Adventures in Genealogy

Tombstone Tuesday - Arlington National Cemetery

2012-01-31T04:14:00.000-08:00

Living in Maryland we are fortunate to have easy access to our nation's capital. The monuments, museums, and gardens are truly some of the best in the world.

Being a history buff it is thrilling to envision the power and intrigue stemming from those buildings.

Just across the bridge from the city you will find Arlington National Cemetery. My husband and I always make time to visit this prestigious and moving site.

From John F. Kennedy's eternal flame to the moving display of the Unknown Soldier you are steeped in our country's history.

Here are just a few of the photographs taken.

Memorial Entrance

Memorial Amphitheater

Women's Memorial

Arlington House

On hilltop overlooking city

Old Memorial Amphitheater

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Follow Friday Gems 01-27-12

2012-01-28T04:09:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite photographs taken during a snow storm several years ago.

Just looking at the picture makes me long for the peace and beauty of a quiet winter's day. Especially after reaching the upper 50 degree mark and hearing rumbles of thunder!

Even with the unpredictable weather the geneablogging week was true to form. Many wonderful posts discovered around the blogging world to educate and entertain. Here are just a few that caught my attention.

One of my favorite reads this week was J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth gets a complete genealogy by Alison Flood of the Guardian. How fun to combine one of my favorite authors with family history!

From Genevieve Netz of Prairie Bluestem we have the thought provoking post Discovery by Dowsing.

Jennifer of 'On a flesh and bone foundation' : An Irish History shares Tuesday's Tips: 'Granny was in the IRA' : Turning a story into a history. Here you will find information about early 20th century Irish military history.

Last week I shared the fact that Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist has issued a Family History Writing Challenge. To learn more read Guess Who's Coming to the Party? There is even a red carpet!

Very unconventional urns can be found on the blog My Grave Addiction.

Check out the photograph of a very stylish young woman on The Cabinet Card Gallery. Love that hat!

Lisa Wallen Logsdon of Old Stones Undeciphered shares Walter M. Runyan - He Wasn't Born on Wednesday. Read about this little lad and the affliction that caused him to institutionalized.

Excellent information shared about offline genealogy tools by Cassmob over at Family history across the seas.

Liz Stratton of Attics and Old Lace takes us on a trip to learn about Broadway during the early 1900's.

Speaking of New York, the Two Nerdy History Girls share a 1910 fashionable stroll down Fifth Avenue.

Angela Y. Walton-Raji of The USCT Chronicle tells the story Remembering the Teachers - Who Brought Thousands Out of Darkness. Learn how Mary L. Peake, daughter of a free black woman and an Englishman, dedicated her life to educating former slave children.

Shelley Bishop of A Sense of Family offers excellent tips for first-time Family History Library visitors.

This week Lisa Swanson Ellam of The Faces Of My Family continues her series on the website Find A Grave. Learn the appropriate way to ask for a memorial transfer.

Janet Hovorka of The Chart Chick has announced the release of her book The Chart Chick's Quick Insider Guide To Salt Lake City. The book is chock full of helpful information.

Favorite photograph this week comes courtesy John of Currach with Behind the Stone.

Check out the very interesting read The Great Ohio River Flood of 1937 by Kathy Reed of Family Matters.

Caroline Pointer of For Your Family Story tells us that Google is not the only search option. Helpful information and websites are offered in this informative post.

The National Archives made a new announcement! They invite the public to join their National Archives Transcription Pilot Project. Learn how you can participate in transcribing the Archives historical documents.

Come join the fun at Scanfest this Sunday, January 29th, from 11 AM to 2 PM, Pacific Standard Time! What is Scanfest? Your chance to gather with genealogy friends online to chat while scanning family documents and photos. This is a wonderful opportunity hosted by Miriam over at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors.

The following geneabloggers are celebrating a blogiversary this week. Stop by and offer your best wishes!

Ancestor Soup

A Grave Interest

Hunting Dead People

Jennifer's Genealogy Blog

Karen's Chatt

me and my ancestors

My Tombstone Collection

The Tree of Me

The Turning of Generations

West in New England

Blogs I started following this week:

Brewster/Swanson Family History

Mad About Genealogy : English & General Genealogy News & Links

A Man of Family

Sally Searches

Trippin' Over Roots

Tonight's episode of Geneabloggers Radio will be Slave and Slaveholders Descendants, Collaborating. Do not worry if you miss the show. The episodes are available to enjoy anytime.

Happy Follow Friday!

Wordless Wednesday - Ain't They Sweet?

2012-01-25T03:54:00.000-08:00

Berthold Vollmert and wife, Amelia Darr Vollmert

2nd great-grandparents of son-in-law

October 30, 1928 - Maryland

Have a 1940 Census MVP?

2012-01-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

Francis A. Starr, seated middle front

1899- Littlestown, Pennsylvania

Every genealogists around the globe is looking forward to April 02, 2012. Of course, that is the day the 1940 United States Federal Census will be released.

Each of us has a list of ancestors we hope to discover on the pages of the census. How exciting to find information that will help move along our research. All of us dream of breaking through our most stubborn brick walls.

Who will be the very first person on your list? Have you been marking the days in anticipation of locating that special brick wall relative.

My quest is to find my husband's grandparents, Francis and Mary Ann Starr. The story behind the marriage of these people has lead me on a merry dance.

Beginning this genealogy adventure there were only a few concrete facts known about Francis Starr. Early on my mother-in-law shared bits and pieces of her childhood memories. Most difficult being her father heading out one day never to return.

When researching this line I discovered that Francis was born in Adams County, Pennsylvania. This eventually lead to many surprising facts about the Starr family, in particular my husband's grandfather.

One interesting tidbit being that Francis had a previous marriage and two additional children. That was information my mother-in-law never shared with her son.

After his second marriage Francis began a career as a traveling salesman. For many years my mother-in-law and her parents moved from town to town. The last time I find the family is on the 1920 census residing in Chicago, Illinois.

Not long after Francis ventured out alone in search of work. The plan being once settled he would send for Mary Ann and daughter. For many months they waited to hear word. Unfortunately, they never again heard from Francis. Eventually Mary Ann moved back to Maryland with her young daughter.

For some reason it had become a quest of mine to locate this errant husband.

One night several years ago something exciting occurred. During my research to locate Francis I discovered him on 1930 census residing in Los Angeles, California. Placing this information into my Ancestry database a very interesting leaf appeared.

All the facts on the record matched that of my husband's grandfather. Right away I sent away for the death certificate to gain further information.

Now here is where things get totally confusing! Mary Ann died September 18, 1950, listing her marital status as widowed. Francis died Jun 15, 1964, listing his marital status as divorced.

How can this be? Did Mary Ann assume Francis had died? Did Francis claim to be divorced upon beginning a new life in California?

Did the couple actually divorce, and Mary Ann refused to accept the situation? Did Francis "marry" someone in California without ending his current marriage? Did he eventually divorce this woman?

This my friends is why I am on pins and needles for the 1940 United States Federal Census. On those pages I hope to find Francis and Mary Ann Starr. Where are they residing? What is their marital status?

Each day as April 02, 2012 grows closer, I dream of solving this maddening riddle.

Have a census MVP? What are you hoping to discover?

Follow Friday Gems 01-20-12

2012-01-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

This photograph was taken several years ago after a major snow storm. Thus far winter on the east coast has been extremely mild. Some would think I am a little crazy to be craving the first major snowfall, but just looking at the picture you feel the peace and serenity.

Being snowed in for days is the family researchers ultimate dream. A roaring fire, cup of hot chocolate, and hours to get lost online.

Doing the snow dance!

This week has been filled once again with wonderful stories and helpful tips. Here are just a few to help entertain and educate you today.

Searching for ancestors in Ontario, Canada? Check out the Brant County OGS post Provincial Archives-Maritime Provinces for links to helpful websites.

Check out the interview with WikiTree creator, Chris Whitten by Elizabeth Powell Crowe of Crowe's Nest.

Read how Shelley Bishop of A Sense of Family found a common family name in census records. Great post giving the details of how Shelley found the correct line.

Randall Dickerson of Alabama Free-Ranging Organic Genealogy brings us 5 Habits of Ineffective Genealogists. I will admit to being guilty of number five on the list! Must focus!

Jenna of Desperately Seeking Surnames reminds bloggers to include a seperate surname page on their site.

Over at 'On a flesh and bone foundations': An Irish History discover free online sources for Irish family history and genealogy.

Have inherited books laying around the house? The Family Curator tells a tale of how looking inside a book helped further family research.

Read the lovely tribute Remembering A Man Named King by Angela Y. Walton-Raj of My Ancestor's Name.

Denielle Radcliff Koch of Ancestrally Challenged shares another book review. This week we have the West Virginia Genealogy Sources & Resources by Carol McGinnis.

A great discover this week is the show called "The Family History Show". This series from the United Kingdom describes themselves as "a monthly video podcast or "vodcast" where we showcase the best in genealogy and personal history.

A fun post this week is The Accents in Downton Abbey over at the Dialect Blog.

Diane Rapaport of Archives.com shares helpful tips on Finding Your Massachusetts Ancestors: Genealogy Research From the 17th to 21st Centuries.

Lynn Palermo of The Accidental Genealogists issued a challenge for the month of February. Come along and write your family history in 29 days! I am game! How about you?

Do you use the Find-A-Grave website as a research tool? Lisa Swanson Ellam of The Faces Of My Family shares how to suggest corrections on the site.

One of my friends suggested I check out a Irish based website today. The site called Historic Graves is "a community focused grass roots heritage project which digitally records and publishes historic graveyard surveys and related multimedia stories."

Head over to Sepia Saturday Theme - Hats by Kathy Reed of Family Matters. Wonderful photographs!

Trying to encourage youngsters to get involved their heritage? The Chart Chick by Janet Hovorka shares 6 basic principles of sharing your family history with your children.

Do you know the top 2 free resources for genealogists? Marian Pierre-Louis of Marian's Roots & Rambles explains how important your local library and FamilySearch Centers are for the family researcher.

Interested in learning more about Google Reader? Head over to DearMYRTLE Blog and register for Google Reader Update with DearMYRTLE Evening Session. The webinar will be held Monday, January 30, 2012.

The following geneabloggers are celebrating their blogiversary! Stop by and offer your congratulations.

Ancestral Discoveries

AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors

British & Irish Genealogy

Geneabloggers

It's All Relative

Mam-ma's Southern Family

Marksology

Blogs I started following this week:

Genealogy Puzzles

Genealogy Sisters

Random Genealogy

Roots Seeker

Walking Your Tree ~ Genealogy, from Connecticut to California

Tonight on GeneaBlogger Radio the topic is Go Local: Local History and Genealogy. No worries if you miss the show! You can still catch the archived episode on the website.

Happy Follow Friday!

Poe Toaster Says, "Nevermore"

2012-01-19T03:37:00.000-08:00

Edgar Allan Poe

from "Life and Poems: a new memoir"

by Eugene L. Didier

and introductionary letter by Sarah Helen Whitman

revised edition, published 1878 by W. J. Widdleton, Publisher

This morning Baltimore's "Poe Toaster" failed to appear for the annual tribute to Edgar Allan Poe. Hardy bystanders waited in anticipation for the familiar figure to leave roses and Cognac on the author's graveside.

Each year news media and avid Poe fans camp outside the gates of Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. Each hoping to get a glimpse of the mysterious person, who himself has become a local legend.

This tradition of honoring the poet with gifts began in 1949, and continued until three years ago.

When the "Toaster" first failed to appear everyone realized this might be the end of a major Baltimore event.

With the passing of today's milestone, the Baltimore Poe House and Museum curator believes the "Poe Toaster" has laid down his mantle.

Farewell, mysterious friend! Thank you for all the years of excitement you gave the city of Baltimore.

Excerpt from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

published 1845

"And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still

is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber

door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that

is dreaming,

And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his

shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating

on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!"

Cause of Death - Benzol Poisoning

2012-01-17T03:21:00.000-08:00

Anna M. Palcher LeCompte

born July 18, 1896 - died August 14, 1926

Several weeks ago I wrote about discovering the story of two sisters marrying two brothers. The post, Wedding Wednesday - Sister Wives, garnered quite a bit of interest. I knew the title alone would grab the attention of most readers.

In the post I share how a photograph of the sisters captured my attention immediately. Their lovely hats, demure expressions and quiet dignity fired my imagination.

With additional research the story about one of these sisters came to light. In this article we learn about the tragic death of Anna M. Palcher LeCompte. It goes on to state the cause of death being from benzol poisoning.

Growing up I heard many stories of family and friends contracting diseases from various factories. In fact, I have an ancestor who died from a fatal fall in one of the factories.

Reading this story brings home the dangers workers faced each day.

Baltimore Sun - August 15, 1926

"4 Blood Operations Fail in Benzol Case

Mrs. Anna LeCompte Dies As Result of Inhaling Fumes.

Was Stricken July 20

Coroner Investigating To Determine Can Company's Responsibility.

Four blood transfusions failed to save the life of Mrs. Anna Lecompte, 30 years old, 2404 McElderry street, who died yesterday at the Mercy Hospital from benzol poisoning after she is said to have inhaled the fumes July 20 while working at the Continental Can Company, Bay View Junction.

According to Dr. A. W. Kelly, of the Mercy Hospital staff, Mrs. LeCompte was brought to the hospital in a automobile by other employees of the can company on the day of the poisoning. She apparently did not know she was ill but said she felt a trifle weak, according to Dr. Kelly.

Four Operations Performed.

A few days after entering the institution the first blood transfusion was made. Three more operations were performed, the last five days ago, Dr. Kelly said.

Thursday, the physician added, Mrs. LeCompte lapsed into unconsciousness, from which she never emerged. Benzol poisoning cases are rare, it was explained, and Mrs. LeCompte's death marks the first fatality this year.

Deaths Reported Last Year.

Last year several persons employed by can companies died from benzol poisoning.

Dr. Otto M. Reinhardt, coroner, is investigating the case to determine the responsibility of the can company in the woman's death."

Further reading about benzol poisoning:

Benzol Poisoning, Its Occurrence and Preventions - from Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering, volume 27, published from July 1 to December 31, 1922.

Naphtha and Benzol Poisoning - from Diseases of Occupation and Vocational Hygiene edited by George M Kober, M.D., LL.D and William C. Hanson, M.D., published 1916.

Follow Friday Gems - 01-13-12

2012-01-14T04:10:00.000-08:00

Snowy Maryland - February 2010

As you can see the Follow Friday Gems are a wee bit late this week. Sometimes life has a way of derailing the best of intentions. Might have been a Friday the 13th vibe happening yesterday.

As the old adage states better late than never. Just gives me an extra day of wonderful genealogy discoveries.

New to Twitter? Here's Some Tweeting Twips by Caroline Pointer of For Your Family Story Blog. Plenty of helpful tips and explanations for those of us beginning to tweep!

Amy Craft of Begin with 'Craft' shares information gathered while attending The 1940 Census: A Webinar from the Friends of the National Archive Southeast Region.

Nancy of My Ancestors and Me and other relatives, too shares Once a Miner, Twice a Breaker Boy - Tuesday's Tip. Great information for those with ancestors working in coal mines during the 1800's and early 1900's.

Favorite photograph this week comes from Teresa Wilson Rogers of Forgotten Faces and Long Ago Places. You must check out her post Workday Wednesday - Five Butchers Cleaving?

Ruby Coleman of Genealogy Lines writes about the Kansas Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Not to worry if you aren't researching in the state of Kansas! Ruby advices searching for other maps on the Internet.

From Diane Haddad of Genealogy Insider we learn about the grand opening of the historical mapping site called HistoryGeo.

Over at FamilySearch read Social Networking and Genealogy by James Tanner. Learn about the various ways to connect online with fellow researchers.

January's Genealogy Challenge over at the Olive Tree Genealogy Blog is to write an ancestor tribute. Here is your chance to share the stories about that special ancestor.

Using a Timeline to Visualize Your Data? Ginger R. Smith of Genealogy By Ginger's Blog shares how she has begun to use this genealogy tool in her research.

Check out the interesting photographs taken at Port Royal Cemetery over at My Grave Addiction: an underground travelogue.

Nancy Hendrickson of the Archives shares Civil War Photographs: Where To Find Copyright-Free Images Online.

Who will be the next genealogy idol? Elyse Doerflinger of Elyse's Genealogy Blog explains this first every competition being held at RootsTech. Discover how you can be part of the voting process.

Use Blogger? Carol of Reflections From the Fence shares a great tip with Let the Comments Roll. Learn all about Thread Commenting. Thanks for the great tip, Carol!

Fun read this week from Amy Coffin of The We Tree Genealogy Blog with Rejected Genealogy Conference Proposals.

Moultrie Creek Books features the book "A Viking in the Family and Other Family Tree Tales" by Keith Gregson. Sounds like an interesting read.

This week began the PBS American Experience Wild West series. The series started off featuring Billy the Kid. If you are a history buff this series is not to be missed.

Read the fascinating article The Queen's life in postcards. The FT Weekend Magazine in Great Britain shares a "postcard biography, from birth to Coronation".

The free webinar Cool Tools for Publishing with presenter Lisa Alzo will be held Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 8:00 p.m. central. Head on over and register.

The following geneabloggers are celebrating their blogiversary. Drop in and offer your congratulations.

Blanton Family Roots & Branches

Grave Encounters

Kinexxions

Who Will Tell Their Story?

New blogs discovered this week:

Android Genealogy

Forgotten History

Growing up in Willow Creek

A Nested Family of Robbins

Rooting Around The Beal Family Tree

Last night GeneaBlogger Radio presented Information Overload: Finding the Genealogy Data You Need. You can listen to the archived show at any time!

Happy Follow Friday!

Tombstone Tuesday - Why Share?

2012-01-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

James Pippin - husband's 3rd great grand-uncle

born 1810 - died 09-11-1894

Greensboro Cemetery, Caroline County, Maryland

Three years ago I discovered the Find-A-Grave website. Those first months were spent searching the database for various ancestors. It was surprising how many memorials were already added.

Gradually my detective skills improved to the point I was searching cemeteries far and wide. Luckily, my husband was on board with this new adventure. His role was to drive to the destinations, and on rare occasions walk the graveyards.

One family we documented in those early days was the Pippin line. Doug and I spent many months traveling to the eastern shore of Maryland to locate these headstones.

Once this was accomplished I uploaded the photographs and added family relationships. At that time the main goal was to have a central place for the information. I never thought how my activity could affect another family historian.

That researcher emailed stating she had been searching for information for her husband's Pippin family for years. She had several photographs of headstones but no locations and family connections.

Linda goes on to say she stumbled on the Find-A-Grave site, and discovered the memorials. With the information I added she has been able to find many of her husband's ancestors.

What is the lesson I have taken away from this experience? I could have kept those photographs for my own personal use on Ancestry. By sharing I have helped a fellow genealogist with her research. That makes me very happy!

Also, looks like we have found another of my husband's relatives. Thus far there have been five connections to his family discovered on Find-A-Grave.

Are you sharing?

Motivation Monday - Week 1 Update

2012-01-09T04:14:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post I discussed setting genealogy goals for the new year. The first step to this end was to join a support group formed by Stephanie over at Corn And Cotton: My Family's Story. Each week I hope to have some progress report in each of the categories selected to improve my research.

The most surprising part was the response the original post garnered. Many people stopped by to offer support and give excellent organizational tips. How encouraging for a rookie researcher to be part of a community that readily shares support and guidance.

1. Organize - Last week I purchased several plastic bins and hanging file folders. This is a pretty basic beginning of surnames, repositories, online resources and cemetery information. I hope to create a more detailed method to file my paper data.

Additionally, my son-in-law, Lucas suggested I look into Evernote. Will be investigating in coming weeks.

2. Focus - Several words of wisdom were related on this particular goal. Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana suggested an alarm clock (or smartphone) set in 15 minute increments to help stay on task.

In practice this sounds easy, but there were more times than I can count where I hit "snooze!" This will most certainly take more discipline and commitment to achieve.

3. Conduct oral history interviews - This week I have discovered several websites with helpful tips on conducting interviews.

50 Questions for Family History Interviews - About.com Genealogy
Oral History Interview, Questions and Topics - JewishGen

4.Connect with other researchers - Nothing to report this week.

5. Give back to the community - Saturday I registered for Worldwide Indexing over at the FamilySearch website. It was very easy and a great tutorial is provided. My plan is to spend at least a hour each week on this goal.

6. Prepare to present a workshop at the local public library - There was a great comment about not bitting off more than I could chew. Randall stated "think of it like a body builder's workout; their muscles grow by 'challenging' them to lift all they comfortably can, then go just a little more" What a great analogy!

A wonderful step forward to achieving this goal came from another genealogy friend. I met Jennifer Holik-Urban on Twitter last year. In the mornings we have casual conversations about weather, our families and weekend plans.

Jennifer read about the project and made several suggestions. She even sent helpful information about beginning genealogy presentations. Another great example of the generosity found in this community!

I do have a confession to make this week. I have a new obsession. Thanks to another Twitter friend, Caroline, too much time is being spent on Pinterest.

What is a girl to do? Too many distracting shiny objects on the Interenet!

And so goes week one of the "get myself in gear" genealogy project.

*alarm clock graphic courtesy The Graphics Fairy

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Blogs

2012-01-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

Last week GeneaBloggers announced the new series 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin of The We Tree Genealogy Blog.

Amy gives three objectives to blog about during the coming year.

1. Make others aware of resources utilized for research.
2. Let others know how you use these resources.
3. Give thanks and recognition to those who provide these resources.

This week's challenge it to write about the blog you are most thankful.

Each day I read almost 100 great genealogy blogs. Trying to narrow down to one selection was very difficult. After much thought I have selected two blogs. One started me down this wonderful blogging path. The other is by someone who I have become comfortable enough to call friend.

The first one is GeneaBloggers. Way back when I started this blogging adventure I had the great fortune of stumbling on Thomas MacEntee's website.

As a newbie to the blogging world everything seemed overwhelming and a wee bit scary. In fact my only knowledge came from a short workshop presented by our public library system.

It felt just like coming home with this group of genealogy bloggers! I was welcomed with guidance, information and overall camaraderie.

One of the most helpful features of the site were the daily writing prompts. These helped conquer the initial fear of thinking of interesting subjects each day.

I can't say enough about the amazing support system. From the first blog post I have been part of the family. The wonderful comments and helpful advice have gone a long way to bolster my confidence.

It became habit to read this website every morning with my coffee. Each day I would find news from the genealogy world and upcoming events. These went a long way to advance my knowledge and understanding of this new road I have begun to travel.

The second blog that I am most thankful for would be Marian's Roots and Rambles by Marian Pierre-Louis.

I have followed Marian for about a year. Each day Marian writes timely and thought-provoking posts.

What I admire most about Marian is her attention to details on an array of topics. From uploading GPS coordinates to building genealogy momentum, her posts are informed and educational.

One of my favorite posts from this year was The Top 3 Challenges in Genealogy. As usual Marian writes in detail what factors have come into play affecting the genealogy community.

Finally, I admire Marian's accessibility. She is happy to answer questions and give advice on any given subject.

Thanks to Thomas and Marian for providing support and knowledge each day. Thanks to Amy for this wonderful series.

This will be a very exciting and informative year!

Follow Friday Gems - 01-06-12

2012-01-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I have started 2012 with a new attitude! Time to get organized, connected and give back to the genealogy community.

To that purpose I have joined in with Stephanie of Corn And Cotton: My Family's Story to write genealogy goals. Stephanie and several other genealogy bloggers will be reporting their progress each week in a post called Motivation Monday.

If you need guidance on setting goals check out Genealogy Goals: Steps for Success by Amy Coffin of The We Tree Genealogy Blog.

Come join the fun with this support group.

The past week has been full of entertaining and educational posts. Here are just a few discovered along the way.

Head over to Genea-Musings by Randy Seaver for great pointers on beginning genealogy presentations.

You really must check out the video Modern Women of the 1890s over at the Nerdy History Girls. Enjoy two charming women as they share stories about being a modern woman in the Gay Nineties.

Denise Coughlin of Denise's Genealogy Journey talks about her Android phone and the various apps she has started using. Seems she has fallen in love!

I could not agree more with The Heart of the Community. The Library by Melissa Mannon of ArchivesINFO. Being an employee of the local public library system this post goes straight to my heart!

Great tips from Liz Stratton of Attics and Old Lace in the post Opening Day 5: Archiving Newspaper Clippings.

Make sure to sign up for the newsletter over at Marian's Roots and Rambles.

Jennifer of 'On a flesh and bone foundation': An Irish History shares amazing photographs with Dublin Streetscapes.

Michelle Goodrum of The Turning of Generations discusses holiday greeting cards. Learn Michelle's criteria on deciding which of these to keep and how to archive.

Check out the darling photograph Wordless Wednesday - Baby in Snowsuit by LindaRae of Between the Gate Posts.

Susan Thomas of Climbing the Branches of My Family Tree writes about the history of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lisa of Are You My Cousin? is in need of a little tech advice. Any sage words of wisdom about backing up photographs online?

The Polish Language Blog explains how Epiphany is celebrated in Poland.

Julie Cahill Tarr of GenBlog shares a tip for those who suffer from motion sickness when using microfilm readers.

From the National Archives blog Prologue: Pieces of History we read Unbreakable: Remembering The Code Talkers.

Check out Arlene H. Eakle's Genealogy Blog to discover if your ancestor's death entry was removed from the Social Security Index.

Great news! Over at The DearMYRTLE blog we learn NARA: Genealogy workshop videos are now online.

There are quite a few genealogy bloggers celebrating an anniversary this week. Stop in to offer your congratulations.

Claiming Kin

Easter Family Genealogy Blog

Family Tree Gal

Genealogy Canada

iwiKiwi

Indiana Dillmans

Kathryn's Quest

Leisure Family History

The USCT Chronicle

What's Past is Prolouge: a genealogy blog

Blogs discovered this week:

family lineages and history

The Genealogy Search

The Hunt for John Gannan

Stardust 'n' Roots

Tune in for GeneaBloggers Radio tonight with the episode Genealogy New Year's Resolutions for 2012.

Happy Follow Friday!

Wedding Wednesday - Sister Wives

2012-01-04T04:16:00.000-08:00

circa 1920 in Baltimore, Maryland

Admit it, I got you with that title. Not quite what you are thinking, but keep reading.

I found this photograph fascinating since discovering it on Ancestry. While researching my great-aunt's husband, Henry Andrew Puskar-Gunner, this gem appeared in a member tree.

Thinking there could be a family connection I sent an email. The next day I received a message from the owner of the tree asking how I was related to her family line.

Since then Kim and I have communicated to fill in the missing pieces of our shared heritage. It has been a wonderful experience to discuss culture, customs and share our love of family history.

Recently I asked Kim if she would mind my using the picture for a blog post. She was very gracious and gave her approval. Her exact comment being "As for using the pics, you are more than welcome! Like you said, you never know who will be reading and might reply. I could certainly use all the help I can get with some of these lines!"

Now the story behind this wedding day photograph. Captured in the center are Howard LeCompte and his bride, Josephine Palcher. Seated as witnesses to the marriage are their respective siblings, James LeCompte and Anna Palcher.

Here is the relationship of the people pictured to my line:

Henry Andrew Puskar-Gunner (husband of my great-grand aunt)
Mary A. Puskar-Gunner (sister of Henry)
Frank Emory Palcher (husband of Mary)
Anna and Josephine Palcher (daughters of Mary Puskar-Gunner and Frank Emory Palcher)

What is so interesting is later that year James and Anna were also married! This makes for an interesting family tree. In a sense Josephine and Anna really were sister wives. Two sisters marring two brothers. Would that make their children double cousins? Sure would make the sister-in-law relationship a more friendly one.

Thanks to Kim for her kindness in allowing me to share this photograph. Since that first email we are on the road to friendship and discovery.

Motivation Monday - 2012 Goals

2012-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Most of the day I been reading posts from family researchers outlining their goals for the coming year. They have started me thinking about where I stand in my genealogy quest.

The coming year will be the third for this blog and the fourth for my genealogy adventure. Some of those days we were dealing with my father's illness and eventual death. That event has caused me to take stock of where I stand with this endeavor.

As if on cue one of my favorite genealogy bloggers wrote about setting short-term and long-term goals for 2012. Stephanie of Corn And Cotton: My Family's Story has begun a support group where we can encourage each other down this new path.

With this in mind there are several milestones I would like to reach in the coming year.

1. Organize. I have tried to file away all papers and documents to find them readily. Sometimes I am pretty consistent with this plan, others times I forget even the time of day. This morning I purchased several Tupperware containers and file folders. The plan for January is to develop an easy method to corral data.

2. Focus. I am a little embarrassed to say how easily I become distracted while researching. There are times I am not sure how I end up in the places I find myself at the end of the day. More seasoned family researchers have told me to stay on task. To follow each strand of information until you have exhausted every possible lead. I am not sure how I will accomplish this goal. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

3. Conduct oral history interviews. There are several family members who are the last of their respective lines. With my father's passing it has opened my eyes to the importance of documenting the stories of our lives. This is one goal that I really need to stop spinning my wheels and get in gear. This month I plan to research interview questions and recording equipment.

4. Connect with other researchers. Over the past several years much of my interaction with fellow researchers has been online. It is so comfortable to sit here in my sweats with my hair thrown on top of my head chatting with virtual friends. I have made some pretty amazing connections with people I even would call friends. This year I need to make the effort to attend more genealogy discussion group meetings and join the Harford County Genealogical Society. Guess I will have to change my clothes and comb my hair.

5. Give back to the community. Last year I signed up to transcribe records for the Family History website. I am ashamed to say how little was completed on that front. I need to schedule dedicated time for this project.

6. Prepare to present a workshop at the local public library. Sure hope I have not bitten off more than I can handle with this one! Our library system was selected to take part in the Smithsonian Institution's Journey Stories Exhibition. One of the programs we will be presenting is "Beginning Genealogy". A branch librarian asked if I would lead on of these sessions. Even as I write this there are butterflies banging around my stomach. This will certainly take me out of my comfort zone. This month I plan to start by asking several more knowledgeable genealogy friends for their input.

Well, there is my list. As you can see I have taken an honest assessment. All I can say is I am glad to have the support of my geneablogger friends as I travel into 2012.

Come join the fun!

Discovery at Maryland Law Library

2012-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote about attending my son's ceremony to become a lawyer in the great state of Maryland.

Justin had encouraged me to spend time in the Maryland State Law Library before we headed to the circuit court chambers. I am still walking on air that he realized how important family research has become to my life.

I made several great discoveries in the forty minutes spent browsing the library shelves. The following obituary by far the most significant.

Genealogical Data Taken from Obituares & Marriages in Maryland Newspapers, Queen Anne's County

1898-1999

(I have separated into paragraphs for easier reading)

"CR June 17, 1899 Green, Elizabeth, widow of the late Nathan Green, died at her residence on Tilghman avenue, Centreville, last Sunday night.

She was a native of Delaware and was the daughter of the late Jesse and Hester Montague.

On February 10, 1852 she married the late Nathan Green, who resided near Centreville, having removed to this county about thirty four years ago. She was sixty eight years of age.

The following children survive her: Misses Mary and Louie Green, Mr. Wm. P. Green, Mrs. Joseph Dawson, Mrs. A. M. Keating, Mrs. C. P. Walters, of Centreville, and Mrs. Jacob Ellwanger, of Wilmington, DE. Burial in Centreville cemetery.

CR Aug. 5, 1899 Will of Elizabeth Green. Provisions are as follows: To Charlotte Dawson, wife of Joseph G. Dawson, $100, to Wm. P Green $100, to Fannie O. Ellwanger, wife of Jacob Ellwanger, of Wilmington, DE, $100, to Nattie B. Walters, wife of C.P. Walters, $100, to Lizzie T. Keating, wife of A.M. Keating, $100, to Miss Mary H. Green and Miss S. Louisa Green in equal shares in fee, the lot with the buildings, thereon situated on Tilghman avenue, Centreville."

To begin with the relationship of Elizabeth Montague Green to my husband is a little complicated.

Her father, Jesse, was my husband's 3rd great-grand uncle on his Montague side. Her husband, Nathan, was my husband's 2nd great grand-uncle on the Green family side. All just a wee bit confusing. I guess you could say Elizabeth was a double cousin.

The details provided for Elizabeth have led to many new discoveries for this family line. We have her birth, marriage and death dates. We know where she resided for most of her life. Additionally, we find the names of her children and their respective spouses.

We even have the exact street where she resided during her marriage. As I write this post we are planning a trip to Centreville, Maryland to find Tilgham Avenue.

I am once again reminded of how important it is to connect with others in the community. The Maryland Law Library is a repository I would never have visited if not for joining a genealogy discussion group.

And of course this record being discovered thanks to my son, Justin.

2011 Top 10 Adventures in Genealogy

2011-12-31T16:10:00.000-08:00

This has been a very busy year. I joined a genealogy discussion group, traveled to several new repositories and agreed to lead a library program.

I have met new genealogy friends here on this blog. Some we discovered have family connections.

As I look forward with great anticipation here is a last look back the top 10 posts from 2011. Preparing this list reminds me why I started writing in the first place.

1.) Advent Calendar 2011 - Vintage Christmas Cards

Thomas MacEntee over at Geneabloggers once again hosted the wonderful Advent Calendar series.

As part of these post the most popular was a look at vintage cards discovered preserved in my husband's baby book.

I am forever grateful that my mother-in-law kept this lovely piece of family history.

2.) SNGF - Signs You Have GOCD

This post came had its origins from one of Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings Saturday Night Genealogy Fun posts.

This particular challenge was to compose a list of symptoms of genealogy OCD. This was pure fun! In fact I laughed out loud writing this post. Hubby must have thought I finally went over the cliff. This is one of my own personal all time favorites.

By the way, do you have GOCD?

3.) Revolutionary Rebel in the Family

Discovering that my husband's ancestor was a member of the Sons of Liberty and participated in the Boston Tea Party.

This was the most significant family history find of the year! Impressed my entire family, even the children.

4.) Aunt Kate- The Funeral Crasher

This tale was shared while conducting an oral history interview with my mother. My great-aunt Kate marched to her own drummer and has kept me entertained for years.

5.) "Heritage Pie Chart" Revisited

This post was a follow-up to another Saturday Night Genealogy challenge from Randy Seaver.

I had lots of fun creating various family heritage pie charts. In the first post for this challenge I made pie charts for myself and my husband.

Then inspiration struck and I joined both to create one for our children. Interesting results ensued.

6.) Surprise Connection - Hello, Cousin!

A wonderful occurrence came about when Heather Wilkinson Rojo left an interesting comment on my blog. Heather read the Revolutionary Rebel in the Family post and realized she had a family connection to my husband!

This is a perfect example of how connecting through blogging bears amazing fruit!

7.) One Less Brick in the Wall

Read the details of a wonderful discovery while visiting the local genealogical society. On their shelves was information about my great-great-grandfather, Henry Wakefield. Up until this trip he was my most stubborn brick wall.

8.) When the Lights Go Out

This summer Hurricane Irene unleashed her fury on my hometown. Rained poured and winds howled the entire night. In the morning there were trees tumbled down through my neighborhood.

Early one we realized electricity would not be restored for days. In fact we were without for almost a week.

What is a family historian to do? Get organized!

That is when I discovered many documents filed away years ago. Once unearthed they revealed important family information.

9.) The Moment You Knew

Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist had posed the question "What is Your Story-What Is The Moment You Knew?"

Lynn wanted us to share when we realized family history would become an important part of our lives.

10.) Family Discover on eBay

My husband's grandfather, Christain Wismer Ruth was an evangelist and pastor.

In the course of research I discovered Christian wrote several books throughout his career. Here I share discovering one of these gems on eBay.

What an exciting year was 2011! Now onto 2012 and new adventures in genealogy.

Happy New Year!

Follow Friday Gems - 12-30-11

2011-12-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

Sandy Cove
Northeast, Maryland

Happy Friday! Back after taking a two-week break from the Follow Friday Gems. Needed to regroup and regenerate my batteries. Between the holidays and the curve balls life throws our way need a wee bit of off time.

While writing this post I realized how much I missed my journey around the genealogy world. Each week there are amazing posts to entertain and educate. And without further ado here are just a few discovered this week.

Denielle Radcliff Koch of Ancestrally Challenged will be sharing a series of genealogy book reviews. This week's title is Genealogical Proof Standard: building a solid case by Christine Rose.

Over at Dying for Chocolate we find Ruth Jordan's Busy Lady Fudge. My favorite type of recipe! Easy and yummy! Then from Family Heritage Recipes we have the mouth-watering treat Butterscotch Carmel Pull-Aparts.

Russ Worthington of My Tombstone Collection shares helpful tips on using the Find-A-Grave website with Family Tree University Cemetery Research 101 - Lesson 2 - Find a cemetery.

Must read! Cassmob of Family history across the seas shares great advice for future researchers.

Made any New Year's resolutions? Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy Blog share her 2012 New Year's Genealogy Resolutions.

My husband's newfound cousin Heather Wilkinson Rojo shares The Nutfield Genealogy Top 10 for 2011.

The National Archives shares the interesting tale A Civil War Widow's Story.

Excellent research tip from Leah's Family Tree with Not All Wikipedia Pages Are Created Equal.

Indiana ancestors? The Indiana Genealogical Society Blog announced 3 counties were added to the Indiana Marriage Index.

Sheri Fenley of The Educated Genealogist shares Making Some Family History Where Ever I Go. Sheri tells how to turn a grocery store shopping trip into a wonderful event. Storing this one in my Grammy bag of tricks!

Leland and Patty Meitzler of GenalogyBlog catch us up with New USA Vital Records Data at FamilySearch.org.

Check out the amazing photographs by Carol of Reflections From the Fence in the post THE Trip, Yellowstone National Park, Roosevelt, Snow and One Last Look.

Make sure to read Q&A with Julie Hill of Archives.com about the 1940 U.S. Census by Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings. Chocked full of great information!

Favorite post of the week is from Jacqi of A Family Tapestry. You are sure to enjoy the charming Cat Genealogy And Dog Tags.

Great genealogy webinar opportunity with 10 Ways To Jump Start Your Genealogy in 2012 from the Illinois State Genealogical Society

Thanks to Jennie of They Came To Montana for her Friday Funny...Party Hearty on NYE!

Happy Blogiversary to Documenting the Details! Stop by and offer your congratulations!

Blogs discovered this week:

Ancestral Times

The Family Snoop

Genedocs: Genealogy and Legacy Preservation

The Sum Of All My Research

Unforgotten

The USCT Chronicle

Wishing a wonderful Follow Friday and Happy New Year to everyone!

Another branch on our family tree

2011-12-29T03:01:00.000-08:00

Announcement created by my daughter (Starr)and son-in-law (Lucas)

Yesterday we received the wonderful news that our daughter will be having a little girl next spring!

All day we waited on pins and needles for the announcement. Our phones buzzed all afternoon with text messages inquiring if we had heard from the happy couple.

Finally late in the day Starr and Lucas showed up with sonograms and pink baby shoes!

My son-in-laws family has not had a girl in their line for many generations so you know this is monumental news. I do believe his mother may still be in the clouds!

Hugs and tears ensued as my husband and I congratulated Momma and Poppa Walther. It is hard to believe our little girl is having a baby. It seems like just yesterday she was playing storytime with her dollies.

The conversation soon turned to the fun we are going to have with this new family member. My daughter and her husband live on his parents farm. There was discussion about the adventures in store for her growing up a country girl. Starr talked about little cowgirl boots and planting gardens.

Dear genealogy friends, what I said next should come as no surprise. All at once I had visions of a new family history buddy. Out of my mouth popped "how fun to take her on cemetery expeditions!"

My wonderful son-in-law nodded his head and seemed right on board with this plan. My daughter just shook her head in amazement.

Starr's eyes got even wider as I described the small tool kit my granddaughter would need as we travel the state in search of her ancestors. Finally she said "my daughter will be telling everyone her Grammy talks to dead people!" Really was rather fun.

In all honesty the wheels are turning on ways to indoctrinate this little one. This weekend I plan to scour the Internet in search of family tree coloring pages and age appropriate family history books. Wonder if I can find a pink backpack with a family tree monogram for her supplies?

So, do you think it strange I'm thinking of cemeteries, ancestors and family history trips instead of dolls?

My Son Does Understand!

2011-12-28T04:06:00.000-08:00

Last week my husband and I had the privilege of attending the ceremony for our son to become a lawyer in the great state of Maryland. It was a momentous occasion which I will never forget as long as I live.

Now comes confession time. As we drove to Annapolis thoughts of genealogy swam in my brain. It just so happens the Maryland State Archives is just a stones throw away from the Maryland Court of Appeals building.

In fact as we made our way to the parking lot my husband joked "maybe we should drop Mom over at the Archives for a few hours". Of course I just smiled and changed the topic to Justin's big day.

Walking the few blocks to our destination a strange sense of deja vu struck. Glancing around I was positive at some point I had walked this way.

Approaching the court building I suddenly realized why everything was familiar. Housed in the complex was the Maryland State Law Library.

This past summer our genealogical discussion group took a field trip to visit both the archives and law library. In fact one of my most important discoveries was made during this trip. In the post "Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket" I share finding a marriage announcement for my husband's great-grandparents that day.

My genealogy friends will understand how my pulse jumped upon entering the building and seeing the door to the library standing wide open. I kept saying to myself "now Deb, this is Justin's day stay focused."

After checking in we seated ourselves in the lobby to wait for a call to head up to the court chambers.

Where did we congregate for this time period? Just outside the doors of the library! I was surrounded by newly minted lawyers with families wondering what gems were waiting just steps away from my seat.

Then out of the clear blue my dear son says "Mom, we have about forty-five minutes. Go on in and do a little research".

Up until this point my children have not been interested in their mother's "little hobby". Every so often they may ask a question, but never seemed to think much about my discoveries.

Having my son on such an important occasion understand what family history means to me was amazing. What a proud day!

Thanks to Justin, a practicing lawyer who really does get his Momma!

To answer your question I did head into the library and found several helpful pieces of information. More to come!

Tombstone Tuesday - Frick's Meetinghouse & Burial Ground

2011-12-27T03:09:00.000-08:00

Frick's Meetinghouse & Burial Ground

Montgomery Country, Pennsylvania

History of Frick's Meeting House
from plaque affixed to wall of meetinghouse

Although no deed is on record for this tract of land on which this Meetinghouse stands, the following facts are known:

Jacob Shooter was the first recorded owner (1740) of the farm on which this tract was located. When he sold the farm in 1776, the deed of sale contained the following conditions: "(that) a small plot, between a small gut (gulley) and Beaver Creek, is set aside as a burying ground for the society of Mennonites with the privileges of a road along the line from the west corner of the farm to the burying ground."

The exact date of the burial ground's establishment is uncertain. However it is believed to have been the first Mennonite cemetery in the area, proceeding the opening of burial grounds at Line Lexington Mennonite Meetinghouse (1752) and Plains Meetinghouse, near Lansdale (1760-69).

A group of Mennonites known as "Funkites" who broke off from the larger church as a result of Revolutionary War tensions erected the original house of worship on this tract in 1812 or 1813. The brick Meetinghouse was located on the hill at the lower end of the burial ground. Peter Frick donated the ground on the southwest side of the cemetery for the establishment of the present-day Meetinghouse. The original building was razed in 1882 and the new one was constructed in that same year. Additional land to the south of the drive was purchased by Raymond and Sallie Rosenberger in 1958 and conveyed to the Trustees. An additional 12 acres to the north of the drive was added in 1977.

A Board of Trustees to oversee the Frick Meetinghouse property has been maintained throughout the years. Trustees Bishop Henry H. Rosenberger of the Brethern in Christ Church, and Daniel Rosenberger of Hatfield, a Mennonite, were trustees instrumental in the construction of the present-day Meetinghouse.

William F. Rosenberger, a Mennonite farmer and founder of Rosenberger's Dairies in Hatfield Township, deserves special mention for his untiring efforts to maintain the Meetinghouse during years when there was little interest or financial support.

Members of the Rosenberger Family continue to oversee the upkeep of this historic property. The Trustees hold an annual meeting on the third Sunday of each September.

Your assistance in caring for this property as you enjoy the peace of this quiet environment is both solicited and appreciated.

Abraham Allebach

born circa 1746

died Oct. 1794

(4th great-grandfather of husband)

In
Memory of
Susannah
wife of David Ruth
who departed this life
April 10th 1866
Aged 83 years
10 months and 28 days
(3rd great-grandmother of husband
daughter of Abraham Allebach)

Follow That Lead!

2011-12-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

photograph from Find-A-Grave with the permission of Bud Gross

Henry B. Wismer - 2nd cousin 2x removed of husband

Several weeks ago I wrote about our new genealogy angel Bud Gross. Bud has allowed our family unlimited access to information on the Find-A-Grave website.

For many years I have been trying to unravel the mystery of this particular Henry Wismer. With the number of Henry's in the line it seemed almost impossible. Until now! Browsing the collection I found the correct headstone for Henry B. Wismer

Having the birth and death dates has led us to Henry's Civil War records. We discovered him serving with the 50th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry.

With research I found websites PA Roots: 50th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers and Civil War in the East: 50th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment detailing unit history. These sites give the movements from enlistment in Harrisburg to mustering out near Georgetown.

We now know my husband's ancestor was part of the battles at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Spottsylvania and Petersburg.

Also, mentioned is a monument dedicated September 17, 1904 to the regiment. The statue is located in the Antietam National Battlefield.

Our family has visited Antietam for many years. We may very well have taken photographs of the monument not realizing it represented an ancestor's service during the Civil War!

This is my favorite part of genealogy. Discovering the bits of information that lead you to exciting family history.

Proud day in our Family!

2011-12-15T02:19:00.000-08:00

Today is a red-letter day for our family!

My husband and I have the honor of attending our son's bar admissions ceremony at the state capitol this morning. This afternoon Justin will officially be a lawyer!

Hard to believe not long ago he was this sweet little guy dancing on tip toes.

Congratulations to Justin and his wife, Nicole on this wonderful milestone.

Asking Permission Leads to Connection

2011-12-13T04:08:00.000-08:00

photograph from Find-A-Grave with the permission of Bud Gross

Mary A. Wismer - wife of 2nd cousin 2 x removed of husband

In a earlier post I shared connecting with a distant cousin on the Find-A-Grave website. This all occurred by the simple act of sending an email to ask about possible relationship.

Last week I again communicated with two researchers from the site. One being Bud Gross, who turns out is another distant cousin of my husband. Bud uploaded over four thousand memorials and obituaries to the site. Many of these are my husband's ancestors.

Upon asking if our family could use the photographs Bud responded "please feel free to use any info posted by me on findagrave".

Even more exciting is the fact Bud sent a link for his RootsWeb family tree! I have been busily gathering information and searching for his exact relationship to our family.

At the end of his message Bud thanked me for asking permission and giving him credit for the photographs. I believe this common courtesy created the present comfortable working relationship.

Years ago when I began this genealogy adventure an instructor imparted very sage advice. She reminded us to always ask permission before using the work of another researcher.

Not only will this prevent possible legal issues, but also create good "street cred" with the genealogy community at large.

Thank you, Bud. Another genealogy angel.

Advent Calendar 2011 - Charitable/Volunteer Work

2011-12-12T02:52:00.000-08:00

Over the years our family has been involved in several charitable activities. We have worked in soup kitchens, volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House and donated to food banks.

At my place of employment the staff has always given back to the community during the holidays. I have had the privileged to organizie several of these projects over the years.

One of the main events would be the holiday Adopt-A-Family program. We contact parents to acquire a list for each child. Then several of my co-workers and I go shopping for toys and clothing.

Also, we purchase a gift card for their local grocery store. This will ensure the family has a lovely dinner for the holiday table.

I am humbled by the generosity of these wonderful people! They make the entire event one of joyous giving.

Several years ago the county homeless shelter moved next door to our offices. Right away the worker bees in my office organized the gathering of supplies and food.

Once the holidays arrived everyone put on their thinking caps to come up with a new idea to help our neighbors.

Knowing our county is full of wonderful crafting people we sent out word for handmade scarves and hats. Before you knew it we received boxes upon boxes of knitted and crochet items!

It took our staff the entire afternoon to match up scarves with hats and place them in gift bags.

The program director was truly overwhelmed when seeing the response from our community. For many of us participating in the project seeing her face was the most precious gift!

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Advent Calendar 2011 - Other Traditions

2011-12-11T03:33:00.000-08:00

Today's prompt for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories is all about other traditions. Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers asks "did your family or friends also celebrate other traditions during the holidays such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Did your immigrant ancestors have holiday traditions from their native country which they retained or perhaps abandoned?"

As I prepared for this post nothing appropriate came to mind. Our family celebrated Christmas in a very Americanized fashion. The only possible native element would be the krusciki cookies our neighboor baked.

Then I thought about the family tradition my husband and I began with our children. When they were old enough to ask the pressing question of how many days until Christmas we came up with a strategy.

Once Thanksgiving dinner was over out came the glue and construction paper. Each child picked their favorite color to create rings for our Advent Christmas chain.

The last ring on the chain was always bright golden. When our daughter was older she added little decorations to this most special circle on the chain.

On December 1st the chain would be hung from a candlestick on the mantle.

Each evening after dinner a ring would be removed from the chain signaling another day closer to Christmas. This way if any of the children wanted to know how many days until Christmas they counted the remaining links.

Once everyone arose Christmas morning the last ring was removed from the mantle. Each year we rotated which child had the honor of removing the golden chain.This easy and inexpensive tradition became one of our children's favorite memories.

In fact when our son was serving in United States Marine Corps we sent him construction paper. Justin made green strips and mailed them home. Arriving several weeks before Christmas he resumed taking his rings off the chain.

Maybe this is how traditons begin. A child asks a question and the adult creates a magical way to satisfy their curiosity. I certainly hope our children carry on this Ruth family tradition.

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Follow Friday Gems - 12-09-11

2011-12-09T06:14:00.000-08:00

Winter along the inlet in Maryland

This has been a busy blogging week. Several new "cousins" have responded to posts and a blogging friend located a family recipe. Both excellent examples of why blogging is an excellent tool for the family researcher.

Using "Facebook Disconnect"? Then head over to 1 Ancestry 2 Little Time for a great tip in Tech Tuesday - Google Chrome and Facebook.

Jennifer Shoer of The Scrappy Genealogist gives her Final Verdict - Nook, Fire or Streak.

Stephanie of Corn and Cotton: My Family's Story shares several articles she has written for the Columbus Genealogy Examiner. In her post Don't miss these articles you will find free genealogy resources, local and national genealogy events and tips on creating a heritage cookbook.

Denise Spurlock of Denise's Life in the Past Lane shares her yummy recipe for Cranberry Hootycreeks.

Over at GeneaPress read a new group dedicated to saving our archived newspapers publishes new website.

Great read! Over at Daddy Knows Best there is a Red Alert: Guest Post from the Mommy In Law!

The Ligdon Kids are adorable! You can find them over at Genealogy Frame of Mind by Karen Ansley Krugman.

Kathleen Brandt of a3Genealogy gives us tips and tricks on finding tombstone clues.What did you miss?

Heard about Historypin? For all the details about this great genealogy tool check out Pinning History to the World by Ruby Coleman of Genealogy Lines.

John D. Reid of Anglo-Celtic Connections share a great tip with Use Ctrl-F to making finding easy.

Over at Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal you will find Photo Monument Rewind 12/8/11 by Gale Wall. Learn more about those lovely ceramic photographs that adorn headstones.

Two great reads from Marian Pierre-Louis of Marian's Roots & Rambles. Marian shares great advice in Getting Local With Research and Getting Local Before You Make the Trip.

Gena Philibert Ortega of Gena's Genealogy shares Women's Research Resource: Women's Veterans.

On of the most emotionally charged posts I have ever read would be Incarcerated in Kilmainham Goal: A little girl with a familiar name by J. Geraghty-Gorman of 'On a flesh and bone foundation': An Irish History.

On the Polish Blog you will discover the tradition called breaking of the opłatek.

Angela Y. Walton-Raj of My Ancestor's Name shares her Monday Mapping Exercise: Finding African American History on Maps.

This week we commemorated the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The National Archives blog Prologue: Pieces of History shared Records from the Day of Infamy.

The 'Genealogists for Families" project invites us to meet their team. Up this week team member Jennifer Jones.

Planning a trip to the genealogy mecca in Utah? Becky Wiseman of Kinexxions gives great pointers in You Don't have to Break the Bank to Stay in Salt Lake City.

Check out The Family History Blog to Book Project by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.

Over at Mysteries and Conundrums you will find part one in a series of three "documenting Civil War graffiti at Aquia Church in Stafford County, Virginia".

Michael John Neill of Genealogy Tip of the Day tells us to Connect With Non-Relatives from Same Area.

James Tanner of Genealogy's Star gives the details about the new blog from U.S. Office of Copyright and the Library of Congress called Copyright Matters: Digitization and Public Access.

The Two Nerdy History Girls give a history lesson with Friday Video: O Christmas Tree, Horrible Histories-Style.

Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy Blog shares 5 Steps to a Quick & Easy Genealogy Christmas Gift.

Need gift ideas for the youngsters in your life? Find great book advice on the post What to Give the Kids on Your List over at Omnivoracious.

Come join The FootnoteMaven's Christmas Tradition of Blog Caroling!

Love this! Grandma and the Family Tree from Renee Zamora of Renee's Genealogy Blog.

The following geneablogger is celebrating a blogiversary. Stop by to offer your congratulations.

Coffey Cousins

New blogs discovered this week:

Explorations in Connecticut Genealogy

Flaherty Findings

It's A Great Day for Genealogy!

Kritters Ramblings

'Village Life in Kreis Saarburg, Germany'

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce To You...Wendy Mathias by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Tonight's episode of GeneaBloggers Radio will be Genealogy Gift Guide.

Happy Follow Friday!

Advent Calendar 2011 - Christmas Cookies

2011-12-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

When I was a child my mother made a cookie called Chocolate Walnut Balls. During the 1960's you could find this recipe on the Hershey Cocoa can. These yummy treats were by far a family favorite.

I still remember walking into the house to the wonderful aroma of chocolate. In the kitchen you would find Dad waiting impatiently for the first batch to come out of the oven. Many times snatching a cookie off the tray before they had time to cool.

Sadly the recipe did not survive for future generations. My sisters and I have search the Internet for years trying to reclaim this childhood memory.

We corresponded with the Hershey Company to ask if the recipe was in their archives. To date we have not heard back from their representative. Anyone with this recipe would we love to hear from you!

Another memory surrounding cookies would be these lovely gingerbread houses. Our son was in the second grade and his teacher thought they would be a lovely surprise for parents.

Arriving to the holiday open house we discovered each child standing next to their creation with a huge smile on their face. No matter if they were perfect or lopsided all the parents exclaimed they were masterpieces!

Recently I have started participating in cookie exchanges. This has been a great way to experience new recipes. Here are several sites with recipes and ideas for your own event.

Cookie-Exchange.com

Christmas Cookie Recipes From Around the World by Cookies.com

Our Krazy Kitchen

What's Cooking America - Christmas Cookie Recipes

Happy baking!

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Advent Calendar 2011 - Holiday Parties

2011-12-07T02:27:00.000-08:00

At my workplace we have a dedicated group who volunteers to organize events year round. The most anticipated being our annual Christmas party. Everyone comes together to create a festive mood with food and decorations.

I have the great fortune to work with some of the best cooks and bakers bar none! The entire building permeates with wonderful aromas throughout the day.

The decorating elves transform our meeting room into a winter wonderland filled with snowflakes and candy canes. Setting the scene for a visit from old St. Nick himself!

Once Santa arrives hilarity ensues with a fun gift exchange game called Instead of doing the traditional gift exchange we have fun plaing the Santa Right/Left Game.

Everyone gathers in a circle as the poem is read . Whenever Santa says left or right you pass the gift in that direction. The hilarity sometimes come from the fact the games goes so fast and some of us (okay mostly yours truly) get their left and right confused.

As the last Mr. Right is read everyone opens their gift to discover their new treasure. Do believe everyone enjoys the game! Even those who don't participate love watching the fun.

I'm very fortunate to have such a wonderful work family. Think about the amount of time you spend with your co-workers sharing lifes many ups and downs. Is it any wonder they play a prominent role in your memories?

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Advent Calendar 2011 - Santa Claus

2011-12-06T03:01:00.000-08:00

In the 1970's my Aunt Dorothy made this ceramic Santa for my family. She loved crafting and created many holiday treasures over the years. Sadly Mrs. Claus met a tragic end one holiday season.

Browsing photographs for this post I noticed how often Santa appeared in the background. Sort of like a game of "Where In the World is Santa?" In the pictures you will find him hidden among presents, paper and the Christmas tree.

What a wonderful feeling to discover a piece of family tradition together with our treasured photographs.

Starr (daughter), 1989 Santa thinks she is just so adorable with her curls and reindeer dress!

2000, Santa hiding to the left, behind the box.

1990, Santa looks upset they didn't ask him to play the game.

1991, Santa patiently waiting to play Legos.

1995, Santa is checking out how stylin' Jared looks!

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Advent Calendar 2011 - Outdoor Lights

2011-12-05T03:49:00.000-08:00

Daughter and I walking along the path at Zoolights - 1995

My favorite outdoor decorations have always been the simple white lights with red bow. Guess you could say I am a bit old-fashioned when it comes to Christmas. Must be the old-time holiday movies I watched as a child.

When our children were younger we would set aside a special evening to drive out in search of the most amazing Christmas decoration displays. Everyone would rush home, eat dinner, bundle up and pile into the car. There were several areas of town where you knew you were in for a real treat.

Years ago The Baltimore Zoo created an event called Zoolights. They would decorate part of the zoo with multi-colored lights and displays. The polar bears would be in their element entertaining the crowds with their antics.

Santa Claus could be found hanging out in his workshop ready for a visit and photograph. Over in the barn you would find storytime and hot chocolate.

Our daughter's favorite part of the evening was seeing the lights and drinking hot chocolate. To this day we tease her that more chocolate ended up on her glove then in the tummy.

My favorite place to view lights in Baltimore would be 34th Street in the neighborhood of Hamden. Many years ago they earned the title "Miracle on 34th Street". The residents decorate with different styles such as trains, cartoon characters, artwork and even a hubcap tree.

Hon, if you ever get the chance to visit Baltimore during the Christmas holidays make sure to visit this wonderful, wacky, and fun street.

Check out this HGTV YouTube video describing the magical display.

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Advent Calendar 2011 - Vintage Christmas Cards

2011-12-04T05:07:00.000-08:00

Come walk down memory lane. Remember how excited you were to receive a Christmas card in the mail? What about the stash received during a school party? Did you display them around the house so everyone could see your treasures?

I have amassed many greeting cards over the years. Tucked away in a Tupperware container are Christmas, birthday and Mother's Day greetings from various friends and family. So you can imagine discovering this collection of cards was one of those rare treats.

They were discovered in a steamer trunk stored in the attic. Tucked away are items my husband's mother preserved for future generations. This collection of Christmas cards was inside his baby book. Doug was surprised and touched upon seeing such priceless mementos from his childhood.

The cards shown here are my personal favorites. The first two from my husband's aunt and parents are the most sentimental. The last two from his sister and a classmate were printed by early greeting card companies that no longer exist.

Thanks to my mother-in-law for preserving such a lovely part of my husband's life.

Card was from husband's Aunt Emma Naomi Ruth Shellabear dated Christmas, 1948

Card from husband's parents dated Christmas, 1950

Card to husband from his sister, Debbie dated Christmas, 1954
A Gibson Card.

In 1850 George Gibson, a Scottish engraver and printer, emigrated with his family to the United States. The company eventually diversified to print items for retail stores, such as stationery and Civil War prints, and in the 1880s it became a pioneer in the printing of Christmas cards.

Card husband received from classmate, dated Christmas 1955, Norcross Greeting Card Company

While researching the cards I found several sites on the history Christmas cards that were interesting:

Emotions Cards - Christmas Gallery

The Great Idea Finder - Did you ever wonder who sent the first Christmas Card?

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Advent Calendar 2011 - Christmas Tree Ornaments

2011-12-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

Ornaments inherited from mother-in-law

Our family tree has always been very eclectic. Adorned with ornaments both old and new.

Twenty-five years ago we inherited my mother-in-law's collection of vintage ornaments. Some are well over 50 years old and very fragile. Many have been passed down for several generations.

When the children were small these stayed in the attic wrapped for safe keeping. During those years our tree was filled with unbreakable ornaments and extra lights to create a more festive feeling.

Ornaments created by our children

As the children grew older they added their own creations to the tree. Popsicle snowmen made in Boy Scouts and felt parrots assembled during a class party.

Each year these make their appearance on the family tree. Now grown, each of our children searches for their special ornament when visiting.

Once the holiday is over these treasures are wrapped just as carefully as the glass heirlooms.

Granddaughter's first Christmas ornament from Grammy & Grandpop

Several years ago we had the pleasure of purchasing our granddaughter's "1st Christmas" ornament. My husband and I searched high and low to find her milestone treasure. This photograph of Ashlyn reaching out with chubby hands is one of my favorites.

While writing I realized there are four generations of ornaments featured in this post. Beginning with my husband's grandmother and ending with our grandchild. In their own way each a special part of our family's heritage.

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

Advent Calendar 2011 - Holiday Food: Chrusciki

2011-12-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

Thinking about what food tradition to discuss a childhood memory came to mind.

One of my mother's dear friends was of Polish ancestry. Mrs. Betty introduced us to various types of interesting dishes and treats including chrusciki.

I must admit it took several years to learn how to pronounce this correctly, but that never stopped us from asking when she would be making another batch.

Several weeks before Christmas she would start the routine of gathering ingredients in preparation for days of marathon baking. Everyone in the neighborhood would wait with great anticipation for their very own batch.

One of my fondest memories was when Mrs. Betty invited me into the kitchen to help. There were gales of laughter especially after powder sugar hand prints covered every surface.

Follow this site for detailed information about chrusciki along with a recipe. This particular recipe calls for vodka or whiskey.

I would think Mrs. Betty left that ingredient out of her treats. Or perhaps those were the "adult" batch delivered to our parents after Christmas.

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Follow Friday Gems - 12-02-11

2011-12-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe 2011 will be ending in a few short weeks! It has been a very productive genealogy year. For this I am extremely thankful. Great discoveries and wonderful new friends.

Several years ago I attended a women's conference with close friends. During the event a "historical" nor'easter came up the bay. Out of this experience came some of the most lovely photographs I have taken. Each week on the gems I will share on of these treasures.

On to the wonderful posts that educated and entertained this past week.

Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family shares My Blog is Decked Out for Christmas! Great links to help make your site festive.

Must read! Each day In 'Tis the Season - The Christmas Gift Kathy Reed of Family Matters will be posting excerpts from letters written by her brother. Come follow along as Tom reflects on the meaning of Christmas.

Sean Bentley of Eff-Stop Local: Small-Radius Travel shares photographs of the Jimi Hendrix grave. Any flower children out there?

Conducting Virginia research? Then listen to the blogtalkradio presentation by Natonne E. Kemp, family historian, researcher and writer.

Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy Blog has a fun December Genealogy Challenge! Lorine suggests we bring back a family tradition.

Ancestry announced they will be making WWII records free starting today until December 07, 2011.

Having trouble picking out gifts for the genealogists in the family? Your Story Coach blog shares 10 Gift Ideas that Celebrate Family History. Great link to send family members for gift ideas for yourself!

Heather Wilkinson Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy shares a family treasure with My Dad's College Paper on the Underground Railroad in Massachusetts.

Over at Relatively Curious About Genealogy you will find the informative post What do not-so-local genealogical societies have to offer? PLENTY?

Favorite photograph comes from Stephanie of Corn And Cotton: My Family's Story. Check out Wordless Wednesday: The Bullingtons. Even with everyone looking so somber you have to smile. The bows steal the show!

J. Geraghty-Gorman of 'On a flesh and bone foundation': An Irish History has the haungting post The Famine Memorial, Custom House Quay, Dublin, Ireland.

Come share your holiday memories over at GeneaBloggers Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2011.

Read the sweet tale The Un-Decorator Is Here by the Collectin Texas Gal. We all have had one of these little critters in our house at one time!

I love cabinet cards! A goal in the new year is to start my very own collection. Favorite one discovered this week would be Cabinet Card: Carl Th. Meyer, Wien over at Currach. What do you think the little boy standing in the front is thinking?

Valerie Craft of Begin with 'Craft' tells us Why You Read Back of a Tombstone.

Have a favorite cookie recipe? Then check out Family Recipe Friday - Online Cookie Exchange from Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogists.

Michele Goodrum of The Turning of Generations shares Using Indirect Evidence to Identify a Photo-Summary.

Savannah of The Lady Bloggers Society give great tips about How to Balance "Blogging" and the "Holidays".

Love chocolate? Then check out Chocolate Mousse Round-up & Vintage Recipe by Janet Randolph of Dying for Chocolate.

Do you have or thinking of purchasing the Android Tablet? Head over to Documenting the Details by Linda McCauley for Testing My Android Tablet - Part 1.

Thanks to Jennie of They Came To Montana for her Friday Funny ....working off those holiday pounds.

The following geneabloggers are celebrating a blogiversary! Stop in and offer your congratulations.

ABT UNK

California Genealogy Society & Library

Family Folklore Blog

Genealogy Dragnet

The Historian's Family

Starting following this week:

Breaking Down Brick Walls

Lessons From My Ancestors

Origin Hunters

Penrose Mornings: Blood Family Blog

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce To You...Sue Well by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Tonight's episode of GeneaBloggers Radio will be Capturing Family Memories -All Year Round.

Happy Follow Friday!

Advent Calendar 2011 - The Christmas Tree

2011-12-01T03:49:00.000-08:00

As a child our family always decorated with live Christmas trees. These were not set up and decorated until Christmas Eve.

Each year Dad would head out to find the perfect tree. My siblings and I would stand by the window waiting for him to arrive like Santa with the tree slung over his shoulder.

Our parents then would place the tree in a corner and send us children off to bed. Little did we realize they would spend the rest of the evening decorating, wrapping and constructing toys.

As a small child I was certain Santa came to our home and decorated the tree along with bringing presents. How exciting it was Christmas morning when we got the first glimpse of a fully decorated tree. Even now as an adult I can close my eyes and remember that magical moment.

The concept of waiting close to Christmas to decorate is so foreign today. We hear carols and see decorations well before Halloween. Sure do miss those days of anticipation and wonderment.

As an adult there are many cherished memories surrounding the Christmas tree. One being the year we packed the children up and headed to a tree farm. How excited they were to select and cut down a tree.

By far the most memorable was the "Charlie Brown" tree. That year our son was away in the United States Marines Corps. We decided to waited for his arrival home to pick out a tree. This meant the hunt would not begin until Christmas Eve. Sound familiar?

All I can say is things are very different from the days my father was out on his tree hunt.

Out they went searching far and wide coming home with the saddest tree you have ever seen. Bare in the back, listing to the side, and needles everywhere. We used only half of our decorations so the tree would not topple over in the night.

Funny thing was, this was one of the most beautiful trees I remember.

Happy hunting!

[Note: This is an updated edition of the post which originally ran during the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories]

This post is a part of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories meme. Come share your Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Wordless Wednesday - Home on the Range

2011-11-30T03:39:00.000-08:00

Antelope and scenery from Texas

click on images to enlarge for better viewing

Tuesday's Tip - Begin at the Beginning

2011-11-29T04:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday I spent the entire day trying to untangle the web that is my husband's Mennonite ancestry.

That is when I realized starting from the beginning was necessary to understand more fully the information being presented.

The mistake was concentrating on connecting family members without understanding the basics about the Mennonite people and their beliefs. Back to the Google drawing board to find resources about this faith and it's people.

The first website discovered was Mennonite Church USA and their link Who Are the Mennonites? The site answers basic questions and provides a short video.

Most importantly there is a glossary to terms found throughout Mennonite genealogy. These have been extremely helpful in deciphering relationships and church affiliation.

The lesson learned is when researching a specific area, religion, or government you are unfamiliar with begin at the beginning. I wasted most of the day trying to connect dots and ending up with a huge headache.

For those with Mennonite heritage here are additional sites.

Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society

Mennonite Church USA

Mennonite Church Canada - Genealogy & Historical Research Links

Mennonite Church USA Archives' photostream - flickr

Aunt Kate - The Funeral Crasher

2011-11-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

It all began with this photograph of my mother's ancestors.

The picture was in my brother's possession for many years. As I have become the keeper of family history he gifted it to me last year. Spending time with the photograph several interesting features captured my attention.

The little boy standing in the middle (great-uncle William) reminds me of Little Lord Fauntleroy. Looking closer he does not seem thrilled about the entire process! Might be those ruffles making him less than happy with his attire.

The second thing I found curious was the young woman wearing light attire. Everyone else is wearing dark clothing and look rather somber.

Mom identified the woman as her aunt Kate and stated she marched to her own drummer. As the conversation progressed just how "interesting" aunt Kate was during her lifetime became clear.

This all came to light while chatting with Mom about her early memories in Baltimore City, Maryland.

One story that always makes me a wee bit uncomfortable is how Mom's relatives were laid out in the front parlor when they passed away. The family placed a black wreath on the front door to let everyone know they were grieving a loved one.

Shortly afterwards family and friends would gather for the wake. Everyone would come bearing food and sympathy. Many times offering to help with the younger children of the house.

Tell the truth when I was younger the parlor of my grandmother's house was not a favorite!

As we talked about this custom Mom remembered the story of her aunt Kate. At first I was certain I misunderstood the information being presented. Asking Mom to repeat what she just shared I realized that my great-aunt Kate was a funeral crasher!

Seems whenever Kate saw a black wreath she proceeded home and changed into her best funeral attire. Off she would go to pay her respects and visit with the family of the deceased. Only problem, many times she did not know the parties involved!

Now you see why I had to ask Mom to repeat this story. After I gained my composure I asked why Kate would engage in this type of behavior. Did she show up for the food, was she trying to discover interesting gossip, or was she lonely.

The answer to all these questions was a resounding NO! Seems my sweet great-aunt loved to comfort people in their time of need. Even if they were strangers she would offer condolences and support.

Listening to my mother tell the story made me realize how important it is to capture every memory. Making time to sit with her asking questions has uncovered many interesting stories.

Whether Kate was eccentric or kind-hearted this tale makes me smile. Don't we love finding these gems in our family tree?

Follow Friday Gems - 11-25-11

2011-11-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

Mirror Image - Autumn in Connecticut

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. No out shopping today for this girl! Rather spend the day nestled comfy on the computer with my genealogy research.

Here are just a few of the wonderful discoveries this week to educate and entertain.

The holiday craft season has begun in earnest! Check out The Graphics Fairy and Vintage Catnip for free clip art for your projects.

Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family treats us to Leftover Ancestors - 2011 Edition.

Speaking holidays, come blog your holiday memories with Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories hosted by GeneaBloggers.

Susan Petersen of Long Lost Relatives shares a very thorough review with Kindle Fire - Not Just for Books.

StoryCorps announces today is the National Day of Listening.

Heather Rojo (my hubby's new-found cousin-in-law) of Nutfield Genealogy shares A Most Memorable Thanksgiving. This is the best story of adaptability in the face of adversity! Proves all you need is a little perseverance and a bottle of Spanish wine.

Barbara Poole over at Life From The Roots asks RootsWeb-Have You Used This Source?

Wonderful recipe for carmel apple pie from Becky of Family Heritage Recipes.

Marian Pierre-Louis over at Marian's Roots & Rambles shares great tips on How To Take Better Gravestone Photos.

Thanks to Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist for providing helpful tips in From Blog to Book - Transforming Your Family History. My ultimate goal is to create a family history book with posts from this blog.

A new blog discovery this past week was Renaissance and Regency Rummage Repository. There I found the Guest Blog - Mike Rendell with a Georgian Treasure Trove. Mike tells a tale of discovery which ultimately lead writing a book.

I love the photograph An Array of Wedding Hats - 1910: Wedding Wednesday by Susan D. of Family History Fun. Don't think I have ever seen that many hats in on picture!

Julie Goucher over at Anglers Rest tells about Joining the 2012 Ebook Challenge. Looks like great fun and there are prizes too!

Over at The Symbolic Past you will find the Interview with John Thomas Grant, author of Final Thoughts by Marian Pierre-Louis.

Writer's block? Check out Tips from the Pros: Kemp, Pauley, and Cordell on How to Wrangle Your Muse by Susan J. Morris of Omnivoracious.

Bill West of West in New England announces The Third Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge Is Here!

Have Canadian roots? Then check out LAC (Library and Archives Canada) has a blog by John D. Reid of Anglo-Celtic Connections.

Elizabeth O'Neal of Little Bytes of Life shares Tuesday's Tip: Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection.

From DearMYRTLE we have SOURCES: Research logs are not proof arguments.

Are you preserving something of yourself? That is what Jasia of Creative Gene asks with Plan to be Remembered, Revisited. Included are great suggestions to create your family history time capsule.

A must read is the article Kids Genealogy: Activity - Write A Story About Your Thanksgiving Traditions by Jennifer Holik-Urban. Great tips to involve the younger generation in family history.

The following geneabloggers are celebrating their blogiversary. Stop by to offer congratulations!

Blood and Frogs

Caro's Family Chronicles

Everything's Relative

Sue's Genblog

Blogs I started following this week:

Call Me-shell

Explorations in Connecticut

Jollett etc.

Lynn's Waffles

Kevin's Irish Research

Retracing the Past

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce To You...Ryan W. Owen by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

GeneaBloggers Radio will be taking a break this week returning Friday, December 2, 2011.

Happy Follow Friday!

Surprise Connection - Hello, Cousin!

2011-11-23T03:26:00.000-08:00

Dr. Comfort Starr & his wife, Elizabeth

Kings Chapel Burying Ground

Boston, Massachusetts

Last week I wrote about my husband, Doug's ancestor James Starr. During the course of research I discovered James was a member of the Sons of Liberty and participated in the Boston Tea Party.

Throughout the week there were many comments offering congratulations on this incredible find. That is one of my favorite things about genealogy. It is incredible to see how excited fellow researchers become about each others good fortune.

The most interesting comment came from fellow geneablogger Heather Wilkinson Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy.

Not long after discovering my husband's New England roots I found Heather's blog on the GeneaBloggers website. From her site I have learned much about the history and customs of the region.

I am grateful when Heather comments on one of my posts as her responses are thoughtful and informative. Reading what she had to say about James Starr literally had my mouth fall open. Seems Heather and my husband have common ancestors!

After calming down somewhat I mapped out the exact relationship.

1. Comfort Starr - b. Jul. 06, 1589 - Eng. - d. Jan. 02, 1659 - Mass.
    wife - Elizabeth - b. 1595 - Eng. - d. Jun. 25, 1658 - Mass.
    (Doug's 9th great-grandparents)

     a. Thomas Starr - b. Dec. 31, 1615 - Eng.- d. Nov. 26 1658 - Mass.
         wife - Rachel Harris - b. 1618 - Mass. - d. 1600 - N.Y.
         (Doug's 8th great-grandparents)

     b. John Starr b. Oct. 25, 1626 - Eng. d. Oct 30, 1711 - Mass.
         wife- Martha Bunker b. Apr. 15, 1627 -Eng. - d. Apr. 1703 - Mass.
         (Doug's 8th great-grand-uncle & great-grand-aunt)

           1.Comfort Starr - b. 1662 - Mass. - d. Jan. 09, 1729 - Mass. -
              (Doug's 1st cousin 9x removed)
              wife- Mary Stone - b. Jan 06, 1664- Mass. - d. Apr. 20, 1735 - Mass.
              (Heather's 1st cousin many x removed)

How fun to discover a favorite genealogist related by marriage to my husband! This is the exact reason to blog your family history. Many times you feel as if nobody out there is reading. Than out of the blue you have a wonderful discovery resulting in a connection.

Hello, cousin-in-law Heather!

Tombstone Tuesday - Green Mount Immigrants

2011-11-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

click on image to enlarge for better viewing

Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore has always been a city of immigrants. Diversity being a large part of her charm from the founding in 1729 to the present.

My ancestors arrived during the late to mid 1880's from Germany, England, Russia, Bohemia and Poland. Many of these relatives are buried in historical cemeteries around the city.

One cemetery being Green Mount Cemetery one of the earliest garden cemeteries in the United States. The cemetery was officially dedicated on July 13, 1839. Many of Baltimore's earliest immigrant are buried within the walls. Many being her first leaders and philanthropists.

Several years ago a co-worker and I took the Green Mount Cemetery guided tour. If you ever get the opportunity, this cemetery is a must visit.

Albert Schumacher

born January 23, 1802

Bremen, Germany

Director of

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad

Thomas Wildey

born 1782

London, England

founder

Independent Order of Odd Fellows

North America

Junius Brutus Booth

born May 01, 1796

London, England

actor

Baron Hartmann-Ernst v'Schlotheim

born September 21, 1884

Anklam, Germany

Baroness Mabel v'Schlotheim nee Clinton-Paine - beloved wife

born August 21, 1882

Baltimore, Maryland

Mappy Monday - Favorite Sites

2011-11-21T03:45:00.000-08:00

courtesy The Graphics Fairy

Over the weekend a Twitter friend found a map listed on the resources tab of this blog. As a result she made a discovery and sent a message of thanks.

I have done several posts about maps since they are one of my favorite tools to understand our ancestors lives and movements. You may already know of their existence, but hopefully the links will be helpful to fellow researchers.

Civil War Trust map page -You will find materials from every battle, several animated maps, and links to other Civil War map sites. I particularly liked the animated maps as I am a visual learner

David Rumsey Map Collection - "The historical map collection has over 22,000 maps and images online. The collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials. Historic maps of the World, Europe, Asia, and Africa are also represented."

Historical Maps of Pennsylvania - Images of the region and state from the 16th to the 21st century. The maps are organized chronologically, with road maps separate, and can be accessed using the links below.

The Library of Congress Map Collection - The collection consists of more than 4.5 million items organized in seven major categories. Those being cities and towns, conservation and environment, discovery and exploration, cultural landscapes, military battles and campaigns, transportation and communication and general maps.

Map History/History of Cartography - Old maps, early maps— non-current maps in general—are the subject of this site with over 6,500 annotated links.

Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Library - The website states their mission is to collect and preserve maps and atlases to promote research and make resources available to the public. The collection consists of 200,000 historical maps and 5,000 atlases. New images are added to the site weekly. Images are searchable by subject, place, date or author.

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - This collection has more than 250,000 maps covering all areas of the world. There are more than 11,000 map images from the collection available online. This online database is one of the resources found on The University of Texas at Austin website

State of Delaware Historic Maps - Historical maps of Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region, ranging from 1688 to the 20 th Century.

United States Digital Map Collection - The site states their goal "to make available to genealogists, useful, readable, high quality maps."

Happy Mappy Monday!

Sentimental Sunday - Are We?

2011-11-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

This morning I was preparing a post for the Sentimental Sunday prompt over at GeneaBloggers. All at once an interesting question popped into my head.

Are family historians more sentimental than the general population? Are we? Am I?

To answer this question we need to find the exact meaning of the word. I proceeded to search Merriam-Webster website and found interesting results.

    a : marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or emotional idealism

    b : resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought <a sentimental attachment > <a sentimental favorite>

Examples:

*He has a sentimental attachment to his old high school

What would you say about traveling hundreds of miles to visit an ancestral home or graveyard? I remember the feeling of instant connection when seeing my great-grandparents home. Also, the sense of comfort when strolling along the path in any cemetery. Does this make me sentimental or slightly crazy?

*She saved her wedding gown for sentimental reasons

Do we really need to talk about saving items of sentimental value? Cabinets, plastic containers, notebooks, bookcases and trunks full of things someone just MIGHT want someday. Taking inventory of our home you would discover most of what I own can be traced to an ancestor. Pack rat or sentimental lady?

*He has sentimental ideas about the past

Guilty! Most of our time as family historians is spent in the past. Meeting and connecting to people who have long since departed this life. Many times we are drawn into their world and may even have a somewhat romanticized view. No doubt many of our ancestors lives were difficult and filled with hardships. Even so, would we not love to time-travel back for one day and spend time walking in their lives? Oops, think I crossed from sentimental to sci-fi wacky!

*I tend to get very sentimental when I think of my childhood

Not necessarily my childhood but that of my parents, grand-parents, great-grand-parents and so forth. I can spend hours reading about the early life of any ancestor. Discovering where they went to school, what occupation they chose and how events shaped their lives. You have to give me a resounding sentimental on this one!

From the answers it looks like I am indeed very sentimental. That is a large part of being the family historian. Without the ingrained desire to preserve memories and heirlooms much of our family history would disappear.

Thank goodness along with being curious and tenacious we are extremely sentimental.

Been a sort of chicken/egg discussion happening. Are family researchers inherently sentimental or do they become so after connecting with an ancestor? What say you?

Thanksgiving Heirloom Turkey

2011-11-19T10:54:00.000-08:00

Since my father passed away last year we have begun a new Thanksgiving tradition. Our children come for brunch then my husband and I travel to Mom's house for dinner.

The change has been a little difficult, but sometimes we must start new traditions. The fact I spend more time with my mother and siblings makes the holiday even more precious.

This morning while unpacking the Thanksgiving tablecloth I discovered a "family treasure" in the bottom of the box. There I found these carefully wrapped ceramic turkey candle holders. And all at once my heart lighten.

Many years ago our son was in the United States Marine Corps. Right before the holidays he was assigned to Okinawa, Japan. This would be the first time he was not home for Thanksgiving.

To keep depression at bay my husband would come up with one outing after another. Even though we needed nothing to decorate the house he insisted we go shopping.

As we negotiated a crowded store Doug suddenly disappeared. Several minutes later he showed up with a huge smile on his face and these turkeys in his hands. Thinking he wanted them for our home I reminded him we had more than enough decorations.

Truth be told I could not understand his excitement. Then he told me he wanted to send them to Justin. Doug thought they would be a fun reminder for our Marine missing his family.

So off I went the next day to mail a care package filled with snacks, magazines and two turkeys.

When Justin called Thanksgiving morning the first words out of his mouth were "thanks for the turkeys!" Seems he and his fellow Marines thought they were a hoot and placed them on their holiday table.

I was in for a big surprise when Justin returned home from service. While unpacking he handed me a box. There he stood with the same smile seen on his father's face years before.

Looking down I found the ceramic turkeys carefully wrapped to survive a journey across the world. I honestly had forgotten about them and never expected to see them again.

When asking Justin why he saved them he replied "they are Ruth family turkeys and must be saved". So that was that!

And that my friends is the story of our ceramic turkey heirloom candle holders.

Follow Friday Gems - 11-18-11

2011-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is less that a week away! The day filled with family, friends and excellent food. I can smell turkey and pumpkin pie!

One thing I am very thankful for this year would be the amazing genealogy community. This adventure would not have been as fun without their help. To all my family history friends thanks for making this a year of discovery.

Here are posts from the week to educate and entertain.

A must read is The Thanksgiving Tree! Melissa Mannon of ArchivesINFO shares the poignant tale of how her family started a new tradition.

Linda McCauley of Documenting the Details explains Why Don't I Love My Tablet? Make sure to read the comments. Great recommendations and discussion.

Amy Craft of Begin with 'Craft' tells us the Friday after Thanksgiving is the National Day of Listening. What a wonderful way to celebrate family!

Want to get the youngsters involved in genealogy? Check out Family History Activities for Children: 3-11 over at FamilySearch.

Favorite photograph of the week comes from Kristin of Finding Eliza. She shares a lovely family picture in Montgomery Alabama Wedding, 1911 - Wordless Wednesday.

Thanks to Tiffany of Family Heritage Recipes for the wonderful gingersnaps recipe. These are my daughter's favorites. Might just show up on our Thanksgiving table.

Paula Stuart-Warren of Paula's Genealogical Eclectica shares the Guide to using Archives. Lots of great information and tips for researchers.

Do you collect postcards? Then you would love the post Tuesdays with Rita: Postcard Collections over at Tattered Past.

Barbara Poole of Life From the Roots shares A Surprising Survey. Head over and leave your comment on this thought-provoking post.

Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist offers 8 Ways to Get Involved in the Online Genealogy Community. The post has wonderful tips and information.

Calling all crafters! Julie Cahill Tarr of GenBlog shares Flip-Pal Simple Gifts Blog Hop- Digital Scrapbook.

This week Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers asked how you would encourage someone to read genealogy blogs. My favorite response comes from Cassmob of Family history across the seas with Open Thread Thursday: the benefits of blog reading and why.

What's up? Caroline Pointer of Family Stories is one busy genealogist! I get tired just reading what she has on her plate.

Read Photo Story: Dad and A Mystery Solved by Cynthia Shenette of Heritage Zen. Learn how a cousin helped solve the mystery after reading her post.

Michael John Neil of Genealogy Tip of the Day reminds to look out for Undocumented Name Change.

Check out The Third Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge by Bill West of West in New England. Deadline is November 20, 2011.

What Will You Do With Your Genealogy Research? Head over to Olive Tree Genealogy Blog to find great pointers.

Fellow genealogy discussion group member Jenny Jones of Raking Through the Leaves gives a wonderful overview with Library Lock-in Comes to Town! Learn about the wonderful event our group lead at the local public library.

Thanks to Jennie of They Came To Montana for providing a little humor! This week we have Friday Funny....your face will freeze that way.

The following geneabloggers are celebrating their blogiversary. Stop by to offer congratulations!

Family Archaeologist

Jen's Genealogy Pages

Kindred Footprints

My Tapley Tree...And Its Branches

Blogs I started following this week:

Discovering Latvian Roots

Family Photo Reunion

A Genealogy Lady

Whippersnapper Genealogy

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce To You...Liz Stratton by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Tonight over at GeneaBloggers Radio join host Thomas MacEntee for Celebrate Your Family in Film.

Happy Follow Friday!

