New Understandings

I was recently reading an article on DNA work, (I know I am obsessed lately) and I learned that I do not know what half of the DNA language means, so I found this great article, Learning the DNA Lingo, and had to share. I learned a lot, but some just refreshed my high school days.

I remember what a chromosome and genome are, but I do not know what a haplotype is. I figure if I can learn something new, and I usually try to, then so can anyone. Learning about our family through DNA may not sound complicated,but learning the language of DNA is.

I enjoy the articles that are in the familytreemagazine.com edition. I always find interesting articles and tidbits of information that I can use. If you are not a member, become a free member today. They are a wealth of information that I use quite often.
 
I really wish I could afford familytreeuniversity.com, (I am not sure of the link.)
They offer many great classes and loads of informative videos that can help the most seasoned genealogist. What we need is the lay genealogist information video and corner.

I know familysearch.org is a great place to find informative videos and free advice, but they do not always have their server up and running or they do not always have the records I know to be on Ancestry.com. I find this to be a problem and quite aggravating, to say the least.

I find many records are in the archives that are part of the government papers. They are just as useful and are free. You can request copies for a price, or print a copy from the Internet. Either way, it is nice to have the records out there and accessible.

I know I also appreciate all the work that others do to make my genealogy searches go much easier. I am spoiled compared to old search and keep tactics. I think that it is important to have a hard copy, but I also think we have it so much easier when it comes to searching for our ancestors records.
I also thank those that have done the work for me so I can jsut see and click. Thank you all.

STILL SAME FAMILY

I have the craziest problem. The family line I am searching has a brother's family line that is eerily similar. There are two John Allen's, both living in Alabama at one time, with some of their children names the same. With very close birthdates. I am slowly unraveling the line, but I have to peel information from other's trees, yet make sure that the person is the correct one. It is not easy doing this, as I said, birthdates are nearly the same.

I have found that I am bordering on OCD trying to find the correct family trees for information, I have found that people have amended the census with the opposing wife's name on the wrong census. It is frustrating, to say the least.

  
I wish people that were doing their genealog would be a little more OCD when it comes to these records. Having placed the wrong names in family lines before, I know how hard it is to fix the problem. If a little moe time was taken, maybe the records would not be so convoluted. 

Once again, I want to do my DNA so I can find my family line, but the problem with that is that not enough people have done DNA sampling to straighten out all of my family lines. I am sure that my family have not all rushed out to do this, and the information is not just sitting there waiting on me to link with it.

My information will have to come from good old work. Again, this is the best way to go, but, if I find out that there is a database on my family, I am there.

                                                  

Another's Work

I have recently come into genealogy work done by someone else, and the pages are not correctly set up. There are names of grandchildren, not even of the same line, in with names of family that have been deceased for a hundred years or more. This is crazy, but now it has to be straightened out.

I really appreciate all the work that has been done in the family lines on my husband's side of the family by my father-in-law. Problem is, he just placed paperwork together, not necessarily of the same family. It is all family group records, so I can find the family names, I have some extremely great information.

I know sometimes we want to forego someone else's work because we know how much of a mess it can be, but do not do this. Appreciate the work that they have done and try to straighten it out. This work is still done and important. It may be a mess, it may be muddled, but it is still genealogy work and still necessary.

It is time-consuming, but so is regular genealogy work. It is still the names and dates and necessary information of family lines, but just not in order. Imagine the work that will be done once I get the 4-inch book in order. There will be so many new family names to investigate and learn.

All I can do is hope that the information is correct, but I do know he was an avid genealogist, so I am sure he has done the research. If not, at least, I have the names and dates to help out.

                                          

Still Searching

It is unbelievable how bad the lines are messed up for my family that is so generic. There are many people on Ancestry.com that have him in their tree, but the problem is, there are at least three JA born around the same time and lived in the same area. They were family, but until I am sure where my J comes in, I cannot add him, because I am not sure which one I would be adding.

One married a Sarah, one married a Susan, and I am not sure about the third, but these two names have been intertwined so much that they seem to be the same person until you do research. Research is one of the biggest things we can do when it comes to things like this. I am now going to have to look in unusual places.

I am not sure how I ma going to fix the mess that is JA. His line is either intertwined like I said, or the names Sarah and Susan were interchanged, and the last name changed from one to another. It has become my nemesis and my nightmare. The family came from AL and moved to GA and SC.

Problem is, the name was used in each family line that is A. JA was a popular name and they did not always use middle names. Mine did not seem to, but then I find records that have his name as JCA. That is not what I know him to be, so I am still stuck.

I will still work on it and let you know the progress and how I find the truth.

Generic Names

I have a family line that I cannot find the true family line for. The name is John Allen. This name brings up names from all over the country. I know where he lived, or so I thought until I found a source stating that he was born in a completely different state and had a completely different wife, but all other information is the same.

Children are the same and the birth dates are right, but the source could be wrong, right? Right. It is unfortunate that the census records are not always the end all source of information. It is only as good as the person arbitrating and the person that originally took the information down. We are all fallible, I just hate that idea of not knowing, though. This gets e wanting to do my DNA.

If I did this, I would be able to find out who I am and where I actually came from. I would know without a doubt if I came from Charles Kilgore Family Line or Thomas Kilgore Family Line. I would know what Matheny Family I still had left, if any. I would be able to find out all of this and more, and only for around a hundred bucks.

I always thought I would not do this, but after doing research for a school project, I think I might. I would love to know if I have family out there beyond the one's I know. I understand they do not give me living family names, but I would still be able to find out if I had any once I knew what lines were mine.

I think about this more and more and the more I research these generic names, the more I want to do it,

HMMM Pedigrees

Yes...pedigree like the dog. LOL We are looking for our pedigree line and that is what the charts are all about. We need them to keep our famil;y lines in order. Without them, we can become lost in the lines. They can be confusing when we have charts and forget who a person belongs to. The chart can keep you focused.
When you start filling an eighteen generation chart, you will feel the love that it has taken and the time that has been spent doing this. Having one of those beauties on the wall all filled in is a dream of mine. I would love to have one for each of my family members.

I know they are not doing the work, but I love sharing the work and the fun. It is so amazing to me when I link the names and I can fill in a place that was empty. I have used the Pedigree Charts for many years and I try to have one for each family member so I can give them away. I also have a Family Group Record for each member of a family line.

The Family Group Record is a way to keep up with a family line and not add it to the generational chart. You can start with these records and build up to the generational chart. Having a record gives you a reference point for each family member. You will know children, spouses and maiden names at a glance and I appreciate that. It makes for an easier way to find the information that you have and add the information you find.

Now that we are filling in our information, we can go back to discussing how to find and how to research your family lines.

                                  

Beginners First Step

I was realizing that this blog may not have a starting idea but then it definitely does not progress you forward. So, I thought I would start us out on the journey and keep us in the journey better than I have been. I will start over with this and give help to those that may have questions. If you do, please do not hesitate to ask. I would love to answer and it will be fodder for the blog. Thanks.

Now, we start, of course, with ourselves. We then add our children and their families. This means having a separate folder inside the master folder that has been set up for the family name. If you are female, it is the husband's name that is on the master file. As a female, use your maiden name in all your research and information.

Like My name is Jodie Kilgore Masteller. I would have a master file that said Masteller and it would have Robert's daughter's family. That folder would have her married name on  a folder. Then there would be a master folder that had Kilgore, and that would be a folder that I would use for my family. It would have all my brothers and sisters, as well as my dad. Then I would have a file that was for my mom's maiden name and her siblings.

This is a great way to keep up with all family names inside of a family line. Once this is done, you can arrange a similar filing system on your computer. You can create folders and subfolders that hold all of the information that you have found online. One thing I highly recommend is that you record the databases you have searched and do so in hardcopy and on the computer.

Trying to remember all of the places you have been and the areas that you did and did not find information can be overwhelming. So many people do this type of research and do not record where they have been, what they found, and when they were there. It might also be a good idea to record any other pertinent information. I know I have found out the hard way that I should do this.

