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!!! :-)