Sunday, February 15, 2009
Contact Information on the Internet
This weekend I got a phone call from a great friend, who had actually found my websites and was trying to find an e-mail address for me. Considering the fact that I have many e-mail addresses (that's what happens when ISPs change over and over and you've been around on the Internet for a long time....) I would have thought one of those addresses would be somewhere on my webpages, but no, I was too careful to avoid those people and software that troll for e-mail addresses, so I think I need to fix that. First, I'll make sure that I have my e-mail in my blogger profile. It wasn't long ago that a distant relative posted on this blog about a connection and I still haven't been able to find her. She doesn't have her e-mail in her profile either. Hopefully we'll find one another on a forum somewhere, soon. So, in case you are attempting to contact me, here it is: annriding at gmail dot com. (that format at least fools the software spiders...)
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Saturday at ICAPGen
Another great day at the ICAPGen Conference. Other family members are at the BYU football game also going on right now. So far we've heard from Jake Gehring, the president of the Association of Professional Genealogists. It was interesting to hear what they hear most from unhappy clients. Basically it boiled down to communication and reliability. Good things to know.
Next we heard more about the FamilySearch Wiki. This tool has been mentioned in a number of sessions. It's a place I plan to use and add to.
A very valuable session that I attended was Scottish Internet Research. It covered the information available at Scotlands People. I have known about the website for awhile, but wasn't sure how to use it. Since it is a subscription site, I didn't really try it out on my own. Now I'm ready to look for some documents for my own research projects.
Now it's time for a class from one of my former instructors, Kory Meyerink, on marketing.
Next we heard more about the FamilySearch Wiki. This tool has been mentioned in a number of sessions. It's a place I plan to use and add to.
A very valuable session that I attended was Scottish Internet Research. It covered the information available at Scotlands People. I have known about the website for awhile, but wasn't sure how to use it. Since it is a subscription site, I didn't really try it out on my own. Now I'm ready to look for some documents for my own research projects.
Now it's time for a class from one of my former instructors, Kory Meyerink, on marketing.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Footnote with Beau
Footnote has been one of my very favorite sites since it went live in 2007. It is a website where there are digitized original documents. Right now I'm listening to Beau Sharbough share Footnote with us. It's awesome! He even said that it is okay for me to use this site with my students for National History Day. They can use the index and a quick look. If they find a premium image, then I can download it for them. I'm excited to share it with them, now that I know even more about the content and how to find it.
I'm also looking forward to creating Footnote pages and adding annotations when I research.
I'm also looking forward to creating Footnote pages and adding annotations when I research.
TNG with Darrin
A few years ago I finally decided that it was time to have a genealogy website. I also had many photos and documents that I wanted to put together with my database. As I learned more about webcoding I determined that a dynamic site would be the best--one that could change as more information was found. That's when I heard about The Next Generation of Genealogy Site Building code for a dynamic website. Considering that I had done a little to begin learning how to code such a site, I was excited to know that someone else had created the code and was willing to share for a very small price. Although Darrin Lythgoe wrote the code, I did find that it was fairly heavy duty web building to get things up and going, and he was there on the other end of e-mail to answer my questions as I struggled through. I really love my genealogy website.
Today I got to meet Darrin at the ICAPGen Conference as he presented TNG. It's fun meeting someone that I've meet through business on the Internet. I updated my website a few weeks ago, so I'd know the latest. He's always creating great updates.
One of my favorite activities is to work to update my website. Next I need to promote it!
Today I got to meet Darrin at the ICAPGen Conference as he presented TNG. It's fun meeting someone that I've meet through business on the Internet. I updated my website a few weeks ago, so I'd know the latest. He's always creating great updates.
One of my favorite activities is to work to update my website. Next I need to promote it!
Legacy 7 with Geoff
Wow! Legacy 7 by Geoff Rasmussen. I have enjoyed using Legacy since January 2005. Today I have the opportunity to learn more about the program from the main man.
Chronology tab--how did I miss this one? I love timelines and find it so helpful to create them for research. Now they can be created from my database. Yahoo!
Source Writer--this is a winner. Templates to help write correct and consistent source documentations. Awesome!
To Do List--this could be used as a research log. I'll have to try it out to see how it works for me.
Research Guidance--here's a checklist to make sure all of the major research sources have been checked out. I've fiddled with this some. I need to see what more I can do with this.
Reports, Charting, Birthday Reminders...all good tools that I'm looking forward to customizing for my use.
Thanks, Geoff!
