A Step by Step Genealogy Tutorial on How to Analyse Clues

Sherri sent a query to Ask Olive Tree about her grandfather's death:

I have been looking for information for about 5 years about my grandfather who is named Burrell Charles Ball first married to Doreen Roxie Morcombe (from Omemee) and then afterward I think Estelle Ball was his wife.  Burrell’s brother I know was from Emily Twp, Albert and he died a few years back and Burrell died around 1993 but I do not know when, where, how etc. 

Also Russell Charles Ball was their father and I believe he lived in Lakefield but there is little information about any of them.  I know there was a fire in Russell’s Lakefield home where he had Burrell, Albert and Barbara E. Ball (I think).  He was married to Julia Secreta Wood that I believe died when she was young.   Where can I go to find out more information?

Olive Tree Genealogy Answer:

Hello Sherri. Since you did not provide an estimated year of birth for Burell, I had to hunt on the 'net to find some mention of him.  Luckily I happened on one of your message board posts where you stated he was born circa 1920 and, best of all, that he was in WW2.

His military service is a great clue and means there are a number of steps you can now take:

Step One:
Did you know that you can send for his military file from Library and Archives Canada? This will give you lots of detail about your grandfather, and may include his death date and location.


Continue reading the steps in this tutorial at Analysing Clues to Help You Figure Out Where to Search Next

Another Rescued Victorian Photo Album

Cover of Album

Recently a gentleman from Kent England wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy about a Victorian Photo Album he found and wanted to make available to others.

After a few emails he decided to send the album to me, free of charge, so I could scan and put the photos online on Lost Faces. I offered to pay for shipping from England to Canada but he refused! Such generousity is very much appreciated and I hope to the album justice on my blog and website.

The album arrived yesterday and I'm very excited to begin archiving and researching it! It's an unusual photo album from Victorian times full of beautiful coloured military prints with an opening on each for one photo the size of a Cabinet Card.
 
The album cover displays the words The Army and Navy Album. It was made in Germany with illustrations by R. Caton Woodville

My first step when I receive these rescued photo albums is to take photographs of each page. That is what I did this morning so I'm going to share the first inside page here today.

This is the first inside page. It consists of a military scene by R. Caton Woodville and a small photograph.  The title of the illustration is Royal Horse Artillery

This page is in rough shape due to being exposed to the elements. The Englishman who sent it to me found it in an old garden shed and thinks his mother may have rescued it from (as he called it) "a rubbish tip" aka a garbage dump in the 1970s.

The facing photo is a carte de visite of a man. There is no identifying information on the front or verso of the photograph.

The back of this page contains another photo of a woman. It too is a carte de visite with the photographer's name J. G. Charlton and address 14 Mercery Lane, Canterbury on the front.

The verso of the carte de visite reads "J. G. Charlton (Late J. Bateman), Cathedral Studios, 14 Mercery Lane, Canterbury. Portraits enlaged & finished in Oil, Water Colour etc."

Tucked into the album is a hand-written note from the man who found it.

 Neither photo is identified as to the subject. I'm hoping that other photographs will have a name attached!

To view all pages of this beautiful album as they are put online, please click on R. Caton Woodville



For photos of an empty R. Caton Woodville album see Victorian Albums

Flip-Pal Mobile Christmas Specials until December 9, 2012:

Christmas Specials until December 9, 2012: Free Shipping on all orders of $150 or more in the USA and Canada! (Applies to standard ground shipping only.)

The following specials are valid from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on their respective sale dates.

December 3: Save $30 on the Genealogy Bundle!
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Using Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner with 89 year old Auntie

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Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner & WW1 Photo Albums

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Christmas Gift Ideas: Outsmart Game For the Family

Recently Olive Tree Genealogy was given a free game called OUTSMART to review.

My husband and I tried it out first and it was a lot of fun. Then we had friends over and the four of us played for several hours! Marketed as a children's game, it definitely appeals to adults too.

Basically you have cards (there are hundreds of them in the game) with questions. We had such questions as "Who are the main characters in Peter Pan?" and "Name the  characters, other than the four main ones, on Seinfield" and "What were the largest grossing movies in 2010" and "What actors have played Batman?" The questions are on varied topics - there were several sports questions and other topics besides sports, movies and t.v. shows.

