YELLOW DUCKY QUILT

The other day I was browsing through my "project drawer" looking for some inspiration and ran across some Tutti Frutti fabric in coordinating duck prints. That cute little duck was so appealing I had to make something. I found a nice mottled yellow solid to go with the prints and made a 30" x 37" rag quilt throw. Since it's summer I thought I'd layer it with only one layer of soft yellow flannel. It's the perfect weight for when the A/C gets a bit much. And it would also make the cutest wall hanging to brighten any room.



I listed the quilt in my Etsy shop. You can see it at http://www.etsy.com/listing/48017663/ducky-rag-quilt-throw-or-wall-hanging-30

MORE OLD PHOTOS

I think these two scanned tintypes are the most interesting of all my old photos. They are of my great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Mobley and my great grandmother, Hannah Deaver. They are my mother's paternal grandparents. Everyone always looks so stern or lacking in emotion in these old pics, but I think ole T. J. looks a bit wild and crazy, don't you?


Thomas Jefferson Mobley was born in Maryland on 19 Aug 1808, married Hannah on 18 Mar 1830 in Belmont County, OH, and died in Salem, NE on 17 Sept 1878. They had 8 children including my maternal grandfather, Lewis Cass Mobley. T. J.'s parents were Levin Mobley and Nancy Tucker. He was child # 9 of 10!!

I swear that Hannah here looks like she would wash your mouth out with soap if you said a bad word!! I guess being a mom of 8 could do that to you. Hannah Deaver was born in Harford County, MD, on 15 Aug 1812 and died 25 Feb 1897, in Salem, NE. I think 85 was remarkable for that time. It seems that I come from a long line of long lived old ladies. I like that!!!

Hannah's parents were Richard and Elizabeth Deaver of Maryland. She was the second of 6 daughters! It looks like she met T. J. in Maryland, they moved to Ohio and then to Nebraska. The rest is history, as they say.

One of the things I love about genealogy is that it gives you the chance to see your own family in the context of the history of this country and other countries. My ancestors, for the most part, came to America when it was still a colony and the families migrated across the country with millions of others. I'm sure some fought in the Revolution and I know of a few who fought in the Civil War and the Mexican War. It just makes all the history I studied in school come alive. My family was part of all of that. Cool!!

MY GREAT-GRANDPA REUBEN

I finally got that tintype of my great-grandfather, Reuben Lake Miller, scanned into the computer. He is my mother's maternal grandfather. Though I never knew him, of course, I've always felt a connection with him. From the first time I saw his picture, I felt like I knew him.

Reuben was born on 15 Dec 1823 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. I don't know anything about his parents or siblings. I have been spectacularly unsuccessful in finding anything about them. I haven't given up, though. I know that there were Millers present among the first white settlers of the "Forks of the Delaware."

My great-grandfather married my great-grandmother, Mary Walter, on 12 Aug 1849, in Easton, Pennsylvania, at the German Reformed Church. They had seven children, only three of whom lived to adulthood - Ellen (b 1850), Rebecca (b 1855)and Georgianna (b 1865). My grandmother, Georgianna Miller, was the only one who made it past her 30's, living to a ripe old age of 79. Ellen died at age 32 and never married. Rebecca was married to Isaac Coken and died at 36.

As you can see by the tintype, Reuben was in the military. During his civilian years he was a brickmaker and lived in Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. On 30 May 1861, Reuben enlisted in the Union Army, E Co. 41st Inf Reg PA. He elisted as a Private, but was promoted to a full Sergent and mustered out on 11 June 1864. I was able to find a history of the 41st Regiment-Twelfth Reserves and they had a hard three years. They pretty much stayed in camp until 10 Mar 1862, when they were in the general forward movement of McClellan toward Manassas. They did not participate in the battle. They first saw fighting on 26 June at Ellerson's Mill and Harrisons Landing.

On 28 Aug the regiment barely escaped a surprise by the column of General Jackson and the next day participated in the action at Groveton. After all of that they left Virginia to participate in the Maryland campaign of South Mountain and Antietam and then back to Frederickburg. Reuben was wounded and captured by the Rebels at Fredericksburg and spent about 6 months in the Parole Camp at Annapolis, Maryland. By 1 May 1863, he had rejoined his regiment.

The regiment participated in the battle at Gettysburg and other actions thru the end of 1863. In 1864, they were fought in the three days Battle of the Wilderness and at Spottsylvania Court House. At Bethesda Church, they "received and repulsed the most desperate assault of the enemy." On the day of that battle, the term of its service expired. They were transported to Harrisburg and mustered out on 11 June 1864.

It seems that he and Mary must have had a good reunion as my Grandmother Georgianna was born 1 Apr 1865. Georgianna didn't get to know her father very well as, in August 1864, he reinlisted with the Army. The family story is that he got drunk one day and that's when he reupped. At any rate, he was assigned to Ft. Trumbull, New London, Connecticut. Reuben died 13 Jan 1867, choking on a piece of meat at dinner. Too bad no one knew the Heimlich maneuver back then or my family history might have been different. Mary did remarry a widower and family friend, Michael Raub. He took in the girls and was a good father to them from all accounts.
Mary survived two husbands and lived an independent life until her death in 1906 in Easton.

If anyone reading this has any information that might help me find out more about my Miller ancestors, I would love to hear from you.

SPECIAL ORDER LITTLE GIRL TOTE

A friend of mine asked me to make a tote for her 8-year old neice and provided me with a variety of fat quarters in shades of green, pink and yellow. Such pretty prints and bright colors. I used the fabric to make two disappearing nine patch blocks about 13" square. The lining consisted of two different pink fabrics - one with princesses and one with crowns. The tote measures roughly 10" x 12" with a 3" flat bottom. The straps are a patchwork of the various fabrics used.

I had a bit of fabric left after making the tote so I whipped up a little wonder wallet. Easy to do and sooo very handy. I found a neat vintage dome button with rhinestones to go with the crown print fabric. I hope she likes it!

I just love these fabrics - so bright and springy!! And so perfect for an 8-year old princess.