Old Iron Butt from Buzzy Jackson's Shaking The Family Tree

In the past three weeks, I've consumed 4 of the 6 library books I checked out on family history. Not bad, if I do say so myself. I've really enjoyed getting back to reading and reading for enjoyment! I'll be off to the library tomorrow to turn in books and renew the other 2 for sure!

As I was reading Buzzy Jackson's Shaking The Family Tree, I couldn't help but identify with her description of Old Iron Butt! And it made me chuckle, so I had to share. 

According to Jackson, the nickname Iron Butt was one given to Richard Nixon in college for his ability to sit in the library and keep studying. Searching for genealogical records, Jackson explains, requires a similar "stick-to-itiveness...[and] being an optimistic idiot helps." (101)  I thoroughly enjoyed both descriptions.

That is all for now.

In the coming weeks, I must begin to tackle the mess I have created by over-zealous linking of records from Ancestry as a newbie. I have to admit, I've been avoiding it for a couple of reasons. One is that my tree already includes over 500 names and organizing that and cleaning it up is a daunting task and one I know I cannot finish to perfection in the amount of time that I have available to dedicate to it right now. That said, I must find a way to break it into more manageable chunks and get at it. My greatest excuse to myself has been that I don't know how to do it. It is true, I do not know every detail of genealogical research. But, between the recent library books, the online reading I've done and the hours I've spent viewing Ancestry's archived videos on Youtube.com, I have more than enough knowledge to begin. If only I would allow myself.

~Morgan

Who Do You Think You Are? The Book

I ended up having a lot of down time at work today so I took the opportunity to finish reading Who Do You Think You Are?  By Megan Smolenyak. I happened to find this book on the shelves at my local library and being a fan of the show, decided I'd check it out. Boy am I glad I did.

This book has many references to websites and books that are considered the standards by many genealogists. The author also includes the basic how-tos for the basic records that many people new to family history will check out first. I was particularly happy to see the summary of the censuses and what they included as well as what makes certain ones unique or particularly good tools for the genealogist. I had seen similar information before but couldn't find it when I needed it recently. Now, I'll have my notes from this book. I also enjoyed the section on military records. I know this is something I will want to delve into more in the future as I research more about my maternal Grandfather. I loved hearing his stories from the time he spent in the military during WWII and look forward to learning more of the specifics about his service to our country.

With all the great website references and information included in this book, I found myself seriously considering adding it to my birthday list to have in my reference arsenal.

Morgan

Family History Writing Challenge...I'm In!

I've long had an interest in my family history. I was the only teenager I knew that owned (a now ancient copy) of Family Tree Maker. (So old that when I recently got back into doing family history research and asked my Husband if I could update my old copy he actually laughed out loud at me. In the most loving of ways, of course.) 

What really got me on the hunt for my ancestors again is the desire to get down on paper all of the wonderful stories that I heard growing up. They are my families legends in my mind. And I believe they should be shared. They're still entertaining to me after all these years and I believe others will find them entertaining as well. (The fact that in the past 5 years, I have lost two of my three living grandparents has also been a huge kick in the pants.)

My inspiration for what I imagine my family history book might look like is a thin paperback that was shared with my parents by my great uncle. He picked it up from a man known as "The Lilly King." His book is a collection of short stories in which he tells stories he heard as a boy and what he learned from them, stories of his boyhood adventures, and how he became known as The Lilly King and developed his day lilly business.

That said, I'm in...I'm committing to 250 words a day for 28 days. One month of writing about my family history and what I know. Putting down the stories I heard. Making sense of the notes I've written when I was so excited about a family history discovery that I couldn't sleep. (Sorry for the light and the scratching of the pen at all hours of the night, honey.) I've got to start that book I've been envisioning some time. Might as well be now.

Find out more  about the Family History Writing Challenge at The Armchair Genealogist.

What will you write?

~Morgan

Ste. Anne de Detroit

I spent this afternoon adding some details to my work in Family Tree Maker.

Most of my time was spent hunting down information related to my Paternal Grandmother's baptism record. I sure learned a lot about Ste. Anne's Parish in Detroit, Michigan where she was baptized. It is a beautiful Church. One day I hope to visit it and the surrounding buildings which have been placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. I have probably driven past that church a few dozen times having grown up in Michigan, but now that I know my Grandmother was baptized there, I feel like I'm seeing it again for the first time. It has a new layer of meaning for me. (Besides the fact that another one of my loves is historic buildings. In fact, what draws me to them are the stories I know they would tell if the walls could talk.)

My "you learn something new every day" moment for today was discovering what I assumed was French in the baptism record was instead Latin. It was also an "ah-ha" moments of sort. I figured the record was in French because I knew the church and Detroit was founded by the French as a fur trade post on the river. What I should have remembered however is that before Vatican II in the 1960's, the main language of the Catholic church was Latin. I knew masses were conducted in Latin, but somehow it never occurred to me that the records would also be in Latin until a friend recognized the phrases when I posted them on Facebook looking for help translating.

Most of the phrases were easy to guess, but based on the names, I wasn't sure if Nomina Patrionrum was Names of the Godparents or Names of the Grandparents. In the case of my Grandmother, it could have been either. With the help of my Facebook friends, I was able to determine it indeed means "Names of the Godparents" (or Sponsors).

Family History Search: Rebandt, Weeg, Therrien and Phillips

I'm baaaack.....It's been a long, long time, but I have a new passion I'd like to use this blog to share. With a 2 year old running around the house, I'm sure I won't have a ton of time to blog, but check in for new posts every once in a while.

I've been researching my family history recently and having a lot of fun with it. I have learned a lot from www.Ancestry.com. And particularly love the video archives at www.livestream.com/ancestry.

I am researching all branches of my family tree which includes the surnames: Rebandt, Weeg, Therrien, and Phillips.

Most recently, I've been working on transcribing the documents I found at Ancestry.com with my free trial. Here's what I learned from the marriage record for Adam B. Rebandt and Helen Cecilia Girsch.

 20 Oct 1925 in Detroit, MI. Michigan Department of Health lists Adam B. Rebandt, age 31 married to Helen C. Girsh, age 20, on record number 300304. Date of License: 12 Oct 1925. Both living in Detroit, Michigan. Both born in Michigan. Adam works as a Clerk. Helen works as an operator. Adam's father is Joseph, mother is Albertina BOSSMAN. Helen's father is Gorge. Mother is Mary BOSSMAN. Neither have been previously married. They were wed on 20 Oct. 1925 by Catholic Priest Patrick T. DUNNE. Witnesses to the marriage were Nicholas DAVIS of Detroit, MI and Eleanor URBANISK (sp could be URBANICK).

What have you learned about your ancestors?