Here's to Public Trees!

Many people have asked why is your tree on-line?  It is cousin bait.  As recently as last week I made several new connections.

Christiania, Norway 1814

My Hansen tree has found several connections over the years, the most recent being a descendant of my Grandfather Adolph's half-sister Edit Bull Hansen.  My Grandfather Adolph came to the United States with his sister Dagny and brother Artur shortly after his father's re-marriage and before Edit was born. Edit married Harald De Lange and had had five sons. This week I was contacted by Liv from Norway who has the De Lange family as part of her tree.  Previously I had connected with the De Lange family through my blog "Hanging from the Family Tree".  Anders De Lange was reading my blog to his Grandmother Edit and he emailed me with some questions.  Anders and I have kept in touch and he has provided me with some critical information.  He told me about two of my Grandfather's siblings of which I had no knowledge.  Einer Adolf was born in 1885 and Aagot Dorette was born in June 1887.  Aagot died in June 1887 and her mother died 4 July 1887.  Anders also sent me copies of the death notices of Aagot and Dorette from the Oslo newspapers and a picture of the house where my Great-Grandfather was born in 1852.

I currently have public trees at Ancestry.com, , MyHeritage, and FamilySearch and they have all helped me make connections to branches of my tree.  All three sites will search in the background whether I am at my computer or not.

Happy New Year! My 2016 Genealogy Goals

I have set myself lots of genealogy goals for this year and I hope that by writing about them and publishing them I will hold myself accountable.

The Genealogy Do-Over 2016 led by Thomas MacEntee is a year long-mission to hone genealogy skills and develop best practices in research.  It also includes evaluating sources, using research plans and logs.  I will be attempting to create a new family tree without using past research except for records that I had previously sent for.  This tree will also be done with a different software program.

Dear Myrtle(Pat Richley-Erickson) of the Organized Genealogist is also starting a year-long project this one on organizing.  She is providing monthly check lists.  She has evidently been doing this for several years but it is new to me.  

DNA is an exploding field in the genealogy world and this year I want to learn more about reading the test results.  I am currently managing 4 accounts and need to learn more about which matches I should concentrate on.  I will be watching for webinars on DNA and reading Segment-ology by Jim Bartlett in addition to reading Judy G Russell’s blogs.

Each February Lynn Palermo of the Family History Writing Studio sponsors a Family History Writing Challenge.  You pick your own topics and commit to a specific number of words to write per day. (Your choice)  You can do a series of essays or one long story, writing parts of it daily.

In June I will be going to Salt Lake City with some local genealogists for a week at the Family History Library.  To that end I will be watching Michael John Neill’s webinar on preparing for a trip to the Family History Library.All that being said I also plan to write a blog post at least twice a week.  Some days I may post about how I am doing with my goals, some days it will be about my family tree!

See you soon!

2015 My Genealogy Year in Review

It's the end of the year and I decided to review the highlights and lowlights of my genealogical year.

Highlights: 

January Thomas MacEntee began the 2015 Genealogy Do-Over and I joined in the challange.  I am only doing a modified version since I have too many years invested to totally start over but I am reviewing things with new eyes.  I also spent time preparing for my trip to FGS/Roots Tech 2015 and my first trip to the Family History Library.
February  My trip to Salt Lake City!  I spent a week in Salt Lake City attending FGS2015 and Roots Tech 2015 adding a few extra days to explore the Family History Library.  I learned more about using Swedish Church Records, DNA, Fold3, Self-Publishing. and creating citations.  I met and visited with so many genealogistsit would be impossible to name them all!  Atteding this type of event always re-kindles my excitement.
April - May Received the results of the DNA tests that my son and I took.  I now manage 4 DNA accounts.  Time to learn more about reading the DNA reports.
June  I attended the Southern California Genealogy Society Jamboree in Burbank, CA.  Another round of awesome seminars by world class genealogists!  Meeting old friends and making new ones. This was my fourth Jamboree.  They are so much fun.  I had volunteered to help with some of the seminars as well.  It's another way to meet other genealogists.
July TheNational Library of Ireland released the Catholic Parish Registers on-line!  Using them I was able for find the marriage records of Patrick Connery and Mary Leahy on 4 Mar 1851 as well as both of their baptismal records documenting birthdays and parents names.  I have also found the baptism records for all 11 of their children.
October Our local genealogy group held a genealogy workshop open to the community to celebrate October is National Family History Month.  Members demonstrated Ancestry.com Library Edition, Photo Books created using family research, the Genealogy room at the library, Members of the Cherokee Township helped explain how to find Native American records.  The food drive held in conjunction with the workshop collected 151 pounds of food during the month for the local food bank.
November  Got Scott's adoptive uncle to do an ancestryDNA test with Scott to verify that he was really adopted.  Scott will now have DNA tests from all three companies!

Lowlights

Sadly neglected my blog this year - I promise to do better next year
Did not enter the Family History Writing Challange
Kind of dropped out of the Do-Over
Followed too many BSOs down the rabbit hole

I am glad I listed the highlights first since there are more of them!  All in all not a bad year.
The next post will set out my goals for 2016 which I have been considering this week.

Happy New Year!

Advent Calendar of of Christmas Tree

Hansens circa 1958

The Christmas Tree!  O Tannenbaum! 

 Growing up in the mid-west in the 1950's we had a live tree.  Dad always put the lights and ornaments on , after carefully checking each bulb.  In those days if one bulb went out, the whole string went out.  We, the kids, got to put on the tinsel.  It was the individual strands of tinsel that were to be hung separately.  I will admit that throwing the tinsel by the handful was much quicker.  Yes, we had a star on top of the tree!

re-posted from Dec 1, 2010

Surname Saturday - Surname Spread the Connerys and More!

Map of County Limerick from
The Families of County Limerick by Michael C O'Laughlin

It was going to be a simple project, check the Catholic Parish Registers for my Grandfather’s baptismal records.  Found him:  Michael, son of Patrick Connery and Mary Leahy on 16 June 1861.  He was baptized in Kilfinane, County Limerick, Ireland and his Godparents were Michael Leahy and Helen Leahy.  They are most likely the brother and sister of Mary Leahy.  The custom of the day was that godparents were either a relative or a very close friend of the family.

After finding Michael’s record I realized that I needed to do the same for his siblings.  All ten of them!

While I was recording all of their information, it  became apparent how “surname spread” happens.  Each has two godparents.  In recording the baptismal  entries for Michael’s siblings I actually added 3 new surnames and found several siblings for eachof the parents.   The new names are Brigid Barrett, Joanna Howard, and Marie O’Donnell.  While I have no evidence, I strongly suspect that these women later married the man she was paired with for the Baptism.

Individuals I suspect are the siblings of Patrick Connery are Dionysius and Michael Connery.  Those I think may be siblings of Mary Leahy are Thomas, Johanna, Patrick, Michael, and Helen.

Helen was a sponsor on two occasions.   Thomas Hennessy does appear to be unrelated to the Connerys and Leahys but I am sure there is a connection.  Later Michael would marry Alice Fleming, a granddaughter of John Hennessy.  Sister Ellen married Michael Hayes and sister Catherine married Patrick Walsh.  Brides of the brothers add more surnames to the count.

***

Kilfinane, County Limerick; Diocese of Limerick

Baptisms and Marriages 1832 to Jul 1856,  microfilm 02429/03

Baptisms ans Marriages Aug 1856 to Mar 1859  microfilm 02429/04

Baptisms Mar 1859 to Mar 1880  microfilm 02429/05

Sometimes the Will is the Way

Ancestry.com recently posted a collection of Wills and Probate Records.  Last week I began to look for Wills for my ancestors and found the Wills of my Great-grandfather and Great-great- grandfather who died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin within a year of each other.  Interestingly one of the Wills was handwritten and the other was typewritten.

Herman Burbach (1852-1896) was my Great-grandfather and the son of Georg Burbach.  Herman arrived in Milwaukee with his parents and brother John in 1856.  The Will of Hermann Burbach was a simple one leaving all of his estate to his wife Eva Schmitz Burbach for her lifetime and upon her death to be divided equally by his children. There is a provision that if Eva were to marry again, the Estate would be held for the children.  There were actually two files for Hermann as there was a pending Real Estate deal between Hermann and his brother John to sell three properties to Herman Frey.  

