Just Three Wishes

Dear Genea-Santa, it seems that one of your elves, Jasia by name, suggested that this year we should ask you for three things that once belonged to (or could have belonged to) our ancestors! Now, I realize that in the "real" world in which we live that it isn't actually feasible for you to bring us things from the past, but, well, we can dream can't we?

Genea-Santa, we don't have to go too far into the past for two of the things that I'd like to have. You see, both of my mother's parents owned their own businesses even though neither one of them had more than an 8th grade education. My grandmother owned a restaurant during my pre-teen and teen-age years and I'd like to have one of menus from the restaurant. It was called the Dairy Bar. I could have taken one of them at any time while I worked there, but just didn't think about it at the time.

For thirty years my grandfather worked for someone else in a typewriter repair shop. In 1950 he opened his own shop in Fort Wayne and worked there for another thirty years when his son took over. The shop was closed about ten years ago. I'd like to have one of the small tools that grandpa used for repairing the typewriters. I asked my uncle what became of grandpa's toolbox and he didn't know. No one else in the family seems to know what happened to it either. Could you find it Genea-Santa? Maybe some of my cousins would like to have one of his tools too.

The third item on my list may take a little more effort, Genea-Santa, and for that I apologize in advance. My 3rd great-grandfather, Jacob Wise, died of illness in a Nashville Hospital in May 1865. His widow applied for a pension and among the papers in that file was one that listed his possessions. Genea-Santa, it said that he had none. Nothing. That just doesn't seem right to me. There must have been something that he had with him. Was there a picture of his family? Perhaps one of the little daughter he never saw? Perhaps he kept a diary of his short journey? I'm not going to be picky on this but I'd like to have something, anything, that belonged to Jacob.

Well, that wasn't so bad was it Genea-Santa?

Sincerely, Becky

P.S. I'm going to break the rules (I never was much good at following rules) and ask that one more wish be granted. . . I wish all of my genea-blogging friends the best of everything for the holiday season. May your brick walls tumble and may you have a happy and glorious holiday!