It's Fun to Stay at the Y. M. C. A.

If you grew up during the 1970s, you are probably like me, the first thing you think of when you hear the acronym Y. M. C. A. is the song by the Village People. Yesterday, I was checking on information for a person who married into our family and discovered he was in a building whose "roomers" extended for pages and pages in the 1920 census for Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee.(1) When I began to investigate the address, 245 Madison, I discovered it was the Y. M. C. A. I'm not exactly sure what the building would have been like inside in 1920.  I had posted a query in the Tennessee Genealogical Society's Facebook group asking if anyone knew what was at that address in 1920 only a minute or two before I found the information on my own. If I'd been more observant, I would have seen Y. M. C. A. mentioned in the description at the top of the pages by the enumerator. There's even a note that there was no "head" there because the secretary of the "Y" lived "out in town." In spite of the fact that I answered my own question, several other people posted comments about the building's history. Cindy Rodgers found a link that describes several historic buildings in Memphis including the Y. The top floors of the building have now been turned into loft-style apartments. Some of them such as this one offered for sale don't appear to be in the best of shape, but it does give one a sense of some of the architecture in the building. Others for sale, such as this one, appear to have a great view of the baseball field. There's a history of the Memphis Y available at their web site.

This is not the first time I've run across a family member/connection in a Y. I once located a distant Lantz relative in a Y. M. C. A. in Newport, Rhode Island. As in the case above, the year was 1920. In this case, John P. Lantz, the son of Samuel Lantz and Sarah Zook, was the General Secretary of the Y. M. C. A.(2)

According to the YMCA's web site,  the Y. M. C. A. was founded by George Williams in London in 1844. I found it interesting that the first "Y" for college students in the United States was at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1856. I guess that there's more to Lebanon than Cracker Barrel. The Y in Cincinnati, Ohio (another city where I've lived) was the first to offer ESL (English as a Second Language) classes in that same year. They offered them to the German immigrants. Sometime in the 1860s, they began to offer affordable housing to farm lads who were moving to the "big city" and needed a safe place to live. If the web site is any indication, the rooms in these facilities were similar to hotel rooms. [You can read more about the history of their services at the link at the beginning of this paragraph.]

It is obvious from the large number of persons residing in the Memphis "Y" in 1920 that the facilities met a need. The young man I was following had indeed left a rural place some 450 miles distant. He fit the demographic of the persons to whom that housing was targeted.

Was it fun to stay at the Y. M. C. A.? I guess the approximately 250 young men residing at the one in Memphis in 1920 could tell you a definitive answer to that question. In the mean time, I'll just always think of it as a place where "You can get yourself clean; you can have a good meal."(3)


Sources:
(1) 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Shelby County, Tennessee, population schedule, Memphis, Ward 4, SD 10, ED 83, p. 89 (stamped), sheet 5A (written), entry for O. W. McClure, dwelling 29, line 48; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 29 June 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1763. The enumeration of the YMCA begins on page 4A and continues through page 6B.

(2) 1920 U.S. Federal Census., Newport County, Rhode Island, population schedule, Newport Town, ED 52, sheet 17A (written), John P. Lantz household, dwelling 261, family 256, line 44; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 4 Jan 2003); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1670.

(3) "Y. M. C. A.", from Village People, Cruisin' (New York: Casablanca, 1978), lyrics by Henri Belolo, Jacques Morali, and Victor Willis.

Thoughts on Research and Sensitive Information

During the past week, I've uncovered a couple of family stories involving persons who married into the family which may have been sensitive. In one case, I chose to publish the results to the blog. No children of that person remained alive. I was hoping to find the story of his first family from their descendants. In the second case, the children of the person was alive, and I saw no reason to publish the information to receive additional leads. I've verified the information that I found shocking although there are still a couple of records I can obtain which are not available digitally which may further tell the story.

I think I've questioned myself a half-million times about whether or not I did the right thing in the first case, but I'm fairly comfortable with my decision. It's probably the only chance I have of making contact with descendents.

In the second case, I'm also very comfortable with my decision to not tell the story. I have written it up with documentation for the individual's children. It will also rest in my genealogy software. It's up to his children to tell the story publicly if they so desire.

Have you uncovered sensitive information such as this in your own research? How did you handle it?

Abe's Widow Vivian

One of my grandfather's brothers was a schoolteacher. Abraham Lowden Lantz, Jr. first taught at the Amish School (sometimes called the Lantz School) near Gibson, Monroe County, Mississippi. The Amish settlement there lasted only from about 1896 to 1907. Abe is no longer living with the family by the 1910 census, and I've been unable to locate him using a variety of strategies in that census. His father deeded him land 27 Dec 1909(1) which he sold on 21 Apr 1914.(2)  He married Anna Vivian Anderson in Waco, McLennan, Texas on 25 June 1914(3) only a short time after selling the land, and my mother believed he met her in Arkansas or Texas. Abe died during the influenza epidemic of 1918 on 8 Oct 1918.(4) I should probably add that the order of her name is uncertain. In the 1900 census, she is called Anna V. and her date of birth is given as June 1887,(5) and it is based upon this census that I have derived the name order. In the 1910 census, which is prior to her marriage, she is called Vivian A.(6) In most records after her marriage, she is called Vivian A., but the "A" in those cases likely refers to her maiden name.

I wanted to discover what had happened to his widow. Mom thought she'd heard that she'd moved to New York to be near family, but when I began researching, I discovered that she was living with her mother Nannie C. Anderson in Denver, Colorado at 1580 Detroit.(7) A quick check of city directories shows that Vivian is present in the 1920 through 1923 directories and is missing in the 1924 one, although her mother remains at that address.(8) I have been unable to locate her after this time. I assume that she probably got married in either 1923 or 1924; however, I've been unable to locate Denver County marriage indexes or images from this time period online. Attempts to creatively locate her using various strategies have failed. It appears that Colorado marriages, specifically Denver County ones, from that period have not been microfilmed so as to be available at the Family History Library and in Family History Centers. I've even tried searching the SSDI with Vivian as the name and June 1887 as the birth date without any prospects that continue to look promising after brief follow-ups. I guess I'll eventually have to make a trip to Colorado if I'm to solve this mystery.



Sources
(1)  Monroe County, Mississippi, Deed Record, Book 73, p. 139. The land is described as: Beginning at the North East Corner of Section (33) Thirty three and of Township (14) Fourteen of Range (6) six East thence south with said Section line 35 chains and 28 Links to a stake, Thence due West seven chains and seventy links to a stake, thence north 5 chains and sixty five Links to a stake, thence West 21 chains and 35 Links to a stake, thence North 29 chains and 63 Links to a stake on the section line, thence East along section line 27 chains to beginning point, containing eighty four and 34/00 acres (84 34/00) more or less. And intended and shall convey the land bought of Eli Yoder see Book 58 page 410 for Deed of said Yoder to said Lantz to which reference is here made.

(2) Monroe County, Mississippi, Deed Record, Book 76, p. 374.

(3) "Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FXSM-V2W : accessed 28 Jun 2013), A. L. Lantz and Vivian Anderson, 25 Jun 1914.

(4) Abe Lowden Lantz tombstone, State Line Cemetery, Texarkana, Ark. (Photographed by Allen Lantz (104 St. Augustine Dr., Long Beach, MS 39560), April 2002. Also visited and photographed by Lori Thornton, 21 May 2002.).

(5) 1900 U.S. Federal Census, HenryCounty, Missouri, population schedule, Bogard Twp., Blairstown Village, SD 6, ED 76,  p.33 (stamped), Francis H. Anderson household, dwelling 26, family 26; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : about 2002); citing NARA micropublication T623, roll 858.

(6) 1910 U S. Federal Census, Young County, Texas, population schedule, Graham, Pct 1, North Ward, SD 13, ED 266, p. 137 (stamped), sheet 2B (written), Nannie C. Anderson household, dwelling 29, family 29; digital image, Heritage Quest (http://www.heritagequest.com : about 2002); citing NARA micropublication T624, roll 1595.

(7) 1920 U. S. Federal Census, Denver County, Colorado, population schedule, Denver, SD 1, ED 241, sheet 4A (written), Frank L. Mosher household, 1580 Detroit St., dwelling 83, family 88; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed about 2002); citing NARA micropublication T625, roll 162.

(8) U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 27 Sep 2013); Denver, Colorado, City Directory, 1920, entry for Mrs. Vivian Anderson Lantz, p. 1401; Denver, Colorado, City Directory, 1921, entry for Mrs. Vivian Lantz, p. 1328 and for Vivian A. Lands, p. 1324; Denver, Colorado, City Directory, 1922, entry for Mrs. Vivian A. Lantz, p. 1388; Denver, Colorado, City Directory, 1923, entry for Vivian A. Lantz, p. 1423; Denver, Colorado, City Directory, 1924, entry for Nannie C. Anderson, p. 539.

A Shocking Discovery

Have you ever made a discovery that really surprised you? I did that yesterday as I was researching one of my grandfather's sisters yesterday. What was the shocking discovery? That her husband had been previously married and divorced. Obviously our family did a good job covering up that bit of information. I honestly don't believe that my Mom ever knew it. She never mentioned it, and she wasn't the type to hold back information. In fact, she would often tell me stuff she knew other people in the family sometimes wanted to cover up. Since Mom is gone, I decided to call my Dad to see what he knew about the situation. I shocked him too. He also believes Mom never knew anything about it.

Emma Lantz was born 10 Feb 1881 in McLean County, Illinois. The family moved to Monroe County, Mississippi in 1896 with an Amish settlement. My great-grandfather Abraham Lantz had left the Amish church and had married a Methodist woman, Laura Lucy Taylor. The attended the Christian Church in their community and continued to worship with the Christian Church after moving to Mississippi. However, it is apparent that he maintained ties with the Amish as he came to Mississippi with the failed settlement in Gibson, Monroe County, Mississippi. His son Abe actually taught in the Amish school. It is frequently referred to as the Lantz School in county histories. Emma married Harry Eugene Hosmer (born 1871 in LaSalle County, Wisconsin) on 23 Aug 1905 in Monroe County, Mississippi.(1) I knew that they had lived in Telfair County, Georgia, and I had at least one of the census records for them before yesterday. It was a systematic review of my data that made me realize that this was not his first marriage.

It was the 1910 census(2) that tipped me off:

Hosmer, Hary E., head, M, W, 38, M2, 4, Wisc., NY, NY, machinist
--, Irma M., wife, F, W, 28, M1, Ill., Pa., Pa.
--, John E., son, M, W, 11, --, MS, MS, MS

That was a bit inconclusive. Why did it say John's father was born in Mississippi while Harry was born in Wisconsin? Emma's name was incorrect, as well as the locations where her parents were born. (Her father was born in Ohio, and her mother was born in Illinois. Her paternal grandparents, however, were both born in Pennsylvania.) Was John perhaps adopted? However, Harry had definitely been married previously according to this census.

I decided to keep following the family through on the census before backing up to find his first marriage. The 1920 census revealed a brother, DeWit C. Hosmer, living with Harry & Emma in Helena, Telfair County, Georgia.(3)

I found Harry and Emma living in Miami, Florida according to the 1925 and 1928 Miami City Directories.(4)(5) He was in the grocery business at the time. Incidentally, there is also a Eugene in the 1925 directory who is a carpenter. [This will be important later.]

By 1930, they are back in Telfair County, Georgia, just outside of Helena, where they are residing with and working for William N. Barrows on his farm.(6) [Their ages are drastically incorrect in this census, but it has to be them.]

It took me awhile to locate them in the 1940 census, but I finally located them at 227 College Avenue in Douglas, Coffee County, Georgia, where Emma is listed as head of household and Harry is "absent."(7) They apparently lived in Eastman, Dodge County, Georgia in 1935.

It was now time to go back and find an earlier marriage for Harry. I found it in Clay County, Mississippi, which is adjacent to Monroe County. In fact, the part of Monroe County in which Emma Lantz, his second wife, lived is almost adjacent to the Clay County line so this was not a surprising place. He married "Essia Coleson" on 20 Feb 1898 there.(8) Her name appears to have actually been Essie, so this was likely a transcription error in the database. One other comment about the database is that I would not be surprised if this is not the date that the certificate was issued rather than the date of the actual marriage. I need to either go to the courthouse in West Point or have my nephew who lives in West Point do that for me to obtain a copy from the marriage books. I have been unable to locate Harry, Essie, and John in the 1900 census.

