It's been a hot minute!

 It's been a long time since I've written on this blog.  I was recently inspired by a friend to start writing again.  I am thankful for that!  With that I am inspired to revisit a topic I covered 15 years ago.  The murder-suicide of my three times great grandparents, Joseph and Maria Wood.  

On October 23 Joseph Wood murdered his wife Maria Wood nee Wardell with an axe, before taking his own life with a razor.  Their young son, my two times great grandfather, George, slept in his crib in the next room.  

The newspapers covered this terrible event in pretty graphic detail, even by today's standards.  Speculation revolved around alcohol and jealousy being the motivation behind the deaths.  Recently I have been inspired to dig further. To tell their story.  So that I what I am setting out to do.  I plan to tell Joe and Maria's stories.  Through my research I want to find out more about what happened over 150 years ago.  They were more than just this one event.  Joe was a Civil War veteran.  Maria was a daughter and a sister.  

I have a lot of work ahead of me in researching and finding the documents that I need to tell their story.  I look forward to sharing my adventures with my readers and telling the story of my ancestors.  

Challenges in Genealogy

We all have our challenges in our research.  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.  While I have found one source that has given me John's parent's names, I proceed with caution.  Why you may ask?  Because like any other puzzle it takes more than one piece of evidence to support the information that we document. 

This may be the scientist in me coming out.  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.  These things are tested over and over again and exposed to rigorous testing to minimize potential harm t consumers (patients).

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.  Let me explain.  My 3x great-grandpa, George Lardie, immigrated to Grand Traverse County, Michigan in 1860 from Quebec, Canada.  He married Mary Josephene Chartrand then Esther Beauchamp.  George and Mary had a son named George, Jr (among their several other children).  George, Jr married Harriet Coutu.  George and Harriet also named one of their sons George W., and he married a woman named Clara Franklin.  Anyone have a headache yet? 

So when I first started researching someone had given me the information that George, jr was married to Esther, which was actually his stepmother!  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.  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.  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!  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.  Can you see the cause and effect now?  So first off, please cite your sources.  Second, this is why it is important to use more than one source to support your research conclusions.

Leave your comments below and happy hunting!

New developments for Confessions

Hey 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!
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!

Happy Hunting!

Old 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!

Apoplexy- Paralysis caused by a stroke.
Bright's Disease: Nephritis-inflammation of the kidney
Childbed fever- infection after childbirth; see Puerperal fever
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.
Consumption- disease of wasting away of any part of the body eventually becoming tuberculosis
Dropsy- Heart Failure
Effluvia- Exhaustion.
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.
Generalized Paralysis of the Insane: (GIP) fatal complication of Syphilis infection
Inanition- Starvation
Le Grippe- Influenza
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.
Senile debility- Old age
Shell Shock- PTSD
Soldier's Heart- PTSD
Yellow Fever- Typhoid fever

What happened to Baby Louise? The short life biography of Louise Valley

Louise Mary Valley was born on the 10^th 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^th 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.  

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^th 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.

Louise’s sad story continues.  At only the age of 8, Louise died on the 23^rd 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^th of December 1920 at only 7 months old.  Baby John was laid to rest on December 20^th 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. 

Women in History: Victoria Woodhull

I 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).

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.

Victoria Claflin Woodhull

 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.

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. 

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.

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.


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!

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, Woodhull & Claflin'ss Weekly.  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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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, Gloucestershire, England.  



Sources:
http://www.victoria-woodhull.com/whoisvw.htm
https://www.biography.com/people/victoria-woodhull-9536447
https://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-should-know-about-victoria-woodhull
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Woodhull#
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8616083/victoria-california-woodhull

52 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  AmyJohnsonCrow.com/52ancestors2018/.  While this is week 1 for me this is actually week 39 for the 2018 challenge. 

So this week's challenge topic is "Unusual source".  

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. 

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. 

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?

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.

Happy Hunting!

What'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. 

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". 

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!

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. 

Confused?  Here are a couple examples:
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. 

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. 

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! 

Share your interesting name examples in the comments! 

Happy Hunting.

Remembering September 11th

This 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. 

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.

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.

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. 

Happy Hunting

Things 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.

1. family information

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.

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.

2. my note-taking forms

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.

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.

3. Family group sheet

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.

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.

4. Colorful ink pens

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. 

Normally I immediately transfer my information into my Legacy database.  One thing I cannot stress enough is to make sure to cite your sources. 

5. a pencil

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. 

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.

6. calculator

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. 

7. Highlighters

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. 

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.

8. Thumb drives

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.

9. Smartphone

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. 

10.  Laptop computer

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. 

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. 



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!

Happy Ancestor Hunting!

Organization

I 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.

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. 

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 Organizing your family history search 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!

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. 

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. 

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. 

Happy Hunting!

Old Medical Terms

I 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.

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).

 

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.

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.

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.

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).

So what are your thoughts about old medical terms?  Love them? Hate them? Indifferent?  Share below.  And watch for more posts on this topic.

Happy Hunting all!

Legacy 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.
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!
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.

Happy Hunting!



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. 

Book Review: The Traverse City State Hospital Training School for Nurses

Author's Note: I am not receiving compensation for this review.  

This is more of a book share rather than a review.  My dear friend, Virgina LeClaire authored the book The Traverse City State Hospital Training School for Nurses 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!
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!

Home sweet Home

Well gang,
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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your genealogy projects this year.  Feel free to share in the comments what you are working on!

Happy Hunting.

Moving 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.
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.

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!

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!

Happy Hunting to everyone!  And stay warm!!!

Good 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.
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.

For more info directly from Ancestry check out their Blog.

Moving with Genealogy

Hey all!
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 safely 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 how I'm going to move with my research safely intact.
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.
So lets start a new trend topic.  How to safely move your genealogy to a new house.

I look forward to sharing this new genealogy adventure with you all!

Happy Hunting!!!

If these Items could talk!

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.

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.

Happy hunting!

New Trends in my Blog! AKA Confession of a Geneaholic is on You Tube!

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 Confessions of a Geneaholic 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.

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.

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.

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.

Happy hunting!