Month: September 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Least Favorite Foods

On By thegenealogysearchIn 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History, Ruby Pearl Poundstone Clark3 Comments

Week 39: Least Favorite Foods – Pickled Watermelon Rinds 

It seemed that my Grandmother Ruby Clark could make anything out of just about anything and nothing went to waste.  She had the most wonderful rolls, pies, cakes, noodles and meats – all homemade.  As a matter of fact I thought Chili was severed with macaroni all the time until my mom explained that only Grandma served it that way.  She served it with noodles to make the pot go further with all of her kids.  Everything she made was wonderful except pickled watermelon rinds.   Grandma would collect our watermelon rinds barely waiting for us to finish eating our slices and pile them all together.  Just thinking about the germs from all the people that had eaten the watermelon was enough to deter me.  Now I understand that she would cut them up and remove the parts that had our teeth marks in them but jeez!  Sometimes you just need to throw things away!  

I don’t recall it being an item that went home with us after a visit with Grandma.  I do remember the pickles, chow chow, tomato sauce, green beans and all other wonderful things that Grandma would can.  I don’t think anyone in our family ate them but someone had to of eaten them or she wouldn’t have bothered to make them to begin with.  Perhaps it was something Grandma favored herself.  I recall smelling an open jar of watermelon rind pickles once and I, a devoted pickle eater, ran for the hills.



52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy History is a weekly challenge from GeneaBloggers.  Visit GeneaBloggers for more information.

Military Monday – William Skibbe, World War II

On By thegenealogysearchIn William Skibbe, WWIILeave a comment
William Skibbe  WWII

William Adolph Skibbe Jrwas born on 28 Dec 1923 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States.1–2 He lived 4210 N. Menard in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States in 1928.3 He appeared in the census on 11 Apr 1930 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States.4 2William had Social Security Number 357-12-7524.2issued in Illinois.  Last benefit sent to 21131  Phoenix, Baltimore, Maryland, United States He died Cirrhosis of liver on 5 Mar 1972 at the age of 48 in Phoenix, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States.2,5 He was buried on 8 Mar 1972 at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Sweet Air, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States.2,5  five years.  Bill had a drooping eye.  He was delivered at home by his father and it was thought that his father caused the deformity.
















1. Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates, accessed 1 Oct 2010), entry for William Skibbe, 28 Dec 1923 birth; citing Cook County, Illinois Birth Index, 1916-1935., [ItemOfInterest], [Date]; digital image, FamilySearch, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : [viewed] [28 Dec 2009]); Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1922.
        2. William A. Skibbe, Jr., death certificate (long form) No. 04192 (5 March 1972), State Department of Health, Division of Vital Record, Baltimore, Maryland.
        3. R. L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Chicago (Illinois) Numerical Street and Avenue Directory. (Chicago, Illinois: R. L. Polk & Co., 1928), 535.
        4. 1930 U.S. Census, Cook County, Illinios, population schedule, 41st Ward, enumeration district (ED) 1522, 19 B (stamped), 289 dwelling, 366 family, William Skibbe household; digital images, Ancestry.com(www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2011); United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

               5. Remembrance Card, citing services for Wiliam A. Skibbe; Skibbe Family Artifacts; privately held by Amy Beth Urman, [address for private use], Tucson, Arizona, 2011. Memorial card from funeral and interment service on 8 March 1972. Mailed to Lorraine Clark from her sister in law Loretta Skibbe after the servicice, given to Amy Urman in 2006.

Thankful Thursday – A wonderful free source: Western States Marriages Database

On By thegenealogysearchIn Thankful Thursday, Western States Marriage Database1 Comment

I spent a good deal of time searching and playing on the Western States Marriage website at http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/westernstates/Search.cfm.  I luckily located marriage records for folks in the database that I previously had no evidence of marriage dates.  The website also gives the location of the marriage records so they have been added to my to-do list to send for.

The BYU Idaho marriage database includes pre-1900 marriages for Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada.  Some counties include records up until the 1930’s and later.  A good deal of marriages are from California, western Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, eastern Washington and Wyoming.  Early marriages (1700’s) from New Mexico are currently being  added.

A groom search for the surname of Poundstone  yielded marriage records from 1865, 1946, 1982, 1992,  and 2004.  I received confirmation on numerous Potter, Howe and Wakely marriages. I found a total of 32 marriage dates and references to where each original record is located.  All for free, what a gonga!

Aunt Wilma Joyce Clark 10 July 1936 – 29 August 2011

On By thegenealogysearchIn Uncategorized1 Comment

I am very sad to announce that Wilma passed on Monday, 29 August 2011.  Wilma was the seventh of ten children born to Otis E. Clark and Ruby Pearl Poundstone Clark.  She passed away in Arkansas and will be put to rest in the Old Stonington Cemetery in Old Stonington, Christian, Illinois.  She married John Clark 18 May 1954.  From the Taylorville Breeze Newspaper in Illinois:  8/31/2011 2:03:00 PM:


Wilma Joyce Clark

Wilma Joyce Clark, 75, of Pocahontas, AR, formerly of Stonington, died Monday, August 29, 2011, in Arkansas.
She was born July 10, 1936, in Bement, IL, the daughter of Otis E. and Ruby Pearl Poundstone Clark.
She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Clark of Pocahontas; two sons: John Clark of Pana and Patrick Clark of Findlay; two daughters: Pam Baldwin of Pana and Jan Richardson of Pocahontas, AR; nine grandchildren: Toby Hocq, Dustin Hocq, and Tammy Bling, all of Pana, Aaron Lewey of Pocahontas, AR, Aubrey Lange of Eagle Lake, TX, and Maranda Clark of Chatham; two brothers: Otis Clark of Stonington and Lloyd Clark of North Carolina; sister, Maxine Damery of Blue Mound; and nine great-grandchildren with one on the way. She was preceded in death by her parents, a son, Steve Clark, and brothers: Harold Clark, Kent Clark, and Bruce Clark. 
Visitation and funeral services are being held in Pocahontas, AR.
Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, September 2, at McClure Funeral Home, Taylorville.
Graveside services will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Old Stonington Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent online at www.mcclurefuneralhome.com.

Uncle John and Wilma 1997

Wilma 1953

Wilma 1941