Monday, December 14, 2009

Dear Genea-Santa Redux

Dear Genea-Santa,

I've tried really hard to be a good genealogy boy this year - served my local society as Newsletter Editor and Research/Queries chair, wrote two online genealogy columns, presented programs at five local societies, taught three series of adult education classes on Beginning Computer Genealogy, gave two lectures on beginning genealogy at public libraries, attended two genealogy conferences, helped several friends and colleagues with their research, added many sources to my database (I'm not done yet, though), and blogged about all of it in deathless prose, er, ramblings.

I guess my 2008 letter to you got lost in the ether or something, since the green Seaver photo album, the Russell Smith family Bible and the Isaac Seaver letters didn't come on Christmas Eve (or at any other time during 2009 - I know you're pretty busy on Christmas Eve!). Maybe they don't exist, or maybe I wasn't that good a genealogy boy, even though I thought I was.

Genea-Santa, old friend, old buddy, can I ask you for three really special gifts that will help me in my family history research? They are:

1) A solid clue as to the parents of Devier J. Lamphier (1839-1894), born in Jefferson County NY to either a Lamphier couple or to a single Lamphier young lady. Devier was adopted by Ranslow and Mary (Bell) Smith before they migrated to Dodge County, Wisconsin in about 1843. Please, please, please, could you please just help me uncover his parents names? Hopefully, I can take it from there, and will mention your name prominently when I write the article about this family...

2) A solid clue as to the parents of Thomas J. Newton (ca 1795-ca1840), born in Maine and married to Sophia (Buck) Brigham before 1833, had two children Thomas J. and Sophia Newton in Vermont (perhaps Cambridge?). Would you please help me uncover his parents names? I have candidates in Andover and Dixfield in western Maine, but no records to prove any relationship.

3) A Dill or Horton family Bible from the Dill or Horton families of Cape Cod in Massachusetts that might list the parents of my Elizabeth Horton Dill (1794-1869), who married Alpheus Smith in 1826 in Dedham MA.

My list is longer, but these three will suffice for now. Perhaps some distant cousins will find more "goodies" to put under my Christmas tree.

Thank you, Genea-Santa, for listening to my pleas. I will leave a nice steak quesadilla (you can heat it in the kitchen microwave), a rosy red apple, some delicious sugar cookies and a beer by the chimney for you on Christmas Eve just in case you need fortification. You can get a yummy Dove chocolate ice cream bar out of the refrigerator if you'd like. Nothing's too good for Genea-Santa - mi casa es su casa.

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