Pondering ...things friends and family might remember

Genealogy can be alot of birth dates, death dates and marriage dates but when you are able to find
some personal information....ahhh, THAT'S a real treasure! It is then you can get a glimpse of what your ancestors were like and what their everyday life was like. How exciting to find a newspaper clipping or an entry in a town history and find your direct line ancestor was actively involved in the life of the community or military or in business. Often you will read he ( not as much about she) was a respected
honorable member of a certain town, and it gives you pride to know others thought well of him.

What do you supposed they will look back and say about you? I think about that when I read about
Anne Dyer or Anne Hutchinson or Dr. John Greene, or John Sanford. I would like to think that some of their qualities were passed down through the generations but I also feel "No matter how tall your grandfather was you still have your own growing to do"

I think what I am trying to get across is genealogy has made me think about my own contributions to the betterment of our town, country and the world for today we have more of an impact on people and places in the world than those who came before us......in my view a GREATER responsibility to leave
this place better than we found it. I think of doctors without boarders, hungry children, people who have lost everything due to natural disasters,war, and other unfortunate events. Will my grandchildren say I was respected, honorable, some one they respect? Genealogy makes me think. Not only do I want my family to know their ancestors, but I want to leave this earthy life knowing they will carry a very positive memory of their grandmother to share with their children and grandchildren. I want to be on that list of ancestors you would love to have a conversation with in the great beyond. So, I will try everyday to put into practice those qualities that I respect so much in the ancestors I have gotten to know. They were not perfect but it is clear to me they had high standards and worked to reach higher goals.

Two Lessons Learned

It seems like this was a week I was to learn some lessons from Genealogy!

Someone I have known for many years called me and wanted to know "what it would take to do his genealogy"  I said don't worry about it as I remember many years ago he did something very nice for my then husband. I ask some initial questions and told him we would talk as needed. My husband loves genealogy as much as me, so we divided family lines and went to work. It was a very interesting family
but involved more French and Dutch names than I have done in the past so I found many new challenges awaiting me. I knew he had some knowledge of a couple of his lines so I conscentrated on lines I was fairly sure he knew nothing about. We worked steadily for two plus weeks and when I phoned to say I not only found lines we shared but many other interesting things he cut the conversation short by telling me he was going out to dinner with his wife and never returned the call. I later emailed him to ask for a time we could go over his genealogy and that email was ignored as well. It was almost as if he had a bright idea one day and called then sat back to await the results. A few weeks went by, I bought a 3"
notebook and found a picture to put on the front ...still no contact from my "cousin".
Finally I boxed it up, included a note that was civil but express my disappointment that he was so aloof
after asking me to do this project, and sent it to him. To date no response! There is a prayer I say that
is helpful in times such as these. it include "I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life....I will be a happy and joyful being"....Lesson # 1

Lesson #2... I bought a very interesting book recently with alot of background on the people, conditions, and background of the people involved in the Salem Witch Trials. people, just ordinary people, and how disagreements over property, money, etc. expanded and how a small matter became a town hysteria involving innocent people who were hung...only to realize later they were not witches at all. My ancestors were a big part of the Salem Witch Trials. The Putnams, Susanna North, and Mary Leach Ireson to name a few. I hope the lesson I learned was not to "judge" someone else but to try calmly to sort out a problem before it becomes a big one. I like what Dr. Suess said..." I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind, Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me!  On to other things!!

Trip to Maine

I wish I could report it is ME traveling to Maine but alas not this year. My daughter however decided to go to Eliot, Maine to Green Acre ( a Bahai School) and left early to give herself a couple of days before she needs to check in at the school . She is staying in Portland. We went there years ago with the children and she has fond memories and wanted to visit some of the places we went to as an adult. I am so excited for her. I belong to The First Families of Maine and have a deep love for the Portland area. Maine has a lovely Travel guide and map and with her GPS she is discovering Maine for herself. The Muddy Rudder, Portland Lighthouse, downtown Portland, homemade ice cream, seafood,  L.L.Bean and the sights and sounds of the sea....who wouldn't just LOVE IT!!! Oh yes, and the clam festival in Yarmouth...so many places I hope she enjoys.
 We are talking about renting a cottage next year for a couple of weeks and on this trip leave genealogy behind to just enjoy seeing one of the most beautiful parts of our country and it's people.
My thoughts each day dwell on Maine and what she will see and do....next year....it's my turn!

