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.

Friday night was almost lonely without "Who Do You Think You Are"

I really missed that show last night. But, I did hear some good news. It has been renewed for a second season. I am ecstatic.

Of course, I had plenty on my plate last night as I prepared for the WRITE Stuff workshops today at the Chandler library.

My presentation is "WRITE to the Heart of the Matter" which covers all types of writing and includes great interactive exercises. Join us if you can. The workshop promises four excellent speakers and over seventy attendees.

And, the show will go on the road on May 6. when I present a similar writing workshop exclusively for the Saddlebrooke Genealogists.

One of the exercises is to focus on the first sentence. Obviously, this sentence is critical to get an agent, editor or everyone interested in your story and critical when you do not have a cover designed to draw in the reader. So, to jump start your writing, take a good look at the picture on this blog. Use it as your inspiration to write the first sentence of your next book, story, or blog. Spend only five minutes on it, your sentence does not need to be perfect.

Add your sentences as comments to my blog and let's see how many fantastic ideas and story lines we can compose. I will share mine later this weekend after the workshop. I also have an interesting example from a good friend.

I wish everyone one thing this weekend...write and enjoy your family. Life moves so quickly at times, savor every minute. Even the bad stuff. It's the experiences that builds bonds which last much longer than we do. And, with the stories we have heard from "Who Do You Think You Are," we are well aware of how the next generation needs to know about what we did. Let's all leave a good trail to follow.

The WRITE Stuff Event is WRITE Around the corner

April 10th sounds like it is a month away, but between spring break, Easter and Passover, it will be here before we know it.

The place to be on April 10th is the Chandler Public Library. The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers will present their annual writing workshop. I am honored to be one of four presenters.

"WRITE to the Heart of the Matter" will jump start your writing and elevate anything you write about to the next level. My presentation covers every genre including writing about family history. We will have some fun with hands-on exercises to get your blood pumping to your target zone for creativity.

Dee Dees, the lifestorylady.com, will follow up with memoir writing which is sure to be an inspiration for family historians, too.

Patricia Brooks and Robin Reynolds fill out the agenda with top notch information on publishing, marketing and social networking. All of this information is essential for genealogists who intend to leave a legacy. Don't miss it. Sign up today.

For full details, see http://chandlerlibrary.org/pdf/2010WritersWorkshop.pdf

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.

PREDICTION: Women and Genealogy make this the most exciting March ever

I may be going out on a limb here, but I predict this will be the best March ever for women and genealogists. Just look at what is happening this month and everything we can look forward to.

1) On March 5, "Who do you think you are" premieres on NBC. While the show features the ancestry of celebrities, the discoveries should prompt everyone to consider their own ancestry. With the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Spike Lee, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Broderick, its the perfect inspiration for everyone to begin or enhance their family history research. After all, what story could be more important than the story of how you became you?

2) Faces of America continues on PBS and while much has already been written about this show, it is wonderful to know if you missed the shows, you can catch up on pbs.org.

3) March is Women's History month...and for us seasoned genealogists we know that celebrating our female ancestors can be difficult. We can encounter roadblocks when tracking women in public records due to name changes, multiple marriages, and scarce documentation in comparison to men who may have owned property, paid taxes, etc. Their contribution to our families can't always be measured in public documents, but most of us realize they were the glue to keep families together. Let's use this month to blast through some of those obstacles and share what we do know about the important women in our families with the next generation.

4) Family History Expos continues to meet throughout the United States for the remainder of the year. The Mesa Expo was excellent and you can expect the same degree of excellence at the future sessions.

5) And, if that is not enough for the month, consider the $20,000 Ultimate Family History Journey Sweepstakes offered by Ancestry.com. The trip offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to your ancestral homes, meet with professional genealogists. Enter daily through April 30 and make your research dreams come true.

My long absence explained...

It's been nearly a month since I posted here...very unusual for me. But, as you know, life takes unexpected turns sometime.

On the evening on February 5, my mom was rushed to the hospital. And while I will not bore you with the details, hours, concerns of her stay there, I want to share a part of my experience which is critical to genealogists.

I know my mother's birthday like the back of my hand. Yet, when the paramedics asked me her date of birth, I answered "May 4, 1925." I didn't realize until a few minutes later that I replaced her year of birth with my father's year of birth and quickly corrected it for the record. Then off in the ambulance to Mercy Gilbert Hospital.

At the hospital, I overheard someone in ER say, "The paramedics wrote the wrong birth date. They wrote May 4 instead of May 7." Oh boy, despite all of my outward calm, my 911 response training and support, I messed up both the year and the date. I used my daughter's birthdate which is three days before my mom's.

I share this story because it is so easy for genealogists and family historians to accept dates at face value. Yet, here I was, presumably in control of the situation, with full knowledge of my mom's birthday, and I messed it up. Imagine what could happen at more crtical times. A big part of our role as researchers is to question, question, question and verify!

The good news is mom is back home with me. We arrived home just before half time of the Super Bowl and she well on her way to recuperating. Thanks to all of the folks at Mercy Gilbert Hospital (which, according to my sister, looks more like a resort than a hospital) for helping my mom on her way to recovery. And, thanks for the reminder that no matter how much you know about your family history, you need to be careful to share the right information at the right time.

Cemeteries and Their Secrets by Gena Philibert Ortega

How many different types of cemeteries are there?

According to Gena, there are seven different types
and this type dictates who owns it and who has the records.

• Church
• Public
• Customary (neighborhood, rural)
• Private
• Lodge
• Ethnic
• Family
• Mass

Where can you locate a death? Land records, Military records, Journals, fraternal organization records, orphan court records are just a few ideas where to look outside of the traditional death certificates. For more information, visit Gena's blog at http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/ or her web site at http://www.yourfamilyhistoryresearch.com/

Gena also cited many online resources to locate cemeteries and graves, plus symbolism on headstone artwork, sculptures and insignias.

I loved this presentation, yet we are running out of time as the grand prize winners are being drawn now. This was such a great expo and I will follow up with more details tomorrow.

Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories by Michael Booth

I love being early enough to a session to get an aisle seat. I already like his PowerPoint background. Michael's site is http://www.personalhistorian.com/ so I am linking to it as everyone settles into the room.

Personal Historian was born out of Michael's own need. As you know, there are many obstacles to writing your own story such as:

• Lack of motivation


• Lack of time


• Overwhelming


• Poor memory


• Lack of writing skills

Of course, none of these apply to anyone in this room. But even when you do decide to try, how do you start? The prospect of staring at a computer screen can scare off the bravest historian.

Michael recommends breaking the story down into bite-size pieces. The nickel tour of his software shows how you can create a timeline, mini-stories, and photos which are added one by one and then ultimately pulled into a master publication.

This software is a great option to help one organize their story. It is particularly handy for individuals who do not know where to start and need support to keep their story on track. It also works if you want to write someone else's life story. Your GED-COM file is used to help build the timeline along with the relatives you select to be a part of the story. You can also add options to the timeline from music, movies, politics, etc. to help flesh out your story.

If you are interested in learning more, go to http://www.personalhistorian.com/ and you can download a free trial copy and use it for thirty days.

Solving Family Tree Mysteries with Google Earth by Lisa Louise Cooke

I have the most comfortable seat in the back of the room for Lisa's debut of her new workshop. I am excited to finally see her in action since I had to leave the banquet early last night.

I am also happy to learn that this is free application since I spent my mad money on t-shirts and stamps at the Family History Expo booth.

Lisa just showed us how easy it is to navigate through the Search Panel, Places Panel, and Layers Panel (where tools are buried in tools). Lisa just took us to Disneyland!

You can collect geographic points of interest around the world. Lisa walked us through the toolbars and panels with helpful tips and insights to make it easy for us to use.

You can do a family history tour on Google Earth by plotting migration patterns. Take one ancestor with key events and locations such as Birth, Christening, Graduation, Marriage, Birth of Children, Death, etc. Through Google you can find the location of the event, name the placemaker in the pop up window, and you have tracked migration patterns. Lisa makes it just that easy!

You can create video! You can also explore your ancestors lives with historic maps. Addresses on census lists offer you a goldmine of information. Here are some other sites she uses to enhance the tracking ancestors.

• Search Rumsey Historical Maps which date back to 1680. http://www.davidrumsey.com/. These maps will work with Google and provide an overlay.
• Search the original lands records at www.glorecards.htm.gov/Patentsearch
• Check out www.earthpoint.us/townships.aspx

When I think I have learned so much from this one session, Lisa says we can use this to solve photographic mysteries. If you have some basic information, you can start to deduce potential locations through business backgrounds, people in photo, stories you have heard. Between searches in the city directory and voter registrations, a number of addresses can be deduced as possibilities. Check out more of Lisa's great information at http://www.genealogygemstv.com/. This is truly taking us to Genealogy Utopia!

Family History Expo Banquet and Blogging

What a wonderful way to end a day of learning! We "beacon of bloggers" attended the banquet last night and talked "blogging" with those at our tables.

It was fun to share our thoughts, make new friends, and learn of other's experiences with blogging. And, I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of our table! I was happy to be joined by A.C., Tim, Kathy, Sunny and John.

Onto day two! More workshops, a few more exhibits, and. of course, the grand prize winner later today.

Beginning Polish Research...

Dee Semon has vast credentials on Polish genealogical research, so when I arrived at the Cholla meeting room I shouldn't have been surprised, it was standing room only. I managed to grab one seat left in the front row and settled in to learn.



Although my last name is Bartkowski, my interest in Polish genealogy is for my children. Thank goodness I asked my father-in-law as much as I did before 1985. He did not have a lot of information but I have saved it. I need to start my Polish research from scratch with these notes from twenty-seven years ago. Here are same quick things I heard from Dee to get me started:

• Castle Garden is the place to google for entries prior to 1870
  
• Contact the Polish genealogical societies such as FEEFHS and EES, review their newsletters for relevant background and history
  
• Research Polish gazetteers such as Slownik Geograficzny, Meyers Orts under Verkehrs Lexikon lists West and East Prussia, and Najnowszy Skorowidz via Google
  
• Google town name and .pl (for Poland) and use other abbreviations for Austria, Czechoslovakia, Latvia, etc.

• Polish words use diacritic marks and the alphabetic order of the marks must be taken into consideration when searching records

Additional web sites to visit are:

• http://www.kartenmeister.com/
• www.polishroots.org/gendobry/gendobry_index.htm

I'm taking a short break from the workshops. Looking forward to the banquet tonight.

Avoiding Mistakes in German Research....

I decided to stay put for Baerbel's second session. The first one was so good and I managed to maneuver my way to a front row seat right next to the projector. My view and elbow room has improved significantly.





To truly avoid mistakes, in German or any other genealogical research, be sure to realize:

• You need to research the whole family, no shortcuts, no generation jumping


• Document, record, cite, document, record, cite, document, record, cite....


• Other people's written and Internet information can be wrong because people submit what they have, can be duplicates, and submissions are not verified, use with discretion.


