tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19784128118851451122024-03-13T02:48:05.034-07:00Your Genealogy MattersWhat matters most is getting it right. Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-74015643853927145552017-11-21T11:46:00.000-08:002017-11-21T11:46:20.225-08:00Find A Grave has a difficult birthing process and I point some fingersI don't need to tell anyone what Find A Grave is, or that it has a very difficult hurdle to overcome with the redesign and re-launch of its new site. <div>
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In fact, there are so many fingers pointing at people that it is difficult to know who is pointing at whom. In the Find A Grave forums on Facebook (the Find A Grave Forums on the site are an entirely different type of matter deserving its own time), tempers are flaring and the drama of people jumping out of the basement windows over the matter is getting too much for even someone like me who has a high bullshit tolerance. </div>
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The launch of the redesigned web site was announced at last year's <b>RootsTech</b>, although it was long rumored as an outcome of the site's purchase by Ancestry. Gone is the familiar Find-A-Grave-lavender pages and hello to a very white and bright world. </div>
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Having worked for a tech company, I have been through conversions, and therefore I know what I am about to speak of, although it is not to be taken that I have an inside track on the goings on there. </div>
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Therefore, This is merely my opinion.</div>
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1) Technology companies are full of left brain thinkers who think ALL end users - people like you and me - all learn alike, period. End of discussion. We know that they are least <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles" target="_blank">four types of learning </a>skill sets, and within those skill sets there are variations. This is how the world ended up with Esperanto, and its the reason why the world didn't embrace Esperanto. This is why home security systems feature the ability to leave a message recording, and why 99% of people don't use that feature. There is a wide divide between what is "Eureka!" and what is practical. <u>But programmers are a wiz at logical thinking and people are anything but logical.</u> </div>
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2) Technology companies, regardless of who they are, what they do, have a terrible track record of understanding their end users (see number 1) and they're real needs are. This because they don't meet with real users in advance, and they don't ask real survey questions and if they did they don't want to deal proactively with what matters to the end users. WHY? "Because end users muck up our plans," said a Chief Technology Officer of a programming company, once. </div>
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3) Technology companies do not deliver products that are logical progressions of the user interface that will make transitions easier for the least adaptable users. Instead, the designers think "We'll put this over here because it makes sense to us," instead of "Where can we put this so it makes sense for the end users." Instead, its more like "Put that over there, and people will just have to figure it out. Screw them if they can't." (Technology companies - people, in general prefer consistency to jarringly uneven things. Take your last hire - are they consistent and reliable, or wildly unpredictable and volatile? See.)</div>
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OR THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION</div>
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4) Bully users dominate the End User forums and discussion groups, and that has to stop. Find A Grave has them and they have them in spades. Many of the screen names of the users are so taboo they aren't said aloud, in public. What these bully users do is tighten their passive aggressive rude behaviors around the necks of people who are asking legitimate questions by verbally beating down the people who want to learn. The standard response is "Didn't you read the FAQ's?" And again, we are right back at the fact that not everyone learns as you do. These goons will belittle anyone to become top dog, and they are hurting Find A Grave by scaring people off. (By the way, one of the said goons had very public panic on Facebook in one of the Find A Grave forums last week when she proclaimed something was beyond dire when it wasn't. Had she kept her yap shut, it would have gone unnoticed. But panicking only drew attention to her weakness and her greatest fear.)<br /><br />5) "Resistance to change users" make the transition miserable for everyone. These are the users who say "I don't understand why they had to change anything," and "I liked it the way it was." At some point all of enter a realm in which the newest technologies simply don't make sense. Take me - I turn fifty-five soon and I still don't, and probably never will have, a Twitter account. I like my TV viewing to be "what's on now" not "what's on demand". But I also understand that we don't drive Model T's anymore, we don't use Saccharine, and they don't make Black & White TV's anymore, and for good reason. Technology has to advance and we have to make an effort to move forward with it. </div>
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6) Users who claim to be ending it all. These are the people who announce - in a fashion better player by bad actors in Columbia Studio's "C" movies that <i>"I am leaving Find A Grave because they have<b><u> ruined</u></b> it!"</i> They are opening those basement windows and they are going to jump, and you can't stop them. No you can't. Why? Because these are adults having a temper tantrum and you can't argue rationally with irrational people. That's why.</div>
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7a.) People have to make a commitment to the new site and USE IT, damn it. We know that Find A Grave is looking at our feedback when thing aren't working, so they need us - their loyal members and volunteers - to get in there and help them get this cleared up. </div>
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7b.) If No. 7a is too much for you, think of it this way: You have stumbled into a cemetery named "Find A Grave". And you have discovered that there are lots of things that need to be corrected to make it conform to what we expect it to be. So use the "Submit Feedback" button when you find that something isn't working. Folks, you can either light a candle or curse the darkness - figure it out on your own. </div>
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So, how does this get fixed?</div>
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There are two things that Find A Grave needs to do. </div>
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First: It needs to better their mass communication efforts. Then they need to listen, consider, and respond. They are doing a great job of responding to people who are leaving feedback, but they aren't speaking to the greater audience and reassuring them that this will all get fixed, in time because they probably think "if we do" they concede that it was a bumpy roll-out. </div>
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Secondly: Ancestry needs to do a post mortum on this process. And learn from the mistakes. Moving forward it doesn't want another launch like this. </div>
Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-3107186739293329652017-08-15T07:22:00.002-07:002017-08-15T07:22:44.433-07:00A genealogical lesson from Game of Thrones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Sunday, August 13, 2017, night, Game of Thrones gave us a well hidden lesson about genealogy, and what I call "research blinders". <br />
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You are thinking to yourself either "what are genealogy blinders," and either, "so" or "who watches that trash."<br />
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I'm not going to recap what the series is about - you can find that online if care to - but I do want to point out the lesson given, because unless you are a die hard GOT fan, you missed it. <br />
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But there are a couple questions in GOT that do deal with genealogy, and all it involves who has the right to sit in the ultimate seat of power. First, there are families, who intermarry, or not. There are alligences, or not. There are those who claim birthright, and there are those who would kill anyone who stands between them and the crown.<br />
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Got it?<br />
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In the scene, Sam, the former Night's Watch member and good guy and Gilly, the wilding woman he rescued from her abusive father were together, seriptiously reading moldy tomes while everyone is asleep. Sam is convinced that the books hold the secret to defeating the ice zombies that are about to lay waste to humanity.<br />
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Gilly, on the other hand is somewhat of innocent soul - she's sweet, but she's not cunning like everyone else. Her only role to give Sam someone to care about, so he does.<br />
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So they are are pouring over the books, desperately looking for the secret to killing the undead and Sam is laser focused on this task. Gilly picks up a book and begins to read it aloud:<br /><br />
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"This High Septon Maynard, he recorded everything...What does 'annulment' mean?" </div>
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Sam answers her in a distracted fashion, saying an anullment is a way of casting away a spouse. Gilly continues:</div>
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"Maynard says here that he issued an annulment for a Prince 'Ragger' and remarried him to someone else at the same time in a secret ceremony in Dorne."<!-- /react-text --></div>
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Thinking that this is just Gilly pattering on about expanding her vocabulary, Sam loses it, basically because he is desperate to find the secret of killing these cold loving zombies. </div>
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What's important about this seeming small exchange is "genealogy", and "research blinders"</div>
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Often, a researcher is so fixated in finding "X" that they fail to see the answer to another fact that could be equally, or more important. </div>
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Yes, Sam is so fixated on how to kill the undead, that he misses the importance of the clue that Gilly just exposed. And that fact proves that Rheagar Targaryen was in fact married to someone, in this case the Lyanna Stark, before he married his "known wife". And from the backstory, we know that Lyanna asked Ned to raise her son, known as Jon Snow. Ned brings the baby boy home to his bride and says here, raise him. Begrudgingly, she does. <br /><br />In other words, Gilly found the evidence that Jon Snow is the legitimate heir to the throne, which is huge, because this whole series is about finding who is the rightful heir to sit on the Iron Throne. </div>
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But does Sam care? Nope. He brushes it off, loads Gilly, the child and some of those rare books into a cart and he leaves, assuredly to rejoin Jon Snow at Winterfel.<br /><br />The lesson here is that clues for anything you research could be anywhere. Are you looking for "Anna" daughter of "Susan" when someone says have you looked in this brown book? Have you looked in the brown book before and failed to see that that a Suzanne had a daughter named Hannah?<br /><br />Many a brick wall have been broken through because the answer was in front of us, but we had our research blinders on. <br /><br />As for GOT, we won't know the final outcome until sometime next year. <br /><br />But like in life, every moment counts, every scene has a purpose. Take the blinders off. <br /><br /></div>
Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-12167083254374070792017-06-29T05:22:00.001-07:002017-06-29T05:22:37.044-07:00Summer break. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is summer break for me, so I'll be back on Bastille Day, Friday, July 14!Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-54664272332259626382017-06-26T13:58:00.000-07:002017-06-27T04:49:35.578-07:00Let us all close our eyes and take a breath: The End of the Microfilm Lending Program<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let us not panic. OK?</td></tr>
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The LDS Church, through it's Family Search web site has announced that its long standing microfilm lending program is coming to an end. The final ship out date is August 31, 2017. Requests for films and orders received after that date will not be fulfilled. <br />
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Family Search estimates that the remainder of its rolls that have not been transitioned to electronic images should be complete sometime in 2020.<br />
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Many genealogical web sites have reprinted the press release, so I am not going to do that here, but the links are at the bottom of this post.<br />
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What I am going to do is try and explain why I think this is being done now, and why this is for the best.<br />
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First of all, the most important collections to the great number of people are online, free for you to access right now. <a href="http://www.familysearch.org/">www.familysearch.org</a> is an amazing resource.<br />
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What hasn't been put online is everything else that have. Because getting a confident answer from anyone inside the LDS organization is difficult at best, my feelings are that the films that have not been digitized are smaller collections of films and films that have a more limited impact to the general audience of users. These may include overseas collections, but they do not include the larger collections - such as Ohio Death Certificates, 1908-1953, which are online.<br />
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So why 2020? Why three years? Why do they need to stop fulfilling requests?<br />
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The easiest way to make sense of this is that big projects, require a big push. This is that <b><i>big</i></b> push.<br />
