Chasing History

My native/pollinator garden updates. Please enjoy this pictures that show the progress over this past week-  Today I ripped out the Rose of Sharon bushes along the side of my house. They're beautiful and the bees love them, but they are so invasive and difficult for me to keep under control.  The goal is to have as many PA natives and pollinator plants as possible, while keeping the garden beds as low maintenance as possible.  I am using cardboard and organic mulch as a natural weed barrier deterant. I have two 50 gallon rain barrels that I use to water my plants and fill my bird baths.  Each garden space will have a bird bath, bird house or bird feeder installed with it.

Today, I sat in the Sylvia H. Rambo United States Courthouse and watched twenty-two people from ten different countries take the Oath of Allegiance. In that room, twenty-two completely different life stories converged into a single, profound moment: they became American citizens. During the ceremony, one of the newly naturalized citizens stood up to speak. He shared his story of the last ten years—the opportunities America had given him, the life he had built, and the family he's raising here. I found myself moved to tears. As the oath was administered and they were officially declared citizens, you could feel a collective weight lift from the shoulders of everyone in the room. It was a powerful reminder of what citizenship costs, and what it means. It made me think about my paternal great-grandmother, Apollonia.  She was born in a small mountain town in Italy. Widowed at age 22, she came to the United States just one year later in 1917. She was young, alone, and penniless. The odd...

I am lucky enough to be a part of a monthly book club with a great group of friends. Every month we rotate who gets to choose the next book. The books are often genres or subject matter that I wouldn't necessarily choose for myself.  April's read is Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green. I was excited to read this book because I've found that I have a morbid curiosity about the history of death and disease.  " Everything Is Tuberculosis is a 2025 nonfiction book by John Green that explores the history, science, and social impact of tuberculosis (TB), arguing that it remains a deadly disease due to systemic inequality, not medical limitations. The book blends personal narrative, particularly the story of a young patient named Henry in Sierra Leone, with historical and scientific information to advocate for global health equity and awareness. It became a New York Times bestseller and is praised for its emotional storytelling and sharp reporting on a curable, prevent...

Cassel's Cemetery is located on Cassel Road in Newberrytown Township. It is a very old cemetery with the earliest known burial date of 1847, that of Jeremiah Cassel son of John and Susan Cassel.  Over the years, it has grown slowly but has remained part of many local family histories, including our own. Our ancestor, Michael Cassel donated the land for burial purposes when his grandson, Jeremiah Cassel died. Through the years, part of the cemetery land was purchased from Jacob Bruaw in 1904 and Maggie Cassel in 1928, making it what it is today, a beautiful, peaceful country setting. Cassel Church is now looking for people who are interested in helping to maintain and preserve the cemetery. Please review the list of names buried in the cemetery. You could help maintain your ancestor's final resting spot! Last names in alphabetical order: Albert  Altland  Andrews Anspach Baird Baker Baney Bare Bausticker Beard  Benson Bierbrower  Bower Brinton Bruaw Burgess  ...

Week 52: The theme for Week 52 is “Memorable.” Who is memorable in your family? Who do you want to make sure isn’t forgotten?  The end... I don't like endings. I can hardly believe this is my last blog post in this series. It's been a long and interesting 52 weeks. Special thanks to Samantha Dorm for inspiring me to embark on the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks journey. Who do you want to make sure isn’t forgotten? My grandfather, Clair Edwin Gross. He was my best friend in the entire world. I only had him for 14 years, but he made the biggest impact of anyone I've ever known. I truly believe he was my person. Clair Edwin Gross   Born: 17 July 1929 Newberry, York, Pennsylvania Died: 21 March 2009 The Carolyn Croxton Slane Residence, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania Maternal grandfather  Pap was kind and honest. He was probably the nicest person I've ever met, and everyone who knew him loved him.  He was an accomplished baseball player, bowler, skater (ice skater and rolle...