Since John E. was living with his father and step-mother, I wanted to assume that Harry was a widower when he married Emma, but I know we can never assume anything so I began to search for Essie Coleson's name.

My first piece of information came via the American Genealogical and Biographical Index (AGBI). I found an entry referring to a 1916 family history which I was able to locate full-text online. The entry for Harry Eugene Hosmer reads:

Harry Eugene Hosmer, b. Oct. 28, 1871; resides in Birmingham, Ala. Married at West Point, Miss., Feb. 20, 1898, Essie M. Coleson, b. Jan. 8, 1881. Children, b. at West Point: 1. John Eugene, b. Apr. 12, 1899; 2. Hazel Nellie, b. Mar. 17, 1901.(9)

Let's analyze this. Harry was living in Birmingham, Alabama, at the time the information for the book was collected. This was a location which I did not previously have. The information was presumably collected before August 1905 since Harry married Emma Lantz then, and she would have appeared in the narrative. If the information was collected after August 1905, the submitter did not know about Harry's second marriage. Harry and Essie had a second child that I had not found in censuses with Harry. There is no indication that Essie died in childbirth or that Hazel Nellie is deceased. It's now time to see if I can find Essie and Hazel in other censuses.

I was able to find them in the 1920 census where they are living in a boardinghouse type of establishment in ward 20 of St. Louis, Missouri. The head of the household is Clarence Greenlaw. There is a rather long list of boarders, both male and female, and from a variety of occupations in the household.

Hosmer, Hazel, lodger, F, W, 18, S, MS, WI, IL, waitress, hospital
Hosmer, Essie, lodger, F, W, 39, D, IL, IL, IL, trainer, millinery(10)

Until I discovered this entry, I did not know for sure whether Essie may have died before 1905 or if she and Harry had divorced. I did not know for certain that Hazel had survived childhood.

I began to try to find them in the 1910 census and failed. I decided to try some of the online trees for clues. A few of them provided an undocumented claim that Essie (aka Esther Mills Coleson) married Eugene Hollingsworth on 8 May 1905 in Dallas, Tarrant County, Texas. I continued to try to locate Essie and Hazel with this new surname in the 1910 census, but I have come up empty thus far in my efforts. I have not located an online indexed record to support the marriage date in Dallas, but I have also not looked beyond the basic indexes available at Ancestry.com and FamilySearch, so there may be some others out there. What is interesting is that Essie must have divorced a second time and began using the Hosmer surname again before 1920. It may have been easier for her to use her to bear the same last name as her daughter.

Another interesting thing is that John E. Hosmer seems to transform into Harry E. Hosmer, Jr. In 1920, he is boarding at 1907 Reynolds Street in Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia with a Peerson family. His occupation is listed as a pipe fitter with the oil refinery.(11)

By 1930, he is married and still living in Glynn County.(12)

Hosmer, Harry E., head, O, 1500, M, W, 30, M, 24, Miss., Wisc., Wisc., carpenter-house
--, Lola C., wife-H, F, W, 27, M, 21, Ga., Ga., Ga., none
--, Constance E., dau, F, W, 5, S, Fla., Miss., Ga., none
--, Harry E., III, son, M, W, 3/12, S, Ga., Miss., Ga., none
Holtzendorff, Betty G. T., mother-in-law, F, W, 70, wd, 18, Ga., Ga., Ga., none

The fact that a daughter was born in Florida around 1924 or 1925 supports him being the Eugene living in Miami, Florida in 1925.

I have not continued to follow Harry E., Jr., except to locate multiple sources to verify his death on 21 Dec 1973 in Glynn County, Georgia(13) and burial in the Palmetto Cemetery in Brunswick in that county.(14)

I would love to know what happened to Harry's first wife Essie and to his daughter Hazel. I'm simply fascinated with the story because it was an untold story in our family, even though it only concerned my mom's uncle by marriage. Divorce was not as common prior to 1905. Knowing our family, I'm surprised that Emma would have married a divorced man. There also appears to be a second divorce for Essie (if I can verify that 1905 marriage in Texas).

I've got additional work to do on this, but it certainly got my attention.



Disclaimer: I do not pretend that these citations all follow Evidence Explained exactly. They are close and were mostly done off the top of my head rather than by checking the manual which I would have done for a more formal report.

Sources:
(1) Monroe County Mississippi Marriages (1821-1921). (s.l.: s.n, n.d.), Vol. 2, p. 341. Note: A copy of the marriage record from the circuit clerk's marriage books is in my possession. I need to dig it out and enter it in my software.

(2) 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Telfair County, Georgia, population schedule, Helena, SD 11, ED 164, p. 269 (stamped), sheet 4B (written), Hary E. Hosmer household, dwelling 72, family 72, lines 95-97; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 212.

(3) 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Telfair County, Georgia, population schedule, Helena, SD 12, ED 114, p. 273 (stamped), sheet 9B (written), Harry E. Hosmer household, dwelling 195, family 213, lines 86-88; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 278.

(4) Miami, Florida City Directory, 1925, p. 616, entry for Harry E. Hosmer, U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013).

(5) Miami, Florida City Directory, 1928, p. 471, entry for Harry E. Hosmer, U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013).

(6) 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Telfair County, Georgia, population schedule, Militia District 1530 outside Helena town, SD 11, ED 17, p. 136 (stamped), sheet 1B (written), William N. Barrows and Harry E. Hosmer households, dwelling 22, families 22 and 23, lines 91-94; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 386.

(7) 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Coffee County, Georgia, population schedule, Douglas, Twp. 148, Ward 3, Block 130, SD 8, ED 34-4, p. 50 (stamped), sheet 1A (written), Emma Hosmer household, visit 11, lines 34-35; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 659.

(8) Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935, database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013), entry for H. E. Hosmer and Essia Coleson.

(9) Cleveland Abbe and Josephine Genung Nichols, Abbe-Abbey Genealogy in Memory of John Abbe and His Descendants (New Haven, Conn.: Tuttle, Morehouse, and Taylor Co., 1916), p. 262; digital image, Open Library (http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7113056M/Abbe-Abbey_genealogy : 26 Jun 2013).

(10) 1920 U.S. Federal Census, St. Louis (Independent City), Missouri, population schedule, Ward 20, SD 183, ED 391, p. 36 (stamped), sheet 15A (written), entries for Hazel and Essie Hosmer, dwelling 262, family 247, lines 29-30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 957.


