I created this blog in 2011, and I like to write about many different topics.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog represents my thoughts and opinions, and in no way should be considered therapeutic advice or any substitute for professional therapy.
blogbymichele 
hi sister, please visit our site and give voice to the voicelees
beatrice
Hello Dr. Beatrice, What wonderful work you are doing to assist women and children – those most in need – in India. May God bless you, your work, and all of your efforts! Michele 🙂
Hello Michele.
My name is Adrienne Van Houten. I found your blog and photos of Arnold Cole yesterday. It made my day. Arnold Cole was my great grandfather. In your blog you wrote that him and grace had four sons. They had three sons and a daughter Norma (not Norman) she is my grandmother. My father was named after their son, my grandmothers brother Eugene. I learned a few years ago that Arnold passed away very young of a heart attach I believe. So my grandmother has only a few memories of him. My grandmother has only one treasured photo of her father that she has shown me several times. Her health is not well as she is fighting cancer right now and she has many “down” days. So finding these made me SO very happy! I am going to share these photos with her next week. I am sure they will make her heart happy. Thankyou. Thanyou.
Hi Adrienne, Wow, it is great to hear from you! I am glad that you were able to locate my information and photos. I appreciate your providing me with corrected and current information. Part of the reason that I posted all of this about my family, relatives, and ancestors was for folks such as yourself to be able to locate and enjoy this information. The other reason is so that my young son has a documented record (as best as I can provide) of his family and ancestry. I am glad to know that you have a grandmother, Norma. The records that I have were from my grandmother, Bernice Briggs Babcock Sprague, and the records that she had were from her mother, Julia Gale Briggs. Carrie Gale Cole was one of Julia’s sisters, and she would have been your great grandmother. I am sorry to know that Arnold died at a young age. It seems that, following his early to mid-20s, there was no further documentation regarding family or photos between Carrie and Julia. And, my grandmother Bernice has been deceased for 27 years now, so I don’t have any other sources to acquire direct information about it. I am so sorry that Norma has cancer; I am sure that you are a great support for her, and I know that she needs that in this time. I would really enjoy getting in contact with you. I would also be very happy to directly send you email attachments of the photos of Arnold. I actually have a duplicate of an original of one of his baby photos that I could send to you, as well. Please contact me at mebabcock@hotmail.com, and we can communicate further. I would like to know more about your family, as well. I am so happy that this has provided joy for you and your family! Best, Michele 🙂
Hi Adrienne, I just received your comment, and already replied, by the system didn’t accept it, so I am re-posting. It is so great to hear from you! I am glad to receive your message, as well as updated and corrected information. The information I received was from my grandmother, Bernice, who died 27 years ago. And, her information and records were from her mother, Julia. I apologize for the incorrect information about Norma; I am so happy to have accurate information now! One reason that I made these posts about my family, relatives, and ancestors is for folks such as yourself who may be interested in locating and/or tracing family roots and ancestry. The other main reason is so that my young son has some documentation and a record about his family and ancestors. Also, I just enjoy keeping and maintaining family ancestry records anyway. So, Norma’s mother would have been Carrie Gale Cole, a sister to my grandmother’s mother, Julia. I am sorry to know that Norma has cancer, and I am sorry that Arnold passed away at a young age. It is good that Norma has you there as a support. I would enjoy communicating with you more, and I also have an original duplicate photo of Arnold as a toddler that I could send to you. If you are interested, please contact me at mebabcock @ Hotmail . com, and we can communicate further. I would enjoy catching up with you. I wish you all the best! Michele 🙂
Hi Michele,
I hope this finds you doing well. My daughter Olivia Nice asks that you please remove her photo from your blog. She is an adult now living in New York and prefers not to have her image included . Thank you..Jennifer Smith Nice
Hi Jennifer, Sure, I can do that. I’ve put together all of these articles related to family to record family history for my son. I’ve been careful not to include any photos on the Nice side of the family of folks who are not now adults. Or, if they are not, I have purposely not included their first name for privacy. As a supporter of free speech and press, I included Olivia in my post about our family heritage. I can, however, remove her picture, and appreciate your respectful and considerate request. I wish you and yours all the best, Michele
Hello,
I have a red azalea bush and I am from Ohio I came across your blog hoping to find out how to maintain them I don’t know when to trim them their kind of getting bigger than what I want and they don’t bloom as much as they should. I was hoping you could view the image in hopes of finding out what to do with it? Please help!
Rachel
Hi Rachel, I enjoy the beauty of azaleas, but do not really know much about caring for them. I know of few people who cut back azaleas. Unless they are really huge and unmanageable, I’m not sure they are to be cut back? Hope that helps. Best,
Michele
Hello Michele. I have started doing some genealogy. My maiden name is Henn. When I was younger I was told we were related to a Henn that lived in Hamburg NY. I was born and raised in a suburb of Buffalo, Tonawanda NY. My father was Francis George Henn, His father and mother were Frederick & Mrytle Henn (Rockelman) His grandparents were Fredrick & Lillian Henn (we believe Yarrington).. the next generation back I have no real Henn info, just that I was told I had a relative that lived in Hamburg NY, and possibly had a Masonic Temple/Lodge in Hamburg dedicated to him…so I wondered if it is possible that the Frederick Henn I found buried in Hamburg NY, (married to Anna, Mary & Mahala) might be my great great grandfather? Do you happen to have any more info on his son Frederick? I found my great grandmother Lillian’s grave at Forest Lawn in Buffalo NY. They is an empty plot/grave next to her, so her husband Frederick was not buried there, and I can’t find him in Western NY. Frederick and Myrtle are buried at White Chapel Cemetery in Amherst NY. If you have any info to link if the Fredrick Henn buried in Hamburg, NY is my great great grandfather I would appreciate it. Thank you.
Hi Barbara, It’s great to hear from you! You and several additional relatives have contacted me as a result of my posts regarding family genealogy. I’ve learned so much, and appreciate the connection and information! Information posted on this blog is as thorough as I have. Emily Gale and my grandmother Bernice Briggs Babcock Sprague were cousins since two of their parents were Gales, also related to Henns. The information that I have about the Henns is from my grandmother from many years before she died, and is not detailed or very specific. You see, her cousin Emily was the daughter of Gale and Henn, so there was no direct link to my grandmother, and therefore, she did not have much direct contact with Henn relatives other than Emily’s mother. Also, Emily was an only child, never married, and was very reclusive. She lived in Hamburg, NY all her life, remaining in her parents’ home until her death in 1986. So, the information on my blog may or may not be correct. I would like to refer you to http://www.findagrave.com to search for relatives, if you’ve not already done so. I manage many ancestral “plots” on this website, including Fred Henn from Hamburg, NY. His information on findagrave.com is: # 90903783; b. Oct. 20, 1843 d. Sep. 1, 1934. That is specific information that I know from birth and death data published in the local newspaper there, that my grandmother kept clippings of and I maintain. Perhaps those dates may be helpful to you in discovering whether or not this Fred is your great great grandfather. I will also follow-up with you by email. Thanks very much! Michele 🙂
I tried to copy your email address, but had computer issues, and it did not save. Please feel free to contact me at mebabcock@hotmail.com. Best, Michele
Barbara, I just added two more photos to my blog post, “My Gale, Henn, Cole, McGee, and Bulson Family Ancestry Photos” of Louis Henn and possible brothers, if you’d like to take a look at: https://blogbymichele.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/my-gale-henn-and-cole-mcgee-and-bulson-family-ancestry-photos-by-michele-babcock-nice/ Best, Michele
Based on the information you’ve shared, I believe it may be more likely that the Fred Henn of Hamburg, NY may be a brother of your father or grandfather. Did your father and grandfather have brothers? The name, Frederick, appears to be the most popular and well-used name in the Henn Family, and so there lies the difficulty in figuring out who everyone is, particularly if we do not have dates of birth and death. Hope that helps!
Michelle, I loved viewing your old North Collins photos. I may have written to you before, I can’t remember. My mother Judy Ormsby Bradley grew up in North Collins, as well as her mother Monita Brown Ormsby, her father Wallace D Ormsby, and Monita’s parents Jennie Ruehling Brown and George Brown. I noticed that two of my Grandfather’s sisters are in the girl scout photo. Would you possibly be able to send my via email a good copy of that? I would love to share it with some family members! I have some old photos of North Collins as well if you are interested. Thanks!
Hi Cindy, It’s great to hear from you! I’m so glad you found my blog and the picture! I just love antique, ancestral, and historical items and information. I’d be happy to email you a picture. It would be a scanned image, and will not be the best quality. I can also try to take a picture of the picture and see how that turns out, and send it, as well. My original scan is on another computer that crashed, and I’ll have to locate the photo in my storage. Let me know your email address, and I’ll see what I can do. Thanks! 🙂