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Just as one cannot throw together a gala charity ball for a cause with 1,000 people on the guest list in a month, and have everything run smoothly, an event of that size takes time to plan - sometimes two or three years out. In the case of the gala, you have to find and secure the location, sign contracts, audition the talent, pay for the rentals of the chairs, select the menu, find a replacement for the entertainer who has backed out because they are going to open an ashram, etc. and so on, and I could go on listing everything. <br />
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Or, put another way, you just don't make a baby tonight and expect it to be born tomorrow and a fully functioning adult the day after. These things take time.<br />
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Right?<br />
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Well, this is kinda what is going on with the films in their conversion. It times time, money, manpower and planning. So this is what I think are of things that have to be taken into consideration:<br />
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1) Ensuring that all of the outstanding film in a series is returned, and on hand so nothing gets missed.<br />
2) Scheduling the production time so each set can be run through the scanners, mistakes caught, images re-scanned because of film or technical difficulties.<br />
3) Cataloging the digital images, and then indexing them.<br />
4) Building in time for mistakes that will be made, film repair, prepping the film, re-boxing the masters and storing them, pulling the next set, and so forth.<br />
5) Meeting budget items, which includes the delivery of equipment if needed, setting up the teams, verifying the work, etc.<br />
6) Verifying rights licenses, and in some cases, renegotiating them.<br />
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And all of this has to run on schedule. I am sure that there are multiple teams are going to running capacity. Not only that, but new projects of digitized images will also be arriving concurrently as these films are being transferred.<br />
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If you are impacted, you are not alone. I know that three years seems like a lifetime. And in some cases, for some people, they may not be here in three years. <br />
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But the longer this is put off, the more in jeopardy these filmed records become, especially if they are only copies. <br />
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And there are some collections, like the actual digital Ohio Death Certificates from 1954 to 1963 that won't be brought online anytime soon because the holding institutions see them as profit centers (Yes, I am talking about the Ohio History Connection) for the short term.<br />
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There is one bit of good news. My understanding is that most of these collections are going be released during the three period and beyond. Holding off all of this only to release it at once would result in what my father used to a call a "cluster". Remember when the 1940 census came out what happened? So it is smart to stagger the releases of these films images online.<br />
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But again, trying to get a firm response out of Family Search can be as difficult as getting them to make a correction on a blatant indexing mistake. Don't get me started.<br />
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Now, the announcement was made a couple days ago, it was revised today and I suspect that dates could change because that's what happens in these types of big projects. <br />
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So here are the links that you will need:<br />
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<a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/temple-and-family-history/familysearch-microfilm-discontinuation?lang=eng&_r=1" target="_blank">Family History Microfilm Discontinuation</a> announced by LDS Church.<br />
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<a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/temple-and-family-history/familysearch-microfilm-discontinuation/frequently-asked-questions?lang=eng#complete" target="_blank">Frequently Asked Questions</a> regarding the termination of the program.<br />
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Contact <a href="https://familysearch.org/ask/help" target="_blank">Family Search</a> for specific questions now, not at the last minute.<br />
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I hope this helps. It is a far more complex issue than just terminating the service. In the end, the results will be wonderful, handy and very easy to obtain.Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-49254190221852515602017-06-20T06:24:00.000-07:002017-06-20T06:29:26.355-07:00Has Windows 10 Creators left an annoying surprise on your browser?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Windows is in the process of updating computers to its latest and greatest version, "Windows 10 Creators" (henceforth "Creators") which, of course is loaded with all sorts of stuff that is useful for tablet users, but not so much for desktop users like me.<br />
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When it comes to browsers, the folks at Windows would everyone to use their newest and latest browser, "Edge", <b><u>now</u></b>. <br />
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Edge works perfectly fine for most people, but as my friend Sara points out "Browser are a lot like underwear - certain ones work better for you than others. If you feel good in a low rise, then you aren't going to enjoy granny panties. So you find what works and stick with it."<br />
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She has a point. Remember Netscape? I held on to that until the last possible moment. Then I got shoved off onto an earlier version Internet Explorer. I have tried Vivaldi, Opera, Firefox and Chrome. What I have found is some sites just work better with different browsers.<br />
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Make no mistake about it - Windows wants you off IE 11, because IE 11 will be unsupported, soon, with the exception of corporate clients, the like of which have kept Windows XP alive all these years. And they are going to become more of nuisance with moving over to Edge as the clock ticks down. <br />
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Still, I am one of those Luddites that gets along just fine on my desktop with IE 11. Which brings us back to the annoying surprise that "Creators" left in our browsers.<br />
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IF you have the tabs displayed - mine sit under the ribbon of commands - the last "Tab" has always been the "New Tab" button. And if you are working with multiple tabs, for multiple sites, opening a new tab has become like auto pilot - your mouse just moves there and *click* a new tab opens.<br />
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BUT in "Creators", those impish folks in Redmond have moved the "Open New Tab" tab, and in its place are two tabs - New Tab and one with an "E" with the Edge logo. <br />
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This is super annoying because a now, if you aren't careful you start opening up Edge when you want a new tab. This isn't what you want, but it is what the people in Redmond want you to do. They want you to get off IE and onto Edge.<br />
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So, how to fix this and make it go away. Right clicking won't do it. There are no settings in the Internet Options -> Tab section.<br />
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I finally asked Microsoft's community support and got a variety of answers, including the dictatorial mansplaining "This is hard coded in and you cannot change this setting." (And we all know that once someone says something like this, there has to be a work around.)<br />
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Finally, someone guided me and I am sharing with you.<br />
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In Internet Explorer 11, on the main screen, choose Tools, and in the pop up window choose Internet Options. Then in the top of the window, choose ADVANCED. You are going to see a options with check boxes. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSURlvwB7i8a3pINups40ShtK9Gqfrw3iUk84f3FPRc2Ft0qHk0gI7K02jmECgCHhvWzJoeF-8SOPAW5F6IQthFEXwuYnQs8twPZRaR2QpTyUuZT5-RPrbh44MRFFpdLHnhDtoCLgSXvg/s1600/how+to+get+rid+of+edge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="634" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSURlvwB7i8a3pINups40ShtK9Gqfrw3iUk84f3FPRc2Ft0qHk0gI7K02jmECgCHhvWzJoeF-8SOPAW5F6IQthFEXwuYnQs8twPZRaR2QpTyUuZT5-RPrbh44MRFFpdLHnhDtoCLgSXvg/s640/how+to+get+rid+of+edge.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Look for the unchecked box that reads: "Hide the button (next to the New Tab button) that opens Microsoft Edge." Click on the empty box, and it should create a check mark. Down below, the grayed out Apply button will activate, click on that, then OK, then close out (all windows of it and all tabs) Internet Explorer 11. <br />
<br />
When you reopen Internet Explorer, the pesky "Edge" link button will be gone.<br />
<br />
Now, one warning, unless you know what you are doing in IE 11, stay out of the advanced settings. Checking and unchecking those boxes without knowing what they do can create a mess down the way. <br />
<br />
I hope this helps you. If you are like me, it will. If not, well, maybe someone you know. <br />
<br />
But keep in mind that this is just a temporary fix. <br />
<br />
The day is coming when IE 11 will not be supported and it will be cast into the technology heap along with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIB-J44nu8g" target="_blank">Alliance Tenna-Rotor</a> for TV's, Chrysler's<a href="http://www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Accessories/HiWay/Chrysler.htm" target="_blank"> HighWay Hi-Fi</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_1-2-3" target="_blank">Lotus 1-2-3</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-45465826280601571322017-06-19T09:32:00.000-07:002017-06-19T14:13:43.362-07:00Still whining about other DNA Testers without a tree? Consider this.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFuc9CKYWZhbp7w8FpPMvBVWrA66p-QNAFnb-wzHQPZQgL4ncgr2TUq9oAqT657NfeLLTFNXAXk4ehYEWfVlBQnaR2jESeNAbrsnKjlXNn2UzNOsFX2PhwubfkyeIR2f9a-DDS9AY-Es/s1600/misswan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFuc9CKYWZhbp7w8FpPMvBVWrA66p-QNAFnb-wzHQPZQgL4ncgr2TUq9oAqT657NfeLLTFNXAXk4ehYEWfVlBQnaR2jESeNAbrsnKjlXNn2UzNOsFX2PhwubfkyeIR2f9a-DDS9AY-Es/s400/misswan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, don't go there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
So in the past couple weeks, I wrote about the people who are crabbing about others on Ancestry who do not either make their trees public, or have no trees at all, which I have dubbed Tested With No Tree, or TWNT.<br />
<br />
Said complainers find it very rude of those TWNT people who are not sharing what they know.<br />
<br />
How unfair is life that the complainers have shared their trees, but the TWNT people are causing them great consternation.<br />
<br />
And I pointed out their problem is their own. Because it is. They created it. Now they whine hoping that something will hear them and their needs.<br />
<br />
As you can tell, I don't have a lot of sympathy of these people. We <i>ALL</i> would love to have the answers we crave dished up and served to us. How great would life be, right?<br />
<br />
There is nothing that says anyone <i>HAS TO </i>upload a tree. Nothing. Nada.<br />
<br />
BUT, and this is the bigger consideration - what if the person/people you have been badgering to reveal their trees have a much better reason for not revealing what they know? What if they aren't posting a tree because they don't know anything?<br />
<br />
<b>What I am writing about today is<u> adoptees in search of their birth families</u>. </b><br />
<br />
So how does someone without a biological family tree upload information that they don't have?<br />
<br />
They don't.<br />
<br />
And what if that person knows who one adoptive parent is, and is trying to honor that person's privacy, but is seeking the other adoptive parent? How's that tree going work?<br />
<br />
The greater point being is that most adoptees would, if they could upload their trees if they knew them, or if their births weren't shrouded in secrecy.<br />
<br />
If you were to put your feet in the shoes of a person adopted in the State of New York - a state that guards the privacy of its adoption records at all costs, you would know that there is no way they can crack open their adoption files unless their birth parents or adoptive parents approve it. In some cases, both sets of parents have to agree to it.<br />
<br />
There are many reason why people don't have trees. Some people don't care. Some people worry about their privacy. Other people have no idea who to put in their trees, and that is their quest in life. <br />
So instead of complaining, think about the other reasons why, other than your own there is no tree there. Contact them. You may hold the secret key. You may not. But try and light a candle instead of cursing the darkness. And then move on.Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-43291724918744327812017-06-15T13:01:00.002-07:002017-06-15T13:03:14.519-07:00Magic Eight Ball of Genealogy: Ancestry's We're Related App<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_PaPWBnRn45s47xLLdiZVQ_RxjsnIdR7_A8UnmLsBRPRdkIx3-yYWqusjpNfQIzDgxvKtTyWrP2bgOzL3kTPK-jFbQPv5CXtE5OuOS41NenJcVdKCReOUQHLqCOVArI-oiAis2k93Hs/s1600/Magic8ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_PaPWBnRn45s47xLLdiZVQ_RxjsnIdR7_A8UnmLsBRPRdkIx3-yYWqusjpNfQIzDgxvKtTyWrP2bgOzL3kTPK-jFbQPv5CXtE5OuOS41NenJcVdKCReOUQHLqCOVArI-oiAis2k93Hs/s320/Magic8ball.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
So, Ancestry has had it's "We're Related" app out for some time, and while it is as reliable as a Magic Eight Ball, sometimes it manages odd outcomes that Ancestry should have thought out better.<br />
<br />
Ancestry should resolve the issues of what happens when:<br />
<br />
1) They use a chart where people who were born over 150 years ago showing up as alive. This means that the person shows up as "Private". <br />
2) They should also not be taking information from "Private Trees" because, all things being equal, everyone in that private tree shows up as "private" on the app.<br />
3) They really ought to give you a floor to establish what is the oldest date that you would accept a match from. For example, omit matches on people born before 1500. <br />
