Saturday, December 28, 2013
Friday, December 27, 2013
What all is included in Genealogy?
One of the foremost ideas about AncestorEbooks.com is writing about your ancestors and sharing them with your decedents. As you know the Ebooks are created by uploading a Gedcom file (Family Tree File) that you have created on Ancestry.com. That is just the beginning.
After you have created your Ebook with up to 2400 pages, a page per ancestor, you have those pages to fill! Suddenly Names, Dates and Places just aren't enough! So, how do you fill those pages if you really don't know much about your ancestor? Ancestry.com can help you with that!
It's called Creating Chronologies (or Timelines), and according to Ancestry.com it allows us to "view our ancestor's life in context." You already have the 'bones' for your ancestor, ie. names dates and places; now you just flesh out the faces, muscles and add a wardrobe.
There are 3 important pieces you should add to flesh out your heritage:
For an example I am going to use our Grandmother Dorothy Mattie Hughes, born in the year 1897 in Nebraska. What can we learn about her life as a child? She was born in Gage County, NE, but the family moved to Custer, Kansas soon after; we can tell this because there is a 1900 US Federal Census that states she was 2 years old. Which meant she was probably dressed wearing a pinafore over her dress. Much like this dress and pinafore from magdalenaperks.wordpress.com...
Although Dorothy wasn't Amish, her family was very poor, and this would have been a simple dress her mother or Aunt Alice could have made for her.
Kansas State Board of Agriculture conducted a Census every 5 years from 1855-1930, & in 1905 Dorothy's family were living in Limestone, Kansas. She was the oldest with 3 little brothers, ages 5, 3 & 1.
By 1910, her family was living in Valley, Smith, Kansas, where her father worked as a farm employee. By this time she had 5 siblings.
We don't have any photos of Grandma Dorothy as a girl, however she talked of living in a 1 room Soddy with her Mom, Dad, Aunt Alice, three brothers and two sisters, and about a nearby neighbor who didn't like sleeping alone, so he would ride the mile to their home each evening and throw his blanket roll on the floor by the door.
This picture matches the stories the family told of life in a Soddy, although this one is from irwinator.com. This page also states that there were approx. a million Soddies in use in Canada and the United States during this time.
Here, if you wish you could tell of how a Soddy was made and why they were so often used. How a well made Soddy had a deeply slanted roof with live grass to shed the rain, and a muslin ceiling to keep dirt and centipedes from falling in the soup.
As a girl, Dorothy was part of the Nebraska Land Run, Her family lived near the Gulf of Texas where ranchers would poison wells to get nesters off the land they thought of as their own.
When Dorothy was 16 years old she met and fell head over heals for George Schnee, Stepson of Thomas Gasvery who married his mother, Ida, after the disappearance of his father about 1905 in Pennsylvania. When George was 17 he worked at the local hardware store in Atchison, Kansas. Atchison is 230 miles East of Valley Township, Kansas and I haven't discovered what brought him into that area.
Dorothy's folks wouldn't allow her to marry until she was 18, which she was in 1916. That year she married her sweetheart in Blocker, Oklahoma.
See how much more interesting this is than:
Dorothy Mattie Hughes: Born ____
Married George Schnee ____
Died ____
This is just a rough draft, it would be even more interesting if I put in comments from people who knew them, Certificates of Marriage, Death, Births, their lives as ShareCroppers in Oregon, etc. When you bring your gedcom file to AncestorEbooks.com, bring along the stories, history of the areas they lived in, the poetry or paintings, etc. Bring your life to your family history!
After you have created your Ebook with up to 2400 pages, a page per ancestor, you have those pages to fill! Suddenly Names, Dates and Places just aren't enough! So, how do you fill those pages if you really don't know much about your ancestor? Ancestry.com can help you with that!
It's called Creating Chronologies (or Timelines), and according to Ancestry.com it allows us to "view our ancestor's life in context." You already have the 'bones' for your ancestor, ie. names dates and places; now you just flesh out the faces, muscles and add a wardrobe.
There are 3 important pieces you should add to flesh out your heritage:
- Stories and Photos
- Documents, Certificates of Birth, Marriage, Death. Newspaper articles if you have any.
- Old letters, bills, etc.
For an example I am going to use our Grandmother Dorothy Mattie Hughes, born in the year 1897 in Nebraska. What can we learn about her life as a child? She was born in Gage County, NE, but the family moved to Custer, Kansas soon after; we can tell this because there is a 1900 US Federal Census that states she was 2 years old. Which meant she was probably dressed wearing a pinafore over her dress. Much like this dress and pinafore from magdalenaperks.wordpress.com...
Kansas State Board of Agriculture conducted a Census every 5 years from 1855-1930, & in 1905 Dorothy's family were living in Limestone, Kansas. She was the oldest with 3 little brothers, ages 5, 3 & 1.
By 1910, her family was living in Valley, Smith, Kansas, where her father worked as a farm employee. By this time she had 5 siblings.
We don't have any photos of Grandma Dorothy as a girl, however she talked of living in a 1 room Soddy with her Mom, Dad, Aunt Alice, three brothers and two sisters, and about a nearby neighbor who didn't like sleeping alone, so he would ride the mile to their home each evening and throw his blanket roll on the floor by the door.
This picture matches the stories the family told of life in a Soddy, although this one is from irwinator.com. This page also states that there were approx. a million Soddies in use in Canada and the United States during this time.
Here, if you wish you could tell of how a Soddy was made and why they were so often used. How a well made Soddy had a deeply slanted roof with live grass to shed the rain, and a muslin ceiling to keep dirt and centipedes from falling in the soup.
As a girl, Dorothy was part of the Nebraska Land Run, Her family lived near the Gulf of Texas where ranchers would poison wells to get nesters off the land they thought of as their own.
When Dorothy was 16 years old she met and fell head over heals for George Schnee, Stepson of Thomas Gasvery who married his mother, Ida, after the disappearance of his father about 1905 in Pennsylvania. When George was 17 he worked at the local hardware store in Atchison, Kansas. Atchison is 230 miles East of Valley Township, Kansas and I haven't discovered what brought him into that area.
Dorothy's folks wouldn't allow her to marry until she was 18, which she was in 1916. That year she married her sweetheart in Blocker, Oklahoma.
See how much more interesting this is than:
Dorothy Mattie Hughes: Born ____
Married George Schnee ____
Died ____
This is just a rough draft, it would be even more interesting if I put in comments from people who knew them, Certificates of Marriage, Death, Births, their lives as ShareCroppers in Oregon, etc. When you bring your gedcom file to AncestorEbooks.com, bring along the stories, history of the areas they lived in, the poetry or paintings, etc. Bring your life to your family history!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Heroines (not the drug) Female Heroes
It amazes me how many women, known for their bravery, determination and grit, who were unknown to me! Can you imagine the impact on the lives of girls if they had known about women such as the Nightwitches, pilots who fought the Germans in WWI in planes what barely flew... who had to go out on their wings to restart the props of their planes in order to fly home; Female WWII Pilots (Fly Girls)...
