For families, little stories mean a lot

Never did find my dad’s Irish ancestors, or I should say I haven’t yet. But I’ve been given my marching orders to find them because our family had three generations born on St. Patrick’s Day – my late grandmother, Ione Bennett Moore; my Uncle Roddy; and his son, Mike.

Then there’s the “Danny Boy” connection. My dad carried a beloved record of that song around the South Pacific with him during World War II. A fellow motor machinist’s mate from his ship told me a few years ago that my dad played “Danny Boy” every chance he could find.

The shipmate finally got tired of hearing the haunting song, and in exasperation threw the record overboard. That didn’t sit well with my dad, who then threw overboard the shipmate’s records. Go diving some few hundred miles from the Philippines, and maybe you’ll find that they’re still there.

Especially since my dad died, little stories like this one mean a lot to me. Is there somebody who could tell you a little story about someone you love?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Lois Gordon-Crawford found a whole lot of somebodies to tell her about people she loves. Then she wrote it all down. One of my favorite Gordon relatives to read about was her grandfather Leo, who told the Bangor Commercial in 1925 that if he had a million dollars, “I would spend two-thirds of it on advertising and I would make ten million dollars as a result.”

The well-known Leo Gordon had one of the largest dry goods stores in the state, and a mail-order business reaching as far as Alaska. Over the years, he sold everything from chickens to shoes in Dexter. The entrepreneur is just one of the Gordons recalled, and illuminated, in the author’s three-part work-in-progress, “The Gordon Family Odyssey,” “A Vignette of Bygone Days,” and “History of My Family and Lineage Prior to William Gordon.”

My favorite part is definitely the longest portion, “A Vignette of Bygone Days,” which traces the author’s line from William Gorden, who served in the Revolution from St. George. He and wife Elizabeth (Montgomery) were the parents of seven children: Emily or Amelia, William, Elizabeth, Jane, Freelove or Lorna, Alford and Hugh.

Lois is descended from Alford and wife Elsie (Kyle) Gordon, who lived in Chester and Winn. Three children were born in Chester: William H., Zilpha A., Sarah E.; and nine in Winn: George Wilcox, Alfred M., Amanda, John K., Elsie Kyle, Orlando Hugh, Lore, Charles A. and Wilson M.

Lois’ great-great-grandfather, Alfred, married Isabella Stuart Brooks from Robbinston. Their son Leo married Edith M. Jacquith, and they lived in Ripley with their 10 children.

This book is a nice resource for thinking about the kinds of items you’ll want to find and keep to preserve your family history, from records and documents to maps and lots of pictures, including those taken during the 2000 family reunion.

Photographs include one of Gordon’s Shoe Store, which was next to the post office in the early 1900s. The author also reproduced the 1921 store magazine of Gordon’s Remnant Co., which sold Brownie Overalls of “stout drill” for 50 cents and 55 cents. See what we can find in old newspapers?

What stands out from Gordon-Crawford’s more than 30 years of research is the efforts she made to get relatives and others to share information and reminiscences.

Her dad, Donald Gordon, did a wonderful job giving her the story of the Gordon family, on up through his decision to enter the service, and meeting future wife Hazel (Jones) Gordon on the day the Japanese surrendered during World War II.

Lois not only wrote every older relative she could think of to add to the memoirs – a splendid idea – she even wrote Annie Brann. Mrs. Brann, who died last year at 101, had been a baby sitter for some of the young Gordons about 1916. At age 82, she wrote Lois a letter and reminisced about the night when Alfred “wouldn’t go to bed when he was supposed to.”

She added, “There was a heavy thunder-shower that night and I think it was the same night lightning struck and ruined the Free Baptist steeple.” Isn’t that a useful bit of history to know?

Gordon-Crawford’s book is available for viewing at public libraries in Camden and Lincoln. A third copy will be offered to Bangor Public Library in the near future.

It is a work-in-progress, but if people are interested, she will have copies printed up. Loia is also interested in hearing from those with information on the ancestry of William and Elizabeth (Montgomery) Gorden. She has done research on the Gordon-Gorden name and its roots in several countries, and would like to link up her line.

You may write Lois Gordon-Crawford at 13 Rollingwood Road, Eliot, ME 03903.

Join the Penobscot Valley Genealogical Society to hear Rhea Cote Robbins speak at 6 p.m. March 19 in the Lecture Hall, Bangor Public Library.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.