Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Grandpa's Pen - Artifact

My grandfather, Jim Jaynes, was a self-employed plumber.  As a child I would watch him work at his desk with the most wonderful pen.  It is a fountain pen.  I kept it because I was so curious about it as a child.  Now, the bladder inside has turned to dust.  It certainly needs some help to make it work again.  I'm not even sure that can be done.  But it rests on my desk as it did on his for so long. 




Friday, September 17, 2010

There's Something About Henry...

Now the last time I wrote about my Brock family I wrote about Rudolph and his son (and my direct ancestor as per DNA) Georg "Frederick".  I know one of Frederick's sons is my ancestor, but which one?  I have 8 to choose from for now as DNA has not been listed on each of Fredericks sons, but I can eliminate several through research.  I have no proof as of yet which one it is, but I believe Isaac is the front-runner. 

Tracing back from my father, I am sure of his father, Rufus Marion and his father Patrick Henry.  I was 18 when my great-grandfather, Pat, died.  I knew both men well.  I also know the father of Pat was Francis Marion, his father was  Andrew "Andy" Jackson, and his father was Elbert.  This is easy to trace as there are records including a straight and clear path back through the census records.  I have never seen Elbert misspelled or written as Albert, though I have been told it could be interchangeable.  It would seem that it would be shown to be a possibility in records and I have not found that to be so. I don't think I agree that his name could possibly be Albert.  I mention this because Elbert is also a surname which I have noted could be important, especially when the surname can be found in the area of my family. Now, this is the point which I think things get really murky.

Elbert's father is supposed to be Henry Brock, born 1770 in Pendleton County, South Carolina and died March 31, 1866 in Mecca, McMinn County, Tennessee.  He was married to Mary (other researcher has her surname as Queener) also born in South Carolina in 1770 and died in Mecca, McMinn County, Tennessee. 
According to other researchers,  they had the following children:
  1. Blassingame, born 1797; died about 1860
  2. Terry Wayne, born 1798; died about 1860
  3. Elbert, born 1805 South Carolina; died 1853 in McMinn County, Tennessee
  4. Matilda, born Aug. 31, 1811 South Carolina; died Jan. 9 1879 in McMinn County, Tennessee.
  5. David Harrison, born 1815 Spartenburg, South Carolina; died about 1860
  6. Henry J., born 1817 South Carolina; died 1904 Jackson County, Arkansas
  7. Lawrence P.(Porter maybe), born 1821 South Carolina; died Jan. 3 1894,in Mecca, McMinn County, Tennessee

In the 1850 census Henry, listed as 80 years old, and Mary are living with Elbert and his wife Mary (Elbert died in 1858).  In the 1860 census record Henry, listed as 100 years old, is living with Lawrence and his family.  Henry's birth year of 1770 is most likely wrong, and the census just highlights that.  Perhaps he didn't even remember the exact year of his birth.

Court records have helped to sort out some of the children.  The first ones to go are Blassingame and Terry Wayne.  Both are listed in court records as sons of James Sr., Frederick's youngest son.  So the child list is cut down to five: Elbert, Matilda, David H., Henry J., and Lawrence.  In court records, Henry J. is listed as a cousin of Elbert, so again, either Elbert or Henry J. must be removed from the children of Henry and Mary.  I am leaning toward removing Elbert, simply because of the naming patterns in the family. Unless, of course, Henry's wife Mary is actually Mary Elbert.  There is also the fact that the given name of Henry does not repeat in Elbert's line.  Another problem I see is Lawrence.  If Henry and Mary were born in 1770, then they would be 51 at the time of his birth.  While it is possible, I just don't think it is probable.  So, something must be wrong with the entire make-up of this Brock family. 

My cousin is the one that put this family together in the beginning.  Another cousin stated it was done through a Bible, one I have never seen nor heard about until lately.  I did read about a Bible with this family a long time ago from another researcher.  It described the entries, stating that Henry's birth date of 1764 had been marked out and 1770 written in.  As I understand it, the children I have had to remove from the children list for Henry were in this bible as the children of Henry.  Mary was also listed as being Mary Queener. That has not been proven, and quite frankly, can not be found to be so.   I do not know if this is the same bible that my cousin was told about.  I do know that the Queener Bible doesn't list any Brock/Queener marriage.  I have not found any Brock/Queener connections at all, but this cousin pointed out that David Harrison's son was named John Queener Brock.  It would seem that there is a connection somewhere, if I can only find it.

I don't put as much importance on Bible entries as I do other records.  I know how easily it is changed and how they are often copied over and over into other Bibles.  The chance of an error is very high. 

I am now investigating Henry Brock, 2nd son of Reuben Sr. who is the fourth son of Frederick.  He was born in 1777 in Caswell County, North Carolina, which would put his age at a more comfortable place than the 1770 date for me.  It would certainly fit better.  I know nothing about him at all, so in the end both Henry's might actually be the same.  

There is a lot of work to do on Henry and his family.  At least I know where the problems are and can go from there.

to be continued......

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

What Goes On In The Head Of A Blond? I Have Proof!

Going through the box of things that are not photos, but will be used in my scrapbooking, I ran across this x-ray.  At the time it was very important.  My daughter was born with a birth defect and we spent a lot of time at Riley Children's Hospital in Indy.  They always worked hard to make kids ok with a hospital stay.  We've been through magicians, clowns and one birthday party (very lucky only one was spent there).  We were there for the Pan Am games and a visit from the Disney people.  At the time it didn't seem so important, but looking back it takes on a new identity.  It was fun in the middle of pain.

Over the years we met many children that are no longer, many wonderful families and a hospital that treats the whole child and family as one.   And that is a good thing.

Well, in July of 1987 we had to make a middle of the night run to the ER at Riley.  All I remember is how tired we were and how scared.  She needed an x-ray so we headed for the dungeon and what did we find?  Emptiness.  Quiet.  Very unusual, I can tell you.  Shani had her Cabbage Patch with her as always.  It was blond and female but I can't remember it's name.  After my daughters x-ray, the X-ray tech said the doll needed one too.  We found out what goes on in a blond's head.  It's official, and I have proof.


Family History is not all serious business........

P.S. Don't tell anyone I was blond and so was my daughter.......Shhhhhhh

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Voyage of Rudolph: Coming Home

I have been working on my Brock/Brack family.  As a matter of fact, I have been working with a group of other Brock researchers.  I have learned more than I have contributed, I'm sorry to say.  The people in the group are very good and have shared a great deal of information, for which I am grateful.  Any time from this point that I say Brock, I am including this group of researchers in my source of where the information came from. (So thanks everybody for including me!) 

I know from a DNA result from my cousin that my line of Brocks comes from a son of Georg "Frederick" Brock, aka. Fred who was the s/o Rudolph Brack.  Frederick was born February 2, 1719 in  Zweibreucken, Germany.  His line goes back into Switzerland in 1646 and before.  I was able to find information on the families entry into the US, and several German records, birth and death in particular, on FamilySearch.


My American story starts with Fredericks' father.  Rudolph Brack 47, wife Anna Brack 36, daughters Christiana 11,  Magdalena 8 and son Frederick 14  immigrated to America, arriving at the Port of Philadelphia, August 28, 1733 aboard the ship "Hope". They arrived just in time for winter which was surely a disadvantage.  They remained in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a couple of years before moving on to the Shenandoah area of Virginia.

The journey aboard ship must have been a nightmare.  The first step of the voyage was down the Rhine to Rotterdam.  This trip down the Rhine lasted 4 to 6 weeks.  They had to stop at a customs check 26 times along the river, and each time the ship was held for examination for as long as the officials wanted to hold it.  The passengers would be forced to spend some cash, of course, at every stop.  Once in Rotterdam, Holland, the ships were detained 5 to 6 weeks.  Holland was more expensive, and would drain the people of any extra money they might hope to hold onto.  The second step of the journey was from Holland to Cowes, England, which is located on the Isle of Wight.  There they would go through customs and then wait for a 'favorable wind'.  This could take 2 to 3 weeks, from time of making port in Cowes to setting sail for America.  Once the weather was right, the final and worst part of the journey began.  From the Port of Cowes to the Port of Philadelphia, the journey would last 8 to 12 weeks, completely dependant on the weather and certainly the most trying leg of the whole journey. 

The passengers would suffer very small quarters, constant motion underfoot, noise day and night and the lack of exercise and privacy.  There was also a lack of clean water, though they carried fresh water, it would have to be portioned out carefully .   They were only allowed to bathe in sea water.  The food would not be the freshest, and I suppose the longer the journey, the worse the food and water got.  I read about the 'bunks' for sleeping.  They were only 5 foot long and were called 'cribs' because they had sides.  You wouldn't be able to stretch out, but at least you wouldn't end up in the floor every time the ship rolled.  I don't even want to  imagine the smell below deck. 

There was the constant threat of disease.  Even today, a cruise on a luxurious vessel can be ruined for everyone aboard by a flu bug or virus.  Think what would happen aboard a small ship with it's passengers packed in like sardines.    They would be subject to all sorts of diseases like scurvy, dysentery, typhoid and smallpox.  Many children died on each journey.  I should think the elderly would as well.    Only the hardiest of souls ever set eyes on their 'promised land'.

The storms would have been horrible experiences.  You would have been tossed about, sick and healthy alike.  No one would be able to stand below deck during the storms.  The waves would wash over the decks.  I'm sure it was running through every mind that the ship would surely sink each time a storm hit.  You are out in the middle of nowhere and there will be no rescue whatever tragedy befalls the vessel, so completely at the mercy of the elements. 

Once the ship arrived at it's destination, a health official would board and check that they would not infect the general population with anything.  If they got the ok, the ship could then 'make port' and her passengers could disembark.  They must have been worse for wear when they finally got to the end of their journey, a wobbly, less than clean bunch working their way down the gang plank.  What did it feel like, I wonder, setting foot on dry, solid land after spending over a year aboard a ship?  What was going through their minds as their eyes took in their surroundings?  Did it resemble the dream they had nurtured in their minds throughout their long journey home? 

I would say that you had to really want to get to the new world very badly to go through such a journey.  The conditions in the place you left so bad or so constraining that you were willing to let go of family, friends and place to begin again, alone in a strange land.  I don't think people today fully appreciate the journey Rudolph took, nor the reasons behind it.    I am sure our elected officials don't, as this journey I write about is the true example of immigration. 

Rudolph signed his name to three lists, and I believe he did so with all his heart.

List A - The Captain's list
List B - The signers of the Oath of Allegiance
List C - The signers of the Oath of Abjuration

My Rudolph was home. 

to be continued. . . . .

-------------------------------------------


The Brock Research Group


OliveTreeGenealogy Ships list:  Passenger list for the ship Hope

FamilySearch.org.: Record Search

Frederick Brock 1719-1807: His American Family by Clarence C. Brock, Jr.

Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808, by Ralph Baker Strasburger & William John Hinke. Norristown, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1934; reprinted Springfield, VA, Genealogical Books in Print, 1992; pp. xxxiv-xxxvii.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Summertime Update

A lot has changed in the last 6 months.  One thing is that I have retired from the GenWeb.  I have limited time and energy to spend now.  I have been working on my own genealogy lately.  I had let it fall by the wayside, spending almost all my free time in volunteer projects.  I still want to volunteer but need to work on my tree for a while.  I suppose this is the only change that matters here.  I need to match my time and energy to the project I choose.  

I have been working on catching up with citations of the sources I have.   I don't know that I will ever have that job done. 

Lately I have met a group of Brock researchers and have a cousin that has had his DNA done.  I know a lot more than I did about this family, and I am having to rethink the line.  I believe early mistakes were made.  I have been forced to wonder if all the data online from my line is based on a wrong person.  It needs a lot more work.  Lucky for me, this sounds fun.  

I'm giving some thought to joining GenealogyWise.  I don't want to over-join.  I have cut out the things I was not using and am considering how to use the ones I have kept more effectively.

All in all it seems to be turning into the year of change.  I got pushed into changing in the beginning.  Now it is becoming so much more than just physical changes.  

Monday, April 26, 2010

It's My Blogoversary Today!

Wow.  Today is my second Blogoversary.  Had it not been for Thomas I would have forgotten completely.  Thank you Thomas!
It's hard to believe that I have been here blogging for 2 years.  Of late, I have not been that active.  I've had trouble getting back into the groove this year.  So much has happened and so much going on.  I've made so many good friends since I started this blog, and I enjoy all of you.

My hopes for the next year is to get back into the habit of blogging regularly.  I want to get my research out there and hopefully make new contacts! 

