Headstone: Elizabeth Freeland Roberts

 Elizabeth Freeland, as the wife of Robert Roberts, was my husband's 4th great grandmother. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Nancy Freeland. Elizabeth was born 23 April 1779 in Maryland and died 30 May 1862 in Greene County, Pennsylvania. In my RootsMagic database I had entered her birth and death years, but the inscription on her headstone gave me the actual dates, as it gives her death date and age at time of death. 

I discovered Elizabeth's headstone through the wonderful site administered by Candice Buchanan: "Greene Connections" . She links the grave listings to those found at FindAGrave.com. I followed the listing for Old Mount Tabor Cemetery, where I knew Elizabeth had been buried. Three years ago, on August 20, 2008, Roberta Hofmann had added this wonderful memorial to Larry's ancestor. We're really excited and grateful to find this photograph.

Old Mount Tabor Cemetery, Greene County, Pennsylvania

Time Capsule: The Colorado Springs Century Chest

The Colorado Springs Century Chest Project was a gathering of letters, photographs and other materials that were placed in a metal chest as a time capsule in 1901.The  letters and documents were inside linen envelopes and many of the photographs were wrapped in tin foil. The Century Chest that held these items was made of steel and lined with sheets of lead. It was sealed with 200 rivets to make it airtight. An inscription on the chest read: "To the citizens of Colorado Springs of the Twenty First Century. To be opened after midnight December 31st A.D. 2000." The Century Chest was kept on the Colorado College campus for 100 years. 

On Jan. 1, 2001 a Century Chest opening ceremony was held in the Tutt Library of Colorado College. In the weeks following the ceremony, for the purpose of preservation and access, librarians at Colorado College scanned every item from the Chest and transcribed many of the letters.

Among the contents of the Chest was a letter written by Architect Thomas McLaren, giving "An account of the architecture of the City at above date" (3d August 1901). Is it coincidence that today is August 3rd, 2011? I found this item of particular interest because Thomas McLaren was the architect who designed the house I'm living in, here in Canon City, Colorado. 

The list of contents of the Chest can be found  here.

How fortunate we are to have this resource as a window into the lives and times of the residents of Colorado Springs, Colorado 110 years ago! It's especially thrilling for me to be able to read the lengthy letter written 110 years ago today by the architect who designed my house. 

"Small World Dept": Jamison-Jaynes Cousin Connection

The chart above shows that both my husband Larry C. Jamison and Lloyd L. Jaynes are descendants of Andrew and Mary M. Wilson Christie. Lloyd Jaynes's father was Orville S. Jaynes who was a descendant of Chester and Eliza Dee Janes. Also a descendant of Chester and Eliza Dee Jaynes is Clinton R. Jaynes, Jr. who is the adoptive father of Michele A. Jaynes, ex-wife of my husband Larry Jamison.

 

It’s interesting to note that both Larry C. Jamison and his ex- wife Michele A. Jaynes are cousins of Lloyd L. Jaynes, who was very well-acquainted and well-respected in the business world by the mother of M. Rebecca (“Becky”) Jamison, Larry’s second wife.   

*Lloyd Lincoln Jaynes was a resident of Hoisington, Barton, Kansas, where he was a partner in Suburban Laundry and Dry Cleaners. During the time of that employment he was often called in as an expert boiler-repairman by Phyllis J. Margheim, Manager of Jones Laundry in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas. Phyllis’s daughter is M. Rebecca (Margheim) Jamison, wife of Larry C. Jamison, as noted in the above diagram.