One question that had us all chuckling was "What are the top 10 New Year's Resolutions" Oh, and a rather easy-sounding one that turned out to be a challenge, was "What are the most-ordered dishes in a Chinese Food Restaurant"

Each question card notes how many correct answers there are.  One player each turn is the reader and that player takes a question card and inserts it into a sleeve. The sleeve reveals only the top half of the card so that only the question is displayed.

A roll of the dice indicates the maxium number of points (correct answers) each player can score.

An hourglass shaped timer starts the round and each player writes down as many answers as they can think of. When time is up, the first player reads one of his/her answers. Anyone else having that same answer crosses it off and cannot score for it if it is one of the correct answers.

Players continue in turn with their answers. Only the first player to say an answer scores IF that answer is correct.

When all players are done giving their responses to the question, the player who read the question takes it out of its sleeve and reads off the correct answers at the bottom of the card.

We surprised ourselves by doing a lot of laughing and slapping of foreheads as correct answers were read. Our ages ranged from 40 to 68 and we loved it!

I am excited to have our grandchildren play this game with us. It's going to be a lot of fun and a good bonding time. So even though this game isn't genealogy-themed I think it's a great one to give as a Christmas gift to your grandchildren or children. We are going to keep ours here for the grandkids to play with us when they visit.






Remember - any bonding fun family time with your children or grandchildren is an opportunity that we genealogists shouldn't ignore. A night of fun playing a game can lead to talk about ancestors or family or family treasures, and that's always a good thing too.

Manufacturer suggests that OutSmart is for ages 8 and up. You can find the game  at  www.outsmartgame.ca   The OutSmart game is  available at Toys R Us in Canada Ltd. and  other distributors for only $19.99 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this game in exchange for trying it out and writing a review. I was not told what to say and was not paid any money. My opinion is entirely my own.     

 

Original Historic Newspapers Make Great Gifts!

Recently I was sent two original newspapers from Historic Newspapers UK. This company sells genuine original newspapers dating back as far as the 1800’s. 

These are sourced from the world’s largest private archive of over 7 million editions from all over the world. To date UK titles have been catalogued as far back as 1900 by date and title, there are also lots of US and regional issues, as well as many from the Victorian era.  

I admit that when the company first approached me and offered to send me two (free) original newspapers, I was a bit skeptical. First, why would I want them? And were they actually originals or were they copies? 

Nevertheless I agreed and chose two specific dates and newspapers:

15 May 1912 (my father's birthday) from The Times or Daily Mirror

29 May 1913 (grandparents set sail for Canada from UK) from The Times or Daily Mirror 

The company informed me that there were very few original issues for 15 May 1912 due to it following the Titantic disaster. They offered another date or a quality reproduction of that May 15th issue. I opted for the reproduction since I wanted it to be the paper from the day my father was born.

When the box arrived at my door I was pleasantly surprised! The presentation box is lovely -  a nice blue box with "A Day to Remember" printed on the lid.

 Inside were the newspapers, carefully wrapped in tissue. Each newspaper came with a seal of authenticity including the information I submitted online to be printed on the seal. The certificate for my reproduction paper stated very clearly that it was not an original. 

Quality Reproduction Newpaper 1912

 This is the front page of the 1912 newspaper which the company reproduced for me. I'm quite happy with the quality.

 I love being able to see the headlines on the day my father was born!

Original Newspaper 1913

 This is the front page of the original newspaper I ordered for 1913 - the day my grandparents left England for Canada.

It is really interesting reading through it, and quite obviously an original. It has yellowed slightly and even has a slight "old" smell! I am quite impressed with these newspapers and think they would make wonderful gifts.

I'm planning to give mine to my sons at some point. I think they will really enjoy them.

Disclaimer: Historic Newspapers offered me two free original newspapers in exchange for a link to their site. I was not paid for this review nor was I told what to say. The opinions are entirely my own. 

ANCESTRY.COM LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE NEWSPAPERS.COM

Online Newspaper Web Site Offers a High-Quality Collection of Digitized and Completely Searchable U.S. Newspapers Dating Back Centuries 

(PROVO, Utah) – November 29, 2012 – Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOM), the world’s largest online family history resource, today announced the launch of Newspapers.com, a powerful and affordable new web site designed to offer a historically rich collection of more than 800 U.S. newspapers dating from the late 1700s into the early 2000s.  

