Monthly Archives: November 2015

Reflection on Veteran’s Day

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In China today, it is Singles Day, which is kind of like Black Friday. While I think about something to buy, I want to also reflect on Veteran’s Day in the US.

Cold November winds blow
through stone laid row on row.

Trees beginning to white with frost
over the graves of men twice lost.
Once to war’s shrill blades
and again when memory fades.

I wear a poppy blood red
thinking of our home’s poor dead
and send up a thankful cry
for those who in far fields lie.

Last line is a little weak, but still works. Special thanks today to my brother John and my father, who came back. So many did not. A prayer goes out to their families.

Genlighten – Hiring a Genealogist

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In October, I did something that I wanted to do for a while, but did not have wherewithal before. I hired a genealogist to do some digging for me. I found a website named Genlighten. I was looking for two pensions filed in the National Archives. One was for George W. and Sarah Bohanon, parents of Asa Bohanon (George and Sarah were my third great-grandparents). Asa was with the 20th Maine and died in 1865, after coming down with a sickness. I was also looking for the pension of Fannie Knowles, third wife of Dr. Harford B. Knowles (he and his first wife are also my third great-grandparents).

I paid a Mr. Lee Irwin from the site $50 apiece to find the pensions. He was successful with the first one. The pictures that he sent out were gorgeous in quality. If you have a similar need, please do not hesitate to contact him on the site. Unfortunately, he was unable to find the pension for Fannie Knowles, so he refunded the fee (less a reasonable search fee). I have to say that I was impressed.

I am thinking of trying my luck again with the site. There is a genealogist in Northern Ireland who charges $120 for a four hour search. I am thinking of throwing my McCutcheon’s at him and see if he can find anything about them in Antrim or Tyrone.

**Update 11/14**

Mr. Irwin made a 2nd go of it with some new information and delivered to me the pension of H.B. Knowles with something like 150 pages. It is going to take a while to slog through all of that material. It cost a little extra for a large pension file, $75 this time, but still worth it.