Sam and his Mom circa ~1910

...or so the caption reads on the back of the picture below.

 

 

 

When I first looked at the front of the picture, I originally thought the boy in the tree was my father. There is a definite resemblance. Then when I looked at the face of Sarah Maude (Stewart) Williams, I realized she was definitely a lot younger than ~50 in the photo.

 

When I turned the picture over...I had my answer.

 

What I'd like to know is how the heck my grandfather climbed up so high?

 

More in a few.

       

Another Piece of the Past

Just when I think I've looked through every box and & opened every envelope...
 

 

 

More to follow, I'm sure.

 

Grandpa Eddie: Christmas 1906

When I first found the piece pictured below a month or so ago, my initial thought was that this was some type of work I.D. badge. Unlike many of the family mementos I am finding that others feel date back to as far as ~1780, but are not inscribed with an actual date, this item is clearly dated 1906, which would have made my great-grandfather Edward C. Williams 26 at the time.

 

I also remembered that E.C.W. worked for the Wales Adding Machine Company at one point, so everything fit together nicely as far as I was concerned.

 

I misplaced the "badge" for a few weeks, and had just about given up on looking for it when it resurfaced yesterday while looking for something else in our car's glove compartment.
   

When I showed it to my wife, and explained the significance of "Adder", she commented that it "looked like a Christmas ornament" and was probably a 1906 Christmas gift for the employees of WAMC. 

 

So much for my idea.....

 

Going forward, this century-old+ Christmas ornament will hang on our tree until it's time to pass it along to the great-great grandchildren of "Grandpa Eddie".
 

 

 

 

Wishing everyone all the best in 2014

 

Happy New Year!

 

с Новым годом

 

Peace

 

мир

     

Th Williams Family Santa Claus

 

My uncle Bill Connelly was a printer by profession, but come late November and December every year, he became - at least to the children of upstate New York and areas in central-northern PA...and my sister and I, the jolly old elf the world knows as Santa Claus.

 

 

He was a true professional, and graduated from the famous Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School. I can't find the pics right now, but I believe he was voted "Santa Claus of the Year" in ~1964, and at one point was in the running to be riding the sleigh with Ms. Claus in the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade itself.

 

He enjoyed life to the fullest, and wherever he was at whatever time of the year, my Uncle Bill added plenty of energy & excitement to the occasion. 

 

 

 

 

Below: When he knew he was dying and had only a brief time left, this was one of the pictures that my Uncle Bill "Santa Claus" Connelly selected to be given to his nieces and nephews after he passed.

 

R.I.P., Uncle Bill.

 

Merry Christmas

 

B & W CO. : PEERLESS ( & OLD )

It's a busy time of year both at work and home. The posts on this blog will be far and few between until we get past the holidays.

 

Here's a recent find from the back room of the basement @ my home in W-B. It's a very old hand-cranked grinding/sharpening wheel, still in operable condition. I cleaned off the nameplate enough to see it was made by a company in Boston, Mass. I haven't been able to spend too much time researching this company to get an idea how old this contraption is but when I get the time...I will.

  

 

Pretty darn cool!

 

  

Eulogy for my Father - 11/16/2012

http://srs444.blogspot.com/2013/11/aionio-eulogy.html

Comment: NASE / NAPE

I received the following comment yesterday in response to this post:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi,
Your relative, Edward Charles Williams, must have been very dedicated to the field of stationary engineering and to his fellow engineers, in order to be chosen to serve as president of the local NASE chapter.
When NASE was founded in 1882 they had to deal with accusations and concerns that the organization was a union or in some way opposed to the concerns of the companies that employed their members.
But the NASE preamble stated that they were never to work against the interest of their employers, other than NASE was committed to having boiler and steam engine license laws enacted.
NASE members were leaders in the effort to make steam power plants safer. Their successes contributed to the formation of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code in 1914.
NASE changed its name in 1928 to NAPE-the National Association of Power Engineers. They are still in existence today. I believe Pennsylvania has two active chapters Pittsburg 18, and Philadelphia 76.
The Past-President is typically honored at the Past-Presidents dinner, which may be where he was given his pen.
NASE/NAPE members are committed to helping one another, so it would be an honor if I could assist a Past Presidents family with anything related to his service or NASE.
Chris Marcella
NAPE 17 Lowell, MA President
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you, Chris. I will be in touch.


Don Williams
Great-grandson of Edward Charles Williams