Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am grateful for my family, friends, home, and the ability to research 24/7 from this little box called a computer. May the upcoming season bring you happiness in your household, comfort with your friends, and all the genealogy goodies Santa can bring you.

Christmas in July

Last year I finally corresponded with a cousin whom I was searching for these last 25 years. I posted last year how conversations with him allowed me to "push aside the curtain" and learn more about my gr-grandmother's side of my family. All my research showed this gr-grandmother as a  descendant of those godly ministers, the Mathers. My cousin was able to give me more information about this branch of my tree including conversations his grandmother had with her father. (Isn't that what we search for...a glimpse of day to day life of our ancestors? )

In July I was able to meet him in person. It was the first time I met him as well as his family-even though we lived a few towns away. And it felt like we knew each other all our lives. We spent that afternoon and the next day attached at the hip sharing family stories.

Ironically his sisters and my sister worked with each other for years! They never knew they were related. The three of them use to laugh and joke and say they were cousins while they were working. (My sister's response when I asked her if she knew them was, "Why, are they cousins? hahahaha." I texted her back, "Yeah...hahahaha, they are Dad's cousins!" Which she responded, "OMG!")

So when we meet this summer on that warm July day, we each had something for the other. I had documents and photos that he didn't have. He had a photo of my grandmother as a toddler!

I was stunned as I looked at it for the first time. My daughter was a spitting image of her at the same age. The back of the photo was equally thrilling. There, written in an unfamiliar handwriting, was the name of my grandmother, my gr-grandparents, and two of my grandmother's brothers...a mini family tree.

But wait, there was something else inside the envelope that contained the photo. It was thicker and about the same size as Grandma's picture. As I pulled it slowly out, I saw it was a stack of papers about 4 x 6 inches in size and clipped at the top. When I examined at it again I was shocked for a second time. It was a copy of my gr-gr-grandfather's genealogy that was published in 1849! All I could think about  as I read the pages was that my gr-gr-grandfather's eyes read these same pages!

Some people dream of winning money. I dream of family history. If genealogy had a lottery, I would be a mega-genealogy winner. Christmas in July? I think so!

I'm back!!!

After a crazy spring and summer, I am bound and determined to return my blog! So many great genealogy ideas have been rolling through my mind that I have been itching to blog since school began on September.

A few weeks ago I gave a presentation to OCGS. (They are awesome! Come and visit them in Toms River.) My presentation was focused upon the debris of living and finding things at flea markets and online. Funny thing, I opened my latest FTM and there was an article about what I just  discussed with OCGS!

Remember back in January that I posted my great flea market find-the military book from WW1? I spent time in May visiting NEHGS trying to locate where the book was created. Thanks to the help David Lambert gave me, it seems that the book was from a military hospital based in Texas called, "Camp Dick." I have begun to research the people listed in there. Some names like "Ryan" and "Jones" have given me a run for my money. But some names have lead to some interesting sources. I haven't decided how I will share this. (Yes I like to share!) I will keep you posted.

Alien Files at NARA

This past fall, I was forutnate to have a student teacher in my classroom. An extremely thoughtful and insightful person, when it came time for him to leave, he handed me a slip of paper for my end of the semester gift. I was thrilled to read what was on the paper...we were going to attend a NYG and B workshop at  the NYC branch of  NARA.

These short seminars are fun. You get a chance to meet like-minded people, hear some new ideas, and sometimes recieve a" behind the scenes" tour of the facilities. Always a genealogist's dream.

Our day was wonderful. We arrived on the site where I showed him how to look for his relatives. We quickly assembled an outline of his family that he was happy to have. We also met up with a fellow genealogist from OCGS and helped her find some information on her Irish ancestor. But the best, BEST thing of all, was learning about the Alien files.

These files were created in 1944 to follow an alien through  the immigration and inspection process. A gold mine of information, they can include photos, birth information, personal papers and other genealogy goodies.Originally from INS, these files were transferred to the National Archives and are now being indexed. Currently there is about 350,000 files of people born prior to 1909 online through the NARA site.

I came home and found not only some of my mother's family listed on it (they were French Canadian) but my husband's German grandaunt and cousins. With the information, I can order the file online and have it scanned and sent to me. All of it while sitting in my superman pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers.