• Same name never means same person


• Age is flexible and spelling doesn't count


• Wild card search functions can be lifesavers

Baerbel shared a number of examples of people with conflicting dates, names and places yet were the same person. And, another example of four different man who share the same name in similar locations with at least two wives. Check twice, at a minimum. Use the "Thomas" principle. Evaluate the quality of the source. Just because someone is not listed in a book, does not mean they were not there. Review introductions and explanations of what each book offers.

If there are several sets of records, be sure to review each one. Mistakes can be picked up and someone may have read Maria when the real name was Catharina. Who says penmanship doesn't count?

Always work with a good map as jurisdictions in the Germanic states changed often. Be sure to complement your research by studying geography and local history. Also, read the notes in the margin, it could lead you to other church records. Extract all records with the same surname.

Baerbel shared humorous anecdotes about research and how easy it is to be led astray.

• Did you know in Mecklenburg, people are given two or three birth names and often use them interchangeably throughout their life. And, if an uncle dies and the individual liked his name, he might well go by his uncle's name for the rest of his life!
• Patronymics, where the son is given the father's first name as his last name, was used until the mid 1800s.
• In Westfalen, farm names were used as surnames and if someone moves to another farm, they change their last name.

"Technical difficulties" include:

• Books can be scanned and put back together out of order
• If there are several children in the same family with the same name and that does not mean the older ones died.
• If an ancestor is not in a book they should be in, verify it with the original document

There are lots of false assumptions out there, so be careful, verify, check and double check. Just because it is written down, doesn't mean it is correct.

#fhexpos, #fhexpo, #genealogy, #familyhistory

What's New in German Research on the Internet by Baerbel K. Johnson, A.G.

I am sitting squished between two wonderful people who are bearing with me as I type. My friend Vern Mathern is here and we are happy to hear more about German genealogy. It is standing room only here!

Baerbel thinks the Internet is like eating an elephant. You can only bite off small pieces at a time.

Her ancestry is German yet she comes from four different countries, including the Czech Republic. While she reads German, Czech is another matter. Her personal miracle came after thirty-four years of research, she found her grandfather's birth record in Czech at. http.//www.actapublica.cz. And, interestingly enough, the baptismal records include the marriage documentation with it.

New records are coming online every day and the Internet is a treasure trove! Topical link lists are found on wiki.familysearch.org and go to "Germany-digital resources." German town genealogies and parish register inventories are available.

Other sites include:

• http://www.matricula.findbuch.net/ (beta version site) has 180 parishes with 2767 volumes from Austria and Germany


• http://www.kirchenbuch-virtuel.de/ Northeastern Bavaria was the first to put info online and in order to provide it, they created a genealogical society. You need to join the society, pay the membership fee and a user fee to access. A bit cumbersome but worth the hassle if your family is from this area. Cost is 35 euro per year, 10 euros per month per parish.


• Jewish registers for Baden Wuerttenberg, Hohenzollern are at www.2.landesarchive-bw.de/of21/olf/startbild.php?bestand=5632 (I will verify web site and edit if I missed a letter)

Town genealogies, societies,family genealogies and indexes include:

• 210 town genealogy books online with over 2.7 million entries at http://www.genealogy.net/. Go to bibliography of printed books. Each town has its page with listings of births, deaths and a contact for the town. And, luckily, contacts usually speak English.


• Die Maus, Bremen Society for Genealogy is at www.genealogienetz.de/vereine/maus


• www.untermagerbein.de/Ortsfamilienbuch.html


• East Prussia site is www.plew.info/ofb_allgemein.htm


• www.familienbuch.-euregeo.de
• 
  

Printed sources --indexes and images

• http://famlit.genealogy/net/fkld/maske.pl?db


• Funeral sermons at http://web.uni-marburg.de/fpmr


• Digital library at http://www.genealogy.net/ available in German at this point includes historical maps, gazetteers, descriptive geography


• http://www.dilibri.de/ for Rheinland-Pfalz for historical material, address books and postcards...free to use, ideal for family history book, all you have to do is cite your sources


• West German Societies listed on societies on www.genealogy.net
  

Baerbel says there is software in development which will translate the old Gothic handwriting into modern language for us. Incredible! Just with what I heard in the last hour will keep me busy for months, maybe years!

Day One...Rain, a great turnout and Genealogy Utopia

I've arrived, have internet access and despite what Tim Sullivan said, I might already be in Genealogy Utopia.

Utopia for me means winning great genealogy stuff and Holly Hansen made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. All I have to do is fill out a crossword puzzle and I have a chance to win a new Acer notebook from Legacy.com. Also, an opportunity to win more grand prizes just by visiting booths I would go to anyway, I can win more things. Sounds like genealogical heaven to me.

The first speaker of the day, Tim Sullivan, CEO of ancestry.com took us back to the early days of genealogy to tell us "the marriage of technology and genealogical method is ripe..." little did we realize as he read this quote, it was written in 1985.

Suppose it is five years from now…where will we be? Now technology is going as fast as ever, even faster than when individuals in 1985 were looking forward to 1990.

Tim updated us on new trends in archival records preservation. All of the computers, scanners and digital cameras in the world are wonderful, but without the records preservation from archives such as National Archives, DAR, Library and Archieves Canada, we have nothing to research. These organizations are the recordkeepers and family historians of our times.

To demonstrate the high speed capability of saving information digitally, Ancestry.com brought planetary scanners here. He also shared pictures of Kirtas scanners made up of 2 high resolution cameras and sunction cups to flip pages of a book and scan 2400 pages per hour.

This device is obviously not intended for old, damaged or faded documents such as old census, water or mold damaged. But they developed the Ancestry Document Restoration camera which applies different kinds of light (ultraviolet light, infrared light, etc.) to get a better image of text. With this new equipment, ancestry.com will be able to add 251 names previously unreadable names to 1851 UK census.

