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Crocheting & Knitting Our group had another day out for lunch and shopping. On Aug. 14, we went to the Olive Garden in Moreno Valley for lunch, and then we went shopping at the new Home Goods store and T.J. Maxx in the same area. It is always a good time when we get together for these outings. Discovery Club A picture is worth a thousand words... or so they say. But when it comes to researching your family lineage it can be quite another story. The family pictured to the right got all dressed up to have a photographer take their picture. There they are, looking back at you, each with a personal story to tell. Sad to say, not one of them is alive today to tell it. You might have a photo like this, passed down through several generations. It's an important part of your family history, but who are they, and when and when was this photo taken? Without names, dates and places, we must use our power of deduction and make certain assumptions. Here are some suggestions that might help. Consider the obvious. You can easily determine the basics such as ethnicity, location in the world, general status and a bracket of time. For example, this would not be a family of cowboys in the untamed west, or the family of a Russian Tsar, or a peasant family in Peru. So you can narrow down your search according to your best estimate of the obvious. Understand photography. Knowing a little about photography of the past can help determine the age of a print, thus the date the photo was taken. This can give you a window of time within which to conduct your search. But not all prints are that easy to figure out, so sometimes you are left to your best guess. Find location and vocation. The photo offers some clues. Look at the style of clothes (collars, blouses, jackets, dresses, shoes, etc.) and their hair and jewelry, etc. In what location might this be an average family living an average life? And what might this family do for a living? Do they live in the big city, or out in the country, or in a small town? Are they reasonably prosperous or are they dirt poor? Determine their ages. The youngest girl appears to be about five. If children were born one right after the other, the oldest would only be 14. But there are more adults in this photo than children, so births were spread more like two years apart, making the oldest child 26 to 28 years of age. In that case, the parents would probably be in their late 40s or early 50s. Find their names. Start by assuming this is all one family and spouses of the children are not included. There would then be two parents and ten children. You might recall someone saying, "Uncle Sam came from a large family, " so start looking for Sam, (or whoever), in a family like this. And look for a large family with the appropriate age spread when searching census reports. Toss out what doesn't fit. So far as this particular photo is concerned, rule out everything that does not fit, so you don't continue looking in the wrong places for the wrong people. And even if you don't know who they are, at least you will know who they are not. Discovering your family history takes patience, digging out clues, using common sense, applying deductive reasoning, and above all, perseverance. As Winston Churchill once said, "nevaah, nevaah, nevaah give in." If you need assistance, have suggestions, or want to be included on our email list, please contact the Club Captain. Notice of our next meeting will be sent via e-mail. Info., Willis Fagan, (951) 769-4482 or e-mail to wefbev@verizon.net. ~ Willis Fagan T-Shirt Reconstruction Class We will be having our second T-Shirt Reconstruction Class on Fri., Nov. 9, at 1 pm. Supplies needed are 100% cotton tee shirt (please no ribbed tees) and sharp sewing scissors. There is no sewing involved and you will learn the different weaving techniques to create your own unique (sexy) tee-shirt. Samples are available in the Craft Room. Info., Pamela Mayoral, (951) 897-1922. ~ Pamela Mayoral FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2012 27 CLUBS & GROUPS During our Tuesday meetings, some of us are still working on the lap throws for the Veteran's Hospital, and some are also working on personal items, such as sweaters for fall, scarves and afghans. We still meet every Tuesday from 10 am to about 11:30 am. We welcome all new people and are willing to teach any beginners. ~ Dorothy Payne

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