tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15665092773743915862024-02-07T01:07:37.520-05:00Confessions of a GeneaholicThis is my thoughts, experiences, and tips I have learned through my research on my own family history as well as my steps and process that I have taken in my research. I hope that my experiences are helpful to my readers and help them continue their own genealogy searches. I hope to provide some insight as well as some humor.Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-14241924644217460812019-07-16T14:41:00.000-04:002019-07-16T14:41:01.648-04:00Challenges in Genealogy<br />
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We all have our
challenges in our research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think for
me the biggest challenge has been my 4x great grand parents, John Fitzgerald,
or William John Fitzgerald, and his wife Emily Tennyson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I have found one source that has given
me John's parent's names, I proceed with caution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why you may ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because like any other puzzle it takes more
than one piece of evidence to support the information that we document.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This may be the
scientist in me coming out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Researchers
don't just test a new medication or medical device once before releasing it to
the public, that could have catastrophic consequences for people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These things are tested over and over again
and exposed to rigorous testing to minimize potential harm t consumers
(patients).</div>
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Now I realize that
have unsupported or poorly supported research in genealogy isn't going to cost
someone life consequences, but it can have a domino effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me explain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My 3x great-grandpa, George Lardie,
immigrated to Grand Traverse County, Michigan in 1860 from Quebec, Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He married Mary Josephene Chartrand then
Esther Beauchamp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George and Mary had a
son named George, Jr (among their several other children).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George, Jr married Harriet Coutu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George and Harriet also named one of their
sons George W., and he married a woman named Clara Franklin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone have a headache yet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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So when I first
started researching someone had given me the information that George, jr was
married to Esther, which was actually his stepmother!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I added in the qualifiers to each George to
help keep them straight here, but I did not have them when I was sorting this
information out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I took an oversized
piece of paper one evening and spread out on the living room floor with several
printouts and different colored highlighters and a family group sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each George got a different color and I made
notes and arrows and colors on my oversized paper until I figured out the right
George with the right wife!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then
contacted all the people that had the information posted wrong online and gave
them all the sources that I had used to come to my conclusions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you see the cause and effect now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So first off, please cite your sources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, this is why it is important to use
more than one source to support your research conclusions.</div>
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Leave your comments
below and happy hunting!</div>
<br />Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-10514774236788606442019-07-09T16:00:00.000-04:002019-07-09T16:00:14.768-04:00New developments for ConfessionsHey Geneaholics, so new developments in the world of Confessions are coming. I am working on the development of a podcast! I'm hoping to launch by September, but sooner than that of course. Right now I'm learning what I need and how to start a Podcast and develop topics for a weekly episode. I'm excited to be able to bring my followers of Confessions, Confessions in a new format finally!<br />
I'm working on topics for the first few episodes, but I'd like to know what topics you want to hear about. Let me know in the comments below what topic ideas you have for the new podcast! I can't wait to hear your ideas for the new podcast!<br />
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Happy Hunting!Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-35855638030687622222019-02-24T16:31:00.000-05:002019-02-24T16:31:36.727-05:00Old Medical Terms- A List!So in response to my Sept 1st post about old medical terms, I decided to make a list of old medical terms that I have discovered through my research. This is not an exhaustive list by any means. Just a few terms that I have seen through my research and what they really mean. I will be coming back to this post and updating as I come across additional old medical terms. Please feel free to share any in the comments below!<br />
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Apoplexy- Paralysis caused by a stroke.<br />
Bright's Disease: Nephritis-inflammation of the kidney<br />
Childbed fever- infection after childbirth; see Puerperal fever<br />
Cholera infantum- diarrhea in young children common in poor or hand fed babies-meaning that they were fed with a flour and water mixture and resulted in vitamin deficiency.<br />
Consumption- disease of wasting away of any part of the body eventually becoming tuberculosis<br />
Dropsy- Heart Failure<br />
Effluvia- Exhaustion.<br />
Erysipelas- Strep infection of the skin; highly contagious. Generally not fatal unless other diseases are present and cause a weakened state. Also called St. Anthony's Fire, or St. Anthony's Rose, and Eel Thing.<br />
Generalized Paralysis of the Insane: (GIP) fatal complication of Syphilis infection<br />
Inanition- Starvation<br />
Le Grippe- Influenza<br />
Puerperal fever- Infection after childbirth, common in the 1800s caused by lack of sanitary conditions which caused sepsis in the mother. It was also called Childbed fever.<br />
Senile debility- Old age<br />
Shell Shock- PTSD<br />
Soldier's Heart- PTSD<br />
Yellow Fever- Typhoid fever<br />
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Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-84873561848846761592018-11-27T13:23:00.000-05:002018-11-27T13:23:24.019-05:00What happened to Baby Louise? The short life biography of Louise Valley<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Louise Mary Valley was born on the 10<sup>th</sup> of January in 1912 in the village of Mapleton. Mapleton is located in Grand Traverse County, Michigan on the peninsula between the two bays. Louise was born to John Peter and Milicent May “Millie” (Evans) Valley. Sadly, baby Louise learned tragedy in her short life and she learned it very early. Millie died when Louise was only 7 days old from acute peritonitis and sepsis, a complication of childbirth. It was a common complication for women in this time period. Louise had no living siblings. Millie gave birth to a daughter on 12<sup>th</sup> of May 1910, but she died hours after she was born from infant exhaustion. Essentially the infant had the inability to take in nutrients, commonly seen with premature infants. The baby girl didn’t have a name on her death certificate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Louise was raised by her father, John, after her mother’s death and likely the women in their family. One can only imagine his sadness. John worked as a farmer to support the family. John was the son of Isadore and Mary Elizabeth (Deverney) Valley. Tragedy struck Louise’s life again when she was 5 years old. Her father was in an automobile accident and died from injuries from the accident, specifically a skull fracture. John died on the 26<sup>th</sup> of October in 1917. Louise went to then to live with her Aunt Mary (Valley) Lardie, Peter’s sister, and her family. From the stories of Mary Lardie, Louise had a happy life and was well taken care of. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Louise’s sad story continues. At only the age of 8, Louise died on the 23<sup>rd</sup> of Dec 1920 from diphtheria at the home of her cousin, Lillian (Lardie) Wood, Aunt Mary’s daughter, and her family. This must have been a truly sad time for this family indeed. Mary’s grandson, Lillian’s son, baby John George Wood died of diphtheria on the 18<sup>th</sup> of December 1920 at only 7 months old. Baby John was laid to rest on December 20<sup>th</sup> in the family plot at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Mapleton. Louise was laid to rest on Christmas Day 1920 in the family plot at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery as well. She was buried with her father, John, Grandparents, Isadore and Mary Valley, and baby cousin John Wood. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-32473650325593181112018-09-16T18:38:00.000-04:002018-09-16T18:38:03.372-04:00Women in History: Victoria WoodhullI may not have talked about in the past that I took Women's History for one of my college electives. It was a great class! And it was fun because we had one man in the class. Plus our professor was a man. We had some interesting conversations. Those of you that know me personally may know that I do have a special interest in Women's History. I often wonder what life would have been like for me if I had been born in another era or even another generation! Plus I love Historical fashion! (Probably why I have an independent fashion boutique as well).<br />
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With that being said, I thought I would start a series on Women in History. Each post I will pick a woman from history, famous or infamous and talk about her and her life. These women may or may not be in my genealogy, but they are all fun to learn about. So for this post, I am going to talk about Victoria Woodhull.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victoria Claflin Woodhull</td></tr>
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Victoria Woodhull was born Victoria Claflin on September 23, 1838, to Ruben Buckman and Roxanna Hummel Claflin in Homer, Licking County, Ohio. Her mother was described as a religious zealot and illiterate and her father was described as a criminal. She was one of 10 children. She worked as a medium and traveled with her sister, Tennie C. Claflin, around the country.<br />
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She married Dr. Canning Woodhull when she was 15 on November 10, 1853, and had 2 children by him. Her first husband is described as an alcohol and a philanderer. Their son, born in 1854 was born mentally handicapped. They divorced in 1864. <br />
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Next, she married Colonel James H. Blood. Blood was said to have introduced Woodhull to multiple reform movements. Blood was a Union Civil War Soldier and was elected city auditor for St. Louis Missouri. Blood and Woodhull divorced in 1873.<br />
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In 1868 Woodhull and her sister had traveled to New York City where they met Cornelius Vanderbilt, wealthy and recently widowed. Vanderbilt, in return for the psychological relief Woodhull provided, set up Woodhull and her sister in the first female-run stock broker company in New York City. The Woodhull sisters, however; never received a seat on the stock exchange.<br />
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Woodhull's most notable achievement is that she was the first woman to run for United States President in 1872 under the equal rights act. Scholars argue that she was removed from the ballot because she was not the required 35 years old at the time. However, Woodhull was arrested for the crime of sending obscene material in the mail and spent election day in jail. No one knows how many votes she actually got because her votes were never counted!<br />
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The indecent material were articles sent in the mail were articles about the affair between stockbroker Luther Challis and Rev. Beecher between Elizabeth Tilton, the wife of Beecher's friend, Theodore Tilton. While the information was acknowledged to be true, the goal was to shut down Woodhull and her sister's weekly paper, <i>Woodhull & Claflin'ss Weekly. </i>Woodhull was arrested eight times during this time and although she, her sister and her husband, James Blood, were all acquitted, the lawsuits bankrupted them, closing down their stock brokerage and their printing press was taken away.<br />
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She was a strong supporter of women's suffrage as well as women should be free to marry, divorce and have children as they control. Other rights she advocated for were free love and birth control. Despite her initial strong support from many of the other women's suffrage leaders of the time, they Woodhull eventually lost their support due to her love of being in the spotlight and her indecent behavior.<br />
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Cornelius Vanderbilt died in 1877. In 1877 Woodhull and her sister moved to England. Was this perhaps a change for the start of a new life? Others argue that William Vanderbilt, the brother of Cornelius Vanderbilt, paid for the sisters to leave the United States so they would not testify against the now deceased Cornelius Vanderbilt estate hearing for the distribution of his estate.<br />
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In England, where she spent much of her time writing. She married her third husband, John Biddulph Martin on October 31, 1883. Martin was a wealthy banker whose family did not approve of the marriage initially. <br />
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Woodhull advocated against abortion, but she was a proponent of eugenics. Some believe it is because of the handicap of her son. She also advocated for better prenatal care for healthy children and preventing physical and mental diseases, sex education, and marrying well. She returned to the United States occasionally, attempting to run for president. In 1892 she attempted for the last time to run for president. <br />
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Victoria Woodhull Martin died on June 27, 1927, at her home, Bredon's Norton in Worcestershire, England. She was cremated and her ashes spread at sea. A cenotaph memorializes Woodhull at Tewkesbury Abbey, <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Gloucestershire, England. </span><br />
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Sources:<br />
http://www.victoria-woodhull.com/whoisvw.htm<br />
https://www.biography.com/people/victoria-woodhull-9536447<br />
https://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-should-know-about-victoria-woodhull<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Woodhull#<br />
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8616083/victoria-california-woodhull<br />
<br />Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-76998416587175157492018-09-14T20:20:00.000-04:002018-09-14T20:24:01.511-04:0052 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 1 "Unusual Source"I've joined a genealogy prompt challenge called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Each week, I'm shooting for Fridays, I will be posting for the next 52 weeks! I will continue to write about other topics in between the weeks. For more info check out <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans"; font-size: 15px;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://amyjohnsoncrow.acemlna.com/lt.php?s%3D5edf81b2d05ff24d3ac27b38a55889b5%26i%3D197A219A3A42498&source=gmail&ust=1537055746415000&usg=AFQjCNFs-5c7mFP4GPziVQILhuyFaFKsUw" href="http://amyjohnsoncrow.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=5edf81b2d05ff24d3ac27b38a55889b5&i=197A219A3A42498" style="background-color: white; color: #045fb4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">AmyJohnsonCrow.com/<wbr></wbr>52ancestors2018/</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">. While this is week 1 for me this is actually week 39 for the 2018 challenge. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">So this week's challenge topic is "Unusual source". </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">Thinking about this topic I was reflecting on what is an unusual source for finding genealogical information. It came to me. A source that we probably don't even consider a source...yet. It's probably something that many of us use every day, or even multiple times a day! It's something that has changed the way the world communicates. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">Of course, I'm talking about social media! This is not something I think any of us would think about using as a source, but think about it! We post about marriages, births and even deaths on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat...(the list goes on!) This is a great way to find details on the current generation of the family, sometimes much more quickly and easily that it is writing or emailing family members to get the information. Additionally, many families have created pages for their family. I'm in several of these groups! I love that my family shares stories of my great-grandparents. Plus I've saved a lot of photos to my files. For me, these photos and stories are what makes those people that I've been researching about into real people. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">This is a great way for me to update my database with my current generation of my family. I'm terrible about keeping the current generation updated! I spend so much more time researching historical generations. Am I alone in this?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">So, that being said. Get out there and get all those vital statistics on your family! Update those databases!!!! Share those stories about how you plan to use social media to update your family files.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">Happy Hunting!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "sans";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-81689464384122810372018-09-12T09:00:00.000-04:002018-09-12T09:00:17.422-04:00What's in a name?In the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes, "What's in a name?" That's a really good question. AND that got me thinking while I was researching today. <br />
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According to Dictionary.com (2002) the word name is a noun. It means "a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of through it designated, called or known". <br />
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I have attended classes and webinars on conducting genealogical research and I have given classes on research. One point I remember from a conference I attending when I first became active in the local genealogical society was the point that old documents, especially the census, is affected first by the language and accent of the person giving the information, as well as other factors such as memory and how much information they have been told truthfully or even at all. How many times have you seen a death certificate with "unknown" written in for the parent's names? The second element to this is how the census take hears the information being given. Whoa! Imagine the language barriers then!<br />
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So today while I was recording information during my own research I started thinking, even my own culture influences how I am interpreting and recording my information. I always try to include conflicting information or additional spellings of names, but what I choose to display it as the primary data in my database is very much affected by my own influences. <br />
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Confused? Here are a couple examples:<br />
Today I'm working on searching out burials for those in my database that don't have burial information. (How I got this is another post). I'm working specifically on a couple generations of the Loomis family line from the late 1400's to early 1500's. The surname Loomis appears in multiple forms: Loomis, Lummyus, Lymmus, Lommance... My preferred spelling: Loomis. Why? Likely because that is my maternal grandmother's maiden name and that is the way I grew up spelling it. Do I have the other spellings included in my database? Of course. We all know that spellings can and do change over generations. <br />
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Another example I can give is the first name, Thomas. I came across the alternate spelling for Thomas Loomis as Thomis. I also noted this alternate spelling in my database using the AKA (also known as) function, but display Thomas as my primary way to display this name. Again, likely tied to my cultural influences growing up. My paternal grandfather was Thomas. <br />
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A somewhat humorous example I have is my daughter questioning the spelling of the word colour the other day. I can't even remember where she was reading it, but it was in a book and she looked at me and told me I needed to email the publisher and tell them to check their spelling. She is used to the word color. Imagine her surprise when I told her that sometimes words are spelled differently in different countries! <br />
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Share your interesting name examples in the comments! <br />
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Happy Hunting.Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-2582551336979636092018-09-11T09:47:00.000-04:002018-09-11T09:47:14.283-04:00Remembering September 11thThis morning I woke up and the first thing that I did was lower my flag outside to half mast. 17 years ago today I, along with so many Americans and the world, watched in horror as terrorists attacked our country. I watched a tribute for 9/11 done to the song "The Sound of Silence" performed by Disturbed. I already love this song, done with this tribute I balled my eyes out. I then posted on my facebook business page and my personal profile a thank you tribute of my own and texted a friend and thanked him for being a veteran. <br />
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This thought strikes me. My kids will read and learn about September 11th in their history books. But they won't understand the impact of watching the two planes hit the towers or watching each tower collapse, even on live TV. I remember watching in fear that my ex-husband would be mobilized in Marnie Corps Reserve unit that night. We all know that catastrophic loss the occurred that day and the war that ensued. Everyone knew someone who was "over there" every more so I think everyone knew someone who didn't come home.<br />
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I also relate this to many other events in history though. Generations before us saw these events and watched in horror, maybe not on live tv, but had the same feelings of fear, anger, and determination to fight back. These are things that we now read in our history and do not get the emotional connection, although I think now I do. Events that our ancestors may have been involved in that we learn about as we go about our research in this crazy hobby of ours.<br />
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Hug your families and honor those who came before us and made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you to all our Firefighters, Emergency Medical Personel, and Police Officers who protect our homes, health, and lives. Thank you to our Veterans that protect our country and our freedoms. <br />
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Happy Hunting</div>
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<br />Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-29941331089063462912018-09-03T15:32:00.000-04:002018-09-03T15:32:12.957-04:00Things I never research without! Top 10 In the past, I've talked about my top 10 things I cannot research without and my favorite tools. Today though I'm talking about the things that I absolutely will not without a doubt research without, whether at home or on the go.<br />
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<b>1. family information</b><br />
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How I carry my family information depends mostly on location. Generally, I carry my laptop with me or at least my smartphone. Adding Evernote and Microsoft OneDrive to my repertoire has helped me with having access to information as long as I have access to a computer. I also save all my files to OneDrive now so I almost always have access to my research information. The key here is having access to the internet. When I can't have my computer with me, using paper printouts or notes of the information is essential.<br />
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It's important to know what the restrictions are before traveling to a repository to research. You don't want to be turned away because you have the wrong tools or aren't allowed to carry certain things into the area where the documents are. Or can't research when you don't have the right information with you.<br />
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<b>2. my note-taking forms</b><br />
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I have been using a specially made note taking form for some time now. It's a simple form with the ancestor's name and birth and death dates on the top. Okay, I admit, I have a couple different versions. One version has room for identification #s and a small column on the left-hand side, which I use frequently for dating my notes. This form can be found at The Genealogy Shoppe online. The second form I use is simpler but works just as well. This version was created by Thomas R. Beatty and can be found on the Scott County, Kentucky Genealogy Society page.<br />
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For more specific note taking I have other forms such as census forms (I use ancestry's version, but there are many others available), obituary extraction forms from ShoeString Genealogy (he has many forms and they are in color!!!! Just Google search "Shoe String Genealogy"), and several others....you get the idea. I've even created a few of my own forms.<br />
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<b>3. Family group sheet</b><br />
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Legacy gives me the option of creating family group sheets from my data I entered. When I create my family group sheets I use the option to leave the blanks in the data that I have not found yet. These are handy for taking notes on in addition to my note taking sheets. Legacy also gives me the option to print a blank family group sheet.<br />
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My favorite family group sheet to fill in by hand is from Ancestry. I probably have 300 of these printed up! I use these forms in multiple ways. I use it to fill information in when I'm taking notes. (Make sure to keep track of your sources). Many times I will use my colored pens and assigning a color for each source on the form.<br />
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<b>4. Colorful ink pens</b><br />
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I used to get teased in nursing school for my selection of my colorful ink pens. I use my pens when I'm taking research notes on paper for different sources. I will write the source on the back of the page and makes notes on the front. I use this technique with family group sheets as well as handwritten pages and other types of research pages. <br />
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Normally I immediately transfer my information into my Legacy database. One thing I cannot stress enough is to make sure to cite your sources. <br />
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<b>5. a pencil</b><br />
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There are times when researching at certain locations only a pencil is allowed. One example I can think of is our local county clerk's office. As researchers, we need to be very conscientious when we are working around fragile and precious documents. <br />
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There are times I also use a pencil in my paper and pen note taking method above. I can't tell you that I have a specific way of doing this. I just do what works at the time.<br />
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<b>6. calculator</b><br />
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Okay, I think that this one is rather obvious. There are times when we just need a calculator. When working with dates in cemeteries and headstones, using a calculator helps estimate birth dates and years. <br />
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<b>7. Highlighters</b><br />
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Okay another confession here, I like colored highlighters as much as I like my colored ink pens. I use the highlighters in similar ways that I use my ink pens. <br />
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If I plan to highlight on a photocopy, I usually make a second copy of whatever I'm working with or on so that my original stays intact.<br />
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<b>8. Thumb drives</b><br />
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My local library has a microfilm scanner that one needs a thumb drive to save digital images of the scans on. The key here is having a thumb drive with you to save the scans onto. Again this goes back to knowing your repository and doing your homework ahead of time. I have a little collection of thumb drives that I use for various things in my life. One is for genealogy, one is for my school, one is for my professional organization involvement and so on. Most of my files are on my OneDrive cloud now as well seems I can access that from any computer I'm on with internet access, but there are times that this isn't an option so the thumb drive is the solution.<br />
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<b>9. Smartphone</b><br />
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One thing is for sure, technology advances daily. There are so many apps for the smartphone on genealogy. Not to mention the ability to access online information with data connections and access to your information just about anywhere. Although it isn't just genealogy related apps that I use in my research. I use the Adobe scan app for scanning pages and papers. With my smartphone, I always have a camera with me as well. Remember that calculator from above? There's an app for that too! For Legacy users, there's also an app for your phone that is compatible with your legacy file! I would bet that other software programs have this available too. <br />
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<b>10. Laptop computer</b><br />
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I've mentioned my computer several times in this post already. It would be shameful not to include it in my top ten things I never research without. I primarily use my laptop computer for all my computer needs. I do own a desktop computer but that is saved for family use. Why the laptop? Portability. I can take it just about anywhere with me. I take it to work and use it on my lunch break, take it to my parent's house, even when I travel I have a laptop with me! Where I live, in the months that allow me to, I frequently sit on my deck and work on my laptop as well. <br />
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My laptop travels easily to the library or repository (when allowed) and I have my Legacy program on my laptop and access to my data right there. I also don't have to worry about computing limits by using a computer lab computer if I bring my own. <br />
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So what is on your top ten things you can't research without? Any of these familiar? Are there other things that you just can't research without??? Share below!<br />
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Happy Ancestor Hunting!Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-86993699906762204212018-09-02T11:30:00.000-04:002018-09-02T11:30:07.572-04:00OrganizationI think the most organized thing in my house is my genealogy research. Sorry, mom, I know you tried. Although I have a pile of pages that need to be filed away, I can still find what I'm looking for in that stack pretty quickly. Even my digital genealogy files are super organized.<br />
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This got me thinking about genealogy organization. I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day and checking out the pins. There are some great ones on Genealogy organization if you need ideas or help! I also was thinking about the difference between my two parents and me and our organizational styles. Just with the three of us, we all organize our research very differently. <br />
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Starting with me, I use a combination of methods. I use file folders by married couple names (generally) to keep hard papers in. There are a few exceptions. I have been using this method almost since I could get my hands on file folders. This idea came from the book <i>Organizing your family history search</i> by Sharon Carmuck. You can pick up a copy pretty inexpensive on Amazon. I addition to the file folders I use binders for my major family surnames. Again this came from Carmuck's book. I adapted this and use the binders that you can put pages in the front and back. I place a form with a surname list and year ranges that I am researching. In my digital files, I have a similar setup. I have one major file called Genealogy, then divide by surnames-similar to the ones that I have in my binders. I then have different divisions under my surnames based on my needs. I have files for couples, cemeteries, record types and photos. The advantage of digital files is no stacks of paper!<br />
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Now my mom prints everything and puts them into binders. She uses those post-it tabs and organizes by family couple. She also uses the file folder method similar to mine. Mom is a little less technology-oriented and handwrites all her research notes. Don't worry I'm working on getting her to put her research into her copy of Legacy. <br />
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My dad's research is based on the local cemeteries. Dad is a paper and pen kind of guy. He is working to make the information on Find A Grave more complete as well as contribute to the local research for our genealogy society. Dad prints out a page then makes his notes on the page. Highlights the line he finishes. He has found a lot of interesting stories through his research. I keep urging him to write a blog about these stories. I think I may have to steal his stories and share them. <br />
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There are many ways to organize your own research and it has to make sense to you. How do you organize your research? Share your organization style below in the comments. <br />
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Happy Hunting!Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-29071410748955355242018-09-01T10:17:00.001-04:002018-09-01T10:22:48.211-04:00Old Medical TermsI was reading Facebook this morning and a friend was sharing a discovery walking through a couple local cemeteries. Through this, he went to one of my favorite research sites Seeking Michigan (www.seekingmichigan.org) and found an old death certificate. The cause of death was "generalized paralysis of the insane". Of course, then there was a conversation about the cause of death. I have to confess that I love old medical terms. Perhaps part of this is being a nurse as my profession. This also started me to think about how much medical knowledge genealogists probably have...or maybe I'm assuming.<br />
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In my research, I include the cause of death, which is found on death certificates and is written in that era's current medical lingo. The nice feature here is that my Legacy program actually has a built-in line for this. (I know I'm obsessed with my Legacy software).<br />
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Here I show Anna Helferich, nee Zoulek died from Chronic Bright's Disease. This takes me back to my initial topic here of old medical terms. Bright's disease is not something I am familiar with so I went to Google and typed in Bright's disease. I found a website (not Wikipedia) that is defined Bright's disease for me, plus gave me a little history. When I include medical information on my research I frequently will add a little note in my research notes about what this really is.<br />
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Anna died from nephritis, which is inflammation of the kidney at it's simplest definition. I also learned that this disorder that I know as nephritis, was originally identified by a physician named Bright, so that's where the original name came from. For those that don't know, Chronic just means that she had it for a long time, longer than six months generally rather than acute, when usually means suddenly or less than six months. Those are terms we still use.<br />
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I also still have my Taber's Dictionary that I had to buy when I took my first nursing classes and even though it's probably not the current edition, it is still full of useful information. Although I admit, Google is much faster. I did take a moment to look up Bright's Disease in my Taber's. Bright's is named for the Brittish Physician, Dr. Richard Bright (1789-1858) who named the disease. Taber's dose state that Bright's is an obsolete term. That made me giggle a bit. It's obsolete, but when you're a genealogist that doesn't matter.<br />
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So what about our original term generalized paralysis of the insane. This time I'm going to start with my Taber's. So no luck in Taber's. So my next stop is Google. I found an article on Science Direct. Generalized Paralysis of the Insane, GIP for short, also called Dementia Paralytica is a fatal complication of Syphilis Infection. Apparently hard to detect because Syphilis has a latent period of 10 to 30 years! (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924933815309809).<br />
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So what are your thoughts about old medical terms? Love them? Hate them? Indifferent? Share below. And watch for more posts on this topic.<br />
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Happy Hunting all!Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-15168826110416764252017-06-08T10:02:00.001-04:002017-06-08T11:10:50.493-04:00Legacy 9.0! I'm in love!!!!Legacy has release version 9 of its software! I just learned about the update and I'm already in love. There is a new search feature that searches the top genealogy websites as you enter your data into the database (I'm assuming you must be connected to the internet for this function to work). Find a grave is now integrated into the legacy software! Lots of ways to search, and better yet, to link to the online memorials for find a grave. There is a story function now that allows you to add stories into your family tree (with source citations) and create that person's history. <br />
The new comparison function allows you to compare two people to learn if they are the same person with built in algorithms to help identify similar and conflicting data. Legacy has also added a cloud to back up your data on! Swoon!!!!! Although I have several other clouds (OneDrive, Google), this is awesome! I love that they can help me keep my precious research safe from the computer goblins who occasionally like to eat data!<br />
There is so much to talk about and learn about! Legacy has a free webinar that is 1 hour 43 minutes talking all about Legacy 9.0. <br />
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Happy Hunting!<br />
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<i>Author's note: I am no compensated by the creators of the Legacy Family tree Software for creating this post. This information is strictly from my own experiences with Legacy. </i>Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-75224613436260842512016-09-30T13:11:00.001-04:002016-09-30T13:11:36.624-04:00Book Review: The Traverse City State Hospital Training School for Nurses<i>Author's Note: I am not receiving compensation for this review. </i><br />
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This is more of a book share rather than a review. My dear friend, Virgina LeClaire authored the book <i>The Traverse City State Hospital Training School for Nurses</i> published by the History Center of Traverse City. Ginni is a nurse and a very active member of the Grand Traverse Genealogical Society. The book is amazing. It describes the training and the lives that nurses who trained at the former state hospital. The book also highlights a few individual nurses and provides biographies. I absolutely loved the book! <br />
The book is available through the history center and Horizon Book Store in Traverse City. It's very worth picking up for any nurse or for anyone interested in the State Hospital or anyone who had a nurse in the family who trained there!<br />
<br />Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-140429726064808932016-04-19T18:44:00.002-04:002016-04-19T18:46:36.319-04:00Home sweet HomeWell gang,<br />
We've moved...and yes it snowed! Again. I keep saying I will not move in the winter! HA! But we're here in our cozy little house on Iris Lane. :) The kids and I love it! The genealogy all made it here safely. My great idea for my series of posts didn't turn out at well as I wanted. Story of my life. I did take the time to purge a lot of excess paper that I didn't need and I've been busy digitizing a lot of things that aren't original copies and keeping digital files instead of paper files.<br />
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So I'm on my new genealogy journey. I'm working on my Daughters of the American Revolution application. Mom and I attended our first meeting last weekend and I was amazed at the projects and community involvement of the society at a national and a local level! We've been busy gathering our materials we have on hand and searching for our supporting documentation for our applications. More to come here.<br />
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I'm on facebook now and you can find me at www.facebook.com/confessionsofageneaholic.com I'll be updating there more informally. I'll also be adding photos, etc. I'm still working on the video entries. Blogger won't allow me to upload a video over a certain size...but I may be able to add those to Facebook. I'll keep you all updated.<br />
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I'm happy that warmer weather has returned to Norther Lower Michigan! Time to get back out in the cemeteries and spur on the genealogy research. It makes it even better, now my desk is in front of my slider (the non-opening side) so I have a huge window to look out when I'm working at my desk.<br />
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I'm looking forward to hearing about your genealogy projects this year. Feel free to share in the comments what you are working on!<br />
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Happy Hunting.<br />
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<br />Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-73096903654645959512016-01-18T12:31:00.000-05:002016-01-18T12:31:18.692-05:00Moving day approaches and ROAGK!Here in Michigan we're buried under a couple feet of snow!!!! And it's still coming down. It's a good day to blog and I had to take some time today away from packing and update you all on my progress. Moving day is very close at hand for me....Like this weekend! Most of my house is packed and I'm stepping over boxes everywhere. I've been carefully packing away all my genealogy, but at the same time made a connection with a new genealogy cousin and added some new information to my files! That's always exciting. (Happy Dance!) I've also thought a lot about all the papers I have and all my electronic files....yes I know I said I was working to reduce this, but old habits die hard. My next big project will be to scan my papers and photos and make electronic copies and reduce...hopefully...the amount of paper I have. I've moved all my genealogy files to my Microsoft OneDrive...(thank you Microsoft)...so I won't lose all my precious electronic files is my computer tragically dies (again). We all know about me losing my files and losing my database file. :( . I'm also being more proactive about backing up my legacy file. <br />
Anyway I digress. So most of my genealogy is boxed up safely and ready to go! I'll take the task of moving it personally....that way I can't get mad at anyone else if something happens to them or make my friends and family feel bad if something happens. They all know what a Genealogy nerd I am. <br />
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My second big thought to share today is that I made my first request on the revamped Random Acts of Genealogy Kindness website! For those who don't know yet, yes, It's back!!!!!!!!!!! For those who didn't know it before, check it out. www.raogk.org. This is a volunteer based website with people who are willing to help others out with free look ups. Make sure to read the rules before requesting please, please, please. Sign up to volunteer! I can't wait to see Random Acts return to it's former glory! <br />
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I'm looking forward to hearing about everyone's story's and experiences with Random Acts! Please feel free to share below if you've already been using the revamped website! <br />
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Happy Hunting to everyone! And stay warm!!!<br />
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<br />Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-67406111622339717552015-12-08T21:11:00.002-05:002015-12-08T21:11:47.583-05:00Good Bye Family Tree Maker?Today I received an email from Ancestry. They have announced that as of December 31, 2015 they will no longer be selling Family Tree Maker. They are going to continue their efforts into the website. <br />
I find this interesting. It must have been a hard decision to come to. I personally respect Ancestry's decision. I will continue to use the website for my own research. But I can also understand the frustration from it's long time users. My best of luck to Ancestry and all it's followers through these changes.<br />
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For more info directly from Ancestry check out their <a href="http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/12/08/ancestry-to-retire-family-tree-maker-software/?o_iid=9972&o_lid=9972&o_sch=" target="_blank">Blog</a>. <br />
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<br />Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-21964580697451199252015-12-04T16:05:00.000-05:002015-12-04T16:05:21.238-05:00Moving with GenealogyHey all!<br />
Well big news on my horizon. I'll be moving next month into a new house. So one of my projects will be to pack up all my genealogy work and move it <u style="font-style: italic;">safely</u> to the new house. Fortunately this move is going to be only across town and I don't have to worry about my work travelling long distances in boxes and crates. But this led me to think about <i>how</i> I'm going to move with my research safely intact.<br />
My first task I did was an internet search on moving with genealogy....guess what?!? I didn't actually find a lot of advice on how to move your genealogy. I found a lot of information about moving away from researching in one type of documentation and on ancestors moving. All good information and advice.<br />
So lets start a new trend topic. How to safely move your genealogy to a new house.<br />
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I look forward to sharing this new genealogy adventure with you all!<br />
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Happy Hunting!!!Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-3492619163412565242015-09-16T09:00:00.000-04:002015-09-16T09:00:02.389-04:00If these Items could talk!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently, I was with
my mom and dad at a local antique store where we spent a great deal of time
looking around. It's quite a large store we were at and I really enjoyed
looking at all the items the different vendors who have areas in the store have
for sale. My mom and dad were looking to add to their own collections
respectively, while I just browse through the shelves. This got me thinking
while I was there about the stories that some of the items in the shop could
tell. This also got me thinking what a perfect tie into family history that
some of these items may have made at one time. We've all heard of family air
but do we all have the stories that are behind them. For example I have my
great-grandmothers wedding cake plate. But I don't know much more about it. And
currently there are few people left who would. No don't get me wrong, this is
an item that I cherish dearly, and how much fun would it be to know a little
bit more about the plate. Another example I can think of are the silver pieces
that my mom has collected. Now as far as I know she is just a fan of silver
pieces and of course many of them are very beautiful to look at and very
ornate. However, I don't really know why she decided to start collecting
silver. This I think would be an important element in the family history part
of my research. An important story that I could document in my files to share
with future generations when no one else is around to share the story.</div>
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So while I have not
discovered the collectible that I have to have proudly displayed in my home,
this leads me to think that we should all be documenting the stories behind our
family's treasures. I'd love to hear your stories with your family treasures.
Please share them in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from all my
followers.</div>
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Happy hunting!<br />
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Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-6516727505869540952015-09-15T09:00:00.000-04:002015-09-15T09:00:04.974-04:00New Trends in my Blog! AKA Confession of a Geneaholic is on You Tube!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
So recently I had a
great idea for my blog. As we move into the next level of online communication
and blogging, I have decided video recordings. However I find that I cannot
upload video recordings teaching genealogy, after some thought I have created my
own YouTube channel called<span style="font-style: italic;"> Confessions of a
Geneaholic </span>where you find the videos I will be creating of genealogy
videos in addition to my blog about genealogy as a hobby as well as provide
education for everyone out there who wants to learn about researching their
genealogy as well as those of you that don't think you might have not have the
time to actually research on genealogy. I'm going show you how to start, how to
keep going, and how to squeeze a little bit of time into your day for research.
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I'm also going to
explore sharing genealogy with my children and hopefully even with their
classmates as the year goes on. The kids were five and nine years old are both
becoming interested in genealogy. In fact you can only guess my joy when I
discovered that my nine-year-old had found a blank family group sheet and
started filling in her name her birthday, her brother's name, her brother's
birthday and mine and their fathers names like every proud genealogy mama I
have that for hanging up on my wall and I'm excited to learn about projects to
show my children and hopefully grow their interest in genealogy.</div>
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Another plan I have
for all my blog followers out there in my future YouTube channel followers is
to record my genealogy vacation I have planned coming up in the next year to
you all can follow my adventures on trying to break down my biggest brick wall.</div>
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I can't wait to hear
your ideas on what you like to hear me talk about and what you'd like to learn
about in the genealogy world.</div>
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Happy hunting!</div>
Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-16942563601142488262015-09-14T11:53:00.001-04:002015-09-14T11:53:15.868-04:00Random Acts has Returned!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
When I say genealogy
happy dance what genealogist doesn't
know that feeling? </div>
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Recently I typed in
the website for the former website <span style="font-style: italic;">Random Acts
of Genealogy Kindness</span> In my search engine, looking for some information
on the former website.. I wasn't expecting to find much on the website itself,
however I was surprised that random answers back online. Those of you who are
followers know I have always been a huge fan of the website, and was devastated
when we found out that the founder had unexpectedly died. The website was shut down shortly after her
death. Recently the website has come back online!</div>
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Now to honor her
memory I encourage all my genealogy friends out there to sign up and volunteer.
The commitment isn't big the new creators asked that you follow through with
one random act a month in more of course if you like what you the guidelines
are the same as the former random acts website and I am encouraged to be using
this website again soon </div>
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Myself. All the
details on the website on how to volunteer and how to request a volunteer. I am
so excited and thrilled that this invaluable tool is back online.</div>
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Make sure to share
with all your genealogy friends out there that random acts of genealogy
kindness has returned and encourage your friends to sign up as well. The
website won't work without everybody's help.</div>
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I look forward to
hearing about all the acts that you, my followers, fulfill and the ones that
you receive. I'm even more excited to hear how these random acts will help each
of you further your own genealogy research as well as to share my own experiences.
And what better way to give back to our genealogy community and each other by
volunteering to help someone else!!</div>
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The web address is <a href="http://www.ra0gk.org/">www.RA0GK.org</a></div>
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Happy Hunting!</div>
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Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-48668195822993443002015-05-12T09:04:00.000-04:002015-05-12T09:04:04.145-04:00Why we do itYesterday my 9 year-old asked me why I "do genealogy". My immediate answer was a less than eloquent "because I like it". Which satisfied my daughter's curiosity...at least for now, but what would I tell another adult who would likely required a more detailed answer.<br />
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So why do we do what we do? Why do we spend hours in front of our computers tapping away? Or waiting by the mailbox for that next piece of evidence? What drives us to hunt down the clues and piece together our ancestors lives? <br />
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Genealogy is about the people that came before us. We learn about their hardships and heartaches as well as their joys in life. It's also about learning where we come from and about the lives that shaped our own lives. Although, unless you've been there, it's hard to describe the feeling of hunting down that crucial piece of evidence and <i>finally</i> finding it and jumping out of your chair to do the genealogy happy dance in your living room. A dance that normally knocks over the chair, scares one of the lives out of the cat and receives odd looks from one's significant other and eye rolling from one's children.<br />
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Why wouldn't we love it?<br />
I love to hear from my readers. Share your reasons why you love it in the comments below!<br />
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Happy Hunting! Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-5111195565850265652015-04-12T21:04:00.000-04:002015-04-12T21:04:08.979-04:00Spelling Doesn't Count!!!How many times were we told in school, growing up, and in our jobs that our spelling counts??? Our kids bring their spelling lists home proudly every week to show off their scores. But what about in historical records? Not so much...<br />
Why is there so much discrepancy with names and spelling? There are a few things to consider here. First is accents. Censuses were taken by hand in the days before internet and bubble cards (those things you fill in with #2 pencils). The person giving the family's information may have a thick heavy accent, so the way they say their information and then the way the census taker hears the information both influence how that information is recorded. <br />
I have also personally found some catholic records written in Latin. I don't read Latin. Fortunately the churches that have sent me the information have translated them for me. And this also influences how the information is interpreted. Different people may translate the information a little bit differently depending on how they were taught the language.<br />
Literacy may have also played a factor in the interpretation and relaying information on records. Another theory I have is who is providing the information. Let's say a child of immigrants in the only one who can speak English. The child is the one giving the information to the census taker. The information the child is giving is only as good at the child's education.<br />
When looking at other records, such as death records are only as good as the informant's memory or the information the institution has at the time of the decedent's death.<br />
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So what does that mean for genealogists?<br />
<br />
Soundex is available to help search records. In short soundex is a method of applying a code to a surname. More can be learned by Google searching soundex or in a future entry of my blog.<br />
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Learning alternate spellings of last names and be flexible when it comes to searching first names. Various of both can be found in records.<br />
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Always look at the original document when possible. Even transcription errors can lead to alternate spellings of a surname or first name. Ever look at old hand writing? If you haven't yet, you will. (And another good future blog topic). Reading old hand writing can be difficult and lead to misinformation or alternative information or spellings.<br />
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Take care and happy hunting all!<br />
Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-64066370326441785762015-03-24T03:19:00.000-04:002015-03-24T03:20:44.206-04:00"We're all related to Mayflower Pilgrims"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIakbE4ynVlCSc78VRXdjtKGkFlgZunTOju7VdczuHD-LAfaU-oED2JJmG_PAExBfBCZAwsZjCHgvKLElIG1nZbMv_1Ak5rUELEwSDyJmFB3JbCCdq-T5P0gLbMhnPiUXWt6FgdzmvEr5r/s1600/A-prosperous-wind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIakbE4ynVlCSc78VRXdjtKGkFlgZunTOju7VdczuHD-LAfaU-oED2JJmG_PAExBfBCZAwsZjCHgvKLElIG1nZbMv_1Ak5rUELEwSDyJmFB3JbCCdq-T5P0gLbMhnPiUXWt6FgdzmvEr5r/s1600/A-prosperous-wind.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a>Recently I was talking at work to a colleague and she said to me "we all come from people who were on the Mayflower". We got into the deep discussion that all people are eventually related, but that led me to think about how many Americans, myself included at one point, think that we ALL are descended from the Mayflower Pilgrims. Those of us who are have roots in the United State understand how that's not really true and that it's truly a treat as a genealogist to discover that one is descended from a Mayflower pilgrim....or even luckier....pilgrims. I'm not sure I made myself very popular when I said that not everyone is descended from Mayflower Pilgrims, there were many, many more that immigrated since then and people who have no English ties at all. Of course, it wasn't said to be hurtful, just a fact. (For some reason I keep thinking about Greek immigrants when I think about this.)<br />
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There were 102 passengers on the Mayflower when she sailed the Atlantic in 1620 and a crew of 30 to 50 men. Sources are conflicted, but they do agree that the crew all returned with the Mayflower when she returned to England. Half of the passengers died during the 1st winter in Plymouth Colony. So thinking about Mayflower research, what is available out there for the genealogist to research their Pilgrim Ancestors?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEWzdZcVEPmHgA7gxUlCfIe_rdMiLUdPLKWNeZuYH-mqaE27bghHFWIQg52CfylZWB52BUCur_KBk-iBU_TeETqBVNYmox5qk7f6Lu5i1CztQhSMwjNx_0BQ6xR5C32LwCjCeYqHh73Uw/s1600/mayflower4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEWzdZcVEPmHgA7gxUlCfIe_rdMiLUdPLKWNeZuYH-mqaE27bghHFWIQg52CfylZWB52BUCur_KBk-iBU_TeETqBVNYmox5qk7f6Lu5i1CztQhSMwjNx_0BQ6xR5C32LwCjCeYqHh73Uw/s1600/mayflower4.jpg" height="320" width="201" /></a>A quick Google search of the term "Mayflower Genealogy" returned 385,000 hits. Some sites that I've personally used include <a href="http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/" target="_blank">Mayflower History,</a> <a href="http://www.sail1620.org/Society/mayflower-passenger-list" target="_blank">Sail 1620,</a> <a href="https://www.themayflowersociety.org/" target="_blank">The Mayflower Society,</a> <a href="http://plymouthancestors.org/" target="_blank">Plymouth Ancestors.org</a> and <a href="http://alden.org/www/default.htm" target="_blank">The Alden Kindred of America website</a> which is specific to John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden as well at the most common major genealogy websites like <a href="http://www.ancestry.com/" target="_blank">Ancestry</a> and <a href="http://www.familysearch.org/" target="_blank">Family Search</a>. A Google search of the some of the other surnames and the word genealogy shows that there are independent websites for most of the other pilgrim travelers with genealogy information available. This is not an all-inclusive list by any means and there are many other wonderful websites out there to help with your research, these are just some of the websites that I've personally used. Remember to always give credit to wherever you find your sources....nothing is more irritating than someone else stealing your hard work...not to mention the potential legal issues you can create. (But that's a topic for another time.)<br />
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I've shared in the past my discoveries (and woes) related to my own Pilgrim ancestry. The wonderful thing about these sites is that once you gather your research and supporting documents linking into these families there is a wealth of knowledge available online. One thing I must remind you all....and myself....is to NOT forget offline research. We feel so lucky that we have all this information available online to us, but there is SO much more available off line to aid in our research. Of course make sure you always cite your sources. Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-57971907904909432522015-03-18T22:45:00.000-04:002015-03-18T22:45:41.580-04:00Computer Woes...Day 2....At least it doesn't sting as muchIt's day 2 of recovering my files...and my pride....since my laptop ate my files. Okay really the bios apparently crashed and wiped my hard drive. I took it over to Best Buy today to see if they could retrieve my data....no such luck....well okay maybe if I had them send it off to "the lab" and let them try to recover my files. Did I mention that it would cost $500 plus. Okay there is one other place in town I'm going to try at the recommendation of a friend. <br />
<br />
So on the research front....<br />
Today I listened to a webinar presented by Legacy on researching 17th to 19th Century Irish records present by Judy Eccles Wight. Judy has 8 webinars now in the Legacy collection online. Unlimited access to members. I highly recommend a subscription to Legacy's webinars. There's over 200 webinars available online. (And no Legacy didn't pay me to say that....I just love them!) There are topics from beginner to advanced and for so many localities. Check them out at <a href="http://www.familytreewebinars.com/">www.familytreewebinars.com</a>. They also presented a bonus webinar on Irish genealogy available to members only.<br />
<br />
I spent part of the day repairing and relinking my research together. My records generally are all there, just not it once piece. All my sources are still in my file...save one or two recent additions....again just not attached to everyone. So I continue to repair my research while any new researching will have to be on hold.<br />
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Once again, right now, GO BACK UP YOUR WORK!!! Especially if you didn't do it yesterday!<br />
Happy Hunting all.Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566509277374391586.post-67603238285099637642015-03-17T17:44:00.000-04:002015-03-17T17:44:19.160-04:00Computer WoesHi gang!<br />
I hope you're all enjoying green beer, attire and being Irish for a day! Today has been a touch difficult. My computer went into Bios mode today (I'm currently using a loaner). Apparently one of two things are wrong....either my hard drive has gone bad or my OS has gone bad. I'm praying it's my OS and my hard drive contents can be saved.<br />
<br />
SO?!?!?!?! What does this have to do with genealogy? All my files were on that computer. Photos, newspaper clippings, GEDcom files, legacy files....need I go on? While <em>most</em> of my files are backed up onto my thumb drive....not everything is. My last upload to my website was in January. Okay. Again most of my research is saved, other that what I've done over the past few days....which is several hours worth. Fortunately I take good notes and I've been utilizing Evernote more and more effectively for my research.<br />
<br />
So my problem is that my file I downloaded from Tribal Pages doesn't have anyone linked to anyone else! Yes that's what I said....no one is linked to whom they belong to....4486 people need to be linked back together to their family members. I'm just about to cry! <br />
<br />
I have one last hope....I'm sure I made a copy of my file and copied it onto my mom's computer. I'm waiting for mom to call me back to see if I have or not.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I'm hoping that my hard drive will be saved and I'm emailing a cousin to see if I sent him a copy of my file. ****SOB****<br />
<br />
Okay guys, how many times have I told you guys to back up your work and back it up often????? Don't we all hate it when this bites us in the rear? <br />
<br />
I challenge you all to do this: GO BACK UP ALL YOUR STUFF RIGHT NOW!<br />
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Happy Hunting and Happy Saint Patrick's Day!<br />
Alanna Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08654339212709836712noreply@blogger.com0