The Oldest Photo of any Fuller ....

OMG!!!
Ive Found It!!!!
"The Original Rotogravure of Jonas and Clarissa Fuller dated 1846"
Jonas was born in 1792- Monkton VT and is burried in Bolles Cemetary, Susquehanna County PA - near Laceyville PA.
Edit Added 27/2/07 - Email from Jim
Hi Joe
I remember it now, Mom has shown it to me many times. Now I have faces to go with those headstone pictures.
The Cemetery is The Bolles-Fuller Cemetery, so the big steel State Marker Sign states, in Susquehanna County. An Indian name. The town it's near, well, about 15 miles from, is Laceyville, Named after the Lacey Familey.......... Mom used to know Doctor Lacey. Lacey, Wick and Fuller are the major names there. Laceyville is on Rt. 6, if you blink your eyes when going on the road, then you will miss Laceyville, a rather small place. There is a feed store for cattle, Wickes Lumber and a small food store along with a few small shops, post office and 2 gas stations.
Jim and Jane
Edit Added 28/2/07 - Email from Jim
The United States Census for 1850 Susquehanna County in the state of Pennsylvania Auburn Township
Name Sex Age Born
FULLER Jonas m 57 VT
FULLER, Clarissa f 42 VT
FULLER, Harriet f 11 PA
FULLER, Charles m 10 PA
FULLER, Josiah m 8 PA
FULLER, Clarissa f 12-Sep PA
Josiah was Mom's Great Grandfather.

The photo is amazing to look at.... it is inlaid in a pressed metal frame... the photo itself is a "Rotogravure" , one of the very first publicly availably printing types of photos. Its printed on a waffer thin sheet of metal with gold embossing around it and has a "laminating" type of coating over it......
This very unique and historical family item has been bequethed by mother to our oldest brother Jim.
Edit Added 1/3/07
FULLER, Jonas > died 26 January 1882; 89 years 9 months 26 days
GAR 1861-65; sign by the grave, the gravestone records Soldier of 1812
FULLER, Clarissa Main > died 3 October 1883; 76 years 10 months 27 days

Family Holidays

I thought I would post this pic here as well as the photo album ... hoping that seeing this photo would inspire my older brothers and sisters to add some memories ....


Grandfather Jonas / Grandmother Mable / Mother Elisabeth & Aunt Sylvia
"Taken at Taughannock Falls State Park NY 1939"

Legend of The Three Sisters

Long ago in the Blue Mountains there lived three little Aboriginal sisters. They were Meenhi, Wimlah and Gunnedoo, whose Witch Doctor father was called Tyawan.

Only one creature was feared by all – the Bunyip who lived in a deep hole. When Tyawan had to pass the hole, he would leave his daughters safely on the cliff behind a rocky wall. One day, waving goodbye to his daughters, he descended the cliff steps. On top of the cliff a big centipede suddenly appeared and frightened Meehni, who threw a stone at it. The stone rolled over the cliff and crashed into the valley.

Birds, animals and fairies stopped still as the rocks behind the three sisters split open, leaving them on a thin ledge.
The Three Sisters

The angry Bunyip emerged to see the terrified sisters. In the valley, Tyawan saw the Bunyip close to his daughters, so he pointed his magic bone at the girls and turned them to stone. The Bunyip then chased Tyawan, who found himself trapped, so he changed himself into a Lyre Bird. Everyone was safe, but Tyawan had dropped his magic bone. After the Bunyip had gone, Tyawan searched and searched for his bone – and he is still searching.


The Three Sisters stand silently watching him from their ledge, hoping he will find the bone to turn them back to Aboriginal girls.

As you look at the Three Sisters, you can hear Tyawan – the Lyre Bird – calling his daughters as his search for the lost bone continues.

Some Nice Pictures Here
Fabulous Moving Panarama Here

A sign from Mum ?

We have been having a few storms over the last few days. Nice cool to warm days and thunder and rain in the afternoons and evenings. Mum always loved thunder and lightening. When I was a small child Mum used to say " Judy my girl, Don't be scared. It's only GOD and the ANGLES bowling. "

Well we were driving in the car over the weekend and I was staring out the window thinking of Mum. (All this thunder and lightening have kept Mum even closer in my thoughts.) Off in the distance I started to hear thunder. As I always do I said " I love you Mum ". And just as I finished saying it a massive bolt of lightening hit the tree in the padock we were driving past. It was like Mum answered me by asking GOD to show me a lightening strike up close.

I know this is an eveyday occurance, but it's something I have never before seen. Like everyone else I have seen lightening strikes on TV but never have I seen it so close in real life. You could say it was just good timing and luck...

But I like to think it was A Sign From Mum..
Saying to keep our chins up and smile...
She's watching over us..

I am finding it very difficult to find my balance without you Mum.
But I will try to keep my chin up and smile for you..
I love you and miss you terribly Mum.

Reflections

I was re-reading some emails i've sent over the months and this one brought tears to my eyes, composed and sent 6 hours before mothers passing ...... I could feel our mothers last strengths helping me write this to everybody...... Ill now do as I said then ..... Continue to Share It!!!!

cc: 13/12/2006 - Family Email -

Today was a day of contrast and reflection.... refelections of yesterday and yesteryear....

Yet again I find myself driving home in a numb & mindless state, remembering that there was a car on fire on the highway, a huge traffic jam.... then arriving home 10 mins later... (was actually 1hr45mins)....
Get inside and Sonya has poored me a nice stiff whisky and greets me with a warm hug... I now find myself doing todays email....
Only now in the past 60 mins of being home do I see the real thoughts ive had throughout the day (inc yesterday)....

Our ever proud Matriarc in laying bed with her husband at her side (yesterday his son as well).... and 1 of her sons at the other...

What a contrast of lives and crossing of loves, what a reflection of history and pronounced marks of respect.... each and every one different in its starting culture....

The respect of Kevins family with the "Stiff Upper Lip" British culture brings with it the Regality of our Matriarc.... the treatment Our Princess has always deserved! .....

aaannd then you have me! ..... in my way.... respecting our mother in the manner we were all taught....
As Sad A Time As This Is ..... this is mothers encore! .... soaking up every bit of love that she has ever shared with any and everybody she has ever come in contact with....

Mother taught me that this is also a time to Rejoyce & Reflect .....
Reflect on the "Loves Of Elisabeth" .... for Elisabeth Loved So Much .... far to numerious to list in a 100 page email .... Mother Loves the memories of her childhood happy times, her growing up, her past family and history thereof... her adventure, challanging her fears, mother loved her writting, her skating, her OES & her Faith.... most of all..... Mother Loved Her Children, Grand Children, Great Grand Children.... most of all..... Mother Loved Her Family & Her Friends....

Mother taught me to Rejoyce in the Love that Others Have Shared! ..... And Continue To Share It!!!!

The contrast realy stood out today.... for I more than ever could not stop talking to mother, caressing her, touching and kissing her, wetting her brow and wrists, dribbling drops of juice from a straw onto her tounge...... passing on every email (all 18+ of them... SRZ... I didnt print any out... I did them from memory after reading them here at home.....im possative ive missed NONE!) ..... I could not stop telling her of the Love returning to her in Every Email!! ..... I could not stop re-assuring her that my tears were only on the outside as on the inside I could see all the rest of the family whom have waited 80yrs to meet Elisabeth Fuller in person..... that mother will soon have the chance to play with Carol Maree and open Christmas presents with the 1 child she has not, go shooting with her dad again ..... I could not stop reassuring her that Our Lord knows exactly what her favorite foods are and that he will not overcook a thing and.... he guarentees mother a chair next to Jesus.

For as much as I am me and I show it.... I could not help but have a conciousness that Kevin was having the same reflections.... though from the other side of the mirror...... Reflecting on his steadfastness at mothers side "come all" ! ...... his son also reflecting their family culture..... ever so much Love and Re-assurance, through the eyes of their upbringing and culture.....

I can very much admire this trait, very dignified and honourable.... Very Regal !

Mothers adventures and journeys, but only here on earth, have turned the corner of her last path.... step by step without movement the Gates of Heaven become near..... only Mother and Our Lord knows how bright The Gate's Glow.

May we all pray for the Peace, Tranquility and Strength for Mother during these... her last steps and breaths of human live.... before she forever flys with the angels and dines with Our Lord.

Magnetic Attraction

We were settled in the western suburbs and had already done a few train trips into the "Big Smoke" of Sydney and seen the harbour. It wasnt long after we arrived in Australia when mothers instinct to roam the bush started to kick in again. Now with having a car mother started to look further afield and found this place called "The 3 Sisters"... with a cute sounding village out in the mountains named Katoomba.

With a small amount of research (mother's speciality) mother had concluded it would be a nice days return trip for a BBQ in the mountains to see who the 3 sisters are! The 3 Sisters are in Jamison Valley... part of the "Blue Mountains", a small (by comparison) mountain chain that runs the entire east coast of Australia, North <> South.

It was during one of these early visits that mother "knew" that this was the place she truly felt at home... and the place she wanted to call her final home.

As at this stage I havnt found any pics of very early visits..
This pic was taken in 1996, mother lived alone in Morriset and asked if I would drive her out again to visit the mountains.
Instead of the now "Old Fashion" BBQ, mother and I stopped in Katoomba and had a fabulous lunch of "Reef & Beef" ... (steak/prawns/calimari & a nice sauce).

After lunch we went for a walk throught the tracks, we managed to get ourselves 50% of the way down to the bottom of the valley where there is this beautifull water fall and still deep pool. We sat there for ages chatting about everything as we always did.... mother contemplating her future before wonderfull Kevin came along, the rest as they say, is history ... except for 1 other note worthy mention....

After mother moved into Kevins house in Gloucester, when we would visit eachother, mother would allways say what fond memories she has of visits to Jamison Valley.

About 6 months after Mother & Kevin married I told them of my plans to move to Northern New South Wales to build and open an Aquarium shop. Mother asked if I could find the time to make another trip to "The Valley".



March 2001 would be her last visit to "The Valley" before Mothers Final Bushwalk on 29/12/2006.

I miss you so terribly mother....

Its Time to Stand Up !

Mother, Judy and I arrived a couple of hours earlier, set up camp, sorted what we were going to have for dinner. Mother loved camping on the beach at "Blue Lagoon Caravan Park" just at the start of Xmas holidays 1979 .... this was her 4th or 5th visit, with and without us kids ..... mother loved camping fullstop!

Judy was at the beach swimming and mother was about to go to the local shop in the caravan park. "Mom" I said, "Can I come for a walk to the shop with you?", "Sure" mother replied. "I neeeed to taaalk to yyou" I shyly stuttered... "About girls?" mother questioned "I was wondering if the time would come that you would ever ask me anything about girls?" .... "No!No!No! .... not about girls mom"..... "I need to tell you something you know already" I continued ... "Its time to stand up to you and Rodger and I thought that this would be the easiest start, as I know I cant.. and dont want to avoid the issue with him" ..... "What Issue!!?" mother exclaimed.....
Nervously but confident sounding I said... "Smoking" .... "I know, that you know I smoke cigi's!" .... "Ive always bought mine with my own money, never daring to steel any of yours or his".... "And I dont want to sneek off anymore to have a cigi" ... "I want to quietly sit on the verandah and have a smoke when I want!"...

By the time we reached the shop mother was deadly silent, we walked in mother grabbing a loaf of bread at the door continuing to the fridge for some milk in silence. We reached the checkout and I had stratigicaly and purposefully placed myself in front of mother in the line. As the lady said "Next!" and mother was putting the shopping on the bench, I interupted with "I'll have a packet of Winfield Blue for me and a packet PallMall for my mother please!" ... both the checkout clerk and mother turned their heads towards me... "I will also have a lighter please" I added with a smile... the clerk looked at mother and mother shrugged her shoulders with some minor level of approval.

Silence followed us out the door where I stopped and opened my cigi's, took one out and lit it! "How do you feel" mother asked .... "Never been so nervous... ever!" I muttered .... then that very well known and extremely formidable index finger pointing and shaking began... "Well Joe, if you are going to smoke then you have to do it in front of us... No burning down the house! and if "his magesty" says No, then im left in a very tight spot I hope you understand" mother exclaimed as the nodding finger continued longer than the words.... "No smoking in the bedrooms or garage" "And if you litter them in the yard then you have me to answer too!" mother explained, trying to be "hard" on me.

I was a very.... let us say "out there" teenager who knew no fear or no bounds. I made my own rules and suffered the consiquences, but that is another story not for these pages..... suffice to say, mother had her hands full with me, if I wasnt on one end of the rollercoaster I was on the other end or perhaps even on top ... either way rarely a happy medium.

For the remainder of our holiday mother was never off my back, not for her personal preference, but trying to avoid the enevitable "nuclear blast" that would occur on our return home.
"So Joe, what are you going to do when we get home?", "Talk to him about it?", "You know he wont take kindly to it!" .... mother continued to pedanticaly voice the many angles as they swarmed her mind..... "Im going to do exactley as I did with you mother" ....

