Keeping Track - Part 1

Not all genealogy buffs use genealogy software. That has become rather apparent to me this past week. For example, one friend of over 35 years called to discuss our rather close line through Nathaniel Foote of Connecticut. (We are 9th cousins, twice removed.) She has been doing genealogy for a very long time, and is a DAR member, and she doesn't use genealogy software.  In our long telephone conversation from Kansas to Massachusetts, we verbally over her line. I'm sure there are many others out there who are like her, who have written their lineage on pieces of paper. And two days later, I have been in contact with the person who left a comment to my blog Tombstone Tuesday - Van Woert. He is new to genealogy, and he doesn't use genealogy software.  How do they keep track?

So how are these genealogy friends going to keep track of everything, without software? I sure hope not like I did when I first began! About eight years ago, I taught a number of beginner genealogy classes. And beginner it was. No software was used by the students. So I devised a method that they could use to keep track of their ancestors. The page below is one of the two methods I came up with.


In the locations where I have ancestors, I have listed the states in alphabetical order, then the county, then town/city. Within the towns, I then listed my surnames in alphabetical order, followed by their spouse and what personal event occurred there, such as birth-marriage-death, with the dates. I entered all my surnames this way, and kept the pages in a binder. For years, I would bring the binder to libraries. Why? It was the easiest way to see what families I had in each state and in each county. Many genealogy libraries have books shelved by state, and then county, so this method made it a breeze to go down an isle (say Vermont) and see those I have for that certain area (Vermont).


If your library doesn't have open stacks, but instead, you need a staff member to get your books (closed stacks), you first have to use a card catalog or an online catalog to see what is available. An example, search Massachusetts, then Middlesex County, then Andover to see what the library has in their holding.  Having all your states and towns typed and printed out, makes it easier to go down your list against the catalog.


I do not use this system any more; I have way too many names, towns, towns, counties and states. However, if somebody is just beginning out, I think this is a easy and free method. Of course, this only pertains to locations. What if they don't have a computer, a person can easily hand write everything.  My form for names will be shown tomorrow. The example below was done in MS Word, but you can now use Google Docs or any other document software. (Further down, is the page in a pdf.)


ESSEX COUNTY
ANDOVER  (all the below had residency in Andover)


William Ballard / Grace Berwick—He died July 10, 1689. She died April 27, 1694.
Joseph Ballard / Rebeckah Rea—He born abt. 1645, married Nov. 15, 1692, and died Sept. 29, 1722. She died Feb. 11, 1739
Josiah Ballard / Mary Chandler—He born June 22, 1699, married Aug. 7, 1721, and died Dec. 26, 1780. She born March 8, 1701 and died April 3, 1779.
Josiah Ballard / Sarah Carter—He born August 14, 1721.
Simon Bradstreet / Anne Dudley—She died September 16, 1672.
Thomas Carter / Ruth Phelps—They married Dec. 25, 1706. She born June 1, 1684.
Thomas Chandler / Hannah Brewer—She born Oct. 25, 1630. He died Jan. 15, 1702 and died Oct. 25, 1717.
Thomas Chandler / Mary Peters—He born Oct. 9, 1664. They married May 22, 1686. She died July 21, 1753.
Andrew Peters / Mercy Beamsley—They married 1659 poss. here. or Ipswich. She died Nov. 5, 1726. He died Dec. 4, 1713.
Edward Phelps / Elizabeth Adams—They married 1651 here or Newbury. She died May 4, 1718 here or Lancaster.
Edward Phelps / Ruth Andrews—They married March 9, 1682.
Maj. Nathaniel Wade / Mercy Bradstreet—They married Oct. 31, 1672. She born 1647.

President Bill Clinton, Photos one Morning on a Walk by the White House

William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton

President Clinton going back to the White House after a jog.  It was a warm but very cloudy day.

Got a huge hug, and then I pulled out my camera for these pictures.  We met at a walkway intersection. I probably saw him 15 times at various locations during my days working in DC.

Note:  Little security, but this was 1994.

