52 Ancestors: The Challenge

While catching up on reading blogs I came across this blog by Amy Johnson Crow's:  No Story Too Small

She's set a challenge:   52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.
The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.

So, I signed up.  What better way to meet a couple of my goals including writing blogs consistently and writing mini-bios of my ancestors?

Now the decisions:  What day of the week am I going to post?  Which ancestor and/or family do I start with?  Should I include my husband's family also?  Will I need to include collateral lines to find 52? 

New Start - 2014

Happy New Year to all!!

I hope I still have a few readers.  Even if I don't, I need to write regularly, and so this blog will probably be part journal, part genealogy discoveries, and part "cousin bait" for the future.

I'm back to blogging; I hope regularly. 

I'm back to genealogy; I hope regularly. 

I'm back to presenting and teaching; I hope regularly.

This is a New Year.

So, I'm putting the past behind me.  I'm starting over with ALL of my family research.  Yes, I had computer problems.  Yes, I had been saving my files to an external hard drive.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize that my genealogy program files weren't in my documents or someplace that I was actually backing up.  No, I didn't have a cloud backup or anything that allowed me to sync with other devices.  So when my computer "crashed", even specialists couldn't recover my lost files.  That's now in the past.

What have I learned?  What am I going to do differently?

Before I assume that everything is backed up, I am going to make sure that all of the different parts.  Backing up isn't helpful if  I can't retrieve the files.

I'm going to get cloud storage and use it regularly.  Again I'm going to make sure I can retrieve the files.

I have a new tablet and I'm going to get a new laptop.  (I'm using one of my husband's old ones temporarily.)  I will make sure that the tablet and laptop "communicate" with each other, particularly with regards to genealogy files. 

My new family files will have sources for facts as I input the information.  This will take me longer, but I won't have to spend hours, days, months, going back and adding sources.  Hopefully some of it will be quicker because of my experiences and improved skills.

I am going to return to making presentations at FHSA chapter meetings and giving free beginning classes (5-6 hours) at public libraries in order to share the joy, excitement and wonder of family discovery with others.

Lastly, for now, I'm going to try to put the fun back into genealogy as many have been discussing on other social media outlets. 

Again, Happy New Year to all and I hope we find at least one brick wall crumbling down.

 

Tuesday's Tip - School's Starting - Plan for Education

No, it may not be starting today where you are.  But in some parts of the country teachers are already back in the classrooms.  And students are starting this week or next or started last week or even two weeks ago.

I'm a grandmother, so why does this matter to me?  I think of the NEW year as the beginning of school, not in January.  I start planning activities for the coming year in August and September, and sometimes in July. 

So what are you thinking of doing in the next year to help you improve your researching techniques?  Dates have been set for many national and regional conferences, institutes and seminars.  I have a 2014 calendar that I printed off the internet that I have marked up.  No, I'm not going to be able to attend everything I list on this calendar, but at least I have the dates in one place.  Check web sites for activities you may be interested in or that are near you.  AND... Don't forget your local genealogical and/or historical society meetings.  Put them on your calendar also. 

SO..... What's on my calendar right now?
Jan 13-17 - SLIG - Salt Lake City, UT
Jan 17-18 - Mesa Family History Expo, Mesa, AZ
Jan 25 - Pinal County Genealogy Workshop, Casa Grande, AZ
Feb 6-8 - RootsTech - Salt Lake City
Mar ?? - FHSA Seminar, Phoenix, AZ (Day not set but it's always in March)
Mar 24-26 - Forensic Genealogy Institute, Dallas, TX
Mar 27-29 - Advanced Forensic Evidence Analysis, Dallas, TX
May 7-10 - NGS, Richmond, VA
Jun ?? - SCGS Jamboree, Burbank, CA
Jun 8-13 - IGHR, Samford University, AL
Jul ?? - GRIP, Pittsburgh, PA - At least I hope it will be offered again
Aug 27-30 - FGS, San Antonio, TX

I know I've missed many.  But make your own list and circle the dates on a 2014 calendar.  This way you can plan for your continuing education in the 2013-2014 "school year."

Sunday's Obituary - Glenn C Blackmore (1917-2013)

Glenn Blackmore passed away peacefully in his sleep the morning of June 20, 2013.  Glenn happily celebrated his 96^th birthday in February, numerous times, with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Glenn Chester Blackmore was born in Arlington, Riverside County on February 28, 1917 to Clifford Franklin and Bertha Jane Bryan Blackmore.  Except for three years when he lived in Arizona, Glenn spent the rest of his life in Southern California.  He is survived by three sons, Ronald (Lois) of Riverside, CA; Raymond of Sierra Vista, AZ; and Walter (Karen) of Tempe, AZ; a brother Eugene (Ruth); and numerous (over 50) grandchildren, great-grandchildren (Who knows how many?) and even some great-great grandchildren.  Glenn was preceded in death by two wives, Donna June Larson Blackmore (1917-1987) and Margaret Beth Kinsell Winterbottom Blackmore (1921-2012);  a brother Carl Russell (1915-1998) and a sister Estella Marie Blackmore Gee (1919-2007).

 

Glenn spent his working career as a tool and die maker in the plastics industry.  He was quite upset that he was not allowed to serve in WWII.  When he tried to enlist, the US government sent him right back to work at Cannon Electric to make tooling and molds for aircraft canopies and other parts.  In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, if you bought a plastic pipe fitting, chances were very good that Glenn Blackmore made or designed the mold to manufacture those fittings.

 

In his “early” retirement years, Glenn was deeply involved in the Silver Lakes community where he served as a volunteer with the environmental control committee and was also known as Captain Blackmore as he fished in the lakes, often with grandchildren.  He was a great dance partner, whether it was square dancing, ballroom dancing, line dancing, or any other form of dancing. 

 

Glenn spent some time each week keeping in touch with family members, sending birthday and anniversary cards, writing letters, as well as communicating by email.  Glenn was a member of the Victorville United Methodist Church.  He often attended Friday SWIM meetings and luncheons as well as the monthly Voyager luncheons at Church of the Valley.  Glenn was known to many close friends and family as the original “Cookie Monster,” a title he proudly acknowledged.

 

His love and caring for family and friends will be greatly missed. 

 

A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14, 2013, at 11 am at the Victorville United Methodist Church, Victorville, California.

 

Shopping Saturday - NOT genealogy

This post is not about ancestor genealogy but about current family history.  And comparing.

Yesterday, my wonderfully-patient husband took four grandchildren, ages 15, 9, 8, and 6 (last one a girl), our son and daughter-in-law POWER SHOPPING.  In two hours we found jeans/pants, shirts, socks, underwear, shoes and backpacks for all four.  Then lunch at Ritchie's Diner (a Riverside, California small restaurant group) and then on for school supplies.  School starts Monday in this rural town in Southern California. 

Now, can you imagine trying to get clothes for four children 100 years ago or even 40 years ago?  In my family, (in the 1950s-1960s) each girl had one "store-bought" dress each year and new underwear and socks.  Shoes were dependent upon whether we needed them at that moment or not.  My brothers had store-bought "slacks", underwear and socks.  (Boys didn't wear jeans or t-shirts to school then.) Everything else was sewn at home.  Since I was the eldest, my mother and I sewed a lot during the summer (when we weren't canning from the fruit trees in our back yard.)  We didn't live in a rural area, but we just had a large back yard with 35-40 different fruit trees. 

Back to the original topic.  Last night, before I fell asleep, I just started thinking that while the trip was somewhat "stressful" if that's the right word, getting clothes for the kids was done quickly, and fairly easily.  It took two hours, not all summer.  Is one better?  Who knows?  But I have good memories of both.

Sorting Saturday - File Cabinets with Bookcases

Perhaps you’ve done this also, but I found a way to make better use of my wall space.  I bought some new 2-drawer file cabinets (25 inches deep).  They are about 30 inches tall.  I put three of them together:  45 inches wide now.  On top of them I added a 48 inch tall bookshelf. 

 

 

Now I have 6 file drawers with over 12 feet of shelf space on top.  Between the second and third file cabinets is a folding step stool for the times I need to reach the top shelves. 

 

At the far end is a floor to ceiling bookcase with some drawers built in the bottom for miscellaneous sewing supplies.  Since the photo, I've added a couple of woven baskets on the shelves for items that need to be "contained." 

 

Right now, one of the drawers is EMPTY.  Can you believe it? 

 

Hopefully this idea will help you with your organizing. 

GRIP 2013 - Looking back

I'm back in HOT Arizona.  That's OK.  And I'm unpacked.  That's GOOD.  I woke up on EDT (not PDT or MST).  That's NOT GOOD.

So I was writing research questions when I woke.  I was trying not to make assumptions.  All of you in the GPS class understand what I'm saying.  So, I was writing a question, "When did C Y Trice marry Luna Estelle Drake?"  But is there an assumption here?  That they did marry?  I know they had children.  I know that CY seemed to have a good relationship with Luna's father.  So, I assumed (there's that word again) that they did marry.  And then I asked myself the question, "Does it matter?"  (Tom Jones's voice said that.)  I think it does matter, especially if I start to fill out lineage society applications.  Well, all of that will be looked at in the future; definitely not before about the 20th of August.

Now looking back at GRIP 2013.

The weather was a nice change for me even if it was too wet some evenings to walk.  I definitely LOVED the mornings, and drinking hot coffee not iced.

Except for minor computer problems and the fact that I couldn't keep the sheet tucked in, I was quite comfortable in my room.  Even if I have to leave out a shirt or two, I'm going to bring a fitted sheet next year.  So you may see me in the same shirt numerous times.  Yes, I know.  I could bring an extra suitcase, but I prefer to travel light.  This year I had my computer case, a small purse, and a suitcase that was checked. 

I loved the salad bar in the cafeteria.  Also I found the cooked vegetables good.  Of course the best part of meals was visiting with other researchers.  For some reason, though, I never seemed to sit with anyone who was in Paula's class.  And I certainly enjoyed her class last year. 

I still can't decide which class to take next year.  Fortunately registration is not until February.  For those of you who want more information, visit the GRIP web site at http://www.gripitt.org/.  All of the information will be posted soon. 

I want to especially thank Elissa and Debbie for all of their efforts.  Of course I want to say thank you to the instructors and the evening lecturers who were great.  And then a thank you to all of you who attended, whether I was in class with you or not; whether I sat at a table with you during meals or not.  Without all of you, GRIP wouldn't have been any fun.  And it may not have even existed. 

So Thank You!!!!.