Genealogy

• 
  footnoteMaven

• There'll Be No Hell For Dogs

  footnoteMaven

  14 Nov 2009 | 1:11 am

  Carnival of Genealogy - 26th Edition - A Tribute To FathersEqual time has to go to my Father. How I loved him. How I miss him. The COG has always been very cathartic. He was the most handsome man I have ever seen. Movie star good looks handsome, and he was my father. From little girls to little old ladies he could turn them all into babbling idiots just by acknowledging them. He was a farm boy from Missouri who was totally unaware of the havoc his good looks created with women. Oh, women noticed him, but he did not notice women. From the day he set eyes on my mother there was no other woman…

• A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody

  footnoteMaven

  13 Nov 2009 | 1:22 am

  I enjoyed the research and writing of this, my submission for the 48th Edition of the COG. But most of all I enjoyed meeting my Mother as I never knew her.Until I started this article, I hadn't really thought of my Mother as a school girl, as the 14 year old bobby-sockser you see in the photograph to the right. She was just Mom. I took her intelligence for granted. As most children do, I took everything about her for granted.She placed a very high premium on education and had a tremendous amount of reverence for the written word. The written word was sacred she always said. When I took down…

• Warm and Welcoming

  footnoteMaven

  11 Nov 2009 | 8:32 pm

  My first post, Shelter From The Home and Hearth, was also my first contribution to the Carnival of Genealogy. I was so new, my hand shook as I hit the blog submission button. I had been reading the Carnival of Genealogy and its famous bloggers for months. They and their writing was so polished, so professional. I wanted to test the waters, but I was certain that I was not worthy. With that first Carnival post I was about to prove my worth to the world.I joined the 19th Carnival with my blogging idols, Randy Seaver - Genea-Musings, Jasia - Creative Gene (the reason I started blogging), Miriam…

• A Traveling Man

  footnoteMaven

  11 Nov 2009 | 10:47 am

  I wrote an article about this photograph of Clark Gable stepping out of the "Globe Trotter," entitled Yes It's Who You Think It Is. It was taken by my Grandfather Edward J. Greene. I knew he worked for MGM and had something to do with the "Globe Trotter," but I didn't know what he did for MGM or what exactly the "Globe Trotter" was.I've also written about the time, as a child, my grandparents came to visit and brought films of the "Little Rascals" for us to watch in our living room. I remember my mother saying that Grandfather was a talent scout and that he had discovered the "Little…

• Wisconsin Magazine of History and The UW Certificate in Genealogy and Family History Program

  footnoteMaven

  10 Nov 2009 | 11:17 am

  I am a member of the Advisory Board of the Certificate in Genealogy and Family History Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. As you know, I am also a 2005 graduate of this outstanding program. The following is the program description: Learn to unearth new facts about your ancestors and view the information within the political, economic, and social changes that shaped communities of that time. Focus in depth on a selected project to better understand the course of your ancestors' lives and the lives of the subsequent family members. Uncover fascinating stories not just about…

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  DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog

• READERS' FEEDBACK: Docu-Challenge #1

  Myrt

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:07 pm

  Pictured above: 2801 Perkins Lane, Seattle, Washington. Image from http://maps.Google.com DearREADERS, Thank-you for your thoughtful responses when asked to work with the newspaper clipping originally posted in yesterday's blog entry. Here's a smattering for your review. Those of my DearREADERS who didn't submit a reply can compare their thoughts with those expressed by others below:From: From: C. Waldhauser waldhauser@cox.net DearMYRTLE, Like so many of the "old"news clippings we find in our searches -- NO -- date -- Where ? -- and what paper it came from? Keeps us searching more ? Well…

• Docu-Challenge #1

  Myrt

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm

  DearREADERS,If you ran across this document in your family history research:How would you describe it? What can you tell about Ol' Myrt (yes, this is ME at age 3!) from the information provided?What is missing?Which additional records might this lead you to review?Write to Ol' Myrt, and give me your suggestions. A RANDOM pick from respondents will win a 4 GB flash drive. Send replies to Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com .Happy family tree climbing!Myrt :)DearMYRTLE,Your friend in genealogy.Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

• DAR: Online databases now available

  Myrt

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at the NSDAR (National Society Daughters of the American Revolution). Please address all inquiries to Eric Grundset as indicated below:From: Eric GrundsetDate: 1 Nov 2009To: A public email list for Librarians Serving Genealogists"After nearly a decade of scanning, indexing, and other behind-the-scenes work by DAR members and employees, the Daughters of the American Revolution is pleased to announce the availability of the DAR Genealogical Research System on our public website. Here are the direct…

• RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy Software for New FamilySearch

  Myrt

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at RootsMagic.com. Please address all inquiries to support@rootsmagic.com. RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy Software for New FamilySearch "RootsMagic Essentials" Becomes Only Free FamilySearch Certified Desktop Genealogy Software SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake and is the only…

• APG welcomes new President: Laura Prescott

  Myrt

  14 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was received from offices of the Association of Professional Genealogists.WESTMINSTER, Colo., November 13 – Laura G. Prescott [pictured above] of Brookline, New Hampshire, has been elected president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the world’s leading professional organization of family history and related professionals. Prescott is genealogist for the Nickerson Family Association and a consultant for Footnote.com. She will succeed Jake Gehring of Salt Lake City, Utah.Prescott, reflecting on her upcoming tenure, said “I’m very…

• 
  Genea-Musings

• Using the DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS)

  Randy Seaver

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:24 pm

  The Daughters of the American Revolution organization in Washington DC has added significant content to their website at www.dar.org. The announcement can be read here. The Genealogical Resource System (GRS) description is online at http://www.dar.org/library/online_research.cfm. It is described as:"The DAR Genealogical Research System is a combination of several databases created in recent years to organize the large quantity of information that the DAR has collected since its inception in 1890."There are sections for:* Ancestors -- The Ancestor Database was created by and is maintained by…

• Follow Friday - FamHist and LineageKeeper and more

  Randy Seaver

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:32 am

  It's Friday, and I'm highlighting favorite blogs and bloggers of mine in a post. I encourage you to visit the blogs I follow and add them to your RSS reader or subscribe to them by email.Today, I want to highlight Lee R. Drew's blogs --* FamHist -- this is a Family History blog that touches on stories, genealogy research, technology, recipes, you name it, Lee writes about it here.* LineageKeeper -- "Lineage collections, family tales, and recording the past."* Fact and Whimsey -- "Interesting stories, events, thoughts and comments through time and space."* Tombstone Territory -- Lee's…

• New "Digging for Answers" column in Online Graveyard Rabbit Journal

  Randy Seaver

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:22 pm

  The latest "Digging for Answers" column by yours truly is published in the Online Graveyard Rabbit Journal, a regular digital magazine published by the Graveyard Rabbits Association. The question asked was "My ancestors aren't in online databases, how can I find where they are buried?" The answers are, of course, in the column!Have you read the other columns in this digital magazine? You should - see:* The Educated Rabbit – November 12, 2009* Photo Monument – November 5, 2009* Tech T.I.P. – October 22, 2009* The History Hare - October 15* Graveyard Guru – October 8, 2009

• A Labor of Love - the Carnival of Genealogy

  Randy Seaver

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:25 am

  Jasia has posted the 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy on her Creative Gene blog. I encourage all of my readers to read the posts written by many genea-bloggers on the topic of "What the Carnival of Genealogy has Meant to Me."The overwhelming sentiments were that the Carnival provided a reason to blog about a certain topic, that it helped stimulate and improve writing skills, and that it created a sense of community among genealogy bloggers.Jasia is the most gracious and friendly hostess for these Carnivals - read her comments about each poster in the Carnival post. We are all so…

• RootsMagic Essentials Software Available

  Randy Seaver

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:14 am

  RootsMagic announced today the release of RootsMagic Essentials - a free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake that allow the public to easily start tracing their family trees. You can read the press release information here. I dug down a little deeper into the new RootsMagic website and found the comparison charts of what's included in RootsMagic 4 and RootsMagic Essentials. The comparison tables are at http://www.rootsmagic.com/RootsMagic/Features.aspx.For a beginning genealogist,…

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  kinexxions

• Blue Ridge Parkway :: Reflections

  Becky

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  The air was crisp on Sunday morning. Frost still covered the grass in the shady areas.What it is, I don't know, but there is “something” about reflections in calm, clear water. An image within an image. Real. Yet not real. Seeing what is or isn't there.Sunday morning, November 15th.Julian Price Memorial Park. Blue Ridge Parkway.Copyright © 2009 Rebeckah R. Wiseman http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/

• Wordless Wednesday :: Sunrise

  Becky

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  Sunday morning, November 15th.Lenoir, North Carolina.About 30 miles east of the Blue Ridge Parkway.Copyright © 2009 Rebeckah R. Wiseman http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/

• Blue Ridge Parkway :: Brinegar Cabin

  Becky

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  The grounds were neatly mowed. The garden was lying fallow. The cabin was locked. Peeking into the windows revealed nothing but empty spaces, except for a large object covered with a sheet. It was likely the loom used in demonstrations during the “prime” visitor season, summer.The Brinegar Cabin, at milepost 238.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A placque at the top of the hill overlooking the cabin proclaims:The Brinegars were not famous or rich, but they were important to their families and neighbors. In 1876 Martin Brinegar purchased this 125 acre farm from Henderson Crouse, Caroline…

• Greetings From... North Carolina

  Becky

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  In an attempt to evade the wind and rain, I left the Richmond area the morning of Friday the 13th, heading west and south, stopping for the night in the small town of Stuart, Virginia. It had rained off and on during most of the drive. Sometime during the night, the rain finally stopped.The next morning I awoke to sunshine and blue skies and drove the few miles west to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The good thing about driving the Parkway this time of year is that there are very few other people doing the same. The bad thing about driving the Parkway this time of year is that all the campgrounds…

• Still in Virginia – but not for long!

  Becky

  13 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am

  After determining the location of Hawksbill Church (which was named after a small river rather than the mountain peak) I headed back into Shenandoah National Park on November 3rd. Two days later (and as many very cold nights) I was at the southern terminus of Skyline Drive. The weather had been rather dreary and the color was gone from the few leaves remaining on the trees. But it was still a very pleasant drive. I didn't hike as much as I would have liked though because it was just too windy and too cold.I wanted to get out of the mountains and back to the coast. But there were a few stops…

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  The Virtual Dime Museum

• The Inexhaustible Cow

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:47 am

  One of the many attractions at Coney Island in the late 19th century was a tireless mechanical wooden cow which dispensed glasses of milk, served by costumed dairy maids, who unfortunately cannot been seen in this charming late-Victorian stereograph entitled "The Inexhaustible Cow." The cow stood in a pavilion at Culver Plaza, next to the iron observation tower that had been brought there from the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1878. Culver Plaza, on Surf Avenue, was named for developer Andrew R. Culver, whose Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad had its terminus there. A glass of…

• Afternoon Tea at the Claremont Inn

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:44 am

  This beautiful inn is long gone, but in the 1930s the Claremont still stood at Riverside Drive and 125th Street, just opposite Grant's Tomb. According to Helen Worden in This Is New York (1939), you could have lunch or afternoon tea on the terrace overlooking the Hudson River, and it was a lovely place "although it lost much if its charm when the interior was altered" (p. 167). The house was built in 1797 by the Post family.Worden writes that the Claremont stood on the site of the Battle of Harlem Heights, fought in September 1776 during the Revolution. And it was here that people gathered to…

• Le Flou-Flou

  14 Nov 2009 | 8:46 am

  The plan today was to write about some of the research that I'm doing for my NaNoWriMo novel, which is set in 1896 in Brooklyn and New York City. However, I'll be getting to more research after I hit the 50,000 word mark. I hope to make it to that point within a week or so - thanks to writing masses at first and then plugging away every day since then. Though I must tell you I am looking forward to slowing down and working on some of the descriptive stuff. I just need to get Eleanor (the amateur detective) out of her final dangerous incident, and then wrap things up. I will still have a lot…

• The Quintessence Of Petroleum

  11 Nov 2009 | 6:53 am

  Here is Petrolina, an 1880s rival of Vaseline, a petroleum jelly invented by Robert Chesebrough in the 1870s. It is still widely used for everything from lip balm to eye makeup removal. What is amusing about Petrolina is the name - the oil-refinery tang of the word 'petroleum' coupled with the Victorian way of naming medicines as if they were the heroines of third-rate yellowback novels. Petrolina sounds pretty close to being something that Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth or Augusta Evans Wilson might have written (I've read novels by both ladies, and would not have been surprised to find a…

• The Mystery of the Catacombs in Manhattan

  9 Nov 2009 | 6:39 am

  This really is a history mystery, and I'm hoping that someone will be able to confirm or deny this (actually, I hope that it is true). Back when Frozen Charlotte (my NaNoWriMo mystery) was in a previous incarnation as The Black Mirror (which draft will someday become the second in the Eleanor Grey detective series, I hope) I did a lot of research into New York's underground places - not just the subways and secret passages under the street, but also hidden rooms (as in the Seabury Tredwell house) and other odd semi-subterranean and secret places. Julia Solis' New York Underground is a superb…

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  What's Past is Prologue

• Surname Saturday: PLUTA

  Donna Pointkouski

  14 Nov 2009 | 11:22 am

  Surname - PLUTA Meaning/Origin – The name PLUTA (hear it pronounced in Polish) is derived from the Polish word pluć, meaning “to spit”.  Pluta means “spitter” or bad weather!  (Source: Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings, Second Edition by William F. Hoffman) Countries of Origin - The surname PLUTA is Polish. According to the World Names Profiler, Poland has the highest frequency per million residents with this name at 385 per million. Germany is next at almost 15 per million, with Canada at 8 and the United States at 6.75. Spelling Variations - PLUTA is the…

• Why I Love the COG

  Donna Pointkouski

  13 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  My blogging adventure called What’s Past is Prologue began on January 6, 2008.  But I had been reading genealogy blogs for several months prior to beginning my own.  The one aspect of genealogy blogs that I really enjoyed reading the most was the Carnival of Genealogy.  Twice a month bloggers would take on the challenge of writing around a theme – and it always amazed me that each article was somehow different and new despite the common topic.  And I simply adored the way the COG hostess with the mostess, Jasia, pulled it all together in a charming and fun way.  This is so much fun,…

• Say It in Polish

  Donna Pointkouski

  12 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  As a Polish-American interested in genealogy, I quickly learned that pronunciation is the key to everything.   How can you properly research a family if you can’t say the language correctly? I realized that there are American English pronunciations of Polish surnames and place names, and then there is the real way it is pronounced in Polish. Over the years I’ve learned a few things about the Polish language with its “different” letters and consonant combinations, and I can usually figure out how a word is pronounced.  But sometimes…I get stumped.  Just the…

• World War I Veterans

  Donna Pointkouski

  11 Nov 2009 | 5:52 pm

  Here are two photographs of World War I veterans.  Both gentlemen married my great-grandmother’s sisters (surname: Slesinski).  The photos contained no identifying information; however, I have identified these men based on labeled photographs taken around 1930 which were featured in a previous post, The Slesinski Sisters: Part 3 – Research Confirmed. Adolph Majewski John Smilovicz I thank them for their service to this country, as well as all veterans and military members currently serving in harm’s way.  Thank you! Posted in Photographs, Slesinski / Ślesiński

• Join the Navy, See the World

  Donna Pointkouski

  8 Nov 2009 | 4:29 pm

  The word prompt for the 18th edition of the Smile for the Camera carnival is Travel: show us your family and how they traveled.  Well, that’s a hard one…other than my immigrant ancestors arriving in the U.S. by ship, I don’t know of any other travelers in the family – and I certainly don’t have any photos of them.  I seem to be the first bitten by the travel bug.  Until I remembered that my father did travel – courtesy of the United States Navy!  Here is a photo of him (on the right) and his buddy on their ship, the USS Cadmus. Aboard the USS Cadmus,…

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  The Photo Detective

• Photographs Help Solve the Case

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:02 am

  A 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!

• Weekend at the Museum: American Independence Museum

  14 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  This week I'm featuring the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire. Visitors can tour their Ladd-Gilman House and the Folsom Tavern, but if you visit today you can hear me lecture on The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation. I'll be there at 1 pm. Sign up in advance if you're interested in a photo consultation. Anyone in attendance receives a pre-publication offer from Kent State University Press. You can pre-order the book for a special price. Hope to see you there!

• Queries and Answers: Photographic Value

  13 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  A recent sale of photograph's at Christie's auction brought in 7.5 million dollars. The items sold included a set of Edward Curtis photos of American Indians. If you've ever wondered how much a photograph in your collection was worth here's a few things to keep in mind. I'm not a photographic appraiser, but I've spent enough years as a curator and as a photo collector to have a general sense of value. Was your image taken by a notable photographer?A gorgeous daguerreotype by Southworth & Hawes is worth more than a carte de visite taken by a local studio. Is it unique? What type of photo is…

• Fashionable Folks: In the Bookstore

  11 Nov 2009 | 12:24 pm

  While you can purchase a copy of Fashionable Folks through Lulu.com it is now available in bookstores. Here's a list for your convenience. New England Historic Genealogical Society. This is so new you need to call their toll free number for information. 1-888-296-3447 Jonathan Sheppard Books Maine Historical Society Newport Historical Society I'll lecturing and signing books there on February 18, 2010. Round Lake Bookstore in Charlevoix, Michigan 1-866-580-0607

• Wordless Wednesday: 389th Regiment in World War II

  11 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am

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  Destination: Austin Family

• Genealogy Journal Wednesday, November 19, 2009

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:43 am

  A relatively quiet day - not much blogging in fact which is a surprise! I put the finishing touches on the big announcement over at GeneaBloggers - it is all set for 2:00 pm CST on Friday. Hint: if you remember those Advent calendars from your childhood you're really going to love what I have planned in December. The rest of the day was spent researching the GOIAS surname in Kauai, Hawaii. I thought I had it bad with my surname - ugh! I can't believe how many bizarre variations keep showing up in the census: GOERS, GOSIA, GOISA. And one fact that I found very interesting: middle names were…

• 
  Little Bytes of Life

• Early Christmas Present from FTDNA

  3 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pm

  As the Group Administrator for the Swanay/Swaney DNA Surname Project, I am pleased to tell you about the Holiday promotion announced today by FamilyTree DNA: 2009 is coming to a close and we're finishing it off with an end-of-the-year promotion! Our Holiday Season promotion will bring back the discount that we offered this summer for the Y-DNA37, since this has been requested by many of our project administrators. Y-DNA37 – promotional price $119 (reg. price $149) Y-DNA67 – promotional price $209 (reg. price $239) mtDNAPlus – promotional price $139 (reg. price $149)…

• Tombstone Tuesday: Thomas MCGRAW

  27 Oct 2009 | 1:46 pm

  My great-grandfather, Thomas MCGRAW, was born on July 1, 1889, in Ohiowa, Fillmore County, Nebraska. He was the fifth of eight children of John and Mary Jane (Grogan) MCGRAW. Thomas married Elizabeth Marie "Bess" DELANEY some time before 1917. Children of Thomas and Bess were: Mary Margaret "Maura" MCGRAW (my grandmother), born on May 9, 1917 in Stanton, Fillmore Co. Nebraska; died on February 24, 2004 in Hemet, Riverside Co, California. Thomas R. MCGRAW, born on January 19, 1919 in Geneva, Fillmore Co., Nebraska; died on February 26, 1984 in Tigard, Washington Co., Oregon. Deloris Katherine…

• Because Mommies Worry

  21 Oct 2009 | 5:30 am

  My little girl is having surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids this morning. If you would be so kind as to remember her in your thoughts and prayers today, I would be most grateful.

• Wordless Wednesday: Scenes from the Chumash Pow Wow

  21 Oct 2009 | 2:27 am

  "Scenes from the 14th Annual Chumash Inter-Tribal Pow Wow" (Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara Co., California). All images © Elizabeth O'Neal, October 18, 2009. About Wordless Wednesday. Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

• I Think He Had Them at Hello

  20 Oct 2009 | 10:57 am

  On Saturday, October 17, I attended the meeting of the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society (SBCGS). The special guest speaker was Stephen J. Danko, who authors Steve’s Genealogy Blog. To say that Steve gave an outstanding presentation would not be telling you anything new. Those of you who know Steve or have heard him speak would expect nothing less. But as the ladies who sat next to me put it, he was able to take a difficult topic and bring it down to the level of the average person. I thought that was an excellent description. *** The first part of Steve's talk was entitled,…

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  AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors

• The 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is Posted!

  Miriam

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:13 pm

  poster courtesy of the footnoteMavenJasia recently posted the 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, whose theme was "What the COG (Carnival of Genealogy) means to me. This was a fabulous carnival to both participate in and read! I really liked the way Jasia organized the posts, and I encourage you to enjoy it.---Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the COG is: “Orphans and Orphans.” The first type of orphan refers to those ancestors or relatives who lost their parents when they were young. The second type of orphan would be those siblings or cousins of our…

• RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy and Family Tree Software

  Miriam

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pm

  As a enthusiastic RootsMagic user, I was excited to receive this press release!"RootsMagic Essentials" Brings Free Tools for Family HistorySPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake that allow the public to easily start tracing their family trees.Essential Features for Everyone“Many of our users have told us that they have friends and family members who are…

• Update on FindAGrave

  Miriam

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:07 am

  FindAGrave now has 38 million memorial pages listed on its free website, which includes many details about the individuals' lives, links to other family members' memorial pages, and photographs of the individual and/or his or her tombstone! As an indicator of how fast this website has grown over the years, on December 21 of last year, I reported they had 28 million memorial pages. All of these are created by visitors like ourselves.If you would like to learn more about FindAGrave, you can request my free syllabus as well as read my post on the Family Linking Feature.

