Hope Everyone has a Really HAPPY NEW YEAR in 2010!
Remember to gather and share - Tell your Ancestors Stories throughout the year!
Families are Forever! ;-)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Treasure Chest Thursday - Treasure Box
This is a nice walnut box with some history in our family. My wife fixed it up with the photo of his great-grandmother with his mother (and her sister). We gave it to our five-year old grandson for Christmas. He seemed to understand the significance to us.
This is the photo:
Here is the message in the box:
This box belonged to Great-Grandmother Mary Eileen Smith.
She was your Grandpa Smith's mother.
It had been a Christmas Gift from Grandpa Bill and Grandma Nancy Smith to her many years ago.
It is a special box to keep your treasures.
Take good care of it and you can give it to your child (or grandchild) someday.
Love, Grandpa and Grandma Smith, Christmas 2009
Families are Forever! ;-)
This is the photo:
Here is the message in the box:
This box belonged to Great-Grandmother Mary Eileen Smith.
She was your Grandpa Smith's mother.
It had been a Christmas Gift from Grandpa Bill and Grandma Nancy Smith to her many years ago.
It is a special box to keep your treasures.
Take good care of it and you can give it to your child (or grandchild) someday.
Love, Grandpa and Grandma Smith, Christmas 2009
Families are Forever! ;-)
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - 3 of 4 generations
This is a photo of three of our four generations in Jul 1978 - the 4th (missing) generation is taking the photo, my wife, Nancy. Great-grandma Dorothy (SORENSEN) KINNICK is seated in the chair, center. On the left is my mother, Eileen (KINNICK) SMITH. The younger generation girls are our two younger daughters, Allison SMITH, center, and Arrion SMITH, in the dance costume. She danced a routine for her grandmother and great-grandmother.
Families are Forever! ;-)
Families are Forever! ;-)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tombstone Tuesday - Alonzo and Jeannette KINNICK
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Preparation Sunday - Step 2 of 7
The upcoming holidays are especially good times to gather ANCESTOR STORIES. Over the spam of seven Sundays, I will share with you my approach to preparing your ancestor stories to share with others. Before you can share, of course, you must have them and have them in a form to be useful to share and tell.
If you are on Facebook, the 7 Steps of Preparation to TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES are already available by joining the Cause: TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES. I encourage you to join.
The 7 Steps are, very briefly: Ask, Listen, Record, Organize, Research, Write, Share.
You will want to use Ask, Listen and Record all together over the holidays as family members get together at different times for different celebrations and events.
Our focus today is on Listen, the second of the 7 Steps. But, as I said last week Ask, Listen and Record do go together.
Listen is especially important if you do not have a digital recording devise with you - which you often will not have. Take special note of relationships mentioned. Without interrupting the flow of the conversation, you may want to ask for clarification of relationships if you do not have them clear in your mind. Was this a great-uncle or a great grandfather being discussed, for instance. You will also want to take particular note of the place - town and state - and the date - at least the year, or an approximation. These are the facts you would like to be able to go back and write down for further research. Listen carefully, and use your best memory tricks to retain not only the story content but the basic vital facts, as best you can.
Next Sunday, we will discuss the Record issue in more detail.
Families are Forever! ;-)
If you are on Facebook, the 7 Steps of Preparation to TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES are already available by joining the Cause: TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES. I encourage you to join.
The 7 Steps are, very briefly: Ask, Listen, Record, Organize, Research, Write, Share.
You will want to use Ask, Listen and Record all together over the holidays as family members get together at different times for different celebrations and events.
Our focus today is on Listen, the second of the 7 Steps. But, as I said last week Ask, Listen and Record do go together.
Listen is especially important if you do not have a digital recording devise with you - which you often will not have. Take special note of relationships mentioned. Without interrupting the flow of the conversation, you may want to ask for clarification of relationships if you do not have them clear in your mind. Was this a great-uncle or a great grandfather being discussed, for instance. You will also want to take particular note of the place - town and state - and the date - at least the year, or an approximation. These are the facts you would like to be able to go back and write down for further research. Listen carefully, and use your best memory tricks to retain not only the story content but the basic vital facts, as best you can.
Next Sunday, we will discuss the Record issue in more detail.
Families are Forever! ;-)
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Surname Saturday - SODERSTROM
My great-Grandparents' surnames, respectively, were SMITH, SODERSTROM, PRESTON, MILLER, KINNICK, WILLIAMS, SORENSEN, and NIELSEN.
Today, we will look at the SODERSTROM surname.
These great-grandparents: Michael (Schmidt) Schmitt) SMITH (b. 17 May 1829, District of Colmer, France (or Germany, from time to time); d. 16 Apr 1902, Nebraska Soldier's Home, Grand Island, NE) married Nellie Margaret (Maggie) SODERSTROM (b. 1846, Bjuraker Parish, Sweden; d. 18 Sep 1901, Nebraska Soldier's Home, Grand Island, NE) 30 Dec 1869 in Hampton, Rock Island Co, Illinois.
Michael had three children by his first wife, Madaline (Lena) HARBRECHT (b. 1838, Bavaria, Germany; d. Sep 1864, Hampton, Rock Island Co, IL), all born in Hampton, Rock Island Co, IL: 1) Julia, b. 1857; 2) Mary, b. 1858; and 3) Michael, b. 1862. Michael enlisted in Company E, 2nd Iowa Cavalry, as a farrier, on 5 Sept 1861 at Davenport, Iowa. He served his term of 3 years and one month and was discharged by reason of expiration of term on 3 Oct 1964. His first wife had died the month before he was discharged. Although not specifically confirmed, it is believed that Miss Maggie SODERSTROM was helping with the young children in the home, and continued to do so until she and Michael were married in 1869.
Michael and Maggie had nine children between 1869 and 1884. The first was William Emanuel SMITH, my grandfather. This is the family at the heart of my next family history book, in progress.
Families are Forever! ;-)
Today, we will look at the SODERSTROM surname.
These great-grandparents: Michael (Schmidt) Schmitt) SMITH (b. 17 May 1829, District of Colmer, France (or Germany, from time to time); d. 16 Apr 1902, Nebraska Soldier's Home, Grand Island, NE) married Nellie Margaret (Maggie) SODERSTROM (b. 1846, Bjuraker Parish, Sweden; d. 18 Sep 1901, Nebraska Soldier's Home, Grand Island, NE) 30 Dec 1869 in Hampton, Rock Island Co, Illinois.
Michael had three children by his first wife, Madaline (Lena) HARBRECHT (b. 1838, Bavaria, Germany; d. Sep 1864, Hampton, Rock Island Co, IL), all born in Hampton, Rock Island Co, IL: 1) Julia, b. 1857; 2) Mary, b. 1858; and 3) Michael, b. 1862. Michael enlisted in Company E, 2nd Iowa Cavalry, as a farrier, on 5 Sept 1861 at Davenport, Iowa. He served his term of 3 years and one month and was discharged by reason of expiration of term on 3 Oct 1964. His first wife had died the month before he was discharged. Although not specifically confirmed, it is believed that Miss Maggie SODERSTROM was helping with the young children in the home, and continued to do so until she and Michael were married in 1869.
Michael and Maggie had nine children between 1869 and 1884. The first was William Emanuel SMITH, my grandfather. This is the family at the heart of my next family history book, in progress.
Families are Forever! ;-)
Friday, December 25, 2009
Follower Friday - Miriam
Today I want to recognize Miriam at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors
<http://ancestories1.blogspot.com/>.
She has already received many awards, so my recommendation is nothing new... she is just somewhat new to me, and I want to share my enthusiasm for all the good tips and stories she shares.
Check it out, I think you will agree.
Families are Forever! ;-)
<http://ancestories1.blogspot.com/>.
She has already received many awards, so my recommendation is nothing new... she is just somewhat new to me, and I want to share my enthusiasm for all the good tips and stories she shares.
Check it out, I think you will agree.
Families are Forever! ;-)
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