This is a villanelle. A poem in fixed form, consisting of a number of tercets (usually five) and a concluding quatrain. It has only two rhymes, and the first and third lines of the poem are repeated in alternate tercets and at the end of the final quatrain. It established itself in the 16th century in France. Yes, blame it on the French.Now to make this more difficult, two of my GeneaBlogging/Twitter friends, Family Stories and Desperately Seeking Surnames have issued a challenge you will recognize within the poem. It is the result of me sticking my foot in my mouth and now choking on it.I…
Genealogy
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footnoteMaven
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Just Shoot Me!
1 Feb 2010 | 12:30 am -
There Once Was A Family From Kent
18 Jan 2010 | 4:53 pmSo poor they could not make the rent.They wandered the land,In California gold panned.Now a fortune the descendants have spent.89th EDITIONOF THE Carnival Of GenealogyThe topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:Ode to My Family's History!- ¤ - This time around we'll be composing a poem that tells our family's history.It can be long or short, rhyme or not rhyme, funny or serious,illustrated or not... you choose,- ¤ -Make it appropriate as an introduction for a book or videoon your family history.The challenge is on!The Deadline For Submissions IsFebruary 1st30 submissions… -
Ancestry Magazine To Discontinue Publication
15 Jan 2010 | 10:26 amAs a magazine lover with a library of Ancestry Magazine back issues, this is an unfortunate development.The following is posted on the Ancestry Magazine website:For 25 years, Ancestry magazine has been a valuable, timely resource for family history professionals, hobbyists, and novices alike. For a variety of reasons, the time has come for us to discontinue publication. Over the last few years, we have found that with the expanded accessibility of terrific family history content published online at Ancestry.com we can reach a larger and broader audience than the limited distribution of a… -
Sign Here Please Redux!
14 Jan 2010 | 12:24 pmReprinted from an article in July 2008.A good family historian is possessed of a curious nature. We want answers to many questions. What did our ancestors look like, sound like, how did they live? More than "just the facts" we want to know the whole story, as much as we can possibly gather.Possessing that curiosity, I've begun collecting my ancestors' autographs or in some cases their mark. In writing my family history I have taken those signatures and placed them together on a page identifying the signer and their place in my family tree.The signatures displayed here are of the John and… -
Take Me! Take Me! I Volunteer!
12 Jan 2010 | 11:35 am88th EDITIONOF THE Carnival Of GenealogyThe topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:Volunteerism!- ¤ -Here's a chance to toot your horn about whatever genealogy projects,organizations, or events you voluntarily give your time and efforts to.What do you get out of volunteering?- ¤ -How did you decide what to volunteer for?How much time each month do you spend volunteering forgenealogy projects/organizations/events?Is there an organization or project you'd like to recommend to others?- ¤ -Tell us all about it!The Deadline For Submissions IsJanuary 15, 2010Attention All COG…
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DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog
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Official: Who do you think you are? at NBC
2 Feb 2010 | 3:36 pmDearREADERS,Our friends at Ancestry.com just told me that the official Who do you think you are? site is now available at the the NBC website http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/.The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history. The family history-focused series will lead seven celebrities on a journey back in time as they discover more about the ancestors who came before them. Lisa Kudrow, who executive produced the show, will be featured in the episodes, along with Sarah… -
APG & Second Life - 10 Feb 2010
2 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pmDearREADERS,A while back, Ol'Myrt here wrote about APG & Second Life as the initial idea about forming a chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Second Life was circulating in "RL" (real life).Initial hesitation revolved around the Second Life premise of protecting the true identify of avatars (the graphic character a member creates to participate in Second Life activities.)However, APG members currently participating in Second Life genealogy activities see no problem with informing APG officers of our true identities. In my view, my avatar's name is no different, and… -
Tender thoughts
27 Jan 2010 | 3:14 pmDearREADERS,Here's a big THANKS to Thomas MacEntee for covering for Ol' Myrt here as I was stranded at Flagstaff and couldn't get through closed roads to speak at the 2010 Mesa Arizona Family History Expo. We had 55 inches of snow according to the National Weather Service. We didn't and couldn't budge until late Saturday.This brought forth a time to reflect on the precious nature of our relationships as genea-friends and family. For instance, I quite simply KNEW I could ask Thomas to sub for me. He is that type of guy. THAT says something in this day and age.Such cooperation demonstrates a… -
St. George: Barring 55 inches of snow, Ol' Myrt will be there
27 Jan 2010 | 3:10 pmNOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at Family History Expos. Please address all inquiries to holly@fhexpos.com St. George, Utah Here We Come! Let Your Light Shine at the St. George Family History Expo If you love family history, you’ll love the St. George Family History Expo! Our flagship event, the St. George Expo will feature nearly 80 classes for beginning researchers to professional genealogists, exhibits, and hands-on demonstrations to help you learn the tech to trace your roots! The St. George, Utah Family History Expo 2010 will take place: Friday 26… -
2011 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
16 Jan 2010 | 4:55 pmJoin the Utah Genealogical Association in Salt Lake City for the 16th annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy to be held 10-14 January 2011 at the downtown Radisson hotel.Participants will register for one course featuring some 20 hours of instruction, with time to research at the nearby Family History Library. The official press release with course titles is forthcoming.UGA has asked me to serve as Director for years 2011 and 2012. For 2011 Warren Bittner will serve on the team as Assistant Director.
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Genea-Musings
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Using Online Genealogy Message Boards - Post 5 (GenForum 2)
8 Feb 2010 | 12:16 pmIn the previous post in this series, I described the Genforum Genealogy Message Boards from the standpoint of reading them to find other researchers with your family surname interests. In this post, I will demonstrate thow to post a new message to one of these message boards. Here is the GenForum page for San Diego County, California:To post a new message, click on the dark blue button below the header block that says "Post New Message." A new message form will open and you can type a message title and text:I wrote a new message describing the activities for my local society, the Chula Vista… -
Amanuensis Monday - Shubael Seaver's estate distribution
8 Feb 2010 | 7:32 amGenea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started his own Monday theme several months ago called Amanuensis Monday. I loved the idea, and recently decided to follow it in order to share ancestral information and keep the theme going, and perhaps it will expand to other genealogy bloggers.What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."After my last post in this series, reader Geolover commented that:"Amanuensis is used most often for a person who writes… -
Best of the Genea-Blogs - January 31-February 6, 2010
7 Feb 2010 | 12:28 pmHundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for the genealogy carnivals, or other meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy… -
SNGF - the Super Bowl of Genealogy
6 Feb 2010 | 8:49 pmTonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun mission is to describe my dream game of the Super Bowl of Genealogy -- * Where would it be played? * What teams would play? * Who would be the head coaches? * Who would be the stars of the game? * Who would win? * Who are the cheerleaders?* If you were playing in the game, what would be your dream play?And who do you think will win the NFL Super Bowl Colts-Saints game on Sunday? Your score prediction, please!My responses --1) Where would it be played? The obvious answer is Salt Lake City at the Family History Library!2) What teams would play? The obvious… -
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - the Super Bowl of Genealogy
6 Feb 2010 | 12:37 pmIt's Saturday Night - time for some Genealogy Fun!! It's also Super Bowl Eve...Many American residents are focused on Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV to decide the championship of the National Football League. After 20 weeks of play, the Indianapolis Colts (16-2) are favored by 5 points over the New Orleans Saints (15-3) in the game to be played in Miami, Florida in an outdoor stadium on real grass, starting at 3:30 p.m. (PST). The pre-game hype, er, programs, starts on Sunday morning on CBS.So, your mission, if you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible theme), is to:1) Tell us about your…
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kinexxions
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Big Lagoon State Park
9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amLocated 10 miles southwest of Pensacola, Big Lagoon State Park is named for the lagoon bordering a portion of the northern shore of Perdido Key. Compared to some Florida state parks, Big Lagoon is on the small side but it has several nice trails and admittance to it also gives you access to two other state parks in the area. I loved the campground. Most sites were large enough to accommodate a bus-size RV and there was some degree of privacy with shrubs and trees separating most sites.My first day there (Wednesday, February 3rd) was beautiful, until late afternoon when the clouds rolled in. -
The Closest Thing to a Valentine
8 Feb 2010 | 10:05 amIn all of the photo albums and family papers of my grandmother's, I haven't come across any valentines or love letters written by or to anyone. None. Zilch. Nada. And I don't have any personal valentines (that I'd care to share). So with my birthday being just 3 days after Valentines Day, I thought these cards might be good substitutes for inclusion in the 20th edition of Smile For The Camera. My niece Carrie made them a “few” years ago (when she was 9 or 10 years old). The images were previously published here on kinexxions in July 2009.Copyright © 2007-2010 Rebeckah R. Wiseman… -
The 2009 iGene Awards for Kinexxions
8 Feb 2010 | 9:21 amCreated by Jasia, the iGene Awards are a bit unusual as far as awards go. There is no actual competition, no pitting one genea-blogger against another. Rather, the iGene Awards provide an opportunity for us to be able to recognize and honor what we consider to be our best blog posts for the past year, in five categories. Not an easy task to make the selection by any means.1. Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.I really, really like the Wiseman Siblings and the photo of Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob is one of my all time… -
Genea-Bloggers Meet in Pensacola!
5 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pmI've been enjoying my stay here in Pensacola amidst a little sunshine and lots of rain, but at least the temperature has been bearable.One day as I was perusing the never-ending list of blogs that I subscribe too I remembered that there was someone staying nearby. So I sent off an email and was pleased to learn that Carol of Reflections From the Fence was indeed nearby and willing to meet up for lunch. After a little hitch in the plans (her hubby, aka "Man" was sick and had to pay a visit to a clinic for meds) we met at the Vallarta Restaurant and spent a very pleasant couple of hours… -
Travelin' thru Tennessee
2 Feb 2010 | 3:03 pmAs I left Indiana on Sunday morning, I wasn't too concerned with what the weather was doing in Kentucky and Tennessee. According to reports, the ice and snow would have finished falling before I got there. And the reports were right, but it sure did leave a "mess" all along the I-40 corridor from Oklahoma to the Carolinas and Virginia. Interstate 65 was clear all the way but through Nashville the exit and entrance ramps were in horrible shape and from what I saw on the news many of the secondary roads were still snow covered and icy this morning.When I left Nashville yesterday morning, the…
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The Virtual Dime Museum
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The New York Chocolate School
8 Feb 2010 | 7:23 amWho wouldn't want to go to class at the New York Chocolate School? The School was run by restauranteur and confectioner Henri Maillard, and was located at 114 West 25th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues, approximately where a garage stands today). This was also the building in which Maillard had his confectionary factory. Henri Maillard had been famous for his chocolates and confections since 1848, in which year he arrived in New York; he had served his creations to Lincoln in the White House and had taken a gold medal at the Paris Exposition in 1878. At this point I want to direct you over… -
"With A Juggler You Will Visit Many Lands"
3 Feb 2010 | 8:25 amHere is one of the books that fortune tellers like Madame Prewster and Madame Morrow (see links below for more on them) used when New Yorkers ventured into the seedier parts of downtown to consult them in the mid-19th century. The mysterious Madam Le Marchand - or an unknown writer posing as Madam - published this Fortune Teller and Dreamer's Dictionary in 1863. Le Marchand's book told both the professional and amateur fortune teller how to read cards, tea and coffee grounds, eggs, apple-parings, the palm of a client's hand or the moles on their body. It contained a dictionary of dreams and a… -
Lost and Found in Victorian Brooklyn
31 Jan 2010 | 8:47 amI like the little ads and classified in old newspapers very much. They are full of things that you cannot find anywhere else, about the odd little things in people's everyday lives long ago. I will post any extremely odd ones that I find (I'm saving one about a missing man that sounds like the beginning of a mystery novel) - but for today, here are some interesting items from the Lost and Found column of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. First, two of the many animals that went missing in 19th century Brooklyn - a group which includes cows and farm animals (hinting at the many still-rural places in… -
David Barnett and the Landseer Lion
27 Jan 2010 | 6:36 amThis is the story of two matched sketches, drawn by one of England's greatest artists, and of two art-loving friends in late 19th century Brooklyn, New York. The friends were a man named Henry Beam and my 3rd great uncle*, an English-born lawyer named David Barnett. Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-73) was one of the most famous and highly regarded artists in Victorian England. He is especially famous for his paintings and sketches of animals; in addition, he sculpted the bronze lions that surround Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London. Queen Victoria commissioned him to paint her and her… -
Some Victorian Drinking Fountains
25 Jan 2010 | 7:11 amHere is a little bit of Victorian trivia to start off the week It is really just a sampling of what I was able to find out. I have restrained myself from writing a whole essay, since you and I both have other things to do! In any case...I found this stereograph of a lady using a drinking fountain in Brooklyn's Prospect Park and was intrigued, because I had never imagined that they had existed in the 1870s. The fountain was certainly there by 1876, when someone advertised in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle's Lost and Found column that they had lost three rings "at the drinking fountain near the…
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What's Past is Prologue
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I’d Like to Thank the Academy…2009 iGENE Awards
6 Feb 2010 | 9:37 amEach year, the Academy of Genealogy and Family History (AGFH) offers genea-bloggers the opportunity to celebrate the “best of the best” – our best blog posts for the previous year. After reviewing all of the entries and deliberating with great care, it’s time to roll out the red carpet and present the honors. Welcome to the 2009 iGENE Awards starring What’s Past is Prologue! Best Picture “What a great picture! How can things get better when you’ve got both a bottle AND a pacifier!”~ Leah Kleylein from Random Notes ~ “I see he’s already… -
If Genealogists Ruled the Television Networks
5 Feb 2010 | 4:19 pmGenealogists everywhere are excited about the two upcoming television shows that will highlight genealogy and family history. First we have Faces of America, which premieres on 10 February on PBS. Then there is the long-awaited Who Do You Think You Are? which finally starts on 5 March on NBC. Naturally we will all be watching, meaning “we genealogists”. But secretly we hope that many non-genealogists will tune in and become so fascinated by what we do that they will all want to do it. Did you ever wonder what would happen if millions of Americans discovered the joy of genealogy? -
The Bergmeister Family Tree (Bavarian Military Rosters Part 5 of 5)
22 Jan 2010 | 5:00 amHow is Josef Bergmeister related to “my” Josef Bergmeister? Our story began when I discovered a reference to a Josef Bergmeister who died fighting for Germany in World War I. This Josef was from Puch, the hometown of my great-grandfather of the same name. The town is very small, so I assumed they were related. Thanks to Ancestry’s release of the Bavarian World War I Personnel Rosters, I learned more about Josef, including when he was born, his parents’ names, and how he died in 1916. In fact, I learned about many other Bergmeister men, too. Although the indexing is not yet… -
The Great War and the Homefront (Bavarian Military Rosters Part 4 of 5)
21 Jan 2010 | 5:00 amWhat happened at the battle that cost Josef his life? How were his American cousins affected by the same war? In Part 3 we read Josef Bergmeister’s service record and discovered that he died as a result of injuries sustained during the battle of Fleury-Thiaumont in July, 1916. Today’s post will discuss this battle in more detail. The town names of Fleury and Thiaumont may not be familiar, but surely everyone has heard of the Battle of Verdun, the bloodiest and perhaps the longest battle in history. The Battle of Verdun was a series of battles from 21 February – 19… -
The Service Record for Josef Bergmeister (Bavarian Military Rosters Part 3 of 5)
20 Jan 2010 | 5:00 amJosef Bergmeister’s WWI Military Record Who was Josef Bergmeister? How did he die? In Part 1 of this series on Bavarian Military Rosters, I discovered an “unknown soldier” in the German Army that was likely related to my great-grandfather of the same name. In Part 2, I presented what the Bavarian Military Personnel Record Books, or Kriegsstammrolle, looked like during World War 1. Today we will explore the personnel record of the mysterious Josef Bergmeister – and finally learn the details of his short life and death. Here is Josef’s personnel record (click on…
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The Photo Detective
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Could This be Annie Moore at Ellis Island?
4 Feb 2010 | 12:05 pmThe story of Annie Moore’s arrival at Ellis Island is a compelling one. She was the first immigrant to arrive on January 1, 1892. For the last several years, genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak has been researching and writing about Annie's life. You can read about Megan’s research in The Story of the First Through Ellis Island is Rewritten by Sam Roberts. In response to this article two relatives from different branches contacted Megan and asked if a photo they had seen at Ellis Island could be Annie. It depicts three children standing near a long spindled bench inside a building. -
A Wonderful Evening
29 Jan 2010 | 2:34 pmLast night was so much fun. I was on a panel discussing the children's books that influenced our lives. Editor Anita Silvey featured me (along with 109 other folks) in her book Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Children's book. So, there I was on a podium with award winning children's author Lois Lowry (The Giver), New York Times bestselling author Anita Diamant (The Red Tent and The Last Days of Dogtown) and Carol Greenwald of WGBH who brought Arthur, Curious George and Martha Speaks to TV. Our assignment was to talk about how one book led to our career decisions. I talked about… -
Props in Pictures: World's Oldest Watch
23 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amYou never know what you're going to find in a picture be it a photo or a painting. In this case, experts think they've found the oldest example of a watch in a painting of Cosimo I de Medici, the Duke of Florence. It was painted in 1560. What objects have you seen depicted in your photographs? Send me an email and let me know. -
Weekend at the Museum: America's Kitchens
21 Nov 2009 | 7:29 amI'm a foodie, albiet a wheat, dairy and nut free foodie, but one just the same. I love food and cooking so naturally I was drawn to the article in the Boston Globe on historic kitchens. Oh goody I thought. I've already visited a couple of the kitchens mentioned--the Gropius House and the Culinary Arts Museum, but I've added a couple to my list. Towards the end of the article was a mention of a traveling exhibition called America's Kitchens organized by Historic New England, that's declared this the Year of the Kitchen. I think it's time for a field trip to see the show! -
Photographs Help Solve the Case
16 Nov 2009 | 10:02 amA couple of Saturday's ago armed with Netflix and a new wifi enabled Blu-ray DVD player I sat down to watch movies. My selection made my daughter roll her eyes--Breaking the Mayan Code based on the book by Michael Coe. It was totally fascinating. I had no idea that a set of photographs taken by Alfred Maudslay beginning in 1881 were key in solving the Mayan writing. He dragged large format cameras and glass plates to the ruins and took gorgeous images of the ruins. I highly recommend this documentary!
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Little Bytes of Life
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Happy Reflections on a Busy Year
5 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pmThings have been quiet here on "Little Bytes of Life," but they have definitely not been quiet in our household. Those of you who are members of DAR or C.A.R. know what I'm talking about. For those of you who aren't, let me explain. This time of year is a bit like DAR/C.A.R. "tax time." It's the time of year when we report on all the activities of our particular chapter or society. *** I talk about the DAR a lot here, but what many of you probably don't know about me is that I also serve as a "senior" leader (the adults are called "seniors - it has nothing to do with my advancing age, thank… -
Central Coast Genealogy Calendar: February 2010
4 Feb 2010 | 10:24 amMonday, February 1 Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County 7:00 - 9:00 PM Ron Arons - "Mapping Madness" Thursday, February 4 Monterey County Genealogical Society 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM) Dayna Jacobs - "Record Search Pilot, Historical Books, and FamilySearchWiki" Saturday, February 6 San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society All-Day Seminar Featuring Megan Smolenyak, Maureen Taylor, and Geoff Rasmussen Tuesday, February 9 Conejo Valley Genealogical Society 7:00 - 9:00 PM Computer Interest Group Meeting Claude Giddings - "Digital Photography" Tuesday,… -
Exciting News About the Upcoming SLOCGS Seminar!
21 Jan 2010 | 6:07 pmIf you're going to be anywhere near the San Luis Obispo area on Saturday, February 6th, you won't want to miss the San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society's upcoming seminar. I had already registered and was looking forward to attending this event, but imagine how thrilled I was to get this message from the seminar chairmen: We just had an exciting development regarding the San Luis Obispo Co. Genealogical Society February 6, 2010 Genealogy Seminar. Our photography speaker had to opt out due to a back injury, and we managed to wrangle instead one of the biggest names in the genealogy… -
Wordless Wednesday: Sharp Dressed Man
20 Jan 2010 | 4:55 pm"Lee Swanay: Sharp Dressed Man." Digital image. Undated. Original photograph privately held by [NAME AND ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Benton Co., Washington. 2010. About Wordless Wednesday. Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal -
More New Genealogy-Related iPhone Apps: California & Texas Birth Records
20 Jan 2010 | 11:01 amA few interesting, new, genealogy-related iPhone applications have debuted this week: Ancestry.com announced their new Tree to Go mobile app, which allows you to access your previously-uploaded Ancestry family tree on your iPhone. You can read more about this app on the Ancesry.com Blog and at Geneabloggers (hat tip to @durinda for being the first to make me aware of this new app!). * * * Also new this week are the California Birth Record Search and Texas Birth Record Search apps, both from FQ Publishing. The California Birth Record Search is the first of its kind in…
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AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors
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Frugal Genealogy: Photos
9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amWishing you had a photo of your ancestor, her home, or her tombstone? Check out both FindAGrave and Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK). Both sites have volunteers that will offer to take photographs; FindAGrave volunteers are limited to tombstone photos only. However, see if FindAGrave already has a memorial page for your ancestor. The above photo is of Martha Susan (DEADMOND) WILBOURN, my husband's 3rd-great-grandmother, which I found on a memorial page for her after casually clicking on the "Find all Wilbourns in Chico Cemetery" link while viewing her daughter's memorial… -
Madness Monday: Update to James W. BARBER in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census
8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amWhen I wrote my Madness Monday post two weeks ago on the enumeration of James W. BARBER in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, I had a reader, Kathy Nitsch, send me some information that corrected and clarified what I had written in that post. In it, I had written, "...James was renting the farm and listed as an employee..." On the census sheet, James has "Emp" listed in column 20. Using Google, I looked up the list of abbreviations for the 1910 census, and on several sites I found, "Emp" was listed as standing for "employee." However, Kathy referred me to a website that had the enumerator… -
GeneaBlogger 2010 Winter Games
7 Feb 2010 | 4:53 pmIn the Summer of 2008, AnceStories hosted the opening ceremonies of the GeneaBlogger 2008 Summer Games. Genealogy bloggers were encouraged to enter the games and compete to the high standards of blogging, research, and citation. Readers and other bloggers who were too busy to participate in the events became our cheering spectators, as 35 bloggers representing three nations and a diversity of heritages and cultures competed to earn medals designed by the talented footnoteMaven. The GeneaBlogger Games corresponded with the 2008 Summer Olympics, and in the same vein, the upcoming GeneaBlogger… -
52 Weeks of Online American Digital Archives and Databases: Colorado
7 Feb 2010 | 1:40 pmThis is the fifth post in a weekly series of Online American Digital Archives and Databases found for free at state, county, municipal, college and university history, library, and archive websites, as well as public and private library and museum sites, and historical and genealogical society sites.(Sorry for the delay in posting--Firefox crashed right before I finished researching and listing all my resources. Although I had continuously saved my post while blogging, somehow it reverted back to an earlier version and I had to re-write everything!) Colorado State Archives -… -
Surname Saturday: TUINSTRA
6 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amThe surname TUINSTRA is Frisian for "from the garden." Friesland is a province and a ethnic area in the northwest of the Netherlands. My TUINSTRA ancestors were gardeners both before and after their immigration to the United States in 1874. They lived in the Franeker area for many generations; around 1852, they moved to the Sneek area. Franeker and Sneek are cities that were known for their produce and cheese markets respectively, so they must have lived in or near these cities and farmed outside the communities, selling their produce in town.The TUINSTRAs were a part of a mass migration from…
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Family Matters
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The Genealogy “Room” at Internet Archive
9 Feb 2010 | 7:39 amHave you visited the genealogy page on Internet Archive? If you haven’t – or haven’t been there recently – you may want to stop by for a look. There are currently close to 12,000 publications ranging from family genealogies and local histories to parish registers and city directories. These publications are from the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana; Robarts Library at the University of Toronto; the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library; and the Boston Public Library. There’s an alphabetical index of the contents as… -
Washington DC Family History Conference Announcement
1 Feb 2010 | 2:19 pmWashington DC Family History Center 4th Annual Family History Conference (Apr 17 2010, Kensington, Md.) Wa -
The iPad – Yeah, I’m Excited
28 Jan 2010 | 2:50 amI “watched” (live blog, not video) the iPad kickoff presentation yesterday and was delighted with what I saw – especially the price. Yes, it is basically an iPod Touch blown up bigger. But, considering what has been accomplished with the little device, I’m looking forward to all the imaginative things app designers will create with the extra screen real estate. The device is just the stage. It’s the imagination of the app developers that will make it magical. A recent news story about an American rescued from the rubble in Haiti reported that he used a first aid… -
All About Styles
27 Jan 2010 | 1:00 amAll About Styles -
ViVu Adds Video Conferencing to Skype
25 Jan 2010 | 1:42 amTechCrunch reports: Once VuRoom is downloaded, the host simply selects the Skype contacts they want to join the conference and calls the entire group. The participant joins clicking the URL provided in their text chat window. Call participants, other than the host, need not have the ViVu plug-in installed to participate in the video conference. During the call, the presenter and participants can share their presentations and desktop to other participants. VuRoom, which costs $9.95 per month, is affordable not only because of the modest price tag, but also because participants don’t have to…
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Creative Gene
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Whose Valentine Was She?
