Halloween Tradtions

Tomorrow is Halloween and we have been anxiously awaiting it with our grandchildren. For the grandsons in Provo I sent a box filled with decorations, cards, Halloween treats, storybooks, workbooks, toys, etc. Then when it arrived at their home we shared their opening it on Skype. It was so much fun to watch their excitement in discovering their gifts.  For the granddaughters we worked together to decorate our home, read stories about Halloween, made cookies, helped them dress in their costumes and went to their ward Halloween party. This is so much fun for us as grandparents.

Thirty Days of Gratitude - Serendipity Moments

On Tuesday I began posting thirty days of gratitude.

For day one I posted: My days begin with looking at a picture of my four grand children on the computer screen. Can't wait to have them all together again. So very grateful for my husband who put it there.

 

For day two I posted: Today the sun came out and beautiful blue sky shown above. I am so grateful to live in Oregon with all the beautiful scenery, especially from our windows.

APG - Association of Professional Genealogists

Tomorrow is our fall meeting for the Oregon group of APG. In joining APG on the national level as part of my college class for Professional Genealogists, it became apparent the importance of this national group. Since 2004 this organization provided some of my greatest learning experiences. Within my computer document files under my name, then family history, and finally under APG is the history of my interactions with the group. While the annual  membership fee of $65 a year seems costly, it provides some of my best client connections. 

Findagrave Information May Need Corrections

Some time ago I requested that corrections be made to the findagrave.com information on my great grandfather Harold Hamilton Straw. Everything in red or brackets are the changes that needed to be added. These changes were made to the first listing created by Colette Harrison, record added: Sep 27, 2010, Find A Grave Memorial# 59273744, but the second listing created by Daphane Hoover, record added: Nov 27, 2010, Find A Grave Memorial# 62217435 has not been changed. The collection my grandmother Zella Straw Olsen, his daughter, passed on to me includes pictures, personal letters and other documents, including letters from his third wife listed below. To ensure that this correct information is available to future researchers I am posting a copy on this blog. It is what was forwarded to the persons maintaining the findagrave.com memorials, along with my contact information.

 

Oregon Historical Society on a Dark and Stormy Night

On Friday night October 12th, the 50th anniversary of the Columbus Day Storm, the Oregon Historical Society hosted a reception for their members to preview their new exhibit: The Mightiest Wind, The 1962 Columbus Day Storm. This storm is noted to be one of the worst natural disasters of all time for Oregon. Last year there was a request for articles about personal experiences that occurred during the storm from OHS in the Oregonian newspaper, so I decided to share an article that was posted on this blog. It can be found under the label Columbus Day Storm. On Tuesday they sent an odd email as sort of an invitation to attend the event and it said I could bring guests. After calling OHS to confirm that yes, this was an invitation; I called some friends to see if they were interested in attending. Valerie was willing to accompany me on the dark and stormy night. Driving into Portland was not too bad; we even found a parking spot on the street corner where the building is located. Returning home it was rainy, breezy and so dark that one needed to be very alert to see the lines on the road.

Reading is Addicting for Genealogists

This year I read some very interesting books. First I read, Albion's Seed, by David Hackett Fischer, published by Oxford University Press, 1989, 946 pages. Then I read  From Deference to Defiance, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1629-1692 by Roger Thompson, published by the New England Historical Genealogical Society, Boston, 2012, 593 pages. These two books helped to expand my knowledge of how the United States came to be and I highly recommended them. The more I read the more I want to know and understand my own heritage. The first book I borrowed from the Genealogical Forum of Oregon and the second book I purchased from the New England Historical Genealogical Society.

Ten Steps to Getting Your Genealogy Right

Ten Steps to Getting Your Genealogy Right

1. Collect documents and information from within your own home.
2. Collect documents and information from your living relatives.
3. Input information into a computer database.
4. Source every detail on every person to validate documentation of the facts.
5. Print a pedigree chart to use as a road map.
6. Do census research on every couple on your pedigree chart.
7. Create a timeline of events in each couples lifetime.
8. Do online research for documents that are needed.
9. Research every location where a couple lived to prepare for onsite research.
10. Research collateral lines to substantiate your main line.