We all know misspellings occur in any transcriptions or editing so ancestry.com also offers edit-ability to users. Has it been a success? Well, 900,000 user edits were made in last month.

On ancestry.com, 12 million family trees uploaded or created, 1.2 billion profiles added to family trees, 300 million records attached, 26 million photos uploaded. These are basically public records. How many personal records are there? Ancestry.com offers you the chance to scan your stuff here and now to add to the digital database. Could anyone have imagined it like this in 1985?

There a lot of social networks out there, however Ancestry.com collaborative networking has emerged as one of the great values of their service. This networks offers you the chance to connect with others who may have had the same great- great grandfather as you. Facinating, isnt' it?

Genealogy Utopia? Tim thinks we haven't reached it yet, and we are still striving for it. Perhaps we will be there in ten years at the Arizona Expo 2020…imagine where we will be. I can only tell you I am awfully impressed with where we are right now.

Mesa Family History Expo starts tomorrow!

Happy Mesa Family History Expo Eve!

I've printed the schedule of all of the workshops, and I have lots of decisions to make. I know I will see Tim Sullivan's keynote address at 8 a.m., but my choices after that are up for grabs.

"Family History on the Mobile Phone" by Curtis Tirrell sounds too intriguing to pass up, yet my German heritage pulls me toward Baerbel K. Johnson's "German Genealogy on the Internet-An Overview ^ German Town Genealogies and Parish Register Indexes on the Internet." I also need to catch Lisa Louise Cooke's take on "Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems." And these selections are just the morning sessions.

The weather forecast says RAIN for Arizona tomorrow, so it is perfect weather to come inside the Expo and have all of the resources you could dream of at your fingertips. Stay tuned for my updates tomorrow and join me at one of the blogger banquet tables tomorrow night.

For more details, see http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53

And the winner is.....

The entries for the Family History Expo ticket contest were so fantastic, it has been difficult to select a winner! Each story chronicled unique and important part of family history research.

But, we promised a winner and the final results are in. Congratulations to Kent Phillips who discovered his true grandfather due to a composite photograph. Kent wins two tickets to the Family History Expo in Mesa next Friday and Saturday.

I hope to see all of you at the expo next week. I would love to meet each of you in person. I know I will be there both days spending time in workshops, exhibitor area, blogger's table and at a special blogger's table at the Friday night banquet.

True Story of Grandfather revealed in photograph

The latest historic photo entry comes from Kent Phillips. Kent uncovered a mystery he didn't know existed due to this photograph.

Kent wrote, "I received a copy of this photo from my Aunt Grace not long before she died. This photo is unusual and special because it is a composite that was made after my grandfather, Clem Phillips, died leaving my grandmother Isabelle with two children, Grace and my father, Sam. The images of my grandparents were from their marriage photo. The added images of young Grace and Sam were taken and added to the center of the photo after Clem’s death since a family photo had never been taken.

Add another twist to the story, Clem’s brother Sam married the widowed Isabelle and they had four more children. I didn’t know until I first saw this photo in 1989 at a family reunion at Aunt Grace’s that Sam, the grandfather I grew up with, was not my grandfather but my step-grandfather and great uncle. This news was long after Grandpa Sam and my father young Sam had died. If not for the composite photo that brought out the story I might never have known the true identity of my grandfather."

Thank goodness for photos and the stories they tell to provide us with a window to the past. And special thanks to Kent for sharing it with us. Sometimes it's the simple conversations which give us the most unexpected discoveries. Many "family secrets" were never discussed by my grandparents, and I imagine it was the same in other families. Ask more and more questions and don't assume the obvious answer. Keep asking.

Only two more days left to enter your favorite historical family photo. Friday is the deadline and the winner will be announced on January 16. Enter today!

For more details on the Mesa Family History Expoand the schedule of events, visit http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53.

Rare family photo is latest entry for free tickets to the Mesa Family History Expo

Photographs capture just a brief moment in time yet the memories and image can last a lifetme. Our latest entry from Nancy Hill is a photograph that evokes specific memories of a point in time.

Nancy wrote this background about the picture.

"This photo is of my grandmother Marion Pearle VanTine (the little girl in front) and her brother and sisters. It was taken in either 1892 or 1893. Her brother Charles who was 16 had just died and within the next year her older brother (pictured here) would die also at the age of 20. Not many photos of the family were taken and I'm so glad I have this one. I was their only grandaughter so I received a lot of pictures from both of my grandparents."

Nancy's story reminds me of how important it is to take pictures to help us remember the moments. We don't need to wait for a special occasion especially since photography is much easier for us today.

Hurry, only three days left to enter the contest. Winner receives two free tickets to the Mesa Family History Expo on January 22 and 23. Deadline for the contest is January 15. For more details and the schedule of events, visit http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53. Next week is the expo and there is so much to look forward to!

Another great entry for the Family History Expo Contest!

Our latest photo entry comes from Frank Sortelli who shares the following story.

"Here is one of my favorite family photos. It is a picture of my Great-Great-Great Uncle, Dr. Marie Antonin Campdoras. This picture was taken in Topeka , Kansas, around 1880, four years before his death in 1884. He was very ill and just getting ready to travel back to France for the first time since 1851. Why did he leave France? He was exiled upon pain of death for taking part in a coup d'etat against Napolean III who had ended the republic and declared himself emperor.

Antonin was a man who didn't compromise in his belief of equality and freedom for all men. He gave up everything to fight for freedom in France and was exiled. He was an early settler in Topeka, Kansas and fought as an abolitionist in the battles against the pro-slavery Kansans. He fought as a major in the civil war on the Northern side to preserve the Union in which he so greatly believed. You can still see the passion and fire in his eyes as he looks into the camera. "

An incredible story to match a distinguished photograph from 1880. Thanks, Frank, for sharing a great part of your family history.

Share your favorite historic photo with us by emailing your picture to amb0457@cox.net with a brief description of how you received the photo and why this photo is such a special part of your family. Deadline for the contest is January 15. Winner receives two free tickets to the Mesa Family History Expo on January 22 and 23. For more details and the schedule of events, visit http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53

Check out this great entry for the Family History Expo contest!

I received two entries for the "Value Meals on the Volga" blog contest yesterday and am happy to share the first one with you.

This photograph is from Pat Tiefenbach who writes, "My grandmother and her sisters lived in an old farmhouse in Ohio. Eighty years after they moved away, a tenant was cleaning the attic and found a cardboard box that had been left behind. This picture was among the family treasures inside. The box also contained old school books with signatures and a family Bible. Jackpot!"

Imagine finding this treasure eighty years after a move. I particularly enjoy the expression on their faces...the look in their eyes...I wonder what they saw or who was standing next to the photographer. The style of their dresses and the ribbons in their hair fascinate me. The girl's names are Mary, Bert and Grace. Thanks, Pat, for sharing your story.

Deadline for the contest is January 15. Winner receives two free tickets to the Mesa Family History Expo on January 22 and 23. For more details and the schedule of events, visit http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53

Intentions vs. Resolutions...Only a few days left to send in your family photo to win tickets.

In my previous blog, I mentioned my preference for intentions over resolutions. I still believe in intentions, but wanted to share some great family history ideas from the Genealogy Insider.

Diane Haddad and the Family Tree staff have created some new variations worthwhile for all family historians. Be sure to check out their ideas at http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2010/01/06/MayWeSuggestSomeGenealogyResolutionsFor2010.aspx

Also, there is only a week left to send your entry to win two tickets to the Family History Expo in Mesa on January 22 and 23. I think everyone must be waiting for the last minute, but early entries give the judges extra time to review. What better way to resolve your "intention" for family history in 2010!

2010 Intentions beat Resolutions every day

Resolutions? No way. Resolutions are for wimps. If you really want changes, you need to put the intention out in the universe and let the universe respond. That is, envision yourself as having already achieved your aim, whatever it is, and the world and opportunities will come to your doorstep. The opportunity may not come as you think it should and you still need to act on it, but you set the stage to create your new world through intentions.

I have a few new intentions for 2010...and I find the more specific I am on a couple of items, the quicker it comes true.

For example, I told my family I wanted to make a tuna casserole today. So, what did I observe? Every show on the Food Network used tuna! It's true. Try it yourself with some easy intentions and work your way up to the big changes.

Here are my intentions for 2010:

1) Say yes to projects only after some reflection about what is the best way to spend my time. If time is money, I want to invest wisely.

2) Say yes to people who share the vision of a brighter future for the entire world.

3) Say yes to tracking back my family history at least one more generation. My inspiration for this research will come from the Mesa Family History Expo. I just know it will.

Three is more than enough for January. And, once these are standard operating procedure for me, I will add a few more and in a year, my intentions will be a habitual way of life. One step at a time. I wish the same for you in 2010.

Twilight to New Moon…How does your family fit in?

Twilight to New Moon? What does that have to do with family history? Well, take a mini-break from plowing through your family photos. Consider how you can encourage the next generation to understand family history.

First, you need to talk their language. And what better way than to use one of the icons of teen life, that is, the Twilight saga.

Everywhere you look this holiday season, you see the books, the commercials and the movies of the Twilight saga.

Whether you or your teen are Team Jacob or Team Edward, you can bring the Twilight experience closer to your own family without putting any lives at risk. Here’s how.

My favorite part of the saga is when Jacob tells the stories and legends of the Quileute tribe. Storytelling is not unique to Jacob’s family. Oral traditions are the basis of family history from the beginning of time. What is unique about his family’s tale is that it explains how Jacob became Jacob.

We can learn about our own family by using some of these same techniques. And, the holidays create the perfect atmosphere to uncover your own family’s legends. As relatives gather together, you can be the catalyst for igniting the conversation about your family’s history. Sit with some of the oldest family members, perhaps a grandparent or aunt or uncle. Make sure they are at ease and comfortable. Most will be delighted to talk with you and you can guide their stories with your questions. Just ask a few of these thought-starters below and you can learn more about your family than you ever realized.

*What is your very first memory?
*What was Christmas like when you were a child? How did your family celebrate?
*What was the best present you ever received at Christmas? Why?
*Tell me about your grandparents. Where did they live? What were their jobs?
*What was a typical day like for you as a child?
*What was my Mom/Dad like as a child?
*What do you remember about the day I was born?

There are many, many more questions you can use. Be sure to ask good follow-up questions to gain a better understanding. Don’t forget to say “Why?” to flesh out details which may have been forgotten.

Jacob understands the value of his family’s history and he keeps the history alive by sharing it. You can do the same thing. It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where your family has been. And, most important of all, your family history tells the story of how you became you.

Now get back to plowing through your photos, email the best one to amb0457@cox.net, and you might win two tickets to the Mesa Family History Expo. Perhaps you can take someone from the Twilight generation with you. Or, register now to be sure you attend at http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53.

Win Free Tickets to the 2 Day Family History Expo in Mesa, Arizona! Here's how...

