2013 Resolution Recap

On January 1, 2013, I counted my resolutions for 2013. Here they are along with comments on the progress:

First and foremost, is organizational remodeling around the house. First on the list is the laundry room, so that our cat, Mouse, is not freaked out in the hallway trying to use her litter box. And lets face it, I hate having it in the back hall. Yes, this was accomplished. It not only involved the laundry room, but a little reorganization in our closet to accommodate the laundry hamper - a 3 section sorter. We are all happy with the results.

Secondly, is organization of the storeroom/craft room. I am hoping to get some stuff done in there that will make the room more useable! Since I plan on scanning photos in there, I need some place to work where I can leave photos out if necessary. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. We started this project in February, by contacting the contractor who built our kitchen and bath cabinets. It took as long to get the cabinets as it did for me to have a baby! Unfortunately, our contractor had some issues with the electrical plant at his workshop, but finally, in November, the cabinets were installed. We also had some cabinets made for our living room. I love it!

Thirdly, yes, I will continue to scan, sort and scrapbook photos. It isn't going to get done on its own. Finally getting to it, but other things have gotten in the way. Older daughter is buying a home which closes on January 6th. My craft room is acting as a staging area for stuff for her new home. It also acted as Christmas present central. Soon it will be clean and sorting and scanning photos will resume.

Fourth, continue with volunteer projects. That is one of the most important resolutions. My favorite project is the Missouri Death Certificate Project, which I've participated in for several years. That will resume probably mid January! Last year, we were done indexing them in 72 hours.


I am amazed that I actually put things on the list that got accomplished or are in the midst of work. It's about time!


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday - The Countdown

Daughter is moving in eight days. Actually, closing is in one week. We have been trying to help her with various things, including in making a box of weird things she needs for around the house. Like furniture moving pads, shelf liner, and arranging for new locks. I've forgotten how much work it is to move, but at least she is only moving 2 miles instead of interstate!

I remember our moves vividly. Our first home in Canton Township, Michigan, mostly because I contracted pneumonia that weekend. Our second home in Redford Township, was more or less uneventful, except this time we had two small children besides all the furniture and stuff.

The next move, to Livonia, Michigan I remember very vividly because I was sick for a week before moving with a high fever and still things got packed up and moved. Really glad we had movers for that!

Then we moved from Livonia to Cookeville, Tennessee, a move of 600 hundred miles. Again, movers for that and I will admit that was the scariest move of all. Things went missing during that move that I finally found this year.

Then our last move, hopefully, which was about a mile from the condo we rented. It didn't take long since so much of our stuff didn't get unpacked in the 8 months we were in the condo.

While I am very excited for our daughter's move, I don't envy the work involved. Been there, done that!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

The Last Saturday!

Today is the last Saturday of 2013. I don't know why, but I am always anxious for the New Year to start? And I am always so hopeful that good things will be accomplished. This year, I've spent mostly trying to catch up on things or in hurry-up-and-wait mode. With only three more days left, I am really looking forward to 2014.

2014 will be the start of several things - older daughter moving into her own home - me collecting Social Security, and DH will qualify for Medicare  this year.  Younger daughter - not sure what changes she may be expecting, but hope they all are wonderful.

Some of you may have noticed no Sympathy Saturday. They will resume next year, I just wanted to take the opportunity to blog about good things on Saturday for a change during the holidays.



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

TGIF

Here it is two days after Christmas, already and I haven't even ventured out past lunch and groceries. The tree did come down as planned on Thursday. Poor Mouse the cat is bereft of her favorite playthings!

Today, DH and I are making a quick trip to pick up a table from younger daughter that is going to older daughter's new house in about 10 days. Things are getting a little hectic in that respect.

One of the things I plan on doing this weekend is getting a jump on my resolution list. Not sure if I am going to actually write one out or just pull an old one out and see how much I've accomplished. Sometimes that is encouraging and sometimes it is down right depressing. I think I might be surprised at what I've accomplished this year. I hope!

 Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - After Christmas Lag

We had a truly wonderful Christmas with our kids and younger daughter's man and boy. And on Christmas morning, they made breakfast for us! I don't normally make breakfast in the morning. Mostly because I am not a morning person. It's usually all I can do to get a cup of coffee to my mouth without spilling it in the morning. Then older daughter returned for dinner on Christmas. It was a very quiet evening.

The tree WILL come down today. No more fighting with the cat about chewing on the cord, pulling the ornaments off and climbing it. Really. My first cat, Miss Perfect, otherwise known as Mandy NEVER played with the ornaments or climbed the tree. Mostly she slept under it. She was a good cat. She's the reason it took us so long to adopt another pet, it was hard to not compare any animal with the sweetness that was Mandy.

Not that Mouse isn't sweet. She is truly adorable. And loves to snuggle. And climb Christmas trees.

Also, when my house is de-Christmasfied I can go back to my genealogy database cleanup while I wait for older daughter's house to close -11 days and counting. And I hope to get into my craft room and make a craft for me!

Hope your holiday was wonderful!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Merry Christmas

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Am I Ready or What?

I was up late last night finishing the final craft project. Well, almost. I was up and working on the final one which I only got half way through last night. This morning they finally got wrapped and now I can relax a while. Not! Company is coming this afternoon for dinner, gifts and spending the night. Older daughter will not be spending the night, but only lives 5 minutes away. Next Christmas she'll be in walking distance of us!

All in all, we've had a good year. We're all healthy and happy and what else could you ask for?

Hope your Holiday Season is Merry & Bright!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Countdown to Christmas

All right! I'm almost there! Christmas is in two days and I only have one more craft type gift to finish and bathrooms to clean! Company in the form of younger daughter, her man and boy are descending on us on Christmas eve and spending the night. Older daughter lives nearby and will spend Christmas Eve with us and come back on Christmas day. She still has packing to do for her big move in January!

Mouse has not totally destroyed my tree, although she is constantly trying to chew on the cord. I wish I knew what to give her so that she will leave the tree alone! At this point, I am threatening to remove the tree after company leaves on Christmas!

I guess this has been enough of a break, back to work!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

HAPPY 4TH ANNIVERSARY - GENE NOTES

 I can't believe it has been 4 years since I started this blog, and this is the 1,285th post. Wow, congratulations me. 

I've commented at times that it is sometimes difficult to come up with a topic. I do use some themes, but for the most part, these blogs are written off the top of my head or from something interesting that I see while researching. When I am actively researching, topics are numerous and I have to write them down in a notebook, so that I can remember them when I run "dry."  Lately, however, I have been caught up in life, so that sometimes blogging is the last thing on my mind. 

Anyway, thank you all for hanging in there and reading my blog when you can catch it!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Friday Fussing!

The good news is that younger daughter came Thursday night and spent the night. Friday, we wrapped gifts. Lots and lots of gifts. Her gifts.

When she left, I was inspired to wrap the rest of the family gifts. And I am glad to say that everything but the "craft" gifts for everyone are done. And I am working on them. Those I have a template for and that is all that I am saying about that!

The bad news is that I was so "wrapped up" in what I was doing I forgot to post Friday. So here it is a day late!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Libre Office Fails

I got a new Windows 8 computer this year. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with Microsoft Office 2003. I have been using Office since 1997. And I opted not to purchase it this year. Well, I think that was a mistake. I tried Open Office. Sucked. Not supported. Tried Libre Office and while it performs some functions, it screwed the hell out of my Christmas Labels. So I tried typing them individually. It would only let me do one page. Really? So I tried putting it in a Libre database and importing it into Libre Writer using the database and table format for my Avery labels. GIANT FAIL.  No wonder I have a migraine. I ended up typing the second page of labels as a new document. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Estes & Wallace

 On December 19, 1850 in Buchanan county, Missouri, Mr Littleberry Estes and Miss Hannah Wallace were married. Littleberry was my 1st cousin 4 times removed. His father Peyton Estes was a brother of my great-great-great grandmother Anne Estes (who married Nathaniel Davidson.)

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tuesday To - Dos!

Okay, I knocked some things off my Christmas shopping list. That is a huge thing. However, when I went to print my address labels so I can send cards off, I discovered that Libre Office imported last years labels as 33 on a page instead of 30. AND, I couldn't just copy and paste into a new file. Just add this to one of things I really hate about windows 8. And yes, I opted NOT to purchase Microsoft Office 20xx. I have no idea what version they are on and I am tired of it. Is it too much to expect things to work properly?

So tomorrow? Well, I still need to keep typing in the addresses so I can print the labels, as I am NOT addressing them by hand. Then I need to grocery shop, Christmas shop and finish up some crafts. And start a craft. And then finish it.

And unfortunately, the little Genealogy elves have not done anything with my pile-o-paper, either. 

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday Moanin' Recap

Let's see, over the weekend I:

1. Enjoyed a visit from younger daughter on Saturday afternoon. It included lunch with hubby and both daughters. Then a visit to our local home improvement store to look at paint samples, bathroom accoutrements and tile for older daughter's new home. Then dinner with both kids.

2. Made boxes for some gifts. Then put gifts in boxes. Wrapped other gifts.

3. Shopped online. Hubby has finally started giving me gift ideas.

4. Chased cat away from Christmas tree. This accounted for a good part of my weekend.

5. Made leftover spaghetti for Sunday dinner.  Started wrapping stocking stuffers.

I still have stuff to put out for Christmas. And gifts to shop for. Cleaning, organizing, menu planning, etc.

I still have cards to address. This is Monday's project after return from shopping!

No genealogy in store for me this week.



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Elbert Percival

 Elbert Percival was born about October 1871 and was the son of Henry Shattuck Percival and Susan Roberts. He was buried in Highland Cemetery, on December 14, 1928. You can visit his Find-a-Grave Memorial here.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Freaked Out on Friday - Still Behind

I think I might get caught up on some things by the end of the year. Hah! Who am I trying to kid? I'm just going to be further behind. Preparations for Christmas seem to be pulling me in several different directions, like cleaning, decorating, cards, shopping, gifts, wrapping ... well, you get my drift. It leaves so little time for organizing and actually working on any genealogy.  I feel like I should stay up all night and work on that stuff.

This feeling of being pulled in different directions is just intensifying. No wonder I can't turn off my mind at night. And the weather isn't being very cooperative. I feel guilty about sneaking off to my craft room or my office. Actually, I really wonder about just locking those doors and shutting out the world and the commotion!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Moving Right Along

 I am getting some things accomplished - about half way through with my RootsMagic to Legacy 8 transfer project. I wish I was making the same kind of headway through my piles o' paper.

Alas, other things are coming up instead. And of course, I should be either wrapping gifts, shopping for gifts or addressing Christmas cards. Instead, I am booked for appointments this week. Today, I head into our local Social Security office to get myself set up for my pension. Oh yeah! That's probably the most exciting thing I have going this week. Sure beats yesterday's 9 am dentist appointment!

Is anyone else really working on their family history this time of year? I work on it at night mostly when I can't sleep. It's pretty repetitive, so it doesn't take long to have that sedative effect. So, depending on how wide awake I am I might get two to four pages of corrections done. I am converting my RootsMagic baptism/christenings to Legacy christenings. I can't believe how many christening records I have!



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Percival & Brant

On December 11, 1848 in Trumbull County, Ohio, Mr. Sereno Percival married Hannah Oatley. Sereno was my 4th cousin 4 times removed. It was his second marriage.

[Blogger's note: I used Legacy 8 deluxe to generate a list of marriages that occurred on December 11th. It only showed me those results. Very handy.]
 
Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

More Adventures with Legacy 8 Deluxe

First, I have to thank the Support Team at Legacy Family Tree. They have been very helpful in my transfer from RootsMagic. Since I got Legacy Family Tree on November 26th, I've only used RootsMagic as a reference. Which means that basically I am just making corrections or conversions of my old data.

Today I sent my 31 MB GEDCOM file so they could see some of the issues I encountered. I hope it helps.

Last week on December 3rd, I got notification that my Manual and backup CD were on their way.  It is now the 10th and I still don't have them. Being sent Priority mail too. Finally, when I clicked on the USPS Confirmation/Tracking number I get this message for yesterday: PROCESSED THROUGH USPS SORT FACILITY and 4 different times. Looks like it finally departed the USPS sort facility today. Well, I should have it soon. It might help on some of the issues I've been having with sentence structure.

Then yesterday, I did discover that I do have my 2012 Christmas card list on my new laptop. Don't know how I missed it before. Now, I need to go out to the shed and retrieve last year's cards so that I can double check addresses.

And did I mention I still have most of my shopping to do? I haven't even started my DH. Hmmmm. That's all I am saying about that.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday - The Start of Another Busy Week!

I've been working sporadically on my other Legacy 8 project while waiting for the manual to show up, swapping my old baptismal events which I converted to christening events, to the Legacy 8 christening event. Fortunately, I had only 32-1/3 pages of them. Now I have 22-1/3 pages. I can pretty much do this swapping using only the keyboard except for getting to the person's edit screen. I haven't quite figured out the shortcut for that!

My tree went up on Friday. It's a 9 foot tall pencil style. Since my ceiling in my living room is vaulted, there is plenty of room for it. And of course, Miss Mouse the cat has made it her personal project to climb it. It's hard to yell at her when you are laughing at the expression on her face which is the only thing sticking out of the branches. I am really trying to discourage her from climbing it and pulling the ornaments off. Fortunately, they are made of fabric, so she can't hurt them too much. I'll know I'm in trouble when I see her carrying them off to her hiding places.

Lots of appointments this week, leaving little time for Christmas shopping, cards, wrapping, etc. Since there aren't too many days left, I think I will have to fit this stuff in one way or another. The weather has been genuinely nasty, and there is something about shopping in pouring rain that is very un-Christmas-like!

My lists are calling my name!



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Buford Allen Chinn

Buford Allen Chinn was born June 27, 1856 in Missouri, the son of Joseph Garland Chinn and Nancy "Nannie" Shelby Chinn. He married Willie Donaldson May 30, 1882 in Lexington, Missouri. She died September 20, 1888 also in Lexington, Missouri. Buford died on December 7, 1913 in Chicago Illinois. He was the last surviving child of Joseph & Nancy Chinn, and they would ultimately raise Buford's children.

You can visit Buford's Find-A-Grave Memorial here.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Finally, Friday! One Thing Done!

