A mean slice, a kind heart

He was formidable behind a tennis ball, That mean slice tricked many a player, even though he was of short stature at about 5 ft tall.

He arrived each Christmas morning with a kitbag of presents for all seven children plus our parents.

Surprisingly there were no major accidents and no-one was injured by his tendency to fall asleep at the wheel when driving.

His Catholic faith was central to his life.

This was our Uncle Joe.

Early years

Joseph Andrew Horgan was born on 21 April, 1910, in Alma, South Australia, to Elizabeth Agnes Smyth and Andrew Joseph Horgan. He was the third child in the family, with an older sister, Honora Mary who was 5 and a brother Edward John who was not yet two.

In his early childhood, Joseph lived on the family farm near Alma, South Australia. When he was 6 years old, he began his primary education at Alma South School, the same school his mother had attended. His sister and brother were already students there. In January 1917, his sister wrote a letter to the Southern Cross newspaper, saying: "Eddie is in the third grade. I am in the fifth grade. My little brother Joseph is going to school now. He is a pet of the scholars."

By 1921 Joseph continued the letter writing tradition noting: “My brother and I ride to school every day. The name of the pony is Beaver. We also have a little dog named Tiny. We have a pussy; her name is Snowy; she can jump very well. We had some friends staying with us from town. They went home to-day; we feel very lonely without them. It was fun to watch the little boy ride the pony. I am looking forward to the Christmas holidays. I think I am going to spend some of them with my uncle. I am 11 years old and in the fourth grade at school.” At the end of 1921 it appears that he was probably transferred to St Joseph’s Convent in Hamley Bridge.

Training to be a priest

St Patrick's Seminary Manly c. 1933

Joe started at St. Columba's College in Springwood, New South Wales, in 1931 to commence his preparatory studies towards becoming a priest. In the years 1933 - 35 he was listed as living in the seminary at St. Patrick's College in Manly, New South Wales, indicating a commitment to his priestly education. Joe’s mother Elizabeth died in 1934 while he was so far from home. There is no doubt that he would have had his brothers in faith praying for her soul. He was however destined to leave the seminary and return to South Australia.

Later years

After the sale of the Alma farm, Joe relocated to Mt Barker where he worked on a dairy farm with his father Andrew. This was a short term venture and by 1942 Andrew and Joe had returned to the Horgan farm near Linwood, where his brother Eddie was now living with his young family.

In 1951, Joe experienced another profound loss with the death of his father, Andrew Joseph Horgan, at the age of 82.  At some stage, years unknown, Joe was living in Port Lincoln, working nights in the post office.

Joe moved to a farmhouse near to the Horgan family farm. It had formerly been occupied by the O’Reilly family. Miss Annie McCorquindale took on the role of Joe’s housekeeper. Joe still liked to ride to the family farm on his horse and later visited regularly in his various vehicles. The track leading into that house has now been officially named Horgan Road,

Joe in front of his brother Eddie

Annie, his housekeeper died in 1973 so Joe ate many of his meals with Eddie and Hannah's family. In 1980 he moved to the house at 1 Prescott St. Tarlee, accompanied by his faithful dog.

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Joe Horgan on the left with his brother Eddie and Joe's ute

Senior Years

After living by himself for so long, Joe appreciated his move to Gilbert Valley Seniors Citizens home in Riverton. His nephew Maurice set up a dog kennel and seat under trees on his cousin Carmel McInerney's  block which was near the home. Joe spent a lot of time up there with his dog. On his 80th birthday Joe remarked:  "It was the best decision I  ever made to come here," much to the amusement of those nearby who had witnessed his reluctance at the time of the move.

As the years passed, Joe outlived his siblings. His sister, Mary, passed away in 1984, followed by his brother, Eddie in June 1992. 

Just three weeks after his brother’s death Joe passed away at age 82 on 27 June 1992. The friends and relatives revisited the cemetery at Navan near Riverton where Joe was laid to rest on June 30th alongside his sister Mary.

