Holiday Gift Ideas!!!

The holidays are fast approaching and I'm sure you're probably trying to think up some good gift ideas for your loved ones. Let me help you out by sharing some. Of course Madam Ancestry would begin with personalized family gifts first! Did you expect anything less? :-)

Let me start off by saying that it really is the thought that counts when giving gifts. It's nice that someone gives you a gift, but it means more when it's something that you can truly appreciate. Great gifts are all around - it's just a matter of putting some real thought into it. I'm working on a special project for some of my family members for Christmas. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag but I can say it will represent someone that we love dearly, and I can't wait to see their faces when they open it! I will be sure to post the photo after they open it! 

If you're still thinking...How about a key chain that has a photo of a beloved family member or favorite memory? How about a cool t-shirt (or sweatshirt) with the family name or favorite saying of a family member? There are some easy DIY gifts like a family recipe book (Pinterest is a great resource for DIY ideas). If you're not the DIY type, then you're sure to find the perfect gift from these suggestions below. Click on the company's name to go directly to its website.

MyCanvas 

If you're looking to bring family stories and photos to life, then you've come to the right place! MyCanvas offers many keepsakes such as Photo Books, Collage Posters, Calendars, Family History Books, and Family Tree Posters. Let MyCanvas make a masterpiece with your memories today!

P.S. They have a 20% off sitewide coupon good through November 30th!!!

Origami Owl

This is sure to be your new "go-to" for personalized jewelry! Origami Owl creates pieces that are all about you! Each piece can be custom-made for an individual or occasion. They offer lockets, bracelets, watches, and more! Some items are even available for inscription! Oh yeah, they even have a cool holiday catalog out right now so make sure you check that out too!

Things Remembered

This right here!!! Ok, one of my family members shared this with me last week. She said "I saw this in the catalog and immediately thought of you"! Things Remembered  is known for its variety of personalized gifts, but this is the first time I've seen anything tailored for those who have a passion for their family tree! Things Remembered - You've made family historians all over the world extremely happy with this piece - I love it!!!

P.S. They are offering some really good coupons on their website right now so check it out!

Fabratastic UK

I came across this on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and thought this was the most adorable thing! What a great keepsake to have! Fabratastic UK specializes in custom cushions. Contact them today to order your custom decorative piece! I do have to tell you that they are now completely booked so new orders cannot be fulfilled until after Christmas (yay for them)! But don't worry, late gifts are still appreciated! :-) 

A Little Peace

Today is the anniversary of my mother's passing and I decided to share this little story with you. Many years ago I brought home a peace lily plant from my mother's funeral. About a year later the leaves started falling off, but I could not bring myself to throw the barren plant away. It sat for a whole year NOT GROWING and when I finally decided to throw it out - THE VERY NEXT DAY it grew into something completely different! Each year it seems to stay barren until I have the thought that I'm going to throw it out, and then it grows into something completely different again before I can do so. I finally took that as a sign that Mama did not want me to throw the plant out, so I vowed that the barren plant would stay put so it can grow whenever it decides to grow. I don't even water it anymore, it just grows on its own. The picture above is what it grew into once (I don't even know what kind of plant this is). It used to freak me out a little because it kept happening, but now I look forward to the surprise of seeing what it will grow into next! Little things like the smell of her perfume, her handwriting, her favorite snack, even a plant - these are some of things that bring me a little peace and many fond memories :-) 

What We Learned from the Family Photos Indexing Event

I hope everyone had a great time participating in the Family Photos Indexing Event last Friday! I know my family and I had a great time! I've been asked to share some things we learned/took away from that experience and to also post my "how to" video for those who missed it. So here goes...

1. While those Micron pens I told you all about write really well and are supposed to be great for archiving, they are not smudge-proof. We learned that the hard way :-/ So now we're in search of another kind of pen that will endure through generations to come.
2. Start with one stack at a time. Everyone who had a pen had a stack of photos, and some who didn't have pens also had a stack a photos. Needless to say various ones got off track from the task at hand. Some spent more time going down memory lane instead of indexing (smile)! This also turned into a positive because it opened up discussions about family connections and family events of times past. But next time we will probably work on one stack at a time collectively to make sure we are indexing more photos :-)
3. There's something for everyone to do from sorting, to identifying, to indexing. 
4. There are decades worth of memories captured and we didn't index them all in one night. We hope to have more indexing nights in the future.  
5. My "Deddy" said that he will try to remember where he got those handy and spacious photo storage boxes so that I can pass that information on to you all. When I know, you'll know!
6. We ALWAYS enjoy family time! 
7. In case you missed my video, click here to view it now!

I hope we have inspired you to go ahead and start planning a day for you and your family to get together and index your family photos!

