Tell us why this is so important

There's the little things we miss if we don't pay attention.  What did Grandma say about that piece of silverware or the old clock on the mantle.  What was Dad telling you about the postcard that Grandpa sent back to Sweden.  If we really listened to those stories we've heard in family gatherings or at the dinner table, what clues would we find?
How about letters saved and sitting in a box somewhere?  Are there clues to a family member's life adventures?

I find and record these genealogical facts and dates and locations so I can tell the stories of those who have gone before.  Ordinary lives that have become extraordinary - and important.  How did Great-grandma survive the Depression.  How did Great-greatgrandpa make that trip across the prairie?  How did great Aunt survive the relocation and boarding school life she was forced into?  Does Uncle remember what he thought when Rosa Parks wouldn't sit in the back of the bus? What did Dad do to get past the time in the military?  How did Mom help you through the effects of The Big One?

Did someone tell you a story?  Did someone show you a tool or an article and describe what it was for and who used it?  Do you remember?  Have you written it down?

It's all part of a larger story.  One that you will want to leave for your grandkids or greatgrandchildren, or even the children of others, who will very soon be running this world.  What kind of values and ideas do you want to leave for them?
How will they know unless you record it?
Write it down. Record it.  Take a picture.

Tell us why the things Grandma did back in the Old Days is important to us today. 

The McNutt Mystery

A new little part to the Levi James McNutt mystery came to me the other day.
A person named Gardner is a Find A Grave volunteer over in Mississippi.  She found Sarah Frances Hopkins grave stone!
Sarah Frances Hopkins is the daughter if Elisha and Elizabeth Smithwick Hopkins.  She is also the only Sarah Hopkins that was the daughter of Elisha and Elizabeth Hopkins, the Grandparents of Levi James McNutt. This makes it possible that this is the grave of LJ McNutt's mother.

This graveyard is in Guntown, Lee County, Mississippi. It's an old graveyard and apparently abandoned even though it is right in town.  An interesting thing was the good condition of the gravestone.  I said that someone must have put a new stone there since the one placed there in 1874 would have been well worn by now.  I was hoping there might be living relatives still in the area. Gardner wrote back and mentioned that the gravestone was an example of pottery markers.  Apparently these where found in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama. Pottery markers are glazed and weather well compared to marble markers.
http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/loyd-style-stoneware-or-pottery-grave.html
I will be writing to Guntown city hall to find out if they know anything about the folks buried in the field across from them...

Did the Snare family go to Nebraska?

The whole herd move from Illinois to Nebraska!
Mary Ann Snare [b:1832 in Licking County, Ohio] married William Maxwell Reed [b: 1827 in Newark, Licking County, Ohio] over in Licking County, Ohio.  They moved over to Knox County Illinois about 1855 where children, Mahala, Nora, William, Otis, Effie and Hulda where born. 

Then as a family, the Reeds moved to Nebraska about the same time as the Jeffery's, whom they had married into, came from Grant County, Wisconsin.  I was wondering if the Snare's moved to Nebraska along with the other families.  It looks like John Jeffery even took his father-in-law Jacob Hall to settle in Nebraska territory. So there must have been a number of ox drawn wagons going west to Lancaster County, Nebraska a little before 1867.

Daniel and Mary Ann "Polly" Crowell Snare moved with the family from Licking County, Ohio to Knox County, Illinois about 1855.  Daniel and Mary Ann didn't go to Nebraska though.  They both died in Harmon, Knox County, Ill. 
So the next question is, did any of the Snare kids go to Nebraska [besides Mary Ann].


Hummm.  No, Melissa Snare got married to William C. McElrea and they lived out their lives in Harmon, Knox County, Ill.
Sidney Whipple Snare ended up in Grand Junction, Mesa County, Colorado. He married Sarah Ellen Babbitt.
Sarah Ellen Snare married Martin Milam and ended up in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California.
So what happened to Laura, Lyman and Reevis?
Did they stay in Ohio?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Time to do some census review and a little looking in the Licking County OH and Lancaster County, Neb archives on
www.usgenweb.com
Guess I'd better go find out!