Comprising more than 25 million pages, Newspapers.com offers a trove of historical and present-day newspapers ranging from the New York Times to treasured small town and local newspapers throughout the United States. 

Interested users will find centuries of amazing news articles and photos now captured online when browsing hundreds of years of breaking news headlines, searching for information about an ancestor or reading how the media addressed moments in history like the day Charles A. Lindbergh flew over the Atlantic, the opening of Disneyland or news from the fronts during World War I and World War II.

“We’re extremely excited about the launch of Newspapers.com because it offers historical value for people of all ages and areas of interest,” said Brian Hansen, General Manager of Newspapers.com. “Searching newspapers is like searching the Facebook footprint of the past. Not only can you find information on births, marriages and deaths, but you can also get a glimpse into what life was like during a specific era. We hope our users have fun making their own discoveries in this great newspaper collection that will continue to grow over time.”

The search capabilities on Newspapers.com are specifically designed for newspapers enabling users to easily search by keywords, location, time period and newspaper name. From the 1784 Newport Mercury newspaper to a 2009 edition of The Gettysburg Times, users may find old advertisements or job listings, laugh at comics, retrieve family history clues or learn about famous events through the eyes and words of the time period.

The user experience is also enhanced by an image viewer that serves up crisp, high-quality images of the newspapers. Once discovered, newspaper images can easily be clipped, saved and shared via social outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.  

Within this growing newspaper collection are a myriad photos and stories that provide unique perspective on history. Examples include:

·        Abraham Lincoln – Abraham Lincoln’s death is noted as “Our Great Loss” in the April 16, 1865 edition of the New York Times

·        Interesting People – The first baby picture of John Jacob Astor VI, whose father perished on the Titanic, is posted among other photos including one of Andrew Carnegie in the 1914 New York Times section labeled “Interesting People Seen Through the Camera’s Eye”

·        Price Changes – See how costs have changed over time, for example the New York Times cost one cent back in 1852, a paper that today costs $2.50 for its weekday edition

·        Marilyn Monroe – A Parade article featuring an exclusive interview with Marilyn Monroe in 1952 talked about how the famous actress saw herself

·        Man on the Moon – In 1969, the first U.S. astronaut on the moon as highlighted in the Iowa Estherville Daily News

·        St. Valentine’s Day Massacre – The day after the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago, articles all across America followed the story including The Daily Independent

Newspapers.com provides an affordable glimpse into the past with a yearly subscription rate of $79.95 for subscribers and $39.95 for Ancestry.com or Fold3 members. Newspapers.com also offers a 7-day free trial 

 

BIg News Coming at 4 pm Today!

Hi everyone! Something very exciting is happening in the genealogy world but I can't tell you about it yet.

Stay tuned for the exciting genealogy announcement coming today at 4 pm EST. It's s biggie and you can read about it here on Olive Tree Genealogy blog at 4 pm today EST.

Genealogy Treasure No. 15: Tax Deed 1938 Hart

This is the 15th and last set of documents in the batch I purchased at an antique store in Kingston Ontario July 27, 2012. For details, see Found! Treasure Trove of Land Documents from Ontario Canada

This last document in the collection is a Tax Deed dated 29 November 1938.

It states that Charles W. Walker, village of Newburgh, Warden, and Thomas J. Cook of Napanee, Treasurer, grant to Frederick Hart 100 acres in the Township of Denbigh, Counties of Lennox and Addington.

It is specified as Lot 2 West Range Denbigh.

More documents will follow as I scan them and extract their details. To view all documents as they are published on Olive Tree Genealogy blog, click on Lennox-Addington Collection in the tags at the end of this post.

 If you are a descendant and would like to see these records, they are now with Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives,
97 Thomas Street East,
Napanee, Ontario
K7R 4B9

Success! WW 1 Watch Stolen from Family 30 Years Ago Returned!

Great news - another happy ending to a search for a WW1 soldier's descendants.

The original story of a watch found by a young boy over 30 years ago is here  Chad found this watch in Michigan and wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy to ask for help finding the soldier R H Smedley's descendants so he could return the watch to the family.

With the wonderful sleuthing skills of several of my readers, the Smedley family was found. R. H. and his son are deceased but his daughter-in-law Ann and two grandsons, Ron and Jim were found.

We made contact with the family and Chad arranged to meet them personally to return the watch. The family very kindly agreed to take photographs for me to share with my readers.

The photo on the right shows Ann holding the watch which was stolen so many years ago and then found by Chad.  Her son Ron (R. H. Smedley's grandson) is in the photo along with Chad who found the watch.

Here is Chad's email about the reunion of the Smedley watch with Ronald Smedley's daughter-in-law and grandsons.

...... We met today and I passed the watch back to Ann after it had been stolen from their home some 30 yrs old. It winds up that I went to the same high school as her sons so we lived about 1.5 miles apart. Ann was gracious enough to share with me some information about RH Smedleys service, showed me a couple of pictures and showed me some of his service medals. We had a very good visit and I am just very glad that it is back with Ann and her family. Thank you very very much for your help on this and also please thank the other kind ladies that also helped. This reunion would not have been possible without everyone's hard work. Thank you again.

 This photo shows Ann and her son Jim (R. H. Smedley's grandson) with Chad and the WW1 watch.

Cyber Monday Sale Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner TODAY!

The Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Cyber Monday Sale !

 Cyber Monday Sale  starts Monday, November 26, 2012.  Free Shipping on all orders of $100 or more in the USA and Canada!  (Applies to standard ground shipping only.)

IMPORTANT: Use this link to Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner and look for the  Cyber Monday buttons on the bottom left of the page

Save $15 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner!
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Save $25 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Rechargeable Bundle!
This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (No promotion code needed.)
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Save $50 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD Rechargeable Bundle!
This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (No promotion code needed.)
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Cyber Monday Sales on Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner

The Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Cyber Monday Sale Preview!

This is a preview of the upcoming Cyber Monday Sale that starts Monday, November 26, 2012. The deals shown below will not be available until then! Free Shipping on all orders of $100 or more in the USA and Canada!  (Applies to standard ground shipping only.)

IMPORTANT: Use this link to Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner and look for the  Cyber Monday buttons on the bottom left of the page

Save $15 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner!
You will need to place the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner in your shopping cart and then use the promotion code Cyber12 in order to receive the $15 off discount.
(Regular Price: $149.99, Sale Price: $134.99)

Save $20 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner “Pink” Bundle—helping the National Breast Cancer Foundation!
This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Pink Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and a special “Pink” Lid Cover. (No promotion code needed.)
(Regular Price: $176.96, Sale Price: $156.96)

Save $25 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Rechargeable Bundle!
This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (No promotion code needed.)
(Regular Price: $209.97, Sale Price: $184.97)

Save $50 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD Rechargeable Bundle!
This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (No promotion code needed.)
(Regular Price: $259.97, Sale Price: $209.97)

Save $55 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner with Digital Creativity Suite 3.0 DVD Rechargeable Bundle!
This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner with Digital Creativity Suite 3.0 DVD, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (No promotion code needed.)
(Regular Price: $269.97, Sale Price: $214.97)

Black Friday Sales on Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner

The Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Black Friday Sale!

Black Friday Sale  Friday, November 23, 2012. Free Shipping on all orders of $100 or more in the USA and Canada! (Applies to standard ground shipping only.)

IMPORTANT: Use this link to Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner and look for the Black Friday buttons on the bottom left of the page on Friday Nov. 23rd. 

Save $20 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner + Deluxe Carry Case Bundle!
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Genealogists and Family Historians—here’s a bundle just for you! This bundle includes the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Sketch Kit, and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (Regular Price: $223.96, Sale Price: $193.96)

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GIve the Gift of RootsTech 2013

Need the perfect gift for someone who has everything? Or have a "hard to shop for" person on your list? Give a gift they'll always treasure-an opportunity to connect with their family!
 

RootsTech, a Family History and Technology Conference hosted by FamilySearch, provides a unique opportunity for anyone to find, organize, preserve, and share their family's connections and history. And with passes starting at only $19, it's a great gift to give everyone on your list!

 

With world-class content from speakers all over the country, a large and exciting exhibitor hall, and great keynote speakers, RootsTech is for young and old alike, regardless of expertise.