 

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin

Ten years of stories

Image generated by AI in Canva by providing the title text

Little did I know when I first started this Family History and Clippings blog ten years ago, that I would still have more to add ten years later. I set out to research and record family stories for myself and my siblings and their descendants. I hope that future generations will be interested in preserving our family stories.

Along the way I have learnt so much about my family's and my husband's ancestors.  I've had a lot of help from family, cousins and unrelated genealogy researchers sharing their expertise and knowledge.

The wonderful resource that is Trove, provided by the National Library of Australia has provided me with a wide range of stories. Some stories contained conflicting information sending me elsewhere to verify details. Some papers of the past were just as interested in salacious details as some of the present media outlets. Obituaries have helped me piece together many family relationships. They have been particularly useful for determining the married name of females. 

 

The research I have recorded on the blog has provided background material for my O'Dea stories booklet recently shared with close relatives. By recording one story at a time, the task of compiling a family history booklet and adding relevant photos was simplified.

During the coming year I will revisit the paternal Horgan stories contained within and publish a similar booklet to share with close families.

The advent of DNA testing has advanced my research and keeps me willing to write about and pursue further research. The ongoing digitisation of records has provided a boon for me with wills I would not otherwise be able to access, providing details about land holdings and executors of those estates. 

The increasing use of AI on so many platforms can both help and hinder accurate research but I look forward to seeing where it will take genealogy researchers. Trove has announced success with its Handwritten Text Recognition software. Other platforms have photo dating prediction software, AI tools for writing biographies and more.

While I have written very little in the past year, my research continues.

Thanks to all who have continued to read my blog and to all those who have shared their knowledge and expertise.

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin

Accentuate the Positive 2023

Geneameme 2023 - front image on book generated using Microsoft co-pilot,
book image and text added in Photofunia

Each year Jill, GeniAus puts out an invitation to bloggers to Accentuate the Positive in the form of a geneameme that provides a range of prompts to reflect on our year in genealogy, and celebrate our successes. 

Below is my response to some of the prompts followed by ChatGPTs modification of my words.

1. On re-reading my mother's memoir I discovered some forgotten details.

2. In 2023 I reconnected with a living cousin when he emailed me to thank me for the research done on my mother's paternal line.

3. I'm pleased I replaced Twitter for genealogical discussion with Mastodon the social tool that is open source, has no advertising and a growing body of family history and genealogy users.

4. I was pleased that I finally purchased and read Your DNA guide by Diahan Southard

5. I enjoyed my journey to South Australia to visit five of my siblings in March 2023 not only for the opportunity to catch up with them but also to record some of the events in their lives for future generations.

6. I am pleased that I have been a member of Queensland Family History Society, receiving their newsletters and updates as well as having access to their online programs and data. This has helped me get an overview of ideas for our local group.

7. I made several DNA discoveries thanks to two siblings who tested and gave me control of their test results. These tests revealed connections with higher matches than showed in my matches list and thus enabled me to determine the correct lineages from sets of 2x gt-grandparents solving a couple of longstanding genealogical mysteries.

8. An informative Facebook group I have joined is We Are [enjoying our family histories] and while I have not yet committed to spending more on genealogy it is very interesting to see the development of this software with the ability to integrate blog posts with dynamic family trees, media and much more.

9.. Trove has helped me follow many marriages and deaths of descendants of my 2x gt-grandparents overcoming challenges such as missing records and gaps in historical data.

10. AI was new to me but I learnt so much from reading, experimenting and from presentations given by Andrew Redfern and Carole McCulloch.

11. The best value I got for my genealogy dollars was my membership of Genealogy South Australia.

12. It felt good to contribute to our local group by providing some classes and some technical expertise. I was pleased to be recognised outside the group by being asked to present sessions on a couple of topics for three different genealogical societies this year.

13. It was wonderful to catch up with genimates Pauleen and Fran for a recent lunch.

14. I wouldn't be without my Canon flatbed scanner as I continue to digitise documents and photos relevant to our lives and those of our ancestors.

