Saturday, February 16, 2013

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Signs You Have GOCD


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




Your mission, should you decide to accept it (and I hope that all of you do!), is to:

1)  Read Michael John Neill's post 10 Signs You Have Genealogy OCD (come on, give Michael some link love) and the comments too (I know it's an old post, we did this in 2011 too!).

2)  Make up any number of sentences that will add to his list of signs that you have Genealogy OCD.  From one to many, no limit!  Be creative!!

3)  Share your ingenuity and humor with us in your own blog post, in Comments to this post, in comments to Michael's post, or in a comment on Google Plus or Facebook.


If we get a lot of good ones, I'll make a compendium post to share them with the genealogy world.


Here are some of mine:

*  You have every mobile device type (and in some cases, more than one), and every possible genealogy-related app, and they all need to be charged every night.


*  You show off your Ancestry.com app on your smart phone to persons you meet in "real life."

*  You work in your genealogy management program every day adding the source citations you should have added before you heard of Evidence! Explained.

*  You make an image of every document, paper or website that you search, and find, for your ancestors, and add it to the a research log for that person.   

*  You contribute your family tree to every new online family tree system that comes along in hopes of finding cousins with family information.

*  Your family vacations consist of visiting cousins in distant places along with genealogical conferences, seminars and cruises.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-signs-you.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Surname Saturday - PIERCE (England > Massachusetts)

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

I am in the 7th great-grandmothers, up to number 563: Elizabeth PIERCE (1646-????). [Note: the 7th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two American generations of this PIERCE family 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)


70.  Thomas Dill (1755-1830)
71.  Hannah Horton (1761-1797)

140.  Thomas Dill (1708-1761)
141.  Mehitable Brown (1714-1758)

280.  Thomas Dill (1682-1718)
281.  Mary Pierce (1682-1713)


562.  Nathaniel Pierce, born 04 December 1655 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 1692 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 1124. Robert Pierce and 1125. Mary Knight.  He married 23 March 1679/80 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
563.  Elizabeth Pierce, born 25 December 1646 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.  

Children of Nathaniel Pierce and Elizabeth Pierce are:  Mary Pierce (1682-1713); Hannah Pierce (1684-????); Ichabod Pierce (1686-????).

1126.  Thomas Pierce, born about 1617 in probably Norwich, Norfolk, England; died 06 November 1683 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He married  06 May 1635 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.
1127.  Elizabeth Cole, born about 1619 in England; died 05 March 1687/88 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  She was the daughter of 2254. Rice Cole and 2255. Arrold Dunington.

Children of Thomas Pierce and Elizabeth Cole are:  Abigail Pierce (1639-1643); John Pierce (1643-1720); Thomas Pierce (1645-1717); Elizabeth Pierce (1646-????); Joseph Pierce (1648-1649); Joseph Pierce (1649-1716); Stephen Pierce (1651-1733); Samuel Pierce (1654-1656); Samuel Pierce (1656-1721); William Pierce (1657-1720); James Pierce (1659-1742); Abigail Pierce (1660-1719); Benjamin Pierce (1662-1739).

2252.  Thomas Pierce, born about 1584 in probably Norwich, Norfolk, England; died 07 October 1666 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.  He married about 1610 in England.
2253.  Elizabeth, born about 1595 in England; died after 22 March 1666/67 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Thomas Pierce and Elizabeth are:  John Pierce (1610-????); Thomas Pierce (1617-1683); Elizabeth Pierce (1619-1692); Robert Pierce (1621-1706); Persis Pierce (1626-1683); Mary Pierce (1628-1703); Samuel Pierce (1630-1678).

This line is complicated because 562. Nathaniel Pierce (his father was Robert Pierce (1621-1706)) and 563. Elizabeth Pierce were first cousins (it was Nathaniel's second marriage, Elizabeth's third marriage).

Resources used to obtain the Pierce family information includes:

*  Frederic Beech Pierce, Pierce Genealogy (Worcester, Mass.: Charles Hamilton Press, 1882).

*  Joan S. Guilford, The Ancestry of Dr. J.P. Guilford (Sheridan Psychological Services, Inc., 1990), Volume 1, page 607.

*  Massachusetts town vital record books.

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Friday, February 15, 2013

Five Weeks Until RootsTech 2013 - Early Bird Registration Extended!!

I received this from RootsTech 2013 as an Official Blogger:

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


Dear Official Blogger,
We're five weeks from RootsTech 2013 and counting down!

We have two communications for you to share with your blog readers.

FIRST:

Early bird registration has been extended for one more week.  The $149 price will expire on 2/22/2013.  We've seen some great momentum in registrations this week. So, we want to give every opportunity for folks to take advantage of the reduced price on a full conference pass.  After 2/22 the price will move to a "last chance" price of $179 for a full conference pass. The "last chance" price will expire on 3/16, at which point the price will go to $219.

SECOND:

As you know, Story@Home is a new addition to RootsTech this year.  Story@Home offers class sessions with award-winning storytellers, performers, and speakers to help attendees explore ways to use the power of story to connect with their family.  We're excited about the new perspective and dimension Story@Home adds to the RootsTech experience.  You can learn more about Story@Home at www.rootstech.org/stories.

Our friends at Story@Home are running an Instagram Photo Contest.  Official RootsTech bloggers are invited to help spread the word.  Here are the contest details:
Prize: Story@Home + Getting Started pass ($79 value)
Access to all Story@Home classes and Getting Started classes all three days of RootsTech
Contest Dates: February 20th-24th
To participate in the contest:
*  Snap a picture you think tells a story. Examples include family, friends, places, events, mementos anything that has meaning for you.  
*  Upload the photo to Instagram and share with us what story your photo tells. Include the hashtags #tellyourstory and #storyathome.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced on the Story@Home Facebook page Monday, February 25th. "Like" us on Facebook to find out if you've won: https://www.facebook.com/pages/StoryHome/175409965858537?ref=ts&fref=ts.



What's New at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society

One of my other "genealogy hats" is working with my local genealogical society, the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS), in the San Diego area.  My tasks include:

1)  Newsletter Editor
2)  Research/Queries Chairman
3)  Blogger for the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog


Recent blog posts on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog cover all of these activities, and more:

*  Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - February 2013

*  CVGS Spring Seminar is Saturday, 30 March: CeCe Moore on DNA

*  Program Review - "Creating Your Life's Story"

*  CVGS Newsletter for February 2013 is Available

*  February 2013 Research Group Summary

CVGS usually has four monthly meetings for the members and guests:

1)  Saturday Workshops (usually first Saturday) at Bonita-Sunnyside Library in the Community Room; this is usually a two-hour hands-on session with presentation, discussion and research help.  Susi Pentico coordinates this meeting.

2)  Research Group Meeting (usually second Wednesday) at 12 noon at Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library in the Conference Room or Auditorium;  this is usually a two-hour discussion and question/answer session.  Randy Seaver coordinates this meeting.

3)  Computer Group meeting (usually third Wednesday) at 12 noon at Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library in the Computer Lab;  this is a two-hour discussion group with hands-on computer opportunities.  Shirley Becker coordinates this meeting.

4)  Program Meeting (usually last Wednesday) at 12 noon at Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library in the Auditorium;  this is a short business meeting and a presentation by a speaker on a genealogy/family history topic.

See the monthly Genealogy Days in Chula Vista blog post for more details.  Here's February's!


CVGS has a web page at www.CVGenealogy.org, and a Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/ChulaVistaGenealogicalSociety.

If you are in the San Diego area, and can attend a Saturday or mid-day Wednesday meeting, we would love to have you attend any or all of our meetings.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/whats-new-at-chula-vista-genealogical.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Follow Up Friday - This Week's Helpful and Interesting Reader Comments

It's Friday, and time to highlight helpful and interesting reader comments on Genea-Musings posts from the last week.

1)  On Tombstone Tuesday - Samuel and Mary Ann Vaux (12 February 2013):

*  Marshall helped:  "Re: Request a photo.  The button is right there "Request a photo".  You'll be asked to register, so FindAGrave knows how to get in touch with you, and then you're good to go.  It's really simple."

