Saturday, January 31, 2009

The 6th of the 6th

Randy's latest bit of Saturday Night Fun is to "go to your My Pictures folder (or the equivalent) and pick out the 6th item in that folder. Then pick out the 6th item in that folder, and so forth, until you get to an actual picture." Then, "post that picture to your blog with an explanation of what the picture depicts, including place and date."

The sixth photo in the sixth folder of the sixth folder of my "Image Files" folder was taken at my grandpa's house in December 1954 and my sister Terry was just learning to walk. Mom has always said "It was her first step" but who knows. A rather appropriate picture though, seeing as how today (January 31st) is her birthday. . .

Birthday Buddies

Today is my sister's birthday. Teresa Jane Wiseman Ratcliff Plybon would have been 55 years old today. Born in 1954, she passed away not quite two years ago. The picture, above, of Terry and Grandma was taken in early summer, 1955.

My Dad was born in 1924, on January 29th. He passed away on December 18, 1995. The picture below was taken during the 1990 reunion of the 11th Airborne.

Birthdays seem to run in pairs in my immediate family. One of my nephews was born on my Mom's birthday in May (he was her first grandchild). One of my nieces and I were born in February, a few days (and, obviously, years) apart. My older brother and one of his sons, as well an uncle (by marriage) were born within three days of each other in March. His twin boys were born on the last day of March.

Another nephew was born just a day after my younger brother, during the first week of July. My brother's birthday was the one that we all celebrated when we were young, with a party and everything! After all, it was in the summer and close to the 4th. A great excuse for a family get-together. His son was born the last week of June. His daughter was born in September as was my other niece.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday :: William and Catherine Dunfee

The Dunfee Family plot in the Masonic Section of Greenhill Cemetery, Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana. Starting from the bottom of the picture are the grave markers for Laura Virginia Dunfee, Albert Eugene Dunfee, and Harry Hamilton Dunfee and His Unnamed Twin Brother.

The large stone in the center of the photo is for William Hamilton Dunfee and his wife, Catherine B. Jones. They are my 3rd Great-Grandparents. The little marker next to their stone simply says "Father" and there is a corresponding "Mother" stone on the other side.

The stone to the left of the marker for William and Catherine is for their daughter, Henrietta Rebecca Dunfee (1852-1941), and the next stone is for their son William James Dunfee (1854-1942) and his wife, Elizabeth Walker (1861-1915).


On the south side of the marker is William's inscription:
OUR / FATHER / W. H. DUNFEE / BORN / ADAMS CO. PENN. / APRIL 10, 1822. / DIED / MAY 29, 1888. / AGED / 66 Y's. 1 Mo. 19 D's.

The inscription beneath his age is not legible.

Catherine's inscription is on the north side of the marker.
MOTHER / CATHERINE B. DUNFEE / BORN IN / MUSKINGDOM CO. OHIO / JAN. 15, 1829 / DIED FEB. 17, 1903 / AGED 74Y. 1M. 2D / Dear mother, fond memory / clings to thee.

It was very thoughtful of them to include the location of their births as well as full dates of birth and death!

Catherine came to Whitley County with her mother and siblings in October 1845. At about the same time, William arrived in Fort Wayne where he was working as a cabinet maker. Two years later, William came to Whitley County and became acquainted with Catherine. They were married on March 5, 1848. Of the seven children born to them, only three survived to adulthood. Of those three, their daughter Sophia was the only one to have children who had children. Sophia married William P. Wise. They are my 2nd great grandparents.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Regarding Mercedes

While going through my grandmother's papers (again) this weekend, I found this picture, probably taken on the same day as the one at the bottom of this post.

Mae was the adopted daughter of William James Dunfee and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Walker. Jane is my grandmother's sister, Hazlette is my grandmother, and Mercides is the object of my quest in unraveling a little mystery. It's a guess, but I'd say the picture was taken about 1918-1920.

And, another clue, which just goes to show that it pays to look at all of those little scraps of paper! The problem is though, that I don't know when the note was written, but from what I can tell, it was in the late 1960s or early 1970s that Grandma started working on her genealogy. I'm pretty sure that the ACPL (Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne) has some Detroit City Directories. One of these days I'll get to the library...

The note reads:
This is Mercedes
Name & address
Mrs. A. Vinet
13822 French Rd
Detroit 34 -

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Guess what is (nearly) finished!!!

Okay, this is a "brag" post. . .

Four months ago today I embarked upon my second major scanning project for 2008. The first project was to sort and scan my mother's photograph albums which took from April through August. There is still one group of photos left with that project and, in my goals for 2009, I stated that I hope to have those done by the end of March.

The second project, sorting and scanning my genealogy files and documents, was started on September 22nd and I'm *EXTREMELY* happy (relieved, thrilled, pleased as punch, etc.) to report that it is *ALMOST* done! The last group of documents to be sorted and scanned are those that pertain to my ancestors, shown on the table in the photo above. The two tallest piles belong to the Brubaker and Phend families. These will be scanned to both jpg and pdf format. After being scanned, these documents will be put into protective pages and placed in three-ring binders.

Other files that were scanned and kept were put in folders and are being stored in small "bankers" boxes in the garage. Only about a third of the files that I had were kept. Everything else has been recycled, most of it scanned first, but not all. The binders on the shelves and the folders and in the filing cabinets consumed nearly 40 linear feet, while what was kept amounts to about 13 feet (9 bankers boxes 15.5" deep and the papers on the table).

Two empty filing cabinets. Now there is the "problem" of what to do with the 3-ring binders and hanging file folders that are no longer needed. As you can see below, the three tall bookcases have been removed. They were sold, at a very reasonable price ;-) to a friend.

The "before" photo, above, was taken November 13, 2007. And below is what it looks like now (photo taken yesterday).

Another view.

The "before" photo is above (taken November 13, 2007) and what it looks like now is below.

How did I accomplish this feat in four months? It is due to several things actually, among which are:
  • Retirement. No way could I have gotten it done in four months if I was still working, maybe in four years, maybe!
  • Being single with no kids. Though I do have errands to run for my Mother and I have to make sure she gets to the doctor and other appointments.
  • A stubborn streak (perseverance) that was inherited from my Mother. I just made up my mind that it was going to get done, one way or another!
  • And finally, the Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 document scanner, which I heartily recommend. In four months of use and after sending nearly 30,000 pages through it, I had only a couple of paper jams and none of them seriously damaged the paper being scanned. I've definitely gotten my money's worth from this little gem. Thanks, Denise!
Of course, I still have to add file data and captions to all of those image and pdf files, but at least they are scanned and accessible on the computer. I've already had a need to access some of those files and I must say, it is much quicker to click through several pages of a pdf file than it was to find the binder they were in and flip through the pages. And yes, they are all backed up to the laptop and an external drive, though I haven't yet overcome my fear of "losing" all of those electronic files...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wordless Wednesday :: Frosty Morning


Albion, Indiana ~ January 20, 2009
Copyright © 2009 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday :: Perry and Retha Wiseman

Lakeview Cemetery, Larwill, Whitley County, Indiana

WISEMAN
RETHA J. / 1917-1989
PERRY M. / 1906-1968

PERRY M WISEMAN
INDIANA
CPL CO B 17 TANK BN
WORLD WAR II
AUG 3 1906 JULY 6 1968

Photographs taken July 31, 2008.
Copyright © 2008 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Perry Martin Comfort Wiseman was the first-born child of Elsie Shuder and Charles Wilson Wiseman. My father, Jack William Wiseman, was the youngest of their eight children, born in January 1924.

Uncle Perry's obituary was published in the Warsaw Times Union on July 9, 1968.
Perry M. Wiseman, 61, of Blue Lake, R1 Churubusco, died of complications at 4:30 a.m. today in the St. Joseph Hospital, Fort Wayne, where he had been admitted on Sunday.

Born August 3, 1906 in Tippecanoe Twp., Kosciusko County, Mr. Wiseman was the son of Charles W. and Elsie (Shuder) Wiseman. He spent his formative years in the Barbee Lakes Community and served in the US Army during WWII. On February 6, 1954 he united in marriage with Retha Juanita Wallace who survives. He had been an employee of the Weatherhead Company in Columbia City for several years.

In addition to his widow, he is survived by 3 brothers; Leslie, R2 South Whitley; Emery, R1 Warsaw; Jack, North Webster; and 2 sisters, Mrs. Walter Tobias and Mrs. Carl Conrad, both of Nappanee.

Final rites will be conducted at 2 pm Thursday at the Smith Funeral Home in Columbia City. Rev. Chester Reed will officiate and interment will be in the Lakeview cemetery at Larwill. Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 pm Wednesday.
Aunt Retha's obituary was published May 1, 1989 in the Warsaw Times Union.
Retha J. Wiseman, 72, formerly of 840 Plantation Drive, Columbia City, died in Meadowhaven Nursing Home in Butler, Indiana on Saturday April 29, 1989. She was born January 25, 1917, in Richland Township, Whitley county, to William and Georgia L. Cummins Rindfusz. She married Perry Wiseman, who died July 8, 1968. She was a 1935 graduate of Larwill High School and moved to Columbia City in 1968. She was retired from Dana Weatherhead Division in Columbia City. She was also a member of the Pioneer Club and the Quarter Century Club.

Survivors include one niece, Nedra Budd, Pleasant Lane; one brother-in-law, Wheeler Rager, Pierceton; two great-nephews; and three great-nieces. Two sisters preceded her in death.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City with the Rev. Joseph Smith officiating. Burial will be in Lakeview cemetery, Larwill.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

The Winter Carnival has Arrived!

Jasia has posted the 64th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, the topic this time around was Winter Photo Essay. Thirty contributors featured a variety of "winter" photographs. A chilly trip back in time to be sure, but heartwarming nevertheless.

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: "The Happy Dance. The Joy of Genealogy. Almost everyone has experienced it. Tell us about the first time, or the last time, or the best time. What event, what document, what special find has caused you to stand up and cheer, to go crazy with joy? If you haven't ever done the Happy Dance, tell us what you think it would take for you to do so."

This next edition will be hosted by yours truly, right here at kinexxions. The deadline for submissions is February 1st. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link.
So that we genea-bloggers can plan ahead (yeah, right!) Jasia has provided a list of topics for future carnivals (in the lower left column at Creative Gene). Several dates are still available for hosting. If you're interested, contact Jasia.

The COG posters are a creation of footnoteMaven.

Update on Franklin Henry Bair

Last week I received two newspaper articles from the Burnett County Historical Society in Danbury, Wisconsin that provided confirmation that the Franklin Henry Bair that I had tracked down in September was indeed the "right" person. Franklin was the son of Franklin and Emily (Robison) Bair and Emily was the daughter of Henry and Ann Robison, whom I believe are my 4th great grandparents. I'm still attempting to sort out the Robison/Robinson Families that lived in Whitley County, Indiana. It is my hope that one of the children or grandchildren of Franklin Albert Bair, son of Franklin and Nettie Bair, will contact me if they ever come across this post!

Funeral Notice of Nettie Sedlay Ellis Bair
The Journal of Burnett County [Wisconsin] October 5, 1939
Funeral services for Mrs. Franklin H. Bair, Rt. 4, Gransburg, were held at the chapel on Tuesday afternoon. Rev. J. I. Sainty officiated and Mrs. Ruth Sandberg sang, accompanied by Mrs. G. C. Daniel at the piano.

Nellie [sic] Sedlay Ellis was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, March 5, 1862, and was married to Mr. Bair in Indiana on January 31, 1886, they having been married for a period of 53 years and 8 months. They have resided in Burnett county since 1920.

Survivors are her husband; a daughter Myrta, at home; one son, Albert of Frederic; three grandchildren and a brother at Millersport, Ohio.
Funeral Notice of Franklin Henry Bair
The Journal of Burnett County [Wisconsin] June 10, 1948
Funeral services for Franklin Henry Bair, nearly 86, were held at the chapel Tuesday last week, Rev. James Falk officiating, and interment was in Riverside cemetery.

Deceased was born in Columbia City, Whitley county, Indiana on June 12, 1862 and passed away at the old people's home in Grantsburg on May 27. He was married to Nettie S. Ellis of Indiana on January 31, 1886, and to this union were born a daughter, Myrta at home, and a son Franklin Albert Bair.

The family lived on a farm north of Alpha about 25 years before moving into that hamlet for a few years when they moved to Grantsburg, where they have been the past six years.
According to the SSDI, their son, Franklin Albert Bair, died in September 1980. He was 86 years old. His last residence was given as Frederic, Polk County, Wisconsin.

Their daughter, Myrta, died on November 14, 1984 just 10 days before her 98th birthday.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Ah, the joys of winter!

Of all of the family pictures in Mom's albums, this is the only one I found that was taken outside during the winter. It was the winter of 1964 and shows me and my little sister. It looks like I lost my foot, or at the very least, my boot! The houses in the background belong to the neighbors.

Winter used to be fun! Really, it was. Tromping in the wind-sculpted snow drifts. Going sledding down the big hill. Ice skating on the river. Building snow forts with my brothers. Snow-ball fights. Playing outside for so long that it took hours to get warmed up again. Hot chocolate, with marshmallows. Ah, the joys of youth and playing in a winter wonderland!

An early spring snowfall at our house at Karen Kove, north of Columbia City, March 2002.

My front porch. December 2007. It almost looks like this today. New fallen snow is pretty, even, dare I say, beautiful. That is, unless, like today, I had to go somewhere. Yesterday we got about 8" of the fluffy white stuff, which, considering conditions elsewhere, isn't all that much. But the wind was blowing too. I certainly didn't enjoy driving this morning on the slippery, snow-packed roads in below zero temperatures (with a -25°F wind chill). Brr.

For me, the best thing about winter? Spring is not all that far away...

The old crabapple tree at Karen Kove, spring of 1999.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Wordless Wednesday :: Wiseman, Arkansas

Wiseman, Arkansas ~ September 1994
Copyright © 1994/2009 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

No relation, just thought it was neat that there was a town named Wiseman!
Although, I think the town has seen better days...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday :: Hazlette & Ray Ferguson


FERGUSON
HAZLETTE A. / 1902 - 1984
RAYMOND A. / 1890 - 1967

Hazlette Aileen Brubaker Phend Phend Dunn Ferguson, whom I and my siblings and cousins called Grandma Dunn and later Grandma Fergie, is buried in the Scott-Keister Cemetery in Etna Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana near other family members. Grandma was married four times but only had three husbands! She was married to my grandfather, Vic Phend, twice.

The record of her marriage to Harold Dunn has eluded me but I found their divorce record in Dekalb County, Indiana which stated that they were married on September 8th 1945. That marriage lasted less than two years. In 1964, grandma married Ray "Fergie" Ferguson. It wasn't until a few years ago when I obtained their marriage record that I found out that they were married on my birthday! I suppose he must have been a decent fellow but I didn't much care for him. He passed away in April 1967.

Monday, January 12, 2009

kinexxions is two!

Two years ago today, I wrote my first blog post, which was no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a beginning. So, now, can I say I'm one of the Old Timers?

It was while lurking on the blogs of those Old Timers, and being inspired by them, that I decided that, hey, I could do that too! And I'm so glad that I did. It's been fun, educational, challenging, and immensely satisfying. For me, one of the best parts of blogging has been making connections, not only with extended family, but with other bloggers and readers. There is a definite sense of community, a sense of belonging to something good, that cannot be surpassed.

In September, as part of the Genea-Blogger Games, I wrote a summary of what kinexxions is all about and just a few days ago reviewed my "best" or favorite posts of last year, so I'm not going to include another list of "favorite" posts here.

Thank you everyone for reading kinexxions, for leaving your comments, for providing help and moral support when needed, for the inspiration, and for the great research tips! It's been an interesting two year journey. It's not over. Hopefully the best is yet to come!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Little Darlings! Who are you?

