This and That with the Girls

The You Go Genealogy Girls are busy filling summer hours with genealogy, traveling and family commitments.  One thing for sure, we are having fun.  We e-mail each other and chat on the phone, sharing our experiences and plans.  Sometimes our schedules change, but we still focus on genealogy and history and try to put hours into the day for personal time.

Since returning from the YGGG's trip to Salt Lake City in June, I have been traveling with the Family History Expo.  It has been a fantastic summer of meeting people who have a desire to learn about their ancestry.  I have met relatives along the way, enjoyed visiting and sharing tidbits of family information.  The Civil War Conference in YGGG #2's hometown of Alliance, Nebraska was a great experience.

Here it is July 23rd and I leave on the 27th for Overland Park, Kansas.  The Family History Expo there will be another adventure.  Wonder who I'll meet there?  If you are planning to attend, you will have a great genealogy experience.  We are like one big family and all of us, whether beginning or advanced in our research knowledge, are learning.

The weather in west-central Nebraska has been extremely hot and humid for several weeks.  That has necessitated that I spend more time inside going through genealogy files, preparing future lectures, writing a book and also reading books.  I have also enjoyed spending time with my family.  My granddaughter reminded me yesterday that school starts in less than a month.  What?  How did that happen.  Guess the days and weeks of summer are going fast.

Cooler days of September and October will not slow me down.  I am already calculating where I will be going in search of ancestors.  I can always stay inside later and watch it snow.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 .... Ruby

Goodbye, Farewell, Adios

It seems we arrived yesterday, but our two weeks are up and so we say goodbye to Salt Lake City and the Family History Library. YGGG #2 and I have had a marvelous time, not just in the library but walking and exploring the city. It is a beautiful time to visit Salt Lake City. The days have been slightly cooler than normal, but comfortable. The flowers are showing off their colors and our breaks from the cranking of microfilm or reading books have been enjoyable.

We have learned about ancestors and learned about the living. People from all walks of life come here to do research. That is best understood when you visit floor B-1, the International floor, at the library. There the Spanish, Swedes, Norwegians, French, Germans and others are all in a cluster and chatter. The mission? Discover and learn about our roots and beginnings.

I have had several people ask me if I'm having good luck. Of course! I consider negative searches as good luck ... I won't go there again so I'll move on to another source or possibility.

One question comes to mind. When doing your research, do you stop and think about what you are seeing? As I cranked microfilm yesterday in German records, my thoughts were on the people going to the church to get married or having their infant baptized, then returning to their homes. They were living, breathing people at the time. As ancestors we tend to isolate them and think of them as something special. To us they are special, but when they were alive, they were among many others just as ordinary people. Spend a little time thinking about your ancestors. You'll learn more than what is on the printed page.

Adios Salt Lake City ... turning Lil' Red east this morning. See you again sometime.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 Ruby

Obsessed with Genealogy

Genealogy is not a foreign word today. If not interested people are at least well acquainted with the term, which sometimes mispronounced, means tracing your family history ... or something like that. The first question out of the mouths of non-genealogists is "How far have you traced your genealogy?" Which family, which line, and how far is far? What do they want to hear? That I have traced my genealogy back to 1000 B.C.? Or should I tell them that I have never gotten further back than one of my great, great grandmothers?

Why do people recognize the term "genealogy?" Turn on the TV and there you have it. Advertisements by Ancestry.com about the shaking leaf and success as well as the series Who Do You Think You Are? on NBC all add to the possibility that people know about the strange word that also entertains and delights us.

It's an obsession. I am obsessed with genealogy. I have no personal life. I don't leave home without my ancestors. Three weeks ago I had my second knee replacement surgery and I took my ancestors with me. Soon after the surgery and before the spinal wore off, I was checking e-mails and family trees on my iPod Touch. I had a stack of genealogy magazines which entertained me between vital checks and physical therapy work-outs.

It doesn't matter how far back I have traced some and not other. Unlike the popular series Who Do You Think You Are?, research doesn't happen in one hour or less, allowing time for commercials. It doesn't happen in one click of the mouse and bingo you have a hit. I have never counted my hits and misses of research, but I am most certain the misses would outnumber the hits. Genealogical research requires patience. I patiently wait for the release of records, such as the 1940 U.S. Census. Records are being indexed and digitized then appearing on FamilySearch.org. The subscription databases are growing with new additions.

Is there some sort of unknown secret to genealogical success? I would have to say yes and no. Genealogists like to share their secrets ... flaunt their "finds." They checked here and they checked there what resources are the best and now to get from 1 to 2. The big secret that I have is to walk in your ancestor's shoes. Go to their level, their time period and then start reasoning. Put yourself in their place. Don't forget to do the unusual. They were humans and just like you and me, they did strange things. That's it! They were human beings. They were not names on a piece of paper or in a computer database.

It's time for my physical therapy to begin. Before long I'll be walking in my ancestor's shoes to the cemetery, to the courthouse and library. I will be an observer in the present with my eyes to the past.

