March 2013

Monthly Archive

My Pilgrim Ancestors

24 Mar 2013 | : blog

I did a recording of  Chim Chim Cher-ee on the Sing Snap Online Karaoke Site. It’s the chimney sweep song from the movie “Mary Poppins”.

When listened to it sung by Les Thompson, he commented on it.

How amazing Dick van Dyke was back then, Jay.

And you brought back some great movie moments with this choice.

Fabulous performance!

Les  (of Australia and Europe)

Then I answered and related how I had a connection to Dick Van Dyke through a common ancestor.

” Les,

Thanks for the stop by and comment.
Dick Van Dyke is a distant cousin of mine as is Kris Kristofferson.
To bad their success didn’t rub off on me.
Have a great day.
Jay”

His reply was:

That’s amazing, Jay…I knew about Kris…but Dick van Dyke as well?…talent’s in the blood!

No wonder you do those show tunes so well!!

Cheers to that!

Les.

Mine back:  “Maybe But I am amazed at how many of extended family have interest in acting and singing. There are so many and so I wonder how many of my SS friends are somehow related closer than I know.”

” Actor Dick Van Dyke

Francis Cooke > Hester Cooke > Esther Wright > Isaac Tinkham > Nathan Tinkham > Isaiah Tinkham > Susannah Tinkman > David Lorenzo Child > Susan Child > Charles McCord > Hazel McCord > Dick VanDyke
Can’t trace mine tonight must be off to bed. But I tie in at Ester Wright To the Cooks of Mayflower fame.”

The next day Gregory Brown of NC commented on the recording: I was young enough to see this movie in the theater during its first run. I always loved this song and you bring out the magic in it.  I may have to start calling you BroadJay Van Dike”

I found my way back to Ester Wright.

Francis & Hester Cook>Ester (Richard)> to Adam(Sarah)Wright>Mary Wright (Jeremy)Gifford>Peleg(Abigail Shephard)Gifford>Noah(Mary Bowerman)Gifford>

Alpheus(Anna Nash)Gifford>Samuel Kendell(Lora Anne DeMille)Gifford>Oliver

DeMille(Alice virginia Allred)Gifford>John Jones(Fanny Crawford)Gifford>Ellen Gifford

(Donald Joseph Watson Beacham)Beacham>Albert Jay Beacham(Virginia Marie Stannard).

Francis and Hester Cook were Mayflower pilgrims as were George & Mary Beckett(Bucket) Soule.

George & Mary Beckett Soule>Benjamin Soule>Sarah Soule Wright mother of Mary Wright.

Lots of folks descend from the original Mayflower immigrants.

I also go back to William Brewster.

Lots of famous descendants of those people.

Well maybe someday I’ll be famous  too.

But until then it’s fun to learn about.

Are you a descendant of those folks of the first Mayflower voyage?

One chart shows I go to the famous John Howland.

Today I meet Richard Knupfer of Ivins. He came to my house to visit.

He says his 13th removed cousin is his wife, she goes back to Francis Cook also.

He ties back into my line somewhere before  Charlemagne who I tie to.

It’s amazing how everyone is related and not so far back in some cases.

Tennessee Ernie Ford  was right to call everyone “Cous” caus’ we are.

What’s Wrong With Green?

23 Mar 2013 | : blog

Spring is here and the poisons come out.

Every spring, the poisons start getting all over as the eager gardeners and the weed haters, bug haters start pumping out the poison at an alarming rate.

I live in southwestern Utah under red rock cliffs-color country.

Folks leave here for the eastern USA or for the Pacific Northwest or Europe and marvel at “all the green”.

But as soon as green starts popping up on the ground here, these same professed green lovers “freak out” about “the green in my yard”. Then an all out war with chemicals of all sorts begins.  They really hate green.

Several friends of mine were in Vietnam and the effects of Agent Orange have been devastating to all of them.  Many are even now dead from those effects.  Agent Orange, 2-4D, Round Up are all in the same chemical family. The weed killers to destroy the hated green.

But that isn’t all, they tell me that DDT and other pesticides were rained upon them in camps to protect from the dreaded mosquito.  The bug killers used today have just as drastic of effects on people.

People get ill when the spring winds blow this stuff all over, when put on lawns and gardens, around and inside of all buildings.

There are alternative that aren’t dangerous as are the poisons.

For weeds: Go pull them, get the lawn mower out, dig or cover the things.

For bugs: Use citrus oils, soaps, boric acid and the like.

What’s wrong with green?

Stop killing people.

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