The Brides House is the place to go if you are looking for a bride :-)! Taken on 3/11/2008 at Locus Street in St. Louis, MO.  I love how the upper window looks like someone is holding the curtain aside to look out the window.

I've just completed digitizing and uploading a Hansel/Hansler family genealogy based on an old book that I believe was compiled by (Benjamin?) Franklin Hansel, 1853-1940. Hansel is one of the family names that connects to the Willette/Ouelette line on this site. The book starts with Hans Hansel around the early 1700's, and it is mostly a list of names with some personal accounts. The bulk of the information (412 people & 147 families) has been loaded into the family tree database - but there is more that I did not input yet. The records start here with Hans Hansel and his descendants.

Photo from Jacob Hansel/Hansler (gg-grandson of Hans Hansel) family reunion, 1 Jul 1916.

This photo was taken in October 2006 near the old mill area of Little Falls, NY looking west down the Mohawk river.

Last weekend I made it to Fort Yargo park in Winder, GA to watch my first cyclocross race. The course is really punishing with lots of places where they have to carry their bike and work around obstacles. Below is a shot from the Men's Masters 35+ and 45+ race when a guy jumping over one of the barriers with his bike. More photos can be found at http://gallery.kennaphoto.com/g/2007_yargo .

On my quest for relatives I ordered a copy of the Civil War pension file (certificate #577430) for a Michael Kenna (1845-1904). He was a private in Company C, 74th Regiment of the NY Volunteers from 7 Jul 1861 to 6 Jul 1864. He was born 1845 or 1846 in Ireland to John Kenna and Kate Gleason (both of Ireland), moving to the US around 1854. He was married to Mary Ralph (b. 1842) on 6 Feb 1868 by Rev. Father O'Burn/Byrne at St. Michaels Church in Flushing, NY. They had at least two children: Annie Kenna, b. 13 Feb 1872, and Mary Kenna, b. 9 Mar 1881. Michael died at the age of 58, on 24 Jan 1904, at Laurel Hill, Queens, NY, from a cerebral hemorrhage. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery.

I can't be certain he is a relative, however, his mother's name of Gleason shows up elsewhere in our family tree. Perhaps St. Michaels church or naturalization papers can help prove or disprove a connection.

If you know this man or his relatives, please let me know.

UPDATE:  The nice folks at St. Michael's Church did a search for the marriage record and could not find one for them on the date above. :-(

Fairhope, AL

Betty K. Willette (born Elizabeth Kathleen Varcoe), 90, a native of Buffalo N.Y., and longtime resident of Rochester, NY, and Deland, FL, passed away Wednesday July 18, 2007 at a local nursing home. She was preceded in death by her husband, G. James Willette, and a granddaughter, Kristina Willette. Survivors include: one daughter, Joan Laird, Hadley, MA, two sons; David Willette, Fairhope, AL, and Douglas Willette, Seneca, SC; one brother, George Varcoe, Flager Beach, FL; seven grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren. Throughout her long life, she was an avid and accomplished bridge player, volunteer, and world traveler. Private arrangements are being made by the family.

The 90th annual Averett-Byrd reunion was held July 7, 2007 at the Daleville, AL Convention Center. A good time was had by all. Next year's reunion will be held on July 5th at the same location.

For the last few weeks I've been taking advantage of the temporary free access to military records on Ancestry.com and collecting records of relatives with connections to the US Civil War, World War I and II. Updates have been made for the following persons:

• Bryant Shelly Averett
• George Ananias Averett
• Henry Grady Averett
  
• Charles Francis Kenna
• George Edward Kenna
  
• Harry C. Kenna
• Thomas M. Kenna
• William Henry Kenna