Research Journal Year in Review
In June of 2008, I decided to take this blog in a new direction. Instead of only exploring research problems, I opened it up to a much broader scope.
Since then I’ve written many posts. I’ve met up with a wonderful group of genealogy bloggers through the Genea Bloggers group on Facebook. I participated in the Genea Blogger Games in August. I also tried my hand at writing for my first Carnival of Genealogy.
I enjoy writing for this blog. I hope you have enjoyed the new direction that I’ve decided to take. I don’t know where the blog will lead me this year, but I hope to explore all sorts of ideas and research paths.
Happy New Year and Happy Blog Reading!
My Genealogy New Year’s Resolutions
The latest Carnival of Genealogy is on New Year’s Resolutions. What will be my research goals for the year? What will be my blogging goals?
Research Goals:
1. I would like to get all the data on the folder on my desk and on my computer input into my database. I have been working on it slowly for the last 6 months and it would be great to get it all in my database so when I look something up it’s actually there.
2. I want to connect John Dolan to my Dolan family. Failing that, I want to find proof that he does not belong to my Dolan family.
3. I want to finish research my Portuguese side in the voter registration indexes for California.
4. I would like to find immigration information on my Jones family that left Australia for San Francisco.
5. I want to find a photograph of the house my Jackson ancestors lived in on 25th Avenue in Oakland through Google Street Views.
6. I want to find out who Martin Kelly and Catharine Dolan’s parents were.
7. I’d like to find out what happened to James Small and his daughter, Mary Small, after his wife, Winifred (Kelly) Small died.
8. I’d like to figure out where the parents of Thomas Augustine Jones, John Jones and Mary Jane Haywards, are buried.
9. I’d like to find proof of Antonio Pacheco’s parentage.
10. I’d like to find out what happened to my Grandfather’s cousin, Maria (Pacheco) Buskirk.
Blogging Goals:
Graveyard Rabbits of Kauai Blog
1. I want to become more involved in the blog and write more regularly.
2. I’d like to find out more about the burial customs in Hawaii, the materials used for tombstones, what the symbols mean, and so forth.
3. I’d like to place all my tombstone photographs on a website like findagrave.com and write about them on my blog.
4. I’d like to find a list of the cemeteries past and present on Kauai and write about their history.
5. I would like to find the caused of changes in some of the stones I’ve found (for instance, some are black) and find out what causes this condition. Or, where they originally this color?
The Research Journal
1. I want to blog more regularly. At least twice a week.
2. I want to tell people more about my research journeys as a learning tool.
3. I want to find online databases that will be helpful to my readers.
4. I want to finish uploading my ship manifest indexes for Hawaii/San Francisco on islandroutes.com and report them on the Research Journal.
5. I would like to make my blog entertaining and educational.
So those are my goals. I hope that I will achieve at least a few of them before the year ends.
What are your genealogy goals?
Merry Christmas Eve
It’s about 15 minutes to Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful Chrismas Eve filled with festivity. May all the presents be wrapped, the preparations completed, and may your tree be gloriously lit.
I wish you all who celebrate a Christmas day filled with family and friends, the delight in a child’s face as the run to the tree to see what Santa left, great food, and joyous celebration.
Merry Christmas!
Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All!
The Yearly Family Newsletter
Do you do an end of the year family newsletter? I started doing one 9 years ago, but mine is a little different than the typical strain.
It started as a pay back to cousins who had helped me with my family tree. I am deeply greatful for all the help I receive, the stories shared, the endless questions answered. Each December I put together a newsletter that is part family news from my Pacheco and de Braga cousins and part family history.
Usually, the first part is filled with information from cousins: marriages, births, vacations, retirements, new jobs, and that sort of thing. This year I included a “meet your cousin” story, which told everyone about a cousin and his wife.
The second half is family stories, family history, and a snippet of genealogy research I’ve been working on. This year it included information about my new family website at myfamily.com, research I’ve done identifying the houses on E. 25th Street in Oakland, a couple of family stories, and names I found on families living in Oakland in the voter registration logs.
It’s alot of work. I usually start at the end of October getting the family history side together–sometimes it’s difficult figuring out what to write. I spend November begging cousins to send my family updates. Somehow by the second week of December it’s all together and ready to mail out.
Sometimes I think I should really do a new year newsletter. It seems that just after I send out the newsletter, someone will send me information about a cousin who died or someone who got married. HUMPH!
If you write a yearly family newsletter, how is done? Do you do one on your family? Do you do one on your family tree research? Do you have some interesting ideas?
It’s rewarding to put together this newsletter, though alot of work. I’m able to say thanks to those who help me and they get to read a little bit about the family. Sometimes cousins who haven’t heard from each other in 50 years begin communicating again. It’s a nice little thing to do when people allow you into their memories.
Christmas Memory: The Lost Pajamas
In the latest Cabinet of Curiosities, we’re asked to write about a Christmas treasure. I’m pulling out of my cabinet of curiosities the item that wasn’t there every Christmas. This is about my Grandma Lassalle and the lost pajamas.
My Grandma was a fine seamstress. She sewed everything. Each year she made pajamas for all the grandkids. That was alot of kids, let me tell you!
We were expected at Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Christmas Eve. We’d eat some food and open gifts. It was our once a year get together with all the cousins.
The scene inside was always the same. Cousins scattered throughout the house. Uncle Vernon quizzing my brother on math. My Aunt Julie helping Grandpa get in place to play Santa.
The living room was always the same with the fake tree with with a rotating light spinning red and green on the tree. It was very modern and somewhat mesmerizing.
And, there was Grandma searching through the packages. She wasn’t checking to see if her name was on any tags. Nope! Every year Grandma lost someone’s pajamas. Sometimes they were in the wrong box. Sometimes hidden in her bedroom. And, sometimes the recipient didn’t get their pajamas until Spring.
It’s one of my fondest memories. It makes me smile because I’m a little absent minded like Grandma. I’ve lost presents before. We draw names and I’ve bought presents for the wrong people. So, when I laugh at poor ol’ Grandma and her lost pajamas, I’m laughing at me too. I guess some things are handed down.
I couldn’t find a photo of the pajamas (typical!) but here’s a shot of me and Grandma ca. 1966.
Fooling Around with Genealogy Statistics: The Pacheco’s
After a seriously fatiguing afternoon mopping the floor, my brain has gotten a bit loopy. Instead of doing anything that needed to be done, I decided to play around with the statistics in my genealogy database.
These statistics are for my Pacheco line. I started with my last ancestor, Jose Pacheco and Francisca Theresa, my Gr Gr Gr Gr Grandparents.
This is the statistical chart is based on those ancestors, their descendants and their spouses. I tried descendants and collateral lines, but it marked everyone in my database which seemed a little extreme. This report was run using RootsMagic 3.
This is what I found out:
Statistics Report - 30 Nov 2008
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Individual Statistics All Male Female Unknown
Individuals Selected 1549 831 709 9
Individuals with marriage event 355 180 175 0
Average age at marriage 23.30 24.98 21.57 NA
Minimum age at marriage 5.00 5.00 12.00 NA
Maximum age at marriage 63.00 63.00 57.00 NA
Individuals with death age 294 167 126 1
Average age at death 58.86 57.04 61.74 0.00
Minimum age at death 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Maximum age at death 98.00 94.58 98.00 0.00
Marriage Statistics All Male Female Unknown
Married Individuals 1010 517 493 0
Average marriages per person 1.13 1.09 1.17 NA
Minimum marriages per person 0.00 0.00 0.00 NA
Maximum marriages per person 6.00 3.00 6.00 NA
Average children per family 1.75 1.76 1.74 NA
Minimum children per family 0.00 0.00 0.00 NA
Maximum children per family 14.00 14.00 14.00 NA
One reason to run this report is to see if their might be errors or problems in with my data. How accurate do you think the numbers are?
I have 831 males, 709 females…that seems okay. But I have 9 unknowns…it’s possible but still something to look at. None of my unknown sex people are married, which is good.
The average age at marriage was 23. The maximum age was 63. But the youngest was 5? I don’t think so! Average amount of marriages was 1.13 and I have someone married 6 times, though that person comes under the male column. That’s does not seem right at all! I can think of one of my Grandfather’s female cousins who was married 6 times. I checked. She is listed as female. Maybe I’m reading that wrong.
Out of my 1549 individuals only 249 have death dates. Does that seem plausible? The tree does get bigger as the descendants keep coming. This might be something to look at. One question might be if my software recognizes died circa year (i.e. ca. 1910) as a real death date or not. Does it look for something in the field or only a definitive death date? That’s something to explore.
The average number of children per family was 1.74. I have a family with 14 kids. Those people were sure active in the olden days. LOL
It is interesting to see this statistical report. If I wanted to pursue possible problems further, I should print out the problem chart to see where some errors might lie.
Do you have statistical reports in your genealogy software? Do you use run the reports periodically to get a feel for your tree?
Holiday Traditions Old and New
My family has always been big on Christmas. When I was growing up we weren’t poor, but money was tight. Though we didn’t get alot throughout the year, my parents firmly believed that Christmas was special. No matter where we spent Christmas Eve, Christmas morning we were all in the living room opening presents. None of this hustle and bustle stuff. You had to wait for each name to be called one by one. That’s probably where we learned patience, since their were seven family members, and any additions who showed up Christmas morning.
