A Perfect Example of a Genealogy Chart

I was able to obtain this perfect example of a genealogy chart from our pastor, Rev. Eric Forgrave. He used this small video clip during one of his sermons recently. He believes it is by youthspecialities.com. It is a family tree put into a descending chart form (names found in Genesis 5; 10; 11; 12: 1-5; Matthew 1). Be sure to turn on your sound and to enlarge the screen, click on the little square in the right hand corner. 

Heritage Family Photo Albums or Scrapbooking

In addition to filling in the family history charts, you may also like to portray your ancestors' life in a scrapbook. David goes strictly for the information, however, I enjoy the stories about my ancestors too – what they were like, who they were, their occupations, how they felt about things, what the world like at that time they lived, and so forth. I also like timelines. 

I picked up a chart at a scrapbook convention some time ago by C. K. Clips which is for our son's scrapbook. In the center I will place a birth photo above his birth year. Around the perimeter of the page are the events pertinent to the year he was born such as the popular songs and television shows, films, newsworthy events, the President and Vice-President serving the year he was born, record-breaking sporting events, cost of living, and other stuff. There are websites online that cater to lists of events that happen each year. Scrapbooks are also a great place to store copies of birth certificates in pocket pages, a time-line of their life, favorite poetry, school memories, marriage photos, a mini copy of their wedding certificate, their children's photos, shots of their homes and cars, a copy of a completed family tree or chart and perhaps a photo of their gravestone. Be sure to use acid-free, lignin-free paper, pens/markers, and plastic sleeves to keep your information bright and readable for many years to come. DO NOT use those cheap magnet photo albums as your photos will deteriorate/fade over time. 

To purchase a decent photo album, you may check your local craft store for supplies such as Hobby Lobby, Joann's, Michael's, etc. I began with Creative Memories as that is what my sister sold at the time I learned to scrapbook but now I've purchased templates from Kiwi Lane Scrapbooking Co.. There is no right way to decorate a photo album/scrapbook page, except to use acid-free materials. One may spend as little or a lot for decorations such as scrapbook paper, punches, stamps or stickers. The sales clerk can show you the things you'll need to purchase at first and some shops even have how-to classes if you feel you need extra help. Kiwi Lane has tutorials on YouTube. There are a wealth of decorating ideas out there in magazines, books (craft stores, scrapbook stores, regular bookstores, library) and online.

Written by Dolores J. Rush, updated 4 May 2023.

Family History Charts

You'll find charts that one needs to begin family research with at this website Midwest Genealogy Research Center .

The first is a RESEARCH CHECKLIST with the types records that one can check X as you find information on your ancestors.

Begin at the beginning with your ancestor's name. Then document where they were born, married, and died and the locations for each – gleaned from family Bibles, family interviews, birth certificates, birth announcements, doctor or hospital records, church baptism/christening records, adoption papers, scrapbooks/diaries/journals/logs, saved letters, marriage license/certificates, church district or ministerial records, divorce decrees, county records, county historical society books, death certificates, funeral home records, newspaper announcements/obituaries clippings, cemetery/gravestone records, wills, etc.

Next check the US CENSUS RECORDS. Each state has census records county by county. If you know approximately where they may have lived, check the census & copy those records. Other documentation may be found in family Christmas card address books, church membership records & service bulletins, club membership records, land records, military records, photo albums, probate records, tax lists, telephone directories, voting records, etc. If they emigrated from overseas, you may be able to locate passenger lists. Historical societies/museums might have exhibits showcasing your ancestor(s) in the area (s)he lived. Information can be found off-line at research libraries/archives and on the internet too. As for the internet, make sure they cite sources as you are doing.  List title, author, date of publication and page number. If it's reference material found only at a certain location, note that also.

Next chart is the FAMILY UNIT CHART. This is a fill-in-the-blank chart for the information you found for your ancestor. You will need one for each family unit with descendants. Be sure to fill the chart in pencil as you might need to change information as you find it. If you don't have a computer program, it is handy to organize your family charts in a file folder or a 3-ring binder notebook. A good supply of pencils, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, a filing system, small spiral notebook, tote bag, change purse (photocopies), a camera, water bottle, white cotton gloves, and a hole punch comes in handy when out doing family research field trips. A county cemetery map, walking shoes, bug spray, camera, scissors or hand gardening snips & soft bristle brush are great to have along when visiting cemeteries. A recording device is also helpful during family interviews. David finds much of his information at family reunions and later fills in the blanks with records not available at the reunion. Many bring extra copies of old photos to swap and show and tell their family scrapbooks. I have written many snail-mail letters/emails to family members that I cannot visit in person, sometimes enclosing a photocopy of the family unit chart to indicate the information I want or to check to see what I have is correct. DO NOT send your original copies—you may never get them back.

Third is the SIX GENERATION CHART. Let's see how far back you can go. Start with yourself at the far left hand side, fill in your information, your father and mother, and your grandparents, great-grandparents and so forth towards the right side. On our computer program we have such a chart, but with an addition -- cropped head/bust photos can be inserted along with information which can be printed out.

For those who enjoy puzzles, this is a giant one! =0)

Enjoy and happy hunting!

Recipes of Marie Rush

Marie said she married Ishmael without knowing how to cook. Couldn't even boil water and she taught herself. She said it was a good thing her husband had a cast-iron stomach, 'cause in the beginning he ate a lot of flops.

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Fried Apples

(NOTE: The Rush family ate this for any meal, but it was a breakfast delicacy in my family. We always ate it slathered in white crumbled bacon gravy. Yum!)

6 large apples
4 tablespoons bacon grease (fat leftover in pan from frying bacon. Marie had a little crock in her kitchen just for that purpose which she poured the hot grease into. I store mine in a cup and keep it in the fridge door).
¼ cup sugar

Core and slice apples thinly, leave peeling on. Heat grease until melted, then dump apple slices in all at once. Cover & cook until tender, stirring from time to time, doesn't take long. Just before serving, stir in sugar.
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Creamed Corn or Peas

1. Drain the water off a can of corn or peas and dump contents into a saucepan if needing this for a quick meal, otherwise, cut sweet corn off the cob with a kitchen knife until you have about 2 cups of corn or remove peas from pea pods, measuring 2 cups. Rinse and drain, put into saucepan.
2. Pour a cup of milk into a clean jar with a one-piece lid (storebought pint jar), add 2 rounded tablespoons of cornstarch into milk, screw on lid and shake to mix. Pour over vegetables and stir.
3. Place saucepan on medium-high heat to cook on stove-top and stir until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
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Ishmael's Favorite Cracker Cookies

1 package white almond bark
1 package Ritz crackers
Peanut butter or white marshmellow crème

Make several sandwich cookies of 2 Ritz crackers and peanut butter or marshmellow crème. Melt the white almond bark according to package directions and dip the pre-made sandwich cookies into the gooey candy coating and place on wax paper to dry.
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Marie's Directions on How to Roll Out Pie Dough

1. Put a little (handful) flour on rolling surface whether a kitchen table or bread board. She said to give yourself plenty of room with elbow space.
2. Knead dough a little – 8 to 10 times. Not too much she said or crust will be tough.
3. Pat dough into a smooth round circle.
4. Roll rolling pin across the dough in an east to west motion.
5. Lift pin and gently turn dough over, smoothing flour under it, over it, and on pin.
6. Roll dough from middle to outside edges (lift rolling pin at edges of dough and bring it back to middle) in all directions lightly.
7. Roll dough over rolling pin gently and lift into pie pan and spread out.
8. Crease edges & cut off edges to trim.
9. Bake or fill with pie filling.

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Custard Pie
(makes an 8-inch pie; 450°F – 15 min.; turn down to 350°F. – 25 min.)

3 eggs
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups scalding hot milk
¾ teaspoon vanilla

Pour into a pastry-lined pie pan. Bake first at 450° F., then turn oven down to 350° F. Bake for the allotted times listed at top of recipe. Bake just until a case knife, inserted 1-inch from side of filling comes out clean. The center may still look a bit soft but will set up eventually. Serve slightly warm or cold.
(NOTE OF CAUTION: If you bake this pie too long, it will make the custard watery.)
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Pumpkin Spread

Ishmael grew sugar pumpkins in his garden from which Marie made her pumpkin spread. I've used her cooking method to make mashed pumpkin from a jack-o-lantern pumpkin to be used for pumpkin pie.

1. Peel and seed one large pumpkin, cutting the flesh into 1 to 2 inches chunks. Place chunks into a soup pot or large crock pot, add a cup of water or so and cover. If cooking in a crock pot, cook chunks covered until fork-tender. If in a soup-pot, bake in the oven on 350° F. for an hour (check to see if fork-tender, if not, bake a little longer), or cook on stove-top until soft. Drain water & mash with a potato masher.
2. At this point, if saving for pumpkin pie to make later, place mashed pumpkin in freezer containers, cover, & burp air out. Label and store in freezer. If making pumpkin spread, add sugar, a little at a time, stir in, to taste. Place in freezer containers, cover, burp, & label. Store in freezer. Marie recycled margarine & cool whip containers as freezer containers.
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Breaded Tomatoes

2 cups mashed, hot-water peeled tomatoes, fresh from the garden OR
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes
1/3 cup sugar
3 or 4 slices light bread (homemade or store-bought)
Dash salt.

Cook tomatoes in a saucepan until mushy. Cut up if necessary. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Put in torn up pieces of light bread and fold in until bread has soaked up juices and is soft. Add dash of salt. Heat through and serve.
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Cooked Turnips

1. Wash up turnips if they are fresh from the garden. Cut off tops, root end and thinly peel.
2. Slice turnips (abt. ¼" wide) into a saucepan and cover with water.
3. Bring to a boil and cook at least 10 minutes or until the slices are fork-tender.
4. Remove from heat, pour water off, then cover with fresh water. Return to medium heat, throw in a chunk of butter (abt. 1 tablespoon) and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar. Cook until butter is melted. Remove from heat and serve.

She said the first boiling removes the bitterness from the turnips. I've had these many times and they are very good.

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Light Bread

(makes 6 loaves; 350° F.; ½ hr. to 1 hr.)

Marie didn't have a written recipe for her homemade bread, so I watched her make it one time when we were "down home" visiting, writing it down, step by step, as she made it. Store-bought bread has nothing on this bread, fresh from the oven, slathered with butter and her homemade pumpkin spread. Mmm! Mmm! Yummy!

1. Mix all these ingredients together in a small metal pan & let raise until bubbly = 1/3 cup barely warm water, 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour, 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar and 2 packages of yeast.

2. Meanwhile, mix next ingredients together in a huge bowl or large clean dishpan with an electric mixer = 6 cups water, ½ cup shortening, lard, or oil, 1 ½ cups sugar, 3 teaspoons salt and 5 to 6 cups whole wheat flour.

3. After this is mixed really well, take a wooden spoon and stir in yeast mixture. With spoon, stir in 1 cup at a time (10 cups white flour), then knead in (in pan) 2 more cups of flour. Knead 5 to 10 minutes (pull dough from edges to center & punch down. Continue this way until dough is smooth.)

4. Roll ball of dough over in pan & cover with a clean cloth. Let raise until double about 2 hours in a warm place. (NOTE: Electric oven directions = preheat on lowest temperature for a few minutes; shut it off. Insert pan. Gas Oven directions = Let raise with just pilot light on or insert a pan of warm water below bread pan on bottom shelf.) To test dough to see if it is double in size = lightly & quickly poke 2 fingers into the dough. If the dents remain, it is doubled in size. If the dent fills up rapidly, then let it rise a little longer.

5. When bread dough is double in size, punch down. Knead on a greased surface about 5 minutes. (Marie used her kitchen table.) Knead with knuckles, pulling outer surfaces to the middle. Cut big mound into hand-sized wedges for 6 loaves. Pat into shape in greased loaf pans.

Cover pans with cloth & let rise again until double (1 ½ to 2 hours) on top of counter. Put pans into a cold oven—then turn oven to 350° F. Bake ½ hr. to 1 hr. until bread is golden brown. Turn bread from pans & butter tops. Let cool.

6. Marie would save the bread sacks from store bought sale bread she occasionally bought and stored her homemade bread in them in the deep freezer.

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Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 can fruit cocktail
Mix 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup chopped nut bits together. Spread over top of cake batter.
Bake 50 minutes at 350 degree F. oven.
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Poor Man’s Cake Recipe

Wash and boil 1 cup raisins in 2 cups water until there is only 1 cup of water left. Add ½ cup lard. And let cool. Then add 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon allspice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Beat well. Bake at 350* oven till it’s done.
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Billy's Mock Apple Pie

16 crackers
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Break each cracker in about 4 pieces in bottom of pie crust. Combine all rest of ingredients in a pan. Heat until margarine melts. Pour this over the crackers and put top crust on pie. Bake until light brown. 

More to Read:
Cookbooks

Compiled by: Dolores J. Rush

Ishmael L. & N. Marie Rush

Ishmael Lawrence Rush (1906-1999). Farmer. Ishmael was born April 8, 1906 to Ephraim David "Ephie" Rush and Alice Isabelle "Belle" Bittle, the seventh child of twelve children. Ishmael married Nanny Marie Rush (1909-1996), the second child of William Thornton Rush and Cora Lee Sullens, on October 19, 1929 at the St. Louis County Courthouse by Joe L. Schuler, J.P. Marie was born on February 5, 1909. They had four boys.

They attended the Mt. Herman Baptist church nearby after the Jim Henry Methodist church closed in the 1960s when one of their boys attended Vacation Bible School there. Eventually the whole family began to worship at Mt. Herman and Marie taught the senior adult women’s Sunday School class.

Ishmael cared for a kitchen garden with a small vineyard. He picked up the black walnuts that grew wild on their farm, kept some and sold the rest for pocket money. He also raised cattle, pigs, chickens, and horses. He had a coon-dog, hunted, trapped, and fished. Our son says his favorite memory of "grandpa with the tractor"  is playing checkers with him.

Marie taught herself to cook and can. She made homemade bread and the best pumpkin butter, grape jelly, and pies. She also sewed for her family, quilted and crocheted. She was in a ladies homemakers club many years. Marie loved to read, not only Capper's Weekly, the Grit, and good books but also her Scofield Bible.

They loved visiting their family, especially during Decoration Day and at the family reunion.

Marie graduated to heaven on November 12, 1996. Ishmael and his sister, Ruth, were killed in a car accident on October 11, 1999. All of them were laid to rest in the Rush Chapel Cemetery.

More to Read:
1. St. Louis, MO. Courthouse Picture Postcard (where they married)
2. 1976 Miller County, MO Land Directory.  Published by Directory Service Company. Provided by Farm and Home Publishers.  Landowners Index 015, p. 32.  Retrieved from website: Historic Map Works.
 3. 1976 Plat Map of Saline Twp. T42N-R14W, Miller County, MO. Published by Directory Service Company. Provided by Farm and Home Publishers.  Section 16, Retrieved from website: Historic Map Works.
4. Findagrave #14087669


Places to Visit:
1. Mt. Herman Baptist (org. December 12, 1872) located at the cross-roads of Spring Garden Road and FF Hwy outside of Olean, MO.
2. the communities of Eldon, Etterville,  Mt. Pleasant, Olean, and Spring Garden in Saline Twp., Miller County, MO.
3. Rush Chapel cemetery, on Jim Henry road, between Mary's Home and Tuscumbia, MO.

Biography written by: Dolores J. Rush. Updated: 10/6/2019. 

Got A Question?

This post is made especially for you, reader, if you have a burning question about our family genealogy that you would like to ask us. We will try to answer it to the best of our ability in a timely fashion. Return for the answer or click "Notify Us" on the comment box below before you click "Publish." Our reply will be just under yours in the comment section below.

News!

4 Feb 2024 = Jeanette (Jeffries) Rush Pestock passed away. 

8 July 2023 = First time since Covid Lockdown, we had a Rush Reunion! Theme: Western. 

29 November 2022 = The compiler of the genealogy, The Rush Report (see below) passed away today. Our sympathy goes to Gaynelle Jenkins Stoddard Moore's (age 90) family. Legacy #38289024 and Findagrave #255427023

18 May 2022 = George Allen Robertson passed away. He was 84 years old. 

15 Feb 2022 = Vera Loree (O'Neal) Lane passed away. She was 82 years old. 

18 Dec 2021 = Robert "Bob or Robo" Lawrence Lane passed away. He was 80 years old. 

8 Apr 2021 = Dorthy Mack, genealogist for the Boone Society passed away. She stopped here after a Boone Reunion in 2016 and we took her out to eat. Here's a photo of the two of us together. 

27 Apr 2020 = Miss Lily Dog, abt. 10 yrs, passed away during our coronavirus lockdown. 

Oct to Dec 2019: CONTRIBUTED TO: Generations, a Journal of  M.A.G.I.C. (Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition).

26 Oct 2019: NORMAN W. RUSH, 87, passed away.

2 Oct 2019: BARBARA CHASE PURTELL, 88, passed away. 

30 Sep 2019: PINKIE ANN (BIAS) CARRENDER, 78, passed away.

13 Jul 2019: RUSH REUNION. 

14 Jul 2018: RUSH REUNION. 

4 Apr 2018: ROSCOE W. RUSH, 92, Mary's Home. Died.

 7 Oct 2017: HISTORICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH MARKER DEDICATION. New Santa Fe, Mo. (present day Kansas City, MO). This was my contribution to the event - a coloring sheet of the historic New Santa Fe, MO. Christian Church. 

8 Jul 2017: RUSH REUNION. 


Jan-Mar 2017. CONTRIBUTED TO: Generations, a Journal of  M.A.G.I.C. (Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition).

9 Jul 2016: RUSH REUNION. 

8 Nov 2015: SOLD OUT! Gaynelle Jenkins Moore compiled and published several books of her family history and its allied lines. The 2003 "Rush Report," is one such book and it is of the descendants of William and Henson Rush, along with the allied families of Bittle, Farley, Johnston, Loveall, Mertell, McAlister, Spalding, Williams and Winters. It covers 3433 descendants and 15 generations on 530 (8 ½" x 11") pages. It has over 200 photos with an index and comb binding.

Previous books were "The Spalding Report," "The Jenkins Family @1998," and "Eugene, Missouri: The Town that Lived (and Died) with the Railroad." Her newest book is "The Loveall Report" published in 2010. Each of her books were published in limited editions. For a hard  copy, check out the Miller County, MO. Historical Museum's archives in Tuscumbia, MO. or the Mid-West Genealogy Center, Independence, MO. 

19 Sep 2015: CONCERT. Border Ballads by Hank Roberts and Tom Raffiner. 


11 Jul 2015: RUSH REUNION. FREE Fan Template


29 Jun 2015: BIRTHDAY.

19 May 2015: PRESENTED PROGRAM. My husband and I traveled to Lincoln, IL to give a presentation about my 3rd great-grandparents, Eld. Martin and Kiturah (Fletcher) White. Martin was Logan County, IL's very first elected representative in the Illinois State Legislature. This was the write-up in the paper advertising my very first program. 

19 Oct 2014: CEMETERY PHOTO DAY.


 29 Sep 2014: MELBA K. RUSH, 78, Bonner Springs. Passed. 


14 Sep 2014: GENE E. RUSH, 80, Kansas City, Kansas, died. 


12 Jul 2014: RUSH REUNION. 

22 Mar 2014 = ORDER NO. 11 MARKER DEDICATION. I represented the third of the families who returned to Bates County, MO after the Civil War.

Spring 2014: TRANSCRIPTION CONTRIBUTION. I extracted information from cookbooks, old magazines, and vintage valentines for the Missouri State Genealogy Association Journal (MOSGA). One was a series of articles called "Missouri Contributors to National Women's Magazines."

5 Dec 2013: LORETTA A. SCHOLTZ, 90, Kansas City, Kansas, passed away

8 Oct 2013: PHYLLIS A. RUSH = July 6, 1948-October 8, 2013.


13 Jul 2013: RUSH REUNION. Another Poem

25 Jun 2013: PEGGY SMITH HAKE, 77, of Independence, formerly of Miller County, MO, passed away. Kinship -- Mrs. Hake was David's fourth cousin through the LOVEALLS.

14 Dec 2012: WILLIAM E. RUSH (1919-2012) passed away. 


 2 Aug 2012: ARCHIE TRUEMAN RUSH, Jr. passed away. 


14 Jul 2012: RUSH REUNION Poem and Recap Article


26 Jan 2012: GOLDIE (WINTERS) HOOPER HARRISON passed away. 

11 Nov 2011:  WEDDING: Eldon Church of the Nazarene, Miller County, MO. Pastor Jerry FRYE officiated at not only the bride and groom's wedding, but also the bride's mother and father’s wedding and it was like a reunion of the RUSH and CARRENDER families with three hundred guests, at least! 

11 Nov 2011: VETERAN TOMBSTONES: Two new tombstones have been ordered and delivered from the government for family Civil War veterans - Rev. Alexander SULLENS, Spring Garden cemetery and Isham GORDON, Eugene cemetery. Both will be set later this week. 

16 Jul 2011: STATE FAIR. One of the highlights of country life is exhibiting or working in county or state fairs. While listening in to several conversations going on around me at the reunion, I heard rumors that there might be exhibitors at one of the upcoming county fairs? Great show and tell for all the kid’s hard work this past year in 4-H, Future Farmers of America or in scouting.
I know that several family members have worked at or exhibited at our state fair in Sedalia, Missouri in the past. If you have won a ribbon, congratulations! Please make a note of it in the comments below and tell what you won the ribbon for so all of us can congratulate you also!

9 Jul 2011: RUSH REUNION. Great success! It looked as though we had some newly built picnic tables with stained wood at the shelter, so that was a welcome sight! Sunday morning we attended church at Eldon Church of the Nazarene. I saw quite a few of the Rush family there! Very good sermon on family! Isn’t it amazing how timely God is?

30 Jul 2010: LARRY "KELAN" SPALDING, Age 74, passed away Friday, 30 Jul 2010, in Springfield, MO.

10 Jul 2010: RUSH REUNION. The day dawned beautifully; not too warm with a nice breeze under the picnic shelter at the Eldon Air Park. I heard that Friday's pool party had a good turn-out, but we missed several at the potluck on Saturday. You know one can't beat a picnic to the park with good company and making memories with the kids and grandparents. 

19 Jun 2010: NEW TOMBSTONES. Last year, just before the annual Rush Reunion, two new tombstones were placed on the graves of brothers, James M. "Kain Tuck" Rush and John William Rush, who fought in the Civil War together in the Rush Chapel Cemetery. The Rush family collected enough money last year to replace ten gravestones that were badly deteriorated. They were replaced with new ones by the Kidwell Monument Company, Versailles, MO. in May.

6 Jun 2010: VIANNA LOUISE (FARLEY) STEEN, 72, of Independence, Missouri, passed away. 

Spring/Summer 2008: TRANSCRIPTION. "The Pioneer Wagon" Journal of the Jackson County, MO. Genealogical Society.

Compiled by Dolores J. Rush, Updated: 5/25/2022