I have found family information only to lose it because I did not record the website address. It is so frustrating to know that the information was at your fingertips only to know you let it go. You never know when you will need the information again. Or you did not find anything and do not need to waste your time on the website. Either way, recording information hardcopy is important.

So, now we know where to start, how to start, with ourselves and our folders, and what to do to start. Next, we will talk about adding family members to trees and family group records and pedigree charts.

                                     

Future, Present and Past

It is so hard to find what we are looking for, that at times, we have to resort to creative ways of finding who we are looking for.  How we do so maybe just a tweak here or there, or it could be drastic enough to be a whole new name, but indeed your ancestors.

I have found my ancestors in states I never knew they had been, and not found them when I know they are supposed to be there. I have names of towns that my grandfather lived in that no longer exist if they ever did. According to him they did, but according to geography, they never did. This can be frustrating, but it can also be a way to drive yourself crazy.

I cannot find him when he lived in New Mexico, but he remembered it plain as day. I can find him in California and in his home state of Alabama. I can find him in Florida as he grew older and joined the service. I can trace him reasonably well. My grandmother was in the South her whole life and is easily traceble. My husband's family is another story. They can be traced to a certain date and no more.

The German line is traced to a small town and the town's church records were lost in a fire and the town's public records were lost as well. There was no way to trace a certain line past this point because there is no way to know where they came from before the town was established. This is a sad part of reality at times. There is no way to link the past with the future.

                                                   

Grandchildren

We often speak of our ancestors because they are why we do what we do. We do not often talk about our posterity, our descendants, those that fill our lives and our shoes. I am brought to mind about them because my granddaughter's birthday is tomorrow. I remember it like it was yesterday, racing down to Orangeburg to be there at my daughter's side while she had her baby.

It is for this reason that we keep records and the reason we journal, or keep a diary. We want them to know about us, who we are, what we like, and how we felt. I am a blogger, but I am not a journaler. I leave my footprint in a different way, by blogging about what is happening in my head, my life and my passion.

When I try to write, my hand starts cramping, and I cannot write. Then I cannot type or anything. So I forget the journal, and I remember the blog. It is important that we leave records for our family so they can remember us and help their children to learn about us.  I just hope there is a way to access my blog in the future. :}

I do not take pictures very well, so I shy away from the camera. They are another way our posterity can help remember us, but you must take the photograph. It is beautiful when I find pictures of ancestor's I have never seen or barely remember. Older pictures are rare, but rare does not mean not there.  It just means that it makes the pictures priceless.

                                         

Archives and Indexing

It is so important that we remember to index anytime we get a chance. If volunteers will not do this, then the price of these records will become monstrous. They will no longer be free to those of us who do genealogy on a shoestring budget. The records will become part of the paid only parts of the websites.

I am so grateful for websites such as Archives.com that offer so many archived records for free. It is so nice to use that word in relation to genealogy and family history. FREE. Not much is free in this passion of mine, as you well know. If a person could go and look themselves, then the records are there.

This is why it is so important, I mean really, how many of us can afford to go and look at the records firsthand? I know many of you are wondering how do you possibly get involved in doing indexing anyway? Well, I had that same question. I had to find out for myself. There is only one way that I know of.

I know people who do this and I do it myself. Indexing is the opposite, because you do not trace your line, but the friend of genealogy. Indexing only happens through volunteers that download software from FamilySearch.org. The website offers truly free family history records and ways to build family trees. They offer the only downloadable indexing programs that I know of.

I truly appreciate the idea behind this project and I celebrate those that do indexing on a regular basis.  I try but do not get to regularly index the records. I have to say that it is very interesting to read the older obituaries, though. I recommend to all genealogists that they become indexers. It will help others and will help you decipher census records better too. Perk!

Genetics

I can say that I have not done the genetics or the DNA tests that help establish your family lines. It is to help you find your respective line so there will be no mistakes in your family tree. I know someone who has done it, and I actually have not asked them about it, but maybe I should. I try to know my family line, but so many people want to claim individual stories to their line, that the lines get muddled.

The DNA tests are supposed to solve that problem. It takes the guesswork out of finding your right family line. I am also wondering if it takes the fun out of finding the family names? Is it part of the fun for you? I know I love the detective work, but even detectives use all tools available. One reason I have not done this is because of the money it costs. I know it costs, but I am not sure how much, nor have I looked into it.

I am always looked at as being a unique individual. I pride myself on that and have no problem saying I do not want ot do that test. If I did, I could solve the mystery that is me on all sides of my tree. I could know why I have certain issues, and I could know who is my true patriarch that established my line here in America. That would be a boon, but...

Knowing the true lines can be a blessing and if you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , then you would be doubly blessed to know this information. Knowledge is not a bad thing, unless it is the wrong knowledge. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Reading Headstones

I love old gravesites and graveyards. There is something very peaceful about them. They are also very informative or can be if you can read the headstones. But what if the headstone is old and weather worn? Well, there are at least three things I know you can do to make a headstone legible.

One, spray it down with water. Lightly spray the headstone, without soaking the words. The letter impressions will show up against the darker outside stone. Then you will be able to read the headstone and take pictures as well as copy the letters onto paper.

Second, you can go on a sunny day, and try to position a mirror under the letters so that the light shines across the front so the letter impressions are highlighted. Then you may be able to take a picture and copy the lettering so you can have a hard copy of the headstone to go with the pictures.

Third, the old standby, rubbing. Please do this gently. Very gently. Do it with graphite and onion paper so there is no friction and no need to rub hard. I do not like this idea, but sometimes, this is the only way that one can read a headstone.

I like the old graveyards, but the cemetaries of today have legible headstones. It is a trade-off. Of course, most ancestors are in the older graveyards and we are looking for our older ancestors.

Stumbling Around in the Dark

I like to Google the words to Family History because it gives me new topics and insights into genealogy. I have found many helpful web pages by using this wonderful search engine. Sometimes we must stumble around in the dark until we find the light switch.

This time, I stumbled across a great website called The Federation, and it seems to be a treasure trove of information. The Federation of Family History Societies is a collection of many genealogy societies, across the pond, that can tie you to many subjects.

I have also stumbled across the topics board at Ancestry.com. This board has access to many topics that are being discussed on there at any given moment. I saw boards on DNA and family bibles as well as ethnicity and adoptions. There may be some valuable answers here.

It does not matter where you find your information, as long as you cite it so you can find it again, and you don't plagiarize, you can use it to build your tree. Information is accessible if we learn how to search for it. If we are willing to take a leap of faith and say yes, that is them, and then search that line till you find the link or the unlink, then you are well on your way.

Prayer and fortitude are what are called for when it comes to Family History. There are days that you do not want to quit because there is so much information coming in, and then there are days that there are no new lines of investigation. Either way, it is sometimes a blessing to stumble in the dark. It makes you search for the light switch that much harder.

                                            

County Lines

I was traveling in the mountains with my husband this weekend and I realized that the county lines that was once in an area, are no longer the lines. County lines have changed over the years and I am not so sure that it does not create a lot of issues. I have been looking for certain family members and I try to find them in one county, but now I am thinking I need to check the county lines and see if they were changed in that time period. It would explain so much.

I do not often think about the county lines and how they have changed over the years. I would love to have an old map of the United States and its counties. In this way, I could find out where the lines were, and compare them to now. It might make a difference in finding lost family members or not.

My family has not ever had a lot of money, except back in the days before America. They may not be on the books because they were in debtors prison, or maybe they moved and I cannot find them because of that. Moving was not always a hard thing. Land was a grab bag and one could just homestead almost anywhere.

This makes it hard to find family at times. If they move and leave no forwarding address, how does one go about finding the elusive family? This is where one must really comb the census records, even in areas that you did not know there was any family there. They may have been in another state in that ten year period. If that happens, well one must be prepared for anything, so you find them and YAY your family line goes on.

The important thing to remember is to not give up. Just because they are not in the county you expected, does not mean they are not somewhere. They have to be, right?

