Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Organization, Meetings and Coats

Where is the month going? I have been busy organizing my data for the research trip I mentioned earlier. I may be going in February, which is sooner than I had expected. I always consider myself very organized, until I start going over all the information I have accumulated. I find that I need to STOP putting it in more than one location. Most frustrating. I am more and more trying to put my notes and list of things 'done' and 'to do' on the computer. As much as I love paper, it is too easy to put it into more than one notebook, etc. But of course, it is also easy to put information into more than one folder on the computer - but at least I try to get it all in one large overview folder on the computer. I THINK that is a step forward!  What do others do?  I have friends who do absolutely everything on the computer - some who just haven't come into the 21st century yet and have it all on paper.


The wonderful consequence of having a blog is the number of people who see it, read it and comment. The problem afterwards is to get these people to respond to MY response to them. The way the blog is set up, comments can be made and unless they leave an email, you don't have any way of answering them except through the comment section of the blog. Which I guess means they have to come back to the blog to see it. Unless of course they become a "follower." I find this most frustrating.

I went to the local LDS Library in Mesa, AZ yesterday. I don't get there near as often as I would like. It is about 45 minutes away, but an easy drive. The plus to yesterday's visit was that I stopped on my way and had lunch with my son and a friend of his from work on their lunch break. But the frustrating part is that no matter how many films I view, I swear that I only find something worthwhile on maybe 10% of them. As I was leaving, some woman commented she had had a good day as she broke through a brick wall - I should be so lucky!  I always wonder exactly what their definition of a brick wall is compared to mine. I have a list of over 100 films and several books I would like to review. At a cost of renting the films at $5/each - well you can see it might be cheaper to fly to Salt Lake City (which I have done) and look at the films for free. The last time I was in SLC, I was able to get through about 32 films in 3 days. That almost paid for the flight!  Who wants to go?

I need to get ready for the GenieGirls meeting here tomorrow. And, of course, work on getting more information ready to have at my finger tips when I get to Syracuse - oh, and buy a COAT!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Planning a research trip

I am planning a research trip to New York, probably in March. My husband is doing some work there, so this is a great opportunity to not only be with him and to save him a trip back home that weekend, but to do some research in the area he is in - which also happens to be very near the area where some of my ancestors settled.  Most of my ancestors came to Michigan from New York. Before that they were in the New England area - Massachusetts/Connecticut and some in New Hampshire. The surnames I will be concentrating on are Lane and Rhoades. This is a somewhat shortened list of those I will be researching in the Lane family:


1 Roswell Lane b: 15 Apr 1740 in Killingworth, Middlesex, CT, d: Aft. 1806 in Ira, Cayuga, NY

...... + Sarah Dudley b: 17 Oct 1744 in Guilford, New Haven, CT, m: 25 Aug 1766 in East Guilford, New Haven, CT, d: Aft. 1800

............2 Ezra Lane b: 02 Feb 1768 in Killingworth, Middlesex, CT, d: 15 Jan 1859 in Ira, Cayuga, NY

............ + Sarah Chapman b: 20 Feb 1774 in Sharon, Litchfield, CT, m: 06 Mar 1793 in New Marlborough, Berkshire, MA, d: Bef. 1850 in NY

..................3 Almira Lane b: 1794 in Litchfield, CT, d: Aft. 1870 in NY

.................. + James M. Watson b: 01 Apr 1788 in Halifax, , Nova Scotia, Canada, m: Abt. 1810, d: 18 Apr 1859 in Huron, Wayne, NY

........................4 Female Watson b: Abt. 1810 in NY

........................4 Male Watson b: Bet. 1815–1820 in NY

........................4 Syreno J. Watson b: 1818 in NY, d: 1871 in NY

.......................+ Mary L. ? b: Mar 1823 in England, m: Bef. 1841, d: 1907 in NY 

..............................5 Norman Watson b: 1841 in NY

..............................5 Frances Watson b: 1845 in NY

..............................5 Nelson B. Watson b: Nov 1846 in NY, d: Aft. 1930

..............................  + Margrett Jane ? b: Jan 1851 in NY, m: Abt. 1880, d: 1907 in NY

....................................6 Ross A. Watson b: 18 May 1888 in NY, d: Aft. 1930

..............................5 Eliza A. Watson b: 1849 in NY

..............................5 George Watson b: Jul 1851 in NY

..............................  + Mary J. ? b: Aug 1853 in NY, m: 1873

....................................6 Eunice M. Watson b: Sep 1878 in NY

....................................  + Raymond Bailey b: Jan 1876, m: 1896

..............................5 Edward Watson b: 1861 in NY

........................4 Female Watson b: Abt. 1821 in NY

........................4 Female Watson b: Abt. 1825 in NY

........................4 Female Watson b: Abt. 1830 in NY

........................4 Male Watson b: Abt. 1830 in NY

........................4 Male Watson b: Bet. 1832–1835 in NY

..................3 Lovina Lane b: 1796 in Litchfield, CT, d: Aft. 1823

..................  + William Earle m: Bef. 1823

........................4 Adeline L. Earle b: 1823 in NY, d: 08 Mar 1890 in Sterling, Cayuga, NY

........................  + Heman Myers b: 1806, m: Aft. 1841, d: 23 Oct 1889 in Sterling, Cayuga, NY

..............................5 Hellen Myers b: 23 Jan 1854 in Sterling, Cayuga, NY, d: 14 May 1863 in Sterling, Cayuga, NY

..................3 Roswell Lane b: 10 Apr 1798 in Litchfield, CT, d: 28 Aug 1870 in Hannibal, Oswego, NY

.................. + Jerusha Rhoades b: 16 Aug 1802 in New Marlborough, Berkshires, NY
..................3 J. Dudley Lane b: 20 Feb 1800 in Litchfield, CT, d: 21 Oct 1863 in Cayuga Co., NY

..................  + Clarissa Parish b: 1805 in NY, m: Bef. 1828, d: Aft. 1870

........................4 Martin Lane

........................4 Antoinette Lane b: 27 Jun 1828 in NY, d: 29 Aug 1839 in Cayuga Co., NY

........................4 Alfonso Lane b: Abt. 1835 in NY, d: 16 Aug 1848 in NY

........................4 Dudley Lane b: 1839 in NY

........................4 Clarissa Lane b: 1843 in NY

..................3 Laura Lane b: 1802 in Litchfield, CT, d: Aft. 1870

.................. + Richard P. Watson b: 01 Jun 1796 in Nova Scotia, Canada, m: Abt. 1819, d: Bef. 1870 in NY

........................4 Lauraette Watson b: May 1829 in NY

........................  + George D. Grannis b: Mar 1827 in NY

..............................5 Charles W. Grannis b: Apr 1849 in NY

..............................  + Frances ? b: 1848 in NY, m: Bef. 1870

....................................6 Fred D. Grannis b: 1871 in NY

....................................  + Emma E. ? b: Feb 1871 in NY, m: Abt. 1896

....................................  + Gertrude A. ? b: Abt. 1890

....................................6 Jessie B. Grannis b: May 1874 in NY

....................................6 Florence Grannis b: 1878 in NY

..............................  + Laura ? b: Dec 1860 in NY, m: Abt. 1880

....................................6 Paul M. Grannis b: Jul 1883 in NY

..............................5 Florence Grannis b: 1860 in NY, d: Bef. 1870 in NY

..............................5 Martin F. Grannis b: 1863 in NY

........................4 Male Watson b: Abt. 1820 in NY

 Roswell and Sarah Dudley actually had three children, including: Luman/Lumen Lane and Sarah (Sally) Lane who married Ira Cowles.  Some of the Cowles children settled in NY. I have not been able to track Luman down with any confidence. The Lanes reproduced like rabbits (not Roswell and Sarah), and there are several Luman Lanes around the same time. Roswell and Jerusha Lane are my 5th greatgrandparents.  They had Ezra Lane, married to Sarah Chapman. Ezra and Sarah had 11 children, with some staying in NY and others going to MI or KS. Ezra and Sarah had Roswell Lane, married to Jerusha Rhoades.

Jerusha's parents (wife of Roswell Lane #2) were David Rhoades and Jerusha Hitchcock. Jerusha Hitchcock was David's second wife and Jerusha Rhoades was an only child. David had eight children by his first wife, and I think some of them followed him to NY. 

Roswell and Jerusha Rhoades Lane had 13 children, with 9 living to adulthood. Their daughter, Sarah Ann Lane, married Brooks B. Hazelton (my 2nd great-grandparents), this couple settled in Michigan. Some of Roswell and Jerusha's other children stayed in NY and I will check on what additional information I would like to have for them.
 
So what are my steps for getting started on planning this trip?  First and foremost, I need to update my data on the Lanes and Rhoades. I also need to update the data I downloaded to my iPhone more than a year ago. More on all this another day. I ought to get busy!


Monday, January 9, 2012

Start of a book!


This morning, I took the first steps in creating my book on Garth and Edna Beckington and their courting year before their marriage in February, 1906. I now have an ISBN number. Of course, that is the mere beginning. I need to figure out how I am going to lay out the book, exactly what I am going to include, get in touch with cousins who have not responded to my "memories" request, get my family history in order and foremost, decide which of their many letters to include. I certainly can't transcribe them all (especially Edna's long, rambling 'epistles') or include them all. The family history section will be the first task completed. I am submitting my revised and rewritten manuscript (for lack of a better word) to my writers group this Thursday. I will also ask for their help, in the future, in figuring out which letters to include and how many, and get general recommendations on my final format. These ladies are knowledgeable, direct, interested and it has been exciting and fun to be in this group.

