Google likes to play in the cloud and is introducing me to a whole new way of doing things. I have attended several of the webinars on using Google by Lisa Louise Cooke and Thomas MacEntee. It is amazing all the things that google can help me do.
Google will sync my calendar with my cell phone. My google docs are available from any computer that I use. If I am at the library and log in to Google, all of my docs are there! No more forgotten files!
Today I worked in google forms and created a survey for our genealogy group. It can be e-mailed to members, filled out on line, and when returned the responses are automatically entered into a spread sheet! What could be easier? It even says "Thank You" when the form is returned. Once again all of this is stored in the cloud which allows you to give others permission to access the data. This could reduce the need for unnecessary meetings and phone calls. Collaboration at its best.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Shopping Saturday - Burbach Brothers
In 1856 George Burbach immigrated to the United States with his wife Catharina and sons Hermann and Johann (John)from Villmar, Hessen, Germany. They settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Establishing a timeline for the family, we find George and family living in the 9th Ward of Milwaukee where they apparently remained. Geord listed his occupation as a laborer in the 1860 census. By 1874 Johann (John) Burbach was a butcher at 1830 Walnut in Milwaukee. In 1875 his brother Hermann joined the shop and it was named Burbach Brothers. As late as 1920 John's son Robert was listed as the proprietor of a butcher shop. There still appears to be a Burbach's Market in Milwaukee, but more research will be needed to ascertain a connection.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Independence Day - Then and Now!
When I was growing up we had a different type of Independence Day. There were no sales and very little grilling. We did have fireworks and some areas had parades. I well remember laying on the ground and feeling the concessions of the fireworks exploding overhead. I can still smell the sulfur.
After I married, July 4th was spent with my husband's family and was an all day celebration. It began about 10 AM with getting to the house before the street was blocked for the parade. The parade didn't begin until 1 PM but it went right past the house and we had front row seats. All of our friends and their children were welcome. My father-in-law set up a step ladder for arial photography. There was food available all day long. Sloppy Joes, Burgers and Dogs on the grill, Potato Salad and Glorified Rice. Sodas and cold beer were at hand in coolers. More food when the parade was over. Then a short walk to the park with blankets and radios. As we waited for the fireworks to begin, the radios were tuned to the station that would sync their music to the show. After the show it was back to the house for cards while the kids slept. About midnight we would head for home after a very full day.
Later in life, we lived in a small rural community that did not have a local celebration. Some years we went to another town for fireworks. Some years we listened to the "Taste of Chicago" on the radio while sitting poolside on our deck. One year a neighbor had a backyard fireworks show. Every neighbor in the area had their hose handy for fire prevention.
In Florida we enjoyed fireworks from our lanai and one year from a beachfront location over the Gulf.
This year in Texas, we're back in parade mode. All three of the grands marched in the parade, as did the band mom. I was happy to anchor a lawn chair. Because of a burn ban there are no fireworks around here this year, so I guess it will be the Macy's Celebration.
Regardless of the format, the purpose remains. We are FREE and thank those who serve to keep us that way!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wedding Wednesday -A Legacy of Weddings
June 28, ????
This is a date permanently etched in our family's history.
Alice Fleming and Michael Connery were married June 28, 1893
Pauline Connery (daughter of Alice and Michael) and William F Ryan were married June 28, 1928
Elizabeth Mary Connery(daughter of Alice and Michael) and Donald Hansen were married June 28 1941 (my parents)
Alice Ryan (daughter of Pauline Connery) married George Sterling II June 28, 1951
William F Ryan II (son of Pauline Connery Ryan) and Barbara Brown were married June 28 1956
At least one more of my cousins also share this anniversary date. Who says the Irish aren't sentimental? Alice and Elizabeth wore the same dress.
This is a date permanently etched in our family's history.
