mastering genealogical proof homework chapter 1

Taking the Challenge

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  Sunday, 16 June, is Father's Day.  Let's celebrate by writing a blog post about our Father, or another significant male ancestor (e.g., a grandfather).

2)  What are three things about your father (or significant male ancestor) that you vividly remember about him?

3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook Status or Google+ Stream post.
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Above is the challenge from Randy Seaver of the Genea-Musings blog

Many have seen my earlier post with my Father's obituary on it, My father passed away Friday on Flag day.  So this is my first Father's Day without one.

The three memories of my father I am sharing surround Baseball/Softball:

1.  He loved watching baseball /softball on TV.  He was an equal opportunity observer.  He did not care what level  - college, pro,  girls, boys - it did not matter.  Since he wasn't able to talk due to a brain event for the last 24 years of his life one had to sort out the exact question to ask him.  After years of trying to figure out why he did not have a special team and seemed to want to watch any and  all, the question occurred to me "  Dad" I asked, "Are you watching the Umpires?"  He nodded yes.  He liked the game but he was really just checking out the umpires to see if they were making the right calls.
 
2.  One of the things my Dad did prior to his illness was umpire.  When we cleaned out his house after he got ill we found his umpire protector, mask and his ball/strike/out counter.  (this was before the padding became part of the uniform)  I found out that he began umpiring while in high school and did it off and on throughout his life.

3.  We were a baseball/softball playing group.  I found team pictures with my brother and behind him is my dad as his coach. My father and brother often participated in adult softball leagues.  Even I had played softball growing up.  This might be why I had my boys play baseball and my daughter softball during their elementary days.  Bekah,  You can blame your Grandpa for the softball rather than dance choice I made for you.

Baseball probably will always be in my life.  I will watch the umpires,  watch the College World Series in his honor (living in Omaha he frequently went), watch the pro teams my kids are following and grin that they are caring on the family tradition that started with my father's father and mother.

Dad, I hope we are doing you proud!!  Enjoy running the bases in heaven.

Lost the Air Force of the Air Force Brat.

While I will write soon of my father  I want to let you know he passed away on Friday, June 14, 2013.  How like him to die on Flag Day.  Below is the obituary with the service information:

"To: Council Bluffs and Omaha Papers

From: Teahen Funeral Home, Cedar Rapids, IA

RE: Beezley Obituary

To be published: Sunday, June 16, 2013

 

Marvin Homer Beezley, 80 of Cedar Rapids, IA died Friday, June 14, 2013 at West Ridge Care Center following a long illness. Services: 1 p.m., Saturday, at New Covenant Bible Church, Cedar Rapids, by Chaplain Jeremy Hudson.  Burial: 1 p.m., Monday, June 24, 2013, at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Council Bluffs with military honors.  Friends may visit with the family Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., at Teahen Funeral Home, Cedar Rapids and after 12 p.m. on Saturday at the church.

 

Marvin is survived his daughter Lori (William) Meyer of Cedar Rapids; five grandchildren Rebekah Meyer of Roseville, MN, John (Megan) Meyer of Manchester, NH, Jeremy Meyer of Cedar Rapids, and Amy (Eddie) Sinkevich, Jacob Beezley, and Adam (Jenee) Mann all of Omaha, NE; one brother Richard (Marcia) Beezley of Burnsville, MN; two nephews and a niece Kristopher (Jeannette) Beezley of Florida, and Patrick Beezley, and Stephanie (Tom) Baker both of Minnesota; a special friend Jean Borders of Cedar Rapids, and the large body of caregivers at West Ridge Care Center.

 

He was preceded in death by his wife Norma Jean, his brother Gerald Beezley in 2008 and son Michael in 2011. 

 

Marvin was born on November 22, 1932 in Council Bluffs the son of Homer and Edna (Timm) Beezley.  He married Norma Jean Pope on September 18, 1954 at Grace Methodist Church in Des Moines. Norma Jean died in 1972.  Marvin retired in 1977 from the Air Force as a Lt Colonel, as a navigator on B-52’s.  He faithfully served in Vietnam and during his time in service was able to travel the world and be stationed in many states.

  

The family would like to give special recognition to all the caregivers at West Ridge Care Center who over the years became like family to Marvin.

 

Instead of flowers the family requests that donations be made in his name to the Wounded Warrior Project Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, or online at:  got@woundedwarriorproject.org

 

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.teahenfuneralhome.com"

 

For all my genealogy friends I tried to get as much genealogical data in as I could.

My Start

     As you can tell from the title I began my life as "An Air Force Brat".  My father was a career Air Force officer.  He was a Navigator on a B-52 among other duties.  I was born in Harlingen, Texas and before I was in Kindergarten I had lived in Rapid City, South Dakota; Wichita Falls, Texas and Bossier City, Louisiana.  We lived in Bossier City through my fifth grade year and while my Dad was stationed in Vietnam.
     During my 5th grade year my Father returned from Vietnam and we moved to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.  We remained there until my Freshman year in High School when we moved to Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska.  My Dad retired while still in Omaha, Nebraska but after I had graduated from High School and was married.
     I think because we lived in so many places my parents made sure we did two things.  One was return to Iowa to visit family.  Both my mother and father were from different cities in Iowa and so we would make the rounds.  I was lucky enough to know both grandmothers, my paternal grandfather and all four of my great grandmothers.  The other thing that we did was visited museums and while in school I studied the history of Louisiana and Hawaii.  I think this emphasis on family and love of history lead to my interest in Genealogy.
      I am starting this log to share some of my adventures into Genealogy and whatever else comes to mind.  I can not promise an entry very day but this is where I will "show my homework" as I will be on the panel for Dear Myrtle's study group on the book Mastering Genealogical Proof  by Tom Jones.