 

Family Photos Indexing Event 11/13/15!

Today's the day - Family Photos Indexing Event! This is a fun activity you can do with your family today for "Family Friday" (or any day that's convenient for you and your family). My family decided we would participate in this activity this evening and I can't wait! Check out my video on Facebook about it!

The Family Photos Indexing Event has multiple benefits:

1. Promoting quality time with your family
2. Creating more great family memories
3. Generating discussion about ancestors and family history
4. Finally organizing all those family photos you have tucked away 
5. Learning a new skill of how to properly index family photos 

Stay tuned for my follow up video tonight as I outline the process! We hope you and your family will join in on the fun! 

Happy Family Friday! :-)

Shoulda...Coulda...Woulda...Asking Family Questions Before it's too Late!

It's Family Friday!!! And if you're still looking for something to do, here's an idea for you: I came across an article on Huffington Post a few days ago titled "7 Questions To Ask Your Parents Before They Die". Actually, these questions can be asked of any older relatives in your family.

I can't tell you how many times people (including some of my relatives) have told me they wished they "Shoulda...Coulda...Woulda..." asked questions but they didn't. Well...the individuals who could've answered those questions for them are no longer here, so unfortunately they will never be able to get the answers to those questions.

Your grandparents, parents, and other older relatives can give great insight into their lives and the lives of those before them. Today is a perfect day to call them up or visit with them, and ask some questions about the family!  So save your "Shoulda...Coulda...Woulda..." and start asking those important family questions before it's too late! I'm sure you can think of at least one thing you've always wanted to know about your family. Use the questions from the article as a starting point and begin tailoring more specific questions about your family. Pretty soon you'll have an entire family history put together! I can't wait to hear about it!

Happy Family Friday!!!

Hello! My name is...

Everyone who knows me knows that I LOVE MY NAME! It sounds good and it has a good meaning. Have you ever stopped to find out what your name means? My friends over at Crestleaf put together this list of "Spooky Surname Meanings" and I'm glad to say my surname is not on this list (smile). Because if my surname was something like...umm...Calamity (#5 on the list), I'd probably change it. Check out the "Spooky Surname Meanings" to see if your surname made the list. If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the meaning. If your surname is not on the list, I'd still love hear your comments ;-)

Happy Searching! :-)

A Day at the Georgia Archives

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the Georgia Archives for an all-day genealogy workshop. There were several sessions going on throughout the day, but I opted to attend the Basics of Genealogy session. I've attended many basic/intro genealogy classes in the past, and can remember one instructor urging us to continue to periodically attend beginner's classes for two reasons:

1. To always keep basic principles fresh in your mind 
2. You can always learn more 

This is definitely true. 

The class yesterday was basically from 9am-5pm. It was indeed a day's work. Hey, you've got to put in work if you want to be good at what you do, right? The instructor covered basics such as where/how to gather sources, how to record that information and references on how to properly to cite sources, filling out ancestral charts and group charts, and lots of other helpful information. We even had time for document analysis and a round table discussion with all of the instructors for the day! We also discussed a couple funnies such as:

1. "Family Hoarders" - Relatives who gather family information and refuse to share it with anyone else in the family.
2. It has been stated that conservatively speaking, we each have 60,000 living cousins - Can you imagine that?!

It was so great to meet and connect with other individuals in the class - some who had been doing family research for years, and others who were just beginning their family history research journey. I think the youngest person in the class was a teenager, so it was great to see someone so young taking an interest in capturing their family history. 

My takeaway is going to be studying maps of areas where my ancestors lived. I hate reading maps (I may have to save that story for one Family Friday...lol). I was also inspired to search (again) in some of the special census' for a few of my ancestors who seem to have disappeared (smile).

I found out about this event through a local genealogical society in my area. Link up with some genealogical societies/groups in your area to see what events are being offered in your area. 

I want to give a huge thanks to the Georgia Archives for putting this event together!!! Click here for a link to the Georgia Archives website to stay updated on what they have going on. By the way, the National Archives is located next door to the Georgia Archives! Jackpot!!!

Happy Searching! :-)

Fear of the Known

For many people, genealogy can be quite fascinating; for others, it can be quite frightening. There are some people who choose not to explore their genealogy because they are fearful of what they may find. They would just rather not know because what is known may be too much for them to bear.

It would be a wonderful thing if all of our ancestors were upstanding, law abiding citizens who never did wrong or caused any trouble. Maybe they could've been community advocates, royalty, or maybe achieved some other form of fame or success. In such instances, these would be wonderful things to recall about our family histories; however, for various individuals this is not the case. Some family histories are laced with tales of infidelity, poverty, brawlers and outlaws, various forms of abuse, and the list goes on. These things can be embarrassing and hurtful, and usually requires being dealt with delicately. 