For the last week, I've been working on seeing what went wrong with the GEDCom import from RootsMagic v 6 to Legacy 8. Once I realized I hadn't turned off the color coding before the import I decided to save the file and just delete those items. I took my 177 page error file and took it down to 60 pages. A lot easier to deal with. Thursday night I finished reviewing and editing the people indicated in the report. Whew! Happy dance. Much celebration here in Mid Tennessee.

Not out of the water yet. There is a difference between how RootsMagic handled christenings or baptisms and how Legacy does. That generated what was originally an 87 page report. Once I figured out I could turn off birth and death information in the report, I re-ran it and got it down to 33 pages. A lot more reasonable to deal with. And Legacy has a neat little option for swapping my christening fact for theirs. Which is what I am doing now.

In redoing lots of to do items - the downside being that Legacy does not have a family to-do capability - I found some more information. Of course that has added to my pile on my desk. Eventually I will get through it.

I am still waiting for my manual that I ordered. USPS tells me it is on the way - 2 day priority is taking more than 2 days. I am sure that will make things a little easier. Yes, I do have the PDF version of it too, but sometimes when you open to a page in a book, it makes explanations clearer than trying to print all the links for a specific manual subject. And I sure could use some shortcuts. The one thing I really liked about RootsMagic was the ability to hardly ever use the touchpad or in the case of my new laptop, my mouse. I am much better at keyboarding the pointing and clicking. Go figure!

I have made the commitment to Legacy 8, only entering information in it instead of both programs. One has the capability of a great app that can be synced with my database, the other has a fairly minimal show and tell app.

I hope to work more on it today, but since we are hosting the Blue Cross Bowl or the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Football games, I might watch more of that!  I could probably do that while I put up the Christmas tree. Decisions, decisions.





Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Too Much Mess

I've been moving right along on making sure all my information - mostly Research log items from RootsMagic get moved into Legacy 8. I only have 7 more pages to go out of 60. So probably later, someone will hear a big whoop of joy and I'll be doing a happy dance. 

This morning was grocery day, and DH had a dentist appointment in the afternoon. I thought I would get the tree up while he was gone, but two of my moving pads were missing. I am not a happy camper. I use those all the time, and two of them were where they belonged, but the other two are no where to be seen. Hope DH finds them soon!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Percival & McNitt

On December 4, 1862 in Van Buren county, Michigan, Leonora Percival and Orville McNitt were married. Leonora was one of the daughters of Cullen Percival and Rachel Quigley.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Busier and Busier!

I'm sure it was a great idea at the time, but for some reason, I am doubling up on appointments this week. Almost every morning and afternoon has something planned. I find I am cramming inconsequential tasks like cleaning and grocery shopping in between appointments. That doesn't include trying to shop for Christmas or decorating.

Who needs sleep, anyway?

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

My Foray Into Legacy 8 - Holy Error File!

For some reason, I forgot to turn off the color coding when I transferred my database from RootsMagic 6 into Legacy 8 Deluxe. Well, I can tell you that it generated 177 pages of errors. I also transferred all my Research Logs from RM to Legacy. I should have turned that off too, since I probably would have saved myself another 50 pages!

However, in going through some of this stuff, I found a Research log item for Emma "Edna" Young Vasen Cox. She was still alive in 1959, when her sister Frances Young Smith died. I've searched in vain for her Cox spouse, but went back and found her on 1910, 20 and 30 and 40 censuses. All under the last name of Vasen. Her first husband Gustav died in 1919. They had a son, also named Gustav who married in 1937 to Edna P. Bentley. Kind of confusing when you see them on the 1940 census with the same names as his parents.

For the heck of it, I searched for Edna Young Cox on Find-a-Grave and did find her under the name of Edna Vasen Cox. She died in 1973 and sure enough there is an SSDI record for her. Still have no idea which Cox she married, but I do have her son's obit, his first marriage, his second wife's obit ... so one entry on the error list generated 8 pieces of paper.

Did I mention my pile is growing?

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Hester Chinn Trapp

MRS. TRAPP IS DEAD.  Passes away at an early hour today after long illness.
Mrs. Hester Trapp died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Frank Wheatley, 173 Jefferson street at 4 o'clock this morning. The funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Central Christian Church, of which she was a faithful member, Rev. I. J. Spencer officiating.

Mrs Trapp had been ill since last winter with a serious attack of grippe and had been confined to her bed about two months. She was about 61 years old.

Mrs. Trapp was the widow of the late J. D. Trapp, who was for some years manager of the Transylvania Printing Company when that concern published the "Apostolic Times" one of the ablest edited journals of the Christian Denomination. Mrs Trapp was the sister of County Clerk Claude Chinn and Mr. A. B. Chinn, of this city, and Mr. Joseph Chinn and Mrs. Elizabeth Bowman of Lexington, Missouri. She was the daughter of the late Dr. J. G. Chinn and is survived by the following loving children:  Dr. C. W. Trapp, Mr. David A. Trapp, Mrs. Ernest Longmire and Mrs. Frank Wheatley all of this city, and Mr. William C. Trapp, of Cleveland.

Mrs. Trapp was a devoted mother and a woman of fine Christian character whose death will be deeply and widely mourned.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

The Wait is Over! Legacy 8 At Long Last!

At long last, the wait is over. Tuesday I finally got the new version (8) of Legacy Family Tree.

I've played with Legacy 7.5 and followed some of the tutorials for 7.5 and sneak peaks at version 8 (deluxe) and I have to say, I was really happy with how some of the stuff imported. Like my shared events. That is one of the new things for Legacy that I was waiting for since I've been using that for a few years in RootsMagic.

And yes, I've been using RootsMagic since it came out and Family Origins since version 3. We just might be able to get up and using it quickly.

My first test was Wednesday to see if I could search for marriages that occurred on November 27th. If you read my blog on Wednesday, you saw that I had the marriage for my g-g-g-g-g-g grandparents, Henry Oliphant & Agnes (Ann) Archibald.

So far, so good. Hopefully, the manual will arrive soon and I can really start entering stuff.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Happy Thanksgiving!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Archbald and Oliphant

On  Nov 27, 1736, in Eckford, Roxburgh, Scotland, Henry Oliphant married Agnes (Ann) Archbald (or Archibald.) They were my great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Things Just Got a Little Busier

It is two days before Thanksgiving and I haven't gone shopping for the meal items yet. I can't believe it. Talk about being behind. There have just been a few things cropping up at the last minute for something else.  And then yesterday, it started snowing. Yeesh! We don't normally get snow this early and it has been unseasonably cold. It really affects younger daughter, her guy and the little guy, since they will be coming from Nashville, just over an hour away. Hopefully, this mess will all be gone in two days!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Baby, It's Cold Out There!

The last few days seem like Michigan weather. It's been cold and windy, with weather in the below freezing category. Yuck. This is mid Tennessee, it's not supposed to be this cold in November.

DH and I are still busy around the house, trying to set things back in order, while sorting things for donation and books/videos for trade. It's a huge job sometimes. And it has left me very little time for the things I want to do, like crafts and family history.

Of course, I sadly underestimate the time a particular task may take. Sometimes I can sit and sort photos for quite a while, other times I get this uncontrollable urge to walk away and work on something else.

