GRIP 2013 - Sunday Intros and Dinner

Dinner with friends.  Lots of friends.  Yes, we're at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh for the GRIP Sunday night dinner and orientation.  It was great seeing some friends from last year.  I'm really looking forward to talking with some others since I saw them across the room.  And I believe that Elissa said that  about one-third of this year's attendees were also here last year.  

 

I met Tina Lyons before dinner and we sat together.  She's the amazing lady who has been working hours and hours working on the FGS conference that begins just one month from today.  She has been the primary blogger on the FGS conference blog.  I'm so glad she can take a week off from her busy schedule to come to this. 

Susan and Stephen also ate with us.  They were both here last year and they are from West Virginia.  Sarah also came by.  She's my across-the-hall dorm friend from Texas.  She not only stops for cemeteries, she stops for old bridges (as part of her job.)  Can you believe?

Becky and Shelley filled out our table tonight. I didn't talk as much with them as they were at the other end.  But there will be lots of time, and many more meals.

Here are our "fearless leaders": the two ladies who had the idea of GRIP and who take very good care of us for the week we are here. Debbie Deal is on the left and Elissa Powell is on the right.  Thank you very much, ladies. 

 

LaRoche College was generous with door prizes again.  I  really wanted the mascot for my dorm room.

But the biggest news for the night was the announcement of next year's classes.  Unfortunately I was unable to get all of the correct information; so I'll wait to post until I have it.  But you will be pleased to know that of the six classes, two are similar to this year's and last year.  I believe two instructors who are here this year are working on new courses for 2014 and two courses are completely new with new instructors.  Decisions!  Decisions!!

It really rained during dinner and while Debbie and Elissa were talking.  But Elissa assured us that the weather was going to be nice for us.  And, guess what?  It stopped raining before we left the dining hall to walk back to the dorm.  I hope all of her predictions are "right on" like this one was.

I'm still having a little trouble connecting to the internet; at least through google.  But I found a way to get to blogger anyway, so that's why you can see this post.  I hope I can continue to do it this way, since it works. 

I'm going to look over the notebook with tomorrow's class information and do a little catching up on some other stuff.  But I expect to be here tomorrow night, although I'll be later.  There's going to be a great talk by Michael Hait:  What is a "reasonably exhaustive search?"  See you tomorrow.

GRIP 2013 - Saturday Travel Day

I'm in Pittsburgh.  I flew from Phoenix this morning on a FULL flight.  But we landed about 5 minutes early even though the last 90 minutes we had the seat belt on because of turbulence.  But it wasn't too bad.

I'm at the Econo Lodge in Wexford.  The room is clean; the beds seem comfortable; the staff are friendly and helpful.  With free internet, I'm writing this blog.  There is a nice little table and two chairs next to it so that even two of us could use computers at the same time.  That's great. 

I had dinner at the King's Restaurant next door.  Because of traveling all day (leaving at 9 am and getting in at 4:35 due to time differences), I wasn't really hungry for dinner, but I knew I had to eat.  And so I had 4 glasses of iced tea along with a light dinner.  I'd come back to these two places again. 

I am hoping that I will see someone tomorrow morning or early afternoon and get a ride to LaRoche College.  Otherwise, I'll call a taxi and meet all of you there.

Hope everyone else had a good day traveling today or they have a good day traveling tomorrow.  I'm really looking forward to the week, although I'm not sure how comfortable I'll be with the humidity.

See you all tomorrow.

Shopping Saturday - J C Penney

Shopping isn't what it used to be.  While I don't shop much anymore, I've almost always relied on J C Penney's for some basic items.  In the past few years, as many of us know, the store changed.  And it's changing again, trying to "win back" some of us who didn't fit into their new customer profile. 

With these changes, I started thinking about the J C Penney when I was little.  What do you remember?

I remember loving to go shopping at J C Penney in Arcadia, California, with my mother and/or grandmother.  No, the shopping wasn’t the best part.  The greatest fun was watching the tubes run on the cables in the ceiling. 

The cashier was upstairs in the back corner.  At the service desks, the sales clerk wrote up a receipt, took the money from the customer, and put both in the tube.  Then, up and away!!  To the cashier.  A few minutes later the change came back down, the merchandise was then bagged and we were off. 

I don’t know when this method was phased out.  However, imagine my surprise to find cables and tubes in a store.  While my husband and I were in Canada.  (We lived there from 1999 to 2001) we went to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue for breakfast one summer Saturday morning.  After eating we decided to “window” shop.  I believe the store’s name was G D’Aoust.  We went into this department store and there were the cables again.  And, they were still being used.

We walked up the wide, well-worn wood steps to the half balcony, to view the merchandise as well as the little “office” used by the cashier.  What fun and what great memories!!

Tuesday's Tip - Original sources can be WRONG!

We just received the official copies of my father-in-law's death certificate.  AND, his father's name is WRONG!!!!  Being the family record keeper, I provided the information.  BUT, I have a copy of what I gave the mortuary (and the form is filled out correctly) and someone there, or in the county recorder's office, put the middle name as the last name.  So it says that Glenn Chester Blackmore's father's name is Clifford Franklin instead of Clifford Franklin Blackmore.  Now what????!!!

Now a minor problem is that we reported that Glenn had been in California for 93 years, but only in the county for 27.  The death certificate says he's been in the county for 93 years. 

Just another problem for us to solve, but a remember to all of us researchers to question even original, official documents. 

Those Places Thursday - TRICE and Little River County, Arkansas

The following is from page 54 of a book (9" x 12") which seems to be about counties in Arkansas.  Page 53 is Lincoln County.  I only have this one page.  Because C.Y. Trice died in Ashdown, Little River County, Arkansas in 1915 and I believe he moved to Ashdown about 1912, the book must have been published around that time. 

I am looking for more information about the book.  Also, if you have an interest in either Lincoln County or Little River County about this time I would be happy to send you the complete transcription.

LITTLE RIVER COUNTY

            "The writer thought he was familiar with Little River, having made numerous trips there.  However, in gathering figures for this book he made another trip there, and while in Ashdown, the county seat, had the pleasure of meeting one Col. C. Y. Trice, a “land advocate,” as he describes himself.  Colonel Trice knows as much of Little River County as possibly any one man in Arkansas, because he has made a profound study of conditions there.  He is a likable distinguished gentleman, the soul of honor, and came to Arkansas from Clarksville, Texas, although originally from Lamar, Mo.  When he left Clarksville the citizens of that city, over 100 of them, officials, lawyers, merchants, physicians and business men generally, signed an expression of appreciation of his efforts to build that section up.  He is a booster of the first magnitude, and the following is a statement of conditions as he sees them in Little River County, prepared for this publication.  It is with pleasure the Director of Publicity submits it to the world, and suggests that, if you are interested further you write him direct:

            “Little River County is located in the extreme southwest corner of the State of Arkansas, the first county south of the foothills of the Boston Mountains; wedged in, you might say, between the two beautiful streams, Little River and Red River.  Little River on the north and east, is a small stream coming down out of the mountains of Eastern Oklahoma, being fed on the way by numerous small streams and springs.  Red River, on the south and west, is the boundary line between this county and the States of Texas, and Little River County, being between these two streams, is composed mostly of rich, fertile valley lands.

            “Ashdown, the county seat and largest town in the county, is located in the central portion of the county.  Public roads from all parts of the county lead to Ashdown.  It is a town of about 3,000 people, and has three trunk-line railroads (the Kansas City Southern, the Frisco and the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf), which afford very fine shipping facilities to the North, East, South and West.  It also has a stave mill, cotton oil mill, flour mill, two wholesale grocery houses, two banks, two good hardware, furniture and implement stores, several good dry goods and grocery stores, a $40,000 courthouse, a $20,000 school building, four nice churches, a $40,000 brick hotel and numerous other buildings.  Ashdown is a comparatively new place but is growing very fast, there being at least six modern dwelling houses together with a brick store building going up each month.

            “While we have the above enterprises, we have the resources for more, and want them.  Ashdown and Little River County afford resources for a large saw and planing [sic] mill, box factory, furniture factory, spoke and handle factory, brick factory, ice plant, truck gardeners and dairymen."

GRIP - Two Weeks to Prepare

In two weeks I'll be in Pittsburgh, at LaRoche College for GRIP (Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh).  Since I'm a list-maker, my lists are started. 

Don't forget: 
THE BOOK!!...Mastering Genealogical Proof by Dr. Thomas W Jones
ethernet cable - for the room
hair dryer - this isn't a hotel
body wash and hand soap - again this isn't a hotel
drinking glass
umbrella and/or rain jacket - the Pittsburgh weather is a little different from Phoenix weather
dressing in layers - who knows whether the classrooms will be hot or cold
business cards
computer power cord and extension cord

So, what am I forgetting?
Oh, yes.  A list of books I already have so I can shop at Maia's books
the normal clothes, toiletries, etc.
cell phone charger

Now I need to get back to reading the two articles in THE BOOK

I'm looking forward to the week: from the classroom, to the cafeteria, to the evening programs and especially to the people I'll meet, or meet again. 

Sympathy Saturday - Write Your Own Obituary

Why should you write your own obituary?  Well, what do you want to remembered for?  What have you done in your life that you are especially pleased about?  And, and, and....

I just wrote an obituary for my father-in-law.  No, it isn't a sad occasion.  He had a great life; was 96 years old; and died peacefully in his sleep AT HOME.  But....the most difficult part of the arrangements was writing the obituary; not an emotional problem, but one of figuring out what to include. 

Now, being a researcher, I've read lots of obituaries.  But it's different when you start to write one.  I had others "proof read" my drafts, but I still forgot things.

First, I forgot to list the spouses of the children.  Then, I forgot to list surviving siblings.  AND, I forgot to list siblings that predeceased him.  I forgot to include his two wives to predeceased him.  I forgot to list to mortuary (but they helped with that.)

My husband added two great pieces of informatio about Dad's working career.  Dad's caregivers reminded me that he considered himself the original "Cookie Monster," a comment that has made many laugh who read the obituary and remember Dad.  I also needed help with his current and past activities (which I got from his caregivers) since we live almost 400 miles from him and weren't a part of his daily life. 

So, please consider what you would like to have written about you.  If you don't want to actually write one, at least starting a list of things you would like to have mentioned.  Or make a template and add topics as you think of them.  All of these ideas would definitely help anyone who is trying to write a complete obituary and celebrate your life.