Family First

I have a friend that is about to lose her mother, and she is having a hard time dealing with it. It is, after all, her mommy. Her first love and her first everything. Mothers supply so much in our lives that we use and grow on. Our compassion and willingness to give and serve and love all comes from a mother's touch.

The link to the past and the person that you have known all your life, and who has known you your whole life, that gave you life, is about to go on to the next stage in her continual development. I have tried to tell the daughter that we chose this, that we knew how hard our lives would be and how we would lose the one's we love.

This is the reason we do genealogy. We want to stay connected to the past and to the future. Our ancestor's and our posterity do this for us. As we look and find our ancestor's, we give them life again. We bring them to mind and allow them to be among this world again for a moment in time.

How many times have you felt the ancestor directing and driving you to the place you need to be. Like going to a cemetery and praying to find your family member, and find them among all the headstones.  This is true inspiration and that comes from beyond the veil.

We are so blessed to be living in this era and time. We have our ancestors at our fingertips and we can find them with the touch of a button. How great is this?!

HMMMM

I went to church last night to the Family History Center and the computers there are locked with a password and no public patron can use the computers. This creates problems because we rely on the public's usage to stay open. Not that we charge, but if no one uses us, then we can lose our funding. I am so frustrated because for weeks I have been having technical issues with the computers and this does not help.

I wanted to do some work last night, but I was so wrapped up in the computers, I did not get to. I am writing today before I do my genealogy because I want to write my mom and dad's story of how they met. I think it is crazy and sweet.

My mon was out with her friends at the movies and was sitting with her girlfriends. My mom thought my dad was cute and said so to her friend. Her friend, Shirley told my dad what my mom said. Then my dad moved up to sit beside her. He was with friends as well. He left them where they were and moved up beside my mom.

After the movie, they parted ways. Mom went home with her friends and did not think about dad much. Daddy was already in love with mom so he showed up at her house. She wanted to go out with her friends but she couldn't. My grandmother was holding her because my dad was there. He actually hid his truck so she would not see it and surprised her. They talked for hours and that is that.

This union created five children, 13 grandchildren, 22 great grandkids and who knows how many more? It is such a wonderful thing to see our posterity growing.  Thanks, Mom and Dad. I love you.

It is not the greatest love story but it has withstood time. This year on April 26th they will be married for 60 years. I am in awe of that and am so very grateful for the example that they are.

Thia is my mother's aunt on her mothers side.

 

 

Too Long

It has been too long since I have posted. I have not been doing too much genealogy as I have been busy with my living family. They are the best and require my attention at times. It is my adopted family, so to speak, that requires my attention. I know that my ancestors are calling and tonight I will answer that call.

A call comes that brings us back to our ancestors, and sometimes we have to answer that call. It becomes loud and necessary. I have the call and have been ignoring it for so long now. I need to deal with everyday life and it becomes hard to do my family work as well as all I do.

I am making excuses for not doing that which I have made a promise to do. It is something that I need to do. I feel that I have been lax in many things in my life. My family work is just one of the facets that I have fallen short in. I strive to do too much, or maybe I just cannot fit all things in every day.

I need to make a schedule so I can devote some time each week to family history, even if not twice a week. I do not think it is something that I will be able to do every day, but I want to be able to devote time every week. I know I am not the only one that struggles to find time every week, so I am going to post my schedule and maybe that will help.

War TImes

I have been looking at my family line on my father's side and realized that all his family generations, until now, have been military. We even had a member become military in this generation, but he chose to leave and let his wife stay. I am amazed that so many of my family were willing to sacrifice and give of their selves to their country.

I have traced my lineage on my father's patriarchal side back to 0719 and have found that even back then we were in the military. Of course, we also were kings and queens of small parcels of land so being military was required. I found that we fought in the war that teh movie Braveheart was made for.

It is so strange, but it is also wonderful. I know my grandfather told a few stories of what happened to him while he was in Okinawa. There was one about how this young boy wanted to go home. My grandfather was a medic and the boy looked at him and said, "Doc, shoot me so I can go home." My grandfather told him he could not do it. The next day the boy was shot and died. He was sent home just not the way he expected.

