Digital Time Capsule - Family History Challenge

Another week ... another Westra Family History challenge!

This week it's about YOU.  You are only this age once!  Below are suggested questions from Family Search's "Time Capsule" Activity. But you don't even need to access family search for this one.  Just send replies to at least FIVE of the following questions (Optional:  You can also add your responses as a "story" to your family search page.)

• My favorite thing to do for fun is...

• My favorite thing to learn about is...

• My favorite food is...

• When I grow up, I want to be...

• My favorite song is...

• My favorite movie is...

• My best friends are...

• Something I’m really good at is...

• One unique talent I have is...

As per usual - Uncle Chris starts things off with an example of his own (pictures were not required, but photos add to a blog post and helps you picture the person this "about me" is about!)

Responses for Chris Westra - age 54

My favorite thing to do for fun is to search for beautiful rocks. (Check out this WriteOn post, a weekly email Chris wrote Feb2021, pictures showcase many of his collected rocks).

My favorite food is pancakes.

My favorite song is Glorious, by Stephanie Maybe 

Something I'm really good at is writing poetry.

One unique talent I have is mountain running.

 

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Jenna won the speed challenge - she was probably waiting and watching for the challenge to be announced, and gave JUST the answers (everyone else included the question too ... but just writing the answers would help with the speed portion! Jenna is one of the few that did answer all nine questions, so she didn't skimp there!)

Jenna Jensen 

hi this is jenna

1 READING

2 GEOGRAPHY

3 PIZZA

4 A MOM

5 IDK??  PART OF ME

6 LORAX

7 CLARISSA & ANNA

8 SINGING 

9 LEARNING THINGS FAST

You can read a little bit more about Jenna's win in the Geography Challenge on Wendy's blog.

 

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Josh Jensen 

Favorite movie: the Lorax

Favorite food: hamburgers

Something I’m good at: soccer

Unique talent: I can sing really high

Favorite song: all Charlie Pluth songs

Josh Soccer - 2020

Josh Soccer - 2018

Josh - Soccer Referee

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 Ani Westra

• My favorite thing to do for fun is to play softball with my team. My coach is the best.
• My favorite thing to learn about is musicals (dance and drama class) – how they were created and the actors and all of that!
• My favorite food is pasta (spaghetti), and also shrimp! 
• When I grow up, I want to be a first grade teacher. 
• My favorite song is Feel it Still by Portugal. The Man. 
• My favorite movie is Star Wars (any and all of them – including the Madalorian)
• My best friends are Lizzie Jones, Evelynn Rasmussen and Audrey Carpenter
• Something I’m really good at is swimming!
• One unique talent I have is making iMovies.

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Janelle Jensen

• My favorite thing to do for fun is singing!

• My favorite thing to learn about is psychology.

• My favorite food is lasagna

• When I grow up, I want to be an occupational therapist.

• My best friends are Brea Bulkley and Ellie Kenworthy.

Check out this link to hear the girls sing!

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Jaiden Jensen 

my favorite song is I want you back by the jackson 5

my favorite band is one direction

when I grow up I want to be a physical therapist or a preschool teacher

my best friends are Emily williams, modi purdy, and lizzie Bryner

my favorite tv show is phineas and ferb

(in the picture ... Jaiden is dressed as "Baljeet" from Phineas and Ferb)

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Cooper Blackham 

- My favorite thing to do for fun is walking on the treadmill while watching a show.

- My favorite food is fried rice.

- My favorite song is Ditto by Aries.

- My favorite movie is Doctor Sleep.

- My best friends are Parker Young and McKay Hammond.

Here's a school project along the same lines - learn a little more about Cooper!

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Adria Westra

My favorite thing to do for fun is  read or go to the movies.

When I grow up I want to be a UX designer

One unique talent I have is tidying

My favorite thing to learn about is French or science

My favorite food is either Sushi or Thai

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Rella Westra

My favorite thing to do for fun is  shopping 

My favorite thing to learn about is animals

One unique talent I have is buying too many plants

I want to be a children’s book author when I grow up 

Something I’m really good at is dancing 

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Cayson Westra

My favorite thing to do is read. 

My favorite thing to learn about is english

My favorite food is ice cream

My favorite song is follow you

My favorite movie is napolean dynamite.

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Camden Westra

My favorite thing to do for fun is to ride my motorcycle.

 

My favorite food is sushi.

 

My favorite song is radio active by image dragons.

 

Something I’m good at is skiing

 

A unique talent I have is being able to get along with most people.