I love contests almost as much as I love family history. So I am excited to announce the "Value Meals on the Volga" blog contest to win two free tickets for a full two-day registration to the 2010 Mesa, Arizona Family History Expo.

The expo is January 22 and 23 and is jam packed with excellent speakers and exhibitors who will take your family history experience to the next level.

How can you win? Submit your favorite historic family photograph in an electronic format. (See my example on the right). Tell us in a paragraph or two how you received the photo and why this photo is such a special part of your family. Email your entry to amb0457@cox.net.

Entries will be uploaded to this blog. Readers can vote on the best and in the event of a tie, my vote will be the tie breaker.

Hurry and enter as soon as possible! The deadline is January 15. The winner will be announced on this site.

Tired of shopping? Sit back, relax, and consider a real gift for your family

If you are like me, you have a few more remaining items on your shopping list to buy before Thursday. Should you stop Monday after work, or wait til Christimas Eve? When should you visit the grocery store? Would they really like this gift? Should I give money instead? The questions and options are endless.

We can get so busy during Christmas week, sometimes need to sit back, relax and consider new options. And while the gifts I have are meant to please, there are times I wonder if I ever get the right match for all of those on my list. Have you seen the Peyton Manning commerical where he presents the woman with the mouth guard? I have actually seen the expression and heard the sigh of that woman as she holds the gift between her index finger and thumb from my own family.

Consider stepping back from the traditional way of shopping. Gifts under the tree sometimes only last as long as the wrapping paper.

Give yourself the gift you deserve. Give yourself the time to research your family history. This is the gift which can be passed down from generation to generation. Only if you get started now.

Don't know where to start? One of the Family History Expos can jumpstart your plan. There are expos throughout the country, but if you happen to be in Arizona, the Mesa convention is right around the corner. Join us! Where else can you rub elbow with Tim Sullivan the CEO of Ancestry.com (pictured above) and Lisa Louise Cooke, host of the Genealogy Gems (pictured on the right). Plus, there will be so many opportunities to learn the latest in genealogical research including how to use social networking.

Register today at http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53 and give yourself the gift you really want.

Win Free Tickets to the Family History Expo in Mesa, Arizona!

Details will be posted here soon on how you can win free tickets to this phenomenal event on January 22nd and 23rd at the Mesa Convention Center.

Save these dates and register today. You won't want to miss any of the valuable information during this jam packed two day event.

For more details on this event, check out http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53

From Twilight to New Moon...

"From Twilight to New Moon, " my latest article on how to involve kids in family history, published this week in the Edukid Newspaper. If any of you or your family members have read the "Twilight" saga, you can easily relate the characters to your own genealogical search.

In Arizona, copies are available at Barnes & Noble (Dana Park) in Mesa. Will be available on the edukid web site by the weekend and I will add the link when it is online.

From Arizona Family History Expo to St. Nick's Day

It has been a great week for family history. Earlier this week I was selected to become a blogger of honor for the Family History Expo in Mesa, Arizona on January 22 and 23rd. It is a jam packed two day event for which I will offer previews and on the spot updates. This expo is the event of the year for Arizona family historians and genealogists. If you haven't already registered for the event, click this link and register today at http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53. With over 37 expert speakers and a multitude of exhibitor booths, this is an event you won't want to miss.

For updates on the expo, visit http://fhexpos.com/wordpress/

Yesterday I spoke to over sixty people at the Arizona Sun Chapter meeting. My topic, What is facebook? and why do Germans from Russia need to know about it?, sparked excellent discussion with the attendees. Everyone learned and the potluck lunch was the best ever. The Babitzke Annual Raffle generated $226 in donations for AHSGR headquarters.

And as a close to the weekend, I continue to be impressed with St. Nick's ability to choose the perfect gifts to celebrate his feast day. I received a hard cover version of The Time Traveler's Wife, my oldest daughter received Our Noise, the story of Merge Records, and my youngest daughter received Twilight, a Parody. What a wonderful preview for the holidays yet to come. And, our celebration of St. Nicholas is one of our all time favorite family traditions.

Last week in October...

Today starts the last week of October and Family History month. I haven't heard much "official" news about family history celebrations from the media. Yet, October is certainly one of the best months to begin to explore your history...the weather's cooler, indoor activities replace outdoor ventures for much of the country, and with school in session, it triggers the "time to learn" gene in many of us.

While I have not seen the mainstream media blitz about Family History month, I've read and experienced many interesting tidbits about personal history. Here are a few of the highlights:

*First, one of my good "Facebook" friends recently published photographs online of some of the German Russian settlements in Argentina. A number of these were pictures of the villages I visited last November. Could it already be the one year anniversary of my trip to Argentina? Impossible.

*Second, the new Family Tree Magazine arrived on my doorstep. One of the featured articles is Deutsch Lands...Trace your ancestry in Prussia, Bavaria and more with our guide to research in Germany's historical regions. I'm hooked with the first paragraph which reads, "In this era of globalization, it's easy to think of ourselves as citizens of the world. If you turn the clock back a century, though, you'll see people took a much more regional view. Italians considered themselves Sicilians, Sardinians, Tuscans or Venetians..And now the people we call Germans referred to themselves as anything but. In those days you had Prussian and Bavarians, Palatines and Hessians, Saxons and Swabians--who all spoke various dialects of German and were united only in their dislike for each other." I just know I will spend a good hour savoring that article.

*Third, my daughter joined me at the Arizona Sun Chapter meeting today where Filmore Bender, Professor Emeritus of the University of Maryland, spoke on "The Reasons we should be thankful our ancestors came to America." He summarized two hundred years of Russian history, famine and revolution in one of the most concise and accurate versions I have heard. He also gave insight into the government and black markets in Russia as he experienced it in the 1990s.

When I asked my daughter her thoughts about his talk, she said, "It was great. He was clear and interesting...easy to listen to."

This comment from my seventeen year old clearly is the highlight of October.

Maybe media frenzy about the month is not essential to celebrate. Her comment tells me family history has gone well beyond the month. It has become a way of life. If you live it, the next generation will come.

Celebrate the Past, Build for the Future

I unexpectedly celebrated family history three times this week. I’m delighted these three events happened during Family History Month.

The first time, my daughter Becky asked if she could interview me for a class project. Of course, I said yes to her request, but I never imagined she would help me remember my own life.

We met at my house Wednesday night and any time we spend together is special. This is due to my busy work schedule and her own hectic life. So I opened a bottle of Black Oak Shiraz and we sat at our kitchen table, the best interview spot of the house.

She told me the interview was for her women and justice class and she needed to talk with a single mother who used child care. I fit the bill since I have been divorced since 1993, and Becky began child care at eight weeks old.

The assignment was the result of the latest round of budget cuts which will cost child care centers anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars to renew their licenses in January. It’s a huge issue, but it prompted Becky to ask me about the costs and choices I made. Her questions resurrected memories long past.

Becky went to a private caregiver’s home for about two years, then to another private home for a few months. When that caregiver moved, I chose a center close to the school where Becky would attend kindergarten. Once I discovered that the center, located directly across the street from the school, could not transport her back and forth, we made one more move to Kindercare.

As we talked, both Becky and I remembered caregiver’s names and faces, playmates and locations. She could remember the first private home and playmates from so many years ago.

I never considered child care to be a part of family history, but the people we met, the skills my daughter learned and the friends we made helped to make us what we are today.

The second time, I decided to eat lunch in my family room while I watched television. I couldn’t find anything interesting on the usual channels so I selected History Detectives on PBSW. I can’t tell you what or when I saw it before, but I recognized the show and it was fantastic.

The History Detectives investigate cases about heirlooms or family legends presented by viewers. The way they research and track connections offer inspiration for any family sleuth. Check out what I mean at http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/

And, last but not least, the third event was the news of Michelle Obama’s genealogy. This story originated in the New York Times and is now on web sites and television. You can read it in the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/us/politics/08genealogy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1.

The article by Rachel L. Swarns and Jodi Kantor share the research of professional genealogist Megan Smolenyak who traced Obama’s ancestry.

Two phrases from the article stand out to me. The first is a quote from Edward Ball who says, “We are not separate tribes of Latinos and whites and blacks in America. We’ve all mingled, and we have done so for generations.”

And Swarns and Kantor share that, “As for his ancestry, Dolphus Shields didn’t talk about it,” because the family had gotten to a place where they didn’t want anyone to know they were slaves.” Dolphus was Obama’s great, great-grandfather.

I believe if we each research our family history back far enough, we will find poverty, abuse and other stories we would prefer to forget.

The purpose of Family History month is “to bring your family together to remember and honor your ancestors,” according to www.familyhistory.org. Many groups across the country, including the Family History Society of Arizona, created momentum to have October designated as Family History month in 2003.

And, I believe they did it, because they understood knowing where we have been leads us to where we are going. Isn’t that what family history is all about? Celebrate the past, build for the future.

Magge Visits Argentina debuts at Sedona Book Festival

Today I head to Sedona...beautiful Red Rock Country for a glorious four day weekend. Hiking, healthy food and relaxation are scheduled along with the Sedona Book Festival.

The Well Red Coyote hosts the event which includes writers, speakers and lots of fun for all ages.

I will be there with the Arizona Authors Association. Is there a better way to kick off the first weekend of Family History month?

Hope to see you there.

http://www.wellredcoyote.com/sedonabookfestival.html

Argentina adventure continues....

The GRHS convention was a wonderful experience and unfortunately was over too quickly. I already miss the friends I reconnected with and the new friends I made.

My presentation of "Building Our Ancestral Bridge to Argentina," was well received. I was pleased to meet many people who are curious to expand their family research into South America.

"Maggie Visits Argentina," is part of my desire to share family heritage with all ages. This new adventure is target to middle and high school readers but is the ideal way for adults to learn or polish up their language skills as the book is written in English, Spanish and German.

Here is a preview of Maggie's first international adventure:

As her grandparents connect to their ancestral past, Maggie tries to make friends for the future as she travels to her first foreign destination, Argentina.Maggie reads as much as possible before her trip yet when she arrives in Buenos Aires, she discovers language is just one of the many things she does not know about Latin America. It takes three languages...English, Spanish and German...to tell the story of exotic places, Argentine history and the friends Maggie meets on her exciting new journey.

To get full details on Maggie's experience or to order the book, click here http://maggiesadventure.blogspot.com/

Rapid City here I come...

I talk to many people in the northern states who enjoy the "warm" 70 degree weather this time of year. Since I live in 110 degree plus weather right now, there are a few moments when I think I would prefer the seventy degrees but when I consider snow, ice, wind chill factors, driving advisories and sub-zero temperatures, I firmly prefer the heat to the winter.

Not that I wouldn't like to visit the northern states for a week or two right now. Since I returned from Canada, I stayed in Chandler and Tempe most of the time. I caught the travel bug again and in September, when it can still be very hot in Arizona, I will fly to Rapid City for the German Russian Heritage Society Convention 2009. Here is a link to their blog and web site for full details. http://www.grhs.org/

I will present "Building our Ancestral Bridge to Argentina," workshop once on Thursday, September 10 and again on Friday, September 11. GRHS convention holds multiple workshops at the same time so offering it twice gives everyone a chance to see it. As you are aware, Argentina is one of my favorite topics so I am very excited to have this opportunity in Rapid City, South Dakota.

I have never seen the Dakotas. Some say I have been in the state since my mother visited the Dakotas when she was pregnant with me. She saw Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and all South Dakota has to offer. As historic monuments go, I have seen quite a few including Monticello, the Hermitage and Stone Mountain in Georgia. Yet, I have always wanted to see Mount Rushmore. So, as I envision myself taking a side trip to the monument, gazing at the historic profiles, I wistfully imagine the temperature the cool sixties. What a lovely dream.

Happy 4th of July! Time keeps on slippin....

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future....Steve Miller, 1976

My calendar says it is the Fourth of July but I think I am still in Medicine Hat. Many people to follow up with after the convention, many more pictures to post, stories to write, articles to edit...and time keeps slippin'.

Wimbledon is in full gear so as I multi-task with the Bryan Brothers on the television and my laptop on my lap, I need to share with you the latest from Ancestry.com.

Their latest round of promotion videos touched my heart. As you are keenly aware, my passion is family history. Ancestry.com has hit on the reason why family history should be everyone's passion. Each story touches on a connection or loss which causes a search to re-connect with someone. See for yourself at:


http://www.youtube.com/AncestryCom

Alton Woodman, Peggy McDowell and Jim Lane's stories come to life here.

Which makes me wonder...if my father had known his father, if I had met all of grandparent's during my lifetime, would I still be as passionate about tracking family history. Maybe...maybe not...but I think there would always be that question lingering in the back of my mind...what is the story of how I became me.

So, time keeps on slippin' and I want to track every minute of it. And, I may need to fly like an eagle to do it.

In Medicine Hat...

Check out the blog I am doing for the convention at www.medicinehatconvention2009.blogspot.com. Also check the photos at my facebook account http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/anna.bartkowski?ref=profile

Happy Memorial Day...

It's been a few weeks since my last update because all of my efforts were directed to put the finishing touches on my latest book. More details on the book on later updates, however it is now at the printer and I have a sense of relief I have not experienced in months. How glorious that I can reflect and relax on Memorial Day.

My Memorial Day updates are some of my favorites over the past two years. Its always been a day of remembrance and gratitude. I am grateful to have finished my book and to remember the joy of retracing my steps in Argentina...just one of my many paths in retracing my ancestry.

I also try to learn something new every Memorial Day. In the past, I focused on World War II and my Dad and Uncle's service in the Navy and Marines respectively. Yet, Memorial Day began after the Civil War. And I never understood why, when I moved from Wisconsin to Tennessee, the people I lived with in Nashville, never took too kindly to the holiday. That was, until I read David Holzel's Ten Facts About Memorial Day. Here is the link to his mental_floss column and I am sure you will learn something about Memorial Day as I did.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/25/mf.holiday.memorial.day/

So, I relax and recoup today. Then I start the next journey which is to Medicine Hat, Alberta. I want to savor my plans for the trip, do as much research ahead of time, and look forward to reuniting with many friends.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day and may your memories be graced with the gratitude which comes from age and wisdom. Enjoy.

Desert Blooms in Cooper Commons...Happy Mother's Day!

I walked out the front door at 6 a.m., camera in hand to photograph the beautiful flowers in my subdivision. I think you will agree this was the perfect way to start my day. When I arrived back at my house, I planted three new cactus next to the driveway. Now on to drawing and relaxing with my girls.

Can you see the spider web protected in this cactus?

Roswita Niessner shares her story

At the Foothills Library in Glendale, Arizona, Roswita Niessner shared her story at the Spring meeting of the Arizona Sun Chapter today.

Roswita traced the establishment of the Moravians in 1770 to the devastation of her small hometown in Upper Silesia, Germany during World War II. Her story parallels some of the plights similar to the German Russians as the war split families and forced evacuations from Germany to Prague to Austria.

After their flight out of Upper Silesia, they settled in what was to become Eastern Germany. Through her own efforts, she managed to relocate to West Germany, Scotland, back to West Germany and ultimately, Roswita married Bob Niessner and settled in America.

Roswita provided us with a new slant on WWII from the perspective of one in Germany. The starvation, fear and attacks from the Russians on the east, and the American, French and British on the west, gave us an inside look at how the Germans, who share our ancestry, experienced the war right in their homes.

Her story prompted many good questions and I know we look forward to hearing more on her personal recollection of the volatile time in history.

AHSGR Arizona Sun meeting today...

It's off to the Foothills Library for the Arizona Sun meeting which starts at 1 p.m. I'm looking forward to see good friends, learnof news on our genealogical searches, and hear Roswita Niessner speak about growing up as a German Russian in Germany.

Roswita has a unique history among German Russians. Most who survived the famines and the Bolsheviks came to the Americas. Others who remained in Russia were sent to Siberian work camps. I am interested to hear of her experiences and will be sure to write about it when I return.

On a bittersweet note, two longstanding members of our organization, Herb Babitzke and Golden Purvis, have passed away since our last meeting. I did not have the opportunity to know Golden well, but Herb was instrumental in encouraging my involvement with this organization and I shall be forever grateful. Both of these men are greatly missed. The Arizona Sun Chapter sends our condolences to both of their families.

Convention Update

Besides the usual sites for the International Convention of Germans from Russia, there is a new blog which will provide up to the minute news on the convention. More details on the speakers, topics and workshops will be added over the next few weeks.

Be sure to check it out and come back frequently for updates. I know many of my friends are looking forward to reuniting in Medicine Hat.

http://medicinehatconvention2009.blogspot.com/