My comment:  Yes, it is simple once you find the button!  You have to register on Find A Grave, then you can request a photo.  I've submitted two requests.  Thanks for the help, Marshall.

*  Geolover noted:  "The sources of the dates for your two Vaux entries are not given. The birth and death dates are not necessarily from the gravestones. No one should assume that dates in the findagrave memorials are from the gravestones.

"A huge number of findagrave entries are not actual gravestone readings. Sources might be death records, obituaries or published genealogies. Many items posted are just extracts from published purported cemetery readings which may have dates added from other sources. Many entries are just genealogical assertions that have nothing to do with documented burial in a specific place."


My comment:  Excellent warnings...and all researchers should understand them.  The situation where the gravestone inscription is visible in the picture and is provided on the Find A Grave memorial is more authoritative, to me, than a memorial that has no picture or inscription.  

The Find A Grave memorial for a person is a source (albeit a Derivative source) and the information is Secondary information, but it is a finding aid to more authoritative or complete sources.  I'm writing source citations when I use Find A Grave to find information about persons in my database because it is a source.  For my ancestors, like Samuel and Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux, I am searching for the better source.  In this case, I believe that the source for the information is cemetery index cards that are on an FHL microfilm.  It's still a Derivative source, but it may be the best I can find unless a Vaux family Bible pops up.

*  Cormac said:  ">I can hear readers saying 'But you don't know if the dates are correct!' and 'Find A Grave is not a reliable source!'  You stoled my thunder!"

My comment:  Yep, I knew what my smart readers would say if I didn't do it first!


*  Joanna Richmond noted:  "Following on from your last email on this topic you said that you tried it but got an html. Using Chrome I use the same method. I use ancestry.com's print option, wait for the print sidebar to come up then cancel the print. This leaves the tab with the image which I right-click and choose save. It saves as a jpg file. A census image I saved was around 13 mb so not too bad for manipulating."

My comment:  Thanks for the tip, Joanna.  That works!

*  Doris Wheeler commented:  "I've recently discovered that Evernote does an amazing job of capturing all or any part of an entire website. It's a one-click operation, and I love it!"

My comment:  Thanks for the very useful tip, Doris.  Help me out - I'm not a sophisticated user of EverNote.  How do you capture all of a website (or do you mean web page?)?   Aha, maybe you mean Evernote Web Clipper?


*  John said:  "Curiously similar to the 'Northings' figure for the Wiltshire area, if one ignores the last number.   Eastings and Northings, which are sometimes used in conjunction with latitude and longitude.  This could be coincidence.  http://ukpostcodedata.com/postcode/SN8-3HU "

and then:  "Alas, the number I saw next to a name for someone from Oxfordshire (1673116), doesn't match up with the appropriate Northing."


*  Kim Mills noted:  "I see numbers like this in locations for Canada to. I've always wondered what it was for."

*  Tolley Family Historian offered:  "There is a Clergy of the Church of England database that lists parishes and other information:  http://www.theclergydatabase.org.uk/reference/loclist.html
Every location has a code number which varies in length. Searching by county, Wiltshire does seem to have a lot of codes that begin "16....". A quick look at some other counties seem to suggest leading digits may code for major location. The specific example of 1679745 isn't found, but then that information relates to a long time back in history, and maybe that parish has long been abolished, merged or otherwise vanished."

*  Ruby commented:  "Since this Prater is my father's line I got curious.  I emailed the tree owner, but her page says her last login was 2 months ago. So, not really expecting an answer."

*  Joanna Richmond said:  "Being from England I think they are the numbers for the National Ordinance Maps that identify the location of the place. These are always 2 sets of 3 numbers for North-South and East-West. I have not verified this but that is what they look like. Canada probably uses the same system due to their English ancestry."

*  John commented on Joanna's comment:  "But these are 7 digit numbers. and the Ordnance System appears to require a 2 letter prefix as well."

My comment:  Thank you all for trying to figure out this puzzle.  We're still stumped, I think.  There must be a master list of these somewhere...but I fear it's not on the internet, since a Google search doesn't find it.  Is it out of a reference book like Phillemore that lists all of the parishes?


*  KMM noted:  "Two confirming sources for the story above:
http://www.monroehistorical.org/articles/files/020106_sheepsuit.html
https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H064337_01H.pdf

"Stroudsburg United Methodist Church records indicate that James Richmond, Jr., and his family resided near the woolen mill in Stroudsburg at the time."


My comment:  KMM is administering the AncestryDNA of B.E.R. who is my third cousin, and a descendant of James Richmond.  We're discussing the DNA and the Richmond families in email now.  The links make it pretty clear that my 2nd-great-grandfather, James Richmond (of Putnam, Conn.), was not the man in charge of the "Sheep-to-Suit" project, but it was the son, James Richmond, Jr. (of Stroudsburg, Penn.).  Genea-Blogging works!


*  Josh (responding to earlier complaints about the site) commented:  "We are concerned about this problem and would like to fix it for you. Our apologies for any inconveniences caused by our charges. If you would like a refund for the charges made to your account please email manager@recordaccount.com to request immediate action.  Thanks for sharing and we hope to solve this for you soon.
Customer Support"

My comment:  There you go, Genea-Musings readers.  If you feel like you've been ripped off by this site, email them and get your refund.  If that works out for you, I'd like to know about it.

6)  Thank you to all of my readers for their helpful and interesting comments.  I appreciate your efforts, and success, in defeating the Captcha code necessary to keep the comment spam down to a steady stream.

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Making a Photo Tree in Family Tree Maker 2012

I posted about Making a Photo Tree in RootsMagic 6 on 5 February, and said I would try to do something similar in Family Tree Maker 2012 and Legacy Family Tree.

I didn't find a similar "Photo Tree" in the Family Tree Maker 2012 selection of Charts.  I did find that I could add the thumbnail pictures of my ancestors to the classical Pedigree Chart, however. 

The process for creating a Pedigree Chart with photos is:

*  Highlight your selected person to be #1 on the chart
*  Select the "Publish" workspace
*  Select "Pedigree Chart" from the list
*  In the right-hand panel, review the different fields
*  In the "Pictures" field, select "Thumbnail" 
*  I chose a Background from the "Browse for Image" selection
*  Click on the "Generate Chart" if it doesn't create itself automatically
*  Once the chart is created, I clicked on the "Share" icon (upper right corner) and selected "Export to Image" and saved it as a JPG file.

Here is the final product:



I tried doing this in a "Vertical Pedigree Chart" tree with #1 at the bottom, parents above, etc. The final product (squished spacing, with a different background) would come out as two landscape pages (but it's one image!):



Those are pretty good results, I think, and have a professional look.  

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/making-photo-tree-in-family-tree-maker.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Great Deal on Legacy Family Tree 2013 Cruise - Reserve by Friday, 15 February

I just received this information from Christy Downing, the coordinator for the Legacy Family Tree 2013 Cruise from San Diego through the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale (leaving 22 September, arriving 6 October).   The cruise ship is Celebrity's Millenium.



Just in time for Valentine’s Day:  

Announcing Legacy Family Tree’s most exciting offer ever!  Our 10th annual 15 day Panama Canal Cruise just got even better.  

Decide to join us and book your cruise by Friday February 15th,  9 PM PST, and you can choose from three exciting offers, including: Free Beverage Packages, Free Gratuities, or a $300 dollar Onboard Credit to do whatever your heart’s desire

Space is limited, so book by Feb. 15 to take advantage of this limited time offer.  

Click here to choose your cabin.   http://legacyfamilytree.com/CruiseInfo_2013.asp

There's still time to book your dream vacation with our 123go! offer—before it's 123gone! 

The three possible free offers are in the graphic below:



I spoke to Christy on the phone this morning, and these offers are for everyone who has already booked this tour in addition to persons who book it before the 15 February deadline for the free offer.  You need to choose one of them.

Christy sent an email out yesterday about the free offer to her mailing list, and she needs to hear from everyone who has booked the tour already as to which free offer you want to enjoy.  We picked the Free Gratuities!

