Dead Reckoning, New Web site, and New Blog

 

Great News!  My latest book is now available. 

Dead Reckoning is my attempt to share our heritage with the next generation. It’s about a German Russian descendent who wants to track her family tree when she discovers a co-worker dead and learns of a long-lost relative connected to a haunting murder.

Find your next mystery Dead Reckoning, A Rosalind Schmidt Genealogical Mystery at Dead Reckoning.

 For more info, and a copy of a free E-book and updates, sign up at www.annabartkowski.com. And check out my new blog, too.

#mystery #genealogy #karma #Arizona #Russia #Germanic #familyhistory

My Family Tree on Disney

I saw a commercial on Disney Channel entitled "My Family Tree." It focused on a young girl and her family who traced their ancestry back to early California. Their journey included a visit to her great grandfather's home (there may have been more than one great) which he built many years ago.

I was excited to see Disney "commercializing" family history and genealogy so I went to the Disney Channel web site for more information and initially found nothing. I did a google search and discovered these two vignettes on www.youtube.com and realized I had seen both air on Disney Channel, too.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXv_dz-yR2I


www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DVR9sM6sI0

I had no luck finding the California search but I did find other blogs such as Thomas MacEntee's Geneabloggers at http://www.geneabloggers.com/disney-genealogy-family-tree-series/ which talk about the forthcoming show...but what happened to the actual show? Most blogs indicate the "show," not a series of commercials, was to debut in November 2010. Maybe it did?

If you have heard more about this show, please share any information you have. I am curious about this one.

Susan Sarandon's search inspires me...

Susan Sarandon's story on "Who Do You Think You Are?" http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/ inspired me in so many ways. I always admired her honesty and independence, but I have to admit I enjoy seeing the "stars" of this show so natural, without performance makeup, just as themselves. I applaud their efforts to trace their history.

Susan's search struck a chord with me. She hunted details about a grandmother she never knew. Her name was Anita and she left for destinations unknown when Susan's mother was only two. Consider the fact that Anita was only 13 when she married and you can understand what a different time it was in the early 1900s.

Ultimately Susan tracks down the house where her grandmother lived, less than an hour from where Susan grew up. So close, yet Susan was pleased to learn her grandmother enjoyed the later years of her life.

One of the reasons I started my family history journey was to understand why my father grew up without his father. He did ultimately have a wonderful step-father in his life, but my step grandfather passed away years before I was born.

Johannes Dalhaimer was my grandfather's name. He left the family home in the summer of 1925. Some say he was never seen again. Others say he briefly returned the day my father was born.

There are clues but I have not landed a link yet. Could he have gone to Flint, Michigan? Did he return to Fresno, California? Could he have gone back to Mariental? Since my grandparents followed the harvest when they came to the United States from Russia, did he have the energy to go back to it? I have met cousins who now live in Washington and there was a connection, but nothing after 1925.

In the meantime, I will continue to enter the ancestry.com $20,000 giveaway at http://www.ancestry.com/and hope that will be the key to discovering the story of Johannes. But, if you have any ideas and what else I can do, please send me your thoughts and encouragements. I always wanted to uncover this for my Dad, but since he is in heaven, he already knows. Now I want to find out for me.

Emmitt Smith is next on "Who Do You Think You are?":

and I anxiously await tomorrow night. Can they keep the momentum of genealogy going? I think Lisa Kudrow is off to a fantastic start with this series. She has the right celebrities in place to make this seven part series an on-going event.

Be sure to watch it Friday night.

Tip # 3...Take a tour of cyndislist.com with family members

October has definitely arrived! As I sat on my patio, sipped a cup of Black Silk java, and watched the sun brighten behind the clouds, I was immersed in the pleasure of October. It was the perfect preparation for our entry for the 3rd day of Family History Month.

Tip # 3...Take a tour of cyndislist.com with family members

Cyndi Howells created a family web page in the early 1990's. At the invitation of her local historical society, she presented a workshop on how to use the Internet to conduct family research. Cyndi, a genealogical Internet pioneer, compiled a list of 10-15 Web sites she used frequently. Her list was a hit and attendees requested extra copies and more links.

Since her workshop, her list has grown to over 264,000 links to her home page. With so many connections, a beginner or sophisticated genealogist can explore Cyndislist.com for hours. Gather the family and explore the site together. Set a timer for an hour. Start with the tour of the site, it is an outstanding introduction. Be sure to visit the links for "Are You New to Genealogy?" and "Cyndis Blog." I know you will be surprised how quickly the timer rings.

And, in the process, you may just inspire future family genealogists.

http://www.cyndislist.com/