Isles of Shoal

Hi Friends,

I have been traveling so genealogy has not been my top priority ( that is until this past week)
Periodically I go over my research and look again at brick wall or dates, or add information on
individuals as do most people who enjoy genealogy. Well, this week opened up a very interesting
hole in which I learned about some colorful ancestors that lived on the Isle of Shoals, Me
I found out Nathaniel Foss from Rye, Rockingham, NH was married to Mary ( Molly) Tucker.
Following her line lead me to the Tuckers and Olivers of the Isle of Shoals about  6-10 miles off the coast
of New Hampshire and boarder of Maine. This was a rough place and the people who lived there were fishermen.
It is said Blackbeard honeymooned there and the men and women there were as salty as the surrounding sea.
Well, first I had to look up and read about these Islands and as the day wore on I found myself completely immursed in the Isle of Shoals and my new found ancestors. I know many people are delighted when they learn one or more of their ancestors had some wealth or prestige ( I have some of those) but these people were the foundation of a very interesting story!! What must have it been like to live off the mainland so isolated and exposed to the whims of weather, pirates, and well, my immagination was in full gear!
It is stories like this that make genealogy so much fun!
Friends sometimes you think there is nothing else you can "find" but if you are persistant...well who knows what you might uncover...another family another story it's all such a wonderful learning experience!

Surprised at Ancestry

I LOVE genealogy and enjoy teaching others to find their family roots. My husband ( who is also a genealogist) and I encourage our class to tune in "Who Do you think you are?" to see how they might expand their own
hunt for their ancestors. I so enjoyed season 2010 and was looking forward to another interesting season.

Last night we watched Steve Buscemi episode and were shocked  and disappointed at the HUGE gaffs in research and presentation. No genealogist amateur or professional would have let this air without some BIG changes.Please read the review by Janice M. Sellers "Ancestral Discoveries". She hit the nail on the head pointing out step by step where mistakes were made.

This does not help Ancestry's credibility to let such poorly presented episodes be aired. There were assumptions made and conclusions reached that went beyond reasonable documention.

I know they were hoping to draw in a new audience and make it as fascinating as possible but this ( in my humble opinion) was "rubbish"!!!
I hope other will express their disappointment to Ancestry and ask that future programs be more in line with the programs in 2010.
No one could be happier with a company that incourages it's audience to look into their family's roots and be a part of preserving history but this program will have a short live span if it continues to do such shoddy work.
PLEASE...ANCESTRY... get it together and give us programs that keep us clammering for more!
I am taking Janice's review to my class this next week to demonstrate POOR DOCTUMENTATION!

Help me, I'm New

My husband and I have been involved in Genealogy for (me 11years) for him alot longer.
At first, I was very involved in my own family roots and was ordering books and joining NEHGS
and family organizations totally involved in " the hunt"...how exciting! Next step... I joined DAR and became the registrar...helping other get their papers in order to join. Then a couple of my DAR sisters asked me to help them join other organizations and I joined the Mayflower Society. My learning curve expanded as I got involved in family
history in the south. I learned about migration routes and got familiar with ports of entry in the south. Then a school friend asked if I would trace her family lines...and still another good friend with an emphasis on the mid west. This probably sounds familiar to some of you.:) I went to a summer neighborhood gathering and a neighbor told me she has wanted to join DAR all her life...so, guess who got involved!

