Category Archives: NY History

Rabies Shots

Posted on August 15, 2020 by jenorv

Today Dear Reader I have one word for you: Bats. I sense your confusion. Is this another political commentary, an observation on 2020, or am I giving an insight into my general mental health? Well, no, it’s about the mammal: … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History, Ontario Co | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Decoration Day then and now

Posted on May 24, 2020 by jenorv

70 years ago when I was young we celebrated “Decoration Day.” In those days the term Decoration Day was often used instead of the current term: Memorial Day. This older term has gone out of fashion now. It is a … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, American holidays, Combat, NY, NY History, Veterans | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Home Repairs ???

Posted on January 4, 2017 by jenorv

The time after the holidays is always a good time to regroup. We put away the decorations and get back to those projects and repairs that have been neglected. So it was when I was younger as well. My father … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

My Mother and the Turkey — A Thanksgiving Fable

Posted on November 13, 2016 by jenorv

  My mother wrote the following story many years ago: “When I was young, our neighbor came home with a parcel of turkeys and chickens. Since there wasn’t much traffic on our road, he let them run wild.   This … Continue reading →

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Stories from the family Vault

Posted on November 1, 2016 by jenorv

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

The Halloween House

Posted on October 18, 2016 by jenorv

When I was small my father carved a large Jack O’Lantern for me. It was a very special bonding moment. One that I will always remember.  Perhaps that is why I have always liked Halloween. It started out innocently enough. … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Force, Alaska, American History, Anchorage Alaska, Halloween, Hauntings, Holidays, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who’s your Daddy?

Posted on June 9, 2016 by jenorv

During the last week, I had the opportunity to think about fathers and their impact upon others  in an entirely different way.  We had several men from my college ROTC unit and their wives to dinner, it was our 50th … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Family History, Holidays, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Moving to the Country

Posted on April 26, 2016 by jenorv

About 1905 my grandfather Hamilton Redfield Norvell moved his family from Buffalo to the small village of South Wales, New York. It was about this time that he took a position as head printer at the Roycroft in East Aurora. … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Elbert Hubbard, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History, Roycroft | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

November 1965

Posted on November 6, 2015 by jenorv

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

At Sleepy Hollow

Posted on October 12, 2015 by jenorv

For many years, after we moved back to New York, we wanted to visit Sleepy Hollow at Halloween time.  It probably has to do mostly with the Disney movie version of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow. If you somehow … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Halloween, Norvell Family History, NY, NY History, Ontario Co | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment