Blood Type A

While going through my paternal grandfather's wallet, I came across his Blood Bank of Delaware card.  On the back is a sticker where his blood type is written.  His blood type was A.  I never imagined I would know, or want to know, what my grandfather's blood type was, but it got me thinking.

I know that I have the same blood type as my dad, O positive, and that is different from my grandfather's.  How did my dad get his blood type?  This question lead me to do a little research since I have forgotten what I learned in school about blood types.  There is only one possible way my dad got his O blood type - both of his parents had to have passed him a gene for the type O blood.  My grandparents, however, could have had type O blood, type A blood, or type B blood.  It's all genetics.

In this day and age where DNA tests are so prevalent and helpful in doing genealogy research, it has been a breath of fresh air to find such a simple answer.

Certificate of Satisfactory Service

My latest find, my paternal grandfather's wallet, has been a treasure trove of information.  Who knew how such a little thing would contain so many details and lead to so many hints to follow?

The first thing I looked at was his Certificate of Satisfactory Service card.  A card he carried from 1945 until his death in 1986.  It was a post-war document that certified him as having served his full tour of duty in the United States Navy during World War II.  On the back of the card are the dates showing the period of his active duty, 21 February 1942 to 9 November 1945.  These dates are so important to have while doing research on an ancestor's military career, and I am looking forward to doing some digging.  It also states that he was given an honorable discharge from the Navy, but his signature and fingerprint are the best treasures.  It makes this paper card that he carried in his wallet for 41 years to prove that he was a veteran of World War II that much more personal and connected to who he was.

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal great-aunt and paternal aunt, probably taken on Christmas day in the 1990s in my great-aunt's kitchen in Galena, Maryland.

Kathlyene LeGates Churay (1927-2008)
Diane Odgers Veasey (1951-2002) 

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal aunt and uncle, probably taken in the early 1990s.

David Veasey (1946-2014)
Diane Odgers Veasey (1951-2002)

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle taken at the home of his maternal aunt in Galena, Maryland in October 1994.  He was 40 years old.  Judging from his shirt and the pin on his sweater, it was around Halloween.  His shirt reminds me just how much he loved animation.

James Odgers
1954-2007

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle taken on Christmas day in the mid-1990s at my father's home in Bear, Delaware.  He is holding a glass ash tray.

James Odgers
1954-2007

It's A Kodak Moment

At any given family function, you could find my paternal uncle with his camera telling someone, "It's a Kodak moment," and then take their picture.  He loved capturing the fun moments of family time.  And as time goes on, I appreciate it more and more.  For one, it puts faces with names and photos with different events.  Not to mention all the photos are a family historian's dream.  But most importantly for me, I get to see things from his perspective, whether I was at the even or not.  I see what moments and events he found were worth capturing and remembering.

This is a photo of him at a picnic at his sister's (my aunt's) house in Bear, Delaware in 1993, maybe Memorial Day weekend.  His camera is in his hand, ever ready for that next Kodak moment.  Maybe someday I will find the photo he just took or was going to take and will be able to see this moment from his perspective.

James Odgers
1954-2007

This is YOUR Kodak moment, Uncle Jim.