Saturday, March 21, 2015

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Which Source Have You Used the Most?

It's Saturday Night, 
time for more Genealogy Fun!!


For this week's mission (should you decide to accept it), I challenge you to:


1)  Have you done a good job of citing your sources in your genealogy management program or online family tree?  How are you doing?  How many source citations do you have, and how many people are in your tree?  What is the sources to persons ratio?

2)  Which master source (e.g., 1900 U.S. census, Find A Grave, specific book, etc.) do you have the most citations for?  How many?  How did you figure this out?


3)  Tell us in your own blog post, in comments to this post, or on Facebook or Google+ in a post.  Be sure to leave a comment with a link to your post on this blog post.


Here's mine:


1) I'm trying!  I'm not nearly done.  I'm almost obsessive now...I've been adding source citations almost every day based on new research, on MyHeritage Record Matches, on Ancestry green leaf Hints, etc., all for persons and events that are in my database without a source citation (due to slacking off for many years).  I'm also trying to "improve" existing source citations when I find them by adding better citation details.


At present, my RootsMagic 7 database statistics file says that I have 60,966 source citations in 1,158 master sources, and there are 44,670 persons in this tree.  My source/person ratio is 1.3648. 


2)  I think that Find A Grave is the master source in my database that has the most individuals and source citations.  I found this out by:

*  In RootsMagic 7, I created a Source List report (selecting Reports > All reports > Source list > select "Print all sources in database sorted by source name") and browsed the list.  The list for all 1,158 master sources was 1,966 pages long.


The number of citations for some of the master sources were:


**  Find A Grave:  13,100 (21.4% of the total)
**  Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1915:  2,721
**  Social Security Death Index: 2,302
**  Vermont Vital Record Cards: 1,312
**  1930 U.S. Census:  1,200**  California Death Index:  999
**  1940 U.S. Census:  967**  Medfield, Mass. Vital Record book:  814
**  Roxbury, Mass. Vital Record book:  739
**  World War I Draft Registrations:  715
**  Woburn, Mass. Vital Record book: 697
**  Concord, Mass. Vital Record book:  681
**  Dedham, Mass. Vital Record book: 536**  1900 U.S. Census:  515

3)  I expected to find a better statistics report in this report that listed the master sources with the number of individuals and citations, and in numerical order.


The URL for this post is:  
http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/03/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-which.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver



Surname Saturday - BULLEN (England to colonial Massachusetts)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.  


I am in the 8th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #1099 who is  Mary Bullen (1642-1726) 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations in this BULLEN family line is:


1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)

16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)

34. Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840)
35. Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869)


68.  Aaron Smith (1765-1841)
69.  Mercy Plimpton (1772-1850)

136.  Moses Smith (1732-1806)
137.  Patience Hamant (1735-1780)

274.  Timothy Hamant (1699-1774)
275.  Hepzibah Clark (1699-1791)

548.  Timothy Hamant (1667-1719)
549.  Melatiah Clark (1674-1747)

1098.  Ephraim Clark, born 04 February 1646 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died Abt. 1699 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 2196. Joseph Clarke and 2197. Alice Fenn.  He married 06 March 1669 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
1099.  Mary Bullen, born 20 July 1642 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 31 December 1726 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.  

Children of Ephraim Clark and Mary Bullen are:
*  Elizabeth Clark (1670-????).
*  Mary Clark (1671-1704), married 1690 Samuel Whiting (1662-1745).
*  Ephraim Clark (1673-????).
*  Melatiah Clark (1674-1747), married 1696 Timothy Hamant (1667-1719).
*  Mehitable Clark (1676-1743), married 1703 Benjamin Allen (1674-1754).
*  Samuel Clark (1679-1769), married 1702 Sarah Pratt (1678-1754).
*  Noah Clark (1680-1704), married 1702 Susanna Hartshorn (1677-????).
*  Ezra Clark (1683-1739), married 1708 Margaret Morse (1683-1745).
*  Jeremiah Clark (1687-1748), married (1) 1711 Patience Dana (1689-1726); (2) 1728 Mehitable Morse.