Over the past few years, I've encountered a few people who have expressed that they have an interest in researching their family. Before they could even get off of the ground good with any research, they were urged to stop by this person or that person in their family. Clearly, there were things that those family members did not want them to find out. Imagine for just a moment what it would be like if we concealed world history or American history the way we conceal family history from relatives. 

While I do understand that you can't force an individual to share information that they aren't ready to share, the point is that no matter how good or how bad, that information may be of some significance within your family. 

If you're still interested in researching your family, but having reservations because of family members, maybe these few tips can help you. REMEMBER:

1. We are not responsible for the actions of relatives who lived before us! There is no reason to carry that kind of guilt. 
2. No family is perfect and no one person in your family is perfect. 
3. If someone tells you that they don't want to talk about it - don't. That doesn't mean that they may never talk to you about it, but it just may not be the right time. Respect where they are in their decision at that moment. And occasionally try to ease into it to see if they've softened up to talk about it ;-) I've gone as far as asking somebody else. That may or may not work for you. You know your family dynamic. 
4. Do your own research. Just because "so and so" doesn't want to know, that doesn't stop you from knowing. You don't have to hold a family press conference to let the entire family know that you've been secretly researching. Research whatever information you deem necessary and file it away.  
5. Let people believe what they want to believe. You can have all the documented proof in the world, and there will still be that one relative who will challenge anything you say or show them because "so and so" has told them otherwise. There is no need to argue about it. If that's their reality, let them live in it. You just continue keeping accurate family records. 
6. If you're the keeper of family records and you're asked to keep confidentiality about a specific matter or person, you should respect those wishes. They know you're responsible enough to keep good family records without embarrassing them to the entire family. Now if this is about something that happened way back in like 1890, your family member really needs to stop! 
7. You can always hire me to do the research for you (smile)!

Happy Searching! :-D 

Google it!

Google is one of my favorite go-to places for looking up information, because it has everything about everything! No matter how many family research sites I check out, I always find myself going back to Google to try and cross-reference something. One benefit of Google is that there are links to a vast array of sites and not strictly limited to a specific grouping, as a family research site would be.

In my family research, one person who has always been of particular interest to me is my 2x great uncle. I've heard many stories and and read many things online that noted him as an effective and well renowned pastor. I often thought about how great it would be to see him in motion or hear his voice. So I decided to...Google it! To my surprise, someone had archived some footage that included him! This short film featured various historical events. It was a silent film, but it was still more than I could have imagined to find. What a feeling I had to actually be able to see him standing in front of his church, along with the split second footage showing his charismatic demeanor, as he delivered a sermon to the congregation! One word - WOW!

Then I got to thinking about his wife. If he was so well-known, I couldn't understand why there were no pictures or images of her. For years I searched trying to discover what she looked like, but I had no success. I finally decided that she would be an image that I would just have to create in my mind - that is until a few weeks ago! I was online doing some research and I decided to type her name in Google to see if there might me any new updates. I didn't see any results worth clicking on, but thought I'd try Google Images to see what may be there. Tada!!! There was a picture of her in the newspaper, along with her testimonial about using Madam C.J. Walker's hair care products! I was completely blown away! It was also a little emotional to think this was a person whom I thought I'd never get to see their likeness...and now I have! :-D

Google has been a great tool in helping me make other family history discoveries. There's a wealth of information to be found from links to other sites, to newspapers, to videos, and much more! So whatever family information you may seeking, try to Google It! You never know what you may find!

Happy searching!!! :-)

MyCanvas Guest Blogger Series!!!

I've got some exciting news! MyCanvas has launched a Guest Blogger Series that will feature blog posts from beginners to experts in the genealogy field. Every guest blogger has a special story to share! The Guest Blogger Series will run each Tuesday from September - December 2015. I'd also like to mention that yours truly will be featured on December 1st! Click here  for a full list of the guest bloggers, along with stories that have already gone live, and mentions of the upcoming stories to be featured. We need you to help spread the word and show your support by following these great stories each Tuesday! Oh, and remember to use #MyCanvasGBS when sharing! :-)

Congratulations to everyone featured in this series! 

Recipe Reflections

On this Family Friday, I’d like to talk a little bit about recipes. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that some of the best memories are created over food. I can remember my excitement as a kid when my mother would bake cakes. I would sit on the counter or curled up in a chair at the kitchen table, patiently waiting to lick the cake batter from the bowl – and the beaters! The vanilla batter was my favorite! I remember how fun it was when one of my sisters would whip out her junior cookbook and make us snickerdoodles, brownies, or some other sweet treat. Then my dad, who also likes to create masterpieces in the kitchen – gathering us around the stove as we made our own personal pizzas out of bagels topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni – the best snack! And a most honorable mention to my aunts for the homemade rolls, pound cakes, and other goodies. All these recipes take me back to simpler times and fond memories.