Why didn't we learn about Georgia O’Keeffe, the Mother of American Modernism, who painted flowers in New York as if they were seen through a magnifying glass. She once said "I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do"
Why didn't we learn about Georgia O’Keeffe, the Mother of American Modernism, who painted flowers in New York as if they were seen through a magnifying glass. She once said "I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do"
OR: Allyson Felix, American track & Field sprint athlete; Anuradha Koirala, founder of Maiti Nepal-a non-profit organization in Nepal that is dedicated to helping the victims of sex trafficking; or have heroines held up as examples of womanhood such as Irena Sendler, who worked in the Warsaw Ghetto (Poland) & smuggled 2500 Jewish infants in the bottom of her tool box & larger children in a burlap sack in the back of her truck to save them from the Nazis; Corrie ten Boom whose book The Hiding Place provided graphic examples of life in the Nazi prison camps and the many times God answered their prayers... Yes we watched the movie and we have read the book, but why do we not instruct our girls in having the courage to be their best instead of accepting whatever comes their way?
Audrey Hepburn was one of my favorite actresses, but I never really knew her. Ms Hepburn, who through UNICEF programs increased public awareness of the challenges facing the world's children (ahepburn.com) She spoke before the American Congress on Hunger in '89, and 91, seeking aid for Africa. She is an amazing woman our young women need to know about in order to emulate!
The blog, EVE (Equal Visibilty Everywhere) has created an alphabetical list of 100 Great American Women you can find here. I hope you will help your young women choose a woman to emulate, whether the woman comes from our history or the Bible, sometimes I believe I could have become something better if I had been able to imagine it.
We have Daniel Boone, Benjamin Franklin, Davy Crockett, Abraham Lincoln, George Patton, Louis Armstrong, Ronald Reagan, Joe Montana, Audie Murphy, but why do we know so little about Lady Deborah Moody, a respected community leader who brought settlers seeking religious freedom to Gravesend (which became New York); Ann Bradstreet, a poet in the mid 1600s; Molly Pitcher, who hauled water to Continental soldiers at the Battle of Monmouth; Sarah Josepha Hale, Editor of Godey's Lady's Book, which promoted the betterment of women; Harriet Beecher Stowe, writer of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which was based on her own experiences; Harriet Tubman, who was a Conductor on the Underground Railroad, where she let 300 slaves to freedom and served the Union forces in South Carolina; Clara Barton, Started the American Red Cross; Florence Bascom, the first woman and female geologist to earn a PH.D from Johns Hopkins, who pioneered microscopic viewings of minerals & Rocks.... For more on these and many more, go to u-s-history.
Let's help our youth to choose a hero or heroine to follow and help them emulate that hero/heroine through the teachings of service, selflessness and fortitude (going beyond duty to do what is extraordinary). CMB
Friday, December 13, 2013
Will History Repeat Itself?
The stock market crash of October 1929 was the start of the Great Depression. Investors had borrowed too much money and gambled with stocks bought with only 10% down. When the stock prices began to fail there was no money to pay for the other 90% they owed.
People rushed to their banks and took out as much of their savings as they could, which collapsed the banking system. The few businesses that could still afford to pay their employees paid for work days that were 10-12 hrs long with one 30 min lunch & and even those were starvation wages of 45 cents per hour according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Farmers hoped to afford to butcher a pig to add to the rows of garden produce, but more often than not the pig was sold to pay the rent!
These poetic words are from our Great Grandfather Hughes:
People rushed to their banks and took out as much of their savings as they could, which collapsed the banking system. The few businesses that could still afford to pay their employees paid for work days that were 10-12 hrs long with one 30 min lunch & and even those were starvation wages of 45 cents per hour according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Farmers hoped to afford to butcher a pig to add to the rows of garden produce, but more often than not the pig was sold to pay the rent!
These poetic words are from our Great Grandfather Hughes:
A
DRY-WOOD Farmer's Blues
I’m
just as sore as I can be,
And
think I’ll quit the farm by-gee,
For
twelve long months, I’ve worked like –well
I
haven’t raised a thing to sell.
I’ve
plowed amongst these Dry Wood rocks,
And
wore out twenty pairs of sox,
And
now I’m feedless, sockless too,
And
don’t know what the heck I’ll do.
Our
hogs wont pay for what they eat,
And
cows are selling mighty cheap,
And
all our hens that lay at all,
Are
those that starved to death last fall.
I
haven’t made a bloomin’ cent,
With
which to pay my pasture rent,
And
taxes are as high by-Joe,
As
what they were a year ago.
The
butterfat we used to sell,
Kept
up our table fairly well,
But
now we’re eating ‘margarine’,
Just
let ole Bossy keep her cream.
A
fellow cant afford to die,
‘the
homes are free beyond the sky,
But
what it costs to get one there,
Would
bust a multi-millionaire.
So
whats a fellow goin’ to do?
Just
sit around the house and stew,
Or
buckle in and do his best,
And
take a chance with all the rest.
I
guess I’ll take another chance,
While
“Hoover’s” wearing out his pants,
The
world may howl around my door,
But
“Hooverism” makes me sore.
---By
Dry Wood Dreamer.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
AncestorEbooks Announces the 2013 Eastern European Research Workshop November 12, 2013
AncestorEbooks, your online source for the creation of personalized family E-books using your Family Trees, photos, documents, mp3s, and videos, announces the upcoming 2013 Eastern European Research Workshop in Salt Lake City, UT from November 12-November 15. This workshop features the theme, "Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor” with instructors specializing in Central and Eastern European immigrant research. [feefhsworkshop.org/]
The East European Research Workshop will be open for registration on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, from 1-2:45 pm, at the Beautiful Plaza Hotel, at Temple Square and features a get acquainted “Family History Library Orientation & Tour” from 2pm to 4 pm.
Wednesday & Thursday mornings, November 13 & 14, there will be 1 hour classes, such as Joe Everett’s class entitled, "The How, What, and Why of Immigrant Research -- Methodology Overview Part I & II" and "Geographical Tools, Part I & Part II", while the afternoons will be dedicated to Lab Time in the Family History Center and Individual Consultations.
Friday, the final day of this intense workshop will be dedicated to individual case studies and teaching Research Skills. Followed by a closing dinner with Milan Pohontsch, at 6pm, who will be giving a speech entitled "Chasing the Elusive Ancestor."[feefhsworkshop.org/fall-schedule/]
This year's presenters include an amazing team of experts in genealogy, including Kyle Betit, a professional genealogist, lecturer and author who works at the ProGenealogist.
Thomas K. Edlund, the president of FEEFHS and has specialized in East European languages and manuscripts, and has authored several books. Mr Edlund is a professor of family and local history at Brigham Young University where he teaches about East European genealogy.
Joe Everett, a genealogist at FamilySearch, currently manages an International Team of Research Consultants at the Family History Library. Baerbel Johnson, AG, holds degrees in both sociology and Family and Local History Studies. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, she is presently a reference consultant on the International floor of the Family History Library.
Kahlile B. Mehr has 25 years of experience at the Family History Library as well as experience in archive research throughout Europe. Finally, Mr. Pohontsch is the owner of European Roots Genealogy. Mr Pohontsch specializes in German and Eastern research, with an emphasis on translating old, handwritten records, is Wendish and grew up in Germany and presently works for the Brigham Young University.
Cristina Besendorfer, and Gayla Mendenhall, of AncestorEbooks, agree that, "This is an incredible line-up of researchers who are well versed in the discovery of ancestors who immigrated from Eastern European countries."
Mrs. Besendorfer & Mendenhall continue, "With the added benefit of extra time in the Computer Lab and the time to sign up for personal consultations, we are sure you will want to take the opportunity to learn more about your ancestors who have immigrated from the history rich European nations. Then we hope you will bring your research treasures to AncestorEbooks.com and enjoy creating your own personalized E-books to share the stories you discovered with your family members."
Friday, November 8, 2013
AncestorEbooks Announces the 9th Genetic Genealogy Conference for Family Tree DNA Group Administrators
AncestorEbooks, the original online company dedicated to the creation of personalized eBooks through the use of videos, mp3s, pictures, and documents, announces the 9th Genetic Genealogy Conference from November 9-10. [bit.ly/1cEKoLw]
The Genetic Genealogy Conference will hold morning lectures available to participants include the following: "DNA Identifiability & Obligations to Biological Relatives in Genetic Genealogy", "Bridging Social Media and DNA", “Am I My Brother's Keeper?” & technical information such as an Engineering Update, IT Roadmap, Gene 2.0 Update and Y-2014 Tree.
The conference fee is $139 per person with Administrators being allowed to bring 1 guest, who must also register and pay the tuition. Check in time is Friday Evening, November 8, at the Sheraton North Houston Hotel near the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Several Breakout Group Sessions, over the two days, will cover various topics including "Jewish Autosomal", "Finding an Indian Princess" and "What Can a Genealogist Use from DNA".
Roundtable Discussions will be held each afternoon, where participants can choose from discussions of Autosomal DNA, atDNA Projects, Advanced DNA Tools, mtDNA or the Y-DNA SNPs.
"With the increase of genealogists and family historians choosing to research the familial DNA & what that means for family history, this DNA conference will be very interesting to the technically and scientifically minded," says Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks.com. "This conference might give you an idea of a new direction to take your family history, or what your family's DNA could mean for you."
AncestorEbooks Announces the Annual Lake County Genealogical Society Workshop
AncestorEbooks, the online company dedicated to the creative development of personal eBooks using your own family history videos, mp3s, pictures, and documents, announces the Annual Lake County, Illinois Genealogical Society's workshop entitled 'From Grandma's Place to Cyberspace'.
‘From Grandma's Place to Cyberspace’, the 21st Annual Genealogical Workshop for the Lake County Genealogical Society, begins at 8am and is located at the Round Lake Beach Cultural & Civic Center in Round Lake Beach, on Hook Drive. Directions are on the Registration Handout. [bit.ly/1iNa7if]
Cyndi Ingle Howells, genealogist & founder of CyndisList.com and Ginger Frere, a professional genealogist, are the two well-known genealogists who will be presenting different lectures throughout the day. [bit.ly/1iNa7if]
Cyndi Ingle Howells developed CyndisList over 17 years ago, as a free online source for genealogical links in a categorized and cross-referenced index. This list of genealogical resources is a great starting page to genealogical research.
Ms. Howells tells about the start of her page, "The list began as a project for my local genealogical society in order to help our members find resources online. I want to make it easy for all researchers to find online resources for the genealogical research." [bit.ly/1bbOunN]
Topics that Ms. Howells will cover at the Lake County Genealogical Society's workshop will include, Evaluating Websites: 13 Years Later, A Guided Tour of Cyndi's List 2.0, Evernote for Every Genealogist, and Advanced Googling for Your Grandma.
Ginger Frere is a professional genealogist and the local history Reference Librarian at The Newberry Library in Chicago, IL & co-director of the ChicagoAncestors.org website. [bit.ly/ApKn]
Ms. Frere will be speaking about variety of subjects such as Researching Pre-fire Chicago and Where Did Grandpa Go? Ms. Frere will also teach about Using Maps to Solve Genealogical Problems, and Mining the National Archives.
Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks says, "This workshop is very heavy on internet research helps, which is a great help for budding genealogists. Cyndi Ingle Howells is an incredible genealogist who has created a website that will help novice and experienced genealogists alike to break through brick walls and other genealogical problems."
"We, at AncestorEbooks.com, encourage you to research your family history, and then use that information to create your own personalized eBooks to share with your family members," continues Mrs. Mendenhall, "It is really exciting to be able to share the stories you have gathered about your ancestors with others."
Saturday, November 2, 2013
J M Hughes tongue in cheek
When twilight shadows softly fall,
And darkness hovers near,
Then Willis cranks his Chevrolet,
And sets the clutch in high.
Then South two miles without a halt,
He turns her to the West,
Each mile his heart goes pitty-patt
For the girl that he loves best
Ere long the miles are left behind,
The GOAL seems very near,
He honks his horn in boyish glee,
For his sweetheart to appear.
Alas, the house is dark and still,
There's not a soul in sight,
His heart begins to palpitate,
The mist obscure his sight.
There must be something wrong, says he,
I'm sure this is my date,
I'll honk again a time or two,
And then investigate.
HONK, HONK, honk honk, still no response,
Oh, what can be the matter
His temperature began to drop
His teeth began to chatter.
He hastened up the gravel walk,
Until he reached the door,
And then he knocked incessantly,
Until his fist were sore.
He saw a note tacked onto he door,
And this is what he read,
We'll not be home tonight, sweetheart,
Go home, and go to bed.
J M Hughes, Lamar, Missouri abt 1950
How will you pass your Grandparent's treasures down from generation to generation? We us Ebooks created at AncestorEbooks.com You can too!
And darkness hovers near,
Then Willis cranks his Chevrolet,
And sets the clutch in high.
Then South two miles without a halt,
He turns her to the West,
Each mile his heart goes pitty-patt
For the girl that he loves best
Ere long the miles are left behind,
The GOAL seems very near,
He honks his horn in boyish glee,
For his sweetheart to appear.
Alas, the house is dark and still,
There's not a soul in sight,
His heart begins to palpitate,
The mist obscure his sight.
There must be something wrong, says he,
I'm sure this is my date,
I'll honk again a time or two,
And then investigate.
HONK, HONK, honk honk, still no response,
Oh, what can be the matter
His temperature began to drop
His teeth began to chatter.
He hastened up the gravel walk,
Until he reached the door,
And then he knocked incessantly,
Until his fist were sore.
He saw a note tacked onto he door,
And this is what he read,
We'll not be home tonight, sweetheart,
Go home, and go to bed.
J M Hughes, Lamar, Missouri abt 1950
How will you pass your Grandparent's treasures down from generation to generation? We us Ebooks created at AncestorEbooks.com You can too!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
October 26th Live Show - Their Roots Are Showing - in Oakland California
AncestorEbooks.com, an online company dedicated to the creation of personal family history Ebooks, announces Their Roots Are Showing, in Oakland, CA - hosted by The California Genealogical Society through the Lesher Center. Their Roots Are Showing is a live show and will include three Bay Area celebrities; Billy Beane, the Vice President and General Manager of the Oakland Athletics; Natalie Coughlin, the most decorated female Olympic medalist of all time; and Tim "Herb" Alexander, drummer for the Grammy-nominated rock band Primus.
These three celebrities will be onstage with genealogist, Gianna Suter-Franco, who is the MC, and a 12' X 12' projection screen. The format of Their Roots Are Showing is much the same as Who Do You Think You Are, however instead of traveling to their ancestral lands, the ancestral lands will be brought to them via video, maps, documents and photos. [bit.ly/1eAANm4]
In a long distance interview by Hack Genealogy, Therese Hart-Pignotti, the producer of Their Roots Are Showing, said, "I wanted diversity and that could have been by ethnicity, sex, or other areas. I just didn't want three football players, or a panel of musicians. I thought it would limit the audience. If we got something for everyone, a champion Olympian, a critically acclaimed and Grammy-nominated musician, and a former Major League Baseball player who just happened to have his adult life story portrayed by Brad Pitt in an Oscar nominated film, how could we go wrong?"
None of the celebrities know exactly what information will be presented the night of the show. However, each celebrity has been given a brief synopsis for their approval. Billy Beane's father came from North Carolina, and his maternal side represent early immigrants, coming from across an ocean and from north of our border. DNA will be used during Tim Alexander's segment to solve the mystery of his maternal side. His father's side will include information of early American and European immigration he has never known before! And Natalie Coughlin's family is quite diverse, including Irish immigrant, Filipino, and American roots. [bit.ly/1eAANm4]
"Their Roots Are Showing is quite the undertaking, however, it is exciting to see how the avenues for genealogy are going mainstream. Taking formats, such as 'Who Do You Think You Are?' & Genealogy Roadshow, and turning them into live productions is exciting. Celebrities inspire us, and after seeing their stories, we are more likely to want to research our own family history stories and to share those with others," says Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks. "When you take the time to learn your family stories, you can use that information through AncestorEbooks to create your own personal Ebooks to share with loved ones."
The California Genealogical Society, a library and research center, will present Their Roots Are Showing, an evening of surprise and discovery for three Bay Area celebrities on October 26, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. at the Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek. [bit.ly/16jzWGv]
These three celebrities will be onstage with genealogist, Gianna Suter-Franco, who is the MC, and a 12' X 12' projection screen. The format of Their Roots Are Showing is much the same as Who Do You Think You Are, however instead of traveling to their ancestral lands, the ancestral lands will be brought to them via video, maps, documents and photos. [bit.ly/1eAANm4]
In a long distance interview by Hack Genealogy, Therese Hart-Pignotti, the producer of Their Roots Are Showing, said, "I wanted diversity and that could have been by ethnicity, sex, or other areas. I just didn't want three football players, or a panel of musicians. I thought it would limit the audience. If we got something for everyone, a champion Olympian, a critically acclaimed and Grammy-nominated musician, and a former Major League Baseball player who just happened to have his adult life story portrayed by Brad Pitt in an Oscar nominated film, how could we go wrong?"
None of the celebrities know exactly what information will be presented the night of the show. However, each celebrity has been given a brief synopsis for their approval. Billy Beane's father came from North Carolina, and his maternal side represent early immigrants, coming from across an ocean and from north of our border. DNA will be used during Tim Alexander's segment to solve the mystery of his maternal side. His father's side will include information of early American and European immigration he has never known before! And Natalie Coughlin's family is quite diverse, including Irish immigrant, Filipino, and American roots. [bit.ly/1eAANm4]
"Their Roots Are Showing is quite the undertaking, however, it is exciting to see how the avenues for genealogy are going mainstream. Taking formats, such as 'Who Do You Think You Are?' & Genealogy Roadshow, and turning them into live productions is exciting. Celebrities inspire us, and after seeing their stories, we are more likely to want to research our own family history stories and to share those with others," says Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks. "When you take the time to learn your family stories, you can use that information through AncestorEbooks to create your own personal Ebooks to share with loved ones."
The California Genealogical Society, a library and research center, will present Their Roots Are Showing, an evening of surprise and discovery for three Bay Area celebrities on October 26, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. at the Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek. [bit.ly/16jzWGv]
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Springtime in the Ozarks
God's little feathered songsters
Are flitting here and there.
Amongst the lofty tree-tops
Their music fills the air
Each seeking some secluded crotch,
In which to build its nest
Its springtime in the Ozarks,
And life is at it's best!
The peach trees are aflame with bloom
A balm for weary eyes
The breeze picks up their sweet perfume,
and wafts it to the skies,
The wondrous work of God unfolds,
Throughout the endless miles,
It's springtime in the Ozarks
Land of a million smiles.
By my Great Grandfather, the Drywood Dreamer
Are flitting here and there.
Amongst the lofty tree-tops
Their music fills the air
Each seeking some secluded crotch,
In which to build its nest
Its springtime in the Ozarks,
And life is at it's best!
The peach trees are aflame with bloom
A balm for weary eyes
The breeze picks up their sweet perfume,
and wafts it to the skies,
The wondrous work of God unfolds,
Throughout the endless miles,
It's springtime in the Ozarks
Land of a million smiles.
