Tombstone Tuesday :: Long Family, Salem Cemetery

The Long family plot at Salem Cemetery, Washington Township, Noble County, Indiana.

Emily Eliza Joslin was the daughter of James and Abigail (Goodrich) Joslin. She was a sister to my 3rd great grandfather, Lysander Price Joslin. Emily was married to John Long on October 12, 1854 in Whitley County, Indiana. Her obituary states she was the mother of eight children but I have found record of only four: Edwin Monroe Long (1856-1928), Jennie Candice Long Myers (1863- 1911), Cora Alice Long Burnworth (1866-1926), and Mott R. Long (1866-1950).

JOHN LONG / 1826 - 1900 / EMILY E. LONG / 1837 - 1929

John Long's obituary was published on February 7, 1900 in the Columbia City Commercial, Whitley County, Indiana.

John Long was born in Ross county, Ohio, Nov. 23, 1826, died Jan. 21, 1900, aged 73 years, 1 month and 25 days. He emigrated with his parents to Indiana at the early age of 10 years and remained with them till Oct. 12, 1854, at which time he united in marriage to Emily J. Joslin and moved to the site of his present home soon after. Seven children was the result of this union, three of whom preceded him.

He united with the Freewill Baptist church, of Ormas, Ind., in February 1890, and has always lived in consistent accord with its tenants. As to his Christian character and fortitude no words of praise can pay better tribute than his humble and patient resignation during the past eighteen months of his affliction. Never once complaining or murmuring as to his lot, but only waiting for the summons to come up higher. As evidence of his faith and hope when interrogated as to his future, he smilingly replied that all was bright to him and earnestly requested all to do right and meet him in a better world.

As a neighbor he was ever kind and true to his convictions of justice and right. As a husband and father his past life's devotion demonstrates better than words can tell. In the sacred grief of the friends thus deeply bereft we can but drop the tear of sympathy, and for consolation point me to Him who doeth all things well. Though confronted by sad mementos of the pale horse and its rider that has severed the silver cord and so ruthlessly broken the dearest of earthly ties, it has but strengthened that invisible tie that binds us to the spirit land beyond. Though sorrow chills our souls and the clouds of gloom cling close above our heads while the weary years roll by, we have the cheerful assurance, "there is light beyond the clouds" and every year but narrows the surging tide and brings us closer to a blissful reunion in that haven of peace and rest.

Funeral services were held at the Salem church, Tuesday, Jan. 23, conducted by his former pastor, S. H. Dull, of Hillsdale, Mich., and the remains were interred in the cemetery near the church.

Emily's obituary was published on December 6, 1929 in the Columbia City Post, Whitley County, Indiana

Mrs. Emily Long, 91, passed away at the county hospital near here at 6:30 o'clock Friday morning following an invalidism of several years duration. Mrs. Long had been ill many months following a stroke of paralysis and in recent weeks had contracted a heavy cold which was thought to have hastened her death.

The deceased was born on December 12, 1837 and at the time of her death lacked but six days of being 92 years old. Mrs. Long was well known in the county. Surviving is one son, Mott Long, of Anderson, Ind. The decedent had been a patient at the institution where she died since February 20, 1928. The body has been removed to the Smith funeral home on South Line street.

Mrs. Long was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Long [sic] and was born at Columbus, Ohio. When a small child she came with her parents to Lorane. She was married to John Long in 1853. She was the mother of eight [sic] children, seven having preceded her in death. Funeral services will be held at the Smith funeral home Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock with interment in the Salem cemetery in Noble county.

MYERS / CANDAS J / 1862 - 1911 / FERDINAND / 1857 - 1911
Candas was the daughter of Emily and John and is buried next to her brother Edwin.


FATHER (on top of stone) / E.M. LONG / NOV. 10. 1856 / JULY. 8. 1928

The obituary of Edwin M. Long was published on July 11, 1928 in the Columbia City Post, Whitley County, Indiana.

Edwin M. Long, past 71 years old, a native of Etna township, Whitley county, died Sunday afternoon at 1:05 o'clock at the county farm and asylum after an illness of almost a year due to infirmities of old age. He was confined to his bed for the past seven months.

He was born in Whitley county and was a son of John and Emily Long. His father preceded him in death but his mother makes her home at the county farm. She is past 91 years of age. Mr. Long resided in Whitley county practically all his life except for twenty years when he was a carpenter in Fort Wayne. He returned to Whitley county from Ft. Wayne two years ago.

The deceased was twice married. His first marriage was to Dora Jane Bowlby. Two children were born to this union. Esta, wife of Samuel Swihart, of Fort Wayne, and Coral Haynes, of Kettle Falls, Wash. He was married a second time to Florence Kimes, of Ft. Wayne, who survives. Mrs. Long has been at the county farm for the past several months aiding in caring for her husband. There are two step children surviving this marriage, Ralph Kimes of Ft. Wayne, and Edna Kimes of New York. A brother, Mott Long, resides at Anderson. There are nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren living. Shortly before his death Mr. Long made arrangements to be baptized in the Mennonite church.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Hood & Smith funeral home in Columbia City. Rev. Benjamin King, of Fort Wayne, will conduct the services and burial will be in Salem cemetery.

Something Special

Having a special bicycle is not about following the latest chic trend. It is not about hunting down a frame made of famous tubing. It is not about obsessing about period-correct components. And it is not about trying to evoke a specific country of origin.It's really about focusing on your preferences and your needs. Only you can make your bicycle uniquely yours.



My fellow Bostonian C.P. - or "cycler" on Biking in Heels - has done an impressive job in this regard. Her bicycle, Gilbert, is completely and utterly hers - and very special. CP comes from a family of cyclists and has ridden a bike for as long as she can remember. But it was not until she lived in Italy as a young adult, that her love of city bicycles with step-through frames was ignited. Upon returning to the US, she brought a vintage Italian city bike with her, and the rest is history. An architect by profession and a DIY enthusiast by nature, C.P. enjoys wrenching on her own bikes and now owns a modest stable of vintage ladies' models from the 1930s through the 1970s.



As her ultimate bicycle for transportation, C.P. wanted something that handled like her favourite vintage bikes, yet was as clean and reliable as a new bike. And so her project began. She rescued a 1970s Raleigh Lady's Sports frame and fork, and had them repainted a colour she loved. She bought a suitable chaincase and had it painted to match, along with the fenders. She built modern wheels with alloy rims around a Shimano 8-speed hub in the rear and a Shimano dynamo hub in the front.



Gilbert's set-up includes handsome and effective lighting,



cushy cream tires,



front and rear racks for maximum hauling capacity,



Nitto "Albatross" handlebars with city brake levers and a classic bell,



a wheel stabiliser,

and, last but not least, this fantastic fishing creel basket, made of wicker with leather accents. For the holidays, the basket is decorated with battery-operated Christmas lights.Eccentric? Delightfully so! I imagine this style of basket is quite useful for storing small to medium objects within reach, secured by the closed lid. One thing that never fails to impress me about Biking in Heels, is the amount of stuff "cycler" is able to carry on that bike. This has included: a stack of shipping parcels, large plants, household appliances, and building supplies - most of these, of course, on the rear rack and not in the creel basket. While the Raleigh Lady's Sports was not specifically designed as a utility bike, it seems that Gilbert cab haul pretty much anything.



Given the way Gilbert came into existence, it is difficult to categorise him. The bicycle is no longer a vintage Raleigh 3-speed, yet it certainly isn't a modern bike either. But why categorise him at all? You will not find another like him in any catalogue or bicycle blog.Gilbert is C.P.'s personal bicycle, and he is unique. Visit them both at Biking in Heels.

Gloucester VA to Gasburg VA

Yesterday we left the Chesapeake Thousand Trails resort to head a short distance to Gasburg, VA. We didn't want a long driving day because of going to DC the day before and we wanted to see what the resort here was like. We stayed at Lake Gaston Resort which is a ROD resort. This was one of the nicest resorts we've stayed at so far.



It was similar to Chesapeake in that it had water and the gorgeous fall colors. It was very different in one special to Austin way-it had an incredible family center. He was able to bowl and play racquetball

with Dad right at the resort. Ask him about the big goose egg on his forehead and he'll happily tell you his sports injury story. Then he'll tell you how he hurt his Dad too. Great male bonding times!



Actually, he'll probably tell you about the prime rib dinner he ate here that so impressed him, he is counting down the days until his birthday dinner where he wants prime rib again. Speaking of impressive, I have to brag on Nathan for a few minutes. He took the shots in this post and I think they are fabulous! I used to say we took entirely different shots when we had a camera in our hand but I've noticed our styles are beginning to merge a bit. Guess that is what happens when you live this.close.together.







He still does zero photo editing, so I grab all of his shots and do with them what I want. Pretty generous of him, huh? We really had a great time at this resort, even though we were only there for two nights/one day. We will come back in the spring and spend a longer time here then.



Coco loves to walk so much that it's a treat to watch her. She just wants to be outside all the time, most likely because she was used to having a doggie door and a backyard before. Since we just joined the rest of the world and watched the movie "Up", we find this particular move hysterical:



She is so obsessed with...Squirrel! Living the life in lovely Virginia.

Where Was Your Bicycle Made? ...and Does It Matter?

There are those who object to bicycles built in the Far East (specifically, China and Taiwan*), and the objections tend to fall into three categories. First, it is possible to get very cheap (as in both inexpensive and poor quality) goods mass-produced in that part of the world. So "made in China/ Taiwan" is interpreted as synonymous with flimsy, "soul-less" production methods and low quality materials. Second, the same factories that practice these production methods typically also have labour laws that are considered inhumane by western standards: long hours, low wages, child labour, air toxicity. Finally, these factories tend to use environmentally unfriendly processes, dumping pollutants into the surrounding landscape. These concerns have, understandably, made some wary about buying products made in that part of the world, bicycles included. However, they have also led to overgeneralisations and misunderstandings that result in unfair prejudices.



Aside from the obvious point that Taiwan and China are not the same, one thing to keep in mind when considering where your bicycle was made is that geographical locations are not factories and knowing the country of manufacture alone does not tell you much. Certainly there are factories in Taiwan where flimsy, generic bicycle frames are mass-produced in poor conditions. But there are also factories that employ highly skilled artisans, use quality production methods and the best materials, pay working wages, and are environmentally friendly. Typically, one can easily tell the difference by looking at the end product. And the cost of manufacturing differs considerably, despite both types of factories being located in Taiwan.



Many of the best bicycle manufacturers today outsource at least some aspect of frame production to Taiwan. These include favourites such asRivendell, Retrovelo, Workcycles, Pilen, Soma,Surly andVelo Orange, among others.These manufacturers have close relationships with the "good" kind of factories there. The resulting products are indistinguishable from domestic products in quality, because the same processes and materials are used, and because the manufacturer's specs are followed with precision.



We tend to assume that outsourcing is a cost saving measure, but it may surprise you to learn that cost is not always the reason for turning to Taiwanese production. One very real problem, is that there is a shortage of European and North American factories capable of producing bicycle frames at high volume. This is an issue manufacturers almost inevitably run into when they begin to expand production. The remaining old-school builders are small and are often unable to expand their workspace, buy additional equipment, and hire sufficiently skilled employees. There are some factories in Eastern Europe - namely Poland and the Czech republic - that are more versatile and can handle medium volume, but it's still often insufficient. Short of establishing their own factories domestically from scratch at astronomical costs, going to the Far East can be the only viable option for manufacturers. Furthermore, some manufacturers complain that the domestic factories they've tried produce inferior work to the "good" Taiwanese factories, and claim that moving production to Taiwan is a means of improving quality.



All of this is not to "defend" Taiwanese production, but to give my readers a better sense of what it actually means, so that they can make more informed decisions regarding their own stance on this issue. Personally, I prefer it when a bicycle is made as part of a small production run, by hand, and within a culture that I have some personal connection to. It's just more interesting to me that way. But I have nothing against Taiwan or China per se, as long as the specific factory provides good working conditions, employs environmentally safe practices and uses high quality methods of production.



On a separate note, I also feel that manufacturers should clearly and truthfully disclose where and how their bicycles are made. If they are going to go the Taiwan route for the very legitimate reasons described, then they ought to "own it" and not obfuscate the fact. It annoys me to no end when manufacturers boldly state on their websites that their bicycles are "proudly built in European Country X" only to reveal in some obscure small print buried deep on their site that the frames are made in Taiwan, and what they really mean by "built" is "designed and assembled." It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when manufacturers come across as trying to hide or distort the facts in this manner.



What are your thoughts on the subject? Does it matter where, or how your bicycle is made?



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*Edited to add in response to some of the comments: This post does not mean to imply that I believe the People's Republic of China and Taiwan to be politically similar, or to have the same labour and environmental standards. I include both countries here, because people do group them together under the "made in the Far East and therefore bad" label (interestingly, Japan is now exempt). And while factory conditions in Taiwan are typically better than those in China, the point of this post is that country does not matter. It is possible for a "good" factory to exist in China. It is not about labeling geographical locations as good vs bad, but about being aware of what process is used - regardless of location.

A Riverview Site

One of the advantages of having an annual site is that you can pick any spot in the park to plunk down on. One of the advantages to doing lottery and driving the park is when a great spot opens up, you see it right away. Which was the case a few weeks ago. As I drove through the park, looking for empty sites, I saw something that shocked me. One of my favorite spots that had been occupied by an annual site member, was now opened up. I drove back to the office and asked for permission to move to it. Then I went home and asked Nathan if he was ok with moving to it. Normally I would do that in reverse, but I knew if I waited then the site would be gone!



We are now on the end of a dead end road. Our side only has two spots, counting us. We are fortunate to have Rich and Donna behind us. Two of the spots on the other side of the road are annual sites with friendly neighbors also. And the site one away from Rich and Donna is the same way. So we are surrounded by great people that will remain neighbors for longer than two weeks at a time.



As great as they all are, the real draw is that this is now our "front yard".





More of the front yard view:



Most of the side yard is the part that joins with Rich and Donna's yard. Some of it empties into a hiking trail.




We are loving it here so far. It is so peaceful and we have a bit of space to spread out in, especially if we have company. The beautiful weather has meant that Nathan can work outside in the tent, and enjoy working without people walking by all day long. It helps him to not feel so cooped up inside and it gives me some space to get away from "work" when I am at home. We are already toying with the idea of renewing the site for next year!



Living the life in gorgeous Florida!

Greetings from Arizona!

Thursday, December 1st - - The drive through Las Vegas was mostly uneventful. There was some rain and considerable wind, with gusts up to 40 mph. I'm not a fan of Las Vegas so had no intentions of spending time there. I really just wanted to get south to where I thought it would be warmer. But you know Mother Nature! Always changing things... I spent the night at Cattail Cove State Park south of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The winds had dropped considerably and the sun was trying to come out from behind the heavy layer of clouds. It was rather cool but at least it wasn't raining!



Friday, December 2nd - - It seems that the winds that came through on Wednesday night also brought cooler temperatures with them. Daytime highs hadn't made it into the 50s and the lows were well into the 30s. A check of the weather on the internet for several places indicated that it was about the same all over southern Arizona. So much for finding a warm place to stay!



I continued south and stopped at Picacho Peak State Park for the night. I had been there at least twice before in my travels through Arizona and knew that it was a nice spot. They had made improvements to the campgrounds and all sites now had electricity. I arrived just before sunset and the clouds had broken up a bit so I decided to go for a walk with camera in hand. And I'm glad that I did!

Travel Gadget: my MAPS and my GPS

Currently I am juggling between 2 mobile phones. Both have different purposes and I am keeping it that way.

The Blackberry is for work calls and work emails. This phone is strictly for work. There are only 2 people who knows this number outside work and that is the Dutchman and my mom.

The Nokia Mini is my personal phone. I call here. I SMS here. I Facebook here. I internet here. Maybe I should try blogging here soon too. But most importantly, I use the OVI Maps and GPS here—this is actually the functionality that made me buy this phone. Being a travel addict, I need my MAPS and my GPS.

The dosage I get:

Free Drive Navigation Worldwide
Free Walk Navigation Worldwide
Free Maps and Maps Update (any city and country in the world)
Free Events guides
Free Lonely Planet guide (very basic)
Free Michelin guide

So in preparation for our upcoming holiday, today Dutchman and I downloaded the California, USA map. Just a few more nights and we are off! We also downloaded the Jordan map for my trip in April with Blondine, as well as the Philippine map for future use. There was also an automatic update for Europe map which is what I badly need seeing that the highways in the Netherlands have been recently upgraded. The A2 highway for example is now unrecognizable!

Nevertheless, what I wanted to say is, I am not a tech geek but I am very happy that I have Nokia OVI Maps in my phone. The software is free to download and GPS is of course free to use worldwide. No additional costs.

Recently, Nokia revamped its go to market strategy by teaming up with Microsoft. Several doomsday analysts thought it’s the worst team up ever, a marriage that is bound to fail? Nokia has been losing market shares to iPhone and Blackberry while Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS barely has a 3% market share. How can 2 losing companies become successful in this highly competitive mobile communications market?

I have no idea, but for now, I am sticking with Nokia because of the OVI Maps and GPS.