Granny Pam's Genealogical Trials and Triumphs
Header

New Year’s Resolutions, Goals, or Whatever They Are

December 31st, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in DWTD - Deal With the | Tools and Information | What's going On - (4 Comments)

Thanks to Jasia at Creative Gene for hosting the New Year’s Carnival. She posted the following: Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: New Year’s Resolutions! This year is almost over and a new decade is knocking on the door. This is the perfect time to make your New Year resolutions, goals, aims, declarations, intentions, aspirations, objectives, plans, targets, schemes, wishes, or whatever you want to call them! Figure out how you’re going to approach your family history research next year, write it up, and share it with us in the COG. The deadline for submissions is January 1, 2010.

My “main” computer contains a set of folders which can be described as the “dumping ground”. Every photo, obituary, census image, document scan, or other digital file which I HAVE NOT evaluated, transcribed, attached to my database, and filed resides in those folders. I just checked and there are 5.17 gb, 102 folders, 5474 files! I could check on this because I keep a copy on my “travel” computer, in addition to two backup copies.

If I started on January first and worked every day of the 2010, that would be 15 files a day. Perhaps it would be better to look at it as 103.283 files per week? Or 456.1667 files per month? The good news is that many of the files are simply photographs passed on to me by other researchers of my lines, or tombstone photos, or something similar which can be addressed quickly. The bad news is that some are far more complicated, like the 29 photos of the lengthy, complicated will of one of my ancestors.

There is more bad news, I have a small (physical) file of information I have collected over the past few months, obituaries, photos and other items that must be scanned, entered and filed. This year will be a challenge as I attempt to summon up the discipline to deal with the data. That will be the theme of my genealogical year, Deal With The Data, or “DWTD“. There will be more on that theme.

In addition, I will continue to bore readers of this blog with the results of my research into the land transactions of our ancestors, from my deed research in Michigan and beyond.

I also have two other goals:

  • Find the surname used by my Yearnd/Yournd/Ewen/Euens ancestors before their arrival in Howell, Michigan from outer space, (or Germany, or wherever they came from).
  • Find my cousins, descendants of my Mother’s half brother, Donald William Hill. Donald was born 17 March 1919 in Hoosick Falls, Rensselaer County, New York to George Gardner Hill (1896-1962) and Helen Lois Palmer (1891-1966). He was first called George Gardner Hill, Jr., on the 1920 census, but later known as Donald William. Donald died 4 April 1985 in Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, California, and is buried in the National Cemetery in Riverside California. An genealogical angel and volunteer in Lake Elsinore has provided me some leads which may help me find Donald’s children.

So that is the sum total of my hopes for 2010:

  1. DWTD.
  2. Find a name.
  3. Find some cousins.

Time will tell how this year will play out. Good luck to all the busy as a beaver genealogists out there, and blessings in the New Year!

, ,

What’s Your Favorite Genealogy Society?

October 15th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Tools and Information - (2 Comments)

After reading several excellent submissions for the 82nd Carnival of Genealogy,   I am making it my business to contribute,  just before the cutoff! This carnival asks bloggers to submit thoughts about their favorite genealogy society, along with comments about why the do or do not participate in a society.

I am currently a member of three genealogical societies, and one historical society. They are the National Genealogical Society, the Wexford Genealogy Organization, the Hoosick Township (Rensselaer Co., NY) Historical Society, and OCGS, which is profiled below. In the past I have been a member of another historical society and another genealogical society.

I will continue to support NGS as long as I can. I really benefit from their publications, which have helped me in my research process. Both WGO and Hoosick History have helped me with information in my research, and I intend to continue my memberships in those organizations in the foreseeable future.

I am a very active member of the Oakland County (Michigan) Genealogical Society. I have been the treasurer of the Society since 2003, and have also contributed in other ways when I can. I joined OCGS sometime in the 1990′s, I suppose the membership records would yield the exact date if I really needed to know. Even though OCGS meets in the evenings, I was not able to attend many meetings during the early membership, when I traveled in my project management job, and was often out of town on meeting evenings.

I am not sure if OCGS is my “favorite” society, but it is where I make my genealogical home. Since I have no ancestors in Oakland County, Michigan, some people may wonder why I devote so much time and effort to the Society. Viewpoints differ, but here how I describe the reasons for my involvement:

  1. Genealogical research is genealogical research. Techniques and tools evolve and change, but all of them are not always location specific. How to use a specific computer program, or how to find information in courthouses, archives, and libraries are just examples of skills addressed by a local society that can benefit members, regardless of the location of their ancestral families.
  2. Meetings with like-minded people nourish my soul. When is the last time someone from your neighborhood, bridge club (do they still have those?) or church asked how your research was going? Do they even know you spend time, effort and money on genealogical research? I simply love going somewhere and having someone ask, “What did you discover this (week, month, summer, year)?” It is my pleasure to hear about others research and share their success stories and frustrations.
  3. Give back, or pay forward. Much of the information I have gathered is because some society somewhere did something. Local societies collect, index, print, post, do look-ups, and generally make information from their geographical area available. Helping make information near where I live available to researchers is my way of paying back, or forward, that thought fullness.
  4. Everything is not on the internet, nor will it be in my lifetime. Networking with researchers gives me an opportunity to learn about and locate resources, refine techniques and expand my knowledge.
  5. Information and network. I learned about the funding crisis at the Library and Archives of Michigan through the OCGS membership in the Michigan Genealogical Council. I was able to share information with others and contact my representatives.

Without going into specifics, I believe that my perspective on new media and the internet, including the possibilities of new technologies for the dissemination of information may be at odds with the thinking of some Society members. That difference does not make the Society’s activities less valuable or relevant to me.

Since I am not a joiner at heart, a look my involvement in OCGS is a surprise to me. At this point in my life I have more time and energy to direct outward toward others than in the past. Without children to care for, or a job to occupy the majority of my time, I have chosen to give some of that time and energy to a cause I believe in.

I hope those of you who do not support a local society will examine your thinking, and ask yourself if you could benefit from such an  association.

,

New Year’s Resolutions!

December 28th, 2008 | Posted by Granny Pam in Papa's Ancestors | Tools and Information | What's going On - (7 Comments)

Often, I receive invitations to participate in Carnivals. I don’t often participate. It may be that I’m not good at following suggestions, or it may be that I’m not creative enough to relate my blogs to the carnival topics.

Imagine my excitement when I realized that there was no way out of the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy:

New Year’s Resolutions! What plans do you have for your genealogy research next year? How about for your blogging? No groaning or whining now. Write ‘em up and let us know!

No more foot dragging, here are my resolutions for genealogical research:

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

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

And for my blogs:

1. I will post on either GrannyPam or Granny’s Genealogy every day.

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

This seems like a tall order to me, which will require much discipline. I often find myself searching around the internet or a library for information, when my research goals would be better served by organizing the information I have gathered.

Time to stop and get on with the factory work of genealogy!

,