Music to My Ears

"Music is the color of sound." ~ Author unknown

    

It's been nine years since I last thought to write about music. I'm no musician or singer. I am a listener. Over the years music's importance in my day-to-day life has shifted to allow time for stuff I've unintentionally prioritized. When in all actuality, it makes for an exceptional partner with so many of those things. Why do I forget to let it accompany me in more situations these days? This may be an unpopular thing to say but it's a personal observation as someone who is of a certain age. I've noticed as I have aged into my senior years that I don't process oral output well. Whether it's someone speaking to me, watching something with speaking, or listening to an audiobook. Music though, there's this whole auditory reward beyond any words. If we let it, can't it color our lives with its sound? I vow to spend more time with my "music to my ears."

How do you enjoy your music? Radio? Videos? Satellite stations? Concerts? Your own physical or digital music library? I went from being a child of radio with 8-track tapes to a teenager of radio with vinyl to an adult with cassettes followed by CDs and occasional concerts to a mature listener with solely a digital library. Since my last music update in 2013, I've acquired over 1,000 "new" songs! I hadn't expected my tally to be that many, but the evidence is in my iTunes Library. I can see it, and more importantly, I can hear it.

There are too many to list here; and being too obsessive for my own good, I have made a spreadsheet. I invite you to check out the spreadsheet via the link below the following image and my The Music I Listen to Page. Music is a universal language, so let's discuss it.

 

Virginia's Music: Songs Added 03/2013 through 07/2022

 

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The Grandeur of the Gorge

Columbia River Gorge, Corbett, Oregon

“The river’s not like the ocean. The land holds it, and yet it goes on its way, in peace, bound and yet free.” ~ Cid Ricketts Sumner

Digital photograph by Virginia Hill taken with an iPhone 8+ on 23 Jul 2019. Some rights reserved (please see Creative Commons License in the sidebar.)

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The Genealogy Mysteries I Most Want to Solve

After twenty-five years of working on my family's history, the following is the information I desire most.

• I would love to find what New York county my HILL ancestors (specifically my 3rd great-grandfather, Richard D. HILL and his brother, John R. HILL) left when they moved to Medina, Ohio, in the 1830s.
• I would love to find exactly where all of my Irish ancestors (specifically John HANNAN, Margaret (POWERS) HANNAN, James McCORMICK and Margaret (CULLEN) McCORMICK) originated.
• I would love to find the baptism information (parents' names) for my maternal grandfather, Anthony DeCOSTA (Antonio de COSTA) from Lisbon, Portugal.
  

And my most wanted ancestor is...LAU Chung.

The biggest mystery is my maternal great-grandfather. I don't even know what his name truly was, as it was recorded differently on practically every document I have. It was probably LAU CHUNG. 

Following is the little I know about him. According to the man [Ling Sang (sp?)] who was the informant on his death certificate, 1) LAU Chong [Chung] was born 03 May 1867 in China. 2) I know he was working as a contractor at Waiakea Sugar Plantation on the Island of Hawaii in 1910. 3) I know he married Maria Augusta CARVALHO 09 Dec 1912 in Kaneohe on The Big Island. 3) I know he bought the lot in the McInerny Tract in Honolulu where he would build their home on 08 Jul 1915 for $350. 4) I know he built that home at 1223 Alani Street between that date and 1916. 5) I know he had three children with Maria: Rose Lyu [LAU], LAU Kui Kyau (known as Hilda), and Alexander CHONG, who was born four months after his father's death. 6) I know he passed away from heart disease 11 Apr 1918 and was buried at Ket On Society Chinese Cemetery in Honolulu. Because of the condition of the cemetery, his grave is likely never to be found. Those few facts and the photo below are the sum total of my knowledge after all these years.

Somehow, LAU Chung was related to a Mrs. HEU FOOK. Her daughter, Emma VICKERY, corresponded with LAU Chung's daughter (my grandmother, Rose) as a "niece" of some order. How he fit into that family is a big mystery. I've pored over all of the documentation and I cannot figure out his connection. It's all insinuated and not specified. The people mentioned by Emma in this letter dated 14 Aug 1964 to Rose were: Dr. William LING of San Francisco and Dr. Leonard LING of Honolulu (Emma's mother's brothers). Her mother was referenced only as Mrs. HEU FOOK in the letter, but I have recently found her birth name was LING See Kyau. Contained in that letter was outdated information from Emma's mother regarding the status of LAU Chung's children, LAU Kui Kyu and Alexander (Chinese name KUI Chong).

With all of his name variations and my not being familiar enough with all of the intricacies of Chinese names and culture, I feel he will always be a mystery.