Ruby .... You Go Genealogy Girl #1 ... obsessed and in love with my ancestors!

Celebrating a Finished Project

Have you ever had that wonderful experience of finding a new ancestor or information about somebody on your family tree? You want to jump for joy, do the happy dance and better yet tell somebody. Unless that person you tell is a genealogist, they usually are not interested in your good fortune.

So, genealogists, celebrate with me that today, August 22nd at 3 p.m. I had the wonderful experience of completing my stash of research papers brought home from Salt Lake City in June. It has taken me about ten weeks to navigate through the three foot tall stack, read them, evaluate the information and enter information into my family tree databases on the computer. I have scanned the pertinent papers, which actually was almost everything.

Last year when YGGG #2 and I went to the Family History Library I scanned microfilm to a flash drive. It was a new flash drive. Once home I was able to retrieve almost everything. Suddenly the flash drive crashed only producing error messages that it could not be opened. There was confirmed data there that I no longer could access. Not wanting two weeks of research ending up on a crashed flash drive, this year I decided to make copies which I could read, transcribe, evaluate and scan myself.

While it appears that nothing is left of my three foot stack of papers, I still have plenty of research to do. I am proud to say that I did good research, came home with a multitude of information and extended some of the pedigrees back three or four generations. I have enough leads to keep me busy for months. Well, at least until YGGG #2 and I head back to Salt Lake City in the spring of next year.

Throughout my research I have learned to never say never. You will invariably find an ancestor who did the unusual. Think out of the box and hope to discover that person. You should also review your own research and keep it current. New resources are being located, some digitized or somebody has written a book or article that will interest you. By today's research standards those books or articles are usually documented better than what we used twenty to thirty years ago.

A genealogist's work is never done. There will always be some mystery ancestor teasing and tormenting you to find them. It's like the old childhood game of hide and seek. I am always seeking and you better know that plenty of them are hiding. The challenge of genealogy is what keeps me going.

And going .... And going ... YGGG #1 -- Ruby

Family Touring and Researching

A few years ago I was born in the Black Hills of South Dakota ... actually more than a few. Having lived in South Dakota until I was 14 years old, I still find it a great place to visit. Each year it seems like the hills have changed, mostly with more tourist attractions, but still they are pretty to see.

Because my granddaughter is with me on this trip, we decided to take her uncle and spend a full day in the Black Hills. Our trip began by trying to find records in the Dawes Co. Courthouse in Chadron, Nebraska. It was a place to stretch our legs, but also turned into a "dry run." Now I have to regroup my thoughts as to where to look next. My granddaughter helped by carrying the big index volumes and watching intently as I went through the names.

We stopped at Custer, South Dakota to decorate my sister's grave. She is the only family member buried there. She died at age seven and was a twin. Next we drove to Mount Rushmore and marveled at the number of people who had the same idea.

Coming back down the Hills, we stopped at Edgemont, South Dakota, which has dwindled in size considerably since I lived there. We decorated my father's grave. Being frightened that she might come upon a rattlesnake, my granddaughter had borrowed her other uncle's garden rake. We didn't find any snakes!

The next stop was a history lesson at Nebraska's Fort Robinson. It's a great place for reunions or just to set back on the porch and pretend you are back in the early fort days.

Our one day trip was fun, but were we ever tired. We are now getting ready to host about 20 genealogists tomorrow at the local museum in Alliance, Nebraska. That will be another fun day!

YGGG #1 - Ruby

Howdy From The World Of Camping!

Well, here I am, just making a pit stop at home to check on the dog who does not travel with us. I had to check in and see what was going on with Go Girl #1. She has been calling me with updates on the Colorado Family History Expo and bragging about what I am missing! Sounds like a great time for all. Even though I do wish I was there, I am having fun just relaxing with Hubby at the Lake and enjoying the outdoors. I am also getting some reading done which has fallen way behind until now, so all is not lost. We have had a great time cooking out, having an adult beverage and enjoying the cool evenings around the lake. Don't forget me, You Go Girl #2,--I will be back home before long and getting ready myself to attend the Family History Expo in Kansas City the end of July. All is not lost as I have the best of both worlds!

Hope everyone at the Colorado Expo is having a great time AND learning lots of new things with the genealogy world! I look forward to meeting all the great presenters and making some new friends too......

You Go Girl #2, Cheri

We've Lost Our Census

Saturday, June 5th was our last night in Salt Lake City after a very busy and stressful two weeks of researching and a bit of fun. As we packed for the trip home, a beautiful fireworks display erupted over the city and was visible from our 9th floor room. We just knew it was in our honor; Utah was glad we had come or were thrilled that we were leaving- either way the show was surely in our honor! Little did the presenters know that we were totally exhausted, having spent a hard 130 hours plus at the Family History Library. Nerves were frazzled, stomachs upset, eyes almost gone blind, tempers flared, and the "girls" had vowed not to make the trip again. Next year girl #1 would fly to Salt Lake and girl #2 would bring hubby along and make the trip by motorcycle.(Where would I put all the junk and copies that I travel with?) Well, maybe the fireworks weren't for us after all but a beautiful thought and display just the same.

Sunday morning came and it was time to gather ourselves, all our stuff and trappings for the trip home. We had accumulated a three and a half foot tall stack of library copies, several hundred scanned to flash drive documents plus some new books and gifts for the family which we had purchased at the new Deseret Book Store. All in all we had added a couple hundred more pounds of freight to the mix. Girl one fretted and watched as I, girl two, got Lit'l Red stuffed full. We even had room left over according to my calculations and could have made another quick round at the copy machines in the library to fill in the voids! Two hours of hauling and packing the car and we were off and heading out of the parking garage. We would quickly head for State Street and then directly onto the interstate going east. Hitting the first stop light, we remarked there sure were a lot of unsavory looking people hanging around and laying around on the sidewalks- all on a Sunday morning. Turn right, more people. Once again we determined that we were surely being honored with a grand send off and goodbye. Our hopes were dashed as we realized we were not guests of honor but intruders in a staging area for the Utah Pride parade! We tried to hail a motorcycle cop for directions out of the barred area but were ignored as he sped on by, sadly we didn't even glean a second look. Girl #1 made the decision to turn left at that time, right into the area where all the horses and riders were staging their set ups for the parade. Lit'l Red was not on the welcome list there. Getting through the horses and riders and going around several more blocks finally brought us to the I-80 interchange and we were finally able to "get out of Dodge!" (Note to us: pack balloons, masking tape and an electric sign for next year, we don't want to miss the next opportunity to star in a parade and get some free advertising for the You Go Girls.)

The first exciting stop on the way home was a rest stop only a few miles down the road. All the excitement had precluded us from making very many miles. It was shaping up to be a long day indeed. The rest stop was not the usual fairly well kept up type, but one with an infestation of prairie dogs right under foot. They made us think of the occasional "winter" mouse that might move into the garage, but these were "mice" on steroids so we made it a short stop, not wanting to be wisked away, down into their burrows and lost to history! Back on the road again and finally and surely heading East. We talked and laughed for six hours across Wyoming. We even began to talk about next years trip back to the Family History Library. The moans, groans, aches, pains and flared tempers had already begun to disappear in anticipation of "next time". What could we do without and what we needed to add to our list besides those balloons for the next parade?

Breezing across Wyoming, girl #1, the driver, finally noticed that we were nearly running on empty. Rawlins, Wyoming was just ahead for another stop and much need gasoline fill up and should be just a few short miles ahead. We were to be in Cheyenne, Wyoming around 5 pm and it was now 3:15 pm. Rawlins was a lot further away from Cheyenne than that so we were running late. No Rawlins, no gas station on the horizon. We were now running on fumes and a strange sign appeared that said "Laramie, 26 miles." Okay, so we had missed Rawlins,Wyoming many miles back and it must have been during the 10 miles we were playing "Lit'l Red gets boxed in" with those three nasty semi trucks or during the strategy meeting for next years trip. Just ahead was a small sign that said we could get gas and sustenance if we would exit next- to the only gas station that would be available for miles. We were just hoping it would be open on that Sunday. It was, and we just made it in on our remaining gas fumes! As we pulled up to the pump, a good looking male walked by. Even with our poor eye sight from days of scanning micro film in the library for those ancestors, these Grannies still knew a good looking guy when we saw one. Inside the station while girl #1 was in the powder room that guy came over and introduced himself to me. As he turned to leave, I told him that he was very handsome, patted his behind and he shivered with delight! As we went out the door, he winked his big beautiful eyes, turned up his wrinkled face in a big grin, and "FROG", the Bulldog, was heard to say: "You Go Girls--- you made my day!"

We stayed overnight in Cheyenne, Wyoming and completed the trip on home to western Nebraska on Monday morning. After a meet and greet with hugs and kisses around from my own two dogs, we had anticipated a quiet day of relaxation after the nearly 1600 mile trip. Girl #1 was going to complete the trip on home to North Platte, Nebraska the next day after a short visit once again to the final resting place of her husband and my brother. Those plans of relaxation and early to bed did not work very well when storm clouds starting rolling into the western Nebraska area in the afternoon. We had remarked that morning as we drove from Cheyenne to Alliance that the sky was strange and the low fog bank that stretched for many miles ahead of us was unusual for our area. About 6:30 pm, the storm came up following watches all afternoon. Watches changed to Tornado warnings and city sirens began to blow. The Grannies roped up the dogs and headed to the basement in night clothes. Girl #1 hobbled back up the steps to retrieve her flash drive with info from Salt Lake, just in case, and she knew all her other important files were safe back home in North Platte. The storm hide-out under the steps was full of junk which I had to clean out hurriedly , the dogs wouldn't mind, and we just wanted to get to bed! City streets flooded up over the walk way and into my lawn, roads washed out and girl #1 worried that Lit'l Red would float down the street, when the water reached the underside of her car.We got 2 and 1/2 inches of rain in an hour that night plus more over the late evening. Finally, two and 1/2 hours later after three separate storms passed by, all prompting city tornado sirens, we were able to get settled in for the night. It must have been the anger from all our ancestors that we left behind this time in the Salt Lake Family History Library, still hidden away in the dark recesses of time. We brought many back home with us but sadly many were left behind until the next visit!

Today we are both glad to be home and anxious to sort out all our goodies and get started now with the hard work of sorting our treasures, papers, documents and maybe even a census or two. The real work of all the family mysteries has now begun. After taking the shuttle to the British Isles, the slow boat to Sweden, multiple side trips to the book floor, and hours living in the micro film room we are blessed with information. Girl #1 will be busy for all summer analyzing, sorting and entering her finds, I will not even get to start on mine until later as my husband has vacation coming up and we will be gone camping but at least I can read and study some of my finds. Neither of us got completely through our research notebooks so we have a good start for the next visit. Even if we lived in Salt Lake, the research and stories would never come to an end!

Now it is time for us to once again gather our senses, and think of packing again. Soon we will be off again to Loveland, Colorado for the Family History Expo on June 25and 26th. More genealogy and summer fun. The Grannies will be once again on the go. We hope to meet you there but if you can't attend, we'd love to have you join us as we report on the great classes and fun from Loveland!

You Go Genealogy Girl #2, Cheri

Boo-Hoo Last Day

This is our last day at the Family History Library. Not forever, but for this trip in 2010. While we are tired to the bone, we still are enthused about our research. We will miss not being able to walk into a library and find film, fiche and books that may solve our genealogy problems.

We have met some nice people, both patrons and volunteers. After two weeks they know us and we know them. Then they will make friends with other people who frequent the library. One exciting thing was when I heard a genealogist on the elevator. Instantly I knew her southern accent and asked where she lived ... Arlington, Virginia. Nope, I was wrong and then she explained she grew up in northeast Tennessee. I was right on the mark and we discovered family connections.

Looking at my stash of copies, let alone hand written notes and saved files on the computer, I will be until Christmas getting everything sorted and properly entered. It will actually be like Christmas opening the boxes of papers I am taking home.

The next challenge will be repacking to attend the Family History Expo in Loveland, CO in a few weeks. Maybe I should not unpack!

YYGG #1 -- Ruby

Tired Genealogists

We are two tired genealogists. Either our age is showing or else we are going too fast at our research.

This afternoon YGGG#2 got sea-sick at the film reader and YGGG #1's knee began hurting. So, we helped each other out of the library and to the Plaza next door to our room. Once inside the room, we groaned, moaned and felt sorry for each other for about 45 minutes and then headed back to the library for more grueling challenges.

It has been interesting to see people coming into the library as first time users. I can't help but think that the recent TV series Who Do You Think You Are? has spurred some to want to discover their ancestry. As I watched some of them look in awe at the rows of file cabinets of microfilm or at the stacks of books, I wondered if they felt deceived by the program. It doesn't happen in one hour, or even one week or one year. It is an on-going process to locate ancestral information. And, sometimes you never do locate it. That's the sad part, but ooooh it's fun trying.

We are extremely tired this evening so it's time to shower and hit the bed. Tomorrow is another day! Stay tuned for more of our thoughts and happenings.

YGGG #1 -- Ruby

One Leg of a Genealogy Journey

It's almost time to kick the leg (not too high) and begin the first leg of my journey to the genealogy mecca in the west ... the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

I am leaving in the morning for the first leg of the journey which is a drive of about 2 1/2 hours to the panhandle of Nebraska. I will stay with YGGG #2 and for a few days we'll gabber genealogy, get our research materials in order and decorate graves in pre-Memorial Day homage to our relatives. The bed in the family room has been moved to an appropriate bedroom so now I will be sleeping in private. That means I can read, snore and be myself.

On Friday, May 21st YGGG #2 and I will load up Lil' Red and head to Cheyenne, WY, making a stop along the way to decorate more graves. We will stay in Cheyenne with her son and do research in the Wyoming State Archives and at the wonderful genealogy section in the Laramie County Library.

Finally, on Tuesday, May 25th, we will take off in Lil' Red heading west across Wyoming to Salt Lake City. The glorious moment will be when we unload our belongings and walk in the front door of the Family History Library. Nobody will say "ah, they made it" or "look who's here." But we don't care ... just let us at the books and microfilm. I have one large notebook full of research notes and material, plus items on my laptop computer. We will be there almost two weeks, so there is a chance I'll get through a good deal of it.

As for YGGG #2 she is going through her usual What-If-I-Don't-Find-Anything syndrome. For me even negative results are a "find." You just keep looking and keep the hopes running high. Research involves imagination and a lot of what-ifs. Our ancestors never seem to have done the normal or what we would consider to be normal. I recently read a journal account of a relative who was pregnant. She did not want to leave Indiana with her husband and family to cross the plains in a covered wagon. She parked herself in a rocking chair in the front yard and refused to budge. Finally her husband and his father picked her up in the rocker and plunked her in the wagon. I would have hoped my husband would have taken pity upon my condition and called the trip off or at least said we would wait until after the birth of the baby. Don't let pregnancies or deaths interfere with the mental process you use in understanding ancestors!

Keep tuned to You Go Genealogy Girls as we blog about our adventures. You can be sure they will be real-time adventures. We won't be going by covered wagon, but Lil' Red is ready to get us there in record time.

YGGG #1 - Ruby

She's HEEEERE!

Finally, the third time is a charm! After two failed plans in the last six weeks, my sister-in-law, aka #2, is here in my home, sleeping in my spare bedroom, using my electricity to plug in her laptop (when she remembers to do it), eating my food, using my shower and staying up until after midnight. But, are we ever having fun!! We talk non-stop, perhaps in our sleep, as we have not been together for a long time.

Today is the luck of the Irish day, aka St. Patrick's Day. We are celebrating by doing something ... oh yes, we are going to continue identifying photographs of relatives and ancestors. Actually we are doing a pretty good job of figuring them out. We will also head out this evening to the North Platte Genealogical Society meeting. I may have to reintroduce myself as their President because I have not been there since January. My faithful Vice President took over for me in February while I moaned, groaned and elevated my new knee. Now the knee is much better and after three hours of shopping with # 2 yesterday, I can proclaim it is almost like the old one before the old one got bad. You know what I mean!

We have also been syncing our iPod Touches. Since we are planning a big trip to Salt Lake City toward the end of may, we'll also sync our thoughts on the research we will need to do while there. In preparation for the trip, we'll soon begin planning our food stash and wardrobe (and for me all my shoes I'll take). Lil' Red may be dragging all the way across I-80 to "This is the Place."

Our plans this week also include tweaking a trip for the local genealogical society to visit the museums and research centers where #2 lives. This will happen in July. At least it probably won't snow then! Sandwiched between all these trips we will make our reservations for the Family History Expo in Loveland, CO in June. Hope my other knee holds up during all these escapades.

We also purchased identical purses, so #2 is going to put a flower on hers so we can figure out who has what. However, it should be no problem as hers will be a heavy purse. I have been making iPod Touch pouches in my recovery mode. They are designed for just about any clothes that I have in my wardrobe. Some are funky and some are sentimental and some are just downright .... iPod Touch pouches.

Now I'm off to physical therapy to show them I can bend my knee and get a workout. When I get home #2 should be out of bed, planning our day and lining up genealogy projects. What is it they say about twins? Double the trouble? We aren't twins, but when it comes to genealogy, we are definitely "double the trouble. "

Ruby ... aka #1

Wishing We Were Going...

The You Go Genealogy Girls, as "Bloggers of Honor", have been invited to the upcoming Family History Expo in Salt Lake City on March the 18th. This Expo will be concentrated on the field of "Immigration" and should be a great one to attend. How we wish that we would be able to go. Jealousy doesn't usually come around in our usual postings but this time it has. We envy anyone who is going to attend this Expo! We will still be recuperating and organizing for the upcoming summer travels, but you can bet we will be on the road soon and we will be heading to the Family History Expo in Loveland, Colorado the weekend of June 25-26th.

If you never have attended a Family History Expo, check out their new web site and make your plans to attend the upcoming special Expo on "Immigration" or one of the other great learning weekends that are coming up this year. The You Go Genealogy Girls attended the Expo last year in Sheridan, Wyoming and had a blast. As "Bloggers of Honor", we got to participate in some fun extra curricular offerings but the learning classes of the Expo were definitely the highlight. If you would like to read of our fun trip to the Expo in Sheridan, Wyoming last summer, you can review those blogs here, here, here and here! Whew...we were busy grannies!

Everyone from the beginner to the seasoned researcher can find lectures that they will love and best of all, will learn from. The Expos offer great chances to meet new genealogy friends, enjoy good food, shop great genealogy vendors and attend excellent lectures. We are lucky that Holly Hansen and her group have worked to bring some of these Expos to areas of the country that are centralized so that many people have the chance to benefit from their awesome genealogy learning lectures.

We surely hope that you will be one of the lucky ones to attend the "Immigration Expo" on March 18th in Salt Lake City. We will be thinking of you all with envy!

What Is To Become Of Us?

The You Go Genealogy Girls are really in trouble. The research is waiting, the travel destinations are waiting, the reading is waiting and lots more- so much more that I can't even remember what they are any more! That is the troubling problem: remembering. Do you have those "moments" of brain lapse? The girls just have way too many of those these days.

I have lost one of my most important file folders and have been looking for it for 3 months. I am sure someone came in the night and spirited it away. Many hours have been wasted going through files and drawers looking for it. I have scanned copies, but I WANT those originals. My cell phone sprouts legs and just relocates itself, almost daily.Things I put away for safe keeping are never found again. The note I just made seems to fly away and end up in some unlikely place, a place I haven't been for months-I think.....I have to call YGGG#1 and ask the same question again because for some odd reason the first answer has eluded me. She calls me to ask how to work her camera because since she used it last week, she can't remember.

Last week the girls were visiting on the phone while #1 was diligently looking for her walking cane. Traveling all over the house in search of it, clinging to the walls and counters in search, but alas no cane! I suggested she get out the walker, after all it is large enough that it shouldn't get lost. A day later that pesky cane showed up in her sewing closet, surely it was hiding out long enough to get rested up! We girls have a relative and fellow genealogist who lives in Colorado. She wrote to girl one lamenting the fact that she also spent time looking for something that she put down. When it was found and very close, her husband said "it was so close that if it had been a tiger, he would have eaten you"! Leave it up to a hubby to get in the last word. My own Go Hubby suggests that I put a list on my computer room door and write down everything important that I put away, you know, kind of a "map" to it's location. That would possibly work but only if I can remember to write on the list. Oh my, well, you get the point! What is to become of us ?

Are all those ancestor names and dates just clogging up the brain cells? I think I will take leave for a couple days and do some reading, crafting, and maybe even some real cooking. I am, however, just sure that Great Great Grandpa Thomas must be the one who hides all my "stuff".

YGGG#1 has gotten a new knee this week, maybe they gave her a good drug for memory boost too. When she gets home, I will go for a visit to spur her recovery forward. As for me--maybe she can sneak me some memory boost drugs home in her hospital bag. We have our annual two week trip to Salt Lake to the FHL and are attending the Family History Expo in Loveland, Colorado along with several side trips planned to visit cemeteries and research centers. If we can just get all our body parts to work and some good brain food then we will be revitalized and good to go. After all, that IS the You Go Genealogy Girls...go, go, go!


p.s. YGGG#1 did have knee replacement surgery this week, I am requesting an email card shower for her. ruby465@gmail.com
I just hope she will remember how to access her email...he,he!

The REAL Genealogist

Occasionally I hear people comment on how addictive genealogical research can be. Is it the research or the simple urge to keep looking and collecting names? Maybe the research is addictive, but is it fun and interesting? It can be time consuming and that's where all the problems arise. Genealogy gets put on the back burner for things like children, grandchildren, spouses, vacations (I like mine with genealogy!), activities, jobs ... and then we say that someday when we retire we'll do family history research. Unfortunately, the older family members are gone by then ... or did you realize that when you procrastinated?

A REAL genealogist is one who is dedicated to the research. They will have obstacles and occasionally procrastinate, but overall they continue to study and learn genealogy research methods. When they run into a brickwall (Don't we all?) they don't give up. They keep trying, they look for answers elsewhere and sometimes they ask other genealogists for advise.

This advise can also be in the form of conferences, seminars and workshops. When I am lecturing, whether in a conference setting or in genealogy classes, I tell my students that the word "can't" is not in the genealogist's vocabulary. Maybe you think you can't locate something, but if you get rid of the negative word and negative attitude, you will be surprised at what will happen.

If you spend your money for seminars or conferences, do you put it to use? Or do you come back home and throw the syllabus and notes in the corner to collect dust? If the presenter recommends something, do you try it? How many times do you have to be told about how to locate free genealogical data online, before you decide to try it? A REAL genealogist will try these things, study the notes and syllabus and form their own opinion as to what works. Don't leave your problems in a heap with the notes until next year's conference or seminar.

How much time does it take to do this? It does take time. Why not start a schedule. See how much you can get done in one hour ... explore one Internet web page, such as FamilySearch. Learn all of the features. It won't take that long but you will soon master the skills and be able to search like a pro. The next hour you have available, try out another Internet database, or review your research for ideas on how to progress even further. You don't have to spend an entire day doing it, even though I do find that to be rather exciting!

Have confidence in yourself. Think like a REAL genealogist. Don't give up. Genealogy takes time. You may have to wait for a year before an online query is noticed an answered, or maybe two or more years. Keep telling yourself that you can do it ... and that you will do it.

Next week You Go Genealogy Girl #2 is coming for a visit. With the two of us it's always a genealogy visit! She has asked for a "free" session with me on ways to effectively research Ancestry.com databases. It's free to a point ... she may have to buy us lunch! Girl #2 is a REAL genealogist. I know she'll go back home and put to use what she has learned and keep trying.

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 --- Ruby

From Soup To Nuts!

This last month has certainly been a busy one for this You Go Genealogy Girl. It seems that I am busy all the time with one project or another but not sure whether I have really accomplished much at all. I seem to flit from one thing to another. It is all great fun and of course all the additional tidbits have added to our rich family history.

In the pursuit for more information on my husbands Swedish ancestors I have worked through Genlines and found lots of great new information. One noted surprise was finding the information on the parents of his GGGrandmother. She was born in Loftahammar, Sweden in 1839 and along with her twin sister and other siblings was orphaned at the age 3 1/2 when both her parents drowned on the same day in 1842. Another mystery to be solved and I will be following the eventual journeys of the children. It should be exciting!

