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All Blog Posts (3,110)

Mathew Edward Mooney

Mathew was my gr grandfather. Born 1843 in Mercer County Virginia. He had a twin brother named Lewis.

He belonged to the 1st Reg. Virginia State Line (Cavalry) never making past the rank of private. Sometime in 1864 he ended up mustered in the 7th West Virginia Cavalry. From reading his Civil War record he stayed in the 7th till the end of the war.

His twin brother Lewis also belonged to the same Virginia regiment and West Virginia regiment. Lewis died in Gallipolis Ohio in the US… Continue

Added by Bob Mooney-Pa on August 22, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Calling Mom

I really need to call my mother in St. Louis. No more putting that off. It's just that I'd love to be able to give her some exciting news about progress in tracing our ancestors. Like the time I worked on my hunch that Grandpa Kearney was an orphan train rider and was able to prove that he was. It's as if my feet are stuck in a sort of historical morass: no progress on the Irish end (who knew that in one small townland there would be so many people with the same name and eerily close birth… Continue

Added by Katie Heitert Wilkinson on August 22, 2009 at 9:26am — No Comments

My first foray into personal blogging

I maintain two blogs in my role as a Local and Family history Librarian, one for genealogy and one for local history - although it is surprising how the two can interact so much. I have RSS feeds to these blogs on my page.

I have thought for a while about starting a blog to document my own family history research, as well as talk about new resources and resourcs I like etc. So perhaps this is a good place to start for now.

I recently learned that the… Continue

Added by Liz Pidgeon on August 22, 2009 at 12:15am — No Comments

Becoming a "Social"

Truthfully, I've usually chuckled at my nieces, nephews, and friends who've created pages on MySpace and Facebook; and I'll admit to being mystified at the attraction of such websites. Last Christmas a twenty-something niece regaled us with her account of refusing the "friendship" of another MySpace member. "Why should I accept her as a friend," she emoted, "when she was horrible to me in high school?" I howled, wondering how anyone could take such stuff seriously.

So here I am - I… Continue

Added by Katie Heitert Wilkinson on August 21, 2009 at 7:09pm — 2 Comments

Relatives popping up all over Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin

I am busy following the trails of the Coon, Congdon, Darling, Bunker, Potter, Dow families of Palmyra, Jefferson County Wisconsin. Specifically, I am looking for Coon collateral lines.

Added by Gwynn Socolich on August 21, 2009 at 7:06pm — No Comments

How I Organize My Genealogy Papers

I've read a few other folks' ideas on the 'best way' to organize your genealogy. Honestly, the 'best way' is the one that works for you. Organization is the key to survival in any aspect of life!

You already know that genealogy research generates mountains of papers, from seriously important copies of vital records and heirloom family notes and letters, to simple “notes to self” on ideas of where to research next on a family line. And I’m sure you’ve already figured out that it sure… Continue

Added by tami osmer glatz on August 21, 2009 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Ways to Amuse Yourself With Census Records...#68 Find Sitcom Family Names

Staring at page after page of scanned census records from 1851 (Canada) for hours has got me a little punchy, I guess. I just found the Partridge family in Elgin county - scanned down a few more lines and there was...the Brady bunch!

Added by Jeanie DiLeonardo on August 21, 2009 at 12:50pm — No Comments

Revisiting standardized geographic names

The comments to my last post on geographic naming raise a number of issues. The two main questions deal with changes in political subdivisions over time and the need to identify the location of local records. In the western states, where I live, there is not really much of a challenge, but in the eastern states and, of course, in Europe, place names may have change dozens of times. These changes are really an opportunity to become familiar with local history.…

Continue

Added by James Tanner on August 21, 2009 at 8:56am — No Comments

Got Swedish Ancestry?

I'm a big fan of FamilySearchIndexing. Looks like they're getting ready to revolutionize research for Swedish researchers. I wonder what the differences are between their project, described below, and the subscription-based Genline. At any rate, these projects make me wish I had more Swedish ancestors....

... a few minutes later ...

I do have… Continue

Added by Geoff Rasmussen on August 21, 2009 at 8:05am — 1 Comment

Graveyard Rabbits Revisited

Since my last post on the subject, The Association of Graveyard Rabbits has had many editions of their Carnival. The topic for this month's edition is "favorite photo." Take a moment to check out some of the links, they may give you a new perspective on the importance of graveyards to genealogy. Upcoming Carnival topics include:
Read more...