Take a look at the database. You may find something. And if not, check back because they are updating it daily. http://archives.gov/research/genealogy.aliens/a-files-kansas-city.html
Note: You may access it through the ARC catalog at NARA www.archives.gov

Working on the flea market find-WW1 Book

I was doing wonderfully on the flea market find until...my mother board went on my computer! Good thing I had back everything up on my external hd...whew! I didn't lose much and plan to go back to it this week.

Some of the fascinating aspects of the book is discovering the life events of these men. Some continued to serve the military while others returned to their civilian lives. Although it is not complete I hope it will help others with their research.

One database I have been using is the Veteran's Administration Grave Locator. It doesn't have everyone but helps to direct me in the location and area of the men listed in the book. http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 I'm also using the Social Security Database to help me as well as records posted on Family Search, Rootsweb, and Ancestry.

Another neat item I am discovering is that it is not just men but women who are included. These groups consist of regular army, officers, nurses, and civilians. I don't know if the civilians are local to the place where the book was made. Time should help clear that issue.

flea market finds

Last week  my husband and I visited the local flea market. A huge site, it is bustling in the summer and slow in the winter. The weather, a comfortable 65 degrees, made it an ideal day to walk the market.

A few years back we visited the same market. Browsing through a covered stall I found someone's genealogy research that was picked apart. Several items were from the Civil War era and included soldiers' letters. The remainder of the genealogy collection was divided into 6 binders which included cemetery photos from Philadelphia and card stock family group sheets. Although I couldn't purchase the letters (the vendor was selling some of them for $50 a piece!) I manage to purchase the six binders for $20. Later I read the binders and donated them-2 to the Burlington County Community College and  four to the Genealogical Society of PA. I can't remember the family names off the top of my head but they were placed in localities where the person had researched family members.

So on this sunny Saturday we returned to look. We hadn't been there in years-probably the day I found those binders- and decided to spend some time walking around. I found a pair of salt shakers for my sister and a Fenway Park postcard for my niece. We went to the last building to browse and was about to leave when I saw a small memorandum book. At first glance I wasn't certain whether or not to pick it up. But the tattered cover compelled me to browse through it. Immediately I recognized the genealogical value of it... a list of names and notations. I asked the woman how much for it. She asked $15 and I countered with $10 which she took. Her comment to me, "It's a fun book to look at. I think you were the only other person besides me who appreciates it."

What an understatement! I took it home and began to read it carefully. It contained a list of men who were hospitalized between February 1918 and June 1918...the tail end of World War 1. I have begun to transcribe it and will keep you up to date with the progress. I spent time this weekend researching the men listed on the first four pages and found some of them. It is written in several hands compelling me to believe that it may be from an army hospital from the West. Several men are listed on the 1920 US Census in Texas and the 1917 Draft.

At my husband's suggestion I will photograph the book so I don't damage it further. It will make it easier to transcribe and to toogle between screens. I don't know yet how I will share the information but plan to contact the larger genealogical societies for suggestions.

Stay tuned!!

New clues to old reasearch

Yes! I've have not blogged as much as I wanted to this year.But I'm hoping to remedy that!

One of the most exciting things to happen these last few months has to be new clues to past research. Recently I was able to connect with a second cousin. His grandmother was the younger sister to my gr-grandmother. I tried in vain to find and contact him for 25 years but met with no success. Ironically his sister and my sister worked together for years! They never knew they were related! (My sister piped up afterwards that she felt that there was something familiar about his sister!) From pictures to stories he was able to contribute to my research tremendously. I never knew my grandmother-she died four years before I was born. I feel as if he has pushed aside a curtain and allowed me to peer into a window of my family heritage that I previously glimpsed through. We hope to meet each other in 2012 when we both return home for a visit next summer.

Another great find was a book titled, Swamp Yankee From Mystic. I picked it up at a used book store with the intention of giving it to my daughter's friend because her family was also from Connecticut. When I showed it to her friend, I happen to open to a page where the author's father purchased an old house. Lo and behold it was my ancestor's house! I was able to connect with the author's son who sent me pictures of the house! Ironically, again, I had just met him in September when I gave a talk to the historical group of which he is president.

My friend Audrey always tells me that when the ancestors want to be found they will let you know. Hmmm...