8 Feb 2010 | 5:38 pmThis is picture of my mom back in 1941. She was 22 years old. It would have been the year before she started dating my dad. I'm thinking her Valentine back then might have been Mike...[From "A Gift of Memories From Grandma"] Who is the boy you remember most? "Mike. I went out with him for 2 years. He was not Catholic. My dad objected. After I was married my dad saw him a few times. He thought Mike was the greatest guy, but I never saw him again." ~ LucyIt's amazing what a grandparent will share with a grandchild.I know I asked my mom about her boyfriends back when I was a kid but she'd always… -
Carnival of Genealogy, 89th Edition
4 Feb 2010 | 12:01 pmWelcome to the February 4, 2010 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic for this edition is: Ode to My Family History. We are recording our family history in a different way this time around... poetically. There is such writing talent among us, I just know you'll be impressed! Maybe you'll even be inspired to write some family history poetry yourself. At the very least you'll find yourself well entertained.In this edition I'll be commenting on several of the poems. As is most often the case in the COG, the submissions will be presented in the order I received them. The poems I've… -
SNGF - My January Ancestor's Calendar
30 Jan 2010 | 6:09 pmRandy challenged us to make a calendar using our genealogy database software of choice and post the January page. Well, this was a really easy challenge for me because I use my Legacy software to make a calendar every year. It took me just a few minutes and there was no learning involved.I'm not especially fond of the calendar that Legacy creates. Templates often frustrate me because of the lack of flexibility. I would have preferred to make the title much smaller, on one line, eliminate the spaces between the boxes, and make each box larger. I really don't like that my family events are… -
Polish and Proud, an Ode to My Family History
22 Jan 2010 | 6:16 pmThe ode to my family history is a bit of an epic. I guess that comes as no surprise given how wordy I am in my blog posts ;-) I didn't intend for it to go on and on, but it sort of took on a life of its own as I was composing it.I haven't done a scrapbook page in quite some time so I thought I'd brush away some of the cobwebs and give it a go. (Click on the image to view it larger.)I'm no poet. I don't even know the rules of poetry. But I know that good poetry comes from the heart. And so I give you a heartfelt ode to my family's history...Written for the 89th Carnival of Genealogy, "Ode to… -
Carnival of Genealogy, 88th Edition
18 Jan 2010 | 12:30 pmWelcome to the January 18, 2010 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic for this edition is: volunteerism! We have a collection of terrific articles for you this time around. Our participants are an ambitious and helpful bunch as you'll see in their articles. Not only will you learn about their volunteer efforts but you'll also see how in many cases they're following in the footsteps of family members. The genealogy community is filled with people who are dedicated to helping others. And it's that helpful attitude that makes the genealogy community the wonderful, warm, welcoming, and…
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Nordic Blue
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The Best Laid Genealogical Plans, Part III
30 Jan 2010 | 9:38 pmIn the longtime search for my birth father, information I eventually found among RootsWeb member family trees led me to a contact in Bryan County, Oklahoma. I decided to make the phone call as soon as possible, before I chickened out. I knew that if I thought about things too much, I would rationalize myself into a hole. I had to remind myself that the goal was to make contact with my birth father, and not to cringe and falter at the very edge of success.I was not certain that the woman whose phone number I dialed that day in July 2009 was a relation, but in my gut, I knew absolutely that she… -
The Best Laid Genealogical Plans, Part II
30 Jan 2010 | 2:56 pmI was on a writing retreat at the Washington coast last June with a couple of good friends. We were sitting at a communal table, happily clicking away on our laptops, when one of them asked: "How's the search for your birth father going?" As fellow genealogy enthusiasts, my friends knew exactly how that long term void affected me emotionally. I replied something to the effect: "It's not going, I'm afraid." I had to admit, my sleuthing spirit was in a slippery slump.Just before the retreat, I had gone "Googling" for my father's name once again and came up with a tribute website marking the… -
The Best Laid Genealogical Plans...
16 Jan 2010 | 4:10 pm...sometimes don't turn out the way you planned.Last summer, I "discovered" my birth father. After nearly fifty years of wondering, I finally found him. The yearning to know, or know about, a birth parent is a familiar one. Although some of these quests culminate on a happy note, many go nowhere at all, or instead, render disappointment. I always thought the quest for my genetic paternal heritage would be the type that went nowhere. I had almost given up trying. Instead, the search has, remarkably, gone somewhere, but not in the direction I'd hoped.Soon after my sister was born, when I was… -
Look Out, Kiddies: Here's an "Immigrant Song" Your Grandparents Cut Their Teeth On!
15 Jan 2010 | 6:24 pm -
Okay, I Give Up
12 Jan 2010 | 8:31 pmNo, not on the blog! I mean, I give up on the blogging vacation.My apologies to all who have wondered where Nordic Blue has been hiding out since last spring. I am very happy to see 2010, because 2009 was a bit of a nightmare (ah, er, I mean: challenge). The blogging bug has bitten once again, thanks to some recent comments, as well as life just settling down a bit. One story I will be relating is how I finally found my birth father, and all that discovery entailed. Nope, I'm not going to give any of it away here; you'll need to check back a bit later.Nordic Blue is still here, just a bit…
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About.com Genealogy
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Ella's 1874 Pocket Diary
9 Feb 2010 | 3:01 amAfter leaving a fun antique store in Fort Ann, New York, this past Sunday, my husband surprised me with a great early Valentine's Day present - an 1874 pocket diary filled with handwritten entries. A first glance offered no name or location for the author, but did mention other names and places throughout the pages. I was instantly intrigued... Flipping through pages in the diary, one of the first things I ran across was a postscript near the end, stating that it was written nine years after the rest of the diary entries. "Nine years have passed and I am a contented happy wife and mother… -
Is this Annie Moore?
4 Feb 2010 | 8:10 amGenealogist Megan Smolenyak is always curious, and that curiosity has led her to once again ask for help regarding a mystery surrounding Annie Moore, the first immigrant to arrive at Ellis Island. In an article in this week's Huffington Post, she outlines her case for this photo being one of Annie Moore with her brothers upon their arrival at Ellis Island and asks for help from anyone who might be able to provide a clue. What do you think? Can you help? Is this Annie Moore? originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 16:10:12.Permalink | Comment | Email this -
President Obama Related to Massachusetts Senator-Elect Scott Brown
29 Jan 2010 | 2:41 amThis morning's press release from the New England Historic Genealogical Society linking President Barack Obama with Scott Brown, the newly elected republican senator from Massachusetts, didn't really surprise me. If you go back far enough, it seems that almost everyone with deep New England roots can find a connection to one another. In this case, the connection is 10th cousins. According to NEHGS staff genealogists Chris Child and David Allen Lambert, Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham and Brown's mother, Judith Ann Rugg, both descend from Richard Singletary of Haverhill, Massachusetts, who… -
Two New iPhone Genealogy Apps
26 Jan 2010 | 3:07 amThis month two nifty new genealogy apps have made their way onto my iPhone, which I thought some of you might find interesting. The first is a great app for iPhone / iPod Touch users of Ancestry.com Family Trees. The free new Ancestry.com Tree to Go iPhone app offers up a lighter version of your family tree that you can easily access on the go. You can search or browse your family tree while at the library, easily add a new tombstone photo right after you take it at the cemetery, or add interview notes directly to your tree as you talk to your relatives. You can't begin a new Family Tree via… -
Preview the U.S. Version of Who Do You Think You Are?
25 Jan 2010 | 3:15 amI mentioned previously that during Ancestry.com Blogger Day I was privileged to see the preview of the U.S. version of Who Do You Think You Are? which is to air on NBC in March. Now, the preview is online for everyone. What do you think of the show? Look promising? Who Do You Think You Are? Preview VideoPreview the U.S. Version of Who Do You Think You Are? originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 11:15:36.Permalink | Comment | Email this
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Genealogy News Center
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The Role Of History In Genealogical Research
Before you begin your genealogical research, you'd be wise to study a bit of history–either local or national–because history can have a direct bearing on where your genealogical search will take you. -
Tracing Ontario Relatives in the States
We often think of Canada as an immigrant country, and we know that many of those immigrants from Ireland, for example, eventually went to the United States. -
February 15th is Heritage Day in Canada
Many sport halls of fame and museums have areas in which they keep medals, photos, life stories, and book of achievements on file, which all add up to the genealogy of Canadian sports. -
Genealogy Project tracks ancestry of Charles Darwin
Tests on DNA taken from great-great-grandson show his forebears were among the first humans to leave Africa for the Middle East -
New "Who Do You Think You Are" clip from NBC!
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Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
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Stagecoach Mary: the Black Cowgirl
9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amAmerica's Old West was undoubtedly a Wild West before an ex-slave named Mary Fields arrived in 1885 at a small railroad town in present-day Montana. Yet she certainly made things more interesting.Miss Fields, who came to be known as "Stagecoach Mary," stood tall and brawny by even frontier standards, weighing more than 200 pounds. Though she preferred men's clothes to women's, beneath her work apron she at times packed a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver. She was the only woman the local mayor permitted to drink in the saloons, where she favored hard liquor, smoked black… -
Qidenus Robotic Book Scanner
8 Feb 2010 | 6:54 pmI want one of these! I could digitize my personal library within a day or so. I probably could digitize most genealogy libraries within a few months, making more books available to more genealogists. Click on the image to the left to see a larger picture. There is also a video at the end of this article that shows the Qidenus Robotic Book Scanner in operation. The Qidenus Robotic Book Scanner is an automated book scanner with a built-in computer. It is free-standing; you do not need to connect it to any other computer device. Simply place a book to be scanned inside the device, press a… -
Super Bowl Ads: The 2010 Census
8 Feb 2010 | 5:04 pmJust in case you missed the Super Bowl (where were you?), here's your chance to see the ad for the 2010 U.S. census that aired during the game. They paid $2.5 million dollars for this?Click the RUN icon in the middle of the graphic below to see this ad. Try not to yawn. -
History Day at the West Virginia Legislature
8 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pmMore than sixty local groups with an interest in history or genealogy will gather for the 14th West Virginia History Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 18 at the state Capitol Complex.All activities are free and open to the public. The historical groups will provide displays and reenactments in the Upper Rotunda of the State Capitol, between the House and Senate Chambers. Historians, genealogists, educators, preservationists, veterans, fraternal organizations, librarians, ethnic groups and families with an interest in West Virginia's history will provide exhibits featuring historical… -
EBSCO Publishing and Footnote Expand Genealogy and Historical Document Resources
8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pmThe following announcement was written by EBSCO Publishing. While not mentioned in this announcement, the EBSCO services are available at your nearest subscribing library. Not all libraries subscribe to all EBSCO services. However, you should ask at your local library. Most reference librarians are also familiar with the services offered by other libraries in the area.EBSCO Publishing (www.ebscohost.com) and Footnote (www.footnote.com) have expanded the genealogy resources available in libraries with the release of the Footnote History and Genealogy Archives Plus and Footnote Holocaust…
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The Newberry Library Genealogy News
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Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family
5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmCome and meet the author of Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family! Wednesday, February 10, 6:00 pm Author and Speaker: Linda Matthews Location: Newberry Library, Ruggles Hall The Hammill family moved from North Ayrshire, Scotland to Northern Ireland, then to various locations throughout North America. Linda Matthews, a Hammill family descendant, thoroughly documents a multigenerational middle-class family's journey, and conveys the history of ordinary people. Ms. Matthews conducted some of her research at the Newberry. This event is co-sponsored by the… -
CANCELLED - Ginger Frere to Speak in Arlington Heights on Marriage Records
3 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmTHIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. IT WILL BE RESCHEDULED IN THE FALL. Join Newberry reference librarian Ginger Frere, on Tuesday, February 9th, at the Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights at 7:00 pm for her talk "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places." Ginger will use discuss changes in marriage laws over time and will explain the prevalence of "marriage mills" and "Gretna Greens" at the turn of the century. The Forest View Educational Center is located at 2121 South Goebbert Road in Arlington Heights. For more information, contact the Northwest… -
Genealogy Orientation this Saturday, February 6th
2 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmAt 9:30 a.m. on February 6th, Matt Rutherford, Curator of Genealogy and Local History, will introduce novices to the basics of research with a free informal orientation. No reservations are necessary. The session will meet in the Towner Fellows' Lounge on the second floor of the Newberry Library. -
Black History Month: Born in Slavery
1 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm"I was born in Nevel, Kentucky. I am now 95 years old. My masters name was George Sowell and traded to another man named Elson, and then I was sold to Albert Henderson. I was brought to Texas when I'se small. I dunno what fathers name was as I'se a stray found in the woods." (Supp. Series 2, Vol 5, p.1696) History is most fascinating when told by the people who lived through the events. "The American Slave: A composite Autobiography" (original series and supplemental series) contains first-hand accounts of the time period before, during and after the Civil War. These transcriptions… -
Staff Recommendation: The Great Uprooting
29 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pmSometimes it's fun to take a break from researching your own family and take a look at books other people have put together about their families. The Great Uprooting : Ancestries of the Mellon, Rux#776;esch, and Delafield families : a Series of Genealogical Charts caught the eye of staff member Cheryl Wegner, as it came through Collections Services to be cataloged. In The Great Uprooting, James Mellon traces his and his wife's families, back to the 12th century in his wife's case. It's a large and pretty book -- done with glossy paper, colored charts, and it includes…
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Shades Of The Departed
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Shades Makes Another Connection!
15 Jan 2010 | 10:31 amShades is so proud to help its readers make connections. Today this comment was received regarding Chery Kinnick's Friday From The Collectors, May 30, 2008:You will not believe this!! My uncle Guy and my mother Dorothy are in the photo of the Hyak school. I have never seen this photo- I do have a photo of my mother and uncle with two Howard boys. She called them Buddy and Junior.I was fortunate to visit there as a boy and my mother looked up one of the Howard boys. This was in the early 50's. My Grandfather worked at the train station. I will cherish this find.Niels MikkelsenHere's Chery's… -
Shades The Magazine - January Issue
9 Jan 2010 | 4:09 pmWelcome To The January Issue ofShades Of The Departed - The Magazine(Select Cover or Title Above)INSTRUCTIONS FOR VIEWINGSelecting the page rather than the arrows to turn the pages enables the zoom function. Full screen using the arrows is optimum viewingMAGAZINE BUTTON BARBACK & FORWARD BUTTONINDEX BUTTON(SELECT FOR MAGAZINE OVERVIEW)FULL-SCREEN MODE(RECOMMENDED FOR VIEWING)VIEWING MODESMAGAZINE VIEW - FLIP BOOKPRESENTATION VIEW - SINGLE PAGEPAPER VIEW - SCROLL TOP TO BOTTOMEMAILSEARCH THE MAGAZINEPRINT THE PAGEPAGE X OF YPAGE NAVIGATION -
The Carnival's In Town
18 Dec 2009 | 10:38 am19th EDITIONSmile For The Camera15 December 2009My greatest gift this year is you. Yes, you! You who read Shades and you who participate in Smile For The Camera. You are the best group of people with whom I have ever been associated. I wish you all GeneaFortune this wonderful Christmas, Hannukah, Holiday time!While Smiling For The Camera we have visited Christmas Past and the memories your photographs have evoked are bitter sweet. It is evident that the gifts you have valued the most don't necessarily possess a monetary value. But you already knew that.Also, welcome to Smile For The Camera,… -
Is Something New Really Something Old?
18 Dec 2009 | 10:25 amThe beautiful young Edwardian woman you see in this photograph is one of the orphans in my photographic collection. She caught my eye not only for her beauty, but for the gold embossed Merry Xmas displayed at the bottom of her cabinet card.She was one of the featured photographs in the December/Holiday issue of Shades Of The Departed The Magazine in the Everything Old Is New Again article."Beauty" probably sat for this Christmas portrait in the early 1900s. Was Merry Xmas in use in the early 1900s? I thought Xmas was something new, could it be something old? To solve my mystery, I consulted… -
Photoshop: Scrapbooking
14 Dec 2009 | 10:02 amThis is a Photoshop Scrapbooking class brought to you by the absolutely fantastic CreativeTechs in Seattle. The classes are live and free! I attend as many as I can and have learned so much to use with my collection of family and old photographs.This particular class is pertinent to those who scrapbook with old photos. I highly recommend taking the class.Oh, and did I mention, the class is free!This class is Thursday, December 17, 11:00am PT Jason Hoppe shows you how to use the brushes, layer effects, smart objects, and blending modes in projects. This course focuses on Photoshop CS4. Most…
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Genealogy News
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Genealogy Query - BIRDSONG : KILMER
8 Feb 2010 | 8:40 pmI need help finding my daughter's ancestors. The grandmother Carol Birdsong married a Birdsong in California. -
Genealogy Query - BROWN : SWITZER
7 Feb 2010 | 8:31 pmI am searching for distant cousins named Paul Brown and Wayne Brown. They are sons of William Hugh Brown son of Florence Mabel Switzer and Hugh Brown. -
Genealogy Query - JONES
6 Feb 2010 | 8:30 pmI am searching for Thomas Calvin Jones b-1852, his father may have been William A. Jones b-1828 and his sister Sarah M. Jones b-1848. They lived in Itawamba Miss. -
My Journey into Cajun Genealogy
5 Feb 2010 | 8:07 pmI am obsessed with my family's history. I believe that the person I am was created by each of my ancestors. -
'Darwin descended from Cro-Magnon man'
4 Feb 2010 | 7:54 pmFriday, February 05, 2010 SYDNEY: The father of evolution Charles Darwin was a direct descendant of the Cro-Magnon people, whose entry into Europe 30,000 years ago heralded the demise of Neanderthals, scientists revealed in Australia on Thursday.
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The Genealogue
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The Real Timothy McSweeney
8 Feb 2010 | 8:08 pmAn odd and touching story by Dave Eggers, founder of Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency. His website, literary journal and publishing house bear the name of a mysterious man who shared his mother's maiden name.She grew up in Milton, Massachusetts, one of five children, the daughter of an obstetrician, Daniel McSweeney, and his wife Adelaide Mary McSweeney.When Eggers was a kid, his family started getting "strange mail" addressed to him and his mother.These were usually notes written on pamphlets and other sorts of mail that required no postage. The messages were confusing, but generally… -
Gravestones Under Glass
6 Feb 2010 | 11:26 amSomeday we might all be carrying bottles of liquid glass to the graveyard.Spray-on liquid glass is transparent, non-toxic, and can protect virtually any surface against almost any damage from hazards such as water, UV radiation, dirt, heat, and bacterial infections. The coating is also flexible and breathable, which makes it suitable for use on an enormous array of products.The war graves association in the UK is investigating using the spray to treat stone monuments and grave stones, since trials have shown the coating protects against weathering and graffiti. Trials in Turkey are testing… -
Annie Information Would Be Appreciated
4 Feb 2010 | 9:03 amThe latest chapter in the Annie Moore saga involves the discovery of a photograph that may or may not show Annie and her brothers at Ellis Island in 1892.Megan asks for help in proving the authenticity of the photo. My advice: check the back to see if their names are written there. Other than that ... I've got nothing. -
Rome Was Far From Home
4 Feb 2010 | 8:46 amThere might be a genetic reason that Uncle Mario prefers eating at the Szechuan Palace.Some people of Italian ancestry, like me, might have a surprise in the family tree—a man of east Asian descent, who was living and working 2,000 years ago in the boondocks near the heel of the Italian boot. The discovery is the first good evidence of an Asian living in Italy during Roman times. [Link] -
Salinger's Mom Born in Atlantic, Not Across the Atlantic
28 Jan 2010 | 12:05 pmI do love correcting the New York Times:[J.D. Salinger's] mother, Marie Jillisch, was of Irish descent, born in Scotland, but changed her first name to Miriam (the name, incidentally, of the wife who drives Seymour Glass to suicide) to appease her in-laws. [Link]Not quite. His mother was the daughter of George and Nellie Jillich, born 11 May 1891 in Atlantic, Cass County, Iowa. Here she is in the 1900 census with her parents. They too were born in Iowa. I'm pretty sure that I've seen ship manifests which confirm Miriam Salinger's exact place of birth, but—like the Times—I am too lazy to…
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California Genealogical Society and Library blog
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Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records by Ron Arons
5 Feb 2010 | 11:39 pmCGS member Ron Arons has announced the release of his second book, Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records: Sources and Research Methodology. Following up on the success of The Jews of Sing-Sing, Ron shares the knowledge he gleaned while investigating his great-grandfather's time in the slammer. He's bundled his experience collecting source documents for his first book into a unique resource for genealogists and historians. As he tells it, the first book was about putting the pieces of his family puzzle together. This new work tells us "how to find the pieces."WANTED! is a 388-page reference that lists… -
Wordless Wednesday
3 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmHonoring Past-President Jane Knowles LindseyPhotograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, 1/20/2010, Oakland, California.Copyright 2009, Kathryn M. Doyle -
eNews February 2010, Vol. 4, No. 2
2 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmThe February 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 2, has been published and emailed to members and friends, and it's sporting our new look. As always, the eNews features timely information about the California Genealogical Society and our upcoming events. Each edition also includes Suggested Links From the Blogosphere and a photo feature: CGS Ancestors. This month we pay tribute to the Jonathan Johnson family of Jeffersontown, Jefferson County, Kentucky – photograph and story submitted by Jane Hufft. All past issues of the eNews are available for viewing at the eNews ARCHIVE. The March… -
Our New Look
1 Feb 2010 | 9:00 amWhew! It's taken almost two years but the dust has settled and I've just checked a big "to-do" off my list. Welcome to the new and improved California Genealogical Society and Library blog. Do, please, let me know what you think!First, you should know that this is more than just a blog remodel. Our new look extends to all of the locations that the California Genealogical Society sponsors across the web. We've come a long way since 2000 when the society put up its first web page. I was able to find an image thanks to the wonders of the Wayback Machine.For many years it was our sole home on the… -
Local AAUW Group Visit to the Library
30 Jan 2010 | 11:00 pmThe CGS Library hosted a small group from the Pleasant Hill Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) on Thursday, January 28, 2010. Six visitors made time for a quick stop and a tour of the library. Kay Ernst made the arrangements for the group's Genealogy section.The Pleasant Hill Branch has over 70 members who are a diverse group of professional career women, community activists, elected and appointed public officials, teachers, parents and artists. The group, chartered in September 1957, is one of over 1850 branches nationwide, representing more than 150,000 members…
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Crowe's Nest by Elizabeth Powell Crowe
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A government genealogy service lets family history leap off the page - latimes.com
20 Jan 2010 | 8:28 amA government genealogy service lets family history leap off the page - latimes.comYes, it’s little known. But it’s covered in my upcoming 9th Edition!! -
From FamilySearch Indexing
7 Jan 2010 | 7:57 amIndexing Update: 1910 US Census initiative begins; 8 international projects added As the 1920 U.S. Census project wraps up and the final states are published, FamilySearch has now opened up indexing for the 1910 U.S. Census! Patrons can freely search the indexes for the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1920 censuses at the FamilySearch Record [...] -
Genealogy Challenge #1: Santa Rosa County Library System Genealogy Offerings
5 Jan 2010 | 9:45 amSanta Rosa County Library SystemAmerica’s GenealogyBank (Library Resource)Quickly find your ancestors in over four centuries of rare documents and records. Search thousands of historical newspapers, books, pamphlets and genealogies. Plus, selected material from the American State Papers and U.S. Serial Set, the complete Social Security Death Index and more than 29 million obituaries. America’s Obituaries & [...] -
Genealogy Gems Podcast app
4 Jan 2010 | 6:58 amThe Genealogy Gems Podcast iPhone / iTouch app! Stream the show, get exclusive new Bonus Content and more. Get your app now! It also has extra features such as .pdf files with background information. For only $2.99! -
Tombstone Tuesday: Monument to Judge Toulmin dedicated today in Baldwin County
22 Dec 2009 | 7:22 amMonument to Judge Toulmin dedicated today in Baldwin County. He was also president of Transylvania University (where I attended as a Freshman) 1794-96. In 1804 he was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as judge for a territory that included what is now Baldwin County, Alabama, where my daughter lives.
