The Final Tale-y of Genea-Blogger Games Medals

The 2010 Winter Genea-Blogger Games are coming to a close.  It has been an impressive two weeks here at A Tale of Two Ancestors and I hope I am able to continue at many of these things in the future.  Data Back-up and Organization are the two areas I will continue to train on so that I can get that Platinum next time.  My final metal count is:

Go Back and Cite Your Sources!: 50+ Citations - Platinum Metal


Back Up Your Data!: Task A, C, E completed - Not sure how this works... Bronze, Gold and Platinum

Organize Your Research!: Task A, E, F completed - Gold Metal

Expand Your Knowledge: Tasks A, B, C, D, E completed - Platinum Metal

Write, Write, Write!: Tasks A, B, C, E, F completed - Platinum Metal

Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness: Tasks A, B, E, F, G completed: Platinum Metal

Now, I stand in line with my fellow genea-bloggers, as we wave our flags and proudly wear our metals for the closing ceremony.  I look forward to taking a short break over the next couple days and then beginning my training for the Summer 2012 games (there will be Summer 2012 games, right, Thomas? ;-)).

Tombstone Tuesday - Augusta Tross Eichhorn

Augusta Tross Eichhorn, 1877 - 1939

Congratulations Fab Forty!

Congratulations to my fellow genea-bloggers who made Family Tree Magazines Fab Forty list!  Keep up the amazing blogging!!!

Smile for the Camera - Give Their Face a Place

For the women's history month Smile for the Camera, "Give Their Face a Place," I wanted to show the family resemblance of the Passel line.  I would love to know how far this goes back, as it is amazing to see yourself in photos of your ancestors.  Beginning at the top is my great-great-great grandmother Sophia Passel Gress, her daughter Carolyn Gress Williams (my gg aunt), her niece Vera Gress Whitehead (my g grandmother), her daughter Marlyn (my grandmother), her daughter Holly (my aunt) and me.  Can you see it?

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.