Month: March 2016

March Finally Get Organized – Thanks Dear Myrtle!

On By thegenealogysearchIn 2016 FGS, Dear Myrtle, FINALLY Get OrganizedLeave a comment

It’s never too late to join in!  Visit Dear Myrtle at  http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/p/finally-get-organized.html to get organized!

March has been a good month to get all of the tasks completed.  I purposely set aside a minimum of twenty minutes a day to work on my organization and it worked well for me. I shared some photos on my blog, shared memories with family, and attempted to extract some memories from my mother.  I think my family enjoys my sharing of photos on Facebook and the blog the most.  I think the nieces, nephews and my children enjoy pictures of their grandparents, aunts and uncles when they were growing up.  I am thinking about adding some video of some old home movies that we had digitized for all to enjoy.

I spent some time photographing some family keepsakes and hope to share more information about them soon.

I have entered the wives of my first four generations (and a few other wives not in my direct line).  I have been working on entering the children.  I have had to be studious in some of my entries.  Before I had relied on several other’s research when entering children.  I have come to believe that there are children that I can not absolutely place with that particular mother and father.  Additional research will be needed to verify family ties.  I wrote up a report on my paternal grandfather and the research I have done so far on his multiple marriages.  I will need to hit the courthouses in Illinois to retrieve documents to further my research.  Luckily, FGS is in Springfield (https://www.fgsconference.org/) this year and I will be visiting the area early so that I may conduct some needed research.

I gave a presentation at our local genealogy society, Pima County Genealogy Society, this month on beginning basics.  The second half of the meeting was how to get ready for a research trip by Jodi Strait.  Prior to the meeting we met for lunch in the cafeteria at the Banner University Medical Center.  There were about twenty five of us that showed up and shared our genea stories and troubles prior to the meeting.  I really enjoy this social time.   We share the latest news, research strategies, and stories of our quirky families.

Next I must try to find the time to attend a Dear Myrtle hangout.  It seems whenever there is a hangout I have work that I need to get done for a client.  Well, there’s always next week!

Celebrate folks it’s March 12th Genealogy Day!

On By thegenealogysearchIn Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, FGS, Genealogy Day, Illinois State Archives, Illinois State Library, National Institute for Genealogical Studies, Newberry Library, ProGen, YouTubeLeave a comment

The second Saturday of the month of March is Genealogy Day!  Celebrate by taking some time to find a new record, watch a webinar to learn new skills or take the time to catch up on your genealogy reading – books, magazines or blogs.   I am off to the Tucson Festival Books http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/ to see what interesting books I can find. 

Poundstone Family Tree – 1933 drawn by George C. Poundstone


There are free webinars and YouTube videos to learn more about research, organization, or a specific type of records.  I found a a video on YouTube that takes a ride through Concordia Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois where my Great Grandparents are buried.  I also found numerous videos on the Newberry Library in Chicago  – a place I am hoping to research at in August.

Are you attending the FGS Conference in Illinois?  You may want to check out what materials are available at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library http://www.illinois.gov/alplm/library/Pages/default.aspx, the Illinois State Library https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/public/genealogy.html or the Illinois State Archives https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/gen_research.html .  It is never too early to plan a research trip!

Later in the day I will be celebrating the day by working on my Progen homework, a genealogy presentation I will be giving next Saturday and homework from my National Institute for Genealogical Studies class.  

Grandma and Grandpa Clark

On By thegenealogysearchIn Amy Clark, Dear Mrytle, FINALLY Get Organized, Otis Elmer ClarkLeave a comment

Dear Myrtle’s Finally Get Organized To do list for the week is to share 1 family History Story per day. Visit http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2011/03/organization-checklist-tab.html to join in the fun!

Every summer my parents would take my brother and I to visit my grandparents.  They would leave us with them for our vacation – or their vacation which is much more likely the case.  I was always a little sad when our parents dropped us off, perhaps it was a reaction  to the

Grandma and Grandpa with cousins cir 1970

almost hysterical laughter they had when they drove away..We had fun playing with our cousins, seeing family, and just been cared for by our grandparents.

We did learn a few tricks.  Never let Grandpa know you were awake before Grandma got up.  If you did, he would make you eat his oatmeal which you could stand a spoon in.  He allowed no sugar, no milk, no butter, no nothing! Grandpa would come into the room and check to see if you were awake or asleep.  I learned early on to fake sleep.

Grandma always woke up later than Grandpa.  If you could hide out until she woke up you could have anything!  Cereal, eggs, cake, a slice of pie and milk!  She was a wonderful pie make.  Grandma made rhubarb, blueberry, apple – just about any fruit pie.  She made pickles and chow chow to die for.  Her rolls melted in your mouth.  She also made watermelon pickles, not my favorite.  I was always grossed out by the fact that my brother and cousins once gnawed on that watermelon rind.

When it was time to go back to Chicago I would be so sad. I always cried when we drove away.  My grandparents would stand and wave us off –  were they sad or were they holding back their almost hysterical laughter we drove away.

When Jessica was little……

On By thegenealogysearchIn Dear Mrytle, FINALLY Get Organized, Jessica Lynne Fay, Stella Ann AdamsLeave a comment

Dear Myrtle’s Finally Get Organized To do list for the week is to share 1 family History Story per day. Visit http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2011/03/organization-checklist-tab.html to join in the fun!

I have shared on Facebook the fact that two of my Great Grandmother’s Johanna Schuck Miottel  and Stella Adams Poundstone both passed in the 1918 Flu epidemic.

Today I wanted to share something my daughter Jessica Lynne Fay (1983-2015) did when she was little.  One day when we were living with Grandma and Grandpa Clark – Grandpa told her to pick up toys and she said no.  Grandpa said “You will pick up your toys!”  again she said no!  My dad said that she will not tell him no and she put her fists at her side and said “You, you bok wok! I’m mad”.  Now we joke around when someone makes us mad we call them a bok wok!

Jessica – Bok Wok age four