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The Thumb's Christmas

  Our daughter, Anne, was a prolific artist when she was young. Our refrigerator door was full of her drawings, paintings, and school artwork. She liked to create little books, too, as she was also a natural storyteller. One Christmas when she was about eight years old, Anne wrote and illustrated a Christmas story for her little brother, James. If memory serves, she drew her inspiration from a book she had recently gotten from the library by illustrator Ed Emberley. He wrote and illustrated The Great Thumbprint Drawing Book . In it, Emberley showed how to make a variety of animals and people using a thumbprint as a starting point. The creations are simple and charming. It's amazing what you can do with a blog of ink and a few black lines. It's art that's accessible to anyone. Anne's story is called "The Thumb's Christmas," and is based on our family. There is a thumb with glasses (Anne), a thumb with little hair (toddler James), a thumb with a mustache (Ji...
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Captured: Twelve Gilbride & Casey Family Photos

This blog post is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" writing challenge by genealogist, blogger and podcast host Amy Johnson Crow. Week Twelve prompt: 12.


Photographs take center stage this week, as I share twelve favorite family photos drawn from both the Gilbride and Casey family albums.

Photos from ancestors in my Gilbride and Kozlina family lines:

My uncle Thomas Gilbride, his brother, my Dad, Joseph J. Gilbride, Sr., and their sister, my aunt Margaret Gilbride, taken about 1948 in Cleveland, Ohio. A show of family togetherness.

My paternal grandfather's family. From left to right, my great grandparents Margaret McAndrew Gilbride and John Joseph Gilbride, and their four boys, Clarence, Donald, Harold and my grandfather Joseph John Gilbride. Taken in Cleveland, mid 1930s. I particularly love the hands-on-shoulders silly pose, and can only imagine the shenanigans these boys got up to.

My uncle Thomas Kozlina and his big sister, my Mom, Anna Margaret Kozlina Gilbride. The look of dogged determination on my Mom's face was a foreshadowing of her work ethic in later life as a divorced mother of four kids.There was nothing that woman could not accomplish.

My 2x great grandfather Patrick McAndrew, an Irish immigrant coal miner, who lived in Scranton, Pennsylvania. One of the oldest photos of any relative that I have seen, which belongs to my cousin's family.

My great aunt Josephine "Josie" Simonik Kendro, my grandmother's younger sister, and my maternal grandmother Margaret Katherine Simonik Kozlina. My grandmother's love for her sister is evident in her sweet face in this photo taken in the 1980s.
My maternal grandfather Thomas Kozlina (seated), playing a Croatian stringed instrument with friends. I didn't know my grandfather well, as my grandparents divorced when I was very young. He lived in Pennsylvania, and we saw him infrequently. I would have loved to hear him play music, as I think it would have helped me understand him better.

Casey Family photos drawn from the "archives" of my husband James Casey, Jr.'s Casey and Evans family lines:

Jim's mom Dessie Evans Casey Cleberg, who won the Miss Collinsville (Oklahoma) pageant, about 1957. It was just one of many achievements she would accomplish during her life.

Jim's paternal grandparents Claretta Hall Casey and Harold Casey in an unguarded moment of affection. I was fortunate enough to meet Jim's Grandma Casey once before her death, and knew Grandpapa Casey for several years as he lived nearby to us. He was a lovely, loving man, which is evident in this photo.

Jim's grandfather Harold Casey, holding Jim's sister Cindy Casey, as an infant. I have a very similar photo of Jim's father Jim Casey, Sr. holding our son James Casey, also in a rocking chair, when James was an infant.

Jim's father, James Casey, Sr., and his dog pal. I just love the sweetness of this photo - doesn't every little boy have a dog friend?

Stephen Casey, one of Jim's third great grandfather on his paternal side. Stephen was born about 1821 in Tennessee, and spent the majority of his life in Marion County, Arkansas. (Photo from the collection of Tom Crowe)

Jim's 2nd great grandparents, Emily Pennington Casey and Thomas Benton Casey, on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary. A local newspaper wrote of the union, "Eternity alone will reveal the many blessings that has come, and will come, to this world, as a result of the fact that a young Christian bride and groom were married on January 13, 1876, and that they reared their children, 'in the fear and admonition of the Lord.'"

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