Saturday Night Genealogy Fun on Sunday - 29 Aug 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun on Sunday - 29 Aug 2010

Randy Seaver regularly suggests a "Saturnday Night Genealogy Fun" project; for this week:
"Your mission, should you decide to accept it (and I hope that you do... because this one is really cool!), is to:

1) Go to the www.ImageChef.com website and explore their FREE offerings. Click on the "Create" button, or choose to make a slideshow or posters from their main page (there are more than one screen of poster backgrounds).

2) Make one or more posters or other creation - perhaps they relate to genealogy or your own family history. Save them to your computer (right click, Save as Picture for Windows users).

3) Show your creations to us... in your own blog post, on a Facebook post, etc. If you make a really neat one and want to show it to the world but don't have a way to do it, send it to me (rjseaver@cox.net) and I'll show it off for you in a blog post."

Here is the first poster I made:

Thanks for another fun project, Randy!  ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Contributed Article posted at Examiner.com

I was please to publish an article by Sharleen Reyes: "How-To Preserve Your Family's History" on my Examiner.com - Springfield Genealogy Examiner series at:

http://www.examiner.com/genealogy-in-springfield/how-to-preserve-your-family-s-history-using-available-digital-tools-and-services-springfield-area

Hope you enjoy it, if you hadn't seen it already.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 27 Aug 2010

Follow Friday - 27 Aug 2010

My recommendations this week. As usual, I normally pick one or two good posts from my week's readings, or left from the prior week! Hope they are useful or at least interesting to you, as well! If it is your first visit, even better!  ;-)


POST 1:

For those of you seeking to investigate how and where to learn more about genealogy, you may want to follow the relatively new blog by Angela McGhie: Adventures in Genealogy Education

http://genealogyeducation.blogspot.com/


POST 2:

Here is an interesting discussion, worthy of the read, in my opinion. Hope you find it useful:

http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-do-we-know-what-we-know-in-geneaogy.html



Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Bill with concrete in wheel barrow

Treasure Chest Thursday

Bill with concrete in wheel barrow

Another old black and white photo - on the farm in Iowa where I grew up. My black and white coat, is was obviously chilly - perhaps 1951. Note in upper left corner, the "family room" has already been added to the house. I got my slide camera in 1952. I'd have been in seventh grade here, most likely, about 13 years old. Concrete in the wheel barrow - Dad would scoop it out and place it. Think next week has another photo of this operation. Outside the barn - looks like it does need some help!  ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - James M Schwyhart family, Stone Co, MO

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday

James M Schwyhart family, Stone Co, MO

about 1900, near present site of Table Rock Lake

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 20 Aug 2010

Follow Friday - 20 Aug 2010

My recommendations this week. As usual, I normally pick one or two good posts from my week's readings, or left from the prior week! Hope they are useful or at least interesting to you, as well! If it is your first visit, even better!  ;-)


POST 1:

Monday Madness - The Craziest Thing You've Done in the Name of Genealogy?
http://www.thearmchairgenealogist.com/2010/08/monday-madness-craziest-thing-youve.html

Lynn got one comment, surely there are some more good ones out there!
 (a challenge to you, my readers!)


POST 2:

I think the following by DearMYRTLE is something we each need to consider carefully, for each of our functions - she presents an excellent set of examples for our thought/review process, in my opinion!

Life in a cloud: You CAN do it, but SHOULD you?
http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2010/08/life-in-cloud-you-can-do-it-but-should.html





Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Buzzie home from Army in Japan

Treasure Chest Thursday

Buzzie home from Army in Japan

Another of these old black and white photos that get more precious as the years go by. This was my uncle (Mom's brother) Edward (Buzzie) KINNICK with his future wife, Colleen DAVIS, upon his return from Japan in early 1948. He served in the U.S. Army occupation forces after WWII. He is still wearing his uniform... sans jacket, of course. I recognize the belt!  ;-)

In addition to the people, of course, the backgrounds of these photos become so much more valuable for dating and remembering our family history. This photo was outside our (Smith) family farm house. A couple of years later, that chimney was removed along with the small porch - and a large additional (New Porch - Family Room) was added - where many of my early color slides were taken: fireplace, bookcases, mahogany decor, large open room!

AND, look at that car!!!  ;-)

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Grandpa and Grandma Kinnick on porch

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday

Grandpa and Grandma Kinnick on porch

Bayard, Iowa - about 1960, perhaps

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Tombstone Tuesday - Beatrice L. Smith

Tombstone Tuesday - Beatrice L. Smith

I'm actually asking your help here. I have an Iowa Cemetery Records report from ancestry.con, based on the 1930's WPA reports saying that Beatrice L. Smith is buried at the Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa. No birth or death date is given.

Is this really my great-great grandmother, wife of Joseph, mother of Michael, born about 1802, in France, died (perhaps) in the 1870s?

Thanks for any suggestions or related information.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Civil War Series on Sunday - Battle of Wilson's Creek

Civil War Series on Sunday - Battle of Wilson's Creek

August 10, 2010, was the 149th anniversary of the Battle of Wilson's Creek, less that fifty miles from our cabin, about 10 miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri. The Battle was the second major battle of the Civil War and the first battle fought west of the Mississippi River. Read more of the details in the link provided - it is relatively short and to the point. Also be sure to note the "brother against brother" story in the article.

The battle was also significant in that Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in combat in the war, died in the Bloody Hill action these. Until I retired last year, for 15 years we had lived in Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas - Lyon County having been named for General Lyon.

On September 18, the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Foundation will be sponsoring their annual fundraiser and a Moonlight Tour which will simulate the conditions, on the site of the battle, that existed that early morning 149 years ago.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 13 Aug 2010

Follow Friday - 13 Aug 2010

My recommendations this week. As usual, I normally pick one or two good posts from my week's readings, or left from the prior week! Hope they are useful or at least interesting to you, as well! If it is your first visit, even better!  ;-)

POST 1:

Having recently taken a couple of trips, this advice from Kimberly is very useful;
10 Questions to Ask a Research Facility Before You Visit


POST 2:

An interesting discussion, including all the comments:
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-new-way-of-doing-research.html

What do you think?


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Our Kinnick Cousins - over 50 year ago

A neat generational photo - Dec 1957

The more I look at this family photo, the more interesting it becomes - as a transitional piece; everyone is there - only one grandchild (first cousin) yet to be born. Grandpa and grandma, Paul and Dorothy KINNICK, are each still alive (center), with their three married children. The two older cousins have their future spouses as Christmas guests, but the first marriages are more than a year away.

Leo (the oldest second generation here) and his wife, Ida, are in the center beside his parents. They had four children: Karen, with her future spouse, Richard (Dick), to the left of grma/grpa; Kathleen, second from right; Kelton (in front of Karen); and Karla (on right, front row). Eileen is the middle daughter, with her husband, Leverne (Pete) - he is holding their youngest, Paul - to the right, in the back row [these are my parents, I'm the oldest, taking the photo - my wife to be, Nancy, is standing in front of them]. Their other three sons are: Jim, to the far right; Tom, far left in front row; and Barry, center of front row. Edward (Buzz), the youngest son, with his wife, Colleen (holding their youngest, Lonnie - Bryan is nearly three years away yet) are to the far left. Their two girls are: Marcia, front row, second from left; and Cindy, second from right in the front row.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Paul and Dorothy KINNICK 50th - 8

KINNICK - 8

On June 16th, I shared "Grandpa and Grandma" - Paul and Dorothy KINNICK - on their 50th wedding anniversary - August 1964. Here is the 'family' picture from the same day.

From left, Eileen (middle daughter - my Mom) with husband, my Dad - Leverne (Pete) SMITH; Ida, wife of older brother, Leo KINNICK; Colleen, wife of Edward (Buzz) KINNICK.

See Treasure Chest Thursday, tomorrow, for the next generation, as well.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 6 Aug 2010

Follow Friday - 6 Aug 2010

My recommendations this week. As usual, I normally pick a good post from my week's readings, or left from the prior week! Hope they are useful or at least interesting to you, as well! If it is your first visit, even better!  ;-)

POST 1:


Greta had three good references to Blurb in her 23 Jul 2010 Follow Friday:

http://kfaella.blogspot.com/2010/07/treasure-chest-thursday-blog-book.html

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/04/treasure-chest-thursday-publishing-book.html

http://krentz.blogspot.com/2010/07/blurb-blurb.html

There were several mentions of Blurb at the Expo. What are your thoughts (experiences??) with respect to the services provided by Blurb? Please leave a comment. Thanks!  ;-)


POST 2:

Some thoughts well worth the read from Dan Curtis:

http://dancurtis.ca/2010/07/22/life-stories-and-palliative-care-when-time-is-running-out-what-do-you-focus-on/



Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - 4 generations photo at church

4 generations photo at church

I just came across this photo, again, and to me it is a true treasure. We don't have/get many 4 generation photos in our family.

My grandmother, Dorothy Sorensen Kinnick is on the left, next to my wife, Nancy. My mother, Eileen Kinnick Smith, is second from the right, along with my three daughters. Annette is on the right; Allison, the taller in the center; and Arrion, the youngest. I believe it is 1971 and Annette is joining the church, if I recall correctly; Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Urbandale, Iowa.

Families are Forever!   ;-)

Wisdom Wednesday 3

 

Wisdom Wednesday 3

My friend, Diana Ritchie, has the following as her Favorite Quotation on her Facebook page (Thank you, Diana!). I'd like to bring it out and share it with the rest of my friends. It obviously is not new, but I think it SAYS A LOT, to me, at least. I hope it is meaningful to you, today, as well.

"Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity."

Christopher Morley
US author & journalist (1890 - 1957)


Whether you agree with Christopher Morley, or not, at least notice this:

READ, every day
THINK, every day
DO, every day

This is a pretty neat prescription for a GOOD LIFE!


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Tombstone Tuesday - 3 Aug 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - 3 Aug 2010

This is my sixth report of entering Tombstone Tuesday entries into Find A Grave, per my Challenge #22 and #23 resolution. Today I take on my earlier posts of 30 Mar 2010 and 6 Apr 2010 for brothers, John W. and Franklin Pierce RECTOR.

These are fairly distant relatives to me, but they happened to have died and were buried in the community I was living in at the time I came to know who they were: Emporia, Lyon Co, KS. It was fairly easy to go photograph their tombstones! Small world, as we say!

John W. RECTOR was the son of Jacob and Frances (LITTLE) RECTOR. John W. RECTOR was born 13 May 1842, in Indiana, and died 17 Apr 1863, at age 23 years, 11 mon, 5 days. He is said to have died of fever, suffering during his Civil War service. He is buried in the Forest Hill - Hunter Cemetery in Lyon County, Kansas (near Emporia) along with others in his family including his brother, Franklin.
Find A Grave Memorial# 55732681 John W. Rector

Franklin Pierce RECTOR was born 11 Mar 1855 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co, Indiana, the son of Jacob and Frances (LITTLE) RECTOR. In the 1870 U.S. Census, he was 15 years of age on his parents farm near Neosho Rapids, Jasckson Twp, Lyon Co, KS. He married Carrie Chipman SHAVER on 26 Aug 1883 in Neosho Rapids.
The 1900 U.S. Census finds Franklin P. RECTOR listed as a Teamster in Jackson Twp, with his wife, Carrie, with five children and his brother, Jacob A.
Franklin died 26 Jan 1924 in Emporia, Lyon Co, KS, and is buried there.
Find A Grave Memorial# 55733178 Franklin Pierce Rector


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Midwest Genealogy Center - new website, on Monday, 8/2

Friday afternoon, at the Midwest Family History Expo in Kansas City, I got the privilege of sitting in on a Virtual Tour of the Midwest Genealogy Center (new building - to me, at least) of the Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, MO.

Here, Janice Schultz, the MGC Director, is giving her presentation:

Toward the end of the fine presentation, Janice mentioned that a new website was being introduced, on Monday, 2 Aug 2010. Some other important changes will be effective Sept. 1. Check them out on the new website: http://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy


Families are Forever!  ;-)

A few more exhibitor photos at Midwest Family History Expo in KC

http://www.fhexpos.com/

Down an ol' Back Road exhibit had lots of beautiful quilts:

The Family Birthstone Tree exhibit:

Footnote.com had an active exhibit:

Heritage Makers had a nice exhibit at the end of the row:

Johnson County (KS) Genealogical Society was nicely represented:

Legacy Family Tree had a large exhibit with steady stream of visitors:

Video Edge offered to videotape a heritage statement - here they are doing one, as visitors look on.

These were all the exhibitor photo I got. I did publish the full list last week. Thanks to all who had exhibitor space and made their products and services available to all of our visitors!


Families are Forever!  ;-)