Deceivingly bright and beautiful, sunny, day. But still cold outdoors. Warm, and comfortable, indoors.

My friend, and I, walked the dog for one-hour-forty-five minutes. Such a beautiful afternoon!! Then I worked in the yard for another hour!! Kudos!! The clock says “supper time” but I haven’t had “lunch.” ~~ Sunshine, and lots of exercise, is good medicine.

Toyed with the idea of “Momsicle” for title but that was “corny.” (“Momsicle” as opposed to “popsicle.”) ~~ Seriously, I was awakened–at 12:40 AM–from an extremely vivid dream. I was in a hail storm and very agitated because “I don’t have my camera.”  Speculation: Because I was cold, my mind “pictured” hail on the ground and falling all around me.

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It has been twenty days since the RV repairman took my furnace to the shop for repair. Yes, “the holidays” probably influenced the delay but this borders on “elder abuse” (in my humble opinion). An old lady doesn’t rate very high on their priority list? ~~ The “heat strip” (that works in conjunction with the air-conditioner) does not work well when temperature dips into the thirties. My “space heater” is a “life saver.” (Humor me: The “sweeter” side of this story includes candy and frozen treat.)

Recently, a very interesting program on PBS regarding ancestry of Andy Samberg. He is a cast member of the TV program Brooklyn Nine-nine premiering on NBC-TV tonight. (Very honestly, I did not know “the name” of the man nor the program. I’m “head over heels” interested in genealogy.)

Thursday December 20th & Thursday, January 10th.

Thursday: Beautiful sunny day but a very strong wind. TV meteorologist says “wind chill”  means “feels like”  temperature is ten degrees lower. 

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Now, I’m trusting my days will be much warmer and I’ll live happily ever after.

Even though I am only a few feet from the space heater, I am cold! Declined the invitation to walk with my friend and her dog. So-o-o, I entered data in my Ancestry.com “tree.” Today was another milestone: Reached 15,000 individuals and that’s 5,000 added in four-and-one-half months.

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Note: This story (written by “yours truly”) published in most recent issue of Mennonite Family History (January 2019).

Conundrum

My life has been quite boring for many months. Relocation has forced me to spend hours attempting to “get settled” again. The genealogy project was abandoned; the Digitized Library of Family History ignored. I confess that “I love genealogy.”  When I’m on Ancestry, or Family Search, I lose track of time; I spend hours adding records to the Frantz family tree.  Very unexpectedly I launched into another project simply because I received a brief email message complimenting me on “Tepid Turkey,”  a story published in July 2018 Mennonite Family History.

First I answered the email and informed the individual of another story in the forthcoming issue of Mennonite Family History. Then I double-checked the link to Digitized Library. That prompted me to check other links within the Library (for validity) which led to the Millersville University  website and the “Frantz Family Letters“.  I don’t remember previously visiting that resource and I’ve never seen the Frantz letters. I read them with interest and recognized surnames that belong to my “tree.”

Next:  A search in Ancestry for the name “Letitia Frantz.” Quickly I had valuable information about her parents, siblings, her birth (1858), death (1931), profession: physician, interred in Longenecker Reformed Mennonite Cemetery, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Documenting her parents, and grandparents, was relatively simple and, as I suspected, hinted a connection to Immigrant Christian Frantz, brother of my Immigrant Michael Frantz. 

All day at the computer; I didn’t stop to eat until a severe thunderstorm (3:25 PM) interfered with Internet reception. During the day I searched every available pertinent “leaf”  (hint) displayed in Ancestry. I’m very selective about the information I add to my database. I found “suspect” information and ignored it. I hasten to say we have repetition of given names in the Frantz family; many men named Christian, Michael, John, Jacob, Henry, David,  and Daniel. Frequently researchers list the wrong man on their tree.

Almost without interruption, twelve hours later, I was reading additional details about the correspondence between Letitia and her family. This is interesting and worth checking the Internet link to “Millersville Meets the Women’s Medical College” in Friends Folio Newsletter, Spring 2007.  My day started, and ended, with Letitia Frantz, daughter of Andrew M. Frantz and Esther C. Landis.

A second day was devoted to the project. One hour was deemed “wasted” on MyHeritage website. Letitia Frantz did not appear (or I missed her?) on fifty pages (with twenty per page) of really boring information. Many duplicates and scanty details; tombstones appear to be the source of a lot of the information (including my parents). Perhaps I missed valuable information but I didn’t want to subscribe to another genealogy website.  

Obsessive-compulsive: I couldn’t walk away!! I returned to MyHeritage and signed up for “free” entrance (but was forced to use my credit card). What a scam!! Their information was an Internet link that directed me to Family Search, a totally “free” website. With a tidbit of information I returned to Ancestry and did a couple searches. I found promising information (but not entirely substantiated). Later that day I became very emotional (sobbing) because I located a valuable article and I direct the reader to Pioneer John Frantz on my Ancestry tree. (Here’s the web link if you have a subscription to Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/51857223/person/252021725239/story.) Why was I sobbing? The article was written by “cousin” Dwayne Wrightsman and he made reference to information I published in Frantz Families–Kith & Kin. By the end of the second day my conclusion: Letitia Frantz probably is a leaf on the same family tree but no confirmation. Find her pedigree on Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/9WDD-4S7).

Not content with lack of specific data about her Immigrant progenitor, a third day was spent searching for more information. Hours on Family Search but nothing “fit” the details I was working with.  I was cross-referencing information published in Frantz Families–Kith & Kin, Vol. One, pp. 49-51. Hours turned into days; I couldn’t walk away from the computer as I entertained  every possibility. Collateral lines were searched and documented; variation of surnames explored. An in-depth search of the enormous amount of information scanned and published on Digitized Library of Family History. My early research was helpful but no answer to this question: “Is  ‘Pioneer John’ related to Immigrant Michael Frantz, Immigrant Christian Frantz, and Immigrant Baltzar Frantz?”

Days turned into weeks!! Messages were left with researchers and one dear lady was extremely helpful. Nothing conclusive about the lineage of Pioneer John Frantz but this statement: “Y-DNA which is males only… connects our line, as well as the line of John (1720-1787), to the families of Christian and Michael.  The problem is, who is John’s father? Is it enough to know that the lines ARE connected?  Sometimes it has to be.  So you can say with confidence that Letitia descends from the Frantz family of Basel, Switzerland.”

Only two images; too busy to take pictures. Numerous tasks accomplished outdoors.  (1) Filled bird feeders; (2) moved and hosed planters; (3) watered plants; (4) burned trash and limbs while (5) doing laundry. The TV meteorologist is praising “Spring” in the first week of January. “But it won’t last; rain on the horizon. Much cooler Wednesday and Thursday.”

While a lady-friend, and I, were walking her dog, we saw an RV-neighbor lady-friend has “a new ride.”  I fell in love with her bike and came home to start a search on the Internet. Only one wrinkle: Shipped unassembled. When I can’t seem to find, and hire, a handyman, who will assist me? Truthfully, I am “quite handy” but this might be a challenge.

Not one single minute on Ancestry yesterday. Went to bed early because arms and shoulders were aching. This time, ache was NOT from “too much computer.”  Wrestling those heavy planters awakened some muscles that hadn’t been exercised for a while.

Yours truly was drawn back to Ancestry.com when she received an obituary notice via email. Obviously, naturally, indubitably I’d have to add that information to my database?! Then (for the sake of “cousins” who follow my blog and check Frantz Families–Kith & Kin), I needed to share the exact location of data in FF-KK. (Want to check it out? Go to Vol. 3, pp. 973-1044 https://www.frantzfamilies–kithkin.com/uploads/1/6/7/4/16741866/vol-3.pdf ) Here is the interesting information about Tyler Trent.

Some on this group may have noticed the national news about Tyler Trent the 20 year old who died of cancer last week, and you may not know he has Brethren connections.

Tyler has COB and OGBB ancestors via his father Tony Trent’s parents Martin “Slim” and Glenna Koble Trent of Flora, Indiana. Most of the Brethren Genealogical names are among his ancestors. On Line searches for Tyler Trent will locate lots of national news and social media attention over the past few months. A book will be available in March of his journey with cancer and invitations to cancer research are encouraged.

There will be a remembrance of his life service this Tuesday evening at the College Park Baptist church in northern Indianapolis at 6:00 pm. If you are an online type person, you can view the service via the church’s Live Streaming.

Get to the Live Streaming by accessing https://www.yourchurch.com/remembering-tyler-trent/ and click on RESOURCES and LIVE STREAM. This should take you to the Live Stream that will start at 5:50 pm, Eastern time.

Following is an obituary.

Tyler Trent (1998 – 2019) was a Purdue University student who inspired others with his enthusiastic support for his college football team while battling a rare form of bone cancer. Trent captured national media attention in 2018 for correctly predicting Purdue’s upset of Ohio State, then ranked #2 in the nation. It was his first game back to campus after entering hospice care.

His story inspired people to donate more than $100,000 to cancer research and he was honored with the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Spirit Award in 2018. He was named honorary bowl captain and attended the pregame coin toss as Purdue faced off against Auburn in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville on Friday, Dec. 28, 2018.

We invite you to share condolences for Tyler Trent in our Guest Book.

Died: Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Details of death: Died of osteosarcoma at the age of 20.

His attitude inspired others: He was first diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of 15. He won his first fight against the disease and achieved his dream of attending Purdue University. The cancer returned just months before his first classes in the fall of 2017. Throughout his hard-fought battle, he maintained a positive attitude and frequently attended football games decked out in team colors.

Notable quote: “Though I am in hospice care and have to wake up every morning knowing that the day might be my last, I still have a choice to make: to make that day the best it can be. To make the most of whomever comes to visit, texts, tweets or calls me.

“Yet isn’t that a choice we all have every day? After all, nobody knows the amount of days we have left. Some could say we are all in hospice to a certain degree,” he wrote in the Indianapolis Star

What people said about him: “What gave him a sense of love and purpose touched all of us and inspired all of us. There was no quit in him. There was a lot of fight in him. It’s like you couldn’t get him down. While I’m sure he was in pain and suffering, he put a smile on his face.” —Jeff Brohm, head coach of Purdue

“Rest In Peace to my friend, my captain, my brother, my hero. You inspired us all by the way you lived. I love you, and I can’t wait to see you again. Forever #Tyler” —David Blough, Purdue quarterback

Full obituary: Indianapolis Star