Nostalgia for Grandma's Cookies

During this pandemic, where family cannot gather for the traditional holidays, I (and much of my family) became nostalgic for Grandma's anise Christmas cutout cookies.  It turns out there were several versions of the recipe around, but my second cousin sent me her mother's recipe card, and this is actually my great-grandmother's recipe.  Not only can we now bake and eat the cookies of our memories, but the connection to Grandma, my Great-aunt, and my Great-grandmother is priceless.

My Great-grandmother, Clara Herrmann Eckhardt, was a Harding from West Pittston, Pennsylvania, who relocated to Rochester, NY in the 1910's.  

Dear Brother: The Civil War Letters of William A. Harding to his brother Palmer

I have published the transcribed Civil War letters from William A. Harding to his brother (and my great-great-great grandfather) Palmer Harding.  The book is available on Amazon; the paperback edition for $5 at www.amazon.com/dp/1481915045 and the Kindle edition for $1.50 at www.amazon.com/dp/B013HBLI68.  I have blogged about these letters, and transcribing them has been a work in progress for years.  I am happy to finally have them out there for others to read!

The 150th Anniversary of William A. Harding's Death

One hundred and fifty years ago today, William A. Harding, my 4x-great-uncle, was killed in the Civil War, at the Battle of Hatcher's Run in Virginia.  He was a Union soldier, 23 years old, and had no wife or children.  But he did leave a legacy of sorts.  During the war, he wrote letters to his oldest brother, Palmer Harding, who was my 3x-great-grandfather.  We still have those letters; I was given some of them as a graduation gift from my cousin, and my grandma had others.  These letters, and the family history that was likely written by Palmer, are what started my interest in genealogy as a child.  I am annotating the letters which I have transcribed, and I plan on publishing them.  Thank you William, not only for your service to our country for a righteous cause, but for making my ancestors "human" rather than just statistics.  Thank you for telling part of their story.