Legacy Family Tree recently booked 50 more cabins for this tour, so there may be 150 genealogy families on this tour.  We eat together, learn together and play together on these cruises - they are an absolute fun time.

I'm really looking forward to this Legacy Family Tree cruise.  We've never been through the Panama Canal, or visited Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama or Colombia, so the sightseeing and food should be wonderful.  

Did I mention the awesome group of speakers lined up for the Genealogy Classes?

We have an awesome lineup of speakers this year:



  • Megan Smolenyak
  • Karen Clifford
  • Barbara Renick
  • Geoff Rasmussen
  • Randy Seaver
  • Steve Salisbury
  • Dave Berdan
  • Ken McGinnis
  • Luc Comeau
  • On many of the days at sea you will be able to attend genealogy classes taught by some of genealogy's leading speakers and educators. There will be a variety of genealogy and technology classes, as well as classes specific to Legacy Family Tree taught by its developers. You will learn a lot and best of all you will have a great time doing it.

    For me, this is like having a two week conference with great speakers and teachers, and my wife gets to have a lot of fun in the sun and sightseeing.  It's a wonderful genealogy vacation.

    Disclosure:  I was not offered anything to write this post...we paid for our Legacy Family Tree cruise in 2012 and for this one in 2013.  I have, and will, receive remuneration for my presentations during the cruises.


    For Valentine's Day, Let's Do Some Censuswhacking...

    Happy Valentine's Day, Genea-lovers!!!  Here are some virtual roses for your desktop:



    There are quite a few names associated with Valentine's Day reflecting our traditions and habits. I checked the 1920 census for some of them, and found:

    SURNAMES

    * Valentine - 17,911 people
    * Valentino - 1,287 people
    * Lover - 762 people
    * Lovejoy - 4,192 people
    * Loveland - 3,168 people
    * Loveless - 3,524 people
    * Sweet - 15,671 people
    * Kiss - 1,458 people
    * Cupid - 28 people
    * Sweetheart - 1 person


    GIVEN NAMES

    * Valentine - 16,632 people
    * Rose - 439,241 people
    * Candy - 638 people
    * Cupid - 78 people
    * Romeo - 3,666 people
    * Juliet - 8,008 people


    COMBINATION NAMES

    * Lovey Valentine - in Newark NJ
    * Romeo Valentine - in Norristown PA
    * Julie Valentine - in Hempstead NY
    * Valentine Love - in Brooklyn NY
    * Valentine Hart - in South Williamsport PA
    * Valentine Rose - in Detroit MI
    * Valentine Kiss - in Dubuque IA
    * Valentine Flowers - in Blairsville PA
    * Valentine Valentine - in Philadelphia PA
    * Honey Lover - in Loves, GA
    * Love Lovejoy - in Lawrence KS
    * Cupid Luvie - in Liberty County TX
    * Cande Hart - in Upshur County TX
    * Rose Flowers - 26 of them!
    * Rose Rose - 295 of them
    * Juliet Romeo - in Brooklyn NY


    Enjoy, census lovers!  

    I need to go get some roses for my wife soon (Costco isn't open yet!).  Now if my sweet honey loving valentine will give me See's peppermint patties and molasses chips, I'll be a happy guy.  Fatter too...


    The URL for this post is:

    copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

    Wednesday, February 13, 2013

    Happy to Finally Have Some AncestryDNA Hints

    One of the newer features in the AncestryDNA screens is the ability to sort the results by Hints.  The Hints (green leaves) mean that the tree of a DNA-matching person contains the same person(s) in my tree.

    Here is my screen in AncestryDNA with "Has a Hint" selected in the "Filter by" field:


    There is one match for a 4th Cousin, and three threes for 5th to 8th cousins with Hints.

    I clicked the green "Review Match" button to check out the Hint for B.E.R. (the supposed 4th cousin) (two screens):




    In the "Shared Ancestor Hint" area, the shared ancestors are James Richman (1821-1912) and Hannah Rich (1824-1911).  My descent from them is shown on the left, and B.E.R.'s descent is shown on the right.  We are actually Third Cousins!

    This is, by far, the closest cousin that I've found using autosomal DNA testing.  I even had him in my database (but he doesn't show up in my Ancestry Member Tree because he is living).  I like the addition of the Sort by "Has a Hint" feature, and am very happy to see that the estimation of cousinship seems to be accurate in this particular case.

    I was contacted some time ago by the fellow who administers B.E.R.'s DNA test, and we are conversing by email.

    I also investigated the other three persons with Hints on the screens above, and the relationships are 7th cousin once-removed, 8th cousins, and 7th cousin once removed.  The AncestryDNA estimate of cousinship was 5th to 8th cousin for those three matches, so the actual relationships are at the far end of the estimates.

    This contrasts with the AncestryDNA matches I have without a Hint.  I have 34 matches that are denoted as 4th to 6th cousin, and, based on the surname matches and the trees available, none of them are 4th to 6th cousins - they are 7th to 10th cousins if my genealogy research and their genealogy research is correct.  Of course, my, or their, genealogy research may be wrong or incomplete and the trees don't show genealogy matches.

    I haven't looked at my FamilyTreeDNA autosomal matches for awhile - I need to do that soon, and if I find some close matches, I will blog about them.  I took the 23andMe autosomal DNA test about four weeks ago and expect those results soon and will report on them.

    The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/happy-to-finally-have-some-ancestrydna.html

    Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

    CGSSD Meeting on Saturday, 16 February Features Barbara Renick


    The February meeting of the Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego (CGSSD) will be held on Saturday, 16 February 2013 from 9:00 am to noon on the University of California, San Diego campus. Here are the details:

    9:00 AM Presentation #1 

    10:00 AM Break / Refreshments

    10:20 AM Announcements

    10:30 AM Presentation #2


    Note: No User Groups or Sig's this month
    Presentation #1:
    How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy 

    by Barbara Renick

    Things have changed radically in the genealogy community since the typewriter era. Some problems have been overcome, others have worsened. Meanwhile prognosticators predict technology users face three C’s in the future: greater Convergence, Convenience, and Connectivity.

    Presentation #2:
    Tackling Tough Genealogy Tasks with 21st Century Technology 

    by Barbara Renick

    Most genealogists can list at least two of the three toughest genealogy tasks while shamefully admitting they dodge these tasks whenever possible. 21st Century technology makes the drudge work of genealogy easier to do than ever before thus improving the quality of our recordings of our research processes and results for generations to come.

    About Barbara Renick:

    Barbara Renick teaches at national genealogy conferences and the regional Family History Center in Orange California; was a contributing editor for the National Genealogical Society computer magazine for eleven years; authored Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family’s History and Heritage sponsored by NGS for their 100th Anniversary; and currently serves on the NGS Board of Directors as secretary. The ‘Z’ Links page at her ZRoots.com Web site is also very popular among genealogists who use it as their browser home page.

    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 (click here) for driving directions and a map.


    (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 243: Christmas Dinner, 1967

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

    Here is a photograph from the Seaver/Carringer family photograph collection passed to me by my mother in the 1988 to 2002 time period:




    This picture was taken on Christmas, 1967 in the dining room of the Seaver home at 2119 30th Street in San Diego.  I'm pretty sure that my father took the picture (because he is not in the picture, and he would be at this dinner).

    The persons in the picture are, from left to right:

    *  Scott, my youngest brother, age 12 at the time
    *  Betty (Carringer) Seaver, my mother, age 48 at the time
    *  Lyle Carringer, my grandfather, age 76 at the time
    *  Emily (Auble) Carringer, my grandmother, age 68 at the time
    *  Randy Seaver, moi, age 24 at the time

    This is one of the few three-generation pictures I have with my mother and grandparents.  

    I don't have many pictures from this time frame, mainly because we didn't take many.  I sure didn't!  That would change, of course, after I met Linda in 1968.  I sure didn't know what the future held at this time in my life.  I had just been employed again after 6 months of unemployment, and that decision dramatically affected the course of my life.  

    The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/not-so-wordless-wednesday-post-243.html

    Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

    Tuesday, February 12, 2013

    New Ancestry.com Record Collections since 1 January 2013

    I try to keep up with the new and updated record collections provided by Ancestry.com on a regular basis by checking http://www.ancestry.com/cs/reccol/default.



