Follow Friday - 29 Oct 2010

Follow Friday - 29 Oct 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:

I was wondering the other day what the latest application of cloud computing might me. Today I found one; maybe on the latest, but certainly appears useful, to me, for my research. I have far too many bookmarks that I never seem to get back to until many of them are "gone!" icyte seems to have solved that. We will see. I signed up, in just a few minutes, and I am off and running.

Thanks to Lynn at The Armchair Genealogist for the initial information in a Tuesday Tip.




Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - 2 grandfathers play football

Treasure Chest Thursday

2 grandfathers play football

1907, perhaps

I was helping my wife scan some photos she was borrowing from her brother, Al. Among them was this great photo of MY grandfather, and HER grandfather, Class of 1909 and 1908, respectively, at Coon Rapids (Iowa) High School - with their football team; I assume in 1907 - since one would have graduated in May 1908 (and went off to college). We believe they are the young men on the right, front row - hers to the right,  mine to the left. Small world, huh?? [Nancy's Mom had written "Paul Kinnick" and "Lynk Thomas" on the back!

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 22 Oct 2010

Follow Friday - 22 Oct 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:

This is a follow-up from Jenn over at Family History Research reporting on finishing the "Beginning Genealogy" course, that I recommended here last week. Even as a professional genealogist, she reported that it was worthwhile to get some reminders of where beginners are in their learning process. She will be teaching a class soon, and feels it will be useful. Perhaps many of us could benefit from checking out this two week learning opportunity, as well.

http://familyhistorytips.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/family-tree-university-course/

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Report Card of my Dad - 9th grade

Treasure Chest Thursday

Report Card of my Dad - 9th grade

Last week in this post I shared my Dad's 5th grade report card. Thanks, again, to Cousin Dave, for sending each of these to me, from his Mom's boxes (Dad's older sister). 

For 9th grade, high school, Dad went to the nearby town of Coon Rapids, Iowa. This was the school year of 1929-30. He graduated in the Class of 1933. The teacher filling our the card was Morris Miller - I've put that name on my "to-do" list to check out, of course. I note Dad's name is now spelled "Leverne" as he used as an adult - also my middle name.

Grandfather Wm Smith again signed the cards, of course. Dad had taken on more responsibilities on the farm. As I recall, he was responsible for milking the cows for the family every morning. He was the youngest around to have a car available, so he could drive to school after milking the cows each morning. Town was six or seven miles away, rather than a mile and a half away as it was in eighth grade. He liked to tell stories of knowing the janitor at the high school real well. He would arrive and park the car near the janitor's door, in the basement of the school. Sometimes, the janitor would wait a few seconds to ring the bell, so he could get to class and not be tardy. Fun story!  ;-)

It appears that this year, he was only tardy 3 times, and only missed 1/4 day of classes all year - pretty good!  ;-)

What fun!

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 15 Oct 2010

Follow Friday - 15 Oct 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:

This week I am recommending, if you have not done so already, that you do read the post by Randy Seaver on Friday, 8 Oct 2010, "Intentional Acts of Genealogical Terrorism." It raises some interesting issues we should each consider. The comments he got on his post are also useful to consider. I'm not sure I understand entirely what each person is saying, but, I know we must each seriously consider how we feel about this issue.


POST 2:

Jenn over at Family History Research provides a useful post for some of this week, "Educational Opportunities." Mostly a reminder of some free classes, for those interested. Her ProGen Updates continue to be interesting to follow, as well.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Report Card of my Dad - 5th grade

Treasure Chest Thursday

Report Card of my Dad - 5th grade

We all love old report cards from school. This one is from 1925-26 (Sept 7 to May 21)... for my Dad.

This was at Union Twp District # 1, also known as the Star School, north of Coon Rapids, Iowa, in Carroll County. Three points of note, to me:

1. His name was spelled: LeVerne Smith

2. His Dad, Wm Smith, whom I was named for, signed the card each period (mother was deceased).

3. He was promoted to 6th grade - of course he was.

Ok, the grades are of interest, as well:

This was a rural school, he worked on the farm, even at this age. So, being tardy a few times, and missing a few days of school are not unexpected. The name of the teacher was Clara Christy. That goes on my "to do" list. His grades were very good.

Thanks to cousin Dave, who sent these to me (arrived in the mail this morning). His Mom, Dad's older sister, had them in her boxes. I really enjoyed receiving that envelope, this morning. It also had Dad's Ninth grade report card, which I will share next week.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 8 Oct 2010

Follow Friday - 8 Oct 2010

My recommendations this week. Sorry I missed last week. See Sentimental Sunday post on Oct 3 for what I was doing...

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!  ;-)

I seem to be recommending "funny" and fun-to-read - but none-the-less very useful posts today. Enjoy!

POST 1:
 The 12 Step Program for Genealogist at It's All Relative is too good not to pass along. I hope most of you have already seen it; but, if not, check it out NOW!  ;-) Easy read, though you will think of many examples as you go along that will slow your reading, enjoy! [Thanks to Randy Seaver, again, for the referral!]


POST 2:

5 Reasons I Wish I Could Travel Back in Time and Smack My 1995-Self at Clue Wagon is worth a read and yes, confessions are acceptable. We've all done some of these things sometime, sadly. [Thanks to Greta Koehl for this referral!]



Families are Forever!  ;-)

Sentimental Sunday - Family time in Estes Park, Colorado

Sentimental Sunday

Family time in Estes Park, Colorado

We have been discussing this weekend that we are continuing a very long tradition in our families by spending time together in this wonderful natural setting. My parents brought my brothers and I to Estes Park in 1950. My wife's family visited nearby in the same time period. We were poor farm folks in Western Iowa, but a family trip to the Colorado Rock Mountains was a most memorable family experience. This trip was Nancy and I, along with oldest daughter, Annette and her husband, Larry. His son, Ben, joined us for a couple of days. Larry said his family came here from Illinois when he was young, as well... and he brought his family, as well.

Each of our three daughters love to visit here, primarily because we vacationed here as a family when our girls were young in the 1960s and 70s, as well, regularly. We try to visit, with some of the family, very few years.

I am posting this, as a reminder to myself, and others, that "telling and sharing these current ancestor stories" is so important, as well. The experiences we are having today are the ancestors stories of the future. Record them, share them, and retell them.

I just finished posting some of our family experiences on my "Retirement" blog - "Dr. Bill on Retirement" - which has become my most recent family travels/visits recording place. I started creating web pages on our travels in 1992, and have done so continuously since, in one place or another. This blog is the most recent. You are welcome to visit, once or regularly, if you care to. Some earlier years can be seen here.

I encourage you and yours to record your family stories, in your own way, as well.


Families are Forever!  ;-)