AND<br />
4) Stop telling me that losers like Rob Ford are 10th cousins. Seriously, I wouldn't claim that crack smoking walking heart attack as a relative if her were my father. I'm not even Canadian!<br />
<br />
But this recent match, it really was a cluster match.<br />
<br />
Case in point:<br />
<br />
The other day I received a missive that I was related to Isadora Duncan, legendary dancer and poster girl for the Society For the Prevention of Decapitation by Scarf in Open Automobiles, or SFPDSOA as it is known by its supporters. (Look at all the good work SFPDSOA has done. When was the last time that really long scarfs were in? Touring cars? Not since 1940. See what I mean?)<br />
<br />
I mean, I LOVED the fact that Isadora and I <i>could</i> be related. She would be third behind cousin Joan Crawford and cousin Duchess of Windsor - Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, or "<i>THAT</i> woman," to my mother - but well ahead of cousins Emily Post and Neil Patrick Harris. All of these are confirmed as correct. I know better than to trust an app that promises at most to be a parlor game, and at the very least a way to bore those around you with "Look who I am 13th cousins with!"<br />
<br />
I would have liked to have welcome Isadora into the family, but there was an issue. <br />
<br />
Imagine my befuddlement when the app provided me with <i>this</i>:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrPhf3fr_xfsovNJ0G8dAZMZIgq-4jRZBKE96LRhaojtA3Iy7XTnJaHm5j9xARISXIEEbb3_JX3HNZW999XKgF-yreLb3M7hp0SMxO1YWvpRh6Mbf_IUQEOsoJ_l39AA8ISqzoOmpSOU/s1600/isodora.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrPhf3fr_xfsovNJ0G8dAZMZIgq-4jRZBKE96LRhaojtA3Iy7XTnJaHm5j9xARISXIEEbb3_JX3HNZW999XKgF-yreLb3M7hp0SMxO1YWvpRh6Mbf_IUQEOsoJ_l39AA8ISqzoOmpSOU/s640/isodora.PNG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I mean, really? What is this?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Seriously?<br />
<br />
Now, Isadora Duncan was born in 1877ish - or 140ish years ago. Her death was 90 years ago. So how could this have all become so "Private"? Moreover, it could be, most likely is, made up. So the point of it is...???<br />
<br />
To me, this is the kind of error that they should have caught. As I said, I called them to let them know and they must have had a bad outbreak of ennui in customer service because "Dylan" didn't seem to think it was a problem. <br />
<br />
"It's more of an entertainment app than a quotable source."<br />
<br />
"But," said Dylan, "You could do the research yourself."<br />
<br />
I could. I could also jab a knife into an electrical socket. Doesn't mean that I will. And frankly, Isadora Duncan simply isn't important enough to prove. I have my lines to trace, Dylan.<br />
<br />
Like I said when they rolled it out - it's like a Magic 8 Ball. And this match reads "Outcome Hazy" or "Ask Later"<br />
<br />
What's next, Ancestry's Ouija Board Game?<br />
<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-63894014795744673402017-06-13T11:59:00.002-07:002017-06-14T14:15:20.915-07:00Family Car: See yourself as others see you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_TuhSv1VCNNt4-FBnoFYXKlidmc15LXF_HFMECJnsr6wsk31NVvs-R5o1CXLL1uNsYMdFNtY_jFTX1keq9Z8_TQhqASoS72bc1KUMlC4TQwxWo6IcFfv5ySF_K9IlpGYgygROo6Tofs/s1600/girl+with+camera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="940" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_TuhSv1VCNNt4-FBnoFYXKlidmc15LXF_HFMECJnsr6wsk31NVvs-R5o1CXLL1uNsYMdFNtY_jFTX1keq9Z8_TQhqASoS72bc1KUMlC4TQwxWo6IcFfv5ySF_K9IlpGYgygROo6Tofs/s640/girl+with+camera.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Today's picture offers a what looks like a lot less than we have had to work with than in the past when dating the car in an image. <br />
<br />
The image was copied from pictures owned by Florence Kling Harding, wife of Warren G. Harding, 29th President of United States. As a matter of fact, according to the Florence Harding collector - one of the best on the country, that is lady herself sitting in the passenger seat.<br />
<br />
The identity of the young woman on the bumper, taking the photographer's picture while they take hers is unknown.<br />
<br />
My grandmother used to call these pictures - where pictures of the picture taker were taken "See yourself as others see you" images. <br />
<br />
So, lets talk cars and what we know about this vehicle. First off, the car is wearing Ohio Tags from 1915. How do we know this? Over the woman's right shoulder, our left when looking at the picture is the upper corner of a 1915 Ohio License Plate. It has a distinctive design in that "OHIO" appear on a black rectangle along the that side of the plate. And OHIO isn't spelling out. It is in a "nested" design of an capital "O" with an capital "H" inside and a capital "I" in the center, which was popular back in those days. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj7ZwdsLV90ZpH-lno40Crqkc33P1JGJK9k14qb5NcI2pMhZMPrBKCky8TsFXXng3Na7pTUmkrDJrbXT2Sg2wftQ-7rGZYDlMG_Sh8J5vJZWK7oqgzTgpRD0xucwDjpHzf-ipT1I0s_w/s1600/1915ohio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="800" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj7ZwdsLV90ZpH-lno40Crqkc33P1JGJK9k14qb5NcI2pMhZMPrBKCky8TsFXXng3Na7pTUmkrDJrbXT2Sg2wftQ-7rGZYDlMG_Sh8J5vJZWK7oqgzTgpRD0xucwDjpHzf-ipT1I0s_w/s320/1915ohio.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1915 Ohio License Plate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
While the symbol for Ohio was used on the right hand side of the plate starting in 1913, and repeated in 1914, the rectangle fill was Red, and red's never really register in black and white photographs of the era quite as dark as black, which was used in 1915, which was the last year that <a href="http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/jpglps/US_OHXX_GI1.jpg" target="_blank">OHI design was used on the right side of the plate</a>. <br />
<br />
Had we not known that this was Mrs. Harding's car, we can tell by the length of the hood and the type of headlights that this was a vehicle of some stature. It is most likely a 1914 Cadillac based on the type of headlight and the placement of the coach lights. And the lights on the front of car are electric, not oil, kerosene or gasoline lights, the later had a tendency to explode if everything wasn't just so. The car has the added feature of a "bumper" bar, which the young lady sits upon.<br />
<br />
Bumper bars didn't start out as anything standard on a car. They were, in the 1890's through WWI and into the early 1920's something added onto most American automobiles. And this bumper bar is attached to the frame of the car. Most cars, specialty and high end cars excepted, rolled off the line with little more than the front wheels, fenders and the front tips of their longitudinal springs to protect anything from the radiator back.<br />
<br />
We can also tell from this picture that the car finish is clean and in good care. This leads me to think that the car is fairly new. To my knowledge, the Harding's had drivers as driving in this era wasn't very much fun, and starting and prepping a car for a trip took some time.<br />
<br />
And seeing as Harding was elected to the United States Senate in 1914, taking his seat in 1915, this car was probably kept in Ohio and rarely used as the Harding's lived in Washington D.C.'s Kalorama neighborhood while the Senate was in session.<br />
<br />
Normally, Mrs. Harding wrote in her albums carefully about who was in the picture when one was taken, but not this one. The young lady's name is unknown.Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-59138436667850702782017-06-09T08:22:00.000-07:002017-06-09T08:22:32.765-07:00Adoptee DNA Testing: The Pandora's Box of DNA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-VnEnZMFZvWpdUN2yKudsZXYn8XAVy6wchrjy_jZVTgZVAlNqlLPWhqlxAYJKOSNU725SKDwXTEW96F8arZY5v6bXIW5C1rr6jp-AVJdOVHHUcNSLkV5QwLYA0tX-IWhdxsssnbCDxM/s1600/dna-strand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-VnEnZMFZvWpdUN2yKudsZXYn8XAVy6wchrjy_jZVTgZVAlNqlLPWhqlxAYJKOSNU725SKDwXTEW96F8arZY5v6bXIW5C1rr6jp-AVJdOVHHUcNSLkV5QwLYA0tX-IWhdxsssnbCDxM/s640/dna-strand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When Ancestry rolled out it's latest onslaught - the affordable auotsomal tests - into the genealogy markets, a by-product of the tests became their use by adoptees to learn something about their genetic backgrounds.<br />
<br />
This is because not only have the big four test providers (Ancestry, My Heritage, 23 and Me and Family Tree DNA) provided users with an idea of their genetic make up - where your ancestors might have come from - but they also provide, in varying degrees matches to people who have DNA tests that matches bits and parts of your DNA.<br />
<br />
And this is where things are becoming sticky, and people are wondering what do I do?<br />
<br />
In our house, we used DNA testing on ourselves as something that we thought it would open doors with test. It was of special interest to my husband, because his mother was adopted out of New York State, where adoption records are locked down tighter than <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financialcareers/09/hetty-green-witch-wall-street.asp" target="_blank">Hetty Green's </a>purse. While we have been able to identify and confirm my mother in laws birth parents, by using both non-identifying information provided to her in the 1980's, and DNA testing, her birth parents descendants harshly rejected us by telling us not only do they not believe us, but even if it were true, they never want to hear from us again. That hurt.<br />
<br />
The problem is, every time my husband opens up his DNA Match page, there is his mother's niece/nephew test confirming that they have a relationship, and they are cousins. They may wish to bury their head in the sand, but the results are there for them to see. The onus is on them. <br />
<br />
Our feelings are that despite how they treated us, our door is always open.<br />
<br />
Because adoption laws drafted eons of years ago could not foresee the discovery of DNA, the mapping of DNA, and then the development of DNA testing for an avocational purpose, there is a very real conflict between the law and the curiosity of the human mind.<br />
<br />
It has created a Pandora's Box dilemma for adoptees. Do you keep the box closed? Do you open it?<br />
<br />
Human's, since the dawn of time have philosophically pondered the question "where do I come from?" Man and womankind figured out the mechanics of how a baby is made, born, lives and then dies. <br />
<br />
But what we haven't debated are the philosophical questions that arise from a legally valid closed adoption and the use of DNA testing by the adoptee and the possible outcomes.<br />
<br />
Consider these points:<br />
<br />
1) Does the use of the test give the adoptee a moral path to finding their birth parents?<br />
2) What happens when an adoptee is contacted by the children of the birth parents?<br />
3) If a birth parent has buried the memories down so deep, does the adoptee have a right to press the issue?<br />
4) At what point does an adoptee stop trying to reach out to birth parents and their families?<br />
5) If contacted, does the birth parents have any obligation to the birth child to answer questions?<br />
6) Would working through an intermediary - a disinterested third party - be of help?<br />
7) Are their professionally trained counselors in this field?<br />
8) Who's right and who is wrong?<br />
<br />
In Facebook groups, there are adoptees who have made breakthroughs. There are adoptees who haven't. There are supportive users offering suggestions on how to follow through, how to cope with the outcome. There are also group users who are insist that the rights of the adoptee to know the truth outweigh the rights of the birth parents.<br />
<br />
My fear is that this isn't being looked at enough from either side to determine if what are the possible outcomes, who can provide counseling to either side, how to support these people. There is also very real and moral question and even I am not able to word it properly. Who controls the birth right and the right to know. It used to be the adoption document and state laws. Now those legal proceedings can be easily circumvented.<br />
<br />
There are going to be people who have to make the decision on whether to open there genetic Pandora's Box, or not. Human curiosity being what it is, it is decision that should be weighed by people who are adopted, and now by people who have thought it is all behind them, now. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-17873462821799238072017-06-02T14:23:00.001-07:002017-06-02T14:32:39.645-07:00Advice from Martha Smith Standish: Keep it light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhlP6UuJpfbvru2k1mzKWEU48u0aJykzPpKW1yad0C-v3YmPrGhTOKGvlJZD1Zg4WJAKXws5fOv0jo54HjxR2WK3VcxLi6cI3s1zi4YU8LJgBIiaPAZhE7-0zEcNquvcVd09L35a7EZQ/s1600/Martha+Smith+Standish.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="301" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhlP6UuJpfbvru2k1mzKWEU48u0aJykzPpKW1yad0C-v3YmPrGhTOKGvlJZD1Zg4WJAKXws5fOv0jo54HjxR2WK3VcxLi6cI3s1zi4YU8LJgBIiaPAZhE7-0zEcNquvcVd09L35a7EZQ/s320/Martha+Smith+Standish.png" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Martha Smith Standish, Matriarch </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This entry is being given over to my friend and confidant, Martha Smith Standish.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>May you live in interesting times</i>"</span> ~ Chinese proverb</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
As many of you have noticed, unless you have been under a rock, we are living in interesting times.<br />
<br />
And it being summertime - we are past Memorial Day, after all - its time to go and see your family for reunions, weddings, and the like.<br />
<br />
Not that any of the readers of this blog would need this advice. But I am going to wag my finger just the same, and offer my best advice for cooler heads as the times and temperatures rise:<br />
<br />
1) <u>Remember, its a family gathering, reunion, picnic or party, period</u>. It is not a time to grind axes. How do you know this? Look around. Do you see a blacksmith? A grinding wheel? No? Leave your problems in the trunk of your car. Better yet, let go of them before you get there.<br />
<br />
2) Put on your best clothes. It shows that you respect yourself, the other attendees and the event. Best clothes are not a "wind" suit, cargo shorts or flip flops. <br />
<br />
3) Put on your best manners. Follow the Golden Rule.<br />
<br />
4) Do NOT allow yourself to talk about politics, to anyone. <br />
<br />
5) IF you are drawn into a discussion about anything political, change the subject, for example: <i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Jimmy was class President of the fifth grade last year? Super. Did you like you teacher, Jimmy? What was your favorite subject?"</i> <br />
