Blog Posts - Rita's Treasures

April has arrived - promise of Spring (I hope)

4/12/2018

Genealogy update. Met my new found cousin, Tim Champness and his wife Carrie and their sons through DNA and was able to visit him and his family yesterday. What are the chances of having them live a few blocks away? Well it is true. We had a wonderful visit and I brought them a family history book that I made of the O'Neill and Curran families. Had a wonderful lunch and visit with them and got a tour of their beautiful home. To me family is everything and I want to know all about my ancestors and where I came from and what were their character, traits, foibles, successes and the hardship they endure to make it through their lives. It is an excited adventure with lots of surprises. Looking forward to springtime weather and the feeling that brings to revive a soul from the winter blues.
Below are some pictures of the family and the great grandfather Edward Champness whose mother was Merriam Seale. Edward was born on March 4, 1890. Merriam said she married a Mr. Brooks in 1890 and somehow the next year Mr. Brooks wasn't in the picture. We can't find any marriage record or death for Mr. Brooks. At the time of Edward's birth Merriam was 22 and the only O'Neill relative of the right age to be the father is James O'Neill who was 17 at the time. The Seale brothers were in business relationship with our Curran relatives owning a stable at the time. So the families Seales, O'Neills and Currans must have been in association. The mystery still needs to be solved but the Champness family are definitely O'Neills according to DNA matches and the Y111 test the Champness boys did.

Picture of visit Tim Champness, Rita O'Neill Hill and Carrie Champness

Pictures of the Champness family

Pictures of James O'Neill

J P Cooper contact me again

2/19/2018

Recently, J P Cooper sent me an email with questions about the Currans, but the email he/she furnished is not working or incorrect. Please contact me again with correct information, Thanks, Rita Hill

Working on family history.

1/9/2018

Been working on our family history and came across some newspaper articles on James Curran. It is interesting to see who gets in the paper and who doesn't as I search through articles.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

12/22/2017

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Bernard O'Neill, my brother who passed away on November 28 2017 in Manteca, CA. Memorial Mass on Monday, December 11 at 11 a.m. at St, Anthony’s Church, Manteca, CA.

As a tribule to my brother, Barney, I am posting pictures of him over the years. He had a full and happy life. We will meet again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

11/23/2017

It been a few months since I posted. I've been busy researching our genealogy. Through DNA testing we have discovered another branch of the family that is a bit of a mystery. When these people came up as 2nd and 3rd cousins, we got in touch and couldn't figure out how we were so closely related. Their great grandmother, Merriam Seale had two brothers, Richard and Robert. The brothers were in business with our family members on my great grandmother's side, the Patrick Curran family. They owned a Livery Stable in Berkeley. Both brothers married Curran girls, Sarah Curran Lynch, who was a widow, married Richard and Mary "Mollie" Curran married Robert.

So we thought maybe that was the connection. All the family of Merriam knew was that she had a baby boy born on March 4, 1890 and she said the father was named Brooks. A year later she married William George Champness and he adopted the baby and they named him, Edward.

We were not able to find any marriage certificate of a Brooks and Seale, but we did find a birth certificate of a Frank Brooks born on the same date, March 4, 1890. Since the mother is listed as Mary Sieli, we wonder if this is her.

Name:Frank Brooks
Gender:Male
Birth Date:4 Mar 1890
Birth Place:Oakland, Alameda, California
Father: Frank Brooks
Mother: Mary Sieli
FHL Film Number:1571595

Since my family is not related to any Brooks family, or the Seale's, except through marriage, we were at an im·passe until the Champness family did a Y DNA test of two of the male siblings. Y DNA tests father, to father to father, etc. connection. To our surprise the tests showed that O'Neill was the result. Through Family Tree DNA a link to O'Neill Clan website shows this O'Neill line is 1B ONeill Variety, R-DF27 Haplogroup RM269. https://www.familytreedna.com/public/oneill?iframe=yresults

One of my great uncles or great grandfather must be the father of Edward. Merriam was 21 at the time of the birth. The only eligible male O'Neill's, were my great grandfather, Patrick who was 45 years old or his oldest son, James who was 17.

The Curran's had a big ranch in Berkeley in the hills and we have pictures of people frolicking and having fun at their property. I imagine that there were many festivities at that ranch and lots of family intermingling during those days.

The O'Neill line that they are related to is the O'Neill of the Fews. The search for more is continuing.

oneills_of_the_fews_ofiaich__pt3.pdf
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It's been hot lately...

7/29/2017

It's been a busy in July 2017 and very hot. Took care of my daughter's dog, Joli for a week which gave me a break from my regular routine. Had visits from 4 of my children, too. It has been hot as blazes lately and when I go out for any length of time, I come home exhausted and dripping. Thank God for air conditioning and fans.

I have decided I will write more family history or a bio to past down with all the details I can remember. I will print them out and put in a binder like I did the other family books. I have made one the O'Neill Curran's and the Moloney (Maloney) Murray's,

One exciting thing that has happened with DNA testing is bringing to light who exactly was my ex husband's father. We knew very little but the stories we heard match with the fellow we found. Unfortunately, he died a year after his son's birth, but there is a surviving sister that my ex and daughter got to meet. Thankfully, it was a happy reunion. Below are pics showing the family resemblance.

Tomorrow's Father's Day. Remembering Dad.

6/17/2017

Getting Our Home Updated

5/27/2017

After all the rain and snow, we are finally having some nice weather. Thanks to CSAA and our roofer, RM Roofing Co. we have a brand new roof. No more leaks. We have also updated our front yard with new rock. We be putting outdoor decorations up soon. Went shopping yesterday and found some darling things to put in the yard to add interest and make me happy.

Father Solanus Casey Beatification Announcement.

5/10/2017

Click picture to access video of announcement.

Lost family finally found...

4/25/2017

Results of recent DNA testing of my son and daughter have connected us with their dad's relatives. The family history was a mystery for a long time as he was adopted by his step dad and not much information about his birth father was available. After 79 years, we are learning the truth and he even has a half sister still living that he never knew about or met. The family is wanting to connect. Never give up hope if you have been searching. Modern technology will only improve and results will happen.