2019 - Gratitude Month #17 - My Ancestors

Gratitude day #17

Today I am grateful for my ancestors, and for what I have learned of their lives through genealogy.

My parents were the ones who whetted my appetite in learning of my family's history. I was born into an old family, and heard firsthand of the early lives of my grandparents, all born in the 1880s and 1890s.

I touched their hands! Their hands had touched those who were born in the 1820s and 1830s! I have touched history.

I have researched their lives, I have learned of their struggles and successes, I have read of the abject poverty they were living in years after their service in the Revolutionary War as they tried to recount their military days to receive a pension.

I've seen them on the move in their migration. I don't move around much, and the thought of packing up and crossing into the unknown overwhelms me.

I've seen them bury child after child after child; parents whose feelings would have been no different than ours as we stood at our son's graveside.

I have photos of many of them. I have looked into their eyes. I can almost feel them looking into mine.

I often wonder if they are wagging their head as I am trying to trace their history; wondering if they feel like saying to me, "Peggy, you're looking in the wrong place. Go back and look at my pedigree again, and get it right this time!"

I'm grateful I have gotten to know these many generations of loved ones who went through what they did to give me what I enjoy today. Whose characters were firm and strong, and their integrity solid.

I hope that when I meet them, they won't be strangers to me. I know their stories, and hope to hear about some of the stories I'm not aware of.

Planning for RootsTech 2019

I am busy this week.

And, I'll just bet that you are, too!  In less than two weeks, Christmas will be here.  Then, we take a breath and the New Year with all of its festivities will be right here, too.

January will give us a chance to regroup, and think about how we're going to plan out our genealogy research and travels.  There are so many opportunities we have to become better genealogists, so that our hard work will have credibility.

RootsTech is always a treat for me.  

I've been to Utah more times than I can count in my lifetime.  I went when I was a young girl with my parents.

Mr. Kerry's family lives in Utah, and even before our marriage we were making trips so that I could get to know his large family.

Now, as empty-nesters, we continue to go so that I can do research at the Family History Library.  

RootsTech 2019 will be exciting again this year, with some extraordinary keynote speakers.  You can learn all about it here:  https://www.rootstech.org/

Some of you may be attending RootsTech for the first time, or may even be visiting Salt Lake City for the first time.  Perhaps you may be arriving a few days early, or staying a few days later.  There is much to do in the downtown area.  And, here is a wonderful guide to help you navigate your time:  https://www.templesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Temple-Square-Planning-Guide.pdf

It is a wonderful pdf booklet put together to help you take advantage of all of the wonderful things that are available for you to do if you have the chance to explore.

I hope to see you there!

A busy year of genealogy presentations - 2018

Today is brought to you by the number 73.

As this latest Legacy Family Tree Webinar was released today, this marks 73 presentations I have given this year.

Some have been given in person, such as jamborees, conferences, societies, day long seminars, institutes, and like-minded events. Others have been via webinars, such as the one today.

And, I am very, very grateful.

I'm grateful that I was asked in the first place! Of all of the topics that could have been chosen, you chose those that you felt may have benefited your group the best. I thank you for that.

I'm grateful that I have had many good teachers who have helped me become proficient in technology, which enabled me to do these things in the first place. Most of those teachers have been FB friends who are reading this post.

I am grateful that I have had good health to travel to the four corners of this beautiful country, and all of the areas in between. Mr. Kerry and I made five trips across America this year alone; the rest of the time I flew. That's when he sings to wake me up in the morning. Wait...he does that when he's with me, too.

I'm grateful that I have been able to meet so many people in the genealogy community! I have heard your stories about your grandpas, listened to your dilemmas, and even shed a few tears as you shared your successes.

I'm grateful that when I am attending an event, I also have the opportunity to sit in on classes and do some more learning for myself. I am never finished learning, and don't ever want to be. I thirst for more knowledge.

At the end of last year, I counted up what I had done during 2017, and the number was 70. I didn't think I could do that two years in a row. But, in March I counted up what I had committed to this year, and it was 68.

Okay.

But, then I said yes to five more. And, it's okay.

So, I thank the wonderful organizers who work so hard to plan their events, work their schedules, jiggle and wiggle things around to make them fit, and make it a pure joy to come to your area of the country -- whether in person or over the Internet.

You make my life so full.

Through Fifty Years of Genealogy

What a wonderful walk 

down memory lane!

I am very fortunate to be both attending and presenting at the BYU Conference on Genealogy and Family History, which is celebrating 50 years on this campus.