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Jase (23) and Ellen (22) Jensen

• Our favorite thing to do for fun is play games with our friends after a long day of school/work!
• Jase's favorite food is pizza! Ellen's favorite food is bagels!
• When Jase grows up, he want to be a doctor! When Ellen grows up she wants to be an event planner!
• Our favorite song is Angel of Mine by the Icarus Account, our wedding song!
• Our best friends are Ky, Brekkon, and Shantell

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Janika Jenson 

Age 25, favorite food is costa vida pork salad, macaroni and cheese, and ham and egg casserole. When I grow up I want to be an elementary school counselor. Something I'm really good at is cooking, my favorite thing to learn about is psychology and why the brain does what it does, and my favorite thing to do is spend quality time with Brandon.

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It was interesting to see how everyone responded ... which questions they chose to answer, how they phrased/formatted their responses, and one has to wonder what pictures they would have chosen if that had been part of the challenge (this was a gathering from Facebook/Dropbox, etc).  If these same questions were asked of the same individuals in five years, I wonder how the answers would change ...

A traditional time capsule is a container to hold specific items from the time, to be opened up at some date in the future ... check out this article for more on a family history time capsule - lots of fun ideas and good information!

McFarlane Erskine ~ Full Family Photo

 

Extended family photos are always a bit of a challenge. Trying to schedule a time that works for everyone, deciding on what to wear, getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time. Back in the late 1800s, I'm sure it was even more of a challenge, which makes this group photo all the more impressive. 

The photo was in the FamilySearch archives, with many of the people labeled and tagged. There, almost in the center, is the matriarch of the crew. Ann McFarlane Erskine (her husband, Archibald had passed away thirteen years prior to this picture).  Following the relationship back, Ann is Dad/Lamar's Great-Great-Grandmother. Therefore she is the "3rd Great-Grandmother" to the Westra siblings, and the 4th Great-Grandmother to the Westra grandkids. 

Here's another look at the progression from Family Search for the Westra line.

Claude Erskine was Dad/Lamar's Grandfather (Claude would have been 15 years old in this photo).

Archibald McFarlane Erskine was Dad/Lamar's Great-Grandfather.

There was a legend that had been created to accompany the photograph. 

This included when the photo had been taken (1898) and a number of names.

The handwriting here looks SO much like Mom/Margie's ... but it's not. The assumption would be it would be Grandma Lucille's, but it doesn't really match her handwriting we've seen labeling other photographs. Based on the "our father" indication, it seems it could have been written by one of Lucille's siblings? The dark circles noted above are all directly connected to Archibald McFarlane Erskine (his mother, himself, his wife and seven living children). 

You can see there are gaps in the information above though ... question marks and empty spaces. Chris did some detective work, using the Decendancy tool in Family Search. Checking to see what children existed, and trying to match them up according to approximate age, and position near parents. 

Chris also contacted others through Family Search to see if any additional information could be found. He did get a little feedback, that "Easy Erskine" (#27) was Louise Mackay Rutherford (Easy being a nickname, Erskine her married name). 

There is still a "mystery girl" (#21) ...

So after Chris's work, not only are all the individuals (aside from "mystery girl") labeled in a new legend (see it below) but the faces have been labeled and linked in Family Search.

Here's a new numbering on the photo itself ...

Front (Bottom) Row (Right to Left)

1.  Wallace John Erskine (born 1891)

2.  Laura Erskine Dangerfield (born 1890)

3.  Sidney Archibald Erskine (born 1892)

4.  Arthur Edwin Dangerfield (born 1894)

5.  Ralph Samuel Erskine (born 1894)

6.  Mayme Irene Dangerfield (born 1892)

7.  Mary E. Hunter (born 1890)

8.  Bessie E. Erskine (born 1891)

9.  Ivy Roberts Erskine (born 1889)

10. Robert Murchie Hunter (born 1893)

11.  Edna Hunter (born 1888)

12.  Ethel Ada Erskine (born 1889)

Next Row Up (Right to Left)

13.  William Rutherford Erskine (born 1896)

14.  John MacFarlane Erskine (born 1867)

15.  Peter Pieters Erskine (born 1865)

16.  Margaret Phoebe Erskine (born 1895)

17.  Annie MacFarlane Erskine (born 1859)

18.  Annie Louise Dangerfield (born 1897)

19.  Genevieve Maud Erskine (born 1887)

20.  James Park Erskine (born 1870)

21.  Girl born about 1896 - sitting on James lap. Need to find this one.

22.  Ann Jack MacFarlane (born 1826)

23.  Archibald McFarlane Erskine (born 1856)

24.  Jessie Hunter (born 1895)

25.  Jessie Erskine (born 1854)

26.  Adam Jack Erskine (born 1863)

Next Row Up (Right to Left) - second row from top

27.  Louise Mackay Rutherford (born 1870)

28.  Phoebe Evans (born 1865)

29.  Cora Amelia Erskine (born 1897)

30.  Benjamin Stephen Dangerfield Sr. (born 1858)

31.  Eliza Roberts (born 1855)

32.  Ruby Erskine (born 1886)

33.  William Hunter (born 1847)

34.  Ada Elizabeth Adams (born 1861)

35.  Archibald Erskine Hunter (born 1886)

36.  Albert Charles Dangerfield (born 1887)

37.  Stanley John Erskine (born 1884)

38.  Claude Arthur Erskine (born 1883)

39.  Ann MacFarlane Hunter (born 1883)

40.  William Erskine Hunter (born 1881)

41.  Kate Mary Erskine (born 1881)

42.  Benjamin Stephen Dangerfield Jr. (born 1881)

43.  Isabella Hay Hunter (born 1884)

44.  Jessie Pearl Dangerfield (born 1883)

45.  Ernest Archibald Dangerfield (born 1885)

Zada's Chocolates

This is NOT a picture of Zada's chocolates ...

As far as I know, we don't have a photo of Grandma Zada's candies. Back in the day before digital photos, when pictures required film and developing, photos were fewer and further between, and I'm thinking Grandma didn't think to take a picture of her candies. After all, they were for eating, not for looking at.

Grandma made a wide variety of candies. I can remember divinity, an assortment of dipped chocolates, and recently uncovered in the Westra archives, is a recipe (in Grandma Zada's handwriting) for English Toffee. 

I don't know if Grandma has the instructions (in addition to the ingredients) written somewhere, or if she just knew the steps well enough that she didn't write them down. Toffee can be tricky. You need to combine and heat the butter, sugar, water, syrup and salt to "hard crack" (295°-305° on a candy thermometer) add the vanilla, and pour into a prepared pan. Melt the chocolate and spread over the hardened candy, and top with nuts (if desired). 

Once, when Jen was a teen, she tried making some English Toffee. She got distracted and left the kitchen for a bit ... while the concoction was heating on the stove. Then, remembering and returning to the kitchen she found it FULL of smoke. Little Derek was in the kitchen, standing looking up at the layer of smoke that was almost to his head. Jen grabbed the pot and dashed out the back door then opened all the windows to let the kitchen air out. The "candy" was a blackened, circular briquet. It was a while before Jen attempted toffee again!

Passing Down the "Pie in a Pan"

Grandma Norman (Zada) was known for her pies (as well as her candy and her parkerhouse rolls). In a simpler version of "pie" ...this CoolWhip Dessert, was one that I have in my "Westra Classics" recipe book, and the credit/origin noted is Zada Norman. And while I'm sure Grandma wouldn't consider this one of her classic recipes to be remembered by, it's the one I make the most. 

Unlike the photo above, instead of Hershey's syrup, Grandma Norman would put chocolate shavings on hers. I remember once, grabbing one of the chocolate curls and putting it in my mouth and YUCK ... it was unsweetened chocolate. Yummy when eaten with the sweet dessert, but not alone!

Grandma once tried to teach the Westra girls how to make her classic pie crusts. It didn't really take. Who knew that Shane would be the pie maker in the family?!  Many a family dinner ended with chocolate, banana cream or lemon-meringue pie from Grandma. And then at one point, the dessert above was introduced. I never mastered pie crusts, or the pie-crust cookies that were made with the scraps... but the "Pie in a Pan" has become a favorite at the Blackham home.  It's SO easy, and if you sub out the flour for the crust with a gluten-free blend, it can work for the Celiac crowd too.  Here's the recipe ...

Cool Whip Dessert (Zada Norman)

½ Cup Butter
1 Cup Flour
8oz Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup (rounded) Whipped Topping
3oz pkg Chocolate Pudding
2½ Cup Milk

(remaining Whipped Topping over the top)  

Melt butter, add flour and stir into a dough. Press/Pat the dough into an even depth across the bottom of an 8x11 baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Cool. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and Whipped Topping. Beat until smooth and spread evenly over the cooled crust. Mix pudding and milk, and spread it over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate to set. Top with Cool Whip. Can add grated chocolate or Hershey's syrup if desired. 

I NEEDED to make a panful for the picture ... now, I need to eat some!