New Ancestry.com Family Tree Maker 2010 Software Adds New Storytelling and Organizational Tools

No. 1 Selling Family Tree Software Continues To Offer Users Online Integration with Ancestry.com and Other Web Resources Including Microsoft® Bing™ Maps

PROVO, Utah, August 19, 2009 -- Ancestry.com, the world's largest online resource for family history, today announced the release of Ancestry.com Family Tree Maker 2010, a new and improved version of the world's No. 1 selling family history software.

Family Tree Maker 2010 provides users the tools they need to build their family tree, record their memories and organize their family photos, stories, videos and audio clips in a way that will help them easily capture and share the story of their ancestors.

Additionally, this new software provides unique ways to view your family history. Users can now track the migration paths of a person and their family through time, by mapping event locations with Microsoft® Bing™ Maps. They can also view relationships between any two people in their family tree by using the improved relationship calculator and create family books made from information and photos from their tree.

Users can also utilize the robust collection of family history records on Ancestry.com and powerful search features - without leaving Family Tree Maker. When connected to the Internet, Family Tree Maker 2010 automatically searches Ancestry.com for historical documents about the individuals in the user's family tree. With a few mouse clicks, users with an Ancestry.com subscription can view and import these historical records into their family tree.

“In the last 20 years, Family Tree Maker has always made it easy to discover your story, preserve your legacy and share your unique heritage as you explore your family tree on your personal computer,” said Andrew Wait, Senior Vice President and General Manager, U.S., Ancestry.com. “Now Family Tree Maker 2010 introduces even richer storytelling and organizational tools that can add new life to your family history.”

What’s New in Ancestry.com Family Tree Maker 2010?

The following new and improved features expand Family Tree Maker's capabilities:

· Improved integration with Ancestry.com – Easily download your Ancestry.com family tree, including photos and stories, directly into Family Tree Maker 2010.

· New and improved charts and reports – Tell a richer family story with numerous improvements to charts and reports including a new timeline report, improved family group sheet and genealogy reports.

· Better ways to organize photos and other media – Easier and faster ways to add, link and categorize photos and files in bulk.

· Photo Slideshows – Create and share slideshows based on images included within your family tree. Slideshows can also be exported to share with others.

· Family books made from your tree – Create a book about your family history to share with friends and family.

· Standard source templates – Cite the right information in your records with access to powerful sourcing tools that let you document and rate each citation.

· Robust relationship calculator – Quickly calculate the relationships between any two people in your tree.

· Scanner support – Add photos to your tree directly from your scanner and organize them into categories at the same time.

· Extended family birthday calendars – Easily create and share calendars that show family birthdays and anniversaries.

· Extensive geographical migrations – View a person or family timeline with event locations, like births, marriages, residences and death, mapped geographically to show migration paths you can follow through time.

· Improved performance – faster load times and quicker performance across the application.

We have built Family Tree Maker 2010 with our broad range of users in mind. The software spans the range of user ability with an easy-to-use interface that also offers advanced, robust features for even the most experienced genealogist.

“It seems that Family Tree Maker 2010 is much more intuitive and user-friendly,” said Robert Tenuta, Family Tree Maker user in Orland Park, IL. “The enhancements and updates are outstanding and up-to-date. The expansion of the charts and reports are great, too.”

Family Tree Maker 2010 is now available to purchase online at http://www.familytreemaker.com starting at $39.95. The program is also set to be released in select retail stores.

* Internet access required for Microsoft Bing Maps and other Web integration.

About Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com is the world's largest online resource for family history and has digitized and put online over 4 billion records over the past twelve years. Ancestry users have created over ten million family trees containing over one billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries, and more than 8 million unique visitors spent more than 5 million hours on an Ancestry Web site in May 2009 (comScore Media Metrix, Worldwide). For more information on Ancestry.com and its other family history resources, visit http://corporate.ancestry.com.

Web sites: http://www.ancestry.com/

http://www.myfamily.com/

http://www.genealogy.com/

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

http://www.mycanvas.com/

http://www.dna.ancestry.com/

http://www.familytreemaker.com/

Deceased "John Doe" Found in Spokane 26 Years Ago is Reunited with Son

I found the following story in my local paper. It's absolutely fascinating. You'll want to read it soon, as The Spokesman-Review archives its articles fairly quickly and then they are only available at cost.

A “John Doe” was found dead in a van in downtown Spokane on June 14, 1983. In 2006, thanks to a “cold case” investigation, Spokane County medical examiner’s office staffers discovered his identity: Michael Keith Roberts.

County staffers, along with others in the community, paid for a headstone and held a memorial service for Roberts. The Spokesman-Review did a series of columns in summer 2006 on the “Michael Mystery.”

End of story? No.

Recently, Zak Gilbert, 33, of Fort Collins, Colo., contacted the newspaper. Roberts was Gilbert’s biological father.

Read the full story here.

"Casefile Clues" How-to Column

Michael John Neill is now distributing his "Casefile Clues" how-to column on his own website, www.casefileclues.com. Michael describes it as:

a weekly genealogy newsletter focusing on genealogy research methodology and interpretation. Every week I look at a record or a problem from one of the many families of my children scattered across the US and Europe. "Casefile Clues" does not try to "scoop" the latest news, rather I focus on using and interpreting records. My goal is to give you ideas to help you with your own research.

This weekly column is available by subscription only. Annual and quarterly subscriptions are available at $15 and $6, respectively.

Check it out!

WorldVitalRecords Free Site Access Extended

You may have seen this mentioned on other blogs (and I'm sorry I didn't get this posted earlier...was out of town and ill), but WorldVitalRecords has extended their free site access through Tuesday, August 18th. No credit card is required; just a name and e-mail address.

Surname Saturday: WESTABY

The WESTABY line is my children's father's paternal grandmother's line. Although common in spelling to WESTBY and WESTOBY, I've found that the former tends to be Scandinavian, while the latter seems to have similar roots to his WESTABYs: from the area of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire bordering the Humber River in England.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #80 - Thomas WESTABY (1779? - ?) - there were several Thomas WESTABYs living in the area around this time and of the right age to be George's father (see next name in this line). "Our" Thomas married Mary SPAULDING in 1808 in Goxhill, Lincolnshire and probaby was born in Barrow-Upon-Humber.

Ahnentafel #40 - George Rice WESTABY, I (1822 -1894) - born in Barrow-Upon-Humber, Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire. George, his wife Ann WILSON, and his brother Charles immigrated to Jo Daviess Co., Illinois in 1850, not long after his marriage. The family is mentioned quite frequently in The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois (1878).

Ahnentafel #20 - George Rice WESTABY, II (1863 - 1927) - between 1880 and 1888, "Rice" moved to Montana from Illinois, where he married Rebecca Catherine SNOOK. They settled in what was then Custer (now Rosebud) County, raising their five sons and one daughter. Later they divorced; Rice supposedly married twice more. I've yet to find evidence.

Ahnentafel #10 - George Rice WESTABY, III (1890 - 1972) - worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad and followed it to the Yakima Valley in Washington State in 1920, where descendants still remain. His wife was Rena LERFALD.

Ahnentafel #5 - Helen Mary WESTABY (1915 - 1997) - my children's beloved great-grandmother

Ahnentafel #2 - my children's paternal grandfather (living)

Ahentafel #1 - my children's father (living)


More about the WESTABY family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): WESTABY ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some WESTABY obituaries

3. Posts about WESTABY ancestors and relatives on this blog

4. Some scanned WESTABY documents

5. Some scanned WESTABY photos

6. The WESTABY Family Bible

7. My WESTABY Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave

8. The WESTABY Message Board on Ancestry and RootsWeb


My children's WESTABY immigration trail:

Barrow-Upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, England > Thompson Twp., Jo Daviess Co., IL > Yellowstone Co., MT > Custer (later Rosebud) Co., MT > Dawson Co., MT > Yakima Co., WA > Thurston Co., WA > Clark Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

Friday Findings:

This week was too busy to get regular research done. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a genealogy-free week!

First and foremost was my presentation Wednesday evening of "Frugal Genealogy or How Not to Spend a Fortune on Your Family Tree" at the Tri-City Genealogical Society in Richland, Washington. What a fabulous group they have there and I am looking forward to reconnecting with their members next month at the state conference! I had a chance that afternoon to stop by Sunset Memorial Gardens in Richland where my husband's maternal grandparents are buried and was able to stop for a bit and photograph their shared gravestone. I also inquired at the office whether a sibling of the grandfather was buried there, and was informed that he was not.

Although I was enjoying my time in the area, unfortunately, I became ill with fever and chills later that evening and woke up the next morning knowing that I was too sick to make the 2 1/2 hour drive home. My gracious hostess, Anne, invited me to stay as long as I needed to recuperate and generously offered Tylenol, chicken noodle soup, and everything in between to make me comfortable and rested. Yesterday evening, although weak, I felt better and took her up on her offer to accompany her on a visit to Richland's oldest cemetery, Resthaven Pioneer Cemetery. The cool evening air was refreshing and I enjoyed looking at all the varieties of tombstones, as I do in any cemetery. What was most interesting was the tales that Anne told me about the individuals buried there. Every year on the weekend before Hallowe'en, the CREHST Museum hosts Tombstone Tales, a living history tour of the cemetery. Tour groups are lead by the Grim Reaper to individual gravesites where actors in period costume give a brief monologue of their life as an early Columbia Valley pioneer. Anne has played a Grim Reaper numerous times and has also done research on many of the individuals buried there and so is quite familiar with their stories. It was a fascinating visit and a good non-strenuous diversion that I needed. (Only a genealogist would understand how visiting a cemetery when you're not feeling up to snuff is rejuvenating! Thanks, Anne!)

When I got home late this morning, I was delighted to see that my desktop computer is working again two months after the electrical system shorted out...and even more delighted that all my data seems to be intact, although I did have it backed up with Carbonite. There was so much that I was unable to do, genealogy-wise and blogging-wise without that main computer, and it's hard not to mourn the lost time of a whole summer, when I tend to do more blogging and research. Sometime next week, I'll be back in the classroom preparing for our new students even though my official first day of work isn't until August 25th. UPDATE: Bummer...the computer shut back down after being on for a few hours. (sigh)

Lastly, the Summer 2009 issue of New England Ancestors arrived in the mail today. Randy Seaver did a post about the details, and like him, I have Vermont ancestors that settled in Western New York, making the articles personally interesting.

Presenting at the Tri-City (Washington) Genealogical Society

This evening I will be speaking on one of my favorite presentations, "Frugal Genealogy, or How Not to Spend a Fortune on Your Family Tree!" at the Tri-City Genealogical Society in Richland, Washington. It's a two-and-a-half hour drive south from my home in Spokane, and I will be combining a bit of my own research with this engagement. Because the meeting is in the evening, I will be staying the night at the home of a couple of members who have generously offered their guest room to me. An advantage is that on the way to their home, I will be passing right by Sunset Memorial Gardens, where my husband's maternal grandparents, Forrest L. "Frank" CHAPLIN and Leona Mary MARTIN are buried.

I've been to the cemetery once, nearly 16 years ago, for the graveside service of Leona. Frank had passed away 17 years previously, long before I had met my husband and his family. Several years ago, I was able to get photographs of their graves, along with the block, lot, and space numbers for their burial places, thanks to a volunteer at Find a Grave. However, I am planning to stop and rephotograph the graves for myself, as well as determine if any of their siblings are also buried there. I did a quick check through my RootsMagic program, and it appears that between Frank and Leona, only one sibling passed away in the area: Frank's older brother Charles Cornelius CHAPLIN, who died in 1973. Charlie Chaplin may indeed be buried at Sunset, so I will be inquiring at the cemetery office!

I'm looking forward to meeting the members of the TCGS and giving my presentation. I have met a few of them who have in their turn, spoken at some of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society meetings (my home society), and I expect to see many of them at the Washington State Genealogical Society's state conference in Spokane in September.

The tri-cities area, consisting of Pasco in Franklin County and Kennewick and Richland in Benton County, is a beautiful area, well-known for its orchards, gardens, and vineyards. The wine industry there is second only to California's Napa Valley. Its rolling hills and the many rivers (the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia all merge in this region) make for a lovely landscape, and I look forward to my little get away!

Update on King County, Washington Marriage Records Online

Although dated August 1st, the following came through my Google Reader today from the Washington State Digital Archives:

The long awaited King County Marriage records from 1855 to 1940 are now available online at the Washington State Digital Archives. As of August 1, records up to 1940 have been scanned and indexed and are searchable on the website. Although the project will not be complete until the end of the year, Marriage Certificates from 1855-2000 and Marriage Returns from 1891-1939 will be available and searchable as they are indexed, beginning with the earliest years. The collection contains over 1 million records.

Marriage Certificates, filed with the County Auditor following the marriage ceremony, provide marriage license number, date, and county; place and date of marriage; names and county of residence of bride and groom; names of witnesses; and name, residence, and official station of the person performing the marriage.

Marriage Returns, returned to the County Auditor from the person performing the marriage ceremony, contain more information than Marriage Certificates. Marriage Returns generally provide the names and birthplaces of the bride and groom and their parents; residence, age, race, number of previous marriages, and occupation of both parties; place and date of marriage; name and official station of the person performing the marriage; and names of witnesses.

