February Goals

Deciding to document my genealogical goals on this blog is no small deal. This means I have to actually commit! Argh! Scary!

Ok, really. Here they are.

1. Blog more. There were many reasons I began this project, but the two that are most important to me were to improve my writing skills and to maintain a routine examination of my own research projects. During the past several months my blogging has been inconsistent at best, especially in terms of frequency. My goal for February is to blog about something twice a week. I have started a list of possible topics, and of course, I am open to suggestions. If there is something you are interested in learning more about, let me know. 
2. Create two new pages for both of my TTTP sites: Summit County, Colorado and Colfax County, Nebraska.  I have very much enjoyed the Trails to the Past project that began this past fall for me. Certainly it has given me the opportunity to learn a great deal more about both areas of the country. It has also forced me to be creative when it comes to finding new resources. My local library has been wonderful for the Summit County page, but being distant from Nebraska requires that I work harder to find new information for that area. Because of this, I do feel that the Nebraska page has suffered some, so to define my goal even further, I will create the Colfax County pages first. 
3. Girl Scout Project. This particular venture has truly given me a chance to go back to the basics in my own work and reevaluate some of the technical sides of the process that I have developed bad habits for or taken short cuts with. So, I'm grateful for it. February's meeting topic is yet to be determined, so I will need to develop my lesson for the girls for the month, prepare examples, and provide them with their homework. 
4. Continue the Social Media campaign.  My current efforts with creating an online presence and developing a reputation in the genealogical community appears to be making an impact. So, that focus will continue until my "audience" has grown and I feel confident that the name of "Ancestral Journeys" is out there, and known. Of course, this may take years. I think I can handle that.
5. Continue to develop standardized forms/information for Ancestral Breezes.  The necessary communication tools for new clients should be in place before I take on clients, yes?  I've been working on this as I am able, and have developed two to three very solid documents, all with the objective of providing the client with information.  February should see two to three more, including a tracking log (time and research), standardized invoice form, copyright information, and a release for publication purposes (so I can use other people's families to write about). 
6. Historical Document Preservation. Being the proud owner of a rather extensive library of photographs, letters, newspapers, certificates and other documents is a task I will gladly accept. It does, however, come with some responsibility. There is quite a bit more to digitally preserve in my collection, and they deserve some quality time with me. I now have the tools necessary to do this, and do it right, so there are no more excuses. My goal is to scan and save at least 200 new items this month. Storage is a whole different beast. Maybe next month... 

Six is a good number, right? 

Guess I'll be checking back around 1 March 2012 to see how I did.... and sadly, I don't think this counts as one of this week's blog posts, since it's not technically February yet. 

Moravian Church

Yesterday, I wrote about a trip to Alberta, Canada, where I first learned of the Moravian Church, and my ancestors involvement in it. These are topics I haven't thought about for some time, being fairly driven to face other challenges, answer other questions and reach other goals.

So, where is the Moravian Church now?  It's not a commonly referred to religion, so I thought I would take a look at the current status.

"In essentials, unity; 

In nonessential's, liberty;

In all things, love."

~ Moravian Church of North America

www.moravian.org

According to the website, the Church has been organized for over 500 years, officially organizing in 1457. It's birth was in present day Czech Republic. By 1620, the religion was found in three major geographical areas: Moravia, Bohemia and Poland. Through a long and tumultuous history, including one failed attempt in Georgia, they finally settled in America in the State of Pennsylvania, consuming 500 acres (1735-1740). They currently have congregations in sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and two Canadian Provinces. 

To keep this simple, their doctrine is Christian based, and believe that they are given the responsibility to take care of all God offers them in life: "our time, our talents and our financial resources. We view all of life as a sacred trust to be used wisely."  

In the diaries of Rev. Clement Hoyler (see blog entry from 25 Jan 2012), he references the "Lovefeast." I was curious about this particular event, and found more information on the website (above).  Revitalized within the Moravian Church in 1727, it is used to celebrate church anniversaries, festivals of the church year, congregation celebrations, etc. 