Chronology tab--how did I miss this one? I love timelines and find it so helpful to create them for research. Now they can be created from my database. Yahoo!
Source Writer--this is a winner. Templates to help write correct and consistent source documentations. Awesome!
To Do List--this could be used as a research log. I'll have to try it out to see how it works for me.
Research Guidance--here's a checklist to make sure all of the major research sources have been checked out. I've fiddled with this some. I need to see what more I can do with this.
Reports, Charting, Birthday Reminders...all good tools that I'm looking forward to customizing for my use.
Thanks, Geoff!
ICAPGen Conference 2008
I've been anticipating this conference since early September and so far it's been more than I expected. First, the drive to Provo went very well. It's a lovely day, despite our recent snowstorms. Although the close visitor parking lot was full, the next best thing had plenty of room, so there was plenty of time to register, pick up a syllabus (silly me for ever thinking I didn't want one of those!) and wind around the Wilkinson Building at BYU to find my first session.
I have sent for the packet to pursue becoming a Certified Genealogist, but hadn't thought about accreditation. After attending the first session about preparing for the accreditation process, I was excited to think that it's something that I would like to do. The next session I attended talked about many ways for genealogists to continue professional development. The presenter's introduction made me giggle. She said, "Teachers do professional development, so should we!"
I have a few family lines that might be German and are connected to Pennsylvania, so I attended a class about Palatine Immigrants. I'm not sure if I have any ancestors that were Palatine immigrants, they may have come too early, but I'm sure the resources will be useful.
Lunch in the Wilkerson Center was interesting. There were many display tables with various causes. I saw students studying, talking on cell phones, napping, talking together and lots of things. It's so different from when I was here. Many more places to get food, lots of large round tables, and lots of places to gather to study. Not sure what happened to the old ballroom though.
After lunch I went to the Eyring Science Center, but Brother Dibble wasn't in. Then back to the conference!
I have sent for the packet to pursue becoming a Certified Genealogist, but hadn't thought about accreditation. After attending the first session about preparing for the accreditation process, I was excited to think that it's something that I would like to do. The next session I attended talked about many ways for genealogists to continue professional development. The presenter's introduction made me giggle. She said, "Teachers do professional development, so should we!"
I have a few family lines that might be German and are connected to Pennsylvania, so I attended a class about Palatine Immigrants. I'm not sure if I have any ancestors that were Palatine immigrants, they may have come too early, but I'm sure the resources will be useful.
Lunch in the Wilkerson Center was interesting. There were many display tables with various causes. I saw students studying, talking on cell phones, napping, talking together and lots of things. It's so different from when I was here. Many more places to get food, lots of large round tables, and lots of places to gather to study. Not sure what happened to the old ballroom though.
After lunch I went to the Eyring Science Center, but Brother Dibble wasn't in. Then back to the conference!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Connections
Last year my youngest son accompanied me to the Family History Library. On our way downtown I asked him if he had something to do while he waited for me to find documents to copy. He loves to be my assistant, but gets quite bored waiting for me to find information to copy. He didn't bring anything to do, so when stopped at a light, I handed him a notebook with his pedigree and recommended that he select a family to research. He choose Thomas Norton King who was married to Sarah Rebecca Copp. When we got to the FHL he began his research, while I worked on mine, starting with books in the county in which we knew the family had lived Tioga County, Pennsylvania.
He was quite disappointed that he didn't find anything about the Kings, but he found a notation about the Copp family. Later in the week I used the clue he had found to locate a great number of Copp family members in the census and extend the Copp pedigree one generation. I kept thinking I should pursue this line, but haven't.
Today, while checking e-mail, I was invited to join a discussion board and found that another researcher had found the connection to the New York Copp family. This means that this line likely extends six or seven generations, right back to England! All because one bored son decided to check out a little family history. He still wants to find more on the King family....
He was quite disappointed that he didn't find anything about the Kings, but he found a notation about the Copp family. Later in the week I used the clue he had found to locate a great number of Copp family members in the census and extend the Copp pedigree one generation. I kept thinking I should pursue this line, but haven't.
Today, while checking e-mail, I was invited to join a discussion board and found that another researcher had found the connection to the New York Copp family. This means that this line likely extends six or seven generations, right back to England! All because one bored son decided to check out a little family history. He still wants to find more on the King family....
Saturday, March 12, 2005
A Waybright Mystery
This morning my e-mail included a message from Ancestry.com that one of my ancestors had a link...well, I clicked on it and didn't really find anything about that particular person that seemed to fit, but I got started on another mystery.
