Sunday, January 31, 2010

Finding My Great Grandparents Arthur and Mabel Hall






Once again the Internet and emails to the rescue. Last week I wanted to see if I could find the gravestones at http://www.findagrave.com/ for my great grandparents Arthur and Mabel (Coleman) Hall to no avail.

My information had them buried at Crawford Nebraska but I could find no picture of their graves. I found contributors to the cemeteries in that area and sent off a couple of requests for help.

Yesterday I received an email giving me this web site http://nebraskagravestones.org/

and that I would find my family their at City Cemetery in Crawford.

One more piece of information to put into my family book.

One interesting piece of history of Crawford Nebraska can be found at their home page. They have put this bit of history there. " Established in 1886 as a new community along the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad just outside the Fort Robinson military reservation, Crawford was named in honor of Captain Emmet Crawford, formerly stationed at the nearby post and who had just recently been killed by Mexican irregulars along the U. S. Mexico border. The town soon gained a reputation as the toughest in the west, with saloons outnumbering churches. The arrival of a second railroad , the Burlington Quincy line provided additional boost to the community.
My family history has that Arthur moved to Nebraska in 1898 and lived in Geneva and Taylor. They moved to Crawford in 1919. He passed away in June of that year of hardening of the arteries around the heart.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 4

Well already week 4 of getting organized with our family history. I am only half way done putting new dividers with larger tabs in my notebooks. I have separated my family note books . I have one note book with my mother's maiden name and another notebook with other family names in that line.
I am doing the same with my fathers side. As the other names grow and some will they will get their own family note book.

So for week four we will continue with the sorting of papers, updating our notebooks and start wandering around http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/, http://www.genforum.genealogy.com/,http://www.cyndislist.com/

So busy week with getting organized and searching the internet.
Thanks For Stopping By.. Grace

Meet More Of My Ancestors Michael Cossell Born in Germany Died 1847 Coles Illinois


Isn't the Internet great. Full of information and people to meet.

I have been busy getting my family notebooks organized with new dividers with Larger tabs for my family names. I am about 1/2 done.

Need to go and buy more dividers tomorrow at office depot.

Last night I decided to take one of the family names I have done nothing with other than gather their name.

I started out going to ancestry and found some information but then went to http://www.google.com/ from their went to http://www.genweb.com/ site and found the postings of Cossel name.

Since then I have hooked up with the wife of a 5th cousin and she has been nice enough to email me information on two branches of our Cossell family.

She also sent me some interesting history on Hiram Franklin Cassell and the stories he shared with a historian for Quincy and Adams County.

The following is a copy of that history. There are probably some errors and not all information is confirmed but makes for interesting reading.


Hiram Franklin Cassell, b. August 28, 1843 d. April 4, 1923
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
HISTORY AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN
David F. Wilcox, Supervising Editor
Volume 1
The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York, 1919
Page 284-286