I am fortunate to be retired and love to research because more and more people are interested in genealogy and
once they find out about your interest...it becomes so easy to jump right in. I did some research with Afro-American genealogy....which was quite interesting! The "Who Do You Think You Are?" Ancestry program has inspired many to start the search so a hobby that is already #2 ( I think) is fast becoming even MORE popular.

The senior center asked us teach a genealogy class and we set a goal that no one in our class would leave without a fresh piece of information about their family. Our goal has taken us in directions we would not have thought. I have thought about taking a course to be a certified genealogist but I am concerned it would take
some of the enjoyment I have experienced away...and it might feel like a school project instead of the joy I have felt in learning on my own.

This week we start another four week class...I know as we sit around a table someone will say..."I have always wanted to know( fill in the blank) but I need help..you see I'm new! ( and we will be off and running again)
Has this been your experience too??

Hearts and Flowers

I LOVE Genealogy...I have learned so much about history,patterns of early migration, my ancestors (the good and not so good)and met online some wonderful generous people (some of which turned out to be related)

Valentine's Day brings forth thoughts of all the people in my heritage, and how much I enjoy spending time learning about them. It like a special love note when I send for some information and it arrives in the mail.
Unfortunately I do not have as many pictures of my ancetors as others have but I do have a picture of their character. It was through my grandparents (mainly paternal) interest in following their roots that gave me a head start in my quest to trace family roots. Today, with all the online help (Ancestry, NEHGS, Rootsweb,family Surname queries and books, etc) expanding the work my grandparents did has been a bit easier than spending time in drafty courthouses pouring over records and stomping through cemeteries trying to find and read tombstones. How I wish my grandparents could see just how expansive and fascinating their heritage is...but
then they may have met them on another heavenly plain.

I want to give a computer flower (got to learn how to make them) to all those kind and thoughful people who
 take/send pictures of gravestones, who do look ups, who check and photo copy records, who plan and are responsible for family reunions, record in book form family information, maintain cemeteries, keep up with decendants through Family Societies and keep history alive and available for all of us to enjoy.

Like many of you...I look forward to each week when "Who Do You Think You Are?" is on TV and you
learn about someone else's quest for family information. We appreciate the considerable work behind
the scenes and all the people involved to make each week look as easy as it appears.
I am delighted it has brought a greater interest to finding and preserving family histories.

I am feeling sentimental today...and would love to give a HUG to each of you who read blogs
and take the time to comment....how much richer I am for the input you are kind enough to give.
Hearts and flowers go out to YOU!!! Happy Valentines Day !!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

I am not complaining but it HAS been a severe winter for North Georgia and it's only January!
I always have my eyes on the Northeast as I have so many ties to that area...I am sure a real Mainer
would laugh hearing me say it has been a rough winter...but in New England there is a whole different standard.

On Christmas we got 6inches and this past week Georgia got slammed with another storm and this time there was ice with  it. We got 8-10inches and that is a big deal !!!

Several years ago I took an Amtrack train from Chicago to the west coast. I remember looking out the window across the vast plains and thinking "what do these people do in the winter" you might not see your closest neighbor for months!! I tried to imagine what that would be like and how I might adapt to living in such an isolated
enviroment. I live in city limits where everything I need is a stones throw away....how must people in the plain states prepare for a winter that is severe?

Then my mind drifted back to my many Yankee ancestors ...ancestors that I never knew but are so familiar to me
since I have been doing genealogy. How did they with even less resources than the homes I saw on the Amtrack train ( no refrigeration, no big farm plow, no computer, no telephone, and even the clothing was not on a par with the warm clothes we have today....how did they fare?