    Here are the record collections that are NEW to Ancestry.com since 1 January 2013:

    *  Scioto County, Ohio, Marriage Records, 1803-1860
    *  Web: Montgomery County, Tennessee, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1868-1954
    *  U.S., Deaths in the U.S. Naval Service, 1861-1867
    *  U.S., County and Regional Histories and Atlases, 1804-1984
    *  Kentucky, Naturalization Records, 1906-1991

    *  Louisiana, Naturalization Records,1836-2001
    *  Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972
    *  North Carolina, Naturalization Records, 1872-1996
    *  U.S., Citizenship Case Files in Indian Territory, 1896-1897
    *  Mississippi, Naturalization Records, 1908-1991

    *  Web: Columbus, Ohio, Union Cemetery Index, 1847-2012
    *  Web: Warren County, New Jersey, Obituary Index, 1848-1914
    *  Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2
    *  Web: Ohio, MOLO Obituary Index, 1811-2012
    *  Web: Columbiana County, Ohio, Salem News Obituary Index, 1957-2011

    *  U.S., African American Newspapers, 1829-1947
    *  St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Free Colored Censuses, 1815-1832
    *  U.S., Descriptive Lists of Colored Volunteer Army Soldiers, 1864
    *  U.S., Register of Colored Troop Deaths During the Civil War, 1861-1865
    *  U.S. Virgin Islands, Danish West Indies Slave Records, 1672-1917 (in Danish)

    *  Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940

    I thought that when I copy/pasted them, the links would copy also.  They didn't.  You will have to go to the New/Updated page, or the Card Catalog (enter the title in the "Title" search field) to access a specific record collection.

    The one that intrigues me is the U.S., County and Regional Histories and Atlases, 1804-1984 collection.  There may be many goodies in that collection - histories, biographies, maps, etc.

    The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/new-ancestrycom-record-collections.html

    Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

    Nominations Open for Genealogy Readers Choice Awards

    Want to have your say about genealogical software, tools, education, research and resources?  Here's your chance - the 2013 About.com Readers Choice Awards now has a Genealogy section!




    Kimberly Powell has just posted on the About.com Genealogy blog ...

    "Every week I share with you some of my favorite genealogy websites, tools, software, books, societies, and educational experiences. Now, I need your help! Genealogy is being added to the 2013 About.com Readers' Choice Awards this year, and I need your nominations/recommendations in 11 categories, each selected to highlight the wide variety of genealogical resources available to us. And yes, this contest is open to members and nominations from around the world.

    "Please tell me about your favorite genealogy software or app. Your favorite genealogical society. Your favorite educational experience. Your favorite free website. Your favorite book, magazine, or journal. I would love to learn about some new resources through this and get a great selection of nominations for the Readers' Choice awards that open next week. Thank you VERY much for taking the time to share YOUR favorites with me!

    "Please make your nominations in any (or all) of the following categories:

    Genealogy Software & Tools
    • Best Genealogy Software (Windows)
    • Best Genealogy Software (Mac)
    • Best Tool for Publishing Your Family Tree Online
    • Best Online Genealogy Tool or Mobile App
    Genealogy Education & Reference 
    • Best Genealogy Education/Learning Experience
    • Favorite Genealogy Reference Book
    • Best Genealogical Journal or Magazine
    Genealogy Research & Resources 
    • Best Free Genealogy Website
    • Best Subscription Genealogy Website
    • Best Library or Archive Blog with a Genealogy Focus
    • Best State/Provincial Genealogical Society
    "The 2013 About Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards are open for nominations in a variety of categories, ranging from genealogy software and apps, to websites and blogs. Click on the links below to nominate your favorite sites. Nominations for the 2013 About Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards are open until midnight (EST) on February 17, 2013."


    The genealogy community needs to make their nominations on the site here, and nominations will be closed on 17 February.  After the candidates are selected, then voting will occur, with the winners announced on March 27, 2013.  

    I hope that Kimberly will post more about this once the candidates have been nominated.