After my mom passed, I think many of us found ourselves longing for certain meals she used to prepare. The dilemma we ran into was that no one seemed to have any of the recipes! My sisters and I would be on the phone for hours trying to piece the recipes together based on what we each remembered of the meals. For the most part I think we’ve been able to replicate everything; although the salmon croquettes were perfected through trial and error (I won’t name the person who provided the bad data for that recipe, but you know who you are…lol).

While my sisters and I have primarily assumed the task of preparing meals for family functions, I still don’t know whether the recipes have been written down anywhere. I may have to plan a day for all of us to sit down and write out all of the recipes, and also make sure that we each have copies.

Having family recipes has its benefits and here are a few: 

1. Keeps family memories alive.
2. Allows you to spend quality time bonding with your family, as you all recreate those meals.
3. A keepsake to pass down for generations.
4. Allows you to share foods you enjoy with your family (I know this one goes without saying…smile!).

I’d love to hear from you! Share which foods bring back fun family memories and why!

If you find that you don’t have any family recipes, today’s a great day to create some! So grab your family and get in the kitchen!

Happy Family Friday!!! 

Know your chart!

We’re all familiar with our chart in the doctor’s office. You know the one that contains our personal information like our height and weight, our medical history, medications we may be on, etc. You know everything on the chart because all that information helps make up who you are. Without this information, the doctor wouldn’t have a clue about you.

The same goes for your family history. Without proper record-keeping, people in your family won’t have a clue about you. How many times have you heard people in your family say things like “I didn’t know you were born there”, “I didn’t realize your mother/father was married before and had other children”, “I didn’t realize your parents (or grandparents) names were…” The list of things they don’t know about you/your family may go on and on. There are probably some things you don’t know about yourself/your family because it has not been recorded. The good news is there are two charts that can help you easily capture information about your family – A Pedigree Chart (sometimes referred to as an Ancestral Chart or Lineage Chart) and a Family Group Chart.

Pedigree Chart - Family Search

Family Group Chart - Family Search

Family Group Chart - Ancestry

I attended a class hosted by a local genealogical society where they explained various charts and how to complete them. The Pedigree Chart deals specifically with you and who you descend from (parents, great grandparents, and so on). #1 on the chart would be you (whether you are male or female). For all other numbers on the chart, men are listed on the even numbered lines and women are listed on the odd numbered lines. The Family Group Chart compiles information on each family unit. For example: If you are one of five children born to the same parents, you all would make up one family group and would be listed on the group chart together. If either parent goes on to have additional children, you would list that parent, their spouse, and their child(ren) on another group chart because they make up another family group.

Some important things to remember:

1.       Dates should be recorded in the following format – 26 January 1890.

2.       Locations should be recorded in the following order – City (town or village) name, county, and state (within the U.S.); Local name, province, country (for foreign countries).

3.       Use maiden names when recording information on women.

4.       List full names if known

a.       Only use initials if full name isn’t known

b.      Nicknames should be noted in quotation marks

5.       Surnames should be capitalized so those names can be easily distinguished among other names on the chart.

Happy searching! :-)

Family Treasures

Family heirlooms are what I often call family treasures. The worth/value of these family treasures are priceless, primarily for its historical significance to the family. I recently stumbled across an article online about a woman who wore a 127 year old wedding gown for her wedding. This story immediately caught my attention so I clicked on it to see what it was all about. To my surprise, the wedding dress had been passed down in their family, beginning from when the great-great grandmother wore it for her own wedding in 1884! How cool is that?! I don't know these people, but I share in their excitement for being able to retain and pass down something so wonderful!

This got me thinking about treasures in my own family and to the best of my knowledge, we hardly have any. I talked with some friends about their family treasures and they didn't seem to have any. Many of them agreed that they have only had family stories passed down, but not tangible items. Family stories are great, but I always say that the stories are only as good (or accurate) as the person telling them.

I was sure that my family had to have something worth passing down so I began rummaging through things again. I did find a few things, but I guess I didn't realize the historical significance of those items at the time they were given to me - now I do. I've held them and safely tucked them away for safekeeping.