Now, I have not always lived within a stone's throw of a grocery store. When my children were young we
bought a home over 100yrs old. It had three rooms 17x17 and they had fireplaces plus a loft room and was most likely the parents room up the narrow stairs and two very small bathrooms that were added in later years.
We were young and this old home was a romantic idea ( you know baking my own bread, having some chickens
and goats and an old barn and some gorgeous old pecan and a ceder tree to enjoy)...LOL..I shudder thinking of it now. The first winter I wore my coat inside the house. Water would freeze INSIDE the house.The romance was short lived,  as we tried to figure out how to keep warm. Some wood burning stoves definitely helped the situation but I can still hear my daughter saying "why can't we live like normal people?"
Remember those TV shows that had a family live like they colonials did? Eat the same food and wear the same clothes? Well, my 100+yr old farm house was fairly close to that experience.
NO, you won't hear me complain...I have a nice gas fireplace and other house heat. I appreciate living in a city where they plow the streets and sand them when a storm arrives and I store enough food so we can be very comfortable in a January cold week. I am older and wiser now....but glad I had the experience years ago.
No you will NOT hear me complain!!!

There's a time to say "goodbye"

I got that phone call from my sister ....the one I was sort of expecting but when it comes you realize you are not as prepared as you thought. "He passed away this morning" she said... cancer had claimed another life.

Being involved in genealogy, I am used to death dates, sending for death records, walking cemeteries, and
realizing some die too young. Death does not scare me...I am a cancer survivor and I am comfortable with my
beliefs about death. My sister however, was married 47yrs ( her first serious boyfriend) and so much of her life, her interests, her daily life was entwined with his...would she be alright?
I told her I would make arrangements and be with her for the funeral. We had been together for our parents' funerals and supported each other in the aftermath, but when I left this time she would experience being alone
for the first time in many many years. I am the older sister and I wanted to protect her.

During the trip to her home I thought about the women in my family (our ancestors) ...many of them had little time to grieve..there were children to raise, chores to be done, and times were difficult. Women were not trained to take over the financial responsibilities or make decisions about buying and selling properties. Fortunately some were left in comfort but others did not live close to family and had to manage with help from church members or neighbors.

I was pleased to see the support my sister received. Her neighbors insisted on preparing all the food  as friends stopped by after the funeral. Flowers, cards and so many offers of support from so many sources. I really had nothing to worry about. She had friends from her volunteer work, her two  social clubs , her church,
and the neighbors (many of them widows too) were so willing to be of assistance. Her sons live in her area
so I drove home thinking her life although changed will never the less be full of people who will help her heal.
We all came to say "goodbye" but life goes on and a new chapter has opened. It will be interesting to see her
make friends, adjust a different lifestyle and grow as a person.
I will be her main cheer leader! We never know what we might have to adjust to in this life but she has strong heritage, so I expect she will meet the day with the strength her forebearers did and be a good example for me to follow.

It's Christmas all year long!!!

Genealogy is the most generous and supportive hobby I know.

Years ago when I first started my hunt, I learned
quickly how thoughtful and kind people you have never met can be. I remember someone answered a query I posted and said "I'll send you some information on your line" within a week a large brown envelope arrived in the mail. I was so excited...it answered several questions and gave me clear proof of the line I was
having trouble finding. Another time I was in New England and a lady from a small town met me at the library/historic society on a day she was not scheduled to be there so I could go through records. A gentleman from Dracut, Ma took my husband and I on a tour of their historical society/museum and search records with us .
A lady in Texas lent me two books (that were out of print) for as long as I needed them. We had only met and she trusted me to take these books home and return them in a timely manner.

Through the years I have tried to return the favors others have so graciously shown to me by giving others a start
and experiencing their joy when they learn of their ancestry.

Last year my husband and I taught a beginning genealogy class at our local senior center. We made a point to make sure everyone that took our class left having some information they did not already know about their family.
We were able to connect one of our students with her second cousin in Virginia. They had never met and did not even know about the other. It turned out they were both born on the same day of the same year! They each had some family information the other did not have. Now they call each other and keep in touch.
Genealogy is a hobby you can do alone, but how wonderful that online opportunities have made it possible for us to find "cousins" that we can get to know and  share our family stories , memories and solve family mysteries together.
At the end of 2010 I wish to THANK all of you who have shared your research so selflessly and brighted the day
of another. I THANK you all for reading my blog and sharing your comments with me...I look forward to
2011 ....shaking that family tree to find another ancestor.
"Isn't it strange the Princes and Kings
And clowns who caper in stardust rings,
And common people like you and me
Are buildres for enternity?"