For more information about King County marriage records program, contact Washington State Digital Archives at (509) 235-7509 or digitalarchives@secstate.wa.gov.

WorldVitalRecords Free for Three Days

WorldVitalRecords.com Opens Site Allowing for Free Public Access to More Than One Billion Family History Records

With the addition of the largest number of records to be released in a single day since the site launched in 2006

PROVO, UT, August 11, 2009 - WorldVitalRecords.com, an online family history resource, today announced the addition of the largest number of records to be released in a single day since the site launched in 2006. To commemorate this milestone, for the first time WorldVitalRecords is offering free public access to its entire online collection of historical and genealogical records beginning August 11 and continuing through August 13, 2009. The public will have unlimited access to more than one billion records in over 11,000 databases from around the world including newspapers, census, birth, marriage, death, immigration and military records; family trees; stories and publications; and yearbooks.

"As a genealogy enthusiast, I'm thrilled that people can go to one place like WorldVitalRecords.com, try family history research for free and find their parents or grandparents, and see how simple it is to start tracing back and discovering stories that bring family history to life," said Jim Ericson, Vice-President of Marketing for Family Link. "This is a rare opportunity to delve into the records and discover information about your family and ancestors you may have never known."

Featured records in this release include:

Historical Newspapers
Through a partnership with Newspaper Archive, WorldVitalRecords is adding access to pages from a variety of newspapers from all over the United States, dating from 1759 through 1923. This collection features images of entire newspapers from the western frontier, the Midwest at the turn of the century, and the long-time standard of our nation's news, "The New York Times" which includes over 7 million names. Newspaper Archive produces the largest historical newspaper database online, and the collection is fully searchable by keyword and date, and individual pages can be saved or printed.

According to Gena Philibert Ortega, Genealogy Community Director for FamilyLink, "Part of the fun of family history is uncovering details about our ancestors’ daily lives -- the events of the day, the goods and the services they bought. Newspapers allow us to better understand our ancestors."

Immigration Records
Living in a country of immigrants, ship passenger lists and other records documenting immigration can be an essential part in learning more about your family history. It is a thrilling experience to see their names transcribed on paper the day they entered this country through the Port of New York. Browsing and searching these passenger lists is a perfect way for someone to start researching their family history. This record collection provides documentation of over 150,000 passengers who arrived on nearly 8,000 ships at one of the busiest ports in the United States, New York, from 1820-1832.

Yearbooks
In partnership with the website E-Yearbook.com, WorldVitalRecords is doubling its collection of digitized yearbooks. This collection features university yearbooks from the late 1800 to mid 1950s. E-Yearbook.com houses the largest collection of old college yearbooks on the Internet. Universities featured this week include Duke University, University of Oklahoma, Iowa State and the College of William and Mary.

Vital Records, Military Records and Tax Lists
Other records being released on the site include birth, marriage, tax lists, military records, and death records from Maine, North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Focused on helping users discover and share their family history, WorldVitalRecords adds new records to their online collection everyday.

About WorldVitalRecords.com
WorldVitalRecords.com is simplifying family history research by providing many easy-to-use tools and resources to discover and connect with others interested in family history. WorldVitalRecords provides access to more than one billion international and U.S. records WorldVitalRecords.com provides affordable access to genealogy databases and family history tools used by more than 258,000 monthly visitors. The site registers 3.6 million monthly pages views and serves tens of thousands of paying subscribers. With thousands of databases, including birth, death, military, census, and parish records, WorldVitalRecords.com makes it easy to fill in missing information in your family tree.

WorldVitalRecords is part of the FamilyLink.com, Inc. network of family-focused interactive properties including, GenealogyWise, WebTree, WorldHistory, and the We're Related and My Family applications on Facebook.

My Sweet 16

Last night, Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings put forth the following challenge for Saturday Night Genealogical Fun:

1) List your 16 great-great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.

2) Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.

3) Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 - 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).

4) If you don't know all 16 of your great-great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.

5) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post.

Here goes:

16. Angelo Merrick ROBBINS, Sr. - born 24 Feb 1874 in Southbrook Twp., Cottonwood Co., Minesota; married 23 Nov 1892 in Hesperia, Denver Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan; died 16 Jul 1923 in Muskegon, Muskegon Co., Michigan. (English)

17. Mary May KIMBALL (a.k.a. Lula WEAVER as she was "adopted" [raised] by her maternal aunt and her husband) - born 27 Mar 1873 in Newaygo Co., Michigan (probably in Hesperia); died 27 Dec 1950 in Fruitport Twp., Muskegon Co., Michigan. (English)

18. George Emmett LEWIS - born 10 Dec 1868 in St. Johns, Clinton Co., Michigan; married 31 Dec 1891 in Muskegon, Muskegon Co., Michigan; died 16 May 1964 in Whitehall, Muskegon Co., Michigan. (English)

19. Mary J. WILKINSON - born 17 Apr 1872 in Port Hope, Northumberland (now Durham) Co., Ontario; died 25 Oct 1940 in Muskegon Heights, Muskegon Co., Michigan. (English)

20. James L. YORK - born 7 Oct 1867 in Goodrich, Genesee Co., Michigan; married 3 Jul 1893 in St. Johns, Clinton Co., Michigan; died 15 Sep 1933 in Lake Orion, Oakland Co., Michigan. (English)

21. Mary E. "Mae" McARTHUR - born 18 Jan 1875 in Washington Twp., Gratiot Co., Michigan; died 16 Oct 1959 in Alma, Gratiot Co., Michigan. (half Scots, half English)

22. Orlando BARBER - born 22 Mar 1864 in Ontario (probably Owen Sound, Grey Co.); married 31 Mar 1894 in Lapeer, Lapeer Co., Michigan; died 16 Dec 1910 in Lapeer, Lapeer Co., Michigan. (English)

23. Mary Jane FREDENBURG - born 30 Nov 1875 in Chesterfield Twp., Macomb Co., Michigan; died 27 Aug 1962 in Lapeer, Lapeer Co., Michigan. (English)

24. Tjamme Wiegers "James" VALK - born 24 Jun 1860 in Ferwerderadeel Municipality, Friesland, the Netherlands (probably in the village of Marrum); married 21 Jun 1882 in Rock Island Co., Illinois (probably in the city of Rock Island); died 15 May 1922 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. (Frisian)

25. Berber J. "Barbara" DeJONG - born 9 Apr 1858 in the Netherlands (possibly in the province of Groningen); died 1 Jun 1934 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. (probably Frisian)

26. Geert Aukes "George" TUINSTRA - born 20 Jan 1851 in Franeker, Friesland, the Netherlands; married 6 Nov 1884 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan; died 14 Sep 1928 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. (Frisian)