"The lovefeast is primarily a song service, opened with prayer. Often there is no address; the hymns in the ode, or order of service, furnish the subject matter for devotional thoughts. If many visitors are present, the presiding minister often says a few words, explaining the purpose of the service, just before the congregation partakes of the bun and coffee, or whatever is served. On special occasions an address may be added, giving opportunity to remind the congregation of the history of the anniversary or the deeper import of the day."

There are currently eight congregations in Alberta: Bruderheim, Calgary Christ, Calgary Good Shepherd Community, Edmonton, Millwoods, Rio Terrace, Heimtal, and Good News in Sherwood Park.  Although I searched the North American website fairly carefully, I was unable to find a current number of members. According to Wikipedia, the worldwide count currently is around 850,000, with the largest concentration being in Tanzania. They are active in education and missionary work throughout the organization. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_Church) 

Beauty in Writing

A few years ago, I was able to take a trip to Alberta, Canada, with my lovely Aunt Patti. The trip was to celebrate the birthday of one of my grandmother Elsie's relatives. It was an incredible opportunity to meet some of our Tober relations and be a part of a very special occasion.

One of the original homesteads in Alberta for ancestors of Elsie Tober.
I had relatives born in this house.

One of the highlights for me was a trip to the Archives office of the New Sarepta Moravian Church. What an amazing collection! And one of my first ventures exploring the world of private collections. We walked out that day with a wealth of knowledge, requests for photo copies pending, and an amazing treasure: The Hoyler Diaries, 1896 - 1909, Rev. Clement Hoyler. This text was published by the Canadian Moravian Historical Society in May 1990, Edmonton, Alberta.

I remember I started reading it on the plane ride home. I quickly realized how vital and important this document would be to my efforts to paint a picture of my ancestors life. Not only was this piece valuable in terms of putting them in historical context; the struggles, the effort of the community, the religious impact in their lives, it actually listed many of them by name in their day to day life. I was so excited to see all of this, it was just pure joy to read through, and to learn about them as people, not just as dates and locations.

Here are a few excerpts:

February 22 (1896)
"Bro. Phillip Busenius and I left for 9:00 a.m. for Bruderheim. To begin with, mainly between South Edmonton and Edmonton the going was rough. The reasons were a problem between the harness and the sleigh and a poorly shod horse. In Edmonton we bought two bolts which we secured to the end of the shafts of the sleigh. Now we tied the harness to them. This was to help us to control the horses when going downhill. We arrived in Fort Sasketchewan in good spirits around 1:45 p.m. where we had something to eat. Around 2:30 p.m. we continued our trip to Bruderheim. At 5:30 p.m. we arrived at Bro. A. Lilge's house where I spent the night while Bro. Busenius continued on to Bro. Ludwig Lilge's home where he stayed."

March 4 (1900)
"A stormy day. The attendance in the morning was 90. I preached about Isaiah 63:1-3. In the afternoon Sunday School and Bible class were held. The service was again attended by 90. I preached about "The seat of mercy," Hebrews 9:5 and Romans 3:25. There was no choir practice. I visited Phillip Busenius' sick child."

February 4 (1901)
"In the morning I drove to Ferd. Busenius' where Julius is very sick. After I had returned, I had to write a letter for a certain Trellenberg."

October 1 (1904)
"We visited Stebners, where we ate lunch. From there we drove on to Julius Debert's on the large Hay Lake. They live there quite romantically right across from an island. They have their own boat. It was somewhat rainy today."

April 28 (1909)
"At noon the wedding of Diewert-Paul took place. I spoke about Hosea 14:8. We spent part of the afternoon at Paul's, the parents of the bride. A heavy snowstorm raged. We held no prayer service in the evening."

Breckenridge Heritage... Sisler & Nolan

In 1865 in Pennsylvania, John Sisler married Catherine Rhodes. He was the son of Michael, who was the son of Michael, whose father, William, appears to be one of the early settlers of Maryland, born there in 1715. John came from a long line of patriots, his grandfather Michael having served in the Revolution.

Just four years after their marriage, John and Catherine are in Breckenridge, Summit County, Colorado. They had at least two children there, Ada and Charles. Ada was born in the spring of 1869, and Charles was reported to be a native of "French Gulch", one of the many mining neighborhoods in Breckenridge (per the Summit County Journal, 8 Feb 1902, p. 5, which lists his marriage to Mary E. Bates.)

Listed as a miner in 1879, John held just over 5 acres of mineral property in 1882.  The Sisler Placer was in the Upper Blue Mining District, 1 mile from Breckenridge, in French Gulch.  By January of 1883, they had moved again, this time to Teller County, Colorado, where they purchased ranch land, now known as the Crystal Peak Ranch, totaling 160 acres. John passed away 8 Nov 1883.

His widow, Catherine, came back to Summit, and on 9 Nov 1886, married John Nolan, and is buried in Valley Brook Cemetery in Breckenridge alongside her husband. She is described as a "most efficient business woman", managing her second husbands mining claims after his death.

Headstones of Catherine and John Nolan,
Valley Brook Cemetery, Breckenridge, Colorado

See the entire genealogical story, including source citations, on the Summit County Trails to the Past website, under "Special Projects."
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cosummtp/spproj1.html

Saturday Genealogy Fun: Random Research

Per http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/01/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-do-some.html... my Random name is Jannie Scottie Baker.

1910 United States Census finds her in Baltimore, Maryland, married to John K Baker, for seven years (cal 1903). She is a 35 year old white female, born in Maryland in 1875. She is listed as being a mother to three children, with all three living. Both her parents were born in Maryland, also. Here are the children listed as part of the household:
Thomas (16)
Cathern L (15)
Joseph (27)
They also have Joseph's wife, Mary A, and two children living in the household, Joseph and Margaret. Because John and Jannie had only been married for seven years, and her oldest child is 27, I will leave the option open that this was not her first marriage. All the children did list the last name of Baker.

John K Baker's parents were both born in Scotland. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1861, and was 49 years old at the time of the census.

Both Thomas and Cathern are listed as laborers for a cotton mill, and John and Joseph are listed as laborers, though I was unable to decipher where.

In order to confirm this information, I searched for the family at www.familysearch.org, and was able to find the same census record. However, I was unable to locate the family in 1920 or 1930. 1900 would not be viable, due to the marriage having only existed for seven years, and I am at this time, unaware of her maiden name or previously married name.

To try to located a death date, I searched www.findagrave.com. The only Jannie S Baker in the system, who was born in 1875, died in Tennessee, and is buried with a spouse, James born in 1870. This is not likely to be the same couple.

Took a second look at the original image of the 1910 census to see if Jannie's name could have been Jennie instead. It appears to be an "a", as it matches other examples of the handwriting.

Changing the search parameters to "Jannie" married to John Baker in Maryland did not find sufficient sources on either Ancestry.com or Familysearch.org.  Searching for her by first name only on familysearch with the following parameters: Janie, born 1875, Maryland, residence Maryland in 1910. This search provided 3,140 results, all of them being in the 1910 census.

Having no luck on a simple Google search, I switch to her eldest son: Joseph  Baker, listed on the 1910 census as married to Mary A and with two children: Joseph and Margaret. Switching again to husband John Baker, born Cal 1861 in Pennsylvania, searching with and without a spouse, the results are too numerous to go through for this exercise, but none appear to be a good match. Baker is just too common of a name.

As much as I could continue this little project, I am pushing myself back to Summit County, Colorado research.

Ado to the Bakers... best of luck!

D.A.R.

When I hear that, DAR, my mind goes crazy. I think of all the things I could do, if only I could prove a connection to the original military struggle of our country. It would be amazing.

Tonight, I get to tell two nine year olds - and their parents - that they could indeed join the DAR with a little extra research and a few dollars. The benefits to these kids could be unimaginable... volunteer opportunities, networking with their future counterparts in education and business, scholarships, grants... the list goes on. Just having the prestigious organization on your college application is a huge boost. For children in rural areas like Lake County, Colorado, it could mean a significant difference in financial aid and grants for college. This is a BIG DEAL.

Founded in 1890, they currently have 170,000 members and 3,000 chapters, including all fifty states and some international chapters as well. (Source: http://www.dar.org/natsociety/whoweare.cfm).

A truly incredible opportunity for these girls. I hope they jump on it.

Ancestral Journeys... The Story of the Rockies One Person At A Time

I am pleased to announce today the launch of:

Ancestral Journeys

... The Story of the Rockies One Person At A Time

As Summit County's only genealogical research service, and one of very few in the Rocky Mountain region of Wyoming, Colorado and northern New Mexico, (including Colorado's "western slope"), we are proud to represent professional genealogy in this region. Our services include research assistance, genealogical reports, internet and software training/education, and service oriented programs; educating the next generation about how to find their own ancestral trail. Located in Breckenridge, Colorado, we can offer you professional and respectful research at a reasonable cost. 

Member, National Genealogical Society

You can contact us via email and social media: 

ancestralbreezes@gmail.com

Twitter @ancestryjourney

Facebook Ancestral Journey

Or via this blog... 

My Education

Over the past year, my focus has been on expanding my research abilities, gaining experience in web page design and upkeep and teaching. Using the resources available to me, I have managed to learn quite a bit about all three of those goals, and the learning continues.

Lesson One: It is not easy to maintain a website in which the goal is to continually add more information and new sources with new ideas - all for free. How I would love someone to pay me just $1 per hour for the work that goes into the Summit County, Colorado and Colfax County, Nebraska Trails to the Past sites! It is truly difficult, and Colfax County is the more frustrating of the two. Since I am not in Nebraska, and have no access to Nebraska's libraries or countless resources, I am dependent on my own library system to supply me with information, the already existing websites that I do not want to copy, and my wallet - which is pretty much empty.  An ever expanding level of respect is being developed in me for all those that came before, especially those site administrators at Rootsweb who really started the county-by-county genealogy website concept.

Lesson Two: Social networking is a must. Let's face it: Twitter is not going anywhere (to quote my dear brother), and I either have to play or get off the 'net.  You can follow me on Twitter... @ancestryjourney, Facebook and Google +.

Lesson Three: Teaching girls about genealogical records when some don't even know what a phone book is has been a bit more challenging than originally anticipated. Keep your fingers crossed; on Thursday we will be talking about maps. Hopefully I am more successful there than I was with the phone book idea. I hope no one pulls out a GPS on me...

Although I will agree that my research skills have grown in 2011, I do have to say that I really wish archives offices, courthouses, cemeteries and LDS Family History Centers all came equipped with babysitters. Two year old's do not like walking around cemeteries so Mommy can take pictures of anything with words on it. Two year old's do not like waiting for a volunteer to make copies of ten select pages from a record file, one page at a time. (Bless her heart, she was so patient with us!)  Other researchers do not necessarily think its cute when said two year old starts "reading" aloud from her Elmo book in the middle of a very quiet room. At one point this year, I said to my father that his granddaughter had, "probably been to more cemeteries than you have." Over Thanksgiving, we made a list, and sure enough, she has.

We were at the library today (thankfully there for her this time - not me! Gotta' love story time!) and my now nearly three year old daughter pulled a book off the shelf while we were in "Mommy's section." The book was entitled Famous Last Words, compiled by Ray Robinson. It was just so appropriate for me, I had to check it out.  Maybe I should let her pick the books out every week!

(For more on the Trails to the Past organization, or to access my two sites, please visit us at: http://trailstothepast.org/.  Volunteers are needed around the country!)