Strong Women

We often hear about our early ancestors the MEN who built our country, well I would like to add ....and women.
The men did have a more "public: face as they were the military leaders, statesmen, clergy,and government officials of the New England towns and cities. We hear about the men on the Mayflower and the men who fought
the Revolutionary War, but to a much lesser degree were the women who played an enormous role as well.

When my granddaughter was in high school she emailed me. She had to write a paper on the women in our family
and some of their attributes, and knowing her " mimi" loved genealogy wanted to know what I might contribute.
What FUN...now I could tell her of two of the earlier women of our family and bits about others.
I have books written about two of the most prominent Mary Dyer (Quaker Martyr) and Anne Hutchinson ( also a Quaker)

My ancestor Mary Dyer was hanged in Boston because she was a Quaker teaching her Quaker beliefs.
Mary (1611-1660) came to this country like so many other for religious freedom (she was not a Quaker when she arrived).The New England clergy was extremely strong and influential and there was a real difference in the community about Bible interpretation. Mary and husband William were independent thinkers and Mary started attending Anne Hutchinson's conversations after Sunday church as they walked home ans soon other women were also involved. Women had no opportunity to speak out in church so it was these early get togethers that
were so enriching to Mary. Years later Mary became a strong Quaker and history shows Quakers were treated very badly by the Puritans. They would drive the out of the area or imprison the many were beaten some tarred and feathered . Without tell her whole story she eventual was hung in the Boston Common...the only woman
Quaker to die for her Quaker beliefs.

Anne Hutchinson, an intelligent, confident woman who questioned the leading clergymen of the day. She herself was the daughter of a clergyman and well versed in the Bible. Her ideas and critiques of the Sunday morning
sermons drew a host of admirers and followers that were willing to leave Massachusetts and follow Anne went the courts banished her from the state.She was able to debate the most learner ed of men and that was not
to be tolerated by the Governor and Judges , she was just too threatening to their power and influence.
Her life ended sadly when she ( along with her children and several servants) were murdered by the Siwanoy warriors thinking she was Dutch and in revenge for the Dutch killing eighty Indian men, women and children.
One daughter was out picking blueberries and escaped the slaughter. The story of this remarkable woman's life would make a powerful movie and should be taught in all the history books.

Women through the years have been the backbone of families and have welded a strong presence in spite of the fact they were no able to get the same kind of education as men and could not vote or speak out in public.
These two women are a sampling of the strong women through the years and I am proud they are a part of my
roots.  There are others and they too deserve your honor and mention.

How can one ancestor be such a worry?

and the answer is....... he is a BROWN. OH those Browns, Smiths and all the other VERY COMMON names
( with no middle name)  I have been searching for his parents for YEARS. Samuel H. Brown was born in Maine 10 Sep 1814( where?    is a mystery) a ships carpenter married twice and died in Yarmouth Cumberland Maine. I have been to his grave and there he is with two wives #1 Alphonsa Drinkwater with a baby's grave beside and #2 ( my line) Sarah Mariah True ( now here's where it gets good) and beside his grave and his wives graves Rebecca Brown. OH you say Rebecca is obviously his mother. The dates are right...Rebecca Brown b. 1788 and d. 25 Mar 1854 . I have hunted all over Maine and in every place I can think of for Samuel and Rebecca. His first wife died 12 Sep 1849
and most likely died in childbirth or shortly after. The Drinkwater family was a VERY well known family ( ship builders and Mariners) but Alphonsa is not well known to the ones I contacted. The Trues owned a mill in Yarmouth and I have traced this line but again not much said about Mariah and her husband Samuel Brown. They had two sons and the first son Willie ( William) was a sailor who disappears rather early in his life. The 1850 Census has Samuels but NOT my Samuel.(or Rebecca) I have been to the State archives in Augusta and talked with a Brown expert ...no luck. At one point I was so desperate I wrote EVERY Brown in North Yarmouth hoping someone might be able to give me some information...nothing. I believe now I have connected him to a Brown family in Greene Maine but it's a Rachel not Rebecca and it only my theory...no factual information.
Oh where oh where has my grandfather (grgr) gone oh Where oh where can he be? ( in the records)
When I get to the next world WE are going to have a talk!!!!! ( how dare he hide from me all these years)
His is and most likely will always be my man of mystery.

A Bushel of Yankees

I come from 16+ generations of New Englanders and seem to be connected to everyone with roots in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island around the 1600's . Over the years I have joined several groups like DAR
Mayflower Society and helped others in their quest to join. Their families may be SOUTHERN (they think) but
many  begin back in the north east. Many churches sent their missionaries south to teach the Indians and others moved south for land and new opportunities. It is interesting to learn the patterns of migration. For those who think they don't have "damn yankees"  ancestors...they might want to check their own heritage. Many English families are found in North and South. Gordons, Dyers,Browns,Moores,Vinings,Holmes, to name a few. It is also interesting to learn not everyone who lived in the south fought for the Confederacy...whole counties and certainly families were ripped apart by their divided loyalities and to this day some are still holding on to those beliefs. Our 1st mayor was born in NH and married a southern woman. During the war between the states they left the south and went to stay with a son. A Congregational church from Dorchester, Ma sent a rather large number of their parishioners south and they ended up in Liberty, Ga. My ancestors however, stayed in New England and just about all my personal  family research has been centered there. I am greatful for New England Historical, it has been a great resource for me. If you have ancestors from any of the states I mentioned let me know ...who knows we might find we are cousins !!!

Salem Witch Trials

Tis a strange and at times unfriendly world. As I mature :) I realize how the lowest common denominator applies to our thinking. In the Salem Witch Trials ,the people who suffered most were the vulnerable. All it took was  someone to accuse you of witchcraft and you were left to defend the charge. If you had a disability, were old, weak, crippled, or perhaps a widow you were a prime target. If someone didn't like you or had a grudge against you they simply accused you of witchcraft. People were superstitous, ignorant, and easily lead by others. I had ancestors on both sides of this fence. We are horrified as we read their testamonies and are repulsed by the hysterical wildfire that swept New England before more rational people stopped the madness, yet TODAY in Iran members of the Bahai Faith are experiencing that same kind of fear and hostility. Their homes are being burned, they are not allowed to go to schools, or take part in other normal activities and they live with the knowledge that someone might decide to accuse them and they will end up imprisioned, or dead. At the core is again is  ignorance, and fear, the same kind of hostility that is also affecting Muslims in our country, and the old,poor, and sick and disabled in other countries. Where is our humanity? If you are "different" what gives others the right to take from you, hurt you or deprive you of the basic human needs. Where is love thy neighbor?

 Hopefully the rational people of the world will again prevail and will rise up to defend the rights of those who feel their voice is not being heard. Let's not let the Salem Witch Trials happen again.
 Merry Christmas and wishing you and yours a brighter New Year.

