Jake Grows UP

With an abundance of Love and Pride we announce Jacob will graduate from the University of Memphis December 14,2014.

in memory of the best dog ever- Baby,age 19

Once upon a time, we had 2 children and no dog. Daddy (JT) loved dogs and wanted his kids to know and love dogs (good excuse- anyway it worked.) We had previously had other dogs and loved them but their lives were short due to car bites/ road accidents. JT was given a full blooded rat terrier. She was already a year old, house trained, and the owner worked long hours and felt she needed a home where she wouldn't be cooped up all day......boy did we have the opposite arrangement for her. At the time we lived on the farm next to Grandma and Grandpa Vaughn- 40 acres to run around on and 2 kids to entertain. That first night the "test" was to see who wore out first- the kids or the dog.....the played fetch and she won. The kids fell asleep playing and she still was going strong. She knew how to fetch tennis balls, all balls and a few years later thinking all Balls were the same the tried chasing Jacobs' golf balls and took one at close range in the mouth and so became snaggle toothed from then on. JAcob cried as hard as Baby that day and many days forward.
Baby has met the school bus, followed them everywhere, rode on the lawn mower and golf cart. Played dress up with Marisa- she was the "baby" in the wagon, jumped on the tampoline, slept in bed with them, been their constant companions all these years.
Then MArisa moved out and grew up, got married- writing on facebook about coming home- every week seeing that "constant" face to greet her, Baby, always there to love her.
Over the last few years she has slowed down and the last short time getting worse- started pacing.....if she wasn's circling to sit and lay down to sleep she was pacing. Then she would get lost in the yard- couldn't find her way back inside and then could find way out a corner in the house......and she was blind and could hear, you had to feed her by hand and she'd try to bite you because she couldn't see.....the Vet says it was dementia like in people.
So it was time to put her down so she didn't suffer anymore. She had been too good for the family to watch her suffer.
I gave a last bath that morning and poor thing didn't have any fur left on her ears. I remebered the story of the Velveteen Rabbit about her beeing so loved her fur was gone. Well, that was the case with OUR Baby- she was loved all up, all used up, and loved to the full measure of her creation.
She went to Heaven Wednesday- all worn out & loved up- her fur was almost worn off. She raised 2 kids well-. Rest well sweet girl.............

to Baby 1 April 1993- 28 Mar 2012 buried in the backyard!!!!

50 year anniversary

Primary lesson yesterday was on Alma baptizing people after being converted by Abinadi.
We asked the 11 year old what the remembered about their baptism......(what 3 years ago?) ... "Oh....I don't remember, that...!" and I say...

"You must remember, I can remember mine, and that was 50 years ago!" and so it is 50 years ago this year in May that our family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. May 12 1962 mom and dad joined the church and 2 weeks later 8 year old me was baptized in Davenport Iowa.
Then 1963 summer vacation we went to Salt LAke and we sealed as a family.....the rest, is a novel of volumes and volumes of good works and service, good times and growth in the gospel.......more later.....

50 year baptism anniverary-age 8)
more anniversaries this year in 2012
This is my 40 year from High School graduation reunion. (age 18)
My 30 year married to JT NEW Anniverary.(age 28)
Multiples of 8 must be my lucky number? remember Mark V. and his 41? just thinking, never connected the dots, what else could I be missing here?

10 years at Pediatric Physicians IN the office (have been taking call for them longer)
Now that opens up a can of worms......what will the rest of THIS year bring

New Bell Pictures

Mom and I did a quick trip to Chattanooga to see Aunt Jean Bell Poe a few weeks ago. She will be 100 in November. She has been tell us for more than 10 years she is the 11 (of 13) child , born in the 11th month (Novemeber) of the 11th year (1911). She is still doing well health wise and mobility-fair, but has trouble seeing. We had a nice visit . We got to see her pictures and she allowed me to bring them home to copy on the computer. While there we also visited to cemeteries for some of the families' final resting places. The picture below is Susie Tatum Bell having over Jean's bed. Then Charlie and Susie's cemetery- "Duck Pond" as the locals call it..Chattanooga Memorial Park. On Top are pictures of Jeanette Tatum Delk, her son Ernest and Neice Gladys Tatum(Susie's twin brother John Dugan's daughter). The ceneter is an OLD School picture, unmarked and I can not identify anyone in it. I'll need help over Labor Day........ Top Right I THNK MIGHT BE NANEE--THELMA BELL RUSTEMEYER but need a vote from others......And there are more...

Found Guardian Angel

Now I have a name and picture to put with the letter of my "helper" to connect the generations of Rustemeyers recently connectly with the single letter found in the files. She is Theresia Rustemeyer only child of Joseph Rustemeyer, first son of Frederick Rustemeyer, all born in Germany, who immigrated from Germany, Joseph as a 9 month old baby with the parents. The letter from Mrs. John A. Long , postmarked in 1942 gave the genealogy of their family and helped connect 5 generations and still growing.
(I am still connecting decendents to the tree.)
With the help of: (and sometimes with 5 screens at the same time) ......

German Birth Records 1558-1898 (recently indexed and added to Family Search)
German Marriage Records 1558-1929 (recently indexed and added to Family Search)
Find-A-Grave ( with posted pictures* volunteer submitted)
Ancestry.com
new.Familysearch
maps
google
+family file on Paf

Now the mystery continues.....I have to find out more about Theresia Rustemeyer Long of Beverly Hills, California.

Such A Puzzle

Those Rustemeyers
Just like a zigsaw puzzle , the genealogy puzzle is SUPPOSE TO eventually fit together in a nice orderly organized way. Or .....one day ......one can hope
We had been lead to believe from ...way back that "all" Rustemeyers are related, and they may turn out to be....some time, some how, but maybe not "CLOSELY related"
Flaw 1. German Rustemeyers came to America at diferent times in history
Flaw 2. they settled in differnt locations- if they were closely related, shouldn't they/wouldn't they want to be close by for support,etc.
so here is what I have connected this month:

Rose Mueller Long wrote a letter to Uncle Joe Rustemeyer in 1942 laying out her recollection of her Rustemeyer roots:ALL OF IT HAS PROVEN TRUE TO FACT: EVEN HAVE FOUND TOMBSTONES ONLINE Mother Rosina Rustemeyer daughter of William Rustemeyer immigrant. Her letter allowed me to firmly establish her line and link her uncles as connected to the family for sure. The Germany records has the father of William, her grandfather listed. He may be the grandfather of the whole bunch, or not.......have to confirm later. But the puzzle is getting closer to geting done.
Her one letter CONFIRMS Rustemeyers in California ,Illinois, south Dakota, Minnesota, Canada, Idaho. ALL EXCEPT THE MISSOURI GANG! One curious thing from this trip, one of the South Dakota marriages was to a wife who had been raised on an indian post/orphanage so their Rustemeyer children, though white, have claim to indian heritage.....never know what you will find in the history books. and the one who went to canada changed the spelling of the name t RESTEMAYER, so they will be easy to track downward.....anyway......fun stuff.....

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