Those Places Thursday - Rocky Mountain Dream

2011-11-17T03:26:00.000-08:00

click on images to enlarge for better viewing

I have always had an extreme fascination with the state of Colorado. There is something about the wide open spaces, amazing landscapes and dramatic weather changes that captured my imagination.

Growing up the ultimate dream was to one day visit the Rocky Mountains. The dream came true not once but twice! I will never forget the first glimpse of those majestic mountains. Here are a few glimpses of that amazing trip.

The Great Divide

Canine friend along Great Divide trail

Snow in July

Headed to Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

Revolutionary Rebel in the Family

2011-11-16T02:42:00.000-08:00

courtesy The Massachusetts Historical Society

Before I began this adventure we had no idea how deep my husband's roots ran in this country. During the course of research it became clear that every line of his family had immigrated to the United State by the mid to late 1600's.

Over the course of researching his family line my husband and I have fallen into a funny pattern. With each new discovery I burst into the room and hubby states in a deadpan voice "why of course my ancestor did..."

It soon became clear our daughter could apply for membership to the Daughters of the American Revolution through no less than four different lines.

Not sure if she would be interested in this particular part of her heritage I brought up the subject one evening. Surprisingly Starr became excited about the entire process and wanted to see where it would lead.

With that in mind I decided to focus my research on the family with the earliest links to the nation. That is when I stumbled upon James Starr, my husband's 3rd cousin 6x removed.

In the course of reading about this ancestor the terms "Sons of Liberty" and "Boston Tea Party" kept appearing in the hit list.

Sites referring to James Starr being a participant in this historic event are Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Boston Tea Party Historical Society and Old South Meeting House.

The most significant piece of information about James soon came to light. The following expert is from the Google Books title The Historic Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773 by Caleb A. Wall, published 1896.

James Starr.

James Starr was a descendant in the sixth generation from Dr. Comfort Starr, one of the first settlers in Dedham in 1635. James was born in New London, Ct., May 2, 1740, being two years older than Hewes and twenty years older than Peter Slater.

He was a cooper by trade, of a strong healthy physical constitution, well qualified to endure hardships. He enlisted at 18 in the army, was in the French and Indian war in 1758, and was at Montreal when it surrendered to the British. After the war he returned to his native town of New London, Ct., went then to Boston, and then settled in Bridgewater.

Inspired by the battle cry of "freedom" as one of the Sons of Liberty, he was one of the party of "Mohawks" who threw over-board the tea in Boston Harbor on the night of Dec. 16, 1773, and loved in after years to tell the story of how, with his cooper's axe, he helped to knock open the tea chests and

tip their contents into the water. At the opening of hostilities with the mother country, he enlisted for the naval service, and was taken prisoner and carried to New York, where he remained eleven months.

At the close of the war he returned to Bridgewater, sold out there in 1802 and went to Jay, Franklin Co., Me., where he remained until his death, Nov. 20, 1830, aged over 90 years.

He was grandfather of the late Wm. A.S. and Rufus L. Smythe of Worcester, their mother being his daughter. Our venerable fellow citizen Wm. E. Starr, now in his 83rd year, is a descendant of Dr. Comfort Starr through another line. A daughter of Wm. A.S. Smythe is wife of A.L.D. Buxton, residing at 50 Cedar street, Worcester.

Sounds like James was quite the rebel! Rather ironic as we have referred to our Starr with this very adjective. We now know where she inherited her spunk and independent attitude. Seems those characteristics appear throughout the Starr family history.

I would like to thank The Massachusetts Historical Society for allowing usage of the broadsheet at the head of the post. Upon emailing the society to ask for permission they quickly replied:

"The Massachusetts Historical Society is always pleased when bloggers are interested in the material made available on our website. Whether you quote the document or use the image available online, we only ask that you link back to the image/text quotation on the MHS web page so that readers of your blog will be able to source the material correctly."

Off I go to follow the trail of James Starr, The Sons of Liberty!

Connecting on Find-A-Grave

2011-11-14T03:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had two Find-A-Grave genealogy research moments.

The first came from an email I sent about attaching a memorial to the correct cemetery. While researching my husband's family in Pennsylvania I came across the orphan record.

Later in the day Chris emailed thanking me for the obituary and cemetery information. I then inquired about her relationship to the family. She replied back they were her husband's Colehouse ancestors. After some back and forth we realized there was a very distant relationship.

The next email exchange lead to discovering a treasure trove of family history.

It all began with an email about my husband's 3rd great-grandmother, Susannah Allebach Ruth.

For sometime I have researched the Ruth family Mennonite roots in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

At several points you may have found me banging my head on the desk in sheer frustration.

The variation in name spellings itself has caused many a hair pulling incident. Then you add the seeming circles of relationships. Which Ruth married into the Cassel family? Am I researching the correct Detweiler line?

Recently I decided to take a break so not become completely burned-out by the twists and turns this family presented.

Then out of the blue came Susan's email message. She supplied Find-A-Grave links to the parents of Susannah Allebach Ruth! The correct Allebach family line!

Susan also has contracted the genealogy bug. She uploads photographs from various family cemeteries in Pennsylvania. Many of which are my husband's ancestors.

I emailed to thank Susan for the information and ask if she was related. She responded with details about her Allebach family line. Without a doubt she is a distant cousin of my husband! Currently I am in the process of determining the exact relationship.

Most importantly we are now traveling the correct Allebach road!

Moral of the story? Communicate! I could have ended my contact with a simple thank you. Reaching out to connect has reaped amazing benefits!

Many thanks to Chris and Susan. True genealogy angels!

Veterans Day - Dad & the Scottish Family

2011-11-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

United States Navy Memorial

Today we celebrate Veterans Day.

My father served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.

We have very few stories of this period in Dad's life as he rarely talked about the time-frame.

The reason might have been that he was extremely young when enlisting, barely eighteen years old.

Dad never shared stories of battles, hardships and the danger he may have faced while serving his country. Whenever he would talk about this period he would relate stories of enchanted lands.

During the course of his enlistment he spent time in Paris, Hawaii and Saudi Arabia. One of his fondest memories was while visiting Scotland.

Dad told of how he and several buddies were spending time in a village pub one evening. They had yet to find a place to stay for the night and were chatting with the locals.

After sharing a couple of pints of beer a gentleman asked if they wanted to come home with him. He said his family had space if they wished to stay while in the town.

Dad and his fellow sailors were very surprised by this offer, but accepted without hesitation. They gathered up their sea bags and followed this friendly fellow out the door.

Not until they crossed the threshold did it occur to the sailors the lady of the house might not agree with the plan.

They need not have worried. She was extremely welcoming and was ready to feed the hungry group. Not only did they feed and shelter the Americans they treated them as if they were family.

The father acted as tour guide giving them a view of Scotland only a native could offer. Dad would smile broadly when talking of breathtaking vistas and rolling hills.

On this Veteran's Day my thoughts are of Dad and the story of a Scottish family. I know he dealt with many difficulties while serving his country, but it is comforting to know about this bright spot.

How I wish we could personally thank them for being so kind to a young man far from home.

Happy Veterans Day to all who have and are serving. We are extremely grateful.

Follow Friday Gems - 11-11-11

2011-11-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

click on image to enlarge for better viewing
National WWII Memorial

Happy Veteran's Day! Today we honor all who have served their country. Thank you for the sacrifices and many hardships you endured to keep us free.

Today we also have an interesting phenomenon. The date being 11-11-11. Some believe this is a sign of good luck, in fact my friend's daughter picked today for her wedding. Not sure if the reason is good karma or ease when remembering their anniversary!

Here are a few of the wonderful posts from the week to educate and entertain.

Check out Society Saturday - Genealogy Boot Camp over at A Step in Line. What a marvelous programming idea for libraries and genealogical societies.

This is just too cute! Erin over at Making Memories...One Fun Thing After Another gives instructions on making Angry Birds for Dinner.

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings share two important projects in Volunteer for Families for Forgotten Heroes and Unclaimed Persons Project.

Valerie Craft of Begin with 'Craft' treats us to wonderful family photographs in her post Uncles at War.

The holidays are just around the corner! The Graphics Fairy and Vintage Catnip have begun to uploading free clip art for your projects.

Speaking of the holidays. Amy Coffin of The We Tree Genealogy Blog announced The Big Genealogy Blog Book has arrived. Great gift idea for your personal list!

What a sweet photograph! Check out Wordless Wednesday-Dungarees over at Blundering Blindly Backwards.

The 1940 United States Census is coming next year! Are you ready for this important event? Check out 1940 U.S. Census Video Available Online on Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.

Great news for those researching in Delaware! The Delaware State Archives has launched searchable finding tools.

Liz Stratton of Attics and Old Lace shares Tech Tuesday: Scanning Documents - Getting it Right the First Time.

Over at Prologue: Pieces of History get Inspired by the Archives! Top Ten Tips for Writers.

Leland and Patty Meitzler of GenealogyBlog share New USA & Canada Vital Records & State Census Data at FamilySearch.org.

A must read is the touching post by J. Geraghty-Gorman of 'On a flesh and bone foundation': An Irish History called In Remembrance Day: Today I remember for a friend who cannot.

From Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist we have Lest We Forget - Finding Your Canadian War Heroes.

Read about the wonderful detective work done by Yvette Porter Moore of Digging Roots: My Family History. Learn how Yvette tracks down an ancestor's photograph in Treasure Chest Thursday: Wendell Phillip Culley in Lionel Hampton's Band. Great job, Yvette!

This week there were two different posts with reviews about cemetery information hosting sites. Over at The Ginger Jewish Genealogist by Banai we have Reviews - RestingSpot and BillionGraves. Also, Legacy News Family Tree shares BillionGraves.com-big competion for Find A Grave.

On this Veteran's Day enjoy the touching story Emery's "First" Veteran's Day by Debi Austen of Who Knew? Learn about the steps taken to honor Emery Waller.

Jenny Jones of Raking Through the Leaves reminds us today is Polish Independence Day.

To end the week with a little silliness check out Friday Funny....nice ink over at They Came To Montana. I am speechless!

The following geneabloggers are celebrating their blogiversary. Stop in to offer your congratulations.

Behold Genealogy Software Blog

Beth's Genealogy Blog

Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture

Genealogical Gems

Geniaus

Hibbitt Family History Blog

A Rebel Hand

This week I started following these blogs:

Another Day With Donna.....Genealogy-Family History Blog

Between the Gate Posts

A Genealogy Garden

Living Ancestors

My Mother's Family

Notes from the Hills/Hackett Tree

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce You To...Lorel Kapke by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Tonight on GenaBloggers Radio join host Thomas MacEntee for Our Veteran Ancestors: Military Records and Genealogy.

Happy Follow Friday!

Secret (or not-so-secret) passion

2011-11-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

Azre Starr Sackett, husband's 3rd great-grand aunt

and her husband Augustine Sackett

Reading today's prompt over at NaBloPoMo on BlogHer made me chuckle.

What is your secret (or not-so-secret) passion?

I am certain everyone who knows me (even some who do not) are well aware that genealogy IS my passion. How do you begin to explain something that takes over your life to the point it becomes your main focus.

Family trying to understand why I would spend weekends, vacations and holidays in cemeteries, historical societies and genealogical workshops. Seeing the look on a co-workers face when telling them your ultimate dream to visit the mecca of family records in Utah.

As I have written before this passion began when I was suddenly home alone. The children had left the nest and hubby was working out-of-town Monday through Friday. I felt like Kevin from the movie, except for jumping on beds.

Wandering around the empty house I felt completely out of sorts. Then one night trying to find a new interest I typed in the word "genealogy".

Little did I realize that simple act would lead to a world filled with ancestors, stories, adventure and wonderful friends. In those first months I discovered hubby's Mennonite heritage and my Russian roots. As they say "that was all she wrote!"

Then I found the amazing genealogy community. On Facebook, Twitter and Google+ I discovered accessible people to guide me along this new journey.

People who share this obsession with census records, old photographs, and locating burial sites.

Friends who did not think it strange traveling 250 miles to visit an ancestral home.

As my husband and I did upon discovering this salt-box house in Danbury, Connecticut belonging to Comfort Starr.

Pretty soon I began to find long-lost living relatives. I am chatting with new-found cousins in California, Illinois, Florida and Alaska. Several of these wonderful people have generously shared photographs and family history. In fact I will be meeting one such cousin in person next month.

Not long after beginning this journey I had the good fortune of stumbling upon the website GeneaBloggers. There Thomas MacEntee (genealogy guru extraordinaire) offers a wide array of help to genealogy bloggers.

I was familiar with the concept of blogging through training offered in the workplace. I thought why not give it a try to see where it would lead.

The main goal was to communicate family history to my immediate family. Ever hopeful that my children would share this passion about their lineage.

In the beginning they thought Mom's new hobby was "cute" and occasionally would ask questions. Pretty quickly they lost interest and the glazed eyes syndrome struck.

Thank goodness for making wonderful connections with like-minded researchers! By reaching out to this community I connected with friends who fully share this passion.

Friends who have been wonderful examples for this newbie. People like Marian Pierre-Louis, Heather Rojo, Kathleen Brandt, Caroline Pointer, Amy Coffin and Randy Seaver. From these genealogists I have learned persistence and to keep a sense of humor.

The best advice for someone joining the geneablogger world would be connect with everyone in this accessible community. Come join the fun and learn along the way.

So there is my not-so-secret passion! It keeps me off the streets and my brain in working condition. What is your passion?

Wordless Wednesday - Daisy in the Yard

2011-11-09T04:58:00.000-08:00

click on image to enlarge for better viewing
Daisy Smith Judd

wife of Orion Mathias Judd, 1st cousin 3x removed

outside greenhouse - 1948 - Fresno, California

Dad and the Surprise Delivery

2011-11-08T03:52:00.000-08:00

Today's prompt over at NaBloPoMo on BlogHer is:

Has anything traumatic ever happened to you? Describe the scenes surrounding a particular event.

You could call events occurring on a hot July night in 1968 as being traumatic. My memories are of the awe-inspiring actions taken by our father that summer evening.

This little guy to the right is my youngest brother Kenneth Charles. Ken decided to arrive into the world very rapidly without advance notice.

My memories of that evening begin with waking to commotion, lights and our parents raised voices. In fact I thought much of what was happening was part of a vivid dream.

Quickly it became clear that something of great moment was happening in my parent's bedroom.

My father raced down the stairs to use the telephone. Yes, those were the days when there was one phone in the house and it was not mobile.

The phone call was to the local ambulance company to tell them his wife was in advanced stages of childbirth.

As Dad ran back up stairs to reassure Mom help was on the way, she informed him the baby was ready to be born.

To this day I remember how calm and supportive Dad became during this critical time.

Those were the days when a father was not involved with the birthing process. Our Dad had no Lamaze training or attended any of Mom's obstetrician appointments.

Dad yelled for us children to stay in our rooms, mainly I believe so we would not be under foot. We climbed out of bed and crouched around the door to hear what happening across the hall.

The next sound we heard was the wailing of our new baby brother! We looked at each other in shock and began to laugh out loud. Even though we were not in the "birthing" room we felt connected to this new little person.

Moments after Dad cut the umbilical cord the ambulance arrived blaring sirens and lights flashing. The crew ran up the stairs to our parent's room. They discovered a scene which stopped them in their tracks.

There was Ken swaddled in a blanket sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms.

A member of the crew proceeded to examine Ken and stated he could not have done a better job.

At this point we were all allowed to come in and greet the new member of our family. To see a baby only moments old was a memory never forgotten. Looking down into that sweet little face I fell instantly in love.

The most amusing part of the evening occurred as the ambulance crew was preparing to leave.

While the crew placed Mom into the ambulance Dad was in the house holding Ken. Next thing you knew they jumped into the vehicle preparing to head to the hospital.

If you have ever seen the commercial with the grandparents visiting twin grandchildren you will know how Dad felt. I'm pretty sure his exact words were "don't forget the baby!"

The crew raced back shamefaced and laughing as the retrieved Ken. I guess they were not accustomed to transporting mothers along with newborn infants.

Many years later while talking to Dad about these events he stated "if a window had been open, I may have jumped out!" I do not believe that for a moment. With great certainty I know Dad would have reacted in the same heroic way.

Our father passed away last summer after a long battle with cancer. Recalling happy moments about loved ones is the best medicine. Today I laughed, cried and healed while writing about Dad.

Thanks to NaBloPoMo for the opportunity to recall this wonderful memory.

Family Discovery on eBay

2011-11-07T03:44:00.000-08:00

I have written about my husband's grandfather, Rev. Christian Wismer Ruth being a pastor for the Church of the Nazarene.

While researching we found he wrote a number of books throughout his ministry. In fact several volumes are available on GoogleBooks.

Last year I began searching eBay with hopes of acquiring several editions. We have been fortunate enough to locate and obtain three different titles.

Our recent acquisition is the book entitled "Temptations Peculiar to the Sanctified" published in 1928.

After placing a bid I crossed fingers, toes and eyes. What a wonderful feeling when we won. Another family treasure obtained from eBay.

The seller listed the book in very good condition with little wear. Since the book was paperback I was worried there was possible damage done over the years.

When the book arrived it was in excellent condition.

Upon opening the pages we discovered a wonderful surprise. There we found this previously unseen photograph of C.W. Ruth.

Don't forget to check eBay and other auction sites for possible family treasures.

You never know what you will find.

SNGF - The Ancestry.com YouTube Channel

2011-11-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

I know, it is not Saturday night. Life was so busy yesterday by evening these tired eyes just wanted a rest.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge this week from Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings:

1) Visit the Ancestry.com YouTube Channel (which has 98 videos now).

