Time Flies

2014 is quickly rushing to an end and pretty soon, we'll slam right into a New Year! 

Yes, I know: it's not even Christmas yet.  And yet, I find myself thinking ahead to the many fine things that will be taking place in the New Year.  Especially, for genealogists and family historians. 

Spend a few minutes between now and New Year's Eve thing about 2015 and what it will mean to you in terms of your journey down Ancestor Avenue.

Consider, for example:

• What's in store event-wise?  
• Genealogists who love history will want to scope out what's happening in 2015 to commemorate and build appreciation of the history side of family history.  There's an App for that?  I'm not sure about whether there's an app, but using your search engine should give you an edge.
• Possible Christmas Gift?  A Boxed Calendar created by The History Channel: People, events, and fascinating events to remember and celebrate in 2015!
• Lincoln Funeral Coalition Re-Enactment.
• Waterloo 200. (Be sure to check out the "Descendants" tab).  1815-2015 A.D.
• Destination Gettysburg.  (Ten Events)
• There are so many other events to check out in this category.  Don't forget state, regional, and local calendars for more possibilities.  Genealogy, 21st Century Style, includes and depends on historical perspective for understanding our ancestor's lives.
•  In the genealogy community, you will hear much about the national conferences if you read any of the genealogy blogs that are the staple in our diet of education and news.  However, don't forget that state and local societies also have websites with calendars, also.  Here is a sampling of what's out there:
• Federation of Genealogical Societies sponsors once-in-a-lifetime event in February, 2015, as they join forces with RootsTech2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  This has been in the works for almost two years and if you are interested in double the pleasure, etc., read this blog post at FamilySearch.  It's like getting your cake and eating it, too?
• Crossroads of America, the National Genealogical Society Conference in St. Charles, Missouri (PDF) in May, 2015 
• And now, because this is my blog, I get to advertise my local genealogical society meeting for January 10th, 2015! 
  
• Hank Klein will speak about the results of his research as published in his recent book regarding the land history of early Destin, Florida, from a period spanning 1819 to 1940.  His interest in this subject led him to establishing the "who, what, when, and where" of Pioneer Settlers.
• Details about the GSOC meeting can be found at the link/website just preceding the arrow symbol.

Hope you enjoyed having time off (from the regular duties of your life), yesterday, and also hope you took a moment to reflect on your life--the half-full cup angle. My own Thanksgiving Dinner began with a blessing on the food said by my oldest son. Saying thanks to God for so many good things in life is a regular Thanksgiving tradition in my life.

Speaking of good things, did you ever wonder where all the databases (records from familysearch.org), come from? Most of us realize that there are microfilms stored in a "granite" mountain and that those are being processed so that they can become digital items. Part of that transition includes an indexing element so that the database is "searchable", online, for free.

The FamilySearch Blog shows us that the old microfilms are just the tip of the iceberg.

Take a moment, a moment of thanksgiving, and read this article, "Where do indexing projects come from". You'll feel even more thankful after you read it, for many helpful hands have had a hand in this process. Their commitment is stellar!  And we thank them!

Google Docs publishes to the web?

Link to Resources for Northwest Florida Genealogy

Genealogical Resources in Northwest Florida

Attention Class! These are links for You!

Does DNA Matter 2 You?

Obtaining a DNA Test: Are you prepared for possilbe life changing results?

• Here are some thoughts and links that might help you make up your mind.

• Article: Can Your Genes Tell Your Family Story?
• Video: James Radar, Intro to DNA for Genealogists

RootsTech2015: Keeping up with the Jacobs

Wildly successful and laugh-out-loud family reunion organizer to appear at Rootstech2015.  Is he related to you? 

The FamilySearch Blog is keeping us posted as they release the "happenings" that are going to take place at this popular conference in January.

Lifelong Learning

Every conversation needs a "starter"; sometimes that's a bit of news, sharing a personal experience, or showing baby photos!

Today's sharing has to do with a presentation I created at Google Docs for my "Beyond Basic Genealogy" class at the Center for Lifelong Learning.  I hope as we review together, some of the things we've discussed over the course of this session, we will stay on task with our family history reseach even after the course ends.

Here's the presentation, or at least I hope I can post it here! 

Be sure to click on "Present" in the upper right corner and it should come off as a slideshow!

Contents of 1901 Boston time capsule revealed | Deseret News

Contents of 1901 Boston time capsule revealed | Deseret News

Thoughts about this article:

• Family Reunion Activity: Create, put together a family "time capsule" that can be retrieved in fifty to a hundred years?

• What would you include (of all your "stuff") in a family history "time capsule" that would fit in this size container?  

 Other thoughts about this article and how it might pertain to "family history"?

WikiChicks: Calendar of Genealogy Events

WikiChicks: Calendar of Genealogy Events

Here's an Idea!  Can there be too many bloggers or virtual sources letting us know what's going on and where in the genealogy community?!  List your society's "event" here and check out the Facebook version.

The Key to Unlock Your Family History May Be in the Hands of a Pandit

The Key to Unlock Your Family History May Be in the Hands of a Pandit

I love learning about different cultures; you get an unique and interesting perspective about family life and family history!

National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair: October 28, 29, and 30, 2014

National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair: October 28, 29, and 30, 2014:

I love YouTube, and watching the presentations at that venue will be technologically a breeze!  To access the list of classes/lectures, access this site.

What we can find with the help of Federal records will give our ancestry hunt a big boost.

A Thank You to my friend Val for passing this along.

Seriously, You Should Think About Going!

RootsTech Conference Salt Lake City Feb. 12-14th.  I encourage you to read through the list of classes (over 200).  You might do something like this only once in your lifetime, but you'll have the memories forever!

Genealogical Society of Okaloosa County October Program

We call it, casually, "G-Soc[k]"; it's the Genealogical Society of Okaloosa County, (FL).  The Society is over 30 years old and has been faithfully providing monthly education programs for area genealogists all that time!  That takes dedication from the officers and committee chairs and over a period of time, the faces change, revolve, and disappear.

One such person was our friend, Florence "Flo" Lembeck.  She served as President of the Society in 1988 and again in 1992.  She was active in many ways in her community (Crestview) and in her County.  I have posted a link for her obituary, here, for those of you who knew or knew of Flo's contributions.  She was instrumental in  transcribing records and helping with the publications of the society, publications which preserve the records of Okaloosa, Santa Rosa County, and Walton County.

Flo was my mentor and a friend; she encouraged and inspired me.

October 11th Meeting (Second Saturdays, always), 2014:

Mr. Bert Blackmon will be the guest speaker for the October meeting at 10:00 am at the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida. His presentation will be "Researching Military Records" and will focus on the many kinds of records available for persons who served in the military and where to look for these records. 

Stumbling Books...Part 2

• If I have searched for an online publications (digital book, article, etc.) and haven't located the information for which I am looking; what's next?  Answer: Search the online catalogs of libraries, for their holdings.  Think university libraries, private libraries, regional libraries, periodical libraries, etc.  Look into library acquisitions and "collections".  Do the WorldCAT thing.

• If I take a research trip to Utah to visit the Family History Library, what do I do first and what choices do I make for maximizing my time? Answer: This answer is multi-faceted.  
• Before you ever leave home, and this goes for any repository that you are visiting, you want to become familiar with the holdings of that institution.  Much information is available online. 
• People are your best resource for some things.  At the FHL in SLC, there are "guides", classes, etc., for free.  Know which lectures/classes are being given the week that you are there.  Ask for a guide/volunteer/Family History Missionary, especially if you need translation help or research guidance.  Again, before you leave home, research the way the library is set up, when it's open, etc.
• Head for the book shelves, which are located, last I checked, in a separate building across the street.  You know already what is there because you've looked at the catalog.  Look for the things you need that are not available elsewhere, such as books and family histories that are under copyright.  
• Finally, check out this "TipList" for visiting the Library.  

  

  Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah

  
  

• If I visit a local or regional library, how do I locate a book that will be helpful to me in building my family tree?  Answer: Again, most, if not all libraries have an online catalog.  Categories you might check for family history:
• Some libraries have "history rooms", a genealogy shelf or two, or a whole genealogy department.  For example, look at the genealogy holdings of the Milton, Florida library, (Santa Rosa County Library System).  Another link that might be more helpful is the catalog link, perhaps.  The section at the Milton (main branch) that is devoted to genealogy has been grown by the donations and support of the Santa Rosa Genealogical Society.  That society's newsletter often lists new acquisitions.
• If you really want to wring out the sources in a specific location, expand your scope of search.  For example, in the case of Santa Rosa County, Florida, 



River Walk in Milton, Florida: 




 

 

 

 




• A Historical Society
• Their Gen-Web Project Site
• Linkpendium WebSite 
• Facebook Pages
• Newspapers, etc.

Here are some suggestions:

Most, if not all of the physical repositories that we might visit, employ a reference librarian (also called by other names--"adult librarian", etc.).  This person is put there to serve your needs.  If after consulting an online catalog, you cannot locate the source you are looking for, be sure to ask for help.  Get a map of the arrangement utilized in this particular library.  It is possible, and probable that that what you need may not be in the reference section, may not be catalogued according to the Dewey Decimal system.  If you do decide to ask the librarian for help, be as specific as you can in what you are needing.  Be polite and gracious, patient and appreciative.  For more info, Google "Ask a Librarian" and the state in which you are researching.

When looking for books online, please don't forget to search Google Books. 
Here is an example of what I found:  My search parameters were Loftin genealogy "North Carolina"; I clicked on the first "hit", North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register.  There were twelve references in this digitized publication and I looked at every one.  What I saw was land transactions, lots of land transactions.  Still, I find names, dates, and places of direct lineal ancestry!  Better yet, I found the same for people who may have been related to Leonard Loftin, who may have been in his "cluster"; I recognize some of those surnames as some of those that I already, with which I am familiar.

If you can't find your ancestors in the 1700's and back further, you will have to search old books, online or in person!

Stumbling Books Part 1

Stumbling?  The inveterate reader and messy person leaves books stacked by the bed, on the floor by the recliner, tucked into already heavily laden bookcases.  It's okay to be messy as long as you are a genius, right?!  As long as you don't stumble, trip, or land on your head, put your books wherever you can.  Dick Eastman, popular blogger, is an advocate for scanning those books that are irreplaceable.

Are you stumbling to find sources for your favorite hobby, genealogy?  Are you able to find virtual sources online that have the beauty of being searchable with a keyboard, mouse, and a click?  Can you locate genealogical information (stored in a physical book) via the Internet? 

The modern solution to these and other challenges is: combine the power of digital with the power of physical repositories.  Get the best of both worlds, realizing that there is still so much published data not yet scanned, not yet digitized, and not yet available on the Internet, and the work of getting that done is still a mammoth project!

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How did we find the books we needed for genealogy before the Internet?  We used bibliographical guides and we used card catalogs, right?  On the Internet, we actually have "virtual" card catalogs.  They are found at Ancestry.com, a portal is provided at Cyndislist.com, at and a searchable option for books at FamilySearch.org.  There are webistes, now for most physical repositories whether large or small. 

Search the Library of Congress to see what has already been published about your family names (the wheel doesn't always need to be re-invented). 

Loveliest of all, perhaps, is WorldCat, a catalog that can find the book you are searching for, combined with the ability to tell you just where copies of the physical book reside in reference to your location.

The Family Stories That Bind Us — This Life - NYTimes.com

The Family Stories That Bind Us — This Life - NYTimes.com

Gathering places, like the dinner table, for example, can be a meeting place for stories, as well.  Not just the pleasant recollections but also the not so pleasant ones.  For example, in the last days of my mother's life, my sister and brother and I shared our remembrance of bad times and good.  Our thoughts always came back to how my mother had brought the family through those times, how she always seemed to be the glue that held us together.  She was a survivor and she dragged us with her, forward and upward.

Sometimes being a hero, being a brave soldier, and being the one who holds on is more about staying in the race rather than winning it.  As the holidays descend upon us, let us use those "gathering times" and "gathering places" to tell the stories, both good and bad.  They will make us stronger and chase the shadows away for our children and/or grandchildren.

Headstone Symbolism | Symbols on Headstones Demystified

Headstone Symbolism | Symbols on Headstones Demystified

Here, at this site, you will find items that were utilized as symbols that reflected the life and/or death of the individual and the mindset of those left behind.  The list is kind of lengthy or I would have printed it out.  Still, I think that it will be a propeller to drive you in your search of cemeteries.

Campfire stories may have sparked early societal learning - LA Times

Campfire stories may have sparked early societal learning - LA Times

You will find that this article has been picked up by a number of publications.  What theme do you see presented in the article?  How does it remind you of some personal experiences you may have had in the past?

Firelight Talk Of The Kalahari Bushmen Helped Human Culture And Thought - Science News - redOrbit

Firelight Talk Of The Kalahari Bushmen Helped Human Culture And Thought - Science News - redOrbit

How have campfires enriched your cultural traditions?  I remember that long ago (I am so old, now!), as I was growing up, bonfires on the beach were a well-established practice.  Now, they are illegal.  Extending the light of the day after a glorious sunset was bonding experience for teenagers, families, groups.  I also remember going to Girls' Camp in the LDS church.  Our campfire was the connection that drew us into a circle of hopes, fears, and love. 

Camp Fire

 

Now, can you think of other lights that gather and warm your heart, that promote the exercise of imagination and the pull of gathering?  A fireplace is still a good thing in the homes of those who live in Northwest Florida.  Our homes get cold in the winter, believe it or not; some tease that we are really in Southeast Alabama.  Our winter was extremely cold.

Whether you have a fire pit or a fireplace or only hold candles--tell the tales of your ancestors, tell your stories.  Reflect the light of those who went before and draw closer to family members and friends in the cold months ahead.

Want to learn about your genealogy? A Virginia man compiles area resources. - The Washington Post

Want to learn about your genealogy? A Virginia man compiles area resources. - The Washington Post

After reading this article, here are some key themes I latched onto:

•  The interaction between generations: A man helps his son with a homework assignment and discovers an avenue of interest for life.
• Where would we genealogists be without volunteers, without those who've gone beyond their own research to compile resources for a community and beyond?
• The "Virginia man", Harold McLendon, has affiliated with a local genealogical society.  He has become a valuable member of that society; the association has been good to him and he has reciprocated.  

Read the article and let me know what you get out of it.  Are there people like this in your community?  How does your commitment to genealogy enriched the life and research of others?