BYU assembled a wonderful display of genealogy through the past 50 years.  Located near the Vendor Hall, it was frequently filled with people exclaiming, "Oh, I remember those!"

So, let me show you some of this wonderful display...

The Entrance

This old card catalog brought a flood of memories to my mind.  I have spent hours hunched over drawers, where the items I was looking for were usually on the bottom.

We were each given a card like the one above.

If we completed three activities, we were awarded a BYU brownie - the best in the world.

The above two cards are given to each patron. 

They outline the services that are available from BYU.

 Now, this is where I literally got a lump in my throat.  I used to spend hours and hours copying information from pedigree charts and family group sheets that my parents had painstakingly recorded.  Those copies would be sent to Salt Lake City, or given to relatives who may have asked for them.

 My dad was so excited when he could finally afford a wide-carriage typewriter!  He only typed with his two index fingers, but he was as fast as me!

 Kerry had to try his hand at the old standard typewriter.  When I helped my parents fill out their information, part of the pedigree chart had to be folded under.

 Paper!  We used lots and lots of paper!  Actually, I still do.  I miss those old Research Outlines that were sold for twenty-five cents at Family History Centers.  And, I still have them for ever state.

 Oh, the reference books.  I actually own every single one of the books on this chart.  Some of them were printed when my parents were first beginning their research in the late 1940's and early 1950's.

 I still have my overhead projector and my slides.  When I first began speaking back in the 1980's, I actually lugged it around with me, along with 3-ring notebooks filled with my overhead "slides" that were in sheet protectors.

I learned early on that they needed to be housed in a notebook in sheet protectors after dropping a stack of them.  They went sliding like they were on ice.

 Displays are often found on charts in living rooms as people proudly display their heritage.

 Oh, my aching right arm!  I, along with hundreds of thousands of other genealogists, can remember the cranking of the microfilm reels.  They even had readers for left-handed people.

When patrons in the Family History Center would ask for advice for their first visit to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, I told them to bring along a bottle of Tylenol for their back and arms and shoulders.

Before the advent of Family History Centers, all microfilm had to be viewed in Salt Lake City.  None could be sent anywhere.

 With the advent of computers, processing became faster.  I used to own a computer similar to the one above.

Just look at that screen!

 Studies have shown that children do better in life when the feel a connection with their past.  I have never seen such a time when so many children have been involved!

I was raised going to cemeteries and courthouses, and I'm grateful to see the younger generation getting on board.

 Family history now takes center stage in people's homes.  Or rather, it can take center stage.  There are many tools and apps available at our fingertips to sharpen our knowledge and skills.

The home base for genealogy and family history is now our own home.  The days for travel to the actual place where our ancestors lived have lessened.  Research and processing and recording can be done in a quiet corner of our home as we recall the stories associated with our ancestors.

This display was such a delight to walk through.  It brought back memories and "aha" moments as I realized I have used every one of these tools to get to where we are today.

What about you?

Do these spur some memories in your life?

Please don't throw it away!

Okay, I'm going to be completely honest.

My heart is breaking.

About 25 years ago, I was the Family History Center Director at our local facility here in north central Ohio.

I met so many wonderful people who taught me things that I still use today.

And, I still keep in contact with many of them, too.

Yesterday, Mr. Kerry and I attended a community meeting where various historical societies and museums from our area want to work cohesively, and be a clearinghouse for all things history.

Ohio is a rich history base, 

and it makes sense to combine

our efforts.

I saw someone there from the previous days when I was Director,

and we caught up on each others' lives.

Except, he no longer does genealogy.

Nope.

He threw it all out.

I had to sit down.

This man was an excellent and thorough genealogist, 

and spent lots of time and money traveling to

various facilities for research.

He particularly loved going to the National Archives

in Washington, DC.

He had traced various lines of his family

back to the 1500's.

But, in the years since I have seen him,

his father died.

His mother died.

Two years ago, his sister died.

He is the only one left.

He reasoned that since there is no one left in the family,

there is no use to keep it.

So, he threw 23 volumes of research away.

It is gone.

Perhaps he was grieving.

Perhaps he was feeling alone.

But, it's gone.

So, for my followers on this blog,

if you are ever in the same situation where you feel your research 

will not matter,

or be of use to anyone - 

please, please think again.

Think before you act.

Find a trusted friend or genealogist and talk with them.

Find someone who will be willing to upload it to 

Ancestry.com

or 

FamilySearch.org

or any of the dozens of other online trees.

There will be someone...

somewhere...

that you may never meet or know about

that will thank you for what you have done.

But, please don't throw it away 

because you think no one will ever care.

Constant cleaning up

Many years ago, I'm going to say probably about 1994, I attended the BYU Conference on Genealogy and Family History for the very first time.  I loved it!  Little did I realize that I would be one of the speakers many years later.  I have enjoyed speaking there for many years now.

At that time, I didn't use a computer for much of anything.  We had one in the house that my children knew how to use.  But, my thoughts were that it was a glorified typewriter.

One of the keynote speakers that year was Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I have always enjoyed his talks and his writings, and have missed them since his death several  years ago.  At this particularly conference, he asked the question, "How many of you, when people find out you are tracing your family history, want to know how far back you have gone?"

Of course, nearly every hand shot up, with a ripple of laughter through the crowd.

He then gave some very wise counsel.  He said that instead of worrying about how far back we can go, perhaps we should clean up what we already have.

Truer words could not have been spoken.

In the twenty-one years since he issued that challenge, I have concentrated on the correctness of my own genealogy records, beginning with my own self.  I have found the following:

• Additional marriages
• Corrected places of births, deaths, and marriages.
• Corrected dates of the above, including more than just the year.
• Military records that became so numerous I had to put them into a spreadsheet.  The number of military ancestors is now 186.
• Stories from extended family members and newspapers.
• Babies that were unknown to our family.  As of this writing, I have now found 79 babies, the oldest being four years old.
• Temple work that needed to be completed.

I had more cleaning up to do than I ever thought.  My parents were thorough, but there is more accessibility with today's technology.

Plus, perhaps they are helping me out a bit.

So, I needed to put a bit more effort into what I thought had been a pretty good genealogy.  However, I now realize it was only the beginning.

Thank you, Elder Maxwell!  I'll keep at it.

The Problem With City Directories

City directories can provide such a rich snapshot of the neighborhoods of our ancestors.

 Just look at this lovely old directory from Sacramento City, 1851.

Another beautiful example from Cleveland, Ohio, 1837.

But, I have one really big problem with city directories; not a single one of my ancestors lived in a city.  Therefore, these really are of no value to me.

Just last week, I went to the headquarters of The Ohio Genealogical Society, which is just six miles from my home.  I'm there often, but not often enough.  Friends from Indiana were headed home after the Thanksgiving holiday, and they had never been there.  Would we like to meet up?

Of course!  I arranged for them to have a tour from one of the most knowledgeable staff members I know; Missy Derrenberger.  I always tag along, for I learn things I didn't know I didn't know.  This day was no exception.

As they marveled at the holdings at this wonderful library (one of the ten largest genealogical libraries east of the Mississippi), I only listened in occasionally.  I've heard it before.  I'm there all the time.  But, this time, Missy was instructing them on the value of county directories.

I have to be honest.  I have never given them a second thought.  

When I returned home, I began to think about them more.  So, I returned on Saturday to talk with Missy.

Shelves of county directories are available at OGS.

A few years ago, she and another volunteer learned that a large collection of these directories were going to be thrown away.  Through a series of correspondence, they made the trek and returned home with hundreds of copies.

The directories cover the years 1915-1921, stop for awhile, then begin again in the 1930's.  They have consistently been published now since the 1950's.

There are several differences between these and the city directories.

The cover of the Mercer Co., Ohio Directory - 1915.

 The title page of the Trumbull Co., OH Directory - 1936.  It states the townships that are covered in the directory.

Shelby County, Ohio - 1936 County Directory

 But...look at the priceless differences in what you find in a county directory.  Look at the entry for ALTEPETER, Paul W.  His wife Herschema is listed, as well as Martha (age 1), Geo (age 2), and Phil (age 4).  I can't remember what the "T" stands for, but he is employed at Gibson Grain Prod, and lives at 54 Road 27 RD 4, Sidney, Ohio.

City directories don't typically list the family members and their ages.  At least none that I've ever looked at.

Richland County, Ohio - 1995-96 County Directory

As we come a bit closer to our time period, we notice that even phone numbers are given,  Look at the Andrew M. Troyer family.  They live on a farm and have no phone.  (My guess is that they are Amish, for this is a typically Amish name in an area where many Amish families live.)  His wife Fanny A is listed, along with a number of children.  The numbers after their names are not their ages, but their birth years.

I can see that I have a lot more research to do, which includes a lot of backtracking.  I honestly have not known too much about county directories.  When the word "directory" is brought up, I have just automatically thought city directory.  It appears I have been wrong.

The Ohio Genealogical Society houses these directories only for this state.  I must now see if there are some available for the areas of Appalachia I must search in.

Against the wishes of her husband

My mother, Ida Stevens Clemens, along with my three sisters Fern, Jean and Betty, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1948.

It was in a day when women didn't always go against the wishes of their husbands, especially in West Virginia.

But, mom did.

When two missionaries from the Church knocked on her door, she listened to their brief message and invited them in.  Having not been raised in a particular religion, she was intrigued by what they had to say.  She writes in her journal:

"So now I have grown older now and have started to go too church by my self and  with neighbors to the church nowon as the Jesus only church.  And there where I met my husband to be I was 16 year old when I met him we all went to church at the same place he was baptized at one time in the Jesus only church before we were married."

Over a period of time, they returned and taught a series of "discussions", which eventually led to her commitment to be baptized with her girls.  She gave up smoking her Camel unfiltered cigarettes.  It was during this time that she and my sisters had many dreams that brought comfort to them as they made this decision.  They recorded those dreams, and I have transcribed them.  But, they are much too personal to let others read them.

They were baptized in the Guyandotte River in Logan, West Virginia.  Sister Betty nearly floated away, but they grabbed her by the hair of her head.

Dad was not pleased.

The missionaries had become a bit pushy with him, and he wasn't real sure he liked it.  So, like many others in this area of the country, they began to look northward.  Dad had three stipulations for any area he would bring his family to:
1.  A better job for him.
2.  Better education for his three girls.
3.  No Mormon church in the area!

On New Year's Day, 1950, they made it as far as Portsmouth, Ohio in a raging blizzard.  Dad had an aunt living there, and they waited out the blizzard.

Mansfield, Ohio would become their home.  All three of dad's conditions were met.

But, just four months later, Mormon missionaries were assigned to the Mansfield area.  They tracted out my mom and sisters, and a small branch was formed.

Dad was befriended by others in this small LDS community.  He was a heavy smoker.  But, slowly he was beginning to realize that he needed this religion in his life.  One day, while helping to put a roof on a church member's home and smoking away, a man teasingly asked him, "Clem, when are you going to give up those cigarettes?"

He looked at him and said, "The one you see me smoking here is the last one you'll ever see me smoke."  He threw the butt over the edge and never smoked again.

Dad worked second shift, and Mom would have a pot of coffee waiting on him when he got home at about 11:30 pm.  He would drink the whole thing.  Mom told him that it was going to kill him, for she could feel the pounding of his heart through the mattress.

Dad was baptized in 1951, and was a faithful member all of his life.  He was baptized in the YMCA swimming pool.  The following week, they asked them not to meet there again, for the lint from their baptismal suits was clogging up the drains.

The church members complied, and the following week a gas line blew up the building.

I came along in 1955, and dad baptized me when I turned 8 years old.

Mom's decision to go against the wishes of her husband was not a popular one.  When dad joined, it was even less popular, for many in his family disowned him.  But, her initial decision affected thousands, for thus began her quest for her family's history.  Dad would soon join her in that quest.

And, their love of genealogy passed right on down to me.

Helping another...just because

A few months ago, I received a phone call from the Temple President in Columbus, Ohio.  A lady who was not a member of our church had called the temple, wanting to know if someone could help her find out something about her family.  She wasn't even sure who her father's family was.

President Brandt said, "Point her to Peggy!"

I called the woman, told her who I was, and reassured her that I was someone she could trust.  She  was African-American,  and was elderly.  I asked her a few questions, again reassuring her that she need not fear me, and told her I would get back with her as soon as I had something.

Her family was not that difficult to find.  I spent part of an afternoon doing some basic research and locating her family in census records, death records and obituaries.

I ended up taking her family back to the Civil War days.  Imagine that!  Clear back to the days of bondage.

I called her again to tell her I found some things she would be interested in, and asked her for her address.  Again, she was a bit hesitant, but I told her that once I sent the items to her I would shred her phone number and address.

I sent sixty pages of her family's history to her.

I didn't hear from her for a couple of weeks.  I just chalked it up to an "Oh, well" moment, and went on my way.

Then, the phone call came.  She was beyond ecstatic!!  She had shared the information with her children and grandchildren, and they were excited to take it to the next level.  I told her that it might be a challenge to get beyond the Civil War, and that she should refer to the web sites I had given her in my letter to her.

This was one of those wonderful, feel-good moments that come in helping another.  I don't know if Miss Pauline will ever know her pre-Civil War family, but what I sent to her brought her and her family great joy - which in turn, gave me great joy.