So here are my surnames:
ADKINS/ATKINS > IN 1842
ALEXANDER > IN(Jackson/Washington) > PA 1752
ALLMAN > IN(Jackson) > VA(Grayson) > PA(Fort Bedford) > Germany 1738
ANGLETON > KY(Boone) 1781
BOBMAN > PA(York) 1793
BOHALL > IN(Brown/Jackson) > KY(Meade) > NY 1793
BONNER > TN(McMinn) > SC 1805
BROCK > AL > TN(McMinn) > SC 1770
BROWN > AL 1890
CARTER > IN about 1820
CRAMER/KRAMER > PA(York) > Gemany(Wuettemberg) 1696
DITTMORE > TN(McMinn) > SC(Hamstead) 1780
DRAPER > IN 1819
GALLOWAY > SC > NC 1779
HEINRICHSON > SC(Charleston) > Germany(Lanstadt, Hanover) 1760
HINES IN > VA(Sussex/Surry) > Scotland 1670
HOGG(/HOKE*mistake) > PA(York) > Scotland(Ayrshire) 1725
HOVIS > IN > OH(Noble) > PA(York) > Germany(Prussia) 1720
HUGHART/HUGGART >KY 1810
JACK > TN(McMinn) > VA 1805
JANES/JAYNES > IN(Jackson) > KY(Metcalf/Barren) 1811
JOICE/JOYCE > NC(Rockingham) 1805
LITTLE > VA about 1715
MARTIN > IN(Jackson) > KY 1806
MILSTEAD > KY > IN(Brown) 1800
MORGAN > AL > TN(Monroe) > NC > VA 1774
MOSES > TN(Monroe) > NC 1747
QUEENER > TN(McMinn) > SC 1770
ROBBINS/ROBINS > IN(Washington) > NC 1818
RABORN > AL > TN(Monroe) 1839
SCHMIDT > PA(York) > GERMANY 1705
TALLENT > TN(Blount) > NC(Anson) 1690
WILCUT/WILLCUT/WILLCUTT > IN(Washington) > KY 1815
WINSOR > KY(Danville) 1805

Thank you everyone for being so supportive!!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Ancestor Approved Award - Late of course.

Marian Wood over at Climbing My Family Tree and Laura Ann at Dreaming About Home gave me the Ancestor Approved award.  I am so late at getting this taken care of that most of you have already received it.  I want to thank Marian and Laura Ann very much for the award.  I'm sorry I have not gotten it up before now.  

I am  asked to list ten things that I have learned about any of your ancestors that has surprised,
humbled, or enlightened me.  I'm not sure after all these years that I could keep it at ten.  I am often surprised by the strength of character and tenacity that it took to survive the hardships of earlier times.  I am humbled and enlightened by the faith and vision they held fast to. 

Friday, April 2, 2010

Funeral Card Friday - Gladys Alexander Taylor


I have never met my great-aunts family, but would love to. She moved to California young. My grandmother visited her sister, Gladys in California once that I know of.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

4 Generations of Women

The first woman on the right is my great-grandmother, Olive Ellen Martin Alexander who was called 'Ollie' by her friends, Grandma-mom by my mother and I. Next to her my grandma, Della Alexander Jaynes, then my mother and the smallest woman in the group is me. The photo was taken in the late 1950's at my house. It's the only photo with all of us together that I know of. Grandma-mom died in 1972 and my grandma in 1996.


A Women's History Month post.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Fearless Females Post - Unusual Names

Well to start with my own name is a little strange. It's Sherida. My grandmother, Della Alexander Jaynes named me for a friend that had died young. I grew up never meeting anyone with my name, and it was guaranteed that the first day of school, every year of my schooling life, the teacher was going to say it wrong. Another eerie little tidbit is that I never saw my name listed anywhere except on a tombstone at the cemetery as a child. How spooky is that?

I do have an unusually named ancestor that has kept me wondering for a long time. My paternal grandmother was named Bizzie Lee Beard. In the1910 census she was listed as Lee B., 1920 census as Busylee and 1930 census, as a married adult, she was listed as Bessie. All documents with her name she is listed as Bizzie Lee. I have never found this name anywhere else. I just keep feeling that it had to be a nickname. By the way, it was always run together as though it was one name, Bizzilee.

This post is for the blog prompt carnival, "Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women's History Month"

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Fearless Females Post - Maggie's Life in Pictures


These are photos of Margaret Hovis Martin during her life. The first is at the ripe old age of 15, taken in 1875. The second is during her early years of marriage, somewhere in the time span of 1883 to 1887. Most likely the earlier date. The last image is of her late in her life. The photo was snapped at a Martin reunion in the late 1930's. She died in 1940 so this is possibly the last photo taken of her.

This post is for the blog prompt carnival, "Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women's History Month"

Monday, March 1, 2010

Fearless Females Post: - Favorite Female Ancestor

Following the blogging prompts by Lisa Alzo at The Accidental Genealogist: "Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women's History Month"

Margaret "Maggie" Hovis Martin

My favorite ancestor would be my grandmother, Della Mae Alexander Jaynes, but I know everything that is knowable about her. Next in line would be Margaret Hovis Martin, better known as Maggie. Everything I know about Maggie, I know from stories told to me by, yes, none other than her grand-daughter and my grandmother, Della Mae. Sounds so complicated doesn't it? It really is simple. My grandma loved, respected and missed her favorite grandma the same way I love, respect and am missing mine. From this point on I will refer to my grandma as Della.

Maggie was born in 1867 in Ohio. Her parents were; Henry W. Hovis and Elizabeth Ellen Bohall. Her father preached a little, played the fiddle and made baskets. Elizabeth Bohall is part of the Brown County, Indiana basket-making Bohall family. They are pretty well known in the basket collector community. I believe Henry learned his skills from his wife's family. I have often wondered if Maggie learned this skill herself. This, I do not know. At any rate, Henry and family lived in Brown County until about 1870. At that time they started showed up in Jackson County, just to the south east of Brown.

This is where she met and married Samuel S. Martin in 1883. Maggie was just 16 years old. Her first child was born a year later. She and Sam moved to Jennings County, Indiana and Sam farmed. They had 5 children; John A., Olive Ellen (my great-grandmother), Roxie Mae, Stanley, and Samuel S. jr.

Della loved Maggie's strength and determination. She often talked about Maggie wading into fights and dragging Sam out of the middle of it. She said her mother, Olive told her of a time when she saw Maggie stitch up a cut on the kitchen table that Sam had gotten in a fight. I heard many stories of this nature, but perhaps one is enough to put down on paper (well, ok, virtual paper:o). Anyway, in my child's mind, Maggie was like superwomen, saving the day, keeping the family together and keeping Sam in line and patched up. It seems she was warm and loving as well. I wanted to be Maggie!

Maggie died in Paris Crossing, Jennings County, Indiana on the 10th of February, 1940. I need to check history books that deal with baskets to see if she or her family is listed in any of them by name. I also need to get her marriage cert. I've found everything but the exact day of their marriage. These are simple things that I have just put off. This is the year to fill in the blanks on Maggie Martin!

This post is for the carnaval, "Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women's History Month"

Saturday, February 27, 2010

2010 Games - Success!

Well, it's hard to believe that we have come to the end of the Games already. Time flies when you are busy, and when you are having fun! Here it is the end of the games already. I did not do as much as last time as I got side-tracked when citing my sources. But I got so much finished in my own work that it is not a washout! I enjoyed every moment, and have a lot of work finished. I can say that these 2010 Games have been a great success, at least in my research.


1. “Go Back and Cite Your Sources!”:
Finished more that, 50 Citations – Platinum Medal


2. "Back Up Your Data!"
Finished Task A, B & C - Gold Medal


3. "Organize Your Research!"
Finished Task A, B, C, D & E - Platinum Medal

I'm afraid that is where I got side-tracked. I wanted to finish "Expand Your Knowledge" but never made it to that catagory. I am going to work on it as I have time. I needed to go through that one as it has things that I have not tried yet. The timeline and Google Maps were the two I hoped to get done. I read with great interest Miriam's "Using Timelines" post over at AnceStories. She even provided a copy of the template she used. Thanks Miriam! I want to walk through it for myself.

I feel like it has been a big success for me even though I did not complete all the catagories I wanted to. I have entered well over 100 citations. When I found that I was missing a census, I searched for it, got it cited properly, and now have very few holes in the continuity of census resources for a great deal of the Alexander file. I do have to say that RootsMagic4 makes it pleasant to enter source material. I can't take all the credit:o) (Thanks Bruce!) I also have so much of the Alexander materials, both digital and hard copy organized as well. The games were very successful for me and my research.

A big thanks to Thomas. As always, wonderfully done.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Off To A Good Start

Well I have gotten off to a good start. I have cited 83 sources and it seemed to just fly by! Kept my head down and got it done!
1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources DONE Platinum
I've also finished Task A and Task C of 2. Back Up Your Data! Task C was very important since I had not backed up my files for a while, since October 09 actually. I use RootsMagic4, but backup as a Gedcom file so that it could work with any program should something happen to me. I back up online and on a storage HD.

Still feeling good but it has only begun........LOL

On a side note, I am snowed in and suffering from insanity. The weatherman said today that there are 2 storms heading my way for next week. I shut him off and I refuse to talk to him again.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

2010 Games

I have my flag and my banner. I am ready to compete.....

I am hoping I can get a lot done again this time. Though off to a slow start, I am ready.

In the competition categories I hope to perform well in at least 4:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources
2. Back Up Your Data
3. Organize Your Research
4. Expand Your Knowledge

If I have time left I will try number 5 this time:

5. Write, Write, Write!

This one I do all the time for my county. So I will just continue it everyday and not perform in the games for:

6. Reach Out and Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness

Ready, set . . . . . . . . . We're off!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Happy 101 Award

I have recieved this award from 4 fellow bloggers. Felicia from Our Family As A Whole,
Taylorstales-Genealogy, Colleen at Orations of OMcHodoy, and Earline from AncestralNotes.

The award requires me to name 10 things that make me happy and then name 10 blogs that I want to send this award to.

What makes me happy:

1. My family. They have been around lately helping me, so recovery has been a happy time. My daughter, in particular, is my joy.

2. Living in the time period we now live in. Studying ancestor lives should make everyone happy that it is 2010. Our lives are so much nicer, easier and cleaner than our ancestors. So I am happy to be in the 21st Century!

3. My Family History work. I don't have to tell you why that makes me happy, right?

4. My volunteer work for the GenWeb. I am hoping that I can keep up during my recovery. I love my work and it brings a joy to life that surprises me all the time!

5. My reading and studying. I have other things I am interested in and do a lot of reading about them.

6. The new social nature of the genealogy community, and all the people I have met through the networks. We no longer stumble along in lonely solitude. How exciting it has been!

7. My collection of family heirlooms. Having the things that were so important, or were made by my ancestors around me brings great comfort and lovely memories. Seeing the quilt that my Grandma made causes my heart to swell with happiness and love. She was the wisest and most loving woman I have known.

8. My computer. It sets here waiting for me to go on an adventure from my home. It holds many of the answers I seek. It lets me visit places I could only wonder about before. I am very happy sitting here.

9. My furry little friend makes me happy.

10. Two arms, two legs and no pain.

My nominees:

Life is just a Bowl of Cherries

Relatively Curious About Genealogy

FamHist

Before My Time

FootnoteMaven

Tiger Tulip Designs (my daughters blog)

Kinexxions

Heritage Happens

Our Twigs

Ancestors Live Here

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Volunteerism: Look to Your Local GenWeb

I don't want to "toot my horn". That is not the importance of giving a little time to a cause that you feel is worthwhile. My particular cause is the GenWebs. I adopted my county several years ago and have not regretted it. I love the work and have met so many wonderful people in the process of maintaining the site.

When I first started online research I discovered the GenWebs and knew immediately that I wanted to be a volunteer for that organization. I set out right away to learn html coding so that I would be able to adopt a county. Just so happens that my own county became available as I was learning and I quickly applied to adopt it. I was open about my lack of experience and that I was taking lessons still. I was sure that I would not be chosen because of my lacking knowledge and experience. Big surprise! I was chosen! I try to keep learning so that the site is coded up to date and is convenient for my users. I am grateful that the State Coordinator gave me a chance to work for the INGenWeb. It is very fullfilling.

I spend more time some months of the year on the site. Around the holidays it is quiet and very few submissions come in. In the busy times I will spend up to 3 or 4 hours a week on the site. There have been times I spent much more time working. Getting the site up and running took many hours of work a week, but now that I have it set, I only need to put the data on a page(template) and upload. The County Coordinator chooses how simple or complicated the site is. I also spend time transcribing data for the site. Some months I spend 8 to 10 hours doing that. Again, it is up to the CC how much time is spent there. I'm sure you have noticed that each county site is different. That is because each site reflects the personality of each Coordinator and the amount of time they have to put into the project. How much time spent on the project is up to the individual County Coordinator. I have taken my county from 50 pages to over 2500, and that is smallcompared to some counties. I have a lot of ideas and data I want to provide for my users, so much work is still to be done.

I recommend the GenWebs for anyone looking to volunteer time to providing data and information about genealogy research. I have found it to be a great challenge and a joy. Take a look at your county site. Please consider the GenWebs when looking to volunteer. If you don't feel you can handle a county, remember that the sites are waiting for submissions of data from their users too. You could volunteer data that you have collected over the years in your own research. Next time you go out to that little cemetery in your county, take a while and snap extra photos just to submitt. If you have a book for your county, become a "look-up". You can make your county site better even if you can not adopt it.

USGenWeb

Written for the 88th COG.

Friday, January 1, 2010

My Helper

My daughter, helper and secretary, Shani.
Thank you for being here!