It was in the fall of 1903, when the writer of this history met Hiram Franklin Cassell, who gave an interesting story about the genealogy of his family, which was of German origin: Michael Cassell, born Hessen-Cassell, with his wife and one son came to America in 1696. Their emigration no doubt was due to the adverse conditions existing in the country of their birth, as the result of the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648. They settled down in what now is Washington County, Virginia, where the son Abraham Gabriel Cassell, born in the fatherland 1695, grew up, and in 1762, being in the sixty-eighth year of his life, married Miss Bessie Fleener (Fliehner?), nineteen years of age. January 14, 1763, a son was born to them, whom they named Michael; when his son was in the fifteenth year of his life, he enlisted as a fifer in The American army during the War of the Revolution, taking part in the battle of Bennington, August 16, 1777, under General John Stark. It was on this memorable occasion when General Stark, pointing at the enemy, said to his soldiers, that he would gain a victory, or Molly Stark should be a widow that night; then Michael Cassell, the youth still in his teens, picked up a gun, also taking an active part in the engagement, which resulted victoriously for the Americans. Later on he served under General William Henry Harrison against the Indians, who at that time under Chief Tecumseh were committing all kinds of depredations, killing the settlers, pillaging and destroying their settlements. He took part in the Battle of Tippecanoe, on the banks of the Tippecanoe River, November 5, 1811.
Tecumseh's brother, prophet of the tribe in the absence of the chief, who was attempting to form an alliance with tribes from the south for hostilities against the whites, demanded a parley and a council was proposed for the next day. But while General Harrison's little army, consisting of 300 regulars and 500 militia men, were sound asleep, the Indians suddenly attacked the camp at 4 o'clock in the morning. A desperate fight ensued, lasting till daylight and the Indians finally were defeated and dispersed. Michael Cassell in the course of time attained the rank of colonel. His son, John Franklin Cassell, born January 1, 1799, in Washington County, Virginia, inherited the martial spirit of his father, enlisting in the American army as a fifer during the War of 1812, and took part in the Battle of New Orleans, which was fought at Chalmette, about four miles below the city, January 8, 1815. General Jackson, in command of the Americans, with a force of 6,000 men, repulsed Sir Edward Pakenham's army of 12,000 British veterans. Pakenham lost his life, while 700 of his men were killed, 1,400 wounded and 500 taken prisoner. The loss of the Americans amounted to 8 men killed and 13 wounded. This remarkable result is accounted for the fact that General Jackson's men were entrenched, and protected by sandbags and cotton bales. Later John Franklin Cassell served in the Blackhawk war, attaining the rank of major; he also served in the Mexican was as colonel. In 1848 he settled down in Clayton, Adams County, Illinois; he was a smith and a gunsmith, which trade he learned from his father. He died March 23, 1886, aged eighty-seven years.
Hiram Franklin Cassell, a son of John Franklin Cassell, was born August 28, 1843, in Fort Des Moines, Iowa, his father at that time being in command of the post. At the beginning of the War of the Rebellion he enlisted in the Eighth Illinois Infantry, serving four years and five months to the end of the war. In 1866 he enlisted in the Third Regular Cavalry, in which he served six years and seven months, taking part in the different Indian wars. At the massacre of Julesburg, Colorado, perpetrated by Indians in 1868, he saved the life of Charles Boone, a grandson of Daniel Boone, the famous backwoodsman and trapper. In 1869 Hiram Franklin Cassell was captured by Cheyenne Indians at Plain Creek, sixteen miles from Fort Kearney; they traded him for four ponies to the Red Cloud Sioux, being held by the latter in captivity for eleven months, until General George A. Custer (Kuester) defeated those Indians at Devil's Lake, Idaho, and Cassell was rescued. (Custer's ancestor, a Hessian soldier, was paroled 1778 after Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga. His name Kuester, hard to pronounce for English tongues, was, like so many others, changed to a form of easier pronunciation. Custer was a graduate of West Point. As a commander of cavalry divisions he fought in many battles of the Civil War, and was appointed brigadier-general for gallantry. With great distinction he served in several compaigns against the Indians. But on June 26, 1876, when he with 250 men dashed into overwhelming masses of Sioux Indians, he became surrounded. In the desperate battle Custer, as well as his brother, First Lieutenant Thomas Custer, and all soldiers were massacred to the last man. The fight is known as the Custer massacre at the Little Big Horn River, Montana.)
Solomon Cassell and William Cassell, uncles, and James Cassell, a brother of Hiram Franklin Cassell, also served in the Eighth Illinois Infantry; besides these, two brothers, Abraham Cassell and Gabriel Cassell, and a nephew, Anderson N. Cassell, served in the Fiftieth Illinois Infantry. Finally a grand-nephew, Alonzo G. Cassell, served in the Forty-third United States Regiment in the Spanish-American war. Hiram Franklin Cassell took part in the twenty-two battles and engagements during the War of the Rebellion. His uncle, William Cassell, lost his life in the second battle of Jackson, Mississippi, July 7, 1864. Hiram Franklin Cassell and his only daughter are at this writing living in Kansas City, Missouri, his only son, Warren L. Cassell, is sergeant of the police force in Quincy.
After the foregoing record of old pioneers, who came to America in the early colonial days, as far as the writer of this history was able to learn that record, we now get down to those who came somewhat later.
=

