The Road to Recovery

Some have wondered where I've been for the past couple of months, because I haven't really been active on social media and my work and updates came to a screeching halt. Well...I recently had a major surgery and had been recovering for those couple of months. I had a family member ask if I would blog about my ordeal. I told her I may mention my absence to my followers but that I wouldn't blog in-depth about my ordeal. Just know my surgeon was a God-send; the surgery went well and I was able to have a smooth recovery - God is good! I'm still building back up day by day but overall am doing well. I'd like to thank my family for my 'round the clock care during that time. To those of you who knew why I was out - I thank you for your love, prayers, and well wishes. I also thank all of my followers for your patience and understanding as I work to get caught up. 

NOW, I'm ready to get back to work! So stay tuned because we are picking up where we left off with the "ABC's of Genealogy"! I also have some exciting guests lined up for Family Fridays in September and October to talk about Family Traditions and Childhood Homes. Don't miss it!

Vintage Postcards

Family history is always around us. I found these postcards from the 1950's and 1960's sent by my aunt and grandmother. And check out the postage! :-D I shared these with my aunt and she said she had forgotten all about this trip. I'm still puzzled about the postcard from my grandmother, because from all accounts she only traveled once in her life - to Georgia! Apparently she didn't like to go anywhere outside of her neighborhood. #MadamAncestry #FamilyFriday #familyhistory #1950s #1960s #vintage #postcards #travel #memories

Judge Reah Whitehead

Aspen Genealogy asked me to share this info! Here are the details I've been provided: (Front and back) it's a photo of Judge Reah Whitehead, b. abt 1898 in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to Seattle where she lived for about 35 years. She never married, had no children and as I can tell had no siblings. I'd love to find a descendent of her parents who would like this photo, which I found at a flea market in Texas, of all places  If we can't find a family member then I'll likely donate it to the Seattle historical society. Thanks for any assistance!


So let's get to work #genfriends! If you have information that could help connect descendants with this photo postcard, please contact Aspen Genealogy.

#MadamAncestry #FamilyFriday #AspenGenealogy #WHITEHEAD #ancestors #photo #postcard #familyhistory

Happy Juneteenth!

C is for...Cite your sources! - ABC Genealogy Challenge Day 3!

C is for...Cite your sources! OK, I'll admit that this probably the most not so fun part of genealogy, but it is a necessary step. It's kind of like enjoying a feast and then having to wash the dishes - nobody wants to wash the dishes, but it has to be done! Why Cite your sources? Here are just a few reasons why:

1. It helps you organize your research so you do not duplicate work 
2. It lends credibility to the information you provide (so people will know you didn't just make this stuff up!)
3. It provides a path to follow for anyone else reviewing or continuing your research

Check out these great examples from Ancestral Findings on how to Cite sources!

B is for...Boolean Search! - ABC Genealogy Challenge Day 2!

B is for...Boolean Search! It does sound kind of funny and I'm sure somebody out there is probably wondering "What in the world does that mean?" I'll tell you! A Boolean Search is quite helpful for online research as it helps to better define results when you combine keywords and modifiers for your search such as AND, NOT, and OR. I also like this funny term because it reminds me of "Booyah" which is what I usually holler out after I find a record! :-D

Try this search method and see what interesting results you may come up with!

#BooleanSearch #Booyah

A is for...Ancestor! - ABC Genealogy Challenge Day 1!

A is for...Ancestor! The definition of Ancestor is "a person from whom one is descended; forbear; progenitor". An Ancestor is usually the starting point of one's family history journey. There is something about that Ancestor that we long to know and long to connect with - a name; a major life event; or some similarity we find intriguing. Finding an Ancestor can offer so much! For some, it can offer closure and for others it can offer a whole new identity - the possibilities are endless!

So if you've been wanting to begin your family history journey, pick one Ancestor of interest and begin there!

#LongLiveAncestors