Thursday, September 6, 2012

Melvin Duane Fountain

In honor of his 81st birthday.
Melvin was born September 6, 1931 to Louise V Peel and George A Fountain, Jr in Topeka Kansas.  He never knew his biological father as George and Louise separated sometime shortly after his birth.  Instead, he was raised by his mother and step-father, John Cusciotta.  When he was 20 years old Melvin joined the United States Air Force. He would serve in the Air Force from 1951-1971, he retired as a staff sergeant.  After joining the Air Force he met and married Wanda Gail Shaul, they would have 3 daughters before their divorce in 1968.  After retiring from the service Melvin settled in Wichita, Kansas. He passed away on January 19, 2011.


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Louise Vance Peel

Born: May 2,1915 in Kansas City, MO
She married George A. Fountain, Jr on August 17, 1930.  They had one son, Melvin Duane Fountain on September 6, 1931.  After the birth of Melvin, George left.  In September 1938 Louise was granted a divorce from George.  In October 1938 she married John Cusciotta ( John and Louise pictured below).

Picture:  circa 1940 in Topeka or Wichita


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Back for Round 2

It's been awhile- I had a crazy busy summer beginning with a 2 week excursion through the South for a Civil War class.  Which, of course, can be incorporated into my family history research.  My great-great-great-grandfather, Menzo Shaul, and his brother Levi Shaul, were both enlisted in the 53rd Illinois Infantry Co. A during the Civil War.  When we visited the Vicksburg Battlefield I was able to find both of the brother's names inside the Illinois monument although their names were spelled Shaw instead of Shaul.



Friday, May 4, 2012

Global Adoptee Genealogy Project Announcement



As an adoptee this is something I found very exciting...

The following announcement was released by Mixed Roots Foundation on May 2, 2012:

In celebration of its one-year anniversary, the Mixed Roots Foundation today
proudly announces the creation of the Global Adoptee Genealogy Project (GAGP) and the establishment of a Filling in the GAGP Fund to help adopted people and their families discover their biological and cultural roots through DNA testing. Mixed Roots will launch the Fund at the Adoptee Comedy Show on Monday, May 21, 2012, at the Punch Line Comedy Club in San Francisco, CA.

GAGP’s services will be provided by DNA Testing Partners, 23andMe based in Mountain View, CA and Family Tree DNA based in Houston, Texas. The Filling in the GAGP Fund will provide monetary support for DNA testing to adoptees and their families, based on financial need. The official launch of GAGP will take place later this year.

“As an evangelist for genetic genealogy, I encounter adoptees all the time,” said Bennett Greenspan, the President of Family Tree DNA. “They want this and, more importantly, they need GAGP. Adoptees have a thirst to know who they are, what they are and why they were adopted. DNA testing offers potential answers to two of those three questions.  We hope that as the database grows, more and more matches will be made.”

“The Mixed Roots Foundation is doing something genuinely important, with real scope and vision, and with the promise of impacting many, many lives in a positive way,” said Adam Pertman, Executive Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a national leader in adoption-related research, education and advocacy. “We know, from both research and experience, that access to one’s own information is a vital part of life, including shaping a positive identity. This project will go a long way toward giving adopted people the tools and knowledge to start putting together the pieces of their own puzzles. It’s purely wonderful.”

The Adoption Institute will play a significant role in reaching the greater adoption community about GAGP.  In addition, both DNA testing partners have donated testing kits as raffle prizes at the Adoptee Comedy Show; a portion of all proceeds from attendance at the show will go toward the Filling in the GAGP Fund.

To learn more about GAGP, the Filling in the GAGP Fund, or to buy tickets to the Adoptee Comedy Show Benefit, please LIKE Mixed Roots Foundation on Facebook, call 800.659.6958, email events@mixedrootsfoundation.org, or visit www.mixedrootsfoundation.org for more information.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Let the Summer Begin!!!!!

Well tomorrow is officially the last day of classes- next week is finals- and my mind is already planning my summer projects.  This summer I would like to put together a book for my daughter and my sister's kiddos about their great-great-great-great-grandfather, Menzo Shaul, and his experience in the Civil War.  I did a semester long research project for a class on him and it would be nice to use some of that info in a way other than an academic paper :-)  I am also wanting to dig into my grandparents family group, learn to identify people in old unlabeled photographs, figure out Crazy Minnie's maiden name (the woman was married to a different man every census) & oh yeah! I started a blog ;-)