One family treasure that I have is a fine china set that my aunt gave me. She inherited it from someone else in the family and eventually gave the set to me. Another item I have is a memory box that I created after my mother passed away. I didn't want want to forget anything about her so I took some things like one of her outfits; the perfume I enjoyed her wearing; things that she'd handwritten, and I placed them all in a memory box. There have been more grandchildren born since her passing and periodically some will randomly ask me questions about her. When they're a little older maybe I will have the opportunity to share some of the things in the memory box, to help them learn more about her. My father has a few odds and ends that I would also consider family treasures. I created a family history book a while ago and I remember my father saying "This is nice. This is a family heirloom." It feels good to know that you have contributed something of quality that is worth passing down in your family.

If others in the family had retained more family treasures, maybe my family history journey wouldn't be so challenging (smile)!Think twice before you decide to throw those old family belongings in the trash. You may find some great family treasures in the pile! Think carefully before you bestow family treasures to other relatives. Make sure that the person receiving the item(s) is responsible enough to preserve the item(s) and the family history!

Happy searching!!! :-)

Who in the World Operates Nash Cemetery in Bowie County, TX???

(Image courtesy of a contributor on Find A Grave)

Nash Cemetery is located in Bowie County, Texas. It is the place where some of my ancestors are buried. One day was I trying to determine where a particular husband and wife were buried (the wife is my ancestor through my paternal line). I was able to find a death certificate for her, but so far haven't been able to find a death certificate for her husband. On her death certificate I noticed that it listed where she was buried. I took to the internet and found a website that had a photo of her tombstone - and to my surprise, a photo of her husband's tombstone was right next to hers!

I decided that it may be cool to plan a trip and visit this cemetery to see what other ancestors may be buried there. I looked online to contact the cemetery but there was no phone number - not even an address. There were images online of the cemetery and I could tell that it looked very old, but it appeared that it was being tended to. 

Finally, I was able to contact the county office. When I inquired about contacting the cemetery, the clerk giggled and told me that they had no idea who operated that cemetery anymore. I asked "How can the county not know who operates a cemetery in its jurisdiction?" She told me that it was previously kept up by one group, but they don't do it anymore, and all they - meaning the county - knows is that it's being kept up but they don't know who is responsible for keeping it up. 

That very limited information has caused me to postpone when I would like to visit this place, because I do not have info on hours, etc. I know that many of my ancestors lived and died in close proximity, so it is very likely that many others may also be buried in this same cemetery. My question now is: Who in the World Operates Nash Cemetery in Bowie County, TX??? Any light you can shed on this would be most helpful :-) 

Let's Get Serious: Hereditary Health Issues

Family history is great! It opens up the door for so many questions - Where did our family come from? What was grandma/grandpa like? Who are the people in these family photos? So forth and so on. We get so excited making all of these fascinating discoveries, that we we oftentimes fail to ask one major question - What can you tell me about our family health?

It is so important to know if there is anything we may be predisposed to, so that we know how to deal with it. 

My mother suffered a stroke and so did her mother. I know that I don't handle stress well - I never have. I'm not getting any younger and I'd be lying if I said I never worried at the thought of having a stroke. Of course this is something that I would never want to happen to me, but I never talked to my mother in depth about her health and her family's health. At this point, I have no way of knowing whether they had certain hereditary traits that put them at a higher risk for stroke, or if it was just simply the result of poor food choices, lack of exercise, etc. In my research of my mother's family, there are also a couple of cases of the same type of cancer, which leads me to ponder some things that I know I will never be able to get the answers to.

On the flip side, my father appears to be in as close to perfect health as someone his age could be. The more I think about it, he always has been (in my opinion anyway). We've talked  about people in his family who have suffered from things like heart disease and diabetes in particular. Based on the information provided, it sounds like these issues could have been the result of a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Genetics could be a factor, but because no one really discussed health, I can't say for certain. I also remember my father remarking once that he was nervous about approaching a certain age, because his father and grandfather both had heart attacks at that age. He was soon able to breath a sigh of relief when he reached that age and did not have a heart attack. To this day, I still do not know if there were contributing factors that put his father and grandfather at risk for having a heart attack.

Since I have limited family health history information, I now make some generalizations about my health based on my parents' health history. So the way I see this thing is that I have a 50/50 shot of having close to perfect health like my father too (smile)! Knowing that my odds are straight down the middle, I want to make sure I am doing everything I can to have the most favorable outcome. That primarily means:

1. Having discussions with my family about my health and their health. If one of my siblings may have a certain issue, I want to be certain whether or not I may also be at risk for that issue and vice versa. 
2. Having a better diet, staying active, and staying on top of routine checkups. 

I will also say that if you're starting a family or thinking about starting a family, it is so important to find out about your mate's health and what runs in their family. Family Friday is coming up and that would be a good opportunity to discuss health with your family. You don't have to wait until Friday though, you can have that conversation today!

You can use this printable Family Health Portrait from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, to get started collecting your family health history. 

