Ellen B. Alden

Author of Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke

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Recent Posts

  • It Takes Two! The art of collaboration
  • Jumping into a children’s picture book…
  • Leaving a piece of my heart in Ireland
  • Florence Burke is heading home (again!)
  • THE GREAT FAMINE ROADSHOW

Archives

A toast to St Patrick; the beloved “Irish” Saint

March 10, 2016 by Ellen Alden 5 Comments

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   It’s almost that time again. Parades, green pride, shamrock shakes and Guinness. All over the country the Irish and the “Irish-for-the-day” will be celebrating with stout beers, red wigs, shamrock pins and green clothing. This nationally recognized holiday is beloved by all ages-and has given Americans a day to appreciate the Irish heritage and join in on some of their jovial traditions. Thankfully, it is also a welcome sign of spring.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Ellen Alden, family history, Irish

 Fact, Fiction, or Maybe a Little of Both?

June 21, 2015 by Ellen Alden 10 Comments

Historic letter, history How should I preserve the historic letters of my great-great grandfather and how can I best share them with others?

A Biography? Hmmmm.

Initially I thought about writing a non-fiction book, a biography on my ancestor’s life. I pictured myself gathering data, creating a time-line, a family tree, and highlighting the exciting events. I would include the letters in their entirety so that my family, especially my children, could read them and appreciate the struggles their Irish ancestors faced while Immigrating to America. However, as I collected information and researched my great-great grandfather’s past, I knew non-fiction would not be the appropriate genre for me to express his life story.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Ellen Alden, Florence Burke, Great Potato Famine, Yours Faithfully

Meeting John L. O’ Sullivan: Fate or Luck of the Irish?

June 14, 2015 by Ellen Alden 14 Comments

Historian John L. O'Sullivan assisting Ellen Alden with research in Ballinhassig, Ireland

Historian John L. O’Sullivan assisting me with research in Ballinhassig, Ireland

The best part of researching my great-great grandfather’s past was taking my whole family on a trip to Ireland. We hopped on Air Lingus as soon as our children were dismissed for summer vacation. Although it was the end of June when we touched down in Ireland, the temperature was in the 50’s, and, of course, it was raining. However, it didn’t deter us from driving along the western coast; stopping to take photos of the rolling green hills, endless pastures filled with cows, and the beautiful foggy views of the ocean.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: County Cork, Ellen Alden, family history, Florence Burke, Irish, Yours Faithfully

My Memorial Day 2015

June 8, 2015 by Ellen Alden 5 Comments

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This Memorial Day was special for me. In the past it has always been about parades and barbecues– and enjoying a long weekend with my family. I would watch clips of memorial services on the news, and I would appreciate the tributes both nationally and locally.  However, I never felt a true connection until I discovered that I am directly related to a soldier from the Civil War.

My great, great grandfather Florence Burke fought as a Union Soldier for the Massachusetts 37th Regiment.  He left his young wife and three children to serve his newly adopted country. What’s more he spared the life of a wealthy man, taking his draft and heading to the battlefields in exchange for a parcel of farm land. He took a gamble with his life.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Ellen Alden, family history, Florence Burke, letters, photo albums, Writing

  The Discovery

May 3, 2015 by Ellen Alden 37 Comments

Alden-letbox-1You never know what you’ll find in your attic. When my parents moved to Hawaii for my father’s position as head of school, they left several cardboard boxes of their belongings. I never touched them or thought about them until my daughter came home from school and said she needed a photo of me from my elementary school years. I remembered my mother said the stored boxes were mainly old books and family albums.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Ellen Alden, family history, Florence Burke, letters, photo albums, Yours Faithfully

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