In September 1953, my aunt, Gladys Whalen Stoddard (1893-1973), wrote about her paternal grandfather, Thomas Whalen. Gladys was my father’s sister and the eldest child of Thomas’s only son, Charles C. Whalen and his wife Leta Mary Clarke Whalen. A photocopy of Gladys’s four-page document is included at the end…
Leta Clarke Whalen’s 150th Birthday
Today, January 19, 2024, marks the 150th birthday of my paternal grandmother, Leta Mary Clarke Whalen. Grandma Whalen was born on January 19, 1874, in the town of Hounsfield, New York, to George Roswell and Mary Elizabeth “Libbie” Maxson Clarke. Her father’s farm was located on a no-longer existing road…
Stanton Jobson Stamps – 31 Oct 2023
Remembering my dear father-in-law Stanton Jobson Stamps who was born 100 years ago today. What a wonderful man he was! Kind, funny, and so good-natured. He always did all what had to be done – not the least of which was bravely defending us on December 7, 1941 at Pearl…
Remembering Frieda
Remembering our dear step-mother Alfrieda Cecilia Gebo Harrington Whalen (15 June 1910 – 17 October 1994). Her eyes snapped and sparkled, her laugh was always ready, and she loved us.
Leta Mary Clarke Whalen’s Cake Recipe
Today, January 19, 2023, would be my Grandmother Whalen’s 149th birthday. Grandma was 91 years old when she died in 1965, so she was able to celebrate a lot of birthdays! This photo is from one she celebrated in 1955 or ’56. Grandma had what today we would call a…
Kendall C. Whalen and Marjorie A. Kay, 76th Wedding Anniversary
Today is our parents’ 76th wedding anniversary. They showed us what love looks like. January 5, 1946. Kendall Charles Whalen and Marjorie Ann Kay Whalen were married at St. Peter’s RC Church rectory, Lewiston, New York. Their witnesses were Kendall’s brother, Clifford Edward Whalen, and Marjorie’s sister, Ruth Joan…
Stanton J. Stamps, Pearl Harbor Survivor
We are so very proud of Stanton J. Stamps (1923-1995) and his service at Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941. Stanton was stationed on the USS New Orleans and just getting ready to go to church when the alarms suddenly went off, calling all to battle stations to defend against…
Some Ancestors’ Portraits
Many in our family have copies of the following four portraits. This is thanks to our dear brother, Charles Howard Whalen. Charlie made copies of these and other photos and made sure our dad and siblings each had a framed set. Charlie was devoted to family history, and we are…
The 75th Wedding Anniversary of Stanton and Janet Stamps
Janet Lucille Turner of Pulaski, New York and Stanton Jobson Stamps of Stanton, Texas were married at the Methodist church in Altmar, New York, seventy-five years ago, on 22 June 1946. On the day of their marriage, Stanton was nearly 23 years old and still a member of the US…
Happy Birthday Aunt Joanie!
Wasn’t she beautiful?!? Aunt Joanie (actually Ruth Joan Kay) was born 25 May 1930, in Youngstown, NY. She was the seventh child born to Grandma Loretta Garvey Kay and Grandpa Howard Bertram Kay. She was their second to last child. As you can tell by this photo, Aunt Joanie was…