Saturday Serendipity (April 25, 2020)

Just a few suggested reads for this weekend.

1.   The Weekly Genealogist of NEHGS provided links to two timely and interesting articles this week.  The first is about the evolution of the U.S. Census, which can be read here.  The second is about how people reacted to the 1918 Influenza pandemic and the methods they used to avoid infection.  You can access the article here.

2.   James Tanner, of Genealogy's Star blog, posted Part Three of his series "How to Analyze Genealogical Sources" this week.  You can read it here. 

3.   It seems many genealogy bloggers are less than enthused about the 2020 federal census ( I am one of them having previously blogged about my opinion here).  This week, Nancy Messier, of My Ancestors and Me blog, posted about comparing the 1850 Census with the latest 2020 Census.  Read her take on the winner between the two by going here.

4.   Have you ever considered Find-A-Grave as "cousin bait" -- a way to find and connect with previously unknown cousins?  Marian Wood, of Climbing My Family Tree blog, thinks that maybe we should and she provides an explanation and example of how and why.  You can read the post here.

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Copyright 2020, John D. Tew

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Saturday Serendipity (April 18, 2020)

Following a brief hiatus last week, Saturday Serendipity returns this week with the following recommended reads .  .  .

1.    Jacqui Stevens, of A Family Tapestry blog, posted a piece today titled "Stuck at Home. Bored."  Jacqui discusses the new feature on Ancestry that allows one to link DNA matches to people in an Ancestry tree.  She has been spending time during these pandemic restrictions adding DNA information to her trees and she offers some insights into how others might want to think about using it with their trees.  I admit I have not made use of this feature yet.  You can read Jacqui's post here.

2.   During this period of pandemic restrictions, more than ever it is useful to have a concise source for genealogy-related information we can use with extra, unexpected time on our hands.  Randy Seaver, of Genea-Musings blog, provides a regular feature that does just that.  If you have not done so before, check out Randy's latest "Genealogy News Bytes" here. 

3.   James Tanner, of Genealogy's Star blog, posted Part Two of his "How to Analyze Genealogical Sources" series this week.  He likens the proces to the case method used in law schools and other disciplines.  You can read the post here.  And if you missed Part One, it can be accessed here. 

4.   I love illustrative stories/cautionary tales about genealogy research.  They bring oft repeated mantra-like rules and advice into new focus that can be easier to remember later.  I particularly like stories of experiences using the federal census and the care that should be taken in using this valuable, but fallible, source.  I have blogged about my most important lesson using the census in "Federal Censuses -- Purveyors of Alterntive Facts? A Case Study (March 12, 2018)."  This week, Marian Wood, of Climbing My Family Tree blog, posted a wonderfully illustrative story about making sure you always go to the actual census page image and not rely merely on a transcription.  Marian points out the often neglected value of the supplements that are sometimes added to the bottom of a census page.  You can read Marian's valuable cautionary tale here. 

5.   If you too have never heard of the 14th state of the United States honoring Benjamin Franklin, then you will want to read an article highlighted this week by The Weekly Genealogist newsletter of NEHGS.  Read "A Look Back at Franklin, America's Lost State" and discover where it was located by going here.

6.   And finally, speaking of Randy Seaver–and the excuse of "better late than never"–I am embarassed to admit that I completely missed the announcement of the well-earned and greatly deserved honor bestowed on Randy back in late February of this year.  The awesomely prolific Mr. Seaver received a Lifetime Achievement Award almost two months ago.  If you are like me and missed the annoucement, you can read about it here.  CONGRATULATIONS Randy -- well done! 

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Copyright 2020, John D. Tew

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Friday Fotos (April 10, 2020)

At one time, and until sometime in the 1980s or thereabouts, Sears Roebuck and Co. was the largest retailer in the United States, but we all know by now that those glory days for Sears are long gone.

Sears has a particular connection to my family beyond the near ubiquity of its famous catalogs back in the day.  My father's adult career after WWII and service in the United States Merchant Marine was with Sears Roebuck and Co. for decades.  He began as a management trainee in Norwich, Connecticut in May 1953 and worked his way up to Assistant Manager in Sears stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire before being transferred down to the Territorial Office staff (Eastern Territory Traffic Department) in Philadelphia in 1965.  My father retired from Sears in 1981. 

As the above images show, at one time Sears made refunds for under a dollar by issuing the refund checks depicted above.  These were recently unearthed from a box of miscellaneous items collected and left behind by my late father.  According to some sources, these refund checks were issued in the 1940s and were phased out by the early 1960s.  I suspect these were probably from about 1957-1960, but I have no way of knowing for sure.  As stated on the face of the checks, the funds could be used by applying them to future orders with Sears, or they could be cashed at Sears stores or at any bank.  They were bearer paper and so anyone possessing them could use or cash them.  In other words, as bearer paper, they could be used almost like cash–but only for less than a dollar.  Notice that they are not dated and they have no "stale" or expiration date.  I wonder what I could get at Sears for 93 cents today?  I guess I would first have to fill the car's gas tank and then see if I could find a Sears store!  😀

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Copyright 2020, John D. Tew

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Saturday Serendipity (April 4, 2020)

Here are some suggested reads, a listen, and a watch for you this sequestered weekend .  .  .

1.   Today is the anniversary of both the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the birthday of poet Maya Angelou.  You might want to read King's "Letter From Birmingham Jail" essay, which you can access here.  And you can listen to Maya Angelou's famous inaugural poem " On the Pulse of Morning" here on YouTube.

2.   Jacqi Stevens, of A Family Tapestry blog, writes this week of Rosie the Riveter and Victory Gardens in a short post for these sequestered times.  My wife, Molly, has been spending much of her time during our sequestration these last few weeks at her sewing machine cranking out masks for local hospitals, so Jacqi's post was a relevant read.  Read Jacqi's post here.

3.  Janine Adams, of Organize Your Family History blog, posted about a rotation of FREE webinars from Legacy Family Tree during the month of April.  You can read more about this great opportunity and the webinar themes here.  

4.   Peter Muise, of NEW ENGLAND FOLKLORE blog, continues a witch meme with "The Witch of North Pepperell," about a long-abandoned village in Massachusetts.  This story is most interesting because it supposedly took place in 1820!  You can read the post here.   

5.   Elizabeth Handler, of From Maine to Kentucky blog, posted this week about colorizing old back and white photos.  My Heritage is offering for FREE for a few weeks only their tool for colorinzing photos, "My Heritage in Color."  You can read about this offer, get a link, and view some of the photo results posted by Elizabeth by going here.  It is amazing what colorization adds to a vintage photo.  Without diminishing in any way the impact and importance of the original photo, colorization adds another dimension to the experience of viewing long-gone ancestors, relatives, and places.  

6.   What exactly qualifies as a family heirloom?  This can be a very difficult and emotionally laden question.  Marian Burk Wood, of Climbing My Family Tree blog, contemplates this question and presents an example of one item that has not made the cut.  Read Marian's post here and see if you agree with her decision. [1]  Your thoughts on whether or not you agree will probably help you grapple with the question about your own heirloom candidates. 

7.   And finally, a documentary on YouTube that is a relevant historical reminder to all of us that we have survived a time like this before and that it affected all of us by how it affected our ancestors and relatives at the time.  These times will also affect our descendants and relatives, so we should recall and record.  The documentary is serious and factual and takes 40 minutes of your time, but it is a relevant, informative and a diversion from the usual TV and movie fare.  You can access the 1918 Influenza pandemic documentary that covers where it began, how and where it spread, the symptoms, and how it affected America by going here.  

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[1]  I think if the little red bench were mine I would be hard pressed to part with it.  I have a similar little bench I made in shop when I was in the 7th grade.  It has been around for over 50 years serving no great purpose other than as an occasion foot rest under my desk, a magazine or plant holder, etc., but it is a constant fixture that would be missed if it were absent.  More to the point, however,  is a rocking cradle I made in our garage as we awaited the arrival of our first-born child.  He slept in it beside our bed for quite a while and we could reach down and rock it when he fussed.  His brother slept in it too when he arrived two years later.  More recently, both our granddaughters spent time in it during their infancies.  Between children it sometimes resided in the attic and sometimes was on display containing extra blankets, small pillows etc.  Before it was given to our older son for his daughters, I used my wood burning tool to inscribe on the bottom the birthdates and names of the children who had slept in the cradle and later added the birthdates and names of our grnddaughters.  If and when our younger son has children the cradle will go to him and additional inscriptions will be added.  If the cradle were the little red bench and had been used by siblings to reach the sink, etc., and had then been used by other generations of children, I think I would inscribe the bottom with the facts and pass it on as long as it remained sturdy and safe to use.  AND it would make for a nice little story for the kids that would slyly introduce them to genealogy without them even suspecting! 😀

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Copyright 2020, John D. Tew

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