The Harmon Sutton Family

Harmon Harold Sutton was the son of Bert Alva and Nellie Gertrude (Knight) Sutton. His obituary was published in the Iola Register [Allen County, Kansas] on April 3, 1945

Harmon Harold Sutton was born in Wichita, Kans., April 2, 1902 and passed away March 24, 1945, at the age of 42 years, 11 months and 22 days at his home in Compton, Calif. He moved with his parents to Iola in 1905 where he lived until manhood.

On August 21, 1920, he was united in marriage to Florence M. Wilson who passed away January 7, 1924. To this union two sons were born. James H. Sutton, age 23 years, now attending Merchant Marine Officers Training School at Alameda, Calif., and Kenneth Wilson, age 21 years, now deceased.

On May 14, 1925, he was married to Marjorie Rogers of Moran, Kans., and to this union two sons were also born, Robert Eugene, age 18 years, now serving in the U. S. Navy, and Donald Earl, age 8 years.

The surviving relatives are his wife and three sons, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Sutton of Iola, and two sisters, Mrs. W. H. Saling of Long Beach, Calif., Mrs. Gerald Curtis of Wichita, Kans.

He was a good husband, and an affectionate father, and a friend to all who knew him.

Published immediately beneath the obituary for Harmon Sutton was that of his son:

Kenneth Wilson Sutton was born in Iola, Kansas, November 20, 1923, and was killed in action December 14, 1944. He was serving his country with the 7th Army under General Patch and was a S-Sgt. Of the 36th Division, 143 Inf., Co. L.

Kenneth moved with his parents to Compton, Calif., in 1937 where he attended school and entered the U. S. Army in February 1943. He trained at Camp McCain, Miss., and was later sent to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, before going overseas in April 1944. He served in Italy and France and it is presumed he fell in action near Strassburg, Germany.

The Sutton family plot in Highland Cemetery, Iola, Kansas. The three stones in front are for Harmon, his wife, and their son.

HARMON H. / 1902-1945

FLORENCE M. / WIFE OF / H. H. SUTTON / 1899-1924

S/SGT. KENNETH W. SUTTON
NOV. 20, 1923 – DEC 14, 1944
CO. L 143 INFT. 36 DIV. 7th ARMY
FELL IN ACTION
IN FRANCE

Obituaries and tombstone photos were obtained September 10, .. on a visit to Iola, Allen County, Kansas. I have no information on James H. Sutton or the two children from Harmon's second marriage, Robert Eugene and Donald Earl Sutton.

Clermont From My Window

Since I haven't done this in a bit, I snapped some shots while we were out this weekend. The weather has been much warmer and we are enjoying it!

Wordless Wednesday :: Up, Up, and Away!

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race
St. Louis, Missouri September 1994Copyright © 1994/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Death Record of Eliza Wise Hoffman

When I visited Wabash last Thursday I stopped at the Health Department to get a copy of the Death Record of Eliza Wise Hoffman. When the clerk was looking at Eliza's record she made the comment that the handwriting was atrocious. I asked to look at the record myself but my request was refused. As was my request for an actual copy of the record itself. Instead what she said she'd do is get another clerk to look at it the next day and then mail the certificate to me. So, figuring that was the best offer I'd get, I paid the $5.00 and gave them my address. The certificate arrived in the mail on Saturday.

Unless there is a specific reason that you need a certified copy, you should request a "genealogy copy" of death records in Indiana, whether requesting them from the county or the state. Also inquire as to the cost if ordering from a county, each one seems to charge a different fee. The charge for ordering from the state is $8.00 and it must be paid in advance. They call it a "record search" so you pay whether or not they find the requested record. Information on ordering death records (and birth records) can be found at the Indiana State Department of Health website.