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FamHist
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The Cemetery Soft Shoe
5 Feb 2010 | 2:58 pmSome of my earliest memories of visiting extended family members involves adhoc meetings by ancestors graves on Decoration Day. Yes, I’m old enough to know ‘Memorial Day’ as ‘Decoration Day’. My mother always made sure that we visited all of the graves of her ancestors and my fathers ancestors that were buried within a 30 mile radius on that day in May. I’d sit in the back seat and hold all of the cans, bottles and containers of flowers upright from grave to grave, cemetery to cemetery so the water didn’t spill and the gathered flowers weren’t abused and contused. The… -
Cemetery Stories
26 Jan 2010 | 11:08 pmAs a youth, my parents and I visited the graves of my fathers parents and grandparents to clear the weeds from them in the week before Memorial Day each year. Buried in the same plot were my father’s two baby sisters, two uncles and an aunt. The cemetery soil should best be described as a granite sandbar that existed in the ancient Lake Bonneville. The mountain immediately to the north is solid granite and obviously the large granules of granite in cemetery hill came from that source. They are interspersed with silt from the softer stone in the mountain to the east. Clearing the… -
FamilySearch - It Just Keeps Getting Better
15 Jan 2010 | 3:28 pmI stopped by the FamilySearch Pilot site for a ‘week’ yesterday. The visit was planned for only a few minutes to look for a birth record for one of my ancestors who was born in New Hampshire. Browsing directly to that collection, success was almost immediate. That was easy! While there, why not refine my search and search for the rest of my ancestors who were born in New Hampshire too? That’s when the ‘week’ started. Success, success, success, mixed with some failures. The successes continued all the way back to the mid-1600’s. Thinking the ‘touch’ was with me; I… -
“Lost” Garden Varieties Grown By Ancestors
11 Jan 2010 | 11:58 amMy maternal grandfather was the last living farmer by profession in my lineage. We’ve ‘advanced’ since then and make our living using the technology of today. My paternal grandmother was a farmer too, with 200 acres of fruit trees, hay and vegetables. Cash was always a problem, but there was always food on the table, even if it was plain fare at times. Of course my siblings and I have gardens and small orchards at our homes, but they are considerably smaller than the acres of ground that grandma and grandpa planted to feed and support their families. Grandpa grew Utah celery,… -
Dashing and Daring Young Men
3 Jan 2010 | 12:30 amOne of the opportunities associated with the acquisition of old photos is the pleasure of posting the images in locations where they can be seen by others. An old shoe box of them was included in the family history collection that my mother gave me. The photos are of family neighbors and friends taken in the late 1800’s and first two decades of the 1900’s. Even though they were precious to her, she wasn’t afraid to write on them, even listing names on the bodies of the individuals in the images. I wish she had written the list of names on a piece of note paper and tucked it into the…
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Family Research - English, Scottish and Irish Genealogy
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Last U.S. veteran of World War I turns 109
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmThe last surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, former Cpl. Frank Buckles, turns 109 on Monday and is still hoping for a national memorial in Washington for his comrades. for more click here -
Palace of Mary of Guise on the Castle Hill-19th century view-Edinburgh
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmClick to enlarge Source-Old and New Edinburgh -
Arthur Seat and Davie Deans Cottage-1825,Edinburgh
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmClick to enlarge Source-Old and New Edinburgh -
John Kay
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmClick to enlarge source-Old and New Edinburgh -
The Arms of the City of Edinburgh
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmClick to enlarge source-Old and New Edinburgh
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Genealogy Canada
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BC Genealogists
30 Jan 2010 | 3:16 pmDecember (which I thought was going to be a quiet month) turned out to be among the busiest I have ever had as far as writing articles is concerned.Now that I have a few weeks free, I will try to post blogs more often. This is a special blog because it is about The British Columbia Genealogist, and it's all about sports. The BC Genealogist is tipping its hat to the Olympics that will be there in February.They have a number of articles on different sports and its stars, such as Lionel E. YORKE, who played Lacrosse; Baseball in the Fifties from Merritt, BC; Tommy PHILLIPS, Hockey Player; George… -
The Nova Scotia Genealogist - New Issue
29 Dec 2009 | 4:15 pmTheir newsletter just came in this past weekend in its new large format, and it looks good.There are three articles of interest this edition and they are - "The Death of William Ackhurst" by K. Lamb "A Note on the Family of Robert Westcott of Warwick and North Kingston, Rhode Island and Newport and Falmouth, Nova Scotia" by B. Owen "Ferdinand Traunweizer, an Itinerant Jeweller from Poland to Texas, Part I" by S. Lomas. In their 'Sources of Research' section, they have published the database put together by Earle Ripley of Saskatoon of the "His Majesty's Nova Scotia Regiment of Fencible… -
Merry Christmas!
24 Dec 2009 | 4:42 amMerry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, our faithful readers!So, here are some links for the same festive greetings in different languages or as listed by country.Merry Christmas (in over 75 languages) - www.ethnicharvest.org/ideas/christmas.htmMerry Christmas (by country) - www.myuniversalfacts.com/2005/12/how-to-say-merry-christmas-in.htmlHappy New Year (by language) - www.myuniversalfacts.com/2005/12/how-to-say-happy-new-year-in-different.htmlI have my hopes on some nice things for my genealogy research, although I was lucky enough to solve a brickwall this past year, which in turn, was… -
Genealogy Season is Stirring!
23 Dec 2009 | 5:23 pmEvery spring, the genealogy season in Canada starts to stir as the weather changes from cold and snow, to warm and sunshine. It's also a good time for the Ottawa Branch of the OGS to take advantage of the change in seasons, as it hosts its 27th Annual Gene-O-Rama on March 26 and 27 at the Library and Archives Canada.The theme, "Researching Female Ancestors", will feature Lisa Alzo as guest speaker Friday evening, speaking on "Silent Voices: Telling the Stories of Your Female Immigrant Ancestors".Saturday seems to be quite full of interesting topics such as "Using Library and Archives Canada… -
Arcalife Nets Deal
22 Dec 2009 | 3:54 amVancouver's Arcalife, and a British company, Firebird Media Ltd., have signed a deal which will bring the two companies closer together in archiving personal history on the Internet.Arcalife will use Firebird Media's Memorybank to offer its customers a "people's archive", including sources of local history as well as their own personal history.Arcalife CEO Paul Taylor says, "This is significant opportunity for both organizations. Many of our operational needs are similar and our services are complimentary, so it makes perfect sense".I met Paul in Ottawa about a month ago while I was covering…
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Genealogy Insider
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History's Big Snows
9 Feb 2010 | 7:25 amThis Cincinnati snowfall is nothing like what some of you have seen recently (and that’s before today’s new round of weather). Wintry weather always gets me thinking about my ancestors who immigrated from Syria and tooled around the South for awhile before moving to Cleveland, situated in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie. What a shock that first lake-effect snowfall must’ve been. While you’re hunkered inside waiting for the snowplow to come by (or thanking your lucky stars you live somewhere it doesn’t snow), check out these sites on big snowstorms throughout history: The Digital Snow… -
GenealogyBank Doubles Newspaper and Records Collection
8 Feb 2010 | 7:56 amGenealogyBank’s latest new content has brought the size of the historical newspaper and records subscription site to double what it was a year ago. “One year ago we had 174 million articles. Today we have 480 million newspaper articles in 4,300 newspapers,” writes spokesperson Tom Kemp on the GenealogyBank Official blog. He also includes a partial list of titles and coverage dates. You can find a full list organized by state on Genealogybank. If you’ve searched GenealogyBank’s historical newspapers before, you can used a pull-down menu on the advanced search page to limit your… -
Genealogy News Corral: February 1-5
5 Feb 2010 | 11:05 amI hope you didn't travel to Washington, DC, for genealogy research this weekend. Because of a snowstorm predicted to deliver up to 24 inches of snow to the area, the National Archives research rooms in DC and College Park, MD, closed at noon today, Friday, Feb. 5, and remain closed on tomorrow. The Library of Congress closed at 1 pm today and will stay closed Saturday. British subscription and pay-per-view genealogy site FamilyRelatives added 5 million new parish records with information on baptisms, marriages and burials in counties in England and Wales, dating from the early 1500s to almost… -
NEHGS Launches African-American Genealogy Site
4 Feb 2010 | 9:36 amI just noticed on Facebook that the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEFGS) launched a new site focused on researching African-American genealogy. AfricanAmericanAncestors.org has links to how-to articles, online exhibits, President Obama's family tree, and NEHGS databases of genealogical records containing information on African-Americans (note that you'll need an NEHGS membership to access search results). -
Editor's Pick: Search Engine Tips and Tricks Webinar
4 Feb 2010 | 7:20 amYou know the search engine commercial where a guy’s wife asks him if he got the tickets to Hawaii, and he answers “Hawaii 5-0. 'Book 'em, Danno!' Aloha! Mele Kalikimaka …”? (Watch it here.) That’s not unlike what can happen when you type your ancestors’ names into a search engine. Instead of your Henry Sommers, born in 1872, you get “Henry Sommer testified before the Senate Judiciary…” and “Kressel, Henry; Sommers, Henry S. …” Our next webinar, Search Engine Tips and Tricks: Google Techniques to Boost Your Research, will help you avoid the noise and get to meaningful…
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Mac Genealogy Software
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MacFamilyTree Updated to 5.6.8
6 Feb 2010 | 6:36 pmThe changes in this version are: Completely new User Guide localized in English, French and German Date Picker works correctly now in all localizations Bug fixes for MobileFamilyTree 2 Sync Several other bug fixes What do you think of the new User Guide? -
Tree To Go Version 1.0.1
6 Feb 2010 | 9:38 amThe Ancestry.com application for iPhone and iPod touch has been updated in the App Store. The 1.0.1 release adds support for first generation iPod touch and fixes a crash bug. -
Ancestry.com “Tree To Go” iPhone App
22 Jan 2010 | 7:31 pmI’ve checked out the iPhone (and iPod touch) app recently released by Ancestry.com. The free app is called Tree To Go. It enables you to examine and update the trees you have on Ancestry.com through your iPhone—no, you can’t search the databases at Ancestry.com through the app. A synchronization feature keeps the data in your phone and on Ancestry.com, well, in sync. I’ve read some consumer reviews that complain of crashes with large trees, but haven’t experienced that myself. It seems to be a problem when the number of ancestors is in the multiple thousands. Here… -
MacGenealogist Videos on Facebook
21 Dec 2009 | 1:43 pmI’ve created a new fan page on Facebook and I’m in the process of copying all the MacGenealogist screencast videos to it. This will make the videos easier for you to find and more accessible to people who are new to them. The videos look great on Facebook! Please drop by the MacGenealogist fan page and become a fan because I want to keep in touch with you. -
MacFamilyTree Updated to 5.6.6
23 Nov 2009 | 6:47 amThe release addresses the following: Several fixes and improvements for the coordinate lookup for the Virtual Globe Crash issue fixed for Mac OS X 10.5 Database migration issue fixed for older Version 4 databases You can download the latest version here.
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PC Genealogy Software
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RootsMagic Updated to 4.0.4.0
In case you missed it (because the RootsMagic News screen is disabled), an update to RootsMagic was released on July 10th. This brings the version number of this leading PC genealogy software to 4.0.4.0. The update includes some new features and some fixes. New Added a feature to fix broken media / image ... -
Legacy Family Tree Updated to 7.0.0.100
The folks at Millenia released an update to their PC genealogy software, Legacy Family Tree last week. This one adds fields to prepare the software for upcoming integration with FamilySearch. There's a GEDCOM export change that you can use to prevent British Quarter dates from being converted to date ranges. A new ... -
Family Tree Maker 2009 Service Pack 1 Bug Fix Release
The Generations Network Released a bug fix update to their PC genealogy software Family Tree Maker 2009. This update fixes issues reported in service pack 1. The fixes identified in the update are: Task category creation and use in Person view. Calendars fail to display when showing February 29th. Memory usage ... -
Family Historian 4 Officially Released Today
While Calico Pie actually made it available for purchase at the end of April, they officially annouced version 4 today. Some of the interface has been completely rewritten to make it easier to use. New features in version 4 include: A new hub component window called the Focus Window, with views ... -
Here’s a Quick Way to See Relationships in Legacy Family Tree
It's often helpful, when viewing the data in our genealogy software, to see at a glance what relationship one person has to another. In this video: Viewing Relationships in the Legacy Family Tree Family View, I show you how, click-by-click, to display the relationships of the people on the Legacy ...
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Genealogy Simple & Fun
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Poll: Just 31 percent know census is required by law
23 Jan 2010 | 6:54 pmVery interesting article, I had no idea that census was required by law...I'm glad it is!The article at mytwocensus talks about the survey that Pew Research Center took about the United States Census. Did you know that only 31 percent of the population new that filling out the census form was required by law! You can read it here. -
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR
21 Dec 2009 | 9:06 amSee you in the NEW YEAR! -
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
24 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pmHAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING! -
Genealogy Simple & Fun has to be put on hold!
18 Oct 2009 | 9:44 amAs you can see I haven't posted in a while. The time seems to fly by with well intentions of keeping up with this blog but time just doesn't permit me to do that so I have to put this genealogy blog on hold. Genealogy is my passion and will never give it up but with all that is going on and so many things happening right now I have to say good-by for at least a while. I just can't keep up and that's not fare to my readers. I'm hoping in the near future I will be able to come back and resume my work. Please take the time to check out the blog, it has many great articles. If you have any… -
Moved Daughter to UNA
26 Aug 2009 | 9:17 amAfter catching up on emails and find the surprise about the award, I have finally have time to let all of you in on what has been happening around my house. Last weekend we moved our daughter up to Florence, Alabama to attend the University of North Alabama. This is her 1st year so was a new experience for her and for us.You don't realize what all is evolved until you have to do it. There was so much we had to buy and then when we were actually moving her in, making the bed up, arranging things you come across things you have to go get. I think we were at WalMart 3 or 4 times but it was all…
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Your Family Tree
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Subscribe to Your Family Tree and Family Tree Maker 2010!
2 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amIf you are using this website and you don't already have a subscription to Your Family Tree, then what are you waiting for? Surely you need your monthly dose of great articles, case studies and expert advice on family history research? There are very important benefits to subscribing, and it's easy to do so online. Subscribers get all this:The fantastic Family Tree Maker 2010 Deluxe – one of the best genealogical programs on the market Save 30% off the shop price13 issues a year with free delivery direct to your door60 day money back… -
Extra special issue of YFT out now!
2 Feb 2010 | 2:47 amIssue 87 of Your Family Tree is on sale now, and it's one we're sure you won't want to miss! This latest issue of Britain’s favourite genealogical title comes with a special second magazine called Computing For Family Historians, which provides you with essential advice on getting more out of research on your PC or Mac. The magazine's also jam-packed with all your favourites and expert tips on doing your genealogy research for free, tracing apprentices, finding your ancestors marriages online and even the history of your forebears'… -
February crossword
29 Jan 2010 | 3:16 amDownload the latest family history puzzle and get last month's answers -
Win protection for your family files
29 Jan 2010 | 1:44 amThis month we're giving you the chance to keep all your important family history research on your PC safe with a Clickfree C2 Drive. Not only are these drives the best way to protect your vital research, but they also make the whole process extremely simple. Instead of installing software, the drives run automatically as soon as you plug them into your PC. What’s more, each time you want to back up any new research files, the C2 drive will only update what has changed, instead of wasting time backing up your entire hard drive. Each C2 drive is worth £120, and we have two to… -
YFT 87 on sale in two weeks!
