Invite an Ancestor for Christmas Dinner: #4 Anna Kuhn, Bad Girl or Misunderstood?

Today I invite all of you to join me in coming up with an ancestor guest list for your Christmas Dinner. If you don't celebrate Christmas, feel free to choose a different holiday. 

Each day between now and December 25 I am going to invite one of my ancestors to join our family to celebrate with a traditional Turkey Dinner. 

Please think about who you want to invite and tell us why you want to have them at your table. Would you have a gift for them under the tree? What would it be? 

My fourth guest at the dinner table is going to be my 8th great-grandmother Anna Kuhn.

Anna  was born about 1659 in Germany. Married to one man at age 15, Anna bore another man two children before the church allowed her divorce from her first husband. She married for the second time in 1685. After fleeing Germany for New York in 1709, she ran off with her second husband's nephew. I want to know if she was a strong woman who had a lot of bad luck or was a willful selfish person who didn't care about anyone else. I know she had a hard life and I'll be able to get a sense of who she was after chatting with her and seeing her interactions with my other guests. 

Her gift from me will be a beautiful scarf. I know that may sound odd but I think Anna needs something pretty and frivolous in her life. I'm also going to wrap up a small bottle of perfume and some scented soaps.

Invite an Ancestor for Christmas Dinner: #3 on my Guest List

Today I invite all of you to join me in coming up with an ancestor guest list for your Christmas Dinner. If you don't celebrate Christmas, feel free to choose a different holiday. 

Each day between now and December 25 I am going to invite one of my ancestors to join our family to celebrate with a traditional Turkey Dinner. 

Please think about who you want to invite and tell us why you want to have them at your table. Would you have a gift for them under the tree? What would it be? 

I am going to invite my French-Mohawk ancestor Ots-Toch as my third guest. That should be an interesting dinner guest! Ots-Toch was born ca 1640 in what is now New York, and she married the Dutchman Cornelis Van Slyke. I want to talk to her about the new colony, and about her life in the Mohawk village. Naturally I'm going to ask who the heck her mother was! Her father was Jacques Hertel, interpreter to Samuel de Champlain but there is no record of her mother's name, only that she was a respected Mohawk woman. 

Boy do I have a ton of questions for Ots-Toch! It's difficult to think of a gift she might like but I have a very nice necklace of a turtle carved out of white bone, held by a piece of rawhide. The rumour is that she was from the Turtle Clan so I would like her to have it.

 

Invite an Ancestor for Christmas Dinner: #2 on my Guest List

Today I invite all of you to join me in coming up with an ancestor guest list for your Christmas Dinner. If you don't celebrate Christmas, feel free to choose a different holiday. 

Each day between now and December 25 I am going to invite one of my ancestors to join our family to celebrate with a traditional Turkey Dinner. We will all sit down together on December 26th. That should be interesting!

Please think about who you want to invite and tell us why you want to have them at your table. Would you have a gift for them under the tree? What would it be? 

#2 on my Guest list is my great-grandpa David George Simpson. David was born in Ramsgate England in 1861. He suffered from Epilepsy and my grandmother told me an intriguing story about him. It seems that he drove a horse and cart to deliver coal and often would have what his family called an "episode". His horse would carry on with the usual route, his customers would come out and help themselves to their allotment of coal, check that David was okay and send the horse on its way. Eventually the horse ended up at home and David's wife would come out and help him into the house. 

I got the impression from my grandmother that David was a kind, gentle man and I would love to chat with him. As for a gift under the tree, I would like to give him some medication for his epilepsy. 

What Ancestors Do You Want at Your Christmas Table?

Today I invite all of you to join me in coming up with an ancestor guest list for your Christmas Dinner. If you don't celebrate Christmas, feel free to choose a different holiday. 

Each day between now and December 25 I am going to invite one of my ancestors to join our family to celebrate with a traditional Turkey Dinner. 

Please think about who you want to invite and tell us why you want to have them at your table. Would you have a gift for them under the tree? What would it be? 

I'm going to put my great-great grandfather Joseph McGinnis on my Guest List. I desperately want to ask him who his parents were and where he was from in Ireland. I do hope I can understand his Irish brogue. 

I'm also hoping he'll be able to tell me where he died and when. I'm not sure if my invited ancestors will have the ability to talk about their deaths but my fingers are crossed. Mind you that might not be a very appropriate conversation. It seems somehow that might be a question best left to ask his widow if I invite her! 

That's not all I want to talk about with Joe. I'd love to just hear his stories about anything he wants to chat about. Maybe he'd like to talk about what the early days in the 1840s were like for him. Perhaps he'll tell me how much he loved Ireland and how much he misses it. The sky's the limit once I ask my few questions! 

I think it would be nice if I had a small gift under the tree for each of my guests. I'm guessing a bottle of booze might be appreciated by Joe. Yes - the Irish and their whiskey comes to mind, especially given what I know of my McGinnis grandfather and great-grandfather and their inclinations. So many feuds and so many fights brought on by drinking a wee bit too much. 

Flatbed Scanners - Which One is Right for You?

I love scanners. I love scanning my old photographs, documents, cards and every bit of ephemera I have!

Genealogists probably buy more scanners than anyone but it's not easy to make a decision as to which one is best.

I can't review scanners I have not used but I was checking Amazon last night and realized I could help out by narrowing the field of choices. So I've put together a list based on reviews on other websites and reviews on Amazon.

If you're buying yourself or someone else a scanner this Christmas, or are lucky enough to be getting one as a gift, you may want to consider these options:


Epson Perfection V37 Color Photo, Image, Document Scanner with scan-to-cloud & 4800 x 9600 dpi (B11B207201) 4  stars, reviewed by 196 customers













Canon Office Products LiDE120 Color Image Scanner  4 stars, 590 customer reviews







HP L1957A#B1H Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner

4 stars, 218 customer reviews

My Favorite Christmas Carol Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (Jesous Ahatonhia)

A few years ago I wrote about this beautiful Huron Christmas Carol. I love it so much I'm bringing it back. It is the first Canadian Christmas Carol  written by the Jesuit Missionary Jean de Brebeuf circa 1643 for the Huron Indians in the wilderness of what is now Ontario. The Jesuits ministered to the Hurons at Ste Marie - a wilderness fortified village.

In 1649 the Iroquois, enemies of the Hurons, attacked and the Jesuit fathers set fire to the village fort rather than see it fall into Iroquois hands. Father Brebeuf and 7 others were tortured and killed by the Iroquois. The eight martyred missionaries were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, and are known in Canada as the Canadian Martyrs.

The village has been reconstructed at the original site and is now a living museum as well as complete working village. Ste Marie Among the Hurons is a very popular tourist attraction in the Georgian Bay area and it is not far from my home.

Written in the Huron language, Father Brebeuf's Huron Carol is called Jesous Ahatonhia meaning Jesus is Born. It was not translated until the early 1900s at which time it was translated to French. In 1926 it was finally translated to English.  It is still a very popular hymn sung by Canadian school children and in churches. The English version is called "T'was in the Moon of Wintertime" and it is a haunting melody based on a 16th century French Canadian Melody. 
  I love this carol, I find it very stirring and can picture the Hurons sitting with the Jesuit fathers in the middle of our cold snowy winters, listening to the missionaries sing. As well it has many meaningful connections for me - first, I live near Ste. Marie Among the Hurons. Secondly, Father Brebeuf, now the patron saint of Canada, baptised my half-9th great grand uncle Francois-Joseph Hertel in Trois-Rivieres in 1642 during the short time he was in Quebec recuperating from a broken shoulder. Lastly, I am descended from Francois-Joseph Hertel's half sister Ots Toch, a half Mohawk, half French woman from New York who went on to marry the Dutchman Cornelis Van Slyke. The Mohawk were part of the Iroquois Confederacy, the enemy of the Hurons at Ste. Marie. 

As children, we Canadians learn this song in school. It still brings shivers when I hear it. 

And now without further ado, here is the Huron Carol Jesous Ahatonhia on video sung in the original Huron language version followed by the French version and a slightly different English version translated by Father Kierans

Huron Wendat Language Version

Estennialon de tsonwe
Jesous ahatonhia
Onnawatewa d' oki
n' onwandaskwaentak
Ennonchien skwatrihotat
n' onwandilonrachatha
Jesous ahatonhia Jesous ahatonhia

English Version by Middleton, most often sung

Another version of this beautiful carol
The Huron Carol ('Twas In The Moon of Winter Time)

'Twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled
That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim and wondering hunters heard the hymn,
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark the tender babe was found;
A ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round
But as the hunter braves drew nigh the angel song rang loud and high
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

The earliest moon of wintertime is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt with gifts of fox and beaver pelt.
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

O children of the forest free, O sons of Manitou
The holy Child of earth and heaven is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant boy who brings you beauty peace and joy.
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

Nursing Sister WW1 Photo Album: 32R Stretcher with company in front of tent

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One. 

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

It's not a Holiday Tree

I put up my Christmas Tree today! 

Merry Christmas everyone :-) 

You can see some of my surnames are

Peer, Vollick, King, McGinnis, Downey, Stead, Simpson, Burkholder, Fuller, Greenlees, Johnston, Shuart, Van Slyke, Ryckman, Bradt, Van Valkenburg, Damen, Caiser, Taine, Philpot, Norris, Higginson, Bell, Caspall, Holford, Smith, Dawson, Marical, Baker, Larroway, De Graw, Gingerich, Jamieson, Hubbard, Laming, Williams, Norman, Whibley, Page, Finn, Pott, Crunden, Sutton, Elvery, Anson, Blandell, Jackson, LeRoy, Winne, Hommell, Snider, Bellinger, Warner, Van Alstyne, Muller, Deroche, Wust, Kehl, Earl, Cole, Burd

The two surnames crossed out (Finn and Pott) were recently discovered to be the wrong line! That's another blog post though.  

Others not on the tree this year are Vrooman  Post  Shuart   Uziele and more

The World is Not Ending (More Information re Family Tree Maker Disappearing)

Unless you've been living under a rock you no doubt know that Family Tree Maker is being discontinued. The Ancestry announcement came out a few days ago and I wrote about it at FamilyTreeMaker Bombshell Rocks the GeneaSphere


Ancestry listened to the concerns of their customers and have issued an update which explains very clearly how long the sync feature will last (another year), how long the program itself will continue to function as a desktop genealogy program (forever unless you switch to a new computer or operating system that doesn't recognize it) and best of all that they are considering partnerships with other companies to allow the tree syncing feature to continue. 

Read the details here

 

All I Want For Christmas is 10K......

Followers at 10:50 a.m. ET December 10/15

All I want for Christmas is 10K. No I don't mean in dollars although that would be nice. I'm talking about Twitter followers. 

I am hoping to reach 10K Twitter followers by the end of 2015! I've been working on a goal to build my Social Media presence online with Twitter as my main focus. 

Since you don't get that magic "K" after your numbers until you reach 9,999 plus 1, that has been my goal - I want the big K! Then instead of seeing 9,757 as I do today, I will see 10K under the title "FOLLOWERS". Yep it doesn't take much to make me happy.

It's been really fun and informative learning how to do this while staying true to who I am, and what Olive Tree Genealogy is all about. 

A bit of shameless begging never hurts so if you or anyone you know thinks it might be cool to follow the Olive Tree Genealogy lady on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LorineMS please put the word out! I don't just tweet about genealogy. I also talk about Social Media, about cooking and antiques and... well, lots of other topics.  

Sometimes I even put up pictures of my dogs. Or something I cooked. Or one of my favorite antiques. 

So if you haven't joined me yet, why not do that today - come over to Twitter and join the fun!

FamilyTreeMaker Bombshell Rocks the GeneaSphere

Yesterday evening the Genealogy Community almost exploded with the sudden news that Ancestry FamilyTreeMaker (FTM) is being discontinued. Part of the blog post and email sent out by Ancestry stated

....we’ve taken a hard look at the declining desktop software market and the impact this has on being able to continue to provide product enhancements and support that our users need. With that, we’ve made the tough decision to stop selling Family Tree Maker as of December 31, 2015.

And it began - owners of FTM, furious at the news, began screaming on Social Media sites. One of the top complaints I spotted was "It's the busiest time of year! How can I get my media files and online tree saved to my computer before the end of December!!!"

Those FTM owners who continued reading the announcement would have seen this bit

"Ancestry will continue to support current owners of Family Tree Maker through January 1, 2017. During this time, all features of the software, including TreeSync™, will continue to work, and Member Services will be available to assist with user questions. We will also address major software bugs that may occur, as well as compatibility updates."

In other words, those affected by this decision have an entire year to do whatever they need to do.

I happen to be a long-time user of FTM (over 18 years! Check out my personal collection of FTM versions in the graphic above) but the sync feature is not that important to me. I like the Ancestry hints that pop up when I view the Pedigree of an individual but I can get the same results by searching on the Ancestry website. 

I hope folks understand that the software program itself will continue to work until you upgrade your operating system to something that doesn't recognize the program! So we all have time to find a new program and start learning how to use it.

There are many alternate software programs available for family trees. If you are a windows user you have Legacy Family Tree , RootsMagic (with a special $20.00 offer for FTM users) and many others. 

Mac users (like me) have fewer options. RootsMagic has a special time-limited offer on their software. If you are an FTM user wanting to switch you can get the full RootsMagic version for $20.00  

I decided to buy RootsMagic for Mac but I was confused by the page for the FTM users to switch. It seemed to only be for those wanting to buy RootsMagic for Windows. So I reached out to Bruce Buzbee, CEO of RootsMagic and here is his response

"The CD version includes the download also. It is shipped because it includes the printed book"

After learning that, I ordered the RootsMagic software this morning. I'm not going to set it up until after the New Year and then I'll get started. Who knows, maybe I will like it better than FTM! 

20 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Family History

Recently I spotted an article in a friend's Facebook feed. It was published in February of this year on the New York Public Library's website. It's called 20 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Family History and I encourage my readers to have a look at it.  

The reason I like best, and the same reason I have been saying for years now is this one: 

"You are an important person. You have things to pass on, to your children, to your local history society, to unknown future generations"

That reason was the basis of my weekly Meme called Sharing Memories which I started in 2009. 

 Over  100 Sharing Memories prompts have now been published in an ebook Writing Your Memoirs For Descendants: Prompts for Recording & Preserving Your Family Stories and Memories

PS You do not need a Kindle to read an ebook. Amazon has the free Kindle App. Download the app then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

 

Henry Poole & Co. Archives Fascinating Stories

The archives of Henry Poole & Co, 15 Savile Row, London,  tailors to the rich and famous since 1806, show some very interesting bills from well-known personalities.

Winston Churchill for example apparently left the company owing them  £197. According to the website

"His last order had been minor – repairing a Trinity House uniform, April 1937, five guineas; renovating a yachting cap, May 1937, seventeen shillings and sixpence, and preserving a minister’s uniform, five shillings. But his outstanding bill amounted to nearly £197, and a clerk in the company counting house wrote to him so frequently about the arrears that (like the Prince of Wales before him) he took umbrage and quit; but unlike the prince, he did not return’."

There are other fascinating personalities listed in their Ledger Account books including Charles Darwin

Here is a list of the clients you can read about on the Henry Poole website:
Individuals

•     Louisa, Duchess of Manchester
•     Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia
•     Sir Henry ‘Chips’ Channon
•     Jean Cocteau
•     Prince Felix Youssoupoff
•     Comte Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
•     6th Earl of Harewood
•     Edward Fox OBE
•     Grand Duke Frederick I of Baden
•     6th Earl of Chesterfield
•     HH Prince Aga Khan III
•     General de Gaulle
•     HIM Emperor Pedro II of Brazil
•     William Collins Whitney
•     HIH Prince Takamatsu of Japan
•     5th Earl of Lonsdale
•     HH Prince Francis, Duke of Teck
•     HH Prince Victor Duleep Singh
•     Prince Otto von Bismarck
•     Sir George Sitwell
•     HM Queen Marie of Romania
•     Bram Stoker
•     HIH Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
•     Cornelius Vanderbilt II
•     5th Marquess of Waterford
•     HM King Alfonso XIII of Spain
•     Sir Francis Knollys
•     Sir Ernest Cassel
•     HM King Ferdinand I of Romania
•     HH The Maharaja of Baroda
•     Calouste Gulbenkian
•     Sir Henry Irving
•     5th Marquess of Lansdowne
•     Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida of Japan
•     5th Earl Spencer
•     HRH Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
•     1st Earl of Dudley
•     HIH Emperor Akihito of Japan
•     HH The Raja of Kapurthala
•     J. P. Morgan
•     HIH Prince Louis Napoleon, Prince Imperial of the French
•     Prince George of Greece and Denmark
•     Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton
•     Sir Winston Churchill
•     Serge Diaghilev
•     The Duchess of Sutherland
•     The Maharaja of Cooch Behar
•     9th Duke of Marlborough
•     Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt
•     Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild
•     HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
•     HM Queen Maria Sophia of the Two Sicilies
•     9th Marquess of Queensberry
•     HIM Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia
•     Baron Meyer Amschel de Rothschild
•     HIH Prince Frederick Wilhelm of Prussia
•     Wilkie Collins
•     HM King Leopold II of the Belgians
•     Rt Hon Benjamin Disraeli
•     Madame Adelina Patti
•     3rd Viscount Astor
•     Colonel W. F. Cody
•     Sir Joseph Joel Duveen
•     HM King Christian IX of Denmark
•     General Right Hon Sir Dighton Probyn
•     12th Duke of Bedford
•     Maharaja Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur
•     HIM Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
•     7th Earl of Chesterfield
•     Robert Pinkerton
•     9th Duke of Manchester
•     Motilal Nehru
•     Miss Catherine Walters
•     The Hon Anthony Asquith
•     Jiro Shirasu
•     Madame Tussauds
•     HM Queen Alexandra
•     William Henry Vanderbilt III
•     HM King George I of the Hellenes
•     HIH Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico
•     HM King Edward VII
•     Adeline, Countess of Cardigan
•     Crown Prince Hirohito of Japan
•     5th Earl of Rosebery
•     William Randolph Hearst
•     Lillie Langtry
•     5th Earl of Carnarvon
•     HIM Emperor Napoleon III
•     Lord Arthur Somerset
•     Charles Dickens
•     1st Marquess of Anglesey

Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Savile_Row-_Tailoring_at_Henry_Poole_and_Co.,_London,_England,_UK,_1944_D21867.jpg

Nursing Sister WW1 Photo Album 57R: Sister Little

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One. 

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

One Genealogist-Historian Making a Difference

Sara Lauzon started researching inmates at the Cornwall House of Refuge when she was 16 years old. She discovered many were buried in unmarked graves and became determined to rectify that. 

At present she has researched 220 of the 906 inmates to try to find out where they are buried. She hopes to raise enough money to have a memorial erected with the names of those inmates whose burial locations she discovers.

At the same time she lobbied to have a photograph and plaque placed in the Cornwall Courthouse in honour of Judge O’Reilly, who died on the job in the courthouse in 1929  after serving for 29 years. When Sara started her lobby there was nothing to indicate he had ever worked there. It took 5 years but when she was 21 people started taking her more seriously and her voice was finally heard. There is now a photo of the judge on the Courthouse walls.

Read more and listen to Sara's podcast at Canada's History

If you think your ancestor may have been in a Poorhouse (House of Refuge, Almshouse, Workhouse) you can consult the following databases on Olive Tree Genealogy

* Almshouse children (orphans) sent to New Netherland (New York) from Amsterdam Holland on the ship De Waegh (The Weigh-House), August 1655

* New York Almshouse Records 1782-1813. Records contain name of ancestor, date admitted, age, where from or born, complaint [illness], discharged, died, remarks.

* New York Almshouse Records  1819-1840

* New York City Almshouse Records  1855-1858

* Society for Relief of Half-Orphans & Destitute Children 1900, Manhattan New York

* Milwaukee County Almshouse & Poor Farm Cemeteries Wisconsin List of Burials 1872-1892; 1914-1974

* Leeds Moral & Industrial Training School, Yorkshire, England 1881

* Child Apprentices (Orphans & Impoverished Children) in America from Christ's Hospital, London 1617-1778

* Register of patients transported to the State Insane Asylum, 1882-1917 Orleans Parish (Louisiana) Civil Sheriff

* Almshouse Cemetery Plot, Potter's Field in Yaphank, Suffolk County, New York 1871-1876

* Cemetery Records of the Suffolk County Almshouse, Yaphank, New York, 1871-1953

New War of 1812 Database Online

Boarding and taking the American Ship Chesapeake
by the Officers and Crew of H.M. Ship Shannon
commanded by Capt. Broke, June 1813

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has just put up another terrific database for the War of 1812

The War of 1812 took place from June 18, 1812 to February 16, 1815. During this conflict between the United States and Great Britain, many military events occurred on Canadian soil.

There are no service files for the Canadian militia; however, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds a unique and vast collection of records about the Canadian men and women who were involved in the War of 1812. Their names can be found on muster rolls, pay lists, claims, certificates of service, land grants, and medal registers. Many of these documents are only available in the original format and have not been microfilmed or digitized.

This database does not include the name of every person who served during the war, only those whose names appear in the records that have been indexed for this project from specific fonds. The list indicates the archival reference, volume number(s) and the microfilm reel number, if applicable.

Search the new database for your ancestors.

Image Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1937-31-1

The 12 Genealogy Days of Christmas

To my readers: I wrote this jingle in December 2013 to reflect my version of The 12 Days of Christmas for genealogists. I haven't shown it in a few years so here it is again!

