up on a DVD for safe keeping and copies given to my Granddaughter, who will inherit it all when I have walked on.
It took me several years to compile it all and then enter it into the database. But, at least now those who follow will have a head start of recording all of the family history that will follow for future generations. It is also a record of our Cherokee heritage so that future generations will know of their heritage as well.
Maybe you should make just one more copy to stash somewhere to be absolutely safe. Any chance you're planning to post any of those pics? Pic pics or pictures of anything else, I don't see how most people could resist looking at them if you were to post them out, but if you decide you don't want to go through all that, well, nobody can fault you for that either.
Nightwalker.....I have a copy in a safe deposit box, and a key for those who should have access. It is a copy that I keep all the copies updated as needed to that there are nothing left out of the loop. No one else had wanted to do what I have done, but, in case somethings happens to the hard copies of all the documents and pics there will always be at least one up to date copy left.
It took me at least three years to correlate and log all the stuff in the database and scan all the documents and pictures, but, at least now there will be something for future generations to look back at and see where their family tree grows from.
As for the pics, I am not one to post personal stuff on public venues. Just my personal preference.
All good, then, a good, safe plan. LOL Should figured you'd have the safety all covered.
Just gathering it is a lot of work! I've been through 7 suitcases of pictures and clippings, photo books, etc. Matthew has a knack and is wanting to help, so I'm eager for his help. We have had a few disagreements, where family history doesn't seem to fit historical events, BUT, they have all worked out upon further research. Yay! Grandma never knowingly steered me wrong.
Glad to hear that all is working out for you with the gathering of your family history. And yes, it is rather daunting when you have to start from scratch. And about the time you think you have everything where it should be, something else pops up and you have to try to backtrack to get it in the right place and time. Ugh!!
It's good that Rockhound is eager to help, it does help to have a second pair of eyes and hands to do the job.
I just don't have the strength these days to track down every lead...
Love you!
Love to you as well, dear Sister.
Lovely, Dowser. It's wonderful that you have so many heirlooms from your great great grandmother.
Thanks, sandy. The quilt is the best, I think...
Hi Dowser,
Thanks for the look into your family (yet again). I'm amazed at the skill that goes into these handicrafts. ALmost a lot art in this day and age of going to whatever big box store and buying stuff instead of making what you need from materials on hand. Again, thank you!
Thank you for your kindness! I found a swatch of fabric that was her wedding dress-- carefully labeled by Grandma many many years ago. I'm still finding things, in out of the way places.
Amazing........My nephew and I were going throguh one of the outbuildings at the lake last fall, trying to get ready to close up and found all sorts of neat stuff my dad had left nehind.....I look forward to continuing the search this year.
I've found a LOT of stuff up in my mother's attic... Amazing. Things that haven't seen the light of day for years and years...
Dear Friend Dowser: Where can I read you sons research on your shared ancestor?
When completed, can it be seeded on this site, so I and others could read it too?
Warmest regards to you and the family.
Peace, Abundant Blessings, and Ultimately Springtime.
Enoch, (Still dodging North-East late winter storms).
P.S. Perhaps you might consider hosting an open article on the family tree of others.
I think the site would enjoy sharing their family roots too.
E.
How wonderful, dear Enoch! He has published a part of his research, but I don't have the link to it. I'll ask him for it again...
An open article about everyone's family is a grand idea!
Much love to you, my friend!
Enoch-- this is what is ready so far-- he's hoping to get his full paper published!
Dear Friend Dowser: Superb scholarship.
Interesting, informative and nice flow to the narrative.
How proud you and your husband must be of your son.
Almost as proud as he is of you both.
Peace and Abundant Blessings Always.
Enoch.
That's really sweet, dear Enoch! He's a keeper! I don't know how proud he is of us, but we love him dearly! He comes home from college tomorrow-- not soon enough!
Dear Friend Dowser: Please give him my warmest regards.
Best wishes for continued success at Murray State.
May all of you enjoy a joyous and meaningful Easter holiday forthcoming.
Enoch.
I will pass this on to both my dear husband and my son! Thank you!
Isn't this the time of Passover for you? Best wishes for you, too!