<br />
6) Do engage family members in pleasant conversation about topics that will not, somehow, turn into politics. Acceptable topics include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Grandma's cooking was the best.</li>
<li>How about that show, The Middle?</li>
<li>Does Cleveland have a shot at the Series this year?</li>
<li>Could you pass me the salt?</li>
<li>I can't remember the last time I had a glass of lemonade this good!</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
7) If someone brings up politics, state that you think its </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
a) A good time for a walk;</div>
<div>
b) Ask you hostess if she has any old pictures, like her wedding album, that she could share;</div>
<div>
c) Turn on Lawrence Welk. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
8) Remember, how you say something can cause a misunderstanding:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Method one: "Margery, is that a <i>new</i> haircut?" Makes people happy. </div>
<div>
Method two: "Margery, is <i>that</i> a new haircut?" Makes people defensive. </div>
<div>
Method three: "Margery <i>what</i> did you <i>do</i> to your hair?" Makes you sound like a bully.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
9) Yes, we know that <insert a name> is ruining their < insert a noun> by <insert a verb>. No one needs you to point it out. Thank you.</div>
<br />
<br />
10) Yes, all of this may seem trivial. But family gatherings are not places to determine who is right and who is wrong. That shuts down communication. Builds walls. Causes hard feelings.<br />
<br />
And yes, you have a right to free speech. And yes, you also have a right to take a baseball bat to a wasp nest. That doesn't mean you should. You could also rob a bank. But would you? No! <br />
<br />
Same goes for political opinions.<br />
<br />
So for a couple hours, hold your tongue. <br />
<br />
For everyone's sake.<br />
<br />
Family is about being inclusive. Leave the politics to Facebook.Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-69971362845948923572017-05-30T09:05:00.003-07:002017-05-30T09:06:53.472-07:00How families dealt with the loss of a child. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrEYICUOwPN0IYW0PgZa8N9NcDY-TrerpWj_Ovz6Sbftt5-ZrRDzUebDdmv4iJ-pa49xQWDAyb9b6KFxpiseGomB4lMo3CcJHkLp0BuMG-sL80Go5kJvNkwbMEO7WFwVDEJcFcCYAJIA/s1600/1909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="801" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrEYICUOwPN0IYW0PgZa8N9NcDY-TrerpWj_Ovz6Sbftt5-ZrRDzUebDdmv4iJ-pa49xQWDAyb9b6KFxpiseGomB4lMo3CcJHkLp0BuMG-sL80Go5kJvNkwbMEO7WFwVDEJcFcCYAJIA/s320/1909.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Part of genealogy is being able to put yourself in the other person's shoes, because sometimes you have to think like they would think when you hit one of those "Why did they do that," brick walls.<br />
<br />
And some of the time, that revolves around the "discovery" of a child who was not part of "the family" as "the family" was presented to you. This can either be because of issues around conception, the death of a child or the loss of a child through adoption.<br />
<br />
In order to be a good detective, you need to take off the hat that wear that drives your moral decisions and outlook on life. What I mean is that if you approach a 1900's problem with your 2017 ideas about what people should do and shouldn't, you could be keeping yourself from understanding what happened and judging others on their actions. That isn't our role. Our role is to find out what happened.<br />
<br />
Taking that 2017 hat off also requires that you have to know the social history of the time you are searching, the cultural climate of the of the place you are searching, the economic conditions and the general wisdom of that time. You also need to research, understand and make sense of the circumstances that the family line you are researching was in at the time of the event, or person in question.<br />
<br />
Are you asking yourself the right questions, like:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why would they have needed to do this, or avoid discussing it?</li>
<li>What were their income pressures? </li>
<li>What kind of living conditions? </li>
<li>What were the priorities of survival? </li>
<li>How could their faith impact how they subsequently dealt with the loss because of death, because of illness or because of an adoption?</li>
<li>Where would the records be, and if they are not there now, where would they be today?</li>
</ul>
<div>
In a discussion forum online someone had posted a death certificate of an infant that they were trying to get information on. She was doing a search for a friend, and said friend's family didn't think that said infant was related, even though the parental information match her friends line. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And why?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because the family never said anything about the infant. So it couldn't be true. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And what do we need to do to make sense of this? Take off the hat of modern sensibilities. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1) <b>Why would the family have never spoken about this child? </b></div>
<div>
In our common era, now, the loss of a child is one in which grieving is discussed, supported and if need be can dealt with through therapy. In the era in which the child was born (WWI era) child mortality rates were higher. The loss of babies and infants was a more common occurrence. And the outpouring of personal problems was looked down upon. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2) <b>Couldn't the mother get help?</b></div>
<div>
If it was a working class family, the answer is unlikely from outside the family. Grieving was something to be done when there was time to do it. The house had to be kept. The other children had to be attended to. There wasn't the transportation or the income to pay for lots of doctor visits. And psychotherapy was still an abstraction. If you husband was working 12 hour shifts, six days a week in a steel mill, then things were hard for everyone. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3) <b>What were the mother's outlets for comfort?</b></div>
<div>
Other neighbors, other family members. The Church and faith. A visit to the child's grave, if known.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4)<b> If known?</b></div>
<div>
Many cultures called for the immediate burial of babies and infants. The idea was to deal with it quickly because life goes on - it has to. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have a cousin named Avrum Freeman who is buried in one of the Sons of Abraham Beth Jacob Cemeteries in Albany, New York. There are several cemeteries because the temple body today is an amalgamation of several congregations and have no idea which cemetery has his remains. Avrum died sometime during the night when the hospital swaddling became loose and blocked his airway. Jewish tradition was to bury him before sundown. It's the way it is done. And since my Aunt became emotional if you mentioned him, and my uncle clammed up - because this is how they dealt with their grief - it was never mentioned. We didn't even know he had a first name until 2002 when we found a copy of the death certificate. Again, it wasn't because they didn't love or want him, if anything, the opposite was true. But it took everything for them to function without him being there. <u>You cannot fully comprehend it unless you walk in their shoes in the time that it happened. </u></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5)<b> Why was a mother sent to a State Hospital after the birth?</b></div>
<div>
This is going to be the topic for the next blog posting on Friday. It's an important one that could answer a something that has been kept quite in the family for a very long time, and the reason will shock you. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
See you Friday. </div>
<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-54046849835786628722017-05-29T11:36:00.001-07:002017-05-30T09:08:07.470-07:00This Memorial Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZmE6lxKnGcP5dd3sSM-dh-cFRbcvpLiKyVMIx9Skqu-NY28tYIp3WBzhdqDJlzGOjAFvfMMu3FWeGTKQfswjZr2kNrrGutYZUDNucSMOpbN4VKDSqAzYDiyNX668NzQVkI4KAH-qub8/s1600/marv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="722" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZmE6lxKnGcP5dd3sSM-dh-cFRbcvpLiKyVMIx9Skqu-NY28tYIp3WBzhdqDJlzGOjAFvfMMu3FWeGTKQfswjZr2kNrrGutYZUDNucSMOpbN4VKDSqAzYDiyNX668NzQVkI4KAH-qub8/s640/marv.jpg" width="522" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
My father, Pvt. Marvin A. Koblentz served in the United States Army for ten months, 22 days, during WWII, before a heart defect (failure of the aortic valve to form completely in utero ) resulted in a Honorable discharge. He graduated from Law School then was hired by the Justice Department to resettle those held at Tule Lake Internment Camp. He was so shocked by the conditions, humbled by the people held by their government, that once the camp was decommissioned that he resigned from the Justice Department, and went into practice as a general practice attorney. He never turned a client away, because he wanted to make sure that every American had their fair day in court with the best possible representation. He had a family, he provided, he suffered more than most with person tragedy. He endured, but died in 1995.<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-39370592864695872512017-05-26T03:00:00.000-07:002017-05-26T13:14:10.673-07:00Advice Corner: Stop damning people for not meeting your expectations on DNA sites<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjzB3DE7tCZNq-JCc8qxBUy1Ls1bU_OYAIAczmY5dlzXTzSYQy2xmiUoF20SqknpuNMOSODtOmQzAzUEIfch6067doMbF4S7AqrqGMrIzRZ4d8eNrtwpULfjEUzDLZ8Op23-xk0YIHa0/s1600/dontfwmf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="960" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjzB3DE7tCZNq-JCc8qxBUy1Ls1bU_OYAIAczmY5dlzXTzSYQy2xmiUoF20SqknpuNMOSODtOmQzAzUEIfch6067doMbF4S7AqrqGMrIzRZ4d8eNrtwpULfjEUzDLZ8Op23-xk0YIHa0/s320/dontfwmf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got your results, but that third cousin has no tree? Well, fudge. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You have seen the commercials for DNA tests. <br />
<br />
Ancestry is the largest advertiser, but there are others. And they all have people or actor portrayals of "people" who are surprised by their DNA results.<br />
<br />
"<i>I want to learn more about my </i><Insert Nationality/Ethnic Group Name> <i>heritage</i>," they say, surrounded by Indian pots, or dressed in native clothes or on tour in their newly found ancestral lands.<br />
<br />
"<i>My parents made me take up German Lieder because they thought our family was from Munich, but according to my DNA tests, I should have been taking Italian Opera lessons instead!</i>"<br />
<br />
"<i>Take your genealogy further,</i>" and "<i>Let DNA break down those walls</i>" is the other hook.<br />
<br />
That's the marketing - opening doors through DNA testing.<br />
<br />
The problem is, DNA testing isn't a magic bullet, it isn't a panacea, and it sure isn't Gabriel's horn. It's a tool - a good one, when used properly, but it isn't being marketed as a tool. It is being sold as a life changing epiphany followed by some sort of catharsis.<br />
<br />
And what I am seeing online, however, is some real misplaced frustration and anger by people who seem to have lost their perspective on DNA testing. And this applies to adults - who should know better - who are getting angry with people they don't know. And not just one person - whole groups are being hit with telepathic anger waves.<br />
<br />
Why are they getting angry?<br />
<br />
Because these unknown people did a DNA test through one of the major companies got their results, but never set up or uploaded a family tree.<br />
<br />
Now, any adult or child with parents permission can take one of these DNA test as long as they play by the rules. The test gets paid for, the sample taken, the test is sent, processed and the results delivered to the person who submitted the sample or their proxy. Done. Period. Fin.<br />
<br />
THAT is DNA testing. <br />
<br />
But AncestryDNA, 23 and Me and FTDNA <i>also</i> have a genealogy component that is <u><b>optional</b></u>. And "optional" is define by Webster's as "Something available to be chosen, or not."<br />
<br />
And they are not putting their trees up or connecting them to their DNA results, or worse still having a tree that is PRIVATE and not letting anyone in to look at it. <br />
<br />
And that is what's setting normally sane people off.<br />
<br />
They rant and rave and rail against these people who have tested, gotten their results, and CHOSEN not to go any further, as if said person who has tested with no tree (<b>TWNT</b>) has done this to the person complainer.<br />
<br />
In one group a complainer said "I am so angry that this person who could be my first cousin doesn't have a tree online and said that they wouldn't put one online..."<br />
<br />
And my favorite "Why would they do this to me?" (I have visions of that person jumping from basement window to end it all.)<br />
<br />
Why? Time for tough love: Sweetheart, it's not always about <u><b>YOU</b></u>. It's their DNA test, and the TWNT person isn't that into you.<br />
<br />
Look, there are two types of people who take DNA tests through these service providers:<br />
<br />
1) People who think that putting a tree online is the thing to do, and,<br />
2) People who either don't want to go to the effort of posting a tree or don't care about it.<br />
<br />
It's that simple.<br />
<br />
And there is nothing and I mean <b>N-O-T-H-I-N-G</b> in the agreement from the test companies that say that putting a tree online is a requirement. <br />
<br />
And there is N-O-T-H-I-N-G that say that they have to respond to the other people with results, and that includes your your emails and queries.<br />
<br />
N-O-T-H-I-N-G.<br />
<br />
Yes, common courtesy would state a reply, even a nice "I'm sorry, but I cannot help you," is what one should do. In today's world, that doesn't always get done. It should, but it doesn't. <br />
<br />
And yes, I understand that it's frustrating as hell to have these results and not know how they fit or how to work them out. My father is Eastern European Jewish and I have over 7,000 matches on Ancestry and only a percent of small percent of people I have contacted have any clue how people could be related.<br />
<br />