@MadamAncestry - One of the Top 40 Twitter Accounts to Follow

Recently, I received some great news! Crestleaf named me as one of the top 40 Twitter accounts to follow! The list is in alphabetical order, so I'm #30, but at least I made the list (smile)! This is an achievement that I am proud of. I'm still fairly new to Twitter. I can honestly say that I had no idea what I was doing when I first began my Twitter journey. In the beginning it was a struggle trying to get followers, and understanding tweets and retweets, etc.

Not too long ago, I almost decided to delete my Twitter account because I felt like maybe I wasn't catching on, and thought this might not be for me. I was wrong! You know, it takes time to let things grow. I'm glad I decided to hang in there. I've been able to connect with some really great people in the genealogy community. I've even gained many, many, many more followers than the 12 I started out with :-D

So I'm thankful to Crestleaf for recognizing my efforts, and considering my account to be engaging enough to be included on this list! Check out the list below to follow me - and all the other noteworthy others who are making a contribution in the genealogy community! 

Getting Organized

Ok, so remember we previously went over all that great family information you found in your home? Now you're probably wondering how in the world to organize all this information. Getting organized is very simple. I've seen people organize their information in a number of ways. Truthfully, there is no right or wrong way to organize your family information - it should be an individual preference based on your research goals.

For me, I decided to opt for a nice 3-ring binder (pictured above) and placed all of the information in chronological order. Each section is broken out by each family unit, starting with the earliest documentation on that family unit, family tree charts, any other supporting documentation on that family, and family photos. I sort of wanted it to tell a story and also be an easy reference for anybody in the family to find their place in the book. I purchased this binder along with sheet protectors and decorative cardstock from a store called Archiver's. This place was a gem, but unfortunately they closed their free-standing stores (thankfully you can still order from them online at http://www.archiversannex.com/). You may find similar items for organization at local retailers, but this vendor has a lot of specialty items, so just compare to see what works best for you.

As you begin your journey to get organized remember some important things:

1. When purchasing sheet protectors to place documents and photos in, remember to ALWAYS purchase the ones that are marked as archival safe and acid-free. This type won't pick up or smear ink/color from the contents inside, and it also won't crack or discolor over time. 
2. The value of family records, family photos, and other family memorabilia is PRICELESS! So always remember to handle with care, because many of those things cannot be replaced if damaged or lost. 
3. Always keep electronic copies of records and photos in addition to any originals that you have. NEVER loan your originals to anyone. If your binder/folder is going to be passed around to family members to view, you may even want to consider using copies to place in your binder/folder, and keep your originals put up somewhere in a safe and secure place. 

If you're looking for more ideas to get organized, you can also check out Pinterest and do a search for something along the lines of "how to organize family history" or "how to organize family photos" or any other similar terms. You will have to create a free account in order to search and view ideas. 

Happy organizing!!! :-)

Long Live Family Dinner

One day I was out "thrifting" and noticed this plate (pictured above) was for sale. It immediately took my mind back to when we had family dinner when I was a kid. We had a complete dishware set in this design when I was a kid! The plate for sale was a single item, but I couldn't help but wonder if this was one of the plates from our set. I got so excited, I had to have it - so I bought it for 25 cents! It might sound silly but this plate brought back a lot of fond childhood memories.

I come from a large family and one of my favorite family traditions is...FAMILY DINNER, of course! Family dinner is usually a Sunday affair. Yes we get together for birthdays and holidays (and any other random time...lol), but there is just something special about Sunday Family Dinner. My family is so big that we never had the traditional experience of us all sitting at one table, and asking to pass the potatoes, etc. Instead, you fix your plate in the buffet line in the kitchen and find a seat wherever you can fit (smile)!

It's a time to catch up on what everybody has been doing all week long and talk about our plans for the coming week. One second we hear the kids arguing, and in the next second their overwhelming laughter because on top of being family, they truly are best friends. It's a time where advice is given whether it's asked for or not, because folks have been around a lot longer than you so you just have to listen. Who's gotten taller? Who's getting good grades? Who are you dating? Because no questions are off limit! We tell jokes, we share recipes and we voice our opinions. The discussions that take place are truly entertaining. We also have the TV watchers, the ones who like to nap, and in the midst of all of this, anything else can be going on from playing outside, to getting your hair styled/cut, to singing, to some serious competition in a game of some sort. My favorite part is hearing the same family stories that STILL have us in a roaring laughter, like it was the first time we've heard those stories. Those stories will only be passed down as long we continue to tell them.