• Getting More Traffic to Your Blog, Part Six (or, The Redux)

  Miriam

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  Last winter I started a series on Getting More Traffic to Your Blog, aimed specifically at new geneabloggers. It was a series that I--surprise, surprise--never quite finished, partly because life got busy, and partly because Julie Cahill Tarr of The Graveyard Rabbit wrote a similar series touching on some of the same ideas I had gathered.As a service to new geneabloggers, and with Julie's permission, I have listed below both our series which I hope will be of benefit to many of you:Getting More Traffic to Your Blogby Miriam Robbins Midkiff of AnceStoriesPart One: Get ListedPart Two:…

• The 18th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival is Posted

  Miriam

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  Twenty-three bloggers have shared ancestral and modern photos around the theme "Travel" at Shades of the Departed's 18th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival. Be sure to check them out!Now The Call For Submissions!19th EDITIONSmile For The Camera10 December 2009The word prompt for the 19th Edition of Smile For The Camera is "Gift." It is the holiday season and a time for giving. So give Smile readers the gift of sharing, sharing a family photograph. It can be a gift given or received, it can be the gift of talent, it can be the gift of having the photograph itself. The…

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  Family Matters

• LibraryThing Offers Local Search

  moultriecreek

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:48 am

  I’m a big fan of LibraryThing and now there’s even more reason to love it! They recently introduced a new feature giving local bookstores the ability to include their inventory in the LibraryThing system so when you search for a book you can see if one of your local sellers has it. The local section also includes maps showing their locations, provides for posting local events and gives you the opportunity to connect with other LibraryThing users in your area. Stop by LibraryThing and check out your “local scene”. You might be pleasantly surprised. Related…

• The Digital Life – A Look Ahead

  moultriecreek

  14 Nov 2009 | 12:42 pm

  The first computer I worked on filled up a room the size of a basketball court. It had 128K (yes, as in kilobytes) of memory, reel-to-reel tape drives and disk drives the size of washing machines. It was state of the art at the time and handled some pretty impressive systems (Do you remember the movie War Games?). Today, my pay-as-you-go mobile phone has more processing power than that monster system. We are in the middle of an Information Revolution that is having as much (if not more) impact on civilization as the Industrial Revolution. If you don’t think so, consider this. In many…

• Let Me Count the Ways

  moultriecreek

  14 Nov 2009 | 4:21 am

  The Carnival of Genealogy, or COG, holds a special place in the genea-community. It is the reason there is a genea-community. Many of us met and became friends by reading, commenting and submitting articles for the various editions. I don’t submit articles as often as I would like, but I always take time to read each edition “cover to cover”. My favorite time is early in the morning before the day’s events and challenges become distractions. Not only do I enjoy the articles and images, I’ve enjoyed watching as many of us have gained confidence in both our online…

• Thank You

  moultriecreek

  13 Nov 2009 | 2:12 am

  I don’t think these are the final totals – there are auction results and other monies yet to be counted – but I’m delighted to see that we were able to raise so much money in these hard times. Thank you to everyone who donated to this worthy cause. Project VALOUR-IT is just one of many projects supported by Soldiers Angels. This organization supports our military and their families in so many ways – from “adopting” military men and women while they are deployed to providing care and comfort to the wounded to creating and sending baked goods and other…

• Calendar Season Again

  moultriecreek

  8 Nov 2009 | 5:31 am

  It’s time to start thinking about 2010 calendars! Like many businesses, I see calendars as a promotional tool. The difference is I’m promoting family history. Everybody loves calendars – just look at how much room Barnes & Nobles devotes to them – so take advantage of this obsession to create some very affordable Christmas gifts and promote your ancestry at the same time. Here are some creative calendar options: Printed photo calendars. Just about every photo-sharing platform offers some kind of photo calendar where you select from your own photos to build a…

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  Creative Gene

• Carnival of Genealogy, 84th Edition

  Jasia

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:43 pm

  Welcome to the November 18, 2009 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic for this edition is: What the COG means to me. I didn't come up with the idea for this topic, but when I heard it I loved it. With 83 editions of the COG published it seemed like a great idea to hear about people's experiences participating in the Carnival of Genealogy. So today you'll get to read about the pressures of deadlines (turns out, it's a good thing!), challenges of writing for topics (not always easy), making a community out of a carnival (who would have thought?), making family connections (gotta love…

• Come Take a Ride on the Smile Train

  Jasia

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:12 pm

  The latest edition of Smile for the Camera is posted! Check out all the photos submitted for the word prompt, "travel". I think you'll enjoy the ride!When you're done, consider submitting a photo for next edition. With the holidays in mind, the word prompt is, "gift". I'm already mulling over the possibilities... I have until the deadline of December 10th to decide. Hmmm...

• What the COG Means to Me, The Writer

  Jasia

  16 Nov 2009 | 4:47 am

  I like a challenge. I like research challenges and I like writing challenges. The Carnival of Genealogy provides me with the opportunity to take on both challenges. And I get to do it twice a month :-)As a writer, I like to craft a story, write a persuasive argument, present a researched topic proving or disproving a theory, spin a tale, wax poetic, pen an essay, and even write song lyrics on occasion. I can do all those things in the COG. It gives me a chance to stretch my wings and get creative.I strive to write better and I'm driven by passion. I want to rise to the challenge! I want to…

• What the COG Means to Me, The Hostess

  Jasia

  14 Nov 2009 | 5:52 pm

  Since I have the unique perspective of being the creator and primary hostess of the Carnival of Genealogy and it's most prolific writer (I've never missed writing for a COG edition), I'm going to take the liberty of writing two articles this time around. This first one will be reflections on being the hostess and the next one will be on being a contributing author.So what does the COG mean to me, the hostess? Work! Lots of work! LOL!Although I've put a lot of time and effort into the COG over the years, I can honestly say it has been a labor of love. I've really enjoyed seeing the Carnival of…

• True Confessions of One Who Is Polish Language Challenged

  Jasia

  12 Nov 2009 | 7:10 am

  How many of you know how to pronounce your surname? What about your great grandfather's surname? Can you pronounce the name of the town where they lived? Ok, ok, those of you with surnames like Seaver, West, Palmer, Wiseman, Manson, and Midkiff are probably rolling your eyes about now. But there are a whole cadre of us who have never heard the proper ethnic pronunciation of the surnames of our ancestors and the villages where they lived. As one who finds herself Polish-language challenged, I can tell you it's very frustrating!I took Polish language classes for 3+ years but never got beyond…

• 
  About.com Genealogy

• RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy and Family Tree Software

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:32 am

  RootsMagic family tree software is one that I often recommend to readers, for its ease of use and wealth of features. Some, however, were reluctant to invest time trying out the limited trial version, or not yet ready to invest in such a comprehensive program. Thus, I was thrilled when Bruce Buzbee announced today that he has created a free version of his desktop genealogy software, titled RootsMagic Essentials. RootsMagic Essentials contains many of the core features found in the full Roots Magic 4 version, including the ability to add unlimited people and events, pictures and media…

• Honor the Veterans in Your Family

  11 Nov 2009 | 2:02 am

  Earlier this year my father-in-law passed away at the age of 90 - the last living World War II veteran in my family. Luckily for us, we have many of his stories recorded, but for many veterans the stories and memories of their war experiences have died with them. Take time this week from your family history research to learn more about the veterans in your family tree - interview a living veteran, track down a military record, or read online accounts of other military veterans who served with your ancestors. Thank you for honoring our veterans. Honor the Veterans in Your Family originally…

• Scan Those Slides!

  3 Nov 2009 | 3:39 am

  If you're like many of us, you (or your parents or grandparents) probably have stacks of old slide carousels loaded up with family memories. Unfortunately, the precious images on those slides are deteriorating with each passing day. Here are several options for converting those pictures to digital format. Once you've scanned your old family photos or slides into digital format, try these tips for digitally cleaning up those tears, stains, creases and faded images. As a bonus for your hard work, the digital pictures you've created from those old family slides can now be used in all sorts of…

• Entire U.S. Census to be Added to Footnote

  29 Oct 2009 | 2:56 am

  Footnote announced today that it will digitize and place online all publicly available U.S. Federal Censuses from 1790 to the most current public census from 1930. The 1860 and 1930 censuses are already online, with digitization of 1900, 1910 and 1920 just getting underway. So why use the census on Footnote when it is available elsewhere on the Web? Footnote does do it a little differently - offering interactive census pages for each individual which allow users to add comments and insight about that person, upload and attach scanned photos and documents, and identify relatives found in the…

• Locating Historical U.S. Deeds Online

  25 Oct 2009 | 5:04 am

  The Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office records are a great online resource for U.S. genealogists researching ancestors in the thirty federal or public land states. As far as online land records go, however, the GLO is not the only game in town. Many U.S. counties, especially in the eastern part of the country, have started putting their historical deed records online. You might be surprised what you can find! Most of you probably know that I have a lot of North Carolina ancestors. As a result, I've been very happy with the recent trend of North Carolina counties to place their…

• 
  Genealogy News Center

• Over 1.8 Million Native American Records Released On Footnote.Com

  Original records dating back to early 1700s become available on the Internet for the first time

• Canadian Naturalization Database

  There are now 206,731 names of individuals who applied for, and received, status as naturalized Canadians from 1915 to 1932.

• Familyrelatives is proud to announce the addition of 1,000,000 New Military Records spanning over 100 years.

  This autumn marks the 201st anniversary of the beginning of the Peninsular War and to commemorate, the event Familyrelatives.com has added over 1 million army records covering a broad range from 1808 through to De Ruvigny's biographical record of World War I soldiers.

• Web-based genealogy software program offers 15-day FREE trial for amateur and professional genealogists.

  ourFamily•ology today announced that, in celebration of the official launch of its website, it is offering a 15-day free trial to all visitors.

• Hey genealogists, let's start Celebrating America

  Beginning next month, I want to take a look, state by state, at the resources available today for genealogists. I'm going to follow the order by which the states joined the union, highlight their major starting points for genealogical information, but I also hope to uncover some hidden gems along the way.

• 
  Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

• More Than 1.8 Million Native American Records Released on Footnote.com

  Dick Eastman

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pm

  The following announcement was written by Footnote.com:-Original records dating back to early 1700s become available on the Internet for the first time- Lindon, UT – November 19, 2009 – Footnote.com announced today the release of their latest interactive collection of historical records: the Native American collection.  Working together with the National Archives and Allen County Library, Footnote.com has created a unique collection that will help people discover new details about Native American history. The Footnote Interactive Native American Collection features original…

• ProQuest to Open New Microfilm Manufacturing Facility

  Dick Eastman

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pm

  I have written several times about the demise of microfilm. I was therefore very interested to learn of a new microfilm manufacturing facility to be built near Ypsilanti, Michigan. ProQuest plans to hire 30 new employees and transfer some others. While the facility will be new, it apparently is to replace an existing facility that will be closed. The facility will consolidate microfilm manufacturing operations from a facility the company is shutting down in Ohio and relocate about 35 employees from a unit it operated in nearby Scio Township.ProQuest acquired the microfilming assets in June…

• Finding Treasures, Black Chicagoans Honor Ancestors

  Dick Eastman

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:43 pm

  For many African-American genealogists, historical artifacts are valuable treasures. Some of these treasured finds were passed down through generations. The Hotel Florence Museum in the Pullman Historic District is presenting an exhibit of photographs, documents and memorabilia brought to Chicago by black migrants. The items in "The Great Migration and What They Brought with Them" exhibit were presented by families in Chicago. The free exhibit runs through Dec. 1 at the Hotel Florence Museum, 11111 S. Forestville Ave. You can read more about the exhibit in an article by Chika S.

• Public Areas of Kentucky State Archives Reopen After Water Leak

  Dick Eastman

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:34 pm

  The public service areas of the state Department for Libraries and Archives reopened today after being closed since Nov. 13 because of minimal damage from a water leak.The damage was not as widespread or severe as we thought during two initial assessments on Friday night and early Saturday morning. Because of the quick action of our staff, following our disaster response plan, we were able to mitigate any severe damage," said Barbara Teague, state archivist and records administrator and the director of the department's public records division.

• NGS Research Trip to Salt Lake City, Sunday 24 January – Sunday 31 January 2010

  Dick Eastman

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:44 am

  The following announcement was written by the National Genealogical Society:The National Genealogical Society is sponsoring a research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for the last week of January 2010. This is the eleventh year for this educational event and it will be co-led by Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS, and Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL. Both trip leaders have been active in the genealogical community for a number of years and both are former board members of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).

• 
  The Newberry Library Genealogy News

• DAR Puts Genealogical Research System Online

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) National Society has announced that it has placed its Genealogical Research System online, freely available at: http://dar.org/natsociety/pi_lookup.cfm This site allows you to look up proven patriots and replaces the DAR's previous Patriot Index lookup service. However, each line's most recent three generations are blocked on this public site. This means that you can find proven patriots but may have some challenges determining how closely related you are to them. In order to see the most recent three generations, you need to contact a…

• A City of Early Chicagoans Beneath Our Feet

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  By Grace Dumelle, Genealogy and Local History Assistant Pamela Bannos doesn't look like a gravedigger. The slim brunette has been teaching photography at Northwestern University for 17 years. But she did heavy lifting for 15 months to uncover the real story of Chicago's City Cemetery. I attended Bannos's lecture in September at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. It might seem like an odd venue for a history presentation, until you hear her thesis that 10,000 to 12,000 bodies lie beneath the leafy streets of the Gold Coast and the green fields of Lincoln Park. As a…

• Ginger Frere to Speak in Beach Park on Researching Occupations

  12 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Join Newberry librarian Ginger Frere, Monday, November 16th, at Beach Park Village Hall at 7:00 pm for her talk "Cobbler, Tailor, Trunkmaker: How My Grandpappies Made a Living." Ginger will use case studies to explain methods for discovering more details about our ancestors' occupations. The village hall is located at 11270 Wadsworth Road, Beach Park. For more information contact the Zion Genealogy Society.

• Lake County Illinois Genealogical Society Workshop this Saturday

  10 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  The Lake County Illinois Genealogical Society will hold its annual workshop, "This and That in Genealogy," this Saturday in Round Lake Beach. Registration and browsing begin at 8:00 a.m., and the programs run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Program topics include finding women in records, Internet search techniques, German towns of origin, passenger lists, nonpopulation census schedules, and twisting old data to yield new insights. Matt Rutherford, Newberry Curator of Genealogy and Local History, will present on nonpopulation census schedules and introduction to research at the Newberry. The…

• Have Questions about the Daughters of the American Revolution?

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  On Friday, November 13, Christina Bannon, DAR Chicago Registrar, will be at the Newberry conduction Revolutionary War ancestor lookups from the DAR's database and offering advice on the DAR application process. Christina will be available in the 2nd floor General Reading Room from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Appointments are not necessary, though you will need a current Newberry reader's card. For information on obtaining a reader's card, click here.

• 
  Shades Of The Departed

• Ouch! Where's A Hidden Mother When You Need One?

  footnoteMaven

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pm

  How does this torture chamber work on the littlest portrait sitter? Afraid to ask?The New Invisible Baby HolderPronounced by Leading Photographers the most ingenious time, labor and plate saving device ever invented. It is simple, inexpensive, and with ordinary care will last a lifetime.Its Advantages:The child is always in focus.The child is instantly released.The child is held absolutely safe.The Holder is invisible when in use.It can be used with any furniture or accessory.It is quickly changed from one thing to another.The child is supported in a comfortable manner.It is instantly…

• The 18th Edition Of Smile For The Camera's In Town

  footnoteMaven

  15 Nov 2009 | 9:55 am

  18th EDITIONSmile For The Camera10 November 2009While Smiling For The Camera we travel to Egypt, ride the high seas, drive the plains and cycle around town. So many interesting photographs representing how our families traveled. This carnival was an adventure.Again, you have outdone yourselves presenting a very interesting and varied group of photographs depicting you, your friends, ancestors and family as they traveled.Let's open the cover of this edition of Smile For The Camera's album of "Travel" and get our ticket punched."Have Space Suit - Will Travel"Brett Payne tells us: "Almost a year…

• Shades A Shout Out At Design By Firgs

  footnoteMaven

  12 Nov 2009 | 10:24 am

  Design by Firgs, authored by the very talented designer Elizabeth Gast, has highlighted Shades Of The Departed Magazine in her Shout Out column!About the magazine Firgs said:Maven’s new digital magazine Shades of the Departed was previewed for the first time last week and when I saw it, I was blown away at how beautiful it was. The articles were fun and interesting and I particularly enjoyed the piece on Mary Queen of Scots. With every turn of the digital pages, you can see just how much time, energy, and love went into this project. When I saw it, I knew I had to give Maven and her…

• Just Hear Those Sleigh Bells Jingling, Ring Ting Tingling Too.

  footnoteMaven

  9 Nov 2009 | 1:33 am

  Yes, I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But I got a note from Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist and a Friday From The Collector contributor, about a great Christmas gift for those who collect family photographs. The offer has a time limit, so I wanted to get the information to Shades readers with plenty of time to order. Thank you Sally, this is terrific!Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist3 Reasons Why Archival Photo Boxes Make a Lovely Gift"Archival""PhotoSafe""Permanent"I bet you've seen these words on photo albums. I also bet you had no idea those words are basically…

• Smile For The Camera - A Reminder

  footnoteMaven

  8 Nov 2009 | 7:50 pm

  Yes, I did something wrong in updating the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Third times a charm! I think I have it working.18th EDITIONSmile For The Camera10 November 2009The word prompt for the 18th Edition of Smile For The Camera is "Travel." Planes, trains and automobiles. Horses, mules, carts, and wagons. Bikes or on foot. Show us your family and how they traveled. This is going to be a good one, I feel it in my luggage. Admission is free with every photograph!Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may…

• 
  Genealogy News

• RootsMagic Releases Free 'RootsMagic Essentials:' Genealogy and Family Tree Software

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:50 am

  I'd consider this to be a major new announcement. The following was written by RootsMagic, Inc.: SPRINGVILLE, Utah.

• Genealogy Query - KIRWAN

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:45 am

  Birth gradparents and extended family.Birth grandmother Maureen born apprx.1943.Had son 20.10.1960 {My father}at Essex Christchurch N.Z.and daughter 16.01.62.atCalvary Chch N.Z.Father same for both children, described as European,6ft2.blue eyes,salesman. Also had 2 other sons {fathers different}born 27.4.63 at Lyndhurst,Chch,and 5.8.65 at St ...

• Genealogy Query - GALLOWAY : HUNTER : WOODRUFF

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:44 am

  Born 1842 NC, died 1909 Sanford ,Fla. Married to William Washington Woodruff. Parents were F.L.Galloway and Martha N. Hunter.

• Genealogy Query - CHURCHILL : CLANCY : DUFFY

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am

  Searching for my niece, born December 18,1988 in Newcastle NB.She would have been placed for adoption sometime in early 1989.Birth mother was Kelly Ann Churchill and birth father was Michael Duffy both from Chatham NB.

• Genealogy Query - SCHOOMAN : SCHOOMANN : SCHUMAN

  16 Nov 2009 | 5:24 am

  Looking for info on my ancestor Jacob J Schooman born in Germany abt 1883, father Jacob J and mother Elizabeth Rilling.

• 
  The Genealogue

• Also, Is My Cousin's Cousin Famous?

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:19 pm

  Google's autocomplete feature tells us what people are searching for: relatives who are famous, celebrated, and/or genocidal.Those who Googled "am I related to this person" were, of course, holding up pictures of Hitler.

• I Left This Stone Unturned

  13 Nov 2009 | 8:16 pm

  This may seem like a normal gravestone, but look carefully at the very bottom of the photograph.A little digging revealed that an age ("62 y'rs & 10 mo.") was carved on the stone upside down. This wasn't Fanny's age at death, but it was the age at death of her husband's first wife.Here's my theory: the first wife dies in 1837 and a stone is erected. The husband remarries, dies in 1849 and a new stone is made for the first wife to complement his own. The second wife dies in 1871, and her evil or indigent step-children recycle their mother's old stone to mark her grave.Only chilly fingers and…

• New Way to Find Dead People on the Highway

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:22 pm

  A funeral home in Des Moines is displaying obituaries on billboards around the city.The digital announcements, which have appeared on five billboards around Des Moines for a few months, last about 8 seconds. Announcements can flash the person's name, picture and service details as well as the funeral home's Web site.The announcement rotates with other ads and there is no additional cost to the family.Koth acknowledged concerns that the billboards could be a distraction, particularly if someone spots the name of a friend or acquaintance without knowing about it beforehand. [Link, via Passing…

• Q: Was He a Member? A: Never My Love

  30 Oct 2009 | 9:41 pm

  An obituary appeared in the New York Times last spring for Richard Blue.BLUE--Richard, September 18, 1946 - May 16, 2009. Beloved husband to Amanda and wonderful father to Kathleen, Rich was a remarkable human being, loved by all. A great contributor to the music world, Rich had early success as a member of the Association (as Ted Bluechel Jr.) and progressed to write many great songs. [Link]This came as a great surprise to Ted Bluechel, Jr., formerly of The Association.Earlier this week, it was reported that [Ted Bluechel, Jr.] had died — but, according to the daughter of [Association]…

• Maybe He's Just Impersonating Elvis's DNA

  27 Oct 2009 | 12:29 am

  Eliza Presley claims that she is the half-sister of Elvis. Oh, and that Elvis is still alive.Eliza Presley, born Alice Elizabeth Tiffin, grew up in an adoptive family. When as an adult she sought out her birth mother, she found that her mother had lived near Graceland in Memphis, and had at times been a part of Elvis' coterie. For a time, Presley, 47, believed she was Elvis' daughter. But according to DNA tests -- she claims to have tested her DNA with both sides of Elvis' family -- the true match for her father was not Elvis himself but his father, Vernon.Presley is suing Elvis Presley…

• 
  California Genealogical Society and Library blog

• CGS Directors, Officers and Duties

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  On Monday I reported on the slate of nominees to the board of directors to be announced and voted on at the Annual Meeting in January. The following is the relevant section of the society bylaws - Article V - from page two: ARTICLE V: DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND DUTIES Section 1. Directors a. The number of directors shall be not less than five (5) nor more than twenty (20). b. The last active past president, he or she consenting, shall serve as a Member of the Board of  Directors until replaced by a new past president willing to serve on the Board of Directors. c. Immediate family members of…

• Wordless Wednesday

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  Volunteer Appreciation Reception Saturday, November 14, 2009   Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox and Jane Knowles Lindsey, Oakland, California. Copyright 2009, Kathryn M. Doyle

• News From the 2009 Nominating Committee

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  The 2009 Nominating Committee – Dick Rees, Lorna Wallace and Chair Chris Pattillo – have announced the nominations for the 2010-2011 Board of Directors for the California Genealogical Society. Nominations will be presented at the January 2010 Annual Meeting. Tom Gesner, Craig Manson and Jeffrey Vaillant are nominated as new board members. Nancy Fike and Diana Wild, currently serving as appointees to vacant positions (Corresponding Secretary and Recording Secretary) are nominated for their first term. Lavinia Schwarz is nominated for her second term. Nancy Peterson is nominated for her…

• Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

  15 Nov 2009 | 11:45 pm

  The Carnival of Genealogy (COG) is a bimonthly blog event invented by Jasia of Creative Gene in June 2006. Individual genealogy bloggers write about an assigned topic and post the articles on their blogs. Each carnival edition has a host who gathers the submissions and publishes a round-up of links to the articles. This is my submission to the 84th edition: What the Carnival of Genealogy has meant to me. The COG was a fixture in the genealogy blogging world before I knew much about blogs or ever heard of Jasia. Ironically, I first learned about her from a print article in the July 2007…

• Wordless Wednesday

  11 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

  NEHGS Seminar Wedgewood Wedding and Banquet Center  October 23, 2009 Photographs courtesy of Arlene Miles, Oakland, California. Copyright 2009, Kathryn M. Doyle

• 
  Crowe's Nest by Elizabeth Powell Crowe

• Press Release: RootsMagic Essentials free version released

  Libbi

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:22 pm

  “RootsMagic Essentials” Brings Free Tools for Family History SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake that allow the public to easily start tracing their family trees.   Essential [...]

• Kreativ Blogger Awards

  Libbi

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

      WooHoo! — I have been awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award! A big thank you to Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here for this honor! The winner of this award is supposed to list seven things about himself or herself and then pass the award along to seven other bloggers. So, here are seven things about me that you didn’t [...]

• Tombstone Tuesdays: The Political Graveyard

  Libbi

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:51 am

  The Political Graveyard is a neat web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. It is the Internet’s most comprehensive source for American political biography, listing 192,291 politicians, living and dead. The site includes  many federal officials, state officeholders and candidates in all 50 states, state and national political party officials, federal and state judges, and [...]

• Need Genealogy Tweeting Success Stories!