Maria Augusta CARVALHO, LAU Kui Kyau, Rose LAU, and LAU Chung     
1223 Alani Street, Honolulu, T.H. 1916

 

Related Items: 

• LAU Chung (Geni Profile) 
• LAU Chung (Find A Grave Memorial Page)
• LAU Chung and Allied Families (Flickr Album of Documents)

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Family Research News for June 2022

After about an 11-year break I started up with the genealogy again. A small part of my decision to restart was that Ancestry was offering half off on their 6-month subscription plans. I went for the highest tier, the All-Access Plan which includes access to their worldwide records, Newspapers.com, and Fold3. The larger part was that I needed a project where I could feel a sense of purpose and possibly even consider it some sort of legacy project. 

My sisters and I were raised somewhat isolated from both sides of our family and any discussions about relatives were between adults and never clarified for us. It's been my impression that no one (except a handful of exceptions) in our family has ever wanted to talk about themselves or their immediate families. When I've gathered enough courage to ask questions I have allowed it to make me feel like a complete nuisance. Almost all of the knowledge I have about both sides of our family have come from documents after they've died. There are almost no family stories. My feeling is, we don't have to be rich, famous, or super accomplished to have a story to tell. 

In putting together a "paper trail" of documentation on our relatives I can almost get a sense of what they might have been like. Their hopes for a better life (frequently moving and changing jobs), their hopes for a more fulfilling personal life (marrying, divorcing, remarrying), their struggles (losing children, health issues, legal troubles, financial woes), and their successes (community affection and respect, a loving and united family, occupational advancement, etc.). This is my way of getting to know our ancestors. I hope my family feels the benefits much in the same way. On to the family introductions... (FAMILY HINT: To see how they are related to you, all you have to do is claim (contact me) or log in to your Geni Profile.)

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Latest Discoveries and Acquisitions

Photographs

FINCH, Lewis and FINCH, Sarah (LAMB)
GROETZ, Edward and (LINDLEY), Gretchen
HILL, Hiram (1862 Medina-Cleveland Stagecoach Driver)
KANE, Herbert Mathew, Sr.
KANE, Herbert Mathew, Jr.
KENYON, Charles Champlin and KENYON, Lucy (GOULDIN)
KENYON, Samuel
KINSEY, Shirley (DAVIS)
MEDEIROS, Harry Vincent
MEDEIROS, Wilhelmina "Minnie"
MUSCH, Bonn Charles (Skateland Building built in 1944, repaired in 1947, sold in Mar 1955)
OLDS, DeForest M.


Headstone Photographs

ARRUDA, Joseph Jordan, Sr.
CARVALHO, Edwin E.
DAVIS, Elmo Earl and Angelina (CABRAL)
FRAME, Carl and (GROETZ) Jean Ann
GREENO, William
GROETZ, Edward and (LINDLEY), Gretchen
HAWK, Leona Stella (LONG) (NOBRIGA) (COSTA) (ARRUDA)
HAWK, Montie
HILL, Robert Wayne
LITTLETON, Almira (RAYMOND)
KINSEY, Shirley (DAVIS)
MIKES, Jacqueline Mary (HILL)
SABEN, Frederick Carl
SYLVESTER, Sarah (CARVALHO)
WALLING, John Luman


Birth Certificates/Records

CABRAL, Antonina CARVALHO
CABRAL, Manuel, Jr.
HILL, Bert


Marriage Licenses/Certificates/Records

CARVALHO, Kate and RODRIGUES, Joseph
CARVALHO, Rose and CABRAL, Manuel
HILL, Ernest and HANNAN, Margaret
HILL, Maybelle and SABEN, Frederick Carl
HILL, Maybelle and BENNETT, Arthur William
HILL, Raymond and CRUM, Letha (2)
HILL, Robert Wayne and KIRCHNER, June
LINDLEY, Gretchen and GROETZ, Edward
LITTLETON, Hattie (HILL) and PLUM, Elmer


Death Certificates/Records

HILL, Bert
HILL, George E.
HILL, Harry
HILL, Unnamed Baby Girl
PLUM, Elmer Alexander
RODRIGUES, Joseph
WALLING, Bertha (PARKER)
WALLING, John Luman


Census Records

BENNETT, Maybelle Ellen (HILL) (1930 & 1940)
CABRAL, Manuel Jr. (1940)
DAVIS, Elmo Earl (1950)
HILL, Ernest Talfred (1950)
HILL, John Richard (1860, 1900, & 1910)
HILL, Maybelle Ellen (1930 & 1940)
HILL, Raymond (1920, 1940, & 1950)
HILL, Robert Wayne (1940 & 1950)
HUMPHRIES, Alfred and Lucy (KANE) (1910)
OLDS, DeForest M. (HILL, Mildred) (1930 & 1940)
WASHBURN, Gilbert Harry (1930)
WASHBURN, Harry Harrison (1950)


PASSENGER LISTS

CABRAL, Manuel, Jr.
DAVIS, Elmo Earl  
MARTIN, Dennis
MARTIN, Marian
MARTIN, Raleigh
MARTIN, Vivian

    
WWII Draft Registration Card

CABRAL, Manuel Jr.
CARVALHO, Edwin E.
DAVIS, Elmo Earl  
HILL, Raymond
MEDEIROS, Frank
WALKER, Dayle Samuel, Sr.
WASHBURN, Harry Harrison
WASHBURN, Gilbert Harry
WASHBURN, Richard Harrison


Newspaper Notices (Birth, Death, Funeral, etc.)

