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.