A Tale-y of my GeneaBloggers Games Medals

Here is my Week 1 Genea-Blogger Games update.  I have done well in some categories and not so well in others, but have metaled in all categories, which I consider a win.  With a week left, I hope to accomplish a couple more metals, particularly a few more of the Platinum variety.

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!: 39 Citations - Gold Metal
2. Back Up Your Data!: Task E completed - Bronze Metal
3. Organize Your Research!: Task E completed - Bronze Metal
4. Expand Your Knowledge: Tasks A, C, D, E completed - Diamond Metal
1. Footnote page for Marcantonio Maria Casillo
5. Write, Write, Write!: Tasks A, C, E, F completed - Diamond Metal
6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness: Tasks A, B, E, F, G completed: Platinum Metal!!!

Amazing New Genealogy Spreadsheets

Dick Eastman posted about CensusTools Spreadsheets today.  After reading the post, I want to check them out, as I love spreadsheets for data tracking.  I was not disappointed!  In fact, I can not express enough how impressed I am with this site.

Gary Minder writes "Ever try entering extracted census data into your genealogy program's primitive text editor? The mess and frustration led me to create my first spread sheet in 2001 so I could elec tron i cal ly preserve my data in an easy to view format."  I can not agree more and am loving the spreadsheets he created, particularly the research log, census trackers and the cemetery data form.  After downloading them and going through a few I donated his recommended $10 through PayPal.  This is the best $10 I have spent on genealogy organization material in a long time.

I highly recommend you go and check out his spreadsheets, as they will make your life much easier organizationally.  The research log lists over 125 types of sources to check for each person with a box next to each that you can check yes, no or not applicable.  If these sources aren't enough it is easy to change or add more, such as changing the US censuses listed to those in the country they lived in.  I would also recommend adding in Footnote, GoogleBooks, WOrldCat and a blog search for each ancestor under online sources.  I look forward to using this to make sure I have found all I can about each ancestor.

My Happy Day at the FHC

Yesterday I had a very productive day at the Family History Center.  My films on Knockholt, Kent, England parish records came in, allowing me to find baptism, marriage, burial, and even birth dates in some lucky cases on my ancestors and their families.

I was looking for a few specific items: the baptism of Emma Bond Hayman, her marriage to Charles Whitehead the of marriage of of her parents, Richard and Mary, and the burial date of her father Richard Bond.  I was hopeful that I would find Mary's, maiden name, as well.

I was very surprised when I found out that Richard Bond 21 Feb 1841, as I had previously searched FreeBMD for his death certificate to no avail.  I searched again when I got home and found a Richard Bond, died Jan-Feb-Mar 1841 in the Bromley district of Kent.  I had done some research and knew Knockholt was in Sevenoaks district, except that I missed the part that said it was placed in Sevenoaks in 1969... oops.  Prior to that it had been placed in Orpington and prior to that, it was in Bromley (from 1837 - 1934).  A good reminder to do as thorough historical research of the towns my ancestors are from as I do for my genealogy research.

Although I did not see Richard and Mary Bonds marriage record, I did find baptismal records for their 14 children, including my direct ancestor Emma's birth date as well (15 May 1811, christened 9 Jun 1811) - thank you to the overzealous minister who wrote in both!  I also found many burial and marriage records.  I now have a lot of records on order from the GRO, which I hope will arrive in the next two weeks and may give me Mary's maiden name.  From there I will go back to the films to fill in my research.

A Tale-y of Day 2 and 3

Day 2 of the Genea-Blogger Games took a backseat to Valentines Day.  I had pre-posted my Wordle's on Saturday night, leading to a new medal in the Expand Your Knowledge category for completing task E.  Counts at the end of day two:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!: Bronze
2. Back Up Your Data!: None
3. Organize Your Research!: None
4. Expand Your Knowledge: Silver
5. Write, Write, Write!: Bronze
6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness: Silver

Day 3 went fantastically for my research and the Games.  I spent 3 hours at the FHC and found a lot of family information in the parish registers of Knockholt, Kent, England.  After I got home from work I went to adding it all into RootsMagic and sourcing it!  Counts at the end of day two:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!: Added 24 new citations to make a total of 35, earning the Gold!
2. Back Up Your Data!: None
3. Organize Your Research!: The 24 citations created 25 data entries (Task E), leading to a Bronze.
4. Expand Your Knowledge: Silver
5. Write, Write, Write!: Bronze
6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness: Silver

I get out of work at 7pm tomorrow, giving me ample time to win some medals while I watch Olympians win some as well!

Valentine's Day Family Word Mosiacs

In honor of Valentines Day I have created Word Mosiacs at ImageChef.  The first is for my paternal side and the second for my maternal side.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Candy Heart for All of You!

Thanks for reading and commenting on my posts all year:-)

Made at from Candy Hearts

A Tale-y of my GeneaBloggers Games Medals

I apologize for the awful pun in the title of this (and the next 23) post(s), but I couldn't help myself;-)

Day one of the GeneaBlogger Games was a stunning success.  I had off work, so I began about 1am, went to bed after some pre-game planning and then spent the day doing genealogy interspersed with laundry and homework.  I have medaled in 4 out of 6 events and am just warming up!

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
1. Citation Count: 11.  Currently at Bronze ranking with distinct possibility of Platinum
2. Back Up Your Data!
1. Task Completion: None, aiming for the Gold here, but may only get a Silver.
3. Organize Your Research!
1. Task Completion: None, despite all the source citation.  I should organize all those sources later this week.  Goal here is a Gold.
4. Expand Your Knowledge:
1. Task Completion: A(Make a GoogleMap of an ancestral town), which you can view here.  I will get a Platinum in this event, as I LOVE these types of activities!
5. Write, Write, Write!
1. Task Completion: F(Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge), during which I made a GoogleMap shown here and helped me medal both #4 and #5:-)  I am aiming for a Platinum here, as writing is the whole point of being a blogger.
6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness
1. Task Completion: A(Comment on a new Geneaology Blog) - very easy with all the wonderful new blogs.  G(Use follow feature on Blogger-based Genealogy Blog) - did this after making comments above.  F(Join a society) - I received my membership kit for APG today.  Not sure yet if this counts, will have too look into it.  Currently at either Silver or Gold Level.  Anticipate Platinum Level by end of Games.