And, I have not even started my Christmas shopping. Hopefully, I can get it done quickly when I do start!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Stella Mruk Klijewski

Buffalo Evening News
Third section page 27
May 24, 1944

Two Traffic Deaths Raise Toll to 65

Passage from article:

Mrs. Stella Klijewski, 38, of 97 Sumner Pl. who suffered a fractured skull when she was struck by a streetcar Tuesday morning at Walden Ave and Sumner Pl. died in Emergency Hospital Thursday morning at 9:45 o'clock. The operator or the car, police say, was Robert Lundsay Jr., 35 a Negro.

Stella was the first wife of Frank Klijewski or Klein, DH's great uncle.  She was survived by her husband and two daughters.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Friday - Not Quite the End!

That day is here. The day I've been longing for and dreading for years. The day that I organize photos. So I started with a bin and now have them sorted as to the ones that are dated and those that are not. There are also photos sent me by relatives Those are totally separate as a good number of those are genealogical in nature. Not quite sure how I will handle those, but my nice neat craft room? Not so neat any more.

I've actually been able to put my hands on some photos that I haven't seen in a while, too. Some I thought I had lost in the move. Whew!

Now it's time for me to go back to work. 

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday! Running Late

No matter what I seem to do, and how I try to catch up, I feel like I am falling further behind. It's an awful feeling. Now with the holidays fast approaching - Thanksgiving is next week - I feel the pressure more.

Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, having the kids around and enjoying meals together. Nothing better than that. It's just trying to stay ahead of the holidays this year seems impossible. My mental list keeps running through my head ad infinitum.

Now I am wondering how to get the tree up and decorated without the cat participating.  It might go up just a little bit later this year!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Buford and Shelby

On November 20, 1832, Manville Twyman Buford married Elizabeth Shelby in Washington, Mason county, Kentucky. He was my second cousin 5 times removed. Someday, maybe I will prove that his wife, Elizabeth Shelby was also related!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Terrified - I Really Am!

Things I fear:

1. I am afraid that the pile on my desk will never go away. It certainly seems that way, since I am constantly adding to it.

2. I'm not really AFRAID of technology. I used to love "new" things and updates. Sometimes, though, they seem to overwhelm. I started using a computer when you had to learn DOS and Basic to understand how the computer worked and how to get from program to program. I embraced Windows 3.1. Then came along Windows 95 which screwed up computers everywhere.

3. I am afraid I will never get my photos organized and in albums. That is really my goal, to organizing everything by year and slap those suckers into scrapbooks and albums. Oh and scan them too.

4. I am afraid of taking on one more project. Seems that I hardly have the energy to accomplish everything I want to do now!

5. I am terrified of learning a new genealogy program (still waiting for Legacy Family Tree 8.0) which works in conjunction with Families app for my tablet. Also much trepidation with Windows 8. I seem to lost a lot of my shortcut keys, along with having to switch to a mouse.

and finally,

6. I'm afraid I'll run out of things to blog about. Hmmm. Nahhh!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

My Newest Desktop Accessory

All right, I caved. I threw in the towel. I waved the white flag of surrender. I bought a computer mouse. I have happily worked mouse-free for the last 15 years except for when I worked. There, a mouse was a necessity.

I love my new Toshiba laptop, but I really hate the touch pad on it. I may have mentioned this. I really liked all my past touch pads, but this one has me pulling out my hair. Figuratively. I am happy to say that DH is still the only bald member of this family.

Just because I caved, didn't mean I had to get an ugly one! Yep, they've come a long way. So far we are getting along just fine. I've even learned to use the scroll wheel!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - John Smith Bush

John Smith Bush was born September 11, 1819 in Woodford county, Kentucky to Philip Bush and Vicy Tousey (she is related to me through the Percival line,) He died on November 16, 1850 in Covington, Kentucky.

He married first, Mary Jane Riddell, in July 1843. She died an untimely death in September 1844 at the age of 18.

Second, he married Elizabeth Bush Smith on October 2 1850 by whom he had three children, one born in 1846, one in 1848 and the last was born in January 1851, two months after he passed on November 16, 1850.

He is buried in Linden Grove Cemetery in Covington, and his Find-a-Grave memorial can be found here.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Friday Finishes Up Strong?

We spent yesterday with cousins in Knoxville. What a blast. Cousin's wife is one of the people who got me really going on the family - mom's side that is.

She decided she was going to concentrate on her hubby's Meyer line, which is his direct paternal line, and my mom's maternal line. So together, we explored some great information. The result of that today is that I have been trolling Genealogybank.com for obituaries. Some success, with results emailed to Cousin's wife.

Genealogybank.com is one of my favorite sites. I somehow manage to pull a lot of information out of the obits they've put online. I even found one in Harrisonburg, Virginia!

Back to work!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too Too Thursday: Time Out

It seems since DH and I returned from vacation, we've been really busy. Well, not just seems, we have been. Cabinets are installed and mostly filled in the craft room, living room ones remain empty for now. Monday, we took advantage of the 60+ degrees and drained and refilled the spa. That always brings more work because then the chemicals have to be adjusted.

Wednesday afternoon, younger daughter and her boyfriend came for dinner, along with older daughter. It was a great visit on a day which included spa maintenance, leaf blowing, a little shopping and swapping our stored paint from cans that were about to leak in the seams. 

So today, DH and I are taking a day off and going to visit my cousins in Knoxville. I am prepared to be exhausted when I get home. It's a fun day, but a long drive. Cousin's wife is an avid family researcher so we always have lots to talk about!

Enjoy your day!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Craig and Crooker

Henrietta Agnes Craig, daughter of Philip Hawkins Craig and Mary Percival, married Alanson Crooker in Dearborn county, Indiana on November 13, 1837. Henrietta was my first cousin, 4 times removed.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Maybe I Got it Right?

Nearly a week after I purchased my new laptop, I think I got it set up how I want it. Maybe. I finally configured the touchpad how I want it, mostly. I had to turn off the zoom feature because all I was doing was enlarging and miniaturizing my screens, by accident. I also finally have the palm check figured out. It was something I could never get right on my Dells. We'll see how it goes.

The last program that HAS to be on the new computer is my cookbook program, Master Cook. I've been using this on the recommendation of my good friend Karen K. I love it. I keep all my recipes in it and it is so easy to print something up when I am ready to cook. 

Sunday, I installed all the kits that go with my scrapbook program. Close to 200 of them, and each one had to be installed separately. Add to that the base kits that came with the program, which also had to be installed separately due to an issue with Windows 8.

I've quickly become adjusted to the larger screen. Wow, it sure makes a difference in Photoshop Elements, My Memories, ECAL (for my electronic cutter) and RootsMagic and Legacy. My screen is actually wider than DH's desktop screen.

Right now, I am a happy camper. Maybe I should work on my 2.5 inch pile o' paper!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Veteran's Day

I've often said that I don't believe in a lot of holidays. The only legitimate legal holidays - other than Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's and Easter - are Memorial day, in which we remember those who have passed who served; Independence Day, for obvious reasons; Veteran's Day, in which we remember all the Veteran's, those living and those who served to protect our country.;

So here's to my dad, Frank, and my father-in-law, Ben, who both served in WWII. Here's to both my grandfather's, John and Charlie, who served in World War I. My great-grandfathers managed to miss the Spanish American War, but my great-great grandfathers, John Percival, John Bowman and John Webb (aka Garland Webb) fought in the civil war. Garland Webb is the only one of them who survived.