2 blocks from home I lit a cigi and as we drove into the driveway I waved to him with cigi in hand.... He walked up to me when we got out of the car... "You know I smoke so im going to smoke in front of you from now on"... "So dont think about your "10 cigar trick" .... it wont work" I sounded out with confidence.
I think that was the first time mother walked with me side by side as we sidestepped "his magesty" gobsmacked as we unpacked our camping gear.

A Great Spark

The biggest thing that I remember about my Nan is her spark. She will always tell you EXACTLY what she is thinking! I need to be more like her in this way. She had [still has I'm sure] a really strong will.

Eldridge Park Lake

I recently found these tid bits of mothers......

Local rumor had it that Eldridge Lake was bottom-less. Well, my dad, Jonas Fuller decided to find out. During the winter of 1937/8 when the lake was frozen, he drew a map of the lake marking a line across it with 'X's' about 40 feet apart. Being a fisherman, he dug out a lead 'sinker' of one pound weight.

Then he rolled about 200 feet of sturdy fish line to a hand line reel and tied the sinker to the end.

"Alright, Elisabeth," he said to me, "We're going fishing. Put on warm clothes and boots. Don't tell your mother or she'll claim I've gone nutty!"

My dad and I were close for father and daughter as he'd raised me as a boy, and I enjoyed such things. He had an old Willys Knight car we put our things in and drove to Eldridge Park near the place called the outlet near the railroad line. Dad had included a six inch auger to drill through the 2 foot layer of ice, a 100 foot measuring tape and his map of the lake with the 'x's marked on it.

The first hole was about 10 feet from shore and after Dad had dug the hole, he dropped in the sinker and waited for it to hit bottom, pulled it out, stretched the line on the ice, measured it and marked 10 feet on the first 'x'. We continued slowly across the lake stopping at each checkpoint. The fish line would freeze as soon as withdrawn so it was fast moving to get it laid out and measured so he could record it.

We proceeded across the lake from "X' to 'X' moving toward the old Dance Hall on the knoll across the lake. The deepest point was just past middle towards the western side. The mark on the chart was just over 100 foot deep. I remember someone from the Elmira Star Gazette taking our picture, and it could well be tucked away in the Archives there -- if the 1972 flood didn't destroy it.

<<<<<>>>>>

My sister, Sylvia and I grew up during WWII times. Dad was janitor at the Telephone Co. in Wisnor Park and didn't make the BIG war time money. So a $.05 ride on the Merry-go-round on a Sunday afternoon was the high light of our lives. We did enjoy the Glider Grounds on Harris HIll, spent summer at the Youth Camp up there. Exploring the Revolutionary War Battle Grounds at Willawanna finding many arrow heads. HUGE thanks to all for restoration of memories. Long may Eldridge Park re-live!!!!


Eldridge Park Home Page
Memories Of Eldridge Park

Brand Park

How come you missed the huge swimming pool at Brand Park - south side of Madison Ave Bridge???!!!!



My grandmother lived just across the park on Horner St and I'd 'beg' a deposit $.05 milk bottle, cash it in and could swim all day!!! I'd walk down from the old No.9 School, through the tunnel and on down. Can't quite recall the lady who was the LifeGuard for years n' years but she sure kept those older teeners in line!!! MRS.....?? Anyone recall?
We could buy frozen candy bars at the tiny 'shop' in the park and chew on it for hours.

My dad used to bring me down here evenings after a good rain. Best time to catch the largest 'nightwalkers' for fishing you ever saw!!
When my youngest two kids and I were living on Lormore St, I'd bring them down, fasten them into baby swings and they'd almost get dizzy swinging.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR BRAND PARK!!!

Mothers Final Bushwalk

The trail down to this more private cliff outlook was littered with wild flowers and orchids, exactly as mother remembered and wished.... yellows, whites, violets and reds....


... Well I couldnt help but notice a very emotional moment that I had captured.... as Judy said, the Parrots and Cockatoos just came out of every where.... as if they too, were here to greet mother into her final home..... the pics of this parrot are not super clear as they were taken with 60secs of scattering mothers ashes, and I have blown them up to zoom in on the parrot.....

I have layed the 2 pics on top of each other making 1 pic for you to look at....
In the top pic the parrot is definately looking at Judy and I.... in the lower pic the parrot is definately watching the slowly drifting, floating and falling ashes of mother and on that same breeze, silently and majesticly blended into the "Blue Haze of Eternity".




Mothers final wish's are fullfilled.