My Final Tally!

I've rather enjoyed the games. It has gotten me started again on my own research. I have actually gotten quite a bit accomplished that I was not at all sure I would do. So I am happy with the result. I hope it has gone as well for all the other competitors.
Here is my final tally:
1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
72 (so far)

Qualifications for "Go Back and Cite Your Sources!":
10 Citations - Bronze Medal
20 Citations - Silver Medal
30 Citations - Gold Medal
40 Citations - Diamond Medal
50 Citations - Platinum Medal

3. Organize Your Research!
A. 26
B. 36
C. 21
D. 32
E. 21
F. Done.

Qualifications for "Organize Your Research!":
Complete any one task - Bronze Medal
Complete any two tasks - Silver Medal
Complete any three tasks - Gold Medal
Complete any four tasks - Diamond Medal
Complete five or more tasks - Platinum Medal

4. Write, Write, Write!
A. Done.
(http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-nine-why-and-what-of-twigtalk.html)
B. Done.
(http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/family-language-or-masondixon-line-runs.html) for COG
C. Done. I have pre-published 2.
(http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-nine-why-and-what-of-twigtalk.html) (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-eight.html)
D. Done.
(http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/james-jaynes-twigtale.html)
E.

Qualifications for "Write, Write, Write!":
Complete any one task - Bronze Medal
Complete any two tasks - Silver Medal
Complete any three tasks - Gold Medal
Complete any four tasks - Diamond Medal
Complete all 5 tasks - Platinum Medal

James Jaynes - A TwigTale

James Jaynes
8/9/01 - 10/21/89

James Jaynes was my maternal grandfather. He was the middle child of 'Tom' Jaynes and Cora Hines Jaynes. Cora always called him Jimmy, and said that was what she intended to name him. I don't know much about his growing up years. He never talked about it. I do know that he and his brother, Harry, were not close. Harry was a heavy drinker all his life. I believe there was some trouble between those two that never healed.

At 19, October 8, 1920, he married Della Mae Alexander. They did not have a large wedding. They were married at the courthouse in Brownstown, Jackson, Indiana. At the time he was working at the Ebner's Ice Factory. His father worked there as well, as the fireman. In the beginning they lived with Tom and Cora. My grandmother loved Cora. She talked about her passionate temper and warm, loving nature. My grandmother's family had been cool and rigid about rules and all the do's and don'ts. My grandmother talked about how she loved the warmth of Cora.

Jim (as he wished to be called) and Della finally settled into a house of their own in a small community called Chestnut Ridge, just outside of Seymour, Indiana in Jackson County. The factory was located in Seymour, so to get to work, Jim walked the railroad tracks several miles back and forth every day. When the Depression hit, it wasn't as hard for them as it was a lot of families. He did have a job, and the need for ice was still there.

My grandfather was a saver. He had saved and saved, hoping to make his own dreams a reality. His hard earned money was safely in the bank. Of course, he was one of those who lost everything. This so scarred him that he never put a dime in the bank again. Later in life he bought and sold property. Yes, he did so with cash. Closing on sales always took longer as the bank always had to wait a few days to get the cash together. He had a large, monster of a safe in his bedroom that he kept every dime in. It didn't matter that everyone assured him his money would be safe this time. He simply wouldn't believe it.

He and Della had a boy, Donald, and then 3 girls. In 1938, Donald died of leukemia. He never talked about his feelings during that time. But when he died, Donalds last photo was still in his billfold.

When his father was unable to work, Jim made sure they had a house and plenty on the table. He believed firmly in taking care of his own. He parents never needed for anything. His mother died in 1948, and his father in 1954.

He did finally put together a business of his own. He became a plumber and electrician. He never turned anyone down because they couldn't pay. He often was paid in goods. They never needed for anything. He provided well for his family, all his life.

He built 2 houses on O'Brien Street in Seymour. The first, they lived in for a few years. The second one, next door was the one they would spend the rest of their lives in. Here is where you can read about it and see a photo.

I remember the phone rang at their house all the time. When it did at dinner time he would turn the air blue as Grandma ran behind him fussing that the 'kids' were listening! It was a joy! We thought it was so funny. He also had some funny words he used often. No one knew what they meant. He would say something that sounded like 'Poo-ay' , but I don't have a clue how to spell it. He thought it was funny.

He loved bingo. He also loved to fish, though he wasn't very good at it and didn't start until very late in life.

I was going through a box from a collection to be put on the Jackson County site and came across a receipt from 1948 for work my grandfather did. Talk about serendipity! What a treasure to me. He stayed quite busy until a few years before his death.


- This was written for:
Genea-Blogger Group Summer Games
4. Write, Write, Write!
D. Write a brief biographical sketch on one of your ancestors.