  Libbi

  16 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am

  I’m currently doing the chapter on messaging and online genealogy: Any of my readers have success stories using Twitter? I’d love to hear from you! I’m @ECWriter, and you can hash #GenealogyOnline on Twitter, or just leave a comment here!

• Surname Saturdays: Powell

  Libbi

  14 Nov 2009 | 1:34 pm

  My brick wall is named Reason. William Reason Powell to be exact. “Reese” as he was known to the family, was born 1802, Edgefield Co, SC. He was in Alabama in 1832 when he married Anna Gibson/Gipson 17 Feb 1832. They were in Sumter County AL in 1835 poll tax list. They went to Union [...]

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  FamHist

• Genealogy Research Live in Palm of Your Hand

  FamHist

  16 Nov 2009 | 2:51 pm

  I know that a number of you have iPhones.  You probably aren't aware that you can purchase an application to let you access new FamilySearch on your phone!  Check out the mobileTree application.  I keep much of my genealogy and research on my website (some public, some password protected).  Combine online data with mobileTree and the available GPS application and you have a Killer tool for doing genealogy research! Imagine.....  The billions of records of nFS, your own data, photos, and ability to interface with all of them using a device that fits in the palm of your hand.   Visit a…

• Grandpa – You Are So Funny

  FamHist

  15 Nov 2009 | 1:28 pm

  Talking to your grandchildren is often a shock to your reality.  I tell them stories and they often reply, “Grandpa, you are so funny!”  I tilt my head to the side and thoughtfully consider what I have said that could elicit such a response.  I quickly realize that my verbal language is full of symbolic phrases that often express full paragraphs and concepts to others of my generation, yet are often meaningless to the Disney Channel generation. Conversely, some of their phases are equally meaningless to me. I don’t think I’ll ever abandon the phrases that have been part…

• "Please Pardon Momma from Jail"

  FamHist

  9 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pm

  Genealogical research often takes you down many paths, sometimes just because they are so interesting. After several hours of reading interesting documents, this series of documents remained in my memory. Dear Sir, Would You Please Pardon Momma? 18 Mar 1895 | Logan, Utah Thirteen year old Polly Beardall found herself raising her siblings due to unfortunate events in the lives of her parents. Apparently, her father John Gell Beardall left home in 1891 or 1892 saying the was going to Oregon to look for work and was never heard from again. He left his wife, Eliza Richards Beardall and four…

• History of the Dutch Oven

  FamHist

  2 Nov 2009 | 10:16 pm

  I've always enjoyed eating superior food cooked in a Dutch Oven.  My father used it as his only cooking pot whenever he was outdoors and frequently at home.  I used to almost pray that mom would be gone for an evening so he could cook ‘trail fare’ for dinner.   Don’t get me wrong.  Mom was an excellent cook and loved preparing meals for the family, but Dad – well, Dad cooked ‘Man’ food in the Dutch oven or cast iron pans.  Even today, the whiff of cooking onions or garlic immediately restores a scene in my mind of a six-year-old young man, salivating at the smells and staring…

• Good Morning! Who Died?

  FamHist

  21 Oct 2009 | 10:44 am

  I may be unique, but I doubt it.  Every morning I arise, mumble “goo morgan” to my wife and then stumble off to glance at the front page of the newspaper.  My real goal is to read the obituary page however.  Did any of my extended cousins or their spouses die?  Unfortunately, too many of them seem to be doing it now.  Also unfortunately, I’ve read the obituaries of too many younger folks and acquaintances in the last few months.  Frequently, the names on the obituary page are familiar but I can’t remember exactly how I know their name.  I dutifully…

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  Family Research - English, Scottish and Irish Genealogy

• Genealogy – Anyone?

  admin

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Lucky are the people who have decided that their family roots needed to be explored. Here is the story of how I found out about my father’s genealogy. You may find a David Jay Webber in your life too. for more click here

• Calgary historian honours Canada’s war nurses

  admin

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  A University of Calgary instructor is drawing attention to the nearly 8,000 Canadian nurses who served in the two world wars but often remain forgotten in the November ceremonies honouring the country’s war heroes. for more click here

• 1911 census/findmypast voucher

  admin

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  1911 census/findmypast voucher. for more click here

• Tracing Your First World War Ancestors

  admin

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are trying to trace family members who fought in the war in order to discover more about their experiences in the ‘war to end war’. This book is designed to help the complete beginner and also more experienced researchers. This extensively revised and up-dated edition is comprehensive [...]

• Lincoln’s letter to boy on sale

  admin

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  A letter written by former US President Abraham Lincoln to a schoolboy nearly 150 years ago is to go on sale for $60,000 (£36,000) in Philadelphia. for more click here

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  Genealogy Canada

• Nov-Dec 2009 "Ottawa Branch News"

  13 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pm

  A profile of 102-year old Elizabeth Stevens SMART is the lead story in the November-December 2009 issue of Ottawa Branch News. She is the oldest living member of the Ottawa Branch, and she goes right back to when it was formed in 1972. She has membership number 18!Written by George NEVILLE, an Ottawa member, the article is based on a four-hour interview with Elizabeth taken in 2002, and covers her school history from Grade Primary right up to her Teacher Training.The story will be continued in the next edition of the newsletter.Elizabeth and Edward KIPP went on another research trip, and this…

• 2 Minutes to Remember

  11 Nov 2009 | 3:40 am

  The Historica-Dominion Institute combined forces in the fall of this year, and their new website is now up-and-running, so I decided to take a look.I found, basically, the same site as before (they have just combined the content), but they have added a new wrinkle this Remembrance Day - and that is "2 Minutes To Remember" on November 11 at 11 o'clock.You can sign up on the site (so far, relatively few Canadians have done so). It is a good thing to do if you cannot go out to Remembrance Day ceremonies, and wish to pay respects at home, work, or school.They still have "The Memory Project:…

• CanadianLetters.ca

  9 Nov 2009 | 5:54 pm

  A new website has recently come to my attention: it is CanadianLetters.ca. It contains copies of many letters written during the wars Canadians have fought.Started by the History Department of Vancouver University and The University of Western Ontario, it's objective is to "let Canadians tell their own story in their own words and images by creating a permenent online archives which preserves Canada's wartime correspondence, photographs, and other personal material materials, from the battlefront and the home front".Currently, they have letters from the Pre-1914 Era, First and Second World…

• Battle of the Atlantic

  8 Nov 2009 | 5:01 pm

  At the Battle of the Atlantic parade held this past May 3rd in Ottawa, the following piece was written about the battle -"On the 3rd of September 1939, the Athania was sunk off the coast on Northern Ireland. One week later, Canada was officially at war.The Royal Canadian Navy lost over 2,000 personnel and 24 warships. More than 900 RCAF and Canadian Army personnel were killed in this battle.Between 1939 and 1945, over 1,700 Merchant Navy personnel lost their lives due to enemy action. Over 70 Canadian Merchant ships were sunk, most of them in the Battle of the Altering.Approximately 350…

• Heroes Remembered

  7 Nov 2009 | 6:59 pm

  As many of us are aware, war veterans—in general—do not wish to talk about their wartime experiences. Available to you, however, are now over 1,600 hours of video and audio conservations with 75 veterans from the 20th century wars with which Canada has been involved.These interviews, along with pictures of the veterans and their stories, are available online at .You can also search the database to find out about the conflicts, the geographic location of the conflicts, the campaign, the branches of the Canadian Forces, and the regiments which fought in the campaigns.There is also a section…

• 
  Genealogy Insider

• Genealogy News Corral: November 16-20

  Diane

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am

  In preparation for the Civil War sesquicentennial from 2011 to 2015, the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) and Cleveland State University's Center for Public History and Digital Humanities launched a website about Ohio’s role in the Civil War. You can submit content for several areas of the site. See the OHS newsletter for more information. FamilySearch updated several collections on its free Record Search Pilot site: the 1920 US census index (Texas, Ohio and Iowa were added), Massachusetts marriages, Spanish civil registers, Brazil Catholic church records, and Mexico Catholic baptisms. To see…

• Footnote Releases American Indian Collection

  Diane

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:01 pm

  Historical records subscription site Footnote released a new records collection focusing on American Indians. It includes: Ratified Indian Treaties dating back to 1722 Indian Census Rolls featuring information including age, place of residence and degree of Indian blood The Guion Miller Roll, an important source for Cherokee ancestors Dawes Packets, containing original applications for tribal enrollments, as well as other documents relating to the Five Civilized Tribes As with Footnote’s other records, members can search, annotate and add comments to records. Visitors also can view pages…

• Free MyHeritage CD With January 2010 Issue

  Diane

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

  If you’ve already gotten your January 2010 Family Tree Magazine, you’ll notice it’s wrapped with a little present: a CD containing free FamilyTreeBuilder software from MyHeritage, a genealogy and family networking website. The CD works on Windows 98 or newer. Pop in the CD and the download should begin automatically. If it doesn’t, use the finder to navigate to your CD drive and click on the icon. Need technical help or have questions about the software? See the MyHeritage Help Center or Family Tree Builder pages. The CD comes with both subscriber issues (now being delivered) and…

• Search DAR Genealogy Indexes Free Online

  Diane

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:47 am

  The Daughters of the American Revolution, a 119-year-old lineage society for women descended from patriots of the American Revolution, has added its Genealogical Research System to its public website. The system, which is free to search, includes several genealogical databases: The Genealogical Records Committee National Index (also called the GRC Index) was already on the site, but if you’ve used it before, it has a different interface as part of the Research System. It indexes 20,000 volumes of transcribed gravestones, family Bibles and other records (and not just from the Revolution era)…

• Editors Pick: Family Tree Legacies

  Diane

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pm

  Family Tree Magazine editor Allison Stacy and I talked about everything we’d want in one of those “record your family history” books, and Family Tree Legacies: Preserving Memories Throughout Time is the result. We’re a little biased, but we love how well-organized, versatile and pretty it is (and we think it would make a good Christmas or wedding gift). This book is a three-ring binder with blank fill-in pages for all kinds of information, and a CD in the back that has printable versions of all the fill-in pages. Lovely tabbed separators divide the book into themed sections, each…

• 
  PC Genealogy Software

• 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 ...

• 
  Your Family Tree

• YFT 84 on sale today

  Adam Rees

  11 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Issue 84 of Your Family Tree is on sale now! In the latest issue of Britain’s favourite genealogical title we reveal the top 100 vital websites, giving you hints and tips to help you get the most out of your online research. Plus find your military forebears' graves, cemeteries and monuments, where to look for your London ancestors, and discover how the Victorians celebrated Christmas.                  100 vital websites – Get the most from the internet with our ultimate guide to all the best family…

• Subscribe to Your Family Tree and a family history hold-all!

  Adam Rees

  11 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  If 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:-          A great family history hold-all and a selection of wallets – perfect for storing and displaying your research…

• Reader offer! Cassini Maps

  Lara

  11 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am

  What a Christmas treat! As a YFT reader, you can get a 15 per cent discount on Cassini Maps products to give as pressies (or keep for yourself) between now and the end of the year. New map-themed products include gift sets, jigsaw puzzles, place mats and simple framed maps. Why not choose an area you or your loved one is currently researching? Cassini is also adding maps at more detailed (1:2500) scales to its Mapmaker range within the next month or so, so keep checking back.Simply go to the shop, here, choose your items and enter the code M-YFTX9 when prompted at the checkout. This will…

• November crossword

  Adam Rees

  11 Nov 2009 | 8:56 am

  Get your latest family history brain-teaser and the answers to last month's puzzle inside

• Familyrelatives adds one million military records!

  Adam Rees

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:07 am

  To commemorate Remembrance Day next Wednesday, Familyrelatives had added one million new military records, including Du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918.The roll has the names and photos of over 25,000 men who served and died in World War I, with biographical details including rank, battalion, date of birth and details of service. The site has uploaded half of these to its collection at the time of press.For those of you looking for forebears who fought Napoleon a century before, the site has also added The Peninsular Medal Roll 1808-1815. This includes details on thousands of troops who…

• 
  WorldVitalRecords Blog

• WorldVitalRecords Database in Review: Kentucky Wills

  Gena Philibert Ortega

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pm

  Abstract of Early Kentucky Wills and Inventories, abstracted by Junie Estelle Stewart King, is a collection consisting of the wills and inventories of 38 Kentucky counties from 1780-1840. Mrs. King abstracted the earliest wills of 38 Kentucky counties formed between the years 1780 and 1842 (with the exception of Crittenden County) and representing the state as a whole. The information given includes dates of instrument and probate, names of wife and children, and names of witnesses. The arrangement is county by county, each with its own index, with a general index at the rear of the book…

• Free Military Databases for Veterans Day

  Whitney Ransom McGowan

  11 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am

  Happy Veterans Day! The following list is of WorldVitalRecords military databases that are FREE for November 11-13, 2009. It’s a great time to research your veteran ancestor! Australian Contingents to South Africa Bergen County Historical Society Papers: Revolutionary War Round Table Papers British Military Officers Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, January 1, 1930 Connecticut Soldiers in the French and Indian War: Bills, Receipts and Documents Cross-Border Warriors: Canadian in American Forces, Americans in Canadian Forces Education…

• Remembering Women Veterans

  Gena Philibert Ortega

  11 Nov 2009 | 8:01 am

  by Gena Philibert Ortega I think Veterans Day is one of the most important holidays we have. My own family has seen one or more ancestors serve in the military from the time of the United States Revolutionary War to Vietnam. Veteran’s Day is a great time to thank those who have served and those who are serving. Without them we would not have the freedoms we enjoy today. When we think of veterans we often think of men who have served our country selflessly. It is a mistake to think that women rarely served in the military or that women’s military service is a recent phenomena.

• WorldVitalRecords Database in Review: Sims Index

  Whitney Ransom McGowan

  28 Oct 2009 | 2:36 pm

  Sims Index to Land Grants in West Virginia (http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc0806317140_simsindex) Land records comprise one of the most important sources for early American genealogical research, since sometimes they are the only records that can place an individual in a particular place at a particular time. For this reason Sims Index to Land Grants in West Virginia is an essential resource for anyone researching their early Virginia/West Virginia ancestors. A comprehensive guide to pre-1900 land records in West Virginia (which until 1863 was part of the Commonwealth of…

• Correction to Reading the Blogs

  Gena Philibert Ortega

  16 Oct 2009 | 8:38 am

  **Editor’s note: In this week’s newsletter the following GenTip appeared. Samuel, a newsletter reader was kind enough to email me and point out the the url for George Morgan’s blog was outdated. My apologies to George and newsletter readers for this mistake. A corrected version of the GenTip appears below.** Reading the Blogs by Gena Philibert Ortega Blogs are a great way to stay informed about the world of genealogy and to learn about documents, repositories and research techniques. The following are just a few of the genealogy blogs you might be interested in. Dick…

• 
  The Ancestry Insider

• NFS 0.99 Beta

  The Ancestry Insider

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pm

  We’re at the middle of the month at the middle of the quarter, so it should be time for the quarterly update to New FamilySearch (NFS). Yup. It’s been three months since the August release of NFS 0.98 so it is time for the November release, version 0.99. Invitations to participate in the beta went out about a week ago. One beta tester shared the invitation with me. (There was no confidentiality agreement.) If the font is too small, you’ll want to know the schedule laid out: Beta test begins a few days after 11 November 2009 Beta test lasts until about 16 November 2009 Beta 2 begins…

• NFS 1.0 for Non-Mormons

  The Ancestry Insider

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pm

  This Thanksgiving may be the first holiday Jay Verkler (President and CEO of FamilySearch) relaxes since the rollout began for New FamilySearch (NFS) in May of 2007. That’s when St. Louis and Reno members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received notice they would begin using NFS version 0.9. NFS 0.9, it was explained, would be adequate for Church members to use as a replacement for TempleReady, but would lack many of the capabilities of mature desktop genealogy management programs such as The Master Genealogist. The “1.0” moniker was being saved for a future release…

• NFS Rollout News Is Nearing the End

  The Ancestry Insider

  17 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pm

  We are one week away from finishing the rollout of New FamilySearch (NFS) to all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world (‘cept for the Orient). Jordan River finished rolling out on 9 November 2009. Oquirrh Mountain finished rolling out on 16 November 2009. (Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain are located in the city of South Jordan, on the southwest side of the Salt Lake Valley.) Thirty stakes in the Salt Lake Temple district rolled live on 16 November 2009. The remaining 41 stakes have received word that they will roll live on 23 November 2009. And it is…

• A Theoretical Basis for Maturity Models (Part 2)

  The Ancestry Insider

  15 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pm

  This is another article discussing my proposed Genealogical Maturity Model (GMM). Last time, I abruptly closed in the middle of discussing using levels in maturity models. I’ll try and pick up right where I left off. Levels Enable Aggregation of Multiple Factors “Multiple, independent input variables” is a fancy way of saying that many factors determine maturity. For example, doctors may categorize premature infants by gestational week. Infant survival is dependent on many factors: respiratory development, birth weight, gender, single vs. multiple birth, brain blood vessel health,…

• Free, For a Limited Time

  The Ancestry Insider

  12 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pm

  It’s belated news, but in case you haven’t already seen these free offers, read on: Holocaust Collection Free Through End of Year I received the following from Footnote.com. I wanted to provide you an update on our Holocaust Collection.  Originally, we planned to have these records open to the public for only the month of October.  However, due to the popularity of this collection, we have decided to keep the records open free to the public through the rest of this year.  This will enable more people to search and explore the original records from the National…

• 
  Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog

• Illinois: Maxwell Street film, Nov. 22

  SCHELLY TALALAY DARDASHTI

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pm

  If you can get to Skokie, you'll be able to see a great documentary called "Maxwell Street: A Living Memory," on Sunday, November 22.The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois is hosting the film at 2pm, at Temple Beth Israel.I saw the 2001 film when it was shown at Beth Hatefutsoth in Tel Aviv several years ago and interviewed filmmaker Shuli Eshel. Whether or not your family's roots are in old Chicago, it is a wonderful homage to long-ago days.Read about the Maxwell Street Foundation, dedicated to preserving, interpreting and presenting the multicultural history of some 150 years of the…

• DNA and the death of Venice

  SCHELLY TALALAY DARDASHTI

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  The population of Venice, Italy is dwindling, and is now below 60,000. A mock funeral for the city was also the impetus for a DNA project on the origins of Venetian families.One reason is the high cost of living in the city, and tourism is also taking the blame as food and housing costs rise and people move to the mainland. The number of residents has dropped by 66% since the 1950s.Some residents say that a house in Venice costs twice as much as a similar one elsewhere.A recent event highlighted the situation with a mock funeral. Activists claim Venice is a ghost town, populated only by…

• Volunteer mapmakers: Changing our views

  SCHELLY TALALAY DARDASHTI

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Do you use Google Maps? Do you know where they come from? Have you ever had a GPS device problem?In summer 2007, I spoke at the Jewish Genealogical Society of Sacramento (California). The president drove me from the train to his house, cautioning me to watch his GPS device. As we neared his home, the voice repeatedly said "turn left" at the next intersection, but my friend was in the right lane. As I checked our surroundings on the left, I saw a large building (no road through it!). As he made the right-hand turn into his street, he said that he enjoys showing that to visitors and that…

• 'Cool' Chanukah videos

  SCHELLY TALALAY DARDASHTI

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:50 pm

  In Israel, Jacob Richman's website offers so many resources in so many categories. He's just created a list of 115 cool Chanukah YouTube videos.Chanukah begins Friday, December 11 at sundown.Laugh a little! It's good for you! And count the different ways the holiday is spelled!The list includes these and many more:Adam Sandler's - The Chanukah SongKenny Ellis sings his hit single Swingin' DreidelI Had a Little Dreidl - Bagel Blvd Chanuka EditionLeft to Right - Michelle CitrinCaptain Smartypants sings DreidelThe Funky Gold Menorah by The Mama Doni BandChabad: Chanukah Around the WorldLight Up…

• APG: Election congrats to familiar faces

  SCHELLY TALALAY DARDASHTI

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:30 pm

  Some very familiar faces - from New Hampshire, Florida, Utah, New York and Israel - were among the 17 individuals recently elected to the Association of Professional Genealogists board.Special congratulations from Tracing the Tribe go to the following:Laura G. Prescott of Brookline, New Hampshire was elected president.Andrew M. “Drew” Smith of Odessa, Florida, waselected secretary. Drew is the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa president, and co-hosts (with George Morgan), the Genealogy Guys Podcast.Among elected regional directors:West Region: Suzanne Russo Adams AG of Utah, is a…

• 
  The Geni Blog

• Sarah Palin: Geni's Profile of the Day

  Geni

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:03 pm

  This person was once the Governor of Alaska and ran for Vice President in America's last election. Her memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life was published yesterday, the 17th of November. Here is her Geni Profile: http://www.geni.com/people/Sarah-Palin/6000000001727703089

• Walt Disney: Geni's Profile of the Day

  Geni

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:27 am

  On this day in 1928, Mickey Mouse appeared in Steamboat Willie, produced by Walt Disney. Walt Disney is today's Profile of the Day: http://www.geni.com/people/Walt-Disney/6000000005291270001 

• Statistics and Lists: Now Free!

  Geni

  13 Nov 2009 | 9:18 am

  Two features that were previously available to Pro users only are now free for all Geni users: Statistics Now all users can view the entire suite of fifteen statistics for their ancestors and blood relatives. From average life expectancy and country of birth to most common first names and surnames, now you can learn about your relatives in a visual, easy to read format. Every chart is also a link to the list of names that make up the chart so you can drill down into the data. You can even edit the data in the lists to make your charts more accurate and complete! View your statistics Custom…

• Improved matching algorithm

  Geni

  13 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am

  When you view a profile we search other trees to find matching profiles. We've enhanced this matching algorithm to greatly increase the accuracy and reduce the number of false positives. Although accuracy will never be 100%, in some cases we've seen the new algorithm cut the number of bad matches by 50% or more. Note that the new algorithm will only update the match count when someone actually views the list of matches for a profile. This means if you are the first person to view matches after this update you may see fewer matches than were indicated, or no matches. As people view…

• Export your address book

  Geni

  13 Nov 2009 | 9:10 am

  Recently we introduced your family address book. This is a great way to collect all of the contact information for your relatives in one convenient place. We've made this list even more useful by adding an export feature. Use the "Export as CSV..." on the bottom left of any page of your address book. We'll generate the list and send you an email when it is ready for download as a CSV file (comma separated values). Once you've downloaded your list you can import it into excel, and offline address book, and most other applications. You can use this print labels for…

• 
  We Tree

• Follow Friday Starring The Educated Genealogist

  Amy

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:46 am

  It's the end of the week and you know what that means? Follow Friday!This week's recommendation is one of the first genealogy blogs I read. This person has a great writing voice (and her sultry real voice isn't bad, either). She's smart, honest and very funny. Who is she? Sheri Fenley aka The Educated Genealogist, of course!Any time Sheri goes to a big genealogy event, she blogs about it. She's

• Comment adjustments

  Amy

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:24 pm

  Apparently spam commenting this blog is all the rage in Asia today. For now, I'm turning comment approval "on" so your comment won't show up here until I approve it. I can do this at my computer or phone, so there shouldn't be much of a delay. Hopefully it's only temporary.Also, word verification is still "off" because I hate that thing.As you were.