ARRUDA, Joseph Jordan (death notice)
CARVALHO, Edwin E. (death notice)
DeCOSTA, William Kealoha (name change decree)
GRIMM, Katherine E. (HILL) (KENYON) (death & funeral notices)
HANNAN, Catherine (fatal train incident)
HAWK, Montie (obituary)
HILL, Charlotte Ellen (KENYON) (delayed death notice)
HILL, John Delbert (delayed death notice)
HILL, Robert Parke, Sr. (obituary)
HILL, Robert Wayne (obituary - funeral home)
HILL, William Henry (obituary)
HUMPHRIES, Alfred (obituary, estate notice)
HUMPHRIES, Lucy (KANE) (social notices, obituary, estate notice)
KANE, Herbert Matthew (marriage license notice, several articles, obituary)
KANE, James, Sr. (several social notices, death notice)
KANE, James, Jr. (social notices)
KANE, Julia Agnes (McCORMICK) (several social notices)
KANE, Rinaldo Edmund (obituary)
KENYON, Ernest S. (death notice)
KENYON, Lucy (GOULDIN) (obituary)
KONANUI, (DeCOSTA) Josephine (obituary)
LEWIS, George E. (obituaries)
LONG, Albert [Delbert] Warren (two notices, obituary)
LONG, Leona Stella (marriage, birth, & divorce announcements)
LONG, Maria Augusta (CARVALHO)(death notice, obituary)
MEDEIROS, Frank (obituary)
MEDEIROS, Harry Vincent (obituary)
MEDEIROS, Katherine (CARVALHO) (RODRIGUES) (obituary)
MEDEIROS, Wilhelmina "Minnie" (engagement announcement, obituary)
SLABAUGH, Dorothy (HILL) (death notice, obituary)
SLABAUGH, Joseph Pierson (obituary)
SORIANO, Veronica Shirley (ARRUDA) (death notice)


Newspaper Articles

DAVIS, Robert and Diana (several items)
HILL, Maybelle Ellen (several articles)
KANE, Herbert Mathew, Sr. (with photo)
KANE, Herbert Mathew, Jr. (with photo)
KANE, Rinaldo Edmund  (interview w/photo)
MUSCH, George (several detailed articles)
SLABAUGH, Dorothy (HILL)  (interview)


Added the Following Individuals to the Tree

Fook Sang HEU
Fong LING
Henry Young LING
Kui LING
See Kyau LING
Dr. William Shin LING
Dai Kyau WONG
Lau Shee WONG

AREND, Paul Edward
BENNETT, Arthur William
COSTANZO, Joseph Carl
CRUM, Letha Irene
DAVIS, Elmo Earl
HILL, Robert Wayne
LEWIS, Donald Leroy
LEWIS, Elvin Merl
LEWIS, Ralph Yates
KINSEY, John
KIRCHNER, June Marguerite
KIRCHNER, Thomas Joseph
LITTLETON, Almira (RAYMOND)
MULDOON, Marguerite Eleanor
OLDS, Helen
OLDS, Lillian Ruth
PARKER, Bertha M.
PLUM, Elmer Alexander
SABEN, Frederick Carl
SEICH, Jay Steve
WALKER, Dayle Samuel, Jr.
WALLING, Bertha (PARKER)
WALLING, Dora
WALLING, Fred Guy
WALLING, Harry
WALLING, Minnie
WALLING, Nellie
WELLIVER, Harold "Jess"
YATES, Nettie

Latest Requests and Queries

• Colorado State Archives: Digital copy of the marriage license/certificate for Ernest Talfred HILL and Margaret Beatrice HANNAN. [RECEIVED]
• Cook County Circuit Court Clerk (Archives): The divorce records for Herbert Mathew KANE and Melvina (LaCHANCE) KANE from 1923. [No divorce petition was filed; they remained married.]

Latest Contributions 

• Updated and added Geni Profiles for the above individuals, added all public documents above, and merged several duplicate profiles.
• Suggested edits, and added data and photos to many Find A Grave memorial pages.
• Added information, dates, and tags to over half of the approximately 290 documents in the HILL Documents Album on Flickr and added above associated documents to other family history albums.

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