That Woman

[This post was written for the 100th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia of Creative Gene]

With the theme "There's One In Every Family," I struggled.  Writing is usually not a struggle for me, not a war or a battle, but more a wrangling of words and thoughts. My dilemma was not which aspect of my family history to use as a subject, but more about finding the appropriate term. I was looking for a term for a type of person you find in most families.  And if you're really lucky there's more than one for each generation. I'm in search of a term for "That Woman."

Who is "That Woman?"

• That Woman is identified more by her acts than her words, and the acts are often silent and unnoticed. A silence not due to societal norms as to what a woman could and couldn't do, but a silence of determination to see the task completed, to see success won.

• For some of us That Woman was Mom, for others Grandma, for still others Aunt Mary. Sometimes That Woman wasn't even a blood relative. She was a godmother, a neighbor, a woman from church, a teacher at school. But That Woman was so integrated into our lives that she walked, talked, breathed and lived like family to us.

• That Woman had no time for family history or for diaries. She was too busy helping to make memories for the family to keep in later years. That Woman's presence, acts and influence made family history possible.

• In many families, That Woman was The Wise One, the sage, the seer, the All-Knowing, the one who could be relied upon for wisdom and advice. She doled it out freely but only when asked and only when she knew it would help.

• Was there someone in your family who always had a shoulder to cry on, a bandage for a wounded heart or ego, an arm to cradle your head as you thought your world had ended? Likely it was That Woman. She had a knack for making disaster disappear into thin air, for making the breakup with a boyfriend seem silly and inconsequential when looking back in later years, if not at that very moment.

• Children ran to her, a family's Pied Piper. Other women looked up to her. Men respected her and allowed her to do what she did best: keep the family together in good times and bad.

• That Woman didn't want credit, didn't want notice, didn't want to be called out for what she did. Her motivations were not selfish but selfless. She knew the family would go on, and would go on better than previous generations. 

• Her accomplishments were not measured in money, in the number of possessions or even the number of children she had. That Woman's life was measured in love, if love had a quantifiable measurement. It was a love of children, a love of neighbor, a love of being in the moment, a love of knowing that "this too shall pass" and that "it is what it is."

• That Woman was deeply mourned upon her passing and rightly so. And often in the days, weeks and years after the true depth of her deeds and her works would come to light. She was the one who quietly helped you buy that prom dress your family couldn't afford or made it possible for you to buy your first car. She was the one who made sure you saw every opportunity possible, even the ones you never imagined. 

Can you see how there is no adequate word to describe her and her role in the family and society? Was there That Woman in your family? And perhaps you are fortunate that she's still working her magic among the folds of the fabric of your family?

As genealogists we will add her name in our research, note her vitals and make sure she is among the counted. But as family historians we document the journey traveled by That Woman and how the family would not have been the same had it not been for her quiet but determined presence.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

No One Should Go Unclaimed

[This post was composed for the 88th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy at Creative Gene]

When I found out that the theme for this edition of the Carnival of Genealogy was volunteerism, especially as it relates to the genealogy community, I automatically knew which organization I would highlight in my post: Unclaimed Persons.

* * *

My involvement with Unclaimed Persons, began in June, 2008 when I signed up on Facebook to assist others in locating living next-of-kin of persons whose bodies sat in city and county morgues in an unclaimed state.  A state of limbo you might say.  A state of non-closure both for the dead and for the living.

Why did I get involved?  For two reasons: one was to sharpen my research skills and prove that finding the living can be done using the same methodologies but different resources than that which is done for our ancestors.  And the other was to bring peace and comfort - even as an unidentified researcher - to family members had become separated from their deceased relation. And I also knew that Megan Smolenyak helped create Unclaimed Persons - and you can't get a much better seal of approval in my book than that!

* * *

Through several months of research on cases and the ability to solve cases with the collaborative help of other UP members, I eventually took on the role of case administrator at Unclaimed Persons.  A case admin basically sits back and watches the research process unfold and is available for questions or guidance if needed.  Also, most importantly, the case admin makes certain that the regulations put into place to guard the privacy of the living family are followed.

Although I've not actively handled a case for some time, I still pop in occasionally and post some helpful links for finding living people, or I will spend some time looking at case details and offer my help.  Realize that very often there is very little information for the volunteers at Unclaimed Persons to work with: a name, a date of birth, a birthplace and a date of death and death location.  That's it.  What the volunteers at Unclaimed Persons can do sometimes is nothing short of amazing.

* * *

So why do I think the work that Unclaimed Persons does is so important?  The concept of separation is one that has always been close to my heart and one which has had a profound effect on my life.

I can't describe what it is like to receive those case details from the case administrator, sometimes with a photo of the decedent, and wonder why he or she drifted from their family.  Was it an argument? Was it a lifestyle that included drugs or other forms of abuse - as the abuser or the victim of abuse? Was there a stint in prison which caused the family to write off that person off?  Was it the choice of the dead or the living to be separate?  And what, after years filled with holidays, weddings and funerals, caused the separation to remain? Was it stubbornness? A hurt never healed?

It isn't the job of Unclaimed Persons researchers to know or even care about such details but being human there times when you hit brick walls and your mind wanders to those details.  Just as the details of our ancestors stories make them whole in our eyes, so too do these details make the decedent more than just a cold body sitting in a morgue.  We want to make them whole and to make their families whole.

* * *

It is said we come into this world alone and that is how we leave.  I disagree especially with how we leave, for during each person's life there had to be some family and some contact and hopefully some love.  And more than just some.  My biggest fear is to die alone and I trust it is the fear of most people.  While I can't change the circumstances under which the decedent of my Unclaimed Persons case died, I can heal and mend any connection lost between that person and their family.  And I thank Unclaimed Persons for such an opportunity.

Note: if you are interested in volunteering with Unclaimed Persons visit their Facebook page here.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

My Personal New Year's Genealogy Resolutions

[This post is part of the 87th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.]

Here is list of my personal genealogy goals for 2010:

1. Continue Genealogy Education

For the next 12 months I will continue to participate in ProGen 4 as part of my genealogy education plan. I started in September 2009 and currently the program is slated to end in March 2011.

So far I've found the assignments, the peer review process and the discussions very helpful. In fact it was the ProGen lesson on formulating an education plan which helped me deside on another component of my education: participation in the Boston University Online Genealogy Research cerficate program.

I will start on January 13, 2010 and over the course of 14 weeks will cover quite a bit of terrain led by some excellently qualified instructors. I am really looking forward to the BU classes and will report on them periodically through the Destination: Austin Family blog.

2. Pursue Certification

While I understand that there is no uniform standard of certification in the field of genealogy, and that there are several certifying bodies that one can work with to achieve different types of certification, for me it is important to attain some type of credential.

I am not looking to have some post-nominal such as CG after my name just for the sake of having it, nor am I trying to say that I am better or more qualified than other genealogists. For me it is simply a goal and the path to that goal means I will be a better educated and more well-rounded genealogist.

I also hope to determine whether the certification process can benefit from some of the emerging technologies that I and others have started to adopt in pursuing our research as well as marketing our services. And again, the value of having a genealogy blog is the willingness to report back to my readers on the process itself as well as the insights I've gained.

3. Separate Personal From Professional

Since I started the GeneaBloggers.com website in January 2009, I've neglected to keep my personal genealogy and professional genealogy personas separate. This can cause some confusion especially for newcomers to the world of genealogy blogging.

I need to Twitter more under my own id which is @tmacentee instead of @geneabloggers. Also, on Facebook I need to utilize the GeneaBloggers group and GeneaBloggers fan page for communications rather than my own personal page.

While I will probably always be identified with GeneaBloggers, I think keeping personal and professional activities separate will have lots of benefits in the long-run as well as help me build GeneaBloggers as a brand.

4. Participate in More Carnivals and Daily Blogging Themes

There is no reason why I shouldn't walk the walk about these great genealogy blogging activities since I am always talking the talk about them over at GeneaBloggers. With my busy schedule I can pre-post as much as possible but I know I have quite a few ways to tell the stories of my ancestors through the Destination: Austin Family blog.

5. Preserve More Documents

This means more scanning and more transcribing. I have fallen behind and I just need to commit myself to doing this.

6. Develop My Lowville Site

Since I switched hosting companies for my Lowville Long Ago site, I have retained the domain name but I did not re-establish the wiki using MediaWiki software.

I want to establish a site similar to the Albany Hill Towns wiki which I helped develop in late 2008.

7. Display My Tree

I have a rather ingenious way of displaying both maternal and paternal sides of my family tree in my home office. I have the concept set on paper - I just need to execute it and then describe the process on my blog.

That's it - seven simple ways of improving myself and my genealogy. Simple, right? I hope to do a check-in right after Jamboree in late June 2010 and report my results right here.

© 2009, copyright Thomas MacEntee

The Carnival of Genealogy: Meaning Through Writing

[This post was written for the 84th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia of Creative Gene]

Where do I begin, to tell the story of my love affair with the Carnival of Genealogy (COG)?  As the future Baroness Von Trapp once sang, start at the very beginning . . .

While I started Destination: Austin Family in December 2006, I really didn't begin seriously blogging about my family history until September 2007.  The first edition of COG in which I participated was #35 and including this post, I've participated in a total of 30 editions.

I felt welcomed from the very first post and that is why I've participated and intend to keep participating.  Not only have my colleagues given great feedback on my posts as well as others, but their enthusiasm keeps the COG attractive and vibrant.  I also continue to participate because I love to write and the topics provided are creative and inspiring - they have caused me to look at my family history research from many different angles.

For my own articles, I think my favorite is A Dinner of Remembrance which really tapped my creative energies.  I love the way in which the COG can challenge us to be better writers and this was probably my best piece.

Finally, I would be hard pressed to pick just one or even two of my favorite COG posts by my colleagues.  Why?  Because the COG really attracts good writing and good writers.  I've also seen the development of great writing styles for several of these folks and that process, like a flower unfolding, is a treasure worth witnessing.

* * *

I guest hosted the following editions of COG:

#67 - Nobody's Fool
#51 - Independent Spirit

I posted in each of the following editions of COG:

#82 - My Favorite Genealogical Society - Must There Be Just One?
#75 - Justice, Choices and Freedom
#74 - Summers in "The Country"
#67 - Mom Made Sense
#66 - My iGene Award Winners
#65 - It's Just A Jump To The Left . . .
#63 - New Year's Resolutions for 2009
#62 - Dear Genea-Santa
#60 - Alzheimer's Disease - A Duty and a Toll
#57 - Ancestor In The News
#56 - My Ten Essential Genealogy-Related Books
#55 - A Love Untarnished
#54 - Mom-isms and New York-isms
#52 - Well-aged But Not Ripe
#51 - Did They Know Their Independence
#50 - Minyo and Pricess: A Clown and a Doll
#49 - Dayvare, Eveninkvare, Svimvare!
#48 - Smart Is As Smart Does
#47 - Home To Lowville
#46 - My Family Traits
#45 - I Don't Drive, I'm Driven
#44 - Will The Circle Be Unbroken?
#43 - Technology
#42 - Roll Out The Red Carpet!
#41 - A Dinner of Remembrance
#40 - Living Relative Connections
#39 - New Year's Resolutions
#38 - The New Millennium - Home Again, Naturally
#35 - What DNA Can't Explain In My Family Tree

© 2009, copyright Thomas MacEntee

My Favorite Genealogical Society - Must There Be Just One?

[This post was written for the 82nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Kathryn Doyle at California Genealogical Society and Library blog]

I belong to several genealogical and historical societies - both online and "brick and mortar" - and it would be most difficult for me to select a favorite.

Why? Well, each society fills a certain need in my genealogy in terms of research, education and even social networking.  For example: I don't have California ancestors yet I belong to both the Southern California Genealogical Society as well as the California Genealogical Society and Library.  My membership with both these organizations has been valuable in connecting me with other genealogists especially through social networking tools such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

Most of my ancestors are from New York so it is only natural that I have memberships in several great organizations.  While the German Genealogy Group is not necessarily limited to New York, it has access to the vital records indices for New York City and the group is based in Long Island.  I may never even attend a meeting but the price of membership is my way of saying thanks to all the ways in which this society has furthered my research.

The same goes for the Freer-Low Family Association also based in New York.  There are many Freers and Lows on my father's side and not only do I find their database valuable, I appreciate the efforts undertaken by the association to preserve my 9th great-grandfather Hugo Freer's house in New Paltz, NY.

Speaking of New Paltz, I am also a member of the Huguenot Historical Society which works to preserve the heritage of the Huguenots who settled the Ulster County, NY area in the late 1600s.

Moving over to New England, I couldn't survive without my New England Historic Genealogical Society membership.  Besides the research databases, I enjoy all the articles in their magazine publications.

And while not based in New England, the Austin Family Association of America has helped me research my Rhode Island ancestors descended from Robert Austin of North Kingstown, RI (b. abt. 1638).

Where would I be without access to all the great cemeteries and graveyards of my ancestors?  This is why I support the Association of Graveyard Rabbits and am a member through my blog The Graveyard Rabbit of New York Rural Cemeteries.

Finally, there are some associations and societies to which I belong to further my genealogy career.  These include the National Genealogical Society as well as the Genealogical Speakers Guild.

There are so many more that I wish I could join - just to support from afar even though I may never attend their meetings or use their resources.  But time and income limit me in my desire to do so.

I want to thank each of these societies for all the work they do in the genealogy community especially the volunteers involved in running their operations.  Personally, I know I would not be where I am today in terms of my genealogy education and career without them.

Photo: The New England Historic Genealogical Society, Somerset Street, Boston, MA, 1881. Digital photograph. Used via Creative Commons 3.0 License via Wikimedia Commons.

© 2009, copyright Thomas MacEntee

Justice, Choices and Freedom

Photo: Headstone of Matthew McCrickert, date unknown, Calvary Cemetery, Queens, NY. Digital photograph. Privately held by Thomas MacEntee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Chicago, Illinois. 2009.

[This post was written for the 75th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Colleen at Orations of OMcHodoy]

As I get ready to celebrate our nation's 233rd birthday, I'm reminded of all my ancestors who were willing to risk their lives in military service defending their country for causes in which they believed. At least I'd like to think that this is the reason they served - they had a strong held belief in the basic tenets upon which the United States was formed: justice, choices and freedom.

If it were not for all my ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War (David Everett, Jonathan Everett, Cornelius Krom, Wigglesworth Messenger, and Frederick Visscher) and the Civil War (Alonso Sylvester Austin, Crandall William Austin, Franklin Duane Austin, Grinman Austin, Harlow Austin, Seymour Austin, Phillip DeGroodt, and David O'Keefe), I along with the rest of their descendants would most likely be living under much different conditions than we are today.

Men like my cousin Matthew McCrickert who died on July 11, 1946 in a military plane crash in Freehold, New Jersey served in peace time as well, not only to pursue a career but also to make certain that the freedoms for which my ancestors had fought remained in place.

Whether their surnames were Austin or Everett or McCrickert, whether they had been in this country since its founding or had just arrived from distant shores, these men had commonality in this:

that in order to ensure that future generations are allowed the same opportunities of justice, choices and freedom, one must be willing to put one's life in jeopardy in defense of those opportunities

I am certain, like my cousin Kenneth VonRonn who was killed in Iraq in 2005, the choices were not easy. Families were left behind, careers were disrupted, and some never came home. But those choices continue to exist - for me and for all - only because of the sacrifices made by these men.

Summers in "The Country"

Photo: Anna Henneberg and Alfred Austin with children Patricia, Joan, Josephine and Judy, 1940, Grahamsville, NY. Digital photograph. Privately held by Thomas MacEntee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Chicago, Illinois. 2009.

[This post was written for the 74th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia]

This year's swimsuit edition of the COG does not focus on me at as it did last year - but on my family and how they escaped the heat of New York City during the summer. While they came up for the summer, as it turns out, they stayed for a lifetime.

Summer has always been a magical season especially in those unforgiving places like the Catskill Mountains where I grew up. It was unusual, but not out of the realm of possibilities to have snow for Halloween and still have snow for Memorial Day. So when summer burst forth in all its glory so did the residents of "the country" as it was called, both permanent and temporary.

My mother was one of those "city people" as we used to call them but after over 50 years of living in the Catskills I think she and most of her siblings qualify as "country people." The Catskills have long been a haven for residents of New York City during the summer, especially those seeking to escape the heat and humidity of the city. What started out as a cure for tuberculosis residents in many places like Loomis Sanitarium in my hometown of Liberty, New York turned into a lifestyle especially after the turn of the 20th century.

Many residents discovered that "city people" would pay a premium to rent rooms or outbuildings on their farms as long as they could enjoy the fresh air and the fresh food. Once the concept caught on, many farmers built boarding houses to handle the large number of guests and even advertised in the New York newspapers.

Bungalow colonies like Lansmans started with small single room buildings constructed around a lake or swimming pool. These "resorts" were "self-catering" meaning that they had a small stove and a sink where meals could be prepared. Usually there were activities organized for the children and it was common to have mothers stay with the children all summer while the husbands came up from "the City" on Friday evenings and returned on Sunday nights.

The photo above shows my grandparents Anna Henneberg and Alfred Austin at a location near Grahamsville, NY that advertised itself as "cabins." For many people, a bungalow colony was patronized by mostly Jewish or Polish immigrants and was way too social and crowded. Some like my family preferred cabins that were close to a lake or river and you didn't feel like you had to get to know your neighbors - it was up to you. There were no organized activities such as bingo nights or movie nights, but if you wanted to set up a firepit when the chill set in, that was a good way to socialize and get to know others. And kids never lacked for things to do or other children with whom to play.

In the photo above my grandfather would have been about 33 years old and was following in a tradition that his parents, John Ralph Austin and Therese McGinnes had started more than 15 years earlier. In the photo below, my grandfather is shown in a rowboat on a lake with his brothers Gregory (left) and Malcolm (right). Judging from Malcolm's birthday I would put this photo at about 1934.



Photo: Gregory, Alfred and Malcolm Austin, abt 1934, location unknown. Digital photograph. Privately held by Thomas MacEntee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Chicago, Illinois. 2009.

It appears that men were still wearing the one piece wool bathing suits that they did in my great-grandfather John Ralph Austin's time as shown here below:



Photo: John Ralph Austin, abt. 1913, Coney Island, New York. Digital photograph. Privately held by Thomas MacEntee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Chicago, Illinois. 2009.

In my great-grandfather's time, the best getaway was Coney Island which was much closer to the Bronx where he was living with his parents William Dence Austin and Catherine O'Keefe. For many, getting up to "the country" in the Catskills was either done by train or involved an all-day trip by car.

Summers were always too, too short when I was growing up and perhaps that is just the perspective of a child. The season holds such vivid memories for me especially the time spent at my great-grandparents farm house in Grahamsville, New York. While bathing suits were common and they were often seen laying out on stone fences or clothes lines to dry, the cool country air meant that you sometimes needed something more to keep you warm.

Carnival of Genealogy 73rd Edition Posted

The 73rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted over at Apple's Tree. The theme for this go-around is The Good Earth with 19 submissions from bloggers with stories about the ties their ancestors had to the land.

For the upcoming 74th Edition:

Back by popular demand, the topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: Swimsuit Edition! Why should Sports Illustrated have all the fun? This is your chance to show off the bathing beauties in your family. Pull out the old photos of Grandma Moses in her seaside bloomers, Auntie Mae in her pin-up girl suit from the 1940s or 50s, cousin Paula in her psychedelic bikini from the 1970s, or even yourself in your Speedo! Let's have some fun here! Memorial Weekend is behind us and that means the start of the summer sun, sand, and lakeside season so let's get in the mood with summer fun photos. What? You don't have any swimsuit photos you dare to share? No problem! Tell us your best family beach stories instead! The deadline for submissions is June 15th. This edition of the COG will be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

69th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted

Over at West in New England, the 69th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted. Sit down with a good cup of coffee this morning and read through the entries all with the common theme of "What If?"

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: Uncle, Uncle! This edition is all about our uncles. Have you got a favorite or interesting uncle? Tell us about him! Maybe you had a older cousin, neighbor, or friend you called "uncle"... that works too! No uncles in your life? No problem. Write about any gentleman on your family tree who was an uncle to somebody :-) The deadline for submissions is April 15th (get your tax return done early so you don't miss out!).

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blog carnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link.

68th Edition of Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

Just a quick note that Jasia over at Creative Gene has done another great job with this edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: A Tribute to Women.

I was unable to add my contribution this time (long story . . .) but I've been reading many of the great posts by fellow geneabloggers!

Don't forget to get your submission in for the next edition:

And now it's time for a Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: What if... This is your chance to rewrite history! Have you ever imagined your ancestor playing a major roll in history? Perhaps you've envisioned them singlehandedly winning the American Revolution, going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, or inventing the flutaphone. This is your chance to write a bit of fiction about your ancestor to delight and entertain us. It is the April Fools edition after all! This edition will be hosted by Bill West at West in New England. Thanks Bill! The deadline for submissions is April 1st so start spinning your tall tales!

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link.

67th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Nobody's Fool

I am so excited to be hosting the 6th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy especially since there are so many great posts!

Janet McMullan presents Best Tools for Family Tree posted at English Ancestors.

Greta Koehl presents My Three Aunts: Nobody’s Fools posted at Greta's Genealogy Bog, saying, "It was next to impossible for me to limit the subject of this article to just one person, so I have written about the three aunts who played big roles in my life; each of them personifies a different aspect of "common sense" and "keeping it together.""

Bill West presents West in New England: COOL posted at West in New England, saying, "My Dad never seemed to lose his cool...except once!"

Randy Seaver presents Della (Smith) Carringer had it all together! posted at Genea-Musings.

Dorene Paul presents Paul R. Orshoski, Sr. posted at Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay, saying, "My dad, Paul R. Orshoski, Sr. always made people feel good about themselves. He always had an encouraging word, even though he was not highly educated, and he was a little guy. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and made friends wherever he went. He worked tirelessly for the PTA, church, Little League, and several charities. He died at age 55, and his common sense, great advice, and loving words are truly missed."

Elizabeth Powell Crowe presents Genealogy before the Internet posted at Crowe's Nest Genealogy Blog by Elizabeth Powell Crowe.

Linda Hughes Hiser presents Nobody's Fool--Jessie Pool VanGilder posted at Flipside, saying, "My great grandmother: a story of courage, resourcefulness and kindness in the face of tragedy."

Jasia presents Mom Was Nobody's Fool posted at Creative Gene. Read about the wonderful piece of jewelry Jasia's mom left her and how her mother saved up for such a purchase.

Schelly Talalay Dardashti presents Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog: My mother, the genius! posted at Tracing the Tribe, saying, "The wise ways - say that three times fast! - of my mother."

footnoteMaven presents In The Competent Hands Of Louis Salter posted at footnoteMaven, saying, "We can no more take credit for our ancestors' accomplishments, than blame for their failures!"

Wendy Littrell presents Meet Mom! « All My Branches Genealogy posted at All My Branches Genealogy, saying, "This article about my mom is NOT a bunch of "hooey"!"

And finally, I present Mom Made Sense posted at Destination: Austin Family, saying, "Mom was a real straight-shooter - she said what was on her mind and you always knew where you stood with her. And she didn't tolerate fools."

That concludes this edition.  And now it's time for a Call for Submissions! In keeping with the month of March being National Women's History Month, and March 8th being International Women's Day, the topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will once again be: A Tribute to Women. Write a tribute to a woman on your family tree, a friend, a neighbor, or a historical female figure who has done something to impact your life. Or instead of writing, consider sharing a photo biography of one woman's life. Or create a scrapbook page dedicated to a woman you'd like to honor. The next edition will be hosted at Creative Gene.  The deadline for submissions is March 15th.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Mom Made Sense

This post was written for the 67th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by me right here at Destination: Austin Family.

Growing up I never really appreciated my mother's common sense and her ability to "get by" while at the same time "not being taken."  And it is no mystery where Mom got her sense of smarts as we called it.  As I've described her in previous posts, Mom was a child of the Great Depression born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey with 11 other siblings.  Mom was the middle child - Number 6 - and often played the role of negotiator and peace keeper.  It is my belief that her placement in the pecking order and the era in which she grew up provided an environment whereby she needed to rely on her wits to get by.  

Having been raised by working parents and a pair of stern yet doting grandparents, Mom had great role models who must have imparted some key bits of wisdom. But it wasn't until she was out on her own - after my father left us - did she really come to rely upon her common sense and practicality.  Mom was left with two young boys in the early 1970s and had no credit, little work history, and just a high school education.  But besides having a supportive family, Mom was able to call upon life's lessons learned from her mother and grandmother and let others know that she was not to be played for the fool.

I'll always remember one incident where Mom communicated this very effectively: it was a winter Saturday and we went to the movies in Monticello.  The theater had advertised in the local paper a showing of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  Mom was excited, we were excited and it was a big deal.  To put this in perspective: this was before the days of video tape and Disney movies were not shown on television and to have a classic re-released was an event.

Once in the theater, the movie began and since I had not yet seen the original I was unaware that what was being shown was a dreadful live action (not animated) knock-off in some foreign language with subtitles.  So as my brother and I sat in the dark reading, my mother got up and made her way to the lobby.  She confronted the manager (that's what Mom did, she confronted people when she was angry) and asked why he had advertised Disney's version of the movie to the point of even using Disney art work in the print ad.

Well five minutes later, Mom's hands yanked my brother and I out of our seats back to the lobby where by now she was part of a rabble of angry mothers.  It was something right out of a Frankenstein movie where the peasants gather with torches, rakes and pitchforks.  As I watched the theater owner suddenly hop in his car and take off, little did I know that Mom had somehow organized these women and was now their leader.

What next?  Off to the police station to see about fraud charges.  Yep, that's how Mom was - she didn't suffer any fools.  My next recollection is sitting in the lobby of the police station with many other children - and their respective mothers - as Mom explained the situation to the police.  In the overheated lobby the air hung heavy with harsh New York and New Jersey accents and the occasional four-letter word as well as many hand gestures, some of which even I could understand at that age.

Mom wanted more than just a refund.  She wanted to make sure that the theater owner understood what it had meant to her boys to see a Disney movie as well as the effort it took to drive 10 miles on a snowy afternoon.  I don't remember how the issue was finally settled but I do remember there being a local news story the next day in the newspaper.

I knew it wasn't nice to fool with Mother MacEntee.  And in short order that poor theater owner knew it too.  And at that time what my brother and I didn't know was we were being taught a lesson on how not to let someone take advantage of you or your situation.

Photo: MacEntee Family - Thomas, Jacqueline and Michael, 1975. Digital image. Privately held by Thomas MacEntee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Chicago, Illinois. Copyright 2009.

66th Edition of Carnival of Genealogy Is Posted

In the style of the well-known Academy Awards, Jasia has posted the results of the 2008 iGene Awards over at Creative Gene.  Set your blog reader to "stun" as you see the array of stellar posts by fellow geneabloggers!

Yours truly will serve as host for the 67th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy to be held right here at Destination: Austin Family:

And now it's time for a Call for Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: "Nobody's Fool" – who in your family was known to have the best common sense, the best sage advice and basically just “kept it together” all the time? Let's hear about them! The next edition will be hosted by Thomas MacEntee at Destination: Austin Family. Thanks Thomas! The deadline for submissions is March 1.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Thank you!

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

My iGene Award Winners!

This post was written for the 66th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

I'm ready for the second annual Academy of Genealogy and Family History iGene Awards and here are what I think are my best blog posts of 2008:

Best Picture

My favorite photo of this past year came from my parents' wedding album and it is this photo of my mother looking in a mirror before the wedding ceremony.  I was lucky enough to rescue the entire album when I cleaned out Mom's house in 2007.  The post was A Small Town Wedding and submitted for one of my favorite carnivals, Smile for the Camera.

Best Screen Play

Easy.  It would have to be The Summer Jar which I wrote in July, 2008 for another carnival - the 3rd edition of Smile for the Camera.  In the post which is in the genre of autobiographical fantasy, I talk of summers spent at the home of my great-grandparents in Grahamsville, New York.

Best Documentary

In March 2008, I discussed the accent that I have when speaking and those that I heard around me while growing up in What American Accent Do You Have?  I am still amazed to this day that I don't have a heavy New York accent like my mother.

 
Best Biography

My post about John McEntee, an ancestor who played a crucial role in the Civil War, was fascinating to research and a labor of love.

Best Comedy

The funniest post of the year had to be Obit Madness - Ida Mae Russell Sills.  Even when I see the photo of this vibrant, lively, firecracker of a woman I just have to laugh.  If you've never heard of a humorous obituary - and you are aghast at even the concept - I beg you to read the one for Ida Mae.  But the post about enemies feeding pickles to babies has to be a close second.

Thanks to Jasia for another go around of these awards.  I can't tell you how rewarding it was just to review all 416 posts that I put up here at this site last year!

It's Just A Jump To The Left . . .

This post was written for the 65th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

I am way late on my posting for this edition of COG and I don't have a valid excuse like, "the dog ate my homework" or "I was attacked by zombies." And the fact that I have a past as a ballroom dancer means that I should be very interested in this topic, "Do You Know The Steps To The Genealogy Happy Dance?"

Over the years, I've had several opportunities to shake my genealogical tailfeather, as it were:

And Then A Step To The Right

My first dance was in 1995 when my mother handed me a copy of Genealogy of David Putman and His Descendants and said it was my family's genealogy. I knew there was much more to it than that but it put me on the path of tracing my roots. This is how I found Johannes Putman, my 9th great-grandfather and his story of being killed by Indians in February 1690 during the Schenectady Massacre.

Put Your Hands On Your Hips

Just as I knew there had to be more than just performing research either at libraries or archives and the Internet, I decided to make the plunge into blogging about my family history in late 2006. This has provided me with the rest of my dance partners over the past two years!

You Bring Tour Knees In Tight

As I blogged and got my surname information out there, it was only a matter of time until cousins I never knew existed found me. Talk about Happy Dance!

One cousin is from my Henneberg line (my maternal grandmother) and he has provided me with valuable information as well as some great photos of the Hennebergs!  Another is a cousin to whom I reached out on a hunch that his mother was in fact my great great aunt.  He has given me some great McCrickert and McGinnes family info which I hope to use very soon!

But It's The Pelvic Thrust

Many of my Happy Dances have just involved interacting and just being silly with other Geneabloggers. Who can forget the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories or the 2008 GeneaBlogger Games? It was through Geneabloggers that I found several cousins including Randy Seaver, Kathryn Lake Hogan, Lorine Massey, Becky Wiseman and Midge Frazel!

That Really Drives You Insane!

Have you ever just busted some moves into a totally crazy dance and felt that some other force was controlling your motions? Very often that's what can happen with the Happy Dance. Sort of like a St. Vitus' Dance directed by my ancestors who've gone on before me.  Quite often, something will come over me and I'll take a certain research path and BINGO! I strike gold and once again do the Happy Dance.  

Let's Do The Time Warp Again!

I hope the dance never ends and I think with a supportive group of fellow genealogists that I've found in Geneabloggers, with all the resources available on the Internet, and all the great archives, libraries, and societies out there, I have no excuse not to dance!

Photo: Thomas MacEntee and Nancy Klokner, Black & White Ball, May 1989." Taken May, 1989. San Francisco, California. Digital image. Privately held by Thomas MacEntee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Chicago, Illinois. 2009.

The 64th Edition of Carnival of Genealogy Is Posted

Jasia at Creative Gene has done it again with another fine edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. With the theme Winter Photo Essay, take some time this weekend to read through the entries, perhaps with a hot cup of cocoa and a roaring fire nearby.

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:

"The Happy Dance." The Joy of Genealogy. Almost everyone has experienced it. Tell us about the first time, or the last time, or the best time. What event, what document, what special find has caused you to stand up and cheer, to go crazy with joy? If you haven't ever done the Happy Dance, tell us what you think it would take for you to do so." This next edition will be hosted by Becky at kinexxions. Thanks Becky! The deadline for submissions is Feb. 1st.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Thank you!

Finally, Jasia has tentatively listed all the topics for the remaining COG editions in 2009 and the hosts for each edition (note that Jasia is still looking for hosts for several editions!):

Jan 1 - New Year's Resolutions

Jan 15 - Winter Photo Essay

Feb 1 - The Happy Dance (kinexxions)

Feb 15 - iGene Awards, the best of the best!

Mar 1 - Nobody's Fool: Who gives the best advice? (Destination: Austin Family)

Mar 15 - Women's History Month: One Woman

Apr 1 - "What if": Rewriting History (West in New England)

Apr 15 - Uncle, uncle!

May 1 - Local History (What's Past is Prologue)

May 15 - Honoring Mothers

Jun 1 - The Good Earth: Family Ties to the Land (Apple's Tree)

Jun 15 - Annual Swimsuit Edition

Jul 1 - Open For Hosting

Jul 15 - How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Favorite Summer Memory from Your Youth

Aug 1 - Disasters Our Ancestors Lived Through (AnceStories)

Aug 15 - Ride Em Cowboy: Let's See Your Pony Pictures!

Sep 1 - Family Reunions (CanadaGenealogy)

Sep 15 - Research An Event Your Ancestor May Have Attended

Oct 1 - Open For Hosting

Oct 15 - Weddings!

Nov 1 - Open For Hosting

Nov 15 - "Harvest": What it meant to your family.

Dec 1 - Open For Hosting

Dec 15 - Holiday Theme

Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt #2

2. Participate in carnivals. A blog carnival is a showcase of bloggers’ posts on a given topic. Genealogy bloggers LOVE carnivals because there’s something for everyone. To learn about when these showcase-type events are happening, read others’ genealogy blogs. Someone’s always talking about a carnival.

While this should seem like a rather easy one to complete - just submit an entry to this week's Carnival of Genealogy, for instance - I wanted to take this one step further.  I decided to create a Carnival of Genealogy "quilt" with all the graphics I could find that had been used in COG editions gone-by.

If you don't know by now, the Carnival of Genealogy is run by Jasia over at Creative Gene and the graphics are dreamt up by the wonderful footnoteMaven.

Carnival of Genealogy 63rd Edition Posted

If you are looking for a sweet Sunday morning/afternoon read, then head on over to Creative Gene where Jasia has posted the 63rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

Participation for this edition which deals with New Year's resolutions is high (with 40 blog owners submitting posts) and I guess that is to be expected since we all like to start the new year off right!  And kudos to Jasia who always does a great job with what I like to call the Mother of All Genealogy Carnivals.

If you are looking to participate in upcoming COG editions (see details for the 64th Edition below) here's one suggestion: when completing the carnival submission form, take time to enter a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box . Why is this important?  As someone who has run several carnivals myself, there is nothing more daunting than to have to right descriptive comments for each post, especially when you have 40 or more of them.  Some days you just don't feel creative or witty enough to do this, and besides when you enter your own description you as the author of the post have more control over how other's will learn about your post.  Readers will get a better idea of what you've written about and hopefully you'll interest them in clicking on your link.

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: A Winter Photo Essay:

Show us those wintertime photo(s) of your ancestors or family members and tell us the story that goes along with them. Winter is here! Let's record it and celebrate it! The deadline for submissions is January 15th.

You can submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Thank you!

New Years Resolutions for 2009

This post was written for the 63rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

So, here we go again - doesn't it seem like we just did this 364 days ago?  Here is what I hope to accomplish with my genealogy and family history research as well as my outreach efforts to new and old genea-bloggers:

Cleanup My Database

I realize that this canbe a "never ending project" but now that I have FTM 2009, there are tools incorporated in the application which allow me to standardize locale names, etc.  I also want to standardize the source citations in terms of format and content.

Finish Scanning The Box

As I sat in my office around 3:00 am earlier in the week, during a very violent wind storm and feeling the entire back of the house move, I looked at The Box which is sitting on the office floor.  "What would happen if the entire back area ripped off the building?" Well, The Box and all its precious memories and photos would be gone faster than an investment made with Bernard Madoff!  So I am resolving either through Scanfests or on my own to finish scanning the contents and then making sure the photos are safe and secure!

Increase Outreach Efforts

After working with some great fellow genea-bloggers and making great strides in reaching out to new people, I'd like to ramp it up a bit.  This might mean setting up a marketing strategy for the Genea-Bloggers group on Facebook.  I'd also like to inspire my fellow genea-bloggers to use more social media tools such as Twitter.

Attend Genealogy Conferences

I think that after two years it is high time that I get out and actually go beyond the confines of my home in Chicago ("but oh, it's so scary and bright outside the walls of my place . . .") and meet up with other genea-bloggers.  This way they can see that I am not a fig newton of their collective imagination.

Write Articles

I was flattered to have an upcoming article accepted for publication in The Digital Genealogist and I'd like to write more articles especially on topics dealing with technology and genealogy.

Publish Books

Producing "memory books" using MyCanvas by Ancestry or other web sites has always been a goal of mine.  I did produce Kenney's Story using Ancestry Press last fall as gifts for several family member but I'd like to expand my efforts and do some general family stuff as well as some focused individual books. 

Photo: Happy New Year 2009 from Liron. Digital photograph taken December 31, 2008. Used through Creative Commons licensing via Flickr

Dear Genea-Santa

This post was written for the 62nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

Dear Genea-Santa:

How are you? I hope you are doing well and you aren't overwhelmed by all the wishes from my fellow genea-bloggers. Just so you know, they are a great group of people who really deserve to have their wishes granted this year. Genea-bloggers very often give more than they receive: they assist new genea-bloggers with the ins and outs of blogging about genealogy; they document their own family history so family members and others can read about it in one easy location; and, as you can tell by the Carnival of Genealogy, they like to have fun!

I have three wishes that I'd like you to grant me if you still have any energy left, that is.

Wish #1: Grandma Austin's Cedar Chest

This is one of many items which was lost in the fire back in 1979 when my great-grandparents' home in Grahamsville, New York burned to the ground. I remember Grandma (Therese McGinnes Austin) telling me that one of my ancestors had brought the chest with them when they arrived in the New World but I can't remember who that ancestor was. I'd love to have even one hour to look, feel, and smell that cedar chest and to try and unravel the mysteries that come with it.

Wish #2: Grandma Pressner's Birth Certificate

My great-grandmother Frances Pressner was born about 1889 in Germany - probably Prussia - and her parents are the only set of great-great grandparents for whom I have no information. I'd love to know more about the Pressner side of my family, where they lived both in Prussia and the United States and what brought them to America.

Wish #3: Information on Wouter Dence

Hopefully by just putting his name in this blog, I'll find someone who knows more about Wouter. He was my 6th great-grandfather and finding more about him would break down one of my biggest brick walls. I know there are many variations on the name including Dance, Dennis, Dense, Dents, and more but I can't seem to even get a foothold. He married Claartje Janse Marinus after her first husband, Jacobus Janse VanVorst died.

That's all for now. Genea-Santa have a safe trip this Christmas and please bring holiday joy (and their wishes) to all my fellow genea-bloggers this year!