Then there are the uncles: Jack, John, and Angus who all fought in World War II.  Great uncle, John Bowman fought in World War I.

Then there are the cousins and nephews who also served in the Army, Air Force and Navy: John M., Patrick F., and 1Steven G.

Then there are my nephew's Steve and Patrick, both who served their country. Not to be forgotten also are Phil and Kevin.

I am grateful that all served.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Colonel Abraham Bowman

From the Kentucky Gazette, Nov 23, 1837:


DIED, In Fayette County, Nov. 9, Col. Abram Bowman, an officer in the Revolution, and one of the oldest and most respected citizens of this county.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Freaked Out Friday - A Day Late

It has been nuts around here the last few months and this week it got crazier. I had been having issues with my old Dell XPS and Tuesday it died for good. Sigh. So we went out Thursday after looking around a bit and I now own a 17 inch Toshiba Satellite. I love it. Wish I could say the same for Windows 8 and 8.1. I had updated to 8.1, but refreshed my system because the sucker kept giving me the blue screen and the critical_structure_corruption message, after downloading and trying to install my My Memories scrapbooking software. Let me just say it took a while for it to refresh. And you'd get these messages ... setting up ... taking care of a few more things ... etc. Nuts! Sure made me nuts. So between yesterday and today, I re-install some of my software, transferred photos and my documents over. The documents files took well over an hour to transfer. The photos not so much. I am sure I will find a few more things to transfer in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I am still trying to make sure everything is there. Talk about stress.

On Friday, we did the annual Art Prowl. We even got a great 30 inch photo of the Middle Falls at Burgess Falls State Park. I love this town.

So back to work.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Just One of Those Weeks.

DH and I have waited months for our new cabinetry - built-ins in the living room and cabinets in the craft room. Finally, they got installed on Monday. I spent Monday afternoon and evening searching through all the boxes looking for the Martha Stewart wall system stuff I bought. Finally, Tuesday, I decided I would just start putting things away and organizing. I knew they would show up. And they did.

Wednesday,  on starting up my old Windows Vista laptop, which I've used for my eclips electronic cutter, I got the gray screen of death. I rebooted and it appeared to be okay, but part of the way through an up date, the screen flickered and died. Two steps forward, one back.

Now I am evaluating what to do about it. Looked at some Windows 8 machines today. Blah. Indecision. Plus dealing with other things that keep cropping up, I feel like hibernating. It's November, I want to get to work on my Christmas crafts!

On top of this, I have gotten some emails regarding one of my Thriller Thursday posts. I'm excited to get any more information, but too tired to deal with it. Maybe Friday!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Shroyer & Catron

On November 6, 1860 in Waverly, Missouri, Miss Eliza Ann Shroyer (daughter of William Washington Shroyer and Jane Vivian Webb) married Mr. Christopher Catron (son of Stephen Catron and Elizabeth Smith.)

Eliza Ann (also found as Ann E. Shroyer) was a sister of Margaret Shroyer who married John E. Davidson who was my great great granduncle.

Normally, I would not choose someone who is not directly related to me or my husband, however, I decided I needed to research her mother, since I have Vivions/Vivians and Webbs in my line. Preliminary checking places Jane Vivian Webb as a daughter of John Vivion Webb and Lucy Woodward, which makes her a first cousin 5 times removed.

So that makes Eliza Ann Shroyer and her sister Margaret, second cousin 4 times removed.

Very interesting.



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

I Am Out of My Office ...

I spent most of Monday working at the dining room table. The reason for this was the installation of cabinets in my craftroom and living room. The living room cabinets are on the other side of my office wall. Poor Mouse the cat spent her day locked in the master bedroom.

It sure was worth the wait though! The cabinets are beautiful. I am sure the craftroom is going to distract me for a while. Setting everything back up will be a lot of fun. If I can find everything!

The darker cabinets are the living room ones (without handles in this photo) and the lighter cabinets are in the craft room!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday Moanin' - Yeah, I Am Up Early!

I hate the end of daylight savings time. Hate it. Somehow I never get that extra hour's sleep everyone promises. And today, I am up at 5:30 a.m. I'm retired, I don't need to be up at 5:30 a.m.

A nice thing happened on Sunday. I got an email on one of my blog posts about the Vivion/Vivian family. This family connects to my Webbs and Carters. Someone was nice enough to go to the Vivion cemetery in Lafayette county, Missouri and take pictures of the headstones. Thanks, Bill.

Did you notice that I dropped the Vivian part? That's because the tombstones all say VIVION. Which is what I always used to begin with, but census records and marriage records used the two names interchangeably. Well, dang, their name was Vivion. Now to change that in my database!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - H. W. Bowman

Horace Withers Bowman died on November 2, 1945 in Scipio, Hillsdale, Michigan. Quite frankly, I found it really surprising to find him there on the 1940 census. I don't know how he ended up there, but he was born February 28, 1880 in Burgin, Mercer, Kentucky to David Bryan (or Bryant) Bowman and Mary Withers.

Curiously, his Find-A-Grave memorial is in Bellvue Cemetery in Danville, Kentucky.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Freaked Out Friday - or What I did Today!

This is what we did today .. we cleaned everything out of our "storeroom." It hasn't been this empty since we moved in June 13, 2008. The filet crochet hanging I made for our bathroom, but I like it in this room.

Why is the room cleaned out? On Monday, it will be transformed into my long-awaited craft room!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Trick-or-Treat!

Life has been good lately, but extremely busy. It seems every time I sit down to work in my little office, something comes up that requires my attention. I have the feeling of being stretched like a piece of taffy.  Which reminds me of Laffy Taffy!

With it being Halloween, I dragged out some old pictures of Halloweens past. As you can see, I am on the left in both photos. And apparently, I like dressing up as a man! Who knew? Actually, guy clothes in our house were really big on me, so I have to wonder about the jacket in the first photo. Skinny tie must be my older brothers.

 Obviously, I went out trick-or-treating way past the age when most kids stopped. In 1964, I was 12. In the second photo? I was closing in on 32. My own daughters inherited my love of Halloween from me, I am sure.

Me & the girls!

Our neighborhood is an older one, and when we first moved here we had maybe a dozen trick-or-treaters. Now, not one. Kind of makes me sad. 

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Kleesaat & Schacht

On October 30, 1812 in Kastorf, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, Jurgen Gustav "Georg" Kleesaat/Klevesaat married  Catarina Sophia Schacht. They were my great-great-great grandparents on my mom's side.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tombstone Tuesday - What the Heck?

The stone above seems innocuous enough, but it through me for a loop. Yes, I expected to find Price and Harvey Parker in Lexington (KY) Cemetery, but not with what was engraved on the back, which unfortunately, I did not get a picture of. The back of the stone says Kirtley. I expected to find Kelly Kirtley buried there with Price and Harvey.

