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Finding Progenitors

Enjoying a fact finding mission through my progenitors

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Enjoying a fact finding mission through my progenitors. Photographs used in my blog are my own unless otherwise noted.

FindingProgenitors

FindingProgenitors

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A tag along to yesterday’s post. This appears to be a baseball team from Woodruff and Edwards. circa 1940. My father-in-law is on the top row, far left. #findingprogenitors #metzger #woodruffandedwards #elginillinois #elginhistory #foundry #propellers #ww2 #ww2factory #familyhistory #archives #householdarchives #lostillinoismanufacturing @elginhistorymuseum

I love discovering stories behind photos. My father-in-law, Benjamin George Metzger was born in Minnesota in 1916. The family moved to Iowa before 1920. Ben completed the 8th grade and at some point in the 1930’s moved to live with his paternal Aunt and Uncle in Elgin, Illinois. The 1930 US Census lists Ben as a “Moulder” at a “Foundry”. And it just so happens our household archives has photos to back this up. Ben worked at Woodruff and Edwards, Inc in Elgin. W/E, founded in 1867, was an iron foundry that at its peak employed 400 workers and poured 12 tons of iron per hour. Apparently a close look at antique lamp bases might show the Woodruff and Edwards logo. FB’s Lost Illinois Manufacturing page reports that during WWII, the Navy turned to W/E to produce 300 propellers for landing craft for the invasion of North Africa. Other foundries said they could only produce 12/day, but the Elgin plant worked round the clock and turned out the order in 3 days! The Army-Navy "E" was presented to firms that excelled in the quality and quantity of their output. The award consisted of a flag to be flown above the plant and a lapel pin for each worker. Very few plants earned this distinction.Woodruff & Edwards earned three stars for propeller castings for picket boats and landing barges; winch drums for Army trucks; motor castings for landing barges and amphibious jeeps. Ben was a part of WWII history in fabricating these items. He was employed by Woodruff and Edwards for at least the time frame of 1937-1944. By 1948, he had returned to Iowa and married my Mother-in-law, Eileen. Ben passed away in 1997. The first photo is from 1939. Ben is the handsome young man in the second row, 4th from the left. In the second photo, he is on the top row, second from left. #findingprogenitors #metzger #woodruffandedwards #elginillinois #elginhistory #foundry #propellers #ww2 #ww2factory #familyhistory #archives #householdarchives #lostillinoismanufacturing @elginhistorymuseum

I knew this book held some sort of significance to my Mother. I had heard her and my Aunt giggle about it. I was never curious enough to read it however. It’s one of the things I kept when cleaning out her house. I hadn’t paused to study it until today. It turns out “Strange Fruit” was a best selling novel in 1944. Translated into 15 languages. It is the story of an interracial romance and was banned in many places at the time due to it’s “lewdness” and crude language. Even after reading about the book I still felt it must have held some other significance to my Mother. Googling Lillian Smith, I found that her life partner was Paula Snelling. Paula was my Great Aunt’s sister-in-law and good friend of my Grandmother, Ida. Both Malcolm and Ida speak of Paula in their letters. Together, Lillian and Paula published literary magazines encouraging writers of all races to give their honest assessments of Southern life, both socially and economically. This was an almost 10 year venture starting in 1936. I’m going to try to hunt down a copy! Now to read the book!.......#findingprogenitors #strangefruit #1944bestseller #bestseller#lilliansmith #malcolmandida

Sometimes I take for granted things I run upon in one of these boxes I pull off a shelf tucked away in my house. This 1919 yearbook from Newberry College in South Carolina is one of them. A quick Google and EBay search do not show another on the market. (No, not planning to part with it) It’s in perfect condition and gives depth to my young grandfather’s time in college. I have no memory of my Grandaddy Kyzer without dress pants and dress shirt and 95% of the time a suit jacket....even on the beach! My memories and photos are of a very polished gentleman. The last photo is my favorite. My Grandfather is second from the right. Crouching, tieless, vest unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, hair tousled and appearing quite at ease in the moment. Fun to see that side of him. #findingprogenitors #newberrycollege #newberrian #1919 #suitandtie #malcolmandida #seniorclass1919 #grandfather #grandpaincollege #neverknowwhatyouaregoingtofind

Visited the genealogy room at the Halifax County Library today. The library occupies the former town elementary school. I noticed the sign across the street. Pretty sure it’s original. #halifaxcountylibrary #halifaxnc #genealogy #dickensland #charliebrownandlucy #keeptheoriginal

Nestled on my basement shelf between computer programming (which people will one day marvel over) and other couple decade old textbooks, was this. I remember putting it there. My memory wants to say I brought it back from Mom’s a long time ago but I don’t remember anything else about it’s origins. Doing some shuffling yesterday and ran across it. A date inside indicated printing in 1858....naaahhh, can’t be. Well....yeah it is! According to the web it was a popular 19th century schoolbook. Pre-civil war! Ummm. I think I’ll give it a better spot to reside.... #findingprogenitors #cornellsfirststepsingeography #oldtextbook #whodiditbelongto #1858 #precivilwar #precivilwarbook #thethingsifind

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