Bill Clinton information from Wikipedia.

Tombstone Tuesday - VAN WOERT

Two generations of my direct lines of VAN WOERTs are buried at Plains Cemetery, Oneonta, Otsego Co., New York.  They were my 4th and 5th great-grandparents.

Jacob Van Woert

Bapt.  June 27, 1754, Albany, New York

Died:  June 27, 1843, Oneonta, Otsego Co., New York

His wife, Sarah Van Ness (Photo below.)

Sarah (Van Ness) Van Woert

Born: March 15, 1754, Albany, New York

Died: April 22, 1832, Oneonta, Otsego Co., New York

Their son, John Van Woert and his wife are below.

John Van Woert

Born:  December 21, 1781, Albany, New York

Died:  January 05, 1870

His wife, Magdalane "Lany" Young (Photo below.)

Magdalane "Lany" Young

Born:  May 31, 1784, Prob. Albany, New York

Died:  March 31, 1849, Oneonta, Otsego Co., New York

Trying to Help a Friend

Boott Mills, Lowell

When my friend Joyce wrote me the other day, to see if I could check out a surname from whatever sources I could, I thought, hum, this is going to take a while and I'll do it after dinner. Well, of course, we never wait, we all want to check these things out immediately. It took five seconds, and I had a wealth of information for her.  Why is this sentimental to me?  It is because I love the history of Lowell, and unfortunately I don't have any ancestors from this city I now live in.  To be able to help an old friend in hopes of her finding a connection between the GALUSHA and her CARTY lines was right up my alley.  It has been so much fun, and I felt I had to write about it.

A little background.  Joyce and I met through another genealogy related site four years ago, and at one time, we discovered we had our ancestors living in Missisquoi Co., Quebec, Canada.  She knew I lived in Lowell, Massachusetts, so when she found out that her ancestor had connections to the GALUSHA family and there were some letters possibly in a Museum or Historical Society in Lowell, she asked for my help.  Later I discovered she already had copies of the transcriptions, not the originals.  All the originals were donated to the Lowell National Historical Park (NPS), just a few miles from where I live.  If you click on the NPS site, you can see how the collection was arranged.  These are important papers, and at some point, I hope to go to the National Park Service and see if I can see an original letter.

From the above NPS site is a listing of Galusha Family Relationships

The Galusha Family Collection (1820 - 1900), describes a group of letters and other items collected by J. Lynwood Smith of South Hero, Vermont, and donated to Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts.  To me, these letters are important for several reasons.  Among them, they show a glimpse of life in Lowell, during the Industrial Revolution, a true family genealogy preserved for their family and for all historians interested in this era.  I especially enjoyed seeing names of locations familiar to me.

A transcribed letter follows, however, there are many listed, and can be viewed at: Galusha Family Letters and the Names in the letters and topics of interest - spreadsheet is useful in following the family.

