Sunday, September 27, 2015

Sunday, September 27, 2015

What the Beck???

Livingston County Courthouse

            Last week, I continued working on my family genealogy. I am now going a little further south to Pontiac, Illinois. I found no information at the LaSalle County Courthouse, so I am now going to the second courthouse that has to do with Streator, Illinois.  This clerk’s office is in the original building which is beautiful. 

I thought the building was breathtaking!

The hallways were dark, but I think you
can see the beautiful ornate ceiling.

The floor was amazing, too.  

Whoa Baby!

        I did find some family information.  I located my Grandparent's marriage certificate and paid $3.00 to get my own copy.  I also verified that my great-grandparent's first names were Mathew and Emma.  Now, I just need to look for those two names as parents in the Birth Records.  This means that I will have to look at every baby born between 1884 and 1903 and find an Amiel, Frieda, and David Whose parent's names are Mathew and Emma, and then discover their last name.  Wish me luck!  This will take at least two more days.

      Of course, they never had to register the birth of their children with the county.  The birth of a baby was not law until 1916 - so here's prayin' they went to the clerk's office!

Bucket List Update

Academy Award Nominated Movies

1997             Titanic

                  starring:: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet

                  plot – The amazing story of the “unsinkable Titanic.”

                  I have seen many movies about the Titanic, but it is obvious                   how this one won the Academy Award for best picture. There                   were so many stars that I only listed the two main characters.                   Everything about this movie was just spectacular.  I can’t                   believe that I waited this long to see it.

1940             The Long Voyage Home

                  starring: John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Barry Fitzgerald, and                          Ward Bond

                  plot – The story about the men who worked aboard a                        freighter in the prewar years.

                  This one was too slow for me, and the topic is not really my                   cup of tea.

1975              Barry Lyndon

                  starring: Ryan O’Neal and Marisa Berenson

                  plot – The story of an adventurer on his journey in the army                        as a counterspy. It also showed his life as a                                 father/husband.

                  Good acting by Ryan O’Neal, but I didn’t really enjoy this one.                   This movie lost the Academy Award to One Flew Over the                   Cuckoo’s Nest.

1968             The Lion in Winter

                  starring: Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole

                  plot – The life and times of King Henry the Second and his                        wife Eleanor of Aquitane.

                  It seemed like I was watching the longest play of all time.

1963             America America

                  starring: Stathis Giallelis and Frank Wolff

                  plot – A story written from the viewpoint of a Greek                                 immigrant who comes to the USA for a better life.

                  I liked this movie because it puts you in the role of                            understanding the difficulty the early immigrants experienced                   when arriving in the good ole’ USA.