27. Doetje "Dorothy" WIERSMA - born 1 Mar 1854 in Wonseradeel Municipality, Friesland, the Netherlands; died 5 Dec 1916 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. (Frisian)

28. Martin HOEKSTRA - born 13 Aug 1868 in Holland, Ottawa Co., Michigan; married 27 Nov 1886 in Holland, Ottawa Co., Michigan; died 12 Dec 1944 in Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan. (half Frisian, half Dutch)

29. Janna "Jennie" TON - born 23 Aug 1867 in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio; died 11 Dec 1943 in Allegan, Allegan Co., Michigan. (Dutch)

30. Charles Frisbie STRONG - born 12 Jul 1852 in the Town of Candor, Tioga Co., New York; married 1873 in the Town of Candor, Tioga Co., New York; died 11 Apr 1921 in Portland, Multnomah Co., Oregon. (English)

31. Mary Lucy WRIGHT - born 22 Feb 1859 in Tioga Co., New York (probably in the Town of Newark); died 14 Sep 1946 in Stanwood, Snohomish Co., Washington. (English)

There you have it: five of my eight great-great-grandmothers were named Mary; two of my great-great-grandfathers were named George, and another two named James. Although not obvious from some of their birth, marriage, and death places, every one of these individuals lived for a major part of their lives in the state of Michigan, as did each of their descendants that I descend from, through my parents' generation.

Using the information here, I can determine that I am 59.375% English, 23.125% Frisian, 3.125% Dutch, and 3.125% Scots. However, I do know that some of the English represented here is actually mixed with a lot of Dutch and Scots, plus a little French. Some of the English and Frisian represented here also has some German as well. I know of no other ancestry; all my heritage appears to come from the British Isles and Western Europe.

Bling! Bling! My Garnet Ring

This garnet ring once belonged to my maternal grandmother, Ruth Lillian HOEKSTRA VALK DeVRIES. It's probably not extraordinarily valuable, although it does have four genuine garnets and is made of 14K gold. Garnets are not my birthstones; aquamarines are, having a March birth. It's not even an antique, but it's worth to me is in its sentimental value and the story of love behind it.

Ruth's mother, my great-grandmother Lillian Fern STRONG HOEKSTRA, was born January 10, 1897. The birthstone for January is the garnet. Over the years, my great-grandmother received several pieces of jewelry adorned with her red birthstone from my great-grandfather, John Martin HOEKSTRA. A little more than a year after Lillian died in 1967, John married their housekeeper, Anna STULP. Several years later, I recall overhearing a conversation between my parents. Apparently my mother had received a phone call or a letter from her mother in Western Michigan, in which my grandmother shared her frustration that her father had given Anna the garnet jewelry that once had belonged to her mother. Although I'm not sure, it possible that this occurred in early 1976, shortly after my great-grandfather's death in December of the previous year. It may be that this gift of the garnet jewelry to Anna was decreed in John's will; I'm not sure. Regardless, my grandmother was upset for a couple of reasons: she felt the jewelry, having belonged to her mother, ought to go to her and her sisters (it may even be that her mother once indicated it would); and also, my grandmother, having a January birthday herself, probably felt that having garnet jewelry would be extra special.

You must also understand that my grandmother was a generous, friendly person, and never a small, mean individual. My grandfather managed his money well, so although they lived frugally, they well could have afforded some nice jewelry. So Ruth's distress was not out of financial need, but was exacerbated by the fact that she felt she could not go to Anna and ask for the jewelry without appearing to be selfish and demanding.

From my childhood memory of the occasion, I believe I remember my mother being upset as well over the situation. I also believe that it was my father who came to the rescue and suggested that for their (birthday?) gift to my grandmother, they would order a nice garnet ring for her. It was likely ordered through Jafco, which is where we ordered all our jewelry in those days, living as we were far from any major stores on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska.

The ring was ordered and shipped to my grandmother. I know that she loved it and thanked my parents profusely. She was wearing the ring when I last saw her when I visited her in Grand Rapids in October 2000. The garnet jewelry of my great-grandmother's was not mentioned again, to my knowledge. After Anna's death in 1992, her family probably inherited it. It doesn't matter; to me, this ring is a precious statement of the love my parents had for my grandmother. When she died in 2001, I inherited it.

I don't wear it often; it slips on my ring finger just fine, but my knuckles tend to swell during the day, and often by afternoon, I can't get it off. Since I tend to be claustrophobic about such things, I wear it for special occasions only, for short periods of time. I never put it on without remembering the story behind it; someday, I hope to pass it on to either my daughter or a granddaughter.

Written for the 16th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival - Bling, Ancestor Bling

Surname Saturday: HOLST

The HOLST family is my adoptive family line. My paternal grandmother was adopted by Alfred Henry HOLST and his wife, Nellie May CONCIDINE. I've been able to trace Alfred's line back one more generation into Hannover, Germany.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #20B - Johann Deidrich HOLST (1860 - 1940) - He married Ida Charlotta GUSTAFSDOTTER, an immigrant from Sweden to Germany, in 1880. Three years later, they immigrated to Western Michigan with their infant son Alfred, to live near Johann's older sister and brother-in-law, Anna M. HOLST and Claude BORCHERS. During WWI, Alfred was investigated by the FBI because he had not completed his naturalization process. He petitioned to get it completed, and his file found at Footnote contained priceless genealogical information.

Ahnentafel #10B - Alfred Henry HOLST (1882 - 1952) - Read his AnceStory here. From obituaries and newspaper articles, I have determined that the HOLST family was integrated well into their adopted American community of Coopersville, Ottawa Co., Michigan, and were highly regarded by the members of that community.

Ahnentafel #5 - Jeanne Marie HOLST, born Jane Marie YORK (1924 - 2012) - my paternal grandmother

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

More about the HOLST family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): HOLST ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some HOLST obituaries

3. Posts about HOLST ancestors and relatives on this blog

4. Some scanned HOLST documents

5. My HOLST Virtual Cemetery on Find a Grave.


My HOLST immigration trail:

Hannover, Germany > Ottawa Co., Michigan > Muskegon Co., Michigan > Ottawa Co., Michigan > WI > Ottawa Co., Michigan > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

Friday Findings: BARBER, COLE and WILLIS Death Certficates

I forgot to mention in last week's Friday Findings that I had found two of my ancestor's death certificates on the Seeking Michigan website: James W. BARBER and Elizabeth A. "Betsey" COLE were my paternal 3rd-great-grandparents. I had difficulty finding their records on the site because their names had been misspelled. This week, I found their son's death certificate; Orlando BARBER was my 2nd-great-grandfather and he died of smallpox in 1910, which I find rather unusual. Of course, smallpox was still enough of a threat in 1967 when I was born that sometime when I was an infant or toddler, I received an inoculation--my generation being one of the last in America to receive it. I also found Elizabeth's mother's death certificate, again having difficulty because of the misindexing of Lavina (WILLIS) COLE to "Lovina CALE."

I also came across a scanned image of the will of my 5th-great-grandfather, Albert William WYCKOFF, on the NEHGS website. In it he mentions his wife Elizabeth (MAINARD), his children, including "Polly CRUTHERS", and some grandchildren with a different surname, suggesting he had a daughter I don't know about who predeceased him. This will is evidence that my Mary "Polly" WYCKOFF CROTHERS CHAPPEL is indeed the daughter of Albert and Elizabeth. All I had previously was an old family history book on the Wyckoff family, which unfortunately was written by Gustav Anjou.

My September 2009 issue of Internet Genealogy arrived today.

I didn't do much research this week. Some family situations coupled with preparing for my presentation next week at the Tri-City Genealogical Society in Richland, Washington, the upcoming Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 State Conference in Spokane, and working on my Online City, County, and Rural Directories website all kept me busy doing other kinds of genealogical work.

I Found 23 Ancestors in the Library of Michigan

I enjoyed TK Sands' three "I Found..." posts at her blog, Before My Time. She writes how she "found" her great-great-grandmother and her grandmother's baby at the Library of Michigan (actually, she found their death certificates), and also how she found 500 genealogists on Wednesday when a group met in Lansing to protest Governor Jennifer Granholm's plan to close the Library of Michigan.

I got to wondering how many of my ancestors could be found at the Library of Michigan, and came up with 21 of my direct ancestors who had died between 1897 and 1920 whose death certificates appear online at the Seeking Michigan website. Additionally, I research my mother's step-father's line, and my paternal grandmother's adoptive line (in addition to her biological line) and came up with two more ancestors between these two families.

These are direct ancestors, mind you, all individuals in my 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-great-grandparents' generation. These 23 individuals don't count other spouses my ancestors had; nor the collateral relatives that include the other children of my ancestors such as my ancestral siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews; nor does it include the plethora of cousins of any number of degrees of relationship that can also be found.

FamilySearch Record Search provides death records (in liber-style vs. the death certificates that began in 1897) for all Michigan counties from the time of civil registration in 1867 to 1897. Ancestry has a Michigan Death Index that covers the years 1971 - 1996. This leaves fifty years (1921 - 1970) of unlisted deaths, with the exception of a few counties whose county government websites have produced a death index. In those 50 years I have another 19 biological, four more adoptive, and four more step-ancestors who died.

No matter how the budget works out for the State of Michigan, it does not appear that the death certificates for the years 1921 to 1970 will be available in indexed or scanned form any time soon (although they can be ordered individually from the State).

Here's a list of my ancestors found in the Library of Michigan, along with their ahnentael numbers and links to their death certificates:

22. Orlando BARBER (1868 - 1910)

27. Doetje WIERSMA TUINSTRA (1854 - 1916)

33. Viola Gertrude PECK ROBBINS (1848 - 1918)

36. John Wallace LEWIS, Sr. (1839 - 1908)

37. Elenor "Nellie" L. VREELAND LEWIS (1835 - 1912)

38. John WILKINSON, Sr. (1845 - 1917)

40. John H. YORK (1823 - 1898)

41. Anna CROTHERS YORK (1825 - 1904)

42. Daniel J. MacARTHUR (1827 - 1919)

43. Martha JOHNSON MacARTHUR (1844 - 1897) 

44. James W. BARBER (1839 - 1912)

45. Elizabeth "Betsey" A. COLE BARBER(1846 - 1919)

47. Cornelia McCLELLAN FREDENBURG JUDD CRAWFORD (1856 - 1916)

49. Trientje Gerrits "Katherine" DOLSTRA VALK (1826 - 1912)

52. Auke Caspers TUINSTRA (1818 - 1898)

54. Wijbren Joukes WIERSMA (1831 - 1909)

56. Jan Martens HOEKSTRA (1820 - 1909)

62. William Parker WRIGHT (1830 - 1915)

64. Joseph Josiah ROBBINS (1820 - 1905)

65. Marinda ROBBINS ROBBINS (1827 - 1912)

90. Lavina WILLIS COLE (1827 - 1898)


My adoptive line:

23B. Anna Matilda HIGBY CONCIDINE (1861 - 1903)

44B. John D. CONCIDINE (1823 - 1906)

The 77th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: Disasters

Welcome to the 77th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy!

poster courtesy of the footnoteMaven

As human beings, our very existence is proof of the survival skills, faith, or just plain luck our ancestors possessed in order to persevere through millenia of disasters: epidemics, wars, pestilences, famines, accidents, and acts of nature. As I read through these 30 posts, I was constantly amazed: amazed at what mankind has endured over time, and amazed at the photographs, newspaper articles, research, and great writing that went into these articles! Again and again, I found personal or ancestral connections with these stories, and I hope you'll pardon the many references I make to my own family history in this post. I'm sure you'll have similar experiences as you read this fabulous, disastrous collection of human survival and endurance!

Man vs. Earth

“An earthquake achieves what the law promises but does not in practice maintain - the equality of all men.” --Ignazio Silon

In this case, it was the equality of women: Melody Lassalle introduces "The Remarkable Jones Women" on The Research Journal. "My Great Grandmother and her siblings survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Only one had a home to go to when it was over. They survived the disaster and the refuge camps. Then they rebuilt their lives."

Randy Seaver's wife's ancestors also survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. In "18 April 1906 - San Francisco - They Were There! " at Genea-Musings, Randy explains, "Some people survive a disaster, some don't. It's probably just luck that determines these things. My wife's grandmother surivived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and lived to tell about it. And we have a picture that shows the family shortly afterwards. " You'll have to read his follow-up posts (here and here) for more interesting details about the family home!

What could be more fitting in this Carnival than to hear how the California Genealogical Society survived--and provided leadership in the aftermath of--the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire? Kathryn Doyle of the California Genealogical Society and Library Blog explains in "CGS and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire." She states, "The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire played a defining role in the history of the California Genealogical Society that continues to this day."

Man vs. Wind

“They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” Hosea 8:7

Midge Frazell's post, "Hurricane Books," on Granite in My Blood caught my eye since earlier this year I had listened to an audio version of The Great Hurricane on my MP3 player. "Native Rhode Islands still talk about the Hurricanes of 1938 and 1954 as if they were yesterday. Find out what it is like to grow up hearing the stories of death, destruction and survival."

In "COG 77th Edition Disasters: Cyclone of 1912," Kay Bauman of Kay B's Place shares how a disastrous cyclone hit Hennessey, Oklahoma. Her great-great-grandmother most likely witnessed the event, and Kay has the photos to illustrate it!

John Newmark of TransylvanianDutch published "This Post is a DISASTER!" in which he ponders the question, "In 1896 and 1927, were my ancestors in the path of a cyclone and a tornado?" Read more to discover the answer!

For some family historians, they need to go back quite a ways in history to find an ancestral disaster. In "How Not to Survive a Hurricane," Charles Hansen of Mikkel's Hus relates, "I almost forgot this one, and it took a while to figure out who survived a disaster."

In "Disasters: Not Today," by Caroline Pointer of Family Stories, she compares the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 to what her family experienced when Hurricane Ike hit in 2008. She concludes with: "One thing that can be said about the Gulf Coast storms - whether it be 1900 or 2008 - Islanders of Galveston [and the people of the surrounding areas] continue to raise their hand in the air, as if to say to Mother Nature, 'You didn't get the best of me. Not Today.'"

The footnoteMaven shares a personal story from her childhood, which although titled, "Auntie Em, Auntie Em!" reminded me more of Twister than The Wizard of Oz. And just like any good plot, there's always the edge-of-your-seat thrill that occurs in the aftermath of the storm...a carload of little children parked on a hill with no brakes! You'll have chewed your fingernails to the quick by the end of this true-life-is-stranger-than-fiction tale!

Man vs. Fire

"And where two raging fires meet together, they do consume the thing that feeds their fury."
-- William Shakespeare

In the "Buchanan Fire of 1862," Apple of Apple's Tree relates how "the Buchanan, Michigan fire of 1862 burned half of the downtown business and a dwelling and a barn. The Carlisle family recounts the disaster in a series of letters."

"Fire!" is the story that was handed down both orally and in written form in the Family History Book of the maternal line of Miriam Robbins Midkiff of AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors. While no newspaper articles could be found online to provide further details, a photograph illustrates life after the fire. Hmm...what photos, documents, or family Bibles went up in smoke that day?

Man vs. Water

“If you know someone who tries to drown their sorrows, you might tell them sorrows know how to swim.” --Anonymous

In "A Story that Needs to be Told," Jewelgirl of Searching for Family Branches tells us about a "Tall Tale or Real Wartime Story and The Document That Revealed The Truth." She starts out with an intriguing question: How does a person tell of a story that happened long ago that no one wants to remember?

Sue Edminster of Echo Hill Ancestors Weblog relates a tale of an event that my husband retells nearly every time we cross the I-5 bridge from Portland, Oregon into Vancouver, Washington while visiting my in-laws. In "The 1948 Flood," we hear from personal diary accounts how the city of Vanport, Washington was destroyed, never to be rebuilt again.

Who tires of a good Titanic story? Not I, and I'm sure not many of the COG readers! Sheri Fenley of The Educated Genealogist has yet another great one (she's written about this sinking previously on her blog) for us in "The Titanic: A Gugenheim Tragedy." It's another family link to the Titanic for her sister-in-law's family - The Guggenheim family.

It was hard to know whether to categorize this disaster as a water- or war-related one: Lucie LeBlance Consentino of Acadian Ancestral Home posted the tragic "One thousand Acadians lost at sea in 1758." The witnesses to this event must have been plagued with nightmares for the rest of their lives.

Lee Drew of Lineage Keeper relates an amazingly detailed story of courage and cowardice in "Shipwrecked In The South Pacific – 3 Oct 1855." But wait--there's more! The second half of the story is at: http://lineagekeeper.blogspot.com/2009/05/shipwrecked-in-south-pacific-4-oct-1855.html.

In "COG 77th Edition Disasters - Lightning Creek 1932," Donna Brown of DonnaB's Weblog explains how "a flood in Oklahoma City ruined my grandmother's possessions, so we have no access to photographs, letters, postcards or the family Bible." In other words, disasters often affect the future by destroying evidence of the past.

Man vs. The Elements

Whether the weather be fine,
Whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
Whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather,
Whatever the whether,
Whether we like it or not.
--Anonymous

I first heard about The Year Without Summer when I tried to find vital records for a son of my ancsestors Daniel and Mary Zwears. I learned that the Vermont town where he was born had closed up and become a ghost town, its records lost. Becky Wiseman of kinexxions shares her own ancestral tale of Vermonters in Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death in "The Year Without Summer." She ponders, "It is possible that an event - horrific and deadly to so many - that happened half a world away impacted some of my ancestors and lead to their migration from Vermont to Ohio. And, if they hadn't gone to Ohio, would I be here? "

Man vs. Man

"Some of you young men think that war is all glamor and glory, but let me tell you, boys, it is all hell!" --William Tecumseh Sherman

Cyndi Beane Henry of Mountain Genealogists posted "They Survived the Biggest Change in America." She explains, "Although I really couldn't uncover a true disaster, as in nature, I did have this tale from the American Civil War."

For Leah Kleylein of Random Notes, a disaster became all too personal. In "Random Notes: COG 77 - The Shooting at Salt Lake City Family History Library," she tells how one very close ancestor was affected.

In "Cyprian Steven's Letter to the Governor and Council," Bill West of West in New England posts a transcription of a letter of one of his ancestors during one of the Indian Wars during the American Colonial period. Bill says, "This is something I posted earlier this year but if things had turned out badly in this incident, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this! Which, I guess, qualifies it as a near disaster!"

Donna Pointkowski of What's Past is Prologue writes about "The Battle of Pfaffenhoffen." She "discovered that her Bavarian ancestors lived through many disasters, include a little-known battle that took place right in the town. Although the 'home team' lost badly, the defeat took the country out of what was really the first 'world' war - the War of Austrian Succession."

Man vs. Machine

From the industrial age forward, our ancestors survived against or succumbed from the mechanical inventions meant to help, not harm, them.

Dorene from Ohio posted "Leroy Parker Survived Auto Accident in 1914" on her blog, the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay. "While his father and two other men also lost their lives in a tragic automobile accident in Ohio in 1914, Leroy Parker survived."

In "77th Edition Carnival of Genealogy--Disasters," Linda Hughes Hiser of Flipside shares how her maternal great grandfather survived a horrific train accident. Despite his disability, he continued to work for the railroad...amazing!

Brett Payne of The South Derbyshire Graveyard Rabbit writes about a horrible mining accident in "Dreadful Calamity at Church Gresley." He says, "...my entry for the carnival concerns a disaster which affected a member of my extended family, but he wasn't an ancestor and, sadly, didn't live through it."

In "An Unfortunate 'Meeting' at the Top of the Mountain," by Diana Ritchie of Random Relatives we hear that "a head-on collision on a mountain in Colorado provides the setting for my entry into the 77th COG." Diana discovered this disaster while scanning photos from her grandfather's photo album, which she shares in her post.

Man vs. Disease

"Epidemics have often been more influential than statesmen and soldiers in shaping the course of political history, and diseases may also color the moods of civilizations." --Anonymous

Janet Iles of Janet the Researcher writes a post that is near to my heart. "Spanish Flu, Did it affect my ancestors? - Carnival of Genealogy" investigates whether this deadly pandemic influenced her family history. I'll let you read Janet's post to find the answer (if asked that same question, my own answer would be a resounding, "Yes!").

Double Trouble

Sometimes when calamity falls, it strikes more than once. In these sad tales, we see how tragedy occurred in pairs, in a long-time struggle, or how a family endured several disasters over the generations.

Earline Hines Bradt shares "COG 77 - God's Wrath" from her blog, Ancestral Notes. "When her brother was killed, the tornado seemed to my mom at nine years of age to be God's justice." This story of tragedy and guilt will tug at your heart.

War. Famine. Struggle. Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy Blog details in "A Family Abandoned in the Wilderness" how "in 1779 my 5th great grandmother and her 8 small children were taken from their home at North River, New York by American patriots, marched 80 miles north into the forest and left to die. This is the story of their survival."

In "Hard Days, Sad Times," Jasia of Creative Gene shares two major disasters. "Surviving blizzards is hard, grieving the loss of a loved one is sad. These are the disasters that have befallen my family. "

---

My thanks to Jasia for letting me host this 77th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. I've come away with a great deal of appreciation for the work done by Jasia, her guest hosts, and the hosts of the many other carnivals so that we can enjoy such quality publications. I've also been endowed with gratitude to my ancestors for their faith and survival skills which I can only hope I've inherited. But thank goodness this disastrous carnival has come to a conclusion! The next one will be a bit more on the lighter side of life!

Call for Submissions! The topic of the 78th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: Pony Pictures! This is your chance to show off those pony pictures in your family album. Did you ride your first pony at the state fair or on a farm? Did you have to sit on the back and hold on to your older brother? Was your pony real or a rocking horse? Got any pictures of other family members on ponies? Show us the cowboys and cowgirls in your family and tell us the stories to go along with them. Giddyup pony! The deadline for submissions is August 15.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blog carnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Footnote Opening Interactive 1930 U.S. Census for Free in August

Footnote.com is opening their entire Interactive 1930 U.S. Census for free throughout the month of August. All the indexes in their entirety are always free on Footnote.com. However, for this month they will allow free access to the images as well. Visitors will need to go to www.footnote.com/1930census/ and register (provide email address) to gain free access.

Ancestry.com Expands Online Jewish Family History Record Collection

ANCESTRY.COM EXPANDS ONLINE JEWISH FAMILY HISTORY RECORD COLLECTION

Collaboration with the American Jewish Historical Society and the Routes to Roots Foundation offers online access to more than 200,000 Jewish records

PROVO, Utah, August 2, 2009 -- Ancestry.com, the world's largest online resource for family history, today announced an addition to its Jewish family history record collection through collaboration with two leading organizations committed to the preservation of Jewish heritage.

Ancestry.com has aligned with the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS), which maintains millions of records that bear witness to the contributions of the American Jewish community to life in the Americas from the 16th century to the present, and Miriam Weiner’s Routes to Roots Foundation (RTRF), an internationally-known firm that specializes in Jewish research in the archives of Eastern Europe. Through relationships with these two organizations, Ancestry.com is digitizing and putting online a unique collection of records that can now be searched alongside the large collection of Jewish records already accessible on Ancestry.com.

“Ancestry.com built the largest online collection of Jewish family history records last year, through its collaboration with JewishGen and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee,” said Gary Gibb, Vice President of Content for Ancestry.com. “Now with the addition of records from the AJHS and Routes to Roots, Ancestry.com will be able to offer an even more diverse collection of Jewish-related documents that will help people discover their life story.”

The American Jewish Historical Society documents that have been digitized as part of this relationship include six remarkable collections:

· Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum Records, 1878-1934 - applications for admission; and discharge ledgers

· Selected Naturalization Records, New York City, 1816-1845 - declaration of intention for New York County; contains name, age, birthplace, nationality, place of emigration, occupation and place of intended settlement

· New York Hebrew Orphan Asylum Records, 1860-1934 - applications for admission; and discharge ledgers

· Industrial Removal Office Records, 1899-1922 – records of Jewish families and individuals who were assisted in moving from harm's way in various countries

· Selected Insolvent Debtor’s Cases, 1787-1861 - approximately 2,000 cases, some containing an inventory of assets

· Selected Mayor’s Court Cases, New York, 1674-1860 - 6,000 selected briefs that include summons, complaints, affidavits, and jury lists


“We believe the value in the American Jewish Historical Society’s extraordinary holdings lies not only in what we have, but in how we make it accessible,” said Evan Kingsley, executive director of the AJHS. “Ancestry.com provides a new and important online access point that makes AJHS’ archives that much more valuable. The more our collections are used, the better we’re fulfilling our mission.”

Ancestry.com has also put online Miriam Weiner’s Routes to Roots’ Eastern European Archival Database, a significant historical collection that includes references to Jewish and civil records from archival holdings in Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine.

“The Eastern European Archival Database is the result of a twenty-year journey to help record and preserve Jewish materials from five countries,” said Miriam Weiner, founder of the Routes to Roots Foundation. “Through this important collection people will be able to discover a variety of documents including property records, census lists, vital records and Holocaust records, which will help them walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.”

Along with the records from AJHS and RTRF, Ancestry.com will also launch two new collections from JewishGen, including Lithuania: List of Donors of Charity from HaMagid (1871-1872), the Persian Famine donation list printed in the Hebrew newspaper HaMagid, and Hungary: Jewish Census (1848), a survey of Jews in Greater Hungarian countries including Hungary, parts of Slovakia, Croatia, Ukraine and Romania, among others.

To search through all the new Jewish record collections and Ancestry.com’s entire Jewish Family History experience visit http://www.ancestry.com/JewishFamilyHistory.


About the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS)
Founded in New York City in 1892, the American Jewish Historical Society’s holdings include 20 million documents, 50,000 books, paintings and other objects that bear witness to the remarkable contributions of the American Jewish community to life in the Americas from the 16th century to the present.


About the Routes to Roots Foundation
The Routes to Roots Foundation was established in 1994 with the goal to survey, study, research, inventory and document Jewish material, archives and Judaica in Eastern European archives. The organization fosters and promotes the study and preservation of Jewish genealogical material and assembles, catalogues, publishes and disseminates information from research and study of Jewish materials and compiles, maintains and updates library and/or archive of collections of Jewish historical, cultural and genealogical information.

About Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com is the world's largest online resource for family history and has digitized and put online over 4 billion records over the past twelve years. Ancestry users have created over ten million family trees containing over one billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries, and more than 8 million unique visitors spent more than 5 million hours on an Ancestry Web site in May 2009 (comScore Media Metrix, Worldwide). For more information on Ancestry.com and its other family history resources, visit http://corporate.ancestry.com.


Web sites:
http://www.ancestry.com/
http://www.myfamily.com/
http://www.genealogy.com/
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
http://www.mycanvas.com/
http://www.dna.ancestry.com/
http://www.familytreemaker.com/

Fire!

In the Family Record Book of my maternal great-grandparents, John Martin HOEKSTRA and Lillian Fern STRONG, my great-grandmother writes:

In 1907, Ma, Pa, [siblings] Frank, Ethel, Ed and I went [from Western Michigan] to live on a company ranch in Oregon; Frank Strong was the director. The ranch was a child's Eden after living in the city. It had rambling roses, pink cabbage roses, and yellow tea roses on each side of the wooden path up to the house. There were three sour cherry trees in the front yard and two big cedars. There was a big cottonwood tree over the stile Frank built (it went over the fence and we got out of the buggy and stepped over it). [The house] had a picket fence all around it.

Then in November 1907, the company ranch house burned down. Ma was sick in bed [bedridden from a stroke].

Lillian's daughter Ruth (my grandmother) later related how the family rescued Lillian's mother, Mary Lucy, by taking her out of the house on her mattress. Each of them saved one precious item from the fire: Ethel saved her teaching certificate, Ed saved his suit of clothes, and Lillian saved her canary. Lillian continues:

We lived in the old Snavely place where the rats ran and squealed in the walls all night. It made my mother so nervous that Will Chapman [a cousin living nearby] said to bring her to Woodburn [Marion County, Oregon] so he could care for her. Ethel, Ma and I went along. Pa and Ed stayed and took care of the stock on the farm.

Lillian, Ethel and Mary Lucy (WRIGHT) STRONG, Summer 1908, Clackamas or Marion County, Oregon. Original in the possession of Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington. 2009.

(click on photo to access zoom features)

When I was first given this photograph from my grandmother's estate, I thought it might be the company house that later burned down. Because the date "Summer 1908" is written on the upper left-hand corner and it shows Lillian, Ethel, and their mother, Mary Lucy, I now believe it is the home near Woodburn. The reverse of the photo says the house was between Mt. Angel (Marion County) and Marquam (Clackamas County) Oregon. Both communities are to the southwest of Woodburn, and Lillian's reference that her cousin Will had them come to Woodburn may have been a vague reference to this area. Another possibility is that they lived here after staying with cousin Will.

Although everyone survived the fire, it must have been disheartening to have come out West expecting life to be better and then to endure this setback. The family had to be split up for a while. They, of course, lost everything but a few items rescued from the fire. Thankfully, their lives were spared, or I would not be here to retell the tale!

Written for the 77th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Disasters

Surname Saturday: YORK

The YORK line is my paternal grandmother's biological paternal line (she was adopted). I've been able to trace her ancestry back another four generations before her, to my 4th-great-grandfather, Jeremiah F. YORK, I.

Stories and History:

The YORK Family History on my website.

Ahnentafel #80 - Jeremiah F. YORK, I (1791 - 1876) - AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #40 - John H. YORK (1823 - 1898) - biography in Portrait & Biographical Album of Genesee, Lapeer & Tuscola Counties (1892, Chapman Bros.)

Ahnentael #20 - James L. YORK (1867 - 1933) - AnceStory here

Ahnentael #10 - Howard Merkel YORK (1898 - 1945) - AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #5 - Jane Marie YORK, also known as Jeanne Marie HOLST (1924 - 2012)

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

More about the YORK family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): YORK ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some YORK obituaries

3. Posts about YORK ancestors and relatives on this blog

4. Some scanned YORK documents

5. Some scanned YORK photos

6. My YORK Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave


My YORK immigration trail:

Saratoga Co., NY > (Steuben Co., NY?) > Niagara area, Ontario, CAN > Ontario Co., NY > Niagara [became Erie] Co., NY > Genesee Co., MI > Kent Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

August 2009 Calendar of Events

August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.

--from "The Garden Year" by Sara Coleridge




Holidays, History, and Heritage

August Is...

...National Back to School Month (United States).

...Holiday Month (many European countries).

August 1: Anniversary of the 1st U.S. Federal Census
Swiss National Day

August 6: National Salvadoran-American Day (United States)

August 7: Purple Heart Day (United States)

August 7 - 9: Twins Day in Twinsburg, Ohio
(Do twins run in your family?)

August 9: Singapore Independence Day

August 10: Ecuador Independence Day

August 14: Pakistan Independence Day

August 15: Korea Independence Day
India Independence Day

August 17: Indonesia Independence Day

August 20: Ramadan begins

August 21: Hawaii Statehood Day

August 25: Uruguay Independence Day

August 31: Malaysia Independence Day

Do any of the above events feature in or affect your heritage, culture, or family history?




Deadlines for Carnivals and Other Events:

Need help? Read my post, "How to Submit a Post to a Carnival", here.


Posted August 1 - the 5th Edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival - Favorite Photo

Posted August 1 - the 77th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Disasters

Posted August 15 - the 22nd Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - Roadblocks and Breakthroughs

Posted August 17 - the 16th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival - Bling, Ancestor Bling

Posted August 18 - the 78th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Ride 'Em Cowboy - Share Your Pony Pictures

Posted August 22 - the 4th Edition of A Festival of Postcards - Water

August 25 - the 6th Edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival - Carousel (pick your own topic)

August 30 - the 15th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture - The 2nd Annual Small-Leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge

Heads up! Submissions for the 6th Edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival ("Home Sweet Home") will be due September 13.




August 1 - Data Backup Day

Read It's Data Backup Day - How Protected Are You? by Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers.




Scanfest: Scanfest is postponed until Sunday, September 27th, 11 AM - 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time

Go here to learn how to join Scanfest and our group of chatting, scanning family archivists, historians, and bloggers!




Go here to add the above deadlines and dates to your Google Calendar,
courtesy of Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers.

The sprinkler twirls.
The summer wanes.
The pavement wears
Popsicle stains.

The playground grass
Is worn to dust.
The weary swings
Creak, creak with rust.

The trees are bored
With being green.
Some people leave
The local scene

And go to seaside
Bungalows
And take off nearly
All their clothes.

--"August," by John Updike