"WRITTEN BY AMY MELENDA GALUSHA1

TO HER PARENTS REV. WILLIAM AND POLLY GALUSHA
Lowell Oct 9 1851

Dear Parents

I received your letter and was glad that you were doing so well as you are I hope that you will not freeze to death this winter if you cannot get into the new house try to fix up the old one so that you can live in it comfortably as possible do not be discouraged for the Lord will take care of you I wish that you would write how much you owe Erastas Bard and I will try to send you the money fore I suppose if he is sick that his family will need it I shall send you ten now and will send you then more if it is necesary when I am paid I am a going to get me one dress and a cloak which will be enough for the winter I have hired a seat in the Methodist Church with Christopher and Viola C. has experianced religeon since he came here and has united with the Worthen Street M E Church on probation he is very much engaged in religeon he likes here very much and so does Viola she says she would give anything if her Father could but hear Mr Colyar preach for he would not know how to contain himself I do think myself that he is the smartest Methodist preacher that ever I heard preach why Eldar Meeker could not hold a candle to him I do not know as I shall hire a seat after this quarter which will continue till the first of January although C and V are very anxious that I should it is very pleasant wether here this fall Viola says she is not sorry that she has come and thinks she shall stay a year very contedly she was rather homesick at first but I have not heard any more of that since C. came he is very attentive and sits her up evry Sunday night. on the whole I think he is a very good little fellow I begin to like him better than I used to when we went to school together. Viola has got so that she can run four looms quite decently Mr Cooper says that she gets along remarkbly well she makes about two dolers per week I never learned a girl with so little trouble as I did her she is very smart and will make a first rate weaver Oh how lonesome I shall be shen she is gone home. I hope that Arvilla will learn as easy as she did I hope that you will not let Arvilla race around with ... this winter I think it is bad enough for her to go with boys of her own age I hope that Lele will go with her himself it will look much better than the other way but I must stop and get a light tell Lele that if he will kill gray squirrils enough to make me a boa I will five him five dollars
Charles Miner is married
John French and Rhoda called to see us to night they are well Rhoda had not heard of Janes wedding she thinks that Jane has done first rate she was very much displeased to think they tried to sheviree her Mrs Burgess is going to california and John says he shall go in the spring I believe that I should rather be in Janes place than Rhodas. I pity her but you must not say a word. tell Janette when you see her that she ought to write to Rhoda for she feels rather bad. give my love to H and L and aunt Fany and Nancy and aunt Olive and all the folks. do not let Sall see nor hear from this letter if you can heple it I guess you will laugh when you see how I have written help just as I used to say it what I was a little baby O how many little things will take place to bring back the memory of the past “Memory thou restless spirit why break my rest.” I cannot live one hour without thinking of the happy days when I knew no care when the voice of my parents was my
only guide and a Mothers bosem was the only recpticle for my childish griefs. I have been more homesick since I came back this time that I have been before since the first summer that I was in the place but that is almost done with I hope I do not think that I shall come home again till I come for good and all I wonder how you stood through the day after I came away I thought that you would cry after we were gone for all you braved it out better than I did but you was so afraid you should appear like Aunt Irena that you did not shed a tear until I was gone but if you got along without all day you did better than I did Viola and I have laughed a great many times over what pa said when he came down stairs that night after we had such a tremenoeous uprore as bad as ever they had at Ephesus about the godess Diana I cannot help thinking how ridicolously I was treated in my own Fathers house by some of my relation but never mind them we can live without them and shall probably have to give my best respects to all the friends and neighbors who shall enquire for me Lucina Ganes went from here the next week after we come down she could not get work to suite her and she went to Springfield she has writen to us once since she left she was sewing then and was expecting a chance in the mill soon it was just as I expected almost a thing imposible to get a place for a new hand in the mill I was glad that there did not any more girls come with me but Lucina did not blame me or at least she said she did not I tried all that week to get her a place and Ann Fay tried her best to get her in but did not succeed but I shall write for Arvilla when I want her tell Lele he must write to me and let me know how he gets along with the house


Amy Galusha"

Surname Saturday - GATES

When Bill West of West in New England wrote, The Case of Mary Gates of Lancaster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, I immediately went to my Gates genealogy. I don't know if my Mary and the one by Bill are one and the same, but I suspect they are. My Mary was born between 1628 - 1658 (when she married) in Sudbury, Bill wrote in his blog that "Mary Gates of Sudbury lat of Lancaster." Another clue comes from my source used, what I wrote was, "NEHG Register. Vol. 120 (July 1966). Pp. 161-170 and (Oct. 1966), Pp. 260-272. "Stephen Gates of Hingham, Lancaster, and Cambridge, MA" by Clarence Almon Torrey." In conclusion, both Mary's above, had a father named Steven Gates.

It doesn't end there. With a few free minutes, I went through some loose Gates papers, and came across an article from The Register published by The New England Historic and Genealogical Society. From Vol. 163: 134 of April 2009 titled, "Ann Neave, wife of Stephen Gates, 1638 Immigrant to Massachusetts" by Edward J. Harrison. Darn, I had Stephen's wife as Ann VERVE, Not NEAVE. Seemed like a good time to read the article and maybe make corrections or additions into my file.

