Motivation Monday-February

National Genealogical Society Home Study Course-

The last few months have been fairly slow genealogy-wise.  I'm still waiting on my gr grandfathers military records from the VA to arrive so I have not ordered the third disc of the NGS  homestudy course yet.  Unfortunately, from what I have heard it can take anywhere up to a year to get a reply and so far he is the only ancestor I enough to write a biographical sketch about.  I plan on ordering the third disc this month and get the other assignments finished and turned in while continue to work on other prospects for the sketch in case I don't get much from the VA.

Professional Genealogy Study Group 15-

I am beginning the ProGen 15 course this month, which will occupy my time for the next 18 months.  This has put me back into the genealogy frame of mind.  Along with Professional Genealogy I'll keep up with various periodicals, blog posts and training webinars that I have let slip for the last few months.

Organizing:

I have finished scanning my grandmothers photo collection and letters and now need to organize, label and tag them. Next I need to go through her scrapbooks and albums and see what I can do with those and what may be hidden in the pages.

Conferences:

I need to register for the NGS 2012 Family History Conference in May and should be able get that done this week.   

Non Genealogy Goal:

I need to get on my bicycle again.  My last 20 mile ride felt more like an 80 mile ride. If I want to do the MS150 again, I definitely need to do better. 

Wordless Wednesday

Here is an unknown class photo I found among my grandmothers pictures and letters. I believe my grandmother, (Ruth McFadden 1905-1985) is one of two girls on the top row.   Possibly second from the right or the end on the left.  During this time, around 1915, they lived in Pittsburgh Ward 19, Allegheny County.

Workday Wednesday-Withem Grocery

Currently a vacuum repair store this used to be Withem Grocery in Ashdown, Arkansas.  My Uncle Ernie Withem owned and ran it for years.  I recall on our family trips  to Ashdown to visit my fathers family during the 70's and 80's we would sometimes stop by the store.  The building is much smaller than I remember and is missing the fuel pumps that used to be out in front.

Thanks to Google maps.

Wordless Wednesday-Happy Hollow, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Theron Webb (behind the bar) Roxie Anna (Hughes) Webb (standing on the left) Anne E. (Reynolds) Webb (last on the right)

Theron Webb and Anne E. (Reynolds)

May have just discovered where these photographs were taken.  Searching Saline County, Arkansas I came across some pictures from an amusement park called Happy Hollow.  There are several similar pictures, though mine look like they were taken at a later date.

Mystery Monday - A year in Oklahoma

I'm finishing up the NGS Home Study Course and am getting information together to write an ancestor biography.  I have decided to write it on my gr gr grandfather Zephaniah Webb (1826-1906). 

While I don't have a lot of information on him I probably have more than on most other ancestors I could do this assignment on. 

I had assumed that once he moved to Arkansas with his father around 1858, he stayed there until he died. 

In the 1880 census, he is living with his wife Clementine and four children:

     Elizabell (Elizabeth) age 14

     Huston N. age 13

     Mary A. age 10

     Charley J. age 5

In the 1900 census, he is living with his son Charley J. and his family.  His other son Huston is also living in the household.

According to a letter written by a cousin, Zephaniah moved with Charley J. and his family to "...Oklahoma about 1898...where they made only one crop and then returned to Pope County." 

I have not found any other reference to this move to Oklahoma.  I did search the Reconstructed 1890 census : taken from personal property tax rolls recorded by school district, range and township, Pope County, Arkansas / copied by Genealogical Records Committee, Persis Lovely Chapter, DAR and did not find any CJ or ZT Webb’s listed. 

My next step is to try to find some Oklahoma property records around that time period.  Hopefully they did own the land they farmed otherwise this may be one of those mysteries that remains unsolved.

Military Monday-Soldiers Claim Agency letter

One interesting letter found among the files my father gave me a while back is this one from the Soldiers Claim Agency.  This is a reply to my great grandfather Dennis McFadden who as far as I know is my only ancestor to fight on the union side in the Civil War. 

So far, I have not had any luck tracking down information about this agency and whether their files still exist or where they might be stored.  I would really like to have my g grandfathers original letter and any followup correspondence that may have occurred. 

I do have his record from the Civil War Pension Index but unfortunately the NARA did not have it in their files.  They did say in their response that it should be in their collection and that they would try to acquire it sometime in the future.  They referred my request to the Veterans Administration who have then forwarded it to a couple of different VA offices.  I'm still waiting to hear if they have been able to located the records. 

Letter transcription:

Dennis McFadden

Roscoe, PA

Comrade:

Your welcome letter rec’d.

Fortunately I found your discharge and enclose it to you.  Will you please acknowledge receipt.             

I am indeed glad to hear from you and shall enrol (sic) you name on our Regt. Register and will send you notice of our future meetings and shall hope to see you present.

Capt. Murphy is dead long since. Lt. Oldson was last heard from at Downs, Kansas. Lt. Dan Firestone was last heard from at Salem Columbiana Co. Ohio.

Write me when you want to know anything about 1^st Ohio Artillery. 

Had (?) you better let me get you a pension?

I can do it if anybody can.  I have been 30 years learning how (to do?) such work.

With a Comrades love

H.C. Miller

99 (or more) genealogy things

I'm hoping to do more than just post pictures on my blog, so I thought I'd do this meme that has been floating around in several variations. 

A meme is going around Geneabloggers' circles about 99 (or more) genealogy things you've done, not done or have no desire to do. It's been making the rounds the last few days so I figured it would be a good time to jump in. This version came from Valerie Elkins at Family Cherished which I got from Tonias Roots Tonia's Roots

Rules are simple:

The list should be annotated in the following manner:

Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (color optional)

Things you have not done or found /don’t care to – (or that I know hasn’t happened in my family).

99 Genealogy Things

1. Belong to a genealogical society   plan to join more as I get more into it
2. Joined a group on Genealogy Wise.
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded headstone pictures to Find-A-Grave or a similar site
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery.
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
9. Attended a genealogy conference. attended my first one in July and plan on attending more
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference. I'd like to at some point
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society/local library’s family history group.  often
12. Joined the National Genealogical Society.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.  Not yet, but that is one of my goals.
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society. Not yet but probably will
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery. does getting lost in the cemetery count? 
16. Talked to dead ancestors.
17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants. Most likely to ask if I can take pictures of the outside.
19. Cold called a distant relative. if email counts then yes
20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
22. Googled my name (and those of ancestors – it turns up great info sometimes) found a few helpful items when I first started
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it. Not yet
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research. Not yet but hopefully will at some point.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research. Sam as above.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
32. Created family history gift items.  Working on organizing and labeling old photographs that were my grandmother's.
33. Performed a record lookup.
34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise. I would like to sometime soon.
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space. Sealy or Celie or Celia or Celaea etc. [Autrey] Sample.  That's the only explanation.
36. Found a disturbing family secret. Not yet but I hope to.
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret (but not all of the secrets).  When I find one, Sure.
38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking). That's my wifes bailiwick.
39. Think genealogy is a passion and/or obsession not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person.
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. I've only began seriously doing genealogy and have just started digitizing things.
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology. Not overwhelmed but pleased.  It makes it so much easier than when I first looked into genealogy.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.  I really don't know any of my cousins other than occasional emails.
45. Disproved a family myth through research. Looking forward to it.
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records. My Android phone takes much better pictures of photos and documents than my digital camera did.
48. Translated a record from a foreign language. Haven't needed to yet.
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record. Trying but no luck so far.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.  Yup
51. Used microforms. Yes, at least once a week.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  Another thing on my to do list.
53. Used Google+ for genealogy.  I've tried to join for the last few weeks but keep getting  the message "We've temporarily exceeded our capacity. Please try again soon."
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy. At least once a month.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
60. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.  It's been a while, not sure I can remember.
61. Have found many relevant and unexpected articles on the Internet to “put flesh on the bones”.  Not really, but maybe something will turn up some day.
62. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills. Have access to it at work, but will probably buy one some day.
63. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.  Quite often.
64. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC. When I was in DC a couple of years ago I wanted to but wasn't able to fit it in.  Besides it was before I got into doing genealogy seriously.
65. Have an ancestor who came to America as an indentured servant. That's one of the stories I've heard but haven't verified.
66. Have an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 or Civil War. Yes (both sides), haven't found one, and yes (several)
67. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
68. Can “read” a church record in Latin.
69. Have an ancestor who changed his/her name, just enough to be confusing.  Not aware of anyone yet.
70. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
71. Created a family website.
72. Have a genealogy blog.
73. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone. Does my grandmother's box of photos and letters count.
74. Have broken through at least one brick wall. Nope, and I seem to be finding more.
75. Done genealogy research at a court house.
76. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center
77. Found an ancestor in an online newspaper archive.
78. Have visited a NARA branch. The Southwest Region in Fort Worth.  I really didn't have anything specific I was looking for at the time but stopped by just to check it out.  The staff was very friendly and helpful.
79. Have an ancestor who served in WWI or WWII. Several who were registered for WWI but as far as I know no one served.
80. Use maps in my genealogy research.
81. Have a blacksheep ancestor.
82. Found a bigamist amongst my ancestors.
83. Attended a genealogical institute.
84. Taken online genealogy (and local history) courses.
85. Consistently (document) and cite my sources.  Now I do.
86. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don’t live in) in search of ancestors.
87. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.  Mostly
88. Have an ancestor who was married four times. I believe there are one or two that have.
89. Made a rubbing of an ancestor’s gravestone.  Nope, cell phone camera is my preferred method.
90. Followed genealogists on Twitter. Don't have an account, may one of these days.
91. Published a family history book. One of my goals.
92. Learned of a death of a fairly close family relative through research.
93. Offended a family member with my research.  Haven't come across any good dirt yet.
94. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
95. Have a paid subscription to a genealogy database.  Have access to many through work so am able to save my money for other things.
96. Submitted articles for FamilySearch Wiki.
97. Organized a family reunion.
98. Used Archives in countries where my ancestors originated.
99. Converted someone new to the love of all things genealogy. I believe so.