The only thing that I can state with any degree of certainty is that all three of these pictures were taken before I was born! They are from a box of the photos that I got from my dad, many of them are unidentified. In the 1980s dad got together with one of his first cousins and they compared their pictures. They were able to identify some of his pictures but not all. I've gone through my database and, depending upon the dates of the pictures (which I haven't really attempted to determine) and assuming they are family members, there are few possibilities - at least from the names and dates that I currently have.


Above is a photo postcard that was never sent. There is no address or any identifying information on the back. 3 1/2 x 5 3/8". *If* this was taken about 1914, it *could* be Vivian Willodene Wiseman born 1908 and her brother Samuel Wiseman born 1912, both children of Smith and Rose (Scott) Wiseman. Smith was the brother of my grandfather, Charles Wilson Wiseman. Smith moved to Dayton, Ohio shortly after his marriage to Rose in 1908.

The pictures above and below are photographs mounted on cardboard; they have been cropped to emphasize the image. The girl by herself is 2 9/16 x 5 1/2 on a 5 x 8 1/2" card. The photo below is 5 5/8 x 3 15/16 on an 8 x 6" card. They both have a studio name embossed in the card: Hessel, Warsaw, Ind. *If* taken in the 1930s, they *could* be the two oldest children of Samuel Dewey and Ida Estella "Stella" (Wiseman) Mow; Mary Ellen and Thomas Mow.

According to the Indiana State Library, The Warsaw Daily Union was published from 1904-1949, which really doesn't help in narrowing down a timeframe for the picture! (The Daily Union merged with the Warsaw Times to become the Warsaw Times-Union, which is still being published.) The date of the newspaper is not legible. The headlines that I can make out are "Warsaw boys win in state matches", "Would build up new prosperity", "Heaven insulted by puff of locomotive", and "H. S. Kaufman chosen for superintendent".


Enlargements of the little girls in the pictures above. Is it the same girl in both pictures?

Other unidentified photos that I've previously posted about include Unraveling a little mystery (about Mercedes, the "Detroit Cousin") and, in 2007, a series of "Mystery Photos" from the Wiseman Family Bible. footnoteMaven analyzed one of those photos in her post titled Dating Old Photographs :: Becky's Mystery Photograph #9, which is an excellent resource for analyzing old photos.

Contributed to the 9th Edition of Smile For The Camera.

Updated 2:40 pm on January 11th: A Big Thank You to fM and Tamura Jones for providing clues and additional info. Check out the comments they left! The genea-bloggers are a wonderful group of people!

Regarding the photo of the kids covered in newspaper - H. S. Kaufman was superintendent of the Warsaw city schools 1908-1917. Charles J. Hessel, occupation photographer, was found in the 1910 census in Warsaw (pg 1a), as was Mr. Kaufman (pg 4b). So that really narrows down the timeframe IF the newspaper in the photo was a current issue. That said, if the picture was taken in 1908, then I currently have no one in my database who would "fit" that date! This info brings into question the date of the first photograph also, probably much earlier than I first thought.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday :: Indiana Sisley & Conrad Stem

Indiana Sisley and Conrad Stem, my 4th great grandparents, are buried in Hively Corners (now known as St. Matthews Cemetery) in Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana. Their small gravestones, located just south of the church, are dwarfed by the much larger markers surrounding them. Above photo taken July 14, 2000. The two below were taken two weeks earlier.

On top of marker: INDIANA
On face of marker: Wife of / C. STEM / BORN / MAY 18, 1809. / DIED / DEC. 25, 1888. / Gone but not forgotten.

On top of marker: CONRAD STEM
On face of marker: BORN / MAY 16, 1804. / DIED / JULY 25, 1882. / Not lost, blest thought, but gone before. / Where we shall meet to part no more.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

The 99+ Genealogy Things Meme

With the help of the genea-blogging community a list of genealogy things related to, or associated with, your genealogy research has been created, thus 'The 99+ Genealogy Things Meme' is born! It was inspired by The 99 Things Meme and a suggestion by a post on the MoSGA Messenger (Missouri State Genealogical Association) blog.

Contributors to the list were: Thomas MacEntee (items 31-43), Donna Pointkouski (44-73), LOOKING4ANCESTORS (83-87), Kathryn Doyle (78-83), and Bibliaugrapher (88-92) who also reminded us that the list should be international in scope (Thank you). And I'm to blame for the first 30 items as well as items 74-77 and 93-99 (#97 is courtesy of a commentor on Donna's blog). Greta Koehl left a comment with items 100-104, which I couldn't resist! How could we forget the Happy Dance! LOL.

If you wish to participate in the meme, simply copy the text below and paste it into your blog (or into a note on facebook if you don't have a blog) and annotate the list accordingly. We're on the 'honor system' here, no one is going to check up on you! Participation is up to you, no tagging of other bloggers required. A link back to this post would be nice but is not mandatory ;-)

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (color optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

  1. Belong to a genealogical society.
  2. Researched records onsite at a court house.
  3. Transcribed records.
  4. Uploaded tombstone pictures to Find-A-Grave.
  5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) .
  6. Joined Facebook.
  7. Helped to clean up a run-down cemetery.
  8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group on Facebook.
  9. Attended a genealogy conference.
  10. Lectured at a genealogy conference.
  11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.
  12. Been the editor of a genealogy society newsletter.
  13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
  14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.
  15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
  16. Talked to dead ancestors.
  17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
  18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants.
  19. Cold called a distant relative.
  20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
  21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
  22. Googled my name.
  23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
  24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
  25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
  26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
  27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
  28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
  29. Responded to messages on a message board or forum.
  30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
  31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
  32. Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.).
  33. Performed a record lookup for someone else.
  34. Went on a genealogy seminar cruise.
  35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.
  36. Found a disturbing family secret.
  37. Told others about a disturbing family secret.
  38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
  39. Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.
  40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person (Unclaimed Persons).
  41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
  42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure.
  43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
  44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.
  45. Disproved a family myth through research.
  46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
  47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
  48. Translated a record from a foreign language.
  49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
  50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
  51. Used microfiche.
  52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
  53. Visited more than one LDS Family History Center.
  54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
  55. Taught a class in genealogy.
  56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
  57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
  58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.
  59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
  60. Found an ancestor’s Social Security application.
  61. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.
  62. Used Steve Morse’s One-Step searches.
  63. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
  64. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
  65. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
  66. Visited the Library of Congress.
  67. Have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower.
  68. Have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War.
  69. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
  70. Became a member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.
  71. Can read a church record in Latin.
  72. Have an ancestor who changed their name.
  73. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
  74. Created a family website.
  75. Have more than one "genealogy" blog.
  76. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.
  77. Have broken through at least one brick wall.
  78. Visited the DAR Library in Washington D.C.
  79. Borrowed a microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.
  80. Have done indexing for Family Search Indexing or another genealogy project.
  81. Visited the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  82. Had an amazing serendipitous find of the "Psychic Roots" variety.
  83. Have an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War.
  84. Have an ancestor who was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War.
  85. Have both Patriot & Loyalist ancestors.
  86. Have used Border Crossing records to locate an ancestor.
  87. Use maps in my genealogy research.
  88. Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK.
  89. Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors.
  90. Visited the National Archives in Kew.
  91. Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.
  92. Found a cousin in Australia (or other foreign country).
  93. Consistently cite my sources.
  94. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors.
  95. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.
  96. Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).
  97. Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.
  98. Organized a family reunion.
  99. Published a family history book (on one of my families).
  100. Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.
  101. Have done the genealogy happy dance.
  102. Sustained an injury doing the genealogy happy dance.
  103. Offended a family member with my research.
  104. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.

The 99 Things Meme

I first read about The 99 Things Meme (a list of 99 things you can do, or have happen to you, during your lifetime) on the MoSGA Messenger blog Friday night and thought it was interesting but didn't take the time to post on it then. Anyway, it has dredged up some memories from the past, mostly good, and I've been mulling it over most of today while running errands.

So, I've just finished getting caught up on my blog reading for today and noticed quite a few bloggers had picked up on it, apparently from another blog, catching it and passing it on to others, rather like a virus. But a good one. Memes like this are nice. They give you an opportunity to learn just a little bit more about your fellow bloggers.

The list is annotated in the following manner:
Things you’ve already done: bold face type
Things you’d like to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t care to: plain type

1. Started your own blog. - - Two of them.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii. - - Spent a couple of hours in the Honolulu airport on the way to Japan in 1975. Not what you'd call a visit.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world. - - Visited Disneyland several times when I was stationed in California.
8. Climbed a mountain. - - Mount Fuji, Japan. 1977.
9. Held a praying mantis. - - Saw a twig move this past fall while walking in the Crooked Lake Nature Preserve and picked it up for a few minutes.
10. Sang a solo. - - Does singing to yourself in an empty house count? Chances of me singing a solo in public are slim to none.
11. Bungee jumped. - - One of my first cousins did. I'm not sure I could, though it's on my list.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. - - Wasn't at sea, but spent several hours watching a "heat lightning" storm from the second story of my house a few years back. It was absolutely fascinating.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. - - haven't done it and now I don't think anyone can.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight. - - too many to count, with my brothers
22. Hitch hiked. - - Back when I was dumb and young. I'm still dumb sometimes, but no longer young.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run. - - Does neighborhood sandlot baseball count? Or how about softball. I played on the women's softball team while stationed in Japan and got lucky a few times.
32. Been on a cruise. - - Would like to go on at least one cruise, just to be able to say that I have.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
- - a couple, many more yet to visit.
35. Seen an Amish community. - - There are several Amish communities in Indiana. LaGrange and Elkhart counties (Shipshewana and Nappanee). Whitley county has a small community of Amish near South Whitley.
36. Taught yourself a new language. - - Spanish. Japanese. But definitely was not fluent in either one. Learned enough to get by when I needed it. Also BASIC, Visual Basic, html.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. - - Was almost there, until the recent economic crisis.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing. - - Have climbed on rocks. But that's probably not what they mean.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted. - - it's been sketched, photographed and caricatured, but never painted. And most likely never will be.
48. Gone deep sea fishing. - - Once. That was enough for me.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater. - - We went all the time when I was much younger. I know of two drive-in theaters within 30 miles or so that are still open (in the summertime) so maybe I'll do it again sometime.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood. - - Tried to about 10 years ago but they wouldn't accept my blood. Haven't tried recently.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check. - - Nope, not ever. And hope I never have to.
68. Flown in a helicopter. - - Several times while I was in the Navy. Loved it.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. - - Rode on a motorcycle once, but it wasn't speeding. Have no desire to do it again.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. - - Twice. And it's on my list of places to return to.
80. Published a book. - - "The Phend Family : Some Ancestors and Descendants of Jacob and Louisa Fisher Phend" in July 1991. Compiled and edited about a dozen for the local genealogy society.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. - - Three times so far. Drove each one for 8-10 years. Current car was bought used about 8 years ago. First two cars were used and didn't last long.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury. - - have been called several times but never selected.

91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club. -- Several. A long, long time ago. Still have some of the books I bought then.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person. -- Went on a trip to Mexico the summer before my junior year in high school with four other students and a teacher. One of our tourist stops along the way was the Alamo.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone. - - Have had one of those pay-as-you-go models for two years and still don't know how to use all of its features.
99. Been stung by a bee.

=+==+==+==+==+=

At the end of his post, the MoSGA Messenger wrote: "Note: Surely there’s a '99 Genealogy Things Meme' out there somewhere…"

I'm really surprised that someone hasn't come up with one yet! So, let's see if we can. Here's a start. . . some I've done, some I haven't. . . I know there's more that can be added but I'm nearly brain dead right now. Add to the list in comments, send me an email, or create a blog post of your own and let me know. Let's see where this takes us. Anyone game?

Updated at 3:30 pm: Thomas has added 13 items (31-43) and Donna came up with 30 more (44-73)! I've added four (74-77). Donna thinks the list can be done before the end of today. Anyone else care to add something?

Updated at 3:55 pm: Getting closer! Kathryn Doyle has contributed five items (78-83).

Updated at 4:50 pm: Only need 12 more to get to 99! LOOKING4ANCESTORS added five more items (83-87).

Updated at 5:45 pm: Bibliaugrapher (items 88-92) suggested that we should make the list international in scope. I agree. We (meaning those of us who live in the U.S.) forget that genealogy is global. And, as Thomas suggested that may take us over 99 items, but then, that's okay too. I've added 4 more items (93-96). Three more to 99. Or want to go until midnight tonight to see how many we get?

Updated at 7:15 pm: Done!

Updated at 7:56 pm: Greta Koehl left a comment with items 100-104, which I couldn't resist! How could we forget the Happy Dance! LOL.
  1. Belong to a genealogical society.
  2. Researched records onsite at a court house.
  3. Transcribed records.
  4. Uploaded tombstone pictures to Find-A-Grave.
  5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
  6. Joined Facebook.
  7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery.
  8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
  9. Attended a genealogy conference.
  10. Lectured at a genealogy conference.
  11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.
  12. Been the editor of a genealogy society newsletter.
  13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
  14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.
  15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
  16. Talked to dead ancestors.
  17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
  18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants.
  19. Cold called a distant relative.
  20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
  21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
  22. Googled my name.
  23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
  24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
  25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
  26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
  27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
  28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
  29. Responded to messages on a message board.
  30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
  31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
  32. Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.).
  33. Performed a record lookup.
  34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise.
  35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.
  36. Found a disturbing family secret.
  37. Told others about a disturbing family secret.
  38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
  39. Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.
  40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person (Unclaimed Persons).
  41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
  42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure.
  43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
  44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.
  45. Disproved a family myth through research.
  46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
  47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
  48. Translated a record from a foreign language.
  49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
  50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
  51. Used microfiche.
  52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
  53. Visited more than one LDS Family History Center.
  54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
  55. Taught a class in genealogy.
  56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
  57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
  58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.
  59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
  60. Found an ancestor’s Social Security application.
  61. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.
  62. Used Steve Morse’s One-Step searches.
  63. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
  64. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
  65. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
  66. Visited the Library of Congress.
  67. Have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower.
  68. Have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War.
  69. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
  70. Became a member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.
  71. Can read a church record in Latin.
  72. Have an ancestor who changed their name.
  73. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
  74. Created a family website.
  75. Have more than one "genealogy" blog.
  76. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.
  77. Have broken through at least one brick wall.
  78. Visited the DAR Library in Washington D.C.
  79. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.
  80. Have done indexing for Family Search Indexing or another genealogy project.
  81. Visited the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  82. Had an amazing serendipitous find of the "Psychic Roots" variety.
  83. Have an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War.
  84. Have an ancestor who was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War.
  85. Have both Patriot & Loyalist ancestors.
  86. Have used Border Crossing records to locate an ancestor.
  87. Use maps in my genealogy research.
  88. Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK.
  89. Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors.
  90. Visited the National Archives in Kew.
  91. Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.
  92. Found a cousin in Australia (or other foreign country).
  93. Consistently cite my sources.
  94. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors.
  95. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.
  96. Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).
  97. Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.
  98. Organized a family reunion.
  99. Published a family history book (on one of my families).
  100. Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.
  101. Have done the genealogy happy dance.
  102. Sustained an injury doing the genealogy happy dance.
  103. Offended a family member with my research.
  104. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
My annotated list is at The 99+ Genealogy Things Meme...

Saturday, January 03, 2009

The Children of John & Catharine Brubaker

John Brubaker, my 3rd great grandfather, had twelve children by his wife Catharine Clum. He also had a son (my 2nd great grandfather), William Brubaker, who was born out of wedlock to Sarah Foster. John and Catherine are buried at Barnes Chapel Cemetery. Most of this information was compiled from cemetery records, obituaries and census records. Sources are available upon request. All of the cemeteries mentioned below are in Rock Creek Township, Huntington County, Indiana.

1. Annetta "Annie" Brubaker was born on July 8, 1843 in Perry County, Ohio, died on Jul 8, 1869 in Huntington County, Indiana at age 26 (just six months after her last child was born), and was buried in Barnes Chapel Cemetery. She married Richard Roberts on February 13, 1862. Richard was born in 1835 and died in 1899 at age 64. They had four children: Miranda Jane, John, Etta Catharine, and Letha Ann Roberts.

2. George Brubaker was born on February 23, 1845 in Perry County, Ohio, died on December 14, 1911 in Union Township, Huntington County, Indiana at age 66, and was buried in Star Of Hope Cemetery. George married Colista A. Nevius on October 13, 1874. Colista was born on January 23, 1852 in Rock Creek Township, Huntington County, Indiana and died in Apr 1939 in Allen County, Indiana at age 87. They had two children: John Martin and Lillie Brubaker.

3. Thornton Brubaker was born on April 14, 1847 in Perry County, Ohio, died on December 20, 1927 in Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana at age 80, and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. He married Mary Ann Hoover on November 19, 1873. She was born in 1852 and died on February 7, 1913 at age 61. They had two children: Choela and Emery Brubaker. Thornton was included in the background of the picture of the C.R. Brubaker family at Goose Lake and in my grandmother's papers is a photograph of Thornton and his wife.

Thornton's obituary was published on December 27, 1927 in the Huntington Herald, Huntington, Indiana.

Thornton Brubaker, age eighty, died Tuesday noon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Guy Davis, after an illness of three weeks of a complication of diseases.

Mr. Brubaker was born April 14, 1847, in Perry county, Ohio, to John and Catharine Brubaker. He was one of twelve children. When two and one-half years old he was brought to Huntington county by his parents who settled in Rock Creek township.

In 1873 he was married to Mary Ann Hoover, who preceded him in death on February 7, 1913. Surviving are two children, the daughter at whose home he died and Emery Brubaker of this city, a granddaughter Miss Esther Davis, a sister, Mrs. Jane Kemp of Rock Creek, and a brother, S. J. Brubaker of Fort Wayne.

Mr. Brubaker was a member of the first Christian church and the Masonic lodge of this city. Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 at the First Christian church with the Masons in charge and the Rev. H. G. Rowe officiating. Internment will be at Mt. Hope.

4. Nancy Jane Brubaker was born on May 19, 1849 in Perry County, Ohio, died on July 3, 1929 in Rock Creek Township, Huntington County at age 80, and was buried in Star Of Hope Cemetery. Nancy married William L. Kemp on December 23, 1869. William was born in 1845 and died in 1925 at age 80. They had nine children that I know of: Halleck, Lola Catharine, Emma, Libbie, Dessie, Willis, Elsie Vivian, Jesse, and Reah Kemp. Her obituary published in the Huntington Herald on July 10, 1929 stated that she had 13 children. Her husband and seven children predeceased her.

5. Martin Brubaker was born on September 10, 1850 in Huntington County, Indiana, died on November 6, 1908 in Rock Creek Township, Huntington County at age 58, and was buried in Star Of Hope Cemetery. He married Olive Cline on February 28, 1878. Olive was born in 1864 and died in 1890 at age 26. Martin next married Mary Roberts on May 28, 1891. Mary was born in 1855 and died in 1918 at age 63. They had six children: Frank, Maud, Harvey, William, Gertie, and Howard Brubaker.

Martin's obituary, published November 13, 1908 in the Columbia City Commercial-Mail, was one of the pieces of evidence that lead us to John Brubaker being the father of William.

William Brubaker of near Etna was called to Rock Creek township Huntington county Saturday by the death of his brother Martin Brubaker. Martin Brubaker early Saturday morning succumbed to an attack of pneumonia with which he had been a sufferer for about two weeks. The deceased was born on the farm where he died on September 10, 1850 and with the exception of three years spent in Huntington had always lived on the farm.

He was twice married and is survived by his second wife, eight children and a stepson, besides several brothers and two sisters and numerous other relatives. The funeral services were held at the White church in Huntington county Sunday afternoon, the party leaving the family residence at 2 o'clock. Rev. J. E. Etter of Warren officiated. The I.O.O.F. lodge of which the deceased was a member attended in a body.

6. Noah Brubaker was born on December 2, 1851 in Huntington County, Indiana and died on May 8, 1903 in Huntington, Indiana at age 51. Noah married Lilly Rosencrantz on December 28, 1880. They had two children: Charley and Guy Brubaker.

7. John Brubaker was born on September 8, 1853 in Huntington County, Indiana, died on November 20, 1854 in Huntington County, Indiana at age 1, and was buried in Barnes Chapel Cemetery.

8. Jasper Brubaker was born on March 26, 1856 in Huntington County, Indiana and died on October 16, 1898 at age 42. Jasper married Anne Weaver on August 3, 1881. Anne was born in 1862 and died in 1939 at age 77. They had one daughter, Clara Brubaker.

9. Samuel J. Brubaker was born on February 20, 1859 in Huntington County, Indiana and died on October 15, 1934 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana at age 75. He married Flora Lawrence who was born in 1863 and died in 1937 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana at age 74. They had three children: Harry, Nettie, and Charles Brubaker. In my grandmother's papers there are two photographs that are identified as Harry and Nettie Brubaker.

His obituary was published on October 16, 1934 in the Huntington Herald, Huntington, Indiana

S. J. Brubaker, about 75 years old, a former resident of Huntington county, died Monday night at his home at Fort Wayne following a weeks' illness of leakage of the heart. Mr. Brubaker was born in Huntington county near Brown's Corners.

Mr. Brubaker is survived by the widow and three children, Harry Brubaker, and Mrs. Nettie Martin, both of Fort Wayne, and Charles Brubaker of New York City. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon at the Barnes Chapel church. Burial will be at the church cemetery.

10. Belinda (or Malinda) Brubaker was born on September 9, 1860 in Huntington County, Indiana, died on January 9, 1908 in Markle, Wells County, Indiana at age 47, and was buried in Star Of Hope Cemetery. She married James B. Dumbauld on October 21, 1880. James was born in 1858 and died in 1918 at age 60. They had six children: Samuel Arlie, Minnie, Charles, Saloma, Ernest, and Fern Dumbauld.

11. Charles Brubaker was born on October 25, 1862 in Huntington County, Indiana, died on October 7, 1889 in Huntington County, Indiana at age 26, and was buried in Barnes Chapel Cemetery. Franklin Brubaker was born on March 23, 1864 in Huntington County, Indiana, died on March 5, 1865 in Huntington County, Indiana, and was buried in Barnes Chapel Cemetery.

12. Franklin Brubaker was born on March 23, 1864 in Huntington County, Indiana, died on March 5, 1865 in Huntington County, Indiana, and was buried in Barnes Chapel Cemetery.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Year in Review in Twelve Sentences

It didn't take long for the first meme of the New Year to get started. This is a fun one though, and it doesn't require any tagging of other bloggers! It's one I wish I'd thought of. Could have saved me some time yesterday...

The honors for "first meme of 2009" go to John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch with his Year in Review in Twelve Sentences. Thanks John ;-) He says, "For those who like memes, here's a fun one to consider. Now is a time for looking back on the past year. Here's a way to quickly create a brief summary of the past year on your blog. Take the first sentence from the first post of each month. You will end up with only twelve sentences. Post those twelve sentences."

Even though I've already posted my review of kinexxions for the past year, I'd like to play along with John on this. (With the addition of including a link to each post...)

First Sentence from the first post of each month.
  • Letter to Malissa Joslin Brubaker from her father, Lysander Price Joslin.
  • If you could have dinner with four of your ancestors who would they be and why?
  • The helpfullness of genealogists and family researchers amazes me sometimes, especially when it is truly a "random act" of kindness.
  • Dianne Haddad has the current edition of Family Tree Magazine available at Genealogy Insider. Note that it is only available for one day (today)…
  • The recent post Recluse dies in motel leaving $263,000 in cash in room at Genealogy Miscellanea reminded me of a distant relative who died with a fairly large estate in the early 1900s.
  • Sorting, scanning and trashing are coming along nicely ;-)
  • One of the most interesting men that I never met, and who just happens to be related to me (first cousin three times removed!), is Robert Quillen.
  • The Genea-Bloggers are having a picnic hosted by Bill West over at West in New England.
  • In May of 1986 my mother and I went on a research trip to Ohio and Pennsylvania.
  • The Great Forest Park Balloon Race.
  • What's still there, you ask?
  • The topic for the December 1st Carnival of Genealogy is "Traditions - the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice."
Links to those posts.

Looking Back :: kinexxions in 2008

Well, it's here! 2009. Another New Year. What happened to 2008? It went by so fast! As I did at the end of 2007, I have selected some of the posts that I like and some that have received the most attention (hits and comments). I want to thank everyone who has provided me with some encouragement or feedback through comments or private emails as well as everyone who reads kinexxions (whether through a reader or a visit to the blog). I hope I don't disappoint you too often.

A highlight for me came in April, when I was honored by footnoteMaven to be the first Guest Blogger on "Shades of the Departed". I wrote about the impact photography has had on me as well as discussing some of my old family photographs in A Moment in Time.

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings has boosted my ego several times this year by selecting some of my posts for his weekly Best of the Genea-Blogs. As did Terry Thornton with his Harvest from the Blog Garden series. Thanks, Randy and Terry! 'Tis much appreciated.

Also in October I hosted the 6th Edition of Smile For The Camera with Peruse our Virtual Album and Tickle Your Funny Bone!

The post that has garnered the most comments and the most hits this year, despite the fact that it wasn't written until October, is A Salute to the Old Timers! honoring the genea-bloggers who have been blogging for two years or more.

Following close behind in number of page views are Got slides you wanta digitize?, Foiling 'Round in the Cemetery, What is Blogging? Why would I want to do it? and Photo Studio - Light Tent.

What this tells me is that my "family" posts probably aren't really of much interest to others, which is something that I already knew! I guess, if I was concerned with increasing readership, fewer "family" posts should be published and more posts of the tips and resources genre should be published! I'm not sure I'm prepared to do that yet, there's a lot more family stories to be written, and whether anyone else wants to read them, or not, is another matter! After all, the "purpose" of this blog is to publish the stories of my ancestors and other relatives in the hopes of making connections with other family members and I'm quite happy with the successes I've had in that respect. So, for now, I'll continue to do what I have been doing. . . below are my picks for the "best of" kinexxions in 2008.

Some Fun Stuff
A Series of Posts
Family Research
Family Stories/Biographies
Family Photographs
Personal Photography And Some Older Posts. According to GoogleAnalytics, these posts from 2007 continue to bring in a considerable number of visitors. They are in the "top 25" pages viewed so they get more hits than the vast majority of all other posts!
Do you have a favorite post here at kinexxions? Was it included in my list? Let me know in the comments or drop me an email at kinexxions "at" gmail.com