There are quite a few reference books stating the wife of Stephen Gates was Ann VEARE, done by various researchers, who transcribed the parish registers of Hingham, Norfolk, England. Apparently, "the registers have only one record for the surname VEARE, namely, the 1628 Gates marriage, but they contain twenty entries for the surname NEAVE. The National Burial Index for Hingham has no burial entries for the surname VEARE at any time, but it includes sixteen burials for NEAVE (or NEEVE) from1600 to 1700."  Hum, apparently one researcher interpreted the last name of Ann as VEARE, and as the article states, "VEARE and NEAVE differ only in their first and fourth letters."

Changing Ann's last name was simple. However there is a point to be made. It is a wise thing to continue reading periodicals, books and any genealogy articles pertaining to the surnames you have. There are so many researchers and, just because somebody says it is so, it may not be.  My initial entries for the GATES line were done about seven years ago, the new information was dated 2009.

To illustrate how wrong information passes from person to person.  I did a Google search using the names Gates and "Ann Neave" there were 157 hits, and this is the correct name.  There were 1,210 hits for the incorrect name!  One genealogist I want to follow is Robert Roy who does the The Roy Family, his tree is beautifully documented. In closing, Bill are we related through Stephen Gates and Ann Neave?
______________________________________

Descendants of Eustace Gates

First Generation

 1.  EUSTACE GATES signed a will on 15 Mar 1625/6 in Sudbury, England. He was buried on 26 Apr 1626 in Coney Weston, Suffolk, England.

EUSTACE GATES and ROSE WRIGHT were married on 4 Mar 1592/3 in Coney Weston, Suffolk, England. ROSE WRIGHT was born abt 25 feb. 1566/7. She died about 25 Jul 1635 in Hingham, Norfolk, England. She was buried in Hingham, Norfolk, England.

EUSTACE GATES and ROSE WRIGHT had the following child:

        2        i.  STEPHEN GATES, born abt 1600, Prob. near Norwich Co., Norfolk, England; married ANN NEAVE, 5 May 1628, Hingham, England; died bef 29 Sep 1662, Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

  

Second Generation

2.  STEPHEN GATES was born about 1600 in Prob. near Norwich Co., Norfolk, England. [NEED TO DEFINE SENTENCE:Migration] [NEED TO DEFINE SENTENCE:Lived] [NEED TO DEFINE SENTENCE:Freeman] He signed a will on 9 Jun 1662 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He died before 29 Sep 1662 at the age of 62 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

STEPHEN GATES and ANN NEAVE were married on 5 May 1628 in Hingham, England. ANN NEAVE was born about 1603 in Prob. Hingham, Norfolk, England. She died on 5 Feb 1682 at the age of 79 in Marlborough (or Stow), Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She signed a will on 18 Apr 1682 in (Ponpositicut, now Stow, Massachusetts.

STEPHEN GATES and ANN NEAVE had the following children:

        3        i.  Elizabeth Gates, born abt 1630, Prob. Norfolk, England; married John Lazell, 29 Nov 1649, Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts; died 3 Aug 1704, Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts.

        4       ii.  Stephen Gates, born abt 1634, Prob. Norfolk, England; married Sarah Woodward, abt 1665, of Cambridge, Boston, Marlborough, Stow, Charlestown, Massachusetts; died 9 Jul 1707, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

        5      iii.  Mary Gates, born 1636; married John Maynard, 5 Apr 1658, Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died 22 Dec 1711, Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

        6      iv.  Simon Gates, born abt 1646; married Margaret Barstow, Nov 1670, of Cambridge, Lancaster & Boston, Massachusetts; died 26 Aug 1692, Brookline, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.

        7       v.  THOMAS GATES, born abt 3 May 1646; married ELIZABETH FREEMAN, 6 Jul 1670, Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died 10 Aug 1726, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut.

                vi.  Isaac Gates was born about 3 May 1646. He was baptized on 3 May 1646 in Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. He died on 3 Sep 1651 at the age of 5.

               vii.  Rebecca Gates was born about 3 May 1646. She was baptized on 3 May 1646 in Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. She died in Jan 1650 at the age of 3.

  

Third Generation

 3.  Elizabeth Gates was born about 1630 in Prob. Norfolk, England. She died on 3 Aug 1704 at the age of 74 in Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Gates and John Lazell were married on 29 Nov 1649 in Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. John Lazell.

  

4.  Stephen Gates was born about 1634 in Prob. Norfolk, England.  He signed a will on 5 Sep 1701 in Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He died on 9 Jul 1707 at the age of 73 in Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

Stephen Gates and Sarah Woodward were married about 1665 in of Cambridge, Boston, Marlborough, Stow, Charlestown, Massachusetts. Sarah Woodward, daughter of George Woodward and Mary Gibson, was born on 3 Feb 1643 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She died on 21 Oct 1706 at the age of 63 in Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

Stephen Gates and Sarah Woodward had the following children:

                 i.  Stephen Gates was born on 17 Jul 1665 in Lancaster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. He died in 1732 at the age of 67.

        8       ii.  Simon Gates, born 5 Jun 1667, Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Hannah Benjamin, 4 May 1688, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died 22 Jun 1752, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

                iii.  Thomas Gates was born on 31 Dec 1669 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. He died in 1726 at the age of 57.

                iv.  Isaac Gates was born in 1673. He died in 1748 at the age of 75.

                v.  Nathaniel Gates was born in 1675. He died in 1731 at the age of 56.

                vi.  Sarah Gates was born on 27 Apr 1679 in Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She died on 27 Jan 1724 at the age of 44 in Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

        9     vii.  Rebecca Gates, born 23 Jul 1682, Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Timothy Gibson, 17 Nov 1700, Concord, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died 21 Jan 1754, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

              viii.  Daniel Gates was born on 25 Apr 1685 in Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He died in 1759 at the age of 74.

5.  Mary Gates was born in 1636. She was baptized on 15 Oct 1636 in Hingham, England. She died on 22 Dec 1711 at the age of 75 in Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

Mary Gates and John Maynard were married on 5 Apr 1658 in Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. John Maynard was born (date unknown).

  

6.  Simon Gates was born about 1646. He was baptized on 3 May 1646 in Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. He died on 26 Aug 1692 at the age of 46 in Brookline, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.

Simon Gates and Margaret Barstow were married in Nov 1670 in of Cambridge, Lancaster & Boston, Massachusetts. Margaret Barstow was born about 24 Feb 1649/50 in Scituate, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. She died on 13 Apr 1707 at the age of 57 in Brookline, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.

   

7.  THOMAS GATES was born about 3 May 1646. He was baptized on 3 May 1646 in Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. He signed a will on 10 Jul 1723 in Norwich. THOMAS died on 10 Aug 1726 at the age of 80 in Preston, New London Co., Connecticut. [NEED TO DEFINE SENTENCE:Lived]

THOMAS GATES and ELIZABETH FREEMAN were married on 6 Jul 1670 in Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. ELIZABETH FREEMAN, daughter of JOHN FREEMAN and ELIZABETH NOYES, was born on 23 Jun 1648 in Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She died before 10 Jul 1723 at the age of 75.

THOMAS GATES and ELIZABETH FREEMAN had the following children:

      10        i.  Ruth Gates, married John Andrus, 30 Sep 1724, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut; died aft 15 Jan 1762.

      11       ii.  ELIZABETH GATES, born 12 Oct 1671, Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married JOHN HOLMES, 1690, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died 14 Dec 1726, Colchester, New London Co., Connecticut.

                iii.  Sarah Gates was born on 20 Nov 1673 in Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She died after 10 Jul 1723 at the age of 49.

      12      iv.  Mary Gates, born 10 Mar 1676, Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts; died 15 May 1733, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut.

      13       v.  John Gates, born 9 Apr 1678, Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Mary Bowker, 1703; died 19 Sep 1747, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

      14      vi.  Joseph Gates, born 16 Mar 1680, Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Damaris Rose, 12 Dec 1711, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut; died 24 Oct 1742, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut.

      15     vii.  Josiah Gates, born 8 Mar 1681, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Grace Rathbon / Rathburn, 9 May 1714, Colchester, New London Co., Connecticut; married Elizabeth (--) w/o Josiah Gates, 1763; died aft 22 Aug 1763, Colchester, New London Co., Connecticut.

      16    viii.  Deborah Gates, born 22 Feb 1683, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Samuel Standish, 1 Jun 1709, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut.

      17      ix.  Anna Gates, born 18 Jul 1686, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Hopestill Tyler, 25 Jan 1710, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut; died 27 Mar 1766, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut.

      18       x.  Abigail Gates, born 18 Feb 1688, Stow, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; married Caleb Fobes, 21 May 1713, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut; died 10 Jul 1774, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut.

      19      xi.  Caleb Gates, born 1693, Stow or Preston, Connecticut; married Mary Fobes, 6 Jun 1716, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut; died 23 Sep 1774, Preston, New London Co., Connecticut.

Seeing President Jimmy Carter

President Jimmy Carter

The above was taken by me when he was in Boxboro, Massachusetts four months after winning the Presidential election. There was a lot of news about his prior visit, first to a Clinton, MA church for a town hall meeting in the evening of March 15th and the next day at the Sheraton Boxboro motel. My sister hoped to see him, so we drove 40 minutes to get there and joined a small gathering of people. Once inside the great hall, everybody began chanting his name. I managed to get very close, but the press had the clout to get in front of me. I remember they had to get a chair for him. I think it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to meet the public before his official meeting.

Sorry about the blur, but I was a bit nervous. Later that year, I was working in Washington, DC, a block away from the White House and I saw him a few times at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

The below photo is by a professional and was used in the local paper.

Photos taken on March 16, 1977 in Boxboro, Massachusetts

Tombstone Tuesday - Solomon and Hephzibah Prentice

Old Burying Ground, Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Below are stones of my ancestors.  They were my 7th great-grandparents.

Solomon Prentice

Born:  September 23, 1646, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Died:  July 24, 1719, Cambridge, Massachusetts

(Much better photo at Find-A-Grave

His wife, Hephzibah Dunton

Born:  About 1653

Died:  January 15, 1741/42, Cambridge, Massachusetts

You can see the footstone (above) behind the headstone.

Cemetery is across the street from Harvard University.

Looking Forward

Photo by Joe Beine and used with permission.

I absolutely love the above photo and thought others would like seeing it as well.  It caught my eye when he posted it to facebook.  For other great photos, please view his site at Flicker.

My plans for February are not as aggressive as they were for January.  I'll write an article about the Barbour Collection, Connecticut researchers might like this, and reports about two lectures, on different days, I hope to attend, as long as the weather cooperates.  My first topics to write about when I began blogging in October, may finally get written as well.  Nothing too long or complex, but I hope entertaining.


A few people seemed to enjoy my last Wordless Wednesday with the photo of Ansel Adams.  For the month of February I will post photos of celebrities and/or various autographs.  Two presidents, a football player and a singer.


I am going to devote time entering photos into Find-A-Grave.  It needs to get done.  The process takes a long time, because I need to scan the photos, write cemetery information on the back, enter the information into the site, as well as put the photo into my Family Tree Maker.


Since the Winter Olympics will be on television for about two weeks, I will be spending a lot of time watching the events; therefore I will be cutting back on the posts.


I was hoping I was related to Scott Brown, the new Senator from Massachusetts, but I haven't found a connection yet.  However, Princess Diana and I share the same common American ancestor, and I think I will do a post about that.


Randy's Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, wasn't so fun for me.  I struggled to make the Ancestral Calendar of Birthdays (now changed from January to February).  If an entire name is in All Caps, it is a direct ancestor of mine.  Now, I hope I can remember how to do it for March, but if I do, this will be a part of Looking Forward every month.  Randy thanks for the information.  But, I need to work more with it, since it didn't pick up everybody born in February.