Attention CLL Students: A Thing or Two

One of the members of my class mentioned WikiTree.com last week.  One of the things you can do to spur interest in a particular family is to utilize this feature at WikiTree.  You can post the pedigree chart (this image, only your tree/not mine)!  to Facebook and various other places, if I remember correctly.  I have a few trees at this website but have gotten away from using it recently.  

Remember the stuff that I've been hinting at about re-freshing your family history data, your approach to genealogy, etc?  One of the things in my handouts has made a reference to "gamifying" your family history.  How is family history research like a game?  Well, here is one example of something I've learned over time:  the more you "play" with your data and view it in different ways, the more likely you are to notice something different or significant, something "special".  I invite you to try wikitree and other free programs/websites.  Having created a gedcom is basic to being able to do this, to test my theory (well, I'm sure that I'm not the first person to have discovered this trick (viewing your data in lots of different ways)!  

Your website tip for today is http://www.linkpendium.com/.  

This has nothing to do with the above information.

It's just for fun and hopefully will net you some clues!

 

Links and Helps online: 10 Ways to Grow Your Family Tree Class

Where, online, to find stuff that will help you research your family history and is relative (no pun intended) to Genealogical Stuff!

 I found this photo in my Grandmother's collection after both she and my dad were dead.  My dad's paternal line was the "Hill" family.  His mom's line was the Tucker family.  I suspect that this photo was from the Tucker family as my grandmother had a number of siblings.  I keep hoping that some day I will learn the names for these little boys!

So, what help can you expect to find, online, for the purpose of growing your family tree?

• Historical record images:   
• At familysearch.org, https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list/
• Joe Beine:  https://genrootsblog.blogspot.com/2019/02/online-indexes-for-death-records.html
• ancestry.com:  https://www.ancestry.com/search/
•  https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS15307
•  Search by place at www.familysearch.org/wiki 
•  Search  museums, vital records by state, country, etc.; caution-do not pay for the search!  County courthouses is usually where you go for marriage records.  Search also libraries, archives, etc.
• I was once fortunate enough to find some images of marriages, etc. that someone had put online!  So use your search engine!
• Don't forget to check the attic or basement of recently deceased folks for historical records.
• Where to write for records? This is a government website (the Center for Disease Control); you will find it very handy!
•  https://www.archives.gov/research
• The Family Bible!  
• Burial Records: Findagrave.com

Another Link for you!

https://www.facebook.com/thefamilycurator

 Best of all this site will feature referrals to other related sites!

A Link for You

Gene Genealogy

https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/01/findmypast-adds-ww1-uk-soldiers-medical.html

Today is January 31st, 2020! C.L.L. "Growing Your Family Tree"

Websites for today's Lesson Plan (and then some)?

Exercise Your Genealogical Research Every Day!

1.  Rootstech?  What, Where, When (online sessions)

2.  Sharing Your Family Tree 

3.  Genealogy Software 

4.  What is a "Gedcom"?  And why do you need it?  

5.  Where can I find historical records and documents? 

6.  What is a Family History Center and Where Can I find one? 

7.  Family History Fair will happen at the FWB Church of Jesus Christ of LDS on March 7th, 2020.  Fliers next week!

8.  Search Facebook for Genealogy!

9.  Search Google for Genealogy (there's a book about this; was at FWB Library, last time I check or check at Amazon.

10.  ReadOkaloosa.org 

11.  WorldCat.org 

12.  Google Books 

13.  Digitized books (other) (Maybe) Use search engine to find your own links for this topic.

14.  Archive Grid 

15.  Library of Congress 

 

 

The Research Cycle: More help online in understanding and utilizing this tool!

You can ignore or forget some principles of family history research.  You can even try to re-invent the wheel.  But some of these websites will show you that some "rules" are indeed golden!  Before you try to re-invent the wheel, try exploring and testing what has helped the research and discovery process in the past.

What is the research cycle?   Where can you find information, documents, resources?
1.  Begin with yourself.  Write down or record what you know about the ancestor (family), already.  Use charts, forms, software or grab a notebook!
2.  Interview a relative.   For some of us, it is a little late in the game, as we don't have a lot of living relatives left to interview!  However, you can still connect with cousins.  You'd be surprised at what they might know or have on hand.  And if you think you don't have any cousins, get your dna test and see what happens!  Of course, it may be true---that you don't have any cousins, but did your father or your mother have siblings who had children and/or cousins?  If so, then they may only be once removed.  If your grandparents had cousins, they are twice removed.  You might not find living relatives, but explore and research these folks AND their descendants! 

Givens Reunion 2015  !Cousins!

3.  Gather and/or pursue documents.  Are they in a box, somewhere?  Graduation certificates, birth announcements, marriage invitations, Christmas Cards?
4.  Where can you send for birth, marriage, and death certificates (United States)?

 

Growing Your Family Tree presentation

I just created a "Slideshare"/power point presentation.  Here is the link:

 https://www.slideshare.net/margaretmharris/honey-bee-research-cycle-and-more

A spot of news!

This link will take you to an all purpose site RE: charts.  Now, you know what you can give for Christmas gifts NEXT YEAR! 

Just attended a wonderful webinar!

1.  Our local genealogical society sponsored a webinar for our monthly meeting and it was sooooo helpful!

I'm not in on the technical "how did they do that?" but we watched it, then were able to submit questions, afterward.   When I got home, I got the tail-end of another webinar!

2.  Webinars aren't always "free", but if you come across something you really want/need to watch, (me in the second instance), you can pay for it and oftentimes, watch it more than once over a period of time.

The particular webinar in the first instance, at the genealogical society meeting:  It was given by Michael L. Strauss of Spanish Fork, Utah.  His credentials are at this PAGE.  You can also watch his webinars at Legacy.  Not sure if you have to subscribe for that or not.  However, if you choose to be notified when there is an upcoming webinar, go to that Legacy site and register.  Non-members can watch for free and instead of getting a syllabus, they can just take notes!  Of course, you can always ask for a subscription as a Christmas present, also!


The topic for our webinar at the Genealogical Society for Okaloosa County, Florida:  DESCENDANCY RESEARCH: ANOTHER PATHWAY TO GENEALOGY.

This is a topic that I've been interested in and read about in the past.  It is basically and hopefully, one way to find living people that are descendants of your ancestors.  There is of course, more to it than that.  The information I received from Michael was beyond helpful and I now foresee that it might net me some old photographs that I can't locate elsewhere--if I come out of my shell and touch bases with these descendants!  

This is "little" Benny Kenter whose forebearers immigrated from Russia.  He was my dad's cousin.

 

Timeline Help

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_18th_century

 https://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline.html

 https://www.thoughtco.com/genealogy-research-timelines-1422730

 https://familyhistorydaily.com/genealogy-help-and-how-to/ancestor-timeline/

 https://ancestralfindings.com/timelines-and-your-family-tree/




 

A note to my CLL class

Dear CLL student,  How do you want your hand-outs for class?  a) via email  OR b) online at this blog  OR, c) hard copy in class?

Please e-mail me with your decision or write it down in class and give it to me.

• genealogy poetry:  https://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/short/genealogy
• more genealogy poetry:  https://www.scrapbook.com/poems/cat/263.html
•  https://www.pinterest.com/alookthrutime/family-history-poems/
•  The Chosen Ones, a Genealogy Poem

 

Learning about Family History can be fun!

Abundant Genealogy!

Family History Events you Should Consider

1.  Okaloosa County, Destin Library: Follow various library websites online and see what events come-up that may be of interest to a genealogist!  Don't miss this event!

2.  Is there a local/area genealogy society?  Okaloosa County: GSOC: Yes!  Upcoming program: Yes! 

3.  Finding a Family History Center: Fort Walton Beach, FL Location, hours, etc.

Fort Walton Beach Florida Family History Center

339 Lake Drive Northwest FT WALTON BEACH Florida 32548-4175

×

• Directions
• Website
• 1 1-850-244-3338

• Hours
  Th 10AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-1PM,

A link you may want to try for your British Ancestry search

https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/01/findmypast-adds-ww1-uk-soldiers-medical.html

Gaming and Genealogy

What is your recipe for Genealogical Success?!!  I had this book by my side as a young bride (circa 1963).  I was fresh out of High School and away from my Momma, about 2000 miles away!

I finally found the source for a concept that I first learned about at a RootsTech conference.  

I had previously located an article written by Alison Moore, who was, at one time, writing for the Deseret News, regarding whether genealogy is just for "older" people.

If your genealogy journey has become frustrating, stale, or if you feel that you've hit a really big "brick wall", you might consider a change in direction, in attitude, etc.  Respectfully, I offer you the opportunity to consider this concept, originally put forth at Rootstech by D. Joshua Taylor. 

How might you apply this attitude to your genealogical "game"?  Do you need a "new" recipe for accomplishing more than just brief encounters with the names, dates, and places in your database?  What is your end "game"?!

I Can't Stop Thinking About This

Bea and her daughter, Ann, circa 1954?

 I am preparing mentally, to teach a class for the Center for Lifelong Learning (January Session 2020).  Here are some of my thoughts:

Ten Ways to Grow Your Family Tree
12/27/2019
Way #1:
 Refresh your approach to genealogy/family history and related research habits. 
    Here are some "refreshing" tips.  Can you add to this list?      Please share!
Read a book.  When was the last time you read a good book?Access Amazon.com (many of you already have an account, there, right)? In the "search box" enter something like 'genealogy books'.  You can do the same search at Google, otherwise.  Many libraries also stock "how to" books that you can check out (do you use overdrive)?.  Does your library have inter-library loans?  What is the best (most comprehensive) guide for finding a library book?  Here are some links:
    1).  World Cat: get a free account...really...FREE.  (worldcat.org).
    2).  ReadOkaloosa.org (tap into "card catalog")
    3.).  What is overdrive?  This is a site that will let you download (borrow) digital books from your locale.  Link for Okaloosa: okaloosa.overdrive.com
Join a genealogy society, attend a genealogy conference (online or in person), take a genealogy class, seek learning resources online.
Do-Over: https://genealogydoover.com/
Buy or download a new version or a different genealogy software program
Put your database to the test: Share Online
Don't become THE WOWOG.  Genealogy standards remain sacrosanct.  The guidelines have been tested.  You can re-invent the wheel, but don't break the "rules".  Agree or Disagree?  Where does your own personal style end and monotony creeps in?

CHANGE UP YOUR STYLE:  Maybe, just maybe, you do't have to do the same old things in the same old ways.  While you don't want to re-invent the wheel, maybe you do need a fresh start in less startling ways than the "Do Over" project.  This could be accomplished by simply changing (for the better) where and when you work on your genealogy.  Thoughts?





Your question may well be: What is a WoWog?

Introducing Children to FamilySearch

This photo "talks" to me about how parents can begin early in a child's life to "teach" a concept like family.  Mother holds the baby, lovingly, and invites a young child to participate.  

Words like "soft" are said quietly.  "Gentle" is a concept that is first mimicked by the mother and then, the older child is invited to do likewise.

While the picture is of children who are probably too young to use a computer, learning the idea that families contain individuals that are are of varying size, age, personalities, etc., doesn't even require using a lot of wordy language.  Sharing photos, organizing family gatherings, the writing and sending of letters or communications to family members or even just celebrating a birthday---all are steps in the child learning that there such a thing as a family unit containing father, mother, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins!

The first introduction that any child has to any segment of the lives that we can lead is the example of the parent(s).  Seeing your busy mother dedicate a part of her day or week to record her family tree on the computer at FamilySearch.org, may seem like a small thing, but that action becomes to the child an essential lesson: Family history is important.  Perhaps unspoken, but evident is the part that they can someday participate in preserving family stories, and other related activities.

Where would you begin to introduce your children to research, recording, and/or the organization and preservation of records?  How young is too young?   You may be surprised that you are halfway there!

Harry Holding and Family in 1920 Census

So Harry Chris Holding is in Detroit, (District 3), Michigan, for the 1920 U.S. Federal Census!  The date of enumeration is 5 January, 1920.  People went where the jobs were: Harry's occupation is butcher at the meat packing complex.  

Or sometimes, maybe, folks may have followed relatives to a location or vice versa; they moved, for example, to be closer to the wife's family?  

Harry (aka "Chris") and his wife, Blanch (no "e" in this record), now have five children!  There are also a couple of boarders in the household.  They are working as teamsters at the trucking company.

Harry, here, is reported to be age 30, Blanch(e) is age 25, "Kathrine", (misspelled), Holding is age 10; Harry, Jr. is age 8, Laura is age 7, Samuel is age 2 and there is a baby, Eugene, age 3 months.

Looking at this census page, I see a couple of familiar names--there is a Blanche Clark and an entry for a Mr. Yeager from Kentucky.  Harry's mother was a Yeager.  Blanche's maiden name was Clark!  Not sure whether these are relatives, yet.  Or related.  But chances are good that they are!

My Husband's Family: The Holding's

Edgar Lawrence Harris, Sr. with wife, Louanna, and two children.

My husband, Edgar Joseph Harris, (aka Edgar Lawrence Harris, Jr.), was related to the family of Harry and Blanche Holding on his mother's side.  In fact, Harry was his maternal grandfather.  (See Harry's profile at FamilySearch, PID  

Whether the two ever met is a question that I can't answer, (research in progress), but also due to the hardships that faced the young family in which Ed was the oldest child.

When my husband was just about six years old, his mother and father separated.  The three older children of that marriage were put into the orphanage at Vincennes, Indiana.  The youngest child was dispatched to the care and keeping of Catholic Social Services and the baby was subsequently adopted out.  Little Ronald Harris was born in 1944 in Indiana.  

Here is one account I found online, by googling "Saint Vincents Orphanage":  
I lived as an orphan at St.Vincents for 11 years, from 1937 to 1948. I held the record for the longest time there. At the time, I didn't know any better about the outside world, since I was only 2 years old at the time that I arrived. I had nothing to compare it to when I was little. I worked on the farm for about 6 or 7 years and the Robert Duffy Family ran the farm for the Catholic Church. The pries that I remember were Fr. Laughtner and Fr. Victor. The Head Nun, who I thought was very mean, was Sr. Norberta. My favorite nun was Sr. Rita Jane who ran Dormitory 1, which ad the older boys. Sr. Reginald was the Cook and was really good. All my memories now are very good. I've always wanted to go back for a visit but now I am 81 and Indiana is a long ways away from California. I can now recall St. Vincents, the buildings, the barns, the orchards, everything just as if I were there now. St. Vincents was really good for me. I received a good education, a good work habit, and a good moral compass. I was there during the WWII years when things were tough in this country. We always had a lot of food to eat, good clothes, though we did not wear shoes in the summer, and the people of Vincennes were very good to the orphanage. I think that all things considered, I was very lucky to have spent my youth at St. Vincents. 

Ancestry has a message board for this orphanage/location also:  https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties.marion/7111/mb.ashx

My husband, Ed, didn't have a great deal of positive memories about his experience at the orphanage.  He was separated from his brother and his sister, probably according to age and gender.  However, at some point there was a farm couple who came to take the boys (foster parents).  Their sister was eventually adopted out and raised by a couple.  I can perhaps provide more information at a later time.

The Holding family in 1910 (my husband's mother was a Holding):  The location, here, is Indianpolis Ward 14, Marion County, Indiana, Roll T624_367; Page 12 A.  Harry Holding is the Head of Household; he is age 21.  His wife, Blanche, is age 18, and their sole child at this time, Katharine, is age 1.  [This family would grow over the years; Harry and Blanche had 14 children!]  The source for the 1910 Census  was Ancestry.com.

Goodies from FamilySearch Online

Today, I added a record (historic document record) to the profile of Ernest Otto McCracken at FamilySearch.org.

Do I know who (in the world)he was?  How he is related to me?  No!  

Why, then have I received this opportunity from FamilySearch to add this record?

Here is the "scoop":  FamilySearch.org prompts me to do so because of computers which are programmed by real live people who work for FamilySearch.  The computer "thinks" that I am related to this individual.  Why do they think that?

They have matched Ernest to my profile via the family tree information that I uploaded to the website for FamilySearch.org, (via a process that I probably wouldn't understand even if I knew it)!  My son, Benji, is a code writer/programmer and I don't think he got that from my side of the family! 

At the profile page for Ernest, there is an option that I can click on: "View My Relationship".  When I click on that option/icon, (located at the far right hand side of the screen, across from the little circle that should have a photo or image of the person], it brings up this image:

If you can't see this image, save it and/or enlarge it?!!

So, when I see this image, I can see quickly, that Ernest is a descendant of my Dad's ancestors!  The FamilySearch computer via FamilySearch.org, is such a wonderful tool!  I can now access the family tree information for Ernest and compare it to my dad's tree.  Here is a picture of my Mom and Dad: 

I wonder if Ernest's profile has family pictures at FamilySearch?  Well, that is for another day, but it would be interesting to search his profile or even Google? to find out. If you already use FamilySearch, click on the "Memories" option for the people you have in your family tree.  Do this from their profile page! 

How can you, too, can take a ride down memory lane via FamilySearch?  Get a free membership to FamilySearch.org, upload your family tree information and your photos/Memories, or contact me for more information.

I volunteer at the local Family History Center, as do several others, and I can meet you there or come to your home!  Find me at Facebook: Margaret Marie Harris