Makes history so much more fun to read.
Hiram is the son of John Franklin Cassell who is the brother of my ancestor Jonathan Cassell. The name is spelt many ways by various descendants some are Cassell, Cossell Cassel. So far all I know about my Jonathan was that he was
born 1812 in Washington County, Virginia.
Married Elizabeth Carmicheal in 1833 Illinois
Died January 24th 1845, Coles, Illinois which was two years before his father.
We have one known child so far, Mary M Cassell who is my great great grandmother.
And the last thing I did was to go to http://www.findagrave.com/ and did a search finding Michael Cossell gravestone. He is the father of my Jonathan Cossell. Have not found the gravestone of his wife Mary McLaughlin or son Jonathan.
Thanks For Stopping By .. Grace

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Interests?

It is Saturday and time for fun over at Genea-Musings Randy has given us a mission.. and this is it..


Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

Tell us about your "other" hobbies or interests outside of genealogy and family history research, writing, speaking, etc.

Write a blog post of your own, respond with a comment to this post


Well here is more about me ...

I am married to a sweet man and am living in Texas for a few years. We lived in Minnesota until retiring and moving to California for three years.. Now in Texas for awhile.

We owned and I ran a used bookstore for 15 years in Minnesota and I loved my bookstore. We closed that down when we retired.

We have been buying books and other treasures for many years and selling on eBay.

I have a total of 13 grandchildren and wish I could see them more but do not want to be in the snow at all. And it snows in Minnesota alot and to long.

This last year I have started couponing and refunding heavy to save money and be frugal. I have another blog that goes into this.

I of course love to read and mysteries are my favorites. I have met Sue Grafton, John Sandford, Steve Thayer, Vince Flynn , Patricia Cornwell and James Patterson. I was especially thrilled to meet James Patterson and loved his smile. Be still this old ladies heart. My hubby likes to joke he was flirting with me and I wish it was true. Of course this was a few years back and a few pounds less.

Wayne Newton kissed my cheek and of course all the other ladies cheeks in the 70's after a concert in Duluth, Minnesota

I stayed up all night for Elvis tickets and saw him twice in concert and believe he is the true King of Rock and Roll.

So now you know a little more about me. Take a look if you like at the others at http://www.geneamusings.com/2010/01/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-your.html

Thanks For Stopping By... Grace

Friday, January 22, 2010

McCormick Zion Family History Pamphlet A True Treasure




This is a group of papers and photos I came across while getting organized. I had been given these a few years back and filed in the front of one of my family notebooks. This is copies of a family pamphlet entitled the " McCormic Zion record of himself and family. "
Has names and birthdays of his children. Included is a letter from the family member who has the pamphlet and a letter from my aunt Alice. Thanks to her hard work for years we got a good start on this side of the families history.

Included is a copy of the certificate of authenticity dated August 22nd 1988



This is a family treasure that is in the hands of a family member.



BUSY BUSY Getting Family Research Organized

Busy busy getting my family research books organized, I have so much to get organized and filed so I can continue on. Thing is I love to search and see what I can find. Will post some of those finds soon.
Yesterday I went to the thrift stores looking for books and what ever to sell on eBay ( suppliments our income) . I need some more three ring binders and found 2 for a $1.99 each. Both are in good condition and usable.
My Zion family is one main name and I had so many papers that my binders were stuffed. Last night I took out the other family names from that side of my family and filed in another notebook. I need to do the same with my Day family book next.
As I go through my note book I am putting in new larger tab divider sheets before the ancestors name. I can use the small tabs to divide their childrens sheets.
Then it is to piles of papers and start filing them where they belong.

Hope that your week is going good with your research and organization.

Thanks For Stopping By... Grace

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

I Am Busy Getting Organized With My Family History

I am busy tonight working on getting organized. Went to Office Depot to get more ink and some Page dividers to separate my major family names. Every piece of paper I find I am loading into page protectors and putting in the right place.
So many names so little information found. I love my little corner in my office. Me and my papers. My computer, printer and books.

Hope that you are having a good night and busy with your family research or organizing.

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy Challenge 3

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy - Challenge 3
Assess yourself! You’re great at researching everyone else’s history, but how much of your own have you recorded? Do an assessment of your personal records and timeline events to ensure your own life is as well-documented as that of your ancestors. If you have a genealogy blog, write about the status of your own research and steps you may take to fill gaps and document your own life.
This challenge runs from Saturday, 16 January 2010 through Friday, 22 January 2010.



I have taken very little time to write about myself in my family book. I have done very little journeying also. This is one area it would be helpful to work on. How I wish I had more from my ancestors in their handwriting. I have a few letters or cards from grandparents but nothing from my great grandparents. I was reading http://taylorstales-genealogy.blogspot.com/2010/01/52-weeks-of-genealogyweek-3.html posting. She has put into her family research all the places she has lived .. 18 of them .. will make it easier for her descendants in the future.
That could be an interesting task to do.
I could write about where I was when I heard John F Kennedy had died ( 9th grade gym class).
Where I was and my feelings about the 911. How I did not sleep for days.
How about how I met my first husband or my second husband. I am not sure my children even know when or where I met their father. ( I was 15 and went to a movie with my girlfriend, told our parents we were going to the library. He was 4 rows behind us , sitting with his buddies.
My " What If " ? What if I had gone to a junior prom with with Peter B instead of cancelling out because..... he did not sound excited when I called to say yes. How silly a girl I was.
" What If ? when Mike J asked to date me. What could of become of that? I did not date him because of silly reasons. I was a preachers daughter and was a good girl, but he wanted me to not wear makeup, not cut my hair, skirts longer. If only I had talked to my mom or grandmother about him. They may have encouraged me to go out with him.
He went to Vietnam and died. Who knows if that could of changed the course of his history but we will never know. I think of him now and wish I had at least given it a try. At least I would of gotten to know him better.
We all have so many " What If " in our lives. But then again we go the course of life we choose. That brings us the husbands we had and have. The children and grandchildren in our lives. The places we have lived and will live. The people we have met that have brought meaning into our lives.
So many things to journel so that some day our great great grandchildren will know more about us then we know of our great great grandparents.
For now I am printing out some of these posts. At least it is a start.

Are you reasearching and doing a time line of your life. I would love to hear your comments.

Thanks for stopping by... Grace

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 3

We are at week 3 of getting our Family history organized. The following is our task.
1. Buy tons of top loading sheet protectors. I buy my at office depot. I buy most of my supplies there. I have a frequent customer card and get points for what I buy. I also turn in my used ink cartridges to them. They link this with my card and every 3 months I get a gift card to use at the store for what ever. Last quarter it was over $20.00, most came from my ink cartridges.

2 Now take all the papers from week 1 and put into your page protectors. File after the surname. If necessary make copies and put where needed after other surnames.

3. I put wedding certificates, birth certificates, letters right after the family group sheet. That way each family notebook becomes a wonderful book that family members will enjoy and understand. I have wonderful letters from my grandparents in Mylar sheets. That way I can enjoy reading them any time I want. They are save, protected and will not get lost among all the other papers. I never knew my father's mother and by reading her letters I get a sense of her. I only met my father's father twice and the first time as a young child. When I read those letters I see his reaction to my sister and me. I can read how my dad's brother's enjoyed seeing us as young children. These letters are greatly treasured and will be safely passed down for generations.

I also suggest making an extra copy of all the birth certificates, death certificates and filing in a file cabinet. That way if a distant cousin contacts you for a copy you can quickly make a copy for them. No need to take your family book to the copy store, that is if you do not have a home scanner.

Well that is our task for week 3. Once this is done and you get in the habit of putting these papers in your family notebook , you will hopefully do it as you find or receive a death certificate, copy of a letter or picture of an ancestor. As I find a picture of my ancestor's tombstone on http://www.ancestry.com/ or on http://www.findagrave.com/ I print a copy and put as the last page of that family member.

Just a couple of days ago I found the obiturary and grave stone of one of my great great grandmothers. You can read more of this if you like at http://myfamilyrootsrundeep.blogspot.com/2010/01/anna-woodmansee-milsap-my-great-great.html

Hope that you all have a wonderful week and that you find something out about a family member you did not know.
Thanks for stopping by... Grace

Friday, January 15, 2010

Anna Woodmansee Milsap my Great Great Grandmother




I love searching for family on the Internet. Only if my aunt Alice was alive today, she would be amazed.
Last night I put in the name Zion and came up with different links. Many of them mine from my postings. I would click on the different links to see what I would find, coming up with nothing new. one link was for http://genforum.genealogy.com/zion/ There I saw questions and answers for the Zions. Then I spotted a post about the obituary for Mrs. Ann Millsap. She was married to Flavious Armenious Millsap. Her children were listed, one being Mrs. Adam ZION one my great grandmothers on my father's side.
I now have her obituary. The following was printed in The Lamoni Chronicle (Iowa)July 28, 1904
MILLSAP. - Mrs. Ann MILLSAP died at her home at Syracuse, Kansas, July 2, 1904, aged 62 years, 11 months and 22 days.
She was the oldest daughter of James and Rachel WOODMANSEE, was born in Jackson county, Indiana, July 10, 1841. She came with her parents to Lee county, Iowa, remaining there one year. In the fall of 1849 they came to Decatur county and settled west of Decatur City, near the Woodmansee bridge, September 1.
She was married to Armeneous MILLSAP. To this union was born eleven children, the oldest dying in infancy. Five sons and five daughters are living; Mrs. Adam ZION, Wilton, Minn.; Mrs. Del FERGUSON, Hope, Idaho; George of Fellsburg,Kan.; John of Wyonoka, Okla.; Mrs. Charles PFIESTER, Great Bend, Kan.; Frank, Arthur, Carl and Ora, all of Syracuse, Kan. She leaves a husband, twenty-two grandchildren, three brothers and two sisters. They are: John WOODMANSEE, Leon, Rebuen of Indianola, George of near Decatur, Mrs. J. W. MCLAUGHLIN of Decatur, and Mrs. W. H. GRAYSON of Redding.
She united with the Christian Church when quite young, and has lived a consistent Christian until death. The husband has lost a faithful companion of nearly forty-seven years, the children a kind and loving mother. She has been a great sufferer for several years, but has bore her suffering with patience and christian fortitude.

Loving mother, thy work's all done,
Beautiful soul into glory gone.
Beautiful life with its crown now son
,God giveth rest.
Rest from all sorrows and watching and fears,
Rest from all possible sighings and tears;
Rest through God's endless, wonderful years,
At home with the blest.

Beautiful spirit, free from all strain.
Ours they heartache, the sorrow and pain;
Thine is the glory and infinite gain.
They slumber is sweet.
Peace on the brow, and the eye-lids so calm;
Peace in the heart, 'neath the white folded palm;
Peace dropping down like a wondrous balm,
From the head to the feet.

It was so sudden, our white lips said.

How we will miss her, our darling dead;
Who'll take the place of the precious one fled?
But God knoweth best.
We know he watches the sparrows that fall-
Hears the sad cry of the grieved hearts that call.
Friends, husband, children,-he loveth them all-
We can trust for the rest.

Copied by Stacey McDowell DietikerJune 9, 2003 http://iagenweb.org/decatur/


I knew about her and had this picture of her thanks to http://www.ancestry.com/ but I know have this final piece of paper. Her obituary printed in the paper.

I know she was born in Indiana July 10, 1841, married Flavious September 01,1857 in Leon Decatur Iowa and had eleven children the first dying in infancy. Her last years were in Syracuse Kansas where she died. Flavious was a farmer, her task was taking care of this large family.

One last search was to see if I could find the grave of Flavious and Anne Millsap. Went to http://www.findagrave.com/ . First searched Kansas Anne Millsap nothing found. Next search was Flavious once again nothing found. Last searched just the last name of Millsap in Kansas and found a page of Millsaps buried in the Syracuse Cemetery in Syracuse, Kansas. Flavious and Anne's tombstone is identified by F. A. and Annie.

Now I have their gravestone and know that some one called her Annie. They are buried side by side in the Syracuse Cemetery, Syracuse, Kansas.

There is so much more I want to know about her and will continue to search for information about Anne, Flavious and their family.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Antique Family Bibles Are Such Great Treasures




Here is another of my family treasures. At one time I had the pleasant task to be the keeper of our family bibles. Within the last year I have passed on one to each of my sons and my sister nows has two others at her home. But I have for now kept two of my favorites. Some day they will be passed on to my boys.

The smallest bible belonged to Louisa Marie Reynolds who married George Hall.
They had a son Arthur Reynolds Hall who married Mabel Coleman He passed it down to their daughter Alta Louise Hall.
Alta married my grandfather Perry Zion.
My father Arthur passed this down to me.
So this bible belonged to great great grandmother. She owned this when she was married to George Hall since she has signed it Louisa M Hall Evansville Wisconsin.

She has recorded her parents name and 7 sister's name with their birth dates. Her parents were John G Reynolds born 1800 and Mandania G Grover born 1815. She had amazingly beautiful handwriting.
The second bible belonged to my grandmother Alta Hall Zion. Inside there is this small note with my father's name and his address when he was in the merchant marines in 1943. She must of given it to him at that time.

The smallest bible is dated 1844
My grandmother's bible is not dated itself. She has written her name and my grandfather's name and the date 1911. She married grandpa Perry in 1913.

I love family bibles. Only one had family information written in it. What a treasure to have that written family history.

Thanks for stopping by... Hope you stop by again .. Grace

Happy 101 Award Received .. I Am Happy For So Much


Indeeds has been so kind to give me this award. With the acceptance of the Happy 101 award, I need to list 10 things that make me happy and nominate 10 other deserving blogs

First Things That Make Me Happy

1. My sweet husband
2. My children , grandchildren and other family members
3. A smile from a child
4. My cat Spooky purr's
5. Being Cancer Free and sober
6. My family mementos
7. My books
8. Seeing the ocean or Gulf of Mexico
9. Walking in a cemetery taking pictures
10. Hunting for treasures at thrift stores
These are the things that make me happy and thankful every day for all I have. Thank you so awarding me for this award.

Ten blogs to whom I would like to pass the "Happy 101 Award
Thanks for stopping by... hope that you come back soon.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 2 Contined

This is a continuation of my last post on organizing my files and yours if you like.

The first step to starting an organizational system is to decide on the basic form for your filing (the piles I have do not count!) — file folders, notebooks, binders, or computer disks.
Genealogical Filing Systems - the Advantages & Disadvantages

Filing Cabinet & File Folders - File folders, probably are the most popular organizational tool for genealogists, they are inexpensive, very portable, and easily hold papers of different shapes and sizes. But when they are dropped, file folders can become quite a mess - with papers thrown out of order, and even misplaced. File folders can make it easy to consult documents, but you have to be careful about making sure the paper is put back where it came from. Once you've generated a lot of paper, however, the file folder system is the most flexible and expandable

Binders - If you're someone who really likes to keep things together in one place, then organizing your printed genealogy data into binders may be a good option for you. This method standardizes your genealogical records into a regular size paper format. Documents that you don't wish to three-hole punch, can be added in polypropylene sleeves. Binders are portable and don't require a filing cabinet, however, if you do a lot of genealogical research you may find that binders eventually become too cumbersome on their own.
This is my personal choice. Yes they can be cumbersome but also are a great family book in itself. Mine is a place I gather census, family group sheets, pictures, obits and even awards received.

Computer Disks, CDs, & DVDs - Transcribing or scanning genealogical documents into the computer can save quite a bit of space, and the computerized organizational systems can greatly speed up tedious tasks such as sorting and cross-referencing. The question is, will your descendants 100 or more years from now have a computer that can read them? If you choose to use your computer as your primary organizational system, you should also decide on making and preserving copies or printouts of important documents and backing up your CD files. I have had computers crash and their goes all my hard work. Also my first family tree research was saved on a floppy disc. My computer today does not read this disk. So it is just a small Frisbee.

Once you get started organizing your genealogical clutter, you'll probably find that a combination of storage methods works best. Some people, for example, use binders to organize "proven" family and file folders for miscellaneous research on unproven connections, neighborhood or local research, and correspondence. It is important to keep in mind that organization is and always will be a work in progress.


Thanks For Stopping By... Grace

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 2

My genealogy records are not totally organized but I am constantly working on it. It is a work in progress that is for sure. When we moved I moved piles of family records, notebooks and family photos. Piles of copies of old records, printouts from genealogy Web sites, and letters from fellow genealogy researchers are sitting in piles on my desk and in boxes and in file folders in my filing cabinet. Not that they are completely disorganized - if you ask me for something specific, I can maybe find it. But it definitely isn't a filing system that I would recommend as efficient!Does this sound familiar? Are you as surrounded in papers as I am? Believe it or not, the solution is as simple as finding an organizational system that suits your needs and research habits, and then making it work. I know, it's not exactly as simple as it sounds (or why am I not practicing what I preach?), but it is possible and will ultimately help to keep you and me from spinning our wheels and duplicating research.

Which Filing System is Best?Ask a group of genealogists how they organize their files, and you're likely to get as many different answers as genealogists. There are a number of popular genealogy organization systems, including binders, notebooks, files, etc., but there truly is no individual system which is "best" or "correct." We all think and behave differently, so ultimately the most important consideration in setting up your filing system is that it must fit your personal style.

The best organization system is always the one that you will use.Organizing the Paper as your genealogy project progresses you will find that you have numerous paper documents to file for each individual that you research - birth records, census records, newspaper articles, wills, correspondence with fellow researchers, Web site printouts, etc. The trick is to develop a filing system that will enable to easily lay your fingers on any of these documents at any time.

Commonly used genealogical filing systems include:By Surname - All papers for an individual surname are filed together.By Couple or Family - All papers related to a husband and wife or family unit are filed together.
By Family Line - All papers related to a specific family line are filed together.
Many genealogists begin by starting with four such ancestral lines - one for each of their grandparents.
By Event - All papers related to a specific event type (i.e. birth, marriage, census, etc.) are filed together.Beginning with any of the four systems mentioned above, you could then further organize your papers into the following categories:
By Location - Papers are first grouped by one of the four genealogy filing systems listed above, and then further broken down by country, state, county, or town to reflect your ancestor's migration.
For example, if you chose the Surname Method, you would first group all DAY ancestors together, and then further break the piles down into the England DAYs, the New England DAYs , MINNESOTA Days, and the so on.
By Record Type - Papers are first grouped by one of the four genealogy filing systems listed above, and then further broken down by record type (i.e. birth records, census records, wills, etc.).

tomorrow Genealogical Filing Systems

Thanks For Stopping By...

Tombstone Tuesday My Great Grandparents Adam and Rachel Zion






Today for Tombstone Tuesday I am sharing the gravestone of one of my great grand parents

This is Johnathan Adam and Rachel Ann Millsap Zion at the time they married.

Johnathan was born September 29, 1861 and died April 07, 1927

Rachel was born 1863. I have her birth date as April 19, 1862 but gravestone says 1863 which is

probably correct. Need to check on that further. She died May 13, 1945.

They married in 1866 in Lamoni, Decatur, Iowa and had five Children. Perry ( my grandfather),

Norton, Bessie , Gertrude and Mary E

They are buried in Craig Colorado at the Fairview Cemetery in Moffat County. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~comoffat/index.htm

Rest in peace grandpa and grandma.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

52 Weels To Better Genealogy Challenge 2

Well here is the challenge for week 2 from http://www.geneabloggers.com/52-weeks-challenge-2-local-public-library-continued/

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy - Challenge 2
Go to your local public library branch again. Examine the local history, archives and/or special collections section. Ask a librarian if you don’t know if your library has special collections or where they are located. Be sure to check the reference section, too, as many of the newer and more valuable books are held in that area. If you have a genealogy blog, write about what you find in your library’s local history and special collections.
This challenge runs from Saturday, 9 January 2010 through Friday, 15 January 2010.

I am glad the second week is going to the library again. I have not been there. I jumped in the last day of week 1 Friday late at night and had planned to go on Saturday.

That changed when I was informed I was on the schedule to work Saturday afternoon. This job is just during the tax season. I hope that they get the schedule worked out so I know what I am doing.

So I have this next week to find a day I can go to the library and see what they have. My early post on the library reported that they had a large are relating to the history of the South. At that time I did not think I had any ancestors from the south. After going through my family history last night on my Zion line I noted that I have Bela Millsap born 1797 in Green Tennessee He is my 3rd great grandfather. By 1830 he is in Indiana.

This is a picture of Bela late in life. He is pictured with his second wife who has just died. I look forward to finding more about him and his first wife Elizabeth McGuyer in the future.
That is the mystery of genealogy, your family history, there is always more to search for. It is an unending mystery.
Thanks for stopping by... I hope that you will visit again ... Grace

Friday, January 8, 2010

Getting Organized with Family History in 52 weeks Week 1

Back in 1998 I saw in a Daily Genealogy Column a posting for getting organized during the year with our genealogy, family history information. I have saved that information all these years and plan to put some or all of it to use during this year. Feel free to join in as you feel you need to. Some of you will be more organized than I am and some of you may be just beginning.

Week 1

1.Clear off the computer desk and make piles of things to be filed, letters you want to write and research you need to do. Photos should be put aside for now.

2.Check office supplies and replace any missing items. We will need pens, pencils, page protectors, 3 ring binders, oversize divider tabs, ink for the printer, paper, envelopes different sizes and stamps.

3. Set up your computer desk as you want it. Make it as comfortable as possible.

Over New Years week end we were rearranging our apartment to give us a bigger office area to work. While other's were at parties or dining out or just home watching movies, I had hubby helping me move our mattress and vacuuming up dust bunnies hiding in the corners.We now have the bigger of bedrooms as our office work area. More room for mine and hubby's computers, bookcases, photo albums and books on genealogy, family tree note books.
Need to get another book case. Some of my genealogy plus other books are lined up on the floor for now.

I have a long table full of family photos and papers that need to be organized but for now they will be left alone.

Hope that you will join me in my quest to get my family/ genealogy records more organized.

Thanks For Stopping By

Public Library Challenge Part I (52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - #1)



52 Weeks To Better Genealogy.. This is the challenge put forth by Amy Coffin (and hosted at http://www.geneabloggers.com/52-weeks-challenge-1/The challenge period will be Saturday through to the following Friday.


Week 1:
Go to your local public library branch. Make a note of the genealogy books in the collection that may help you gain research knowledge. Don’t forget to check the shelves in both the non-fiction section and the reference section. If you do not already have a library card, take the time to get one. If you have a genealogy blog, write about what you find in your library’s genealogy collection.

Well of course I am late again. Did not pay attention and did not know about the challenge until tonight, Friday night the last night.

First off need to find the closest library in Richmond. There is one I have been meaning to visit so many need to take a ride there and see what they have in genealogy.

Second guess I need to sign up for a library card.

I just did a search at http://www.swagbucks.com/ for libraries in Richmond and my library is the George Memorial Library. From their Internet site I found the following information.

MAIN LIBRARY
George Memorial Library (GML), the main library in the system, has the largest collection of materials in the Fort Bend County Libraries system. GML has a particular focus on large-print books, parenting, Spanish-language books, teen materials, literacy materials, and text books from LCISD and FBISD.
GML also houses the Genealogy and Local History Department on the second floor of the building; the department's resources focus on the southeastern United States and includes materials relating to the history of the South, federal censuses, genealogy, and the Civil War. The Joe Grillo Science Center is located in the Children's Department on the first floor.
WiFi Access George Memorial Library provides free WiFi access to the public throughout the building. Contact the Adult Reference Department at George Memorial for more information and connection instructions to use your personal laptop at the library.
Printing and Scanning Printing from the public access computers is accomplished through the use of network laser printers. You must use a library card to print. There is a cost.
Microfilm copies The Genealogy and Local History Department at George Memorial Library has several microfilm reader/printers available to the public. Copies are 10¢ per page and payment is by coin.
I do not think many of my ancestors were in the south eastern area of the US but will take some time soon and see what they have for me to look at.
They do have a large section about the civil war. I have an interest in the Civil war and had one great great grandfather and his brother fought in the civil war. I have a collection of Civil war books that I still need to read.
Sounds like I have alot to see tomorrow and in the future.
Well need to plan a trip to the library tomorrow. Will let you know what I see.
Thanks for stopping by ... Grace

 I am nowhere  done searching for my roots. For my missing family members.  So many to fine so little time.  This has been a hard few years ...