Done. Did not realize how many videos were available. Need to set aside time each week to watch.

2) Watch one of these four videos:
Ancestry.com LIVE: Search with Ancestry Anne with Anne Mitchell
Ancestry.com LIVE: One Question with the Barefoot Genealogist with Crista Cowan
Ancestry.com LIVE: Lorraine's 5 Tips for Online Grave Digging with Lorraine Bourne
Ancestry.com LIVE: How do I use newspapers on Ancestry.com to find out more about my ancestors? with Crista Cowan

I watched Lorraine's 5 Tips for Online Grave Digging with Lorraine Bourne. What else would someone who friends refer to as "Debbie Digs Dead People" select?

From the video I discovered several previously unknown resources.

African-American Cemeteries Online
Small Town Newspapers.

Lorraine shared great pointers for searching obituary and burial records. She reminded us when contacting funeral homes be very patient. We must remember they are running a business and may not answer our requests immediately.

Also, remember the public library is a great resource for obituaries. As a library employee this made me very happy. People forget local newspapers are sometimes micro-filmed and housed in library collections.

3) Go up to the YouTube search field and enter "genealogy" and your surname in the search field. What results do you get? Are there any videos of interest on that list, even if they're not about your surname? Did you watch one of the videos?

I entered "genealogy" and "wakefield" in the YouTube search box. There were four selections in the hit list. The first match was for a site selling "name meaning" plaques. The most interesting was a woman living in Wakefield, England. She discusses her past-life regression into four previous lives. Maybe I should contact her to communicate with long dead ancestors.

4) In the YouTube search field, enter "genealogy" and the name of one of your favorite genealogists. What results do you get? Did you watch one of the videos?

I entered "genealogy" and "lisa louise cooke" in the YouTube search box. I have attended several webinars by Lisa. The were 66 videos listed. I watched Genealogy Gems Lisa Louise Cooke on establishing roots in the social media. Lisa discusses her podcasts and connecting to other family researchers.

Adding "genealogy gems" to the search brings us up to 87 hits. Included are interviews with various genealogy "rock stars". I watched the one with our very own Randy Seaver.

5) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a status line in Facebook, a Twitter tweet, or a stream item on Google Plus.

Done.

Thanks to Randy for making genealogy fun!

Surname Saturday - Wakefield in Both Trees!

2011-11-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Researching my husband's family line this morning something interesting occurred. That is when I found his 8th great-grandmother, Mary Wakefield.

Oh dear, that is my mother's maiden name!

The Wakefield line has been one of our most persistent brick walls thus far. This photograph of my great-grandfather, Charles Wakefield is the oldest in our possession.

Most of what is known about his father, Henry has been family lore.

Many stories surround this ancestor. Some say he came to this country around the Civil War. Yet others believe the family resided here for many generations.

Thus far I have not been able to find documentation about this elusive ancestor. In fact almost all information conflicts with other details.

Even when discovering Charles Wakefield's death certificate we came to a dead-end. The information listed for his father was the dreaded "unknown".

In the course of researching several years ago I discovered the New England Wakefield family. There are some who believe we are linked to this line. Unable to find concrete documentation I had discontinued searching.

Imagine how surprised I was this morning to discover my husband is connected to this family. Our children are double Wakefields!

Now I really want to know if our Henry is a New England Wakefield. What a hoot to be distantly related to my husband.

Follow Friday Gems - 11-04-11

2011-11-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe we already had our first appearance of snow on the east coast! Starting to worry about what the winter has in store. Thinking hibernation might be the best option for the months to come.

Sunday night our clocks fall back and we gain an extra hour. Some folks will be using the time to sleep, but I am banking those for genealogy!

Here are a few of the great blog post from the week to educate and entertain.

Julie Goucher of Anglers Rest has kicked off the month with a book meme. So far she has shared her best book read last year, book read more than 3 times, favorite series and favorite book of the series. Great way to share readers advisory.

Check out the charming story Emma and Elmer eloped by Linda McCauley of Documenting the Details.

The holiday season will be arriving in full force shortly. Gatherings will soon be on the calendar. Lisa of Are You My Cousin? challenges us to make time for family interviews.

Are you in a genealogy quandary? Check out Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question. This week we learn how to find an ancestor who disappears in Canada after 1861.

WOW! Read the amazing story An Ots-Toch Cousin Found! by Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family. So very jealous! Congratulations, Thomas.

A must read is the poignant post Another Letter to Linda by Caroline Pointer of Family Stories. Caroline shares milestones reached by her children over the past year with her beloved mother-in-law. Linda passed away 12 years ago from breast cancer.

Learn about great restoration work In Tombstone Tuesday - Hezekiah's Stone I Repaired! by Lisa Swanson Ellam of The Faces Of My Family.

What would be your choice if you could ask one question of an ancestor? That is what Holly Adams of Disentangling My Family Tree would like to know.

Amy Craft of Begin with 'Craft' shares the discovery of a website to create family history eBooks.

Remember how Dagwood Bumstead loved his sandwiches? Janet Randolph of Dying for Chocolate shares a special Bumstead treat with Chocolate Sandwich: Blondie's Cookbook.

Diane Haddad of Genealogy Insider tells us we can search 30,000 names from Holocaust Museum records - free.

Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist shares writing Organizations for the Family Historian. Thinking of joining one or two!

Discover the FamilySearch Research Help Community Newsletter article "Learn More" on the Research Wiki over at Renee's Genealogy Blog by Renee Zamora.

Jennifer Shoer of The Scrappy Genealogist shares a special memory with the post A Jewish Autumn Wedding.

Read about the great restoration work In Tombstone Tuesday - Hezekiah's Stone I Repaired! by Lisa Swanson Ellam of The Faces Of My Family.

Favorite photograph of the week is Wordless Wednesday - Isabel Jeffrey (1886 - 1892) from Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana of The Last Leaf On This Branch. Amazing outfit!

Thanks to Barbara Poole of Seeing New England for her lovely photographs Seeing Fall in October.

Check out Friday Funny...beep beep, coming through by Jennie of They Came To Montana. You will be smiling all day long.

Over at Creative Gene The Carnival of Genealogy, 111th edition has just been published! Read about Autumn Weddings.

From GeneaBloggers we have 1940 US Census - Your Indexing Help Needed! I signed up! Come along and have fun. For ideas fun ideas to plan your census event check out my post Having a Party.

November is National Blog Posting Month. The idea being to publish a blog post every day during the month. There are several great resources to help with this challenge. Check out NaBloPoMo on BlogHer for information about blog prompts and prizes. Also, over at Planting the Seeds by Michael Hait you will find November is National Blog Posting Month

The following bloggers are celebrating a blogiversary. Stop in and offer your congratulations.

Borreson Cousins

The Graveyard Rabbit of the California Central Coast

Finding Our Ancestors

Blogs I started following this week:

The African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky

Blundering Blindly Backwards

Reeves, Reaves, and More Rives

Unshoveling the Past

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce You To...Sue Pittman McPeak by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Make sure to catch GeneaBloggers Radio tonight! This evening the episode will be Copyright and Genealogy - Yours, Mine and Ours.

Happy Follow Friday!

Great Western Adventure - The Arch

2011-11-03T03:36:00.000-07:00

click on images to enlarge for better viewing

Five years ago my husband and I set out on the "great western adventure". In the space of four weeks we traveled across the country visiting landmarks, cemeteries and viewed amazing landscapes.

One landmark that captured my imagination was the St. Louis Gateway Arch.

Of course I have seen photographs of this magnificent structure, but never had the privilege to stand at the base gazing upwards.

The beauty of the arch against changing skies was mesmerizing. We spent many hours capturing perfect memories.

NaBloPoMo - What Would Your Last Meal Be?

2011-11-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

Son presenting Mother's Day gift during trip to Ocean City, Maryland

Today's National Blog Posting Month prompt over at NaBloPoMo BlogHer is:

"If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be"

This summer I wrote a similar post for the Carnival of Genealogy about food memories (just not the last meal part).

Being born and bred in Maryland seafood has always been more than just a food group. My earliest memories as a child revolve around Maryland blue crabs, shrimp, mussels and oysters.

Each Saturday in the summer my Dad and his brother's would head out to the bay for a day of crabbing. Grandmom would have the pots steaming for the bounty to arrive.

Picnic tables were set with crab mallets and Old Bay. In the middle would be bowls filled with coleslaw and potato salad. At each end plates of fresh corn on the cob and my Mom's world-famous deviled eggs.

Closing my eyes I can smell those glorious scents! It should come as no surprise what's this Maryland girl would request, Hon!

Maryland Lump Crab Cake

Cole Slaw
Silver Queen sweet corn on the cob

Mom's amazing deviled eggs
Fresh brewed iced tea

The Original Smith Island Cake

What would be your last meal?

Wordless Wednesday - Union Soldier Painting

2011-11-02T03:08:00.000-07:00

Painting of Abia Miller

sister-in-law's second great grandfather

born January 15, 1843 - died February 18, 1936 - age 93

Company H - 97th Pennsylvania Regiment

National Blog Posting Month - I'm In

2011-11-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here I sit finished for the evening and reading my favorite blogs.

I noticed the title National Blog Posting Month showing up several times in my Google Reader. Curiosity got the best of me and I bumped those to the top of the list.

After reading posts by Valerie Craft over at Begin with 'Craft' and Michelle Goodrum of The Turning of Generations I'm joining the challenge.

The idea is to publish a blog post every day during the month of November.

There are several sites with help to join the fun. Check out NaBloPoMo on BlogHer for information about blog prompts and prizes. Also, over at Planting the Seeds by Michael Hait you will find November is National Blog Posting Month

Anyone else ready to exercise those creative muscles?

Tombstone Tuesday - Starrs in Connecticut

2011-11-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

click on images to enlarge for better viewing

Fall of 2009 my husband and I traveled to Connecticut in search of Danbury Starr ancestors. On the agenda was a visit to Wooster Cemetery.

Samuel G. Starr

Died May 14, 1870

Aged 54 Y'RS.

Eliza Davy

Wife of

Samuel G. Starr

Died Nov. 8, 1874

Aged 56 Y'Rs.

Memory of

Henry Starr

who died

Sept. 1st, 1870

aged 75 y'rs 1 mo.

& 5 d's.

Memory of

Edward Starr

who died

June 28, 1857

E. 28 Y'rs 8 Mo.

& 24 D's.

Our Halloween Sweetheart

2011-10-31T04:42:00.000-07:00

Our daughter loved nothing better than dressing up! All year round she was in whatever costume she could get her little hands on.

Sometimes they were made-up affairs consisting of discarded bridal attire, old uniforms and my "vintage" clothing.

Halloween was her time to shine. Months and months of discussion and shopping ensued.

Now this little sweetheart is a married lady, and expecting her first child next May. So of course I got a wee bit nostalgic and started going through pictures of days gone by.

It made me chuckle to see the Disney Princess turn into the rowdy hippie.

One of my friends made the Jasmine costume. To this day I believe that was her favorite. In fact we still have this stored away in a box waiting for the next little princess.

Then came the lovely Renaissance Lady. The same friend made this creation along with many headpieces.

For months after Halloween we had to bow in reverence to "My Lady" as she floated by.

Pretty sure her brothers had enough of the production before the end of the week. Many an eye rolled could be spotted. But I think if you ask them now they would have a fond smile for their little sister.

This photograph tells the entire story! Our daughter would go off to her own little world of princesses, lords and ladies.

Then one day our sweetheart turned into a rock 'n roll hippie.

Gone were the lacy collars and fancy shoes. They were traded in for tie-died shirt, love beads and cool shades.

This is when we said goodbye to the little princess and hello to a very independent young lady.

Happy Halloween to all!

Mappy Monday - Norman B. Leventhal Map Center

2011-10-31T04:01:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy The Graphics Fairy

One of my favorite blogs to read is Two Nerdy History Girls. There you will find information dealing with all aspects of history. Just some of the subjects the girls cover being literature, fashion and travel.

Last week the map featured in the post Visiting 'Loveland', c 1943 captured my attention. The map can be found on the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library website.

That website states their mission is to collect and preserve maps and atlases to promote research and make resources available to the public. The collection consists of 200,000 historical maps and 5,000 atlases. New images are added to the site weekly. Images are searchable by subject, place, date or author.

Thanks to the Two Nerdy Girls for highlighting this valuable resource.

Happy Mappy Monday!

Who Do You Love?

2011-10-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

The other day in the car "Who Do You Love" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers was playing on the radio. After the song ended an interesting idea popped into my head.

Is there one special ancestor that captures my attention? Someone I go the extra mile when researching? Who do I love?

The answer was pretty clear just by the sheer number of posts about this person in my blog.

Christian Wismer Ruth, my husband's grandfather, hooked me the moment I saw his photograph. His engaging expression captured my imagination.

It will sound strange, but I felt an instant connection from the start. The feeling grew even stronger while researching the life and times of C.W. Ruth.

C.W. was born September 1, 1865 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The oldest of four children, Christian describes his family as being one of "godly heritage".

Over the years Christian wrote many books about his life and later career in the ministry. In this dedication he reveals the important role his mother played shaping the man who would become a church leader.

"Bible Readings on the Second Blessing" published 1905

DEDICATION
To my own
PRECIOUS MOTHER,
Who first taught me to lisp
The name of Jesus,
And to read and revere
The Bible;
Who by her consistent life, godly
Counsels, and unceasing prayers
Early directed my feet
Into the "old paths" of Righteousness.
This volume is
Gratefully and affectionately
Dedicated
BY THE AUTHOR

Christian began his ministry with a group called the "Five Heavenly Recruits.

Upon contacting the Wesleyan Church we discovered this circa 1885 photograph, which they graciously allowed full access.

Christian is pictured standing in the middle.

Yet again there is something about his smile that draws you into the warmth of his personality. I can imagine him the center of the group with everyone asking his sage advice.

Several indications of his personality were found in the article "The Preaching of Christian W. Ruth" by James McGraw, published April 1956.

His Great Enthusiasm

C.W. Ruth carried with him a spirit of joyful optimism and unbounded enthusiasm. Small of statue but straight and sturdy-looking in his long, square-cut coat, Brother Ruth seldom preached with an attitude other than vigorous and inspiring encouragement toward who heard him.

C.W. Ruth will be remembered for his happy and joyous optimism and his radiant spirit. He will be remembered for his wit and humor, and for his clear, captivating presention of holiness. He will be remembered for the thousands who were won to Christ and to holiness through his preaching.

At every turn my interest and fascination with Christian has grown. Each new article or document reinforces the place this unknown ancestor has claimed in my heart. In many ways I feel I know him better than most of our living relatives.

I would like nothing better than to spend an afternoon with this interesting gentleman. Do you have someone in the family tree who you have connected with in a special way? Who do you love?

Follow Friday Gems - 10-28-11

2011-10-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Happy 29th birthday to our son, Jared! Seems like just yesterday he was this little guy. He has become an amazing young man. Proud of you big guy.

Here are a few gems discovered this week to educate and entertain.

Marian Burk Wood of Climbing My Family Tree reminds us about a great genealogical resource with Tuesday's Tip: The Internet Archive.

Audrey Collins of The Family Recorder asks What is your 'real' name?

Two Nerdy History Girls write about a time in history when women prefered The pregnant look. So glad that fashion went out of style!

The New Genealogist asks for Help! Non-English people and places names in my family tree? Stop by and offer some sage advice.

Join the footnoteMaven in wishing Happy Anniversary Graveyard Rabbit Association.

The Indiana Genealogical Society Blog announces Indiana State Library & Archives Websites Honored.

Check out the Book Review: Black Families in Hamden County, Massachusetts 1650-1865 by Marian Pierre-Louis of Marian's Roots and Rambles.

Read a wonderful family history story called Once Upon A Time - A Century Old Secret by Kathryn Smith Lockhard of Reflections.

Amazing photographs shared in Those places Thursday: London, England and The Palace of Westminster by J. Geraghty-Gorman of 'On a flesh and bone foundation': An Irish History.

Beverly of Tombstone Travels shares an interesting observation with Bogus Grave Memorials on Find A Grave.

The National Archives has invited everyone to join Tag It Tuesday! Each week they will feature content from their catalog and ask the public to tag. Learn how you can get involved with this wonderful project.

Excellent advice from The Lady Bloggers Society with Sticky Content - Keep Your Visitors Coming Back.

Gale Wall of Digital Cemetery Walk discovers praise for her work in the New Book by friend John Thomas Grant. Congratulations!

Follow along on Great Grandma Gardner's Photo Timeline with Cheri Hopkins of Taken Somewhere In Time...A Photographic Journal of Family, Travel, Ancestors, Scenery...and Life!

You are in for a real treat down memory lane with The Jell-O Stunt from Lidian of Kitchen Retro.

Over at the Glenview Public Library Blog you will find information on the NYC Municipal Archives and More New York Resources.

Check out Family Recipe Friday - Aunt Veda's Oatmeal Pie from Cyndi Beane Henry of the Mountain Genealogists. Looks yummy!

For a little Halloween fun check out Witch Finger Cookies from Erin of Making Memories...One Fun Thing After Another.

The National Museum of American History shares History Halloween how-tos. Get instructions to help create an unusual Halloween costume.

Finally, check out the Friday Funny....from the joint by Jennie of They Came To Montana.

The following bloggers are celebrating their blogiversary this week. Stop by and offer a word of congratulations.