15. I rewrote and updated some stories about our O'Dea ancestors who arrived in South Australia in 1854. This was distributed via email as a pdf attachment for close relatives.

16. I got a thrill from opening someone's eyes to the potential of using a variety of technology tools for genealogical purposes.

17. Another positive I would like to share is the continuing satisfaction I get from pursuing our families shared histories.

I asked ChatGPT to use the above text with the prompt acting as a professional genealogy blogger summarise my year. 

Here's the response: 

Genealogy Blogger Year in Review: A Journey of Rediscovery and Connection

As the year draws to a close, reflecting upon my genealogical journey in 2023 brings a wave of satisfaction and meaningful connections. Here's a summary of the highlights and discoveries that defined my year:

1. Rediscovering Family Narratives:
Revisiting my mother's memoir proved to be a treasure trove, unearthing forgotten details and enriching my understanding of our family history.

2. Reconnection through Research:
An unexpected email from a living cousin expressing gratitude for my research on my mother's paternal line led to a heartwarming reconnection, highlighting the power of shared family narratives.

3. Embracing Mastodon for Genealogical Discourse:
Replacing Twitter with Mastodon for genealogical discussions brought a sense of community. The open-source platform, free of advertisements, facilitated engaging conversations with a growing community of family history enthusiasts.

4. Empowering DNA Research:
Reading "Your DNA Guide" by Diahan Southard proved to be a pivotal moment, empowering me with insights that enhanced my DNA research capabilities.

5. Journey to South Australia:
March 2023 marked a memorable journey to South Australia, not only for the joy of reuniting with five siblings but also for recording significant events in their lives for future generations.

6. Queensland Family History Society Membership:
Being a member of the Queensland Family History Society provided valuable insights, newsletters, and access to online programs, shaping ideas for our local genealogical group.

7. DNA Discoveries:
Taking control of my siblings' DNA test results led to several breakthroughs, unravelling mysteries and connecting with distant relatives, enriching our family tree.

8. Exploring Innovative Genealogy Software:
Participation in the Facebook group "We Are [enjoying our family histories]" introduced me to innovative genealogy software, sparking interest in the evolving landscape of tools that integrate blog posts, dynamic family trees, and media.

9. Trove Triumphs:
Trove played a crucial role in overcoming challenges, helping trace marriages and deaths of descendants by bridging gaps in historical data.

10. AI Exploration:
Venturing into the realm of AI for genealogical purposes, learning from experts like Andrew Redfern and Carole McCulloch, opened new dimensions of understanding and application.

11. Value in Genealogical Memberships:
The most rewarding investment proved to be my membership with Genealogy South Australia, offering unparalleled value for my genealogy endeavours.

12. Contributing to the Local Genealogical Community:
Sharing expertise through classes and technical contributions to the local group not only felt fulfilling but also led to invitations to present sessions for three different genealogical societies.

13. Memorable Gatherings:
Lunch meetings with genimates Pauleen and Fran added a personal touch to the genealogical journey, creating lasting memories.

14. Essential Tools:
The Canon flatbed scanner remained an indispensable tool, facilitating the digitization of documents and photos vital to preserving our family's history.

15. Sharing Ancestral Stories:
Rewriting and updating stories about our O'Dea ancestors, distributed via email with PDF attachments for close relatives, ensured the preservation and dissemination of our shared history.

16. Inspiring Others:
The joy of opening someone's eyes to the potential of technology tools for genealogical purposes was a gratifying experience, fostering a sense of community and shared exploration.

17. Continuing Satisfaction:
Above all, the continuing satisfaction derived from delving into our family's shared histories remains the driving force, reaffirming the profound importance of preserving and celebrating our roots.


Back to my own words: ChatGPT is quite wordy and suggests more than one lunch with genimates, but can be used to improve some of my blog posts, or make suggestions for individual sentences. I would definitely take out some of its excessive use of adjectives. The headings certainly make for easier reading. 

How have your experiences been with ChatGPT or other AI tools?

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin