The 10th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy is Posted

Jessica Oswalt of Jessica's Genejournal has just posted the 10th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. The theme for this carnival was a carousel one (choose your own topic), and there were five submissions by five bloggers. Congratulations to Jessica on this milestone edition! Ten carnivals are really quite an achievement, and I know sometimes it's been difficult to get submitters, mainly--I believe--because of what is perceived to be a limited scope of ancestry about which to blog. I'd like to remind my readers that Central and Eastern Europe covers a large variety of countries, cultures, and ethnicities, so consider writing a post and submitting it for a future carnival. I've participated in the past, even though I have no Eastern European heritage and very little Central European ancestry (just a drop of German in these veins!). Be sure to drop by and read the carnival posts and--oh, yes--say "Happy Birthday!" to Jessica while you're at it!

[The 11th] edition will be hosted by Steve Danko. The topic, as suggested by him, will be on: "First (Given) Names: Did any of your ancestors have an unusual given name? Have you discovered the meanings behind the given names of your ancestors? Did your ancestors use any naming patterns for their children? Are there any given names that are particular common in your family history? Did any of your ancestors have given names that you particularly like or dislike? Does your family celebrate "Name Days"? Did your immigrant ancestors change their given names after they arrived in America? Tell us about the first (given) names in your family. You can concentrate on one name, a few names, or you can go wild and write about the first names of all your ancestors!" Submissions for the next edition are due on September 21, and the edition will be posted on September 24. You can submit your article here.

The Wedding Portrait of Lloyd Ray ROBBINS and Josephine Rebecca HUFF

Source: Robbins, Josephine Rebecca (Huff) and Lloyd Ray. Photograph. 1 Jan 1920. Original in the possession of Bryan Robbins [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Colville, Washington. 2008

This lovely young couple is the brother and sister-in-law of my paternal great-grandfather, William Bryan ROBBINS, about whose exploits in Russia in World War I I've written quite frequently. Lloyd was Bryan's older brother, and the oldest child in the family after their eldest brother, Floyd, tragically died of pneumonia (or was it from accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms? the debate rages!). Lloyd also served in the U.S. Army during WWI, in the 32nd ("Red Arrow") Division; unlike Bryan, he served in the trenches in France. When the war was over and everyone finally came home, there were two weddings in one week for the Robbins family to celebrate: my great-grandparents (Bryan and his sweetheart, Marie LEWIS) were married Christmas Day 1919, and Lloyd and Josephine were married New Years Day 1920.

Lloyd was 25 and Jo was 21 on their wedding day, which took place in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan, although they first lived in Muskegon Heights, Muskegon County, where Lloyd continued his carpenter work. By 1930, they lived in Paris Township in Kent County. The Depression did not seem to be hurting them any, as they lived in a fine house, worth $3500, at 320 Montrose Street. Lloyd was working in the construction industry, still as a carpenter.

This couple never had any children of their own. Perhaps to keep herself occupied, Jo began to research her Huff family tree, as well as Lloyd's. She was the first Robbins Family Researcher in our family, and I'm proud to carry on her research. She was also an active member of the Western Michigan Genealogical Society, of which I am a past member.

Lloyd and Jo were married for 58 years before he passed away in 1978 at the age of 83. Jo lived another nine years. They are buried in Plainfield Township Cemetery in Kent County, Michigan.

The 54th Carnival of Genealogy is Posted!

poster courtesy of footnoteMaven

I was offline for most of the past week, but I wanted to highlight to those few of my readers who do not read other genealogy blogs that the 54th Carnival of Genealogy was posted earlier this week. Donna Pointkouski of What's Past is Prologue was the guest host for this carnival (and did a fabulous job, by the way!), whose topic was "Your Family Language." Twenty-nine bloggers wrote 30 posts about their genealogical Towers of Babel; mine is here.

Call for submissions! With Labor Day and the end of summer right around the corner it’s time to think about going back to school. So, the topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: Show and Tell! Remember that fun little exercise you used to do in your grade school days? Here’s your chance to do it again Show us and tell us about an heirloom, a special photo, a valuable document, or a significant person that is a very special part of your family history. Don’t be shy now, show us what you’ve got! This is all about bragging rights so don’t hesitate to make the rest of us green with envy! This is your chance to brag, brag, brag, without seeming like a braggart (you can’t be a braggart when you’re merely following directions ;-)… so show and tell!

This next edition will be hosted by Jasia on the Creative Gene blog. The deadline for submissions will be September 1st. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. See ya next time!

Ancestry.com Teams with JewishGen

ANCESTRY.COM AND JEWISHGEN ALIGN TO PROVIDE MORE ONLINE ACCESS TO MILLIONS OF JEWISH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS

Partnership Enables Broader Research of Jewish Ancestry Through Powerful Search Tools in One Centralized Location

CHICAGO – Aug. 19, 2008
The Generations Network, Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com, and JewishGen, a non-profit organization dedicated to researching and promoting Jewish genealogy and an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, today announced a partnership designed to provide easier online access to millions of important Jewish historical documents. JewishGen's collection of databases will be integrated and be made available for free on Ancestry.com, making these historical Jewish records and information more accessible than ever before. As part of the agreement, the JewishGen site will also be hosted in Ancestry.com's data center.

For the first time ever, those interested in researching Jewish ancestry will be able to search JewishGen's databases on Ancestry.com, taking advantage of Ancestry.com's powerful search technologies, including tree hinting and the ability to search all JewishGen databases through one simple interface. The agreement will also give researchers the ability to make connections within family trees and to perform broader searches – searching JewishGen's databases in combination with the other 7 billion names and 26,000 databases available on Ancestry.com. In addition, visitors will be able to network with millions of Ancestry.com members to connect with others interested in Jewish genealogy and discover distant relatives.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with JewishGen, an elite and well-respected resource in the Jewish genealogy community," said Tim Sullivan, president and CEO of The Generations Network. "Both organizations are committed to the preservation of important historical records. We look forward to working with JewishGen and to making these wonderful collections even more accessible for free on Ancestry.

"Under the new agreement, some of the important JewishGen content that will be available on Ancestry.com includes databases from many different countries, the Holocaust Database, Yizkor Books (memorial books from Holocaust survivors), The Given Names Database and JewishGen ShtetlSeeker, among others. The JewishGen collections will be available on Ancestry.com by the end of the year."

This important partnership between JewishGen and Ancestry.com demonstrates a commitment both to preserving Jewish heritage and providing the public with unprecedented access to these records," said Warren Blatt, Managing Director of JewishGen. "The impact on the genealogy community will be significant; not only will genealogists now have the use of powerful search tools to make research easier, they will be able to find everything for their Jewish heritage research needs at one location."

David G. Marwell, Director, Museum of Jewish Heritage, said, "The continuity of Jewish heritage is central to the Museum's mission. We are pleased that this partnership will make it easier for users to discover their Jewish roots and connect or re-connect to their family's history."

To learn more about this important agreement, or if you would like a sneak peek of the Jewish collections that will be available on Ancestry.com, visit www.ancestry.com/JewishHeritage.

About JewishGen
JewishGen, www.jewishgen.org, became an affiliate of the Museum on January 1, 2003. An Internet pioneer, JewishGen was founded in 1987 and has grown from a bulletin board with only 150 users to a major grass roots effort bringing together hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide in a virtual community centered on discovering Jewish ancestral roots and history.
Researchers use JewishGen to share genealogical information, techniques, and case studies. With a growing database of more than 11 million records, the website is a forum for the exchange of information about Jewish life and family history, and has enabled thousands of families to connect and re-connect in a way never before possible.

About Ancestry.com
With 26,000 searchable databases and titles and nearly 3 million active users, Ancestry.com is the No. 1 online source for family history information. Since its launch in 1997, Ancestry.com has been the premier resource for family history, simplifying genealogical research for millions of people by providing them with many easy-to-use tools and resources to build their own unique family trees. Ancestry.com is part of The Generations Network, Inc., a leading network of family-focused interactive properties, including www.myfamily.com, www.rootsweb.com, www.genealogy.com and Family Tree Maker. In total, The Generations Network properties receive nearly 8.5 million unique visitors worldwide (© comScore Media Metrix, March 2008). To easily begin researching your family history, visit www.ancestry.com.

Here is the JewishGen and Ancestry Fact Sheet:

We are pleased to announce that JewishGen.org, the premier resource for Jewish genealogy, and Ancestry.com, the largest online resource for family history information, have entered into a cooperative agreement.

Basics of the agreement:

• JewishGen will make some of its databases available on the Ancestry website.
• Ancestry will provide hardware and network support for the JewishGen website.

Benefits of the agreement:

• JewishGen will be able to provide more robust and functional resources to genealogists throughout the world.
• Specific and immediate improvements will be seen in the speed of the website, along with greater accessibility when searching databases.
• More people will be exposed to Jewish genealogy and have access to a greater range of resources to assist in researching family history.
• JewishGen's comprehensive records and information, contributed by volunteers from around the world, will continue to remain freely available on JewishGen.org.

Details of the agreement:

• JewishGen remains an independent non-profit organization, affiliated with the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.
• There will be no change to the JewishGen management team, structure or affiliation with the museum.
• This new agreement, combined with generosity of our donors throughout the world, will allow us to continue offering all of JewishGen's extensive resources for no charge.
• Privacy of personal information for JewishGen users is of key importance to us.
• Information about JewishGen registrants will not be shared.
• Personal informtion stored on JewishGen, such as data entered into the JGFF and Family Tree of the Jewish People, will not be shared.
• JewishGen will continue to independently administer the JewishGen website, mailing lists and affiliates.

FamilySearch Update: New Records Added

FamilySearch added over 2 million new images or indexed records this week to its pilot Record Search databases this week. Thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers who help bring these projects to the Web for public access. Patrons can search these databases for free online at FamilySearch.org or directly at http://pilot.familysearch.org.

Project Name: WWII Draft Reg. Cards
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 1,651,453
Type: Images
Comments: Updated - 1 new state (Ohio)

Project Name: 1930 Mexico Census
Indexed Records: 314,548
Digital Images: 104,849
Type: Index
Comments: Updated - 1 new state (Coahulia)

Project Name: West Virginia Vital Records (Marriages)
Indexed Records: 306,782
Digital Images: ---
Type: Index
Comments: Updated - 14 new counties

Project Name: Lima, Peru Civil Registration
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 134,664
Type: Waypt
Comments: Updated - User guidance added

Project Name: 1885 Florida State Census
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 8,468
Type: Waypt
Comments: New collection

Project Name: 1935 Florida State Census
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 36,019
Type: Waypt
Comments: New collection

Project Name: 1945 Florida State Census
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 51,686
Type: Waypt
Comments: New collection

FamilySearch Needs Your Help

Another piece of news that made its way to my inbox this week:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is developing a new version of the FamilySearch.org Web site. This new Web site will help individuals identify ancestors and link them to families, and it will help Church members perform temple ordinances for their ancestors.

Can you volunteer an hour of time to help evaluate this new Web site? Do you know someone else who might be interested? We are looking for feedback to help make the Web site as easy and enjoyable to use as possible. We are especially interested in feedback from individuals who are new to family history.

Anyone over age 18 interested in participating in this evaluation is invited to go to the following Internet address to sign-up: http://labs.familysearch.org/temple/static/signup.htm

Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm. We greatly value your time and opinion.

Sincerely,
The FamilySearch User Experience Evaluation Team
Family History Department
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Pricing Changes at Footnote

I received this message the other day:

Dear Valued Footnote Member,

Thanks for making this such an exciting year at Footnote.

When we opened our doors in January of 2007 we had fewer than 5 million images on the site. Since then we've added 2 million images a month and have made improvements to the site. Today you can access more than 42 million images on Footnote. Along the way, we've worked hard to keep our costs down and subscriptions affordable.

With challenging economic conditions, the time has come to make a modest adjustment to our subscription fees.

Starting September 1, 2008, the monthly All-Access Membership price will be $11.95 and the annual All-Access Membership will be $69.95 (an additional 83 cents per month for annual members).

To help with the transition to the new prices, we're inviting Members to renew and extend their subscriptions at the current prices.

As a current annual subscriber, you can add an additional year to your subscription for $59.95 if you email or call us before September 30, 2008-email: support@footnote.com or phone: 1-800-613-0181.

We believe that at these prices, a Footnote membership continues to be a great value and a low-cost alternative to traveling to an archive to access the same records. We hope you agree.

We appreciate your support and feedback and look forward to continuing to serve you.

Best regards,

Russ Wilding
CEO, Footnote

Final Tallies for Genea-Blogger Games

I'm finally back online full time again after a week of spending time with family while my husband was on vacation. We had two houseguests as well, one friend of each of my children. So most of what I was doing on the computer this past week when I did have a few spare moments here and there was to: a) briefly read through my e-mails, although I answered only the most urgent; b) skim through my favorite genea-blogger feeds at Google Reader; and c) add more data from the Descendancy Report of William WILKINSON that a distant cousin's spouse sent me a couple of weeks ago. I ended up adding 87 people, 42 families, 161 events, 11 places, 8 sources, and 166 more citations to my database. Since I already had completed the minimum for the categories under which those fell, it didn't put me into any higher medal categories. I did spend some time organizing photos last night and organizing hard files this morning. So here are my final tallies:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!: Platinum (50+ citations)

2. Back Up Your Data!: I bombed in this category only because it has taken so long for Carbonite to backup my files...and it's not their fault. We have had the desktop off for the last week (using only the laptop), plus every night since we started the backup process. It's at 38% completion (yes, I have a LOT of data to back up). I have to say that if Thomas hadn't created this very necessary category, I probably would never have gone to Carbonite, and so this category was well worth entering and the cost of an account ($50 a year) is well worth the peace of mind knowing that if something were to happen to my computer, my genealogy, home files, and digital photos would be secure.

3. Organize Your Research!: Diamond (organized 20+ hard files, 20+ digital files, 20+ photographs, and entered 20+ entries into database)

4. Write, Write, Write!: Gold (participated in Carnival of Genealogy, pre-published at least one blog post, wrote a brief bio of an ancestor)

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness! Gold (commented on a new blog, joined a blog network at Facebook, assisted another researcher with a lookup)

I had hoped to do better in Category 5, but I ran out of time to search for bloggers who had not already been asked to join the Genea-Blogger Group. I als did not join another society because I paid a professional to do some research for me, and my funds were limited.

I really enjoyed the Games, even though I couldn't participate more fully than I wished. From reading the other blogs, it seems like everyone enjoyed themselves as well, despite many challenges (just like the real Olympics). This really was inspiring, wasn't it? Thank you to my partners, Thomas MacEntee and Kathryn Doyle, for all their assistance, and to all the Genea-Bloggers who participated!

Don't forget, Scanfest is tomorrow!

Wordless Wednesday: The Wedding Portrait of Lloyd Ray ROBBINS and Josephine Rebecca HUFF

Source: Robbins, Josephine Rebecca (Huff) and Lloyd Ray. Photograph. 1 Jan 1920. Original in the possession of Bryan Robbins [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Colville, Washington. 2008

An Interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

The Public School Insights blog just released an interview with Harvard Professor and cultural critic Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who captured some 25 million viewers with his riveting PBS documentary series, African American Lives. Using genealogical research and cutting-edge DNA science, the documentaries trace the family history of 19 famous African Americans--including Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock--to create a rich and moving account of the African American experience.

In the interview, Gates describes how the genealogy and DNA research central to the documentary can revolutionize how we teach history and science to African American Students:

You see, if you and I... went into an inner-city school and said, 'We're going to drag you into historical archives about the Civil War,' or the Great Depression, or the Great Migration, kids would say, "Get out of town.' But if we said, 'We're going to trace your family through those periods and to those periods,' my goodness, who wouldn't be interested in that?... My idea is to use the fascination with one's collective self, one's familial self, to seduce people back into learning.

The interview is available here.

Light Blogging This Week

I won't be posting much this week, as my husband is on vacation from work and we have a couple of house guests. Blog comments won't be published until I have time to read them over. Keep those Games going, people!

I Goofed! Please Welcome Diane Rogers to the Genea-Bloggers Group Games!

Well, I really did it this time! I actually left a Genea-Blogger out of the Opening Ceremonies [hangs head]. M. Diane Rogers of CanadaGenealogy or "Jane's Your Aunt" wrote her post describing the category she was entering, then left to go to a conference at the Library and Archives of Canada. Meanwhile, we had amended the participation rules which included creating a heritage flag and sending me the information for the Opening Ceremonies. Diane was gone and returned after the Games started. She's been plugging along, regardless, and as a subscriber to her blog feed, I finally clued in last night to a remark she had made in her latest post about not making it into the final group of contestants.

Well, Diane, you're very much a part of our Games, and I feel simply terrible I left you out. You're now marching along quite merrily in our Opening Ceremonies between Bluebonnet Country Genealogy and The Cheek That Doth Not Fade.

To all my readers and co-participants in the Games, please go give Diane a visit!

Blog Action Day: Poverty

On October 15th, Blog Action Day, bloggers around the world will unite to write about this year's theme--poverty--in a way that somehow connects to the theme and character of their blog, whether they blog about genealogy, or financial planning, or weight loss. I registered to participate and encourage other bloggers to do so, too. Curiously enough, I have wanted to write a post, or a series of posts, on poverty: what it is, how it happens, how it affects families and generations.

As many of my readers know, I work as an instructional assistant in a special needs classroom at a middle school (junior high) for Spokane Public Schools. What many do not know is that the building in which I work is located in one of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods of the city. While working with the special needs students is always a treat, being around the regular ed. students isn't always so. Their behaviors, choices of words, and attitudes are different than what I'm used to in my familial setting, and sometimes it is uncomfortable to be around them. They come from a different culture than I do; the culture of poverty.

"What?" you say. "Poverty is a culture?" Indeed it is. So is middle class; so is wealth.

Seven years ago, an award-winning elementary teacher I had the privilege to assist gave me a book to read: A Framework for Understanding Poverty, by Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. A principal who worked in the inner-city school districts of Houston, Ms. Payne observed how there are middle class "hidden rules" (expectations) in school settings which were placed upon students of poverty. Faculty from the middle class culture could not effectively communicate with and address issues of these students and their families, causing strife and interfering with learning. A Framework for Understanding Poverty was the result of these observations and her work in instructing teachers in how to address the needs (educational, social, emotional) of their students in ways that they could understand and accept, especially so they can be successful as adults working in careers where middle class expectations are the norm.

Ms. Payne states that "each individual has resources that greatly influence achievement; money is only one [my emphasis]. Poverty is the extent to which an individual is without these resources." She also delineates between two types of poverty: generational and situational. Generational poverty is defined as being in poverty for two generations or longer. Situational poverty involves a shorter time and is caused by circumstance, i.e. death, illness, divorce.

After reading this book, I understood so much more the differences in the way my home life was (middle class culture) compared to my childhood friends (Native Americans in poverty). Even though our cultures (both social and racial) were different, I was familiar with theirs, and it was difficult for me to transition to a society of mostly middle class Caucasian culture when we moved to Washington State. As I studied different lines within my family tree and that of my husband's, I could see how incidents (war, disease, an economic depression, or the death of the head of a household) caused situational poverty for some of my ancestors or their relatives. Sometimes those families survived and overcame poverty, because they had other non-monetary resources on their side. Other family lines did not, and some of them became subjected to generational poverty. These are some of the things I hope to address in my post on Blog Action Day.

Won't you join me?

August 2008 Scanfest isComing!

This coming Sunday, August 24th, from 11 AM to 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time will be our next Scanfest event. Scanfest is a time when family historians, family archivists (you know, the ones that inherit all the "stuff" when Great-aunt Mildred dies!), antique photo collectors, and genea-bloggers sit down with their scanners and scan their precious photos and documents, which of course, can be very monotonous. So we jazzed it up a bit by adding chatting using Windows Live Messenger!

If you would like to join us, please follow these steps for a smooth start-up and an enjoyable time getting to know others. You will want to do this BEFORE Sunday to make your experience go more smoothly, and so that I will not be spending the first hour or so getting everyone set up, and can do some scanning myself!

1. You need to have Windows Live Messenger downloaded to your computer. Mac users, use this link.

2. Windows Live Messenger works best with Hotmail or Gmail accounts. I don't know why, it just does. I recommend Gmail, because it has such good spam filters.

3. Send me an e-mail to let me know you've gotten all set up with Windows Live Messenger, so I can add you to my list of contacts. Check your e-mail account (the one that you will be using as a sign-in for Windows Live Messenger) to see if I have verified you and invited you to Scanfest. PLEASE NOTE: I'll be away from my computer a lot this coming week as my husband is taking some time off from work and we have a couple of houseguests. Please be patient if I do not respond to your e-mails for a few days.

4. Go to Sally Jacob's website here to sign up for her free newsletter. It will enable you to download her helpful information called 8 Blunders People Make When They Scan Photographs...and How You Can Avoid Them All. You do not want to be scanning photos as .jpeg files or at 150 dpi (dots per inch)! Sally's pamphlet will explain all!