New in 2013! A full track of over 30 Getting Started classes and labs will help those new to family history learn things like where to start, how to build your family tree, and how to use technology to explore your connections. Learn More

 
Registration Options

Full 3-Day Pass Access to over 250 classes and everything RootsTech has to offer.	$219 $149 (Early bird discount)
Full One-Day Only Pass Full admission for just one day.	$89
Student 3-Day Pass Student ID required.	$39
NEW! Getting Started 3-Day Pass Beginner track with access to over 30 classes.	$49 $39 (Early bird discount)
Getting Started One-Day Only Pass A selection of fundamental classes to help you get started.	$19
Developer Day Pass (March 22) A full day technology program just for developers.	$89

Register today!

Black Friday Sales on Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner

The Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Black Friday Sale Preview!

This is a preview of the upcoming Black Friday Sale that starts Friday, November 23, 2012. The deals shown below will not be available until then! Free Shipping on all orders of $100 or more in the USA and Canada! (Applies to standard ground shipping only.)

IMPORTANT: Use this link to Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner and look for the Black Friday buttons on the bottom left of the page on Friday Nov. 23rd. 

Save $20 on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner + Deluxe Carry Case Bundle!
(Regular Price: $179.98, Sale Price: $159.98)

Save $30 on the new Genealogy Bundle! 

Genealogists and Family Historians—here’s a bundle just for you! This bundle includes the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Sketch Kit, and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (Regular Price: $223.96, Sale Price: $193.96)

Save $50 on the Really Big Bundle!
Do you want it all? This bundle includes the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Sketch Kit, a Picture Keeper PK 8, an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Cleaning Cloth and a Flip-Pal Window Protector Sheets 3-pack. (Regular Price: $288.93, Sale Price: $238.93)

Hooper-Squires Photo Archives Treasure No. 4

This is the 4th photo in our collection of rescued photographs of the Hooper and Squires families of St. Mary's Ontario Canada. To view all the photos in this collection as they are published here on Olive Tree Genealogy blog, click on Hooper-Squires Photo Archives link.

 This Cabinet Card photo is faded but still adorable. Eight young children in their Sunday best in St. Mary's Perth County Ontario.

The photography studio, J. Leary and Co., was in operation in St. Marys between 1891 and 1896. This helps date this photograph and aids in identifying the family.

I believe these are the following children of George Squires and Louisa Augusta Gunning:

Ettie born 1879
Bertha Louise born 1879
Ida Maud born 1882
Harry Russell born 1884
Lottie May born 1887
Francis Chester born 1889
Verda Pearl born 1891
Edgar Victor born 1892

If I am correct this photo was taken circa 1892-1893.

Using the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Sketch Kit - It's a Winner

Recently I used the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Sketch Kit from Flip-Pal for the first time. I loved it! I've wanted this for some time now and am really happy I finally got it. If you're scratching your head and wondering what the heck Sketch Kit is, here's the deal...

Sketch Kit is a piece of plastic that fits on your Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner bed and allows you to notate photos and documents you are scanning. The Kit consists of the plastic insert and three dry erase markers.

All you do is peel off the paper from both sides of the plastic sheet. That's the hardest part of using Sketch Kit! Once you have it peeled off, you are set to scan.

I took a photo of my grandparents, my mother and aunt taken circa 1920. First I scanned the photo. I should also mention that I did all this from my lap while sitting on my couch!

Ignore the printed material you can see through the glass of the Flip-Pal mobile scanner - that's just a thin book I used to stabilize the scanner while I was using it.

Next I verified with my aunt that I knew who each child was, and I wrote the information on the plastic sheet with the dry erase marker.

Next step was to place the photo on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner bed again, and then put the plastic notated sheet on top (with the writing facing down the same way as the photo).

After scanning the photo with the notated plastic sheet, I then had two scans - the photo with no information and the photo with the names and date. What a great thing to have handy when I'm out at a museum or archive or library and I want to notate a document with the source.

This photo shows the final scan. See the bit of the plastic sheet sticking out from the scanner bed? And the final two scans are shown below.

The one on the left is not annotated, the one on the right has been annotated using the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Sketch Kit from Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner 

Update on Case #14 WW1 Soldier's Watch - Descendants Found!

