"Gene Card"

I've been meaning to post about my "gene card" but keep forgetting!! Since I had to print up a few more, I thought I'd post what mine looks like (front & back).  It saves someone from trying to read my writing :)

Delia Pockett/Pacquette Sharrow Pine -Obituary

The death of Mrs. Delia Sharrow Pine, aged 75 years, occurred at her home on Forge street on Wednesday morning of last week, the immediate cause of her death being stomach trouble.  The deceased was born in Canada, coming to Au Sable Forks with her parents when but eight years of age, where she has always resided.  She was a devout Catholic and highly respected by all.  The funeral was held from the Church of the Holy Name on Friday, Rev. Clarence A. Kitts officiating, interment being in the Black Brook cemetery.  The deceased is survived by six children:  Louis Sharrow of Clintonville; George Sharrow, Au Sable Forks; John Sharrow, Rutland, Vt., and Mrs. Levi Betters, Mrs. Eugene Duprey and Mrs. Oncio LaHart of Au Sable Forks, to whom the sympathy of the community is extended.

Under "Au Sable Forks News" in The Adirondack Record-Elizabethtown Post, Thursday, April 5, 1923, Page 3.

Delia was my maternal great great grandmother.  More to come on her....as soon as I find it!!

Tombstone Tuesday - New Blog

I decided to create a new blog dedicated to the cemetery trips I have been taking here in the Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia area.  I want to keep this blog for family related "stuff".  The new blog, Denise's Cemetery Journeys, will showcase the local cemeteries and non-family graves I have been finding for the last year or so.

So if you have a chance, check it out!!

Fairfax Fun!

I attended the Fairfax Genealogical Society Spring Conference in Virginia on 23-24 March 2012.  I won't go into a diatribe on the Northern Virginia traffic.  All I have to say is that I admire my friends who live in Northern Virginia and work in Washington, DC and Maryland.!!

Traffic aside, I had a great time! I was able to attend the Friday session this year (thanks boss for 1/2 day off!!) and heard Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG speak on Advanced Critical Thinking Techniques.  Among the topics he discussed were the Genealogical Proof Standard, Correlation and Organizing of Facts and Evidence.  I came away with several ideas to start working on a few brick walls.  I was surprised to see the 3 Tracks on Friday full.  As this was the first time I had the opportunity to attend on a Friday, I wasn't sure what to expect.  Very pleasantly surprised to see a large number of people there!! My only complaint about Friday was the early dinner break.  Wouldn't have been so bad if  the vendors had been open........but then again I probably would have spent even more than I did!!

Saturday was THE DAY.  The vendors were there.  A lot more people were there.  (No traffic at 8:00 am on a Saturday!!)

Saturday offered 6 tracks.  The 6 Tracks were:

• National Treasure in the Nation's Capital with Pam Sayre, CG, CGL & Rick Sayre, CG
• Effective Organizational Methods with DearMyrtle
• Seeking Virginia Resources with Barbarba Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FVGS
• Re-Examining What You Already Have with Charles S. "Chuck" Mason, Jr, CG
• Introduction to European Research with Claire Bettag, CG, FUGA and Richard Camaur, CG
• African American Research with Char McCargo Bah

I attended the second one with DearMyrtle and Russ Worthington.  Not only were the sessions great but listening to the "Cousins" at times was priceless!! Too bad the session wasn't videotaped!! I came away from these sessions as well with multiple ideas on to move forward in my genealogy and organizing the PILES.  Here are a few lecture room shots:

All the Track presenters were very nice and approachable.  I personally got to say "hi" to Myrt, Russ and Char.  All have great blogs to read.  I saw the other presenters speaking to the attendees during the breaks.  To me it's nice to have that human connection.  That is one of the reasons I feel genealogy conferences are truly for ALL of us.

But one of the best things about the conference was speaking with fellow genealogy addicts!! You had folks who have researched into the 1600's and those who just started.  You also had folks who were not up on social media and those who love it.  And you had folks who had no idea what a blog is and those who have multiples (including one for their dog--and no not me, I have a cat!!).  I love to "people watch" and seeing the light bulbs go off when DearMyrtle was talking about blogs was great! I also had a chat with a few folks about blogs and it was great to see the folks realize that anyone can do this.  You can blog about whatever your little heart desires.  Hopefully we'll see a few blogs soon that got their motivation to start with this conference!!

Overall, I had a great time.  Hope to go again next year.  The dates will be 5-6 April 2013.  Maybe I'll you there!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Coughlin!!

Today would have been my paternal grandfather David Francis Coughlin's 103rd birthday.  He was the second  son of Daniel Joseph Coughlin and Bridget Agnes Williams born 20 March 1909 in Lake Placid, Essex County, New York.  He died on 6 June 1984 at Lake Placid, Essex County, New York.

My grandparents would come to Charleston, South Carolina for the winters when I was younger.  The excuse was, of course, to see us granddaughters BUT really it was for golf!! My grandfather loved to golf.  He suffered a heart attack getting in a round of golf in before our family made a rare visit to New York.

I don't have many pictures of my grandfather but one of my favorites is a photo taken in the 1970's in North Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina.

I took up golf for a while but I don't have the patience for it.  But I like to think, for a brief moment, I was connected to my grandfather.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!! Hope you are below par on this round!!

Treasure Chest Thursday-Ira Hall Obituary

Don't you just love it when you find something on a family line you are not even working on yet??  I found this brief note on my paternal great-great grandfather, Ira Hall, in the "Lake Placid News, Friday, March 21, 1930"

IRA HALL DIES
Ira Hall died Saturday night.  He was an old resident of the town and well known.

I had to laugh when I first read it.  Short and simple.  A genealogist's nightmare!!

So another search found this obituary in "The Record-Post, Au Sable Forks, N.Y., Thursday, March 20, 1930".

DEATH OF IRA HALL
     Ira Hall, whose illness was reported in the last issue of the Record-Post, died at his home a short distance south of Elizabethtown village Saturday night a little after 8 o'clock, in the 75th year of his age.  Two weeks before his death he was partially stricken with paralysis.
     Deceased was a son of the late Amasa Hall by his first wife and grew up in the Keeseville section.  In his young manhood he married Miss Ella Johnson, whose death occurred five years ago.
     Ira Hall was for a time located in Butte, Montana, shortly after that city had been laid out by his brother-in-law, the late George Wood, an elder brother of our venerable townsman Robert H. Wood.
     In 1885 Mr. Hall was employed at Tarrytown, N.Y.  A few years later he worked for the late "Lock" Reed of Moriah.  In the winter of 1896-7 he was employed on a lumber job in the Roaring Brook section of Elizabethtown conducted by Allen H. Laverty.  In the spring of 1897 his family joined him in Elizabethtown, since which the family residence has been here.
     Mr. Hall was a good general gardener, being employed by William M. Kingsley at "The Balsams" and later by Ed. Lee Campe at Legdewood Farm several summer seasons.  He was fond of horses and flowers and had had successful experience as a landscape gardener, being able to make shrubbery and plants grow.
     He is survived by three sons-Earl of Keene Valley, Jesse J., Elizabethtown plumber, Loren C., Elizabethtown painter and paper hanger-and one daughter, Miss Beatrice Hall, who is connected with the Keene Valley Neighborhood House.
     Funeral services were held at his late home Monday afternoon at two o'clock, the Rev. H. H. Pittman officiating.  Interment was beside the grave of his wife in Riverside cemetery.

WOW.  I know have his father's name, which was previously unknown to me.  I have collateral lines to add to my tree and research.  And I now know the gardening gene passed me by on BOTH sides as my mother was into gardening as well. I have killed not one but TWO cacti.....it can be done!!

Cordelia Yelle Obituary

MISS C. YELLE DIES; SERVICES ON THURSDAY

Miss Cordelia Yelle, 74, who had been in failing health for some time, passed away at midnight at her home, 64 Main Street.

Miss Yelle was born at Black Brook on Feb. 10, 1874, the daughter of the late Octave and Cleofia Feucreault Yelle.  For many years, she worked for Stern's department store in New York City.  She had resided in Saranac Lake for the past 11 years.

She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Ida Rondeau and Mrs. James Disco, both of this village.

The body is reposing at Keough Memorial chapel.  Funeral services will be conducted at 9 o'clock Thursday morning in St. Barnard's church.  The body will be placed in the vault to await burial in the spring.

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Saranac Lake, NY, Tuesday, March 9, 1948

(Cordelia was my great-great aunt on my mother's side. )

March Plans

Well it's now the 3rd month of the year, last month of the first quarter.  I've been slacking on my yearly goals thus far. But NEVER give up!!

March is a great month with lots going on including St Patrick's Day and my BIRTHDAY!!! No big to do's like earlier years but still always good to make it to another birthday!!

Also going on this month are meetings at the Frederick County Genealogical Society (FRECOGS) and hopefully the Genealogy Club of the Montgomery County Historical Society (MCHS-GC).  It is usually easier to make the FRECOGS meeting since it's on a Saturday and MCHS-GC is on a Wednesday evening. 

Then there is the Spring Conference of the Fairfax Genealogical Society in Fairfax, Virginia.  It is a two day conference and I am taking off Friday off to enjoy Day One. (Woo hoo for me!!) Among the speakers are Dear Myrtle, Thomas W. Jones, Chuck Mason, Pam and Rick Sayre and Char McCargo Bah. 

And then there is the Saturday Lecture at the Washington DC Family History Center on Google for Genealogists with Margaret McMahon. And two weeks later another lecture at the  Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore on "Social Networking: New Horizons for Genealogists" with Thomas MacEntee.

Of course, the ongoing webinars.  The best source is GeneaWebinars.  I plan to do a separate post on this subject and it's one of my favorite topics!!

Well, off to rest up for a great month!!

Photo courtesy of (Ookaboo.com)