And in my spare time …

A while ago, I had a thought. Yup, it hurt, but I thought I would share the journey that thought has taken me on. The thought was that people in Adult Care Centers want to be in contact with “family” and that they have stories to tell. Please remember that I do family research, which is what caused the thought.

Both of my parents were in one such center once we determined that they could no longer live in their house. My mother could no longer hear anything, but we were able to get her on email. I live about 90 minutes from her, so I was not able to really teach her how to use this “new fangled thing”.

I live in a town with two Adult Care Centers associated with my church and I know people who live in both. Many Sunday’s I go to one of them, to help out the local clergy person. My clergy person friend, said that they had residents who wanted to learn “computers”. Wow, that’s a very broad topic, but since I had retired, remembered the issues with my mom, I said “sure”.

So, a group of about 6 residents started to learn “computers”. Most of them had computers with access to the internet, but like my mother, didn’t have a lot of help learning how to use them. Our journey started.

I started up front, letting them know, that I thought that there are family, “out there” who wanted to hear their Story. They also know that I do family research, I wasn’t going to teach genealogy, but computers. They are learning how to use computers, how to search, how to use social media.

After we talked about searching, both on the computer and “on line”, I asked each one to tell me what they might want to search for. “An IRS Form”, a place,  pictures on my computer were the first searches they wanted. Introduced Google search and found the first two items, and showed them how to find ALL of the images on the computer.

Being a user of Google, and Google+, I showed them how I use Google+, which then offered an opening into Social Media. We talked about SKYPE, as a couple of folk had “tired it”, then I offered Hangouts. I demonstrated Hangouts On Air, with DearMRYTLE. I turned around and saw the expression on their faces, which indicated that a Hangout might be an easier way to communicate with family. I shared one of the comments from the DearMYRTLE (Google+) Community about having a family gathering at Easter, on a Google+ Hangout.

How can you talk about Social Media, without talking about Facebook? So we found a couple of their family on Facebook.

One of the future topics, that THEY want, is genealogy and THEY want to share their story with family.

 

As this project is moving along, I get an email from the other Adult Care Center. THEY want to start a Genealogy Club, and would I help. Our first gathering was this past Thursday, with 22 people showing up. Newbie’s, DAR Members, and folks with lot’s of experience. The activities director and I were overruled about having a monthly meeting, and will meet 2 days a month. They want to get started and/or knocking down some brick walls. The really nice thing is that they have a computer lab, that is under construction, but have computers available while the construction is taking place.

 

Why am I sharing this on my blog?

I am certain that there are other places “out there” that want OUR help. Both groups “get” that folks want to hear their stories, but are looking for a way to do that. All it takes is a volunteer to come in and share their experience.

What I have learned, is that I TOO can, have, and will learn from them, while I attempt to share my experience.

Revolutionary Challenge

In support of the Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor, and Verissima Productions, and the Legal Genealogist, Judy Russell, I would like to make you aware of this project, a film called Revolutionary Voices. As an introduction to the project, I ask that you visit Judy’s Blog, A Revolutionary challenge. There is more information about this project, including a short video by Maureen Taylor, and other details.

Kickstarter.com posted this update, so that you can see what has happened since March 1, 2013.

I have made a contribution to this very worthwhile project. Please note, that you too can join in by making a submission as noted below on your Revolutionary War connection.

Thank you.

 

Project Update #2: Week One Wrap-Up

Posted by Maureen Taylor & Verissima Productions

What a whirlwind week it’s been! We couldn’t be happier with the $11,266.00 in pledges we have so far. Don’t forget, we don’t get any of the money pledged until we’ve reached our full goal, so there’s still lots of work to do!

We had an amazing response to Judy Russell’s “Revolutionary Challenge” posted to her Legal Genealogist blog last week (
http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2013/03/02/my-own-last-muster/
) as well as a great outpouring of support from social media and our direct email appeals.

But now the challenge really begins – many Kickstarter campaigns lose momentum after week one… let’s make sure to keep our pace strong! A second $10,000+ week would make a huge impact on the potential success of our campaign and our film. Here are two quick steps to help us make that a reality: 

1. Keep sharing – (so far, about 50% of our donors have come from sharing and social media efforts (
http://infogr.am/The-Profile-of-a-Donor/
). Please blog about us, tweet about us, write down the link and hand it out at your next historical society meeting– any and all kinds of networking will help us reach and surpass our goal! 

2. Tell your own Revolutionary Story. Do you have family ties to the revolutionary war? Are you a history buff with a great story or factoid? Do you own an artifact or photo that has a Revolutionary connection? Let us know! Anyone who has pledged to the campaign so far can send us a Kickstarter message or email (lastmusterfilm@gmail.com) that’s 1-3 sentences telling us about your ties to the Revolution. We’ll use Twitter & Facebook to highlight it as thanks for partnering with us to help make this campaign a success. Here’s your chance to show how far the roots of the Revolution spread! 

Thanks again for all of your financial and networking support! 

With Appreciation, 

The Revolutionary Voices team 

Fun Fact: Molly Ferris Akin’s story of bravery during the Revolution was oral history passed down in the family until a descendant wrote in down in 1984. You can start telling your own story now!

Not Everything is Online

I am working on a “How to” search presentation for my local Family History Interest Group.

Hurricane Sandy caused the presentation to be rescheduled / postponed until the library could get it’s power back and that folks could get to it safely. There are still road closures, trees down, folks without power, even a week after the storm.

This extra time provided me with some more time to research my two “case studies” for this presentation. Two folks from the group sent me “problems”, to be used as examples for the “Group” to help search for solutions.

In the Inferential Genealogy program that I have discussed here, having a specific goal or question to answer was very important. Both of the ‘case studies’ have specific questions.

Leading up to my presentation, several presenters at previous meetings have reminded us about “not every thing is Online”; being patient with results, and YOU are an expert for your own family.

The first case study, which will be in presentation form, meaning I will present a couple of searching techniques that I use and that will be used for the 2nd “group” or “community” search case study.

Both of these examples will illustrate that “not everything is online”. But in different ways. The first is Civil War records and a Civil War Pension files. The information that is needed to order these files are online, but the details are not. The “how to order” forms are online.

The second case study will reinforce that, but in a different way. This 2nd case study will bring in the “family expert” that would go with the data that can be seen online. In working with the person who gave me the 2nd case study, I have found that there were relationships that aren’t found “online” but the “family expert” knows what the real relationships are. Just looking online, does not reflect two “step” relationships.

The good news, in working with these two case studies, where to “go next”, or what repository to visit “next” becomes obvious. This second case study, the crowd or community search will provide this second person with one or two repositories that should be visited, but with a list of items to look for at that repository.

In addition, the Friends, Acquaintance, and Neighbors (FAN) concept will be introduced, just based on the specific example / problem that was presented to me, and the importance looking broadly and not being focused on an individual. For example, who are the people on the census page before and after “your people”. Hints to resolve this 2nd “problem” became obvious is the resolution of the specific question for this case study.

Note: I am writing this as a reminder to my self, of a couple of points to be made during the presentation. Comments are always welcome.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun – What’s Your Ancestral Name Number?

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun is a weekly challenge the Randy Seaver publishes to the Genealogy Community.

http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/08/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-whats-your.html

He opens the challenge this week with:

Hey ahnentafelists (new genea-word!) – it’s Saturday Night – time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

This challenge was also put out earlier this week in several places.

Crista Cowan, I think, started this topic:

http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2012/08/16/family-history-all-done-whats-your-number/

It was picked up by:

Julie Cahill Tarr

http://genblogjulie.blogspot.com/2012/08/whats-your-number-and-epiphany.html

and Judy G. Russell

http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2012/08/18/more-lost-than-found/

and others, but OK, I’ll bite. How am I doing?

 

Generation	Number	Found	Percentage
Generation 1	1	1	100%
Generation 2	2	2	100%
Generation 3	4	4	100%
Generation 4	8	8	100%
Generation 5	16	16	100%
Generation 6	32	26	81%
Generation 7	64	39	61%
Generation 8	128	51	40%
Generation 9	256	60	23%
Generation 10	512	57	11%
Total	1,023	264	25%

 

Wow, not to bad, but have lot’s to find. I am hoping that by the end of the year, I can fill out some more of my Worthington ancestors as a DNA and Family History Society helps to clarify my line in the U.K. I have the data, but it’s a matter of reviewing what has been provided, and get some of the documentation. My Captain John Worthington (1650 – 1701) line gets a little fuzzy and am not ready to put what I have into my file. My 6th generation “brick wall” is on my maternal grandmother’s family. This may require a trip to Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada as I haven’t found good evidence online (yet).

So, I’m good for 5 Generations but need to fill in some more blanks.

Having said that, the most interesting piece of this “hobby” is finding the stories of these people, AND their impact that they had to their community. Finding out the hero’s what hang out this this tree. Can you say “computer bug”, how about “Baseball Hall of Fame”, did I mention the “Stars Spangled Banner”, first female Vestry person in her Church? Not to mention Fire Chief, Butcher, no candle stick maker (yet). Of course many Bakers, light house keepers, school teachers, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World War I, World War II and Vietnam war hero’s.

Another Link to the War of 1812

While aboard the Pride of Baltimore II earlier this week, I was reminded of an event that took place in the harbor of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Hadn’t really “connected the dots” between this was and a distant relative.

This is the type of flag that a ship like the Pride of Baltimore might have flown during the War of 1812.

Last summer, I was researching one “Ridgely Howard” using the Inferential Genealogy of family research. Later in my research, Ridgely Howard was really David Ridgely Howard.

His grandfather, John Edger Howard (1752-1827) and his wife Margret Chew (1760-1824) had a number of children, one of which was James Howard, Ridgely’s father and Charles Howard. Charles had 10 children, one of which was also Charles. This Charles married Elizabeth Phebe Key. She was the daughter of Frances Scott Key (1779-1843).

OK, it’s a stretch, but Frances Scott Key is the “Father-in-Law to my 10th Great Grand Uncle”