Category Archives: New York

60th Reunion

Saturday, July 30, 2022 – I sit with a small group of aging friends at our 60th high school reunion. Let that sink in for a moment – I graduated from high school sixty years ago.  On a nearby table … Continue reading

Posted in American History, New York, New York State History | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

My Dog Spot …

Well actually he is a very big male cat. I say this because about a week ago I got a letter from a local governmental agency, which shall remain nameless, saying “it has come to our attention that you have … Continue reading

Posted in American History, Anchorage, Anchorage Alaska, New York, New York State History, Norvell Family History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the Country

In 1952 my father was ordered overseas during the Korean War. At the time, we lived in Troy, New York, where I was born, and where my father was in the Army at the Watervliet Arsenal.    With my father’s impending … Continue reading

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Stories from the family Vault

Families often have stories that are not shared with younger members, one such story concerned my grandfather.     My grandfather Hamilton Redfield Norvell was born in Detroit in 1863, when his father died in 1881 leaving the family with … Continue reading

Posted in American History, Detroit History, Elbert Hubbard, New York, New York State History, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History, Roycroft, Social History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

November 1965

When I was a college student,  November seemed to have a significant event each year. 1962  End of the Cuban Missile Crisis 1963  Death of John F. Kennedy 1964 Election of LBJ as President 1965 Great North East Black Out … Continue reading

Posted in American History, Hobart College, New York, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History, Ontario Co | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Hardest Thing I Ever Did

Lord, guard and guide all those who fly Through the great spaces in the sky. Be with them always in the air, In darkening storms or sunlight fair; Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer, For those in peril … Continue reading

Posted in 2001, 9/11, American History, Episcopal Church History, Family History, New York, New York State History, September 11, World Trade Center | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

My Grandfather and the Great Depression

Next to the Civil War, the Great Depression was the single most major event in American history that impacted nearly all Americans.   John Steinbeck wrote the story of the “Okies” who lost their land and were forced to move … Continue reading

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4th of July long ago

More than anything else, the holidays we celebrated together demonstrated and defined our sense of community. In our little town of Hannibal New York, each holiday had its own special rituals and observances, this was especially true of the 4th … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July Celebrations, American History, Family History, Holidays, New York, New York State History, Norvell Family History, NY | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

My Grandfather and the “Ghosts”

My mother’s father was quite a story teller,  when we were kids he often told us of his youth in the northern part of New York State, here is one of his tales about  so-called “Ghosts.”  He explained it this … Continue reading

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Snow, Snow, Snow

Living in upstate New York other people, who don’t live here,  are always fascinated with the weather here in the winter.  Since we grew up in this area it really is no big deal to us.  In fact, the area … Continue reading

Posted in Air Force, American History, Bolling AFB, Canandaigua NY, Family History, New York, Norvell Family History, NY History, Ontario Co, Social History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment