Saturday, April 18, 2009

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Poetry and Genealogy

It's Saturday Night - are you ready for your weekly dose of Genealogy Fun? I hope so!

I was reading my 450 blog subscriptions on Bloglines this morning (not all post every day, of course) and noticed Robert Baca's post Poetry and Genealogy. Aha, said I, that's a SNGF challenge! After all, Genea-Musings readers are surely the most creative, playful, helpful and intelligent folks in the genealogy world.

Here's your challenge for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:

1) Create a poem - rhyming, free verse, doggerel, limerick, etc. - about genealogy research, whether general or specific.

2) Post it on your blog, on Facebook, in Comments to this post so all of the world can appreciate your creativity.

Have fun!

Here's mine:

There was a family named Lamphear
with an unwanted son Devier.
He was adopted by a Smith,
I don't think it was a myth,
his parents identity I would cheer!
(c) Randall J. Seaver, 2009
Not exactly iambic pentameter, eh? Or exactly the right limerick meter, but appropriate considering my present research challenge.

18 comments:

Ann Smith said...

A.K. Haynie's life was unclear.
With Mary Ann Ruark he did appear.
They had baby Sam who's a Ruark too
Was A. K. his father? We haven't a clue.
Absalom and Mary on the census it's plain
Each was counted by their own name.
Common-law marriage, siblings or such?
The hints left behind don't tell us too much.
Along comes the war-A.K. disappears.
No records are found down through the years.
The brick wall they left stands both thick and tall
Great-grandpa Sam was no help at all.
If my research is done without solving this mystery
The first thing I'll ask St. Peter is "Where is he?"
"Make him come here, knock down that wall!
"Satisfy this burning curiosity once and for all."

Chris Staats said...

A haiku:

Henry McGinnis
Your children - there were seven.
Where did they all go?

http://www.mcginnishistory.com/?p=80

Dorene from Ohio said...

Well, I am no poet, but I gave it a try. See my post at:

http://graveyardrabbitofsanduskybay.blogspot.com/2009/04/saturday-night-genealogy-fun.html

Marjorie said...

Missing Dolbow

In Illinois a man, Dennis Dolbow,
New Jersey all the birth that I do show, (1811)
Marries Rebecca his wife, (1843)
Kids Emma Jane, William & Eli ('47, '50, '48)
But Mom remarries in 1860!

No death or divorce record for Dennis, and no Dalbo/Dolbow birth recorded for a Dennis in New Jersey. I have census in 1850 for him; that's all!

Nope, not much of a poet. "1860" should rhyme with "Dalbow" and "show" to be proper. [the3toadatgmail.com] Marjorie Wilser

owlhart said...

Harts and Nelsons and Chambers galore,
Reeds and Loflands and Bugbees before,
Preceded by Willsons and Niles and Poes,
These are some of my researching woes.

Accola and Shaub are easy to see
Netherton, same, not much work for me
But to find these; Richardson and Harper
My genealogy skills will need to be sharper.

Diana Ritchie said...

Hey - I made it in on Saturday for a change!! Here's my offering.

Jean Hibben said...

OK, Randy, I'll take the challenge. When we were driving back from somewhere, hubby Butch & I started doing a parody on "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" and came up with:

"Michael roll the microfilm, Alleluia, Michael roll the microfilm, Alleluia" (sounds best if you sing it) ...

From here, I'll let others come up with additional verses!

Jean Wilcox Hibben

Anonymous said...

Life is short
life is sweet
where o where is Uncle Pete.

SusiCP@cox.net said...

One for the money
Two for the show
where did the Murray's go.

Up the hill and down the rill
across the pasture and the hill
over the creek and across the ridge
Why can I not find GGGrandad's gnitch.
Susi

John said...

Here's my contribution:

http://transylvaniandutch.blogspot.com/2009/04/poetry-and-genealogy.html

my Heritage Happens said...

This was fun! Some great poems have been written, nice job! I couldn't help but participate. You can see mine at:

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=26204193&postID=1916091522820015714.

It was a little long, so thought better of posting it here.Thanks Randy for the fun!

my Heritage Happens said...

OOOPS, Gave the wrong link! It is at Heritage Happens here:

http://heritagehappens.blogspot.com/2009/04/genealogists-life-sngf.html

BeNotForgot said...

That was fun, Randy! I'm enjoying reading the results. Thanks for the challenge. My "contribution" is posted at benotforgot.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

There was blogger named Seaver
Who did always geneamuse
He did not give up eager
would new documents peruse
A brick wall just is no excuse

Bill West said...

Hi Randy,
My poem is up at
http://westinnewengland.blogspot.com/2009/04/saturday-night-genealogical-fun-poetry.html

Nicole said...

Dear Sarafina
you were born in Germany
but where exactly?

TCasteel said...

I did it! - a little late but that makes my haiku all the more relevant.

Early morning thoughts
Sunlight bends into starlight
So much more to do

Posted on http://tangledtrees.blogspot.com/2009/04/need-more-time-please-saturday-night.html

Marinela said...

Well done everyone!
:):)