By my Great Grandfather, the Drywood Dreamer
Monday, October 21, 2013
14th Annual Czechoslovak Genealogical Society Conference
AncestorEbooks.com, an online company dedicated to the creative sharing of family history materials through personalized EBooks, announces the 14th annual Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International Conference Oct 23-26.
The Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International Genealogical/Cultural Conference of 2013 (CGSIG) will be held in Westin, IL from October 23 through October 26. Many activities and sessions have been planned to include not only genealogy and research information, but also important sessions relating solely to the research and preservation of Czechoslovak ancestors and the cultural heritage. [bit.ly/19HbwRU]
There are two sessions that are geared directly to the Czechoslovakian research, T2: ‘Language Handbook for Traveling and Genealogy Research in Slovakia.’ scheduled for Thursday Morning, and Transportation and T6: ‘Language Handbook for Traveling and Genealogy Research in Slovakia -- Searching for Records, Strolling through Cemeteries, Meeting with Relatives’. These two Sessions are taught by Michal Razus. [bit.ly/19HbwRU]
Many sessions focus on the history of Chicago, concentrating attention on Slovak immigration, such as, F4: ‘S.S. Eastland -- A Conversation’ on Friday morning taught by Alberta Adamson and Jane Rio. In this session, participants will here a conversation between "two former Western Electric employees" reminisce about when the Disaster on July 24, 1915 when the unthinkable happened & the S.S. Eastland rolled over at the edge of the wharf, with over 2,500 passengers and crew aboard leaving, 844 people died, including 22 entire families. [eastlanddisaster.org/summary.htm]
There will be several Breakout sessions that will teach participants how to use technology, such asFamilySearch.org, to research family history, and classes teaching the best way to write a detailed family history for posterity, without the use of boring charts. These participants will be given hints on ways to write a "compelling narrative your relatives and future generations will want to read.
"We here at AncestorEbooks.com are excited to see family stories being incorporated into the telling of family history. The family tree and pedigree charts are only the ‘skeleton’ of what people want to know about their ancestors. It is the stories behind their lives, how they lived, and important life events that bring family history to life.”
“Writing a compelling narrative will give future generations the desire to read those stories and relate them to themselves", says Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks. "More and more, conferences, such as the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International's Conference, are including information on creative ways to use and share the stories that were discovered."
AncestorEbooks.com is the fun, easy, and creative way to use genealogical information and tell an ancestor's stories, using mp3s, videos, documents and photos. AncestorEbooks was created to use today's digital age and new technologies in the retelling and sharing of family history & stories. The possibilities are limitless!
Friday, October 18, 2013
February 2013 - October 2013 Growth of AncestorEbooks.com
I was blessed with the idea for a website that helped family genealogists share their research with families & especially the youth who were addicted to Electronics, in the Spring of 2010. Online ads claimed the build and design would only take about 3-4 months. Even the Coding Company that Art & Logic recommended, David Hirschfeld's Tekyz.com, expected we would be online and helping customers within at most 5-6 months. However, David and I learned there is a definite difference between what is offered by designers Online, and using a family tree (gedcom file) to create Ebooks, which is what my website is expected to accomplish. Suddenly I realized I needed to know more about how to create what was in my mind's eye.
After 2 1/2 years of schooling at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and graduating with an Associates Degree in Web Design & Interactive Media, I understood what I wanted to do, and knew enough to accept that I'd need help getting the coding correct, thus Tekyz.com.
To keep a long story short... AncestorEbooks.com came onto the internet scene in February, however, just as with many things we create (take a stick built home for example, which is scheduled to be finished and ready in 4 months will typically take 6-8 months before you can move in) there were simple coding problems that kept it from actually being online & accepting customers until June!
Keeping things in perspective, we have done very well in the past 8 months of dedicated work to get the brand name, AncestorEbooks.com, into the 'know'. As the image of the above Facebook Fans shows, AncestorEbooks.com now has 1903 Contacts and with the model of growth we can expect to have doubled that number by Spring of 2014, & tripled it by this time next year!
Where You Enter This Story... As I'm sure you know, word of mouth is louder and more effective than bags of money (which I don't have) given to advertisement agencies. So Please, take a few moments of your valuable time (yes I know it's valuable!) & post what you like about AncestorEbooks.com on our Facebook Page. What do you like/ dislike about AncestorEbooks?
October 19th Louisville Genealogical Society Seminar
The Louisville Genealogical Society will hold it's annual seminar on October 19,2013.
There are four paid lectures available, however, there will be nine classes scheduled throughout the day at no cost to the public, except for a small general admission fee.
Dr. George Schweitzer is a distinguished professor at the University of Tennessee. He holds degrees in Chemistry, a MA in the History of Religion, a PhD in History of Science and a ScD in Philosophy of Science. Dr. Schweitzer has written over 19 books as guides for genealogy. His lectures include period costumes, humor, and reenactment to teach genealogy.
Dr. Schweitzer will be giving four lectures throughout the day on such topics as Tracing Ancestors Back Across the Atlantic, Migration routes and Settlement Patterns, Frontier Religion and Its Genealogical Effects, and Obscure Genealogical Sources.
There will be two classes about Native American research entitled Native American Culture & Genealogy and Grandma was NOT a Cherokee Princess given by Ed Buffalohawk Garner.
Native American Culture & Genealogy will help answer questions about starting Native American research and include a demonstration of the Native American flute. Mr. Garner agreed to step in and give some information in the class 'Grandma was NOT a Cherokee Princess' after the original speaker passed away suddenly. This class will include common myths and misconceptions about Native American culture and Genealogy.
Two technology classes will be offered as well. Your Computer as a Genealogy Toolbox and Exploring FamilySearch.org. During Exploring FamilySearch.org, the speaker will teach about what services are offered including indexed records, digitized books, and learning modules. He will also include information on influencing the future of FamilySearch.org.
At 3pm, In Your Computer as a Genealogy Toolbox, by Phil Hysell, will focus on how to be more efficient using your computer for research, but he will also include how to make your genealogical experience more enjoyable as well. Hysell will also present examples such as "effective use of your family tree databases, photo restoration, finding 'lost' family cemeteries, writing your family story, bringing cherished family memories back to life, and more".
Other classes geared towards more specific interests like Kentucky Research, Autosomal DNA Testing, Finding Irish Origins, The City Directory, and Digital Photo Manipulation are all available as well.
Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks.com said, "These classes are all of immediate interest. The information available will apply to many doing research in genealogy, whether as a beginner or a more experienced researcher. This is a chance to listen to knowledgable individuals who will inspire you in your research & show you how to use your research in new ways. The results of the lessons learned in these classes will provide excellent personalized information for your Ebooks you will be sharing with your family members."
Dr. George Schweitzer is a distinguished professor at the University of Tennessee. He holds degrees in Chemistry, a MA in the History of Religion, a PhD in History of Science and a ScD in Philosophy of Science. Dr. Schweitzer has written over 19 books as guides for genealogy. His lectures include period costumes, humor, and reenactment to teach genealogy.
Dr. Schweitzer will be giving four lectures throughout the day on such topics as Tracing Ancestors Back Across the Atlantic, Migration routes and Settlement Patterns, Frontier Religion and Its Genealogical Effects, and Obscure Genealogical Sources.
There will be two classes about Native American research entitled Native American Culture & Genealogy and Grandma was NOT a Cherokee Princess given by Ed Buffalohawk Garner.
Native American Culture & Genealogy will help answer questions about starting Native American research and include a demonstration of the Native American flute. Mr. Garner agreed to step in and give some information in the class 'Grandma was NOT a Cherokee Princess' after the original speaker passed away suddenly. This class will include common myths and misconceptions about Native American culture and Genealogy.
Two technology classes will be offered as well. Your Computer as a Genealogy Toolbox and Exploring FamilySearch.org. During Exploring FamilySearch.org, the speaker will teach about what services are offered including indexed records, digitized books, and learning modules. He will also include information on influencing the future of FamilySearch.org.
At 3pm, In Your Computer as a Genealogy Toolbox, by Phil Hysell, will focus on how to be more efficient using your computer for research, but he will also include how to make your genealogical experience more enjoyable as well. Hysell will also present examples such as "effective use of your family tree databases, photo restoration, finding 'lost' family cemeteries, writing your family story, bringing cherished family memories back to life, and more".
Other classes geared towards more specific interests like Kentucky Research, Autosomal DNA Testing, Finding Irish Origins, The City Directory, and Digital Photo Manipulation are all available as well.
Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks.com said, "These classes are all of immediate interest. The information available will apply to many doing research in genealogy, whether as a beginner or a more experienced researcher. This is a chance to listen to knowledgable individuals who will inspire you in your research & show you how to use your research in new ways. The results of the lessons learned in these classes will provide excellent personalized information for your Ebooks you will be sharing with your family members."
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Samsung launches curved display screen on newest smartphone
The BBC news announced a new Digital display technology of curved screens that is suppose to help consumers use features such as date, time, & missed calls when the home screen is off.
Can you guess where the new curved screen called Galaxy Round will be launched? South Korea!
According to the research firm, CCS Insight, worldwide smartphone sales will hit near 1 billion this year, causing manufacturers to push for new ideas, products and abilities. The BBC says display technology is moving towards flexible and bendy screens.
This flexible screen by LG could be the next wave of the future for smartphones, claims CNN. Samsung announced the 5.7" Galaxy Note 3, a curved display smartphone to be available later this month (October). LGs new 6" curved smartphone will be thinner & lighter because it doesn't have the glass screen, but an 'unbreakable' wafer with semiconductors within the plastic substrates.
Imagine how these more flexible screens could wrap around your wrist like this:
Wondering what is next? Maybe Apple is looking at a screen that wraps around the whole phone:
How about the wallet phone:
Maybe flexible/ bendable screen TVs will be the next kind to be sold in 2015; the prototype has been out for 2 years already in California.
News from ABC’s Times Square building comes via a curving, nine-ribbon electronic billboard with ticker-style headlines and live broadcasts, using 2.3 million LEDs. It was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering with ABC and HLW International. Photo: Ida Mae Astute/ABC
Personally, I'd prefer to look up and see the sky, but maybe I'm just too country for the new technology.
What is your idea of the next technology for your neighborhood? Did you know The National Report posted in July that the RFID Chip Now Being Issued In Hanna, Wyoming As Part Of New “Obamacare” Plan - See more at: National Report
Then come see us at ancestorebooks.com & create your Ebooks today!
Can you guess where the new curved screen called Galaxy Round will be launched? South Korea!
According to the research firm, CCS Insight, worldwide smartphone sales will hit near 1 billion this year, causing manufacturers to push for new ideas, products and abilities. The BBC says display technology is moving towards flexible and bendy screens.
Imagine how these more flexible screens could wrap around your wrist like this:
How about the wallet phone:
You've already seen Google Glasses right?
News from ABC’s Times Square building comes via a curving, nine-ribbon electronic billboard with ticker-style headlines and live broadcasts, using 2.3 million LEDs. It was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering with ABC and HLW International. Photo: Ida Mae Astute/ABC
Personally, I'd prefer to look up and see the sky, but maybe I'm just too country for the new technology.
What is your idea of the next technology for your neighborhood? Did you know The National Report posted in July that the RFID Chip Now Being Issued In Hanna, Wyoming As Part Of New “Obamacare” Plan - See more at: National Report
Then come see us at ancestorebooks.com & create your Ebooks today!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Upworth map that shows where Americans came from: Fascinating illustration shows the ancestry of EVERY county in the US
A truly captivating map that shows the ancestry of everyone of the 317 million people who call the melting pot of America home can now be seen on a U.S. Census Bureau map.
For decades, the United States opened its doors and welcomed with open arms millions of immigrants who all arrived through New York's Ellis Island in the hope of a better life in America.
Indeed, the inscription on the Statue of Liberty in New York's harbor reads 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free' and the fascinating map identifies the truly diverse nature of the United States in the 21st century.
Although the 2010 census left out questions about ethnicity, this map shows how it looked in 2000, according to Upworthy.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2408591/American-ethnicity-map-shows-melting-pot-ethnicities-make-USA-today.html#ixzz2gaLvM39G Follow: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
For decades, the United States opened its doors and welcomed with open arms millions of immigrants who all arrived through New York's Ellis Island in the hope of a better life in America.
Indeed, the inscription on the Statue of Liberty in New York's harbor reads 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free' and the fascinating map identifies the truly diverse nature of the United States in the 21st century.
Although the 2010 census left out questions about ethnicity, this map shows how it looked in 2000, according to Upworthy.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2408591/American-ethnicity-map-shows-melting-pot-ethnicities-make-USA-today.html#ixzz2gaLvM39G Follow: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Monday, September 30, 2013
Last survivor of the last slave ship to enter the United States.
Tag: Facebook
In 1865, with general emancipation, Cujdo regained his freedom and took the name Lewis. He married Abile, a young woman who also had been on the Clotilda. Like their companions, the couple's objective was to return home, but when they failed to raise enough money for the trip, they decided to stay in Alabama and create a town of their own. Because Timothy Meaher had been responsible for their ordeal, they decided to ask him for reparations in the form of free land. Cudjo was chosen as the spokesman. Meaher refused their demand, and they purchased land from him and others and established African Town on a hill north of Mobile. Cudjo worked as a shingle maker but after being injured in a train accident in 1902—for which he sued the railroad company—he became African Town's church sexton.
