Genealogy Gem of the Day

I am so excited.  I had a plan to tell you about the story of the marriage of Marguerite Schulstad and Frank Phillips but that will have to wait!  I was looking around for information on Frank’s father and stumbled upon something very fun.  I can't wait to tell you what I found.  

A couple of years ago I was at my sister, Betsy’s, house and she and I were going through more boxes.  These boxes had come from my mother’s house when she downsized and seemed to be more family photos and records from dad's side of the family.  Nobody knew much of what was in them or how they figured into the family picture, but I ended up with a crateful of stuff I still need to go through.  In that box was a photo album that I hand carried back to Pennsylvania and have guarded ever since.  I just never sat down to analyze it.  I knew it had information on Frank Phillips’ dad.  Frank Phillips is my paternal grandfather.

I pulled out that photo book today and began going through it.  The photos are glued solidly to the black paper of the album and the annotations were made with pencil. They are very hard to read.   Inside the front cover are parts of several clippings.  The pictures are very crumbly and are fading. 

As it goes in genealogy, one thing led to another.  I am telling this to you very early in the game and must say that none of this has been confirmed as being our family.  But I am pretty convinced.

From some of the clippings:

“Friday, Sept 26, 1902  Wallace Phillips and wife of Chicago, were the guests of Rockville friends Wednesday, and attended the Rockville fair.  Mr. Phillips when here, published the Rockville Gleaner, now the Rockville Leader.”  This is from the Hartford Post, Hartford, Connecticut.

Another reads:  “Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Phillips of Chicago, are visiting the gentleman’s sister Mrs. Gilbreth Dawson, and Monday they made a very pleasant call at his office.”

The photos in the book are dated beginning in 1898.  Many are labeled “Frank and Ernie” and “Frank, Ernie and Al”.  I am pretty sure it all fits with what we already know.

So, here is the big news.  I checked out the census to see if I could find the name of A. W. Phillips’ sister, the wife of Gilbreth Dawson.  Would you believe “Susan Elizabeth Phillips”!!  This gives me shivers.  I am 100% sure that when I was named Susan Eileen Phillips Dad and Mom didn’t have a clue about this!!  So cool.

I will get back to the plan tomorrow…or the next day.  Unless something else exciting comes up!