It's not forever...it's just for now

I am stopping for awhile.

But, it's not forever -- it's just for now.

I keep a running tab of all of the classes and webinars that I attend and listen to.  I also keep a list of all of the classes and webinars that I present.  

Peggy presenting at the OGS Conference in Sandusky, Ohio -- 2015.

It was just last November that I began to assemble the list into its final form.  I do this so that when I am applying for my renewal for Accreditation through ICAPGEN, I can show that I am keeping myself active and current.  As I tallied the list for 2015, I counted up 62 presentations that I have given in that year alone.

That is not counting webinars.

And, it's also not 62 different trips.  Sometimes I am at a venue for an entire day or more, and there may be several presentations.  All in all, they added up to 62.

And, I'm a bit tired.

After talking it over with Mr. Kerry, I decided to fulfill all of my commitments up through the end of June 2016.  Then, I'm done for the year.  There are actually still a couple of webinars, and a local presentation, plus one in Kentucky.  Those presentations are completed, and I will revamp them leading up to the date.  That won't take long.

So today, I gave my last presentation for awhile.  It was at The Ohio Genealogical Society, which I love and live close to.

For the next six months, I am going to concentrate on me.  I have unfinished projects that need to completed.  Those are difficult to do when I'm in constant preparation and heading out the door.  

I am also going to refresh some of the 30+ presentations that I have listed on my website, and work on the 9-10 I have in various phases of completion.  They need some work, too.
http://misspeggy55.weebly.com/lecture-topics.html 

Now, I'm not out of the picture.  I will continue to be very active on Facebook, and listening to webinars and online learning any way that I can.  I must do this, for I want to keep my mind active and learning for as long as I can.

I will come rolling back in 2017 stronger and rested up, for I have already booked well into that year, plus a couple into 2018.

Now, please don't worry about me.  There is nothing wrong with me -- I am simply recharging myself.  And, I'm grateful I am able to do this, for we still have Mr. Kerry's pension coming in.  Last year alone, I doubled our income.  

So, as of today, I'm putting my feet up, not wondering which city I'm waking up in, eating food from my own kitchen, and getting ready to do some fixing-up around here.  It needs it.

I'll be back!  I promise!!  And if a local society really needs a presentation, I can probably be talked into it.  We'll see.

Love to you all...
MissP

Peggy wearing her dad's fishing hat.
After he died, I pulled all of the fishhooks out of it, cleaned it up, and glued a flower on it.
It's my very favorite hat!

Don't Forget Me!

Several years ago, my sister Betty found a death certificate on FamilySearch that she had not been aware of before.  It was a death certificate for her mother-in-law's little sister, who was born at 5 1/2 months into her mother's pregnancy, and died the same day.

"Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-21234-1412-86?cc=1307272 : 21 May 2014), 1911 > 33211-35940 > image 2018 of 3256.

Betty kept asking me to help her get it into the computer and onto FamilySearch, but time kept slipping away.  It turned into a "one of these days things".  I was partly at fault, for this was my brother-in-law's family, and it wasn't at the top of my list of things to do.

Then, my brother-in-law passed away in Oct 2015.  

Sister Betty became immersed in all that is required around the death of a spouse, but continually kept running across this certificate.  One evening, she called me and asked me to help her again.  I responded, "Let's do it right now!"

Me:  Where did you find the certificate?
Betty:  On FamilySearch
Me:  What name is it listed under?
Betty:  Baby Schueneman
Me:  What year did this happen?
Betty:  1911

That was all I needed at the time to arm myself for a search.  And, I found the certificate in no time.

"Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-21234-1429-94?cc=1307272 : 21 May 2014), 1911 > 33211-35940 > image 2019 of 3256.

Or, so I thought.  

Because of the advent of modern technology, we have the capability to magnify and enlarge our screen images.  I saw a word after the cause of death that "looked" like it said "twin".  

I quickly called Betty, and told her to get her hard copy of the certificate out, along with her magnifying glass.  I waited while she located them, then told her to look very carefully at the copy that she had.

There was no question that these were two separate and distinct certificates, with Baby Schueneman's certificate numbers being 34908 and 34909.  And, until it was enlarged, I actually thought the word in parenthesis was "Irwin".

These babies had no entry on www.findagrave.com or on www.BillionGraves.com.  Betty contacted the cemetery where the babies' grandparents were buried, and found they were buried in the same plot with the grandparents, but had no headstone.  

Their parents were buried many years later in a cemetery approximately fifteen miles away.  I have since made entries on FindAGrave that connect the babies with their parents.  

Thanks to the persistence of an older sister who was trying to do the best she could with her husband's family, she kept after me until I finally gave in and found the time to help her.  

Otherwise, Baby Schueneman might never have been included in the family records.  

Lessons learned:
1.  When something is pressing on your mind concerning your ancestors, pay attention to it.  This was not pressing on my mind, but it had always been in the back of my sister's mind.

2.  Learn to examine every record carefully.  Use magnification tools to enlarge and enhance.

3.  Make an effort to find a burial site, and connect them on FindAGrave.  In this case, these two babies were buried alongside grandparents.

4.  And, most of all, don't forget them!  One of these babies would have been left out and forgotten if there hadn't been followthrough.

It Takes Time

Genealogy research takes time.

Sometimes a little.  Sometimes a lot.  But, it does take time.  

I have the opportunity to present genealogy lectures across the country and on many webinar platforms.  I can't begin to express how much I love doing this.  It's something I never, ever thought I would be doing, for all I ever wanted to be was a wife and mom.

And, that took time.

Case studies are particularly informative.  I love listening to others' journeys into solving a family history problem, and present several of my lectures using that same format.  They seem to be well received, for they show the attendees the bread crumb trail that leads to solid information on an ancestor.

But, they take time.

I recently presented a webinar for Legacy Family Tree Webinars, and have received many comments about it via email and Facebook.  It represented my grandmother's family lines straight back into the late 1700's.  Some of that information led to a lengthy court case that extended down to her day.

But, it took time.

It's important for attendees to recognize that when looking at someone's case study, they may be looking at what took years and years of research, and not an afternoon of sitting down looking at hints from various big name websites.  Those who enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles will understand this perfectly!

So, don't become discouraged when research doesn't fall into place in a short amount of time.  Most case studies demonstrate research that has been done over a period of time, where the information gathered has been carefully perused and put into place.

I love giving webinars!  

This was taken last year while giving another webinar for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.

It's how I usually do research, too -- except I have moved all of my folders, papers, and books to make me look good.