Another Twitter Cousin

On Saturday morning I opened up my Tweetdeck console, and while I checked out my Twitter messages I decided to post a few Surname Saturday messages. Surname Saturday is a daily blogging theme that I and many genealogy bloggers use over at GeneaBloggers - it lets us post our surnames we are researching either in a blog post or as a message on Twitter.  The goal is to get a wider recognition for some of the surnames and to see if others are perhaps researching the same lines.

Well, I posted some of my usual Surname Saturday messages on twitter which always include the hashtags #surnames and #genealogy (click the image to embiggen):

Pretty soon, I receive a reply from someone on Twitter.  While it isn't related to my MacEntee or McEntee lines, it is someone who also has a surname from Ulster County, New York:

Right away, I could see that we were probably cousins - I have the names Roosa (also related to the Roosevelts of Hyde Park, New York) and Schepmoes in my research.  So in my next message, I say how I am related along the Schepmoes line:

Well it turns out that we have the same 6th great-grandmother - Rebecca Schepmoes, born 1687 in Kingston, New York! You can see the rest of the messages here:

So to see if we are even further related and how far removed, I wanted to trace my descendancy from our common ancestors.  Hopefully I'll get a response from Chris, my new found cousin in Charlotte, North Carolina!

Jan Pieter Schepmoes, d. 24 Jun 1608 - 9th great-grandfather
Jan Janszen Schepmoes, 1605 - 1686 - 8th great-grandfather
Dirck Jansen Schepmoes, 1648 - 1724 - 7th great-grandfather
Rebecca Schepmoes, b, 1687 - 6th great-grandmother
Isaac Abraham Roosa, b. 1728 - 5th great-grandfather
Isaac I. Roosa,  1780-1860 - 4th great-grandfather
Jane F. Roosa, 1822 - 1903 - 3rd great-grandmother
William R.  Krom, 1847 - 1891 - 2nd great-grandfather
Loretta Margarette Krom, 1892 - 1947 - great-grandmother
Loretta Slattery, 1920 - 1986 - grandmother
Richard MacEntee [dates withheld for privacy purposes] - father

So the lesson of all this is: put those surnames out on Twitter, Facebook and other social media just as you would post a query on a genealogy message board! You never know who is going to find you and what connection you will make!


© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

SUCCESS! Slattery - Leehive Hypotheses Proved

I am on my way out the door to the Utah Genealogical Association's membership banquet with Mark Lowe as guest speaker, but I had to share a success this afternoon at the Family History Library here in Salt Lake City.

For several years now I suspected that both of my 2nd great-grandparents on my father's side - Martin Slattery and Margaret Leehive - died prior to 1900. The evidence which I had gathered as part of my proof:

• The Slattery family is seen in the 1880 US Federal Census in Rosendale, Ulster County, New York although most of the children were not yet born.

• Martin and Margaret could not be located in the 1900 US Federal Census; however, their children with the surname Slattery were living with a Dennis Leehive, assumed to be Margaret's brother.

• A 1903 newspaper account from Kingston, New York mentions Dennis Leehive as guardian of the Slattery children but no real details.

So one of my first projects at FHL was to find either Probate or Guardian records for the Slattery Children.  The Guardian Records 1823-1920 for Ulster County have an index on one of the microfilm reels. In Section 4, I found the following information:

Margaret Slattery appointed guardian 8 April 1895 for:
James Slattery - 3 yrs
John Slattery - 6 yrs
Julia Slattery - 8 mos
Martin Slattery - 4 yrs
Mary Slattery - 10 yrs
Thomas Slattery - 7 yrs

And then Margaret died and Dennis Leehive appointed guardian in her place 17 October 1898.

Not only does the index show where all the decrees, letters and bonds are filed, but it also shows that Dennis Leehive filed Guardian Reports on the following dates: 29 May 1899, 23 January 1900, 2 January 1901, 17 January 1902, 12 January 1903, 8 January 1904, 20 January 1905, 9 January 1906, 4 January 1907, and 6 January 1909. A release of guardianship was filed 21 Feb 1916.

So guess what records I'll be after tomorrow morning over at FHL?

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Next Stop: Salt Lake City

And the road show continues, this time with an unanticipated yet welcome diversion! I had planned to come home from Calgary yesterday and then rest a few days before I headed over to Peoria, Illinois for the Illinois State Genealogical Society's Fall Conference held on Saturday, October 23, 2010.

