Granny Pam's Genealogical Trials and Triumphs
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This entry is part 252 of 342 in the series Belle's Box

Today marks the last post in Belle’s box, archival book two. Two down, one to go! The third book had fewer transcriptions and more photos. I don’t know the names of each person in the photos, but I will continue to post each item.

The entire series will end before the annual reunion of Belle’s family, which is scheduled for August 2, 2009.

While this is a little late, I want to include a five-month update on my resolutions; so here they are with progress notes up to May 31.

1. Enter all the information from the BOX into my database. No exceptions, no cheating.

Well, things are slow here. I had a good start and got about a quarter of the info into my computer program, but then remodeling and life in general interrupted.

2. I will file all the paperwork in the proper place, not in piles on the floor, desk, or in any convenient box.

OK, I admit, I have not filed a thing related to genealogy. The paperwork from the first quarter of the problem box, that is the data I’ve entered into the computer is neatly filed in archival sleeves and sitting in a new box I hunted up for that purpose. My reasoning is reasonable, (I think.)

  1. There will be more items for the same names.
  2. The names are in notebooks in alpha order.
  3. I will need to add notebooks in many places in the alpha sequence
  4. It is easier to go through once instead of eight or ten times.
  5. Therefore, I’m saving labor, and time by delaying.

I don’t know if my thinking is faulty, but I’ve always been better able to work in steps. In my mind, entry is one step, and filing is another. I guess I’ll just keep on keeping on.

And for my blogs:

1. I will post on either GrannyPam or Granny’s Genealogy every day. The numbers tell the truth, on the 151st day of 2009 I had made 266 blog posts. I’ve got some days off coming! Seriously, I know I’ll never be Randy Seaver, who posts tons of interesting and useful information on a zillion blogs. So, why try?

On Granny’s Genealogy, this blog, my results are:

January 32
February 30
March 38
April 32
May 34

Total: 166

On Granny Pam, the “real me” blog, my results are:

January 15
February 15
March 26
April 22
May 22

Total 100

2. I will finish posting all the data from my “old” genealogy site to Granny’s Genealogy.

I have made some progress on this goal. I posted some cemetery information and a couple of bios. I expect work in this area will pick up as soon as the last of Belle’s box is posted.

 

So, overall, the results are as I might have imagined. I’m pretty good a sticking to a big project, and posting all the items from Belle’s Box is definitely that. I am also easily distracted, and you can see that in the fact that I let my filing go.

I expect the summer fun we have planned, including visits from grandchildren, bluegrass festivals, gardening, yard work and other fun activities will continue to erode my computer time for several months. We’ll just have to see how the filing goes!

This entry is part 248 of 342 in the series Belle's Box

Our annual reunion is in the planning stages, and the date is set. We hope to have a record turn-out at the home of Jane Warren on August 2, 2009.

Jane is one of the few family members who remain with us who remember “Grandma and Charlie”, Belle Lamunion Fellows Tinker and her husband Charlie Tinker. Jane also has great memories of past reunions, and the more recent ones which have been held at her home. I’ve been posting items from “Belle’s Box”, a box of mementoes and cards which found it’s way to a reunion several years ago. You can see those items, and read about the people in them here.

Reunion invitation, PDF

Reunion invitation, JPG

Please let everyone know, especially those for whom I may have out-of-date e-mail or mailing addresses.

See you there!

2009-friendly-blogger-award

Thanks to Harriet for the Friendly Blogger Award she has bestowed on me. I have found the blogging, and more particularly Geneablogging is all about discussion, sharing and being friendly. My cyber blogging genealogy friends are the best. I think they are all so good, that they already have this award. I never let that stand in the way, my nominations are:

Jessica at the Rural Michigan Graveyard Rabbit

Gena at Gena’s Genealogy

Denise at Family Matters

Becky at Kinexxions

Elyse at Elyse’s Genealogy Blog

These are among my favorites and certainly deserving of the award.

The Michigan Genealogical Council (MGC) is once again appealing to genealogists to contact their legislators with regard to budget cuts affecting the Library of Michigan, and other libraries in Michigan. An executive order issued and filed with the Michigan Secretary of State on May 5, 2009 lists budget cuts to all Michigan departments. You can read the order, number 2009-22, on the State website. The references to the Library of Michigan are listed on pages 2, 10, 11 and 19.

The Michigan Genealogical Council urges everyone to again contact their State Senators and Representatives to express their feelings regarding the Library of Michigan. Under the current extremely difficult economic circumstances, it is quite possible that the Library will be closed, and the collection dispersed to other facilities or put into storage. Even with very limited hours, keeping the collection intact and available in it’s current location is the best outcome.

The Michigan Genealogical Council has made a statement on the front page of their website, regarding the extremely difficult circumstances faced by the State.

First, please excuse the cross-post. I am not inclined to post the same article to all of my blogs, but this is an important exception. I have a story to tell, and I want you to read it, please.

Once upon a time, Papa and I met a nice man at a bluegrass festival. The festival was a Wendy Smith’s Whispering Winds, for you Michigan folks who remember the fun at Wendy’s festivals.

