There are two kinds of social media I’m thinking of this week…both having to do with my grandfathers. One has its roots in the past with newspapers and the other in the present.
I love researching newspapers to find the stories of my ancestors…everything from love to murder and every business under the sun. In today’s world, reading a newspaper is no longer the way to get your local society news, but back in the day, it was the best way.
Here’s a mention of my grandfather, Owen McKamey, visiting his parents. 1 These tidbits can fill in gaps of place and time and can be sources of good genealogical information.
My other grandfather, Bernard Stabley, Sr., worked as a milkman for Rainier’s Dairy in Penns Grove, New Jersey.
While browsing Facebook one day, I came across a group from Penns Grove and Carneys Point. I asked if anyone remembered my grandfather and received some wonderful responses…
“He was our milkman on Ives Avenue. We called him Benny. Very friendly guy. Often let us have chunks of ice from the milk truck in the summer.” And “many mornings I would wait for him and holler 3 white and 1 chocolate.” I remember him as being a jolly guy. It’s nice to know people still think of him fondly all these years later.
1 “Special Correspondence, Lake City,” The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 17 Aug 1941, p. 6, col. 2; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com: accessed 7 Feb 2023).
I love uncovering stories from the past. I spent over thirty-odd years researching my family history. It was wonderful reading your uncovered stories.
Thanks, Paula! They are fun, especially when you talk to people who knew your people. Take care, Gray