West Virginia, Washington D.C. and Holiday Memories

Do you  have a special holiday decoration or ornament that was handed down from one generation to the next? What makes it special? Who will you hand it down to? Decorations, family stories, recipes are just a few of the things that help make holidays special.

I have an ornament from my grandmother's Christmas tree. In the early 1960's silver trees were all the rage. It was quite surprising to walk into Grandma's living room to see a silver Christmast tree with blue ornaments! I have a blue ornament from that tree and it has a special place on my tree every year.

Sunday November 27

• The New England Historic Genealogical Society, founded in 1845,  is the oldest genealogical society in the country.
• Visit their website: http://library.nehgs.org/

Monday November 28

• Researching ancestors that lived in Washington D.C.?
• Census records start in 1800 and go through 1930.
• The 1810 census, like the 1890 census have been lost.
• Washington D.C. is located on 100 acres of land donated by Maryland and Virginia in 1791.
• The British burned the majority of Washington D.C.’s buildings and legal documents on August 24, 1814.

Tuesday November 29

• Visit the West Virginia Archives and History Genealogy Corner to find:
• Genealogy Surname Exchange
• Archives and History News
• Birth, Death and Marriage Records
• AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy
• Archives
• Cemeteries, West Virginia, Artificial Collection
• County Formations, West Virginia
• Counties of West Virginia
• History of the American Negro
• Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
• Mining Your History Foundation
• On-Line Searchable Death Indexes and Records
• Researching Your Civil War Ancestor
• AND MORE

Wednesday November 30

• Jacques Cartier named Canada “Kanata” in the early 1500’s.
• Visit the Canadian Historical and Genealogy Societies website for assistance in your Canadian research.

Thursday December 1

• New Year’s Resolution: I resolve to catch up on my filing and get rid of clutter.

Friday December 2

• Who is that standing in front of the family home?
• Visit Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, website for clues to the unknown folks in your family pictures.

Saturday December 3

• Illinois became a state on this date in 1818   
• Investigate the Illinois State Archives for online databases, documents stored at the regional archives and the state library
•  Visit The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in person or online.

I need to point out that the baby in the picture is NOT my sister Mary. She was sick at home for her first Christmas. The baby in the picture is our cousin Dale.

Take Care,

Pattie

Genealogist Holiday Check List

Over the next six weeks every genealogist has a great opportunity to reach out to his/her immediate and extended family and involve them in your genealogy research. Whether it is a family newsletter, a collection of  recipes or putting together an album of old family photos the holidays are a great time to share your research.

The holidays can also be a good time to ask your uncles, aunts and cousins for updates to their family trees. My mother comes from a large family and I have many relatives I have not seen for over forty years. Genealogy is not just about finding your past it is also about staying in contact with your living relatives. On the plus side those relatives may have photos, stories and artifacts that could help break down some brick walls.

This holiday season the most important research you do could be at your dining room table!

Sunday November 20

• Create a letter to send to your extended family to update your records. Questions could include:
• Children's names and birthdates
• Names of children's spouses or children
• Has anyone in their family done any family research

Monday November 21

• Check out the blog posting Printing Manually ...the Duplex Workaround if your survey is more than one page.

Tuesday November 22

• Check out the Salvation Army and Goodwill stores when visiting your hometown for out of print books, local artifacts, photographs, etc. that can help flesh out your family research.

Wednesday November 23

• Involve the Younger Generation:
• Take advantage of a book, movie or television program that a younger member of the family might be interested in and relate it to your family history.
• Making home made decorations, place settings or a recipe is a natural way to start a discussion across mulitple generations.

Thursday November 24

• The Genealogy of Thanksgiving: Explore the origins of the holiday, gather recipes and find a list of the 25 Mayflower passengers who left descendents.

Friday November 25

• Genealogist Supply List:
• A portable scanner can help capture family pictures and documents during family gatherings.
• Make copies of documents you want to share with your family. This will allow you to pass them around and take notes during conversations.
• Never go to a family gathering without a camera! You can take pictures of people, things and artifacts without having to rely on someone else to 'get a copy' for you. 

Saturday November 26

• Make a list of topics or questions for your next family gathering. It could include:
• Naming a memorable birthday
• Favorite Uncle or Aunt
• Least favorite side dish or family recipe
• How someone met their spouse
• Why did they move to a different town or state
• The origin of their first or middle name

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and that I have given you some food for thought for the rest of your weekend.

Take Care,
Pattie

Five Generation Photo: Charles N. Schultz III, Mary Schultz, Charles Clayton Schultz holding Victoria Faye Schultz, Charles N. Schultz, Jr.