Business of Living

Wow!  Seven months!  I had not expected starting a new part-time job would lead to another part-time paid hobby that would take me away for so long.

Things are starting to settle down now into a good routine and with everyone finally on the mend now from this flu season, I can have some time to myself...and the deceased.

I have a little bit of time to work on the family tree during the freebie holiday season but there have been no major breakthroughs.  ...At least none that I remember.  See, this is why we need to write things down!  I am just getting into my 30s and already the memory is slipping!

I hope to get stories back in gear by the end of the month but I make no promises.


In the meantime, if you are looking for something fun with a retro flare, try The House Wives Tarot. If some of the cards do not make you chuckle, you could do with some more house work!

Free Census Independence Weekend Finds

Two weeks since my last report and what do I have to show for it?  The short answer is little in comparison to the amount of time elapsed but here is a quick run-down, despite the hot temps and evening thunderstorms which threaten to cut my internet connection at any time.

This 4th of July weekend is free, FREE, US Federal Census viewing on Ancestry.com.  That means all US census records from 1790 to 1940 can be viewed and attached to your family tree for free!! 

I only learned about this last night and already have punched through some minor brickwalls.  I found my grandmother's grandmother's (Anna Guy Selye) sisters' families - right where they are supposed to be - and have cleared up the question of why she would go to Connecticut, as noted in this post.  Answer: she went to visit her youngest sister, Mary Ceclia Guy O'Brien, and her family.  Through this, I was also able to sort out more of the O'Brien family tree and find that those members are thriving along the eastern seaboard.

Another cool find was the afore mentioned Anna with her family, husband Devillo and four year old daughter Harriet, in the 1892 New York State Census on FamilySearch.org (view the full census image here; bottom of fourth column on the right).  The surname Selye was completely redefined by the enumerator as Sealey!  (Which only then makes me think: Posturepedic!)  Sadly this census is not free on Ancestry right now, nor does it contain new tantalizing information about the researched individuals but it is one more record off the list.

Whilst not part of the census collection, a death record indexed appeared for Anna's sister Helen Guy Phelan Davis.  Since I already know Helen's death date, I did not think that there would be much to concern myself with until I noticed that Helen and Anna's father's full name was listed: Clinton Alexander Guy.  I had long suspected that Clinton's middle name was Alexander, after his father, and now I finally have the proof.  The sad part is that this index is not just an index, it is a copy of the original record... AND, I have just missed great deals on getting that record.  Ancestry.com just had a half-off subscription rate and Pennsylvania increased their birth and death record copy costs this July 1st from $10 to $20!  Though to be fair, Pennsylvania is putting those extra $10 toward child welfare services.  Guess I will have to wait for the next sale.  Patience is a virtue?

For the time being, I will continue to search through both sides of my Mother's family tree for census records while they are free through Sunday.  ...Off for a Pepsi 8-pack mini run now but when I get back, I am going to patiently look through all 88 pages of the Santa Clara, California 1870 US census with the hope of finding Anna's husband Devillo with his first wife Juana Sanchez.  He appears in the California voter registration for that area from 1868-1871, so I am hoping that Devillo is missing from the 1870 census due to transcription error and not lack of recording by enumerator.

Have a happy and safe Independence Day weekend!

The Camelizer

Here is another awesome money saving tip I just found...and it's FREE!

It is called The Camelizer.  It is a nice little addition to your internet browser that only shows up when you use Amazon, Best Buy or NewEgg.

Just look at their product info:

Features

• View Camel price history charts without leaving retailer product pages.

• Easy access to the complete price history data on our site.

• Works on Amazon (US, UK, DE, FR, JP, CA), Best Buy and Newegg.

• Supports Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

This is my own "research" on the gidget for the Becoming an Accredited Genealogist book I am hoping to get with all my $5 Amazon redeemed SwagBucks!  This little addition shows you the lowest price, highest price (and not just Amazon's price but sellers on Amazon as well), create a price watch, and you can view price fluctuations from 1 month up to 1 year.  It sits as a tiny brown camel button next to your "favorites" star on the Chrome browser...and did I mention it does NOT cost a dime?! 

An Unlikely Place to Discover Genealogy Notes

In a recent book acquisition from PaperBackSwap.com, I was surprised and intrigued by genealogy notes inscribed on the back inside cover.  The book is the Scottish Clans & Tartans by Ian Grimble, circa 1973, and upon inquiry to the sender, the information did not belong to their family.  
There is no other indication of the prior owner; only the deft, neat hand describing the immigrant ancestors.  I reproduce them here in the hopes of finding someone for whom this information might be of use, assuming the original inscriber is no longer around.

Back cover overview

(10 mins later...)
Well, there are at least two family trees on Ancestry.com with the great, great grandparents listed with references and a quick Google search has those same ancestors well researched in the History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Vol. 2.  So, perhaps this is just an interesting artifact of traveling possessions.  It also serves as a reminder that we can find genealogy gems any where, not just family bibles!

Transcription

James Henry McCracken
1200

Great Grandfather Stockdale's
(Grandma Hanna's father)
Mother was a Ferguson

Great
Grandmother Stockdale was
a Latham and her mother
was a Davidson

Grandma Hanna's grandfather
and grandmother Stockdale
came fr/ Ireland when
about 6 years of age,
Robert Albert + Susan Davidson Latham
Susan Davidson was the
daughter of Lewis and Mary Davidson

(Webster ancestors)
Thomas Gore - came fr/ Ireland (1700's)
Laurence Richardson - " " " (1728)







Was this book previously in your family and now you want it back?  Shoot me an email make arrangements.