=+==+==+==+==+=
Genealogy Copy of Death Certificate of Eliza Jane Huffman.
=+==+==+==+==+=
Certificate of Death Registration
Wabash County Health Department
Decedent's Name: ELIZA JANE HUFFMAN
Date of Death: November 2, 1920
Place of Death: PAW PAW TOWNSHIP City: WABASH
Age: 78 YEARS Marital Status: WIDOWED Gender: FEMALE
Cause of Death: CANCER STOMACH
Certified By: G. P. KIDD MD
Cemetery: IOOF PAW PAW TOWSNHIP ROANN IN Disposition Date: 11/04/1920
Funeral Home: SCHULER-ROANN
File Date: 11/30/1920 Book: 1918-25 Page/Line: 41 #512 Issued On: 02/15/..
Signed by (Health Officer)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Not all information is available for all years.
Birth Date: 05/11/1842 May 11, 1842 Birth City: [blank] Birth State: OHIO
Occupation: HOUSEWIFE Industry: DOMESTIC SSN: [blank] Race: WHITE
Address: City: ROANN State: INDIANA
Spouse: ARTHUR HUFFMAN
Father's Name: PATR ? WISE Father's BirthPlace: PENNSYLVANIA
Mother's Name: CHRISTINA Maiden: GARNE Mother's BirthPlace: UNKNOWN
Informant's Name: EFFIE WASTHREY ? Inform. Address: ROANN, IN Relationship: UNKNOWN
=+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+=
Eliza's Spouse was Anthony Huffman, not Arthur. Her Father's first name was Peter. The informant was probably her daughter, Effie Wertenberger.

The new piece of information from this record is the maiden name of Eliza's mother, GARNE. Although I don't know how helpful that will be! An initial search for that surname at www.ancestry.com turned up absolutely no useful information. Without having actually looked at the death record I don't know if GARNE is what was in the record or if it was perhaps, a best guess by the clerk.

Family Visiting Us in Florida

All of this talk about missing Austin while he visits family has reminded me that we've had family visiting us in the past few months. We are so used to not having any family living near us that it's a special treat when we do have that. In February (27th) my cousin Mike and his wife Brenda came to visit us. They brought their sweet dog, Boo, who has since passed away. I hadn't visited with my cousin in probably over 20 years so it was an extra special treat to have time with he and Brenda. They are some of the kindest, most positive people you will ever meet. They even gave me a gift of a CD with a gospel group singing a song that Brenda wrote on it. Sometime we want to get over there way to hear her sing and play with her band. Good times!



Then we had another visit today from my Mom and nieces and nephew. Ambir and Auburn drove up one day and we got to see them on top of the other family visitors. It was wonderful to have time together. We even got to play charades together.





Living the life in already HOT Florida!

Don't Go There?

Got an email from a woman who is about to start cycling to work. It's only a 4 mile commute each way, and she is more than comfortable with the distance. But between her own neighbourhood and her office isan area known to have high crime rates. She is concerned about passing through it, especially on her way home after dark. "I would not walk there alone. How do I know if it's safe to ride my bike?"




Personally, I feel far more comfortable cycling through questionable neighbourhoods than walking there or waiting for the subway/bus. But overall I live in a decent area. We have occasional shootings and bank robberies here, but none of the places I ride through feel too rough or dangerous. And while I've had a few uncomfortable encounters over the years, the bike allowed me to ride away and avoid serious conflict.Still, in the past I've lived in cities with definite "don't go there" zones. I had not thought of what I would do if I had to commute there by bike.




What determines whether you consider an area safe for cycling? Do you take special precautions in neighbourhoods that are known for high crime rates, or do you plan your route so as to avoid them altogether?

Bike and Cat Gallery!

We have two cats, and they both love to sniff and investigate our bicycles. After a reader sent me a photo of his own cat examining his vintage Raleigh, I decided to start a gallery. If you would like to share a photo of your cat with your bike, please send it to the address at the bottom of this post. I will keep expanding the gallery.



One of my own two kitties, photographed during a moody moment through the spokes of my Pashley Princess.



My other kitty, looking longingly at the Co-Habitant's Pashley Roadster.



This gray kitty belongs to reader J.E.P., photographed with his newly acquired 1979 Raleigh Sprite.



Trisha's new kitten Wally, on her Peugeot mixte. From Let's Go Ride a Bike.



Dottie's beautiful kitty sniffing her Rivendell Betty Foy. From Let's Go Ride a Bike.



The white kitty in this spectacular shot belongs to KT of Velo Vogue. This is one of my all-time favourite bicycle photos, and notice the Motobecane mixte!



Shelly's kitty Lazlo, from Riding Pretty!



C_C_Rider's Guest Kitty, from Ride your Bike. No doubt the guest was attracted by the Surly in the background.





Submitted by coldfeet via bikeforums: "I know he hates riding in cars, must try him out in the cat box strapped to the rack." (Um... yes, let me know how that goes!)