2198.  Samuel Bullen, born about 1617 in England; died 16 January 1692 in Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.  He married 10 August 1641 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
2199.  Mary Morse, born before 13 August 1620 in Burgate, Suffolk, England; died 14 February 1692 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.  She was the daughter of 4398. Samuel Morse and 4399. Elizabeth Jasper.

Children of Samuel Bullen and Mary Morse are:
*  Mary Bullen (1642-1726), married 1669 Ephraim Clark (1646-1699).
*  Samuel Bullen (1644-1736), married 1672 Experience Sabin (648-1728).
*  Elizabeth Bullen (1647-1689), married 1668 Benjamin Wheelock (1640-1716).
*  John Bullen (1649-1703), married 1684 Judith Fisher (1663-1753).
*  Joseph Bullen (1651-1704), married 1675 Abigail Sabin (1653-1721).
*  Ephraim Bullen (1653-1694), married 1680 Grace LNU (1662-1689).
*  Meletiah Bullen (1655-1693), married 1680 Josiah Fisher (1654-1736).
*  Elisha Bullen (1657-1735), married 1683 Hannah Metcalf (1664-1719).
*  Eleazer Bullen (1662-1662).
*  Bethia Bullen (1664-????), married 1686 Benjamin Colburn (1659-1714).

Information about the Bullen family was obtained from:

*  William S. Tilden (editor), History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886 (Boston, Mass. : Geo. H. Ellis, 1887).

*  Vital record books of Medfield, Dedham, and other towns.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/03/surname-saturday-bullen-england-to.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Friday, March 20, 2015

Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Scholarship Grant Applications are Invited

I received this press release from Denise Levenick about the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Scholarship Grant for 2015:

======================================


Student Genealogy Grant Applications Invited 

March 17, 2015 – The Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant Committee is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Student Genealogy award. Student genealogists between the ages of 18 and 23 are eligible to apply for the $500 cash award.

The 2015 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society will provide a full conference registration to the SCGS Jamboree in June where the award will be presented. This is a unique opportunity for a young genealogist to attend a premiere regional conference and meet genealogists from throughout the nation. 

The Student Grant was established in 2010 by family and friends in memory of Suzanne Winsor Freeman, family historian and life-long volunteer, and an enthusiastic annual attendee at the SCGS Jamboree. Past recipients include Elyse Doerflinger (Lomita, California), A.C. Ivory (Salt Lake City, Utah), Anthony Ray (Palmdale, California), Michael Savoca (Toms River, New Jersey), and Paul Woodbury (Provo, Utah) (shown below).



“The Student Genealogy Grant pays tribute to Suzanne Freeman’s dedication to youth volunteerism and family history by awarding the annual cash grant to a young genealogist attending the SCGS Annual Genealogy Jamboree, Southern California’s premiere regional genealogy conference,” notes Denise Levenick, committee chair and Freeman’s daughter.

“We are especially grateful to Jamboree for providing a three-day conference registration to the grant recipient,” she adds. “SCGS is truly a leader in conference organizations by encouraging youth involvement in genealogy through the popular Kids’ Camp Interest Group and through the student grant project.” 

Born in Olathe, Kansas, Suzanne Winsor (Brown) Freeman moved to Orange County, California with her family in the early 1930s where she attended school and lived most of her life. She developed a strong interest in family history sparked by the stories of her mother’s early life in Colorado and Kansas. After retirement Suzanne moved to Green Valley, Arizona where she was active in the local genealogy society. She enjoyed returning to Southern California each year in June to attend the SCGS Jamboree. Suzanne passed away after a brief illness in Tucson, Arizona August 28, 2010.

The $500 cash award pays tribute to these interests by awarding the annual cash grant to a young genealogist attending the Jamboree. In addition, a complimentary three-day conference registration to the Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be provided by the Jamboree conference.

Any genealogist who is between the ages of 18 and 23 and is a current student (full-time or part-time) is eligible to apply. The recipient must attend the 2015 SCGS Jamboree in Burbank, California to receive the award. 

Funding for the cash award is provided by the family grant program; Jamboree registration is provided by the conference. Individual contributions to the grant program are welcome at the Student Grant Webpage.

Application deadline is April 10, 2015 midnight Pacific Daylight Time.


Application details and forms are available at the Student Grant Webpage   http://www.thefamilycurator.com/swf-grant. Suzanne Winsor Freeman’s Obituary is available here. 


================================



52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 64: #71 Hannah (Horton) Dill (1761-ca 1797)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post Challenge:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I am extending this theme in 2015 to 104 Ancestors in 104 Weeks. Here is my ancestor biography for week #64:

Hannah (Horton) Dill (1761- ca 1797) is #71 on my Ahnentafel list, my 4th great-grandmother. She married in 1782 to #70 Thomas Dill (1755-ca 1836).


I am descended through:

*  their daughter #35 Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869), who married 
#34 Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840)  in 1826.
*  their daughter, #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884), who married #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901), in 1852.
*  their son, #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), who married #9 Hattie Louise Hildreth (1847-1920) in 1874. 
*  their son, #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942), who married Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
* their son, #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

 =====================================================

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):


*  Name:                         Hannah Horton[1]
*  Alternate Name:         Hannah Horten[2–3]
*  Sex:                            Female   

*  Father:                       Nathaniel Horton (1720-1763)   
*  Mother:                     Eunice Snow (1722-1816)   
  
1)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                         28 April 1761, Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States[2]
*  Death:                        before 1797 (before about age 36), probably Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States    
  
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:                 Thomas Dill (1755-1836)   
*  Marriage 1:               18 May 1782 (age 21), Wellfleet, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States[1,3]   
*  Child 1:                     Ezekiel Dill (1784-    )   
*  Child 2:                     Obediah Dill (1786-    )   
*  Child 3:                     Seth Dill (1787-    )   
*  Child 4:                     Isaiah Dill (1788-    )   
*  Child 5:                     Jabez H. Dill (1789-1872)   
*  Child 6:                     Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869)   
*  Child 7:                     James H. Dill (1792-1862)   
*  Child 8:                     Daniel Dill (1793-    )   
*  Child 9:                     Asa Dill (1795-    )   

4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

 Hannah Horton was the 8th of nine children born to Nathaniel and Eunice (Snow) Horton in Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.  The birth record in the Eastham, Massachusetts town vital records says:[2]

"hanah horten Daughter of nathel and eunice horten was born in Eastham april the 28 Day 1761."

The marriage record in the Eastham town records says:[3]

"Thomas Dill of Wellfleete and Hannah Horten of Eastham was published 18 May 1782"

The marriage record in the Wellfleet town records says:[1]

"May 18^th 1782   Thomas Dill of Wellfleet and
                               Miss Hannah Horton of Eastham"

Hannah (Horten) Dill had nine children with Thomas Dill between 1784 and 1795, all of which are recorded in the Eastham town records.[4]

Hannah Horton probably died before Thomas Dill married Ruth Linkhornew on 14 June 1797 in Eastham. 

There are no burial records for Hannah (Horton) Dill in Eastham or Wellfleet records.

5)  SOURCES

[1]. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1627-2001," digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), Barnstable > Wellfleet >Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1734-1875 > image 144 of 400, page 320, Thomas Dill and Hannah Horton marriage entry.

[2]. Col. Leonard H. Smith, Jr. and Norma H. Smith, Vital Records of the Towns of Eastham and Orleans (Baltimore, Md. : Genealogical Publishing Company, 1993), page 84, Hanah Horten birth entry.


[3]. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1627-2001,"  FamilySearch , Barnstable > Eastham, Orleans > Marriages 1763-1905 > image 9 of 105, page 12, Thomas Dill and Hannah Horton marriage entry.

[4].  "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1627-2001," digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), Barnstable County, Eastham, "Births, marriages, deaths, town records, 1708-1915," page 37 (image 204 of 399), list of births for children of Thomas and Hannah Dill.


================================

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/03/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-week-64-71.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver


Thursday, March 19, 2015

Advice for Beginning Genealogists

I've been asked questions, like the one below, by several society colleagues in the past month:

"I'm only a beginning genealogist, and I'm overwhelmed by how to start, what's best to do, in what order, etc."