OneFamilyTree had two different men named Elijah Waybright married to Catherine Helmick. Both had the same birth day, but one died in 1861 and the other in 1882. I checked my sources. I had received my information from someone else. Then I started checking out the sources for the differing information. It is fairly compelling. According to Military Records of Individual Civil War Soldiers an Elijah Waybright enlisted in Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment Virginia of the Confederacy on 18 May 1861. He died 8 September 1861.
So, I decided that I'd better do a little investigation to see which death date was correct. I found Elijah in the 1860 US census of Pendleton County, Virginia on page 122 with wife Catherine and children Elizabeth, Sally A, William, Margaret A, and George W.
In the 1870 census Catherine is listed alone with children William, Phebe and James. Margaret and George are listed with the Abel Wymer household next door on one side and Sallie in the Elias Wymer household, next door on the other. Elizabeth is listed in the household of Nathan Strawder (Strother?). But that is a mystery for another day.
The 1880 census lists Catherine as a servant in the household of Strother Grady whose wife is Sarah. Phebe and James are also enumerated with their mother in this household. Under the Civil Condition column Catherine is listed as a widow. Perhaps Elijah did die in the Civil War.
Sarah, Strother's wife, died on 5 Feb 1882. Strother and Catherine married 10 June 1882. Unfortunately Strother died 11 Feb 1885, the month before their daughter Mary Solomon Grady was born on 31 Mar 1885. Catherine would have been 49. Catherine lived ten more years until 17 Mar 1895.
Interesting notes: Strother's son George had married Catherine's daughter Elizabeth on 28 Sep 1873. Mary Solomon Grady is found in the household of her brother, G (George) Waybright in the 1900 census of Circleville, Pendleton, West Virginia.
More questions: If Elijah died in 1861, who is the father of James, who was born in 1865?
OneFamilyTree had two different men named Elijah Waybright married to Catherine Helmick. Both had the same birth day, but one died in 1861 and the other in 1882. I checked my sources. I had received my information from someone else. Then I started checking out the sources for the differing information. It is fairly compelling. According to Military Records of Individual Civil War Soldiers an Elijah Waybright enlisted in Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment Virginia of the Confederacy on 18 May 1861. He died 8 September 1861.
So, I decided that I'd better do a little investigation to see which death date was correct. I found Elijah in the 1860 US census of Pendleton County, Virginia on page 122 with wife Catherine and children Elizabeth, Sally A, William, Margaret A, and George W.
In the 1870 census Catherine is listed alone with children William, Phebe and James. Margaret and George are listed with the Abel Wymer household next door on one side and Sallie in the Elias Wymer household, next door on the other. Elizabeth is listed in the household of Nathan Strawder (Strother?). But that is a mystery for another day.
The 1880 census lists Catherine as a servant in the household of Strother Grady whose wife is Sarah. Phebe and James are also enumerated with their mother in this household. Under the Civil Condition column Catherine is listed as a widow. Perhaps Elijah did die in the Civil War.
Sarah, Strother's wife, died on 5 Feb 1882. Strother and Catherine married 10 June 1882. Unfortunately Strother died 11 Feb 1885, the month before their daughter Mary Solomon Grady was born on 31 Mar 1885. Catherine would have been 49. Catherine lived ten more years until 17 Mar 1895.
Interesting notes: Strother's son George had married Catherine's daughter Elizabeth on 28 Sep 1873. Mary Solomon Grady is found in the household of her brother, G (George) Waybright in the 1900 census of Circleville, Pendleton, West Virginia.
More questions: If Elijah died in 1861, who is the father of James, who was born in 1865?
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Solving a mystery
Yesterday I received a letter from my aunt that included a copy of a photo and letter from a Mrs. Louis Robare of Turtle Creek, PA.
Dated Dec 14, 1947, the salutation was "Dear Aunt Mary & Uncle Henry." She told of the death of Louis Robare on March 20, 1946 with the comment, "...well it sure is awful with out him the world just dont seem the same to me any more,..." She also said that "...all of the rest of the Robares are well we sure have a large family now. I am going to make a book & enter all the family in it so I will send you a copy & tell you how many there are now,..." She then asked, "Aunt Mary do you remember were [sic] Grandmother Robare was born at what part of France, & allso were Uncle Joe Father was born at as we want to put that in the ledger, & there is no one left but you to tell us, so please drop me a few lines so we can enter it....& please tell me all about Beulah children as I would love to know,..."
What is sad is that Aunt Mary, Mrs. Henry Dankmer died the previous month, November 24, 1947. A note at the bottom of the letter seemed to indicate that the writer was not in contact with the family often. She wrote, "P.S. Aunt Mary if you can't write, please get Beulah girl to do it for you, please." Beulah had died 24 years previously.
So who was this Louis Robare? A check of my genealogy database showed no matching Louis Robares. Since it was addressed to "Aunt" Mary, then a guess was that Louis was the son of a brother of Joseph H. Robare, either David L. Robare who married Nellie Aitken, or Frank Robare.
I first found Louis Robare in the 1930 U.S. census of Turtle Creek Borough, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania at 132 9th Street--the same address as given in the letter. He is enumerated as Louis D, a 40 year old white male born in West Virginia (either in 1889 or 1890). His parents were reportedly born in France and Scotland. His wife was Bertha F, a white female aged 37 born in Pennsylvania. Her parents were reportedly born in Germany. Others in the home included a 20 year old son, David L. (named for his grandfather?), Margaret A and eleven year old daughter, Charles J an eight year old son, and an 18 year old daughter Mary A Ayers with one year old grandson Robert H. Ayers.
In 1920 the family included Louis, Bertha, David, Mary, Margaret and Anna Korber, mother-in-law and Louis Korber, brother.
A check in World Connect at Rootsweb included a Bertha Korber married to a Louis Robare. No details of Louis were included, but the parents of Bertha were Joseph C. (or C. Joseph) Korber (b: 1860 and d: 1901 in Pittsburgh, Allegany, PA--buried in the Braddock Monongahala Cemetery) and Anna Tirch (b: 13 Jan 1862 and d: 3 Dec 1934 in Turtle Creek). Bertha was supposedly born 29 October 1893 and died July 1975 in Turtle Creek.
At Ancestry.com a few bits and pieces were found:
The Obituary of Mrs. Anna Korber was found in the Monessen Daily Independent of Monessen, Pennsylvania, 6 Dec 1934, page 5: "Mrs. Anna Korber, mother of Mrs. Thomas J. Wanko, of this city, died Monday afternoon at 1:45 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Louis Robare, of Turtle Creek. She is survived by three daughters, one son, and thirteen grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, December 7, at St Joseph's church, with interment at St. Joseph's cemetery."
Nellie Robare aged 62, widowed, was listed as mother-in-law in household of Thomas S. Creighton and Mary E, his wife. Nellie Robare was listed as born in Scotland.
The Monongahela Cemetery of North Braddock, Pennsylvania tombstone inscriptions were found on Rootsweb and included:
Dated Dec 14, 1947, the salutation was "Dear Aunt Mary & Uncle Henry." She told of the death of Louis Robare on March 20, 1946 with the comment, "...well it sure is awful with out him the world just dont seem the same to me any more,..." She also said that "...all of the rest of the Robares are well we sure have a large family now. I am going to make a book & enter all the family in it so I will send you a copy & tell you how many there are now,..." She then asked, "Aunt Mary do you remember were [sic] Grandmother Robare was born at what part of France, & allso were Uncle Joe Father was born at as we want to put that in the ledger, & there is no one left but you to tell us, so please drop me a few lines so we can enter it....& please tell me all about Beulah children as I would love to know,..."
What is sad is that Aunt Mary, Mrs. Henry Dankmer died the previous month, November 24, 1947. A note at the bottom of the letter seemed to indicate that the writer was not in contact with the family often. She wrote, "P.S. Aunt Mary if you can't write, please get Beulah girl to do it for you, please." Beulah had died 24 years previously.
So who was this Louis Robare? A check of my genealogy database showed no matching Louis Robares. Since it was addressed to "Aunt" Mary, then a guess was that Louis was the son of a brother of Joseph H. Robare, either David L. Robare who married Nellie Aitken, or Frank Robare.
I first found Louis Robare in the 1930 U.S. census of Turtle Creek Borough, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania at 132 9th Street--the same address as given in the letter. He is enumerated as Louis D, a 40 year old white male born in West Virginia (either in 1889 or 1890). His parents were reportedly born in France and Scotland. His wife was Bertha F, a white female aged 37 born in Pennsylvania. Her parents were reportedly born in Germany. Others in the home included a 20 year old son, David L. (named for his grandfather?), Margaret A and eleven year old daughter, Charles J an eight year old son, and an 18 year old daughter Mary A Ayers with one year old grandson Robert H. Ayers.
In 1920 the family included Louis, Bertha, David, Mary, Margaret and Anna Korber, mother-in-law and Louis Korber, brother.