The intriguing Smudgie belongs to Maschka at bikeforums. He is performing the same acrobatic maneuver with two different bicycles. Maybe it is his bicycle dance?



Machka's Sabre (RIP), photographed with her Maruishi touring bike.



This photo of little Willow was submitted by terraskye from Edmonton, via bikeforums. "My cat loves my bike... Anytime I bring it out of the storage room she has to come over and take a look.. This time she was just watching the ice melt in the water bottle."



JanMM's Spooky inspecting his Rans V-rex. Submitted via bikeforums.



This basket-cat belongs to Beth Terry from Fake Plastic Fish.



This feline camper is from the website of David Naylor.



And this sweet kitty is asleep in one of David Hembrow's bicycle baskets.



Submit your bike and cat photos to:

Knowing What You Like: Theory and Practice

If you are reading this, chances are you do a great deal of bicycle-related research - from reading blogs, product reviews, articles and DIY tips, to examining endless pictures of other people's bikes. In the absence of direct experience, this sort of research shapes our preferences and informs our decisions about what bicycles to get, as well as how to outfit them. Knowing a lot about something through research can sure make us feel as if we are "experts" at it. But the truth is, that until we try something ourselves, we have no idea what it's actually like. Theory is one thing; practice is another. I will confess some bicycle-related ideas that I loved after reading about them, but did not love so much after actually implementing them.

In theory, I love the look of shellacked cork grips and shellacked cork bartape. In practice, I found that the feel of shellacked cork is too glassy and slippery for my liking. The more layers of shellac, the nicer the cork looks... and the worse it feels to my hands. I really wanted to like it, but it just does not work for me. I prefer un-shellacked cork, shellacked cloth tape, leather grips, and even plastic grips.

Inexpensive cloth tape with just a couple of thin layers of shellac. Not as fancy and shiny, but my hands prefer it.

The "Special" version of Brooks saddles. I love the look of Brooks "Special" saddles with their pretty copper rivets - so much so, that last summer I paid a bit extra for a Flyer Special for my vintage Motobecane mixte, instead of getting the Standard. I have since learned that the Special versions of the saddles are apparently made of a thicker leather. In theory this is a good thing, as the saddles are more durable. In practice, it has proven impossible for me to break in my Flyer Special! A year later, and it still hurts.

The B17 Standard on my Hillborne has less of a "wow" factor, but I don't care: It took me a week to break in this saddle!

Last year, Honjo fluted fenders seemed like such a beautiful choice for Marianne. But while they truly are picture-perfect, they did not stay that way for long once I began riding my bike. The long smooth fluted surfaces of these fenders showcase every micro-scratch, and after a few months mine began to look pretty beat up. By contrast, the Co-Habitant's hammered Honjos disguise scratches and dents, as they are essentially "pre-dented". Though I prefer the look of the fluted model, I regret having bought such expensive fenders only to have them look battered. You live, you learn.

And then of course there is the lovely front wicker basket - that ultimate symbol of civilised, romantic cycling. Alas, it was not meant to be: experience has shown that I prefer the front of my bike to be free of large wicker objects, no matter how beautiful.

Instead, these rear folding baskets have proven to be just the thing for me. Not as cute as a wicker basket in the font, but they suit me better.

In describing my experiences, I by no means suggest that you should stay away from any of the products that did not work for me. My point is simply that you never know whether you will like something until you actually use it - regardless of how stunning it looks in pictures, or even of how obvious its benefits seem in product reviews. There is no way around personal experience, and bicycles are no exception.

On the road to Cayo Coco: Cow traffic and the toilet from hell

So now that Santiago de Cuba is behind us we are an experience richer!



Our next destination in the agenda is Cayo Coco—the islands or the keys. This is where the famous Cuban beaches are located, in the eastern part of Cuba. We will be staying in a 4-star beach resort.



The drive from Santiago de Cuba to Cayo Coco is about 7 hours. We will be making 2 stops.



Cow Traffic: Mooooo!









While on the road, we saw cows joining lazily in the traffic. The biggest hazard in driving in Cuba are animals that think the highways are their domain. I have a horrifying animal encounter on the road story to share later.









And then we saw the usual scenery on the Cuban highways.



The Toilet from Hell



Then we have to make the necessary stop—our FIRST stop nearby Holguin, because nature called us to do THE deed. We’ve probably driven about 2-3 hours already.







This is the roadside café restaurant that we had the stopover. And because nature called us to stop here we proceeded to their toilet.







The toilet from HELL! EWWWW. The picture did not do justice, the toilet was really so bad in person.



When I saw this, I was speechless and my body hairs were literally standing! Goosebumps. I wanted to run away but I realised that I am a girl scout (and Blondine as well) who deals with the situation at hand. So I held my breath, make sure I balance myself well without touching anything (so gross!) and just stared at the ceiling (because I don’t want to see the hell around me) while doing the deed. UGH.



I was so proud of myself after. I did it!!!







Back at the café restaurant we bought some soda. Yep, this is a cafeteria in Cuba.











And we saw some locals stopping by as well for drinks and some socialising.



It is now time to go back driving and be on the road. We still have another 4 hours to reach Cayo Coco. Wish us the best!

Update from Salt Lake City

Well, I've been here a week now and thought I'd better post “something” so y'all would know I'm still alive! The days have been full (and fulfilling) and they have gone by quickly. Time flies whether you're having fun or not but seems to go by much quicker when you are enjoying what you are doing!



There haven't been any “breakthroughs” thus far but then I've been doing the “drudge” work, so to speak – gathering information from Deed Books. Yes, I'm digging into deeds once again. I've done some work in deeds “on location” in several counties in several states but it is so much easier and convenient to work on them here. Even though they don't have “everything” they do have much of what I need to look at. Of course, there are “a few” other things that I'll be working on as well.



And now, something to ponder...







The signatures above are for Charles Wiseman (my 2nd great grandfather) as found in Kosciusko County, Indiana Deed Book 57 pages 128 and 129 and recorded on February 27, 1885 (FHL Film 1705383). It is fairly obvious that the signatures are not the same. In fact, the two entries in the deed book are in a different handwriting (see below).



Also, Charles Wiseman resided in Switzerland County (in southern Indiana) when these deeds were executed. Thus, it is my conclusion that neither one of these is the actual signature of Charles Wiseman! Rather they are the interpretation of his signature that appeared on the documents that were sent to the Recorder's Office in Kosciusko County (in northern Indiana).



In other words, the signature is a transcription. So what this does for me is raise suspicions in regards to other “signatures” recorded in Deed Books or other types of records, such as this one for Wilhelm Foster. It's really kind of a bummer when you thought you might have the actual signature of an ancestor...





Kosciusko County, Indiana Deed Book 57 page 128 (FHL Film 1705383).Note that the writing is different in the two entries.

Underneath the Pavement

Though it's been a week since the Vermont Fall Classic, I still cannot post a report. My heart is too full; this is a ride that requires some emotional rest and distance before it can be put into words. But privately some of us have been discussing it, rehashing it, testing the accuracy of our own memories by comparing them against the memories of others'. And one topic that's come up is the quality of the dirt. A few of us noticed that it was differed from our local dirt, and different from the dirt we rode in previous events. At the D2R2 in Massachusetts and Southern Vermont, the unpaved roads were a dark brown earthy colour that turned muddy when wet. At the Kearsarge Classic in New Hampshire, the terrain was rocky. The dirt roads in Northern Vermont were a light grayish-tan, almost clay-like in consistency, dusty and tightly packed except for a thin top layer that was soft from the rains of previous days. When it began to rain again, this top layer turned liquid, but not muddy exactly. It was thinner than mud, less viscous. I was certain it was some type of clay. Others thought it was more sand-like. A rider who often cycles in upstate New York then described the dirt roads there, which are reddish clay and leave a pink residue over everything. Fascinated by these nuances, we admitted that we never gave them much thought until now.




All of this makes me realise just how unfamiliar so many of us are with the actual soil we live on. Paved roads have defined and homogenised our landscape for so long, that we hardly consider what lies beneath. Do most of us even know what our local streets would look like unpaved? The streets in the next town over? Can most of us determine what a particular type of soil is by looking at it or feeling it? I was in touch with these things when I lived in the countryside, had a garden, walked in the woods, but living in the city has distanced me from that awareness. Now cycling on dirt through different parts of New England has reminded me just how important it is. I'd like to learn more about our region's terrain, about what lies underneath the pavement. I don't ever want to lose that connection again.