Friday, January 30, 2015

Genealogy Do-Over: Week 4~Managing &Tracking

  


 Managing Projects and Tasks and Tracking Searches have been the focus of Week 4 of the Genealogy Do-Over.

Managing Projects~
  There are may ways to manage a project or task. I have been using Trello, an online project board, to manage not only my Genealogy projects, but my business, personal and family projects as well.  Trello uses a visual board system where things that need to get done can be broken down to smaller "cards" or items that need attention. Each card can then hold lists, pictures etc. to help complete that part of your project. My lists are named To-Do. Doing and Done. The cards can be clicked on and put into whichever list corresponds with the progress of the task. Trello has an app that can be downloaded to phones and tablets so I am able view and work on my projects from anywhere.

 Tracking Searches~
   This is one area, I must admit, that I haven't been very good at. This week I have taken Thomas McEntee's advice and have been recording what I am searching. Yes, it's been tedious, but I have discovered that it is well worth it. My tracking consists of what data base, who searched and the results of the search. These is recorded in Evernote and then copied and pasted into my Legacy Family Tree. software.
Why Evernote? Because of it's search capabilities within my notes and notebooks. Placing it into Legacy helps me keep all my information together in one program.
 Already, I have seen a benefit to recording online searches and what happens when failing to do so. While searching for a family believed to have been living in Newport, RI in the 1920's , a possible family came up in the search results. In my excitement to see if this could be the one , I neglected to record the search parameters and moved on to look for more information. Now, I can't duplicate my search and find them again. This happened this week-while participating in week 4 of the Genealogy Do-Over! Bad habits are hard to break. This has lead to wasted time and energy as I have tried to find the family again and it will lead to more as I continue to look.  Lesson learned.
 Now, I am off to search through my Chrome browser history-perhaps it will lead me to the right search result. Then, it's on to week 5.
  
Are you participating in the Genealogy Do-Over? I would love to hear how you are doing!
 Thanks so much for stopping by.

  







   

Thursday, January 29, 2015

52 Ancestors: Closest to My Birthday~ Auntie Kate

 The prompt this week for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition is to write about the ancestor who is closest to your birthday.
  
    My genealogy software, Legacy Family Tree, has a great search tool. After entering a search for anyone born in August, I discovered that my Great Grand Aunt, Kathryn Louise Baker Ryan (1898-1987), was born on August 5, the closest to my August 3 birthday.
    

Kathryn "Kate" Baker Ryan (1898-1987)
1973
©Cheri Hudson Passey
     
  "Auntie Kate", as I called her, was the daughter of Arthur Wellington Baker (1857-1940) and Martha Victoria (Bradford) Baker (1862-1946). She was born and lived most of her life in Sumter County, South Carolina.
 As a child I remember going to the home she and her two sisters shared. One of those sisters was my Great Grandmother, Emma Ruth (Baker) Early (1901-1993). All were widows.

Three of the Baker sisters
L-Ella Fair (Baker) Wells (1889-1971)
M-Emma Ruth (Baker) Early (1901-1993)
R-Kate Louise (Baker) Ryan ( 1898-1987)
©Cheri Hudson Passey

  My memories of Auntie Kate was that she was a great cook. I especially remember her creamed corn. No one could make it quite like her. She had a poodle named "Jacques. He could do several tricks and was even potty trained! Think about that one for a minute... I won't give details but he just needed someone to flush for him.

Kate and "Jacques"
Early 1980's

   Auntie Kate was one of the first people I spoke to in 1979 about genealogy. She had spent many years researching the Baker family. Her work had been placed into a book and she gave me a copy of it. I was hooked!

   Kate married James "Jimmy" Patrick Ryan (1893-1950) on 27 Sept. 1921 in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1922 Jimmy was honorably discharged from the Navy and they moved to live by Kate's family in Sumter County, South Carolina. They adopted their daughter, Ellen Anne Ryan (1934-1988) in 1936. 

Kate and Jimmy Ryan
©Cheri Hudson Passey
  

Both are buried in the Sumter City Cemetery in Sumter, South Carolina.

 Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.





Monday, January 26, 2015

FGS 2015-Session, Eating & Packing Plans





    With only two weeks before FGS 2015, it's time to think about what classes to attend, events to go to, as well as what and where to eat.
     The FGS 2015 app will let you see the list of lectures by day,or by speaker. After clicking on your choice it will be added to "My Schedule. Once at the conference it can be easily accessed to see where you are going next.
  The choices of presentations make it difficult to decide. Great speakers with equally fantastic topics are being offered throughout all four days. There is truly something for everyone and for every level of experience.  The syllabus is available for download to help make your schedule. Sometimes the titles of a presentation suggest a topic that is not what the lecture turns out to be, so it's helpful to read through the handouts for the class before making up your mind.
   Some-but not nearly all-of the sessions I am looking forward to are:
Wed. Feb. 11
Your Society Can't Afford To Do a Seminar? Here's How!
by Paula Stuart-Warren

Thurs. Feb. 12
Bridging the Gap: Tracing Families in the United States Between 1780 and 1830
 by D. Joshua Taylor

Friday, Feb. 13
Doing the History Eliminates the Mystery
by Curt Witcher

Saturday, Feb. 14
"She Came From Nowhere"...A Case Study Approach to Solving A Difficult Genealogical Problems
 by Michael Lacopo

  Of course I am also looking forward to hearing from Judy Russell, Tom Jones, Thomas MacEntee, Jen Baldwin, CeeCee More, Maureen Taylor, Lisa Alzo, J. Mark Lowe, Jennifer Alford....gosh the list goes on and on!

  As far as where to eat, I haven't been to Salt Lake for years so I can't recommend any particular place. There are malls and restaurants within walking distance, so, whether you want fast food or something more, it should be easy to find.  Luncheons, which are offered at an additional cost, are offered by FGS each day and will feature a speaker as well as great food.

   My preference, if not meeting someone for lunch or dinner, is to carry snacks and a water bottle with me. Breaks can be taken in the expo hall or in a quiet area and not standing in line waiting to get something to eat.
 
    From previous conference experiences, I would suggest comfortable clothing and good walking shoes. There will be a lot of walking around from class to class and in the expo hall. If you're planning on leaving the conference center for a break or to get something to eat make sure you take a coat. I have added Salt Lake to my weather app on my phone so that I can better plan what type of clothing I will need to pack.
    A sweater or jacket is a must due to never knowing how hot or cold a particular room will be. You don't want to be freezing during a session and not be able to concentrate on what the speaker is saying.
   Fortunately, I am staying with a relative so I am not concerned about charging my phone and tablet at night.  Most Hotels are getting better about having charging stations in their rooms but you may want to think about bringing a plug that will allow you to charge several things at once.  Portable chargers are great to have during the day in case you need to recharge your devices.
      Think about what you want to carry around with you. Bags get heavy after buying books and collecting handouts and flyers in the expo hall. Usually, you will receive some type of bag when you check into a conference. Sometimes these bags are wonderful, sometimes not so much!
  I bought a bag that has several outside pockets and one large pocket inside. There are mesh pockets on the sides for water or soda bottles. It will hold my tablet, keyboard, a spiral note book, if I decide to go old school in my note taking, and anything else that I pick up during the day. It will also come in handy at the Family History Library. It is not bulky and will fold up flat to put in my suitcase.
 And that suitcase? Got it out of the shed today. Time to start packing!
Hope to see you there!

   





Sunday, January 25, 2015

Genealogy Do-Over: Week 3

 Tracking and Conducting Research


Tracking Research:
    The challenge for week 3 was to evaluate how research logs were used in our research.
     I have always kept a log of some sort as I have researched. I have used Legacy Family Tree's To -Do List to help me keep track of things needing to be done and the Research Notes section to record and analyse my finds. Keeping a spiral notebook that serves as a research diary has also helped.
    Here's the problem. Writing in the diary is great, but it's hard to go back and find things that I need so I tend to look for things over again.  My use of the To-Do list and Notes section in Legacy has not been as consistent as it should be and probably has not been used to it's potential.
     Wanting to see how others were keeping track of their research, I participated in Thomas MacEntee's Research Right: Tracking and Evaluating Your Genealogy Research Boot Camp, read all the posts about Research Logs on the Facebook Do-Over Page and went to the Legacy Virtual Users Group Community run by Tessa Keogh to see examples of how others utilize the To-Do and Notes features. Michelle Simmons Lewis has posted some wonderful ideas on how to use Legacy  on her Ancestoring blog.

     With all these examples, I am putting together a Research Log work flow that is best for me. Thomas MacEntee's Excel/Google Sheet Research Log is something that I want to try. Using a spread sheet isn't something that I am used to doing. Another idea is be to create a research diary on Evernote. That way my handwritten notes would be searchable and could be easily copied and pasted to my Legacy note fields. 

Conducting Research
          Starting with myself, I have begun making sure my data is correct, sourced and any missing information is noted and added to my To-Do list. My process will be to work on one family group at a time, adding what I have done to my Research Log and notes. Another part of going over my previous work is to check my computer and hanging files. After checking to make sure my data for each person is up to date and correct, I am organizing picture and document files on my computer and going through the corresponding hanging files to see what needs to be kept, archived or thrown away. Already I have noticed some holes that I hadn't seen before and information in records that I had overlooked. 

     The process is going to take some time but in the end, I will be better organized and my data will be correct for me and for future generations.

On to week 4!
Thanks so much for stopping by!


This Week On My Family History Calendar

Jan. 25-Jan. 31
 
       


   Once again, there is nothing to add to my calendar this week.  I always find it interesting how some weeks are full of birth, death and wedding anniversaries and some have nothing at all. 
   Are we kin? Do you know something that should be on the calendar?
Please contact me. Together we can find our people.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
      


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

52 Ancestors:Tough Woman~Beulah Mae

      My maternal Great Grandmother, Beulah Mae Price Roberts (1897-1980), lived a hard life that was filled with hardship and the loss of loved ones. She must have been a strong, Tough Woman- perfect for the bog prompt for Week 3 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2015 Edition.
  


Beulah Mae Price Roberts Wedding Day Age 17
Beulah Mae Price Roberts (1897-1980)
Wedding Day-Age 17
28 June 1914
©Cheri Hudson Passey
      Beulah Mae, the oldest of at least 6 children, was born 28 April, 1897 in Bath, Aiken, South Carolina to Bertrand Campbell Price (1876-____) and Bessie Mae Eargle Price (1878-1943).
     Beulah's father "Cam" worked in the Textile Mills of South Carolina and Georgia, moving frequently to go where the work was. He was not the best employee and was without work from time to time.
    The family was extremely poor. While living near Camp Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina, Beulah helped her mother make lunches to sell to the soldiers. Brother Frank Earle Price (1904-2002) tells of their father bringing home cross ties to burn so that they could have a fire to heat the house.
   Beulah met William Treadford Roberts (1894-1959) while her family was living in the Columbia, South Carolina area. They eloped on 28 June 1914 and over time became the parents of twelve children. 
  Although her husband also worked in the Textile Mills, Beulah's life became more stable as they lived in Mill Villages in both North and South Carolina. William became an Mill Supervisor and for a time during World War II, Beulah worked in the Mills as well. The family was eventually able leave the Mill Villages and build their own home.
 The large Roberts family home in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina was built in the late 1940's and is still lived in by a Granddaughter.


Beulah Mae Price Roberts 60th Birthday-1957
Beulah Mae Price Roberts (1897-1980)
60th Birthday-28 April,1957
©Cheri Hudson Passey
     Beulah's life was one of many losses. In 1922 her father, Cam Price, disappeared. He joined family members at a Church Revival in Columbia, South Carolina and then was never seen or heard from again.
    A baby brother,Willie L. Price (1902-1902), died at the age of 5 months, sister, Nellie Pearl Price Booth (1910-1927), died in childbirth and brother, David Daniel Price (1904-1937), was killed when the car he was a passenger in was hit by a train. Her mother, Bessie Mae, died in 1943 and then just ten years later another brother, George Washington Price (1905-1953), died from Multiple Sclerosis.  
    Death was never far away from Beulah. Of the twelve children born to the Roberts family, only six survived their mother.
   Baby Edith Marie Roberts (1926-1926) died from pneumonia at 4 months.
   An unnamed Baby Girl was stillborn on 21 Feb. 1927
   William Treadwell Roberts, Jr. (1928-1928) died just a few days before he turned 4 months.
   Edman George Roberts (1922-1943) was listed as Missing In Action and then declared dead after his plane was shot down during WWII.
   Gilbert Ernest Roberts (1921-1944), my Grandfather, was killed in action on Peleliu Island while serving in WWII.
  Wilbert Lewis Roberts (1918-1944) was killed in action in Italy during his service in WWII.
 Then, in 1959, husband William died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of  65.  


Beulah Mae Price Roberts and Frank Earle Price Roberts Granitteville Cemetery
Beulah Mae Price Roberts and brother Frank Earle Price
Visiting Graves of their mother Bessie and brother David
Graniteville Cemetery, Graniteville, Aiken, South Carolina
©Cheri Hudson Passey
 So much loss, so much pain for one person. A "tough woman"? 
She would have had to have been.



Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!


   

Sunday, January 18, 2015

This Week On My Family History Calendar

Jan. 18-24


Jan. 19~
  The 97th death anniversary of my maternal Great Great Grandfather, Manning David Daughrity,Sr. (1844-1918).  Manning died of a heart problem called Mitral Regurgitation. His death certificate says that he was buried in the Sumter City Cemetery but no grave has been located for him.

Jan. 20~
 My maternal 4th Great Grandmother, Martha Brazell Parnold (1795-1876) was born 220 years ago. She lived most of her life in Richland County, South Carolina.

January 24~
 Loretta McManus Daughrity (1894-1936), my maternal Great Grandmother, died 79 years ago in Sumter, Sumter, South Carolina. Etta was 41 at time of her death. She is buried in the Sumter City Cemetery, Sumter, South Carolina.

  My 5th Great Grandfather, Phillip Roberts, II (1763-1864) was born 252 years ago in Cumberland County, North Carolina.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!

   

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

52 Ancestors:Week 2~Kings in the Family?

   The theme for week two of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2015 Edition is: King
      Since there are no royal connections that I know of in my family tree  I decided to search my data base for the surname King. Sure enough there were some and they could be direct ancestors!
        My paternal 5th Great Grandfather, Lt. John Frierson (1727-1797), married a woman named Margaret (1731-1800) before 1760. They were from the part of Georgetown District of South Carolina that later became Williamsburg County, South Carolina.
     I descend through their daughter Janet Frierson Smith (1760-1834) and, as is the case often during this time period, their daughter Margaret Frierson Frierson (1769-1838) as well.  (Yes, Margaret Frierson married a cousin-a first cousin.)
  So, where does the name King come in? Well, Margaret, who married Lt. John Frierson, is said to be Margaret King, the daughter of William King (__-1764). William was the son of John King (1724-__).  Other records have her listed as Margaret Smith. Still others have her as Margaret King Smith Frierson.  In each case the dates of birth and death, marriage and residence are the same.
      

Martha King Pedigree Chart
Produced by Legacy Family Tree


   Unfortunately, there are no sources cited with any of the varying names given to the wife of Lt. John Frierson in information mailed to me, in published works or on line. Was she a King who married a Smith and then John Frierson? 
   Much more research will need to be done to find out if I truly have Kings in the family.

Are we kin? Please contact me! Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!



Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Catching Up With The Genealogy Do- Over Challenge






   The Genealogy Do- Over challenge by Thomas MacEntee is nearing the end of week two. Since I was out of town for most of week 1, I am running a little behind.
   I have spent the last few days reading Do- Over posts and ideas on line and on the Genealogy Do- Over Face Book page. There have been some wonderful examples of organization,forms and ideas on how to start over or make- over your research.
  A genealogy make- over is what I am aiming for in the next few weeks. 

Week 1 Topics:
  •  Setting Previous Research Aside
    My decision is to take one family at time and review all my files and information as if I was looking at each person for the first time. I am not going to start a new data base simply because I have so many people in mine and do not want to have to add everyone again. The goal will be to check every piece of information in my data base, files and notebooks. To make sure I have analyzed and cited each document, correctly named all files and fixed any mistakes in my Legacy Family Tree data base.

  • Preparing to Research
  Having Research Plans and Logs in place beforehand is the key to successful research. Looking at all the ideas available, I have decided to tweak and use forms that I can add and maintain on Evernote.  

  • Establishing Base Practices and Guidelines
 Over the years, I have tried to stick to a routine but as with all things, I wasn't always consistent. This week I have taken a step back and looked at my work flow. Ideas from others have helped me to restructure the way I will be doing things. From researching, enter data , downloading and scanning pictures and documents as well as keeping those research forms updated, I have put together a work flow that I feel will work better for me.  Writing down the new work flow plan and referring to it daily until it is a habit is the goal.
   The other important focus will be making sure I follow the principles of the Genealogical Proof Standard. Whether I am doing personal research or for someone else, I want my work to be the best it can be.

Week 2 Topics:
   
  •   Setting Research Goals
     Making a commitment to use a Research Plan and Log is my biggest goal. I have used them fairly consistently when on a research trip to an archives or library, but I admit that I haven't been as good at using them when doing on line research. I have been guilty of searching the same data base a time or two because I didn't write down where ,when and what I was looking for. 
  • Conducting Self Interview
    My information data page on Legacy is blank except for birth and marriage dates. Adding more biographical information for future generations will be something that I will be working on. Using the events and notes sections I will enter important highlights of my life and things that I want future generations to know.

  • Conducting Family Interviews
     I am grateful to have tape recorded interviews of both of my Grandmothers before they died. I have also recorded interviews of both of my parents. And where are these interviews? Still on the recording devices that I used.  Both Grandmother's interviews have been transferred from cassette tape to audio files on my computer but I want to transcribe them as well as the ones from my parents. For Christmas I received the Dragon Speech Recognition program. My goal is to use this to transcribe all my family interviews.  
    There are others that I need to interview as well. My brother, Aunts and Uncles and Cousins can share their family memories to add to the story.
   There are many interview question ideas that can be found on line. Here is an example from The Armchair Genealogist.  

    With these ideas from the last two weeks, I am well on my way to  a genealogy make-over!
    Are you taking the Genealogy Do-Over Challenge? Share your ideas! I would love to hear them. 

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by.

   



Sunday, January 11, 2015

This Week On My Family History Calendar

Jan.11-Jan.17




No events to report on the calendar this week! Must mean I need to do more research!
Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

52 Ancestors 2015 Edition~Fresh Start: Did He or Didn't He?

  This weeks's blog prompt from Amy Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2015 Edition is: Fresh Start. She asked us to think about which ancestor may have had a fresh start or who we may want to start fresh with researching.
  One name came to mind when I read this prompt-
Bertrand Campbell Price (1876-after 1922), my maternal great great Grandfather.
   Why "Cam" Price? Well, Cam is a bit of a mystery. Born 27 July 1876 in Aiken County, South Carolina he seemed to be always on the move working job to job from South Carolina to Georgia and possibly Alabama. Most of his employment seems to have been in the Cotton Mills of those areas.
   Cam's father is said to be Adam Price of Blythewood, South Carolina but so far no conclusive evidence of who his parents were has been discovered.
  He married Bessie Mae Eargle (1878-1943) in about 1894. They were the parents of at least 6 children.
Bessie Mae Eargle Price
©Cheri Hudson Passey

    Sometime in 1922, while living in Columbia, South Carolina, Cam Price disappeared. There are many family theories as to what may have happened to him. Some have said he ran away with the family money, others say he was attacked and killed for the money he had on him that day and his body was never found. Another story is that he was one of the several unidentified victims of a storm that hit the area. A school paper written on the family in the early 1970's claims that he went to look for work and never returned. There was even a letter that came to wife Bessie Mae saying that her husband had been killed in a train accident. However, she felt from the description of the dead man, it wasn't Campbell.
  Son Frank Earle Price (1914-2002). in an interview with a family member, stated that the last time he saw his father was during a tent revival meeting. Frank recalled Cam being dressed in a new suit and that his father placed a handkerchief on the bench to sit on. That was the last anyone saw or heard from Bertrand Campbell Price-or was it?
   In August of 1944, my great grandmother, Beulah Mae Price Roberts (1897-1980), daughter of Campbell Price filed for a delayed birth certificate in Charleston, South Carolina. On the application, she stated that her father's death occurred in 1926 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  What did she know that others did not? A search for death information in North Carolina has not produced any results.
 
Beulah Mae Price Roberts
©Cheri Hudson Passey


  My fresh start will be to go back over the information collected so far on Bertrand Campbell Price. Was there foul play or did he simply walk away for his own fresh start?

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!


Sunday, January 4, 2015

This Week On My Family History Calendar

Jan. 4-Jan. 10



Jan. 4~
  My paternal Grandmother, Mary Baker Hudson (1920-2010), died 5 years ago at the age of 89 in Lake City, Florence, South Carolina.  She is buried in Sumter City Cemetery, Sumter, South Carolina.

Jan. 6~
  My paternal 3rd Great Grandparents, Benjamin Reese Gibson (1824-1907) and Margaret Canty Walker (1830-1900) were married 167 years ago in Clarendon County, South Carolina.

Jan. 8~ 
 Margaret Canty Walker Gibson (1830-1900), my paternal 3rd Great Grandmother died 115 years ago in Manning, South Carolina.

Jan. 9~
 Manning David Daughrity, Sr. (1844-1918) and Mary Elizabeth Stafford (1843-1930), my maternal Great Great Grandparents were married in Sumter County, South Carolina 147 years ago.

Jan. 10~
 My Great Grandparents Arthur Wellington Baker (1857-1940) and Martha Victoria Bradford (1862-1947) were married 136 years ago. Arthur was 21 and Mattie was 16 when they married in Sumter County, South Carolina.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!