Free Resources pay off!

Posted on by Kathleen

I’ll be the first person in line to admit I don’t ever want to give up my Ancestry.com membership. It’s so convenient for searching. I know the downfalls and dangers but I just don’t care. It’s like my fluffy pajamas, they’re my security blankets.

I think sometimes it’s easy to forget all those other great resources out there in the shadow of Ancestry though. Just waiting to be found and utilized sometimes. I’m definitely making a trip to the National Archives this summer, I’m pretty sure the local historical and genealogy societies do day trip shuttles. Why shouldn’t I take advantage! I’m also thinking about volunteering at the local historical society. I used to know some people there and I think I could be some help. Especially if there are forms to fill out, I love forms.

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Well I had plans

Posted on by Kathleen

I started to get a tech geek itch. It was bad, it’s always pretty bad, but it was really bad today. It’s been awhile since I had something new to play with. So I barely restrained myself from installing a Wiki onto the site and playing around with the code. Just barely did I escape the future headache that would have become.

I escaped it by telling myself I’d break out the handy dandy library card and do some searching online at newspaperarchive.com. I got pretty excited too. There’s this entry I want to write, but I want to find the newspaper article first to back me up. It’s one of those things I haven’t been able to find in all these years. I really need a Jersey genealogy trip.

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Then and Now: Lincoln Memorial

Posted on by Kathleen

Last month we entertained family from Ohio. For the first time in many years we finally went into D.C. and enjoyed the sites/sights, both words work. 🙂

L. Lincoln Memorial being built in 1916.  R. Lincoln Memorial as it stands today, 2010.

The image on the left is from the National Archives. There are no known restrictions on the photo, so I went ahead and posted it. If I’m violating something, just let me know. The image on the right is my own. As are the ones I’m posting down below.

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That makes sense!

Posted on by Kathleen

Yesterday I shared with you my forays into researching Hulda Adkins, #0034 from my Random Relative Project â„¢ (Category coming soon, I’m addicted to categories). Late last night, I was just kind of playing around on my laptop before bed. I had already turned off my desktop and wasn’t really paying attention to what I was doing. For the purposes of recreation though, I’m taking a more direct route to my discovery.

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Random People: Hulda Adkins #0034

Posted on by Kathleen

I had an idea! Why not share my progress on my “random people” with you! First up is Hulda Adkins. In my Original file I don’t have much on her yet. I have her 1870 listing, which was when she was just 9 years old.

Hulda Adkins
born: about 1861, Kentucky
Parents: Harrison Adkins, Rebecca Click

Hulda’s family in 1870 (Blue Lick Springs, Nicholas Co, KY)

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Progress!

Posted on by Kathleen

I finally sat down and started playing in my free of sources Family Tree Maker family file. The one with all of the people, and none of the sources. I keep on trying to figure out the Source Citation procedure for Family Tree Maker but it doesn’t ever end with me actually feeling like I’m doing it correctly. Even though in the newer versions, they have templates to aid you in the process. For some reason, I just couldn’t get it to be what I wanted.

I think I may have finally “figured it out.” I have to use the quotes, because… Well, I might not have figured it out. I’m never sure if I ever have things correct or not. It’s a side effect of never reading instruction manuals. One day I’ll be forced to follow the “rules” but so far I’m doing fine bumbling through life at the seat of my pants… or fluffy pajamas as it were.

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It’s not my fault

Posted on by Kathleen

Sometimes when I end up spending a big chunk of my time doing stuff on the computer, I don’t always get things done. It’s like I’ve wasted all that time. I’ve finally chased the cause of this very annoying side effect.

I made a disastrous mistake in putting my computer desk near my window. I don’t know what I was thinking. On any given day I am interrupted by birds, squirrels, stray cats, and even crazy weather. With so much going on outside my window I’m surprised I get anything done. Who can resist squirrels hanging upside down from a canopy trying to eat the bird seed? Certainly not me.

If anyone knows of a cure for this crazy disease, don’t give it to me! The world outside my window is so wonderful. In fact we even bought a table set for our deck so I can enjoy it outside too. Hmm… Genealogy blogging from the deck? Who’s in? 🙂

I promise my blog will get interesting again someday. Remember when I wrote stories about cook books and that Irishman who is going to sweep me off my feet? Those were the days. haha.

Why must you do that?

Posted on by Kathleen

I know it’s an old complaint. Everyone has it. I just don’t know why people can’t just get last names right! I’m not even just talking about record keepers. I’m talking about people too. I don’t have the problem on my Dad’s family, or on the Taylors. I have the misspelling problem with the Mays family. That I can deal with.

The Moyer family has been a whole new frustration though. For some reason the family goes by both Moyer and Myers/Meyers/Moyer. I thought at first it was a miscommunication with the census. However, when I looked again at the Moyer tree that was sent to me a few years ago, some of the Moyer children chose to go by Myers/Meyers eventually.

Oy, this just makes things difficult. :\