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
6 new found cousins
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
7 marriage records
6 new found cousins
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
8 tombstone photos
7 marriage records
6 new found cousins
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
9 DNA test results
8 tombstone photos
7 marriage records
6 new found cousins
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
10 Eureka Moments
9 DNA test results
8 tombstone photos
7 marriage records
6 new found cousins
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
11 genealogy subscriptions
10 Eureka Moments
9 DNA test results
8 tombstone photos
7 marriage records
6 new found cousins
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
12 well-sourced family trees
11 genealogy subscriptions
10 Eureka Moments
9 DNA test results
8 tombstone photos
7 marriage records
6 new found cousins
5 brickwall solutions
4 family photos
3 Pedigree Charts
2 Source Citations
and a Family Bible for my McGinnis family

 Credits: Original lyrics by Lorine McGinnis Schulze 2013

"Merry Christmas10" by gubgib on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blog Post No. 3000 and Almost 13 Years of Blogging!

Yep that's right. Today's blog post on Olive Tree Genealogy blog is Number 3000. 

My first post on this blog was February 9, 2003 (almost 13 years ago!). It was called Alms House Admission Records, New York City, NY 1855-1858 

I didn't post daily when I first started my blog and I rarely added images. Times change though and now I write daily and almost always include an image or two. 

It wasn't until 2011 that I made the commitment to publish daily. I was 10 blog posts short of that goal in 2012 but have made or exceeded it since then. 

I like goals. Goals keep me motivated. Writing a blog is not easy. There are many days when I don't feel like writing or I can't think of much to say. But having a goal and making a commitment to that goal keep me on track. 
 

Some of my most read and most popular blog posts over the years have been 

The Problem of Family Not Wanting Your Genealogy Research with 5,868 reads

10 Steps to Searching the Irish Catholic Parish Records When You Only Know a County of Origin with 4,787 reads
 
Did Your Ancestor Disappear from the Records? with 3,409 reads
 
Personal Opinion About Copyright and Plagiarism Online with 2,707 reads

and  Where (and Why) Are Canadian Genealogists Hiding? with 2,642 reads

My Sharing Memories page tops them all with over 22K reads! That pleases me as I am a huge advocate of all genealogists keeping a journal and recording their memories to preserve for future generations.

So today's post is an opportunity to share with my wonderful readers what's been happening on Olive Tree Genealogy blog over the past 154 months.  Without you, my readers, this blog would not be in existence. Without you, my readers, I would not write every day because let's face it - I don't write for me. I write for you. 

Thank you everyone for the past years and here's hoping I can continue for another 13! 

Followup to Sending for Home Children Records from LAC

Last week I wrote about Finding an Ancestor's Full Record on the NEW Home Children Database

Finding and figuring out how to order the records is somewhat tricky and my blog post was an explanation of how I did it.  After ordering I sat back to wait.

Yesterday I received my copies of records from Middlemore Children's Emigration Homes from Library and Archives Canada. I was quite excited until I opened the envelope. Inside were several photocopies, each 8 1/2 x 14 inches in size. 

The problem was that the image of the actual record was 6 1/2 inches by 2 inches. It was completely unreadable. The red text over the image is my addition due to the restrictions placed on my obtaining these records.

So here is how I made the images readable.

1. First I cut the pages down to a manageable size.

2. I scanned each page

3. I opened each page in turn in Picasa and enlarged it

4. I altered filters and added more light so I could get rid of the darkness blocking the text.

This method worked extremely well and even though it was time consuming I ended up with images I could read.

Since these records are restricted due to privacy laws and LAC is not allowed to send them via pdf, only as photocopies, I cannot publish them here on my blog as legible images. 

But I wanted you to see the steps I took so I have placed white squares over most of the wording. 

So if you order these records be aware of how they will come to you. But don't despair as they can be altered so that you can read them. 

Please do respect the privacy restrictions of these records and don't publish them online after you alter them for your own use. 

1911 Birthday Postcard Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Recently I rescued 28 vintage orphaned postcards from antique shops. They range in date from 1900 to 1918. 27 are from United States and 1 is from Ontario Canada. 

I have scanned and added 6 of these postcards to Lost Faces and will be adding the rest of these wonderful cards over the next month. I hope descendants will see these postcards and recognize an ancestor. 

Miss Nellie London, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. from Clara Hauck. Stamped 17 January 1911

Wishing you a Happy Birthday and many more of them.

Olive Tree Genealogy research found the death record of Mrs. Nellie E Dunmire born 18 January 1893 married to Clair Dunmire. Her father was Nathan London, her mother Margaret Weaver. Nellie died 16 Dec 1944 in Punxsutawney, Jefferson Co. Pennsylvania