52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks -- Well, Maybe 12 Ancestors in 2020

Last year I attempted to complete the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge and failed miserably.   I love the concept of the challenge but one ancestor per week is just too much so this year I'm modifying and adjusting to fit better into my life situation.   I am going to focus on one ancestor per month using one of the 52 Week prompts for that month.  Hopefully, I will find more success.

The first prompt of the year was a Fresh Start.   A fresh start is what I need to take with my four times great grandmother - Mary Ann Graham.   She is a brick wall and I don't know how to break it down.   This past week I watched a Legacy Family Tree Webinar entitled "Creative Hypothesis Development of Complex Geneology Problems" presented by Jan M. Joyce CG, CGL.   I was hoping to get some ideas to work through my brick wall.  One of the ideas that Jan presented was the idea of Simplification and Sharing.   First, you identify the challenge you are trying to overcome.  Then, you list the critical facts that you have pertaining to the challenge.  Finally, you brainstorm a series of hypotheses and share them for feedback.

So here it goes -

Who are Mary Ann Graham’s parents?

Facts related to Mary Ann Graham

• She was born in 1815 based on her obituary appearing in the New York Herald on June 2, 1861.  It read - “West: On Saturday morning, June 1 Mary, the beloved wife of Edward West, aged 46 years and 9 months, The friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral without further invitation, from her late residence, No 37 First Avenue, this (Sunday) afternoon at 2 o’clock.  Her remains will be taken to Greenwood for interment.”
• She died on June 1, 1861
• There is no record of internment in the Greenwood Cemetery under the name of Mary West.
• Census records state she was born in New York
• It is assumed she married Edward West sometime between his arrival to the US, from England, in 1839 and the birth of their first child, Joseph, in June of 1841
• Edward was a butcher that worked in the Fulton Market.  He came from a long line of butchers that remained in England
• Edward and Mary had six children
• Joseph - born June 20, 1841   ---- presumed to be named after Edward’s father Joseph West
• Anna Augusta - born Sept 25, 1843 -- presumed to be named after Edward’s mother - Annaugusta Druitt
• Edward - born 1845 - presumed to be named after his father, Edward West
• Margaret - born  Nov 26, 1847 - no record of this being a family name on the West side of the family
• George - born June 18, 1849 - Edward had a brother named George
• Thomas - born June 15, 1852 - Edward had a brother named Thomas, also the name of his maternal grandfather
• Joseph West, Ann Augusta West, Margaret West, George West, Thomas West as well as a Louisa Hartell West were baptized in the Church of the Epiphany in NYC on Feb 2, 1861.   Their parents/sponsors were Edward and Mary Ann West living at 99 First Avenue.
• Joseph West’s Civil War pension file includes his medical death certificate listing his mother as Mary Graham born in New York City

My hypotheses

Mary's parents were probably living in NYC the year that she was born, so there is a chance that one of the Grahams listed in the NYC Directory could be her father.

Mary's father could be a butcher and that is how she met Edward West.

Her father's name could be one of her children's names especially since Joseph, Anna and Edward were named after family members. Could Margaret be her mother's name? Could her father's name be George or Thomas?

Your Suggestions

Does anyone have any ideas on things to explore, places to look, questions to ask? I am looking for feedback and ideas to break down this brick wall.

My Genealogy 2012: A Year in Review

As 2012 winds down with a day's worth hours left I am reflecting on the past 12 months and contemplating my expectations and goals for 2013.

My goals for 2012 were:

Research Goal: Explore and source the DRAKE line of my family tree.

This was my most successful goal.  I learned quite a bit about the DRAKE line of my family tree, especially about my 2nd great grandmother Sarah Drake's maternal line.  I am currently working on writing a report on my research with a specific focus on the life of my 3rd great grandmother Anna Augusta West.

Education Goal: Investigate and possibly begin the NGS Home Study Course.

I didn't make much progress on this goal - however I did purchase a Discover Your Roots Kit from Family Tree Books that came with an Online Genealogy Course, which I have yet to take advantage of.  Time was a factor. 

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

The research reports didn't get written on the Haskins family line.  It is something that I need to do but just wasn't something that I ended up wanting to do.  I know a great deal about this line of my family tree so I found it less enjoyable to spend time here.  I am also struggling with how I want to write about the Haskins family.  I finished reading the book by Sharon DeBarolo Carmack but am having a hard time finding my voice when it comes to my own writing.  I attempted to complete The Family History Writing Challenge in February but life got in the way.

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.

In terms of my blogging goals -- I didn't meet them either.  My total posts for 2012 (both blogs combined) was 21 which is 50% of what I wanted to accomplish which is exactly how many posts I had last year.  However, I had 21 posts without blogging from March until August.  As of today I have 29 followers -- I missed my goal of 30 by one person, however my blog traffic did increase.  My most visited blog post was "My Ancestor Blogging Jar."  This hasn't increased my personal blog posts a great deal but it has focused some of my research and I have a lot of draft posts that I am working on.

I didn't accomplish all I set out to do but am happy with the progress I did make. I made a lot of head way on things that weren't goals for 2012 but were branches and leaves that felt needed to be explored.  I broke down a major brick wall in relation to my Dutch roots.   I haven't decided if I'm going to make goals for 2013.  I might just see where the year takes me.  I know I will do genealogy, I know I will write and I know I will post.  And from the words from Ernest Hemingway “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”    I'm excited to see where my 2013 journey takes me.

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.