From Maine to Georgia

I have a somewhat unusual maiden name, and I never met anyone with that same last name until I was an adult.The name VINING was a huge attraction to me and probably one of the main reasons I dived into my family roots.
When I moved to Georgia, I was surprised to find out there was a whole TOWN called Vinings, Ga.  Years later as I started my search for ancestors, I went to the Marietta, Ga library and asked what information /history they might have on Vinings, Ga. They brought me a file of miscellaneous papers. The town was originally owned by a Mr. Pace who had a ferry. At that time Atlanta was called Marthasville and before the Civil War (War between the States) a railroad was being built between Chattanooga, Tennessee and Marthasville. The person in charge of receiving materials was Mr. Vining. It was said "Drop the material's off at Vining's station" and through the years the station got dropped and Vinings remained. Who WAS this Mr. Vining? I checked census reports and every other source to no avail.
I contacted the Vinings in the Atlanta area who were also doing genealogy and they said they had been trying to find out and had not been successful.In this process I was curious to find where the southern Vinings came from so I was detoured as I followed the trail from Salem, Massachusetts to the south through North Carolina, South Carolina,Georgia and Florida. I was invited to join the Georgia Vinings for a family reunion. It was wonderful to be around a group of people with the name I had known all my life. My Vining line was from Weymouth, Ma (very close to Salem, Ma)they later moved to Maine. Certainly we were all from the same family in England, and many  were in agreement ,although we could not definately prove it.
Since that reunion I have proven to myself (although some still doubt) we did indeed come from the same family line, AND years later found the mysterious Mr. Vining an assistant civil engineer of the Vining's station.Anthony Doyle wrote a book called Vining's Revisited and in it he identifies a Mr. William Vining from New Castle Delaware as the man we had all been searching for. He was found through his payroll requests with the W&A Railroad.
Since that time we  have wanted to get DNA proof  of our connection but have not found a male on both sides to do the DNA test that would unite this family. Maybe one day...maybe

DON'T EVER EVER SAY......

A newbie genealogist can made so many wrong asumptions. Many get hung up if the ancestor's name is mispelled or the Census shows them by his or her middle name. What about religion? YES, "OH they can't be Quakers" I said. We don't have any Quakers in our family. WRONG...sure enough I was soon to learn we had a parcel!!! Everyone has some idea their ancestors were 1) no good,2) very famous, 3) married to an Indian ( that's cool these days) or some other story that's called "family lore". After doing genealogy for years you learn YES we all have an ancestor who is a scoundrel ,YES, we have a few we would love to have known, and thanks to shows like "Who do you think you are?" we might have mixed racial lines, or some other surprise in store to be discovered. I started collecting stories on some of the more interesting ancestors. I found one actually wrote a letter to me...well, not JUST me to his descendants which includes me, now wasn't that a special treat!
Approach Genealogy as you would a treaure hunt using every clue or wild card and not discounting or assuming
anything. If you do you are apt to find the treasures you are looking for. OH, did I mention the one ingredient
everyone who STICKS with this hobby has to have or acquire in short order......patience and I might add creativity. No one of past generations (with maybe a few exceptions like my grgrgrgr grandfather who wrote to his descendants) EVER thought someone would be looking for them and want to know all about them. Don't ever say "they didn't go to the Gold Rush or they didn't move 4states away....sure they did! What was happening in history around the time they were living? Did the acquire land in another state? Did they fight in another state then decide to go back there? Did they get caught up with a church that sent them as missionaries to a far off spot?
Many churches from New England sent out missionaries to teach the Indians in the South and they stayed there,
so don't ever make a newbie mistake in thinking small. I would love to hear your family discoveries...drop me a line sometime. We are all fishers of ideas.

FOUND...what a surprise!!

I had been doing genealogy for some time when, I received a phone call from my daughter.
She told me she had something she wanted to give me. We arranged to meet for lunch and as I put down the phone I noted she seemed especially excited about "something".

I will back up and tell you my maternal grandmother lived with us for several years after the death of my grandfather. In her dresser were pictures, a bible, letters and other momentos that were dear to her.
When my mother passed away, my sister and I had to go through not only my mother's things but Gramma's
room as well. If you have ever had to do this, you know it can be daunting. I had things I wanted to take home and my sister had things and many things did not seem very important as the work progressed.

In the years after, I moved, divorced, and things got boxed up, some things were never found again and in all honesty I forgot about things like yearbooks,and other items I now treasure as a genealogist.

Our lunch was special because my daughter had 'found" a friendship book belonging to my gr grandmother
(my grandmother's mother) and knowing it's importance to me, she presented it with a huge smile at the end of our meal. WOW!!! a friendship book....it was faded and worn but I was actually holding something that was my
gr grandmother's ! It might contain leads to other discoveries.
In our throw away society, coming across a friendship book or some other ancestor's belonging can be so very special. I hope you have such an experience in your lifetime! Tell me about a discovery you made in an old trunk, box, or attic.

You Needed Me

There are so many people to meet and in thinking about the people who have had the greatest effect on my life ( aside from immediate family) it has NOT been the famous, rich, powerful, well-known people ...it has been
God's most humble. There was an opportunity to meet and befriend a lady of very simple means who lived by herself in the country with a yard full of dogs. She had little but took in and shared what she had with her animals. She had no family and her beloved husband was beaten up and left for dead on the road side on his way home. He had just been paid and was walking down their road when he was attacked. "Betty" lived in a house you could see light through her walls...her family pictures were of the Cartwrights from TV' Bonanza and other people who she did not personally know. She was 1/4 Cherokee Indian and had been raised by her grandmother.
I do not know what happened to her parents. She needed to get some prescriptions filled and there was concern voiced she might be suicidal...she was grieving and depressed. My children and I went to meet her. Before we went into the house I told my two children to mind their manners and then we waited for Betty to put up the dogs.
It took a while and we learned later she was putting down two Jacob's coat braided rugs to spruce up her place.
She was delighted to see us ( especially the children) and we had a nice 1st visit. It was the start of a friendship not only with my family but including others in our religious community. Her first request was PICTURES. Did we have any she could have? She had no bathtub so after some community consultation and a new dress...we found a tactful way of freshing Betty up. She was sweet, innocent and funny and with some time, she became part of our community family. She couldn't read but had more common sense in her little finger than most folks acquire in a lifetime. When she got her welfare check at month's end aside from some cigarettes for herself her main concern was feeding her dogs. She could be somewhat manipulative, but never mean spirited...if she ran out of cigarettes ...somehow she would manage to get you or someone else to drive her to get a few more (and pay for them) with the promise she would pay it back "when her check arrived" :)
She just adored it when she was invited to join out family for a dinner out in a restaurant...she sat there like the proud gramma she had become. There are so many things I could share about my friend and might in future blogs ...when she heard Anne Murray's song "You needed me" she said "that's my song "as we wiped our tears away. I will never not think of her as deeply connected to that song. The lessons we all learned from this humble
spirit will be a part of me forevermore.

How interesting to uncover your family roots!

Years ago, I was challenged to take some genealogy notes my grandparents had done ( the old fashioned way) by going to courthouses and cemeteries and libraries and expand on it. I was living in the south and my heritiage was New England so I foolishly thought I would not find much. At our library I found the Revolutionary War pension records....and to my surprise there were my ancestors!

The real "discovery" came when on a trip west my husband ( who has spent many more years in genealogy) suggested we check out Powells Used Bookstore In Portland, Oregon. While taking in the large genealogy/history section we found a book about Durham, Maine. I knew it to be the town my grandfather came from so  bought it along with a couple of other interesting books . One evening while hubby was immersed in the baseball game, I remembered our books. How did this book about a small town in Maine get to Portland Oregon? I looked to see who it might have belonged to but the name inscribed didn't sound familiar. I started reading...OMG...these were MANY of my ancestors!!! They started this town... I was overcome with this new information so my husband was interupted several times with my excitement ... these were MY people !! As if it was meant to be I found two obituaries that were neatly cut out of the newspaper a placed in the back pages of this book. I did not recognize the first one but as I read the send one I could hardly breathe...the book was about my father's side of the family and the second obituary was my mother's second cousin!!! WOW...talk about messages from beyond! I WAS supposed to find this treasure.
Since that discovery much has change in my life and in my attitude...which will be a blog for another time.
Other genealogists have told me..unusual findings have happened to them too....care to comment and share?