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!)
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A window into the past reveals Irish love, bravery, and resilience…

June 13, 2016 by Ellen Alden Leave a Comment

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Now that my book is released and the book launch is just days away, I wanted to give a “sneak peak” into the letters that my Irish immigrant ancestor wrote to his wife and children…His words are heartfelt and genuine. His motivation for joining the war was not political nor for personal pride; it was to benefit his family. Florence Burke joined the Union Army as a “substitute.” In other words he took the draft of a wealthy man in exchange for cash and a plot of land. He made a desperate gamble because he knew that owning land would be a life-changer for his family. Did his gamble pay off? (You’ll have to read the book to find out!)

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: County Cork, family history, Great Potato Famine, Irish, Writing

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

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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