Mother's Day: Stories about Mom

Mother's Day is a special day set aside for us to show appreciation to our Mother's for all they have done (although we know mothers should be appreciated every day)! And for those who don't know, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13, 2018.

I started thinking about things that I would've loved to ask my mother about her life and about her mother, but since she is no longer here that is something that I am unable to do. So I opted for the next best thing - "Deddy"! I got my recorder out and headed to "Deddy's" house so he could tell me all about my mother and his. We had a good interview and these recordings will be stored in our family archives. It's amazing what things come back to your mind during a casual conversation and other things you get to learn. It was a great way to share and capture family history and also acknowledge our mothers.

So for those who may still be stressing about what to do for Mother's Day, I encourage you to spend some time learning more about your mother while you still have her. You could even get her a nice journal and encourage her to write about her life and you can discuss it with her. If you don't have your mother, that's ok too, you can spend time learning more about her from others who knew her.

What you'll need:

• A quiet space for discussion
• Plenty of time for discussion and recording  
• Pen and paper for taking notes 
• A recording device (phone, memo recorder, camcorder, etc.) 

Questions to get started (I used these questions as a starting point with "Deddy" to learn more about his mother, but you can tailor to suit your interview.):

• What was your mother's full name? Did she have any nicknames? 
• What were her parents names? 
• When was she born (month/date/year)? 
• Where was she born? Is this where she grew up? 
• How many siblings did she have? Was she the youngest? 
• Tell me about some of her traits
• Which of her traits do you think you inherited from her? 
• Is there anything you wish you could ask your mother? 
• Share a fond memory of your mother

Happy Mother's Day! 

National DNA Day - April 25, 2018!

It’s National DNA Day! If you’ve been thinking about digging deeper into your ancestry through DNA testing, today is a great day for it! There are companies offering some great deals to help you get one step closer to completing the puzzle of your ancestry. Take advantage of these great offers - and even get a few extra testing kits for other family members! These deals are only good for today so move fast! 

Ancestry

23andMe - They also have another offer where Ancestry.com subscribers can upload there genetic data to receive 4 free reports!

MyHeritage

LivingDNA

FamilyTree Magazine

RootsTech 2018 (Photo/Video Highlights)

Last week I had the experience of a lifetime - I was able to attend the annual RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City, UT. RootsTech is probably one of the largest genealogy conferences there is. There was so much information to take in from the classes, to the vendor booths, and all of the connections to be made. This conference was nothing less than amazing! I was excited to learn and to connect in-person with all those I have built relationships with through social media, and to make connections with those I connected with at the conference for the first time. The icing on the cake was meeting and taking a photo with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.!

I was in attendance with AAHGS (Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society) to be a booth volunteer and cover their social media. I was very excited that I was granted an opportunity during the conference to teach others about "Indexing Family Photos" (presentation footage coming soon).

I've created this video with some photo highlights of many I've connected with, who help make up this great genealogy community! If you see yourself in the video, please list your blog, website, or social media info in the comments section of my blog so we can all stay connected!

I look forward to seeing you at RootsTech 2019!

Z is for...Zip Code! ABC Genealogy Do Over - Day 26!

Z is for...Zip Code! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 26! A Zip Code (Zoning Improvement Plan) is a code that identifies where mail is handled for a given area. It was introduced in 1963 as a means to make the delivery of mail quicker and more efficient. 

Y is for...Yearbook! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 25!

Y is for...Yearbook! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 25! A Yearbook (generally issued by a school or society) is published annually, and details information about its members and activities during a particular year. 

X is for...ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 24!

X is for...X is his mark! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 24! What the signer of a document would write if he couldn’t write his name. Signing a document in this manner was usually due to illiteracy or disability, and a witness would label the X as “his mark.” The witness was required to make the mark valid. 

W is for...Will! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 23!

W is for...Will! A Will is a document outlining instructions for what should be done with one’s real and personal property after their demise. #MadamAncestry #ABC #genealogychallenge #doover #will

V is for...Vital Records! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 22!

V is for...Vital Records! Vital Records are records of life events for every person - such as birth, marriage, divorce, and death records. These records are maintained under governmental authority. The privacy laws fro who can access these records and when they can be accessed varies.

U is for...UsGenWeb! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 21!

U is for...USGenWeb! The USGenWeb Project is a volunteer maintained website that lists genealogical databases, bulletin boards, libraries, and other resources to aid in genealogy research.

T is for...Transcribe! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 20!

 

 

T is for...Transcribe! To Transcribe is to make a full handwritten or typed copy of a written work, record, or set of records.

S is for...Surname! ABC Genealogy Challenge - Day 19!

S is for...Surname! A Surname is a name that is common to or shared among members of the same family; generally speaking, a last name.

R is for...Repository! ABC Genealogy Challenege Do Over - Day 18!

R is for...Repository! A Repository is an archive that houses a collection of historical documents/records that provides information related to places, events, groups of people, etc.

Q is for...Quitclaim Deed! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 17!

Q is for...Quitclaim Deed! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 17! A Quitclaim Deed allows for the transfer of interest in real property. The entity transferring its interest is called the grantor, and when the quitclaim deed is properly completed and executed, it transfers any interest the grantor has in the property to a recipient, called the grantee.

P is for...Pension! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 16!

P is for...Pension! A Pension is a disability benefit paid regularly to one after retirement from military service or due to a military service-related disability. If the pensioner is deceased, the benefit would be paid to their surviving spouse.

O is for...Oral History! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 15!

O is for...Oral History! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 15! Oral history is a collection of family stories told by a family member or someone close to the family. Oral history can be lost over time, so it is best to capture this information by writing it down or recording it (video or audio). 

N is for...Née! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day14!

N is for...Née! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 14! A term used to denote a woman’s maiden name/surname at birth. For example: Rachel Miller, née Jones. 

M is for...Manumission! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 13!

 

M is for...Manumission! Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves.

L is for...Local History! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 12!

L is for...Local History! Local History details historical events surrounding a particular area, and also details information about notable families that lived in the area. 

K is for...Kin! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 11!

K is for...Kin! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 11! Kin is a blood relative; a group of people who are descended from a common ancestor. 

J is for...Judgment Docket! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 10!

J is for...Judgment Docket! A Judgment Docket is a list of all judgments of a particular court, made available to the public for examination. You may be surprised by what you find out about your ancestors in court records! I sure was surprised by what I found out about mine! :-D