Alice Fleming and Michael Connery were married June 28, 1893
Pauline Connery (daughter of Alice and Michael) and William F Ryan were married June 28, 1928
Elizabeth Mary Connery(daughter of Alice and Michael) and Donald Hansen were married June 28 1941 (my parents)
Alice Ryan (daughter of Pauline Connery) married George Sterling II June 28, 1951
William F Ryan II (son of Pauline Connery Ryan) and Barbara Brown were married June 28 1956
At least one more of my cousins also share this anniversary date. Who says the Irish aren't sentimental? Alice and Elizabeth wore the same dress.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Military Monday - Dan Hardie in the Spanish American War
Dan Hardie left his home in Ohio at a young age determined to travel to world seeking adventure. At the age of 20 he enlisted in the U S Army. He joined the 1st Texas regiment and was assigned to Company F also known as the Belknap Rifles. They were based in San Antonio, Texas. During the war, his unit served in Cuba. Below is a photo of the camp in Cuba. Camp Columbia was established in 1898 outside of Havanna.
(photo courtesy of Marilyn Silva)
After the war, Dan Hardie settled in Miami, Florida where he became both the Fire Chief and the Sheriff of Dade County. Still later, he managed a casino on South Beach and owned a boat marina in Miami, FL on the Miami River.
After the war, Dan Hardie settled in Miami, Florida where he became both the Fire Chief and the Sheriff of Dade County. Still later, he managed a casino on South Beach and owned a boat marina in Miami, FL on the Miami River.
Friday, June 24, 2011
SCGS Jamboree 2011 - The Last Day
Sunday, after the 2 Breakfast meetings, there were a total of 4 one hour blocks of time to attend presentations.
My first choice was "Something WIKI This Way Comes" with Drew Smith. Drew discussed wikis and why we should consider adding to the entries if we do have additional information. Since a wiki is a collaborative endeavor, our additions can help with accuracy. For instance you might add a link to your society's web site on a local library, or government website.
Later, I moved on to Daniel Pottenberger's presentation on "FamilySearch 2011 and Beyond". Daniel explained the updated FamilySearch Website. He also discussed new filters, wiki pages, online research courses, and access to the Brigham Young Family History Archive.
After lunch at the infamous "Blogger Island", it was time to head out to the tent for Lisa Louise Cooke's live podcast of "Genealogy Gems". Lisa's first guest was a handwriting analyst and graphologist Paula Sassi. Paula did an analysis of a letter submitted by Heather Wilkinson Rojo. It was a letter written in the 1890s and Heather said that the analysis was very accurate for what is known about her ancestor. Later Bruce Buzbee of Roots Magic made an appearance and 2 audience members played a genealogy game for prizes. Lisa is a real pro and made it look easy. It seemed that everywhere I looked in the audience I saw GeneaBlogger members.
The final session I was able to attend was "Researching Your Chicago Ancestors From Afar" presented by Nancy E Low (aka SassyJane). Nancy had a plethora of online sites for researching and suggestions for little used methods of exploration. New to me were ideas like searching the Recorded of Deeds, and Building Permits. Checking for marriage records in Crown Point, Lake, Indiana was also mentioned as a research idea. Crown Point was the Gretna Green of the Midwest.
With the end of the last session at 3pm, people seemed to gather again at Blogger Island as people began saying good-bye and snapping last minute photos. It's over until next year.
My first choice was "Something WIKI This Way Comes" with Drew Smith. Drew discussed wikis and why we should consider adding to the entries if we do have additional information. Since a wiki is a collaborative endeavor, our additions can help with accuracy. For instance you might add a link to your society's web site on a local library, or government website.
Later, I moved on to Daniel Pottenberger's presentation on "FamilySearch 2011 and Beyond". Daniel explained the updated FamilySearch Website. He also discussed new filters, wiki pages, online research courses, and access to the Brigham Young Family History Archive.
After lunch at the infamous "Blogger Island", it was time to head out to the tent for Lisa Louise Cooke's live podcast of "Genealogy Gems". Lisa's first guest was a handwriting analyst and graphologist Paula Sassi. Paula did an analysis of a letter submitted by Heather Wilkinson Rojo. It was a letter written in the 1890s and Heather said that the analysis was very accurate for what is known about her ancestor. Later Bruce Buzbee of Roots Magic made an appearance and 2 audience members played a genealogy game for prizes. Lisa is a real pro and made it look easy. It seemed that everywhere I looked in the audience I saw GeneaBlogger members.
The final session I was able to attend was "Researching Your Chicago Ancestors From Afar" presented by Nancy E Low (aka SassyJane). Nancy had a plethora of online sites for researching and suggestions for little used methods of exploration. New to me were ideas like searching the Recorded of Deeds, and Building Permits. Checking for marriage records in Crown Point, Lake, Indiana was also mentioned as a research idea. Crown Point was the Gretna Green of the Midwest.
With the end of the last session at 3pm, people seemed to gather again at Blogger Island as people began saying good-bye and snapping last minute photos. It's over until next year.
Monday, June 20, 2011
SCGS Jamboree - Saturday
Saturday the breakfast meetings began at 7:30 AM. The one on "21st Century Marketing for Genealogy Societies" given by Thomas MacEntee was recorded and also broadcast live as a webinar. I had planned to catch it that way but had trouble accessing the wifi. I'll watch it at the SCGS website.
At 8:30 Janis Martin presented "Unclaimed Persons: Every Life is Worth Remembering". I have been a part of this group since it began 3 years ago. In fact, I blame them for my facebook addiction. Joining facebook was a requirement to participate in the group. I think this group serves a very worthwhile purpose and really enjoy participating.
"20th Century Public Records" with Tom Underhill was full of alternate ways to search for people. He mentioned some unusual sources such as property records, military unit sites, and e-Bay. Tom was very interesting and had a fun presentation.
Next was "Blogger Summit 2" a roundtable panel discussion featuring Dick Eastman, Joan Miller, Elyse Doerflinger, and Kathryn Doyle. Some of the topics discussed were affiliate marketing, finding your blog niche, copyrights, disclosures, and privacy policies. It was a spirited discussion moderated by Thomas MacEntee with lots of questions from the audience.
Lunch was a hot dog and soda purchased at the outside concession stand. I took it back to Blogger Island in the Exhibit Hall since there wasn't a chair to be had in any of the eating areas. Eventually there were some vacant chairs at the Island and some more Bloggers appeared with their lunches. Everyone compared their experiences and took lots of pictures. (Just search for Jamboree 2011 on facebook or google to find pictures).
After lunch, I attended Daniel Horowitz's "Family Tree Builder 5.0: What's New in the Next Generation of Genealogy Software. Daniel is connected with MyHeritage.com and explained how the software works to match cousins and resides in the "cloud". I actually recently had a connection to my great-grandmother's grandfather find my tree recently and make a match. He lives in Norway and I plan to meet him when I am in Norway next Spring.
My final Saturday session was with Kerry Bartels and was "The Many Facets of the National Archives Website". It was a 90 minute session with lots of info about a subject I know little about. It was extremely informative but I will still keep Kerry's syllabus handy as I explore the website.
At 8:30 Janis Martin presented "Unclaimed Persons: Every Life is Worth Remembering". I have been a part of this group since it began 3 years ago. In fact, I blame them for my facebook addiction. Joining facebook was a requirement to participate in the group. I think this group serves a very worthwhile purpose and really enjoy participating.
"20th Century Public Records" with Tom Underhill was full of alternate ways to search for people. He mentioned some unusual sources such as property records, military unit sites, and e-Bay. Tom was very interesting and had a fun presentation.
Next was "Blogger Summit 2" a roundtable panel discussion featuring Dick Eastman, Joan Miller, Elyse Doerflinger, and Kathryn Doyle. Some of the topics discussed were affiliate marketing, finding your blog niche, copyrights, disclosures, and privacy policies. It was a spirited discussion moderated by Thomas MacEntee with lots of questions from the audience.
Lunch was a hot dog and soda purchased at the outside concession stand. I took it back to Blogger Island in the Exhibit Hall since there wasn't a chair to be had in any of the eating areas. Eventually there were some vacant chairs at the Island and some more Bloggers appeared with their lunches. Everyone compared their experiences and took lots of pictures. (Just search for Jamboree 2011 on facebook or google to find pictures).
After lunch, I attended Daniel Horowitz's "Family Tree Builder 5.0: What's New in the Next Generation of Genealogy Software. Daniel is connected with MyHeritage.com and explained how the software works to match cousins and resides in the "cloud". I actually recently had a connection to my great-grandmother's grandfather find my tree recently and make a match. He lives in Norway and I plan to meet him when I am in Norway next Spring.
My final Saturday session was with Kerry Bartels and was "The Many Facets of the National Archives Website". It was a 90 minute session with lots of info about a subject I know little about. It was extremely informative but I will still keep Kerry's syllabus handy as I explore the website.
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