But there are a lot of folks who need to understand that the TWNT folks are not doing what they are doing to be mean to you, to vex you, to withhold from you or anything else. And they probably don't care about the question raised most ("Why would they take this test and not publish a tree to go with it?") with TWNT's because this isn't about arguments. <br />
<br />
It is about <i><u>their</u></i> test,<i><u> their</u></i> lives, <i><u>their</u></i> schedules, <i><u>their</u></i> rights. If they never want to look at the results, that is <i><u>their</u></i> right as well. And trust me, when they look at their results and say thing like "German, well what do you know," and that's it.<br />
<br />
And, it's about you, a genealogy person, not understanding why someone else isn't into the hobby, the avocation, the vocation, as you are.<br />
<br />
So admit the frustration, commiserate, support, but stop being angry at others for not reading your mind and meeting your expectations. <br />
<br />
And?<br />
<br />
And learn to work around it. Most of the sites let you look at who the TWNT matched with - send these nice people a nice note, look at their trees, and so on. Or you can use genealogy to confirm matches you know about - and the good thing about this is it really widens your net when you prove that third cousin is your third cousin!<br />
<br />
But stop this misplaced frustration. <br />
<br />
It does you no good, and it certainly is not going make these TWNT people get in lock-step with your idea on how this should get done.<br />
<br />
Let it go people. Move on to other approaches.<br />
<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-79257308882095661542017-05-24T17:13:00.000-07:002017-05-24T17:13:04.409-07:00Well, we have had a DAY of it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTegvW2sufbB0ppN3kkhGcugsoRj6KyqIoZRhEosUV7OhQpV0XBTamqie4qljpAAFQ_jQbEQzmRwnnvKBddiVIrNJJFpPwEs9nLwM_jlzAqoV5GxrowkM26wCFrTpfLoTxNf5a6Vij7I/s1600/datinggamerwinner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTegvW2sufbB0ppN3kkhGcugsoRj6KyqIoZRhEosUV7OhQpV0XBTamqie4qljpAAFQ_jQbEQzmRwnnvKBddiVIrNJJFpPwEs9nLwM_jlzAqoV5GxrowkM26wCFrTpfLoTxNf5a6Vij7I/s640/datinggamerwinner.png" width="428" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We certainly have.<br />
<br />
I was going to pull a really great post together first thing this morning at 4:45am, EDST, we were awakened by the sound of a gun going off and then complete silence and total darkness.<br />
<br />
No one was shot, no one fired a gun, but the bloody Edison (power) went out <i>again</i>, for the fifth freaking time in 11 months.<br />
<br />
Well, that got us up out of bed because the battery backup alarms freak out the dogs. So we had to turn those off. And then the dogs were up. So I find a lantern and like Ma Ingalls I went down to the cellar where the breaker box is located when a SECOND gunshot sound went off and the whole supply line for the five houses on our block went down. <br />
<br />
Bloody Hell!<br />
<br />
So I get BGE on the line (the power company) and make two calls. First was to report that the power was out and the man - a human! - was as lovely as he could be. The second call was to a woman at the power company who assured me last month that our problem was fixed.<br />
<br />
I have been trying to tell these wonderful folks that the problem isn't the squirrels, but that the transformer on the line is bad - it is ancient.<br />
<br />
Well, my husband goes off to work because you can't do much without electric at 5AM that is productive - can't see to clean, or put things away, and the dogs can only go on so many walks and I decided to start sorting photographs out of the HUGE box that I have.<br /><br />Around about 7AM the first lineman arrives and I greeted him. He came back and announced it "was just a fuse."<br />
<br />
"No," says I. "It's the bloody transformer." <br />
<br />
To which he says "Nothing wrong with the transformer."<br />
<br />
Bastard.<br />
<br />
So about thirty minutes later I am heading out to the kitchen to get a Pepsi - because you can't have coffee if their's no power for the coffee Maker and I see the lineman climbing down the pole, and Praise be to Jesus, the lights come on and then...<br />
<br />
BANG - a loud one at that, too. I felt it in my body. More canon and less gun shot sound. And a huge cloud of blue vapor comes out of the transformer, and I didn't see the lineman!<br />
<br />
So out I ran, through two yards to find the guy pulling the ladder back. Thank God he was alright.<br />
<br />
"Much worse than before," says the Lineman. "I replaced the fuse, turned on the juice and the transformer went. Now it could be hours before we get this restored."<br />
<br />
Well, I could have been right or I could have done the right thing and keep my trap shut, which what I did, but I told that fine young man without a lick of common sense what was wrong with the blasted thing, but oh, no. He had to go and nearly kill himself before it became HIS idea to replace the transformer. <br />
<br />
So I walked the dogs and then got in the car and made a day for myself. <br />
<br />
But both the Husband and I are exhausted, so it may be tomorrow before the next post.<br />
<br />
I know what you are thinking - the silly idiot could have done a proper post instead of this venting. Tis true, I coulda. But I didn't. <br />
<br />
Now if you'll excuse me, I am heading off to relax before dinner.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-74061644030357754292017-05-22T03:00:00.000-07:002017-05-22T11:23:45.681-07:00Family Car Monday: With the war coming, Aunt Nan buys a new car<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
Going through my late aunt's pictures, we found this one with the note on the back: "With the war coming, I thought we'd better buy a new car before they stopped making them."<br />
<br />
If you have really studied American history from the late 1930's through the 1940's, you know that the nation slowly ramped up it's production of war goods even before December, 1941. The U.S. may not have been in the war, but it was involved in the war effort. American industry, after the Nazi's stormed into Western Europe in the fall of 1939, helped to support the United Kingdom in it's efforts to stave off Germany.<br />
<br />
My Aunt Nan, on the right with the white bow in her hair, was on high alert. She had reflexes like a cat when it came to getting news on the European front.<br />
<br />
In the 1940's she working as a durable goods bookkeeper for her employer. She saw that raw goods were getting harder and harder to get as world markets were cut off, and she also knew that what the employer was turning out was very different from what they were making when she went to work for them.<br />
<br />
Nan did her homework, and the car that you see pictured here is the car that she choose, a 1941 Studebaker Champion.<br />
<br />
First, how do we know it is a 1941 Studebaker Champion? This one is easy - Studebaker is written in script in the color band that extends from the prow back over the doors. There is also a "slim" "S" in the front of the prow, both hall marks of the Raymond Lowey designed Champion.<br />
<br />
How do we know the model year? We can tell that by the "electric shaver" style of front grill-work. If it had been a 1940 model, the shape of the grill would have been different, slimmer. And the same for the 1942 model, where the grill extended under the headlights. <br />
<br />
We know its Champion because of it's short length hood. The Commander and President models for 1941 were longer cars - much longer to accommodate Studebaker's "Straight 8" engine.<br />
<br />
So, why this car? Why a Studebaker Champion?<br />
<br />
<i>"Well," </i>said my aunt, <i>"I was a smart cookie. I listened to the news. I knew that gasoline was either going to become very expensive, or their would be shortages. And the Champion had the best gas mileage. And it was rugged, so I knew it was durable. And I could get it in a pretty color, because if there was a war, I knew I'd have to look at it for a long, long while."</i><br />
<br />
And Nan was right. Studebaker, which was the fifth largest builder of cars in the United States at the time spent a great deal of money on the Champion. Introduced in 1939, the car was an immediate hit because it was priced to match the lowest priced Chevrolet and Ford. The chassis was so well designed that served Studebaker until they built their last car in 1966. The Champion delivered mileage in the 20's to 30's at a time when most cars scored under 15 miles to the gallon.<br />
<br />
During the War, my grandfather put his Chevrolet up on blocks, and the family pooled its gas coupons for the Studebaker. <i>"A full tank would last weeks."</i><br />
<br />
And what did Nan do with this new car - she and my aunt Lynn, standing on the bumper out back, took a trip to Toronto, Canada. <i>"Susie needed a nice break in trip to loosen up the engine,"</i> said Nan.<br />
<br />
Aunt Nan named the car "Susie", as in Studebaker Susie, and it served Nan until 1948 when she bought a canary yellow Studebaker Champion Convertible and moved to Los Angeles. That car, too, was named Susie.<br />
<br />
<i>"I sold the second Susie in 1957. Things for Studebaker looked bad and Marvin</i> (my father) <i>was afraid I'd get stuck with an orphan. That's when I bought Susie the Chevrolet!" </i>This Susie, was, unlike the Studebaker's, a GM product, a 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible in yellow and white. <br />
<br />
Aunt Nan was nothing if not consistent, and she cute quite a sight, flaming red hair wrapped in a scarf, sunglasses and a Lucky Strike on her lips, tooling around Shaker in the Chevrolet.<br />
<br />
I asked before she died why the Impala - which had she hung onto it would have been worth a mint - wasn't named "Ina, or Ida, or some such?"<br />
<br />
"Stuart, honey. Don't be silly. Whoever heard of a car named Ida?"<br />
<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-21506630579209309622017-05-19T03:13:00.000-07:002017-05-26T13:29:25.118-07:00Time, neglect, etc. take a toll on Likens Cemetery<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS5M0-zaxmI32rt5sR6m8GZ90flNLAz-XxsZ0bo0eSgA9Dk1JBb2Aa5NmIEOjn57RQF6ijiFPmoSSxNdUw7Q5M7KADwA-BZzUrWa0g7Z9hTId2ZF5UHU0qYvOaNU-5uJ1HKaYznPIOfg/s1600/LikensCemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS5M0-zaxmI32rt5sR6m8GZ90flNLAz-XxsZ0bo0eSgA9Dk1JBb2Aa5NmIEOjn57RQF6ijiFPmoSSxNdUw7Q5M7KADwA-BZzUrWa0g7Z9hTId2ZF5UHU0qYvOaNU-5uJ1HKaYznPIOfg/s640/LikensCemetery.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Likens Cemetery, Marion Township, Marion County, Ohio, April 1942</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The picture above is of Likens Cemetery, also known as Likens Chapel Cemetery, sometimes known as "Lykens Chapel Cemetery" in Marion Township, Marion County, Ohio. It is located about 500 feet south of Likens Road, and about 1,500 feet west of the intersection of where Pole Lane intersects Likens Road. I have family there. <br />
<br />
Originally a cemetery for the Zuck Family, it grew and was added onto over the years and at one time served the families of Likens Chapel, one of four Methodist Episcopal chapels on a circuit ridden by Rev. Jeremiah Crabb Monnett. Around WWI, the frame structure was replaced with a brick building still at the corner of Pole Lane and Likens Road.<br />
<br />
By March 1, 1942 there were more than 300 burials at Likens, all with some type of marker. In 1976, there were only 130 markers. <br />
<br />
What happened?<br />
<br />
In March, 1942, the United States Government arrived in Marion County and evicted all landowners in an a roughly 11,000+ acres area for a war effort bomb making facility, the Scioto Ordnance Plant. Landowners and tenant farmers were given sixty day notices to vacant the land, and owners were paid a marginal amount for their land. There was a war going on, and many of the farms had grain in storage, livestock and equipment - all of which had to be removed or be forfeited.<br />
<br />
My mother's family lost a home built by my great grandparents and 80 acres. They were lucky. They could place the smaller farm buildings on skids and pull them across the road to the other eighty acres they owned, which also had a fine farm house on site. Still the house and big barn was left to rot, a process that continued even after the war when my grandfather bought back the land for more than what the Federal Government paid him just three years before.<br />
<br />
But many families left, and never returned.<br />
<br />
In the middle of this mess sat Likens Cemetery. From May 1, 1942 until sometime in 1945-1946, the grounds were off limits to all civilians, save for one day a year when a single bus of security cleared family members were allowed to visit the cemetery each year of the duration.<br />
<br />
This picture was taken in April, 1942, by a local Marion photographer. It is the only image that we have of the cemetery from that pre-war era. <br />
<br />
The first year, the bus was packed. What greeted people was a field of weeds and brambles as the prairie took back what was taken from it for the cemetery. The second and third years, the bus was less full and the condition of the cemetery continued to deteriorate.<br />
<br />
By wars end, the cemetery was made public again, but the burials almost stopped. Some family members came, dug up the remains of their family members and re-interred them at other, less vulnerable cemeteries.<br />
<br />
In 1953 the cemetery was overgrown and in a thicket of weeds and prairie grasses. My mother said that her mother had said that someone had DDT was sprayed to kill the vegetation, but no one cleaned up the dead and dying twigs, branches and brambles. By the following year, the over growth began anew. My grandmother was unable to find her grandparents graves, despite them having substantial markers. She never tried to visit them again.<br />
<br />
In the 1970s, a 4H Club took on a restoration of sorts of what was left. A white wooden fence was erected around the cemetery. NaChurs Plant Food built commercial barns next to the cemetery - I remember seeing my great grandparents stone in 1977 when we served dinner at a NaChurs share holders at a meeting, and I remember seeing my great great grandparents marker while walking to the barns where the event was being held.<br />
<br />
Today it looks nothing like the picture above. The grass is cut, the weeds around the stones have been killed with Roundup, and much of what was in the above picture, seems gone. An unknown number of older, broken stones are buried. <br />
<br />
There is no map showing were all the burials were. <br />
<br />
When the cemetery was walked and read (thank God!) in 1976 by Paul and Barbara Midlam - without whose work much would be lost - their reading was not done in rows, but by alphabet. So we have the names from 40 years ago, we do not know all of the exact locations.<br />
<br />
What is disturbing is not only the deterioration of the marble stones, but the speed at which they are dissolving. Ten years ago, these stones were still whitish. Now they are grey, dingy, with mold and mildew eating away at the carvings, the lichens fueled by the aerosolized fertilizers and ammonia sprayed on the fields to allow for no till planting. <br />
<br />
And you know what? Ammonia dissolves soft stone, like marble. Its in the environmental fallout from this soil conservation method. Its the perfect storm for decay, for mold for mildew. <br />
<br />
I am apprehensive about putting this story on the blog. I do not want to see the cemetery disturbed anymore than it is. I do NOT want to see people with good intentions going out and spreading chalk and flour over these old stones. DON'T DO IT!<br />
<br />
I do not want to see morons who find this post and decide this would be a great place for drinking and playing Spook in the Dark. (There is a private home immediately east of the grave yard, you have been warned.)<br />
<br />
I do want you to to stop and think about what time does to the timeless.<br />
<br />
Today, only about about 130 markers remain from the more than 300 that once were there, in the stones and foot stones in this picture exist. Either because of man-made neglect, or because the ravages of time have taken their toll.<br />
<br />
Here's an example at how far the decay has gone:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_AECHZk11_f51FpUhD_tdShId-437T96TrpnW-kGbzInL88G8g1bE38KL3viNIgMN2akoZqjve4h5vd36pu2O829zDnIJiugw0ZPsR-3zSh0CyPU6dYzAuE-FrjYSQ9DZsXUVUsxCpw/s1600/LikensCemeterymarble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_AECHZk11_f51FpUhD_tdShId-437T96TrpnW-kGbzInL88G8g1bE38KL3viNIgMN2akoZqjve4h5vd36pu2O829zDnIJiugw0ZPsR-3zSh0CyPU6dYzAuE-FrjYSQ9DZsXUVUsxCpw/s320/LikensCemeterymarble.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And today, 2017, this is what has become of the same three stones:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXZy1tRr-2zkfO_oFP83dKuSLEqQBtYKletXqDIzKwOOjRo17BhcCNHyg_Q3e6F4WfryBtTAbTp8us2NRxT-ZytItL6pjZs0BI5adEQ7PgD12Ud-jxcZCqDzsc-ZQWY3txqN813401uU/s1600/Threemarblestones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXZy1tRr-2zkfO_oFP83dKuSLEqQBtYKletXqDIzKwOOjRo17BhcCNHyg_Q3e6F4WfryBtTAbTp8us2NRxT-ZytItL6pjZs0BI5adEQ7PgD12Ud-jxcZCqDzsc-ZQWY3txqN813401uU/s400/Threemarblestones.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
Had I known that I had this picture from 1942, I would have taken a shot from that very spot. Maybe this July when I go back to Ohio.<br />
<br />
So my task to you, even this weekend, take pictures of things in your life that think will last forever. Have the pictures PROFESSIONALLY developed. Twenty years from now, or fifty, someone will thank you for the effort.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi059sSpKTUI2sZVNG2I4V4hXITwRw3NqaR_8EeItEG6iTw51874FctDBVBk-VubOZaYUkWQDQ7FQsxeXwnD1NvC1iEa2R7dM7EdlEUSbZnddcEZ7odrV2kKAfIN2U6ylpXxyEQzMW9hOY/s1600/unreadable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi059sSpKTUI2sZVNG2I4V4hXITwRw3NqaR_8EeItEG6iTw51874FctDBVBk-VubOZaYUkWQDQ7FQsxeXwnD1NvC1iEa2R7dM7EdlEUSbZnddcEZ7odrV2kKAfIN2U6ylpXxyEQzMW9hOY/s320/unreadable.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Placed for the ages, 160 years later, unreadable, Likens Cemetery.</td></tr>
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<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-916600057679776852017-05-17T03:00:00.000-07:002017-05-17T03:00:19.978-07:00How to deal with a family history "treasure" hoarder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7sS3rv9j1JLSWZiPPoeKRZ2jaRee4gOjhoUrQ-TYjjJaKSLqaV8RoP2gW8zfbA0J0UQHOFhzc_Qq5OdDrOSDSEfJWMixWQ0xHLYGR-YkedTYhwmYIUW1qs_UBYsjydm4jnC6hqUVX_M/s1600/hoarding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7sS3rv9j1JLSWZiPPoeKRZ2jaRee4gOjhoUrQ-TYjjJaKSLqaV8RoP2gW8zfbA0J0UQHOFhzc_Qq5OdDrOSDSEfJWMixWQ0xHLYGR-YkedTYhwmYIUW1qs_UBYsjydm4jnC6hqUVX_M/s640/hoarding.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Years ago when I was a college student in Ohio, I was warned about "Adelbert". Adelburt was a local character, known for throwing outrageous parties, and was a direct descendant of a major royal family through one of the lesser lines. And Adelbert loved to hold court. He was, how do you say, a unforgettable.<br />
<br />
Adelbert's house was filled to the gills with antiques, newtiques and just plane weird stuff. But one things Adelbert had were pictures of his famous ancestor who reigned over a western European country for many a year.<br />
<br />
Somehow I found myself a guest of Adelbert's through a neighbor of mine who knew someone who was in Adelbert's inner circle. Lucky me. Right? Meh.<br />
<br />
So I had the chance to visit with Adelbert and I said "This is an amazing collection you have of your ancestor, chit, chat, chit, chat..." Adelbert told me all about his search for this ancestor's image, how he was related, and then said that "whenever a university gets a new book on (said ancestor) I take my Olfa cutter and cut the pictures out the books for my collection."<br />
<br />
Evidently, my face went white as a sheet and I gave away my abject horror at Adelbert's wanton vandalizing behavior because he said: "Well, (said ancestor) is my blood and I should have their picture, after all they are my family."<br />
<br />
Never mind what he was doing was criminal, and could land them in the pokey. But had I known which library he was going to strike at next, and had I done nothing to stop it, on some level, that meant I was aiding him. No. No. No. I wanted nothing to do with this. <br />
<br />
Needless to say, I excused myself, and I left - never to socialize with Adelbert again. He was a criminal, and I wanted nothing to do with him or his problem again*. <br />
<br />
This is an extreme example, but it is an example of the types of "genealogical treasure hoarders" you can come across. Usually, it is the person who borrows a family picture and never returns it. Or its the person bidding against you at your grandfather's auction for the family photo album because, again, even though it is your grandfather, he was their third cousin, twice removed and its "(my) family, too." <br />
<br />
The genealogical treasure hoarder doesn't want a copy of his grandmother's sister's second husband's grand niece by marriage. They want the original. And they are driven by a mania to get them so you, or anybody else can't see them.<br />
<br />
So what is fueling this? Mental health issues, plain and simple. These folks have lost all sense of perspective. I have a couple in my my family. They'll call up and say "I have this picture Susan's that is marked 'Murgatroyd's Doe' - isn't he your ancestor?" And you'll say "not my family, but call your cousin Abbie - it's her family line." Six months later you get a call from Abbie asking if you know where she can get a picture of Murgatroyd, and you find out that not only has she the person who called you, but that they claim none exists. <br />
<br />
Classic hoarding behavior.<br />
<br />
Tread lightly with these folks. <br />
<br />
If they ask to borrow originals for copies, give them two copies - both a normal res *.jpg and a high res *.tif. Because I can guarantee you that once they borrow the only known picture of your 4xgreat grandmother, you'll never see it again.<br />
<br />
If they insist on seeing the original, do it in such a way that you retain control over you legacy.<br />
<br />
The better way is to simply publish. Outfits like BLURB and other family publishing companies do amazing things with books. Then people like Adelbert can have their own copy, without resorting to cutting the faces out of the book for their own crazed purposes.<br />
<br />
<br />
*But I did contact local libraries, advised them to keep an eye out. Evidently, somewhere down the way he was caught and banned.Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-74468839562117917822017-05-15T08:31:00.000-07:002017-05-15T08:31:03.455-07:00Family Car Monday: Surrounded by family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJO5nCU510tYCaYzAMJIBTgsiQ7_oq3zhRJajsWhyphenhyphenipdbOGaIUGNSzNL6UPSHwDjnoKXu1zL-ug2I4eRLtBxIoiaWq3WYNAlBotyki_Hacft1qdcB2cp6QNue9ELZ-Y7og0GlHkOkuec/s1600/lucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJO5nCU510tYCaYzAMJIBTgsiQ7_oq3zhRJajsWhyphenhyphenipdbOGaIUGNSzNL6UPSHwDjnoKXu1zL-ug2I4eRLtBxIoiaWq3WYNAlBotyki_Hacft1qdcB2cp6QNue9ELZ-Y7og0GlHkOkuec/s1600/lucy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
Have to take today off regarding the Family Car. We are surrounded by family having just hosted Thanksgiving in May. A full house of 11. Yup, 11. That breeze you feel is the air coming out of inflatable mattresses. A good time was had by one and all. Lots of folks who are departing throughout the day. We'll be back on Wednesday!Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-5098632782928263012017-05-10T05:19:00.000-07:002017-05-11T08:32:24.337-07:00If you are going to meet someone about shared family, read this.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGp4vxXeiYTx_UU9lWMnVDRJx0-8hmI_g14NJPq_nnCbFU83IdAeBVT3MnzWbhyphenhyphenSJrIJC8zGkiq3DfasW8mii-aG6Fawux-e0jGiFzK8MV1i99STi9gLH6Rqt1eFGndKTDEqgR1hnwAc/s1600/another+story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGp4vxXeiYTx_UU9lWMnVDRJx0-8hmI_g14NJPq_nnCbFU83IdAeBVT3MnzWbhyphenhyphenSJrIJC8zGkiq3DfasW8mii-aG6Fawux-e0jGiFzK8MV1i99STi9gLH6Rqt1eFGndKTDEqgR1hnwAc/s400/another+story.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miss Hortense is bored. But Master Julian is attentive and open to learn more. </span></td></tr>
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One of the things that confounds me, constantly, is how people's minds wander. I say that because if my brain wasn't attached goodness knows where it would be.<br />
<br />
We all have those days, those topics, those moments when we lose sight on the purpose of our task.<br />
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When it comes to meeting with distant relatives, or making connections with people who have agreed to share information, images, documents - whatever - that can aid us in the search for our ancestors, we have to sometimes remind ourselves to be on our best manners.<br />
<br />
This means looking your best, being prompt if you are arriving (or forgiving if they are coming to you), and being prepared with paper, pencil, and having anything you wish to share with them ready.<br />
<br />
All of these points show that you respect their time, their help, and their interests.<br />
<br />
Other do's and don't include:<br />
<br />
DO accept a beverage if offered. The are extending an invitation. However if the conditions prevent you from feeling comfortable, a simple decline with a smile will do.<br />
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DO NOT be unorganized - you will be wasting their time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4YBWiJTAeNktmHgH1nCmpHETJVP0J9Na2k2fdvvf9yfozKrFKrC-J6EmduYGngRenvCRhevTVSZ721AN6ZCx5oH-ObI0QL_aA-vSQlmTfvVTs7G6T631nQ8k6vOf5UWJO_HmQkKTKPM/s1600/happynhigh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4YBWiJTAeNktmHgH1nCmpHETJVP0J9Na2k2fdvvf9yfozKrFKrC-J6EmduYGngRenvCRhevTVSZ721AN6ZCx5oH-ObI0QL_aA-vSQlmTfvVTs7G6T631nQ8k6vOf5UWJO_HmQkKTKPM/s200/happynhigh.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be nice, be sincere.</span></td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
DO exchange pleasant, chit chat and conversation. It is considered poor manners to sit down and only conduct business. The weather, the traffic, etc. and so on.<br />
<br />
DO NOT hoard what you know. This is not a debriefing. If they ask for things that you do not have, or will need to copy, make a list and follow through after you leave.<br />
<br />
DO stay on the family line at hand when the conversation comes around to genealogy. If you have to jump to a different line, stick to those of common interests.<br />
<br />
DO NOT veer into family lines that do not involve them. If you are talking about the shared Blue family, do veer off into the Orange family. It may interest you, but trust me, they are most likely are bored if it doesn't involve them.<br />
<br />
DO listen to them - God gave us all two ears and one mouth. And if they begin to veer off onto another family line (<i>"Well Mariah Catherine was a second cousin of Shirley's husband and they descend from blah, blah, blah..."</i>), be polite, and carefully steer your end of the conversation back to the matter at hand. Be kind, when you do it. Some people ramblers.<br />
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DO NOT overstay your welcome. If you are both having a lovely and productive time and finding stuff out that both interests you, know when to leave. It is better to leave them wanting more then feeling exhausted by you.<br />
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DO cover all your bases if you agree to meet for the first time in a library, or other safe space, DO call ahead and ask if they have a small conference room or study room where you can talk and see if you can make advance arrangements. <br />
<br />
DO NOT get caught unprepared.<br />
<br />
DO send a thank you note. Sounds a bit redundant after the smiles, and the waves good bye. But it really leaves a good impression.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2S0GnKMASv5VNT6SiwN3b1ns6hdYhsc_irk5KmDIYTsnQFIrVsMy7YJPrME2Bv7RLpanqIwCK0hpJVvoINRLegxEE1UhyphenhyphenU1TUe6eJilX7mmpI-rJTl6R3BODe7NwwD83u188BEniCjk/s1600/h-armstrong-roberts-woman-holding-hands-up-to-face-with-shocked-expression.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2S0GnKMASv5VNT6SiwN3b1ns6hdYhsc_irk5KmDIYTsnQFIrVsMy7YJPrME2Bv7RLpanqIwCK0hpJVvoINRLegxEE1UhyphenhyphenU1TUe6eJilX7mmpI-rJTl6R3BODe7NwwD83u188BEniCjk/s320/h-armstrong-roberts-woman-holding-hands-up-to-face-with-shocked-expression.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't cause this reaction. Really, just don't.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
DO NOT spill any shocking family gossip. On that first visit, if you share negative stories, gossip or laugh about someone else, it tells them indirectly that you would do the same to anyone, even them. Save the intrigue for a later visit.<br />
<br />
Finally, the last DO. If you are unsure about someone, or going someplace unfamiliar - and this goes for genealogy or <i><u>ANY</u></i> visit or meeting- make sure someone knows where you are going, when you are getting there, when you plan to leave and what route you are taking. Then call that person when you return. It'll make you feel better.Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-4476047639942030182017-05-08T06:08:00.000-07:002017-05-08T06:08:06.785-07:00Family Car Monday: Inside, looking out onto 1935-36<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDb0lkW2ntW98iJWLSrLhEYLnbiR4Kmq1UgOK-UaCC7GLDwG6SZwWc2jZ9J3L3uB15OAEXifSNpTyq4GKuagqBsu8Kf4qqGZbMR4FpQG9QcZbYP7RryxrjI7lpxOWzBRtF-p2LH1bGj3E/s1600/probably+around+Jackson+Mississippi+on+their+driving+trip+across+US.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDb0lkW2ntW98iJWLSrLhEYLnbiR4Kmq1UgOK-UaCC7GLDwG6SZwWc2jZ9J3L3uB15OAEXifSNpTyq4GKuagqBsu8Kf4qqGZbMR4FpQG9QcZbYP7RryxrjI7lpxOWzBRtF-p2LH1bGj3E/s640/probably+around+Jackson+Mississippi+on+their+driving+trip+across+US.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Today's "Family Car Monday" tells a different story. Instead of identifying a car, we're looking from inside a car at the surrounding's on the outside - a street scene if you will - and we'll use the cue's to give us a rough date on an image.<br />