All these things are what memories are made of! Family traditions are important because they keep families together. If you don't have a family tradition, I urge you to start one today! I sincerely hope that the next generations of my family will keep the same fervor of family togetherness as we have today. Of course we love each other, but there's nothing like getting together with some good food. So to that I say...LONG LIVE FAMILY DINNER! :-)

HELP ME FIND THE HILSONS!!!

Hey everybody! I need your help! I need you to HELP ME FIND THE HILSONS!!! Check out my video below (there will be follow up videos added soon). I need your help in researching a family name (Hilson) so I can connect as many branches of my family tree as possible! I need to know anything about the following people:

1. Ike Hilson
2. Lafayette "Fate" Hilson 
3. Richard Hilson 
4. Governor Hilson 
5. Milbery Hilson 
6. Crecy Hilson Garland
7. Preston Hilson
8. Berry Hilson
9. Martha Hilson Ealy
10. Elijah Ealy
11. William Ealy
12. Clark Ealy

I'm asking everyone to take a few minutes whenever you can to help me find any information on these individuals. Check out the video to find out more! I thank you in advance for your help!

1...2...3...Go! Help me find the Hilsons!

Happy Searching! :-)

Getting Started: Part 2.2

Hey everybody! Ok, I know I'm super late with this video, but better late than never, right? ;-D
This is a follow up to the blog post "Getting Started: Part 2.1". This one briefly covers the family bible, marriage records, divorce records, military records, family & friends, and you! Enjoy!

Resources for Researching African-American Genealogy

One of my favorite go to places for genealogy research is Family Search (https://familysearch.org/). This site provides a plethora of free information for those looking to research more about their family. They also have some great collections specifically for researching African-American Genealogy. Check out the link below!

https://familysearch.org/african-american-genealogy

Happy searching! :-)

Guess Who's Coming to the Family Reunion?!

Family reunions are an exciting time! It’s a time when immediate families and their extended families can get together to catch up and reminisce. I love my family and I love attending the family reunions! In all the years I've been attending the reunions, I think I've only missed two – not willfully of course. I’ll do everything in my power to get to the reunion, because I don’t want to miss anything or miss an opportunity to reunite with my family once more – life’s too short to put off something so important.

A few years ago, we had plans to attend the family reunion that year. Some of my family had already left for the reunion days prior, but I wasn't able to leave when they did. Due to a scheduling conflict, it was starting to look like I wasn't going to be able to make the reunion that year. I was determined to get there! I finally decided that I was going, even if that meant driving through the night to be there for one day and turning right around to come back home.

One of my sisters decided to go with me. We had a smooth ride, and showed up at the picnic just in time. We were so excited to see everybody. I’m glad we decided to go because we soon made an interesting discovery.

I scanned the park looking around at all of my relatives in the same place. I then noticed a woman sitting at a table with one of my cousins. I didn't know the lady personally but I knew I had seen her before. I quickly remembered where I knew her from, and I wondered what she was doing at my family reunion. I turned to my sister and asked in surprise “Hey, isn't that the lady from your job?”  My sister looked and said “Yeah, that is her! What is she doing here?” she asked me. “I don’t know. I've never seen her at the reunions. She’s got to know someone or she wouldn't be here. Let’s go find out!” I said as we walked toward the table.

As we approached the table, my sister called out to her. The lady greeted her and asked “What are you doing here?” My sister replied “This is my family reunion. What are you doing here?” The lady replied “This is my aunt” as she pointed to my cousin. I said “That’s our cousin.” We stood there for a moment trying to figure it out and my cousin said to us “Yes, this is my niece – my husband’s niece, and these are my cousins.” The three of us let out a simultaneous “Ohhh…” and we had a good laugh about running into each other there.

While the lady is no relation to me, it’s such a small world that my sister’s co-worker would be related to one of our cousins – even if it is by marriage. Make it a priority to attend family reunions and get to know people. You never know who will be there and you never know who knows who!   

How are you related to me?

I often get questions from people asking me to help them understand their relation to certain individuals in their family. Most people seem to get confused on anybody past their first cousins...lol. Trying to determine who's who can be a little tricky sometimes. Well, I've got some great news for you! My new friend Mark with Crestleaf, has sent me some great information - a family relationship chart, that helps make it much easier to identify who's who in your family tree at a glance! Check out this helpful link below for a FREE printable copy of the chart!

http://crestleaf.com/blog/relative-family-relationship-chart/

I've been around the world!!!

I’m excited to tell you that I've been around the world! Well, my DNA has anyway :-D

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to take another step in my genealogy research – I had my DNA tested to determine my ethnic origins. What I found out was quite interesting. There were numerous factors that led me to get this done:  

People often ask me “Where are you from?”  When I reply with my state of birth they look a little puzzled and ask “Really? But what country are you from originally?” I reply “The United States” and you should see some of the shocked looks I receive. They began to tell me that I look like I’m from some place of Caribbean decent. I don’t think I look Caribbean at all and I’m not quite sure what features those people saw in me to make that assessment.