I am also going to do another McMemories this month.  This newsletter for our McDougall family, was started in the Summer of 2000. It has been fun for me to do, others to read, but probably not so much for everyone to contribute to it. I know that they enjoy reading it and keeping up with everyone. It started with my sister, Pat, and me. It has grew to include my father's two surviving sisters and brother. We still hear from one of the sisters, Aunt Mildred. Uncle John has passed away and Aunt Phyllis is no longer able to contribute. We also have contributions from various grandchildren (of Ken and Margaret Beckington McDougall) and are now even starting in with articles from the great-grandchildren. I consider it a historical record of the general comings/goings of our family, and the /births/deaths/marriages that have occurred over the years. I hope others do too.

Happy Birthday to my husband, Bruce!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Correction on Robert FitzRandolph's blog entry

I want to thank my cousin, Rebekah, for making a correction on the history of Robert's ancestor, Edward FitzRandolph. Edward was the first immigrant to New England. He did not come with his parents, as I had indicated, but came alone. Rebekah has done a great deal of research on the history of both the FitzRandolphs and the Beckingtons in England and early New England, and she is most gracious to share it with me - and, therefore, all of us.

December meeting of GenieGirls and other Miscellaneous

I didn't know how many members would be able to make it for our December genealogy study group meeting, but only two had conflicts. It was a good meeting. At the request of MaryLu, everyone brought a 3-generational pedigree that included the person they are researching for our upcoming Mesa Library visit. This helps to get everyone focused on what they want to accomplish. MaryLu is very familiar with the Mesa Library and an experienced genealogist, so she is taking lead on this activity. Everyone is excited. One member called after the meeting, got her database installed and was making entries for the first time. I think we have at least two other members who are in the process of doing this.

We then discussed doing a "case study" starting in March or April (depending on work that will need to be done after the February Mesa trip). Everyone is going to focus on a "problem" in their family - keeping it simple right now - they will do what research is necessary to bring it up-to-date, state the problem, indicate what they are looking for and make a list of what they have already done. We will then discuss it at a meeting and depending on what the problem is, we will either make suggestions to her or, if she needs help, assign volunteers to help her research for solutions to the problem. We can then discuss at the following meeting the results and, possibly, make further suggestions. This could lead to solving a problem, new finds and/or maybe a more in-depth lesson about how to go about researching a particular area or situation. Should be fun!  Everyone has ideas and different levels of expertise and it will be wonderful to share and learn.

Keeping up with extended family:  It was great to hear from a distant cousin this Christmas. Bob is the son of my paternal grandmother Bessie's brother, Frank. That makes Bob my first cousin, once removed. He and his wife, Wilma, are retired and currently live in Florida. She brought me up-to-date on their children and grandchildren. It is always exciting to hear from family. They will be moving back to Michigan later this year to be closer to their children.

Woo-hoo!  I read four of Edna's letters yesterday. I am up to late October - they marry in February. Getting near the end. I need to start figuring out how I am going to publish (and pay) for this book!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  We made it through the holidays. It was busy and we had a great time, but now I need to get back to "work."  I have several projects I need to concentrate on over the next few months. First, this blog, which has taken a back seat to family (as it should), friends, baking, dogsitting, visitors, etc. All has been wonderful - all is over!

I have edited a family newsletter (McMemories) for several years now - the first one was dated the Summer of 2000! Where does the time go?  This was mostly started to keep my extended family in touch with each other, apprised of family happenings and get stories or memories of various events and family members down on paper. There is now be a wonderful historical and written record of events for the future generations. It has worked pretty well. Sadly, there have been deaths, but also, marriages and births to celebrate over the years. This is published once a year now, and I have just sent out an email to gather information for our 22nd edition (some years we did more than one). I am eagerly awaiting the emails that will send me stories and information for this edition. I hope I can get it sent out by the end of January.

Next, I need to get back to the book I am putting together on my grandparents: Garth and Edna Childs Beckington. This book will include a 3-generation summary of their family history, transcriptions of some of the letters they wrote to each other during their courtship and memories I am collecting from various grandchildren. I am still reading letters (OK, so I need to get back to doing that on a regular basis) and collecting memories.

In between that, I still belong to a Writers Group and need to WRITE. Not sure what my next topic will be. I did have an article in the Ypsilanti Gleanings (Winter 2010) on the McDougalls. I do have more information on them for a second article (and even a third someday), bringing them down through history to almost present day.