<br />
This picture was taken during a family trip (not my family) to the gulf coast. The back of the image says "Jackson, Mississippi?", and it may well be.<br />
<br />
So how do we find a possible date for this picture? The car's, of course!<br />
<br />
The wagon's excepted, we can tell one thing, right off the bat: The car that the photographer is riding in was produced from the early 1930's onward into the early 1940's. We can tell this by the rounded curves of the window frames. <br />
<br />
As American automobile manufactures entered the 1930's, they discovered that eliminating squared corners from metal stamping eliminated the need to patch in right angles in the stamping's because the steel could conform to gentle curves verses right angles. <br />
<br />
And if we look at the cars parked on the street, the cars are early 1930 style newer cars out on the street, from left to right also have these types of window stamping's, while the while the car to the right of the third car reverts back to a 1920s style Touring car. And from there, what other cars we can see are mostly 1920 and earlier 1930 bodied cars. <br />
<br />
But its that third car - to the left of the wagon, that holds the key with its rear fender over the rear wheel. That rounded fender, which is rounded and fuller than the other fenders on the cars that we can see is a shape that comes into popularity in the mid 1930's. The other thing to notice is that the front door has a vent window - you can see the vertical of the post.<br />
<br />
So my best guess is that car is a 1936 model Chevrolet.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkm3T_WV6RUIVkvcP7uhPbCVpvx2RFVYPWNlwnkH4_s2_sbMIu0oI72W4mJjBWlFkcLpIQBsY0wUx1DZlWaHbY-Fun52mSR7K0nRosoZva_sC8Ul_ouorCd8VUi4-AuBtvS4E6IYx7XU/s1600/1936Chevrolet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkm3T_WV6RUIVkvcP7uhPbCVpvx2RFVYPWNlwnkH4_s2_sbMIu0oI72W4mJjBWlFkcLpIQBsY0wUx1DZlWaHbY-Fun52mSR7K0nRosoZva_sC8Ul_ouorCd8VUi4-AuBtvS4E6IYx7XU/s640/1936Chevrolet.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advertising art frequently stretched the body of smaller cars to make them appear larger. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, the 1935 and 1936 Chevrolet's looked similar, but the 1936 model had one giant improvement. 1935 Chevrolet's featured <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_door" target="_blank">"suicide" front doors</a>. This meant that the front doors were hinged at the back, on the "B" pillar. In 1936, after customer feedback, they reverted to front hinged doors, which is what this car has. How do we know? The door handle is positioned at the back of the car door.<br /><br />
If I am right then the picture was take after November 2, 1935 when the 1936 model was taken. And given that its the only car with the pontoon style fenders, that it was taken early in the model year.<br />
<br />
So when you are looking at a picture and they are cars parked all around, look to the styling cues. Those can give you a ball park on the date of the image.Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-75425094945313953742017-05-07T11:27:00.000-07:002017-05-07T11:27:06.998-07:00Sources matter: Therefore, because of this, is illogical, and it's wrong<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSp9wMNllgOGqwYZNfZWJQgPN2L50dPbjRNNYWPKY03Tc_OeguZGOuQREfpmMVKSH-HX-9HiRU3bHBun9JocinaKfhM0SW-evb2_dgOWT1Rwp6vUFZp_p4lKZu-LqOid0Ftxo_vf2ZMI/s1600/maequestil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSp9wMNllgOGqwYZNfZWJQgPN2L50dPbjRNNYWPKY03Tc_OeguZGOuQREfpmMVKSH-HX-9HiRU3bHBun9JocinaKfhM0SW-evb2_dgOWT1Rwp6vUFZp_p4lKZu-LqOid0Ftxo_vf2ZMI/s400/maequestil.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When you take a college level course in introduction to philosophy, you learn that there are certain types of arguments that are built on falsehoods, also known as fallacious logic.<br />
<br />
They include, but are not limited to:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Post Hoc Ergo Promptor Hoc</b>, the "therefore, because of this" argument.</li>
<li><b>Straw Man</b>, where you attack by twisting your opponent's position and words</li>
<li><b>Ad Hominem</b>, Where you attack the other person instead of building a sound argument for yourself. </li>
</ul>
<div>
In genealogy, the culprit that people will use, or in reviewing other people's work find, is the Post Hoc Ergo Promtor Hoc. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What a Post Hoc logic statement does is allow people to make a conclusion based condition, instead of making a conclusion based on a review of verifiable evidence. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So when you draw a conclusion based on a trend, or a pattern of repeat, and think "Well 'this' is true because in the past 'that' has happened to others. Therefore it has to be true in this case as well." And an example would be: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>"Jon Smith is in the 1880 U.S. Census in Bentonville, Arkansas, age 2/12, therefore he was born in Bentonville."</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>"Barbara Tischman was last enumerated in the 1910 census as living in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and since she died at the end of the month that the enumeration, she died in Ambler, Pennsylvania."</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"It says in this will that Estil Hogson left all of his worldly goods to Evelyn Waugh. Since Evelyn is a woman's name, she must be in the census somewhere, but I can't find her." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
See that leap of faith?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is an old Yiddish saying that goes something like this: "Nist gastroygen und nist gafloygen." The literal translation is that "it did hop up and it didn't fly." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Jon Smith could have been born in Hickory, North Carolina, or Havana, Cuba. 1880 that type of journey could be easily been made in 60 days. And as for Mrs. Tischman, she could have been visiting in Ambler on the date of the census, she could have lived there, and then moved. People die all the time in different places. Just because a fact exists on one day, doesn't mean it applies to a person in a few. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And as Evelyn, can be a woman's name or a man's name. Same for Beverly. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So today on Ancestry I found something that really bothered me. It involved my father's family.</div>
<br />
<br />
Some well meaning person took it upon herself to include my father's family in her tree. She is not related, except by marriage. And what I found was a leap of faulty logic that really hit me wrong.<br />
<br />
First, I know that you never trust anyone's internet tree. Secondly, I know that you can look at it, or ignore it.<br />
<br />
Here's why I looked at: she had named my father's sister Betty, born Bessie, but was in this persons tree as "Basheve". <br />
<br />
This caught my eye because 1) No one in the family ever said that Betty, born "Bessie" was ever named "Basheve". 2) No one in my family would ever name their child after a deceased relative, ever.<br />
<br />
The tradition in my paternal family, which is different than most European Jewish families, is to take an initial of someone who has died recently and give the baby a name that begins with the first letter. And you never name a baby after someone who is living, ever.<br />
<br />
So when I was born, the last of seven grandchildren, they had to reach back - way back, to my great grandfather Schumulia, and thus from that my mother chose Stuart. My Hebrew name is Shalom, not Schumulia. My father's first name is Marvin, for his maternal grandfather, Mowsha, and dad's Hebrew name was Mendel. <br />
<br />
"Basheve" is my great great grandmother's name - no last name that we know of, yet. So when I saw that her great grandmother's name was applied to my Aunt Betty, something was very off.<br />
<br />
So I wrote a very respectful note and asked if this person had sources, because if she did, I would be very happy to know of them. <br />
<br />
She did not. <br />
<br />
"I saw it on another tree and its fits with the Eastern European Jewish tradition of naming children after deceased relatives..."<br />
<br />
Here's the problem with making assumptions, it looks like you are jumping from one conclusion to another. And when you are dealing with Jewish genealogy, these little assumptions make for huge mistakes.<br />
<br />
And because these early conservative shuls (an Orthodox Synagogue, a Temple) on the east side of Cleveland don't exist anymore, finding those records would be a miracle.<br />
<br />
So I wrote to her and asked, in a kind fashion, if she would drop Basheve as a name from the tree because their is no factual foundation. Without responding to me, she did make that correction. And I am grateful that she did.<br />
<br />
But the point is, I shouldn't have had to ask because she shouldn't had made that leap. <br />
<br />
She shouldn't have taken it upon herself to publish that.<br />
<br />
It didn't hop up, and it didn't fly with me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-33531943927388818992017-05-03T06:30:00.000-07:002017-05-03T06:30:17.530-07:00Wednesday - taking a day off.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSvnPqPXOd14mkpGiw5ZgAqSZbtVPhfEWyruiiuNXrYD3ROSYbAswB5QjzRpORuvKsgGM7g2aY1RPyIQNnDBO2xI05okVju3CuOAFNidPQ9gjXcaX0W2coDOyUCfweQ4cWycspJfyQE8/s1600/jeannie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSvnPqPXOd14mkpGiw5ZgAqSZbtVPhfEWyruiiuNXrYD3ROSYbAswB5QjzRpORuvKsgGM7g2aY1RPyIQNnDBO2xI05okVju3CuOAFNidPQ9gjXcaX0W2coDOyUCfweQ4cWycspJfyQE8/s640/jeannie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Taking a mental health day off. See you Friday!Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-74122207746861910352017-05-01T07:10:00.000-07:002017-05-01T07:10:12.531-07:00The Family Car: The "Nash"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXKEUnFxXqvvC2Fuhnvh58nezILE7WdsM837ppbhTUzaUvY6OmbLR95usbAIddjeMkFMEbPT49rAmOfFlUDChmjXJUIbaYaYxASsUwkCMQubrtXJyDVmgBnsOOvhvO3KQeHgl5OcCMSM/s1600/Malcolm_0109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXKEUnFxXqvvC2Fuhnvh58nezILE7WdsM837ppbhTUzaUvY6OmbLR95usbAIddjeMkFMEbPT49rAmOfFlUDChmjXJUIbaYaYxASsUwkCMQubrtXJyDVmgBnsOOvhvO3KQeHgl5OcCMSM/s640/Malcolm_0109.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a what?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
If its Monday, it's Family Car day here on Your Genealogy Matters.<br />
<br />
Today's car picture comes from the Malcolm and Turner families of Crawford County, Ohio. In the driver's seat is young Kathryn Malcolm, "off to pick up Earl" according to the back of the image. <br />
<br />
The bigger question is what is Kathryn driving?<br />
<br />
Katheryn is the behind the wheel of a 1926 Nash Advanced Six sedan. Instead of steel disc wheels, it sports the optional wooden "Artillery" wheels that many owners preferred over the early steel disc wheels, which gave a "harsh" ride.<br />
<br />
So our second question is - for those of you too young to remember - what is a "Nash" and isn't that an odd name for a car?<br />
<br />
The Nash was a product built by the Nash Motors Company, or Kenosha, Wisconsin. Originally the Jeffery Motors Company - incidentally the company that built the first "Rambler" automobiles in the early 1900's, Nash was named for Charles Nash, one of the best men in the automobile business. Nash had previously been hired by Alfred Sloan, the Chairman of General Motors, to fix the mess created by William Crapo Durant, the man who conceived General Motors and built it up in it's early years. Durant, who was a visionary, lacked discipline and twice almost destroyed GM in his role as President.<br />
<br />
Charlie Nash was very disciplined, and he could have had the permanent office of President of GM, but he longed to build a car that he knew GM would never commit to. So he approached Jeffery Motors and bought the company.<br />
<br />
Nash was smart and hired a young Finnish engineer by the name of Nels Erik Wahberg to head of development of the forth coming Nash automobile line in the nineteen-teens. The car that Nash and Wahlberg produced was a marvel. It was durable, comfortable and trouble free. <br />
<br />
And in the 1920's, Nash developed a reputation for building outstanding autombiles, a reputation that it maintained the mid 1950s. In fact, Nash introduced the "Ajax" brand car, a priced competitively in the "affordable" market that was the first low priced automobile with breaks on all four wheels. In its second year, the Ajax was renamed the Nash Light Six.<br />
<br />
This particular car was large, powered by Nash's Advanced Six engine, which in the 1920s was one of the more powerful sixes on the market - and this is long before 8 cylinder cars became the rage. The Nash was good for a rip roaring 70mph sustained speed, and this at a time when a model was good to do 40.<br />
<br />
These were not inexpensive cars - but they were everything and more that the company promised.<br />
<br />
Of note, in the 1930's, Wahlberg developed the "Weather Eye" system for Nash, making it the first car brand to eliminate dust, excess humidity and drafts in its closed models. And by the early 1950s, Weather Eye would be the first automobile air conditioning system designed to fit under the hood instead of the trunk.<br />
<br />
But also in 1950, Nash reintroduced the Rambler, as a compact. And as the decade wore on, Rambler sales eclipsed that of the larger Nash automobiles. Nash merged with Hudson to form American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1954, and in 1957, the final Nash automobile was built as the company put all of it's capital into the Rambler brand.<br />
<br />
In the late 1960s, AMC bought the Jeep brand from Kaiser Manufacturing. And Kaiser had acquired Jeep when it bought out Willys Corporation, formerly Willys Overland - the company where Charles Nash got started in the car business.<br />
<br />
AMC ceased business in the mid 1980's when it was acquired by Chrysler for its lucrative Jeep. division, itself.<br />
<br />