5. Take some time to figure out what you want to scan before Sunday. Otherwise, you'll spend your time sorting and not scanning.

6. On Sunday at 11 AM, PDT, or whenever you plan to join the chat (you don't have to be present the entire three hours), sign in to Windows Live Messenger, and if you've done Step 3, you'll see my icon lit up on your list of contacts. Click on my icon and send me a message. I'll add you to our group conversation.

Tallies for 15 and 16 August 2008

The last couple of days have been extremely busy for me, so I didn't get anything accomplished toward the Games. I taught a class twice yesterday morning on Using WorldVitalRecords.com for my genealogy society, then have been very busy with responsibilities around the house.

I took some time to review what I still need to accomplish to attain my original goals:

2. Back Up Your Data!
A. Prepare a comprehensive backup plan for your digital research files and a security plan for your hard copies and photos - I did some thinking on this the other day, now I need to put it in writing.

C. Backup all your data using a flash drive, an external drive, CDs, DVDs, or an online resource - I'm still in progress on this. I can't speed up the process because it's an online backup program and the initial one takes many days to achieve.

E. All your data is backed up digitally and secured physically and you can recover from any disaster while losing only one month or less worth of research - hmmm, I may have to revise my original goal of achieving this, because while I can all my digital data backed up, I don't have the time to secure all the physical data right now. Also, much of my plan for securing my physical data includes scanning or photographing it, loading the copy onto my computer and backing it up online. A big problem right now is that I'm running out of hard drive space.

3. Organize Your Research!
A. Organize at least 20 hard files or ancestral items (books, fabrics, inherited items) into file folders, boxes, envelopes, containers, etc.; archival-quality where appropriate. I started this and need to complete it.

C. Organize at least 20 photos into photo albums, scrapbooks, collages, protective holders, boxes, etc. - Need to do

D. Organize at least 20 digital photos into folders, label, add metadata, add descriptions, add tags, etc. - Need to do

F. Create a master list of your files and notify your family members of where it is stored. - I don't need to do a sixth task (only five are needed for a platinum medal), but I want to do it and it was my original goal to do the minimum of six tasks in this category.

4. Write, Write, Write!
I achieved my original goal of earning a gold, so nothing further will be done in this category.

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
C. Invite other genealogists to join Facebook. - I'd better hurry up on this one; they're all getting taken!

E. Participate in an indexing project. - I had hoped to do some indexing at the library yesterday after teaching my classes, but had to run some errands before shops closed for the weekend. Maybe I'll do a little indexing at FamilySearchIndexing today.

F. Join a genealogical, historical, heritage or lineage society. - I've got three in mind, actually.

I'm going to print up the above list and post it where I can easily see it and be reminded. Here's my current standings for each category:
1. Platinum
2. ---
3. Silver
4. Gold
5. Gold

Meanwhile, many of us have kind of hit a slump. I think we need to stop a minute and get inspired to keep pushing through to the end...keep your eye on the goal...focus on those medals...and turn on your speakers!

Friday Findings: Canadian Online Records and a McARTHUR Obituary

I didn't have as many "finds" this past week. I spent quite a bit of time inputting data from a Descendancy Report shared with me by the wife of a distant WILKINSON cousin. Her information appears to be mostly oral family history, and as this family lived in Canada for many generations, I decided to see what I could find online. I used the vital records indexes for both Manitoba and British Columbia to verify or correct information in the report. The report listed William WILKINSON (the person from whom the descendants were listed, and brother of my 3rd-great-grandfather John) with a death date of 25 September 1934, but no death location. His wife's death information stated she died 26 February 1947 in Victoria, British Columbia, so I checked the BC vital records index using William's name only, and found a listing for a William WILKINSON who died 25 September 1939 in Victoria. This is very likely the same William, and to confirm, I wrote a RAOGK volunteer to request obituaries for both William and his wife Mary Magdaline (THOMPSON) WILKINSON.

I'm just amazed and thrilled with the amount of Canadian information available online these days, from the provincial vital records indexes to the census records indexes and images that are being provided by a variety of websites! It's getting easier and less expensive to trace my Canadian ancestors and relatives these days.

I also used information found at FamilySearch's Record Search pilot website in Michigan vital records and found marriage records for two of William's sons. Speaking of Michigan vital records, stay tuned to this blog next week for a series on these records.

click on image to enlarge and view citation

Another Canada - Michigan link in my family tree is my M(a)cARTHUR family. A cousin sent me a photocopy of the obituary of my 3rd-great-grandfather, Daniel J. MacARTHUR. He was born in Canada and immigrated to the United States, as his obituary confirms. It also confirms he was buried in the Hill/Danley/Phillips Cemetery in Fulton Twp., Gratiot Co., Michigan. The obituary gives his death date (March 10; and other records state the year was 1919), then says "Funeral services were held at the house Thursday and the remains brought to St. Johns [Clinton Co.] and laid to rest Friday in the Danley cemetery on the Gratiot county line." I used the calendar tool in my RootsMagic program and entered "1919" to view that year. I determined that Daniel died on a Monday; the funeral was March 13th, and the burial was the 14th. If you do not have access to a program like this, you can find calendar calculators online.

As I always am, I was intrigued by the listing of the number of descendants in his obituary: "seven children, four boys and three girls, 22 grand children, and 7 great grand children..." Have you ever looked an obituary and then tried to figure out to whom exactly these numbers refer? You may discover additional descendants! Be aware, however, that these numbers can be incorrect. When my paternal grandfather died, the wrong numbers of grandchildren and great-grandchildren were listed in his obit; no matter how I rearranged the possibilities with adoptive and step-descendants, it didn't work out. Somebody simply goofed, and that's often what happens when people's minds are filled with grief and/or the overwhelming duties of filling out paperwork for death certificates, obituaries, probate proceedings, etc.

Although not a "find," I decided to see if I could find cotton gloves for sale here in town, instead of having to purchase a large box of them online through an archival supplier. I've been needing to get some to use while handling old family photos, documents, and heirlooms. At the last Scanfest, someone mentioned purchasing them at art supply stores. I called Spokane Art Supply; they were out of stock momentarily, but recommended Inland Photo up the street. The photo shop employee told me they had two pair of one-size-fits-all regular cotton gloves for $8.95 (not appealing, since I have very small hands), and one pair of anti-static ones in either small and large for $14.95. I'm going to check them out later today. I don't need anti-static ones, because I'm not using them to work on electronics, but they may be the better choice for comfort and fit.

Genealogy Gems Podcast Announces Exclusive Interview with Tim Russell

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Announces Exclusive Interview with Tim Russell of the Prairie Home Companion Radio Show and Movie

San Ramon, CA - August 15, 2008
In the 50th episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, Lisa Louise Cooke chats with Tim Russell of the radio show and movie A Prairie Home Companion about his passion for family history.

"I've always been interested in history, I guess. I'm the only one in (my) family who has expressed some interest in roots and where we all came from."

With his interest in history, it's fitting that Tim has a career that hints of a bygone era - that of a radio show actor.

"We're kind of the last stand for that. But I think Garrison's (Keillor) writing is a prime example of why it should somehow continue. Because it's a great medium. It really puts your imagination to work...and that's why we enjoy it. For the most part, we're doing things live and that gives it a little extra ZING!"

Tim also gives the inside scoop on what it was like to work with the likes of Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, and Lily Tomlin on Robert Altman's movie set.

Also in this 50th episode Lisa does a bit of genealogical daydreaming with fellow genealogy podcasters The Genealogy Guys, DearMYRTLE, and Mike O'Laughlin among others.

Genealogists can listen to Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 50 free at:
http://genealogygemspodcast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=368870.

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About Genealogy Gems:

Genealogy Gems Podcast is an audio show available FREE on the Web at www.GenealogyGems.TV and through iTunes. Host Lisa Louise Cooke provides genealogy research strategies to help listeners get the most out of their research time, and creative ideas for sharing and displaying their family history.

Genealogy Gems Premium offers listeners complete access to all features of the website including members-only podcasts and videos, Message Forum, Newsletter Archive, Genealogy Puzzles, and Behind the Scenes information. Monthly and Annual subscriptions are available.

Lisa Louise Cooke is the host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, and The Family Tree Magazine Podcast. She is the author of the book Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies (Lulu.com $15.98), and a national genealogy speaker.

The Genealogy Gems Podcast
Lisa Louise Cooke
Producer and Host

www.GenealogyGems.TV
Email: GenealogyGemsPodcast@gmail.com

Our Family Language

Every family has its own unique language, words and phrases that have been passed down through the generations from the Old Country and influenced by the dialects and idioms of the various regions that family lived in once they arrived in North America.

I can think of two phrases that were used frequently when I was a child in the Alaskan Native community of Klawock, an old Tlinget fishing village on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. The first was "I jokes!" This was said after you had teased someone or had made a joke. Although spoken in English, it obviously was incorrect grammar. Probably it was a form of pidgin English spoken by my playmates' grandparents and great-grandparents when they were children in the early 1900s, and had simply been handed down over the generations. I remember my parents trying to break me of this phrase by telling me that I should say "I'm joking," but that sounded odd to my ears; stiff and almost pretentious.

Another phrase that was often used by my parents was a Tlinget phrase which sounded like "ee shawn". Now, I know that is not the proper Tlinget spelling of it, but what it meant was "you poor little thing" in a very sarcastic way. If I was whining about something, you can be sure I would hear "ee shawn"!

There are lots of phrases and words that are unique to the family I have now, my husband and children, and extended to the in-laws. Some of these are words with made-up definitions that come from our favorite group game, Balderdash!, which we play almost every night when we go on our annual camping trip to the lake. The adults and kids (who are now either young adults or teenagers) will sit around in the cabin with their drinks and snacks and one person will read a word from a card. Everyone has to make up a definition and secretly write it down on a scrap of paper, along with their name. The reader must write down the correct definition from the back of the card. Then everyone gives their definition to the reader, who mixes up the scraps of paper. He or she then reads each definition, without revealing the identity of the one who wrote it, and everyone votes on the ones they think are the real definition. If a person guesses the true definition, they get two points. If someone votes that one of the fake definitions is real, the author of that definition gets a point. Then the person to the left of the reader becomes the next reader. The game continues until someone reaches an agreed-upon amount (say, 50 points).

We love this game because we get so silly that sometimes we're laughing until the tears run down our faces. One of these times, to be sure, we're going to be asked by another group at the resort to quiet down! Some of the made-up definitions sound so good, and sometimes the real ones sound ridiculous. I remember my brother-in-law made up the following definition for succaleg: "a Yale sporting cheer chanted by fans at games." We still yell "succaleg, succaleg!" at each other when we go camping! And then there's kiddle, which someone else "defined" as a type of greeting done by touching elbows. Every once in a while, my daughter and her cousin will walk up to each other, touch elbows, say "kiddle" and start giggling.

Family languages can be annoying or entertaining. What words or phrases does your family use?

Written for the 54th Carnival of Genealogy.

A Special Time in Our Family's History

Family history is marked by major life events: births, marriages, deaths. There are christenings and baby dedications, graduations, and retirement parties. One special event most of us can remember is getting our Senior portraits done.

My daughter and her boyfriend had their portraits done by our niece, Jennifer Midkiff Fawbush, a professional photographer who lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two little girls. They've been staying here with Jennie's parents for the summer while her husband completes his Guard duty at Fairchild Air Force Base, and will be going back to Illinois next week so he can return to seminary.

Missy and Ryan are featured on Jennie's blog and website (go to Enter Site, then choose Your Story from the menu).

It's hard to believe we're at that point in our family history where our daughter prepares for her last year of high school!
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If you live in the Chicago area and are looking for a photographer to capture your special moments in family history, you won't be disappointed by Jennie's talent. Check out My Story and Your Session on her website to see her philosophy behind her art. And enjoy the beautiful music while you feast your eyes!

Tallies for 14 August 2008

I made a bit more headway today (all that weightlifting must have toned up my genea-blogger muscles! ;-) )

4. Write, Write, Write!
D. Write a brief biographical sketch on one of your ancestors.
Today I posted a Wordless Wednesday follow up on my husband's great-grandparents, Peder and Regina LERFALD (yup! they were first cousins to each other!).

This completed task has helped me meet my original goal of earning a gold medal in this category!

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
D. Assist another researcher with a research request or lookup.
I realized there were three lookup requests sitting in my e-mail folder to which I had not responded. The first one was a request to do a look up in microfilmed cemetery records for Greenwood Cemetery in Kent County, Michigan. I had done some preliminary searching in the index, but ran out of time. I contacted the requester and sent him the transcribed information from the index, and promised to finish this lookup the next time I get to the Family History Center. The other two requests were for lookups in records that are now available at FamilySearch's Record Search, so I e-mailed the requesters and explained to them what they could find at that site.

Completing this task brings me up to a gold in this category!

Here's my medal count for each of the categories:
1. Platinum
2. ---
3. Silver
4. Gold
5. Gold

Even though I haven't earned any medals in category 2 (Back Up Your Data!) I am working on it, believe it or not!

Now, Terry of the Desktop Genealogist has not been participating in these Genea-Blogger Games, but she's been running a marathon of her own against lethargy ("7 Days, 7 Requests"). It's really inspiring; have you been reading about her progress? Check it out: 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7

Peder and Regina LERFALD's 50th Anniversary

Source: 50th Anniversary of Peter and Regina Lerfald. Photograph. 7 June 1931. Original in the possession of Troy Midkiff [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Vancouver, Washington. 2008.

The couple sitting on the bench are my husband's great-great-grandparents, Peder Johnsen LERFALD (1855 - 1936) and Regina Olasdotter LERFALD (1859 - 1943), celebrating the 50th anniversary of their marriage, which took place 7 June 1881, probably in Goodhue Co., Minnesota. The photograph was likely taken at their home in Woodville, St. Croix Co., Wisconsin. Peder and Regina are not only husband and wife; they are also first cousins. But not, despite their surnames, are they both related on their fathers' sides.

Peder was born 25 April 1855 to John Nilssen LERFALD and Sigrid Lassesdotter LERFALDBJØRG, near Trondheim, Norwary. He was the fourth of seven children (one died in infancy) in a family that immigrated to America in 1866. His mother appears to have died shortly after they arrived, and his father remarried to Randa [--?--].

Regina was born 2 Apr 1859 to Ola Pedersen FORDALSHAUGEN and Ane Nilsdotter LERFALDHOLMEN, also near Trondheim. In fact, both Peder and Regina likely were born in or around the community of Lerfald, to the east of Trondheim. Regina was the sixth of nine children and her mother and siblings immigrated to the U.S. in 1874 after her father's death two years previously.

Peder's father John and Regina's mother Ane were brother and sister. You can see they both had the patronym "Nils...", meaning of course, their father's name was Nils. But they had different surnames because Norwegians at that time and place used the surname for the location in which they lived or the farm on which they worked. Their surnames would change with their location. When they immigrated to the United States, sometimes they used their latest surname, and other times they used their patronyms. The ladies often used the masculine version of their patronyn, becoming Ane "Nilssen" instead of Ane Nilsdotter, even though it didn't make sense. Americans were used to names ending in -son or -sen, not -dotter. I've found Regina in records where she used Lerfald as a surname and at other times used Olsen. Because of the many different names that were used, I've actually had a harder time finding my husband's ancestors after they arrived in the U.S. Their family histories in Norway have been very easy to trace using bygdebøker, a unique combination of census, family histories and farm histories within a parish.

Peder and Regina had six children: Sofia, John, Anna, Ole, Rena (my husband's great-grandmother), and Nannie, who died in infancy. John and Ole never married and are pictured in the photograph above. The woman is probably Anna, who lived nearby in Eau Claire, Eau Clair Co., Wisconsin with her husband and family. Sofia lived in Montana and Rena lived in Washington State - both with their respective husbands and families, so it's unlikely they were present for this celebration. We have a few other photos from this day, and neither Rena nor Sofia appear in them. The photos were probably sent to the daughters to share with them the celebration.
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We've had some interesting conversations at my home regarding this photo:

"Norm, do you realize you're your own 5th cousin to yourself, and to your siblings? And our kids are 6th cousins to themselves and each other. You and the kids aren't just father and children, you're 5th cousins, once removed!"

"Look at the size of Peder's hands! Holy cow!"

"Wonder what the dog's name was?"

Tallies for 13 August 2008

I didn't complete any additional tasks on Wednesday, although I did continue to do some of the same: citing sources (1) as I add more data (3E), backing up my files online (2C), commenting on new-to-me blogger's posts (5A) and joining blog networks (5B).

My medal count remains the same as August 12th for the various categories:
1. Platinum
2. ---
3. Silver
4. Silver
5. Silver

However, I am giving fellow Washington State resident Melanie Roach a run for her money in the weightlifting competition:

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The 4th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival is Posted!

courtesy of the footnoteMaven

The footnoteMaven has just published the 4th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival at her Shades of the Departed blog. The topic was "My Favorite Photograph," and boy, was it difficult for all of the 40 (yes, count 'em: 40!) submitters to choose just one (and some couldn't!). My submission is here, and you can see why it would be my favorite!

The Maven graciously credited the Genea-Blogger Group Games for the high attendance at this month's carnival. Maven, word is getting around about your funtastic digital publication, including a well-deserved mention in the latest article of Internet Genealogy magazine!

The word prompt for the 5th Edition of this carnival is "Crowning Glory."

Show us those wonderful photographs of hairdos and maybe even a few don'ts. Don't limit yourself to just hair fashion through the ages, got a great photograph of a hat, helmet, bonnet, or some other interesting headgear? Share!

Choose a photograph of an ancestor, relative, yourself, or an orphan photograph that is the epitome of Crowning Glory and bring it to the carnival. Admission is free with every photograph!

Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may be in the form of an expressive comment, a quote, a journal entry, a poem (your own or a favorite), a scrapbook page, or a heartfelt article. The choice is yours!

Submission deadline is midnight (Pacific Time) on 10 September 2008. You can e-mail footnoteMaven with the title and permalink URL of the post you are submitting, and the name of your blog (put "Smile For The Camera" clearly in the title of your email) or submit it here.

Wordless Wednesday: Peder and Regina LERFALD's 50th Anniversary

Source: 50th Anniversary of Peter and Regina Lerfald. Photograph. 7 June 1931. Original in the possession of Troy Midkiff [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Vancouver, Washington. 2008.

Tallies for 12 August 2008

Last night I was so tired, I went to bed early without listing my tallies. It was a busy day; much of my energy was spent enjoying a get together at a co-worker's home for a good-bye party for a teacher friend who is moving to Connecticut. Of course, most of us haven't seen each other since mid-June so it was nice to catch up on all the gossip news.

I did, however, work on two new areas and did more work on a task I've already completed.

2. Back Up Your Data!
A. Prepare a comprehensive backup plan for your digital research files and a security plan for your hard copies and photos
I did some serious thinking about this and extended it to how I need to write a plan for which family members get which documents and photos in the event of my death, as well as publishing a family history for each of my major lines. I'm reminded of how just a few months ago, our society was contacted by the son of a woman who had spent her whole life researching and had made no plans for where the materials would go. Most of what she had were photocopies from genealogical books, so they could not be sold or used in our library's genealogical collection. They, along with folders full of family group sheets, were placed out on tables for our members to go through and take if they wished. To our knowledge, the woman had never published a family history, which ultimately, should be the goal of our research. It doesn't do our families any good if our research sits in a database or in file folders. It needs to be made into something comprehensible which can be enjoyed and shared with others.

Summary: I haven't written down the plan, yet, but I am working on it.


4. Write, Write, Write!
C. Prepare several posts in draft mode (if possible with your blog platform) and pre-publish.
I began a new series that I will publish next week, using the Schedule feature of Blogger.


5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
B. Join another genea-blogger’s blog network on Facebook Blog Networks.
Although I've already completed this task this week, I continued to add new friends from the Genea-Bloggers Group, and once they had confirmed, checked their information to see if they had a blog that I could add to my Google Reader and/or had been listed with Facebook Blog Networks so I could join. Last I checked, we had 129 members of the group, and it seems to be growing daily!
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My total medals earned during the Games as of today:
1. Platinum
2. ---
3. Silver
4. Silver
5. Silver

Virginia Travis' Photo is Footnote's Featured Upload

Congratulations to Virginia Travis of Valeehill Genealogy Blog, whose photo of the 1890 reunion of the Ohio 5th Sharpshooters is Footnote's Featured Upload for August 2008!

Virginia used the Annotations feature at Footnote to identify every individual in the photo. This feature makes it easy to use for tagging all those group photos, from military, school, and family reunions to casual group shots. The great thing about all this is it's absolutely free to register and create a gallery in which to upload and annotate your favorite photos or add images that you find at Footnote. It's a great place to backup all those photos you've got sitting on your hard drive. You can also create story pages for free, too. These are similar to blogs in that you can write on a topic and add photos and images of documents to illustrate your posts. Try it out!

