Documenting the Details

Motivation Monday - February Goals

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

January worked out pretty well so let's give February a try.

Research:

During 2011, I made several research trips but the majority of those records and cemetery photos are still waiting to be processed. In addition to all that, there are 112 records in my Ancestry Shoebox and another 46 in my Fold3 gallery. Oh yeah, there's also all those records I'm going to copy next week at the Family History Library. Obviously, I need to stop searching and start looking at what I've accumulated before things get completely out of control. (Maybe they are already out of control.) The goal for February is to process everything that I find at FHL while it's fresh on my mind. (The other stuff is already cold anyway so it can wait a little longer.)

Education:

Attend RootsTech!
Attend 2nd Saturday Family History Workshop sponsored by Kentucky Genealogical Society and Kentucky Historical Society.
Complete and submit lesson 4 of NGS Home Study Course (rolled over from last month).

Writing:

Write 8 blog posts.

Maintenance:

Eventually I'm going to put something in this category but it's not going to be this month. The source and database clean-up work can wait until I get caught up with processing all that research mentioned earlier.

Reviewing January Goals

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Even though it's not quite the end of the month, I'm ready to review my January goals as I head out the door for Salt Lake City.

Research:
üPrepare for the ultimate research trip - a visit to the Family History Library.

I think I'm pretty well prepared.

Education:
üAttend 2nd Saturday Family History Workshop sponsored by Kentucky Genealogical Society and Kentucky Historical Society.

The topic was "Preserving Your Family Treasures" presented by Jennifer Spence and Louise Jones, both curators for KHS. They discussed handling, storing and preserving artifacts and paper materials.

ûComplete and submit lesson 4 of the NGS Home Study Course.

This one fell through the cracks. Lesson 4 requires a visit to a local library to evaluate their genealogy holdings. I just never got around to it with all the prep work for FHL so this rolls over to February.

Writing:
üWrite 8 blog posts.

This is #8, #9 is scheduled for Monday and there might even be one more from Salt Lake City before the end of the month.

Other:
üDetermine if I can get by in Salt Lake for a week without a laptop.

I've tested my Android tablet for everything I can think of that I might want or need to do next week. This process has actually made me start liking my tablet a little more. Maybe I'll love it by the time I get back.

Not too bad. I halfway expected from the start that I wouldn't get the NGS-HSC lesson done. February's goals are coming up Monday.

Ready or Not, Here I Come!

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have researched in many courthouses, several state archives and lots of libraries but next week will be my first visit to THE Library. Getting prepared for the Family History Library has been a little bit overwhelming but I think I'm ready. I've been seriously thinking about this trip since RootTech started last year. (I was at home at the time.) I knew I wanted to go this time but I didn't want to travel from Kentucky to Utah without having some extra time for research. That's why I'm arriving in Salt Lake City on Sunday.

For the past few weeks, I've concentrated on preparing for FHL. Getting focused was really the hardest part. When the possibilities of who/what/where to research are practically endless, it's hard to decided where to start. It finally occurred to me to work on places that are not within easy driving distance of home and books that aren't available anywhere nearby.

My final research plan is a combination of 2 spreadsheets (listing 42 books and 103 rolls of microfilm), 42 Legacy Family Tree To Do Reports and a text doc that ties them together. The spreadsheets are sorted by microfilm and catalog numbers to make it easier to pull things and they are also color coded for three levels of priorities. I don't anticipate getting through everything.

Those files have all been loaded to my tablet and my phone. (I also printed them, just in case.) I've updated my genealogy database on both devices. The RootsTech app is loaded to my phone with the sessions I'm planning to attend on the schedule. Camera batteries are charged. Cameras, flash drives, extra SD cards, power cords, chargers and my GeneaBlogger button are all packed.

Now if I can just get all my clothes for a week into one suitcase . . .

Image © nathanm via Flickr under Creative Commons License

I have no affiliation with Legacy Family Tree, except that I bought it, use it and love it - especially the To Do Reports.

Uncle Joe's Birthday

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Joseph Lee McCauley and his mother, Verda Hankins McCauley

Joe's graduation from Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky

Joe was born 99 years ago today.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Thomas Ewing

2012-01-23T12:22:00.000-05:00

The will of Thomas Ewing was proven in Laurens County, South Carolina on 22 Oct 1800.

In the Name of God amen I Thomas Ewingof Dunkins Creek in Laurens County and State of South Carolina being weak inbody but of perfect mind and memory calling to mind the mortality of my Bodyand knowing it's apointed for all men once to die Do make and ordain this myLast will and testament - hereby unterly revokeing all former wills testementsand Executors and Ratifying this and this only as my Last will and testementand first I give and bequeath to my Daughter Jane five shillings I give andbequeath to my Daughter serah five shillings I give and bequeath to my soneJohn five shillings I give and bequeath to my sone William five shillings Igive and bequeath to my sone David five shillings I give and bequeath to myDaughter Margret five shillings I give and bequeath to my sone James a BrownBay horse Colt one year old past one Bed and furniture with his sadle andBridle I give and Bequeath to my Beloved wife Serah all the Rest of my Goodsand Chattles of what kind and Nature so ever with all my Debts and to Enjoy allmy Lands and tenements During her Life and after my said wife Deceases my willis that my sone James should have and enjoy all the said Goods and Chattles sheshould be posest of together with all my Lands and tenements after my saidwifes Death and not Before and in case my sone James should Die without issuethen my other three sones shall eaquealey enjoy all my said Lands and tenementsmy will is my said wife Serah should pay all the foresaid Legusies and Iappoint and ordain my wife and sone John Ewing the Executor of this my Lastwill and testement In witnesswhere of I have hereunto set my hand and seal this23d Day of July in the year of our Lord 1800

Thomas Ewing

Signed and sealed in the presence of uswho in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribedour name

Roger Brown

John finney

Manasseh finney

An easier to read PDF copy of the will is here.

I have a really hard time not inserting punctuation marks in transcriptions.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Henry Lewis Goodloe

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

The will of Henry Lewis Goodloe was proven in Hopkins County, Kentucky court on 11 August 1856.

I Henry Goodloe being of Sound Mind in theName of Almighty God do make this my last will and Testament (in the presenceof witness towit)

First I give and bequeath to my Beloved wifeElizabeth Goodloe Four hundred dollars to be hers during her natural Life andafter her death to go to my son Henry L. Goodloe I also give and bequeath to mySaid wife all my household and kitchen Furniture of Every description to beused by her as She may think proper

Second I give and bequeath to my Son Henry LGoodloe my Late farm and all the land I own to be for his use and benefit andto his heirs or assigns forever the Same having been deeded to him heretofore

third It is my will and desire that myExecutors herein after named after my decease do Sell either privately orpublickly as they may deem best all the residue of my property of everydescription and the proceeds arising from the Sale then of to be dividedEqually between my Seven children not mentioned above Towit Thomas K. GoodloeNancy Yates heirs Lucy Pritchett Polly Yates John E Goodloe Eliza Ann Hall andJane Davis Said Funds to be for their use and benefit during their NaturalLives and after their death to their children forever

Fourth it is my will and desire that my SonThomas K Goodloe act as agent for my wife in the investment of the money Leftto her

Fifth and Last I do hereby nominateconstitute and appoint my Two sons Thomas K and Henry L Goodloe Executors tothis my Last will and Testament and request them to carry the Same into effectaccording to the Spirit and intention of the Same

In Testimony where of I have here untoSubscribed my name and affixed my Seal in the presence of witnesses the 2nd dayof July A D 1856

[Signed by mark]

Signed and Sealed in presence of

W C Dimmett

J A Nisbet

An easier to read PDF copy of the Will is here.

Several years ago, Icopied this will from microfilm at the Kentucky Department for Libraries andArchives but parts of that copy were unreadable. Yesterday I checked the imagesof Kentucky Probate Records that FamilySearch added last year and was happy tofind that their image was much better than what I had.

Spotlight: Jesse Thomas and Rebecca

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Very little is known about my 3^rdgreat-grandparents, Jesse Thomas and Rebecca (maiden name unknown). At least, I don’t know much aboutthem and haven’t found anyone else who does either. The only records I havefound for them to date are the 1840, 1850, 1860 and 1870 censuses. They were inMurray County, Georgia in 1840, Lumpkin County, Georgia in 1850 and back inMurray County in 1860. By 1870, Rebecca was in Logan County, Kentucky livingnear two of their daughters but Jesse was not with her.

Jesse was born about 1802 in either Georgiaor South Carolina and Rebecca was born about 1807 in Georgia. The 1840 censusindicates six possible children – 2 males under 5, 1 female under 5, 1 female5-10 and 2 females 10-15.

In 1850, there were five children living withJesse and Rebecca. William was 14 so he would have been one of the two malesunder 5 in 1840. Oliver and Daniel were 5 and 2 respectively so neither of themwas the other male under 5 in 1840. One of the females 10-15 in 1840 was Mary.She wasn’t listed with the family in 1850 as she was already married but herheadstone gives her birth year as 1828 so she was about twelve in 1840.Margaret’s estimated birth year varies in every census record so she could havebeen born in 1836 (1850), 1839 (1860) or 1841 (1870). The 1850 census shows heras 14 but that is also the age listed for William. Unless they were twins, oneof them was slightly older or younger. Assuming Margaret was born in 1836, shewould have been the female under 5 in 1840. If she was a little older than 14,she could have been the female 5-10. There is even the possibility that shewasn’t listed at all in 1840 if her age in the 1870 census was correct. Nancywas 10 in 1850 so she could have been the female under 5 in 1840 (and thatwould make Margaret the female 5-10). If both Nancy and Margaret were in the 1840record then there was one other daughter born between 1825-1830. If onlyMargaret was included, then there was a second unknown daughter born between1830-1835.

Based on all of that, Jesse and Rebecca’schildren were: an unknown daughter born between 1825-1830; Mary born 14 Jun1828; a possible unknown daughter born between 1830-1835; an unknown son bornbetween 1835-1840; William born about 1836; Margaret born about 1836; Nancyborn about 1840; Oliver born about 1845 and Daniel born about 1848.

By the 1860 census, Nancy, Oliver and Danielwere the only three children still living with Jesse and Rebecca. Mary marriedJames M. Echols on 16 Jan 1845 in Forsyth County, Georgia. They were in ForsythCounty in census records from 1850 to 1880. Margaret married John R. Petty on20 Sep 1857 in Whitfield County, Georgia. They were in McMinn County, Tennesseein 1860 and Logan County, Kentucky in 1870. William’s whereabouts in 1860 andthereafter are unknown.