Jimmy is our friends name. You know him too, he is often at the sound board at bluegrass festivals and show around Michigan. We began to look forward to seeing to seeing Jim, and over the course of time, we found that one of Jimmy’s sons has Cystic Fibrosis (CF). We know other people whose children have this or some other genetic disease, and we are amazed at how well families and parents cope when faced with such severe illness.

We were excited a couple of years ago when Jimmy decided to host a benefit show, with the money raised donated for research to find a cure for CF. We have assisted as much as we can.

The turnout at the first show, in October, 2007 was disappointing to Jim, although it raised $1,000+. But he persevered and presented a second show in April, 2008. The results were much better, raising over $4,000, a 75% increase!

You know what is next. Pickin’ on CF will be held on April 4, 2009 at the Dogwood Center, Fremont, Michigan. The Dogwood is a beautiful indoor facility, there is truly not a bad seat in the house. Concessions are available. Good bands and musicians, mostly from Michigan will again donate their performances.

Check out the website or Myspace for the show. Repost this to your friends, especially those in West Michigan. Attend the show, make a donation! Bring your friends!

Please say hi to Papa and I, we’ll be at the Dogwood Center Saturday!

“The [Michigan] Department of History, Arts and Libraries today announced the launch of the Seeking Michigan Web site [ www.seekingmichigan.org ] a growing collection of historical information that ……”

The press release is linked here.

The Michigan death certificates are included in this collection. I posted recently about the very real possibility of cutbacks in the Department, due to budget problems in Michigan. Please review my post and take action to prevent funding cuts which could damage the Library and Archives of Michigan programs. Contact information for Michigan Senators and Representatives is included in my post.

Then, enjoy searching the data on Seeking Michigan.

The Michigan State Senate Appropriations committee will meet Thursday, March 12, 2009. The agenda calls for discussions regarding budget appropriations for the Department of History Arts and Libraries, which is apparently will be dissolved and the functions split among other departments.

A current, partly substantiated, rumor has the Library of Michigan being closed completely, with the collection being parceled out to a “local University”, if they are interested.

While it may not be possible to save the Department [HAL] in the face of the serious budget shortfalls, the Library of Michigan and Archives of Michigan are jewels and deserve our support. The Abrams Foundation has made donations totaling nearly $2,000,000 for the genealogy collection over past years. The people of Michigan should have access to the entire collection, at a central location, with sufficient parking. In times of budget crises, severely reducing hours is certainly an alternative to be considered.

I consider dismantling the collection to be a short-sighted solution to a temporary, although severe problem. Many Michigan citizens benefit from the internet services of the Library and local libraries. This funding through HAL provides internet service for unemployed and disadvantaged persons.

Interested genealogists, citizens and users of the library and archives should call and e-mail their State senators and representatives now. Please do so to express your support for continuing a centralized collection, even if the hours must be severely reduced.

You may also contact Senator Thomas George, chairman of the Michigan Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for History Arts and Libraries by phone at 517-373-2768 to express your support for the Library. You may visit his web page for more contact options.

Do it now, please.

Thank you.

I’ve started a series of  “Not so Wordless Wednesday” posts over on GrannyPam.  There aren’t really genealogy, but the are old family photos.  Well they are at least as old as I am.  I thought I’d let those of you that enjoy looking at older photos know that you can find them by searching that tag on GP.

Have a good day, I’m off to a courthouse to find ancestors!

Kreativ Blogger Award

I received a notice today from Genealogy Fun that Harriet has gifted me with an award! This is the first time this blog has received an award, so I feel happy and honored. Harriet said that she was enjoying my posts tagged “Belle’s Box”. I’m just the most recent of a large group of genealogists sharing old correspondence and other treasures in their care. I’m honored to receive this award, and I’m happy to know that my small effort is appreciated!

The story of Belle’s box is here. If you want to read that continuing series of posts, just put Belle’s box in the search box (is that redundant? HA!) and click search.

I’m nominating FootNote Maven, who is over the top in design, thinking and creativity; and Miriam, who is always finding another creative way to communicate, network and include others.

This entry is part 11 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

The Oakland County Genealogical Society will meet tonight, Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

Ms Gail Moreau-DesHarnais, editor of the French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan journal Habitant Heritage, will be our speaker. “Basic French-Canadian Research using modern methods, including mtDNA and YDNA”, is the topic for her presentation. She will share some of the newer resources for documenting your French Canadians, including those on the Internet. Ms Moreau-DesHarnais also will describe, in non-techy terms, how she has used DNA testing to enhance her family research.

The Oakland County Genealogical Society meets at 7:00 p.m. monthly from October through June on the first Tuesday (except January) at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 5500 North Adams (between Long Lake and Square Lake roads), Troy. The Church has a flat entrance and ample lighted parking.


View Larger Map

Meetings are open to the public and free of charge. All are welcome.  You can find out more about OCGS on our website.

If you missed a chance to get your copy of our new publication, containing tombstone transcriptions of the Perry Mount Park Cemetery, Pontiac Michigan, both CD and printed copies will be available at the meeting! This book has been 7 years in the making, and contains tombstone transcriptions of all cemetery sections.