(11) 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Glynn County, Georgia, population schedule, Brunswick, Ward 3, SD 11, ED 92, p. 117 (stamped), sheet 13B (written), entry for Harry E. Hosmer, dwelling 275, family 321, line 71; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 259.

(12) 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Glynn County, Georgia, population schedule, militia district 25, SD 16, ED 2, p. 10 (stamped), sheet 9A (written), Harry E. Hosmer household, dwelling 189, family 197, lines 29-33; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 366.

(13) Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 26 Jun 2013), memorial page for Harry Eugene Hosmer, Jr. (1899-1973), Find a Grave Memorial no. 35558036, citing Palmetto Cemetery, Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia; created by David Woody, 5 April 2009; also Social Security Death Index, database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013), entry for Harry Hosmer, no. 257-03-6557; also Georgia Deaths, 1919-98, database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 26 Jun 2013), entry for Harry E. Hosmer, certificate no. 042627; citing State of Georgia, Indexes of Vital Records for Georgia: Deaths, 1919-1998 (Atlanta, Ga.: Georgia Health Dept., Office of Vital Records, 1998).

(14) Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 26 Jun 2013), memorial page for Harry Eugene Hosmer, Jr. (1899-1973), Find a Grave Memorial no. 35558036, citing Palmetto Cemetery, Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia; created by David Woody, 5 April 2009.

Brick Wall: Thomas Duke

Today's blog post is about one of my brick wall ancestors. It's also a product of the beginnings of a review of the information I have on this family. I have noted in here gaps in my database because of old software and never going back systematically to review information as well as changes in my research methodology from a genealogical newbie to more recent years. Some of my comments are in the footnotes.

Thomas Duke was born 3 May 1828 in Virginia according to his tombstone which was is located in Greenbriar Cemetery in Becker, Monroe County, Mississippi. According to family tradition, he was the son of Benjamin Duke and his wife ______ Parker. He is said to have been orphaned when he came to Monroe County, Mississippi, allegedly with a Knowles family. There are family stories which indicate he spent some time working with the tobacco industry in North Carolina before coming to Mississippi. He served for the Confederacy in the Monroe Guards. His widow Malinda applied for a pension in 1900 from the state of Mississippi. (1) He married Nancy Malinda Allred 15 Aug 1867 in Monroe County, Mississippi.(2) (The original tombstone reads "Thomas Duke & wife. In the years since I first began doing genealogy, a cousin has erected a second tombstone which has her name as "Nora Malinda Allred Duke Rogers"; however, I have come across absolutely no evidence that her name was Nora. She went by the name Malinda. The 1910 U.S. Federal Census shows her name as "Nancy M."(3)  An article by a member of the Rogers family indicates her name was Nancy Melinda Duke, a widow, when she married John Rogers after Thomas' death.(4) I have contacted this cousin, who also wrote an article which appears in Monroe County: A Pictorial History using the name "Nora," asking her for her source for the name Nora. I have received no response.) Allegedly, his oldest daughter, my great grandmother Berniece Estelle "Bennie" Duke was named in honor of his father, Benjamin. That is why she was called Bennie. His oldest son was James Parker Duke. The James came from Nancy's father James. The Parker is supposed to have been Thomas' mother's maiden name. Although I'll leave the documentation of these persons for possible future blog posts, the children of Thomas and Malinda are:

1. Berniece Estelle "Bennie" Duke (Jul 1868-15 Jun 1949); married Andrew Capus "Cape" Thornton
2. Martha Virginia "Virgie" Duke (16 Dec 1870-17 Jan 1956); married William Richmond Moss
3. James Parker "Jim" Duke (12 Feb 1873-1 Sep 1971); married Electa Bristoe/Bristol
4. Joseph Thomas "Joe" Duke (3 Jan 1876-6 Jul 1960); married Mary Catherine Conwill
5. Myrtis Duke (9 Jul 1883-24 Mar 1976); married Egburt Green Betts, Jr.

Thomas Duke died 18 May 1894 in Monroe County, Mississippi (according to his tombstone).

Needless to say I have not yet performed a reasonably exhaustive search for Thomas' parents. I need to get the Confederate Pension application file as I have only the index. I may have it somewhere in a folder or in a notebook, but it's not in my database. Searching all of Virginia and North Carolina will be a major task.  I'm hoping that some of the wonderful online resources we now have may prove helpful in this search. Years ago I did find a Benjamin Duke in Nansemond County, Virginia who was living at the right time to have been Thomas' father, and there were Parker families in the area. I have not yet located any records showing Thomas was placed under anyone's care as an orphan in Virginia or North Carolina, but I have only researched in a few counties (and some of those searches were done before I completely documented where I had searched, although I may still have some notes of sources with check marks in that old Duke notebook that I need to dig out).

Sources:
(1) Betty C. Wiltshire, Mississippi Confederate Pension Applications, A-G. (Carrollton, Miss.: Pioneer Pub. Co., n.d.), p. 250.

(2) Monroe County Mississippi Marriages (1821-1921). 4 vols. (s.l.: s.n, n.d.), Vol. 2, p. 149. Note: This is a name and date index of marriages in Monroe County that is held at the Evans Memorial Library in Aberdeen, Mississippi. I have a copy of the recorded marriage from the circuit clerk's marriage volumes in a notebook in a closet that I don't feel like digging out at the moment. I obviously need to add that better source to my genealogy database! I have a lot of gaps like that from my early research in my database because my original genealogy program only had 10 fixed-width lines for research notes, sources, or whatever one could cram into the space.

(3) 1910 U S. Federal Census, Itawamba County, Mississippi, population schedule, Beat 5, town of Fulton, SD 1, ED 20, sheet 2A (written), John Rogers household, dwelling 28, family 29; NARA micropublication T624, roll 743; Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 4 Jan 2008).

(4) Elizabeth Roberts, "John Wesley Rogers Family," in Franks, Bob and Turner, Roy, eds., An Itawamba Sampler: A Researcher's Guide to Itawamba County, Mississippi (Mantachie, Miss.: Itawamba Historical Society, 1990), p. 19.

The Perfect Peach

Masumoto, David Mas; Musumoto, Marcy; and Masumoto, Nikiko. The Perfect Peach: Recipes and Stories from the Masumoto Family Farm. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2013.

