Genealogy Can Be Fun. History is Educational

This week is going to fly fast.  Because we are doing Genealogy and doing History,  it should fly by.

 This is the week before Easter for many.  The last days of Lent for this year.

 As you all know I follow Randy Seaver on his Genea-Musing pages.  He always finds tidbits and topics to keep us thinking of ways to find answers to our questions. His Saturday Night Genealogy Fun topics are great for helping fill in the blanks and get us geared to, time and space of the time we are hunting.

Today wouldn't it be fun to find out what was happening in your family, on some specific date you choose and then you can share that with us at our next get together. Sometimes what is happening in the neighborhood dictates why we are not locating something where we think it should be.

Case in point, boundary changes are so much fun, so frustrating.  Was the land bought in Cumberland Co. PA 1795 but sold in Perry Co., PA in 1835?  O but then the land could be sold by owner anywhere.  But the land never moved. If it was sold as Cumberland Co. land. The County was divided and Perry Co. was created, then some years later the family sells the land.  Where is the family?
The land is now in Perry Co. PA.  No longer affiliated with Cumberland Co at all.

If you want to learn more about a parent's family try a date in their time frame and look at a newspaper.

I am sure that many peoples never thought what happened this week so  many hundred years ago would bring about the changes we are seeing and living through today.

Governments against and for each other, Religion still seems to be a key factor in almost all the
political situations.

Love thy neighbor as thyself for the love of Thee.

The more history you read  the more insight you gain into the lives of the past.

Pick a date, pick an ancestor and share with us when we meet.

Comments from a Distant Cousin Lisa Louise Cooke

Some years ago as Lisa Cooke was giving  a presentation I spotted some interesting names in her files on display.  At break I asked are those your family names? She said," yes" and then I said, "Hi, distant Cousin".

 Sharing that she wrote to me about blogging and how important it is for us to use it for our research.
 
It seems she has found a new venue, I am going to pull this out of her note to me.

I've mentioned Google's Blogger platform which is a free place to create your blog. But here's the newer hot place to be - particularly if you are interested in reason #2 above: Tumblr.

 Now we have something new we can play with.  She says it  is easy and looks real sharp. 

It seems it is something that the younger generation seems to really like which she hopes will help us pull in more unknown family relatives and information.  

She also mentions that writing a family narrative  helps to uncover gaps in our family stories.

She thinks our chldren and grandchildren will be more likely to read it.

And of course our all time favorite it is Google Cousin Bait.

So hope you wander over and click that link and see what it is all about.

Cousin Lisa, Hoping your well and the weather is good for you.  Maybe will get to see you at NGS.  

Jamie Mayhew on Land Records Being Presented

The March program for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is "Land Records".  This is being presented by Jamie Mayhew.

Wednesday 25 March  12 noon to 2 Pm

Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Auditorium  365 F St., CV, CA

 Across the Prairie: Land Records in the Public Land States

She has an extensive background and member of the APG and other groups.

She also has her own business in the genealogical field.

It should be a very informative program.

Have You Tried, a State Historical Society? IOWA

  I was delighted to have someone share this link with  me.  Having much relatives and ancestors in and from Iowa and wanting to bring this to your attention.


I wish to give full credit to those who credited and brought this information to light.

ISSN 0003-4827 No known copyright restrictions.

Recommended Citation Mott, David C.. "Early Iowa Newspapers." The Annals of Iowa 16 (1928), 161-221. Available at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/annals-of-iowa/vol16/iss3/2

 This is just a segment of what they have: pages 161- 221 is regarding early Iowa Newspapers.
David C. Mott.

http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5159&context=annals-of-iowa

If you have Iowa Research it is highly recommended that you scout out the information that this url holds and the State Historical Society information on the state.

 It gives the history of many of the newspapers and the names of them and the times of existence. 

Hosted by Iowa Research Online

Genetic Ancestry, Lots to Absorb

I am excited to see this tidbit :   http://www.nature.com/

It is an article about the genetic mapping of the British Isles.**

I am hoping you all enjoy reading it even if we do not totally understand it.

But we know it is so interesting to learn.

Enjoy and share your comments

http://www.nature.com/news/uk-mapped-out-by-genetic-ancestry-1.17136

We do know many countries covered this ground over hundreds of years. Roman Empire,  Anglo-Saxon from Germany, Nordic peoples, Danish Vikings and others.