This is an excellent question, and there are many possible answers to the question.  Here are some of my answers after more reflection about them:


1)  At the beginning, take a "Beginning Genealogy" course - either online at websites (e.g., RootsWeb Guide to Tracing Family Trees or Guide to Family History Research) or at a local genealogy society or adult education center.  Become familiar with the overall process, the terms, the standards, the paper forms, available repositories, and online resources.  See A Guide to Research for the research process and for more details.  Use the FamilySearch Research Wiki for information about record types, localities, and specific records.

2)  Organize your research - use folders or binders for papers, organized by surname, or locality; use digital file folders for digital records (scanned photos, scanned documents, downloaded documents, etc.), organized by surname and family; use a genealogy management program (an online tree, or download software) to keep track of all of the name, relationship, date, place, source, notes, media, etc. information;  maintain research logs and to-do lists to keep track of what you have done and want to do.

3)  Become familiar with different record groups - start with vital records, census and cemetery records, and gradually learn about church, military, migration, citizenship, court, land, tax, town, newspaper, directory, and other record types.  The sooner you understand why and how these record types were created, and how to access and obtain them, the faster you will become a competent genealogy researcher.

4)  There may be published books and/or periodical articles in local or distant repositories on your  ancestral surnames and localities.  Other researchers may have found information about your ancestral families.  Don't believe everything you read on the Internet in online family trees or on websites. Use this information as a guide, but don't completely trust it.  Try to verify the information by doing your own research in records.

5)  Understand that all of the records are NOT digitized or online in databases behind a subscription wall - perhaps only 10% (or less) is currently online, and not all of those are indexed.  The "other 90%" are in repositories (e.g., libraries, archives, courthouses, historical/genealogical societies, attics/basements, etc.) and may be organized into record groups, or not.  There are many records online that are FREE to access; others are behind a subscription wall.  You can access many subscription sites for free at local FamilySearch Centers or some local libraries.

6)  Join local, regional or national genealogical societies so that you can benefit from the knowledge and counsel of other researchers.  Most societies have monthly programs with knowledgeable speakers on varied research topics.  Some societies have a mentor program or a research advisor group where you can ask questions and receive advice.

7)  Continue your genealogical education through reading, online webinars, all-day seminars, multi-day conferences, weeklong institutes, or semester long certificate classes.  This is lifelong learning, it's more than two weeks of training and now "I are a genealogist."

8)  Share your research with your family members or other researchers in conversations, in an online family tree, on a website or blog, on social media, etc.  Other researchers may share your ancestral families, or know of resources available in a locality, or are expert in a specific record group.

9)  It is easy to be overwhelmed as you visit repositories, search online for records, try to stay organized, learn software capabilities, attend classes or programs, etc.  Depending on your daily schedule and priorities, plan each day with the short-term goal of learning something this hour, or this day, or this week, or this month, and apply yourself to doing it.  Have a long-term education plan to learn more about research processes, record types, localities, resources, etc.  Success in genealogy research is built on many small successes in individual families and localities.

10)  We all started at the beginning - with our families, and we gradually became more knowledgeable about how to research, where to find resources, how to use software, etc.  You will find that every success finding an ancestral family leads to two more ancestral families, and so on.
Steady progress can be made learning about your ancestral families, and moving your pedigree back in time.  Sometimes we get stuck and can't find more information about the next family back on the chart.

Frankly, I think that the classical way to "begin" as described above is the best way to grow a competent genealogist.  I know that websites like Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch and others are enticing beginners with advertising that essentially says "enter your parents and grandparents names, and we'll show you your ancestry."

The truth is you have to work at it to go back in time, one generation at a time.  Perhaps you will get lucky and the Record Hints, Record Matches or Leaf Hints will highlight records of your ancestors, and their parents.   Perhaps some other researcher has a long chain of ancestral families in an online family tree.  This doesn't happen for every researcher.

What other advice do my readers have for my beginning society colleagues?

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/03/advice-for-beginning-genealogists.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver



I'm So There! - Registered for the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree

I registered for the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree (June 5-7, 2015) at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel the other day, and reserved our hotel room too.  So now I can wear the I Am So There! badge on my blog:


The Jamboree home page is at http://www.genealogyjamboree.com/.


You can register online at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=60.  Choose either the Members link or the Non-Members link on the list on the left margin.

Early-bird registration (until April 30) is $125 for SCGS Members and $145 for Non-Members for the three-day Jamboree (Friday, 5 June to Sunday, 7 June).  You can add the June 4th DNA Day Plus Add-on to Jamboree for $125 (SCGS Members) or $135 (SCGS Non-Members).  You can add Jamboree meals also using the Jamboree Meals link.  There are a number of additional workshops available also.

A printed syllabus can be added for $25.  The digital syllabus will be provided to registrants as part of the registration fees.

You can see the current Jamboree schedule at http://genealogyjamboree.com/2015/schedule.html.  There are 122 presentations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  In most time slots, there are 8 or 9 different offerings.  On Friday morning, there are two fee-based workshops, and several free (for anyone) classes, including a Beginning Genealogy class, and the Genealogy World Roundtables.

The Jamboree publicity mentions livestreaming sessions, but I haven't seen the list yet for those who cannot attend in person.

I don't see a "Blogger Summit" on the list of classes - SCGS started this back in 2008.  Too bad.  Hopefully, there will be a Blogger photo arranged on one of the days at an appointed time.

Then there is the Exhibit Hall, with many exhibitors (not identified yet) - see  http://genealogyjamboree.com/2015/exhibitors.html.

Linda and I will arrive on the Amtrak train from San Diego after noon on Thursday, and we look forward to seeing our friends and colleagues over the three days.  I will probably be blogging in the area between the hotel lobby and the elevators where most geneabloggers (and friends) congregate because the wifi is free there.

More to come!  I Am So There - and really looking forward to this Genealogy Jamboree.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/03/im-so-there-registered-for-scgs.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver


Treasure Chest Thursday - Post 254: 1757 Birth Record of Martha Phillips in Shrewsbury, Mass.

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - time to look in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings.

The treasure today is the  1757 birth record of Martha Phillips (1757-????), daughter of John and Hannah (Brown) Phillips, in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts:



The birth records of the three Phillips children:


The transcription of the birth of the three Phillips children is:

Joanna Phillips }  Daughter of John & Hannah Phillips was Born
                         }    August ye 24 1755

Martha Phillips }  Daughter of John & Hannah Phillips was Born
                          }  August ye 20  1757

Elizabeth Phillips }  Daughter of John & Hannah Phillips was Born
                             }  June ye 15th 1764

The source citation for the birth of Martha Phillips is:

Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), "Shrewsbury Births, Marriages and Deaths," Page 108 (on Image 111), Martha Phillips birth entry.

Martha "Patty" Phillips (1757-after 1820) married Isaac Buck (1757-1846) in 1780, and they are my 4th great-grandparents.  Their daughter, Sophia Buck (1797-1882) married Thomas Newton in about 1834.

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

NEHG Register Appears In New Format

I received a press notice from the New England Historic Genealogical Society today announcing that the name of the peer-reviewed journal has been changed to "NEHG Register, the Journal of American Genealogy" and the cover is now in color.  You can read the press release at GeneaPress in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the Oldest Genealogical Journal in America, Appears in a New Format.



I try to remember to download the PDF version of each of the journals to my computer as part of my NEHGS annual subscription.

After logging into the American Ancestors website, on the Browse > Publications > The Register page, I could see the link to "Click here to view this issue as a PDF."



I clicked the link, and there was the colorful cover:


The page showed me the entire volume number as a PDF.  I scrolled down a bit to the Table of Contents and saw:


By running my mouse over the lower right-hand corner of the screen, I could zoom in, zoom out, download the file or print the file.  I downloaded it and saved it in my digital file of NEGH Registers dating from 2007.

While I was in my digital files, I noticed that I had not downloaded the PDF of the last three issues.  I read them online but forgot to download them.

Back on the Browse > Publications > The Register page, there is a link to the 2010-2015 Digital Archive page, which lists the issues available to read in digital format at present:


I clicked on the top one on the list, for October 2014, and saw the Table of Contents:


 There is a link at the bottom of the list to "Read Volume 168, October 2014 (Whole #672).  I clicked on it and saw:


The issue opened in a Flip book format.  I could read it online, and did.

However, there was no link to download the issue as a PDF digital file.  I wonder why?

This is important to me - I have a complete run of the printed issue from about 1991, and in 2012 decided that I would "go green" and download the PDF version so that I could have the reading material available on my desktop computer, my laptop computer, and my mobile devices - so that NEHGR would be with me wherever I am.  After all, I paid for them with my subscription.  I can print out an article when I need to have it in printed format.

But now I can't download the issues that I'm missing.  Perhaps this is an oversight on the part of NEHGS - I hope that it is and is corrected.

There is a work-around for everyone to obtain a printed copy - to find it in the Database search and print the selected pages.  I'd rather have the issue as a PDF.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/03/nehg-register-appears-in-new-format.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver





CGSSD Meeting on Saturday, 21 March, Features Francie Kennedy

The Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego (CGSSD) meets on the 3rd Saturday of each month  (except December) from 9:00 am to noon on the campus of UCSD, University of California, San Diego.  See our web page www.cgssd.org  for directions.  

The next meeting will be held on Saturday, 21 March 2015.  Here are the details:

9:00: User groups: Ancestry, DNA 

10:00: Break, refreshments

10:20: Announcements followed by program:

Advanced Google Tools for Genealogists
presented by
Francie Kennedy

Most of us barely scratch the surface of what Google can do.  Looking things up with Google is only one of the many useful tools available to us!  Have you made a family map showing migration routes and everywhere your families have lived, over time?  Catalogued all of your books in a format you can access remotely from a book sale, (so you don’t wind up with three copies at home)?  How often have you read a rare book about your ancestor’s home town – that is every-word searchable?  Have you found an image of a historic postcard of Main Street in that town to use as an illustration in your family history?  This session will guide you toward finding many things Google can do beyond the basic search function we all use.  There is a lot more within this site, beyond the simple home page!

Francie is a 4th generation Californian, and studied English and biology at Pomona College in Claremont.  She managed a business in landscape design and consulting for years before joining the local water district to help with drought response and customer questions in the early 1990’s.   Francie has been helping City residents and businesses manage their water use for over 22 years.  For seven years she taught water conservation to professionals at Santiago Canyon College, and continues to teach landscape classes to residents.  

In her free time, she is an award-winning watercolor painter, and recently started quilting.  Francie has been involved with community groups for over 30 years, serving as president of the Friends of the Library, chair of the Los Rios Historic District Review Committee, and she is the immediate past president of the South Orange County California Genealogical Society.  Historical research is her passion.

We meet at the Robinson Auditorium complex on the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) campus in La Jolla. From North Torrey Pines Road, turn at Pangea Drive into UCSD. Free parking is available in the parking garage on the left; use any space other than those specifically reserved for UCSD vehicles. Signs will mark directions to our meeting room. Please refer to our website www.cgssd.org; or the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies website for directions.



Is That Cake on My Face? -- Post 351 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

I'm posting old family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they won't be wordless posts like others do - I simply am incapable of having a wordless post.

Here is one of the most precious (to me) images from my Seaver/Carringer family collection:




Well, i'm glad she didn't get the cake on my suit!  She got it on my left cheek though, and it looks like i'm a bit exasperated with the aim of my hitherto perfect bride.  The cake was good once I got my own piece of it.  It was a fun party - I got to meet many of Linda's aunts, uncles and cousins.

This picture was take in April 1970 at Linda's parents home in San Francisco (1726 47th Avenue in the Sunset district to be exact).  We were married on 21 March, and went to Acapulco for our honeymoon, and several weeks later we flew to San Francisco for a wedding reception at Linda's parents home.  

Since I tried really hard to be a nice husband, I managed to get the small piece of cake entirely in Linda's mouth on the first try.  Then she dabbed my cheek with the squishy mess in her left hand.  Oh well, life goes on.  My motto then, as it is now, was "Life is short - eat dessert first."

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/03/is-that-cake-on-my-face-post-351-of-not.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver