Shaky Leaves : Anna L. (Wright) Vinson (1864-1914)

Anna L. (Wright) Vinson (1864-1914) was my maternal 2nd-great grandaunt, the daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Heaton) Wright.  She was married to Albert Morris "Ab" Vinson (1858-1921).  Ancestry.com is currently showing 4 hints for her in my LeMaster and Allied Families Member Tree.

One of the hints is a link to Anna's memorial page at the FindAGrave website, which I created and maintain.  Anna is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.

In the 1910 census, Anna was living in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana with her husband Albert, who was a deputy sheriff.  Also in the household was Anna's brother, Jesse, and a boarder, Addie Hughs, who was laid off from the paper mill.

In the 1880 census, Anna was living in the Joseph Wright household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana as a 16 year old student.

While neither of these 'hints' were new facts to my database, I did link them to Anna's record in the Ancestry Member Tree and downloaded copies of the images so I can add to my RootsMagic database.

In the database, Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920, which contains data from the WPA index, the following information was found:

Name:	Anna L. Vinson
Date:	6 Jun 1914
Location:	Alexandria
Age:	50 Yr
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Source Location:	City/County Health Office, Anderson or City Health Office, Elwood/Alexandria
Source notes:	The source of this record is the book 2CH-8 on page 37 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration.

This matches the death date I have for Anna, and provides the book and page number so I can obtain a copy of her death certificate.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for a future research trip.

If you are related or have any additional information or corrections, I'd love to hear from you.

Shaky Leaves : Bertha Alberta (LeMaster) Hercules (1892-1962)

Bertha Alberta (LeMaster) Hercules (1892-1962) was my paternal grandaunt, the daughter of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMaster.  Ancestry.com is currently showing 7 hints from historical records for her in my LeMaster and Allied Families member tree.

I have ignored the Ancestry Member Tree hints for now and will concentrate on the records.

There are a lot of records to update in my RootsMagic database, including census records.

In the 1940 census of Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana, Bertha was living with her husband, Russell, son Murvel and daughter-in-law Margaret.  They owned their home and had lived at the same residence in 1935.  Russel was a woodworker in a lumber yard and Murvel was a life insurance salesman.

1940 US Census, Wayne County, Indiana, population schedule, Ward 5, Richmond, enumeration district (ED) 89-32, SD 10, sheet 9B, 625 Sheridan St., family 190, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

I already had the 1930 census sourced in my database for the family, they were living in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana in the Bertha's father's household.  Likewise, I already had the 1900 census record where Bertha was a 7 year old living in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

In the 1921 city directory of Richmond, Indiana lists the family as :

Hercules, Russel J (Bertha A), woodwkr Louck & Hill Co, h 79 State

"U.S. City Directories", database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Augst 2015), 240; citing "Richmond, Indiana City Directory (Indianapolis, Indiana: R.L. Polk & Company, 1921–1922)."

 Because of this find, I now know the company that Russel was working for, Louck & Hill.  A brief search online found some photographs of the company site.

There was a hint to Bertha's FindAGrave memorial page, which I currently maintain.

Another database was Indiana Births, 1880-1920, which takes information from the WPA birth indices.

Name:	Lemaster
Father:	L C
Mother:	B J Wherley
County:	Jay
Gender:	Female
Birth Date:	26 Jun 1892
Reference:	Jay County, Indiana Index to Birth Records 1882 - 1920 Inclusive Volume I Letters A - Z Inclusive
Book:	H-5
Page:	78

This gives me the exact book and page for Bertha's birth certificate, which I currently do not have a copy.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

The most interesting find was the database Wayne County, Indiana, Quaker Funeral Home Records, 1939-1974, which contained a copy of Bertha's death certificate.

ame:	Bertha Alberta Hercules [Bertha Alberta Lemaster]
Gender:	Female
Birth Date:	26 Jun 1892
Birth Place:	Indiana
Death Date:	30 Dec 1961
Death Place:	Spring Grove, Wayne, Indiana
Age at Death:	69
Father:	Luman C Lemaster
Mother:	Barbara J Wehrley
Spouse:	Russell J Hercules

This is the funeral home's copy of her death certificate, showing that Bertha died in Spring Grove, Wayne County, Indiana at Reid Memorial Hospital on December 30, 1961.  She lived at 625 Sheridan Street, same address as found in the 1940 census.  Her occupation was listed as the co-owner of Builders Supplies.  She died of acute pulmonary edema.  She was 69 years old and died at 10:25 p.m.  Her burial date was January 3, 1962 at Salamonia Cemetery, Salamonia, Indiana.

If you are related or have any additional information or corrections, I'd love to hear from you.

Shaky Leaves : Margaret (Zimmerman) Rosenberger Sherick (1835-1911)

Margaret (Zimmerman) Rosenberger Sherick (1835-1911) was the wife of my 3rd-great grandfather, David Sherick (1832-1914) on my paternal side.  Ancestry.com is currently showing 10 hints from historical records for her in my LeMaster & Allied Familes tree.

I have ignored the Ancestry Member Tree hints for now and will concentrate on the records.

There are a lot of records to update in my RootsMagic database, including the census records.

In the 1910 census of Pleasant Township, Seneca County, Ohio, Margaret was living with her husband David.  They owned their home free of mortgage, and had been married for 25 years.  One fact I hadn't noted before was that she was the mother of one child who was still living.

1910 US Census, Seneca County, Ohio, population schedule, Pleasant Township, enumeration district (ED) 167, SD 12, sheet 1A, dwelling 7, family 7, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

In the 1900 census of Pleasant Township, Seneca County, Ohio, Margaret was living with her husband David, a minister.  They owned their home, but the enumerator wrote that they had been married for 57 years!  There was also a servant boarding in the home, Sally Simmons, age 28 born in Ohio.

1900 US Census, Seneca County, Ohio, population schedule, Pleasant Township, enumeration district (ED) 114, SD 12, sheet 8B, dwelling 178, family 182, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

Another database was the Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Index, 1810-2013 where they listed the following:

Name:	Margaret Sherrick [Margaret Rosenberger]
Death Date:	1911
Spouse:	David
Newspaper Information:	Newspaper: Seneca Advertiser; Newspaper Date: 17 Apr 1911; Newspaper Page: 8 Column: 5; Repository: Tiffin Seneca Public Library - Tiffin, OH ; Years Available: 1842-1919
Newspaper Information:	Newspaper: Seneca Advertiser; Newspaper Date: 17 Aug 1911; Newspaper Page: 8 Column: 5; Repository: Tiffin Seneca Public Library - Tiffin, OH ; Years Available: 1842-1919
Notes:	1ST HUSBAND WAS DAVID ROSENBERGER
Library Link:	Order Copy

Also was a link to Maggie's memorial at the FindAGrave site.  She is buried in the Fairmont Cemetery in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio at the grave site with her first husband, Anthony David Rosenberger.

Another database was Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1900 where I located the marriage date of Margaret's marriage to her first husband.

Name:	Margaret Zimmerman
Gender:	Female
Spouse:	Anthony D. Rosenberger
Spouse Gender:	Male
Marriage Date:	20 Nov 1870
County:	Seneca
State:	Ohio

I still need to locate the marriage date between Margaret and my 3rd-great grandfather, David Sherick, but it must have happened after 1879, when her first husband died.

Add caption

In the 1860 census of Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio, Margaret was living in her father, Barney Zimmerman's household.  Her age was 24 and she was born in Maryland.

1860 US Census, Seneca County, Ohio, population schedule, Tiffin P.O., page 128 (penned), dwelling 912, family 904, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

In the 1850 census of Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio, Margaret was living in her father, Barney Zimmerman's household.  Her age was 16 and she was born in Maryland and had attended school within the year.

1850 US census, Seneca County, Ohio, population schedule, Liberty Township, dwelling 215, family 215, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

One thing I found through these records was that the name of Margaret's mother was Sarah.  I've yet to find the name of her child with David Rosenberger.  I've updated my RootsMagic database.

If you are related or have any addition corrections or information, I would love to hear from you.

Shaky Leaves : Daniel S. Albright (1827-1892)

Daniel S. Albright (1827-1892) is my maternal 4th-great granduncle, the husband of Sarah Beals.  Ancestry.com is currently showing my 8 hints for him in my LeMaster & Allied Families member tree from historical records.

One record was from the database Indiana, Marriage Collection, 1800-1941.

Name:	Daniel Allbright
Spouse Name:	Sarah Bales
Marriage Date:	12 Sep 1850
Marriage County:	Howard

This data matches what I have for Daniel and Sarah in my RootsMagic database, though I didn't have a source listed.  The collection at Ancestry references the WPA.  I will need to search in Howard County to obtain an actual copy.

Another database was the U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-current.

Name:	Daniel S Albright
Birth Date:	15 Feb 1827
Birth Place:	Ohio, USA
Death Date:	2 Sep 1892
Death Place:	Miami County, Indiana, USA
Cemetery:	Albright Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place:	Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana, USA
Has Bio?:	N
Spouse:	Sarah Albright
Father:	Rev William Albright
Mother:	Elizabeth Albright
URL:	http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-...

Following the outside link took me to Daniel's memorial page at FindAGrave, which lists his parents and gives complete birth and death date.  It also confirms his Civil War service.

Another database was U.S., National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938.

Ancestry.com. U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

Original data: Historical Register of National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1749, 282 rolls); Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

This record shows that in 1891, Daniel was living in Marion, Grant County, Indiana at the home for disabled veterans.

His birthplace was listed as Tennessee, he was 64 years old, 5'10" tall, with a fair complexion and black eyes and grey hair.  His occupation was listed as a mason.  His residence subsequent to discharge was Xenia, Indiana and his nearest relative was Mrs. Sarah Albright of Xenia.  Xenia is the former name of today's Converse, Indiana.

Daniel's rate of pension was $17.00.  He was admitted July 21, 1891 and discharged June 3, 1892 by his own request.  His pension certificate was number 103.803.

Other database records included the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 census in Howard County, Indiana which listed Daniel.  These were added to my Family Member Tree after making sure they had been updated in my RootsMagic database.  In each of these, Daniel's birth place was listed as Tennessee.  In 1870 they were living at Fairfield and in 1880 they were in Xenia.

If you are related and/or have additional corrections or information, I'd love to hear from you.

Shaky Leaves : John Aaronson (1678-1741)

John Aaronson (1678-1741) is my 8th great grandfather on my paternal side.  The surname variants are many, and include Arison and Areson.  Ancestry.com currently is showing me 5 hints for him in my LeMaster & Allied Families member tree.  Four hints are from historical records.

I will ignore the Ancestry Member Tree hints for now and concentrate on the records.

One hint was from the database New Jersey, Abstracts of Wills, 1670-1817.  

Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Original data: New Jersey State Archives. New Jersey, Published Archives Series, First Series. Trenton, New Jersey: John L Murphy Publishing Company.

1741, Dec. 14. Aaronson, John, of Mansfield Township, Burlington Co., yeoman: will of.  Children - Benjamin, Joseph, Aron, Thomas, Elizabeth and Sarah.  Grandsons-John Atkinson and his brothers and sisters.  Negroes-Phillis and Ester.  Real and personal estate.  Wife Mary sole executrix.  Witnesses-Benja. Talman, Francis Thompson, Elizabeth Talman, Isaac DeCow medius. Proved March 3, 1742.  Lib. 4, p. 357.1742 -3, March 3.  Inventory of personal estate £498.6.10 3/4, includes bonds, bills and note £220.2.8 1/2, and negro children £30, made by Robert Rockhill, David Rockhill and Benjamin Shreve.

The names of John's children matches what I had in my RootsMagic database, though I didn't have daughter Elizabeth listed.  I descend through son Joseph (b. 1706).  There may have been more children, but at least I know that these were the ones living by 1741.

I did not know that the family owned slaves, but they must have at least owned the two women.

Another hint was from the database U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820.

Name:	John Areson
Gender:	M (Male)
State:	New York
County:	Queens County
Town:	Flushing
Residence Year:	1700
Household Remarks:	"AN EXACT LIST OF ALL Ye INHABITANTS NAMES WthIN Ye TOWNE OF fflUSHING AND P'CINCTS OF OLD AND YOUNG ffREEMEN & SERUANTS WHITE & BLACKE &C. 1698. . . . ffreemen-men".

This record gives another alternative name for John, but matches where my database had him being married to Mary, circa 1702.  

Another hint was from the database New Jersey, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890.

Name:	John Aaronson
State:	NJ
County:	Burlington County
Township:	Mansfield
Year:	1707
Database:	NJ Early Census Index

The other record hint was from a compiled family tree database, so I'm ignoring that one as well for now.

I've updated the information I have for John in my RootsMagic database, and I added the additional children to my Ancestry Member Tree.

If you are related and/or have any additional corrections or information, I would love to hear from your.

Shaky Green Leaves in my Ancestry Member Tree

There are so many green leaf hints at Ancestry.com on my tree LeMaster & Allied Families to work through.  This tree doesn't include everyone in my RootsMagic database, but right now includes 2401 people.

On the Hints tabs, the following statistics are displayed:

* All hints: 11,588
* People with hints: 1937
* Records: 8497
* Photos: 1191
* Stories: 236
* Member trees: 1664

I'm going to try to work through these hints, looking for records that I can verify belong to my family members and adding to my family tree.  I'm going to ignore the Member tree hints for now, coming back to them later.  I want to make sure that what I add I can verify.

Searching Social Security Applications & Claims Index

Enjoying searching through a new database at Ancestry.com, U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 and finding additional clues about members of my family.  Though this is just an index, you can find a lot of clues about your ancestors, including married names of those females members of the family.  This database goes beyond the SSDI and looks at the applications and name changes over the years.

An example of the type of information that you will find is this snippet on my paternal great-granduncle.

Name:	Elvin Cooper Lemaster [Elvin C Lemaster]
SSN:	317036832
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birth Date:	9 Jul 1912
Birth Place:	Salamonia Ja, Indiana
Father Name:	Luman C Lemaster
Mother Name:	Barbara I Wehrly
Death Date:	16 May 2000
Type of Claim:	Original SSN.
Notes:	Apr 1937: Name listed as ELVIN COOPER LEMASTER; 24 May 2000: Name listed as ELVIN C LEMASTER

From this detail, I have his birth date and place as he filled out the Social Security application, as well as the name of his parents.  The notes section is the most interesting - the date of April 1937 would have been when he applied for his SSN, and the notes also show how at his death there was a name variation in their records.  

This database is too new to suggest hints yet, so I'm searching by surname and location.  In this instance, a search for Lemaster in Jay County, Indiana is giving me hints to any Lemaster who applied from there or listed it as a place on the applciation, and in some cases I've been able to find clues to married names for some of the female members of the family.

The searching is getting quite addictive, and I've been able to add several individuals and birth/death information to my database.

Online Tree Published at MyRootsmagic

I've finally taken advantage of the features in my genealogy software, RootsMagic7, to post an online tree that is available for anyone to view freely, with full access to sources and photos.  The site is online at www.myrootsmagic.com/tjlgenes 

I really like the way the software displays the family records, and the fact that I can quickly view sources.  While I don't have many photos of ancestors and relatives tied into my database yet, I am working to rectify the situation.  The software makes it easy to update and correct information.

I've had a free online tree for years at Rootsweb (database: tjlgenes) and a public tree at Ancestry.com.  One problem with the tree at Ancestry.com is that non-subscribers have issues seeing the tree, and I want to be able to direct my DNA matches to a dynamic, online tree where hopefully they can find the connections between our families.

Currently, I'm working my way through the database, correcting place names and other naming errors, hoping to have a better database.  After that, will be working to make sure all of the facts are sourced, etc.  The work will never be done, but I'm having fun.

Ancestry Hint : June Lambertson Obituary, 1951 Bloomington Herald-Telephone

Working through the 'shaky leaf' hints on my maternal side and came across a new one for my great-grandmother, June (Davis) Lambertson (1898-1951).   This hint was for an obituary in an off-site database, the Monroe County, Indiana Obituary Index maintained by the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington.

Taking a look at the site, June's obituary was published in the Bloomington Herald-Telephone in their March 21, 1951 edition.  I was previously unaware of this obituary, and have added it to my Rootsmagic database list of "to-do" items.

I wonder if the obituary is much different than the local ones that I've already written about from the Elwood Call-Leader?  Perhaps additional local family were mentioned in the Bloomington paper.

June was born the daughter of Ida Davis, but raised by her grandmother and step-grandfather under the Gilliland name in the Owen County/Monroe County, Indiana area.  June married June 28, 1917 in Monroe County, Indiana to Clemon Beals Lambertson.

At the time of her death, she would have been survived by a sister, Pansy, of Crawfordsville.  Was the obituary published in Bloomington so that distant cousins would see it?

Ancestry Hint : June Lambertson in 1929 Elwood Indiana City Directory

Reviewing the shaky leaves on my Ancestry "cousin bait" tree for my maternal great-grandmother, June Kirk (Davis) Lambertson the record for the family in the 1929 city directory of Elwood, Indiana.

1929 Elwood, Indiana City Directory (Binghampton, NY: The Calkin-Kelly Directory Company, 1929), page 131, Lambertson, Clemon; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 August 2014).

While this wasn't the first time I had seen this record (I had previously viewed it at the Elwood Public Library), I was able to save the image to my computer and cite it in my Rootsmagic database and add the image to my Rootsmagic file.  I also attached the record to June's husband, Clemon, my maternal great-grandfather.

The record shows that Clemon and June lived at 1906 North F Street in Elwood, and that Clemon's occupation was that of a cabinet maker. This correlates to other information that I've uncovered stating that Clemon worked for the Sellers Kitchen Cabinets.

The directory also lists another Lambertson family, that of Orville J and Martha C, who rented a home at 522 North 14th in Elwood.  Orville was the brother of Clemon.

Cousin Bait Tree

I've added an additional tree to my Ancestry.com profile, a "cousin bait" tree full of everyone in my database. This includes my family, Eileen's family, my daughter's family, my stepchildren's family and every one who I'm researching that I've been unable to connect to my main tree.  The name of the current version of this tree is entitled Travis LeMaster Genealogy - August 2014.  

I'm going to use this tree to find cousin and 'hints' from Ancestry using their shaky leaves to search the records and see ones that could be matched to my database.  I'm going to keep my Rootsmagic database as my primary database and will not add any images or attach records to this new tree.

I'm also keeping my current tree online LeMaster & Allied Families which I've been using to direct folks to who have connected to me through my DNA search.  I hope to eventually replace it with a more up-to-date version.

My plan is to systematically go through this new tree, review the hints and add the records to my primary database at Rootsmagic.  Once I've been able to update it enough, I will periodically replace it.

I'm taking a bit of a hint from Randy over at Geneamusings, though I've not gone so far as to have FamilyTreeMaker installed and have it synced.  I need to really dig into the features of Rootsmagic and utilize Ancestry's computers ability to search out records for me automatically.

This summer has been so busy that I really haven't done much in the way of family history research.  Hopefully this will inspire me to get back to it.

Updating My Ancestry Tree

Have spent some time this weekend updating and adding to my personal tree at Ancestry.  I've neglected it for awhile, but with all of the work I've been doing with DNA matches, I felt I needed to get it as up to date as possible.

Many of the matches at 23andMe are in the 3rd to 4th cousin range, so I am focusing on my 4th-great grandparents and working the tree down to the present. Hopefully, this will make the tree as complete as possible for some of those closer matches, who might recognize a surname.  Most of my matches don't have a family tree online at all, but if I can point them to mine, perhaps they can find the match.

I've had great success in finding cousins through DNA autosomal matches and want to keep the momentum going.  First I have to input all the names in the trees, then I will go back and work on updating by adding photos and documents.  

If you think you and I might have a connection, the tree is available at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/25951333/family

Charting the DNA connections

Spending some time this weekend updating the spreadsheets I've created to track the DNA matches for myself, Eileen and mom and dad.  There is a lot of data to track, but have had some success in making connections.  Kitty Cooper's blog has a lot of good tools for DNA research.

Finding out that the autosomal matching works much better if you have a fairly extensive family tree.  Without it, it is nearly impossible to find the matches just from a few surnames listed.  Also, find that 23andMe is a bit clunky in their family tree.  Having more success with those who have a tree at Ancestry or somewhere else.

Will be sharing some of the stories in a later post.

Snowed In : Tackling The Paper Pile

 

With the weather outside being a frightful -14 degrees with a -40 degree wind chill, going to work yesterday and today was not in the cards.  So, after snow blowing to make sure we could get out if we needed to, I decided to work on one of my genealogy goals for 2014 : tackling the paper pile.

I have a bad habit of making photocopies at libraries, courthouses, etc. and then letting them sit around and not getting them digitized or the data input into my genealogy database.  Because of this, I'm sure I've paid twice for information that I already had or perhaps have worked on a problem that the solution was available in the stacks of paper.

I also want to try to get this family information organized between my Rootsmagic database and my online Ancestry.com tree.  I would hate for some of this information to not be shared with others.  I'm at the age where I'm starting to realize my own mortality, and don't want to not pass on what I've found.

I spent most of yesterday and today scanning the files, working through the piles that had been previously sorted by maternal, paternal and other lines.  Slowly, but surely, my intention is to post the information to my blog, add it to the Ancestry tree, and then dispose of the paper.  I'm getting tired of being a packrat for paper.  Unless the document is an official copy of a birth certificate, I don't see the need to keep a copy. 

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy : Paid Genealogy Tools

Week 2 - Paid Genealogy Tools : Which paid genealogy tool do you appreciate the most?  What special features put it at the top of your list?  How can it help others with their genealogy research?


Without a doubt, the paid genealogy tool that I appreciate the most is my subscription to Ancestry.com.  For the money, there just isn't any research tool that has been as beneficial as my subscription.


For years, I avoided subscribing because of the cost - and now I don't know what I would do without it.  My subscription began after I had completed a research project for my MBA program, with Ancestry.com as the subject matter.  After exploring the subject, I was convinced to ask for a subscription for my birthday.  Though the subscription only renews annually, nearly every day I open a new "genealogical present" when I find records of ancestors and relatives online.


Not everything is online, and there are some databases at Ancestry that can be found for free in other locales.  But you cannot beat the aggregation of the information at your fingertips.  You have the ability to access the information anytime you have your computer running, and you can easily lose track of time exploring the databases.


Probably the features that put it at the top of the list right now for me are the census databases and the newspaper archives.  I have been digging into newspaper research on my blacksheep relatives, and use the census databases to track the movements of families across the country.


A subscription to Ancesty.com will not solve all of your research problems, but it will aid you by providing access to more records than you could conceivably access manually by traveling all across the country.  It is a wonderful tool to supplement on-site research at courthouses and libraries.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more. 

How many facts do you add to your Ancestry tree?

I'm sort of proud of the family tree I've been creating on Ancestry.com.  As I've written about before, I'm taking baby steps to ensure that I document and source as much information as possible.  In contrast to my tree on WorldConnect, which contains my entire GEDCOM database, with this tree I've just put out a "skeleton" of the family tree.  


Right now, I've been focusing on my maternal line, working with my grandparents and great-grandparents to be sure that I have all facts listed with source citations, and have been adding some photos and other media.  My intent is to slowly move back through each generation and add source information.  I understand this is Genealogy 101 but when you find yourself going back and re-examining your work with fresh eyes you begin to see things you've missed.


Question for those who use public trees on Ancestry, how many facts do you add to your trees?  Besides the birth, death, marriage and census information, do you add the "miscellaneous" facts such as draft registration, mentions in the newspaper, etc?  


I've finding that there is much information I either don't have sources for in my Rootsmagic database, or the sources are derivative and I need to seek out the original sources.  Too many items I thought I had scanned, I'm realizing that I hadn't, so that adds to my list of things to do.  Such fun!

Are You Reading My Mail?

I think Wendy at All My Branches Genealogy must be reading my mail or my mind.  Her recent post on Genealogy Attention Deficit Disorder had me rolling with laughter until it dawned on me that she was describing my genealogical condition.


Many times I've started out working on Ancestry or some other database such as FindAGrave to begin filling in the gaps in my genealogy database.  Maybe it's making sure I have a burial place listed for all direct ancestors, or maybe it's making sure I've documented where everyone was in the 1930 census, etc.  No matter what my goal, it doesn't take too long for Genealogy Attention Deficit Disorder (GADD) to take over and soon I find myself tracking down vital information far from my original goal.


Why is it so hard to remain on task?  Perhaps it is due to the benefits of today's technology that allows us to have so many records to search from the comforts of home.  I can so relate to Wendy's experiences in getting so caught up in tracking down the tidbits of information that you lose sense of time.  When I'm "in the zone" I've been known to forget to eat!


But it's not just the online databases causing this disorder.  My piles of photocopied records from a research trip last November stand waiting, unentered and undocumented.  My inbox is full of research from other researchers that would make interesting blog posts.  I have notebooks created specifically for researching certain locales that I've yet to complete, and several unfinished posts to be written for this blog.  My research goals for 2011 are woefully incomplete.  All due to Genealogy Attention Deficit Disorder.