Reading the Will, I learned that he owned properly, and had a beautiful signature.

Signature of Herman Burbach 1896

His Will also referenced each of his children by name and age omitting only his son John who had died in 1892.  Yet another form of documentation.  New information to me is the fact that Herman and his brother John were landowners in addition to running a successful butcher store and grocery.

*********************************************************************************

Source Citation

Probate Packets, 1850-1910; Author: Wisconsin. County Court (Milwaukee County); Probate Place:Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Wisconsin, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1987 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2015.

Original data: Wisconsin County, District and Probate Courts.   

4th of July Memories

google images

I don't remember any special 4th of July festivities when I was growing up in the 1950's.  Elmhurst had a Memorial Day Parade every year which I duly marched in as a Brownie and Girl Scout, but I don't remember a 4th of July Parade.  I think at the time the various surrounding communities shared the parades.  Of course there were always the big city parades to attend.  Though I don't remember the parades, I do remember the fire works.  Sometimes we would go to the park and lay on the grass to watch the spectacle in the skies and sometimes dad would park along the side of the road for our viewing plaesure. Back at home there were sparklers and black cows (root beer floats) to end the day.

Fast forward to the 1960's and celebrating the holiday at my in-Laws.  My in-laws happened to live on Main St in Wheaton.  Wheaton had a huge parade every year and it just happened to go right past my in-laws front door. The 4th of July was an all day occasion at my inlaws.  Early in the morning the step-ladder would be set up at the end of the drive-way.  This would be m father-in-law's perch as he took photos of almost every entry in the parade. Next the lawn chairs would line-up across the front lawn to save places for expected guests. Sometimes there were playpens and strollers too!

google images

Friends, family, and friends of family were all included. This was a mlti generational event, involving grandparents and great-grandparentsas well as parents, babies and children of all ages.  The fridge in the basement was full of soda for the children and the beer was in a cooler in the driveway.  Hot dogs and hamburgers were kept warm on the Weber grill for snacking during the parade.  When the parade was over the party moved to the backyard for the picnic part of the day.  The food was the same every year:sloppy joes, potato salad, macaroni salad, various relishes, and for desert glorified rice or ambrosia salad and Always ice cold watermelon!! About 7 pm, those who wanted to watch the fireworks would pack up for the 3 block trek to the park.  The sidewalks and even the streets were full of people heading in the same directions,  At the park, blankets would be spread and strollers parked.  Portable radios would be tuned to the same station and decks of cards would come out to while away the time until the show began.  Then it was time for the "OOOOH"s and "AHHH"s.  After the show was over it was time to join the tidal wave of humanity heading back to Main St.At the house, those who chose not to go to the park had moved their chairs back to the front driveway so they could see the arial displays. The advantage here was that babies too young to appreciate fireworks could be safely left behind. I believe this continued until they moved to Florida in the early 1980s.

google images

When our children grew older and joined Scouts we both marched with them and watched from the sidelines as they participated in the parade in Elburn.  Between Scouting and the Kaneland Band our kids were in 4th of July parades until they graduated from high school. One year when we lived in Elburn, we and 2 neighbors bought the same album of patriotic songs and at a pre-appointed time opened all our windows and dropped the needle and full volume.  It certainly added a festive note to the day!

Often when we lived in Kaneville we would watch fireworks from our deck, while listening to the Boston Pops on the radio.

Living in Florida we celebrated sometimes at the beach and sometimes at home in the pool. Dave went back to being in parades with the Knights of Columbus.  One year we even watched the fireworks at the Naples Pier.

Dave and I were lucky enough to help celebrate the 4th on a military base in Germany.  That brought the meaning of the holiday home in a special way.

I have also celebrated the 4th of July in the mountains of Colorado after a hailstorm.

Now it has come full circle as my daughter and son-in-law watch their children help their communitiy celebrate the holiday as Scouts and Band members.

Off all the ways I have celebrated  the 4th of July, I think the "Wheaton Years" hold the strongest memories both because of their duration but also because of the memories of the family and friends associated with those years.  I know that borh of my kids asociate the "Wheaton Years" with the 4th of July.