The Searing Family Blog

“We used to make things in the USA.”  How often have we seen that thought.   Of course we still do..but different things.  I like to think about ‘things’ Searings made (and still make.)  I like to return them to the family where possible.  What did Searings make?  J Searing made wood planes (see note elsewhere in the blog) in the 1800’s in NJ.  They come available occasionally.  Searing’s Gallery in Brooklyn  made photographs. So did Searing and Hunt in Plainfield, NJ; Carrell & Searing made hats, caps and furs in Morristown NJ (J. Walter Searing).  There was a Searing printing firm.  More recently Burge Searing made musical instruments (see note elsewhere in the blog). Dennis Searing still makes world class pool cues.  Searing Industries (see page on businesses) makes pipe as I recall.  Searings also write books and paint.  (See Searing Artists elsewhere.)   I am sure there are more examples.  And don’t forget variations on the Searing name when thinking about stuff we made.  Send them to me for posting.  When you see these items, let’s get them back in the family, if possible.

On January 6, 2010 I had the pleasure once again of meeting my 4th cousin, Jim Searing and his wife Gayle.  This was our second meeting and hopefully we’ll have many more.  We email and Facebook often.  We met through eBay, as I try to ask buyers of “Searing’ things if they are Searings.  We share a g-g-g-grandfather, so I hope I have counted right.  One of the great things about the internet (hopefully) is that you can actually find and contact distant relatives.  If you are planning on coming to the Washington DC area, give me a note if you are interested in meeting up.  Obviously we meet members of our own families, but it’s a lot of fun to make contact with other ‘family’ members.   If you do so, send me the details and I will be happy to post them.

To all our extended and diverse Searing family, including all the spelling variations we are learning about, and to all the Searing women who by taking the name of their husbands lose or gain the Searing name.  I know my goal and Jim Searing’s as well, as founder of My Last Name is Searing group on Facebook, is to be as inclusive as possible.  The start of 2010 is a good time to launch a new section devoted to my own (and others through comments) personal observations and musings on the Searing family and its genealogy (past) and accomplishments (present).   My aim is to be more personal without being tiresome or egotistical.  I would like to add some ‘extra’ to the recognition inherent in the lists and historical finds.  My ‘rep’ since grade school is to talk to much, so I will try to avoid that.   I urge all family members to social network, join Facebook, LinkedIn and other sites; sign on to Twitter to both follow and contribute; email me or comment appropriately in the blog; suggest how we might improve.  There aren’t so many Searings (even with spelling variations) that we can’t actually know or at least know of each other.  What benefits will flow from that?  Let’s find out!  Happy New Year, and may the decade of the 2010’s be welcome and beneficial to us all!   Dan