52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy : Week 1 Blogs

Blogging is a great way for genealogists to share information with family members, potential cousins and each other. For which blog are you most thankful? Is it one of the earliest blogs you read, or a current one? What is special about the blog and why should others read it?

What an interesting question?  There are so many different blogs that I enjoy reading.  I read most of my blogs on my ipad using my Flipboard app which is a wonderful way to read and enjoy different posts.  I'm not sure I can narrow it down to just one so....I am going to list a few of my favorites in no particular order.

Genealogy Tip of the Day
I am thankful for all of the little words of wisdom that Michael John Neill provides.  Each day there is something new to think about that can help guide your genealogy and family history research.  I can always take something away to help me be better.

Climbing My Family Tree
I am thankful for this blog because it is enjoyable to read and to get ideas.  The photos are beautiful and her design in creative.  I get ideas and use this as a tool for linking to other great blogs.

The We Tree Genealogy Blog
I love Amy Coffin's blog.  I get a lot of great ideas and advice.  I recently purchased her e-book entitled The Big Genealogy Blog Book which I have incorporated into my 2012 genealogy goals.  I hope her tips will help me improve my blog.  It was one of the first blogs that I read and still enjoy.

Geneabloggers
This is my go to website to find new blogs, blogging ideas and general information about genealogy and family  history blogs.  If it wasn't for this site my blog probably wouldn't exists. 

Genea-Musings
I am thankful for this blog especially for its Saturday Night Genealogy Fun events.  Every Saturday a new challenge is posted related to an activity related to genealogy and family history.  These tasks have helped me to work on my own family research.  One of my favorite posts that pushed my research was The Ancestor's Geneameme.

A Year in Review With a Plan For 2012

So... At the beginning of 2011, I said that my goals included writing a book to which my family told me "you're crazy" and to blog on a more regular basis.
Well, as of yesterday, I did publish a book.  It was not what I had in mind when I made the goal, but none the less I used Blurb to publish my family genealogy posts from 2011, so it technically means I reached my goal. 

In terms of blogging on a more regular basis I feel I did okay.  Life happens and gets in the way but I was able to post 20 times, this will be 21.  That means I averaged about 1.75 posts per month.  Blogging helped with my research but I feel I still have a long way to go with both.

My goals for 2012:

Research Goal:

• Explore and source the DRAKE line of my family tree.

Education Goal:

• Investigate and possibly begin the NGS Home Study Course.

Writing Goal:

• Write research reports on the HASKINS family line.
• Finish reading You Can Write Your Family History by Sharon DeBarolo Carmack and actually begin writing my family history.

Blogging Goal:

• Double my number of posts, so that means I need to post at least 42 times.
• Increase my number of followers by 25% ( I have 24, so that means I need to have 30 by the end of 2012)
• Read and apply some of the tips from The Big Genealogy Blog Book by Amy Coffin.

November A Month to be Thankful

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott

Which ancestor are you the most thankful for? Why?

Well that is a very waited and difficult question! Before I can answer this I wonder, what is the "technical" definition of an ancestor?

Ancestor:  A person from whom one is descended, especially if more remote than a grandparent; a forebear. (As defined in the American Heritage Dictionary)

Based on this I guess I would say that I'm most thankful for my great grandfather; Fred Haskins.  Why?  Well I could say many different people but I am thinking of this in the context of my genealogy research.  For whatever reason, Fred didn't tell us much about our family, especially the Haskins side.   This has made my genealogy detective work challenging, fun and exhilerating. 

Because of Fred...

1. I have better genealogy skills.
2. I have spent eight years looking for his father and finally found him.  What a rush that was!
3. I have quested to learn all I can about his ancestors.  I have tracked the family line in the US back to 1630 and learned that my ancestors were founding fathers of Windsor, CT
4. I have learned how to request military records; I was able to get Semour Haskins, my 4th great grandfather's records from the War of 1812.
5. I have learned a great deal about Dutchess county, NY especially the town of Amenia.  I have been there three times and LOVE to eat at Three Brother's Pizza.
6. I have learned how to track down and request primary documents to use as sources. One being his birth certificate which revealed he spent most of his life saying he was a different age than he actually was.
7. I have learned how to use city directories as a great resource for learning about your family tree.  Fred was born in Rochester, NY @ 118 Thompson, Ward 9.
8. I ended up taking a wonderful family vaction to the Conneticut shore.  I would never have gone there if I wasn't looking for his father's (George Henry Haskins) grave.
9. I have become the family genealogy expert, which has included being passed down all of the old family photos.  What an honor -  Thanks Aunt Es.
10. I have met many very helpful kind people in the world of genealogy whom I wouldn't know as much about my family without them.

This is a picture of Fred, myself, my brother and a cousin at a backyard picnic.

Wordless Wednesday - Charles W. Drake

Tombstone Tuesday - Charles W. Drake

This week my blog is being themed around Charles W. Drake.  He is my 3rd great grandfather.

This is his tombstone.

 He is buried in the Marion Cemetery on the Drake plot.

Sunday's Obituary - Charles W. Drake

Today I have decided to post the obituary for my 3rd Great Grandfather, Charles W. Drake.

I selected him because he passed away November 11, 1922, which is 89 years ago this week.

It is hard to read the newspaper clipping that is attached so I have transcribed it below:

Charles W. Drake, passed away at his home on Palmyra street, Saturday, November 11, 1922 at three o'clock in the afternoon, in his eighty-fifth year.

Mr. Drake had been ill a long time and confined to his house for a number of months, being a great sufferer.  A nurse has been in the home for months.  Mrs. Drake also being in very feeble condition.

Mr. Drake was born on March 25, 1838, in Amenia, Dutchess county, N.Y. when he passed the first thirty-five years of his life, moving thence to Wayne county.

He came to Marion from Sodus about twenty years ago, and with his wife had lived here since that time.  He leaves his wife, Mrs. Annagusta Drake; one son, Joseph Drake, of Newark, N.Y. and six daughters, Mrs William Carroll, of Williamson; Mrs. Sarah Haskins of Marion; Mrs Charles Boyle, Oswego, Illinois; Miss Janet Drake of Buffalo; Mrs. Clara White of Buffalo, Mrs. Agnes Hasselwander of Rochester.  There are eight grandchildren, of whom two are Darwin and Fred Haskins, of this town and four great grandchildren.

The funeral was held from the house Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock, Rev L. W. Bumpass, pastor of the Baptist Church, Officiating.  Burial was in the family lot in Marion Cemetery.

The Ancestors' Geneameme

This is an activity that I decided to participate in for some genealogy fun plus it helps with my research.  I was suppose to post a few weeks ago but life happens!

The rules of this activity are as follows:

• Read over the following list.
• Things you have already done or found: make them bold face type
• Things you would like to do or find: make them italicized (color optional)
• Things you haven't done or found and/or don't care to find: leave them in plain type
• You are encourage to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of the following apply to you?

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents

• George Henry Haskins
• Sarah L. Drake
• Jacob VanLare
• Nellie Bushart
• Thomas King Robertson
• Teresa Mary Wagner
• Henry Ostreich
• Wilhemlmina Ruth Leisten
• Abraham Dierx
• Jozina Johanna Bulting
• Pieter Vergouwe
• Catharina Van Bortel
• Adriaan DeVisser
• Levina Marie Misjelje
• Johannes Wisse
• Maria Susanna Vannxen

Can name over 50 direct ancestors (easily!)

Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents

This is Pieter Derks and Sarah Vergouwe, the parents of my grandfather Arthur Derks.

This is Issac DeFisher and Sarah Wisse, the parents of my grandmother Elsie DeFisher Derks.

This is Fred Haskins and Kate VanLare, the parents of my grandfather Vincent Haskins. 

This is Thomas Robertson and Ruth Ostreich, the parents of my grandmother Ruth Robertson Haskins

Have an ancestor who was married more than three times
Have an ancestor who was a bigamist
Met all four of my grandparents
Met one or more of my great-grandparents

• Fred Haskins
• Kate VanLare Haskins
• Ruth Ostreich Robertson

Named a child after an ancestor (One son's middle name is Marcus somewhat after my dad and our other son's middle name is Vincent after my grandfather.)

Bear an ancestor's given name/s
Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland (A few places include Dorset England, Roxburghshire and Glasgow Scotland)
Have an ancestor from Asia
Have an ancestor from Continental Europe (Many from the Netherlands)
Have an ancestor from Africa
Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer (just a few....)
Have an ancestor who had large land holdings (not sure what large would include, but there were many farmers that had large amounts of land)

Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi
Have an ancestor who was a midwife
Have an ancestor who was an author
Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones
Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X

Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z (the wife of one of my grand uncle's first name was Zoa)

Have an ancestor born on 25th December (to the best of my ability I don't think so, but I'd like a better way to look through my data base)

Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day (see above)

Have blue blood in your family lines
Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth

Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century (most can be traced back that far)

Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier (can go back to 1630 in the United States with the Haskins/Hoskins line)

Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents

Here is a sample of my great grandfather Fred's signature. 

 

Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X
Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence
Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime

Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine (See my blog .  I translated a newpaper article about my great grandfather's sister, Julia she died as a young child. )

Have published a family history online or in print (one of my goals is to write and publish a portion of my family history)
Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries (I have been to town's where they lived but haven't been in an actual house)

Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family

Have a family bible from the 19th Century (I wish) 
Have a pre-19th century family bible