In the case of Nash, its family tree is as twisted as many of our own family trees. <br />
<br />Funny how that works, isn't it?Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-25808222419422513102017-04-28T06:37:00.000-07:002017-04-28T07:22:25.367-07:00It's 3 AM. Do you know where all your data is?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_I9kYzq-7Lg9frMP1dnDsyO6hzwyZYIZk8SQQTkMtCPkfrkFDL2E4s4o5cfsrWEN_-I58nX0xmJs42uQ31If_AdxiONjBRxocEC7fRCJ4Yzt8lI2r3G13NDd4fdxl7ChtgNehGbxDO8/s1600/old-hard-drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_I9kYzq-7Lg9frMP1dnDsyO6hzwyZYIZk8SQQTkMtCPkfrkFDL2E4s4o5cfsrWEN_-I58nX0xmJs42uQ31If_AdxiONjBRxocEC7fRCJ4Yzt8lI2r3G13NDd4fdxl7ChtgNehGbxDO8/s400/old-hard-drive.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The other day we found a box that had been packed when we moved from Ohio to Maryland some four and a half years ago. As I was unpacking it, I found a thumb drive (USB Jump Drive) that had been in that box for four years. <br />
<br />
It got me thinking. Did I even remember it was missing?<br />
<br />
I received my first computer in 1989. It was a hand-me-down from someone that I had dated at the time, who worked with computers. I can't tell you the name of the machine - it was something from a minor manufacturer - except it ran DOS and was really limited, came with a green on black CRT and about the only thing it was good for was word processing, and even at that, was pretty useless. <br />
<br />
My first REAL computer was in 1992, and it ran Windows. Then came the next computer, and the next, and then a new one approximately every three years. <br />
<br />
Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 7 and now Windows 10.<br />
<br />
And those are just the desktops. There were laptops, too - used for genealogy, and book writing and research. Now I have a Mac Book Pro that confuses me to no end. I am a Windows person.<br />
<br />
But with all this machinery, there also came exterior drives, thumb drive and portable drives, all bigger and faster then their predecessors.<br />
<br />
This isn't even counting my husband's drives, computers and the like.<br />
<br />
But as I stood there holding the thumb drive, it dawned on me: <b>Do any of us really know where all of our electronic storage devices are?</b><br />
<br />
Now think about this - can you account for every disk, every hard drive, every thumb drive, every portable drive, every home server and all of the cloud content that you have access to and contains your data?<br />
<br />
Doubtful, is my guess.<br />
<br />
And where have you stored your genealogy files, family picture scans and DNA RAW files?<br />
<br />
I know that we frequently remind people to back it all up, and store a copy outside of your house.<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>But we seldom remind people that you have to manage the storage sites and the storage devices.</u></i></b><br />
<br />
Misplace one USB thumb drive and after a while, do you know its even missing? Do you know what data is on it that now is missing? Have you ever taken an old computer to the basement just to get it out of the way until you figure out what to do with it, and it's still there? And what is on the drive(s) of said computer?<br />
<br />
More frightening - who is going find that device?<br />
<br />
If you don't, could someone else? <br />
<br />
Are they going use, look through it, or toss it?<br />
<br />
And here is something else to consider - do your storage devices work? What about that thumb drive that went through a flooded basement? If you have your Great Uncle Clem's genealogy work that you have been meaning to transcribe for the past twenty years, is it on a 5 1/2 floppy disc from the dark ages of personal computing? What about 3 1/2 inch floppies? Does you computer even have a drive that can read them?<br />
<br />
Unlike photographs that we can make prints of if we have a negative with a scratch, if your storage medium with electronic data begins to degrade in one spot on a disk, you could lose everything on that disk.<br />
<br />
Folks, if you handle a photograph with white gloves, but toss a plastic cased jump drive into a purse, backpack or briefcase and then leave it in a scorching hot car for hours or days, or years, and think nothing of it, there is a very real disconnect going on.<br />
<br />
So, here is my challenge for the last weekend of April: This weekend go through your house, your office your basement, your attic and your storage locker and all of your drawers in every room and round up every disk, jump drive, portable drive, every old computer and find your "storage" and look to see what is on that storage. If the machines don't work, set them aside. Make a list of your cloud storage sites - a tangible list. <br />
<br />
If you don't need the drives, destroy them. If you do, label them. Find a safe place in your house and lock them away. (HINT: Not in your bedrooms - Thieves look for valuables in bedrooms.) <br />
<br />
There are some links below on how to destroy a hard drive, because you never, ever, just toss them.<br />
<br />
My point is, drive management is important - make it part of your spring cleaning and organizing. <br />
<br />
And its just as important as backing up your data. <br />
<br />
But know where your data is.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/09/29/how-and-why-to-destroy-old-flash-drives.aspx" target="_blank">How and Why to Destroy Old Flash Drives</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.inc.com/tech-blog/2009/05/organizing_your_flash_drives.html" target="_blank">Organizing Your Flash Drives</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/the-right-way-to-destroy-an-old-hard-drive/" target="_blank">The Right Way to Destroy Computer Hard Drives</a><br />
<br />Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978412811885145112.post-65842061249604607042017-04-26T06:23:00.000-07:002017-04-27T10:56:28.706-07:00Canon Law Relationship Chart: "Show your work"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrUcpT1rRAT2LOWSPV-Qr5ssRBtWanfd8WdWdQlMelfujKFvtzV5MR-xh5QpjmxP7kBlZg7pDv1rHEqySwvU4J4w0QnEGU6pmTF267aplGP_mUUR2Y8yyrYZsEhYVq4A6ft-S1cK7G4o/s1600/502px-Canon_law_relationship_chart_svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrUcpT1rRAT2LOWSPV-Qr5ssRBtWanfd8WdWdQlMelfujKFvtzV5MR-xh5QpjmxP7kBlZg7pDv1rHEqySwvU4J4w0QnEGU6pmTF267aplGP_mUUR2Y8yyrYZsEhYVq4A6ft-S1cK7G4o/s640/502px-Canon_law_relationship_chart_svg.png" width="536" /></a></div>
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Remember when you were in junior high, or middle school, and the math teacher gave you a problem to solve: 5+X=8.<br />
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Any first grade graduate could look at this and know it is three, but if you answer was "3", you got the question wrong with a nasty little note that said "Show work".<br />
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This chart is a lot like that "Show work" comment. To know that you understand the foundations of that answer, you need to know how the whole thing works.<br />
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In the olden days - before computers, like 1978, we used <b>canon law relationship charts</b>, like this one to calculate how one person was related to one and another person.<br />
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Today, just like in algebra, you push a button and you get your answer. But how do you know that the computer program got to that answer?<br />
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It is important that even IF you have a computer, and who doesn't that you understand how this chart works.<br />
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So let's agree on two basic premises:<br />
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1) The chart we are using was written out in a chauvinistic fashion. It uses "males", when it should be gender neutral. I know that, I recognize that. But this is what I could get my hands on that is free of copyright restrictions, via wikicommons.<br />
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And<br />
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2) People who are related to one and other through "blood" share a common biological ancestor. The inverse of that argument is, biological descendants of a common ancestor have named relationship.<br />
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We are going to use this chart to determine that relationship.<br />
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Just like Glenda told Dorothy that journey's begin at the beginning, this chart works one way - from the top down, and it starts with the "C.P." or <b>common progenitor.</b> This is the person that both people have in common. So for this chart to work, both people's lines have to be traced back to a point where they share a common progenitor, or common ancestor(s). If John knows who his ancestors are, and Mary does not, then Mary had better get cracking. <br />
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But if both John and Mary know the name of the common progenitor(s), the one person (or couple) they share, then we can work our way down this chart.<br />
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So let's assume that John and Mary are cousins, and let's give them one of the most misunderstood relationships that most people thing that they have with cousins: The Myth of the "Second Cousin"<br />
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John is the grandson of Max and Ida, and the son of Jane.<br />
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Mary is the great granddaughter of Max and Ida, the granddaughter of Martin and the daughter of Emily.<br />
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Now, many, many people think that because Martin and Jane are brother and sister that:<br />
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1) John and Emily are first cousins - which is TRUE. And because they are cousins, that makes,<br />
2) John and Mary second cousins, right?<br />
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I mean think about it. You have a cousin and that cousin has a child so the the child's relationship must be a second cousin because second comes are first, right?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMcKcHp5Uvr2sXGziYqQqij_yfRRzROK0rxUwLRtiATJoBgjI-XJ4r67JPyc8UYfq48FVanweOQLaT5_HpKaBbEu6pmHnEYDrug0qp73ubqUfNexakk2og47hwPDJJQbUh87wK7_yb8U/s1600/rottensmile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMcKcHp5Uvr2sXGziYqQqij_yfRRzROK0rxUwLRtiATJoBgjI-XJ4r67JPyc8UYfq48FVanweOQLaT5_HpKaBbEu6pmHnEYDrug0qp73ubqUfNexakk2og47hwPDJJQbUh87wK7_yb8U/s1600/rottensmile.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you, Pearl?</td></tr>
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Well, you would be <b><i><u>wrong</u></i></b>. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVY7ISvGYINHmkKc1WgXHOmFCVi8T5i-sZZtGkawODf2iUIgnF-mkAujAZmEQfFN5dlSsVBt4wVuiKbbgHK9ns4Mhxn3YOSDbkW1JAMSKd7hlvjVb06oTrrWLvF-AKyt4RJWmZPif-_O0/s1600/clutch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVY7ISvGYINHmkKc1WgXHOmFCVi8T5i-sZZtGkawODf2iUIgnF-mkAujAZmEQfFN5dlSsVBt4wVuiKbbgHK9ns4Mhxn3YOSDbkW1JAMSKd7hlvjVb06oTrrWLvF-AKyt4RJWmZPif-_O0/s200/clutch.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can this be? </td></tr>
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That's right: clutch your pearls, Pearl. They are not second cousins.<br />
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Why, because <u>full cousins have a relationship of equality</u>. They have a relationship that is, on both sides, equal from the shared common ancestor. And we know that John is two generations from his grandparents, and Mary is three generations from the same man and woman, Max and Ida.<br />
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So how do we figure it out? <br />
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To the Canon Law Chart!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vow0Fd5-Yp3fpwts43Qi5qnD7DYNtj7ueZ-O594UQDOx1ofywpbEFYNbQj7DK0oxD-pvpDPHuXj2wDT36XGfIDYKratjet3BVcp4oukkDrtdWWjRxtm0NQ_aug4RjxN4ci6C6p2XygM/s1600/Canon_law_relationship_chart_cousins2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vow0Fd5-Yp3fpwts43Qi5qnD7DYNtj7ueZ-O594UQDOx1ofywpbEFYNbQj7DK0oxD-pvpDPHuXj2wDT36XGfIDYKratjet3BVcp4oukkDrtdWWjRxtm0NQ_aug4RjxN4ci6C6p2XygM/s640/Canon_law_relationship_chart_cousins2.png" width="536" /></a></div>
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Now this is all color coded out for you, but lets just work with me, OK?<br />
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So lets put Max and Ida in the green outlined diamond.<br />
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Let's put Martins (blue) family line along the left had side, and Jane's (yellow) along the right.<br />
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And we count down each side one diamond for each generation. That means Mary would fall into the fourth diamond on the left and John into the third diamond on the right.<br />
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Now we go inward along those lines and the diamond where they meet (the green diamond) is the diamond that tells us the relationship: First cousins, once removed.<br />
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Yes, they are first cousins, and when you add in the generational shift of inequality, that shows the times (generations) removed. This is the clarification of the unequal generations.<br />
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When will the ship right itself? When John father's a child. Then that child and Mary will be second cousins because they are an equal number of generations removed from the C.P., in this case Max and Ida.<br />
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Yes, there are short cuts, but just like you memorized your times table in elementary school, this is essentially the same thing for genealogists - a multiplication chart for relationships. The good news that you don't have to memorize it, you just need to play with it and understand it.<br />
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Memorize this concept and you can wow and amaze your friends. Moreover, you will become the oracle that others seek when they are confused. And when you can explain the generational shift that comes with the "times removed" you will leave non genealogy people slack jawed.<br />
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But if you get how the canon law chart and how it works, then you know the foundation for calculating relationships.<br />
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Coming Friday - Do you know where your storage really is?Stu Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06009349053694765625noreply@blogger.com2