Heather and Marcelo-

Hello to those who see Looking4lulu’s name and wonder how I chose this name for my blog–well it kind of makes sense if you hear the story behind it 🙂 Lulu was my great grandmother’s name and a few years ago we learned that we knew of her, had pictures, knew stories but did not know her. So my sister Tara started piecing together her story. The more we learned, the more we needed to know. Isn’t that what it is all about? The more you know, the more you want to know. Perhaps I will get back to blogging and exploring Lulu, Dequilla, Howard, Quincy, Doris and the group–perhaps–but maybe not. But through these blogs, I can follow friends that are living and adventuring and trekking and learning more about themselves and the world we live in. Isn’t that the best? That is the best!! Living large and stepping out. Learning more about what we think we know about, but there is always more to learn. More to discover. I hope to keep looking for Lulu–metaphorically and literally and through friends and family and enjoy as you venture out and find out more about yourselves and your “Lulu’s” Keep exploring. Keep living. Keep discovery alive. Happy trails. Heather and Marcelo.

DNA matches

Yikes! Shameful at the post intervals. I will look for discipline to keep me posting. Auntie has been back at the search for our origins. I have been an interested consumer of the data. Sister two and three, not as interested. To recap for me and for posterity, we swabbed Mom and Dad for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts (for them or for us–for both really) to check for DNA that could provide some answers to our ancestral background. Interpreting the results is difficult, and unfortunately those that tend the results have comparable communications skills to mine. Well, we are waiting for an answer to a query, hopefully they are my betters in communicating.

I am curious if anyone has had a great deal of success with DNA and finding family, matches or desired answers to long sought questions. Lulu and Dequilla’s story is mostly a mystery, well, Howard’s is as well. I will study up on them for facts and post more as I get myself back up to speed.

My mom has the book of Artists, I will be happy to take a look at it for a name if the nice person who read this post is interested.

“Artists in California, 1786-1940” by Edan Milton Hughes

Hello All, which, at this point, is hello self. I will recap yesterday’s activities. Me, I did nothing in regard to Lulu and Howard. Well, actually, I did receive the book that was excerpted and offered up the information that Uncle Howard had been shown in SF, Oakland and New York. In my mind, I imagined that this book, “Artists in California, 1786-1940” by Edan Milton Hughes, would be a coffee table book with fantastic illustrations and examples of all of the noted artists. Well, not so much -actually, not at all. This is a dictionary with the brief bio of each artist–no pictures, no fanfare. I am glad I didn’t spend $150 on it for a new one. Thanks so much to dyskolosdaskalos from the Amazon Marketplace, the used book seller, that sent me the pristine used copy for a bargain $67. The book arrived quickly and in a wrapping that would have protected it from a nuclear holocaust. Good job! So the $67 excerpt:
Howard Merritt Jackson……….studied at the CSFA and during the 1930’s was a resident of Carmel and San Francisco. Member: SF Art Center. Exhibited: SFMA Inaugural, 1935 (oil, wc, pen and ink). Awards: first prize (wc), SFAA, 1931. AAA 1933; Mal; WWAA 1936-41 CA&A.

It is lovely to have something tangible that means that his memory is out there beyond the kitchen and hallway at space #6. Prior to the ancestry hunt through the websites, Auntie had us DNA swab Mom and Dad, for Mother’s and Father’s Day. Nothing says I love you like a DNA swab. It appears that results are about to start coming in–so if we are lucky, really, really lucky we will find a DNA match that has also completed a family tree, then, we can hook into a family tree that shows we are direct descendants of really famous, or infamous folks. Ya never know. Now to walk the dog and get on with the days work. Good hunting to all. Over and out.

Howard and the Curators

Today Uncle Howard was the big ticket item in ancestry hunting. Howard, Lulu 1 and Lulu2 have pictures, a few documents, but no stories about who they are as a part of our family lore. So these last few days Auntie and I have been organizing a binder, looking at notes and trying to figure out time lines. Uncle Howard, who we never met died riddled with lung cancer. He had been living in Mexico City and was transferred by the military, or by the embassy (because he was still military, he was there on professional duty, or was he an artist feeding his sole in a foreign country?) We have letters, classic type written letters, written by our grandfather DQ to the embassy, the hospital and record keepers who might have documents or answers available for him to tidy up the estate. But wait, Mr. JS (50 years later I am protecting the identities of the unknown–trying not to slander cause who knows who, and who knows what???) has been given authority over Howard’s estate. The estate, in retrospect, seems more sentimental than substantive and lucrative for interlopers so a war of words began. To what end? We don’t have JS’s letters–DQ sends respectful, angry, respectful, then threatening letters to solicitors. Threatening because he might out JS about something he doesn’t want to out. Are you thinking what we are thinking? Probably. Very few artifacts from Howard remain with Howard’s niece, our mom. Some paintings she has up in the kitchen and the hallway. I like them, Auntie is not so sure, Mom likes them. So now to today’s big news. I contacted SFMOMA and the Oakland Museum. SFMOMA was able to offer some help cause Howard did have paintings that he showed there back in 1935!! How cool is that!??!? Barbara, the very nice woman who responded to my query recommends I follow up with SFAI for more help. I am stoked–Howard’s story has been sleeping for 50 years on our side of the family. Who knows what Mr. JS and his people know, have, have written? So I will email the SFAI to see if they can help. I will continue to search for Howard’s story. Auntie is certainly looking for clues as we speak at her computer. This internet thing is amazing. Still, though, nothing has the presence and sense of archival import like a type written letter on transparent onion skin stationary. Wish us luck looking for the Uncle Howard’s art, photos and story. Over and Out.

Clearly I’m New at This

Just thought I would add that blogging is new to me and ancestry searching is too. My second son is soon to go to college so it will be Papi, myself, two cats and a sweet dog. People ask what I’m going to do–(besides work full time and maybe get caught up on the laundry?) well, this feels like a second family, looking back at the old family. My mom’s family was absent from our lives because they had died or been separated from her before my time. Now, with names, some pictures and the impetus of a DNA test–a couple of the sisters (auntie and I) are a bit like addicts these last few days. OOOOhhhh the stories lost, or even sadder, the stories left untold for fear of being outed, pushed to the back of the bus, or forgotten in a bar. It’s time to find them, figure out their story, or maybe we will make their story up. Names and faces will be real, but the story may or may not match the life they lived. We’ll do our best to do them justice.

Looking back

Hello World, I am one of the millions looking at ancestry.com for answers. My sister, who shall be known as Auntie from here on out started full force just under two weeks ago and, well, this stuff just can’t be made up. So I’ve decided to write about it as a family diary that can be checked, added to, and hopefully helped out by the mazillion ancestry buffs out and on-line right now. To enter into a tease, we are sublime, vanilla sort-a main stream Americans. My kids didn’t qualify for any scholarships two weeks ago–Now, they are black, American Indian–Uncle H has art that might have been featured at SFMOMA, and well, we are practically famous!! Who knew?

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