Kreativ Blogger – 2nd Go ‘Round!

Thank you for the award, Karen!

Earlier this year, this award went around the genea-blogger (and “normal” blogger) community.   I was fortunate to receive this award from Sheri of Grandma’s Stitches.  Just recently I was given this award again – from Karen at Twigs to Roots. Karen has recently begun her foray into the blogging world and has jumped in with both feet! Please travel to her blog and give her a big geneablogger welcome!

As part of receiving this award, I am to list seven things about myself:

1. I am back in college again!
2. My new grandson will be 2 months old on Saturday!
3. I love Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte!
4. I get to take the day “off” for Thanksgiving this year as one of my daughter’s is having it at her house for the first time!
5. All of my grandsons have blue eyes.
6. I’m almost at the tail end of the “baby boomer” generation!
7. I am secretary for the PTA at my grandson’s elementary school!

Next, I’m to Award this to other blogs that I enjoy.  I’d like to try to highlight some that are new to me – since this award has already been around to several.

A Tale of Two Ancestors by Amanda Acquard. Amanda must be the sister I didn’t know I had because we share the same interests – history, genealogy, and travel (though I haven’t been able to do that!). She is currently in graduate school and working toward becoming a genealogy reference librarian. Although I am currently only working toward my associates degree, I had decided I would very much like a career as a historical archivist – whether for a library or a museum – but that is a very long way off! Stop by and say hi to Amanda!

Ancestor Hunting by Cheryl Rothwell. Her story A Family Way is very touching. Please go read her blog if you don’t have it bookmarked already!

Diggin Up Dirt by Cat. She posts interesting articles about her own genealogy research and the information she’s been able to obtain. I find it useful to see what she and other’s have found – especially when I need a slight nudge in the right direction.  Stop by and read some of her interesting posts.

And I’m sure there are many more I could honor with this award – however, I want to make sure others have the opportunity to award it!

Thanks, Karen, for the award!  And congratulations to all who receive it!

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Loving the Carnival!

Extra! Extra!   Read all about how the case of Chase began at the town on the river spending days of childhood on the water and wandering through a haunted graveyard.  Though independent from birth, there was still time for the furry and feathered family members or calling on dear St. Nicholas.  Often taking time to share, show and explain traditions or statistics on age in the books for genealogy.  When friends would meet Mom, they understood her senior moments talking about the great Texas snow. Often explanations would be given about the American political road map with exclamations of “What a bunch of hooey!”  However, when we get together for the Carnival, I resolve to only say, “Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah!” and we are not just horsin’ around.

Carnival:

• Cruise?
• Rides and Games?
• Rio?
• Parades?
• Mardi Gras?

If you chose none of the above, you are correct!!!  In the blogosphere, the word carnival takes on a whole new meaning – well sort of!  Generally a blog carnival is a repository for many contributors’ blog posts centered around a chosen theme.  In the genealogy blog world, there are several types of “carnivals” in which to participate – Cabinet of Curiosities”, Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, Irish Heritage and Culture, and several others.

Three years ago, Jasia who authors Creative Gene wrote Carnival of Genealogy, Edition 1. This Carnival is now in its 84th Edition. The topic for this edition is “What has the Carnival of Genealogy Meant to You?”

Creative Gene was one of the first Genealogy Blogs I bookmarked and read each day.  Soon, I was clicking on the links to others’ blogs and soon bookmarked several of them.  I read with interest the CoG’s and soon realized that not only were others submitting articles that more people would read but sometimes connections were being made.  I knew that if I were to get more than just a few readers (and possibly some connections, too), I should participate in the CoG’s.  I enjoy writing and knew that should I undertake a project writing biographies of my ancestors, I should start writing and reading others’ articles.

My first submission to the CoG was for the 47th Edition, published on May 3, 2008 with the theme “A Place Called Home”.  My entry was The Town on the River. Wow! After some research and writing and re-writing, I had an article of which I could be proud! Jasia even extended a warm welcome to me and encouraged everyone to welcome this “newbie” to the Carnival!

Since that first entry, I’ve participated in numbers 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 78, and 79 (see top paragraph – all my titles are incorporated into the opening!).  There have been a wide variety of topics and several others besides Jasia have hosted.  I have not hosted a CoG – that is something I would have to look into and make sure that if I do volunteer to host that I have the time to make sure it is done properly. 

I’ve had several favorite topics.  Lately I haven’t been able to find the time to put in research in order to write an indepth post for some of them.  My favorites have been: The Case of Chase written for the 53rd Edition. The theme was “Carousel” – any genealogy topic was fair game. I had spent quite a bit of time on my article and included pictures and documented evidence information. This article brought four comments from others – two of them descendents of the man I wrote about – people I didn’t think existed! Another favorite entry was Independent from Birth for the 51st Edition.

I’ve read articles in the CoG that have touched my heart, sparked an interest, and given me new research techniques to think about and investigate.  Unfortunately, I’m unable to think of just one that would be the all time stand-out – there are so many talented writers and enthusiastic genealogists for me to pick just one!

I generally encourage my readers to check out or submit articles to the CoG.  The more the merrier!  And it’s always wonderful when someone new begins submitting articles.

The Carnival of Genealogy has enabled me to go above and beyond just gathering names, dates and places.  I have delved into the lives of those that I’ve written about – trying to capture their emotions, joys, and hardships.  Reading others’ articles has given me new avenues to investigate and research when hunting for that “brick wall” ancestor.

The impact on my life has been two-fold.  One – I’ve been able to meet new friends and some distant cousins.  By reading some of the articles and seeing a common surname, I’ve made connections.  The second aspect has been aiding me in becoming a more thorough researcher and writer.

I’d like to extend my thanks to all of the genea-bloggers who have commented on my articles; who have pointed me in other directions for information; to those who capture my interest with their thought provoking, informative and heart-touching stories; and to Jasia who first introduced me to the Carnival of Genealogy!  You folks are great!

And for all of you who think you can’t write an article for the CoG – just try it once!  You may learn something new about yourself!

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Thrilling Moments in My Genealogy Research

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings, who took an idea from Leland Metzler of Genealogy Blog, posted his Saturday Night Fun yesterday and it is about Satisfying Genealogy Moments.

The most thrilling parts of researching my ancestry are hearing and/or finding distant cousins – especially those whom I didn’t even know existed.  Case in point – a child put up for adoption by a great-aunt, an uncle’s child that no one ever knew about, children of a woman I thought had lived as a nun her entire life (but didn’t!), and descendents of my maternal great-grandmother’s sister!  Not only have I connected with these people, but we shared information and still email each other.

Another exciting aspect of digging into my roots is when I find documentation and proof of a relationship.  Family lore and stories are one thing but to see an actual document that proves those stories is a “stand up and cheer” moment!  I’ve had many of those over the course of the last 10 years.

Hopefully I will make contact with more distant relatives and uncover much more documentation as I continue my quest!

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And They Were Great!

I’m a day late, but thought I’d participate in Randy Seaver’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun over at Genea-Musings.  This topic was to post informaton about our 16 great-great-grandparents.

 

1. William Amore b. February 6, 1828 in Albany, N.Y.  d. February 9, 1896 in Coshocton County, Ohio.  On the 1880 Census, he listed that his father was born in England and his mother was born in New York.  Nationality - probably English.

2. Charlotte Reed Imons b. August 4, 1828 in Ohio d. October 9, 1862 in Coshocton County, Ohio.  Nationality – unknown

3. William Washington Werts b. December 25, 1829 in Muskingum County, Ohio d. April 7, 1857 in Ohio.  William’s 2nd g-grandfather was born in Baden and the history documented about the Werts family suggests most of them originated in the German area.  Nationality – German

4. Louisa Bookless b. April 13, 1834 in Muskingum County, Ohio d. July 26, 1912 in Coshocton County, Ohio.  Nationality – probably English

5. Florus Allen House b. January 5, 1813 in New York d. June 25, 1891 in Coshocton County, Ohio.  Nationality – English

6. Julia Ann Lewis b. December 24, 1815 in Ohio d. October 6, 1899 in Coshocton County, Ohio.  Nationality – Unknown

7. Evan Ogan - He was the Foster father of my g-grandmother, Frances Virginia Ogan.  It is unknown if he was directly related to her.

8. Susannah Fritter – She was the Foster mother of my g-grandmother, Frances Virginia Ogan.  It is unknown if Susannah was directly related to her.

9. James Wilson Johnson b. August 16, 1829 in Byrd Township, Brown County, Ohio d. October 17, 1917 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. Based on family lore – nationality is English.

10. Amanda Evaline Mullis b. 1833 in North Carolina d. March 21, 1868 in Rush County, Indiana.  Nationality – Scottish

11. Franklin Blazer b. June 2, 1836 probably in Indiana d. August 25, 1869 in Madison County, Indiana. Nationality – English & German

12. Malissa Goul b. Oct. 1832 in Champaign County, Ohio d. March 7, 1907 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. Nationality – German
13. Israel Isaac Wilt b. September 9, 1827 in Rockingham County, Virginia d. September 11, 1919 in Henry County, Indiana. Nationality – German

14. Christena Nash b. abt. 1837 in Pennsylvania d. August 18, 1876 in Henry County, Indiana. Nationality – Unknown

15. Emanual Bushong Stern b. October 7, 1834 in Montgomery County, Ohio d. September 10, 1911 in Nebraska. Nationality – German

16. Nancy Caylor b. May 10, 1840 in Wayne County, Indiana d. December 21, 1900 in Noblesville, Hamilton County, Indiana. Nationality – German

Out of my 16 great-great-grandparents, 2 of them are Unknown – the biological parents of Frances Virginia Ogan.  It is highly doubtful that I will ever find out who they are since she was either farmed out or dropped on a doorstep as a small child.  Four of them are of English descent.  One is of English and German descent.  Three are of Unknown descent.  One is of Scottish descent and the remaining 5 are of German descent.

I am:  31.75% German
            25.5% English
             6.25% Scottish
           36.5% Unknown (although I believe it to be a combination of English, German, Scottish and French)

Interesting facts: William Amore was the only one of my 2nd great-grandparents who was the 1st generation American.

Most of my 2nd great-grandparents were born and/or died in Indiana or Ohio.

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Random Acts

As I did further research on my BLAZER line this past weekend, I went to Find a Grave to check out any new submissions that might help. There weren’t any recent postings so I decided to submit a photo request for the grave of Malissa Goul Blazer, my maternal g-g-grandmother. On the request form, I also asked for pictures of other BLAZER or GOUL graves located close to her’s.

Imagine my surprise when I received a notice that someone had accepted the photo request and had already taken pictures of the graves!  Not only did this wonderful Find a Grave volunteer post Malissa’s – but also other Goul and Blazer stones.  She also found Malissa’s husband’s stone – Franklin Blazer – my g-g-grandfather!  I was very thrilled to actually be able to see that on Franklin’s stone, the inscription listed him of a child of J & M Blazer (John and Mary).  That is what I had discovered but it was great to have further confirmation of that!

A day or two passes when I received an email from the kind woman who had posted the photos.  She had gone to the library to see if she could find more information about Franklin for me.  Unfortunately, she didn’t find any but she did find some articles on the deaths of two of his family members.  She is mailing them to me so I am very excited. 

Have you performed a Random Act of Genealogical Kindness lately? Or at all?  How many people have offered to help you?  Have you sent an email or posted a message thanking those who have helped you? 

And to all those who have helped me – if I haven’t said it lately – thank you very much!

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Why I’d Like to Meet Maureen Taylor

Just hearing her name causes some in the genealogy, photography and history circles to say “oooh!”  Maureen Taylor, aka the Photo Detective, has appeared on The Today Show and RootsTV. She’s a photo curator and an expert in photo preservation and identification.

How many of us “regular” folks have come across a photographic mystery while exploring attics, basements, and other areas our family has kept photos?

While I was in Ohio, I came across a group of photographs that can only be described as big.  These are remarkable enlargements for the time.  One is poster size and is a photo of my grandfather and his family.  I’m interested to find out if this enlargement was made in more recent history as my grandfather looked to be about 10 – making the date of the photo about 1908.  Included in this stack were photos that actually looked more like charcoal drawings.  Are these really originals or photos of drawings?  They are on thick stock.

Needless to say, these photographs are much too large for me to scan. I will have to actually take a digital photo of them in order to post them.  For the age of these pictures – they are in pretty good shape. 

I’d love to pull out these pictures and see Maureen’s expression.  Would she be as excited as I was to see them?  What type of storage should I place these precious heirlooms in so that they will survive?  What can she tell me about the history of these enlargements?

I guess for now I’ll have to keep reading the Photo Detective Blog, her articles in genealogy magazines, her books, and wondering if someday I’ll be as lucky as some of my geneablogger friends who actually got to meet and talk with her at the Southern California Jamboree!

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Little Bit of This-n-That

I’m taking a break from writing – or thinking – about the series of articles I want to post concerning Death, Dying and Wading into the Legal System. There are other things to write about for the time being.

New Geneablogger stuff – I guess I’m a little behind the times (please read: too busy dealing with personal issues) to realize that Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family (and other great blogs) fame, has been hard at work on the GeneaBloggers blog/website. There’s a wealth of great information and a list of ALL of the Geneabloggers! It’s been around for several months so if you’ve been a little busy or preoccupied (like me!) – go check it out and bookmark it! I think it’s great that each week, new geneablogs are mentioned.

There’s also a new Social Networking site “just for genealogists” – GenealogyWise. Several of the geneabloggers have hopped on the new bandwagon in town – so far not many have abandoned Facebook. Are you on GenealogyWise? I haven’t signed up yet. For the time being, I have way too much on my plate to try to keep up with another network! Perhaps sometime in the future.

Another item I wanted to mention was the recent SoCal Jamboree that was attended by many of the geneabloggers – especially those who live in the Southern California region.  To read more about this event (sounds like it was quite a party!) – head over to Southern California Genealogical Society 40th Annual Jamboree. Then check other geneabloggers postings to read about all the good stuff they learned, the new friends they made, how they met their “idol”, and see all the great photos! I’ve enjoyed the Jamboree vicariously – since I’m not in Southern California and not able to participate in person!

Elyse Doerflinger has pondered why Genealogy Societies Need to Look Torward the Future over at Elyse’s Genealogy Blog. Wonderful content and she’s received tons of comments! Have I mentioned that Elyse is one of our “younger” sisters in the geneablogger world? She has an excellent perspective on so many issues!

Don’t forget to participate in several of the upcoming Carnivals and prompts! If you have writer’s block – or just keep bumping into that genealogical brick wall and need a break – these are wonderful ways to get inspired.

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Why I Haven’t Posted Lately

Unfortunately life has become rather stressful as of late so I haven’t written any new posts.  I’ve missed the last two Carnivals of Genealogy as well as several Tombstone Tuesday’s and Wordless Wednesdays. 

I have done quite a bit of research in the last few weeks which has provided some new information and areas still to be checked.

As soon as Easter is over, I will (hopefully) be posting again on a regular basis!

But for now, head on over to West in New England and read the 69th Carnival of Genealogy. Kudos to Bill West for hosting this edition and to all the genea-bloggers who contributed!

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Who’s Your Daddy?

Each Saturday evening, Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings posts Saturday Night Genealogy Fun – a little game for all the geneabloggers. Unfortunately due to my recent schedule I haven’t been able to play as often as I’d like. But when I saw this post on Your Paternal Grandmother’s Patrileneal Line”, I couldn’t resist. So what if I’m a couple days late!

What was your father’s mother’s maiden name?
My paternal grandmother was Ella Maria HOUSE.  She was born June 22, 1882 and died on July 3, 1946 in Coshocton, Ohio.

What was your father’s mother’s father’s name?
Ella’s father was James Emory HOUSE.  I wrote a biography that you can find here.  He was born May 2, 1842 and died October 1, 1924 in Coshocton, Ohio.

What is your father’s mother’s father’s patrilineal line? That is, his father’s father’s father’s … back to the most distant male ancestor in that line?
The father of James Emory HOUSE was Florus Allen House born January 5, 1813 in New York and died June 25, 1891 in Coshocton, Ohio.

The father of Florus was Allen HOUSE born June 13, 1791 in Hartford County, Connecticut and died September 1, 1845 in Milford, Michigan.

Allen’s father was Lazarus HOUSE born April 14, 1748 and died after 1817 in Hartford County, Connecticut.

Lazarus’ father was William HOUSE born September 9, 1713 and died March 20, 1788 in Hartford County, Connecticut.

William’s father was also William HOUSE born abt. 1684 and died in 1742 in Hartford County, Connecticut.

William’s father was another William HOUSE born in 1642 and died 1703/1704 in Hartford County, Connecticut.  He may have been born either in Connecticut or England.  It is thought that he traveled from England to America as a crewmember on board ship.  Very little is documented about this man.

William’s father was John HOUSE (HOWSE) born about 1610 in Somersetshire, England and died in 1644 in Connecticut.  This informaton is still speculation and has never been documented.

Can you identify male sibling(s) of your father’s mother, and any living male descendants from those male sibling(s)? If so, you have a candidate to do a Y-DNA test on that patrilineal line. If not, you may have to find male siblings, and their descendants, of the next generation back, or even further.
Ella had six brothers and one half-brother (through her father). 

Her half-brother, Edward HOUSE had one son, Waldo, who died in 1966.  Waldo has two sons – still believed to be living – Richard and Donald and Donald has one son – Dan.

Ella’s oldest full brother, Florus (named after his grandfather), had 3 sons.  It is believed there are still several male descendents still living.

Brother, John, had one son who died in 1983.  I don’t know if he had any male descendents.

Brother, Alford Elmer, died at age 4.

Brother, James, had two sons – Raymond and Wilbur.  The latter died at age 1.  I have no further information on Raymond.

Brother, Charles, died at age 12 in a farming accident.

Brother, Alva Lester (see Part One and Part Two of his biography), had three sons.  Arthur died at age 2 months from pneumonia.  His last child, an unnamed male, was stillborn.  His fourth child, Jarold, had four sons – all presumed to still be living.  Jarold died in 1980.

The conclusion is that there are still several males to do a Y-DNA test on – however, I’ve never actually met any of these men so the odds of the test being done are slim to none!

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FamilySearch Update

On February 20th, I wrote this post about my concerns over the new FamilySearch update and design. Apparently, I was not the only one who had problems and sent feedback.

On that same day, I received a total of 5 hits from these search terms: “familysearch problems”, “familysearch error 500″, “server error 500 on family search”, “familysearch”, and “familysearch server error”. For the same type of search terms on February 21st, I received 3 hits. On February 22nd, I received 2 hits from the search term “familysearch record search not working”. And in the last two days, I’ve received 3 hits on those search terms. The post referenced above has received a total of 37 hits.

So late on February 24th when I went to check the site again – just in case – I noticed that they had put a message stating that the site would be down during the day on February 25th while they were making updates. Yesterday when I checked it to see if it was back up again, I noticed that the message was expanded to say that the update would fix problems associated with the update. When the site came back up yesterday evening, the message explained that folks with IE6 could now use the site again!

I immediately sent feedback to say thank you! I’m sure I’m not the only one who is pleased that the problem is now resolved. I would hope that anyone else who had problems, will also thank them for fixing this. The administrators are obviously reading comments made and diligently working to improve searchability for all of us. Let’s show them our gratitude!

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