He and his wife had five sons and one daughter. To mark their attachment to their culture, they gave American and Yoruba names to four of them and Yoruba names only to two. Sadly, all of the children died young: Celia/Ebeossi died of sickness at 15, Young Cudjo was killed by a deputy sheriff, David/Adeniah was hit by a train, Pollee Dahoo disappeared and was probably killed, and James/Ahnonotoe and Aleck/Iyadjemi died after short illnesses. Abile passed away in 1908, just one month before Aleck died.
During the last years of his life, he achieved some fame when writers and journalists interviewed him and made his story known to the public. Alabama-born author Zora Neale Hurston filmed him, and he is thus the only known African deported through the slave trade whose moving image exists. Cudjo Lewis died of age-related illness on July 26, 1935, at about 94. Although he had always wanted to go back home, he was buried among his family in the Africans' cemetery that opened in 1876. Today, a tall white monument marks his grave. Some of his descendants still live in Mobile.
Encyclopedia of Alabama Published December 6, 2007
'Genealogy Roadshow': PBS Traces 3 Detroiters' Roots Monday Night
Genealogy Roadshow explores the ancestries of two women and a man. One participant says: "I was adopted at two days old, and as an African-American, I need to know where I came from."
Genealogy Roadshow: Detroit premieres Monday, September 30, 2013. See what all the tweeting is about at PBS.org/ Questions have been submitted by the people of Nashville, TN. Watch the quick Detroit - Preview!
Genealogy Roadshow: Detroit premieres Monday, September 30, 2013. See what all the tweeting is about at PBS.org/ Questions have been submitted by the people of Nashville, TN. Watch the quick Detroit - Preview!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Searching for my Ancestors
Hello Everyone, just dropping a quick note...
Have you ever had a family line that is just a stinker? Well, 6-7 years ago I was corresponding with my Great Aunt Lena's daughter, Dee Sterling Nelson, about her mother's (& my Great Grandmother Mary Ann's) family.
She sent me a 4 page letter, but at the time I was a bit overwhelmed and I lost it! According to Dee, G Grandfather Chris Christensen was not a well liked man. He was cruel, mean and especially after G Grandma passed (trying to give birth to their 10/11? child) his girls had to hide from him at night.
Being a business owner with the website, AncestorEbooks.com, I am signed onto LinkedIn & work with other genealogists and one day Birthe Mylius Gronvold Kroman was offering to help folks with Danish genealogy problems. What a kind and great woman she is, and she leads a large group of folks who do this for free. What a blessing.
If you are stuck on a problem in Denmark, this group is the one to reach out to! Be sure and leave remarks below if you have anything to add/share/want.
Cristina Besendorfer, AncestorEbooks.com
Have you ever had a family line that is just a stinker? Well, 6-7 years ago I was corresponding with my Great Aunt Lena's daughter, Dee Sterling Nelson, about her mother's (& my Great Grandmother Mary Ann's) family.
She sent me a 4 page letter, but at the time I was a bit overwhelmed and I lost it! According to Dee, G Grandfather Chris Christensen was not a well liked man. He was cruel, mean and especially after G Grandma passed (trying to give birth to their 10/11? child) his girls had to hide from him at night.
Being a business owner with the website, AncestorEbooks.com, I am signed onto LinkedIn & work with other genealogists and one day Birthe Mylius Gronvold Kroman was offering to help folks with Danish genealogy problems. What a kind and great woman she is, and she leads a large group of folks who do this for free. What a blessing.
If you are stuck on a problem in Denmark, this group is the one to reach out to! Be sure and leave remarks below if you have anything to add/share/want.
Cristina Besendorfer, AncestorEbooks.com
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Remembering Otzi, the Ice Man - Found September 19, 1991
AncestorEbooks.com remembers the discovery of the mummy, known as Otzi, in 1991 by two German hikers, Helmut and Erika Simon, who were vacationing in northern Italy. A Chalcolithic or Copper Age mummy, Otzi was well preserved within the glacier of the Tisenjoch Pass. Because of the bad weather when Otzi was found, and their mistaken thought that he was a climber who had died, his removal from the glacier was not very scientific.
In a formal dig, according to the Learn North Carolina, archaeologists study what is known about an era and people before they begin. That preparation would have prevented Otzi’s bow from being used as a pry-bar to remove him from the glacier, pulling & shredding his clothing & the use of a jackhammer, which accidentally drilled a hole in Otzi's hip.
Since 1991‘Scientists have pieced together an incredibly detailed picture of the iceman’...from where he lived to what he ate and how he died,’ according to LiveScience.com.
The animal hair from his clothing, goatskin leggings, a bear fur cap, and shoes made from hay, deerskin and bearskin, suggests that Otzi herded sheep, cows and goats.
Over 50 tattoos, created by making incisions and rubbing in charcoal, covered Otzi’s body and because they are near joints and back, were probably placed during pain-relieving treatments and follow acupuncture lines.
‘Otzi’s body was so well preserved that the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology commissioned two reconstruction artists, Dutch brothers Adrie and Alfos Kennis, to recreate the mummy’s face using both art and forensic science. They created an ‘extremely lifelike’ replica of how he would have looked like at his death.
According to LiveScience, by analyzing Otzi’s stomach contents, equipment, and isatopes researchers have determined he grew up in either the Isack or Puster Valleys of Northern Italy, and lived SW of there the last 10 years of his life. Most likely a shepherd, Otzi died when he was about 45 years old, had bad knees, was lactose intolerant, had type O blood, and had been infected with Lyme Disease.
As interesting as these forensic discoveries are, it is the decoding of Otzi’s DNA that is truly exciting. Albert Zink, Head of the EURAC Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, together with Carsten Pusch, from the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Tübingen and Andreas Keller from the biotech firm febit in Heidelberg have ‘pooled’ their skills to decode the building blocks of Otiz’s genome to create a DNA library which contains the largest data set ever recovered.
Through studying Otzi’s mitochondrial DNA, scientists discovered he shares a common ancestry with at least 8% of modern Europeans, a genetic group thought to be extinct. His Y chromosome has mutations most commonly found among men from Sardinia and Corsica. “That makes sense, says Eske Willerslev, a palaeogenomicist at the University of Copenhagen. “Sardinians are a group that people have considered distinct from other Europeans, and in this regard it would be interesting if they were more widely distributed in the past.”
“At the recent Southern California Genealogical Society’s Jamboree the three day event focused on the theme of DNA in Genealogy” said Cristina Besendorfer, owner of AncestorEbooks.com. “Dr. Spencer Wells, leader of The Genographic Project spoke of analyzing DNA samples from around the world to find out where our ancestors lived on Earth.” [bit.ly/13q6aei]
AncestorEbooks.com is in the business of helping families share their family history through interactive Ebooks and DNA research is becoming a big part of that. Mrs. Besendorfer suggests, “If you would like reasons for using DNA in family history research you should read Roberta Estes’ Blog, at DNA-explained.com. Ms. Estes’ has written 15 reasons for using DNA in family history research that are easy and fun to read.”
In a formal dig, according to the Learn North Carolina, archaeologists study what is known about an era and people before they begin. That preparation would have prevented Otzi’s bow from being used as a pry-bar to remove him from the glacier, pulling & shredding his clothing & the use of a jackhammer, which accidentally drilled a hole in Otzi's hip.
Since 1991‘Scientists have pieced together an incredibly detailed picture of the iceman’...from where he lived to what he ate and how he died,’ according to LiveScience.com.
The animal hair from his clothing, goatskin leggings, a bear fur cap, and shoes made from hay, deerskin and bearskin, suggests that Otzi herded sheep, cows and goats.
Over 50 tattoos, created by making incisions and rubbing in charcoal, covered Otzi’s body and because they are near joints and back, were probably placed during pain-relieving treatments and follow acupuncture lines.
‘Otzi’s body was so well preserved that the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology commissioned two reconstruction artists, Dutch brothers Adrie and Alfos Kennis, to recreate the mummy’s face using both art and forensic science. They created an ‘extremely lifelike’ replica of how he would have looked like at his death.
According to LiveScience, by analyzing Otzi’s stomach contents, equipment, and isatopes researchers have determined he grew up in either the Isack or Puster Valleys of Northern Italy, and lived SW of there the last 10 years of his life. Most likely a shepherd, Otzi died when he was about 45 years old, had bad knees, was lactose intolerant, had type O blood, and had been infected with Lyme Disease.
As interesting as these forensic discoveries are, it is the decoding of Otzi’s DNA that is truly exciting. Albert Zink, Head of the EURAC Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, together with Carsten Pusch, from the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Tübingen and Andreas Keller from the biotech firm febit in Heidelberg have ‘pooled’ their skills to decode the building blocks of Otiz’s genome to create a DNA library which contains the largest data set ever recovered.
Through studying Otzi’s mitochondrial DNA, scientists discovered he shares a common ancestry with at least 8% of modern Europeans, a genetic group thought to be extinct. His Y chromosome has mutations most commonly found among men from Sardinia and Corsica. “That makes sense, says Eske Willerslev, a palaeogenomicist at the University of Copenhagen. “Sardinians are a group that people have considered distinct from other Europeans, and in this regard it would be interesting if they were more widely distributed in the past.”
“At the recent Southern California Genealogical Society’s Jamboree the three day event focused on the theme of DNA in Genealogy” said Cristina Besendorfer, owner of AncestorEbooks.com. “Dr. Spencer Wells, leader of The Genographic Project spoke of analyzing DNA samples from around the world to find out where our ancestors lived on Earth.” [bit.ly/13q6aei]
AncestorEbooks.com is in the business of helping families share their family history through interactive Ebooks and DNA research is becoming a big part of that. Mrs. Besendorfer suggests, “If you would like reasons for using DNA in family history research you should read Roberta Estes’ Blog, at DNA-explained.com. Ms. Estes’ has written 15 reasons for using DNA in family history research that are easy and fun to read.”
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Natural Disasters
We at AncestorEbooks want those affected by the flooding and mudslides in Colorado to know that we are thinking and praying for you. As we realize that natural disasters are a part of life, from flooding and mudslides to tornadoes, earthquakes, and forest fires, we also realize that how we react to those hardships will make all the difference.
Take life as it comes, be as cheerful as possible, and know that better times are yet to come.
Take life as it comes, be as cheerful as possible, and know that better times are yet to come.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
In Remembrance
Pearl Harbor, Kennedy Assassination, the Moon Landing, Challenger Explosion, and the Twin Towers. Every generation has that one moment that you will remember where you are and what you were doing, your thoughts, and the emotions that coursed through you when if happened.
The Twin Towers and the Pentagon attacks were heart wrenching moments in the history of our country. We were attacked simply because an organization did not like what the United States of America stood for. We suffered more than the loss of life that organization so desired, we lost trust in fellow mankind, we lost the ability to see the best in others, and we lost reason in looking at the countries where that organization was rampant.
However we gained an America that banded together to support and love those who were left behind and an America that wept together. We gained heroes who sacrificed their own chances of survival to save many more lives. And finally we gained an appreciation for our firemen, police officers, emergency workers, and military personnel.
Unfortunately after a dozen years of the War on Terror, America has grown tired of war. They have forgotten the pain and grief experienced in those moments. Many who have just graduated college were barely a decade. Did they understand the scope of the tragedy they were witnessing?
It saddens me to see the loss of America that prayed together during those tragic times. I see Americans fighting again and again. Compassion is disappearing.
I am choosing to remember how I felt in those moments; I am choosing to teach my children tolerance and love; I am choosing to believe that heroes still exist; AND I am choosing to pray. I will pray for the world to gain love and compassion. I will be praying that men and women will once again give support to one another. And i will be praying that the world will gain an understanding that violence is not to solution. Anger begets anger.
The Twin Towers and the Pentagon attacks were heart wrenching moments in the history of our country. We were attacked simply because an organization did not like what the United States of America stood for. We suffered more than the loss of life that organization so desired, we lost trust in fellow mankind, we lost the ability to see the best in others, and we lost reason in looking at the countries where that organization was rampant.
However we gained an America that banded together to support and love those who were left behind and an America that wept together. We gained heroes who sacrificed their own chances of survival to save many more lives. And finally we gained an appreciation for our firemen, police officers, emergency workers, and military personnel.
Unfortunately after a dozen years of the War on Terror, America has grown tired of war. They have forgotten the pain and grief experienced in those moments. Many who have just graduated college were barely a decade. Did they understand the scope of the tragedy they were witnessing?
It saddens me to see the loss of America that prayed together during those tragic times. I see Americans fighting again and again. Compassion is disappearing.
I am choosing to remember how I felt in those moments; I am choosing to teach my children tolerance and love; I am choosing to believe that heroes still exist; AND I am choosing to pray. I will pray for the world to gain love and compassion. I will be praying that men and women will once again give support to one another. And i will be praying that the world will gain an understanding that violence is not to solution. Anger begets anger.
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