A check in World Connect at Rootsweb included a Bertha Korber married to a Louis Robare. No details of Louis were included, but the parents of Bertha were Joseph C. (or C. Joseph) Korber (b: 1860 and d: 1901 in Pittsburgh, Allegany, PA--buried in the Braddock Monongahala Cemetery) and Anna Tirch (b: 13 Jan 1862 and d: 3 Dec 1934 in Turtle Creek). Bertha was supposedly born 29 October 1893 and died July 1975 in Turtle Creek.
At Ancestry.com a few bits and pieces were found:
The Obituary of Mrs. Anna Korber was found in the Monessen Daily Independent of Monessen, Pennsylvania, 6 Dec 1934, page 5: "Mrs. Anna Korber, mother of Mrs. Thomas J. Wanko, of this city, died Monday afternoon at 1:45 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Louis Robare, of Turtle Creek. She is survived by three daughters, one son, and thirteen grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, December 7, at St Joseph's church, with interment at St. Joseph's cemetery."
Nellie Robare aged 62, widowed, was listed as mother-in-law in household of Thomas S. Creighton and Mary E, his wife. Nellie Robare was listed as born in Scotland.
The Monongahela Cemetery of North Braddock, Pennsylvania tombstone inscriptions were found on Rootsweb and included:
- Robare, Bertha F 1975
- Robare, Louis D 1946
There were also a few other Robare family members listed.
Although not conclusive, I hypothesize that Louis Robare was the oldest son of David L. Robare and Nellie Aitken who were married in Belmont County, Ohio, 27 February 1888. His sister was likely Mary E. who married Thomas Creighton.
Now the question is did Bertha write a family book? If so, where might I obtain a copy? A quick search of the general area of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania includes sixteen Robare households. Do they know more about my Robare family? I shall have to find out!
Monday, January 24, 2005
Why do I love family history?
Today someone made the comment that they have never been satisfied with anyone's answer for why they do genealogy. I really didn't have an answer either. It's something that I've loved for so long, I'm not sure why it's my passion.
I've been listening to the stories of my ancestors since I was a little girl. I've been interested in recording such things as long as I can remember. For me I feel a real connection to my country...for it was my ancestors who helped to build it. None of them are named by name in the history books, but they were some of the first settlers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other colonies. After settling here, a hundred or so years later, some fought in the American Revolution and then in other wars of our new country. As the country grew, some traveled went west and settled in Ohio. Some of my ancestors fought in the Civil War. Some on the side of the Union and others on the side of the Confederacy. Why did they come here? For religious freedom, opportunity for land, and well, one family came because they had to....
So that is one reason why the Statue of Liberty seems to be such a great banner for my home page, even the island upon which is stands was at one time owned by a direct ancestor. What a thrill it was to finally walk on Liberty Island and know that once it was Bedloe's Island, just a farm where an immigrant family (all of the colonists were immigrant families back then) had settled.
I also like to think that we are all connected...I am who I am in part because of who they were. Many of my ancestors were religious leaders, teachers, farmers and hard workers. They left behind a legacy of love of family, love of country and love of their fellow men. In my search for who they were, I feel that I am learning in part who I am.
I've been listening to the stories of my ancestors since I was a little girl. I've been interested in recording such things as long as I can remember. For me I feel a real connection to my country...for it was my ancestors who helped to build it. None of them are named by name in the history books, but they were some of the first settlers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other colonies. After settling here, a hundred or so years later, some fought in the American Revolution and then in other wars of our new country. As the country grew, some traveled went west and settled in Ohio. Some of my ancestors fought in the Civil War. Some on the side of the Union and others on the side of the Confederacy. Why did they come here? For religious freedom, opportunity for land, and well, one family came because they had to....
So that is one reason why the Statue of Liberty seems to be such a great banner for my home page, even the island upon which is stands was at one time owned by a direct ancestor. What a thrill it was to finally walk on Liberty Island and know that once it was Bedloe's Island, just a farm where an immigrant family (all of the colonists were immigrant families back then) had settled.
I also like to think that we are all connected...I am who I am in part because of who they were. Many of my ancestors were religious leaders, teachers, farmers and hard workers. They left behind a legacy of love of family, love of country and love of their fellow men. In my search for who they were, I feel that I am learning in part who I am.
Beulah Agnes Robare Scott (1894-1923) when she was about eighteen years old. She was a tiny woman who was the mother of three children before she passed away at the age of twenty eight. Beulah was born, lived, and died along the Ohio River. As I learn more about the history of the area, I hope to learn more about her life.
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