Added by James Tanner on August 20, 2009 at 8:24am — No Comments

Wolkoski (Wollcoski) Dubbo

Would anyone have any information on a Wolkoski or Wollcoski or was suppose to live in Dubbo New South Australia around 1880 - 1910.

Also, Any information on a Mona Desma Beaton or Norman Thomas Ford would be really helpful. They were married. Mona from Dubbo, Norman from Yarrawonga.

Many thanks.

Leonie

Added by Leonie Durrington on August 20, 2009 at 7:33am — No Comments

Reserve your time with StoryCorps at the FGS Conference

Visit the Conference News Blog to see today's Press Release about StoryCorps and your opportunity to have your story be recorded for posterity. www.fgsconferenceblog.org The spots are limited so be sure to make your reservation right away.

Added by Paula Stuart-Warren on August 19, 2009 at 8:03pm — No Comments

PGSA Polish Genealogy Society of America

PGSA is announcing their
31st Annual Conference

“UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES”

Friday, September 18th and
Saturday, September 19th, 2009

Marriott Schaumburg
50 North Martingale Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
847-240-0100

For further information please go to their website at www.PGSA.org

Added by Sonja Nishimoto on August 19, 2009 at 1:45pm — No Comments

Dangerous temptations in genealogical research

What do you do with genealogical information you find on the Internet? Do you quickly download and add the information to your family file? If you've ever been tempted, read on....

The Internet is booming with user-contributed lineage-linked databases. These databases are often the first place researchers look, and for good reason. Before performing original research, we should find out if someone else has already published information on the family. But what should we do with the… Continue

Added by Geoff Rasmussen on August 19, 2009 at 11:31am — 3 Comments

The problem with standardized place names

One feature of the New FamilySearch program is the introduction of the Standard Finder, a utility for looking up and regularizing place names around the world. There is a problem with using this, or any other geographic look-up function, due to changes in jurisdictions over time. Many of the current lineage linked database programs also include a link to a geographic database. Relying on this function may create change an accurate characterization of the locality, to its modern… Continue

Added by James Tanner on August 19, 2009 at 8:40am — No Comments

Online Genealogy

I found some great software used to set up a genealogy website. It's pretty easy to use (at least for me). I've seen what other people have done and haven't been too impressed. This one has great functionality. I've put two trees out there, one on my mother's side and one on my father's side. Right now I'm letting anyone search it. Hopefully someone will contact me who's seen it. It does have higher security that you can control.

It's called The Next Generation. So if you'd like, go… Continue

Added by Trudy Doolittle on August 18, 2009 at 10:58pm — 5 Comments

How I Get the Most Out of GW

There are so many groups now and that is a good thing, but as I stated in my previous blog, you just can not check out every one of them.

If I were new to GenealogyWise, after I set up my page with the surnames I am researching, etc, I would go to the groups main page. Then I would start researching all the surnames on my list. You will see in the results, not only the group which is about that surname, but the other groups where a comment has been left about that… Continue

Added by Sherry Hightower on August 18, 2009 at 12:52pm — 9 Comments

Threlkelds of Kirkoswald, Cumberland

I have been researching the history of the Threlkeld family, who lived in Kirkoswald, Cumberland, England. My great great grandmother was Elizabeth Threlkeld and she married William Fleming in around 1847 ( it is understood that they eloped). The Threlkelds were a large family and I believe that some of them emigrated to the USA but I have been unable to trace them from there. The history of this family goes back a long way - to Humphrey de Threlkeld in the 1300s

Added by Lynda Jones on August 18, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

History is the key to genealogy and genealogy is the key to history

My brother and I have both taught at the college level for years. After dealing with so many students, one fact is more than apparent to both of us; most students' knowledge of history is abysmally poor. History, as such, is no longer taught in many high schools or grade schools. Now, the children have classes in "social studies." Which is a euphemism for whatever popular social activist philosophy is current at the time.

Read…

Added by James Tanner on August 18, 2009 at 7:33am — 2 Comments

New Blog Ring

I have just created the Blogging For Ancestors blogring and I invite all who blog about genealogy and family history, including tips and tools and how-to-dos, to join this ring of people like me who enjoy and have a thirst for knowledge and sharing of our roots and family stories.

See you there!

Added by Leslie Ann on August 18, 2009 at 7:11am — No Comments