Our Christmas Eve Tradition

Our Christmas Eve Tradition

Growing up in my family, I loved Christmas, of course. But what I loved more was Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve we were allowed to open one present from under the tree. Choosing just one present was by no means an easy decision for a child full of excitement like I was. Sometimes that choice…

A Virginia Goldminer – The Sad End

A Virginia Goldminer – The Sad End

David Shrum left Virginia in 1855 to mine gold in Grass Valley, California. In September 1858 he wrote back home to his brother, Orlando, who is my second great-grandfather. Sadly, David was crushed in a mining accident in 1861 and died several days later.  I’ve been sharing David’s letter to Orlando here in several posts. Start…

A Virginia Goldminer Part 3

A Virginia Goldminer Part 3

While my second great-grandfather, Orlando Shrum, was a young man living in Shenandoah County, Virginia with his parents and siblings in September of 1858, he received a letter from his older brother David, who lived in Grass Valley, California. David had set out a few years earlier to find his fortune in gold mining. I’ve…

A Virginia Goldminer Part 2

A Virginia Goldminer Part 2

I’m sharing more of the letter my 16-year-old second great-grandfather, Orlando Shrum, received from his 27-year-old brother David in 1858. David left Indiana in 1855 and traveled to California to mine for gold. You can read the first part of the letter HERE. I don’t know what “great difficulties” David is referring to that Orlando has…

A Virginia Goldminer Part 1

A Virginia Goldminer Part 1

When I read we had a gold miner in the family, I thought it couldn’t possibly true. We aren’t exactly the adventurous type in this family. I don’t even like amusement park rides anymore because they make me woozy. But there he was, David Shrum, staring back at me from a book my grandmother had…

Moving In

Moving In

Hi everyone! I just moved my blog from Blogger to a new platform here with WordPress. Same me. Same blog. Just a different neighborhood.  Please update your link to this blog. Thanks so much continuing to follow me 🙂