Genealogy fun while unpacking, Brown and Palmer

I couldn't help it. Even while I am still unpacking and trying to get the house in order I had to look around on the internet. In an Ancestry.com newsletter someone mentioned state census.' I have had a good time looking at the state census related to the places our folks have lived because you never know what kind of information you will find. Some are as plain as the early Nebraska state census, where people where named and the places they lived where listed, and that was it. But the early Iowa census was another matter. I found my many time great grandparents Fred and Susan T. Knowles Brown with all their kids. Not only that, but the 1885 Iowa State Census had as much info as the Federal Census. Profession, where born, what county if they where born in Iowa, whether their parents where native or immigrant and if they could vote [males only]. It also showed that males where subject to military duty. And while perusing this document I happened to glance down the page and see Claude and Mary Palmer where living nearby. Mary is the daughter of Susan T and Fred Brown. Nice bit of extra information there, because I didn't know that Claude and Mary had a daughter named Carrie.

Moving genealogy stuff

Ok, Moving isn't the greatest fun I've ever had. But this time it went a little better. I had family papers in files if they weren't in the books yet. There's plastic hanging file boxes that a few hanging files slip right into. They're nice because you can use the carry handle to tote them right off to the latest place of research or pack into the right size box just as they are.
This time, photos where in the proper photobook or in a central repository [a large plastic file] so they could be safely transported. I even got everything into the boxes in some sort of order so that when I got the chance to work with the information over here at the new place, I would know what it was! [Where not talking the most tidy mind here - I'm the "pile it, don't file it" kind].
Now if I could only find my camera and memory sticks and such...

Isn't it neet to come upon some surprises sometimes?
Here we have a picture of my Aunt Kathy and her father Arthur Lovell Martin. She has this photo in a frame in her home office. I asked her about it in an offhand way. She surprised me with a story about the photo and several stories related to it.

Experienced genealogical researchers say to talk to living family members first and see what kind of information and artifacts they may have in their possession.

My Aunt was always in my life. I took her for granted. I never thought to ask her any questions about family because she didn't offer any information. And here she turned out to have a treasure trove of memories and on top of that, a few shoe boxes of wonderful photos!
When I sat and looked at these photos with her I got to ask more questions which lead to more memories, and even more places to search.
Remember, never take anyone in your family for granted...

Finding People

When I got the cardboard box with what remained of my Great-Grandmother Blythe Stillwell's articles I was blessed that mounds of photos survived. I guess no one saw the value in these photos, but I did!
I didn't know all the people in those photos but I knew enough [and had my Mother to ask about others]. Thus started my genealogical journey finding out about the family I never knew.
And while I was looking for the people I knew I kept the photos of those I didn't.
This is one of the photos I put aside for later. I'm glad I did because the writing on the back of this postcard turned out to be a clue to the identity of one of the fellows pictured!

It was written to John Hinkley, Great Grandma Nonnie's adoptive father. On the back it says, " April 19, 1910. Can you pick Guy out? This is his force of men. He is the foreman of NP freight house. He has seven men under him. He first had this taken today.
Angie
He wanted me to send you one."

I had some pictures of William and Angie Hinkley at verious times of their lives. William was John Hinkley's brother. At one point I followed them through the US census. When John T. and Sallie Delaney Hinkley moved from Missouri to Nebraska, his brother William along with Angie Phillips Hinkley and their kids moved up to Butte, Montana! So I looked through further census for them in Montana, and what do you know? Guy is their son! I got that box out and looked through to see where I had read that name before and there was the postcard.

The clothing Guy's crew is wearing tells me that NP is a railroad.
A lookup on Google for NP railroad revealed a Wikipedia listing of original Montana railroads and their successors. NP was the Northern Pacific & Montana Railroad.

Keep those old photos with the people you don't know, because if you look long enough, you will!