Day Two - Colorado Family History Expo

The Expo --- it's a good thing!  After a great day at the Expo, today will have to be special to top yesterday.  Hundreds of people are attending the Family History Expo.  Comments heard are that they are learning a lot.  I hope they go home and practice what they learn.

The FamilySearch staff are here to introduce us to new happenings, what is on the horizon (good stuff) and help with using the site and indexing.  Billion Graves accessed through FamilySearch is a big hit.  Be sure you try it out.

The vendors seem very happy, so I hope sales are good.  The speakers are smiling because their topics are appealing to the audiences.  Overall the Expo is a great genealogy event.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 --- Ruby

Day One - Colorado Family History Expo

After my experience last year going to the Family History Expo when I got lost trying to get to Loveland, Colorado, I decided to use a GPS this year.  I sailed (drove) successfully through the plains of western Colorado to Limon.  Finally only a little over an hour from my destination I trusted the GPS to guide me straight way to the doors of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

I saw the mountains, I saw the city of Colorado Spring and suddenly the female voice on my GPS instructed me to turn right to my destination.  Sure enough ... the doors of a JP Penney store in a shopping mall.  I reprogramed the GPS and once again was back on course.  Turn left and then immediatey turn right into the back doors of Walmart.  Third time is a charm isn't it?  I reprogramed the GPS and took off driving first right and then left, into a residential area, back out again with instructions and into a warehouse area.

The GPS was turned off and once again I was driving by "the seat of my pants."  I knew my directions and I knew the Crowne Plaza Hotel was located near I-25.  There it was just down the street and the GPS lady was tucked away quietly awaiting the next customer who wanted to possibly end up in the warehouse district of Colorado Springs.

After lunch the Expo begins with the opening address and then the fun begins.  The work begins ahead of time with a lot of hellos to vendors and trying to set up registration.  I have already met two genealogists from Denver.  We had dinner together last night and enjoyed laughs and stories about our research experiences.  My first lecture is at 7:50 tonight.  I don't need the GPS for this.

You Go Genealogy Girl #2 and I were together decorating graves last weekend.  As we approached our grandparent's stone, #2 stopped immediately in front of me and said OH.  I would have screamed.  There was a rattle snake curled up in front of the stone.  Yes, I screamed  which scared him back into his hole.  We wanted to get yellow police tape to put around the area, but instead the city put poison down the holes, which didn't do any good.  The snake lives to scare the next visitor.  And just for the record ... it was NOT a bull snake.

YGGG #2 is at home enjoying her twin granddaughters.  She awaits my full reports of the Family History Expo.  I am sure she'll be envious.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 --- Ruby

On the Go Again

The You Go Genealogy Girls have been together to travel ... like in genealogy traveling.  Last week we spent two days in Broken Bow, Nebraska where our ancestors settled and lived for generations.  We stayed overnight in the historic Arrow Hotel in downtown Broken Bow, enjoyed the local home-cooked food and were delighted in our "find" at the Custer County Historical Society Museum.

Located across from the town square, the museum has an excellent research room.  They have a collection of photographs and displays, as well as numerous books, maps, microfilm, family files and indexes.  We were especially interested in the family files and spent two days scanning the contents for those of our ancestors.  The volunteers at the museum allowed us to set up our computers and scanners on a large table.

I was pleased to see so many traveling genealogists there on visits for a few hours, half a day or more.  They came from a lot further than 70 miles down the road.  I hope they had good luck in locating records of their ancestors.

Today I am leaving for the panhandle of Nebraska to visit You Go Genealogy Girl #2.  We will talk and do genealogy, decorate graves and probably do a little shopping.  I can always use some new shoes!

Next week Lil' Red will take me to Colorado Springs to the Family History Expo.  If you live in the area, be sure to take in the Expo.  I'll be presenting two lectures and would delight in having somebody say "hi."

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 -- Ruby

April Travels

This has been a busy month for You Go Genealogy Girl #1.  I flew to Washington, DC the day after Easter.  A few days later I took Amtrak to Wilmington, Delaware to meet cousins I had not seen since 1994.  Latrer my cousin from northeast Tennessee met me at Lexington, Virginia and we traveled back to his home in Mountain City, Tennessee.  After a few days there, I came back to the DC area and flew back to Nebraska.

Old Swede's Church in Wilmington, Delaware

It was all the things I did between these jaunts that have provided me with memories that will last forever. Because I love cemeteries, I was on a constant lookout for anything that resembled a tombstone.  At Wilmington my cousins and I visited the Old Swede's Church.  My Swedish ancestors attended church there.  The next stop was nearby at the wharf where we saw the restoration of the Kalmar Nycklel, the ship that brought those ancestors to the New World in 1638.

My cousins who met me live a few miles north in Pennsylvania.  Time was spent there catching up on our lives, having a family open house (with lots of great food) and of course, visiting cemeteries.  While I was in Virginia I spent several days at the City of Fairfax Regional Library where I found an excellent collection of books, maps and film.

The trip to Tennessee also included North Carolina and was non-stop each day in my quest to visit as many libraries, museums and cemeteries as we could fit into the day.  I had not seen my Tennessee family since 1997.  So, once again a lot of visiting to catch up on our lives.  This also included seeing a Wyoming cousin who had flown to Tennessee the day before I arrived.  We had not seen each other for over thirty years ... that's way too long to go without family connections.  These are all first cousins and so our memories include being together as children.

Mountain Laurel Inn - Damascus, Virginia

We made a trip to Abingdon in Washington Co., Virginia where I spent hours in the Washington County Historical Society in the old depot.  They have a fantastic collection of documents, photographs and books and I left with many copies.  Before we arrived in historic Abingdon, we drove through Damascus in the same county.  While there we turned up the lane of the Mountain Laurel Inn.  This used to be the home of my Rambo relatives.  It is now a beautiful Bed and Breakfast.  Unfortunately it will not open for a few weeks, so we were unable to go inside.

Met a cousin on the NC mountain top!

The next day we drove to Ashe Co., North Carolina.  I have so many ancestors buried there that almost every cemetery will be worth visiting.  My cousin stopped the pickup in front of our Aunt Bertha's old house.  It is well kept and still as pretty as it used to be.  We drove up the trail beside it as I wanted to locate an old cemetery I had visited many years ago.  It is overgrown.  My cousin kept driving his pickup further up the trail which seemed to run perpendicular.  At the end of the road we saw a lady who had been out for a morning walk.  Even from there the mountains were still higher and higher.

We visited with the lady only to discover that she is a distant cousin.  I quickly snatched my iPad out of my purse and began reciting our relationships.  We share an ancestor who is buried in that overgrown cemetery.  You never know where you'll find cousins!

Next on our trip was the Ashe County Historical Society Museum in the old courthouse in Jefferson, North Carolina.  From there we went to West Jefferson, North Carolina to Ashe County Public Library.  There is a nice genealogical collection in the library.  I whizzed around through books trying to use as much as I could in the amount of time we had for our visit.

Easily this trip could have been expanded into several months.  As the sun would set in Tennessee and the peepers and whip-poor-wills began their chirping and singing, I wished for more daylight hours to locate cemeteries.  I needed time to visit courthouses, libraries and relatives.  With all of my genealogy on my iPad I was pleased with the portability of it, along with the use of the camera and video in the iPad.  I kept notes on Evernote and Drop Box along with PDF Printer.  The iPad was a great way to show my cousins their ancestry and old photos.

In a few days, You Go Genealogy Girl #2 and I will be together at the Nebraska State Genealogical Society conference in Grand Island.  She will be back here in North Platte on May 16th and we plan on making a research jaunt together here in Nebraska.  You got it .... the girls are on the "run."

Ruby --- You Go Genealogy Girl #1

Finally Here ... the 1940 Census

Anxiously I waited Monday morning, like millions (apparently) of others, for the release of the 1940 US Census.  I had told students and genealogy friends in the last ten years to say healthy, eat their Wheaties and they would be able to use the census.  There I was parked in front of the computer, healthy and ready for ... nothing.

Apparently they underestimated the number of people who would access the census. The server crashed.  Wasn't that expected?  I recall the same thing happening in 1999 when FamilySearch went public.  Over and over I tried with only minor flashes of what might have been a frame of census on my computer.  By afternoon I drifted over to Ancestry.com where I was able to find some extremely distant cousins in Indiana ... and I pretended to be excited about them!

Throughout the day, You Go Genealogy Girl #2 and I would talk on the phone and exchange e-mails.  You should realize she's a devoted genealogist to get up that early in the morning.  I'm so proud of her.  I used Steve Morse's web site and she did also, in hopes we would be prepared for those images.  Eventually I was able to get images I wanted for North Carolina and Tennessee.  I looked at neighbors along the roads and it was a great walk back in time to my grandparents' house.

Aunt Lavaughn is a railroad brakeman!

Since Monday I have been using mostly Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com.  Occasionally I have viewed images on FamilySearch.   I am not concerned at this point about the indexing.  It has been fun going through pages of images and looking at enumeration districts, piecing together the landscape.  In time those indexes will make searching much easier and faster.

Yesterday afternoon You Go Genealogy Girl #2 called to see if I had noticed our Aunt Lavaughn had an occupation in 1940.  She was living with her husband and young son in her parents' house in Alliance, Box Butte Co., Nebraska.  All along I was slinging blame at the National Archives and Archives.com, but now I realize that everybody makes mistakes.  The enumerator didn't skip a line so Aunt Lavaughn was a brakeman on the steam railroad.  How exciting for her, but not true!!

We hope you are all enjoying your journey in 1940.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 --- Ruby

Files and Files ... A to Z

Family File Folders
North Platte Genealogical Society

Almost two years ago the North Platte Genealogical Society, North Platte, NE (where I live!) was given access to hundreds of family files.  They pertain to families who lived in North Platte and Lincoln County.  By the end of January I realized there were too many files to copy at home or I would need a new all in one printer.  The last day of January a rental copy machine was delivered to the genealogy section at the library.  Thus began a month of frustration and fun ... mostly fun.

While I did most of the copying, a good crew of volunteers prepared files, cross-checked and filed them.  There were lots of laughs along the way.  In the category of frustration, we soon realized that we were spending society money for the copies, paper, files and rental of the machine.  However, it was that or ignore the access given us to the files.  Working diligently we were able to finish the last file on March 1st, turned the copy machine off and closed the last file drawer.

The five drawer file cabinet is full of great information ...  pedigree charts and family group sheets, copies of marriage records, death certificates, photographs and more.  I first moved to North Platte in 1976 and consider myself a transplant.  Can you imagine my surprise when I discovered an old cousin from Indiana had moved here and is buried here?  I found her information in a family file I was copying.

When I wasn't copying at the library, I was here at home scanning records such as marriages of Lincoln County, WPA interviews and church records.  Eventually we hope to have those on a web page.  It takes time, but it is worth the effort.

It is time the You Go Genealogy Girls start thinking about travel.  YGGG #2 is coming to visit me in 1 1/2 weeks.  She is presenting the program, Antique Photos and Cherished Reflections, for the North Platte Genealogical Society meeting on March 21st.  The next day we will load up 'Lil Red and head to Broken Bow, Nebraska.  We plan on staying in an old, renovated hotel and using the Custer County Historical Society museum/research center for two days.  They also have file cabinets of family files.  We will be scanning the files.  This is our first excursion together since May/June of last year.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 .... Ruby

PS  If you are interested in the North Platte Genealogical Society family files, they are on the second floor of the North Platte Public Library, 120 West 4th Street, North Platte, Nebraska.

2012 Begins

Even though the You Go Genealogy Girls were not together to ring in the new year, we were together on the phone, by e-mails and in our thoughts.  As we begin this new year, we wish all of our readers the best in the months ahead.  We also think about what we are going to be doing in 2012.

As of today, I think YGGG #2 is installing a new computer.  The old one is being moved to a different location.  I have not received any phone calls or e-mails, but look forward to her telling me all is okay and the new computer works great.

Since I received an iPad for Christmas, we have been comparing our settings, how to do things and what they can be used for in genealogical research.  Mine is the iPad 2 so a bit different, and lighter, but an iPad is still an iPad.  For my databases, I have installed Bento which works on my main computer and syncs to the iPad.  Of course, my Reunion genealogy files are on the iPad and they are much better for viewing than on the iPod Touch.  Using iCloud I have a lot of syncing going on between computers.  I have placed my Keynote presentations on the iPad (some) and can remotely control them by using my iPod Touch.

I am waiting on a new carrying case for the iPad and friends (cords, iPod Touch, cell phone ...).  It should arrive this week and hopefully I can stuff everything into it.  I don't have issues with the keyboard on my iPad, but I do have a wireless keyboard that works great with it.

Another Christmas present was a Smart Pen (LifeScribe).  It seems unusual to write something or take notes with audio through the pen and then have it show up on my computer.  I am anxious to try it out while watching webinars.  What a great way to learn!!

Just in time to start a new year, I discovered the reason I was going no where in particular with one of my Massachusetts lines was because I had the wrong surname.  Only the first letter of "B" was the same.  Broadening my research in the area, I was able to locate the correct sources and information to give Elizabeth the correct name.  Sorry about that Elizabeth!  Now the fun begins as I start reading and researching new surnames.

The You Go Genealogy Girls wish you the very best in 2012.  May our paths cross somewhere in the future and if not ... keep reading about us and sending us e-mails.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 --- Ruby

Merry Christmas from the You Go Genealogy Girls

North Platte (NE) Semi-Weekly Tribune,
3 December 1920, page 7

Christmas will soon be here.  We are both caught up in the season.  You Go Genealogy Girl #2 is making preparations to travel to Topeka, Kansas to spend Christmas with her son and family who live there.  My family will be here, including my son who lives in Virginia.  This is the first Christmas for my great grandson and I cannot wait to see his face as presents are opened.

This time of year I tend to think of how my ancestors spent Christmas.  According to our standards of spending and the types of gifts we buy, it was probably meager.  But they were happy and just like us, the spirit came through in the love and joy of being together.  There were no electronic gadgets, such as tablets, iPads, flat screen TVs ... there were simple gifts such as hair bows, rag dolls, wooden toys, pencils, handkerchiefs and mittens.  In 1921 perfume for the lady sold for 10 cents to $1.00.   I wonder if it smelled good!  Teddy bears for the babies sold for 50 cents, 75 cents and $1.00.  The jumbo bear probably sold for the $1.00.  Newspapers for the same year advertised that it was a year for "practical gifts."

North Platte (NE) Semi-Weekly Tribune,
22 December 1916, page 4

Just for a few hours, I would like to have a time machine and travel back to my ancestors' Christmases.  I would like to celebrate in a simple way, then be able to return to my computer with digital images, blogs, Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.  Fortunately, I can read newspapers on Internet that give me a glimpse into the past.  I can read stories that were left by family members.  The true meaning of Christmas is not lost.  It's still in our hearts to be rekindled.

You Go Genealogy Girls --- Ruby #1 and Cheri #2 --- wish you a Merry Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving

The You Go Genealogy Girls Wish You a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Even if you don't have Mayflower ancestry, go ahead and celebrate the holiday.

Ruby - YGGG #1
Cheri - YGGG #2

A Week in THE Library

Temple at Temple Square

My one week in Salt Lake City at the Family History Library went quickly, but with good research results. I had estimated the time it would take to complete my to-do list for the book I have been writing and fortunately I was right on target.  That left me with a couple days for personal research.

When I arrived at the local airport, the shocking news was that my luggage was 5 1/2 pounds overweight.  I was not willing to pay $100 one way to travel overweight.  With it on the scale, I began putting things into my purse and carry on luggage until it was of legal weight.  However, that meant that I could not shop in Salt Lake City and I could not bring home an abundance of paper copies.

There were several groups of researchers in the library.  They came from all parts of the United States.  Even so, there was never any lack of tables or film readers.  The only problem came on Thursday morning of that week when at about 8:30 a.m. there was an announcement over the loud speakers that the photocopy machines were not working.  As the day went on with no machines and signs were posted OUT OF ORDER, some people were disgruntled and others resorted to old-fashioned research ... taking notes by hand.  Fortunately I had brought my hand-held scanner for making copies.  Microfilm could be copied only by scanning to a flash drive.  By evening the photocopy machines were back in business.

Before leaving on the trip, I ordered vault film through the FamilySearch web page form.  Once there I learned that some had been put in the proper drawers on the second floor and others were in overflow drawers.  If you are needing vault film during your visit, order it in advance and inquire about it when you arrive.

Since I was there in May and June of this year, I was curious about any changes that have been made.  There is a large machine on the third floor that will copy pages from oversized books, two pages at once.  Having found a map in the map cabinet on that floor, I asked if it could be copied.  They did it for me in three sections on the machine and YGGG #2 has promised to piece it together for me.

Three times at the library over the last three years, I have tried to locate a certain land record in the 1790s Washington County, Tennessee microfilm.  It is indexed, but the records were not entered in any type of chronological order and the person microfilming them had cut off the page numbers at the top.  Once again, I was unable to find the deed.  Once home I contacted the courthouse at Jonesborough and they mailed me a copy of it.   I thought after the third time and no charm, it was time to ask for help.

Turning leaves in Temple Square

The weather was perfect the entire week.  Leaves were turning and falling and the temperatures were splendid.  After arriving on Sunday afternoon, October 16th, I had a late lunch with some people I met on the shuttle coming in from the airport.  Then I unpacked and went for a long walk around Temple Square.  The flowers were gone that had been so colorful in the spring and strings of Christmas lights were being strung on the trees.  The next few days bulbs were planted for spring blooms in 2012.

Fall splendor at Temple Square

My last day of research was spent on the British Isles floor, the second floor in the basement.  I attended a class on Wales research which proved to be enlightening and helpful.  Then I progressed to actual research in the records of Wales.  Seeing names on those old parish registers is so much fun!  While you are researching at the library, check out the class schedules.  They are free and informative, plus a good diversion from constant research.

I met old friends and made new friends at the library.  It is fun to chat and get caught up on what we are doing with our research and about our families.  I enjoyed flying to Salt Lake City, but it meant a different type of packing than when I drive.  Even with the body scans and pat downs in airport security (because of my two steel knees), it was a quick and easy way to get there and back home.

The last two weeks have been spent working diligently on my new book.  The electronic manuscript is being mailed to the publicist in the morning.  Do I have withdrawal?  Not yet.  I have gotten behind with my own research and cleaning up genealogy files.  As usual though, I find my mind wandering to the next trip to Salt Lake City and ideas for research.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1  Ruby