P.S. By the way, Happy Birthday, Virginia!

Tallies for 11 August 2008

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
I spent several hours going through a descendancy report sent to me last week by a WILKINSON cousin and adding the information to my database, citing every fact and event according to Evidence Explained. I stopped after citing 53 sources (along with a rummy brain and bleary eyes), so I have earned my platinum medal! This also does double-duty for Category 3E.

2. Back Up Your Data!
C. Backup all your data using a flash drive, an external drive, CDs, DVDs, or an online resource
Carbonite is still plugging away on the backup.

Summary: Still in progress.


3. Organize Your Research!
A. Organize at least 20 hard files or ancestral items (books, fabrics, inherited items) into file folders, boxes, envelopes, containers, etc.; archival-quality where appropriate.
Last night I started sorting a stack of loose documents. I realized that I had more to work with than I could possibly file properly. So I did a loose filing system of seven main piles: one each for my parents and my parents-in-law, one for my step-grandfather's family, one for my grandmother's adoptive family, and the last folder for everything else (syllabuses, forms, newsletters, etc.).

Today I went through my books to see if there was anything I could donate to my genealogical society's upcoming book auction. I found two titles, and before I donate them to the auction, I'll check with our society's librarian to see if they would be needed in our genealogy collections.

Summary for Task A: Still in progress.

B. Organize at least 20 digital files into folders, label, add metadata, add descriptions, add tags, etc.
I moved all my pixel graphic files and folders to my laptop, then moved about 20 genealogy folders I could find on my laptop to my desktop, merging them where applicable to the genealogy folders already created there. I spent a lot of time going through non-genealogy files and folders, deleting unnecessary things and just plain junk, then emptying the recycle bin. Even with all the genealogy folders I added from the laptop, my desktop had 1.04 GB more room after tossing unwanted stuff.

E. Create at least 20 data entries in your database, or scan 20 photos, or scan 20 documents.
Entering 53 facts or events in my database helped me to complete this task.

Summary: Completed two tasks - silver medal!
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My total medals earned during the Games as of today:
1. Platinum
2. ---
3. Silver
4. Bronze
5. Silver

AnceStories Makes Alltop's List of Top Genealogy Blogs

I'm honored to be listed among the top genealogy bloggers at Alltop. And I'll be honest and say I've never heard of Alltop before, but then my head is so often into all (and only) things genealogy, that's not too surprising. The footnoteMaven announced that her blog had been chosen, and in checking out their site, I came across my blog as well.

The fun for me in any kind of list like this is discovering "new" blogs to add to my Google Reader. It's always interesting to read what other people are doing in their research, what new resources (online and off) they've found, and what the latest news is in technology that can be used by family historians. I think that's what so exciting about belonging to a group like the Genea-Bloggers!

So thank you, folks at Alltops, for listing AnceStories as a top genealogy blog and especially for another chance to find some great new reads!

Update on Latecomers' List

Yesterday I posted a list of four latecomers to the Genea-Bloggers Group Games. One of them was Linda Robbins, and I gave incorrect blog information. Her blog is HollingsworthRobbinsFamilyTree and her post about what categories she's entering is here.

Please welcome her to the Games, visit her blog, add it to your reader (Google or Bloglines) and to your Blog Networks application at Facebook.

Tallies for 10 August 2008

I didn't do much on the computer today, other than publishing the two previous posts (one this morning, one this evening), because we're "painting" the exterior of our house with primer/sealer, hoping to get it all prepared to get the front completely painted next week. We figure having at least one side of the house completely painted, trim and all, will not only look nice from the street, it will motivate and encourage us to get the sides and rear completed before the cold weather hits. Unfortunately, I have only two-and-a-half weeks before I have to return to work, and so my time is limited on all projects (genealogy or not).

Even though it's late, I am going to sit and relax after a hard day's work and watch an episode of "The Waltons" (Season 6) on DVD with my husband. But I will get a little done towards my Games goals. I'm pulling out some colored file folders to use while I sort through a stack of unfiled documents. I may be able to get the following goal completed this evening:

3. Organize Your Research!
A. Organize at least 20 hard files or ancestral items (books, fabrics, inherited items) into file folders, boxes, envelopes, containers, etc.; archival-quality where appropriate.

If so, I'll have earned a Bronze Medal in this category. I'll let you know if I completed this in my Tallies post tomorrow.

Please Welcome These Latecomers to the Genea-Blogger Group Games!

As we mentioned in yesterday's post, we allowed latecomers to register for the Genea-Blogger Group Games as late as 9:00 PM, PDT, this evening. We'd like to extend a warm welcome to the following bloggers, who will be working hard to earn their medals!

The first is Linda Robbins (gee, I like her already! but no, we don't seem to be related) with the HollingsworthRobbinsFamilyTree. Linda's post on the categories she's working on is here.

Next up is Taneya Koonce with Taneya's Genealogy Blog. Taneya's been blogging for a long time and we're happy to see her join the Games. Her Entry Post is here.

The Genetic Genealogist, Blaine Bettinger, has joined us hoping to put a genetic genealogy twist on things. He writes about the categories he's competing in here.

Craig Manson has dug himself out of a (literal!) truckload of documents and photos and has headed out of the starting gate over at GeneaBlogie. Craig's blog has moved recently, so even if you're a long time fan and reader, as I am, make sure your bookmarks and feeds are updated. His post tells how he's entering all the categories!

We're very excited to add these "athletes" to our Games and wish them the best!

If you are a genealogy blogger and would like to join the Games (participation info and rules here), you are also certainly welcome! At this point, we will not be awarding medals to any more latecomers. However, feel free to drop me a line and let me know you're participating, and I will highlight you and your blog here, and you are welcome to use our participants' badge (Games logo) on your blog.

Tallies for 9 August 2008

I wasn't able to post this yesterday evening as planned. It was a very busy afternoon and evening. First my niece, a professional photographer from the Chicago area who is visiting Spokane for the summer, picked up my daughter and her boyfriend to do a photo shoot for their senior pictures. My husband and I went out to get some shopping done and on our way home, received a phone call from my parents, who were in town visiting my aunt and sister, and wanted to drop by before heading home. It was late before everything settled down...too late to blog. However, I'm very excited, because my dad had brought some old family documents and a family photo from 1920 that he obtained while they were visiting his mother in Michigan two weeks ago!

Here's some of what I worked on yesterday:

2. Back Up Your Data!
C. Backup all your data using a flash drive, an external drive, CDs, DVDs, or an online resource.
I'm in the middle of a big backup using Carbonite. It is taking days, partly because the first big backup does take a long time, and secondly, we don't keep the computer on at night. Once everything is backed up the first time, subsequent backups will take minutes, not days. The price at Carbonite is right, but since we don't have a lot on my laptop, I might just use a little freebie service for that. My desktop's hard drive is pretty full, and besides needing to do some clean up, I'm thinking of moving all my files with pixel drawings (another digital hobby I was really "into" for a while, before blogging) to my laptop to free up room on the main computer.

4. Write, Write, Write!
B. Participate in a genealogy or family history related blog carnival.
I submitted an entry for the 4th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival yesterday.

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
A. Comment on a new (to you) genea-blog.
I commented on Amir Dekel's blog, I Dream of Genea(logy). Amir is new to the Genea-Bloggers Group, and in fact, is new to genea-blogging, although he has had a personal blog for a while.
B. Join another genea-blogger’s blog network on Facebook Blog Networks.
I joined Tina Sansone's Gtownma's Genealogy Blog Network. Tina is another new-to-me genea-blogger.

Wow, it looks like I'm on my way to a Bronze Medal in Category 2 and have already earned another Bronze in Category 4 and a Silver Medal in Category 5 (sounds like a tornado!)...all on the first day! My challenge, I know, will be Category 1 (Cite Your Sources!), in which I hope to earn a Platinum!

My Favorite Photograph

As part of the 4th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival hosted at footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed online publication, participants must pick a favorite photograph and explain why it is so.

Like most family historians, I have many favorites for many reasons. Somehow, I narrowed them down to two. My favorite photo of ancestors would have to be one taken at my parents' wedding, because where else could I find a photograph of six biological and two step-ancestors? But if given a choice of only one photograph to keep of all the ones I own, it would be the following. I think it's obvious why.

Source: Midkiff, Matthew and Melissa. Photograph. December 1996. Original in the possession of Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington. 2008.

The kids were watching Christmas specials on TV one afternoon and fell asleep. They used to love to sit in this big old comfortable chair (which we no longer own; it just got worn out), with their heads against one arm rest and, as they got older and longer, their feet over the other. The television is located just to the left of where I'm standing to take this photo. The antimacassar over the chair back was crocheted by my great-grandmother, Lillian Fern (STRONG) HOEKSTRA. This was the first Christmas in our "new" home (built 1907 - 08). My daughter had recently turned six and was in Kindergarten and my son was nearly three. Hard to believe that they'll be a high school senior and a freshman, respectively, this coming school year.

Because we didn't have a digital camera then, this is a scan of a printed photograph. You can't really see the detail of the Christmas tree in the background the way you can when you look at the original, or the soft flush of their chubby cheeks. I can almost hear their soft, measured breathing, see the rise and fall of their little chests, and smell the warm, baby smell of my toddler and the "No More Tears" shampoo scent in my daughter's hair.

This is one of those scenes that's going to stay with me as long as I live.

It's Not Too Late to Join the Games!

Because of the great publicity the Games has been given through some popular blogs, we've had a few people ask if it's too late to join them. Thomas, Kathryn, and I put our heads together about this and decided no, it's not too late!

We'll give everyone until 9:00 PM PDT tomorrow, August 10th to join the games, which includes 1) joining Facebook; 2) joining the Genea-Blogger Group at Facebook; 3) creating a post on your blog describing the categories you are "competing" in. E-mail me to let me know about your post.

Latecomers won't be added to the Opening Ceremonies post, but we'll highlight you on my blog. If you qualify by completing the appropriate tasks, you'll receive the appropriate medal(s).

We welcome all who wish to be a part of the Genea-Bloggers: you can join our group at any time! Remember, our description is: "For those who blog about genealogy or family history and those who are their devoted readers!"

Also, a gentle reminder that competition starting time is 12 Noon, PDT today, August 9th and ending time is 12 Noon, PDT on Saturday, August 23rd. A few of you got so excited about participating, you "jumped the gun." We'll forgive you!

Friday Findings: Black Sheep Ancestors, McARTHUR Graves & Obit, WILKINSON Kin, ROBBINS Cousins and DeVRIES Info

Because of all the busy-ness relating to the Genea-Blogger Games, I'm not publishing any related images to this post at this time. Maybe I'll add them later.

Black Sheep Ancestors
Found my black sheep 4th-great-grandfather Uzza ROB(B)INS (convicted and hung for murder in 1850) in a book I ordered through Inter-Library Loan after seeing a mention of him in snippet view on Google Book Search: Centennial History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania: Reprinted with an Added Foreword, Biography, and Index to Names by Rhamanthus Menville Stocker (published by Regional Pub. Co., 1974). He's in a list of 1836 taxpayers for Liberty (formerly Lawsville) Township, along with an Isaiah Robins. This makes sense, since Uzza was enumerated in Lawsville in 1830. I photocopied all the pages recording the history of Liberty Township, and I figure I need to track Isaiah to see if he's a relative. I also photocopied the map and pages of the index that had lists of surnames that connect to this family.

Hired a professional genealogist to obtain the entire military file (what may exist of it) for my WWI great-grandfather, Howard Merkle YORK, while she is in St. Louis, Missouri. He was living in the Disciplinary Barracks of Ft. Leavenworth during the 1918 WWI Draft Registration, served time in a Michigan prison for forgery, and was listed as a WWI Veteran on the 1930 Federal Census. While I know I can order his military record myself, I'm hoping that she can request some things onsite that I might not otherwise think of or have sent to me via a written request.

McARTHUR Graves & Obit
The McARTHUR cousin who contacted me last week made it to the cemetery where our mutual ancestors are buried (Daniel J. McARTHUR and Martha JOHNSON) and took photographs. She has also been in contact with another cousin (one I met when I visited Michigan last, in 2000), who mailed us both a copy of Daniel's obituary. I'll be adding the obit to my website, and the photos can be viewed here.

WILKINSON Kin
I heard from the wife of a descendant of William WILKINSON, brother to my 3rd-great-grandfather, John WILKINSON, Sr. She sent me a descendant report, and wouldn't you know it, William's descendants left Canada for Michigan, too (like John), but they settled in East Michigan, whereas John and his descendants were in West Michigan. I'm hoping to exchange copies of primary documents with this new cousin!

ROBBINS Cousins and DeVRIES Info
Looked for and found two first cousins on my ROBBINS side on Facebook, both much younger than me. Added them as friends, then asked each to verify and complete birth information I had for them. No responses yet.

Contacted my mom's brother and asked him to complete some of the locations I was missing for his immediate family members. I can always count on his information as being complete and accurate!

P.S.
This isn't really a "find," but I got a call from DialAmerica, which sells magazines at a discount from the newsstand price, giving 12% to charities. I'd ordered magazines for my daughter through them in the past, and this time, I asked if they had any genealogy magazines. To my surprise, they did: FamilyTreeMagazine. Their price was the same as what I can get online, but it makes me feel good that part of my cost will go to charity. Plus, this is a magazine I've had a subscription to in the past and always loved. I signed up for 10 issues (not quite two years).

Don't Forget Julie!

Julie Cahill Tarr created her flag, wrote her post at GenBlog, and e-mailed me with all the appropriate links, descriptions, and attachments this morning in time to make it to the Opening Ceremonies.

Trouble was, there was a technical glitch, and her Outlook program didn't ship the message off to me until after the Opening Ceremonies were posted.

But thanks to good old Blogger editing options, Julie is now marching steadily in place between Randy and George in the Parade of Delegates.

Make sure you give her blog a visit!