My Genealogy Bumper Stickers ~ Saturday Night Fun

I took the Bait! I’m up for it!   Randy Seaver challenged us to “Make up a/some Bumper Sticker(s) that describes your genealogy addicti.., er, passion in 12 words or less and post them to a blog. . . ” OK, this is fun, I’ll do it!

My Favorite Records aren’t Musical ~ They are Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths!

The branches in my Family Tree are planted. But in which cemetery?

Want to compare DNA? Maybe I’m your cousin!

My Family Tree has Roots in Germany. Where are Yours?

Volunteering can help find your Family Tree! Call your Historical Society Today!

Help Somebody With Their Family History. They Might Be Your Cousin!

Cemeteries are Full of My Ancestors!

 

I hereby Resolve that I will. . . .

Hmmm-m-m-m-m just what is it that I will resolve in 2009??  

There is so much I can resolve, but I know the more I resolve the more resolutions I will break.  

• I could resolve to organize all 12,000 pictures I transferred from my old computer.  Was I surprised when I saw how many pictures I had stored on that Dell laptop?  You bet I was!!  It took 1 1/2 hours to transfer them.  Now what??
• I could resolve to go through that stack of paper that I’ve moved from pillar to post because I just don’t know where it should be filed.
• I could resolve to take that trip and spend several days at the National Archives going through a quadzillion pension files.  After all, I’m fortunate to live within a couple of hours of Washington DC.  (The trip will NOT be at the end of January, however!  I understand half of America will be there during that timeframe!)
• I could resolve to spend more time volunteering, either photographing cemeteries or at the Historical Society.
• I could resolve to blog more, but then I think sometimes my blogging takes away from my research. . . . and I love doing both of them.

I’ve decided to tackle paper!  I’m tired of seeing these stacks of paper!  Everywhere I look, it’s paper.  And to this end, I’m going to keep a log.  I’m going to try (and the keyword here is TRY) to record what I’ve accomplished, month by month.

. . . and then, if, and that’s a big IF, I finish that, I’m going to make time to take that trip to Washington DC!  After all, I should have enough Marriott points to get at least one night for free, and I love traveling by rail.  

And when I finish going through pension files, I could go through Washington DC records (where ever they may be) since my great-grandparents lived there, and my grandparents lived there and my father was born there ~ there should be a lot of information for me in their archives!

. . . but of course, I’ll keep blogging, and I’ll keep researching.  I’m happy with the progress I’ve made with both of them in 2008.

I’m eagerly awaiting 2009!

 

My passion for Jigsaw Puzzles is like my passion for Genealogy

I start yet another puzzle I reflect on exactly why I enjoy putting them together.

Is it because I like the pretty pictures?  Well, I do choose ones I like, but I don’t think that’s the reason?

Do I like the satisfaction of completing a project?  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  Putting the last piece in the puzzle makes me happy, but at the same time kinda depresses me, because I know then it’s finished and there’s nothing left to do on it.

If you look at the picture, I think of the completed part of the puzzle as the completed part of my research.  Those lines, filed and documented; the lines I am certain are correct and where they belong.  The pieces in the middle that are complete are those families I have well documented but don’t quite fit yet!  There is still work to do on these.  And those scattered pieces and the ones in the box?  Those are all the clues I’ve found, on somebody else’s work on the internet, or references in books or files I’ve come across.

What I think I really like about working my puzzles is it is my reflection time.  This is the time I take away from my desk and books, away from the mundane tasks I really should be doing, and just take “Linda time!”  I reflect on what’s ahead, what’s behind and what’s urgent in my life.  I reflect on things like why I find one person on various documents well after his death?  Were there really two of them?  If so where did the second one come from?  and when?
it seems, are my second addiction!  In addition to being addicted to my research, I’m also addicted to jigsaw puzzles.  The more pieces, the happier I am.  If I have a 500 piece puzzle, I’ll finish it in two days ~ a 2,000 piece puzzle?  I’m as happy as a pig in  a poke!  That may take me a week or two!

See the comparison to my other addiction?  The more pieces I’m juggling, the happier I am.  If I were only concentrating on one line, it would be too much like a job.  Having a variety of things to look for keeps me happy.  When I go to a library, I have my list ~

Look for this divorce, that death date, remarriage for his widow, etc. and check the tax lists and city directories for the last year they appeared. Check February 1903 for an obituary, maybe even the month before and after. . . . and the list goes on and on!

The fun thing about going through those records, is the fact that something for somebody else may pop up! and it’s the piece I need to finish off that section of the genealogy!  Now if the entire family was complete (and who’s is??) what fun would I have if that surname popped up unexpectedly?

As in genealogy, the piece must fit exactly for the picture to appear correctly.  Finding a name that fits, but the facts don’t is like finding a puzzle piece that is almost, but not quite the shape you need.  Unless the fact is documented, it doesn’t fit, in my estimation, and unless the colors and shape match, it doesn’t fit in a jigsaw puzzle!

Each passion I have gives a satisfaction that is similar.  When a puzzle is complete, I can sit back and look at the fun thing I just created, just as when I find an entire family line I didn’t know existed!

A puzzle should remain just that ~ something that needs the spaces filled in and something that can be completed in time, so you can move on to the next one.

 

Every once in awhile I reflect on how far I’ve come in my research

wonder how on earth I did it before all those records were on the internet? . . . . and exactly how did my great-grandmother get all the information she did in the early 1900′s? It wasn’t all from Family Bibles!

Dad, taken in Washington DC abt 1925

My father died on 18 September 1990 exactly 2 weeks after his 75th birthday. We had all gathered in my home for the birthday celebration, not even realizing that we were celebrating his life and bidding him farewell at the same time! It was a happy occasion.

Two days later my parents left California on a trip to the East Coast. They went to Williamsburg, VA, where Dad became ill, and then up to Washington DC where they were to fly home. Dad was born in Washington DC, so, with Mother driving, they took a trip around the city, with Dad pointing out houses he had lived in, and where vacant lots had been that he had played in as a child. They went up to Maryland where they stayed with my aunt and Dad went through papers that he wanted her to ship to him. Family Bibles, newspaper clippings, old letters and pictures, lots of pictures, he wanted them all! The next morning he died . . . . . eerily on the 100th anniversary of his grandparents wedding ~ the grandparents who had raised him and the grandparents who wanted to adopt him! Dad went home to die.

Dad and Me, Fallbrook, California about 1979

When the box arrived from Maryland, Mother brought it to my home and said ~ and I quote ~ ” Your might as well have these.  You are probably the only person who would be interested in this junk.”

Mother knows best! I have been fascinated with it. I have been overwhelmed by it at times, and most of all, I have been passionate about it!

• I have gone from PAF in DOS on a very antiquated computer to PAF 5.something on several computers around the house.
  

• I have gone from 3 generations to over 10 generations in several lines.

• I have gone from just names to names and their stories, thanks to those wonderful sites that post historical newspapers!

• But best of all, I’ve gone from a passion of collecting names to a passion of making sure that the names I collect are real people and they are my real people. . . . . and most of all that they are correctly documented as MY real people!

Where will the internet take me in the next 10 years?? I can hardly wait to find out!

This was the last gift my father ever gave me.  I miss him so.

 

Let’s get started on a few updates

The primary purpose of this blog is to update my genealogy as new information jumps out at me! Since I am spending more and more time researching in Lancaster, more information on the Lancaster lines will appear here than others. The Axer/Auxer, Kleiss and Leader families are my lines with the primary ties to Lancaster.

This week I went thru (hastily, I might add!) some Church records previously overlooked, and found several entries that pertain to our Auxers and at least one that pertained to the Kleiss family ~ although sorting out those Kleiss’ with the same first name has become a real chore!

These are the corrections, with my comments in red.  As always, if you want the source and to document it, simply contact me and I will provide you with the information.  If you only collect names, at least reference me as your source . . . . .please.

• Charles Edward Albright, son of Frederic Albright and Sarah born Axer, born Oct. 17, 1846 – aged 8 yrs, 9 months and 8 days. Buried on Woodward Cemetery.

