They Said My Name Twice

That is a true statement!

And it is all because of a TV show with the same name.

Everywhere I went and everyday while the show was on TV 

people would say my name in the same annoying voice 

that is used in this video clip.

Mary Hartmann

Mary Hartmann

Yes I have two "N"s on the end of my Hartmann! 

I learned to make the best of it! 

Sometimes it would be fun and sometimes it wasn't.

Not so fun times would be when I went to the bank and tried to cash my paycheck. The teller would ask in all seriousness, 

"Is that really your name?" Just imagine the high pitched tone with that statement. And since I can be a little sarcastic I would reply, "No, that is why I am cashing a paycheck with 

that name on it."

Yes, back in the day you had to go to the bank every two weeks 

to deposit your check and get some cash. No direct deposits 

back in the 1970s. 

Also not so fun was when people would say to me, 

"I saw what you did on TV last night." or 

"I can't believe you drowned that guy in the chicken soup."

Hello people the show is using my name but I am not that person. 

One of the most annoying times was when I went to New York City to visit a friend and we went to the party and when I was introduced everyone spoke about the show. I tried to tell them about me but the show was more interesting to them. 

People it is make believe.  

My friend from Australia thought it was a true representation of Americans. I don't think so!

Some of the fun things were I made the newspaper because of my name. 

Guess who sowed up at Dade County jurors' pool the other day. Mary Hartman, that's who, that's who. Somebody made some crack about the TV connection, and the Miami's MH answered,

 "I had my name longer than SHE!"

Some times it was hard to come up with quick answered, you would think after a while, I would have a routine but I never did.  

One of my other comments was, "My grandmother had the same name, so it has a long history." 

When I worked at Variety Children's Hospital, now Miami Children's Hospital we all embroidered our names on our scrubs.  Here is a picture of me working in NICU with my name on my scrubs.  Yup I have it there twice.  My rings and watch were pined to my scrubs since we weren't allowed to wear jewelry and we did a surgical scrub when we came into work.

June 1977

People I worked with daily got tired of staying my name twice and so they shorten it to Mary Mary.

Another fun thing is it is a good ice breaker when introduced to new people, and people remember your name.  

My one sister in law told me people would give her a hard time about being Kathy Hartmann and wasn't she really Mary Hartmann or did she know Mary Hartmann. 

I only watched a few episodes because I worked evenings, 3 to 1130 at the hospital and it was on while I was at work.  I did see a couple of episodes on my evenings off, but I could never get into the show or understand it.  One of those shows you have to see from the beginning I guess. One of my best friends loved the show. I might have to watch it from the beginning one of these days.

Here is a link to Wikipedia about the show.

I had two friends that I would go out with one was Carol Burnett and the other was Anita Bryant.  Guys would never believe those were our names. I also had two other friends and the 

three of us were named Mary.  

So confusing and also not believe able but true. 

As time pasted you could tell when people hadn't heard about the TV show, as they were too young to watch it. 

Veterans Day 2015

Thinking about the veterans I know and I wanted to share this post again.  
Too all Veterans...Thank You for your Service. 

These documents are my Mom, Annette's Separation Qualification Record.  She was in the Army Nurse Corps towards the end of and after the end of WWII.  She was stationed at the 248th General Hospital at Manila Luzon Philippine Islands.  She entered the service on 29 Mar 1945 and was relieved of active duty on 15 Aug 1947.  Her rank was 1st Lieutenant. 

She earned two medals

Asiatic Pacific Service Medal

WWII Victory Medal Front

WWII Victory Medal Reverse Side

We don't have her medals or any pictures she took while in the service.  She never told me about her experiences.  When I first asked she felt I was too young to know, when I was older she was too sick with Cancer to be asked. Pictures of the medals are from various web sites.

I Helped

I haven't been doing much with my Genealogy lately too busy with kids and life.

I did take some time to index a batch for this event. 

It was a passenger list with 80+ names on it.  I thought it was never going to end but it did and hard handwriting, that did get a little easier once I got accustomed to the writing.  

Here is a screen shot of the second page.  

Click here to see all that was accomplished.

Last of the February Birthdays

The last two are Uncles. 

Uncle Richie is my Dad's brother and I am sad to say the last time I saw him was when I was eleven before I moved to Florida. He was a lot taller than my Dad and seventeen years younger.  He was a police man for the NYC police department.  

Born Feb 20, 1929 in College Point, Queens, New York died in 2009 in Hollywood, Broward, Florida.

When he retired he did move to Florida but I don't think my Dad ever saw him once he moved to Florida.  I remember my Dad was upset with him because he had divorced his first wife Eleanor Vent. Sadly I never reconnected with him once I was an adult.  I have no real reason, I just didn't.  I am truly sorry I didn't make the effort. 

I do have a picture of Uncle Richie some place but I am not going down that rabbit hole to look for it right now.  

Uncle Bill with my Grandmother Minnie Elizabeth Chaplin 

Now Uncle Bill I knew him better and was in contact with him by letters until he died.  We didn't have a close relationship but we were in contact and he was supportive of me. 

Born William Charles Chaplin on Feb 22, 1911, Brooklyn, King, New York and died March 21, 1992 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

When I graduated from Community College with my ASN and passed my State Board as an RN, he sent me a medical caduceus under a nursing cap.  I still wear it on a chain around my neck. 

He sent me a beautiful portrait of my mother on her wedding day when I purchased my first home.  Uncle Bill was my mother's brother.  When I saw this picture of my mother I realized just how much I looked like her.  I have the same shape eyes.  

I have a few good memories of this good man.  

I wish I had know him better. 

More Belated February Birthdays

The next Birthday on the 11th belongs to my Son-in-Law Will.  He is a quiet, pleasant young man who makes my daughter Kierra very happy.  He severed our country in the Arizona National Guard. 

Will when he was in the Army.  Thank You for your service. 

The next Birthday on the 12th was mine.  A long time ago in a different state this baby girl was born and she has been busy and active since.  

My Baby Picture

February In Memory Of

Though I enjoy celebrating my birthday and make the best of it.  There are two dates in February I really don't like. 

The day my mother died and the day my mom who raised me died.

Here is a post I wrote about Fearless  Women Who Died Too Young. 

This following post is about my mother who gave me life and died too young on Feb 5th, 1949 a week before my first birthday.  

This last post is about Annette the mom who raised me until she died too young on Feb 4th, 1965 a week before my 17th birthday. 

For some reason this year I felt their lost a little more acutely than usual.  And as hard as those losses are they made me the women I am today so I am grateful for the experiences.  I also know that in many ways it is better than what my adopted daughters are going through.  As they repeatedly see the poor choice a mother makes and watch her slowly self destruct.  Maybe this contributed to my not wanting to write in February.

Belated February Birthdays

Yup I did it again, I am late for a very important date!

Well actually for a few dates!

First my Great Uncle Owen Glynn Chaplin.  I didn't know him personally, I didn't know any of my great aunts or uncles.  My Aunt Bea who was a niece told me the following about Owen, who was known as Glynn.

Glynn is standing in the back row, second from the right.

He was the 10th child of my maternal great grandparents born on February 10th 1906.  He did not know my grandfather William,  his own brother, as Owen was 3 months old when William left for America.  Glynn worked as a British Naval Designer or Marine Engineer.  He married Ida Lee in 1936 and had one son Robert Glynn born in 1945.  He did visit the states in 1950 and meet some of the family here.  My grandfather had died in 1925.  My Mother, his niece, died in 1949, so he never meet Edith. 

I have no idea if he and my Dad meet or not. 

A family story goes while talking to my Uncle Bill who was about to have a daughter and they were thinking of naming her Victoria but Great Uncle Owen said Valerie was a popular name in England and so my cousin's name is Valerie. 

This Birthday is also shared with a cousin Robin.  We share the same grandfather William I mentioned above.  I don't know him very well as he is 9 years older than I am.  I have recently reconnected to him and I receive a newsy Christmas letter from him each year.  

