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John Francis Kennison   1900 - 1972 I wasn't thinking of tracing our dad's father but in the recent post for dad's great grandmother there was an active link to John from Ancestry.com .  I clicked on the link and went a little way down the rabbit hole and found a few interesting bits of our family history.  John was born in 1900 in Liesenring.  His father is shown as John T Mullin and mother is Mary Ellen McCullough Kennison - 1873 - 1935.  I couldn't find anything on John T Mullin without joining Ancestry but I have a clear memory that I was told that our family came from the Mullin line through John and Josephine.    I found that John T Mullin was born in 1869 in Parkersburg   WV and passed away in 1900, the year of our paternal grandfather's birth.  Dad's grandmother on John's line is Mary Ellen McMurrough Kennison, born in 1873 in Glasgow Scotland.  Six years after John's birth Mary Ellen married George W. Kennison.  It app...
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  Elta Lee Frick Mechling 1873 - 1941 The Kennison kids did not get to meet and know our great-grandmother Elta, as she passed in 1941 at the age of 68 as the result of an apparent heart attack.  We surely know of Elta's love and care for family from the character of her only daughter Josephine and the gentle demeanor of her husband Arthur.  This couple helped raise our dad and his siblings when John Kennison abandoned his young family.  This photo of Elta was on display for many years in the foyer area of Ginny's home.   Elta is laid to rest alongside of her husband Arthur Shupe Mechling in the Sylvan Heights Cemetery in Uniontown .  I traced her ancestry on Find A Grave and find that her roots are similar to Arthur's, coming from humble backgrounds in Europe, ultimately arriving in Philadelphia in 1767.  Grandmother Jo proudly served in the Daughters Of The American Revolution due to this heritage.  Here is the linage on her dad's side...
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 Kristin, Greg, Stephanie and I enjoyed a special dance recital at the Morada.  One of our dearest friends owns the Miss Persis School Of Dance.  Her tap group made up of ladies in their 70's and 80's put on a song and dance review that was a hit with us and all the residents.  The Miss Persis School will return around Christmastime with their legendary Elf Show.  A link is attached here for some more pics and videos. Prime Time Steppers
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Family Contacts

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 Carey called me and asked if I could find the listing of contacts for our family that he created years ago.  I did have a file copy and Carey and I updated it.  I have attached this here in Word and Pages that can be edited for new entries and updates.  There is also a PDF copy.  I added sections for Aunts & Uncles and Cousins.  These sections are missing people and dates, but perhaps I can work with Kristin to fill in some of this. Kennison Contacts - Word   Kennison Contact - PDF - Goggle Docs  
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 When watching the evening news today, I saw an image of coal barges lined up at the docks at the USS Mon Valley Steel Plant.  Of course the news segment was about the White House blocking the sale of USS to Nippon Steel.  My mind wandered to to dad's career at the Robena Prep Plant.  I didn't think that it was still in operation but I searched for more information.  I found that the Robena deep mines closed in 1983, but plant continued to operate until 2017 processing coal from surface mining for Consol Mining.  It seems that reclamation of the site began many years before 2017, most likely mandated by local concerns about environmental damage from seepage from the three large slurry ponds and other surface contamination.  Dad took me out one Sunday afternoon to inspect the dikes and berms around the ponds.  We had to hop into one of the big company trucks to traverse the dirt roads around the site. I read a couple of articles about the ongoing l...
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 I purchased the Ford Explorer Sport Trac in 2002 for use in my business.  I retired the truck in 2012 and have since kept it to pull the boat to the nearby lake and to loan to anyone in the family that had a car in the shop.  Grandsons Miles and Sam turn 16 next week.  Sam has claimed his moms hand-me-down SUV.  Miles and his dad are 3 months into restoring a 1986 Toyota Landcruiser with about 3 more months to go. Since the boat would sit undercover all winter, I suggested that Miles could use the Sport Trac until his cool ride is ready,  This week I changed the oil, replaced the windshield, and purchased 4 new tires.  With a pretty good driveway detail, outside and in, it looks pretty good for a 22 year old truck with 236,000 miles.   
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Baby Needs New Shoes

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 The tires on the BMW had quite a bit of tread left when I purchased the car 18 months ago.  After 9,000 miles have passed, and a nail in the sidewall on one that could not be repaired, it was time for a new set.  As I only use this car to take Patch to park and run some errands, I looked into using entry level tires and an economical price.  Discount Tire stocked an import brand for $73 each that had the same speed, weight load, and tread wear ratings as the usual Michelins that are three times the price.  The car now has a much lighter steering feel and smoother ride, so I am pleased so far.
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