Not What I was Looking For. I'm Not Complaining!

A friend, who also happens to be a very distant cousin (by marriage) and fellow researcher, always says, "Review! Review Review!"

I agree with this wholeheartedly. And it was because of this that I took a look at Find-a-Grave to see if I could find any burials for my Webb family of Orange County, Virginia. I did find a Find-a-Grave record for her and an article celebrating the 250th anniversary of Blue Run Baptist Church, Somerset, Orange County, Virginia. You can find the article here.

On Find-a-grave, there is a photo of her tomb along with the explanation that the tomb was probably built by the family slaves on the spot where she died after being thrown from her horse at the age of 42. The transcription says the stone says 1785; the story and the family bible say 1783. 

I find it ironic that this woman is the only one of her immediate family that is entombed or even has a marker. 

I hope you click on the link. It's an interesting story about the church.

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Merry Christmas

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

I'm Reviewing the Situation

Periodically, I like to review what I have on my lines and my hubby's lines. One of my brick walls is the 1910 census for his grandmother. She was in the US  for three years by this time, and still I can't find her. And my search again yesterday turned up nothing.

However, I got sucked down a rabbit hole looking for her older sister's third husband's death. My records show he died in April 1969. Mary Synos Wdowicki Walenty Schwetz died in August 1969. So, in searching for just Schwetz in Michigan I found the following death notice:

I had no idea she died in Baltimore, Maryland. You'll note four children listed in the Death notice from the Detroit, Michigan Free Press. Hubby had no idea either. Certainly his mother, who was one of Mary's nieces, did not pass on that information. 

Having found the death notice, I went on the hunt for information about Mary in Maryland. And I found an obituary, which is kind of intriguing.

I like the part where her son, Ben is the only survivor! Hope his siblings didn't see this.

Working on any of my mother-in-law's lines has always been a challenge. Church records for her father, Andrzej Zalot, have not been filmed. He was born in Tryncza, Przemysl, Poland in 1890 and died in 1940. Her mother's line has partial records, and Wiktarya Synos was born in 1893 in Borek Nowy, Rzeszow, Poland. I was told that Mary and Wiktarya (Victoria) were not close. Grandma Zalot did not approve of her sister's three marriages. Victoria was widowed in 1940 and remained one until 1986 when she passed. Mary married twice after her husband Walter Wdowicki passed. And apparently did not waste time remarrying, which to her sister was scandalous. 

Which now leads me to Ben Wdowicki, her eldest child. He was born Bronislaus Stanislaus Wdowiecki (according to Massachusetts records) in 1915. He was a Master Sergeant in the Army (branch of service not verified at this point) and appears to have married Irene Garrigan in New York. As you can see, this research for Ben and Irene is in its infancy. I've not been able to find a death notice for Ben, just the above and a find-a-grave record.  

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Diary Keepers? Sadly not.

I am not a diary person. It takes time and discipline to keep one. I'm also not much of a letter writer. And in this day of texts and emails, I don't really need to be a letter writer. Which is sad, because there will probably not be a record of the emails I've sent and received over the last 20+ years.

My ancestors were of a different ilk. They wrote many letters. At times, when paper was at a premium, they cross wrote letters writing from top to bottom and then turning the paper and writing across what they'd already written. I can't tell you what fun that was to decipher. 

My great-great grandmother, Susan Percival Holt, nee Davidson was a great correspondent. She corresponded with her sister-in-law, Eliza Percival Oliver; her mother-in-law, Sarah Kirtley Percival Webb; her cousins, her children and her husband. Susan was born about 1836 in Missouri. She married John Stearns Percival, Jr. September 24, 1856 in Lafayette county, Missouri. And she died October 31, 1886.

One of the letters she received was from her husband, during the Civil War. It is worn in spots and had been folded for a long time and I imagine it was the last letter he wrote before he was killed in battle. 

I have letters exchanged between her sister Eliza and her sister-in-law Eliza regarding the death of John Percival. 

There are letters to her children, Herbert and Henry (John Henry Percival). Her children were farmed out to family after the civil war. Herbert went to Covington, Kentucky where he lived with his uncle Jabez Percival and his wife Catherine Bush. Catherine was also a Percival descendant. 

My dad's father was a great letter writer and wrote many letters back home to his family and his fiancé, Mary Bowman during the Great War. I am sad that he did what other soldiers did and destroyed his letters from her. The only letters from her that survived were letters she wrote to him when he took a job as a Civil Engineer in Detroit in 1928. I wish I had known her. I loved her sense of humor which came through in her letters to him. 

These letters gave me an insight to what joy and what trials my family experienced. I cherish them.

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

More Confusing Names - Maybe

One thing I think I've determined on working on these Hungarian records, is that this family probably lived elsewhere before their children were born in the 1870s and 1880s. Or the records just aren't available. 

Today I found a death record for a baby who appears to have been an uncle of hubby's. The father's name is right, but the spelling on the mother's name is a little off. Betti instead of Berta. I am pretty sure it's the right family because two of his aunts were born in the same town in Hungary. 

Are we having fun? 

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe we made another year! I am sure there are a few people who can't believe it either! But here we are 43 years later, which just amazes me.

I am so lucky to have this guy in my life! Happy Anniversary!

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Confusing Names

I understand German naming patterns. They can be crazy, naming their sons and daughters with similar names. Makes me nuts. But there is a pattern or a reason. 

But this one takes the cake. Two brothers in this family, hubby's side, one named David and one named Dezso, both born in Hungary. David was born in 1875 and Dezso in 1886. David emigrated to US in 1903 aboard the SS Kronland, and Dezso in 1905 aboard the Kroonland. By 1910 when he is married, Dezso is now known as Dave. And he uses Dave till death except for his original declaration of intent. Why? Why not choose some other name? 

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Getting Sidetracked 101

I am easily sidetracked. Seriously, it doesn't take much to sidetrack me. The arrival of the portraits I blogged about sent me down a rabbit hole hunting for more information on this family of distant relatives.

My Zimmeth relatives left Roeschwoog, Alsace, France for America, ultimately settling in Lancaster, Erie county, New York.  My great-grandfather was the only one of his siblings born in the United States, way back in 1839.  He had two older brothers, one, Joseph moved to Minnesota, but owned property in Michigan. The other, Michael, stayed in Erie county, New York and went by the name of Michael Simmet.  His son Francis Joseph Simmet migrated to central Michigan. Francis' uncle, August Zimmeth (my great grandfather) migrated to the western shore of Lake Huron, in Iosco county, where he married and raised his family.

While I had some information on the descendants of Francis Joseph Simmet, it was pretty sparse on the Dent side. Francis Simmet's son Frank married Margaret Dent, and the portraits were those of her parents. 

The rabbit hole eventually spewed forth birth records, death records, marriage records and obituaries for John and Catherine McNaughton Dent and some of their children.  Yesterday I packed up all the information I found along with the portraits and got everything ready for shipping to a descendant of that family. And I got back to work on the project I was working. That is another line I don't really know much about but am happy to investigate.

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

I'm a Repository?

A few days ago, I was contacted on Ancestry to see if I wanted portraits of Simmet (one of my Zimmeth lines) relatives. Well sure.  They are John Dent and his wife Catherine McNaughton.  I received them today and the first thing I did was photograph them and link them in RootsMagic 8. Now, I'm looking for more information on the couple as I only had them as the parents of Margaret Dent who married Frank W. Simmet. It sure beats having images of their headstones as their primary photo!

Why do I think I am a repository? Well, in my collection of goodies, I have these two photos, many photos and papers sent by cousins, 4 family crests that a first cousin once removed did and 2 bibles sent from Scotland!  

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

The Project - Pile of Folders

I always have a pile of paper on my desk. Sometimes, it's things I want to do, things to file, things to shred.  The paper got so out of hand, I had to relegate it to file folders. I spent a couple of hours one evening sorting the paper into folders and then labeling the folders.  

Right now I am somewhere between illustration one and illustration two. I am workin on Folder 3 which is a mix of hubby's genealogy. Interesting stuff.  But everything I've pulled out has generated two or three more records. For instance, I had a death certificate for a first cousin 3 times removed. I wasn't even sure this person was related, until I went into the Polish archives and found his baptismal record and proved his father was hubby's maternal grandmother's first cousin once removed. Yay.  On the other side of his family, I had a death notice for a relative, which led to her marriage announcement, marriage record, social security info, and her husband's name along with that of her two children and three grandchildren. Found her husband's obituary, and her daughter's marriage announcement.  This folder has at least twenty five more pages to it, not to mention the stuff I've already done or am currently working on. And it's one of the lighter folders. 

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

For Sale or Trade? Mary Bowman's House

For Sale or Exchange.

Having determined to sell my residence, on South street, I will do so at a very low price for cash, or exchange for a smaller house in the city. The house is two stories high, and has nine large rooms; the lot is large and is as desirable as any in the city. The place is well supplied with various kinds of fruit and shrubbery, and has all the necessary out-buildings. For particulars apply to G. M. Mountjoy, A. J. Hall or the undersigned. (mh22) Mary E. Bowman

What an interesting concept! By 1900, Mary E. Bowman nee Chinn was living with her son-in-law and daughter, George and Isabella (Bowman) Mountjoy. By 1880, all her sons had reached their majority and would inherit from their late father, Lt. Col. John Parker Bowman, who died on retreat from Pea Ridge, Arkansas. Mary Chinn Bowman passed in 1904.

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

The More You Work a Family, The More Confusing They Get

One of my direct lines is the Bowman family. My paternal grandmother was a Bowman and my dad was named for her father, Frank Bowman.  

Frank was one of six children in this family: Isabella, John, Joseph, Edwin, Frank and Clifton. Clifton has long given me the slip. This time the culprit is Joseph. 

Joseph and his siblings named above were the children of John Parker Bowman and Mary Elizabeth Chinn. The eldest son, John C. Bowman died in 1858. John Parker Bowman died in 1862 on retreat from Elkhorn Tavern (Pea Ridge) in Arkansas. Mary Elizabeth was left to raise the rest of the children on her own. 

Mary appears on the 1880 census with the following children: Joseph, Edwin, Frank and Clifton. Joseph is 30.  There is a Susan Foster on the 1880 census in Lafayette county, Missouri who is the right age with a son Robert and a daughter, Daisy, ages 3 and 1. Those dates coincide perfectly with the known children. Susan Foster is listed as a widow. 

Let's fast forward to 1900. Joseph is in Wyandotte county, Kansas with wife Susan and sons Robert and Leroy. The census says that they've been married 25 years. But wait, Joseph is with his mother and younger brothers in 1880.  No marriage record to be found anywhere. And certainly not before 1880. The 1910 Census shows Joseph and Susan, married, one marriage for each of them and now they've been married 33 years. It's definitely not adding up. 

When Susan dies in 1934, no mention of her late husband, but does mention her children. However, it references Miss Daisy Bowman. I have a marriage record where she marries Allen Root in 1897. In her father's obit, she is Mrs. Daisy Lucas. 

Certainly I have more work to do on this family, if I can get them straight in my head.  

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

RootsMagic 8 for Mac

I have had the opportunity over the holiday weekend to test RootsMagic 8.  Yes, it came out a year ago and I was part of the community testing. However, I had some persistent errors on my Mac when working in the program. 

When RootsMagic reached out to me recently to test the program for the errors I was experiencing, I jumped at the chance.  I am so glad I did. 

First, let me say that I love RootsMagic 8.  I've used this program since it's inception, owning every version of it including its progenitor Family Origins.  About the same time I decided I was done with Windows and was going to migrate to a Mac,  RootsMagic announced they were making  the program usable on a Mac with the help of an emulator.  I felt like I was coming home. 

Then came the official news that RootsMagic was working on a totally new RootsMagic which would also have a native Mac version.  I couldn't wait, became a community tester, but was disappointed with the errors I kept experiencing. 

Now I was given a holiday weekend to work in the new program. First, I made a new database, adding people, facts, sources, images and tasks - the old to-do list from previous versions.  I experimented with folders for the tasks, and worked for hours a day for the next four days without a single error message. And I worked in complete silence about what I was doing except for the daily diary I kept. 

That was probably the hardest part for me, keeping silent!  I made it through the entire weekend without the dreaded access violation error.  I reported in on Tuesday, gave my results and later that day, RootsMagic version 8.2.5 was released.  

This is really a great program and very reasonably priced at $39.95, which compared to the other Mac genealogy programs, is very reasonable. If you have a license to a previous version, you can save $10. 

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

The War of 1812 - The Letters

I teased about the letters.  Here is the transcription to the best of my capability. 

(JSP 01)

File 9221 Percival, John S. M.D. 1815 (N.Y.)

(JSP 02)

Re md for appt. Hosp. Surg. Mate - Jan 28.

1182 - New York

Jno. S. Percival S. Mate 

R by Dr. Stearns

28 Jany 1815

(JSP 03)

City of Washington 28th Jany 1815

Sir I have the honor to enclose you a letter which I lately received from Dr. John Stearns of the city of Albany, recommending Doctor John S. Percival for the commission of Surgeon’s mate. With Doctor Percival I have no acquaintance, with Doctor Stearns I have been long and intimately acquainted with his true character in the line of his profession. I have taken the liberty to certify upon the back of the letter enclosed.

I have the honour to be Sir

With great consideration

Your Most Obt Sevt.

John Lovett  

(Addressed to the Honorable James Monroe)

(JSP 04)

9221

Encl. Percival, John

Jany 28, 1815

Hon John Lovett 

Member of Congress Washington

(Reverse of letter)

(JSP 04)

Albany 20th Jany 1815

Dear Sir, Although I have some acquaintances with the mode of receiving, yet I have very little with that of professing solicitations for office. It is therefore with reluctance that I trouble you with the request of my Nephew Dr. John S. Percival - he wishes to obtain your aid in procuring for him the appointment of Hospital Surgeon mate. Dr. Shaw the Hospital Surgeon at Green Bush has informed him that he wants a mate and has directed him to pursue this mode to obtain the appointment. In recommendation of Dr. Percival I can freely say that I believe him to be well qualified to discharge the duties of that office - He was appointed Surgeons mate in the militia detached last summer for the defense of New York, but on account of the removal of his surgeon to the hospital, performed the duties of Regimental Surgeon without an appointment & was singularly successful not to lose a single patient in that Corps. 

Your successful interference in this case will confer on me a favor which I shall always be happy to reciprocate, and an obligation which I trust I shall never refuse to acknowledge.

At the National bank posses what is your opinion of it (—)?

Accept assurance of my highest esteem and friendship.

John Stearns

Hon. John Lovett

The undersigned can with truth and confidence certify that Doctor John Stearns has long stood at the head of his profession in the city of Albany, and that no gentleman would be more cautious and guarded against urging the pretensions of any candidate which was not well founded in merit and skill.

John Lovett of the House of Rep from Albany, NY

Washington City

28th Jany 1815

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Overture: The War of 1812

Yesterday, I attended an American Ancestors webinar on Researching War of 1812 Ancestors. You think you know all you can about that war and which of your ancestors/collateral relatives served in it. Then you have an "AHA" moment.

I have Kirtley, Chinn, and Carter war of 1812 ancestors. I have Graves collateral relatives who fought in the war of 1812. Two of whom were massacred/captured at Frenchtown (Monroe, Michigan). Then I found the motherlode.

My ancestor, Dr. John Stearns Percival - my great great great grandfather - was in the War of 1812. That blew me away. I wasn't even looking for him, I just put "Percival" in the search field.  I found four pay abstracts for Percival, John S, surg. mate.  And he appeared under an alternate spelling of Purcival. Since I knew that my ancestor attended medical lectures at Troy, New York, I had an inkling that these New York pay records could belong to my ancestor.

These records were found on Ancestry. I also have a subscription through Ancestry to Fold3 and thought check there. What I found there proved my hypothesis. I'm just going to post the folder image today since I've not yet transcribed the letters written on his behalf, by his uncle, Dr. John Stearns. Our family has a habit of naming family members for grandparents and other relatives. For instance, John Stearns Percival (below) was named for his maternal grandfather, also Dr. John Stearns. My dad was named for his maternal grandfather, Frank Bowman.  This was a totally unexpected, yet beautiful find. 

Copyright 2008-2021 ACK, for Generational

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Where Have You Gone -- Isaac "Shelby" Kirtley

Isaac "Shelby" Kirtley, my first cousin four times removed, was married to Susan "Anna" Chinn, my second great grand aunt, November 27, 1856 in Lafayette county, Missouri. 

Shelby was born in 1833, probably in Kentucky to William Kirtley and Elizabeth Shelby.  Anna Chinn was born July 15, 1838 in Fayette county, Kentucky to Dr. Joseph Graves Chinn and Barbara Garland Graves, the tenth of their twelve children. 

The last mention of Shelby in Lafayette county, Missouri was the 1860 census. I presume he hung around a little later than that since two of their children were born after the 1860 census. Their four children were:

1. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Kirtley, born May 21, 1858 in Lafayette county, Missouri and died March 18, 1867 in Lexington, Lafayette, Missouri.

2. Kelly C. Kirtley born October 1859 in Lafayette county, Missouri and committed suicide September 3, 1926 in Lexington, Kentucky.

3. Sterling Price Kirtley, who was known as Price, born June 6, 1862 in Lexington, Missouri and died in Lexington, Kentucky September 28, 1937. She married Harvey J. Parker. 

4. Hester Kirtley born about 1866 in Lexington, Missouri and died Sept 29, 1885 at Joseph Chinn's house, Lexington, Missouri. Since her grandfather was living in Lexington, Kentucky at this time, I presume she was at her uncle Joseph Chinn's house.  

There's a lot of yack over on ancestry that has Shelby dying in 1860s. I don't think so. There are a couple reasons behind that. First, is that there are pension records in Arkansas re: Shelby Kirtley, born 1833 in Kentucky as late as 1899. Second, his mother, Elizabeth Shelby Kirtley died February 22, 1899 and left him One Dollar to be paid at the end of 1900. Third, and this one shocked me, he married in 1876 and his marriage is recorded in the colored pages of the Arkansas marriage books. I've not found any other records of him other than this. 

However, in his wife's obituary in 1872, they talk of her having the raising of 4 small children, which to me indicates that Shelby abandoned her. The eldest of their children, Lizzie died at the age of eight, not quite nine years old. Kelly was living in 1880 with his cousin, Jacob Graves, in Dog Fennel, Kentucky; Price was living with her Aunt Hester Chinn Trapp in 1880 and Hester Kirtley was living with her uncle Joseph Chinn in Lexington, Missouri. 

This is another "Gee, I wish I knew the whole story." 

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Elected Enrolling Clerk

From the Lexington, Missouri Intelligencer, 8 January 1915:

Frank Bowman of this city was elected Enrolling Clerk last night of the House of Representatives at Jefferson City. Mr. Bowman served in this capacity two years ago, and gave such general satisfaction that his election this time was without opposition.

The other two composite photos are courtesy of the Missouri State Archives from the Official Manual of the State of Missouri, 1913-1914 and The Official Manual of the State of Missouri, 1915-1916.  My ancestor, Frank Bowman, Enrolling Clerk, is in the fourth row, column 1 in 1913-1914.  In 1915-1916, he is in the right row, second from the bottom. 

(Author's note: the actual date of the paper was elicited from Genealogybank.com. As you can see, Intelligencer 1915 is written on the side. I was lucky on this one as most of the articles I find are not sourced.)

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Grandfather's Letter: Alex Maitland to John S. Percival, 1911

The following is a letter to my grandfather, John Stearns Percival from his grandfather (my great-great grandfather) Alexander Maitland (June 13, 1839 - April 22, 1924). 

Richmond, Mo. 6-18-11. (June 18, 1911)

Mr. John S. Percival

  Gering Neb

My Dear Grandson

Your card conveying good birthday wishes for me, was recd on the day I entered my 73rd year, and I assure you was greatly appreciated. It is exceedingly pleasant to be so kindly remembered. I hope you are succeeding well in your job this summer, although your Mother says you get a little lonesome at times, but that will wear off.  With best wishes for your success, I am

Your Affectionate Grandfather

Alex Maitland

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Speaking of Weddings - Frank Bowman and Lizzie Webb

The Lexington (Missouri) Intelligencer, 3 April, 1883, page 2 c 6:

Married - In Dover township, Lafayette county, Mo., at the residence of the bride's father, J. Garland Webb, Esq., Tuesday evening, April 3, by Elder C. S. Lucas of this city, Mr. Frank G. Bowman and Miss Lizzie C. Webb. Attendants, Mr. J. G. Webb, Jr., and Miss Bettie Mountjoy; Mr. Henry Bascom and Miss Daisy Webb.

The wedding was a most elegant affair. A large concourse of friends and relatives were in attendance to see the young people married, quite a number being present from Lexington, St. Louis and Kentucky where they have relatives. The host and hostess with true old fashioned hospitality made all their guests feel at home, and the occasion was in every way a very enjoyable one. Quite out of the ordinary custom the bridal party was ready promptly at the time announced, and the guest having formed a circle for them in the spacious parlor the bridal party appeared, one groomsman and bridesmaid forming on each side, and the bride and groom facing the company. Mr. Lucas then proceeded to make them man and wife in a most solemn manner, which impressed not only the fair lady and the gentleman most nearly concerned, but all who heard it. The ladies of the bridal party, in their fresh young beauty, were pleasant to look upon. The bride was dressed in a pearl colored silk, point lace trimmings, diamond jewelry and water lily garniture. Miss Betty Mountjoy, first bridesmaid, wore a cameo-pink silk, with Spanish lace trimmings, diamond earrings and pansies. Miss Daisy Webb, of Dover was dressed in blue silk, Spanish lace overdress, silver ornaments and daisies. After warm congratulations from all present, the company was invited to the dining room, where a feast of good things awaited them. The table was beautifully arranged, and from the substantials to the cakes highly decorated by Mrs. Webb herself, the confections and tropical fruits, there was everything there to make glad the heart of a hungry man or woman, and it was a gay and happy party that partook of the feast. The bride is a beautiful and accomplished young lady, the daughter of one of our worthiest citizens. The groom is the son of the late Col. Jno. P. Bowman, known to all our old citizens, and honored by them time after time with public trust and confidence. He is a worthy son of a worthy sire. As a steady and reliable young business man, a printer who is fast becoming a master of his art, we have known him by the intimate association of years. The two young people start life with fairest prospects - health, strength, energy, friends, love, honor, good training and good disposition. May all these promises be more than realized in the fruition of their fondest hopes. They received a very large number of unusually elegant and costly presents, but request that a list of them be not printed

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

You Are Invited!

This is a wedding invitation for my great grandparents, John Henry Percival and Helen Maitland. They were married on December 24, 1889 in Richmond, Missouri.  This is one of the items that was loose in the scrapbook my Aunt Shirley Kardux Percival put together. 

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Christmas Cards from the Front

In December of 1918, my father's uncle, John Bowman, was an army sergeant stationed in France. He sent this card home to his family at Christmas. I don't know where the card came from, but it was embroidered, which I find intriguing. Thanks to my cousin Sally, for sharing the scrapbook with me.

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

George and Gardyne Maitland - Colorado and Calcutta Death Notices

One of the issues of being a prolific researcher is that of finding the time to enter all the data and link all the images.  These are for those Maitland family from Alloa, Scotland. There will be three. The first two relate George Maitland (1856-1891),  who died a tragic death in Leadville, Colorado. The third is for his youngest brother, Gardyne Maitland (1865-1907), who died in Calcutta, India (now Kolkata.) I do not know the circumstances of Gardyne's death. 

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes

Snowy Weather is Good for Genealogy

I really hate snow. It's one of the reasons hubby and I moved to Tennessee. We just could not take those Michigan winters. Which is why the two snowstorms we've had in one week have me climbing the walls. By Michigan standards, they're not much. Neither would have caused a snow day. Here in mid-Tennessee, a dusting of snow causes a snow day or two.  Fortunately these storms came a few days apart, so that storm one had all melted by the time we got storm two. In Michigan, the snow would have piled up on top of the previous one. 

The one good thing, is it gave me time to do some genealogical cleanup. First chore was the to-do list.  If you've followed my blog, you will know that I am a hard core user of this feature in my genealogical program. I went through and pared down my to do list from 29 page to about 25, or from 160 to-do list items to 129. 

The next thing I started was to work on one of my families on my mom's side. I found birth records in an index, marriage records and announcements, divorce records, funeral home records and cemetery records. Most of this was done in the last day or two. I actually feel something got accomplished. 

Also in the works is cleaning up the Missouri death records I've collected to make sure all are linked - hint they aren't all linked - before the opportunity pops up soon to transcribe the 1971 death certificates. Then I think I'll try to buckle down and get some census work done before - you guessed it - the 1950 census is released!

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes