52 Ancestors #51 - 2018 - A “Nice” Year- Genealogically and Otherwise

As I write this, many people, including one of my closest friends, are praying that 2018 hurries up and disappears. They need and deserve, 2019 to be better. I’m taking this opportunity to express my thanks that 2018 was really pretty nice to me. Sure, there were some trials in our family. For example, our daughter’s house experienced a flood requiring them to live in alternate housing for more than 3 months. Two of my sisters struggle nearly every day with health issues; one is challenged with fibromyalgia, the other has a spouse experiencing declining health. Another sister is raising a child on the autism spectrum (and I should add she and her husband are doing so with amazing strength and humor!) A niece is facing serious health concerns with the charm and grace she has always shown. I’m sure I have left out several others, and to them, I apologize in advance. My personal life, however, was pretty darn nice in 2018.

52 Ancestors #33 - Family Legends

One of the reasons people delve into their family history is to prove and/or disprove family legends. Almost everyone has a story or two that just don’t add up. In fact, that is why I got into genealogy in the first place – to prove we were Irish. More on that later!

This week I have declared myself the Snopes.com of our family history. Rather than going into each “legend” in detail, I’m simply going to classify them. Some of these “legends” have been discussed on my blog before. If so, you will see the item as a hyperlink to the original article. Others will be examined in the future.

So – prompted by Week 33 of the 52 Ancestors blog challenge “Family Legends”, let’s get started!

“We are Irish.” FALSE    

So said my father. My DNA proves otherwise -  https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.blogspot.com/2017/10/so-im-not-irish-follow-up.html

 “We are related to Sir Samuel Montagu, a prominent English baronet in the 19^th century.” UNPROVEN

I haven’t done much work on that one, but it’s pretty doubtful.

“We are related to Sheldon Leonard, the famous TV producer.” TECHNICALLY TRUE

We are related on my paternal side by marriage only.

https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.blogspot.com/2014/03/52-ancestors-11-redux-genealogical.html#more

“All the Holmans were given the middle name Winchester in honor of a beloved stepmother.” TRUE

https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-winchester-tradition.html

“I could have been a princess.” WISHFUL THINKING

My mother never quite got over losing her upper-class status after fleeing Vienna in 1938. But, it’s pretty safe to say she would not have achieved “royal” status based on our pedigree.

“The Holmans have roots all the back to the Revolutionary War.” TRUE-maybe…

This claim is based on the application to the Sons of the American Revolution made by John W. Holman in 1951. I’m not 100% certain his application was ever approved, however, as he claimed our Revolutionary War patriot was Richard Winchester.** Everything I have researched indicates the Winchester connection is a step-mother and I’m not so sure that relationship qualifies!

**UPDATE: Scott just asked me whether I could tell if John's application was ever approved. Apparently, on September 9, 2013, I wondered the same thing. In my folder for John, I found I had downloaded the ENTIRE booklet titled: The History of the New Mexico Society of the Sons of the American Revolution 1908-1978. Right there...on page 16, it states that John W. Holman was one of 44 charter members of the New Mexico SAR. So - yup! It's TRUE!

“Our family was saved by a hamster.” 110% TRUE!!

https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.blogspot.com/2018/03/52-ancestors-week-12-misfortune-how-our.html

So, there you have it. Seven family legends. I’m sure there’s more but if I keep thinking about it this blog will never get posted!!

Family – Please add to this list if there are legends you’d like me to research in the future!!

Readers- Think about the legends passed around in your families. Don’t stress about trying to prove/disprove them all but at the very least write them down!

Why I Go To Genealogy Presentations

Today's presentation at the JGSCT (Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut) was given by Ron Arons. I have heard Ron speak no less than five times and every time I come away with a new idea. The presentation, "Sex, Lies, and Genealogical Tape", was an updated version of a talk Ron gave a few years back. Even though I already knew the story he was telling, this talk focused more on the strategies and resources he used to determine if his relative was, in fact, the same person he had located on a variety of documents, using a variety of names.

Not unlike the story of my husband's great-grandmother, Catherine Seeley FitzAllen, that I am struggling to untangle. I've been stumped (ok - stalled) by the lack of some vital records for Catherine; namely birth, immigration, and marriage. I'm okay without the marriage record, as the lack of that information doesn't really affect the story. But I can't accurately recreate Catherine's early years without the birth and immigration information.

So, in hopes of getting a new idea, I attended today's presentation. Here are a few things I hadn't thought of. Maybe some of these ideas will help you find some obscure information you've been searching for.

1. Search the records of the siblings. (I have done this, but not as thoroughly as I should.)
2. Track down the living relatives. They may have the information you're looking for.
3. Use maps. I might be able to use the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps to determine the square footage of the Kansas City home Catherine lived in. That would give me an idea of the size of the home and thereby wealth of the family. Maps can also provide a picture of how close in proximity people lived to other family members.
4. School records can provide verification of birthdates and maybe even list parents and siblings.
5. Property records can help verify residence.
6. IRS Tax Assessment records can help verify occupation and residence.

The biggest tip Ron gave was to make that phone call and be persistent! Emails go answered and snail mail may not make its way to the correct person. I really need to work on that - it is perhaps my weakest research technique.

Oh - and it didn't hurt to hear that Ron has been researching his particular ancestor for 20 years. I've only been tracking Catherine for two years! So, I'm feelin' pretty good!!

Sharing - My Project List

Yesterday, I posted about the importance of sharing versus "hoarding" the results of our research. In the interest of full disclosure here's a list of my completed, in-progress, and future family history projects:

"Who We Are and How We Got This Way - Volume 1: Alan Samuel" (my dad)

"Who We Are and How We Got This Way - Volume 2: Doris Lichtenthal" (my mom)

 Volumes 1 and 2 have been in draft form since at least 2014. Hopefully, I can return to them once I complete my current project.

"Who We Are and How We Got This Way - Volume 3: The Sixth Family"
This volume will share the story of me and my siblings.

"Reparations" 

Still in "the hopper" is the story of my grandfather, Paul Lichtenthal, who was imprisoned in Dachau and Buchenwald. I successfully obtained some reparations for my mother, the culmination of a lifetime effort by Paul and his father, Sigmund Lichtenthal.

"You Can't Fall Off the Floor - and Other Musings"
Not necessarily a typical family history, this book idea is inspired by something my Dad once told me.

"Our Archipelago - newly edited edition" 
In 2016, my sister-in-law and I published a new edition of our father-in-law's family history book, originally written in 1976.

"Letters Home"
In 2015, I published a volume of letters written by my mother. I found them in a shoebox after her passing in 2011. The letters, written home to her mother, chronicle the two years she spent as a young wife and new mom in Japan, 1955-1956.

"Mom, Minis, and Me"
Almost ready to print!! A short history of the miniatures hobby shared by my mom and myself.

"Sweet Grandmother or Slick Swindler?"
This story has consumed me for at least two years. A chance finding of a newspaper article while working on "Our Archipelago" led me on a fascinating journey into the life of my husband's great-grandmother. Known to the family as "a sweet, gentle, almost frail woman", she apparently spent years running con games throughout Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri during the late 1890s and early 1900s. The book is in its final edit and I can't wait to share the finished product!

You're WHAT Kind of Hoarder?

I teach in an Adult Education program. In my morning class today, we were talking about the importance of being life-long learners. I told my students I was a hoarder of information. "You're WHAT?", they asked. "What does that mean?"

I went on to explain that I really enjoy learning for learning's sake. Especially related to my genealogy hobby. I attend webinars. I read lots of blogs and subscribe to numerous digests.  I attend workshops and the occasional conference. I belong to a genealogy society. Of course, I'm on Facebook as well. And - I save everything!!!! Here's a snippet of what my "Genealogy Resources" folder looks like:

The folders at the top contain material related to some of the online courses I have taken as well as the "Finding Your Roots" course I developed years ago for a high school "mini-course" I taught. There are PDFs related to materials from webinars I have viewed. There a few spreadsheets; the most important are helpful tips and lists of resources I have used in the past. That's just the stuff that fit in the screenshot! I won't bore you with the minutia of everything I have "hoarded" in this folder.

I have learned SO MUCH from all the instruction I have received from "famous" genealogists (you might recognize a few names in my screenshot) and generous "geneabloggers." (genealogy bloggers) Pretty much, up till recently, I have "hoarded" my knowledge, applying what I have learned to my own research.

It's time to start sharing. I have many projects "in the hopper." Knowing all these things about my family history does my family no good if I don't share it.

Recently, I have begun helping a friend research her family. Sharing some of the strategies I have learned has re-energized me. Showing her "best practices" reminds me of the importance of citing my sources and making "reasonably exhaustive searches." In short, helping others makes me a better genealogist.

What family stories are you hoarding? What knowledge and skills can you impart? Sharing helps make our genealogy community a better place!

10 Do's and Don'ts of Creating a Family History book

DO say “I’m only redoing a book my father-in-law wrote 40 years ago. How long could that take?”

DON’T be surprised when that turns out to be 8 months.

DO decide to use justified margins after you've finished the main re-edit. It’s fun to re-format a 206 page document.

DO use MS Word. Especially if you are using lots of graphics. Word’s various idiosyncrasies will provide you with hours of pleasure “chasing” pictures around your pages.

DON’T succumb to the thought of throwing yourself out the window when your landscape orientations continually revert to portrait mode upon converting your document to a PDF.

DON’T call the former “bride” asking “Who is this guy next to Aunt Peg in your wedding photo?”

DO ask guests who might remember instead. Then enjoy the expressions on the faces of people whose names you’ve screwed up in the caption.

DON’T wait until you have learned that you can upload a PDF of your original document to Google Drive and save the whole thing as editable text.

DO, instead, spend hours scanning the document to .rtf. (Added benefit: if your scanner is two floors below your office you will do lots of stair-climbing. Probably enough to burn off an entire container of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia.)

And finally,

DO prepare yourself for the hours that have suddenly opened up in your daily schedule once the book is completed - make sure you have at least four more projects in the pipeline!

*This list merely illustrates my personal experience. In no way should the suggestions be construed as actual advice!

Note: To be honest, this was an extremely satisfying project. We printed the hardcover book through lulu.com and received the 22 copies within one week of submission. The copies were distributed at my mother-in-law's memorial service last week. How wonderful it was to see the younger generation excited to learn about their family history!

A New Way to Share!!

I have so many projects started...I have so many family pictures...so many stories...so much history to share with my family... so many "good intentions"...

Here is the current list of projects I have started:

1. "Who We Are and How We Got This Way" Volume One: Alan E. Samuel
2. "Who We Are and How We Got This Way" Volume Two: Doris M. Lichtenthal
3. "Letters Home" - Letters written by Doris Samuel to her mom, while in Japan  1954-1955
4. "Our Archipelago" 2nd Edition - written originally by William and Dorothy Holman

That list doesn't include all the stuff floating around in my head such as: documenting my grandfather's imprisonment in concentration camps after his family's business had been taken by the Nazis, documenting my great-grandfather's business in Java during the early 1900's, "Who We Are and How We Got This Way" Volume Three: The Baby Boomers", researching the families of my new son-in-laws, preserving and cataloging all our photos and documents...I can't even remember all the things I want to do.

Two things have now become obvious to me:

1. I don't know when to stop.
2. If I don't start sharing some of this information now, people may never see it.

"It's better to share some information now than all information never!

The above is something I learned while attending the 33rd IAJGS conference on Jewish genealogy this past summer. Makes sense. Apparently writing a family history is like owning a home...or paying bills...you're never really finished. With that lesson finally learned, I have decided to use this blog as a way to begin sharing what I have collected while still continuing to work on completing projects to be published in print.

Last year, I did complete one issue of a newsletter. My hope was to create quarterly editions. Nope. Good idea...lots of time. I think this may be a better approach. I can post a tiny snippet when I'm short on time or create a lengthy post when I'm on on a break (Remember last winter? 13 days out of school for weather- could have accomplished a lot!)

So, there you have it. If you'd like to help, that would be fun! If you have specific questions or are interested in a particular topic related to our family, just ask...that will give me some direction. In the meantime, I think I will try an approach I heard about from....somewhere....focusing each blog post on an ancestor whose birthday is approaching. 

See you soon!!