My grandfather felt guilty for that young man's death for many years. He felt that he should have done more for that boy, but there was no way he could shoot him, even in the leg. I am glad that my grandfather did not shoot the boy, even though he died. I believe my granddaddy would have never forgiven himself if he would have shot that boy and the boy died from complications. War is rough and it is never over for those that live it.

The records that are from the different wars can help us find our family that may have been a prisoner in the wars. They also help us find the wives that drew a compensation from the military. As we search these records, we find information that we may not have known, like the color of their eyes and hair. It is so much fun to find a draft card or military card and see the information that crings the person to life again, at least for a moment in time.

  

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Photographs

Old photographs have often fascinated me, and I have the fortunate blessing of having a photo album full of photos that came from someone, but not the family that is pictured in the photos. No one seems to know anything about the family, and I have looked on Ancestry to share these with their family.

I recently read a blog 4 Tips to Identify Unknown Family Photographs by Lisa Lisson and she gave me  great idea for helping to get these photos identified. I am going to upload them to a Pintrest and start a page that has unknown photographs. These photos can  be sent around and maybe, just maybe, we can find the family that belong to them.

This is a great idea and I am so grateful that someone has given me a new way to share them. I do well when someone gives me an idea, but I need the idea, and then I can build.on it. I am like that company, I do not build it, I just make it better. :}

I have old photos that I have found on Ancestry that I did not know were out there and thanks to them I was able to add them to my family tree online. I love the ease of adding sources to my family line when I do searches, I just have to be absolutely sure before I do it, but most of the time I can tell the family resemblance.

Many of my family members do not even care about genealogy, family history, or anything that has to do with it, except the end result. They love the idea of having a family tree for their line, but they do not care about the work that goes into creating one of these personal mementos. As the line grows, I tend to want to say you can have it, but you keep it up. That just will not do though. I must keep the line going as long as I can. I feel the pull of my family, and I can not say no to them.

Census Records and Memories

At church I am over the Family History Center. I am the director so that means that all things lead to me. I am the tech person and I do not know enough. I do know a few things, and was able to find out that we have an issue between the modem and the computers that are in the Family History Center.

Now, this center is open to all persons, and without the Internet Service, we have no center to offer the public. I now have a problem because my center is closed. It is because of this technical issue, that AT&T wants to charge to fix, I have not been able to open my center for weeks. Now I need a tech person to fix it. Wish me luck and say a prayer.

Now, I have just learned that there were state census records from 1890 that survived. This is a great boon to those individuals that happen to be in that area. The link to the website, Census Bureau Records, which gives the list of the areas that these records are from is here, 1890 List.

It is so awful to know that there is a twenty year gap of family records when it is so hard to follow a line to that point to begin with. Following the lines, eventually one gets to the 1890 census, and then one wants to cry. They are not the truest written records, but they are so important when it comes to following a family as they moved across country.

My grandfather was born in Alabama, but when he was young, him and his parents moved across country and the census shows that. It is so good to see the proof and the links that the census provides. It gives me a better knowledge of my grandfather and his early years, and the stories that he told. He remembers the whole move and told many stories about those ten years.

He was born in a census year so he was easier to follow than some of my family. He told the stories of riding on a train to the many areas that they lived in those years. It is so good that he gave us those records of him.

It reminds me that we need to be vigilant in our journaling so our posterity can know who we were and how we lived, not just our birth and death. Family History is so much more that just genealogy. It is the stories that bind, they are necessary for a true link to each generation. The records that we keep are what helps our posterity keep the tree going.
                 



    
                                

Organization

I have recently found a way that I think may help me organize my files, or at least it will if I stick to it. It is a folder system inside of a folder.

I know right. It is ingenious. The hanging folder, or larger folder, holds the smaller folders. The main folder has the maiden name of the family line, say like mine would say Kilgore, then there would be subfolders that had my sisters married names as well as mine, and my brothers as Kilgore's. The folders would hold any information that I found on them, or pictures that they have.

You can do this on your computer and do this physically. Hard copy of any record is a must, and having the same type of filing system that you have on your computer may help.

I am not sure if this will change the way I tackle my organization in family history, or am I dreaming about that, but either way, it is a great idea. Color coding names would help too, like the folders for one family line are marked in blue, the next green, the next purple, and so on. This would help you find the family at a glance.

This all sounds great, and maybe I can do this too. After all, I talk about it, I should be able to do it. Problem is, I can tell you better than I can show you. I can see what others are doing wrong, but I cannot change the same issue in my own life. Just like this organization thing. I can tell you how to do it, I can do it for you, once I tell you about it, but as far as doing it for myself, that is another story altogether. It has always been that way with me.

I used to love to help others get their bedrooms cleaned up, but as far as cleaning my own, I hated doing it. My dad has been a Quality Control Expert for at least 50 years and I have learned that from him. Checking behind others, and telling them what is wrong is in my blood. After all, I am only 48. HaHa.

Searching Cemetaries

I have been to cemeteries and have been floored to find no way of knowing how to find the name or names I am looking for because there is no onsight office Well, now I know how to find those names if it happens again, I go to the clerk's office and they can help me find the information on any cemetery and plot that has been plotted. How about that. Now, if there is no office, or no caretaker onsight, then there is another option. No longer do you have to worry, but I still suggest you pray. After all, most families want to be found.

Of course, not many people can enter a cemetery without saying a quick prayer anyway. They feel that chill that runs up the back when there are spirits. Not everyone sees them, not everyone recognizes them, but almost everyone knows they are going to be there if anywhere. I know I have been to the cemetery and have a fully charged camera, and phone, only to find that both have been drained, or that the photo turned out all black, nothing. Like the piece on the chip had been exposed or a finger may have covered the lens. I know this to not be true, but the evidence says differently.

I love walking in a cemetery just the same, and I think they are so peaceful. I always feel pulled or pushed in directions that I can never quite understand, but they are still so quiet and restful. I love the idea of someone reaching out to me and asking me to help them in some small way. I guess that is why we pray when we enter. We want to guarantee the spirits that communicate are one's that do not harm us.

Many will read this and think that I have lost my mind, but others will know just what I mean. Either way, I know how to find records of cemeteries that do not have offices or caretakers.

Family Thoughts

Lately I have been ranting on FamilySearch, but I guess I should not do that. They offer a free service to anybody that wishes to use it, and that is special all in itself. I am frustrated with the lines that are not right, and I am working with another person to straighten out this line of my family on my dad's side.

I really wish that my ancestors knew that I was going to trace them. Maybe they would have left me better records to go by. I would love to have some of the genealogy that others have and join it to mine, but in FamilySearch, I need to be exact because it is not just my tree I affect. Knowing you are going to change someone's world makes you pause for a moment. Getting it right is more important than ever.

I know I would not mind it if others were in my family circle, but they have a family and they need to be with them, not in the wrong family. After all, we are talking about eternity and who we will spend it with. I love my family so much that I want to be with them through all eternity. I realize this is a long time, bit I was given the best family and I do not want to lose them.If I need to, I can always take a break from them.

It has been a long trip and it will be longer, but at least I will have my wonderful family to take it with.

GRRRR

I am angry today. I have a family tree on FamilySearch and I am not happy with it or the way it can be changed by others. I had a family line that was a brother rather than a father. I straitened it out, only to have others go crazy.

Now this is my tree, so I should be able to change whatever I want, but nope, others are now upset that I took the name off of the line. My tree, my line, my work. This is the way I feel, but the others that are tied into my tree are going crazy. I am sorry that the other people are affected, but I am still of the mind that bit is my tree.

This is why I like Ancestry

and the trees that are on there. You can add to or take from your tree,  and no one has to worry about their private tree. This is so much easier and so much more  of an intelligent design. I have a tree on both sites and I am definitely happier with Ancestry's website design. I do like the memory section and the like on FamilySearch, but the tree interaction design takes the fun out of having the tree.

I must go back into FamilySearch and add to the tree so other people do not have to feel like their tree is in a disarray. I do not like the idea of messing in another's family tree and it is quite worrisome. I hope I can get the line straightened out soon. I know the others that my changes affected will be happy for me to get it straightened out. I imagine that they feel like their lives have been disrupted. I know I do every time some one changes the line. I better hurry huh?

Lost Time

The time spent searching for our ancestors is not lost time. This can be the best time spent on anything. It can help with health issues by allowing you to know what your ancestors died from. It can also tie you to a family that you did not think you had.

Genealogists every where know what it feels like to find a name that was not there, but now, you have new family. This feeling never gets old.

Recently my father-in-law passed, and I have been looking at a new family that is mine by marriage. This makes me think about the families that do not have loved ones searching for them.

Families are ties that bind, in a good way. I cannot imagine what it is like to not want to know your ancestors
They are the only reason we are here, after all. They hold all of the answers, as we are the sum of them.

Think about this.  

Meanderings of a Tired Mind

I have to apologize. It has taken so long to come back and blog. I have been helping others, going to school, and helping my husband with coins. We are trying to sell his collection, and I mean collection, on Ebay.com and also going to school. I should do better, but not many read this blog and so no one really cares but me.

I have been asked to help with the Relief Society "mall" next month. My store will be of course, the Family History Store, and I am going to try and create a nice table to display my store on. I am not very imaginative, so I am hoping that I can be better than I normally am. I am going to town on Pinterest and am really glad that others are also doing this.

I have found that it is a great way to hold all of your information in one place, and allow others to access the information too. I have started my boards holding all my family history pictures, and am soon going to start a new board because my old board is getting fuill. I really like the idea and I am going to use it and expand it.

I found that I so missed writing my blog, but since I had no followers, I kept letting other things take me away. I need to write this for me, not any one else. If I get you to follow me and read my blog, I will then have a better reason. Until then, I will write because I want to. I can use this as a way to talk about my family and their lives, as well as write about genealogy issues that arise that I find interesting.

I have to say that I was surprised that it took me so long to realize how I will never be organized with my genealogy. I would love to. I would love to be able to put my fingertips on any piece of information that I I have ever found. This will not happpen as far as I am concerned.. I have a husband that takes up a lot of my time, and he does not share well. I am glad we did not have children or there would have been competition.

Maybe tomorrow I will write about genealogy more. Today I have been meandering on the thought patrol. I will try to do better, but then again, the older I get, the worse it gets.

Lunatic Fringe

I am late but I am here. I am always late, but I always show up. You can count on me to do what I said I would, and I did. I have been researching lunacy records by using Google.com and have found some interesting finds.

First, Lunacy Records is not the group so ignore that if you do search for the records under this name. Second, once you find the records. you may not be able to view online. This is where your local genealogical Family History Center comes in. They allow you to have access to the Ancestry.com records for free and many other choice paid websites. To have one in your area can be a great help.

There are also many libraries that offer access to the records of the area and the state. You can also ask your local historian for help. They are usually in only at certain times but check with your local library and they may be able to help. The point is that there are many places that one can turn to for help. Now, back to the records.

The National Archives can help you as well. There are many searchable records on this website. They hold the lunacy records as well as any archived records. It is a great resource to use and study. They have loads of information on the country and the people who lived in it.

Searching for these records can be frustrating because every record has to be digitized before it can be searched. Your record may not be there yet. Do not give up on the search because unless the records were destroyed, they exist. If the record was destroyed in the fires or floods, I am sorry for your loss. There is no regaining that record.

It is mournful to think that a piece of history that told a story of a person can no longer be accessed. The loss of those records that were destroyed is almost heartbreaking. No birth and death certificates, no record of their life. Finding a piece of that time that helps establish the individual is so much more important and fulfilling.

Searching and researching is what we do when we want to know who we are and how we got here. The records of our ancestors, even if they are from the lunacy papers, are important and tell the story of family. Happy searching this week.