Sherry Hightower's Blog (8)

When GenealogyWise first came into being, those of us who joined early were encouraged to create groups to provide a place for people to come and find "their space".  Many of us created groups by the surnames we were actively working on and then places, occupations, events, etc. I never dreamed we would be the Admins for all the groups we created. 8-0

If anyone is a member of a group created by me and you want to take over that group, please let me know. I am spread very thin these…

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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

I have noticed several people who have their profiles set to private or their comments moderated. This is always a bit amusing to me because it sort of defeats one of the greatest tools and advantages of joining GenealogyWise and that is the ability to make connections and thereby expand your research or break down a brick wall.

On general sites such as My Space or Facebook (both of which I am a member), I certainly understand setting your profile to…

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I was researching some archived list messages, gleening bits and pieces of old information when I came across this posting. It is suppose to be an actual ad, a recruiting article for Census Takers in 1869, Bexar Co., TX



The original poster failed to include the link or source so please just read it for the humor and not the "god's honest truth". If this is a real newspaper or handbill notice, it's a wonder any one has a surname spelled correctly. ;-)



CINSES TAYKUR… Continue

Finding old and lost cemeteries is one of my favorite hobbies. I live to discover them.



"Who cares!", some may say.



How about the descendents of those long buried and mourned, but not forgotten? How about someone like me who cherishes the history and appreciates that a life was lived, enjoyed or despaired, and then passed away from this earth?



Only a few times have I been blessed to find a lost cemetery in the woods, the trees grown thick around the fence line… Continue

Through out my genealogical career, I have hunted for obituaries. Who hasn't, right! I have read thousands of little news blurbs in newspapers while searching for an obit.



One day, I decided to start collecting the items I found interesting. With no specific thoughts to how to use these precious pieces of history, I started printing whole pages of old newspapers.



As you can imagine, the copy quality leaves a lot to be desired. Most libraries, it seems, just use the bare… Continue

Many people are interested in researching their family history but hesitate because they are unsure how or where to begin.



These are 6 Steps, which will help the beginning family genealogist lay a foundation to build upon and see rapid progress.



Do not expect to answer all the questions all the time. The further back you go, the harder the information becomes to collect. You will continually add information as you conduct your research. Sometimes, it takes years to find… Continue

There are no words to describe the barbarous levels of inhumanity corporations will sink to, in order to make a dollar.



In the early days of Jefferson County Texas, there were several communities, which have now either been swallowed by the annexation of Beaumont or Port Arthur; or paved over so local businesses could expand.



In 1824, what would become Beaumont, TX was originally just a small community called Tevis Bluff, founded by Noah Tevis. By 1838, Beaumont was… Continue