Day Thirteen - Hovis Treasure

I have had very little time today for play:o) I've actually got several projects that I have been juggling. Plus life, of course. Now I need to start to finish up several of the projects. I missed blogging yesterday completely. Now I am down to the wire. I have to write a bio on an ancestor and create a list of where my files are. That one is the easy one. I have that about done. So really I could finish up sometime tomorrow evening. I haven't applied to host a carnival. I won't be doing that particular task. I have only entered 2 just recently and I wouldn't know how to host, what would be the requirements, etc. so I will not complete that one. Perhaps next time when I have more experience with everything 'social'. I have gotten a lot of invitations on facebook to participate in activities and I don't know how I will find the time for all. I am probably going to pick the ones I feel more confident about and not participate in the others. It's all very exciting though.

I've had a very lucky week. I made a contact in my Hovis line. A contact with photos! You can't get more lucky. I pulled the Hovis file and found so many sources I had not entered so I have been working on that when a moment is free. Going through the notes, checking my to do's. That is so exciting! It had been going nowhere for quite a while.

So my tally has changed a little. It isn't changing my scores.

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
72 (so far)


3. Organize Your Research!
A. 26
B. 36
C. 21
D. 32
E. 21
F.


4. Write, Write, Write!
A. Done. (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-nine-why-and-what-of-twigtalk.html)
B. Done. (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/family-language-or-masondixon-line -runs.html) for COG
C. Done. I have pre-published 2. (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-nine why-and-what-of-twigtalk.html) (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-eight.html)
D.
E.

Day Eleven

My tally for today.

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
60 (so far)

3. Organize Your Research!
A. 26
B. 36
C. 21
D. 32
E. 21
F.

4. Write, Write, Write!
A. Done. (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-nine-why-and-what-of-twigtalk.html)
B. Done. (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/family-language-or-masondixon-line-runs.html) for COG
C. Done. I have pre-published 2. (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-nine-why-and-what-of-twigtalk.html) (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-eight.html)
D.
E.

Day Ten

Oh boy. I did not compete again. I had other things that occupied all my free minutes. So today I will just post my running tally.

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
40 (so far)

3. Organize Your Research!
A. 26
B. 36
C. 21
D. 32
E. 21
F.

4. Write, Write, Write!
A. Done. (Day Nine)
B. Done. (http://familytwigs.blogspot.com/2008/08/family-language-or-masondixon-line-runs.html) for COG
C. Done. I have pre-published 2. (Day Eight) (Day Nine)
D.
E.

Day Nine - The Why and What of TwigTalk

I started this blog with the hope that I would have a journal of what I was doing and what I needed to do. It has turned out to be so much more. But my 'mission statement', if you could call it that, is pretty simple.
With this blog I hope to leave a record of bios of the ancestors I have known and those I have heard about all my life. These little bios are tagged as 'TwigTales'. I want these to be available to those researchers that come looking so that they will know something personal about that ancestor. So often the personal is lost and it becomes names and dates. I want those that I have known to be fleshed out as much as I can.
Here you will find stories of my life on a personal level that involve family.
Also you will read about the ups and downs of my research. Those things that work and those that don't. I have made so many mistakes over the years. There are many things I wish I could go back and do over in a different way. I hope that through comments I will get tips on overcoming particular problems I am having.
I also have a big hope of finding others, cousins, that are searching for me and mine.

So far this has become so much more than I envisioned. I have met and made friends. I have learned so much. I thank all of you that read this for taking the time to do so. I would recommend that everyone blog. I thought it would be a waste of time for a long time but I was wrong. I have become a blog-a-holic. I make my rounds daily. So many great ones/so little time! :o)

^..^

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This post is being pre-published.
It is also a competition blog, covering 2 events.
4. Write, Write, Write!
A. Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it on your blog – you may not have done this since you started the blog and it is a great way to have new readers learn more about your site.
C. Prepare several posts in draft mode (if possible with your blog platform) and pre-publish.

Day Eight

What a beautiful day! Either Indiana weather is improving or we are in a weird weather thing. . . . See, we complain about weather we have no complaints about. :o)
I think RootsMagic is it. I have played with it for quite awhile. I believe I like it! I can understand the source boxes without a manual. That's nice. It's a pleasant program. Also I've found out that if you buy it now, you will get the update to 4 when it comes out (prob. Nov.). So. . . . good news.
I meant to post this link before I started on by sourcing competition, but forgot. This is a good place to go when in doubt about how to cite a particular souce. It goes step by step through the citation or you can copy/paste citations for online sources, adding only your # where you need to. I have been recommending it to county users for a while. It is Pro-Genealogists Citation Guide .

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This posting is being pre-published for:
4. Write, Write, Write!
C. Prepare several posts in draft mode (if possible with your blog platform) and pre-publish.