Nancy married Joseph Petty (John R.’sbrother) on 20 Jun 1860 in Logan County, Kentucky. Rebecca, Nancy & Josephand Margaret & John R. were all in the Keystone District in Logan County in1870. Daniel and Mary’s son, John Echols, were living with Rebecca. Fifteenyear-old James Thomas was also living with them. His relationship isundetermined. It is possible but unlikely that he was Jesse and Rebecca’s son sincehe wasn’t listed with them in 1860 and Rebecca would have been about 48 yearsold when he was born. He may have been a grandson (the son of either William orthe unknown son).

Jesse’s occupation was miner in1850 when they lived in Lumpkin County. Since there was no real estate valuelisted for him, it appears he did not own property in Lumpkin County but areview of the actual deed records is required to verify that. Jesse was a farmlaborer in 1860 inMurray County. The term “laborer” indicates he was working for someone else anddid not own his own farm. The census record shows he owned real estate valuedat $200 but there are no property records for him in Murray County.

Jesse and Rebecca have not been located in the 1830 census. They were apparently married with two children by that time but may have been living with one or the other's parents. The area that eventually became Lumpkin and Murray Counties was formerly Cherokee lands and became Cherokee County in 1831.

Research to do:

Search records in Lumpkin, Forsyth and Cherokee Counties.
Research John R. Thomas who lived near Mary in Forsyth County in 1860. Based on his age in 1860 he was about 5 years older than the unknown son but that's not enough to rule him out.
Search 1840 census records for other Thomas households in the area.

(Note: Murray and Whitfield County records have already been searched at the respective courthouses.)

Can I Survive . . .

2012-01-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

. . . for nine days of researching, conferencing and traveling with only a tablet and a smart phone?

The thought of that makes me just a little nervous.

In three weeks, I'm going to Salt Lake City to research at the Family History Library and attend Rootstech 2012. All of my previous research and conference travels have been road trips so I've never had to limit what I take. My usual packing policy is "if there is the slightest possibility that I might ~~need~~ want it, take it." That doesn't work when a plane is involved so I'm hoping to get by with the tablet and phone.

I don't have any doubts about using the tablet at the library. I've successfully used it at other repositories but I also had the laptop to use back at the hotel so I've never depended on these smaller devices for absolutely everything.

Here's the list of things I will need or want to do and the results of my testing. (Don't hesitate to let me know if you think of something I forgot.)

Access my genealogy database and files.

Check. My database is loaded to both devices using the Families app (purchased for $14.99). I'll load an up-to-date file right before I leave home. All of my genealogy files are in Dropbox so they are also accessible from both devices.

Access To Do List and other files in PDF.

Check. Adobe Reader app takes care of that.

Load FHL copies from jump drive or camera and back them up.

Check. The tablet has a USB port and SD card slot. Files can be transferred to the tablet and then to Dropbox or loaded directly to Dropbox from either media.

Use Evernote.

Check. The Evernote app works even when there is no wi-fi connection. Changes will sync the next time a connection is available.

Search Ancestry and FamilySearch.

Check. Both websites work in the tablet's browser including downloading copies of records. There is no opportunity to name the files or select a location. They go to the tablet's "Download" folder by default but can easily be renamed and copied to Dropbox or some other location from there.

Search the FHL Catalog.

Check. That works fine from the browser on the tablet.

Create, read and update Word and Excel docs.

Check. Quickoffice Pro app was purchased for $14.99.

Post status updates, links and photos to social media.

Twitter - check. Hootsuite app covers that and can also be used for Facebook.

Facebook - check (with a caveat). I think FB works better through the browser than the Android app. If you paste a link to a blog post (or anything else) through the app, it just shows that link - no blog title or picture like when you post from a computer. Using the browser, it works just like on the computer.

Google+ - check (with a bigger caveat). G+ has the same issue with links posted through the app as FB does. However, the problem can't be skirted by using the browser for G+ because you can't paste a link (or anything else) in the browser version of G+ on the tablet. This is apparently a problem within G+ because things can be pasted other places using the tablet's browser including Google Search. Annoying but not a big enough problem to warrant taking a laptop.

Write blog posts.

Check. The Blogger app works well enough.

Read blogs.

Check. Google Reader app has that covered.

Upload photos to SmugMug.

Check. The SmugMug app handles uploads. (The app is free but you need a paid SmugMug account to use it.)

Minor photo editing.

Check. Photoshop Express app will crop and make some other minor adjustments. To edit a photo, it must be in the tablet's camera folder or the app will not find it. There is no way to browse other folders for photos. Changes are saved as a copy of the original photo, which is a good thing since it severely reduces the file size. That's OK for my purposes here because I'll only be editing something I want to upload to a social media site. The smaller file will be fine for that and will take less time to load.

In flight entertainment.

Check. I can read a book through Kindle or Nook apps, listen to a book through Audible.com app, play games and listen to music. (These apps are free but most books and music aren't.) Or sleep. That is probably a better idea since it's going to be a very busy week.

So. Unless I missed something big, it looks like I can survive. I guess we'll see what happens.

*All apps listed are free unless otherwise noted. I have no affiliation with any of the companies involved with any of the apps. All opinions are my own and the results are from my own testing.

Motivation Monday: January Goals

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

About this time last year, I set a list of genealogy goals for the year. It seemed reasonable at the time but, in the end, I completed less than half of them and made only a little bit of progress on some others. In spite of that, I still think it's important to have an idea of what I'd like to accomplish in 2012 but I'm going to narrow the time frame. Having a a whole year to complete something leaves too much room for procrastination on my part so I'm narrowing the time frame to monthly.

I've considered posting monthly goals before - usually when reading posts by other bloggers (Tonia at Tonia's Roots and Tina at Gen Wish List are two that immediately come to mind). Now Stephanie at Corn and Cotton: My Family's Stories has started a new monthly meme called Motivation Monday which entails posting goals and accomplishments on the first Monday of each month. I'm going to give it a try.

Here's my first installment.

Research:

Prepare for the ultimate research trip - a visit to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. I'll have three full days at The Library before Rootstech starts. I'm still figuring out what to work on but have started the process. With less than four weeks until I leave this task will take every minute I can find. (This is my first visit to FHL so any advice about how to prepare would be appreciated.)

Education:

Attend 2nd Saturday Family History Workshop sponsored by Kentucky Genealogical Society and Kentucky Historical Society.
Complete and submit lesson 4 of the NGS Home Study Course.

Writing:

Write 8 blog posts (this counts as one).

Maintenance:

None - focus this month will be devoted to prepping for FHL.

Other:

Determine if I can get by in Salt Lake for a week of research and conferencing with just my Android tablet and phone. I've made a list of every function I can think of that I might need or want to do and have started testing the tablet's ability to perform those tasks. So far, it looks promising but I'm not finished testing. I've already used the tablet in research facilities so I know it will do the job at the library but when I tried that I was also traveling with a laptop that I used at night in the hotels.

Where Did 2011 Go?

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last December I outlined my genealogy goals for 2011. At that time, I admitted that I am great at starting projects but terrible at finishing them. Nothing happened in 2011 to dispute that.

Things got off to a good start and I was pretty much staying right on schedule through January and mid-February. By the end of March, when I thought about a quarterly update, things had already slowed down enough that I decided to wait for a mid-year update in June. By June, goals were no longer even on my radar.

The good news is that I still managed to accomplish several things on my list, apparently by accident. (We won’t talk too much about what all I failed to get done.)

Research:
Working on the brick wall that is Theodocia Smith Lanier was at the top of my list. I didn’t make any real progress with her but have chipped enough pieces off of another brick wall to make a reasonable conclusion as to the father of my 2nd great-grandfather, John R. Petty. (Analysis/proof argument written and John R.’s father and siblings added to my database.)

Traveling for research was high on my list – specifically to the Georgia Archives, the North Carolina Archives and Laurens County, South Carolina. I made it to Laurens County but did not make the other two. Even though I missed two of my three goal locations, I did manage to visit several other places. I researched in Pope County, Illinois, Livingston and Muhlenberg County, Kentucky and Whitfield, Murray and Forsyth County, Georgia.

Now if I just had all of that research processed.

Writing:
I intended to write research plans for six brick wall ancestors and actually completed four so that’s not too bad.

Blogging more about research challenges and successes was also on my writing list. I did a decent job with that, mostly covering my Petty research. Writing about what I had and where I needed to go next not only helped me sort things out and see what I had but it also attracted several other Petty researchers.

Education:
This is the category where I accomplished the most in 2011. I attended NGS, FGS, Georgia Family History Expo and the KGS Annual Seminar. I started the NGS Home Study Course and completed four of the six lessons on CD 1. The last two lessons are both in progress and should be finished before my year is up in March.

Attending only four (instead of six) 2nd Saturday Family History Workshops hosted by KGS and KHS was the only slip in my education goals but I think I made up for that by “attending” at least a dozen webinars and some live sessions from Rootstech and SCGS Jamboree.

Maintenance:
This was (and always will be) my weakest event. I just don’t like the grunt work but did complete one big goal – reorganizing my digital genealogy files and moving them to Dropbox*. That is about all I accomplished in the maintenance category. There are still sources to clean up and stuff to scan. Maybe next year.

Overall, this wasn’t actually as bad as I expected but it proved what I really already knew - yearly goals just don't work for me. I think it’s that feeling that I have all year to get it done that is my downfall so I’m thinking about a different approach for 2012.

*If you use the Dropbox link to set up an account, you will get a little extra free space and so will I.

Two Years!

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

I had no idea what I was actually getting into two years ago when I started this blog but it remains the best genealogy related decision I have made. My genealogy life would definitely be different today if I had not taken that step.

I wouldn't have nearly as many Facebook friends. It's unlikely I would be using Twitter or Google+. I probably wouldn't have attended two FGS conferences, one NGS conference and two Family History Expos or be planning a trip to Salt Lake City in a few weeks for RootsTech 2012. I wouldn't have so many genealogy friends.

If I hadn't started a blog, I would still be plugging along with research and enjoying the process but it wouldn't be the same. It would not be nearly as much fun.

Image © ateliertally via Flickr under Creative Commons License.

You Really Should Have a Genealogy Website

2011-12-13T19:08:00.000-05:00

If you are doing genealogy research and don't have a website, you do not know what you might be missing. Even after almost two years of blogging, I still get far more inquiries because of my website simply because there are so many more people listed there than I have written about here.

Today, I received an e-mail from a Neely family researcher. She found my website searching for her great-grandfather, Jefferson Davis Neely, and wrote to let me know that I had an extra "e" in his last name (I had it as Neeley). I have not done any research on Jefferson. I'm not actually related to the Neely family and only had him in my database because his daughter, Alma, married my grandfather's brother, James Dolphin Lanier.

After responding and thanking her for the correction, I heard back from her a little later. By that time, she had found my photo of Roy Neely's headstone. This time she told me that Roy was Alma's brother. She wondered about Roy's relationship to the Lanier family. Well, Kathleen's mother, Hettie Lanier, was James' sister so that means Kathleen married her uncle's brother-in-law. I had no idea that Roy and Alma were siblings and had never even realized that they had the same last name (maybe because I had the extra "e" in Alma's name but probably because I had not paid close enough attention to these people who married into the family).

This Neely researcher also told me that Kathleen was in a Maytag ad in the 1960s. When I started typing a Google search for the ad, I really didn't expect to find it. But I did. She appeared in at least two issues of Life Magazine, probably many more considering the two I found are six months apart. This one from 17 Nov 1961 and another issue from 16 May 1962 are available in Google Books. There are even a couple of the actual magazine pages for sale on ebay for a few bucks. (Yes, I ordered one. How often do you find a relative in Life Magazine, even if it was an ad?)

from ebay

Granted this is not a big brick wall breakthrough (although I've had those thanks to both my website and this blog) but it is still interesting information that I might never have found on my own.

Blog Caroling

2011-12-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

by footnoteMaven

It almost Christmas so that means it's time for

footnoteMaven's Christmas Tradition of Blog Caroling.

My entry is:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by The Temptations

Burl Ives didn't sing it like this.

My Rooted Technology - a Meme

2011-12-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

With Rootstech 2012 fast approaching, Jill Ball of Geniaus started this meme about technology for genealogy. She invites everyone to join in the fun.

Here are the rules:

Technology you already use: bold face type
Technology you would like to use or learn more about: italicize (color optional)
Technology you don’t use, have no interest in using or no longer use: plain type
Explain or give opinions in brackets [ ] at the end of each bullet point.

Here are my answers:

I have a tablet computer such as an iPad that I use for genealogy [An Android tablet that I'm still learning to use to it's fullest genealogy potential.]
I have downloaded one or more apps to a Smart Phone or similar device. [Many, although there are just a few that I use on a regular basis.]
I belong to a genealogy society that uses social media.
I use GEDCOM files and understand the various compatibility issues involved. [I actually don't use them very much because of those compatibility issues.]
I have added metadata to some of my files and digital photos. [Trying to do this as I go now but still have thousands of files that haven't been done.]
I have utilized an API from a genealogy-related application or website.
I have taken a DNA test related to my genealogy research.
I have used the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
I have a Facebook account and use it regularly for genealogy.
I use tech tools to help me cite my sources in genealogy research. [Mostly the sourcewriter feature in Legacy Family Tree software.]
I have developed a genealogy-related app for a Smart Phone or similar device.
I use a genealogy database program. [Legacy Family Tree]
I use cloud computer resources to store my genealogy data. [Dropbox, Evernote, Mozy, SmugMug]
I have made one or more contributions to the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
I have attended a genealogy webinar.
I have organized and administered a DNA testing group related to my genealogy.
I use apps involving GPS and Geo-caching for my genealogy research.
I have a Google+ account and use it regularly for genealogy.
I have created and published a family history e-book.
I have created a wiki related to my genealogy research.
I have conducted a genealogy webinar as a presenter.
I read genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research. [Of course! Hundreds of them.]
I have one or more genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research.
I have a Twitter account and use it regularly for genealogy.
I have one or more genealogy-related websites which I run and administer. [www.lfmccauley.com]
I have created a screencast or video related to genealogy and posted it at a video sharing site (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).
I use one or more digital tools to capture and record my family history. [Camera, Voice recording app on smart phone]

I just noticed that this is my 500th post!

Those Places Thursday - Courthouse, Whitfield County, Georgia

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Probably the newest, nicest, biggest courthouse I've seen.

Records in Probate Clerk's Office

Tombstone Tuesday - Friendship Cemetery

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Friendship Cemetery is located in Forsyth County, Georgia near Cumming. It is across the street from Friendship Baptist Church on Friendship Circle off of Hwy 20. The GPS coordinates for the cemetery are 341437.531N - 0841113.774W.

Overview of older section

Mary E. "Mollie" Petty, daughter of John R. Petty and Margaret E. Thomas

Also buried in this cemetery:

Benjamin H. Hawkins (Mollie's husband)

Robert Lee Hawkins (Mollie's infant son)

Velvie Hawkins Bramblett (Mollie's daughter)

John Bramblett (Velvie's husband)

Bramblett and Hawkins Plots

Testing My Android Tablet

2011-12-02T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'm still trying to figure out what my Toshiba Thrive Android Tablet (running Honeycomb 3.2.1) can and cannot do. Here are a few things I recently tested.

Dropbox* - Using their Android App, files that were already loaded to Dropbox can be viewed or downloaded and new files can be added from the tablet. Works well.

Blog Talk Radio - I started testing this on some random show one Firday night and continued playing with it during a episode of GeneaBloggers Radio. There is an Android app for Blog Talk Radio, which is good for listening. If you want the chat board, you have to switch to the browser and use the website. From the browser, I could see the chat board and could post to it but it wasn't all smooth sailing. When I started to type a comment, the virtual keyboard covered the window where I needed to type into so I had to adjust that every time I wanted to comment. This might work better with a real keyboard but I don't have one so can't test that. The scroll bar in the chat window doesn't like to go backwards so it was hard to look back at anything I missed. Bottom line - listening to Blog Talk Radio works but the tablet would not be my device of choice if I wanted to participate in the chat.

CoverItLive - This is the live blogging platform used by Miriam for Scanfest and my favorite sports site for live blogging games. I tested it on the sports site and found that it works pretty well. I could see what others were posting and could make comments myself but it did not auto-scroll so I had to do that manually. It turns out that auto-scrolling is a nice feature.

Webinars - GoToWebinar does not work in the browser and I could not find an app. When trying to connect from the e-mail link to the webinar, I received the message "your computer's OS or Web browser are not supported." The recorded webinar's from Legacy Family Tree that are available for a few days after the live presentations will play. The tablet must be in vertical position because in horizontal only the upper part of the slide can be seen and there is no way (that I could find) to reduce the size to get it to show the full frame. I have not tested webinars from any other platform or provider yet.

YouTube - I tried several random videos and they played fine in both small and full screen mode.

There is still more to test so there will be more results later. Let me know if you have something specific you would like to see checked out.

*If you create a Dropbox account using this link you will get a little extra free space and so will I.

Other posts about the tablet:
Blogging from My Toshiba Thrive
The Paperless Research Trip Was Successful
Why Don't I Love My Tablet

Happy Birthday, Mama McCauley

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Verda Waller Hankins McCauley (my paternal grandmother) was born 127 years ago today.

Verda

abt. 1904

Verda and Will with daughters, Vernon and Gladys

abt. 1908

Verda and Will with John, David and Kathryn

1927

Jimmie, Verda, Will, Kathryn and David

abt. 1937

Will and Verda

abt. 1941

Those Places Thursday - Dalton, Georgia

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Whitfield-Murray Historical Society

Georgia Family History Expo

2011-11-19T01:10:00.000-05:00

Last Friday and Saturday, I attended Georgia Family History Expo in Duluth. The schedule was a little different this year - instead of starting early Friday morning, the Exhibit Hall opened at 1:00 Friday afternoon and the Opening Session started at 2:00. After spending the previous four days researching in north Georgia, I was happy to have the morning to relax a bit.

The late start meant a late end to the day with the last session ending about 8:40 P.M. Based on the feedback given at the closing session, noteveryone loved the new schedule but after hearing that this schedule wouldkeep registration costs down by saving an extra days rent on the facility, itseemed most people agreed it was just fine. I can see why people who were commuting from home might not like getting out later but this schedule also probably saved a good number of people the cost of a Thursday night hotel room and allowed some people to take less time off work.

I apparently made good choices because the seven sessions I attended were all very good.

Arlene Eakle knows so much more about Georgia Land Records than she can begin to cover in a 50-minute session but luckily she has a new book on the subject. By the time I made it to her booth on Saturday, she was sold out but it will be in my mailbox in a few days.

In The Clothesline Approach to Documentation and Analysis, DearMYRTLE gave us a visual concept for analyzing sources. If one end of the clothesline is the most reliable source and the other end the least, where would you hang the document you are evaluating? Thinking in those terms can really help you break down the information contained in any source.

Special Sources for Confederate Research in the National Archives and Records Administration and The Campaigns Forgotten: American Wars after the American Revolution and before the Civil War Records in NARA by Robert S. Davis were both great sessions - informative and entertaining. Did you know that the saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise" was a reference to the Creek Indians, not some creek that was about to flood?

Lisa Louise Cooke presented three sessions - Ultimate Google Search Strategies, Google Earth for Genealogy-Rock Your Ancestor's World and How to Create Awesome Interactive Family History Tours with Google Earth. I'd heard good things about these presentations so I was very happy when I learned Lisa would be in Georgia. Not to take anything away from her Google search session or any other presentation at Expo but those Google Earth sessions were beyond explanation. No one can tell you how amazing those presentations are. Mind blowing. I bought the book and the DVD's even before I saw the presentations and that turned out to be a good decision. I could just enjoy the show without worrying about taking notes.

And, of course, one of the best things about any genealogy gathering is socializing with other genealogist. I believe this group of bloggers enjoyed Expo.

Jenny, Ruby, Valerie, DearMYRTLE, Me, Tonia

Why Don't I Love My Tablet?

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

As I explained a few weeks ago, I bought a Toshiba Thrive mainly because of its SD card slot and USB port. Most tablets don't have those features. I especially wanted the SD card slot in order to view and backup photos on vacations. These extra features make the Thrive thicker than other tablets but I decided that the extra features were worth the trade-off.

While on a cruise last month, I was unhappy with the way my pictures looked on the Thrive. I finally figured out that the screen brightness was set on "auto" which probably makes the battery last longer but it sure doesn't make pictures look very good. Turning the brightness all the way up improves the look of pictures although I still think it could be a little sharper, especially when you zoom.

Last week I took the Thrive on a research road trip and to the Georgia Family History Expo. Again, I'm just not feeling the love for the tablet. The main purpose for a tablet, at least as I see it, is the portability. Tablets are much smaller and lighter weight than laptops but have a much bigger screen and virtual keyboard than a smart phone.

Here's the thing. I already had a netbook.

The netbook and tablet are pretty much the same length and width.

With the case, the tablet becomes a little bigger than the netbook.

If the netbook didn't have the extended-life battery,

the thickness would be about the same with the case.

That battery makes the netbook a little heavier than the tablet

but it also makes them pretty much even in battery life.

See why I'm wavering about loving the tablet? I haven't really gained anything from what I already had. There was not one thing I did with the tablet last week that I couldn't have done with the netbook. Except for typing my notes, I could have done it all with the phone. (Technically, the notes could be typed on the phone too but that much typing on a tiny virtual keyboard is not for me.)

I fought the urge for a tablet from the time the iPad was released almost two years ago because I already had the netbook. Finally, the feeling that I was missing out on the latest tech toy (and I do love tech toys) got the best of me and I bought the tablet.

