Having resided in the Moosehead Lake region for many years, I am very familiar with the woods and waters of Maine’s North Woods and also with the economic challenges of life in the shadow of not only Mount Katahdin, but of the waning forest products-based economy.
Aroostook County sure does see its fair share of weather (understatement of the year).
On Oct. 31, 2015, the Navy’s newest destroyer, the USS Rafael Peralta, was christened at Bath Iron Works. The story of the namesake of the United States Navy’s newest Maine-built destroyer would be inspiring at any time. On Veterans Day, it is an especially powerful reminder of the qualities that unite all who have served our country throughout our history.
Aroostook County sure does see its fair share of weather (understatement of the year). From searing heat with suffocating humidity, to punishing cold and howling winds.
Most people think of Thanksgiving in terms of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, football, and family gatherings. Those of us who qualify as seniors remember learning about the Pilgrims in school. Stories of the first Thanksgiving and the bravery of the men and women who came on the Mayflower in 1620 were commonplace. And, I know from personal experience that there are many genealogists who would love to belong to the Mayflower Society. “How do I join?” is one of the most persistent questions I’m asked.
Editor’s note: The following article about WWII Veteran Hazen Gartley of Houlton was posted on The Royal Canadian Legion website. His son Henry has given us permission to print it here. To see the entire tribute online, go to http://www.legion.ca/article/a-real-life-story-of-the-legion-service-bureau-helping-veterans/.
Hazen Ernest Gartley hails from Watson Settlement, a small town in New Brunswick. When the call to service came to fight in the Second World War, Hazen and his twin brother Henry went to basic training, as all young men were required to do at the time. Unbeknownst to Henry, Hazen later snuck into town and enlisted so his brother would not have to go.
It was April of 1966, and I was a senior at Gordon College when I received my draft notice. I was supposed to be a teacher like my mom, and if I was lucky, I might have a chance to coach basketball, too. I liked basketball a lot — played it in high school, played it in college, and eventually, I played it in Vietnam.
We are all about to have to come to terms with something, and that “something” is winter!
Fall is a beautiful time of year in Maine, the season for hiking, hunting, and leaf-peeping. Unfortunately, fall also is tick season and a time of increased risk of Lyme disease.
Vital records are the backbone of genealogical research. Locating the birth, marriage, and death records of our ancestors is the goal of every genealogist and without at least one of these records your research will be difficult if not impossible. This is especially true for new genealogists who don’t know a great deal about their family tree or the people in it.