22 Jan 2010 | 2:53 am
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WorldVitalRecords Blog
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How to Contact Living Relatives
28 Jan 2010 | 10:25 amBy Gena Philibert Ortega Researching the dead can be easy. Contacting the living can be a whole different ball game. When you find a new cousin, except for genealogist cousins, the most important thing to remember is that not everyone is thrilled about family history. In fact some people could care less (a collective ouch is felt by many of us). The following are some ideas about making that first contact: • Contact potential cousins in the least intrusive way as possible. Responding to a genealogical query from a researcher is much different than contacting an unknown cousin out of the… -
WVR Database in Review: The Ottawa City Directory 1909
19 Jan 2010 | 9:47 amThe Ottawa City Directory 1909 A very complete and useful directory of Ottawa and Hull for 1909, including the (then) outlying districts of Ottawa: Billings Bridge, Eastview (Old Cummings Bridge, Janeville & Clarkstown), Mechanicsville and Rockliffe Park. The directory gives an alphabetical list of all business firms and private citizens; a classified business and a miscellaneous directory; and a complete street guide showing the occupier of every building on every street and the intersecting cross streets. Related posts:Denver City Directory 1887 Online at WorldVitalRecords.com The… -
WVR Database in Review: Passengers Arriving in New York from Ireland
14 Jan 2010 | 12:41 pmPassengers Arriving in New York from Ireland 1846–1851 http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=ireland_famine Historical Context The Center for Immigration Research (CIR) at the Balch Institute created this series to promote access to information about immigrants from Ireland to the United States during the era of the Irish Potato Famine, 1846-1851. It was extracted from ship passenger lists in the records of the U.S. Customs Service (NARA Record Group 36). Questions Asked: Name Age Town of Last Residence Destination Passenger Arrival Date Codes: Passenger’s Sex Occupation… -
Business and Occupational Records
28 Dec 2009 | 5:16 pmby Gena Philibert Ortega Employment and business records can provide rich detail about the everyday lives of our ancestors. Even if your ancestor was a “farmer,” details about what farming was like during your ancestor’s era can provide you with a better understanding of their life and lead you to other records that may be of assistance to your research. The following is a general overview of business and occupational records including a look at a few specific occupations. While these records and repositories are specific to researching occupations, some of the ideas also may be of… -
Cousins
14 Dec 2009 | 8:15 amby Gena Philibert Ortega A lot of confusion exists around the subject of cousins. Everyone knows that a cousin (or also known as a first cousin) is the daughter or son of their parent’s siblings. But after that, the confusion begins for most people. When thinking of cousins just remember that they are relatives for whom you share a set of grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. So a second cousin would be someone related to you with whom you share a great-grandparent with. Second cousins are often mistaken as the children of your first cousin but in actuality, that person would be your…
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The Ancestry Insider
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Ancestry.com Bloggers Day: Content
8 Feb 2010 | 11:05 pmLast year I intended to do stupendously rich articles about Ancestry.com Bloggers Day presentations. Since I never got around to it, this year you’re getting my stupidously poor notes. With lunch just past, was Ancestry.com going to keep us awake during siesta hour? First up was Gary Gibbs, vice president of U.S. Content. His energetic presentation did the trick. Developing and working to bring a constant flow of records Upwards of $10 million annually on content. Worldwide content acquisition Canada, Provo, UKI,… [I didn’t get the whole list in my notes, but I believe it included all… -
See You at the St. George Family History Expo
7 Feb 2010 | 11:05 pm#FHExpo stands for this month’s St. George Family History Expo, to be held in… (don’t get ahead of me now) …Timbuktu! Just kidding. It’s in St. George, Utah on 26th and 27th, February 2010. St. George is best known as the birthplace of Cafe Rio, a popular restaurant chain. What? You’ve never heard of Cafe Rio? Okay, maybe St. George isn’t best known as the birthplace of Cafe Rio. But if you haven’t heard of Cafe Rio, I recommend you check it out while you’re in town for the Expo. It’s a local favorite! St. George is best known as the birthplace of Amanda Righetti who plays… -
Ancestry.com Bloggers Day: Lunch with Tim Sullivan
3 Feb 2010 | 11:05 pmThis is another in a series of reports about Ancestry.com Bloggers Day 2010. We had lunch with Ancestry.com CEO, Tim Sullivan and general manager, Andrew Wait. Here’s my brief notes: Andrew Wait told us that feedback from their My Story ads said the ads didn’t explain enough about what the genealogy experience was like. In fact, the life-changing stories set the bar so high that average people couldn’t identify with the experiences. As a result, five days earlier Ancestry.com started a new advertizing campaign that goes back to the previous style a bit. Tim Sullivan asked us if we had… -
Vault Vednesday: Open House
2 Feb 2010 | 11:05 pmThe public were invited to tour the awesome caverns of the Granite Mountain Record Vault (GMRV) starting 4 December 1963. After the open house, the vault would be closed to the public. Storage vaults were constructed between about 120 and 350 feet into the mountain. Each of six vaults is about 200 feet long, extending 27 feet wide, and reaching over 15 feet high. The tunnels were lined with heavy corrugated steel and concrete was pumped in to fill the space between the steel and the granite tunnel walls. NGS Conference Church Library Open House The Church History Library is a state-of-the-art… -
Ancestry.com Bloggers Day: Technology (Part 2)
1 Feb 2010 | 11:05 pmLast year I intended to do stupendously rich articles about Ancestry.com Bloggers Day presentations. Since I never got around to it, this year you’re getting my stupidously poor notes. Mike Wolfgramm and Jonathan Young gave us the last presentation prior to lunch. Yesterday we talked about Dexter, the flexible content digitization pipeline. Today we will talk about: Named entity extraction Vertical [unique to Ancestry.com] search engine Record linking Hint engine – technology behind the shaky leaf PersonRank – Search engine that powers Mundia (pronounced, “Moon-dia”) Named entity…
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Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog
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Boston: Jews of the American Revolution
8 Feb 2010 | 4:14 amIn Concord, Massachusetts, Dr. Joseph L. Andrew, a retired physician and local historian, is descended from several Jewish colonists who battled the British during the American Revolution: Haym Salomon (left), Colonel Isaac Franks and Major Benjamin Nones.Read a fascinating article (Boston Globe's Boston.com) on minorities who fought in the war.The American Revolution is 235 years old, but information on the country's first patriots is still being brought back to life. The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are lineage organizations and accept… -
JewishGen: ViewMate improvements
8 Feb 2010 | 3:55 amNew social networking features will be added to JewishGen's ViewMate feature from February 20.Participants submit letters, documents and photos for translation and to identify people, clothing, artifacts, etc., to ViewMate and post about the item on the discussion group lists. Readers can then go to the link and provide assistance.-- Visitors to the ViewMate Image Gallery will see the number of responses each item has received.-- When visitors view any image, they will see responses submitted -- just as users of blogs and other social media sites see comments posted.-- Volunteers will see… -
Los Angeles: The Jewish Body, Feb. 15
8 Feb 2010 | 3:19 amEmory University professor anthropology Melvin Konner will explore traditional Jewish and non-Jewish views about the Jewish body at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Los Angeles, on Monday, February 15.The free event begins at 7.30pm, at Sha'arei Am -The Santa Monica Synagogue, 1448 18th St., Santa Monica.The Jewish Body: An Anthropological/Genealogical View" will explore such issues as circumcision, menstruation and other religious issues, Jewish strength and weakness, anti-Semitic ideas about Jewish physique and diseases, the revival of the body in Zionism, cosmetic… -
TV: Genealogy shows we want to see
7 Feb 2010 | 11:56 pmOur favorite creative geneablogger, Thomas MacEntee, has produced a list of genealogy shows that we'd all like to see.Do we have a T-shirt entrepreneur out there who can see the possibilities of producing some of these for sale at upcoming genealogy conferences?Although his post at "Destination: Austin Family" called these "failed genealogy television shows," Tracing the Tribe believes it's just because no one in TV Land is smart enough to actually produce these!CAVEAT: Do not read this list or his original post while eating or drinking. At the least, cover your keyboard with plastic!There's… -
Jamboree 2010: Librarians' genealogy boot camp
7 Feb 2010 | 4:34 amWhen people first become interested in family history, they often ask the staff at their neighborhood public library.To help librarians help their visitors, the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) will offer a free three-hour Librarians' Genealogy Boot Camp at the group's Jamboree 2010 (June 11-16, Burbank), at the Marriott Burbank Hotel.The free two-session boot camp is scheduled for opening day, Friday, June 11, from 9am-noon.Who better to help librarians at this event than two of our famous colleagues, George G. Morgan and Drew Smith.George is an internationally recognized…
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The Geni Blog
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Profile of the Day: Mary I, Queen of Scots
8 Feb 2010 | 2:15 pmOn this day in 1587 Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded : http://www.geni.com/people/Mary-I-Queen-of-Scots/6000000003234018546 -
New Feature: Documents
5 Feb 2010 | 10:11 pmOne of the most important aspects of genealogy is documenting your research through sources and citations. Today we’ve taking an important step towards adding sources to Geni by adding support for documents. Documents are a great way to add census records, ship manifests, birth certificates, and more to your relative’s profiles. Just like photos and videos, you can add date and location information and tag documents to add them to related profiles.Supported file formats include PDF, or any image format, such as .jpg, .tiff, .gif, etc., with full support for multiple page documents. -
New Look: Navigation and Search
5 Feb 2010 | 10:10 pmFaster Navigation The next time you visit Geni you'll notice that our navigation bar has a fresh new look. The old tabs have been replaced with a clean navigation strip. But beauty is more than skin deep, so we've also made some changes to help you get where you want to go faster. Inbox is now a top level link so you can see how many messages you have from every page and view them in one click. We've also added a More menu to give you fast access to the most commonly used features: To make room for these new links, we've demoted videos, timeline, and statistics from top level tabs to the… -
New Feature: High quality video uploader
5 Feb 2010 | 10:03 pmUsers who have experienced compatibility issues with our standard video uploader can try our new High Quality video uploader. Because this uploader encodes the video on our server rather than on your computer, it should be compatible with virtually any computer configuration. If you've had issues uploading photos in the past, please try the new uploader and let us know how it works. Upload a video with the high quality video uploader -
Tree Enhancements
5 Feb 2010 | 10:02 pmFind person - When viewing a large tree it can be difficult to find the person you are looking for. Now you can type shift-f and enter the name of anyone in the tree you are viewing to jump directly to that person. Shift-F requires that the flash app have the keyboard focus, so with some browsers you'll find that you need to click somewhere on the tree (preferably the blank area between nodes) before Shift-F will work. Crop photos - Sometimes a profile photo looks great on a profile but is hard to see in the tree. Now you can use the "Resize photo" option in more menu to crop that profile's…
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We Tree
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WHO DAT in the 1920 Census?
7 Feb 2010 | 8:37 amSince this is Superbowl Sunday, I thought I'd point out ancestral connections I have to the two teams in the game. I struck out with Indianapolis, since I have zero family history in Indiana. I did find a connection to New Orleans, however. My great-grandparents, Noel Thibodeaux and Josephine Bourgaux were born in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. They moved around a lot, probably to find work, but -
Going to the Family History Expo in St. George?
6 Feb 2010 | 7:12 amThe 6th Annual St. George Family History Expo is February 26 and 27. If you plan on going, check out the Find My Ancestor blog where there is a contest going for 2 free tickets to the Expo. I had a great time at the Family History Expo in Mesa. I expect St. George will be just as much fun. -
Follow Friday Starring Elyse's Genealogy Blog
5 Feb 2010 | 9:56 amThis week's choice in my not very regular Follow Friday series was an easy one to make. The author of this blog is one of the most enthusiastic people I know. She's very passionate about genealogy and possesses a natural ability to teach others about genealogy as well. Technically, she's one of the younger genea-bloggers out there, yet I never seem to notice her age because she is beyond her -
52 Weeks to Better Genealogy: Week 5
4 Feb 2010 | 10:27 amWe are already on week 5 of 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy, a series written by a vertically challenged book nerd and graciously hosted at Geneabloggers.com. This week's task is as follows: Play with WorldCat.org. WorldCat is a massive network of library content that the public can search for free (user name and password not required). Not every library is a part of WorldCat, but the vast size of -
Anatomy of a Military Pension File, Part 10
2 Feb 2010 | 7:23 amPreviously, I reported on the acquisition of my great-great-great grandfather's military pension file. The documents contained within pant a picture of a man and his family about which I knew very little. I've decided to share this 103-page treasure chest of information with you a few pages at a time.Page 25: Statement as to Hospital Treatment While in Service. This document appears to be the
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DNA - Genealem's Genetic Genealogy
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Two New TV Series Based on Genealogy and Genetic Genealogy
1 Feb 2010 | 7:50 pmGreetings,There have been a lot of things happening with DNA testing these days and more yet to come so stay tuned to this blog. Currently, we have two new TV series focusing on genealogy in February and March.Dr. Henry Lewis Gates, Jr. is the first African American to have his entire genome sequenced and analyzed. Knome, Inc. of Cambridge Mass did the testing and will be featured on Professor Gates' new TV series The Faces of America.See: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/knome-featured-in-new-pbs-series-faces-of-america-with-henry-louis-gates-jr-83238922.htmlFebruary 10th begins a new… -
DNA Testing Solves Mysteries and Brings Family Together, part 2b
11 Jan 2010 | 1:33 pmDevine and O'Donoghue DNA SuccessThe following administrators offered these success stories for the Irish Roots magazine article. These examples show how relationships can be proved or disproved and how family oral history can be very helpful is providing clues. However, just as many times there is no oral history suggesting a surname change, but DNA testing can prove its existence. Devine DNA ProjectDNA testing has substantiated oral family history and given a clearer picture of the Devine families in Ireland. Project manager Donn Devine explains:According to an oral tradition preserved by… -
DNA Testing Solves Mysteries and Brings Family Together, part 2a
27 Dec 2009 | 9:39 pmThe following two articles (this one and the next one) are only a few of the many DNA Project success stories for those of Irish heritage. Success is often relevant to the tester and gaining any information or clues is a great relief when you are at a brick wall. These stories show a varying degree of success as more genealogy work is needed to find that common ancestor. Often, however, to find a location in Ireland for that search is a major break though that DNA testing can provide.Tally DNA SuccessMy journey for my Irish roots began in my late teens, after my grandfather died. He was a man… -
DNA Testing Solves Mysteries and Brings Family Together, part 1
27 Dec 2009 | 9:15 pmDNA Testing solves mysteries ...Although DNA Testing is beneficial to genealogists, others who have tested with the Genographic Project or have tested out of curiosity have become interested in their family history. Many mysteries have been solved through good genealogy research and DNA testing as well, including these with Irish connections:In 1948 Northwest Flight 4422 crashed in the remote mountains of Alaska. In 1997 the wreckage was found and two years later, a frozen human arm was discovered. Through the use of written documentation, fingerprints, and DNA, the arm was identified out of… -
Irish Roots Magazine, 2009 Fourth Quarter, Issue No. 72
27 Dec 2009 | 8:04 pmIrish Roots magazine is a must for those interested in Irish genealogy. What pleases me the most about it is that the term Irish Diaspora is commonly found among its pages. This is significant to the vast number of genealogists who claim Irish heritage and who are seeking to find their origins in Ireland. I am constantly impressed by the Ireland’s genuine interest in those who left Ireland over the centuries.This recent publication features some wonderful articles including Tracing The Caledonia Irish, Irish Diaspora in Mexico, Clans of Ireland, and, of course the inclusion of genetic…
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Genealogy Roots Blog
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Online Genealogy Records Directories - Moving
5 Feb 2010 | 9:06 amSome of my online directories of genealogy indexes and records are moving to new URLs. Here is a list of some of the most popular, along with their new URLs. Please update any links you may have to these webpages. Thank you! -JoeOnline Birth and Marriage Records Indexes for the USAwas at: http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/vitalrecords.htmlis now at:http://www.germanroots.com/vitalrecords.htmlWhat Passenger Lists Are Online?Internet Sources for Transcribed Passenger Records and Indexeswas at: http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/onlinelists.htmlis now… -
The German Roots (wee-monster) Website is Moving
3 Feb 2010 | 2:22 pmIf you have any links to my German Roots website, please update them - the old website will be going away soon. It was located at:German Roots: German Genealogy Resourceshttp://home.att.net/~wee-monster/It has moved to:http://www.germanroots.com/If you are linking to an interior webpage such as:What Passenger Lists Are Online?http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/onlinelists.htmlPlease change the URL to:http://www.germanroots.com/onlinelists.htmlPlease change any other links to the old "wee-monster" website you may have.Thank you kindly! :)-Joe Beine -
How I Found Some Genealogy Records for My German Ancestors
10 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pmLast year I obtained a marriage record from a church in Germany that was not available at the Family History Library. I thought this might be a helpful example of how you can sometimes find genealogy records by writing to churches or archives in Germany.My immigrant ancestors, August and Christine (Walter) Beine came to the US in 1880 with 7 of their children. August Beine was originally from a small German village called Grosseneder and Christine Walter came from another village called Siddinghausen. I have already researched their family lines in each of the villages, but I was not able to… -
Online Death Records and Indexes - New Additions and Updates
2 Jan 2010 | 8:56 amThe Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Directory has been updated with links to the following items...Alabama - Madison County: City of Huntsville Cemetery Burials SearchArkansas - Carroll County Historical and Genealogical Society - Cemetery Grave Marker Index - Yell County Cemetery RecordsCalifornia - Los Angeles County: Inglewood Park Cemetery Burials Index 1974-present; See: Online Los Angeles, California Death Records & IndexesConnecticut - Fairfield County CemeteriesFlorida - Broward County: Jewish Cemeteries (ongoing project) presently has Jewish burials in Evergreen Cemetery,… -
Recently Added Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes
12 Nov 2009 | 9:10 amLinks to the items listed below were recently added to: Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes or its supplementary state webpages.Alabama - Madison County Marriage License Index 1809-Feb 1973 (update: more years added)Delaware - Delaware State Birth Records, 1861-1908 from FamilySearch Labs (not yet complete)Georgia - Morgan County Marriage Records Searchable Database Hawaii- Hawaii State Archives Genealogy Indexes (includes some marriage indexes) Illinois - Cook County and Chicago: Historical Cook County Vital Records - Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates - Cook County Marriages…
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Appalachian History
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I say hurrah for Lincoln and the Union party! The Disunion party has committed treason
9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amWhen the dark clouds of war were gathering in the South in the spring of 1861, not everyone embraced the new cause. While some were eager to fight for a secessionist government, many others considered the impending war a wicked, treasonous undertaking and wanted no part of it.Indeed, a majority in the hills of Northwest Alabama, mostly poor yeomen dirt farmers, saw little value or reason in taking arms against the federal government. They recognized quite early that this was not their fight, but that of the landed gentry. It was obvious to the hill folk that the plantation owners and their… -
Children were especially afraid of the two of them, and would not pass near the little shack
8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amDuring the Depression the Federal Writers' Project provided wages for unemployed clerks, writers, editors, lawyers, teachers, librarians, and similar workers, and sought to compile anthologies of oral history, folklore, and music, as well as state, local and specialized guidebooks. The Virginia Writers' Project (VWP) was the state-sponsored segment of the Federal Writers' Project. The VWP collected over 3,850 items from 62 counties between mid-1937 and mid-1942.In 1991 Thomas E. Barden published 150 of the pieces from the VWP Collection (now housed at the University of Virginia) in… -
Listen Here: weekly Appalachian History podcast posts today
7 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amWe post a new episode of Appalachian History weekly podcast every Sunday. You can start listening right away by clicking the podcast icon over on the left side of your screen. If you'd rather grab the show off itunes for later listening, click here: We open today's show with a look at the childhood forces that shaped Roy Rogers before he became Roy Rogers. One of Hollywood's most famous cowboys wasn’t raised on a western ponderosa. Leonard Slye grew up west of Lucasville, OH on a small farm in Duck Run. We’ll pause in between things to catch up on a Calendar of Events in the region this… -
Now don't tell a soul I told you this...
5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am"Why--it's taken for granted that women are gossips by nature, by instinct and by training," said the Sparrow. "Women ought to deny that charge every time they hear it, too!" she exclaimed. "It's just one of the many accusations men have repeated over and over until they have come to believe it." The birds are used to hearing warm debates spring up between the Sparrows, shriek and flutter and prance for a while, and die amicably away. Their part is usually to provide a fair field and no favor, but when it comes up they sometimes listen, knowing that no marital infelicities can be brought… -
That is the peculiarity of gold mining; it is just like gambling
4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am"The gold," he mused; "yes, I will come to that. It was just by accident that I came across it; the site is now that of the Calhoun Mine. I was deer hunting, one day, when I kicked up something that caught my eye. I examined it, and decided that it was gold. The place belonged to Rev. Mr. Obarr, who, though a preacher, was a hard man, and very desperate.Engraving of gold miners in Georgia. Artist unknown. From "Gold-Mining in Georgia," Harper's New Monthly Magazine,(June to November 1879): p. 519. "I went to him, and told him that I thought I could find gold on his place if he would give me a…
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Smoky Mountain Family Historian
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Reduced Hours for Some South Mississippi Libraries
26 Jan 2010 | 4:36 pmResource Shelf blog alerts us to an article that appeared in the Sun Herald. Apparently several libraries in the Pine Forest Regional Library System serving Covington, Greene, Perry, and Stone Counties were closed for most of this month. They will now be reopening with reduced hours. The same article reports the reopening of the Bay St. Louis library in Hancock County (which had been a victim of Hurricane Katrina). -
Haiti's Libraries
25 Jan 2010 | 2:13 pmA librarian friend of mine had family members who were missionaries to Haiti. They have been evacuated from the country, but they have received some news of the situation with the libraries in the country.The oldest library in Port au Prince collapsed. This is the Bibliothèque Haïtienne des Pères du Saint Esprit. This is located in Saint Martial College. At least a portion of Haiti's national library has also collapsed.Many university libraries have collapsed. The St. Louis de Gonzague Library is weakened structurally but still standing.This is somewhat bad news for those researching their… -
Home Again
22 Jan 2010 | 7:57 amI'm finally back home in East Tennessee. I spent over a month in Mississippi caring for my parents. The good news is that Mom's cancer was caught early, and it appears that they have removed all cancerous tissues. She's still got some recovery time, but things are looking good. Thanks to everyone for their prayers during this difficult time. More later. -
Quick & Dirty Genealogy Research from the Hospital Room
14 Jan 2010 | 8:41 amI've been curious for a long time whether or not the Winsteads in Hamblen County, Tennessee are related to my Winstead line or not. My Winstead line is far enough back that I haven't really researched it very much, but I decided to just look at WorldConnect to see if I could determine if others have thought we have a common ancestor. Please realize that all of this needs to be documented and verified, and I'm not at all convinced that there are not errors in the trees I found on WorldConnect even though they do have a bit of documentation (not very thorough but more than most and with better… -
Football Humor
5 Jan 2010 | 5:58 pmThis morning I was reading the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, MS) before we brought Mom to the hospital for her surgery prep. As I was reading, I noticed that Mississippi Valley State University had announced the top candidates for its vacant football coaching position. At the top of the list was Charlie Brown. I immediately began laughing as I pictured Lucy holding that football and jerking it away at the last moment while Charlie Brown once again landed flat on his back. I'm sure that many other readers had the same picture run through their minds as they read that article. I…
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West in New England
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"HEE SAID SHEE SAID": A LITTLE BUTTERY CONVERSATION
6 Feb 2010 | 10:45 pmAs much as Mary Gates' outburst at Sunday meeting must have been the subject ofmuch conversation, I think it must have paled in comparison to the followingincident. It's a classic case of "he said she said" on a subject that might outragepeople even in 21st century America. And there were my ancestors John andMary Prescott as witnesses right in the middle of it.A few notes: Lancaster was known by the Indian name Nashaway originally andthe buttery referred to in Cambridge was a store room for kegs and caskets ofwine and liquor, not dairy products.And I've boldfaced the statement Goodwife Hall… -
THE THIRD ANNUAL WEST IN NEW ENGLAND GENIE AWARDS
5 Feb 2010 | 11:03 pmOnce again it's the time of year when awards are handedout, even in the geneablogging community. As a member ofthe AGFH(Academy of Genealogy & Family History) it;s mypleasure to select the best blog posts in five differentcategories So without further ado, here are my picks for the2009 West in New England Genie Awards!Best Picture-The gravestone of John Cutter West (1802-1862).I didn't post very many pictures to the blog in `09 but even if I hadI'd choose this one. It reminds me of the location beside thehighway and of the nearby headstones of his granchildren who haddied in the diptheria… -
THE CARNIVAL OF GENEALOGY IS UP!
5 Feb 2010 | 9:08 pmThe 89th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is up over at Jasia'sCreative Gene blog and the assignment was to write a poemsuitable for use as an introduction to a book or video on your family'shistory. Eighteen geneabloggers took the challenge and the resultsare outstanding. Be sure to check them out!As per usual, Jasia then issued the call for submissions to the nextCOG:"The topic for the next edition (#90!) of the COG will be: TheThird Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It'sAcademy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy andFamily History, aka AGFH, to honor their best… -
THE CASE OF MARY GATES
1 Feb 2010 | 9:42 pmBack before the holidays and before I had computer problems I added some booksto my Google Books library that dealt with some of my family lines or that werehistories of the towns where my ancestors lived. I had great success finding informationabout my ancestors from Google Books that also provided me with plenty of materialfor my blog and I'm hoping my luck with that will hold in 2010.First up is a series of documents from a book about Lancaster, Ma. where myancestors John Prescott and Simon Willard(among others) lived. These pertainto a young lady named Mary Gates who got herself into a… -
SATURDAY NIGHT GENEALOGY FUN: MAKE A CALENDAR!
31 Jan 2010 | 11:18 amWell, I'm a day late with Randy Seaver's Saturday Night GenealogyFun challenge:1) Open your genealogy software or family tree program of choiceand make yourself the highlighted person.2) Find out how to create a Calendar to show birthdays and/oranniversaries of yourself and all of your ancestors (or all relatives,or all persons - your choice!). The "Help" button is your friendhere!!! It can be done in all of the current software programs. 3) Create your calendar. Pretty it up if you want. Save it. Canyou show us a page from your calendar - say January 2010?4) Which of your ancestors (or…
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A light that shines again
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"So grant him life...": Reviving the memory of Patrick Tierney
15 Jan 2010 | 5:55 amHaving researched the life of suffering and trial of my Irish-immigrant great-great-grandfather Patrick Tierney and recently having shared his naturalization papers "...swear by the oaths he swore..." while I treasured his personal signature on those documents, "...subdue your pen to his handwriting..." having remembered that it was only sixty years after his death that most of his descendants had no knowledge of even his name, "...let his forgotten griefs be now, and now his withered hopes..." and searching now for documents, histories, anything that might give me a glimpse into his life,… -
Tierney family treasure: Patrick's naturalization papers, 1876
3 Jan 2010 | 5:49 amIt was one-hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was the year that the Sioux and Cheyenne defeated Custer and his troops at Little Big Horn. It was the year that baseball's National League was founded, and that prominent Boston resident Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone. The year 1876 was also of personal importance for another Boston resident, my great-great-grandfather Patrick Tierney. On September 14, 1876 Patrick Tierney (and his wife Catherine by virtue of their marriage two years previous) became citizens of the United States. -
The night before Christmas in Ireland (Advent Calendar: Christmas Eve)
24 Dec 2009 | 7:46 amBreaking the fast, watching for angels standing on the spike of every holly leaf, and being sure to say your prayers - because every Irish child knows that all prayers said on Christmas Eve are answered... These are some of the memories of childhood Christmases in Ireland shared by Brigit Haggerty in her essay An Irish Christmas—The Night Before. Perhaps my favorite part of her descriptive remembrances is this recollection and realization: Drifting off to sleep, I can vaguely recall hushed voices in the other room, bits and pieces of Handel's Messiah, and a feeling of pure contentment. It… -
On French Hens, a Partridge and God Himself (Advent Calendar: Christmas Music)
21 Dec 2009 | 7:40 amIn the spirit of the true meaning of Christmas, I was planning to write a post about the well-loved carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. I had learned several years ago that the objects throughout the carol had hidden meanings - they represented various aspects of the Christian faith. I understood that the carol had been written for use by persecuted English and Irish Catholics during the time of England's Protestant reformation. Or so I thought... After a little bit of research on the subject (much thanks to Douglas Anderson's Hymns & Carols of Christmas website) I have learned enough… -
"Mass-going feet" and "a frosty dawn" (Advent Calendar: Religious Services)
19 Dec 2009 | 9:00 pmEvery child has strong memories of Christmas mornings. The joy of the long-awaited day's arrival; the gift-giving; the beauty of the morning shared with family. Many Irish children in days gone by remembered the outdoor beauty of the morning of Christ's birth as they made their way to early morning Mass with their families. Patrick Kavanagh, a well-loved Irish poet of recent times, has written a beautiful poem which brings to life his memories of those Christmas mornings. Here is a portion of his poem, A Christmas Childhood. Kavanagh's vivid description of the morning preparations and the…
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All My Ancestors
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Perspective and a Book Review
7 Feb 2010 | 1:17 pmI received and read this book this past week. I discovered its existence last week. As I’ve been blogging, I’ve been working on my Mitchell line. Mary Mitchell was the wife of John B. Cooper and they were the parents of George C. and Rebekah Ann Cooper. Both of these children were orphaned by shortly after the Civil War. I am descended from George C. Cooper–he was my great-grandfather. The author of From Flour Sacks to Satin is the granddaughter of Rebekah Ann, or “Annie” as she was known. I did not know my great-grandfather–he died almost 20… -
. . . and one more [WorldCat] thing
1 Feb 2010 | 5:09 pmHave you used the OAISTER part of WorldCat? There was a Facebook posting about it after I wrote my original post for this week. This is the answer to all of us who have wished for a catalog of materials that have been digitized and put online–“books and articles, audio and video files, photos, data sets, theses and research papers” to quote the WorldCat blog. I’ve used it when it was housed at the University of Michigan, but I played with it some more and I was amazed at the breadth of what was available, including interviews and photos. Have fun! -
The Researcher’s Toolbox: WorldCat
30 Jan 2010 | 9:30 amWritten for 52 Weeks To Better Genealogy – Challenge #5 I love WorldCat. I downloaded the app onto my iPhone, thinking, as a librarian, I should have it there, but not imagining that I would ever use it. Not so. I have used it multiple times when I’ve found myself away from my computer and wondering about the availability of a title. WorldCat is an uber catalog. When folks at the library where I work ask me about a title we don’t have within our 4 walls, I nearly always offer to do a lookup for them in WorldCat. Most of them don’t know what WorldCat is, so… -
NEGHS, Patsy, and John
22 Jan 2010 | 10:18 amSince I never met a database I didn’t like, I took advantage of the New England Historical and Genealogical Society’s offer to WorldVitalRecord subscribers for 10% off the membership fee. I’ve heard such good things about this society and its holdings, I thought it was a safe purchase. I have no New England ancestors that I know of. I do have that one line that was in New York City fairly early, so maybe that counts. I tend to think of New England ancestors as being in places other than the Big Apple. But I am a genealogy librarian, so I think of this as a… -
The End of an Era
9 Jan 2010 | 2:40 pmAnother farm auction was held out in the Texas panhandle today. It was the auction of my uncle’s farm equipment. He’s my dad’s suviving sibling and tomorrow is his 82nd birthday. He’s farmed my grandparents’ place since their deaths in the ’80s. This was his last year to farm and when the family LLC voted to sell the farm, the bid submitted by my brothers and me was 2nd highest. So the farm has passed out of the family. And my uncle’s equipment was sold today. It was probably very cold and my cousin said her dad was going to be there no…
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All My Branches Genealogy
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Membership Lists (Part I)
16 Jan 2010 | 7:29 amRecently, I posted the article, Helping Hands, for the 88th Carnival of Genealogy’s theme on “Volunteerism”. That post started the wheels in my brain turning, and I wondered, “Just what type of organizations did my family and ancestors join? What were their roles? How long did they continue their associations? What type of ‘rules’ were required or the type of paperwork submitted in order to become affiliated with those groups?” So let’s dig in and find out! (Note: when I started writing this article several days ago, I didn’t realize… -
Helping Hands
4 Jan 2010 | 7:45 pmVolunteer as a noun is defined by Dictionary.com as: a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking or a person who performs a service willingly and without pay. Volunteerism is defined by the same source as above as: the policy or practice of volunteering one’s time or talents for charitable, educational, or other worthwhile activities, esp. in one’s community. I pondered how being a volunteer and volunteerism correlated with my family history and genealogy. I can remember many activities that my mother took part in that would qualify as… -
Monday Morning Musings
4 Jan 2010 | 5:08 amWhy can I not seem to find my paternal great-grandfather’s Ohio Death Certificate on the family search site? He died in 1924, well within the range that has been digitized and posted. Surname: HOUSE. I’ve even gone so far as to enter in variations: Howse, Hows, Hous, Louse, Lows, etc. I’ve just entered the date of death – Oct. 1, 1924 and the county – or one or the other. I’ve had no luck at all. When people upload family information to the Rootsweb World Connect database, do they actually pay attention to dates? I only use the information as an… -
Best 2009 Genea-Moment(s)!
3 Jan 2010 | 2:56 pmI’m a day late on a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun post (thanks for the topic, Randy Seaver, of Genea-Musings!). Several of my Best of 2009 moments came from items that fell into my lap so to speak. After my mother passed away, I found many documents and photos that I hadn’t been looking for, but was very excited to find. My maternal grandparents’ framed Marriage Certificate, my maternal grandmother’s parents’ marriage certificate and their parents’ marriage certificates! Birth Certificates for my mother and her siblings and my maternal grandparents. My… -
My Nash Connections
1 Jan 2010 | 11:59 amThe parents of my great-grandfather – Joseph Napolean Wilt – were Israel Isaac Wilt and Christine (or Christena) Nash. I haven’t delved into the Nash family very deeply and wonder if I’ve really scratched the surface. One of my resolutions, posted in I Resolved To . . ., is to pick another branch of my family to research. After all, my grandmother’s middle name was Christena – after her grandmother. Christena Nash was the daughter of Alexander Nash and Elsie. Elsie’s name has been spelled Elcie, Elsy, and Elsie. Her surname has been listed…
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Amy's Genealogy, etc. Blog
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Revised edition of Ohio Towns and Townships
20 Jan 2010 | 1:22 pmAccording to Tom Neel, Library Director at the Ohio Genealogical Society, OGS will be printing a revised edition of Ohio Towns and Townships to 1900: A Location Guide. OGS would like to hear from anyone with additions and corrections for inclusion in the new edition. If you have such information, email ogs@ogs.org and put Ohio Towns & Townships in the subject line. OGS will collect data until mid-March. -
OhioCivilWar150.org
20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amThe Ohio Historical Society has just launched a new website to raise awareness of Ohio’s role in the Civil War: OhioCivilWar150.org. The site features: Digital collections, such as Ohio regimental battle flags A timeline of Civil War events News about upcoming events Discussion forum A section for teachers I am looking forward to watching this site grow as we get closer to the sesquicentennial in 2011. (Is that really only a little more than a year away?!) -
Lincoln Collection at the Allen County Public Library
26 Sep 2009 | 9:42 amEver since the announcement that the documents from the Lincoln Collection at the former Lincoln Museum would move to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, I’ve been anxious to see just what treasures are in the collection. If the first round of digital images are any indication, the collection is beyond “cool.” When the Lincoln Museum closed, the Lincoln Financial Foundation gave the artifacts to the Indiana State Museum and the records to the Allen County Public Library. Work has begun on digitizing the records and posting them online. The images that… -
Online petition to save the Library of Michigan
7 Sep 2009 | 6:56 amMichigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has issued Executive Order 2009-36, abolishing the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries. This order abolishes the Library of Michigan and disperses the collection. This would be a travesty not only to the people of Michigan, but to the entire United States. The Library of Michigan is one of the most highly respected state libraries in the country. This is an extremely short-sighted approach to solving the state’s economic woes. The Records Preservation and Access Committee, sponsored by the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the National… -
Save Ohio’s Public Libraries
24 Jun 2009 | 2:57 pmGovernor Ted Strickland’s proposed state budget includes a nearly 50% cut in the state’s Public Library Fund. This will be devastating to all public libraries, especially to the approximately two-thirds of public libraries that don’t receive local funding. In such difficult economic times, public libraries play an increasingly important role in society. They provide vital Internet access. (Think of how many employers today require applicants to fill out online applications.) They assist students. They provide education, such as computer training. Without these services,…
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AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors
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Frugal Genealogy: Photos
9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amWishing you had a photo of your ancestor, her home, or her tombstone? Check out both FindAGrave and Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK). Both sites have volunteers that will offer to take photographs; FindAGrave volunteers are limited to tombstone photos only. However, see if FindAGrave already has a memorial page for your ancestor. The above photo is of Martha Susan (DEADMOND) WILBOURN, my husband's 3rd-great-grandmother, which I found on a memorial page for her after casually clicking on the "Find all Wilbourns in Chico Cemetery" link while viewing her daughter's memorial… -
Madness Monday: Update to James W. BARBER in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census
8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amWhen I wrote my Madness Monday post two weeks ago on the enumeration of James W. BARBER in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, I had a reader, Kathy Nitsch, send me some information that corrected and clarified what I had written in that post. In it, I had written, "...James was renting the farm and listed as an employee..." On the census sheet, James has "Emp" listed in column 20. Using Google, I looked up the list of abbreviations for the 1910 census, and on several sites I found, "Emp" was listed as standing for "employee." However, Kathy referred me to a website that had the enumerator… -
GeneaBlogger 2010 Winter Games
7 Feb 2010 | 4:53 pmIn the Summer of 2008, AnceStories hosted the opening ceremonies of the GeneaBlogger 2008 Summer Games. Genealogy bloggers were encouraged to enter the games and compete to the high standards of blogging, research, and citation. Readers and other bloggers who were too busy to participate in the events became our cheering spectators, as 35 bloggers representing three nations and a diversity of heritages and cultures competed to earn medals designed by the talented footnoteMaven. The GeneaBlogger Games corresponded with the 2008 Summer Olympics, and in the same vein, the upcoming GeneaBlogger… -
52 Weeks of Online American Digital Archives and Databases: Colorado
7 Feb 2010 | 1:40 pmThis is the fifth post in a weekly series of Online American Digital Archives and Databases found for free at state, county, municipal, college and university history, library, and archive websites, as well as public and private library and museum sites, and historical and genealogical society sites.(Sorry for the delay in posting--Firefox crashed right before I finished researching and listing all my resources. Although I had continuously saved my post while blogging, somehow it reverted back to an earlier version and I had to re-write everything!) Colorado State Archives -… -
Surname Saturday: TUINSTRA
6 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amThe surname TUINSTRA is Frisian for "from the garden." Friesland is a province and a ethnic area in the northwest of the Netherlands. My TUINSTRA ancestors were gardeners both before and after their immigration to the United States in 1874. They lived in the Franeker area for many generations; around 1852, they moved to the Sneek area. Franeker and Sneek are cities that were known for their produce and cheese markets respectively, so they must have lived in or near these cities and farmed outside the communities, selling their produce in town.The TUINSTRAs were a part of a mass migration from…
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Ancestor Search Blog
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Free Online Backup Storage for Your Genealogy Files
26 Jan 2010 | 12:41 pmGoogle recently announced that any file type can now be uploaded to Google Docs storage. Google gives 1 GB of storage for free and more storage if you pay. A single file upload is limited to 250 MB. Google says “This makes it easy to backup more of your key files online, from large graphics and raw photos to unedited home videos taken on your smartphone.” Look for a “bubble notification” -
Additional Google Search Options
16 Jan 2010 | 6:15 amGoogle just added additional search filters to its Search Options. You can find the Search Options side bar by clicking Show options on the blue bar above your search results on the Google Search Results Page (the page of results you get after you have entered a query into the Google search box). Search Options helps the user filter search results by different criteria without opening a new -
A Look at Ancestry's Improved Search
10 Jan 2010 | 8:58 amAncestry.com has made a huge improvement to its search wildcard functionality. Previously, you had to enter the first three characters of a name and then the wild cards * or a ?. Now you can use a wildcard for the first, second or third letter in a name. The changes to the use of wildcards are: You can put a wildcard in any character position including the first, second, or third -
Google Picasa Desktop Face Recognition
4 Dec 2009 | 6:57 amGoogle has released Picasa 3.5, the newest version of their free photo editing software for Mac or PC.Picasa 3.5 has many new features, but the one that will appeal to genealogists is that the incoporation of face recognition software which can help name the unknown people in old family photos. It also automatically organizes the photos into albums for each person.Previously, to use Google's face -
Legacy Holiday Sale
3 Dec 2009 | 6:23 amLegacy Family is offering all Legacy Family Tree 7.0 software at $10 off until December 31, 2009. No coupon code needed.Through December 31st, Legacy is offering a number of ways to save:Save $10 off any new Legacy 7.0 software purchase for yourself. (Go to Legacy and Click on Legacy Products in left column) This includes:Legacy 7.0 Deluxe Bundle Legacy 7.0 Deluxe (with User's Guide and CD)
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Beloved Eleanor
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The Seven Ages of Britain
7 Feb 2010 | 12:09 pmHands up who’s seen this new programme presented by David Dimbleby? I watched it on BBC1 last Sunday, second episode tonight. You can also catch it on the iPlayer… I really enjoyed it – not so much the speeding through history, and starting with the Romans – which always annoys me intensely. No, it was Dimbleby’s obvious enthusiasm, and the fact we get to see treasures of Britain which we normally don’t for various reasons. Tonight, I’m hopeful that there will be a section about Eleanor, as in the preview they have shown my favourite cross at… -
What a Difference a Few Years Make
1 Feb 2010 | 2:03 pmJust a quick one. I’ve been going through some old sites and services that I joined when I first started blogging. I might delete a few more of them yet, but whilst weeding one I noticed just how many blogs that I added between mostly 2007/2008 had disappeared. I’m not just talking about changing sites, names, announcing a break etc etc, just disappeared without a word. I have to say, if I ever decide to close up shop here, I will tell you. It seemed kind of sad to me that many people I followed and spoke with had gone from the blogosphere altogether. Especially those that… -
Why Am I Haunted by Venice?
30 Jan 2010 | 2:03 pmFor some reason at the beginning of this week, for at least three nights in a row I dreamt about Venice. Why? I just don’t know. I haven’t watched, read, looked at or otherwise done anything remotely involving Venice. Yet, here we are. I should explain my relationship with Venice, such as it is. Years ago, I think it was when I was in my mid to late teens my maternal Aunt bought me a book called Tregaron’s Daughter by Madeleine Brent. My Aunt, it should be said was, and is, a fabulous book and trinket supplier Tregaron’s Daughter is a mystery story set in… -
Burns Night
24 Jan 2010 | 3:01 pmI have a confession to make – I have never eaten Haggis. No, not even the vegetarian kind (yes, there is one). Today is Robert Burns’ birthday, and therefore will be Burns Night, where it is traditional to celebrate by eating Haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) as a Burns Supper. Not heard of Burns? Robert Burns (b 1759) is a Scottish poet, and you will have heard of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ one of his most famous works. Sadly for Rab, you will also see him on a lot of shortbread packets and tins as he also means a lot to the tourism industry! So Happy… -
Rihanna – Russian Roulette
24 Jan 2010 | 2:24 pmFirst time I’ve liked a Rihanna song, just find this one really addictive! Click here to view the embedded video.
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CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt'
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January Genealogy - Finds and Favourites
4 Feb 2010 | 11:59 amCanadaGenealogy, or, Jane's Your Aunt isn't a baby anymore. She is now five years old! Her first post was 3 February, 2005. Seems like yesterday, really.I've planned to do a few new things on the blog this year. Other bloggers. like Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings are already featuring 'best of genealogy' posts of the month or week. I do appreciate those lists, but wouldn't want to do quite the same thing.Since I spend quite a bit of time on the 'net, sometimes, it seems, just wandering around admiring little nuggets and niches here and there, I thought I'd share some of each month's 'finds and… -
Fountain, Stanley Park, Vancouver - Treasure Chest Thursday
28 Jan 2010 | 9:25 amThe Fountain, Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, Canada 'Linen' postcard; coloured, unused. The Coast Publishing Company, Vancouver, BC. (C.P. 128). Late 1930s? Private collection.The Stanley Park fountain in Lost Lagoon was opened in 1936 to celebrate Vancouver's Golden Jubilee. The coloured light displays were an original feature. The fountain was restored in 1986 - for Expo, the World Exposition on Transportation and Communication.The Tacoma Public Library has another Stanley Park postcard [ID # Fleming-131] showing a different view of the fountain - from the same company and likely from about… -
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - My Other Interests
23 Jan 2010 | 7:46 pmIt's Saturday night - time for Genealogy Fun - and this week Randy Seaver at GeneaMusings has challenged genea-bloggers to tell all - that is, to tell about our "other" hobbies or interests outside of genealogy and family history research, writing, speaking, etc.Well, it's true that there aren't many days that I'm not researching at a library or archives, or teaching or speaking about, or at the very least thinking about genealogy and family history, but like Randy, I do have a life, honest!I too have friends and a family and there are two special fuzzy critters here, Odette and Gilles, who… -
Vancouver House Historian James Johnstone on CBC Radio One - Jan 15 - Celebrating a Jazz Anniversary
12 Jan 2010 | 10:16 amDid you know that jazz great Jelly Roll Morton once lived and played at the Patricia Hotel in Vancouver? CBC Radio One's 'On The Coast' will be broadcasting from the hotel on January 15th, 2010 from 3 to 6 pm to commemorate the 90th anniversary of one of his shows. There's a concert in the evening too.Vancouver's House Historian, James Johnstone, will be on this special edition of 'On The Coast' talking about the history of the city's East End. He's been researching the East End for years, but wanted to learn more about the Patricia Hotel before the show and now has a very useful, well… -
Upcoming Genealogy & Gaelic Classes - Vancouver Area
11 Jan 2010 | 8:17 amComing up at the Community Centred College for the Retired - Burnaby BC. You need not be retired to register for these classes!Beginning this week - 8 week sessions with 8 - 2 hour classesGenealogy with M. Diane Rogers (Mondays)Internet Genealogy with M. Diane Rogers (Wednesdays)Also of special interest -Gaelic with Murdo MacIver (Fridays)Many other classes available, including these that may be of interest to genealogists and family historians: Digital Photography, Digital Photo Albums, Hands on Technology, Creative Writing and various languages - Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, French, Sign…
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Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe
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"Faces of america" Series on PBS Starts 10 February
7 Feb 2010 | 8:06 amThere will be a new four part PBS documentary series starting in February hosted by Henry Louis Gates, who previously hosted two series of "African American Lives."The "Faces of America" series will explore the heritage of eleven luminaries of various races. Included in the list is author Malcolm Gladwell, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, former champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, television actress Eva Longoria, and Oscar-winning legend Meryl Streep.The series will be broadcast nationally on Wednesdays, February 10, 17, 24 and March 3, 2010 from 8-9 p.m. Paciufic Time on PBS (Channel 11 on Cox Cable… -
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - February 2010
2 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pmThe Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for February 2010 include:** Wednesday February 10, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.** Wednesday, February 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab. We… -
"Who Do You Think You Are?" TV Shown on NBC
29 Jan 2010 | 10:39 amNBC recently announced its post-Winter Olympics schedule. Of major interest to genealogists is the introduction of "Who Do You Think You Are?" which has been a hit on British television for several years. The US-oriented show will air every Friday night at 8 to 9 PM (Eastern, Mountain and Pacific time, 7 p.m. Central time), starting March 5 through April 23.“Who Do You Think You Are?” gives viewers an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities. Among the celebrities featured are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee,… -
"Searching the Past, Looking to the Future" program summary
28 Jan 2010 | 7:51 amSusi Pentico was the program speaker at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting on Wednesday, 27 January on "Searching the Past, Looking to the Future." There were 32 persons at the meeting, including four guests.In her presentation, Susi defined three "genealogy eras" - before 1970, 1970 to about 2010, and the future. Using her knowledge and experience doing genealogy from the last 50 years, she discussed the changes in record access, recording methods and social contacts over the three eras. She used her own family research stories and photographs to illustrate her comments.The… -
"Faces of America" on PBS starting 10 February
27 Jan 2010 | 2:31 pmThere will be a new four part PBS documentary series starting in February hosted by Henry Louis Gates, who previously hosted two series of "African American Lives." The "Faces of America" series will explore the heritage of eleven luminaries of various races. Included in the list is author Malcolm Gladwell, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, former champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, television actress Eva Longoria, and Oscar-winning legend Meryl Streep.The series will be broadcast nationally on Wednesdays, February 10, 17, 24 and March 3, 2010 from 8-9 p.m. ET on PBS.For more information, check out…
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Donna’s Genealogy Blog
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Who Do You Think You Are?
1 Feb 2010 | 7:27 amIsn’t that why all of us started to explore our family history? Knowing about our past provides the connection between generations. There are lots of reasons why people are drawn to family history and genealogy...some for religious reasons, some to join a lineage society, some to pass on to children and grandchildren, and some for health reasons. There’s not a week that goes by recently when I haven’t seen or heard something about the importance of knowing your family health history. Alex Haley and Roots was a big influence and many started their research at that time. The Internet has… -
Irish Genealogy
25 Jan 2010 | 6:25 pmNo one said your Irish genealogy research would be easy, but that’s the fun of it. Although I do quite a bit of work for clients in Ireland, I get very little time to work on my own family. My trip to Ireland last summer allowed me to visit some Irish cousins, but I really didn’t spend any time delving into my family. Perhaps when I go this year, I get that chance. I plan to be in Ireland the first two weeks of July, so if you’re interested in any research, let me know. Some people have asked if I plan to take a group to Ireland to research. Although that’s not my plan for this year,… -
Salt Lake City
11 Jan 2010 | 7:52 pmI’ve just spent six days in Salt Lake City and am sitting at the airport, waiting for my flight home. I wish I had another week! For those of you who have visited the mecca of genealogical research I’m sure you know what I mean...for the rest of you, it’s a trip you need to make. This week is typically a “winter retreat” week for professional genealogists so there are plenty of friends here with whom to share that wonderful find. Today I found a will from 1678 that I didn’t think existed! I was doing the happy dance big time. One of the discussions that we’ve had this week is… -
My Favorite Document
4 Jan 2010 | 8:04 amIn the early 1990s, my oldest daughter Sarah was in 9th grade and had an independent study project to complete. She wanted to know more about the Moughty family and so began my involvement in family history. Just to set the record straight, she got an “A” on the project and I got hooked. As I’ve often mentioned, my family has no interest in family history and frequently refers to me as the “crazy lady who chases dead people.” We were discussing the project at our Sunday night dinner at my sister-in-laws and she excused herself and returned with a shoebox with papers that had… -
Genealogy Resolutions for 2010
1 Jan 2010 | 5:38 pmI hope you had a wonderful holiday and offer best wishes for a happy, productive and healthy New Year. It seems like only yesterday that we were contemplating Y2K and hoping that our computers would continue working (I didn’t really worry too much about that since I had a Mac). Now, here we are entering a new decade and our lives are definitely not the same. I was working full time, and trying to squeeze my genealogy into the limited free time I had (usually late at night). Today, though I still frequently work late into the night, I rarely have time to focus on my own family. Perhaps you…
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Genealogy Reviews Online
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Who Do You Think You Are?
6 Feb 2010 | 7:20 amThere's a lot of excitement building about the coming premier of Who Do You Think You Are (or WDYTYA if you are a part of the cool crowd), and I thought I might as well get on the bandwagon like everyone else. I just can't wait to see all of that acting excitement as these famous people sit there and watch someone else do their family history for them. I do plan on watching the series, but if, during the Emmit Smith episode, they show him dancing (and not on the football field) I will turn it off and probably not watch it anymore...showing him dancing just would not be right.I was… -
Diary of a Home Wine Maker Part II
18 Jan 2010 | 6:49 amA few days ago I wrote about my first attempt to make home-made wine. Yes, this series does apply to genealogy because home wine making was something my paternal ancestors did probably for centuries. Hey, my family is Italian, and wine was/is a staple of Italian life. Since my ancestors were dirt poor up until the middle of the 20th century, the only way they could have wine was to make it. The first phase of wine making consisted of mixing all of the ingredients from the kit (to include yeast) together in a food grade bucket called a primary fermenter (see the pic in the first post). … -
Naturalization Documents from Ancestry.com
16 Jan 2010 | 7:22 amA few days ago I wrote a post about whether I should subscribe to Ancestry.com. My concern was a recent search of the site produced naturalization documents for my paternal grandfather, but since I did not have a subscription, I couldn't access them. I received a lot of great comments suggesting I only subscribe for a month instead of spending all that money for an entire year. I haven't subscribed yet, but I did get my hands on those documents from Ancestry (my source shall remain nameless), and I couldn't be happier. Above are two different copies of the same document. The one on… -
To Subscribe or Not To Subscribe to Ancestry - That is the Question
10 Jan 2010 | 6:44 amI've been following all of the new things at Ancestry.com lately - to include Leland Meitzler's post about the blogger visit.With all the new happenings and excitement, I'm wondering if its time to subscribe again. I let my subscription expire about a year ago because of lack of usefulness. I had completely mined the site for my family info, and since I don't use the family tree function or the message boards (I'm slightly anti-social), there was no reason to continue paying the $300/year. Since they are rolling out new content, and bloggers appearing to only say positive things about… -
Diary of a Home Wine Maker Part I
9 Jan 2010 | 10:45 amEvery now and then I dive into projects related to my family history in order to have a better understanding of my ancestors. I know this will sound like heresy, but sometimes I get bored only looking for documents. While new primary source documents are often exciting to find, I often can't escape the feeling that I just want something more. A time machine would be nice, but since these are still a few years away technology-wise, I will settle for the ability to just experience some of the things as my ancestors experienced them. So far I've set out to experience only a few of these…
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The Chart Chick
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Breaking my silence.
21 Jan 2010 | 10:10 pmAs you know, if you follow me on facebook, twitter, or this blog, I have been unusually quiet lately. Being quiet isn't one of my strong suites you know. I have thought of it as a kind of drum roll leading up to a new product we are just about to launch. We have been ultra busy getting something really exciting ready for you. And we have a second FamilySearch certification under our belts as of last week. But it isn't quite ready yet. So keep your eyes glued and I'll have some wonderful things to show you shortly.But in the meantime I have to break my silence on two things. First, I was… -
A Christmas Present for You
23 Dec 2009 | 3:57 amSteven Kapp Perry sent me a link to his podcast in which he interviews Ron Tanner, product Manager for New FamilySearch. I hope you'll enjoy listening to it as an early Christmas Present. The last minute shipping deadlines pass today. It has been a great Christmas season for us and we are so thankful for our wonderful clients. We appreciate how open you have been as you have shared your families with us and let us mirror them back to you. And we hope that the charts we have done for you this season will remind your family members of the love and heritage that envelops them. I am gratified to… -
My first responsibility for UGA
8 Dec 2009 | 11:31 amYou will never believe what happened last Saturday at the UGA meeting. I accepted a nomination as Vice President because I knew I was running against some fabulous people and I could never be elected. You should have seen my face. Astounded isn't even the word.I'm so excited though. One of the things I really am passionate about is helping people improve their genealogy skills. I've grown tremendously with that the last couple of months and want to see others become better at it too. I'm amazed at how you can be a genealogist for many years and not necessarily get better at it. But UGA has… -
The vibes are goin' on...
8 Dec 2009 | 8:41 amThe last week has definitely been good for my ego. It is so nice to be appreciated by my peers. Especially people that I admire and appreciate so much. Lisa Alzo has passed me the Genea-Speak award. Thank you so much Lisa for the kind words. I'm so honored to receive it from you. It is given "for excellence in writing, speaking, and the promoting of good genealogical practices." The requirement upon receiving the award is to pass it on to at least two deserving recipients.I am going to send it on to the two people who have completely inspired me this last couple of months. Ancestry Insider… -
UGA Board Member.
30 Nov 2009 | 10:51 amSo guess what? Another bit of wonderful news this morning. You are reading the blog of a new Utah Genealogical Association board member. Whatdaya know? I hope I can be useful to them. I think it is quite possible that I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. Looking forward to our first meeting on Saturday. I'll let you know.More at www.thechartchick.com or go to www.generationmaps.com
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Granite in My Blood
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Tombstone Tuesday: Capt. Moses FISH
9 Feb 2010 | 8:34 amCapt. Moses FISHOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelWhen is a footstone not a footstone? When it is a headstone.I have no idea if this is a headstone for Cap't Moses FISH or if it is a footstone for a grave that is no longer there!It has his name but no more information like a footstone but it is larger like a headstone. -
Forgotten Cemeteries
8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amBack of Stewart Hill CemeteryOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelThe Graveyard Rabbit Carnival for March 2010 is "Forgotten Cemeteries"This is a view of the Stewart Hill Cemetery #39 in North Stonington, CT which is one of the first cemeteries that I visited when I began this adventure. If it wasn't for my friend, Gladys Chase of the North Stonington Historical Society, I would never have found it.This small family cemetery is nearby to what once was the family homestead. In the photo in that link, you can see the stone wall and part of one of the monuments to the far left of the photo. This… -
Change is Good?
7 Feb 2010 | 12:13 pmFlowers of RemembranceOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelI've made some changes here at Granite-in-My-Blood and I hope you like them. The new feature of Blogger is called "Pages" and I can add several to the top of where the blog posts. I chose a new template which I hope will be easier to read. Please let me know how you like the new look. Nothing is set in stone (OK, so that's a little gravestone humor!) -
Headstone Detail
7 Feb 2010 | 5:21 amHeadstone DetailOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelThis is a portion of the headstone detail that I photographed the first time I went to the Gallup Burying Ground. -
Look at the Back!
7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amReplacement HeadstoneOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelIt is important to note ALL sides of the headstone, footstone and any large monument for any gravestone you take. Yes, it will take time but you won't be sorry.I am taking my digital voice recorder to the cemetery with me and I am going to voice record if there is nothing on the sides or back of gravestones.Notice this gravestone indicates it was a replica of the original headstone and that it was made in 1996.
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HollingsworthRobbinsFamilyTree
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PDFmyURL.com - Convert and save pdf from any webpage for free
24 Jan 2010 | 7:29 amPDFmyURL.com - Convert and save pdf from any webpage for free -
HollingsworthRobbinsFamilyTree: Bellingham, Whatcom County Local News Bellingham Herald
1 Dec 2009 | 6:36 pmHollingsworthRobbinsFamilyTree: Bellingham, Whatcom County Local News Bellingham Herald -
Bellingham, Whatcom County Local News Bellingham Herald
1 Dec 2009 | 6:18 pmMonday, Nov. 30, 2009Neither Llew Hollingsworth nor Janet Boyhan is especially devoted to baking, but they can't help but be captivated by the Port of Bellingham's annual gingerbread contest.The same might be said of the many people who view their delectable creations."It's so much fun and it makes people smile," said Boyhan, who lives near Everson and delights in creating unusual and historic gingerbread structures.Hollingsworth, a Bellingham resident who is retired from teaching English at Burlington-Edison High School, has won three consecutive senior division titles, beginning with her… -
Honor Roll of Family Veterans, Birth and Death Dates, Branches of Service, and Known Military Dates of Service
11 Nov 2009 | 8:18 amPhillip Andrew Robbins, 1990-; Active US Army Reserves; College Student, Oklahoma, 2008-2009; son of Charles Anthony Robbins, Regina Pearl Wilder Robbins Russell, and Teri Lynn Hefley Ashbrook Robbins; grandson of Kenneth Charles, Una Patricia Munsey Robbins, and Linda Sue Hollingsworth Littlejohn Robbins.Michael Jason McNabb, 1987-; Active US Army, COS Speicher, Iraq, 2008-2009; son of Carey Michael McNabb and Nancy Lynn Robbins Schmitz McNabb Sullivan; grandson of Albert L. Bud McNabb, Betty Soehnholz McNabb, Kenneth Charles Robbins, Una Patricia Munsey Robbins, and Linda Sue Hollingsworth… -
67 Year Old Memory Comes Alive for Babysitter
3 Oct 2009 | 8:10 amSisters Linda Sue and Llewellyn Hollingsworth Hear from Thirteen-Year Old Babysitter 67 Years LaterI received a phone call today that I thought was from a stranger, but as it turns out, was someone who knew me when I, Linda Sue Hollingsworth, and my sister, Llewellyn Hollingsworth, were born in Linden, Cass County, Texas in 1942 and 1943. It was our then 13-year old babysitter, Martha Ann Whittenberg, whose parents were David and Jane Whittenberg. They also lived in Linden at the same time until 1957. Today Martha Ann Whittenberg Wynn, 80 years old, lives in Tyler, Texas. It was such a…
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huffenglish.com
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Evernote
7 Feb 2010 | 8:27 amI registered for Evernote and have had the app on my iPhone for a long time now, but I admit I really didn’t know what to do with it. It seemed perfect for students who needed to organize their notebooks. I was excited that Curio had Evernote support, but again, I wasn’t sure how that might help me. It was a case of being excited about the potential of a product but not really knowing how it can benefit me. Until Jillian Ratti gave me an idea. When Jim Burke described his new organizational method, and I posted my own response, Jillian commented on my Facebook profile that she… -
Diigo Links (weekly)
7 Feb 2010 | 12:33 amstaticgirl’s Gallery Comic version of Wuthering Heights (work in progress). tags: bronte, wutheringheights, english, literature, reading, comics, british Google Features That Make Teachers’ Lives Easier Part 2 – Wonder Wheel and Timeline Using the Wonder Wheel and Timeline when searching Google. tags: resources, google, research, education Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here. This post originally appeared on huffenglish.com and is © Dana Huff.Diigo Links (weekly) -
The Perils of Teaching the Books We Love
6 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pmSeveral years ago, I read an opinion piece in English Journal by Rebecca Hayden entitled “Teaching Works We Love: Hazards of the English Classroom.” (You will need to be an NCTE member and possibly an EJ subscriber to access that article, I think.) This piece really resonated with me because I think all teachers, at some point, teach a book they absolutely love only to be crushed by the lukewarm or even hostile reactions of our students. Hayden discusses such an experience with Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Back when I taught American literature, sometimes I would read… -
GCTE Teacher of the Year
4 Feb 2010 | 5:03 pmI am very excited and honored to share that the Georgia Council of Teachers of English has selected me as one of two high school English Teachers of the Year. This post originally appeared on huffenglish.com and is © Dana Huff.GCTE Teacher of the Year -
Organization
1 Feb 2010 | 5:24 pmI am really jealous of Jim Burke’s new organization scheme. I think he has come up with a system that is easy to use and will enable him to find and retain (and reuse) lesson and unit plans. I keep most of my documents on my computer and several of my unit plans at the UbD Educators wiki. I am fundamentally disorganized, but I can usually find what I need when I need it, and if I can’t, I can print it again. I could really use a system like Jim’s. Why? This is what my desk looks like: Here’s a shot of the other side: And the kicker is that several folks have commented…
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I Dream of Genea(logy)
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Commercial Traveler
8 Feb 2010 | 6:44 pmI've been going over old census entries to see if I can find new clues as well as cite my sources properly. While this is somewhat tedious, I've already found a lot of information I've overlooked in the past. Here's an interesting example, the 1930 US Census for my wife's great-grandfather Saul Hytowitz and his family. Here's the interesting bit:These are the columns 25-31 that deal with occupation, employment and veterans. I couldn't figure out what his occupation was from the handwriting although I can clearly see he worked in the shoe industry. Luckily, I ran across a blog post on… -
2010 Census Idea
8 Feb 2010 | 11:07 amI saw the great 2010 Census ad on the SuperBowl last night and that gave me a great idea. First, check out the ad:So anyway, that got me thinking. I don't really remember filling out a census form or talking to anyone in 2000. I think I got something in the mail, but not confident that I filled it out or mailed it in. I know I will be a lot more prepared this time around in 2010.So my idea is to save my 2010 Census info in my genealogical database. And maybe even ask all living relatives in the tree to send me a copy of their forms. This way I will be 72 years ahead of the curve. And when I… -
Snooki Sunday
7 Feb 2010 | 2:31 pmI am not sure what the appeal is with the awful show called Jersey Shore, but I guess MTV has to air something since they don't show videos any more. So the whole Snooki phenomenon has gone insane and with it a couple of sites that let you download a PNG file of the orange one where you can insert her into other images (site 1, site 2).I decided to have a little fun and add Snooki to some historical images. If you decide to make your own, post a link in the comments! -
More Atlanta City Directories - Archive.org
26 Jan 2010 | 9:16 amI can't believe I overlooked this resource. The Internet Archive is such a great research tool with so many family histories scanned in full and other terrific resources. So I was very surprised to find 30 (yes, that's thirty!) Atlanta City Directories on the site. The earliest is 1867, two years after the end of the civil war. The latest is 1923.The beauty of this resource is that you can download the entire books to your hard drive in searchable PDF format or you can browse it online and run searches.Here's the link to the "Atlanta City Directory" search I ran. Enjoy! -
Atlanta City Directories on Ancestry.com
24 Jan 2010 | 6:18 pmMost of the Atlanta City Directory information I have comes from the Fulton County Public Library. I have not been able to locate anything online except for one or two copies. Footnote doesn't have any and every time I searched Ancestry.com I found only 1889-1890 and the Strangers' Guide:I get the above results when I enter "Atlanta Directory" in the keyword search in the card catalog.So imagine my surprise when I got some hits that led me to other years. When I tried to find these specific results in the card catalog I couldn't. So I tried a different way. I decided to filter the catalog…
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In My Life
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Wordless Wednesday
3 Feb 2010 | 11:29 amCopyright (c) 2010 Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski -
Sharing Memories: A Genealogy Journal Week #9 Birthday Parties
31 Jan 2010 | 9:05 amLorine Massey at Olive Tree Genealogy has created a year-long Genealogy Journey in Genealogy Journal Writing. Having my grandmother's travel journals and a diary among my family papers and treasures, I can appreciate the different perspective someone will have years from now with a glimpse into my life in the early years of the "new millinieum" as opposed to my view of "who would be interested"? On the highlight reel of my life, birthday's rank high on the list of celebrations. During my childhood, the countdown to October 10th began somewhere around July 4th. By the time we… -
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Make A Calendar!
31 Jan 2010 | 6:02 amLive! From central Wisconsin! It's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun (insert applause here).After last week's SNGF step back and learn about our fellow genealogists and family historians, Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings takes us back to research with tonight's challenge:1) Open your genealogy software or family tree program of choice and make yourself the highlighted person.2) Find out how to create a Calendar to show birthdays and/or anniversaries of yourself and all of your ancestors (or all relatives, or all persons - your choice!). The "Help" button is your friend here!!! It can be done in all… -
Maengun Neebageesis - Wolf Moon
29 Jan 2010 | 6:42 pmOnly one thing could pull me away from the warmth of a fire and the promise of an evening spent with a dog curled up next to me, cozy and warm, and send me outside - bundled up against the bitter cold: the chance to photograph Maengun Neebageesis, Wolf Moon.The Farmers Almanac describes the Wolf Moon as "January - Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January's full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name… -
Wordless Wednesday: Elsie Laura Space
27 Jan 2010 | 4:10 amElsie Laura Space, daughter of Allen Zephaniah Space and Nancy Ann Stone. Photograph taken in 1910 while attending the school for the deaf, Clarion county, PACopyright (c) 2010 Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski
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Janet the researcher
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Estate Records - More than just wills
6 Feb 2010 | 6:57 amThree weeks from today on February 27 (my birthday), I will be speaking about Estate Records for our local genealogical society, Bruce Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. The meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints on 2nd Avenue South East (extension of 2nd Avenue East), Owen Sound. I am going to post various snippets from my presentation, in a series of postings. The information will focus on Ontario, Canada records but I hope the information will be helpful no matter where you live. © 2010 Janet Iles -
Ontario Genealogical Society Conference May 2010
31 Jan 2010 | 5:40 amI received the information below about the upcoming Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) Conference. It is a reminder to me to register for the conference. I booked my room awhile back. I will be arriving on the Wednesday and taking part on Thursday in the Ontario Library Association (OLA) - OGS Genealogy and Libraries Day. With February 2 (Groundhog Day) just two days away this press release is timely. I hope to see some of you there. A certain groundhog couldn’t have predicted this . . . Registrations for the Ontario Genealogical Society’s Conference 2010 have been… -
Saturday Night Fun with creating calendars
30 Jan 2010 | 3:49 pmThe above is a sample of a calendar created in Legacy. I use Brother's Keeper for my family datbase but it doesn't have a calendar creation program so I exported a gedcom to Legacy. I tried various variations and decided to do only birthdays of those who have died. Even with that, not all the dates would fit on the appropriate space and it created supplementary pages for each month. When I added a photo to the page, it caused problems so that a whole month did not show on a page. If I was making a calendar for family, I would include the living people. Above on the calendar for January… -
Wordless Wednesday - Salvation Army Home League
27 Jan 2010 | 6:20 amMy grandmother - Lily (Dudley) Iles is the second from the left - 1938. © 2010 Janet Iles -
52 weeks to better genealogy - Challenge #4 - Interlibrary Loan
25 Jan 2010 | 6:55 amThe Interlibrary loan service at my local library is one I am quite familiar with as I have used it from both sides of the desk. Most of my requests are for microfilm but the process is quite similar for requesting a book. Before requesting a book, I make sure that it isn't already in the library's collection. What can be interlibrary loaned is primarily a decision of the holding library. A library may restrict the loan of their reference materials, rare or fragile items or one of a kind items or books on deposit from an organization that have stipulated that materials are not to…
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Jessica's Genejournal
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89th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!
5 Feb 2010 | 3:44 amThe 89th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on"The Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories:Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why. Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members? Best… -
Google Analytics Report For January 2010
1 Feb 2010 | 7:10 pmWell, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics Report! Here are the results for January 2010:The top ten countries, in number of visits, are:United States - 361 visitsCanada - 43 visitsUnited Kingdom - 21 visitsAustralia - 13 visitsGermany - 8 visitsNetherlands - 6 visitsSingapore - 4 visitsPoland - 3 visitsIsrael - 3 visitsSwitzerland - 3 visitsThe top ten states in the United States, in number of visits, are:California - 42 visitsTexas - 29 visitsMichigan - 29 visitsIndiana - 22 visitsIllinois - 21 visitsNew York - 20 visitsOhio - 17… -
What I've Been Up To Since Mid-December ...
31 Jan 2010 | 2:43 pmAs you've probably noticed, I haven't posted much recently, although I've wanted to do so. (At the time of this writing, I have about 13 backlogged articles that I am trying to finish and post.) Of course, I haven't had much time because I'm a grad student.One of the articles I wanted to post was a summary of the genealogy research that I did over Christmas break. Well, it wasn't very much, but while I was doing research for my thesis at the Library of Michigan and State Archives of Michigan, I was able to do a few quick look-ups on a couple of branches. At the Archives, I discovered that my… -
88th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!
20 Jan 2010 | 9:22 amThe 88th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on"Ode to My Family's History! This time around we'll be composing a poem that tells our family's history. It can be long or short, rhyme or not rhyme, funny or serious, illustrated or not... you choose, but make it appropriate as an introduction for a book or video on your family history. The challenge is on! The deadline for submissions is February 1st, 30 submissions accepted."Enjoy! -
Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude That These Oswalts Are Related? - Part One
16 Jan 2010 | 5:02 amI've never participated in this meme before, but I did learn about the meme from reading Randy's post. Instead of just writing about where I've researched a certain surname, I thought for my first post in this meme series I would write some more about a research problem I have. Since I will be posting on all of my research on my Oswalt ancestors up to this point, I'll have to split this Surname Saturday into two or more posts to make the reading more manageable.I did write about my problems trying to connect Adam Oswalt to Benjamin Oswalt and William Oswalt, but I only wrote about my research…
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LOOKING4ANCESTORS
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What's on the Agenda: February 1-7, 2010
1 Feb 2010 | 8:21 amThis past week (January 24-31) was quite busy. I completed three Loyalist certificate applications for a client. Helping the client with research was interesting as all three of the Loyalist families were related. As I do more of these Loyalist applications, I am learning about the families who settled in Essex County after the Revolutionary War. I am finding this thought-provoking and engrossing. I wish I had more time to learn about these settlers. The methodology course I am taking and this month's ProGen assignment complimented each other. Over the past month, I have… -
Life Outside of Genealogy
23 Jan 2010 | 8:46 pmDo I have a life outside of genealogy? Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings has posted his mission for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun. He wants us to tell about our "other" interests or hobbies outside of genealogy or family history. So, do I really have interests outside of researching a lot of dead ancestors?...Yes, I do. Here they are: Hanging with my family. We like going to sporting events, playing board, computer and video games together, watching movies and reading stories and novels together as a family Watching movies. Although I like to go to the… -
Hard at Work Behind the Scenes
21 Jan 2010 | 2:21 pmIt's been quiet here on the LOOKING4ANCESTORS blog for the past few weeks. However, that doesn't mean things have been quiet behind the scenes. I have been hard at work. Here is what's been happening: First, I am back into the thick of it with my genealogical studies at the National Institute of Genealogical Studies. Currently, I have two heavy-duty courses on the go with two more starting in February. I am learning a lot! Second, I am continuing with the ProGen4 Study Group. The assignments and chats with my peer group are fantastic. The assignments are… -
Ch-ch-ch-Changes and Genea-goals for 2010
31 Dec 2009 | 4:54 pmIt seems to me that the only constant in New Years' plans or resolutions is change. If or when something doesn't quite work out they way we wanted in the previous year, we decide to make new plans, resolutions or goals. All involve change. So, with the plans I have for 2010, there will be some changes. The first change is that I have started four new family history blogs, one for each of my ancestral lines. They are: The Lake Family of Lincolnshire Our Ryckman Roots George Family Gleanings Walsall Ways You will find my personal family history genea-goals for each… -
Canadian Genealogy Carnival 7th Edition
16 Dec 2009 | 7:21 pmWelcome to the Carnival! This is a Carousel edition featuring a variety of topics about Canadian genealogy. Starting us off is M. Diane Rogers with Home Sweet Home in Vancouver BC Canada - Canadian Genealogy Carnival posted at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt'. Evelyn Yvonne Theriault presents Montreal In The Time Of Tramways posted at A Canadian Family, saying, "My ancestors used trams as a method of transport and now it looks like my grandchildren will see them make a comeback!" Janet Iles presents Canadian Carnival of Genealogy - Sadly, William Boyd made the news posted at…
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100 Years in America
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The best of 2009: 100 Years in America iGene Awards
5 Feb 2010 | 5:36 amIt's that time of year again... ...time for the 3rd annual Academy of Genealogy and Family History iGene Awards at Jasia's Carnival of Genealogy! As the author of 100 Years in America I have chosen some of my favorites from the blog articles published here over the past year and awarded them "prizes" in various categories. A selection of 100 Years in America's "best of 2009" would not be complete without a mention of the newest little addition to our family. He is my constant companion this year (24 hours a day) and could easily be selected for "Best Photograph" or "Best Biography" -… -
Wordless Wednesday: St. Sylvester's, Staten Island, NY
3 Feb 2010 | 11:32 amThis vintage postcard of Staten Island's St. Sylvester Catholic Church is housed in the New York Public Library's Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy and is also viewable online at the NYPL Digital Gallery. It reads: Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto of St. Sylvester's Church Concord, S.I. Rev. B.H. Clark, [Rector] Source: "Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto of St. Sylvester's Church Concord, S.I. Rev. B.H. Clark, [Rector]." NYPL Digital Gallery. Web. 3 Feb 2010. -
"Crossing": A poetic remembrance, 1909
21 Jan 2010 | 1:38 pmCrossing A poetic remembrance, 1909 by Lisa A young, new mother and her little son. A village farm. A loving family. A husband in a distant unknown land. Her task: to leave and cross the massive sea. Sad looks and words and tears from family. Her mother’s broken heart in deepest prayer. A bag or two, her child, and they must go. A world to cross before arrival there. Across the continent by train to shore, the port looms large and daunting, and right then a thought suddenly shakes her halting heart: she’ll never see her home country again. With husband waiting on the other side, she… -
Why do I trace my family tree?