However, a few weeks ago I received an offer from Family Search to participate in their first ever Family Search Blogger's Day in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, October 21, 2010.  With a reworking of my schedule, I managed a day at home between trips (today) to do laundry, catch up on emails and to pre-post at my blogs for the coming week.  So now I'll fly into Salt Lake City and then on Friday fly to Peoria via Dallas.

Since this is the first such event of its type for Family Search, a small group of genealogy bloggers has been invited to participate in a full day of meetings, product reviews and activities. I'll have more to report here and over at GeneaBloggers on Thursday.

Family Search has generously offered to bring me out to Salt Lake City a little early so I can get some research time in at the Family History Library which I intend to do Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Also, I've decided to attend the Utah Genealogical Association annual membership meeting and banquet on Tuesday evening where I'll not only get to hear Mark Lowe but also discuss genealogy society issues with fellow bloggers Janet Hovorka and A.C. Ivory!

Stayed tuned for the next episode of "Where in the World is Thomas MacEntee?"

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

What Happens In Banff . . .

The above photo was snapped during the side trip to Banff at an inopportune moment when I as attempting to sit on the stuffed moose outside a store in downtown Banff.  There really was a seat there - I swear! But I figured it wasn't fair to subject the poor moose to my sitting upon it.  Besides, the seat really was intended for "luxury size" guys like me.

Photo: Goosed By A Moose, digital photograph, Banff, Alberta, Canada, taken October 15, 2010 by Joan Miller. Used by permission.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Reflections - Fun North of the 44th Parallel

I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had up in Calgary, Alberta this past weekend! And how blessed I am to be able to work - speaking about genealogy and sharing my insights with other genealogists - and have fun at the same time.

While the day trip up to Banff was filled with great scenery and a chance to talk with the other speakers at the Family Roots Seminar, I was really looking forward to Saturday when the seminar actually started. I won't describe the event blow by blow, Joan Miller of the Alberta Family Histories Society has already done a great job over at the AFHS blog. But here are my insights on the event and the weekend:

• The event was well attended and in my estimation (using a visual headcount) there were about 150 attendees.  I overheard from the organizers that there were many walk-ins and many non-AFHS members in attendance.  What a great opportunity to convert them to members and bring them into the society!

• If speaking at a genealogy event and especially a one-day workshop with multiple speakers, take the time to attend the presentations given by your colleagues.  I learned not only some good genealogy tips from both Dick Eastman and Lyn Meehan, but also I was able to witness different presentation styles and techniques.

• Folks are starving for quality genealogy education.  This has been evident to me all year as I've either spoken at various venues or I've attended genealogy conferences.  The education element of genealogy will be an expanding component of the industry for years to come.  As a vendor or society you can provide all the records and databases in the world but they won't mean much if researchers - especially those new to genealogy - don't know how to access and interpret them.

• In addition, the new genealogists and family historians also see the value of a "genealogy experience." Often they are the only ones in the family performing such research and taking a keen interest. So when they attend an event with others who might be just as "addicted" to genealogy, you have to provide opportunities to network and interact.  AFHS' event did this with a long lunch break and a dinner later that evening.

• I confirmed something I already knew - I sleep just as poorly on the road as I do at home.  Oh well, it means I can be more productive, right?

• The types of questions from participants are the same at almost every venue: concern about privacy issues especially on Facebook; desire to learn more technology to expand the genealogy experience; and a need for more how-tos and cheat sheets on what some seasoned genealogists see as basic processes.

As I get ready to pass the 12,000 miles flown mark for the month of October on a trip to Salt Lake City tomorrow, my speaking tour has reinforced something I already knew: as tired as I might be from the travel,

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

A Side Trip to Banff

I am convinced that my name must mean He Who Brings Bad Weather in the Native American cultures. When I landed in Calgary last evening, the city had been basking in temperatures of 71F during the day.  However, this morning I woke to snow and a temperature of about 32F which I know is 0C.

No matter.  We still took our side trip up to the mountains at Banff and Lake Louise Marie. Joan Miller from the Alberta Family Histories Society was the tour guide and Dick Eastman, Lyn Meehan and I were along for the ride.

First stop was Bow Falls right inside Banff National Park.  Below are three videos of our short time there. (Note: in one clip, I state that the hotel is the Lake Louise Hotel when in fact it is the Banff Springs Hotel which we later visited. It must have been my two hours of sleep that caused me to make that error!)







After driving around Banff, we stopped in for lunch at the Bison Mountain Bistro and General Store.  What a great place and great food! Ask Dick about his bison chili! More great conversations about genealogy during lunch as well.

