The Glackin Clan

01/18/2026

Kudos to Doug Washburn for digging up this death record for John Glacken. It provides evidence for a new birthdate for John and the names of his parents.

01/09/2026

Sad news.

Margaret "Maggie" J. Shellenberger (nee Marshall), age 92, of Wilmington, DE, passed away on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at her son's home in the presence of

11/10/2025

As we get ready to honor Veternan's on their day and celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, let me offer a portrait of a rare female WWII vet - Rosemary Shellenberger.
While many Glackin Clan members served in WWII, Rosemary Shellenberger (1923-1973) was one of very few women in the clan to serve in a uniformed service.
In the fall of 1944, Rosemary enlisted in the WAVES — Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service — the branch of the U.S. Navy created during World War II to allow women to serve in critical support roles. Her initial rank was Apprentice Seaman (AS), and she began her training in New York City.
During the war, the Navy used the former campus of Hunter College in the Bronx as a major WAVES training facility. (This was distinct from Hunter’s main campus in Manhattan.) After the war, that Bronx site later became part of Lehman College.
After completing her training, Rosemary was promoted from Seaman Third Class to Seaman Second Class, earning a “Q” rating — a designation indicating her specialization in communications. In April 1945, she was assigned to the Supplementary Radio Station (SRS) at Port Blakely, Washington, where she served through the late spring of 1946.
The SRS at Port Blakely was a top-secret naval signals intelligence and code-breaking station, operating under the broader Naval Radio Station at Bainbridge Island. Its mission focused on monitoring and decoding Japanese communications — vital work that contributed significantly to Allied success in the Pacific. Nearby, at Battle Point, stood a massive 800-foot transmission tower — taller than today’s Seattle Space Needle — which served as the “voice” of the Bainbridge complex, relaying command messages from Fort Ward to the U.S. fleet.
In June 1944, the first class of WAVES had arrived on Bainbridge Island for advanced radio and cryptography training. Known informally as the Navy’s “Code Girls,” these women handled code-breaking, radio intelligence, document security, and cryptographic operations.
Because of the strict secrecy surrounding the station’s activities — secrecy that continued long after the war — the details of Rosemary’s specific assignments remain unknown. What is clear, however, is that she was part of a pioneering group of women whose technical skill and quiet dedication played an essential role in the U.S. war effort.

10/03/2025

If anyone tried to send us Glackin family veteran information yesterday, it appears the form was broken! We've now adjusted it to include information only.

Please use this link (https://forms.gle/jUA9JWVcgXdMtQaJ8) to submit your family's military service stories!

Please email any photos directly to [email protected] with the person's name included so we can link the photos to the form responses.

10/02/2025

This Thursday’s Treasure Hunt, we're looking for more Glackin family military history.
This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II, and we want to honor every Glackin who served—whether in WWII, or any other time.

We’re gathering photos, details, and stories to share here, and - more importantly - to create a permanent display at the annual reunion. Help us make sure you and your loved ones are remembered!

Share your info and photos through the Google form (https://forms.gle/jUA9JWVcgXdMtQaJ8) or send them by email to [email protected].

09/08/2025

help us identify the folks in this photo. My guess is it was taken ~1925 at the Glackin farm. There is a key photo in the first comment

08/12/2025

07/31/2025

🔎 Thursday Treasure Hunt 🔎
Each week, we’re searching for pieces of Glackin family history.

This week, we’re looking for family stories connected to major moments in U.S. history — the Great Depression, World Wars, the 1969 moon landing — even if it’s just “where we were when…”

We’d love to gather this however you’re comfortable sharing it. Feel free to comment below, or send it to us directly at [email protected]. Every piece helps keep the family story alive!

07/29/2025

Tucked inside Charles Reed’s old financial ledger is a recipe for a delicious summer beverage - Black Berry Cordial. It was shared in the Glackin family recipe book, Clan Secrets, with the following note:

"The recipes on the following few pages are from an old ledger that belonged to Charles Reed Glackin (AEG). Charles used the book to keep track of his earnings and his spending. It seems that when he abandoned the book as a ledger the ladies of the house took it over as a place to record their recipes or receipts as they called them."

🍽️ And here’s the recipe:
Black Berry Cordial (Mrs. Rush’s Receipt)
½ gal black berry juice
1½ lb. sugar
½ oz. cinnamon
½ oz. nutmeg
¼ oz. cloves
1 oz. allspice
Boil a few minutes then add ½ pt. brandy

We don’t know exactly who penned it, or when. But every time we stir something like this together, we’re keeping their hands—and their heart—in the kitchen with us. Have you tried this one before?

07/27/2025

🗽🦅 American by Birth, Irish at Heart ☘️🍀

Many descendants of John Glackin are proud to be American — but our Irish roots still run deep. From music and storytelling to recipes, language, and traditions passed down through generations, there are so many ways our families have kept their heritage alive.

What does that look like in your branch of the family? Do you have any Irish traditions, songs, sayings, or customs that still find their way into daily life or special occasions?

We’d love to hear how your family celebrates being both Irish and American — and keeps that spark of heritage shining.

07/24/2025

🔎 Thursday Treasure Hunt 🔎
Each week, we’re searching for pieces of Glackin family history.

This week, we’re looking for military portraits or group shots. These formal photos often help us put faces to names in the family’s service history.

We’d love to gather this however you’re comfortable sharing it. Feel free to comment below, or send it to us directly at [email protected]. Every piece helps keep the family story alive!

07/22/2025

Philadelphia, the Revolution… and the Glackins?

We all know Philadelphia played a starring role in the founding of the United States—but did you know it’s also deeply woven into our own family story?

Caroline Regina Sweeney Glackin, our very first family reunion president, was born in Philly. She was raised by her grandmother, Anna Sample Lee Mooney, in the Kensington neighborhood and baptized at the newly built St. Michael’s Catholic Church—still a landmark today.

From cobblestone streets and colonial history to family roots and childhood memories, Philly’s legacy isn’t just national… it’s personal.

[Caroline is pictured here with her husband, Charles Reed Glackin.]