We got something from Santa and then their were three presents under the tree from our parents. Usually, it was a mixture of toys and clothes. My Mom always made sure our stockings were filled.
As adults we’ve tried to maintain family togetherness during the holiday season. We’ve tried to hold on to some traditions and make some of our own.
Usually about two weeks before Christmas my Dad and I have everyone over to decorate our tree. My nieces and nephew enjoy having an extra tree to do up. I always give each of the kids an ornament which they can put on the tree or take home for their own. We usually bake cookies, make paper snowflakes, and try our hand at God’s Eyes.
We have an unusual topper for our tree. It’s a large holiday Bullwinkle stuffed animal. It started out as a joke, to make fun of a family member who wanted a serious tree. Now if we don’t sit Bullwinkle up there someone gets offended. It’s sort of like King Kong on the Empire State Building, but that’s part of the fun!
Just like when we were kids, no matter where one spends Christmas Eve or Christmas Dinner, they must be at Grandpa’s house by 9 am Christmas morning. Grandpa sits by the tree and his elves, one of the grandkids, helps him hand out presents. We still do it one by one which can take a couple of hours since there are now 14 of us.
After presents, we have breakfast together. Some of pass that up to play, I mean test, the new toys that the kids got. You wouldn’t want a kid to have a broken toy, would you?
Though we’ve all grown up and have families of our own, we make sure that we share these traditions together. Hopefully, it will create wonderful memories for our children, and then they’ll makes sure the generations celebrate together as well.
Here’s a shot of the traditional Christmas Moose:
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you all enjoyed a very happy Thanksgiving! Did you get together with family and share stories of years gone by?
I had a great time at my sister’s. Their were only 6 for dinner, which is a very small group for us. Normally, we’re at least 14.
I’m vegan and she supplied the Tofurky. No cooking, no worries for me :) After we all sat down we realized the corn had never been cooked. LOL That was an ongoing joke for the night.
Before dinner, my niece, her boyfriend, and my nephew stopped by before heading to their dinner invite. It was fun to share laughs and catch up with my niece whose been away at college since August. It’s strange that they’ve grown up so much that now they drive on their own to family events. (How did that happen????)
We took some group photos (which I better get a copy of!!!) Then they were off.
Anyway, a great time was had by all. I hope you enjoyed your celebrations whether you had a big turkey with guests or sat home by the fire with a book.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Drat! I Missed the Game of Tag!
I just noticed I’ve been tagged in the Eight Random Things About Me. It also appears I’m the last to know and everyone else has been tagged. Boo hoo! I thought I’d play anyway. If you see this and have a blog and haven’t played, consider yourself tagged! These are the rules:
Rules to play by:
- Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves.
- Write a blog post about the eight things and post these rules.
- At the end of your blog post, list eight people to get tagged.
- Leave a comment on their blogs telling them they’re tagged
My Eight Random Facts
1. I love to sing anywhere, anytime much to the chagrin of those around me.
2. I am only 4 feet 10 inches tall.
3. I am an Aunt 4 times over.
4. I am addicted to Ghirardelli Midnight Reverie Dark Chocolate bars.
5. I started working on my family tree when my Grandma asked if I would save some stories for her. She was done after 4 letters. I was so addicted!
6. I like to read all sorts of books but I secretly enjoy Perry Mason Mysteries.
7. I have a 3 legged dog who lost her leg 2 1/2 years ago to cancer.
8. I am missing most of the cartilage in my feet and am considered somewhat of a medical miracle because I really don’t have enough to walk–or so my doctor told me 6 years ago. I’m still walking!
(Yes, that means I’m a limping arthritic woman with a 3 legged dog! Funny image…LOL)
Okay, off we go. If you’re a blogger who hasn’t played, tag! You’re it!
My Hero, Shirley Chisholm
As we just finished a historic presidential election, I thought I’d repost an article I wrote for another website. This is the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to run for president of the United States of America.
Shirley Chisholm was on the news quite a bit when I was in elementary school. She was an inspiration to young woman during the 1970s. She has always been one of my heroes.
This article is a mix of genealogical and historical research I did on Shirley Chisholm.
——————-
In 1972, an African American woman ran for President of the United States. Her name was Shirley (St. Hill) Chisholm. From the moment she threw her hat in the ring, a ripple was felt in the fabric of America. I was only in second grade at the time, but I was aware that this was a big moment in history. She was on TV and in the newspapers. Everyone around me was talking about that “woman who was running for President.” I remember thinking “Right On!” (Yes, it was the 1970s!) I didn’t really understand how hard her fight would be, but I cheered her on none-the-less.
When Shirley Chisholm passed away, I wonder who she really was. How was she able to accomplish so much at a time when a woman, let alone an African American woman, was scoffed at for being “out of her league”? I decided to see if what I could find on the Internet. Perhaps there were some genealogy records or newspaper articles that would fill in her story.
Shirley’s parents were immigrants. Her father, Charles St. Hill, was a native of British Guiana. He came to the US in 1920. Her mother, Ruby Seale, was a native of Barbados. She arrived here in 1921. Their oldest daughter, Shirley Anita St. Hill, was born 30 Nov 1924, Brooklyn, NY.
In the 1930 census, Charles and Ruby were raising a family on Watkins Street in Brooklyn, NY. Charles worked in a burlap factory and Ruby was a seamstress. They had three children at the time: Shirley, Odessa, and Muriel. A fourth daughter, Selma, was born after the 1930 census.
Although Shirley is listed in that census as living with her parents, she wasn’t even in New York at the time. In 1927, around the age of 3 years old, Shirley was sent to Barbados to live with her Grandmother. She was educated at British schools in Barbados. Then at the age of 11, her parents asked for her to come home.
In 1946, she graduated with honors from Brooklyn College. She earned a BA in Sociology. In 1952, she earned an MA in Elementary Education at Colombia.
She was married twice, but did not have any children. Her first marriage in 1949 was to a Jamaican, Conrad Q. Chisholm. Charles worked as a Private Investigator. Both were involved in local politics. Charles and Shirley were divorced in 1977. She then married Arthur J. Hardwick, a State Assemblyman. He died in 1986.
Shirley worked in various service related positions throughout her life. She worked her way up from Teacher to Director of the Friend in Need Nursery and the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center. She was also an Educational Consultant for the New York Department of Social Services.
In 1964, she stepped into the political ring. That year, she ran for the New York State Assembly and won. Then in 1968, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representative by a 3 to 1 margin. She was a unique political. She believed that the people she represented came first. She fought tremendous odds against a political system that did not welcome her. She never let her detractors get the upper hand. Right from the start, she let them know that she would not be pushed around. Her first assignment was to the House Forestry Committee, which she felt would not help her constituents. She then did something that was unheard of from freshman politicians, she demanded a transfer. This lead to a seat on the Veterans Affairs Committee.
In 1972, Shirley made an attempt at the Presidency. Her chances were slim. However, she was able to shine a spotlight on many issues including the debate over women’s role in society. She retired in 1982 ending a political career that spanned 18 years.
Shirley’s achievements are many. She was the First African American woman to run for President. She was co-founder of the National Organization of Women and the National Political Congress of Black Women. She was named ambassador to Jamaica in 1993. And, she wrote two autobiographies: “Unbought and Unbossed” and “The Good Fight”.
Though she stood just five feet tall, she didn’t let anyone walk over her! She was a person of towering stature who lead with character and integrity. Her example has inspired many over the decades. Her death in January 2005 reminds us of a pioneer who served the people with honor and integrity. We need more like her!
Shirley Chisholm passed away 1 Jan 2005, at the age of 80, in Ormond Beach, Florida. She was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY with her second husband, Arthur Hardwick. At the funeral, a ceremonial flag was handed to her sister, Muriel St. Hill.
A Couple of Quotes from Shirley:
“Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.”
Shirley Chisholm announced her nomination for President with these words:
“I stand before you today as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States. I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that. I am not the candidate of any political bosses or special interests. I am the candidate of the people.” (S. Chisholm, 25 Jan 1972)
In her book, “The Good Fight”, Shirley writes this about running for President:
“I ran for the Presidency, despite hopeless odds, to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo”
Sources:
1. 1930 U.S. Census, Brooklyn Borough, Kings County, NY; Enumeration District 566, Sheet 2B. Entry for Charles St. Hill.
2. Shirley Chisholm Dies at Age 80.CNN Website, 3 Jan 2005.
3. Quelques membres du clan Chisholm à travers le monde (A Few Chisholms Around the World)
4. Obituary: Shirley Chisholm, First Black Congresswomen Dies at 80.By Coralie Carlson, Post-Gazette Online Newspaper, 4 Jan 2005.
5. Shirley Chisholm Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia.
6. Shirley Chisholm National Women’s Hall of Fame Website.
7. Chisholm, Shirley Anita, 1924-2005 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present.
8. Chisholm Services are Set in Buffalo New York Times Online Edition, 11 Jan 2005.
9. Shirley Chisholm Find A Grave Website. Record added 3 Jan 2005.
10.Those She Touched Remember a Trailblazer” By Eileen Zafiro. News-Journal Online.com, MSNBC Website.
11.Chisholm, Shirley A.: Candidate Details PageOurCampaigns.com
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