• Anatomy of a Military Pension File, Part 2

  Amy

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:54 am

  Previously, I reported on the acquisition of my great-great-great grandfather's military pension file. The documents contained within paint 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. Part one is here, below is part two:Page 6: Pension packet cover. This document appears to be a

• Wordless Wednesday: Backyard Sunset Edition

  Amy

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

• Anatomy of a Military Pension File, Part 1

  Amy

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am

  Previously, I reported on the acquisition of my great-great-great grandfather's military pension file. The documents contained within paint 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 1: An advertisement for legal-sized archival supplies from NARA (where I sent for the file)

• 
  DNA - Genealem's Genetic Genealogy

• 23andMe - Price and format change

  14 Nov 2009 | 4:52 pm

  News has begun to travel around the genetic genealogy world that 23andMe is changing its prices ... a major increase...and splitting its health testing services from its genealogical/ancestry services. This more than disturbing to the genetic genealogy world ....As a very active person in genetic genealogy and as a person who gives more presentations than any other person on DNA as used for genealogy, I am very disturbed by this move. (If anyone is in doubt of my claims to my level of interest and participation, l know multiple thousands of genealogists who are interested in DNA testing. One…

• Family Tree DNA Holiday Sale

  12 Nov 2009 | 3:33 pm

  Family Tree DNA's current sale which started November 4th and will end December 31st. Please pass this one to members of your family, friends or genealogy group. If you desire more in depth result from your testing at either Oxford or AncestryDNA, you can convert your previous testing with these companies to Family Tree DNA at a sale price using the conversion kits below.Email me if you need any help: aulicino@hevanet.comProducts and PricingMALE LINE TESTING - FOR GENEALOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY Y-DNA12 Order Now $109.00 This is a male specific test. Results identify the ethnic and geographic…

• 18 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm

  18 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm

  Greetings!I'm excited to mention that Family Tree DNA has reduced the upgrades for the mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) until October 30th, 2009. In the month of November they will be announcing a price reduction for new testers who order the mtDNA. This one is for anyone who has previously ordered either the HVR1 or HVR2 and wish to upgrade to the full sequence.Please see the archives of this blog for information on using the full sequence for genealogy purposes before ordering. Email me at aulicino@hevanet.com if you have any questions.The announcement appears below and was sent to administrators…

• Ireland: A Focus on Genetic Genealogy

  26 Jul 2009 | 7:47 pm

  Genetic Genealogy, the use of DNA testing to aid traditional genealogical research, is the most accurate tool a genealogist has. it can prove or disprove a lineage, help genealogists pass through brick walls, assist in locating lost relatives, and aid an adopted person in finding family.A short history of Genetic GenealogyOver the last nine years DNA Testing for genealogy has developed from one man's quest to find his ancestors to a world-wide interest for modern genealogists. That one man is Bennett Greenspan, a genealogist, who in 2000 established Family Tree DNA, the largest company…

• Will Genetic Genealogy Lose Its Place?

  9 Jul 2009 | 12:14 pm

  Currently legislation is being passed that will curtail the use of DNA testing for genealogy and cause it to be more expensive. Some states have already passed laws controlling companies who market DNA tests to the public and more laws are being established.As this is a very important topic, I felt it is necessary to share an article written by Doris Wheeler with you so that everyone knows and understands how DNA testing may be jeopardized. Being that DNA testing is the most accurate tool a genealogist has, it is important that all of us understand the impact a few can have on many. There are…

• 
  Genealogy Roots Blog

• Recently Added Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes

  Joe

  12 Nov 2009 | 9:10 am

  Links 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…

• Online Indexes for Obituaries and Death Records - Latest Additions

  Joe

  1 Sep 2009 | 11:02 am

  The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Directory has been updated with links to the following items...California - San Diego Public Library's Digital Library - Includes Obituaries Indexes (indexes obituaries and death notices in the San Diego Union, 1868-1915; and the San Diego Herald, 1851-1860)Colorado - Denver Death Index 1870-1909 (update: years 1906-1909 added) - Larimer County Genealogical Society - Online Databases (includes indexed scanned obituaries 1980s-1990s) - Mesa County Cemetery Records - Weld County: City of Evans Cemetery Burials Georgia - Clarke County: Oconee Hill…

• Online Death Indexes and Records - Latest Additions and Updates

  Joe

  15 Jun 2009 | 6:59 pm

  The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records directory has been updated with links to the following items...Alabama - Alabama Death Index 1908-1974 from FamilySearch LabsAlaska - Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery Burials - Angelus and Valley Memorial Park Cemetery Burials (in Anchorage) Arkansas - Arkansas Gravestones (has over 170,000 gravestone photos) - Pike County Genealogy Records Indexes (includes some cemetery burials for Clark, Hot Spring, Montgomery and Pike Counties) - Sebastian County Cemeteries - Washington County: Evergreen Cemetery Burials (Fayetteville, Arkansas) database is…

• Millvina Dean, Last Survivor of the Titanic, Dies

  Joe

  31 May 2009 | 11:02 pm

  Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean, the last survivor of the Titanic sinking, died on May 31 at age 97. She was nine weeks old when her family boarded the Titanic in 1912. Her mother and brother also survived the sinking. Her father died in the tragedy. You can read more here: Millvina Dean, last remaining survivor of the Titanic, dies aged 97The above image is a portion of the Carpathia passenger list showing the three surviving members of the Dean family, siblings Bertram and Elizabeth (two-month-old Eliza) and their mother Georgette (Ettie). The Carpathia rescued 705 of the Titanic's…

• FamilySearch Labs adds Death Indexes for 4 Southern States

  Joe

  15 May 2009 | 10:52 pm

  The FamilySearch Labs website has recently added death indexes (some with digitized images) for four Southern states. These are:Alabama Deaths 1908-1974Florida Deaths 1877-1939North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930 (with images)South Carolina Deaths 1915-1943 (with images)South Carolina Deaths 1944-1955See: FamilySearch Labs Record SearchBe aware that FamilySearch Labs is a pilot program so there may be errors, missing data or occasional downtime. Also, the website may not work with some browsers and requires Flash.For more death indexes for these states see:Online Alabama Death Records Indexes and…

• 
  Itawamba History Review: The Itawamba Historical Society

• In the Woods...

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:50 am

  The recent dry weather with clear skies and beautiful sunshine has been a welcome addition to Itawamba County after the wettest October ever recorded. Sunday was the perfect time for a walk in the woods as the Autumn leaves in Itawamba County are at their peak now painting the hills and valleys with vivid hues of red, orange and yellow. 

• Pass the Peas..... Please

  31 Oct 2009 | 3:40 pm

  The Columbus Decorative Arts Preservation Forum and Antiques Show and Sale will be held November 5-8 in Columbus, Mississippi. On the Tombigbee River, downriver from Itawamba County, Columbus is known for its many antebellum structures. Events at the forum and antiques show include:Gala Preview Opening: Thursday, November 5 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Trotter Convention Center located at 123 5th Street North. The Antiques Show and Sale will be Friday and Saturday, November 6-7 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Trotter Convention Center.The Decorative Arts and Preservation Forum begins on…

• National Day of Listening is November 27

  30 Oct 2009 | 4:48 am

  StoryCorps, the most ambitious oral history project ever undertaken, has announced the second annual National Day of Listening, to take place on November 27,2009. The National Day of Listening is an effort to encourage all Americans to honor a friend, a loved one, or a member of their community by interviewing them about their lives. The interview process takes less than an hour and offers a meaningful alternative to holiday consumerism.Participants are encouraged to record their National Day of Listening interviews using equipment that is readily available in most homes – from cell phones…

• An Autumn Afternoon

  27 Oct 2009 | 4:35 am

  Yesterday afternoon I couldn't resist photographing the giant sugar maple tree on Fulton's West Main Street just off the town square. Not long after the Cotswold cottage style home was built during the late 1930's on the site of an old antebellum home lot, this tree was planted and for generations, has been probably the most photographed tree in Itawamba County. Every autumn the tree bursts into vivid hues of yellow and orange greeting visitors driving up the hill into downtown Fulton. 

• Headed South

  26 Oct 2009 | 4:03 am

  A sign of the colder season coming, this flock of geese was seen headed south over Itawamba County along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway last week. 

• 
  Appalachian History

• Divining for water

  Dave Tabler

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  Water witching (rhabdomancy) is very common in West Virginia. According to a study done about fifty years ago, at that time there were twenty-five thousand practicing water witches in this country. The actual practice of divining with a forked stick, as we know it, began in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century in Germany. Martin Luther believed the practice violated the first commandment. Through the ages it has been roundly denounced as the devil's work and praised as a remarkable aid to a basic necessity of rural life---finding water. It is often categorized with such rural customs…

• The Santa Train pulls into town

  Dave Tabler

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  In Appalachia Santa Claus comes the weekend before Thanksgiving. Since 1943, the Santa Special, more commonly known as the Santa Train, has traveled 110 miles through the mountains of eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and northeastern Tennessee to distribute loads of candy, toys and other goodies to eager bystanders, most of whom have made it a family tradition. The train typically passes through more than 30 towns delivering Christmas cheer.This year Wynonna Judd is joining CSX as the special guest on the 2009 Santa Train. Wynonna, who is originally from Ashland, KY, is revisiting her…

• The Maupins, the Walkers, and Tennessee Lead

  Dave Tabler

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  The ‘Walker’ is today the most popular of the American Foxhound dog breed. This breed can be traced to Madison County, KY and a stolen hound called Tennessee Lead. According to legend, drover Tom Harris stole the hound out of a deer chase in Tennessee a few miles south of Albany, Kentucky in November 1852. Harris carried this rat-tailed, tight-haired black and tan hound on his buckboard to Madison County, and sold him to George Washington Maupin. “I am sure Tennessee Lead was taken from Overton County, Tennessee, and that his first owner was either John or Mark Jolly or Andrew Kraft,”…

• She didn’t need a thing except to get interested in something

  Dave Tabler

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  Citizen (Berea, Ky.)Thursday, July 7, 1910."Keep Busy"It is not money that is the root of all evil. It is idleness. Idleness leads to poverty, Idleness invites disease. Idleness breeds crime.Everywhere people are to be found who seem to put but little value upon time. They may know the full worth of a dollar, but they do not seem to have learned that a column of hours may be added and the result be dollars. Idleness and the pupil drops out of the class. Industry and he is at the head.Idleness and there are filth and flies in the house, and the weeds hide the view from the window and door.

• James Camak botches surveying the GA/TN border. Twice.

  Dave Tabler

  16 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  James Camak started his career as a professor at University of Georgia, left to make a fortune in banking, and went on to become president of Georgia’s first railroad company, a respected newspaper editor, a professor at University of Georgia (again!), and a Trustee of the college. One thing he was not though, was an accurate surveyor. In 1818, early in his career, he was appointed by the state to help survey the boundary line between Georgia and Tennessee. He botched the job. Twice.When the State of Tennessee was created by an act of Congress in 1796, the state’s southern boundary (and…

• 
  Smoky Mountain Family Historian

• SNGF: Most Memorable Halloween

  31 Oct 2009 | 1:14 pm

  Tonight's Saturday night genealogy fun question is to tell about a memorable Halloween. I'm going to attempt to do that and am hoping that I'm not mixing more than one year in my memory, but I think I am not. My most memorable Halloween would have been the year that all of us neighborhood kids actually managed to con enough parents into taking us out trick or treating that we spent most of the night engaged in Halloween activities. We started out in our own neighborhood. We went house to house up and down the streets of the Love Subdivision. Love Subdivision was so-named because it was built…

• Music, Music, Music

  31 Oct 2009 | 8:44 am

  The theme for the Carnival of Genealogy is Musical Instruments. Musical Instruments! Do you play a musical instrument or did one of your family members? What instrument did you or they play? If no one in the family played an instrument, tell what is your favorite instrument or band and what is your least favorite one.I do play several instruments. I began playing the piano when I was in the second grade. My first piano teacher was a lady named Mrs. Price. I really don't remember much about her. I only took from her one or two years. I later took piano lessons from Margaret Oliver who had been…

• Odds & Ends

  31 Oct 2009 | 8:11 am

  About a week and a half ago as I was working on FGS stuff during fall break, my computer suddenly "turned off." It appeared to be a power issue, and when I couldn't get it to come back on after about an hour, I decided that I'd better try to go to Knoxville and get a new power cord. I wasn't sure it was the power cord, and I certainly had no previous symptoms to indicate that I'd had an issue with it. When I got to Best Buy, I decided to go to the Geek Squad counter just to get them to check to see if another power cord would work before I purchased a new one. The "geek" looked and said he…

• Blowing Off Steam

  18 Oct 2009 | 11:46 am

  Recently I've been attempting to follow a discussion that has been occurring among members of a professional organization to which I belong. It's a trend that I've seen in other professional organizations to which I belong when voting migrates from a paper ballot that is mailed out to an electronic ballot. For years, members have been content with the brief sketches provided in a publication about each candidate. When the balloting moves to an online situation, those persons are no longer content with basic candidate information. They want to know more -- including the position each candidate…

• Has it been 6 weeks?

  18 Oct 2009 | 11:04 am

  I just noticed that it has been six weeks since I've posted anything here. My apologies to my readers. Sometimes life just gets busy! I managed to say "yes" to something that has taken most of my free time during that period. Things will get slower in about another month, but in the meantime, I'm afraid my posting will continue to be erratic as I compile some information needed soon and attend to a couple of other duties with this new responsibility.

• 
  West in New England

• ELISHA HOUGHTON: 20 JUL 1746-18 NOV 1826

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:51 pm

  Yesterday, November 18th, was the 183 anniversary of my5x great grandfather Elisha Houghton's death. He was born on20 Jul 1746 in Lancaster, Worcester, Ma. and died on18 Nov 1826(in perhaps Vt.)Elisha is one of my Revolutionary War ancestors. Heenlisted at Harvard Ma as a Private in May of 1777 in theMassachusetts militia and was at the Battles of Bunker Hilland Stillwater. He then enlisted for three years in the infantrycompany commanded by Captain Joshua Brown in ColonelTimothy Bigelow's 15th Regiment of the Massachusetts line.and took part in the Battles of Monmouth and Newport andwas at…

• THE 84TH CARNIVAL OF GENEALOGY IS UP!

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:41 pm

  The 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is out and up over atJasia's Creative Gene blog. The topic this time was "what the CoGmeans to me and there's quite a selection of entries that I am goingto enjoy reading!There's also the call for submissions to the next edition which will bethe 85th CoG!Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the COG is: “Orphans and Orphans.” The first type of orphan refers to those ancestors or relatives who lost their parents when they were young. The second typeof orphan would be those siblings or cousins of our ancestors whom we thinkof…

• KREATIVITY

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:54 pm

  Regina over at Kinfolk News has presented me with a Kreativ Blogger Award! Thanks for the honor, Regina!The rules say I have to list seven things about myself and then choose seven other award winners. So here it goes:I hate snow. A horrible thing for a native New Englander to say, I know.I miss having a dog or cat but since I rent it’s cheaper not to have pets and less messy. And it wouldn’t be fair to a pet to leave them locked up here alone while I’m at work.I enjoy the younger kids I meet at the bookstore. I’m talking the toddlers who are just starting to explore their world. I…

• POETRY CHALLENGE REMINDER

  15 Nov 2009 | 9:27 pm

  I just wanted to remind everyone that there's only a week left to getyour posts written for The Great American Local Poet GenealogyChallenge. In case you missed them, these are the rules 1. Find a poem by a local poet, famous or obscure, from the region one of your ancestors lived in. It can be about an historical event, a legend, a person, or even about some place (like a river)or a local animal.2. Post the poem to your blog (remembering to cite the source where you found it.)3. Did it inspire you to research the subject of the poem and how it relates to yourancestor?4.Submit your post's…

• THE CARNIVAL OF GENEALOGY AND ME AFTER 83

  15 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pm

  I started West in New England on 1/23/2007 after having discovered thegeneablogs of Chris Dunham, Tim Abbot, J.J. Bell and Randy Seavers. But itwas a link on Randy’s Genea-musings blog to Jasia’s Carnival of Genealogythat led me to what turned out to be the biggest step in becoming a betterblog writer.My first COG contribution was “AGGIE” in the 03/17/07 20th edition of theCarnival. I’d written it back in February but it wasn’t until it appeared as partof the Carnival that I had comments on it. (That’s been the best thing aboutthe COG for me, the feedback. Statscounters can tell…

• 
  A light that shines again

• For the love of history: Save the Massachusetts state library!

  Lisa

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:46 am

  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is at the heart of America's history, not to mention my personal family history and that of many other Americans. It is unreal to think that its state library may be in danger of closing, but that is the concern in the news this week.According to Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, "At a press conference on Thursday, October 29, the Governor's Office announced that Governor Patrick is considering closing the State Library of Massachusetts as a cost-saving measure. This closure will have a monumental impact on the cultural heritage of the…

• A new little light shining in the world

  Lisa

  26 Aug 2009 | 11:38 pm

  There's a new little light in the world that's recently been warmly welcomed into my family!Visit 100 Years in America to learn more about why I've been away from blogging lately.

• A light shining for two years... and more!

  Lisa

  2 Jun 2009 | 2:34 am

  That is my hope for this humble little blog about the Boston-Irish side of my family tree. Begun two years ago tomorrow, it has been and continues to be the "shy younger sibling" to my other two more active and better known blogs 100 Years in America and Small-leaved Shamrock.A heartfelt thanks to all of those that have read, commented, offered assistance in my research, or otherwise supported my efforts here at A light that shines again. The humble, long-suffering lives of my famine-immigrant, hard-working Boston Irish laborer ancestors have begun to be memorialized here, where I hope their…

• Irish names carnival submissions due this weekend

  Lisa

  19 May 2009 | 5:09 pm

  If you have an Irish name or surname in your family tree, or a good story about one in someone else's, come join us for the 13th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. It will feature Irish names: both surnames and given names.Share with us the surnames in your Irish family tree, but don't just stop there. Do a little research and tell us the origin of one or more of those surnames, the stories of how they might have changed over the years, or tales of how they've been mixed up and mispelled, etc.Want to focus on your family's given names instead? Share with us the story of…

• Wordless Wednesday: Quincy, Massachusetts Railroad Station

  Lisa

  13 May 2009 | 2:20 am

  This Quincy station photograph is posted in memory of George William McCue, one-time station master in Quincy.Image of the postcard courtesy of USGenWeb's Penny Postcards website

• 
  All My Ancestors

• Tombstone Tuesday

  allmyanc

  9 Nov 2009 | 10:21 pm

  Madora McLarty Ochiltree Cemetery near Perryton in Ochiltree County, Texas <

• Saturday Night Fun: Surname Distribution

  allmyanc

  7 Nov 2009 | 6:33 pm

  Randy’s Saturday night fun challenge involves going to Public Profiler and checking the distribution of one’s surname. When I checked my current surname,Spindle, that of my husband, I got the results I expected: The concentrations of this surname are in Virginia and Texas.  Looking closer at Virginia, the deepest concentration is in Essex County, the county where we found my husband’s relatives still living back in the 1980s. Only slightly behind Virginia is Texas, where my husband was born.  In fact, his great-great grandfather, born in Virginia right before the Civil…

• Tricking the Tallyman

  allmyanc

  24 Oct 2009 | 7:52 am

  Have you seen this book? Tricking the Tallyman author Jacqueline Davies and illustrated by S. D. Schindler. It’s meant for children but most genealogists I know would love this story of the first census in the new United States of America. It’s the story of Phineas Bump who is assigned to deliver a “fair and true” count of every citizen in his territory, which is Tunbridge, Vermont. But the citizens of Tunbridge don’t want to be counted. At least initially. It’s the first census in the new nation, and it’s interesting to see the response of the…

• Mac

  allmyanc

  22 Oct 2009 | 7:09 pm

  I went looking for the daily blogging theme for Friday and apparently there are no prompts for Friday and Saturday.  Wouldn’t you know?  So I’ve had to come up with my own. A few weeks ago my husband insisted on buying me a MacBook Pro.  I am conflicted.  I have been a PC user since the beginning–we had a personal computer very early.  I remember one I had had two pop-up disk drives on top.  All of my files, including my considerable genealogical materials, are all on my PC–both desktop and laptop. I bought Office for Mac since that will evidently allow me to use…

• A Cemetery in the Ozarks

  allmyanc

  17 Oct 2009 | 2:33 pm

  Hubbo had a conference to attend in Rogers, Arkansas over Fall Break.  Knowing that I can always use an opportunity to prowl around ancestral remains in Benton and Washington Counties, I tagged along. On Thursday, we drove out to Butler Creek Cemetery in Sulphur Springs, AR.  To get there, we had to go through Missouri.  Actually, as our pal at the hotel said, “Why would you do that?”  We evidently didn’t have to go that way, but it’s what all our various mapping programs said.  And it was scenic. There was this barn, that I initially thought was built of logs,…

• 
  All My Branches Genealogy

• Kreativ Blogger – 2nd Go ‘Round!

  wendylittrell

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:01 am

  Thank you for the award, Karen! Earlier this year, this award went around the genea-blogger (and “normal” blogger) community.   I was fortunate to receive this award from Sheri of Grandma’s Stitches.  Just recently I was given this award again – from Karen at Twigs to Roots. Karen has recently begun her foray into the blogging world and has jumped in with both feet! Please travel to her blog and give her a big geneablogger welcome! As part of receiving this award, I am to list seven things about myself: I am back in college again! My new grandson will be 2 months…

• Boats! Planes! Autos!

  wendylittrell

  9 Nov 2009 | 6:11 pm

  When my dad got orders for Japan in the early ’50s, he went ahead of the rest of the family.  Mom had to get from Ohio to the Pacific Coast in order to sail to Japan.  The photo at left was taken when my mom, brother and sister were leaving my Uncle’s home in Michigan headed west.  They drove 450 miles in one day and got to Fargo, North Dakota about 6:15 p.m.  In a postcard to her folks, Mom said they stayed at a cabin for the night – the cost: $4.  They traveled through Montana and went to Oregon in order to visit my great-grandmother for a short time.  Then north to…

• Loving the Carnival!

  wendylittrell

  7 Nov 2009 | 7:17 am

  Extra! Extra!   Read all about how the case of Chase began at the town on the river spending days of childhood on the water and wandering through a haunted graveyard.  Though independent from birth, there was still time for the furry and feathered family members or calling on dear St. Nicholas.  Often taking time to share, show and explaintraditions or statistics on age in the books for genealogy.  When friends would meet Mom, they understood her senior moments talking about the great Texas snow. Often explanations would be given about the American political road map with…

• Reference Number Fun

  wendylittrell

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:26 am

  Most genealogy programs include reference numbers – either pre-programmed or entered manually. Today I decided to look up all those in my family file with reference #’s that include numbers that correspond to today’s date. Dorcas Elizabeth Stropel - born Unknown (around 1800-1813) and died Unknown.  Wife of David Bushong, Jr.  Mother of Jacob, George Emmanuel, (twins) David III & Joseph, John and three daughters.  Dorcas is the wife of my 2nd cousin 6 times removed.  Reference #: 1105 Oliver P. Bookless – born Jan. 15, 1820 in Coshocton County, Ohio and died…

• 457 and Counting!

  wendylittrell

  18 Oct 2009 | 7:17 pm

  I’m a day late with Saturday Night Genealogy Fun that Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings posted last night.  The challenge was to list the number of descendents of one of the four sets of great-grandparents, how many are living or deceased, and how many we’ve met. Reunion of the Amore – Werts Family 1924 My paternal great-grandparents, William Henry Amore (“Henry”) and Mary Angelina Werts (Annie) have over 457 descendents!  They had: Children: 7 (Clemmie, Zade, Rollo, Clarence, Lloyd – my grandfather, Bert, and Roy) – all deceased Back: Bert, Rollo, Zade,…

• 
  Amy's Genealogy, etc. Blog

• OhioCivilWar150.org

  Amy

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  The 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

  Amy

  26 Sep 2009 | 9:42 am

  Ever 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

  Amy

  7 Sep 2009 | 6:56 am

  Michigan 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

  Amy

  24 Jun 2009 | 2:57 pm

  Governor 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,…

• Tombstone Tuesday: Modern Woodmen of America

  Amy

  23 Jun 2009 | 5:16 am

  This tombstone in Forest Cemetery, Circleville, Ohio is a great example of the Modern Woodmen of America. Many genealogists and taphophiles are familiar with the Woodmen of the World organization, which placed countless tree-stump tombstones on the graves of its deceased members. The Modern Woodmen of America is older than WOW, though it was founded by the same man, Joseph Cullen Root. He formed MWA in Lyons, Iowa in 1883. He left the organization and formed WOW in Omaha, Nebraska in 1890. Modern Woodmen of America is still an active fraternal/insurance organization. Today it offers a variety…

• 
  AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors

• The 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is Posted!

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:13 pm

  poster courtesy of the footnoteMavenJasia recently posted the 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, whose theme was "What the COG (Carnival of Genealogy) means to me. This was a fabulous carnival to both participate in and read! I really liked the way Jasia organized the posts, and I encourage you to enjoy it.---Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the COG is: “Orphans and Orphans.” The first type of orphan refers to those ancestors or relatives who lost their parents when they were young. The second type of orphan would be those siblings or cousins of our…

• RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy and Family Tree Software

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pm

  As a enthusiastic RootsMagic user, I was excited to receive this press release!"RootsMagic Essentials" Brings Free Tools for Family HistorySPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake that allow the public to easily start tracing their family trees.Essential Features for Everyone“Many of our users have told us that they have friends and family members who are…

• Update on FindAGrave

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:07 am

  FindAGrave now has 38 million memorial pages listed on its free website, which includes many details about the individuals' lives, links to other family members' memorial pages, and photographs of the individual and/or his or her tombstone! As an indicator of how fast this website has grown over the years, on December 21 of last year, I reported they had 28 million memorial pages. All of these are created by visitors like ourselves.If you would like to learn more about FindAGrave, you can request my free syllabus as well as read my post on the Family Linking Feature.

• Getting More Traffic to Your Blog, Part Six (or, The Redux)

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  Last winter I started a series on Getting More Traffic to Your Blog, aimed specifically at new geneabloggers. It was a series that I--surprise, surprise--never quite finished, partly because life got busy, and partly because Julie Cahill Tarr of The Graveyard Rabbit wrote a similar series touching on some of the same ideas I had gathered.As a service to new geneabloggers, and with Julie's permission, I have listed below both our series which I hope will be of benefit to many of you:Getting More Traffic to Your Blogby Miriam Robbins Midkiff of AnceStoriesPart One: Get ListedPart Two:…

• The 18th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival is Posted

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  Twenty-three bloggers have shared ancestral and modern photos around the theme "Travel" at Shades of the Departed's 18th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival. Be sure to check them out!Now The Call For Submissions!19th EDITIONSmile For The Camera10 December 2009The word prompt for the 19th Edition of Smile For The Camera is "Gift." It is the holiday season and a time for giving. So give Smile readers the gift of sharing, sharing a family photograph. It can be a gift given or received, it can be the gift of talent, it can be the gift of having the photograph itself. The…

• 
  Beloved Eleanor

• Knitted News

  Alison

  30 Oct 2009 | 2:50 pm

  Time for another knitted update from the Mum’s latest creations. The Mum has been busy this year, not only with her own creations, but with some commissions.  First up was a request to provide bats for sale at some bat walks in August: She also was in a witchy mood: and then decided to mix the bats up a little bit and go funky with different colours: But, as they say in infomercials – that’s not all…she has been hard at work with two sets of Christmassy creatures, and two further commissions.  Watch this space when all is revealed! If you’ve missed the other…

• Bletchley Park

  Alison

  26 Oct 2009 | 2:16 pm

  Some of you will already of heard of Bletchley. World War II Codebreakers Spies Some simply because the Victorian house is amazing also. Or maybe even because you saw the film Enigma, and wanted to know more about the codebreakers. Truth is, Bletchley needs our help.  It is a charity and relies on donations to keep going.  Not only that you can help by visiting and perhaps even volunteering for them. Why not get behind Bletchley today? You can visit the Bletchley Park website, and also follow them on Twitter @bletchleypark

• The Cameo, Plus Other Pictorial News

  Alison

  22 Oct 2009 | 12:53 pm

  As promised in my previous post, here amongst other things is the early plastic (probably early twentieth century) cameo brooch I bought at the antiques/collectibles shop at Haddo. It is dark brown, detailed and gorgeous!  Didn’t hurt that it only cost a few pounds too In other pictorial news, a few months ago I tracked down a children’s story book by Lavinia Smiley, also signed by her.  For those of you who don’t know, it was Mrs Smiley and her husband that donated the castle to the nation. Another nice bonus was a little book about Sir Thomas Lawrence the artist (bit of…

• Christmas Events At Castle Fraser

  Alison

  21 Oct 2009 | 12:32 pm

  Yes, it’s that time of the year again where I give you the details of our Christmas events at the castle. This year we will be having our traditional carols week, plus a family fun weekend.  Please see poster with all events. Are ye coming?!  I’ll be there… Talking of Christmas, I will also be going to the Haddo House Christmas Fair on the 7-8 November, and to those of you that haven’t been recently, there is a new antiques/collectables shop that has opened in the old stable block, to the right of the cafe as you walk up the path from the car park.  At the moment…

• (Near) End of Season Castle Update

  Alison

  19 Oct 2009 | 1:16 pm

  I can’t believe how fast the year has gone – and it’s that time again, when the end of castle season looms. Hmm, update, well… The Castle Fraser Restaurant has been up and running since August, and I’m told is doing well and has gorgeous food. Ilyria came to perform the Mowgli Stories from the Jungle book. Gnasher from the Beano has been lurking in our corridors (in fact, still is). We’ve had lots of cool Ranger walks around the grounds this year, and the Mum was actually comissioned to make woolly bats for the children’s bat walk! Great garden open…

• 
  CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt'

• Canada's Home Children - Still Waiting for Recognition

  16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  Marchmont home, Belleville, Ontario. A group of boys from Miss MacPherson's home (London, England). April 1922. Photograph: Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, Library and Archives Canada C-034837. Public Domain. Today the Australia government is apologizing to the "forgotten Australians" - those who as children were in government homes between 1930 and 1970. ["Ordeal of Australia's child migrants" by Nick Bryant.BBC News, Australia, published Sunday, 15 November 2009.] This includes many sent from Great Britain to Australia as child migrants in a great number of organized emigration…

• 84th Edition - What the Carnival of Genealogy Means to Me

  15 Nov 2009 | 8:51 pm

  Carnival of Genealogy Poster - courtesy footnoteMaven.It’s time for the 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. Created and managed by Jasia at Creative Gene, the Carnival is now three years old.This Edition’s topic - What the Carnival of Genealogy Has Meant to You - was an opportunity to look back and reflect on when you first discovered the COG and when you first participated in it. I think we genea-bloggers need to think a bit more about our own history – even Jasia isn’t sure how many people have participated over the years - and this topic is a way to ensure that we take note…

• Treasure Chest Thursday - Samuel Wood, Ontario Canada c. 1905

  12 Nov 2009 | 10:27 pm

  Samuel WOOD, weaver, bee keeper, born 1820, Linthwaite, Yorkshire, England. He lived in Bean Hill (Norwich), Connecticut (1850s) and in Newark, New Jersey (1860s), and then near Nottawa, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada where he died in 1908. Embroidered frame made likely by either one of his daughters, Mary Janet (WOOD) SCOTT, or by one or both of her daughters, Harriott or Annie.

• Remembrance Day 2009 - Muriel Scott - George Rogers, Vancouver BC Canada

  11 Nov 2009 | 6:14 pm

  remembrance day 2009 scott - rogers web

• Smile for the Camera - The Adamsons and Scotts in Saskatchewan, circa 1920

  10 Nov 2009 | 10:48 pm

  Photograph identified in writing by Amy Estella (Irwin) Scott (1884-1983) as Shrine - Eurolite to Regina. Mr. Adamson and Muriel. Note: In about 1960, my grandmother, Amy Estella Scott, showed me her photographs and identified them for me. At that time, I wrote down the names of people, places, etc. as she recalled them then. If anyone can shed any light on the place name? 'Eurolite', please let me know. The italicized identifications here were written on the photographs in my grandmother's hand, earlier than 1960. The other names, etc. were added in my hand when we went through her…

• 
  Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe

• CVGS Research Group Summary - 12 November 2009

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm

  The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group met on Thursday, 12 November at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library at 12 noon. There were eight avid story tellers and researchers in attendance. Randy opened the session by noting that Family Tree Magazine has changed their cover design, and that the latest issue has a free CDROM of Family Tree Builder 4.0 software. He also noted that Ancestry.com is a publicly traded company and wondered if anybody owns stock in it yet.* We were happy to have Martha back with us after her surgery. She has been accepted as a member of the Flannery…

• November Issue of CVGS Newsletter available online

  16 Nov 2009 | 9:36 pm

  The November 2009 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available on the CVGS website - this issue is here.You can read past issues on the Newsletter page.The Table of Contents includes:page 1 -- November Program Meetingpage 2 -- President’s Messagepage 2 -- October 28 Program Meeting Reviewpage 3 -- Holiday Luncheon - December 16page 3 -- October 24 Seminar Reviewpage 4 -- Research Group Newspage 4 -- Computer Group Newspage 4 -- SDGS Library Movespage 5 -- CVGS General Society Meeting Minutes – Oct. 28.page 5 -- CVGS Board Meeting Minutes – November 4page 6 --…

• The Genealogy Cafe is open again...

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:27 pm

  Avid readers (thank you!) and followers (all five of you?) probably noted that there haven't been any posts of the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe since 2 November. Believe me, I tried!Our favorite blog host, Blogger, somehow thought that the Cafe was a spam blog, meaning that we re-publish blog posts from other sites without attribution. As a consequence, they put the blog in "blogger limbo" until they could check it out. It disappeared sometime between 3 November and 9 November when I tried to post something. I complained through the official Blogger Help system (it does work, but sometimes…

• Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - November 2009

  2 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm

  The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for November 2009 include:** Thursday, November 12, 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.PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE for the Research Group meeting - the library will be closed on 11 November for Veterans Day.** Wednesday, November 18, 12 noon to 2 pm,…

• CVGS Program Summary - "Genealogy Vacations"

  29 Oct 2009 | 10:19 am

  Randy Seaver presented "Genealogy Vacations" to 30 attendees at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting on Wednesday, 28 October. The talk started with a review of what a National Lampoon's Genealogy Vacation movie might look like - the Griswolds take off for Salt Lake City with the kids and grandma, but not her dog. Mr. G. finds generations of ancestors at the Family History Library, and the rest of the family is really bored at the motel ... but Mr. G. insists on a side trip to Phoenix AZ where grandma keels over and dies when Mr. G. discovers, and then tells her, that her mother was…

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  DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog

• READERS' FEEDBACK: Docu-Challenge #1

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:07 pm

  Pictured above: 2801 Perkins Lane, Seattle, Washington. Image from http://maps.Google.com DearREADERS, Thank-you for your thoughtful responses when asked to work with the newspaper clipping originally posted in yesterday's blog entry. Here's a smattering for your review. Those of my DearREADERS who didn't submit a reply can compare their thoughts with those expressed by others below:From: From: C. Waldhauser waldhauser@cox.net DearMYRTLE, Like so many of the "old"news clippings we find in our searches -- NO -- date -- Where ? -- and what paper it came from? Keeps us searching more ? Well…

• Docu-Challenge #1

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm

  DearREADERS,If you ran across this document in your family history research:How would you describe it? What can you tell about Ol' Myrt (yes, this is ME at age 3!) from the information provided?What is missing?Which additional records might this lead you to review?Write to Ol' Myrt, and give me your suggestions. A RANDOM pick from respondents will win a 4 GB flash drive. Send replies to Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com .Happy family tree climbing!Myrt :)DearMYRTLE,Your friend in genealogy.Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

• DAR: Online databases now available

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at the NSDAR (National Society Daughters of the American Revolution). Please address all inquiries to Eric Grundset as indicated below:From: Eric GrundsetDate: 1 Nov 2009To: A public email list for Librarians Serving Genealogists"After nearly a decade of scanning, indexing, and other behind-the-scenes work by DAR members and employees, the Daughters of the American Revolution is pleased to announce the availability of the DAR Genealogical Research System on our public website. Here are the direct…

• RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy Software for New FamilySearch

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at RootsMagic.com. Please address all inquiries to support@rootsmagic.com. RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy Software for New FamilySearch "RootsMagic Essentials" Becomes Only Free FamilySearch Certified Desktop Genealogy Software SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake and is the only…

• APG welcomes new President: Laura Prescott

  14 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was received from offices of the Association of Professional Genealogists.WESTMINSTER, Colo., November 13 – Laura G. Prescott [pictured above] of Brookline, New Hampshire, has been elected president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the world’s leading professional organization of family history and related professionals. Prescott is genealogist for the Nickerson Family Association and a consultant for Footnote.com. She will succeed Jake Gehring of Salt Lake City, Utah.Prescott, reflecting on her upcoming tenure, said “I’m very…

• 
  Donna’s Genealogy Blog

• Irish Resources

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:52 am

  The Florida State Genealogical Conference was a great success this past weekend...kudos to those who were involved, especially Cindy Davis who chaired the event. I gave two lectures at the conference. The first was on Irish Resources and I focused on three resources that are new or expanded in the past year. First, as I’ve written on a couple of times, is the LDS Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958. A couple of the issues I had originally have been solved, but I’m still frustrated that you can only search by county when these indexes were created by registration district. Feel free to…

• Florida State Genealogical Conference

  9 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pm

  I’m off the end of this week to Melbourne, Florida for the Florida State Genealogical Society’s 33rd Annual Conference. I’ve written about conferences many times, and I think the are a great investment. Not only do you have the opportunity to hear lectures of multiple topics, but you get to visit and exchange information with like-minded people. Back in September Dick Eastman conducted a survey and included questions on conference attendance. 63% said the had never attended a national conference, however of those that had, 81% said that it was worth the money. I understand the…

• Deeds

  2 Nov 2009 | 12:42 pm

  Over the past few weeks I’ve discussed the differences in land descriptions between the State Land States and the Federal (or Public Domain) Land States. Since as genealogists we are normally working backwards you’re likely to be working on individual land transfers before you get back to the original transfer from the government. Transferring land from one individual to another is accomplished by a Deed and this is the record you’ll be collecting on your ancestors. Remember the majority of males over 21 owned land prior to the 20th century. Some of the important information you will…

• Federal Land States

  26 Oct 2009 | 4:52 pm

  Last week I wrote about State Land States, those states where the original transfer of land was done by the states. After the Revolution, the federal government owed all the open land (the Public Domain) previously claimed by England. Because the Continental Congress ran out of money during the War, they promised to compensate servicemen by providing land in lieu of cash. After the War, because they had land, but little money, the government sold land to raise cash (Federal Lands States also called Public Domain States). Since land was to be auctioned off, it needed to be surveyed and a new…

• State Land States

  19 Oct 2009 | 5:01 pm

  There are two different surveying systems that have been used in the United States. We refer to them as “metes and bounds,” which is used in State Land States, and the “rectangular survey” which is used in Federal Land or Public Domain States. Prior to the Revolution, land was distributed by the states (State Lands States) and these states surveyed the land using the metes and bounds system. An initial point was stated and then a direction and distance was given to the next point. This continued until the resolution to the starting point. In the process, neighbors are identified and…

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  From Axer to Ziegler

• Why I’ve Been a Fan of the Yankees

  Linda in Lancaster

  28 Oct 2009 | 12:12 pm

  in 1955 the New York Yankees took a six week tour playing exhibition games in Hawaii, Guam and Japan.  Any of my readers remember that?  or ever heard of it?  I have never forgotten it. I was 12 years old and lived on Guam. We looked forward to this game and seeing the World Famous [...]

• Family Reunions?

  Linda in Lancaster

  1 Sep 2009 | 7:29 pm

  The word “Family” can be either all encompassing as in all your relatives that share the same surname and same set of ancestors, or it can mean the family unit which nurtured you, the people you shared a home with. I was born and raised overseas.  My father was a Civil Service employee and his employment [...]

• Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way . . .

  Linda in Lancaster

  21 Jul 2009 | 6:08 am

  The word “WILL,” as defined by Dictionary.com As a verb: to give or dispose of (property) by a will or testament, bequeath or devise. to influence by exerting power to wish, desire or like and as a noun: the act or process of using or asserting one’s choice; volition a legal declaration of a person’s wishes as to the disposition of his [...]

• Day Trippin’ Through Central Pennsylvania

  Linda in Lancaster

  1 Jul 2009 | 7:31 pm

  We , being a spontaneous duo, decided to take off for parts unknown on Wednesday.  We had no idea where we were heading or where we would end up, but knew we’d start at Woodward Hill Cemetery where I had to check some very hard to read inscriptions. After checking this headstone, I still only know [...]

• Lancaster’s New Convention Center!

  Linda in Lancaster

  21 Jun 2009 | 6:39 pm

  Yes!  After many, many years of hearing about it, reading about it, and finally watching it rise, floor by floor, it is open for business! Lancaster County Convention Center and Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square had it’s open house for the community today and we were there! The facade of the old Watt and Shand department store was saved [...]

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  Genealogy Reviews Online

• Google and Ancestry.com

  Tim

  12 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am

  Although this is pure speculation...think Google will buy Ancestry.com?

• I Own Ancestry.com

  Tim

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:22 am

  Well, to be more precise, I own a little piece of Ancestry.com (ACOM).  I decided to make an investment today into Ancestry.com for a number of reasons, but unfortunately none of them have anything to do with in-depth stock market research.  On of the reasons was I'm always looking for a cheap gimmick to base a post on, and this gives me something interesting to write about (this is the first fresh idea I've had in a long time).  Being a stock owner also gives me a good reason to visit Salt Lake City every year to attend the annual shareholder's meeting (I guess I should say Provo). …

• But We Thought You Were Dead

  Tim

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:59 am

  Going out drinking with the boys and crashing your own funeral actually sounds like a good time.  After a night of drinking, a Brazilian man was surprised to learn family and friends were mourning him at his funeral.  I don't know, but either the family was trying to get him into the ground as fast as they could, or his "night" of drinking was actually a 3-4 day binge...If I were this guy I would watch my back...and check my bank accounts... Click here to subscribe to Genealogy Reviews Online

• Easy Genealogy

  Tim

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:06 am

  Having a relative like this lady almost doesn't seem fair.  She's lived in the same house for 100 years - the thought boggles my mind.  Should I have any decedents who catch the genealogy bug I know they will be cursing me constantly. I've moved so much that just when they think they've found me I will disappear into thin air.   Click here to subscribe to Genealogy Reviews Online

• 3 Years of Blogging

  Tim

  1 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm

  Well, I hit the 3 year blogging mark last week.  Although I haven't been blogging much lately, or really this year, it still counts as 3 years.  Hopefully my 4th year will have more posts. 

• 
  The Chart Chick

• RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy Software

  Janet Hovorka

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:20 am

  SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake and is the only completely free desktop genealogy software certified to work with the New FamilySearch system. Essential Features for Everyone “Many of our users have told us that they have friends and family members who are interested in getting started in family history but aren’t ready to invest in a more…

• What have we been working on?

  Janet Hovorka

  27 Oct 2009 | 12:53 pm

  We have been doing fun photo charts for Christmas already and I got brave yesterday and asked a few of the customers I've been working with if I could show you some thumbnails. I'm always to shy to ask because I know these are so personal. So if you ever have a chart we've created for you that you are willing to share, let me know. Here are some recent comments we've received.You are the master. It looks perfect.WOW!! and Fantastic!! Somehow these don’t even seem to express how great this is turning out to be. Your creativity and talent are amazing. (Plus your patience with all of our many…

• Three Generation Road Trip

  Janet Hovorka

  16 Oct 2009 | 4:57 pm

  We have been swamped lately with Christmas orders already so I have been somewhat quiet. But I wanted to get this blog post up. If you were watching facebook a couple of weeks ago, you know that we went to the Redding California Family History Expo. I took my mother and my daughter with me and we had the best time. I'm usually very protective about talking about my children much, but I just have to tell you about how much fun the three of us had.In case you missed them, here are the facebook statuses:Day 2 of roadtrip with Mom and Daughter: Apparently nagging about the speed limit skips a…

• Broken Branches

  Janet Hovorka

  12 Oct 2009 | 4:59 pm

  Wow. Lisa Louise Cooke just sent me an anouncement for an amazing interview. It is called Broken Branches in Your Family Tree. Here is what Lisa said:As I typed the title for this blog post, I visualized nearly every reader's hand. I have yet to meet anyone who has not had sad and painful stories surface during their research...relatives who committed crimes, were institutionalized, or ended their own lives. In the case of one of my listener's, the broken branch was very close to home - her parents. And more specifically the mother who left her and her sister on a street corner one day, never…

• Holiday Order Deadlines

  Janet Hovorka

  2 Oct 2009 | 9:26 am

  To avoid extra rush and shipping charges you might want to stay aware of our drop dead dates this holiday season. For Decorative charts, any orders need to be placed by December 5th to arrive in time for Christmas. For Working charts, Canvas Giclees, or Gift Cards, orders will need to be placed by December 15th. More at www.thechartchick.com or go to www.generationmaps.com

• 
  George Geder

• Rooting Around in the Past, Why genealogy can be painful An open letter to Raina Kelley

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:05 am

  Hello Dear Raina Kelley,I read your article, "Rooting Around in the Past, Why genealogy can be painful", with great interest.http://www.newsweek.com/id/218065I was struck by your statement that "But when genealogists researched my family, they couldn't find anything earlier than the 1910 census."I would challenge that, given enough accurate information, any African Ancestored Genealogist could find your people at least back to the 1870 census.The cream of the crop of African Ancestored Genealogists can trace your roots back beyond 1870.I'm a family historian and genealogist - and an…

• African Ancestored Genealogy Vidcast #1 2 books you should have

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:36 am

  Inspired by Angela Walton-Raji's latest website, http://beginninggenealogist.com/, I decided to give videocasting a try!Please comment; tell me what you think! ~~~Peace,"Guided by the Ancestors"

• Carter G. Woodson, Father of Black History What is Black History Month?

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:34 pm

  Here's a video explaining 'Black History Month' and its origin.~~~Peace,"Guided by the Ancestors"

• Ordinary Men, Extaordinary History Pullman Porters

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:28 am

  They made beds and cleaned toilets. They shined shoes, dusted jackets, cooked meals and washed dishes. Yet the Pullman porters created history in the face of adversity and racial prejudice. Read more: http://ow.ly/CLWq ~~~Peace,"Guided by the Ancestors"

• Beginning Genealogist New site from Angela Walton-Raji!

  15 Nov 2009 | 10:20 am

  I'll let Angela tell you about her wonderful new site in her own words!Check out the video! Then go to: http://beginninggenealogist.com/Angela Walton-Raji continues to be a source for information and inspiration to the African Ancestored genealogist and family historian!~~~Peace,"Guided by the Ancestors"

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  Granite in My Blood

• Denison-Gallup Family Reunion

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:56 am

  From the Denison Society Web site comes this news:Denison Day 2010- New Date, August 21, 2010 "Denison-Gallup wedding reenactment of Mercy Gallup to William Denison and Denison Society Annual Meeting. 10 AM – Business meeting of Denison Society in DPNC building, Noon– Joint Gallup and Denison Societies catered lunch under a tent in our meadow or side lawn. Afternoon– Reenactment of Mercy Gallup marrying William Denison, Tours of Homestead, Reservations will be required to rent enough chairs, tent size, order food etc. William and George were brothers and grandsons of Captain George.

• Hebrew Inscription

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

  William Bradford's MonumentOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelJim Baker's book, A Guide to Historic Plymouth, says that the inscription in Hebrew, was inscribed here to recognize that Bradford was trying to teach himself to read Hebrew. [imagine doing that with no help in the 1600s!]It says, "Jehovah is the help of my life".Last year, I showed it some friends who came to visit who are Jewish and they were surprised to see it inscribed here so we took them on a stroll by the synagogue in downtown Plymouth.It's nice to be able to remember everyone's religion since the Pilgrims wanted to make a…

• William Bradford

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am

  Bradford PlotOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelOne of the most visited graves on Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts is the memorial gravestone for Governor William Bradford.Jim Baker, a noted Mayflower historian, has written a fine book, "A Guide to Historic Plymouth". My favorite chapter is Plymouth Walking Tour 2: Burial Hill (p. 80-89).This obelisk style memorial was erected in 1825. It may or may not mark any actual burial of Bradford's remains as it is not known where he was laid to rest in 1657. His son, Major William Bradford, wished to be buried by his father's side and this is…

• Cemeteries in the News 18 Nov 2009

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am

  News Worth ReadingMassachusetts Police Charge 4 with Vandalism [AP News Boston.com] 16 Nov 2009The teens who vandalized a cemetery in Kingston, MA, not too far from my home, have been arrested. The one who is age 17 got his photo in the paper. Because, they toppled over only the graves of Vet's on Vet's Day, there has been a public outcry. Even the local high school asked for "information" on who did it and they got student responses. [Article]A Race Against Time to Save History by Brian MacQuarrie [Boston.com] 15 Nov 2009An article about our Cape Cod gravestones crumbling in front of the…

• Tombstone Tuesday: Morgan-BURROWS

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:37 am

  Morgan-BURROWSOriginally uploaded by midgefrazelThis hefty granite gravestone has been in my collection since 30 May 2007 and somehow it got missed the day I posted the graves from the large Denison plot at Elm Grove Cemetery. I always worry that I will miss a photo!Yesterday, while looking for a gravestone of the sea-faring Holmes family in this folder of photos, I said," Wait, isn't that a Burrows grave?" and put in in the center of my desktop to look up and thought it would make a great Tombstone Tuesday post.Lydia BURROWS was the daughter of John Burrows and his wife Roxanna BROWN who are…

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  HollingsworthRobbinsFamilyTree

• Honor Roll of Family Veterans, Birth and Death Dates, Branches of Service, and Known Military Dates of Service

  11 Nov 2009 | 8:18 am

  Phillip 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 am

  Sisters 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…

• Wonderful Finds in Austin

  22 Sep 2009 | 6:22 am

  What a wonderful four days in Austin, Texas in September, 2009. Not only reveled in a visit with a first cousin and his 94-year old mom (my aunt) but got to touch and copy many genealogical finds that places my maternal grandparents in four different Texas counties from 1893-1980.Have you ever seen a Texas County Poll Tax receipt from 1915? A Texas County Road Tax receipt from 1914? A Texas City Water Bill Receipt for 1926? A Texas School District ISD Tax receipt for 1935? A Texas County Personal Property Tax receipt from 1935? A WPA Notice To Report For Work duplicate for 1937? A WWII…

• William Walter Robbins, The Grandfather We Did Not Know About

  13 Sep 2009 | 4:03 pm

  This is the case of William Walter Robbins (1859-1918), father of William Augustus Robbins (1888-1948), and grandfather of Kenneth Charles Robbins (1932-).We will begin with the Obituary for William Walter Robbins, copied from the Middletown Daily Times-Press, Monday, September 23, 1918, Page 2, Column 7."William Walter Robbins, oldest son of the late Walter Robbins and Cornelia Strong, died Sunday, the 15th, in the South Side Hospital, Babylon, in his 60th year. He had been in failing health for some time. Mr. Robbins was born in Babylon, and the greater part of his life was spent…

• Robbins Littlejohn Gray Willis Streetman Family Reunions

  18 Aug 2009 | 2:03 pm

  The history of our family reunions began when many families migrated from the southeastern states to east Texas. This began in the middle 1800s and continued through the early 1900s. The Calhoun County, Florida migration to Houston County, Texas took place in about a ten year time span in the early 1900s from about 1905 to 1915. Streetmans, Cooks, Nichols, Willises, Hudnells and Brinsons arrived. Over the years my mother's family held several fairly large family reunions. They began many years before my mom was born in 1916 or I was born in 1942. They were usually held in east Texas where the…

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  huffenglish.com

• Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

  Dana Huff

  11 Nov 2009 | 2:38 pm

  Using an idea from Chris Renino in Shakespeare Set Free and Chris Shamburg, my students created a radio play of Macbeth 4.1, in which the witches prepare the “hell broth.” Take a listen: Download Macbeth 4.1 Nuts and bolts: We used GarageBand on my Mac. One of my students knew how to produce the echo effect. I think Audacity would work, too, but I’m not sure if it has all the effects GarageBand has. We did two run-throughs without recording before we did the recording. We were happy with our first recording, so we used it as our final. The crunching leaves were created by…

• Catching Up: Folger Education

  Dana Huff

  14 Oct 2009 | 7:50 pm

  I have been trying all week to finish the last English Journal so I can gush about all the Folger goodness, but I haven’t had a chance. Lest I let too much more time slip by, I’ll discuss the articles I have had a chance to read. Mike LoMonico, as usual, is on target with his suggestions for teaching Shakespeare in his editorial. The Shakespeare Set Free series taught me a great deal about how to teach Shakespeare, but participating in the the Folger Teaching Shakespeare Institute in Decatur last year transformed how I approach not just Shakespeare, but everything I do. I also…

• Interactive Notebooks: Professional Development Goal

  Dana Huff

  1 Oct 2009 | 8:31 pm

  My school has an interesting professional development program. The first year of the program involves exploration of a topic, and choices include educational research and reflection, general teaching practices, and career and leadership development. During the second year of the program, we can either 1) write one or two goals based on Charlotte Danielson’s domains as described in Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching or 2) work on a project that relates directly to an improvement in instruction of our students. In year three, the focus is on teacher observation and…

• Rethinking Heroes

  Dana Huff

  27 Sep 2009 | 6:29 pm

  Last year was the first year I taught my Hero with a Thousand Faces course, which is based upon Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. The course, by the way, begins with a study of the monomyth, followed by study of several works of literature and films that exhibit the hero’s journey. I wanted to start the year with a classic text, and students had read The Odyssey in 9th grade, so I settled on The Iliad. I had not read The Iliad until the summer before, as I was preparing for the course. Last year I felt that the size and sheer weight of the storyline stopped the forward motion of the…

• Teachers and Facebook

  Dana Huff

  22 Sep 2009 | 2:29 pm

  Several colleagues at work and I had a discussion today about whether it is acceptable to be friends with students on Facebook. I held the minority opinion that it was fine, but my colleagues’ fear is that being friends with students will potentially expose teachers to illegal or just plain stupid behavior on the part of students. What is the legal responsibility of a teacher who sees a photo of a student drinking on Facebook? I think it’s a murky area that hasn’t been tested well, and until a precedent-setting case is tried, I’m not sure there’s a clear answer.

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  I Dream of Genea(logy)

• "The Lost Symbol" and a Freemason in our tree

  Abba-Dad

  15 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pm

  I just finished reading the latest Dan Brown novel "The Lost Symbol" and wanted to share my thoughts. I've read all of Dan Brown's novels so far and I have to say this one is pretty good. There were definitely some twist and turns that I kind of expected as well as some that were a little surprising. I won't give anything away, but I think intelligent readers will figure most of it out pretty easily.What was interesting to me was that the whole plot takes place in a limited geographical location and over a very short time period. This is a testament to Brown's writing ability because the…

• SNGF - Unique Ancestral Name

  Abba-Dad

  24 Oct 2009 | 8:50 pm

  Once again a fun genea-challenge from Randy Seaver:What is the most unique, strangest or funniest combination of given name and last name in your ancestry? Not in your database - in your ancestry.Well, I don't have any unique ancestral names. My pedigree is full of Sarahs, Jacobs, Abrahams, Moshes and so on. You could say that my great-grandfather Ze'ev Arieh Kielczewski is an unusual name since in English it mean Wolf Lion Kielczewski (in Yiddish it is Wolf Leib).So as usual I turn to my wife's side and since she has mostly Irish and English ancestry, nothing jumped at me right away. But…

• People of the Book Review, um... Book Review, um...

  Abba-Dad

  23 Oct 2009 | 7:47 pm

  I just finished reading a great fiction book called "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks, who won a Pulitzer prize in 2006 for a previous book, her second novel, "March", a retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s classic "Little Women" from the point of view of Mr. March, the absent father.Ms. Brooks likes to write historical fiction and I have to say she did a great job with "People of the Book" which deals with the famous Sarajevo Haggadah. This piece of history is truly amazing and I have to admit I had never heard of it before. Here's what Wikipedia says about this amazing codex:The…

• SNGF - A Family's Increase

  Abba-Dad

  17 Oct 2009 | 5:48 pm

  As usual Randy Seaver comes up with great genea-challenges. This time we're finding descendants of one of our great-grandparents:1) Pick one of your four great-grandparents - if possible, the one with the most descendants.2) Create a descendants list for those great-grandparents either by hand or in your software program.3) Tell us how many descendants, living or dead, are in each generation from those great-grandparents.4) How many are still living? Of those, how many have you met and exchanged family information with? Are there any that you should make contact with ASAP? Please don't use…

• 2010 Census Cautions

  Abba-Dad

  8 Oct 2009 | 9:38 am

  I got this in an email today. I think it is good advice so wanted to pass it along to my readers:WARNING: 2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census WorkersWith the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the…

• 
  In My Life

• Wordless Wednesday: Sisters 1960s

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:24 am

  My sister Lisa and I spending part of our summer at our maternal grandparents. Today, my husband and I own the land and within the family we continue to call it simply "the farm." Our cabin sits beyond the maple tree, near the oak tree you can see in the background.Copyright 2009 Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski

• Tombstone Tuesday: Goldrick - Little

  3 Nov 2009 | 6:49 am

  To continue the celebration of my Irish/English heritage, this edition of Tombstone Tuesday features my Great Grand Aunt and Uncle, George H. and Elizabeth Little Goldrick. The couple are buried in the Aniwa Cemetery, Aniwa Township, Shawano Co, Wisconsin.Elizabeth Little was born 20 Aug 1856 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, the youngest daughter of Andrew and Mary Ann Gallagher Little. Elizabeth married George H. Goldrick on 29 March 1879 in Port Huron, St Clair Co, Michigan. Elizabeth died at her home in Aniwa on 6 March 1927.George H. Goldrick was born 9 Jun 1851 in Michigan to Edward and…

• Carnival of Irish Heritage Irish Portraits: Little/Lytle

  1 Nov 2009 | 6:43 am

  Burton Wellington Facer and Mary Ann LittleOf the many "ism's" handed down through my Dad's family was a favorite of his Great Uncle Robert Edward Little uttered in response to a reference to the families Irish roots: Just because you are born in barn doesn't mean you're a horse.Well! In addition to giving one the impression that Uncle Robert was opinionated it is a reminder to family historians that sometimes there are nuggets of truth hidden in family lore and legend.My Irish roots are found within my father's family line, descending from his mother's father's line.Information taken from…

• Surname Saturday: Space and Armstrong Research

  1 Nov 2009 | 4:31 am

  As any family historian will tell you, locating our elusive female ancestors presents a number of unique challenges which is why, after much debate, have decided to highlight my 3rd Great Grandmother Katherine Armstrong Space.According to census records, Katherine/Catherine Armstrong was born circa 1793 in Pennsylvania. It is believed that her father's name was John Armstrong as this name appears in several families in the Space family. Family legend states that John Armstrong was among the early Scottish settlers of the Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County, PA. Legend also goes on to state that…

• Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

  1 Nov 2009 | 3:39 am

  Mr. Saturday Night has issued the latest Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge, to post our most memorable Halloween memory. I so enjoyed reading the posts (especially Midge's post complete with photo!) it's hard not to join in on the fun.My favorite memory surrounding Halloween, isn't so much one memory in particular as it is about 'the bunny costume.'While I never had the pleasure of wearing the costume, complete with a hat that tied under the chin and a set of floppy bunny ears, my three younger sisters did. Reminiscent of Ralphie in Christmas Story, except for the fact they also have…

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  Janet the researcher

• Creative Gene: Carnival of Genealogy, 84th Edition

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:31 am

  Creative Gene: Carnival of Genealogy, 84th Edition The most recent edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted by Jasia. Thanks for organizing it by the number of postings people have made to the COG and the personal comments you made for each one. Your encouragement is always appreciated. If you have never read any of the postings of any of the other writers, this carnival of genealogy will give you an idea of what is involved and the types of articles that are written. If you are a genealogy blogger, be sure to give it a try, it is lots of fun. © 2009 Janet Iles

• Wordless Wednesday - Allan Gardens II

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:47 am

  © 2009 Janet Iles

• The Glass Castle

  15 Nov 2009 | 11:34 am

  Our church book club is going to discuss The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls tomorrow. Jeanette Walls in her book shares her family's story. No matter what happens in our lives and in the lives of our ancestors, we all have stories to tell even if they are not as dramatic as that of Jeanette Walls.  © 2009 Janet Iles

• What the Carnival of Genealogy Means to Me

  14 Nov 2009 | 5:01 am

  What the Carnival of Genealogy has meant to you is the challenge of this Carnival of Genealogy. The COG has been published twice a month for over three years now, 83 editions thus far! It's covered a wide variety of topics and introduced many, many new bloggers and even a new carnival. Here's an opportunity to look back and reflect on when you first discovered the COG and when you first participated in it. What was your favorite topic to write about? Have you guest hosted the COG? Is there an article you've read in the COG that stands out in your mind? What have you learned from reading or…

• Remembering Their Service to Our Country

  11 Nov 2009 | 3:34 am

  "These five brothers in uniform are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. William Iles, 795 Seventh Avenue East. Their father served in the first great war. "Pte. Bill is the youngest member of the family and is stationed at Iperwash; Craftsman Manny is with the Ordinance corps. stationed in Britain; Tpr. Clifford is with the Second Canadian Armoured Brigade, B.W.E.F. in France; Sgt. Bob is with the Perth Regiment in Italy and Sgt. Wilfred is with the Pictou Highlanders  stationed at St. John, N.B. Two of the boys are married. Mrs. Wilfred Iles and daughters, Marlene and Winnifred, reside at 764…

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  Jessica's Genejournal

• Call For Future Hosts - 2010

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:38 am

  As was mentioned in the 24th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, I will be hosting the December edition; however, I do not have any other editions scheduled. I won't be able to host some of the months in 2010 due to being busy with school work, and I am looking for people who would be willing to host a future edition. Here are some of the months I am looking for a host:JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilI allow the host to chose the topic for the carnival and the dates for the submission deadline and publication of the edition. If you are interested in hosting an edition,…

• 24th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted!

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am

  The 24th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has been posted! (Thank you, Al!) You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on Christmas and Hanukkah traditions. Submissions are due December 18th, and the edition will be posted on the 20th. You can submit your article here. Enjoy!

• 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:38 pm

  The 84th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on "'Orphans and Orphans.' The first type of orphan refers to those ancestors or relatives who lost their parents when they were young. The second type of orphan would be those siblings or cousins of our ancestors whom we think of as “reverse orphans.” They are the relatives who, for whatever reason – death at a young age, never having married or had children, or having children who did not survive to provide descendants – have no direct descendants of their own,…

• 18th Edition of the Smile For The Camera Carnival Posted!

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:08 am

  The 18th edition of the Smile For the Camera Carnival has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on "Gift." It is the holiday season and a time for giving. So give Smile readers the gift of sharing, sharing a family photograph. It can be a gift given or received, it can be the gift of talent, it can be the gift of having the photograph itself. The interpretation of gift is yours." Enjoy!

• Searching For My German Ancestors - Some Resources

  15 Nov 2009 | 9:44 am

  For this upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, I've decided to write about some of the resources and records that I have used to research my German ancestors. Since I have just begun to research in German records, most of my resources will be of American records; however, I will also list resources that might assist people in researching their German ancestors. Here are the resources I have used:BooksWhen I first began my research into my German ancestors, I read a couple of books on the topic to uncover the possible problems in researching German…

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  LOOKING4ANCESTORS

• Lest We Forget: Remembrance Day 2009

  LOOKING4ANCESTORS

  11 Nov 2009 | 11:57 am

  I posted this last year in remembrance of my grand-uncle Les, who gave his life for his country during World War II. I am reposting it today as it is Remembrance Day here in Canada. May we never forget the sacrifice he and his fellow soldiers gave to our country.     In Honour of Private Leslie Gerald Lake, 1918 - 1944 Leslie Gerald Lake was born 18 March 1916 in Kirton Holme, Boston, Lincolnshire, England. He was the second youngest child of Herbert and Fanny (Crawford) Lake. Les immigrated to Canada with his family in 1926. The family eventually settled in London, Ontario. Private…

• Wordless Wednesday: Hallowe'en Flashback 1971

  LOOKING4ANCESTORS

  28 Oct 2009 | 9:02 am

  The Princes and The Cat, Hallowe'en 1971. Digital copy of photograph. Original held by K. Lake, 2005.

• Tuesday Teachings: Kill'em Off!

  LOOKING4ANCESTORS

  27 Oct 2009 | 6:56 am

  Have you killed off your ancestors? One of the more important things to do in your research is to "kill off" your ancestors by finding a death registration or burial record for them.  The first rule in family history is to work from what you do know to what you don't know.  Start with yourself and then move backwards chronologically generation by generation.  When researching each individual start with the most recent event and then move backwards chronologically through the person's life.  This means you start researching the death of your…

• Canadian Genealogy Carnival 6th Edition - Home Sweet Home

  LOOKING4ANCESTORS

  16 Sep 2009 | 8:39 pm

  Welcome to the 6th Edition of Canadian Genealogy Carnival. T. Casteel at Tangled Trees presents Our Canadian Ancestor's Home. Check out this lovely photograph of a beautiful ancestral home. Evelyn Yvonne Theriault presents Lagace Homestead in 1950s Bathurst, New Brunswick: Home Sweet Home posted at A Canadian Family, saying, "Move over Duggars! Big families were the norm in 1950s Bathurst, New Brunswick." Janet Iles presents Home Sweet Home - home of my great grandparents Love posted at Janet the researcher, saying, "I have visited the home of my great grandparents, James and…

• 422 Foch Avenue

  LOOKING4ANCESTORS

  16 Sep 2009 | 4:10 pm

  As a child I spent a lot of time at 4-22 Foch (pronounced F-ahh-sh).  Yep, that's how we referred to it: 4-22 Foch.  It was the home of my grandparents, Joseph Brinley GEORGE and Dorothy May (EVANS) GEORGE.  I inherited a box full of treasures that once belonged to my Grandma George.  Inside the box was an envelope which contained all of the papers with regards to this house at 422 Foch Avenue. Now, I have not gone to the land records office to check when the house was originally built. However, I have in my possession mortgages, deeds and a quit claim…

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  100 Years in America

• Međimurje: Meeting place of rivers and cultures

  Lisa

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:09 am

  This article originally appeared here at 100 Years in America on April 27, 2008. I've reposted it here in honor of Geography Awareness Week. It is also one of my favorite contributions to the Carnival of Genealogy, whose participants (including myself) have been reminiscing this week.The land of Croatia is a crossroads. It has been since recorded history and will probably always remain so. Just look at its profile on a map: the crescent-shaped country looks as if it had been pressed at the center and pushed toward western Europe and up against the Mediterranean Sea. It has survived, packed…

• "The waves' rippling song": South Beach, Staten Island

  Lisa

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:18 pm

  This article originally appeared here at 100 Years in America on June 1, 2008. I've reposted it here in honor of Geography Awareness Week. It is also one of my favorite contributions to the Carnival of Genealogy, whose participants (including myself) have been reminiscing this week.The move to Staten Island's South Beach in 1921 must have felt a little bit like going home to Frank and Helen Ujlaky. Emigrating from Hungary more than twelve years earlier, they had settled in the Hungarian district of Manhattan, a bustling, busy, crowded part of the city. It was a far cry from their rural home…

• Geography Awareness Week: From Eastern Europe to NYC

  Lisa

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:46 am

  In honor of Geography Awareness Week, I encourage you to make a visit to the series I posted last year at this time. I took a little visit (by way of online quizzes) to the parts of Eastern Europe that my 100 Years in America ancestors' hail from, and then flew back to New York for a final geography stop there.Though you might think you know a little bit about these parts of the world, you'll probably be surprised at what you don't know. Best of luck to you on the quizzes and happy Geography Awareness Week!HungaryCroatiaThe former Austria-HungaryNew York City, USA

• "Cousins in genealogy", the COG and me

  Lisa

  15 Nov 2009 | 5:46 am

  When I first began my journey into the world of the family history blog I envisioned the fruition of something I had been hoping to see for a long time: the connection of my extended family. Reaching across various branches of my family tree, state and country borders, and numerous generations (at least those generations who visited the internet), my family history blogs would, I hoped, be an avenue where I could finally easily share what I had learned and was continuing to learn about our family's amazing story. Siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins (first, second, third, etc.), aunts, uncles,…

• Shades of wonderful

  Lisa

  12 Nov 2009 | 11:29 am

  Though I'm busy taking care of my new baby, I couldn't resist taking the time to share the news about footnoteMaven's new baby: Shades of the Departed - The Magazine.If you are a fan of her Shades of the Departed or footnoteMaven blogs, or are unaware of those but interested in old photographs and/or the past in general, take the time to visit her new online magazine. As she states in the introduction, she and her fellow writers have "combined the fascination of old images with new technology". She's taken the look of a printed magazine about vintage photography (and topics related to using…

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  Orations of OMcHodoy

• Shoo-be-doo-be-doo ... be-doo

  1 Nov 2009 | 9:29 am

  Some people strive to be singers and start out as Backup Singers. Genealogists strive to have backed-up data (soured and cited) and know the first step is to have Backup Data. Today is Data Back Up Day. It is one thing to have a wealth of data of any type; it is quite another to lose all that data because of a system failure, natural disaster, or other catastrophic event affecting your computer. Potential loss of data can be avoided simply by having a back-up of your computer. It isn't enough, either, to back up your computer once and forget about it. Any new data introduced since the backup…

• Save the Date

  18 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm

  January 22-23, 2010 at the Mesa Convention Center. This is the date of the 2nd Annual Mesa Arizona Family History Expo. I attended last year's Expo and had a fabulous time! I will definitely be there for this next one, too.This year I will have the honor of being a presenter for this Expo! My topic is "When the Past Meets the Present to Change the Future: Using Geneograms in Genealogical Research". It will be held on Saturday, 23 Jan 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in the room Palo Verde II. The presentation will be part lecture, part hands-on activity so attendees can learn by doing! I hope to see you…

• Congratulations Marianne

  20 Sep 2009 | 2:17 pm

  The time has finally arrived. The post that brought Marianne McHugh to the attention of the publishers and writers of "Encyclopedia of American Disability History" has come full circle.This volume is now available at Amazon.com, and in this volume you will find an article on "Daily Life" of people with disabilities. In this article you will find my father's oldest surviving sibling, Marianne McHugh:Thanks aplenty go out to Penny L. Richards, who "found" Marianne on the March 9, 2008 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy and passed my article on. Thanks also to Susan Burch, the editor of this…

• Ancestral Roulette

  19 Sep 2009 | 7:34 pm

  Randy Seaver has done it again. He's created another Saturday Night Fun activity to spur us on in our research. The instructions are:1) How old is your father now, or how old would he be if he had lived? Divide this number by 4 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."2) Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ahnentafel. Who is that person?3) Tell us three facts about that person with the "roulette number."4) Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook note or…

• You've Probably Seen this by Now

  25 Jul 2009 | 7:47 am

  But THIS is the way to start a new branch!

• 
  Photo-Sleuth

• Whistling Bird, the Arizona Cowboy and the Disappearing Lady

  31 Oct 2009 | 5:19 pm

  The 83rd Carnival of Genealogy, hosted by Janet Isles at her blog Janet the Researcher, is entitled Play Me, and encourages Geneabloggers to write about a musical instrument that they or other family members have played. Apart from my youngest daughter and aunt who both, like the elegantly coiffured and dressed lady in the footnoteMaven's inviting COG poster above, have learned to play the piano during their school years, very few of my family members have progressed much beyond the recorder in their early grades. However, my great-grandfather Charles Vincent Payne (1868-1941) did have…

• Digging for gold on the wild West Coast

  29 Oct 2009 | 9:49 pm

  Nola Sinclair recently sent me scans of a couple of engaging cartes de visite by H.H. Vorley of Westport, Charleston and Reefton, on the West Coast of New Zealand, who I have featured in a previous Photo-Sleuth article. She explained that "the subjects in the photo are likely to be a family of my husband's Shetland Island forebears who came to Charleston in 1876 to mine the sands at Nine Mile Beach for gold. We have been trying to get a fairly exact date so we can work out who the children are likely to be, in order to make sure that it is indeed the family we think it is."This challenge…

• Have space suit - Will travel

  18 Oct 2009 | 3:42 pm

  Almost a year ago I posted this image of a rather bizarre transportation device in an article on Photo-Sleuth in the hope that readers would be able to help solve the mystery of what exactly it was, and why it appears in my aunt's collection of old family photographs. The footnoteMaven's 18th Smile for the Camera Carnival has the theme of "Travel" and seems an opportune moment to revisit the subject, summarizing what I've learnt.Transport contraption, St Malo, FranceCarte de visite by unknown photographerImage © and courtesy of Barbara EllisonThe carte de visite is part of the Payne family…

• All lined up in the school playground in their Sunday best

  17 Oct 2009 | 8:44 pm

  I have wondered, when looking at old school photographs from the Victorian period, whether the children are wearing their ordinary everyday school clothes, or if an impending visit from the photographer was enough of an occasion for their parents to dress them in their Sunday best. I found mention of poor attendance on school photos day in 1881 recorded in a school log book from the Talgarth district of Powys, Wales (Victorian Powys), ascribing the childrens' absence to their not possessing decent clothes for the special day:At 11 a Photographer came to take a view of the buildings. A very…

• Musing in Manhattan

  1 Oct 2009 | 6:09 pm

  Chrysler Building, New York City, 1931Platinum print by Margaret Bourke-WhiteImage © Time-Life & courtesy of Gallery MMotivated - perhaps inspired would be a better word - by Colleen Fitzpatrick's Forensic Genealogy mystery photo contest this week (Contest #226), I've been thinking art deco (or should that be Art Deco). I hope I'm not giving too much of the game away to say that I've always thought of New York's Chrysler Building as one of the more breathtakingly spectacular and visually effective examples, perhaps even the epitome, of this style of architecture. Although I've never visited…

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  Rush Reunion Benedicta, Maine

• Please Register Now for the Rush Reunion 2010

  17 Nov 2009 | 11:52 am

• Register Now for Rush Reunion 2010

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:57 am

• Rush Reunion 2010

  4 Sep 2009 | 6:23 am

  The website for the reunion is up www.rushreunionbenedicta.com You may register there and also if you want your family linage to be included in the book The Descendants of John D. Rush please email me at qualey28@roadrunner.com and I will be sure to include them in the book. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

• Please Register Now for the Rush Reunion 2010

  23 Aug 2009 | 8:53 am

  Good Day to you all. I must say thanks to all that put on the 175th Anniversary Celebration of Benedicta as I had a wonderful time and met a number of people there. Thanks for all the chats to various ones of my grandfather and the discussions of the town as a whole. I really enjoyed it. Now that that has come and gone it is time to plan ahead for the upcoming reunion. Aug. 16, 2010 will start the week off with various day trips such as hiking Mt. Katahdin, canoeing and kayaking, white water rafting, golfing, and on Friday the day before the reunion we will individual family gatherings as it…

• Rush Reunion Aug. 21, 2010

  23 Jul 2009 | 9:23 am

  Good Day All,Hope you all are enjoying the summer. Please don't forget to mark your calendar for next Aug. for hopefully our biggest reunion yet. The daily events will start Monday the 16 and be similiar to what they had in 2005. Hiking Mt. Katahdin, golfing, shopping, white water rafting and the smaller reunions the day before the big event. The smaller reunions were a big hit the last time and it gave people the opportunity to socialize and get photos of their linage. I have the book ready for proofs so if anyone would like their linage please email me at qualey28@roadrunner.com. Some of…

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  Small-leaved Shamrock

• Happy Birthday to the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture!

  Lisa

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:39 pm

  Please join me in celebrating the 2nd anniversary of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture!Born here at Small-leaved Shamrock on November 6, 2007, we are sixteen editions strong and looking forward to the upcoming 17th edition. A special thank-you to all of our 64 contributors thus far, particularly you regulars that frequent the carnival. (You know who you are!)We have touched on many topics since we began two years ago.From Irish genealogical research (and more Irish genealogical research) and our ancestral homes in Ireland to the concept of Irish identity ~From Irish places (and…

• Irish portraits: An "album" of stories

  Lisa

  4 Nov 2009 | 5:44 pm

  Welcome to the 16th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. This is a special week for the carnival as we celebrate both our 16th edition and our second anniversary on the web. A special thanks to all of our readers, our commenters, and especially our talented contributors (Irish or not) who have supported the carnival throughout the past two years!In this Irish Portraits edition, we've chosen to focus on Irish men and women and their personal stories. Some stories include photographs; others paint only a verbal picture of part of a person's life.Records with names, dates and…

• Death comes in threes: The sorrows of Margaret Foley Cowhey, 1891-1895

  Lisa

  1 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pm

  Margaret Foley Cowhey was surely no stranger to the trials of motherhood. She and her husband had ten children. Before she gave birth to those children, she had become mother to at least four children from her husband's previous marriage.Nothing, however, could have prepared this young woman, already such a seasoned mother at age 36, for the sorrows that faced her in three and half years during the early 1890s.Margaret and her husband William Cowhey faced the loss of their youngest child Lena, age nine months, on October 7, 1891. The Pottsville Republican told the story the next day:It…

• Wisdom of the past: The rite of "churching" new mothers

  Lisa

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:04 am

  It was with great interest that I read the article in Rachel Murphy's Irish Family History blog about the rite of churching. "Churching" refers to the visit to the church and corresponding priestly blessing conferred upon a married woman after the birth of her child. It seems that this was a religious tradition carried on in past centuries. A beautiful idea, yet unfortunately it may have collected some superstitious beliefs along the way.I revisited this article recently after the birth of my baby. It read:‘Churching’ refers to a blessing that mothers were given following recovery from…

• Join us in creating an "album" of stories

  Lisa

  25 Oct 2009 | 6:15 pm

  The deadline for the upcoming 16th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, entitled Irish Portraits, is coming up on Sunday, November 1. Hope you'll join us in creating an "album" of stories about individuals with Irish heritage, photo or no photo. Here are the details:Share with us a story about an Irishman or Irishwoman within your family tree. If you have a photograph of the ancestor, share it along with the story of their life (or a small and interesting portion of their life story). If you don't have a family member to write about, choose someone with Irish heritage and…

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  Teach Genealogy

• Wed 11 Nov 2009 Meeting Plans

  10 Nov 2009 | 8:24 am

  Its already November -- and time for our next meeting!Wednesday11 Nov 2009Utah Genealogical Association & DearMYRTLE's Study Group Meetingat the Family History Library "(B-1 Classroom)6 pm - 8:45 pmThe first 10 people can "share", then we'll discuss the first two groups in Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America by David Hackett Fischer:* East Anglia to Massachusetts: The Exodus of the English Puritans* The South of England to Virginia: Distressed Cavaliers and Indentured ServantsThough you may not have ancestors in either group, study of social, religious, housing, government and…

• Myrt meeting at Family History Library 14 Oct

  1 Oct 2009 | 11:40 am

  All are invited to attend the 14 Oct 2009 meeting of the Salt Lake Chapter, Utah Genealogical Association ,from 6pm to 8:45pm at the Family History Library. We'll have our own classroom, though I am not sure which they have assigned to us until we arrive. This is our first time in this meeting place. Here's the plan:The first ten (10, count 'em) arrivals will receive a card entitling them to share recent research successes or challenges. As with DearMYRTLE's Salt Lake Study Group, this will be Myrt's opportunity to provide research ideas and challenges. We've discovered in the past that this…

• Myrt's away: FGS among other things

  25 Aug 2009 | 9:01 am

  DearREADERS,Yes, the wedding took place on Saturday, and all is well. Now the blushing bride and handsome groom are off the the annual FGS Federation of Genealogical Societies conference. This year it will be held in Little Rock Arkansas. There is still time to register.If you'd like to stop by the Utah Genealogical Association's booth to advertise Salt Lake Institute, I'll be hanging out there most of the time. We're even planning to have a little wedding cake to celebrate, and you are invited! Note I'll have a new banner for Genealogists in Second Life.Happy family tree climbing!Myrt…

• Brick Walls - SL chat transcript 21 July 2009

  23 Jul 2009 | 7:13 am

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following is the transcript of the Brick Walls genealogy chat in Second Life held Tuesday, 21 July 2009. For more information about joining these public genealogy discussions, see INTERESTED in actually joining Second Life?Special THANKS to our friends from Ages-Online.com for providing the 1gig flash drive for the Genealogy Game prize. [17:48] Constantine Kyomoon: Hello Marie [17:49] Marie Medina: Hi [17:49] Constantine Kyomoon: Chat starts in 12 minutes, Clarise is still doing some setup [17:49] Marie Medina: Thanks [17:49] Marie Medina: How are you today? [17:50]…

• SL Chat: Merging databases

  20 Jul 2009 | 7:08 am

  NOTE from DearMYRTLE: This is the text of the genealogy chat last night held last evening at the Family History Centre in Second Life in a public, open discussion format. Many thanks to the participants who added to the conversation by sharing their personal genealogy software experiences. For directions on how to get into Second Life to attend future genealogy chats, see: INTERESTED in actually joining Second Life?PRE-MEETING DISCUSSIONS[16:58] Bela Cela: konnichiwa! :)[16:58] Binbag Slonimsk: hi bela[16:58] Binbag Slonimsk: hi clarise[16:59] Clarise Beaumont: Hello ladies![17:00] Binbag…

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  The Cheek That Doth Not Fade

• I don’t want a bath!

  cheekfam

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:34 am

  “firstbath” Digital Image. Photographed 17 November 2009, Oklahoma City, OK . Privately held by Richard Orand Cheek, Midwest City, OK, 2009. Wordless Wednesday

• Wordless Wednesday: Conan the Librarian

  cheekfam

  16 Sep 2009 | 3:09 pm

  Conan the Librarian “Conan the Librarian” Digital Image. Photographed 11 September 2009, Shawnee, OK . Privately held by Richard Orand Cheek, Midwest City, OK, 2009. Wordless Wednesday

• Wordless Wednesday: Strong Silent Sam

  cheekfam

  2 Sep 2009 | 2:35 pm

  Strong silent Sam “Strong silent Sam” Digital Image. Photographed 31 August 2009, Edmond, OK . Privately held by Richard Orand Cheek, Midwest City, OK, 2009. Wordless Wednesday

• Wordless Wednesday: My 4 GKids

  cheekfam

  19 Aug 2009 | 12:23 pm

  My 4 GKids “4GKids” Digital Image. Photographed 9 August 2009, Edmond, OK . Privately held by Richard Orand Cheek, Midwest City, OK, 2009. Wordless Wednesday

• Wordless Wednesday: Smilin’ Sam

  cheekfam

  12 Aug 2009 | 3:02 pm

  “Smilin Sam” Digital Image. Photographed 9 August 2009, Edmond, OK . Privately held by Richard Orand Cheek, Midwest City, OK, 2009. Wordless Wednesday

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  The Educated Genealogist

• Somebody Likes Me!

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:42 am

  Julie Wingate author of the delightful blog "Banjos and Baby Dolls" thinks that I am worthy of the Kreativ Blogger Award that is being passed around Geneablogger land. Julie has now become my new BFF. In return, the awardee must give back 7 and 7 - Reveal seven previously unknown things about yourself and then pass the award to seven other bloggers.Seven things about me you may not know:1. I do

• The COG and Me

  16 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm

  The 83rd Carnival of GenealogyWhat the COG Means To MeDear COG,I know that I haven't been as dedicated to you as I should have been. Writing an article for you twice a month really wasn't too much to ask. It was the least I could have done after all you have done for me. You held my hand when I was taking baby blogger steps giving me the strength and courage I needed when I decided to just jump

• The Educated Rabbit

  16 Nov 2009 | 12:41 am

  OK , OK, so perhaps threatening to pull people out of hats wasn't the best way to draw attention to the Graveyard Rabbits. After some quiet time to reflect on this dilemma, I am ready to try a different approach:+That's right I'm over at the Graveyard Rabbit Association. I write a column (disguised as rabbit, of course) for the Graveyard Rabbit Journal where I educate you - in, uhmm , well,

• A Nice Thing or Two - SNGF

  14 Nov 2009 | 5:53 pm

  Saturday Night Genealogy Fun came and went but I still want to play. This week Randy asks us to share something nice a fellow genealogist has done for us in the past week or the most recent we can recall.There are two people that I am long overdue in thanking for going above and beyond the wild blue yonder.Gary Deen in Des Moines County, Iowa is a shirttail relative of mine who has on numerous

• Don't Make Me Have To Pull You Out Of A Hat!

  7 Nov 2009 | 7:52 am

  That's my new line I give to people when I find out they aren't Graveyard Rabbits yet. I am truly surprised that some people still haven't heard about the Graveyard Rabbit Association. Are you one of them?From the GYR website:"The Graveyard Rabbit Association is an association dedicated to the academic promotion of the historical importance of cemeteries, grave markers, and the family history to

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  The Genetic Genealogist

• A Review of Familybuilder DNA Testing

  Blaine Bettinger

  12 Nov 2009 | 4:11 pm

  Familybuilder, launched in 2007, is a genealogy company that ranks among the top 10 online genealogy services in the world with over 17 million users and over 120 million family tree profiles.  Late last year the company began offering a genetic genealogy product, as I wrote about here on the blog (see “Familybuilder Announces DNA Testing”). Disclosure: This is a review of Familybuilder’s Y-DNA service using a kit I received free of charge for purposes of this review.  Please note that this is not meant to be an endorsement but merely a review of the Y-DNA service offered by…

• Q&A: Everyone Has Two Family Trees – A Genealogical Tree and a Genetic Tree

  Blaine Bettinger

  9 Nov 2009 | 11:23 pm

  I recently received an interesting question from a reader (see this comment) about 23andMe’s Relative Finder, and thought it would be worth sharing the question and my answer with all my readers. The Question: I’m a man who recently took a 23andMe test, and I have a question about Relative Finder.  Another man who I match on 36 of 37 Y-DNA markers via Family Tree DNA also took a 23andMe test.  We believe that we are third cousins, but this individual does not show up as related in Relative Finder, nor does he show any similarities in the Family Inheritance section.  Does this mean that…

• Genetic Genealogy Tidbits

  Blaine Bettinger

  7 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am

  DNA Test Index has a great index of DNA testing providers, including genetic genealogy testing companies.  Via @genomicslawyer – an “atypically complete list of genetic test providers: http://bit.ly/2f8FLW.” ISOGG, the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, has a new information page at “I’ve Tested at 23andMe, Now What?”  The site includes “a variety of tools to help you further explore your ancestry,” including EURO-DNA-CALC and Promethease, among others. Family Tree DNA has a new Holiday Sale, as summarized at the U4 Haplogroup website.  The FTDNA ordering page…

• Relative Finder Now in Open Beta

  Blaine Bettinger

  28 Oct 2009 | 5:06 am

  I’ve been playing with 23andMe’s Relative Finder this week, since it’s now in open beta.  It’s been interesting hearing from 6th to 10th cousins from around the world, and we’re working to find ancestors in common.  I’m looking forward to identifying - for the first time - a piece of autosomal DNA that came from a specific ancestor. While in the beta period, the number of relatives is limited to 1000 (I currently have 173 with only 5 in the 3rd to 7th cousin range), and you can only contact other people who have opted in for the beta test. So if…

• Michelle Obama’s Slave Ancestry Video Via Genealogy Insider

  Blaine Bettinger

  14 Oct 2009 | 5:16 am

  Megan Smolenyak has been very busy the past couple of weeks sharing her research of Michelle Obama’s genealogy. Genealogy Insider posted this video of Megan on the CBS Early Show on October 8th.  The YouTube video is described as: “The New York Times traced Michelle Obama’s five generation path from slavery to the White House. Harry Smith spoke to Megan Smoleyak the genealogist who uncovered the first lady’s family tree.” A much more in-depth video is available from the always interesting RootsTelevision at “Michelle Obama’s Roots.”…

• 
  TransylvanianDutch

• The CoG has been posted

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:23 am

  The 84th Carnival of Genealogy has been posted, with 23 participants describing what the CoG means to them.The topic for the next edition of the COG is: “Orphans and Orphans.” The first type of orphan refers to those ancestors or relatives who lost their parents when they were young. The second type of orphan would be those siblings or cousins of our ancestors whom we think of as “reverse orphans.” They are the relatives who, for whatever reason – death at a young age, never having married or had children, or having children who did not survive to provide descendants – have no…

• Wordless Wednesday: Clayton High School Sophomore Class 1931

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm

  Source: 1931 CLAMO Yearbook (Clayton High School, Clayton Missouri) - Missouri History Museum Research LibraryMove cursor over photographs for more details.

• Tombstone Tuesday: Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark 1886-1978

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm

  Bertha Cruvant was born on either Sept 29, 1886, or Sept 19, 1887. (Those are the dates Rosh HaShana fell on both years, and because she was born on the Jewish holiday, that is what was remembered.) It is believed she was born in Missouri, but exact dates for immigration from Lithuania to America, and whether or not the family settled immediately in the St. Louis area, isn't certain.Bertha married Barney Newmark on August 27, 1911.I remember my great grandmother well, as I was 9 when she passed away. Though the years I remember her from, she was living at a retirement home confined to a…

• 18th Edition of Smile for the Camera is Posted

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am

  The 18th Edition of Smile for the Camera is Posted.This was the edition on the theme of Travel where I collected images of several ships my ancestors traveled on to arrive in America. There were 23 submissions, all worth reading.The word prompt for the 19th Edition of Smile For The Camera is "Gift." It is the holiday season and a time for giving. So give Smile readers the gift of sharing, sharing a family photograph. It can be a gift given or received, it can be the gift of talent, it can be the gift of having the photograph itself. The interpretation of gift is yours. Admission is free with…

• Amanuensis Monday: Good Intentions

  15 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm

  Amanuensis: 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.This week I am transcribing three Declarations of Intentions. They are for my great great grandfather, Samuel Newmark; great grandfather, Barney Newmark; and a great great uncle, Israel David Newmark. (There are actually…

• 
  TwigTalk

• Kreativ Blogger Award from Dr. Bill Smith

  15 Nov 2009 | 7:03 pm

  Thank you Dr. Bill Smith [http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/] for visiting my blog and choosing to give this award to me.The winner of this award is supposed to list seven things about themselves and then pass the award along to seven other bloggers.1. I never get tired of researching and often wish I had more time to devote to it.2. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the INGenWeb and taking care of my county site.3. I also research the paranormal and spirituality. I have done that much longer than family history, as a matter of fact. Recent discoveries have made me feel a…

• Treasure Chest Thursday - Grandma's Recipes

  12 Nov 2009 | 7:51 am

  I did not know this box existed. It was my grandmother's (Della M. Jaynes) recipe box. She mostly didn't use recipes, so I was surprised when my Mother showed this to me.I don't know yet what I am going to do with all of these. I've barely had time to go through them. Most are written out in her hand, some are from ladies she from her church and some cut from magazines and ready to fall apart. So my treasure this time is a new find. That is always exciting!!Anyone have suggestions? What would you do with them?

• Tombstone Tuesday - George Thomas Jaynes

  10 Nov 2009 | 7:10 am

  October 15, 1869Washington County, IndianaMarch 15, 1954Jackson County, IndianaParents: William Obadier and Luraney (Willcutt) JanesOther Posts:The Eyes of Old TomLooking Into the Eyes of Old Tom At Last!

• Looking Into the Eyes of Old Tom At Last!

  30 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am

  Last Halloween I participated in a Carnival called "Fact or Fiction?" (Carnival of Genealogy -58th Edition / October 12, 2008) with an article called, "The Eyes of Old Tom" . In my article I wrote about George Thomas Jaynes, "Old Tom", my great-grandfather, and all the things attributed to him. I have so many interviews about him from people that knew him well, that I could not just dismiss the stories. There were 4 things that were in each, independant interview:1. He could make tables walk.2. He (and others in the room with him) could hear knocking.3. People wanted him to do these…

• Treasure Chest Thursday - Grandpa's Fountain Pen

  29 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am

  James "Jim" Jaynes was my grandfather. He was a plumber. He had his own plumbing business which he ran out of the house. As children my brother and I loved to go through the trash basket that he kept beside his desk. It was always filled with unopened mail full of wonderful things. Local businesses would send him ink pens, tablets, rulers, little pocket gadgets and other little things with their advertising on the items. It was a treasure chest to a child. He always made sure there was plenty to open when we visited.He often sat there doing his business which included a lot of paperwork. His…

• 
  ThinkGenealogy

• Arizona State Genealogical Society – Advanced Methodology Workshop

  Mark Tucker

  10 Nov 2009 | 6:57 pm

  This Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 9:00 am to noon, the Arizona State Genealogical Society will hold an Advanced Methodology workshop. First the group will analyze a case study and determine if the research objective was proved. I then have the privilege of presenting “Navigating Research with the Genealogical Proof Standard.”  The presentation slides, handout, and a copy of the Genealogy Research Process Map can be found at: http://www.thinkgenealogy.com/map I am really excited to meet the members of the society and share a topic that is very important to me. If you are in Tucson, AZ…

• What are the Best Genealogy Tweets?

  Mark Tucker

  20 Oct 2009 | 8:14 am

  In what ways have you seen genealogists use Twitter? Do you know of any great examples? It might be from someone doing personal family history research or from a professional genealogist. Maybe you came across a great tweet from a genealogy company, organization, or society. For this post, I am putting up the challenge but it is you that will provide the real value. Go back through your sent tweets, those sent by friends, the public timeline, or do a search. When you find a tweet that you think deserves to be on the list with the best, post a comment with the web address for that specific…

• Apple Jacks Family Tree

  Mark Tucker

  12 Aug 2009 | 8:12 am

  My youngest son often plays with his breakfast cereal and this time it was Apple Jacks.  Knowing my interest in genealogy, he created a family tree out of the cereal shapes.  I just had to take a picture: Well, that is only part of the story. I had a birthday last week and his gift to me was a treasure hunt to find my present.  Somewhere in the backyard he had dug a hole and buried my present then he created a map to the treasure.  Notice how crumpled and “old” the map looks. When I dug it up, it was my very own Apple Jacks Family Tree. Thanks, son.  I love it!

• BYUGEN Tweets

  Mark Tucker

  3 Aug 2009 | 6:08 pm

  Here is a collection of my tweets from the BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy: Keynote by David Rencher, AG, CG, Chief Genealogical Officer, BYU grad, past Pres FGS, plus much more In overflow room. Too bad half of the slides are cut off. Hard to give up what we are used to. Card catalog to microfiche to computer. Goal of FamilySearch is to remove barriers to family history in their own products. FamilySearch Labs is a workshop. Good use and feedback might lead to a finished product. Updated Research Guidance will move to FamilySearch Wiki Silver microfilm for original capture is…

• Navigating Research with the GPS – July 2009 Update

  Mark Tucker

  28 Jul 2009 | 8:28 pm

  In preparation for my presentation this Friday at the BYU Genealogy Conference, I updated my slides and posted them on SlideShare: Navigating Research with the Genealogical Proof Standard – July 2009 View more documents from Mark Tucker. This slide presentation goes with the syllabus material that I posted earlier. Hope to see some of you on Friday at 1:30pm.

• 
  Scottish Genealogy News and Events (SGNE)

• First World War records summary

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:06 pm

  Genealogist Sheena Tait, originally from Scotland, and now residing down south, has a very handy summary of online military history records worth consulting for the First World War on her blog at http://setait.co.uk/?p=109&cpage=1#comment-8 Well worth a look.Chriswww.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk Professional genealogical problem solving and researchhttp://twitter.com/ChrisMPatonFor all the latest Scottish genealogical news and events visit www.ScottishAncestry.co.uk, and for all your genealogical research needs, visit www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk

• Hostage situation at Buckingham Palace

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:18 pm

  The Queen's speech was given just a few hours ago, but how many of us knew that the Queen had a hostage waiting in Buckingham Palace?! I always thought the Government did not negotiate with kidnappers these days in a hostage situation...Some traditions from the Queen's Speech, as detailed on the DirectGov site:State Opening timetableOn Wednesday, HM the Queen will leave Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession to deliver the Queen’s Speech to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster.She travels from Buckingham Palace in a state coach to the Palace of Westminster, usually accompanied by her…

• Most Haunted - Inverary castle

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:51 pm

  The new series of Most Haunted has clearly fallen in love with the town of Inverary in Argyllshire. having been to Inverary Jail just a couple of weeks ago, last night they were back to spend a night at the castle. The programme was actually very funny, and showcased the castle's alleged spooky side very well. It will be repeated several times this week on Living TV, but I've also discovered the following, which was clearly recorded by presenter Yvette Fielding after the events depicted in the episode itself.Whether you believe in wee ghosties or not, one thing the series does do well is to…

• National Library of Scotland news

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:24 am

  From the National Library of Scotland:Fans of BBC Scotland's A History of Scotland programme will not be disappointed with the chance to get close up to a chilling piece of Scottish history: the signed order for the Massacre of Glencoe. This is joined by the Jacobite manuscript the 'Lyon in Mourning' and Scotland's contract with God in the form of two National Covenants.Literary highlights include the manuscripts of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Case of the Illustrious Client', Robert Burns's Jacobite poem 'The Battle of Sherra-Moor' and Sir Walter Scott's 'Waverley.'Also:On tour - The…

• PRONI two week closure for stocktaking

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:30 am

  From the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI): The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has issued a final reminder that it will be closed to the public from Monday 23 November until Friday 11 December 2009 inclusive. During this annual stocktaking period there will be no access for members of the public to the Balmoral Avenue site and documents will not be available for consultation. However, all of PRONI’s online records will be available and the office will continue to provide a correspondence and telephone enquiry service and will address FOI and urgent legal…

• 
  GenBlog

• What’s On-Tap This Weekend?

  Julie Cahill Tarr

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

  On Saturday, November 21st, I will be attending my first Illinois State Genealogical Society board meeting as the official recording secretary.  I am very excited to be serving on the board with many wonderful genealogists. Because we meeting in Springfield, it’s also the perfect opportunity to go down a day early and get some research done at the Illinois State Archives and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.  I have a long to-do list, and am hoping to get most of it accomplished on Friday. I’m sure most of Sunday will be spent analyzing my new finds ;) Copyright © 2009.

• Wordless Wednesday – 11/18/09

  Julie Cahill Tarr

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm

  Copyright © 2009. All rights reserved.

• Diigo Bookmarks (weekly)

  Julie Cahill Tarr

  14 Nov 2009 | 10:30 pm

  Historic Map Works, Residential Genealogy ™Lots of maps!tags: mapsPosted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.Copyright © 2009. All rights reserved.

• Using the City Directories at Footnote

  Julie Cahill Tarr

  13 Nov 2009 | 11:12 am

  I’ve been spending quite a bit of time over the last few weeks exploring the city directories available at Footnote.  The first few days I was frustrated as my searches weren’t turning up anything.  But then I realized why, and have been able to effectively search the directories.  This post will explain how the directories work on Footnote, and how to effectively find the people for whom you are searching. First, it is important to understand how the directories are set up on Footnote, in order to make the most of your searches.  Unlike some of the other collections…

• Wordless Wednesday – 11/11/09

  Julie Cahill Tarr

  11 Nov 2009 | 3:04 am

  Copyright © 2009. All rights reserved.

• 
  Louisiana Genealogy Blog

• IN my mailbag: Camp Claiborne, Minden Ghost Walk, Query, NOMA, Louisiana Books

  Louisiana Genealogy Blogs

  13 Nov 2009 | 5:46 am

  From the LAORLEAN Digest, Vol 4, Issue 327Message: 3Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:24:29 -0500From: "Tudemurdog"Subject: [LAORLEAN] GenealogyBank subscriptionTo: Does anyone have a script to GenealogyBank? If you do, I would be in your debt if you would look up an article for me. Dated Feb. 2, 1905, Jonesboro, Arkansas Evening Sun, News Article. Preview says "Little Girl Shot Mother...Mrs. Flora Fuller..."This is a HUGE find for me, a 10 year search!Thanks!!Judy, Great Dane rescuer, GAwww.petfinder.org/shelters/GA363.htmlwww.fullrunfarm.comMINDEN CEMETERYEvent: "Minden Cemetery Ghost Walk" "Don't…

• West Bank Genealogy Society Meeting - CANCELED

  Louisiana Genealogy Blogs

  13 Nov 2009 | 5:28 am

  From my mailbag:WBGS Meeting CancelledSaturday November 14, 2009All DayNotes:Due to circumstances beyond our control, the November membership meeting will be cancelled. Hope to see everyone for the Christmas party on December 12. See details on our calendar for that date. Happy Thanksgiving!

• Genea-Musings: Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Surname Distributions!

  Louisiana Genealogy Blogs

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:33 pm

  Genea-Musings: Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Surname Distributions!Looks like Canada and Germany win the award in having the most distribution for my family surname. I've used maps such as this one before and it does provide a bit of information on where you can find the surname you are researching. When you have run out of places to look... this one helps!Top RegionsArea Name FPMSAARLAND , GERMANY 770.19GREVENMACHER , LUXEMBOURG 377.71LUXEMBOURG , LUXEMBOURG 234.52DIEKIRCH , LUXEMBOURG 164.31SACHSEN , GERMANY 103.61Top CityREHLINGEN-SIERSBURG , SAARLAND , GERMANYMERZIG , SAARLAND ,…

• Louisiana Genealogy Blogs and Veterans Day

  Louisiana Genealogy Blogs

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pm

  Yea! Another ancestor from Lousiana blogged and photographed in Genealogy Traces!See photos of William Jasper Puckett and Annie Lewis Puckett.Mike 's Genealogy Blog is tracing the Sharpe family and the Baldwin family in Louisiana.Area Veterans Day Eventsfrom The Advocate - online edition:SUNDAY Flag ceremonies by the Alexander Sterling Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, in East Feliciana Parish cemeteries: 9 a.m., Dawson Cemetery; and 3 p.m., Town of Jackson Cemetery, Clinton Masonic Cemetery and Redwood Cemetery, La. 412, Slaughter.1 p.m.: “Veterans On Parade,” downtown…

• Family History Month, "Life at the Turn of the 19th Century in Shreveport."

  Louisiana Genealogy Blogs

  16 Oct 2009 | 12:45 pm

  Library celebrates Family History Month October 14, 2009In celebration of Family History Month, the Genealogy Department at Shreve Memorial Library's Broadmoor branch will host Laura McLemore, an archivist from LSUS, at 3 p.m. Sunday.McLemore will speak on "Life at the Turn of the 19th Century in Shreveport."In conjunction with McLemore's talk, there will also be an open house in the Genealogy Department from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.The library is located at 1212 Captain Shreve Drive, Shreveport.Also, Shreve Memorial Library has partnered with Shreveport Regional Arts Council's Triumph Over Tragedy…

• 
  Your Future, Your Past

• National Treasure Hunt Begins in Texas

  familyforest

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:58 pm

  The new Family Forest® National Treasure Edition comes with a new beginning. It’s visual. Instead of opening to a boring list of names, it opens to a colorful chart. It is an hourglass chart, with ancestors to the left and descendants to the right, and the person it centers on is Henrietta Marie Morse Chamberlain, Mrs. King Ranch. Her husband founded the world famous King Ranch of Texas, then passed away rather early, leaving her in charge for 40 years.  When you right-click on any person in a chart you will be presented with a list of options that will let you move forward or backward in…

• Veterans Day Ancestors-at-a-glance™

  familyforest

  10 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

  Here are some links to new Ancestors-at-a-glance™ charts for Veterans Day 2009. A few were warriors, and the others served or are serving our country in other ways that support American armed forces service people.  Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the famous document that started it all, the Declaration of Independence.  Francis Scott Key in the aftermath of a pivotal battle in our nation’s history, gave us the most well-known inspirational song of our nation, The Star-Spangled Banner.  General Douglas MacArthur and General George S. Patton are probably the two most famous…

• Lost Mad Men

  familyforest

  27 Oct 2009 | 10:42 pm

  What do the two hit TV series Lost and Mad Men have in common?  One answer is Dwayne Shattuck. The other answer is networked family ties in the new Family Forest® National Treasure Edition.  Hollywood director and producer Dwayne Shattuck and his sister, Hollywood actress and best-selling author Shari Shattuck are first cousins once removed of a good friend of mine here on the Big Island, and they are related to the Angel of the Battlefield and founder of the American Red Cross (ARC), Clara Barton. They also all share Shattuck ancestors with famous Hollywood actor Matt Damon.  A recent…

• Julie and Julia

  familyforest

  24 Oct 2009 | 6:50 pm

  From the trailer I’ve seen, Julie and Julia looks like a fun movie.  To add to the enjoyment, the Family Forest® Project has just posted some additional Ancestors-at-a-glance™ charts.  One is for one of the main characters, Julia Child, and another is for the famous Hollywood actress who portrays her, Meryl Streep.  According to the family history already mapped out in the new Family Forest® National Treasure Edition, I share an important to me 1600’s ancestor with Julia Child. He is Mayflower Pilgrim George Soule.  Julia and I also share ancestor George Soule with Amelia co-star…

• “And that’s the way it is.”

  familyforest

  19 Oct 2009 | 4:07 pm

  Some of the voices and faces of those celebrities who have brought us over a century of impactful news through radio and television are indelibly etched in our memories. Now millions of us can see that we have actual family ties to some of those voices and faces.  Family Forest® Ancestors-at-a-glance™ charts from the new National Treasure Edition have just been posted for some of the instantly recognizable people from broadcasting.  These new free charts are for Walter Cronkite, Lowell Thomas, Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, Pat Buchanan, Pat Robertson, G. Gordon Liddy, Maria Shriver, Don…

• 
  Olga's Daughter

• Olga – A Student Nurse at St Giles Hospital 1939

  Olga's Daughter

  16 Nov 2009 | 7:07 pm

   <—Sydney Comes to London – 1939 (Olga’s Diary Continued)  Dear Diary  St Giles Hospital:  I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.  Not too long ago I was spending my mornings sitting on a park bench in Regent’s Park feeling sorry for myself and now I’m standing in a line with other student nurses listening to Sister.  “These are the rules for student nurses and I expect you to commit them to memory” barked Sister as she handed each new student nurse a rule sheet.  A stout, straight talking woman from Yorkshire with grey hair and voice that…

• Sydney comes to London -1939

  Olga's Daughter

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:36 pm

  <—-Aunt Martha,  Paddington                     Olga – A Student Nurse –> When I asked my mother (Olga) how safe she felt in London during the first part of 1939, she said she wasn’t worried because people felt that war with Adolph Hitler had been averted.    Maybe the previous war was still fresh in people’s minds (after all in 1939  it was less than 20 years since the end of WWI) and that was why they simply couldn’t believe that the world could go through all that devastation again.   Personally, had I been in my…

• Aunt Martha, Chilworth Street, Paddington

  Olga's Daughter

  24 Oct 2009 | 12:49 am

  <—A Change of Plan for Olga                     Sydney Comes to London 1939 —> My Great Aunt Martha was the oldest and not at all like her sisters, Becky and Lucy, either in temperament or looks. She was a short, stout woman with a badly pockmarked face – apparently the result of chicken pox. Every now and again nature produces an offspring that bears little resemblance to either its parents or siblings, well by all accounts, that was Martha Ross.  My mother, Olga,  told that in the early part of the 1930s Aunt Martha worked as a seamstress at the…

• A Change of Plan for Olga – London 1939

  Olga's Daughter

  6 Oct 2009 | 1:59 am

  <—London 1939           Aunt Martha, Chilworth Street, Paddington—> Even after all these years I still  struggle to understand how my grandmother, Becky,  thought it was safe to send my mother, Olga, to London in April 1939.   The  threat of war between Britain and Germany had not receded in spite of  Neville Chamberlain securing Adolf Hitler’s promise that he would not invade Europe further (Munich Agreement  Newspapers in  Great Britain and Jamaica constantly referred to the threat of war.  Whenever any member of the Browney family travelled to…

• London 1939

  Olga's Daughter

  6 Sep 2009 | 3:37 am

   <—-Kingston 1938 – A Dangerous Place  A Change of Plan for Olga—-> My mother, Olga Browney, arrived in London from Kingston, Jamaica on 1st April 1939 intending to stay only a few months. The plan was that Olga would stay with her Aunt Martha in Paddington. Although in the months before there had been talk of a war between England and Germany, Olga’s mother, Becky, believed that war had been averted, thanks to the Munich Agreement. This was a Pact made between Adolph Hitler and the then British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain whereby Hitler had promised Chamberlain…

• 
  Genealogy Blog

• WWII Bomber Pilot's Victoria Cross Fetches Record Price

  Jean-Yves BAXTER

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm

  A Victoria Cross awarded to a 21-year-old World War II bomber pilot has sold at auction for £335,000. The VC, which was presented to Flight Lieutenant Bill Reid in 1944 by King George VI, was bought by an anonymous bidder, setting a new record price. Flt Lt Reid, from Crieff in Perthshire, was given the VC for his part in a bombing raid on Germany in 1943. He flew his Lancaster bomber 200 miles towards its target over Düsseldorf despite being wounded in two attacks. Source & Full Story

• Personal Ancestry Writer II 89

  Jean-Yves BAXTER

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:02 am

  Full Featured - Mac - Freeware Personal Ancestry Writer II 89 has been released. Changes: • The application's bundled info.plist file was revised. The visible effect is to display the floppy disk icon for exported GEDCOM files and the appropriate version number for the application. • The exported GEDCOM extension .GED is now lowercased to .ged. • Abbreviations in some of the text entries in the place popup menus in the Person and Family windows were not being expanded but now are.

• People Prefer Partners With Similar Ancestry

  Jean-Yves BAXTER

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:55 am

  The study shows that Mexicans mate according to proportions of Native American to European ancestry, while Puerto Ricans are more likely to settle down with someone carrying a similar mix of African and European genes. For the research, Neil Risch, from the University of California, San Francisco, and his team studied the effects of ancestry on partner choice in Mexicans and Puerto Ricans living in their own countries or in the USA. The subjects came from The Genetics of Asthma in Latino Americans (GALA) study, conducted by Risch’s UCSF colleague, Esteban Gonzalez Burchard. Source &…

• Lincoln's Letter To Boy On Sale

  Jean-Yves BAXTER

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:11 am

  A letter written by former US President Abraham Lincoln to a schoolboy nearly 150 years ago is to go on sale for $60,000 (£36,000) in Philadelphia. George Patten was with his journalist father when both met the commander-in-chief. The 16th US president wrote in 1861 after the eight-year-old was mocked by his disbelieving classmates. The handwritten, signed note confirms the pair met and was sent two weeks after the Lincoln's inauguration. The letter reads: "Whom it may concern, I did see and talk with master George Evans Patten, last May, at Springfield, Illinois. Respectfully, A Lincoln."…

• Trove Of Papers Donated To Holocaust Memorial Center

  Jean-Yves BAXTER

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:18 am

  A photo of the infamous lamp shade thought to have been made from human skin, photos of the bodies of Nazi concentration camp victims and hundreds of pages of documents from the World War II War Crimes Tribunal have a new home, thanks to a Waterford man who donated them to the Holocaust Memorial Center. The center received the trove of artifacts from the Dachau War Crimes Tribunal from Andy Woodiwiss, a grandson of a U.S. Army major who oversaw the World War II war crimes trials. Woodiwiss discovered the artifacts in 1997 while he was cleaning out his grandparents' Lewiston home. Several…

• 
  Granny's Genealogy

• Honoring My Mother

  Granny Pam

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Mother left us for a better place on June 6, 2007. I was fine for a while, and the not fine, and then fine. I rode the roller coaster of life and found joy in daily routine, family and friends, my garden and my genealogical research. A year ago today we buried her ashes at the Great Lakes National Cemetery. In cases where a graveside service is included after a funeral, the death, services and some closure follow each other closely. In this case, more than a year after her death, I had no desire to add another “sad about Mom day” to my calendar. So when S-Dad decided it was time…

• Burdick Family Land Records, Wexford County, Michigan Liber 14 page 617

  Granny Pam

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  This entry is part 14 of 14 in the series Deeds in the FamilyI 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 with each post. Date: 17 April 1884 Liber: 14 Page: 617 Location: Wexford County, MI Grantor: W.m W. Lewis of Wexford County MI Grantee: George W. Burdick & John Fenton of the same place Witnesses: W.P. Smith, J.P. Martin Type of deed: Warranty Rec’d and recording: 2 May 1885 Clerk/registrar: Geo W.

• Burdick Family Land Records, Wexford County, Michigan Liber 14 page 616

  Granny Pam

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  This entry is part 13 of 14 in the series Deeds in the FamilyI 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 with each post. Date: 2 May 1885 Liber: 14 Page: 616 Location: Wexford Co MI Grantor: John P. Fenton & Susie M. Fenton of Colfax Wexford County MI Grantee: Fink C. Burdick of County & State aforesaid Witnesses: Charles L. Palmer, George W. Burdick Type of deed: Quit Claim Rec’d and recording: 2 May…

• Burdick Family Land Records, Wexford County, Michigan Liber 13 page 184

  Granny Pam

  17 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  This entry is part 12 of 14 in the series Deeds in the FamilyI 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 with each post. This is another tax deed Date: 5 May 1882 Liber: 13 Page: 184 Location: Ingham Co MI Grantor: W. Irving Lattimer, Auditor General, Michigan Grantee: George W. Burdick of Colfax, Wexford MI Witnesses: M.M. Brainard, Edith E. Dagne Type of deed: State Land Tax Deed Rec’d and recording: 28 Nov…

• Burdick Family Land Records, Wexford County, Greenwood Township Property

  Granny Pam

  16 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  This entry is part 11 of 14 in the series Deeds in the FamilyI 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 with each post. I have noticed that the next four deeds also refer to the same land as the one recorded in liber 9 page 332. This is another circumstance where an illustration will help me, and maybe it will make it easier for you, too. Recorded in (liber-page) 9-332 9-581 9-582 9-583 9-584 Date signed 4 Feb…

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  iPentimento | Genealogy and History

• Second Marriage Record Might Reveal Original Swedish Surname

  Carol

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:05 pm

  Since I’ve been researching my Swedish family of Moline, I’ve always known that John (Johan) Emil Moline was the son of Lars Petter Molin(e).  But, following some Swedish naming customs,... That's not all, read on!

• Footnote Brings The Vietnam Wall To You

  Carol

  9 Nov 2009 | 10:26 am

  I was a freshman in high school when the Vietnam War was just beginning. My brother was four years older than I, and his classmates were graduating and going off to Vietnam. Our school had a total of... That's not all, read on!

• Was It Rude To Say Hello To Him?

  Carol

  9 Nov 2009 | 10:26 am

  My husband and I attended a wedding yesterday at the local public golf course at Gold Mountain. As we were walking up to the building , we passed three Japanese gentlemen walking towards their cars... That's not all, read on!

• How To Make Your Own Genealogy Site

  Carol

  9 Nov 2009 | 10:26 am

  I know that many times blogs are referred to as sites, but of course they are more transitional than actual websites that remain pretty much static. If you have been considering, or wishing you had... That's not all, read on!

• Hope For Breast Cancer Treatment With Cryo-Cell

  Carol

  9 Nov 2009 | 10:26 am

  In 1939, breast cancer took the life of my great aunt, Elizabeth Yates Johnston at the young age of forty-nine. We’ve come a long way in treating breast cancer in the 70 years since her death,... That's not all, read on!