You see, Kelly and Price were brother and sister. They were the children of Isaac Shelby Kirtley and Susan Anna Chinn. Shelby was my first cousin four times removed and Susan Anna was my second great grand aunt. That makes their children related to me several times over. After Isaac and Susan's deaths, they were raised Price, or more properly, Sterling Price Kirtley, was raised by her aunt Hester Chinn Trapp, in Lexington, Kentucky (their parents died in Lexington, Missouri.)

So, unfortunately, no trace of Kelly Kirtley was to be found. My suspicion is that after he murdered a young woman and committed suicide, the family did not want a marker in the cemetery for him.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday Moanin' - Catching Up - Again!

I have tried all weekend to accomplish something ... anything. Really, not much luck. Today however, I updated my to-do list in RootsMagic. I knocked quite a few items off the to-do list and took it from 180 items to 146. Way to go, me!

I constantly try to impress upon readers the need for organization when you go on a research trip to a courthouse, library, cemetery or whatever. Even when researching from home, keep a list of what you need in certain online databases. Its amazing how much you will get done.

Some people use their place list to use as research. I might do that if I am going somewhere out of town and want to check if there is something to search for that I don't have. Some use family group sheets. Me, I use my to do lists in RootsMagic and I keep databases of cemeteries. There are three that I concentrate on: Mount Olivet in Detroit, where some of my family is buried; Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Kentucky; and Cave Hill in Louisville, Kentucky. The Cave Hill website allows you to print out a section map and it is so easy to mark the lot and write on the page the people you for whom you are searching.

The important thing is to stay organized.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Frederick Border

Border, Oct. 26, of Monrovia, Fred Border, loving father of Mrs. Catherine Freel of Monrovia and Mrs. M. B. Russell of New York City.

Private Services Friday, 2:30 p.m. at the chapel of W. B. Temple, Monrovia.

{Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, death notice, 29 October 1942.}

He was the husband of  Ellen Major "Nellie" Percival.
 



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Home Again!

DH and I took a short trip to Lexington, Kentucky this week. We had a great time and it was fun to just get away for a few days. I crossed lots of stuff off my to do list - but haven't really checked the numbers. Also, our little experiment with taking pictures of the cemetery section map was mostly successful. I got one really big surprise when I looked for the stone for Kelly Kirtley. I most certainly found a stone that said Kirtley on it, in the section and lot where I expected it to be, but the front had the names of his sister and her husband. Curious. I have my thoughts on that and maybe I will share them sometime.

All in all, a successful trip and I am glad to be back home!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Lousy Pictures

The other day I wrote about going to Lexington Cemetery. What I didn't say was I look like a drunk lurching around the headstones. I really try to walk carefully, being terrified of tripping over a lot marker or stepping in a shallow hole. I will do anything not to wrench my right knee - the titanium one!

I looked at my pictures from the cemetery and as I suspected the text on the memorial for John B. Bowman were awful. I just couldn't get close enough - it was way too high. However, since Wednesday's plan was to hit the Kentucky Room, I searched for and found the inscription in the Lexington Herald, November 13, 1914.

Inscription on Memorial.

"Nature might stand up

 and say to all the world 

'this was a man.'

John Bryan Bowman
who, in 1858, revived
Bacon College
under the name of
Kentucky University
and, in 1865,
multiplied its one college
united with that institution
which name was resumed in 1908
and the
Agricultural and Mechanical College
of Kentucky
which in 1908 became the
State University of Kentucky
and received the official title of
Regent of Kentucky University
which office he filled until 1878.
He, in 1866
purchased for the site of the university the
Ashland and Woodland Estates
and in 1870
became by an act of the Legislature,
originator of the
Lexington Street Railway,
which the
Interurban Railway naturally
followed.
He was indirectly the cause,
in 1869, of Hocker, now Hamilton
College,
in 1876 the Commercial College, and
in 1877, the College of the Bible
Born and died in Mercer County
October 16, 1824, September 19, 1891.
His Wife
Mary Dorcas Bowman
Born in North Middletown, August 26, 1826."

Apparently, no one really cared to inscribe Mary Bowman's death date, which was about a year and half later on March 11, 1916.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - McHatton & Hubbard

Marriages taken from the "Brooklyn Eagle (published), p 78.

Oct 23 (1880) at Norwich Connecticut by Rev. Dr. Olney, Henry McHatton of Brooklyn and Elizabeth Hubbard of Norwich.

Dr. Henry Chinn McHatton was the son of James McHatton and Eliza Chinn.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tombstone Tuesday - Say What?

No pictures of a tombstone today, as I have not yet uploaded the pictures I took today. Yes, DH and I spent the morning in a cemetery. Lexington Cemetery. One of my favorites.

Yesterday, we stopped at the cemetery office and I took pictures of the sections I wanted to visit. At least all the numbered sections. We've visited section A through O in the past, and the letter-number sections and today was supposed to be easy. Because we could find the lots with the printouts I made. Theoretically. Graves are hard to find if there are no stones. Then sometimes the back of the stone says one thing and the front says another. But that particular stone is for another day!

Some of the stones we found, were pretty self explanatory. Others. Hmm. One gravesite we did visit today was for the Chinn-Runyon family. Specifically, Addison Ball Chinn who was my second great-granduncle. I have written about him, he was murdered in his own home. I wrote the first of three parts to this Thriller Thursday in 2010, and you can read it here, here, and here. There is a family stone and simple headstones.


The easiest plot was the John B. Bowman one. He was a first cousin 4 times removed and the founder of the University of Kentucky. You can visit this page to read about his monument. I hope that we can read the writing on the monument in the pictures that I took. I guess I will find out when I upload them later.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday Moanin' - The Weekend

Ahh! Missed my nephew's wedding (the fourth of 6) out in California on Saturday. But enjoying the online photos. Such a cute couple and I have to admit, I've never seen a cake like that before! Half wedding cake and half Batman cake. And really, black fondant? Wowsa!

Many good wishes to the happy couple, Danny & Danielle!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Calvin Fuller Percival

The Western Spy, Oct 27, 1810

Calvin Percival was the son of Dr. Jabez Percival and Elizabeth Stearns Percival. He died October 20, 1810. He was born December 20, 1794 in Freehold, New York.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Finally, Friday!

I need to get busy, stuff to do around the house, stuff to do to prepare for Lexington, Kentucky and just stuff to do. Finally heard from our cabinet guy and we are excited to be getting close to completed craft room and built-ins in the living room. In the meantime, everything that was in those rooms has been packed up. I think the former storeroom looks worse now than it did before. Maybe. Can't wait to get that room up and running and organized. It is driving me crazy!

Tomorrow is a big day in the family. Unfortunately, we will miss it as it is taking place in California. Our nephew, Danny is getting married! We wish him and Danielle all the best!


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday - Not Enough Time

No, actually, haven't forgotten about blogging, just been so busy! Then last night, when I would have normally written my post, I had a blood sugar spike. Yesterday, I did not eat when I should have or what I should have. Some diabetics wouldn't complain about a blood sugar of 176, but for me, that is the highest it has ever been and I could feel it. It didn't help that I didn't have enough sleep Tuesday night either. Less than 5 hours, which for me is really awful.

Our local Honda dealer made us an offer out of the blue for our 2011 Odyssey. We couldn't refuse it and they gave us a deal on the 2014 CR-V with which we replaced the Odyssey. I love it. I missed my 2004 CR-V a lot. It was the perfect size for me, as is this one. Fits in the garage better too. Our last one was "V;" this one is "V2." Not gray, she is Mountain Air Metallic, just a bit of teal. DH's color choice!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Zimmeth & Whiteside

I have two Zimmeth/Whiteside marriages. The first one that took place is between Mary "May" Zimmeth and Samuel Whiteside. They were married on October 16, 1899 in East Tawas, Michigan. May was the daughter of August and Augusta Wilhelmina (Cleasott) Zimmeth and was one of my grandfather's sisters. Sam was the son of William and Emeline (Bancroft) Whiteside.  They are pictured below with the first five of their seven children. From left to right: Myrtle, May Zimmeth Whiteside, holding Ray, Charlotte, Earl, Sam holding Harry.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

SNOWBALL!

I am suffering from the snowball effect. That is you look for one thing and find dozens of other things that you may or may not have expected to find. Not that I am complaining, because sometimes you search for something that should be there and isn't, and you are left out in the cold.

I haven't had that happen in a long time. Mainly because my powers of concentration were under-utilized.

None of these finds are making my piles any smaller ...

And speaking of these piles, yes, I am trying to go paperless. And for the most part I do not file Find-A-Grave records, or census records. And unless they are direct line, I don't bother with saving death certificates, unless I paid for them or someone sent me them. I do, however, scan them and link the image to the person/family.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Bit by Bit

I think the trip last month did me a lot of good. For one thing, it got me researching again. I didn't realize how much I had gotten out of the habit until I started transcribing obituaries and marriage notices.

Tis a good thing, too, since DH and I have another shorter trip planned wherein I have a couple days in one of my favorite towns, and I get to hit the newspaper films again as well as revisit the cemetery. Fortunately, it will only be a four hour drive instead of the longer drives last month!

Yay!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Valentine Kruszka

 Valentine Kruszka, my DH's great uncle was born in Poland, January 12, 1889 (according to his SS-5 record.) He died in Detroit, Michigan October 12, 1970.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Other Marriage Records That Surprised Me!

My mother's family must have had a thing about getting married in Ohio. When I plugged in Zimmeth I got the following marriages:

1.  Leo Zimmeth & Adele R. Kasten. I knew they were married, and the East Tawas, Michigan parish that Leo was baptized at indicated he got married in Missouri. Well, a check of those marriage records came up zip, zilch, nada. So I was really surprised to find out that he got married in Toledo, Ohio.  They got married April 29, 1929. Leo was my mother's first cousin and the oldest child of George & Julia (Blust) Zimmeth. I think the marriage ended in divorce.

2.  Mary Zimmeth & William B. Eager. I knew about this marriage, but again, did not realize that they got married in Ohio. Mary didn't tell me this when I talked to her many years ago.  They got married September 14, 1931 in Toledo. Mary is Leo's sister. They, too were divorced.

3. Charlotte Whiteside & Floyd Hamather. Charlotte apparently was working as a telephone operator in Bowling Green, Ohio when she married Floyd on April 12, 1939.  Charlotte was my mother's first cousin and was the daughter of Samuel Whiteside and Mary (May) Zimmeth. May was my grandfather's sister.

One things all of these cousins had in common were that they were all much older than my mother and her siblings.

Charlotte was born in 1904, Leo was born in 1907, and Mary was born in 1913.  My grandparents weren't even married until 1922.

It was a very productive night!


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday: Add This to My List of Occupations

In my life, I have been a babysitter, a church secretary, a Medical Records office clerk, a medical transcriptionist, a wife, a mother, a library page, and a library clerk. I added a new occupation the other day: locksmith.

As we were leaving the house the other day, I closed the door that has been sticking really bad, hard enough to close it. When we got home, we couldn't use that door to get in. Key or no key, the lock was clearly broken. So DH and I took it apart and the next day went shopping for a repair, a part or a new entry lock.

Turns out we needed to replace the entry lock on the door into the garage, and then re-key it. That was actually one of the easiest things we've ever done. And now we can use that door again!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Thank You, Family Search! I think?

Yesterday's post was about the indexing on my parent's marriage record. Really, someone should have checked that one.

Today's is not without issues either. But I am happy, nonetheless. The record is for Catherine Simmet and Christian Brinkman. I am reasonably sure that this is Christian Brickman and Catherine Zimmeth.

The marriage license is issued in Erie county, Ohio. I know the family lived in the Sandusky area in the mid 1800s. How Catherine got there, I don't know. Her parents were my great-great grandparents, Joseph Zimmeth and Catherine Boegler, who lived in Erie county, New York.

There are lots of issues with Zimmeth and Simmet. One of Joseph's son's, Michael, used Zimmeth and Simmeth interchangeably. One of Michael's sons, Frank, used Simmet.

So back to Christian and Catherine. Their marriage license was issued on February 11th, 1850. And it is indexed as Brinkman and Simmet. Their ages and the location are right.

Christian could not write - at least not in English. He made his mark on the license.

I know that the marriage ended in 1863 with Catherine's death in Erie county, Ohio. In 1865, her some of her children are living with their grandparents in Lancaster, New York. They are indexed as Brakeman. So my gut instinct is to go with Brickman and not Brinkman. But still, both names need to be searched.

At any rate, no notation is made for an actual marriage date.  Here is the license.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

What the Heck, Family Search?

As is my custom, I went to Family Search to see what new or updated marriage records they had. Bingo! Found my mom and dad's marriage record. Of course, I had it already. I got it after my dad died, when my mom applied for his Veteran's benefits. Apparently, my parents didn't have a copy of their own marriage record handy? We had the church one that took place 7 months later, but not the actual Ohio elopement one.

So I have this record and it is very readable. However, apparently the indexer goofed and put my mom's name as ... Q. Zimmeth. No idea why that is like that.

So I scrolled to the right hand page and there listed right after my folks were the Badgeros. Bill and Janet were the couple that my folks traveled to Fremont, Ohio with so that they could be Bill and Janet's witnesses.

I understand when a record is hard to decipher, but this one wasn't. Sigh.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Persistence Pays Off - The Dell Is Resuscitated

About six weeks ago, I turned on my old Dell XPS 1530 laptop to do some updates. The updates were less than successful and it appeared to have crashed and burned. Instead of the blue screen of death, I got the gray screen which really looked awful.

Then early this afternoon, I got the mad idea to try and reinstall windows, since I had the disks that came with that Dell.

It was tedious, nail-biting, nerve-wracking. But I did it. Of course, I lost everything that was on it, but there wasn't anything on it that wasn't backed up. Whew. Now, it is mostly bare bones.

It has Firefox, the webcam and programs, the Roxio Creator and my eCal software for my Sizzix, my electronic cutter and all the SVG Cuts files that I use. That is the only thing I haven't tested. The old Dell is 5+ years old, and it was always my workhorse. So I am really glad to be able to use it in my craft room -- if that ever gets done! I hope to test everything in the next few days. Since the craft room is packed up in anticipation of remodeling, I may have to make room in my office. Hmm. Incentive to clear up those piles?

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Earl John Brough

First I am going to preface this with a little story about how I was approached at a Western Wayne County Genealogical Society meeting in Livonia, Michigan one evening, quite a few years ago. You see, the person whom I met was David Brough (I think and if my memory is not failing me.) He wanted to know if my Percivals and his Percivals were connected. At the time, I had enough to do to follow my own line, and told him I didn't know anything about his line, but that if I came across anything, I would email him. We exchanged email addresses.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I did connect the dots on this Percival and tried to email him. The email never came back as undeliverable (sadly, I had no snail mail address for this fellow.)

Tonight, while writing this post, I checked the obits. Probably an obvious thing to do, and I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. I think I found him. Or possibly his father. I don't remember him being close to my dad's age ...

At any rate, this is one of his ancestors, and it comes from the Ludington Daily News, obituary, 12 October 1940, p5 c3:

EARL BROUGH DIES AT ANN ARBOR

PELTON DISTRICT. - Relatives here have received word of the death in Ann Arbor, Saturday, Oct. 5, of Earl Brough, husband of Edna Percival Brough, a former resident here.

Mr. Brough and a companion fell to their death from the scaffolding of a building on which they were working.

He was buried in Ann Arbor Tuesday.

Mrs. Brough is a cousin of Mrs. Herman Beyer, who received the message and also a cousin of Mrs. John Belleville and H. L. Darr.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

The Insomniac

I remember when I was young, waking up in the middle of the night and my dad would be planted in front of the TV, trying to fall asleep. This was back in the days before 24 hour television, when the last thing you would hear is the star spangled banner followed by the visual test pattern. If you had black and white TV, it was not very interesting, but with the advent of color television you  could stare at the colors for a while, before getting up off your hind end to turn the TV off. Then you would watch the picture reduce to a dot before fading away.

Now, TV almost never goes black, unless there is a power failure. But when I wake up at 4:15 in the morning, the last thing I want to do is turn the TV on. So instead, I toss and turn, read, play games, read email and compose blog posts!

Good night. Um morning. Whatever.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday: So Much for Packing Light!

Yes, I know we have almost three weeks until our next trip, but already, I am planning what is going with me - besides clothing. I always take my laptop with me, since that is an invaluable tool. Also, I am taking my portable printer too! I took it last trip, but didn't need it. This time, with our plan of going to the cemetery on arrival and getting some photos of the cemetery plot map first, I figure it will be easier to print if I take the printer with us and have the photos of the plot map on hand.

I love this little printer. It's a Canon inkjet and I have had it for YEARS.  It's lasted longer than any computer I've ever owned, that's for sure! So then the question becomes, do I take the big rolling computer case or the smaller shoulder ones. I can get my laptop and printer in the rolling case, so that is probably the route I will take. DH and I have found as we get older, that if more of our luggage rolls, the better!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wedding Wednesday - Bush and Riddle

From:  Licking Valley Register, marriage, 22 July 1843, p3:

Married -- On Tuesday the 18th instant, by Rev. Dr. Bell, Mr. John S. Bush of this city, and Miss Mary Jane Riddle of Burlington.

John Smith Bush was the son of Philip Bush and Vicy Tousey (Vicy was the daughter of Thomas Tousey and Lydia Percival which makes John Bush my second cousin four times removed.)

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Our Thirty-Fourth!

As noted, DH and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary over the weekend. We ticked something on our bucket list -- a visit to the Cumberland County Playhouse over in Crossville. We saw "Ring of Fire" which was the music of Johnny Cash. One of the cast members was his great niece, Kellye Cash. There sure are some talented people in Tennessee!

One of our concerns for the weekend was the simultaneous "Fly-In" at the airport next door to the playhouse. There were all kinds of small planes flying in and on display. In fact, we did get a good luck at a couple of them. Fortunately, traffic-wise, the Fly-In was done by 3 p.m., so we did not have to contend with that traffic on the way out!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

I Would Call it a Successful Trip

There is no doubt that my DH and I had a great time on our trip. Yes, we did try to cram in too much stuff early on, and pushed a little too hard on the road the first day. But, we had a fabulous time.

As much as I enjoyed the visits with family and friends, I really enjoyed the research parts of our trip. It had been over two years since visiting a cemetery or library, and it felt good, although tiring, to be back in the research chair again.

My to-do list numbered 237 before we left - that being the number of ALL the items on my to-do list. Now? It is down to 181. I amdone entering info found at the ACPL in Fort Wayne, but all my newspaper articles are done from the Lexington Public Library. And I have linked the photos from the cemetery. I need to make sure the Lexington stuff is up to date before DH and I head up there again soon!

The Wild Ones remember that when we would go to Fort Wayne for our research marathons, I'd often start entering stuff when we got back to the room. For the most part, I wanted to be sure I'd covered all the bases, but I also suffer from insomnia, so it would give me something to do in the wee hours if I didn't need a lot of light!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

I can't believe it's been 34 years!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Sympathy Saturday - Florence Bowman Gay

Florence Bowman Gay was my second cousin three times removed. See note at the bottom.



MRS. FLORENCE GAY DIES NEAR PISGAH

Member of Christ Church Cathedral and Ardent Worker in Guild.

Mrs. Florence Gay, wife of Robert Gay, died at the residence of her husband near Pisgah, Woodford County, last night at 10 o'clock. She had been ill for only a week.

Mrs. Gay's maiden name was Florence Bowman, she being the daughter of John Bowman and a niece of Mrs. Wellington Payne, who is well known throughout Central Kentucky.

Mrs. Gay was a member of Christ Church Cathedral and one of the most valiant workers in the Altar Guild.

The funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Her find-a-grave memorial can be found here.

[Florence was not the daughter of John Bowman, but her death certificate and census records show that she was the daughter of Henry Clay Bowman and Elizabeth Reed. She died from uremic poisoning as a result of childbirth. The infant also died. Florence was 38 years old at the time of her death.]

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Genealogy Roadshow - Nashville

I live an hour + away from Nashville, how did I not know about this?

The show. Well, I loved it and hated it. I liked the pacing, but like Who Do You Think You Are? it seems to pull rabbits out of hats. Actually, there was a little bit more of "I found this on the census" or "He was found on a passenger list." That is good. None of this pulling the fancy charts out with lineages. Ugh.

BUT. And that is a big one. When Josh Taylor made the comment about Polish records being lost? Couldn't he have talked to a genealogist who specializes in Polish or Eastern European research? Maybe he could have said, we couldn't locate a Parish in Poland. He did actually, have the town name. Maybe Josh Taylor didn't know about the little upstart fella, Napoleon, who insisted each parish keep three sets of records, one for the parish level, one for the regional level and one for the archive.

For records that were "lost" I have found most of my hubby's lines in Poland. 

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Too-Too Thursday: Souvenirs

We aren't much for souvenirs, but sometimes we like to pick up interesting stuff we find along the way. One of my favorite shopping places is .. the Liquor Barn in Lexington, Kentucky. Last time we were there, I found a bottle of Virginia Gentleman Bourbon. It was distilled at the A. Smith Bowman distillery in Virginia. He was a second cousin, three times removed. 

I was thrilled to find a bottle of Bowman Brothers, made at the same distillery. I haven't opened it yet, but the bottle is very special.You can barely make out an illustration of the Bowman Brothers - John, Isaac, Abraham and Joseph. All were important in Kentucky history. Joseph died at Vincennes during the revolution. Abraham, of course was my ancestor.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes