Before I jump into this month’s post, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate a little milestone. This month—November 2025—marks four years since I launched The Fortitude Blog! I’m deeply grateful to my readers and subscribers who have been along for the ride and shared in the stories and history we’ve explored together over these past fourContinue reading “Beneath the Symbols: Meanings Behind Colonial-Era Gravestones”
Category Archives: Faith
Exponential Multiplication in Genealogy
This month’s Fortitude post is all about ancestral mathematics. Now you’re excited, aren’t you? Let’s take a look backward and forward in time at the sheer volume of our ancestors and descendants in terms of exponential growth. Exponential growth is a mathematical process that increases quantity over time – but at an ever-increasing rate. Exponential growthContinue reading “Exponential Multiplication in Genealogy”
A 400 Year Legacy of Faith
Last month (May 2024) marked the two-year anniversary of the publishing of my book, Fortitude: Preserving 400 Years of an American Family’s Faith, Patriotism, Grit and Determination. In the course researching and writing the book, I noted several ancestral attributes consistent throughout the centuries. As I reflected on the stories I’ve discovered, several words describing the characterContinue reading “A 400 Year Legacy of Faith”
Overseer of the Poor
In today’s challenging world, you’ve likely come in close contact with someone who is poor. Someone who is homeless and living on the street. Someone down on their luck who lost a job and has no savings to fall back on. Perhaps poverty is even hitting close to home with a family member of yours. PovertyContinue reading “Overseer of the Poor”
A Civil War Chaplain’s Story
This is the fourth and final post in a series on the American Civil War. In this series, I described the three combat arms used during the Civil War to accomplish military objectives (cavalry, infantry, and artillery) to include the story of a Spaulding family member who served in each of these roles. In thisContinue reading “A Civil War Chaplain’s Story”
Questions I Wished I’d Asked My Father
Each year, we celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June. Father’s Day was first acknowledged on June 19, 1910. Sonora Louise (Smart) Dodd (1882-1978) is credited as the founder of Father’s Day. Sonora held her father, Civil War Veteran, William Jackson Smart, in high regard. One Sunday at church in Spokane, Washington, Sonora heard aContinue reading “Questions I Wished I’d Asked My Father”
Veterans Day Reflections
Each year on November 11th, we observe Veterans Day which had its beginnings with Armistice Day. The Armistice, that brought an end to World War I, was signed in France, at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 which was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Twenty years later in 1938, Armistice Day becameContinue reading “Veterans Day Reflections”
150th Anniversary of The Spalding Memorial
If you’ve ever written a short story, published a book, created a blog, or even captured your memoirs, could you imagine your work being referenced 150 years later? This is exactly the case of the research by Dr. Samuel J. Spalding of Newburyport, Massachusetts in a book called The Spalding Memorial published in 1872. This year (2022)Continue reading “150th Anniversary of The Spalding Memorial”
The Overcomer
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a person who overcomes is “one who succeeds in dealing with, or gaining control of, some problem or difficulty”. Is it easy for you to overcome? If that’s the case, you should be thankful, as many have to work hard at being an overcomer. Although challenging, an overcoming mindset is one that we allContinue reading “The Overcomer”
A Mother’s Sacrifice
Every year on the second Sunday of May, we celebrate Mother’s Day. A once a year recognition of a mother’s sacrifice just doesn’t seem to bestow the justified tribute a mother deserves. Mothers are on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Mothers are cooks, maids, ministers, shoppers, teachers, nurses, schedulers, drivers, handywoman,Continue reading “A Mother’s Sacrifice”
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