**correction says it covered the UK not the British Isles. But look at the maps etc.

It seems when I did the DNA talk at the meeting a couple years back they also had a good mapping of
whom was making up the background of various countries and races.

Then I worked with Family Tree DNA.

There are other tidbits on this page that should intrigue the reader also.
Steppe Migration regarding language origin, America's natives have European Roots,
Most Europeans share recent ancestors.

So go and see and read and learn.

Lemon Grove Research, Genealogy Groups on Facebook

Wednesday evening we hope to share some of the many societies that are on Facebook for your working pleasure.  Remember Facebook is Free. Class is Free.

The list keeps growing and the need is great.  It is free so do give it a whirl.

  Lemon Grove Library, ( location is 3001 School Lane in Lemon Grove) from 6 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. Contact Susi Pentico (619-623 -5250, SusiCP@cox.net) for more details. All are invited to attend.

Irish Research being Shared, Thanks

Again, I am passing on what a dear person shared with many. Leland M.  Thanks.

70 Great Resources for Irish Research


70 yes 70 resources for your Irish research is listed on this blog page that Leland is notifying us of.
So a new blog to follow and lots of more resources for your research.



http://crestleaf.com/blog/70-resources-finding-irish-ancestors/

Irish Genealogy: 70 Resources for Finding Irish Ancestors

This site is definitely note worthy for researchers to be aware.  Thank you for creating it.

Also listed on is blog was this one.


St. Patrick's Day is a time to remember ancestors, particularly the Scotch-Irish | Deseret News

Wow they even mentioned Stephen Foster in this article. His music was so great.

 A cool quote here is:

"The Scotch-Irish of North Carolina passed “Resolutions of Independence” in 1775, a full year before the Declaration of Independence. And even our national declaration of July 4, 1776, was handwritten by Charles Thompson, printed by John Dunlap and given its first public reading by John Nixon, all three being Scotch-Irish. "

Are You A Member Of NGS? Do you use Family Search?

HI, if your a member of NGS this is not news but they have been posting various webpages for us  to
look at and help us in our genealogy quests.


UpFront with NGS: 20 Free and (Relatively) New Genealogy and Family History Resources, Part 5


Yes, go to their page and gander at all the potential places you can look.

 Sorry I have not posted much but we have a very serious family situation we are working  with and pray God will help us with.

You can click back and see the other sites also.

Best Wishes for a Happy Spring into Easter.

Susi

Almost forgot to share that my dear friend blogged more Family Search sites also available.

http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=34338

FamilySearch Adds Over 2.2 Million Indexed Records & Images to Australia, Philippines, Slovakia, Ukraine, the USA & Zimbabwe

Historical Societies, Do You Remember Them?

Historical Societies, Do You Remember Them?

If your area of research has a Genealogical Society, do you remember to check with the Historical Society?  Does the area have one? What does it hold?

I am learning many areas are letting the Historical Societies sort of disappear. I actually live in that type of community. Yet we have many Genealogical Societies to share.

We need to realize that the Historical Societies have the history of the area. There are artifacts, maps, pictures, stories and quilts and many other items to see and learn.

I found it interesting that Barbara Poole wrote about what she learned at a Historical Society.
Her blog is here and the Historical site is referenced there in

.Life From The Roots: Another Method in trying to Solve your Brick Wall

Working with a Genealogical and a Historical Society in western Pennsylvania, gave me
much insight to what I was in need of.  More recently learned an ancestor's cousins home was turned into a Historical Society in Somerset County, PA.  Surely my ancestor was in that home prior to his moving on west to Iowa.

Living in a very diverse community, we have the use of the various countries, being presented at Balboa Park, San Diego, CA.
San Diego History Center | Balboa Park

We are preparing to celebrate, actually we are celebrating an entire year of the park. The EXPO
San Diego History Center | Our City, Our Story

It has four main Collections. It has been awhile since I traveled through them but it takes more than a day to see them all.

Photograph Collection, Object Collection, Document Archives, and Journal of San Diego History.

Now that should peak any local genealogist to go see what is there, that may help them if they are doing local research.

What if your into Aviation Research, Automotive Research, Railroads, (they were our countries backbone for moving around,  once created) Cultural Center, Art, Hall of Champions, which includes many local high schools students of old.

It is worth the time taken and the rewards are many.  You may find an Uncle from WW2 or from other events at the Veterans Museum & Memorial Center.


100 years in the making and we were honoring the Panama Canal with our park.  That now holds so  much of our historical past and signs of what the future can bring.

I love the Aerospace Museum, even though it suffered serious damage many years ago and somethings never to be replaced.

Home | 2015 Celebrate

Pennsylvania tidbit and other clues.

Today, wandering around trying to find a place that held a certain book of information I was looking for I stumbled across this really cool site.

Yes, again it is affiliated with Facebook. Also stands alone for use.
If you have Civil War ancestors, you need to go here, share here, and send the information on to other Pennsylvania Researchers.

I have 2 if not potentially five relatives from PA that served in the CW.  Having also 2 that served West Virginia unit because PA unit was full, those I will post there soon.

P.R.V.C. Historical Society | P.R.V.C. Historical Society

The pictures and names and information has to help many and if we continue to post our names, maybe they will have a thorough list of members of old.  

Having just finished reading "The Killing Angels" I was excited to see this site and place certain peoples in the right places.  It is a Historical Novel about the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corp, is sponsored by the P.R.V.C. Historical Society

It lists units and members and many many pictures.

Needing to dig out my two great great Uncles pictures and my ancestors I have. 

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pennsylvania-Reserve-Volunteer-Corps-Historical-Society/236320179729827?ref=hl

Did you know Mocavo.com has complete books on their web pages?  http://www.mocavo.com/History-of-Huntingdon-and-Blair-Counties-Pennsylvania/649896/425

This is just one.  I have enjoyed wandering around Mocavo.com.

Have you tried  www.mooseroots.com as a search engine? http://www.mooseroots.com/

http://archives.org/  another one to look at.

http://www.accessible.com/accessible/  One I think I will try to wear out over time.  

It is also on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, 

Citing Your Sources, The Side Affects It Can Have.

"Side Affects for Citing Your Sources," you say, how can that be.  Well, it can be and is surely a 

trying time for many.

Let us say your Grandfather shares first hand information he experienced with you.  You write about it after he is gone. Of course your older and the world has spun on in new directions since he shared his story with you.  

By today's standards he should have written it out and signed and dated it and then it could be used as a source.  Otherwise many call it pure hear say.  

That standard bothers me.  Yes, many people have cheated?? on their stories to get to a certain level and accomplish certain goals.  That does not mean the Grandfather did.  Does it make a difference if, three of his children say they experienced this with their father?  From what I am under the impression of is no, it still is not accepted.

My goodness, to think that every human wrote out a full detail of their live and had it notarized and left for kin is absurd.  

Concurring with the fact you do not accept everything you hear and read but you do some research to find many concur with the statements, surely it gives it some credence.  

Yes, I read over others trees on line and I share mine. If I have something others do not have I offer it to them and the sources, or if first hand knowledge, that statement.  You can get lots of good ideas about more research on a line, by doing it. But you can not take their line and say it is correct if you do not have some stabilization for sources. I have asked many Family tree presenters for proof and they do not even answer the request.

 Yet, if I share some of my proven data with others many times, some kernels may be tossed my way. 

 Others, thankfully are very thoughtful and share and swap information that is to me, priceless.

 Sharing to me is the most terrific way to work a tree.   

Remembering also that families of 15 children went many directions and each line has a different or same story to tell.  If all the children say this happened then I suspect it to be more fact than fiction.

After all I have met families that had not communicated in 120 years and yet the stories were the same and some dangling facts backed up the stories. Maybe not in entirety but enough for one to accept the situation as fact.

Why do families let themselves fall apart? What a shame to waste the knowledge they could impart.

 

I do not believe in grabbing anyone's tree and say it is fact.  Where is the fun in that?

But neither do I believe that a tree with out everything sourced is a myth.   It truly depends on what you call a source and how you found it and deciphered it. Many family histories were written two to three hundred years ago. Some of them can be semi sourced some can not.  Many have glaring or minor errors.  But thankfully at least, they took the time to share what they did to help us find our way.

Do not ever forget that.