Another happy ending! I am very pleased to let readers know that we have found the daughter-in-law and two grandsons of Ronald H. Smedley.

Ronald's watch which was given to him by the citizens of his home town for his service in WW1 was found by Chad. Chad contacted Olive Tree Genealogy for help finding Ronald's descendants so he could return the watch. The original post for Case #14 "WW1 Soldier's Pocket Watch Found in Michigan!" is here.

Ronald's grandsons and their mom have all posted comments on the original post with the story of the watch (see below).

It's great to hear from Ronald Smedley's family (Ann, Ronald and James) but please contact me directly. I will put you in touch with Chad, the finder of the watch.

           olivetreegenealogy AT gmail DOT com

Replace AT and DOT with the appropriate symbols.

Here's what Ronald's family had to say:

james h smedley said...

hi the watch in the photo looks like the one stolden from my parents house 30 some your ago . his name was ronald herbert smedley , my name is james herbert and my brother name is ronald j . my father was herbert james , my mother sent the link to the sight ( ann smedley )she contacted someone at the sight . she has all the imformation on him, if that is the watch that was taken , we thought we'd never see it again . it would really nice to know who found it and held on to it so long and was nice enough to turn it in to you
thanks
james h smedley

Ann Smedley said...

Ronald Herbert Smedley was my father in law,his son my husband Herbert Jamed Smedley passed away 3 yrs ago.This wathch was taken from our house in Troy 30 yrs ago.We have to sons James Herbert and Ronald both with here Grandfathers names.Would to have this watch back for our sons.Would like to thank Chad for keeping it safe for all these yrs.Would like to know how to get the watch back.Thanks so much never thought I would see the watch again.Ann Smedley

Ronald J Smedley said...

Hello both my brother (Jim H Smedley) and my mom( Ann Smedley) have already left a comment so basically I wanted to reconfirm what they both said. This watch was taken from our home while we were on vacation and thought that it was lost forever. i fondly remember looking at it in its case when i was young. unfortunately my grandfather passed away before i was born so i have no personal memories of him other than pictures and few items my parents had of his( the watch being one of them). it is amazing that after all these years it has resurfaced! i just wish that my father was still with us to enjoy the discovery of his father's long lost watch. i want to put out a huge thank you to the person that found it and wanted to find the proper owner and would love to meet them to give them a personal thanks.
Ron Smedley

 

MyHeritage Subscription to Give Away

Yesterday I received an email from my friend Mark at MyHeritage.com. Here's part of his email:

Hi Lorine

Happy Birthday!

For your Birthday I'm giving you a free MyHeritage yearlong subscription to give away however or whenever you like.

Mark added that he couldn't give a subscription to me because I already have one! So he thought it would be fun for me to give one away.

So that's what I'm doing. My husband wanted me to reveal my age (xx) and tell everyone that the xx person to email me would get the subscription. Well that's not happening! I'm not about to announce my age in public. So, next best thing...

Since my website Olive Tree Genealogy is 17 years old this winter (gulp!!) and my Olive Tree Genealogy blog is 10 years old this coming February, I'm adding their years together. That means that....

The 27th person to email me at otg.giveaway@gmail.com gets the membership! 

Please put MYHERITAGE SUBSCRIPTION in the subject of your email 

****** UPDATE******

We have a winner! Judy Burdick was the 27th person to email me at otg.giveaway@gmail.com 

Congrats Judy and thank you to Mark and MyHeritage!

***************************

I'll announce the winner here as soon as I hear from the 27th person. Don't forget to give me your full name and email in your note. No need to tell me why you want the membership, just email me.

Create a Genealogy Cover for your iPhone or iPad

Did you know that you can create your own covers for your iPhone or iPad? I've been working on a genealogy design that features either a family tree (my own of course!) or a collage of ancestor photos so that I can give my kids a custom cover for Christmas.

At Zazzle you can create a custom cover or buy one of their ready-made designs. Here's a few examples:

Rainbow melted crayon art iPhone 5 case
Browse another artsy iphone case at Zazzle

Create your own photo template iphone 4 case
See other iphone 4 s cases

Color Picture iPad Book Case iPad Cases
Check out another covers for iphone 5

Disclosure: I was given a gift certificate to Zazzle.com for my time and participation