• Charles Edward Albright, son of Frederic A. Albright and wife Susan (sic) born Axer. Sponsors – Mary Ann Hentsch born Evans and Catherine McGinnis. Born: Oct. 17, 1846 Baptised: May 20, 1847

• December 18, 1836 marriage – John, Axer, son of Jacob and Sarah Axer to Anna Maria Ferree, dau. of Philip and Dorothea Ferre.

This differs drastically from the info rec’d elsewhere. I could never figure out why there were 2 John Axers’ in MD and both were married to somebody named Rosanna!! I do know that our John Axer was in Baltimore in 1846. He died in 1879 and his widow and daughter can be found in Philadelphia after that point.

• Aug. 3, 1845 marriage -Frederic Anthony Albright, son of Anthony Albright, deceased, and wife Susan born Seib, to Sarah Axer, dau. of Jacob Axer, deceased, and wife Susan born Ward, both of Lancaster.

• Walter Franklin Albright, son of Frederic A. Albright and wife Susan (sic) born Axer. Sponsors – Susan Albright and the parents. Born: Oct. 14, 1851 Baptised: Nov 14, 1852

• Sarah Catherine Albright, dau. of Frederic A. Albright and wife Susan (sic) born Axer. Sponsors – the parents, Br. Samuel Beam and the grandmother Albright. Baptised: Jul 8, 1855

• 1868, Died Jan 26, Buried Jan 29 – Clara Elizabeth Auxer, only daughter of the widow Sarah Auxer, born Milchsack, departed this life after a few days illness. Age 18 years and 10 months. The parents were not member of the church, but the child was a scholar in our Sunday School. Remains interred in Lancaster Cemetery.

• 1869 Died Dec 1, Buried Dec 5 – Andrew Clayton McGinnis, infant son of George W. McGinnis, and his wife Sophia born Chambers, died of scarlet fever at Carlisle, Pa. The remains were brought here and interred in the Lancaster Cemetery. Funeral services held at the home of the grandparents McGinnis, aged 1 yr and 7 mos. By D. Bigler, assisted by Rev. Wm. Nivin of the Reformed Church.

Information previously obtained said he died in Lancaster. Evidently, not so.

• May 30, 1847, Marriage -Henry Burkins (Buckius) son of William Burkins, and wife Augusta born Weiss, to Mary Vehrer, dau. of George Vehrer and wife Elisabeth born Kline, deceased of Lancaster.

This would be the brother of Susan Axer who married George, the son of Jacob Axer.

• Feb. 8, 1871, Marriage -John Myer, widower, was married to Sarah Axer, widow – both of Lancaster. Ceremony at parsonage.

Widow of Jacob Axer, mother of Sarah Elizabeth above? Time frame fits.

• Marriage, Sept. 23, 1847 -John Hanson, son of George Hanson, and wife Mary Magdalena born Devault, both deceased, to Susan Axer, dau. of George Axer and wife Mary born Doland, deceased, all of Millerstown, Lancaster Co.

??????? I think Millerstown (Millerstown is in Perry County!) really means Millersville, and I think this is the George who was the father of the “Poor Children,” since he lived in that area and had a daughter, Susan/Susanna who would be marriageable age in 1847. Mary Doland may very well be the Polly Dalin that has appeared in other Church records, since Polly is a nickname for Mary ~ Think about it!

• Marriage, May 24, 1827 -George Doebler, widower, from Conestoga Twp., and Susanna, Warrick.

Was this the George Doebler who married Anna Maria Auxer? Did she die before 1827??? More research to do on this one!

• Marriage, Sept. 14, 1836 – Ferdinand Gerber, son of John and Rachel Gerber, to Rebecca Kleiss, dau. of John and Margaret Kleiss, both of Lancaster.

Which John was married to Margaret? Love those Kleiss boys!

Back to the drawing board! Next week I’ll spend more time in this set of records. Doesn’t the database keep changing? So many things we’ve taken for Gospel truth has become fiction the more research we do! Lesson learned? Seek your own documentation or ask to see somebody else’s!