After lunch, it was on to Lake Louise which was about 45 minutes away.  More beautiful views but slightly obscured by that pesky snow!

Finally a long ride back to the hotel with some cat napping and lots of genealogy discussions! After a good nights sleep, we'll all be ready for the Family Roots seminar tomorrow!

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

My Family History and the New York City Watershed

[This post was written as part of Blog Action Day 2010 with the theme being Water. GeneaBloggers has asked genealogy bloggers to discuss how water may have affected their ancestors.]

Shavertown, NY prior to destruction for the Pepacton Reservoir

I grew up in the Catskill Mountain region of New York, about 100 miles north of New York City. This is where various lines of my ancestors have lived since the late 1600s starting with the arrival of my 9th great-grandfather Hugo Freer in New Paltz.

While I don't know much about how water - its abundance as well as the lack of it - affected the generations since the late 17th century, I do know how water impacted my family in more recent generations.

Beginning around the turn of the 19th century, the Catskill mountains were seen as a resource for water for New York City as it experienced population growth. Natural reservoirs and man-made aqueducts seemed to quench the City's thirst up until the 1930s when plans were made for a series of reservoirs to be built.

Many of these projects were part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) here in the United States and not only served to build necessary infrastructure such as roads and dams, but also employed many of my family members during the Great Depression. However, in order for the reservoirs to be built, natural valleys were flooded meaning that families and entire towns were either moved or destroyed outright.

Shavertown, NY after destruction for the Pepacton Reservoir 

I grew up right next to the town of Neversink which had to be moved (ironically named, no?) along with the town of Bittersweet to make room for the Neversink Reservoir. I remember growing up and hearing stories from family about the houses that were moved and that when the reservoir was low you could actually see the church steeple and other buildings.  I'm not sure if this is true or just local legend, but every time we drove over the dam itself, I would look to see if I could see an abandoned building.

There were many "lost towns" in the Catskills that were abandoned due to the construction of the Pepacton, Ashokan, Neversink, Rondout and other reservoirs as part of the creation of the New York City Watershed.  Still today when you drive around these wonderful bodies of water you see signs letting you know where towns such as Olive Bridge, West Shokan, Shavertown and others.

* * *
And yet while history was surely lost with the obliteration of these towns, something else has grown in its place. There are thousands of acres of land and water which are now preserved and not only provide water to New York City, but also provide recreation opportunities to the local residents. I grew up fishing at the Neversink and Rondout reservoirs. The scenery as you drive around these dams is amazing especially those rare times when the spillways have to be opened due to an abundance of rain.

Modern view of Pepacton Reservoir

Finally, the need to protect these areas and the water has settled into the hearts and minds of people who live near the reservoir system.  There are many restrictions on what can and can't be done with refuse, chemicals and land since it can impact the watershed.  What was seen as an imposition and disruption during its construction in the 1940s is now seen as a jewel and a resource to be preserved.

* * *

You can read more about Neversink and the other Lost Towns over at Between The Lakes which has fascinating first-hand stories and photographs.

Photos: Shavertown, New York from the Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Another Day, Another Airport

No moss grows under a genealogy speaker, especially during October which is Family History Month.  I am sitting at O'Hare airport having an "adult beverage" while I wait for my flight to Calgary, Canada.

I am speaking at the Family Roots Seminar on Saturday, October 16, 2010 for the Alberta Family Histories Society.  The seminar is an all day event with several presentations and I am in good company as far as genealogy speakers go: Lyn Meehan and Dick Eastman.

Tomorrow is a "fun" day with a side trip to Banff! I'll have a full report tomorrow.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

I'm Going On Tour - The Salt Lake Christmas Tour!

I am proud to announce that I will be one of the featured speakers for the 2010 Salt Lake Christmas Tour in Salt Lake City, Utah held December 5 - 12, 2010.

Beginning Monday evening, December 6th with a presentation entitled Social Networking: New Horizons for Genealogists, I will be offering a total of eight different talks throughout the week.  The other topics include:

• Build a Genealogy Blog
• Building a Research Toolbox
• Facebook for Genealogists
• Google Docs for Genealogists
• Google for Genealogists
• Twitter: It’s Not Just “What I Had For Breakfast” Anymore
• Wikis for Genealogists

In addition to my own offerings, the entire week is filled with educational presentations from other well-known genealogists. You can check the current schedule here.

* * *

The Salt Lake Christmas Tour is an annual event - in its 26th year and celebrating its 25th anniversary - attracting genealogists and family historians and is renowned for the genealogy research success of its attendees, many of whom come back year after year. The Tour provides the highest ratio of professional researchers to attendees of any genealogy research tour utilizing the Family History Library located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

If you would like to join me and a group of fun and interesting genealogy researchers in Salt Lake City, don't delay! Early registration for the Tour ends on October 31st - click here to learn more and to register.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Fun at the California Family History Expo

I arrived back home safe and sound in Chicago after a fun-filled weekend in California.  The main focus, of course, was the California Family History Expo held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California on Friday, October 8th and Saturday, October 9th.

While you can follow all the posts of these that participated, including presenters and bloggers, here are my personal observations:

• Although the location was far away, being part of a Family History Expo guarantees not only a fun time, but an educational one, even for presenters like me.

• I had the chance to present on four topics - all social media related - in front of enthusiastic participants. The Facebook for Genealogists presentation was the most popular with over 50 people scrambling for extra seats.

• All my presentations were made in the Exhibit Hall. At first, I wasn't sure how successful this format would be, but I actually enjoyed it.  It didn't bother me if people sat down in the middle or got up to leave - it was more important that they got what they wanted out of the materials.

• I am convinced that Amy Coffin of We Tree and I should never be at the same table with a case of the giggles.  And Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist is not much better in terms of a table companion.

• A separate bloggers area is a great way not only for the bloggers to meet and to do some live blogging about the event, but it also allows us to answer questions about blogging from event participants. More genealogy conferences should consider setting up such an area with wireless internet access for bloggers.

• I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people and seeing some old faces too.  Thanks to all my blogging buddies for their hospitality especially Lisa Louise Cooke of Genealogy Gems podcast who hosted a wonderful "after party" on Saturday evening.

• I could not survive a conference without my iPhone: looking up directions, checking weather, getting restaurant reviews on Yelp, locating the nearest Panera for hazelnut coffee and wireless internet.

• The time passes too quickly.  It seems you are just landing at the airport and then you are back preparing for a flight home.

Speaking of which, I am now preparing for my next speaking gig: at the Family Roots seminar presented by the Alberta Family Histories Society in Calgary on October 16, 2010.
Disclaimer: I have been named a Blogger of Honor by Family History Expos for the Atlanta Family History Expo which entitles me to complimentary registration, complimentary wifi access, admission to the Friday evening banquet as well as other promotional gift items. See Disclosure Statement for more information on the material connections I have with Family History Expos and various genealogy and non-genealogy vendors.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Genealogy Gold Rush - Off to California Family History Expo

Things are busy here tonight! I'm busy packing for my next speaking engagement which is at the California Family History Expo in Pleasanton, California! I've got the Mardi Gras beads (blue and gold - blue for the Pacific Ocean and gold for the Gold Rush), ribbons for The Great Ribbon War, buttons, business cards and all the other conference bling I carry with me. And I actually have a new toy which I can't wait to show off - let's just say it is bright and shiny like my personality!

I am flying into San Jose International Airport where, if things are on schedule, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist and Amy Coffin of We Tree will be waiting.  We'll get our "wagon" and then drive up the backside of the San Francisco Bay, check in at our hotel and get settled. Click here to see which other genealogy bloggers will be at the Expo this weekend! I expect there will be lots of catching up to do, lots of fun, lots of dinners and lunches together too.

Even if you haven't registered yet, you can still show up starting at 7:00 am on Friday, October 8th at the Alameda Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California and join us! I will be sitting with all the other bloggers at the Beacon of Bloggers table. Please stop by and say hello!

As for my speaking schedule, here is what I have planned:

• Friday, October 8, 10:00 am
  Build a Genealogy Blog Workshop

• Friday, October 8, 4:30 pm
  Twitter: It's Not Just "What I Had For Breakfast" Anymore

• Saturday, October 9, 11:00 am
  Facebook for Genealogists

• Saturday, October 9, 2:30 pm
  Social Networking: New Horizons for Genealogists

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Reflections - A Successful Speaking Engagement

Most of October - which is Family History Month - I am on the road at various speaking engagements around the United States and Canada.  I think I am actually out of town more than I am at home for most of the month.

While time is scarce, I have been thinking about my recent speaking engagement at the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society this past weekend and what made it so successful.

First, the event was a home run not so much because of my speaking and presentation skills (which, by the way, have been honed by almost 25 years as a technical trainer in the classroom environment). This was a group effort with many contributions from the EWGS members who helped in many ways including securing my services, arranging accommodations, preparing publicity and more.

Second, EWGS was willing to take a chance.  Not so much a chance on me - I was a known quantity to several EWGS members plus I had already built up a reputation as a well-known genealogy speaker. EWGS took a chance on the fact that a focus on technology and more specifically social media and its role in genealogy would be of interest to its members. I can see how there would be some hesitation especially in populating a full day's agenda of talks on subjects such as Facebook and blogs.

From the feedback received - both via email and in blog post comments, several of the attendees were there to show support for an EWGS event but went away getting hooked on the technology used.

I also gave a presentation on Friday evening with the topic of Building a Research Toolbox.  Over the course of 90 minutes, I showed off various ways to organize links to favorite research websites and various containers for them including note taking applications, wikis and more. I expected many of the attendees to be overwhelmed by the amount of technology capable of handing organization of website links. But in reality, what I saw more than glazed-over eyes were fully-engaged faces and eyes with a busy brain spinning away.

By the end of the workshop on Saturday, you could just tell that many were excited to get started on setting up their own research toolbox or their own blog or even their own Facebook account.  What EWGS did this past weekend was a hands-down success due to lots of hard work from volunteers but also being open to new ideas, new approaches, and the willingness to shake things up and try something different.

Finally, I also had a great but all-too-brief visit with my friend and fellow genealogy blogger Miriam Robbins Midkiff of AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors. I look forward to seeing Miriam and many other genealogy bloggers at my upcoming appearances and I also hope to work with the fine people at EWGS again in the future.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Tombstone Tuesday - Gertrude Berg

While on my latest trip home to New York, I stayed with my uncle in Halcott Center.  Well to get to and from Halcott Center (population 193), one has to go through Fleischmanns, New York.  A few weeks prior we had watched a wonderful documentary entitled Yoo-hoo, Mrs. Goldberg via Netflix and we discovered that Gertrude Berg, the star of this radio and television blockbuster in the 1940s and 1950s spent many summers in Fleischmanns and was buried there.

Thus the hunt ensued.  Clovesville Cemetery on the outskirts of Fleischmanns was easy to find and we proceeded to the Jewish section where we stumbled upon the Edelstein Berg family burial plot. I wish the day had not been so sunny so that the photo could be clearer.  And as you can see by the stones and pebbles left, Mrs. Berg has had many visitors as of late.

And for those wondering, yes the town of Fleischmanns is named after the same Flesichmann family of yeast fame!

Here is Gertrude Berg's entry over at Find-A-Grave.

Photo:  Gravestone of Gertrude Berg, Clovesville Cemetery, Fleischmanns, New York, taken September 19, 2010. Privately held by Thomas MacEntee [address withheld for privacy purposes], Chicago, Illinois.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Video - Resource Toolbox Workshop at EWGS

On Friday, October 1, 2010, I was a guest presenter at the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society in Spokane, Washington for a special members-only workshop entitled Build a Research Toolbox.

I will have more information on this seminar and how you can have me present it at your genealogical society either in person or over the Internet.  Also, I plan on scheduling this as a webinar in the month of November once I am done with my travels this month.  You can get a peek at my own research toolbox here on DAF by looking at the menu under the masthead.  The link is here.

Here is a clip of me introducing myself at the workshop:



And here is a clip taken during the break showing the crowd at the Spokane Public Library:



The videos were taken using my FlipVideo camera and operated by Miriam Robbins Midkiff of AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Next Stop: EWGS in Spokane

This morning I am flying off to Spokane, Washington for a weekend of fun with the good folks at the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society where I will be giving five presentations over 2 days. I am looking forward to spending time with fellow genealogy blogger Miriam Robbins Midkiff and other EWGS members who I met at SCGS Jamboree this past June.

I will be teaching a members-only workshop entitled Build Your Research Toolbox this evening, Friday, October 1, 2010 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the Spokane Public Library, Main Branch.

On Saturday, October 2, 2010 beginning at 9:00 am, I will be presenting Facebook for Genealogists, Become a Genealogy Blog User, Building a Genealogy Blog, and Google Docs for Beginners.

Not only am I excited about the trip and the time I get to spend in company of fellow genealogists, but on Sunday I will get to meet - for the first time - a first cousin on my father's side and her daughter who live in Post Falls, Idaho! Stayed tuned for the latest news and photos on what should be a great weekend.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee