The Names We Share

On July 16, 2023, I traveled 18 minutes with my husband and kids from our home to visit the Pullman National Historic Park. On this day, we drove. But we also could have taken our commuter train just a few stops up the rail line right to the park's visitor center doorstep. Our family loves visiting museums, national parks, and interesting landmarks. We love filling our National Parks Passports with new stamps. There was something deeper and more meaningful to this visit for our family. We were visiting our ancestors' home, walking in their footsteps where they lived, worked, played, learned, and worshiped. On this day, we learned a bit more about what their lives were like in the company town and how our family was a part of American history. My second great grandfather, August HELENIUS, was a tinsmith for the Pullman Palace Car Company. He lived in the company town with his wife, Naima, and their six children. August and Naima were Finnish immigrants who came to the United Sta...

The fact that my Great-Grandpa Blue was a Chicago Police Officer is one of those family history facts I feel like I've always known. When my Grandma Blue passed away and I was helping pack up the house, we found his retirement badge, physical evidence confirming to me it wasn't just a family story. As I began to dig deeper into my genealogy, I found his occupation listed a "policeman, city" on the 1950 U.S. census. Then I found his obituary, which listed that he had been a Chicago police officer for 20 years and retired in 1963. This means he began his career with the Chicago Police Department in about 1943. I also found him quoted and pictured in the "Surburbanite Economist - Beverly/Suburban Edition" issue from June 25, 1952 in a section called "Penny for Your Thoughts" where he discussed fishing. His occupation was listed as "city policeman" and his listed address matched what I had found for him in other records from around that time....

My Grandma Sally was cherished dearly by my family. She was the step-mother of my paternal grandfather, Kenneth Dale BLUE. After the death of my great-grandfather, my grandparents visited her frequently, took care of her, and looked out for her. My father kept us in regular contact with her through phone calls and recorded messages on tape cassette. We visited her at her home in Florida in the summer of 1986. While I wish I had been able to know my Great-Grandma Hazel BLUE, Sally was our great-grandmother in every meaningful way and a very loved member of our family.    Saloma Barbara BROWN was born in Buffalo, New York, on September 27, 1906, to Wesley Whitfield BROWN and Ida Catherine (SNYDER) BROWN. Both her parents were born in Walpole, Ontario, Canada, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1904. Wesley was a carpenter and Ida was a homemaker. Sally, as the BLUE family knows her, grew up in Buffalo, New York, and graduated from Lafayette High School in 1925 with academic honors. A...

Every time we take the commuter train into downtown Chicago, a few stops into our ride we will hear over the PA system "Next Stop, Pullman". When we look out the window to the east, we are looking right at the new Pullman National Monument, one of our newest National Parks. But its not really new. The buildings are old. The neighborhood has historical designations and protections. The new national park is the old Pullman factory and company buildings and the surrounding neighborhood of homes and row houses George Pullman built for his employees. The National Pullman Porter Museum is part of it as well.  In all these decades of growing up and living near the Pullman neighborhood, I never imagined it was part of my family history, part of my family's story. Through my research, I have found that around the time my 2nd great grandfather came to America, Pullman was home to a significant Scandinavian immigrant community. Also, my great-great-grandpa was a metal smith going ba...

Below is the immediate family and descendancy of August Johan HELENIUS and Naima LINDVALD, my 2nd great-grandparents, who were the oldest generation of my HELENIUS line to come to America. Living people are not listed for privacy. I have only included information I have personally verified through documents like census, birth, marriage, and death records. If you think there are errors, please reach out to me. This descendancy tree is not yet complete. I will update as I confirm more information. Parents & Siblings All family in this section born and died in Finland to the best of my knowledge  Carl Johan HELENIUS (1832-1909), m. Amanda Sofia LINDHOLM (1849-?) Karl Alfred HELENIUS (1868-1848) Gustaf Rudolph HELENIUS (1870-1951) Oskar Walfrid HELENIUS (1873-1952) Noak Israel HELENIUS (1875-1876) Maria Gustafva Gustafsdotter JERNVALL (1846-?), Naima's biological father unknown, m. Karl Gustaf JEDERHOLM (1829-1878) Artur Alarik JEDERHOLM (1878-1880), half-brother Descendants ...

Below is the immediate family and descendancy of Walter Clarence BLUE (1883-1950), my 2nd great-grandfather. Living people are not listed for privacy. I have only included information I have personally verified through documents like census, birth, marriage, and death records. The photograph above is from the back of a law enforcement ID that belonged to Walter. He was 58 years old in this photo. That would mean the year was 1940 or 1941. This was shared with me by the great-great-grandson of Lestina ARCHER, Walter's wife at the time of this photo. Parents Father: Henry BLUE (1855-1927) Mother: Mary J DILLMAN (1861-1943) Siblings Delbert BLUE (1879-?) Ernest BLUE (1881-1951) Ada E BLUE (1888-?) Clare Celeste BLUE (1891-1953) Edith BLUE (1893-1968) Viola Mae BLUE (1897-1981) Spouses & Descendants Walter Clarence BLUE (1883-1950), m. Mabel Adelia WALKER (1886-1936), m. Lestina ARCHER (1886-1974) Kenneth W BLUE (1908-1977), m. Hazel HELENIUS (1910-1965), m. Saloma BROWN (1906-1994...

Over the years, I had been told my Grandpa Kenneth D. BLUE was born in Los Angeles, California, because his parents moved there so my Great-Grandpa Kenneth W. BLUE could go work for his dad who owned a funeral home. Stories like these are fascinating, but they are just stories until you find proof. Recently, I did a deep dive into the life of Walter Clarence BLUE, my 2nd great-grandfather. And I found proof that lends to the validity of that family story I had been told. When the census came around to Walter in January of 1920, he lived in Los Angeles and listed his occupation as undertaker at a mortuary. This verified the part of the story claiming Walter worked at a funeral home.  Walter Blue's 1920 U.S. Census record To lend to the part of the story that he was still working in this field when my grandpa was born in Los Angeles, his occupation on the 1930 U.S. Census was a funeral director. Also, he still lived in Los Angeles. Walter Blue's 1930 U.S. Census Record And about ...