I need to start using the tablet more around the house and find a niche where it beats the laptop, netbook and phone. Maybe if I keep it on my nightstand instead of in the office I'll start using it for reading at bedtime. I want to love it and there is still hope that can happen. Any suggestions?

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Toshiba. All opinions given here are mine alone.

The Paperless Research Trip Was Successful

2011-11-15T10:34:00.001-05:00

Let me clarify that a bit. I did not find much information that helped with my research goals for this trip but the paperless experiment worked very well, even though there were a couple of glitches in my initial plan.

When I was prepping for this trip, I realized that the Families app didn't include the "general" to do items from my Legacy Family Tree database. The individual to dos show up but there is no way to access anything not tied to a specific individual in the database. (I ask Families about this. They said they would add it to their next version.) No big problem. I just created a To Do List report from Legacy, loaded it to the tablet and referred to it at each facility. My tablet doesn't have 3G, it's WiFi only, so everything I might need had to be loaded in advance. Frankly, I would have done that even if I had 3G, you never know when a cell signal will fail you.

I started last Monday morning in the Probate Clerk's Office in the Whitfield County, Georgia courthouse with my Android Tablet, Wand Scanner and Android Phone (used to take the photo below). Over three days, I also researched at the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society and the Murray County courthouse. I did not print one piece of paper. I did not write a word on a piece of paper. I copied everything with either the wand scanner or an app on my phone and typed all notes into Evernote on the tablet.

I have used the CamScanner app on my phone in the past and been very happy with it. It was one of the first apps I loaded to the tablet but I hadn't tried to use it until this trip. Turns out it doesn't really work on the tablet. The image looks extremely distorted even before taking the picture. Apparently, it hasn't been optimized for Honeycomb (the tablet's version of the Android operating system) so my plan to copy things using that app on the tablet didn't work out. Again, no big problem. I could still use the app on the phone and I had the wand scanner.

Since this was a test for going paperless on a research trip, I used both the wand scanner and the CamScanner app to copy most everything in order to compare the results. The above marriage record was copied with the wand scanner. (I reduced the size for this upload but I have a larger size file.) Here is an example of the same record using the app. (I could have cropped it down to look just like the one above but just didn't do it.)

For individual records, I really prefer the wand (which saves to JPG) over the app (which saves to PDF) but both give very good copies. For multi-page items, I prefer the app because you can save multiple pages to one document. If you are coping pages from a book, start with the title page, or even the cover, and then add the pages you want. You will have the info you need to write a source along with all of the pages in one document.

The next time I connected the tablet to WiFi, all of the notes I took in Evernote synced with my online account making them accessible from my laptop and other devices.

Switching back and forth between Evernote, the Families app (my genealogy database) and the To Do report was simple. Since my tablet has a USB port, I could also connect the wand scanner, download the scans to the tablet for backup and ensure I had a good copy before I left the facility.

So. It is definitely possible to research without creating any paper. From now on, this will be my routine - unless I'm visiting a repository that doesn't allow scanning or photography. There are still some of those around.

Even though this process worked, I'm still on the fence about the tablet. More about that tomorrow.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned in this post other than I use the products. I purchased the Families app and Legacy Family Tree Software but use the free version of Evernote.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - A Veteran's Service and Gravesite

2011-11-12T19:10:00.001-05:00

Looks like I haven't had any Saturday Night Genealogy Fun in months. My last SNGF post was in July. Time to rectify that. This week's challenge from Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings is:

1) To celebrate Veterans Day, pick one of your ancestors or relatives with a military record and a gravestone.

2) Tell us about your ancestor's military service.

3) Tell us about your ancestor's gravestone - where is it, what is the inscription, when were you last there? Show us a picture of it if you have one available.

4) Write your own blog post about this ancestor and his gravestone, or share it in a Comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook, or in a Google Plus Stream post.

My maternal grandfather, Elmer Dennis Hopkins, served in the U. S. Army twice. He enlisted the first time on 4 Dec 1911 at Middlesboro, Kentucky and was discharged 3 Dec 1914 at Ft. Bliss, Texas. He served in Troup E of the 15th Cavalry.

Elmer on left

According to his discharge papers, he "participated in the internment of the Mexican Federal Army after their evacuation of Ojinaga, Mexico January 10-20, 1914." During the Mexican Revolution, Pancho Villa led the war in the northern part of Mexico on behalf of the revolution. In January 1914, Pancho Villa and his army drove the Mexican Federal Army out of Ojinaga. To avoid being captured by Villa, the Mexican Army crossed the border into Texas and surrendered to U.S. troops. The Mexicans were interned in Fort Bliss, Texas and Fort Wingate, New Mexico for almost a year. Elmer was involved in the interment at Fort Bliss.

His second enlistment was during World War I. He was inducted 24 May 1918 at Mt. Vernon, Kentucky and was discharged 12 Jun 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky (near Louisville). He was stationed in France from 6 Aug 1918 to 28 May 1919 with the 315th Infantry Supply Company.

Elmer is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky beside his wife, Emma. Headstone transcription: HOPKINS, Emma E., Oct. 24, 1900, Jan. 18, 1978; Elmer D., Apr 2, 1894, May 26, 1980.

Elmer's VA marker transcription: Elmer D. Hopkins, Cpl US Army, World War I, Apr 2, 1894, May 26, 1980.

The last time I was at Elmer's grave was a few days before Memorial Day this year.

Veterans Day - Honoring Those Who Served

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Pictures of some family members who served in uniform.

Orin Edward Taylor

Orin is my only relative (that I know of) who died in service to our country so he gets the top spot in this Veterans Day post. He enlisted at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas on April 1, 1941, was a 1st Lt. with Company E of the 4th Ranger Battalion and died at the age of 24 on January 31, 1944 in Anzio, Italy during WW II. [1st Cousin, once removed]

David Hankins McCauley

1926-2000

WW II - US Navy 1944-1946

[Father]

Joseph Lee McCauley

1913-1985

WW II - US Army and US Navy

[Uncle]

John William McCauley, Jr.

1921-1992

WW II - US Navy

[Uncle]

J W Dukes

1923-2001

WW II - US Navy

[1st Cousin]

Marvin Ray Dukes

1927-1971

WW II - US Navy

[1st Cousin]

Jason Gordon Lucas, Jr. (on right, my Dad on left)

1926-2007

WW II - US Navy

[1st Cousin]

Elmer Dennis Hopkins (on left, person on right unknown)

1894-1980

Pre-WW I - US Army 1911-1914

WW I - US Army 1918-1919

[Maternal Grandfather]

John Covey Hopkins

1886-1969

WW I - Career US Army 1905-1935

[Great Uncle]

Howard Doctor "Doc" Hopkins

1900-1988

WW I - US Army

Post WW I - US Navy

[Great Uncle]

Grant Hopkins

1902-1963

Post WW I - US Marines 1921-1924

[Great Uncle]

Jimmy, Elvie and Perry Hankins

in France during WW I

[Great Uncles]

James Bailey Hankins

1901-1974

WW I - US Army 1917-1919

Albert Elvie Hankins

1882-1859

WW I - US Army

William Perry Hankins

1898-1922

WW I - US Army 1916-1920

A Paperless Research Trip

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever gone on a research trip without printing anything to take with you? I'm talking about to do lists, research plans, maps, directions, family group sheets, timelines - all the stuff you need to remind you what you already know, what you want to find and where you need to go.

I have experimented with this idea a couple of times on day trips to the Kentucky Archives and it worked out just fine. When I went to the archives, I had my Legacy Family Tree database on an Android phone using the Families app and a list of people I wanted to research in a memo app on the phone. From the memo, I knew which people in my database to check for "to do" items. I walked into the archives with a blank legal pad, pencil and my phone and walked out with the records I was looking for each time.

Now I'm ready to go paperless on a four-day research trip out of state. Since my test with the phone, I bought an Android tablet and that is what I'll be using for the most part on this trip.

Granted, the thoughts of no back-up directions made me a little nervous after Lula (my GPS) got me seriously lost a couple of months ago so I saved Google Maps directions to PDF and loaded them to both devices in advance. That way I'm covered if Lula or cell service fails me in rural Georgia.

The fun starts this morning. I'll report back later in the week.

John R. Petty Could Have Made Things Easier for Me

2011-11-04T22:21:00.002-04:00

Really. All he had to do was serve as surety when his (I'm 95% sure) brother, Joseph, got married in Logan County, Kentucky in 1869. That would have been the smoking gun I'm looking for to prove that John R. (my 2nd great-grandfather) was the son of John Petty of Bradley County, Tennessee and Whitfield County, Georgia.

I have a ton of indirect and circumstantial evidence that ties John R. to the John Petty family (much of it has been covered here in a variety of posts, see below for the list) but I'd still like something a little more straight forward.

Today I ran over to the Kentucky Archives (it's just 80 miles and I actually had to be in Lexington anyway so really just about 20 miles away from there) to get a copy of the marriage record for Joseph Petty and Nancy Thomas hoping that there would be some clue in it to help my case.

The elder John Petty had a son named Joseph. John R. Petty (his wife, Margaret and their children) and Joseph Petty (his wife, Nancy and their son) were all in Logan County, Kentucky in the 1870 census - in the same district with only one household separating them. Both of the Petty men were born in Tennessee - they have to be brothers, don't they?

I had incorrectly assumed that both Petty families moved to Logan County from Tennessee sometime after the Civil War (when John R. and Joseph along with two other sons of John Petty served in the same Confederate unit). Turns out there was a slight flaw in that theory recently uncovered by a Colorado friend of my Petty research buddy in Oregon. (Fresh eyes are often a very good thing.)

The flaw - Joseph did not actually get married until after he was in Logan County but his wife seems to be a very interesting twist. Joseph married a Nancy Thomas who was born in Georgia. John R.'s wife, Margaret, was a Thomas from Murray and Lumpkin Counties in Georgia, she had a sister named Nancy and Margaret and Nancy's mother, Rebecca Thomas lived in Logan County in 1870. Nancy Thomas who married Joseph appears to be a few years younger than Margaret's sister but it still looks like the Petty brothers married the Thomas sisters.

If only John R. has served as surety on Joseph and Nancy's marriage bond that would have tied everything together with a nice bow but the surety was E. W. Northington. I didn't find an E. W. Northington in Logan County but Edward O. Northington was listed next to John R. in the 1870 Logan County census. (He is not the household between John R. and Joseph but on the other side of John.) Of the 25 Northingtons in Logan County in 1870, he is the only one with a first initial E. Oh goody, someone else to research.

While working on this post I noticed another little "situation" - Joseph and Nancy were married in 1869 in Kentucky and were there in 1870 but their apparent child living with them in 1870 named Robert Petty was three years old and born in Georgia. He could be their son born prior to the marriage or he could be either Joseph's or Nancy's child from a previous marriage or relationship.

Nothing is ever easy with this family.

I'm about to spend four days in Whitfield, Murray and Forsyth Counties in Georgia working on these Petty and Thomas families. I may be stark raving mad by the time Georgia Family History Expo starts on Friday. Stay tuned.

Other posts related to Petty research:

Searching for John R. Petty's Parents - Part 1

Searching for John R. Petty's Parents - Part 2

Searching for John R. Petty's Parents - Part 3

Searching for John R. Petty's Parents - Part 4

Angeline Tribble Wasn't Angeline Petty

Blogging Pays - Petty Research

John Petty of Bradley County, Tennessee - The Research Continues

John Petty's Daughters - Martha and Angeline

John Petty's Daughters - Caroline and Mary

John Petty's Daughters - Charlotte and "Mrs. Milsapp"

Emma and Elmer Eloped

2011-10-29T15:36:00.000-04:00

Emma Ewers Taylor and Elmer Dennis Hopkins eloped from Mt. Vernon, Kentucky to Jellico, Tennessee on 11 Oct 1920 but this story doesn't really start there. It starts nine years earlier.

When Emma was almost eleven years old, her sister, Susie, married August Krueger on 7 Sep 1911 at the Taylor family home in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky. This is how she remembered the wedding.

"They had a home wedding and they all cried so I decidedthen if I ever married, I would elope and I did."

She didn't elaborate on exactly who cried at Susie's wedding. Most likely Emma's mother (Susie's step-mother), Emmie Jane. Probably also Emma and Susie's older sister, Gracie. Maybe even their father, John. Possibly assorted other relatives in attendance.

At any rate, the crying made a big impression on young Emma - enough that she eloped to avoid it and still vividly remembered it when she wrote about Susie's wedding and her own decades later.

Emma was born and raised in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. Elmer's family moved there from Harlan County when he was about six years old. Emma lived in Mt. Vernon and Elmer lived near Brodhead. Mutual friend, Ester Staverson, introduced them.

By the fall of 1920, Emma had been working for 18 months as assistant cashier and bookkeeper at Peoples Bank in Mt. Vernon. Even though she wasn't yet 20 years old, this was her third job. She worked at the Mt. Vernon Post Office while waiting until she was old enough to take the teacher's examination after graduating from high school in 1916 at age 16. Her first and only year of teaching ended when the schools closed in Feb 1919 due to the flu epidemic. After that, she returned to the Post Office for a short time before going to work at the bank.

Elmer, who was six years older than Emma, served in the U. S. Army from 4 Dec 1911 - 3 Dec 1914. He went to work for L & N Railroad on 15 Dec 1915 but took a break from his employment to serve a 2nd tour with the army during World War I from 24 May 1918 - 12 Jun 1919. After his discharge, Elmer returned to work for the railroad and bought a house in Corbin, Kentucky where he was stationed with L & N.

Emma wrote about their wedding in 1977:

"On Oct 11, 1920, I married Elmer Dennis Hopkins. When I was 11 at my sister's wedding I decided to elope. This I did. I went home from work at noon and Elmer and I left in a taxi as I went back to work. We went to Wildie. Got on the train and road to Jellico, Tenn. We were married by a Justice of the Peace in a furniture store with 1 witness which was all the state of Tenn required. We went to a hotel and ate supper then caught the train to Corbin. We got there about 11 P.M. and went to our house Elmer had bought and furnished. I fixed a special delivery letter to be delivered to Mama about the time I would get home from work telling her I would be married by the time she got it. My brother told me later there was weeping and wailing. She wrote me a letter the next day for us to come home. So we went to Mt. Vernon the third day of our honeymoon and spent the night and on to his home at Crab Orchard the next day. Mama had a good supper and a real nice cake. They didn't cry for which I was glad."

I had bought sheets, linens, etc. and had them at the bank so I bought a trunk and took all my things home. Later, I moved my piano."

"We had a bed, dresser, dining table, 6 chairs, rocker, kitchen cabinet and cook stove to start. I then bought a couch, another living room chair, rugs, wash stand and several other things for the house. I still have the round oak dining table after 57 years."

The Mt. Vernon Signal published their wedding announcement on 15 Oct 1920:

"TAYLOR-HOPKINS: Miss Emma Taylor and Mr. Elmer Hopkins were married in Jellico, Tenn Oct. 11, 1920.

Miss Taylor is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Taylor of this city and was the Asst. Cashier of the Peoples Bank. She was one of Mount Vernon's most popular girls and was liked by everyone. Mr. Hopkins is the son of Mr. J. A. Hopkins of near Brodhead and is a fine young man. Mr. Hopkins is a conductor for the L & N with headquarters at Corbin, Ky. where they will make their home.

[1st part of the last sentence is unreadable on newspaper microfilm] . . . host of friends in wishing them a long and happy married life."

Elmer and Emma on their 50th Anniversary

Autumn Weddings is the topic for the 111th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Creative Gene.

Emma and Elmer were my maternal grandparents. The information written by Emma is from her Notebook that I have written about in the past.

The Ancestors' Geneameme

2011-10-25T20:21:00.000-04:00

There was a lot of genealogy blogging going on while I was off cruising and traveling for most of the past two weeks. Today I started trying to catch up on reading before my Google Reader explodes (it still says 1000+, I don't want to know the actual number).

I need to get back into the swing of things. This meme started at Geniaus and it looks interesting so here goes.

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of these apply to you?

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents
Can name over 50 direct ancestors
Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents [Have 7 but am missing Joseph Smith Lanier.]
Have an ancestor who was married more than three times [No, but have several with 3 marriages.]
Have an ancestor who was a bigamist [And that's all I'm saying about that.]
Met all four of my grandparents [Only met 3. My paternal grandmother died 9 years before I was born.]
Met one or more of my great-grandparents [Met 3 although I only remember 2.]
Named a child after an ancestor
Bear an ancestor's given name/s [I share a middle name with my mother.]
Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland
Have an ancestor from Asia
Have an ancestor from Continental Europe
Have an ancestor from Africa
Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer [Many, actually most]
Have an ancestor who had large land holdings
Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi [Great-grandfather, Thomas Leander "Lee" Hankins, was a Baptist minister.]
Have an ancestor who was a midwife
Have an ancestor who was an author
Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones [2 Smith lines]
Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z
Have an ancestor born on 25th December [Great-grandfather, John Cook Taylor]
Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day
Have blue blood in your family lines [Maybe, don't really know but my 10th great-grandfather, Nicholas Lanier, was a musician in the Court of King Henry II of France and the Courts of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England.]
Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century
Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier
Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents
Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X
Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence
Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime
Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine [There are lots of stories here and a couple of years ago I wrote an article for the Rockcastle County Historical Society's newsletter about my 3rd great-grandfather, William Taylor.]
Have published a family history online or in print [In addition to this blog, I have a family tree website - McCauley, Lanier, Hankins, Hopkins & Taylor Families.]
Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries
Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family
Have a family bible from the 19th Century
Have a pre-19th century family bible

Happy Birthday, Mamaw

2011-10-24T10:28:00.000-04:00

Emma Ewers Taylor Hopkins was born 111 years ago today.

Mamaw & me

Those Places Thursday - Memphis Public Library

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Benjamin J. Hooks Central Library

3030 Poplar Ave, Memphis TN

I've researched here twice and will be going back in December.

Wordless Wednesday - John and Anna Rose Taylor

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

John Cook Taylor and his daughter, Anna Rose

abt. 1921

My great-grandfather

Those Places Thursday - Pope County, Illinois

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

In September, I visited the Pope County, Illinois to research my Weeks ancestors - 4th great-grandparents, James and Delinda Younger Weeks, and 5th great-grandfather, Job Weeks.

Pope County Courthouse in Golconda, Illinois

If you are planning a visit, there are a few things you should know. Researchers are not allowed in the records. They have finding aids in the public area of the clerks office. Once you locate something you want to see, the staff will pull it and make any copies you want.

The courthouse closes between noon and 1 p.m. for lunch. I grabbed a quick lunch and spent the rest of the time in the public library using the same finding aids that were in the clerks office to identify records I needed pulled that afternoon.

The view of Livingston County, Kentucky across the Ohio River from Golconda. Various members of the Weeks family moved back and forth between Pope County and Livingston County. Birdsville, the area in Livingston County where they lived, was just a few miles south of this spot directly across the river from Golconda.

Wordless Wednesday - Elmer D. Hopkins

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

Elmer Dennis Hopkins (3rd from left)

Probably during his 2nd tour with the U. S. Army

bet. 1918-1919

My maternal grandfather

Photo compliments of 2nd cousin, P. H. Howard

Estate Papers Reveal Date Job Weeks Died

2011-10-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

This envelope from Box 60 in the Pope County, Illinois County Clerk's office contains the estate papers for my 5th great-grandfather, Job Weeks.

Job apparently fought in the Revolutionary War from Gloucester County, New Jersey - he received a pension but I haven't found his service records. According to his pension application, Job left New Jersey after the war and moved several times before settling along the Ohio River in Livingston County, Kentucky around 1817.

He was living with his granddaughter, Sarah Weeks Hankins, on the Illinois side of the Ohio in Pope County at the time of his death so his estate was settled there. Job may have also lived in Pope County at other times after he came to the area.

I knew Job was still alive on 4 May 1838 when he last appeared in Livingston County Court regarding his pension application and I thought he was in the 1840 census (as an 80-90 year old male in Sarah's Pope County household) but I'd never found a clue as to when he died until I saw this estate record. "Died 15 Jany 1841" is written on the front of the envelope and also on the back of the Administration Bond inside the packet.

John H. Smith was named administrator of Job's estate on 2 Mar 1841. As far as I know, John was not related to Job but he was probably the same J. H. Smith who, as a Justice of the Peace, performed the marriage ceremony when Job married Mary Reed in 1826.

According to this record, Job died without a will. The only relatives mentioned are his grandson, Nehemiah Weeks, and granddaughter, Sarah. (Their relationships aren't identified but I know from other records that they were two of James Weeks' six children and that James was Job's son.) Nehemiah and Sarah both bought items from the estate and Sarah was paid $18.25 by the estate for keeping livestock and tending to Job while he was sick. There was no mention of Mary so she may have died before him. There was no property listed in the inventory and there were no deed records found for Job in either Pope County or Livingston County.

I'll have another post in a couple of weeks (after my upcoming vacation) regarding the inventory and sale or Job's property.

A Late in Life Marriage for Job Weeks

2011-10-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

When I visited Pope County, Illinois last month to research my Weeks ancestors, I found something unexpected. Job Weeks, my 5th great-grandfather, got married again just before he turned 71 years old. I say again because Job had two children that I know about (both probably born in the late 1700's). I have no idea who their mother was but it's pretty likely she was a much earlier wife.

On 25 Apr 1826, a marriage license was issued in Pope County for Job Weeks and Mrs. Mary Reed, widow.

Job and Mary were married five days later on the 30th. The ceremony was performed by J. H. Smith, Justice of the Peace - possibly the same J. H. Smith who later became the administrator of Job's estate. (Yes, that means I also found Job's estate papers. More about that and Job later.)

Source:

Pope County, Illinois, Marriage Records, Book A: pgs 27 and 92, Weeks-Reed, 1826; County Clerk's Office, Golconda.

Those Places Thursday - Livingston County, Kentucky

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

In September, I visited Livingston County, Kentucky for some research on my Weeks ancestors who lived there in the early 1800s.

The Courthouse was built in 1845 and the process is currently underway to get it named to the National Register of Historic Places. Even though the building is 166 years old, it is not the building where my 4th great-grandparents, James and Delinda Younger Weeks, and my 5th great-grandfather, Job Weeks, would have done business. They were all three deceased before it was built.

The Livingston County Historical and Genealogical Society is across the street from the courthouse.

Birdsville is north of the county seat, Smithland. According to another Weeks researcher, this is the general area where our Weeks family lived along the Ohio River.

Wordless Wednesday - Jimmy and Goldie Hankins

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

James Bailey "Jimmy" Hankins and 2nd wife, Goldie (maiden name unknown)

On their wedding day 11 Oct 1967 in Phoenix, Arizona

[I only know their wedding date because it was written on the back of this photo.]

Uncle Jimmy was my paternal grandmother's brother

Photo compliments of 2nd cousin, S. London.

Those Places Thursday - More Lincoln Sites

2011-09-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Springfield, Illinois

Lincoln-Herndon Law Office on Adams Street

Old Illinois State Capitol Building

(across the street from Lincoln's law office)

Lincoln's Home a few blocks from his law office

More photos from Springfield sightseeing

Blogging From My Toshiba Thrive

2011-09-25T18:57:00.001-04:00

Several weeks ago I bought a Toshiba Thrive Android tablet but I haven't really taken the time to figure out what it can and cannot do. Today I'm using it to write this blog post. I'm using the Blogger Android app but will try using Blogger directly from the browser later.

The main reason I chose the Thrive was the built-in SD card slot. The USB port is an added benefit that I think will prove useful. When I started seriously looking at tablets, I was surprised to find that those are not features found on most devices. One of the reasons I wanted a tablet was to review and backup photos on trips when I couldn't easily take a laptop - like the upcoming cruise when I'll be flying and space is limited. (Shoes are still more important than electronics.) That meant an SD slot or some way to transfer photos from the camera was a must and that pretty much ruled out most tablets on the market today.

I looked at the iPad because there is a SD card adaptor but it gets really mixed reviews. I finally decided that I didn't care if the Thrive was a little chubbier than other tablets if it could do what I wanted.

With the USB port, I can move pictures from the SD card directly to a Flash Drive and still see the pictures without taking up a chunk of hard drive space. I can also carry info on a Flash Drive that I might need to access without having it actually loaded to the tablet. (That's not much of an issue for me since all my genea-stuff is in Dropbox and I can get to it from the tablet.)

I should note that I don't think the screen resolution is as sharp as some tablets, especially the iPad, but I made the trade off for the other features. You can't have everything - at least not yet.

Things I've learned while writing this post (remember I'm using the Blogger app so these are really limitations of the app rather than the Thrive):
1. There is no preview function to review a post before publishing it.
2. There is no HTML tab.
3. Posts that I had previously scheduled are listed as "published" in the post list. (Scared me for a minute.)
4. There aren't many formatting options - can't change font but can bold and italize and add links.
5. The photo that (I hope) is in this post was loaded from the SD card. I can't seem to place a photo where I want with in a post but it's showing as a thumbnail at the end of the text during edit so I guess it will appear somewhere. Since I can't preview, I'll have to wait until it's published to see where it is.
6. There is no way to schedule a post but it can be saved in draft.

If the picture is included, you can see the SD card slot on the lower right (which is actually the upper right when using the tablet). That hot pink back cover was purchased separately (cause I liked it much better than the black cover that is standard). This doesn't even scratch the surface regarding using the Thrive but it's a start. I'm going to it publish now and see want happens.

Those Places Thursday - Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Springfield, Illinois

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

A few bloggers with the Lincoln family

Ginger Smith, Liz Tapley, Kim von Aspern and me

I didn't make it inside the library but the museum is fantastic. If you find yourself in Springfield, it is a must see.

The Tech Savvy Genealogist's Meme

2011-09-21T22:43:00.000-04:00

This Meme was started by Jill Ball at Geniaus last week.

Want to participate? Just copy the list and follow these simple instructions.

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
Feel free to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of these apply to you?

Own an Android or Windows tablet or an iPad
Use a tablet or iPad for genealogy related purposes
Have used Skype to for genealogy purposes
Have used a camera to capture images in a library/archives/ancestor's home
Use a genealogy software program on your computer to manage your family tree
Have a Twitter account
Tweet daily
Have a genealogy blog
Have more then one genealogy blog (It's all I can do to keep one going.)
Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic
Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise (Have an account but can't remember the last time I visited.)
Have a Facebook Account
Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page
Maintain a blog or website for a genealogy society
Have submitted text corrections online to Ancestry, Trove or a similar site
Have registered a domain name
Post regularly to Google+
Have a blog listed on Geneabloggers
Have transcribed/indexed records for FamilySearch or a similar project
Own a Flip-Pal or hand-held scanner (Wand Scanner)
Can code a webpage in .html (A very simple one)
Own a smartphone
Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases
Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures
Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
Use Chrome as a Browser
Have participated in a genealogy webinar
Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes
Have a personal genealogy website (McCauley, Lanier, Hankins, Hopkins & Taylor Families)
Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture
Have scanned your hardcopy genealogy files
Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs
Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry
Own a netbook
Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes (I need to start doing this but can't seem to give up the pen and paper.)
Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit
Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget
Have listened to a genealogy podcast online
Have downloaded genealogy podcasts for later listening
Backup your files to a portable hard drive
Have a copy of your genealogy files stored offsite
Know about Rootstech
Have listened to a Blogtalk radio session about genealogy
Use Dropbox, SugarSync or other service to save documents in the cloud
Schedule regular email backups
Have contributed to the FamilySearch Wiki
Have scanned and tagged your genealogy photographs
Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format

That's 40 out of 50. Not bad.

Tombstone Tuesday - Lincoln's Tomb

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Abraham Lincoln's Tomb

Oak Ridge Cemetery

Springfield, Illinois

More photos from Lincoln's Tomb.

FGS 2011 - Sessions - Friday & Saturday, September 9 & 10

2011-09-19T18:17:00.000-04:00

Even though I spent several hours in the Exhibit Hall at the Media Center and exploring the vendor booths on Friday and Saturday I still managed to attend these great sessions.

Friday:

"After Mustering Out: Researching Civil War Veterans" presented by Amy Johnson Crow, MLIS, CG: "If you get no other Civil War record for an ancestor, get the pension record." Union vets were to register their discharge with their county so those records may still exist in local courthouses. Widows pension applications will have proof of marriage and death of the veteran. Confederate pensions records are not at NARA, check the Confederate state where the veteran lived when he applied. A lady in the audience at this session saw an ancestor listed in a record on one of the slides! Now that doesn't happen everyday.

"Somewhere in France: Researching World War II" presented by Tony Burroughs, FUGA: Unit and regimental histories can put your ancestor's World War II experience in context. It's extremely important to find a discharge certificate because it gives the service number that can be used to find other records. Military records are available from St. Louis National Personnel Center if it has been at least 62 years since the veteran's discharge - make an appointment before visiting or order the records by mail. Veterans Administration (VA) has records that can be released through Freedom of Information Act.

Dr. Jones (on left)

"Using 'Correlation' to Reveal Facts That No Record States" presented by Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS: "Correlation is the process of comparing information items to identify connections and contradictions." No record type is always accurate. A key to using correlation is to identify two completely independent sources. If two records have the same basic source, they are not independent. For example, if the same person provided information for a death certificate and for an obituary, then those are not independent sources.

"GenSpiration Session: Blogging Best Practices" facilitated by Amy Coffin: "GenSpiration" sessions were new to FGS at this conference and if this session was any indication, they are a great idea. About 15 people attended. The discussion included the ins and outs of running ads on your blog, information that should be available on blogs (about me/blog, disclosures, surnames) and how to promote your blog. This discussion could have easily gone on for another hour or more. (I can't believe I failed to get a photo.)

Saturday:

Mark Lowe (on right)

"Developing a Basic Research Plan" presented by J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA: "Only believe what you see with your own eyes and have your eyes examined regularly." Having a precise statement of research goals and reasoning for the process increases the probability of a successful research project. Identify the focus of the research, recheck what you think you know, determine if you are working with any undocumented facts, decide what you need to find and where that information could be located. A research plan is really an ongoing process. Once you have an answer to your question, summarize the new findings, add them to what you already know and develop a plan for the next step.

(This was one of seven two-hour workshops offered for a small fee. Having an extra hour allows the speaker to delve deeper into a subject. I will definitely schedule other workshops in the future.)

More photos from FGS 2011.

Disclosure: I was an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - Luncheon and Sessions - Thursday, September 8

2011-09-17T11:29:00.001-04:00

After the Keynote Session and Exhibit Hall Grand Opening, this is how I spent the rest of Thursday.

International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) Luncheon "Get Off That Fence and Start Writing!" presented by DearMYRTLE (and her great-grandmother): This was my first conference luncheon and (in case you can't tell from the photo) it was great fun. We were "urged" to start writing or risk the rath of Myrt's great-grandmother and her pitch fork.

"Immigrant Cluster Communities: Past, Present and Future" presented by Lisa A. Alzo: Immigrants often settled in clusters with others from their home country or a previous location. Researching those friends, neighbors and relatives can sometimes break down brick walls or help identify your ancestor's country or specific location of origin. Researching a cluster community can also put your ancestors' lives in historical context.

"The Curious Case of the Disappearing Dude" presented by Debra Mieszala, CG: We all have people who seemed to vanish into thin air at some point. And the answer to that problem is basically the same as any brick wall - identify the problem, develop a research plan, carefully analyze findings, re-evaluate the problem using what you found, come to conclusions, rinse, repeat.

"Going Beyond the Bare Bones: Reconstructing Your Ancestors' Lives" presented by Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS: "The more records you find, the richer will be your ancestor's story." That pretty much says it all when it comes to reconstructing your ancestors' lives. Don't stop with the basic birth, marriage and death dates and places. Arrange your information in chronological order to see the holes in your story and start weaving the information together.

More photos from FGS 2011.

Disclosure: I was an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - Keynote Session - Thursday, September 8

2011-09-15T19:08:00.000-04:00

Time flies when you're having fun!

That is especially true when you are attending a genealogy conference. This time last Thursday, FGS was in full swing and it's been over for several days but I'm just now getting around to writing about most of the great sessions and activities I attended. Part of the reason I'm so tardy is the research trip I tacked on to my round about trip home from Springfield. By the end of those days spent in courthouses and libraries, I didn't have enough energy or brain power left to write.

The Keynote Session included a Civil War Color Guard, a welcome from the Hon. J. Michael Houston, Mayor of Springfield, announcements about fund raising efforts for Preserve the Pensions and the presentation of awards.

David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, delivered the Keynote Address. He talked about his family history and about placing his hand on an old family Bible when he took the oath to become national archivist. He also talked about the National Archives and Records Administration's social media presence. NARA is everywhere - blogs, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, FourSquare, Tumblr and YouTube.

There was also something about the 1940 census - people seemed really excited about that. In case you haven't heard, it will be available online 2 Apr 2012 and it will be free. I'm sure there will be future announcement from NARA through some of the above social media outlets.

Following the Keynote Session, which was held at the Springfield Hilton, the Color Guard led attendees across the street to the Prairie Capital Convention Center for the grand opening of the exhibit hall.

More photos from FGS 2011.

Disclosure: I was an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Lula Can't Always Be Trusted

2011-09-12T17:40:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from FGS posts for a public service announcement for genealogists planning research trips. When I left Springfield yesterday, I headed to Paducah, Kentucky to work in a little research before going home. The plan was to research in Pope County, Illinois today and Livingston County, Kentucky tomorrow. Neither place has a motel (that I could find) but Paducah is sorta between the two.

The untrustworthy Lula isn't a friend or relative traveling with me. Lula is my GPS. (You named yours didn't you?) She got her name a couple of years ago when I was on a research trip to Mississippi with three cousins. Someone in the crowd decided she should be named for our grandfather's sister that we can't find after the 1900 census and it stuck. (We still haven't found the real Lula.)

On that trip to Mississippi I learned that you need a back-up for Lula in case of a major thunderstorm - satellite signals don't work too well during those. Before I left home I printed directions from Google Maps for every leg of my trip so I had directions from my hotel in Paducah to Golconda, Illinois where the Pope County Courthouse is located. Problem - I didn't look at them. I admit that I should have stopped and pulled the directions out of the laptop case in the back of the car when Lula made me turn into a park a few blocks from the hotel. (She seemed to think there was a road out of there that connected to the road she wanted me to take but I didn't find it.) Anyway, I got out of the park and found the road she wanted. (You notice I'm not calling that the "right" road.)

In a few minutes I saw a blue bridge looming in front of me. Have I mentioned I don't like heights? Well, this was a pretty high, narrow, two-lane, singing bridge. And there was traffic coming at me so I couldn't drive down the middle of it. Across the Ohio River is a long time to hold your breath. I told Lula we were going to find a different way back.

I knew it was supposed to take about 45 minutes to get to Golconda and Lula was estimating my arrival time along that line. I made every turn she told me to make until she thought a gravel road was a good idea. That just seemed wrong to me so I didn't turn and looked for a place to pull off. Before I could do that, Lula recalculated and decided that my destination was just 2 miles straight ahead so I kept going. When she said I had arrived at my destination, this is what I saw.

Having been to a lot of courthouses, I was pretty sure that wasn't one.

At this point I did pull off and dig out the printed directions. Problem - wherever the heck I was, wasn't on my printed map. I checked the GPS for service stations and found that the nearest one was almost 10 miles away. I set a new course for it, hoping Lula actually knew the way there. A few miles before I got to the service station, I came to an intersection that was on my map and was exactly where I wanted to turn. From there I followed the directions and arrived at the Pope County, Illinois Courthouse almost 2 hours after I left the hotel.

Oddly enough, even though Lula couldn't find the courthouse, she had no trouble finding her way out of Golconda and back to Paducah on the exact route that I had printed (and which took me across the river on the I-24 bridge, a much better choice than the blue one). Go figure.

So. If you are taking a research trip to an area you are not familiar with, do not think you can trust your GPS - no matter what her name is. When I leave here in the morning for Livingston County you can bet I'll take a good look at the printed directions first and they will be right beside me for the whole trip.

P.S. It was a really good research day once I found the courthouse.

FGS 2011 - More Photos - Exhibit Hall

2011-09-11T09:23:00.000-04:00

Until I can get some posts about FGS written, here's a few more pictures from the Exhibit Hall.

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

KDLA is my favorite archive but then I'm a little biased since

I live in Kentucky and have several families who settled there

by the very early 1800s. If you have Kentucky ancestors

you should definitely visit them - the staff is great.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch had a big presence in the Exhibit Hall with

an area that equaled 10 booths and they were always busy.

1000memories.com

1000memories sponsored a breakfast panel on Thursday morning

featuring DearMYRTLE and Josh Taylor along with Jonathan Good

from 1000memories. The discussion center on involving the younger

generation in genealogy. Before FGS Caroline Pointer took a look at

1000memories and shared her thoughts at For Your Family Story.

Family Tree DNA

A Y DNA test from FTDNA proved that a suspected

surname change in my family did, in fact, happen.

Federation of Genealogical Societies

This has been a great conference and

I will talk more about that in a later post.

You will find more FGS photos here. The album is still a work in progress as there are a few more pictures to add and all haven't been captioned yet. Hopefully it will be finished later today.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - Photos - Exhibit Hall

2011-09-10T09:47:00.000-04:00

The Exhibit Hall seems huge to me - bigger than what I remember from last year, but maybe that's just because I decided to take a picture of every booth. I'm only about halfway through at this point but here's a quick look at the Exhibit Hall. For more pictures check out FGS 2011 - Springfield, IL.

GeneaBloggers Radio was broadcast from the Media Center.

Thomas MacEntee, Randy Seaver, Caroline Pointer,

Amy Coffin, Terri O'Connell, Jen Holik and Lisa Alzo

Department of Homeland Security

Who knew they had a genealogy program?

The USCIS Genealogy Program is a fee-for-service program

providing family historian and other researchers with timely access

to historical immigration and naturalization records of deceased immigrants.

RootsTech

RootsTech is offering a discount during FGS and today

is the last day to take advantage of that. You don't have

to be at FGS to participate. Amy Coffin has the details

for you at The We Tree Genelogy Blog.

National Archives and Records Administration

NARA is here but you don't need me to tell you about them.

New England Historical and Genealogical Society

Did you know NEHGS has lots of

online databases for their members?

Family Chartmasters

Janet Hovorka, owner, with Julie Cahill Tarr

More from the Exhibit Hall coming up later.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - Photos - Thursday, September 8

2011-09-09T23:02:00.000-04:00

Keynote Session

Color Guard

Pat Oxley, FGS President

Hon. J. Michael Houston, Mayor of Springfield, IL

Conference Co-chairs, Paula Stuart-Warren and Josh Taylor

Michael Maben, President of Indiana Genealogical Society,

announcing the results of the IGS fundraiser for War of 1812

Preserve the Pensions. IGS raised $12,117 from donations

which they matched for a total donation of $24,234.

Ancestry.com is then matching that amount so the

IGS effort raised over $48,000.

Keynote Speaker - David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States

Color Guard leading attendees from the

Opening Session to the Exhibit Hall Grand Opening

More pictures from FGS

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - Old Fashioned Prairie Social

2011-09-09T13:16:00.001-04:00

A large crowd attended the sold-out Old Fashioned Prairie Social on Wednesday night. Ice Cream and fun was had by all.

"Abe Lincoln" speaking at the Social.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS - Society Day Sessions

2011-09-09T08:10:00.001-04:00

Wednesday's sessions at FGS focused on issues facing societies. David Rencher, Chief Genealogy Officer for FamilySearch, asked and answered "How Will Our Society Survive?" at the Plenary Session. He noted when FGS started in 1976 there were 35 charter societies. One third of them are out of business today. That's a stunning statistic.
Rencher advised that societies cannot continue the "we've always done it this way" mentality if they want to survive. Societies need a business model, they need to know the cost per member to run the society and they need to look for trade-offs to cut costs. Societies need to detail their cost and services by category,identify the highest cost area, focus on reducing that cost then move on to the next highest cost.

Other sessions I attended on Wednesday:

"But It's My Family: Copyright Issues for Genealogists" by Cath Madden Trindle, CG:
Copyright is not the most fun or exciting topic and it's often confusing but there was a packed house for this session. And judging from the questions, people learned a lot. I wish every genealogist, especially the online "collectors" could hear this presentation. If you want to learn more about copyright laws, check out the U. S. Copyright Office's website. Cornell University publishes information about what is currently in the public domain and updates that information every year.

21st Century marketing for Genealogy Societies" by Thomas MacEntee:
This session outlined technologies that societies or genealogists can use to promote themselves. Long time society members may lack an understanding of current technology but societies are missing potential new members, especially younger ones, if they ignore technology. Outdated websites leave a bad impression on visitors. E-mail signatures are easy ways to promote a society or yourself. Weebly is an easy and free options for setting up a website. The FGS Conference Media Center is an example of what can be done with Weebly.

I took the afternoon off and visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The museum is simply amazing (there will be a separate post about that sometime next week).

Click on photos for larger image.
Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - Photos - Wednesday, September 7

2011-09-08T12:24:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was Society Day at FGS with sessions focused on issues confronting societies.

Things kicked off with an opening session featuring

David Rencher, FamilySearch Chief Genealogy Officer.

This picture was taken well before the session got started - there

was a much bigger crowd in attendance than is reflected here.

FGS President, Pat Oxley

Conference Co-chairs, Paula Stuart-Warren and Josh Taylor

Thomas MacEntee, Conference Publicity Chair, and Josh Taylor

David Rencher presenting "How Will Our Society Survive?"

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - FamilySearch Blogger Reception

2011-09-07T07:46:00.000-04:00

FamilySearch hosted a blogger reception Tuesday night.

It was a great opportunity to meet or reconnect with other genealogy bloggers attending FGS and to hear some of the latest news about FamilySearch. Considering that many people aren't arriving in Springfield until today, there was a great crowd. I didn't get a head count but would guess around 30 bloggers attended.

Paul Nauta talked about plans for RootsTech 2012 and announced a special RootsTech registration price of $99 during FGS. Stop by the FamilySearch booth in the Exhibit Hall to register or ask questions.

Jim Ericson announced that FamilySearch will be working with a consortium to index the 1940 census. Details about that project will be released later.

David Rencher talked about FamilySearch's Civil War Records Project and the need for more volunteer indexers. He also covered some of the amazing things that can be found in FamilySearch's Learning Center.

Jake Gehring explained "Field Express" - FamilySearch's new push to get records online as fast as possible, even before an index is available.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

FGS 2011 - I'm Here!

2011-09-06T15:53:00.001-04:00

Finally! I arrived in Springfield just before noon and was pleasantly surprised that I could check into the hotel that early. After unpacking and grabbing a quick lunch, I set out on a walk. The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Old Capitol and Lincoln Law Office are all within easy walking distance of the two main conference hotels (Hilton Springfield and President Abraham Lincoln Hotel) and the Prairie Capital Conference Center.

Here's a look at the conference facilities.

Prairie Capital Convention Center

Prairie Capital Convention Center Entrance

Hilton Springfield

President Abraham Lincoln Hotel

Registration area undergoing last minute prep before opening.

The Exhibit Hall will no doubt look different by Thursday morning.

I'll be posting lots of photos here all week but there will be even more photos here.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Countdown to FGS - On the Road!

2011-09-05T09:20:00.000-04:00

Only 2 more days until FGS 2011!!!!!

By the time you are reading this, I'll be on the road. Finally!

It's a 450 mile drive to Springfield and I've found a way to stretch that into a two-day trip. I'm stopping off to visit an old friend along the way but I'll be in Springfield around noon on Tuesday.

If you are going to FGS and you aren't already following the FGS Conference News Blog then you don't know what you are missing. Actually even if you aren't going to FGS but would like to see how a blog can be used to promote a conference, you should really take a look. It seems like the conference organizers have thought of everything and they've shared it. You will find everything from sessions, speakers, vendors and social events to research opportunities, restaurants and sightseeing and much, much more.

News will be pouring out of Springfield. Be sure to check out the Social Media Policy to find out what is acceptable practice. FGS should be big on Twitter (here's hoping the AT&T signal is better in the Prairie Capital Convention Center than it was in Charleston for NGS). The official Twitter hashtag is #fgs2011. If you aren't a Twitter user, you can still follow along from the FGS website or the Conference Media Center.

And if you are a blogger, don't forget the GeneaBloggers Meet-up on Thursday evening.

I'm outta here! Hope to see you in Springfield.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Countdown to FGS 2011 - Exhibit Hall

2011-09-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

Only 3 more days until FGS 2011!

One of my favorite things about a genealogy conference is the Exhibit Hall. That is actually a little odd since I hate regular shopping but apparently when it's for genealogy stuff I like shopping just fine.

The FGS Exhibit Hall will open at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday and remain open until 8:00 p.m. The Society Showcase will take place there between 6:00 and 8:00 that evening. Exhibit Hall hours for Friday and Saturday will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.

Check out the conference website for the full list of vendors and exhibitors and a diagram showing where each one is located. Bring along your wish list of books, software and gadgets, you might just find everything you want. And don't even worry about making room in your suitcase - you can ship everything home. (Pay attention to the dates and times that service is available.)

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Countdown to FGS 2011 - Keep Up with the Blogging

2011-09-01T12:58:00.000-04:00

Only 6 more days to FGS 2011!

I realized yesterday that blog reading is something I'm not likely to have much time for next week during FGS. That's OK, I'll catch up later but I would really like to keep up with the blogging about FGS while I'm there.

And there should be a lot of blogging about FGS. Including the 10 Official Bloggers, there will be over 50 genealogy bloggers in attendance!

So. I set up a FGS2011 folder in Google Reader and, using Geneabloggers' list of bloggers who will be in Springfield, added every blog on that list plus the FGS Conference News Blog to the folder.

Most of those blogs were already in my Google Reader but I still added them to this folder. I also found several "new to me blogs" to start following. Now I can quickly access all the news from FGS without having to skim through hundreds of blogs.

Then it occurred to me that you might also want a quick way to keep up with everything going on at FGS. Since Google Reader allows folders to be made public, here is the link. Posts are displayed in chronological order starting with most recent. Enjoy.

(If I missed anyone, please let me know.)

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Countdown to FGS 2011 - Saturday's Schedule

2011-09-01T02:12:00.003-04:00

Only 6 more day until FGS 2011!

Last night I set up my FGS 2011 schedule on Google Calendar so I will have quick access from my phone. There are going to be some seriously long days next week but what's more fun than genealogy and genea-friends for 14 or 15 hours a day?

On Tuesday, Thomas MacEntee posted A GeneaBlogger's Packing List with some great tips at GeneaBloggers. After looking at my schedule, I'm adding industrial strength concealer to my list.

Speaking of schedules, here's what I'm doing on Saturday.

8:00-9:00 - Digital Scrapbooking - Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL

9:30-10:30 - Write Your Family History Step by Step - Lisa A. Alzo

11:00-12:00 - Developing a Basic Research Plan - J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA

2:00-3:00 - Developing a Basic Research Plan (continued) - J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA

3:30-4:30 - Hidden Delights: The Website of the National Archives (UK) - Audrey Collins

5:00-6:00 - Twitter: It's Not Just "What I Had for Breakfast" Anymore - Thomas MacEntee

The full conference schedule is available on the FGS website as is a brief bio for each speaker.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Countdown to FGS 2011 - Don't Worry, You Won't Be Alone

2011-08-31T17:18:00.000-04:00

Only one more week until FGS 2011!

Earlier today Sheri Fenley of The Educated Genealogist posted We Were All First Timers Once and Amy Coffin of The We Tree Genealogy Blog made newcomers planning to attend FGS 2011 an offer they should not refuse in An Offer You Can Refuse (But I Hope You Don't). Since I was fairly recently a first timer, I thought I'd add my two cents worth.

FGS in Knoxville last year was my first genealogy conference. Attending a conference was something I'd wanted to do for a long time but I was hesitant because I would have to go alone. When I found out that FGS 2010 would be in Knoxville - a simple two-hour drive for me - I decided I had to give it a shot.

Now it helped that I had started a blog around the first of the year and had been communicating online with other bloggers. I at least knew the names and faces of a few people who would be in Knoxville but I'd never actually met any of them.

Here's how things went:

Wednesday evening, after spending most of the day researching at the East Tennessee Historical Society, I decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant (alone). It was relatively empty when I arrived but before the waitress could take my order, two ladies who were seated at a nearby table asked if I was there for FGS and invited me to join them. This became par for the course. Every morning at breakfast someone either asked me to sit with them or I asked when someone else appeared to be alone. One morning there were four people at my breakfast table and each one of us was traveling alone from different parts of the country.

There was a planned GeneaBlogger meet-up on Thursday morning shortly after the Exhibit Hall opened and that was when I first met several other bloggers. As luck would have it, someone from that group was in almost every session I attended for the rest of the conference but when they weren't I struck up a conversation with whoever happened to be sitting nearby.

I spent three days in Knoxville and never sat at a table for one in a restaurant or felt alone in a session.

Genealogy is a powerful common bond. You know how your family and friends look at you when you try to talk about it? Well, no one at a genealogy conference will give you that look. So. If the only thing holding you back from attending a genealogy conference is the concern about going by yourself - don't give it a second thought. Go. You will not be alone for long.

Oh, one more thing. Last August I wrote FGS - My First National Conference a few days before heading to Knoxville. If you check the comments you'll see that Sheri and Amy both left encouraging comments for this newbie. Thanks ladies.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Wordless Wednesday - Brother

2011-08-31T04:00:00.000-04:00

My only brother is having a birthday in a few days.

It's been a long time since we could ride a rocky horse together.

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-28T04:00:00.000-04:00

This cute baby is having a birthday today.

I'm not saying how old she is but this picture was made almost 90 years ago.

Wordless Wednesday - Sister

2011-08-24T12:56:00.000-04:00

Someone had a birthday this week but it's been a long time since she was 2.

Tombstone Tuesday - Dick and Rhea Hankins

2011-08-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

Elmwood Cemetery, Springfield, Robertson County, Tennessee

Overview of Hankins Plot

Thomas R. Hankins

Feb. 13, 1881

Jan 11, 1965

Thomas Richard "Dick" Hankins; son of Thomas Leander Hankins and Samantha Angeline Petty.

Birth year on stone is incorrect. Dick was born in 1880 as he was listed as a 4 month old in the 1880 census living with his parents.

Edith R. Hankins

Sept. 26, 1883

Aug. 25, 1959

Edith Rhea Jackson Hankins; daughter of William H. Jackson and Susan Pope; wife of Dick Hankins.

Dick and Rhea lived in Birmingham, Alabama during most of their marriage but Rhea was originally from Springfield.

Countdown to FGS 2011 - Friday's Schedule

2011-08-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

Only 16 more days until FGS 2011!

I still haven't finished the plan for my post-conference research trip or given much thought to what I need to pack. It's a good think I work best under pressure.

At least I have an idea about sessions I want to attend. Friday looks like this:

8:00-9:00 - After Mustering Out: Researching Civil War Veterans - Amy Johnson Crow, CG

9:30-10:30 - Somewhere in France: Researching WWII - Tony Burroughs, FUGA

11:00-12:00 - Researching Your Indian Wars Ancestor before the Civil War - Craig R. Scott, CG

2:00-3:00 - Using "Correlation" to Reveal Facts that No Record States - Thomas Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA

3:30-4:30 - Tracing Scots Irish Ancestors - Dean J. Hunter, AG, CG, FUGA

5:00-6:00 - Lessons from a Snoop: Collaterals and Associates - Debra S. Mieszala, CG

The full conference schedule is available on the FGS website as is a brief bio for each speaker.

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.

Countdown to FGS 2011 - Thursday's Schedule

2011-08-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Only 20 more days until FGS 2011!

That means I should be giving some serious thought to my post-conference research but before I start working on that plan, here is a look at how I'm planning to spend Thursday, September 8 in Springfield.

8:30-10:00 - Opening Session and Keynote Address - Keynote Speaker, David S. Ferrier, Archivist of the United States

10:00 - Exhibit Hall Grand Opening

11:00-12:00 - Illinois Migration and Settlement Patterns - Rev. Dr. David McDonald, CG

12:15 - Luncheon - Get Off That Fence and Start Writing, International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) Luncheon - Pat Richley-Erickson (DearMYRTLE)

2:00-3:00 - Immigrant Cluster Communities: Past. Present and Future - Lisa Alzo

3:30-4:30 - The Case of the Disappearing Dude - Debra S. Mieszala, CG

5:00-6:00 - Going Beyond the Bare Bones: Reconstructing Your Ancestors' Lives - Thomas Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA

6:00-8:00 - Exhibit Hall - Society Showcase and Door-prize Drawings

The full conference schedule is available on the FGS website as is a brief bio for each speaker. Don't forget, Saturday, August 20 is the last day to pre-register or purchase
tickets for events, luncheons and workshops.

Other Countdown to FGS 2011 posts:
Wednesday's Schedule

Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.