15 Jan 2010 | 6:44 amI've asked myself this question every now and then over the many years that I've been interested in family history. The fact is, there has never been a time when I was not fascinated by the stories and names and places that have played a role in my family. My first official effort at genealogy as an eleven-year-old is still fresh in my memory: interviewing my grandparents so that I could fill out a large pedigree chart with my pencil. I had a friend with a similar interest in genealogy. His parents drove us to a genealogical library one day. I remember the dusty smell of the many old books… -
Keeping watch on Badnjak (Advent Calendar: Christmas Eve)
23 Dec 2009 | 10:12 pm"Who can sleep on the night that God became man?" - Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) I have often asked the same question since I can't seem to rest for long on Christmas Eve. It may have started when, as a child, I spent hours gazing out my bedroom window at the beautiful Christmas candles that our family lit outdoors each year on Christmas Eve. It may just have been the magic of the evening - the wonder of the Holy Child's birth surrounded by the joy and excitement of sharing Christmas Day with family. Only this year did I learn of the Croatian custom. It turns out that…
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Orations of OMcHodoy
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The Super Bowl of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun
7 Feb 2010 | 5:03 amThanks, Randy, for my favorite SNGF activities to date. I am one big NFL fan, and this was truly a blast! Here are the rules:1) Tell us about your dream game of the Super Bowl of Genealogy! * Where would it be played? * What teams would play? * Who would be the head coaches? * Who would be the stars of the game? * Who would win? * Who are the cheerleaders?* If you were playing in the game, what would be your dream play?2) Who do you think will win the NFL Super Bowl Colts-Saints game on Sunday? Your score prediction, please!3) Post your thoughts on your own blog, on a Facebook comment or… -
Let's Go to Expo! Part 10!
17 Jan 2010 | 5:46 pmWe are really getting close to THE date, so I'd best get moving on my series of speaker intros for the Mesa, Az FH Expo! We've got a U.S. representative for Genline, AB. which offers access to Swedish records, some higher-ups who provide family history training to priesthood leaders, the founder of Heritage Quest!!!, and an instructor for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies! And more to follow those!Kathy Meade volunteers at the Swedish American Museum in Chicago. She has a degree in history and she'll be presenting the following:1/22 @ 10:00… -
Let's Go to Expo! Part 9.
16 Jan 2010 | 5:00 pmWhat better way to celebrate two years of this blog than by posting another installment of Let's Go to Expo? WOOOHOOO! Here's what's coming up on January 22 & 23 in Mesa, Arizona!This installment has some great names from great people, from the President of Incline Software to an author of some 11 genealogy training programs to the owner of Generation Maps to a guitar playing national speaker! Let's get going.The President of Incline Software is Gaylon Findlay, who will speak at:8:00 on 1/23: Ancestral Quest 12.1 - The Natural Upgrade for PAF and at 3:00 on 1/22: Synchronize PAF 5… -
Let's Go to Expo! Part 8
11 Jan 2010 | 7:35 pmI wish I could bring my dog to the Family History Expo in Mesa, Az January 22-23. He'd probably learn so much from Dolores A. (Dee) Semon. See, Dolores has 34 years experience in German and Polish research, including Pommerania! Yes, you got it: My dog is part Pomeranian! Then again, she also is experienced in research in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and my great-grandfather Edward HODICK may well have been born in Bohemia! Dolores speaks 8 languages and published a book in Weurttemburg. As if that wasn't enough, she is the Public Relations secretary, E-News Editor, and… -
Happy 101
10 Jan 2010 | 7:15 pmCindy Bergeron Scherwinski of In My Life is apparently enjoying my Let's Go To Expo posts enough to present me with the honor of the Happy 101 Award. My task is to identify 10 things that make me happy and award 10 others this award.What makes me happy:1. Knowing that I was raised in the perfect family in the perfect neighborhood in the perfect house. Perfect is in the eye of the beholder, and some days the perfection of my happy childhood, flaws and all, hits me like a welcomed brick. Today was one of those days.2. My dog,…
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Small-leaved Shamrock
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"I speak with a proud tongue...": A poem for our Irish ancestors
4 Feb 2010 | 5:25 amA great poem that helps to conjure up images of many of our Irish forebears... Dedicationby Patrick MacGill (1890- ) I speak with a proud tongue of the people who were And the people who are, The worthy of Ardara, the Rosses and Inishkeel, My kindred- The people of the hills and the dark-haired passes My neighbours on the lift of the brae, In the lap of the valley. To them Slainthé! I speak of the old men, The wrinkle-rutted, Who dodder about foot-weary - For their day is as the day that has been and is no more - Who warm their feet by the fire, And recall memories of the times that are… -
Irish Blog Awards taking nominations for 2010
15 Jan 2010 | 3:16 amTime's almost up! Irish Blog Awards 2010 nominations are currently being accepted but will close very soon. Take some time to vote for your favorite Irish blogs and blog posts. Winners will be announced in Galway in March. -
"Show and tell": Irish genealogical treasures
6 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmGenealogists are treasure hunters of a different kind. Instead of searching for riches, we dig for information. Instead of prizing gold, we value documents - the visual proof of the life stories of families that have passed before us. This 17th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture is a chance for some of us to show off the treasures that we have accumulated during our search for family history. Show and tell is always lots of fun, and this one is no exception. Get ready to see some true Irish genealogical treasures and hear the stories behind them. Happy… -
Family treasure at the National Archives: 19th-century birth records & more
5 Jan 2010 | 5:24 pmMy great-great-grandparents William & Margaret (Foley) Cowhey had many children. Prior to their marriage, William and his first wife also had several children. I had the information from a handwritten family tree that I had been given by a distant cousin. I hoped to sort out and confirm these names, birthdates and mother/child relationships with official birth records. At first my search was not easy. The Pennsylvania Department of Health didn't have the information I was looking for. Their records only went back to 1906. I had no success either when I… -
Calling all "Irish genealogy treasure" carnival entries!
4 Jan 2010 | 7:09 amSeveral of us have experienced difficulty with the Blog Carnival website over the last few days. If you have had similar trouble (or you are just plain late!), please email your submissions directly to me for inclusion in the carnival. My email can be found on my profile page. Look for the 17th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture to be posted this Thursday, January 7. See you there!
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The Educated Genealogist
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What Were They Thinking?
8 Feb 2010 | 10:07 amThere has been alot of discussion lately among Genea-bloggers on how to attract readers to your blog. Thomas MacEntee over at Geneabloggers reported recently that there are now over 900 genealogy related blogs listed at the site. 900! How does one choose which blogs are of interest to them?Well the people at Google have this nifty little program called "Analytics." Oh it has all kinds of bells -
A Great Genealogical Education Opportunity
7 Feb 2010 | 7:58 pmLouise St. Denis who is the Managing Director for The National Institute for Genealogical Studies contacted me and asked me to let you know about this great opportunity to further your genealogical education. This is a wonderful option for those who want online classes!NEWS RELEASE: GenClass instructors merge 24 courses with the 150 existing courses at National Institute for Genealogical Studies! -
90th COG - The 3rd Annual iGene Awards
7 Feb 2010 | 4:37 amHeeeere she is - Miss Amer . . .Ooops, sorry, wrong award show. I don't know how I could have mixed up the 3rd annual Academy of Genealogy and Family History iGene Awards. The only awards show where everyone's a winner because you are the judge and jury of your own blog! That's right for three years running, the COG allows you the blogger to showcase your best work from the previous year.So -
In Which She Learns Something Exciting
7 Feb 2010 | 2:59 amOMG! I cannot believe that I did not know about this!Here I was, just perusing through my google reader, when I come upon a post by Taneya over at the NCGenWeb blog. In it she tells us that there is a genealogy T.V. show already on the air.How many of you know about THE GENERATION PROJECT? Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah has their own cable station and bring the show to the world every -
SNGF - The Super Bowl of Genealogy
6 Feb 2010 | 11:12 pmI really had fun with this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun over at Randy Seaver's place. This week he wants us to play in the "Super Bowl of Genealogy" and here are the rules:Tell us about your dream game of the Super Bowl of Genealogy! * Where would it be played? * What teams would play? * Who would be the head coaches? * Who would be the stars of the game? * Who would win? * Who are the
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TransylvanianDutch
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52 Weeks of Amanuensis Monday
7 Feb 2010 | 10:05 pmThis week's transcription not only concludes the audiotape my grandfather and his siblings created in 1977, but it closes out 52 weeks of Amanuensis Monday. Some may recall I took a holiday on Labor Day, however in the first two weeks of this series I posted transcriptions from five separate testimonies in front of The Dawes Commission. So in the past year I have actually had 54 separate posts. All of them are indexed here chronologically. I made the index chronological to create a timeline so I could see at a glance what each limb of my family tree was doing during the same time period.The… -
Amanuensis Monday: Prosperity and Name Changes
7 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pmAmanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them. If you choose to join me in Amanuensis Monday and post your transcriptions, feel free to add a link to your post in the comments.This post concludes the transcription of a tape my grandfather, Martin Deutsch, his older… -
Weekly Genealogy Picks
6 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pmWeekly Genealogy Picks -- January 31 to February 6from genealogy blogs, newspaper articles and elsewhereHenio Zytomirski was a child victim of the Holocaust. A group of individuals from his hometown of Lublin, Poland have created a Facebook page for him, as a virtual memorial. Though it has gone beyond a static memorial, and there are 'posts' written, supposedly in Henio's voice. Some are concerned with this blurring of fact and fiction. [Read more]At The Huffington Post Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak shares a photo she believes may be of the first immigrant to Ellis Island in Historical Photo? Is… -
Third Annual iGene Awards - TransylvanianDutch Chapter
5 Feb 2010 | 5:30 amThe Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the TransylvanianDutch Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor our best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories:Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on our blog in 2009.Best Screen Play - The family story we shared in 2009 which would make the best movie, along with suggested casting. Best Documentary - Best informational article written about a place, thing, or event involving our family's history in 2009. Best Biography - Best biographical article we wrote in… -
The CoG has been posted
5 Feb 2010 | 3:46 amThe 89th Carnival of Genealogy has been posted. 18 poets wrote odes to their family history.The topic for the next edition (#90!) of the COG will be: The Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories: Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why. Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family…
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TwigTalk
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Happy 101 Award
16 Jan 2010 | 10:36 amI have recieved this award from 4 fellow bloggers. Felicia from Our Family As A Whole,Taylorstales-Genealogy, Colleen at Orations of OMcHodoy, and Earline from AncestralNotes. The award requires me to name 10 things that make me happy and then name 10 blogs that I want to send this award to. What makes me happy:1. My family. They have been around lately helping me, so recovery has been a happy time. My daughter, in particular, is my joy.2. Living in the time period we now live in. Studying ancestor lives should make everyone happy that it is 2010. Our lives are so much nicer, easier and… -
Volunteerism: Look to Your Local GenWeb
14 Jan 2010 | 8:29 amI don't want to "toot my horn". That is not the importance of giving a little time to a cause that you feel is worthwhile. My particular cause is the GenWebs. I adopted my county several years ago and have not regretted it. I love the work and have met so many wonderful people in the process of maintaining the site.When I first started online research I discovered the GenWebs and knew immediately that I wanted to be a volunteer for that organization. I set out right away to learn html coding so that I would be able to adopt a county. Just so happens that my own county became available as I… -
My Helper
1 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pmMy daughter, helper and secretary, Shani.Thank you for being here! -
About Sheri Of TwigTalk
3 Dec 2009 | 7:00 pmHello I'm Sheri's/Twigs Daughter Shani ,Early Monday evening Mom fell Shattering her left arm Elbow &Ulna bone & Broke her left ankle I believe the Fibula bone .She was hospitalized She had to have surgery to repair the damage done to the arm luckily they had all the pieces of the shattered arm to piece back together . her leg was a clean break which did not require any surgery just a casting .She came home on Wednesday afternoon and has been ordered bed resting They have put castes on both broken parts.Due to these breaks she will be unble to post here for an unknown amount of time… -
Scanning And Other Adventures
29 Nov 2009 | 5:24 pmI finished scanning my treasures. Took longer as I had to examine each one as I went. Such a wonderful bag of treasure it was too. Though I did miss ScanFest. I don't get very much work done when I do make it to the event. Too busy reading and chatting, I'm afraid. Sunday seems to be a busy day lately, for me.Out of my bag of treasure I also have a yearbook to add to the collection on the county site. 1948-49 Jr. High yearbook to be exact. One problem I am having is getting the pages sized without making a mess of the photos. When I run them through Irfanview as I have with all of the others,…
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ThinkGenealogy
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Worth Tucker Diary – 9 Feb 1903
9 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am[Monday, February 9, 1903] FEBRUARY 9 1903 worked in shop -
Worth Tucker Diary – 8 Feb 1903
8 Feb 2010 | 4:44 am[Sunday, February 8, 1903] FEBRUARY 8 1903 stayed home -
Worth Tucker Diary – 7 Feb 1903
7 Feb 2010 | 4:42 am[Saturday, February 7, 1903] FEBRUARY 7 1903 worked in shop -
Worth Tucker Diary – 6 Feb 1903
6 Feb 2010 | 4:39 am[Friday, February 6, 1903] FEBRUARY 6 1903 worked in shop -
Genealogy Research Map – Dutch Version 2
5 Feb 2010 | 2:41 pmThe Dutch translation of the Genealogy Research Process map has been updated with some minor changes to make it a better translation. I was contacted months ago by Bob Coret (who helped with the first translation) with some corrections. Because of limited time and many commitments, I was not able to update the map until now. download PDF (Dutch – version 2) – 1.10 MB The Genealogisch Onderzoeksproces (Genealogy Research Process) is important to researchers in the Dutch genealogy community and the Standaard voor Genealogisch Bewijs (Genealogical Proof Standard) is being promoted…
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Scottish Genealogy News and Events (SGNE)
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Ancestry scanning service at WDYTYA Live
9 Feb 2010 | 1:47 amFrom the Who Do You Think You Are? Live website:New for 2010, Ancestry.co.uk are providing a free scanning service. Why not bring along your documents and photographs to be scanned, and book a 20 minute scanning slot at the event? Ancestry.co.uk will then save them onto a memory stick for you to take away, meaning you can access them on your computer at any time, and helping to preserve the delicate originals.Slots are limited, so be sure to visit the Ancestry.co.uk scanning service on stand 903 to book your timeslot. This is the first time the service has been run in the UK, so don't miss… -
New monthly family history meetings in Portsoy
8 Feb 2010 | 4:44 pmThe first monthly family history session was held on Saturday 6th for a new family history group for the Moray Firth at Portsoy’s old salmon bothy community venue. The event, which was held at 2.00pm, was the first of a planned series of events to be held on the first Saturday of every month, and was addressed by genealogy consultant Alison Smith, who talked about sources for Banffshire family history research.For further details on forthcoming activities at the bothy, visit www.salmonbothy.org.uk.Chriswww.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk Scotland's Greatest Storywww.twitter.com/chrismpaton For… -
FamilyRelatives - Dunblane records
8 Feb 2010 | 10:39 amRecords provider FamilyRelatives.com has just provided an update on its parish register holdings. Although almost entirely English, amongst the records are some from Perthshire, in the form of a Register of the Diocesan Synod of Dunblane 1662-1688.The search screen is available at www.familyrelatives.com/search/search_parishregister.php?dir=21, but you will need a subscription or pay-per-view credits to access fully.Chriswww.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk Scotland's Greatest Storywww.twitter.com/chrismpatonFor all the latest Scottish genealogical news and events visit… -
ScotlandsPeople Centre computer system - births and library update
8 Feb 2010 | 10:22 amMore from the Scotlands People Centre!The centre's computer system, which was built to replace the old DIGROS system, has been given some enhancements on the births search screens for both statutory and OPR images.For starters the blue column on the left of screen has been given a deeper blue shade to make the white lettering stand out some more.For year searches, if you wish to search one year only, you only need to fill in the first year field.The bottom of the search results page can be instantly reached by pressing “End”.Results can be sorted on any column and on multiple columns by… -
ScotlandsPeople Centre update
7 Feb 2010 | 3:15 pmSome developments at the ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh...a) The stair well leading up to the Court of the Lord Lyon (inside New Register House) is being painted over the next two-three weeks, meaning that access to the Dundas Room will be through the garden entrance for this period.b) The removal of access to the statutory BMD fiche will be introduced to the Dundas Room on Monday 15th February.c) The centre has also discovered that some of the 1851 census images and indexes are missing from the main ScotlandsPeople computer system and also from DIGROS in the Dundas Room. The missing…
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GenBlog
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Diigo Bookmarks (weekly)
6 Feb 2010 | 10:30 pmHistory of Oakland County, Michigan Vol. 1tags: MichiganThe Newberry Librarytags: ChicagoPosted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.Copyright © 2008-2010. All rights reserved. -
Saturday In the Attic – 02/06/10
6 Feb 2010 | 4:07 amThis is the obituary for my great-grandmother, Anna E STOFFEL Rottman. She died on 12 June 1936 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Copyright © 2008-2010. All rights reserved. -
Friday Finds – 02/05/10
5 Feb 2010 | 2:54 pmWeekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve learned or found. Maps – Through my public library, I am able to access a map collection called, Historic Map Works, distributed by ProQuest. It is a HUGE collection of maps and atlases. Check to see if your local library subscribes to this database…I’m sure you will find plenty of maps to help you in your research! Blogging – Thomas MacEntee reported on a new feature available for Blogger blogs; the ability to create static pages. Head over to GeneaBloggers to learn more about the feature and how to use it. -
Wordless Wednesday – 02/03/10
3 Feb 2010 | 4:36 amCopyright © 2008-2010. All rights reserved. -
Diigo Bookmarks (weekly)
30 Jan 2010 | 10:30 pmConnecticut State Librarytags: no_tagPosted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.Copyright © 2008-2010. All rights reserved.
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Louisiana Genealogy Blog
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Dey DoDat! Super Bowl XLIV for Louisiana!
7 Feb 2010 | 7:04 pmI LOVE MY TEAM!I LOVE MY TEAM! -
In my mail bag - Yah'll know whut?
6 Feb 2010 | 6:20 amWe Tree posted that she didn't think that Louisiana had an online catalog. That's odd that she would say that....but then again I don't think she actually lives in Louisiana, either, so maybe she doesn't know about Louisiana libraries.I was excited to learn of My Heritage's new acquisitions this week. Did you read about it? I enjoy My Heritage and have a few Louisiana folks to join the Louisiana Blogs My Heritage site. You can view it here. NOLA had a good read: Family tree research sprouting again after Katrina, By Richard Thompson, The Times-PicayuneI'm not updating that surname list till… -
Who Dat Loves Me?!
24 Jan 2010 | 7:47 pmI LOVE MY TEAM!I LOVE MY TEAM!Goin' to the Super Bowl! -
Updates Louisiana Genealogy Bloggers
19 Jan 2010 | 9:49 amGuess who I found on the Genealogy Blog Finder?MY NOLA HERITAGE - Be sure to check out her genealogy research from Louisiana. Areas of primary interest include:Bossier Parish, LACotton Valley, LAMinden, LASarepta, LAWebster Parish Police Jury Ward 2Midwestern Microhistory: A Genealogy Blog also gave a brief mention of Louisiana Genealogy on Monday in this blog's first ever Louisiana tagged post! Ya'll sure know how to show a good time. lol :) -
Who surrendered the state archives to the Federal Army?
14 Jan 2010 | 3:18 pmRead about the Life and times of Col. J. M. SandidgeWho surrendered the state archives to the Federal Army. The author even posted a headstone photograph.Three books highlight Shreveport's quirks, mysteries, historyHave you had a chance to read Damon Veach's column, for Jan. 18th yet? Be sure to catch him online discussing The Battle of Mansfield and the WPA obituary Index, "This collection contained manuscript journals and ledgers of city government dating from 1769, the largest collection of bound New Orleans newspapers in existence."
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Your Future, Your Past
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John Adams Revisited
29 Jan 2010 | 4:56 pmLast night Kristine’s family and I were again absorbed in rewatching “John Adams”, until I was sidetracked with a totally mystifying question. Why wasn’t anyone thunderstruck with any of the amazing connections we revealed John Adams about this program two years ago? Were the claims too diametrically opposed to accepted common knowledge? Was it because the Family Forest® Nation Treasure Edition was not yet available (as it is now) to verify these connections? Was the point missed that these connections related personally to everyone who reads them? Any thoughts to demystify… -
67th Annual Golden Globe Awards
17 Jan 2010 | 10:44 amIt’s happening Sunday January 17, 2010. A number of the nominees are already extensively networked in the Family Forest® to each other, to historical characters portrayed in the movies, and most importantly, to viewers in the audience. More of the free visually engaging Ancestors-at-a-glance™ fan charts have just been posted, and some of the stars and characters include Sigourney Weaver, Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Clint Eastwood and Georgia O’Keeffe. The Family Forest® is a digital Hollywood resource that picks up where IMDb leaves off in two areas. -
Alliance Set to Market to Game Publishers Key “Time Travel” Game Elements
30 Dec 2009 | 2:16 pmMillisecond Publishing Company, Inc. Dec 30, 2009 09:59 ET ROME and KAMUELA, HI–(Marketwire – December 30, 2009) – Past Perfect Productions, srl, the Rome-based company representing “Rome Reborn,” and Millisecond Publishing Company, Inc. headquartered in Kamuela, Hawaii, and home of the “Family Forest® Project” today announce joining forces to form an alliance for licensing core elements for the next generation of AAA console-based 3D games. Today the owners of the licensing rights to two immense, academically precise digitization projects,… -
Tudors descendants in the audience. Are you one of them?
14 Dec 2009 | 11:26 amI once read somewhere that the real purpose of reading is to trap the mind into thinking. Well it just happened to me while I was reading the new Family Forest® Descendants of Earl Sir Thomas Boleyn ebook. He is a man who has been portrayed by Nick Dunning in 20 episodes of Showtime’s hugely popular series The Tudors. My thinking drifted to the fans of The Tudors, and the fact that millions of them are actually watching portrayals of their own ancestors. Most of them probably haven’t made this AhHa! discovery yet, and you may quite likely be one of them. For instance consider just… -
Thanksgiving and the Mayflower
24 Nov 2009 | 10:58 amKnowledge can be enjoyably empowering, and for the last few years Thanksgiving has meant so much more to me. For most of my life I had no idea that I had any type of connection to the first Thanksgiving. I had almost no awareness beyond the generation before me and the generation after me. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that according to recorded history, I had an ancestor who came to America in the Mayflower. What’s more, he would have been present at the very first Thanksgiving. This newfound knowledge brings more meaning to this holiday for me, and it is my Thanksgiving wish…
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Genealogy Blog
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Tree to Go 1.0.1
9 Feb 2010 | 12:59 amPDAs and Handhelds - PDAs and Handhelds - Freeware Tree to Go 1.0.1 has been released. Changes: • 1st generation iPod Touch users can now install Tree to Go.• Fixed a problem with the display of photos in a tree.• Fixed the most common situation that would cause a crash on startup• Fixed an issue that could cause a crash while loading a tree.• Clarified messaging that registering for an Ancestry.com account is free.• Improved messaging for users with trees larger than 2,000 people. -
TimelinerPlus! 2
9 Feb 2010 | 12:53 amTimeline - Windows - Freeware TimelinerPlus! 2 has been released. Changes: • Added a comprehensive Research Note viewer. • Additional filtering capability. -
The Complete Genealogy Reporter 2010 build 100208
9 Feb 2010 | 12:46 amFamily Books - Windows - Shareware The Complete Genealogy Reporter 2010 build 100208 has been released. Changes: • Fixed: Unexpected Program Error when connecting siblings of parentless families. • Fixed: Some events not appearing in reports. • Fixed: Undated events being sorted out of order relative to the defined sequence. -
Pocket Genealogist 3.42
9 Feb 2010 | 12:43 amPDAs and Handhelds - PDAs and Handhelds - Purchase Pocket Genealogist 3.42 has been released. Changes: • Desktop/Device: (Advanced) Support for Legacy 7.4 direct imports.• Device: The 'Edit', 'View' menu will now show a check mark next to the view that is currently selected.• Device: (Advanced) Better error checking when using the "External Viewer" with images.• Desktop/Device: (Advanced) With multimedia imports, you can now select if you want images transferred or not. (So you can get all multimedia references, but not the images if you choose)• Desktop/Device: Norwegian and Danish… -
iRemember 2.5.2
9 Feb 2010 | 12:41 amFamily Pictures - Mac - Purchase iRemember 2.5.2 has been released. Changes: • Snow Leopard - Compatible with Mac OS X v10.6. • Edit Content Mode - Double click a shape to directly rotate, scale and postion images quickly. • Direct Rotation - Quickly rotate shapes without using the Inspector. • Group/Ungroup - Combine multiple shapes for easier editing. • Right Triangle - The right shape makes corners a snap. • PDF Export - Built-in conversion to PDF saves a trip to the Print dialog. • Shadow Color - Your shapes can cast shadows in any color. • Resolution Quality - Insures…
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Granny's Genealogy
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Spreadsheet Update
6 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amI have updated my land index to include all the transactions which I have outlined here on the blog. I have finished with the land records for the Fenton family. I do have more, but for one of two reasons, I am not publishing them. Reason number one is that some of my “abstract” forms were incomplete. I will catch up on those when I can get to the Wexford County courthouse again. Reason number two is that some of the records are the result of transactions by living people. Although land records are public, most of these older people like a little privacy. I know my mother-in-law… -
Fenton Family Land Records, Wexford County, Michigan Liber 134 page 347
5 Feb 2010 | 9:00 amI am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fenton ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan. Date: 2 April 1940 Liber: 134 Page: 347 Location: Wexford County Grantor: Fred V. Jewell & wife Mamie Jewell of Wexford Township, Wexford County, MI Grantee: Frank & Lila Fellows of Mesick, MI Witnesses: John Sparling, Lloyd Spencer… -
Treasure Chest Thursday – The Cat
4 Feb 2010 | 7:17 amThe Mosaic Cat arrived here at Granny’s at the end of the summer. D3 took a European cruise, and toured several places, including Italy. Whenever I see a many-colored cat I think of my Mom, often repeated: The gingham dog and the calico cat Side by side on the table sat; T’was half past twelve, and (what do you think!) Nor one nor t’other had slept a wink! The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate Appeared to know as sure as fate There was going to be a terrible spat (I wasn’t there; I simply state What was told to me by the Chinese plate!) The gingham dog went… -
Blog Presentation at My Society Meeting
3 Feb 2010 | 7:04 amI was happy to offer some assistance to some of the Oakland County Genealogical Society members who were interested in the wealth of material that can be found by reading genealogy blogs. The weather did not help our attendance, and it took many of our members much longer than usual to arrive at the meeting. I want to thank super GeneaBlogger, Thomas MacEntee, for allowing me to show his slide show to interested members. You can access a wealth of information about Genealogy blogging and bloggers on the GeneaBlogger site . I supplemented the help I gave the members with a handout I created. I… -
Oakland County Genealogical Society Meeting Tuesday!
31 Jan 2010 | 8:47 amThe Tuesday OCGS meeting is right around the corner! I was in awe of the talent and knowledge of the membership of the Society when I first joined over ten years ago, and that continues today. Among our membership are numerous volunteers at the Family History Center, several members of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, librarians, and other genealogical research professionals. Add to that the many years research experience logged by our members, and it is an impressive array of talent. There are members, new and old, who often answer questions with regard to research problems, and give ideas…
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iPentimento | Genealogy and History
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Smile For The Camera: Valentine
5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmI’m sure my dad loved my mom very much. He just wasn’t the kind to go out and buy her a Valentine every year. In fact, he wasn’t the kind to go out and buy… That's not all, read on! -
Military Funerals For Kitsap Veterans
5 Feb 2010 | 11:38 amNo relatives were located for these military veterans who died here in Kitsap County, but their passing won’t be unrecognized or forgotten. These are their names: Daniel Leeds, 61, died in... That's not all, read on! -
WordPress For Dummies Is Coming!
5 Feb 2010 | 11:38 amClick Here! addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fipentimento.com%2Fwordpress-for-dummies-is-coming%2F'; addthis_title = 'WordPress+For+Dummies+Is+Coming%21'; addthis_pub = ''; That's not all, read on! -
Can 143 Year Old Diaries Fly?
5 Feb 2010 | 11:38 amI have a question about traveling with priceless family heirlooms. The heirloom in this case is a Civil War diary written by my ancestor John W. Breedlove during his years in the Army. He… That's not all, read on! -
James Knox Polk Yates 1842 – 1918
5 Feb 2010 | 11:38 amRoane County, Tennessee “Polk”, as he was called by his family, was born to parents Miles and Deborah Holmes Yates in Roane County, Tennessee. Without proof, I… That's not all, read on!
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Family Stories
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Betsy Wasn't A Ross
30 Jan 2010 | 11:37 amBetsy Wasn't A Ross That's right. Betsy wasn't a Ross, at least not until she married John Ross, a descendant of the 4th Earl of Ross of Scotland. She was a Griscom. Elizabeth Griscom, to be exact. I never learned this in school. Why didn't I learn this in school? It was always, "Betsy Ross made the first American flag." Not "Betsy Griscom made the first American flag." [Turns out, some even question if she actually made the first flag.] Betsy married into the prominent Ross family of Delaware. One of these Ross' was a signer of the… -
"Aaaaah, Shyuuuddup!"
26 Jan 2010 | 9:51 amClaudius Roy Truitt Claude Roy Truitt was my Boo's [Alice's] husband [my Gran's dad]. I know of not one single family story of good ol' Claude that's been handed down. Zilch. Nothing. Well, my mom did tell me "he was a jerk." Her words, not mine. Yikes! How would you like to be remembered like that by one of your grandchildren? I know that that thought gives me great pause, and I don't even have grandchildren yet [and won't for a very long time]. Of course, I've done a lil' work on his family story because if he is remembered as a "jerk," then… -
Family Stories of Celebrities
25 Jan 2010 | 6:38 pmWDYTYA NBC's Who Do You Think Your Are is scheduled to begin March 5th. Watch this awesome preview of some of the celebrities that will be discovering their family stories: Can't wait! -
Happy As A Pig In Mud
25 Jan 2010 | 1:09 pm"Oh Look..." Have you ever inherited or acquired a hobby from someone else? I really hadn't until now. My husband and I were going through his memorabilia trunk in the garage, and he remarked, "Oh look. My stamp collection that my dad gave me." I looked down and saw all these loose stamps, and a stamp collecting book. Then my husband remarked that there were more in the shoebox that he was holding in his hand. Now let me just say that I've never wanted to collect coins and/or stamps. I think they're neat, but I don't know. I just never wanted to… -
An Ode To Family
20 Jan 2010 | 7:56 pmOftentimes I'm asked, Why I've made finding my family a task. So here below My 'Ode to Family" To you I bestow. I have a 2nd great-grandfather With whom I bother. A bugler, a fifer, or a drummer In the Civil War, which one was he? I often wonder if he ever played the 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'. And when he looked into the eyes O' the young Irish lass, I wonder if he told her 'Tis her beauty that could not be surpassed. One more thing 'bout them I'd like to ask; How long did it take for her to get him to the altar for Catholic mass? Then, so her courageous story won't get Stuck in a drawer; My…
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Halls Of Bristol County
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Guest Post: Alpheus Hall
7 Feb 2010 | 4:26 pmcherry dresser of Alpheus Hall Alpheus Hall6 (Josiah5, Josiah4, Samuel3, Samuel2, George) was the son of Josiah Hall and Elizabeth Russel and great grandson of Samuel Hall and Sarah Rising. He was born in Somers, Connecticut, on July 28, 1766. On September 7, 1789, in Somers he married Anna Sikes, daughter of Reuben Sikes and Thankful Buell. Anna was born 3 Aug. 1769, so she married just a month after her 20th birthday. [VR's of Somers, CT, Barbour Collection] By 1798 Alpheus had moved his young family from Somers to Chenango County, New York, where he was made Overseer of Highways and, where… -
George Hall DNA and Edward Hall DNA
10 Jan 2010 | 2:14 pmDear Readers, In the last decade I approached my father and asked him to participate in the brand new HALL DNA Project. Knowing how important my research was to the family he immediately agreed. Thus my father became the first participant in this project. Because DNA science was in its infancy I made a determination to remove those results from the project two or three years ago until some semblance of agreement could be found among those exploring this new important science. This last year my beloved father left this earthly plane and therefore I feel it is not only appropriate but… -
Generations 1-3
2 Jan 2010 | 7:15 pmDear Readers: Following are the details of the first three generations of my family, beginning with my earliest known ancestor, George Hall of Taunton, Bristol Co., MA. I expect that in spite of monumental efforts there will be adjustments to be made. Fortunately the fluidity of blogs allows precisely that! Note that bold lettering of male names indicates my immediate line. The skeletal version is: George Samuel Samuel Samuel Luke Luke Luke Nelson Wesley John Wesley Nelson Wesley Emphasis is on information related to direct lines. Next posts will complete the now proven, through the science… -
The Hall Family at Church in Smyrna
1 Feb 2009 | 3:27 pmThe following excerpt is from History of Chenango and Madison Counties, New York by James H. Smith, published in 1880. These notes shed light not only on the religious interests of Luke Hall and his wife, Ruby (Pease) Hall and on their son, Erastus Gilbert Hall, and also provide a tiny glimpse into the general climate and concerns of the times. It is through such vehicles as these notes that we begin to shed light into the lives of our early ancestors, whereupon they begin to transcend the strictly factual data so often associated with genealogical research. KH Reproduction of the Old West… -
Erastus Gilbert Hall
28 Jan 2009 | 7:28 pmERASTUS GILBERT HALL (1813-1893), Smyrna, Chenango, New York As previously mentioned, according to The History of Chenango County by James H. Smith (1880), “Luke Hall came at an early age from Somers, Conn., and settled in the north part of the town, where his son Erastus now lives, and died there, he and his wife.” Luke Hall was in fact one of the earliest pioneers in Smyrna (then Sherburne), before 1800, from Somers, Tolland, CT. Luke’s cousin Alpheus also migrated from Somers to Smyrna before 1800. In the 1800 census for Sherburne we have living side by side: Samuel Hall 1 m 16-25, 1…
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Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay
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Lorenz Jaeger/Lawrence Yeager
9 Feb 2010 | 6:03 amLorenz Jaeger was born on August 10, 1847 in Germany to Mr. and Mrs. John Xavier Yeager. On February 18, 1873, Lorenz Jaeger married Maria Schweighardt in Munchhof, Germany.According to Volume 38 of GERMANS TO AMERICA, the Jaeger family sailed to the U.S.A. aboard the ship Pereire from Havre to New York. The family members were listed as:Jager, Laurent age 34Marie age 32Andre age 6Emma age 4Louise infantBaby brother Frank Yeager was born after the family settled in Erie County, Ohio.On file at the Erie County Probate Court is a document which stated that Lorenz Jaeger arrived in the United… -
Rush R. Sloane
8 Feb 2010 | 1:45 amRush Sloane was one of Ohio’s most well known abolitionists. He was a lawyer in Sandusky, and elected the Mayor of Sandusky in 1879. In 1852 seven runaway slaves arrived in Sandusky on the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad. Some men claiming to be the slave owners arrived in Sandusky and wanted the slaves to be returned. Mr. Sloane, after an investigation into the matter, found no legal authority for the fugitives to be arrested, and they were set free. A short time later, one of the men from Kentucky proved ownership of one of the slaves. As a result, Rush Sloane went to trial under the… -
Sentimental Sunday: On Grandpa's Farm in 1941
7 Feb 2010 | 1:00 amPictured to the left are Leroy and Ada Parker's six grandchildren playing on a wagon on the family farm in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio in 1941. Guiding the group is Tommy Parker. Behind him are his sister Joyce, cousins Lee Baumeister, Lois Parker, and Richard Parker. Little sister Sally is acting shy by the barn.Not long after this photo was taken, the U.S. Government took over the land owned by several Perkins Township farmers, to make way for a munitions plant during the Second World War. -
52 Weeks to Better Genealogy: Week 6
6 Feb 2010 | 7:12 amA prompt from We Tree, "52 Weeks to Better Genealogy," hosted by Geneabloggers, has challenged bloggers to examine online databases at their local public library. My local library in Northern Ohio is part of the ClevNet Consortium. To access the online databases available through ClevNet,first go to the website:www.clevnet.org.Click on Research Databases on the right sidebar. Under the Explore These Research Categories heading, click on Genealogy.Ancestry Library Edition is the most widely used online database in this listing, however, access is limited to in-library use only. Patrons can… -
Naomi Cross, "Sister Bertha"
2 Feb 2010 | 12:10 pmNaomi Cross was born in 1897 in Sandusky, Ohio, to Harry and Sophia Cross. Naomi's great grandfather Charles Cross was the first Catholic Mayor of Sandusky, and her grandfather James Cross was a Union Veteran of the Civil War.During her youth, Naomi was a member of Sandusky's Holy Angels parish, and she attended Holy Angels Parochial School.Naomi Cross became a nun with the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. She was known as "Sister Bertha." Rev. Robert C. Wolff wrote in his book about Sister Henrietta, who was a driving force in doing mission work in Cleveland's Hough area, that Sister…
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MyHeritage Genealogy Blog
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We've expanded our own family tree!
4 Feb 2010 | 5:20 amAs we enlarge our own company tree, MyHeritage.com has made it even easier for people around the world to track their family history, connect with relatives and build their unique family trees. We've just welcomed - through acquisition - the Hamburg, Germany-based OSN (Online Social Networking) Group and its sites, verwandt.de (Germany), moikrewni.pl (Poland) and dynastree.com (USA). We will be sharing new technologies, tools and features, contributing to a an easier and better experience for all family historians and roots seekers. With the new addition of OSN's 10 family sites, MyHeritage… -
India: A remarkable community project
4 Feb 2010 | 2:30 amHow many people are in your family tree? Two hundred, 500, 1,000, 5,000? Nissim Moses has some 15,000 people in the project for his Bene Israel community of India (see below for the history of this community). Most importantly, now there's a way to make it easier for Bene Israel families around the world to stay connected through MyHeritage.com and his community website. This story should be an inspiration to others who wish to create a secure community or family site at MyHeritage.com. "People have left India and gone to many other countries," he said on a recent visit to the MyHeritage.com… -
Happy, Sad: sharing family history
20 Jan 2010 | 6:20 amOur family has experienced two recent events in the circle of life. When family historians and genealogists speak about sharing family history at life cycle events, we generally mean life's happy occasions: births, engagements, marriages, graduations, birthdays and anniversaries. We don't often think about the sad events, which occur just as frequently, such as the deaths of family members. As I have often shared, in addition to a traditional gift for a happy occasion, I also add a printout of the family history, a chart and a list of ancestors to a young couple getting married (with their… -
ResearchBuzz: A resource for resources
13 Jan 2010 | 4:32 amGenealogists love resources. Even better, are resources that list even more resources! One such site is ResearchBuzz.com, established in1998. It covers the world of search engines, databases and other online information collections. Tara Calishain is, in her own words, "crazy about search engines and Internet searching for years." She writes and edits nearly daily updates on search engines, new data managing software, browser technology, large compendiums of information, Web directories whatever. The bottom line for this site is whether a reference librarian would find it useful. Yes? Then… -
India: Inscribing the past
3 Jan 2010 | 3:28 amIn some communities, the past is inscribed on copper plates that have lasted for a thousand years or more. Other records are kept in huge handwritten registers by Hindu priests in the holy city of Haridwar. For those of Indian ancestry who have migrated around the world, the handwritten registers may be the most valuable records for their families. Read on for more information on both types of records, with photos of both. There's a set of 31 copper plates, joined by a round copper seal bearing a royal dynasty emblem, dating from the reign of Emperor Rajendra Chola (1012-1044 CE). The first…
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Genealogy In Time
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Genealogy This Week 6 February 2010
5 Feb 2010 | 6:00 pmOur weekly compilation of interesting new resources, tools and stories for genealogists. This week: Tracing Your Ancestors Through Drink; Black History Month; Big Changes at Facebook; Who Has the Biggest RSS News Reader?; How to Get Through to Customer Support; Don't Get Buried in Denver...{click on the link to read the full articles} -
New Genealogy Records
5 Feb 2010 | 6:00 pmWe have updated our website with details on six new major genealogy record sets that have recently become available in the US, Scotland, Canada, and Germany/Europe...{click on the link to read the details} -
Genealogy This Week 30 January 2010
29 Jan 2010 | 8:00 pmOur weekly compilation of interesting new resources, tools and stories for genealogists. This week: How to Read Old Handwriting; British Library Launches Virtual History Timeline; Luxembourg National Library Now Online; US National Archives to Ban Photography; Lowcountry Africana; Bing Adds Features; Microsoft to Delete Yahoo and Bing Search Data After Three Months; Facebook Privacy - What Privacy?...{click on the link to read the full articles} -
Apple's iPad - Changing the Way We Read Online
29 Jan 2010 | 8:00 pmApple launched their new electronic book reader this week, calling it the iPad. Thin, elegant and cool, it is everything that Apple fans have come to expect from the company. Technically a tablet computer, the iPad is positioned to fill the gap between the small screen of a smart phone and the full functionality of a laptop. It has the potential to greatly change the way we read and do our genealogy research online...{click on the link to read the details} -
New Genealogy Records
29 Jan 2010 | 8:00 pmWe have updated our website with details on four major genealogy record sets that have recently become available in the US, Australia and New Zealand...{click on the link to read the details}
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Kick-Ass Genealogy
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Sharing Family Recipes
9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 amWhat is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child? ~Lin Yutang Few things rival my passion for genealogy, but cooking and eating good food is one of them. What better way to spend a day than marrying the two into one delicious, history-rich extravaganza? Today’s article is going to focus on sharing a family recipe — not a cookbook, mind you, as that might be overwhelming to any perfectionists in the crowd *shifty eyes*, but just one recipe. Besides, the process is repeatable to create a cookbook if that’s what you want to eventually do. Heirloom recipes are a… -
Social Media and Genealogy
5 Feb 2010 | 5:28 pmI’ve written an article on social media and genealogy for GenealogyArchives.com. It looks at why you might want to use Web 2.0 in your search for ancestors, and provides you with some easy steps to get started. Instead of covering the obvious sites (Twitter, Genealogy Wise, etc.) it delves into some of the types of sites you wouldn’t necessarily think to use for your family history — wikis, social bookmarking, and photo-sharing sites. Check it out right here, and feel free to leave comments on the article. -
How to Make a Family Calendar
2 Feb 2010 | 1:00 amThe photo to the left is an Aztec Calendar at the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City by k6mmc, used under Creative Commons License. Calendars that include important dates from family history can make an amazing impression on your non-genealogist relatives…or they can be an ugly, time-and-effort-intensive flop. This article will go over the pros and cons of making a family calendar, explain the various decisions you will have to make, and outline how to create one. Should I Try Making a Family Calendar? Family calendars can be a great, non-scary way to introduce your “normal”… -
Goth Genealogy?
30 Jan 2010 | 1:00 amI am proud to present the following guest post by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers.com. During my recent meetings with ancestry.com management and staff as part of ancestry.com’s Bloggers Day, one topic of discussion involved ways in which genealogy and family history could attract a younger demographic. As Andrew Wait, Senior Vice President and General Manager at ancestry.com stated during his presentation The Changing Face of ancestry.com, the current demographic is as follows[1]: Genealogy currently has 13 million active researchers – up from 9 million in 2005[2] Over 185,000… -
How to Prove Family Legends
26 Jan 2010 | 1:00 amWhen you interview your family, sooner or later you will encounter a pretty tall tale. The novice researcher gets excited at the possibility of belonging to an exotic ethnicity; the more jaded historian dismisses the stories of war-time heroics out of hand. Neither approach is particularly constructive. In this article, we’re going to walk through how to prove (or disprove) a family legend. I’m not going to detail all the common family legends here. You can find those by googling “common family legends”. In my own genealogical research I came across two particular…