The Masumoto family owns a peach orchard in California. This book is a blend of family stories, stories about farm life, and recipes using peaches. The stories are almost poetic in places. The recipes are wide-ranging -- beverages, appetizers, salads, main courses, desserts, preservation, etc. Several of the non-alcoholic beverages looks like they would be very refreshing on a warm summer day. The Masumotos' passion for the peach is evident throughout the book, Photos are scattered throughout the volume, depicting not only the fruit, but also the family and farm. The stories in the book are worthwhile even if one doesn't want to make the dishes, but anyone who does take a look at the book is certain to find a few recipes worth trying. This review is based on an electronic galley provided through the publisher via NetGalley for review. It is hoped that the formatting issues in the galley will not be present in the final electronic version of the book. It's probably a book for which most would wish to own a physical copy anyway.

On the naming of babies . . .

I have a new grand-nephew on the way in late summer. My nephew's wife made the announcement on Facebook the other day. I will say that the new one's middle name will be my nephew's first name. The baby's first name, however, is a curiosity. My best guess is that they are naming him "Sawyer" after country music star Sawyer Brown. However, the genealogist in me came up with another explanation. I decided they were using one of the baby's ancestor's occupations as the name. Little Sawyer's 5th great grandfather was enumerated as a sawyer in the 1850 census for Shelby County, Tennessee.

Realistically, I know that my nephew and his wife probably were unaware of this fact in their heritage. I can, however, assure you that they do know about it now. I will always think of James H. M. Allred and the heritage he left behind when I see little sawyer.

By the way, Allred did not remain a sawyer. He is listed as a mechanic and as a farmer in later censuses.

***************************
1850-1880 census citations for James Allred:

1850 U.S. federal census, Shelby County, Tennessee, population schedule, 10th civil district, p. 173 (stamped), James Allred, dwelling 1370, family 1370, line 15; NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 895.

1860 U.S. federal census., Fayette County, Alabama, population schedule, Eastern Division, p. 397 (stamped), J. H. M. Alred, dwelling 351, family 353, line 32; NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 9.

1870 U.S. federal census, Fayette County, Alabama, population schedule, Twp 15, Handy post office, p. 416 (stamped), sheet 5 (written), James Alread household, dwelling 38, family 38, line 33; NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 16.

1880 U.S. federal census, Fayette County, Alabama, population schedule, Twp 15, Clear Creek, SD 1, ED 78, p. 462B (stamped), sheet 8 (written), James H.M. Alred, dwelling not given, family 74, line 46; NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 13.

Of the Making of Many Webinars There Is No End

Genealogical webinars have proliferated in the past year or two. One can attend multiple webinars in a week; sometimes even on the same day. Recently I discovered that I had somehow managed to sign up for two webinars that were scheduled at the same time and was forced to choose between the two. (I actually think one of the webinars may have been rescheduled to the conflicting time slot.) Is all of this good? Or is it a distraction?

I have come to a conclusion that it is both. We need to learn as much as we can about genealogical research, but it becomes distracting when we overdo it and don't leave time to hone our skills to research.  In the old days, we set aside a week or two to attend genealogical conferences and/or institutes. We learned from the experts and went home to practice what we had learned the rest of the year.

In today's environment, we could attend so many webinars, listen to so many podcasts, spend so much time in Second Life or Google Plus with other genealogists that we would have little or no time to spend researching. Furthermore, I've been quite disappointed in several of the webinars that I've attended. I have often attended some on a topic such as a geographic region in which I've done little research. I expect to come away with some great tools and tips for researching in that area, some things that are unique to that area. The disappointment comes when the only things shown are resources that are the same as those available for other areas of the country. The presenter has completely failed to discuss any unique special collections, the state laws that may have influenced the records, etc. I'm frustrated because I've just attended a webinar that ran for 1.5 hours or more. It has been a total waste of my time.

We often decide to sign up based on the topic or description, without knowing the intended audience level. I'm grateful that APG has jumped into the webinar arena, offering some that are for those of us who are more advanced in research skills.



King Solomon must have felt something similar as he wrote sometime in the 900s B.C., "Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body." (Ecclesiastes 12:12b, NIV)

I believe that I get far more from a conference experience than from a webinar experience. When we attend a webinar, most of the time we are on mute. We hear the speaker, but it comes across as flat and one-dimensional because interaction is limited. I'm easily distracted, especially if a webinar is more basic than I had hoped, by other opportunities readily available to me on my computer -- Facebook, working on my own genealogy, reading blog feeds, checking out what others are reading on LibraryThing, etc. I am much more likely to pay attention in a more traditional setting. This is not to say that I will not be attending webinars at all. I'm just going to be much more selective in the future about which ones I decide to attend. The ones offered by APG will probably receive first consideration because they have consistently been useful. Others that incorporate case studies or promise to offer something to advanced researchers will also receive consideration.

At the recent NERGC held in Manchester, New Hampshire, I attended a session about Chinese genealogy. I've done very little Chinese research. I have read a book written in the 1980s as part of a series of ethnic genealogy how-tos for young adults written on the topic. I have also spent a little bit of time looking through census records of some of the Chinese who settled in the Mississippi Delta. However, I really knew very little on the topic. I knew that it would have fairly low attendance. There were a handful of us in the room, maybe 5 or 6. I suspected that none of us in the room had done very much with Chinese research. We were able to interact with the presenter during her lecture because of the small size of our group. It ended up being one of the best sessions I've attended recently from the standpoint of learning something that might be useful. Some of the things that came up in the course of the lecture are things that someone might not have thought to ask in the question and answer section at the end of a webinar.  Will I use what I learned at the session? Maybe; maybe not. I will have some notes that will assist me if I do have the opportunity to do so. If I did not have other projects and commitments, I'm certain that I would be finding one of those Mississippi families to try to research to try to develop that skill.

I know that I'll be receiving lots of "You missed your webinar" messages over the remainder of the year, but that is okay. I'm simply managing learning and research time in a better manner for me. Others may need to spend more time "learning." My approach requires having the funds necessary to make the trips. Those who cannot budget for this may need to spend more time in webinars. My only word of caution is that one should not spend so much time attending webinars that one neglects to spend time digging through records, documenting their finds, and writing the reports needed to discuss the evidence and provide proof for  conclusions.

How Then Shall We Worship?

Sproul, R. C. How Then Shall We Worship?: Biblical Principles to Guide Us Today. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2013.

R. C. Sproul addresses the theology behind worship in this book which is ideally suited to be a quarterly study for Sunday School, Wednesday night study, or small group in a church. Sproul's Presbyterian leanings come out in this volume so those who are of other religious persuasions, particularly Baptists and other denominations which do not support infant baptism, may not find this volume appropriate. He addressed issues such as the presence of Christ in the Lord's supper, the mode of baptism, and infant baptism. As is expected, the author finds prayer to be an important part of worship. He also briefly addressed houses of worship and symbolism. The amount of time he spends on the style of worship is much shorter than I anticipated it would be. He acknowledges differences and really doesn't make much of a point except to say that orchestral music is biblical. The book was somewhat disappointing. I did not agree with all of the author's theological leanings. This review was based on an advance e-galley received by the publisher through NetGalley.

God's Favorite Place on Earth

Viola, Frank. God's Favorite Place on Earth. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2013.

Author Frank Viola argues that Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Simon the Leper, was God's favorite place on earth because it is where Jesus went to relax and where He ascended into heaven. He examines the scenes throughout the life of Christ set in this village near Jerusalem. He embellishes the narrative with additional source material taken from first century sources so that the modern reader gets a feel for the material. This part is written from the viewpoint of Lazarus. I did not really think that part was all that effective. It felt like I was reading fiction. He then includes the actual Scripture which in my opinion could have stood alone without the earlier embellishment. The third and longest part of each chapter is a discussion and Bible study of the verses. It's not really a formal commentary although in places he approaches the study in that manner. In other places it is more of a discussion of the narrative. This book would be a good personal Bible study book or perhaps a book that could be used in a small group Bible study setting in a church. This review is based on an advance e-galley received by the publisher through NetGalley for review.

Where are they in 1920?

I've recently been going back over some of the data in my own families and trying to fill any holes in my research. I'm having a terrible time locating one of my paternal grandmother's sisters (and her family) in the 1920 census.  Let me try to paint a picture this branch of the family.

My grandmother's sister's maiden name was Lera Bell Fowlkes. According to the Virginia Phillips Fowlkes Howell family Bible, she was born 8 Sep 1888 in Monroe County, Mississippi. (I have a photocopy of this record in my possession. The original was last known to be in the hands of a cousin of mine residing in the Hatley area of Monroe County, Mississippi.) The 1890 census was destroyed in the infamous National Archives fire that so many of us wish had not occurred. She was too young to be listed in the surviving 1892 Enumeration of Educable Children in Mississippi which serves as an 1890 census substitute for many of us researching in that state. (It lists the head of household and school-age children, generally ages 6 to 16.)

In 1900, she is enumerated in the household with her mother and stepfather.

Howell, John, head, W, M, Oct 1854, 45, M, MS, MS, MS, farmer
--, Virginia, wife, W, F, Mar 1865, 35, M, 11, 5, MS, MS, MS
--, Pearler, daughter, W, F, May 1886, 14, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Mary L, daughter, W, F, Feb 1889, 11, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Ollie, daughter, W, F, Jan 1894, 6, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Osie, son, W, M, Mar 1896, 4, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Dewey, son, W, M, Jan 1898, 2, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Dee, s-son, W, M, Feb 1887, 15, S, MS, MS, MS
Fowlkes, Lera, s-dau, W, F, Sep 1888, 11, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Norma, s-dau, W, F, Jan 1892, 8, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Jodie, s-dau, W, F, May 1895, 5, S, MS, MS, MS

[1900 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Amory, Beat 1, SD --, ED 68, p. 26A (stamped), sheet 26A, John Howell household, dwelling 504, family 505, lines 12-22; digital image, Ancestry.com : 29 Oct 2012; citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 822.]

She married Neely Nash on 14 Dec 1908 in Monroe County, Mississippi. [Monroe County, Mississippi Marriages (1821-1921). 4 vols. s.l.: s.n., n.d., vol. 1, p. 175. This index is held at Evans Memorial Library in Aberdeen, Mississippi. If I have a copy of the actual marriage record from the county books in the circuit clerk's office, it is not in my database. I'll check some older paper files, but I'll need to make sure to obtain the better source for this. It's been added to my to-do list.]

At the time of the 1910 census, the family is still residing in Monroe County, Mississippi. They have a young daughter by that time. Evelyn Nesby Nash was born 17 Oct 1909 in Monroe County, Mississippi. There is a bit of a discrepancy in her one month age on the 1910 census and this October birth date.

Nash, Nelley, head, M, W, 22, m1, 2, MS, MS, MS, farmer, gen farm, 182
--, Lera, wife, F, W, 21, m1, 2, 1, 1, MS, MS, MS, farm laborer, home farm
--, Nesby, daughter, F, W, 1/12, S, MS, MS, MS

[1910 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Hatley, SD 9, ED 55, p. 40-41 (stamped), sheets 10A/11B (written), Nelley Nash household, dwelling 182, family 182, lines 49-50, 100; digital image, Ancestry.com : 4 Mar 2013; citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 752. Note about census: The enumerator made a mistake. He had originally tried to create a line on the same page below line 50 to include Nesby but had crossed this out and had made a note to direct the reader to the remainder of the household.]

I have not found the family in the 1920 census. They could have still been in Mississippi. They could have been in the process of moving to Arkansas. They could have been in Arkansas.

What I do know is that according to the 1930 census, daughter Edith was born about 1918-1919 in Mississippi and son Billie was born about 1922-1923 in Arkansas. [By the way, Billy was said to have been born in Mississippi in the 1940 census.]

Nash, Neeley, head, R, M, W, 42, M, 21, MS, NC, MS, farmer, general farm, 45
--, Ila, wife, F, W, 34, M, 28, MS, MS, MS, none
--, Elihu, son, M, W, 15, S, MS, MS, MS, laborer, farm
--, Joe, son, M, W, 13, S, MS, MS, MS, laborer, farm
--, Edith, daughter, F, W, 11, S, MS, MS, MS, none
--, Billie, son, M, W, 7, S, AR, MS, MS, none

[1930 U.S. Federal Census, Poinsett County, Arkansas, population schedule, Greenwood, SD 3, ED 6, p. 68 (stamped), sheet 3A, Neeley Nash household, dwelling 49, family 49, lines 33-49; digital image, Ancestry.com : 4 Mar 2013; citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 88.]

You may have noticed that Lera is no longer in the 1930 census. She died in 1923, presumably in Arkansas, although it is possible that the family had made its way back to Mississippi. She is buried at Hatley Cemetery, Hatley, Monroe County, Mississippi. I have visited the grave which simply reads "Lera Bell Nash" and gives her birth date as 1888 and death date as 1923. This is also the reading that was rendered by a volunteer who transcribed the marker for Find-A-Grave (memorial number 66169047). There is one slight variation in the family. It's a more specific date, but it was possibly mistranscribed by a person who has been known to mistranscribe a lot of things. That date is 11 Jan 1928. I suspect that the actual date of death is 11 Jan 1923, and that this person wrote the 3 as an 8.

I'll include the 1940 census for the record.

Nash, Neely, head, M, W, 52, M (crossed out), no, 4, MS, same place, farmer, farming, OA, 70
--, Eda (x), daughter, F, W, 20, S, no, 6, MS, same place
--, Billie, son, M, W, 17, S, no, 4, MS, same place

[1940 U.S. Federal Census, Poinsett County, Arkansas, population schedule, Lunsford, SD 9, ED 56-12B, p. 277 (stamped), sheet 5B (written), Neely Nash household, visit 82, lines 63-65; digital image, Ancestry.com : 27 Apr 2013; citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 162.]

The children of Lera and her husband Neely should be:

1. Evelyn Nesby Nash (b. 17 Oct 1909; d. 5 Mar 2000)
2. Emma Lee Nash (b. 17 Jun 1912) - name/date comes only from family information; probably died young
3. Ellie Hue Nash (b. 8 Jul 1914; d. 30 May 1970 )  - Tombstone gives birth year of 1913; SSDI gives 1914.
4. Josier "Joe" Nash (b. abt 1917)
5. Sada Odena Nash (Edith?, Eda?, Omie?) (b. 26 Jan 1920)
6. Billy Shaddon Nash (b. 31 Dec 1922; d. 29 Jun 1989)

I also have Neely's draft registrations for both World Wars, but I'm not including them here. I will say that Neely did say that he had a wife and three children on the World War I registration card in 1917 and that Omie is listed as the contact person on the World War II one in 1942.

So - where is this family in the 1920 census? I'm stumped. I'm beginning to think they were missed.

A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins

Calkins, Susanna. A Murder at Rosamund's Gate. New York: Minotaur Books, 2013.

When the body of a servant girl in a magistrate's household turns up dead, suspicion falls to the brother of Lucy, a servant girl in the household. He had been dating the murdered servant. The magistrate's son Adam is also briefly suspected because of an accusation. It's one of a series of similar murders. Lucy decides she must try to prove her brother's innocence before he hangs. She finds an ally in Adam. The Black Death and London Fire occur during the course of the novel. While the author does take some liberties with the historical details, she does provide a note specifying those that she has taken. I found this to be well-plotted and highly engaging. The solution was not entirely obvious, but it was a logical one.  Some of the red herrings were rather convincing. This appears to be the first in the series, and I will definitely be looking for future installments. The review is based on an advance e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley. (4.5 stars)

Cast-Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly

Rawlings, Irene. Cast-Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly. Photographs by David Foxhoven. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel, 2013.

The photograph of the retro RV on the front cover drew me to this book. My family went camping and RVing from the time I was young until my parents were no longer able to travel. There's nothing quite like a cast iron skillet for cooking, so that was a draw as well. The recipes included are not difficult to prepare, and most of them would work well while traveling by RV. The photography and layout for the book was excellent. Before reading this book, I had never heard of the Sisters on the Fly organization, but it sounds like a fun group. I'm a bit surprised, given their enjoyment of fishing, that there are not more fish recipes in the collection, but it seems to be fairly diverse as far as meat choices for main courses. I will probably be purchasing a copy of this title for my own cookbook collection. This review is based on an advance electronic galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

NERGC Wrap-Up with Saturday's Activities

I somehow did not manage to find time to blog yesterday. It was our final day of NERGC (New England Regional Genealogical Conference, for those who may be wondering what those letters have stood for the last few days).

My day started with consulting at the Ancestors Road Show. I met with a couple of people although one of my appointments was a no-show. We had a nice time discussing their genealogical brick walls and coming up with some avenues by which they might be able to break through them.

After I finished up with that, I managed to check out of the hotel and store my luggage in my roommate's car's trunk. I then had time to actually browse the exhibit hall myself before heading to grab a bite for lunch. I was able to pick up three more titles in the NGS Research in the States series. I'm trying to obtain them all. I think I've managed to purchase all but a couple now. I probably would have picked up a fourth, but Maia's books was sold out of them. I try to limit myself to buying them at conferences so I control my spending! Fortunately they are thin enough that they fitted very nicely into my carry-on bags and did not require me to ship them via the UPS store.

After I ate lunch, I worked the NGS booth for awhile. Booth traffic was much quieter on Saturday than on the previous days. At 1:30, we drew for the door prize. I did not manage to draw the name of any of my friends.

I went to Alice Kane's talk on Chinese genealogy. This is a topic about which I knew very little. I've read one book on Chinese American genealogy in a series for young adults. I own a couple of books on Mississippi's Chinese population (in the Delta region of the state). However, this was an interesting session which focused on the reasons they came to the U.S., the concern of the U.S. that they would take away jobs from Americans (even back in the 1800s), the exclusion acts, and much more. She showed examples of the records created as part of the exclusion acts. Very interesting! I'm not quite ready to read the Chinese characters, but I think I could try my luck at some of the American records for the group.

After this, I went back to the NGS booth to help with packing up and tearing down the display. Then I headed to the final session. I'd originally planned to attend a different session but was not exactly impressed by the syllabus so I decided to hear the "stand-in." Michael LeClerc was doing Thomas MacEntee's presentation on Google. I've probably already used the only parts of Google that I'm actually interested in using. Like many people, I used Google Reader and am a bit put out with Google for deciding to do away with it.

After the last session, my roommate and I headed over to the Homewood Suites near the airport. We are the first to stay in a brand new room there as part of their remodel. It was quite nice. We located the nearby restaurants so we could catch a bite to eat and even found an L. L. Bean Outlet store. I wanted to go in so that I could try on some pants for sizing purposes. I'd recently received a catalog from them and decided to order some pants. My problem is that size usually depends on how the pants are cut and made. I'm happy that I can wear the smaller size! I didn't buy any there. I didn't want to take a chance on overfilling my suitcase. I did not want to pay for a checked bag.

I'd better log off, go print my boarding pass, and catch the shuttle to the airport now! I'm praying all my flights are on time and that there are no traffic situations or other issues between Charlotte and home. I need to be at church by 6 p.m. since I'm on the praise team for the first song in our choir's night of worship and praise tonight. You can catch that live at http://www.fbcmtn.com/ at 6 p.m. Eastern, or  you can watch an archived copy later at the site.

NERGC Friday Night

I had supper, dinner, or whatever you want to call the evening meal with Marian Pierre-Louis and others tonight. We ate at a nearby restaurant since many of us were going to head to one of the special interest groups afterwards.

Since I wanted to meet some of my New England blogging friends, I attended the Geneabloggers SIG. There was a lively discussion about blogging topics. There were also a couple of persons who were interested in starting their own genealogy blogs. It's really a shame that all the SIGs were held simultaneously because there were several others I would have loved to attend.

Here are a few photos taken today.

Maia's Books was busy!

Inside the Bloggers Area around noon.

Geneabloggers SIG

More in the Geneabloggers SIG

Friday Afternoon NERGC Report

My presentation is now over, so I can relax. I do think I managed to leave my reading glasses on either the podium or the table in the room so I'll have to go try to track those down in a bit. I'm accustomed to an LCD support package (which I listed as an AV need) including a cable that will run from the table that will hold the LCD projector to the podium and having electrical connections at the podium so one can connect the computer to an electrical source there. The room did not have that type of a set up. I was either going to have to sit down, stand and block the screen, or get someone else to punch the buttons. I'm used to having my computer right in front of my face with the screen that I'm discussing. I had to read off the same screen the audience was viewing and have someone else punch the buttons. It added just enough time to the presentation that I felt rushed.  I hope attendees picked up a few sources for adding richness to their ancestors' lives.

I attended Steve Morse's autosomal DNA presentation before my session. It wasn't quite what I'd expected, but it was a good explanation of how autosomal DNA works. The illustrations just didn't show results from the DNA testing companies.

I was too tired to go to a presentation during the last session. I decided to come up to my room, grab a Diet Dr. Pepper, and "chill" for a few minutes.

Friday Morning at NERGC

This morning I awakened very early and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up. I checked into Facebook and discovered all the breaking news and lockdowns in the Boston area. That was on a lot of people's minds as they made their way to the first session of the morning.

I chose to attend a session about Loyalists during the first time slot. The speaker had a lot of great content and definitely knew his topic. It was heavily focused on the loyalists who settled in New Brunswick. Since mine were in Nova Scotia, it wasn't quite as useful as it might have been, but the question and answer period did produce questions from other participants regarding Nova Scotia loyalists.

I attended Colleen Fitzpatrick's presentation on Abraham Lincoln's DNA during the second session. It was quite fascinating and is a study that is in progress. It will be wonderful to keep up with this research as it continues over the coming months and years.

I'm enjoying visiting with everyone here in the blogging area at the moment. I'll be heading to the NGS booth shortly.  I'll try to take a few photos to post later.

NERGC Thursday Night

The fun continues in Manchester.

Tonight many societies participated in society night from 5 to 7 p.m. I was able to meet several other people and ran into my very distant cousin Polly also.

I helped out at the National Genealogical Society's booth tonight during the exhibit hall opening. Many more genealogists that I met through Facebook came around to pick up a member ribbon, and we were able to meet!  It's such great fun to meet in person.

I ran into several more people that I knew in hallways or in the exhibit hall while we were waiting for it to officially open.

I speak tomorrow so I've been doing a couple of last minute tweaks to my presentation tonight. I thought of a picture that I needed to add in one case, and I thought of a better way to demo something in another. I have it saved on my computer, my flash drive, and in DropBox.

I'm going to read a bit tonight before going to bed. I'm pretty tired so I will probably not stay up very late.

Thursday Afternoon - NERGC

Since the exhibits don't open until tonight, I attended lectures during all three time slots for the afternoon.

The first session I attended was Laura Prescott's talk entitled "Spinsters and Widows: Gender Loyalty Within Families." I loved her content. I plan to make sure that I check out the article she mentioned from the Jan/Apr 1986 TAG issue that defined spinsters. Some great insights! I also loved the fact that she encouraged people to sign up for LibraryThing to keep track of their genealogical libraries--something I've been championing for awhile.

During the second afternoon session, I went to hear Lisa Alzo on "Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters: Researching Your Female Lines." I expect that her comments were quite useful to a lot of beginning researchers. She encouraged people to write their family stories.

There were several presentations I wanted to hear during the third time slot. I decided to go hear Warren Bittner because his presentation at last year's NGS Conference was one of the best I attended all week. He lived up to that expectation with his presentation on "Complex Evidence: What It Is? How It Works? Why It Matters?" He approached it with a case study from his own family that resided in New York City.

I'm munching on a sandwich right now and will be heading down to the society fair in a bit and then to work the NGS booth when the exhibit hall opens.

NERGC - Thursday Morning

Since the opening session did not begin until 10 a.m., I decided to take a walk to the grocery store to pick up some things that would provide quick meals for lunch and supper today since I will have less than an hour to eat both times. I had noticed a Market Basket only a few blocks from the Radisson as I was riding the shuttle from the airport yesterday. It's a very nice grocery store, and they have quite a few pre-made sandwiches available as well as fruits and bakery goods.

When I got back to the hotel, I had time to meet a few Facebook and blogging friends in the hotel lobby that I only knew by their photos. It was great to finally meet Heather, Marian, Sue, and several others.

The speaker for the main session was Sandy Clunies. She told about the mills in nearby Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts and told the stories of some of families who worked there -- two were her own ancestors; another was a friend's ancestor that she had researched.

We are currently on a very short lunch break since the first session begins at 12:15. I'm really not sure why they didn't give us a bit longer of a break since it's hard for 900 people to be served lunch in such a short time. I'm just thankful that I went to the grocery store this morning so that I would not have to deal with long lunch lines and could escape to the room for a few minutes.  It also gives me an opportunity to see if I need to update anything on my presentation before tomorrow. You know all those thoughts you have--Did I include this resource? Did I update that image after the site changed appearance? Etc.