Happy Belated Birthday #3

Emma Marie Hartmann Ronca

18 Jan 1919 to 15 Jan 2004

This is my Aunt Em she was my favorite Aunt.  

When I was younger she took me to the Bronx Zoo and to Radio City Music Hall and we did all kinds of fun things.  I can remember waiting for her as she walled from the bus stop to our home in Whitestone, Queens, New York.  

She was single for a while and married when she was 36, so I lucked out on having some of her attention.  I didn't go to her wedding my parents thought I was too young, and I had to stay at a neighbors home, well I was only 7.  I wish she was still around to tell me more of the family stories my Dad would never tell me.  She always told me she loved both of my mothers without hesitation, she thought they were both wonderful women.  

So was my aunt, she was spunky, independent, kind and honest.  

When I was complaining to her about some of the sass and issues I was having with the big kids, she told me I was a sassy lass myself.  Which is true, but I sometimes forget that. 

Here is Aunt Em at her 80th birthday with 2 of her three sons. 

Happy Birthday Aunt Em, miss ya.

This is the birthday I really wanted to remember but forgot to add her to my to do list before her birthday, than I was too busy to write until now. 

Happy Belated Birthday #2

I wasn't sure I wanted to do this birthday because he is still very much among the living.  So I want to respect his privacy.  He is the youngest of my big kids. 

Born 12 Jan in some year not to long ago a day after his grandpa William Francis Bowden.  

This is Kinsen V. Bowden

This was his picture when he was a Senior.  Handsome kid isn't he.  This was more than 10 years ago. 

I don't have a good recent picture. 

Of the three kids that came with my husband Richard.  He was the easy kid.  The peacemaker.  He is kind, thoughtful and sees things to do done and does them.  I always enjoy having him around. 

I wish him the best in life.   

Happy Belated Birthday

Well the best laid plans of men and mice can really get messed up.  Of course there was a little poor planning (I forgot to mark my calender to do these tasks) and a little indecision (should I really include or not). 

The first birthday I missed was Bill's.  I wasn't sure I wanted to include him because, well he isn't my blood line but he was a good man and I respected him a lot and liked him, so I am including him.  

That is the Dad in this picture and the little fellow in this picture is my husband.  

William Francis Bowden Jr.  

11 Jan 1921 to 24 Sept 2007

I forgot when this picture was taken and why and my husband isn't hear to ask.  By the time I meet him he was wearing gold rims.

I meet him after Richard and I had been dating for awhile.  He was a kind, patient, giving man.  Strong in his faith and an example of being faithful to the end.  He wanted the best for his children.  He took great care of his wife when she was dying in 2005 with the help of his daughters and granddaughters.  

Happy Birthday,Annette!

One of the bloggers I follow does this really cool thing where she wishes her ancestors Happy Birthday or remembers someone on an anniversary.  I felt it was a good idea and I had wanted to try it two years ago.   Well two special girls came to live with me and I have been busy.  This year I decided to try my hand at it.  After all I need to make time for my interests.  

So today, the 7th of January 1919 my Mom, Annette Carolyna Corkish was born.  Her parents were Alfred B. Corkish and Mildred E. Swan.  She was born on Nantucket Island the youngest of six children.  

I don't know much about her early life.

She studied nursing in Boston and became an Army nurse in the Pacific at the end of WWII.  After the war she moved to NYC and lived with a sister.  She meet and married my Dad.

Family lore has it she was one of the nurses who cared for my mother when she was dying of Breast Cancer.   

She was a strong women to take on my Dad and me, a 16 month old when they married. 

Annette on her Wedding Day

She definitively was pretty!

She also did a good job of taking care of me and my three half brothers she had with my Dad.  Unfortunately she also died too young from Colon Cancer in 1965 a week before my 17th birthday.   

She never wanted me to be a nurse, she told me the work was hard and boy she was right.  I never regretted my decision to be a nurse and I am sure is proud of the good career I had as a nurse. 

Happy 96th Birthday!

I think of you often and I am glad you were a part of my life.