Next was another trip to Cheyenne, Wy., planning to house/dog sit for several days while my son was out of town. The poor dogs were kinda lonely by evening as this Go Girl took advantage of the time to do some research there. The Laramie County Library, which is very new, has a wonderful genealogy room for research. Mom and I spent one afternoon there perusing records.
Our next stop was the Wyoming state archives to order a divorce record. Once accomplished, we hurried home to her house to work on the computer and upload some photos to her tree on Ancestry. The next day brought a lunch date with a cousin who is a professional genealogist of note. We had a great visit, she gave me some useful tips on my Legacy program and then took us over to the archives. She showed us all around there and told us just how to use the facilities and records. It was great and she was so kind to take time to teach us! We stayed there all afternoon.

We have been working on a distant line connected to my husband and one of his cousins. The cousin requested some work from Mom and she has been diligently working on this for some time. We found lots of goodies in the archives of Wyoming. John "Posey" Ryan had murdered his second wife and grown step daughter in 1909. He had an extremely interesting history: Irish immigrant, civil war vet, teamster with the US Infantry into Indian country, part of the Carrington Expediton to establish forts along the Bozeman Trail and into the Dakotas, and was a well documented figure in Wyoming history. His first wife was a Native American with whom he had several children. These are the connections to our family. All of them went on to lead prominent lives within Wyoming and the Dakotas. "Posey" had been a fairly well to do man, having just purchased one of the first "new" autos in Platte Co., Wyoming at the time of the murders. His victims had some questionable dealings and backgrounds themselves before they supposedly cheated the old man out of his wealth and relocated to Cheyenne. We followed his life, trial in 1909, life conviction, governor's pardon after having served 10 years, and his death in 1929. He was really quite an interesting find and despite the murders, we couldn't help but have sympathy for the old man. He lived out his life in a nursing home in Buffalo, Wyoming and died while holding & caring for a baby while sitting in his car downtown. Despite the murders in his past, "Posey" Ryan had many friends and was actually quite well thought of by all accounts of his life.

Returning home, I have spent several days working in collaboration with Mom on some of our Hopkins lines that settled in Tippah Co., Mississippi. New discoveries there and many more mysteries yet to be solved. Silas Travis Hopkins and his wife Jane Salinas Buchanan were just some of the early family there. We discovered that present day Walnut, Miss., was first named "Hopkins", and another settlement very nearby went by" Hopkinsville". Roads are also named for the family in the area. A mix up in the delivery of and order of whiskey to a store owned by Silas Hopkins brought on the decision to change the name of Hopkins to "Walnut". Silas Hopkins and his wife were buried in the Mitchell Cemetery in Walnut, Mississippi in the late 1800's and during the 1920's or 30's this cemetery was plowed over to build a house and the graves were not known to have been moved. The stones were thought to have been thrown in a gully very near and some used in the construction of the home. There seems to be a project to try and recover this history so maybe we can get involved in that as it progresses. As a thought: How many of us would like to build our new home on top of a known cemetery?

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 is teaching a day long genealogy seminar in North Platte, Nebraska on Oct 10th, so I will hopefully be on the go again soon. I hope to attend the seminar to learn more and "the girls" have many more projects to tackle while I visit her home. We always have fun, learn a lot, laugh often, and of course eat a few of those lovely jelly beans that keep us fueled up and going!

It may be a long winter so we need to gear up soon with our projects. By the way, we have already planned our next 2 week long research trip for Salt Lake and the Family History Library for in the Spring.. We can't wait!

The You Go Genealogy Girl #2, Cheri

Wooly Worms and Genealogy

During my summer confinement, also known as "Out for the Season," I have taken to counting the days and lamenting the return of cold, winter days. In July I saw a wooly worm crawling up my driveway. Friday afternoon I saw another wooly worm. The neighborhood mice are seeking shelter in the garage rather early, forcing me to set out sticky traps. Leaves are turning at least two weeks early. Native Americans I have known through the years proclaim that early wooly worms mean an early, cold winter.

Actually all this probably means I should come up with a big genealogical research agenda for winter, quickly ... might be an early winter. I have missed my summer walks and prowls in the cemeteries, let alone the ability to spend time researching in courthouses and libraries. Now I can envision short days and cold winter nights, howling wind and piles of snow. This will force me to break down a few brickwalls I have ignored the last three months.

You Go Girl #2 will be here in about 2 1/2 weeks when she will attend my Fall Genealogy Seminar on October 10th. It's all about free genealogy web pages, plus digging deeper to locate vital records. Now you know what I've been doing all summer. It's no quick project putting together an all day seminar, plus a CD of information to accompany it.

The local genealogy society will be celebrating Family History Month (what we call the real month of October) in a big way. We will have volunteers at the library to show people what is in the genealogy section and help them get started with their research or overcome research obstacles. There will be three tours of the genealogy section during the month. Books have been moved about three times in two years, so this will reacquaint people with their whereabouts. On October 21st we will have genealogy displays, help stations, door prizes and handouts in an evening of welcoming people to the addictive work of genealogy. You Go Girl #2 is helping out by making displays and donating prizes. She is also my listener when I have bursts of inspiration for what hopefully will be a fun month.

Let it snow ... even early ... I don't care. I don't know where wooly worms go to stay warm, but I have my genealogy to keep me warm!

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 -- Ruby

The Old Genealogist and The Old Editor

The other morning I looked closely at myself in the mirror and saw new wrinkles around the eyes.  My knee needs repaired which will be done toward the end of this month.  Picking up my cane to walk across the bathroom floor, I mumbled, "You are just an old genealogist."  

In September of 1983, I went to the local newspaper office to visit with the editor about writing a genealogy-history column.  It was something I had my heart set on doing.  In preparation I had memorized my speech about why it was needed and why I was the one to do it.  In my mind I had a goal and my mission was to accomplish it.  All I had to do was persuade the editor.  My positive approach resulted in him staring at the ceiling and then the wall, back at the ceiling, all in deep contemplation.  This lasted for what seemed like an hour.  Finally he swung his chair around and said, "Okay."  That's it?  Okay?  We worked out the details for my monthly column and I know as I was leaving he thought if I wrote it for a couple months, at least I had tried.  

Once home my family said, "You are going to do what?"  Then it hit me.  Can I do it?  I love to write, but can I come up with something that readers will enjoy every month?  Yes, I could do it if I tried.  If I quit trying, I would stop writing it. 

The column, "Heritage Lines," began on 21 September 1983 and I ceased writing it in June of 1996 when I moved to Iowa.  That's thirteen years of "yes I can do it."  There was something special about every column I wrote.  Not only did I learn something every month, but I put my skills to use and was stimulated to keep researching.  

Last week when I arrived at physical therapy, I discovered the editor, now lovingly called "The Old Editor" slowly gliding on the treadmill.  He is much older, frail and stooped over.  But, he's not giving up.  As I was on a bicycle type machine, he encouraged me by saying, "Faster, faster."  I could also sense he meant, "You can do it, don't give up."  

The wrinkles and bum knee are not stopping me.  I can do it and I'm not giving up.  Are you giving up on your research?  I hope not.  We all have a lifetime, whether short or long, to set many goals and work to accomplish them.  The Old Editor and the Old Genealogist both say ... "Faster, faster.  You can do it."  

You Go Girl #1 -- Ruby 

How Sweet It Is

It is so sweet ... in four weeks (slightly less) Girl #2 will join me as we go to the Family History Expo in Sheridan, Wyoming.  We will be blogging while there, plus joining other genealogists in sharing and learning research techniques.  We'll also share with our reading audience.  

The Family History Expo has some great sponsors and there will be many vendors.  Along with the scheduled lectures, there will be many events.  Be sure to go to their web page and read about the expo.  

Don't contemplate much longer.  Get your reservations in for the Family History Expo.  If you are there, be sure to look for the YOU GO GENEALOGY GIRLS.  We will be the ones with jellybeans.  Ask us why jellybeans are our trade mark!  

Hope to see you in Sheridan!  

Ruby --- You Go Genealogy Girl #1 

Where in the World are the GIRLS?

We are both here in Nebraska.  After arriving back home after our excursion to Utah, we have spent a lot of time going through our multitude of photocopies, computer files and notes.  I don't know about Girl #2, but I have completely gone through my stack which was well over a foot high.  I entered information, made notes about where to look next and more things I can do the next time I am in Salt Lake City.  I have also ordered microfilm and microfiche at my local Family History Center.  

Basically we are both keeping busy.  Girl #2 and her husband will stop by here next week on their way to Topeka, Kansas to visit their son and family (eight beautiful children!).  We are starting to plan a trip together ... just the Girls ... in July when we'll return to Cheyenne, Wyoming to do research in the archives and library.  Then we'll jaunt up eastern Wyoming to the Black Hills in South Dakota where we'll do more research in courthouses and libraries.  This will afford me time to decorate my father and sister's graves.  

What fun it would be to go cemetery hunting.  Nebraska weather has been unseasonably cold for June and we have had rain every day.  I am sure there will be dry, warm days ahead when I can find a few cemeteries to explore.  

I am also laying out plans for a genealogy seminar to be held in October.  That will be here before we know it, so I'd best enjoy these summer days and make genealogy memories.  

Green with Envy

Twenty-four hours from now, we will begin our journey toward Salt Lake City.  Yes, that's right.  I am at You Go Girl #2's house, sleeping in the family room and sitting on the sofa with the dogs. We will be up early in the morning and drive to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where we will visit my nephew and do research.  Plus shop!  

Sunday morning we will depart for Salt Lake City.  People who have no interest in genealogy ask us why we are going.  We tell them and receive blank stares.  They say, "Well, hope you have fun." Genealogists turn green with envy and we know they are thinking, "Wish I was going."  

We truly wish all of you were with us, but Lil' Red barely holds us plus all of our suitcases, computers and necessary genealogy items.  However ... keep reading this blog so you will know what we are doing.  Then you can turn green and we'll never see you do it!  

You Go Genealogy Girl #1 --- Ruby