Creative Gene

Have You Seen My Roots

You Are Where You Came From

Blogs I started following this week:

Corn and Cotton: My Family's Story

Daily Genealogy Transcriber

Jackie's obsessions/my sanity

Raking Through the Leaves

Seeing New England

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce You To...Jennifer Woods by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Tonight's episode of GeneaBloggers Radio will be Haunted By Ancestors - A Genealogy Halloween Special!

Happy Follow Friday!

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday - We Be Bad!

2011-10-26T03:03:00.000-07:00

These rowdy youngsters are my three sons. The picture was taken by my sister while I was in the hospital having a baby girl.

Several weeks after returning home we processed a roll of film. That is when we discovered this gem.

Not sure if this is their reaction to getting a baby sister, or MY baby sister's bad influence. At any rate this is a true family treasure.

Tombstone Tuesday - Visiting Ohio Presidents

2011-10-25T04:04:00.000-07:00

click on images to enlarge for better viewing

Several years ago my husband and I went on a three-week trek across the country. Each stop was carefully planed either for genealogical, historical or scenic significance.

We began with Phil in Punxsutawney, and ended in Boot Hill Cemetery, Dodge City. Along the route was a stop in Ohio to enjoy the state fair and visit several presidential gravesites.

There are five presidential burial sites in the Buckeye State. William Henry Harrison, James A. Garfield, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley and Warren G. Harding.

During our two-day stay we were able to pay our respects to four of the five presidents.

McKinley National Memorial

President William McKinley

born January 29, 1843 - died September 14, 1901

Lake View Cemetery

President James A. Garfield born

November 19, 1831 - died September 19, 1881

James A. and Lucretia Garfield

urns - Mollie Garfield Stanley-Brown (Garfield daughter) and her husband, Joseph Stanley-Brown

Warren G. Harding Memorial

President Warren G. Harding

born November 2, 1865 - died August 2, 1923

Warren G. Harding and wife, Florence Kling DeWolfe Harding

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

President Rutherford B. Hayes

born October 4, 1822 - died January 17, 1893

Residence of Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford Birchard Hayes and wife, Lucy Webb Hayes

Who's That Girl?

2011-10-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

There are two aspects of genealogy that family historians become obsessed with from the start.

Haunting cemeteries and collecting family photographs become part of our DNA.

There is nothing like the thrill of locating the final resting place of our great-great-great grandfather.

Likewise nothing as satisfying as discovering the identity of ancestors in mystery photographs.

That has been the goal with this photograph of my husband's great-grandmother, Rachel Montague Hindsley. For years the woman standing next to Rachel has been a mystery. Is she sister, in-law, cousin or friend?

Hitting the proverbial brick wall I decided to take the advice of a seasoned family researcher.

Over at Honoring our Ancestors website Megan Smolenyak has compiled a list of Best Sites - Orphan Photos. Megan's goal in posting these sites is to "start an epidemic of genealogical kindness" and reunite photographs with families who will care for them.

This morning I finally cast this fish out to the genealogy gods.

Reviewing the list I selected Dead Fred and Ancient Faces. Both are easy to navigate and my photograph uploaded in no time. On Ancient Faces your information appears immediately. Dead Fred has a review process before your data goes live.

I am crossing my fingers, toes and eyes in hopes a Montague ancestor stumbles upon this photograph . With any luck we will find out who's that girl!

Discovery on The Cabinet Card Gallery

2011-10-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

The fascination with cabinet cards began when our cousin sent the family several as a gift. This card of Carl Judd, 1st cousin 3x removed, and his friend Tot being one of my favorites.

While researching this particular medium I discovered a blog called The Cabinet Card Gallery. Each day the site posts a cabinet card with description of the subject. Many include information about the photographer and studio.

On Friday there was an amazing photograph called Short Haired Beauty In Danbury, Connecticut. What captured my attention immediately was how unusual the hair style was for this time-frame.

As I read the description the name E. Starr Sanford jumped out from the text. Add the name Starr with Danbury and you get a connection to my husband's ancestors.

Sure enough after a day spent researching I discovered E. Starr Sanford was the 6th cousin 2x removed of my husband.

Elias Starr Sanford was born September 27, 1861 in Danbury, Connecticut. He was the son of Charles Huntington Sanford and Mary Emmons. Grandson of Elias Starr Sanford and Elizabeth (Betsey) Wilcox. Great-grandson of Elijah Sanford and Elizabeth (Betsey) Starr.

Elias was a respected Danbury photographer where he ran a studio for many years. Eventually he partnered with Charles Henry Davis in New York City, New York. The team became "high society" portrait photographers to the likes of the Astors and Vanderbilts.

photograph from Wikipedia

Hearthstone Castle, Danbury, CT. West facade & North facade

In the late 1800's Elias built a lavish home in Danbury called Hearthstone Castle. The family resided here for five years before selling to Victor Buck, who changed the name of the home to Buck Castle.

There is an odd story surrounding the decline of E. Starr Sanford's life. The ship he traveled on to visit his son in Texas was hit by lighting,

The obituary states Elias never recovered from the shock. Also, the arteries in his eyes were greatly affected from the incident. Imagine how devastating this would be for a gifted photographer.

Just think, this information is part of family history because of an interest in cabinet cards. An ancestor hobnobbing with the upper crust, a family castle and high seas adventure!

Without Bruce Marsh and his blog these stories might never have come to light. Many thanks to Bruce for providing a piece of the Starr family puzzle.

Follow Friday Gems - 10-21-11

2011-10-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Autumn in Danbury, Connecticut

The above photograph is from a family research trip to Danbury, Connecticut. My husband's Starr family resided in this lovely New England town for many years.

Saturday several friends and I attended the 2011 Family History Workshop. I would like to thank the wonderful people from the Baltimore County Family History Center.

Keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither, Documentary Story Quilter. The rest of the day filled with workshops, brickwall sessions and friendship.

I hope you are fortunate enough to attend one of these FREE Family History Workshops.

This has been a very active genealogy blogging week! Here are some highlights to entertain and educate.

Michelle Goodrum of The Turning of Generations shares the Next Steps in the Archival Closet in Sorting Saturday. Learn about the methods Michelle is using to organize her family history files.

Kathleen Brandt of a3Genealogy combines a little fun with genealogy in the Generational Research Game. Kathleen tells us "the true purpose of this "game" is to eliminate the contestants who should not be in your family tree."

Head over to ArchivesInfo by Mellisa Mannon for Calling All Archivists and Archives Users...What Do Archivists Do? Offer your comments on how public librarians and local archivists help you get the information you need.

Susan Thomas of Climbing the Branches of My Family Tree shares a piece of family history with Thursday's Treasure - Odalie Fortier Horst's 19th Century Lacework.

Check out Always Anxiously Engaged for a wonderful story that answers How Important Are Family Legends?

Absolutely agree with In Postcards & Photographs : Each One Tells a Story over at A Pocket Full of Family Memories. Debra shares how these items are "a window to the past".

Join the adventure to the National Archives with Ginger R. Smith of Genealogy By Ginger's Blog and Liz Tapley of My Tapley Tree...And Its Branches.

Discover Old scripts (fonts) over at Czech Genealogy Beginners by Blanka Lednicka.

Pam Schaffner of Digging Down East shares Thrifty Thursday - Housewife Feeds Six for $25 Per Week. Learn about a nostalgic article Pam discovers in the local newspaper.

Brynn of My Family's Puzzle offers her contribution for an "interesting" contest taking place with in My Obituary! - GeneaBlogger.

A must read is the series from Jennifer Shoer of The Scrappy Genealogist. Jennifer is interviewing phenomenal genealogy bloggers for How She Does It-Secrets from a Geneamommyblogger.

Learn about Caroline Pointer, Jennifer Holik-Urban, Kerry Scott, Amy Coffin, Marian Pierre-Louis, Elizabeth O'Neal and (Geneadaddyblogger) Philip Trauring.

For a little Halloween fun check out Deke's Techniques 042: Drawing a Halloween Scareflake.

The following bloggers are celebrating a blogiversary. Stop in and offer a word of congratulations.

Are My Roots Showing?

Family History Publishing

Life From The Roots

MahoganyBox.net

A Sense of Family

Spittal Street

Blogs I started following this week:

Annales Patrio

Collectin Texas Gal

Family Heritage Recipes

The Jones Genealogist

My Trails into the Past

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce To You...Nancy Shively by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Tonight over at GeneaBlogger Radio will be The Final Chapter - Obituaries, Death Records and Genealogy. Take note new start time-one hour earlier - 9 p.m. eastern, 8 p.m. central, 7 p.m. mountain and 6 p.m. pacific. Don't worry if you miss Friday night, the episode is archived!

Happy Follow Friday!

The Moment You Knew

2011-10-20T02:11:00.000-07:00

Lynn Palermo, The Armchair Genealogist, posted a thought-provoking question this week. She asks "What Is Your Story - What Is The Moment You Knew?"

Lynn relates the moment she realized the need to "make time for the more important things in life". Lynn goes on to explain how this reorganization led to her becoming the family historian. At the conclusion she asks "what is your story?"

Interestingly, several months ago on GeneaBloggers I had the privileged of being interviewed for "May I Introduce To You..." by Gini Webb. The first question Gini asked was where your interest in genealogy began.

I have been doing our family history for a little over four years now. It began almost overnight when my entire life changed. The children left the nest and my husband started a job that required him being out-of-town Monday thru Friday. I knew right away I had to find something to occupy my time or go slowly crazy.

My brother, Ken, had been the “family historian” for several years. He was becoming very busy with his children and wasn’t able to spend as much time researching. Having tons of time and looking for a new challenge, I became involved in the family’s history and genealogy.

I soon became so addicted that losing track of time became commonplace. One night while researching one of my husband’s grandfather’s, I came across a story where he was hit by a car and later passed away. Picking up the phone I called my husband (he was in Virginia) to relate this tragic story. He listened for a bit and then said, "Deb, when did he die?" Um, 1928, I replied, to which he said, "Go to bed" And so it goes . .

Not long after this, my father was diagnosed with his second round of cancer. We knew pretty quickly this would be his last battle.

That is when I realized how important it was to document family history. Spending time with my dad in those last days and gathering his memories was a bittersweet experience.

The last question for the article was "what piece of advice I would leave in a time capsule for future generations". All I could think of was how important it is to listen to family stories. Our lives are so busy we don’t take the time to slow down and listen to each other, how sad that much of our oral history has been lost.

Each family needs that special person to step up and become the keeper of their heritage. These precious memories are just as important as the family china everyone covets. They are what gives us our identity and binds us together.

Thanks to Lynn for sharing her story and asking us the moment we knew. What is your story?

Wordless Wednesday - Fall in Western Maryland

2011-10-19T02:44:00.000-07:00

Frederick, Maryland

click on image to enlarge for better viewing

Tombstone Tuesday - Foone & The Farmington Freedom Trail

2011-10-18T03:38:00.000-07:00

A stop along the Freedom Trail Sites in Farmington, Connecticut is Riverside Cemetery. Thirty-six Amistad survivors resided in Farmington while raising funds to return home.

One of these men was Foone, who drowned in the Farmington Canal Basin. There were many questions surrounding the incident. Was this an accident or suicide?

Foone

A native African who was drowned while bathing in the Center Basin Aug, 1841. He was one of the Company of Slaves under Cinque on board the Schooner Amistad who asserted their rights and took possession of the Vessel after having put the Captain, Mate, and others
to death, sparing their Masters, Ruez and Montez.

Additional information about the Amistad and the Connecticut Freedom Trail.

The Amistad Center for Arts & Culture

Amistad Letters - Farmington Libraries

Amistad: Seeking Freedom in Connecticut - National Park Service

The Connecticut Freedom Trail

Northwestern Freedom Trail Quilt Display-The Museum of Connecticut History

Debbie DOES Dig Dead People!

2011-10-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Pierce Hallow Cemetery, New Haven, Connecticut

Before I began this "adventure in genealogy" a graveyard was not my favorite place to visit. In fact I would avoid them at all costs. Only after the funeral of a close friend or family member would I venture onto hallowed grounds.

Then the genealogy bug bit! My husband and I headed out every Saturday to visit family cemeteries. Several graveyards were more than two hours away. Fortunately this did not deter my husband, so off we ventured.

Pretty quickly I became quite comfortable rambling among the headstones. In fact these trips were much-anticipated throughout the week. So much so that co-workers joked I needed a tee-shirt that stated "Debbie Digs Dead People".

In the midst of spending so much time with long gone ancestors I have started feeling very much at home. Some would scoff when I share feeling a connection which leads me on the right path. There have been many incidents of finding family gravestones as if by unseen hands.

With all this in mind the past week should not come as a complete surprise.

Tuesday started with a visit to New Cathedral Cemetery in Baltimore with friends. There I was fortunate enough to find every headstone on my list. With this information I was able to connect several family members and solve various mysteries.

Saturday I attended the 2011 Baltimore Family History Workshop. My favorite session being Using Cemeteries to Do Family History Research.

Our presenters, Jack and Sylvia Hott Sonneborn, explained what tombstones can reveal, shared websites to further research and discussed the Tombstone Transcription Project. Also, they shared a glossary of Victorian cemetery symbolism.

Sunday I listened to Bring Out Your Dead! Cemeteries and Genealogy on GeneaBloggers Radio. The guests for the evening were Brett Atlas, co-founder of RestingSpot.com and Lisa Swanson Ellam of The Faces of My Family blog.

RestingSpot allows family members to "mark" their ancestors grave sites using GPS. From the website they state being a "unique combination of mobile and web technologies" which "preserves the legacy of loved ones for generations to come."

Lisa Swanson Ellam shares her wealth of knowledge with cemetery restoration. Her blog is a must read for anyone sharing her passion to preserve family history.

During the show Lisa discussed an amazing occurrence while visiting a cemetery. In Tombstone Tuesday - Genealogy Serendipity Strikes Again you will discover the story all genealogists dream of occurring while researching.

The information gained this week from either visiting cemeteries or discussing them has been exceptional. Debbie really DOES Dig Dead People! What about you?

Follow Friday Gems - 10-14-11

2011-10-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

Autumn in Connecticut

The above photograph is from a research trip to Connecticut. We decided to travel north during autumn to capture the brilliant scenery. Nothing like combining genealogy and amazing picture-taking!

This week I celebrate Family History Month with two great opportunities. Tuesday our genealogy discussion group took a field trip to a historic cemetery. During this visit I was able to solve several family mysteries. Tomorrow we will be attending the 2011 Baltimore Family History Workshop. Many blog posts to follow.

Here are blogs from this week to entertain and educate.

Are you an avid reader? Head over to Angler's Rest for the post Sunday Salon - New Additions... There you will find several great book suggestions and the germ of an idea for a book challenge.

Tonia's Roots blog is in the midst of a 31 week blogging challenge. This week we have #31WBGB: Solve a Problem. Family researchers are to "write a post that solves a problem that your readers (or potential readers) have."

Congratulations to Genevieve Netz of Prairie Bluestem! In the post For What It's Worth we learn that Wikipedia has linked to three of her articles!

Head over to GeneaWebinars for Upcoming genealogy webinars - 10 to choose from - including "Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's parents".

A lovely reminder and tale of family connection from Betsy Cross of Remember with Your Ancestors and Your Socks.

Read a well deserved acknowledgement in I Wish There Were More People Like Tony by Marian Pierre-Louis of Marian's Roots & Rambles.

DearMYRTLE tells us she is On hiatus, but giving you an assignment. If you are not using Google Reader this post will get you started.

For a little Sears Roebuck nostalgia read Deep In the Heart of Searsville by Lidian of Kitchen Retro.

Valerie Craft of Begin with 'Craft' challenges us to figure out What Year Was This? Check out the photographs of her grandmother and great-grandmother and guess the time frame.

J. Geraghty-Gorman of 'Over thy dead body' shares a unique headstone with Tombstone Tuesday: Little Girl Lost, Deansgrange, Blackrock, Ireland.

The Research Journal shares a photography software editing review with Bringing Old Photos Back To Life: Picnik Test.

Bill West of West In New England shares My Ancestor On TV. How fun to discover new information about a family member from the comfort of your living room!

Yes, the holidays are just around the corner. Head over to the Moultrie Creek Gazette for greeting ideas from the post Who says it has to be a card?

Two favorite photograph picks from this week:

Yvette Porter Moore of Digging Roots: My Family History has Wordless Wednesday: Dance Dance Dance. Looks like everyone is having a wonderful time! Yes Yvette, your family can boogie!

Linda McCauley of Documenting the Details shares Wordless Wednesday-Elmer D. Hopkins. There is something about this picture that keeps me returning to review. Don't know what fascinates me more the expressions or body language.

The following geneabloggers are celebrating their blogiversary this week. Stop by and offer your congratulations!

Discovering Latvian Roots

Illuminated Ancestors

Kinfolk News

Little Bytes of Life

The Snappy Genealogist

Teresa's Tangled Roots

You Don't Choose Your Family

Blogs I started following this week:

Gumbo Genealogy: To Louisiana from the Old and New Worlds

A Latvian Canadian Story

Photo-Sleuth

TheAncestorFiles

Make sure to read this weeks GeneaBloggers article May I Introduce To You...Vicki Washuk by Gini Webb of Ginisology.

Tonight's episode of GeneaBloggers Radio will be Bring Out Your Dead! Cemeteries and Genealogy. One of my favorite aspects of family research!

Happy Follow Friday!