Then there was the time I was on vacation, visiting a quaint little island. I was in line to pay for a horse carriage tour of the island. When I approached the window the clerk asked for my ID (even though she had not previously asked anyone else for their ID). All in all, it turned out to be some kind of checks and balances process to confirm that I wasn't a worker trying to leave the island. Someone told me the island contracts migrant workers to work on the island for a specified period of time – somewhere from the Caribbean, they didn't know exactly where. If the workers are caught leaving prior to the end of their contract, they face some severe penalties.

This really got my wheels turning. My mother (who is now deceased) never knew her father – only his name. Of course that left me without knowing anything about him or his side of the family. I began to wonder “Could I have descended from the Caribbean through him?”

Let’s not forget the countless family stories about having Native American ancestry through my paternal bloodline. Stories are exactly what there were to me unless someone could actually provide me with proof. I always asked questions about this: What was the name of the tribe? What was the name of the reservation? What happened to those people? No could ever answer those questions for me. It was always this person or that person told them about it, but there was never any supporting evidence.

With all this uncertainty and speculation, I decided to take the plunge and have my DNA tested through AncestryDNA to find out what I'm made up of. The test studies your DNA for your paternal and maternal lines – the only thing is that the results do not tell you which ethnicities you inherited from each parent.

I discovered that I have zero Native American in my bloodline. That means that neither my mother nor father has it in their genetic makeup…so I can finally put those tales to rest. My ethnic origin is predominately African, then there's some Irish and Great Britain ancestry, and also ancestry from some other regions that left me scratching my head (I'm still trying to figure out how to account for those regions...lol).  

I urge you to also take this test and discover your true ethnic origins! Ancestry offers a test that is very simple (www.dna.ancestry.com) and costs only $99. Consider it an investment in your legacy (and no I was not paid or coerced to say that…lol)! You will need to create a free account with Ancestry to begin the process. It takes about 6-8 weeks for the results to come back through your online account but I received my results within 4 weeks.  You can probably find a coupon code somewhere online to get free shipping for the kit.

Happy searching! :-) 

Getting Started: Part 2.1

Hey everybody! This is a follow up to the blog post "Getting Started: Part 1". I just wanted to give you a brief overview on how resources in your home can be helpful to you in your research! I've decided to break up Part 2 into two sections - 2.1. and 2.2. Check out the video below "Getting Started: Part 2.1 as we briefly cover photographs, programs, birth & death records, cemetery & burial records, and obituaries. Part 2.2 will be coming soon!

Madam Ancestry - Introduction

Hi everybody! Check out this video for a quick introduction of Madam Ancestry :-)

Getting Started: Part 1

Now that you've established who/what you're looking for and the reason why, it's time to get started sorting through some resources for research! I often talk to people who express an interest to research their family to some extent, but they are hesitant to begin the process. Usually it's because they have no clue how to get started, so the entire process is completely overwhelming to them. Believe it or not, it's quite easy to get started. Many of the resources you need to get started are probably right in your home or easily accessible. Here's a list to kick things off:

1. Photographs
2. Programs (wedding, graduation, etc.)
3. Birth Records
4. Death Records
5. Obituaries
6. Marriage Records
7. Divorce Records
8. Cemetery/Burial Records
9. Military Records
10. Family Bible
11. Family & Friends
12. YOU!!!

I know you're probably wondering how some of this information is going to help you in your research. I'll explain it all in my follow up video. Now, get busy pulling this information from the attic, closet, memory box, or other storage spot and we will talk soon! 

Happy searching! :-)

What does it mean to you?

Two important questions to ask yourself before beginning your research are:

1. Who or what am I looking for?
2. Why am I looking for this information? 

Some people may be looking to satisfy a simple curiosity, while others may be seeking some kind of closure or other various reason. For me it's about completing a story. Imagine walking in on a good movie when it's half over. You have no idea what happened leading up to that point, so you're dying to get back to the beginning to find out. I needed to get back to the beginning of my family's story to understand how we got to where we are today. While I have had some success researching my lineage through my paternal 2nd great grandfather, I have also been on a mission to find the next set of living relatives of each of his 9 siblings. I feel confident that somewhere there is someone who has information to fill in some of the blanks to this great story! I also thought it would be cool to connect all of the descendants (and hopefully meet), and as best as I know, no one has taken on a task like this! To date, I have been able to make contact with the descendants of two of his brothers and have located the descendants of two more of their siblings! The research continues!

So start thinking about what your research means to you and what you're looking to accomplish, and go for it!!!